Diagnostics
A virus (from the Latin virus meaning toxin or poison) is a microscopic organism consisting of genetic material (RNA or DNA) surrounded by a protein, lipid (fat), or glycoprotein coat. Viruses are unique organisms because they cannot reproduce without a host cell. After contacting a host cell, a virus will insert genetic material into the host and take over the host"s functions. The cell, now infected, continues to reproduce, but it reproduces more viral protein and genetic material instead of its usual products. It is this process that earns viruses the classification of "parasite".
Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO:
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."
There are 1.8 million disabled Americans who wait two-years to enroll in Medicare. Many say that waiting period can be devastating.
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.
"As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to consider a restaurant group"s challenge to San Francisco"s health coverage ordinance, one voice is noticeably silent: the Obama administration"s," The San Francisco Chronicle reports. "In contrast to President George W. Bush"s Labor Department, which unsuccessfully urged a federal appeals court to overturn the groundbreaking law, the new administration submitted no arguments before the July 10 deadline for briefs supporting or opposing Supreme Court review. President Obama, meanwhile, has praised the San Francisco program, the first of its kind in the nation, while pressing Congress to enact comprehensive health coverage."
Ducking a punch or a thrown spear calls for the power of the human brain to process 3-D motion, and to perceive an object (whether it"s offensive or not) moving in three dimensions is critical to survival. It also leads to a lot of fun at 3-D movies.
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.
In 1989 scientists identified the gene mutation that causes cystic
A new subsidy designed to increase access to life-saving antiretrovirals
California and Arizona researchers have identified a gene variant that carries nearly twice the risk of developing an increasingly common type of blood cancer, according to a study published online by the science journal Nature Genetics.
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students have demonstrated a practical way to embed a patient"s own adult stem cells in the surgical thread that doctors use to repair serious orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. The goal, the students said, is to enhance healing and reduce the likelihood of re-injury without changing the surgical procedure itself.
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.
Scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating how the stuff of stink bombs and flatulence could play a critical role in the human reproductive system.
Every year, 42,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Few live very long, and less than 5% are still alive five years after diagnosis.
Research carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has resulted in a promising approach to help treat Alzheimer"s disease in a significant proportion of the population that suffers from a particularly rapid development of this disease.
Compared with patients with moderately controlled glucose levels, diabetic patients who have heart failure and either too high or too low glucose levels may be at increased risk of death, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report published in the current issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers at Brown University and the University of Arizona have determined that variations of three different genes in the brain (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) may help predict a person"s tendency to make certain choices.
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.
A new Bachelor of Occupational Health and Safety Science that offers career opportunities in a diverse range of workplaces, from mines to movie sets, will be on show at UQ"s St Lucia Open Day (August 2).
The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier today, Tuesday, that countries should consider closing schools as a way to slow the spread of
The national intern allocation period commenced yesterday, amidst concerns that some states may not be able to accommodate the increased number of medical graduates, despite a national workforce shortage.
A.P. Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:APPA), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for APF530 for the potential treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). APF530 is a long-acting formulation of granisetron that utilizes the Company"s proprietary Biochronomer™ drug delivery system. Based on the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), the FDA has issued an action date of March 18, 2010.
LDR, a total spine solution company, announced that it has begun to market its ROI-C™ cervical cage following 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration. The ROI-C cage, when used with the company"s integrated VerteBRIDGE™ plating technology, offers a zero profile, stand-alone construct for fusion in the cervical spine. ROI-C addresses the growing interest within the market for stand-alone cervical fusion technology that reduces the need for thick cervical plates that may contribute to dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: LXRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced today that it has received orphan drug designation from the Committee for Orphan Medical Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for LX1032, the company"s oral drug candidate for managing gastrointestinal symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome. LX1032 is designed to reduce serotonin production in patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors. Elevated levels of serotonin contribute to the gastrointestinal and possibly other symptoms experienced by these patients.
Researchers have uncovered the first cases in which HIV almost certainly was transmitted from mothers or other caregivers to children through pre-chewed food. The of HIV in the pre-chewed food was most likely the infected blood in the saliva of the people who pre-chewed the food before giving it to the children. The researchers said their findings suggest that HIV-infected mothers or other caregivers should be warned against giving infants pre-chewed food and directed toward safer feeding options.
