Mental Health
Biophysicists long for an ideal material - something more structured and less sticky than a standard glass surface - to anchor and position individual biomolecules. Gold is an alluring possibility, with its simple chemistry and the ease with which it can be patterned. Unfortunately, gold also tends to be sticky and can be melted by lasers. Now, biophysicists at JILA have made gold more precious than ever - at least as a research tool - by creating nonstick gold surfaces and laser-safe gold nanoposts, a potential boon to laser trapping of biomolecules.
A radically different approach to choosing the best treatment options for early breast cancer has been proposed by an international panel of experts in a report from the 11th St Gallen conference.
ProFibrix B.V. announced the start of the company"s
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.
According to a report issued, drug safety leaders in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies recognise the need to increase res, either internally or through partnerships, to comply with the safety regulations recently issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA). The report - Safety First: The Impact of New Regulations on Clinical Development - is based on a survey of 140 industry safety specialists, including heads of medical, drug safety, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory departments within large and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms. The survey found that more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents believe that new safety regulations have had a considerable impact on the industry as companies implement drug safety regulations throughout the clinical development process.
At a meeting sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project (MDSP), former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, experts in diabetes research and education, and representatives of senior-serving organizations from a four-state area gathered in Washington, DC to draw attention to the need for increased screening for diabetes among older adults ages 65 and older insured by Medicare.
AlphaRx (OTC BB:ALRX) is pleased to report a significant breakthrough in the development of Zysolin(TM), an inhaled Tobramycin nanoparticle formulation utilizing the company"s proprietary drug delivery platform, and intended for the adjunctive treatment of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia in intubated and mechanically-ventilated patients (VAP).
Results from a small study of postmenopausal women suggest that obesity might relate to a reduced volume of gray matter in the brain. However, whether the results have relevance in a woman"s day-to-day life is unclear.
Health officials said on Thursday that it looks like the novel H1N1 swine flu virus will continue to spread in the US through the summer months,
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.
US consumer watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has informed Bayer Healthcare that it will sue them and file a complaint
The American Nurses Association (ANA) announced the launch of its new Facebook and LinkedIn online community groups, providing nurses with access to two popular social networking sites that offer fast, free, and convenient new ways to share information and make professional connections online. By signing up to become a "fan" of ANA at http://www.nursingworld.org/facebook, users will be able to post news, share photos, download ANA video clips and join in on discussion boards on timely nursing issues. By joining LinkedIn, http://www.nursingworld.org/linkedin, users will be able to connect with a vast network of professional contacts within the nursing field.
The American Cancer Society - the nation"s leading voluntary health organization and largest non-governmental funder of cancer research and discovery - will present its Corporate Impact Awards June 19 during the Society-hosted Corporate Impact Conference in Chicago. The awards will recognize companies" engagement in targeted efforts to significantly impact cancer"s effect on the workplace, where disease-related expenditures and lost productivity costs annually surpass $228 billion; in contributing funds to the American Cancer Society to fight the disease; and in addressing responsible community involvement.
Newspapers highlight a few of the key congressional players in the health care debate.
On NPR"s Fresh Air, New Yorker staff writer Atul Gawande spoke about his article on the high cost of health care in McAllen, Texas. He found that costs in McAllen were higher than in the rest of the country because doctors ordered more tests and treatments for their patients, which did not result in a better quality of care. Gawande told NPR that "the difficulty comes in the conflict between when medicine is a business versus when it"s a profession. In a grey-zone case, whether a patient should get that endoscopy for heartburn, whether you send them to have a particular operation like a carpal-tunnel release for carpal tunnel syndrome, we make more money, and there is a temptation and a strong incentive to do more rather than less. At the same time, if we"ve crossed the border to the point where over-treatment is actually producing harm, we now have to think about how to rein in that part of what we do, even though it can sometimes mean losing money."
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 Illinois Department of Health has launched a program, "Text 2 Survive," that uses cell phone text messaging to encourage residents to be tested for HIV, NBC Chicago reports. Through the program, individuals can send a text message to a designated number with their ZIP code and receive a reply that provides the nearest HIV testing center"s contact information. To promote the program, through July 1, individuals who send a text to the program or forward the reply message to others will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $50 gift card. Those who confirm they have been tested have an opportunity to win an additional $200 gift card (NBC Chicago, 6/17).
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).
"California will not be saving money," in its proposal to cut funding from HIV/AIDS programs, including the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Ken Owens, member of the Inland Empire HIV Planning Council and former member of the Desert AIDS Client Committee, writes in a Desert Sun opinion piece. He adds, "Instead, it will have more people looking for places to live and needing more state services because they are sick, need welfare funds and state healthcare." Owens continues, "Their plan of balancing the budget will surely cost lives if HIV/AIDS funding is cut" (Owens, Desert Sun, 6/18).
