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Specific yeast protein can promote spontaneous prion formation

It's a chicken and egg question. Where do the infectious protein particles called prions come from? Essentially clumps of misfolded proteins, prions cause neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow/Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, in humans and animals.

25 Jul 2011

DNA test reveals unlisted ingredients in herbal brews, teas

Take a second look at your iced or steaming tea. Guided by scientific experts, three New York City high school students using tabletop DNA technologies found several herbal brews and a few brands of tea contain ingredients unlisted on the manufacturers' package.

22 Jul 2011

Summer heat prompts SCAN to issue dehydration warning for seniors

Seniors are six times more likely to be admitted to the hospital due to dehydration than adults ages 45-64. Prompted by the summer heat, SCAN Health Plan Arizona is issuing a warning to seniors to stay hydrated and know the signs of dehydration.

21 Jul 2011

Loyola medical experts offer heat and pollution advisory prescriptions

Many across the nation are experiencing the "dog days of summer" and medical experts at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System, warn residents to take extra precautions to safeguard their health.

21 Jul 2011

State roundup: Fla. Medicaid waiver fight

Gov. Mark Dayton and lawmakers reached agreement on a new set of budget bills ... State spending for health and human services will be up from about $10.2 billion this biennium but well below the $12.3 billion projected under current law.

21 Jul 2011

FDA panel votes against novel diabetes drug citing adverse effects

An advisory panel for the US Food and Drugs Administration voted 9-6 that the FDA should not yet approve dapagliflozin, a new type of diabetes drug that makes the body dump sugar and lose weight. Signals of possible liver damage and of breast and bladder cancer worried the experts.

20 Jul 2011

New technology for processing human waste in developing countries

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Delft University of Technology, a grant to 'Reinvent the toilet'. Aim of this project is to develop new technology for processing human waste without links to water, energy, or sewer lines, and at costs affordable to the poor in developing countries.

20 Jul 2011

Tips for preventing heat-related illness

With "feels-like" temperatures approaching or exceeding 100 degrees forecast for parts of Pennsylvania this week, the Department of Health is reminding all Pennsylvanians of important steps they can take to protect their health.

20 Jul 2011

Texas Children's Hospital uses new surgical approach for treating epilepsy

Texas Children's Hospital is the first hospital in the world to use real-time MRI-guided thermal imaging and laser technology to destroy lesions in the brain that cause epilepsy and uncontrollable seizures.

19 Jul 2011

DNDi's new drug development programme for children with HIV/AIDS

Today at the 6th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced the launch of a new drug development programme to address critical unmet treatment needs of children with HIV/AIDS.

19 Jul 2011

Facts and myths about bed bugs

Bed bugs are back. Since 2000, bed bug infestations have risen 81 percent, according to The National Pest Management Association. This resurgence has consumers nationwide on high alert, seeking information on the pests and how they can protect themselves.

18 Jul 2011

NSVascular signs exclusive license with UCLA for Thin-Film Nitinol technology

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, today announced the formation of a majority owned subsidiary, NSVascular, Inc. and the signing of an exclusive license with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) covering its medical applications of Thin-Film Nitinol (TFN) technology. Nitinol is a superelastic nickel and titanium alloy with unique properties that allow deformation and subsequent full recovery of the original shape upon exposure to body heat.

18 Jul 2011

Precautionary safety measures against extreme summer heat

With Minnesota's extreme heat, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) would like to remind the public to take extra precautionary measures to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer.

18 Jul 2011

The focus on bringing down IPAB

On Capitol Hill this week, the health law's independent payment advisory panel drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was on hand to absorb some of the attacks and answer some of the questions.

15 Jul 2011

Wireless power system for ventricular assist devices holds promise

Mechanical pumps to give failing hearts a boost were originally developed as temporary measures for patients awaiting a heart transplant. But as the technology has improved, these ventricular assist devices commonly operate in patients for years, including in former vice-president Dick Cheney, whose implant this month celebrates its one-year anniversary.

13 Jul 2011

Tips for avoiding heat stroke

As a major heat wave sweeps over the country, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has already treated one patient for heat stroke and is gearing up for more.

13 Jul 2011

New method allows for concurrent treatment of spinal tumors and stabilization of the spine

The Orthopedic Clinic and Policlinic at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has recently deployed a new system for the treatment of spinal tumors for the first time.

11 Jul 2011

New radiofrequency ablation system for treating spinal tumors

The Orthopedic Clinic and Policlinic at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has recently deployed a new system for the treatment of spinal tumors for the first time.

11 Jul 2011

Tips for preventing foodborne illness at home or while eating out

Dr. Melvin Pascall, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University, has spent the past 15 years working to improve food safety in areas ranging from packaging to food service cleaning practices.

11 Jul 2011

Unvented cooking indoors causes small-particle air pollution and raises blood pressure in women

An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people - especially women - to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease.

8 Jul 2011