Health Research: Gel that can make drugs last longer ♦ New antibody weapons against Marburg virus ♦ 'Drink when thirsty' to avoid fatal drops in blood sodium levels during exercise

Gel that can make drugs last longer A drug-delivering hydrogel has been developed to treat chronic diseases such as hepatitis C, a liver disease that kills around 500,000 people worldwide every year

New antibody weapons against Marburg virus New immune molecules that protect against deadly Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola virus, have been identified by researchers. The research provides ingredients needed to develop treatments for future Marburg outbreaks, they say.

'Drink when thirsty' to avoid fatal drops in blood sodium levels during exercise For hikers, football players, endurance athletes, and a growing range of elite and recreational exercisers, the best approach to preventing potentially serious reductions in blood sodium level is to drink when thirsty, according to an updated consensus statement on exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH).

Pioneering study may explain origin of several digestive diseases The tridimensional characterization of the calcium phosphate formed in the stomach is shown for the first time in a new study, revealing its internal structure, morphology and real functionality. This study has succeeded in taking one more step towards discovering the origin of certain diseases, although there is still a lot of work ahead before we can combat these diseases that would appear to be associated with a calcium deficiency.

Health News:Florida study of rare toxin carried by sport fish ♦ 44 Salmonella cases linked to frozen raw breaded chicken ♦ Targeted nanoparticles can overcome drug resistance

Florida study of rare toxin carried by sport fish underscores consumer warnings A rare toxin carried by barracuda, grouper and other locally caught sport fish sickens Floridians in greater numbers than previously believed, a new analysis suggests. Consuming the food borne toxin, called ciguatera, can result in severe nausea and vomiting and sometimes long-term tingling in the limbs or joint pain.

44  Salmonella cases in Canada linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products The Canadian government is warning consumers about the safety of breaded chicken nuggets, chicken burgers and strips after 44 people have been sickened with Salmonella.

Delivering drugs to the right place For the 12 million people worldwide who suffer from polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an inherited disorder with no known cure, a new treatment option may be on the horizon. A targeted drug delivery method has been developed that could potentially slow the progression of polycystic kidney disease

Computer simulation predicts development, progress of pressure sores A computational model that could enhance understanding, diagnosis and treatment of pressure ulcers related to spinal cord injury has been devised by investigators. The team also described results of virtual clinical trials that showed that for effective treatment of the lesions, anti-inflammatory measures had to be applied well before the earliest clinical signs of ulcer formation.

Targeted nanoparticles can overcome drug resistance in trypanosomes Sleeping sickness threatens millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is considered fatal if untreated, but treatment options are limited. Existing drugs have serious side effects, and the parasites are developing resistance. A study now reports a new way to circumvent drug resistance and lower the curative dose by delivering existing drugs directly into the parasite.

Cancer Research: Blood test for lung cancer a step closer ♦ Researchers define unique group of high-risk lymphoma patient ♦ Breast cancer treatment with fewer potential side effects

Breast cancer treatment with fewer potential side effects has equally good patient outcomes Women diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with a one-week regimen of partial breast radiation after the surgical removal of the tumor, or lumpectomy, saw no increase in cancer recurrence or difference in cosmetic outcomes compared to women who received radiation of the entire breast for a period of up to six weeks after surgery.

Researchers define unique group of high-risk lymphoma patients About 20 percent of follicular lymphoma patients consistently experience their disease coming back within two years of being treated with the latest therapies. New research confirms that patients in this group have very poor survival outcomes; 50 percent die in five years. People who relapse early may have a disease with distinctly different biology and should not be approached the same at diagnosis nor at the time of relapse in terms of therapies

Blood test for lung cancer a step closer Two oncologists and a research scientist are helping pave the way to an easier, more accurate, less invasive way to screen for the most common form of lung cancer. Lung cancer the number one cancer killer in the United States

Treatment with PI3K inhibitors may cause cancers to become more aggressive and metastatic The enzyme PI3K appears to be exploited in almost every type of human cancer, making it the focus of considerable interest as a therapeutic target. However, PI3K inhibitors have only shown modest clinical activity. Now, new research shows that treatment with PI3K inhibitors alone may actually make a patient’s cancer even worse by promoting more aggressive tumor cell behavior and increasing the cancer’s potential of spreading to other organs.