CNN examines the success of an HIV testing campaign in Swaziland that urges couples to get tested together. "The nationwide initiative - funded by the United States government and implemented by global charity "Population Services International" (PSI) - is aimed at couples because tests can be useless if partners are not aware of the others" HIV status," CNN writes.
The Guardian examines the recent U.S. commitment to continue support for the development of Nigeria"s health and education sector by Anne Fleuret, Nigeria"s acting mission director of USAID. At the conclusion of two USAID-funded projects in Nigeria, Fleuret said the HIV/AIDS programs were created six years ago "to empower communities." She added, "We envisioned so many things and we have substantially achieved that vision. We have provided support from the community level to the legislative level."
"Decibels for Life", the new campaign from Siemens Hearing Instruments, has been launched to maintain awareness of hearing loss. It will also champion hearing innovations that help overcome impairments leading to an improved quality of life.
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).
Having partnered last year with an international team that surveyed the genomes of 12,000 individuals to find a genetic cause for gout, Johns Hopkins scientists now have shown that the malfunctioning gene they helped uncover can lead to high concentrations of blood urate that forms crystals in joint tissue, causing inflammation and pain - the hallmark of this disease.
- 3 confirmed cases in Wales.
Most healthy 25 year olds don"t stay up at night worrying whether they are going to develop diabetes in middle age. The disease is not on their radar, and middle age is a lifetime away.
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.
A study by Oregon State University researchers suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students.
Money spiders infected with Rickettsia bacteria are less likely to "balloon" - that is, to use their silk as sails to catch gusts of wind and travel long distances. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology suggest that it may be in the bacteria"s interests to ground the spiders and that this reduction in dispersal could reduce gene flow and impact on reproductive isolation within the meta-population.
Fallopian tubes normally discarded after hysterectomies and other procedures could become rich potential s for mesenchymal stem cells
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.
UroToday.com - To take the adrenal or not at the time of radical nephrectomy, that is the question. These researchers from New York University School of Medicine performed an extensive literature search to determine the role of adrenalectomy at radical nephrectomy and discovered that the incidence of solitary, synchronous, ipsilateral adrenal involvement, and therefore potentially curable tumor disease with ipsilateral adrenalectomy occurred extremely infrequently - in only 1% to 5% of cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA, in its latest update, dated Friday evening, 19th June, 2009, reports a total of 21,449 confirmed human cases of swine flu A(H1N1) infection, including 87 deaths. Authorities say the novel A(H1N1) influenza virus has not mutated and is not more virulent (aggressive) than most normal seasonal human flu viruses. However, health services are bracing themselves for a busy flu season this winter as the swine flu virus will have been circulating for several months, but will still be a relatively novel one.
The Bone Cancer Research Trust is calling for new treatments for bone
Researchers have identified a genetic glitch that could lead to development of neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer that typically strikes children under 2.
The Australian Medical Students" Association commends the announcement made by The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) to withdraw support from the 10-year moratorium imposed on overseas doctors by the government in an attempt to improve patient access to doctors in rural areas.
Researchers have determined that individuals with mild to severe symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome (MetS), a collection of cardiovascular risk factors thought to be linked by insulin resistance). LUTS encompass voiding (incomplete emptying, weak stream, intermittency, straining) and storage (frequency, urgency, nocturia) difficulties.
UroToday.com - In the online issue of the World Journal of Urology, a group headed by Professor Markus Hohenfellner compared the outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) in men younger and older than age 70 years. They suggest that in well-selected men over age 70 years, the outcomes are comparable.
Health services must play a key roll helping Indigenous people restore a sense of balance in their lives, according to an editorial published in the May 18 Indigenous Health issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
Reductions in the flow of the Apalachicola River have far-reaching effects that could prove detrimental to grouper and other reef fish populations in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, according to a new Florida State University study that may provide new ammunition for states engaged in a nearly two-decade water war.
Junior trainee doctors are being warned about the medicolegal implications surrounding the administration of anti-wrinkle treatments such as Botox.
HHS Secretary Proclaims: "Single-Payer is Not Part of the Discussion" Allows Health Insurance Corporations to Continue Patient Abuses
A federal grand jury yesterday indicted Pamela Arrey, age 48, of
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society"s campaign to change the unjust law which automatically criminalises any dispensing error has reached a significant milestone after the Department of Health announced plans to amend the Medicines Act 1968 at the earliest opportunity.
AIDS Re Center of Wisconsin Chief Operating Officer Mike Gifford said that Wisconsin has the lowest AIDS death rate in the nation, WPR News reports. Gifford said that CDC data indicate that Wisconsin and Minnesota have one AIDS death annually for every 100,000 people. He credits a strong system of health care professionals and state and private support for the low death rate, but noted that hundreds of people living with HIV in Wisconsin are not getting the services they need (Simonson, WPR News, 6/18).
