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Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News
Varenicline For Smoking Cessation Also Makes Drinking Less Enjoyable Varenicline is an effective smoking-cessation medication that may also reduce drinking. However, the means by which it might reduce drinking is unclear. A study of the effects of varenicline on subjective, physiological, and objective responses to low and moderate doses of alcohol among healthy social drinkers has found that varenicline may reduce drinking by increasing alcohol's aversive effects.	16 Feb 2012
7.5 Million US Kids Live With A Parent With Alcohol Problems Using data from a national survey, a new government report released on Thursday reveals that 10.5 per cent of children under the age of 18 (7.5 million of this population) in the US live with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year.	16 Feb 2012

Alzheimer's / Dementia News
Chemical Marker May Predict Cognitive Decline Risk A report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals states that increases in brain cortical binding of the chemical marker called [18F]FDDNP were related to increases in clinical symptoms of neurodegeneration, whilst regional baseline values of this marker seem to be linked to with future cognitive decline.	16 Feb 2012
Sleeping More Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer's A new study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21st to April 28th, reveals that the amount of shut-eye people sleep may later affect their memory's function and the risk of Alzheimer's.	16 Feb 2012
Seeking Non Drug-Based Dementia Treatments For 'Behaviors That Challenge' Carers Alternative therapies for dementia patients need to be researched and applied more consistently if they are to help care organisations improve the well-being of patients and reduce the number of antipsychotic drugs prescribed.	16 Feb 2012
Dementia Patients Benefit From Cognitive Stimulation Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review by Cochrane researchers. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being.	16 Feb 2012

Anxiety / Stress News
Anxiety And Mood Disorder Risk - Computer Program May Help Identify A study in the open access journal PLoS One shows that computer programs can be designed to differentiate between the brain scans of healthy adolescents and those most at risk of developing psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression.	16 Feb 2012
Undergrad's Work Details Protein's Role In Neurological Disorders A UT Dallas undergraduate's research is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions.	16 Feb 2012

Autism News
Undergrad's Work Details Protein's Role In Neurological Disorders A UT Dallas undergraduate's research is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions.	16 Feb 2012

Bio-terrorism / Terrorism News
Researchers Propose New Approach To Tackle Terrorism With a growing number of terrorist attacks being committed by 'home-grown' radicals, researchers at Queen Mary, University of London are proposing a totally new approach to preventing terrorism.	16 Feb 2012

Biology / Biochemistry News
Gut Bacteria May Have Role In Obesity A new animal study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Proteome Research suggests that bacteria living in the large intestine may play a role in obesity by slowing down the activity of energy-burning brown fat.	16 Feb 2012

Blood / Hematology News
Umbilical Cord Blood: A New Diagnostic Tool Comes Of Age Blood tests have been a mainstay of diagnostic medicine since the late 19th century, offering a wealth of information concerning health and disease. Nevertheless, blood derived from the human umbilical cord has yet to be fully mined for its vital health information, according to Rolf Halden, a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute.	16 Feb 2012
Researcher Develops New Guidelines For Improved DVT Diagnosis A researcher at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City is part of a select panel of international experts to help develop new evidence-based clinical guidelines used by physicians worldwide for the diagnosis and treatment of blood-clotting disorders, one of the most common cardiovascular diseases in the United States.	16 Feb 2012

Bones / Orthopedics News
Potential Elasticity Of Lg Domains Debate Impacted By New Finding The proteins actin, myosin and titin are big players in the business of muscle contraction. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, Germany, have now examined another muscle protein - myomesin - which they discovered can stretch up to two-and-a-half times its length, unfolding in a way that was previously unknown.	16 Feb 2012
Muscle Soreness Reduced By Cold Water Baths But Evidence Lacking On Safety Plunging into cold water after exercise may be an effective way to reduce muscle soreness, but it is unclear whether there are harmful side effects. These are the conclusions of a new systematic review of cold water immersion interventions published in The Cochrane Library.	16 Feb 2012
Future Risk For Osteoporosis May Be Lowered By Exercising During Early 20s Physical exercise in the early twenties improves bone development and may reduce the risk of fractures later in life, reveals a study of more than 800 Swedish men carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.	16 Feb 2012

