Potential Treatment For 2 Lethal Leukemias Using Novel MS Drug
A new study suggests that an experimental drug being tested for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and to prevent organ rejection might also help people with certain deadly forms of chronic and acute leukemia.The laboratory and animal study focused on the drug, called fingolimod.

Alternative Method Of Urinary Tract Imaging Reduces Radiation Dose
The split-bolus (cross sectional imaging) MDCT urography technique reduces both radiation dose and number of images produced, according to a recent study conducted by radiologists from Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA and VA Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, CA.

Mental Health Commission Of Canada Board Of Directors Selected
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, has announced the final selection of the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada - the commission has just been created. The Prime Minister made the announcement to a gathering of international health experts and leaders at the 2007 International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership Exchange and Conference.

Pine Bark May Reduce Need For HRT, New Study Finds
A study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Scandinavian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reveals that Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all), pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, reduces "climacteric symptoms" such as hot flashes, depression, panic attacks, cholesterol and other common symptoms associated with women entering menopause transition.

Studying The Effects Of Negative Emotion On Memory
Do you remember exactly where you were when you learned of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks? Your answer is probably yes, and researchers are beginning to understand why we remember events that carry negative emotional weight.

Genetics And Metastasis Studied In Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the Western world. The tumor starts off as a polyp but then turns into an invasive and violent cancer, which often spreads to the liver. In an article recently published in the journal Cancer Research, Prof. Avri Ben-Ze'ev and Dr.

Factors That Accelerate Resistance To Targeted Therapy In Lymphoblastic Leukemia Revealed By St. Jude
Results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provide strong evidence for why the targeted therapy drug imatinib (Gleevec™), which has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), is often unable to prevent relapse of a particularly aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

New Target Unveilved In The Fight Against Lymphomas
University of Pennsylvania researchers and their colleagues at the Wistar Institute and University of Oxford have discovered the molecular process by which the PAX5 protein, necessary for lymphocyte development, promotes the growth of common lymphomas, thereby unveiling a potential new target in the fight against cancer.

Researching The Connection Between Child Maltreatment And Adolescent Delinquency, Violence
Studies show that abused or neglected children are more likely to be arrested for delinquency and violent crimes, both as juveniles and as adults. They also commit more offences and are younger when they're first arrested.

Mystery Of A Third Olfactory System Unlocked By University Of Maryland Researchers
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have found a "nose within the nose," a unique olfactory system within the noses of mice that is able to "smell" hormones involved in regulating water and salt balance in the body. This research may lead to new insights into the complex system of "chemical communication" between individuals.

Successful Liver Transplantation Preceeded Clearance Of Hepatitis C Viral Infection
Touching stories of living donor transplantation are continuously happening in hospitals. One of these stories is reported recently in the World Journal of Gastroenterology because of its shining significance in hepatology. This article is going to bring comfort to many families.It is about a desperate patient brought to Dr. Tatsuki Ichikawa in the Nagasaki University Hospital, Japan in 2004.

Capture And Genome-Wide Screening Of Blood Vessels From Biopsy Material Regardless Of Disease
Scientists have developed a new method of capturing a complete genome-wide screening of blood vessel cells in their actual disease state, advancing the potential for genetic research on the tissue responsible for delivering nourishment that can accelerate the growth of both a cancer tumor or wound healing.

New Schizophrenia Drug Shows Promise In Phase II Human Trials
A new experimental drug for the treatment of schizophrenia which targets glutamate receptors in the brain rather than dopamine has shown promise in human trials. The volunteers experienced significant improvements in their symptoms while suffering few side effects. The drug is currently called "LY2140023".You can read about this trial in an article published in Nature Medicine.

Genetics Research Furthered By Collaborative Cross Project
Mice that are part of the Collaborative Cross project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping scientists around the world learn more about possible causes of drug abuse, diabetes, sleep disorders, stress and pain, kidney disease and a number of other conditions that affect millions of people.

Non-Surgical, Low-Tech Treatment For Clubfoot The Focus At International Symposium
We often think that high-tech, surgical methods are the best approach when it comes to medical care. But for children born with clubfoot, there is growing, worldwide interest in a low-tech, non-surgical method of treatment that is more effective, less expensive and easier to provide than surgery.

New Strategies For Antibiotic Resistance Discovered By Researchers
With infections increasingly resistant to even the most modern antibiotics, researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) report in the September issue of Nature Reviews Microbiology on new clues they have uncovered in immune system molecules that defend against infection.Drs. Michael R. Yeaman and Nannette Y.

Leading Epidemiologist Questions Report On Patients' Access To Cancer Drugs
A leading epidemiologist has attacked Swedish research that looked at inequalities in patients' access to cancer drugs across Europe and the world.

Orthopedic Researchers Study Knee Injuries And Degeneration
The sort of swelling that occurs when a joint is damaged by injury or degeneration is normally essential to the healing process, but when it comes to the knee, that inflammation can actually interfere with healing.These findings in experiments with pigs may lead to treatments for injuries or osteoarthritis in the knee, according to Duke University Medical Center orthopedic researchers.

Prostate Cancer Prevented By Compound In Red Wine
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have found that nutrients in red wine may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.The study involved male mice that were fed a plant compound found in red wine called resveratrol, which has shown anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Bulimia Patients Respond Better To Family-based Treatment Than Supportive Psychotherapy
Patients suffering from bulimia, aged 12-19, respond better to family-based treatments than supportive psychotherapy, according to an article in Archives of General Psychiatry (JAMA/Archives). Supportive psychotherapy explores the underlying issues of the disorder.

Measuring Human Well-Being: Key Findings And Policy Lessons
Achieving and sustaining higher levels of human well-being are challenges for individual citizens, governments, and international organizations world-wide. Measures of human well-being levels are an integral part of this process, used increasingly to monitor and evaluate conditions within and among countries.

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich Signs Measure Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Tuesday signed into law a measure (SB 4) that prohibits human cloning but allows several kinds of stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell research, the Chicago Tribune reports (Garcia, Chicago Tribune, 8/29).

HIV Vaccine Created At The Wistar Institute Has Received Funding For Clinical Development
A promising new HIV vaccine created at The Wistar Institute has received funding for clinical development aimed at moving the vaccine into human clinical trials as soon as possible.With $13.

Adoption Of CMS Rule By State Medicaid Programs Could Place Additional Pressure On Hospitals To Reduce Preventable Errors
The Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday examined a new rule from CMS that will deny reimbursements to hospitals for preventable conditions that develop while patients are in their care, effective Oct. 1, 2008. According to the Inquirer, the goal "is not to punish hospitals but to spur action to improve patient safety."State Medicaid programs also might adopt the CMS changes.

