Diagnostics
The next two weeks of a health reform fight may prove pivotal for President Barack Obama"s image and his ability to use his popularity to get things done, The Washington Post reports.
As advocacy groups with a stake in health reform take positions in the health reform debate, their battle lines don"t necessarily observe the boundaries of a given sector, industry or professional affiliation. "Business is far from unified in its lobbying efforts for health-care reform," McClatchy/Chicago Tribune reports. "The disparity dilutes its power and may contribute to a plan no faction wants -- or no plan at all."
Decisions about forgoing care because of the cost for the long-term uninsured have been a way of life, "but for a sizable group, being without a job and insurance is a new, deeply distressing condition," The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SSS)("SCT" or "the Company") has received a No Objection Letter ("NOL") from Health Canada for the modified REGENESIS protocol using NTx®-265 for a Phase IIb clinical trial treating acute ischemic stroke.
A study to be published in the August 2009 edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology sheds new light on how Cogmed Working Memory Training and stimulant medication address working memory impairments in children with ADHD. Working memory, acknowledged as one of the core deficits in ADHD, represents the brain"s ability to hold and process critical information related to the present moment. This study represents the latest findings from a team of independent UK researchers whose ongoing work examines the impact of Cogmed"s software-based training program on individuals with disorders of memory and attention.
Doctors increasingly use email and electronic medical records to improve health care. In an essay in the Los Angeles Times, Rahul Parikh writes about his own experience at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Northern California where they implemented an electronic medical record system in 2006: "...notes, orders and prescriptions are clear and contiguous. There"s no waiting for paperwork. And if a patient of mine shows up in another office across town (remember, Kaiser is an integrated system -- we all share the same computer network), a doctor whom I have never met can see what I"ve written, my patient"s list of problems and what I"ve done for the patient in the past before he or she even sets foot in the room to talk to the patient. Such record systems can alert us to possible medication errors or dangerous drug interactions. They can continuously be updated to identify best practices. And they talk to patients as well, allowing them to access past-visit information and immunization records and to make appointments and send e-mails to their doctor."
NPR reports that California"s $26.3 billion budget deficit is marginalizing seniors who rely on California state-provided health care and service to help them manage their lives.
Eurand N.V. (NASDAQ: EURX), a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops enhanced pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products based on its proprietary pharmaceutical technologies, announced that the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) informed the Company that the Decentralized Procedure (DCP) for registration of Paracetamol 250 and 500 mg Orodispersible Tablets (ODT) in several EU countries has been successfully completed.
HIV infection rates among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in "some African countries are 10 times that of the general male population, and stigma, poor access to treatment or testing are to blame," according to a Lancet study published online on Monday, AFP/China Post reports. University of Oxford researchers looked at published studies to examine HIV prevalence rates between 2003 and 2009. "The difference varies a lot across Africa, but in most of the countries studied," MSM HIV prevalence rates "were substantially higher than among heterosexuals," writes AFP/China Post (7/20).
In a first of its kind study, Scientific American cut through the marketing messages to take a hard look at what countries across the globe are doing to bolster biotech programs within their borders. Many rankings compare Europe, Asia, and the US -- the Scientific American Worldview: A Global Biotechnology Perspective digs deeper, examining all the elements that impact overall biotech innovation. You might be surprised by some of the results.
Every time a neuron sends a signal - to move a muscle or form a memory, for example - tiny membrane-bound compartments, called vesicles, dump neurotransmitters into the synapse between the cells. Researchers report that this process, which is fundamental to the workings of the nervous system, relies on a simple mechanical reality: Tension in the axon of the presynaptic neuron is required.
California and Arizona researchers have identified a gene variant that carries nearly twice the risk of developing an increasingly common type of blood cancer, according to a study published online by the science journal Nature Genetics.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy"s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a fast and efficient way to determine the structure of proteins, shortening a process that often takes years into a matter of days.
Women in Somerset now have a new of expert information and advice available to them as soon as they know they are pregnant.
Every year, 42,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Few live very long, and less than 5% are still alive five years after diagnosis.
Researchers at Brown University and the University of Arizona have determined that variations of three different genes in the brain (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) may help predict a person"s tendency to make certain choices.
Research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute into the mechanics of how two types of white blood cells grow and die is fundamentally changing the development of computer models that are used to predict how immune system cells respond to a pathogenic threat.
Charles Nichols, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has been awarded a grant in the amount of $1.4 million over four years by the National Institutes of Health"s National Institute of Mental Health to find and characterize novel genes involved in psychosis and schizophrenia, using novel research methods.
The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation (Aeras) has announced a new collaboration with The Aurum Institute on the first study to test the AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate for safety in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Aurum will conduct this trial in people living with HIV at its clinical trial site near Johannesburg, South Africa. The Medicines Control Council of South Africa and two Independent Ethics Committees in South Africa have given approval to test the vaccine in South Africa. AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35 has been previously tested for safety in healthy adults in the United States and HIV-negative adults and infants in South Africa.
