research

This page is dedicated to the latest NEWS in the field of health...

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** REHABILITATION News **

Faux Fido Eases Loneliness In Nursing Homes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98502.php
A sophisticated robotic dog could be a good companion for your dog-loving grandmother who can't care for a living pet, a new Saint Louis University study suggests.The researchers compared how residents of three nursing homes interacted with Sparky, a living, medium-sized gentle mutt, and Aibo, a doggie robot once manufactured by Sony that looks like a three-dimensional cartoon.

Research Shows Physical Therapy Is An Effective Treatment Of Choice For Many Back Pain Patients
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98345.php
In contrast to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggesting that spine-related expenditures have increased without evidence of improvement, best evidence suggests that patients who receive physical therapy for musculoskeletal disorders, including back and neck pain, report good outcomes at a lower cost than using drugs or surgery,[i] the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reported.

Action Medical Research Team Cloase To Repair Treatment For Spinal Injuries
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97818.php
An Action Medical Research funded project, based at the Cambridge University Centre for Brain Repair, is on the brink of a major potential breakthrough in the repair of spinal cord injuries.The charity, which only funds the very best in cutting edge research, has said that the ground-breaking work may bring new hope to sufferers.

Pitt School Of Health And Rehab Sciences Announces New Master's Program In Prosthetics And Orthotics
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97448.php
The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) has announced the addition of a new master's program to its curriculum. The Master of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Science, with a concentration in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO) will be available to students this fall.

House Votes To Boost Physical Therapy Graduates To Meet Demand, USA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97348.php
Physical therapists (PTs) who choose to work with children, adolescents or veterans would be eligible to apply for student loan forgiveness under legislation approved Thursday, February 7, by the US House of Representatives.

IPC The Hospitalist Company Expands Into New England
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97145.php
IPC The Hospitalist Company (Nasdaq: IPCM) announced that it has added Innovative Physician Services, LLC (IPS) to its group of national affiliated practices. IPS is a regional medical group specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation combined with internal medicine hospitalist services.

World's First FDA-Cleared Combination Therapeutic Laser And TENS Unit Device Now Available To Help Chronic And Acute Pain Sufferers
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96584.php
Multi Radiance Medical, in partnership with Rich-Mar Corporation, has announced a breakthrough with the introduction of its new therapeutic laser, Laser Prism with Area Identification Matrix (AIM) and its FDA 510(k)-cleared LaserStim accessory, to speed relief to chronic and acute pain sufferers.

New Robotics Will Revolutionize Industry And Services World, FATRONIK-Tecnalia Experts Say
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95617.php
In the past few years industrial processes have monopolised practically all robotic developments and applications. However, the current tendency is marked by new robotics which will have a great impact in various spheres - from the industrial to services and including entertainment and care assistance for persons, amongst other applications.

Veterans' Commission Chair Discusses Recommendations For Disability System Overhaul
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95192.php
Retired Lt. Gen. James Terry Scott, chair of the <a href="http://www.vetscommission.org/" target="_new">Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission</a>, on Thursday testified before the <a href="http://www.

Nursing Home Report Card Makes The Grade
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94931.php
A national, Web-based report card on nursing homes is improving some aspects of nursing home care, a new study finds.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began publishing the "Nursing Home Compare" report card results on the Web in 2002.

Patients With Acute Low-Back Pain Can Benefit From Intensive Education
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94830.php
People with low-back pain who were given an additional individual two and a half-hour education session with a trained specialist on top of their usual care did better than those given normal care alone.

Alcides Moreno, Survivor Of 47-Story Fall, Discharged From NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94629.php
Alcides Moreno, 37, who was critically injured after falling 47 stories from a high-rise apartment building in New York City on Dec. 7, was discharged from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition.

RehabCare Concludes ``Year Of Caring'' Campaign, USA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94487.php
The end of 2007 brought to a close RehabCare's "Year of Caring," a designation given in commemoration of the Company's 25th anniversary. Through company-sponsored events, employee donations, merchandise sales and raffles, RehabCare raised over $27,000 collectively for its four adopted charities: the American Heart Association, Susan G.

Employment Schedules Should Factor Into Return To Job After Injury
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94315.php
Rehabilitation specialists guiding injured workers back to full-time employment should factor unconventional work schedules into their assessments and planning, new research suggests.Workers who are injured on the job have a harder time returning to employment if their schedules routinely require them to work extended hours, according to an Ohio State University study.

Cynthia Kreutz To Chair AHA's Section For Long-Term Care And Rehabilitation
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94273.php
Cynthia Kreutz, president and chief executive officer of HCA/HealthONE Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital in Aurora, Colo., is the 2008 chair of the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation.

Physical Therapist Intervention For Balance Impairments May Help Reduce Risk Of Falling
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93925.php
Falls are prevalent, dangerous, and costly. About one in three seniors above age 65, and nearly one in two seniors over age 80, will fall at least once this year, many times with disastrous consequences.

Foundation For Physical Therapy Awards Florence P Kendall Doctoral Scholarships
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93759.php
Six physical therapists are the recipients of the Florence P Kendall Doctoral Scholarships, awarded by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees in 2007 for the 2007-2008 academic year.

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** BONES / ORTHOPAEDICS News **

Cyclists: Keep On Pedaling But Beware Below
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91862.php
More and more people are riding bicycles for exercise and recreation. Heightened interest in the sport brings along an increased possibility of lower body injuries. A recent study published in the December 2007 <a href="http://www.

Stay Hip, Even After 80
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91861.php
For men and women over age 80, hip replacement surgery may still be a viable option, according to a study published in the December 2007 issue of <a href="http://www.ejbjs.org/" target="_blank">The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

English-Language Journal On Musculoskeletal Surgery Joins Springer's Expanding Orthopedics Program
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91830.php
Springer, one of the leading STM publishers, will begin publishing La Chirurgia degli Organi de Movimento: Musculoskeletal Surgery in December 2007. The journal is the official publication of the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, one of the most renowned orthopedic institutes in Europe.

When Arthritis Inflames The Big Toeâ?¦ Which Athletes Are Vulnerable?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92705.php
With the Fall sports season winding down and the indoor sport season now underway, the importance of understanding and preventing foot injuries is top of mind for thousands of athletes around the country.

IOF Recognizes Sanofi-Aventis For Good "Bone Health" Corporate Citizenship
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98452.php
The International Osteoporosis Foundation recognized sanofi-aventis, for outstanding corporate leadership through its efforts to promote good bone health to its staff."We are delighted to present sanofi-aventis with this certificate to recognize its adoption of the IOF Corporate Responsibility Program for Bone Health," noted IOF Chief Executive Officer Daniel Navid.