Breast Cancer News
Researchers Reveal Digital Transcriptome Of Breast Cancer GW Cancer Research Team in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, published a study that is the first of its kind to use mRNA sequencing to look at the expression of genome, at a unprecedented resolution at the current time, in three types of breast cancer.	16 Feb 2012
Breast Cancer Cells Transformed Into Cancer Stem Cells By Radiation Treatment Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don't respond well to chemotherapy.Now, researchers with the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center report for the first time that radiation treatment - despite killing half of all tumor cells during every treatment - transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells.	16 Feb 2012

Cancer / Oncology News
How Much Do Nutritional Interventions Help Malnourished Cancer Patients? A study published February 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reveals that oral nutritional interventions help malnourished cancer patients and individuals at nutritional risk improve some aspects of quality of life (QOL), as well as increase nutritional intake.	16 Feb 2012
The Complexities Involved In End Of Life Care Everyone has to die one day, yet often the issue of death and dying still remains a taboo, despite the fact that palliative care is a major public health issue. An international study in this week's PLoS Medicine shows that those working in palliative care not only have to provide fundamental needs that are complex and sophisticated, they also need to involve psychological, physical, social and spiritual support for the dying.	16 Feb 2012
Pre-Clinical Study Shows Delay In Tumor Growth And Prolonged Survival Time When Chemotherapy Combined With Immunotherapy An international team of scientists in Japan, Switzerland, and the United States has confirmed that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer treatment enhances the immune system's ability to find and eliminate cancer cells, even when the cancer-associated proteins targeted by the immune system are hidden behind the cancer cell membrane.	16 Feb 2012

Cardiovascular / Cardiology News
B Vitamin Plus Omega-3 Supplements Do Not Protect Cardiovascular Disease Survivors From Cancer A study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, reveals that for individuals with previous cardiovascular disease, taking vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acid supplements for cancer prevention does not seem to beneficial.	16 Feb 2012
Researcher Develops New Guidelines For Improved DVT Diagnosis A researcher at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City is part of a select panel of international experts to help develop new evidence-based clinical guidelines used by physicians worldwide for the diagnosis and treatment of blood-clotting disorders, one of the most common cardiovascular diseases in the United States.	16 Feb 2012
Recovering From Heart Attack A Challenge For The Depressed Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health - medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart.	16 Feb 2012
Freeze-Dried Heart Valve Scaffolds Hold Promise For Heart Valve Replacement The biological scaffold that gives structure to a heart valve after its cellular material has been removed can be freeze-dried and stored for later use as a tissue-engineered replacement valve to treat a failing heart, as described in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part C: Methods, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.	16 Feb 2012
Link Between Sodium, Calcium And Heartbeat That flutter in your heart may have more to do with the movement of sodium ions than the glance of a certain someone across a crowded room.Using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, researchers from the University of British Columbia have revealed, for the first time, one of the molecular mechanisms that regulates the beating of heart cells by controlling the movement of sodium in out of the cells - and what calcium has to do with it.	16 Feb 2012

Caregivers / Homecare News
Seeking Non Drug-Based Dementia Treatments For 'Behaviors That Challenge' Carers Alternative therapies for dementia patients need to be researched and applied more consistently if they are to help care organisations improve the well-being of patients and reduce the number of antipsychotic drugs prescribed.	16 Feb 2012

Cholesterol News
Molecular Mechanism Underlying Severe Anomalies Of The Forebrain Revealed By Researchers Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have now identified and described a molecular mechanism underlying the most common malformation of the brain in humans.	16 Feb 2012

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News
Women Show A Preference For Non-Medical Approaches To Treat Menopausal Symptoms Menopausal women prefer non-medical treatment for their symptoms and want more support from their GP and partner, finds a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.	16 Feb 2012

Conferences News
2nd Annual Pharma Packaging & Labeling Compliance Conference, 8-9 March 2012, Rome The current situation in the pharma industry is characterized by the increased counterfeiting and non-compliance practices which represent major obstacles to providing the best healthcare for patients.	16 Feb 2012
2nd Annual Orphan Drug Congress, 7-8 June 2012, Barcelona Because rare diseases affect only a tiny group of people, pursuing the development of treatments has traditionally not been attractive for pharma companies. However, there are currently lucrative benefits in place set by the regulatory bodies that reward R&D efforts for orphan drugs by ensuring less intense competition, faster and less expensive development, protocol assistance and lower marketing expenses.	16 Feb 2012
Pharma Excellence In The CEE, CIS, SEE And Turkey Conference, 14-15 June 2012, Budapest Tightening regulations, increasing healthcare costs, ever-growing budget restrictions - these are just a few of the concerns that are raising the attention of key pharma stakeholders throughout the region of CEE, CIS, SEE countries and Turkey.	16 Feb 2012

