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Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders.

21 Nov 2009

MiCAFE program supports seniors with food and medical assistance

The US government reported Monday that one in seven Americans struggled to get enough food to eat. This startling statistic highlights the difficulties of older adults who are rapidly aging into poverty.

21 Nov 2009

Questionnaire study reveals half of barn workers experience cough or other ailments

The estimated 4.6 million Americans involved in the equine industry may be at risk of developing respiratory symptoms due to poor air quality in horse barns, according to a questionnaire study undertaken earlier this year by investigators at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

21 Nov 2009

New hope for patients with liver cancer

In patients with unresectable (unable to be removed by surgery) liver cancer, an interventional radiology procedure called triple-drug transcatheter arterial chemoemobolization (TACE) followed by a liver transplant may significantly increase a patient's chance of long-term survival, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

21 Nov 2009

Climate change to have a profound impact on global public health

An emerging body of evidence suggests that the changing global climate is already affecting infectious disease transmission patterns. As noted today in a symposium at the 58th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), such changes are expected to have a profound impact on global public health.

21 Nov 2009

Employers take action to improve medication adherence

More employers are taking steps to improve their employees' health by making sure they take their medicines as prescribed, a move that could stave off more serious and costly health consequences, according to a new report sponsored by the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).

21 Nov 2009

Scientists explore various imaging techniques to gain new insight into lung disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a respiratory disease commonly known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. 600 million people live with COPD and while researchers have yet to find any real treatment or cure, Grace Parraga of Robarts Research Institute at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, is using various imaging techniques to gain new insight into the disease.

21 Nov 2009

Cardio Vascular Medical Device to initiate patent applications for its "steerable guidewire" in Europe

Cardio Vascular Medical Device Corp., a leading developer of advanced cardiovascular surgery technology, today announced that the company's Board of Directors has decided to initiate patent applications in Europe, Canada and the Far East for its proprietary next-generation "steerable guidewire" applicable for all angioplasty (PCTA) procedures.

21 Nov 2009

Genetic sonogram improves accuracy of noninvasive prenatal screening and detection of Down syndrome

The addition of a "genetic sonogram" maximizes the accuracy of non-invasive testing for Down syndrome, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher who was lead author of a landmark study in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

21 Nov 2009

Lancet examines Uganda's child-health volunteers

A Lancet World Report examines how a small group of village volunteers trained in basic health care are helping to improve the health of Ugandan children. "In a country where government spending on health is US$39 per person and 13% of children younger than 5 years die, trained volunteer health workers can make a substantial difference in remote rural areas," said Jerome Kabakyenga, dean of Medicine at the Mbara University of Science and Technology (MUST).

20 Nov 2009

Study recommends chest ultrasound for evaluating pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia

Chest ultrasound can serve as a viable alternative to chest CT in the evaluation of pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion (a build-up of fluid between the lung and chest wall), according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

20 Nov 2009

News outlets examine malaria drug resistance, hope for malaria eradication in Africa

Experts at an American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meeting this week said that resistance to the best available drug to treat malaria "is more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously reported," Science News/Wired Science reports. Researchers have been monitoring drug resistance along the Thailand-Cambodia border where patients taking artemisinin combination therapy - the most potent treatment for malaria - have been clearing the parasite from their bodies more slowly.

20 Nov 2009

Guidelines on cancer screenings spark debate

New guidelines on mammograms and pap smears set off a fierce debate.

20 Nov 2009

Study reveals effectiveness of radiation therapy in achieving local control and palliation in patients with PNTs

Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNTs), despite such tumors being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to a largest of its kind study in the November 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

20 Nov 2009

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

These bills will provide a bedrock sense of security and stability for Americans who have health insurance, and quality, affordable options for Americans without it (Peter R. Orszag, 11/20).

20 Nov 2009

Poll: Majority of Americans support medical malpractice reform

The Associated Press further analyzed its poll from earlier this week, with an eye on medical malpractice limits: "54 percent favor making it harder to sue doctors and hospitals for mistakes taking care of patients, while 32 percent are opposed. The rest are undecided or don't know. But congressional Democrats are reluctant to press forward on the issue. They don't want to upset a valuable political constituency — trial lawyers — even if President Barack Obama says he believes that fear of being sued leads doctors to practice defensive medicine, driving up costs for everyone."

20 Nov 2009

California issues strict rules for health professionals with addiction problems

News outlets report on a variety of health issues at the state level including stricter rules for drug abusers in the health industry in California, an examination of the nation's first city-run universal health care plan in San Francisco, a cigarette tax in Florida, sex offenders and ex-convicts in nursing homes in Illinois and efforts to battle medical errors in New Jersey.

20 Nov 2009

GOP and industry groups quick to decry Senate health bill

When Senate Democrats unveiled a bill meant to expand health coverage and restrain spending growth, "Republicans saw little to like," The Associated Press reports. GOP senators characterized the package Thursday "as a collection of tax increases, Medicare cuts and heavy new burdens for deficit-ridden states." Meanwhile, Republican governors fretted that the bill would expand Medicaid, a program that insures the poor, and relies on states for a portion of its funding. "We all know a sucker play when we see one," said Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniel (Espo, 11/20).

20 Nov 2009

German Research Foundation approves 9.4 million euros funding for University of Freiburg

The authorization committee of the German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved funding for a collaborative research center proposed by the University of Freiburg on the topic „Control of Cell Motility in Morphogenesis, Tumor Invasion, and Metastatic Spread" starting on 1 January 2010. The Freiburg SFB 850 will receive a total of 9.4 million euros in the next four years plus a 20 percent program allowance for indirect costs. In the case of success, the SFB 850 is eligible to receive funding for up to 12 years.

20 Nov 2009

Image of a water flea wins top prize in the 2009 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition

A glowing, eerily beautiful image of a water flea with its radiant green "crown of thorns" took top prize in the 2009 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition®, the world's foremost forum for showcasing microscope photos and movies of life science subjects. Dr. Jan Michels, a zoologist at the University of Albrecht, Kiel, Germany, took top honors for the image of a water flea, with its defensive "crown of thorns" to protect it against predators. The image reveals not only the exoskeleton, but also interior detail down to the nuclei within its cells, seen as tiny, glowing blue dots. This

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 20 Nov 2009

Medicine News and Research

Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

MiCAFE program supports seniors with food and medical assistance

Questionnaire study reveals half of barn workers experience cough or other ailments

New hope for patients with liver cancer

Climate change to have a profound impact on global public health

Employers take action to improve medication adherence

Scientists explore various imaging techniques to gain new insight into lung disease

Cardio Vascular Medical Device to initiate patent applications for its "steerable guidewire" in Europe

Genetic sonogram improves accuracy of noninvasive prenatal screening and detection of Down syndrome

Lancet examines Uganda's child-health volunteers

Study recommends chest ultrasound for evaluating pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia

News outlets examine malaria drug resistance, hope for malaria eradication in Africa

Guidelines on cancer screenings spark debate

Study reveals effectiveness of radiation therapy in achieving local control and palliation in patients with PNTs

A selection of today's opinions and editorials

Poll: Majority of Americans support medical malpractice reform

California issues strict rules for health professionals with addiction problems

GOP and industry groups quick to decry Senate health bill

German Research Foundation approves 9.4 million euros funding for University of Freiburg

Image of a water flea wins top prize in the 2009 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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