Public Health
Cases of type 1 diabetes in children under five years across Europe will double by 2020 (from 2005 levels) if present trends continue. Numbers in children older than five will also increase substantially. The findings are discussed in an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Chris Patterson, Queen"s University, Belfast, UK, and Prof Gyula Soltē©sz, Pē©cs University, Pē©cs, Hungary, and colleagues.
Long-term complications of critical illness include intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness and neuropsychiatric disease - both of which could be related to the immobilisation caused by sedation. An Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet has found that interrupting sedation in the earliest days of treatment to give critically ill patients physical and occupational therapy leads to better outcomes than standard care.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) recently became the first non-profit health care provider in the country to achieve an internationally recognized standard for effectiveness and efficiency in software development. Achievement of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 2 rating is based on a rigorous appraisal methodology from Carnegie Mellon University"s Software Engineering Institute.
Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) and its subsidiary Tissue Repair Company (TRC) announced a presentation entitled "Phase 2b Study of GAM501 (Ad5PDGF-B/Collagen) in the Treatment of Diabetic Ulcers" at the Late Stage Industry Clinical Trials Symposium at the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) Annual meeting in San Diego, California, on May 27, 2009. Dr. Barbara K. Sosnowski, Cardium"s Vice President of Biologics Development and the Chief Operating Officer of Cardium"s Tissue Repair Company Operating Unit, provided an update on TRC"s Phase 2b MATRIX clinical trial and the new formulation of the Excellarate(TM) product candidate, as well as an overview of the prior clinical study of Excellarate.
Taking ginger supplements with standard anti-vomiting drugs beforehand can reduce the nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy treatment
President Obama is "right to push for [health care] reform now, despite calls to postpone efforts solely on the economic recovery," a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial states. According to the editorial, cost-cutting initiatives proposed by industry groups earlier this week "may not amount to anything" because they are voluntary and "providers" past efforts at containing costs have failed every time." However, the groups" vow to reduce future health care spending by $2 trillion "shows how much fat and waste is in the system," according to the Inquirer. The editorial also states that the "most assured means of tamping down costs while providing greater access to health coverage could be through" a government-run public health insurance option. In addition, Obama "needs to warm to the idea of requiring that all Americans obtain health insurance," in order to spread out the cost of care, the editorial continues. The editorial concludes that "it"s encouraging that Obama doesn"t plan to let a couple of wars and a recession sidetrack him from his pledge to reform health care and expand coverage to all Americans" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/14). Opinion Piece
Millions of Baby Boomers are struggling to care for their aging parents. Many don"t know where to turn or even what their options are in making important decisions about senior care facilities for their parents.
HeartCare Cardiovascular Specialists in Libertyville, IL has expanded their CVIS capabilities with a new DigiNet Pro system. This system will provide the site with web access enabling users to have full CVIS capability from anywhere at anytime.
Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces on President Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Summaries appear below.~ William Kelley, Boston Globe: With Democrats holding the majority of Senate seats, Sotomayor "will almost certainly be the next associate justice;" however, it is "essential for Republicans to assert themselves" and "insist on the time necessary" to vet Obama"s nominee, Kelley -- professor at Notre Dame Law School and deputy counsel to former President George W. Bush during the confirmation process for Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito -- writes. In making a case against Sotomayor, Republican leaders "would be better advised to question President Obama"s own standard for what he was looking for in a nominee, which was a judge with "empathy,"" Kelley writes, adding that Obama"s approach is "demonstrably at odds with the rule of law and Republicans should not hesitate to say so." Kelley writes that the GOP "should aggressively make the case that the judge"s voice should be the voice of the law, which doesn"t depend on the race or sex of the judge," adding that Republican senators "should feel free to vote no if they aren"t convinced" that Sotomayor will decide cases "according to the rule of law" (Kelley, Boston Globe, 5/27).~ David Frum, American Public Media"s "Marketplace": Sotomayor "will certainly face questioning about Roe v. Wade ... and other hot-button issues at her confirmation hearings," but senators should focus instead on asking more questions about business, bankruptcy and tax law, Frum, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, says in a "Marketplace" commentary. He continues that Obama "has talked of his desire for "empathy" in his nominees. Yet ironically, with this judicial pick, he has confirmed a trend toward judges whose experience of business law is abstract and academic -- who do not know what it means to explain to a client that what was a secured debt yesterday is not a secure debt today." He adds, "A little empathy for the people who make America"s economy go. How about that for a change?" (Frum, "Marketplace," American Public Media, 5/27).~ Linda Greenhouse, New York Times: The Supreme Court "is a dynamic institution whose component parts are always, although not always visibly, in motion," author and former Times Supreme Court correspondent Greenhouse writes, adding that despite Sotomayor"s "stirring life story and impressive resume, what we really want to know is how she will fit into this mix of ideology, personality, principle and politics." Greenhouse continues that regardless of whether Sotomayor"s decisions "make a difference" in the outcome of court cases, her nomination "comes at a special moment: the first projection of the remarkable 2008 election onto a Supreme Court that has so often in these last few years appeared headed in the opposite direction from the country." Greenhouse concludes that whether Sotomayor "proves to change the way the incumbent justices see the world, it will, at the least, change the way the world sees the Supreme Court" (Greenhouse, New York Times, 5/27).~ Jonah Goldberg, Tribune/Kansas City Star: Obama"s "insistence that the "quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people"s hopes and struggles" is the key qualification for a Supreme Court justice" is in conflict with the oath of office that Sotomayor will take if she is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, Goldberg writes in a Tribune/Star opinion piece. In addition, the White House has been touting "Sotomayor"s "American story" of humble origins," which it claims "best prepares her for the high court because it shows "she understands that upholding the rule of law means going beyond legal theory to ensure consistent, fair, common-sense application of the law,"" Goldberg writes. He continues, "There"s nothing wrong with empathy, but Obama has something specific in mind when he talks about it," which is that "[j]udges must administer justice with
Summaries of recent developments related to health care overhaul appear below.