Crohn's / IBD News
Children With IBD Have Difficulty In School, Mostly Due To Absences Children with inflammatory bowel disease* (IBD) may have difficulty functioning in school, particularly because their tendency to internalize problems can impact attendance. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children's Hospital study appearing in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.	16 Feb 2012

Depression News
Recovering From Heart Attack A Challenge For The Depressed Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health - medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart.	16 Feb 2012

Ear, Nose and Throat News
Do Sinus Infections Respond To Antibiotics? A new study released in JAMA claims that the use of the antibiotic amoxicillin for acute uncomplicated rhinosinusitis, commonly known as a sinus infection, is not effective in treating symptoms.	16 Feb 2012

Epilepsy News
Undergrad's Work Details Protein's Role In Neurological Disorders A UT Dallas undergraduate's research is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions.	16 Feb 2012
Inflammation In Brain Inhibited By New Class Of Potential Drugs Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.The compounds block signals from EP2, one of the four receptors for prostaglandin E2, which is a hormone involved in processes such as fever, childbirth, digestion and blood pressure regulation.	16 Feb 2012

GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology News
Gut Bacteria May Have Role In Obesity A new animal study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Proteome Research suggests that bacteria living in the large intestine may play a role in obesity by slowing down the activity of energy-burning brown fat.	16 Feb 2012

Genetics News
Molecule Is Important Step Towards Creating Drugs That Can Go After Rogue DNA Directly Chemists at The University of Texas at Austin have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before the DNA liberates itself, much longer than any other molecule reported.	16 Feb 2012
Researchers Reveal Digital Transcriptome Of Breast Cancer GW Cancer Research Team in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, published a study that is the first of its kind to use mRNA sequencing to look at the expression of genome, at a unprecedented resolution at the current time, in three types of breast cancer.	16 Feb 2012

Heart Disease News
Recovering From Heart Attack A Challenge For The Depressed Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health - medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart.	16 Feb 2012

HIV / AIDS News
SIV Infection May Lead To Increase In Immune-Suppressive Treg Cells Tissue in monkeys infected with a close relative of HIV can ramp up production of a type of T cell that actually weakens the body's attack against the invading virus. The discovery, in lymph nodes draining the intestinal tract, could help explain how the HIV virus evades the body's immune defenses.	16 Feb 2012
The Cost-Effectiveness Of HAART Underestimated Bohdan Nosyk and Julio Montaner of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada argue in an Essay published in this week's PLoS Medicine that the cost-effectiveness of HAART roll out has been significantly underestimated, because economic analyses have not yet taken into account the beneficial impact of HAART on prevention of HIV transmission.	16 Feb 2012

Immune System / Vaccines News
'Signifcant Step' Towards Hep C Vaccine To Be Announced By University Of Alberta Researcher A University of Alberta researcher and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology has made the discovery of a vaccine that will potentially help combat hepatitis C. Michael Houghton, who led the team that discovered the hepatitis C virus in 1989, announced his findings at the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Summit in Vancouver this afternoon.	16 Feb 2012
SIV Infection May Lead To Increase In Immune-Suppressive Treg Cells Tissue in monkeys infected with a close relative of HIV can ramp up production of a type of T cell that actually weakens the body's attack against the invading virus. The discovery, in lymph nodes draining the intestinal tract, could help explain how the HIV virus evades the body's immune defenses.	16 Feb 2012
Inflammation In Brain Inhibited By New Class Of Potential Drugs Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.The compounds block signals from EP2, one of the four receptors for prostaglandin E2, which is a hormone involved in processes such as fever, childbirth, digestion and blood pressure regulation.	16 Feb 2012
Pre-Clinical Study Shows Delay In Tumor Growth And Prolonged Survival Time When Chemotherapy Combined With Immunotherapy An international team of scientists in Japan, Switzerland, and the United States has confirmed that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer treatment enhances the immune system's ability to find and eliminate cancer cells, even when the cancer-associated proteins targeted by the immune system are hidden behind the cancer cell membrane.	16 Feb 2012

Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News
A Step Closer To Diagnostics For Viruses Scientists have developed a technique which could form the basis of a non-invasive diagnostic for Adenovirus - the virus responsible for a large number of common illnesses.The biosensor technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds can not only detect the presence of the virus, it can also identify the individual strain and the number of virus particles present.	16 Feb 2012
The Greatest Risk Factor For Water-Linked Diseases Is High Population Density Water-associated infectious disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas where a region's population density is growing, according to a new global analysis of economic and environmental conditions that influence the risk for these outbreaks.	16 Feb 2012

IT / Internet / E-mail News
Successful Human Tests For First Wirelessly Controlled Drug-delivery Chip A study published in the February 16 online edition of Science Translational Medicine shows that MIT professors and scientists from MicroCHIPS Inc. Robert Langer and Michael Cima have succeeded in developing a microchip that delivers daily doses of an osteoporosis medication, which is usually given by injection.	16 Feb 2012
Anxiety And Mood Disorder Risk - Computer Program May Help Identify A study in the open access journal PLoS One shows that computer programs can be designed to differentiate between the brain scans of healthy adolescents and those most at risk of developing psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression.	16 Feb 2012
Best Time For A Coffee Break? There's An App For That Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems.Caffeine Zone software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns.	16 Feb 2012

Liver Disease / Hepatitis News

'Signifcant Step' Towards Hep C Vaccine To Be Announced By University Of Alberta Researcher A University of Alberta researcher and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology has made the discovery of a vaccine that will potentially help combat hepatitis C. Michael Houghton, who led the team that discovered the hepatitis C virus in 1989, announced his findings at the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Summit in Vancouver this afternoon.

16 Feb 2012

Medical Devices / Diagnostics News
Successful Human Tests For First Wirelessly Controlled Drug-delivery Chip A study published in the February 16 online edition of Science Translational Medicine shows that MIT professors and scientists from MicroCHIPS Inc. Robert Langer and Michael Cima have succeeded in developing a microchip that delivers daily doses of an osteoporosis medication, which is usually given by injection.	16 Feb 2012
Biosensors Inspired By Nature Over their 3.8 billion years of evolution, living organisms have developed countless strategies for monitoring their surroundings. Chemists at UC Santa Barbara and University of Rome Tor Vergata have adapted some of these strategies to improve the performance of DNA detectors.	16 Feb 2012
A Step Closer To Diagnostics For Viruses Scientists have developed a technique which could form the basis of a non-invasive diagnostic for Adenovirus - the virus responsible for a large number of common illnesses.The biosensor technology developed by researchers at the University of Leeds can not only detect the presence of the virus, it can also identify the individual strain and the number of virus particles present.	16 Feb 2012
Link Between Sodium, Calcium And Heartbeat That flutter in your heart may have more to do with the movement of sodium ions than the glance of a certain someone across a crowded room.Using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, researchers from the University of British Columbia have revealed, for the first time, one of the molecular mechanisms that regulates the beating of heart cells by controlling the movement of sodium in out of the cells - and what calcium has to do with it.	16 Feb 2012
Identifying Cognitive Abilities In Severely Brain-Injured Patients By employing complex machine learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans, researchers at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell were able to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in her way, communicate accurately.	16 Feb 2012

Menopause News
Women Show A Preference For Non-Medical Approaches To Treat Menopausal Symptoms Menopausal women prefer non-medical treatment for their symptoms and want more support from their GP and partner, finds a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.	16 Feb 2012

Mental Health News
7.5 Million US Kids Live With A Parent With Alcohol Problems Using data from a national survey, a new government report released on Thursday reveals that 10.5 per cent of children under the age of 18 (7.5 million of this population) in the US live with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year.	16 Feb 2012

MRI / PET / Ultrasound News
Ovarian Cancer - Best Imaging Technique Revealed According to a study published in the journal Radiology, researchers from Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Center at the University of Cambridge, have determined that the best method to monitor how women with late-stage ovarian cancer are responding to treatment may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique.	16 Feb 2012
Many Severely Brain-Injured Patients Can Communicate Accurately Researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell managed to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in their own way, communicate accurately by using complex machine-learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans.	16 Feb 2012

