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Childcare rebates unclaimed by thousands

According to the federal government estimates nearly 100,000 Australian families are missing out on childcare rebates. Latest government data says 869,770 Australian families used childcare in the quarter to June 2010, an increase of 8.7 per cent on the previous year.

13 Feb 2011

Lack of sleep increases stroke & heart disease risk: Study

New research shows that lack of sleep apparently can increase the risk for stroke and heart attack. British researchers for this study, analyzed data collected from more than 470,000 people in eight countries, including the United States. The study was published Feb. 8 in the European Heart Journal.

13 Feb 2011

HIV infection in mothers reduces disease resistance in babies: Study

New research suggests that babies whose mothers have HIV, but are not HIV-infected themselves, are born with lower levels of specific proteins in their blood called antibodies, which fight infection, compared with babies not exposed to HIV.

13 Feb 2011

Genetic map for prostate cancer

Researchers have managed to uncover the whole genetic sequence in prostate cancer. This complete map, hope researchers, will eventually lead to the development of more targeted drugs and a better understanding of which prostate cancers are likely to spread, one of the biggest challenges for physicians and patients.

13 Feb 2011

Burden of stroke over next 40 years to skyrocket: Studies

Findings presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles revealed that strokes are expected to rise by 350% over the next four decades.

13 Feb 2011

Daily diet soda raises stroke risk by 61%: Study

A new study suggests that regular intake of diet soda may be boosting the risk of stroke. Stroke is the third leading killer following heart disease and cancer, in the United States. More than 137,000 people a year die from stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

13 Feb 2011

Rare heart defect reproduced in petri dish, hope for cure

U.S. researchers have created beating heart cells in the lab with the same heart defect using skin cells taken from children with a rare heart defect. This means they can now test new drugs in human cells instead of mice.

13 Feb 2011

HIV trials and tribulations

A report published online February 8 in PLoS Medicine shows that mass behaviour changes could be credited with helping to remarkably reduce the number of people infected with HIV in Zimbabwe in recent years. These changes include declines in extramarital, commercial, and casual sexual relations, as well as a decline in multiple partners. These have been triggered by increased awareness of AIDS deaths and fear of infection and to some extent by the country’s economic deterioration.

13 Feb 2011

Genes for prostate cancer mapped for the first time

A genetic blue print that uncovers many of the mutations and genetic damage that drives prostate cancer and could lead to new treatments and better diagnosis has been found. This would mean earlier detection and new breeds of drugs to reverse the damage. Also each patient could have his own “cancer chart” made so that his treatment is personalized. The study, conducted by researchers from the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College, appears in the Feb. 10 issue of Nature.

13 Feb 2011

More people sick with salmonella from custard pastries

According to South Australia Health authorities, 13 more people have fallen ill with salmonella that spread via three types of custard-filled pastries made in Adelaide. This brings the total number of ill people to 74 with 29 admitted to hospital with salmonella typhimurium phage type 9 infection. The custard-filled products from Vili’s and St George Cakes and Gelati were recalled after being associated with the salmonella outbreak.

13 Feb 2011

53 share a needle & HIV risk due to a clinic blunder

Over 50 patients at a private radiology clinic were given blood tests using a needle device meant for single-patient use. Authorities have launched an investigation into the matter. These patients are all at risk of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infection. These cancer patients will need testing for the viruses, and again in three months. They had visited the hospital for a positron emission tomography (PET) scan for cancer detection.

13 Feb 2011

Sec. of State Clinton meets with House Budget Committee chair as budget debate continues

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Thursday with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the new House Budget Committee chair, "to set out her objections to the House Republicans' deficit-cutting plans," the Financial Times reports. Obama administration officials and congressional Democrats argue that Republican's proposed budget cuts "will reduce U.S. influence throughout the world ... and cost lives in Africa and beyond," the newspaper writes in a story outlining the different perspectives over how far budget cuts should go.

11 Feb 2011

Gene GFPT1 crucial in causing variation of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome

The gene, GFPT1, has been identified by researchers at Newcastle University working with international colleagues, as crucial in causing a variation of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (CMS).

11 Feb 2011

Guide star and time-reversal mirror in biomedical imaging

Astronomers have a neat trick they sometimes use to compensate for the turbulence of the atmosphere that blurs images made by ground-based telescopes. They create an artificial star called a guide star and use its twinkling to compensate for the atmospheric turbulence.

11 Feb 2011

Silver treated IV connectors may cause potentially deadly infections

Nationally-acclaimed researcher and award-winning author Dr. Cynthia C. Chernecky warned in a speech at the 11th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research that silver treated IV connectors could actually cause potentially deadly infections they were supposed to prevent.

11 Feb 2011

CMS chief testifies at Ways and Means Committee, stays cool despite grilling

The tense, heated hearing was the first opportunity for the House to question Berwick since July, when he was recess-appointed to his post as head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Haberkorn and Coughlin, 2/10).

11 Feb 2011

Pharmacy, engineering professors at UH combine efforts to speed development of new antibiotics

Eliminating tens of thousands of manual lab experiments, two University of Houston (UH) professors are working toward a method to cut the development time of new antibiotics. While current practices typically last for more than a decade, a computerized modeling system being developed at UH will speed up this process.

11 Feb 2011

New York Medicaid: Task force considers reform ideas, auditors investigate overbilling

News outlets report on developments regarding the New York state Medicaid program.

11 Feb 2011

GOP eyes planned parenthood in efforts to slash federal budget

Planned Parenthood received $16.9 million in 2009 Title X funding, which by law must be spent on health care services such as contraceptives, pelvic exams and safer-sex counseling. It cannot be spent on abortions.

11 Feb 2011