An increasing number of U.S. residents "are on the outside looking in to a world of [medical] progress and discovery that is denied to them because they cannot afford quality health care," Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) writes in a Boston Globe opinion piece. He writes that he is "thrilled" to be working with lawmakers on health reform legislation "that will build on what"s already working and fix what"s broken" in the current system.According to Kennedy, health reform legislation "will include five major elements":
Interson announces the launch of the SeeMore USB Ultrasound Imaging probe. Inexpensive and portable, SeeMore probes plug directly into the USB port of a laptop, netbook, or desktop computer. General purpose and specialty probes are available for a wide range of clinical applications including: abdominal, OB/GYN, bladder scanning, emergency, vascular access, small parts, musculo-skeletal, nerve blocks, endocavity (prostate, transvaginal) and more, and range in frequency from 3.5 MHz to 24 MHz.
Brits taking advantage of last-minute credit crunch deals to tropical destinations could be seriously risking their health, according to a survey of over 1,000 UK travellers.1
Mice carrying a "humanized version" of a gene believed to influence speech and language may not actually talk, but they nonetheless do have a lot to say about our evolutionary past, according to a report in the May 29th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.
Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction. Researchers from the Universitē© de Montrē©al and the University of Western Ontario analyzed the drinking habits of Canadians and found that frequent alcohol consumption can lead to binge drinking among all gender and all age groups.
In what could be a major pharmaceutical breakthrough, research published online in The FASEB Journal describes how scientists from St George"s, University of London have devised a one-two punch to stop HIV. First the report describes a new protein that can kill the virus when used as a microbicide. Then the report shows how it might be possible to manufacture this protein in quantities large enough to make it affordable for people in developing countries.
Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) have been found in sewage sludge, a by-product of waste-water treatment frequently used as a fertilizer. Researchers writing in the open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica point out the danger of antibiotic resistance genes passing into the human food chain.
Yale University researchers have discovered a set of cellular chaperones needed to assemble a proteasome, the cellular workhorse that recycles proteins and is crucial for the existence of all eukaryotic cells.
Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new
A new study appearing in Congestive Heart Failure has found that the presence of anemia in patients with chronic heart failure is associated with a significantly increased risk of death. The findings also show that anemia is associated with a poorer degree of left ventricular function and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, an objective measure of cardiac function.
A new combination therapy of daily consensus interferon (CIFN) and ribavirin is effective for some people with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) who do not respond to standard therapy. The treatment works particularly well in interferon-sensitive patients who have lower fibrosis scores, according to a new study in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience.
Tobacco is the only consumer product which is grown and available legally and is lethal for human beings. At the current rate, the number of smokers dying every year in the world is likely to reach (10 million) 1 crore by 2020.
The journal Human Reproduction reports the results of a survey which shows that ART (Assisted Reproduction Technology) is now responsible for 250,000 babies being born worldwide every year. The IFFS (International Federation of Fertility Societies), which represents most of the world"s fertility societies, has issued the following quote, which can be used as background material for any article on the Human Reproduction survey. This quote is embargoed to coincide with the Human Reproduction survey.
The Centre for Epidemiological Studies into Sexually-Transmitted Diseases and AIDS in Catalonia (CEEISCAT) started a pioneering study in Spain in 2005 to look into the prevalence of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) among female sex workers (SWs). The objective was to monitor the rates of infection with both HIV and other diseases over time, as well as the prevalence of risky behaviour.
