Diagnostics
The New York Times reports that "The nation"s governors, Democrats as well as Republicans, voiced deep concern Sunday about the shape of the health care plan emerging from Congress, fearing that Washington was about to hand them expensive new Medicaid obligations without money to pay for them. The role of the states in a restructured health care system dominated the summer meeting of the National Governors Association here this weekend - with bipartisan animosity voiced against the plan during a closed-door luncheon on Saturday and in a private meeting on Sunday with the health and human services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius." After the meeting, Sebelius said "there"s a recognition that states don"t have cash right nowò€¦ i""s difficult to send states the bill if they don"t have the money."
Decisions about forgoing care because of the cost for the long-term uninsured have been a way of life, "but for a sizable group, being without a job and insurance is a new, deeply distressing condition," The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
More than 1,000 global experts will gather in Dubai from 8-9 November 2009 to review the latest developments and trends in anti-aging medicine at the second Dubai Congress on Anti-Aging & Aesthetic Medicine (DCAAAM).
Building on its widely distributed multiplex PCR technology platform, Seegene is now providing healthcare systems worldwide with a powerful diagnostic test for effective identification of the new influenza A virus (swine H1N1).
A study to be published in the August 2009 edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology sheds new light on how Cogmed Working Memory Training and stimulant medication address working memory impairments in children with ADHD. Working memory, acknowledged as one of the core deficits in ADHD, represents the brain"s ability to hold and process critical information related to the present moment. This study represents the latest findings from a team of independent UK researchers whose ongoing work examines the impact of Cogmed"s software-based training program on individuals with disorders of memory and attention.
Visitors at next week"s Royal Bath and West Show will have the opportunity to find out what jobs and training schemes are on offer at Yeovil District Hospital.
The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low but increasing levels of influenza activity across Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website: click here.
"Practice makes perfect" is the maxim drummed into students struggling to
The peptide alpha-MSH works in a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus to suppress appetite. A team of researchers, at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, and the University of California Davis, has provided new insight into the way in which levels of the active form of alpha-MSH are regulated in mice. Specifically, genetic and biochemical analysis performed by the team, led by Sabrina Diano and Craig Warden, indicated that the protein PRCP is expressed in the hypothalamus and breaks down the active form of alpha-MSH, generating a slightly smaller peptide that does not suppress food intake. Importantly, administration of PRCP inhibitors to both normal and obese mice reduced their food intake. Further, mice lacking PRCP had increased levels of the active form of alpha-MSH in the hypothalamus and were leaner and shorter than normal mice; they also did not get obese when fed a high-fat diet. The authors suggest that these data are the first step in identifying PRCP as a candidate drug target for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related disorders. Although Richard Palmiter, at the University of Washington, Seattle, also raises this intriguing possibility, he cautions that any drug would need to penetrate the brain.
Most women surgeons would choose their career again, although many would favor more options for part-time or other alternative work schedules, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Surgically removing and evaluating an increasing number of lymph nodes does not appear to identify a greater number of patients with stage III colorectal cancer, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A community-based Cancer Council advocacy campaign has motivated 10,000 Australians to call for expansion of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, amid new research showing 93 per cent of bowel cancer patients can survive if diagnosed early.
Nycomed announced the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Daxas® as a once-daily oral treatment for patients with symptomatic COPD. The NDA submission is based on encouraging results from four Phase III trials of Daxas® (roflumilast) in the treatment of symptomatic COPD. Two pivotal 12-month studies showed positive effects on exacerbation rates and pulmonary function (FEV1). Two supporting six-month studies also confirmed the efficacy of Daxas when used with standard bronchodilator treatments. Full data from all four studies are to be published during 2009.
Rhode Island Hospital is one of only four sites across the country to participate in a new clinical trial called the DIGNITY Study. The study will investigate the effectiveness of a chemotherapeutic agent, ThermoDox, used in conjunction with mild hyperthermia (a form of heat therapy) for treating recurrent chest wall breast cancer.
Researchers of the University of Granada have developed a simulator, so-called EDLUT ("Event driven look up table based simulator"), which allows reproduction of any part of the body"s nervous system, such as the retina, the cerebellum, the hearing centres or the nervous centres. This scientific advance enables them to analyze and understand the functions of the nervous centres, to do research into new pathologies and diseases or test new medicines; it will also be useful to improve the robots and machines inspired by the human body and the nervous system.
The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) and the General Optical Council (GOC) are today urging Britain"s 3.5 million contact lens wearers not to endanger their eye health and comfort during the recession through risky contact lens practices.
Following the disbandment of the STEP trial to test the efficacy of the Merck HIV-1 vaccine candidate in 2007, the leading explanation for why the vaccine was ineffective - and may have even increased susceptibility to acquiring the virus - centered on the hypothesis that high levels of baseline Ad5-specific neutralizing antibodies may have increased HIV-1 acquisition among the study subjects who received the vaccine by increasing Ad5-specific CD4+ T-cells that were susceptible to HIV-1 infection.
