Diagnostics
"Small business is suddenly playing a big role in negotiations over health care," NPR reports. "Supporters and opponents of various plans to overhaul the system are all trying to paint themselves as champions of mom and pop entrepreneurs." The National Federation of Independent Business is "not happy with the health care bill taking shape in the House this week - especially its requirement for all but the smallest employers to provide health insurance or pay a penalty." Meanwhile, "the Democratic National Committee quickly lined up its own panel of small business owners to defend the House plan."
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."
"As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to consider a restaurant group"s challenge to San Francisco"s health coverage ordinance, one voice is noticeably silent: the Obama administration"s," The San Francisco Chronicle reports. "In contrast to President George W. Bush"s Labor Department, which unsuccessfully urged a federal appeals court to overturn the groundbreaking law, the new administration submitted no arguments before the July 10 deadline for briefs supporting or opposing Supreme Court review. President Obama, meanwhile, has praised the San Francisco program, the first of its kind in the nation, while pressing Congress to enact comprehensive health coverage."
Diabetes UK is looking for people with diabetes to share their experiences of supported self-management to help with our campaign for World Diabetes Day (14 November).
A team of researchers, at the Genome Institute of Singapore, has identified a new gene that seems to contribute to aggressive breast cancer behavior. As discussed in an accompanying commentary, by Gordon Mills and colleagues, the data generated in this study provide new insight into cellular processes underlying tumor cell proliferation and metastasis and identify potential new therapeutic targets.
Ion channels are integral proteins of most cell membranes and play
Cardiovascular disease is increasing in adults under 50 and those of lower socioeconomic status, despite recent trends which show that cardiovascular disease is declining in Canada overall, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. Untreated cardiovascular disease can lead to heart failure, coronary artery disease and death, and is the most common cause of hospitalization in North America.
The peptide alpha-MSH works in a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus to suppress appetite. A team of researchers, at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, and the University of California Davis, has provided new insight into the way in which levels of the active form of alpha-MSH are regulated in mice. Specifically, genetic and biochemical analysis performed by the team, led by Sabrina Diano and Craig Warden, indicated that the protein PRCP is expressed in the hypothalamus and breaks down the active form of alpha-MSH, generating a slightly smaller peptide that does not suppress food intake. Importantly, administration of PRCP inhibitors to both normal and obese mice reduced their food intake. Further, mice lacking PRCP had increased levels of the active form of alpha-MSH in the hypothalamus and were leaner and shorter than normal mice; they also did not get obese when fed a high-fat diet. The authors suggest that these data are the first step in identifying PRCP as a candidate drug target for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related disorders. Although Richard Palmiter, at the University of Washington, Seattle, also raises this intriguing possibility, he cautions that any drug would need to penetrate the brain.
Most women surgeons would choose their career again, although many would favor more options for part-time or other alternative work schedules, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Two and a half years after children with sleep-related breathing disorders had surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids (glands in the back of the throat), they appear to sleep better than they did before the procedure but not as well as they did six months after, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Initial improvements in their behavior were maintained except when measured by an index of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.
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.
Merck & Co., Inc. issued the following statement in response to study results published today by the World Health Organization offering the first evidence that elimination of the tropical disease river blindness (onchocerciasis) in Africa is feasible with treatment with ivermectin (registered trademark Mectizan®). As the discoverer and manufacturer of Mectizan, Merck decided in 1987 to donate the drug to all who need it for as long as necessary until river blindness is eliminated as a public health problem. The Merck Mectizan Donation Program is one of the longest-running disease-specific drug donation and public/private partnership programs in history.
Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Alkermes, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKS) today announced positive results from a study comparing subjects randomized to either exenatide once weekly or Lantus® (insulin glargine). Patients randomized to exenatide once weekly experienced a statistically superior reduction in A1C, a measure of average blood sugar over three months, of 1.5 percentage points from baseline, compared to a reduction of 1.3 percentage points for Lantus after completing 26 weeks of treatment. At the end of the study, patients treated with exenatide once weekly achieved a mean A1C of 6.8 percent compared with a mean A1C of 7.0 percent in those treated with Lantus. Treatment with exenatide once weekly also produced a statistically significant difference in weight, with a mean weight loss of 5.8 pounds at 26 weeks, compared with a mean weight gain of 3.1 pounds for Lantus, a difference of 8.9 pounds between the treatments.
UC Irvine scientists have shown for the first time that neural stem cells can rescue memory in mice with advanced Alzheimer"s disease, raising hopes of a potential treatment for the leading cause of elderly dementia that afflicts 5.3 million people in the U.S.
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.
A new Bachelor of Occupational Health and Safety Science that offers career opportunities in a diverse range of workplaces, from mines to movie sets, will be on show at UQ"s St Lucia Open Day (August 2).
A.P. Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:APPA), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for APF530 for the potential treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). APF530 is a long-acting formulation of granisetron that utilizes the Company"s proprietary Biochronomer™ drug delivery system. Based on the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), the FDA has issued an action date of March 18, 2010.
A new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and Baystate Medical Center at Tufts University in Massachusetts concludes that patients facing coronary artery bypass surgery should, as a first priority, select a medical facility that has the highest adherence to quality standards.
Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group of companies with a focus on the development of prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs, announced that the Swiss agency for therapeutic products, Swissmedic, has issued a marketing authorisation for Moapar(R) 11.25mg, the first 3-month injectable formulation, prescribed for a reversible reduction of serum testosterone to the level of castration in adult men suffering from sexual deviations. Developed by Debiopharm, Moapar(R) contains a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist analogue.
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics announced the launch of its Remote Monitoring Center, the first 24-7 central command center in the in vitro diagnostic industry that continuously tracks the condition of laboratory instrument performance. Using proprietary remote diagnostic tools leveraging more than 30 years of field engineering experience, the Remote Monitoring Center helps customers identify specific service needs up to 30 days in advance. This innovative service detects and predicts potential instrument problems before they interrupt the ability of the laboratory to deliver quality test results. With the Remote Monitoring Center, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics fundamentally changes the way laboratories manage and maintain instruments so they can deliver timely and accurate results to physicians and patients.
Results from a landmark study published by the Journal
In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, described the challenges of running a nonprofit in the recession but also pointed to success in cutting the organization"s deficit by 75 percent and surpassing its goal of raising 100 million in nine months.
"President Obama is becoming more personally invested in rallying the public and Congress behind a healthcare overhaul, even as some Republicans raise the stakes in the debate by claiming that defeating his plan would undermine his presidency," the Los Angeles Times reports. Obama will defend his push for health reform in a series of public events this week, as he and senior aides press Democratic lawmakers to support the versions of pending legislation still circulating in congressional committees (Parsons and Levey, 7/21).
A Better Remedy For Health Reform The Dallas Morning News
In addition to acting as life-saving therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS, WHO researchers say antiretrovirals (ARVs) may also be able to prevent the spread of HIV, Health-e/allAfrica.com reports. Reuben Granich, of the WHO, used a model to estimate the use of ARVs for the prevention of HIV transmission, and presented his findings to delegates gathered at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention meeting in Cape Town, South Africa (Thom, 7/20).
Speaking at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention on Monday, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby outlined President Obama"s global AIDS policy agenda, Plus News/IRIN reports. The news service writes, "Goosby began by reassuring delegates - many of whom are implementers of programmes funded by ò€¦ PEPFAR ò€¦ -- that fighting AIDS would remain a central component of Obama"s foreign policy. However, there would be a renewed focus on other priorities such as maternal and child health, and tropical diseases."
Over 30 of the UK"s leading scientists have signed an open letter to the government calling for more public money to back research into dementia,
Health reform legislation moving through the U.S. House of Representatives would reverse the continued and growing loss of health coverage by American families and would give millions of Americans the security of stable, quality, affordable coverage, according to a report released today by the consumer health organization Families USA.
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).
The Medical Research Council has announced funding for seven awards totalling ÷£4.7 million under its translational stem cell research scheme. This includes nearly ÷£3 million for four early stage clinical trials involving adult stem cells.
According to a recent paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiological Infectious Diseases, a certain kind of honey can be an effective agent in topical wound care, particularly where antibiotic resistance is an issue. The irony is that this most exciting new treatment has been around since the dawn of history-honey was first used as a first aid treatment four thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt.
Purdue University researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging.
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.
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the most up-to-date design for the GORE VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis for device diameters 9 - 13 mm. The next generation of the large diameter product enables streamlined deployment on the same 0.035" guidewire and TIP to HUB direction as the 5 - 8 mm sizes. Additional modifications to the large diameter GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis include radial device expansion, a contoured proximal edge and a lower profile that is now available for most sizes.
A sixteen-month study of consensus-based diagnosis of patients with disorders of consciousness has shown that 41% of cases of minimally conscious state (MCS) were misdiagnosed as vegetative state (VS), a condition associated with a much lower chance of recovery. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neurology have demonstrated that standardized neurobehavioral assessment is more sensitive than diagnoses determined by clinical consensus.
European travellers are still putting their health at risk says the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), with one third experiencing travel-related illness when visiting abroad. On a typical two-week trip, travellers lose an average of three days due to illness - almost 20 percent of them remain ill after their return home, and another 10 percent need medical care.
Several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers showed good accuracy in identifying patients with mild cognitive impairment who progressed to Alzheimer disease, according to a study in the July 22/29 issue of JAMA.
Adherence to modifiable lifestyle and dietary factors including maintaining normal weight, daily vigorous exercise, eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low in sodium and taking a folic acid supplement was associated with a significantly lower incidence of self-reported hypertension among women, according to a study in the July 22/29 issue of JAMA.
The National Neutropenia Network (NNN) and the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry (SCNIR) will host the 9th Annual Neutropenia Family Conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., on July 24-26, at the Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced that its Endeavor drug-eluting stent (DES) is the first and only coronary stent to have received CE (Conformité Européene) Mark approval for treating patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as heart attack.
A new survey, released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), found that senior citizens are being forced to make drastic cuts to their medical and food budgets due to the recession.