The former Ghanaian president, John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, has
Stagnation in HIV/AIDS funding and the high cost of new medicines are putting the lives of thousands of poor patients at risk, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mçİdecins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) warned today at the 2009 International AIDS Society conference in South Africa . Patients needing new drug regimens will return to AIDS "death row." While the lack of access to antiretroviral treatment for seven million people remains unaddressed, inadequate financing now further threatens treatment scale-up.
General Practitioners and specialists will be able to prescribe VFEND® (voriconazole) oral suspension for immuno-suppressed adolescents and children following its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2009.
Pharmalucence, Inc., a leading supplier of radiopharmaceutical products, announced that it received approval from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Generic Drugs for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to manufacture and market its Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc-99m Sestamibi Injection. The FDA has determined that Pharmalucence"s Sestamibi Kit is therapeutically equivalent to Cardiolite® 1, an imaging agent used in evaluating myocardial function and to detect coronary artery disease by localizing myocardial ischemia and infarction. The agent is also for use in breast imaging as a second line diagnostic after mammography to assist in the evaluation of breast lesions.
The risk of developing breast cancer due to taking hormone replacement therapy appears to be the same for women with a family history of the disease and without a family history, a University of Rochester Medical Center study concluded.
Researchers have uncovered the first cases in which HIV almost certainly was transmitted from mothers or other caregivers to children through pre-chewed food. The of HIV in the pre-chewed food was most likely the infected blood in the saliva of the people who pre-chewed the food before giving it to the children. The researchers said their findings suggest that HIV-infected mothers or other caregivers should be warned against giving infants pre-chewed food and directed toward safer feeding options.
University of Utah School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center have found strong evidence that abnormal calcium signaling in neurons may play an important role in the development of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), a disorder causing progressive loss of coordination, speech difficulty, and abnormal eye movements. Their findings are published in the July 27, 2009 issue of Journal of Neuroscience.
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students" exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The UK needs a national plan for dementia research or the country will pay the price, the UK"s top scientists are warning today.
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation"s largest, independent medical student organization, is proud to announce the 2009-2010 editorial board for its online international health journal, Global Pulse.
Two large US studies published in a leading journal this month support the already substantial body of evidence that shows choosing to follow a
People with prehypertension are not at increased risk of kidney disease if their body mass index (BMI) is under 30.0 kg/m2, a first-ever examination of the combined effect of blood pressure and body weight on the risk of kidney disease shows.
A damning report from the Care Quality Commission has found multiple failings in inpatient care for patients at West London Mental Health Trust, ranging from sub-standard buildings, overcrowding, lack of staff and insufficient staff training, to failure to implement changes that could help prevent suicides on wards. In some areas, there were long delays in considering changes to help reduce suicide risk, and on one inpatient unit, bed occupancy was regularly running at over 110 per cent, resulting in patients sleeping on sofas due to lack of beds.
The tradition of American physicians handing out free drug samples to
Dietitians of Canada (DC) released a report today describing the integral role played by registered dietitians, as members of multi-disciplinary teams that contribute to promoting and supporting health among Canadians. The Role of Registered Dietitians in Primary Health Care: Moving Forward - A National Perspective presents evidence for the cost-effectiveness of nutrition services in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease.
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, a former president of Ghana, has been named a global ambassador against hunger for the U.N."s World Food Programme (WFP), Xinhua reports. According to the news service, Kufuor will "help to underline the importance of fighting hunger on several fronts - by investing in long-term agricultural development, but also by funding WFP"s work in tackling urgent hunger needs and helping the hungry poor to access affordable and nutritious food" (Ooko, 7/20).
The first large-scale "CombiRX" clinical trial testing the combined use of FDA-approved interferon beta-1a (Avonex®) and glatiramer acetate (Copaxone®) to treat relapsing-remitting MS has just received a $19-million renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health. This is the largest MS trial ever supported by the NIH, with a cumulative investment of more than $44 million. The long-term trial is led by principal investigator Fred Lublin, MD, (Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Multiple Sclerosis Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY).
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals (medication) to treat disease - more specifically, it usually refers to the destruction of cancer cells. However, chemotherapy also includes the use of antibiotics or other medications to treat any disease. This article focuses on chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Cytotoxic medication prevents cancer cells from dividing and growing. When health care professionals talk about chemotherapy today, they generally tend to refer more to cytotoxic medication than others.
Patients would spend less time waiting for medical testing and treatment if the Government introduced Medicare rebates for GP-referred MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and diagnostic testing in GP surgeries, the AMA said today.
NICE has issued guidance to help healthcare professionals to identify children who may have been maltreated. The guidance provides a summary of alerting features that should prompt a healthcare professional to consider, suspect or exclude child maltreatment. Child maltreatment includes neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and fabricated or induced illness.
Commenting on the final biennial report from the Mental Health Act Commission released by the Care Quality Commission, Mental Health Network director Steve Shrubb said:
The Department of Health announced there would be an independent investigation into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and has proposed changes to legislation governing Foundation Trusts.
