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Governor Cuomo Launches Emergency Tracking System to Locate Patients During Emergencies and Evacuations Printer-friendly version NYS e-FINDS is in Place for 2013 Hurricane Season Albany, NY Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State is launching a statewide emergency tracking system to ensure the safety of patients and residents when healthcare and human services facilities are forced to evacuate as a result of a natural disaster. The New York State Evacuation of Facilities in Disasters System (NYS e-FINDS) is a secure, confidential, fast and easy-to-use system to provide real-time access to patient locations. The system will be in place for the 2013 hurricane season, with training for providers beginning next week. “In the event of an emergency, it is vital that family members, hospitals and nursing home staff can quickly find loved ones and patients if evacuations occur,” Governor Cuomo said. “Protecting the safety of vulnerable populations is always our top priority and this new system will serve as a critical emergency resource for all major health care and human services facilities.” During Superstorm Sandy, more than 13,000 patients and residents were evacuated from State-regulated and State-run facilities, including more than 7,100 from hospitals and nursing homes. When these storms struck, there was no statewide system in place to track vulnerable patients and residents who had to be transferred to alternative locations due to flooding, power outages or damage to facilities. NYS e-FINDS (http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/e-FINDS) will provide patient tracking to hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities overseen by the Department of Health; state developmental centers and many certified residential homes overseen by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities; residential treatment programs overseen by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services; state psychiatric facilities and licensed residential programs overseen by the Office of Mental Health; supportive housing overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and juvenile justice facilities operated by the Office of Children and Family Services. Under this new system, all facilities will use barcode wristbands pre-printed with the facility name for all patients and facility residents, except for facilities such as substance abuse treatment programs where confidentiality requires that facility names be excluded. Patient and resident locations can be updated and tracked using hand-held scanners, mobile apps, or paper tracking (if power and/or phones are out of service). The establishment of NYS e-FINDS follows the recommendation of the NYS Ready and Respond Commissions, and was based on close collaboration with outside organizations, including the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). Kenneth E. Raske, President of the Greater New York Hospital Association, said: “New York’s hospital community strongly supports the development of a patient tracking system that will improve the evacuation process and ensure that family members and key response agencies can track the location of patients during emergencies. We applaud New York State for its leadership in analyzing the region’s response to Superstorm Sandy and identifying ways to improve evacuations, the safety of those sheltering in place, and the ability to protect our most vulnerable populations.” Daniel Sisto, President of the Healthcare Association of New York State, said: "The response of the provider community to Super Storm Sandy was historic in its magnitude and demonstrated again the irreplaceable role played by our care delivery system, especially in times of disaster. Notwithstanding this incredible response, we learned things that can be improved upon; and, regrettably, we learned again that there will always be a potential crisis for which we must always be prepared. We therefore applaud the Governor and the Department of Health for creating this initiative that will help us respond in the future with even greater coordination and effectiveness." Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, said: “NYS e-Finds will provide a state-of-the-art electronic method to help ensure that New Yorkers with disabilities continue to be connected to vital services and supports that are especially critical in times of disaster. This very smart and strong response can give us all some greater confidence in our ability to respond and provide continuity of care to our community members during such emergencies.” State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., said, “Patients and health facility residents are our primary concern when a disaster occurs and it is imperative that we be able to know their exact location even amidst the chaos when patients and health facility residents need to be relocated due to damage and power outages. Governor Cuomo has taken decisive action in the wake of natural disasters to improve our State’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities, and the NYS e-FINDS is an important tool that will greatly enhance patient safety when an emergency situation occurs.” New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jerome M. Hauer, said: "By implementing NYS e-FINDS, Governor Cuomo has applied a sensible and critically important mechanism for tracking patients during emergencies, which is another level of preparedness that will contribute to the safety and security of our state's most vulnerable population during events such as Superstorm Sandy." Kristin M. Woodlock, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, said: “The Office of Mental Health is committed to the safety of children and adults who receive treatment in our hospitals. During times of emergencies our care will be enhanced through this confidential, reliable protocol.” Kristin M. Proud, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, said: “This new system will help ensure the safety of vulnerable populations who are forced into shelters because of an event such as Superstorm Sandy. We have seen first-hand the obstacles of serving New Yorkers in these emergencies and are confident that this system will address these challenges as well as help other family members stay aware of their loved ones’ situations.” Courtney Burke, Commissioner of the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, said: “Events like Superstorm Sandy have taught us that there is no such thing as being too prepared. OPWDD is pleased to be part of this initiative and we are grateful that Governor Cuomo is taking this important step to further ensure the health and safety of the individuals we serve.” Gladys Carrión, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, said: “During a major weather event and or unforeseeable crisis, the patient and resident tracking system will significantly bolster the state’s ability to respond and address the needs of individuals in our care or custody. Access to such critical medical information is not a luxury, it’s a necessity and OCFS stands ready to implement the system for future events.” Arlene González-Sánchez, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), said: “In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, OASAS and our healthcare partners recognized that we needed a system to better account for displaced patients. This new electronic patient and resident tracking system will enable OASAS to better account for the whereabouts, care and well-being of our clients during the immediate aftermath of a disaster. More information about NYS e-FINDS is available at: http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/e-FINDS

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JOIN CHE Why Join CHE? Application to Join CHE Consensus Statement CHE Partner Directory Partnership Calls Working Group Calls News Feed/Announcements CHE Newsletter Searchable Calendar Topical Working Groups A-E Children's Health (ICEH) Cumulative Impacts Diabetes-Obesity Spectrum Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) Topical Working Groups F-Z Fertility/Reproductive Health Healthy Aging and the Environment Initiative Learning and Developmental Disabilities (LDDI) Pet Science State-based Working Groups Alaska State (CHE-AK) Oregon State (CHE-OR) Washington State (CHE-WA) Europe/HEAL Toxics Database CHE Consensus Statements Portal to Science Story of Health Chemical Policy Reform President's Cancer Panel Reports, Policies and Other Documents Resolutions and Scientific Statements from Other Organizations Practice Prevention and Fact Sheets Diseases & Disorders:Analyses and Initiatives CHE Blog Science and Community Action Translations of CHE Materials Partnership Call Archive You are here: Home » News and Events » Partnership Newsletters This site WWW PARTNERSHIP EVENTS CHE Partnership call: Fracking's Wide Health Impact: From the Ozone to the Ground Water and All Those Living in Between, a Science Update Tues, Nov 4 CHE Partnership call: Type 1 Diabetes and the Environment Hosted by the Diabetes-Obesity Spectrum Working Group 10/20/14: MP3 recording available: Four Years After the President's Cancer Panel Report: Recommendations and Next Steps 10/15/14: MP3 recording available: Cold Feet: Perinatal DDT Exposure Increases Risk of Insulin Resistance 10/15/14: MP3 recording available: Toxic Chemicals in Schools: Health Hazards to Children and What You Can Do 10/9/14: MP3 recording available: Home Invaders: Are Flame Retardants Fattening Us Up and Harming Our Bones? 10/1/14: NIEHS and Environmental Health Disparities in Alaska 9/30/14: MP3 recording available: Prenatal Exposures: What Do Providers Know? 9/18/14: MP3 recording available: Climate Change and Health - What's New and What To Do? CHE Partners on why they value our work CHE E Newsletter Contents • CHE Partnership Calls • Working and Regional Group Updates • Tools, Announcements and Resources • April Science NewsDear CHE Partners:CHE's goal is to raise the level of environmental health science dialogue for the public and the health patient and health professional communities. To achieve that goal, we have adopted a strong commitment to "science and civility" -- to ensuring that Partners interact in ways that respect colleagues who may have different views. We call this "CHEtiquette."Some CHE Working Group listservs are distribution-only, meaning that you can submit comments through the coordinator who sends you the announcements. Other CHE listservs, notably those for the Asthma, Cancer, EMF, Parkinson's Disease, and Science Working Groups, are open lists that Partners can post to directly. We encourage Partners to post with discretion, with a focus on sharing science and comments directly on the science.CHE Partners come from academics, the medical community, government, voluntary health organizations, patient organizations, environmental health and justice constituencies and community organizations. With such a diverse network, what works best is to share important developments in environmental health sciences and related policy initiatives, major advocacy initiatives, and media coverage. Thank you for keeping CHEtiquette in mind while participating in this critically important work. We are delighted to have you as part of the CHE community.Michael LernerFounding CHE PartnerCHE Partnership and Working Group CallsCHE Partnership Call - Right to Know - Right for Health: A Historic Joint Initiative of Major Canadian Health OrganizationsWednesday, April 23, 2008 at 10am PT / 1pm ETDo you have a right to know if there are toxic or carcinogenic substances in the products you buy? In March of 2008, the Canadian Cancer Society, The Lung Association, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada launched a major joint initiative to bring public attention to and political action on environmental health hazards. The first major component: a call for the Canadian federal government to extend regulatory requirements for full ingredient labeling - with hazard symbols where appropriate- for all consumer products. Join us for a discussion of this historic effort. See below for how to RSVP. We hope you will join us.Speakers will include: Dan Demers, Director of National Public Issues, Canadian Cancer SocietyManuel Arango, Assistant Director, Government Relations, Heart and Stroke Foundation of CanadaClaire Checkland, Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer SocietyCameron Bishop, Director of Government Affairs and Media Relations, The Lung AssociationThe call will be moderated by Michael Lerner, President of Commonweal. It will last one hour, and will be recorded for archival purposes. More information about this call________________Resources from Recent CHE Partnership CallsIf you missed any of the following CHE Partnership Calls, you may listen to MP3 recordings and find supporting materials at the following links: Mar. 23, 2008 - "Breast Cancer and the Environment: State of the Evidence 2008"Feb. 26, 2008 - "Alzheimer's: An Ecological Health Disease?"Jan. 17, 2008 - "Findings from the Environmental and Occupational Causes of Cancer Report"And of course, you can always explore our archived resources from past Partnership calls.CHE Working and Regional Group UpdatesCHE Fertility/Early Pregnancy Compromise ~ coordinated by Julia Varshavsky, [email protected] are pleased to announce that proceedings from the January 2007 UCSF-CHE Summit on Environmental Challenges to Reproductive Health and Fertility -- where over 400 scientists, health professionals, and health affected group representatives gathered for three days in San Francisco, California -- are now published and available! Thanks to the generosity of Elsevier and Fertility and Sterility, you can view the proceedings for free at: www.ucsf.edu/coe/prhe_fertility_and_sterility.html.A lay companion report will also be available shortly. Please email [email protected] for information on how to receive a copy of the report.Please join us for an upcoming CHE Fertility teleconference -- Looking Forward: Chemical Impacts to Future Generations -- scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET. This teleconference will be a discussion about emerging science on transgenerational effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals, a topic that many participants of the January 2007 Summit on Reproductive Health and Fertility expressed great interest in. We will hear presentations on recent findings of ovarian cancer in the granddaughters of women who took Diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant; of reproductive health problems found in mice exposed to PCBs; and what these studies mean for the broader environmental reproductive health field. This call will last one hour and will be recorded for archival purposes. For more information, please visit the CHE Fertility website.Speakers include:Elizabeth Hatch, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Boston University, School of Public HealthAndrea Gore, PhD, Professor, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at AustinPete Myers, PhD, CEO, Environmental Health SciencesTo RSVP and receive dial-in instructions, please email [email protected]________________CHE EMF ~ coordinated by Nancy Evans, [email protected], and Cindy Sage, [email protected] partner and CHE EMF working group member Camilla Rees reports that the March 19 presentation at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club, "Microwave Radiation: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution" is now available on the Commonwealth Club's website in the Archive section. It streams using Real Audio. There is no charge to listen. You may need to download Real Audio if you don't have it. Scientists on the panel included David Carpenter, MD, Cindy Sage, Co-Facilitator of the CHE EMF Working Group, and Professor Magda Havas, PhD, of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. David and Cindy were the co-editors of the BioInitiative Report, and Magda was author of a report sent last summer to the City of San Francisco on health hazards of city-wide Wi-Fi.On May 27, 2008, an international conference on "Health Risks From Non-Ionizing Radiation due to Mobile Telephony" will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Philippe Grandjean, MD, PhD, Harvard University School of Public Health, will chair the conference. Dr. Grandjean is also the lead author of the Faroes Statement on human health effects of developmental exposure to chemicals in our environment, published in The Lancet in November 2006. Cindy Sage and David Carpenter will attend this meeting, which is free to all researchers and others interested in the research on health risks of mobile telephony.For more information or to register, visit the conference website.In a major change of direction, the French National Library has decided not to install WI-FI, based on rising scientific and public health concern (and the concern of staff and patrons) about exposures to wireless RF. It follows the lead of other Paris-based libraries that disconnected their existing WI-FI services over health concerns of workers.________________ Health & Environment Alliance ~ coordinated by Lisette Van Vliet, [email protected] April 2nd, HEAL and CHEM Trust presented a new scientific report linking breast cancer to certain manmade chemicals to the European Parliament in Brussels. The report, entitled "Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence", is a background briefing paper by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, Head of the Centre for Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of London. His scientific review focuses on the role of hormone-disrupting chemicals, with particular reference to early life and multiple chemical exposures. It was prepared in the framework of the Chemicals Health Monitor Project www.chemicalshealthmonitor.orgOther publications presented at the Parliamentary event included a briefing entitled "Factors influencing the risk of breast cancer - established and emerging" and a leaflet entitled "Breast Cancer: Preventing the preventable" targeted to the general public and breast cancer sufferers, as well as a portfolio" of peer-reviewed scientific papers. All publications are available online at http://chemicalshealthmonitor.org/spip.php?rubrique100 If you want to receive paper copies, please write an email to Hana Kuncova: [email protected] Do you want to know more about environmental health policy in Europe? HEAL has produced a "Health and Environment Primer", which provides an introduction to all aspects of European environmental health policy.The guide defines basic environmental health concepts and maps out recent developments in the environment and health arena. It covers European policy developments in an accessible and approachable way combing history with information about relevant organisations and providing web-page references.For more information and to download the primer, please visit http://www.env-health.org/a/2843________________ CHE Learning and Developmental Disabilities (LDDI) ~ coordinated by Elise Miller, [email protected] is continuing to develop a policy consensus statement based on the recent scientific consensus statement on environmental agents associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and intends to publish this by June 2008.The Learning Disabilities Association of Michigan (LDA-MI) co-sponsored AAIDD's (American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilties) annual meeting in Michigan on April 3rd in which environmental health issues were highlighted. In addition, Laura Abulafia of AAIDD spoke at the New York State's Children's Environmental Health Symposium in Albany, NY on March 17th, which was co-sponsored by LDA-NYS. Leading LDDI members are continuing to find ways to partner on events such as these.AAIDD is continuing to organize and host its excellent monthly teleconference series featuring researchers who focus on the nexus of developmental disabilities and environmental health and justice. As part of this series, Jay Schnider, PhD spoke on "Lead Exposure and Developmental Disabilities" yesterday, April 8th. Information on that call and future teleconference calls can be found at: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm.The four leading LDDI groups, LDA, AAIDD, ASA (Autism Society of America) and NADD (the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed), continue to have monthly strategic planning calls. The groups are currently considering undertaking a biomonitoring study that would focus on neurotoxicants and people in the LDD sector.The LDDI Scientific Consensus Statement continues to attract media attention, appearing in this recent Dallas Child article on environmental toxins. CHE Partner Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT, of the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders and lead author of the statement, is quoted.________________CHE Washington ~ coordinated by Aimee Boulanger, [email protected] kicked off the fifth annual environmental health lecture series in January with the theme focused on: "Seeking Solutions: Connecting Economics with Health and Environment." The fourth and final lecture of the series will be held Wednesday evening, April 30th at Town Hall Seattle. Our topic will be creating a collective vision for sustainable economics in the 21st century. Our speakers are Joshua Farley, PhD of the Gund Institute at the University of Vermont and David Korten, PhD, author of When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning. They will particularly focus on the current financial crisis and how applying an ecological economics frame might lead to a more positive outcome. For more information on our previous and future lectures, please see: http://washington.chenw.org/lectures.htmlCHE-WA's Precautionary Principle working group is currently researching potential health issues related to synthetic playing fields. Members of the group recognize the benefits of recycling materials, like old tires, to make these fields, and the physical comfort of using these surfaces; however, many new studies are also raising concerns about contaminants released by these synthetic fields.CHE-WA's new working group on children's environmental health hosted a working group meeting in March and is planning to host a conference on children's environmental health in Seattle in 2009. The group includes representatives from King County government agencies, as well as other agency staff, environmental health and justice organizations, members of the American Academy of Pediatricians, researchers and others. Some of CHE-WA members have been strongly focused on some state legislation related to environmental health concerns. On April 1, Washington's Governor Christine Gregoire signed the toughest law in the U.S. governing toy safety. The bill sets strong limits on the amount of lead, cadmium, and phthalates in children's toys, teething products, car seats, and cosmetics and jewelry marketed to those under age 12.The CHE-WA Steering Committee met in March in person for a half-day "retreat" to evaluate CHE-WA strengths and to consider ways to improve how we serve a diverse base of members interested in the intersection of human health and the environment. This meeting surfaced a number of recommendations that we plan to implement in the coming year. More about these changes and opportunities will be posted on our biweekly e-bulletins and web site. Tools, Announcements and ResourcesEnvironmental Justice Small Grants ProgramClosing Date for Applications: June 30, 2008Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-OECA-OEJ-08-01The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) established the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG) in fiscal year (FY) 1994. The purpose of this grant program is to support and empower communities that are working on local solutions to local environmental and/or public health issues. The EJSG Program is designed to assist recipients in building collaborative partnerships that will help them understand and address the environmental and/or public health issues in their communities. Successful collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders involve well-designed strategic plans to build, maintain and sustain the partnerships, and to work towards addressing the local environmental and/or public health issues.Details at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html________________ EPA Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments National Forum 2008 May 1-2, 2008Washington, D.C.Join asthma leaders from across the nation to share the most effective strategies for managing asthma and achieving positive results.For more information, visit www.epaasthmaforum.com.________________Full Access to the Scientific Proceedings of the UCSF-CHE Summit on Environmental Challenges to Reproductive Health and FertilityWe are very pleased to announce that, due to the generosity of Elsevier and Fertility and Sterility, we are able to offer full access to the Scientific Proceedings of the UCSF-CHE Summit on Environmental Challenges to Reproductive Health and Fertility. You can find links to the articles on the following web site: www.ucsf.edu/coe/prhe_fertility_and_sterility.html.A lay companion report on the Summit will be available next month. For details on how to receive copies, please email [email protected] ________________European Climate Change and Health Good Practice AwardAddressing the public health challenge presented by climate change and our high carbon lifestyles requires local and regional action. That is why, on the occasion of this year's World Health Day 2008: protecting health from climate change, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European REGional Health Authorities (EUREGHA) network have jointly launched a Good Practice Award for European local and regional projects that simultaneously promote human health and protect the climate. The competition has two awards categories: climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation, aiming to showcase health focused projects where establishments have reduced their carbon footprint or are preparing themselves for the inevitable changes that climate change will bring.For more information, please visit the awards website: http://www.env-health.org/climatechangeawards________________"10 Americans" Biomonitoring Presentation by Ken Cook of EWGTuesday, April 15, 11:30 AMUniversity of Washington's South Campus Center, Room 354The Environmental Working Group found 287 chemicals in the blood of 10 Americans. Who were they? Why should we care? What role does/should biomonitoring play in public health? "10 Americans" is a captivating and compelling presentation by Ken Cook, MSc, President of Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) that brings to light the hidden danger of human exposure to toxic chemicals and what it may mean for our health and our children's future. A light lunch and drinks will be provided. Seating is limited, so please get there early. Sponsored by: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of Washington, Institute for Children's Environmental Health, and Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders. ________________Palo Alto Reproductive Health and the Environment Lecture SeriesPresented by Arcterra, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, and the Reproductive Health Technologies ProjectChallenged Conceptions - The Impact of Environmental Chemicals on Fertility and the Developing FetusThursday, April 24, 7 - 8:30 PMJoin us for a thought-provoking discussion with Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD and MPH, who is a practicing physician and science fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Dr. Janssen, a new mom, is an expert in endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can detrimentally impact pregnancy, fertility and the developing fetus.Pesticides and Playgrounds- Chemicals in Our Children's Everyday EnvironmentWednesday, May 7, 6:30 - 8:30 PMCharlotte Brody of Commonweal and Renee Sharp from the Environmental Working Group will join Susan Kegley from the Pesticide Action Network North America to share resources that you can use to protect your family from the harmful effect of pesticides. From food shopping to household cleaning supplies to local pesticide policies, pick up some everyday tips and tools to use and share.All lectures will take place at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, California. ________________Oregon Environmental Council's 2008 Healthy Environment Forum SeriesPortland, OregonThis March, the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) will begin the seventh season of the Healthy Environment Forum series. Each year this unique series brings several hundred health professionals, health advocates, environmentalists and interested citizens together to learn about emerging issues. These forums have traditionally helped to build understanding and cooperation toward consensus about some of Oregon's most difficult environmental and health challenges.The 2008 schedule:Packing on the Compounds: How Exposure to Common Chemicals is Fueling the Obesity EpidemicBruce Blumberg, PhDThursday, April 24, 2008The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know and Need to KnowSandra Steingraber, PhDThursday, May 22, 2008Drugs in the Water: How Our Medicine Cabinets are Contaminating NatureIlene Ruhoy, MDThursday, June 19, 2008 All events are from 6-8 PM at the Doubletree Hotel-Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah, Portland. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Cost is $35 per event ($25 for OEC members and employees of nonprofit or governmental agencies). Purchasing tickets for this event also entitles non-members to a complimentary year of membership with the Oregon Environmental Council. Reservations can be made online at www.oeconline.org.________________CHE-WA Clearinghouse: Call for InputAs a follow-up to a survey that CHE-WA conducted last summer, we are building a clearinghouse of environmental health training opportunities, presentations, curricula, handouts, brochures, self-study materials and speakers. We'll include opportunities available within Washington state and also online materials from any location. Do you have materials that you would like to have listed in the clearinghouse? Can your organization offer an existing or custom training if requested? Are you willing to speak to a group in a training or workshop setting? Please send information and links if available to Nancy Snow at ICEH: [email protected] This clearinghouse will be online and searchable so that all CHE-WA members can find organizations that already provide trainings on specific topics or speakers and/or materials for use in trainings and workshops. If you missed the opportunity to take the survey of training needs, the survey is again available on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/surveyForm.htmlApril Science NewsResearchers find bacteria that devour antibioticsNew York Times, Apr. 8, 2008The researchers found hundreds of bacteria that can subsist on antibiotics as their sole source of carbon. Read more...Common clay can slay superbugs, study findsCanWest News, Apr. 7, 2008Ordinary clay can kill the drug-resistant superbug MRSA and other lethal infections, and is being investigated as a potential tool in treating patients. Read more...Chemical industry's influence at EPA probedWashington Post, Apr. 4, 2008A congressional committee is investigating ties between the chemical industry and expert review panels hired by the Environmental Protection Agency to help it determine safe levels for a variety of chemical compounds. Read more...Signs of autism found in 1 in 4 born prematurelyAssociated Press, Apr. 2, 2008A small study of toddlers finds that about one-quarter of babies born very prematurely had signs of autism on an early screening test. Read more...Why eating just one sausage a day can raise your cancer risk 20%Daily Mail, Mar. 31, 2008One sausage a day can significantly raise the risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, experts have warned. Read more...Dad's hidden influenceScience News, Mar. 29, 2008Growing evidence suggests that a father's age and his exposure to chemicals can leave a medical legacy that lasts generations. Read more...Pesticide Parkinson's link strongBBC, Mar. 29, 2008There is strong evidence that exposure to pesticides significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's disease, experts believe. Read more...Study links belly fat to dementiaThe Wall Street Journal, Mar. 29, 2008People who have more belly fat during middle age, even those considered to be of normal weight, have higher rates of dementia when they reach old age, according to a study in the journal Neurology. Read more...Hair dyes found to increase cancer riskLondon Independent, Mar. 26, 2008Hairdressers and barbers are at increased risk of developing cancer - because of their use of hair dyes. And the risks could extend to personal use of the dyes, according to international experts. Read more...________________ New PartnersWe welcome the many new CHE Partners who have joined since the January newsletter. To see the list of new CHE Partners and the growing list of all CHE Partners, please visit http://www.healthandenvironment.org/base/partners-recent.Thank you for taking the time to read the latest about CHE. As always, we welcome your questions and suggestions. Please direct comments to Eleni Sotos, CHE Program Director, at [email protected] wishes,Eleni Sotos, MA, Program DirectorShelby Gonzalez, Administrative CoordinatorJulia Varshavsky, Program Associate______________________________________You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to the CHE National listserv. This message comes to you from the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, online at http://www.healthandenvironment.org/.We encourage sharing of resources and welcome recipients of this email to forward it to others. However we do ask that you forward this message in its entirety, complete with its attribution and footer. The Collaborative on Health and the Environment c/o Commonweal, PO Box 316, Bolinas, CA 94924 For questions or comments about the website, email: [email protected]