Research presented at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry annual meeting shows that an assay developed by Abbott for simultaneous detection of both HIV antigens and antibodies reduced the detection window by zero to nine days in this study compared to HIV antibody-only assays. Earlier detection was shown on four of the five panels tested.
Results of a long-awaited study of 3,070 American adults at Johns Hopkins and 118 other U.S. medical centers show that treatment with either of the two standard antiviral drug therapies is safe and offers the best way for people infected with hepatitis C to prevent liver scarring, organ failure and death.
For years, George Forschler knew the mitral valve in his heart was failing and would eventually need repair or replacement. Concerned about the risks associated with open heart surgery the traditional way to access a mitral valve he did his best to postpone the inevitable. Forschler, a retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General who now heads a consulting firm, kept his heart healthy by exercising at the gym and doing weekend chores on his farm near here.
The CCA, AIMp, BPSA, and NPA are appealing for an immediate reinstatement of community pharmacists to the Shortage Occupations List after the removal of community pharmacists from the list by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) last month.
President Barack Obama prepares his primetime address for tonight as he ups the ante for reform. This week alone, Obama has visited two hospitals, made a trip to Cleveland for a town-hall meeting and conducted a conference call urging bloggers to motivate their followers. Such efforts come amid increasing difficulties and roadblocks set by the GOP as health care bills stall in Congress.
The Wall Street Journal reports that "Democratic centrists said they won a tentative commitment from the White House to back a proposal to curb the growth of Medicare costs. ... One proposal pushed both by President Barack Obama and some centrists is to give the executive branch the authority to implement cuts to Medicare spending that would be recommended by independent experts. Congress could stop the cuts, but only if it acted swiftly. Fiscal conservatives say that under the current system, which gives Congress more power, lawmakers shy away from politically tough votes to restrain Medicare costs."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.
Talk about health care reform efforts has focused largely on all that is wrong with the current system. In contrast, an event Tuesday in Washington, D.C., examined best practices in ten top performing communities where they spend less and have better quality of care.
American Indian teenagers become parents at twice the rate of other American teenagers. Many of these teens have greater environmental and behavioral challenges associated with living on reservations, including higher rates of poverty, increased rates of unemployment and school drop-out, higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse, impaired access to healthcare, as well as increased risk of domestic violence and suicide over the general population.
Young adults are facing tough times with limited job prospects and no health insurance. The Associated Press reports on recent college graduate Emily Weinstein as being representative of the many young uninsured Americans: "Like millions of other uninsured adults in their 20s, Weinstein is watching Congress as it advances legislation to overhaul health care. The recession has deepened young adults" career struggles. It has also sharpened their interest in health insurance. Already the least likely of any age group to have coverage, adults in their 20s face brutal job searches and more time uninsured because of the recession. Nearly 30 percent, 13.2 million, were uninsured in 2007, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based research center. Many young adults work entry-level jobs without insurance and, despite new laws in some states, they"re eventually too old to stay on their parents" policies."
The U.N. on Tuesday said "it is running a record funding-shortfall of $4.8 billion for its aid operations in 16 crisis-ridden countries" and has received "less than half of the $9.5 billion it needs to carry out it humanitarian operations this year," VOA News reports (Schlein, 7/21).
Miltenyi Biotec announces the worldwide and exclusive release of Myelin Removal Beads. Myelin is a specialized membrane which ensheathes and insulates axons in the peripheral and central nervous system. During preparation of single-cell suspensions, myelin membrane fragments represent the major contaminant. "When dissociating adult neural tissue, usually less than 5 percent of the cell suspension consists of cells. The rest corresponds to cell debris", explains Dr. Rebecca Biloune, Product Manager for Neural Research Products at Miltenyi Biotec. "Removal of myelin leads to higher purity and recovery of target cells."
Proteus syndrome is a complex disorder associated with varied, disproportionate, asymmetric overgrowth of many body parts and unregulated adipose tissue. The overgrowth seen in Proteus syndrome is progressive and difficult to manage. Patients with Proteus syndrome require repeated treatment for the progressive overgrowth of tissue over a long period. Aggressive treatment may cause severe functional and cosmetic consequences, so surgical intervention is often delayed until it is absolutely necessary.
Employers will hire 22 percent fewer college graduates in 2009 than they did last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That means thousands of Pennsylvania college students graduating this spring may be without health insurance coverage due to unemployment or time elapsing before starting a new job.
The term Cnidophobia may be uncommon but what it describes is not. Cnidophobia is the fear of insect stings. Although a "phobia" may seem to be an overreaction to what some consider nuisance pests, homeowners must recognize the health threats associated with stinging insects. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reports more than half million people are sent to the emergency room every year due to stinging insects, which is why these summer pests must be addressed efficiently and effectively.
A new study has found that a currently available yet underused vaccine against typhoid fever is highly effective in young children and protects unvaccinated neighbors of vaccinees.
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is calling on the Obama Administration and state Governors to provide evidence that it is necessary to give experimental swine flu vaccines to children in schools and that strong mechanisms for vaccine safety screening, recording, monitoring, reporting and vaccine injury compensation are in place. NVIC announced that parental concerns about vaccine safety and vaccine mandates will be addressed Oct. 2-4, 2009 in Washington, D.C. at the Fourth International Public Conference on Vaccination.
