Health Research: Inflammation may hinder wound healing in diabetes ♦ Concentrating pathogenic bacteria accelerates their detection ♦ FDA to remove artificial trans fats

Body's response to injury, inflammation may hinder wound healing in diabetes Scientists have found that they could speed up wound healing in diabetic mice by keeping immune cells called neutrophils from producing bacteria-trapping neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

Mouse with weaker bones, stronger metabolism points toward new diabetes therapies While weaker bones are clearly not a good thing, scientists suspect that, based on a recent mouse study, somewhere in the conversation between the genetically engineered mouse's skeleton and the rest of its body, there may be an answer that helps obese individuals avoid some of the worst ravages of this health epidemic.

Concentrating pathogenic bacteria accelerates their detection Rapidly detecting the presence of pathogenic bacteria is essential in a number of sectors, such as the food or cosmetics industries. To guarantee the absence of these bacteria, it is necessary to block batches for 24 to 48 hours before they are put on the market, which can be a handicap. After first developing a method to count bacteria of interest, scientists are now proposing a new technique to rapidly detect and concentrate cultivable Gram-negative bacteria

Majority of adults favor ban on powdered alcohol, concerned it would increase underage drinking Adults across the country share the same top concern about the new alcohol-on-the-go product: potential misuse among underage youth. Packaged in travel-friendly pouches, powdered alcohol will be available in flavors of distilled spirits like vodka and rum and also mixed drinks. One packet of powdered alcohol mixed with six ounces of liquid creates an instant cocktail.

FDA takes step to remove artificial trans fats in processed foods Based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized its determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS for use in human food. Food manufacturers will have three years to remove

1/20/15 Health News: States to Ban Powder Alcohol ♦ Food Safety Advice to Liver Transplant Recipients ♦ First medical device for obesity treatment ♦

STATES MOVE TO BAN POWDERED ALCOHOL BEFORE IT HITS THE MARKET

Lawmakers in several states want to ban a new powdered alcohol product before it’s even available on the market. “Pacohol” is the brand name for the new powdered alcohol that, when mixed with water, becomes a cosmopolitan, mojito, margarita or lemon drop cocktail. It’s the invention of Arizona entrepreneur Mark Phillips, whose company hopes to... Continue Reading

AFTER MAN’S DEATH, DOCTORS GIVE FOOD SAFETY ADVICE TO LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

After overseeing a routine, uneventful liver transplant in a 52-year-old man in July 2013 at a hospital in Marseille, France, Dr. Catherine Sartor and her colleagues expected him to fully recover without complications. When the patient’s liver condition began worsening five days after surgery, they suspected his body was rejecting the new organ and adjusted... Continue Reading

FDA approves first medical device for obesity treatment targeting brain-to-stomach signaling

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved EnteroMedic’s VBLOC® vagal blocking therapy, delivered via the Maestro® System, which is the first medical device approved for obesity treatment that targets the nerve pathway between the brain and the stomach. The Obesity Society calls this a "a novel device that interrupts signals from the stomach to the brain that are believed to be involved with stomach emptying and feelings of fullness."  Continue Reading

Yak dung burning pollutes indoor air of Tibetan households

Tibet, the highest region on Earth and one of the most remote, is associated with vivid blue skies and the crystal clear air of the Himalayas. During the long cold season, however, the traditional nomadic people spend much of their time in snug dwellings where they cook and stay warm by burning yak dung. Their indoor air can be filled with dangerous levels of fine particulate matter, including black carbon, a new study finds.Continue Reading