As part of an effort to encourage Staten Island, N.Y., residents to be tested for HIV, the CARE Network, the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and the City Council"s Communities of Color Faith Initiative, have partnered to launch the "Staten Island HIV Status Check Campaign," the Staten Island Advance reports. "Status Check" postcards that include information on free local HIV testing locations, HIV educational literature and condoms will be distributed by local organizations and businesses as part of the initiative. The goal is to reach the 56 percent of local residents who have never been tested for HIV, Karina Ryan, CARE Network coordinator, said (Slepian, Staten Island Advance, 6/18).
Lancet Commentary Examines How PEPFAR Failing To Reach IDUs
A new study analyzing the prevalence of sensory impairment among older U.S. workers found that hearing impairment prevalence was three times that of visual impairment, and that 38 percent of older workers reported experiencing either impairment.
A new study shows that high levels of job strain during early pregnancy are associated with reduced birthweight and an increased risk of delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
Epeius Biotechnologies announced the results of two related studies using Rexin-G, a tumor-targeted anti-cancer agent designed to seek-out and destroy metastatic cancers that have spread throughout the body. While Rexin-G is currently approved for the treatment of all solid tumors in the Republic of the Philippines, Epeius Biotech is conducting a series of advanced Phase I/II studies and a Phase II confirmatory trial in the U.S. The Phase I/II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Rexin-G in chemotherapy-resistant metastatic bone and soft tissue sarcomas (ASCO Annual Meeting 2009, #10513) demonstrated that Rexin-G was well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity. Moreover, Rexin-G exhibited dose-dependent efficacy in terms of tumor control rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival, thus validating both the efficiency of the tumor-targeting technology and the pharmacological mechanisms of action.
One in five people fall below the official poverty line following the death of their partner. "Hence the recent fall in the value of annuities, savings and investments means an even wider group of older people could face financial difficulties when their partner dies, whether these difficulties are short-lived or longer lasting," says researcher Anne Corden of the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMKII alpha) is an enzyme that adds phosphates to a variety of protein substrates to modify their functions. CaMKII alpha is enriched in the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain, and is believed to be an essential mediator of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and memory functions. However, the causative role of the enzymatic activity of CaMKII alpha in such processes has not been demonstrated yet, because this enzyme has multiple protein functions other than the kinase activity. A Japanese research group, led by Dr Yoko Yamagata of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan, has successfully generated a novel kinase-dead mutant mouse of the CaMKII alpha gene that completely and exclusively lacks its kinase activity. They examined hippocampal synaptic plasticity and behavioral learning of the mouse, and found a severe deficit in both processes. They reported their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience, published on June 10, 2009.
A PET scan uses radiation, or nuclear medicine imaging, to produce 3-dimensional, color images of the functional processes within the human body. PET stands for positron emission tomography. The machine detects pairs of gamma rays which are emitted indirectly by a tracer (positron-emitting radionuclide) which is placed in the body on a biologically active molecule. The images are reconstructed by computer analysis. Modern machines often use a CT X-ray scan which is performed on the patient at the same time in the same machine.
MRSA Survivors Network, the Chicago-based nonprofit and the official organization that launched World MRSA Day earlier this year is building momentum in the US, the UK and worldwide in its humanitarian grass-roots effort to raise awareness of the MRSA epidemic.
PharmaVentures Ltd, announced that it has been engaged by InDex Pharmaceuticals AB to advise and assist in out-licensing its first in class therapeutic, Kappaproct (DIMS 0150), for the treatment of steroid resistant / dependent Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The engagement will utilise PharmaVentures" transactions experience in the healthcare and investment business sectors.
The rapid development of modern neuroimaging has made a decisive improvement in the diagnosis of neurological illnesses. As Professor Filippi notes: "Neuroimaging makes new diagnostic tools available with the potential to quantify the extent of CNS injury, to define the nature of the different pathological substrates of the various CNS affections and to assess the functional changes following tissue damage with the ability to limit the clinical consequences of injury."
"Latest research raises important ethical issues concerning our care for patients with chronic consciousness disorders," said Professor Gustave Moonen (Liege, Belgium), past president of the European Neurological Society (ENS), at a press conference at the current ENS Congress. This major meeting in European neurology is gathering more than 2,900 experts from all over the world in Milan. "This is all the more important as studies have shown that more than a third of patients given an initial diagnosis of vegetative state or persistent vegetative state show minimal signs of consciousness under more detailed examination."
Transcend Medical, Inc., an ophthalmic device company dedicated to delivering breakthrough advances in the treatment of glaucoma, announced today that it has closed a $35 million Series B round and is continuing the rapid development of its Transcend CyPass(TM) System, a novel proprietary system for the minimally-invasive treatment of glaucoma.
