UK approval procedures will drive research overseas
...oval for all 20 trusts required 103 days. With the addition of the 47 days taken to obtain ethical approval, this resulted in a total delay of 150 days. Research studies requiring multiple NHS sites should build in substantial lag times before research processes can be initiated, say the authors. "We anticipa...Data show cyclosporine inhalation solution improves long-term survival in lung-transplant patients
... received either CyIS (n=26) or placebo (n=30), in addition to maintenance immunosuppression, and underwent an initial 10-day dose escalation phase to reach a maximum tolerated dose, up to 300 mg. Following initiation, patients received a maintenance dose of either the CyIS or placebo three times per week for...Painless test using teardrops may speed diagnosis of Sjgren's syndrome
...markers that appear to be specific for Sjgrens. In addition to helping diagnose the disease, the tear biomarkers also show potential for noninvasive monitoring of disease activity and progress, the researchers say. The biomarkers may also provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of the syndrome, such a...Blood test can accurately diagnose heart failure in emergency patients
...hortness of breath were enrolled in the study. In addition to standard evaluation of symptoms, a blood sample was drawn for NT-proBNP measurement. After the emergency assessment was completed, the attending physicians were asked to estimate the likelihood that the patients' symptoms were caused by heart fail...Tissue engineering experts discuss orthopaedics applications
...e new organ or tissue integrates with the body. In addition to engineering tissues and organs, Atala and his team are also working to identify new sources of stem cells. Because these cells are unspecialized, they can acquire the structure and features of other cell types, and some researchers believe they co...Location of body fat associated with cardiovascular risk even at normal body weight
...rding to background information in the article. In addition to overweight and obesity, patterns of fat distribution in middle-aged adults may confer additional risk for metabolic syndrome, but it is not known whether this is true for older individuals. Bret H. Goodpaster, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsbur...Chemical present in clear plastics can impair learning and cause disease
...BPA are produced annually in the United States. In addition to its use in plastics, BPA is found in dental sealants and prostheses. BPA derivatives are used as flameretardants in adhesives, paper and textiles....Combination vaccine produces lower immune response than vaccines administered separately
...conjugate vaccine (MenC) (n = 120) administered in addition to routine immunizations (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and whole-cell pertussis [DTwP], Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) polyribosylribitol phosphate-tetanus toxoid protein conjugate, oral polio vaccine). The researchers found: "Pnc9-MenC combin...Too much water may be as dangerous as too little during long-distance athletic events
...se of a long race, they can dilute themselves." In addition popular sports drinks don't always include enough sodium to offset the body's loss of the mineral during exercise. The drinks often carry more water with smaller concentrations of salts than are normally found in the human body; therefore, they do no...Smart plastics change shape with light
...back to its original shape. The team notes that in addition to elongated films, a variety of other temporary shapes can be produced. For example, a spiral can be created by exposing only one side of the stretched sample to light. The result is the formation of two layers. So "while the deformation is well-fix...New LASIK research reveals unexpected finding: Key to better-than-20/20 vision is in the flap
...create the corneal flap. Doctors found that in addition to fewer complications, more patients achieved vision better than 20/20 -- up to 20/15 and even 20/12.5 -- when the IntraLase laser was used in the first step. When the microkeratome was used to make the corneal flap, surgeons found a greater inc...Study challenges current treatment for mild asthma
...pproaches." Participating centers in the trial, in addition to UCSF and Harvard, were: Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Harlem Lung Center, New York; National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver; University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA....Scientists identify protein that controls cancer cells
...and one day a cure for malignant brain tumors. In addition to its focus on research, the center provides a comprehensive program for patient care, and is the first center in the state to offer Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a knifeless approach to brain surgery and radiation therapy....Public leadership in neurology award honors Leeza Gibbons for Alzheimer's awareness efforts
...s-related nonprofits and visiting Capitol Hill. In addition to producing episodes about Alzheimer's and dementia on her daily talk show, Gibbons become a frequent and respected speaker about the topic on radio and television. In 2002 Gibbons formed the nonprofit Memory Foundation. The foundation's signature p...NMDP welcomes IOM recommendation for fully integrated cord blood system
...nt medicine and patient advocacy organizations. In addition to the centralized database that allows transplant coordinators to search all compatible HPC sources (including cord blood, marrow and adult peripheral blood) simultaneously, the NMDP collects outcomes data from all cord blood transplants facilitated...Drug can reduce bodyweight and cardiovascular risk factors in obese people
...drug called rimonabant, or a placebo once daily in addition to a calorie controlled diet. The treatment groups had similar characteristics. 920 patients (61%) completed the one-year follow-up; 379 in the rimonabant 5mg group, 363 in the rimonabant 20mg group and 178 in the placebo group. Weight loss at 1 yea...Medical journal editors condemn ghostwriting
...c articles in support of the company's product. In addition to the strongly worded editorial, the March JGIM includes an article detailing the incident that brought the issue to the editors' attention and a newly developed policy statement on ghostwriting by the World Association of Medical Editors. "This is...Shape-altering genes linked to ovarian cancer
...and allow women to make more informed choices." In addition to Dr. Naora, Ph.D., Wenjun Cheng, M.D., Jinsong Liu, M.D., Ph.D, Hiroyuki Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., and Daniel Rosen, M.D., all of M. D. Anderson, contributed to the research. The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, ...NCI's Patient Navigator Research Program: Questions and answers
...Patient Navigator Program? Evidence shows that in addition to unequal access to health care, racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations do not always receive timely, appropriate advice and care when confronted with a cancer diagnosis. Patient navigators can make the difference between someone from...Learning software developed by Rutgers-Newark scientist helps 450,000 students with reading
...colleagues, the kudos just seem to keep coming. In addition to winning the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award, in 2004 the Congressional Black Caucus's Education Braintrust awarded Scientific Learning an ET3 (Education Technology Think Tank) TEC (Technology to Empower Community) Champion Partnership Award. The awa...