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Released: 18-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Subset of E. coli Bacteria Linked to Deadly Disease in Pre-Term Infants
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester

In a study appearing March 17 in Cell Reports, researchers at UMass Medical School, University of Trento and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital describe an association between necrotizing enterocolitis and a subset of E. coli bacteria, called uropathogenic E. coli, that colonize the infant gut.

Released: 18-Mar-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Educating Community Research Facilitators Helps Protect Integrity of Study Results
UC San Diego Health

A recent study by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that educating community health workers and other “citizen scientists” can improve knowledge of basic research concepts and ultimately boost the integrity of scientific research.

Released: 17-Mar-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Expanding Use of Recycled Water Would Benefit the Environment and Human Health
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Expanding the use of recycled water would reduce water and energy use, cut greenhouse gas emissions and benefit public health in California — which is in the midst of a severe drought — and around the world. A new study by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, published online March 17 in the American Journal of Public Health, found that recycled water has great potential for more efficient use in urban settings and to improve the overall resiliency of the water supply.

17-Mar-2016 6:00 AM EDT
New Report Reveals Hundreds Still Dying in Detention
University of Warwick

An ongoing culture of secrecy, poor access to specialist mental health services and a lack of high quality independent investigations has contributed to hundreds of non-natural deaths in detention, according to a new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

16-Mar-2016 9:40 AM EDT
In-Car Breathalyzers for DUI Offenders Curb Drunk-Driving Deaths by 15 Percent
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

State laws that require drivers who’ve been convicted of drunk driving to pass a breathalyzer-type test before starting their cars saved an estimated 915 lives between 2004 and 2013, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings represent a 15 percent reduction in drunk driving-related deaths compared to states without legislation requiring DUI offenders to use “mandatory ignition interlock.”

Released: 17-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Common Painkillers Are More Dangerous Than We Think
Aarhus University

Many Danes are prescribed NSAIDs for the treatment of painful conditions, fever and inflammation. But the treatment also comes with side effects, including the risk of ulcers and increased blood pressure. A major new study now gathers all research in the area. This shows that arthritis medicine is particularly dangerous for heart patients, and also that older types of arthritis medicine, which have not previously been in focus, also appear to be dangerous for the heart.

Released: 17-Mar-2016 12:00 PM EDT
U of S Researchers Develop New Tools to Combat Antibiotic Resistance
University of Saskatchewan

A University of Saskatchewan team has discovered a way to prevent bacteria from developing resistance to antibiotics, potentially helping to blunt the edge of a looming threat to public health around the world.

16-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Protecting U.S. Minors from Tanning Bed Exposure
Rutgers Cancer Institute

In December 2015, the FDA proposed new restrictions related to tanning bed use, including banning their use among individuals younger than 18. As the comment period on the proposal winds down, a Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigator who conducts research on tanning behaviors weighs in.

Released: 16-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Vegans May Lack Essential Nutrient Intake, Mayo Clinic Study Reports
Mayo Clinic

The health benefits of a plant-based diet is well-known, but the question remains: Could vegans be at risk for deficiency of essential nutrients? A retrospective review by Mayo Clinic physicians recently published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association indicated that vegans should ensure adequate intake of a few nutrients.

Released: 16-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Potential Zika Virus Risk Estimated for 50 U.S. Cities
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Key factors that can combine to produce a Zika virus outbreak are expected to be present in a number of U.S. cities during peak summer months, new research shows.

   
Released: 16-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Rat Problems in Poor Neighborhoods Linked to Depressive Symptoms
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Residents of Baltimore’s low-income neighborhoods who believe rats are a big problem where they live are significantly more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms such as sadness and anxiety, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

Released: 15-Mar-2016 8:05 PM EDT
Female Security, Lift Team Members Flex for Success at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

When a bedridden patient needs to be lifted or turned or an unruly visitor needs to be escorted off the premises, the best man for the job at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica might actually be a woman. Maria Arceo and Jennifer Martinez, both employees of the medical center, are powerful examples of women succeeding in jobs traditionally assigned to men.

Released: 15-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Spring Break Water Safety for Children
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Remember the basics of water safety as you head to the pool, lake and beach.

Released: 15-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EDT
AMP Issues Statement Regarding FDA Letter to Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital About Rapid Detection Zika Test
Association for Molecular Pathology

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, professional society serving molecular diagnostics professionals, is very concerned and disappointed to see the FDA taking enforcement action against the physicians at Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital for their laboratory developed procedure (LDP) for detecting Zika virus.

Released: 15-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EDT
$9.5 Billion in Yearly Health Costs From Coal Plants in Just Five European Countries
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

A new study quantifies the public health costs of polluted air from existing coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans at up to 8.5 EUR billion per year.

   
10-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
New Evidence Confirms Link Between Healthy Work Environments and Patient Safety, Outcomes and Staff Retention
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses publishes the second edition of “AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments,” supported by new evidence confirming the link between healthy work environments and optimal outcomes for patients, healthcare professionals and organizations.