In response to industry demand, VIBevents is proud to announce the launch of the industry"s first virtual clinical trials event, ClinicalTrialsArena.com, which will bring together the leading decision makers within the pharma and biotech industries.
Video images of advanced dementia can help patients choose the type of care they want in the future, finds a study published on bmj.com today. The images also led to more stable treatment preferences over time.
BMA Scotland has published a series of briefing papers providing evidence to support further legislation to crack down on tobacco promotions and ban cigarette vending machines in Scotland. The BMA is calling on MSPs to support the proposals contained in the Tobacco and Primary Medical services (Scotland) Bill and urging them not to be swayed by the "scaremongering" tactics of the tobacco industry and retailers.
Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq:INCY) announced that based on recent input from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Incyte"s request for a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for INCB18424 for patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF), it is clear that the most appropriate single primary endpoint for Incyte"s U.S. Phase III trial is the proportion of treated patients achieving a 35% reduction in spleen volume as compared to patients receiving placebo.
At a time when breast augmentation tops the list for U.S. cosmetic surgical procedures, women are still left choosing between either the safety of saline or the natural result of silicone gel. Plastic surgeons are now looking to offer the best features of both in the revolutionary new technology of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Saline-filled Breast Implant. A clinical trial is launching this month in select markets nationwide, giving some women the opportunity to be among the first to have this new implant.
Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a charitable initiative for new cancer treatments, has selected the Cancer Metabolism "dream team" led by Agios founder Dr. Craig Thompson and including Agios advisors Drs. Chi Dang and Joshua Rabinowitz. Cancer Metabolism is one of only five research areas chosen to share in $73.6 million in translational research funding, based on a rigorous selection process by independent scientific advisors assembled by SU2C"s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Cancer metabolism is a new and exciting field of biology that represents a breakthrough understanding of how cancer cells become addicted to using more nutrients than normal cells to ensure their survival and growth. This new understanding of a fundamental mechanism of cancer represents a powerful Achilles" heel to target this deadly disease.
The combination of chemotherapies 5FU and oxaliplatin compared to 5FU alone after surgery for colon cancer decreases colon cancer recurrence and promotes longer survival for patients under 70 -- but not for those who are older, according to Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists who presented their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology"s (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Perceptive Informatics, the industry"s leading eClinical solutions provider and a subsidiary of PAREXEL International Corporation (Nasdaq: PRXL), announced the launch of a website designed to help investigators apply the new 1.1 version of RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) in medical imaging-based oncology trials.
By observing the pattern of activity in the brain, scientists have discovered they can "read" whether a person just heard words spoken in anger, joy, relief, or sadness. The discovery, reported online on May 14th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, is the first to show that emotional information is represented by distinct spatial signatures in the brain that can be generalized across speakers.
APS Healthcare, a leading provider of specialty healthcare solutions, has been selected by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Medical Assistance Programs, to manage its statewide Medicaid disease and medical care management programs. The integrated program will assist Oregon"s Medicaid and SCHIP fee-for-service clients to access healthcare, minimize catastrophic health events and improve health outcomes through education and interventions that help promote behavior change.
Many cases of age-related neurodegenerative disease fall into the gray zone between big, defined diseases - Alzheimer"s or Parkinson"s, for example. Their diagnostic accuracy is low, researchers agree. That"s a problem, because mixed disease is not only common, but also quite different in its course from pathologically "pure" disease. (Mixed disease is often worse.) But there"s also excitement and opportunity. The large overlap between established neurodegenerative diseases is ripe for scientific exploration, and recent advances at the genetic, clinico-pathologic, and molecular levels have turned it into a dynamic area of research. In particular, diseases such as Dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementias are drawing intense interest as biomarker development branches out beyond Amyloid beta and tau, holding out a future where molecular-based diagnoses can define the pathogenic proteins that together drive a given person"s individual disease.
Results and updates from eight studies were presented during a late-breaking trials session at Heart Failure 2009. Reviewing them at a press conference, Professor John McMurray, President of the Heart Failure Association, described the trials" objectives and main implications.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) have identified eight genes that help predict a melanoma patient"s response to treatment. The new findings are being presented at the 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), May 29 to June 2, in Orlando, Fla.
As the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States continues, researchers are examining whether early parent and child behaviors contribute to the problem. A study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, published in the May/June 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior reports that mothers who miss signs of satiety in their infants tend to overfeed them, leading to excess weight gains during the 6 month to 1 year period.