Bone Formation And Strength Controlled By Notch
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98411.php
Notch, a protein known to govern the determination of cell differentiation into different kinds of tissues in embryos, plays a critical role in bone formation and strength later in life, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online in the journal Nature Medicine.

Improved Rehab May Help Back Pain Sufferers To Stay In Work
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98397.php
New research to be carried out at The University of Nottingham could have a major impact on the way that people struggling with low back pain are helped to stay in work.Back pain is one of the main causes of absence from work in the UK.

Spine Surgery Yields Greater Benefits Over Nonsurgical Treatments
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98379.php
A research study by orthopedic spine, back and neck surgeon at Rush University Medical Center Dr. Howard An and colleagues found that patients who underwent surgery for spinal stenosis showed significantly more improvement in all primary outcomes than did patients who were treated nonsurgically.

IOF Hails Who Fracture Risk Assessment Report And FRAX(TM) Website As Milestones In Osteoporosis Prevention And Treatment
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98309.php
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has welcomed the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) technical report, Assessment of osteoporosis at the primary health care level1 and the FRAX™ website, as major steps towards helping health professionals worldwide to identify more easily patients at high risk of fracture for treatment.

Osteoarthritis: Which Treatments Work And Which Don't?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97873.php
A newly released set of treatment recommendations for knee and hip osteoarthritis may help millions of people worldwide who live in pain due to inconsistent treatment approaches and confusion about what therapies are most effective.

Risk Of Jaw Degradation May Be Reduced By Oral Osteoporosis Meds
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92953.php
Athanasios Zavras began receiving messages from distraught patients in 2005 after case reports linked oral osteoporosis meds to bone death in the jaw. A number of doctors and dentists advised women and men taking these drugs to postpone dental work, fearing that procedures such as tooth extractions would exacerbate the problem.

Vitamin D2 Is As Effective As Vitamin D3 In Maintaining Concentrations Of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92952.php
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status. The study appears online in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

FDA Approves Hi Flex Mobile Bearing Knee For Active Adults
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92882.php
Mitchell Sheinkop, M.D., will be the first in the U.S. to surgically implant the just-approved Nex Gen LPS-Flex mobile bearing knee on February 20, 2008 at the Neurologic and Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago.

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** CARDIOVASCULAR / CARDIOLOGY News **

Expert Evidence To House Of Lords Committee States Aspirin Of Doubtful Value To Prevent DVT
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92714.php
A University of Leicester academic has given evidence to the House of Lords' Science and Technology Committee. Dr William Toff, Senior Lecturer in Cardiology, gave expert evidence to the inquiry on Air Travel and Health.

Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Closer To Reality
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92747.php
Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders. With many questions remaining, the current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol.

Patient With AIDS Finds Heart-Assit Device Is An Option When Transplant Is Not
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92740.php
Josh Bristow was in the late stages of heart failure when he came to the Emergency Department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Aug. 25, 2007. Medications and the earlier implantation of a pacemaker had given him some time, but the 51 year old Studio City man's heart could no longer supply the blood and oxygen his body needed, and he was running out of options.

Physician-Scientist Urges Improved Drug Regulation To Ensure Heart Safety Of Non-Heart Drugs
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92756.php
Current regulatory policies should be strengthened to ensure acceptable cardiovascular safety of drugs developed primarily for non-cardiovascular medical problems, according to a recent presentation made by Dr.

Working Toward Engineered Blood Vessels At MIT
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92108.php
MIT scientists have found a way to induce cells to form parallel tube-like structures that could one day serve as tiny engineered blood vessels.The researchers found that they can control the cells' development by growing them on a surface with nano-scale patterning.

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** HEARING / DEAFNESS News **

Hearing Fine Tuned By Cholesterol
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91928.php
Levels of cholesterol in the membranes of hair cells in the inner ear can affect your hearing, said a consortium of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University and Purdue University in a report in the print edition of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Smoking And Hearing Problems
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92969.php
A teenager who smokes may find it harder to understand what other people are saying, according to an article published in The New Scientist. The risk is also there if a teenager's mother smoked while she was pregnant with him/her.

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** HIV / AIDS News **

Supplemental New Drug Application For PREZISTA™ Submitted To U.S. Food And Drug Administration
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92686.php
Tibotec, Inc., announced it has submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the protease inhibitor (PI) PREZISTA™(darunavir), which seeks traditional approval and an expanded indication to include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected, treatment-naÃ¯ve adults.

Pregnant Women And Newborns To Have AIDS Test In New Jersey
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92743.php
New Jersey acting Governor Richard Codey signed a bill requiring doctors to test pregnant women for HIV infection. It will still be possible for women to opt out if they so wish. However, all newborns will be tested if the mothers are either HIV positive or their HIV status is unknown during delivery.

Risk Of HIV, West Nile Virus, E Coli Transmission May Be Reduced Through Improved Blood Screening Methods
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92793.php
The blood transfusion community should consider pathogen inactivation methods as an alternative way to assure the safety and availability of the nation's blood supply, a pathologist wrote in the December issue of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP).

Trial Finds Tenofovir Gel Safe For Daily Use And Most Women Adhered To Study Regimens
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98613.php
A vaginal microbicide that incorporates an antiretroviral (ARV) drug normally used to treat people with HIV is safe for sexually active HIV-negative women to use every day over an extended period, suggest results of a clinical trial of tenofovir topical gel.

HIV And The Desire To Become Pregnant
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98608.php
About one in four women who have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) expect pregnancy and motherhood to be a part of their future, recent research suggests.A woman's age at the time she learns of her HIV status appears to influence this decision.

Growth Hormone Boost For HIV Patients
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98605.php
A new growth hormone therapy helps boost the immune system of HIV patients, reports The Guardian. The newspaper goes on to say that the treatment "doubled the number of immune cells HIV patients had circulating in their blood, suggesting it was rebuilding their ailing immune systems".

Presentation Of Omololu Falobi Awards For Excellence In HIV Prevention Research
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98581.php
Two advocates have received the inaugural Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy. The awards honor the late Omololu Falobi, a long-time HIV advocate and journalist who founded Journalists Against AIDS in Nigeria, was an instrumental pioneer member of the Nigerian Treatment Access Movement, and co-founded the Nigerian HIV Vaccine & Microbicide Advocacy Group.

Massachusetts Should Increase Funding For HIV/AIDS Prevention, Outreach Services, Editorial Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98551.php
Massachusetts as "recently as 2001" was "spending $51 million a year to prevent HIV/AIDS and provide services to those suffering from the disease," a <a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/02/22/time_to_rally_against_hiv/" target="_new"><cite>Boston Globe</cite></a><cite> </cite>editorial says.

