Endocrinology
New York"s Kendra"s Law to provide assisted outpatient treatment for people with severe mental illness is effective in a wide-range of measures, and provides long-lasting benefits the longer someone with a mental illness is in the program, a comprehensive independent evaluation conducted for the state by Duke University Medical School finds.
GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced that Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit, Wis., has selected an Optima® XR640 digital radiographic system for its expanded emergency department.
Two new specialist teams will be set up to improve diagnosis, care and support for people with eating disorders in Wales, Health Minister Edwina Hart officially announced.
-- The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low levels of influenza activity in all parts of Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=38241
Bayer Diabetes Care in the UK and Ireland today unveils "DIDGET(TM), the
NovImmune, an immunology-focused biotech company
The Union-managed initiative TREAT TB (Technology, Research, Education and Technical Assistance for TB) is now on the web offering direct access to the work of this five-year, USAID-funded project.
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) last week held a private meeting to discuss a compromise on health care reform legislation that would include a "fallback public plan," implemented in several years if private insurers do not take steps to make coverage more affordable and accessible, CongressDaily reports. The plan is modeled on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, under which the government can offer prescription drug benefits if private insurers choose not to do so. The government currently does not offer a Medicare Part D directly plan because a sufficient number of private firms have done so. According to CongressDaily, Snowe is seeking to go further than the fallback option under Part D, in which success is measured on the number of participating insurers. Snowe would measure success by the affordability and accessibility of private plans. Snowe has had conversations regarding the plan with Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), CongressDaily reports. In addition, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.) also have expressed interest in the proposal. A Republican committee aide said that a public plan that offers the same benefits as private plans and is funded by money from premiums rather than taxpayer money, such as that proposed by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), could be put in place if private insurers fail. The aide said, "If you"ve done everything you possibly can, and you don"t get the result that you need, then a lever there might be helpful as long as the lever doesn"t take over the whole system" (Edney, CongressDaily, 5/19). Other Reform News
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced CE Mark for its LATITUDE® Patient Management system. The LATITUDE system remotely monitors patients with implantable cardiac devices, gathering information on both the device and a patient"s heart health status. The system can also detect clinical events between scheduled physician visits and send relevant data directly to a patient"s physician. It will be launched in Europe in a phased approach beginning this week.
The Senate on Monday by voice vote confirmed Margaret Hamburg as FDA commissioner, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/18). As commissioner, Hamburg is expected to immediately begin working on the agency"s response to the H1N1 flu virus. She also has said she wants to overhaul the agency"s food safety efforts. According to CongressDaily, Hamburg hopes to restore confidence in the agency, which has experienced controversy surrounding drug and food safety issues in recent years (CongressDaily, 5/19). Hamburg is the 21st FDA commissioner and the second woman to hold the position in FDA"s 100-year history (AP/Washington Post, 5/19).
Summer is the peak time for people to be bitten by ticks and mosquitoes, which may carry diseases that can infect humans. The Department of Health tracks cases of these diseases and has noted a recent increase in human cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and ehrlichiosis, both of which are transmitted through tick bites. TDOH urges Tennesseans to follow commonsense precautions to protect themselves and help reduce the risk of illness.
Informa Healthcare - one of the world"s leading medical and scientific publishers - has announced that the new interactive http://www.informahealthcare.com beta site will go live in July.
The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Quality Formulation Laboratories, Inc., American Sports Nutrition Inc., Sports Nutrition International LLC and Mohamed S. Desoky, who oversees operations at all three companies.
One of Laurie Keefer"s patients was afraid to be a bridesmaid in a friend"s wedding, others worried about traveling with the boss or even going to parties in peoples" homes.
An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports the extraordinary story of Hannah Clark who had a donor heart grafted onto her own after suffering heart failure as a baby. She underwent surgery ten and a half years after the transplant to remove the donor heart. This was possible because her own heart had recovered satisfactorily to work on its own. Today, three and a half years after this second operation, Hannah, now aged 16, has made a complete recovery. The article is the work of leading heart surgeons Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Imperial College London, Heart Science Centre, Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, UK, and consultant Victor Tsang, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK and collaborators.
