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Unit pricing of alcohol on the agenda in the UK

The cost of alcohol must be increased to stem the thousands of drink-related diseases diagnosed each year, a group of medical experts said on Wednesday. Debate is on the rationality of unit pricing of alcohol across Britain.

15 Dec 2011

Copper thieves disrupt Welsh hospital

The Llandough Hospital, in South Wales, UK had to cancel almost 100 operations yesterday after copper thieves stole cables used to keep a vital back-up power generator working. To make up dozens of extra operations a day need to be adjusted up to Christmas.

15 Dec 2011

Combination of carbohydrate and caffeine increases athletic skill and performance

Caffeine combined with carbohydrate could be used to help athletes perform better on the field, according to new research by a sport nutrition expert.

From Sheffield Hallam University 15 Dec 2011

Debate on freedom of speech regarding vaccines at Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival is one of Australia's largest and most popular festivals with approximately 130,000 people attending over six days and six nights. On this year's speakers list is anti-vaccine lobbyist Meryl Dorey, spokesperson for the Northern NSW-based Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).

15 Dec 2011

Ganitumab shows promise in early-phase trials for metastatic pancreatic cancer

Over 17,000 patients will have been diagnosed with locally-advanced pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2011. Surgery is not a treatment option for these patients whose tumor has grown beyond the pancreas to surrounding vital structures.

15 Dec 2011

Researchers develop mouse model to investigate fenugreek allergy

A mouse model to investigate allergy to fenugreek has been developed by Norwegian researchers. The model can also be used to study cross-reactivity to peanut, soy and lupin, major food allergens with public health relevance.

15 Dec 2011

Attention deficit drugs safe for adult hearts as well

A new study looked at nearly 150,000 adults taking drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and found that the medications do not increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, or sudden death from heart-related causes.

15 Dec 2011

Health Canada approves Positron's Attrius system

Positron Corporation, a leading molecular imaging company specializing in the field of nuclear cardiology is pleased to announce today that on December 12, 2011, the Company's Positron Emission Tomography Scanner(s) Attrius & Attrius L have received approval for sale in Canada.

15 Dec 2011

National conference on mindfulness for children

Beginning February 4, 2012, the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness will host a national conference for teachers, parents, therapists, and school administrators called Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth. The two-day conference is designed to familiarize and train attendees with the ways in which mindfulness is being taught to children and teens in a variety of settings.

15 Dec 2011

Antioxidant can delay onset of all indicators of Alzheimer's

When you cut an apple and leave it out, it turns brown. Squeeze the apple with lemon juice, an antioxidant, and the process slows down. Simply put, that same "browning" process-known as oxidative stress-happens in the brain as Alzheimer's disease sets in. The underlying cause is believed to be improper processing of a protein associated with the creation of free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

15 Dec 2011

Novel prognostic model for patients with treatment-related MDS

A large-scale analysis of patients whose myelodysplastic syndrome is related to earlier cancer treatment overturns the notion that all of them have a poor prognosis, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

15 Dec 2011

Molecular signature indicative of hypoxia predicts progression to AD

A study led by Research Professor Matej Ore-ič from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland suggests that Alzheimer's disease is preceded by a molecular signature indicative of hypoxia and up-regulated pentose phosphate pathway.

15 Dec 2011

Roundup: Nonprofits get big money in disabled payments; Calif. budget problems bring additional Medicaid cutbacks

Spending on this little-known home care program, called Community Habilitation, has soared in recent years, creating multimillion-dollar surpluses at some nonprofit agencies and eye-popping salaries and benefits for those who run them. And it helps explain how New York's costs of caring for developmentally disabled people have ballooned in recent years, creating the nation's most generous system of Medicaid-financed programs, with little scrutiny of its efficiency or result.

15 Dec 2011

CSIS High-Level Forum discusses vaccines

The Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) blog SmartGlobalHealth.org describes the second CSIS High-Level Forum on U.S. Leadership in Global Health, which "placed a focus on vaccines as instruments of U.S. global leadership in pursuit of security and economic interests at home and abroad, in close enduring partnerships with corporations, foundations, multilateral organizations, and other countries."

15 Dec 2011

Dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa

Hitching a ride into the retina on nanoparticles called dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. A study by investigators at Mayo Clinic, Wayne State University and Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that steroids attached to the dendrimers target the damage-causing cells associated with neuroinflammation, leaving the rest of the eye unaffected and preserving vision.

14 Dec 2011

Initiative for Women with Disabilities opens new facility in Manhattan

The Initiative for Women with Disabilities Elly and Steve Hammerman Health & Wellness Center (IWD) at NYU Langone Medical Center opened the doors to a new 4,200-square-foot facility located at 359 Second Avenue in Manhattan.

14 Dec 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome may be reason behind many school absenteeism: Study

According to a new study one in 100 secondary school pupils could be missing classes because of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). A study following 2,855 pupils at three schools, published in the online journal BMJ Open, found 28 missed school with chronic fatigue syndrome.

14 Dec 2011

NHS whistle blowers need more protection

A consultant pediatrician who had come forth with concerns about a clinic where Baby Peter was treated days before his death has accused NHS managers of using employment laws to gag potential whistleblowers.

14 Dec 2011

Alcohol intake linked to unsafe sex

It is known that unprotected sexual intercourse is the most common cause of HIV infection and finding ways to prevent unsafe sex is a major goal of public health efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. It has not been clear whether unsafe sex associated with alcohol use actually led to HIV infection, or whether certain personality traits, such as sensation-seeking or risky behavior, led to both alcohol use and unsafe sex.

14 Dec 2011

Cancer screening: Is it necessary in the elderly?

There is a long ongoing debate on whether the elderly need to be routinely screened for cancers. A new survey shows that the majority of nearly 19 million Americans over age 75 dutifully get screened for breast, prostate, and colon cancers each year.

14 Dec 2011