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Ohio Comprehensive Sex Education Program Improves Knowledge Of Safer-Sex Practices, Study Finds
Ohio students who participate in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District"s comprehensive sex education program show more knowledge and better attitudes toward safer-sex practices than students who do not participate, according to a study released Tuesday by Philliber Research Associates, the AP/Dayton Daily News reports. The school district uses a graduated sex education program for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The program begins with instruction about the human body and inappropriate touching and progresses to discussions about sexually transmitted infections and relationships. The study, which was funded by the AIDS Funding Collaborative in Cleveland, found that more than 75% of parents of children in kindergarten through sixth grade approved of the program.The Collaborative for Comprehensive School Age Health, a coalition of northeast Ohio organizations that opposes abstinence-only sex education, said that the report validates the effectiveness of the city"s program. The study"s release coincides with advocates" efforts against two other sex education-related measures under consideration in the state budget plan. According to the AP/Daily News, the Republican-controlled state Senate wants to require the state Department of Education to apply for federal abstinence-only education funding. The state Senate also wants Ohio to continue to require legislative approval before any changes can be made in health education, although Gov. Ted Strickland (D) and the Democrat-controlled House want to change these requirements, the AP/Daily News reports (AP/Dayton Daily News, 6/23).

WHO, UNICEF Say Vitamin A, Deworming Interventions Safe, In Response To Alleged Deaths, Sickness In Bangladesh
The WHO and UNICEF on Tuesday said that vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets are safe, after two deaths and the "sickness of hundreds" were alleged among the children who received the interventions during a nationwide campaign in Bangladesh, Bernama.com reports (Bernama.com, 6/9).
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Antiabortion-Rights Group Operation Rescue Considering Purchase Of Tiller's Clinic
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman on Wednesday said that his group is considering trying to purchase murdered abortion provider George Tiller"s Wichita, Kan., clinic, which Tiller"s family permanently closed on Tuesday, the New York Times reports. The clinic is owned by Tiller"s family. The family"s lawyer, Dan Monnat, called Operation Rescue"s proposal "just another irreverent, extremist publicity stunt." He declined to comment further on the situation. The family has not announced its plans for the building and land, which are worth $734,100, according to Sedgwick County, Kan., property records. The clinic has long been a focal point for the antiabortion-rights movement because it was one of the few in the U.S. that offered abortion later in pregnancy. Newman said that he has discussed the possible purchase with only a few members of Operation Rescue"s board but is certain that the funds could be raised if they decide to attempt to buy the clinic. Newman also said that one possibility for the location would be to turn it into a memorial museum to serve as "a tribute to the babies." He denied the claim that his comments are a publicity stunt.According to the Times, the closing of Tiller"s clinic has set off a "flurry of concerns" from abortion-rights advocates that it will be more difficult for women to access abortion services in situations when catastrophic health issues are identified late in pregnancy (Davey, New York Times, 6/11). LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion provider who worked with Tiller at the clinic, said that he will continue to perform third-trimester abortions in Kansas but did not provide information on where he will practice, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. Although he did not provide details, Carhart said that "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon." He said he has seen an increase in patients at his Nebraska clinic since Tiller"s murder. Carhart traveled to Tiller"s clinic to perform second- and third-trimester abortions because Kansas has less restrictive abortion laws than Nebraska. Carhart said he has not performed any procedures at his clinic after 22 weeks" gestation because his staff is not trained to do them. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, Nebraska law prohibits abortion when a fetus is considered viable. Kansas law, however, allows abortion after 21 weeks" gestation if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman"s life or cause "substantial and irreversible impairment" of a major bodily function, which courts have interpreted to include mental health (Gibbs, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/11).Broadcast CoverageThree media outlets on Wednesday reported on issues related to Tiller"s murder. Summaries appear below.~ MSNBC"s "The Rachel Maddow Show": The program included a discussion with Jennifer Boulanger, executive director for the Allentown Women"s Center, about threats to the center since Tiller"s murder (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 6/10).~ NPR"s "All Things Considered": The program included a discussion with NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner about the correct terminology for referring to abortion later in pregnancy and why the phrase "late-term abortion" is inaccurate (Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/10).~ WBUR"s "On Point": The program included a discussion with the Rev. Katherine Ragsdale -- a board member of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the incoming dean and president of Episcopal Divinity School -- and Jim Wallis -- founder and editor of the progressive evangelical group Sojourners -- about abortion-rights supporters" reaction to violence in the antiabortion-rights movement (Ashbrook, "On Point," WBUR, 6/10).
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New Pre-Clinical Data On OmniGuide's BeamPath NEURO(TM) Demonstrates Precise Cutting In Brain Tissue

