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CSHL publishes genome-wide analysis of transcripts produced within human cells

Most people understand genes to be specific segments of DNA that determine traits or diseases that are inherited. Textbooks suggest that genes are copied into RNA molecules, which are then used as templates for making protein - the highly diverse set of molecules that act as building blocks and engines of our cells. The truth, it now appears, is not so simple.

6 Sep 2012

GOP group jabs at health law

As the Democratic convention began, a Republican-leaning non-profit organization unveiled a new advertisement criticizing the health law. Meanwhile, national health issues are picking up steam in House and Senate races.

6 Sep 2012

CHOP’s Center for Autism Research receives ACE grant to identify early signs of ASD

The Center for Autism Research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced today that it will continue its research to identify early signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program.

6 Sep 2012

Convention news: Dems embrace health law

In speeches from the podium and in the buzz from the convention floor, it was apparent on the first day of the Democratic National Convention that delegates and speakers aimed to reclaim the health law as an important accomplishment of the Obama administration.

6 Sep 2012

Clinical trial to test combination of two drugs in treating fibromyalgia

A chronic pain condition and numerous gastrointestinal disorders may all be caused by a virus. That's a Tuscaloosa-based surgeon's theory likely headed for a clinical trial early next year and one drawing support from a University of Alabama researcher who studies how viruses replicate.

6 Sep 2012

Same illness, but very different treatment costs

A new study published in the September issue of Health Affairs focuses on the cost of care delivered by nearly 250,000 doctors to non-elderly adults.

6 Sep 2012

Workers with job insecurity more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression

Workers who perceive their jobs aren't secure are more likely to rate themselves in poor health and have increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, reports the September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

6 Sep 2012

Maine sues CMS seeking Medicaid cuts resolution

Maine -- unhappy with how long a decision is taking -- is suing the federal government over its request to lower Medicaid eligibility.

6 Sep 2012

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals performs 500th Whipple procedure

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital continues to be the leader in the region in fighting the deadliest of cancers—pancreatic cancer. In August, Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS, the Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery, and a co-director of the Jefferson Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer Center, performed his 500th Whipple procedure at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, a life-saving surgery for those suffering with the disease.

6 Sep 2012

Ways and Means panel to review IRS mission in health law

A prominent House committee will continue its case against the healthcare law just one day after the conclusion of August recess. On Sept. 11, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight will look at how the law's implementation could strain the Internal Revenue Service.

6 Sep 2012

Book on basic stereology for biologists and neuroscientists

Stereological techniques allow biologists to create quantitative, three-dimensional descriptions of biological structures from two-dimensional images of tissue viewed under the microscope. For example, they can accurately estimate the size of a particular subcellular compartment, the total length of a mass of blood vessels, or the number of neurons or synapses in a particular region of the brain.

6 Sep 2012

Democrats focus on women's health issues, abortion rights

Pointing to both the health law and GOP policy positions, Democrats were steady in making their case to women voters.

6 Sep 2012

All kids are susceptible to concussions

The gridiron is back in action. From little leagues to professional teams, football frenzy has begun, and with it, concerns about concussions. But it's not just jarring tackles that can lead to concussions in kids. According to Dr. Ryan Coates, pediatric neurologist at Loyola University Health System, there are many ways kids are exposed to concussion risks.

6 Sep 2012

Party platforms reveal two very different visions for the nation

The Democratic platform, which was released Tuesday, includes many health care policy references, but it is light on specifics about what health initiatives would come during a second Obama term.

6 Sep 2012

Exposure to phthalates increases risk of asthma-related airway inflammation in children

Children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP)-phthalate chemicals commonly found in personal care and plastic products-have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation, according to researchers at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health.

6 Sep 2012

Latest round of health IT regs will be topic of Capitol Hill hearing

The House hearing is planned in order to give lawmakers a chance to review a proposed rulemaking regarding incentives for so-called "meaningful use" of health information technology.

6 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide increases risk of noninfectious cough in children

Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl butoxide (PBO) have heightened risk of noninfectious cough at ages 5 and 6, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health and of Columbia University Medical Center.

6 Sep 2012

Heavy rainfall worsening cholera outbreaks in Sierra Leone, Guinea

"Heavy rainfall is accelerating the spread of cholera in Sierra Leone and Guinea, where existing health risks such as poor hygiene practices, unsafe water sources and improper waste management are believed to have triggered the disease which has killed 327 people and infected more than 17,400 in both countries since February," IRIN reports.

6 Sep 2012

Telaprevir offers advantages in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection of genotype 1

The drug telaprevir has been available for treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection of genotype 1 since autumn 2011. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether telaprevir offers an added benefit compared with the present standard therapy.

6 Sep 2012

'Obamacare' plays starring role in first night of convention (video)

This collection of Kaiser Health News video excerpts show clips in which several speakers cited the 2010 health law as a signature achievement of the Obama administration Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

6 Sep 2012