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.
South Dakota State University research shows that a child with leaner body mass, or muscle, builds bigger bones than a child who weighs the same but has a greater percentage of fat.
Being overweight is a health concern, but Body Mass Index doesn"t tell the whole story because it is part of a larger picture, says a new advisory
The results of current clinical trials on new substances for MS therapy are among the new research findings that are being discussed with particular interest at the ENS meeting. Professor Comi is part of an international research team presenting the latest results of a study involving the orally administered drug fingolimod that is still in the clinical trial state and yet to be approved. An earlier study showed that oral fingolimod reduced the annualizied relapse rate in MS patients by more than 50 percent versus placebo.
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.
Venezuela To Void Some Pharmaceutical Patents
CNN examines China"s efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS by educating sex workers about the disease and prevention strategies. "It is estimated that some 700,000 people are living with HIV in China and there are about 50,000 new infections every year, according to the Chinese government and UNAIDS. The U.N. agency believes a significant number of those new infections include sex workers," CNN writes.
Two studies recently published in the journal Nature Genetics report identifying new genes and gene regions that contribute to making people susceptible to developing MS. The findings, by the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium and the Australia/New Zealand MS Genetics Consortium, add to a growing list of gene variations linked to MS susceptibility. Identifying all MS genes will likely lead to the development of more effective ways to treat the disease, and open the door to uncovering the cause of MS, which may lead to its prevention.
The largest analysis of its kind has found that Caucasians are much more likely than people in other racial/ethnic groups to develop a rare bone and soft tissue cancer called Ewing"s sarcoma. In addition, among Caucasians with this cancer, men are more likely to die than women. Published in the August 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that examining the gender and racial differences related to Ewing"s sarcoma could provide a better understanding of the disease and could lead to improved treatments for patients.
The recent news of a British soldier dying of heatstroke, whilst serving in Iraq, is a reminder of the seriousness of this condition. It is unlikely that holidaymakers will ever be in a situation where this condition will lead to death, but it can put a strain on a body"s internal organs, as well as lead to other complications. Young children and babies are particularly at risk.
Schizophrenia, a chronic and debilitating disorder marked in part by auditory hallucinations and paranoia, can strike in late adolescence or early adulthood at a time when people are ready to stand on their own two feet as fully independent adults.
Police are investigating the suicide of an academic who pioneered treatment for multiple sclerosis but could no longer live with the disease herself.
Yesterday morning, AARP CEO A. Barry Rand delivered the following remarks at the White House announcement of a new agreement to substantially fill the Medicare Part D coverage gap:
Only 37, Janie Lee had endured excruciating back pain for 20 years. She couldn"t stay in one position for more than five minutes, and walking hunched over was the only way she could get around. Her search for help took her to several doctors and an emergency room, but it wasn"t until she found Hyun Bae, M.D., a renowned spine specialist at Saint John"s Health Center in Santa Monica that she received the diagnosis and care that would return her life to her.
U-Systems, the leader in dedicated breast ultrasound systems, together with Medical Director Jessica A. Guingrich, MD of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Susan G. Komen Breast Center and Centers for Breast Health announced that they have initiated the SOMOò€¢INSIGHT Clinical Study. The first participants have been enrolled and the first pathologically confirmed cancer has been detected in a mammographically-negative screening patient. The clinical study is examining whether Digital Mammography along with the somoò€¢v™ Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is more sensitive to detecting breast lesions when compared to Mammography alone in women with dense breasts.
Pre-hospital emergency care in the form of
A study published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine shows
While it is well known that excessive text messaging can result in sore thumbs, less is known about its possible effects on the neck, arms and hands. Young adults with symptoms in these parts of the body use a different technique when texting, according to a study at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained records from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documenting 28 deaths in 2008 associated with Gardasil, the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), up from the 19 deaths in 2007. The total number of Gardasil-related deaths is 47 since the vaccine was approved in 2006. Overall, the FDA documented 6,723 "adverse events" related to Gardasil in 2008, of which 1,061 were considered "serious," and 142 considered "life threatening."
Medical scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating how a species of fish from the Pacific Ocean could help provide answers to tackling chronic conditions such as hereditary high blood pressure and kidney disease.
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.
Jhpiego, an international non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, is pleased to announce that Dr. Harshad Sanghvi, Vice President and Medical Director of Jhpiego, has been awarded the 2009 Award for Best Practices in Global Health from the Global Health Council.
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.
Patients suffering from acute pain and healthcare professionals who treat pain have a new treatment option: NUCYNTA(TM) (tapentadol) CII immediate release tablets. This new medication for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in patients 18 years of age or older is now available by prescription only in 50-mg, 75-mg and 100-mg tablets, announced PriCara,(R) Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
An article published Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology indicates that weight-loss surgery known as bariatric surgery could be linked to a reduction in cancer risk in obese women, but not in obese men.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced the state"s fifth death linked to infection with the novel H1N1 virus. The person, a Hartford County resident, was in the 50 - 59 year old age group and had underlying medical conditions. The person died recently after hospitalization.