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Sidney Kimmel Medical CollegeDepartment of MedicineWays to Give Medicine HomeClinical HomeDivisions of MedicineCardiologyEndocrinology Diabetes & Metabolic DiseasesGastroenterology & HepatologyHematologyHospital MedicineInfectious Diseases & Environmental MedicineInternal MedicineNephrologyPulmonary & Critical CareRheumatologyDivisional LeadersEducationResidencyFellowshipsQualityOverviewQuality Improvement CommitteeQuality & Safety InitiativesEducationMeet Our TeamQuality Improvement CommitteeResearchCardeza Foundation for Hematologic ResearchCenter for Translational MedicineCoordinating Center for Clinical ResearchDivision of Human Subjects ProtectionHistoryHistory of the DepartmentChairs: Past & PresentGiving to MedicineWays to GiveProfiles in PhilanthropyMake an Online GiftContact Us The Department of Medicine is divided into 11 divisions, any of which you may designate as the recipient of your gift. You may also designate funds for general departmental research through the Center for Translational Medicine. For more information, please contact Margaret Fala at (215) 955-7556, or [email protected] Center for Translational Medicine Developed in 2003 as the cornerstone of the basic research program within the department, the Center comprises two floors of labs for multidisciplinary and cutting-edge research that is the launching point for the translation of basic findings to patient care. Core facilities include: Genomics, Gene Transfer, Molecular Imaging, Animal Models of Human Disease and Cardiac Physiology, and Stem Cell Biology. Divisions of Medicine The Jefferson Heart Institute (JHI) has become a nationally recognized center of excellence in the many aspects of cardiovascular disease. The division also encompasses the Center for Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation, an electrophysiology suite, and outpatient nuclear imaging facilities. Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergic, and Immunologic Diseases The Division builds on the highest level of care for patients with lung disease. A medical sleep program, in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry, treats patients with severe cardiac, gastrointestinal, or pulmonary disease who have obstructive sleep apnea. Outpatient clinics include the Asthma Clinic and the Smoking Cessation Clinic. Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolic Diseases With a primary focus on diabetes, obesity, and related disorders, the Division cares for patients with endocrine diseases and also supports a Comprehensive Weight Management Program and a Diabetes Prevention Program. The Division is recognized nationally as a leader in care for patients with gastrointestinal disease. Faculty has led design and evaluation of related technology for new therapeutic options, including capsule endoscopy. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Diagnostic and Treatment Center oversees treatment of some 2,100 patients at Jefferson with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The Division provides research and patient care related to bleeding and clotting, anemia, and other red cell disorders. The Cardeza Hemophilia Treatment Center is a model for care for more than 200 patients with inherited bleeding and clotting disorders. Active with the Adult and Pediatric/Adolescent Sickle Cell Centers, the Division also cares for the large number of infants and families in Philadelphia’s Chinatown district with Thalassemia syndromes. Infectious Diseases & Environmental Medicine Bringing the latest technological breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS therapy to Jefferson patients, the Division also participates in clinical trials of new therapeutic agents and researches the unique effects of the disease on women. The Center for Human Virology researches viral transmission and vaccine design, and the Center for Biodefense focuses on the pathobiology of biotoxins such as botulinum, pox viruses, and anthrax. The Division provides primary as well as specialized clinical care to patients with acute and chronic problems, with a strong emphasis on preventive care and counseling education. The Hospitalist Service makes available to patients a team of specially designated physicians throughout their stay at the hospital. Faculty also leads the Vascular Center, which offers a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis, management, and treatment of vascular diseases and thrombotic disorders. The Renal Division includes and active renal transplant program and centers focusing on the outpatient treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Kidney Disease, and Early Renal Insufficiency. Traditional dialysis programs accompany state-of-the-art clinical research on hypertension and related disorders. Patients from around the globe seek out physicians from the Division for care in rheumatic diseases, including osteoporosis, scleroderma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Basic science and clinical research studies seek effective drug therapies as well as breakthroughs in molecular biology and genetic mechanisms.

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Mass. Focuses On Containing Health Care Costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger Seeks To Expand Coverage Of Uninsured In Calif. Topics: Health Costs, Delivery of Care, Hospitals, Insurance, Marketplace, Medicare, Medicaid, StatesNov 05, 2010 The Boston Globe: "While the White House seems destined to spend the next two years fending off attacks on President Obama's health care law, the administration of Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will push forward with the next stage of health care overhaul: trying to contain the escalating costs of medical care. That is likely to thrust the state back into the forefront of the national health care debate even as chastened Democrats skirmish with resurgent Republicans in Washington over implementing steps already taken here to expand access to health care. … As the governor's lieutenants draft a bill on payment overhaul to submit to the Legislature in January, representatives of medical care providers, insurers, employers, and consumers met yesterday to try to craft a workable cost-control plan" (Weisman, 11/5). The Boston Globe: "When the New Year dawns, the Massachusetts Hospital Association will no longer hire people who use tobacco, a decision a Boston University public health specialist calls unfair. The trade organization already bans tobacco at its Burlington headquarters, but CEO Lynn Nicholas said the time has come to go further. The MHA employs 45 people, a small number of whom do smoke, Nicholas said. They were encouraged to quit and offered help while the new policy was discussed over the past several months, she said. After January 1, the new rule will rely on the honor system for enforcement" (Cooney, 11/4). National Journal: "With only a few months left before his term is terminated, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has introduced a handful of measures preparing his state for the federal health care overhaul. Schwarzenegger announced a $10 billion agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Tuesday to expand coverage to the uninsured. The 'Bridge to Reform' Medicaid waiver will bring in about $2 billion per year over the next five years to prepare for and implement federal regulations in the Affordable Care Act" (Fung, 11/4). El Paso Times: "The city attorney's office plans to cut health benefits to gay and unmarried partners of city employees and for some retirees and some dependents of city employees. But a court challenge could stop the plan before it takes effect next Wednesday. The city's plan comes in the wake of El Pasoans' vote Tuesday to limit benefits to city employees, their legal spouses and their legal dependents. By a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent, voters passed an initiative saying, 'The city of El Paso endorses traditional family values by making health benefits available only to city employees and their legal spouse and dependent children'" (Schladen, 11/4). Bloomberg Businessweek/The Associated Press: "The administration of Gov. David Paterson on Thursday said closing the latest deficit may require cuts of perhaps 1 percent in every area including a midyear cut in school aid. … Budget Director Robert Megna said the $315 million shortfall in the current budget must be addressed by Dec. 31 … The rest of the problem is the increased number of New York's 19.5 million residents receiving the government's Medicaid health care coverage. Megna said the poor economy has driven 4.9 million New Yorkers onto Medicaid, compared to 4.2 million just three years ago" (Gormley, 11/4). Bloomberg Businessweek in a separate story: "The director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health says if his agency's budget is cut by 15 percent next fiscal year it could have 'devastating' effects, including the closure of several facilities statewide. Agency Director Ed LeGrand outlined those possible consequences in a letter to Gov. Haley Barbour, who had asked all state agencies to submit to him a plan by Nov. 1 on how they could cut their budgets by 15 percent" (Byrd, 11/4). Health News Florida: "House and Senate leaders today said they will use a special legislative session this month to try to override Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of money for Shands teaching hospital and to 'send a message' about overhauling Medicaid. Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos and incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon outlined a series of issues they hope to address during a brief session Nov. 16 when lawmakers return to Tallahassee for an otherwise ceremonial meeting. Overriding the veto of $9.7 million for Shands has long been discussed. But Haridopolos and Cannon also said they want to pass a resolution that would express their intent to revamp Medicaid and seek more leeway from the federal government about how the program is run" (Saunders, 11/4). The (Baton Rouge, La.) Advocate: "Doctors and lawmakers questioned the wisdom of the [Gov. Bobby] Jindal administration's decision Thursday to scrap a program that helps provide a primary-care physician for Medicaid patients throughout the state. The 'CommunityCare' program, which mainly serves children, is scheduled to end Dec. 1 as the state health agency moves to avoid a deficit in the health insurance program for the poor. The program went statewide in 2003, during former Gov. Mike Foster’s administration, as a way to improve primary care, eliminate costly emergency room visits and shrink duplicative services. The program's demise would reduce spending by $16 million. It cuts the extra $3 per patient per month paid physicians to coordinate care of individual Medicaid patients" (Shuler, 11/5).

