Endocrinology
Simplexo Enterprise, an enterprise search tool, has been selected by Nottingham University to enable the retrieval of information across a five-year clinical trial by its Division of Stroke Medicine into the causes and effects of strokes. The trial team is gathering and analysing information from more than 500 patients and several governing bodies in over 20 countries, including the UK, the United States, China, India and Australia.
GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced that Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit, Wis., has selected an Optima® XR640 digital radiographic system for its expanded emergency department.
EndoGastric Solutions (EGS), the recognized leader in the emerging field of Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS), announced that the American Society of General Surgeons (ASGS) has published a position statement endorsing its Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF) procedure for the treatment of GERD. ASGS is the preeminent society of general surgeons with membership exceeding 2,000.
Two new specialist teams will be set up to improve diagnosis, care and support for people with eating disorders in Wales, Health Minister Edwina Hart officially announced.
-- The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low levels of influenza activity in all parts of Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=38241
The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) applauds Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) for introducing legislation (H.R. 3134) to establish pilot "health care innovation zones" (HIZs) building on the strengths of academic medical centers (AMCs). The legislation creates and tests these zones around the country with the goal of improving patient outcomes, while slowing the growth of health care costs.
The death toll from three of the UK"s most common cancers has dropped to its lowest level for almost 40 years* - according to new figures released by Cancer Research UK.
Studies have reported an increasing incidence of thyroid cancer since 1980. One possible explanation for this trend is increased detection through more widespread and aggressive use of screening tests. Researchers at the American Cancer Society analyzed thyroid cancer incidence between 1988 and 2005 using the National Cancer Institute"s (NCI"s) Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) dataset.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has proposed a $650 civil penalty against
The Harley Medical Group has revealed that the number of nipple correction surgical procedures carried out has risen 30% year-on-year. Mr Riccardo Frati, surgeon at The Harley Medical Group, appeared on GMTV to discuss nipple correction surgery with Lorraine Kelly. He said: "There are nipple surgery options out there and a minority of women seek to change the size or shape of their nipples through reconstructive surgery purely for cosmetic reasons. Another option, nipple elevation, involves the nipple being raised above its existing level to enhance its appearance and make the breast look more pert.
Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, are using the enterprise analytics platform from TIBCO Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TIBX) for scientific research. This research includes looking at the mechanisms behind the causes of cancer, development of custom-tailored drugs, and understanding the types of cancer caused by infections.
Caesarean sections -- which are performed in 31% of births, up from 4.5% in 1965 -- often are considered an unnecessary risk and "an example of how the intensive and expensive U.S. brand of medicine has failed to deliver better results and may, in fact, be doing more harm than good," the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the Times, c-sections can increase a woman"s risk of complications, such as infection, blood clots and premature delivery. Even without complication, c-sections typically result in longer hospital stays and increased costs. Expenses related to c-section births account for 45% of the more than $79 billion in annual hospital charges that childbirth incurs in the U.S. annually. The average uncomplicated c-section costs about $4,500, which is about twice the cost for vaginal births. C-sections cost about $13,000 for privately insured patients. According to a 2008 report by Childbirth Connection, "The financial toll of maternity care on private (insurers)/employers and Medicaid/taxpayers is especially large." It also said, "Maternity care thus plays a considerable role in escalating health care costs, which increasingly threaten the financial stability of families, employers, and federal and state budgets." Addressing the Increase
El Salvador and Benin have marked World Asthma Day by placing orders with the Asthma Drug Facility (ADF). Through the ADF these and other low- and middle-income countries will be able to obtain quality-assured essential asthma medicines at affordable prices for the first time.
Thomson Reuters today announced the results of a study documenting Brazil"s steady rise during the last two decades in both the volume and impact of its scientific work. According to Science Watch, these findings underscore Brazil"s standing among the emergent "BRIC" nations. BRIC -- an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India and China -- are the countries possessing the res and economic potential to capture a significant share of the world"s future economic growth.
A National e-health record promises to ensure patients have access to more expedient
Nanostructured materials have garnered great interest worldwide due to their unique size-dependent properties for chemical, electronic, structural, medical and consumer applications.
