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British Government report declares NHS accident and emergency, the envy of the world

With 96 per cent of patients being seen and treated quickly in NHS A&E departments, this country's emergency departments are becoming the envy of the world, according to a British Government Report.

26 Oct 2004

Molecule that helps DNA replicate may make good target for cancer therapy

In order to divide, cells must first replicate their chromosomes. Cells use an array of proteins to accomplish the job, including a large enzyme complex that synthesizes new strands of DNA.

21 Oct 2004

Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies

A report released yesterday says that Africa is fighting back against vitamin and mineral deficiencies, saving millions of women and children from death and debilitation through simple, cost effective strategies such as fortifying staple foods. But millions of children can still be helped if current strategies and partnerships are extended to reach every country and every child.

8 Oct 2004

Neurologists have discovered a drug application smart enough to alleviate orthostatic hypotension

Mayo Clinic neurologists have discovered a drug application smart enough to alleviate orthostatic hypotension -- problems with sinking blood pressure when standing up from a sitting position -- without the unwanted effect of also causing patients' blood pressure to soar when lying down.

5 Oct 2004

Scientists have shown that the textbook explanation of how enzymes work is wrong

Their discovery may explain why attempts to make artificial enzymes have often been disappointing. Industry must now re-think the rationale for the design of biological catalysts and its approaches to drug design.

5 Oct 2004

A naturally occurring chemical that may repel yellow fever mosquitoes can now be made in the laboratory

Gaur acid is a natural skin secretion of the gaur, an Asian wild ox. Preliminary evidence suggests that this chemical discourages the landing and feeding of Aedes aegypti, a common mosquito that carries and transmits the yellow fever virus in some parts of the world.

23 Sep 2004

New Zealand initiative to widen biotech industry

An initiative aimed at addressing the need for well-rounded, enterprise-savvy biotech scientists in New Zealand, will be launched at The University of Auckland next week.

10 Sep 2004

Compounds break bonds holding dangerous pollutants together

Everything from the manufacture of new materials to the creation of modern medications relies on chemicals known as metal-based catalysts. Catalysts pack a double punch: Even as they greatly increase the rate of chemical processes, they regenerate so they can be used again.

25 Aug 2004

The next generation of single-enantiomer catalysts

Many molecules are enantiomers: they have mirror- image versions that may have identical parts but are just as different as your left hand is from your right.

23 Aug 2004

Clinicians have been able to reduce mortality rates in HIV positive children from 15 to 3 percent

"This is perhaps the first time that it has been demonstrated that HIV positive children can be successfully treated with antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings and the outcomes are comparable to those we have seen in U.S. pediatric antiretroviral clinical trials,"

23 Aug 2004

First whole-genome survey of where three commonly used retroviruses into human DNA

Retroviruses are one of the most common vehicles for delivering therapeutic payloads via gene therapy in animal models of disease and human patients.

22 Aug 2004

Scientists determine structure of staph, anthrax enzyme

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have determined the crystal structure of sortase B, an enzyme found in the bacteria that cause staph and anthrax. While an antibiotic is probably five to seven years away, the structure could provide the first clue in developing a treatment for the infections.

15 Jul 2004

Terrorists are sane, doctors claim

The widespread view that terrorists are isolated, vulnerable young men with paranoid or borderline personality disorders, is false. It is entirely perpetuated by experts relying on second hand reports, he told the conference.

10 Jul 2004

RNA enzyme research may lead to ways of monitoring fat metabolism and might even assist in the search for signs of life on Mars

Research aimed at teasing apart the workings of RNA enzymes eventually may lead to ways of monitoring fat metabolism and might even assist in the search for signs of life on Mars, according to University of Michigan researcher Nils Walter.

29 Jun 2004

Class of molecules that could lead to treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, arthritis, and heart disease

By making use of model compounds in drug design, chemists at the University of California, San Diego identified a class of molecules that could lead to treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.

21 Jun 2004

Biotech organization receives $1 million form Bill & Melinda Gates

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced the launch of BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), a new nonprofit organization that will work to enlist the biotechnology industry in the fight against neglected diseases. BVGH has received a $1 million start-up grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

17 Jun 2004

74 percent of Americans support call for the Bush White House to lift restrictions on stem cell research

By a decisive margin of 74-21 percent, Americans support former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s call for the Bush White House to lift restrictions on stem cell research in order to look for possible treatments for the Alzheimer’s disease that afflicted former President Ronald Reagan prior to his recent death

16 Jun 2004

Four critical components of cells' protein-building machine don't do what scientists had long assumed

In the hunt for these details, scientists have focused on four RNA building blocks, or nucleotides, deep within the machine that are identical in every species, from bacteria to humans. Because they sit where the protein chain is actually built, these "universally conserved" nucleotides in the ribosome were thought to help that process.

28 May 2004

Finding overturns long held ideas about how cells build proteins

Writing in the May 28 issue of Cell, Johns Hopkins researchers report that four critical components of cells' protein-building machine don't do what scientists had long assumed.

27 May 2004

Country Industry Forecast - European Union Healthcare Industry

The accession of ten more central and east European countries to the European Union (EU) -15 in 2004 has created a single European market, the largest market and trading zone for the healthcare industry with almost 500 million consumers. The total healthcare industry comprising pharmaceuticals and drugs, medical devices and equipment, and health services is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.4 per cent from 2003 to 2008.

11 May 2004