Nutrition
Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine who has revolutionized the understanding of vitamin D and its role in disease prevention, has received the $50,000 Linus Pauling Institute Prize for Health Research.
"The prices of hundreds of brand-name drugs are about to be cut 4%, and millions of Americans may soon receive a check in the mail as compensation for having overpaid for their prescriptions," but "the extent to which the average consumer will benefit isn"t yet clear," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The price cuts and expected payments are the result of federal class-action settlements involving two drug-price publishers and a major drug wholesaler that were accused of inflating drug prices."
Nearly two-thirds (63
The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is seeing that H1N1 (Swine) flu continues to spread both locally and nationally. In Rhode Island, HEALTH has seen an increase in sporadic cases and outbreak clusters throughout the state, including in schools. As of 11 a.m., June 9, there are 39 confirmed positive cases in RI, doubling the case count in less than a week. Rhode Island and national surveillance data indicate increased infections in children, increased infections in individuals with chronic medical conditions, and a generally higher hospitalization rate of those infected. Although most illness in Rhode Island has been mild, compared to seasonal influenza, there is an increase in the number of hospitalizations. Ten of the Rhode Islanders with swine flu have been hospitalized.
New research published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that a method used by air traffic controllers tracks patient data more effectively and with fewer errors compared with current hospital methods, primarily the use of clipboards.
"Taking out the trash" takes on a whole new meaning, as investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, have discovered that a waste disposal protein is the key to cancer tumor suppression in a process known as autophagy. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
A modest reduction in the amount of carbohydrates eaten, without calorie restriction and weight loss, appears to increase a sense of fullness, which may help people eat less, a preliminary study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
In today"s image-obsessed society where millions of photos are uploaded daily through digital networks such as Facebook and Flickr, how much of an impact can a common skin condition like acne have on the life of teens? Based on first impressions, teens with acne are perceived to have different personality and social traits than if they had clear skin, according to results of a new online perception survey sponsored by the American Acne & Rosacea Society (AARS), and co-authored by Dr. Eva Ritvo, psychiatrist and co-author of The Beauty Prescription.(1) The survey asked thousands of teens and adults to offer their impressions of a group of teens based solely on photos of their faces - with clear skin or digitally enhanced to simulate acne. The results, which are being released to mark the first-ever National Acne Awareness Month, also expose the significant lengths that teens with acne would go to if it meant they could get rid of their acne forever.(1a)
An embolism - from the Greek ç©mbolos meaning "stopper" or "plug" - is the term that describes a condition where an object called an embolus is created in one part of the body, circulates throughout the body, and then blocks blood flowing through a vessel in another part of the body. Emboli (plural of embolus) are not to be confused with thrombi (plural of thrombus), which are clots that are formed and remain in one area of the body without being carried throughout the bloodstream.
South Carolinians are encouraged to join in obesity prevention efforts where they live, work, and play, and to make healthier decisions in their day-to-day lives during Obesity Awareness Month, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
HCL, the UK"s largest health and social care recruiter, said today that it anticipates increasing demand for its temporary and locum staff as the NHS seeks to increase efficiencies in healthcare provision.
Given Imaging Ltd.
As many as half of all men taking the antidepressant medication paroxetine (trade names Seroxat, Paxil) may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation -- a predictor of compromised fertility. Research led by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center also found that the changes are reversible with normal levels of sperm returning after discontinuation of the drug.
Seventeen-year-old Sara Abousuiony, who has been homebound since she was an infant, never imagined that she would be able to leave her home in Cairo, Egypt, and travel to the United States for a life-saving heart procedure.
It is well established that seat belts save lives. However, many pregnant women do not wear seat belts, for fear that the belt itself could injure the baby in a car crash. But is this actually the case? Does the seat belt put the baby at risk?
Legislation released June 9 by Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) would expand access to pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) services for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
Rogers Media is proud to join AstraZeneca Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) as a presenting partner of the school-based children"s wellness initiative, At My Best. The program addresses three key areas of wellness-physical, nutritional and emotional-and empowers teachers, parents and caregivers to inspire and motivate children and their families to make healthier choices today and develop lifelong healthy habits.