Congress Must Allow States, Washington, D.C., To Fund Needle-Exchange Programs, Editorial Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98550.php
Congress "must insist" that Washington, D.C., is allowed to fund needle-exchange programs to prevent the spread of HIV and must pass measures that allow states and health organizations to use federal funds for such programs, a <a href="http://www.

South Africa To Spend $274M To Increase Treatment Access, Finance Minister Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98548.php
South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday in his fiscal year 2008 budget speech announced that the government will spend an additional $274 million by 2011 to almost double the number of people with antiretroviral drug access, the <a href="http://ap.

HIV/AIDS In Developing Countries Requires 'Continued Attention,' But Other Public Health Needs Should Not Be 'Ignored,' Opinion Piece Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92931.php
Although HIV/AIDS in developing countries requires "continued attention" and preventing deaths from the disease remains "imperative," other public health needs should not be "ignored," Daniel Halperin, a researcher at the <a href="http://www.

Health Workers Sentenced To Prison In Kazakhstan For Criminal Negligence After HIV Outbreak Among Women, Children
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92930.php
Three health workers in Kazygurt, Kazakhstan, recently were sentenced to prison after being convicted of criminal negligence following an HIV outbreak among a group of children who received blood transfusions in region hospitals, <cite>Interfax News Agency</cite> reports.

Two Miami-Area Universities Receive NIH Grants To Study HIV/AIDS, Other Health Issues Among Hispanics
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92929.php
<a href="http://www.nih.gov/" target="_new">NIH</a>'s <a href="http://ncmhd.nih.gov/" target="_new">National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities</a> recently awarded five-year grants totaling $13.

AIDS-Related Deaths In Zimbabwe Increasing As Health System Collapses, Los Angeles Times Reports
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92928.php
Zimbabwe's health system is collapsing after a financial crisis in the country, causing an increase in AIDS-related deaths since the government in October 2006 stopped providing treatment to people newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, the <a href="http://www.

HIV/AIDS Epidemic Affecting Swaziland's Population, Experts Say
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92927.php
Preliminary results of Swaziland's national census released last month found that since 1997, the country's population has decreased by 17,489 people to 912,229, and many experts have attributed demographic changes to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Toronto's <a href="http://www.

New HIV Cases Increasing Among Young MSM In New York City Despite Drop In Overall New Cases, New York Times Reports
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92926.php
The number of new HIV cases among men younger than age 30 who have sex with men in New York City has increased since 2003 despite a decrease in the number of overall new cases and AIDS-related deaths, the <a href="http://www.

Needle-Exchange Pilot Programs Launch In New Jersey
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92925.php
The <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20071224_Needle_exchange_starting_in_N_J_.html" target="_new"><cite>Philadelphia Inquirer</cite></a><cite> </cite>last week examined the launch of pilot needle-exchange programs in New Jersey that aim to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users.

New Jersey Requires HIV Tests For Pregnant Women, Some Infants
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92924.php
New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey (D), who was standing in for Gov. Jon Corzine (D) last week while he was out of the country, signed a bill (<a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S3000/2704_R2.

Bush Signs $555B Spending Bill, Lifts Ban On Funding Of Needle-Exchange Programs In Washington, D.C.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92923.php
President Bush last week signed a $555 billion fiscal year 2008 omnibus spending bill (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.2764:" target="_new">HR 2764</a>) that effectively lifts a <a href="http://www.

HIV Isolate From Kenya Provides Clues For Vaccine Design
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92820.php
Two simple changes in its outer envelope protein could render the AIDS virus vulnerable to attack by the immune system, according to research fromKenya and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center published in PLoS Medicine.

New Mexico Adds Three Antiretrovirals To AIDS Drug Assistance Program
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98547.php
New Mexico's <a href="http://www.health.state.nm.us/" target="_new">Department of Health</a> recently added three antiretroviral drugs to its AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the <a href="http://www.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation Sues City Of Los Angeles To Stop Foreclosure Of Former AIDS Hospice
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98546.php
<a href="http://www.aidshealth.org/nh/index.html" target="_new">AIDS Healthcare Foundation</a> has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles to stop it from foreclosing a former AIDS hospice that now serves as an office for the organization's case managers, the <a href="http://www.

Recruitment Of Health Workers In Sub-Saharan Africa Weakening Health Systems, Inhibiting Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS, Article Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98545.php
The practice of recruiting trained health personnel from sub-Saharan Africa to work in developed nations is weakening health infrastructures and undermining efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the region, according to an article published in the Feb.

Successful Launch TTC/AIC HIV SMS Quiz Program In Mbarara, Uganda
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98519.php
The start of the TTC SMS quiz Programme for supporting HIV/AIDS sensitization and education has been incredibly successful. The branch manager from the Mbarara branch of the AIDS Information Centre- Uganda (AIC), reported a significant increase in the uptake of their Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services at the day of the launch February 14 (Valentines Day).

Anti HIV Gel Proven Safe, Tolerable For Women
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98506.php
An experimental anti-HIV gel is safe for women to use on a daily basis, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

GeoVax Vaccine Only 5th AIDS Vaccine Moving To Phase 2 Human Trials
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98487.php
GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), <a href="http://www.geovax.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.geovax.com</a>, an Atlanta based biotechnology company, announced their HIV/AIDS vaccine is one of the select few to move forward into Phase 2a human trials by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), a network supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Asian Development Bank President Kuroda Launches $20M Program Aimed At Reducing Spread Of HIV/AIDS Among Youth In Vietnam
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98326.php
During a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday, <a href="http://www.adb.org/" target="_new">Asian Development Bank</a> President Haruhiko Kuroda launched a $20 million program aimed at reducing the spread of HIV among young people in the country, <a href="http://afp.

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** MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY / ALS News **

New Clinical Trial Results Show How Personalized Medicine Will Alter Treatment Of Genetic Disorders
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92777.php
One of the nation's pre-eminent genetic researchers, Eric Hoffman, PhD, of Children's Research Institute at Children's National Medical Center, predicts that in relatively short order, medicine's next innovation--individualized molecular therapies--will have the unprecedented ability to treat muscular dystrophies, and other disorders.

Motions Or Muscles? Some Behavioral Factors Underlying Robotic Assistance Of Motor Recovery
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=57135&nfid=al
Robots provide an excellent platform from which to study recovery at the behavioral level. We reviewed some initial insights about the process of recovering upper-limb behavior that have emerged from our work.