Nanostructured materials have garnered great interest worldwide due to their unique size-dependent properties for chemical, electronic, structural, medical and consumer applications.
An iconic photograph (http://img.timeinc.net/time/80days/images/530228.jpg) of Nobel laureates Drs. Francis Crick and James Watson show the pair discussing with a rigid model of the famous double helix.
Trail results have highlighted the benefit of abdominal massage in the management of constipation - a common symptom in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
In their first meeting, President Obama and Pope Benedict XVI on Friday discussed their views on abortion, embryonic stem cell research and the rights of health care workers to object to procedures and services that go against their beliefs, the Los Angeles Times reports. During a 30-minute discussion, the pope expressed to Obama his beliefs about "the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one"s conscience," according to the Vatican. The Times reports that the statement was a "clear reference" to debates over abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and "conscience" protections for health care providers who refuse care on moral or religious grounds (Chu, Los Angeles Times, 7/11).According to Time, Benedict showed "no intention of papering over differences on what the Vatican calls "life" issues," including abortion rights. Vatican spokesperson the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the pope told him how Obama "explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the number of abortions and to listen to the Church"s concerns on moral issues" (Israely, Time, 7/10). According to White House deputy national security aide Denis McDonough, Obama was "eager to find common ground on these issues and to work aggressively to do that" (Simpson/Feller, AP/Boston Globe, 7/11). However, "[I]t may just be that there"s issues that you can"t come to agreement on," McDonough added, noting that Obama believes that "you can disagree without being disagreeable" (Los Angeles Times, 7/11).Montsignor Georg Ganswein, the pope"s personal secretary, said that Obama was given a copy of "Dignitas Personae," or "The Dignity of a Person," a Vatican document released in December detailing the Roman Catholic Church"s most recent stance on bioethics issues (Time, 7/10). The document "hardened" the Church"s opposition to embryonic stem cell research, cloning and in vitro fertilization (AP/Boston Globe, 7/11). Obama assured the pope he would read the document that day on his flight from Italy to Ghana. Ganswein said that the document "can help the president better understand the position of the Catholic Church." Lombardi noted that it "would be ambiguous to hide or minimize what we believe," adding, "It"s not meant to be divisive or polemical" (Time, 7/10).
"After a week of international diplomacy, President Obama returns to Washington this week facing an even greater diplomatic challenge: nudging the large and controversial health-care reform package toward consensus on Capitol Hill," The Washington Post reports. Despite media reports of challenges including "the virtual wall of opposition among Republicans," "resistance among conservative Blue Dog Democrats over the potential cost," and "nervousness among progressives that the White House might compromise too much on a public insurance option," officials at the White House "remain publicly optimistic." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said that the issues are just part of "the nature of what we"re doing," and that "we"ve never, on universal coverage, been this close to the goal line."
"Lawmakers from both parties are telling the White House they will go on vacation next month and leave behind - and incomplete - President Barack Obama"s health care overhaul," the Associated Press reports. The White House had long pushed lawmakers to complete their proposal by the recess, a target that now appears unlikely.
A federal program targets Medicare fraud in the Houston area as news of three cases representing at least $35 million in false claims emerged within the past week. The Houston Chronicle reports on the three cases, noting: "These Houston-area scams alleged in two FBI complaints and one Montgomery County indictment were among six reported nationally in a single week - representing at least $285 million in false billings, records showed. "This is an astounding amount," said Houston"s FBI spokeswoman Pat Villafranca. The $285 million is more than four times the amount stolen during robberies of U.S. banks during all of 2008, she said. This month, Houston became the fourth metropolitan area - joining Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit - to create a ramped-up fraud strike force. It goes by the acronym "HEAT," Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team."