Turning On Fat Burning Gene To Make You Lose Weight
Tweaking a gene that influences whether your body accumulates or burns up fat may not be such a far-fetched dream for millions of overweight/obese people around the world. Scientists in the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA believe that may have found a way of doing just this.

Books Accuse UNAIDS Of Inflating HIV Prevalence Estimates To Increase Donor Funding
UNAIDS in two recently published books has "come under stinging attack" and been accused of "allowing politics to trump science in its efforts to combat" HIV/AIDS, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to AFP/Yahoo! News, the books have "sparked a wide-ranging debate" among HIV/AIDS advocates about how to fight the spread of the disease and "raised questions about UNAIDS' leadership."U.S.

Musculoskeletal Regeneration Research Receives First-Of-A Knd ' Emerging Frontiers' NSF Grant
A research group led by Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, with faculty representing five departments at the University of Virginia, will work on a first-of-its kind, $2 million grant project as they explore novel methods for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. The grant from the National Science Foundation is known as an EFRI grant -- Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation.

Hospitalizations Among HIV-Positive Infants, Young Children In U.S. Decreasing Because Of HAART, Study Says
Hospitalizations among HIV-positive infants and children younger than age five are decreasing because of the introduction and widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published in the August issue of Pediatrics, Reuters Health reports.

Development Of 'Smart' Peptide Anti-Cancer Drugs Wins Grant For Liang
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has awarded a research grant to Jun F. (James) Liang, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Stevens Institute of Technology.Liang will serve as the Principal Investigator for project, "Design of Peptides as New Anti-Cancer Drugs.

Human West Nile Virus Infections Near 1,000 Mark In The USA
As the West Nile Virus season nears its end, authorities nationwide say that the total number of human infections - now standing at 906 - could well reach 1,000. California alone has reported 172 human cases, six of whom have died.

Online Services Help Consumers Take Larger Role In Medical Care
The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined the "many online services popping up to help consumers take a more active role in their medical care ... at a time when employers and legislators are pushing more health care responsibilities on to workers.

Poor Sleep Adversely Affected By Adolescents' Use Of Cell Phones After Bedtime
The use of modern means of interpersonal and mass communication has become an essential part of being young. Technology has enabled two people to connect with each other virtually anywhere and at any time, a privilege that, according to new research, is often abused by youngsters and cutting into their sleep time.

Kids Missing Out On Best Asthma Drug Treatment, UK
As family doctors are ignoring prescribing guidelines children in the UK are not receiving the best drug treatment for asthma, according to an article published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.There are approximately one million children in the UK who suffer from asthma. About a third of them visit their doctor when they are aged 5-13.

Republican Candidates Can Gain Women's Votes By Recognizing Issues 'Unique' To Working Women, Mothers, Opinion Piece Says
Although "quite a few" women care about protecting issues supported by Democratic presidential candidates, such as abortion rights and violence against women, these "culture-war touchpoints" are not the "top voting priority" for the "60% of women who today both scramble after a child and hold a job," Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel writes in an opinion piece.

Malignant Melanoma Treatment Works On Immune Cells, Not The Cancer
A new study shows that an important drug used in the treatment of malignant melanoma has little effect on the melanoma cells themselves. Instead, it activates immune-system cells to fight the disease.The drug, called interferon alpha (IFNa), is used to clean up microscopic tumor cells that may remain in the body following surgery for the disease. It is the only drug approved for this purpose.

Youth Suicide Rate Rises 8% In USA, Biggest Climb In 15 Years
After falling over 28% during the period 1990 - 2003, suicide rates in America for males and females aged 10-24 climbed 8% - this is the largest single one-year rise in 15 years, says a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report 'Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)'.In 1990 the suicide rate for 10-24 year-olds was 9.48 per 100,000 people; in 2003 it fell to 6.

Kansas Committee On Federal, State Affairs Reviews Enforcement Of Late-Term Abortion Law
The Kansas Special Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Friday held its first hearing examining enforcement of a 1998 law that regulates abortions after 21 weeks' gestation, the AP/Joplin Globe reports. The committee, which could recommend changes to the law to the 2008 Legislature, has scheduled two additional days for hearings this week (AP/Joplin Globe, 8/31).

Bulgaria Signs Agreement To Transfer $57M Of Libya's Debt To International Fund For HIV-Positive Children
Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Feim Chaushev on Monday signed an agreement to transfer about $57 million of Libya's debt to Bulgaria to an international fund to aid more than 400 Libyan children living with HIV/AIDS, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports.

Smoking Whilst Breast Feeding Disrupts Infants' Sleep Patterns
A study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reports that nicotine in the breast milk of lactating mothers who smoke cigarettes disrupts their infants' sleep patterns."Infants spent less time sleeping overall and woke up from naps sooner when their mothers smoked prior to breastfeeding," says lead author Julie A. Mennella, PhD, a psychobiologist at Monell.

Wall Street Journal Examines Hospital Efforts To Reduce Pressure Sores
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined how hospitals across the U.S. "are scrambling to put new programs in place to prevent pressure ulcers," or bedsores, after CMS last month announced that starting in October 2008 it no longer will provide reimbursements for eight preventable medical errors.

Healthy Steps For Young Children Program Benefits Both Children And Their Families
The Healthy Steps for Young Children Program, which added behavior and development services to pediatric practices, continued to benefit families more than two years after the intervention ended, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

News Tips From The Journal Of Neuroscience
Fueling the Olfactory GlomerulusJanna C. Nawroth, Charles A. Greer, Wei R. Chen, Simon B. Laughlin, and Gordon M. ShepherdIn an era that promotes energy efficiency and conservation, it is only appropriate that brain parts are also evaluated for their energy consumption. This week, Nawroth et al. evaluated the energy required to run an olfactory bulb.

Area Of The Brain That Processes Visual Inputs Can Reorganize After A Stroke: May Yield New Treatments For Brain Injury
New evidence from a patient shows that the area of the brain that processes visual inputs can reorganize after an injury caused by stroke. Scientists found that a brain region that had stopped receiving signals from the eyes because of a stroke began responding to signals formerly processed in adjacent brain areas.

Faulty Drainage Likely Cause Of Foot And Mouth Outbreak In England
An investigation points the finger at a drainage problem as the cause of breaches of biosecurity which lead to the August Foot & Mouth Disease outbreak in England. The investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

eIF4E-Specific Anti-Sense Oligonucleotides Substantially Inhibited Tumor Growth In Mice - Could Be Useful For The Treatment Of Many Cancers
A new study by Jeremy Graff and colleagues from Eli Lilly and Company has demonstrated the anti-cancer effect of a new therapeutic in a mouse model of human tumors and has spawned clinical trials to test the ability of this therapeutic to treat human cancers.