Principle And Design Of A Mobile Arm Support For People With Muscular Weakness
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=57134&nfid=al
People with muscular diseases have difficulty raising their arms against gravity. We developed an arm support device in which a spring-loaded mechanism balances the arm in all configurations.

New Therapeutic Insight Into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=66835&nfid=al
In the April issue of Genes & Development, Dr. Bruce Spiegelman (Dana Farber Cancer Institute) and colleagues identify a key genetic component of and possible therapeutic target for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Switching Genes To Overdrive Improves Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms In Mice
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=66833&nfid=al
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown in a laboratory study that revving up a crucial set of muscle genes counteracts the damage caused by a form of muscular dystrophy.Reporting in the April 1 issue of Genes and Development, the researchers demonstrated that manipulating a genetic molecular switch increased the genes' activity in the muscles of mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, slowing the disease-associated muscle wasting.

Award-Winning Documentary About A Family's Response To ALS Now On DVD
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=68553&nfid=al
"So Much So Fast", a new film by Oscar-nominated directors Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, focuses on Stephen Heywood -- a designer and builder who learned at age 29 that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Statement - Select Committee Report On Hybrid And Chimera Embryos, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=68552&nfid=al
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign issued a statement in support of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee report on the Government's proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos.

London Underground Launches Groundbreaking Accessibility Information Service To Ease Travel
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=68551&nfid=al
The service, launched at Southwark Station takes access information to a new level and is initially only available on <a href="http://www.directenquiries.com" target="_blank">www.directenquiries.

Muscular Dystrophy - Medical Research Council Award Â£3.5 Million, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=68550&nfid=al
The Medical research Council (MRC), has awarded Â£3.5 million to support collaboration between the Neuromuscular centres in London and Newcastle over the next five years, to tackle the gap between basic science and patient benefit.

Research And Clinical Center To Lead International Muscular Dystrophy Research Effort
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/86837.php
The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has announced that it has received a $7.1 million gift from New York developer and philanthropist Richard T. Fields for neurological research and care.

Key Symptom Of Muscular Dystrophy Reversed By Researchers
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/89009.php
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have identified a compound that eliminates myotonia -- a symptom of muscular dystrophy -- in mice. The study was published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Gene Newly Linked To Inherited ALS May Also Play Role In Common Dementia
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98039.php
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have linked a mutation in a gene known as TDP-43 to an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative condition often called Lou Gehrig's disease.

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** PRIMARY CARE / GENERAL PRACTICE News **

BMA Response To The Government's Imposition Of A Draconian Contract On GPÂ´s, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92712.php
Responding to the news that the government is imposing draconian contract terms on GPÂ´s to force them to extend opening hours in a way that will hit patient care, Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA's GP Committee said: "The government seems hell bent on tearing up a quality based contract designed to improve the health of patients and save lives less than four years after Gordon Brown approved it as Chancellor.

Treating Oft Ignored Non Cancer Health Issues After Cancer Diagnosis Prolongs Survival
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92742.php
Receiving treatment for non cancer health issues while being treated by specialists for cancer improves cancer survival rates according to a study published in the December 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Fast Acting Cyanide Antidote Discovered Cure Likely To Benefit Firefighters, Industrial Workers, Victims Of Terrorism
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92746.php
University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design and Minneapolis VA Medical Center researchers have discovered a new fast-acting antidote to cyanide poisoning. The antidote has potential to save lives of those who are exposed to the chemical namely firefighters, industrial workers, and victims of terrorist attacks.

Don't Get Burned Out During The Holidays
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92059.php
As the holiday season moves into full swing, the American Red Cross urges families to follow simple safety tips to keep the season merry and to prevent holiday fires. During the winter holiday season the incidence and severity of home fires dramatically increases.

World Medical Association Appoints Its First Advocacy Adviser
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92018.php
The World Medical Association has appointed its first advocacy adviser to increase its work with other organisations. Clarisse Delorme, a French lawyer, has joined the staff in Ferney-Voltaire, France, and will be working closely with the World Health Organisation, other United Nations organisations and non governmental organisations.

Electronic Revolution In UK To Benefit Patients On Repeat Prescriptions
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92134.php
Patients could be saved millions of trips to their GP under a new scheme that has the potential to revolutionise the system of prescribing medicines.The electronic transfer of repeat prescriptions between general practices and pharmacies is currently being rolled out across the UK, in a bid to streamline the system and make it faster and more convenient for patients - as well as cutting down on prescription errors.

Forum For Debate About Capital Punishment Provided By Mayo Clinic Proceedings
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92960.php
In a commentary and two editorials published in the September 2007 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, three anesthesiologists and a medical ethicist discussed whether doctors should participate in capital punishment executions.

Physicians Should Follow Professional Standards, Editorial States
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92922.php
A recent <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=49203" target="_new">survey</a> that "sought to measure attitudes toward a 'charter on professionalism' that has been embraced by many medical organizations" raises "doubts about physicians' willingness to meet their medical and societal responsibilities," a <a href="http://www.

Study Looks At Effect Of Medicare On Previously Uninsured Adults; Perspectives Examine Physician-Efficiency Comparisons, Physician-Performance Program
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92920.php
"<a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/298/24/2886" target="_new">Health of Previously Uninsured Adults After Acquiring Medicare Coverage</a>," Journal of the American Medical Association: The study evaluates how gaining Medicare coverage affected the health of previously uninsured adults.

Washington Post Examines 'Winners,' 'Losers' Among Lobbyists In 2007
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92919.php
The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/31/AR2007123101787.html?hpid=topnews" target="_new"><cite>Washington Post</cite></a> on Tuesday examined the "winners" and "losers" among lobbyists in 2007.

Clinically Active Terms Redefined In A Push For Clarity In Reporting, USA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92307.php
The American Board of Medical Specialties(R) (ABMS) has redefined terms associated with a physician's clinical active status to better indicate a physician's participation in patient care activities.

ABMS Refines Policy Regarding Medical Licensure As Prerequisite For Certification And Maintenance Of Certification
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92305.php
The Board of Directors of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved changes to its Policy on Licensure Standards for Certification and Maintenance of Certification at its recent Annual Assembly Meeting which update and clarify the expectations for medical licensure by physicians who wish to become board certified by an ABMS Member Board or to participate in the ABMS Maintenance of Certification™ program in their specialty or subspecialty.

---------------------------------------
** PUBLIC HEALTH News **

New Slang Words Hospital Doctors Are Using On The Wards
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92691.php
Medical language and slang is constantly evolving and this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ takes a look at the new words hospital doctors are using on the wards. Dr Paul Keeley, a consultant in palliative medicine lists the following words, and others, as ones which doctors would do well to familiarise themselves with: Disco biscuits: otherwise known as the class A drug, ecstasy.

