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USAID GeoCenter to use satellite imagery, on-the-ground reports to inform aid disbursement

USAID officials are in the early stages of planning a Geospatial Intelligence Center, or GeoCenter, that will combine information from "satellite imagery and on-the-ground surveys and reports to cut down on field-based work and give the agency a better sense of where development dollars can do the most good," Nextgov reports.

6 Aug 2011

Weight loss linked to improved sexual health in obese men with type 2 diabetes

A new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that in obese men with type 2 diabetes, weight loss improves erectile function, sexual desire and lowers urinary tract symptoms.

6 Aug 2011

U.S. should demand human rights-based approach to HIV prevention programs in Uganda

"Uganda has sometimes been considered a success story in fighting HIV and has been a darling of international donors," including the U.S., which has poured over $1 billion into the country for AIDS programs.

6 Aug 2011

Tips to prevent heat stroke among school football players

Practices for football, cross country and other high school sports are starting up this month, and many athletes will do two-a-day workouts in the August heat. Last year, four high school football players died of heat stroke, according to the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research.

6 Aug 2011

Sending surplus medical supplies to developing country hospitals 'not the antidote' to poor conditions

"Every year, hospitals in America throw away thousands of tons of usable medical supplies and equipment - by some measures 7,000 tons a year, a value of $20 billion. … Yet every year, hospitals in developing countries around the world turn away patients or provide substandard care because they lack even the most basic medical equipment," journalist and author Tina Rosenberg writes in the New York Times' "Opinionator" blog.

6 Aug 2011

Simple changes in food environment can help people lose weight

Dieters may not need as much willpower as they think, if they make simple changes in their surroundings that can result in eating healthier without a second thought, said a consumer psychologist at the American Psychological Association's 119th Annual Convention.

6 Aug 2011

Roundup: State workers in Conn. get lock on retirement health funds

State employees have never warmed to the idea of having to contribute a portion of their pay to help fund their retirement health care, and one of the arguments they make against it is the history of special accounts' being used as a piggybank by legislators and governors when money is tight.

6 Aug 2011

Diet and genetics dictate adult jaw shape

Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that use over time and not just genetics informs the structure of jaw bones in human populations. The researchers say these findings may be used to predict the diet of an ancient population, even if little evidence exists in the fossil record. It can also make it easier for scientists to pinpoint the genetic relationship between fossils.

6 Aug 2011

Research roundup: Hospitalists & health costs; treating substance abuse

This study looks at the effects hospitalists -- or physicians who specialize in hospital medicine and health care -- have on patient care, costs and use of medical services.

6 Aug 2011

AHRQ: Arizona and Maryland see great drop in hospital deaths from pneumonia

Deaths of Americans age 18 and over hospitalized for pneumonia plummeted by 45 percent between 2000 and 2007 regardless of who paid for their care, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

6 Aug 2011

VIVUS announces additional data from phase 3 QNEXA studies on obesity

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that additional data from the phase 3 QNEXA studies will be presented today during the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) meeting in Las Vegas, NV.

6 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: Birth control decision fallout; docs on Medi-Cal reimbursement; cutting out middlemen insurers

The most important financial matter for members of Congress when they return from their vacation is to figure out what is essential and what should be reduced or eliminated. … Medicare and Medicaid are absolutely justified for all of us at all ages.

6 Aug 2011

Debt-ceiling legislation could reduce Medicare payments to hospitals

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, today released an estimate of the impact on Medicare payments to hospitals by recently enacted debt-ceiling legislation. Bottom line: over the next 10 years, individual hospitals could see Medicare payments reduced by $1.1 to $1.4 million per year.

5 Aug 2011

GTSI awarded Biometric Automated Toolset-Army contract

GTSI Corp., a leading information technology systems integrator for federal, state and local governments, announced today the award of the Biometric Automated Toolset-Army (BAT-A) contract by the U.S. Army.

5 Aug 2011

Idera second quarter net loss increases to $6.3 million

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011. Idera is a biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of DNA- and RNA-based drug candidates targeted to Toll-Like receptors (TLRs).

5 Aug 2011

Alexza resubmits AZ-004 NDA for treatment of agitation in schizophrenia patients

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has resubmitted its AZ-004 New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to a Complete Response Letter (CRL) received in October 2010.

5 Aug 2011

Merge Healthcare acquires Ophthalmic Imaging Systems

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, one of the country's top providers of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, announced today the completion of Merge's acquisition of Ophthalmic Imaging Systems.

5 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 5, 2011

In the news today... The cost of premiums for Medicare's prescription drug program won't rise in 2012. Meanwhile, Medicare data reveal a gap in hospital performance and perception.

5 Aug 2011

Osiris second quarter revenues increase to $10.4 million

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., the leading stem cell company focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory and cardiovascular disease areas and wound healing, announced today its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2011.

5 Aug 2011

Metallofullerene platform holds promise for treatment of brain tumors

A single compound with dual function - the ability to deliver a diagnostic and therapeutic agent - may one day be used to enhance the diagnosis, imaging and treatment of brain tumors, according to findings from Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.

5 Aug 2011