Elderly people with no memory or thinking problems are more likely to later develop thinking problems if they have a growing amount of "brain rust," or small areas of brain damage, according to a study published in the July 14, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People with Parkinson"s disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer"s disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
Trying to get fit but can"t work it into your daily schedule? Incorporating even relatively short bouts of exercise into a daily commute appears to deliver significant rewards, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Trail results have highlighted the benefit of abdominal massage in the management of constipation - a common symptom in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
"Lawmakers from both parties are telling the White House they will go on vacation next month and leave behind - and incomplete - President Barack Obama"s health care overhaul," the Associated Press reports. The White House had long pushed lawmakers to complete their proposal by the recess, a target that now appears unlikely.
The receding economy has dragged down Michigan"s health care system, "offering a preview of how a lingering recession could corrode Americans" hospitals, savings and health," the Wall Street Journal reports.
Twenty hematology and hematology/oncology fellows and junior faculty will begin a unique year-long education and mentoring program this summer as part of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Clinical Research Training Institute.
IRIN examines how a "dramatic plunge" in international donor funding for family planning could undermine other health- and humanitarian-related goals, including fighting poverty and hunger. About 200 million women do not have access to contraception, which could cause a surge in the world"s population leading to a reversal of humanitarian gains, according to some experts.
The AMSA National Leadership Development Seminar will be held from the 7th to the 9th of September 2009.
Researchers in the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children"s Hospital Medical Center have discovered a novel gene responsible for heart muscle disease and chronic heart failure in some children and adults with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Their study, published online July 13 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, offers insight into GBS infection - information that may lead to new medical therapies for invasive infectious diseases that affect nearly 3,500 newborns in the United States each year.
An HIV "Fastest" clinic opens this week and will run in Stratford on Mondays from 6pm-9pm. In a bid to reduce levels of undiagnosed HIV, HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), Widows and Orphans International and NHS Newham are encouraging residents of Newham who may have been at risk to attend the local service.
A new study identifies a group of individuals at increased risk for developing colon cancer and holds the promise for developing new tailored cancer treatments. The study in this week"s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is by Sanford Markowitz, M.D., Ph.D., the Markowitz-Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and oncologist at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and colleagues.
In the brain, many types of synaptic proteins are spatio-temporally regulated to maintain synaptic activity at a constant level. Here, the Japanese research group led by Professor Masaki Fukata, Drs. Yuko Fukata and Jun Noritake in National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan, found that two types of palmitoylating enzymes finely-tune the location and function of a major synaptic protein, PSD-95, in different ways. They also found that this mechanism contributes to keeping synaptic activity stable when synaptic activity dynamically changes. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) supported this study. They report the finding in Journal of Cell Biology published on July 13, 2009.
Eye movement tests developed by Queen"s University researchers to aid in understanding childhood brain development and healthy aging may also help in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and detecting the early onset of Parkinson"s disease. The project has received close to $1 million in recent funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
New technology that identifies and removes dead and dying cells from cell populations grown in laboratories is now available to UK scientists. Removing such cells increases the efficiency of growing healthy cells and can yield clearer experimental results in a broad range of life science fields. The kits - called Dead Cert - developed by Edinburgh based ImmunoSolv, are the first of their kind to effectively remove both dead and dying cells without trauma to living cells.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, announced it offers a premium collection of Thermo Scientific Taq DNA polymerases that are licensed and optimised for use in PCR processes. ThermoPrime Taq DNA Polymerase and Thermo-Start® Taq DNA Polymerase are designed to provide excellent amplification specificity and improved product yield. In addition, the high purity of these enzymes ensures their consistent and reliable performance.
A new review of existing research says there is little evidence to support mandatory hearing-loss prevention programs at the workplace.
Researchers studying a large population of women in Denmark found that those who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause
As the Government sets out proposals to reform social care, leading mental health charity Mind welcomes the move to simplify the process and create a fairer system for the many thousands of people with mental health problems who currently pay for social care services.
A new health series following the lives of six South Asian people, and offering diet and healthy lifestyle advice, will be hitting our screens on Sunday 17 May.
