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Some second trimester markers for Down’s syndrome more telling than others

A new analysis has found that some second trimester markers for Down’s syndrome that are detected by ultrasound are more telling than others. Published early online in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study’s results will help adjust pregnant women’s risks for having a child with the condition.

30 Jan 2013

Scientists discover functional control strategies in emotional circuits of people with social phobia

Fear is a protective function against possible dangers that is designed to save our lives. Where there are problems with this fear mechanism, its positive effects are cancelled out: patients who have a social phobia become afraid of perfectly normal, everyday social situations because they are worried about behaving inappropriately or being thought of as stupid by other people.

30 Jan 2013

Vaccine confidence: an interview with Dr Heidi Larson

Here at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine we are running a project called the Vaccine Confidence Project and we have a global surveillance monitoring information around the world on media, social media, all sorts of information, reports from governments, UN, other sources, looking for any what we call “signals” of public distrust or concerns that come up.

30 Jan 2013

Lack of exercise, television viewing associated with risk of metabolic syndrome

A team of scientists at Umeå University, in collaboration with colleagues in Melbourne, Australia, have found that television viewing and lack of exercise at age 16 is associated with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome at 43 years age.

30 Jan 2013

Timing of meals predicts weight-loss effectiveness

Most weight-loss plans center around a balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. However, new research has shed light on a new factor that is necessary to shed pounds: timing. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), in collaboration with the University of Murcia and Tufts University, have found that it's not simply what you eat, but also when you eat, that may help with weight-loss regulation.

30 Jan 2013

Clarient adopts QIAGEN’s therascreen KRAS test to diagnose colorectal cancer

QIAGEN N.V. today announced that Clarient - a GE Healthcare Company and leading provider of cancer laboratory testing services in the United States - has adopted the use of the therascreen KRAS RGQ PCR Kit (therascreen KRAS test) as a companion diagnostic to guide the use of Erbitux (cetuximab) as a treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 30 Jan 2013

Wake Forest expands football helmet research to reduce sports concussion risks

Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences is expanding its ground-breaking research of testing football helmets to reduce the number of concussions to now include hockey, baseball, softball, and lacrosse.

30 Jan 2013

Considerably smaller snack portions satisfy delayed hunger and craving

How much chocolate would you need to eat to be satisfied? Less than half as much as you think, according to this recently published Cornell University snacking study. Using chocolate chips, apple pie, and potato chips, researchers Ellen van Kleef, Mitsuru Shimizu, and Brian Wansink designed a study to determine if people who were given smaller portions of snack foods would feel hungrier or satisfied fifteen minutes after eating.

30 Jan 2013

Study finds negligible effect on periprocedural outcomes among patients after spine surgery

The "July effect"-the notion that the influx of new residents and fellows at teaching hospitals in July of each year adversely affects patient care and outcomes-was examined in a very large data set of hospitalizations for patients undergoing spine surgery. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Virginia Health System found a negligible effect on periprocedural outcomes among patients treated by spine surgery.

30 Jan 2013

Coming out might offer health benefits for lesbians, gays and bisexuals

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal.

30 Jan 2013

Molecular genetics expert wins Wolf Prize for his contribution to humanity

Joachim Messing, among the world's top experts in molecular genetics, became famous for developing a genetic engineering technique used in laboratories to create plants that have produced disease-resistant crops considered vital to feeding the world's population.

30 Jan 2013

Report calls for greater emphasis on preventive care

A report issued by the Trust for America's Health is urging a revamp of state and local public health efforts to better integrate and focus prevention strategies.

30 Jan 2013

Scientists study waves of influenza and climate patterns in the U.S. from 1997-1998

The American public can expect to add earlier and more severe flu seasons to the fallout from climate change, according to a research study published online Jan. 28 in PLOS Currents: Influenza.

30 Jan 2013

State roundup: Fla. leaders pay less for coverage than workers

In statehouses around the country, some of the nation's biggest biotechnology companies are lobbying intensively to limit generic competition to their blockbuster drugs, potentially cutting into the billions of dollars in savings on drug costs contemplated in the federal health care overhaul law.

30 Jan 2013

MDGA proteins associated with autism suppress inhibitory synapse formation

Synapse development is promoted by a variety of cell adhesion molecules that connect neurons and organize synaptic proteins. Many of these adhesion molecules are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders; mutations in neuroligin and neurexin proteins, for example, are associated with autism and schizophrenia.

30 Jan 2013

WHO discusses 'zero draft' of new Global Mental Health Action Plan

"The World Health Organization (WHO) discussed the 'zero draft' of a new Global Mental Health Action Plan last week, which, if adopted, would set clear goals for progress and aim to improve accountability in improving mental health care around the world," GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog reports.

30 Jan 2013

Dilaforette receives approval to initiate sevuparin Phase II malaria study in India

Dilaforette, a Karolinska Development portfolio company, today announces that the company has approval from the regulatory authority in India to start a Phase II study with sevuparin in patients with moderate to severe malaria.

30 Jan 2013

States and the Medicaid expansion: This year's big choice

One of the biggest decisions governors and legislatures will wrestle with in 2013 is whether to pursue the health law's Medicaid expansion.

30 Jan 2013

Spending many hours in centre-based child care does not lead to more aggression and disobedience

Spending many hours in centre-based child care does not lead to more aggression and disobedience in children, according to a new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

30 Jan 2013

Officials consider suicide's place in mental health gun control debate

Officials are looking at suicides as a major cause of gun death in America. In Maryland, a mental health gun control task force is considering recommending that medical personnel report suicide threats to authorities while suicides also take center stage in Massachusetts.

30 Jan 2013