Laboratory | Page 100 of 116

West Nile Virus :: Sixth West Nile virus bird detected in King County

Even as the mosquito season draws to a close, Public Health ? Seattle & King County continues to find birds infected with West Nile virus. A dead crow found near downtown Kent on October 26th and tested at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory last week was determined to be positive for West Nile virus. This is the sixth positive bird finding in King County since early October, and is an indication that the virus is likely spread throughout the region.

Health Care :: Allied Health Professions Week Highlights Workforce Shortage Crisis

The first baby boomers are turning 60 this year. Some question whether there will be enough health care professionals to take care of them. An aging society and increased cases of chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity are straining an already fragile health care workforce. Now, the University of Missouri-Columbia is looking at ways to write a prescription for one of the major ailments facing today?s society, according to Richard Oliver, dean of the MU School of Health Professions. MU recently spearheaded the creation of FuturePoint Summit, a national coalition of academic and business leaders in the health care field, to find solutions for the allied health workforce shortage.

Health Care :: Global Applications Seen for Health Lab Electronic Link

Health care professionals say a computerized emergency response system for public health laboratories developed in Nebraska is proving to be a valuable tool for other states and has the potential to impact public health systems worldwide.

Parenting :: Traditional books provide more positive parent-child interaction

Parents and pre-school children have a more positive interaction when sharing a reading experience with a traditional book as opposed to an electronic book or e-book, according researchers at Temple University’s Infant Laboratory and Erikson Institute in Chicago. This shared positive experience from traditional books characteristically promotes early literacy skills.

Cancer :: Blocking cancer-causing gene improves radiation effectiveness – Jefferson researchers

Inhibiting a particular cancer-causing gene can enhance the cell-killing effects of radiation, a team of radiation oncologists and cancer biologists has found. Using a combination of zebrafish and antisense technology, they’ve shown that the drug flavopiridol works by blocking the activity of a gene, cyclin D1, which is overexpressed in about half of all breast cancers. Similar techniques in the future, the scientists say, may enable researchers to better gauge the effects of drugs.

Prostate Cancer :: ‘Muscle’ protein drives prostate cancer

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have for the first time implicated the muscle protein myosin VI in the development of prostate cancer and its spread.

Stem Cell :: Plan to create human-cow embryos

Scientists from King’s submitted a licence application yesterday (6 November) to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to allow them to fuse human cells with animal eggs. If granted, the licence will boost research into some of the most debilitating and untreatable neurological diseases.

Health :: Cooking and eating tips for weight loss during holidays

It is possible to enjoy the tempting offerings of the holiday season and still manage your weight, according to nutrition and weight management expert Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., director of the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) Weight Management Center.

Prostate Cancer :: Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Prostate SPORE Grant Renewed

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for prostate cancer research has been renewed for an additional five years. SPORE grants are highly competitive awards given to institutions on the cutting edge of translational research in specific types of cancer.

Flu :: High cost of flu-related hospitalizations in children

The cost of influenza-related hospitalizations in children may be considerably higher than previously estimated. An analysis of electronic billing data in the study, “Direct Medical Cost of Influenza-Related Hospitalizations in Children,” found that the mean total cost of hospitalizing a child for influenza-related illness is approximately $13,000 (approx. $7,000 for ward patients and $40,000 for ICU patients).