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Analysis of Bacterial Genomes Begins to Unravel Complex Story of Metabolic Evolution

In a paper published in the current issue of the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution , Arizona State University biochemists Jason Raymond, Christopher Staples and Robert Blankenship and Rice University's Janet Siefert do an analysis of the genomes of a large group of bacteria and archaea, comparing in particular similar genes that produce the protein nitrogenase.

7 Apr 2004

Lack of vigorous physical activity is the main contributor to obesity in adolescents ages 11 to 15

Lack of vigorous physical activity is the main contributor to obesity in adolescents ages 11 to 15, according to a study of 878 adolescents by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, in collaboration with investigators at San Diego State University.

6 Apr 2004

University of Kansas officials have reported to the FBI a computer hack into electronic pharmacy records

University of Kansas officials have reported to the FBI a computer hacking on Friday, April 2, into electronic pharmacy records in the Student Health Services at Watkins Memorial Health Center. Marilu Goodyear, KU vice provost for information services, said surveillance software alerted KU officials to the intrusion, and technicians immediately disabled the affected computer server.

6 Apr 2004

Patients with coronary artery blockages can be treated safely using drug coated stents

The researchers followed 155 consecutive patients treated with multiple sirolimus-eluting stents between April 2002 and March 2003. Each patient had at least two lesions blocking blood flow in different coronary arteries. Earlier studies have demonstrated that patients with a single, simple artery narrowing held open with a sirolimus-eluting stent are less likely to need retreatment than similar patients who received a bare metal stent. However, those studies excluded patients with complex or multiple artery lesions.

6 Apr 2004

Oral sildenafil improved exercise tolerance, cardiac output and quality of life in 22 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension

Oral sildenafil (Viagra®) improved exercise tolerance, cardiac output and quality of life in 22 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, according to the results of the first randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, reported in the April 7, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Apr 2004

FDA accepts REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis

Centocor, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its filing of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for REMICADE® (infliximab) as first-line therapy, in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with moderately-to-severely active disease. REMICADE®, in combination with methotrexate, is currently indicated in the U.S. for reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage and improving physical function in patients with moderately-to-severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate alone.

6 Apr 2004

New study could lead to new drugs to prevent premature birth

Dr Raheela Khan, of the University’s Academic Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology based at the newly-opened University of Nottingham Medical School at Derby, is working with colleagues Dr Balwir Matharoo-Ball and Dr Dave Barratt in the University’s School of Pharmacy on the research looking at what makes some women go into labour before their baby is due.

6 Apr 2004

New method to induce embryonic stem cells to develop into bone marrow and blood cells

Researchers at Northwestern University have devised a method to induce embryonic stem cells to develop into bone marrow and blood cells. Injecting the stem cells into the bone marrow cavity of mice whose bone marrow cells had been depleted restored production of blood cells, including cells of the immune system, which normally are created in the bone marrow.

6 Apr 2004

Trauma Highly Prevalent Among Delinquents

Almost every boy and girl currently detained in a juvenile facility in the United States has experienced at least one major trauma, and a large proportion of these children have post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Apr 2004

The Food and Drug Administration issues warning on antidepressants

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a warning about the possibility of worsening depression or suicidal thought in people, particularly children, who take any of 10 popular antidepressants, especially at the beginning of treatment or when the dosage is changed.

6 Apr 2004

A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules

A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules, including a key plague protein whose structure has eluded researchers until now. The technique, developed with support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), promises to help pharmaceutical companies develop more effective drugs to treat various diseases by tailor-making molecules to "fit" a protein's shape.

6 Apr 2004

Hormone associated with obesity also plays a key role in male fertility

Researchers in the University of Warwick’s Department of Biological Sciences have found that a hormone associated with obesity is actually also very active in the male genitals where it plays a key role in male fertility and may even influence the erection response in male sexual arousal.

6 Apr 2004

Scientists studying vaccinia virus, a relative of smallpox, have determined that a gene necessary for virus replication also has a key role in turning off inflammation

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying vaccinia virus, a close relative of smallpox, have determined that a gene necessary for virus replication also has a key role in turning off inflammation, a crucial anti-viral immune response of host cells.

