Medical News

CPSC Finds No Cause Linking Pampers Dry Max To Diaper Rash

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

After a comprehensive review, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced that they have found no cause linking Pampers Dry Max diapers and reports of diaper rash and other skin conditions. Pampers has welcomed the Commission's and Health Canada's thorough review and cooperated fully with them. "We are thankful that the U.S. CPSC and Health Canada conducted their thorough reviews and have not identified any cause for concern with Pampers with Dry Max," said Jodi Allen, Vice President of Pampers...

Children Who Eat Vended Foods Face Health Problems, Poor Diet

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

School children who consume foods purchased in vending machines are more likely to develop poor diet quality - and that may be associated with being overweight, obese or at risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to research from the University of Michigan Medical School. The study also looked at foods sold in school stores, snack bars and other related sales that compete with USDA lunch program offerings and found that these pose the same health and diet risks in school-aged children...

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication Of New Preclinical Research Data For Novel Anticancer Compound RX-8243

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: RNN), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, announced the publication of a research article in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters on the anti-tumor activity of RX-8243 and its analogues...

European Commission Issues Positive Decision For Approval Of Seroquel XR As An Add-On Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

AstraZeneca announced that the European Commission (EC) has issued a positive decision for the approval of once-daily SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) Extended Release Tablets as an add-on treatment of major depressive episodes in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who have had sub-optimal response to antidepressant monotherapy. This decision follows a positive recommendation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in April of this year. AstraZeneca will now move forward in obtaining local approvals...

Merck's Cladribine Tablets For Multiple Sclerosis Approved In Australia

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Merck KGaA announced that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Cladribine Tablets for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS)(1). Cladribine Tablets will be registered in Australia under the trade name Movectro®. "Approval of Cladribine Tablets in Australia is another step forward in our commitment to fight the devastating disease of multiple sclerosis by providing new therapeutic options meeting unmet needs," said Elmar Schnee, Member of the Executive Board and Head of the Merck Serono division...

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Seeks European Marketing Authorization For Investigational Once-Daily HIV Treatment TMC278

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals announced its submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for TMC278 (rilpivirine, as hydrochloride), an investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) for the treatment of HIV. The proposed indication would make TMC278 available for once-daily use with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-naÃ¯ve HIV-1-infected adults. It is estimated that 33.4 million people are living with HIV worlsudwide,[1] 2.3 million of which are in Europe...

Poll: Most Americans Aware Of Egg Recall

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

As the FDA oversaw a massive egg recall for possible salmonella contamination, most Americans were aware of the outbreak and substantial numbers took steps to protect themselves from getting sick, according to a new national poll by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The poll was conducted August 27-30, 2010. As of August 24, 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified approximately 1,469 reported illnesses nationwide that were likely to be associated with this outbreak...

Red Cross Responds To Hurricane Earl Along The Atlantic Coast

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The American Red Cross is responding with help to people affected by the winds, rains and flooding of Hurricane Earl in North Carolina and is ready as the storm moves up the Atlantic Coast. A dozen Red Cross shelters were opened in North Carolina, giving more than 260 a safe place to ride out the storm last night as heavy rain and strong winds passed through the area. Today, after Earl moves out of the area, the Red Cross will be assessing damage left by the storm and helping people as they begin to cleanup...

Reports Of Narcolepsy In Europe Following Vaccination With Pandemrix™

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

GSK initially became aware of possible cases of narcolepsy following vaccination with the adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine Pandemrix through adverse event reports received by the Swedish Medical Products Agency, and subsequently via media reports in Finland. Information on the individual cases remains limited at present, but GSK is conducting its own investigation in an effort to gather as much additional data as possible regarding the reported cases, and is working closely with key regulatory authorities, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA)...

Lineagen, Inc. Selected To Present At The 2010 Genetic Risk Factors For Autism: Translating Discoveries Into Diagnostics Symposium In Toronto

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Lineagen, Inc., a developer of innovative genomic tests and services for the screening, evaluation and diagnosis of complex disorders and diseases including autism spectrum disorders, announced today that Dr. Michael S. Paul, the Company's President & Chief Executive Officer, was selected to present at the "Genetic Risk Factors for Autism: Translating Discoveries into Diagnostics" symposium, being held September 1-2, 2010 at the Old Mill Inn and Spa in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...

Psychiatrists Call For Northern Ireland Executive To Follow Scottish Lead On Minimum Price For Alcohol

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has called on the Executive to take the advice of the Health and Social Development Ministers and follow Scotland's lead in proposing a minimum price for alcohol of 45 pence a unit. Both Health Minister Michael McGimpsey and Social Development Minister Alex Attwood have said in recent months that minimum pricing is needed to curb dangerous drinking habits that cost society up to Â£900 million a year...

Secretaries Sebelius And Duncan Announce National Coalition To Enroll Uninsured Kids In Health Care

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan highlighted the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge to enroll five million children in Medicaid and CHIP within five years. Since Sebelius announced the Challenge last February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have built an unprecedented coalition of partners, ranging from state governors to national advocacy organizations, who have stepped up to the challenge to enroll kids and educate families...

UPMC Agrees To Expand Access To Care After Closure Of UPMC Braddock

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Under an agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) will provide support for primary and urgent care services in the borough of Braddock, Pennsylvania and neighboring communities through expanded hours and services at the Braddock Family Health Center...

Low Grades In Adolescence Linked To Dopamine Genes

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects - English, math, science, history - if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a study led by renowned biosocial criminologist Kevin M. Beaver of The Florida State University. The research sheds new light on the genetic components of academic performance during middle and high school, and on the interplay of specific genes and environmental factors such as peer behavior or school conditions...

Dr Manuel Ferreira Is A QIMR Geneticist On A Mission To Discover The Underlying Causes Of Asthma, Australia

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

He is heading the largest Australian study of asthma genetics - the Australian Asthma Genetics Consortium - which has brought together the top asthma genetics experts from across the country to try to solve the genetic puzzle of asthma. For 1 in 10 Australians, asthma is part of their everyday life. Every year asthma attacks are responsible for 1 million work days lost, 36,000 hospital admissions and about 400 deaths. "We know some people are genetically more likely to develop asthma than others...

ISSCR Decries Negative Impact Of Stem Cell Injunction On Science And Medicine

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Vital progress in stem cell research by hundreds of U.S. laboratories is threatened after last week's injunction prohibiting federal funding for the study of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), Elaine Fuchs, Rockefeller University, U.S., stated that the setbacks for advancing biomedical research on stem cells and translating this knowledge into new and improved treatments for patients are already considerable, and escalate with each day the injunction continues...

Gilead Sciences Submits European Marketing Application For Once-Daily Single-Tablet Regimen Of Truvada® And TMC278 For The Treatment Of HIV Infect

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) announced that it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for marketing approval for the fixed-dose combination of Truvada® (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil (as fumarate)) and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor TMC278 (rilpivirine (as hydrochloride)) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults...

Antimalarial Drug Diversion Study In Research And Reports In Tropical Medicine

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Study of antimalarial drug diversion published in Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine Background: Antimalarial medicine diversion has been seen across numerous African markets and can lead to serious stock-outs in the public sector, which can be dangerous to countries with high burdens of disease. This study discusses the numbers of diverted antimalarial medicines from several samplings in Africa. Methods: A total of 894 samples of antimalarial medicines were covertly purchased from private pharmacies in 11 African cities from late 2007 to early 2010...

Driving Simulator To Be Tested On Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The Medical College of Georgia has received a one-year grant to determine the usefulness of using a simulator-based driving training program to improve fitness-to-drive in multiple sclerosis patients. Fifty participants, recruited for the study through the MCG Multiple Sclerosis Center, will receive driving training at the MCG Driving Simulation Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Abiodun Akinwuntan, associate professor of physical therapy, graduate studies and neurology. The study is funded by the Consortium for Multiple Sclerosis Centers...

Santhera And Ipsen Enter Into Licensing Agreement For Fipamezole For The Treatment Of Dyskinesia In Parkinson's Disease

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) and Ipsen (Paris:IPN) (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) announced a license agreement for the development and commercialization of fipamezole (antagonist of the adrenergic alpha-2 receptor) for territories outside of North America and Japan. This first-in-class compound is currently under investigation for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease. Initiation of a first Phase III study by Biovail is scheduled for 2011. Today's agreement stipulates a data sharing, under which Ipsen has the right to use these data for its own purposes...

Antibiotic Secrets Tapped By Ancient Brewers

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago. The research, led by Emory anthropologist George Armelagos and medicinal chemist Mark Nelson of Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. "We tend to associate drugs that cure diseases with modern medicine," Armelagos says...

Scientists Uncover Counterpart Of Cerebral Cortex In Marine Worms

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Our cerebral cortex, or pallium, is a big part of what makes us human: art, literature and science would not exist had this most fascinating part of our brain not emerged in some less intelligent ancestor in prehistoric times. But when did this occur and what were these ancestors? Unexpectedly, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm...

Wide Variation In EMS Agency Safety Cultures: Pitt Study

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A survey of emergency medical services (EMS) agencies from across the country found wide variation in perceptions of workplace safety culture - providing a tool that might point to potential patient safety threats, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, to be published in the October/December issue of Prehospital Emergency Care and now available online, analyzed survey results from 61 EMS agencies in the U.S. and Canada...

Value Of Oxygen Therapy In End-Of-Life Care Challenged By Study

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Millions of patients with advanced disease in palliative care settings receive oxygen therapy to help them breathe more easily. But a new study from Duke University Medical Center says roughly half of them don't benefit from the intervention, and among those who do benefit, it doesn't make a bit of difference whether they get pure oxygen or just plain old room air - both offer equal benefit. "Offering oxygen when patients begin experiencing shortness of breath has become standard care in many places, but the practice is not based on rigorous scientific investigation," says Dr...

Cancer-Causing Gene Found To Be Crucial In Stem Cell Development

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Stem cells might be thought of as trunks in the tree of life. All multi-cellular organisms have them, and they can turn into a dazzling variety other cells - kidney, brain, heart or skin, for example. One class, pluripotent stem cells, has the capacity to turn into virtually any cell type in the body, making them a focal point in the development of cell therapies, the conquering of age-old diseases or even regrowing defective body parts...

New Prediction Tool For Oil Spill Spread, Other Contaminants

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Prompted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a UC Santa Barbara scientist has come up with a new way of predicting how contaminants like oil will spread. He was able to forecast several days in advance that oil from that spill would wash ashore in particular parts of the Gulf of Mexico. "We predicted where the oil was going to go," says Igor Mezic, a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara who studies fluid dynamics. "We were able to do 3-day predictions pretty accurately." In a paper published online Sept...

New Findings May Lead To The Development Of More Effective Therapies For Inflammation, Wounds And Malignant Tumors

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

In two closely related studies, two teams of Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma, and malignant tumors. The results of the two companion studies were published in the September 3, 2010 issue of the prestigious journal Science...

A Scientific Breakthrough On How HIV Takes Control Of Cell Division

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Dr. Eric A. Cohen, Director of the Human Retrovirology research unit at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), and his team published yesterday, in the online open-access journal PLos Pathogens, the results of their most recent research on the role of the Vpr protein in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired autoimmune deficiency syndrome). "We previously identified that HIV, when infecting target cells, blocks cell division and induces cell death," says Dr. Cohen. "We then discovered that the Vpr protein was involved in this process...

'Basal-Like' Breast Cancer Does Not Originate From Basal Stem Cells

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

New research uncovers a case of mistaken identity that may have a significant impact on future breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies. The study, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that despite their "stem cell-like" characteristics, most aggressive breast tumors are not derived from normal mammary gland stem cells. The glandular tissue of the breast contains two main cell types, outer "basal" cells and inner "luminal" cells...

Serendipity Contributes To MRSA Susceptibility Findings

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Duke University Medical Center researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections. The researchers uncovered important genetic clues that ultimately could help inform patient management and drug development. "If you know up front that a patient is at risk for developing an Staphylococcus aureus infection, then you will be better able to manage them clinically, give them preventive measures, and treat them more aggressively if they become ill," said Vance Fowler, M.D...

Protecting The Lungs Against 'Collateral Damage' From The Immune System

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A study published in the journal Science shows how our bodies try to minimise potential 'collateral damage' caused by our immune system when fighting infection. The research may also provide new clues to why cigarette smoke is a significant risk factor for developing diseases of the lung such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. When bacteria or viruses enter the body, our immune system fights back to neutralise any danger. One of the key 'soldiers' working for the immune system is a particular type of cell known as a neutrophil, which releases toxic enzymes to kill the invading organism...

Functional Motor Neuron Subtypes Generated From Embryonic Stem Cells

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases. Motor neurons in the spinal cord communicate with other neurons in the central nervous system and send long projections out to muscles, transmitting signals that are essential for proper control of movement and posture...

Position Statements About The Post-Reproductive Health Of Women Published By EMAS

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Elsevier has announced the publication of four important position statements from the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) in the journal Maturitas on common management problems in the post-reproductive health of women. The statements cover the management of the menopause in the context of obesity, epilepsy, endometriosis and premature ovarian failure. Each statement has summary recommendations as a quick aid for the busy clinician...

New Discovery Could Pave The Way For Identification Of Rogue CFC Release

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A new discovery by scientists at the Universities of East Anglia and Frankfurt could make it possible in future to identify the source of banned CFCs that are probably still being released into the atmosphere. Using mass spectrometers, the researchers analysed air samples collected in the stratosphere by balloons belonging to the French space agency, the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). They discovered the largest chlorine isotope enrichment ever found in nature. CFCs were banned in most countries because of their depletion of the ozone layer...

Cortisol Levels In Hair Linked To Heart Attack Risk

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Cortisol levels in hair may be the first biomarker to measure chronic (long-term) stress, which is linked to a higher risk of having a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction), according to a new study published in the medical journal Stress. Employment, marital, bereavement, and financial problems are examples of stressors that have been associated with a higher heart attack risk, say the authors. But no previous study has come up with a biological market to measure chronic stress...

Compound Cleared Malaria Parasites Quickly In Mice

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A chemical that rid mice of malaria-causing parasites after a single oral dose may eventually become a new malaria drug if further tests in animals and people uphold the promise of early findings. The compound, NITD609, was developed by an international team of researchers including Elizabeth A. Winzeler, Ph.D., a grantee of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health...

Chemical In Widely Consumed Foods Linked To Skin Cancer

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The September cover story of the nation's leading cancer journal, Cancer Research, features a new study from The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, that links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, The Hormel Institute has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies...

Workers Paying 14% More For Family Health Coverage This Year, USA

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:00:00 GMT

The US worker is paying an average of $482 extra this year for family health coverage, 14% more than last year, even though total premiums - including what employers contribute - only rose 3% to an average of $13,770 in 2010, according to a survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust. The 2010 Employer Health Benefits Survey revealed that workers are paying almost $4,000 this year for family health coverage. The total amount of employers' contributions for family coverage remains unchanged, the report reveals...

Half Of Severe Asthma Cases In Children Are Not Untreatable; Just Follow The Basics

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Many youths appear resistant to treatment from the onset of a severe asthmatic condition. Why? Simply put, many have been wrongly diagnosed or caretakers have not followed asthma treatment guidelines properly. There is no one cure-all for this condition that is a chronic, or long-term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways...

4.7 Million Uninsured But Eligible Children Not In Medicaid Or CHIP

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:00:00 GMT

There are still about 4.7 million uninsured American children who are eligible for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) or Medicaid and are not enrolled, says a new report published in the journal Health Affairs. The report estimated about 7.3 million American children were uninsured on an average day in 2008 - of those, 65% of them (4.7 million) were eligible for Medical or CHIP but not enrolled. According to the report, ten states had participation rates either close to or above 90%. 39% of eligible uninsured children live in California, Florida or Texas, while 61% (2...

Microsoft Excel-based Algorithm Predicts Cancer Prognosis

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Using readily available computer programs, researchers have developed a system to identify genes that will be useful in the classification of breast cancer. The algorithm, described in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research will enable researchers to quickly generate valuable gene signatures without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training. Robin Hallett, a graduate student working under the supervision of Dr...

Dental Surgery At The Click Of A Mouse, New E-learning Platform For Students Of Dentistry At Mainz University Medical Center

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The new e-learning platform ILKUM (an acronym for "Interaktiver Lernzielkatalog der UniversitÃ¤tsmedizin Mainz" or interactive catalogue of learning objectives of Mainz University Medical Center) is a sign of things to come: Students of dentistry in 2010 now only need internet access to be able to download case studies with film and image material showing disease patterns and surgical procedures directly to their laptop, iPad or iPhone...

Surgery To Repair Torn Shoulder Muscles In The Elderly Can Reduce Pain And Improve Function

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Repairing torn shoulder muscles in elderly patients is often discouraged because of fears of complications. But a new study conducted at Rush University Medical Center has shown that minimally invasive, or arthroscopic, surgery can significantly improve pain and function. The study has just been published online in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery and will appear in the October issue. "In people over the age of 70, pain is the main issue, and pain relief is a fairly reliable outcome after surgery," said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nikhil Verma, who led the study...

NHS Confederation Comments On Age UK Report On Malnutrition Among Elderly Hospital Patients

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Commenting on the report from Age UK claiming that one in three nurses would not trust the NHS to care for an elderly relative, deputy policy director Jo Webber said the NHS has made huge strides on nutrition but more still remains to be done. Jo Webber, deputy director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: "Nutrition is an important part of helping people to get better, as well as a vital indicator of how well patients are cared for in hospital...

pSivida Announces Iluvien(R) Receives FDA Priority Review For Treatment Of Diabetic Macular Edema

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

pSivida Corp. (NASDAQ:PSDV) (ASX:PVA), a leader in the development of sustained release back of the eye drug delivery systems for difficult-to-treat conditions, announced that its licensee, Alimera Sciences (NASDAQ:ALIM) has been notified that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review status for the New Drug Application (NDA) filed for Iluvien for the treatment diabetic macular edema (DME). FDA Priority Review status is given to therapies that offer major advances in treatment, or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists...

European Collaborative Research To Develop Lab-on-chip System For Cheap And Fast Cancer Diagnosis

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Detection of circulating and disseminated tumor cells in blood is a promising methodology to diagnose cancer dissemination or to follow up cancer patients during therapy. Today, the detection analyses of these cells are performed in medical laboratories requiring labor intensive, expensive and time-consuming sample processing and cell isolation steps. A full tumor cell detection analysis can take more than a day. A lab-on-chip, integrating the many processing steps, would enable a faster, easy-to-use, cost-effective detection of tumor cells in blood...

The ASCO Post Publishes Multiple Perspectives On Outcome Of ODAC Meeting Regarding Bevacizumab In Advanced Breast Cancer

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The ASCO Post captured initial reactions to the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) recommendation that the breast cancer indication for bevacizumab (Avastin) be revoked in interviews with ODAC voting members, breast cancer specialists, oncologists in private practice, third-party payers, and a patient advocate....

GreenVax Selects Xcellerex XDR Single-Use Bioreactors For New Vaccine And Biotherapeutics Program

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Xcellerex, Inc. announced that Project GreenVax has agreed to acquire XDR GMP single-use production bioreactors from Xcellerex. The systems will be deployed in a new facility currently under construction in Bryan, Texas. Project GreenVax is spearheaded by Texas Plant-Expressed Vaccine Consortium, which consists of G-Con, LLC and The Texas A&M University System. Financial terms were not disclosed. "The XDR system has been demonstrated to be very adaptable and effective in growing wide variety of organisms to support our process needs," commented Dr. Barry Holtz, president of G-Con...

Newest Edition Of Critical Care Nursing Procedure Manual Helps Hospital Units

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The latest edition of the "AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care Nursing" increases the focus on patient safety and infection prevention, while continuing to emphasize evidence-based practice. Published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the 1,312-page manual presents procedures for the critical care environment in an easy-to-use illustrated and step-by-step format. The Procedures and Patient Monitoring sections are presented in a special tabular format with considerations and rationales for each intervention...