Airport Security Measures Not Backed By Solid Evidence
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92690.php
There is no solid evidence that the huge amounts of money spent on airport security screening measures since September 11th are effective, argue researchers in this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ.

Australian Road Injury Research Honored By NHMRC
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91789.php
Australian research into young drivers and road injury has tonight been recognised by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), as an Australian researcher received a major new gong for her significant contributions in the field.

Forecasts Of Air Quality May Be Added To Weather Broadcasts
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91826.php
Weather broadcasts have long been a staple for people planning their day. Now with the help of NASA satellites, researchers are working to broaden daily forecasts to include predictions of air quality, a feat that is becoming reality in some parts of the world.

Giuliani Enjoying Good Health, Says His Doctor
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92730.php
Rudy Giuliani, Republican presidential candidate, is in good health, his doctor declared after the candidate had been hospitalized for a severe headache. Dr. Valentin Fuster said "It is my medical opinion that Rudy Giuliani is in very good health.

Poor Americans Suffer Some Of The Same Parasitic Infections As Do The Poor In Africa, Asia And Latin America
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92716.php
Large numbers of the poorest Americans living in the United States are suffering from some of the same parasitic infections that affect the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, says the Editor-in-Chief of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Expert Evidence To House Of Lords Committee States Aspirin Of Doubtful Value To Prevent DVT
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92714.php
A University of Leicester academic has given evidence to the House of Lords' Science and Technology Committee. Dr William Toff, Senior Lecturer in Cardiology, gave expert evidence to the inquiry on Air Travel and Health.

Finding A Common Language In Health Care Information Technology
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91934.php
I may say soda and you may say pop, but what if the hospital lab you go to today says BMP and the one you visit next week calls the same test SMA7? Your physician knows that these are the same tests, but the computer systems they use don't automatically know.

Report Calls For National Guidance For Emergency Ambulance Volunteers, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91867.php
First ever survey of community first responders (emergency ambulance volunteers) shows ambulance trusts value schemes but standard management approach neededThe Healthcare Commission called for national guidelines to be developed to enable ambulance trusts to manage and govern their community first responder (CFR) schemes consistently.

Some Pet Birds May Have Avian Chlamydiosis And Pose Risk To Humans
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92789.php
Officials in Washington State have warned that some cockatiels, as well as other pet birds that were shipped by a national distributor, may pose a risk to humans who are in contact with them.

Detox Diets Are A Waste Of Money And Time, Says Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist, Food Standards Agency, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92788.php
Come January 1st and millions of us feel we have been overdoing the feasting and would like to purify our bodies. It is tempting to go for the latest detox diets, but they are a waste of time and money, says Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist, FSA (Food Standards Agency, UK) in his blog called Hungry for Science.

Roll Out Of Digital Technology Revolutionises NHS Patient Care In England
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92786.php
State of the art digital technology that has revolutionised the waythe NHS captures, records and uses patient x-ray and scans is nowbeing used in every hospital trust in England, the Department ofHealth said today.

President Bush Signs Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Including National Institutes Of Health Research Access Provision
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92780.php
President Bush has signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2007 (H.R. 2764), which includes a provision directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide the public with open online access to findings from its funded research.

Pilot Error Declines As Factor In Airline Mishaps
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92776.php
The number of airline mishaps attributed to pilot error significantly declined between 1983 and 2002, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

How Doctors Deal With The Risk Embedded In The UK Medical System
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92133.php
Risk is an inherent element of the hospital system and the resulting dangers are often normalised by medical staff to allow them to do their job, according to research by a University of Nottingham academic.

'Gizmo' Designed To Save Lives In Emergencies
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92117.php
When Javier Rodriguez Molina visited the Atocha Train Station Memorial in Madrid last summer, the Barcelona native felt a great sadness for the victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings.

Pollution Modeling To Be Improved By ASU Researchers Using NASA Satellites
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92115.php
Detecting pollution, like catching criminals, requires evidence and witnesses; but on the scale of countries, continents and oceans, having enough detectors is easier said than done.A team of air quality modelers, climatologists and air policy specialists at Arizona State University may soon change that.

ADA Issues New Clinical Practice Recommendations
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92794.php
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) issued its annual Clinical Practice Recommendations to help health care providers treat people with diabetes using the most current evidence available.

NY City Health Department Presents The Top Eight For '08: New Year's Resolutions For A Healthier Life
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92816.php
Each year as the ball drops, New Yorkers resolve to improve their lives and their health by carrying out New Year's resolutions. The right resolution, properly observed, could save your life.

Crime-Fighting Tool: Hair Reveals Where Murder Victims Drank Water
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98612.php
University of Utah scientists developed a new crime-fighting tool by showing that human hair reveals the general location where a person drank water, helping police track past movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.

Knowledge About Acne For Teens: Education Programs Can Be Effective
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98500.php
Written handouts and computerized presentations with audiovisualcomponents can both be beneficial when educating adolescents aboutacne, as published in a report in February of 2008 in the Archives ofDermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Prevalence Of Late-Stage Cancer Diagnoses Among Uninsured, Minorities Points To Need For Universal Health Care, Editorial Says
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98553.php
"Treating health care as a commodity from which private businesses derive huge profits has produced a system that willingly allows uninsured Americans and minorities to suffer and die from treatable cancers at a much higher rate than white Americans who have health insurance," a <a href="http://www.

Good Samaritan Hospital Named Among America's 50 Best Hospitals 2 Consecutive Years
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98549.php
Good Samaritan Hospital is named as one of America's 50 Best Hospitals in 2008 by HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings company. Good Samaritan Hospital received this distinction two consecutive years.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation Sues City Of Los Angeles To Stop Foreclosure Of Former AIDS Hospice
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98546.php
<a href="http://www.aidshealth.org/nh/index.html" target="_new">AIDS Healthcare Foundation</a> has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles to stop it from foreclosing a former AIDS hospice that now serves as an office for the organization's case managers, the <a href="http://www.

End Of Agreements To Delay Market Entry Of Generic Medications Could Help Reduce Health Care Costs, Opinion Piece States
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98544.php
A "simple approach" to efforts to reduce health care costs that could "save consumers billions of dollars annually" is "stopping pharmaceutical companies from colluding with competitors to keep lower-cost generic alternatives to prescription drugs off the market," Jon Leibowitz, one of five members of the <a href="http://www.

Thousands Of Ineligible People Might Be Enrolled In Washington, D.C., No-Cost Health Care Program, According To Draft Audit Report
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98541.php
Thousands of ineligible people might have received no-cost health benefits through the Washington, D.C., <a href="http://www.dc.gov/mayor/health_care/index.shtm" target="_new">Healthcare Alliance</a>, according to a late draft of an audit, the <a href="http://www.