Americans living with undiagnosed diabetes incur an estimated $18 billion in healthcare expenditures each year, or $2,864 per person in medical services and lost productivity from diabetes-related complications, according to a new study initiated by the National Changing Diabetes(R) Program and published in the journal, Population Health Management.
A research consortium based at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has been awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate how the hepatitis C virus (HCV) resists suppression and clearance by the immune system. The five-year grant will support a Cooperative Center for Translational Research in Human Immunology, which also will focus on how some individuals successfully recover from HCV while the infection becomes chronic in most of those infected, with a special emphasis on immunological events in the liver as the site of HCV replication.
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.
In a new study published today in the July issue of the journal Cell Host & Microbe, UC Davis researchers report that both amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer"s patients and structures made by some gut bacteria likely elicit the same response by human immune cells.
The cost of insuring a family of four with an employer-sponsored health plan in the United States averaged $12,298 in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Decision Res, one of the world"s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the patient share of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka"s Abilify has grown in the first three lines of therapy since the 2008 analysis of prescribing trends in newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients. Abilify is second to risperidone (Janssen"s Risperdal, generics) in first and second lines of therapy and leads other atypicals in the third line.
Side discrepancy errors in radiology reports do occur and it is important that radiologists, referring physicians and patients communicate well to help prevent errors in clinical management, according to a study performed at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. "Side discrepancy errors refer to instances when the side of the lesion is incorrectly noted in one or more sections of the radiology report," said Minal Jagtiani Sangwaiya, MD, lead author of the study.
University of Utah researchers and their colleagues have identified the gene that is mutated in a hereditary form of a rare neuroendocrine tumor called paraganglioma (PGL). The gene, called hSDH5, is required for activation of an enzyme complex that plays a critical role in the chemical reactions that take place within cells to convert biochemical energy into usable energy. This study is published in the journal Science
Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Thursday will be joined by leaders of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America in announcing the latest version of a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other measures, Time reports (Sullivan, Time, 7/23). Ryan and DeLauro first introduced a version of the bill in 2006 (Crary, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). However, this version "represents a dramatic break from nearly four decades" of political debate since Roe v. Wade, as both conservative antiabortion-rights groups and abortion-rights advocates have expressed support, according to Time (Time, 7/23).The bill would increase support for comprehensive sex education programs, improve access to contraception, expand Medicaid family planning coverage, increase programs for pregnant or parenting college students, and expand adoption assistance. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet conducted a cost-analysis of the bill, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). In developing the bill, Ryan sought the help of Rachel Laser, director of culture programs at the policy and strategy think-tank Third Way. According to Time, Laser worked with advocates on both sides and modified the bill to help gather their support, while preventing the measure from becoming "uselessly watered down or split into two."DeLauro noted, "We had to reach a level of trust" with people on both sides and allow them time to become more receptive to the bill"s goals, adding, "Because so often this issue has been one about which there was nothing other than trying to score political points." DeLauro said she hopes the Obama administration will look to the bill for guidance as it crafts its strategy for reducing the need for abortion and preventing unintended pregnancies. President Obama is expected to make an announcement about the plan next month, according to Time (Time, 7/23).DeLauro and Ryan also noted that Rahm Emanuel, Obama"s chief of staff, endorsed an earlier version of the bill when he served in the House, which they hope could mean that Obama would support their measure. DeLauro said, "This is a bill that seems to mesh with the president"s interests," adding, "I see no reason why the White House could not endorse it."Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said the administration is still reviewing the information it has gathered in recent meetings with representatives on both sides of the abortion debate.Laurie Rubiner, director of Planned Parenthood"s Washington, D.C., office, said "This isn"t a radical bill," adding, "It only seems radical because it"s been so long that we could have a constructive conversation ... with both pro-choice and anti-choice groups around the table."The Rev. Joel Hunter -- an antiabortion-rights evangelical pastor in Orlando, Fla., who serves on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council -- called the bill "a landmark bill for the culture wars -- a prototype for how we can approach things in the future." He said the bill"s strengths were in its appeals to both liberal and conservative beliefs, adding, "When you realize you need someone who"s been an adversary to help you advance your own projects, that"s a big deal" (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) welcomes the Federal Government"s announcement of funding to upgrade the skills of workers in aged care.
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).
A protein from algae may have what it takes to stop Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infections, according to new research. A recent study has found that mice treated with the protein, Griffithsin (GRFT), had a 100 percent survival rate after exposure to the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as compared to a 30 percent survival for untreated mice.
"Will failing to reform health care have the same consequences for Obama"s administration as it did for Clinton"s?" CNN asks.
Researchers "believe they have found a "missing link" in the evolution of the virus that causes AIDS," based on findings from a
Uncooked meat products enhanced with food additives may contain high levels of phosphorus and potassium that are not discernable from inspection of food labels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). This can make it difficult for people to limit dietary phosphorus and potassium that at high levels are harmful to kidney disease patients.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned small companies to take their responsibilities seriously, after a man fell through the roof of a DIY superstore in Wigan and later died.