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students" exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Two large US studies published in a leading journal this month support the already substantial body of evidence that shows choosing to follow a
The president of the California Medical Association, Dev A. GnanaDev, issued the following statement today in regards to the announced state budget deal:
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).
Revised guidelines on when and how to induce labor in pregnant women were issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The guidelines provide physicians with guidance regarding which induction methods may be most appropriate under particular circumstances, as well as the safety requirements, and risks and benefits of the different methods. ACOG"s Practice Bulletin "Induction of Labor" is published in the August 2009 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
A former health insurance spokesman speaks out against insurance practices. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones reports: "Wendell Potter, former chief spokesman for health insurer Cigna Corp., describes himself in his Twitter bio as a "journalist who spent 20 years undercover as HMO PR flack, now writing all about it." While Potter chuckles about the line, he is serious about his foray into the U.S. health reform debate, where he is campaigning for a public health-plan option and, with mild delivery and tough words, targeting what he calls "deceptive and dishonest" tactics of a for-profit health insurance industry that"s fighting such a plan."
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, a former president of Ghana, has been named a global ambassador against hunger for the U.N."s World Food Programme (WFP), Xinhua reports. According to the news service, Kufuor will "help to underline the importance of fighting hunger on several fronts - by investing in long-term agricultural development, but also by funding WFP"s work in tackling urgent hunger needs and helping the hungry poor to access affordable and nutritious food" (Ooko, 7/20).
James W. Saxton, Esq., Chair of Stevens & Lee"s Health Care Litigation Group and Co-Chair of the Health Care Department, presented "EMR Risk in 2009 and Beyond," at the annual meeting of the Physician Insurers Association of America in Kona, HI on May 14, 2009.
Yesterday"s 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference in Helsinki reported a significant addition to the dwindling number of drugs in the fight against the hospital "Superbug", Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Cells rely on tiny molecular motors to deliver cargo, such as mRNA and organelles, within the cell. The critical nature of this transport system is evidenced by the fact that disruption of motors by genetic defects leads to fatal diseases in humans. Although investigators have isolated these motor to study their function in a controlled environment outside the cell, it has been difficult for researchers to follow these fascinating molecular transporters in their natural environment, the living cell.
Genetic testing services have recently begun to be advertised directly to the patient, and the results of the consumers" response can affect public health, as well as the future adoption of pharmacogenetic/genomic testing, according to a position paper from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) to be published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The journal is published on behalf of the ACCP by SAGE.
By substituting a single atom in a molecule widely used to purify water, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have created a far more effective decontaminant with a shelf life superior to products currently on the market.
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.
Planarian flatworms are only a few millimeters up to a few centimeters in length, live in freshwater and are the object of intense research, because they possess the extraordinary ability to regenerate lost tissue with the help of their stem cells (neoblasts) and even grow an entirely new worm out of minute amputated body parts. Now researchers from the Max DelbrÃøck Center in Berlin, Germany together with researchers in the US and Canada present the first comprehensive catalogue of small RNAs of planaria, elements that regulate gene expression. They also have identified small RNAs which may play a role in regeneration and stem cell function, Nikolaus Rajewsky from the MDC points out (PNAS, Early Edition)*.
Increasing numbers of children around the world are suffering from respiratory problems - coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks. Although the key external causes of these diseases were identified a long time ago (traffic and industrial air pollution), it had not previously been possible to distinguish clearly between these two factors so as to have a targeted impact on them. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Leipzig carried out research in this area together with colleagues from the University of La Plata and can now confirm that air pollution caused by industry has even more grave effects than vehicle exhaust fumes.
SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, has announced that SRI"s Center for Cancer Research was selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a leading role in the newly-formed "Chemical Biology Consortium" (CBC), a collaborative drug discovery partnership focused on advancing new cancer therapeutics active against novel molecular and genetic cancer targets. Based on its track record of cancer drug discovery and development, SRI was chosen to lead three of the CBC"s research and development centers: Comprehensive Chemical Biology Screening, Chemical Diversity, and Specialized Applications.
Apieron, Inc. said that CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has adopted a positive coverage policy for the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). The Medical Directors of CareFirst determined that the published, peer-reviewed evidence is sufficient to support benefit coverage for the treatment of asthma. The policy, effective July 20, 2009, states the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide is considered medically necessary in the management of asthma patients. CareFirst is the largest health care insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region, serving nearly 3.4 million members in Maryland, District of Columbia and portions of Virginia.
AnaSpec has introduced a wide selection of membrane potential fluorescent probes.