The largest clinical trial of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for people with HIV infection ever run in Africa has found that regular laboratory tests offer little additional clinical benefit to populations when compared to careful clinical monitoring.
Genetic testing services have recently begun to be advertised directly to the patient, and the results of the consumers" response can affect public health, as well as the future adoption of pharmacogenetic/genomic testing, according to a position paper from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) to be published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The journal is published on behalf of the ACCP by SAGE.
Healthy, normal-weight women pregnant with twins should gain between 37 and 54 pounds, according to research from a Michigan State University professor who helped shape the recently released national guidelines on gestational weight gain.
The anticipated National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) decision on the Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) for Nexavar® (sorafenib) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been delayed, to allow consideration of the patient access scheme, Bayer Schering Pharma has agreed with the Department of Health.
In the new issue of the Developmental Cell journal, a team of scientists at Singapore"s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, report research findings about the molecular mechanisms behind the aging process, which has up till now been poorly understood, that offer the possibility that a novel, pharmacological approach could be developed to combat age-related disorders.
Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd, a specialty pharmaceuticals company, announced today results from a comparative clinical study. The results demonstrate that the company"s two strength Anti-Acne kits achieved pronounced efficacy and markedly improved tolerability. The study will be presented at the 10th International Congress of Dermatology in Prague, May 20-23, 2009.
John Muir Health Foundation, the charitable fundraising organization for all John Muir Health programs and services, has provided funding to enable John Muir Health to purchase two advanced high definition daVinci® Surgical Systems for its Walnut Creek and Concord campuses. Surgeons at John Muir Heath will use the daVinci® "robots" for a variety of minimally invasive urological, gynecological, gynecologic/oncologic and colorectal treatments.
Research conducted in New York City found that children exposed to urban air pollution before birth were more likely to have a lower IQ than
Research by Peter Barnes (Imperial College, London) and colleagues may
The New York State Senate has passed the
Merz Pharma Canada Ltd. announces new XEOMIN® (Botulinum neurotoxin type A) is now available for prescribing to patients with the following serious, debilitating neuromuscular conditions:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding construction companies of their duties to employees after a worker was paralysed in a fall.
A research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood reports that every hour of the day children are inactive adds three minutes to the time it takes them to fall asleep.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons"(AAOS) Board of Directors approved a new clinical practice guideline for the treatment of pediatric diaphyseal femur fractures. Diaphyseal (the shaft of a long bone) fracture of the femur (the bone in the thigh) is a very common childhood injury.
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a novel way to monitor in real time the behavior of the TB bacterium in mouse lungs noninvasively pinpointing the exact location of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The new monitoring system is expected to speed up what is currently a slow and cumbersome process to test the safety and efficacy of various TB drug regimens and vaccines in animals. Plans are already under way for developing a similar system to monitor TB disease in humans.
Registered nurses and hospital workers who provide care at hospitals owned by Tenet Healthcare Corporation organized an unprecedented national protest against attempts to cut their access to sick leave.
Commenting on the tragic death of 22-year-old Gary Reinbach, who died as a result of binge drinking since the age of 13, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
The medical, legal and interpersonal processes involved with a surrogate birth have changed significantly since the controversial "Baby M" case two decades ago, the New York Times reports. In the case, the surrogate was the infant"s biological mother and unsuccessfully sought custody of the child after birth. The Times reports that the legal proceedings in the case helped reinforce the validity of surrogacy contracts, which are now standard practice.Most couples today use a gestational surrogate -- meaning that they have no genetic link to the woman carrying the fetus -- and some choose to maintain friendships with the surrogate after birth. According to the Times, people might choose gestational surrogacy if the woman lacks a uterus, has a malformed uterus, must take medication incompatible with pregnancy, or has had repeated miscarriages or failures at in vitro pregnancies. Male couples or single men might also use this option.Legal protections have strengthened since the Baby M case, although surrogacy remains illegal in some states. State laws also vary in the steps required to ensure that the parents" names, rather than the surrogate"s, are on the child"s birth certificate.Despite an increase in popularity, surrogacy remains "fraught with controversy" over criticisms that compensation to surrogates amounts to "baby selling" and exploitation of low-income women, according to the Times. However, surrogacy advocates say that most women who choose to become surrogates have altruistic motives. Surrogates typically receive between $15,000 and $20,000 as compensation for carrying the pregnancy and undergoing hormonal preparations. The Times reports that reputable agencies and lawyers who specialize in surrogacy help guard against exploitation and spurious motives for seeking a surrogate pregnancy. Prospective surrogates and parents typically undergo psychological screening and legal guidance, and most lawyers require that surrogates meet certain age and health criteria (Brody, New York Times, 7/21).