Volunteers are needed for the final phase of a Diabetes UK-funded study investigating whether flavonoids - compounds found in chocolate - can protect older women with diabetes from heart disease.
SNM"s Clinical Trials Network have announced that several leading commercial providers of PET radiopharmaceuticals in Europe have registered their manufacturing sites with the network. SNM"s Clinical Trials Network is an initiative designed to address the need for streamlined drug discovery through the integration of imaging biomarkers into multi-center clinical trials.
During its summer session, the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has approved funding for six new Research Units. Within these Research Units, researchers from different disciplines work together on a particular scientific topic. Funding for Research Units provides the personnel and equipment required for medium-term (usually six years) cooperation and contributes to the establishment of new research directions.
Much as meteorologists predict the path and intensity of hurricanes, Indiana University"s Alessandro Vespignani believes we will one day predict with unprecedented foresight, specificity and scale such things as the economic and social effects of billions of new Internet users in China and India, or the exact location and number of airline flights to cancel around the world in order to halt the spread of a pandemic.
US researchers have created "bacterial computers" with the potential to solve complicated mathematics problems. The findings of the research, published in BioMed Central"s open access Journal of Biological Engineering, demonstrate that computing in living cells is feasible, opening the door to a number of applications. The second-generation bacterial computers illustrate the feasibility of extending the approach to other computationally challenging math problems.
Use of the medication tamsulosin to treat male urination difficulties within two weeks of cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of serious postoperative ophthalmic adverse events such as retinal detachment or lost lens, according to a study in the May 20 issue of JAMA.
Researchers appear to have a new way to fix a broken heart. They have devised a method to coax heart muscle cells into reentering the cell cycle, allowing the differentiated adult cells to divide and regenerate healthy heart tissue after a heart attack, according to studies in mice and rats reported in the July 24th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. The key ingredient is a growth factor known as neuregulin1 (NRG1 for short), and the researchers suggest that the factor might one day be used to treat failing human hearts.
When Tony Goldberg is not whacking through the brush of central
As part of its continuing engagement in global health issues, Yale University"s Global Health Leadership Institute is partnering with Tsinghua University to launch a four-year leadership development program in healthcare management for women in China. The effort is part of the 10,000 Women initiative, a program launched by Goldman Sachs to provide business and management education to women around the world. The program is based on research from Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and others which found that investments in women can lead to significant economic and social returns.
Student places at the new UQ Ipswich medical school are expected to be in demand due to the boutique nature of the educational experience, Dean of Medicine, Professor David Wilkinson said.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the Phase 3 program of VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a leading cause of blindness in adults. Regeneron received a $20 million milestone payment from Bayer Healthcare that was triggered by the dosing of the first patient in the CRVO program. Regeneron also announced that enrollment in the Phase 2 DA VINCI study of VEGF Trap-Eye in diabetic macular edema (DME) has been completed and data are expected during the first half of 2010.
Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that its investigational agent SAPHRIS(R) (asenapine) met the primary endpoint over one year of treatment in an extension study in patients with predominant, persistent negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
VistA Imaging, the medical and health care imaging system used in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, attained over one billion stored images in January this year, according to the department.
Breathing xenon gas can help protect the infant brain from damage caused by oxygen deprivation, but the xenon"s high cost and scarcity has precluded its widespread use. A newly developed "closed circuit system" may make xenon feasible, safe, and cost efficient for use in protecting the brains of critically ill infants, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and its wholly owned subsidiary, BiPar Sciences, announced the initiation of the pivotal Phase III trial for BSI-201 in combination with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), defined by tumors lacking expression of estrogen, progesterone receptors and without over-expression of HER2. BSI-201 is a novel investigational targeted therapy which inhibits poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1), an enzyme involved in DNA damage repair.
Roche announced that the European Union"s Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has issued a positive recommendation for the use of MabThera (rituximab) in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Physicians will soon be able to prescribe MabThera, the first monoclonal antibody therapy approved for previously untreated CLL, in combination with chemotherapy to patients who have been treated for the disease but whose cancer has returned or have not appropriately responded to therapy.
Roche announced results from the international phase III study NO16968 (XELOXA), investigating oral Xeloda in combination with intravenous oxaliplatin (XELOX) immediately after surgery, which show that patients with colon cancer taking XELOX live disease free for longer compared to those taking the commonly used intravenous chemotherapy combination 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV). The data prove that XELOX is superior to 5-FU/LV in terms of the time patients live without their cancer being detectable.
Sleep apnea has long been known to be associated with obesity. But a new study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care finds that the disorder is widely undiagnosed among obese individuals with type 2 diabetes - nearly 87 percent of participants reported symptoms, but were never diagnosed.