Awarepoint Corporation announced deployment of its Real-time Location System (RTLS) at the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center. This deployment adds a third UCSD Medical Center hospital to Awarepoint"s RTLS coverage, which currently includes the system"s Thornton and Hillcrest campuses. The Awarepoint enterprise RTLS installation has now been expanded to include nearly 1.5 million square feet with more than 2,000 assets under management, covering three hospitals across nearly 14 miles.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found a high frequency of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative rods (GNRs) in two of the largest neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the city of Manila, Philippines. Improved infection control methods could reduce the vast number of hospital acquired neonatal infections. The BUSM study appears online in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced that it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market the BRYAN® Cervical Disc System for the treatment of single-level cervical disc disease (radiculopathy and/or myelopathy). In July 2007, Medtronic"s PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc was the first artificial cervical disc to be approved by the FDA. With the BRYAN® Disc and the PRESTIGE® Disc, Medtronic now offers a diverse portfolio of artificial cervical discs that address varying philosophies among spine surgeons about optimal implant materials, fixation methods, surgical techniques, and other unique design features.
Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSPT) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed the company that it should expect to receive formal notice of a three month extension of the review period for the new drug application (NDA) for Intermezzo(R) (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet). The Intermezzo(R) NDA had been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date of July 30, 2009. Under this revised timeline, Transcept now anticipates action from the FDA on the NDA on or before October 31, 2009.
UroToday.com - Prostate Cancer Screening among African Americans. Our manuscript that was published in Cancer Nursing, revealed an important topic in how African American men decided whether or not to get a prostate cancer screening. This is particularly important currently due to the controversy of prostate cancer screening.
In light of the World Health Organization raising its pandemic flu alert to the top phase of its six-phase scale, Aon Corporation (NYSE: AOC) today issued the following statement by Gisele Norris, DrPH, national director of Aon Healthcare"s alternative risk practice:
A distinguished panel of clinical and policy experts gathered by Novo Nordisk recently convened in Washington, D.C. to explore solutions to address the exponential growth of diabetes in America. The universal theme from the renowned speakers, including Larry Hausner, CEO of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), was that the cost of the disease to our nation, at $218 billion annually, is startling and the lag in patient motivation to take action to offset the disease is distressing. Without intervention at both a national and patient level, our nation runs the risk of reaching a projected 50 million Americans having diabetes by the year 2025.
A Canadian research group has found that pleasure centers in the brain that respond to drug craving are also active when we listen to emotionally powerful music that gives us "chills" or "shivers-down-the-spine". Using two separate brain imaging tests the researchers examined subjects as they listened alternately to music that gave them chills and music that did not. Using a PET scan, the researchers showed that music that caused chills lead to a release of dopamine in the reward centers of the brain (mesolimbic striatum). Using fMRI on the same subjects, they found that activation in these regions happens both during the experience of chills and while subjects are anticipating them. Music, a mere sequence of notes arranged in time, can activate the same reward centers in the brain as drugs such as cocaine.
Since 2000, U.S. infants have been routinely immunized against pneumococcal (Streptococcus pneumoniae) infection, but the existing vaccine"s expense puts it out of reach for most developing countries, where almost one million children die from pneumococcal infections each year. Richard Malley, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children"s Hospital Boston, is at work on a pneumococcal vaccine that meets developing countries" needs it can be made cheaply, withstands high temperatures without refrigeration, and can be given without needles, avoiding the need for sterile procedures and medical professionals to administer it. Also, because it is a whole-cell vaccine, it should provide protection against virtually all of the 91 pneumococcal serotypes that infect people worldwide. (The U.S. vaccine covers only seven.)
Nearly 20 years ago, it was discovered that bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori were responsible for stomach ulcers. Since then, antibiotics have become the primary therapy used to combat the H. pylori infection, which affects approximately six percent of the world population and is also a primary cause of stomach cancer. But today the bacteria is growing increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
Researchers have been seeking a safe and effective way to treat cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia by enhancing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors. Functional deficits in NMDA receptors may contribute to the underlying neurobiology of this disorder. The first generation of studies trying to stimulate NMDA receptors administered large amounts of substances, like glycine or D-serine, which indirectly enhance NMDA receptor function. While there were some positive reports of efficacy, findings across studies were more inconsistent than was hoped.