Immunosuppressive Drugs Are A Double-edged Sword To Type 1 Diabetics
Type 1 diabetes is caused when immune cells attack and destroy the insulin producing beta-cells of the pancreas. Although insulin injections have changed the life of type I diabetics, they neither cure the disease nor prevent its severe complications.

Revving Up Protein Turnover By Manipulating BCATm Activity May Lead To A Treatment For Obesity
A new study in the September issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, points to a new method for burning off all those irresistible extra calories - by turning on an energy-draining, but otherwise futile, cycle of protein synthesis and breakdown.

Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) Data Management System Version 2.3 Now Available
A powerful set of computational tools established to ease the visualization and exploration of genomes flooding the public domain is now available in IMG Version 2.3 -- the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI).The content of IMG 2.

Simple Method To Mix Enzymes Without The Use Of Man-Made Chemicals Developed
Until now, only the intricate machinery inside cells could take a mix of enzyme ingredients, blend them together and deliver a natural product with an elaborate chemical structure such as penicillin.

California In The Grips Of Three Forest Fires
A forest fire in northeast Sierra Nevada is at last spreading in a direction which no longer threatens people's homes in Pumas County, say authorities. However, another one in Santa Clara County is still causing serious concern for some 25 homeowners. The northeast Sierra Nevada has sent a plume of smoke and haze hundreds of miles away, where health warnings are still being issued.

America May Learn From Quebec's Prescription Drug Plan
A new study published in The Milbank Quarterly finds a number of similarities between Canadian drug coverage and that of the United States, despite their publicized differences.

'Skinny Gene' Does Exist, UT Southwestern Researchers Find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that a single gene might control whether or not individuals tend to pile on fat, a discovery that may point to new ways to fight obesity and diabetes."From worms to mammals, this gene controls fat formation," said Dr.

Study Finds Primary Care Depression Treatment Often Does Not Follow Quality Guidelines
Most patients with depression who are treated by primary care physicians do not receive care consistent with quality standards, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Reuters Examines Abortion, Family Planning In Philippines
Reuters on Wednesday examined abortion in the Philippines and how the phase out of a USAID-funded program that provides contraceptives to women in the country might affect rates of illegal abortions nationwide (Crimmins, Reuters, 9/5).

Groups Launch Initiative To Fight HIV/AIDS In Kenya's Lake Victoria Basin
The East African Community, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and the African Medical and Research Foundation on Tuesday in Kisumu, Kenya, launched a joint initiative to fight HIV/AIDS among populations located along the Lake Victoria basin, the East African Standard reports.

Faster-Acting Anti-Depressants Discovered
Studies with rats have revealed the potential in an entirely new class of antidepressants that take effect after only days of treatment versus the weeks required for current drugs. The researchers said that they hope their findings will spur development of such new antidepressant drugs so that clinical testing can begin quickly.

Employer-Sponsored Health Plan Costs Could Increase By 6.7% In 2008, According To Survey
Health care benefit costs for U.S. employers may rise an average of 6.7% to $8,500 per employee in 2008, a slight increase over 2007's 6.1% increase, according to a nationwide survey of 1,557 employers conducted by Mercer Health & Benefits, the Hartford Courant reports.

Military-VA Appropriations Bill Expected To Pass In Senate, Veto Not Anticipated
The Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (HR 2642), which exceeds President Bush's budget request by $4 billion, is expected to pass in the Senate on Thursday, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports. The legislation would provide $65 billion in discretionary spending and $41 billion in disability benefits.

Innovative Ways To Rehabilitate People With Bad Health Habits
For lunch, Joy Hesemann loved to dive into a platter of deep-fried, crunchy chicken tenders with a side of ranch dressing. At night, she'd fry up ground beef for Hamburger Helper or another boxed meal for her family's dinner. Later, she'd plop in front of the TV or computer screen and rip into a bag of Oreos or potato chips.

Contact Lens Cultures May Help Identify Corneal Eye Infection Organisms
One method of identifying which organisms are involved in cases of corneal eye infections is to look at the cultures of contact lenses, according to an article in Archives of Ophthalmology (JAMA/Archives), September issue.

China's Blood Supply Not Being Monitored Properly For HIV, Needs International Assistance, Report Says
China's blood supply still is not being monitored properly for HIV despite the Ministry of Health's efforts to monitor the country's blood collection centers, according to a report released Thursday by New York-based Asia Catalyst, Reuters reports (Blanchard, Reuters, 9/6).

Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Do Not Benefit From Lower Homocysteine Levels
A patient with chronic kidney disease (end-stage) who is treated with high doses of B vitamins and folic acid to reduce homocysteine levels does not experience survival improvements or a lowering of vascular events risk, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), September 12 issue.

AMD Risk Lower If You Consume Yellow Plant Pigment Lutein And Zeaxanthin
If you consume high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, types of yellow plant pigments, your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are significantly lower, according to an article published in Archives of Ophthalmology (JAMA/Archives), September issue.

Weems Could Remain Acting CMS Commissioner Until President Bush Leaves Office
Kerry Weems, who President Bush named as acting CMS administrator earlier this week after he nominated him as permanent agency administrator in May, could remain in the position until Bush leaves office without Senate confirmation, The Hill reports.

Medical Researchers Need Access To Patient Record Databases According To Leading Funders
Better use should be made of electronic databases and patient records to help scientists understand patterns of health and disease in the population, say leading UK funders. However, they warn that it is essential to develop such studies in consultation with the public. Their call comes at the launch of a new initiative to support research that uses such information for health research purposes.

Outbreak Of Deadly Ebola Virus In DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed there is a major outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Kasai province in the African Democratic Republic of Congo.The WHO said that 166 people are known to have died and they are aware of 372 other cases of the disease, according to BBC News earlier today.

Rhythmic Breathing Adapts To External Beat Through "Brain Calculus"
The same kind of learning that allows humans to get used to a subtle touch or persistent odor may also help human vital signs adapt to medical interventions such as mechanical ventilation.

Biological Invasions Can Begin With Just One Insect
A new study by York University biologists Amro Zayed and Laurence Packer has shown that a lone insect can initiate a biological invasion. Zayed, a recent graduate of Packer's lab, examined patterns of genetic diversity in both native European and invasive North American populations of a solitary bee.

New Mechanism Discovered For DNA Recombination And Repair
A biochemistry research team led by Dr. Andrew H.-J. Wang and Dr. Ting-Fang Wang at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica (IBCAS), has discovered that the RecA family recombinases function as a new type of rotary motor proteins to repair DNA damages. Dr. Wangs' team has recently published two structural biology articles related to RecA family recombinases.