Aetna, Cigna and Humana ranked highest nationally on criteria including speed of health claim payments and fewest claims denied, according to the 2009 PayerView Rankings, the Boston Globe reports. The rankings -- prepared by Athenahealth in collaboration with Physicians Practice management journal -- evaluated 172 national, regional and government payers in 40 states.According to the data, insurers paid physicians an average 5.3% faster in 2008 and denied an average of 9% fewer medical claims compared with 2007 figures. On average, national health insurers paid physicians in 33 days and denied 9.2% of claims.According to the Globe, the rankings reveal some of the obstacles that can result from the complexities and bureaucracy involved in the medical billing process, with each insurer operating in different ways. Jonathan Bush, chair and CEO of Athenahealth, said, "This is the biggest problem we have in health care -- the inability to close supply chains and to practically and tactically connect doctors with payers and patients," adding, "These connections are broken" (Weisman, Boston Globe, 5/28).
Congressional lawmakers who are crafting a plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system might be able to look to state health insurance programs in Massachusetts and Tennessee for ideas, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Health reform legislation modeled after Massachusetts" near-universal health insurance law "is likely to emerge" in Congress, "although details remain unsettled," the AP/Star Tribune reports. The plan also could include components of Tennessee"s CoverTN program, which charges beneficiaries who smoke or are overweight higher premiums. Lawmakers in the Senate already have discussed a lifestyle tax funding mechanism, such as taxes on alcohol and sugary beverages. According to AP/Star Tribune, Massachusetts "chose to cover virtually everyone," while Tennessee "chose to get just a few more people bare-bones insurance at a budget price with limits on how much plans would pay for hospital stays."Alan Weil of the National Academy for State Health Policy said, "The belief that we should all have health insurance coverage is broadly held," but "there are tremendous differences around the country in beliefs on how to achieve that goal." He added, "We learn from Massachusetts that a bold objective matters. If it can be sustained, that"s terrific," and "[i]t would be nice if you had a southern state that had achieved universal coverage and did it in a different way, but we don"t have that" (Johnson, AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 5/28).
Doctor David Werring, from The Stroke Association"s Expert Advisory Panel said:
A University initiative to commercialise novel business ideas and inventions has secured its first two licensing agreements and attracted a further ÷£400,000 in funding.
As the best drugs become increasingly resistant to superbugs, McMaster University researchers have discovered a completely different way of looking for a new antibiotic.
XClinical, a European vendor of innovative software products for eClinical trials, is presenting CDISC based tools for an End-To-End clinical process at the 45th DIA Annual Meeting in San Diego, USA.
Sodexo (PARIS:SW) (OTCBB:SDXAY) received two awards at the inaugural Professional Training Evening held May 25 in Paris: the "Best Training Strategy" award and the Favorites Award for "Successful vocational rehabilitation." The culmination of a 75-company competition, the event was organized jointly by France"s National Association of Human Res Directors (ANDRH), Professional Training Federation (FFP) and Association of Trainers and Training Managers (GARF).
In response to reports of an increase in the number of serious complaints to the Department of Health and Ageing"s Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS), Ged Kearney, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Federal Secretary said the Australian government must make Australia"s nursing homes a priority.
Computer scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have developed a new way of cloning facial expressions during live conversations to help us better understand what influences our behaviour when we communicate with others.
A dog born with a deadly disease that prevents the body from using stored sugar has survived 20 months and is still healthy after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida - putting scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Bristol, using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and the Exeter Family Study of Childhood Health, have identified a common genetic variant that explains why some women may find it more difficult to quit smoking during pregnancy.
UCLA scientists have linked for the first time intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage in mice, a finding that may lead to the early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which increase risk for several types of cancer.
The Pima County Health Department is releasing additional
Health professionals caring for patients with acute post-operative pain can improve pain management with a new drug use evaluation toolkit developed by the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS).
A report released by the consumer health organization Families USA spotlights a growing crisis among insured families, as rising health care costs devour a growing portion of their pre-tax income.
