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TSRI scientists find dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes

Solving the structure of a critical human molecule involved in cancer, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found what they call a good example of structural conservation-dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes.

2 May 2013

PLOS' ASAP Program recognizes pioneers who have used open access research to benefit society

PLOS, the Public Library of Science, today is launching the Accelerating Science Award Program that recognizes the use of scientific research, published through Open Access, which has led to innovations in any field that benefit society. Major sponsors include the Wellcome Trust and Google.

2 May 2013

U.S. proposes talks aimed at improving food security at upcoming WTO meeting

"The United States said on Tuesday it was prepared to examine how agricultural policy reform could boost global food security as part of a package of commitments at the World Trade Organization's [WTO] upcoming meeting in December," Reuters reports.

2 May 2013

ABA honors Loyola's Burn & Shock Trauma Institute director with President's Leadership Award

Richard L. Gamelli, MD, FACS, senior vice president and provost of the Health Sciences Division at Loyola University Chicago, has been awarded the President's Leadership Award from the American Burn Association.

2 May 2013

Haptics improve outcomes in people with visual prosthetics

Normal vision is essentially a spatial sense that often relies upon touch and movement during and after development, there is often a correlation between how an object looks and how it feels. Moreover, as a child's senses develop, there is cross-referencing between the various senses. Indeed, where the links between the senses are not made, there may be developmental problems or delays. This should be taken into consideration when training new users of visual prosthetics, artificial retinas, or bionic eyes, suggest researchers in Australia.

2 May 2013

Grand Challenges Canada funds innovative ideas to solve global health problems

"Grand Challenges Canada just announced grants of $100,000 for 102 imaginative new ideas to tackle health problems in resource-poor countries," Inter Press Service reports, noting, "Of these, 59 grants went to researchers in 13 low- and middle-income nations worldwide."

2 May 2013

New study suggests that rural communities need different CPR recommendations

Hands-only CPR (CPR without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation), may not be the best method for rural or remote areas or for anyone who has to wait more than a few minutes for an ambulance, a new study suggests.

2 May 2013

Nearly half of patients see improvement by switching to different lens/solution combination, says study

If your contact lenses are causing you discomfort, simply switching to a different type of contact lens or lens care product may bring improvement, reports a study, " Effect of Lens and Solution Choice on the Comfort of Contact Lens Wearers", appearing in the May issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

2 May 2013

Editorial, opinion piece address emergence of H7N9 bird flu strain in China

The following is a summary of an editorial and an opinion piece addressing the emergence of a new strain of bird flu -- H7N9 -- in China.

2 May 2013

Vanderbilt University launches Health App Challenge contest

Vanderbilt University announced today a $20,000 worldwide contest called the Health App Challenge, aimed to transform patient clinical summaries into easy to understand personalized health information.

2 May 2013

Higher vitamin D levels confer no additional benefit

In recent years, healthy people have been bombarded by stories in the media and on health websites warning about the dangers of too-low vitamin D levels, and urging high doses of supplements to protect against everything from hypertension to hardening of the arteries to diabetes.

2 May 2013

Blog examines drug donation programs, Big Pharma's role in public health agenda

"Drug donations, reinvestment of profits in developing countries and a more flexible approach to intellectual property have all signaled a more collaborative approach from industry with the likes of GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and Merck all performing well in the 2012 Access to Medicine Initiative," Adam Robert Green, senior reporter with the Financial Times' "This is Africa," writes in the Royal African Society's "African Arguments" blog.

2 May 2013

New online resource provides practical guidance on caring for patients with dysphagia

Healthcare professionals caring for patients with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) now have access to a new and comprehensive online resource called 'Medicines Optimisation in Patients with Dysphagia'.

2 May 2013

Agricultural biodiversity plays key role in food and nutritional security

While over 1 billion people are overweight and obese around the world, an estimated 868 million are undernourished. This paradox is explored in a new book, Diversifying Food and Diets, co-edited by Professor Danny Hunter who is an Adjunct Lecturer in Botany and Plant Science at NUI Galway.

2 May 2013

Women's health care proves challenging for VA system

The nation's imagination may be captured by the expanding combat role of women in the U.S. military. But for the Department of Veterans Affairs, there's a more pragmatic challenge.

2 May 2013

Playing video games slows mental decay in older people, study finds

There may be a way for older people to prevent natural aging of their minds, and it could be as simple as playing a video game.

2 May 2013

Mayo Clinic researchers identify 27 genes that respond differently to rubella vaccine

Using advanced genetic sequencing technology and analysis, Mayo Clinic vaccine researchers have identified 27 genes that respond in very different ways to the standard rubella vaccine, making the vaccine less effective for a portion of the population.

2 May 2013

Viewpoints: Outrage at mistaken report on Hill health coverage; Two views of Florida's option on Medicaid

Because members of Congress are accustomed to high-quality medical care provided to them through federal employee benefit programs, one might expect that they would push for top quality care to be delivered through the exchanges too.

2 May 2013

New screening guidelines: An important shift in HIV testing

Beth Meyerson, health policy expert at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, said the new screening guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force represent an important shift in HIV testing and will result in more HIV screenings because they will now be reimbursable. But the availability of the tests remains a big unknown.

2 May 2013

Genomics-based testing could change recommended course of treatment for endometrial cancer

The most in-depth look yet at endometrial cancer shows that adding genomics-based testing to the standard diagnostic workup could change the recommended course of treatment for some women.

2 May 2013