Congressional Republicans are pushing an idea unlikely to garner much traction that would force members of Congress who vote for a government-run public plan for health insurance coverage to enroll in it, Politico reports. "Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), a family physician, kicked off the quixotic bid last week, urging House members to give up their right to participate in the much-revered Federal Employees Health Benefits Program if they support a government-run program as part of the health care reform package. Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma are pushing the same concept in the Senate, preparing separate amendments that would require members - and maybe even their staffs - to sign up for the public option."
"An unprecedented effort to computerize the nation"s hospitals and physician offices could be the key to reducing crippling health care costs - or a giveaway to technology vendors whose sales will be subsidized by taxpayers," the Dallas Morning News reports. The $45 billion, stimulus-funded effort in question could help reduce costs by cutting into the country"s $37.6 billion in medical errors each year, for instance. But, if requirements for providers seeking stimulus funding are too strict, the program could turn into "a bonanza for software vendors."
Infection of surgical wounds is a significant clinical problem which imposes severe demands on
BioTech Medics, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: BMCS) announces that it has contracted to start conducting independent clinical testing of its patented SHBAN™ Antiviral Hand Sanitizer Solution to prove it kills the H1N1 (Swine) Influenza A virus in compliance with FDA and EPA standards.
In the first day of her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor said on Monday that "fidelity to the law" is central to her judicial philosophy and that the role of a judge is "not to make law" but "to apply the law," the Washington Post reports. Sotomayor said her record as a district and federal appeals judge "reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms, interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress" intent, and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and by my circuit court." She also said her "personal and professional experiences help me listen and understand, with the law always commanding the result in every case" (Barnes et al., Washington Post, 7/14). The first day of the hearings was dedicated to opening statements from Sotomayor and senators, with the questioning portion scheduled to begin on Tuesday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed, as Democrats outnumber Republicans on the committee 12-7 and hold a 60-member majority in the Senate (Bravin/Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 7/14). The New York Times reports that senators from both parties are likely to use Sotomayor"s confirmation as a way to frame the debate for the next Supreme Court nominee, with Democrats hoping to "build a lopsided victory" to give President Obama more leeway to choose a more liberal nominee. Conservatives, on the other hand, "hoped to draw a line making the president think twice about picking someone" like Sotomayor in the future, the Times reports (Baker/Lewis, New York Times, 7/14).In Monday"s hearing, both parties gave indications of how they plan to proceed for the rest of the confirmation process, the Post reports. Democrats in their statements portrayed Sotomayor as a role model for the country and a judge with a modest approach who would bring balance to the conservative-leaning court (Washington Post, 7/14). Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sotomayor "puts rule of law above everything else." He added, "Given her extensive and evenhanded record, I am not sure how any member of this panel can sit here today and seriously suggest that she comes to the bench with a personal agenda" (Stern/Perine, CQ Today, 7/13). Republicans used their statements to cast Sotomayor as a partial judge, saying previous statements and rulings show she is an activist judge (Washington Post, 7/14). In particular, GOP senators on the committee referenced a comment from a 2001 speech in which Sotomayor said that a "wise Latina" would reach better decisions than a white man in some cases (Baker/Lewis, New York Times, 7/14). Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), the ranking Republican on the committee, said, "No senator should vote for an individual ... who believes it is acceptable for a judge to allow their own personal background, gender, prejudices or sympathies to sway their decision." He continued, "Call it empathy, call it prejudice or call it sympathy, but whatever it is, it"s not law" (Wall Street Journal, 7/14). However, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) noted that Republicans lost in last year"s presidential election and told Sotomayor, "Unless you have a complete meltdown, you"re going to get confirmed" (Lewis, New York Times, 7/14).Antiabortion-Rights Protesters Arrested During HearingsFour antiabortion-rights protesters were arrested for shouting comments during the senators" remarks (CQ Today, 7/13). One of the arrested protesters was Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff "Jane Roe" in Roe v. Wade. According to the AP/Google.com, McCorvey began screaming that Sotomayor was "wrong" about abortion during the opening statement of Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.). McCorvey and the other three arrested protesters were charged with unlawful conduct-disruption of Congress. The protesters also prompted a warning from Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who said, "We"ll show respect to everybody who is here, we will show respect to everyb