Muscular Dystrophy / ALS News
Research Identifies Protein With Potential Relevance To Motor Neuron Diseases A protein that has shown early promise in preventing the loss of muscle function in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, has been found in a new study to be a key player in the process of joining nerves to muscles.	16 Feb 2012

Neurology / Neuroscience News
Holoprosencephaly - Molecular Mechanism Identified Scientists have now identified a molecular mechanism, which is fundamental in the most common brain malformations in humans. Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a disorder in which the forebrain (prosencephalon) of an embryo is formed incompletely, failing to develop into two hemispheres, in which a receptor for cholesterol plays a major role.	16 Feb 2012
Many Severely Brain-Injured Patients Can Communicate Accurately Researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell managed to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in their own way, communicate accurately by using complex machine-learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans.	16 Feb 2012
Chemical Marker May Predict Cognitive Decline Risk A report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals states that increases in brain cortical binding of the chemical marker called [18F]FDDNP were related to increases in clinical symptoms of neurodegeneration, whilst regional baseline values of this marker seem to be linked to with future cognitive decline.	16 Feb 2012
Mediterranean Diet Good For Brain According to a study in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) may be healthier for the brain. Researchers have discovered that a MeDi diet is associated with reduced damage of small blood vessels in the brain.	16 Feb 2012
Sleeping More Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer's A new study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21st to April 28th, reveals that the amount of shut-eye people sleep may later affect their memory's function and the risk of Alzheimer's.	16 Feb 2012
Inflammation In Brain Inhibited By New Class Of Potential Drugs Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.The compounds block signals from EP2, one of the four receptors for prostaglandin E2, which is a hormone involved in processes such as fever, childbirth, digestion and blood pressure regulation.	16 Feb 2012
Brain Rehearsal Time Ensures Lasting Memory Performance University of Alberta researchers have established that the ability of the brain to rehearse or repeat electrical impulses may be absolutely critical in order to make a newly acquired memory more permanent.	16 Feb 2012
Molecular Mechanism Underlying Severe Anomalies Of The Forebrain Revealed By Researchers Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have now identified and described a molecular mechanism underlying the most common malformation of the brain in humans.	16 Feb 2012
Dementia Patients Benefit From Cognitive Stimulation Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review by Cochrane researchers. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being.	16 Feb 2012
Study Suggests Erasing Neuronal Memories May Help Control Persistent Pain For some, the pain is so great that they can't even bear to have clothes touch their skin. For others, it means that every step is a deliberate and agonizing choice. Whether the pain is caused by arthritic joints, an injury to a nerve or a disease like fibromyalgia, research now suggests there are new solutions for those who suffer from chronic pain.	16 Feb 2012
Identifying Cognitive Abilities In Severely Brain-Injured Patients By employing complex machine learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans, researchers at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell were able to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in her way, communicate accurately.	16 Feb 2012

Nutrition / Diet News
How Much Do Nutritional Interventions Help Malnourished Cancer Patients? A study published February 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reveals that oral nutritional interventions help malnourished cancer patients and individuals at nutritional risk improve some aspects of quality of life (QOL), as well as increase nutritional intake.	16 Feb 2012
Organic Food Can Have High Concentrations Of Arsenic Rice is known to have concentrations of arsenic that find their way into the population, especially among people who consume more rice than other staples. New research is suggesting that even organic brown rice can have high concentrations of arsenic, and with processing to produce syrups and other packaged foods, the poison can become more concentrated.	16 Feb 2012
Mediterranean Diet Good For Brain According to a study in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) may be healthier for the brain. Researchers have discovered that a MeDi diet is associated with reduced damage of small blood vessels in the brain.	16 Feb 2012
Snickers Coming Down In Size Snickers, Twix and other chocolate products from Mars Inc are coming down in size as part of a drive by the company to stop selling chocolate products containing more than 250 calories by the end of 2013.	16 Feb 2012
Best Time For A Coffee Break? There's An App For That Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems.Caffeine Zone software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns.	16 Feb 2012
In The Battle To Improve Food Marketing Influencing Children's Diets, Mixed Progress Made By US Government And Schools New research has found that the US government and schools have made mixed progress to comprehensively address food and beverage marketing practices that put young people's health at risk. A comprehensive review published in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that public sector stakeholders have failed to fully implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to support a healthful diet to children and adolescents.	16 Feb 2012
No Link Found Between Prolonged Fructose Intake And Increased Blood Pressure Eating fructose over an extended period of time does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, according to researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.A new study has found that despite previous research showing blood pressure rose in humans immediately after they consumed fructose, there is no evidence fructose increases blood pressure when it has been eaten for more than seven days.	16 Feb 2012

Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness News
Gut Bacteria May Have Role In Obesity A new animal study published in this month's issue of the Journal of Proteome Research suggests that bacteria living in the large intestine may play a role in obesity by slowing down the activity of energy-burning brown fat.	16 Feb 2012
Study Finds Weight Loss Can Be Contagious Is weight loss "contagious"? According to a new study published online in the journal Obesity, teammates in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, suggesting that shedding pounds can have a ripple effect.	16 Feb 2012
In The Battle To Improve Food Marketing Influencing Children's Diets, Mixed Progress Made By US Government And Schools New research has found that the US government and schools have made mixed progress to comprehensively address food and beverage marketing practices that put young people's health at risk. A comprehensive review published in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that public sector stakeholders have failed to fully implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to support a healthful diet to children and adolescents.	16 Feb 2012

Ovarian Cancer News
Ovarian Cancer - Best Imaging Technique Revealed According to a study published in the journal Radiology, researchers from Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Center at the University of Cambridge, have determined that the best method to monitor how women with late-stage ovarian cancer are responding to treatment may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique.	16 Feb 2012
Anti-Angiogenic Drugs May Be Effective Against New Subtype Of Ovarian Cancer Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a subtype of ovarian cancer able to build its own blood vessels, suggesting that such tumors might be especially susceptible to "anti-angiogenic" drugs that block blood vessel formation.	16 Feb 2012

Pain / Anesthetics News

Study Suggests Erasing Neuronal Memories May Help Control Persistent Pain For some, the pain is so great that they can't even bear to have clothes touch their skin. For others, it means that every step is a deliberate and agonizing choice. Whether the pain is caused by arthritic joints, an injury to a nerve or a disease like fibromyalgia, research now suggests there are new solutions for those who suffer from chronic pain.

16 Feb 2012

Palliative Care / Hospice Care News
The Complexities Involved In End Of Life Care Everyone has to die one day, yet often the issue of death and dying still remains a taboo, despite the fact that palliative care is a major public health issue. An international study in this week's PLoS Medicine shows that those working in palliative care not only have to provide fundamental needs that are complex and sophisticated, they also need to involve psychological, physical, social and spiritual support for the dying.	16 Feb 2012
The Complexities Of End-Of-Life Care Providing for fundamental human needs to people who are close to death is complex and sophisticated, but ultimately involves the integration of physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements, according to a study published in this week's PLoS Medicine by a group of international researchers.	16 Feb 2012

Pediatrics / Children's Health News
Holoprosencephaly - Molecular Mechanism Identified Scientists have now identified a molecular mechanism, which is fundamental in the most common brain malformations in humans. Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a disorder in which the forebrain (prosencephalon) of an embryo is formed incompletely, failing to develop into two hemispheres, in which a receptor for cholesterol plays a major role.	16 Feb 2012
7.5 Million US Kids Live With A Parent With Alcohol Problems Using data from a national survey, a new government report released on Thursday reveals that 10.5 per cent of children under the age of 18 (7.5 million of this population) in the US live with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year.	16 Feb 2012
In The Battle To Improve Food Marketing Influencing Children's Diets, Mixed Progress Made By US Government And Schools New research has found that the US government and schools have made mixed progress to comprehensively address food and beverage marketing practices that put young people's health at risk. A comprehensive review published in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that public sector stakeholders have failed to fully implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to support a healthful diet to children and adolescents.	16 Feb 2012
Children With IBD Have Difficulty In School, Mostly Due To Absences Children with inflammatory bowel disease* (IBD) may have difficulty functioning in school, particularly because their tendency to internalize problems can impact attendance. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children's Hospital study appearing in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.	16 Feb 2012

