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Adults are much more likely to protect their children from the sun than themselves

Adults with children or grandchildren know that protecting their little ones from the sun is essential to preventing painful sunburns. But while parents and grandparents are busy slathering kids with sunscreen and arming them with hats and protective clothing, they are not as likely to practice this same behavior when it comes to protecting themselves, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Dermatology.

2 May 2005

Heart patient dies the day after a 3,800 kilometre bike ride

After bypass surgery had given him a second chance at life Broc Bebout, 57, a retired engineer, died of a heart attack the day after completing a 3,800-kilometre cross-country trip.

2 May 2005

Shade structure grants help make it safer to have fun in the sun

With warm, sunny weather outside, no one wants to find themselves cooped up indoors, especially children. But heading outdoors without adequate sun protection can lead to a sunburn that lingers long after the outdoor fun has ended. Sunburns are known to have a cumulative effect and can lead to future skin cancers including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

2 May 2005

Researchers benchmark the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, anemia, iodine-deficiency disorders and underweight children as measures of malnutrition in developing regions

International health advocates and policymakers still have work to do to meet the nutrition goals set by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, according to a survey of nutrition needs in developing regions published by Tulane University researchers.

2 May 2005

Gene variant that increases colon cancer risk

A paper published in this week's Journal of Clinical Oncology says Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor 1*6A (TGFBR1*6A) - a mutated gene present in nearly one in eight people and the most commonly inherited cancer susceptibility gene identified so far - might be responsible for a significant proportion of familial colorectal cancers.

2 May 2005

Researchers present information on artificial retina

Researchers from the University of Southern California and the Doheny Eye Institute will be presenting data on the first six patients implanted with an intraocular retinal prosthesis-more popularly referred to as an artificial retina-developed and manufactured in partnership with Second Sight Medical Products, of Sylmar, Calif.

2 May 2005

New drug may help treat certain forms of leukemia

A new experimental drug may be effective against a certain form of leukemia resistant to current treatments, research at UT Southwestern Medical Center shows.

2 May 2005

Transcendental meditation promotes a healthier, longer life

Transcendental Meditation has been found to have far more impact on the body than was previously suspected and goes beyond just creating a laid back and relaxed attitude.

2 May 2005

Giving children access to drug clinical trials is crucial, clofarabine approval shows

The accelerated approval of the drug clofarabine to treat relapsed or refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) demonstrates the importance of offering children rapid access to new treatments through clinical trials, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Refractory or relapsed ALL is a disease that resists treatment.

2 May 2005

E. coli poses significant public health threat to seniors in the U.S.

A new study finds that E. coli bacteremia - a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection caused by a common bacteria also associated with less dangerous urinary tract infections - poses a significant public health threat in the United States, especially among seniors.

2 May 2005

Research provides new insight into how individual genes control regeneration

Although they may look small and unassuming, planarian worms are famous in the scientific world for their extraordinary ability to regenerate body parts after injury. Even a small piece cut off a planarian can reorganize and regenerate to form a whole new worm.

2 May 2005

Specific genes play key role in the of regulation of human-blood stem cells

This work is the first to validate gene expression analysis in human stem cells with functional experiments. The findings also suggest that changes in the expression of genes associated with universal cell signaling pathways can have a substantial impact on human stem cell behavior.

2 May 2005

Small number of genes can predict response to chronic hepatitis C therapy

For the first time, physicians at University Health Network and University of Toronto have identified a small subset of genes that can predict whether a patient with chronic Hepatitis C will be able to respond to current treatments.

2 May 2005

3 questions identify children at risk of passive smoking

Pediatricians can reliably identify children at risk for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (secondhand smoke) by asking parents just three questions, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Concern that vaccines might cause harm most common reason why parents don't immunize

Concern that vaccines might cause harm was the most common reason given by parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated for preventable diseases, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Antidepressant medication or psychotherapy may be effective in treating chronically depressed patients when the other is not

Switching from an antidepressant medication to psychotherapy or vice versa may improve symptoms in chronically depressed patients who prove unresponsive to their initial treatment, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Response of New York City public school children to 9/11

Six months after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, a high proportion of New York City school children had one or more probable anxiety/depressive disorders, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Cell phone base stations change brain currents and cause unwellness

The radiation of a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 metres causes significant changes of the electrical currents in the brains of testees (measured by electroencefalogram, EEG). All the testees said they felt unwell during the radiation, some of them seriously.

2 May 2005

Modification of surgery used to correct flatfoot deformity may reduce pain and improve outcomes

Virginia Commonwealth University physicians and engineers studying foot and ankle biomechanics have developed a modification to a procedure used to correct adult-acquired flatfoot deformity that may reduce the pressure and pain that often persists after surgery.

2 May 2005

HIV treatment not affected by hormonal birth control

Estrogen and progesterone hormones in birth control do not influence the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which is used to treat HIV infection, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The study is published in the May 1, 2005, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

2 May 2005