Mental Health
Bacteria can anticipate a future event and prepare for it, according to new research at the Weizmann Institute of Science. In a paper that appeared today in Nature, Prof. Yitzhak Pilpel, doctoral student Amir Mitchell and research associate Dr. Orna Dahan of the Institute"s Molecular Genetics Department, together with Prof. Martin Kupiec and Gal Romano of Tel Aviv University, examined microorganisms living in environments that change in predictable ways. Their findings show that these microorganisms" genetic networks are hard-wired to "foresee" what comes next in the sequence of events and begin responding to the new state of affairs before its onset.
Biologists are investigating how to control when plants flower - to help farmers reap a bumper harvest.
There has been a recent questioning of the role of the limbal stem cell in corneal maintenance and the recent Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in Fort Lauderdale May 3 -7, 2009 saw some fairly hot debate son this topic. Professor Colin Green, University of Auckland, New Zealand reviews an interesting series of sessions for The Society for Clinical Ophthalmology.
Around 2000 multiple myeloma sufferers in the UK could have their lives extended by around three months after a decision by The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to approve lenalidomide in those patients who have received two or more previous therapies-provided that the cost of cycles beyond the 26th cycle of treatment are met by the drug manufacturer. A summary of the NICE decision is published in a Special Report Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology.
Forty-six percent of patients over age 60 currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant will die before they receive an organ from a deceased donor, reports an upcoming study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). "Our results emphasize the particular need to consider living donation as an alternative for some older patients or alternatively, the critical importance of navigating the steps to receive a deceased donor transplant as rapidly as possible," comments Jesse D. Schold, PhD (University of Florida, Gainesville).
It"s common knowledge that a protective navy of bacteria normally floats in our intestinal tracts. Antibiotics at least temporarily disturb the normal balance. But it"s unclear which antibiotics are the most disruptive, and if the full array of "good bacteria" return promptly or remain altered for some time.
Suffering a stroke can have a profound effect on relationships and lead to significant changes in how couples relate to each other on a physical, psychological, social and emotional level, according a study in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) applauds the American Medical Association (AMA) for reaffirming its policy in support for universal vaccination.
Thousands of unregistered Rohingya refugees living in the Kutupalong makeshift camp, Bangladesh, are being forcibly displaced from their homes, in an act of intimidation and abuse by the local authorities. The international medical organization Doctors Without Border/Mç©decins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF) has treated numerous people for injuries, of which the majority were women and children. Furthermore, MSF has witnessed countless destroyed homes and heard many reports of people being warned to remove their own shelters or face the consequences.
US consumer watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has informed Bayer Healthcare that it will sue them and file a complaint
Newspapers highlight a few of the key congressional players in the health care debate.
The AMA welcomed a proposed increase in tobacco tax. The AMA has always supported increased tax and price signals on products that are bad for your health in order to reduce consumption. This is an opportunity to make health gains for individuals, and the revenue could support essential health care for the increasing unemployed.
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."
The House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee "unanimously approved its FY10 funding measure without any amendments" on Wednesday, "deferring expected fights for the full committee markup in a week," CongressDaily reports.
Panasonic Toyota Racing Formula 1 drivers will team up with the
Bioengineers at Duke University have developed a laboratory robot that can successfully locate tiny pieces of metal within flesh and guide a needle to its exact location -- all without the need for human assistance.
Under legislation reported by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, small companies that receive the majority of their financing from venture capital will once again be considered eligible to compete for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. The change will allow more small biotechnology start-ups to compete for these funds and continue critical research and development of medical advancements and breakthroughs. Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood made the following statement today:
Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRV), Hungary"s premier technology acquisition and development company, is pleased to present this Genetic Immunity release, based on a previously announced agreement whereby Power of the Dream Ventures will issue communications for Genetic Immunity on an ongoing basis.
A study by Oregon State University researchers suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students.
Inspired by the behavior of the human eye, Boston College computer scientists have developed a technique that lets computers see objects as fleeting as a butterfly or tropical fish with nearly double the accuracy and 10 times the speed of earlier methods.