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New measles cases in Texas prompt push for vaccine MGN Online NewsSandra Ramirez Anchor/Reporter Share ADVERTISEMENT Monday, August 19, 2013 - 6:20pm El Paso, TX (KTSM) — The Texas Department of State Health Services is urging Texas residents to get the measles vaccine after six new cases of the illness were confirmed in the Fort Worth area. The new cases bring the total to 11 total cases so far in 2013. The respiratory illness is spread through coughing and sneezing, and takes about two weeks after contact for a rash to appear. The rash usually begins on the face then spreads. Other symptoms include a fever higher than 101 degrees, cough, runny nose and sore eyes. According to the Texas Department of State Heal Services, if someone comes in contact with an infected person, there is a 90-percent chance they will become infected with the measles virus if they are not vaccinated.

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KWTX.com Temple: Scott & White Hospital To Reconstruct Facility With “Systematic Defects” By: Brittany Semadeni Email Posted: Fri 5:37 PM, Nov 02, 2012 / Article TEMPLE (November 2, 2012)--Scott & White Hospital has released plans for the exterior reconstruction of the Center for Advanced Medicine facility. Work could begin as early as February of next year as it was discovered there are “wide-ranging and systematic defects.” The construction process is expected to take about 18 months but hospital officials say the work will be done without disturbing patient care. The cost of the construction is projected at $20 million. Among other repairs crews will replace the entire exterior of the building and will replace the copper façade with a new masonry exterior. “It is anticipated that construction will occur in enclosed 30-foot sections in multiple locations around the building in order to maintain quality control and limit the impact on patients and building operations,” a spokesperson said. Most of the discoveries were made when building forensic experts were brought in to examine known leaks. Those areas were completely disassembled and numerous defects were then discovered. Tests have been completed and the building does meet building codes that require that hospital air systems maintain positive pressure to the outside, a spokesperson said. “The problems are being corrected and we will continue to pursue our goal of being the most trusted and valued name in American health care,” Scott & White Healthcare President and CEO Robert W. Pryor, MD, MBA said.

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Flu Season Exposed As a Fabrication and Plot By Governments, Deliberately Causing Illness To Promote Vaccinations By sal on December 12, 2012 11:59 AM Prevent Disease.com by DAVE MIHALOVIC A compilation of research is exposing the entire flu season as one big scam perpetrated by national and international governments. The highest levels of conspirators orchestrate mass media campaigns while deliberately causing illness through national aerial spraying and inoculation schedules. Ironically, the goal is to promote intense influenza vaccination programs causing a perpetual cycle of illness timed every year when populations have the lowest vitamin D levels and consequently decreased resistance to infection. Aerial Spraying and Geoengineering: Manmade Pollution for the Environment and Human Body The use of aerial viral strains and nano delivery systems are now being utilized and fully implemented by governments with little regard or consequence to human health. Goverments are now finally admitting that geoengineering is a reality and have stated that despite any detrimental effects to our health, will continue these operations indefinitely. They've been called chemtrails, aerial spraying, aerosol emissions, cirrus clouds, among many other terms. The largest reports come from Canada and U.S. but it happens all over the world including countries such as France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom among many others. If you live in these countries, just look above you as you'll see them at some point throughout day or week. Often these jets leave just a thick wisp of a trail or they leave a long line of dashed trails and crossed patterns across the entire sky. The use of aerial manned and unmanned vehicles for the aerial spraying under State and Federal mandates for vector control began under the Geneva Act for Chemical and Biological Weapons in 1949. Over the years since its inception many amendments to this act and US parallel acts such as the Patriot Act of 2001, Space Preservation Act of 2001 and Weather Modification Research and Technology Act of 2005 have included the following implementations under terrorist and riot control for aerial spraying of the mass population in selective city locations: - Weather Modification. - Vector Control (insects, virus, and other similar vectors). - Mass Inoculations of the Public. Aerial spraying of the crystals via chemtrails was deployed on Chinese and Korean populations during the Korean War. Many veterans of the war later developed Multiple Sclerosis. The army recognized that the MS was Brucella-related and paid the veterans compensation. Although the Brucella micoplasma can lay dormant for decades, it can be triggered by vaccines. Vaccines have been mandatory in the US military since 1911. Besides MS, this bacterium has been linked to a variety of diseases including; AIDS, cancer, diabetes, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and arthritis. In 2000, Dr. Charles Engel of the National Institute of Health stated that the brucella mycoplasma was probably responsible for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia as well. In addition to the aerosol vector, mosquitoes were heavily tested as pathogen dispersal agents. In the 1950s, the Dominion Parasite Laboratory in Belleville, Canada was raising 100 million mosquitoes per month. They were then shipped to Queens University in Kingston and other facilities where they were infected with the crystalline disease agent. Dr. Maurice Hilleman, Merck's current chief virologist, stated recently that the Brucella pathogen is now carried by everyone in North America and possibly the world. Aerial viral strains are also directed towards animals by the use of plastic packets dropped by planes or helicopters. Sanofi (who is one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world) has subsidiary companies such as Merial Limited who manufacture Raboral, an oral live-virus poisonous to humans yet distributed wildlife in the masses. "In the United States, more than 12 million doses of RABORAL V-RG vaccine are used each year. Since the first use of RABORAL V-RG in the late 1980's, more than 100 million doses have been distributed around the world." At the beginning of the year, a KVUE news report indicated that the Texas Department of State Health Services would initiate an aerial vaccine drop of 1.8 million doses in January alone. Raboral V-RG is a poison because according to the material safety data sheet its ingestion, parenteral inoculation, droplet or aerosol exposure to mucous membranes or on broken skin is considered a health hazard exposed to infectious fluids or tissues. In 1987, controversy over the potentially detrimental effects of such activities on both the environment and human health led to 'Environmental Modification' (En Mod) weaponry being banned under the auspices of “The UN Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques”. This ban was never fully enforced. However, interest in En Mod soon gained prominence when global warming warnings and accompanying environmental stress issues attracted global scientific interest. Most countries permit open air testing of chemical and biological weapons, which override any civil law. “The Secretary of Defense may conduct tests and experiments involving the use of chemical and biological agents on civilian populations.” It seems that ‘national security’ concerns can be used by the President to overrule environmental and public health considerations. One chemical known to be aerosolized in higher concentrations are barium salts. The following news report investigated chemtrail fallout. Mark Ryan, Director of a Poison Control Center in Louisiana also addressed concerns by chemtrail researchers on how exposure to barium can lead to immune suppression. "Soluble barium salts are highly toxic to humans," said Dr. Michael LaManna. "Even moderate exposure could certainly bombard the immune system and prevent an adequate response to foreign invaders." LaManna emphasized that any kind of immunotoxicity can interfere with the body's ability to fend off cytokine cascades from acute phase responses which can then lead to cytokine storms. The exact mechanism is explained here. A cytokine storm can kill a person in less than three days. Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) was used in past anti-knock gasoline mixtures, particularly in aviation fuel. Many attempts have been made in literature to discredit claims that EDB is still being used in aviation since it was supposedly banned by international treaties more than 20 years ago. However, according to the WHO, it is still used still used in large amounts for many industrial purposes in industrialized countries and still used as a petrol additive in some countries and pesticide/fumigant for soils, grains and fruits. It can still be used for any military application as required. Epidemiological studies of occupationally exposed workers show that exposure to EDB can cause pneumonia following damage to the lungs. Strong and consistent evidence from animal studies supports the conclusion that it is a human carcinogen. EDB has also been found to disrupt hormonal and adrenal functions. "Disruptions in adrenal function are a particular concern for the immune system," said endocrinologist Dr. William Goel. He explained that any disruption in the responsiveness of adrenals could directly affect cortisol levels, which could then affect the body's ability to deal with cytokines. Two Congressional investigations and recently declassified British defense documents detail 50 years of "open air" testing that used ships and spray-equipped aircraft to spread biological warfare simulants on hundreds of cities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Tests done in 1998 and 1999 by government-licensed laboratories on cobweb-like filaments, gel-like material and a red powder dropped over porches, power lines and patrol cars in Washington state, California, Oklahoma, Idaho, Michigan, Espanola and Pennsylvania have identified various pathogens, including bacilli and toxic molds capable of producing acute upper respiratory and gastrointestinal distress. Chemicals in the chemtrails may assist the viral envelope to fuse with lung cells, guaranteeing ease of penetration and infection. People will pass along the flu to others and then exponentially spread illness. This causes public officials to demand more flu shots for the population, thus accelerating the cycle. Persons not so inoculated are blamed for spreading the disease, however it is often the most vaccinated who are immune compromised, contract the flu and spread it the most. High Volume Aerial Operations Take Place In The Winter To Maximize The Spread of Influenza The reasons aerial spraying operations increase in the winter is due to longer exposure periods for viruses to linger in the air. The combination between lower vitamin D levels due to lack of sun exposure, increased chemical toxicity between chemtrails operations and vaccine programs, as well as a more effective climate to host viruses creates the perfect cocktail of events for the spread if viruses. Cold, low humidity air dries out the nasal passages and makes virus transmission more likely. This contradicts the long-held view that the flu only spreads because of the immune system being less active during the winter. This is only one of many reasons. Some researchers have found that in winter, even the flu virus wears a coat, and it's a coat that helps the virus spread through the air. Tinkering with that coat might disarm the flu virus. "Like an M&M in your mouth, the protective covering melts when it enters the respiratory tract," Joshua Zimmerberg, PhD, chief of the cellular and molecular biophysics lab at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) says in a news release. "It's only in this liquid phase that the virus is capable of entering a cell to infect it." In warmer temperatures, that coating doesn't form. So it's harder for the influenza virus to spread through warm air. Virologist doctor Peter Palese has been studying the effects of heat and cold on the flu virus. He found that at higher temperatures, the flu virus didn’t spread. “The virus is probably more stable in cold temperature, so it hangs in the air much longer,” Dr. Palese told Ivanhoe. Cold allows the virus to spread easier. Here’s how -- when we cough or sneeze, microscopic droplets of water and the virus enter the air. Dry, cold conditions dry out the droplets, helping the virus linger in the air. The dry air also dries out nasal passages, which helps the virus stick. “Cold dry air going over your nasal mucosa gets cracks in our airways and that allows virus to get in more easily,” Anice Lowen, researcher at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine told Ivanhoe. 1918: The Birth of Mass Marketing Vaccines The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic arrived in the wake of World War I, with many populations depleted from several years of war and related economic stress. Evidence vaccinations caused the Spanish killer flu of 1918 including belief of Dr. Jerry Tennant that the widespread use of aspirin during the winter that followed the end of World War I could have been a key factor contributing to the earlier pandemic by suppressing the immune system and lowering body temperatures, allowing the flu virus to multiply. Tamiflu and Relenza also lower body temperatures, and therefore can also be expected to contribute to the spread of a pandemic. Both the CDC and WHO recommend Tamiflu despite the proof that it does not prevent pneumonia or the flu. The deadly 1918 Influenza Pandemic was the direct result of live-virus-contaminated Typhus Fever Vaccines mandatorily given to U.S. and Allied military personnel during World War I. These deadly typhus fever vaccines were manufactured by John D. Rockefeller's research labs and Chinese pharma factories. The vaccine "seed stock" consisted of viruses harvested from human typhoid fever patients, cross-injected into swine herds to create increased "seed stock", and then injected into chicken and turkey eggs for further incubation of the pathogens. The final, harvested "vaccine material" then was injected into hundreds of millions of human veins. The result was a massive 'pandemic' that claimed the lives of as many as 50 million people worldwide. The two strains of the H1N1 influenza virus responsible for both the 1918 and 2009 global flu pandemics did not cause disease in birds. The results of the study, published in the 2010 February issue of the Journal of General Virology, also showed it is unlikely that birds played a role in the spread of the H1N1 virus in these pandemics. Scientists from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) in Winnipeg, Canada, together with collaborators in the USA, injected the 2009 and 1918 H1N1 virus strains individually into chickens. None developed flu symptoms or showed any signs of tissue damage up to18 days later, although about half the chickens developed antibodies against the 1918 H1N1 virus showing limited infection. The 1918 H1N1 virus also did not cause disease in ducks. The origin of the 1918 H1N1 virus was manmade and despite its genetic similarity to avian influenzas, the results of this study show it is unlikely to have jumped the species barrier from chickens to humans. In the last few decades alone, marketing tactics have become more aggressive for vaccines and public health officials spend millions to ensure the people are receiving their dose of neurolingustic programming, one of the easiest and most widespread methods of persuasion accomplished through specific tactics on radio, television, advertisements and educational institutions. Every year, influenza vaccine campaigns begin in September and go strong well into the new year. This year's campaign to have children and adults get their flu shots got an extra boost from some of the CDC's first encounters with social media. A recent study conducted by a research team at Bristol University’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory in the UK found that social media websites are tracking flu outbreaks region to region and using this as a platform to promote flu vaccines. As cold-and-flu season approaches, retailers use coupons and other promotional tools to encourage shoppers to get flu shots. Some states even ask their citizens to bring guns to the police department and in return, the city will offer free flu shots. The Department of Health and Human Services routinely uses propaganda pieces that encourages vaccinations for children. Behind the scenes, hiding under their credentials and publications, biostatisticians have been a driving force behind the promotion of mass vaccination campaigns. Most of what they term "statistically significant studies" are little more than a great imagination based on junk science. Vaccines Cause More Disease and Death Than The Actual Diseases They're Trying To Prevent I recently wrote on how every single vaccine is now being exposed for the lack of demonstrated evidence to actually prevent a single case of disease over a placebo. Most people fail to realize all vaccines carry a list of ingredients that typically increase human disease and death (i.e., morbidity and mortality). These include toxic elements and chemicals such as mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and formalin (used to preserve corpses), MSG, foreign genetic material, and risky proteins from various species of bacteria, viruses, and animals that have been scientifically associated with triggering autoimmune disorders and certain cancers. A growing body of scientific evidence strongly suggests vaccines are largely responsible for increasing cases of autism and other learning disabilities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Lupus, MS, ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, hay fever, allergies, chronic draining ear infections, type 1 autoimmune diabetes, and many, many more pandemics. Note that for every single vaccine, the carcinogenic or mutagenic potential is never evaluated, or is the impairment of fertility. This means that none of the carcinogenic excipients (inside every vaccine) are ever studied and their effects on the human body are unknown. This declaration also indicates that there is no responsible authority that can state to a parent, that their son or daughter will not become infertile as a consequence of receiving the influenza vaccine. Another remarkable fact is that although all pregnant women are encouraged to receive the flu vaccine by health and medical authorities, the safety and effectiveness for pregnant women or nursing mothers has also not been established. Perhaps this is why studies show many spontaneous abortions and stillbirths after pregnant women are vaccinated. These chronic ailments are said to require long-term medical care for the patients’ management causing toxic side effects resulting in America’s leading killer -- iatrogenic disease. That is, vaccines and other pharmaceutical industry inventions are literally killing or disabling millions with little effort on the part of government officials and their drug industry cohorts to arrest this scourge. Vaccines are causing an unprecedented number of mutations creating superbugs and potent viruses and bacteria that may eventually threaten future generations and humanity itself. Evidence continues to mount from the scientific community who now admit that certain vaccines are in-fact causing both viral and bacterial mutations. Life-threatening pathogens are capable of evolving rapidly and developing genetic decoys that serve to disguise them from even the most powerful drugs. University of Oxford researcher Rory Bowden found that pathogens switch genetic material with other bacteria, but predominantly for the part of the genome responsible for making the cell coating, which is the area targeted by vaccines. Former post-doctoral researcher of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Grainne Long found that vaccination led to a 40-fold enhancement of B. parapertussis colonization in the lungs. His data suggested that the vaccine may be contributing to the observed rise in whooping cough incidence over the last decade by promoting B. parapertussis infection. The creation of deadly new variants is only possible because vaccines contain live viruses, even though they are weakened forms, said Joanne Devlin, a lead author of a paper published in the journal Science. Different strains of influenza cause disease in humans and each type of virus is adapted to cause infection in its host. All cause similar respiratory symptoms. If flu viruses are passed back and forth between hosts and human contact through vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, the mixing can lead to development of novel strains. As they have not encountered the virus before, the human population has little or no immunity to a novel strain which can easily cause infection and spread from person to person. Vaccines used to prevent respiratory disease in animals have been known to swap genes, producing lethal new strains that have killed tens of thousands of fowl across Australia. Vaccinations reduce our immunity in many important ways: 1) Vaccines contain many chemicals and heavy metals, like mercury and aluminum, which are in-themselves immuno-suppressing. Mercury actually causes changes in the lymphocyte activity and decreases lymphocyte viability. 2) Vaccines contain foreign tissues and foreign DNA/RNA which act to suppress the immune system via graft-vs-host rejection phenomena. 3) Vaccines alter our t-cell helper/suppressor ratios ... just like those seen with AIDS. This ratio is a key indicator of a proper functioning immune system. 4) Vaccines alter the metabolic activity of PMNs and reduce their chemotaxic abilities. PMNs are our body’s defenses against pathogenic bacteria and viruses. 5) Vaccines suppress our immunity merely buy over-taxing our immune system with foreign material, heavy metals, pathogens and viruses. The heavy metals slow down our immune system, while the viruses set up shop to grow and divide. It is like being chained and handcuffed before swimming. 6) Vaccines clog our lymphatic system and lymph nodes with large protein molecules which have not been adequately broken down by our digestive processes, since vaccines by pass digestion with injections. This is why vaccines are linked to allergies, because they contain large proteins which as circulating immune complexes (CICs) or "klinkers" which cause our body to become allergic. 7) Vaccines deplete our body of vital immune-enhancing nutrients, like vitamin C, A and zinc, which are needed for a strong immune system. It is nutrients like these that primes our immune system, feeds the white blood cells and macrophages and allows them to function optimally. 8) Vaccines are neurotoxic and slow the level of nervous transmission, and communications to the brain and other tissues. Now we know that some lymphocytes communicate directly with the brain through a complex set of neurotransmitters. Altering these factors will also depress our immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Deception, Lies and Control Few of us can forget about the orchestrated junk science and contradictions that dominated the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic statements and policies in 2009, however the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) held their own during this flu hoax. The CDC has been caught contradicting itself on the actual number of yearly deaths caused by influenza. For years, the CDC has been citing an annual estimate of 36,000 deaths from flu. That figure has been used to justify mandatory flu vaccination for children and has been parroted the world over by news organizations that never question its validity. In 2010, the CDC released new figures: rather than 36,000, the three-decade average is actually 23,607 deaths, a full one-third fewer people than previously cited. Even those figures were eventually exposed as fabricated and false. The CDC has always used a mathematical estimate based on an assumption that if a death certificate had “respiratory or circulatory disease” listed as a cause of death, then it should be counted as a “flu-related” death! The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons has been highly critical of the CDC’s methodology. A closer examination of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) figures shows that in 2001, there were only 257 deaths directly attributable to flu, and in only eighteen cases was the flu virus positively identified. Between 1979 and 2002, NCHS data show an average of 1,348 actual flu deaths per year--a mere 5.7% of the “new and improved” estimate. The article, published in the British Medical Journal, concludes that “If flu is in fact not a major cause of death, [the government’s] public relations approach is surely exaggerated. Moreover, by arbitrarily linking flu with pneumonia and other lung diseases, current data are statistically biased. Until corrected and until unbiased statistics are developed, the chances for sound discussion and public health policy are limited.” The use of the CDC as a front line operation to deceive the U.S. populace has been instrumental in communicating the flu hype. Tom Skinner, spokesman for the CDC stated "we're going to continue to stress that the vaccine is the most important thing that parents can do to protect their children." The CDC states that the vaccine viruses need to be an exact match of the viruses in circulation to be effective. It is virtually impossible for these manufacturers to produce and deliver these vaccines in the timeline they propose to match the exact viruses in circulation. It typically takes several years from the point of initial vaccine and preclinical development to human trials to marketplace, a process which the manufacturers claim is being done in months. It is all a lie. Before a vaccine enters human testing, the developer conducts laboratory (in vitro) and laboratory animal (in vivo) testing to determine whether the product will be safe enough for researchers to proceed to clinical trials. If a flu vaccine were to follow the standard development procedures, by the time it would actually enter the marketplace it would be useless, since the strain it was testing against during clinical development has now changed. This is the nature of vaccine development versus flu viruses and something the WHO, CDC and vaccine industrial complex will never admit to. Flu vaccines are never tested in humans before they are produced to scale. It doesn't matter what type of flu vaccine it is--it is categorically impossible to test a flu vaccine before it is mass produced on the scale that flu vaccines are manufactured today. Moreover, they estimate the probable strains meaning that 100 percent of influenza vaccines are a crap shoot in terms of effectiveness for any given population. With more than 200 viruses known to cause influenza-like illness (ILI), a person can get a flu shot and still become sick with what is described as “the flu”. According to CDC data, in the past 11 years, 86% of all influenza-type illnesses were NOT caused by the influenza virus, thus influenza viruses are ONLY active 14% of the time. The proportion of ILI caused by influenza viruses varies by year, and even varies within a specific year over the course of the winter. Therefore, under a hypothetical scenario that influenza vaccines work 25% of the time (which is marginally high percentage for flu vaccine effectiveness), that means the maximum effectiveness of the flu vaccine would be 3.5% on influenza viral strains and not nil for ILI. A recent report which was highlighted by the alternative media is a remarkable study published in the Cochrane Library which found no evidence of benefit for influenza vaccinations and also noted that the vast majority of trials were inadequate. The authors found that vaccines administered parenterally, that is, outside the digestive tract, usually meaning by injection, reduced influenza-like symptoms by 4%. They found no evidence that vaccination prevents viral transmission putting the whole herd immunity myth once again into question. The maximum success rate of the flu vaccine is 6.25% which is a pretty big under-achievement, considering that the average reaction to placebo injections of distilled water is 30%. The Cochrane Collaboration, an international not-for-profit organization providing up-to-date information about the effects of health care, has compiled data from 40 flu seasons worldwide. The institute has concluded from the studies that there is no clear evidence to suggest that the flu jab offers any more protection than cheaper, hygiene-based methods such as hand-washing. "Our analysis is compiled using millions of data from 40 seasons worldwide. What we have seen is that the influenza vaccine can at best have a very small effect," said Thomas Jefferson, one of the authors of the report, to the newspaper. More independent scientific studies are also coming forth showing evidence of massive fetal toxicity associated with flu vaccines. Recent research I reported on is now published in the journal Human & Experimental Toxicology showing a 4,250% increase in fetal deaths according to Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data when comparing three consecutive influenza seasons. - Governments have conspired and continue to conspire to create yearly influenza like symptoms on the population via very specific and highly organized operations such as aerial spraying and flu vaccination campaigns. - These operations intensify during winter periods to maximize the spread of flu viruses where they are the most active for the longest periods and during the most immunocompromised state of the population. - The goal of flu vaccination campaigns is two-fold; first to introduce foreign viral strains into human hosts which can lead to the development of novel strains, and second to further depress immunity and increase infection rates. Further research and investigations will be necessary to gain a broader perspective and understanding of diverse entry points for novel flu strains, how they are infecting populations on a large scale and how their introduction through new forms of technology may increase their transmission rates worldwide. Dave Mihalovic is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in vaccine research, cancer prevention and a natural approach to treatment. anh-usa.org preventdisease.com sciencedaily.com facebook.com (Dr. Tenpenny) vaccinetruth.org educate-yourself.org If You Would Like To Depress Your Immune System, Get This Year's Flu Shot Bird Flu - SARS, Environment, Junk Science, Medicine Alternatives, Pharma, Pollution, Swine flu, Toxic substances, Vaccines This page contains a single entry by sal published on December 12, 2012 11:59 AM. Codex Committee: “You Can’t Tell People that Food Prevents Disease!” was the previous entry in this blog. Fluoride Detox: Ousted as Poison, Here’s How to Get it Out of Your System is the next entry in this blog.

