Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Health News and Medical News posted throughout the day, every day. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sun, 11 May 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106946.php Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the brain's "feel good" stress-response chemicals than non-depressed people, new University of Michigan Depression Center research shows.And even among depressed people, the numbers of these receptors can vary greatly. Sun, 11 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106944.php A new study by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital provides much-needed insight into the molecular mechanisms that cause arrythmia, or irregular heartbeat, and how it triggers sudden cardiac death, one of the nation's leading killers. Sun, 11 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107053.php Debbie Shoemaker, 50, was swimming off the Florida coast in Treasure Island waters, near St. Petersburg, when a pelican which was apparently diving for fish crashed into her by mistake and tore a gash into Shoemaker's cheek with its long beak. The bird did not survive the collision. Shoemaker, from Toledo, Ohio, USA, was immediately taken to hospital where she needed 20 stitches. Sun, 11 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106942.php How slow growth as a fetus can cause diabetes as an adultIntrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), which results in a baby having a low weight at birth, has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. It has been suggested that this is because the expression of key genes is altered during fetal development and that this affects disease susceptibility later in life. Sun, 11 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106941.php Which is better, giving more food to a few hungry people or letting some food go to waste so that everyone gets a share? A study appearing this week in Science finds that most people choose the latter, and that the brain responds in unique ways to inefficiency and inequity. Sun, 11 May 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106936.php Viruses are masters of deception, duping their host's cells into helping them grow and spread. A new study has found that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can mimic a common regulatory protein to hijack normal cell growth machinery, disrupting a cell's primary anti-cancer mechanism. Sun, 11 May 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106934.php Young women would accept age-based screening for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, but would want this test to be offered to everyone, rather than to people 'singled out' according to their sexual history.In the study, published in the BioMed Central open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases, the Australian women interviewed did not like discussing their sex lives with their GPs. Sun, 11 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106921.php Lasers that emit ultrashort pulses of light are used for numerous applications including micromachining, microscopy, laser eye surgery, spectroscopy and controlling chemical reactions. But the quality of the results is limited by distortions caused by lenses and other optical components that are part of the experimental instrumentation. Sun, 11 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106914.php The first national study of Asians living in the United States shows that for some individuals, strong ties to their ethnicity can guard against the negative effects of racism. For others, strong ties to ethnicity can actually make the negative effects of discrimination worse. Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106887.php Applied scientists at Harvard University in collaboration with researchers from the German universities of Jena, Gottingen, and Bremen, have developed a new technique for fabricating nanowire photonic and electronic integrated circuits that may one day be suitable for high-volume commercial production.Spearheaded by graduate student Mariano Zimmler and Federico Capasso, Robert L. Sun, 11 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106785.php By linking HIV positive prisoners to community-based medical care prior to release through an innovative program called Project Bridge, 95 percent of ex-offenders were retained in health care for a year after being released from incarceration, according to researchers from The Miriam Hospital. Sun, 11 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106766.php UC Irvine has been awarded $27.2 million from the state to build a new stem cell research facility that will unify and strengthen the campus's fast-growing stem cell biology program and serve as a hub for research in Southern California. Sun, 11 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106764.php June 15-18, San Francisco, Calif., Moscone CenterBreaking news on sexual performance, diabetes, combating obesity, steroid abuse and growth hormone doping will be presented in a series of news briefings at ENDO 08, the 90th annual meeting of The Endocrine Society.Sunday, June 15Sexy Sex Findings (8:30 a.m. PDT): Breaking news on sexual performance for men and women. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107010.php As the temperature rises and the risk for heat stroke increases, people should be aware of how their bodies are handling the heat. Minimizing the stress of heat on your body by staying hydrated and spending more time in an air-conditioned environment will keep you cool and healthy throughout the summer months. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107009.php Cheap sunglasses may cost you less, but are they just as likely to protect against the effects of harmful UV rays as expensive sunglasses?According to Dr. Donald J. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107008.php Summer is here and the kids are out of school. While summer is the perfect time for fun and games, it's important to keep safe, too. Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital in Atlanta, specializes in the medical treatment and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord and brain injuries. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107007.php For millions of American children and teens playing sports, good nutrition is critical for maximum health, performance and normal growth. Yet, with all the information available out there, it's becoming harder than ever for a young athlete to filter truth from myth, and detangle the good from the bad and the ugly, says Amanda Leonard, M.P.H., R.D. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107006.php Study findings presented at the May 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting indicate that childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function, which relates to cardiac health.Obesity has been increasing rapidly in the U.S. during the past 20 years and obesity in adults has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107005.php Andrea Jaffray has much to celebrate this Mother's Day.May 11 is Jaffray's birthday. It's also the birthday of her husband, Alex, and two of their children, Doug and Ryan.Jaffray also will be celebrating the recent birth of her son, Zachary, who was born eight weeks premature following an extraordinarily difficult pregnancy and emergency C-section at Loyola University Hospital. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107004.php The middle school years is the time when time kids spend begin to spend less time in physical activity, a growing concern as youth obesity rates rise. A new study of middle school girls shows that after-school programs, in addition to school physical education classes, may be one answer to reducing obesity in teens. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107003.php The American Refugee Committee (ARC) is delivering relief supplies to the survivors of the tragedy in Myanmar. In partnership with World Vision, ARC will provide life-saving medical supplies and food, including items such as water purification tablets, medicines, and mosquito nets to thousands of survivors. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107002.php Many strong acting pain medications have bothersome side effects. These can include nausea and vomiting with short-term use, and constipation with longer, chronic use. Such symptoms can lead patients to discontinue treatment, adding additional complications to pain management for physicians. Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107001.php Many foot-surgery patients experience intense pain for several days following removal of a bunion, one of the most common foot surgeries. The investigational pain medication tapentadol provided significant relief for patients who had this surgery, compared to those treated with placebo. Sat, 10 May 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106762.php For children of divorce, what happens after their parents split up may be just as important to their long-term well-being as the divorce itself.A new study found that children who lived in unstable family situations after their parents divorced fared much worse as adults on a variety of measures compared to children who had stable post-divorce family situations. Sat, 10 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106760.php As the Nobel Foundation recognizes the 55th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, the newly formed Rosalind Franklin Society celebrates the contribution of the late Rosalind Franklin, whose crystallographic data made this breakthrough possible. Sat, 10 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106912.php The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has taken delivery of a new IBM supercomputer that will advance research into severe weather and the future of Earth's climate. The supercomputer, known as a Power 575 Hydro- Cluster, is the first in a highly energy-efficient class of machines to be shipped anywhere in the world. Sat, 10 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106753.php UK-based researchers at the Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit in Oxford and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge have revealed the genetic makeup of the one of the world's strangest mammals. Sat, 10 May 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106746.php The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health has announced unding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for 764 health research projects across Canada, totalling over $298 million. Minister Clement was joined by Dr. Patrick McGrath, a member of CIHR's Governing Council, Dr. Sat, 10 May 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106732.php Three researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have proposed an innovative way to improve global climate change predictions by using a supercomputer with low-power embedded microprocessors, an approach that would overcome limitations posed by today's conventional supercomputers. Sat, 10 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106730.php Two Hebrew University of Jerusalem professors have been elected as new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. They are Prof. Haim Sompolinsky, director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation, and Prof. David Kazhdan of the Einstein Institute of Mathematics. Sat, 10 May 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106612.php Pregnant women may still face judgment and obstacles to getting jobs, shows two recent studies by George Mason University and Rice University professors.The studies, co-written by Eden King of Mason, Michelle Hebl of Rice and their collaborators, explored different interpersonal reactions that pregnant women face in their daily lives. Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106602.php A recent study shows that mercury releases from products in the U.S. declined dramatically between 1990 and 2005, but that they continue to be a significant source of environmental contamination. Mercury released from products contributes nearly one-third of total mercury emissions to the air in the U.S. Sat, 10 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107000.php The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found some hospitals and medical centers are still stocking potentially contaminated heparin among their supplies, showing that they failed to respond to recall notices and alerts about the blood thinner made by Baxter International. Sat, 10 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106582.php It is a great shame that the most creative professional group in the building trade, the architects, rarely apply themselves to existing housing. A large proportion of the Netherlands' climate targets will after all have to be achieved within existing housing. This is one of the messages to be conveyed by Prof. Anke van Hal of TU Delft in her inaugural address. Sat, 10 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106576.php Using sophisticated unmanned aircraft, research scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego hope to assess Southern California's potential for climate change and better understand the sources of air pollution. Sat, 10 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106504.php Carbon nanotubes' potential as a super material is blighted by the fact that when first made they often take the form of an unprepossessing pile of sooty black mess in the bottom of a test tube. Now researchers in the University of Warwick's Department of Chemistry have found a way of producing carbon nanotubes in which they instantly form a highly sensitive ready made electric circuit. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106998.php The joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, on which significanteffort has been focused, is damaging health systems and distortinghealth financing, writes Roger England, Chairman of theHealth Systems Network, in a View & Review feature released onMay 9, 2008 in BMJ. As a result, he believes thatUNAIDS should be closed down immediately. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106861.php UroToday.com - A study by Nemett, et al evaluated the implementation of an osteopathic of manual physical therapy to children with dysfunctional voiding. This type of therapy has been proven to be successful in adult women. The group did a trial of manual physical therapy based on an osteopathic approach in children they followed for dysfunctional voiding. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106860.php UroToday.com - Not all harmonic shears are created equal - surgeon beware.These researchers compared the new generation Harmonic Ace device to the older generation Ultracision Harmonic Scalpel LCS-K5 (Ethicon Inc, Cincinnati, OH). Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106859.php UroToday.com - In the online version of the International Journal of Cancer, Dr. Sara Strom and associates evaluate the association between saturated fat intake and biochemical failure among men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP). Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106858.php UroToday.com - In the online version of Urology, Dr. Kaplan and associates at Fox Chase Cancer Center report on residual prostate cancer (CaP) after radiotherapy (RT) in men undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder indications. Between 1990 and 2007, 21 patients had a cystoprostatectomy for cancer (19), radiation cystitis (1) and rectal cancer (1). Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106857.php UroToday.com - Contemporary teaching is that the quality of life of patients with invasive bladder cancer undergoing a radical cystectomy and neobladder is superior to that of patients undergoing an ileal conduit. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106856.php UroToday.com - The pilot study and ongoing clinical experience indicates the vital importance of patient compliance if an improved outcome is to be gained from use of the Fastsize penile traction device. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106855.php UroToday.com - The prevalence of hypospadias varies widely among different countries and populations, ranging from 0.37-41 per infants1 and the prevalence in Hokkaido, Japan is 3.9 per 10,000 infants2. The etiology of hypospadias is still unclear, but it is regarded as a complex disorder with both genetic and environmental contributions. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106854.php UroToday.com - Currently, the most common curative treatment options for men with localized prostate cancer are radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy and interstitial permanent brachytherapy and radical prostatectomy. Treatment decisions should particularly consider the specific risk and toxicity profile of a treatment method. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106853.php Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Strattera(R) (atomoxetine HCI) for maintenance treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106852.php CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc., an Atlanta- based company dedicated to developing and delivering unique extracellular matrix (ECM(TM)) biomaterial technologies that harness the body's innate ability to repair damaged cardiovascular tissue, announced that the company has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106963.php Roche announced that Actemra (tocilizumab) can significantly inhibit structural damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a critical measure of effectiveness of an RA treatment. Actemra also improved the patients' physical function after one year of therapy, leading to a better quality of life. Fri, 09 May 2008 15:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106960.php The University of Leicester is leading on a national study to calculate the number of adults with autism, it has been announced. Fri, 09 May 2008 14:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106957.php The BIO Career Fair is hosted by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and BIOCOM, the membership organization representing 5,520 biotech companies in Southern California. Candidates will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters from many of the largest biotech companies. Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106977.php On May 7 2008 a Daubenton's bat in the South East of England tested positive for the presence of European Bat Lyssavirus (EBLV), a strain of rabies virus found in bats across Northern Europe. The strain is European Bat Lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2) and is closely related to the six EBLV-2 viruses isolated previously in bats in Great Britain since 1996. Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106953.php The American Medical Association (AMA) called for better government oversight of prescription drug advertisements directed at consumers to protect patients from misleading information. Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106981.php Should patients be allowed to purchase the treatment they want? UKIn the UK, some believe that patients should be allowed to purchase anytreatments that they want. This policy shift is debated between twoexperts in an article published on BMJ.com.The motivation for debate comes from a recent ruling regarding theAlzheimer's drug Aricept. Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106878.php Rapid HIV tests have been found to be highly effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in clinical trials in India, according to a study published online Tuesday in PLoS Medicine, the Times of India reports (Sinha, Times of India, 5/7). For the study, the researchers used OraSure Technologies' OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test (Derfel, Montreal Gazette, 5/6). Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106870.php The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday plans to mark up a supplemental war appropriations bill that will include language to block for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, as well as additional funds for FDA, CQ Today reports (Higa, CQ Today, 5/7). Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106958.php An editorial published this week in The Lancetcalls attention to the growing crisis concerning counterfeit drugs.Currently, America is dealing with a potential case of counterfeitingin the drug heparin. It is possible that a contaminant found in batchesof heparin has led to the death of at least 81 patients. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106877.php The Atlanta-based biotechnology firm GeoVax Labs plans to launch Phase II clinical trials of its experimental HIV vaccine this summer, company officials recently announced, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Hendrick, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/8).GeoVax while in midstage development of its HIV vaccine candidate enrolled 140 people in four independent national trials. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106869.php Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Wednesday said a Medicare package that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% cut to physician fees would cost between $15 billion and $18 billion over five years, prompting committee members to begin discussions on how to offset those costs, CQ Today reports (Wayne/Armstrong, CQ Today, 5/7).Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D. Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106983.php Eisai Limited, the licence holder of Aricept® (donepezil hydrochloride) and Pfizer Limited, its co-promotion partner, announced today that the Court of Appeal has released its decision on the consequential issues arising from Court of Appeal's recent ruling that the process by which the National Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106979.php Statement by Nancy E. Roman, Director of Public Policy and Communications. "The World Food Programme has decided to send in two relief flights asplanned tomorrow, while discussions continue with the Government of Myanmaron the distribution of the food that was flown in today, and not releasedto WFP.