Fallopian tubes normally discarded after hysterectomies and other procedures could become rich potential s for mesenchymal stem cells
Teamsters General President Hoffa called on the American Red Cross to support its frontline blood drive workers whose efforts help safeguard America"s blood supply. The Red Cross is currently pursuing a campaign against its frontline workers that would worsen working conditions, push down living standards, undermine workers" rights to representation, threaten safety standards and create a disposable work force.
Individuals interested in cancer research and disease management are invited to attend the 26th International Conference entitled, "Advances in the Applications of Monoclonal Antibodies in Clinical Oncology and Symposium on Cancer Stem Cells."
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.
On June 12, the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, performed the 800th implant of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart. The 60-year-old patient, who was suffering from biventricular failure, was listed in stable condition post-implant.
GP groups and Aboriginal community controlled health services from around
A review published in the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases discusses septic syndromes and bite-related infections caused by cats and dogs. It is written by Dr Richard Oehler, of the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA, and his team. The review informs on how MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections are increasing. They are transmitted between dogs or cats and their human handlers, and vice-versa, and cause infections of the skin and soft-tissue. Surgical infections are the most common.
Responding to the publication of the Public Accounts Committee report, NHS pay modernisation in England: Agenda for Change, Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, said:
CNN examines race disparities in health care during a 4-minute segment that is part of the station"s week-long focus on health care issues.
"This spring, 385 students graduated from Georgia"s medical schools, but only two of them chose to remain in the state to pursue a family medicine residency," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "Overall, 20 students, or 5 percent, chose to go into family medicine - half the number that it was just five years ago." More than one-third of counties in Georgia, "many of them rural, are officially designated as primary-care health professional shortage areas," meaning there is "less than 1 doctor for 3,500 people." According to a recent study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, "there could be a nationwide shortage of around 44,000 primary-care doctors by the year 2025, due to an aging population and fewer doctors training in primary care."
A federal grand jury yesterday indicted Pamela Arrey, age 48, of
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).
US researchers found that men with prostate cancer who consumed a mix of polyphenols found in green tea experienced a significant reduction in
Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday circulated talking points stating that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has a "mainstream record of judicial modesty," the AP/Miami Herald reports. The document includes a quote from Sotomayor expressing her belief in basing judicial decisions on the Constitution rather than on politics.Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) also wrote to the president of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, formerly known as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, requesting the quick disclosure of documents Sotomayor has requested in relation to her work with the group (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Miami Herald, 6/19). Sotomayor worked with the group from 1980 to 1992, assisting in a number of legal briefs and helping the group develop stances on public policy matters (Stanton, Roll Call, 6/18). According to the AP/Herald, interest groups and members of both political parties are "competing to define" Sotomayor ahead of her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to begin July 13. Conservative groups have focused on labeling her an "activist" and singled out her involvement with PRLDEF as evidence of her support for abortion rights. The group sided with abortion-rights supporters in several major Supreme Court cases during Sotomayor"s time on its board (AP/Miami Herald, 6/19).
