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PPD, Inc. has announced the launch of PPD Medical Device Division

PPD, Inc. has announced the launch of PPD Medical Device, a division of PPD Development, providing services to the medical device industry with experience in developing stents, devices and therapies in the areas of interventional cardiology, endovascular, neurology and orthopedic disorders as well as wound care.

10 May 2004

Faster technique for extracting DNA

A computer scientist at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a novel technique to extract more DNA from a single sequence reaction than is normally possible, reducing both cost and time of the sequencing process.

10 May 2004

Computers can't compete with humans in the ability to recognize patterns or images

Computers, for all of their computational muscle, do not hold a candle to humans in the ability to recognize patterns or images. This basic quandary in computational theory – why can computers crunch numbers but cannot efficiently process images – has stumped scientists for many years.

10 May 2004

Underage drinking mayhem?

As the school year comes to an end across the United States, many teenagers will attend high school proms, celebrate high school or college graduations, and take trips to local beaches for senior week.

10 May 2004

Low back pain - does it need costly scan?

A major study has been conducted to evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans in the treatment of low back pain (LBP).

10 May 2004

Two serious birth defects in the U. S. are on the decline

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects of the spine (e.g., spina bifida) and the brain (e.g., anencephaly) that occur during early pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

10 May 2004

Scientists closer to a potential vaccine or treatment for botulism

By deciphering the near atomic-level structure of the catalytic domain of botulinum toxin type E — one of seven neurotoxins that cause botulism, a disease that paralyzes victims by blocking nerve cells’ ability to communicate — scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are one step closer to a potential vaccine or treatment.

10 May 2004

New mums are being urged to give breastfeeding a go

The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. Almost one third of women in England and Wales never try to breastfeed, compared to just two per cent in Sweden. Younger women are the least likely to breastfeed, with two in five mothers under 24 never trying.

10 May 2004

Having an alcoholic stepfather increases risk of behavior problems in girls more than boys

Living with an alcoholic stepfather is associated with a significantly higher risk of behavior problems in girls than boys, according to a new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.

10 May 2004

Survey serious misunderstandings about breastfeeding

A survey published today by The UK Department of Health for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (9 - 15 May) shows that serious misunderstandings may be stopping women, particularly young women, from breastfeeding.

10 May 2004

Vegetables yield anticancer chemical

Plant chemicals created during the preparation of some vegetables could kill colon cancer cells in a similar way to some cancer drugs.

10 May 2004

BMA race discrimination case withdrawn by five applicants

The BMA has today agreed to settle five cases of race discrimination against the Association. The five applicants have withdrawn their claims against the BMA at the start of what could have been a four-week hearing in Manchester.

10 May 2004

Magazine features that claim to list the nation’s healthiest cities should be viewed with some skepticism

Magazine features that claim to list the nation’s healthiest cities should be viewed with some skepticism, says a study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

10 May 2004

New proposals to improve safety of anaesthesia

New proposals to reduce the risk of anaesthetic tubing becoming blocked during operations, were published today. Following 11 similar NHS cases where tubing had become blocked, the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson set up an Expert Group in July 2002 to look into the issue.

10 May 2004

The outbreak of SARS is under control in China's eastern province of Anhui

A labratory worker who was China's first SARS patient in the recent outbreak has fully recovered and has been discharged from hospital today as Chinese health officials claimed success in controlling the disease in eastern Anhui province.

10 May 2004

Researchers fast track the commercial development of a simple and inexpensive screening test for Alzheimer’s disease

The computer-based system will undergo a major trial this year, with researchers able to create a commercially ready test thanks to a grant from the Telstra Broadband Fund.

10 May 2004

New studies on the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and the treatment of prostatitis

Antimicrobials Ineffective in Treating Chronic Prostatitis / Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/PPS): Though the traditional means of treating men with CP/PPS, use of antibiotics and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers (tamsulosin and ciprofloxacin) did not lead to significant change after six and 12 weeks of treatment.

10 May 2004

X-rays and scans to be stored and mailed electronically across NHS

The new system will enable images such as X-rays and scans to be stored and mailed electronically rather than printed on film and filed manually – enabling doctors to provide a much faster diagnosis.

10 May 2004

More UK health professionals will be able to prescribe medicines

The proposals recommend that physiotherapists, radiographers, chiropodists and optometrists should be able to prescribe medicines, in partnership with a doctor, to help treat and manage conditions such as glaucoma, chronic back pain and the effects of multiple sclerosis, as well as providing pain relief for patients attending radiography sessions.

10 May 2004

Relationship between PSA score and prostate cancer has steadily declined

Results of a new study indicate that the relationship between PSA score and prostate cancer has steadily declined during the last 20 years, an important finding given that PSA score is often used to determine whether biopsy for prostate cancer testing is necessary.

10 May 2004