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Viewpoints: Could expanding mental health services curb gun violence?; Opinions on other aspects of health law

President Obama said he would use whatever powers his office holds to address this violence. ... Currently, nearly half of all gun sales in the U.S. are conducted without a background check. Criminals, the mentally ill, minors and domestic abusers are all prohibited from purchasing guns, but they all can do so as easily as attending a gun show or going online.

20 Dec 2012

Maternal vitamin D deficiency could cause low birth weight

Women deficient in vitamin D early in their pregnancies are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weights, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health research reveals.

20 Dec 2012

Researchers report seroprevalence of three avian flu virus strains in pigs in southern China

Researchers report for the first time the seroprevalence of three strains of avian influenza viruses in pigs in southern China, but not the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Their research, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, has implications for efforts to protect the public health from pandemics.

20 Dec 2012

New clues in understanding how epithelial cells repair themselves following chlorine-related injury

Scarring of the airways can lead to long-term breathing problems for some people exposed to high levels of chlorine gas from events such as an industrial accident, chemical spill following a train derailment or terroristic chemical warfare. Household mishaps from mixing bleach with acidic cleaning products also can cause release of chlorine gas; if this occurs in a poorly ventilated space, chlorine levels could be high enough to cause lung injury.

20 Dec 2012

Recreational use of HIV drugs leading to pre-treatment resistance in South Africa

NPR's "Shots" blog examines how "opportunists who market street drugs may be undermining the global struggle against AIDS," writing, "In South Africa, two mainstay HIV drugs have found their way into recreational use."

20 Dec 2012

Roundup: States facing Medicaid woes; Experts say N.Y. squeezed; Colorado, N.C. govs extend funding for mental health care

Rising health care costs are pushing up the amounts states must spend on the Medicaid insurance program for the poor, sending some scrambling to find funds, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The report found that spending on Medicaid and other public health care programs is currently over budget in 10 states, compared to six states at the same point last year.

20 Dec 2012

Aspirin use may increase risk of age-related macular degeneration

People who regularly took aspirin 10 years prior to examination had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of a subtype of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

20 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Does 'fiscal cliff' end justify the means?; A shrinking government under any plan; Wrongly confusing Asperger's with mental illness

It is the third week of December, and all of Washington is focused on whether the country will fall off the "fiscal cliff" it has built for itself. ... As of January 1, physicians' fees for treating Medicare patients are scheduled for an across-the-board reduction of about 27% in addition to the 2% reduction for all services relating to Medicare under sequestration.

19 Dec 2012

Zoo data show low incidence of animal–human infection

Zoonotic transmission rates are low and the risk for animal–human infection is well managed, show zoo data spanning 19 years.

19 Dec 2012

University of Maryland, Baltimore hosts first national conference on oral and systemic health

By hosting the first national conference on oral and systemic health in Baltimore on Dec. 10, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) took another major step toward true interprofessional health care education, says Jay A. Perman, MD, president of the University.

19 Dec 2012

Studies examine pediatric TBIs treated at Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2002-2011

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among children in China are a growing public health concern. Two new studies by researchers of the International Program at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Wuhan Children's Hospital in China examined pediatric TBIs that were treated at Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2002 to 2011.

19 Dec 2012

Views on Conn. shootings: Mental illness doesn't generally lead to violence; Need for more treatment options; Helping the survivors

It's possible that preventing people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other serious mental illnesses from getting guns might decrease the risk of mass killings. Even the Supreme Court, which in 2008 strongly affirmed a broad right to bear arms, at the same time endorsed prohibitions on gun ownership "by felons and the mentally ill." But mass killings are very rare events, and because people with mentally illness contribute so little to overall violence, these measures would have little impact on everyday firearm-related killings.

19 Dec 2012

Pelvic girdle pain persists postpartum despite cesarean section

Women who experience pelvic girdle syndrome during pregnancy and undergo cesarean section are still at an increased risk for PGS 6 months after childbirth, research shows.

18 Dec 2012

Journal of American College Health releases Tobacco Issue

Routledge is pleased to announce the publication of Volume 60, Issue 7, 2012 - the Tobacco Issue -- from Journal of American College Health (JACH).

18 Dec 2012

Poll: Cost of care causes 3 in 10 Americans to skip necessary medical treatment

A record number of Americans are skipping necessary medical care because of cost, according to a new Gallup poll.

18 Dec 2012

Klerokinesis may prevent some cancers from developing

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center have discovered a new form of cell division in human cells.

18 Dec 2012

Children in asthma hotspots more likely to experience exercise-induced wheeze

Asthmatic children in New York City neighborhoods with high rates of asthma make many more visits to the emergency room (ER) than those who live in other parts of the city. While socioeconomic factors such as lack of adequate preventive care are part of the equation (high-asthma neighborhoods tend to be lower income), new research points to a possible biological basis for the disparity.

18 Dec 2012

IRMA, Population Council and MTN release Rectal Revolution video project

International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA), the Population Council, and the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) today released a collaborative video project called "The Rectal Revolution Is Here: An Introduction to Rectal Microbicide Clinical Trials." The jointly produced video, the first of its kind, is designed to educate communities affected by HIV about rectal microbicide development and the importance of participating in clinical trials to help speed the search for new HIV prevention options.

18 Dec 2012

Experts warn banning thimerosal from use in vaccines would harm immunization campaigns in developing world

"A group of prominent doctors and public health experts warns in articles to be published Monday in the journal Pediatrics that banning thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative in vaccines, would devastate public health efforts in developing countries," the New York Times reports.

17 Dec 2012

GSK receives FDA approval for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT to treat seasonal flu

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Virus Vaccine) for the immunisation of children (three years and older) and adults to help prevent disease caused by seasonal influenza (flu) virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine.

17 Dec 2012

Public Health News and Research

Viewpoints: Could expanding mental health services curb gun violence?; Opinions on other aspects of health law

Maternal vitamin D deficiency could cause low birth weight

Researchers report seroprevalence of three avian flu virus strains in pigs in southern China

New clues in understanding how epithelial cells repair themselves following chlorine-related injury

Recreational use of HIV drugs leading to pre-treatment resistance in South Africa

Roundup: States facing Medicaid woes; Experts say N.Y. squeezed; Colorado, N.C. govs extend funding for mental health care

Aspirin use may increase risk of age-related macular degeneration

Viewpoints: Does 'fiscal cliff' end justify the means?; A shrinking government under any plan; Wrongly confusing Asperger's with mental illness

Zoo data show low incidence of animal–human infection

University of Maryland, Baltimore hosts first national conference on oral and systemic health

Studies examine pediatric TBIs treated at Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2002-2011

Views on Conn. shootings: Mental illness doesn't generally lead to violence; Need for more treatment options; Helping the survivors

Pelvic girdle pain persists postpartum despite cesarean section

Journal of American College Health releases Tobacco Issue

Poll: Cost of care causes 3 in 10 Americans to skip necessary medical treatment

Klerokinesis may prevent some cancers from developing

Children in asthma hotspots more likely to experience exercise-induced wheeze

IRMA, Population Council and MTN release Rectal Revolution video project

Experts warn banning thimerosal from use in vaccines would harm immunization campaigns in developing world

GSK receives FDA approval for FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT to treat seasonal flu

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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