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ "A Radical Notion: Women"s Health Care as Mainstream," Cecile Richards, Huffington Post blogs: "To hammer ... home" the message that "Planned Parenthood and other essential community providers are the affordable, local access to basic preventive care that saves lives," the Planned Parenthood Action Center has introduced advertisements "educating the policy folks involved in fixing our health care system" about "why women"s health care needs to be taken care of in this mega-reform effort," Richards writes. She writes, "From cancer screenings to contraception to immunizations, the majority of women who go to women"s health care centers consider them their primary health care provider," adding, "In fact, more than 90% of what Planned Parenthood health centers do is preventive and primary care." According to Richards, "Essential community providers, including those who provide women"s health care, need to be part of any newly established health care system." She adds that "the three million patients who came to Planned Parenthood health centers last year can testify to it." Richards writes that "[f]amily planning and reproductive health care are unfortunately still not fully part of mainstream health care, even though 98% of women use contraception at some point in their lives -- there"s nothing more universal!" The "fact that women reproduce and, therefore, have different types of health care needs makes some folks on Capitol Hill go pale and start to sweat," Richards writes. She concludes, "Maybe one day we won"t need a special campaign to support women"s health," but "until then, Planned Parenthood is here to make sure women aren"t worse off after health care reform than before" (Richards, Huffington Post blogs, 6/18).~ "The Role of Medical Education in Preserving Abortion Access," Our Bodies, Our Blog: In response to a recent Salon opinion piece that examined whether there will be a next generation of abortion providers, the blog post discusses a few organizations that are "working to increase access to (accurate) abortion-related training." The blog includes links to Medical Students for Choice -- a group that "does student organizing and advocacy to influence medical school curricula, workshops ... and lectures on abortion techniques" -- and The Ryan Program -- which offers "funding, technical expertise, curriculum, workshops and other res to support training opportunities in abortion and contraception for ob-gyn residents." The blog entry also highlights the work of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, which partners with members of the American Medical Student Association "to provide "project in a box" materials for medical students wanting to access and influence their schools" curricula on sexual and reproductive health" (Our Bodies, Our Blog, 6/18). ~ "Regulating Abortion May Be OK But Not To Avoid Sex-Selection," Marianne Mollmann, Huffington Post blogs: "Sex-selective abortion raises a multitude of overlapping ethical concerns regarding eugenics, population control and provider privilege or knowledge," according to Mollmann, advocacy director for the Human Rights Watch"s Women"s Rights Division. Mollmann writes that recent media reports indicating that sex-selective abortion occurs among some ethnic communities in the U.S. "has generated new discussion about what to do -- indeed what to think -- about the practice here." She continues that the "effect of abortion regulations depends on the context and motivation," adding that "[f]rom a human rights perspective, the regulation of medical procedures and interventions is legitimate and indeed often necessary so long as they are based on full respect for the full range of human rights." It is "perhaps tempting to hope that banning sex-selective abortions would safeguard the gender balance of future generations," but the "criminalization of abortion for whatever reason has in the past led only to underground and unsafe prac
The emergence of global health initiatives (GHIs), eg, The Global Fund and PEPFAR, has resulted in a striking expansion of key health interventions in recent years, from which millions have benefited. There is also evidence, however, that such initiatives can constrain the health systems of poor countries and that many opportunities to improve efficiency, equity, value for money and outcomes in global public health are still being missed. The health systems strengthening agenda needs more investment, and to be infused with the same sense of ambition and speed that has characterised GHIs. This is one of five key recommendations in a new multi-partner report published in a Health Policy paper in this week"s edition of The Lancet.
Rapamycin, a drug given to transplant recipients to suppress their immune systems, has a paradoxical effect on cells responsible for immune memory, scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center have discovered.
Particulate air pollution during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing constantly exceeded levels considered excessive by the World Health Organization, was far worse than other recent Olympic Games, and was about 30 percent higher than has been reported by Chinese environmental experts - even though some favorable weather conditions helped reduce the problem.
Around 100 of the region"s psychologists are meeting in Sheffield on 26th June 2009 to hear the latest theories and research, at the British Psychological Society"s North East of England branch Annual Conference.
A concerned Rotherham nurse has forced manufacturers of an infant medicine feeder to withdraw its product following a safety scare. Nurse Karen Ray, a clinical procurement specialist at Rotherham Hospital, took her concerns to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after a six-month-old baby was admitted to Rotherham Hospital following a liquid paracetamol overdose.
Biopure Corporation (Nasdaq: BPUR) announced that the Food and Drug Administration has advised the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) by letter that it may not initiate a clinical trial of Biopure"s oxygen therapeutic Hemopure(R) [hemoglobin glutamer -- 250 (bovine)] under a proposed protocol submitted to the FDA in March 2009. As previously announced, the study, "Restore Effective Survival in Shock" (RESUS) was first proposed and submitted to the FDA in 2005. The proposed trial was placed on clinical hold at that time. It has been resubmitted repeatedly in response to FDA comments and to address comments made by the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee at an open meeting held in December 2006. Each subsequent submission, including the most recent, was placed on clinical hold.