Unwed pregnant teens and twenty-somethings who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to obtain abortions than their peers from public schools, according to sociological research published in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Bird flu virus remains infectious up to 600 days in municipal landfills
Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, one of the few U.S. doctors who performed the procedure later in pregnancy, was shot and killed Sunday at his church in Kansas, the New York Times reports. Tiller, who ran Women"s Health Care Services, was believed to be one of about three doctors in the country who provided abortion services to women in the third trimester of pregnancy under certain conditions, according to the Times. He was a longtime target for protests from antiabortion-rights groups and, in recent years, had endured multiple legal challenges from the groups and antiabortion-rights officials seeking to shut down his practice through prosecution (Stumpe/Davey, New York Times, 6/1). The Washington Post reports that Kansas resident Scott Roeder is considered a suspect in the shooting and was taken into custody. According to the Post, Roeder "is known in antiabortion circles as a man who believes that killing an abortion doctor is justifiable" (Slevin/Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). The killing further intensifies attention on abortion-rights issues at a time when the Supreme Court nomination and the controversy over President Obama"s recent speech at the University of Notre Dame have brought the debate to the forefront, the Post reports (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). In a statement, Obama said he was "shocked and outraged" by the murder (Simon/Bustillo, Wall Street Journal, 6/1). "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said. Abortion-rights supporters said Tiller"s death would leave few options for women in need of abortion later in pregnancy. Peter Brownlie, president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said, "This is a tremendous loss on so many levels" (New York Times, 6/1). The Post reports that Tiller is the fourth abortion provider to be killed since 1993 and the first since 1998. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, "Dr. Tiller"s murder will send a chill down the spines of the brave and courageous providers and other professionals who are part of reproductive health centers that serve women across this country" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). NARAL New York President Kelli Conlin, said, "It is cold-blooded, vicious actions like today"s assassination that make it hard for those of us in the pro-choice community to find common ground with those on the other side" (Abcarian, Los Angeles Times, 6/1). Center for Reproductive Rights President Nancy Northup said that Tiller was "willing to be a very public, forthright and brave defender of women"s right to abortion," adding that he "put himself out front as a defender of women"s reproductive health care" (Welch, USA Today, 6/1). Abortion-rights opponents also condemned the murder, saying that they do not condone violence as a means to further their cause, USA Today reports. Troy Newman, director of Operation Rescue, which had been working to pressure Kansas" medical licensing board to revoke Tiller"s license, called Tiller"s death "a setback for the cause," adding that he "will likely be seen as a hero from the pro-choice perspective" (Bello, USA Today, 6/1). Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the antiabortion-rights group Susan B. Anthony List, said she condemned "this anti-life act in the strongest of terms" (Wall Street Journal, 6/1).
A program aimed at reducing criminal behavior in juvenile justice teens has yielded a surprising side benefit. The program is also reducing the teens" rate of pregnancy, according to a new study out this week.
A study in the June 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, suggesting that as with adult SDB, metabolic factors are important risk factors for childhood SDB.
Data presented at the 2009 American Transplant Congress
A team led by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) compared the genes of 730 men who had developed testicular cancer with the genes of healthy men. They found many of the men who had suffered cancer shared common DNA variants on chromosomes 5, 6 and 12 that the healthy men did not have.
Dr Alexis Willett, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says:
Causal inference is challenging in all non-experimental studies because of the possibility of hidden bias. Hidden bias may exist as a result of failure to control for unobservable factors, such as doctors" practice/prescription patterns.
Congress is returning from its Memorial Day recess Monday with plans to begin examining proposals in earnest for what health care reform in America will look like, The Associated Press reports.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, affects almost three percent of people over age 65. RA patients experience pain, functional limitations and two forms of disabling bone disease: focal erosions and osteoporosis. After five years of disease, up to 50 percent of RA patients show evidence of focal erosions and RA doubles the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. A new study examined the relationship between these two RA-related processes, in the hopes of providing insight into the underlying pathophysiology of RA-related bone disease. The study was published in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a gene that may play a key role in regulating tumor progression in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer usually found in young children. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to inhibit the expression of this gene.
If you want a safe way to take your dog with you on bike rides, the Springer dog exerciser might be the perfect answer.
Using a lawn mower can be as routine as bike riding or barbeques during spring and summer. But often, people find themselves in terrifying situations with these seemingly safe household machines. In fact, 200,000 people - 16,000 of them children - are injured in lawn mower-related accidents each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. However, lawn mowers don"t "attack" on their own. Most injuries - such as severed fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken bones, burns and eye injuries - are caused by careless use and can be prevented by following a few simple safety tips.
Michelle Obama Can Highlight "Disproportionate Impact" of HIV/AIDS on Women, Girls During Africa Visit
A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University researchers reports that amniotic fluid surrounding Down syndrome fetuses shows oxidative stress, a condition that could harm fetal cells and play a role in affected individuals. The results demonstrate secondary adverse consequences of Down syndrome and suggest potential prenatal therapies.
CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN) reported three data presentations from its ongoing clinical trials of CR011-vcMMAE, an antibody-drug conjugate that targets GPNMB, in patients with advanced breast cancer and melanoma at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.