9-Mar-2016 2:00 PM EST
Hidden in Plain Sight: Well-Known Drug Could Yield New Treatment for Herpes Viruses
University of Utah Health

In a search for new antiviral drugs, University of Utah scientists found that a common heart failure medicine, spironolactone, has an unexpected ability to block Epstein Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus that causes mononucleosis. The drug blocks a key step in viral infection common to all herpesviruses, revealing that it could be developed into a new class of drug to treat herpesvirus infections including herpes, shingles, and mono. The research was published in PNAS.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Don’t Let Youth Trip You; More Than 50 Percent Young Adults Fall, Trip
Purdue University

Young adults fall more frequently than expected, and most falls occur during everyday activities such walking and talking, according to new research from Purdue University.

9-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology to Track Cells in the Body
UC San Diego Health

The need to non-invasively see and track cells in living persons is indisputable. Emerging treatments using stem cells and immune cells are poised to most benefit from cell tracking, which would visualize their behavior in the body after delivery. Clinicians require such data to speed these cell treatments to patients. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a new highly sensitive chemical probe that tags cells for detection by MRI.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Global Shift in Farmed Fish Feed May Impact Nutritional Benefits Ascribed to Consuming Seafood
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The fish-farming industry is increasing its use of plant-based ingredients in its feed and moving away from traditional feed made from fish, which could impact some of the health benefits of eating certain types of seafood, suggests a new analysis from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
American Thoracic Society Applauds Action to Reduce Methane Emissions
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The American Thoracic Society applauds the collaborative effort of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Capitol Hill Symposium: Zika Crisis & Implications for U.S. Policy
O'Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law

Policy, advocacy and infectious disease experts will discuss the Zika virus crisis and potential U. S. policy implications on Tuesday, March 15; 9 to 10:30 am on Capitol Hill.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Retirement Is Good for Your Health
University of Sydney

Study finds that retirement leads to positive lifestyle changes.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 12:05 PM EST
Change in Mosquito Mating May Control Zika Virus
Cornell University

Genetic cues from male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes passed on during sex affect which genes are turned on or off in a females’ reproductive tract post-mating, including genes related to blood feeding, egg development and immune defense, according to new Cornell research. The researchers believe such processes provide information that could be exploited to fight mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika virus.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
The Dangers and Risks of Binge Drinking
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Experts take an in-depth look into a favorite college pastime by understanding the dangers and risks of alcohol.

Released: 10-Mar-2016 6:05 PM EST
NIH-Funded Researchers Develop Promising Candidate for Next-Generation Anti-Malarial Drug
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

An international team that includes NIH-funded researchers at Stanford University has developed a therapeutic compound that is effective in inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum, one of five species of parasite that infects people with malaria, and the strain which causes the highest number of malaria deaths.

   
Released: 10-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
FDA Approves Indego Exoskeleton for Clinical and Personal Use
Vanderbilt University

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given clearance to market and sell the powered lower-limb exoskeleton created by a team of Vanderbilt engineers and commercialized by the Parker Hannifin Corporation for both clinical and personal use in the United States.

   
Released: 10-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
Leading Virologist Chris Basler Named GRA Eminent Scholar and Founding Director of Center for Microbial Pathogenesis
Georgia State University

Dr. Chris Basler, a world-renowned research leader in the study of emerging viruses, including the Ebola virus, has been named founding director of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS), at Georgia State University.

4-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Artemisinin Combination Therapy Prevents Malaria in Pregnancy
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Pregnant women can be protected from malaria, a major cause of prematurity, low birth weight and death in infants in Africa, with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), an artemisinin combination therapy that is already widely used to treat malaria in adults, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and in Uganda.

Released: 9-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
ASCO to Hold Capitol Hill Briefing March 15 on The State of Cancer Care in America: 2016
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

The State of Cancer Care in America: 2016 report, to be released on March 15 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), chronicles the current realities of the cancer care delivery system in the United States and examines trends in the oncology workforce and practice environment that are affecting patient care and access.

     
Released: 9-Mar-2016 9:00 AM EST
GW Health Workforce Institute Receives $5.5 Million to Advance Health Workforce Equity Issues
George Washington University

Researchers at the George Washington University’s (GW) Health Workforce Institute today announced a $5.5 million award from The Atlantic Philanthropies to promote health workforce equity by identifying, connecting and preparing leaders in the field to advance social mission in health professions education.

Released: 9-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EST
Don’t Let the Bad Bugs Win: U-M Team Seeks to Outsmart C. difficile with New $9.2 Million Effort
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

If you want to beat a fearsome enemy, you must first learn to think like them. If you do, you can predict their next move – and block it. This advice may work on the battlefield. But scientists also think it will work in the battle against one of the most dangerous bacteria our bodies can face: Clostridium difficile.