Study Recommends Changes To Emergency Seed Aid

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A major study of agriculture in Haiti after this year's earthquake has found that much of the emergency seed aid provided after the disaster was not targeted to emergency needs. The report published today concludes that seed aid, when poorly-designed, could actually harm farmers or depress local markets, therefore hampering recovery from emergencies. Indeed, agricultural interventions in Haiti should move away from their emergency focus, and confront farmers' longer-term challenges, especially their poor access to new crop varieties...

There Is Still Too Much Aluminium In Infant Formulas

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The aluminium content of a range of the most popular brands of infant formulas remains high, and particularly so for a product designed for preterm infants and a soya-based product designed for infants with cow's milk intolerances and allergies, researchers have found. A study by a team at Keele University in Staffordshire, led by Dr Chris Exley with Shelle-Ann M Burrell, demonstrating the vulnerability of infants to early exposure to aluminium serves to highlight an urgent need to reduce the aluminium content of infant formulas to as-low-a-level as is practically possible...

Stromedix Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation For STX-100 For The Treatment Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Stromedix, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on innovative therapies for fibrosis and fibrotic organ failure, announced that its lead clinical candidate STX-100 has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating and almost uniformly fatal disease in which patients experience progressive difficulty breathing due to fibrosis (scarring) of the lung. There are currently no FDA approved treatments for IPF. Stromedix is planning to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial in IPF patients in 2011...

Fisher Scientists Discover Protein That Fuels Alzheimer's Disease, Promising New Treatments Expected

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research laboratory published "Gamma-secretase Activating Protein is a Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease" in Nature online. Drs. Gen He (lead author) and Paul Greengard have discovered a protein that stimulates the production of beta-amyloid, and therefore represents a major new advance in Alzheimer's disease research...

Experts Wonder Why Slimming Drug Meridia (sibutramine) Is Still On The Market In USA

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Sibutramine, brand name Meridia is an appetite suppressant, a weight loss pill. Editors at the NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine) write it is difficult for them to discern a "credible rationale for keeping this medication on the market", even though it is restricted for people without heart disease. According to a new study, individuals with heart problems have a significantly higher risk of stroke and heart attack if they take Meridia...

Surgeons Impact Whether A Woman Gets Breast Reconstruction

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

When breast cancer surgeons regularly confer with plastic surgeons prior to surgery, their patients are more likely to have reconstruction, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Where a woman goes for breast cancer treatment can vary widely - ranging from small private practices to large hospital settings. That choice can impact the type of care a woman receives when it comes to reconstruction. "Breast reconstruction is a very complex treatment issue that requires a lot of discussion...

New Singapore Medical School To Be Created By Imperial College London And Nanyang Technological University

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A new medical school training undergraduate doctors in Singapore and awarding joint Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) degrees is to be established by 2013, it was confirmed. The medical school, an autonomous school of NTU which will be jointly managed by NTU and Imperial College London, will see Imperial developing and delivering a course overseas for the first time. The new medical school will admit its first cohort of 50 students in 2013, the majority of whom will be Singaporean...

New Study Singles Out Factors Linked To Cognitive Deficits In Type 2 Diabetes

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Older adults with diabetes who have high blood pressure, walk slowly or lose their balance, or believe they're in bad health, are significantly more likely to have weaker memory and slower, more rigid cognitive processing than those without these problems, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. These three health factors stood out from more than a dozen suspected to shape how Type 2 diabetes is frequently shadowed by cognitive impairment, including dementia...

New Light On The Mechanism Of Parkinson's Disease

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A significant number of Parkinson's disease patients have a mutation of the enzyme Leucine-Rich Repeat Protein Kinase 2 (LRRK2, also known as dardarin). However, little is understood about how it is regulated or functions. In a new paper in the Signal Knowledge Environment of the Biochemical Journal, Dario Alessi and colleagues from the University of Dundee demonstrate that a family of proteins, the 14-3-3 proteins, interact with LRRK2...

Addressing Health Problems Of Alcohol Requires Society Wide Response

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Responding to figures from the North West Public Health Observatory on the effects of alcohol consumption, NHS Confederation deputy policy director Jo Webber said it was up to society as a whole to address the problems of excessive drinking Commenting on the release of Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) by the North West Public Health Observatory, Jo webber, deputy policy director of the NHS Confederation, which represents over 95 per cent of NHS organisations said: "The NHS Confederation has argued in a report at the New Year that alcohol is causing a growing heal...

HANYS To Advise The Governor's Health Care Reform Cabinet, Ensure New York's Patients And Providers Have A Voice In Policy Decisions

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) President Daniel Sisto lauded Governor Paterson's decision to appoint HANYS to the External Advisory Group of the Governor's Health Care Reform Cabinet. "HANYS' member hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care providers serve on the front lines of our health care system, where they see first-hand how policy changes improve or impede their ability to provide the best patient and resident care. "We are therefore pleased to have been invited to join the task force...

Hospitals That Specialize In Low Weight Infants Proven To Save Lives

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:00 GMT

A recent JAMA news release stated that preterm and low birth weight infants need highly specialized care in Level Three hospitals to minimize neonatal (first four weeks after death) and predischarge deaths. Previous studies make the following statement: For more than 30 years, guidelines for perinatal [pertaining to the period immediately before and after birth] regionalization have recommended that very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants be born at highly specialized hospitals, most commonly designated as level III hospitals...

Botox Maker Allergan Agrees To Pay $600 Million And Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Allergan Inc., the makers of BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) announced that it has agreed to pay US $600 million and to plead guilty to misdemeanor, thus reaching a resolution with the DOJ (US Department of Justice) regarding a previously reported Government investigation into the company's past sales and marketing practices related to specific therapeutic uses of BOTOX. The DOJ had alleged that the BOTOX maker had tried to enhance BOTOX sales through uses the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had not approved. In a press release, Sally Yates, U.S...

Bed Bugs On The Rise

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Bed bugs appear to be on the rise around the world, as more and more experts and professionals in pest control report huge rises in prevalence, even so far as to suggest we are on the verge of a bed bug pandemic. The results of the 2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky in the United States found that 95 per cent of respondents said their company had encountered a bed bug infestation in the last year: this compared to only 25 per cent reporting such encounters before 2000...

Two Mosquito Pools Tested Positive For West Nile Virus, Boston, Massachusetts

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 GMT

The Boston Public Health Commission reported today that two more mosquito pools have confirmed contamination of West Nile Virus (WNV), one pool was detected in North Dorchester and the other one in Hyde Park (first time this season). Authorities inform that previous infected mosquito pools had been found in North Dorchester and West Roxbury. Experts say that when more than one mosquito pool tests positive for WNV it is most likely to be present throughout the city. One human case of WNV infection, a 46-year-old Boston female was confirmed last week...

Cerebral Palsy Risk Linked To Pre And Post Due Date Births Compared To 40 Week Terms

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT

An examination of data conducted by Dag Moster, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bergen, Norway found that infants entering the world at term or later are associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy (CP). This JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) published study first appeared on September 1, 2010. CP is the most common cause of physical disability children. Non-progressive disorders of movement and posture are the key symptoms of this prevalent ailment...

Less Than 5 Hours Sleep Linked To Higher Mental Illness Risk

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Young healthy adults aged between 17 and 24 years who get less than an average of 5 hours' sleep each night have three times the risk of developing a mental illness compared to individuals of the same age who sleep eight to nine hours every night, according to a study carried out by the George Institute on Global Health, published in the medical journal Sleep. Researchers at the George Institute for Global Health carried out a survey involving 20,822 individuals aged 17-24 years across New South Wales, Australia, identified through the state vehicle licensing authority...

Half Of Brits Got Sunburnt This Year And Many Would Do It Again

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

A NEW survey released today (Wednesday 1 September) reveals almost half of Brits (46 per cent) got sunburnt this year. Of those who got burnt, a third (32 per cent) admitted their motivation was to get a tan. And half of those who burnt whilst trying to get a tan would risk burning again next year. The research - commissioned by Superdrug and Cancer Research UK as part of their joint campaign to encourage people to enjoy the sun safely this summer - highlights the worrying lengths sun-seeking Brits are prepared to go to in search of a tan...

FDA Alleges Farm Sold Cattle As Human Food With Illegal Drug Residues

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Department of Justice, USA, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction on behalf of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) against Scenic View Dairy of Hamilton, Michigan, the company's president as well as three managers - they are alleged to have sold dairy cows containing illegal drug residues - antibiotics - in edible tissues for human consumption...

Nanotherapeutics Submits Investigational New Drug Application To FDA For Clinical Testing Of Oral Drug To Treat Radiation Exposure

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Nanotherapeutics, Inc., announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for NanoDTPA™ an orally administered capsule that is a less invasive treatment alternative to the FDA approved injectable Zn-DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid). DTPA is used to remove radioactive compounds from the body to help eliminate the contamination. The NanoDTPA™ capsule is a unique orally-bioavailable fine particle formulation that allows DTPA to be absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal tract...

Covidien Completes Sale Of Sleep Therapy Product Line

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of its Sleep Therapy continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and Bi-level products to PH Invest, a privately held company located in Luxembourg. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed...

Eisai Announces Extension Of FDA Review Of Drug Application For Investigational Agent Eribulin Mesylate

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Eisai Inc. announced today that it has received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the agency expects to complete priority review of the eribulin mesylate New Drug Application (NDA) for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer on or before December 30, 2010, which is a three month extension from the original Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of September 30, 2010...

Lytix Biopharma AS Announces Approval By Hungarian Authorities To Start Phase IIa Clinical Trial With LytixarTM In Gram Positive Skin Infections

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Norwegian pharmaceutical company Lytix Biopharma AS today announces the approval in Hungary to commence a Phase IIa clinical trial with LytixarTM (LTX-109) treatment of skin infections caused by Gram positive bacteria. According to Lytix Biopharma CEO Gunnar SÃ¦lid, "We are delighted to announce the approvals by the Hungarian Regulatory Authorities and appropriate Ethics Committee to test our novel antimicrobial drug LytixarTM (LTX-109) in patients whom have skin infections caused by Gram positive bacteria...

Data From Mipomersen Phase 3 Trial In heFH Patients Presented At ESC

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced that data from the phase 3 study of mipomersen in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH) were presented at the European Society of Cardiology's Congress 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. The study met its primary endpoint with a 28 percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol, compared with an increase of 5 percent for placebo (pThis double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study was designed to test the efficacy and safety of adding mipomersen to stable lipid-lowering therapy...

Plentiful And Varied Vegetable Consumption Lowers Lung Cancer Risk Considerably

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

People who consume a variety of vegetables tend to have a lower risk of developing lung cancer compared to those who don't, according to a study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research. The report adds that a variety of fruit and veggies might also help protect against squamous cell lung cancer, this is especially the case for regular smokers. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D...

New 2010 ESC Guidelines For Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Reinforce Importance Of FFR In Treatment Of Coronary Artery Disease

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) applauds the updated class and level of evidence for Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)-guided treatment in the Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) announced Monday at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Stockholm. Supporting this change are the very strong one and two year data from the landmark FAME (Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) vs. Angiography in Multivessel Evaluation) trial, which demonstrated improved outcomes for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease whose treatment was guided by St...

USDA Offers Food Safety Tips As Hurricane Earl Approaches Eastern Seaboard

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Due to the potential threat from Hurricane Earl, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing recommendations for residents in the American Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and on the mainland from North Carolina to Maine. FSIS urges those in the projected storm path to watch the storm closely in order to minimize possible foodborne illnesses as a result of power outages and other problems often associated with severe storms...

Homewatch CareGivers Releases New "Guide To Living With Dementia" To Help Families Cope With The Numerous Issues Associated With Dementia

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

As part of its ongoing program to help caregivers and provide families with the information they need to make informed decisions, Homewatch CareGivers has released its latest resource, entitled "Guide to Living with Dementia. " This new guide is available for free download from the company's website. Homewatch CareGivers is the world's largest and most experienced international provider of in home care services for people of all ages, celebrating 30 years of caring in 2010...

BEMA Buprenorphine Phase 2 Study Results Selected For Presentation At Pain Week 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (Nasdaq:BDSI) announced today that its abstract showing the results of a Phase 2 clinical study of BEMA Buprenorphine in the treatment of pain has been selected for oral presentation at Pain Week 2010, a national conference educating frontline clinicians who are faced with treating patients with pain. The presentation will take place on Friday, September 10, as part of the 7:00 - 9:00 AM podium presentation session...

Nearly 2,000 Employers And Unions Approved Into New Program

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced the first round of applicants accepted into the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. Nearly 2,000 employers, representing large and small businesses, State and local governments, educational institutions, non-profits, and unions have been accepted into the program and will begin to receive reimbursements for employee claims this fall...

Death Of Injecting Drug User In Leicestershire

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland can confirm that they are investigating the death of a drug injecting heroin user in Leicestershire. Testing of samples from the patient has confirmed the presence of anthrax. This is the fourth case of anthrax seen in an injecting drug user in England, the first being announced in London on 5 February 2010. Similar cases have been seen in Scotland since December 2009 with forty seven cases having been confirmed and one in Germany...

UTHealth Neuroscientist Wins Prominent NIH Director's Pioneer Award

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Valentin Dragoi, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), is one of 17 researchers to win a 2010 National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer Award. The award supports scientists who propose revolutionary, high-impact approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research. Dragoi, who is proposing a new way to study how the brain processes information, will receive a total award of approximately $3.5 million over the next five years...

Foundation Names UIC Educator As Nurse Faculty Scholar

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Shannon Zenk, assistant professor of health systems science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was one of 12 nurse educators nationwide selected as a Nurse Faculty Scholar by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The three-year, $350,000 grant is presented to junior faculty members who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing, according to the foundation. Zenk will study how social factors influence rates of obesity in African-American and Hispanic women...

UC San Diego Earns 2010 Healthiest

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The University of California, San Diego is dedicated to promoting integrative, holistic and interdisciplinary wellness in its students, staff and faculty, a commitment that has earned the campus recognition as one of the healthiest employers in San Diego. In its 2010 Healthiest Employers rankings, the San Diego Business Journal awarded UC San Diego second place in the large businesses category (500 employees or more)...

Indiana Reports Fewer Preventable Medical Errors; Kansas Struggles To Meet Oral Health Needs

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Indianapolis Star: "Indiana's hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers reported a decrease in preventable medical errors last year -- including a 33 percent drop in the number of bed sores. Overall, 306 facilities reported 94 preventable medical errors in 2009, according to a report released Monday by the Indiana State Department of Health. That's down from 105 errors reported each year in 2008 and 2007. The 22 pressure ulcers, also called bed sores, reported for 2009 were the fewest since the state's medical-error reporting system began four years ago" (Lee, 8/31)...

Michigan, New York Roll Out High-Risk Pools

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

States are rolling out their new high-risk pools, including Michigan and New York. In Michigan, enrollment begins today and is open to adults 19 to 64, the Detroit Free Press reports. The pool "will provide comprehensive but not necessarily cheap coverage for people who can prove they have been denied health insurance in the past six months" and is "intended for any uninsured people in the last six months and who had been turned down by an insurer because of a pre-existing health problem...

Tech News: Feds Name Health IT Certifiers; IBM Seeks To Crack China's Health Sector

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Federal health officials gave two firms -- the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology in Chicago, Ill., and the Drummond Group in Austin, Texas, -- the power to certify electronic medical record vendors effective immediately, The Hill reports. "As providers move toward mandatory adoption of EHR systems, HHS created an incentive program designed to encourage the transition." Hospitals and doctors can receive payments for achieving "meaningful use," a set of requirements laid out by federal officials...

Media's Impact On Teen Sexual Behaviors, Teenage Pregnancies And Sexually Transmitted Infections

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

With the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western Hemisphere and 25% of teens having had a sexually transmitted infection, we should be paying careful attention to media messages about sexuality and contraception, says a revised policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) "Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media," published in the medical journal Pediatrics. Web sites and TV shows that are well-liked by adolescents, and the way sex is portrayed in them may be major factors in the initiation of sexual intercourse, the authors write...

Hip Replacement Recall By Depuy Orthopaedics Is Big News

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Due to a fairly high percentage (12-13%) of five year revision or secondary hip surgeries DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. reported based on this year's data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) of England and Wales, the manufacturer announced this week it is voluntarily pulling the ASR™ XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System from the marketplace. DePuy has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies globally of the voluntary recall...

Charity Encourages Brisk Walking, Being More Active To Prevent Breast And Bowel Cancer, UK

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

A cancer research charity estimates that 10,000 cases of breast and bowel cancer could be prevented every year in the UK if people engaged in more "brisk walking" or were generally more physically active every day. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) timed the announcement to coincide with the launch of its Walking Together campaign to raise awareness about how moderate physical activity, including walking, can help prevent cancer. They estimate that 4...

Blood Clot Risk More Than Double In Black Americans Implanted With Drug-Coated Stents

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

A new study found that black Americans implanted with drug-coated stents have more than double the risk of developing life-threatening blood clots than Americans from other races who have also had drug-coated stents implanted to prop open narrowing arteries. You can read about the study behind these findings in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The lead author is Dr Ron Waksman, an associate director of the Division of Cardiology at Washington Hospital Center and professor of medicine and cardiology at Georgetown University...

Diabetic Macular Edema Drug Iluvien Gets FDA Priority Review

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Iluvien(R) (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal insert), an investigational sustained drug delivery system that releases sub-microgram levels of fluocinolone acetonide for DME (diabetic macular edema) treatment, has been accepted for filing and granted Priority Review States by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA), Alimera Sciences, Inc. announced today. When a therapy offers major treatment advances, or provides a treatment where no adequate therapy is currently available, the FDA can grant Priority Review status. This status reduces the review time from about 10 to 6 months...

Disgusting Conditions At Egg Farms Linked To Salmonella Outbreak

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

Inspections of Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms revealed horrendous hygiene conditions, with huge chicken manure heaps, live rodents, and wild birds within the hen houses of two farms. Conditions have been described as disgusting, stomach churning, repulsive, and shocking. The inspections were called after a nationwide recall of 500 million eggs suspected of being contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis. Salmonella infection, or salmonellosis, is a bacterial disease of the intestinal tract...

Blood Thinner Controversy - Does Plavix Really Work?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

On August 29 at the European Cardiovascular Society Congress meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, Dr. Guillaume ParÃ© presented new research conducted by McMaster University that in fact contradicts earlier reports that Plavix (clopidogrel) does not work in people with a certain genetic make-up. ParÃ© is the lead researcher and assistant professor of pathology and molecular medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Clopidogrel is the world's second best-selling prescription drug with yearly sales of over $6 billion USD...

Winn-Dixie Offers Flu Vaccinations Beginning Sept. 1

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: WINN), will offer flu vaccinations on a walk-in basis and through vaccine clinics at all of its in-store pharmacies beginning Sept. 1. Customers using their Winn-Dixie Customer Reward Card will receive a $5 discount off the $28 flu vaccine ($23 with the Customer Reward Card). Winn-Dixie's pharmacies also are offering a new, high dosage flu vaccine for those 65 and older for $43 with the Customer Reward Card ($48 for non-cardholders) this year. Both the regular and high dose flu vaccines provide protection against the H1N1 virus...

Adventure Trial Successfully Lowers Drinking Rates In At Risk Children

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The coming weeks mark the return to school for many of our youngest citizens. Sadly the satisfaction of making new friends and obtaining good test scores may be overshadowed by the prospect of substance abuse for some school-aged adolescents. The previous decade has witnessed a two-fold increase in both alcohol consumption and intoxication by adolescents age 12 to 17...

Award-Winning Study: Hardening Of The Arteries Doubles The Risk Of Mortality

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Research prize for Bochum's medics They also pointed out that the disease can be diagnosed and counteracted by means of a simple comparison between arm and ankle blood pressure carried out by a GP. Their highly regarded work has now been conferred the Best PAD Research Award 2010 by the Peripheral Arterial Disease Coalition. Simple test must be made standard Almost 7,000 patients over 65 were included in the getABI study in 2001. It turned out that one in five of them suffered from hardening of the arteries...

Launch Of New Cell Transplantation Journal

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A new and unique journal on cell transplantation aimed at helping translate laboratory findings into clinical applications is being launched by Cognizant Communication Corporation as a companion journal to Cell Transplantation. Cell Medicine, an online-only, open access journal, publishes research papers that promise to have direct clinical relevance. The journal is freely accessible here. "This journal will offer critical evaluation of cell medicine as a safe and effective treatment for human disorders, many of which are debilitating and many times fatal," said Dr...