Although we are still far from knowing exactly where and how the pineal suppressive role is exerted, the fact that the gland exerts an inhibitory function on the reproductive axis is widely accepted. In fact, the pineal seems to exert its hormonal effect at different levels of the reproductive axis, both at the hypothalamic-pituitary level and at the gonadal level, where melatonin receptors have also been found.
This year the British Transplant Games takes place in Coventry and 900 transplant athletes are preparing to take part. For a handful of these athletes, the Games offers vital training and preparation for other major sporting challenges such as triathlons and marathons. The event organisers, Transplant Sport UK shines the spotlight on these inspiring people, who visibly demonstrate that there is life after transplant, allowing them to train to a high level of fitness against all the odds.
When President Obama chose Green Bay, Wis., to talk about the need for health reform, he did so in part because the area has achieved a high level of quality, and compared with other parts of the country, succeeded in restraining health care costs, National Public Radio reports. "They"re certainly spending a lot less money, and they are providing care that is equal or better than the care that is provided in many other communities around the country," Elliot Fisher, a researcher at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice told NPR in an interview. NPR says: "Some of the research the administration is relying on comes from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice," which focuses on variations in health quality and costs around the country.
The Oregon state legislature cleared two reform bills that passed its House of Representatives earlier this week, the Portland Oregonian reports. One bill will tax insurers and hospitals up to $500 million over two years to provide "health coverage for 80,000 uninsured children and an additional 35,000 uninsured low-income adults and put the state on a path toward covering all of its more than 600,000 uninsured residents." The state will leverage as much as $1 billion in federal matching funds. "Some of the federal money will be used to pay hospitals what they pay in taxes. Insurers also will get a portion of their tax money back," the Oregonian reports.
The WHO"s decision Thursday to declare H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic will "speed the production of a vaccine against the new virus," however scientists continue to caution that "it will be fall at the earliest before the first doses are available," the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Wall Street Journal examines a $1.5 billion program supported by Italy, the U.K., Canada, Russia, Norway and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that hopes "to encourage pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines for diseases common to poor countries," which is expected to be announced Friday "on the sidelines of a meeting of top finance officials from the Group of Eight major industrial powers."
PTI/Hindu reports on the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) - an "international network of malaria scientists," which will be "established to map the emergence of resistance" to malaria drugs and "guide global efforts to control and eradicate the disease." The goal of WWARN, which "will integrate the efforts of researchers, NGOs and public health experts in malaria-endemic areas around the world," is to provide "comprehensive and rigorous evidence" for policy makers, which will help them "select the best anti-malarial treatments and to formulate strategies to control the critical problem of resistance wherever it arises," PTI/Hindu writes.
Protesters gathered outside a Washington, D.C., CVS Pharmacy on Thursday to urge the pharmacy chain to end the practice of locking condoms in display cases in certain neighborhoods, WJLA News reports. The protesters contend that CVS restricts access to condoms in poor black neighborhoods, whose residents may be at higher risk for HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies (WJLA News, 6/11). The protest was a part of a nationwide effort called, "Cure CVS: Unlock the Condoms Initiative," which aims to urge CVS to keep condoms unlocked at all times (Business Wire release, 6/10). CVS said in a statement, "All CVS stores sell condoms that are unlocked and accessible" (WJLA News, 6/11).
Cellulose is a fibrous molecule that makes up plant cell walls, gives plants shape and form and is a target of renewable, plant-based biofuels research. But how it forms, and thus how it can be modified to design energy-rich crops, is not well understood. Now a study led by researchers at the Carnegie Institution"s Department of Plant Biology has discovered that the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for cell-wall structure is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed. The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and published in the advance online publication (AOP) of Nature Cell Biology on June 14th, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
Most vaccines that protect against viruses generate infection-fighting proteins called antibodies that either block infection or help eliminate the virus before it can cause disease. Attempts to create a vaccine that induces antibodies that prevent HIV infection or disease, however, have so far been unsuccessful. But several recent studies suggest promising new research directions for the development of an antibody-based HIV vaccine, according to John R. Mascola, M.D., deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.
Trust in science is diminishing, according to recent studies, especially in the area of biomedicine, biotech and genetics. University of Alberta researchers Tim Caulfield and Tania Bubela blame it on the complexity of many discoveries and they"re concerned the whole message from the study isn"t getting across to the general public.
