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Public worries about Ebola increase faster than cases

A Pew Research Center survey finds 41 percent of Americans say they worry they or someone in their families will be "exposed" to the Ebola virus, up from 32 percent two weeks ago. Public confidence in the government's ability to combat the disease has also dropped, finds a Gallup poll. Meanwhile, GOP doctors in the House of Representatives seek a temporary travel ban for West African countries affected by Ebola.

23 Oct 2014

Human trial of second investigational Ebola vaccine candidate under way

Human testing of a second investigational Ebola vaccine candidate is under way at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

23 Oct 2014

Study: Music therapy improves self-esteem, reduces depression in children

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have discovered that music therapy reduces depression in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems.

23 Oct 2014

$Kasich's public Medicaid expansion fracas moves into its second day$

Kasich's public Medicaid expansion fracas moves into its second day

The Ohio governor is engaged in a spat with The Associated Press after the news outlet published comments in which he said he didn't think the health law would be repealed. He has since offered further explanation, saying that he doesn't think the Medicaid expansion -- which he views as separate from the overhaul -- should be undone.

23 Oct 2014

Daylight saving associated with public health benefits

We all like the light evenings and dread the clocks going back, but it has now been shown that more hours of waking daylight may be beneficial to our health. Research published today (just before the end of UK daylight saving) shows that permanent adoption of daylight saving could increase the amount of physical activity in children.

23 Oct 2014

Novel approach may help detect invasive aspergillosis

Many different microbes can cause pneumonia, and treatment may be delayed or off target if doctors cannot tell which bug is the culprit. A novel approach—analyzing a patient's breath for key chemical compounds made by the infecting microbe—may help detect invasive aspergillosis, a fungal infection that is a leading cause of mortality in patients with compromised immune systems, according to a proof-of-concept study now online in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

23 Oct 2014

Hospitals' purchase of doctors' practices boosts costs, study finds

Hospital ownership of physician groups increased patient care costs by as much as 20 percent, according to the UC Berkeley study. Meanwhile, another study by Harvard researchers finds that switching to for-profit status may boost hospitals' financial health but has no effect on quality of care.

23 Oct 2014

Helping children understand Ebola

It dominates the headlines and is striking fear and panic in many communities around the world, Ebola. The constant barrage of information and so much unknown can be especially difficult for children, making it all the more important for parents to help their kids feel safe and to have a dialogue with them at the appropriate developmental level.

23 Oct 2014

UH's Neurological Institute designated as Gold Center of Excellence

The Neurological Institute at University Hospitals has been designated as a Gold Center of Excellence (COE) and featured as a top performing center by NeuStrategy, Inc., a Chicago consulting firm providing strategic support to neuroscience, oncology and orthopaedic service providers.

23 Oct 2014

Employers devise strategies to avoid Obamacare fines

With large companies facing potential fines next year for not offering health insurance, some are looking at approaches such as enrolling employees in Medicaid, reports The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, the federal government posts a notice Tuesday saying that it will continue to fund an optional health insurance program for the working poor in 2016.

23 Oct 2014

Scientists use innovative exome sequencing strategy to identify new gene associated with ALS

Using an innovative exome sequencing strategy, a team of international scientists led by John Landers, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has shown that TUBA4A, the gene encoding the Tubulin Alpha 4A protein, is associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

23 Oct 2014

ADI develops ELISA test kits for detection of Ebola viral protein antibodies

San Antonio, Texas-based Biotech Company Alpha Diagnostic Int'l has developed and released several convenient, rapid, and sensitive ELISA test kits for the detection of major Ebola viral protein antibodies (Glycoprotein, GP; Nucleoprotein, NP, and Viral Protein 40 or VP40).

23 Oct 2014

Afatinib active against NSCLC nervous system metastases

Heavily pretreated patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer and central nervous system metastases may benefit from treatment with afatinib, say German researchers.

22 Oct 2014

Six platinum cycles no better than four for advanced NSCLC

Six cycles of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy is no better than three or four cycles for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, meta-analysis results suggests.

22 Oct 2014