Defining Depression At The Neurobiological Level

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Depression is actually defined by specific clinical symptoms such as sadness, difficulty to experience pleasure, sleep problems etc., present for at least two weeks, with impairment of psychosocial functioning. These symptoms guide the physician to make a diagnosis and to select antidepressant treatment such as drugs or psychotherapy. At least 40% of depressed patients actually benefit from antidepressant treatment, whereas 20-30% of patients may suffer from chronic depression that negatively impacts their quality of life...

Apixaban Success Halts Stroke Prevention Trial

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The data monitoring committee of the AVERROES study, seeing overwhelming evidence of the success of apixaban in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation who are unsuitable for the conventional treatment of warfarin, has recommended early termination of this study. The decision came after repeated review and careful consideration of all efficacy and safety data. The study leaders, principal investigator Dr. Stuart J. Connolly, chairman of the steering committee Dr. Salim Yusuf, and project officer Dr...

Liver Expert Robert Gish, MD, Joins UC San Diego

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Robert G. Gish, MD, world-renowned hepatologist, has been recruited to the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to co-direct the Center for Hepatobiliary Disease and Abdominal Transplantation (CHAT) - a multidisciplinary program designed to offer adult and pediatric patients in the western United States a single destination for the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease from common to complex...

Epic Mosquito Season And Re-Emergence Of Dengue Fever In Florida Are Potent Reminders To Stay Protected From Mosquitoes With Insect Shield

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The wet spring followed by hot, summer weather throughout the US has resulted in an explosion of mosquitoes throughout the country. In addition, a recent outbreak of Dengue fever in Florida has heightened awareness about the dangers of insect bites and insect-borne disease. Dengue re-emerged in the United States in 2009 in Key West for the first time since 1934. This year, cases continue to occur in Key West...

Idera Pharmaceuticals Achieves Clinical Milestone Under Its Collaboration With Merck KGaA For Cancer Treatment

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA), announced that it has achieved a milestone under its worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The milestone was achieved upon Merck KGaA's initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 (EMD 1201081), an agonist of Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9), in combination with cisplatin, fluorouracil and cetuximab (Erbitux®) in first-line treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Under the terms of the agreement, Idera is entitled to receive a payment of 3...

Eye Movements Reveal Readers' Wandering Minds

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

It's not just you...everybody zones out when they're reading. For a new study published in Psychological Science a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, scientists recorded eye movements during reading and found that the eyes keep moving when the mind wanders - but they don't move in the same way as they do when you're paying attention. Erik Reichle, a psychological scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, is interested in how the brain controls eye movements...

Researchers Develop Hybrid Protein Tools For Gene Cutting And Editing

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

An Iowa State University team of researchers has developed a type of hybrid proteins that can make double-strand DNA breaks at specific sites in living cells, possibly leading to better gene replacement and gene editing therapies. Bing Yang, assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology, and his colleagues developed the hybrid protein by joining parts of two different bacterial proteins. One is called a TAL effector, which functions to find the specific site on the gene that needs to be cut, and the other is an enzyme called a nuclease that cuts the DNA strands...

Mandatory Flu Vaccine For All Health-Care Personnel: Recommendation By Nation's Leading Infectious Diseases Experts

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel is a professional and ethical responsibility and non-compliance with healthcare facility policies regarding vaccination should not be tolerated, according to a position paper released by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)...

Neural Clues To The Calming Effects Of Self-Harm

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The notion that cutting or burning oneself could provide relief from emotional distress is difficult to understand for most people, but it is an experience reported commonly among people who compulsively hurt themselves. Individuals with borderline personality disorder experience intense emotions and often show a deficiency of emotion regulation skills. This group of people also displays high prevalence rates of self-injurious behavior, which may help them to reduce negative emotional states...

Why Do Moderate Drinkers Live Longer Than Abstainers?

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Researchers found that moderate alcohol drinkers are more likely to live longer over a 20-year follow-up than heavy drinkers and abstainers. Moderate drinking means consuming about one or two drinks per day. A report published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research stressed that the health benefits of drinking alcohol among older individuals are "intrinsically linked to moderation"...

Medicare To Cover Evidence-Based Tobacco Cessation Counseling

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:00:00 GMT

People who want to give up smoking may be entitled to Medicare cover for evidence-based cessation counseling, the HSS (Department of Health and Human Services, USA) announced. Before this announcement, only individuals with a tobacco-related disease were entitled to Medicare cover for counseling to give up smoking. From now on, the HSS says any individual covered by Medicare who smokes will be entitled to receive tobacco cessation counseling from a qualified doctor or other practitioner who is recognized by Medicare...

Teenage Smoking Linked To Higher Depression Risk

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

According to a recent sub-study, part of long-term Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study based at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, University of Toronto and the University of Montreal, professionals discovered that smoking can increase depressive symptoms in teens. Michael Chaiton, the study's primary author states the following: This observational study is one of the few to examine the perceived emotional benefits of smoking among adolescents...

Many Older Adults With Diabetes Are Sexually Active But Have Problems

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:00:00 GMT

New research from the University of Chicago found that many middle-aged and older Americans with diabetes are sexually active but more likely to experience sexual problems compared with counterparts without diabetes. Lead author Stacy Lindau, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of medicine at the University of Chicago, and colleagues, wrote about their findings in a paper published 27 August in an online advanced issue of Diabetes Care...

Genetic Link To Migraine Found, In DNA Variant On Chromosome 8

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Scientists have identified the first genetic risk factor linked to a common type of migraine after examining the genetic data of over 50,000 individuals. The investigators say that this breakthrough gives them new insights into migraine triggers, which will hopefully lead to novel therapies to prevent episodes of migraine. The researchers identified a higher risk of developing migraine among patients with a particular DNA variant on Chromosome 8 between two genes - PGCP and MTDH/AEG. The specific DNA variant appears to regulate glutamate levels, the scientists added...

Smoking Cannabis Reduces Pain, Helps Sleep And Improves Mood For Those With Chronic Symptoms

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

For patients with chronic (long-term) neuropathic pain, smoking cannabis was found to reduce symptoms of pain, improve mood and help sleep, a report published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Journal Association) revealed. When damage or dysfunction of the nervous system results in chronic neuropathic pain, patients have few treatment options, such as antidepressants, local anesthetics, anticonvulsants or opioids. However, these medications often have undesirable side effects and do not work for everybody...

Childhood Sports Related Concussion Visits To Emergency Rooms Tripled In Ten Years

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

The number of child-athletes taken to emergency rooms (emergency departments) with concussion in the USA more than tripled, from 7,000 cases in 1997 to nearly 22,000 in 2007, according to an article published in the medical journal Pediatrics. The authors believe this is due to a greater awareness of head injuries, and possibly because sports have become more intense. Even though awareness has improved, the authors stress that a significant number of children with concussion are never referred to a medical professional, so figures are probably much higher than the officially reported ones...

UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, To Visit Flood Affected Areas Of Pakistan

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, arrives in Pakistan Monday 30 August to tour flood-hit areas and see UNICEF operations to assist the millions of flood-affected people, especially the most vulnerable, the children and women. On Monday, Mr. Lake will travel to Charsadda district, one of the worst affected districts in the Khyber Pukhtoonkhaw province. He will visit schools being used as shelters by thousands of families where UNICEF is providing safe drinking water, family health and hygiene kits and repairing sanitation systems. On Tuesday, 31 August, Mr...

Dr. Gilbert Botvin Receives Presidential Award From Society For Prevention Research

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

In recognition of his lifetime contributions to the prevention sciences, the Society for Prevention Research has awarded Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin its prestigious Presidential Award. Dr. Botvin is a professor of psychology in public health and professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, where he is chief of the Division of Prevention and Health Behavior. Dr. Botvin is also president of National Health Promotion Associates Inc., which promotes evidence-based prevention and provides teacher training and technical assistance. The award was presented to Dr...

Drugs In Sport: Support Available, Australian Psychological Society

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) will offer psychological assistance to sportspeople and sporting organisations to deal with drugs in sport as part of a new government initiative. As part of the Australian Government's $20...

Pennsylvania Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. Coli O26 Contamination

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., a Wyalusing, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 8,500 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product subject to recall includes: - 42-pound cases of "GROUND BEEF FINE 90/10," containing three (3) - approximately 14 pound chubs each. These products have a "use/freeze by" date of "07/01/10," and an identifying product code of "W69032." The products subject to recall bears the establishment number "EST...

Secretary Sebelius Announces An Expansion Of The Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Under The Affordable Care Act

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the expansion of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Rural Community Hospital demonstration program, through the Affordable Care Act. Up to 20 small rural hospitals in selected states will be eligible for enhanced reimbursement for inpatient services, in addition to the 10 hospitals already participating in the program. "Improving health care for rural Americans is a top priority in the Affordable Care Act," said Secretary Sebelius...

Richmond-Times Dispatch Reporter Explains Significance Of Va. AG's Opinion On Abortion Clinic Regulation

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

On NPR's "Tell Me More," Richmond Times-Dispatch political reporter and columnist Jeff Schapiro discussed Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's (R) recent advisory legal opinion concluding that the state Board of Health has the authority to regulate abortion clinics. Schapiro noted that Cuccinelli is "echoing a view expressed by his predecessor" -- current Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) -- "that [abortion clinics] are, in effect, hospitals, and that the standards by which they operate should be hospital-like...

At NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference, Cardinal Health Helps Retail Pharmacies Fight Prescription Drug Abuse

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

At the NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference, taking place August 28-31 in San Diego, Calif., Cardinal Health will encourage attendees to learn more about how they can get involved in the fight against prescription drug abuse. Today, prescription medication abuse is a significant societal health issue, with more Americans abusing prescription drugs than cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined1 and one in five teens abusing a prescription medication at least once in their lifetime2...

Stigma, Cost Leads Texas Women To Seek Abortion Drugs In Mexico

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Several recent studies suggest that U.S. women are increasingly seeking methods for self-induced abortions instead of visiting legal clinics that have become "embattled, increasingly costly and geographically inaccessible," The Nation reports. The article profiles a woman from Brownsville, Texas, to illustrate a common experience among women in the state's Rio Grande Valley, where women, seeking to avoid social stigma and unable to afford medical care, travel to Mexico for cheap drugs to end their pregnancies...

Abbott Provides Initial Support For Flood Relief Efforts In Pakistan

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and its philanthropic foundation the Abbott Fund are providing $335,000 (Rs 28.7 million) in initial humanitarian aid to help with flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Working in partnership with global relief partners and local organizations in Pakistan, Abbott and the Abbott Fund are providing grant funding and Abbott is donating health care products. Support from Abbott and the Abbott Fund includes $175,000 (Rs 15 million) in grants to AmeriCares, CARE Pakistan, the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and Swat Relief Initiative...

Lupus Researchers Will Examine Ways To Best Apply Findings From Lupus Mouse Model To Human Lupus

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Nearly 200 lupus researchers, clinicians and representatives from government, industry, academia and nonprofit organizations involved in lupus research will gather on the campus of the National Institutes of Health to look at ways to best apply research findings from lupus mouse models to human lupus...

Apple Genome Decoded By Scientists

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

An international team of scientists from Italy, France, New Zealand, Belgium and the USA have published a draft sequence of the domestic apple genome in the current issue of Nature Genetics. The availability of a genome sequence for apple will allow scientists to more rapidly identify which genes provide desirable characteristics to the fruit and which genes and gene variants provide disease or drought resistance to the plant. This information can be used to rapidly improve the plants through more informed selective breeding...

Hospira Japan Receives Approval For New Indication For 'Precedex IV(TM) 200ug'

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Hospira Japan Co., Ltd. announced it has received an approval for the long-term (greater than 24 hour) use of the sedative "Precedex IV(TM)200ug" (generic name: dexmedetomidine hydrochloride). This approval follows Hospira's first launches earlier this year of Precedex in Canada and in South Korea, important milestones for Hospira as the company continues to build the molecule's global presence. Originally, Precedex was approved in Japan in 2004 for sedation of initially intubated and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care setting for use up to 24 hours...

First Independent Installation Of IMMULITE 2000 XPi At Yorkshire Clinic

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

The Yorkshire Clinic, part of the Ramsay Health Care group, has recently upgraded its immunoassay system to an IMMULITE® 2000 XPi from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. This is the first placement of this analyser into an independent healthcare provider and one of the first placements in the UK. It will assist with the rapid turnaround of thyroid, haematinics, gonadotrophins and tumour marker testing. The features of the IMMULITE 2000 XPi have enabled the hospital to reduce the time it takes to obtain quick and accurate test results...

Ant Colonies Shed Light On Metabolism

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Ants are usually regarded as the unwanted guests at a picnic. But a recent study of California seed harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus) examining their metabolic rate in relation to colony size may lead to a better appreciation for the social, six-legged insects, whose colonies researchers say provide a theoretical framework for understanding cellular networks. The Study A team of researchers led by James Waters of Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz...

Baby Boomers Are 40 To 50 Percent More Likely To 'Disaffiliate' From Their Faith

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Generation X, the set of Americans who came of age in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is often branded as a rules-rejecting, authority-questioning group. But when it comes to religion, new research has revealed that Gen-Xers are surprisingly loyal to their faith - a finding that also suggests the rising non-religious tide in the United States may be leveling off...

'Neural Inertia' May Explain The Brain's Resistance To Changes In Consciousness

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Despite the fact that an estimated 25 million patients per year in the U.S. undergo surgeries using general anesthesia, scientists have only been able to hypothesize exactly how anesthetics interact with the central nervous system. They previously thought that the processes of "going under" and waking up from anesthesia affected the brain in the same way. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have established in animal models that the brain comes in and out of a state of induced unconsciousness through different processes...

Shape-Shifting Robot Plane Offers Safer Alternative For Maritime Rescue

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The EUREKA E! 3931 ASARP project has developed a small and cheap-to-build unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intended to cut the cost of maritime search-and-rescue missions and reduce risks to material and human lives. The seaplane uses shape-changing technology to improve flight stability, enabling the plane to fly in severe weather conditions. The resulting craft has an endurance of 4.5 hours with a payload of up to 40 kg. It is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics and onboard cameras. And it is linked wirelessly to the command centre from where the pilot can control the UAV...

Artificial Enzyme Removes Natural Poison

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

For the first time ever, a completely man-made chemical enzyme has been successfully used to neutralise a toxin found naturally in fruits and vegetables. Proof of concept for artificial enzymes Chemzymes are designed molecules emulating the targeting and efficiency of naturally occurring enzymes and the recently graduated Dr. Bjerre is pleased about her results. "Showing that these molecules are capable of decomposing toxins required vast amounts of work and time...

'Striking' Endurance Boost Provided By Dietary Supplement

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Research from the University of Exeter has revealed taking a dietary supplement to boost nitric oxide in the body can significantly boost stamina during high-intensity exercise. The study has important implications for athletes, as results suggest that taking the supplement can allow people to exercise up to 20% longer and could produce a 1-2% improvement in race times. This comes on the back of previous research from Exeter which showed that the high nitrate content of beetroot juice, which also boosts nitric oxide in the body, has a similar effect on performance...

Bleeding In Cirrhosis Patients May Be Reduced By Adherence To Practice Guidelines

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Compliance with practice guideline-recommended treatment for cirrhosis is associated with a reduction in first esophageal variceal hemorrhage (EVH; bleeding), according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver is permanently scarred or injured...

Approaches To Measuring Protein In Foods In Context Of Deadly Adulterations, Examined By New Paper

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Recent incidents of adulteration involving infant formula, other milk products and pet food with the industrial chemical melamine revealed the weaknesses of current methods widely used across the domestic and global food industry for determining protein content in foods. The possible utility of alternative existing and emerging methods is the subject of a new paper published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, a peer-reviewed journal of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). The paper, now available online, is authored by a team of experts led by Jeffrey Moore, Ph.D...

Cocaine Addiction: Experimental Treatments May Prevent Relapse

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Doctors have used the drug disulfiram to help patients stay sober for several decades. It interferes with the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, giving a fierce hangover to someone who consumes even a small amount of alcohol. More recently, disulfiram was shown to be effective in treating cocaine addiction as well, even though alcohol and cocaine affect the nervous system in different ways. Now, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified how disulfiram may exert its effects, and have shown that a newer drug with fewer side effects works by the same mechanism...

New Research Builds On Breakthrough Discovery At UC Riverside Of Synthetic Chemical Pyrabactin

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Drought-tolerant crops have moved closer to becoming reality. A collaborative team of scientists has made a significant advance on the discovery last year by the University of California, Riverside's Sean Cutler of pyrabactin, a synthetic chemical that mimics a naturally produced stress hormone in plants to help them cope with drought conditions...

USDA Technology Employed In Commercial Trap For Wasps, Hornets And Yellowjackets

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Forget the ants marching one by one--yellowjackets are the real party-crashers when it comes to spoiling picnics, outdoor barbeques and other summer fun where cold beverages and meat are present. Fortunately, a new trap is available that lures these stinging, sugar-sipping pests to their doom, thanks to attractants developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and commercialized by Sterling International, Inc., of Spokane, Wash. The scientists work for USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)...

The 'Defense' Cells That Help Throughout The Body - Macrophages

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The term "macrophage" conjures images of a hungry white blood cell gobbling invading bacteria. However, macrophages do much more than that: Not only do they act as antimicrobial warriors, they also play critical roles in immune regulation and wound-healing. They can respond to a variety of cellular signals and change their physiology in response to local cues...

UK's First Cochlear Implant Operation To Give Sound In Both Ears

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The UK's first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears has taken place, thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC), based at the University of Southampton. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that can help both adults and children who have a severe to profound hearing loss. It has two parts: an internal receiver/stimulator package and electrode array, and an external speech processor that looks like a hearing aid...

Study Shows Brain Trauma Associated With Lifelong Conditions That Affect Quality Of Life And Mortality

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston...

GeoChip Technology From University Of Oklahoma Plays Critical Role In Gulf Of Mexico Deepwater Oil Plume Study

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A University of Oklahoma technology - GeoChip - played a critical role in an intensive study of the dispersed oil plume that formed at a depth between 3,600 and 4,000 feet some 10 miles from BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. An OU research team led by Jizhong Zhou, director of the Institute for Environmental Genomics, developed the new generation GeoChip, which contributed to the findings of the study by simultaneously detecting more than 150,000 different functional genes for various microbial ecological and biogeochemical processes...

Journal Of Vascular And Interventional Radiology Sees Growth, Promise Of Tumor Ablation

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The unprecedented growth and promise of using thermal ablation to target and kill cancer is the subject of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology's August supplement, "Thermal Ablation 2010: At the Crossroads of Past Success, Current Goals and Future Technology." "The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology supplement sheds light on the development of multiple medical techniques and devices for cancer tumor ablation," said Daniel B. Brown, M.D., guest editor...

A Step Closer To Development Of Drug To Prevent Deadly Immune Response

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers have isolated a molecule, small enough to be used as a drug, that can shut down a dysfunctional immune response that causes deadly hemorrhagic shock, results in delayed death of heart attack patients, promotes rejection of transplanted organs and destroys joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a paper published in Molecular Immunology...

Research Shows That Our Best And Worst Moments Occur Within Social Relationships

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In the first study of its kind, researchers have found compelling evidence that our best and worst experiences in life are likely to involve not individual accomplishments, but interaction with other people and the fulfillment of an urge for social connection. The findings, which run contrary to implications of previous research, are reported in "What Makes Us Feel the Best Also Makes Us Feel the Worst: The Emotional Impact of Independent and Interdependent Experiences...

Thrifty Bacteria Thrive

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In these lean times, smart consumers refuse to pay a lot for throwaway items, but will shell out a little more for products that can be used again and again. The same is true of bacteria and other microbes, researchers at the University of Michigan have learned. These organisms "spend" more on proteins that will be used and recycled internally than on proteins that are secreted from the cell and lost to the environment, said graduate student Daniel Smith, lead author of a paper published online in the open access journal mBio...