Two genes may contribute to chemotherapy resistance in drugs like 5-fluorouracil, which is used in liver cancer treatment, according to Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers.
Women in Somerset now have a new of expert information and advice available to them as soon as they know they are pregnant.
A UCLA study has identified a way to turn off a key signaling pathway involved in physiological processes that can also stimulate the development of cancer and other diseases. The findings may lead to new treatments and targeted drugs using this approach.
"Single-Shot" Vaccines May Protect Against H5N1 Influenza Virus
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers Drs. Jay Schneider, Joseph Hill and Eric Olson have been awarded a $2 million grant from the American Heart Association to study the development and mechanisms of generating new cardiac muscle cells.
A significant part of the question of what causes mitral valve disease in dogs, giving scientists and medical experts clues into new possible ways to treat or prevent the disease, may have been solved by a Colorado State University veterinarian. The discovery refutes the current believe that mitral valve disease, the top heart disease in dogs, is inevitable as a part of aging in pets.
General Practitioners and specialists will be able to prescribe VFEND® (voriconazole) oral suspension for immuno-suppressed adolescents and children following its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2009.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier today, Tuesday, that countries should consider closing schools as a way to slow the spread of
The risk of developing breast cancer due to taking hormone replacement therapy appears to be the same for women with a family history of the disease and without a family history, a University of Rochester Medical Center study concluded.
PinPointe FootLaser announced it has submitted its innovative new laser treatment for toenail fungus (Onychomycosis) to Health Canada for approval. As the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, Health Canada reviews medical devices to assess their safety, effectiveness and quality before being authorized for sale in Canada. PinPointe FootLaser has been awarded the CE Mark certifying it has met European Union consumer health and safety standards, has been cleared for use in the treatment of toenail fungus in the EU, and can be offered by healthcare providers throughout Europe. Additionally, the treatment is FDA cleared for applications in dermatology, plastic surgery, and podiatry in the United States.
The east coast states, particularly Queensland and New South Wales, are the first to feel the pressure from the burgeoning medical student "tsunami" and students nationwide will be anxiously looking to these states as an indication of things to come.
Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: ORMP.OB), a developer of alternative drug delivery systems, today reported positive results from a Phase 2A study of its oral insulin capsule, ORMD-0801, on type 1 diabetic patients. The completion of this study marks Oramed"s first clinical trial on patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, whereas, all Oramed"s trials up to date have been conducted on type 2 diabetic patients. This study evaluated safety, tolerability, and food effects in type 1 diabetic patients.
Results from a landmark study published by the Journal
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation"s largest, independent medical student organization, is proud to announce the 2009-2010 editorial board for its online international health journal, Global Pulse.
Two large US studies published in a leading journal this month support the already substantial body of evidence that shows choosing to follow a
People with prehypertension are not at increased risk of kidney disease if their body mass index (BMI) is under 30.0 kg/m2, a first-ever examination of the combined effect of blood pressure and body weight on the risk of kidney disease shows.
A damning report from the Care Quality Commission has found multiple failings in inpatient care for patients at West London Mental Health Trust, ranging from sub-standard buildings, overcrowding, lack of staff and insufficient staff training, to failure to implement changes that could help prevent suicides on wards. In some areas, there were long delays in considering changes to help reduce suicide risk, and on one inpatient unit, bed occupancy was regularly running at over 110 per cent, resulting in patients sleeping on sofas due to lack of beds.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) on Monday said that he and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) are negotiating to resolve the concerns of antiabortion-rights Democrats who want to exclude abortion coverage from the House health reform bill (HR 3200), Dow Jones reports. Stupak said that the compromise would affect how state abortion laws are handled under the bill (Yoest, Dow Jones, 7/20.). According to the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Stupak did not give details on the negotiations, and aides said that no final deal has been reached (Werner, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/21).Stupak said that he and Waxman"s staff discussed the compromise over the weekend. According to Stupak, a compromise could be voted on this week as an amendment during the committee"s markup of the bill. According to Dow Jones, Stupak holds a key vote on the health bill, which faces opposition from some other conservative Democrats on the panel over costs. His comments on Monday suggest "an easing of tensions" between antiabortion-right Democrats and supporters of the bill, Dow Jones reports. Stupak and 19 other House Democrats last week sent a letter to party leaders stating that they "cannot support a health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health plan." They also stated that they want to ensure that a health benefits advisory council created under the bill "cannot recommend abortion services be included under covered benefits or as part of a benefits package." The advisory council would make recommendations to the HHS secretary, who would make final determinations on what public and private plans would be required to cover in a health insurance exchange. Stupak said that the two sides are "working in good faith" and that other members of the committee should not push their own abortion-related amendments (Dow Jones, 7/20). On Monday, committee voted 20-35 to reject an amendment, offered by Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.), that would have eliminated a provision requiring states to adhere to minimum benefits requirements that employer-sponsored insurance must include. Deal said that states could be required to cover abortion or "out of mainstream" services. Stupak responded, "I hope we"re not going to start using reproductive rights as a red herring on every amendment that comes up." Panel Approves Sex Education AmendmentThe panel voted 33-23 to approve an amendment that would authorize $250 million through 2014 for "evidence-based" sex education programs for teenagers. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), who offered the amendment, said that abstinence-only programs would not be excluded if they are proven effective. Following debate on Capps" amendment, Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) offered an amendment that would reauthorize the Title V abstinence-only sex education program. Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said that Title V "has been a failure," adding that 25 states refused to accept the money through the program because it is ineffective. Terry"s amendment was rejected 26-29.The committee also voted 36-23 to adopt an amendment that would provide $150 million in grants through 2014 to state and local governments and not-for-profits for educating residents in "medically underserved" areas on various topics, including sexual behavior (Wayne, CQ Today, 7/21).
