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Parents can boost story-telling skills by engaging children in narratives: Study

Children with brain injuries have difficulty developing story-telling skills even though other language abilities, such as vocabulary, tend to catch up with other children as they mature, research at the University of Chicago shows. Our findings suggest that there may be limitations to the remarkable flexibility for language functions displayed by children with brain injuries.

27 Jul 2010

NIH awards BU $1.6M grant to target protein-protein interactions with synthetic organic drugs

An interdisciplinary team of Boston University professors is launching a project to develop new ways to target protein-protein interactions with synthetic organic drugs. Financed by a four-year $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the goal is to develop new approaches for discovering "drug-like" small molecule inhibitors against challenging protein-protein interaction (PPI) interfaces.

27 Jul 2010

NIH issues SBIR grant to Titan Pharmaceutical for PD treatment development

Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the National Institutes of Health has awarded the company a grant under the Small Business Innovation Research program supporting the development of a long-term, non-fluctuating dopamine agonist treatment for Parkinson's disease. The first year award in the amount of $300,000 will be available to Titan starting August 1, 2010, and an additional $195,000 for the second year starting August 1, 2011 has been recommended subject to availability of funds and satisfactory progress of the project. The grant will be administered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

27 Jul 2010

Consumers struggle to sort out many stem cell claims

NPR reports on the confusion among consumers about stem cell therapy. It's easy to find on websites and other advertisements claims of cures for practically every medical condition, but traditional American medical doctors say that so far stem cell therapy has been proven to work in only a few blood disorders.

27 Jul 2010

Alcon second-quarter global sales increase 12.5% to $1.89 billion

Alcon, Inc. reported that global sales rose 12.5 percent to $1.89 billion for the second quarter of 2010, or 11.3 percent excluding the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations and acquisitions. Revenue from acquisitions added 40 basis points to sales growth in the quarter, while foreign currency fluctuations added 80 basis points of growth.

27 Jul 2010

Scientists develop obesity drug without neurological side effects

The drug rimonabant was developed as a treatment for obesity and its myriad of serious health consequences. Despite having its desired effects on weight, which it decreased, and on levels of glucose and fats in the blood, rimonabant was never approved for use in the US because of serious neurological side effects including depression and anxiety. Now, a team of researchers, led by George Kunos, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, and Alexandros Makriyannis, at Northeastern University, Boston, have developed a drug that has the same positive effects in mice on levels of glucose and fats in the blood as rimonabant but none of the neurological side effects.

27 Jul 2010

'Ultra Rice' piloted as way to tackle malnutrition

Ultra Rice, a rice-shaped pasta fortified with vitamins and minerals is "being produced and tested around the world as a potential solution to malnutrition," according to the Seattle Times. Produced by the nonprofit PATH, Ultra Rice is currently being piloted by the Indian and Brazilian governments in lunch programs and by the U.N. World Food Program in Cambodia. Each grain of Ultra Rice is combined with approximately 100 grains of ordinary rice.

27 Jul 2010

Quidel recommences shipments of QuickVue+ lateral flow diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis

Quidel Corporation, a leading provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, announced today that it has begun taking orders for its QuickVue®+ lateral flow diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis. Due to strong customer demand, the Company has restarted manufacturing its previous mononucleosis product with shipments to customers expected during the first week of August.

27 Jul 2010

Epilepsy drugs analyzed for causing increased risk of suicide in patients

While the Food and Drug Administration requires a warning of an increased risk of suicide for all epilepsy drugs, a new study shows that only certain drugs may increase the risk. The study is published in the July 27, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Newer drugs with a higher risk of causing depression than other epilepsy drugs, such as levetiracetam, topiramate and vigabatrin, were found to increase the risk of self-harm or suicidal behavior among people with epilepsy.

27 Jul 2010

Alexza second-quarter net loss decreases to $12.9 million

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 and provided a business update. The net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, as reported in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP), was $12.9 million and $26.3 million, respectively, compared to a net loss of $17.0 million and $23.9 million in the respective comparable periods in 2009. Alexza had consolidated cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at June 30, 2010 of $41.7 million.

27 Jul 2010

Americans with Disabilities Act turns 20

Several news outlets note the 20th anniversary Monday of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

27 Jul 2010

Roche receives FDA 510(k) clearance for CoaguChek XS Pro point-of-care anticoagulation monitor

Roche Diagnostics announced today it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the CoaguChek® XS Pro system, a new point-of-care anticoagulation monitor with a built-in bar code reader that can automatically scan and capture operator and patient identification information.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 27 Jul 2010

UCLA Health System launches hand transplantation program

The UCLA Health System has launched the new UCLA Hand Transplantation Program, the first of its kind on the West Coast and only the fourth such center in the United States. The program will help those who have suffered the traumatic loss of a hand or forearm and allow them to regain function and improve their quality of life. Qualified candidates are now being sought for a clinical study of the procedure.

27 Jul 2010

Scientists discover mechanism of herpes virus cell entry machinery

The mechanism by which a herpes virus invades cells has remained a mystery to scientists, but now research from Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania reveals the unusual structure of a key member of the protein complex that allows a herpes virus to invade cells.The new map details an essential piece of the herpes virus "cell-entry machinery," providing scientists with a new target for antiviral drugs.

27 Jul 2010

Racial, ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system: ACP

Racial and ethnic disparities remain a challenge for patients in the U.S. health care system, the American College of Physicians said in an updated paper released today. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Updated 2010, an update to a policy paper that was originally released in 2003, outlines recommendations on how to close the gap between racial and ethnic minority patients and their white counterparts.

27 Jul 2010

Study analyses anesthetic effects on surgical site infections

A study appearing in the August 2010 issue of Anesthesiology found that patients receiving a total hip or knee replacement in Taiwan had a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) when general anesthesia was administered for the operation than when the same procedures were performed under epidural/spinal (regional) anesthesia.

27 Jul 2010

Cardiva Medical, Advanced Vascular Dynamics sign agreement to distribute hemostasis products

Cardiva Medical, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with Advanced Vascular Dynamics to distribute several products used for postcatheterization femoral and radial artery hemostasis in the U.S.

27 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 opinions: U.S. funding for global HIV/AIDS programs; Empowering women, girls in fight against HIV/AIDS

The first letter, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, addresses an opinion piece by Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town and honorary chairman of the Global AIDS Alliance. Goosby writes, "The United States has been and continues to be the global leader on HIV/AIDS. The best metric of our success is lives saved." Goosby cites an increased number of people on antiretrovirals financed by the United States and a commitment to treat 4 million more as part of the Global Health Initiative.

27 Jul 2010

1 yr old tested positive for angel dust and cocaine

In a shocking incident, a one year old boy baby tested positive for the drug Phencyclidine (PCP) commonly known as “angel dust” and cocaine after his parents took him to a hospital in Chicago.

26 Jul 2010

Healthcare Labor Update 2010: A year of critical opportunity for employers

When labor unions, particularly the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), spent hundreds of millions during the last presidential election cycle - resulting in a labor-friendly Democratic Administration and Congressional majority for the first time in a decade - it appeared the labor movement was poised to make a swift resurgence.

26 Jul 2010