Abortion opponent Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and abortion-rights supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) held a press conference on Thursday to announce a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other proposals, the New York Times" "The Caucus" reports. The bill -- crafted in part by the centrist group Third Way -- would increase access to contraceptive services, sex education, health care coverage for pregnant women and children, and adoption. It also would expand access to comprehensive sex education and adoption programs.The bill has the support of abortion-rights groups like the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America, both of which had representatives at the press conference. The bill also has the support of antiabortion-rights religious leaders like Joel Hunter of Northland, Fla., and Derrick Harkins of Washington, D.C.The bill, which has been introduced in each of the past three congressional sessions, could "broker a detente" and help "turn down the volume on the culture war," DeLauro said at the press conference. Ryan called the bill an "idea whose time has come," noting that it has gained support from advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate.During the press conference, Hunter said advocates of the bill, regardless of their side in the abortion-rights debate, are "taking heat" from other members of their side. He added that the bill is important because it "links together traditional adversaries in a way that advances each of our goals without compromising any of our values" (Becker, "The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). Harkins said that he is "more optimistic now than I ever have been," adding that women "need real support that divisive debates cannot provide" (Stephenson, CQ HealthBeat, 7/23).Despite support from some antiabortion-rights advocates, the bill has not been welcomed by all groups opposed to abortion rights, including conservative groups Family Research Council, National Right to Life and Democrats for Life of America. Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said her group does not support the bill because preventing unintended pregnancies already is a goal of other programs. She noted that her group instead supports the Pregnant Women Support Act (HB 2035, SB 270), which focuses on services for women who carry their pregnancies to term but does not include prevention (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). In a statement, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the bill is "fraught with funding for abortion providers and provisions that further encourage promiscuous sex and discourage parental involvement."Although the White House has not voiced a position on the bill, there are "reasons to believe" that the Obama administration will support some of the legislation"s proposals, "The Caucus" reports ("The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). DeLauro said that she and Ryan plan to seek Republican co-sponsors for the bill, although they do not yet have any. She added that she thinks President Obama will support the bill because it includes language similar to his rhetoric on reducing the need for abortion. In addition, Obama"s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was a co-sponsor of the bill when he served in the House (CQ HealthBeat, 7/23). Ryan said that the bill, which does not yet have an estimated cost, is "now open for support from all quarters."According to "The Caucus," the bill is being introduced at a time when abortion is a growing topic in health care reform legislation. Policymakers on both sides of the abortion-rights debate are expressing concern about how private insurance coverage of abortion is treated in health care reform. Ryan and DeLauro both support a policy that would neither require nor forbid insurance companies from covering the procedure ("The Caucus," New York Times, 7/23). During the press conference, DeLauro said that the new bill would not force insurance providers to cover abortion services. She said, "What we don"t want to do is go backward. We
Nearly 40 years after the Supreme Court"s decision in Roe v. Wade, the "incendiary debate over abortion rights endures" and continues to manifest itself in a number of ways, USA Today reports. According to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 78% of U.S. residents want abortion to be legal under at least some circumstances, with 21% saying it should be legal under any circumstance. According to the poll, 18% of respondents said that they want abortion always to be illegal. The poll also found that 46% of U.S. residents self-identify as "pro-choice," while 47% self-identify as "pro-life."Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "The enduring divide represents the reality that there are fundamental religious differences on the issue of abortion that do not exist on, say, campaign finance or even on health care." Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest said that abortion-rights opponents are mobilizing to urge congressional lawmakers to exclude abortion coverage and funding from any federal health reform legislation.During the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, the judge said that she does not believe previous court rulings on abortion rights have ended the national controversy surrounding the issue. According to USA Today, Sotomayor, who has never ruled on the issue, declined to reveal her personal position on abortion rights. Several antiabortion-rights advocates also protested during Sotomayor"s hearings (Biskupic, USA Today, 7/24).In addition, the Center for Reproductive Rights this week released a report that found physicians and employees of health care clinics providing abortion services in six states -- Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas -- face an increasing level of harassment and death threats. The report was based on a four-month investigation (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23). The report was tied to the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller (USA Today, 7/24). Operation Save America Director the Rev. Flip Benham, whose group is mentioned in the report, said the center is trying to limit the free-speech rights of abortion-rights opponents (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23).
The U.S. Agency for International Development funded programs that used biblical lessons to promote sexual abstinence in Africa, despite a prohibition on the use of taxpayer funds to support "inherently religious activities," according to a recent audit by the agency"s inspector general, the Washington Post reports.The audit focused on projects initiated from 2006 to 2007 during the administration of President George W. Bush. According to the audit, the use of Christian stories in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa could be seen as showing a "USAID-funded preference for Christianity." The audit also found that officials in one faith-based abstinence program in Africa urged youth to memorize and recite a passage from the Bible"s book of Psalms. Participants were then instructed to recite the passage"s "key concept": "God has a plan for sex and this plan will help you and protect you from harm."USAID challenged the findings in a written response that said its African programs" main goals are secular in nature. It acknowledged that some of its abstinence programs included "religiously infused materials" but said that the materials showed no preference for Christian groups.According to the Post, the issue has been complicated by legal ambiguities over whether the separation of church and state applies to programs for promoting U.S. foreign policy abroad. The inspector general"s report said the Department of Justice is considering a request from USAID to determine the legality of its practices (Lynch, Washington Post, 7/23).
