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New clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with BSS

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have found new clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with a rare genetic disorder, Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome.

16 May 2012

VATS plays a valuable role in lung cancer screening program

The most recent research released in June's Journal of Thoracic Oncology says video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is a valuable tool in managing lesions detected in a lung cancer screening program.

16 May 2012

Fertility for older, highly educated women has risen since the 1990s

An increasing number of highly educated women are opting for families, according to a national study co-authored by a University at Buffalo economist.

16 May 2012

Specific populations of tumor cells have different roles

A study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers suggests that specific populations of tumor cells have different roles in the process by which tumors make new copies of themselves and grow.

16 May 2012

Codexis receives U.S. patent for enzymes utilized in HCV therapeutics

Codexis, Inc., a developer of cost-advantaged processes for the production of biofuels, bio-based chemicals, and pharmaceutical intermediates, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Codexis' patent covering the biocatalysts and biocatalytic processes used to make key pharmaceutical intermediates in the synthesis of leading hepatitis-C therapeutics.

16 May 2012

Researchers map processes that power health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

For the first time, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have peered inside a living mouse cell and mapped the processes that power the celebrated health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. More profoundly, they say their findings suggest it may be possible to manipulate these processes to short-circuit inflammation before it begins, or at least help to resolve inflammation before it becomes detrimental.

16 May 2012

Reuters examines use of statistics in public health ahead of WHO report

"Above all else, analyzing the state of the world's health -- be it by looking at obesity rates, cancer cases, malaria deaths, or HIV-free births -- requires decent statistics," Reuters reports in an article examining the use of statistics in public health ahead of the release of the WHO's World Health Statistics report.

16 May 2012

Quality Systems announces acquisition of The Poseidon Group

Quality Systems, Inc., announced today the acquisition of The Poseidon Group, Inc. to support the growth of its NextGen Inpatient Solutions offering, which provides a range of healthcare information technology services to small hospitals.

16 May 2012

To maintain growth, Africa needs to improve food security, UNDP report says

"Africa needs to boost agricultural productivity and address the debilitating hunger that affects 27 percent of its population if it is to sustain its economic boom, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report on Tuesday," Reuters reports.

16 May 2012

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Calif. Gov. Brown's revised budget includes substantial Medi-Cal cuts

The ballooning budget deficit in California might mean hospitals and nursing homes will get less state money.

16 May 2012

Reducing off-label antipsychotic use may generate savings with little impact on patient care

Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study.

16 May 2012

Policy Innovation Memorandum examines safety of world drug, vaccine supply

"The world is facing two immediate health crises concerning drugs and vaccines: affordable and reliable access to life-sparing medicines and the safety and reliability of those medicines," Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), writes in the council's Policy Innovation Memorandum No. 21, titled, "Ensuring the Safety and Integrity of the World's Drug, Vaccine, and Medicines Supply."

16 May 2012

Age-adjusted melanoma on the rise

As the U.S. observes Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, a report published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings has some sobering news for young adults: The incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men from 1970 through 2009.

16 May 2012

Women's rights to family planning should not be controversial

"There should be #NoControversy about a woman's right to plan when and how many children to have, to have the opportunity to improve her own health and that of her children, to educate her children and to grow her family's economic productivity," Gary Darmstadt, head of the family health division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Wendy Prosser, a research analyst with the family health division, write in this post in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

16 May 2012

Micronutrients, early food supplementation during pregnancy improve survival of newborns

Pregnant women in poor communities in Bangladesh who received multiple micronutrients, including iron and folic acid combined with early food supplementation, had substantially improved survival of their newborns, compared to women in a standard program that included usual food supplementation, according to a study in the May 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on Global Health.

16 May 2012

Heritage: Stop subsidies for 'multimillionaire seniors' to shore up Medicare program

A report by the conservative Heritage Foundation recommends making wealthier Medicare beneficiaries pay more to help get the program's "fiscal house in order." Also in the news, The Wall Street Journal reports that a judge who considers cases related to the Social Security Disability Insurance Program -- one of the federal governments most rapidly growing entitlement programs -- was placed on paid leave while complaints about his demeanor are probed.

16 May 2012

Comcast, UnitedHealth Group completes enrollment in VOD study for type 2 diabetes

UnitedHealth Group and Comcast Corporation announced they have met enrollment targets for an innovative pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of using video on demand (VOD) to deliver the Diabetes Prevention Program.

16 May 2012

Newspapers examine concerns surrounding possible FDA approval of Truvada for PrEP

The New York Times and the Financial Times examine concerns expressed by AIDS activists and members of an FDA panel that last week recommended Gilead Sciences' antiretroviral drug Truvada be approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among healthy people at risk of contracting the virus.

16 May 2012

Genetic factor for good memory may increase risk of PTSD in war victims

Experiencing distressing memories of a shocking experience characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientists from the University of Basel have now discovered that a genetic factor for good memory is also associated with a heightened risk for the development of a posttraumatic stress disorder in war victims.

16 May 2012