Gestational diabetes linked to animal fats, cholesterol
January 27th, 2012 | 
Author: 
Researchers at the NIH and Harvard University found that women whose diets had the highest amount of animal fat and cholesterol were almost twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes than were those who consumed the least amount. However, those who had diets high in total fat or other kinds of fat, but not animal fat or cholesterol, did not show an increased risk.
Posted in 
FDA addresses use of brand, scientific names in ads
A drug's scientific name generally must be mentioned alongside its brand name in online ads, the FDA said in guidance on placement of drug names in promotional material. The guideline aims to address "problems stemming from obscuring the presentation of, or minimizing disclosure of, the established name" of medicines in marketing material, including electronic media.
Space Rock Update
Europe is developing an asteroid shield … but it won’t be in time for the 19-mile wide monster hurtling past Earth next week
Scientists are trying to find a way to protect Earth from the giant rocks which travel around the Milky Way.
Run out of Berlin with funds from the EU, the NEOShield project, which will look for a way to protect earth from the space rocks, is expected to take three years to complete …
The project though is a little late as a chunk of rock 400 times the City of London is set to hurtle closer than a rock of its size has in a very long time.
The asteroid labelled “433 Eros” measures 19 by 8 by 8 miles and is set to pass by next week.
433 Eros
President Obama’s “anger translator” set to premiere on U.S. cable
Heard an amusing story on NPR — For "Black Nerds Everywhere," Two Comedy Heroes — about a new comedy sketch series on cable’s Comedy Central set to premiere January 31st. The comics' (Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele) bit on President Obama’s "anger translator,” some would argue, “angry black man translator,” was hilarious.
They reminded us of this magazine we picked up at a newsstand in Paris the very day Obama was elected. Thought it was also hilarious.
Many RA Patients Inactive Despite [Immense] Benefits of Exercise
More than two of five adults with rheumatoid arthritis were physically inactive at the start of a clinical study, researchers reported.
[Locally injected] steroids may soothe joints for RA patients
It's possible to control local inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by interfering with protein changes in the joints, an international team of researchers found.
A phenomenon known as citrullination — the enzymatic conversion of the building block amino acid arginine into citrulline, which is structurally quite different — is characteristic of inflamed tissues in rheumatoid arthritis, explained Anca I. Catrina, MD, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues.
Local injections of the glucocorticoid triamcinolone decreased the expression of these citrullinated proteins, as was shown on immunohistochemical analysis by a decrease in the median positive staining score from 2 to 1 (P<0.05), the researchers reported online in Arthritis Research & Therapy.