Richard Hunt CBE, appointed as the new Chair of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Monday rejected several Republican abortion-related amendments to the committee" health overhaul bill but adopted a Democratic amendment allowing health care providers who oppose abortion to contract with health plans, CQ HealthBeat reports. The committee voted mostly along party lines to reject an amendment by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that would have prohibited abortion coverage in a health care exchange for participants who receive government-subsidized coverage. Democrats said that the language could have been used to restrict abortion coverage in private insurance plans. The amendment failed in an 11-12 vote, with Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) crossing party lines to support it. The committee also voted 11-12 to reject an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) that would have specified that federal health reform legislation could not override state laws on parental notification when minors seek abortion services. The committee adopted by voice vote an amendment submitted by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) on behalf of committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling brain cancer. The amendment states that health care providers could not be excluded from contracting with health plans taking part in a health insurance exchange on the basis that the provider performs abortions or refuses to perform abortions except in an emergency if "performing abortions is contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of the provider or entity." Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) said that he is concerned the amendment might be unconstitutional because Congress cannot legislate on religious issues. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) expressed concern that the phrase "except in emergency" was not more clearly defined. Dodd declined Enzi"s request to withdraw the amendment until it could be clarified. The committee rejected Coburn"s amendment that was a more sweeping version of "conscience" protections for health care providers with religious or moral objections (Norman [1], CQ HealthBeat, 7/13). Dodd said he expects the committee to complete its work on the bill Tuesday night (Norman [2], CQ HealthBeat, 7/13).According to NPR"s "Morning Edition," abortion is one of the most likely issues to "throw a wrench into the already fragile gears" of health reform legislation. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "I take a view that there"s almost anything (that can be compromised) in public affairs except probably the issue of abortion." Nineteen House Democrats recently sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying, "We cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said any new restrictions on abortion coverage in government-subsidized health plans might be unpopular with the public. "Right now most health care plans cover abortion, cover contraception, cover women"s reproductive health," Mellman said. He added, "To some extent what they"re talking about on Capitol Hill is taking away coverage that people already have. Americans want health care reform. But they will oppose health care reform if it takes away the coverage they now have for things like abortion and contraception." Mellman recently conducted a poll for the National Women"s Law Center that found that 75% of respondents would prefer to have an independent commission of medical experts and citizens, rather than lawmakers, decide what should be covered (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 7/14).
Four members of the Medical Research Council community were recognised for their contribution to science by the Royal Society.
The GMC has appointed Niall Dickson as the new Chief Executive of the General Medical Council. He will take up his post in January next year.
In response to the inquiry report into "Was the NHS Plan really a blueprint for the NHS - 10 years on?" released by the All Party Parliamentary Group Primary Care & Public Health today. Mubeen Bhutta Policy Manager at the British Heart Foundation said:
GenWay Biotech, Inc., a US-based diagnostic company has become CLIA certified and received a California lab license. Their license currently permits the testing of immunological biomarkers. This is a very important step in the direction of commercialization of the novel innovative diagnostic tests currently being developed at GenWay. In upcoming weeks, GenWay will add new cancer biomarker tests to their portfolio as well as several infectious diseases such as sexual transmitted diseases. GenWay is seeking to obtain CAP accreditation by the end of the year.
U.S. House of Representatives Democrats today unveiled their bill for health care reform - the America"s Affordable Health Care Choice of 2009. In response, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Vice President and CEO Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, issued the following statement:
Onset Therapeutics, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused in dermatology, announced the FDA approval and commercial launch of HYLATOPIC™ Emollient Foam, a unique, non-steroidal prescription product indicated to manage and relieve the burning, itching and pain experienced with various types of dermatoses, including atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis and radiation dermatitis.
A U.S. company registered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Center for Veterans Enterprise as a veteran-run business filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and with NYS Governor David A. Paterson, alleging discriminatory practices by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).
The president of the American College of Physicians (ACP) today told the chairmen of the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees that America"s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, H.R. 3200, is "closely aligned" with ACP policies on coverage, workforce, and payment and delivery system reform.
