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Nonsurgical circumcision device for adults to be tested in Africa

"PrePex, a bloodless circumcision device for adults, will be tested in at least nine African countries in the next year, according to the backers of the tests," the New York Times reports.

15 Aug 2012

Novel device provides retina's neural code to restore normal vision

Two researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have deciphered a mouse's retina's neural code and coupled this information to a novel prosthetic device to restore sight to blind mice.

15 Aug 2012

Center for Global Development blog responds to London hunger summit

This post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Views from the Center" blog, Owen Barder, a senior fellow and the director for Europe at CGD, addresses the recent hunger summit in London, citing two reasons for concern surrounding the discussion.

15 Aug 2012

Kessler Foundation investigates Ekso's new capabilities for autonomous use by people with SCI

Kessler Foundation has begun testing the upgraded Ekso in individuals unable to walk due to spinal cord injury. Ekso, a wearable, battery-powered robotic exoskeletal device, has been undergoing clinical investigation at Kessler since October 2011, when the research team received the second commercial unit distributed by Ekso Bionics.

15 Aug 2012

Chicago, Blue Cross Blue Shield to team on health care fraud task force

Chicago officials are teaming up with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois on health care fraud detection and prevention. A task force will be made up of representatives of the city and the health insurer. Members will work to assess potential health care fraud and instances of wasteful spending.

15 Aug 2012

Blocking PHD2 oxygen sensor can render cancer treatments more effective

Researchers in Leuven (VIB/KU Leuven) have confirmed their hypothesis that normalizing blood vessels by blocking oxygen sensor PHD2 would make chemotherapy more effective.

15 Aug 2012

Obama administration urges states to move forward on health exchanges

Administration officials will "try to encourage reluctant states" to move forward with health exchanges, even as time appears to be running out, Reuters reports. Also in the news, consumer representatives from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners offered state and federal officials suggestions about how they should write regulations to implement the health law's key consumer protections.

15 Aug 2012

PPMC earns Gold Seal of Approval for hip and knee joint replacement services

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) has earned the Gold Seal of Approval- from The Joint Commission for its hip and knee joint replacement services. PPMC's certification is the first of its kind for Penn Medicine, and demonstrates the hospital's high level of compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety.

15 Aug 2012

Democrats hammer GOP candidates over Ryan's plan to overhaul Medicare

Democrats running for seats in the House and Senate are spotlighting Republican plans to refashion the health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

15 Aug 2012

Study examines shared traits of cancer cells and bacteria

Experts agree that, more than ever before, modern wars will be fought in the cyber zone, targeting an enemy's communications technology to cause untold damage. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is suggesting that the same tactics should be employed in the battle against one of the body's deadliest enemies - cancer.

15 Aug 2012

Budgets, exchanges and rebates: States consider health law's moving parts

States are considering what the different parts of the health law will mean for their budgets, their citizens' budgets and how their residents purchase and keep health insurance.

15 Aug 2012

Proteonomix receives FDA approval to commence UMK-121 Phase 1 trial in end-stage liver disease

Proteonomix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted permission to the Company to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial with its mobilization technology UMK-121.

15 Aug 2012

Universal HIV treatment, if achieved, would not mean eradication of AIDS

In this post in BMJ's "Yankee Doodling," Douglas Kamerow, chief scientist at RTI International and an associate editor for the journal, reflects on the possibility of achieving an AIDS-free generation "if somehow we succeeded in getting all HIV positive people in the world identified and under long term treatment."

15 Aug 2012

ADHD in girls portends continuing problems, through early adulthood

Girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - and their families - often look forward to the likely decline in visible symptoms such as fidgety or disruptive behavior as they mature into young women.

15 Aug 2012

Under the microscope: Ryan's plans for Medicare, Medicaid and the federal budget

News outlets examine how Medicare and Medicaid fare in the budget blueprint advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick.

15 Aug 2012

German children gain weight soon after entering elementary school

Scientists working with Professor Dr. Dr. Perikles Simon, head of the Sports Medicine division of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany, suggest in the light of recent analyses that German children gain weight soon after entering elementary school.

15 Aug 2012

With 1 billion people chronically hungry, now is the time to address family planning

"With one billion people chronically hungry and Earth's population expected to increase by 50 percent before the end of the century, it's time to get serious about family planning," a Los Angeles Times editorial states.

15 Aug 2012

Systematic approach to improve colorectal cancer screening rates

Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is cost-effective and saves lives by early detection. The ability to screen large numbers of individuals is especially important for states with tight health insurance budgets dealing with aging populations. However, in 2010 only 65 percent of US adults between ages 50 and 75 got the recommended screening.

15 Aug 2012

Simpson: Medicare on 'auto-pilot' to squeeze out the rest of federal domestic spending

Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, co-chairman of President Barack Obama's fiscal commission, said escalating Medicare costs stand to squeeze out the rest of domestic government spending. "Medicare is on automatic pilot. It will use up every resource in the government," the Republican former senator from Wyoming said in an interview today on Bloomberg Television.

15 Aug 2012

Poorer motor coordination found in children with sedentary lifestyles

Children who spend more than three-quarters of their time engaging in sedentary behaviour, such as watching TV and sitting at computers, have up to nine times poorer motor coordination than their more active peers, reveals a study published in the American Journal of Human Biology.

15 Aug 2012