260 Million-Year-Old Reptiles From Russia Possessed The First Modern Ears
The discovery of the first anatomically modern ear in a group of 260 million-year-old fossil reptiles significantly pushes back the date of the origin of an advanced sense of hearing, and suggests the first known adaptations to living in the dark.

Study Shows Wild Male Chimpanzees Use Stolen Food To Win Over The Opposite Sex
They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and the same could be said for female chimpanzees. Researchers studying wild chimps in West Africa have discovered that males pinch desirable fruits from local farms and orchards as a means of attracting female mates. The study is published in the August 12 issue of the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE.

Mobile Phones Do No Harm, UK Report
A six year research porgramme set up by the UK government reported on Tuesday that the evidence so far does not link mobile phones to harmful effects on human health or biology. However, the report said the the vast majority of available evidence relates to short term use, and further research is needed before one can be certain of longer term effects.

The Journal Of The National Cancer Institute Highlights
Nearly a third of prostate biopsies resulted in a cancer diagnosis among a population of older men on Medicare. Men whose first biopsy did not find cancer often had multiple biopsies in the future, which increased the chance of a cancer diagnosis.

Health Coaches Help Improve Employee Health, Lower Employer Cost
An increasing number of employers are offering health coaching services as a way to improve employee health and keep health care costs down, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Most programs offer employees telephone coaching over the course of one year, but some programs provide face-to-face contact with a nurse.

WHO Adds Three Ranbaxy Antiretrovirals To Prequalification List
Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories on Monday announced that the World Health Organization has added three of its antiretroviral drugs to WHO's list of prequalified antiretrovirals, Reuters India reports (Reuters India, 9/10).The drugs will be available in compliance kits, which are designed to enhance regimen adherence.

New Ways To Make, Modify Titanium Oxide Nanostructures For Industrial, Medical Uses
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed new ways to make or modify nanorods and nanotubes of titanium oxide, a material used in a variety of industrial and medical applications. The methods and new titanium oxide materials may lead to improved catalysts for hydrogen production, more efficient solar cells, and more protective sunscreens.

Young Women At Risk Of Pulmonary Embolism Should Receive A V/Q Scan
Young women at risk of having a pulmonary embolism -- a potential life-threatening blockage in a lung artery -- should first undergo a ventilation/perfusion lung scan (V/Q scan) rather than a CT (computed tomography) angiogram, conclude authors in a paper published in the September Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Blood Bank Emergency In Peru After Four People Become Infected With HIV
Several blood banks in Peru have been shut down after four people became infected with HIV as a result of tainted blood transfusion. Peruvian authorities promised to carry out a comprehensive check of the 240 blood banks that span the country. It is hoped the four infections are not just the tip of an iceberg.

For His Innovative Work In Prosthetics, Herr Wins The Heinz Award For Technology, The Economy And Employment
A double amputee whose trailblazing work in the emerging field of biomechatronics has led to the development of new prosthetic innovations that merge body and machine has been selected to receive the 13th annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment, among the largest individual achievement prizes in the world.Dr.

News From Molecular & Cellular Proteomics
Articles selected from the Sept. 2007 issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics (Vol. 6, No.

Senate Panel Approves $459.6B Defense Spending Measure, Including Funds For Health Care
The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Tuesday approved a $459.6 billion defense spending measure for fiscal year 2008 that would provide $23.5 billion for health care -- $948.9 million more than requested by President Bush, CQ Today reports (Rogin, CQ Today, 9/11).

Tamoxifen Treats Manic Phase Of Bipolar Disorder
The medication tamoxifen, best known as a treatment for breast cancer, dramatically reduces symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder more quickly than many standard medications for the mental illness, a new study shows.

Assessing Drug Targets For Human Cancer After Discovery Of New Class Of RNA Molecules
Research here shows that an obscure form of RNA, part of the protein-making machinery in all cells, might play an important role in human cancer.These ultraconserved non-coding RNAs (UCRs) have been considered "junk" by some researchers, but a new report in the September issue of the journal Cancer Cell indicates that this may not be the case.

Improving Quality Of Life For Dialysis Patients
Having a healthy kidney is worth a billion dollars; but an unhealthy kidney costs more -- about $16 billion more, according to Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, associate professor in the division of nephrology and hypertension at the University of Cincinnati (UC)."It costs about $17 billion a year to care for patients with end-stage kidney disease," he said.

Martin Abeloff, International Breast Cancer Authority, Dies Of Leukemia
Martin Abeloff, head of oncology and director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center since 1992, an international authority on breast cancer, died of leukemia yesterday. The John Hopkins Center says Abeloff will be remembered by his friends and colleagues worldwide for his distinctive humility, humor and astonishing dedication to his patients and students.

Loading Cancer-Clogging Drug Molecules Onto Tiny Gold Sphere Delivers Drug Directly To Cancer Cells
Rice University chemists have discovered a way to load dozens of molecules of the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel onto tiny gold spheres. The result is a tiny ball, many times smaller than a living cell that literally bristles with the drug.Paclitaxel, which is sold under the brand name Taxol®, prevents cancer cells from dividing by jamming their inner works.

Hookworms May Treat Asthma And Other Allergies By Impacting On The Immune System
Researchers in the UK are eager to find out whether blood-sucking worms - hookworms - might have an effect on the immune system and be used for effective treatment for asthma and other allergies. Researchers from the University of Nottingham say these worms may even have therapeutic benefits for patients with diabetes type 1 and multiple sclerosis.

Bioinformatics And Genome Sequencing Boosted At Rutgers' High School By $3 Million From NSF
The National Science Foundation has awarded Rutgers University scientists two grants totaling nearly $3 million to support outreach beyond the borders of the university to regional high schools.

Creating Living, Growing Heart Valves From Child's Own Tissue
Infants and children receiving artificial heart-valve replacements face several repeat operations as they grow, since the replacements become too small and must be traded for bigger ones. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have now developed a solution: living, growing valves created in the lab from a patient's own cells.

Monitoring The Ozone Layer Following The Success Of The Montreal Protocol
NASA scientists will join researchers from around the world to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to reduce the hole in Earth's protective ozone layer. The United Nations Environment Program will host the meeting from Sept. 23-26 in Athens, Greece. NASA scientists study climate change and research the timing of the recovery of the ozone layer.

Public Safety In Canada Threatened By Hazardous Trees In Provincial Recreation Sites
Speaking on behalf of the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River, thas announced that Canada's New Government will contribute more than $1.4 million over the next two years to support British Columbia's efforts to maintain the safety of provincial recreation sites.