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Home > Research and Education > Research The Main Line Hospitals IRB (MLHIRB) is comprised of three subcommittees located at each of the three Main Line Hospital sites. These subcommittees include the Bryn Mawr, Lankenau and Paoli Memorial Hospitals. Main Line Hospitals, Inc. is committed to safeguarding the rights and welfare of persons participating in research conducted under its jurisdiction. To that end it is cognizant of the Declaration of Helsinki—a code of ethics for clinical research—which had been approved by the World Medical Association initially in 1964 and most recently in 1989. Additionally, Main Line Hospitals, Inc. (MLH) subscribes to and abides by the Belmont Report which contains a statement of basic ethical principles governing research involving human subjects which was issued by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects in 1978. Aware of its role in perpetuating ethical standards in the application of sound medical research, MLH maintains the above referenced documents on site as a written embodiment of the ethical foundation for all research conducted on MLH campuses. For more information, please visit the IRB Web site. Connect with MLH The Lankenau Institute for Medical Research LIMR Home LIMR Sharpe-Strumia Research Foundation

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Eli Lilly announce the election of Ralph Alvarez to the company's board of directors, effective April 1, 2009. Alvarez currently serves as president and chief operating officer of McDonald's Corporation and is also a member of McDonald's board of directors. Alvarez will serve on the board's finance committee and public policy and compliance committee. New Jersey-based Vaxlnnate Corp., a privately-held biotech focused on the development of vaccines to treat infectious disease, announced that David Williams has joined the company's board of directors. Williams is a retired chairman and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur. Everyday Health has announced the hiring of Carolina Petrini as vice president of research. Petrini was most recently senior vice president of marketing solutions at comScore, where she oversaw the pharmaceutical and CPG verticals. In her new role, Petrini is tasked with expanding the range of measurement and effectiveness data for Everyday Health's clients, which include Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GSK, and others.

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NAMI at the Local, State and National Levels The NAMI organization operates at the local, state and national levels. Each level of the organization provides support, education, information and referral and advocacy to support the fifteen million Americans who live with serious mental illness today and their families. NAMI affiliates and NAMI state organizations identify and work on issues most important to their community and state. Individual membership and the extraordinary work of hundreds of thousands of volunteer leaders is the lifeblood of NAMI's affiliates and state organizations. The national office, under the direction of an elected Board of Directors, provides strategic direction to the entire organization, support to NAMI's state and affiliate members, governs the NAMI corporation, and engages in advocacy, education and leadership development nationally. Everyone knows the expression, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." NAMI's organizational structure is no exception. As an organization, NAMI's success depends on each of the parts of the organization working in concert towards a common goal. That goal is to free people with mental illnesses and their families from stigma and discrimination, and to assure their access to a world-class mental health treatment system to speed their recovery. Fulfilling NAMI's mission is a shared goal with shared responsibilities. To ensure that our NAMI voice is heard and our support is felt, NAMI's scope is broad, yet focused. It is broad in that we reach hundreds of thousands of people -- family members, consumers, and mental health professionals -- all over the country; school personnel; clergy; influential state leaders; key members of Congress; the Surgeon General; and everyone in between. It is focused in that all NAMI staff and volunteers, regardless of the organizational level at which they work, carry the same message and work toward the same common goals. NAMI Affiliates NAMI has more than 950 affiliates spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. NAMI affiliates generally start as a small group of people who come together to provide mutual support and share information. Some support groups have as few as five or six members. As they grow, the group seeks formal affiliation with NAMI and is chartered through NAMI and the respective NAMI state organizations. In addition to sponsoring support groups for consumers and family members, many NAMI affiliates take on an advocacy and education agenda. In all cases, members of NAMI affiliates are consumers, family members, professionals, and friends who come together to share and take comfort in the commonality of their experiences and to educate members of their communities about serious brain disorders. In addition to providing support, NAMI affiliates also: provide local information and referral services; conduct community education by serving on local committees and boards; interact with local professionals; work with local media on stories about mental illness report on local issues and needs to their state organization; and provide support and encouragement to people with brain disorders and promote their full participation as community members. It is through the local-affiliate level that most members join NAMI. Search our affiliate database for your nearest NAMI Affiliate. NAMI State Organizations NAMI has NAMI state organizations in all 50 states as well as in Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. NAMI state organizations operate on a much larger scale than the NAMI affiliates. Among the many tasks they perform, NAMI state organizations: decide on goals and objectives within their respective states that reflect the needs of all areas of their respective states; encourage and facilitate outreach, education, and membership development for consumers, families of children and adults, siblings and offspring, and ethnic and multi-culturally diverse populations; publish a statewide newsletter to educate members, professionals, and the public and to encourage networking among affiliates and grassroots members; advocate at the state level within the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; monitor the budgets and activities of state agencies; and support NAMI affiliate growth and development by working with the NAMI affiliates in their state to determine their annual objectives and provide the services and technical assistance necessary to achieve those objectives. For state-organization contact information and links to many NAMI state organization websites, search our affiliate database. At the national level, NAMI has many roles. The national office, under the direction of an elected Board of Directors, provides strategic direction to the entire organization, support to NAMI's state and affiliate members, governs the NAMI corporation, and engages in advocacy, education and leadership development nationally. For NAMI state organizations and NAMI affiliates, the National office also serves as a clearinghouse and coordinator of state and local activities, ideas, and products -- to provide resources and technical assistance when needed. In addition to supporting the other tiers of the NAMI organization, the National Office maintains a strong presence on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, by educating legislators and policymakers. NAMI staff work tirelessly on many issues involving serious mental illness, including insurance parity, affordable housing, increases in research appropriations, improved work incentives and income assistance, and access to medications, just to name a few. NAMI's advocacy efforts also extend to federal agencies and the White House. NAMI has developed a number of unique education programs -- such as Family-to-Family and In Our Own Voice: Living with Mental Illness -- each designed to promote recovery and to educate family members and friends of people with mental illnesses as well as consumers themselves. The NAMI national office also sponsors the Information Helpline, which offers information to more than 70,000 callers each year. The strength of NAMI is in its grassroots membership, more than 2,000 of whom annually gather for the NAMI National Annual Convention. Recruitment is the way to ensure a more powerful voice and message. NAMI actively reaches out to all people affected by serious mental illnesses, consumers, siblings, spouses, families of young children, people of diverse multicultural and ethnic backgrounds, and mental health professionals. We look to build our strength through diversity, and to fulfill our promise of being "The Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness".

