Mental Health
Living in an area with more fast food outlets and convenience stores than supermarkets and grocers has been associated with obesity in a Canadian study. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health have shown that your local food environment can affect your weight.
Long-term survivors of childhood central nervous system (CNS) malignancies remain at risk for death and are at increasing risk for developing subsequent cancers and chronic medical conditions over time, according to a new study published online June 17 in the JNCI.
Patients treated for Hodgkin lymphoma with radiation therapy have a substantially higher risk of stroke, according to a new study published June 17 online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Biologists are investigating how to control when plants flower - to help farmers reap a bumper harvest.
Sanofi-aventis, a French global healthcare company that makes vaccines announced on Wednesday that it will be giving the World Health
Around 2000 multiple myeloma sufferers in the UK could have their lives extended by around three months after a decision by The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to approve lenalidomide in those patients who have received two or more previous therapies-provided that the cost of cycles beyond the 26th cycle of treatment are met by the drug manufacturer. A summary of the NICE decision is published in a Special Report Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology.
In research that could lead to new approaches for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, a Yale School of Medicine team has found that suppressing a liver enzyme that induces glucose production helped diminish the symptoms of the disease in a rat model - reducing blood glucose concentrations, decreasing rates of glucose production in the liver, and improving insulin sensitivity. Decreasing expression of the gene, Sirtuin 1, also lowered total cholesterol levels.
A protein called neuroligin that is implicated in some forms of autism is critical to the construction of a working synapse, locking neurons together like "molecular Velcro," a study lead by a team of UC Davis researchers has found.
Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV; XETRA-DAX: UR9; ADR: CLVLY) is pleased to announce that afamelanotide, its photoprotective drug, has been granted Orphan Medicinal Product (OMP) designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for the treatment of Solar Urticaria (SU). The EMEA granted afamelanotide its first OMP designation in March 2008 for the treatment of Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP), Clinuvel"s lead indication currently in Phase III clinical trials.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ilaris(R) (canakinumab) for the treatment of children and adults with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), which includes a number of rare, but life-long, auto-inflammatory disorders with debilitating symptoms and limited treatment options. The FDA granted priority review to Ilaris based on its potential to meet an important clinical need for patients with CAPS.
A new landmark collaboration between the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), a not-for-profit, product development partnership, and Tibotec Inc., (Tibotec), a global pharmaceutical company, has been announced at the Pacific Health Summit in response to the urgent need to accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs to fight tuberculosis (TB).
An article published Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology reports that the combination of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with regular liquid-based cytology (LBC) screening does not improve the detection of cervical cancer compared with LBC screening alone.
George Dahlman, senior vice president of public policy for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), testified today before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations, calling for funding for a dedicated, stand-alone blood cancer research program at the Department of Defense (DoD).
The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is launching their annual campaign to educate the public on the steps they can take to ensure their children aren"t struggling with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company has completed patient accrual and initial PV-10 treatment in its Phase 2 trial of PV-10 for metastatic melanoma. The study involved treatment of 80 subjects with Stage III or Stage IV metastatic melanoma.
According to a new report by HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that genetic testing for two gene mutations in adults with a history of blood clots helps to prevent a condition known as deep-vein thrombosis or to improve other clinical outcomes.
Queen"s University Belfast academics have helped develop an antioxidant supplement which may slow down sight loss in elderly people.
Researchers found support for an association between the use of stimulants and sudden unexplained death among children and adolescents, according to a study released today by The American Journal of Psychiatry.
A Branchburg, NJ, woman was sentenced for violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, for marketing the drug Bextra for uses and dosages that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Senators delayed work Wednesday on one health care reform bill and hit partisan roadblocks on another as key lawmakers insisted they are still on track to have a bill on the floor by the middle of summer, The Washington Post reports.
In the face of growing numbers of uninsured and low-income patients due to the economy, some free clinics are having difficulty meeting the increased demand, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Since March, the Parma Health Ministry, in Cleveland, "which has only two volunteer primary care physicians who see patients in the evenings, has had to turn people away." Nicole Lamoureux, executive director of the National Association of Free Clinics, said the number of people seeking care at free clinics had increased by 40 to 50 percent in recent months, and that many of the newcomers have recently lost insurance coverage.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday declared its first-ever "public health emergency," asbestos contamination near Libby and Troy, Mont., northwestern mining towns, the Associated Press reports. "Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite mine has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more. Before the vermiculite mine was closed in 1990, miners carried asbestos home on their clothes. Vermiculite once covered school running tracks in Libby and some residents used vermiculite as mulch in their home gardens."
