MRSA: Political point-scoring over hospital cleanliness ignores the real issue
Political point-scoring over policies to control MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus) confuses cleanliness with the real failure in UK hospitals poor hand hygiene and inadequate use of gloves, states an editorial in this week's issue of THE LANCET. ... ...With a general election looming, all major political parties in the UK have seized on public fears about the health implications o...The trust game: Measuring social interaction
HOUSTON - - (April 1, 2005) - - If trust is a two-way street, then researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have mapped where in the brain that trust is formulated and how the decision to trust shifts with experience. ...In a report in this week's issue of the journal Science, Dr. P. Read Montague Jr. and colleagues at the BCM Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and California Institute of Technology...UIC professor receives international humanitarian award
Dr. Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, has received the Albert Schweitzer Golden Grand Medal for Humanitarianism.... ...The award, given by the Albert Schweitzer World Academy of Medicine, honors Epstein for his "longstanding and pioneering international contributions to cancer prevention....UCSF study offers insight into human circadian rhythms
Scientists have identified a gene and mutation within it that causes a rare sleep behavior, in which individuals have a "fast" biological clock. The gene's enzyme could lead to a therapeutic target for the disrupted sleep patterns seen in such groups as those facing jet lag or nighttime work shifts....... More broadly, the gene provides a probe for exploring the regulatory mechanisms of the body'...International breast cancer prevention study launches in the United States and Canada
Boston-March 30, 2005 Today, a new clinical trial evaluating a novel approach to breast cancer prevention launched in the United States and Canada. Called the ExCel research study, this is the first North American clinical trial to evaluate the role of an aromatase inhibitor in the prevention of breast cancer. ......Coordinated by the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group...Geodon effective in psychiatric emergencies; Sharply reduces time in restraints
STONY BROOK, NY, March 30, 2005 ---- A study conducted under real-world, Emergency Department conditions by researchers at Stony Brook University Hospital has found that the injectable form of the second generation antipsychotic Geodon (ziprasidone) effectively calms the most severely agitated patients. The results, published in the current issue of General Hospital Psychiatry, also suggest that...National Academies advisory: May 2 Symposium on International Science Policy
Many of the issues facing the world -- such as emerging infectious diseases, global climate change, energy sources, human migration, and the problems of megacities and environmental sustainability -- are fundamentally international and do not respect national borders. Confronting these problems requires organizing the world's science, health, and technology communities to provide policy advice. ....First mouse model for multiple system atrophy points to new treatment targets for brain diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) A newly developed animal model for Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) a collection of neurodegenerative disorders once thought to be three separate diseases sheds new light on this little-studied brain disease, according to research from investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine....... Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, Director of Penn's Center for Neurodegenerat...ESC releases the first European Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI)
Sophia Antipolis, France, 22 March 2005: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) releases the first European Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI), pre-published and accessible on the ESC Web Site(1). According to these Guidelines, PCI can now be regarded as the first option for a larger group of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) than before. Recent technical and...Simple intervention encourages sun protection behaviors
CHICAGO Photographs that reveal hidden skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun, combined with information on sunless tanning alternatives, was effective in encouraging sun protection behaviors in a small group of college students, according to an article in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals....... Although most cases could be prevented,...Strengths and failings of U.S. health care 'system' are driven by embedded vested interests
WASHINGTON, DC--Medical sociologists examine how American social, cultural, and political-economic contexts govern the structure, efficiency, and operational nature of U.S. health care delivery in a special issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior (JHSB), a scholarly publication of the American Sociological Association (ASA). With unique strengths in studying organizations, institution...NJIT taps into solar energy to power new campus center
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is saving money and energy while also protecting the environment. ...... The university has installed a 50-kilowatt solar-powered system on the roof of its new campus center. An array of 160 solar panels carpets the roof, converting sunlight into electrical currents. ...... The panels provide power for the campus center and save the university $40,000 a...Invasive pneumonia and antibiotic resistance decreased after childhood vaccine introduced
ATLANTA--The problem of increasing antibiotic resistance in cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, was dramatically reversed following the licensing and use of a new conjugate vaccine for young children in February 2000, according to research conducted at Emory University, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Centers for Disease Control a...Balance and better interactions between primary-care and specialist physicians improve US health
