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Low-cost colorimetric sensing array identifies bacterial infections

Bacterial infections really stink. And that could be the key to a fast diagnosis.

28 Apr 2011

Baby doll can serve as effective therapy for geriatric patients

What parent hasn't watched their young child in amazement as they pick up a baby doll, tenderly cradling and stroking it as though the child were mimicking the way their own parent held them? As quintessential as these toys are for young children, research has found that baby dolls are also effective tools in soothing geriatric patients.

28 Apr 2011

Five-minute screening program can help track children with autism

A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Apr 2011

New screening marker can detect pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a protein that shows distinct changes in structure between pancreatic cancer, non-cancerous diseases and normal blood serum. The protein also changes from early stage pancreatic cancer to advanced disease.

28 Apr 2011

Trig Medical to launch new standard for labor progression management at ACOG 2011

Trig Medical, Inc. announces the U.S. launch of LaborPro®, the new standard for labor progression management, at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 2011 Annual Clinical Meeting, taking place April 30 – May 4, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Trig Medical will be demonstrating the LaborPro system in Booth #824 during exhibition hours.

28 Apr 2011

Medicaid managed care under the microscope

News outlets explore the challenges states face as they increasingly try to move recipients into managed care plans in order to control costs and brace for upcoming expansions.

28 Apr 2011

Novel strategy for physicians to detect Autism Syndrome Disorder in babies

A novel strategy developed by autism researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, called "The One-Year Well-Baby Check Up Approach," shows promise as a simple way for physicians to detect cases of Autism Syndrome Disorder, language or developmental delays in babies at an early age.

28 Apr 2011

FDA Advisory Committee recommends approval of Merck's VICTRELIS for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection

Merck announced today that the Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously that the available data support approval of Merck's investigational medicine VICTRELIS™ (boceprevir) for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection in combination with current standard therapy.

28 Apr 2011

Arthritis poses significant health and economic burden in U.S. adults

A new study reports that the health-related quality of life for U.S. adults with arthritis is much worse than for those without this condition. Both physical and mental health are affected by arthritis, which poses a significant health and economic burden as the number of those diagnosed continues to climb.

28 Apr 2011

Kava tea may cause kidney failure and muscle breakdown

When a 34-year-old bicyclist was found collapsed on a roadside and rushed to the University of Rochester Medical Center emergency room on the verge of kidney failure and muscle breakdown, doctors were surprised to discover that a trendy tea derived from the kava plant was the cause of his ills.

28 Apr 2011

MIT develops new software to predict complex 3-D DNA structures

While the primary job of DNA in cells is to carry genetic information from one generation to the next, some scientists also see the highly stable and programmable molecule as an ideal building material for nanoscale structures that could be used to deliver drugs, act as biosensors, perform artificial photosynthesis and more.

28 Apr 2011

New nanoparticle imaging agent can help diagnose heart disease, breast cancer

Scientists are reporting development of a process for producing large quantities of a much-needed new imaging agent for computed tomography scans in heart disease, breast cancer and other diseases, and the first evidence that the material is safe for clinical use.

28 Apr 2011

State roundup: Conn. Gov. says no 'public option' this year

Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief budget adviser defended the administration's plan to sell a state-run health insurance plan to a private company, rebutting a chorus of critics Tuesday who said the move would result in higher premiums and lower benefits for state workers and retirees.

28 Apr 2011

Grapefruit can help reduce weight in obese adults

One-hundred percent grapefruit juice – a dieter's friend? A new study, published in Nutrition & Metabolism, concluded that enjoying a pre-meal snack of grapefruit, grapefruit juice or water as part of a reduced-calorie diet can be part of an effective weight loss strategy for obese adults.

28 Apr 2011

Study clarifies ginkgo's pain-reducing effects

Experiments in rats show that a standardized ginkgo extract—injected either into the spinal canal or directly into the injured area—effectively reduces inflammation and some types of pain, according to a report in the May issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

28 Apr 2011

Study finds prevalence of low vitamin D status among obese adolescents

A new study from Hasbro Children's Hospital has found that most obese adolescents are lacking in vitamin D.

28 Apr 2011

FDA approves BIOTRONIK's new Estella and Effecta pacemakers

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices and pioneer of wireless remote monitoring technologies, today announced FDA approval of the new Estella and Effecta pacemakers, as well as advanced new features and technologies for the Evia pacemaker family.

28 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: Medicare options and politics; high costs of care; health disparities

The Democratic Party is urging Americans to choose Medicare as we've always known it rather than a new plan by Rep. Paul Ryan that would enroll seniors in private health insurance beginning in 2022.

28 Apr 2011

NHL Alumni, Baycrest team up for brain health research

One of the world's top neuroscience institutes has teamed up with the NHL Alumni on a study that will track the brain health of retired NHL players over several years.

28 Apr 2011

New study reveals a novel gene linked with major depression

A new study reveals a novel gene associated with major depression. The research, published by Cell Press in the April 28 issue of the journal Neuron, suggests a previously unrecognized mechanism for major depression and may guide future therapeutic strategies for this debilitating mood disorder.

28 Apr 2011