Rural Solutions, an organization in northeast Colorado, held the "Community HIV/AIDS Education and Action Conference" as part of its ongoing effort to address issues related to HIV, the Sterling Journal-Advocate reports. At the conference, the organization presented the results of a recent needs assessment of HIV/AIDS services in the northeastern part of the state - conducted in partnership with the Center for Research Strategies and funded through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - which found that HIV prevention services in the area are limited; barriers exist for HIV testing including confidentiality and costs; and mental health and substance use services for at-risk people also are limited, according to the Journal-Advocate (Jones, Sterling Journal-Advocate, 6/17).
A new clinic, called the INOVA Juniper Program, opened in Northern Virginia on Wednesday to meet increasing demand for HIV/AIDS medical services in the area, WUSA9.com reports. The clinic helps to fill a gap after the failing economy forced the Washington, D.C.-based Whitman-Walker Clinic to close a branch that served the area last year. Karen Berube, HIV care specialist and the new medical director for the Juniper program, said there is an immense need for HIV/AIDS services in Northern Virginia. The new clinic will serve about 200 clients (Vance, WUSA9.com, 6/17).
The House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee "unanimously approved its FY10 funding measure without any amendments" on Wednesday, "deferring expected fights for the full committee markup in a week," CongressDaily reports.
NHS staff will get a chance to see the future when they visit the NHS Innovation Expo. The futuristic items on display will include a new resuscitation "crash" trolley, which will support the cardiac arrest team by improving communication, coordination and overall efficiency. The new trolley also offers an innovative design that ensures equipment is easy to find and notifies staff when anything is missing or has expired.
There may be thousands of things large and small that can be done to better control pollution on even the smallest waterways, and a new tool developed at Purdue University may help sort out how to choose the best ones.
A recent study from Columbia University"s Mailman School of Public Health shows that since 2003, there has been a 10% decrease in contraception use among teenagers, while their level of sexual activity has not changed, a New York Times editorial states. From 1991 to 2003, increased use of contraceptives among teens was a significant factor in declining rates of teenage pregnancy, the editorial says. According to the study"s authors, the decrease in contraception use since 2003 is consistent with recent increases in teen birth rates. According to the editorial, the study"s authors suggest a "link between the shift in use of contraception and one of former President George W. Bush"s great social-policy follies: highly restrictive abstinence-only sex education programs that deny young people information about sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptives and pregnancy." The editorial adds, "To the extent that these programs even mention condoms, typically it is to disparage their effectiveness." In response to "mounting evidence of the program"s danger as a public health strategy," many states have forgone federal abstinence-only funds, the editorial says. As part of his budget proposal, President Obama has called for redirecting some abstinence-only funds and additional money to a new teen pregnancy prevention initiative that stresses comprehensive sex education. The editorial concludes that this "science-based effort to protect the health of young people" and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies "should win support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle -- and both sides of the abortion divide" (New York Times, 6/18).
Panasonic Toyota Racing Formula 1 drivers will team up with the
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A new survey completed by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (BAAPS) suggests that patients may experience higher complication rates with permanent cosmetic fillers than with other types of cosmetic injections. The survey reveals 38.5% of surgeons saw 1-3 patients over the past year experiencing complications with permanent facial fillers, and 23% of surgeons saw 1-3 patients in the past year with complications so severe surgery was needed to treat those complications. "Permanent fillers present challenges, particularly for inexperienced injectors," says Coalition leader Julius Few, MD, a plastic surgeon practicing in Chicago, IL. "In addition to potential complications that may develop years after injection, the challenge of a permanent, synthetic filler is the anticipation of aging changes and the need for outcomes that will not look unnatural over time. To date, fat continues to be the option closest to a permanent filler with a proven safety record."
Bioengineers at Duke University have developed a laboratory robot that can successfully locate tiny pieces of metal within flesh and guide a needle to its exact location -- all without the need for human assistance.
- Using a lawn mower can be as routine as bike riding or barbeques during spring and summer months. But often, people find themselves in terrifying situations with these seemingly safe household machines. In fact, 200,000 people - 16,000 of them children - are injured in lawn mower-related accidents each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. However, lawn mowers don"t "attack" on their own. Most injuries - such as severed fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken bones, burns and eye injuries - are caused by careless use and can be prevented by following a few simple safety tips.
