Day May 2, 2014

Epigenetic changes could mediate the association of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with adverse offspring outcomes. However, studies in humans are lacking. Here, we examined the association of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG in…

Wilding conifers are a major threat to biological conservation within New Zealand and currently cover at least 500,000 ha throughout the South Island. A range of herbicide treatments was applied to field trials established within wilding Pinus contorta (height range 1…

Tumour cells create their own microenvironment where they closely interact with a variety of soluble and non-soluble molecules, different cells and numerous other components within the extracellular matrix (ECM). Interaction between tumour cells and the ECM is bidirectional leading to…

i i hide captionContestants compete in a Rock Paper Scissors tournament in Gainesville, Fla., in 2012. A new study indicates it’s not as random as it seems. Matt Stamey/Gainesville Sun/Landov Contestants compete in a Rock Paper Scissors tournament in Gainesville,…

The Prime Minister visited Stephen Sutton, 19, in hospital this morning He was also pictured encouraging people to support his fundraising efforts Mr Cameron described Stephen as ‘an amazing guy’ and ‘an inspiration’ Stephen is in hospital in Birmingham with…

Neve Dandy has a rare and severe form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome Something as simple as a giggling fit can trigger a life-threatening seizure An increase in her body temperature can also cause a seizure As a result, she…

Nick Baines says he wanted to know what it would taste like He says the smoothie was ‘rank’ and made him feel nauseous But, he says the tacos were pleasant  and he quite enjoyed them By Emma Innes Published: 08:12…

Ruben Weber-Jackson was born with two holes in his heart This meant his breathing was restricted -  and his parents feared the worst During two operations they were repaired using cow heart tissue He can now breathe normally and has…

Advaxis, Inc., (NASDAQ: ADXS), a leader in developing cancer immunotherapies, announced today that it has been granted Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) for ADXS-HPV, its lead immunotherapy drug…

Public health specialists are today calling on the Prime Minister David Cameron to take action on nutrition and hunger in the UK. The call comes in a letter published in The Lancet, which has been signed by 170 members, Fellows…

A third of a million adults in the UK are to be invited to take part in the world’s biggest study of cognitive function. The aim of the trial, funded by the Medical Research Council, is to try to predict…

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority: The Communications Authority (CA) today (May 2) announced its decision to give consent, with conditions imposed, to HKT Limited’s proposed acquisition of CSL New World Mobility…

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – International Museum Day 2014, Hong Kong (IMD 2014, HK) will be held on May 17 and 18. On these two days, 42 participating local cultural institutions, including the museums under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department…

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company will stage five performances of David Greig’s “Dunsinane” in Hong Kong from today (May 2) onwards. As a dramatic sequel to William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, “Dunsinane” is…

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) made the following announcement today (May 2): An 82-year-old male patient in a male surgical ward of…

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – A wide array of Ming and Qing dynasty artefacts selected from the collection of the acclaimed local collector, Mr C P Lin, will go on display in an exhibition titled “Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from…

Every week KHN reporter Marissa Evans finds interesting reads from around the web. ?? CNN: A Fatal Wait: Veterans Languish And Die On A VA Hospital’s Secret List At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans…

In a new report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists lay the groundwork for the development of novel tumor therapies that may help rid the body of cancer by inhibiting the recruitment of a specific suppressive immune cell…

A protein believed to be limited to the hematopoietic system, called Kindlin-3, has been identified as a major player in both the formation and spread of breast cancer to other organs. This discovery, published in the May 2014 issue of…

With International Day of the Midwife just around the corner (5th May), LSTM’s Centre for Maternal and Newborn Health (CMNH) has been successful in securing a new -9.3 million grant to continue their work with midwives in Kenya. The grant…

Lawmakers from both parties lash out at official who has just taken over the agency in charge of cutting down waste. USA Today: House Panel Seeks Improved Medicare Fraud Efforts Improper Medicare payments cost about $50 billion last year, a…

The Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery Bariatric Care is designated a Level 1 facility under the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). To achieve this accreditation, Loyola had to meet a number…

In Missouri, the expansion gets a symbolic committee endorsement, and the governor proposes using federal dollars to help pay for coverage for low-wage earners. The Richmond Times-Dispatch: McAuliffe Says He Wants Medicaid Expansion Through Legislation Gov. Terry McAuliffe pressed Wednesday…

This is the first study that has examined non-cardiac incidental findings in research cardiac computed tomography (CT) of hemodialysis patients and their relationship with patient characteristics. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis in the Predictors of Arrhythmic and Cardiovascular Events…

i i hide captionNew research could be promising for infertile men. Scientists were able to make immature sperm cells from skin cells. Their next challenge is to make that sperm viable. iStockphoto New research could be promising for infertile men.…

Catrin Pugh, now 20, was pulled from the burning coach wreckage She spent three months in a coma after the crash in the French Alps Only the soles of her feet and parts of her scalp were untouched by flames…

Julie Jones had surgery to remove her spleen and assumed all was OK But two years later she felt unwell and breathless X-ray revealed a plastic tube in her lung, dangerously close to her liver She claims had it pierced…

The brain implant plans were first unveiled in February by U.S researchers They are being developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Project was set up to restore memories in people with brain damage This includes wounded soldiers plus Alzheimer’s…

Simply seeing someone in a difficult situation triggers stress responses Can also be when TV character or stranger is in worrying environment By Anna Hodgekiss Published: 06:40 EST, 1 May 2014 | Updated: 06:42 EST, 1 May 2014 Simply seeing…

By Lucy Piper, Senior medwireNews Reporter Vitrectomy with peeling of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) of the retina improves the outcome of idiopathic full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) surgery compared with no peeling, study findings show. “The rationale for ILM peeling…

By Sarah Pritchard, medwireNews Reporter The inner retinal layers in the eyes of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are thinner than those of healthy people’s eyes, except for the inner nuclear layer, which is thicker, show the results of a…

By Sarah Pritchard, medwireNews Reporter Patients with visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) achieve better visual acuity (VA) after 3 months of individualised treatment with ranibizumab than with verteporfin photodynamic therapy (vPDT), show the results of a phase…

By Sarah Pritchard, medwireNews Reporter Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) does not follow the same disease course from one patient to another, conclude researchers who suggest that phenotyping may be important before initiating a therapeutic trial. “Clearly, it would be attractive…