Children's Health: More than a third of children were physically assault ♦ Children from high conflict homes process emotion differently ♦ Infant mortality rates could be lowered

Children from high conflict homes process emotion differently, could face social challenges Children of parents who are frequently in conflict process emotional interactions differently and may face social challenges later in life compared with children from low conflict homes. The findings are based on measuring research subjects’ brain activity during a psychological test.

More than a third of children were physically assault in the last year More than a third of children and teens 17 and younger experienced a physical assault in the last year, primarily at the hands of siblings and peers, according to a new article.

Infant mortality rates could be lowered through improved medicine packaging designs The usage of key medicines in developing countries could be significantly increased through improved packaging appearance.

Interest in child-specific nurse practitioner programs dwindling despite strong job market for graduates While the number of graduates from family or adult nurse practitioner programs continues to rise, student applications to pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner programs are falling

Food Research: Muscadine grape seed oil may help reduce obesit ♦ Sugary drinks linked to high death tolls ♦ 'Fitness' foods may cause consumers to eat more, exercise less

Dietary guidelines for Americans shouldn't place limits on total fat intake Researchers call on the American federal government to drop restrictions on total fat consumption in the forthcoming 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

'Fitness' foods may cause consumers to eat more, exercise less Weight-conscious consumers are often drawn to foods such as Clif Bars and Wheaties, whose packaging suggests that they promote fitness. But according to a new study, such "fitness branding" encourages consumers to eat more of those foods and to exercise less, potentially undermining their efforts to lose or control their weight.

Getting children to embrace healthy food If the packaging has an appealing design, primary school children also reach for healthy foods, a study shows. The method developed in the study can be used, the researchers say, to investigate how the appeal of school milk or whole-grain sandwiches can be increased.

Muscadine grape seed oil may help reduce obesity Most of the seeds and skin from grapes used for wine production winds up in waste streams. But scientists have found that the oil extracted from Muscadine grape seeds produces a form of Vitamin E, which can help reduce fat.

Sugary drinks linked to high death tolls worldwide Consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research. In the first detailed global report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages, researchers estimated deaths and disabilities from diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in 2010. In this analysis, sugar sweetened beverages were defined as any sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks, sweetened iced teas, or homemade sugary drinks such as frescas, that contained at least 50 kcal per 8oz serving. 100 percent fruit juice was excluded.

Immune System Research: New genetic immune disorder identified ♦ Keeping a lid on inflammation ♦ Rare disorder found to have a common form

Rare disorder found to have a common form A hereditary autoimmune disease that was thought to be exceedingly rare may have a less severe form that affects one in 1,000 people or even more, according to new research. The results of this research suggest that a number of different autoimmune diseases and syndromes may be tied to mutations in a single gene. Among other things, these findings may help provide new means of diagnosing and treating autoimmune disorders.

Keeping a lid on inflammation Although critically important for shaping the immune response and maintaining self-tolerance, how regulatory T cells (Treg cells) hold on to their immunosuppressive powers had remained unclear. Now, for the first time, researchers have identified a molecular pathway that maintains the stability and function of Treg cells.

New genetic immune disorder identified A new immune disorder has been identified -- DOCK2 deficiency -- named after the mutated gene responsible for the disease. An international team of collaborators studied five children, four boys and one girl, from different ethnic backgrounds who had experienced debilitating infections early in life. The children were diagnosed with combined immunodeficiency, which refers to a group of inherited disorders distinguished by defects in immune system cells called T cells. CIDs also may affect other cells of the immune system, including B cells

Too exhausted to fight, immune system may harm the body they are supposed to protect An 'exhausted' army of immune cells may not be able to fight off infection, but if its soldiers fight too hard they risk damaging the very body they are meant to be protecting.