Discovery Of The Binocular Vision Gene
In work that could lead to new treatments for sensory disorders in which people experience the strange phenomena of seeing better with one eye covered, MIT researchers report that they have identified the gene responsible for binocular vision.Unlike horses and eagles, whose eyes on the sides of their heads provide two different scenes, humans see a single, in-depth view.

Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards Announced Today
The Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards, now in their 62nd year, are the USA's premier awards for exceptional work in basic and clinical medical research, and outstanding public service in support of medical research - today the 2007 awards have been announced. -- The Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research has been given to Ralph M. Steinman, Rockefeller University, New York.

Fungal Infection Made Virulent By Lipase
Infection with the fungus Candida parapsilosis is a major problem for individuals in intensive care units, as well as for premature infants and immunocompromised adults. Despite this, little is known about which of its genes account for its virulence. New insight into the virulence mechanisms of C.

Insights Into The Noxious Cause Of Lou Gehrig's Disease
There is no known cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig disease and motor neuron disease. ALS is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of nerves that control voluntary muscle movement.

E. Coli Suspected In US Lettuce Brand, Canada Recalls Product
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public about suspected contamination by E. coli O157:H7 bacteria of Dole Brand Hearts Delight Lettuce Salad imported from the USA.No illnesses linked to eating the product have been reported so far.The CFIA issued a Health Hazard Alert earlier today, Monday 17th September.

Innovative Video And Body Sensor Technologies For Coaching Top UK Athletes
Groundbreaking research now under way in the UK could help our leading athletics coaches deliver outstanding results in the years ahead.The SESAME (Sensing for Sport and Managed Exercise) project is developing innovative video and body sensor technologies designed to aid the training of both novice and elite athletes.

Canadians Turn Out For Terry Fox Run And Raise Money For Cancer Research
Newspapers all over Canada, and the rest of the world, are today reporting on the many individual stories of hope, suffering, sadness and joy of millions of people who joined in yesterday on the 27th annual Terry Fox run to raise money for cancer research.

News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation
Timing is everything when treating viral infectionsA new study by Robert Mittler and colleagues from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, has indicated that the timing of treatment with an immune-modifying drug, relative to when a mouse becomes infected with a virus, is crucial in determining whether the treatment is effective or not.

National Federation Of Independent Businesses Should Not Support Reimportation Bill, Op-Ed States
The National Federation of Independent Business -- which recently announced support for the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act (S 242 and HR 380), legislation that would allow prescription drug reimportation from certain nations -- is "being sold a false bill of goods," Peter Pitts, p

House, Senate Unable To Resolve Differences Over SCHIP Legislation; New Jersey Gov. Corzine Threatens Lawsuit Challenging SCHIP Eligibility Rules
House and Senate lawmakers on Wednesday were unable to reach a compromise on legislation to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, "increasing the likelihood of a short-term extension" of the program, CQ Today reports.

Hopes For Pre-Eclampsia Cure From Heart Drug
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are trying to determine whether a drug already available to heart patients can also be used to delay delivery in expectant mothers with severe preeclampsia. If so, this groundbreaking study would give hope to hundreds of thousands of women who experience this life-threatening disorder each year.

Howard County, Md., To Unveil Universal Health Care Proposal Next Month
Howard County, Md., officials on Oct. 16 are expected to announce a proposal to provide health care to all uninsured county residents, a move that would put the county "in the forefront of the national debate about the availability of health care," the Baltimore Sun reports.

Washington, D.C., To Phase Out City-Brand Condoms, Use Brand Names In STI Prevention Effort, Officials Say
Washington, D.C., will phase out its city-brand condoms and use brand names in its condom distribution program that aims to reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, officials said Thursday during a meeting at the city's HIV/AIDS Administration, the Washington Post reports.

Memory Synthesized In Yeast Cells
Harvard Medical School researchers have successfully synthesized a DNA-based memory loop in yeast cells, findings that mark a significant step forward in the emerging field of synthetic biology.

San Francisco Offers Health Care To All Uninsured Residents
As part of an effort to "patch an inadequate federal system," the city of San Francisco has launched a program to offer subsidized or no-cost health care for all of the city's 82,000 uninsured adults, the New York Times reports. Healthy San Francisco, the first effort in the nation of a locality to offer health care to all of its residents, is being financed primarily by the city.

Chinese Food And Drug Administration Next Year To Begin New Blood Products Policy To Prevent Spread Of HIV
China's State Food and Drug Administration recently announced that on Jan. 1, 2008, it will begin a new policy under which all blood products in the country will be screened for HIV and other bloodborne diseases and approved before entering the market, Xinhua/People's Daily reports (Xinhua/People's Daily, 9/12).

Most Brits Will Not Exercise To Save Their Lives
The majority of adults in the United Kingdom hate the idea of exercising so much that even the threat of premature death does not get them off their backsides, according to a new survey by The British Heart Foundation. Asked whether they would do more exercise if their lives depended on it, a paltry 38% said 'yes'.

First Ever Real Time Footage Reveals DNA-Enzyme Interaction
For the first time scientists have been able to film, in real time, the nanoscale interaction of an enzyme and a DNA strand from an attacking virus. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have used a revolutionary Scanning Atomic Force Microscope in Japan to produce amazing footage of a protective enzyme unravelling the DNA of a virus trying to infect a bacterial host.

Other Factors Involved in Parents' Marital Disruption and Decreased Effect Seen in Hispanic Teens
Compared to teens from other racial and ethnic groups, Hispanic adolescents don't experience nearly the level of problems during the process of their parents' divorce or separation.But that's not something to be glad about.

Discovery Of Genomic Link To Rheumatoid Arthritis
A paper published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine provides strong evidence that one specific part of the genome is associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Rene Toes and colleagues from Leiden University Medical Center, the Karolinska Institute, and Celera studied four groups of patients and matched controls.

Federal Employee Health Benefits Program Premiums To Increase By 2.1% In 2008
Health insurance premiums for federal employees, retirees and dependents enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will increase by an average of 2.1% in 2008, compared with an increase of 1.6% in 2007, the Office of Personnel Management announced on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

Researchers To Receive Lasker Awards For Work In Fighting HIV/AIDS
The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation on Saturday announced that two researchers will receive Lasker awards for their work related to HIV/AIDS, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the Lasker awards are "widely considered the nation's most prestigious medical prizes.

Gardasil Protects Against More HPV Types, New Study
A new study on Gardasil sponsored by Merck who manufacture the vaccine, suggests that it protects against more types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) than at first thought and it now offers protection against strains of HPV that cause 90 per cent of cervical cancers.