The Pennsylvania House last week voted to approve a bill that allows state residents up to age 29 to be added to or remain on their parents" health insurance plans as long as they live in the state or are full-time students, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reports. They also must be single and not have dependents.According to national data, young adults between ages 19 and 29 make up the largest segment of the U.S. population without health insurance. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department estimates that nearly 400,000 state residents in that age group are uninsured. The bill allows employers to decide if they want to offer the coverage option to their employees. Families choosing to add adult dependents to their health plans will have higher premiums. Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is expected to sign the bill, which the state Senate approved in March (Thompson, Harrisburg Patriot-News, 5/14). Prescription for Pennsylvania Plan
Two Sides to Every Health Care Debate New York Times
Cancer Research Technology (CRT), Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Cancer Research UK, Cardiff University and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) are set to begin a major new research collaboration for the first time. This will provide substantial investment in research on the WNT signalling pathway in the hope of finding new drug targets.
Hemangiomas are the most common tumor of infancy. They are benign tumors derived from cells that line blood vessels (endothelial cells) and spontaneously regress as a child gets older. Jack Arbiser and colleagues, at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, have now provided new insight into the molecules that control hemangioma growth and found that inhibiting a key molecule substantially inhibits hemangioma growth in a mouse model. Specifically, the protein Nox4 was found to be crucial for hemangioma growth in a mouse model and the drug fulvene 5 was found to be a potent in vitro inhibitor of Nox4 and to substantially inhibit in vivo hemangioma growth. The authors therefore suggest that targeting Nox4, potentially using fulvene derivatives, might provide a way to attenuate hemangioma growth.
One of the continuing mysteries of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is why women usually develop lower viral levels than men following acute HIV-1 infection but progress faster to AIDS than men with similar viral loads. Now a research team based at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT and Harvard has found that a receptor molecule involved in the first-line recognition of HIV-1 responds to the virus differently in women, leading to subsequent differences in chronic T cell activation, a known predictor of disease progression. Their paper, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Nature Medicine, is receiving early online release.
ULTRASOUND OUTPERFORMS SYMPTOM ANALYSIS IN DETECTING OVARIAN CANCER
Condom use is associated with a reduced risk of contracting herpes simplex virus 2, according to a report based on pooled analysis of data from previous studies in the July 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"I am stopping TB and controlling HIV" was the theme of an event marking World TB Day (24 March) in Uganda"s Masindi district. The Union Uganda Office participated in this event, which attracted representatives from both government and a wide variety of NGOs, as well as the public.
The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flufrom more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low levels of influenza activity in all parts of Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=38241
The General Medical Council has announced that it has appointed The King"s Fund"s chief executive Niall Dickson as its new chief executive. Niall Dickson will remain at the Fund until the end of the year before formally starting in his new role in January 2010.
Concern over access to clean water is no longer just an issue for the developing world, as California faces its worst drought in recorded history. According to state"s Department of Water Res, supplies in major reservoirs and many groundwater basins are well below average. Court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries have reduced supplies from the two largest water systems, and an outdated statewide water system can"t keep up with population growth.
It comes as no surprise that some babies are more difficult to soothe than others but frustrated parents may be relieved to know that this is not necessarily an indication of their parenting skills. According to a new report in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, children"s temperament may be due in part to a combination of a certain gene and a specific pattern of brain activity.
The relationships between children and their parent of the same gender in the earliest years of life could be the key to understanding why some young people become obese and others do not, new research conducted by the EarlyBird Diabetes Study has shown.
Changes in the brain measured with MRI and PET scans, combined with memory tests and detection of risk proteins in body fluids, may lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer"s, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer"s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.
Eye movement tests developed by Queen"s University researchers to aid in understanding childhood brain development and healthy aging may also help in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and detecting the early onset of Parkinson"s disease. The project has received close to $1 million in recent funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Elsevier has announced the launch of the official version of BrainNavigator, a neuroscience research tool developed in collaboration with the Allen Institute for Brain Science and under the editorship of Professor George Paxinos and Charles Watson, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Sydney. After unveiling the prototype version at the Society for Neuroscience"s Neuroscience 2008 tradeshow last November, the rodent brain version is now available at http://www.brainnav.com.