Five centrist House Democrats, led by antiabortion-rights Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), on Tuesday issued a proposal that would neither require nor ban private insurers from covering abortion services as long as federal dollars are not used, the Washington Post"s "Capitol Briefing" reports. In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Ryan and Reps. Dale Kildee (Mich.), James Langevin (R.I.), Artur Davis (Ala.) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.) said that their proposal "maintains the current status quo in the private market" and would not "preempt constitutionally permissible" state restrictions related to abortion, such as parental notification laws. The representatives called their proposal a "common ground solution." Current federal law prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services in nearly all circumstances. The lawmakers said that they are "increasingly concerned about potential roadblocks around the issue of abortion" in the health reform debate in Congress. According to "Capitol Briefing," antiabortion-rights Democrats are concerned that health reform legislation could lead to indirect federal funding of abortion services through private insurers participating in a proposed health insurance exchange (Eggen, "Capitol Briefing," Washington Post, 7/21). In the letter, the representatives said that they would like to include language in the final health reform bill "that makes clear that no insurance company will be required to pay for an abortion except in extraordinary circumstances." In addition, insurance providers would not be prohibited from paying for abortion services "so long as health insurance plans offered in the exchange that choose to provide abortion coverage pay for those services with funds that are separate and distinct from any federal subsidies," the letter said. Ryan said he hopes the proposal will be introduced in committee on Wednesday as an amendment (Smith, Politico, 7/21).House Members Step Up Efforts To Exclude Abortion CoverageMeanwhile, antiabortion-rights House members are intensifying their efforts to exclude abortion coverage from the chamber"s health reform bill (HR 3200), which they said includes a "hidden mandate" that would allow federal money to cover the procedure, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said that he plans to join other antiabortion-rights House members at a news conference on Wednesday to criticize the legislation. Stupak helped draft a June 25 letter to Pelosi saying that he and 19 other Democrats would not support any health reform bill "unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." The bill does not mention abortion, which supporters say means that the legislation is neutral on the issue (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/22).Antiabortion-Rights Coalition Launches CampaignA coalition of antiabortion-rights groups this week is launching a three-week campaign aimed at excluding abortion coverage from health reform legislation, Politico reports. The coalition includes James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; David Bereit of 40 Days for Life; and Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. Yoest said AUL intends to send a letter to President Obama on Thursday citing its "belief that the bills are intended to include abortion."Laurie Rubiner, vice president for public policy and advocacy at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said that abortion is "not mandated any more than any other service or procedure in health reform." She added that excluding abortion coverage could result in women losing the coverage they currently have under private plans. The abortion-rights opponents" demand to exclude abortion coverage "violates the first principle of health care reform, which is: Don"t make people worse off under health care reform than they are today," Rubiner said (Smith, Politico, 7/22).
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:
The Wall Street Journal reports that "Democratic centrists said they won a tentative commitment from the White House to back a proposal to curb the growth of Medicare costs. ... One proposal pushed both by President Barack Obama and some centrists is to give the executive branch the authority to implement cuts to Medicare spending that would be recommended by independent experts. Congress could stop the cuts, but only if it acted swiftly. Fiscal conservatives say that under the current system, which gives Congress more power, lawmakers shy away from politically tough votes to restrain Medicare costs."
As the public face of health reform devolves into a partisan fight - with one GOP Senator [Jim DeMint, S.C.] saying the reform push is President Obama"s "Waterloo," and Democrats retorting that Republicans would derail the overhaul for political gain - a group of legislators in the Senate Finance Committee has continued to strive for a compromise behind closed doors, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "If a bipartisan compromise is to clear Congress this year, its main lines are likely to emerge here."
As health reform proposals emerge from congressional committees, partisan fighting boils and the president wades into the debate with a series of televised addresses, news reports turn to an unanswered question. "What"s in it for me?" asks David Leonhardt, the New York Times business columnist. "On the subject of health care reform, most Americans probably don"t have a good answer to the question. And that, obviously, is a problem for the White House and for Democratic leaders in Congress," he writes.
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).
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a "prototype camera-phone mounted with a microscope" that can "magnify and photograph blood or saliva samples" for diagnosing diseases, the Canadian Press/Google.com reports. A report on the device was published on Wednesday in the journal PLoS One. The prototype, called CellScope, would enable "disease screening and diagnosis in the field where specialized clinical microscopy laboratories aren"t available, including in underdeveloped countries," according to the news service (Ubelacker, 7/21).