Communities with more primary-care physicians have lower mortality rates, according to an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and New York University. The researchers also found that having more specialty-care physicians in a community did not have the same positive impact on health and that increasing the number of specialists would not improve the he...Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 15, 2005
...--It's Not Necessarily the Carbs or Loss of Fluids. It's Fewer Calories...... A new three-week in-hospital study of ten obese volunteers with mild type 2 diabetes mellitus compared a usual diet with a very low-carbohydrate diet (Article, p. 403). ...... During the first study week, participants ate about 3,000 calories and 300 grams of carbohydrates per day and remained at entry weight..........New fingerprint visualization method uses X-rays to reveal missing clues
SAN DIEGO, March 13 Dusting for fingerprints can sometimes alter the prints, erasing valuable forensic clues. Now, chemists say they have developed a new fingerprint visualization technique using X-rays that leaves prints intact and, in addition, reveals chemical markers that could give investigators new clues for tracking criminals and missing persons. Their technique was described today at the...Alcohol intervention attempted for violent males
Baltimore, MarylandSerious facial and dental injuries often go hand-in-hand with heavy alcohol consumption and violent behavior, especially by teenage boys and young men. ......A group of dental researchers from the University of Wales (Cardiff, UK) conducted a randomized trial of a brief psychological intervention for males with maxillofacial injury, to evaluate the effectiveness of the interven...UCLA Medical Center becomes first hospital to introduce remote presence robots in ICU
UCLA Medical Center has announced initial clinical tests of the RP-6 mobile robot system in its neurosurgery intensive care unit (ICU). The RP-6 robot, made by InTouch Health Inc. in Santa Barbara, Calif., allows doctors to "virtually" consult with patients, family members and health care staff at a moment's notice, even if miles away from the hospital. ......Intensivists -- the physicians who sp...Awards & fellowships at the International & American Association for Dental Research General Session
Baltimore, MD...As part of the Opening Ceremonies of their 83rd General Session and 34th Annual Meeting, convening today at the Baltimore Convention Center, the International and American Associations for Dental Research will present numerous prestigious awards and fellowships. Details follow: ...... ...Presented to Tom Lehner (Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospital Medical and Dental School, King...Hopkins convenes 'consensus' conference to develop blueprint for nationwide matching program
Special Note: A press event with the conference leaders will be held on Thursday, March 3, at noon central time, at the Marriott Downtown Chicago, 540 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill., 60611. ......CHICAGO, Ill. -- Kidney transplant experts from across the United States will convene here March 2 to March 5, 2005, to design a national paired kidney exchange program. Paired kidney exchanges pro...Ten-minute emergency room intervention for problem drinkers
New Haven, Conn.--Emergency room practitioners can be successfully trained in two hours to counsel problem drinkers in a 10-minute intervention, according to a study by Yale researchers in Academic Emergency Medicine....... "The emergency room is an ideal opportunity to identify and treat alcohol-related problems," said Gail D'Onofrio, M.D., acting chief of emergency medicine at Yale-New Haven H...Lectures, keynoters, symposia highlight International Dental Research meeting
Baltimore, MD...Following is a summary of the key lectures (plenary sessions), symposia, and workshops that will anchor the 83rd General Session of the International Association for Dental Research, convening March 9 at the Baltimore Convention Center: All presentations will be in the Convention Center unless otherwise noted. ...... ...... "From Proprietary Trade School to Integral Component of t...High-intensity ultrasound creates hollow nanospheres and nanocrystals
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Using high-intensity ultrasound, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created hollow nanospheres and the first hollow nanocrystals. The nanospheres could be used in microelectronics, drug delivery and as catalysts for making environmentally friendly fuels.... "We use high-intensity ultrasound to generate nanoparticles of molybdenum disulfide or mol...UCLA neuroscientists pinpoint new function for mirror neurons
The road to interpreting intentions is paved with mirror neurons. ......A study by UCLA neuroscientists featuring functional magnetic resonance imaging and a well-stocked tea service suggests for the first time that mirror neurons help people understand the intentions of others -- a key component to social interaction. ......Reporting Feb. 22 in the online edition of PLoS Biology, the UCLA team f...Culture-specific exercise sparks interest of older women
ORLANDO, Feb. 18 Getting older Americans to exercise isn't always easy, but exercise programs in tune with a culture create interest and increase adherence, researchers in a pilot study reported at the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke.... University of California San Francisco School of Nursing researchers provided a 12-week Tai Chi exercise program to older Ch...Stem-cell research hints at better looking cosmetic and reconstructive surgery
Stem-cell researchers have shown how cosmetic surgery, such as wrinkle removal and breast augmentation, might be improved with natural implants that keep their original size and shape better than synthetics. ......Cosmetic surgery might be performed with stem-cell generated natural tissues instead of synthetic implants. Saline and silicone implants for breast augmentation may rupture, leak, and i...Intensive diabetes management yields positive results, according to Pittsburgh project