Elsevier Accelerates And Enhances Clinical Decision Making With Broadened Suite Of Clinical Decision Support Solutions
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98539.php
With a deep understanding of healthcare workflow and more than a century of experience as a global medical publisher, Elsevier is broadening its efforts to provide interactive clinical reference and clinical decision support (CDS) tools that help providers make optimal decisions at the point of care.

New York Times Examines Acceptance Of Private Health Insurance At College Health Centers
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98538.php
The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/business/yourmoney/23money.html?scp=1&sq=College+insurance&st=nyt" target="_new"><cite>New York Times</cite></a> on Saturday examined how a "fee-for-service approach has become increasingly common" at college health care centers, which can result in "substantial health fees and out-of-pocket costs" for "parents who are already buying their own insurance.

Baltimore Sun Examines Concerns About Overuse Of CT Scan
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98537.php
The <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.ct23feb23,0,6561620.story" target="_new">Baltimore <cite>Sun</cite></a> on Saturday examined concerns about the number of patients who undergo CT scans, which many critics consider "untested, overused, risky and a prime example of health care ruled by profit and fad, rather than hard science.

Congress Likely To Debate Source Of Funds For FDA Oversight Of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98534.php
The <a href="http://www.fda.gov/" target="_new">FDA</a> budget for oversight of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements in fiscal year 2008 is "larger than the past five years combined," but "whether that level of funding will be sustained and continue to come from taxpayers -- or will be raised from drug makers through new user fees -- is likely to be battled out in Congress," <a href="http://www.

Recent Trend Of Growing US Disparities In Health Not Inevitable, Study Finds
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98526.php
In the public health field, there is an ongoing debate as to whether improvement in the overall health of the population is linked to increases or decreases in social inequities in health, that is, the inequities between higher-income and lower-income groups or people of different race/ethnicities.

Flu Season At Its Peak: Experts Have Tips For Staying Healthy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98495.php
According to the CDC's latest report the USA's flu epidemic continues to spread with an increase in every state and a dozen new deaths among children, according to Nancy Cox, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's influenza division.

KLAS' Ambulatory EMR Perception Report Probes Providers For Market Insights
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98479.php
KLAS compiled the perceptions and opinions of healthcare providers regarding EMR systems and published its findings in the 2008 Ambulatory EMR Perception report. With 40 percent of study participants planning to make an ambulatory EMR purchase in the next two years, including providers who currently have an EMR solution, KLAS investigated which vendors were in the running.

Record Numbers Retire On 1 Million Pounds NHS Pension Pots, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98477.php
The bill for public sector pensions is of growing concern for taxpayers facing huge bills for underfunded and over-generous pensions. In December 2007, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) revealed that there are almost 3,700 retired civil servants with retirement benefits worth Â£1 million.

National Health And Hospitals Reform Commission, Australian Medical Association
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98475.php
The AMA congratulates Dr Christine Bennett and the other nine appointments to the Government's National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said that the AMA and the medical profession will support the Commission in its efforts to build a modern, responsive, affordable and equitable health system to meet the needs of all Australians, no matter their means and no matter where they live.

Next Global Disease Likely To Break Out Where We Are Not Looking
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98296.php
An analysis of global trends in new infectious diseases suggests that we are looking in the wrong places for the world's next major outbreak.The study is the work of Dr Kate Jones, Senior Research Fellow, based at Institute of Zoology, London, and colleagues, and was published on 21st February in the online issue of Nature.

New Security Threat: Attack On Computer Memory Reveals Vulnerability Of Widely-Used Security Systems
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98287.php
A team of academic, industry and independent researchers has demonstrated a new class of computer attacks that compromise the contents of "secure" memory systems, particularly in laptops.The attacks overcome a broad set of security measures called "disk encryption," which are meant to secure information stored in a computer's permanent memory.

CDC State Preparedness Report Highlights Progress And Challenges, USA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98270.php
An inaugural report on public health preparedness released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates states have made significant progress with respect to emergency preparedness, but that significant challenges remain.

UNISON Challenges Government Over Taxes For Migrants, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98256.php
UNISON, the UK's leading public service union, challenged the government over plans to force UK immigrants to pay added charges for the public services they use. Greg Thomson, UNISON National Development Manager for Migrant Workers commented:"Immigrant workers make a very positive contribution to the UK's public services.

UNISON Challenges Government Over Well Notes For Employees, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98255.php
UNISON, the UK's leading public sector union, said we need more investigation into the concept of well notes before they are introduced. We welcome the recognition that more needs to be done to get people on long term sick back into work.

Arizona Center For Education And Research On Therapeutics Launches PDA Version Of QT-Prolonging Drug Lists
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98239.php
The <a href="http://azcert.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics</a> (Arizona CERT) announced the launch of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)-viewable version of their widely used database of drugs that prolong the QT interval and carry the risk of inducing serious heart arrhythmias and death.

New York Times Examines Practice Of Some Britons To Pay Out-of-Pocket For Care Not Covered By National Health Service
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98219.php
The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/world/europe/21britain.html?_r=1&oref=slogin" target="_new"><cite>New York Times</cite></a> on Thursday examined how Britain's <a href="http://www.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Recent Health IT News
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98214.php
Summaries of recent news about the use of health information technology and the Internet appear below.<ul><li class="AdvisoryBullet">Data security: The California-based <a href="http://www.worldprivacyforum.

Google Partners With Cleveland Clinic To Allow Storage Of Patient Health Records Online
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98212.php
<a href="http://www.google.com/" target="_new">Google</a> and the <a href="http://www.clevelandclinic.org/" target="_new">Cleveland Clinic</a> have partnered to launch a pilot program that will begin to store online the personal health records of patients, a "long-awaited health service that's likely to raise more concerns about the volume of sensitive information entrusted" to Google, the <a href="http://www.

Fact Sheet: Fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases Around The World
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98206.php
President Bush has challenged the world to reduce dramatically and eventually control and eliminate the burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as a major threat to health and economic growth in the developing world.

Involved Patients Not Always The Healthiest
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98187.php
Patients who say they want to take an active role in their health care could be unhealthier in some respects than patients who prefer to let their doctors lead the way, according to new research published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

New Guide For The Prevention And Treatment Of Low Bone Mass, Osteoporosis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98185.php
The National Osteoporosis Foundation released its new "Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis" which represents a new era for healthcare providers in the evaluation and treatment of people with low bone mass or osteoporosis.