6 Apr 2004

New York - Due to changing blood donor criteria, donor deferral rates have been increasing since 1999

Due to changing blood donor criteria, donor deferral rates have been increasing since 1999 with trend lines predicting additional deferral increases. This predicament has created a critical demand for new people to step forward to donate to ensure there is an adequate supply of blood for hospital patients in New York and New Jersey who require life-saving transfusions, reports New York Blood Center (NYBC) officials.

6 Apr 2004

British Asian cancer patients are not being met because of a lack of consideration for cultural differences

The study, carried out in Leicester, looked at the information preferences of British Asian patients – the majority of which were first generation and spoke English as well as their native language. It found that over half of English-speaking Asian patients would prefer to discuss their cancer and read health leaflets in their mother tongue.

6 Apr 2004

Alzheimer's live about half as long as those of similar age without dementia

Age, seriousness of impairment, and the severity of other medical conditions are important indicators of how long an individual might survive after an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, Eric B. Larson, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues report in the April 6 Annals of Internal Medicine. Study authors include Linda Teri, Ph.D., recipient of an Alzheimer's Association $1 million Pioneer research grant.

6 Apr 2004

Requests for organ donors must be tempered by a better understanding of cultural differences

In Canada, most organ donations come from people who have died, rather than from living donors. In western culture, there is a division between mind and body, he explains. Once the brain no longer functions, the corpse is no longer considered a true person -- as highlighted by Descartes' philosophy, "I think, therefore, I am" -- so organ donation is seen as acceptable. In addition, western society has been greatly influenced by the Christian belief in the spiritual value of non-reciprocal giving, says Bowman, making organ donation a gift of love and generosity.

6 Apr 2004

Study Identifies Predictors of Alzheimer's Disease Longevity

It's among the first questions asked after someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease: "What can we expect?" It's a tough question that has been difficult to answer. But a new study suggests that assessing several key clinical aspects of the disease soon after diagnosis could help families and physicians better predict long-term survival in individuals with AD.

6 Apr 2004

Genetic cause of cancer identified as a defect in the function of otherwise normal genes

In a landmark study published today in Nature Genetics, researchers from St Vincent's Hospital, The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the University of New South Wales have shown that a possible cause of cancer is a defect in the function of otherwise normal genes.

6 Apr 2004

£1.5 million of Executive funding for pioneering research into patient experiences at the University of Stirling’s new Cancer Care Research Centre

Cancer care will only improve by listening more to the experiences of patients and their carers, Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said today. He was announcing £1.5 million of Executive funding for pioneering research into patient experiences at the University of Stirling’s new Cancer Care Research Centre.

6 Apr 2004

Medical News

Analysis of Bacterial Genomes Begins to Unravel Complex Story of Metabolic Evolution

Lack of vigorous physical activity is the main contributor to obesity in adolescents ages 11 to 15

University of Kansas officials have reported to the FBI a computer hack into electronic pharmacy records

Patients with coronary artery blockages can be treated safely using drug coated stents

Oral sildenafil improved exercise tolerance, cardiac output and quality of life in 22 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension

FDA accepts REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis

New study could lead to new drugs to prevent premature birth

New method to induce embryonic stem cells to develop into bone marrow and blood cells

Trauma Highly Prevalent Among Delinquents

The Food and Drug Administration issues warning on antidepressants

A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules

Hormone associated with obesity also plays a key role in male fertility

Scientists studying vaccinia virus, a relative of smallpox, have determined that a gene necessary for virus replication also has a key role in turning off inflammation

New York - Due to changing blood donor criteria, donor deferral rates have been increasing since 1999

British Asian cancer patients are not being met because of a lack of consideration for cultural differences

Alzheimer's live about half as long as those of similar age without dementia

Requests for organ donors must be tempered by a better understanding of cultural differences

Study Identifies Predictors of Alzheimer's Disease Longevity

Genetic cause of cancer identified as a defect in the function of otherwise normal genes

£1.5 million of Executive funding for pioneering research into patient experiences at the University of Stirling’s new Cancer Care Research Centre

Innovations in baculovirus–insect cell expression systems

Compound Management and its Crucial Role in Early Pharmaceutical Research

Natural products: the next frontier in drug discovery

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