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Higher rates of new asthma among WTC workers

Findings released by the Health Department shed new light on the health effects of exposure to dust and debris among workers who responded to the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001.

28 Aug 2007

Statin drugs should be continued after stroke

People who stopped taking cholesterol-lowering drugs after being hospitalized for a stroke are at greater risk of death or dependency within three months of the stroke, according to a study published in the August 28, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Aug 2007

New discovery helps explain the mechanics of hearing

A 30-year scientific debate about how specialized cells in the inner ear amplify sound in mammals appears to have been settled more in favor of bouncing cell bodies rather than vibrating, hair-like cilia, according to St. Jude investigators.

28 Aug 2007

Investigation of the cigarette smoking-head and neck cancer association by sex

Smoking significantly increases the risk for head and neck cancers for both men and women, regardless of the anatomic site.

28 Aug 2007

Self-collected specimens for testing human papillomavirus

In this Research letter, Dr. Gina Ogilvie and colleagues investigate the feasibility of self-collection of specimens for HPV testing among women who may not make full use of cytology screening programs (e.g., women who are homeless or who are involved in the sex trade) and are thus at increased risk of cervical cancer.

28 Aug 2007

Scientists identifiy successfully reprogrammed cells by looks alone

Some scientific results are hard to spot, especially in genetic research. Often scientists are unable to physically see if the gene they inserted into a cell has produced the desired trait.

28 Aug 2007

Zinc and macular degeneration link

A team of scientists, including three researchers at George Mason University, found that the mineral zinc could play a role in the development of macular degeneration.

28 Aug 2007

ReBuilder Medical Technologies secures license to manufacture electronic molluscum contagiosum treatment system

ReBuilder Medical Technologies, Inc. has announced that it has negotiated an exclusive license from White Hall, Inc. for the micronized, amorphous silver ion technology to treat the highly contagious skin disease, Molluscum Contagiosum.

28 Aug 2007

Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb finalize agreement on metabolic disorders program

Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company have announced that they have finalized a definitive agreement for the worldwide collaboration to research, develop and commercialize DGAT-1 inhibitors, a collaboration first announced on April 26, 2007.

28 Aug 2007

Nasal spray effective for most severe kind of headache

A nasal spray is safe and effective at rapidly treating cluster headaches, which are considered to be the most painful kind of headache with few treatment options, according to a study published in the August 28, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Aug 2007

Vioxx side-effects explained

Vioxx and related pain medications were taken off the market in 2004 because they caused dangerous heart problems in some people.

28 Aug 2007

Married men do less housework than men who are live-in boyfriends

The age-old stereotype that women do more housework than men has gotten more credibility with a George Mason University study co-written by sociologist Shannon Davis.

28 Aug 2007

HSP 90 inhibitors may help ICU patients beat infections

HSP 90 inhibitors, which are finding favor in fighting cancer, may also help battle overwhelming infection in intensive care patients, researchers say.

28 Aug 2007

High stress and genetic risk factor lead to increased memory decline

High stress levels may contribute to memory loss among people at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

28 Aug 2007

Secret to bone's strength

Scientists and engineers are eager to understand the secret behind bone's lightweight toughness so they can mimic it in the design of new materials, but previous studies have revealed a number of different strength mechanisms at different scales of focus, rather than a single theory.

28 Aug 2007

Methampehtamine use and risk of HIV in men

New findings that one in 20 North Carolina men who have sex with men (MSM) reported using crystal methamphetamine during the previous month suggests increased risk for spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

28 Aug 2007

Is it safe to use Lybrel to eliminate periods?

The new birth control pill Lybrel is the first oral contraceptive designed to be taken 365 days a year with no pill-free intervals.

28 Aug 2007

Trends in head and neck cancer incidence in relation to smoking

Though the overall incidence of head and neck cancers has fallen in the United States, the rate of oropharyngeal (chiefly, tonsil and base of tongue) cancers is stagnant and appears to be rising is certain populations and these trends are likely due to oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

28 Aug 2007

IDM Pharma receives not approvable letter for Mifamurtide for treatment of osteosarcoma

IDM Pharma, Inc. ( NASDAQ:IDMI ) announced today that it received a not approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after completing the review of the new drug application (NDA) for the investigational drug mifamurtide (L-MTP-PE), formerly known as Junovan, for the treatment of non-metastatic osteosarcoma, a rare and often fatal bone tumor that typically affects children and young adults.

28 Aug 2007

Human testes may act as mutation multipliers

The testes in humans may act as mutation multipliers that raise the odds of passing improved DNA to offspring - but that can also backfire by increasing the frequency of certain diseases.

28 Aug 2007