The F-22 Model For Medicare The Washington Post
OCHA Report Warns Of Possible, New Cholera Outbreak In Zimbabwe
In the first human trial of GlaxoSmithKline"s (GSK) experimental HIV drug S/GSK1349572, the drug was able to reduce HIV to undetectable levels in 70 percent of the 35 patients taking the treatment for 10 days, according to findings presented at the International AIDS Society"s conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Bloomberg reports. The drug decreased the virus in the body "without the signs of resistance linked to treatments from" Merck"s Isentress and Gilead Sciences" Elvitegravir, according to Bloomberg. GSK will begin a larger trial of the drug this month, Sherene Min, the director of clinical pharmacology discovery medicine for GSK, said. Michael Saag, director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama, who is not affiliated with the study, said the scale of viral reduction was "spectacular," adding, "In 10 days to go to undetectable is pretty strong. This thing"s working" (Bennett, 7/21).
Giving daily antiretroviral syrup to breastfeeding infants or treating their HIV-infected mothers with highly active antiretroviral drugs is safe and effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission through breast milk, a study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill investigators has found.
Fecal incontinence (FI) is a normal part of aging, or the perception that no treatment is available. Doctors may fail to comprehend patient hints about diarrhea and FI or may be reluctant to ask about fecal leakage, perhaps because of their own embarrassment or the perception that FI is a trivial concern.
Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) announced that the Genomic Medicine Institute (GMI) at Seoul National University College of Medicine in Korea, purchased seven additional Illumina Genome AnalyzerIIx sequencing systems, expanding the capacity of their recently established Asian Genome Center to 10 Illumina sequencing systems.
Applying biological molecules from cell membranes to the surfaces of artificial materials is opening peepholes on the very basics of cell-to-cell interaction.
Music, rather than electromechanical valves, can drive experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip in a new system developed at the University of Michigan. This development could significantly simplify the process of conducting experiments in microfluidic devices.
The recent H1N1 flu outbreak served as a genuine test of our national public health system"s ability to respond to an emerging public health threat and experts are cautioning that a more severe outbreak could occur in the fall of 2009. Leaders from some of the nation"s foremost public health and medical associations will conduct a briefing for staff members from House and Senate offices on Thursday, May 21, 2009. Speakers will focus on the status of the current public health workforce and efforts needed to sustain workforce capacity to respond to emerging infectious diseases.
Foot & Ankle Specialist (FAS), published by SAGE, has been accepted for inclusion in MEDLINE, the premier bibliographic database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), containing more than 16 million journal article citations.
New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme will assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) for people who are bilaterally deaf (deaf in both ears). Hearing impairment is the most common sensory deficit and it is estimated that there are approximately 688,000 severely to profoundly deaf adults in the UK. According to evidence given to the House of Commons Health Committee, the NHS tariff puts the cost per person of conventional hearing aid provision from appointment and clinic time to use of equipment at about ÷£270. The price of a working BAHA per patient is estimated to be at least ÷£4500.
The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $2.8 million Research Project (RO1) grant to Roswell Park Cancer Institute http://www.roswellpark.org/ (RPCI) researchers to investigate the role of immunological pathways in the development of ovarian cancer.
Every hour of the day children are inactive adds three minutes to the time it takes them to fall asleep, finds research published ahead of print in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Vets are not being adequately trained to deal with the increasing "customer care" expectations of dog-owners, reveals a small study published in this week"s Veterinary Record.
The increasing incidence of terrorist attacks means that doctors in civilian settings, as well as those in combat operations, need training on blast injuries. The issues surrounding these frequently devastating injuries are discussed in a Seminar published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Stephen Wolf, Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA, and colleagues.
The government launches New Horizons, a major new consultation on how we should care for the mental health of the nation for the next ten years. As the current mental health strategy the National Service Framework draws to a close this autumn, New Horizons is a pivotal opportunity to move on from a model of mental health care based solely on delivering medical services, to a cross-government plan that approaches everyone"s mental wellbeing holistically, and considers the impact of social factors such as unemployment and debt.
Earlier this month the University of Wisconsin Cancer Center Riverview became the first medical facility in the world to treat patients with a breakthrough treatment of skin cancer. Located within Riverview Hospital, Wisconsin Rapids, the UW Cancer Center Riverview is the first to treat skin cancer patients with the FDA-cleared Axxent(R) Electronic Brachytherapy System from Xoft, Inc. Electronic Brachytherapy, eBx(TM) , delivers a high therapeutic dose to a cancer tumor while sparing nearby normal tissue by using a miniaturized X-ray rather than radioactive isotopes.
Most cancers are rare in people with Down syndrome, whose overall cancer mortality is below 10 percent of that in the general population. Since they have an extra copy of chromosome 21, it"s been proposed that people with Down syndrome may be getting an extra dose of one or more cancer-protective genes. The late cancer researcher Judah Folkman, MD, founder of the Vascular Biology Program at Children"s Hospital Boston, popularized the notion that they might be benefiting from a gene that blocks angiogenesis, the development of blood vessels essential for cancer"s growth, since their incidence of other angiogenesis-related diseases like macular degeneration is also lower. A study from Children"s confirms this idea in mice and human cells and identifies specific new therapeutic targets for treating cancer.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, removes himself from Sen. Max Baucus"s bipartisan health reform talks in the Senate Finance Committee, leaving six centrist senators in what used to be called "the coalition of the willing." And, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., says President Barack Obama"s August deadline is unworkable.