OmniGuide, Inc., the developer of the first and only flexible CO2 laser fiber based on breakthrough photonic bandgap technology, announced the results of a pre-clinical study comparing the Company"s fiber scalpels to conventional incision methods in neurosurgery. In the study, surgeons from the Barrow Neurological Institute reported that careful studies of incisions produced in live brain tissue with fiber delivered CO2 laser radiation produced precise cuts while minimally effecting adjacent brain tissue when compared with a widely used reference technique. The study, led by Drs. Mark Preul, Robert W. Ryan, and Robert Spetzler of the Neurosurgery Research Laboratory, Barrow Neurological Institute, in Phoenix, Arizona, was presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons in San Diego, California. "The study demonstrates that the flexible CO2 laser fiber was easy to use and manipulate under the operating microscope, could be accurately aimed and created precise incisions without the need to touch or manipulate the tissue," said Dr. Preul, Director of the Barrow"s Neurosurgical Research Laboratory. "The device also allows surgeons to cut and coagulate with a single instrument. Given the high absorption of the CO2 laser in water, a smaller area of tissue is affected as deeper incisions are made which indicates that the BeamPath NEURO could be a valuable new tool added to the neurosurgical armamentarium." CO2 lasers were first used in neurosurgery in 1970 but were never widely adopted because the systems available for delivering the laser energy were awkward and surgeons were limited to "line of sight" procedures. OmniGuide"s BeamPath fiber is based on breakthrough fiber technology developed at MIT and exclusively licensed to OmniGuide. The company manufactures the world"s first flexible fibers for CO2 laser surgery. BeamPath fibers empower surgeons to perform delicate cutting and coagulation with minimal thermal tissue damage and ultimate maneuverability, a major advantage. "The study conducted by surgeons from the Barrow Neurological Institute, a world renowned medical center for brain and spine surgery, provides further validation of the safety and efficacy of the BeamPath fiber in neurosurgery. The ability to precisely and hemostatically cut in the brain while minimizing loss of precious brain tissue has a real potential for improving brain tumor removal efficacy," said Yoel Fink, president and CEO of OmniGuide. "Since the launch of the BeamPath NEURO, we"ve seen strong demand for our technology and it is becoming more widely available to a new patient population that will benefit significantly." About OmniGuide, Inc. OmniGuide, Inc., is the worldwide leader in precision optical scalpels for minimally invasive surgery. OmniGuide CO2 laser fiber products are clinically targeted disposable optical scalpels optimized for specific surgical procedures. The Company has recently introduced a line of fiber-enabled, portable, low-cost CO2 lasers for use in operating rooms and surgical suites. The Company designs and manufactures its fiber products in Cambridge, Mass. based on multi-material photonic bandgap fiber technology exclusively licensed from MIT. The Company distributes its products in the U.S. through a direct sales force and in Europe through distribution partners. OmniGuide is committed to developing products that improve and expand surgical treatment options, enhance clinical outcomes, and reduce treatment complexity and cost. OmniGuide has several leading-edge flexible laser fiber scalpels for use in both hospital and office settings; leading brands include the BeamPath(TM) ENT for laryngology, airway and head and neck procedures and BeamPath(TM) OTO for otology procedures and the BeamPath(TM) NEURO for neurosurgery. OmniGuide, Inc


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