"Here"s a little secret you might not know about the health care reform being debated in Washington: Minnesota might not want it," Minnesota Public Radio reports. The state"s congressional delegation is "not sure that the potential cures for the system - requiring everyone to have insurance, expanding Medicare or taxing health benefits - won"t be worse than what currently ails health care." Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., is critical of the additional taxes proposed to help pay for the overhaul. "What they"re talking about doing here is just adding some more gasoline to the fire that"s going to burn down this country. And I"m not going to go along with that," Peterson says.
Obama"s Policy Could Make U.S.-Africa Relations "Flower"
With the current outbreak of swine flu, and in the absence of a vaccine or treatment at present, the only way to contain the virus is to get people around the world to take precautionary measures. In a special editorial1 in the latest issue of Springer"s International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Johannes Brug, Arja Aro, and Jan Hendrik Richardus show that there are three key parameters that convince people to take precautions. Firstly, they need to be aware of the risk to them. Secondly, they need to believe that effective protective actions are available and have confidence in them. Lastly, communications about risk need to be carefully managed so that they express the actual risk accurately to prevent mass scares.
Eduardo Davila, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology, and Immunology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, has been awarded a $1.3 million grant over five years by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to develop new immunotherapies, including a vaccine, for cancer. Two years of the research will be supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
New research shows that childhood adversity is associated with diminished neural activity in brain regions implicated in the anticipation of possible rewards.
A team of researchers has mapped patterns of illicit drug use across the state of Oregon using a method of sampling municipal wastewater before it is treated.
Canada and the European Communities announced the end of a six-year World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute regarding the approval and marketing of biotechnology products.
New research demonstrates that single neurons in the reward center of the brain process not only primitive rewards but also more abstract, cognitive rewards related to the quest for information about the future. The study, published by Cell Press in the July 16 issue of the journal Neuron, enhances our understanding of learning and suggests that current theories of reward should be revised to include the effect of information seeking.
Studying the way a person"s brain "sings" could improve our understanding of conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia and help develop better treatments, scientists at Cardiff University have discovered.
The capacity to figure out what others are thinking and what they mean is an ability unique to people that"s central to our lives. A new study on the neural mechanisms that govern these abilities sheds light on the relation between how people and groups interact, on the one hand, and how the brain develops and functions, on the other.
Research by a group of Montreal scientists calls into question one of the most basic assumptions of human genetics: that when it comes to DNA, every cell in the body is essentially identical to every other cell. Their results appear in the July issue of the journal Human Mutation.
FUJIFILM Dimatix announced that a research team at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, working with Canada"s SENTINEL Bioactive Paper Network, has used its DMP-2800 Dimatix Materials Printer to develop a new inkjet method for printing bioactive inks (bioinks) on paper strips used to detect harmful substances that can make animals or humans sick or be used as bioterrorism agents.
In a Phase III study, TIP, an inhaled investigational formulation of tobramycin, improved lung function (as measured by FEV1) in cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection, compared to placebo. The data, presented today at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2009 International Conference in San Diego, also demonstrated, with respect to secondary endpoints, that TIP decreased sputum Pa density, hospitalization and other antibiotic use in these patients versus placebo.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) applauds the recent progress made by Congress on comprehensive health reform legislation that includes important provisions to protect and improve health in our nation.
The Institute for OneWorld Health, the US-based non-profit pharmaceutical company that develops drugs for people with neglected infectious diseases in the developing world, today announced that it has launched a collaboration with global pharmaceutical leader Novartis to discover and develop a novel therapy for secretory diarrhea, a deadly disease that kills more than 1.6 million children in the developing world each year.
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TAXUS((R)) Liberte((R)) Long Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System, a next-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) designed for long lesions. At 38 mm, it is the longest available DES, providing doctors an option that can potentially reduce the number of stents used in more complex cases, simplifying procedures and reducing costs. It affords a more efficient treatment option for the estimated 8 to 10 percent(1) of patients with long lesions. The Company plans to launch the product in the U.S. next month. It received CE Mark approval in 2007.
PLC Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, announced that a follow-up study of the landmark Cardiac Angiography in Renally Impaired Patients (CARE) Study determined that Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN) is associated with long-term adverse events, ranging from pulmonary edema to death, and that patients with CIN were twice as likely as those who did not develop CIN to experience adverse events.
