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Very high dose prednisolone reasonable alternative to ACTH for children with infantile spasms

A pilot study to determine the best hormonal treatment for infantile spasms (IS) that may lead to changes in prescribing practices for hormone therapy is being presented for the first time at the American Epilepsy Society's 66th Annual Meeting in San Diego California.

4 Dec 2012

Leaders, policymakers recognize World AIDS Day

On Saturday, December 1, "United Nations officials [marked] World AIDS Day with a call for building on recent successes and pressing ahead to get to zero -- zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths -- by 2015," the U.N. News Centre reports.

4 Dec 2012

New research finds bisphenol A in fetal liver tissues

New research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health found BPA, or bisphenol A, in fetal liver tissue, demonstrating that there is considerable exposure to the chemical during pregnancy.

4 Dec 2012

Opinion pieces, editorial address global AIDS response

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday announced the Obama administration's "President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-free Generation", and the international community recognized World AIDS Day on December 1.

4 Dec 2012

Healthy eating prevents second heart attack, stroke or death in people with CVD

A heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish significantly reduces the chance of a second heart attack and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease, McMaster University researchers have found.

4 Dec 2012

Drug makers zero in on diabetes patients' social media connections

People living with diabetes have created a vibrant online community. Big drug companies are certainly taking notice - and some advocacy groups feel that the Food and Drug Administration should as well.

4 Dec 2012

Swedish Medical Center/First Hill named among Leapfrog Group's 2012 Top Hospitals

The Leapfrog Group's annual class of 'Top Hospitals' – just 89 from a field of nearly 1,200 – will be announced today in Baltimore, Md., and includes Swedish Medical Center/First Hill for the third year in a row. The announcement will take place at Leapfrog's Annual Meeting.

4 Dec 2012

Instituting and enforcing rules that limit aggressive acts should help reduce hockey injuries

Instituting and enforcing rules that limit aggressive acts like bodychecking in ice hockey should help reduce injuries for young players, including serious brain and spine injuries, according to a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

4 Dec 2012

Sorin Group’s Mitroflow valve receives Japanese PMDA approval

Sorin Group, a global medical company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today that it received the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) approval for the Mitroflow Aortic Pericardial Heart Valve.

4 Dec 2012

Children's Hospital Los Angeles earns Top Hospital designation from Leapfrog Group

For the fourth consecutive year, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has earned the Top Hospital designation from The Leapfrog Group, which annually recognizes the best hospitals in the nation for providing the safest and highest quality health care services to patients. Children's Hospital Los Angeles is one of only 12 children's hospitals nationally to receive this honor and was the only children's hospital in California to earn the top award.

4 Dec 2012

Researchers derive dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. It is caused by loss of the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine (known as dopaminergic neurons). One of the primary goals in Parkinson's disease research is to develop a replacement for dopaminergic neurons.

4 Dec 2012

Scheduled Medicare doctor pay cut could be just a few weeks away

Medscape and The Connecticut Mirror covered the looming 26.5 percent cut, mandated by the SGR law.

4 Dec 2012

Leapfrog Group names Kaiser Permanente among 2012 Top Hospitals

Seventeen Kaiser Permanente hospitals – 10 in Northern California and seven in Southern California – have been named 2012 "Top Hospitals" by the Leapfrog Group, an honor that rewards medical centers for their outstanding success in areas such as reducing infection rates, safety practices, mortality rates for common procedures and measures of efficiency.

4 Dec 2012

PBS blog interviews journalist Jon Cohen about progress against HIV/AIDS

The PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" blog features an interview with journalist Jon Cohen, in which he discusses the possibility of an "AIDS-free generation," recent reports from UNAIDS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS funding, HIV vaccine research, and World AIDS Day.

4 Dec 2012

Many physicians misinformed about initial diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy

A survey of healthcare providers concerning the initial diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy has found significant misinformation held among physicians who see children who have seizures. Many physicians surveyed are misinformed about what constitutes intractable epilepsy, when to refer their pediatric patients for surgical evaluation, and what types of seizures may be amenable to surgical intervention.

4 Dec 2012

Huffington Post opinion pieces published in recognition of World AIDS Day

The Huffington Post features a webpage collecting articles, videos, and opinion pieces on World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1. The following opinion pieces, among others, were published on the page.

4 Dec 2012

New screening tool to help reduce workplace accidents and illnesses

An international team of sleep researchers has developed the world's first screening tool to help reduce workplace accidents and illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, caused by shift work.

4 Dec 2012

New antibodies effective at preventing formation of toxic protein particles linked to Parkinson’s, AD

Antibodies developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are unusually effective at preventing the formation of toxic protein particles linked to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

4 Dec 2012

The Leapfrog Group honors Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest with 'A' Hospital Safety Score

Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital have been selected as 2012 Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, an organization that provides the only national, public comparison of hospitals across safety, quality and efficiency dimensions. Northwestern Memorial and Northwestern Lake Forest are honored among an elite group of only 92 hospitals selected out of nearly 1,200 surveyed.

4 Dec 2012

Researchers describe role of calcium in ability of Yersinias to cause disease

A more than 50-year-old question has now been answered. Chemists and microbiologists at the Biological Chemistry Center at Umeå University in Sweden are now able to describe in detail the role of calcium in the ability of the plague bacterium Yersinias to cause disease.

4 Dec 2012