Providence Tarzana Medical Center on Friday became the first. hospital in the nation to use the latest generation in imaging - the Ziehm Vision RFD - in this case to aid a surgeon in opening the clogged carotid artery of a patient who had suffered a small stroke.
In the area of secondary prevention as well - guarding against renewed events in patients who already suffered from a stroke or a TIA - Professor Ferro points to important new research: "In this patient population, the direct comparison between Clopidogrel and the combination of aspirin with extended release Dipyridamole did not reveal any difference between both strategies." Both approaches have proven to be slightly more effective than aspirin alone.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has launched a new website devoted to women who are approaching or going through menopause to provide them with the necessary information they need to make informed decisions about their health. The ACOG-sponsored website can be found at http://pause.acog.org.
A new study reports that about one-fourth of Americans say they"ve struggled in the last 12 months to pay for health care, Reuters reports.
Ellman International, Inc. announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance to Pelleve(TM), a skin tightening system for the non-ablative treatment of mild to moderate facial wrinkles and rhytids for skin phototypes I-IV. The clearance was granted based on clinical data demonstrating that a single treatment with the high frequency radiowave device can safely and effectively tighten and improve the appearance of skin on the face through six months.
The total cost for treating a child with autism can reach $5 million, but insurance companies rarely cover autism therapy and few states mandate it. CBS News reports that "an estimated one in every 150 children in America has autism and the number of reported cases is growing" while "parents are increasingly demanding that insurance companies cover the newest treatment."
Scrubbing In: Good Health Care Doesn"t Come Cheap The Philadelphia Inquirer
Janssen(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) for the use of RISPERDAL(R) CONSTA(R) (risperidone) Long-Acting Treatment as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate in the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder.
The one-year-old Florida-based organization Sistas Organizing to Survive on Saturday held a rally in Orlando that sought to raise awareness of HIV among black women and encourage them to be tested, the Orlando Sentinel reports. According to Debbie Tucci, coordinator for the Orange County Health Department"s HIV/AIDS program, one in 68 black women in the state is living with HIV/AIDS and many are unaware they are infected. AIDS has been a leading cause of death for black women ages 25 to 44 in the state for the past 15 years, the Sentinel reports (Ruano Gonzç¡lez, Orlando Sentinel, 6/21).
The UK"s life sciences companies have just two days remaining to tell the Government what it can do to help them succeed, as medical and healthcare industry specialist MedilinkWM brings its Voices of Industry Campaign to fruition.
The colon is the longest part of the large intestine and the lowest part of the digestive system. Inside the colon, water and salt from solid wastes are extracted before the waste moves through the rectum and exits the body through the anus.
Why the immune system of a pregnant woman does not attack her developing fetus is one of most remarkable features of pregnancy, and several underlying mechanisms have been described. However, Adrian Erlebacher and colleagues, at the New York University School of Medicine, New York, have now identified a new mechanism to explain why the mouse maternal immune system does not attack the fetuses.
Women may be more susceptible to the lung damaging effects of smoking than men, according to new research by Inga-Cecilie Soerheim, M.D., and her colleagues from Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women"s Hospital and University of Bergen, Norway.
A University of Pennsylvania-collaboration of bioengineers studying the physical forces generated by individual cells has created a tiny micron-sized device that allows researchers to measure and manipulate cellular forces as assemblies of living cells reorganize themselves into tissues.
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.
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. (KPA), a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Montgomery, AL, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cambia™, a diclofenac-based non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ("NSAID") combined with potassium bicarbonate, for the treatment of acute migraine with or without aura in adults.
Physiological and biochemical changes that occur during fasting in Ramadan are not a risk factor for stroke and do not affect the short-term survival of patients. This is the result of a study by a team of researchers from the Isfahan University of Medical Sicences (Iran). The data are being presented at the annual meeting of the European Neurological Society in Milan (Italy).
Video therapy, through which certain brain sectors are activated by visual stimuli, can help restore movement in patients suffering stroke-induced paralysis. That conclusion is part of a current study that researchers from Konstanz, Freiburg and Magdeburg, Germany, are presenting at the current meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) in Milan, Italy. This major meeting in European neurology gathers more than 2,900 experts from all over the world. The role played by brain mirror neurons is central in this context.