医学

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How did 'Little House' sister really become blind? By LINDSEY TANNER AP Sunday 3 February 2013 09:12:31 PM Twitter CHICAGO (AP) — Any fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House" books knows how the author's sister Mary went blind: scarlet fever. But turns out that probably wasn't the cause, medical experts say, upending one of the more dramatic elements in the classic stories.An analysis of historical documents, biographical records and other material suggests another disease that causes swelling in the brain and upper spinal cord was the most likely culprit. It was known as "brain fever" in the late 1800s, the setting for the mostly true stories about Wilder's pioneer family.Scarlet fever was rampant and feared at the time, and it was likely often misdiagnosed for other illnesses that cause fever, the researchers said.Wilder's letters and unpublished memoir, on which the books are based, suggest she was uncertain about her sister's illness, referring to it as "some sort of spinal sickness." And a registry at an Iowa college for blind students that Mary attended says "brain fever" caused her to lose her eyesight, the researchers said.They found no mention that Mary Ingalls had a red rash that is a hallmark sign of scarlet fever. It's caused by the same germ that causes strep throat. It is easily treated with antibiotics that didn't exist in the 1800s and is no longer considered a serious illness.Doctors used to think blindness was among the complications, but that's probably because they misdiagnosed scarlet fever in children who had other diseases, said study author Dr. Beth Tarini, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Michigan.Her study appears online Monday in Pediatrics.It's the latest study offering a modern diagnosis for a historical figure. Others subjected to revisionists' microscope include Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, composer Wolfgang Mozart and Abraham Lincoln.Tarini said as a girl she was a fan of the "Little House" books and wanted to research Mary Ingalls' blindness ever since scarlet fever came up during a medical school discussion."I raised my hand and said, 'Scarlet fever can make you go blind, right?'" The instructor hesitated and responded, "I don't think so."The disease that Mary Ingalls probably had is called meningoencephalitis (muh-NING-go-en-sef-ah-LY-tis). It can be caused by bacteria and treated with antibiotics, but Tarini said it's likely she had the viral kind, which can be spread by mosquitoes and ticks.The viral disease is fairly common today, particularly in summer months and can cause fever, headaches and sometimes seizures, said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. Affected children typically require hospitalization but lasting effects are uncommon, Creech said.Still, blindness can occur if the disease affects the optic nerve, and it's entirely possible that Mary Ingalls had the condition, he said.Historian William Anderson, author of Laura Ingalls Wilder biography, said various theories about Mary Ingalls' blindness have been floating around for years. The new analysis provides credible evidence that it was caused by something other than scarlet fever, but it does nothing to discredit the books, Anderson said."From a literary standpoint, scarlet fever just seemed to be the most convenient way" to describe Mary's illness, he said.___Online:Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org___AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.Twitter.com/LindseyTanner MARY INGALLS ROSE WILDER LANE BRAIN FEVER

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Nurse Excellence Dietetic Internships Extraordinary Story Program North Oaks Health System considers people its most valuable asset and is especially proud of its loyal, cooperative, productive long-term employees. To thank these long-term employees for their years of service, North Oaks Health System presents awards for five-year increments of service. The acknowledged years for each employee are based upon date of hire through December 31st of the celebrated years, ordinarily celebrated the following year. Staff must still be employed at time of celebration to receive awards. Continued Excellence Jeff Jarreau Vice President/Human Resources Jeff Jarreau began his career as a Staff RN/Charge Nurse with North Oaks in 1991, the same year he received his bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University. In 1995, Jeff was promoted to Telemetry Unit Coordinator and served in that capacity until 2003 when he was named Education Director. He accepted his current position in 2006. He was honored with the Nurse Excellence award in 1992 and 1996. He was named Leader of the Year in 2007. Jeff has earned his certification as a Professional in Human Resources, and is a member of the Greater New Orleans Society of Healthcare Human Resources, the American Society of Healthcare Human Resources Association and Society for Human Resources Management. Vice President/Rehabilitation Services Lisa Smith joined the North Oaks team in 1988 as Director of Physical Therapy. In 1998, she was named “Director of the Year” and has been a member of three CQI Teams of the Year. After receiving her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Mississippi at Oxford (Ole Miss), she attended law school there before deciding to become a Physical Therapist. She earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Allied Health Professions and has earned additional degrees through the years, including: a master’s in health science from Louisiana State University Medical Center’s School of Allied Health Professions, and a doctorate from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, both in New Orleans. She belongs to the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Physical Therapy Association and the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association. Sarah Mitchell Assistant Vice President/Clinics Sarah Mitchell joined the North Oaks team as a Rehabilitation Technician in 1996. In 1998, she became a Physical Therapist and was honored as the North Oaks Employee of the Year for 2002. In 2004, she was promoted to Physical Therapy Supervisor. She served in that position until 2006, when she was again promoted to Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Clinic Coordinator. In 2008, she was promoted to Assistant Vice President/Clinics. A recipient of the North Oaks Volunteer Scholarship in 2006, Sarah holds a master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State Medical Center School of Allied Health in New Orleans and a master’s degree in mass communications from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Mississippi State University in Starkville. In addition, Sarah was recently named Hammond Junior Auxiliary’s Woman of the Year for her extensive volunteer service. Terri Lewis Vice President/Surgical Services Terri Lewis’ North Oak experience spans more than 32 years, with more than half of her career spent in a Surgical Services leadership role. Her career began as a Nursing Assistant in 1977 when the Emergency Department had four beds. Through the years, she has worked as a Staff RN on the Surgery Unit, Surgery Unit Interim Head Nurse, Surgery Unit/Same Day Surgery Director and Surgical Services Director. In 1995, her leadership skills earned her recognition as Director of the Year. Terri is pursuing a master’s degree in health administration through St. Francis Cabrini’s Baton Rouge campus and earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University. Leader of the Year 2011 Stephanie Kropog Physician Services Director Physician Services Director Stephanie Kropog joined the North Oaks team in July 1997 as a Market Strategist in the Business Development Department. She accepted the position of Physician Services Coordinator in June 2005 and was promoted to Director in January 2010. In November 2009, she was named Employee of the Month. A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Stephanie has more than 14 years of health care recruitment and marketing experience. A Walker native, Stephanie lives in Hungarian Settlement with her husband Kenny and 17-year- old son, Lane. She is a member of St. Margaret Catholic Church in Albany, a board member of Kiwanis Club of Hammond and a Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association board member. She was named Kiwanian of the Year in 2010. “While I don’t provide direct patient care, I feel like the next best thing is having a key role in bringing much needed physicians – both primary care and specialists – to our community.” -Stephanie Volunteer of the Year 2011 Elaine Charbonnet Elaine Charbonnet of Ponchatoula began her association with North Oaks in 1986 in the hospital’s Welcome program, designed to greet each patient and provide him or her with a menu and magazine. Twenty-five years later, she is still visiting patients each Thursday. Elaine retired from Louisiana Power and Light with 38 years of employment. She is the youngest in a family of five brothers and five sisters. A member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ponchatoula, she is an active volunteer there and a member of the Rosary Altar Society. She also enjoys walking and playing cards. Volunteer Director Melissa Dufour praises Elaine for making “patients feel like they are the only ones in the hospital, never rushing to complete her tasks.” Nutritional Services Director Ann McDaniel-Hall adds, “She does an incredible job with menus, making patients smile and helping them get what they want.” “I get more pleasure from volunteering than from anything else I have done.” -Elaine

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DMC Cardiologists are first in U.S. to use new catheter-based "Impella CP" 4.0-liter heart pump during heart artery repair DMC heart specialist Dr. Schreiber is the first in the nation to use the new catheter-based "Impella CP" 4.0-liter heart pump during heart artery repair. (PRNewsFoto/Detroit Medical Center) Facebook Twitter Pinterest DMC heart specialist Dr. Schreiber is the first in the nation to use the new catheter-based "Impella CP" 4.0-liter heart pump during heart artery repair. (PRNewsFoto/Detroit Medical Center) Breakthrough heart-assist technique, led by Cardiovascular Institute heart specialist Dr. Theodore Schreiber, underlines DMC role as national innovator in cardiac care; patient "comfortable and already back at work" one day after painless, 60-minute procedure Physicians and patient are available for interviews DETROIT, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) announced today that the hospital group's Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) has conducted the nation's first artery-repair procedure using a new high-tech, catheter-delivered tool designed to pump up to four liters of blood per minute through a patient's circulatory system. The new device allows the heart to rest while repairs are made to damaged arteries. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120926/DC81778) The breakthrough "Impella CP" procedure – the first ever conducted in North America – was used successfully on Tuesday at the DMC's CVI catheterization lab during a one-hour angioplasty (artery repair) in which the pump worked successfully to maintain blood-flow while doctors inserted stents to repair all three major coronary arteries in a 59-year-old patient. "For the first time ever in this country, this exciting new device has been used in a procedure aimed at helping a patient with a damaged arterial system to undergo artery repair," said Dr. Schreiber, who led the DMC team. "What we did was to insert the Impella pump via catheter through a tiny incision in the patient's femoral artery. Then we moved it into position so that it would pump large quantities of blood for the patient's heart, in order to facilitate the process. "The new device allows us to pump up to four liters a minute of [blood] flow through the patient's suspended circulation – and that allows the patient to survive while the heart totally stops contracting. The new Impella CP makes a procedure that could be very risky for a patient with a weakened heart much easier to undergo." Dr. Schreiber added that previous versions of the heart pump could provide only about 2.5 liters of blood-flow per minute. Increasing the flow to four liters, he said, is a major gain for patients with stressed or weakened circulations systems who require arterial repair. Dr. Schreiber pointed out that the new procedure is much easier on heart patients, who are spared "chest-cracking surgery" along with the accompanying pain and risk of infection. The need for surgery is eliminated, in appropriate patients, he said, because the new Impella CP heart pump is delivered by a soft, flexible catheter (tube) that can be moved throughout the circulatory system without requiring major incisions. Dr. Schreiber noted that the patient, who had been struggling with angina and numerous arterial blockages, was alert and "feeling comfortable" shortly after the 60-minute procedure on Tuesday afternoon. "The patient was awake, sedated and extraordinarily comfortable throughout the procedure," said Dr. Schreiber. "He did not feel any chest pain, and he was quite pleased to see how well the procedure went. We are expecting that if he continues to do well, he will be discharged tomorrow [Thursday] morning." While explaining that the typical open-heart surgery of the past – which might have been too stressful on the CVI heart patient who was helped yesterday – requires "several months of recuperation," yesterday's angioplasty patient is "now feeling very alert and energetic and is planning to go back to work this Friday morning. "After only three days, we expect him to be fully functional," said Dr. Schreiber. "As you might imagine, he and I are very happy about this. And the prognosis for his future improvement and survival is excellent." Dr. Schreiber, a nationally recognized medical innovator who pioneered the development of the stent procedure for relieving blocked carotid arteries, said that "this breakthrough will further add to our options and tools for critically ill patients who don't have the option of undergoing high-risk, open-heart surgery. I think this new step forward makes a very good point about our level of expertise at the CVI, and I believe it helps to explain why more and more people from Michigan, the Midwest and the nation at large are coming to CVI for cardiac care. Dr. Schreiber was also quick to credit a key member of the CVI team who helped to conduct the procedure, Dr. Narsingh Gupta. "Dr. Gupta was one of the original physicians who helped launch the CVI network a few years back," said Dr. Schreiber, "and his skillful assistance during this procedure was absolutely invaluable." For his part, the patient who underwent the breakthrough CVI procedure said he was "amazed and delighted" by how easy the process was – and by the fact that he's already hard at work on his laptop, even while recovering in a hospital bed. "I'm feeling incredible this morning!" said Rogelio Landin, who turned 59 on Sunday and is the CEO at Detroit's Performance Books, LLC, an educational publishing company. "For me, the notion that I could be feeling so energetic only 24 hours after a major heart procedure is unfathomable. "I haven't taken myself out for a test-drive yet – but I can tell you that I'm already back at work [on his laptop computer]. This is a terrific birthday present for me, and I plan to return to a full, vigorous life. And I feel really invigorated – now that I've had all my pipes cleaned out!" Landin, a frequent civic volunteer in Detroit (and the recently named chairman of Matrix Human Services in the city), capped his remarks during a lively interview on Wednesday with a rousing cheer: "Go, Tigers!" – after noting that the Detroit baseball team is currently tied for the lead in the Central Division of the American League. Michael Duggan, the CEO at the DMC, said the cardiac breakthrough at CVI was "only the latest example of how the Detroit Medical Center continues to honor a long history of innovation that has helped improve medical practice throughout the U.S. and all around the world. "Next year is the 150th anniversary of DMC Harper University Hospital, where yesterday's first-ever heart procedure was conducted," said Duggan. "One of the highlights of that long history took place in July of 1952 – when the first pump-assisted heart surgery took place at Harper. "For all of us at the DMC, yesterday's news about the new heart procedure is a wonderful reminder of our basic mission: to provide the best care for medical patients available in the world today." About Detroit Medical Center www.dmc.org The Detroit Medical Center includes DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Hutzel Women's Hospital, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, DMC Surgery Hospital, and DMC Cardiovascular Institute. The Detroit Medical Center is a leading regional healthcare system with a mission of excellence in clinical care, research and medical education. SOURCE Detroit Medical Center My News More by this Source DMC Heart Hospital First in U.S. to Use New Device to Treat Vascular Disease Detroit Medical Center Awarded National Health Care Innovation Award Detroit Medical Center Opens DMC Heart Hospital View all news by Detroit Medical Center See more news releases in Health Care & Hospitals Medical Equipment Medical Pharmaceuticals 2014

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National Psoriasis Foundation awards six research grants worth $450,000 to scientists studying psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis PORTLAND, Ore. (June 4, 2013)—Six of the top scientists studying psoriasis—the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting 7.5 million Americans—and psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory joint and tendon disease affecting up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis, received National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) research grants totaling $450,000 for projects that aim to discover new treatments and a cure for these chronic diseases. National Psoriasis Foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of scientists, dollars and projects dedicated to psoriatic diseases," said Randy Beranek, National Psoriasis Foundation president and CEO. "We are the only organization funding these types of promising research projects, each of which will move us faster toward finding a cure, which is our highest priority." Learn about the NPF research grant program » Theoharis Theoharides, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, received a two-year, $200,000 Translational Research Grant to take laboratory findings and translate them into real-world applications to manage health. Dr. Theoharides will explore how stress contributes to psoriasis and how molecules derived from chamomile might interrupt this psoriasis-stress connection. Additionally, five researchers each received a one-year, $50,000 Discovery Grant for early-stage research to advance basic understanding of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Onur Boyman, M.D., of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, will explore the role of cytokines, molecules involved in inflammation, and a subset of immune cells known as T-cells for their roles in the development of psoriasis. By identifying the extent to which different molecules and immune cells contribute to psoriasis, Boyman hopes to identify promising targets for potential new psoriasis therapies. Cong-Qiu Chu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Medical Center, received The A. Marilyn Sime Discovery Grant to examine a new class of therapeutic agents known as small interfering RNA, which specifically target a key cell in psoriasis lesions and can be applied topically. Chu hopes to identify potential new topical treatments for mild to moderate psoriasis. Dafna Gladman, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, received The Laub Family Discovery Grant to identify if psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is passed to offspring more frequently by fathers than mothers. Specifically, Gladman will test the hypothesis that DNA in psoriatic disease patients' sperm carries markers that predispose their children to psoriatic diseases. Her study could transform our understanding of the genetic link to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and provide tools to help clinicians diagnose and manage these diseases earlier. Matthew Hayden, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology and microbiology and immunology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, was awarded The Ostrow Graff Family Discovery Grant to investigate how the tumor necrosis factor-alpha and Interleukin 17 molecules, which are key to the development of inflammation, work together to promote psoriasis. Hayden hopes to identify new ways to treat or prevent psoriasis. Nicole Ward, Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and recipient of The Lozick Discovery Grant, aims to build on her earlier work revealing a possible link to an enzyme called Kallikrein 6 in early stages of psoriasis. She'll test the hypothesis that this enzyme is a key player in the development of the disease, in hopes of identifying a new target for psoriasis treatment. The National Psoriasis Foundation is the world's largest charitable funder of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research worldwide. Learn more about the Foundation research priorities ». About the National Psoriasis Foundation National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is the world's largest organization serving people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Our priority is to provide the information and services for people to take control of their condition, while increasing research to find a cure. In addition to serving more than 2.1 million people annually through our patient and professional education and advocacy initiatives, NPF has funded more than $10 million in psoriatic disease research. Visit us online at www.psoriasis.org or call 800.723.9166. Follow NPF on Facebook and Twitter.