Memantine improves functional communication skills in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer"s disease (AD), noticeable by caregivers. These are the study results discussed at the International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD). The data of two recent clinical trials support that AXURA®/AKATINOL® - an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist - effects language skills in AD patients and improves cognitive abilities and functional communication. Leading neurologists emphasize that improvement of communication skills is a meaningful treatment target. Communication breakdown can trigger feelings of frustration in Alzheimer"s patients and these feelings may manifest as behavioral instability. This in turn is known to be a major of caregiver"s burden and distress.
Results from two large studies using DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid, were
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) announced today the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study to evaluate KRX-0401 (perifosine) as a single agent treatment for recurrent solid tumors in pediatric patients. This Phase 1 study is now open for enrollment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Oren Becher, MD, Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, in coordination with Eric Holland, MD, PhD, Director of the Brain Tumor group at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will act as the study"s Principal Investigator. The study announced is being fully funded by an external grant provided by a private organization.
A group of Utah State University researchers and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and Boston University have demonstrated that the rate of clinical progression of dementia may be slowed by a close relationship with one"s caregiver. The findings will be published in the September 2009 issue of "The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences" by Oxford Journals
Prohibiting tobacco use at home could reduce adolescent smoking rates, but the practice might be less common in black families than in white ones, a new study found.
Researchers studying a large population of women in Denmark found that those who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on President Obama"s nomination of Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., as U.S. surgeon general:
Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Committee Chairmen Henry Waxman, Charlie Rangel, and George Miller introduced their unified health care reform bill. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about this development:
President Obama told Sen. Max Baucus that he wants a Senate Finance Committee health overhaul bill by the end of the week, The Associated Press reports. "These officials said Obama made his wishes known directly to Baucus, D-Mont., at a White House meeting Monday attended by administration officials and senior Democratic lawmakers."
Passport Health of Massachusetts, specialists in vaccinations against dread diseases faced by international travelers, is concerned that eastern New England"s wettest spring and early summer in decades can be more deadly than usual.
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday she is frustrated over the failure" to name a new head of the USAID, despite it being a priority for the administration, AFP/Google.com reports. "Clinton, addressing USAID staff who asked why there was no administrator and deputy six months into President Barack Obama"s administration, complained about what she called an increasingly burdensome vetting process," the news service writes (7/13).
Researchers have identified a potential biological mechanism that could explain why oral contraceptives may be less effective at preventing pregnancy in obese women, as some epidemiological studies have indicated.
Compared with women who have never taken hormone therapy, those who currently take it or who have taken it in the past are at increased risk of ovarian cancer, regardless of the duration of use, the formulation, estrogen dose, regimen or route of administration, according to a study in the July 15 issue of JAMA.
The biopharmaceutical company PAION AG (ISIN DE000A0B65S3; Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Prime Standard: PA8) today announces that the respective Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs), after predefined interim analyses, recommended that the Company should proceed as planned with their Phase IIa study as well as Phase Ib of CNS 7065, a new short-acting intravenous anesthetic/sedative.
Results of a survey published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show that a large subset of surgical residents consider duty hour regulations (DHR) a significant barrier to their surgical education and express a desire for flexibility to work longer hours than current restrictions allow.
In the July 15th cover story of G and D, a research team led by Dr. Eric Olson at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas reports that the class I histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) enzyme regulates gene expression in the developing vertebrate skull.
Aerosol delivery of antibiotics via nanoparticles may provide a means to improve drug delivery and increase patient compliance, thus reducing the severity of individual illnesses, the spread of epidemics, and possibly even retarding antibiotic resistance.
The human brain can adapt to changing demands even in adulthood, but MIT neuroscientists have now found evidence of it changing with unsuspected speed. Their findings suggest that the brain has a network of silent connections that underlie its plasticity.