Study Reveals How Chronic Viral Infections Are Able To Evade The Immune Response
One of the biggest challenges to treating infectious diseases and developing preventive vaccines is the ability of many chronic infections to suppress the immune T-cell response over time. An Emory-led team of scientists has discovered one important way in which chronic viral infections are able to evade the immune response.

Study Of Grapheme-Color Synaesthesia Reveals The More Common The Digit, The More Radiant The Color
A psychological phenomenon known as "grapheme-color synaesthesia" describes individuals who experience vivid colors whenever they see, hear, or think of ordinary letters and digits.A hallmark of synaesthesia is that individuals tend to be idiosyncratic in their experiences, though these experiences are consistent for synaesthetes throughout their lifetime.

Grant To Aid Research Focusing On Overcoming Limitations In Current Bone Grafting Procedures Used To Treat Hard Tissue Trauma
Stevens Institute of Technology Professor Xiaojun Yu, Ph.D., has received an Early Career Translational Research Award in Biomedical Engineering from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. This award will support his research titled, "Novel structured nanofibrous scaffolds for bone healing.

Negotiations Between UAW, GM Continue; VEBA's Complexities Drawing Out Talks
Although United Auto Workers and General Motors contract negotiators generally agree on creating a voluntary employees' beneficiary association that would shift more than $50 billion in retiree health care obligations to the union, a contract agreement "remained elusive" during talks on Monday, the Detroit Free Press reports (Merx/Higgins, Detroit Free Press, 9/18).

Breast Cancer Fund Report Examines Causes, Effects Of Early Puberty
A variety of environmental factors could be responsible for early puberty among girls in the U.S., according to a recently released report commissioned by the San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Fund, the Sacramento Bee reports. According to the Bee, U.S.

Baby's Bliss Apple Gripe Water Recalled, Potential Health Risk
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to use the apple flavoured Baby's Bliss gripe water because it could be contaminated with a parasite that causes intestinal infection.The gripe water carries the code 26952V and an expiration date shown as 10/08 (for October 2008).

ECLIPSE Data On Effects Of Otsuka's Investigational Novel Treatment, Tolvaptan
A single dose of Otsuka's investigational oral medication tolvaptan, a vasopressin receptor antagonist, resulted in favorable changes in hemodynamics associated with a significant increase in urine output in patients with advanced heart failure (ADHF) who participated in the international trial the

Understanding The Basics Of Learning And Memory
A molecular "recycling plant" permits nerve cells in the brain to carry out two seemingly contradictory functions -- changeable enough to record new experiences, yet permanent enough to maintain these memories over time.

California Gov. Schwarzenegger Says Voters Should Decide Whether To Raise Taxes To Fund Health Care
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday said he would be open to a general tax increase to help fund health coverage for uninsured state residents if it is approved by voters, the Sacramento Bee reports. The California Restaurant Association has proposed a 1% sales tax increase to help fund health care reform in the state.

Bulgarian President Parvanov Awards E.U. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner Country's Highest Honor Following Medical Workers' Release
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov on Monday in Sofia, Bulgaria, awarded European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner the Stara Planina order -- the country's highest honor -- for her role in the release of the six medical workers sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, AFP/Gulf Times reports (AFP/Gulf Times, 9/18).

University Of Chicago Awarded Nearly $23M For Translational Research
The National Institutes of Health has awarded one of 12 Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) for 2007 to a team based at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

In Pursuit Of Aging, Osteoporosis Genes
Researchers at Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) have examined close to 100,000 genetic markers for low bone mass and aging to help determine which genes are responsible for the development of osteoporosis and longevity.

'Remote Control' For Fat Metabolism Discovered In Brain
A system in the brain already known to regulate food intake also serves as a direct "remote control" for the way fat is stored and metabolized in the body, say University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers.What is known as the melanocortin system, the researchers say, controls fat metabolism and the way it accumulates in the body completely independently of food intake.

Disappointment At No Action On Food Additives To Protect Children, UK
Several nutrition and medical groups in the UK have expressed their disappointment and outrage at the Food Standard's Agency's (FSA's) refusal to act on food additives.

Air Pollutants Linked To Blood Clotting In Mice
Air pollution is caused by any particulate matter, chemical, or biological agent that changes the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Exposure to particulate matter has been linked to an increased risk of heart problems, including increased risk of heart attack.

Successful Pregnancy Requires Modulating Fat Levels
New data, generated in mice by Richard Proia and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, provides a potential reason for early pregnancy loss in humans.Female mice lacking a protein known as sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) and expressing reduced levels of Sphk2 (Sphk1-/-Sphk2+/- mice) were found to be infertile.

NIH Director's Pioneer Award Won By Brandeis Neuroscientist
Brandeis neuroscientist Gina Turrigiano has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Pioneer Award, a five-year grant totaling $2.5 million. She is one of 12 recipients nationwide to win the highly competitive award.

In Feasibility Test Smart Insulin Nanostructures Pass, UT Study Reports
Biomedical engineers at The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston have announced pre-clinical test results in the September issue of the International Journal of Nanomedicine demonstrating the feasibility of a smart particle insulin release system that detects spikes in glucose or blood sugar levels and releases insulin to counteract them.

New Strategy To Create Genetically Modified Animals Reported By Penn Veterinary Medicine
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have demonstrated the potential of a new strategy for genetic modification of large animals. The method employs a harmless gene therapy virus that transfers a genetic modification to male reproductive cells, which is then passed naturally on to offspring.

Researchers Urge Caution As Personal Genomics Stand Poised To Go Mainstream
Imagine this: you visit your clinician, undergo genetic testing, and then you are handed a miniature hard drive containing your personal genome sequence, which is subsequently uploaded onto publicly accessible databases. This may sound like science fiction, but it is scientific fact, and it is already happening.

A New Kind Of Biosensor Can Tell When Proteins, Antibodies And Other Biological Molecules Kiss,
When biological molecules kiss, a new kind of biosensor can tell.A new and deceptively simple technique has been developed by chemists at Vanderbilt University that can measure the interactions between free-floating, unlabeled biological molecules including proteins, sugars, antibodies, DNA and RNA.

Conference Focuses On The Science Behind The Food We Eat And The Earth On Which It Grows
Where can you get more than 3,000 people buzzing about the science behind the food we eat and the earth on which it grows? At the International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) held Nov. 4-8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans.

Nerve Damage May Be Triggered By Cell-Surface Sugar Defects In Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Defects on cell-surface sugars may promote the short-term inflammation and long-term neurodegeneration that occurs in the central nervous system of multiple sclerosis patients, according to University of California, Irvine researchers.

