pH News and Research

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pH comes from the term “power of Hydrogen”, or the hydrogen ion concentration present in a given solution. It helps to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.

Given Imaging releases RAPID pH review and analysis software for the Bravo pH Monitoring System

Given Imaging Ltd., the global leader in patient-friendly GI diagnostic and monitoring solutions, today unveiled RAPID® pH review and analysis software for the Bravo® pH Monitoring System. This all-new software was designed to streamline pH monitoring workflow through simplified, easy-to-use screen layouts and intuitive software navigation.

24 Nov 2009

Cancer promoting gene identified

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to target and inhibit the expression of this gene resulting in inhibition of cancer growth.

21 Nov 2009

Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for pulmonary hypertension, a rare but deadly disease

We often hear about the perils of high blood pressure, but many Canadians are unaware that high blood pressure in the lungs - known as pulmonary hypertension (PH) - can also have fatal consequences. This month, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada hopes to raise awareness about PH - a rare but serious disease that can strike at any time and has no regard for race, age or gender.

19 Nov 2009

U.S. to consider purchasing some food aid locally, acting USAID head says at World Food Summit

The U.S. is interested in potentially using more locally-produced food aid rather than U.S. grown food as a way to expand investment in agricultural development in the developing world, said Alonzo Fulgham, acting head USAID, "on the sidelines of a World Food Summit in Rome" on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

19 Nov 2009

Verax Platelet PGD test receives FDA clearance

Fenwal, Inc., a global medical technology company focused on improving blood collection, separation, safety and availability, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the Verax Platelet PGD® test as a quality control test to detect bacterial contamination in whole blood-derived, pooled platelets prior to transfusion. Fenwal is the exclusive global distributor of the test, which was developed by Verax Biomedical of Worcester, Mass.

18 Nov 2009

Scientists describe how HIV assemble at the membrane of infected cells and are released to attack healthy cells

Although recent advances have raised hopes that a protective vaccine can be developed, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major public health problem. Much has been learned about HIV-1, the virus that causes the disease.

13 Nov 2009

Alternative proposal from HSPH to AAFP for developing web content on beverages

Leading Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) nutrition and health researcher Walter Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., has written a letter to the President-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) offering an alternative to the organization's decision, announced in October, to accept a six-figure grant from the Coca-Cola Company to develop web content on beverages and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

13 Nov 2009

Novel breakthrough may lead to new methods for sterilizing food and medical equipment

Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Spore-forming bacteria, present almost everywhere in our environment, can also cause serious infectious diseases, such as tetanus, anthrax, and botulism.

12 Nov 2009

Experts recommend nicotine replacement products and counseling to quit smoking

Whether you smoke three cigarettes or three packs of cigarettes a day, kicking the habit is difficult. Various nicotine replacement products are on the market to make quitting easier. But which product is right for you? Experts from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are here to help.

12 Nov 2009

NIDA supports new drug detection research

Every time a person snorts cocaine, it doesn't just go to his or her head: It also provokes a response in the immune system, creating special biomolecules that may serve as a permanent record of each exposure.

11 Nov 2009

One in three asthma patients are hospitalized, reveals new national survey

In the past year, an estimated more than one million patients were hospitalized and nearly three million visited emergency rooms in the United States as a result of asthma, according to a new comprehensive national survey.

6 Nov 2009

Dietary options and better detection improve food allergy management procedures

Less restrictive dietary options, better detection, targeted avoidance measures, educational directives and potential new therapies are improving food allergy management and giving hope to the more than 12 million Americans affected according to experts at the thirteenth international food allergy conference held during the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.

5 Nov 2009

Lifestyle changes prevents type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for developing the disease: Study

Sustaining modest weight loss for 10 years, or taking an anti-diabetic drug over that time, can prevent or lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes in people at high risk for developing the disease, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), a long-term follow-up to a landmark 2001 diabetes prevention study.

3 Nov 2009

Unexpected consequences emerge in patients who are prescribed PPI medications for reflux diseases

Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary published in the November 2009 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

2 Nov 2009

OMG to conduct Terminology Services Information Day to explore terminology services

OMG(TM) today announced that a special event, Terminology Services Information Day, will be co-located with the OMG Technical Meeting in Long Beach, CA USA on December 8, 2009. For more information and to register for this special event, please visit http://www.omg.org/terminology-services-day.

31 Oct 2009

NIH launches randomized trail to determine whether lower BP goal cuts the risk of heart and kidney diseases

The National Institutes of Health is launching a large multicenter randomized clinical trial to determine whether maintaining blood pressure levels lower than current recommendations further reduces the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, or age-related cognitive decline.

30 Oct 2009

Exposure to carcinogens should be minimized to prevent cancer, says ACS

A new report from an American Cancer Society (ACS) scientific advisory subcommittee on cancer and the environment says exposure to carcinogens should be minimized or eliminated whenever feasible, and calls for new strategies to more effectively and efficiently screen the large number of chemicals to which the public is exposed.

28 Oct 2009

Strong alkaline substances can damage teeth

It has long been known that acids can erode tooth enamel but a new Swedish study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that strong alkaline substances can damage teeth too - substances with high pH values can destroy parts of the organic content of the tooth, leaving the enamel more vulnerable.

28 Oct 2009

URI scientists discover a new and effective approach for treating cancerous tumor

Two University of Rhode Island associate professors, biophysicists Yana Reshetnyak and Oleg Andreev, have discovered a technology that can detect cancerous tumors and deliver treatment to them without the harming the healthy cells surrounding them, thereby significantly reducing side effects.

27 Oct 2009

Sperm can transmit HIV to macrophages and dendritic cells

Sperm, and not just the fluid it bathes in, can transmit HIV to macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells (DCs), report a team led by Ana Ceballos at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.