Over half (56%) of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also have periodontitis (a chronic inflammatory disease of the gum and surrounding ligaments and bones that hold the teeth in place), displaying fewer teeth than healthy matched controls, high prevalence of oral sites presenting dental plaque and advanced attachment loss (the extent of periodontal support that has been destroyed around a tooth) (chi square p
The BDA has produced a series of vintage oral health promotional posters and postcards featuring designs produced by the Ministry of Health between the nineteen thirties and sixties. The exclusive series, unveiled at the British Dental Conference and Exhibition, uses a combination of eye-catching vintage illustrations and photographs to emphasise the value of good oral health and nutrition in a fun and novel way.
A new generation of innovative Telehealth products that include an
The Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP), a cooperative partnership between the public and private sectors that works to ensure the interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States, has begun work to identify global standards to support "core research data element exchange," specifically, a common set of information that can readily be exchanged between EHRs and clinical research systems.
Abbott"s (NYSE: ABT) TRILIPIX® (fenofibric acid) delayed-release capsules in combination with rosuvastatin calcium achieved individual and combined lipid targets in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. In these patients, the combination of TRILIPIX and rosuvastatin helped up to three times more patients simultaneously reach all three key lipid targets HDL, triglycerides and LDL than the pre-determined monotherapy. Results from this post-hoc analysis were presented at the American Diabetes Association"s 2009 Scientific Sessions.
Medical Protection Society (MPS) GP members, who are expected to work outside of their normal duties during a pandemic flu, should feel confident that they can turn to the MPS for assistance, in the event they are subject to a clinical negligence claim or other medicolegal matter such as a complaint.
Rich Umbdenstock
Australia"s peak nursing and midwifery groups will host a roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra today bringing nurses, midwives, doctors and the Government together to discuss community health services that better meet the needs of all Australians and that will take pressure off our over-burdened public hospitals.
Nucletron, a knowledge-based leader in radiation oncology,
The International AIDS Society (IAS) announced Thursday it is considering Washington, D.C., as the location for the 2012 biannual International AIDS Conference, Science Magazine"s blog, the ScienceInsider reports. "But before it holds the conference anywhere in the U.S., the federal government must change a law that bans HIV-infected people from entering the country," according to Science Insider. The conference has not been held in the U.S. since 1990, because the government banned people living with HIV from entering the U.S. "This long-standing law, which is contrary to all scientific evidence and human rights principles, is one of the U.S."s weakest spots in HIV policy," IAS President Julio Montaner said in a statement. The law has been repealed, but HHS still has HIV on the list of communicable diseases that bar entry. "In a statement to ScienceInsider, HHS said it has submitted "a notice of proposed rule-making to implement this change" to the Office of Management and Budget for its review," according to the blog (Cohen, ScienceInsider/Science, 6/11).
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published an inspection report on the Yorkshire-based independent mental health hospital, Linden House in Market Weighton near York.
PATH and WaterAid America released two new reports that show that the international aid community and developing-country governments are not responding to clear evidence on child mortality by targeting res where the disease burden is greatest. Diarrheal disease, a leading killer of children under age five worldwide, is responsible for the deaths of nearly 1.6 million children annually, yet it receives very little attention from both policymakers and the public. During the 1980s and 1990s, diarrheal disease mortality rates were cut by nearly 50 percent, made possible by wide availability and implementation of lifesaving prevention and treatment interventions.