Statement attributable to: J. James Rohack, M.D.
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law welcomes President Obama"s announcement today of his commitment to the promise of the landmark Supreme Court case, Olmstead v. L.C., on its 10th anniversary. In a statement released by the White House today the President launched a "Year of Community Living" and tasked the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to identify initiatives that will develop and improve services and supports to assist people with disabilities who wish to live in the most integrated settings possible.
Among older adults, less frequent participation in social activity is associated with a more rapid rate of motor function decline, according to a report in the June 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A good partner relationship can act as a buffer for those exposed to work-related stress.
New research which suggests a direct link between smoking and brain damage will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry. Researchers, led by Debapriya Ghosh and Dr Anirban Basu from the Indian National Brain Research Center (NBRC), have found that a compound in tobacco provokes white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, leading to severe neurological damage.
A group of German investigators demonstrated that the early increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) is related to treatment response and does not depend on pharmacological interventions or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. For the first time, cellular biological markers could be associated with response to psychotherapy.
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.
With today"s announcement that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has offered to voluntarily grant some $80 billion in discounts to Medicare beneficiaries over the next decade in an effort to reduce overall healthcare costs, the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council (HCPC) noted that far greater savings can be achieved if immediate steps are taken to help people take their prescription drugs properly.
Depression in older adults too often goes unrecognized and untreated, resulting in untold misery, worsening of medical illness, and early death. A new study has identified one important remedy: Adding a trained depression care manager to primary care practices can increase the number of patients receiving treatment, lead to a higher remission rate of depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.
Accu-Chek has launched an award-wining website for people with diabetes. Patients can now be informed about Accu-Chek"s news and products via an award-winning site packed with engaging interactive tools, such as videos and an online ordering facility, in a layout which allows the user to surf effortlessly through the content.
Alabama"s summer climate with its extreme temperatures and high humidity can lead to heatrelated
The Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that it is implementing a plan to limit the spread of novel H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, in youth camps.
"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."
"As sentiment and the stock market increasingly look bearish, look for the recent outperformance in health care to continue," The Wall Street Journal reports. Health-care firms were "hardly a leader" during the "initial run of stocks following the March lows," but they also "fared much better during the market"s plummet. Last week, "health care was the one exception to a sliding market." Katie Stockton, chief market technician for MKM Partners, "says it is likely most of the health-care sector will outperform and not just large pharmaceutical companies" (Rogow, 6/23).
For the first time, the number of chronically hungry people worldwide is greater than 1 billion, according to a recent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statement, the Financial Times reports (Blas, Financial Times, 6/19). The total number of hungry people is estimated to have reached 1.02 billion - an increase of 11 percent from last year"s 915 million, according to the agency, which based its estimate on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Rizzo, AP/Google.com, 6/20).
Missouri Judge Patricia Joyce last week dismissed conspiracy allegations against three state officials and approved the summary and cost estimate for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban public funding for abortions and certain types of embryonic stem cell research, the AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.The Missouri Roundtable for Life proposed the ballot measure earlier this year. Supporters of the measure subsequently argued that a summary written by Missouri"s secretary of state was biased. At the same time, opponents of the measure argued that the original petition was improperly drafted and should not have been allowed to proceed.Joyce dismissed the challenges to the summary and cost estimate, which was prepared by the state auditor. She also rejected the Roundtable"s claims that three state officials -- Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Attorney General Chris Koster and State Auditor Susan Montee -- conspired to violate sponsors" constitutional rights. Joyce ruled that the allegations "are without merit and rise to the level of being frivolous."Steve Clark, an attorney representing the Roundtable, said his clients have not yet decided whether they will appeal. If they appeal and the summary is changed, new signatures will be required to support the new language. Supporters hope to place the measure on the 2010 ballot (Blank, AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/20).
"Smart Pod", ideas for the ambulance of the future - was unveiled to the NHS and the healthcare industry at the NHS Innovation Expo in London.