"House Democrats spent another day Thursday negotiating their health reform overhaul with few concrete signs of progress, heightening tensions and raising the possibility that leaders might bypass the House Energy and Commerce Committee and send the bill straight to the floor," CongressDailyAM reports. "The seven Blue Dog Coalition members on the panel emerged from a three-hour meeting with leaders and White House officials Thursday afternoon with little to say" (Hunt and House, 7/24).
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.
Treatment with surgery or an oral appliance that adjusts the jaw is associated with improvements in obstructive sleep apnea, a condition caused by blocked upper airways in which patients periodically stop breathing during sleep, according to two reports in the May issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Several state and local agencies, hospitals and others conducted a full-scale exercise involving
The British Psychological Society has welcomed the publication, of New Horizons, the government"s new plan for the development of mental health services.
UCB announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has issued a positive opinion recommending that the European Commission grant marketing authorisation for Keppra® as adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures in infants and young children aged one month to under four years.
The Financial Secretary to Her Majesty"s Government, Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms MP has written to Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation, pledging support for families with autism.
In an article published in the June issue of The Physician and Sportsmedicine entitled "Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport - The Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport Held in Zurich, November 2008," new information and guidelines on the definition and treatment of concussions in athletes are presented. This is a revised and updated statement of the recommendations developed following the 1st (Vienna) and 2nd (Prague) International Symposia on Concussion in Sport. By developing core questions on how to treat concussions and best "return-to-play" recommendations, the conference members worked to improve the current recommendations as well as aiming to make this information readily available to health care professionals.
BrainCells Inc., a company leading the scientific research of neurogenesis using its proprietary platform technology to identify novel pathways for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, announced results from the first clinical proof-of-concept study of BCI-952, a combination of low dose buspirone and melatonin, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The data were presented at NCDEU 2009, a meeting co-sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Neurogenesis is the process by which pre-existing stem cells in the hippocampus of the adult brain produce new brain cells, including neurons.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and BioMS Medical Corp. (TSX: MS) announced that dirucotide did not meet the primary endpoint of delaying disease progression, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), during the two-year MAESTRO-01 Phase III trial in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between dirucotide and placebo on the secondary endpoints of the study.
The Minnesota Department of Health recently designated Children"s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota"s two hospital locations as Level III Trauma Hospitals. Children"s of Minnesota has the sixth busiest pediatric emergency department in the nation with over 84,000 visits per year, and already treats around 450 trauma cases each year. Children"s voluntarily participated in the intense designation process, which included an external review of the hospitals" res and capabilities to care for young trauma patients. Children"s met the required standards of commitment, clinical and equipment res, and staff training.
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.
Newly released Census Bureau data show that even before the current economic recession began in September 2008, population growth among children younger than age one began to decline, the AP/Kansas City Star reports. Between July 2007 and July 2008, the number of children younger than age one in the U.S. increased 0.9%, compared with a record 2.7% increase the previous year. Although births tend to drop during economic downturns as more people decide that they cannot afford to support children, experts said it is not clear why the recent drop began months before the current recession emerged. Stephanie Ventura, a demographer for the National Center for Health Statistics, said that it will be impossible to know what factors contributed to the change until demographic breakdowns are available later this year. The AP/Star reports that increases in teenage births had been driving up birth rates in recent years.Historically, birth rates have declined during poor economic times -- including the recessions of 1973, 1982 and 2001 -- and births dropped nearly 26% during the Great Depression. Mark Mather, an associate vice president at the Population Research Bureau, said, "The economy does matter. If prospects look worse for families, they"re going to be very likely to have fewer kids" (Yen/Wagster Pettus, AP/Kansas City Star, 5/19).
Crack open the latest medical textbook to the chapter on type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes, and you"ll be hard pressed to find the term "immunology" anywhere. This is because metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions are, with a few exceptions, distant cousins.
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.
"Oregon"s hospital spending boom is winding to a close," as hospitals cut back on projects, Portland Business Journal reports. "Portland-area hospitals have opened, started construction on, or announced expansions costing at least $1.3 billion in the past 18 months. Projects include cancer treatment centers, cardiac units and pediatric care facilities. Now, spurred by economic concerns, health organizations are cutting back. ... It doesn"t make financial sense to embark on major new projects until the economy improves and hospital administrators know how health care reforms may affect their operations, said Providence Chief Operating Officer Terry Smith."
The Society of Interventional Radiology hailed the extension of an
By proposing to reduce funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, "the Obama administration has reignited America"s sex education debate," Washington Times columnist Cheryl Wetzstein writes in an opinion piece. She says that the "usual answers" she receives from abstinence-only opponents when she asks about their criticism of the programs is that abstinence-only education "doesn"t work, it leaves kids ignorant about how to use birth control, it doesn"t serve gay kids, and (off the record) it"s just a return to the bad old days when unenlightened, sex-hating harpies ran sex education." According to Wetzstein, some proponents of abstinence-only programs believe that another factor -- which is "never mentioned" in the sex education debate -- "is how sexually active youth are part of the market for certain commercial sex- and disease-related products, and abstinent behavior reduces that market share."Wetzstein reports that she recently spoke with Pam Mullarkey, founder of Project SOS, who is "furious" that Presdient Obama"s budget proposal would reduce funding for abstinence-only programs and increase money for teen pregnancy prevention. Mullarkey claims that abstinence-only opponents "have spent so much money trying to destroy abstinence education" because "it directly costs them big bucks" if teens abstain. Wetzstein writes that she has "dim hopes for the survival of abstinence education as we"ve know it," concluding, "But should Congress decide to "follow the money," as Mrs. Mullarkey suggests, who knows what might turn up" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 5/19).
