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HIV/AIDS opinions

"Promising scientific developments to prevent AIDS, not just treat its victims, have sparked hope among health officials, researchers and advocacy groups struggling to control the epidemic. Unfortunately, the global recession and soaring deficits in advanced nations have made it unlikely that sufficient money will be available to fully seize the new opportunities," according to a New York Times editorial, which postures, "[s]ome agonizing choices will have to be made."

4 Dec 2010

Gene mutation can lead to different mental illnesses when influenced by same environmental factor

Male mice born with a genetic mutation that's believed to make humans more susceptible to schizophrenia develop behaviors that mimic other major psychiatric illnesses when their mothers are exposed to an assault to the immune system while pregnant, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

4 Dec 2010

Alteration in gene causes male embryos to develop as females

Scientists have discovered that the alteration of a single gene could cause some male embryos to develop as females.

4 Dec 2010

Phase III studies should make meaningful difference in patients' quality of life: Commentary

Randomized phase III studies should be designed to find out whether a new drug or treatment makes a meaningful difference in patients' survival or quality of life, according to a commentary published online December 3rd in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

4 Dec 2010

Children with developmental disabilities face obstacles in intervention services

A new community-based study by UC Davis researchers has found that children with developmental disabilities in Southeast-Asian-American families face significant obstacles to receiving intervention services. Barriers include lack of accurate information, language difficulties, lack of trust and limited outreach.

3 Dec 2010

Exposure to polluted air leads to accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance

Exposure to polluted air early in life led to an accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance in mice even if they ate a normal diet, according to new research.

3 Dec 2010

Johns Hopkins patient-safety tools help reduce lethal bloodstream infections

Using a widely heralded Johns Hopkins checklist and other patient-safety tools, intensive care units across the state of Michigan reduced the rate of potentially lethal bloodstream infections to near zero.

3 Dec 2010

NSU receives $1.6 million federal grant to provide better care for homeless

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine recently received a $1.6 million federal grant to develop an academic program for medical students to provide better care for the homeless by understanding their needs.

3 Dec 2010

New article questions role of amenities in hospital care

From hotel-style room service to massage therapy to magnificent views, hospitals are increasingly touting their luxury services in a bid to gain market share, especially those in competitive urban markets. An important new article, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, raises crucial questions about the role of amenities in hospital care, explaining that how we decide to value the patient experience can have a significant effect on health care costs.

3 Dec 2010

NSU offers free dental services to victims of domestic violence

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is offering free dental services to victims of domestic violence, who otherwise may not have access to such services.

3 Dec 2010

Hospital-wide patient-safety programs can improve 'culture of safety'

A prescribed set of hospital-wide patient-safety programs can lead to rapid improvements in the "culture of safety" even in a large, complex, academic medical center, according to a new study by safety experts at Johns Hopkins.

3 Dec 2010

New book on managing worry, anxiety and fear

Americans' danger detectors are cranked up way too high these days, but we don't have to be held hostage by our anxiety, according to a new book on coping with stress by a Northwestern Medicine psychologist.

3 Dec 2010

Healthy lifestyle choices, emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes

Healthy lifestyle choices and emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes, according to revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.

3 Dec 2010

New national awards program to recognize healthcare institutions to eliminate HAI infection

A new national awards program will recognize teams of critical care professionals and healthcare institutions able to successfully reduce or eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAI), a leading cause of death in the United States.

3 Dec 2010

Number of medical school graduates increasing; average age of physicians stabilizing

Canada experienced the biggest annual percentage gain in the national supply of physicians since the late 1980s, according to a new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). In 2009, there were approximately 68,100 active physicians working in Canada, an increase of nearly 2,700 physicians over the previous year. This represents an increase of 4.1%—more than triple the rate of growth of the Canadian population as a whole (1.2%) and the largest annual increase of the past two decades.

3 Dec 2010

UCLA findings could lead to enhanced health supplements, progress on Parkinson's

The discovery by UCLA biochemists of a new method for preventing oxidation in the essential fatty acids of cell membranes could lead to a new class of more effective nutritional supplements and potentially help combat neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and perhaps Alzheimer's.

3 Dec 2010

NIAID researchers develop new method to detect prion diseases

A fast test to diagnose fatal brain conditions such as mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans could be on the horizon, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists. Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed a highly sensitive and rapid new method to detect and measure infectious agents called prions that cause these diseases.

3 Dec 2010

Mushrooms are good source of vitamin D

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released the results of its 24-month review on dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for vitamin D and calcium, which validated the importance of vitamin D as an essential nutrient for promoting bone health. The committee set the recommended intake level at 600 IU, which is triple the previously recommended amount from 1997.

3 Dec 2010

AHA: Incidence of hospitalization for heart valve diseases rises in New York

The incidence of hospitalization and treatment for heart valve diseases in New York State has constantly and progressively risen since the early 1980s, according to research presented at the recent meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA) by SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The study results were published in a supplement to the AHA journal, Circulation.

3 Dec 2010

Doctors still prescribe higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills

Doctors across the country are still prescribing higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills, despite clinical evidence that low doses and skin patches work just as well and carry fewer health risks. That's what researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found in a study that will be published online Dec. 2 in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

3 Dec 2010

Medicine News and Research

HIV/AIDS opinions

Gene mutation can lead to different mental illnesses when influenced by same environmental factor

Alteration in gene causes male embryos to develop as females

Phase III studies should make meaningful difference in patients' quality of life: Commentary

Children with developmental disabilities face obstacles in intervention services

Exposure to polluted air leads to accumulation of abdominal fat and insulin resistance

Johns Hopkins patient-safety tools help reduce lethal bloodstream infections

NSU receives $1.6 million federal grant to provide better care for homeless

New article questions role of amenities in hospital care

NSU offers free dental services to victims of domestic violence

Hospital-wide patient-safety programs can improve 'culture of safety'

New book on managing worry, anxiety and fear

Healthy lifestyle choices, emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes

New national awards program to recognize healthcare institutions to eliminate HAI infection

Number of medical school graduates increasing; average age of physicians stabilizing

UCLA findings could lead to enhanced health supplements, progress on Parkinson's

NIAID researchers develop new method to detect prion diseases

Mushrooms are good source of vitamin D

AHA: Incidence of hospitalization for heart valve diseases rises in New York

Doctors still prescribe higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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