New York Strengthens Emergency Preparedness With Cardinal Health Ventilators
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98183.php
Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, announced an order by the New York Department of Health for its public health preparedness program.

Patients' Relatives Are Ignored By The Spanish Health System, Suffer Emotional Stress
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98167.php
There are people who have traditionally been forgotten in the field of health. However, they are vitally important for patients' well-being: they are the family caregivers in hospitals. A study carried out at the Department of Social Anthropology of the University of Granada and led by lecturer Rafael Briones Gomez, shows that Spanish hospitals are not adapted to caregivers who look after their sick relatives, since most of them suffer from emotional stress during their stay in hospital.

Government Continues To Waste Money On Private Treatment Centres, Says BMA, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98164.php
Researchers writing in the BMJ today (Friday 22 February, 2008), argue that there is no good evidence that independent sector treatment centres provide value for money or high quality care.

Inexpensive Portable Detection System For Rapid, Accurate Analysis Of Toxic Metals
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97187.php
The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a new rapid, portable and inexpensive detection system that identifies personal exposures to toxic lead and other dangerous heavy metals.

Statement On HHS' Proposal To Establish Patient Safety Organizations, USA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97176.php
Hospitals are extremely pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services has released the long-awaited rules to establish Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs). Hospitals strongly support the creation of PSOs as one of the most important tools to spur safer patient care.

HSE Warns Of The Dangers Of Working At Height, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97171.php
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height following the HSE prosecution of a company after an incident in which a man died.

HSE Warns Waste Industry To Ensure Safe Systems Are In Place For Reversing Refuse Trucks - After Schoolgirl Is Killed, UK
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97169.php
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning the waste industry to ensure that adequate precautions are taken to prevent injuries caused by reversing waste and recycling collection vehicles.

New Patient Safety Proposed Regulation Aims To Improve Health Care Quality And Patient Safety
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97158.php
A proposed regulation to improve the quality and safety of health care for all Americans by fostering the establishment of Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) was announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

New Zealand Medical Association Supports HDC Comments And Urges Action
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97156.php
Today's comments from the Health and Disability Commissioner about the safety of New Zealand's hospitals need to be acted on urgently, says the New Zealand Medical Association. Commissioner Ron Paterson told Parliament that New Zealand hospitals are unsafe and the health system lacks national leadership.

IPC The Hospitalist Company Expands Into New England
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97145.php
IPC The Hospitalist Company (Nasdaq: IPCM) announced that it has added Innovative Physician Services, LLC (IPS) to its group of national affiliated practices. IPS is a regional medical group specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation combined with internal medicine hospitalist services.

World Congress Presents The 5th Annual World Health Care Congress, April 21-23, Washington, D.C.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97141.php
World Congress, the leading global producer of health care conferences, will convene 2,000 senior-level health care leaders from business, government and academia for the 5th Annual World Health Care Congress, April 21-23 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington.

Conflicts Of Interest In Institutional Relationships Require More Attention
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97134.php
A new study indicates that many U.S. medical schools do not have policies that govern conflicts of interest related to financial interests the institutions have with public or private companies.

World Medical Association Takes Over Secretariat Of Health Professions' Alliance
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97123.php
From 15 February 2008 the World Medical Association will take over the secretariat for the World Health Professions Alliance, the body that brings together more than 23 million health care professionals worldwide.

Flaviviruses Explored: Clinical Characteristics, Vaccines, And The Effects Of Human Activity
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97115.php
Human activity drives the spread of flaviviruses, and further climatechange could aid the spread of these diseases additionally. Thesediseases, their clinical properties, their behavior in infectedpopulations, and human effects on their evolution and propagation areexplored in a seminar in the February 8, 2008 issue of TheLancet.

Love Good For The Heart, Says Vanderbilt Cardiologist
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97112.php
If you are in love this Valentine's Day, you have more than one reason to celebrate. Being involved in a healthy, loving relationship is good for the heart, says Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiologist, Julie Damp, M.

Climate Change Effect On UK Health Could Be Significant
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97102.php
The UK Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have issued a report, written by an Expert Panel, on the potential health effects climate may have on the health of UK citizens.

Many Factors Influence Minorities' Low Participation In Medical Research
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97094.php
The <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/705287.html" target="_new"><cite>Sacramento</cite><cite> <cite></cite>Bee</cite></a> on Tuesday examined minorities' participation in medical research.

Study Examines Hospital Variations In Resource Use For Several Populations
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97093.php
"<a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.27.2.w123" target="_new">Variations in Hospital Resource Use for Medicare and Privately Insured Populations in California</a>," <a href="http://www.

Concerns Raised About Texas Health Coverage Program Draft Proposal
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97092.php
Texas health officials and experts have raised concerns about a proposed health care program for low-income residents that would provide coverage for two prescriptions per month, up to five preventive physician visits annually and up to five inpatient hospital days per year, the <a href="http://www.

New York Gov. Spitzer Proposes Additional Health Program Cuts To Address Budget Shortfalls
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97091.php
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) on Sunday reduced revenue projections for fiscal year 2009 by $384 million and will look to make up state budget shortfalls with additional cuts to health programs, the <a href="http://www.

Congress Might Be Unable To Block New Medicaid Rules That Would Shift More Costs To States
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97087.php
The Bush administration over the next several months will issue new Medicaid rules that would shift billions of dollars in costs to the states, after studies from the <a href="http://www.gao.

Department Of Labor Publishes Proposed Rules To Increase Restrictions Under Family And Medical Leave Act
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97083.php
The <a href="http://www.dol.gov/" target="_new">Department of Labor</a> on Monday published proposed rules that would require employees to request Family and Medical Leave Act leave in advance in foreseeable circumstances and allow employers to require some workers to obtain certification of fitness for duty before they return from leave, <cite>CongressDaily</cite> reports.

HHS, National Business Group On Health Announce Project To Address Racial, Ethnic Disparities In Health Care
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97082.php
The <a href="http://www.omhrc.gov/" target="_new">Office of Minority Health</a> at <a href="http://hhs.gov/" target="_new">HHS</a> and the <a href="http://www.businessgrouphealth.org/" target="_new">National Business Group on Health</a> on Monday announced a two-year, $300,000 project that seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care for minorities enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans, <a href="http://www.

Washington Post Examines Positions Of Major Presidential Candidates On Health Care Issues
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97081.php
The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020803443.html" target="_new"><cite>Washington Post</cite></a> on Tuesday examined the positions of the major presidential candidates on several health care issues.

Hayes, Inc. Introduces First Evidence-Based Genetic Test Evaluation Service For Insurers, Hospitals And Policy Makers
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97079.php
Hayes, Inc. launches Genetic Test Evaluation (GTE), a subscription-based, online service that provides insurers, hospitals and policy makers objective insight into the clinical utility of genetic tests.