UBC Researchers Find That Fat Serves As Cells' Built-In PH Sensor

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A specific type of fat present in cell membranes also serves as a cellular pH sensor, a team of University of British Columbia researchers has discovered. pH is a measure of acidity or basicity. Cells need to maintain pH in order to perform their normal cellular functions. However, the mechanisms by which cells monitor pH were unknown...

Debating The Success Of Alzheimer's Research

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

An editorial in the journal Lancet debates the problems of drug development for Alzheimer's disease. The feature questions why so many trials are failing at the phase 3 clinical trial stage and asks whether the animal models used prior to this are the most effective way to test the drugs. It also suggests treatments should perhaps start to focus more on the changes in the brain that happen before symptoms like memory loss start to appear. However, it notes that these are difficult to replicate in animal models...

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Appears Beneficial For Adults With ADHD

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who received medication and individual sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) showed greater improvement in symptoms through 12 months compared to patients who did not receive CBT, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA. "Approximately 4.4 percent of adults in the United States have ADHD, which is a disorder characterized by impairing levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity...

New Thoughts On Brain Research

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The first annual national conference on translational brain research will be held at The Australian National University on Monday. What: Translational Research in the Brain: Accelerating the Pathway from Discovery to Healthcare...

Use Of Certain Antiviral Drugs During Pregnancy Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Major Birth Defects

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

An analysis of data from Denmark finds no associated increased risk of major birth defects for mothers who were exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy to the antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir, often used to treat herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA. The prevalence of herpes simplex is high, and more than 1 percent of susceptible women acquire herpes simplex during the first trimester of pregnancy, with antiviral treatment indicated for a significant number of women in pregnancy...

Jefferson Receive $3 Million NIH Grant To Study Platelets

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have received a four-year, $3 million National Institutes of Health grant funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study variations of platelet function, specifically, the genetics of platelet gene expression. The study aims to find data that can be translated into novel therapeutic strategies and develop better predictors of cardiovascular disease. "This study is at the leading-edge of platelet genetic research," said principal investigator Paul F. Bray, M.D...

Genetic Variations Associated With Development Of End-Stage Kidney Disease In Chinese Patients With Diabetes

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Examination of a gene involved in cell signaling finds that four common variants of this gene are associated with the development of end-stage renal disease in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA. Renal (kidney) failure is an important cause of death among patients with type 2 diabetes. Asian populations appear to be particularly at risk of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and compared with white individuals, Asian patients have a higher risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to background information in the article...

Elective Placement Of Type Of Pump Within The Aorta Prior To Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Not Associated With Improved Outcomes

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

High-risk patients undergoing a coronary procedure such as placement of a stent who electively received an intra-aortic balloon pump (a device that can help improve blood flow) prior to the procedure did not experience a significantly lower overall rate of events such as heart attack, revascularization or death, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA...

Local MP Stephen Lloyd To Visit HIV And Sexual Health Centre In Eastbourne, UK

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd will be visiting HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust's (THT) centre on Wednesday 1 September at 11am. During his visit, Stephen will meet staff and local service users to find out first hand about the issues facing people in the region when it comes to HIV and sexual health. Figures from the South East Coast show that in 2008 alone, there were likely to be around 5,400 people living with HIV in the region. In the same year 455 people were newly diagnosed with HIV...

GPs Can Help Close The Gap: Report, Australia

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Better identification of Indigenous patients in general practices would improve their access to Medicare benefits such as health checks that could help 'Close the Gap', yet many GPs don't consider ethnicity to be relevant to quality of care, according to a study from The Australian National University. The study, commissioned by the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APCHRI) at ANU and conducted under the auspices of The Lowitja Institute, reviewed the effectiveness of strategies that aim to improve the identification of Indigenous people...

Amneal Announces FDA Approval For Spironolactone HCl Tablets

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC is pleased to announce that it has received U.S. FDA approval to manufacture Spironolactone HCl tablets in 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg strengths effective July 2, 2010. The Amneal generic is an AB-rated, therapeutically equivalent alternative to Aldactone® (a registered trademark of Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., a unit of Pfizer Inc.). Annual U.S. sales of Spironolactone HCl were $91 MM as of December 2009 according to IMS Health market data...

AMA To Host Summit On Medical Intern Training Crisis, Australia

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The AMA will next month host a summit of key medical training stakeholders to discuss and develop solutions to the crisis around the shortage of prevocational and vocational training positions for medical school graduates. AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that Australia faces the loss of hundreds of locally produced, highly trained medical graduates to other countries or other professions...

Smaller Babies Delivered By Depressed Mothers

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Clinical depression and anxiety during pregnancy results in smaller babies that are more likely to die in infancy, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health. The study, which focused on women living in rural Bangladesh, provides the first finding of its kind in a non-Western population. The research indicates that mental health issues are likely to be a primary contributor to infant mortality and poor child health, above poverty, malnutrition or low socio-economic status...

European Medicines Agency Starts Review Of Pandemrix

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The European Medicines Agency has launched a review of Pandemrix on the request of the European Commission to investigate whether there is a link between cases of narcolepsy and vaccination with Pandemrix. A limited number of cases was reported, all collected through spontaneous reporting systems, mainly in Sweden and Finland. Pandemrix, an influenza vaccine, has been used since September 2009 for vaccination against H1N1 influenza in at least 30.8 million Europeans. Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly...

Genentech Provides Update On FDA Application For T-DM1

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Refuse to File letter for accelerated approval for the company's trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) Biologics License Application (BLA). As planned, Genentech will continue with its ongoing Phase III registrational T-DM1 trial, EMILIA. Genentech will continue to work with the FDA and expects to submit a new T-DM1 BLA in mid-2012...

Spectral Molecular Imaging, Inc. Announces Accelerated Timeline For Its Early Melanoma Detection Product SkinSpect™

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Cascade Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: CSDT) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Spectral Molecular Imaging, Inc. (SMI) will complete development of its new product SkinSpect™, aimed at early detection of melanoma by hyperspectral imaging, in mid-September 2010, significantly ahead of schedule. The device incorporates new advances in component technologies (optics, cameras, displays, embedded computers and software), as well as experience derived from previous prototypes developed under federal funding and tested in the clinic...

In Cystic Fibrosis Patients, Vitamin D May Treat And Prevent Allergic Reaction To Mold

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Vitamin D may be an effective therapy to treat and even prevent allergy to a common mold that can cause severe complications for patients with cystic fibrosis and asthma, according to researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Results of the study, led by Jay Kolls, M.D., Ph.D...

Liver Cells Created From Patients' Skin Cells

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

By creating diseased liver cells from a small sample of human skin, scientists have for the first time shown that stem cells can be used to model a diverse range of inherited disorders. The University of Cambridge researchers' findings, which will hopefully lead to new treatments for those suffering from liver diseases, were published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Because liver cells (hepatocytes) cannot be grown in the laboratory, researching liver disorders is extremely difficult...

SonoSite Receives FDA Clearance For LumenVu Catheter Guidance System

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound, announced today that it received FDA clearance for its innovative LumenVu® Catheter Guidance System. Designed to aid in the placement of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC), the proprietary LumenVu System combines near-infrared technology with a revolutionary fiber optic stylet, which replaces a traditional guide wire, to allow visualization and real-time tracking of a catheter tip as it advances through a vein...

Improved Salmonella And Campylobacter Detection Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

A type of high-tech imaging can be used to distinguish the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter from other microorganisms as quickly as 24 hours after a sample is placed on solid media in a Petri dish, according to a study published by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. The researchers, with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), used technology called hyperspectral imaging, which combines digital imaging with spectroscopy, to provide hundreds of individual wavelength measurements for each image pixel. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency...

New Health Canada And FDA Studies Support BPA Safety

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

As part of its research commitment on bisphenol A (BPA), Health Canada released today the results of a new survey of BPA exposure levels in a variety of soft drink and beer products. The results from this latest government survey provide confirmation that foods and beverages packaged in BPA epoxy resin coated metal cans do not pose a health risk. The survey results clearly indicate that exposure to BPA from the tested beverage products would be extremely low...

At 101, Patient Is Nation's Oldest Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

When Doris Snyder celebrated her 102nd birthday on August 10, she was that much closer to the expected birth of her first great-granddaughter who's due to arrive early September. She is very excited about the milestone, which might not have been possible were it not for a cutting-edge, experimental procedure that replaced one of Doris' heart valves weeks earlier when she was 101. The valve had been rendered useless by aortic valve stenosis hardening from calcium deposits that restrict the flow of blood from the heart...

NCPA, AARP Report Finds Brand Name Drug Prices Soar As Large Pharmacy Benefit Managers Reap Windfall Profits

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

According to a new AARP report, the average retail price of the most popular brand-name drugs increased by 8.3 percent in 2009 and by 41.5 percent over the past five years rates well in excess of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. At the same time, major pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) like CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, Inc. and Medco Health Solutions, Inc., hired by employers and other health plan sponsors to negotiate lower prices from drug manufacturers, experienced record profits, in some cases increasing five-fold over the past decade. Joseph H...

CareFusion Announces National Launch Of Spinal Fracture Device

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

CareFusion (NYSE: CFN), a leading, global medical device company, announced the national commercial launch of the AVAmax® Vertebral Balloon, a minimally invasive device for use during kyphoplasty, a procedure for treating spinal compression fractures. The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon represents a competitive breakthrough and is expected to enhance the affordability of spinal fracture procedures...

As A Result Of Health Reform, California Provider Groups Focusing On Accountable Care Organizations To Better Coordinate Care

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that provider groups in California, including physician groups, independent practice associations, hospitals and medical foundations, are beginning to shape their role in the anticipated shift towards accountable care organizations (ACO). As a result of health reform, hospitals will be held accountable for the quality of care in their community and are therefore interested in the possibilities that ACOs may offer to better coordinate care for their patients and streamline the reimbursement processes...

Preferred Imaging Brings Positron Emission Mammography To North Dallas/Plano Area

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Preferred Imaging Centers has installed the Naviscan PEM scanner into its newest facility in Plano, TX, adding a dedicated breast imaging modality to its array of diagnostic tools. PEM (Positron Emission Mammography) scanners are high-resolution breast PET systems that show the location as well as the metabolic phase of a lesion. The metabolic view assists physicians in making the optimal patient care decision by providing an unprecedented ability to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions, what researchers term "specificity...

Australian Patent Issued To CreAgri® For Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) Protection By Its Hydroxytyrosol-Based Formulations

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

CreAgri, Inc.® announced today that the company has received a Patent by the Australian Patent Office, Patent Number 2003249719, which covers the protective effects provided by Hydroxytyrosol against skin damage caused by UV exposure. The patent claims are very broad and include formulations containing the two most important olive polyphenols, Hydroxytyrosol and Oleuropein, whether delivered orally and/or in conjunction with topical applications...

Alexza's Staccato® Nicotine Licensed To Cypress Bioscience

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced that it has licensed its Staccato nicotine technology to Cypress Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYPB). The Staccato nicotine technology is a novel electronic multidose delivery system designed to help people stop smoking. The Staccato nicotine technology is intended to improve on a well-validated smoking cessation approach by delivering nicotine via inhalation, mimicking the nicotine effects of smoking without the harmful side effects associated with cigarettes...

Sermo Report Indicates That Ticagrelor Is Likely To Affect The Standard Of Care For ACS Patients

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Sermo, the world's largest online community for physicians, announced a free Sermo Report titled, "FDA Committee Recommends Approval for Ticagrelor." The report covers physician opinions about the introduction of an investigational oral antiplatelet treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). According to the results, 46% of physicians feel that ticagrelor will likely affect the current standard of care, Plavix (clopidogrel), for ACS patients. If approved, 57% of physicians said they could switch up to 20% of their patients to ticagrelor...

Nurse-Family Partnership Receives $210,000 Grant From WellPoint Foundation

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Nurse-Family Partnership®, a leading non-profit organization addressing the needs of low income, first-time parents and their children, has received a $210,000 grant from the WellPoint Foundation. The WellPoint Foundation, a private, non-profit organization wholly funded by WellPoint, Inc., promotes WellPoint's inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that WellPoint's affiliate health plans serve...

Series Of Cognitive Tests That May Aid In Better Understanding And Treating Of Down Syndrome

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Neuroscientists in the Down Syndrome Research Group at the University of Arizona have created a battery of tests that quickly aid in the assessment of the cognitive abilities of persons with Down syndrome. The UA collaborated on the development of the tests with colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and Emory University. The tests - a series of computer exercises that are not language dependent - offer clinicians and other researchers a new tool that can help determine both the developmental trajectory of those with Down syndrome and aid in devising drug and behavioral interventions...

A Call For Major Reform In The Direction Of Alzheimer's Treatment And Patient Care As The Boomer Generation Ages: New Book

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Although a new surge of scientific research has uncovered telltale signs of Alzheimer's disease that show up in brain scans and spinal taps, many questions remain unanswered about the clinical value of early testing and the overall direction of patient care, according to Dr. Kenneth S. Kosik, Harriman Professor of Neuroscience Research at the University of California and co-director of UCSB's Neuroscience Research Institute...

Acidity Regulates Cell Membrane Synthesis

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Acidity (pH) in cells of baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, regulate the synthesis of cell membranes by controlling the production of enzymes that synthesize membranes. These are the findings of researchers at the University of Vancouver, in close collaboration with systems biologists at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The results of this research have been published this week in the journal Science. The elucidated mechanism is so simple and universal that it is highly likely that it determines many processes in the cell in all forms of life. The UvA scientists, led by Dr...

Gold Standard/Elsevier First To Launch State, Federal Controlled Substance Drug Schedules, Helping Ensure Safe, Compliant Prescribing And Dispensing

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Gold Standard/Elsevier, developer of drug databases and medication management solutions, announced the availability of its new Alchemy State and Federal module, the first and only database to offer both state and federal controlled substance drug schedules. The Alchemy State and Federal module will help providers comply with 41 state-mandated Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and federal regulations, while also controlling increasingly widespread prescription drug abuse...

Jefferson Receive $3 Million NIH Grant To Study Platelets

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

HIV And Other Tests Will Be Offered At Free Health Clinic For Uninsured Gulf Coast Residents

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Free HIV/AIDS tests, other significant tests and medical exams (including physicals) will be available to uninsured residents of the area when the National Association of Free Clinics holds a massive free clinic in New Orleans on Aug. 31 and Sept. "Louisiana has a much higher rate of AIDS cases than the rest of the nation, so we are pleased to be able to provide tests for this and other conditions to local residents at no cost to themselves," NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. The rate of AIDS cases per capita in Louisiana was 24...

Nutrition Therapy Plays A Role In Childhood Cancer Care

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Treatments for childhood cancer and other pediatric catastrophic diseases can affect appetite. At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a team of dietitians work with patients to ensure proper nutritional care. Treatment side effects can cause nausea, unusual allergies and mouth sores as well as changes to the sense of taste. Nutritional care that helps patients achieve normal growth and weight gain, and continue normal activities is important to overall well-being...

Back To School In A Healthy Way

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

With the back to school shopping season in full swing, it is also important to arm area children and teens with other tools they need to have a good school year- like medical exams. These are critical to good health and should take place before or shortly after the start of the new school year, and include a routine doctor's exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental check-up, and a vision exam...

Study Identifies Risk Factors For Painkiller Addiction And Links The Addiction To Genetics

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A new Geisinger study begins to unlock the puzzle of painkiller (opioid) addiction why some people are more likely to become addicted than others. Geisinger investigators have found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction. In addition, a history of severe drug dependence and drug abuse compounds the risk. The findings appear in the September issue of Addiction...

Seeking Quality Education For Deaf Blind Children In Today's Environment

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Deaf blind children can be isolated and disconnected from people and activities. Without individualized support, they cannot access visual and auditory information and often complete school unable to seek future education, employment, or independent living. Providing appropriate special education and related services for deaf blind children poses unique challenges. AER Journal: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness presents a special issue, Current Practices with Children Who Are Deaf-Blind, examining education practices and priorities for children who are deaf blind...

Unravelling The Code Of The Brain

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

For more than fifty years, the neuroscience community is engaged in an intensive debate on how information is coded in the brain and transmitted reliably from one brain region to the next. Mutually exclusive coding systems have been proposed and are being energetically supported. Scientists from Freiburg University were now able to demonstrate (forthcoming issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience), that earlier studies were based on rather extreme propositions. Instead, it is possible that under certain conditions, both proposed codes can be simultaneously employed within the brain...

Is Flu Jab Pandemrix Linked To Narcolepsy? European Medicines Agency Investigates

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The European Commission asked the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to investigate whether GlaxoSmithKline's flu jab, Panemrix is linked to a higher risk of developing narcoplepsy. The EMEA says the investigation is now underway. Some cases of narcolepsy were reported in Finland and Sweden - the EMEA says they were all "collected through spontaneous reporting systems". Pandemrix has been in use since September 2009 for protection against H1N1 influenza (informally known as swine flu). Over 30 million Europeans have been given the shot, according to EMEA...

As Hundreds Die Of Cholera, Nigeria Warns Of National Threat

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Since the beginning of June this year there have been over 350 confirmed deaths and 6,400 cases of cholera in Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health. Authorities are now warning the whole country is threatened by a cholera outbreak. A significant proportion of cholera cases and deaths are occurring in the north of the country. As the outbreak has spread to 12 of Nigeria's 36 states, authorities say that medical professionals are closely monitoring the situation. Dr...

Roche Breast Cancer Drug Trastuzumab-DM1 Review Turned Down By FDA

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Refuse to File letter for accelerated approval of Roche's trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) Biologics License Application, which was submitted in July 2010. Roche had requested accelerated approval for T-DM1 based on the results of a single-arm Phase II study. In that study one third of advanced HER2 positive breast cancer tumors shrank. The patients had received on average seven prior medications, including two HER2 targeted agents. HER2 is the abbreviation for "human epidermal growth factor receptor 2"...

GE Donates Web-based EMR To University Of Texas Program

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

GE Healthcare is bringing today's EMR technology to tomorrow's practitioners by donating its latest platform to the University of Texas at Austin for educational use. The University's Health Information Technology Summer Certificate Program just graduated its first class of 54 students at the end of July. These students used GE Centricity® Advance software in the University's newly created Health Information Technology Learning Laboratory in the Clinical Education Center University Medical Center Brackenridge...

AACN Selects New Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars Through Joint Program With The Johnson & Johnson Campaign For Nursing's Future

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that five new Minority Nurse Faculty Scholars have been selected through a national scholarship program funded by the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. Launched to address the faculty shortage and enhance diversity among nurse educators, this AACN-administered program provides generous financial support, mentoring, and leadership development to graduate students from minority backgrounds with aspirations to teach in our nation's schools of nursing...

Incheon And Gacheon Gil Foundation: Worked On Treatment For Children With Heart Disease In Haiphong, Vietnam

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The medical team organized and sponsored by Incheon City and Gacheon Gil Foundation visited the Viet-Czech Friendship Hospital in Haiphong, Vietnam, a sister city of Incheon, on August 24 (Tue) as part of the "2010 Asian District Sister City Support Project", which sought to pre-treat 50 children with congenital heart disease. The city and the foundation have worked on supporting Haiphong City in Vietnam as per the convention signed on March 10 (Wed.). The medical treatment lasted from 10 am to 6 pm; it was led by Deok-yeong Choi, a heart specialist from the Pediatric Cardiology Dept...

Black Rice Has More Antioxidants And Fiber, And Less Sugar Than Blueberries, And It Is Cheaper

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

As well as being cheaper than blueberries, black rice has more anthocyanin antioxidants, vitamin E antioxidants, less sugar and more fiber than blueberries, a presentation at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) revealed. Black rice used to be consumed just by nobles in ancient China; it was considered the Emperor's rice and was literally forbidden for anyone else to eat it. Anthocyanin antioxidants show promise in fighting cancer, heart disease and some other illnesses/conditions...

Internet Searches For 'Abortion' More Common In Areas With Restrictive Policies, Low Abortion Rates

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Internets users are more likely to search on Google for the word "abortion" in regions with strict abortion regulations, little access to abortion services and low abortion rates than in other areas, two researchers from Children's Hospital Boston's Informatics Program found in a recent study, the Boston Herald reports. Researchers Ben Reis and John Brownstein reviewed abortion rates and policies in every U.S. state and 37 countries, comparing their findings with the number of Internet searches for the word "abortion...