New evidence underscores the theory of human origin that suggests humans most likely share a common ancestor with orangutans, according to research from the University of Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Museum of Science. Reporting in the June 18 edition of the Journal of Biogeography, the researchers reject as "problematic" the popular suggestion, based on DNA analysis, that humans are most closely related to chimpanzees, which they maintain is not supported by fossil evidence.
Light touch - the sense that lets musicians find the right notes on a keyboard, a seamstress revel in the feel of cool silk, the artisan feel a curve in material and the blind read Braille - truly depends on the activity of Merkel cells usually found in crescent-shaped clusters in the skin, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and colleagues in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Science.
Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have shown that past experience really does help when we have to make complex decisions based on uncertain or confusing information. They show that learning from experience actually changes the circuitry in our brains so that we can quickly categorise what we are seeing and make a decision or carry out appropriate actions. The research is published in Neuron.
A period, or menstruation, is the shedding of the endometrium - the uterine lining. Menstruation is also known as menses. All female humans, as well as some other female mammals, have regular periods during their reproductive age. Menstruation which includes bleeding from the vagina is found mainly among humans and similar animals, such as primates. In many mammals, the endometrium is reabsorbed by the animal. As far as humans are concerned a period is a bleed from the womb (uterus) that is released through the vagina. Women have a period every 28 days approximately. However, some women may have a 24-day cycle while other may have a 35-day one. A period is part of the woman"s menstrual cycle.
Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy has just released details of the latest developments for the Families of SMA funded therapeutic pipeline.
Two Mayo Clinic patients whose prostate cancer had been considered inoperable are now cancer free thanks in part to an experimental drug therapy that was used in combination with standardized hormone treatment and radiation therapy. The men were participating in a clinical trial of an immunotherapeutic agent called MDX-010 or ipilimumab. In these two cases, physicians say the approach initiated the death of a majority of cancer cells and caused the tumors to shrink dramatically, allowing surgery. In both cases, the aggressive tumors had grown well beyond the prostate into the abdominal areas.
Several news organizations had explainers detailing the ongoing the health reform debate.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, spoke to The New York Times about the state of health care reform on Capitol Hill during a 15-minute interview.
The Houston Chronicle reports on a medical philosophy that focuses on providing coordinated care and personal care to older patients, mostly indigent seniors. The paper examines Select Senior Clinic, a Texas facility that ascribes to the medical home concept.
A federal grand jury yesterday indicted Pamela Arrey, age 48, of
Due to overriding concern for the health and safety of Jerry"s Kids, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today that it is immediately canceling the remainder of its annual summer camp program because of the H1N1 virus.
Senate Passes Bill Including Flu Funds
Lancet Commentary Examines How PEPFAR Failing To Reach IDUs
The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a "landmark resolution" acknowledging that "preventable maternal mortality and morbidity" is a human rights issue and that national and international efforts to protect women worldwide should be scaled up, the Hudson Valley Press Online reports. More than 70 U.N. member states cosponsored the resolution, led by Colombia and New Zealand (Hudson Valley Press Online, 6/18). Pakistan was one of the member states that signed on to the resolution, the International News reports (International News, 6/19).
There were nearly 158,000 potentially avoidable childbirth-related injuries to women and their infants in 2006, a significant decline from 2000, according to a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HealthLeaders Media reports. The report used data submitted for 15 million discharges by 1,900 hospitals in 25 states, including the largest states -- California, New York, Florida and Texas. Between 2000 and 2006, the rate of potentially avoidable injuries during vaginal childbirth without the use of instruments, such as forceps, declined by 30%, according to the report. The injury rate declined by 21.3% for vaginal childbirth using instruments and by 16.7% for women undergoing caesarean sections. Report author Roxanne Andrews of AHRQ said that the report did not examine factors that might have contributed to the declining injury rates but added that it is an area for further study.The report found that rates of injury were higher when instruments were used during childbirth. For instance, trauma to the woman during vaginal delivery with the use of instruments occurred 160.5 times per 1,000 discharges, compared with 36.2 times when instruments were not used. The report said that the most common injuries to women were perineum tears, which are avoidable in many cases. Traumatic injury to infants during childbirth -- such as broken collarbones, head injuries and infections -- occurred 1.6 times per 1,000 discharges.The report also highlighted care disparities between women in low-income areas and those in high-income areas. Women giving birth in high-income areas had 44% more injuries during vaginal delivery than their counterparts in low-income areas. Black and Hispanic women experienced fewer injuries than white women, while Asian American and Pacific Islander women experienced the highest rate of injuries. The report found that women covered by Medicaid were less likely to be injured during childbirth -- 127 injuries per 1,000 deliveries -- compared with women with private insurance plans -- 185 injuries per 1,000 deliveries. However, the rate of injury for infants covered under Medicaid was higher -- 1.7 per 1,000 deliveries -- than those under private plans -- 1.5 per 1,000 deliveries.The report encouraged providers to evaluate their practices to better understand why such complications occur. According to the report, "Identifying which types of patient safety problems exist for different sub-groups of patients is an important first step in developing interventions to reduce disparities and achieve high quality of care for all patients" (Clark, HealthLeaders Media, 6/18).