Peter Campbell, 65, was struggling to find the words to communicate. When his wife asked what his name was and where he lived, he couldn"t think of the answers. Following a CT scan of his brain, he learned that an aggressive type of brain tumor was hindering his speech and language functions. The tumor was removed surgically, and as is standard for treating this type of brain tumor, Campbell began a seven-week course of radiotherapy that is targeting the area where the lesion was removed, in order to kill any cancer cells that might have been left behind.
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) launched their annual campaign to educate the public on the steps they can take to ensure their children aren"t struggling with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shed new light on a process that fixes breaks in the genetic material of the body"s cells. Their findings could lead to ways of enhancing chemotherapy drugs that destroy cancer cells by damaging their DNA.
"Key senators say they want to force the health insurance industry to pay as much as $100 billion toward the 10-year cost of the health care overhaul sought by President Obama," CQ Politics reports. The fees would come on top of a variety of other potential provisions that will change the landscape of their industry, from the requirement that insurers cover people with pre-existing conditions to a government-run plan meant to compete with insurers. The fee may appear in a Finance Committee version of the reform plan that hasn"t been released yet. That committee is responsible for finding ways to pay for the overhaul.
The cost of health care reform has emerged as a key battle in overhaul efforts. Attention is being paid to how costs will affect specific groups including the middle class and businesses.
Wrong Health Reform Will Hurt Economy Politico
How well do you know yourself? It"s a question many of us struggle with, as we try to figure out how close we are to who we actually want to be. In a new report in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologist Timothy D. Wilson from the University of Virginia describes theories behind self-knowledge (that is, how people form beliefs about themselves), cites challenges psychologists encounter while studying it, and offers ways we can get to know ourselves a little better.
IRIN examines the efforts of the Geneva-based Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to develop less costly surveillance equipment to improve the ability to detect the parasitic disease trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in endemic countries. Though "trypanosomiasis can be cured within a week of hospitalization," left undetected, the disease advances, making it treatable only by medication that "can be toxic in up to 10 percent of patients," according to Joseph Ndung"u, head of FIND"s trypanosomiasis program.
Daily Monitor Reports On Success, Expansion Of Pilot Study Using Health Text Messages
The Amarillo, Texas City Commission on Tuesday received a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services, of which $51,636 will be used for HIV surveillance activities across the Texas Panhandle Region, NewsChannel10.com reports. According to NewsChannel10.com, the "grant supports the investigation, review and reporting of HIV/AIDS positive cases to the State Health Department" (Lemmons, 7/15).
The Pig Veterinary Society"s revised 2009 edition of Casualty Pig, funded by the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF) is now available.
Fewer births in states such as California may be delaying the annual onset of a common intestinal virus in the southwest, according to epidemiologists. The timing of infectious outbreaks in other locations such as the northeast remains more or less unchanged.
Four of the nation"s leading experts in suicide research, including Dr. John Mann of Columbia University Medical Center, will carry out the largest study of suicide and mental health among military personnel ever undertaken, with $50 million in funding from the U.S. Army. The announcement came today from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which signed a memorandum of agreement with the Army in October 2008 authorizing the NIMH to undertake the investigation with Army funding. Study investigators aim to move quickly to identify risk and protective factors for suicide among soldiers and provide a science base for effective and practical interventions to reduce suicide rates and address associated mental health problems.
Researchers from the Institute of Prevention Research at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) found in a recent study that overweight youth were twice as likely to have overweight friends.
Consumers may be able to eat longer-lasting, potentially healthier fish fillets if research at Oregon State University makes its way to the supermarket.
This statement updates Members on the Influenza A (H1N1v) swine flu outbreak and the latest developments in Wales and across the UK.
Young people with asthma have nearly twice the incidence of depression compared to their peers without asthma, and studies have shown that depression is associated with increased asthma symptoms and, in some cases, death.
The latest rise in the indirect taxation on tobacco and alcohol took place in June. The most popular brand of cigarettes went up in price from 3.10 euros to 3.30 euros per packet. Are these taxes a form of dissuasion or a way of compensating the rest of society for the harm generated by those who smoke? A study by the Polytechnic University of Cartagena has looked into the most significant questions concerning the tobacco economy.
