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Short nap can reverse hormonal impact of poor night's sleep

A short nap can help relieve stress and bolster the immune systems of men who slept only two hours the previous night, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

11 Feb 2015

Scientists identify new cellular pathway affected in cystinosis

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have identified a new cellular pathway that is affected in cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder that can result in eye and kidney damage.

11 Feb 2015

Too much folic acid during pregnancy puts daughters at risk of diabetes, obesity later in life

Mothers that take excessive amounts of folic acid during pregnancy may predispose their daughters to diabetes and obesity later in life, according to a new study published today in the Journal of Endocrinology. With high dose supplements being widely available, the study calls for a need to establish a safe upper limit of folic acid intake for pregnant women.

10 Feb 2015

Synthetic Biologics reports positive results from SYN-004 Phase 1b trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a developer of pathogen-specific therapies for serious infections and diseases, with a focus on protecting the microbiome, today announced positive topline safety and tolerability results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of SYN-004, the Company's investigational oral beta-lactamase enzyme designed to protect the microbiome and prevent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and secondary antibiotic-resistant infections in patients receiving intravenous (IV) beta-lactam antibiotic therapy.

10 Feb 2015

Mercury associated with autoimmunity among women of childbearing age

One of the greatest risk factors for autoimmunity among women of childbearing age may be associated with exposure to mercury such as through seafood, a new University of Michigan study says.

10 Feb 2015

Treadmill Desks Offer Limited Benefits, Pose Challenges In The Workplace, Study Shows

Treadmill desks can help overweight or obese office workers get out of their chairs and get moving, but a 12-week study by an Oregon State University researcher found that the increase in physical activity was small and did not help workers meet public health guidelines for daily exercise.

10 Feb 2015

Psychedelic drug prevents allergic asthma in mouse model

Research led by Charles Nichols, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that a psychedelic drug, (R)-DOI, prevents the development of allergic asthma in a mouse model.

10 Feb 2015

Drug similar to Gleevec may help tame some brain cancers

The drug Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) is well known not only for its effectiveness against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but also for the story behinds its development. The drug was specifically designed to target an abnormal molecule--a fusion of two normal cell proteins--that fueled a tumor's growth.

10 Feb 2015

Study links previously unknown genetic anomalies to breast cancer in African American family members

The "Jewels in our Genes" study, led by University at Buffalo researcher Heather Ochs-Balcom, has uncovered previously unknown segments of DNA shared by African American family members who have breast cancer. "The discovery of these regions supports our hypothesis that there are still undiscovered breast cancer genes that may be unique to African Americans," says Ochs-Balcom, PhD, a genetic epidemiologist in the UB Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health.

10 Feb 2015

Primary care-based exercise program improves physical activity in obese, middle-aged women

Getting help from the family doctor may be a better way for overweight, middle-aged women to increase their physical activity, rather than trying to go it alone, according to a trial led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Obesity and physical inactivity are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged women.

10 Feb 2015

Middle-school children who consume sweetened energy drinks at increased risk for hyperactivity

Middle-school children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66% more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health has found.

10 Feb 2015

FDA accepts NDA filing for Inspirion Delivery Technologies' investigational drug, MorphaBond ER

Inspirion Delivery Technologies, LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused solely on the development of Abuse-Deterrent Formulations (ADFs) of opioid products, together with its financial partner Trygg Pharma Group, announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has accepted for filing the New Drug Application ("NDA") submitted on November 21, 2014 for its investigational drug, MorphaBond ER, an extended-release (ER), abuse-deterrent formulation of morphine.

10 Feb 2015

Xenics and VUmc collaborate in thermography project for clinical research

Xenics, Europe's leading developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared imagers, cameras and customized imaging solutions from the LWIR to the visible realm, is collaborating in path breaking clinical research programs with the VU University Medical Center of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

9 Feb 2015

Physical, psychosocial factors can significantly increase risk of low back pain

New research reveals the physical and psychosocial factors that significantly increase the risk of low back pain onset. In fact results published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology, show that being engaged in manual tasks involving awkward positions will increase the risk of low back pain by eight times. Those who are distracted during activities or fatigued also significantly increase their risk of acute low back pain.

9 Feb 2015

Readmissions after surgery associated with new postdischarge complications, shows study

In a study that included readmission information from nearly 350 hospitals, readmissions the first 30 days after surgery were associated with new postdischarge complications related to the surgical procedure and not a worsening of any medical conditions the patient already had while hospitalized for surgery, according to a study in the February 3 issue of JAMA.

9 Feb 2015

New report raises ethical questions surrounding the use of data

Public participation should be at the heart of big data projects in health care and biomedical research, according to the findings of a new report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

9 Feb 2015

Hastings Center Report: Latest issues on health and medicine

For two years, a debate has raged over the study known as the Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial (SUPPORT), which sought to gauge the risks and benefits of different blood oxygen levels currently targeted in the care of premature infants.

9 Feb 2015

Leading medical societies jointly release new statement on using carrier screening in reproductive medicine

Carrier screening for inherited genetic disorders is an important part of preconception and prenatal care for the nearly 4 million women who give birth in the US annually. Carrier screening is meant to identify couples at risk for passing on such genetic conditions to their children.

9 Feb 2015

PE/GHTN linked to higher frequency of cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities

In a study to be presented on Feb. 5 in an oral concurrent session at 2:45 p.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in San Diego, researchers of the MFMU Network will present findings of long term cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities five to ten years later in women with preeclampsia/gestational hypertension during pregnancy.

9 Feb 2015

Study shows preeclampsia and low birth weight reoccur in the next generation

In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 in an oral concurrent session at 1:15 p.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in San Diego, researchers will present findings on a study of mothers and daughters where low birth weight and preeclampsia were found to reoccur in the next generation.

9 Feb 2015

Public Health News and Research

Short nap can reverse hormonal impact of poor night's sleep

Scientists identify new cellular pathway affected in cystinosis

Too much folic acid during pregnancy puts daughters at risk of diabetes, obesity later in life

Synthetic Biologics reports positive results from SYN-004 Phase 1b trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Mercury associated with autoimmunity among women of childbearing age

Treadmill Desks Offer Limited Benefits, Pose Challenges In The Workplace, Study Shows

Psychedelic drug prevents allergic asthma in mouse model

Drug similar to Gleevec may help tame some brain cancers

Study links previously unknown genetic anomalies to breast cancer in African American family members

Primary care-based exercise program improves physical activity in obese, middle-aged women

Middle-school children who consume sweetened energy drinks at increased risk for hyperactivity

FDA accepts NDA filing for Inspirion Delivery Technologies' investigational drug, MorphaBond ER

Xenics and VUmc collaborate in thermography project for clinical research

Physical, psychosocial factors can significantly increase risk of low back pain

Readmissions after surgery associated with new postdischarge complications, shows study

New report raises ethical questions surrounding the use of data

Hastings Center Report: Latest issues on health and medicine

Leading medical societies jointly release new statement on using carrier screening in reproductive medicine

PE/GHTN linked to higher frequency of cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities

Study shows preeclampsia and low birth weight reoccur in the next generation

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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