A new survey suggests that "most Americans support an overhaul of the health system, but the percentage who believe they (and their family) will be worse off from the change" has gone from 11 percent to 21 percent in the past five months, Kaiser Health News reports. "The survey, conducted July 7 to July 14 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found 56 percent of Americans say now is the time for the country to overhaul the health system. That"s down from 61 percent in June." (note: KHN is a program of Kaiser Family Foundation).
Vitamin D may slow the progressive decline in the ability to breathe that can occur in people with asthma as a result of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) proliferation, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Researchers "believe they have found a "missing link" in the evolution of the virus that causes AIDS," based on findings from a
The Alabama Department of Corrections has expanded to all inmates a re-entry program that provides newly released inmates with HIV/AIDS "with information on obtaining licenses [and] other documents and preparing for returning to life outside prison," the AP/USA Today/Montgomery Advertiser reports (Hunter, 7/22). "In the past, prisoners at the end of their sentences were sent back into the free world with minimal assistance, not the in-depth services the inmates with HIV and AIDS had received," according to AP/WZTV.com. The expanded Alabama Prison Initiative will allow all inmates to enroll in classes that provide them with "practical tips" and guidance "that will hopefully help keep them from returning," the AP/WZTV.com reports (7/22). AIDS Alabama CEO Kathie Hiers said, "We"ve seen it help so much in the HIV community. They"re smart to take a good program and expand it" (Hunter, 7/22).
Researchers from Rhode Island Hospital"s department of psychiatry propose that the definition for major depressive disorder (MDD) should be shortened to include only the mood and cognitive symptoms that have been part of the definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for the past 35 years. Their recommendation would exclude those symptoms that are currently part of the definition that may be associated with medical illness rather than depression. The proposal is based on a study that appears in the July 23 online first edition of the journal Psychological Medicine.
The Natural Products Association (NPA) announced that Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., has been appointed interim executive director and CEO of the organization effective August 3. Fabricant has served as vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs with NPA since December of 2004. As was previously announced, David Seckman, who has headed the association for more than nine years, will be leaving at the end of the month to lead the Food Processing Suppliers Association.
In her 1984 boot camp graduation photo, Adrienne Fitts is smiling. Her hair is neatly groomed, her Navy cap and dress whites are spotless and she is regulation fit and trim.
A combination of biochemical and MRI markers will allow improved measurement of osteoarthritis (OA) progression. The biomarkers, described in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy, will be useful for the design and interpretation of trials of new disease modifying drugs.
An event to mark the celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UQ Ipswich Campus and the launch of UQ"s teaching of Medicine at UQ Ipswich will be held today, Friday, July 24, 2009.
With many British families packing for their annual summer holiday, basking Britons could face a cloud on the horizon this summer with many unaware of how to check for skin cancer, research from Friends Provident reveals.
Need another reason to commit to a healthy diet and exercise? Think migraines are just headaches? Migraine and obesity sufferers feel more emotional pain than those dealing with life-threatening conditions like congestive heart failure, prostate cancer, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. In fact, they tend to feel more pessimistic than those diagnosed with depression.
In a commentary published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, doctors discuss the types of information pregnant women would welcome and why the advice provided to women by doctors is considered trustworthy.
A method of reducing the impact or symptoms of anaphylactic shock has been identified by university researchers.
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that their first cooperative group-sponsored randomized Phase II trial in advanced metastatic breast cancer met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival. The study evaluated Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets in combination with the oral chemotherapeutic, capecitabine, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER-2 negative breast cancer. Study findings demonstrated that the median progression-free survival was extended in patients treated with Nexavar and capecitabine compared to patients receiving capecitabine and placebo. These results were statistically significant (p-value = 0.0006). In this trial, the safety and tolerability of the combination was as expected and did not show any new or unexpected toxicities. A complete data analysis from this study is expected to be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting.
The number of human cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is still increasing substantially in many countries, even in countries that have already been affected for some time. Our understanding of the disease continues to evolve as new countries become affected, as community-level spread extends in already affected countries, and as information is shared globally.
Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is a condition that results from the swelling of the linings of the lungs and chest. The pleural cavity (area between lungs and inner chest wall) is created by two lubricated surfaces called pleura, the inner pleura lining the lungs and the outer lining the chest wall.
The New York Times spoke to several families as they watched President Obama"s Wednesday night news conference. Thirty-six year old Craig Brown found that the event, meant to explain and gain support for health reform proposals, left him with many questions. He and his wife "remain frustrated by the lack of available detail about his plan"s contours and cost. They say they feel they are being asked to buy on spec from a government they do not trust. ... A similar unease was apparent in three other living rooms where families gathered to watch the news conference."