The New Mexico Department of Health announced today that a 65-year-old man from San Miguel County is hospitalized in critical condition at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque with the state"s second case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome this year. The Department of Health confirmed the case of Hantavirus on Wednesday and is conducting an environmental investigation to look for places where the man may have been exposed to the virus.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports 22 new cases of H1N1 swine flu for last week, bringing the state"s total number of cases to 105. The new cases last week were in Lamar (6), Rankin (4), Covington (2), Madison (2), Chickasaw (1), Forrest (1), Harrison (1), Jackson (1), Lafayette (1), Monroe (1), Warren (1) and Winston (1) counties.
"House Democrats are pushing forward with a partisan health care bill even as a key Senate Democrat labors to achieve an elusive bipartisan compromise on President Barack Obama"s top legislative priority," The Associated Press reports. "The draft legislation, written without Republican help, would require all Americans to purchase health insurance and would put new requirements on employers, too." The House bill was unveiled last week and "is to be weighed in hearings beginning Tuesday."
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."
CNN looks at the lives of teenagers and young adults who were born with HIV before advancements in antiretroviral drugs in the 1990s helped prevent mother-to-child transmission. According to CNN, these children "have defied initial expectations" and "danced at their high school proms, walked on stage to receive their diplomas and even experienced the birth of their children." The article profiles a group of HIV-positive teenagers and young adults in Miami called the Kool Kids. The group was established in 1995 to help children living with HIV cope with the "usual complications of adolescence" and also the "broken families, medical complications and fights for acceptance" that exist as a result of their HIV (Park, CNN, 6/22).
The National Right to Life Committee last week held its national convention in Charlotte, N.C., attracting as many as 1,300 antiabortion-rights advocates from around the U.S., according to event organizers, the Charlotte Observer reports. According to the Observer, a large part of the convention focused on President Obama"s appeal for "common ground" in the abortion-rights debate, with many participants arguing there is not much in common to be found between abortion-rights supporters and opponents.NRLC Political Director Karen Cross said that Obama is "the most pro-abortion president" in U.S. history, telling convention delegates, "Look at the devastation brought by the first 100 days" of his administration. Cross was referring to Obama"s decisions to ease restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, lift the "global gag" rule and his intentions to repeal the Bush administration"s provider "conscience" rule.Although Obama has sought to achieve common ground on abortion by promoting adoption and methods of preventing unintended pregnancies, his "view of common ground is not common ground at all" for "people with very strong pro-life positions," John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, said. Green said that the "positive news is abortion is not a priority for many Americans." Green said that results from a recent a Pew Research Center poll could indicate that "pro-life constituencies are becoming more vocal and more strident precisely because there"s a president with more pro-choice sympathies." Similarly, a May Gallup poll found that 51% of U.S. residents consider themselves "pro-life," compared with 42% who call themselves "pro-choice." The poll was the first time Gallup found that more people identified themselves as "pro-life."Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said that the Gallup poll "doesn"t square" with the election of Obama and abortion-rights majorities in both chambers of Congress. She said, "Americans want a change in the tone of the debate and that begins with common ground on birth control and sex education." She added, "As long as right-to-life refuses to support better access to contraception, they will continue to be outside the mainstream values of this country" (Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 6/20).