The best way to keep bacteria from doing any damage is to stop them in their tracks before they can start down their pathological road to destruction.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval of its Libra® and LibraXP™ deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems for treating the symptoms of Parkinson"s disease, a neurological disorder that progressively diminishes a person"s control over his or her movements.
Roche Diagnostics launches campaign to promote widest panel of assays on an automated serum work area platform
There is a thin layer of cells (membrane) between the inner surface of the eyelids and the whites of the eyes, called the conjunctiva. Conjunctivitis is when the conjunctiva becomes inflamed. Another name for conjunctivitis is pink eye. Inflammation causes tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the conjunctiva to become more prominent, giving the eye a red or pink look.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced the release of an Expert Statement by a multidisciplinary board of renowned international experts following an in-depth assessment of the recent publications of registry analyses with Lantus(R) (insulin glargine [rDNA] injection) in Diabetologia. This board of international specialists in the field of endocrinology, oncology and epidemiology came to the conclusion, that all four manuscripts have significant methodological limitations and shortcomings, and that they provide inconsistent and inconclusive results regarding a potential link between insulin glargine use and an increased risk of cancer.
Caregivers of children under five years of age can now answer five simple questions to determine if their child"s breathing problems are not under control. AstraZeneca funded a research project to create the Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids, or TRACK, the first validated respiratory- and asthma-control assessment test specifically for patients under five years of age. TRACK helps evaluate respiratory control based on guidelines -- defined asthma impairment and risk.
A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team has identified how a chromosomal abnormality known to be associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)- the most common cancer in children- initiates the disease process. In the July issue of Cell Stem Cell, they describe how expression of this mutation in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which usually occurs before birth, leads to the development of leukemia many years later.
Many people who discover that they have inherited a higher risk of developing Alzheimer"s can cope with the news, especially if they receive the
House Democratic leaders Tuesday unveiled their bill to reform America"s health care system - and insure an additional 37 million Americans over the next 10 years - to the tune of more than $1 trillion, funded mostly through an up-to-5.4 percent surtax on income for the wealthiest Americans, The Washington Post reports.
The winner of the chilli cook-off, usually has a key secret ingredient, which is hard to identify. Similarly, many diseases have crucial proteins, which change the dynamics of cells from benign to deadly. New findings from an international collaboration, involving McGill University, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) just made identifying these changes one step easier. Their findings published in Nature Methods, show how to improve protein analysis to tease out relevant potential disease-causing molecules.
Individuals with heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from depression as the general population, an association the medical community has largely been unable to explain. Now, a new study by researchers at The Miriam Hospital, in conjunction with The Montrē©al Heart Institute, University of Montrē©al and McGill University, reveals there may be genetic variations that contribute to depression in heart disease patients.
"Rising unemployment and spiking Medicaid and welfare caseloads have put [New Hampshire"s] most recent budget to the test just two weeks after its adoption," New Hampshire Public Radio reports. The state"s Medicaid caseload is just 39 enrollees away from putting the "state"s Medicaid budget in the red."
The Johns Hopkins Hospital has once again -- for the 19th consecutive time -- earned the top spot in U.S. News & World Report"s annual rankings of more than 4,800 American hospitals, placing first in three medical specialties and in the top 16 in 13 others.
Obama"s Policy Could Make U.S.-Africa Relations "Flower"
Pregnant women and newborns are at greatest risk in a flu epidemic, but more planning must be done to ensure that they receive priority treatment should an outbreak occur, according to a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and University of Pittsburgh study. The findings, published online in Emerging Health Threats Journal, raise concerns about the ability of hospitals to adequately treat this vulnerable population, particularly in light of the current H1N1 flu outbreak.
New research at Queen"s University shows that the way preschool children understand false beliefs can be linked to particular aspects of brain development. This landmark research may aid in understanding developmental disorders such as autism.