Trail Mix and Macadamia Nuts Recalled due to Salmonella contamination

Rocky Mountain Foods, Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Island Fruit and Nut Trail Mix packaged under the Free Range Snack Co. Brand and certain lots of bulk Macadamia Nuts due to possible Salmonella contamination. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis

Consumers who have recently purchased the items with the BEST BY DATES listed below at stores located in AZ, CO, KS, NM, OK, TX, UT, and WY should not consume this product and should return it to the store of purchase for a full refund or replacement.

AFFECTED PRODUCT	PACKAGE SIZE	UPC CODE	BEST BY DATE RANGE
Free Range Snack Co. Island Fruit and Nut Trail Mix	16 oz. Tub	0-76958-55077-5	11/15/2015
Free Range Snack Co. Macadamia Nuts	Bulk	None	4/15/2016 - 5/28/2015

upon routine testing conducted by an FDA-contracted laboratory, the presence of Salmonella was detected in Macadamia Nuts.

Rocky Mountain Foods, Inc. is communicating with distributors and stores that have received the affected product.

Consumers who have questions about the above recall may contact Rocky Mountain Foods, Inc. Customer Service at (303) 371-3511 Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mountain Time.

Canada: Polish dried sausage recalled due to listeria contamination

Old Fashioned Meat & Deli Ltd. is recalling Polish dried sausage from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product was sold at Old Fashioned Meat & Deli Ltd., 532 Cleveland Crescent S.E., Calgary, Alberta.

Recalled products

Common Name	Code(s) on Product	Additional Info
Polish dried sausage	Sold from June 10, 2015 up to and including June 24, 2015	Please note that this product was sold clerk-served without a label or coding. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact the retailer.

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Hearing Impairment in Hispanic/Latino Adults

Hearing impairment is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting adults. It often goes undiagnosed and untreated for years. Having trouble hearing can make it difficult to detect smoke alarms, phones, and doorbells. Hearing loss also can make it hard to have conversations with family and friends, leading to frustration and isolation.

Hearing impairment often goes undiagnosed and untreated for years. Image credit: Sezer66/Thinkstock.

About 15% of American adults report some hearing loss. To determine the prevalence of hearing impairment among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults and identify associations with potential risk factors, a research team looked at data gathered as part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

HCHS/SOL is the largest U.S. study of Hispanic/Latino health. It’s being conducted in 4 cities: the Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego. Participants include more than 16,000 self-identified Hispanic/Latino adults, ages 18 to 74 at first visit. They represent a wide range of backgrounds, including Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and South American. The study has been supported in part by NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Researchers asked participants to listen to tones at different pitches and then averaged the hearing thresholds in each ear at 4 different pitches. A person was considered to have hearing loss if his or her average hearing threshold was louder than 25 decibels (about as loud as the sound of rustling leaves) in at least one ear. Participants’ body mass index, blood pressure, and blood glucose were determined. They completed surveys in English or Spanish regarding education, income, noise exposure, heart disease history, smoking, and other factors that might be associated with hearing impairment. Results appeared online on May 28, 2015, in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery.

The researchers found that 15% of the participants had hearing loss in one ear and that roughly half of these (8%) had hearing loss in both ears. Among different subgroups, Hispanics of Puerto Rican descent had the highest rate of hearing loss, while Mexican-Americans had the lowest.

The prevalence of hearing impairment was higher among participants who had diabetes or prediabetes, males, those 45 years and older, and those exposed to loud noise. Participants were less likely to have hearing loss if they had at least a high school diploma or GED and higher household income. These associations do not prove cause and effect, however. More research will be needed to determine the environmental, cultural, and genetic factors that might be involved.

“Hearing loss can affect a person’s overall quality of life and has been linked to depression and dementia in older adults,” says NIDCD Director Dr. James F. Battey, Jr. “This study paints a detailed picture of hearing loss among a large and diverse group of Hispanic/Latino participants, and could help inform the development of intervention strategies to meet the needs of this growing population in the United States.”