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ ""Anonymous" Republican Senator Obstructs Resolution To Condemn Clinic Violence," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: On Thursday, an unnamed Republican senator "used his power to put a "hold"" on a resolution (S.R. 187) "condemning violence against women"s health providers, thereby blocking any vote on the resolution," Jacobson writes. She adds, "So much for agreeing on at least a basic premise in the debate about choice, reproductive rights or even reproductive health." Such holds, which senators can submit anonymously and without explanation, allow Republicans to "get away with sorrowful expressions to the media on violence" without having "to be put to the test of actually voting to denounce the violence against" abortion providers like George Tiller, Jacobson writes. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who introduced the resolution, "intended [it] to be non-controversial," but the "condemnation of violence is apparently too much for some Republicans to bear," Jacobson continues. She adds that the House unanimously passed a resolution (H.R. 505) last week condemning violence in places of worship. The three senators who introduced the Senate resolution "decided to move forward with their resolution" without the House"s language because they "feel condemning violence against women"s health care providers and agreeing not to use violence as a means of resolving differences are not objectionable viewpoints," Jacobson writes. She concludes, "Apparently, there is no common ground in the Senate on not using violence where women"s health is concerned" (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 6/19).~ "Supporting MAMAs," Amie Newman, RH Reality Check: Under President Obama, who is calling for "an exploration of common ground in the abortion debate and is spearheading the fight for health care reform, we have an opportunity to re-examine the gamut of women"s reproductive and sexual health care in order to improve access to all care," Newman writes. She continues that the Midwives and Mothers in Action campaign, a collaboration of advocacy and consumer groups, is working "to ensure that health care reform remembers midwifery." The group is lobbying for federal recognition of certified professional midwives as a means to increase women"s access to affordable, quality obstetrical care and working to ensure that "Medicaid coverage for certified professional midwives is included in any health care reform," Newman writes. According to Newman, in 25 states "it is illegal to choose the care provider or setting for your birth because certified professional midwives are outlawed as birth facilitators." She continues, "As we work towards immense health care reform, the question for all reproductive health advocates should be: How much longer will we tolerate a system in which women"s and babies" health and lives are compromised, costs to the consumer are rising, access to childbirth care remains inequitable and certified professional midwives must fight for their livelihood?" Newman concludes, "Access to abortion care, contraception and childbirth care should be seen as concentric circles -- they are all connected and all part of the continuum of [women"s] reproductive and sexual health care with which reproductive [health] and rights advocates should be concerned" (Newman, RH Reality Check, 6/22).~ "Roe Protects Pregnant Women, Too," Rachel Roth, RH Reality Check: "Roe v. Wade stands for women"s reproductive self-determination: for the right to have an abortion and the right to have a baby," Roth writes. She adds, "Both dimensions of Roe"s promise are critical to women"s lives, yet most people are far more familiar with one than the other." Roth continues that although most people know that Roe "recognized women"s constitutional right to an abortion," those rights "are not absolute." According to Roth, "Roe did not establish a contest between women"s rights and "feta
RNs Protest Cuts to Public Health, Pediatrics, TB Clinic, and Other Outpatient Services at San Joaquin County
Leaders of the major faith groups have put their support behind the Wall of Life, an interactive campaign launched today by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The campaign - at http://www.walloflife.org.uk - aims to promote awareness of and support for organ donation to boost the number of people joining the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced the re-appointments of Dr. Jean Rouleau and Dr. Brett Finlay to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Governing Council for their second three-year terms.
A lack of serotonin, commonly known as the "happiness hormone", in the brain slows the growth of mice after birth and is responsible for impaired maternal behavior later in life. This was the result of research conducted by Dr. Natalia Alenina, Dana Kikic, and Professor Michael Bader of the Max DelbrÃøck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany. At the same time, the researchers discovered that the presence of serotonin in the brain is not crucial for the survival of the animals. Furthermore, they were able to confirm that there are two strictly separate pathways of serotonin production: One gene is responsible for the formation of serotonin in the brain, another gene for the production of the hormone in the body (PNAS, June 23, 2009, Vol. 106, No. 25, pp 10332-10337)*.
Eating disorders are frequently seen as psychological or societal diseases, but do they have an underlying biological cause? A new study shows that the levels of a brain protein differ between healthy and anorexic women.
Research presented by Bernard Casey of the University of Warwick"s Institute for Employment Research shows that work-related stress today damages national output even more than the loss to national output due to strikes at the peak of industrial unrest in the 1970s.
The effect of anxiety on academic performance is not always obvious but new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests that there may be hidden costs. The research found that anxious individuals find it harder to avoid distractions and take more time to turn their attention from one task to the next than their less anxious peers.
In the world of Disney, falling in heterosexual love can break a spell, save Christmas, change laws, stop wars and even, in the case of The Little Mermaid, cause an individual to give up her personal identity.
Multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, and other conditions caused by a loss of myelin insulation around nerves can be debilitating and even deadly, but adequate treatments do not yet exist. That"s in large part because of deficiencies in model research systems. In an upcoming issue of the journal Biomaterials, a UCF team addresses this problem with a report on the first lab-grown motor nerves that are insulated and organized the same way they are in the body. The group"s model system, along with further advances now within reach, could dramatically improve understanding of the causes of myelin-related conditions, and enable discovery and testing of new drug therapies.
In order to recognize and encourage cutting-edge research in key areas of orthopaedic sports medicine, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) will present eight research awards and two grants during its Annual Meeting, July 9-12th in Keystone, Colorado. As a leader in orthopaedic sports medicine, AOSSM annually provides more than $150,000 to research initiatives and projects around the country. Highlights of this year"s award recipients include:
People with a learning disability will be helped into paid jobs to close the employment gap, Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People and Phil Hope, Minister for Care Services pledged today.
Seasonal influenza in health care workers is a personal health threat, but also poses a significant risk to the patients in their care. In an effort to help health care organizations improve the rate of health care worker influenza vaccinations, The Joint Commission is releasing a monograph "Providing a Safer Environment for Health Care Personnel and Patients Through Influenza Vaccination: Strategies from Research and Practice."