An osteoporosis drug proven to save lives after hip fractures may do so by strengthening the body"s immune system, according to geriatrics researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
New research demonstrates that single neurons in the reward center of the brain process not only primitive rewards but also more abstract, cognitive rewards related to the quest for information about the future. The study, published by Cell Press in the July 16 issue of the journal Neuron, enhances our understanding of learning and suggests that current theories of reward should be revised to include the effect of information seeking.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that disclosing genetic risk information to adult children of patients with Alzheimer"s disease (AD) who request this information does not result in significant short-term psychological distress. The report from the REVEAL Study*, which appears in the July 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first randomized trial to disclose to participants whether or not they carried the ķµ4 variant of the APOE gene, a variant that has been found to increase the risk of developing AD. The study demonstrated that test-related distress was reduced among those who learned that they were APOE ķµ4 negative, and was only transiently increased among those who learned they were APOE ķµ4 positive. The study also showed that persons with high levels of emotional distress before undergoing genetic testing were more likely to have emotional difficulties after disclosure.
Studying the way a person"s brain "sings" could improve our understanding of conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia and help develop better treatments, scientists at Cardiff University have discovered.
Teenagers yearn to fit in and be accepted by their friends. A new study suggests that girls and boys think differently about being judged by their peers as they move through adolescence.
AcroMetrix, a leading manufacturer of quality control standards and controls for clinical diagnostic and blood testing laboratories, announced the release of the first standardized quality control for molecular Group B Streptococcus (GBS) testing. The OptiQual GBS Positive Control is designed to help clinical laboratories comply with CLIA guidelines for qualitative molecular assays that detect Group B Streptococcus DNA, ensuring accuracy and precision throughout the testing procedure.
Scientists in Louisiana are reporting development of a process for producing large batches of a new and potentially safer form of acetaminophen, the widely used pain-reliever now the of growing concern over its potentially toxic effects on the liver. Their study, which could speed development of a next-generation pain-reliever, is scheduled for the July 17 issue of ACS" Organic Process Research & Development, a bi-monthly journal.
PolyMedix, Inc. (OTCBB: PYMX), an emerging biotechnology company developing acute care products for infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent assigned to PolyMedix relating to angiogenesis inhibitors. The patent, number 7,553,876, entitled "Polycationic Compounds and Uses Thereof," relates to therapeutic uses of PolyMedix compounds for inhibiting angiogenesis.
The research team led by Dr. Timm Schroeder, stem cell researcher at Helmholtz Zentrum MĆųnchen, has developed a new bioimaging method for observing the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) at the single-cell level. With this method the researchers were able to prove for the first time that not only cell-intrinsic mechanisms, but also external environmental factors such as growth factors can control HPC lineage choice directly. The findings, published in the current issue of the prestigious journal Science, provide an essential building block for understanding the molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis and are an important prerequisite for optimizing therapeutic stem cell applications.
While attending university, men are equally likely as women to have been victims of physical or emotional violence, and that violence is often linked to drinking, according to a new study led by University of British Columbia researcher Elizabeth Saewyc.
AARP CEO Barry Rand released this statement following the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee"s passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act:
The American Public Health Association (APHA) applauds the recent progress made by Congress on comprehensive health reform legislation that includes important provisions to protect and improve health in our nation.
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TAXUS((R)) Liberte((R)) Long Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System, a next-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) designed for long lesions. At 38 mm, it is the longest available DES, providing doctors an option that can potentially reduce the number of stents used in more complex cases, simplifying procedures and reducing costs. It affords a more efficient treatment option for the estimated 8 to 10 percent(1) of patients with long lesions. The Company plans to launch the product in the U.S. next month. It received CE Mark approval in 2007.
Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX: ONC, NASDAQ: ONCY) ("Oncolytics") reported today that Dr. Shizuko Sei et al. published the results of their work examining reovirus and chemotherapy against human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The paper, entitled "Synergistic Antitumor Activity of Oncolytic Reovirus and Chemotherapeutic Agents in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells" appears online in the July 14, 2009 issue of Molecular Cancer.