Executive vice president is pharmaceutical industry veteran Arthur Simon, Ph.D.
South Africa"s tuberculosis treatment default rate has decreased and the treatment success rate has increased, a delegation from the WHO"s Stop TB Partnership said recently, SAPA/IOL reports (7/17). A review of South Africa"s TB program examined the use of DOTS, health system strengthening, TB/HIV collaboration, drug-resistant TB, public-private partnerships and other aspects of the program, according to Africa Science News Service (7/17).
Cancer Research UK"s Run 10k launches "Take 5 challenge" to help busy people train for the events
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain pledged to continue to build a
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today (22 July) published guidance on the use of rituximab for the first line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The guidance recommends that rituximab should be considered asa possible first treatment for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who are able to take fludarabine in combination with cyclophosphamide.
Learning from the failings identified at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Health Secretary Andy Burnham announced a package of measures to tackle exceptional failures in Foundation Trusts.
Five organizations representing the nation"s experts in infectious diseases medicine, infection prevention in healthcare settings, and public health and disease prevention announced their support for a provision requiring national reporting of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates, which is contained within the healthcare reform bill introduced by leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the new issue of the Developmental Cell journal, a team of scientists at Singapore"s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, report research findings about the molecular mechanisms behind the aging process, which has up till now been poorly understood, that offer the possibility that a novel, pharmacological approach could be developed to combat age-related disorders.
John Muir Health Foundation, the charitable fundraising organization for all John Muir Health programs and services, has provided funding to enable John Muir Health to purchase two advanced high definition daVinci® Surgical Systems for its Walnut Creek and Concord campuses. Surgeons at John Muir Heath will use the daVinci® "robots" for a variety of minimally invasive urological, gynecological, gynecologic/oncologic and colorectal treatments.
The Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) and SDI, a U.S. private-sector healthcare information company, announced the formation of the European Paediatric Influenza Analysis (EPIA) group, created to generate data needed to inform the decision process about paediatric influenza vaccination policy in individual European countries. Researchers from Denmark, England, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland, Spain and Wales are participating; it is hoped that other countries will also join. EPIA was formed to address knowledge gaps highlighted in a recent European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report that concluded that a key barrier to decision-making about paediatric flu vaccines is the lack of high-quality, European-specific data on disease burden, especially for young children. It is estimated by ECDC that at least 40,000 people die each year from influenza in the European Union (EU). EPIA will present the initial results from their research project at the 27th annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) in June.
A new technique that detects the HIV virus early and monitors its development without requiring refrigeration may make AIDS testing more accessible in sub-Saharan Africa.
A portable "lab on a chip" that can identify target molecules in blood samples has been created by European researchers. It is being used to measure fertility hormones and detect the genes associated with certain types of cancer.
Several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers showed good accuracy in identifying patients with mild cognitive impairment who progressed to Alzheimer disease, according to a study in the July 22/29 issue of JAMA.
Men who exercised regularly, drank moderately, did not smoke, who were not overweight and had a diet that included cereal and fruits and vegetables had a lower lifetime risk of heart failure, according to a study in the July 22/29 issue of JAMA.
The nation"s major safety net health plans today announced their endorsement of the health care reform legislation now moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. In a letter to congressional leaders, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) said the bill "will expand coverage to more Americans, protect the interests of low-income and medically needy people, and preserve vital safety net programs."
A new survey, released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), found that senior citizens are being forced to make drastic cuts to their medical and food budgets due to the recession.
Registered nurses and hospital workers who provide care at hospitals owned by Tenet Healthcare Corporation organized an unprecedented national protest against attempts to cut their access to sick leave.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) will publish this month the sixth edition of Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients and the corresponding single-user CD ROM, titled Pharmaceutical Excipients 6.
Commenting on the tragic death of 22-year-old Gary Reinbach, who died as a result of binge drinking since the age of 13, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
American Indian teenagers become parents at twice the rate of other American teenagers. Many of these teens have greater environmental and behavioral challenges associated with living on reservations, including higher rates of poverty, increased rates of unemployment and school drop-out, higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse, impaired access to healthcare, as well as increased risk of domestic violence and suicide over the general population.