Rush University Medical Center and surgical robotics company Prosurgics announce the completion of the first colorectal surgeries in the U.S. using the FreeHand® laparoscopic camera controller.
The New York Daily News profiled Paul Klotman, chair of the Samuel F. Bronfman Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who is "one of the world"s leading experts on the kidney diseases associated with HIV." In the article, Klotman discussed the clinical details of HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), including treatment, causes and symptoms. According to the Daily News, doctors estimate that two million to four million people of African heritage have HIVAN, including between 4 percent and 12 percent of blacks with HIV in the U.S. The article continues, "In recent years, doctors have made tremendous advances in their understanding of both HIV and its associated kidney disease." Klotman said, "In thinking about a cure, we know now that we have to clean out the brain and the kidney. Those are things we have to know if we can ever achieve a cure for AIDS" (Charles, 7/22).
The American Cancer Society, the Official Sponsor of Birthdays, joined forces with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world"s premier culinary college, to reinvent the birthday cake. Because healthy living is key to creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays, the Society and the CIA challenged CIA"s baking and pastry students to create a better-for-you birthday cake. CIA Alumni and star of Food Network"s TV"s "Ace of Cakes" Chef Duff Goldman joined the Society and the CIA to select the winner, Alexandra Mudry"s new take on red velvet cake, from a pool of five talented finalists. The winner is now the official birthday cake of the American Cancer Society.
Stokes caused by non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (IH) are caused by a rupture of blood vessels in the brain. This is a major public health problem which accounts for 2 million (10-15%) of a total of 15 million strokes worldwide each year. The causes and the future treatment of this condition are discussed in a Seminar in this week"s edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Adnan I. Qureshi, (Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, University of Minnesota, USA); Dr A David Mendelow (University of Newcastle, UK); and Dr Daniel F Hanley (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, USA).
Micrus Endovascular Corporation (NASDAQ:MEND) announced that study results presented recently at the 10th Congress of the World Federation of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (WFITN) demonstrated that the DeltaPaq™ microcoil"s proprietary design appears to improve the uniformity of coil distribution within a cerebral aneurysm and the degree of microcoil packing in the aneurysm dome and neck, which may reduce the risk of aneurysm recurrence. Bernard R. Bendok, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery and Radiology, Department of Neurological Surgery of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Matthew Gounis, Ph.D., Director of the New England Center for Stroke Research at the University of Massachusetts, served as principal investigators for the Micrus-sponsored in vitro study.
Over the last four years, heart specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center have implanted an innovative aortic heart valve replacement using a catheter-based approach that does not require open-heart surgery in a total of 100 patients -- the most of any U.S. medical center to date.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
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 European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by Gendux
ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP), announced that its European partner, SpePharm, is collecting data from a post approval study of MuGard in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment in the UK showing prevention of oral mucositis. In a multi-center study expected to enroll a total of 280 patients, patients are provided with seven weeks of MuGard therapy, and begin using MuGard one week prior to radiation treatment and then throughout the subsequent six weeks of planned therapy. The first 140 patients being treated in this assessment study have been enrolled and treated, and as of the time of the update, none of these patients have experienced any oral mucositis.
Human cells are able to secrete a cancer-killing protein, scientists at the University of Kentucky"s Markey Cancer Center have found.
Almost everyone who lives a long life will develop cataracts at some point. As more Americans live into their 70s and beyond, we all need to know a few cataract basics: risks and symptoms, tips that may delay onset, and how to decide when it is time for surgery, so good vision can be restored.
Take A Look At The Swiss Answer To Health Care Roll Call
Vitamin D may slow the progressive decline in the ability to breathe that can occur in people with asthma as a result of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) proliferation, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned small companies to take their responsibilities seriously, after a man fell through the roof of a DIY superstore in Wigan and later died.
A study conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) finds that different interpretations of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule can result in significant delays or abandonment of important clinical cancer research projects. The study also outlines measures that research sites can undertake to resolve these differences and speed the pace of research. The study results were published online today by the Journal of Clinical Oncology in an ASCO special article, "The Impact of the Privacy Rule on Cancer Research: Variations in Attitudes and Application of Regulatory Standards".
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $433,100 grant to the University of Chicago to investigate how allergic reactions to food are initiated. The research is expected to lead to improved methods to assess whether pesticides produced in genetically engineered plants can trigger food allergies, which impact more than 11 million Americans each year. The study is funded through EPA"s Science to Achieve Results program (STAR).