The Lewin Group today released a new report assessing the financial impact and administrative burden that out-of-network claims pose in Medicaid managed care. The authors of the report recommend a federally mandated payment standard for Medicaid health plans similar to that used in the Medicare Advantage managed care program.
Dr. Zsuzsanna Nagy of the University of Birmingham presented data from a clinical study, funded by Cytox Limited, demonstrating that a simple blood-based biomarker discriminated between patients with Alzheimer"s disease (AD) and control subjects. The findings were statistically highly significant, and the test discriminated between the two groups with 80% sensitivity and 80% specificity. The results also showed that 40% of the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients tested had the same test results as AD patients. Follow up study of MCI patients enrolled in an earlier study found that the test allowed early identification of those MCI patients who later developed dementia. The results were presented at the 2009 Alzheimer"s Association International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009), held in Vienna, Austria.
In a week that has seen the British swine flu death toll reach 29 and it is estimated that 55,000 people have caught the virus, hospitalizing 652 of them, the
With debate underway in the House Education and Labor Committee today on the sweeping healthcare reform bill in that body, the nation"s largest organization of registered nurses today called on Committee Chair George Miller to support a critical amendment that would enable individual states to go a step farther and adopt single-payer, Medicare-for-All style reforms.
UCLA scientists have discovered a variant of a gene called CACNA1G that may increase a child"s risk of developing autism, particularly in boys. The journal Molecular Psychiatry publishes the findings in its May 19 advance online edition.
The health ministers of six South American countries gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday to "coordinate defenses against" the H1N1 (swine flu) virus which has killed nearly 200 people in the region," the AFP/Google.com reports. Ministers from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay used the meeting to voice concern over the rapid spread of the H1N1 virus in their countries, which are now in the southern hemisphere"s winter months, and discuss ways to share supplies to help prevent the spread of the virus. The article includes the individual strategies being taken by some South American countries (7/15).
Yesterday"s Senate HELP Committee"s vote for a health reform bill and the beginning today of the committee markup process in the House of Representatives mark significant steps forward on the path to comprehensive health reform.
Of all the qualities that distinguish humans from other species, how we learn is one of the most significant. In the July 17, 2009 issue of the journal Science, researchers who are at the forefront of neuroscience, psychology, education, and machine learning have synthesized a new science of learning that is already reshaping how we think about learning and creating opportunities to re-imagine the classroom for the 21st century.
Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) announced it is now ready to begin testing its novel new compounds to fight diabetes and obesity.
Given equivalent results with regards to survival, the impact of anastomotic methods on QOL becomes even more important. There is still no consensus on how to choose a reconstruction method for proximal gastrectomy in patients with upper third gastric cancer.
For a year and a half, Andrzej Bielak lived as a self-described "half man, half machine." Everywhere he went, he was accompanied by the "beautiful ticking" of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart that kept him alive.
The word bacteria is the plural of bacterium. Grammatically the headline should just say "What are bacteria?" The incorrect usage has been included in the headline to remind readers that it is wrong - and hopefully help correct an increasingly common mistake in the English language. Bacteria are tiny living beings (microorganisms) - they are neither plants nor animals - they belong to a group all by themselves. Bacteria are tiny single-cell microorganisms, usually a few micrometers in length that normally exist together in millions.
The Royal College of Nursing welcomed the signing of a joint agreement by European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association (HOSPEEM). This is an EU-wide agreement which the RCN has played a key role in bringing about to prevent one million medical sharps injuries per year. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
The National Cancer Research Institute"s free online cancer research portal, ONIX, has launched to the public today.
Nearly 90 per cent of people in the UK back proposals to stop under 18s from using sunbeds according to a new survey by Cancer Research UK.