MedSolutions, a leading provider of medical cost management services, will highlight its groundbreaking solution - Premerus(SM) Diagnostic Accuracy - during America"s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Institute 2009. An industry first, Premerus is a nationwide program that dramatically reduces healthcare costs and improves patient care by leveraging the proven advantages of subspecialist expertise to increase diagnostic accuracy.
CSC (NYSE: CSC) announced that it has expanded its FirstPortfolio solution"s business process outsourcing (BPO) capabilities to include fully integrated Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) reporting for healthcare payers. FirstPortfolio provides users with a collection of applications hosted and maintained by CSC.
A troubled county jail, where hundreds of lawsuits have stemmed from mistakes in managing the inmates" health information, would be a perfect testing ground for electronic medical records, the Arizona Republic reports. But Maricopa County officials have not acted on repeated recommendations to implement such a system, "even when faced with hundreds of lawsuits and the loss of accreditation for CHS operations."
Pennsylvania and Illinois are expanding health insurance options for for young adults.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today wrapped up his health care outreach tour where he visited Austin, College Station, Tyler, Odessa, Temple and Houston to discuss different aspects of the health care debate and learn about common-sense practices that are working on the local level as well as fresh ideas for him to take with him to Washington, D.C.
(DH) Health Minister invites delegates to visit tomorrow"s world:
Jamaica has already achieved some U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets and is "on track" to attain five more, according to a report that mapped the country"s progress toward the MDGs, the Jamaica Observer reports.
LAMAL USA today announced the long-awaited North American launch
Early results of a trial found that a new drug that targets a genetic mutation found in over half of melanoma cases and some other cancers caused
The same techniques used to detect suspicious activity in airports, stadiums and other public places are now being used by the UCF researcher who invented them to find and measure potentially life-threatening brain tumors.
Nearly one percent of the population suffers from bleeding disorders, yet many women don"t know they have one because doctors aren"t looking for the condition, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Older people in Britain are being drugged and robbed when they need care.
Monoclonal antibodies can be safely and successfully used for the treatment of several gastroenterological disorders according to data being presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®) 2009. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
"There is weak and inconsistent evidence that the use of fluoride supplements prevents dental caries [cavities] in primary teeth," according to a systematic review of fluoride supplement research published in the November 2008 Journal of the American Dental Association.
External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI), according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
A closer look at regulatory and clinical concerns with generic immunosuppression medications in thoracic transplantation is required, according to an educational advisory by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, published by Elsevier.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) has announced that it is working with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Public Patent Foundation to bring a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and should be invalidated. Individuals with certain mutations along these two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a significantly higher risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.
A recent clinical trial - led by Goshen Center for Cancer Care - has yielded promising results for the future use of a cancer vaccine. One of the first studies to prove vaccines might have a medical benefit against cancer, study results found the new cancer vaccine doubled the response rate for tumor shrinkage as well as delayed the progression of cancer in patients with metastatic melanoma.
ASD Centers, LLC has expanded the clinical study started in the Dallas, Texas area to include other locations. This study is designed to examine mitochondrial dysfunction and how L-carnitine supplementation affects behavior, cognition, muscle strength, and health/physical traits in those with a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett"s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes damaged by stomach acid and transformed into something like the inside of the stomach. New research finds that radiofrequency ablation -- an endoscopic procedure involving targeted thermal energy -- was very successful at restoring the esophagus and reducing risk for cancer.
2010 marks the centenary of the International Psychoanalytical Association, the worldwide accrediting and regulatory body for psychoanalysis which was founded by Sigmund Freud and colleagues in 1910. Freud also established a number of free clinics in Europe, and one of those still in operation today is the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis.
Three patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center were among the first in the United States to be implanted with a next-generation artificial heart pump called the DuraHeart™ Left-Ventricular Assist System. The surgeries took place earlier this year. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is one of only three centers in the U.S. currently enrolling patients in a clinical trial studying the device.
The Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture have today that five prestigious cord blood transplantation centers in Spain, three in Barcelona and two in Valencia, have joined the ExCell study.
A national Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study led by a Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center physician at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee has found that a course of radiation therapy to the brain after treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer reduced the risk of metastases to the brain within the first year after treatment. The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Orlando, June 1.
Results from a number of clinical trials were presented during the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in Chicago this week, revealing new outcomes data related to endoscopic radiofrequency ablation using the HALO ablation system for eradicating a pre-cancerous esophageal condition known as Barrett"s esophagus. Among them, reports included durability outcomes from a randomized sham-controlled trial, safety and efficacy outcomes from a large U.S. registry of 429 patients, a randomized trial comparing ablation to endoscopic resection, and the largest European series to date in patients with high-grade dysplasia and early cancer.
