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NIEHS announces finalists of My Air, My Health Challenge

Four finalists have been selected in the My Air, My Health Challenge, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its challenge partners. Each finalist will receive $15,000, and will transform their designs to measure air pollutants and related physiological measurements into working systems. One overall winner will receive a cash award of $100,000 to be announced in June 2013.

16 Nov 2012

Vaccinating families could protect young babies against RSV infection

Research by the University of Warwick indicates that vaccinating families could protect young babies against a common winter virus which can be fatal for infants under six months.

16 Nov 2012

Peak interest in health issues comes at about age 51 for baby boomers

For baby boomers, the peak interest in health issues comes at about age 51, with a second peak coming near age 65, according to a new study.

16 Nov 2012

Study finds mechanism that mediates inhibition of critical breathing muscles during REM sleep

A novel brain mechanism mediating the inhibition of the critical breathing muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been identified for the first time in a new study, offering the possibility of a new treatment target for sleep-related breathing problems.

16 Nov 2012

Diabetic foot reconstruction with free flaps pays dividends

Diabetic foot reconstruction using free flaps has high success and survival rates, say researchers.

15 Nov 2012

Dialysis raises complication, mortality risk after general surgery

Long-term dialysis patients undergoing general surgical procedures have a significantly increased risk for postoperative complications and death within 30 days of surgery compared with their nondialysis counterparts, study findings show.

15 Nov 2012

Adequate pain management at end of life is a team effort

Inadequate management of pain in patients with terminal illness and those at the end of their lives exists because of knowledge deficits and misperceptions among patients, families, and healthcare providers, indicate the results of a study involving palliative nurses.

15 Nov 2012

EU approves Forxiga for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced that the European Commission has approved Forxiga (dapagliflozin) tablets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the European Union. Forxiga is a selective and reversible inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) that works independently of insulin to help remove excess glucose from the body, a unique mode of action not seen in any other currently available treatments for type 2 diabetes.

15 Nov 2012

Greece faces return of malaria, other public health issues since 2009 economic crash

The Wall Street Journal examines how "Greece has seen decades of advances in public health rolled back, as a flood of illegal immigrants, a dysfunctional government and budget cuts ravage a once proud health-care system."

15 Nov 2012

ALN RNAi therapeutic program represents novel approach for treatment of AAT deficiency

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has presented new pre-clinical data with an RNAi therapeutic targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of liver disease associated with AAT deficiency. These data were presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD, "The Liver Meeting") held November 9-13, 2012 in Boston.

15 Nov 2012

Surgeon volume influences patient outcomes following rectal resection

The volume of operations a surgeon performs affects both short- and long-term patient outcomes following resection for rectal carcinoma, show data from a German hospital.

14 Nov 2012

Minor symptoms a big deal in nasal polyposis

Asthma does not have any significant influence on quality of life among patients with nasal polyposis, but it may increase the intensity of individual minor symptoms such as headache, or fullness in the ears, report researchers.

14 Nov 2012

Anesthetic choice may not be critical in noncardiac surgery

The choice of general anesthetic does not appear to influence the risk for myocardial infarction in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, report researchers.

14 Nov 2012

Adding bortezomib ‘boosts acute myeloid leukemia chemotherapy response’

Older patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia may benefit from having bortezomib added to daunorubicin and cytarabine during induction therapy and to consolidation intermediate-dose cytarabine, the results of a US study indicate.

14 Nov 2012

Brevetoxin-2 stimulates nerve cell growth and plasticity in cultured mouse neurons

A new study using brevetoxin-2, a compound produced naturally by marine algae, stimulated nerve cell growth and plasticity in cultured mouse neurons. This research advances a potentially new pharmacological treatment to aid recovery of brain function following a stroke or other traumatic brain injury.

14 Nov 2012

Certain UTI-causing bacteria become more difficult to treat with current antibiotics

Certain types of bacteria responsible for causing urinary tract infections (UTIs), the second-most-common infection in the United States, are becoming more difficult to treat with current antibiotics, according to new research from Extending the Cure (ETC), a project of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy.

14 Nov 2012