The U.S. Department of Energy"s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Hybridyne Imaging Technologies, Inc., of Toronto, Canada, have won a 2009 R&D 100 Award for developing a compact gamma camera for high-resolution imaging of prostate cancer. The camera system, called ProxiScan, is a nuclear medical instrument that can localize cancer tissue in the prostate gland in detail at an early stage, which is important for the successful diagnosis and early treatment of the potentially deadly disease.
Two papers published on bmj.com today raise serious concerns over the methods used to put a value on the benefits of different treatments in order to set healthcare priorities.
A combination of biochemical and MRI markers will allow improved measurement of osteoarthritis (OA) progression. The biomarkers, described in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy, will be useful for the design and interpretation of trials of new disease modifying drugs.
Orexo"s (STO:ORX) partner in Japan, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, has obtained positive phase III results in Japan for KW-2246, which is approved for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients and marketed under the brand AbstralTM in Europe. Kyowa Hakko Kirin will now proceed with preparations for a new-drug application for KW-2246 in Japan for use in continuous pain management of acute cancer pain (breakthrough pain).
Too much alcohol often causes trauma, complicates assessment of injury, and interferes with inpatient care. Even though 20 to 37 percent of accident cases in trauma centers are alcohol-related, some trauma patients are reluctant to self report their drinking. A new study has found that testing for alcohol biomarkers - particularly blood alcohol levels (BALs) - can identify high-risk patients admitted to trauma centers who had denied excessive drinking.
Expectant mothers who are obese are much more likely to suffer from minor complications such as heart burn and chest infections during pregnancy, a study suggests.
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:
Roche announced results from the international phase III study NO16968 (XELOXA), investigating oral Xeloda in combination with intravenous oxaliplatin (XELOX) immediately after surgery, which show that patients with colon cancer taking XELOX live disease free for longer compared to those taking the commonly used intravenous chemotherapy combination 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV). The data prove that XELOX is superior to 5-FU/LV in terms of the time patients live without their cancer being detectable.
Astigmatism is an eye condition with blurred vision as its main symptom. The front surface of the eye (cornea) of a person with astigmatism is not curved properly - the curve is irregular - usually one half is flatter than the other - sometimes one area is steeper than it should be.
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ "Democratic Bill Could Be a Preview of Obama"s Abortion Plan," Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report"s "God and Country": A recently introduced bill aimed at reducing the need for abortion is "big news because moderate to liberal faith-based advocates are urging the White House to adopt the bill ... as the core of its forthcoming "common ground" plan on abortion and reproductive health," Gilgoff writes. Some conservative religious groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "have warned the White House" that the bill is a "deal breaker" for them because of its support for comprehensive sex education and contraception, he writes. The White House "has refused to say which way it"s leaning," Gilgoff writes, adding the Obama administration could "buck" the groups that support the bill and "get behind" the Pregnant Women Support Act, "which is generally considered more robust on reducing demand for abortions and which leaves out contraceptive funding." However, he concludes, "that would be a pretty big surprise" (Gilgoff, "God and Country," U.S. News & World Report, 7/23).~ "New Report: Abortion Providers = American Human Rights Defenders, Now Under Increasing Attack," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: A new Center for Reproductive Rights report "calls on both the federal and state governments to address the growing threats against and stigmatization and abuse of abortion providers throughout the United States," Jacobson writes. The report "focuses on a key obstacle to the realization of women"s reproductive rights ... and recognizes their work as human rights defenders," she writes, adding that the U.S. has "historically been a leader both in creating and in encouraging accountability to human rights principles throughout the world." However, "[a]ccess to reproductive health care generally and abortion care specifically are basic human rights largely ignored within the context of U.S. domestic politics," Jacobson writes, noting that abortion access in the U.S. "has been increasingly limited due to the range of obstacles created through anti-choice advocacy." The report highlights several "types of rights violations [that] are most pervasive in limiting women"s choices and the rights of abortion providers," including "intimidation and harassment," "stigma" and "legal restrictions." The report makes a "series of recommendations for change at the state and local level for changes in policy and in law enforcement practices, as well as for the federal government, medical community and non-governmental organizations," Jacobson concludes, adding that the report "makes a special plea for the United Nations Special Rapporteur to document violations of women"s human rights in the United States" (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/22).~ "Sixteen Governors Call on Congress To Include Medicaid Family Planning State Option in Health Reform," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: "Sixteen governors have written a letter to both Senate and House Leadership "expressing strong support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option,"" which is included in President Obama"s fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, Jacobson writes. The governors wrote, "Many of our states have created family planning expansion programs, though we have done so with great difficulty," adding, "Since the early 1990s, 27 states have been granted federal waivers to expand their Medicaid family planning coverage. These demonstration projects have been unqualified successes, providing care to millions of women while saving states [millions] of dollars." Jacobson continues, "The current Medicaid waiver process, however, "puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of our efforts to maintain and expand coverage for family planning services,"" according to the governors. She adds, "Passing this law as part of health care reform "would give us the needed flexibility to quickly and efficiently expand cove