All Global, the world"s
Research indicating distorted ratios of male to female births among U.S. residents of Chinese, Indian and Korean descent could reflect those families" openness to sex-selection techniques, according to some demographers, the New York Times reports. Historically, male births in the U.S. have led female births by a ratio of 1.05 to 1. A study published last year in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined 2000 census data and found that among Chinese-, Indian- and Korean-American families, if the first child was a girl, the likelihood that the second child was a boy increased to 1.17 to 1. In addition, if the first two children were girls, the chance that the third was a boy was 1.51 to 1, or about 50% greater than normal. In a study published this year, Jason Abrevaya of the University of Texas examined census data and birth records through 2004, finding that the incidence of boys as third children among immigrant Chinese parents in New York was 558 of every 1,000 births, significantly higher than the national average of 515. Many experts were surprised at the evidence that the cultural preference for sons among some Asian cultures has carried over to immigrants in the U.S., the Times reports. Studies have not demonstrated a slanted proportion of male births among Japanese immigrants, according to the Times. According to demography experts, the deviation toward male births among some Asian-American immigrants reflects both a cultural preference for boys and an increased tendency for families to seek out sex-selection techniques such as in vitro fertilization, sperm sorting or abortion. Some clinics that offer IVF or sperm sorting to select for sex market their services to Asian-American families through advertisements in Indian- and Chinese-language newspapers. In 2001, criticism arose within the Indian-American community about clinics targeting that population, and some community newspapers and magazines expressed regret for publishing advertisements that critics said were perpetuating a misogynistic practice. Joyce Moy, executive director of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute of the City University of New York, said that younger Chinese immigrants have adopted the family values that are common in China -- such as the tradition of elders depending on their sons for support -- even though some of the reasons behind those customs are less relevant in the U.S. Experts say that the preference for male children may fade with further assimilation, the Times reports.In China, sex selection typically is achieved through abortion of female fetuses. Although doctors say the practice also occurs in the U.S., few families discuss it, the Times reports. Lisa Eng, a Hong Kong-born gynecologist who practices in New York City"s Chinatown and Brooklyn, said that she attempts to discourage couples who prefer boys from having abortions. "If it"s going to be a third [child], they"re pretty determined to have a boy," she said, adding, "If it"s a boy, they keep it. If it"s a girl, they"ll abort" (Roberts, New York Times, 6/15).
EuropaBio, the European biotech industry association applauds the report "IB 2025: Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy" (1) released today by the UK"s Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). The biotech industry welcomes the report which is completely in line with the EU"s Lead Market Initiative for Biobased Products (2). EuropaBio is also pleased to note that the report also embraces EuropaBio"s policy recommendations (3) developed to help the EU realise the vision of a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE).
University of California, Berkeley, researchers have found what they think is a critical and, until now, missing piece of the puzzle about how stress causes sexual dysfunction and infertility.
The vast majority of cancer deaths are due to metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from its primary site to other parts of the body. These metastatic cells tend to move more than their non-metastatic variants but this movement is poorly understood. Scientists are studying cancer cells intently with the hope they can learn to control the movements of the dangerous cells.
Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), reported today that testing of its topical eye drops drug candidate has begun at two different, independent facilities.
A study in the June 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that the complaints of fatigue and tiredness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) improved significantly with good adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, suggesting that - like the symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness - these complaints are important symptoms of OSA.
In a letter sent to President Obama and House and Senate leaders today, the Premier healthcare alliance and GNYHA Ventures, Inc., Greater New York Hospital Association"s supply chain enterprise that includes group purchasing organizations (GPOs), said that hospitals could improve healthcare quality and achieve cumulative savings of $317 billion if certain policies are enacted to create a more competitive and transparent purchasing environment. The savings are based on an analysis conducted by the two groups and projected over 10 years, to be fully realized by 2019.
The most common form of human heart beat irregularity (atrial fibrillation) can be fatal if left untreated. It has been suggested that it is caused, in part, by calcium leaking from a cellular store in heart cells, potentially through the RyR2 channel, although this mechanism remains controversial. However, a team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Dresden University of Technology, Germany, has provided support for this hypothesis by showing that the protein CaMKII can enhance RyR2-mediated calcium leak, promoting atrial fibrillation in mice.
Alcohol is sometimes seen as part and parcel of college life, but there are programs that can significantly reduce students" risky drinking, according to a series of studies in a special college drinking supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Resident physicians from the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare will join activist doctors, nurses, and medical students from across the country in Philadelphia tomorrow, May 15 to call for urgent reforms to the nation"s health care system. The group will gather at Independence National Historic Park at 1:30 p.m. Friday on Market between S. 5th and S. 6th Streets.
The University of California, San Francisco, has partnered with Abbott, a global health care company, to launch a first-of-its kind, non-profit viral diagnostics center near the UCSF Mission Bay campus to help identify unknown viruses from around the world.
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.
British scientists have developed a unique air purifier, now patented in 36 jurisdictions around the world, which according to independent research can kill the viruses H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu within minutes in any room or other enclosed space. It is also effective against the MRSA "superbug" and other airborne bacteria and viruses: Tri-Air Developments
MacroGenics, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced that the PROTEGE trial achieved its targeted patient enrollment. The trial is a pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical study evaluating teplizumab, an investigational compound under development for the treatment of individuals with recent-onset type 1 diabetes.