"Many small businesses are worried that rising health insurance costs are choking their growth and hindering the creation of new companies, and they fear health care reform plans being debated in Congress and by the Obama administration could end up costing them even more in taxes, according to business advocates," the Baltimore Sun reports. Some of those views were collected in a survey released Tuesday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. According to the survey 29 percent of [309] businesses were unable to offer insurance to their employees, and many said their health care costs had risen this year. "Rising health care costs are choking American small businesses just when we need them the most," said Nicholas Green, an organizer for the research group"s Maryland contingent (Sentementes, 7/22).
The U.N. on Tuesday said "it is running a record funding-shortfall of $4.8 billion for its aid operations in 16 crisis-ridden countries" and has received "less than half of the $9.5 billion it needs to carry out it humanitarian operations this year," VOA News reports (Schlein, 7/21).
Miltenyi Biotec announces the worldwide and exclusive release of Myelin Removal Beads. Myelin is a specialized membrane which ensheathes and insulates axons in the peripheral and central nervous system. During preparation of single-cell suspensions, myelin membrane fragments represent the major contaminant. "When dissociating adult neural tissue, usually less than 5 percent of the cell suspension consists of cells. The rest corresponds to cell debris", explains Dr. Rebecca Biloune, Product Manager for Neural Research Products at Miltenyi Biotec. "Removal of myelin leads to higher purity and recovery of target cells."
Chicago high school students interested in science and health care will get a chance to learn about diagnostic tests and the laboratory professionals who perform them during the American Association for Clinical Chemistry"s 2009 Clinical Lab Expo on July 21 and 22.
A new study has found that a currently available yet underused vaccine against typhoid fever is highly effective in young children and protects unvaccinated neighbors of vaccinees.
CytoDyn, Inc. (Pink Sheets:CYDY) has completed safety testing of its current inventory of Cytolin®, the Company"s immune-system modulator for managing HIV disease and the public health crisis afflicting communities where the infection is spreading due to unprotected sex and the other risk factors for AIDS. Tests for specific adventitious agents and other quality parameters following purification were performed by the manufacturing facility, Vista Biologicals Corporation of Carlsbad, California. The other safety tests, including in vivo general safety using two animal species, were performed by WuXi AppTec, a fully integrated pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical-device company with facilities in St. Paul, Minnesota. WuXi AppTec provides R&D services to the biotechnology industry. Since the product is intended for use in a clinical trial, the tests conducted were those required for each new batch of a biologic agent manufactured for use in human research. The Company believes that the test results satisfy the current safety standards for the manufacturing of drugs belonging to the class of biologics. The results are summarized in the table below.
Foot & Ankle Specialist (FAS), published by SAGE, has been accepted for inclusion in MEDLINE, the premier bibliographic database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), containing more than 16 million journal article citations.
Current research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent one of the leading causes of legal blindness among the elderly. The related report by Tuo et al, "A high omega-3 fatty acid diet reduces retinal lesions in a murine model of macular degeneration," appears in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
PMSI Settlement Solutions, a leading provider of solutions for the liability and workers" compensation markets, today responded to the results of the recent California Workers" Compensation Institute (CWCI) study on how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services" (CMS) stepped-up enforcement of Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) rules will impact payers.
Every hour of the day children are inactive adds three minutes to the time it takes them to fall asleep, finds research published ahead of print in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The UK will play a leading role in coordinated European action to tackle dementia from.
The government launches New Horizons, a major new consultation on how we should care for the mental health of the nation for the next ten years. As the current mental health strategy the National Service Framework draws to a close this autumn, New Horizons is a pivotal opportunity to move on from a model of mental health care based solely on delivering medical services, to a cross-government plan that approaches everyone"s mental wellbeing holistically, and considers the impact of social factors such as unemployment and debt.
New research reveals Brits prefer to rearrange or cancel their summer holiday than go with a friend who has mental illness. The British would prefer to go on their summer holiday with a friend who has a criminal record than go with a friend who has a mental health problem, a new survey as part of the Time to Change campaign [1] has found.
QRxPharma Limited (Pink Sheets: QRXPY; ASX: QRX) announced the initiation of a Phase 2 comparative proof-of-concept study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MoxDuo(TM) IV (intravenous morphine and oxycodone) versus IV morphine alone for the treatment of moderate to severe post-operative pain in patients following hip replacement surgery. Data from this study will serve as a significant predictor of MoxDuo(TM) IV"s clinical benefits and provide guidance for the design of further clinical trials leading to submission of an NDA to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next three years.
Human cells are able to secrete a cancer-killing protein, scientists at the University of Kentucky"s Markey Cancer Center have found.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new use for its osteoporosis drug FORTEO((R)) [teriparatide (rDNA origin) injection] to treat osteoporosis associated with sustained, systemic glucocorticoid therapy in men and women at high risk of fracture. Glucocorticoid therapy is the most common cause of secondary osteoporosis, leading to bone loss and an increased risk for fracture.(1)
Decision Res, one of the world"s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the patient share of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka"s Abilify has grown in the first three lines of therapy since the 2008 analysis of prescribing trends in newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients. Abilify is second to risperidone (Janssen"s Risperdal, generics) in first and second lines of therapy and leads other atypicals in the third line.
Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Thursday will be joined by leaders of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and NARAL Pro-Choice America in announcing the latest version of a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by preventing unintended pregnancies, among other measures, Time reports (Sullivan, Time, 7/23). Ryan and DeLauro first introduced a version of the bill in 2006 (Crary, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). However, this version "represents a dramatic break from nearly four decades" of political debate since Roe v. Wade, as both conservative antiabortion-rights groups and abortion-rights advocates have expressed support, according to Time (Time, 7/23).The bill would increase support for comprehensive sex education programs, improve access to contraception, expand Medicaid family planning coverage, increase programs for pregnant or parenting college students, and expand adoption assistance. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet conducted a cost-analysis of the bill, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22). In developing the bill, Ryan sought the help of Rachel Laser, director of culture programs at the policy and strategy think-tank Third Way. According to Time, Laser worked with advocates on both sides and modified the bill to help gather their support, while preventing the measure from becoming "uselessly watered down or split into two."DeLauro noted, "We had to reach a level of trust" with people on both sides and allow them time to become more receptive to the bill"s goals, adding, "Because so often this issue has been one about which there was nothing other than trying to score political points." DeLauro said she hopes the Obama administration will look to the bill for guidance as it crafts its strategy for reducing the need for abortion and preventing unintended pregnancies. President Obama is expected to make an announcement about the plan next month, according to Time (Time, 7/23).DeLauro and Ryan also noted that Rahm Emanuel, Obama"s chief of staff, endorsed an earlier version of the bill when he served in the House, which they hope could mean that Obama would support their measure. DeLauro said, "This is a bill that seems to mesh with the president"s interests," adding, "I see no reason why the White House could not endorse it."Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said the administration is still reviewing the information it has gathered in recent meetings with representatives on both sides of the abortion debate.Laurie Rubiner, director of Planned Parenthood"s Washington, D.C., office, said "This isn"t a radical bill," adding, "It only seems radical because it"s been so long that we could have a constructive conversation ... with both pro-choice and anti-choice groups around the table."The Rev. Joel Hunter -- an antiabortion-rights evangelical pastor in Orlando, Fla., who serves on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council -- called the bill "a landmark bill for the culture wars -- a prototype for how we can approach things in the future." He said the bill"s strengths were in its appeals to both liberal and conservative beliefs, adding, "When you realize you need someone who"s been an adversary to help you advance your own projects, that"s a big deal" (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).
Pregnant women who quit smoking during the first trimester and women who never smoked during pregnancy have a similar risk of delivering preterm or very small infants, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports. Premature delivery and stunted infant growth are the most well-documented side effects of smoking during pregnancy, and the risks increase for older women, according to study author Laura Polakowski of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues. For the study, the researchers analyzed 915,441 birth certificates for infants born in 2005 in 11 states that include information on whether the woman smoked during pregnancy.The study found that 10% of women who smoked for the entire pregnancy gave birth to "preterm but not too small for gestational age" infants, compared with 8% of women who quit during the first trimester. Fifteen percent of women who smoked the entire pregnancy gave birth to full-term infants who were small for their gestational age, while 2% gave birth to premature infants who were small for gestational age. Among women who quit smoking during the first trimester, these outcomes occurred 9% and 1% of the time, respectively.After adjusting for the women"s age, previous preterm births and other factors, the researchers found that women who quit smoking in the first trimester reduced their risk of giving birth to a preterm, normal-size infant by 31%. The risk of delivering a full-term, unusually small infant was cut by 55% and the risk for delivering a preterm, unusually small infant was reduced by 53%. The risks were also reduced for women who quit smoking during their second trimester, although less significantly. The researchers found that the risk reduction was particularly high for older women -- especially those older than age 40 -- who quit smoking during the first trimester. According to the study, the results indicate that the risk of delivering a preterm or small-for-gestational-age infant for pregnant women who quit smoking during the first trimester is "comparable to those who never smoke during pregnancy" (Reuters, 7/21).
The race to develop a H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine before the fall flu season ramped up Wednesday, after Australia launched the first human trials of the H1N1 vaccine and scientists from the U.S., China and Britain announced plans for human trials of an H1N1 vaccine in coming weeks, AFP/France24.com reports (7/23).
Reuters Examines Upcoming HIV Prevention Trial In Africa
During its summer session, the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has approved funding for six new Research Units. Within these Research Units, researchers from different disciplines work together on a particular scientific topic. Funding for Research Units provides the personnel and equipment required for medium-term (usually six years) cooperation and contributes to the establishment of new research directions.
Dog breeds selected to work in visual contact with humans, such as sheep dogs and gun dogs, are better able to comprehend a pointing gesture than those breeds that usually work without direct supervision. A series of tests, described in BioMed Central"s open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions, should caution researchers against making simple generalizations about the effects of domestication and on dog-wolf differences in the utilization of human visual signals.
Heritage Place, a UPMC Senior Community, has been awarded Activity Department of the Year for 2009 by the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals.
Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc. (OTC BB:APSN), a biotechnology company focused on the development of products for the early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer"s disease ("AD"), announced it has achieved promising results in its development of a blood-based test related to the diagnosis of patients with Alzheimer"s disease (AD). The results of two studies, which provided data from blinded serum samples, showed the ability of this tau-based test to differentiate between patients with AD and normal controls with a sensitivity greater than 80% and a specificity greater than 70%.
Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ACUVAIL™ (ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution) 0.45%, an advanced, preservative-free formulation of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indicated for the treatment of pain and inflammation following cataract surgery. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults and cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the United States, with more than 3 million procedures performed each year.1
Use of the medication tamsulosin to treat male urination difficulties within two weeks of cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of serious postoperative ophthalmic adverse events such as retinal detachment or lost lens, according to a study in the May 20 issue of JAMA.
Gangrene occurs when tissue dies (necrosis) because its blood supply is interrupted. Gangrene may be caused by an infection, injury, or a complication of a long-term condition that restricts blood circulation. It most commonly occurs in the extremities - the toes, fingers, arms and legs - but internal organs and muscles may also become gangrenous. There are five main types of gangrene: 1. Dry gangrene. 2. Wet gangrene. 3. Gas gangrene. 4. Internal gangrene. 5. Fournier"s gangrene.
BioOut is a strategic partner for several of the world"s leading vaccine manufacturers. As such, BioOut is currently working with partners on projects to develop vaccines against Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu and Avian Flu).
Innovative research conducted by faculty of the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences contributes to a better understanding of the causes and origins of disease and aids in the development of more effective treatment approaches. Government and private-sector funding is critical to this process of scientific inquiry. The following projects recently have been awarded grants that will enable the continuation of existing projects or the pursuit of new areas of investigation:
Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that its investigational agent SAPHRIS(R) (asenapine) met the primary endpoint over one year of treatment in an extension study in patients with predominant, persistent negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill people.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced that following the review of the available evidence on Lantus® (insulin glargine [rDNA] injection), the European Medicines Agency"s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) confirmed the product"s safety and concluded that changes to the prescribing advice are not necessary. The EMEA issued a press-release stating that they have re-confirmed their initial assessment, based on an
Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is a condition that results from the swelling of the linings of the lungs and chest. The pleural cavity (area between lungs and inner chest wall) is created by two lubricated surfaces called pleura, the inner pleura lining the lungs and the outer lining the chest wall.
"President Barack Obama arrived at the Cleveland Clinic without fanfareò€¦ Thursday afternoon" to visit the medical center he"s called a model of low-cost, high-quality care, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Obama said he wasn"t seeking an endorsement from the hospital, only information. "There has been a lot of discussion in Washington about the very different model that we and the Mayo [Clinic] have, and he wanted to understand it better," Clinic CEO Dr. Delos "Toby" Cosgrove said (Zeltner and Townsend, 7/24).
South African President Jacob Zuma and Virgin Group founder and chair Richard Branson "intend [on] establishing a disease control centre in South Africa as soon as next year," SAPA/The Times reports. "Branson said the initiative, expected to be launched by March, would be 50 percent private and 50 percent government funded," the news service writes (7/22).
The following are stories from this week"s 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention meeting in Cape Town, South Africa:
Andy Catling, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and the Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has been awarded a $177, 500 supplement to his RO1 grant by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to support his research on the mechanism by which seemingly similar cell receptor systems determine quite different functions influenced by hormones and drugs.
Bell"s palsy is either weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face due to malfunction of the facial nerve. It usually starts suddenly - somebody can wake up in the morning and find that one side of the face does not move. Sometimes one eyelid may be affected, meaning that the patient is unable to blink properly from one eye.
Merck Serono announced that it is seeking a European license for cladribine, its oral therapy that is in late-stage clinical trials for relapsing remitting MS.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a another diagnostic test for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, whose spread has caused the virus to be characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius congratulated the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) after the conference approved an amendment in favor of health insurance reform. The amendment was approved by a vote of 38-11. According to NCSL rules, amendments must receive 75 percent of the vote in order to pass.
Oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament"s Health and Sport Committee on the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill has now begun. This Bill proposes to ban the use of tobacco vending machines and to ban the display of tobacco products.
MEDEC - Canada"s Medical Technology Companies - applauds the Ontario Government for its recent decision to add Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Technology to the services covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) thereby ensuring that Ontarians have access to PET technology.
CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, announced that its lead drug candidate tamibarotene has received official notification from the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) that a positive opinion was made regarding the application for orphan medicinal product for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The positive opinion of the COMP has now been forwarded to the EU commission for final approval and publication in the community register. This favorable opinion for tamibarotene in the European Union (EU) is in addition to the Orphan Drug Designation for APL and Fast Track Designation for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory APL following treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2007.
Staff working in UK veterinary practices lack access to good occupational health advice warns a new study published in the scientific journal, Occupational Medicine. The research, the first published benchmark of occupational health risk management by vet practices in the UK, showed that despite veterinary surgeons and nurses being exposed to many occupational hazards less than a third of practices had trained staff in health and safety and only 14% sought advice from occupational health professionals.