Asian Americans who have adopted more aspects of Western culture may be more likely to engage in behaviors that increase sun exposure, thereby endangering their skin health, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
New regulations seek to crack down on a little known form of identity theft -- medical identity theft, according to Kaiser Health News. "Armed with as little as a stolen name, Social Security number and date of birth, an imposter can walk into a doctor"s office or hospital and receive services billed to the victim or the insurance provider. Although few statistics are available, the Federal Trade Commission reports that medical identity theft accounts for 1.3 percent to 3 percent of all identity theft crime -- about 250,000 cases each year."
Joel Weisman, "one of the first physicians to detect the AIDS epidemic and who became a national advocate for AIDS research, treatment and prevention," died on Saturday at his home in Westwood, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. Weisman was 66. Weisman was a general practitioner in southern California when in 1980 he first saw three ill gay men with a set of mysterious symptoms. He later contributed to the June 5, 1981 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which "signaled the official start of the epidemic that the federal agency later named acquired immunodeficiency syndrome," according to the Times. Weisman was the founding chair of AIDS Project Los Angeles in 1983, helped organize the first dedicated hospital AIDS unit in Southern California and was an original board member of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research (Woo, 7/23).
Experts in intensive care and anaesthesia have predicted that the current swine flu pandemic could overwhelm critical care beds and ventilators in England, with hospitals on the South East Coast, and in the South West, East of England and East Midlands, being worst hit.
The results of a national assessment of indoor location systems for firefighters and other first responders will be announced at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) during the 2009 Workshop on Precision Indoor Personnel Location and Tracking for Emergency Responders, which runs from Aug. 3 to 4. The assessment was conducted by WPI researchers this spring with funding from the Department of Homeland Security and oversight from the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center (NSRDEC).
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has announced that Energy Department-funded researchers have won 46 of the 100 awards given out this year by R&D Magazine for the most outstanding technology developments with promising commercial potential. The coveted awards are presented annually in recognition of exceptional new products, processes, materials or software developed throughout the world and introduced into the market the previous year.
Several state and local agencies, hospitals and others conducted a full-scale exercise involving
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.
GlycoMimetics, Inc. announced the publication of an article in Nature Reviews: Drug Discovery describing how novel small molecule compounds that mimic carbohydrates can be successfully designed and optimized to treat cancer, inflammatory disorders and other diseases.
Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN) announced that it has initiated a phase II clinical trial of brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), for the retreatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). This trial is designed to evaluate tolerability and activity when retreating patients who relapse after previously achieving an objective response to brentuximab vedotin.
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.
In light of health care reform measures, Rush University Medical Center has launched a study of its program to help older adults transition from hospital to home.
President Obama on Tuesday started interviewing potential Supreme Court nominees, the Wall Street Journal reports. Senior White House adviser David Axelrod on Tuesday said that the administration is looking for a candidate who will give the powerless and disenfranchised people "a fair shake." Conservatives have said that the nominee will inevitably be a "judicial activist" because Obama has said that he wants to nominate a candidate who can use past experience and empathy for the underrepresented populations to help guide court decisions.Obama has started calling Republican senators in an effort to prevent the "bruising battles" past Supreme Court nominations have encountered during the confirmation process, the Journal reports. Obama called Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday, which Cornyn said was a "nice gesture." Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) spoke to Obama last week. Coburn said, "I don"t know that it"s going to be contentious," adding, "A prudent man would say, "I"m going to have a couple of Supreme Court nominees. Maybe I want to defuse the thing, the first one, so I can do what I want to do (with) the second one."" Axelrod said that Obama has spoken to 15 senators from both parties (Weisman/Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 5/20).