Advocates of abstinence-only sex education -- "[w]ell aware that their cause is in trouble and unpopular" -- are "revamping their image to appear more mainstream," Jessica Valenti, author of "The Purity Myth: How America"s Obsession With Virginity Is Hurting Young Women" and editor of the blog Feministing, writes in an opinion piece in The Nation. She writes that "high on the list of priorities" for abstinence-only proponents is "developing a strategy for continuing to receive federal dollars." Although President Obama "has brought some measure of sanity to public health policy" by reducing funding for abstinence-only programs in his fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, "with Obama"s faith-based initiative lending an ear" to abstinence-only proponents, their strategy "might just work," according to Valenti.Valenti writes that abstinence-only proponents have launched what she terms a "virginity movement." Backers of this movement included "antifeminist think tanks," such as the Independent Women"s Forum and Concerned Women for America, as well as abstinence-only groups, religious leaders and certain conservative lawmakers, Valenti says. She adds that the movement "is much more than the same old sexism; it"s a targeted and well-funded backlash hellbent on rolling back women"s rights using modernized notions of purity, morality and sexuality."Valenti continues that the groups" effort includes "appropriating the language and tools of comprehensive sex education and its advocates," while also "attempting to legitimize its message by rebranding itself as science-based." For example, Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, said during a recent Capitol Hill briefing that abstinence-only ""talks about contraception"" and offers ""medically accurate information."" In reality, "the only time abstinence-only classes will talk about contraception is when they discuss failure rates -- often exaggerating those rates or spreading misinformation about the dangers of contraception," Valenti writes.The "good news in all of this" is that most funding for abstinence-only education would be redirected to "teen pregnancy prevention programs" under Obama"s budget plan, Valenti writes. However, the "bad news" is that one-quarter of the money allocated for teen pregnancy prevention in the proposal would be available to abstinence-only programs, and "the language in the budget doesn"t make room for initiatives to curb sexually transmitted infections," she continues. "So while the virginity movement re-evaluates its image and messaging, progressives have to be just as prepared to battle back with renewed energy, with any eye toward legislative and policy gains and toward assuring that these groups don"t regain their cultural footing," Valenti writes.The issue is "about a lot more than bad-faith messages about condoms and pregnancy," she writes. It is "about stopping a movement committed to the regression of women"s rights, enforcing gender norms and teaching America"s youth -- especially young women -- that sexuality is wrong, dirty and dangerous," according to Valenti. She concludes, "Now that there is a new administration in Washington, we need to ensure not only that we hold our leaders accountable but that we direct the national conversation about sex, gender and health" (Valenti, The Nation, 6/17).
Eli Lilly and Company presented data on the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) in the treatment of adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Olanzapine LAI is an investigational formulation that combines the atypical antipsychotic Zyprexa(R) (olanzapine) with pamoic acid, allowing for the sustained delivery of olanzapine for up to four weeks.
Riders of mass transit are exposed to noise at levels that may exceed recommended limits, and thus may experience noise-induced hearing loss given sufficient exposure duration times, reports a new study.
Patients with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) have an ongoing risk of sudden incapacitation that might cause harm to others while driving a car. Driving restrictions are imposed making these recommendations an important guideline for patients.
There are few things as vital to health and well-being as a good night"s sleep. Yet millions of us -- nearly 50 million according to the National Sleep Foundation -- suffer from chronic sleep problems or disorders. Every year, more and more scientific studies are showing correlations between poor or insufficient sleep and disease. Now there is a simple, easy way to quantify and measure sleep problems with patient populations.
Merck & Co., Inc. said it supports a proposal to provide additional assistance to Medicare Part D beneficiaries who have reached the coverage gap (donut hole) in their prescription benefit.
The recent explosion in the development of nanomaterials with enhanced performance characteristics for use in commercial and medical applications has increased the likelihood of people coming into direct contact with these materials.