Those travelling abroad should take seriously advice to pack their condoms and keep their needles to themselves: research published today in the open access journal Retrovirology shows that tourists, travellers and migrants from Greece, Portugal, Serbia and Spain actively export HIV-1 subtype B to other European nations.
FD, a common non-organic disease in the world, greatly affects a patient"s quality of life. However, treatment of FD is still controversial and no single therapy is uniformly effective, due, in part, to absence of a reliable evaluation instrument. The Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI), measuring both symptom scores and impairment of the dyspepsia-specific health-related quality of life in FD patients, has been designed to diagnose FD and has been translated into several languages. Moreover, its utility has been proved to be validated by researches in western countries. However, DI has not been translated and validated in China.
Early results of a trial in Uganda showed that circumcising men with HIV did not protect their female partners, and as circumcision does not
New research demonstrates that a large majority (70%) of Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) in England are failing to oversee the Government"s strategy to tackle hepatitis C1, leaving infection rates of this deadly virus to increase and causing the disease to spiral out of control - putting thousands of lives at risk. A further study shows SHAs ignoring NICE guidance with only 29% of diagnosed patients2 being treated across the country, less than half of the 60% that NICE recommends.3
A new study points to evidence that the 1995 repeal of federal limit controls resulted in an increase of road fatalities and injuries.
Rabies is a virus that occurs in mammals and infects the central nervous system; the disease can cause death in humans if it is not treated. Nearly 90 percent of cases occur in wild animals (raccoons, bats, foxes etc.); less than 10% of cases occur in domestic animals like dogs or cats. Humans usually become infected when they are bitten by an infected animal.
A protein in influenza virus that helps it multiply also damages lung epithelial cells, causing fluid buildup in the lungs, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Southern Research Institute . Publishing online this week in the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the researchers say the findings give new insight into how flu attacks the lungs and provides targets for new treatments.
Pain symptoms that cannot be attributed, or at least not fully attributed, to an organic origin are more frequently and more severely experienced by patients with depression than by those without. "It is the case that women are much more frequently affected by depression and also by so-called somatoform pain disorder than men," explains Dirk Frieser, psychologist at the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. For the purposes of his doctoral dissertation, Frieser and fellow psychologist Stephanie Kç¶rber questioned 308 patients attending two practices of general practitioners in Mainz. Patients were asked about their state of health and their pain symptoms, but also about their anxieties with regard to illness, how they react when ill, what social support they receive, and what psychological stress they experience, together with many other aspects. Subsequently, the pain symptoms reported by the patients were evaluated by their doctors.
The House on Thursday voted 219-208 to approve a fiscal year 2010 Financial Services spending bill (HR 3170), which includes a provision reversing a long-standing congressional ban on allowing Washington, D.C., to use locally derived revenue to fund or subsidize abortion services, the AP/Washington Post reports (AP/Washington Post, 7/17). The measure maintains a ban on using federal funds for abortion services in the district.According to CQ Today, Thursday"s vote followed a "lengthy and sometimes heated debate" marked by Republicans and some moderate Democrats" dissatisfaction with a rule restricting amendments. The House voted 216-213 to approve the rule, which allowed 17 amendments but excluded any on the D.C. abortion funding provision (Clarke, CQ Today, 7/16).
The Obama administration ramps up efforts to promote health care reform and reacts to a sobering announcement by the Congressional Budget Office about the scoring of a health care bill.
By manipulating individual atoms in DNA and forming unique molecules, a Georgia State University researcher hopes to open new avenues in research towards better understanding the mechanisms of DNA replication and transcription, and perhaps leading to new treatments for diseases.
The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments. Recently, aloe vera has gained some popularity as an active ingredient in tooth gel. Similar to its use on skin, the aloe vera in tooth gels is used to cleanse and soothe teeth and gums, and is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry"s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
The nation"s aging population and expanded health care coverage will increase the demand for physical therapist (PT) services, says the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a new federal report1 that presents a projection of potential developments in the US labor market over the next 5 to 10 years is released.