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Herpes virus may help stroke patients or several days after a patient suffers a stroke, brain cells are bombarded with molecular "pro-death" signals carrying such bad news about the brain environment that the cells are tempted, even urged by other molecules, to commit suicide. Many do. It's the main reason why most strokes aren't limited to a tiny area of the brain but damage a larger region as well. In a bid to persuade fickle brain cells to live, Medical Center scientists have enlisted an unlikely ally: the herpes virus. In an article published August 15 in the Journal of Neuroscience, the team announced a series of experiments where it used the virus to modify brain cells from mice, making the cells more resistant to death after a stroke. Scientists kept cells from committing suicide by thwarting the molecular machinery normally involved in persuading cells to self-destruct in a process known as apoptosis. Once the brain has been traumatized by the low oxygen levels--or hypoxia--that stroke causes by choking off the blood supply, it unleashes a flurry of molecular signals encouraging still-healthy cells to kill themselves, magnifying the effects of the initial attack. The widespread self-destruction takes place for days or even a week after the initial stroke. It's a big reason why strokes are the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, where there are about 4 million stroke survivors, roughly the same number of people who have Alzheimer's disease. "Stroke is all about how cells deal with hypoxia," said neuroscientist Howard Federoff, director of URMC's Center on Aging and Developmental Biology and chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy. He conducted the study with graduate student Marc Halterman and dermatologist Craig Miller. "Do they adapt and survive, or do they withdraw and commit suicide?" asked Federoff, who has developed a highly advanced system for using the herpes virus to manipulate genes in the nervous system. Today, the only real treatment for stroke is a s

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Front Page » January 13, 2004 » Opinion » Letter to the Editor: Doctors put patient first Published 3,935 days agoLetter to the Editor: Doctors put patient first By JAMES FRANKLIN RINEHARTPrice On October 7, a gas main ruptured outside George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. The resulting street fire forced the evacuation of hundreds of patients, physicians and nurses from the hospital. Cardio thoracic surgeon Bryan Steinberg and his team were performing a coronary bypass operation at the time. The patient was connected to a heart-lung machine. During an interview published in the October 27 American Medical News, Dr. Steinberg recalled that they initially heard rumors about a possible fire in the street, then "people started coming in and making comments that there was a car on fire," then there was an explosion "and people started reporting there was flames 40 feet in the air." Eventually, "someone came in and said that the hospital was being evacuated." The evacuation order created a dilemma for Dr. Steinberg and his team, as it clearly jeopardized the life of their patient. Dr. Steinberg was also concerned for his coworkers: "We tried to get the nonessential people out and at the same time continue the operation as quickly as possible. Those of us remaining were committed to caring for the patient. We said we didn't want to know any more about what is going on outside. But that didn't mean we weren't aware of what was happening. In the back of your mind you are thinking about your family." Meanwhile, "several firemen were stationed around the operating room to make sure the environment was safe and there wasn't gas coming in," and other hospital personnel made sure that "we had adequate blood, supplies and medications before evacuating everyone. We were then at a point where we needed another 20 or 30 minutes to get off the heart-lung machine and have the work on the heart completed. So we did that." By placing their patients's welfare ahead of concern for their own safety, Dr. Steinberg and his team were able to complete the operation without undue complication. In his words, the patient "did extremely well" and was "very appreciative." Happily, nobody was killed and only one person was injured by the gas main rupture, fire and explosion. Opinion January 13, 2004 Setting a community resolution for the new year Remembering 1957 Letter to the Editor: Doctors put patient first Letter to the Editor: Takes issue with response Letter to the Editor: We stand to lose what is dear Letter to the Editor: State needs to commit to timetable Letter to the Editor: Need to evaluate power company Letter to the Editor: Secularism has failed Letter to the Editor: Special people Letter to the editor: Lucky to have it Letter to the Editor: What do they want? Letter to the editor: Just returned

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Dental School and Research Partners Unveil First Results of $19 Million Jaw Pain Study at National Meeting Scientists with the University of Maryland Dental School and collaborators at three other major universities reported results from the first three years of the world's largest study yet of a mysterious yet common pain syndrome involving the jaw on May 7 at the annual scientific meeting of the American Pain Society (APS). This year it is being held at the Baltimore Convention Center. The seven-year, $19 million study of more than 3,400 people is aimed at finally defining the causes and effects of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) and ultimately leading to cures and new treatments, said Joel Greenspan, PhD, MS, professor and chair of the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences at the Dental School. Doctors often find that people complaining of the disorder show no signs of anything physically wrong and some aspects of the disorder have stymied scientists for decades. However, Greenspan said, "I think we are going to be able to say a lot of things definitively [at the APS meeting]." For most people the discomfort from the commonly called "TMJ" related disorders will eventually go away with little or no treatment, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in Bethesda. But such resolution often takes years, and for many TMJD patients the situation is much worse, said Greenspan. At the APS meeting, Greenspan and other study leaders reported significance new evidence that people with TMJD have significantly more generalized pain sensitivity. "We see that correlation on a whole variety of measures in the clinic, such as heat and mechanical pain sensitivity, for example," Greenspan said. It is also very clear that people with TMJD have a greater likelihood of suffering from other chronic pain conditions than people without TMJD. ý Some evidence has surfaced that psycho/social factors contribute to persistence of TMJD, as well as negativity, said Roger Fillingim, PhD, professor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science Professor, University of Florida, who explained "lots" of data support the association of psycho/social roles. The study leaders also expressed some surprise that prevalence of pain associated exclusively with the jaw joint was very rare, that pain is commonly associated also with the jaw muscles. Second, the size of the study data is significant, said Greenspan. "The fact that we are getting so much information on the patients' demographics, behavior habits, physiology, psychological measures, and genetic variation, gives us the opportunity to look at how all these factors relate to the condition of TMJD." Common characteristics of TMJD include pain, limitations in mobility and function, and jaw joint noises-clicks, pops, catches or locks when the mouth is opened. TMJD is the second leading cause of pain for people who report facial or head pain. Researchers at the Dental School, and the dental schools at the universities of Buffalo, North Carolina, and Florida, are collecting data on all the possible causes, e.g., grinding teeth, stress, trauma, psychological factors, and others, ranking the factors and analyzing multiple combinations of the factors. "Although there have been many smaller studies of individual or a few factors, this is unique because we are looking at all of these variables," said Greenspan. "The volume of data we have is almost mind-boggling." At the APS meeting, Greenspan and other team leaders will be discussing the features that characterize TMJD patients, which will ultimately lead to identifying the predictive biomarkers of TMJD. ýHe said the approach is being considered by scientists as a tool to use to study other very complicated medical conditions. "Some [researchers] have asked for our manual of operation," said Greenspan. The study is called Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) and is funded by the NIDCR, part of the National Institutes of Health. It is headed by William Maixner, DDS, PhD, of the Center for Neurosensory Disorders, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina. Maixner answered a question about the huge size of the study, "It is prototypical of a pain population because it cuts across so many groups (of people). ýSo, it is a convenient cohort to study certain hypotheses." Historically, dentists routinely recommended surgery to try to correct TMJD, but surgery is no longer a leading recommendation. Dental treatments include filing down teeth to make them fit better in the bite, or using dental appliances to even out the bite, like a matchbox under a table leg. "But sometimes grinding makes things worse and may not be the answer. Noninvasive techniques are better recommended, such as appliances or reduced stress through exercise," said Greenspan. However, these treatments are not as successful as one would like. TMJD occurs at least twice as often in women than in men, and often with more severe symptoms in women, perhaps because women are more pain sensitive, he said. In an NIDCR survey of 42,370 adults, (ages 18 to 75 and older) over a six-month period prior to Dec. 20, 2008, 3.5 percent of males and 6.9 percent of females reported pain in the jaw joint or in front of the ear more than once. The average for participants ages 75 and older of both sexes combined was 3.9 percent, but the average for those in the 18- to 34-year-old group was 6.5 percent. Posting Date: 05/07/2010 Contact Name: Steve Berberich Contact Email: [email protected]

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New dental clinic for low-income residents to open in Walworth Bill Olmsted / [email protected] A two-bedroom apartment on the grounds of Inspiration Ministries on Hwy 67 between Williams Bay and Fontana, has been converted into a dental clinic. TO LEARN MOREFor more information on accepted insurances or to make an appointment at Walworth Inspired Community Healthcare, N2270 Highway 67, Walworth, call Priscilla Sandoval at Community Health Systems, 608-313-3128.The dental clinic will be open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. WALWORTH�— Before a new dental clinic for low-income people even opens its doorS, there is talk about expanding its hours, space and staff because of a high demand for its services. The Walworth Inspired Community Healthcare dental clinic, N2270 Highway 67, Walworth, is scheduled to open Monday, Dec. 16, and operate two days a week. It has about 75 appointments for its team of two dentists and a hygienist. “It won't be long before we'll be expanding beyond the two days.” said Richard Perry, chief executive officer for Community Health Services of Beloit. “With the number of patients who already made appointments, we will be six months out, easy, and we're there to help increase access, not delay it. We're off to a pretty good start.” The dental clinic is a product of research and collaborative planning between the Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services, Walworth's Inspiration Ministries and Community Health Systems of Beloit. “It was the perfect storm,” said Janis Ellefsen, health officer and manager at human services. “Everybody came together at the right time, and it worked for all of us … We're committed to this.” Health Services created a goal of opening a clinic at Inspiration Ministries between 2012 and 2014 after focus groups for the county's Community Health Improvement Plan showed residents are concerned about the availability of affordable oral healthcare. Many people in the area don't have dental insurance. Some are covered by Medicaid, which many dentists in the area don't take or accept only on a limited basis, said Robin Knoll, Inspiration Ministries pastor. “The goal is to just serve as many underprivileged as we can as quickly as possible, realistically as possible,” Knoll said. The clinic will provide cleanings, fillings, extractions and other dental services for patients who are on Medicaid, Badger Care Standard Plan and other insurance plans. The clinic will not provide orthodontics. Knoll suspects the majority of the appointments will be for typical dental check-ups. The clinic will offer a sliding fee schedule for patients who do not have insurance. For example, people with income at 100 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for the sliding fee schedule and would be charged $40 for each visit but no additional expenses, Perry said. About four years ago, Knoll noticed a need for affordable oral healthcare among people with disabilities and on Medicaid. The ministry had a local dentist volunteer half a day once a month, but Knoll knew it wasn't enough. Health Services and Community Health Systems of Beloit contacted Knoll about the potential of a dental clinic at Inspiration Ministries. “I said, 'Boy that's kind of an answer to our prayer. Let's talk about it',” Knoll said. “And for the last year we have been working on this partnership and looking at how we can open the clinic and serve those in need.” Inspiration Ministries, a Christian-based residential community and care provider for people with disabilities, is providing the space for the clinic. One of its two-bedroom apartments has been converted into the clinic. The living room is now the waiting room, and each bedroom is an operatory. Community Health Systems of Beloit is staffing the clinic with dentists and dental hygienists and managing the appointment schedule

医学

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Dallas hospital caught in spotlight in Ebola case CVS Caremark plans to stop tobacco products sales FILE - In this Wednesday, July 17, 2013 file photo, Marlboro cigarettes are on display in a CVS store in Pittsburgh. The nation's second-largest drugstore chain says it will phase out cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco by Oct. 1 as it continues to focus more on health care. The move will cost the Woonsocket, R.I., company about $2 billion in annual revenue. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) MICHAEL FELBERBAUM CVS Caremark's decision to pull cigarettes and other tobacco products from its stores could ripple beyond the nation's second-largest drugstore chain.The move, which drew praise from President Barack Obama, doctors and anti-smoking groups when it was announced on Wednesday, puts pressure on other retailers to stop selling tobacco as well. But first they have to overcome their addiction to a product that attracts customers."They don't make much money on tobacco, but it does draw people into the store," said Craig R. Johnson, president of the retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners.CVS Caremark Corp. said it will phase out tobacco by Oct. 1 in its 7,600 stores nationwide as it shifts toward being more of a health care provider. CVS and other drugstore chains have been adding in-store clinics and expanding their health care offerings. They've also been expanding the focus of some clinics to include helping people manage chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes.CVS CEO Larry Merlo said the company concluded it could no longer sell cigarettes in a setting where health care also is being delivered. In fact, as CVS has been working to team up with hospital groups and doctor practices to help deliver and monitor patient care, CVS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Troyen A. Brennan said the presence of tobacco in its stores has made for some awkward conversations."One of the first questions they ask us is, 'Well, if you're going to be part of the health care system, how can you continue to sell tobacco products?'" he said. "There's really no good answer to that at all."CVS, based in Woonsocket, R.I., follows a precedent set by other drugstores. Most independent pharmacies abstain from tobacco sales, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. Pharmacies in Europe also don't sell cigarettes, and neither does major U.S. retailer Target Corp., which operates some pharmacies in its stores.But the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which also operates pharmacies, does sell tobacco. So do CVS competitors Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp.Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called on others to follow the CVS example. "We need an all-hands-on-deck effort to take tobacco products out of the hands of America's younger generation, and to help those who are addicted to quit," she said in a statement.Both Walgreen and Rite Aid representatives said Wednesday that they are always evaluating what they offer customers and whether that meets their needs.The question of whether to sell tobacco is complex for retailers because it's a revenue driver. Dollar stores such as Family Dollar have started selling it over the last couple years, and they note that smokers make more frequent stops at retailers in order to buy tobacco. That's an important factor because these customers also may pick up other items when they visit.In fact, CVS said that while it has about $1.5 billion annually in tobacco sales, it expects to lose about $2 billion in annual revenue by removing tobacco because smokers also buy other products when they visit. Overall, the company brought in more than $123 billion in total revenue in 2012.But CVS is in a unique position from some of its peers. While it trails only Walgreen in terms of number of drugstores, it draws most of its revenue from its pharmacy benefits management, or PBM, business. PBMs run prescription drug plans for employers, insurers and other customers.Having the PBM business made it easier for CVS to disavow tobacco, according to Morningstar analyst Vishnu Lekraj. He noted that Walgreen, Rite Aid and other mass retailers depend more on convenience goods for their sales. Even so, he said he thinks Walgreen may eventually follow CVS and remove tobacco because it also has emphasized its role as a health care provider.Gabelli Funds analyst Jeff Jonas agrees. "I think once one chain does it, the other one really has to follow," he said. Gabelli noted, though, that Rite Aid may be less likely to do so because it hasn't made the same in-store investment in clinics as the other chains.Either way, the move by CVS highlights the pressure companies that sell tobacco are facing to kick that habit. Tobacco is responsible for about 480,000 deaths a year in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration, which gained the authority to regulate tobacco products in 2009.The federal government has renewed efforts to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the landmark 1964 surgeon general's report that launched the anti-smoking movement. A new 980-page report issued last month by acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak also urged new resolve to make the next generation smoke-free. 1 2 - Next page >> Comment

