Author: healthadmin

A proposed plan to address toxic PFAS and 1,4-dioxane pollution in North Carolina is facing growing opposition from environmentalists who say it lacks enforcement and could leave local communities paying the price. The proposal, which is being considered by the North Carolina Environmental Control Commission, would require certain industries and wastewater utilities to monitor their emissions and develop plans to reduce pollution. But critics say they fall short of requiring real cuts. “We’re not holding polluters accountable,” said Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear. “The burden should not be placed on the community to clean this up. The burden…

Exposure to chemicals commonly used to make plastics more flexible may have contributed to about 1.97 million premature births in 2018 alone, more than 8 percent of the global total, a new analysis of the population study shows. Researchers also estimate that the chemical has been linked to 74,000 newborn deaths. This toxin, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is part of a group of chemicals called phthalates that are found in cosmetics, detergents, insect repellents, and other household products. Experts have found that these substances can break down into tiny particles and enter the body through food, air, and dust. The new…

Irish antibiotics specialist Itelm Therapeutics has begun winding down its operations, citing limited funds amid the expensive commercialization of Orinvar, its only approved product. Itelm filed for dissolution in the Irish High Court on March 27th, and a hearing is scheduled for April 13th, the company said. Itelm said its decision was based on its reduced cash supply, its inability to regain its Nasdaq listing and its difficulty finding a buyer for Aurimba, which is approved to treat certain bacterial urinary tract infections but has had “slow sales.” The company’s stock will be suspended from trading starting April 1, according…

You’re reading the web version of DC Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about health and medical politics and policy. Sign up here to get it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Once you get MAGA, get MAHA. Learn about GAHA. News tips (email protected) Or Signal’s John_Wilkerson.07. MAHA’s bad week continues On Sunday, President Trump told reporters that it was “possible” that Casey Means’ stalled nomination for Surgeon General could be withdrawn because key Republican senators have remained silent about their support for him. STAT+ exclusive story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers…

The relationship between testosterone and happiness is weaker than many people think. According to a paper from the University of Gothenburg, although the link to health is clear, increased testosterone levels are not always the key to happiness. Interest in testosterone has increased dramatically in recent decades. It is common for men to seek treatment believing that their fatigue and depression are caused by a lack of testosterone. However, the image of hormones is often simplistic. Data from large studies in the United States and Sweden were used to explore the complex relationship between testosterone levels and health. The study…

The use of artificial intelligence in the revenue cycle management space is accelerating as companies look to leverage this technology to reduce rejections and make financial workflows more efficient. Ensemble says it is taking a unique approach by partnering with enterprise AI company Cohere to build RCM-native large-scale language models designed specifically for healthcare financial workflows. Ensemble is a 12-year-old company that manages end-to-end revenue cycle operations for more than 30 health systems nationwide. Many AI products wrap their prompts around a generic LLM. Ensemble Chief Technology Officer Grant Veazey said that with Cohere, Ensemble saw an opportunity to collaborate…

The bacterium E. coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. But in the search for a vaccine, researchers discovered that the bacterium is more resilient than they thought. Most people have E. coli as part of their gut microbiome. As long as it remains in the intestine, it usually does not cause problems. However, if it spreads to other parts of the body, it can cause infections such as urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. This can be especially serious for older people and cancer patients. Increasingly resistant to antibiotics Many people are given…

When cells are exposed to enough chronic stress, cell division can permanently stop. In this cellular limbo state, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate. Pinpointing the stress factors that cause or accelerate replicative senescence has proven difficult. Now, in a study to be published on March 30th, cell chemical biology, Scientists at the University at Buffalo have uncovered one such stress factor. They showed that impaired transport proteins and accumulation of lipids known as ceramides may help lock cells into replicative senescence. Ceramides, a group of fatty molecules, are produced within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)…

Understanding how the brain works requires more than studying single regions in isolation. The cerebral cortex relies on long-range connections that link specialized areas into coordinated networks. But scientists didn’t have the tools to selectively turn these specific connections “on” or “off” in the animal models that most closely resemble the human brain. New research appeared in cell report method describes a new method developed by scientists at the University of Rochester Del Monte Neuroscience Institute to control specific communication pathways in the brain of the common marmoset, a small primate widely used in neuroscience. This research provides a…

Although judges are not necessarily scientific experts, they are responsible for deciding whether scientific evidence is admissible and for making decisions in scientific cases. That’s why, Reference manual on scientific evidenceThe law, co-authored by the Federal Judiciary Center (FJC) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), was introduced more than 30 years ago to inform judges of fundamental truths in various fields of science. “Lawyers and judges typically don’t have an extensive scientific background,” explains David Feigman, provost and dean of the University of California School of Law, San Francisco. “Having an independent and neutral resource is…