When treating the diabetes patient, doctors discussed how a "one size fits all" approach to testing is not enough to reveal an individual"s risk for cardiovascular disease Saturday at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.
Immobilized microbes can break down potentially harmful phthalates, according to researchers in China, writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution. The microbes might be used to treat industrial waste water and so prevent these materials from entering the environment.
Around 100 of the region"s psychologists are meeting in Sheffield on 26th June 2009 to hear the latest theories and research, at the British Psychological Society"s North East of England branch Annual Conference.
PharmaMar SA (Grupo Zeltia, ZEL.MC) announces the initiation of Phase I clinical trials with PM1183, a new antitumor compound developed by
Oncothyreon Inc. (Nasdaq: ONTY) (TSX:ONY) (the "Company") announced that Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, has initiated a global Phase 3 trial of Stimuvax(R) (BLP25 liposome vaccine, L-BLP25) in patients with hormone receptor-positive, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Stimuvax is an investigational therapeutic cancer vaccine being developed by Merck KGaA under a license agreement with Oncothyreon.
The Wellcome Trust has used Faculty of 1000 evaluations to monitor the success of their funding support.
"As the legislative debate over health care intensifies on Capitol Hill, there is growing clamor for President Obama to step in," the Washington Post reports. The administration has so far left the crafting of legislation in the hands of Congress, but a series of tough choices await the President, who at some point must define "what he"ll accept and what he won"t" in a final bill. His job is made more difficult by recent cost estimates. "A preliminary estimate of the Senate Finance Committee"s draft bill put the price tag of universal coverage at $1.6 trillion over 10 years. That was considerably more than anyone anticipated and forced the committee to delay work on the bill. The cost of the incomplete plan drafted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was pegged at about $1 trillion over 10 years, but the CBO said that would still leave 30 million (rather than the current 46 million) people without coverage."
House Democrats" health care bill draft released Friday is likely to survive relatively intact, "including a robust new Medicare-like public health plan that would compete with private companies in a national health insurance exchange," Roll Call reports.
A coalition of union and liberal groups began running television ads designed to get "the attention of one particular television viewer: Sen. Kay Hagan," The Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record reports.
Ellman International, Inc. announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance to Pelleve(TM), a skin tightening system for the non-ablative treatment of mild to moderate facial wrinkles and rhytids for skin phototypes I-IV. The clearance was granted based on clinical data demonstrating that a single treatment with the high frequency radiowave device can safely and effectively tighten and improve the appearance of skin on the face through six months.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has applauded the publication today of Professor Steele"s review of NHS Dentistry, and called on the Government to work constructively with patients and the profession on its findings. The BDA has also urged the Government to heed the report"s recommendation to pilot properly reforms it introduces as a result of this report.
The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) today launched an online tool that maps the prevalence of HIV and AIDS by county, age, gender and ethnicity in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The HIV/AIDS Atlas is based on 2006 data collected from states and cross-checked with CDC data. The NMQF partnered with George Washington University"s School of Public Health and Health Services to collect and analyze the data. Gary Puckrein, chief executive officer of NMQF, said the new tool will help improve data collection and analysis, prevention initiatives, early diagnosis and routine testing efforts in areas most affected by HIV/AIDS (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/21).
Ghana"s Ministry of Health recently launched the Nationwide Mosquito Control Programme (NAMCOP) in conjunction with the waste management company Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Ghanaian Chronicle/allAfrica.com reports (Akweetey, Ghanaian Chronicle/allAfrica.com, 6/19). George Sipa Yankey, Ghana"s health minister, said the government is committed to eliminating malaria and that the initiative will be part of a sustained effort so that Ghana can be the first country in West African to eliminate the disease. He said the government also plans to help the region by transferring local malaria elimination skills to other countries in West Africa.
