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Mini-stomachs created from reprogrammed cells can produce insulin
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareIn a study published this month in Cell, researchers used stomach cells to create "mini-organs" that produce insulin after transplantation into mice. Results from the study show that antral stomach cells demonstrate the ability to convert into functional insulin-secreting cells.
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Ketamine is safe, effective for difficult‑to‑sedate ED patients
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareA small segment of patients presenting to emergency departments with acute behavioral disturbances do not respond to traditional sedation. A new Australian study suggests ketamine is safe and effective sedation for these patients.
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Protecting your crew at an accident or emergency scene
Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityA substantial number of fire department alarms involve accident scenes. These emergencies can involve vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians, utilities or any other type of occurrence that disrupts the normal flow of daily life. As emergency responders, we need to protect ourselves from the external hazards while operating in these environments.
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CDC: 2016 flu vaccine 59 percent effective
Katina Hernandez Medical & Allied HealthcareNo one likes coming down with flu. And at the recent Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices conference in Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released some promising data regarding this year's flu shot. Although flu season is not yet over, the shot has proven to be 59 percent effective, a marked improvement over the 20 percent effectiveness rate of last year's vaccine.
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Treating knee osteoarthritis in younger adults
Heidi Dawson Medical & Allied HealthcareOsteoarthritis (OA) is the "degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone, most common from middle age onward. It causes pain and stiffness, especially in the hip, knee and thumb joints." Knee OA is by far the most common form, affecting approximately 10 million U.S. adults.
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Nurses plan DC rally to promote proper staffing
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationIf you get a group of nurses together, there is one topic they are all likely to agree on instantly — staffing. As the largest professional group in healthcare, they tend to be equated as the largest expense as well.
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New research indicates melanoma patients tend to have few moles
Tammy Gibson Medical & Allied HealthcareIt's commonly thought that people with lots of moles may be at greater risk for developing skin cancer, including melanoma. However, according to a recent study published in JAMA Dermatology, that may not be the case after all.
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Painfully participating in North Dakota
Mark Huber Medical & Allied HealthcareOver the last year, there has been a barrage of negative stories in both the state and national media that basically paint the air ambulance industry as a bunch of robber barons. They say the industry charges exorbitant fees — sometimes in the high five figures — for services and then hunts down and hounds dumbfounded patients for payments, even patients with seemingly good private insurance that didn't cover the flight because the air carrier was "out of network." The good news: You got flown to a higher level of care that saved your life. Of course, now you are going to die of a heart attack when you get the bill.
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Hepatitis C drug pricing issues overshadow effectiveness
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 3.2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C virus, and without treatment 15 to 30 percent of these individuals will develop cirrhosis. Many people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus may not display any symptoms until it progresses to liver damage, which can occur over the span of decades. Others present with chronic HCV, a viral liver disease that has the potential to lead to liver cancer and liver failure.
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HUD wants to snuff smoking in public housing
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIn an effort to prevent smoking-related deaths and the social and economic costs of smoking, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed to ban smoking in all public housing within the United States. If the ban is implemented, it would impact more than 700,000 units of housing.
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