Researchers from the Brigham and Women"s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have released a 22-year study that reports Hispanic patients have poorer outcomes following infrainguinal bypass grafting for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Results showed that of all the study participants, Hispanics had a higher rate of bypass graft failure and amputation after revascularization compared to Caucasians. In an analysis that accounted for a myriad of important variables affecting limb salvage after bypass, Hispanic ethnicity was found to be independently predictive of eventual amputation. Details of the study appear in the Society for Vascular Surgery"s(R) June 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery(R).
PRACE arranges a networking session during ISC"09. The session "PRACE: HPC for scientific
Several newspapers on Wednesday published editorials and opinion pieces responding to the shooting death of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, who was one of the few physicians in the country providing care for women in need of the procedure later in pregnancy. Summaries appear below.Editorials~ Boston Globe: Although officials are calling Tiller"s murder ""the act of an isolated individual," ... the generalized culture of violence and hate in the antiabortion movement that feeds the fanaticism of disturbed individuals with guns is not so easily explained away," a Globe editorial states. The editorial notes, "Many responsible abortion opponents, including Americans United for Life, condemn the killing," but "other so-called pro-life leaders insist on finding a moral equivalence between Tiller"s murder and abortion." The editorial continues, "Also victimized by Tiller"s murder are the anguished women who have sought late-term abortions because their pregnancies have gone horribly wrong." According to the editorial, the "sad irony" is that these procedures "are not a matter of "choice,"" as the "overwhelming majority of these women desperately wanted their children to be born." It adds, "Tiller"s brave and compassionate care saved the lives of these women and their futures as mothers." In his speech last month at the University of Notre Dame"s commencement ceremony, President Obama "called for people of good will on both sides of the abortion issue to bridge the divide," the editorial states, concluding, "An end to the hateful rhetoric over issues of faith that lead unhinged individuals to murder would be a good place to start" (Boston Globe, 6/2).~ USA Today: Tiller"s "insistence" on continuing to practice, despite protests and threats of violence, "was remarkably courageous," but, "[r]egrettably, threats by antiabortion activists have worked all too well," a USA Today editorial states. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the number of abortion providers has decreased by 40% since a peak in 1982, and 87% of U.S. counties have no provider, forcing many women to travel long distances to obtain care, the editorial says. "Mainstream pro-life groups should not be blamed for the actions of a suspected killer who appears to have lurked in the violent and twisted fringe of the movement," the editorial continues. However, the "braying of cable TV hosts," such as Fox News" Bill O"Reilly, "and activists such as Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry contributes to a climate of intolerance that can encourage deranged individuals," the editorial says. According to USA Today, "Thwarted in legislatures and courts, some antiabortion activists are achieving with intimidation and harassment what they can"t through the political process," but "[r]egardless of personal beliefs about abortion, authorities have an obligation to protect those providing and receiving abortion services, and to prosecute those who harass or threaten them." The editorial concludes that "Tiller"s death will only be compounded if it frightens away more doctors and makes a legal procedure even harder to come by" (USA Today, 6/3).~ Washington Post: Tiller"s death "is a tragedy for his family, his patients and his profession," and "[i]t should serve as a wake-up call that more must be done to ensure that women have access to this legal procedure," a Post editorial states. "It is unclear how this violence has affected decisions by health care providers," according to the editorial. However, it is clear that "the number of places where women can go for abortions has been declining since 1982," and "[v]ery few are performed in hospitals -- a sign that mainline medicine is not living up to its responsibility," the editorial says. The editorial notes that Attorney General Eric Holder "is offering U.S. Marshals Service protection for abortion clinics and the doctors who staff them," concluding, "It"s the right call, but one that underscores the urgency of coming up with better solutions for the delive
"With a health reform at the top of the Congressional and White House agenda, it"s prime time for industry lobbyists," Roll Call reports. But, because details of the anticipated reform package have not yet emerged, industry winners and losers remain largely unknown. Lobbyists are forced to accept clients despite their incomplete knowledge of client needs, and are struggling to anticipate conflicts of interest before they arise, according to the article. "There are so many different players at the table, and right now not knowing whose ox is likely to get gored and at whose expense... the best we can do is try and anticipate conflicts and be clear with our clients in advance," one health care lobbyist told the paper. "We certainly would not lobby on both sides of an issue. It"s also entirely possible conflict may emerge in the next two to six months, and we hope we don"t have to make hard choices" (Ackley, 6/3).