After the murder last month of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, "there is a very real danger" that the availability of abortion later in pregnancy "will end in this country -- not after public deliberation, legislative debate and majority vote, but because antiabortion absolutists on the fringe have intimidated and blacklisted doctors and successfully threatened violence against them," Jim Buie, author of the blog The Buie Knife, writes in a Newsweek.com opinion piece. Buie writes that his parents in the early 1950s chose to institutionalize his three-year-old-brother, who was born with severe Down syndrome, after their attempts to care for him left them with "severe emotional distress" and unable "to meet the needs of their healthy children."Buie continues that he "cannot say that the option of a late-term abortion would have been the right one for my parents." However, "some of the arguments advanced by pro-life forces disturb me," he says, especially a "tendency to romanticize, sentimentalize and idealize life with a cute, forever-young Down-syndrome "angel child."" Buie adds, "It"s an argument I find off-putting, especially when it"s espoused by people who have never been through the wringer trying to care for a child whose disability level is on the most severe end of the scale." He continues, "At the same time, it is very disturbing that until recently, the majority of Down-syndrome fetuses were aborted without expectant mothers receiving proper information or support."Because of Tiller"s murder, it is "possible there won"t be any doctors in the country willing to perform" abortion later in pregnancy, "even if prenatal tests indicate severe retardation," according to Buie, who adds that this would mean that "domestic terrorism could win." He concludes, "It would mean that parents like my own would no longer have a choice, and would instead be forced to endure the same harsh realities that were present in the 1950s" (Buie, Newsweek.com, 6/17).
With millions of people in the United States eagerly awaiting those July 4 fireworks displays - and our Canadian neighbors doing likewise for their July 1 Canada Day celebrations - here"s a prospect for those light shows of the future likely to ignite a smile on Mother Nature"s face: A new generation of "green" fireworks is quietly making its way toward the sky.
A study published in the July issue of Anesthesiology offers perhaps the first estimation of how genomic copy number variation (CNV) can influence anesthetic sensitivity and the magnitude of this influence.
Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENZN) announced that it has opened its first Phase II trial for PEG-SN38 (EZN-2208), its novel proprietary cancer compound. The trial is open at multiple centers throughout the United States for patients diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer.
Today, President Obama took historic action to save lives, reduce health care costs, and help reduce suffering from heart and lung diseases, cancer, and other tobacco-related illnesses. These illnesses kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, and the new law gives us the tools to effectively address this major public health issue. This is a key step forward and an important part of health reform.
SAS, the leader in business analytics, announced that Shire, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, has selected SAS® Drug Development as the platform for its clinical trials data.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced enrollment of the first patient in a Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PEGylated interferon beta-1a (BIIB017) in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). The trial, called ADVANCE, will determine the efficacy of PEGylated interferon beta-1a in reducing relapse rates in patients with RMS.
Select Rite Aid stores nationwide will host Diabetes Solutions Days on June 23 and 25 offering patients living with diabetes valuable health screenings and self-management solutions. Caregivers and patients alike can benefit from this free chance to get professional advice on the symptoms and treatments for diabetes as well as watching hands-on demonstrations.
The Magnetic Resonance Center of the University Children"s Hospital Zurich has achieved a world first break through in MR-guided, non-invasive neurosurgery. Ten patients have been successfully treated by means of transcranial high-intensity focused ultrasound. This fully non-invasive procedure opens new horizons for neurosurgery and the treatment of different neurological brain disorders.
Telecoms, healthcare and display technology will be the major beneficiaries of a new generation of semiconductor lasers developed in a massive European research effort. Better cancer treatment, wider bandwidth and smaller, better displays could be on their way.
New technology to hear vibrations through the skull bone has been developed at Chalmers University of Technology. Besides investigating the function of a new implantable bone conduction hearing aid, Sabine Reinfeldt has studied the sensitivity for bone conducted sound and also examined the possibilities for a two-way communication system that is utilizing bone conduction in noisy environments.
Poorer countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are far from ready to deal with an H1N1 pandemic, and will need help to develop stockpiles
According to a recent article in the New Yorker, college students are taking neurological drugs like Adderall and Ritalin to help them party hard -- while giving them an academic edge. What"s even worse is that this trend isn"t just occurring in colleges. Parents are giving their young kids Ritalin to help them gain a competitive advantage over their peers, even when they"re not suffering from ADD or ADHD.
High cholesterol levels are considered to be a risk factor not only for cardiovascular disease including stroke, but also for the development of Alzheimer"s disease. Therefore, many cholesterol lowering drugs, including statins, have been developed in recent years. In addition to the cholesterol reducing effect of statins Amalia Dolga, PhD, of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and her co-investigators have demonstrated that statins can protect nerve cells against damage which we know to occur in the brain of Alzheimer"s disease patients. The results are published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer"s Disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ranks third as a cause of visual impairment. It is the primary cause of visual impairment in industrial countries with a blindness prevalence of 8.7 percent. A new medical study indicates, however, that with the use of the Macular Health vitamin supplement there is a way to preserve the vision of millions of aging adults suffering from AMD.
