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Bare platinum coils vs. newer gel-coated coils for aneurysm treatment

Approximately 6 million Americans have brain aneurysms, a condition that occurs when a weak or thin spot develops on a blood vessel in the brain causing it to balloon. Often, these do not cause symptoms and go undetected, but every year an estimated 30,000 Americans experience a ruptured aneurysm that bleeds into the brain causing a life threatening injury.

4 Apr 2012

Impact of Personal Genomics Study to launch data collection phase

As genetic risk information plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, private companies have made personal genomic testing for these risk factors widely available to the public. However, very little data has been gathered to understand the motivations and expectations of consumers of personal genomic services, the psychological and behavioral impact of these services, and the associated ethical, legal and social issues—until now.

4 Apr 2012

Norway study raises new U.S. mammogram overdiagnosis questions

An analysis showing significant mammogram overdiagnosis in Norway has raised new questions about mammograms in the U.S., where some say the overdiagnosis problem could be more rampant because of how early most women begin getting them.

4 Apr 2012

First study to evaluate treatment based on molecular profiling of advanced pancreatic cancer

The feasibility of selecting treatment based on individual molecular characteristics was demonstrated in a first-of-its kind pancreatic cancer clinical trial reported today by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare.

4 Apr 2012

Multimarker molecular stool test for colon cancer unaffected by medication, lifestyle factors

Research on an investigational DNA methylation test for colorectal cancer demonstrated that the only clinical variable that influenced test results was age, according to results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.

4 Apr 2012

Nuvilex realizes important role for Cell-in-a-Box technology

Nuvilex, Inc., an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions through acquisition of SG Austria assets, realizes the important role for Cell-in-a-Box technology and aims to bring to light its use in the production of therapeutic antibodies for clinically important diseases.

4 Apr 2012

Addition of ultrasound and MRI to annual mammography effectively detects incident breast cancers

The addition of a screening ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to annual mammography in women with an increased risk of breast cancer and dense breast tissue resulted in a higher rate of detection of incident breast cancers, according to a study in the April 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Apr 2012

Nine physician organizations identify specific tests or procedures that may be unnecessary

Nine leading physician specialty societies have identified specific tests or procedures that they say are commonly used but not always necessary in their respective fields. Patient advocates are calling the move a significant step toward improving the quality and safety of health care.

4 Apr 2012

Multiplier App can predict mature height and bone length in children

A free mobile application developed by the International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL) at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics (RIAO) of Sinai Hospital can predict the future mature height and bone lengths of children with the input of basic information.

4 Apr 2012

Researchers discover two optimal gene targets for new colorectal cancer test

A study presented today by Mayo Clinic researchers at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2012 in Chicago identified two genes that are optimal targets to be analyzed in a new noninvasive test for colorectal cancer developed by Mayo Clinic, in collaboration with Exact Sciences Corporation.

4 Apr 2012

Hepatitis B-infected patients with longer telomeres more likely to develop HCC

Hepatitis B-infected patients with significantly longer telomeres—the caps on the end of chromosomes that protect our genetic data— were found to have an increased risk of getting liver cancer compared to those with shorter ones, according to findings presented by researchers at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2012.

4 Apr 2012

Johns Hopkins devises new seizure detection software

Epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide, but in a third of these cases, medication cannot keep seizures from occurring. One solution is to shoot a short pulse of electricity to the brain to stamp out the seizure just as it begins to erupt. But brain implants designed to do this have run into a stubborn problem: too many false alarms, triggering unneeded treatment. To solve this, Johns Hopkins biomedical engineers have devised new seizure detection software that, in early testing, significantly cuts the number of unneeded pulses of current that an epilepsy patient would receive.

4 Apr 2012

AIT renews ISO 9001:2008 certification

Applied Instrument Technologies (AIT), a leading manufacturer of process analyzers for the refining, petrochemical, chemical, steel, biotechnology and emissions markets has renewed its ISO 9001:2008 certification.

4 Apr 2012

FDA clears Fenwal's Aurora plasmapheresis system

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing a new source plasma collection system developed by Fenwal, Inc., the company announced today. Called the Aurora plasmapheresis system, the new device can support two-way, wireless data communication designed to eliminate manual steps and increase operator and donor satisfaction.

4 Apr 2012

Waist measures further specify lipid, blood pressure assessments in overweight and obese adolescents

Waist measures (waist circumference, waist to height ratio) in conjunction with body mass index appear to be associated with lipid and blood pressure assessments among overweight and obese adolescents, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

3 Apr 2012

InstantLabs receives PTM certification for Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit

InstantLabs Medical Diagnostics Corporation, developer of the portable Hunter Accelerated Real-Time PCR system, today announced that its Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit has been certified as Performance-Tested Methods (PTM) No. 031202 by the AOAC Research Institute.

3 Apr 2012

UFOV test predicts driving problems related to distraction in older adults

Older drivers rated at high crash risk on a computerized vision test are more likely to have driving problems related to distractions in the car, reports a study in the April issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

3 Apr 2012

Neural imaging-maps of brain functions hope to transform lives of people with epilepsy

Neural imaging-maps of brain functions-is a primary tool used by researchers hoping to transform the lives of people living with chronic neurological conditions such as epilepsy. At present, researchers often require several different imaging techniques to fully map brain functions, making research and treatment of these conditions expensive and inefficient.

3 Apr 2012

Genomic fortune-telling fails to provide informative guidance to most people

With sharp declines in the cost of whole genome sequencing, the day of accurately deciphering disease risk based on an individual's genome may seem at hand. But a study involving data of thousands of identical twins by Johns Hopkins investigators finds that genomic fortune-telling fails to provide informative guidance to most people about their risk for most common diseases, and warns against complacency born of negative genome test results.

3 Apr 2012

Study examines how fluctuations in brain activity can impact dynamics of cognitive tasks

A team of University of Pittsburgh mathematicians is using computational models to better understand how the structure of neural variability relates to such functions as short-term memory and decision making. In a paper published online April 2 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the Pitt team examines how fluctuations in brain activity can impact the dynamics of cognitive tasks.

3 Apr 2012