A study published in today"s issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine provides further reinforcement that tight control of blood glucose as soon as possible after a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes yields long-term benefits with regard to lowering the rates of eye, kidney and heart complications associated with diabetes. These findings stem from the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its follow-up study, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC), both funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) will write to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd this week to invite him to participate in a national "fact finding" tour of rural hospitals, rural practices, health centres and Aboriginal Medical Services.
Members of the moderate New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday proposed legislation (HR 2502) that would establish a non-governmental, independent office to oversee research efforts to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill would create the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute, which would use money remaining from the $1.1 billion included in the economic stimulus package for comparative effectiveness research and additional funding from fees on Medicare and private insurers. HCCERI would be overseen by a 21-member board -- appointed by the U.S. Comptroller General -- that would include HHS officials, patients, physicians, private insurers and others (Norman, CQ HealthBeat, 5/19). In contrast, a panel to oversee comparative effectiveness research established by a provision in the stimulus bill would be made up of government health experts (Mundy, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). According to CQ HealthBeat, some people have raised concerns that comparative effectiveness research funded by the stimulus bill would result in research that could be used to deny coverage for certain treatments and that cost would factor disproportionately in such decisions. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), who introduced the bill, said HCCERI"s goal would be to ensure that medical decisions remain between physicians and patients and that both doctors and patients have the most understandable information possible to make such decisions. HCCERI also would make public its methods for deciding which research projects to approve, as well as any links the institute has to industry, its research protocols and the names of researchers. HCCERI would accept public comment before creating new research guidelines, and all research would be subject to peer review. In addition, HCCERI in commissioning studies would take steps to account for differences in patients" gender, race, age and ethnicity (CQ HealthBeat, 5/19).Schrader said that the bill "will bring patients, along with health care providers, physicians and industry, to the decision-making process," adding, "By having a seat at the table, the American people will help drive the direction of research based on what is most important to them" ("Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) said that New Democrats seek to lower costs and improve quality of care, so "the most important thing we can do is to incentivize innovation and to provide that information on the best practices and best interventions and get that information out to providers." Industry Reaction
A new report, "The Intelligent Board 2009: Commissioning to reduce inequalities", produced by an independent reference group of experts, encourages Primary Care Trust (PCT) Boards to review their understanding of health inequalities in their communities so that they can be addressed.
Older patients with diabetes who take antipsychotic medications appear to have an increased risk of hospitalization for hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose level), especially soon after beginning treatment, according to a report in the July 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
It is known that Retroviruses, such as HIV, that are already within cells
Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children"s Research Hospital scientists.
New research suggests that current regulations have failed to remove misleading information from cigarette packaging, revealing that a substantial majority of consumers believe cigarettes are less hazardous when the packs display words such as "silver" or "smooth," lower numbers incorporated into the brand name, lighter colours or pictures of filters.
Current diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer are woefully ineffective for early detection of the disease, say researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine. A new study finds that in order to make a significant dent in the mortality rate for the deadly cancer, the tests would have to be able to detect tumors of less than 1 cm in diameter, or about 200-times smaller in mass than those currently used to assess potential new tests. Still, if that hurdle can be overcome, there is good reason to believe that testing could make a big difference: The window of opportunity for treating these clinically undetectable cancers before they become life threatening is surprisingly long: about four years.
Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., announced the publication of data from a clinician sponsored investigational study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrating the utility of the Calypso® System in tracking tumor movement in the pancreas. The data will be presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), July 26-30, at the Anaheim Convention Center. "In areas of the body, such as the pancreas, that are susceptible to respiratory motion it can prove difficult to handle the spectrum of motion that can arise," said James Metz, M.D., Clinical Director, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Pennsylvania Health System.
According to a study in a special issue of Medical Decision Making, a large-scale, covert anthrax attack on a large city would overwhelm hospital res even with an extremely effective public health response, primarily because of expected delays in detecting the attack and initiating a response to it.
Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have discovered a set of brain proteins responsible for some of the most common and devastating brain diseases. The proteins underlie epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disease, mental retardation and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer"s and Huntington"s diseases.
A team of scientists at Queen"s University has been chosen to lead a top research and training programme to prevent groundwater poisoning in India.
Eight million Americans are covered by Health Savings Account (HSA)-eligible insurance plans, an increase of more than 31 percent since last year, a new census released today by America"s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) finds. Health Savings Accounts were authorized starting in January 2004. Since then, AHIP has conducted a periodic census of its members participating in the HSA/high-deductible health plan (HDHP) market.
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.
A research project is currently in progress that focuses on tumour stem
Two of the UK"s top ophthalmologists based at Southampton General Hospital"s Eye Unit are offering the most advanced treatment for corneal disease in the country.
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.