Study Shows Increase in Problem Drinking

Alcohol use disorder, or AUD, is the clinical term for drinking that causes mild to severe harm or distress. Excessive drinking can interfere with school, work, and relationships. It also increases the risk of many ailments, including heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, depression, and certain cancers. Almost 88,000 Americans died from alcohol-related causes between 2006 and 2010, making it the third-leading cause of preventable death.

Alcohol use disorder, the clinical term for drinking that causes mild to severe harm or distress, is becoming more common. Image credit: Kieferpix/Thinkstock.

Doctors and researchers diagnose AUD using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The fifth version of these standards, called DSM-5, was published in 2013. DSM-5 combined 2 different disorders described previously in DSM-IV—alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence—into the single disorder of AUD.

To find out how many Americans meet the criteria for the new diagnosis, a team of researchers led by Dr. Bridget F. Grant of NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) interviewed more than 36,000 U.S. adults. The interviews were conducted in 2012 and 2013. The study, funded by NIAAA and NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), was published online on June 3, 2015, in JAMA Psychiatry.

About 14% of the people interviewed met the criteria for AUD in the past year and 29% at some point in their lives. However, only 7.7% of the former group and 19.8% of the latter sought help with their drinking problems. AUD was more common in men than in women. It was also more common in young adults than in older adults.

To compare changes in the population over time, the researchers examined how many people met the DSM-IV’s criteria for the 2 disorders that were merged into AUD. They found that 12.7% of respondents met those criteria in the past year and 43.6% did at some point in their lives. This was a large increase from survey results in 2001 and 2002, in which 8.5% of respondents met the criteria for AUD in the past year and 30.3% at some point in their lives.

“These findings underscore that alcohol problems are deeply entrenched and significantly under-treated in our society,” says NIAAA Director Dr. George F. Koob. “The new data should provide further impetus for scientists, clinicians, and policymakers to bring AUD treatment into the mainstream of medical practice.”

The researchers say that more research is needed to figure out why rates of disordered drinking have increased. They also call for better prevention and intervention programs

Barbecue and food poisoning in Scotland

Barbecue and food poisoning: how bad habits in the sun put thousands of Scots indoors - The Four C’s from Food Standards Scotland aim to reduce Scotland’s 43,000 annual cases of foodborne illness Thousands of Scots unwittingly put their families at risk of falling ill from a dangerous food poisoning bug by overlooking basic food safety practices when barbecuing.

Foodborne illness causes around 43,000 infections, 5,800 GP visits and 500 hospital admissions across Scotland every year. New research carried out by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) revealed that more than one in four adults (26%) believe washing chicken before it is cooked on a barbecue is the best way to ensure it is safe to eat, but this is a practice that can spread Campylobacter which can be a particularly nasty bug, thought to be responsible for more than half the cases of foodborne illness in Scotland. And 16% of people who cook meat on a barbecue use the same utensils for raw and cooked meat without washing them in between. Nearly one in five of Scots who cook meat on the barbecue (17%) admit to not washing their hands after touching uncooked meat and only just over two in five wash their barbecue every time they use it (41%).

A recent survey showed that around three quarters of fresh chickens sold by major retailers are contaminated with Campylobacter, yet a third of Scots (32%) could not correctly identify the name of the bug that can cause abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, vomiting and at its worst, in very rare cases, can kill. Food Standards Scotland will be at the Royal Highland Show (18-21 June) to spread the word and urge people to stop washing raw chicken to reduce the risk of contracting Campylobacter poisoning.

To help people eat safe this summer, FSS will be sharing its advice on the “Four C’s”, backed by celebrity chefs such as Jean Christophe Novelli to drive home the key steps to safe barbecuing: Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling and avoiding Cross-contamination.

