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Redesign of donor-liver distribution network could increase transplants by 14%

A redesign of the nation's donor-liver distribution network developed by University of Pittsburgh researchers could result in several hundred more people each year receiving the transplants they need.

25 Feb 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb awards $1 million grant to reduce hepatitis-related health disparities in Asia

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has awarded four new grants to help improve awareness, prevention and care of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in China and India.

25 Feb 2011

fMRI reveals complexity of consciousness

Using a sophisticated imaging test to probe for higher-level cognitive functioning in severely brain-injured patients provides a window into consciousness -- but the view it presents is one that is blurred in fascinating ways, say researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Feb. 25 online edition of the journal Brain.

25 Feb 2011

Roundup: In Ariz., Senate panel takes steps to end Medicaid; Mass. Gov. starts sales pitch for payment reform

A Republican proposal to retain solvency in a key state health care fund is making headway at the Capitol, despite the tumultuous ride reform has taken this session. The fund — which supports MinnesotaCare, a state-sponsored program for about 140,000 "working poor" residents — is set to run a $150 million deficit by 2013.

25 Feb 2011

GUMC, FDA enter new partnership to improve public health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Georgetown University Medical Center today announced a new partnership to stimulate innovation in regulatory science, ethics, education, and training. The partnership enhances the capabilities of both institutions to meet their common goal of improving public health.

25 Feb 2011

Transgenic fungal approach can fight against malaria and bug-borne diseases

New findings by a University of Maryland-led team of scientists indicate that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be a highly effective, specific and environmentally friendly tool for combating malaria, at a time when the effectiveness of current pesticides against malaria mosquitoes is declining.

24 Feb 2011

New study: Multiple full-term pregnancies may have higher risk of 'triple-negative' breast cancer

Full-term pregnancy has long been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but a new study finds that the more times a woman gives birth, the higher her risk of "triple-negative" breast cancer, a relatively uncommon but particularly aggressive subtype of the disease.

24 Feb 2011

Erik Parens to speak on behavioral genetics at Presidential Commission meeting

Hastings Center Scholar Erik Parens, PhD, will speak about behavioral genetics to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues on Monday, February 28. The meeting kicks off the Commission’s examination of the ethical and policy issues raised by genetics and neuroscience. Topics will include the use of genetics, neuroscience, and neuroimaging for testing, research, diagnosis, risk identification, and health promotion. Parens was invited to discuss what he considers the most pressing ethical and social issues that behavioral genetics research raises.

24 Feb 2011

PhRMA: 460 medicines in development for rare diseases

America's biopharmaceutical research companies are intensifying research into rare diseases, which often are among the most devastating to patients and complex for researchers. A record 460 medicines for rare diseases are in late stages of the pipeline, either in clinical trials or awaiting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, according to a report released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

24 Feb 2011

Supreme Court raises the bar for suits against vaccine producers

The decision, announced Tuesday, will make it harder for parents who maintain that their children were injured by vaccines to file lawsuits against drug makers. Public health advocates say the ruling will help maintain the nation's vaccine supply levels.

24 Feb 2011

FDA's tobacco advisory committee continues to ignore CRE statements

FDA's tobacco advisory committee continues to ignore statements by the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness that its organic statute requires it to address the negative health impacts of contraband cigarettes.

24 Feb 2011

Scientists confirm presence of infectious life forms in waste, drinking water treatment plants

"The presence of two resistent forms of protozoons, the oocysts from the Cryptosporidium genus and cysts of the Giardia genus, is one of the greatest public health problems in water supply, because these parasites can easily survive our water treatment systems", Jos- Antonio Castro Hermida, a scientist at the Galician Institute for Food Quality in the Xunta de Galicia, tells SINC.

24 Feb 2011

New strategies to improve developing countries' access to low-cost generic drugs needed, experts say

New strategies that ensure developing countries have access to low-cost generic medicines and encourage innovation are needed, according to experts who attended a recent meeting sponsored by the WHO, World Intellectual Property Organization, and World Trade Organization (WTO) that addressed growing concern that strict intellectual property protections are limiting access to low-cost generic medicines, BMJ News reports.

24 Feb 2011

Excess weight contributes to higher risk of death in Asians

A study of more than 1 million Asians found that those who were a normal weight were far less likely to die from any cause than individuals whose body-mass index (BMI) was too high or low. A similar association was seen between BMI and the risk of death from cancer, cardiovascular disease or other causes.

24 Feb 2011

Researchers study mobile health technology options to help patients manage diabetes

The McKesson Foundation today announced the six recipients of $1.3 million in research grants as part of its Mobilizing for Healthsm initiative to improve the health of underserved populations with chronic diseases through the use of mobile-phone technology.

24 Feb 2011

UBC study shows Canadians and Americans receive different drug information online

Americans and Canadians are getting vastly different search results when they look up prescription drug information online, says a study by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

24 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: GOP's 'war' on family planning; state workers' health costs; health law already hurting U.S.

A bill passed by the Republican-controlled House last week would cut $75 million in funding to Planned Parenthood that is spent for family planning assistance.

24 Feb 2011

UCSF study shows increased contraceptive supply decreases unintended pregnancy rates

Rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions decrease significantly when women receive a one-year supply of oral contraceptives, instead of being prescribed one- or three-month supplies, a UCSF study shows.

24 Feb 2011

California researchers receive InHealth grant to evaluate device-intensive procedures

The Institute for Health Technology Studies has awarded a $263,000 grant to a research team at the University of California, Berkeley, to identify and analyze the strategies that hospital systems employ to evaluate and purchase implantable medical devices for cardiac, spinal, and orthopedic procedures.

23 Feb 2011

Healthcare professionals need evidence-based education, guidance about CAM use in maternity care

Complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly popular in maternity care, but healthcare professionals need formal evidence-based education and guidance about its use, according to a review in the March issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

23 Feb 2011

Public Health News and Research

Redesign of donor-liver distribution network could increase transplants by 14%

Bristol-Myers Squibb awards $1 million grant to reduce hepatitis-related health disparities in Asia

fMRI reveals complexity of consciousness

Roundup: In Ariz., Senate panel takes steps to end Medicaid; Mass. Gov. starts sales pitch for payment reform

GUMC, FDA enter new partnership to improve public health

Transgenic fungal approach can fight against malaria and bug-borne diseases

New study: Multiple full-term pregnancies may have higher risk of 'triple-negative' breast cancer

Erik Parens to speak on behavioral genetics at Presidential Commission meeting

PhRMA: 460 medicines in development for rare diseases

Supreme Court raises the bar for suits against vaccine producers

FDA's tobacco advisory committee continues to ignore CRE statements

Scientists confirm presence of infectious life forms in waste, drinking water treatment plants

New strategies to improve developing countries' access to low-cost generic drugs needed, experts say

Excess weight contributes to higher risk of death in Asians

Researchers study mobile health technology options to help patients manage diabetes

UBC study shows Canadians and Americans receive different drug information online

Viewpoints: GOP's 'war' on family planning; state workers' health costs; health law already hurting U.S.

UCSF study shows increased contraceptive supply decreases unintended pregnancy rates

California researchers receive InHealth grant to evaluate device-intensive procedures

Healthcare professionals need evidence-based education, guidance about CAM use in maternity care

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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