According to a new report by HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that genetic testing for two gene mutations in adults with a history of blood clots helps to prevent a condition known as deep-vein thrombosis or to improve other clinical outcomes.
More and more couples from the United Kingdom are crossing the ocean for donor egg treatment at Shady Grove Fertility Center, the Washington/Baltimore area"s largest in vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility clinic. More than five dozen British patients received IVF treatment there last year, which was a 350-percent increase over 2007; most were donor egg recipients.
Hologic, Inc. (Hologic or the Company) (Nasdaq: HOLX), a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced that it has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its R2(TM) DigitalNow(TM) HD software application.
In remarks on health care reform to the American Medical Association"s (AMA) House of Delegates on Monday, President Barack Obama pointed to pharmacists" participation on "multidisciplinary rounds" as an "island of excellence" that should become the "standard in our health care system."
A report released by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that binge drinking and drinking-related deaths among college-age students are increasing.
Elderly persons living with a spouse have more timely preventive service use than those living alone or with offspring. The sole exception is in the case of hypertension screening.
The Congressional Budget Office has found that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee"s health reform proposal would cost taxpayers about $1 trillion over the next decade and only insure 16 million people, about one-third of uninsured Americans, Politico reports. More individuals would lose employer-provided insurance they already have, or move away from government programs, prompting Republicans to say in a memo, "For all of the money the bill spends, the coverage increase is relatively anemic."
The battle over health care reform will happen in the Senate, even though President Obama keeps getting all the attention, The Washington Post"s The Fix reports.
A group of 50 families will ask lawmakers this week to keep in mind 9 million uninsured children and many more who are underinsured when they undertake health reform this summer, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "Covering all children, and making sure they have access to the care they need regardless of their family"s financial situation or where they live, is an achievable first step toward covering all Americans," the CEO of the Children"s Hospital Association told the Enquirer.
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett in a speech on Monday at the National Partnership for Women & Families" annual luncheon touted Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s credentials and responded to critics who have attacked the judge"s qualifications and past statements, the Washington Post"s "44" reports. Jarrett noted that Sotomayor has more federal experience than any other Supreme Court justice in 100 years. "You can imagine our surprise when people started saying maybe she wasn"t qualified," Jarrett said. She continued that Sotomayor also has an "incredible, rich personal story" that represents the "American Dream." When Sotomayor "talk[ed] about how important that upbringing was, what that will help her bring to the bench -- just as I might add Justice Alito did during his confirmation -- suddenly her background comes into question," Jarrett said, adding that this is a "double standard." Critics have attacked Sotomayor"s comment during a speech at the University of California-Berkeley that she would "hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Alito during his confirmation hearing said, "When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account."Jarrett said of Sotomayor, "I can tell you we really don"t have anything to worry about." She added that Sotomayor "will be far more prepared than anybody else, which is often the case with women. She will make us all proud" (Brown/Leiby, "44," Washington Post, 6/15).
The AP/Kansas City Star on Sunday examined how the upcoming election for the next president of the National Organization for Women has brought to the forefront a debate over how the feminist movement should define itself moving forward. NOW President Kim Gandy is stepping down after eight years in which she led the group in opposition to many of former President George W. Bush"s policies. Running to replace her are Latifa Lyles, a 33-year-old who serves as a vice president to Gandy, and Terry O"Neill, a 56-year-old who served as NOW"s vice president for membership from 2001 to 2005. Lyles, who is black, would be NOW"s youngest president while O"Neill, who is white, would be its oldest to start a term. According to the AP/Star, the election represents "both an unusual clash of generations and an opportunity for activists to confront some of the challenges facing the feminist movement." The election will be held at NOW"s conference in Indianapolis this weekend.The candidates share the goals of ensuring that women"s needs are represented in health care reform and economic recovery efforts, and they both support working to make abortion and birth control more accessible. Lyles said she contrasts with NOW"s current membership, which is mostly white and older than age 40. Lyles believes she could help give the organization a more diverse, younger image and help encourage participation from a broader range of women. "The profile of NOW is just as important as the work we do," she said, adding, "There are a lot of antiquated notions about what feminism is." Gandy, who has endorsed Lyles, said, "It"s hard to ignore the fact there"s been a generational shift in the country, and an organization that doesn"t recognize that is living in the past." She added that Lyles" "youth is not a detriment, but an advantage. ... She"ll take NOW to a different level." Jessica Valenti, a prominent younger feminist and founder of the blog Feministing, said, "This could be the moment where NOW becomes super-relevant to the feminist movement again."O"Neill said she would focus on grassroots organizing and membership recruitment. She said that "even with a friend in the White House and a lot of friends in the Congress, it"s going to take well-organized, grassroots movement to advance our agenda." O"Neill added, "I keep hearing "Terry, I want to see more activism in my community,"" adding, "The press releases, the media exposure, invitations to the White House -- these are excellent things, but they"re not enough. The grass roots are not personally engaged." Former NOW President Patricia Ireland, who supports O"Neill, said, "There is a role that requires us to take unpopular stands and push on our friends. That"s what I think [O"Neill] really gets. She"s the one I believe will be very willing to use a wide array of tactics -- not just traditional letters and e-mails, but also engage in civil disobedience, organize fasts, be at some congressman"s district office" (Crary, AP/Kansas City Star, 6/14).