Umbilical cord ‘milking’ improves blood flow in preterm infants

A technique to increase the flow of blood from the umbilical cord into the infant’s circulatory system improves blood pressure and red blood cell levels in preterm infants delivered by cesarean section, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The study, published online in Pediatrics, was conducted by researchers at the Neonatal Research Institute at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns in San Diego, and Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California. It was supported by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

The technique, known as cord milking, consists of encircling the cord with thumb and forefingers, gently squeezing, and slowly pushing the blood through the cord to the infant’s abdomen. For infants delivered by cesarean, cord milking appears to offer benefits over the standard practice of waiting 45 to 60 seconds before clamping and then cutting the umbilical cord. These benefits, which include greater blood flow to and from the heart, higher red blood cell level, and higher blood pressure, were seen only in the infants delivered by cesarean. Among a smaller number of vaginal births, the researchers found no difference in blood volume between infants undergoing cord milking and those undergoing delayed cord clamping.

“The study results are very encouraging,” said Tonse Raju, M.D., chief of NICHD’s Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch. “The findings need to be confirmed in a larger number of births, but at this point, it appears that umbilical cord milking may prove to be of great benefit to preterm infants delivered via cesarean.”

Delaying umbilical cord clamping by 30 to 60 seconds is thought to allow sufficient time for blood from the umbilical cord to fill the blood vessels in the infant’s lungs, Dr. Raju explained in an earlier podcast. Among preterm infants, the delay is believed to protect from intraventricular hemorrhage, or bleeding in the ventricles — the cavities inside the infant’s brain. The hemorrhage is thought to result from low blood pressure, brought on by having too little blood in the circulatory system. Bleeding in the brain may result in developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and in severe cases, death.

However, Dr. Anup C. Katheria, M.D., a neonatologist at the Neonatal Research Institute at the Sharp Mary Birch Hospital and the study’s first author, noted that some studies failed to find a reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage from delayed cord clamping among preterm infants delivered by cesarean. The scientists theorized that the use of an anesthetic in cesarean delivery reduces uterine contractions, and in so doing hinders the exodus of blood from the umbilical cord. Cord milking, they reasoned, might compensate for diminished blood flow through the umbilical cord and increase the amount of blood available to the infant.

The researchers enrolled 197 infants in their study. Mothers went into labor at or before the 32nd week of pregnancy. Of these, 154 were delivered by cesarean, with 75 assigned at random to the umbilical cord milking group and 79 assigned to the delayed clamping group. The 43 infants delivered vaginally also were assigned at random to either delayed clamping or umbilical cord milking.

Of the infants undergoing cesarean deliveries, those in the cord milking group had higher blood flow in the superior vena cava, the large vein carrying blood from the brain to the heart, and a higher output of blood from the right ventricle. The two measures, taken together, are an indication of blood circulation in the brain and body. Infants in the cord milking group also had higher blood pressure and higher levels of hemoglobin—a protein used as an indicator of the quantity of red blood cells.

Cancer Research: Potential new class of cancer drugs developed ♦ Experimental treatment sends deadly leukemia into remission ♦ microRNA may provide therapy against pancreatic cancer

microRNA may provide therapy against pancreatic cancer Cancer researchers have found that a particular microRNA may be a potent therapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer. The need for new therapies for pancreatic cancer patients is great as only 7 percent of people with the disease survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. According to the National Cancer Institute, there will be an estimated 48,960 new cases of pancreatic cancer and 40,560 deaths from the disease in 2015.

E2F4 signature can predict progression of bladder cancer Investigators harnessed genomic data to discover that the previously identified E2F4 signature in breast cancer can be utilized to predict prognosis and response to therapy in bladder cancer.

Experimental treatment sends deadly leukemia into remission An experimental new treatment approach for a rare, deadly leukemia can send the disease into remission even in patients for whom the standard therapy has failed, a pilot study has found. The study is 'proof of principle' the cutting-edge approach could be used to treat many other cancers as well.

Development of new blood vessels not essential to growth of lymph node metastases The growth of metastases in lymph nodes -- the most common site of cancer spread -- does not require the development of new blood vessels, researchers have discovered, potentially explaining why antiangiogenesis drugs have failed to prevent the development of new metastases.

Potential new class of cancer drugs developed A new class of drug developed targets the Warburg effect to cut off cancer's energy supply, and researchers say that it has the potential to stop most kinds of cancer in its tracks.