The world has suddenly discovered that the so-called "Nordic diet" is comparable in terms of nutrition and healthiness with the well-known sun-ripened Mediterranean diet. Scientists are constantly on the lookout for answers to how food affects our health and how to give people guidelines on a balanced diet that will both keep us healthy and at a normal weight.
Exercise has many benefits from improving cardiovascular capacity to reducing weight, and now a new
Iraqi health authorities confirmed yesterday that six people recently returned from the US have tested positive for H1N1 epidemic or swine flu,
In his address at the University of Notre Dame"s commencement ceremony on Sunday, President Obama urged advocates on both sides of the abortion-rights debate to treat each other with civility and find ways to work together on common goals, such as reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, the New York Times reports. Obama, who also received an honorary degree from the Roman Catholic university, called for more "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words" on an issue that has long polarized the U.S. Obama said that although not all will agree on abortion rights, people "can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually" and "has both moral and spiritual dimension." He continued, "So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions," by reducing unintended pregnancies, making "adoption more available," and providing "care and support" to women who carry pregnancies to term. Obama also said he supports a "sensible conscience clause" that would allow health care workers to withhold services they find morally or religiously objectionable, the New York Times reports. The president said that "[e]ach side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature" (Baker/Saulny, New York Times, 5/18).According to the Wall Street Journal, Notre Dame"s invitation to Obama "amplified longstanding tensions" between the Catholic Church"s position against abortion rights and Catholic universities" academic freedom. Several Catholic bishops and antiabortion-rights advocates argued that it was wrong to honor Obama because of his support for abortion rights, while the university"s leadership and others said it is necessary to communicate with people of opposing views (Meckler, Wall Street Journal, 5/18). Notre Dame"s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, in his introduction of Obama praised the president for agreeing to speak at the ceremony. He said that although some individuals "might have avoided this venue" because of the abortion issue, Obama "is not someone who stops talking to those who differ with him" (Evans, USA Today, 5/18). Jenkins also said, "If we want to extend courtesy, respect and love and enter into dialogue, then surely we can start by acknowledging what is honorable in others" (Dinan, Washington Times, 5/18).The New York Times reports that about 100 abortion-rights opponents protested on the edge of Notre Dame"s campus, and nearly 40 protesters were arrested trying to enter the campus (New York Times, 5/18). According to the Washington Post, more than 70 Catholic bishops criticized the university"s invitation, and more than 360,000 people signed a petition calling for the university to rescind the invite. The Post also reports that 26 of the 2,900 graduates chose to skip the commencement ceremony in protest of Obama"s speech (Shear, Washington Post, 5/18). However, the bulk of the audience at the ceremony "enthusiastically supported" the president, the New York Times reports. A few graduates pasted crosses and replicas of infants" feet on their mortarboards in protest of Obama"s visit, while some supporters displayed Obama"s campaign logo. Four protesters interrupted the speech with shouting and were removed by security guards; audience members responded to the shouting with Notre Dame chants and shouts of "Yes, we can," an Obama campaign slogan. The New York Times reports that while Obama has tried to avoid confrontation on the issue of abortion rights, the controversy over this Notre Dame speech and his pending nomination to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter have "pushed the issue to the forefront" (New York Times 5/18). Obama"s speech comes as his administration initiates its first meetings between advocates on both sides of the debate to discuss ways to reduce unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. The meetings, which began at the beginning of May, are expected to continue for the next few
Adding to its line up of complete total digital imaging and workflow management solutions for eyecare professionals, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in medical imaging, today introduced the CR-1 Mark II Digital Non-Mydriatic Retinal Camera.
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.
Latest Erbitux® (cetuximab) data presented today at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (WCGIC) reinforce the value of the targeted therapy in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with KRAS wild-type (wt) tumors. Results from the CRYSTALa and CELIMb trials have provided further evidence that KRAS mutation status is the current accepted standard predictive biomarker for Erbitux efficacy in patients with mCRC. In addition, new data have shown that the rash associated with Erbitux therapy can be effectively treated with a cream containing vitamin K.
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.
Namibia"s recently released second MDG Report 2008 finds that the country is making progress toward achieving some of the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. However, the Prime Minister says the global economic situation could reverse progress and notes that the country is behind on some health-related targets, New Era reports.
