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K2M Launches CASPIAN Spinal System To Address Cervico-Thoracic Pathologies
K2M, Inc., a spinal device company developing innovative solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies, today announced the launch of the CASPIAN™ Spinal System. CASPIAN is an all-inclusive system for rigid posterior fixation addressing the high surgeon demand for treatment of complex cervico-thoracic spinal conditions.

Temple Podiatry Receives NIH Grant To Develop Personalized, Visual Diabetes Education Program
Loss of feeling in the feet is a common complication of diabetes, so it"s critical that those with the disease wear shoes that fit properly and check their feet often for cuts or sores. Left untreated, a diabetic"s foot wound can lead to a serious infection or even require amputation.
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Blogs Comment On Supreme Court Pregnancy Leave Ruling, Obama's Notre Dame Speech, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries. ~ "Peaceful Revolution: Another Blow to Women," Debra Ness, Huffington Post blogs: The Supreme Court"s ruling this week in AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen "dealt a serious and painful blow to working women and the families who rely on their retirement benefits," Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, writes. The ruling "affects a limited number of people," and it "would be easy to ignore them -- easy, but terribly wrong," Ness continues. "This ruling sends a terrible message about whether discrimination will bring penalties and costs, and whether the courts will address the ongoing effects of prior discrimination," she writes. Ness notes that the ruling "couldn"t come at a worse time," adding, "In today"s grim economic climate, women and their families cannot afford to see their retirement benefits kept lower by discriminatory workplace policies that should have been remedied decades ago." Ness writes that it is "sobering that, at a time when negative stereotypes about pregnant women clearly persist, we have a Supreme Court that doesn"t stand firm for equal rights and equal opportunity." She concludes, "It"s a good reminder of what"s at stake with the Supreme Court nomination President Obama is about to make" (Ness, Huffington Post blogs, 5/21).~ "This Week in Religion and Politics," Sarah Posner, American Prospect"s "The FundamentaList": When "viewed in the context of Obama"s entire faith-based outreach project, the events" surrounding the University of Notre Dame"s commencement ceremony "highlighted how he has embraced traditionalist, conservative religion -- to the detriment of sexual and reproductive justice," Posner writes. President Obama has "focused his outreach efforts" to reduce the need for abortion "on more conservative religious groups" and "claims to honor their position on moral issues," Posner writes. However, "when the dust settles on the Notre Dame controversy, he"ll have to figure out what to do with the policy advice he has sought" from the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, she continues. Posner adds, "How Obama reacts to that advice will demonstrate whether the council is mere window dressing to shore up support from swing constituencies or whether Obama will yield to conservative religious dogma on reproductive-health issues." Meanwhile, Christian conservatives have been "making hay of the findings" of recent Pew and Gallup polls that found more U.S. residents identifying with "pro-life" positions and using the data to argue "that Obama"s position is out of touch with the majority of Americans," Posner writes. However, as bloggers at The Monkey Cage and FiveThirtyEight have pointed out, the polls are not representative of most U.S. residents" views on abortion rights, she writes. "Because of that deception on reproductive rights, it"s more important than ever for the president to lay the moral groundwork for his own position -- not just to recognize the moral qualms of abortion opponents," Posner says (Posner, "The FundamentaList," American Prospect, 5/20).~ "Meghan McCain Preaches What She Practices," Willa Paskin, Slate"s "XX Factor": Meghan McCain -- Sen. John McCain"s (R-Ariz.) daughter -- "acquitted herself quite admirably" on Monday"s episode of Comedy Central"s "The Colbert Report" by "defending her core position" that the Republican Party "needs to appeal to younger voters, and it can only do so by getting liberal on social issues," Paskin writes. On the show, McCain said, "I think it"s not realistic for this generation to be just plain abstinent, I think we need to have sex education with condoms and birth control. ... I would never practice anything I didn"t preach." Paskin also includes a video clip of McCain"s appearance (Paskin, "XX Factor," Slate, 5/19).~ "Skill the Messenger," Cristina Page, Birth Control Watch: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin"s (R) 18-year-old daughter Bristol -- who was
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NSAIDs Can Reduce Common Cold Symptoms

The common cold is the most pervasive recurring illness on earth. For years, people have turned to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, to relieve pain, fever and other symptoms related to the miserable feelings brought on by the common cold. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, which is available in brands such as Motrin and Advil, and naproxen, which is marketed as Aleve. A new Cochrane review of nine studies has found that NSAIDs are effective in reducing many cold symptoms. It is important to note, however, that NSAIDs can relieve symptoms of the common cold not prevent or treat the illness. "The review found that NSAIDs improved most analgesia-related symptoms such as headache, ear pain, and muscle and joint pain," said lead author Soo Young Kim, M.D., a professor at Hallym University Medical College in Seoul, South Korea. "We also found that NSAIDs significantly improved sneezing associated with the common cold." Kim and his colleagues looked at whether NSAIDs were more effective than placebos for reducing common cold symptoms. The studies included 1,064 children and adults suffering from a cold. The participants did not have an acute illness or a chronic health condition. In six studies, 891 participants had acquired the cold before the study began, while 178 participants in three other studies were infected deliberately. Treatment duration ranged from a single dose to two doses a day for seven days. The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews like this one draw evidence-based conclusions abut medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic. The investigators found that NSAIDs are beneficial in treating many cold symptoms, but not all cold symptoms. "That"s due to the fact that many symptoms of the common cold are caused by inflammation due to viruses that do not appear in a single pathway," Kim said. For example, reviewers found no clear evidence that NSAIDs are effective in improving respiratory symptoms such as cough and nasal discharge. "If a person has a cough caused by a cold, the American College of Chest Physicians has recommended the administration of naproxen," Kim said. "Further research is needed to evaluate the benefits of NSAIDs for relieving respiratory symptoms." Norman Edelman M.D., chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, agrees with the review findings. "Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs provide relief for many symptoms of the common cold," he said. "Even though they alleviate cold symptoms for many patients, it is unlikely that consumers expect NSAIDs to provide relief from all symptoms of the common cold. The review confirms the behavior of many consumers who are looking for a reduction of cold symptoms." Edelman noted that while the review investigated common cold symptoms and not the flu, it did not distinguish the difference between cold and influenza symptoms. "Even though fever is associated with the flu, not every person who is taking an NSAID recognizes that," he said. "If they are taking an NSAID to treat common cold symptoms, they may think their fever is due to a cold, but in realty, it may be influenza." The Cochrane Collaboration is an international nonprofit, independent organization that produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health care interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions. Kim SY, et al. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Issue 3, 2009. Health Behavior News Service


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