A new drug that targets a master disease-causing gene can dramatically reduce heart muscle damage after a heart attack and may lead to significantly improved patient outcomes, UNSW researchers have shown.
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston say one organism discovered during their study may unlock the key to what causes colic, inconsolable crying in an otherwise healthy baby.
Half of all Americans will be diagnosed at some point in their lives with cancer, the number two killer in the United States. One of the most common types, especially among women, is breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, 192,370 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, and more than 40,000 women will die from the disease this year alone.
The air in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics was cleaner than the previous year"s, due to aggressive efforts by the Chinese government to curtail traffic, increase emissions standards and halt construction in preparation for the games, according to a Cornell study.
Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates, according to a report in the May issue ofArchives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A successfully completed electronic health record pilot project at Randolph Medical Center in
Merck Serono announced that it is seeking a European license for cladribine, its oral therapy that is in late-stage clinical trials for relapsing remitting MS.
Oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament"s Health and Sport Committee on the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill has now begun. This Bill proposes to ban the use of tobacco vending machines and to ban the display of tobacco products.
In light of health care reform measures, Rush University Medical Center has launched a study of its program to help older adults transition from hospital to home.
Continuing efforts to help its members form lasting and profitable partnerships and pre-empt disputes in veterinary practice, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has revised its "Guide to partnerships in veterinary practice". It will be of particular interest to vets buying into a partnership for the first time and will also be helpful to partners revising their existing agreement.
The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found only a few mistakes in the genetic blueprint, suggesting the cancer arises from just a handful of missteps, according to new findings from St. Jude Children"s Research Hospital. The research appears in the July 27 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The current economic recession has prompted more women in California to seek health care -- including routine gynecological exams, contraceptives and abortions -- at clinics and family planning agencies, the Los Angeles Times reports. Many of the services, such as contraception and abortion, are related to avoiding or ending pregnancies as women experience job losses and subsequent loss of insurance coverage amid the recession, according to the Times. For example, Planned Parenthood clinics report that they are performing a record number of abortions, while other women"s health agencies report higher call volumes, more visits and additional requests for abortion funding. Clinic officials also report that women increasingly are switching their contraceptive methods to longer-term options than can last five to 10 years.According to the Times, the increased demand for reproductive health services -- particularly abortions funded by Medi-Cal, the state"s Medicaid program -- are putting a strain on some clinics. In addition, paying for an abortion can be difficult for women who already are struggling financially. The Times reports that as women attempt to raise the money for abortions, thereby postponing the procedure, the cost increases from about $450 during the first trimester to $1,200 during the second trimester. Delays in abortion funding also can cause more difficult choices for some women. Destiny Lopez -- executive director of ACCESS, a group that helps low-income women seeking reproductive health care -- said that some women who decided to terminate an early pregnancy are forced to decide between a second-trimester abortion or continuing an unwanted pregnancy because of funding delays. "It"s not like women are making these decision at the drop of a hat," she said, adding, "They are considering their life situations."Stephanie Poggi, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds, said, "We are seeing poor women get poorer and we"re also seeing low-wage women become poor," adding, "The economy is definitely having an impact. ... We see a greater demand for assistance." According to clinic officials, pregnant women who call in for assistance increasingly are considering the costs of raising a child when deciding how to proceed with their pregnancies. Lopez said, "Women are really having to make thoughtful decisions whether now is the right time to get pregnant or not."According to a recent Gallup Organization survey conducted on behalf of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly one in 10 married women reported that the recession is a contributing factor in a decision to postpone a planned pregnancy; one in five women reported being more concerned now than one year ago about an unintended pregnancy; and about one in five women reported being more conscientious about using contraceptives (Yoshino, Los Angeles Times, 5/20).
Does posting calories on restaurant menu boards help Canadians make healthier food choices and possibly prevent obesity? Dietitians of Canada says yes - providing nutrition information in restaurants, including calorie and nutrient content of food served, is one step that may help promote healthier choices. However, a review of the evidence on this issue by Dietitians of Canada (DC) underscores the fact that there are no simple solutions to the complex issue of obesity prevention; a variety of approaches are needed. One such solution is to ensure that settings in which food choices are made, including restaurants and fast-food establishments, support healthy eating. Longer term evaluation of these types of labelling initiatives are needed before we can say whether providing calorie and nutrient information in these settings will affect obesity rates.
Striking differences in the risk factors for developing heart failure (HF) and patient prognosis exist between men and women. Men and women may also respond differently to treatment, raising concerns about whether current practices provide the best care and reinforcing the urgency for sex-specific clinical trials for HF, according to a review article published in the August 4, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
A recent audit by the U.S. Agency for International Development"s inspector general has "raised questions about several USAID expenditures" on a number of "faith-based" projects initiated during former President George W. Bush"s administration, a Los Angeles Times editorial says. Among other issues, the report highlighted "the use of instructional materials, including biblical references," in an HIV/AIDS prevention program that promoted sexual abstinence in Africa, the editorial continues. It adds that USAID said that it "stopped allowing "religiously infused" curricula after the Justice Department expressed legal qualms."According to the Times, the issue raises several questions, including whether the U.S. Constitution is "violated when U.S. officials abroad ... endorse religious activities in the furtherance of this nation"s foreign policy." It states, "Our answer is no, but policymakers still need to be cautious about mixing religion and diplomacy" (Los Angeles Times, 7/24).
