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Rate of voluntary HIV testing unchanged in Singapore despite expanded access to rapid HIV tests

The number of people who voluntarily took HIV tests in Singapore in 2007 did not improve despite increased access of rapid HIV testing kits to more than 60 clinics, Singapore's Today reports.

5 May 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles founder of Children Affected by AIDS Foundation

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday profiled Joe Cristina, founder of the Los Angeles-based Children Affected by AIDS Foundation. According to the Post-Gazette, Cristina founded CAAF in 1993 with the support of the toy company Mattel, where he was an executive, as a way to "channel" the "energy and support" he received after being diagnosed with HIV.

5 May 2008

New York lawmakers, HIV/AIDS advocates working to address HIV/AIDS funds for counties

New York state lawmakers and HIV/AIDS advocates are working to address federal HIV/AIDS funding for Nassau and Suffolk counties following a recent ruling that HHS should restore more than $1 million in Ryan White Program funding, the New York Times reports (Saslow, New York Times, 5/4).

5 May 2008

Forty-one percent of registered nurses find generics are less effective than name brand drugs say American Society of Registered Nurses

In a national online survey conducted by the American Society of Registered Nurses, 41% of the 781 Registered Nurses surveyed on April 28 reported that generic drugs are less effective than their equivalent brand-name counterparts.

5 May 2008

Skin cancer protection tips

With the days growing longer and the temperatures rising, Hoosiers will spend more time outdoors this spring and summer. And May, which is Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month -- is a good time to refresh memories about protection from the sun.

5 May 2008

MRSA spreading say American Society of Registered Nurses

Today the American Society of Registered Nurses announced that cases of MRSA also known as Methicillin - Resistant Staphylococcus aureus often called "Staph" are on the rise.

5 May 2008

The risks of indoor tanning to women

At age 17, all Meghan Rothschild and Brittany Lietz wanted was a dark tan. They thought it made them look beautiful. But both had no idea that in just three years they would be battling melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Now Meghan, 24, of Wilbraham, Mass., and Brittany, 23, of Annapolis, Md., are speaking out about their experiences.

5 May 2008

Blueberry juice beats other juices on antioxidant chart

USDA's database of antioxidant values for various foods, places blueberry juice at the top of the list among more than a dozen juices tested including pomegranate, apple, prune, cranberry and Concord grape

5 May 2008

Drug candidate to treat smallpox scaled up by new partnership

Two American companies are teaming up for second-round test-phase production of a FDA-designated "fast track" drug candidate to treat smallpox, a deadly virus that is feared to be able to reach people through acts of bio-warfare or bio-terrorism.

5 May 2008

Most comprehensive kinome collection

Scientists from University of Helsinki, Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland and OriGene Technologies joined effort in creating the most comprehensive kinome collection of nearly all predicted human protein kinases, including the functional kinases and their kinase-deficient counterparts. Equipped with this collection, the authors successfully identified novel kinase regulators in Hedgehog signaling pathway and in activation of Karposi's Sarcoma herpesvirus.

5 May 2008

Genes and the environment contribute differently to drinking among young adolescents

A new twins study from the Netherlands has found that genetic factors appear to be involved in the early initiation of alcohol use, while common environmental factors become involved once alcohol use has begun.

5 May 2008

Whole-organ genomic survey depicts journey from normal to malignant cell

Whole-organ maps that superimpose genetic information over the terrain of cancerous bladders chart the molecular journey from normal cell to invasive cancer, an international research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports online at the journal Laboratory Investigation.

5 May 2008

TV hinders mother-child interaction - limited verbal interactions

Infants who are exposed to television and video in low socio-economic households tend to have limited verbal interactions with their mothers, according to a new study led by Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Clinical Research for the divisions of General and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine.

5 May 2008

Botulinum toxin is safe and effective for treating cervical dystonia

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology confirm that the drug botulinum toxin is safe and effective for treating cervical dystonia, a condition of involuntary head tilt or neck movement, spasticity and other forms of muscle overactivity that interfere with movement in adults and children with an upper motor neuron syndrome, and excessive sweating of the armpits and hands.

5 May 2008

Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression in seniors

Older adults with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands may have a higher risk of depression, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2008

Mood and anxiety disorders put cancer patients at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder

Breast cancer patients who have a prior history of mood and anxiety disorders are at a much higher risk of experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder following their diagnosis, new research suggests.

5 May 2008

New understanding of colon tumor development

Recent work from the Finnish Academy Center of Excellence on Cancer Biology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, has shed light on the mechanisms of colon tumor development and may help to design better treatment for this disease.

5 May 2008

Short arms and legs could mean greater dementia risk

People with shorter arms and legs may be at a higher risk for developing dementia later in life compared to people with longer arms and legs, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, bonus issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 May 2008

Ibuprofen linked to lower risk of Alzheimer's

Long-term use of ibuprofen and other drugs commonly used for aches and pains was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown conflicting results, but this is the longest study of its kind.

5 May 2008

Breastfeeding may improve children's IQ scores - other measures of cognitive development

Long-term, exclusive breastfeeding appears to improve children's cognitive development, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2008