-- 8 confirmed cases in Wales, including 3 new cases:
Governments and health professionals across Australia need to give full and detailed
Oprah Winfrey "has scored good ratings with her health episodes" of her television show, but "in doing so, she seems to have thrown therapeutic caution to the wind," such as on her shows featuring actress Suzanne Somers" opinions on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, Salon contributor and physician Rahul Parikh writes in an opinion piece. Somers, while advocating for the use of bioidentical HRT as a safe alternative to traditional HRT for postmenopausal women, said she used "mega-doses of bioidenticals continuously and aggressively," according to Parikh. Parikh writes that Somers, on television and in her 2007 book, "argues that these hormones are more natural, more effective and safer than what doctors prescribe." According to Parikh, "In reality, ...÷ there are no good medical studies to back up those claims."Parikh says that although "what Somers was advocating was radically different from standards of medical care," Winfrey "was not concerned" and even said that Somers ""might be a pioneer,"" Parikh continues. Winfrey billed the episode as part of a ""great debate"" on hormone therapy, but she "didn"t ask about whether [Somers"] super-hormone regimen could have contributed to Somers" history of breast cancer"; "her hysterectomy, the result of pre-cancerous changes in her uterus from her use of HRT"; or the "validity of Somers" book"s s, many of whom are neither experts in women"s health or endocrinology, nor board-certified physicians, nor experienced researchers," Parikh states. He adds, "It"s not that Winfrey doesn"t try to maintain medical credibility in her shows," but "her efforts seem subpar," noting that her show "reaches millions of people, while each doctor can reach only one patient at a time." Parikh concludes, "That could easily be corrected by Winfrey providing more thought and balance in her medical advice" (Parikh, Salon, 5/15).
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today announced that the 2009 NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference will provide a forum at which to provide further recognition to Leonard J. DeMino, RPh., a chain pharmacy icon whose resume already includes some of the industry"s highest honors and achievements. This news comes as DeMino announces his retirement as senior pharmacy consultant to NACDS, effective in June 2009.
A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Katholeike Universiteit Leuven, and the University of Antwerp, Belgium, among other institutions, has created a genetically modified fruit fly that mimics key features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a common neurodegenerative disorder that strikes about one out of every 2,500 people in the United States.
A thorough cost-benefit analysis that includes an assessment of meaningful alternatives is needed to reveal the potential security advantages of deploying new detector systems to screen cargo for nuclear and radiological materials at U.S. ports and border crossings. It is likely that the costs will exceed the savings gained from improved efficiency of the screening systems, says a new report from the National Research Council. There are shortcomings in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security"s testing of these new detector systems, therefore the DHS secretary cannot conclude whether they will consistently outperform the current ones. DHS should not proceed with further procurement of these new detector systems until the issues are addressed and the systems have been shown to be a favored option in the cost-benefit analysis.
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.
Tobacco acts as a precipitating factor for headaches, specifically migraines. This is indicated in a study which shows that smokers have more migraine attacks and that smoking more than five cigarettes a day triggers this headache. The work has appeared in the Journal of Headache and Pain.
Several thousand test fields are tightly packed together on the tiny surface of a biochip. They permit the rapid analysis of substances, e.g. for diagnosing allergens in the blood. These biochips are already in widespread use for DNA testing. When it comes to proteins, such chips are difficult to produce. This is because the proteins have a defined three-dimensional structure by which they can interact specifically with other molecules and control biological processes. If they bind to a surface, such as on a biochip, the structure can be destroyed and the protein cannot perform its function.
DrugScope has today welcomed the National Treatment Agency"s announcement of a pilot scheme that will see families and carers of opiate users trained in drug overdose management and the administration of naloxone, a drug which reverses the effects of a drug overdose [1].
Global warming will likely mean more unpredictable weather, scientists say, and a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia pins down, possibly for the first time, how drought conditions in an area"s fall and winter may effect tornado activity the following spring.
Researchers from the University of California, Davis have developed a specific and quantitative means of measuring levels of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) protein (FMRP), which is mutated in fragile X syndrome. The related report by Iwahashi et al, "A quantitative ELISA assay for the fragile X mental retardation 1 protein," appears in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
Scientists have discovered that abnormalities in a gene important for learning and memory are a cause of autism. The University of Aberdeen finding could hold the key to the future development of new treatments for autism - a brain development disorder which affects how a person communicates and relates to others. In a study published today in the Journal of Medical Genetics the researchers explain how their investigations into the gene EIF4E began with the study of one child with severe autism.
Joel B. Nelson, M.D., chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center"s (UPMC) Department of Urology, performed his 2,000th radical prostatectomy at UPMC Shadyside, a milestone achieved by only a handful of surgeons worldwide. Radical prostatectomy, or removal of the entire prostate gland, is the most common treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer. Studies show that recovery from prostate cancer is significantly associated with a surgeon"s lifetime experience performing this operation.
ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, vascular disease and cancer, announces that its lead product microplasmin, which is in Phase III trials for the treatment of vitreomacular adhesion, is progressing according to schedule. All protocol-specified, interim masked analyses by the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) have been completed. Recruitment is on track and the DMC, having found no safety concerns, has unanimously recommended proceeding without protocol modification.