Woman's Health: In ERs, UTIs and STIs in women misdiagnosed ♦ India's abortion law puts women at risk ♦ Women in developed world still face many barriers to early abortion

In ERs, UTIs and STIs in women misdiagnosed, even mixed up nearly half the time Urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections in women are misdiagnosed by emergency departments nearly half the time, according to research. These misdiagnoses result in overuse of antibiotics, and increased antibiotic resistance.

Women's sport participation and gender equality: African women in the beautiful game Despite a notably high percentage of women in political positions, South Africa has high rates of rape and domestic violence, suggesting poor gender equality, widespread discrimination and male dominance in (South) Africa. New research examines women’s involvement in sport, specifically soccer and its impact on balance of gender power in South Africa on National, community and personal levels.

Women have up to a fourfold increase in risk of stillbirth following a previous stillbirth Women who have experienced a stillbirth have up to a fourfold increased risk of stillbirth in a second pregnancy compared to those who had an initial live birth

India's abortion law puts women at risk, should be changed, experts say Proposed amendments to India's abortion law are 'contradictory' and need 'urgent redrafting' to prevent women from making ill informed decisions and risking their lives with illegal terminations

Women in developed world still face many barriers to early abortion Women in developed countries still find it very difficult to get an abortion in early pregnancy, despite facing fewer legal constraints than in other parts of the world.

Health Research: Light fixture kills bacteria safely ♦ Endogenous proteins as anti-inflammatory agents ♦ New strategies for combating chronic kidney disease,

Light fixture kills bacteria safely, continuously A new light fixture uses Continuous Environmental Disinfection technology to continuously kill harmful bacteria linked to hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The technology behind the Indigo-Clean™ inactivates a wide range of microorganisms that are known causes of HAIs, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C.difficile and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

Endogenous proteins as anti-inflammatory agents In autoimmune diseases and immune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or organ rejection, inflammatory processes take place in the body, triggered by its own immune system. New research is concentrating on a special protein that is thought to play an important role in controlling excessive immune reactions.

Long-acting antipsychotic medication may improve treatment for schizophrenia An injectable drug given every two weeks works better than a daily pill for those who have been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Medically complex patients with Type 2 diabetes could benefit from seeing a specialist soon People recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and who have other serious chronic health issues have less heart disease and lower death rates if they see an endocrinologist within one year of diagnosis.

New strategies for combating chronic kidney disease, other long-term conditions New strategies for using electronic health records (EHRs) to treat patients with chronic kidney disease have been outlined by investigators. Their recommendations may help clinicians and hospitals better manage individual patients with chronic conditions and identify groups of patients most likely to benefit from different treatment strategies.

Health News: Nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws ♦ Food processing impact on chlorate residue ♦ Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs

California approved one of nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws  The California Assembly passed a bill - 5 - June 25 restricting exemptions for mandatory vaccination schedules, negating the State’s personal belief exemption allowing only children with serious health problems to opt out.

More Information of food processing impact on chlorate residue needed An EFSA panel has called for more data on the impact of processing on chlorate residues in food but said total daily intake at the highest estimated amount is unlikely to exceed safe levels. The panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain said the impact of the uncertainties on the risk assessment is large.

Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs The online Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C has been updated to aid practitioners treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is a blood-borne virus that infects the liver and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). In the past 25 years HCV has gone from an undiagnosed disease to an epidemic level, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that up to 150 million people worldwide live with chronic disease.

Fatalistic beliefs may prevent Appalachian women from completing HPV vaccination series Could a fatalistic attitude toward cervical cancer serve as a barrier to prevention of the disease? A recent study suggests a link between fatalistic beliefs and completion of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine series among a sample of young Appalachian Kentucky women.

Scientists identify 'decoy' molecule that may sharply reduce risk of flu death The flu virus can be lethal. But what is often just as dangerous is the body's own reaction to the invader. The immune counterattack can end up harming the body's own tissues, causing deadly damage. Now, a researcher has, for the first time, uncovered new details about how this response plays out. And he has identified a 'decoy' molecule that can rein in this runaway inflammatory response.