PITTSBURGH, April 6 Increasing diabetes awareness and integrating a multi-faceted, approach to improve patient care and education, results in significantly improved patient outcomes, according to a report in the April issue of Clinical Diabetes, a publication of the American Diabetes Association. ...... The article reports the results of the first two years of an initiative to increase diabetes...Cell research uncovers intriguing clues to 'Trojan horse' gene in HIV infection
Philadelphia, Pa. Researchers are probing details of how HIV commandeers genes in infected cells to disguise itself from the immune system. The researchers, from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, have identified cellular proteins expressed during HIV infection that enable HIV-infected cells to avoid apoptosis, a common cell suicide event. This survival mechanism allows the virus to mainta...Carnegie Mellon interactive-video DVD helps teens avoid sexually transmitted diseases
PITTSBURGH--Sexually active teenage girls who viewed an interactive sex education DVD created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University were more likely to become abstinent than girls who did not see the DVD, according to a study of 300 adolescent girls in the Pittsburgh area. The study will be published this fall in the journal "Social Science and Medicine."...... The DVD, "What Could You Do?...Sutter Health announces plan to deploy Bridge MedPoint error-prevention system
Sutter Health will hold news conferences this morning in Sacramento (10:30 am PST) and San Francisco (9:30 am PST) to announce it will deploy the Bridge MedPoint patient safety system. Deployment is part of a major technology initiative designed to make each of Sutter's 26 hospitals "a hospital of the future" and address quality-improvement goals set by the Leapfrog Group, a national employer co...Study points to depression as a risk for developing Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study of people over age 65 suggests that severity of depressive symptoms is related to risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the August 13 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ... More than 650 elderly people took part in the seven-year study which included annual neurological evaluations and testing of cognitive...Intensive care treatment may be bad for your health
Two articles in the latest issue of Critical Care reveal how intensive care therapy may be beneficial in the short but not in the long term. Being treated in intensive care units may help critically ill patients survive but the quality of life - if they survive - is often severely impaired. It is unclear whether this impairment is a complication of the illness or a complication of therapy. .........Musical interlude helps sleep quality, research shows
Sleep scientists at the University of Toronto are pursuing research that's music to insomniacs' ears.... ...Researchers in the sleep clinic of U of T's psychiatry department and the University Health Network's Toronto Western Hospital are studying the ability of "brain music" to help people relax and improve the quality of their sleep. To create this music, researchers study a person's brain wave...High-intensity physical training improves cardiovascular fitness in obese adolescents
After school lifestyle education and physical training programs can benefit obese children and adolescents by altering their body compositions and providing primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of obese adolescents, Gutin et al. investigated whether lifestyle education by itself, or in combination with moderate- or with high-inten...High-dose interferon beta-1b for multiple sclerosis patients
A study published in this weeks issue of THE LANCET suggests that high-dose interferon beta-1b administered every other day is more effective than interferon beta-1a once a week for people with multiple sclerosis (MS)....... There are three interferon beta therapies known to be effective in reducing MS symptoms: interferon beta-1a 30 mcg administered intramuscularly once a week; interferon beta-1...Physical activity is key to maintaining normal weight after weight loss
Between 1991 and 1998, the prevalence of obesity in the United States increased by almost 50%. Current research efforts are focused on the relative contributions of dietary change and physical inactivity to the increase in overweight and obesity, which together now characterize 55% of the American population. In an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Weinsier et al..........Savannah, GA, Feb. 20, 2002Since nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) became available as a nonprescription treatment to help Americans stop smoking, the number of adults attempting to quit smoking significantly increased to nearly 40 percent, according to a study of U.S. census data scheduled for presentation on Friday at the Eighth Annual Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco in Sav....New Haven, Conn. When the brain is stimulated, functional imaging results are misinterpreted by neglecting the resting brain neurotransmitter activity, a study by a Yale researcher concludes.."There is an assumption made in the use of PET scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that the brain works only when you give it a task to do," said Robert Shulman, Sterling Professor of M...Should Drugs Be Used In The Treatment Of Obesity: A Point-Counterpoint Discussion
Two authoritative obesity experts debate whether the benefit.of anti-obesity drugs outweigh their potential medical risks..Bray argues that even modest drug induced weight loss reduces.obesity complications (hypertension, coronary disease,.diabetes), while Hirsch argues for a moratorium until drugs.can be better targeted to specific causes of obesity yet to.be defined..To see a full text versio...has approved a license agreement for a new U-M company---IntraLase Corporation---which will develop and market a new generation of lasers for eye surgery and other high-precision medical applications. The company is being formed in collaboration with Escalon Medical Corporation of Skillman, N.J., with financing from the Enterprise Development Fund of Ann Arbor. . "IntraLase ophthalmic las...