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Researchers are revolutionizing treatment of cardiovascular disease through regenerative stem cell therapy

Northwestern Medicine physician researchers are revolutionizing treatment of cardiovascular disease by utilizing patients' own stem cells to regenerate heart and vascular tissue.

18 Nov 2010

Administration unexpectedly expands bonus payments for Medicare advantage plans

In a surprising move, the Obama administration will extend special bonus payments meant to reward top-performing Medicare Advantage insurers to those that score only average ratings.

18 Nov 2010

States consider options for funding Medicaid

The Billings Gazette: Montana lawmakers questioned the state's top health official "about plans to hire a private company to manage part of Medicaid, asking why the administration hasn't had a more public discussion on the proposal." The Legislative Finance Committee also listened to "health care providers and former officials who experienced the state's 1995 foray into private management of Medicaid for the mentally ill — and how it became a disaster for its low-income patients and their providers."

18 Nov 2010

Rheonix receives U.S patent for microfluidic device

Rheonix, Inc., developer of the Rheonix CARD system to provide multiplexed endpoint analysis for a wide breadth of diagnostic applications, announced that on November 16, 2010 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued Patent Number 7,832,429 "Microfluidic Pump and Valve Structures and Fabrication Method" to the Company.

18 Nov 2010

Hospice or hospital? Where you die depends on where you live

America's hospitals treat patients with life-ending cancers very differently in their final months, with some deploying chemotherapy and other life-prolonging efforts until the end and others directing most of their patients into hospice, a new study finds.

18 Nov 2010

Viruses lead to discovery of security system in host cells

Viruses have led scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to the discovery of a security system in host cells.

18 Nov 2010

Selenium secures NIH grant to apply patented antimicrobial technology for ear infections

Selenium, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company focused on unique solutions to meet antimicrobial coating and therapeutic needs, has been awarded a research grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. With the $155,387 NIH grant the company will apply its proprietary antimicrobial technology to researching the inhibition of biofilms on tympanostomy tubes.

18 Nov 2010

Deficit panel recommends ways to curb Medicare, Medicaid costs

Kaiser Health News / McClatchy: "Offering the latest tough-love strategy to reduce the nation's debt, a panel of high-profile Republicans and Democrats is scheduled on Wednesday to recommend that Medicare beneficiaries pick up far more of their health care costs and the government substantially curb the amount both Medicare and Medicaid programs can grow in future years." The panel will present the findings of the debt reduction task force that was created by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

18 Nov 2010

New Medicare/Medicaid projects aimed at cheaper, better care

Promising fast action, the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is launching a series of initiatives aimed at improving medical care while reducing its cost.

18 Nov 2010

Health care CEOs highest paid, Wall Street Journal survey finds

The Wall Street Journal: The median CEO pay in the health care industry "was $10 million" in the past fiscal year, which is "the highest median pay of any industry," including consumer goods, telecom and oil and gas, according to the new Wall Street Journal CEO Compensation Study. "The study looked at total direct compensation, which includes salary, bonuses and the value of long-term incentives, including stock and stock options at the time of the grant.

18 Nov 2010

Sangamo presents Phase 2 clinical data in ALS at Society for Neuroscience Meeting

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today the presentation of Phase 2 clinical data from its ZFP Therapeutic program to develop SB-509, a zinc finger protein transcriptional activator (ZFP-TF) of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A gene as a treatment for ALS.

17 Nov 2010

New findings suggest novel approach to targeted treatment of cancer

New research that provides potential for exciting new approaches to targeting diseases such as cancer has been announced by an international team of academics.

17 Nov 2010

Lawmakers elbow for influence as they return to Capitol Hill

Lawmakers are elbowing around Capitol Hill to cement their places in the coming fight over health reform, and industry groups are attempting the same.

17 Nov 2010

New investigational drug improves lung function in CF patients

An investigational drug targeting a defective protein that causes cystic fibrosis has been shown to improve lung function in a small study of CF patients, according to findings published Nov. 18, 2010, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Nov 2010

U.N. report highlights gaps in global social security programs, including health care

Though basic social security is critical for mitigating the dire consequences of economic crises, it remains out of reach for most people across the world, above all in poorer countries," according to a report.

17 Nov 2010

Obesity linked to heightened sense of smell for food

New research shows that obese and overweight people have a greater sense of smell for food. The study at the University of Portsmouth explains why some people struggle to stay slim. The researchers say that it is known that part of the brain that processes information about odour is also connected to the feeding centres of the brain. This study adds to the knowledge and is published in the journal Chemical Senses.

17 Nov 2010

Imec and PEIRA develop platform for in-vitro study of brain tissue

The nanoelectronics research centre imec and Peira, a Belgium-based manufacturer of pharmaceutical and chemical research instruments, jointly developed an innovative slice-tilting instrument for in-vitro research on brain tissue. The new tool enables long-term studying of brain cultures through electronic stimulation and read-out, essential in getting insight into the functioning of the brain.

17 Nov 2010

Innovative neural probe senses and stimulates individual brain cells

Imec, together with its partners within the European FP6 Program NeuroProbes, has created a new neural probe enabling electrical and chemical recording and stimulation of single neurons in the brain. Applications of the new technology are vast, ranging from tools for fundamental research on the functioning of the brain, to instruments for more precise diagnosis of brain seizures before brain-surgery.

17 Nov 2010

Study on intention-behaviour gap in relation to healthy eating

We regularly hear how the best of intentions do not translate into action. This is nowhere more apparent than in the case of healthy eating, where many fall through the gap between intention and action. Research is ongoing at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, and University College Cork to try to decipher this intention-behaviour gap in relation to healthy eating.

17 Nov 2010