RCN Responds To End Of Life Care Strategy Report, UK

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) called for sustained investment to make 24-hour district nursing a reality in all areas, as they responded to the Second Annual Report on the End of Life Care Strategy. Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, said: "Progress is clearly being made towards ensuring that no matter where or when a person dies, they are afforded the same exemplary standards provided by hospices. This aim will only be achieved when round-the-clock District Nursing teams are available everywhere...

EasierTech Software, First In United States To Develop Software To Track Dangerous Chemicals For Universities

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The creation of new federal policies requiring universities to maintain detailed records about specific laboratory chemicals deemed dangerous has presents new challenges for the nation's institutions of higher education and hospitals. Fortunately, Raleigh company, EasierTech Software, has developed the solution: the country's first online database software application designed for colleges and universities that generates chemical hygiene plans, required for OSHA, and tracks the Dept. of Homeland Security's target list of chemicals...

Doctors Urge Independent MPs To Insist On Rural Looking Glass, Australia

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) is urging the key rural independent MPs to require an incoming Government to introduce formal rural proofing of all proposed health policies and programs. Rural proofing would require policy-makers to genuinely consider the impact of new policies on rural communities and their existing rural health services, to ensure the policies would work in individual rural settings and would not have detrimental consequences. Rural proofing for health is mandatory in the United Kingdom, which also has a Commission for Rural Communities...

Purdue Biodefense Technology Project Awarded $1.3 Million NIH Seed Grant

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Purdue University researchers have developed a technology that has the potential to more quickly identify food-borne pathogens, aiding U.S. homeland security officials in responding to a bioterrorist attack or other emergencies. The research team, which is based at Discovery Park's Bindley Bioscience Center, has received a $1.3 million seed grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases to test the technology...

THT Response To Verdict In Trial Of Nadja Benaissa, UK

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

German pop star Nadja Benaissa, on trial for reckless transmission of HIV to a former partner, has been given a two year suspended sentence. Lisa Power, Policy Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, responds: "It's vital that we stop the onward transmission of HIV, but we don't believe that prosecutions like this help. We support prosecutions where someone has intentionally passed on the virus, but that clearly wasn't the case here. Nadja was a vulnerable 16-year-old when she was diagnosed and had difficulty managing her sex life...

Co-Workers, Families And Friends 'Step Out' To Stop Diabetes

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

This year, thousands of people in communities across the country will join the movement to Stop Diabetes® by participating in the American Diabetes Association's Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes event. Step Out is a fundraising walk that takes place in more than 140 cities to raise awareness about diabetes and to raise much needed funds to help change the future of this growing epidemic that is taking a physical, emotional and financial toll on our country...

Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD Named 2010 American Academy Of Ophthalmology Laureate

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) will present its highest honor - the 2010 Laureate Recognition Award - to Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, for his distinguished career and contributions to ophthalmology. Dr. Straatsma is to be honored with the award on Oct. 17 at the Academy's Joint Meeting with the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) in Chicago. Dr. Straatsma is widely acclaimed as a pioneer in the study of peripheral retinal disease, investigations of tumors and research on ophthalmic conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and cataract...

U.S. Hospitals Making Only Modest Gains In Adoption Of Electronic Health Records

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Transforming the U.S. health care system from paper-based to electronic-based may improve health care quality and reduce costs, but a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests that goal is far off. The adoption of basic or comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) by U.S. hospitals increased modestly from 8.7% in 2008 to 11.9% in 2009, but only 2% of hospitals met the federal "meaningful use" standard needed to qualify for government financial incentives...

SYSPRO Welcomes Proposed FDA Regulations

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

SYSPRO, the leading provider of visionary, pragmatic ERP software, announced that the company is highly confident that the SYSPRO ERP solution will enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to meet the new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations being proposed by Congress. The Drug Safety and Accountability Act of 2010 will strengthen quality pharmaceutical standards with stringent oversight on suppliers, manufacturers and their supply chains. The bill would require manufacturers to establish additional procedures to ensure the quality of safety drugs and drug components...

AACP Forum And Full PAC10 Registration - A Combination To Give Pharmacists A Business And Professional Edge, Australia

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy Accredited Pharmacists' (AACP) Forum at the Pharmacy Australia Congress this year focuses on Clinical and Practical Skills for MMRs, Building your Portfolio with a targeted program of clinical presentations, therapeutic updates, clinical controversies and practice pointers. Chief Executive Officer of the AACP, Grant Martin, said this year's Forum was particularly important following with the signing of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement which has changed the working environment for pharmacists...

Cessation Coverage Now Available For All Medicare Patients

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The American Lung Association welcomes the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) decision to expand coverage for tobacco cessation counseling to all smokers covered by Medicare, but is disappointed that these smokers will still not be provided a comprehensive tobacco cessation benefit...

Risk Of Eye Infection With Contact Lens Solution, UK

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is warning people that a manufacturer, Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), is recalling two lots of AMO Complete multi-purpose contact lens solution because of the potential to cause eye infections. AMO Complete multi-purpose contact lens solution may have poor fitting caps on the bottles and so the solution may not be sterile. Two specific lots are being recalled...

New Executive For QLD Branch Committee, Australia

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The appointment of Lisa Goldsmith as a Vice-President of the Queensland Branch Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia gives the branch one of the youngest executives seen at the PSA on a state or territory level. The branch executive is now made up of Dr Lisa Nissen, Branch President, Mr Bruce Elliot, Branch Vice-President, and Ms Lisa Goldsmith, Branch Vice-President...

American Lung Association Joins Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Call To Action Campaign

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The American Lung Association is encouraging patients with lung cancer to take charge of their diagnosis and learn about clinical trials through the Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Call to Action campaign. This service provides personalized education to quickly identify trial options that match each patient's specific diagnosis, stage, and treatment history. It is an easy-to-use resource that helps patients discuss with their doctor clinical trials that may be appropriate for them...

FDA Sets VMAC Meeting To Consider Genetically Engineered Salmon

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Genetically engineered (GE) animals have already realized the promise of advancing human health, and now this technology could lead to more sustainable and environmentally friendly food production. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today it will convene its Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC) to consider a salmon that has been genetically engineered to reach its market weight in half the time of conventionally raised salmon...

BVA Members To Lobby MPs On OV Issues, UK

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is encouraging members to lobby their MPs following the announcement that some TB testing will be taken off Official Veterinarians (OVs) and carried out by Animal Health (AH). OVs have received letters from AH this month informing them of the timetable for the retention of some TB tests; in some situations with very short notice. The BVA and BCVA (British Cattle Veterinary Association) have written jointly to AH Chief Executive Catherine Brown setting out the Associations' concerns with the speed in which the change is being implemented...

More Consultants Needed - British Medical Association Northern Ireland

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Commenting on the outpatients statistics released today by DHSSPS, a BMA spokeswoman said, "BMA is concerned in particular at the number of patients who did not attend their appointments. We understand that not all patients will be able to attend the appointment times given to them, but had these patients advised that they were unable to attend, their appointment could have been allotted to another patient. "In terms of the figures that show that appointments were cancelled due to unavailability of consultants, the total figure of cancellations is equivalent to 3.2% of patients seen...

MAXIMUS Launches Solutions To Help States Develop Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

MAXIMUS, Inc. (NYSE:MMS), a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced that it has launched its Meaningful Use Solutions to help states develop and implement their Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive programs. In order to encourage "meaningful use" of health information technology (HIT) among providers, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the HITECH Act provided approximately $35 billion in funding for states to promote EHRs adoption and to create Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)...

Naming Tools Is A Hands-On Task

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

You don't just need your eyes to think of the name of a tool; your hands get involved, too. A new study finds that people are slower to identify a picture of a tool if its handle is pointed toward a hand that is busy squeezing a ball. Brain imaging studies have shown that when you identify a tool by name, the part of your brain that's involved in manipulating the tool also turns on. Jessica K. Witt, of Purdue University, heard about some of this research and wanted to know whether it's possible to slow down the process of coming up with the name by making the hands busy...

German HIV Pop Star Gets Two Year Suspended Sentence For Having Unprotected Sex

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Nadja Benaissa, 28, who had admitted having unprotected sex with three men when she knew she was HIV positive, and infecting a former partner, has received a two-year suspended sentence. She had been charged with dangerous bodily harm. Under German law, a person can be sued if they are HIV positive and have (unprotected) sex with a partner without telling them about their HIV status. Benaissa had had unprotected sex while HIV positive with three men without telling them about her HIV status. As she had clearly showed remorse for her actions, prosecutors asked the court for leniency...

HHS Announces Medicare Expands Coverage Of Tobacco Cessation Counseling

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expanded Medicare coverage of evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling, removing a barrier to treatment for all tobacco users covered by Medicare. Before today's decision, Medicare had covered tobacco counseling only for individuals diagnosed with a recognized tobacco-related disease or showed signs or symptoms of such a disease...

Promising Medical Trainees Receive Funding To Pursue Research In Hematology

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) announces the 2010 recipients of its Trainee Research Awards. Through this program, which is designed to encourage the pursuit of research and spark an interest in hematology, 43 medical students, undergraduates, and residents will each receive $4,000 to conduct research on blood and blood-related diseases. In addition, each award winner is provided with travel stipends to attend the ASH annual meeting, one of the largest medical meetings in the country...

Scientists Discover How Chemical Repellants Trip Up Insects

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Fire up the citronella-scented tiki torches, and slather on the DEET: Everybody knows these simple precautions repel insects, notably mosquitoes, whose bites not only itch and irritate, but also transmit diseases such as West Nile virus, malaria and dengue. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered what it is in the bugs' molecular makeup that enables citronellal (the aromatic liquid used in lotions, sprays and candles) and DEET, to deter insects from landing and feeding on you...

Endocrine Society Supports Federal Funding For Stem Cell Research

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

On August 23rd, a federal district judge issued a temporary ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Stem cell research holds great promise for the treatment of millions of Americans with debilitating and possibly fatal diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. Because of the court injunction, the NIH reports that it will not review grant applications involving stem cell research, and similar grants that are up for renewal will not be funded...

GP10: Shaping The Future Of General Practice In Australia

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is preparing for GP10 - the RACGP and Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) combined annual conference. This year, GP10 - Shape Our Future - will be held in Cairns, northern Queensland from 6-9 October at the Cairns Convention Centre. The RACGP and AAPM have collaborated to create a conference that is relevant to the broader general practice community and a range of allied healthcare practitioners as we look to shape the future of multidisciplinary healthcare teams...

NICE Draft Guidance Recommends Bortezomib And Thalidomide For Multiple Myeloma

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

In draft guidance published today (26 August 2010) NICE has recommended two treatments for multiple myeloma. Thalidomide (Thalidomide, Celgene) in combination with an alkylating agent and a corticosteroid is recommended for the first-line treatment of multiple myeloma in people for whom high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation is considered inappropriate. Bortezomib (Velcade, Janssen-Cilag) in combination with an alkylating agent and a corticosteroid is recommended as a treatment option if the person is unable to tolerate or has contraindications to thalidomide...

NHS Confederation Response To NHS Information Centre Statistics On Complaints

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

NHS Confederation senior policy manager Frances Blunden responds to figures released by the NHS Information Centre which show a rise in the number of complaints regarding NHS services. "When patients or their family are not happy with the levels of care they receive it is important that the process of complaining does not create further concerns. The current complaints system provides NHS organisations with an opportunity to address any issues about patient care and make sure the process for handling complaints is better...

Senate's Introduction Of CARE Act Applauded By Society Of Nuclear Medicine

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

SNM supports the U.S. Senate in its introduction of the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2010 (CARE Act), S. 3737. The proposed legislation, which was introduced in August by Sen. Mike Enzi [R-WY], aims to ensure that minimum education and credentialing standards for nuclear medicine technologists are set at the state level. The bill's co-sponsors include Richard Burr [R-NC], Al Franken [D-MN] and Thomas Harkin [D-IA]...

UNC Hospitals Receives Performance Achievement Award From American College Of Cardiology Foundation

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

UNC Hospitals has received the American College of Cardiology Foundation's NCDR ACTION Registry-GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2010 - one of only 26 hospitals nationwide to do so...

Va. Gov. McDonnell Backs AG's Opinion On Abortion Clinics

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said Tuesday that he supports an advisory legal opinion issued by state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) that concluded the state Board of Health has authority to regulate abortion clinics, the AP/WTOP reports. In the opinion released Monday, Cuccinelli argues that abortion clinics in Virginia should be regulated the same as outpatient surgical centers. During a town hall meeting, McDonnell said he agreed with Cuccinelli's opinion...

Also In Global Health News: U.N. Investigates DRC Rape Allegations; HIV Aid To Botswana; HIV Discrimination In Nigeria; Circumcision In Kenya; More

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

U.N. Sends Top Aides To Investigate Alleged Mass Rapes In DRC "The United Nations is investigating claims that rebel fighters raped more than 150 women and baby boys in the Democratic Republic of Congo," the BBC reports. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "sending two top aides" to the country and "also urged the Congolese government to investigate the attacks." The two representatives are Atul Khare, assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping and Margot Wallstrom, special representative for sexual violence in conflict (8/24)...

New NACDS Political Affairs Director To Spearhead Political Activities To Advance Pharmacy Patient Care

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced that J. Anne Foley will join NACDS' government affairs and public policy department as the new director of political affairs. Foley will lead NACDS proactive political programs, including the bipartisan NACDS Political Action Committee (NACDS-PAC), which supports the U.S. Congressional campaigns of pro-pharmacy members of Congress and candidates. She will report to Paul Kelly, vice president of federal affairs. "We are delighted to welcome Anne to NACDS...

Keystone Symposia To Hold Conference In Seattle On Immunological Mechanisms Of Vaccination

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology will convene its conference on "Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination" in Seattle, Washington from October 27 to November 1, 2010 at Sheraton Seattle Hotel. This is the first conference of Keystone Symposia's 40th meeting season and its first in Seattle. It will be held at the conclusion of the Grand Challenges in Global Health conference, also taking place in Seattle for that program's grant recipients earlier in the week...

Alaskan Voters Approve Parental Notification Ballot Initiative

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, Alaskan voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which will require notification of parents or guardians before a minor can receive an abortion, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The new law is scheduled to go into effect 90 days after the election is certified, which could happen by mid-September, meaning the law would take effect mid-December, the Daily News reports. Alaska health officials said they will form an internal work group to determine how the state needs to implement the law's requirements (Demer, Anchorage Daily News, 8/25)...

National Cancer Institute Funds Second Year Of Grant To Guided Therapeutics To Commercialize Non-invasive Cervical Cancer Detection Device

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Guided Therapeutics, Inc. (GT) (OTCBB: GTHP) announced that it was awarded $1.0 million to fund the second year of a $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced in 2009. The three-year grant provides additional resources to commercialize and bring to market the LightTouch™ non-invasive cervical cancer detection device and single-patient-use disposable...

Opinions: Health And Agriculture; GHI's Main Ideas; Recommendations To Improve Haiti's Government; China And The Global Fund

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Health, Agriculture Experts Should Collaborate More Often In a SciDev.Net opinion piece, Jeff Waage, director of the London International Development Centre, argues for more collaboration between agriculture and health experts. "The relationship between agriculture and health may seem intuitive and simple - grow more crops and people will have more food and live healthier lives. But because agriculture and health policies are rarely coordinated, the reality is far more complex," Waage writes before outlining some of the ways health and agriculture interact...

U.S. Attorney General Files Complaint Against Fla. Abortion Clinic Protester

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is seeking an injunction to bar antiabortion-rights protester Mary Susan Pine from entering any driveway leading to the Presidential Women's Center, a Florida clinic that offers abortion services, the Palm Beach Post reports. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, represents the first time a Florida resident has been charged under the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, according to Sharon Levin, vice president and general counsel of the National Abortion Federation (Musgrave, Palm Beach Post, 8/23)...

Willis Introduces Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Human Capital Practice of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, announced the launch of its Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator, a robust online tool that helps employers of all sizes assess the financial impact of health care reform measures on their businesses over time. Willis' employee benefits consultants will use the tool when working with clients interested in a broad overview of the costs of health care reform and related timing...

IPS Explores Why Some Advocates Say Women-Focused MDGs Are Missing The Mark

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

"A month ahead of the 2010 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) review summit at the United Nations, some women's groups are voicing concern that member states' commitment to women's issues is insufficient and slowing progress towards gender parity worldwide," Inter Press Service reports in an article that examines progress towards reaching women-centered MDGs...

Skin Converted Into Liver Cells - Potential Cell-based Therapy For Patients With Liver And Other Diseases

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Researchers have managed to convert skin from individuals with metabolic diseases into liver cells using stem cell technology, according to an article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. This research will allow scientists to determine precisely what is happening in a diseased liver cell, then try out potential treatments. The scientists say that eventually properly functioning liver calls might be transplanted into patients with liver diseases...

Concern Over Stem Cell Research Federal District Court Injunction By Scientists And Medical Associations

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) has expressed concern that a recent Federal District Court injunction to stop federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research is a serious obstacle for scientific discovery. The AACR reiterates its support for responsible conduct of human embryonic stem cell research, which up to this week was funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health. Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c...

Infected Drip Claims Third Baby's Life In German Hospital, Reigniting Germany's Hospitals Hygiene Debate

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Three babies have died at Mainz University Hospital, Germany, after receiving infusions (a drip) tainted with bacteria. The third baby to die had been born at 24 weeks and was very weak, said doctors at the hospital. Two other babies died on Saturday, 21st August, 2010. All three babies had received the same nutrient infusion solution (via a drip). A police investigation is underway into possible involuntary manslaughter and bodily harm. Post-mortem results should help the investigation, the police said...

Nicotine May Directly Promote Development Of Breast Cancer

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Scientists have discovered that when nicotine binds to nAchRs (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors), it may not only promote addiction, but breast cancer as well. We know that non-nicotine components of smoking are carcinogens, however, very little is known about how nicotine acts on cells to encourage cancer growth, the scientists explain. While previous studies have linked smoking to increased breast cancer risk, they have not been accompanied by molecular biology studies to determine why...

Pakistan Flood: Canals Overloaded In Second Wave Threaten Long Term Recovery

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

As well as losing crops and farm animals directly as a result of flooding, the people of Pakistan could be facing longer term food shortages as canals overloaded in the second wave of flooding threaten to undermine the irrigation infrastructure that the country will rely on once the waters recede. The last three weeks have seen two flood surges along the Indus River, which starts in Tibet and flows through the whole length of Pakistan from north to south, to join the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh...

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Symptoms Worse If Woman Feels Stressed Early In Menstrual Cycle

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Women who feel stressed early on during their menstrual cycle are more likely to have more severe symptoms during and before menstruation, says a report conducted by researchers at the NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA) and other centers. The researchers say that this link increases the possibility that being stressed during one menstrual cycle could exacerbate symptoms related to PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and menstruation in the following cycle too. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs around the time of ovulation and may continue into the first few days of menstruation...

Harvard Pilgrim CEO Works To Contain Costs, Negotiate With State Insurance Regulators

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Boston Globe: "When an insurance appeals board issued a surprise ruling on June 24 toppling the Patrick administration's cap on Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's premium rates, there was little time for gloating in the health insurer's executive offices. ... A week letter, Harvard Pilgrim struck a deal with regulators voluntarily limiting its 2010 rate increases to single digits. ... That decision reflects the pragmatic approach of [Eric H...

France Honors Blind Researcher, 87, For World War II Valor

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

France has named Dr. Harry L. Messmore of Loyola University Health System a Knight of the Legion of Honor in recognition of his valor during World War II. In December, 1944, Messmore was part of a combat team that captured several heavily armed German pillboxes in France. Messmore, 87, lives in Indian Head Park. Although he has been blinded by macular degeneration and glaucoma, he continues to do research on blood thinning medications. The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon in 1802...