On Monday, the Health Ministries of Israel and Saudi Arabia reported their countries" first deaths from H1N1 swine influenza.
AARP Executive Vice President John Rother issued the following statement in response to recent commentary by Betsy McCaughey in various media outlets on health care reform measures passed or currently being considered by Congress.
Continuing efforts to help its members form lasting and profitable partnerships and pre-empt disputes in veterinary practice, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has revised its "Guide to partnerships in veterinary practice". It will be of particular interest to vets buying into a partnership for the first time and will also be helpful to partners revising their existing agreement.
PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC) announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of PTC299 in adult patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a rare genetic disorder that causes the development of non-malignant brain tumors. PTC299 is a novel, orally administered investigational new drug that is designed to selectively block tumor-related vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). With its novel mechanism of action, PTC299 has the potential to meet significant unmet medical need in NF2 and other conditions resulting from the overexpression of VEGF.
The annual healthcare cost of obesity in the US has doubled in less than a decade and may be as high as 147 billion dollars a year says new
Does posting calories on restaurant menu boards help Canadians make healthier food choices and possibly prevent obesity? Dietitians of Canada says yes - providing nutrition information in restaurants, including calorie and nutrient content of food served, is one step that may help promote healthier choices. However, a review of the evidence on this issue by Dietitians of Canada (DC) underscores the fact that there are no simple solutions to the complex issue of obesity prevention; a variety of approaches are needed. One such solution is to ensure that settings in which food choices are made, including restaurants and fast-food establishments, support healthy eating. Longer term evaluation of these types of labelling initiatives are needed before we can say whether providing calorie and nutrient information in these settings will affect obesity rates.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) moved to a neutral position on assisted suicide following a discussion at its Council meeting.
The House on Friday voted 264-153 to approve its fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (HB 3293) after voting on five amendments addressing price and policy issues, CQ Today reports. The bill would appropriate $730.5 billion. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to begin markup of its version of the bill on July 28.The House voted 183-247 to reject an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) that would have prohibited family planning funding through the Title X program to Planned Parenthood clinics. The House also voted 211-218 to reject an amendment by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) that would have stripped language to lift the ban on federal funding for needle-exchange programs. Lawmakers did approve an amendment offered by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to strip $5 million in funding for three NIH grants to study the HIV/AIDS risks associated with alcohol and substance use among sex workers in Asia and alcoholics in Russia (Wolfe, CQ Today, 7/24).
Covering the uninsured - a leading principle of health care reform - depends on the critical issue of who gets subsidies to pay for health insurance coverage and when.
"Health care groups working feverishly to shape -- or kill -- an industry-wide reform bill are lavishing campaign cash on the politicians at the center of the debate," The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune reports. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Max Baucus, both major health reform players on the Senate Finance Committee, are among those benefiting form the uptick in contributions. One lobbyist for the watchdog group Public Citizen said, "A person can reach no other conclusion than this is quid pro quo activity" (Canham, 7/27).
By proposing to reduce funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, "the Obama administration has reignited America"s sex education debate," Washington Times columnist Cheryl Wetzstein writes in an opinion piece. She says that the "usual answers" she receives from abstinence-only opponents when she asks about their criticism of the programs is that abstinence-only education "doesn"t work, it leaves kids ignorant about how to use birth control, it doesn"t serve gay kids, and (off the record) it"s just a return to the bad old days when unenlightened, sex-hating harpies ran sex education." According to Wetzstein, some proponents of abstinence-only programs believe that another factor -- which is "never mentioned" in the sex education debate -- "is how sexually active youth are part of the market for certain commercial sex- and disease-related products, and abstinent behavior reduces that market share."Wetzstein reports that she recently spoke with Pam Mullarkey, founder of Project SOS, who is "furious" that Presdient Obama"s budget proposal would reduce funding for abstinence-only programs and increase money for teen pregnancy prevention. Mullarkey claims that abstinence-only opponents "have spent so much money trying to destroy abstinence education" because "it directly costs them big bucks" if teens abstain. Wetzstein writes that she has "dim hopes for the survival of abstinence education as we"ve know it," concluding, "But should Congress decide to "follow the money," as Mrs. Mullarkey suggests, who knows what might turn up" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 5/19).
The Health-Care Sacrifice The Washington Post
Men with early stages of prostate cancer who delay radical treatment in favor of an approach of "expectant management" do not have high levels of anxiety and distress. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the September 1, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study"s results suggest that living with untreated cancer is not upsetting for many patients with early prostate cancer.
A model of influenza transmission and treatment suggests that, if the current swine flu pandemic behaves like the 1918 flu, antiviral treatment should be reserved for the young. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases found that, in this situation, providing the elderly with antiviral drugs would not significantly reduce mortality, and may lead to an increase in resistance.
