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LincRNAs play key roles during embryonic brain development

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) that play key roles during embryonic brain development in zebrafish. They also show that the human versions of the lincRNAs can substitute for the zebrafish versions, which implies that the functions of these non-coding RNAs have been retained in humans as well as fish.

23 Dec 2011

IOM authors disagree with HHS decision on essential benefits

Political Pro talks to researchers who helped develop the IOM recommendations for the federal government on what should be offered in health plans. At the same time, a number of media outlets look at news about the implementation of the 2010 health care law.

23 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'gift' to Obama; Essential benefits rule a 'lump of coal'

One photo snapped Wednesday on Capitol Hill captured the essence of Congress in 2011. It showed a group of senior House Republicans sitting on one side of a long table, waiting for their Senate counterparts to show up for a negotiating session the House had demanded. ... What viewers should really have seen in the photo was the Republican leadership team whose miscalculations may soon cause payroll taxes to go up -; and unemployment benefits to be truncated, and payment rates to Medicare doctors slashed. That's on the verge of happening.

23 Dec 2011

NPR's 'Morning Edition' examines USAID's efforts to improve medical care in Afghanistan

NPR Morning Edition host Renee Montagne on Thursday spoke with Alex Thier, who oversees USAID projects in Afghanistan, about the "tremendous efforts that have been made to improve medical care in the country over the last decade," noting, "A new survey shows stunning progress in medical care in the war-torn country."

23 Dec 2011

U.S. postpones decision on food aid to North Korea; Aid groups worry situation could worsen

"Humanitarian groups fear that the death of Kim Jong-il could worsen North Korea's dire food situation, after the U.S. postponed a decision on potential aid," the Guardian reports.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers reveal what cells respond to anesthesia in C. elegans

Physicians use inhalation anesthetics in a way that is incredibly safe for patients, but very little is known about the intricacies of how these drugs actually work in children and adults. Now, researchers have uncovered what cells respond to anesthesia in an organism known as the C. elegans, according to a new study from the Seattle Children's Research Institute. C. elegans is a transparent roundworm used often in research.

23 Dec 2011

Walgreen expecting sharp drop in prescription business

A contract dispute with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts is likely to cut the number of drugs Walgreen will sell.

23 Dec 2011

Listening to music can effectively reduce pain in high-anxiety persons

Distraction is a proven pain reliever, and a new study reported in The Journal of Pain concludes that listening to music can be effective for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons who can easily become absorbed in cognitive activities.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers successfully treat severe congenital disorder in mouse model

Using a mouse model, Heidelberg University Hospital researchers have for the first time successfully treated a severe congenital disorder in which sugar metabolism is disturbed.

23 Dec 2011

Scientists discover how DNA mismatch repair proteins work

In eukaryotes - the group of organisms that include humans - a key to survival is the ability of certain proteins to quickly and accurately repair genetic errors that occur when DNA is replicated to make new cells.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers present results from 31 major studies of blood-related cancers at ASH 2011 meeting

Researchers from the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, one of the nation's top 50 best hospitals for cancer, presented results from 31 major studies of blood-related cancers - leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma -- during the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, December 10-13, 2011 in San Diego.

23 Dec 2011

Senate, House at impasse on payroll tax timing

With no endgame in sight to prevent a looming payroll tax hike, President Obama and congressional leaders took turns trying to convince Americans that they were hard at work to save the tax break -; even though Congress has essentially closed for the holidays. ... But finding consensus is easier said than done. Republicans and Democrats remain at odds over how to pay for the legislation.

23 Dec 2011

Surprising finding about implants used in hip replacement surgery

A new study, bringing together an interdisciplinary team of physicians and engineers from the United States and Germany, made a surprising finding about implants used in hip replacement surgery: Graphite carbon is a key element in the lubricating layer that forms on metal-on-metal hip implants. The lubricant has more in common with the lubrication of a combustion engine than that of a natural joint.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers evaluate role of Mediterranean diet ingredients in prevention of cell damage

The researchers evaluated the role of Mediterranean diet ingredients in the prevention and mitigation of cell damage.

23 Dec 2011

Faulty lipid metabolism may cause MS, says forensic anthropologist

An article to be published in the December 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology argues that multiple sclerosis, long viewed as primarily an autoimmune disease, is not actually a disease of the immune system.

23 Dec 2011

JCV, CDC announce publication of 'Update on HIV Diagnostic Testing Algorithms'

Elsevier's Journal of Clinical Virology in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the publication of a special supplement entitled 'Update on HIV Diagnostic Testing Algorithms'.

23 Dec 2011

Religious leaders should come together to ensure access to NTD medicines for world's poorest

Most of the world's neglected tropical diseases occur among populations that adhere to Islam, Catholicism, or Hinduism, an observation that "affords an opportunity to establish a unique interfaith dialogue among religious leaders" leading to global action, Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, and Serap Aksoy, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, write in a PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) editorial.

23 Dec 2011

Fluoride has dramatic effects on bacteria inside the mouth

Regular use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and mouthwash has long been known to strengthen the enamel on teeth. But new research by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists finds that fluoride also has dramatic effects on bacteria inside the mouth -- including those that form plaque and can cause cavities.

23 Dec 2011

Scientists discover mechanism by which TNFα stimulates tumor formation

An inflammation-promoting protein triggers deactivation of a tumor-suppressor that usually blocks cancer formation via the NOTCH signaling pathway, a team of researchers led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports today in Molecular Cell.

23 Dec 2011

Health care issues leaving mark on presidential race

President Obama is busy touting his health law, while Mitt Romney argues that an individual mandate in Massachusetts is a "conservative" idea. In the meantime, the Associated Press examines Newt Gingrich's past support of the Children's Health Insurance Program.

23 Dec 2011