AGS, AMDA, And The AMA Offer Guidance To Members On Controlled Substance Prescribing

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS), in collaboration with the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) has developed a "Tip Sheet for Prescribing Controlled Substances in Long Term Care." The document, distributed to AGS, AMDA, and AMA members, will assist physicians and other prescribers in their efforts to meet DEA regulations for prescribing controlled substances to residents in long term care. The tip sheet was developed in light of recent enforcement actions by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents...

Study Suggests Oxytocin Makes People Trusting, But Not Gullible

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Oxytocin (OT) is a hormone that plays an important role in social behavior-it has even been nicknamed "the love hormone" and "liquid trust." Increased levels of OT have been associated with greater caring, generosity, and trust. But does OT increase people's trust in just anybody or does it act more selectively? Psychological scientist MoÃ¯ra Mikolajczak from the UniversitÃ© catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and her colleagues investigated just how trusting OT can make us. In this experiment, volunteers received either a placebo or OT nasal spray...

Diabetes Drugs Avandia (rosiglitazone) And Actos (pioglitazone) Have Same Heart Disease And Death Risks

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

A new analysis of diabetes medications Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos (pioglitazone) revealed that the risk of heart attack and/or heart failure, or death were the same, approximately 4%. The study has been published in the latest issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. Takeda Pharmacuetical Co. makes Actos, while GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) makes Avandia. Avandia sales had dropped after a previous study had found it was linked to higher heart disease risk...

World's Largest Meeting Of Ear, Nose And Throat Doctors To Convene In Boston Sept. 26-29, 2010

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The 2010 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 26-29, 2010, in Boston, MA. Featuring more than 305 scientific research sessions, 594 posters, and several hundred instruction course hours for attendees, the annual meeting is a unique opportunity for journalists from around the world to cover breaking science and medical news...

Also In Global Health News: IDUs In Kenya; Haiti Recovery; Pandemic Preparedness; Somalia Hunger; HIV In Mozambique; Strengthening Immune System Again

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Kenya Drafts Policy To Address HIV In IDUs In Kenya, "[i]ntravenous drug users (IDUs) have been largely ignored by the government's HIV programmes on the basis that drug-taking is illegal, but a new policy is being drafted with the aim of reducing HIV transmission among this high-risk group," IRIN/PlusNews reports. The article includes comments from Nicholas Muraguri, head of the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme, who said that the policy would treat drug use as a health issue, not a criminal one...

NPR: Technology Can Help Seniors Stay In Homes

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

NPR continued its series on seniors aging at home. Part two examined a company called Adaptive Home, "one of a growing number of startups that use monitoring technology to revolutionize elder care. These companies are also betting on a big market as the baby boomers enter old age. Chris Bridgers says a basic package includes about a dozen motion sensors placed strategically around a house. They can provide adult children with a stunningly detailed rundown of a parent's day" (Ludden, 8/23)...

Study Examines Movement Of Pediatric Drug Testing Outside The U.S.

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

"A law intended to speed up development of new drugs for U.S. kids has ended up financing clinical trials in poor countries, where the medicines might never become available," suggest the authors of a study published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, Reuters reports (Joelving, 8/23). The U.S. statute - called the Pediatric Exclusivity Provision - "provides six months of patent exclusivity to pharmaceutical companies to conduct safety and efficacy studies of drugs in children," according to a Duke Medicine press release...

Today's Opinions: Ryan's Roadmap; Beware Rising Cost Of Workers Comp

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Roads On Ryan's Map May Not Exist Minneapolis Star Tribune Your road map would turn the federal contribution to health care into a voucher (which I don't view as a dirty word). But the vouchers it would offer ... are at levels so far below current insurance premiums as to make it likely you'd be shifting costs to millions who can't afford them (Matt Miller, 8/23). Workers' Comp Costs Climbing Again The Orange County Register These are early warning signs of workers' comp costs on the march back up, and businesses should beware...

Pakistani President, State Dept. Official Discuss Post-Flood Rebuilding

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

It could take Pakistan three or more years to recover from the major floods that have affected the country over the past few weeks, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said, Reuters/MSNBC.com reports (8/24). "Zardari defended the government's much-criticized response to the unprecedented floods but acknowledged recovery would take a very long time," according to the Associated Press. "Three years is a minimum," he said in an interview with reporters on Monday in the capital, Islamabad (Brummitt, 8/24)...

Getting The 4-1-1 On Waiting Times At The Emergency Room

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Associated Press: Hospitals are increasingly using messaging systems, such as online notices, text messages or flashing billboards, to let people know how long the wait is at local emergency rooms. "It's a marketing move aimed at less urgent patients, not the true emergencies that automatically go to the front of the line anyway. ... Despite that fledgling trend, ERs are getting busier, forcing them to try innovative tactics to cut delays - such as stationing doctors at the front door to get a jump-start on certain patients...

Virginia Attorney Gen. Approves Stricter Oversight On Abortion Clinics; Indiana Fails To Follow Up Inspection Reports On Nursing Homes

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Washington Post: "Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II has concluded that the state can impose stricter oversight over clinics that perform abortions, a move immediately decried by abortion-rights organizations and others as an attempt to circumvent the General Assembly, which has repeatedly rejected similar measures. Cuccinelli's legal opinion empowers the Board of Health, if it chooses, to require the clinics to meet hospital-type standards...

WHO Grants Prequalification Status To Pneumococcal Vaccine, Paving Way For U.N. Procurement

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The WHO "has granted prequalification status to Pfizer Inc.'s children's pneumococcal vaccine, Prevenar 13, paving the way for United Nations agencies and governments to start ordering the product," the Associated Press reports (8/23). The WHO decision comes after Pfizer in March entered "into a 10-year Provisional Supply Agreement to provide Prevenar 13 to infants and young children in the world's poorest countries under the terms of the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal disease, an innovative program piloted by the GAVI Alliance," according to a Pfizer press release...

Statement By UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, On Sexual Violence In The Eastern Democratic Republic Of The Congo

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The reported gang-rape of at least 179 women and girls in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) must serve as an urgent call to stop the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Egregious violations of human rights, including rape and sexual violence, have become endemic in the DRC. UNICEF is aware of some eighteen thousand survivors of sexual violence in DRC who sought assistance in 2009 alone, including 11,855 who required critical medical assistance. It is highly likely that many more attacks have gone unreported...

Personalized Genome Sequencing In Cancer Treatment - A Major Breakthrough In Care

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the BC Cancer Agency Genome Sciences Centre have provided the first published example of genome-scale RNA and DNA sequencing of a tumour to aid in clinical decision making and therapeutic choice. Published in the journal Genome Biology, the research focuses on a rare tumour of the tongue, which had progressed to metastatic disease. The rarity of this tumour meant that no established treatment options existed. Analysis of the complete genomic sequence allowed the comprehensive discovery of the genetic changes that had accumulated within the tumour...

Current Egg Recall Highlights Shortcomings In Food Safety System, Sets Up Call For Senate Action In September

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Politico: Problems in the nation's response to the current salmonella outbreak and the resulting recall of 600 million eggs is related to the Senate's year-long stall of pending food safety legislation, according to consumer groups and experts. "The House approved its version of the food safety bill in July 2009 - that was more than 60 recalls of Food and Drug Administration regulated products ago, according to a report by the Make Our Food Safe Coalition. But the Senate has continued to drag its feet." Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev...

NARSAD Supports Innovative Brain And Behavior Research With More Than $4.1 Million In 42 New Research Grants

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

NARSAD announced its 2010 Independent Investigator grants totaling in excess of $4.1 million, which will support 42 innovative researchers at the leading edge of discovery within neuroscience and psychiatry. Since 1987 NARSAD has awarded more than $261.6 million in 3,832 grants to 3,132 scientists around the world. Independent Investigators seek to produce experimental results that will put them in a position to initiate major research programs and request major governmental grants...

Radiometer's New ABL90 FLEX POC Analyzer Receives 510(k) Clearance

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Radiometer America announced that Radiometer's next-generation, cassette-based analyzer, the ABL90 FLEX, received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The ABL90 FLEX analyzer is the latest addition to the company's blood gas line, offering speed and high-throughput in a compact instrument. The ABL90 FLEX delivers blood gas results in 35 seconds, a turnaround time (TAT) unmatched by other blood gas analyzers on the market. The analyzer also processes up to 44 samples per hour...

Alcohol Consumption Linked To Subtypes Of Breast Cancer, But Not All

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Regular alcohol intake raises the risk of developing lobular and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, but does not appear to be linked to invasive ductal carcinoma risk, says a report published in JNCI (Journal of the National Cancer Institute), August 23rd issue. This is the first major study to look at a possible relationship between alcohol intake and breast cancer risk by subtype, the authors wrote...

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus Medication Better Than Medication Alone For ADHD Adult Patients

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:00:00 GMT

An adult with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who takes targeted medication combined with 1-on-1 sessions of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is likely to experience significantly greater improvement of symptoms compared to an ADHD adult patient who only has the medication, according to research published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), August 25th issue. The authors wrote: Approximately 4.4% of adults in the United States have ADHD, which is a disorder characterized by impairing levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity...

Stutent Did Not Improve Overall Survival In Patients With Previously Treated Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

The SUN 1087 trial of Stutent (sunitinib malate) combined with erlotinib versus just elrotinib did not improve overall survival in patients with previously treated NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer), Pfizer Inc. informs. However, the combination therapy did demonstrate a significant improvement in progression free survival.. The study's primary endpoint was overall survival, while progression-free survival was a secondary endpoint. Trial participators and clinicians reported no unexpected types of adverse events (undesirable side effects)...

Another Case For Exercising - It Can Make You Feel Full

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

There is now another good reason to exercise. Besides burning calories, exercise restores the sensitivity of neurons involved in the control of satiety (feeling full), which in turn contributes to reduced food intake and consequently weight loss. This is the conclusion of a study led by Brazilian researchers at the University of Campinas, and the findings will be published next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology. This disclosure may bring hope to over 40% of the population that suffers from weight problems and obesity around the world...

Waiting For The Right Moment: Bacterial Pathogens Delay Their Entry Into Cells

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Certain pathogens make themselves at home in the human body by invading cells and living off the plentiful amenities on offer there. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, together with colleagues at Harvard University, have discovered a contrary strategy to ensure infection success: some pathogens can actually delay their entry into cells to ensure their survival. Upon contact with a cell, these bacteria engage signalling molecules in the cell and trigger a local strengthening of the cellular skeleton that resists pathogen entry...

Herpes Medications During Pregnancy Not Linked To Major Birth Defects Risk

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

A Danish study reports that pregnant mothers who take antiviral drugs frequently used to treat herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections during the first trimester of pregnancy do not appear to have an increased risk of major birth defects. The study is published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), August 25th issue. The authors inform that over 1% of susceptible females acquire herpes simplex during their first trimester of pregnancy - antiviral treatments are indicated for a considerable number of such patients during pregnancy...

Antiviral Gene Helps Suppress Jumping Of AIDS Viruses Between Host Species

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:00 GMT

The human AIDS viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) originated as viruses of apes and monkeys, respectively, yet little is known about whether or how these invaders adapted to the new genetic "environment" encountered in humans. One group of host genes, collectively known as restriction factors, is thought to influence the ability of such viruses to move between different primate species. A study conducted by Andrea Kirmaier and Welkin Johnson of Harvard Medical School, together with Dr...

Swine Flu Vaccine, Pandemrix, Halted In Finland, Possible Narcolepsy Risk

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The vaccination of children and adolescents in Finland with swine flu vaccine - Pandemrix - has been suspended until a link to narcolepsy has either been ruled out or detected, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Wefare (THL - Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinin Laitos) announced today. THL said this is a precautionary measure until the issue has been adequately examined and explained. The seasonal flu vaccine recommendations in Finland are to include the swine flu vaccination. In other words, Finland hasn't halted swine flu jabs per se, but rather the stand-alone version with adjuvants...

Experimental Drug AVI-7100 Has Good Potential Against H1N1 Swine Flu Virus

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Two preclinical studies which evaluated AVI-7100 against a fully virulent pandemic H1N1 (swine flu) virus had promising results, says AVI Biopharma Inc. Data from the studies revealed statistically significant reductions in average viral titer vs. a saline control (placebo) and a Tamiflu control. (Pre-clinical studies means studies with animals, not humans) J...

International Recall Of 1 Day Acuvue Contact Lenses By Johnson & Johnson

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

1 Day Acuvue contact lenses have been recalled by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in 24 countries, not including the USA or Canada, following reports of irritation, stinging and pain among some users. J&J described the incident as "an isolated issue in one portion of the lens rinsing process on a particular manufacturing line affecting a limited number of lots". One of the substances used during manufacturing was not completely removed during the rinse, the company says. The company believes the source of the problem is in the Republic of Ireland, where the product is produced...

Deli Meat Products, 380,000 Pounds Recalled With Possible Listeria Contamination, Buffalo, NY

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that 380,000 pounds of deli meat with possible Listeria monoceytogenes has been recalled by Zemco Industries, Buffalo, New York. The deli meats are used for sandwich processing by delicatessens. Listeria, listeriosis - Listeria is the name of the bacterium, Listeriosis is the infection. Listeriosis is a major public health problem in the USA, caused by eating foods tainted with Listeria monoceytogenes...

Fibre Could Help Weight Loss And Prevent Diabetes

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Diabetes UK is funding new research to determine if fermentable carbohydrates found in foods like asparagus, garlic, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes could be used to help weight loss and prevent Type 2 diabetes. The charity is funding dietitian Nicola Guess at Imperial College, London, to investigate the role fermentable carbohydrates could play in Type 2 diabetes prevention. The carbohydrate will be given to participants as a daily supplement during three periods of investigation, each examining different mechanisms involved in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes...

Agilent Technologies Awards 2010 Russell Varian Laureate For Excellence In Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Innovation

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) announced Martin Karplus, professor emeritus, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University; and Laboratoire de Chimie Biophysique, ISIS, Universite Louis Pasteur, the winner of the 2010 Russell Varian Prize. The prize is awarded to a researcher based on a single innovative contribution that has proven to have a significant impact on state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Professor Karplus was awarded the 2010 prize for his paper, "Contact Electron-Spin Coupling of Nuclear Magnetic Moments", J. Chem. Phys...

Stephan G. Erberich, PhD, Named Director Of Biomedical Informatics At The Saban Research Institute Of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Stephan G. Erberich, PhD, has been appointed to the newly created position of Director of Biomedical Informatics at The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. In his new role, Dr. Erberich will lead the team's efforts to apply the principles of computer science and information technology to biology and medicine to quickly move cutting-edge research into clinical use...

Pitt Professor Named To National Emergency Medicine Panel

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Daniel Patterson, Ph.D., Daniel Patterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has been appointed to the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. One of 23 leaders appointed to serve on the panel, Dr. Patterson is an expert on teamwork and team communication in emergency care and has authored numerous papers on such topics as workforce trends in emergency medical services and safety culture. He and others on the council, chartered in 2007, will provide advice to the U...

NoVaRHIO Launches Innovative EHealth Exchange With Inova Alexandria Hospital's Emergency Department

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Thanks to an innovative electronic data exchange project launched today, emergency physicians at Inova Alexandria Hospital will have access to critical medication histories within minutes of a patient's arrival. This access will be made possible through MEDS-ED Link, a project of the Northern Virginia Regional Health Information Organization (NoVaRHIOsm) in conjunction with Inova Health System and GE Healthcare. With patient approval, Inova emergency physicians will send a query through the MEDS-ED system to existing prescription data repositories such as Surescripts...

Research Indicates No Increased Cancer Risk At Greenock Factory, Scotland

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Workers at a Scottish semi-conductor plant are not at increased risk of developing occupational cancers, new research suggests. An independent investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) has concluded that earlier concerns about occupational cancer at the National Semiconductors UK (NSUK) factory in Greenock were unfounded...

Bishops Urge House Support For Permanent Ban On Federal Funding For Abortion Services

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' pro-life activities committee, sent a letter to House members urging them to support a bill (HR 5939) that would permanently ban federal funding for abortion services, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports. Since 1976, Congress has annually attached a provision known as the Hyde Amendment to the HHS appropriations bill to bar the use of federal funds for abortion services in Medicaid...

UPCI Appoints Director Of Education In Newly Formed Women's Cancer Research Center

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D., an expert in estrogen receptor biology and action, has been appointed director of education for the newly formed Women's Cancer Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI). Her appointment was effective Aug. 1. "We are excited to have Dr. Oesterreich join the UPCI family," said Nancy E. Davidson, M.D., director of UPCI and UPMC Cancer Centers...

Statement By Department Of Health And Children - Prescription Charges, Ireland

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Department of Health & Children confirmed that a 50c charge, announced in Budget 2010, will be introduced on 1 October next in respect of each prescription item dispensed to medical card holders. The Department, the Health Service Executive and the Irish Pharmacy Union are working in close collaboration to put in place the necessary arrangements for the implementation of the charges. The total charge per family per month is capped at 10 euros and the HSE will put in place a refund system in order to refund families who exceed the 10 euro monthly ceiling...

Is Bottled Tea Another Junk Drink?

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

A study revealed that bottled tea contains very low levels of antioxidants and polyphenols compared to brewed tea, a presentation at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society revealed. In fact, the researchers found that in order to get the same benefits found in a single cup of brewed tea, in some cases the consumer would have to drink 20 bottles of bottled tea. Shiming Li, Ph.D. who reported on research carried out by Professor Chi-Tang Ho, explained: Consumers understand very well the concept of the health benefits from drinking tea or consuming other tea products...

Toddler Spanking By Parents Common In The USA

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Spanking of toddlers in the USA is more common than people realize, especially if parents are aggressive towards each other, according to a report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Pediatrics, which revealed that 65% of young children were spanked at least once over a four-week period by one or both parents. Catherine Taylor, PhD, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, and team set out to determine whether there was a link between parental use of corporal punishment and IPAV (intimate partner aggression or violence) in a population sample...

Rectal Cancer Rates Rising Among Young Americans

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

A new study published in a leading journal reports that rectal cancer appears to be rising among Americans under the age of 40, while colon cancer rates have remained steady for several decades; the study says more effort should go into diagnosing rectal cancer in young people. The study, led by Dr Joshua Meyer, a radiation oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is due to be published online today, 23 August, in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society...

New Study Finds More Than 20,000 Sledding-Related Injuries Treated In U.S. Emergency Departments Each Year

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Although sledding is a popular winter pastime, it can unfortunately lead to serious injury. A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that from 1997-2007, an estimated 229,023 children and adolescents younger than 19 years were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for sledding-related injuries - an average of more than 20,000 cases each year...

Alaskan Voters To Consider Parental Notification Ballot Measure

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Alaska residents will vote next Tuesday on Ballot Measure 2, which would require physicians to notify parents or guardians of women younger than age 18 seeking abortion services, the AP/Juneau Empire reports. The measure states that physicians must personally call a teen's parent or guardian up to five times in two hour increments during a 24-hour span. Physicians also would be required to verify a parent or guardian's identity with two forms of identification...

Rushed Community Services Policy Serious Barrier To White Paper Implementation

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

If the former government's policy - Transforming Community Services - goes ahead without further thought, it could seriously hinder the implementation of the White Paper, says NHS Alliance. TCS, which was rushed in place with little consultation at the beginning of this year and could see community services being practically shifted to acute hospitals within the next two years, has no place in an NHS whose focus is on primary care leading the way to meet local needs through GP consortia...

American Red Cross Of Greater Cleveland Hero Awards To Be Held November 16; Nominations Needed

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland announced today its Hero Award Luncheon, presented by PNC and proudly supported by Adcom Communications, the Cleveland Browns and Fifth Third. The event, co-chaired by Shelley Seifert, Executive Vice President, PNC and Mike Holmgren, President, the Cleveland Browns, will be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. It honors everyday heroes from the community in five categories: Life Saver, Educational, Medical, Community Volunteer and Innovation...

111 - The New Number For The Future Of Non-Emergency Health Services, UK

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A new three-digit number - 111 - that will make it easier for patients to access non-emergency NHS healthcare wherever they are, 24 hours a day, was launched by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley today. The new service, launched in part of the North East of England today, marks the first step towards a national roll out and is the beginning of a significant White Paper commitment to make care more accessible by introducing a single telephone number for every kind of non-emergency health care...