Pregnancy / Obstetrics News
Molecular Mechanism Underlying Severe Anomalies Of The Forebrain Revealed By Researchers Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have now identified and described a molecular mechanism underlying the most common malformation of the brain in humans.	16 Feb 2012

Primary Care / General Practice News
Patient Complaints Top Concern For Doctors In 2011, patient complaints were the top concern among doctors who contacted the Medical and Dental Defense Union of Scotland (MDDUS) for advice. Over one fifth of all medico-legal contacts were from doctors looking for advice on patient complaints.	16 Feb 2012
Several Hospital Departments "Sub-Standard", Say Many GPs, UK A key survey provided evidence that in a substantial minority of hospitals, patients are dying due to lack of care, with one in every seven GPs reporting a local hospital department as 'dangerously sub-standard'.	16 Feb 2012

Psychology / Psychiatry News
'Foraging' For Memories Humans move between 'patches' in their memory using the same strategy as bees flitting between flowers for pollen or birds searching among bushes for berries.Researchers at the University of Warwick and Indiana University have identified parallels between animals looking for food in the wild and humans searching for items within their memory - suggesting that people with the best 'memory foraging' strategies are better at recalling items.	16 Feb 2012
A New Theory Of Sleep Disruption And Dissociation - Fragmented Sleep, Fragmented Mind Scientific research has shed new light on dissociative symptoms and dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. This condition seems to arise most often when a vulnerable person meets a therapist with a suggestive line of questioning or encounters sensationalized media portrayals of dissociation.	16 Feb 2012
Study Finds Weight Loss Can Be Contagious Is weight loss "contagious"? According to a new study published online in the journal Obesity, teammates in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, suggesting that shedding pounds can have a ripple effect.	16 Feb 2012
Brain Rehearsal Time Ensures Lasting Memory Performance University of Alberta researchers have established that the ability of the brain to rehearse or repeat electrical impulses may be absolutely critical in order to make a newly acquired memory more permanent.	16 Feb 2012
Researchers Propose New Approach To Tackle Terrorism With a growing number of terrorist attacks being committed by 'home-grown' radicals, researchers at Queen Mary, University of London are proposing a totally new approach to preventing terrorism.	16 Feb 2012
Emotional Support Provided By Spouses, Partners In The UK Partners provide a vital source of positive emotional support for the vast majority of people in the UK. Nine out of ten people who were married or cohabiting talk to their partner about their worries, according to data from Understanding Society, the world's largest longitudinal household study of 40,000 UK households.	16 Feb 2012
LGBT Youth And Suicide: Love From Family And Friends Offers Most Protection, While Bullying Causes Highest Risk What protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths from considering suicide and, conversely, what makes them most vulnerable to it?The question is of paramount concern because these youths are at least twice as likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths, prompting the national "It Gets Better Project" with encouraging video messages from such public figures as Lady Gaga and President Barack Obama.	16 Feb 2012
Dementia Patients Benefit From Cognitive Stimulation Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review by Cochrane researchers. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being.	16 Feb 2012
Identifying Cognitive Abilities In Severely Brain-Injured Patients By employing complex machine learning techniques to decipher repeated advanced brain scans, researchers at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell were able to provide evidence that a patient with a severe brain injury could, in her way, communicate accurately.	16 Feb 2012

Public Health News
Several Hospital Departments "Sub-Standard", Say Many GPs, UK A key survey provided evidence that in a substantial minority of hospitals, patients are dying due to lack of care, with one in every seven GPs reporting a local hospital department as 'dangerously sub-standard'.	16 Feb 2012
Patient Satisfaction Linked To Several Factors According to results from a study conducted by Joshua J. Fenton, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California-Davis Sacramento, and his team, higher patient satisfaction seems to be linked to higher mortality risk, greater health care and prescription costs, higher odds of inpatient hospitalization, and lower odds of emergency department use.	16 Feb 2012
Researchers Propose New Approach To Tackle Terrorism With a growing number of terrorist attacks being committed by 'home-grown' radicals, researchers at Queen Mary, University of London are proposing a totally new approach to preventing terrorism.	16 Feb 2012

Radiology / Nuclear Medicine News

Breast Cancer Cells Transformed Into Cancer Stem Cells By Radiation Treatment Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don't respond well to chemotherapy.Now, researchers with the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center report for the first time that radiation treatment - despite killing half of all tumor cells during every treatment - transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells.

