American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for July 2005 (second issue)
...tamin D. repletion therapy because of serum levels below 30 nanograms per milliliter (30 ng/ml); to evaluat...(81.3 percent) were found to have vitamin D levels below the recommended 30 ng/ml. Of the 49 patients who started the second eight-week repletion test compri...Delivery of routine preventive services suboptimal for medicare beneficiaries
...eneficiaries receiving routine preventive services below the national goals, according to a study in the Ju...proportion of beneficiaries receiving services was below national goals. Physician and, more consistently, practice-level characteristics were both associate...Newest HIV drugs should be used with FUZEON(R)
...eceived FUZEON plus TMC114/r achieved a viral load below 50 copies/ml compared with patients not receiving FUZEONA remarkable 67% of the patients receiving FUZEON plus TMC114/r reached an undetectable viral load TORO Phase III FUZEON trials Over 24 weeks, double the proportion of patients who received F...Depression linked to previously unknown dopamine regulator
...he medium spiny neurons of the striatum, which lie below the cortex of the brain and respond to dopamine. Dopamine exerts its function in target cells through five known subtypes of dopamine receptors to regulate motor control, stereotypic behaviors, arousal, mood, motivation, and endocrine function. Impai...Research may provide new link between soft drinks and weight gain
...e final weight of 48 grams--compared with averages below 44 grams for the other groups--and had about 90 percent more body fat than the mice that consumed water only. Total caloric intake was lower in the mice that consumed the fructose-sweetened water than in the other groups, except for the control anim...PTSD, depression epidemic among Cambodian immigrants
...y speak little or no English, are at income levels below poverty, and rely on public assistance. Since previous studies of such refugee populations have been criticized for possibly overestimating rates of mental disorders, Marshall and colleagues set out to allay such concerns by employing a more conserv...Wheelchair technology & spinal cord injury
...ng smooth, long strokes and letting the hand drift below the pushrim when not in contact with the wheel. They warn that weight gain can increase injury risk and suggest using a light-weight wheelchair with a forward-adjusted rear axle to ease propulsion and lessen stress on the upper limbs. Rehabilitatio...At Johns Hopkins: Emphasis on improved care and faster access to services shortens hospital stays
...ital departments and, as a result, reduced to well below six the average number of days patients with conge...stay fell to an average of 4.7 days by early 2003, below the Millman average of 4.8 days. The radiology department went even further, altering its consultat...Researchers pinpoint molecular basis for phantom pain
...ence phantom sensations of excruciating pain at or below the level of their paralysis or loss," said Bryan Hains, associate research scientist and co-author of the study. Typically, the perception of pain travels through three orders of neurons. The first order neurons carry signals from the periphery to ...Artificial cervical disc replacement offered for neck and arm pain problems
...sulting in increased stress on the discs above and below the fusion. This additional pressure may cause excessive wear and tear on the adjacent discs, which may lead to more pain and the need for additional surgery. "The goal is to find an implant that can simulate the natural function of the cervical di...Emergency-room visits dip during key Red Sox games
...atings surged and ER visits dipped about 5 percent below normal volume. During the highest-rated games -- t...mergency-department visits dipped about 15 percent below the expected volume. Gripped by Red Sox fever during the 2004 postseason, the study's key researche...Drug resistance testing in treatment-nave HIV patients is cost-effective
...tions. The cost-effectiveness calculation remained below $50,000 per quality-adjusted year gained unless the resistance rate was 1 percent or less, which is much lower than in most areas. An accompanying editorial commentary by Frederick Hecht, MD, and Robert Grant, MD, of the University of California, Sa...ASU secures $3.9 million to study spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders
...-D and 3-D image reconstruction. With a resolution below 100 micrometers, the system allows researchers to see tissues or structures smaller than the width of a human hair. In addition to Jung, other team members on this project include faculty from the schools of life sciences and engineering at ASU, Er...PRESERVE- 2-year study of initial combo therapy with nateglinide or glyburide + metformin
...oups achieved a mean HbA1c at the end of the study below the American Diabetes Association recommended target of 7% (6.9 % and 6.8% for Starlix and glyburide respectively). These reductions were sustained for the full two years of the study. There was no statistically or clinically significant difference...Musical training might be good for the heart
..., all the indicators of physiological arousal fell below those registered before the participants started to listen to any of the tracks. This effect occurred, irrespective of the musical style or preferences of the listener, but was stronger among the musicians, who are trained to synchronise their breat...New study at UNC shows concussions promote dementias in retired professional football players
...more noticeable in the younger age groups -- those below age 70 than in those over that age. Co-authors of the report are Dr. Julian Bailes of the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Dr. Michael McCrea Waukesha Memorial Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Dr. Robert C. Cant...No reason to fear very low LDL
...poprotein, the so-called "bad" cholesterol) levels below the target level of 100 milligrams per deciliter o...f therapy. Some patients saw their LDL levels drop below 40 mg/dl. Dr. Wiviott said that they reviewed this data from PROVE IT because some studies have sugg...Men who smoke heavily may impair sperm, fertility
...city found in the donor," Burkman said. "An index below 36 identifies a severe loss in fertilizing capacity." Results showed that the sperm from almost two-thirds of the smokers failed the test, while the remainder showed normal function. Almost all the smokers whose sperm failed the test had an index...Even very low levels of environmental toxins can damage health
...en IQ and blood lead levels over a range extending below 0.48 micromoles/liter. These studies found no evidence of a "safe" threshold. The Canadian government has concluded that the human lifetime cancer risk associated with drinking water containing trihalomethanes at 100 micrograms per liter (the curre...Study shows that prenatal exposure to alcohol may cause visual problems in infants
...e without FAS. 27% of the infants with FAS scored below the fifth percentile, as opposed to the 9% of the infants without FAS. However, half of the infants with low TAC scores who did not meet the criteria for full FAS were born to mothers who reported binge drinking (greater than 5 drinks per occasion) ...