Lehigh Valley Health Network Recognized For Community Outreach

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The American Hospital Association (AHA) awarded the Carolyn Boone Lewis Living the Vision award to Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), in Allentown, Pa. for their work to improve the community's health through actions that go beyond traditional hospital care. The award was presented to LVHN's president and CEO, Elliot J. Sussman, M.D., by AHA's president and CEO, Rich Umbdenstock. LVHN is passionate about growing healthy, strong and safe communities...

Abortion Clinics Drop Legal Challenge To La. Ultrasound Law; Suit Against Other Measure Continues

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Under an agreement with the Louisiana health department, a group of abortion clinics has agreed to drop its legal challenge to a new state law (SB 528) requiring ultrasounds before women can receive abortions, the AP/CNBC reports. A federal judge in Baton Rouge approved the agreement on Wednesday (Deslatte, AP/CNBC, 8/19). Previously, Louisiana required ultrasounds before abortion services for women who were more than 20 weeks pregnant...

Dr. Mushabbar Syed Named Director Of Cardiovascular Imaging At Loyola

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dr. Mushabbar Syed has been named director of Cardiovascular Imaging at Loyola University Health System. Loyola offers cardiovascular patients state-of-the-art echocardiography and nuclear imaging, along with newer imaging technologies including CT and MRI scans. Loyola is buying a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner dedicated to cardiovascular imaging, in addition to its current 3 Tesla MRI scanner. Loyola also is hiring a PhD physicist/scientist who will support the use of MRI scans in patient care and research. The Cardiovascular Imaging program will conduct clinical trials and train residents...

CEWorks, A New Analytic Application From ProSanos, Provides Rapid Performance Of Comparative Effectiveness Studies

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

ProSanos Corporation is pleased to introduce CEWorks™, an innovative analytic software application providing comparative effectiveness data on demand for professionals in the life sciences and healthcare industries. CEWorks is part of the award winning suite of software products and services offered by ProSanos for pharmacovigilance, health outcomes, and the assessment of product effectiveness...

AHF To White House On AIDS Fix: "Thank You; Not Nearly Enough"

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, responded to today's announcement by the Obama Administration that it will allocate $30 million in funding to address the national AIDS Drug Assistance Program crisis that has left 3,000 Americans on waiting lists to receive lifesaving AIDS medications by saying "Thank you, but it is not nearly enough." Today's announcement includes a total of $65 million in funding for AIDS programs, $35 million of which will go toward prevention programs...

Getting The Facts On Constipation

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

While sometimes the solution is simple, for example, short-term use of a laxative or eating more fiber, relieving constipation sometimes can be more difficult. For many older adults, constipation is a chronic problem that requires an individualized treatment plan. The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter sorts myth from fact on a health concern that affects virtually everyone at some point -- constipation. Myth: An absence of daily bowel movements indicates constipation. Fact: Constipation is most accurately defined as the infrequent or difficult passing of stool...

Heat Leads To At Least Six Deaths In Alabama This Summer, Precautions Urged

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

The Alabama Department of Public Health advises the public to be alert to the warning signals of heat illnesses. Between June and mid-August at least six persons ranging from preschool age to their 80s have been confirmed to have died from heat-related causes in Alabama. Heat-related illnesses occur when a person's temperature control system is unable to properly cool itself. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but when a person's temperature rises rapidly the body cannot cool down. Very high temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs...

Staying Intimate Later In Life

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Many older adults -- ages 65 to 85 -- remain sexually active and consider sexuality an important part of their lives. But with age, sexuality also can be challenging. The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter looks at some of the challenges and solutions to cultivating sexual desire later in life. For men and women, medical conditions that affect general health and well-being can interfere with sexuality. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can affect the cardiovascular system, and adequate blood circulation figures strongly in arousal during sexual activities...

Stress Management, Diet Changes Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

When persistent cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation are causing distress and frequent bathroom trips, the next stop should be a visit to the doctor. These symptoms, commonly caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), often can be minimized with diet and lifestyle changes. In the August issue, Mayo Clinic Health Letter outlines what occurs in IBS and how this usually chronic condition is managed...

Knowledge Congress Schedules Live Webcast On Healthcare Reform And Its Impact On Your Bottom Line, September 16, 2010

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced that it has scheduled a live webcast entitled: "Healthcare Reform & Its Impact on Your Bottom Line". This two-hour event is scheduled on September 16, 2010 at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET. Sweeping healthcare legislation has passed, and like it or not, we're all in for substantial changes. Much of the debate has been on the Bill's cost to tax payers...

Melanoma Research Alliance Announces $5.2 Million In New Grants To Support Six Innovative Multidisciplinary Research Programs

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

The Melanoma Research Alliance ("MRA") today announced $5.2 million in grants to support six multidisciplinary teams pursuing innovative, translational research approaches designed to benefit melanoma patients. MRA is a non-profit organization that supports novel research programs worldwide that will advance scientific understanding of melanoma needed to enable the development of better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches...

'Diabetes Challenge' Website Scoops Industry Award

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Diabetes UK's 'Diabetes Challenge' fundraising website - www.diabeteschallenge.org.uk - created with Chameleon Net, has won an 'Award of Excellence' at the Communicator Awards. The Awards, judged and presented by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, recognise outstanding creativity in professional communications. Fantastic recognition Graeme Manuel, Digital Media Manager at Diabetes UK, said: "It's fantastic to receive recognition for our Challenge website, which we created with digital agency Chameleon Net...

Soda Consumption Linked To Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Other Health Concerns

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Drinking too much soda could have health consequences ranging from weight gain to osteoporosis to kidney problems, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Soda was once considered an occasional treat, but consumption has steadily increased over the last three decades. Many Americans drink soda every day. Demand is so great that manufacturers produce enough soda to supply the average man, woman and child in America with more than 52 gallons each year. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource looks at possible health effects of sipping too much soda...

Impax Laboratories Confirms Patent Challenge Relating To VYTORIN(R), 10 Mg/80 Mg

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Impax Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) today confirms that it has initiated a challenge of patents listed by MSP Singapore Co. LLC in connection with VYTORIN® (ezetimibe/simvastatin), 10 mg/80 mg. Impax filed its Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") containing a paragraph IV certification for a generic version of VYTORIN® with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration ("FDA"). Following receipt of the notice from the FDA that Impax's ANDA had been accepted for filing, Impax notified the New Drug Application holder and patent owner of its paragraph IV certification...

Many Benefits From Cardiac Rehab, Yet Many Women Don't Participate

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

People who participate in cardiac rehabilitation cut their chances of dying of heart disease by nearly 30 percent in the subsequent two to five years, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Other proven results include less stress, less pain, reduced risk of future heart problems and improved ability to return to work and participate in social activities. Yet, fewer than one-third of people who are eligible for cardiac rehab actually participate. Women, minorities and older people in particular are under-represented...

Statement By UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, On The Flooding In Pakistan

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

"Mothers fleeing flooded homes with nothing but their babies clinging to their backs; people waving for help from the top of houses and sheds as the waters rise around them; desperately thirsty children drinking from contaminated water sources. The disaster has reached tragic proportions. But serious shortfalls in funding are limiting our ability to save lives as the crisis worsens. The scale of the disaster in Pakistan caused by heavy monsoon rains and floods is massive. One-fifth of the country is now underwater, and entire villages have been swept away...

The Next Big Thing: Developing The Artificial Pancreas For People With Diabetes

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

All people with type 1 diabetes, and some with type 2, need to inject or pump insulin into their bodies to survive. Figuring out how much insulin is necessary requires frequent monitoring and can be difficult, even risky. According to Diabetes Forecast, the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association, one of the most hopeful trends in diabetes research is the quest to develop an artificial pancreas, a device that could make the lives of people with diabetes safer, healthier and easier - possibly within the next few years...

Finland Bans Tobacco Display In Europe's Toughest Tobacco Control Law

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

ASH congratulates the Finnish president who signed a new law putting tobacco displays out of sight in shops. Finland joins a growing number of countries including Ireland, Canada and Norway that have adopted the measure to protect young people from tobacco marketing. [1] In several jurisdictions, including Scotland and England, tobacco manufacturers have initiated legal challenges to defend this highly effective marketing asset. [2] The Finnish law does not stop at ending tobacco displays: it also makes it an offence for under 18s to possess tobacco products...

Five Exposed To Asbestos At Manchester's Arndale Centre

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A shop fitting company has been fined after five workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos fibres at the Arndale Centre in Manchester. Eastern Regional Shopfitters Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it ignored a report which stated asbestos was present in a shop it was working on. Two workers spent five days ripping out old shop fittings in October 2009 before they discovered that asbestos had been used in some of the ceiling panels...

Drug Addicts Get Hooked Via Prescriptions, Keep Using 'To Feel Like A Better Person'

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

If you want to know how people become addicted and why they keep using drugs, ask the people who are addicted. Thirty-one of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid detoxification told University at Buffalo physicians they first got hooked on drugs legitimately prescribed for pain. Another 24 began with a friend's left-over prescription pills or pilfered from a parent's medicine cabinet. The remaining 20 patients said they got hooked on street drugs...

Safeway Dedicates $4 Million To Help School Kids Stay Healthy

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) announced an important change to its eScrip fundraising program by asking schools and groups to allocate 20 percent of the more than $20 million in annual Safeway donations to fitness and nutrition activities. Safeway wants to do what it can to help children stay active and healthy, and hopes this commitment will help build stronger, healthier communities...

Cedar Hills Hospital Launches "Exclusively Women" Program For Treating Mental Health Issues

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Cedar Hills Hospital has launched a new program tailored to women with multiple mental health and chemical dependency issues. Exclusively Women is designed for women who are dealing with drug and alcohol dependency, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), spousal abuse, anxiety and obsessive disorders, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, and depressive disorders related to pregnancy. Treatment focuses on crisis stabilization. Exclusively Women is one of the few programs in the nation to offer women such a broad variety of services within a hospital setting...

New Aetna Study Finds African Americans And Hispanics Use Emergency Room For Asthma Incidents More Often Than Whites

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Aetna (NYSE: AET) leaders will present the findings of a new study at the Academy for Health Equity Conference in Littleton, Colorado. The study looked at the differences in the use of the emergency room (ER) by minority populations suffering from asthma and the potential to improve health outcomes and cost savings by addressing disparities in asthma ER visits. Results of the research showed that African American members had significantly higher rates of potentially avoidable ER visits than whites...

Leading Campaigners Endorse Sheffield Modelling On Minimum Price For Alcohol, Scotland

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The British Medical Association (BMA), Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) have endorsed the updated findings of researchers at Sheffield University on the impact that a minimum price per unit of alcohol will have on Scotland's drinking culture. The three leading health organisations supported the study in a submission to the Scottish Parliament's Health Committee which is currently considering legislation to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol...

Study Reports Exercise Outcomes For War Vets' Muscle Pain

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Since returning home, some 100,000 veterans from the first Gulf War have reported chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) similar to fibromyalgia, and a new study in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, shows that acute exercise can exacerbate the pain but long-term exercise has the opposite outcome and reduces it. Researchers from Middleton Memorial Hospital in Madison, Wis. and the University of Wisconsin tested levels of experimental pain sensitivity in Gulf War veterans following acute exercise sessions...

Acceleron Pharma Receives FDA Orphan Designation For ACE-031 For The Treatment Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that modulate the growth of cells and tissues including muscle, bone, fat, red blood cells and the vasculature, today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan designation for ACE-031 for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a fatal neuromuscular disease in which patients experience a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. ACE-031 is an investigational protein therapeutic being developed to increase muscle mass and strength...

Are You Chaperone Aware - Asks MDU?

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The MDU is advising its GP and hospital doctor members to ensure their practice or trust has a chaperoning policy in place. The MDU issued the advice in response to research just published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal which found that nearly half of the 92 hospital trusts responding to a survey did not have a chaperoning policy in place (43.5%) and that only half of these (52%) intended to put one in place.1 The MDU said that by having a clear chaperoning policy in place, GP practices and trusts could avoid confusion among staff, for example, about when to offer a chaperone...

The Verdict Is In: What Goes In Affects What Goes Out

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

There is a growing body of worldwide research that proves what we eat affects our day-to-day health and well-being, according to a Queensland researcher. CQUniversity's Dr Karena Burke believes chemicals in our food could be the key to a number of our common health concerns. "From attention, focus and behaviour in children, to migraines, eczema and long-term chronic disease in adulthood, food has been linked to a huge range of medical conditions, sparking concern in Australia and overseas...

Carnegie Mellon Joins NSF Research Consortium To Develop Tools For Analyzing Autism, Other Behaviors

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Researchers in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University will join a five-year, $10 million initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create novel tools for evaluating social interactions and other behaviors that can be used in diagnosing or treating behavioral disorders such as autism...

New CDC Study Shows Continuing Need For Urgent Care Centers

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) National Health Statistics Reports shows continued use of the nation's emergency rooms for conditions that could be treated in an urgent care setting. Of the 116.8 million visits covered by the 2007 Emergency Department (ED) Summary, only 16.4% were actually admitted to a hospital or kept for observation, while the overwhelming majority (62%) were referred to their primary care provider or a specialist for follow up...

Stomach Bacteria Need Vitamin To Establish Infection

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to research published this week in the online journal mBio™. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics. "Approximately half the world's population is infected with H. pylori, yet how H...

Study Shows Predictors Of Impairment For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Sufferers

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

For carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers, itching and throbbing are pain qualities most responsible for impaired functioning and sleep disruption, according to new research reported in The Journal of Pain. Researchers from the University of Washington examined how pain-quality measures, not pain intensity, are associated with how pain interferes with normal function. No previous study had examined the associations between pain quality (sharp, sensitive, deep, surface, etc.) and changes in patient functioning and quality of life...

Wii-Like Technologies May Help Stroke Survivors Improve Communication Skills

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Motion sensing technologies, such as the Nintendo Wii Remote, could be used in the rehabilitation of people with aphasia - a language impairment, commonly caused by a stroke, that affects around 250,000 people in the UK1. The research is being carried out by a team at City University London, in collaboration with the Stroke Association and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)...

Reintroducing Full Fee Places Will Increase Inequity, Australia

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) was extremely disappointed this week by the Coalition's announcement to reintroduce full fee paying domestic places at public universities. President of AMSA, Ross Roberts-Thomson, said that the Coalition's decision would make higher education less accessible for Australians. "The Australian higher education system has always been based on equity of access so that if you are good enough to get in to a university it does not matter whether you are rich or poor. The ability to pay should not restrict your participation...

BMA Comment On Review Of Consultant Award Schemes, UK

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Commenting on the announcement of a UK-wide review of award schemes for NHS consultants, Dr Mark Porter, Chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee, said: "The BMA will engage with this review, which provides an opportunity to highlight the value of award schemes to patient care. These schemes exist to promote quality, efficiency and innovation across the whole NHS, all of which are key aims of the recent health White Paper...

Chromosomal Disease Detection Could Be Improved By Auto NT And Pre-Calibrated Machines

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

ALOKA Holding Europe AG, the innovator in ultrasound, is heeding the advice of leading fetal health experts by including an automated Nuchal Translucency (NT) thickness measurement and pre-calibrated settings into its ProSound ultrasound systems. These features could reinforce the accuracy of first trimester screening for chromosomal diseases by reducing both the human error and the subjectivity that can affect the reliability of these measures...

Gut Microbes May Provide Therapeutic Targets For Food-Borne Diseases

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

At any given time, trillions of tiny microbes - some helpful, some harmful - are living on and in humans, forming communities and outnumbering the body's own cells tenfold. Using a $7.3 million federal grant that establishes a new cooperative research center at Michigan State University, a group of investigators is studying the microbes that live in our intestines, analyzing the role they play in food- and water-borne illnesses that kill millions of people each year worldwide. MSU's Enterics Research Investigational Network is one of four such U.S...

International Stem Cell Corporation Formalizes Stem Cell-Based Eye Care Programs Into Cytovis™

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), announced that its stem cell therapeutic programs focused on protective, transparent corneas (CytoCor™) in the front of the eye and the light-sensitive retinal tissue (CytoRet™) in the back of the eye will be formalized into a new business unit, Cytovis™...

Benvenue Medical Begins Enrollment In Landmark Study Versus Balloon Kyphoplasty

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Benvenue Medical, Inc., a developer of minimally invasive solutions for spine repair, announced that it has enrolled the first patient into the landmark KAST (Kiva® System as a Vertebral Augmentation Treatment - A Safety and Effectiveness Trial) study. The case was performed by Sean Tutton, MD FSIR, Associate Professor of Radiology and Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The patient was suffering from two painful, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). According to Dr...

BMA Outlines Fundamental Principles For GP Commissioning, UK

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:00:00 GMT

The BMA's GPs Committee (GPC) outlined what it believes should be the fundamental principles underlying the development of GP commissioning. In the GPC's first position statement on GP commissioning since the publication of the Government White Paper it says that these principles should be used to define policy, inform debate and negotiations, and ensure that good medical practice is enshrined within the changes proposed in "Liberating the NHS"...

Another Company Recalls Eggs With Possible Salmonella Contamination, Hillandale Farms Of Iowa, USA

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

A second recall of shell eggs has been issued, this time by Hillandale Farms of Iowa Inc., because of possible Salmonella contamination. Salmonella, is a type of bacterium which can cause sickness in an infected person - it can be a serious and life-threatening infection if the patient is frail, elderly, a very young child/baby, or has a weakened immune system. Healthy individuals who are infected may experience an elevated temperature (fever), nausea, diarrhea, stomachache, and/or vomiting. Very rarely, the bacteria can spread into the bloodstream, causing severe illness...

Second Hand Smoke More Harmful Than People Think

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Being exposed to second hand smoke, also known as passive smoking - non-smokers breathing in smoke from lit cigarettes around them - may significantly increase the long-term risk of developing lung disease, such as lung cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), according to a report published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The same applies to casual (occasional) smoking. This is the first study to demonstrate what passive or occasional smoking does to the body at a gene function level, say the authors. Study author, Dr...

Review Of New Countermeasures For Bioterror And Pandemic Threats - Initial $2 Billion Investment, USA

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Kathleen Sebelius, US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary, says that the USA needs to have a system that is nimble and flexible enough to rapidly produce medical countermeasures in the face of known or unexpected attacks or threats. Medical countermeasures refers to a government system to produce medicines, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostic equipment supplies required for a health emergency...

Salaries, Demand And Career Opportunities Contribute To Global Nursing Faculty Migration

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Twenty-one experts from 12 countries convened near Geneva, Switzerland, in late June to explore current patterns, types, and causal and contributing factors of global nurse faculty migration, a phenomenon where nursing faculty leave their country of origin to work elsewhere...

Phase 3 ILLUMINATE Study Supports 24-Week Telaprevir-Based Therapy Within A Response-Guided Regimen For People With Hepatitis C

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) announced results from the Phase 3 ILLUMINATE study, which was designed to evaluate whether there was any benefit to extending therapy from 24 to 48 weeks in people whose hepatitis C virus (HCV) was undetectable at weeks 4 and 12 of treatment (extended rapid viral response or eRVR). People in the trial who met these eRVR criteria and who remained on treatment were then randomized at week 20 to receive 24 or 48 weeks of total treatment...

P&G And World Vision Respond To Pakistan Flood

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) and its partners will provide over 50 million liters (13.2 million gallons) of clean drinking water and product donations locally to help flood victims in Pakistan. Product donations include Safeguard bar soap, Ariel laundry detergent, Pampers baby diapers and Always feminine hygiene products. Six million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan with some 2.7 million children in need of urgent life-saving assistance. There is no better time to demonstrate our commitment to improving lives than when tragedy strikes unexpectedly...

Watson Plans Q4 2010 Ella(R) (ulipristal Acetate) Emergency Contraceptive Launch

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NYSE: WPI), announced that it intends to launch ella(R) (ulipristal acetate), a novel oral emergency contraceptive, in the fourth quarter of 2010. Watson's announcement follows the approval of ella(R) by the FDA as safe and effective in preventing unintended pregnancy for up to 120 hours - or five days - post-unprotected intercourse (UPI) or contraceptive failure. ella(R) was developed by HRA Pharma specifically for emergency contraception and is not intended for routine contraceptive use...

