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U.N. Secretary-General calls for African nations to invest 15% of national budgets to fight HIV/AIDS

During a tour of the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Kampala, Uganda, on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called for countries in Africa to invest 15 percent of their national budgets in HIV/AIDS programs, the Daily Monitor reports.

3 Jun 2010

Research explains brain's susceptibility to dystonia

Why do some diseases affect only specific organs, leaving others invulnerable? Researchers from the University of Michigan have found neural tissue contains imbalanced levels of proteins, which may explain the brain's susceptibility to a debilitating childhood movement disorder.

3 Jun 2010

ARRA awards stimulus grants to AMIA members

Numerous grants funded by the U.S. economic stimulus program (ARRA) Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, to advance the use of health information technology (HIT) and to ready a professional informatics work force, have been awarded to leading members of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), a growing professional society that for the last two decades has advocated for informatics as a health care specialty.

3 Jun 2010

Researchers describe chain of molecular events that increase one's risk of skin cancer

As people head to the beach this summer, very few if any, really know how likely they are to develop skin cancer from their outdoor fun. That's about to change, thanks to a new discovery by an international team of scientists that makes it possible for doctors to access people's personal risk for skin cancer.

3 Jun 2010

Tips to prevent back injuries

Whether moving to a new home or packing up for the semester, the physical intensity of moving can be extreme. Packing boxes, moving heavy furniture, emptying overhead cabinets -- all come with some risk for injury, especially to your back. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for Americans visit their doctors.

3 Jun 2010

PMRT increases breast cancer patients' five-year overall survival by almost 50%: Study

Postmastectomy radiation therapy for some breast cancer patients can reduce their risk of recurrence by almost 30 percent and increase their five-year overall survival by almost 50 percent, according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

3 Jun 2010

African-Americans less likely to undergo total joint replacement procedures

A recent study by researchers at the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, suggests that patient treatment preferences play an important role in racial disparities in total joint replacement utilization observed in the US.

3 Jun 2010

Regulators miss deadline on medical loss ratios: Other implementation developments continue to emerge

Insurance regulators have missed an early deadline to set specific rules meant to ensure that insurers devote 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars to medical care, the so-called "medical loss ratio."

3 Jun 2010

Ablation technique as affective as conventional surgery for treating kidney cancer

A minimally invasive technique used to destroy kidney tumors with an electrically controlled heating probe showed similar effectiveness as surgical removal of tumors in curbing cancer recurrence rates for up to five years after treatment.

3 Jun 2010

Canadian researchers: Probiotic found in breast milk reduces painful cramping in gut

Here's another reason to breast feed your baby: Canadian researchers have discovered how a probiotic found in breast milk reduces or eliminates painful cramping in the gut. In a new research report published online in the FASEB Journal, these scientists use mice to show that a specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri decreases the force of muscle contractions in the gut within minutes of exposure.

3 Jun 2010

New breakthrough may help understand human obesity and eating disorders

A nutrient that's common to all living things can make hibernating marmots hungry - a breakthrough that could help scientists understand human obesity and eating disorders, according to a new study by a Colorado State University biologist.

3 Jun 2010

Olive oil produces greater weight loss in breast cancer survivors: Researchers

Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that olive oil may offer another potential health benefit - it produces greater weight loss in breast cancer survivors compared to a more traditional low-fat diet.

3 Jun 2010

New 'dipstick' test determines blood types instantly

Scientists are reporting development of the first "dipstick" test for instantly determining a person's blood type at a cost of just a few pennies. Their study on the test, which involves placing a drop of blood on a specially treated paper strip, appears in ACS' semi-monthly journal Analytical Chemistry, where the authors say it could be a boon to health care in developing countries.

3 Jun 2010

Omega Protein closes $10M term loan with U.S. Department of Commercial Fisheries Finance Program

Omega Protein Corporation, the nation's leading producer of Omega-3 fish oil and specialty fish meal products, today announced that it had closed a $10 million term loan with the U.S. Department of Commercial Fisheries Finance Program. Proceeds from the loan will be used to reimburse the Company for prior expenditures for fishing vessel refurbishments and a state-of-the-art dryer system that should result in reduced emissions and improved product quality.

3 Jun 2010

Insulin pills to manage diabetes are finally moving ahead in clinical trials

After years of research and anticipation, insulin pills that could make it easier for millions of patients worldwide to manage diabetes are finally moving ahead in clinical trials and a step-closer to the medicine cabinet. That's among the topics highlighted in a two-part cover story on drug manufacturing in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

3 Jun 2010

New concept: Hotel 'medical-concierge' program

The Ritz-Carlton's medical-concierge program, now expanded after a trial run to include hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Philadelphia area, aims to provide a pampering bridge between the hospital room and the patient's home. The concierge does not perform medical procedures or administer drugs.

3 Jun 2010

Medicare: Both doctors and patients are looking for private options

Although people may believe that their insurance worries are over once they qualify for Medicare, both doctors and patients are looking for a private option—especially with Medicare's looming bankruptcy, and ObamaCare's promise to cut half a trillion dollars from it to help fund universal coverage.

3 Jun 2010

Discovery provides new therapeutic target to prevent brain function loss

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that certain types of specializations on nerve cells called "spines" are depleted as a person ages, causing cognitive decline in the part of the brain that mediates the highest levels of learning. These spines receive an important class of synapses that are involved with the process of learning.

3 Jun 2010

Amedica secures US patent for novel hip implant

Amedica Corporation, a spinal and orthopaedic implant and instrument manufacturer focused on unique silicon nitride (SiN) ceramic technologies, announced today that it has been granted United States Patent No. 7,695,521 covering its novel hip implant featuring a monoblock ceramic acetabular cup for use in articulating joints for total joint replacement.

3 Jun 2010

Three in five Americans may develop noise-induced hearing loss

Use of ear bud headphones by youngsters may save your ears from being assaulted by the noise of your teenagers' music or electronic game but are they damaging your child's hearing?

3 Jun 2010