Asking members of Congress to support patient-focused reform of the Medicare home oxygen therapy benefit, patients and family members with the National Emphysema/COPD Association (NECA), a national advocacy organization representing patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases, descended on Capitol Hill this week. Patients urged members of the U.S. House to support and pass the Medicare Home Oxygen Therapy Act of 2009 (H.R. 3220), which was recently introduced.
"For a brief moment Thursday, Senate Democrats could celebrate. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus suggested for the first time publicly he was hoping for a bipartisan deal to pay for health care reform by the end of the day. The good feelings didn"t last long," Politico reports. "Within hours, Baucus (D-Mont.) said the talks were suspended until next week - defying President Barack Obama"s request to produce an agreement by the weekend and throwing into doubt any hopes of meeting the president"s August deadline to pass a Senate bill." And Baucus "had to call the White House and apologize for saying earlier in the day that Obama"s resistance to taxing employer health benefits "is not helping us" get a bill."
Hospitals across Canada are seeking ways to free up beds. University of Alberta researcher Donna Wilson has a suggestion: people should be encouraged to die at home rather than in hospital.
California cuts back on health insurance for children, while New Hampshire expands state insurance to young adults. Meanwhile, a regional health commission in Missouri hopes to help the uninsured, and an Iowa report concludes that minorities face discrimination in the health care system.
Hebrew SeniorLife has received a $105,000 grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation for the expansion and implementation of three evidence-based healthy aging programs designed to disseminate preventive health-related information to seniors in the community.
Taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before conception is
By manipulating individual atoms in DNA and forming unique molecules, a Georgia State University researcher hopes to open new avenues in research towards better understanding the mechanisms of DNA replication and transcription, and perhaps leading to new treatments for diseases.
The June cover of the Journal of Virology features a photograph of the unusual effects on a cell infected by a virus. Montana State University researchers were the first to view the virus, which they collected from a boiling, acidic spring in Yellowstone.
In what has been described as the first lupus drug in decades to show effectiveness in phase 3 clinical trials, the announcement that Benlysta
Texas Medical Association (TMA) statement from TMA president William H. Fleming III, MD, regarding H.R. 3200, "America"s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009," Congressional legislation to reform America"s health care system.
THEY work in all corners of the hospital, carrying out a diverse range of jobs but these dedicated staff have one thing in common - they"re all Shining Stars.
On 30 July sexual health and HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will officially open its new centre in Nottingham. The charity has been based in the city since February 2008 from its old site in Lace Market. THT"s new centre on 23 Barker Gate, which is funded by NHS Nottingham City, NHS Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council will offer a wider range of services to support people living with HIV and help prevent the rising rates of sexual ill-health.
The incidence of obesity among US blacks is higher than among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, reports the Centers for Disease Control and
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have uncovered a gene signature that may help predict clinical outcomes in certain types of breast cancer.
A new, intensive, one-year master"s degree program designed to prepare graduates for informatics leadership positions in clinical, public health and scientific settings will be offered beginning in September by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) approved the new program in June.
The ability to imitate is crucial for human social interaction and cultural inheritance. Until recently, it was assumed that this ability was innate. We review new evidence indicating that experience plays a critical role in the development of imitation.
Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) announced the launch of Zavesca® (miglustat) in the UK and Republic of Ireland; the first and only licensed treatment available for people with Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease [1]. NP-C is a rare, genetic disease with significant neurological deterioration that can be fatal and affects infants, children and adults [2,3].
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved a vaccine for 2009-2010 seasonal influenza in the United States.
Many countries worldwide are digitizing patients" medical records. In the
Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 Avant/AMSA Student Research Fellowship:
-39% of suicides by hanging took place when the patient was supposed to be subject to observation by staff
HIV Susceptibility Testing Increases Patient Survival
Behavioural ecologists working in Bolivia have found that wild spider monkeys control their diets in a similar way to humans, contrary to what has been thought up to now. Rather than trying to maximize their daily energy intake, the monkeys tightly regulate their daily protein intake, so that it stays at the same level regardless of seasonal variation in the availability of different foods.