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Women and Hair Loss: The Causes 09/19/2011 11:09 AM Women and Hair Loss: The Causes By Associated Press WebMD talks to experts about the possible causes of hair loss in women.s may be quite different that what causes balding in men. Women and Hair Loss: Possible CausesAre you losing more hair than you should, and what can you do about it?WebMD Feature Tammy Worth Survey: Most Baldness Treatments Don't WorkScientists Find Possible Genetic Roots of Alopecia Areata (Hair Loss)seborrheic dermatitisThinning Hair Care: Coloring, Styles, Shampoos, Cosmetic Products, and MoreThe best way to think of the way hair grows is to picture a garden. How well it grows is completely a result of what is happening “underground.”“Like a garden,a normal hair cycle should lead to a product, which is the hair,” says Wendy Roberts, MD, a dermatologist at a private practice in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “Growth cycles are important because when they go awry, that is one of the reasons we have hair loss.”And things that interfere with the cycle -- like medication, illness, infection, or chemicals -- have the potential to stop hair from being formed properly. “It’s a very dynamic place and anything that can get the cycle off can cause hair loss,” Roberts says.Although hair loss may seem like a more prominent problem in men, women are nearly as likely to lose, or have thinning, hair. Most women notice it in their 50s or 60s, but it can happen at any age and for a variety of reasons.Way to GrowHair grows in three different cycles: anagen, catagen, and telogen. About 90% of the hair on the head is in the anagen, or growth phase, which lasts anywhere from two to eight years. The catagen, or transition phase, typically lasts 2-3 weeks, during which the hair follicle shrinks. During the telogen cycle, which lasts around two to four months, the hair rests.An overwhelming majority of the time the hair is on the scalp, it is growing. Only about 10% of the strands are in transition or resting at any one time. Hair grows about 6 inches a year for most people.At a LossMost people lose anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair each day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. On the days when hair is washed, people can lose up to 250 strands, Roberts said. But don’t avoid washing in an attempt to keep the hair, as it will fall out eventually, anyway.For those who don’t plan on counting their hair every day, there are ways to know when hair is thinning or being lost at a higher rate. Roberts tells WebMD that women will see a difference. When waking up in the morning, there may be an usually large amount on your pillow. When you comb your hair (especially without tugging, which can pull the hair out), more than normal will be left in the comb.There are also other visual cues that women can look for over time. Although men’s hair tends to recede from the forehead or the crown of the head, women tend to notice thinning on the top third to one half of the scalp. Sometimes their frontal line stays intact, says Nicole Rogers, MD, of Old Metairie Dermatology in Metairie, La. Women may see a part that is gradually becoming wider or see more of their scalp than normal when their hair is pulled back.When a patient comes in with concerns about hair loss, there is a combination of ways to make a diagnosis, Rogers says. Preliminary blood work is usually taken to make sure the thyroid gland or an autoimmune disease isn’t the culprit.In Your GenesAnother way to diagnose what the problem is just by looking and listening, Rogers says. She asks what a patient’s mother, aunts, or grandmothers look like - if they have similar, or greater amounts, of hair loss. Using magnification on the scalp can show if a woman’s follicles vary in size - with some thick and others thin. These are two telltale signs of female pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia. This is a hereditary condition that affects about 30 million American women, according to the America Academy of Dermatology, and is the most common kind of hair loss Rogers sees in her practice. She tells WebMD that it happens to about 50% of women. Although it mostly occurs in the late 50s or 60s, it can happen at any time, even during teenage years, Rogers says.Typically, each time a normal hair follicle is shed, it is replaced by hair that is equal in size. But in women with female-pattern hair loss, the new hair is finer and thinner - a more miniaturized version of itself, Rogers says. The hair follicles are shrinking and eventually they quit growing altogether.Medical and Other ConditionsIf hair follicles are uniform in size, or if the hair loss is sudden, it is likely to be caused by something other than heredity, like a medical condition, Rogers says.There are a wide range of conditions that can bring on hair loss, with some of the most common being pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and anemia. Others include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.Though there has been a link between menopause and hair loss, Roberts says she doesn’t think there is a direct correlation. It could be that menopause and hair loss just occur at the same age.Other reasons for hair loss include extreme stress; physical trauma like surgery or intense illness; dramatic weight loss over a short period of time; and taking too much Vitamin A, Roberts says. And hair loss can occur a couple of weeks to six months after any of these experiences.“Someone can have surgery and be just fine and then two weeks later their hair starts falling out,” Roberts says. “It can be very scary when it starts falling out in big clumps.”Easy Does ItOne other way to thin hair is self-inflicted - hairstyles like cornrows or too-tight braids can cause hair loss called traction alopecia.All of the things women do to manipulate their hair -- dyes, chemical treatments, bad brushes, blow dryers, and flat irons -- can result in damage and breakage, Roberts says. This includes brushing too much and towel drying aggressively when the hair is wet.Luckily, for most of these issues, the hair grows back or the loss can be reversed with medical treatments. But it is important to see a dermatologist if there seems to be something wrong, because the sooner treatment is started, the better the chances are for improving your growing season.SOURCES:Nicole Rogers, MD, Old Metairie Dermatology, Metairie, La.; voluntary faculty, Tulane University.Wendy Roberts, MD, dermatologist in private practice, Rancho Mirage, Calif.© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Herrmann Spetzler Healthcare Leader Herrmann Spetzler (M.A. '87) has made nationally recognized contributions to primary health care in rural California. He is a model of community service. Mr. Spetzler's achievements in expanding access to medical and dental care in remote parts of the state exemplify the commitment to public service that is nurtured within the California State University and Humboldt State University. For close to four decades, Mr. Spetzler has been Chief Executive Officer of the Humboldt Open Door Clinic. Under his farsighted stewardship, the original storefront facility now comprises a network of ten clinics and two mobile clinics, one medical and one dental. Mr. Spetzler has been president of the North Coast Clinics Network, spanning three counties, since 1994. The network provides some 58,000 visits each year. He is the founder and past president of the California State Rural Health Association, the founder of the Northern Rural Roundtable, and a co-founder and former president of the California Primary Care Association. Recognized by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the California State Legislature for his dedication to accessible medical care, Mr. Spetzler currently is president of the Clinic Networks of Northern California. This system of community care stretches from the Bay Area to the Oregon border. Mr. Spetzler's service encompasses numerous current and former positions. They include the Statewide Primary Care Advisory Group to the State Health Director; the Rural and Farm Workers Health Advisory Group; the California Association of Alcoholism Recovery Homes; the Humboldt Child Care Council; and the California Association of Free-Standing Birth Centers. In recognition of his enduring and extraordinary impact on North Coast rural health care, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and Humboldt State University are proud to confer upon Herrmann Spetzler the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.

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$25 million gift for cancer research By Amy Adams Jill and John Freidenrich Jill and John Freidenrich, alumni and longtime supporters of Stanford, will give $25 million to the School of Medicine to boost its work in translational research in cancer and other diseases. The gift is one of the school's largest single contributions to date. The gift will establish the Jill and John Freidenrich Center for Translational Research at Stanford University, designed to be the hub for the school's work in translational medicine, which will occur in close partnership with the Stanford Hospital & Clinics and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The center, to be located on Welch Road in Palo Alto, will house clinical trials in cancer and new faculty working in translational medicine, as well as biostatisticians, research nurses and others involved in the process of turning new discoveries into treatments. "It's one thing to do research. But if you really want to help people who are ill, you want to develop the best therapies and then conduct clinical trials," said John Freidenrich, a lawyer turned venture capitalist and investor. "We have to find more ways to go from the bench to clinical trials to patients. Stanford has world-class researchers and clinicians, so I don't think there's any place better suited to carry out this work." John Freidenrich, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford, once chaired the university's Board of Trustees and is a longstanding member of the board of Stanford Hospital and chair of the board at Packard Children's Hospital. Jill Freidenrich, who also received a Stanford undergraduate degree, is a cancer survivor who became an advocate for women after suffering a bout with breast cancer in 1991. The disease struck her like an earthquake, leaving her terrified and unsure where to find help, she said. "It came out of nowhere—you can't rehearse for something like that," she said. "With every woman who's diagnosed, it's the same. If only we could have a blueprint that would make it easier and more manageable." She said a woman whom she barely knew reached out to her and became her "buddy for the journey," calling her every day during her treatment. Realizing the value of such supportive relationships, she co-founded the Community Breast Health Project in Palo Alto in 1993, a resource center and support network for those with breast cancer. She remains actively involved in the group today. The experience affected their entire family, John Freidenrich said, and intensified his desire to help the medical school realize its strategic goal of "translating discoveries," the process of turning new laboratory findings into therapies for patients. "Jill and John Freidenrich are remarkable, wonderful individuals who are deeply committed to Stanford and to our community," said Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. "They have recognized that making the connections between the laboratory and the patient requires more than words. It requires a Stanford Medical Center-wide effort that aligns basic and clinical scientists across the university with doctors, nurses and other care providers through translational and clinical research. I am deeply grateful for their vision and generosity. " The gift comes at a time when Stanford's cancer center is seeking official designation from the National Cancer Institute. Beverly Mitchell, MD, deputy director of the Stanford Cancer Center, said the Freidenrich gift will provide vitally needed support for that effort, helping the school expand its clinical research program, particularly in solid tumors, and develop novel drugs. "This gift will make all the difference in what we will be able to do in the coming years," said Mitchell, who will serve as director of the Freidenrich Center. The plan is to house the center in a new, 32,000-square-foot building at 800 Welch Road, formerly the home of the Stanford Blood Center. The building will provide space for the Cancer Clinical Trials Office, which coordinates ongoing human studies. Stanford currently has more than 2,000 adults and children enrolled in 260 trials involving new therapies to prevent and treat cancers; some of these are multicenter studies in which Stanford plays a role. Mitchell said she hopes the gift will spawn more trials initiated by Stanford investigators. The center is also designed to make trials more readily accessible to patients and encourage them to participate—not always an easy task, Jill Freidenrich said. "The more who say yes to clinical trials, the faster we'll get answers," she said. The center will house up to 10 new faculty in translational medicine, including specialists in breast and gastrointestinal cancers and head and neck tumors, Mitchell said. In addition, it will include an expanded group in biostatistics, the bedrock for all clinical trials, as well as support personnel and equipment. But the center won't focus on cancer alone. John Freidenrich said he expects it to serve as the basis for a range of programs in translational medicine at the school. "One of my hopes is to jumpstart all of translational research activities at the medical center," he said. Posted: 09/13/06 You are Here: Stanford Medicine » School of Medicine » Stanford Cancer Institute » News & Events » Features » Research News Navigation for This Section: News and Events Latest News ©2009 Stanford Medicine

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Providing Safe and Effective Pharmaceuticals: FDA Reviewers in Training at DU NewsNews Coverage for DuquesneOffice of Public Affairs4th Floor Koren Building718 Fifth AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15219 Providing Safe and Effective Pharmaceuticals: FDA Reviewers in Training at DUSeptember 20th, 2011Some of the professionals who evaluate the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products are at Duquesne University this week to update their knowledge regarding modern methods of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Duquesne University’s Center for Pharmaceutical Technology (DCPT), an academic research center in the Mylan School of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is hosting 27 reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through Friday, Sept. 23. Through classroom sessions and hands-on laboratory experiences, the FDA scientists will study current methods and novel technologies with the pharmaceutical experts of the DCPT. Duquesne is the only university in Pennsylvania and one of a handful of institutions nationwide to provide this type of training to FDA scientists who review new drug applications from the pharmaceutical industry and the manufacturing facilities where such products are made. “The FDA reviewers are learning about Quality-by-Design, Process Analytical Technology, and other modern concepts and methods that state-of-the-art manufacturers use to produce pharmaceuticals,” explained Dr. James K. Drennen III, associate dean of research and graduate programs in Duquesne’s Mylan School of Pharmacy and director of the DCPT. Quality-by-Design is a manufacturing philosophy that guides product development, providing a scientific risk-based approach to product and process development and the control systems needed to efficiently manufacture safe and effective pharmaceutical products. “This program is one example of the FDA’s effort to provide its regulatory staff with knowledge of the most modern technologies and practices so that they can do their job of protecting the American consumer,” said Drennen, who organized the program with Dr. Carl Anderson, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences. A variety of faculty, scientific staff and graduate students will deliver the training in cooperation with DCPT partners Emerson Process Management and CAMO Software Inc. The DCPT’s work has attracted FDA collaboration and industrial contracts since its founding in 2004. Additionally, because of its expertise in this area, Duquesne is one of 10 leading universities comprising the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education, a consortium that is developing technologies and educational programs on process design, scale-up and validation for drug manufacturers.Duquesne UniversityFounded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic research universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for 10,000-plus graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students' social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne's commitment to sustainability.Contact Us Work at DU Legal Site Map Campus Tour