June 1, 2009: Citalopram (Celexa), a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to a multi-site clinical trial guided by lead author Bryan H. King, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seattle Children"s Hospital and professor and vice chair of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Because citalopram is also prescribed for patients with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), these study results may challenge the widely held premise that repetitive behaviors in children with ASD are similar to repetitive behaviors often found in cases of OCD. The study "Lack of Efficacy of Citalopram in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and High Levels of Repetitive Behavior" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
Vietnam recently published a report tracking its progress towards the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, which outlines the health ministry"s work with other government and international agencies, Vietnam News reports.
InSite Vision Incorporated (OTCBB:INSV) announced that Bausch & Lomb has received approval of Besivance™ (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension) 0.6% for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis ("pink eye") in patients one year and older from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Besivance™ is formulated with InSite Vision"s DuraSite® technology, a synthetic polymer delivery vehicle that enhances the retention time of the drug on the surface of the eye.
More than 17 percent of gay men in Chicago have HIV, and 39 percent went untested in the last 12 months because of fear of the results, according to a study of nearly 600 gay men in the city by the Chicago Department of Health, the Chi-Town Daily News reports. The study also found that gay black men had an infection rate that was more than twice the rates of gay white and Hispanic men. Jim Pickett, director of advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, said the findings indicate that, "We need to incorporate HIV into a broader or more holistic framework (covering) gay men"s health needs from top to toe." The city will formally release the study"s results next week (Parker, Chi-Town Daily News, 6/2).
The Western North Carolina AIDS Project recently launched a media campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and its effect on those living with the virus, as well as the community, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports. The "I Need You to Know" campaign, which will include a set of commercials featuring area residents talking about HIV/AIDS, will serve as a starting point for other prevention efforts (Boyd, Asheville Citizen-Times, 6/3).
A simple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test involving breathing oxygen might help oncologists determine the best treatment for some cancer patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
A study published online in PLoS Pathogens reports that researchers at Columbia University, the South African National Health Laboratory Services, the US Centers for Disease Control, and 454 Life Sciences have discovered a new virus that is responsible for a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Zambia and South Africa late 2008(1). The previously unknown arenavirus, which is distantly related to the Lassa virus and Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, was characterized using the rapid and sensitive sequencing technology of 454 Life Sciences. The new species, named "Lujo virus" for the geographic origin of the outbreak (Lusaka, Zambia and Johannesburg, South Africa), is the first hemorrhagic fever-associated arenavirus from Africa identified in the past three decades. Characterization of the novel virus confirms the utility of unbiased high-throughput sequencing for pathogen discovery and provides an opportunity for public health efforts to quickly curb emerging viral pandemics in the future.
In an ambitious effort to further Yale University"s engagement in global health, President Richard C. Levin announced today the launch of the Yale Global Health Initiative. This is the first endeavor of the University"s new Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, which was announced in April. The purpose of the new initiative is to unite the many global health efforts across campus, foster innovative educational programs to address the growing student interest in global health, and stimulate and support faculty research to enhance healthcare around the world.
Men and women may not be from two different planets after all when it comes to choosiness in mate selection, according to new research from Northwestern University.
The contribution of the public and healthcare workers in the fight against fraud and corruption is commended by Managing Director of NHS Counter Fraud, Dermid McCausland in an online broadcast at http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk to launch Fraud Awareness Month (FAM), June 2009:
This paper investigates 26 patients with painful metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasties and describes three tests for the investigation of the phenomenon. The tests are metal artefact-reduction MRI, 3-D CT measurement of the position of the component and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
In this study data from three studies comparing the new oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban against enoxaparin injected subcutaneously was assessed and conclusions drawn about effectiveness of both types of treatment.
This study investigated a series of Kinemax knee replacements where the survival rate was only 75% at nine years, compared with previously recorded rates of 96% over ten years and tried to ascertain the reason for the significantly lower survival rate.
Published recently is a study investigating the use of percutaneous vertebroplasty as a treatment for osteoporotic compression fractures. Vertebral compression fractures are a common complication of osteoporosis and can cause extreme pain and limit movement. Type-II fractures are often resistant to non-operative treatments and therefore the authors wanted to investigate percutaneous vertebroplasty as a pain management technique in these cases.
In the quest for new approaches to treating and preventing disease, one appealing route involves turning genes on or off at will, directly intervening in ailments such as cancer and diabetes, which result when genes fail to turn on and off as they should.
Latent HIV genes can be "smoked out" of human cells. The so-called "shock and kill" technique, described in a preclinical study in BioMed Central"s open access journal Retrovirology, might represent a new milestone along the way to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.
By applying cutting-edge techniques in single-molecule manipulation, researchers at Harvard University have uncovered a fundamental feedback mechanism that the body uses to regulate the clotting of blood. The finding, which could lead to a new physical, quantitative, and predictive model of how the body works to respond to injury, has implications for the treatment of bleeding disorders.