Month: July 2014

King of Pops, a Charleston, South Carolina, maker of fruit ices, is recalling mislabeled banana pudding pops and Key lime pie pops because they may contain allergens, the company said on Wednesday. The confections may have the allergens milk, wheat, egg, and/or soy, and some of them are undeclared on the label, the company said in a statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

WASHINGTON (AP) — No batteries required: Scientists are creating a biological pacemaker by injecting a gene into the hearts of sick pigs that changed ordinary cardiac cells into a special kind that induces a steady heartbeat.

Mexico said Tuesday it will restrict TV ads for soft drinks, snacks and other high-calorie foods in a bid to tackle rampant obesity. With immediate effect, such ads will be banned from open air and cable TV from 2:30pm to 9:30pm during the week and from 7:00am to 7:30pm at weekends. In total, 40 percent of advertising seen until now each year for soft drinks and other high-calorie products will vanish from Mexican TV, the health ministry said. Mexico is the world's largest consumer per capita of sugary drinks, at 163 liters per year.

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Researchers have succeeded in turning ordinary cardiac muscle cells into specialized ones that deliver a steady heartbeat using a gene therapy procedure they predict could become an alternative to implanted electronic pacemakers.     A study published on Wednesday involved pigs with a condition called heart block that makes their hearts beat too slowly. By injecting a human gene into a tiny region of the heart’s pumping chambers roughly the size of a peppercorn, the researchers reprogrammed heart muscle cells into a type of cell that emits electrical impulses to drive the beating heart.     In doing so, cardiologists at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles created “biological pacemaker” cells that restored a normal heart rate in the pigs. The procedure achieved the same result as implanting an electronic pacemaker that sends electrical pulses to the heart if it beats too slowly or skips a beat.     “This development heralds a new era of gene therapy where genes are used not only to correct a deficiency disorder but actually to convert one type of cell into another to treat disease,” Dr. Eduardo Marbán, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and leader of the research team, told reporters.     The researchers noted that pig hearts are very similar to human hearts.

By Caroline Copley ZURICH (Reuters) – Roche’s experimental drug crenezumab failed to delay a decline in thinking and memory skills in people with Alzheimer’s disease, a result likely to bolster a growing belief that drugs need to be given in earlier stages of the disease to show a benefit. Results of a Phase II study involving 431 patients found crenezumab failed to significantly slow cognitive and functional decline compared to placebo, missing the study’s two main goals, Roche said in a statement on Wednesday. Carole Ho, director of Early Clinical Development at Roche’s biotech unit Genentech, told Reuters she was encouraged by the data, even though it missed its main goals, since it demonstrated that treating the disease earlier could increase the benefit. Ho said Roche would decide on any future plans for additional clinical studies following an analysis of the data in conjunction with health authorities.

We can accomplish transformation in any number of ways, but I favor using our intent — our purpose, ambition or desire — as a force that makes us succeed when our negative thoughts or others tell us that we cannot.

Whenever you set out to do something great and difficult, count on fear to rear its head. The first step in outsmarting your fear is to recognize its many disguises. See how many of these sound familiar.

If you’re trying to actually do a good job on something, it might be a good idea to hide your phone and make yourself invisible on Gchat. Past research shows that in an office, an employee can be interrupted as many as six times an hour. And it’s no secret that interruptions make you take longer to complete a task. But researchers from George Mason University wanted to know how interruptions can affect quality of work — after all, if interruptions cause a delay, but not worse work, there may be an argument that they aren't so detrimental to office

I just finished reading a great article on Today.com Health. The article questions the benefits of fitness bands — which have become all the rage. Starting with Fit Bit a few years ago, a plethora of companies has come out with interpretations of fitness bands. I do agree with the position stated by a spokeswoman for Fitbit: "Ultimately the success of our products comes from empowering users to accurately see their overall health and fitness trends over time," she said. …

FARNBOROUGH England (Reuters) – Aircraft, engine manufacturers and suppliers are announcing new business at this week’s Farnborough Airshow, the world’s largest. Here are some highlights: > Airbus launches new A330neo with U.S. lessor Air Lease Corp as launch customer with a memorandum of understanding for 25 A330-900neo aircraft. > Airbus also signs firm order for 60 A321neo aircraft with Air Lease Corp. > Boeing confirms an order with Monarch Airlines for 30 737 MAX 8 jets that will see the British airline ditch current supplier Airbus. …