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Positive correlation between working memory and mind wandering

Odds are, you're not going to make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else. In fact, studies have found that our minds are wandering half the time, drifting off to thoughts unrelated to what we're doing - did I remember to turn off the light? What should I have for dinner? A new study investigating the mental processes underlying a wandering mind reports a role for working memory, a sort of a mental workspace that allows you to juggle multiple thoughts simultaneously.

16 Mar 2012

Romney's opponents attack him on Massachusetts health law and Planned Parenthood statement

The Massachusetts health law, which GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney signed while governor and which includes an individual mandate, continues to haunt him in the primaries. Meanwhile, Democrats use his recent pledge to 'get rid of' Planned Parenthood to diminish his appeal with female voters.

16 Mar 2012

AACN to recognize unique contributions of certified nurses on March 19

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) joins with hospitals and other healthcare groups across the country Monday, March 19, to recognize the unique contributions of certified nurses as part of Certified Nurses Day.

16 Mar 2012

Progress in AIDS fight must be an impetus for increasing investment, sustaining advancements in Africa

In this post in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe examines the role of the fight against AIDS in sustaining economic and social development in Africa. "Africa is breaking records," he writes, noting the economic growth, increased access to information, a rise in democracy, a decline in poverty, increased school enrollment -- especially for girls -- and a decline in AIDS-related deaths on the continent.

16 Mar 2012

CYFRA reliable marker for response to chemotherapy for NSCLC

Researchers found that CYFRA and change in levels of CYFRA were found to be reliable markers for response to chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a study of 88 patients. Research presented in the April 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that this marker can be used to determine whether or not a patient should continue a particular chemotherapy regimen.

16 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Health costs crushing Detroit; Military care still faces funding issues; Romneycare scores

Legacy costs are bankrupting Detroit just as they crushed its automakers. Firefighters can retire at 55 and earn 70% of their highest salary plus a 2.25% annual cost-of-living inflator in perpetuity. The result? Employee benefits alone now make up about half of the city's general fund. Health costs have grown by more than 60% since 2008 while the city's pension bill has quadrupled to $200 million.

16 Mar 2012

Medical school students to learn their fate on Match Day

Medical school students around the country will learn their fate this Friday, March 16, on what is known as Match Day.

16 Mar 2012

Neuropeptide F in the fly's brain governs behavior linked with addiction

Sexually deprived male fruit flies exhibit a pattern of behavior that seems ripped from the pages of a sad-sack Raymond Carver story: when female fruit flies reject their sexual advances, the males are driven to excessive alcohol consumption, drinking far more than comparable, sexually satisfied male flies.

16 Mar 2012

EORTC, EASL publish first joint CPGs on management of hepatocellular carcinoma

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) today publish their first joint Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.

16 Mar 2012

Depression increases risk of death in PCI patients

Depression increases the risk of death in patients who have a coronary stent implanted. After seven years of follow up, depressed patients were 1.5 times more likely to have died than non-depressed patients. The findings were independent of age, gender, clinical characteristics, anxiety and the distressed (Type D) personality.

16 Mar 2012

ThromboGenics, Alcon collaborate to commercialize ocriplasmin outside the US

ThromboGenics NV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative ophthalmic medicines, announces today that it has entered into an agreement with Alcon (a division of Novartis), the global leader in eyecare, for the commercialization of ocriplasmin in all markets outside the U.S.

16 Mar 2012

Merck announces collaboration to create Calibr for early-stage translational research

Merck, known outside the United States and Canada as MSD, today announced a collaboration to create the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), an independent, not-for-profit organization (501c3) established to accelerate the translation of basic biomedical research into innovative, new medicines to treat disease.

16 Mar 2012

Addition of inflammatory biomarkers to clinical variables improve mortality prediction in COPD

The addition of changes in inflammatory biomarkers to established clinical variables improves the prediction of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

16 Mar 2012

New FSU technology could decrease the cost of drug discovery

New technology being developed at Florida State University could significantly decrease the cost of drug discovery, potentially leading to increased access to high-quality health care and cancer patients receiving personalized chemotherapy treatments.

16 Mar 2012

CDC takes critical step to reinvigorate fight against tobacco use

The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today has taken a critical step to reinvigorate the fight against tobacco use – the nation's leading preventable cause of death – by launching the government's first-ever paid, nationwide media campaign to encourage smokers to quit and prevent children from starting to smoke.

16 Mar 2012

UM, Shock Trauma partner to train dental students, residents

The University of Maryland's (UM) School of Dentistry has teamed up with the UM School of Medicine's R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center for training future dentists to respond efficiently and effectively to life threatening medical emergencies in a dental setting.

16 Mar 2012

Kyolic AGE may reduce duration of cold and flu symptoms by 61%

Americans looking to impact their cold and flu symptoms this season may have a new weapon at their disposal. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study just published by the University of Florida determined that Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) may reduce the duration of symptoms associated with common colds or flus by as much as 61 percent.

16 Mar 2012

Research looks at how perceived discrimination influences smoking rates among minority groups

Smoking, the leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States, continues to disproportionately impact lower income members of racial and ethnic minority groups. In a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health, Jason Q. Purnell, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, looked at how perceived discrimination influences smoking rates among these groups.

16 Mar 2012

Two awards to advance pancreatic cancer research

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the American Association for Cancer Research have awarded Stephanie K. Dougan, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and Oliver G. McDonald, M.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, the 2012 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR Pathway to Leadership Grants.

16 Mar 2012

Public change rooms can cause body anxieties for women

Sweating in the gym, surrounded by others, pounding to the beat in group exercise class has become the norm for many women. But when it comes to the experience of changing in the locker room, the acts of disrobing, dressing, showering and being naked in front of others, can be very discomfiting. It's a complex experience as women are faced with an awareness of their bodies different than in any other space.

16 Mar 2012