16 Feb 2012

Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News
Sleeping More Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer's A new study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21st to April 28th, reveals that the amount of shut-eye people sleep may later affect their memory's function and the risk of Alzheimer's.	16 Feb 2012
Best Time For A Coffee Break? There's An App For That Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems.Caffeine Zone software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns.	16 Feb 2012
A New Theory Of Sleep Disruption And Dissociation - Fragmented Sleep, Fragmented Mind Scientific research has shed new light on dissociative symptoms and dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. This condition seems to arise most often when a vulnerable person meets a therapist with a suggestive line of questioning or encounters sensationalized media portrayals of dissociation.	16 Feb 2012

Smoking / Quit Smoking News
Do Smoking Bans Make People Smoke Less At Home? Probably A study of four European countries with smoke free legislation, published online in Tobacco Control, revealed that smoking bans do not encourage smokers to smoke more at home. According to the researchers, who base their findings on two waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project) Europe Surveys, smoking bans may actually encourage smokers to smoke less at home.	16 Feb 2012
Man's Face Burns From Exploding Electronic Cigarette A Florida man's electronic cigarette exploded while he was using it, knocking out some front teeth and causing severe burns on his face, according to officials from North Bay Fire Department.	16 Feb 2012
Varenicline For Smoking Cessation Also Makes Drinking Less Enjoyable Varenicline is an effective smoking-cessation medication that may also reduce drinking. However, the means by which it might reduce drinking is unclear. A study of the effects of varenicline on subjective, physiological, and objective responses to low and moderate doses of alcohol among healthy social drinkers has found that varenicline may reduce drinking by increasing alcohol's aversive effects.	16 Feb 2012

Sports Medicine / Fitness News
Muscle Soreness Reduced By Cold Water Baths But Evidence Lacking On Safety Plunging into cold water after exercise may be an effective way to reduce muscle soreness, but it is unclear whether there are harmful side effects. These are the conclusions of a new systematic review of cold water immersion interventions published in The Cochrane Library.	16 Feb 2012
Future Risk For Osteoporosis May Be Lowered By Exercising During Early 20s Physical exercise in the early twenties improves bone development and may reduce the risk of fractures later in life, reveals a study of more than 800 Swedish men carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.	16 Feb 2012

Stem Cell Research News
New Technique Enables Scientists To View Critical Aspects Of Mammalian Embryonic Development A novel approach in the study of the development of mammalian embryos was reported in the journal Nature Communications. The research, from the laboratory of Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge, enables scientists to view critical aspects of embryonic development which was previously unobservable.	16 Feb 2012
Breast Cancer Cells Transformed Into Cancer Stem Cells By Radiation Treatment Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don't respond well to chemotherapy.Now, researchers with the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center report for the first time that radiation treatment - despite killing half of all tumor cells during every treatment - transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells.	16 Feb 2012

Stroke News
Pollution Accelerates Cognitive Decline And Raises Stroke Risk In the February 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, two studies examine the association between air quality and the risk of ischemic stroke and cognitive decline in older women.	16 Feb 2012

Tropical Diseases News
Trojan Horse Bacteria Use Nanobodies To Conquer Sleeping Sickness Sleeping sickness, caused by the trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei, is transmitted to humans (and animals) via the bite of the tsetse fly. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Microbial Cell Factories uses a bacteria, which naturally lives in the fly, to release nanobodies (antibody fragments) against the trypanosome.	16 Feb 2012
The Greatest Risk Factor For Water-Linked Diseases Is High Population Density Water-associated infectious disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas where a region's population density is growing, according to a new global analysis of economic and environmental conditions that influence the risk for these outbreaks.	16 Feb 2012

Water - Air Quality / Agriculture News
Pollution Accelerates Cognitive Decline And Raises Stroke Risk In the February 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, two studies examine the association between air quality and the risk of ischemic stroke and cognitive decline in older women.	16 Feb 2012
The Greatest Risk Factor For Water-Linked Diseases Is High Population Density Water-associated infectious disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas where a region's population density is growing, according to a new global analysis of economic and environmental conditions that influence the risk for these outbreaks.	16 Feb 2012

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