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the ASHP Foundation today announced the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI), the next major step in the evolution of pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems.
More than half of the UK population feels that a breakdown in communications between healthcare agencies would allow a pandemic outbreak such as swine flu to spread unnecessarily and slow the effective distribution of vaccines, according to a survey by specialist healthcare technology consultants, 21C.
As panic surrounding the spread of swine flu heightens following the World Health Organization"s declaration of a global pandemic, many may be fooling themselves into believing that their state or national border can provide protection from the virus, based on new research from NYU Stern on people"s tendency to treat arbitrary political boundaries as safeguards.
To determine if guided fat (adipose) precursor cells (APCs) could improve nerve regeneration and functional recovery, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) used biodegradable nerve guides to transplant APCs into the injured peripheral nerves of laboratory rats.
Duke University engineers have taken a first step toward a minimally invasive treatment of brain tumors by combining chemotherapy with heat administered from the end of a catheter.
The following statement was issued by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) regarding a study on biosimilars presented to Congressional staff by the AARP:
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) recently released the text of a comment letter it has provided to the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) in which AMP sets forth its recommendations for priority areas on which to focus CER activities.
Contur Software, a leading provider of electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) systems, announced added chemistry functionality in iLabber, the company"s recently launched high-end ELN system available as an online service. Using a software as a service (SaaS) model, Contur Software is making iLabber available to individual researchers and smaller R&D organizations that previously have not been able to utilize the advantages of high-end ELN systems due to investments in hardware, licenses and maintenance.
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Trial reports of the Evolife range of products in France have pointed to significant benefits and enhanced quality of life for cancer patients who use the products before, during and after chemo or radiotherapy treatment. Evolife is a natural range of cosmetics that is 100% dedicated to the support care of cancer patients.
Clavis Pharma ASA (OSE: CLAVIS) announces positive final results from a Phase II trial of its novel investigational cancer drug, elacytarabine (CP-4055), in patients with late-stage acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In the trial, elacytarabine showed statistically significant superior efficacy compared to published clinical data for late-stage AML. Based on these encouraging results an elacytarabine registration study is being planned.
In a series of recently-published articles, a research team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered clues to the development of cancers in AIDS patients.
Studies have shown wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle reduces one"s risk of death by more than 50 percent, yet every three days, a child in the United States is killed while riding a bicycle, and every day at least 100 children are treated in emergency rooms due to bicycle-related head injuries.
Joan Massagué (Barcelona, Spain, 1953) is the first winner of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards in the Biomedicine category. The Frontiers of Knowledge Awards are intended to recognize and promote research of excellence. The breadth of disciplines addressed and their monetary amount a combined purse of 3.2 million euros spread over eight prize categories place them among the world"s foremost award schemes.
Targeting children may be an effective use of limited supplies of flu vaccine, according to research at the University of Warwick funded by the Wellcome Trust and the EU. The study suggests that, used to support other control measures, this could help control the spread of pandemics such as the current swine flu.
