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Failures of international organisations to establish clear policies with regard to stem-cell research and reproductive cloning

The author of a Public Policy article in this week’s issue of THE LANCET discusses recent failures of international organisations to establish clear policies with regard to stem-cell research and reproductive cloning.

8 Jul 2004

Researchers shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease

CNRS and Inserm research scientists at the Institut Curie have shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease.

8 Jul 2004

New gene selection method

Current microarray experiments allow the levels of activity of thousands of genes to be measured at once, providing a window into molecular events underlying health and disease.

8 Jul 2004

Research into hay fever and temperature of the nose rises helps determine how reliable and effective anti-allergic agents are

In an attack of hay fever, the temperature of the nose rises. Effective medication prevents this too. An infrared camera provides non-contact images of the changes. Researchers can use these images to determine how reliable and effective anti-allergic agents are.

8 Jul 2004

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

A team of researchers led by The Burnham Institute’s Robert C. Liddington has determined the crystal structure of the binding complex between anthrax toxin and one of its host receptors.

8 Jul 2004

The Government must commit itself to three pledges if the current proposed changes to NHS dentistry are to succeed

The stark warning, issued this week in a letter to general dentists across the UK, calls for pledges from Government on three crucial areas of concern: funding, workforce and the new contract.

8 Jul 2004

Becoming a proficient doctor has always demanded hard work; it is unacceptable to leave out large parts of the curriculum

The current fashion in teaching doctors, which allows medical students to decide what they want to learn and how to go about it, is strongly criticised in a paper published in the British Medical Journal this week (10th July 2004).

8 Jul 2004

You may have overstepped the mark, cancer expert warns Prince of Wales

"You may have overstepped the mark" cancer expert warns Prince of Wales. An open letter to the Prince of Wales: with respect, your highness, you've got it wrong BMJ Volume 328, p 118.

8 Jul 2004

Reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients

Current reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients, warn researchers at Bristol University in this week's BMJ.

8 Jul 2004

Hospital inspection scores may be a better measure of performance than star ratings

From 2001-3, the performance of NHS trusts has been monitored through a star rating system established by the Department of Health (DoH). The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI - now part of the Healthcare Commission) has conducted on-site inspections that give hospitals scores for a variety of issues related to quality of care.

8 Jul 2004

NHS trusts star ratings system is flawed

The performance of NHS trusts is monitored through the star ratings system, which the Department of Health introduced in September 2001. The Commission for Health Improvement was given responsibility for assessment in 2002-3.

8 Jul 2004

Call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One

As the British Grand Prix approaches, researchers in this week's BMJ call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One.

8 Jul 2004

BMA argues that the British government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking in public places

Barriers preventing people from making healthy choices must be tackled as a matter of urgency, the BMA says today (Friday 9 July).

8 Jul 2004

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Therapeutic Treatment Now Coalition to unveil ambitious pledge at Bangkok 2004

Plans for advocacy, activism and protests throughout the weeklong AIDS conference to highlight the pressing need for increased access to life-saving anti-retroviral therapy (ARV) worldwide.

8 Jul 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

If your chest pain worsens and lasts more than five minutes, especially if you’re short of breath, feel weak, nauseated or lightheaded, call 9-1-1—you could be having a heart attack.

8 Jul 2004

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

8 Jul 2004

Rates of infant and maternal mortality in indigenous communities are among the highest in the Americas

In its most recent edition, "Healing our Spirit Worldwide"—PAHO's bulletin on indigenous health—notes that national averages often mask significant regional differences in these rates, citing the examples of Bolivia, Honduras and Guatemala. While overall maternal mortality in Bolivia, for example, stands at 390 per every 100,000 live births, in the department of Potosí, which has a larger indigenous population, the figure climbs to 496 per 100,000.

7 Jul 2004

Genes linked to cardiovascular disease more common among African Americans than those of European descent

Three gene variants that have been associated with heart attack risk in Japanese studies occur more frequently among African Americans than those of European descent

7 Jul 2004

Mediterranean diet lowers levels of markers for inflammation and coagulation which have been linked to heart disease

“The benefits of this diet are very well known, but the mechanism is not well understood. We believe this is the first time it has been reported that the potential mechanism goes through the inflammation process,” said Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, MSc, PhD with Harokopio University in Athens, Greece.

7 Jul 2004

Researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars

In the first study to gauge the risks of contracting HIV and hepatitis in Rhode Island prisons, Brown University researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars – a finding that led the team to call for prison-wide vaccinations. Results are published in the current edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

7 Jul 2004

Medical News

Failures of international organisations to establish clear policies with regard to stem-cell research and reproductive cloning

Researchers shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease

New gene selection method

Research into hay fever and temperature of the nose rises helps determine how reliable and effective anti-allergic agents are

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

The Government must commit itself to three pledges if the current proposed changes to NHS dentistry are to succeed

Becoming a proficient doctor has always demanded hard work; it is unacceptable to leave out large parts of the curriculum

You may have overstepped the mark, cancer expert warns Prince of Wales

Reforms of medical training may have dire consequences for the future of the medical profession and patients

Hospital inspection scores may be a better measure of performance than star ratings

NHS trusts star ratings system is flawed

Call for tougher worldwide action to counter the tobacco industry's influence in Formula One

BMA argues that the British government has a "moral duty" to ban smoking in public places

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AIDS Therapeutic Treatment Now Coalition to unveil ambitious pledge at Bangkok 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Rates of infant and maternal mortality in indigenous communities are among the highest in the Americas

Genes linked to cardiovascular disease more common among African Americans than those of European descent

Mediterranean diet lowers levels of markers for inflammation and coagulation which have been linked to heart disease

Researchers found that a significant number of men get the hepatitis B virus behind bars

Unlocking live single-cell functional insights

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

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