RNs Protest Cuts to Public Health, Pediatrics, TB Clinic, and Other Outpatient Services at San Joaquin County
Weak eye-witnesses pick the most criminal looking faces in identity parades. This is one of the findings of Heather Flowe and colleagues from the University of Leicester who will present their research at the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference today, Wednesday 24th June 2009. The conference is being held the University of Central Lancashire, Preston.
Male and female perpetrators of domestic violence exhibit similar levels of controlling behaviour. This is one of the findings of a study presented at the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology annual conference yesterday, 23 June 2009 at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston.
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is seeking proposals for grant funding for research studies on lupus, an unpredictable and potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Grants will support areas of study in pediatric lupus and adult stem cell transplantation. The purposes of the studies are to advance adult stem cell transplantation research in humans as a treatment for lupus and address key understanding of pediatric/adolescent lupus research issues.
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) today announced that the Company has submitted an application for the authorization of a phase 1b/2a clinical study in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for its lead drug MOR103, a fully human HuCAL-derived monoclonal antibody directed against Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor. The trial, which will be conducted in multiple centers in several European countries, is expected to enroll 135 patients in total beginning in the second half of 2009. Additionally, the Company today reported positive results from the phase 1 clinical study for MOR103 in healthy volunteers. The results of this study indicate that MOR103 is generally safe and well tolerated at all doses administered.
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.
New research indicates that a finding on a routine electrocardiogram that signals a disorder of the electrical conducting system in one part of the heart and previously believed to be benign is associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation, the implantation of a pacemaker or death, according to a study in the June 24 issue of JAMA.
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.
On June 18, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced the award of $9.16 million for the creation of a national technology platform aimed at mapping the human interactome. This national platform, headed by Dr. Benoit Coulombe from the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montrç©al (IRCM), will not only provide Canadian researchers with new state-of-the-art equipment in proteomics, functional genomics and bioinformatics, but also bring together integrated infrastructure for deciphering the human interactome an expertise that, until now, has been spread in 12 universities across Canada.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis four grants totaling $19 million to explore the trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body and determine how they contribute to good health and disease.
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."
Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT; OTCQX: LVCLY) announced that the New Zealand Minister of Health, the Honourable Tony Ryall, has authorized LCT"s New Zealand Phase I/IIa clinical trial of DIABECELL(R) for insulin dependent diabetes.
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR) announced six-month interim data from a Phase II clinical trial evaluating Prochymal, the Company"s proprietary formulation of adult mesenchymal stem cells, for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sixty-two patients were enrolled and are being followed for two years in the placebo-controlled study. At the six-month time-point, the data revealed several important findings.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE: STJ) commends the efforts of investigators in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT). The early results of the trial indicate that early intervention with CRT-D therapy can slow a patient"s progression from early stage heart failure (NYHA Class I-II) to late stage heart failure (NYHA Class III-IV).
Almost 60 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) specialists from around the world gathered in Atlanta, GA for the Lymphoma Research Foundation"s (LRF) Sixth Annual Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) Scientific Workshop. Attendees heard presentations addressing several key issues including the biology of MCL, prognostic indicators, new molecular targets, chemoimmunotherapy, transplantation and novel therapeutic approaches.
Shire plc has launched a new UK adherence programme, called "Be Active", to support patients who have been prescribed Calcichew D3 Forte (1250mg calcium carbonate and 400IU colecalciferol). Current guidance highlights the importance of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the elderly at risk of falls and fractures.1 2, 3 However, adherence to calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the UK is low, with 30% of UK patients regularly reporting missing a dose of calcium/vitamin D supplementation.4 This may contribute to more falls and fractures among the elderly 5, 6 and increase the burden on the healthcare system. 7, 8, 9
"President Obama made a detailed case on Tuesday for a new government-administered health insurance plan, but he did not rule out signing a bill that lacks such an option if he cannot win enough support from Democrats in Congress," The New York Times reports. "In a White House news conference, Mr. Obama dismissed as "not logical" the suggestion that a public plan, which is intended to create more competition and therefore act as a brake on the rise of health insurance costs, would undermine the private insurance market. He argued that a government-run plan competing with private insurers would be an "important tool to discipline insurance companies" and scoffed at complaints that it could drive some out of business."
