Chicago’s mold count is 49,789 just a few spores away from the 50,000 threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning. Today’s mold count is the highest of the season, and the highest in five years. “Headaches, sinus congestion, runny noses and fatigue will be common among Chicagoans,” says Dr Joseph Leija, allergist at Loyola’s Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Dr…

Abnormal eye movements and other sensorimotor and neurobehavioral impairments appear common in unaffected family members of individuals with autism, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The study of epigenetics has undoubtedly emerged as one of the hottest fields of research over the past decade. Interest in epigenetics has arisen as researchers endeavor to reveal the underlying causes of phenotypic variation and common diseases despite technological advances allowing for the characterisation of genetic variants and their heritability…

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun a major round of feeding in Niger for 670,000 young children and their families as part of an emergency operation to reach as many as 8 million food-insecure people in the drought-stricken West African country.

The South Bend Chocolate Company, South Bend, Indiana, is recalling 174 1-lb bags of Bountiful Blend, a blend of chocolate covered mixed nuts and dried fruits, because it contains undeclared cashews, almonds, pecans, and Brazil nuts.

Teva Respiratory announced positive results from a Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) Nasal Aerosol in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). The study met all efficacy endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant benefit as compared to a placebo.

Two University of Iowa biologists have published a paper on how cells make specific interactions during development — in the hope of one day learning more about human developmental disorders — in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

New research from the US suggests that trauma in childhood such as experiencing abuse or a serious stressful event like losing a parent is linked to a shorter lifespan and weaker immune system later in life, and that the immune impairment even adds to that caused by the stress of caring for a family member with dementia.

Women with elevated stress levels might be less likely to get pregnant, according to a study published recently in the journal Fertility and Sterility USA Today reported today.

As more young people arrive on campus with pre-existing conditions and a willingness to seek medical help, the incidence and prevalence of severe mental illness among college students in the USA has increased significantly over the past ten years. Details of a study were presented at the 118th American Psychological Association Annual Convention in San Diego.

NPR: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a new rule Monday that aims to make it easier for troops who return from battle to get the PTSD support they need. “Veterans will no longer have to prove that a certain attack, bomb explosion or event in a combat zone triggered post-traumatic stress. It’s a change that most agree has been a long time coming…

DBV Technologies (DBV), a biotech company specializing in food allergy with innovative products for diagnosis and treatment, announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

The criminalization of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Asia is holding back efforts to contain HIV/AIDS in the region, according to a report presented Wednesday by the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) and Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health at the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, VOA News reports.

A new US study found that giving children drugs for malicious reasons, which is not classed as a form of child abuse and perhaps should be, is an under recognized national problem. A report on the study, by Dr Shan Yin from the University of Colorado in Denver and the Rocky Mountain Poison Drug Center at Denver Health, is about to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics…

Few colleges and college communities have taken steps to implement recommendations to reduce college student drinking, according to a new study released by researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Alcohol consumption by U.S…

Organizations attending the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010 highlighted the plight of HIV-positive earthquake survivors in Haiti who are “still waiting for aid promised to them before” the quake as rebuilding efforts slowly move along, Agence France-Presse reports. AFP notes the sentiments of some of the organizations’ representatives…