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces regarding President Obama"s commencement address at the University of Notre Dame. Summaries appear below.~ Cal Thomas, Washington Times: "Put aside the question of whether" Notre Dame should have invited President Obama to speak at its commencement ceremony on Sunday and "[f]ocus, instead, on [his] remarks and whether he is serious, or can be made so, about actually reducing the number of abortions in America," syndicated columnist Thomas writes in a Washington Times opinion piece. "Don"t put aside, however, the argument that there is only one reason to even want to reduce the number of abortions and that is that what is being killed, terminated, evacuated (choose your term) is, in fact, human life," Thomas adds. "In speaking of "original sin," the president hit upon why abortion has been so easily tolerated for so long," he writes, adding that Obama "spoke of "self-interest" and "crass materialism" but did so in the context of economics, not abortion." Thomas reports that Obama called for making adoption ""more available"" and providing ""care and support for women who do carry their children to term."" Thomas notes that Obama"s speech also included "an appeal for discussion and respect for people with different views," which was "a good beginning, but the ending is what counts, and the initial actions of this president when it comes to abortion and stem cell research have not been pro-life" (Thomas, Washington Times, 5/19).~ Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times: After his commencement address at Notre Dame, "it"s now clear that the president is the rhetorical equivalent of a "money player,"" which is the "kind of competitor who steps up and delivers in the big games," Rutten writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece. Notre Dame"s invitation for Obama to speak at commencement and receive an honorary degree "bec[a]me an engine of controversy" because of protests from "reductionists," or conservative Catholics "who insist on bringing the broad sweep of Catholic social morality down to a single issue -- abortion," Rutten writes. However, Obama "negotiated the situation with remarkable ease," Rutten continues, adding that Obama was "speaking … to three audiences far from South Bend on Sunday." The first audience was the "crucial bloc of Catholic voters who seem to be looking for ways to remain in the Democratic Party," he writes. In addition, Obama was speaking to "those Catholic Democrats in public office ... who are under intense pressure from the reductionist bishops in their home dioceses" and to the U.S. Senate, which will likely ask Obama"s Supreme Court nominee about his or her views on abortion during confirmation hearings, Rutten continues. He concludes, "Even in Washington"s charged partisan atmosphere, it will be hard to ignore the president"s call for civility at Notre Dame" (Rutten, Los Angeles Times, 5/20).~ Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Obama "appropriately promoted" the "ability of adversaries to work together on mutual interests" in his commencement address, Page writes in a Tribune opinion piece. Page adds that the speech was "classic Obama the pragmatist: Look past ideology, try to ignore disagreements and work together on mutual interests." Obama said that "at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable," Page writes, adding that it is "because Americans hold no values more dear than "life" and "choice."" Page adds that "[i]n the abortion debate, those values clash head-on." However, Obama"s "eloquent come-together oratory enabled him to leave the university like a hero, even though he glossed over the thorny specifics that drive wedges between people of goodwill when words are hammered into law," Page continues. "For now, by focusing on civility, the president apparently hopes to defuse the abortion powder keg long enough to address his higher priorities," Page writes, concluding, "The economy, national security and health care are going to be tough fight
The Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP) is calling for the pneumonia vaccine to become an official part of India"s required list of immunizations, the Times of India reports. According to the newspaper, Nithin Shah, chairman of ASAP India chapter, said there is an "immediate need to take steps to control and prevent pneumonia morbidity and mortality," which is the leading cause of death among children younger than age five in India, according to international child health experts (7/26).
The AP/KTVZ.com examines how after years of strained relationships between the "military-run nation" of Myanmar and international donors that led to a large reduction in HIV/AIDS funding, donors are considering reinvesting in the country"s HIV/AIDS programs. According to AP/KTVZ.com, "Myanmar receives only about $3 per capita in aid, compared with $23 for Vietnam and $50 for Laos."
In Chicago, 17.4 percent of gay men are estimated to be HIV-positive, compared with 1.2 percent of the general male population, according to a new report by the Chicago Public Health Department, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The report is based on data collected from 570 Chicago men through the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system, and found that half of the men with HIV were unaware they were infected (Thomas, 7/25). "Health officials said Friday, information in the report on HIV infection mark the first time Chicago health officials have used blood-testing to determine infection rates among men," the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. In the past, estimates have relied on interviews with gay and bisexual men, according to Christopher Brown, the Public Health Department assistant commissioner. The report also found that "black men who have sex with other men have double the HIV infection rates of white and Hispanic men," the AP/Tribune reports (7/24).
