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Study finds Haitian cholera strain resembles one from South Asia, carries mutation that increases severity

"Detailed genetic tests confirm that the cholera strain that has killed more than 2,000 people in Haiti came from South Asia and most closely resembles a strain circulating in Bangladesh," according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Reuters reports (12/9).

13 Dec 2010

Research programs embody the promise of anti-aging medicine.

Sometimes the value of research lies as much in exposing false remedies as in discovering true breakthroughs. Scientists at the country's first school of gerontology and in laboratories around the University of Southern California do both, mindful of their responsibility to a society focused on healthful aging.

13 Dec 2010

Multi-unit dwellings contribute to children's exposure to tobacco smoke

Children living in apartments are exposed to secondhand smoke even when no one smokes inside their own unit. This study, released online today by the journal Pediatrics, strongly suggests that housing type contributes to children's exposure to tobacco smoke, despite the best intentions of parents.

13 Dec 2010

Research identifies two genetic variants that increase risk of endometriosis

Research published today identifies two genetic variants that increase the risk of developing endometriosis, a common gynaecological disease. The study provides clues to the origin of this often very painful condition, which has a significant impact on the quality of life of sufferers.

13 Dec 2010

Genetic changes in HDAC9 gene may modulate onset of ER positive breast cancer and its recurrence

Investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey have presented new research at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Their work highlights how a variation in a person's DNA sequence is associated with an earlier age of onset for breast cancer that is stimulated by the hormone estrogen (estrogen receptor positive).

13 Dec 2010

Depression drug appears effective in reducing pain associated with breast cancer treatment

A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorder was effective at reducing joint and muscle pain associated with a breast cancer treatment, according to a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

12 Dec 2010

Research roundup: For-profit hospitals' readmission rate, containing self-referrals, children's dental health, revisiting McAllen

For-Profit Hospital Status And Rehospitalizations At Different Hospitals: An Analysis of Medicare Data - "Rehospitalization within the first 30 days of discharge affects 1 in 5 hospitalized Medicare fee-for-service patients and costs approximately $17.4 billion in payments annually ... the top 4 factors most related to the risk for rehospitalization at a different facility were initial admission to a for-profit index hospital … lower-volume index hospital (hospitals with <1000 annual discharges) … hospital with a major medical school affiliation … and being disabled."

10 Dec 2010

Access problems for psychiatric patients to Medicaid medication leads to increased hospital, emergency care

Too often, mental health patients have problems accessing or paying for their prescription drugs under Medicaid. The results — longer hospital stays and more emergency room visits — are hard on patients and costly for the entire health care system, a new study finds.

10 Dec 2010

Haitian cholera pathogen closely related to 'El Tor O1' variant from South Asia

Scientists from Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. and Harvard Medical School have successfully employed single molecule, real-time (SMRT™) DNA sequencing technology to rapidly characterize the pathogen responsible for the recent deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti. Published online Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results provide the first whole genome sequence analysis and most detailed genetic profile to date of the Haitian Vibrio cholerae outbreak strain.

10 Dec 2010

Low phosphate diets may increase dialysis patients' risk of premature death

Doctors often ask kidney disease patients on dialysis to limit the amount of phosphate they consume in their diets, but this does not help prolong their lives, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

10 Dec 2010

New three-drug combination may be effective for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients: Study

A new three-drug combination used to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma may be effective as a front-line therapy for newly diagnosed patients, according to a study led by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

9 Dec 2010

Vibrio cholerae evolves two new mechanisms to cause similar disease

New clinical strains of cholera appear to have evolved a distinctly different mechanism to cause the same disease according to research published in the current issue of the online journal mBio-.

9 Dec 2010

Research sheds new light on dopamine's role in brain's reward system

Researchers have shed new light on dopamine's role in the brain's reward system, which could provide insight into impulse control problems associated with addiction and a number of psychiatric disorders.

9 Dec 2010

Novel treatment strategy for social impairment of people with ASD

Eastern Virginia Medical School researchers have identified a potential novel treatment strategy for the social impairment of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), an aspect of the condition that has a profound impact on quality of life.

9 Dec 2010

Downstream cancer care linked to complications during surgery

Patients who have complications after colorectal cancer surgery are less likely to get chemotherapy, even when it is clearly recommended for their diagnosis, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

9 Dec 2010

Study: Adding community features to online health programs could reduce attrition

In an era when social networking sites and blogs are visited by three quarters of online users, it's only natural that the medical profession would also tap into the power of social media tools.

9 Dec 2010

Euthymics announces EB-1010 Phase II data for major depressive disorder at ACNP meeting

9 Dec 2010

Expert panel explores how to engage pediatricians, primary care physicians in preventing childhood obesity

As the prevalence of childhood obesity approaches epidemic levels, physicians on the "front line" need to become more involved in obesity prevention and weight management to reverse this dangerous trend among their young patients. But several obstacles discourage pediatricians and other primary care physicians from taking a more active role in managing childhood obesity.

9 Dec 2010

Euthymics's EB-1010 effective in treatment of major depressive disorder: Study

Euthymics Bioscience, Inc. today will present Phase II clinical data demonstrating that its lead product candidate EB-1010, a next-generation antidepressant, is effective for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) based on multiple standard measures of outcome for depression. EB-1010 also improved measures of anhedonia, a hallmark symptom of MDD, which is characterized by the inability to experience pleasure.

9 Dec 2010

American Society for Microbiology honors UTHealth biologist for significant contributions

Known nationally for her research into single-cell organisms that affect oral health, Millicent "Mimi" Goldschmidt, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), has been selected to receive the 2011 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Founders Distinguished Service Award.

8 Dec 2010

Medical School News and Research

Study finds Haitian cholera strain resembles one from South Asia, carries mutation that increases severity

Research programs embody the promise of anti-aging medicine.

Multi-unit dwellings contribute to children's exposure to tobacco smoke

Research identifies two genetic variants that increase risk of endometriosis

Genetic changes in HDAC9 gene may modulate onset of ER positive breast cancer and its recurrence

Depression drug appears effective in reducing pain associated with breast cancer treatment

Research roundup: For-profit hospitals' readmission rate, containing self-referrals, children's dental health, revisiting McAllen

Access problems for psychiatric patients to Medicaid medication leads to increased hospital, emergency care

Haitian cholera pathogen closely related to 'El Tor O1' variant from South Asia

Low phosphate diets may increase dialysis patients' risk of premature death

New three-drug combination may be effective for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients: Study

Vibrio cholerae evolves two new mechanisms to cause similar disease

Research sheds new light on dopamine's role in brain's reward system

Novel treatment strategy for social impairment of people with ASD

Downstream cancer care linked to complications during surgery

Study: Adding community features to online health programs could reduce attrition

Euthymics announces EB-1010 Phase II data for major depressive disorder at ACNP meeting

Expert panel explores how to engage pediatricians, primary care physicians in preventing childhood obesity

Euthymics's EB-1010 effective in treatment of major depressive disorder: Study

American Society for Microbiology honors UTHealth biologist for significant contributions

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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