Near-normal control of glucose beginning as soon as possible after diagnosis would greatly improve the long-term prognosis of type 1 diabetes, concludes a study published in the July 27, 2009, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, which updates information about the clinical course of type 1 diabetes. The study also found that the outlook for people with longstanding type 1 diabetes has greatly improved in the past 20 years due to a better understanding of the importance of intensive glucose control as well as advances in insulin formulations, insulin delivery, glucose monitoring, and the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors.
CyDex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company"s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a clinical study of Captisol-Enabled® melphalan HCL (CDX-353). Melphalan is an FDA-approved low dose chemotherapy for multiple myeloma marketed under the brand name Alkeran® by GlaxoSmithKline.
Capsule endoscopy for exploring the colon in a minimally invasive manner diagnoses 64% of all lesions located by means of conventional colonoscopy. According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine - the specialised medical journal with greatest international impact -, the new device would need technical improvements to achieve similar efficacy to the conventional procedure undertaken with a colonoscopy and to date considered a "gold standard" technique for this medical discipline, given that this is what currently provides the most reliable results. It has to be added that, moreover, conventional colonoscopy enables the undertaking of a diagnosis of the colon as well as practicing therapeutic procedures, such as the in situ extirpation of polyps during exploration or the obtaining of a biopsy when required.
Evidence buried in the chromosomes of animals and plants strongly suggests only one group -- mammals -- have seen their genomes shrink after the dinosaurs" extinction. What"s more, that trend continues today, say Indiana University Bloomington scientists in the first issue of a new journal, Genome Biology and Evolution.
According to a study in a special issue of Medical Decision Making, a large-scale, covert anthrax attack on a large city would overwhelm hospital res even with an extremely effective public health response, primarily because of expected delays in detecting the attack and initiating a response to it.
Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have discovered a set of brain proteins responsible for some of the most common and devastating brain diseases. The proteins underlie epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disease, mental retardation and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer"s and Huntington"s diseases.
An Italian research team, publishing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (18:4), which is now available on-line without charge at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct, has found that stem cells derived from human placenta may ultimately play a role in the treatment of lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis and fibrotic diseases caused by tuberculosis, chemical exposure, radiation or pathogens. These diseases can ultimately lead to loss of normal lung tissue and organ failure. No known therapy effectively reverses or stops the fibrotic process.
Bacterial infection is a major health threat to patients with severe burns and other kinds of serious wounds such as traumatic bone fractures. Recent studies have identified an important new weapon for fighting infection and healing wounds: insulin.
Engineers at the University of Leeds (UK) are developing a way to capture the kinetic energy produced when soldiers march and use it to power their equipment.
The Vermont Legislature has passed legislation (S 48) that bans nearly all gifts from pharmaceutical and medical device companies to health care providers, administrators and facilities in the state, the New York Times reports. The legislation specifically would prohibit drug and device makers from giving providers no-cost meals. Vermont"s legislation would go further than similar laws in other states like Massachusetts and Minnesota by requiring drug and medical device manufacturers who give gifts to health providers to publicly disclose recipients" names and dollar amounts of payments and gifts. The measure would not require manufacturers to disclose payments for clinical research of products undergoing FDA review, the Times reports. The legislation also would eliminate a loophole that allows manufacturers to conceal certain expenses by claiming them as trade secrets. In a recent report, the Vermont Office of the Attorney General said that medical product makers spent about $2.9 million on promotional efforts to the state"s health care providers in fiscal year 2008 and that nearly half of the state"s 4,573 licensed providers had received some type of incentive from drugmakers in the same year. The report, which was developed prior to passage of the new legislation, offers only aggregate data, as 83% of the manufacturer-declared payments were deemed to be trade secrets, the Times reports.Gov. Jim Douglas (R) is expected to sign the law, which would take effect July 1. Several state medical groups -- including the Vermont Association for Mental Health and the Vermont Medical Society -- have indicated support for the legislation.Marjorie Powell, a senior lawyer for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the requirements under the new law appear redundant with new voluntary guidelines the group has issued on physician gifting practices. She said, "We think this is unnecessary, and it is not going to improve patient care," adding, "It makes it onerous not only for the company but also for the physician in Vermont, because this is going to be on a Web site" (Singer, New York Times, 5/20).
The eyes of nocturnal bats possess two spectral cone photoreceptor types
÷£25 million announced to more than treble the number of NHS apprenticeships
The International Swine Flu Conference will occur in Washington, DC on August 19-20 to be followed by all day hands-on workshops. New Fields officials announced today. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington DC on Capitol Hill, August 19-20 and the workshop on the 21st.
Bioheart, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: BHRT) a company committed to delivering intelligent devices and biologics that help monitor, diagnose and treat heart failure and cardiovascular diseases announced today that the US FDA cleared a phase I clinical trial for MyoCell SDF-1 (Stromal Derived Factor - 1) to treat congestive heart failure. The REGEN trial will enroll 15 patients in a multicenter, randomized, dose escalation study to assess the safety and cardiovascular effects of the implantation of MyoCell SDF-1 in congestive heart failure patients post myocardial infarction(s).