Rural utility co-ops in Colorado could provide an example of how a co-op would work nationally for health care, The Denver Post reports.
The Washington Post"s Ezra Klein spoke with surgeon and writer Atul Gawande. Klein writes: "Gawande"s New Yorker article comparing the medical systems of El Paso and McAllen, Tex., has been a definitional piece in the health reform conversation. President [Barack] Obama has repeatedly invoked it. Senators have talked about it. The media have embraced it. I spoke to Gawande this afternoon about the fallout from his article, the problem of revenue-driven medicine, and whether a public plan would make a difference."
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. The Stimulus) set aside billions of dollars for hospitals to acquire electronic medical record systems, but one requirement for hospitals hoping to receive the money will be to share patient records with other facilities, the Dallas Morning News reports. "North Texas hospitals have talked for years about ways to share these records but have been unable to agree. Some participants in the discussions have said that"s because of concerns they might lose patients to competing hospitals" (Landers, 6/24).
Figures from the British Institute for Anger Management reveal that the UK already has the worst road rage figures of any European nation, with 80% of drivers saying they"ve been involved in an incident and 1 in 4 admitting to committing an act of road rage themselves. Men are three times more likely to commit an act of aggression than women and over 60% of drivers say they have been intimidated by aggressive tailgating.
The journal Lancet Infectious Diseases examines the worldwide spread of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Currently, about 500,000 of the 9 million new cases of TB that are identified each year are strains of XDR-TB. "Drug resistance is largely man-made - it is vitally important to review antibiotic treatment strategies and to ensure the Stop TB Strategy is fully applied to prevent further selection of drug-resistant mutants," Leonard Amaral of Universidade Nova de Lisboa said.
IRIN examines a recent comment piece in the journal Lancet that argues PEPFAR can do more to prevent the spread of HIV among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Africa (IRIN, 6/24). Although PEPFAR has helped to provide "antiretroviral therapy to 2.1 million people with HIV, almost all of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, and has spent more than $18 billion on the continent," it has failed to reach "thousands of injecting drug users in PEPFAR countries in Africa, many of whom have HIV," according to the authors of the Lancet article (Kaiser Global Health Policy Report, 6/19).
County public health officials in California say proposed budget cuts could hurt or end the state"s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, which provides care for high-risk women and teenagers during pregnancy and up to one year after giving birth, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. County health departments operate the program with oversight from the state Department of Public Health. Sarah Mack, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Public Health, said the program provides a safety net for women who are uncertain about how to obtain prenatal care. The program"s nurses and social workers work to identify vulnerable groups with the goal of initiating care within the first trimester of pregnancy. The program aims to reduce incidences of low birthweight, premature delivery, maternal and infant mortality, preventable childhood diseases and disabling conditions.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has proposed eliminating more than $20 million in funding from the program to help reduce California"s estimated $24 billion budget deficit. Last week, the state Legislature"s joint budget conference introduced a counterproposal that would lower cuts to the program to $8 million.The most recent statistics from the state public health department show that nearly 16,000 California women who gave birth in 2006 had late or no prenatal care. More than 38,500 low-birthweight infants were born that year. Jim Lindley, director of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, said that Schwarzenegger"s proposal would amount to the elimination of "the bulk of funding" for the program. Mack said that Riverside County officials have identified scenarios to continue providing services if the state funding is eliminated. However, without the funding, "[m]ore people could fall through the safety net," Mack said, adding, "Those who need the program the most would be the most likely to fall through."Schwarzenegger spokesperson Lisa Page has said that the governor believes the state"s budget situation leaves him with little choice about making cuts (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/22).
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.