Released: 8-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EST
Want to Avoid a Cold? Try a Tattoo or Twenty, says UA Researcher
University of Alabama

There’s no known cure for the common cold, but receiving multiple tattoos can strengthen your immunological responses, potentially making you heartier in fighting off common infections, according to research by a trio of University of Alabama scholars. However, receiving a single tattoo can, at least temporarily, lower your resistance.

3-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Could Cutting Urban Blight Reduce Teen Murders?
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Analyzing the immediate neighborhood surroundings of teenaged homicide victims, Philadelphia researchers found that neglected conditions--vacant lots, poor street lighting, fewer parks and less-traveled thoroughfares—were in much greater abundance compared to neighborhoods where adolescents were safer.

Released: 4-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
Zika Linked to Abnormal Pregnancies, Fetal Death, New Research Finds
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

New research presents strong evidence that the Zika virus can indeed cause a range of abnormalities in pregnant women infected with the virus — with the effects manifesting any time during pregnancy. Some of the abnormalities noted have not been reported in connection with the virus. In a study published online March 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at UCLA and at the Fiocruz Institute in Brazil found that clinical and ultrasound data in 29 percent of women who tested positive for the Zika virus revealed associations between infection and “grave outcomes” that included fetal death, placental insufficiency with low to no amniotic fluid, fetal growth restriction and central nervous system damage in the fetus, including potential blindness.

2-Mar-2016 3:00 PM EST
Protection Against Peanut Allergy by Early Consumption Persists Following a One-Year Period of Peanut Avoidance
Immune Tolerance Network

The LEAP-ON study, an extension of the landmark LEAP Study that showed peanut consumption reduced the rate of peanut allergy, followed LEAP children for a year of peanut avoidance and found only 4.8% of the peanut consumers were allergic, compared to 18.6% of the peanut avoiders, a significant difference demonstrating that peanut allergy prevention persists.

Released: 4-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Does a 'Western Diet' Increase Risk of Alzheimer's Disease?
Jackson Laboratory

JAX research provides insight into the role of the western diet in Alzheimer’s disease.

29-Feb-2016 11:00 AM EST
Florida State University Researchers Make Zika Virus Breakthrough
Florida State University

Florida State University researchers have made a major breakthrough in the quest to learn whether the Zika virus is linked to birth defects with the discovery that the virus is directly targeting brain development cells and stunting their growth. This is the first major finding by scientists that shows that these critical cells are a target of the virus and also negatively affected by it.

   
29-Feb-2016 11:30 AM EST
Likely Biological Link Found Between Zika Virus, Microcephaly
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Working with lab-grown human stem cells, a team of researchers suspect they have discovered how the Zika virus probably causes microcephaly in fetuses. The virus selectively infects cells that form the brain’s cortex, or outer layer, making them more likely to die and less likely to divide normally and make new brain cells.

Released: 4-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EST
U.S. Surgeon General Honored at UTHealth’s 2016 Lectureship in Child Health
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus hosted its 10th annual Michael & Susan Dell Lectureship in Child Health at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Blanton Museum of Art.

Released: 4-Mar-2016 7:05 AM EST
What Kind of Mosquito Is That? UF/IFAS Course Teaches You
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Want to know how to differentiate between an Asian tiger mosquito and a yellow fever mosquito? Such knowledge may be worth your while because both mosquito species can transmit dangerous viruses such as chikungunya, dengue and zika if they bite you. The UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Lab teaches this course now and in April, to students from around the world.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
When It Comes to Predicting Depression, Race May Matter More Than Was Thought, Study Suggests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Depression can strike anyone, taking a toll on mental and physical health, friendships, work and studies. But figuring out who’s at risk for it is still a murky task. A new study suggests that standard ways of looking for depression risk may not work as well among blacks as they do among whites. But listening to how blacks describe their own mental health could help.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
Johns Hopkins Bioethicist Will Chair Board Overseeing Historic Million-Person NIH Research Study
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics

Johns Hopkins bioethicist Nancy Kass, ScD, will serve as chairperson of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutional review board overseeing a landmark research study that plans to enroll 1 million participants in an effort to best utilize electronic medical records and genetic data to improve healthcare.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Lessons From a Pandemic
Harvard Medical School

When a diamond miner named Sahr arrived at the Ebola treatment unit in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in December 2014, he saw red fences surrounding the area where people with suspected and confirmed cases of the disease were to be treated and he panicked. The colorful barricades reminded him of the horror he experienced in 1996 as a child soldier in Sierra Leone’s civil war, when rebel fighters attached red cloths to their guns during live battles.

2-Mar-2016 5:00 PM EST
Better Way to Treat Abscesses: Add Antibiotic to Conventional Approach
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have found a better way to treat many skin abscesses in the emergency department. The findings are important due to the emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which since 2000 has become the most common cause of skin infections in the U.S. The findings could improve recovery from infection while limiting its spread.



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