HealthCare Insight® (HCI), a Verisk Health company and a provider of clinically validated fraud, abuse, and overpayment prevention solutions for private and public-sector payors, announced today that the company launched StopHealthCareFraud.com to help consumers identify and report health care fraud.
The Center for Vision Restoration of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh today announced a $3 million gift from Louis J. Fox, a Pennsylvania native and Pitt graduate. UPMC has pledged to match Mr. Fox"s donation to the Center.
GE Healthcare"s Trends in Sepsis Management online program - based on the six-year Surviving Sepsis Campaign - is designed to engage clinicians in real-life situations involving the identification and treatment of sepsis. Sepsis is the body"s response to infection, which, in more severe forms, can lead to potentially deadly systemic blood vessel inflammation and clotting, organ shutdown and cardiovascular system failure. The rate of severe sepsis cases is expected to rise to one million cases per year by 2010, as the average age of the population increases, the SSC predicts.
Lawmakers are considering deductions on medical expenses, value-added taxes, spending cuts and other options to foot the reform bill.
The Washington Post reports many oral health professionals worry that dental issues have "a tenuous place at best in the national debate" regarding an overhaul of the health care system. Still, they emphasize that dental health is an integral part of health care and note the special burden untreated dental issues have on poor children. The paper also notes that "closing the gap between the worlds of dental care and medical care, with their separate histories and cultures, and their separate finance and delivery systems would be a formidable task."
The White House formally announced the drug manufacturers" plan to lower Medicare drug prices Monday. While details still remain unclear, it appears drug companies may benefit from the deal.
"Smart Pod", ideas for the ambulance of the future - was unveiled to the NHS and the healthcare industry at the NHS Innovation Expo in London.
Australian pharmaceutical companies are working closely with the Federal
Scientists at the University of Alberta have found that there are significant differences in the way our brains function depending on whether we"re early risers or night owls.
Allosteric modulation company Addex Pharmaceuticals (SWISS: ADXN) announced today that its partner Ortho-McNeil- Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OMP) has started Phase I testing of ADX71149, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) positive allosteric modulator (PAM). This product, which has potential to treat schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other CNS disorders, is the first PAM of any mGluR subtype to enter clinical trials. Targeting mGluR2 with a PAM is a novel approach that may offer advantages over classical drug approaches. In reaching this milestone, Addex received a EUR 1 million payment from OMP and remains eligible for additional development milestones and royalties.
Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor which powerfully suppresses gastric acid production and is widely prescribed for chronic use in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Lansoprazole uncommonly causes chronic watery diarrhea unresponsive to conventional medication as a symptom of collagenous colitis. This association has recently been reported and is not widely known. Correct diagnosis and treatment without this knowledge is impossible. Discontinuation of lansoprazole results in the prompt resolution of diarrhea.
Researchers at the Universities of Leeds and Bristol (UK) have developed a model of how errors are corrected whilst proteins are being built.
A US doctor who diagnosed and treated herself for breast cancer while stationed in the South Pole during the winter of 1999, was then rescued
Spherix Incorporated (Nasdaq CM: SPEX), an innovator in biotechnology for diabetes therapy, and a provider of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, announced positive preliminary results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of its novel compound, Naturlose(R) (D-tagatose), in the treatment and management of Type 2 diabetes. The Phase 2 trial is expected to be completed in early 2010.
Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading resolvin therapeutics company, today announced that it has initiated the first human clinical trial evaluating an oral resolvin therapeutic, RX-10001, in a Phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers. RX-10001 is a synthetic form of RvE1, a naturally occurring resolvin, which in animal studies has been shown to activate the body"s own off-switch mechanisms for inflammation and to promote healing for normal tissue function. In preclinical testing, RX-10001 and analogs have shown high potency across a range of inflammatory disease models, including asthma, colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis.
Almost 60 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) specialists from around the world gathered in Atlanta, GA for the Lymphoma Research Foundation"s (LRF) Sixth Annual Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) Scientific Workshop. Attendees heard presentations addressing several key issues including the biology of MCL, prognostic indicators, new molecular targets, chemoimmunotherapy, transplantation and novel therapeutic approaches.
There will be a new drive to ensure GPs spot cervical cancer symptoms earlier in young women and refer patients correctly, Health Minister Ann Keen announced today.
Experts have long suspected that part of the process of turning fleeting short-term memories into lasting long-term memories occurs during sleep. Now, researchers at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics of MIT"s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have shown that mice prevented from "replaying" their waking experiences while asleep do not remember them as well as mice who are able to perform this function.