Commenting on the report, she said:
Yesterday the AMA issued formal endorsement of the House Healthcare Bill. According to Sermo (http://www.sermo.com), the largest online community of physicians in the US, AMA"s endorsement does not reflect the position of practicing physicians.
Rice University"s Andrew Barron and his group, working with labs in Italy, Germany and Greece, have identified specific molecules that could block the means by which the deadly virus spreads by taking away its ability to bind with other proteins.
American Medical Association sent a letter to House leaders supporting H.R. 3200, "America"s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009."
Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) announced the launch of Zavesca® (miglustat) in the UK and Republic of Ireland; the first and only licensed treatment available for people with Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease [1]. NP-C is a rare, genetic disease with significant neurological deterioration that can be fatal and affects infants, children and adults [2,3].
King Saud University professor, Dr. Adel Almogren, along with a diverse team of academic researchers from the United States, Canada, and Taiwan, has discovered a new process that could lead to a vaccine to block cancer cell adhesion and growth.
Key points
The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and its National Coalition of state and local organizations congratulate Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline on the highly promising results of this landmark clinical trial of Benlysta(TM) (belimumab) for people with systemic lupus.
IVIg treatments, the addition of good antibodies into the blood stream, may hold promise for lowering the risk of Alzheimer"s disease and other similar brain disorders, according to research published in the July 21, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
An FDA-approved drug used for preventing recurrence of breast cancer shows promise in fighting life-threatening fungal infections common in immune-compromised patients, such as infants born prematurely and patients with cancer. Some scientists suspected that tamoxifen has antifungal properties; now new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that it actually kills fungus cells and stops them from causing disease.
In June 2009, newspapers reported that archaeologists in Germany had discovered a 35,000-year-old flute made of bird bone. It represented, one paper said, "the earliest known flowering of music-making in Stone Age culture." And we have been tapping our toes, humming along, singing and dancing ever since.
Behavioural ecologists working in Bolivia have found that wild spider monkeys control their diets in a similar way to humans, contrary to what has been thought up to now. Rather than trying to maximize their daily energy intake, the monkeys tightly regulate their daily protein intake, so that it stays at the same level regardless of seasonal variation in the availability of different foods.
Routine screenings for cancers -- including breast cancer in younger women -- have not proven to reduce the chance of death for people without specific symptoms or risk factors, and experts suggest that some tests could lead to harm, the New York Times reports.According to Ned Calonge, chair of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, screening is only useful if it prevents enough deaths to outweigh harm from treatments that are not medically necessary. He said that although screening in some cases will detect life-threatening cancers that respond to intervention, it also can result in false positives that cause needless worry and unnecessary procedures. Screening also might fail to diagnose an existing cancer, causing patients to ignore symptoms; find slow-growing or stable cancers that are not life-threatening and normally do not need treatment; or find aggressive, life-threatening cancers that do not respond to treatment, Calonge said. Only a handful of screening tests have been proven to significantly reduce death among certain age groups: pap tests to screen for cervical cancer beginning no later than age 21; mammograms to screen for breast cancer starting at age 40; and colon cancer screening beginning at age 50. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no medical proof that routine screening for many other cancers -- including ovarian cancer -- reduces deaths.The Times reports that the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 (HR 1740) -- also known as the Early Act -- has become a central issue in the debate because it would create a breast cancer detection campaign for women younger than age 45. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) introduced the bill in March, and it now has more than 350 co-sponsors. The bill would provide $45 million over five years for teaching young women and their physicians to check for abnormalities; promote healthy lifestyle choices; and provide grants to groups supporting women with breast cancer. The bill focuses on certain ethnic or racial groups at higher risk of developing aggressive tumors. CDC would oversee an expert panel to create the campaign based on the latest medical research, Wasserman-Schultz said.Critics of the bill say that the legislation promotes techniques, such as self-exams, that have not proven to detect cancer at earlier stages or reduce deaths. They also argue that self-exams could lead to many insignificant nodules being biopsied, which can cause scarring and make it harder to detect breast cancer when women are older. According to Susan Love -- a breast cancer surgeon who has encouraged Wasserman-Schultz to abandon the bill -- the public health campaign could cause younger women to overestimate their chances of dying of breast cancer (Singer, New York Times, 7/17).