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) expressed its support for postponing the removal of the Universal Product Code (UPC-A) barcode system - scheduled for January 1, 2010. NACDS compliments and supports the Grocery Manufacturers Association"s (GMA) recommendation that the GS1 DataBar system implementation be delayed until January 1, 2011.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, President Obama discussed efforts by congressional leaders and health care industry groups on health care reform legislation, The Hill reports. He said that "while there remains a great deal of difficult work ahead, I am heartened by what we have seen these past few days: a willingness of those with different points of view and disparate interests to come together around common goals -- to embrace a shared sense of responsibility and make historic progress" (Youngman, The Hill, 5/16). He said, "I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk, that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it," which has "been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change."In the Republican radio and Internet address. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), a cardiovascular surgeon, said that a "government takeover of health care will put bureaucrats in charge of health care decisions that should be made by families and doctors." He added, "It will limit treatment options and lead to rationed care," and "to pay for government health care, your taxes will be raised." Boustany, a member of the House Republican Health Care Solutions Group, said, "That is something we cannot support, and frankly, it would clearly violate some of the principles the president himself has endorsed" (Superville, AP/Washington Post, 5/16). In related news, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag on Sunday said on CNN"s "State of the Union" that the administration might support taxing health care benefits to health pay for health care reform (Barr, Politico, 5/17). Timeline
Psychopaths are more likely to use violence in a cold blooded, calculated way than non-psychopathic violent offenders.
The National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and Cancer Research UK has today (Thursday) published the first report on cancer incidence and ethnicity.
Advances in weight-loss surgery have made it as safe as any routine surgical procedure, according to a Duke University Medical Center researcher who reviewed data from nearly 60,000 patients and found it resulted in low complication and mortality rates.
Dr. Arne Ostman and colleagues at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm have identified a stromal marker for breast cancer progression. They present these findings in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
Researchers led by Drs. James F. George and Anupam Agarwal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found that carbon monoxide (CO) can protect against arterial clotting. They report their data in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
Current research suggests that levels of gastrin play a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer. The related report by Takaishi et al, "Gastrin is an essential cofactor for Helicobacter-associated gastric corpus carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice," appears in the July 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Although there is no doubt that hypnosis can impact the mind and behavior, the underlying brain mechanisms are not well understood. Now, new research provides fascinating insight into the specific neural effect of the power of suggestion. The study, published by Cell Press in the June 25 issue of the journal Neuron, uncovers the influence of hypnotic paralysis on brain networks involved in internal representations and self imagery.
South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) is delighted to announce a new partnership with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement as part of the trust"s drive for
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.
A multi-center clinical trial led by a Riley Hospital for Children endocrinologist has found that inhaled growth hormone (GH) is well tolerated by children with GH deficiency and that this easy-to-use method can, over a one-week period, safely deliver GH to the blood stream. In addition to having implications for those who need GH, this first pediatric study of administering it through the lungs may also help researchers interested in using this convenient method for effectively delivering other types of medications to children.
Insmed Inc. (Nasdaq: INSM), a biopharmaceutical company, announced results from its exploratory U.S. Phase II clinical trial evaluating IPLEX(TM) (mecasermin rinfabate) in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy ("MMD"). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II trial conducted in 13 centers across the U.S. enrolled 69 patients with MMD, for a six-month period. As this was an exploratory trial, a primary endpoint was not pre-defined. The trial explored measures of endurance, using the six-minute walk test, muscle function and strength, cognitive function, gastrointestinal function, pain, quality of life, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, and safety and tolerability of IPLEX(TM).
Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". Researchers think these factors, when used in the proper model, can be strong predictors of the disease.
A protein called STAT3 has been found to play a fundamental role in converting normal cells to cancerous cells, according to a new study led by David E. Levy, Ph.D., professor of pathology and microbiology at NYU Langone Medical Center. The study, published in the June 26th issue of the journal Science, found that STAT3, in addition to its role in the cell nucleus regulating gene expression, is also present in mitochondria and regulates the activity of the electron transport chain in tumors cells. Mitochondria are the basic energy-producing organelles of the cell and are known to be critical for tumor cell metabolism.
SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for point-of-care medicine, announced today the launch of the SonoAccess™ application, the first medical iPhone app from an ultrasound company that provides a multimedia library of ultrasound re materials for medical professionals to access when and where they need it.