The immune system"s T-cells react to foreign protein fragments and therefore are crucial to combating viruses and bacteria. Errant cells that attack the body"s own material are in most cases driven to cell death. Some of these autoreactive T-cells, however, undergo a kind of reeducation to become "regulatory T-cells" that keep other autoreactive T-cells under control. A group led by immunologist Professor Ludger Klein of LMU Munich has now shown that the developmental stage of an autoreactive T-cell is decisive to its ultimate destiny. Young autoreactive T cells are very readily reeducated into regulatory T-cells. Under identical conditions, however, older T cells become fully activated and can cause damage they are in a way resistant to reeducation. "We now intend to study at the molecular level what makes a T-cell accessible for reeducation," said Klein, "because then it may be possible to convert even normal adult T-cells, which can be obtained easily and in great numbers from blood. Possibly, they could then be used as regulatory T-cells in therapies for autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis: these are diseases that are triggered by uncontrolled autoreactive T-cells." (PNAS, 10 June 2009)
A review of the NICE decision on the approval of lenalidomide is published in a special report Online First and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology. About 2,000 multiple myeloma sufferers in the UK could benefit from the drug and improve their life expectancy pending a decision by The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Patients who have received two or more previous therapies could receive lenalidomide, and the cost of cycles beyond the twenty-sixth cycle of treatment would be met by the drug manufacturer.
Legislation to establish a Frontline Providers Loan Repayment Program that includes physical therapists was introduced Tuesday by Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA). The Access to Frontline Health Care Act of 2009 (HR 2891) would encourage physical therapists to practice in underserved areas, says the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Diabetes UK and the South Asian Health Foundation (SAHF) are highlighting 16 research topics in a new report to find out more about diabetes in South Asian people.
A hoist used in healthcare facilities as well as private homes across the country could cause an elderly or disabled person to "drop to the floor" risking death or serious injury according to a Field Safety Notice (FSN) issued by the manufacturer.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Cool Point™ Irrigation Pump. Used in conjunction with SJM open-irrigated ablation catheters, an irrigation pump supplies a continuous flow of saline through the catheter"s inner lumen to cool the ablation electrode for more effective energy delivery. Designed to enhance physicians" ability to perform successful atrial ablations, the new Cool Point irrigation pump was developed specifically for use with the company"s IBI-1500T9-CP cardiac ablation generator and family of Therapy™ Cool Path™ irrigated catheters.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon during a General Assembly meeting Tuesday urged governments not to cut aid for the international fight against HIV/AIDS, the AP/Washington Post reports. Even as Ban "called for "bold action" not only to increase funding but also to break down social barriers to achieve the goal set by world leaders in 2006 of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention services, treatment, care and support by 2010," he and other speakers at the meeting "reviewing progress and challenges in the battle against AIDS indicated that it will be exceedingly difficult - if not impossible - to reach the goal" (Lederer, AP/Washington Post, 6/16).
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly passed a $106 billion war-funding bill, which "included 7.7 billion to help the nation prepare for an outbreak of the H1N1 virus, the so-called swine flu," the Washington Times reports (Rowland, Washington Times, 6/17). The spending bill will now move to the Senate for consideration (Pelofsky, Reuters, 6/16).
"To some, human trafficking may seem like a problem limited to other parts of the world," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton writes in a Washington Post opinion piece, but "it occurs in every country, including the U.S., and we have a responsibility to fight it just as others do." According to Clinton, trafficking can produce "destructive effects" on "all of us," because it "weakens legitimate economies, breaks up families, fuels violence, threatens public health and safety, and shreds the social fabric that is necessary for progress." She writes that the problem is "particularly urgent now, as local economies around the world reel from the global financial crisis."
Commenting on the World Health Organisation"s decision to raise its global pandemic alert level to Phase 6 due to the global spread of the novel H1N1 influenza strain, Acting Director General Michael D. Boyd of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), of which the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) is a member, said:
Policy makers must increase investment in services to improve the lives of people with epilepsy, according to The Lancet Neurology this month.
A Minnesota program that provides psychiatric medications to low-income patients received a 2009 Community Leadership Award honorable mention from America"s Health Insurance Plans. The awards, which were announced at AHIP"s annual Institute in San Diego, recognize programs that address a community need.
Antigenics Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has launched a Phase 3 study with the world"s most clinically-advanced malaria vaccine, RTS,S, which contains Antigenics" QS-21 Stimulon® adjuvant.