A group of UQ speech pathology students recently ran an intensive treatment program for people who stutter.
Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending expanded marketing authorisation for "Isentress" (raltegravir) in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) medicinal products for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in all appropriate adult patients, including patients starting HIV therapy for the first time (treatment-naç¯ve), as well as treatment-experienced patients. The positive opinion will be reviewed by the European Commission, which grants marketing authorisation to the 27 countries that are members of the European Union (EU), as well as Iceland and Norway.
A shocking 1 in 10 people say they have had unprotected sex because they were too embarrassed to buy condoms from a pharmacy.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology announced that it has issued a revised policy statement on Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision. The revised statement, which was issued jointly with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and the American Association of Certified Orthoptists (AACO), expands upon the previous policy and includes extensive scientific references. The statement was also published today in Pediatrics, the journal of the AAP.
The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found only a few mistakes in the genetic blueprint, suggesting the cancer arises from just a handful of missteps, according to new findings from St. Jude Children"s Research Hospital. The research appears in the July 27 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Smoking has once again been implicated in the development of advanced cancer. Exposure to nicotine by way of cigarette smoking may increase the likelihood that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma will become metastatic, according to researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Their study was published in the August edition of the journal Surgery.
Relistor (Methylnaltrexone) is a medication for patients who suffer from constipation caused by opioid drugs. Opioid drugs are used for pain relief. An opioid is a chemical that binds to opioid receptors that exist mainly in the central nervous system and the gut (gastrointestinal tract). When people take opioids they have a lower perception of pain, a lower reaction to pain, as well as a higher pain tolerance - in other words, opioids provide effective pain relief. However, opioids also cause constipation.
A recent audit by the U.S. Agency for International Development"s inspector general has "raised questions about several USAID expenditures" on a number of "faith-based" projects initiated during former President George W. Bush"s administration, a Los Angeles Times editorial says. Among other issues, the report highlighted "the use of instructional materials, including biblical references," in an HIV/AIDS prevention program that promoted sexual abstinence in Africa, the editorial continues. It adds that USAID said that it "stopped allowing "religiously infused" curricula after the Justice Department expressed legal qualms."According to the Times, the issue raises several questions, including whether the U.S. Constitution is "violated when U.S. officials abroad ... endorse religious activities in the furtherance of this nation"s foreign policy." It states, "Our answer is no, but policymakers still need to be cautious about mixing religion and diplomacy" (Los Angeles Times, 7/24).
The Society of Interventional Radiology hailed the extension of an
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).
In New Hampshire, Foster"s Daily Democrat reports: "As unemployment statistics increase and the economic climate deteriorates, a large group of people who would otherwise likely not need mental health services are finding themselves at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, compulsive behaviors and substance abuse, according (to) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."
UNICEF Using SMS Text Messages To Fight Polio In Zambia
The House on Friday passed a $730.5 billion bill (HR 3293) "to fund health, education and labor programs in fiscal 2010 after narrowly defeating an attempt to strip language that would lift the ban on federal needle exchange programs," in the U.S., CQ Today reports (Wolfe, 7/24). Lawmakers voted 211-218 to reject an amendment by Mark Souder (R-Ind.) that sought to keep the ban in place, the AP/Lewiston Sun Journal reports (Taylor, 7/25). The bill that passed includes a restriction against using federal funds for needle exchanges within 1,000 feet of day care centers, schools, parks, playgrounds, pools and youth centers, the Washington Post reports.
In Chicago, 17.4 percent of gay men are estimated to be HIV-positive, compared with 1.2 percent of the general male population, according to a new report by the Chicago Public Health Department, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The report is based on data collected from 570 Chicago men through the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system, and found that half of the men with HIV were unaware they were infected (Thomas, 7/25). "Health officials said Friday, information in the report on HIV infection mark the first time Chicago health officials have used blood-testing to determine infection rates among men," the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. In the past, estimates have relied on interviews with gay and bisexual men, according to Christopher Brown, the Public Health Department assistant commissioner. The report also found that "black men who have sex with other men have double the HIV infection rates of white and Hispanic men," the AP/Tribune reports (7/24).
