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Mapping rhomboid enzymes could eventually lead to drugs to treat malaria

Johns Hopkins scientists have decoded for the first time the "stability blueprint" of an enzyme that resides in a cell's membrane, mapping which parts of the enzyme are important for its shape and function.

31 Jul 2012

Slippery technology prevents harmful bacterial slime from forming on surfaces

Biofilms may no longer have any solid ground upon which to stand. A team of Harvard scientists has developed a slick way to prevent the troublesome bacterial communities from ever forming on a surface. Biofilms stick to just about everything, from copper pipes to steel ship hulls to glass catheters. The slimy coatings are more than just a nuisance, resulting in decreased energy efficiency, contamination of water and food supplies, and-especially in medical settings-persistent infections. Even cavities in teeth are the unwelcome result of bacterial colonies.

31 Jul 2012

GlobalPost interviews USAID Administrator Shah about global AIDS response

GlobalPost correspondents John Donnelly and Charles Sennott interview USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah "about his perspectives on the AIDS fight," in this entry in GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog.

31 Jul 2012

DECISION+2 can reduce antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections

A training tool that helps physicians involve patients in decision-making can reduce the use of antibiotics for acute respiratory infections, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

31 Jul 2012

JHSPH dean expresses disappointment with USDA's retraction of Meatless Monday endorsement

On Friday, Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to express his disappointment with USDA's recent retraction of Meatless Monday endorsement.

31 Jul 2012

Advocacy, commitment, investment needed to continue HIV/AIDS response

Some members of Congress "are advocating deep cuts to funding for domestic programs such as the Ryan White CARE Act and international programs such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and PEPFAR," but "what these critics fail to realize is that though we have won a multitude of battles, we are still losing the war in many communities," Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) writes in a U.S. News & World Report opinion piece.

31 Jul 2012

KSU researcher completes study that examines dietary fiber in children

Experts have long since determined the recommended daily amounts of certain nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, but the numbers for nutrients like fiber have proven more difficult to nail down.

31 Jul 2012

Young women with indoor tanning habits frequently experience sunburn

Controversy remains over the risks involved with indoor tanning, especially in children and young adults. Since sunburn serves as a marker for excessive and skin-cell damaging ultraviolet (UV) exposure -- which can eventually lead to the development of skin cancer -- investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) took a closer look at a college-aged sample of females and their indoor tanning habits.

31 Jul 2012

Global summit on hunger, malnutrition to be held at end of Olympics in London

"A summit designed to kickstart a joint effort by world leaders to address hunger and malnutrition will be held in London on 12 August to coincide with the closing day of the Olympics, the British government has announced," the Guardian reports.

31 Jul 2012

Tips to help runners stay on track

Maybe it's running to get in shape or a desire to race like an Olympian. Whatever the goal or reason, Harris County Hospital District physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists have some tips to help runners stay on track.

31 Jul 2012

Federal court blocks health law contraception coverage mandate for one business

A U.S. district judge in Colorado issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking the Obama administration from enforcing the birth control coverage requirement on one employer based on the owner's religious beliefs. The judge issued a three-month temporary injunction, allowing for further legal review of the case brought by a small Catholic business owner.

31 Jul 2012

Stem cell therapy holds promise for craniofacial bone repair

In the first human study of its kind, researchers found that using stem cells to re-grow craniofacial tissues-mainly bone-proved quicker, more effective and less invasive than traditional bone regeneration treatments.

31 Jul 2012

'Fifth link' associated with increase in survival rate among survivors of sudden cardiac arrest

Fewer sudden cardiac arrest survivors had neurologic impairment after a novel regional system of care was implemented, according to research published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

31 Jul 2012

Health law's insurance rebates, exchanges and mandates continue to draw headlines

News outlets report on a variety of health law implementation policies, including state-level action.

31 Jul 2012

Photoacoustics limited in its ability to identify multiple types of cancer

One person dies every hour from melanoma skin cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. A technique, known as photoacoustics, can find some forms of melanoma even if only a few cancerous cells exist, but a recent study by MU researchers found that the technique was limited in its ability to identify other types of cancer.

31 Jul 2012

Parkinson’s disease treatment: an interview with Ted Dawson

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder which usually affects people in their 60’s and older. It is caused by the loss of dopamine neurons in the brain leading to rigidity, slowness of movement, tremor, problems with balance and so forth.

31 Jul 2012

Kids with congenital heart defect should receive early evaluation for developmental disorders

Children born with a congenital heart defect should receive early evaluation, prompt treatment and ongoing follow-up for related developmental disorders affecting brain function, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published in Circulation.

31 Jul 2012

Inclusion of 'marginalized and criminalized' populations essential to HIV/AIDS response

In this post in the Human Rights and HIV/AIDS "Now More Than Ever" blog, Michel Kazatchkine, the former executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and newly appointed special envoy to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, examines why human rights are "so central to the AIDS response."

31 Jul 2012

Stem cells can actually replace dead tissue after heart attack very early in life

Stem cells can actually replace dead heart tissue after a heart attack very early in life — but those same cells lose that regenerative ability in adults, according to researchers at Cornell University and the University of Bonn.

31 Jul 2012

Parents concerned about their children's slothful ways can do something about it

Parents concerned about their children's slothful ways can do something about it, according to research at National Jewish Health. They can increase their own activity. In the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Kristen Holm, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health, and her colleagues report that, when parents increase their daily activity, as measured by a pedometer, their children increase theirs as well.

31 Jul 2012