New Norwegian Earplug Solution To A Deafening Problem

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Some 600 cases of noise-induced hearing impairment are reported by the Norwegian petroleum industry every year. A new, intelligent earplug is now set to alleviate the problem. Norway's largest company, Statoil ASA, is taking the problems associated with noise exposure seriously. Over the course of four years the international energy company has led efforts to further develop an existing combined hearing protection and communication product for use on offshore platforms...

Arqule And Daiichi Sankyo Move Forward With Phase 3 Clinical Trial Plan For Arq 197 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (TSE 4568) announced that they will move forward with a Phase 3 clinical trial of ARQ 197, a small molecule inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In connection with this decision, the sponsor company, Daiichi Sankyo, will file a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a trial comparing ARQ 197 plus erlotinib against erlotinib plus placebo...

Biogen Idec And Knopp Neurosciences Announce License Agreement For Late-Stage ALS Drug Candidate

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Knopp Neurosciences announced they have entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement under which Biogen Idec will develop and commercialize KNS-760704 (dexpramipexole) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and potentially other indications. KNS-760704 is a novel oral neuroprotective therapy under development...

Dr Reddy's Launches Darbepoetin Alfa In India Under The Brand Name 'Cresp®' World's First Generic Darbepoetin Alfa And The Only One In India

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (NYSE: RDY) announced the launch of Cresp®' the first generic darbepoetin alfa in the world, and the only darbepoetin alfa in India. Cresp® has been approved in India for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease and anemia due to chemotherapy. Darbepoetin alfa is a modified version of epoetin alfa (rHuEPO), which is engineered to have a longer half life, increasing (up to 3 times) the time it remains in the blood...

Approval Of Additional Indication Of NESINA®: Combination Therapy With Thiazolidinediones For Type 2 Diabetes In Japan

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda") announced that an additional indication for "NESINA®" (generic name: Alogliptin), combination therapy with thiazolidinediones for type 2 diabetes, was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. NESINA, a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitor created by Takeda San Diego, Inc., Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary, became available on the Japanese market in June 2010. It exhibits extremely high selectivity for DPP-4 inhibition, and a once daily dose with NESINA provides outstanding hypoglycemic benefits...

GlaxoSmithKline And Human Genome Sciences Announce FDA Priority Review Designation For Benlysta® (belimumab)

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) and Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review designation to Benlysta® (belimumab) as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A priority review designation is granted to drugs that, if approved, offer major advances in treatment or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists. The FDA has assigned belimumab a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date of 9 December 2010...

Elsevier Partners With HELINET To Strengthen Consortium's Leadership In Health Sciences Education

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Elsevier Health Sciences and Helinet, India's premier medical library consortium for e-resources, have announced an agreement that will provide all medical students at Helinet's medical colleges with access to leading international and local medical content through Elsevier's electronic platforms: ScienceDirect® and MD Consult®...

Cyprotex Adds In Vitro Toxicology Services

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Cyprotex PLC (LSE:CRX), the preclinical ADME Tox services company, announces the launch of its new in vitro toxicology service, branded as Cyprotox(R). Supporting the new service is an additional 90 square metres of laboratory space at Cyprotex's Macclesfield, UK facility housing the latest technology in multi-parametric automated fluorescent imaging and cellular analysis. This gives Cyprotex's Macclesfield site the same in vitro toxicology capabilities as those of Apredica (Watertown, MA, USA), which Cyprotex acquired on 6 August 2010...

Top Narcotics Banned In UK, Known As 'Legal Highs'

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

James Brokenshire, UK minister for crime prevention is giving law enforcement authorities additional powers to combat a worryingly growing wave of legal highs, types of new narcotics which are usually legal when they arrive in the market because regulatory authorities have not yet had time to either approve or ban them. Sometimes, several months may have passed before authorities detect a new substance and consequently ban it...

Male Menopause Affects More Than Five Million Men

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

While most frequently associated with women's health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored...

The Society For Adolescent Health And Medicine (SAHM) Advocates For Ways To Improve Immunization Rates And Halt Disease Outbreaks

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

In light of today's report of the National Immunization Survey results, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) encourages increased efforts in fully immunizing all adolescents. The report issued by the National Immunization Survey (NIS) shows progress in increasing immunization rates among teens 13-17 years of age. However, rates remain unacceptably low for those vaccines that are targeted specifically to prevent disease in adolescents: meningococcal meningitis (53.6 %), human papillomavirus (44.3% received one dose, while only 26...

UNT Board Of Regents Approves M.D. Degree Program

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The University of North Texas System Board of Regents voted to approve a proposal to develop a new M.D. degree program at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC). The M.D. program will be an independent fifth school in addition to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions. Approval comes upon completion of pre-approval requirements the Board of Regents directed UNTHSC leadership to accomplish at the Regents' November 2009 meeting...

Study Finds Palliative Care Prolongs Life In Cancer Patients

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:00:00 GMT

A precedent-setting study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday, August 19 demonstrates definitively that early referrals to palliative care prolongs life for patients living with metastatic lung cancer. While palliative medicine specialists have long observed improvements among their patients, this study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is the first randomized, controlled study to show that people with life-limiting illnesses can live far longer and far better, with much less pain, anxiety and depression...

New Form Of Ketamine Treats Depression "Like Magic"

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

"It's like a magic drug", said the lead researcher of a team from Yale University in the US whose latest study suggests that ketamine, a drug normally used as an anasthetic, could be reformulated as an anti-depressant that takes effect in hours rather than the usual weeks and months of most available medications. You can read how the researchers discovered this effect in a study they performed on rats which was published online on 20 August in the journal Science...

Lupus Drug Benlysta® (belimumab) Priority Review Granted By FDA

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Benlysta® (belimumab), a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus has been granted a priority review designation by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA), which is granted to medications, that if approved, offer significant treatment advances or provide treatment when no proper therapy exists. A PDUFA (Prescription Drug User Fee Act) has been assigned to belimumab, with December 9th as the target date. Human Genome Sciences, Inc...

The Lethal Mix Of Binge Drinking And High Blood Pressure

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT

People with hypertension (high blood pressure) who binge drink are much more likely to die than other individuals, says a study published in the medical journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The definition of hypertension in this study was blood pressure of at least 168 /100 millimeters of mercury. Binge drinking involves consuming large quantities of alcoholic drinks in one single session. Binge drinking is known to be a serious risk for health, and may sometimes result in alcohol poisoning. Experts say that the majority of binge drinkers are not aware of the risks...

Kan. Board Issues Public Censure To Former State Official For Role In Tiller Investigation

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, the Kansas Board of Discipline for Attorneys recommended an informal admonishment for Eric Rucker -- who served as chief of staff for former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R) during an investigation of abortion provider George Tiller -- for misleading a state court about the inquiry, the Wichita Eagle reports. The public censure the board recommended is the least harsh punishment Rucker could have received for the wrongdoing, which he has admitted...

Surgery Can Be Safely Performed In Settings With Limited Resources

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres performed close to 20,000 procedures in resource-limited settings between 2001 and 2008 with an operative death rate of only 0.2 percent, suggesting surgical care can be provided safely in these circumstances with appropriate minimum standards and protocols, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals...

UV-B Treatment May Improve Psoriasis And Vitamin D Levels

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Treatment with narrow-band UV-B rays may increase serum levels of vitamin D in the wintertime while clearing psoriasis, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Psoriasis affects 1.5 percent to 3 percent of the population, according to background information in the article. Abnormalities in vitamin D metabolism may be partly responsible for the development and worsening of this skin condition...

The ASCO Cancer Foundation(R) Earns Highest Charity Navigator Rating For Second Consecutive Year

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

For the second year in a row, The ASCO Cancer Foundation achieved Charity Navigator's coveted Four-Star rating. Of the more than 5,500 charities rated, only about 1,000 have received back-to-back four-star evaluations at least two years in a row. Charity Navigator is America's largest and most utilized independent evaluator of charities. Their rating system analyzes two areas of a charity's financial health to award an overall rating - how responsibly it functions day to day and how well positioned it is to sustain its programs over time...

Patients With Diabetes May Need Fewer Medications After Bariatric Surgery

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Bariatric surgery appears to be associated with reduced use of medications and lower health care costs among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "The rapidly growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes threaten to overburden the world's health care systems," the authors write as background information in the article. "From an epidemiological standpoint, once these diseases develop they are rarely reversed...

Pay-For-Performance Programs Improve Radiology Report Turnaround Times, Study Suggests

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

A pay-for-performance (PFP) program implemented at one of the nation's largest general hospitals appeared to have a marked effect on expediting final radiology report turnaround times (RTAT), improving patient care, according to a study in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. One increasingly popular trend, used both by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and by third-party payers, attempts to address variation in quality and performance through the use of PFP programs...

AHRQ Grant Will Enable Premier Healthcare Alliance Perinatal Safety Initiative To Continue Via Award To Fairview Health Services

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Department of Health & Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded a three-year demonstration grant for not-for-profit entities to Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis to extend a national collaborative that is reducing birth-related injuries. The Premier healthcare alliance's Perinatal Safety Initiative is composed of 16 of the country's leading hospitals , representing 12 states, in which approximately 115,000 babies will be delivered over the course of the collaborative...

EMILY's List, Palin Trade Jabs On Twitter Over Campaign Issues

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Continuing its campaign against conservative Republican candidates, EMILY's List on Wednesday "duked it out" with former Alaska Gov. and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, trading Twitter posts about campaign issues, the Christian Science Monitor reports. EMILY's List, which backs female candidates who support abortion rights, on Wednesday launched an online campaign -- "Sarah Doesn't Speak for Me" -- in response to Palin's endorsements of several conservative, antiabortion-rights candidates she has dubbed "Mamma Grizzlies...

Thousands Remain Missing: British Red Cross Marks The International Day Of The Disappeared

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The British Red Cross is currently trying to trace the relatives of over 1,000 families who have been separated as a result of the conflicts in countries including: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Iraq. This comes as the charity marks this year's International Day of the Disappeared on Monday 30 August 2010 with a series of events to be held across the country. The day is a reminder that hundreds of thousands of families across the world are still unaware of the fate of their loved ones missing in conflicts...

NHS Employers Responds To The Centre For Workforce Intelligence Report On Medical Training Numbers

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

NHS Employers welcomes the final recommendations on medical training numbers for 2011 outlined in the Centre for Workforce Intelligence's (CfWI) report published today. Bill McMillan, head of medical pay and workforce at NHS Employers, said: "We support the CfWI's programme of work to increase understanding of the shape of the future medical workforce and the numbers going into training...

AARC Announces New Associate Executive Director

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) announced the appointment of Douglas Laher, MBA, RRT, to the position of Associate Executive Director effective September 1, 2010. "We are extremely pleased that Doug will be joining us here at the AARC. Doug has been a respiratory therapist for over seventeen years and will bring his expertise to help further the efforts of the AARC as we advocate for the respiratory therapist and the patients we serve," says Chief Operating Officer, Tom Kallstrom , MBA, RRT, FAARC. "We look forward to our new addition to the AARC Executive Office Team...

Also In Global Health News: Active TB Genetic Marker Found; African Bishops Fight HIV; Polio Eradication; PEPFAR In Dominican Republic

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Active TB "Genetic Signature" FoundResearchers have identified a "genetic signature" in the blood of active tuberculosis patients in the U.K. and South Africa that could one day lead to a test to predict who among latent carriers might develop the disease, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, Reuters reports (Kelland, 8/18). It is estimated that about 10 percent of the 2 billion people who have latent TB will develop the active form of the disease, the U.K. Press Association notes. (8/18)...

Neb. Agrees To Permanent Injunction Blocking Abortion Screening Law

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) announced that he agreed to a permanent federal injunction blocking enforcement of a law (LB 594) requiring extensive mental and physical health screenings for women seeking abortions, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Bruning cited an earlier ruling temporarily blocking enforcement and said it is unlikely the law ultimately would be ruled constitutional...

Skin Condition Associated With Depression, Anxiety And Suicidal Feelings

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Individuals with psoriasis appear to have an increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicidality, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Psoriasis affects 1 percent to 3 percent of the general population, and estimates suggest 0.4 percent to 2.3 percent of adults have the condition but have not been diagnosed. "Psoriasis has long been recognized to be associated with potentially adverse effects on mental health," the authors write...

Hair Color, Socioeconomic Status Among Risk Factors For Recurring Basal Cell Carcinoma

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Patients who receive a diagnosis of the skin cancer basal cell carcinoma at a younger age-along with those who have red hair, a higher socioeconomic status and a cancerous lesion on their upper extremities-appear to be at higher risk of developing multiple cancers and require closer follow-up, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer in people with European ancestry, and its incidence continues to increase steeply," the authors write as background information in the article...

S.C. Gov Signs Bill Establishing 24-Hour Waiting Period Before Abortion

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) signed legislation (H 3245) that requiring a 24-hour waiting period before women can obtain an abortion, according to a release from the Office of the Governor, WSAV reports (Sanders, WSAV, 8/18). Sanford signed the bill into law at the Carolina Pregnancy Center, a crisis pregnancy center that endorsed the measure (Saylor, WSPA, 8/18). Sanford said that "it's imperative that a decision of this magnitude only be made with the fullest and most accurate knowledge available...

Whole-Body MRI May Help Detect Suspected Child Abuse

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is highly accurate at detecting soft-tissue abnormalities, may serve a role in detecting suspected child abuse in infants, according to a study in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. Whole-body MRI does not use ionizing radiation, but employs a magnetic field, radio frequency pulses, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs, soft tissues, bone, and virtually all other internal body structures...

Voluntary Egg Recall Expands To The Whole Of The USA, Due To Possible Salmonella Enteritidis Risk

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

A recall of hundreds of millions of eggs has now been expanded nationwide, says Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, because of possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination of egg shells. The original recall, which named some US states, occurred on August 13th. The recall refers to specific Julan dates of shell eggs produced by Wright County Egg farms. The company says the potential Salmonella contamination can cause gastroenteritis, and sometimes serious (and even fatal) infections in elderly individuals, frail people, very young children, as well as those with weakened immune systems...

Recurrent Teen Headaches Linked To Smoking, Overweight And Physical Inactivity

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Teenagers who regularly have headaches may find that their problem is linked to overweight, smoking and/or lack of physical exercise, according to an article published in the medical journal Neurology. The authors found that teenagers with all three factors - those who were overweight, smoked and did very little exercise - were 3.4 more likely to suffer from recurring headaches, compared to individuals of their age who did not smoke, were physically active and were not overweight...

NHSBT Response To Lancet Article On Success Of Donation After Cardiac Death Kidney Transplants

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

NHSBT welcomes this study which highlights the success of kidney transplants made possible through donors who have died from "cardiac death". Donation after cardiac death (DCD) has been increasing steadily in the UK for some years. NHSBT has invested in several schemes in the wider NHS in order to help facilitate this type of donation. It is not a substitute for donation after brain stem death (DBD) but another way that organs can be retrieved, particularly kidneys, but also livers, and in a small number of cases, lungs...

Lilly Halts Dosing In Phase III Alzheimer's Disease Drug Trial Of Semagacestat

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

All or excerpts from the following statement can be attributed to William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association Chief Medical and Scientific Officer: The Alzheimer's Association is disappointed to learn of the negative interim results from the Phase III clinical trial of Semagacestat. People with Alzheimer's urgently need more and better treatment options for this devastating, fatal brain disease. That said, the Alzheimer's Association remains optimistic about the future prospects for earlier detection of Alzheimer's, better treatments and prevention strategies...

Opinions: Aid To Pakistan; Criteria For Effective Aid

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

U.S., World Must Mount Better Strategy To Address Flooding In Pakistan A New York Times editorial about the flooding in Pakistan and the global response to it, cautions: "The world, especially the United States, must not blow this one. We worry it already could be doing that." "Washington is doing better than other donors ... It should be rallying other countries, as well as private organizations and individuals, to do their fair share...

Reuters Examines Measles Outbreaks In Africa

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Reuters reports on how some health experts worry that growing complacency about the threat of measles in Africa is contributing to "some of [the continent's] largest and most deadly outbreaks in years." Worldwide, "[a]bout 164,000 people died from measles in 2008, down 78 percent from 733,000 in 2000, according to the Measles Initiative," Reuters reports, adding that "UNICEF fears the combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment to measles could reverse the gains, resulting in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths globally between 2010 and 2013...

Experts Call For End To Global Inequalities In Access To Pain Medication For Cancer Sufferers

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

International leaders in the fight against cancer launched the Global Access to Pain Relief Initiative (GAPRI), calling for universal access to controlled pain medication for cancer patients worldwide. Action is needed now to ease the suffering of the millions of cancer sufferers around the world who are forced to go without adequate pain treatment. GAPRI is expected to play a major role in meeting World Cancer Declaration target eight - one of 11 targets which, if achieved, will help reverse the cancer epidemic by 2020...

Three Researchers Awarded 2010 Toshiba America Medical Systems/RSNA Grants

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Research & Education (R&E) Foundation awarded 2010 Toshiba America Medical Systems/RSNA grants to Kenneth S. Lee, M.D., Nitin Ohri, M.D., and Ben Paxton, M.D. The grants are made possible by Toshiba's support of the RSNA R&E Foundation. The Toshiba America Medical Systems/RSNA Research Seed Grant enables investigators to test hypotheses and conduct feasibility studies en route to major trials. These pilot phases of projects are critical to the development of applications for funding from major corporate and federal sources...

NHSBT Annual Review 2009/2010 - Saving And Improving Lives

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

A major improvement programme around the production of lifesaving blood delivered savings for the NHS of Â£20 million last year according to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) whose Annual Review 2009-10 was published yesterday. Improvements in manufacturing and processing enabled blood to be produced more efficiently leading to a reduction in price per unit from Â£140 to Â£130. It was the first significant reduction in the price of a unit of blood. NHSBT supplied almost 2,000,000 units of blood to hospitals in England and north Wales in 2009-10...

Cutting Through The Myths Of Diets At PAC10, Australia

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Every day it seems there is a new diet fad being talked up by the media and in the eternal search for the solution to the growing waistlines of Australians, many popular diets have been tried and eventually discarded. There are literally hundreds of dieting books and programs to choose from, with many popular ones substantially departing from mainstream nutrition and medical advice...

Also In Global Health News: Global Fund In El Salvador; World Bank Investment In Nepal; Bed Nets In Africa; Ukraine Caps Grain Exports

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Global Post Examines How Global Fund Impacts HIV Care, Human Rights In El Salvador Global Post examines how the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is impacting HIV/AIDS care and human rights in El Salvador. The article profiles Carla, a Salvadorian transvestite who tested positive for HIV in jail and was able to receive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment through a program supported by the Global Fund, which the article calls a "revolutionary model." "To avoid corruption, the aid money is not simply handed over...

More Smokers Quitting Than Ever, But Rates Still Too High, UK

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

More smokers than ever are making use of free NHS Stop Smoking Services to help them quit smoking for good, and more than ever are seeing the results they want. In the year to March 2010, 757,537 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services - a 13 per cent increase on the previous year. And after four weeks, 373,954 people managed to successfully quit - 11 per cent more than in the last year. These are encouraging figures but more could be done. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death in England...

Labor Groups, Abortion Activists Push Candidates; Ruling Veils Political Donors

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Groups on all sides of the political spectrum are running full-tilt at candidates and health issues in advance of the November elections. Politico: Organized labor is "still smarting" from Ohio Democratic Rep. Zack Space's opposition to the health reform bill. A "coalition of Ohio labor groups is moving forward with a campaign urging voters not to support his reelection bid...

SNA Launches Tray Talk Website, Releases School Meal Trends Data

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:00 GMT

As children return to school this fall, a new School Nutrition Association (SNA) website and survey are demonstrating healthy trends in school cafeterias nationwide. SNA's new Tray Talk website, is designed to spotlight school meal successes and provide parents with information about healthy school meals. The site, launched today, will feature "School Nutrition Success Stories" from across the country, putting the spotlight on two different school nutrition programs each month. "Latest News on the Tray" stories will be posted monthly to provide details on hot topics in school nutrition...