Using microbes to make carbon-neutral fuel
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a new way to train microbes to make a readily usable biofuel. A team of biologists and engineers modified a microbe called Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1) so that it can produce a biofuel using only three renewable and naturally abundant source ingredients: carbon dioxide, solar panel-generated […]
More Work Needed to Clean Up Polluted Drinking Water, Experts Tell House Members
WASHINGTON — Not enough is being done to get chemical contaminants out of U.S. waterways, witnesses and lawmakers agreed during a hearing on challenges to water quality held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. “The last administration needlessly weakened Clean Water Act provisions over rivers, streams, and […]
FDA Issues Orders Clarifying Rules for Marketing Sunscreens
WASHINGTON — The FDA on Friday issued two orders officials say are aimed at making sunscreens safer and clarifying requirements regarding active ingredients, although for now there won’t be any noticeable effect on which sunscreen products consumers see on retail shelves. “Americans can reduce risks from sun exposure with continued use of sun protection measures, […]
Systems approach helps assess public health impacts of changing climate, environmental policies
A team co-led by a Washington State University scientist offers an alternative way to understand and minimize health impacts from human-caused changes to the climate and environment in a new study published in the journal One Earth. Based at WSU Vancouver, lead author Deepti Singh, assistant professor in the School of the Environment, drew on […]
HHS Announces Actions in Response to Texas Law Banning Abortions After 6 Weeks
WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced several actions Friday aimed at protecting reproductive rights in Texas following passage of a bill that outlaws all abortions in the state after 6 weeks’ gestation. “Every American deserves access to health care no matter where they live – including access to safe and […]
Time until dementia symptoms appear can be estimated via brain scan: Alzheimer’s dementia predicted by brain amyloid levels, age
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an approach to estimating when a person who is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, but has no cognitive symptoms, will start showing signs of Alzheimer’s dementia. The algorithm, available online in the journal Neurology, uses data from a kind of brain scan known […]
Doc Groups Seek to Reinstate Ban on Step Therapy in Medicare Advantage
WASHINGTON — Are Medicare Advantage (MA) plans allowed to require patients to go through “step therapy” to get a medication or treatment they need? Yes — for now — but physician groups are trying to change that. “On August 7, 2018, CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) issued a memo to MA plans […]
Biden Urges Docs to ‘Reach Out’ to Unvaccinated Patients About a COVID Shot
WASHINGTON — President Biden on Thursday announced a six-point plan for battling the COVID-19 pandemic and appealed directly to physicians for help in getting more Americans vaccinated. “To the nation’s family physicians, pediatricians, and general practitioners: you’re the most trusted medical voice to your patients,” Biden said in an address in the White House State […]
PhRMA Warns of Dire Consequences if Medicare Allowed to Negotiate Drug Prices
WASHINGTON — Pharmaceutical industry representatives said Wednesday that proposals now being considered on Capitol Hill to lower patients’ prescription drug costs likely will have damaging effects on new drug development and on patients’ access to new medications. As part of a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, “lawmakers want to offset this amount of new spending by […]
Fauci: ‘Dramatic Data’ From Israel Support COVID-19 Boosters
WASHINGTON — COVID booster shots are showing good efficacy in Israel, Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to President Biden, said Thursday at a briefing held by the White House COVID-19 Response Team. Researchers have found that, even with the country’s very high vaccination rate, “we see new PCR-positive infections and new severe COVID cases […]