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have solved the mystery of why some children are more susceptible to malaria infection and anemia. These novel findings suggest that some children who are exposed to Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria before birth become tolerant to the malaria parasites, or their soluble products. This tolerance, which persists into childhood, reduces the ability of the immune system to attack and destroy parasites and increases the susceptibility of these children to develop a malaria infection. It also increases their risk for anemia. The study, published in this week"s issue of the open access journal, PLoS Medicine, is led by Indu Malhotra, Ph.D., and Christopher King, M.D., Ph.D., professor of international health, medicine, and pathology, with their colleagues at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and their Kenyan colleagues at the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Division of Vector Borne Diseases.
Anemia in very elderly people aged 85 and older appears to be associated with an increased risk of death, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), July 28 - August 1, 2009, the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, finds that assisted reproductive techniques alter the expression of genes that are important for metabolism and the transport of nutrients in the placenta of mice. The results underscore the need for greater understanding of the long-term effects of new assisted reproductive techniques in humans.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday began marking up a bill (S 982) that would allow FDA to regulate tobacco products, CongressDaily reports. The bill would allow FDA to place larger, color warning labels about the health risks of smoking on cigarette packs, as well as to regulate the marketing of tobacco products and advertising to children. The agency could not ban tobacco products or eliminate nicotine from cigarettes, but it could regulate their production and ban flavored cigarettes other than menthol. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) said, "Over the years, this bill has been reviewed; it has been vetted; it has been debated, over and over and over again. The time has come to act." The House in April passed its version of the bill, 298-112 (Hunt, CongressDaily, 5/20). The committee by voice vote approved an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that would give FDA priority to review products that contain nicotine, such as candies. Committee ranking member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) proposed two amendments, one that would have given regulatory authority over tobacco to CDC and another that would have ordered FDA to study which flavors to ban, instead of a current provision that bans specific flavors. Both amendments were defeated. Enzi said, "I think the FDA is the wrong regulator. It approves cures, not poisons." The only Democrat who opposed the bill was Sen. Kay Hagan (N.C.), who said the measure would harm the tobacco industry in her home state (Armstrong, CQ HealthBeat, 5/19). The panel"s other member from North Carolina, Sen. Richard Burr (R), said he would filibuster the bill. He said, "I put my fellow senators on notice: This is something that will be a much longer time on the floor than it will be in this hearing" (CongressDaily, 5/20). The committee plans to continue marking up the bill Wednesday and possibly Thursday.The Obama administration has expressed its support for the bill (CQ HealthBeat, 5/19). FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg also has said her agency should regulate tobacco (Armstrong, CQ HealthBeat, 5/18).
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, and Action Duchenne, a leading UK charity dedicated to increasing awareness, engendering action and raising funds to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), today announced a collaboration to support the acceleration of research and development for AVI"s exon skipping candidate drugs for the treatment of DMD.
People who are rewarded for making correct decisions learn quickly. While
Nanoparticles are being developed to perform a wide range of medical uses -- imaging tumors, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat. Rather than settling for just one of these, researchers at the University of Washington have combined two nanoparticles in one tiny package.
Evidence buried in the chromosomes of animals and plants strongly suggests only one group -- mammals -- have seen their genomes shrink after the dinosaurs" extinction. What"s more, that trend continues today, say Indiana University Bloomington scientists in the first issue of a new journal, Genome Biology and Evolution.
It is widely known that the brain perceives information before it reaches a person"s awareness. But until now, there was little way to determine what specific mental tasks were taking place prior to the point of conscious awareness.
For physiotherapist Associate Professor Michele Sterling, treating whiplash is all about thinking outside of the box.
President Barack Obama will join AARP leaders and members tomorrow for the next in a series of national tele-town hall meetings on the need for quality, affordable health care choices for every American. The Association"s town hall meetings have now reached nearly one million of its members and volunteers nationwide.
Doctors are being reminded that assisting a suicide is illegal in England and Wales and that they should not give advice to patients to help them travel abroad to take their own lives.
The International Diabetes Federation African Region (IDF Africa) launched a critical action plan today to address the escalating threat that diabetes poses to the region. The plan identifies three key areas of action: government, primary healthcare and the community, defining a clear step-based strategy for tackling diabetes and implementing the UN Resolution on diabetes in Africa. IDF Africa is now calling for immediate adoption and implementation of the action plan, to tackle a disease which if not addressed soon has potential to threaten the viability of many African economies.1
Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLSN) and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 2267) announced that Celsion"s global Phase III ThermoDox trial for the treatment of primary liver cancer will be extended to Japan by Yakult"s expertise. This is an important step towards a potential application to market the drug in Japan. Yakult Honsha is the exclusive licensor of Celsion"s ThermoDox in Japan.
Expanded results of a study conducted on children with eye cancer (retinoblastoma) shows that chemotherapy delivered through endovascular (through the vessel) means not only successfully cures the cancer in a majority of cases, but achieves this cure with preserved vision. Study outcomes were presented this week at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) 6th Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, FL by lead author Pierre Gobin, Professor of Radiology in Neurosurgery and Neurology at the Weill Cornell Medical Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.