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New microchip technology to detect oral cancer

A new test for oral cancer, which a dentist could perform by simply using a brush to collect cells from a patient's mouth, is set to be developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

10 Aug 2010

Talecris and Grifols receive 'Second Request' from FTC regarding proposed merger

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. today announced that Talecris and Grifols S.A. have each received a request for additional information and documentary material, often referred to as a "Second Request," from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with their proposed merger.

10 Aug 2010

Advocat second-quarter revenues increase 3.4% to $141.6 million

Advocat Inc. today announced its results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010. On August 5, 2010 the Company declared a third quarter dividend of 5.5 cents per common share. The dividend will be paid October 14, 2010 to shareholders of record on September 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Scientist to research on molecular machinery of breast cancer

Someone in the world is diagnosed with breast cancer every 23 seconds. It is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide among women and approximately 456,000 die from the disease each year. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), a scientist is taking aim at the molecular machinery behind this disease.

10 Aug 2010

Study to evaluate sensitivity of mammography combined with somo•v ABUS technology in breast cancer screening

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital announced today that it has joined U-Systems national clinical research study designed to evaluate whether digital mammography, when combined with the somo•v Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS) from U-Systems, Inc (Sunnyvale, CA), is more sensitive in detecting breast lesions compared to mammography alone in women with dense breasts. Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital is the only site in Michigan, and one of only ten breast cancer centers in the entire country, currently recruiting women for the SOMO•INSIGHT clinical study.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists discover role of Mnk enzyme in prostate cancer development

A kinase is a type of enzyme the body uses to regulate the functions of the proteins required for cell growth and maintenance, and researchers have discovered that one in particular plays a key role in developing prostate cancer. "It's known as Mnk, and although it appears not to be essential for normal cell maintenance, it's important for cancer growth" said Dr. Luc Furic, a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr. Nahum Sonenberg at McGill University's Goodman Cancer Research Centre and Department of Biochemistry.

10 Aug 2010

Pay-for-performance makes its way into dialysis clinics

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press: A new Medicare rule may ding dialysis centers by up to two percent of their reimbursement in 2012 if they don't meet quality standards the agency sets. The program "is the agency's first pay-per-performance system, and it won't be the last." The agency has, however, run various experiments that pay providers for better performance.

10 Aug 2010

Pluristem's PLacental eXpanded cell therapy effective against neuropathic and inflammatory nerve pain

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. today announced the results of two separate pre-clinical studies in animal models which demonstrated that its PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cell therapy may be an effective treatment for both neuropathic and inflammatory nerve pain. These animal studies were conducted in collaboration with the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) and the Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, both at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin of Berlin, Germany.

10 Aug 2010

Study suggests reimbursements can address inappropriate antibiotic usage

Antibiotic use appears to have increased among older adults whose prescription drug coverage improved as a result of enrolling in Medicare Part D, with the largest increases for broad-spectrum, newer and more expensive drugs, according to a report in the August 9/23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Aug 2010

Duke University physicists develop technique to inject material into cells through sharp fluid jets

Duke University physicists have developed a way to produce sharp fluid jets with enough precision that they can inject material into a single, living cell. The technique promises a way to deliver drugs to cells one at a time, which is likely to be very valuable for research involving stem cells and other cellular-level studies. The research appears in the current issue of the APS journal Physical Review Letters.

10 Aug 2010

Poniard second-quarter net loss decreases to $6.5 million

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative oncology therapies, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists suggest daily intake of vitamin D helps to reduce disease frequency

Anthony Norman, a leading international expert in vitamin D, proposes worldwide policy changes regarding people's vitamin D daily intake amount in order to maximize the vitamin's contribution to reducing the frequency of many diseases, including childhood rickets, adult osteomalacia, cancer, autoimmune type-1 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and muscle weakness.

10 Aug 2010

Reports warn of new costs, gaps unfilled in health overhaul

Insurance rates may rise next year even more than anticipated because of the health overhaul for mid-sized companies. "While most major pieces of the new health law don't go into effect until 2014, some reforms affecting health insurance carriers take effect this year. These include provisions that require health plans to cover adult children until age 26, extend coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, end maximum lifetime spending limits and end the practice of retroactively canceling a member's coverage for any reason other than fraud."

10 Aug 2010

Repros Therapeutics second-quarter net loss decreases to $1.3 million

Repros Therapeutics Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists work towards creating a vaccine for Parkinson's disease

Nina Brown, 68, and millions of others with a debilitating neurological condition called Parkinson's disease are counting on researchers for a cure. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), protein chemists are working to develop a therapeutic vaccine.

10 Aug 2010

Ikaria announces voluntary recall of INOMAX DS drug-delivery system in US and Canada

Ikaria, Inc. announced today that its INOMAX® DS drug-delivery systems in the United States are being voluntarily recalled due to the potential failure of a pressure switch which may have an impact on the administration of INOMAX® (nitric oxide) for inhalation to patients. This potential failure was identified by Ikaria as part of its ongoing quality monitoring and review processes. This class I recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All INOMAX DS systems in Canada also are being voluntarily recalled.

10 Aug 2010

UCLA study identifies neurocognitive pathways involved in inflammatory responses to acute social stress

Everyone experiences social stress, whether it is nervousness over a job interview, difficulty meeting people at parties, or angst over giving a speech. In a new report, UCLA researchers have discovered that how your brain responds to social stressors can influence the body's immune system in ways that may negatively affect health.

10 Aug 2010

House members returning for vote on extra Medicaid help

House members are returning to Washington for a Tuesday vote on $16 billion in extra Medicaid funds for cash-strapped states, The Associated Press reports. "The unusual in-and-out session was called because the Senate waited until last Thursday, after the House had already recessed for its summer break" to pass the bill, which includes $10 billion in state aid for teachers' jobs, too. "Republicans forced back to the Capitol to vote against a bill see it differently.

10 Aug 2010

GenMark second-quarter revenues increase 162% to $651,000

GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. today reported revenues of $651,000 for the quarter ending June 30, 2010, a 162% increase over second quarter 2009. Net loss for the second quarter was $5.1 million, or $0.60 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.3 million and $1.08 per share for the same period last year.

10 Aug 2010

Vena cava blood clot filters may cause potential life-threatening complications: Study

Two specific types of vena cava filters, devices used to prevent blood clots from reaching the lungs, appear to have evidence of fracturing inside the body, with some fractured fragments traveling to the heart and causing potentially life-threatening complications, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the November 8 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Aug 2010