Cancer May Be Prevented By Controlling Organ Size
Scientists at Johns Hopkins recently discovered that a chemical chain reaction that controls organ size in animals ranging from insects to humans could mean the difference between normal growth and cancer. The study, published in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell, describes how organs can grow uncontrollably huge and become cancerous when this chain reaction is perturbed.

Master Regulator That Helps To Withstand Stresses May Also Aid Tumors
A Jekyll-Hyde mechanism that both protects healthy cells and enables cancer cells could be the basis for new cancer-fighting drugs.

Cattle Slaughtered At Surrey Farm After Foot-and-mouth Confirmed, England
After a herd tested positive to foot-and-mouth disease at Beaumont College Farm, Old Windsor, Surrey/Berkshire border, England, forty cattle have been destroyed. This outbreak is within the previous 3 kilometer protection zone set up after previous cases in the area - this new case is the fourth within the last fortnight.

Blood-Doping Athletes Left Scratching Their Heads Following New Discovery
A stunning discovery by German scientists may make blood doping and the treatment of severe anemia as easy as washing your hair. In the October print issue of The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org/), researchers show that the estimated 100,000 hair follicles on each person's head have the potential to become erythropoietin (EPO) factories.

Blocking Necrosis: Pathway To Cell Death Redefined In Landmark Study
A new study led by investigators from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine demonstrates that the process of necrosis, long thought to be a chaotic, irreversible pathway to cell death, may actually be triggered as part of a regulated response to stress by a powerful protein, SRP-6, that can potentially halt necrosis in its path.

NEJM Perspectives, Editorial Discuss U.S. Health Care System
"Eulogy for a Quality Measure," New England Journal of Medicine: Thomas Lee -- network president at Partners Healthcare System, co-chair of the Committee on Performance Measurement for the National Committee for Quality Assurance and an associate editor of NEJM -- in a perspective piece discusses "key ingredients" needed to make "sweeping change" in U.S.

Elizabeth Edwards Says Presidential Candidate Clinton's Health Care Plan 'Just Like' Presidential Candidate Edwards' Plan
Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), on Wednesday in an Associated Press interview said that the health care proposal announced on Monday by presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is "in every material respect just like John's" plan, the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation
New nerves help mice stave off Huntington-like diseaseHuntington disease (HD) is a genetic disease that causes the death of brain cells (neurons) in certain parts of the brain, including a region known as the striatum. There is no cure for HD but medication and specific care methods can reduce or alleviate symptoms.

Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Clinton Health Care Proposal
Summaries of editorials and opinion pieces that address presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) health care proposal appear below.

House Approves Prescription Drug User Fee Act Reauthorization
The House on Wednesday voted 405-7 to approve a compromise bill (HR 3580) that would expand FDA oversight of prescription drug safety and reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which expires on Sept. 30, the New York Times reports (Harris, New York Times, 9/20).

Conference For Physicians: Urban Disaster Training In Forests, Gorges And Waters
Cornell University, starting tomorrow (Sept. 26) is hosting more than 200 physicians and emergency medicine technicians at its Ithaca campus for the Northeast Wilderness Medical Conference, Sept. 26-28. Those attending will learn how to better cope with urban disasters by grappling with similar circumstances encountered in the wilderness.The emergency medical system was staggered in the Sept.

Unintended Racism, Depression And Problem Gambling In Elderly Stem From Brain Atrophy
As we age, our brains slowly shrink in volume and weight. This includes significant atrophy within the frontal lobes, the seat of executive functioning. Executive functions include planning, controlling, and inhibiting thought and behavior. In the aging population, an inability to inhibit unwanted thoughts and behavior causes several social behaviors and cognitions to go awry.

Editorials, Op-Eds Address Clinton Health Care Proposal
Summaries of several recent editorials and opinion pieces on the health care proposal announced on Monday by presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) appear below. Editorials Baltimore Sun: The Clinton proposal "recognizes a responsibility shared by the individual, as well as society," for health insurance, a Sun editorial states.

In Search Of The 'Mothering Gene' In Women
Basic principles of biology rather than women's newfound economic independence can explain why fewer of them are getting married and having children, and why the trend may only be temporary, says a Queen's researcher.

Novel Approaches To Molecular Imaging Required To Showcase At Annual Meeting
Attention scientific researchers: SNM invites you to present your molecular imaging studies -- especially those involving non-radioactive molecular imaging techniques and agents -- at the society's 55th Annual Meeting June 14-18, 2008, in New Orleans, La.

Covering Uninsured U.S. Residents Top Health-Related Issue Among Democratic Voters, According To Poll
Providing health coverage to the uninsured is the most important health-related issue for presidential candidates to address among Democrats and Independents, while most Republicans say containing medical costs is most important, according to a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Conscious Man Has Breakthrough Brain Surgery
In a world's first, a man in Canberra, Australia, was awake during an operation to have an aneurism removed from a vein in his brain. The aneurism was affecting his vision and giving him dizzy spells. Despite its precarious location, surgeons decide to operate in case the aneurysm ruptured. Surgical team spokesman, Dr.

Study Of Ragweed Offers Hope For Allergy Sufferers
Ragweed research is nothing to sneeze at: Graduate students probe how pesky pollen spreads under varying weather conditionsTo a person with a pollen allergy, an 18-acre ragweed field sounds like a sneezy, red-eyed zone of misery.

Ethnic Identity Of Immigrants' Children Form At Early Age
A study of more than 400 children of first-generation immigrants is among the first longitudinal studies to demonstrate that one's ethnic identity forms prior to adolescence. Furthermore, the three-year study found that a child's positive sense of ethnic identity is associated with the desire to socialize with children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Sexual Interest Boosted By Hormone Therapy But Not Memory, Study Finds
Hormone therapy in early post-menopause increases sexual interest, but does not improve memory, according to a study in the Sept. 25 issue of the journal Neurology.

Congress, President Bush Should Address Financial Stability Of Entitlement Programs
Congress has failed to address problems with the long-term financial stability of Medicare and other entitlement programs, and the "Bush administration's record on entitlements is decidedly mixed," J.D. Foster, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Clinton Discusses Health Care Proposal On Talk Shows
Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Sunday appeared on five talk shows and discussed her proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents and several other issues, the Washington Post reports (Kornblut, Washington Post, 9/24).

Huntington's Disease Linked To Health Benefits In Young By Tufts University Biologists
For years researchers in neurology have believed that people with Huntington's disease have more children than the general population because of behavioral changes associated with the disease that lead to sexual promiscuity.

