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First Edition: June 30, 2012

Today's headlines include recent reports about both the policies and politics related to the health law's implementation.

30 Jul 2012

Dosimetry data from SalutarisMD episcleral brachytherapy device clinical study on wet AMD

At the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting yesterday, Russell J. Hamilton, PhD, Professor and Physics Section Head, University of Arizona Department of Radiation Oncology, reviewed dosimetry data for a minimally invasive episcleral brachytherapy device developed by Salutaris Medical Devices, Inc. (SalutarisMD) to treat Wet AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness.

30 Jul 2012

Group yoga can boost motor function and balance in stroke survivors

Group yoga can improve motor function and balance in stroke survivors, even if they don't begin yoga until six months or more after the stroke, according to "Post-Stroke Balance Improves With Yoga: A Pilot Study," published online July 26 in the journal Stroke.

30 Jul 2012

Researchers discover gene mutations in patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a very rare disorder that causes paralysis that freezes one side of the body and then the other in devastating bouts that arise at unpredictable intervals. Seizures, learning disabilities and difficulty walking are common among patients with this diagnosis.

30 Jul 2012

Results from HIV incidence study in Swaziland

The results from a nationally representative HIV incidence study in Swaziland indicate that the national rate of new HIV infections is 2.38% among adults ages 18-49. This figure, comparable to the 2009 UNAIDS estimate of 2.66% for Swaziland adults ages 15-49, suggests that the HIV epidemic in Swaziland may have begun to stabilize in the past few years.

30 Jul 2012

Viral evolution and host protein levels predict rapid disease progression in hepatitis C patients

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified several factors in people infected with the hepatitis C virus that may predict whether the unusually rapid progression of disease from initial infection to severe liver conditions, such as cirrhosis, will occur. Knowing whether a patient's condition is likely to deteriorate quickly could help physicians decide on the best course of treatment.

27 Jul 2012

Longer looks: Religious health care; 'The big lie' about expanding Medicaid

The Affordable Care Act has a section that exempts members of health care sharing ministries from purchasing insurance. The Amish, Mennonite, Christian Science and Indian tribe communities also are exempt from the penalty that will be incurred on Americans who fail to purchase health insurance by 2014.

27 Jul 2012

Greatbatch second quarter 2012 sales increase 14% to $166.5 million

Greatbatch, Inc., today announced results for its second quarter ended June 29, 2012.

26 Jul 2012

‘Disablism’ could shape the future for young people with a disability: University of Sydney research

A new study led by the University of Sydney hopes to shed light on how the experiences of young Australians with a disability are shaped by discrimination.

22 Jul 2012

New UC M program to test comprehensive care physician model

Patients who are frequently hospitalized account for a disproportionate amount of health care spending in the United States. Working with a $6.1 million grant, a new University of Chicago Medicine program will test whether an updated version of the traditional general practitioner can reduce spending while also improving care for these patients.

19 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: Calif. could take a lesson from Wis. reforms; Republican advocates a 'Nixon to China' embrace of Medicare for all

The state's teachers union, Wisconsinites learned, had used its power to collectively bargain for healthcare benefits to demand that local school districts provide coverage through a nonprofit insurer affiliated with the union. Once the state ended bargaining on healthcare, school boards began competitively bidding out their health insurance. By the opening of the new school year in September, just two months after the budget bill went into effect, 23 districts had rebid their contracts, saving $16 million, or an average of $211 per student.

17 Jul 2012

Thermo Fisher Scientific signs definitive agreement to acquire One Lambda

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire One Lambda, the leader in transplant diagnostics, for $925 million in cash, subject to a post-closing adjustment.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 17 Jul 2012

Gait disturbances could indicate a decline in cognitive function

Gait disturbances – such as a slowing of walking pace or a more variable stride – could indicate a decline in cognitive function, according to new research studies reported today at the Alzheimer's Association's International Conference 2012 (AAIC 2012).

16 Jul 2012

Cleveland Clinic receives NHLBI grant to identify new pathways linked with cardiovascular diseases

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has awarded a $4.78 million grant to researchers at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute to use metabolomics - a new approach that focuses on the small-molecule byproducts of metabolism - for discovery of novel pathways linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

14 Jul 2012

Smokers at risk for recurrent hepatitis post-liver transplantation

Transplant recipients who smoke or have smoked increase their risk of viral hepatitis reinfection following liver transplantation according to new research available in the July issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

12 Jul 2012

Eschar-derived cells may be used for tissue engineering

A research team in the Netherlands has found that cells from burn eschar, the non-viable tissue remaining after burn injury and normally removed to prevent infection, can be a source of mesenchymal cells that may be used for tissue engineering.

12 Jul 2012

President Obama signs FDA bipartisan bill

President Obama signed into law the bipartisan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) on July 9.

11 Jul 2012

Women unaware of TOLAC delivery option

Study findings suggest that women eligible for trial of labor after a cesarean know little about their options for mode of delivery, with many leaving the decision up to their physician.

10 Jul 2012

International AIDS Conference to be held in the U.S. from July 22-27

The XIX International AIDS Conference is coming to Washington, D.C., July 22-27. It is the first time in 22 years the conference will be held in the U.S.

10 Jul 2012

Special surface coating for stents to keep them in place

If a person's windpipe is constricted, an operation in which the surgeon inserts a stent to enlarge the trachea is often the only way to relieve their respiratory distress. But this grid-like implant can slip out of position, closing off the windpipe altogether. Researchers are working on a special surface coating for the stents to keep them in place.

9 Jul 2012