Shark Attacks Claiming Human Lives Hit 20-year Low Last Year
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97069.php
Fatal shark attacks worldwide dipped to their lowest levels in two decades in 2007 with the sole casualty involving a swimmer vacationing in the South Pacific, according to the latest statistics from the University of Florida.

Labor Department Publishes FMLA Proposals; Congressional Committee Chairs Criticize Changes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97056.php
 The <A href="http://www.dol.gov/" target=_new>Department of Labor</A> Tuesday published its proposed new regulations governing the <A href="http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/" target=_new>Family and Medical Leave Act</A>, <CITE>CongressDaily </CITE>reports.

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** STEM CELL RESEARCH News **

Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Closer To Reality
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92747.php
Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders. With many questions remaining, the current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol.

Yale Scientist Erin Lavik Honored For Academic Innovation And Leadership
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98579.php
Erin Lavik, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Yale, was honored recently by the Connecticut Technology Council as one of their 2008 Women of Innovation.The annual event, now in its fourth year, honors Connecticut women in eight categories for their achievements as small business owners, entrepreneurs, researchers, community leaders and innovators.

Actions Taken On Women's Health-Related Issues In Ga., Maine, Md., N.H., Okla., Va.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98530.php
 The following highlights recent state news about women's health-related issues. <UL><LI class=AdvisoryBullet>Georgia: A House subcommittee on Wednesday voted 4-3 to table a constitutional amendment (<A href="http://www.

Advanced Cell Technology Demonstrates Efficient Generation Of Functional Hepatocytes (Liver Cells) From Human Embryonic Stem Cells
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98428.php
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTCBB: ACTC) reported for the first time a robust and highly efficient process for the generation of high-purity hepatocytes (liver cells). The research, described online (ahead of print) in the journal STEM CELLS, signifies a significant step towards the efficient generation of hepatocytes for use in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.

Mo. Judge Rewrites Summary Of Ballot Initiative To Ban Type Of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98335.php
 On Wednesday, Cole County, Mo., Circuit Court Judge Patricia Joyce ruled that a ballot summary of an initiative to limit stem cell research prepared by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) was "insufficient and unfair," the <A href="http://hosted.

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** WOMEN'S HEALTH News **

Older Women May Benefit From A Glass Of Wine
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91792.php
Researchers at the University of Newcastle say a glass of wine a day may be of benefit to the health of older women.A study by the University's Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute's (HMRI) Public Health Program, indicates that moderate consumption of alcohol in older women, in line with Australian alcohol guidelines*, is associated with better survival and quality of life.

Hispanic Women Have Highest Breast Cancer Risk
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92693.php
Hispanic women in the USA have the highest risk of developing breast cancer while Asian American women have the lowest. A study of many US racial and ethnic groups found that Hispanic 3.5% of Hispanic women who were examined have the BRCA1 gene mutation which is linked to breast cancer, while the prevalence for Asian women in the USA is 0.

Humans May Differ From Most Primates In Experiencing A Lengthy Post-reproductive Period
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91813.php
A pioneering study of wild chimpanzees has found that these close human relatives do not routinely experience menopause, rebutting previous studies of captive individuals which had postulated that female chimpanzees reach reproductive senescence at 35 to 40 years of age.

More Pressure On Women As Workplace Opportunities And Stresses Increase
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91937.php
Teamworking and other modern employment practices can put as much strain on a woman's family relationships as working an extra 120 hours a year, an extensive study of the British workforce funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests.

Kids Of Abused Moms Have Greater Health Needs
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91933.php
Children whose mothers have a history of abuse by intimate partners have higher health care needs than children whose mothers have no history of abuse, according to a study conducted at Group Health, a Seattle-based health plan.

Federally Funded Study Shows More Women Can Avoid Hysterectomy For Common Problem
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92734.php
A minimally invasive procedure called endometrial ablation is as effective as hysterectomy in solving a common female complaint called "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" or DUB, according to a new federally-funded study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Northwest Biotherapeutics Conducting Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trial With DCVax(R)-L At University Of Pennsylvania
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92732.php
Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: NWBO) (AIM: NWBT; NWBS) ("NWBT") announced that a Phase I/II clinical trial in at least 30 patients, using DCVax(R)-L for recurrent ovarian cancer, has begun at The University of Pennsylvania Center for Research on Early Detection and Cure of Ovarian Cancer and the Abramson Cancer Center.

Fujirebio: Researchers Identify Indicator Of Ovarian Cancer
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92173.php
Women with elevated levels of a substance called HE4 in their blood may be more likely to have ovarian cancer, according to results of a prospective study recently published on-line in the journal of Gynecologic Oncology.

Trial Finds Tenofovir Gel Safe For Daily Use And Most Women Adhered To Study Regimens
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98613.php
A vaginal microbicide that incorporates an antiretroviral (ARV) drug normally used to treat people with HIV is safe for sexually active HIV-negative women to use every day over an extended period, suggest results of a clinical trial of tenofovir topical gel.

Calling For Better Health Care For Menopausal Women And Community Support In Rural Areas
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97999.php
Good social support and reliable information are essential for women who find menopause an intense and life-altering experience, especially if they live in rural areas where health services are patchy or inaccessible.

Actions Taken On Women's Health Legislation, Policy In Ariz., Colo., Mass., Mich., N.M.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97903.php
 The following highlights recent state and local news about women's health policy and legislation. <UL><LI class=AdvisoryBullet>Arizona: On Wednesday, the <A href="http://azleg.gov/CommitteeInfo.

Bush Calls For Renewal Of Global HIV/AIDS Plan Without Abstinence-Only Education Changes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97899.php
 During a news conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sunday, President Bush called on Congress to quickly reauthorize his global HIV/AIDS program and keep intact a provision that requires one-third of HIV prevention funding be spent on abstinence-only education, the <A href="http://www.

Women Who Suffered Child Abuse Spend More On Health Care
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97885.php
Middle-aged women who suffered physical or sexual abuse as children spend up to one-third more than average in health-care costs, according to a long-term study of more than 3,000 women.Even decades after the abuse ended, these women used health services at significantly higher rates than did non-abused women, the research found.

Low Income Women More Likely To Suffer From Postpartum Depression
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/97884.php
Poor women in Iowa are much more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than their wealthier counterparts, a new University of Iowa study shows.In the study of 4,332 new mothers from four Iowa counties, UI psychologist Lisa Segre found that 40 percent of Iowa mothers with a household income less than $20,000 suffered from clinically significant postpartum depression.

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