"President Obama made a detailed case on Tuesday for a new government-administered health insurance plan, but he did not rule out signing a bill that lacks such an option if he cannot win enough support from Democrats in Congress," The New York Times reports. "In a White House news conference, Mr. Obama dismissed as "not logical" the suggestion that a public plan, which is intended to create more competition and therefore act as a brake on the rise of health insurance costs, would undermine the private insurance market. He argued that a government-run plan competing with private insurers would be an "important tool to discipline insurance companies" and scoffed at complaints that it could drive some out of business."
"As President Obama"s effort to overhaul the health care system seems to hit one roadblock after another in Congress, he is counting on Senator Max Baucus [D-Mont.], a political shape-shifter and crafty deal maker who is not fully trusted by either party, to help him clinch his top domestic priority," the New York Times reports in a profile of the Senate Finance Committee leader. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has been unable to garner GOP support. Obama"s preferred health leader, Tom Daschle, dropped out of the Obama team because of tax problems and highly partisan House Democrats have failed to work with Republicans, leaving the task of ushering a bill through the legislative process largely to Baucus.
Rural utility co-ops in Colorado could provide an example of how a co-op would work nationally for health care, The Denver Post reports.
The Washington Post"s Ezra Klein spoke with surgeon and writer Atul Gawande. Klein writes: "Gawande"s New Yorker article comparing the medical systems of El Paso and McAllen, Tex., has been a definitional piece in the health reform conversation. President [Barack] Obama has repeatedly invoked it. Senators have talked about it. The media have embraced it. I spoke to Gawande this afternoon about the fallout from his article, the problem of revenue-driven medicine, and whether a public plan would make a difference."
Men are twice as likely as women to not protect their skin in the sun, despite more men dying from melanoma than women, according to research due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists annual conference in Glasgow next month.
A new study by a University of Arizona professor shows employee involvement programs that executives adopt to increase efficiency also end up improving their record on diversity.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) as this year"s keynote speaker at the NACDS Pharmacy and Technology Conference. Senator Daschle will speak on Sunday, August 9, 2009, at the Business Program to be held from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
With action heating up in Washington for enactment of comprehensive healthcare reform, the nation"s largest RN union and professional association joined with progressive Democratic Party activists today in calling for the most "robust" reform of all to repair the nation"s healthcare crisis, by enacting a single-payer system in the form of an expanded and updated Medicare for all.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel) tablets, 0.75 mg. The generic product will be available by prescription only for women ages 17 and under.
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan have carried out the first international comparison of cognitive function in nationally representative samples of older adults in the US and England and discovered that US seniors performed significantly better that their English counterparts.
A free card from the Michigan Retailers Association can lift some of the weight of concern and worry for seniors buying expensive prescription drugs.
Climate has always presented a challenge to farmers, herders, fishermen and others whose livelihoods are closely linked to their environment, particularly those in poor areas of the world. A type of insurance, called index insurance, now offers significant opportunities as a climate-risk management tool in developing countries, according to a new publication launched today during a workshop at the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) in Geneva. The report, called Index Insurance and Climate Risk: Prospects for development and disaster management is part of the Climate and Society series produced by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI). The IRI published the report in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Oxfam America, Swiss Re, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the World Food Programme.
Dr. Jennifer C Palmer and colleagues at the University of Bristol have discovered that endothelin converting enzyme-2 (ECE-2) may cause the decrease in cerebral blood flow seen in Alzheimer"s disease. These results are presented in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
Video gaming computers and video game consoles available today typically contain a graphics processing unit (GPU), which is very efficient at manipulating and displaying computer graphics. However, the unit"s highly parallel structure also makes it more efficient than a general-purpose central processing unit for a range of complex calculations important to defense applications.
South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) is delighted to announce a new partnership with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement as part of the trust"s drive for
Finalising a review of the safety and efficacy of
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) National Rural Faculty has welcomed the increased funding for some existing programs and funding for new programs announced in this week"s federal budget. These increases in funding are welcome given the difficult economic climate in which this budget has been delivered.
The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has released its 26th annual all sports report.
Summaries of efforts by groups outside the political arena to be included in the debate over health care reform legislation appear below.
SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for point-of-care medicine, announced today the launch of the SonoAccess™ application, the first medical iPhone app from an ultrasound company that provides a multimedia library of ultrasound re materials for medical professionals to access when and where they need it.