Popular Articles
Cellulite Treatment

Commercial Manufacturing Of H1N1 'Swine Flu' Vaccine Underway
Protein Sciences Corporation (PSC) announced that it commenced manufacturing of a vaccine to protect humans against the H1N1 "swine flu" virus. The Company estimates that it can produce 100,000 doses this week and at least 100,000 doses per week thereafter. The vaccine, called PanBlok(R), is made using PSC"s proprietary baculovirus and insect cell manufacturing technology. PSC believes that PanBlok is the first and only vaccine that could be used to protect against the escalating worldwide pandemic, at least for the next few months.
generic viagra online
K2M's ALEUTIAN Spacer Systems Receive FDA Clearance To Be Marketed As Intervertebral Body Fusion Devices
K2M, Inc., a spinal device company developing innovative solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies, announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its ALEUTIAN® Spacer Systems as intervertebral body fusion devices. The ALEUTIAN family of five different systems offers a full array of anatomically designed PEEK-OPTIMA® interbody options, including the Anterior-Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF), Small-Anterior (Cervical), Posterior-Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF), Anatomically Narrow (AN), and Transforaminal-Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF).
News of the day
New Diagnostic Method For Gout: Dual Energy Computed Tomography Instead Of Joint Aspiration
The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid to verify the presence of monosodium urate crystals (uric acid). Up to now, computed tomography (CT) has played a limited role in the evaluation of gout, since conventional CT systems cannot reliably verify deposits of uric acid. However, a current study at the Vancouver General Hospital in Canada gives rise to speculation that dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) could radically change the diagnosis of this disease. DECT enables fast, noninvasive examinations and, based on initial evaluations, has the potential to surpass the invasive gold standard and clinical examination in terms of reliability. Investigations have confirmed the high sensitivity of the DECT method in detecting uric acid deposits. The Canadian scientists used the SOMATOM Definition computed tomography (CT scanner) from Siemens for their investigation. This system is the only CT scanner worldwide that features two X-ray tubes capable of simultaneously producing different energies.
Health Insurance

Higher Prevalence Of Early Menarche Among Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse

African-American women who were younger at menarche, or the onset of their menstrual periods, were more likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse, according to a new study led by a researcher at Boston University"s Slone Epidemiology Center. The results suggest that a history of sexual abuse may increase the risk of early menarche (i.e., onset of menstrual periods before age 12 years). The study, which appears currently on-line in the American Journal of Public Health, examined the prevalence of sexual and physical abuse in childhood among more than 35,000 African-American women aged 21-69 years participating in the Black Women"s Health Study, a national prospective cohort study. The study found that a high proportion of participants reported a history of childhood abuse: 43 percent reported physical abuse and 18 percent reported sexual abuse. Women who reported a higher frequency of childhood sexual abuse had a higher likelihood of early menarche: a 26 percent increased risk of early menarche for 1-3 incidents of sexual abuse and a 34 percent increased risk of early menarche for four or more incidents, compared with women reporting no childhood abuse. There was a weaker association between physical abuse and early menarche. The study used a considerably larger sample than any of the previous studies; examined African-American women, who have been underrepresented in earlier investigations; controlled for potential confounders that were not controlled previously; and simultaneously accounted for sexual and physical abuse in all analyses. An important limitation was the retrospective nature of data collection, which prevented establishment of the temporal relationship between abuse onset and menarche. According to lead author Lauren A. Wise, ScD, an epidemiologist at the Slone Epidemiology Center and an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, it is biologically plausible that childhood sexual abuse could influence age of menarche. Wise noted that "A link between sexual abuse and early menarche, if real, could have important public health implications because early menarche is associated with earlier age at initiation of sexual activity and first pregnancy, and is a risk factor for several adult conditions, including gynecologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer." Co-authors on the study were: Julie R. Palmer, ScD, a professor of epidemiology and senior epidemiologist at the Slone Epidemiology Center; Emily F. Rothman, ScD, an assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at the BU School of Public Health; and Lynn Rosenberg, ScD, a professor of epidemiology, associate director of the Slone Epidemiology Center, and Principal Investigator of the Black Women"s Health Study. Gina DiGravio Boston University Medical Center


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):