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Humanitarian agencies suspend aid programs in northern Mali after armed groups ransack, loot offices, warehouses

After armed groups in the north of Mali "ransacked government offices, hospitals, hotels, private property as well as the offices and warehouses of aid groups" over the weekend, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) "suspended some activities in the northern and central regions of Mali," according to a WFP spokesperson, AlertNet reports.

5 Apr 2012

Soy may effectively reduce menopausal hot flashes

In the most comprehensive study to date to examine the effects of soy on menopause, researchers have found that two daily servings of soy can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes by up to 26 percent, compared to a placebo.

5 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Obama's 'diatribe' on Ryan budget; President 'recovers' on statements about the court; Other health care mandates

If there's a Laffer Curve for Presidential invective - some point at which dishonest political abuse yields diminishing returns - the White House political team must not think their boss has hit it. Even in this hyperpartisan age, President Obama's speech to the Associated Press yesterday was a parody of the form. This was a diatribe that managed to invoke "Social Darwinism" and "a Trojan Horse" in the same paragraph, amid the other high crimes that Mr. Obama says Paul Ryan wants to commit.

5 Apr 2012

Low glycemic index food may help prevent high blood sugar

Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar throughout the morning and after the next meal of the day, researchers said at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.

5 Apr 2012

Injectable form of progestin may increase breast cancer risk in young women

The first large-scale U.S.-based study to evaluate the link between an injectable form of progestin-only birth control and breast cancer risk in young women has found that recent use of a year or more doubles the risk.

5 Apr 2012

ProMedica TCH offers Autism Early Learning Program

ProMedica Toledo Children's Hospital (TCH) has a new early learning treatment program that offers state-of-the-art, evidence-based intervention services for children with autism from earliest diagnosis to 6-years-old.

5 Apr 2012

Crizotinib reduces testosterone levels in men with ALK positive lung cancer

Men experience a marked drop in their testosterone levels when taking a targeted therapy to control a specific type of lung cancer. That's according to a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the April issue of Cancer, the official journal of the American Cancer Society.

5 Apr 2012

Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children

Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight, reports a new study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Researchers analyzed four years of data from in-school fitness tests and body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in grades 1-7 in the city of Cambridge, Mass.

5 Apr 2012

Cedars-Sinai cancer center wins Outstanding Achievement Award from CoC

Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute is the only cancer center in Los Angeles to receive a Commission on Cancer 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award for providing quality care and services to cancer patients.

5 Apr 2012

CHD8, SNC2A and KATNAL2 gene mutations lead to ASDs

Mutations in three new genes have been linked to autism, according to new studies including one with investigators at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. All three studies include lead investigators of the Autism Sequencing Consortium.

5 Apr 2012

Early administration of corticosteroids reduces ED stay for children with asthma

Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital.

5 Apr 2012

Piceatannol blocks preadipocytes’ ability to develop and grow

A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a Purdue University study.

5 Apr 2012

State roundup: Feds deny Hawaii Medicaid hospital limit; Ariz. prison health care gets operator; States consider ins and outs of health law implementation

The Obama administration has rejected Hawaii's proposal to limit most adult Medicaid recipients to 10 days of hospital coverage per year, which would have been the strictest in the nation. Instead, Hawaii has been approved to implement a 30-day hospital coverage limit starting July 1, state and federal health officials say.

5 Apr 2012

New cell and animal model of IBC

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive, often misunderstood type of cancer that is diagnosed more frequently in younger women compared with other types of breast cancer. The five-year survival rate is between 25 and 50 percent-significantly lower than the survival rate for other types of breast cancer. The reason for the poor prognosis is that IBC usually grows rapidly and often spreads quickly to other parts of the body, including the brain, bone and lymph nodes.

5 Apr 2012

Deep brain stimulation has long-lasting effects in patients with severe depression

People with severe depression are constantly despondent, lacking in drive, withdrawn and no longer feel joy. Most suffer from anxiety and the desire to take their own life. Approximately one out of every five people in Germany suffers from depression in the course of his/her life - sometimes resulting in suicide. People with depression are frequently treated with psychotherapy and medication.

5 Apr 2012

Fathers more likely to transmit spontaneous mutations to children with ASDs

Researchers have turned up a new clue to the workings of a possible environmental factor in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs): fathers were four times more likely than mothers to transmit tiny, spontaneous mutations to their children with the disorders. Moreover, the number of such transmitted genetic glitches increased with paternal age. The discovery may help to explain earlier evidence linking autism risk to older fathers.

5 Apr 2012

Scientists image process of consciousness after general anesthesia

Awakening from anesthesia is often associated with an initial phase of delirious struggle before the full restoration of awareness and orientation to one's surroundings. Scientists now know why this may occur: primitive consciousness emerges first. Using brain imaging techniques in healthy volunteers, a team of scientists led by Adjunct Professor Harry Scheinin, M.D. from the University of Turku, Turku, Finland in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, Irvine, USA, have now imaged the process of returning consciousness after general anesthesia.

5 Apr 2012

Scientists uncover structure and operating mechanism of TPPII

Uncontrolled or inaccurate degradation of cellular proteins can lead to diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's disease. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, have now uncovered the structure and the operating mechanism of an important component of the human cellular degradation machinery, tripeptidyl peptidase II.

5 Apr 2012

Study describes sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain

A study based on the National Health and Sexuality Survey, involving nearly 2000 people, describes the sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain. The most common are kisses, caresses and vaginal penetration. The main causes of sexual inactivity are physical illness and widowerhood.

5 Apr 2012

Covidien to acquire Oridion Systems

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products and recognized innovator in patient monitoring and respiratory care devices, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Oridion Systems Ltd.

5 Apr 2012