The Washington Post on Sunday featured Washington D.C.,-based Inner Light Ministries, a 16-year-old black community church with about 100 members, where many go "to share their experience of being black and gay, living and loving in a city where HIV and AIDS lurk in epidemic proportions. ò€¦" Some members of the congregation, as well as four of its leaders including Bishop Rainey Cheeks are HIV-positive. Cheeks teaches safe sex as a part of his sermons and the church provides condoms to its members. The article also discusses the stigma associated with HIV among gay black men. "Some men are reluctant to reveal their health status to possible partners for fear of being rejected," according to the Post. "That attitude, Cheeks said, is part of why gay black men in the District are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS. And why he has to keep preaching the message of safe sex," the article states (Fears, 7/26).
Members of the moderate New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday proposed legislation (HR 2502) that would establish a non-governmental, independent office to oversee research efforts to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill would create the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute, which would use money remaining from the $1.1 billion included in the economic stimulus package for comparative effectiveness research and additional funding from fees on Medicare and private insurers. HCCERI would be overseen by a 21-member board -- appointed by the U.S. Comptroller General -- that would include HHS officials, patients, physicians, private insurers and others (Norman, CQ HealthBeat, 5/19). In contrast, a panel to oversee comparative effectiveness research established by a provision in the stimulus bill would be made up of government health experts (Mundy, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). According to CQ HealthBeat, some people have raised concerns that comparative effectiveness research funded by the stimulus bill would result in research that could be used to deny coverage for certain treatments and that cost would factor disproportionately in such decisions. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), who introduced the bill, said HCCERI"s goal would be to ensure that medical decisions remain between physicians and patients and that both doctors and patients have the most understandable information possible to make such decisions. HCCERI also would make public its methods for deciding which research projects to approve, as well as any links the institute has to industry, its research protocols and the names of researchers. HCCERI would accept public comment before creating new research guidelines, and all research would be subject to peer review. In addition, HCCERI in commissioning studies would take steps to account for differences in patients" gender, race, age and ethnicity (CQ HealthBeat, 5/19).Schrader said that the bill "will bring patients, along with health care providers, physicians and industry, to the decision-making process," adding, "By having a seat at the table, the American people will help drive the direction of research based on what is most important to them" ("Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 5/19). Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) said that New Democrats seek to lower costs and improve quality of care, so "the most important thing we can do is to incentivize innovation and to provide that information on the best practices and best interventions and get that information out to providers." Industry Reaction
Dr Gedis Grudzinskas the UK-based fertility expert issued the following statement in response to the statement by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority:
A lack of sunlight is associated with reduced cognitive function among depressed people. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Environmental Health used weather data from NASA satellites to measure sunlight exposure across the United States and linked this information to the prevalence of cognitive impairment in depressed people.
By a wide margin, health care leaders believe that individuals should have a choice of public and private health plans, and strongly support other central components of health reform such as innovative provider payment reform and a national insurance health exchange with strong standard-setting authority. In addition, two-thirds (68%) of opinion leaders feel it is urgent to enact comprehensive health care reform this year, according to the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey.
For the 29,000 patients in the United States with metastatic colorectal cancer, chemotherapy with irinotecan is a standard treatment that has been shown to improve survival. But for more than one in 10 of these patients, a variation in their DNA means that this treatment could result in a severe reduction in their white blood cell count, leading to a high risk of bacterial infection and possible subsequent death. A new genetic test can identify those with the variation in order to lower the treatment dose - however, it has been unclear whether the testing is worthwhile.
Although macrophages are known as essential players in wound healing,
New research from the US suggests that divorce and widowhood damage health in ways that even getting married again doesn"t heal.
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) announced preliminary clinical data from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its investigational, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, AP24534, in patients with advanced hematological cancers. The study results provide initial clinical evidence of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular anti-cancer activity of AP24534 in heavily pretreated patients with resistant and refractory chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), including those with the T315I mutant variant of the target protein, Bcr-Abl. An abstract describing these data is being submitted for presentation at a major hematology meeting to be held later this year.
A new report, released by the Manhattan Institute"s Center for Medical Progress and authored Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former Director of the Congressional Budget Office, makes the fiscal and political case for bipartisan healthcare reform. Holtz-Eakin addresses dysfunctions in the existing healthcare delivery system; provides solutions to expanding access to affordable private health insurance in an incremental and fiscally responsible manner; and shows how improving market-based options will lead to better consumer access to information on healthcare quality. He argues that the only way to fix our broken healthcare system is through reforms that incentivize competition and pay for quality care.
RadMD LLC has become the first company to offer a broad range of accredited CME courses in the area of medical imaging for pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech clinical trials.