Breast Cancer Death Rate Continues Downward Trend
A report from the American Cancer Society finds the breast cancer death rate in the United States continues to drop more than two percent per year, a trend that began in 1990 and is credited to progress in early detection and treatment.

Innovative Vaccine Using Aloe Vera Has Exciting Potential, Researcher Says
Researchers at Texas A&M University are participating in developing a medicine that is worth sneezing about: a treatment for influenza that forms a jelly when sprayed into the nose.Even though trial treatments are being used to treat bird flu in humans, technically termed the H5N1 virus, the vaccine has the potential for numerous other uses, such as for the common flu shot, says Dr.

Ohio State Medical Association Releases Proposal That Includes Health Insurance Mandate For State Residents
The Ohio State Medical Association on Thursday released a proposal that would require all state residents to purchase health insurance, either with individual funds or government subsidies, the Dayton Daily News reports.

Presidential Candidate Edwards Discusses Proposals To Address Medical Malpractice Lawsuits, Provide Universal Health Coverage
Presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) on Monday during a webcast forum in Washington, D.C., organized by Families USA and the Federation of American Hospitals discussed proposals to limit medical malpractice lawsuits without merit and provide universal health coverage, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

Successful Strategies For Probing Genetic Variation Presented In New Book
The first manual specifically geared towards genetic variation studies has just been released by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Genetic Variation: A Laboratory Manual unites key concepts from bioinformatics, technology, statistics, and biology, to provide a comprehensive yet detailed guide for performing genetic variation studies that are feasible for a wide range of laboratories.

Study Looks At Acupuncture For Reduction Of Radiotherapy-Induced Nausea
Despite widespread belief among cancer patients and health care professionals that acupuncture helps relieve nausea caused by cancer treatment, new research in radiotherapy has found it does not.

Metastasis Triggered By An Overabundance Of A Single MicroRNA
It has been confirmed that microRNAs can cause tumors to metastasize. These tiny molecules fine-tune protein production and play a powerful role in biological processes ranging from development to aging. Now scientists have proved that they can prompt otherwise sedentary cancer cells to move and invade other tissues.

Thousands Of Unnecessary Operations Avoided Using Less Invasive Lymph Node Biopsy
Using an ultrasound-guided fine needle to biopsy lymph nodes could spare thousands of melanoma patients every year worldwide from having to undergo unnecessary and sometimes unpleasant surgery to verify whether their cancer has spread, new research indicates.

Mouse Model Explains Troubles Experienced With Human Wisdom Teeth
During evolution, many of a species' properties are shaped by ecological interactions. This is readily evident in mammalian teeth, whose many features closely reflect what each species eats. However, for a long time scientists have suspected that genetic and developmental interactions may also influence species-specific properties.

Brief Examines SCHIP Enrollment; Commentary Addresses Physician-Led Health Care Reform
"Eligible But Not Enrolled: How SCHIP Reauthorization Can Help," Urban Institute: The brief discusses nontraditional strategies to increase enrollment of low-income children in SCHIP. The paper examines innovative enrollment strategies implemented by Medicare and how those strategies could be adapted to SCHIP and Medicaid coverage for children.

Chinese Group Launches HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign Targeting Truck Drivers
The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation last weekend dispatched a motorcade of more than 20 vehicles to promote HIV/AIDS prevention among truck drivers in China's Beijing, Hebei and Shandong provinces, China Daily/China.org reports. The volunteers dispensed informational posters, leaflets, condoms and syringes at highway service zones and toll stations along truck routes.

FDA Moves In On Unapproved Cough Suppressant Hydrocodone Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking action on approximately 200 cough-suppressant products, many of which are mistakenly being given to children. Hydrocodone is a narcotic commonly used for the treatment of pain and suppressing coughs. The FDA informs that this action should not involve other FDA approved formulations.

Barrier For Viral Tumorigenesis Conferred By DNA Damage Response
Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human tumor virus and an etiological agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). KSHV infection is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where KS is nowadays the most common malignancy, due to widespread infection with KSHV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Importantly, KS also occurs in HIV-negative individuals.

Ninety Times More Centenarians In UK Than In 1911
In 1911 there were 100 people aged 100 or more (Centenarians), today there are just over 9,000 - ninety times more, according to the Office of National Statistics. Some estimates put the total at almost 40,000 in twenty-five years' time. From 1911 to 1950 the number of Centenarians in the UK remained fairly constant (a small annual rise).

AKAP18 Could Help The Heart To Beat Faster In Response To Adrenaline Or Noradrenaline
A protein, known as AKAP18, could help the heart to beat faster in response to adrenaline or noradrenaline, according to a study published online this week in EMBO reports.The protein has a crucial role in correctly targeting protein kinase A (PKA) to a molecular complex that helps control the rate and strength of heart muscle contractions.

Mechanisms By Which H5N1 Causes Disease Shown By New Research
H5N1 influenza, also known as avian influenza, is considered a major global threat to human health, with high fatality rates.

Supporting The Next Generation Of Researchers And Health Care Providers, USP Awards 6 Fellowships For The 2007--2008 Term
The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) is pleased to announce the six awardees of its 2007--2008 fellowship program. USP fellows are graduate students enrolled in chemistry, pharmacy and other health care and scientific programs. Students at colleges and universities around the world are eligible to apply for the program.

Early Intervention Is Key For Youth Mental Illness - Medical Journal Of Australia
The more that is invested in mental health services for young adults and teenagers - tackling the problem at an early stage, the better it is for a country's economy and mental health in general, according to an article in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Toxic Buildup In Brain From Loss Of Gene Responsible For Some Dementias
Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville have discovered how loss of a gene can lead to accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain, resulting in a common dementia, and they say this mechanism may be important in a number of age-related neurological disorders.

Avian Influenza Detected In Saskatchewan, Canada
Highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza has been detected in a commercial poultry operation in Saskatchewan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced recently. This virus is not the same as the strain circulating in Asia, Africa and Europe, which has been associated with human illness. H7N3 is not normally associated with serious human illness.

Research May Explain Why Common Drugs Don't Ease Pain From Fibromyalgia
People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don't respond to the types of medication that relieve other people's pain.

Food Safety Workshop For Professionals In Bioscience, Food-Related Industries
Workshops, online programs and databases are just some of the ways that Kansas State University shares knowledge about the biosciences, food safety and animal health with the professionals who help ensure the safety of our food supply.

Controlling The Brains' Pain Responses Helps Doctors To Better Treat Patients
Physicians apparently learn to "shut off" the portion of their brain that helps them appreciate the pain their patients experience while treating them and instead activate a portion of the brain connected with controlling emotions, according to new research using brain scans at the University of Chicago.