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New CSPC Study By Top Health Experts Points to Need for SNAP (Food Stamp Program) to Tackle Obesity Crisis in Addition to Food Insecurity Comprehensive Study Urges Public Health Approaches and Innovations That Make SNAP a 21st Century Program to Address Today's Dual Crises July 18, 2012 12:14 ET | Source: Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress WASHINGTON, July 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Underscoring the need to protect and enhance the effectiveness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – currently a target of budget cut debates on Capitol Hill – leading public health experts today called for a focused effort to strengthen the program to address the nation's now dual crises of food insecurity and obesity. SNAP, a $76 billion dollar federal food assistance program, provides its 46.2 million participants with resources to purchase food (while excluding alcohol, tobacco, food eaten in the store, hot prepared foods, and dietary supplements). Citing the fact that 50 percent of SNAP participants are children – with 1 in 2 children participating in the program before the age of 19 – the report emphasizes the importance of updating SNAP so that it can fulfill the promise of its recent name change from the Food Stamp Program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. "First and foremost, the current SNAP budget should be preserved – we cannot leave millions of Americans without this vital safety net," said Susan Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.A., Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the Health and Medicine Program at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC), the organization that conducted the study with the Harvard School of Public Health and other partners. "But the absolute next priority is to strengthen nutrition in SNAP – the fact that 1 in 7 Americans are food insecure while two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese reveals a perilous American paradox that SNAP must address." The "SNAP to Health" report released today identifies seven areas for potential program improvements, ranging from lowering the cost of healthy foods for SNAP participants and discouraging the purchase of high-calorie/low-nutrient foods to increasing the distribution frequency of SNAP benefits. The report also identifies a 10-point menu of recommendations to refresh and update policy approaches, including: incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables; strengthening stocking standards for SNAP retailer certification to include a greater variety of healthy foods; collecting data on foods purchased with SNAP benefits to increase the effectiveness and transparency of the program; providing states with greater flexibility to test fresh approaches to promote public health in SNAP; and pilot-testing specific strategies to improve children's nutrition in SNAP, given the high participation among children under the age of 19. "The time has come for a strategic, coordinated, public health-driven strategy for SNAP – to not move in this direction is an enormous missed opportunity to meet two dire needs in this country in one significant fell swoop," said Walter Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Grounded in scientific evidence from the most comprehensive public health study of the program to date, the "SNAP to Health" report provides a roadmap for policymakers, public health professionals, educators, advocates, researchers and industry to work jointly to strengthen and update the program. The focus is on a range of innovations that build on the foundation that SNAP provides, all toward helping to reduce widespread diet-related health disparities affecting low-income Americans, including the working poor, children, and more than 1.5 million veteran households. "When the Food Stamp Program was established in 1964, obesity affected only a small percentage of the U.S. population," said Project Director Dr. Susan Blumenthal, going on to underscore, "Today, with 68 percent of Americans overweight, obesity is fueling a tsunami of chronic diseases that undermines our country's health, economy and national security." Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and former chair of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University noted, "The WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program was updated in 2009 to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and improve its nutrition standards, making it easier for participants to purchase fruits and vegetables, for example – it's time for SNAP to do the same and help address today's needs." To study the feasibility of enhancing nutritional policies in SNAP and to develop innovative strategies to address the pressing 21st century public health challenges of food insecurity and obesity, CSPC convened an interdisciplinary team of experts who, together with the Center's Health and Medicine Program staff, conducted an in-depth scientific literature review of SNAP, a survey of key stakeholders and a comprehensive statistical analysis of data specifically related to children from the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The SNAP to Health initiative seeks to identify the barriers, best practices, and promising innovations for improving nutrition within the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in time for the program's re-authorization in the 2012 Farm Bill. Its interactive website, http://www.snaptohealth.org, serves as a national forum for public discourse on improving nutrition in SNAP in advance of SNAP's reauthorization in the upcoming Farm Bill and beyond. The Center for the Study of the Presidency and the Congress is a non-profit, non-partisan policy and education institution dedicated to generating innovative solutions for the nation's challenges. Berry Brady, 703.609.6643 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com http://www.cisionwire.com/center-for-the-study-of-the-presidency---congress/r/new-cspc-study-by-top-health-experts-points-to-need-for-snap--food-stamp-program--to-tackle-obesity-,c9285669 The following pictures are available for download: Center for the Study of the Presidency Congress SNAP to Health graphic other press releases by Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress and Public Health Experts Issue Call to Protect and Strengthen SNAP as a 21st Century Nutrition Program Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress http://www.thepresidency.org Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress Logo FOODS Easily Send & Share Press Releases

医学

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New clinic on drawing board Written by Elizabeth Barrett Wednesday, 24 February 2010 23:00 GMH board asks for building designs. Gothenburg hospital officials are moving ahead with plans to build a multi-physician specialty clinic. “It would eliminate duplication of services and provide them more economically,” said Gothenburg Memorial Hospital administrator John Johnson. Johnson said a new clinic would also solve cramped quarters problems at Gothenburg Family Practice—a clinic attached to the hospital that houses three physicians, a physician’s assistant and staff, Johnson said. “There’s no room for anyone else,” he said. The physicians rent the building from the hospital. At this point, Johnson said the GMH board is soliciting conceptual designs from three construction companies—Paulsen Inc. of Cozad, Lacy Construction Company of Grand Island and Sampson Construction of Omaha. “We’ve not signed any papers or made any formal commitments,” he said. Parameters given to the companies, Johnson said, are that the building accommodate up to five doctors and two physician’s assistants and is about 10,000 square feet. Johnson said the board and hospital administration would also like to have the building attached to GMH so doctors could use the diagnostic corridor of the hospital where such things as laboratory, X-ray, CAT scans and mammogram equipment are available. Board members will consider the appearance of the building, location, square footage and cost when selecting a construction firm, he said. Johnson said he thinks it’s a good time to get bids because the construction industry is flat and square foot building costs have dropped. “That makes us very interested,” he said. Still, Johnson said the downturn in the economy is finally catching up to Nebraska and its hospitals. Even though there’s been belt tightening, he said it’s important for the future of health care in the community to have good physicians and a good facility where they can work. “We’re planning for the future in recruiting tomorrow’s technologically advanced physicians,” he said. Officials are also working with funding specialists to explore all grant possibilities. Johnson said they’d like to get a United States Department of Agriculture loan to help pay for the project but it will be a different process than when officials remodeled and built an addition to GMH. “Because of federal stimulus money, they have different methods,” he said, noting that the USDA and private banks would share responsibility for such a loan. Johnson didn’t know the cost of the project, noting that they are still designing the clinic. Building a speciality clinic in the community has been talked about by the board for several years, he said. “We’re moving ahead but cautiously,” Johnson said.

医学

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Why Choose UsBrooklyn's Leading HospitalLeadershipQuality & SafetyWe Speak Your LanguagePast, Present & FutureCore PrinciplesBrooklyn: Our CommunityCommunity ServicesCommunity Service PlanMaimonides In The NewsIn The NewsPress ReleasesVideo News and LibraryContact Us HomeWhy Choose UsMaimonides In The NewsIn The NewsMaimonides Receives Accreditation From the ACS Commission on Cancer Maimonides Receives Accreditation From the ACS Commission on Cancer BROOKLYN, New York (November 17, 2010) – The Maimonides Cancer Center – Brooklyn’s only dedicated cancer center – has been given a three-year accreditation with commendation by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients. “From its inception, the Cancer Center was intended to provide the highest quality clinical care. The official ‘stamp-of-approval’ with commendations from an independent agency of the Commission on Cancer's stature, as well as the numerous other accreditations that we have received, proves that we have succeeded,” says Jay S. Cooper, MD, Director of the Center and Chair of Department of Radiation Oncology. A facility receives a three-year accreditation with commendation after an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor who finds that the facility demonstrates a high level of compliance. According to the Commission on Cancer, “Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care, and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.” Accredited facilities must undergo an on-site review every three years. Patients receiving care at CoC-accredited cancer programs, such as the Maimonides Cancer Center, are assured of having access to comprehensive care, state-of-the-art services and equipment, a multi-specialty, team approach to coordinate best treatment options, information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options, and quality care close to home. An estimated 11,000 people in Brooklyn are diagnosed every year with some form of cancer. The Maimonides Cancer Center, first opened in May 2005, is a state-of-the-art facility offering a full range of cancer services, all conveniently located to maximize patients' time and minimize the disruption of their lives. The Center is designed to treat each patient as a whole person and integrate healing of body, mind and spirit. The medical team emphasizes a multi-modality approach to care, which means multiple methods of treatment are available to patients -- sometimes simultaneously. Each patient's needs, disease and treatment are considered by a team that includes physicians from radiology, surgery, pathology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. The Cancer Center offers a patient-centered environment, with a variety of support services to help manage the stresses that go beyond diagnosis and treatment. Now celebrating its Centennial, Maimonides Medical Center is among the largest independent teaching hospitals in the nation – training over 450 interns, residents and fellows annually. Widely recognized for its major achievements in advancing medical and information technology, Maimonides has 705 beds and over 70 subspecialty programs. For more information on the state-of-the-art clinical services at Maimonides Medical Center, please visit our homepage.

医学

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News tagged with s all Parkinson's & Movement disorders Is Parkinson's an autoimmune disease? The cause of neuronal death in Parkinson's disease is still unknown, but a new study proposes that neurons may be mistaken for foreign invaders and killed by the person's own immune system, similar to the ... Parkinson's & Movement disorders Treating depression in Parkinson's patients A group of scientists from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has found interesting new information in a study on depression and neuropsychological function in Parkinson's ... Unlocking a mystery of Huntington's disease in space (Medical Xpress)—An experiment just launched into orbit by a team of Caltech researchers could be an important step toward understanding a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Loss of memory in Alzheimer's mice models reversed through gene therapy Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia and affects some 400,000 people in Spain alone. However, no effective cure has yet been found. One of the reasons for this is the lack of knowledge about ... Oligomers' role in the development of Parkinson's disease Researchers at Aarhus University, Denmark, have drawn up the most detailed 'image of the enemy' to date of one of the body's most important players in the development of Parkinson's disease. This provides much greater understanding ... Connection between genetic variation and immune system, risk for neurodegenerative and other disease Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Harvard Medical School (HMS), the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and University of Chicago report findings demonstrating how ... Depression tied to Crohn's disease flare-ups (HealthDay)—Depression may increase the risk of Crohn's disease flare-ups in people with the inflammatory bowel disorder, an early new study suggests. Novel protein fragments may protect against Alzheimer's The devastating loss of memory and consciousness in Alzheimer's disease is caused by plaque accumulations and tangles in neurons, which kill brain cells. Alzheimer's research has centered on trying to understand ... Rice researcher rebooting 'deep brain stimulation' Deep brain stimulators, devices that zap Parkinson's disease tremors by sending electrical current deep into nerve centers near the brain stem, may sound like they are cutting-edge, but Rice University's ... New amyloid-reducing compound could be a preventive measure against Alzheimer's Scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified a compound, called 2-PMAP, in animal studies that reduced by more than half levels of amyloid proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers ... A new diagnostic tool for dementia diseases A new diagnostic tool helps clinicians to differentiate between Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Presented in the doctoral thesis of MD Miguel Ángel Muñoz Ruiz at the University ... UK's Cameron launches world's biggest dementia study The world's largest study of dementia was launched by British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday as part of a drive to speed up the search for treatments. Trial to test new drug that may slow Alzheimer's memory loss (Medical Xpress)—A new research study at Northwestern Medicine and Rush University Medical Center is testing whether a new investigational treatment can slow the memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease. Deep brain stimulation improves non motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a well-recognized non-pharmacologic treatment that improves motor symptoms of patients with early and advanced Parkinson's disease. Evidence now indicates that DBS ... Using femtosecond lasers to administer drugs Combining physics and neurobiology to tackle Parkinson's Disease is research "I would never have been able to do outside of OIST," says Professor Keshav Dani. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ...

医学

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End-of-Life Care: The Crossroads Between Ethics and Culture Dula F. Pacquiao, RN, EdD, CTN Healthcare professionals need to understand the patient's life context and give support so the patient can continue his or her valued traditions. Culture is a learned way of life that provides the context for interpreting experiences and directing actions of individuals and groups. It evolves from generations of dealing with daily challenges of life to achieve a secure and meaningful existence. At the core of culture are values and beliefs that influence all other aspects of life, such as practices relevant to life transitions - birth, marriage, illness, and death. As life ebbs, when biomedical cures are no longer possible, the supernatural and religious/spiritual dimensions of culture increase in significance.In healthcare, ethical practice is doing what's right or best for one's patient within a given situation. What's right or best should be based on the context of meanings to patients and families, not the practitioners. As caregivers come in contact with different cultural groups, it is important not to assume that there is a universal context of meanings. Rather, there is a need to understand similarities and differences across groups and within the same groups in order to act in a culturally congruent manner. Culturally congruent and competent care supports and preserves those valued traditions that have given meanings to people's lives.Ethical practice only exists when cultural values, beliefs, and practices of patients are recognized, respected, and supported. Caring requires that practitioners become committed to the concept that patients and families have a fundamental human right to culturally-congruent and competent care. This commitment is fulfilled by developing a body of knowledge and skills in dealing with different and similar cultural groups in healthcare. A practitioner needs to be equally prepared to support an Anglo-American patient who values individual autonomy and a Chinese patient who values family and group harmony in decision-making. Patients and families are coparticipants in making decisions about their care. They are the experts of their culture and practitioners need to work with them in understanding their life context and provide support for achieving continuity of their valued traditions.Practitioners must be cognizant of their professional and organizational cultures which generally reflect the dominant societal culture. Professional and organizational socialization reinforces the core cultural values of the society where one practices. Hence, there is greater continuity experienced by Anglo-American patients with the organizational/professional culture in the US than for migrants to the culture. Conversely, foreign-trained and ethnic minority practitioners may be able to provide greater continuity for patients from their own culture but their indigenous practices may be incompatible with the cultural values of Anglo-American patients. Ethical practitioners are able to bracket their own values and beliefs, and work with professional, organizational and societal cultural biases that hinder actualization of culturally-congruent care for their patients.Leininger has identified three action modes to achieve culturally-congruent care1 -1. Cultural Preservation - maintaining the valued life traditions of people2. Cultural Accommodation - negotiating with values and traditions when these can not be fully preserved or maintained3. Cultural Repatterning - changing people's life ways when preservation and accommodation are not possiblePractitioners may use one or all three action modes at the same time. Repatterning is commonly used to change mindsets of practitioners or people in the organizations so that preservation and accommodation can occur. Preserving and accommodating valued traditions generally yield effective actions but require knowledge and skills about the culture involved.In one hospital, the son of an older Egyptian widow had requested that the physicians and nurses not tell the patient that her diagnosis was terminal cancer of the colon. He agreed with the physician to use the word, "tumor" instead. Truth-telling and informed consent that are considered fundamental individual rights in the Western world are not priorities in cultures where the family and group hierarchy are superimposed upon individual autonomy. The family did not take away the patient's right to know but believed that they were acting in the best interest of the patient by not adding to her worry or despair (beneficence and nonmaleficence).One of the patient's daughters stayed with her most of the day and gave her hygienic care. When the physician asked the daughter about hospice, she suggested that the MD speak with her brother. The son, who is the primary decision-maker in the absence of his father, did not want hospice care if his mother needed to be informed of her diagnosis. In fact, the patient was discharged without hospice care. The daughter quit her job so she could devote time to her mother's care at home.Members of this family are devout Muslims who share the belief that only the creator has the power to give and remove life. Hence, prognostication by using the words terminal cancer are considered inappropriate human acts. The patient died shortly after being readmitted to the hospital. Before she died, groups of visitors stayed at her bedside to pray and give her comfort. At the time of death, her son brought an imam who blessed her body and ensured that only female members of the group cleansed and prepared the body for immediate burial. The nursing staff were asked to stay out of the patient's room and not to touch her body.Cultural preservation was used in respecting the family's wishes not to inform the patient of her terminal condition. Group solidarity rather than patient autonomy was the cultural context of the family. Accommodation was implemented by allowing frequent visits by large numbers of her family, providing gender-congruent care and calling the imam to bless the patient. Repatterning of the staff's views and the organizational policy on hospice could have been implemented to accommodate the family's religious traditions and family obligation of caring for each other.Transcultural caring is generally possible when practitioners' become sensitized to differences, become open-minded, and are able to restructure the organizational policies and activities to accommodate different ways of life. In most cases, this is the challenge to achievement of meaningful care for patients in situations surrounding end-of-life. other New York stories The Valley Hospital�s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center achieves re-certificationHackensack network plans merger talks with Meridian HealthCooperative agreement will help Columbia Nursing expand LGBT health servicesNyack Hospital hosts dedication of new Infusion CenterNorth Central Bronx Hospital reopens labor and delivery unit View All New York Stories

医学

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NSMC named Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report forthe third year in a rowLearn more Home > News & Events > Press Item NSMC in the News NSMC News Releases Mitchell S. Rein, M.D., receives prestigious honor from Partners HealthCare NSMC Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Mitchell S. Rein, M.D., has been awarded the Samuel O. Thier Award for Physician Leadership by Partners HealthCare. The Samuel O. Thier Award for Physician Leadership is presented annually to the physician who best makes an important contribution as a leader and reflects core values of courage, integrity and resilience. This award was named in honor of Dr. Thier, the second CEO of Partners HealthCare. Dr. Rein was selected from among 4,500 physicians within the Partners network. “I am so honored and humbled. Partner’s institutions have been my professional home and professional family for 31 years,” said Mitchell S. Rein, M.D. “More than the recognition that comes with this great honor is the responsibility to promote the core values of the award and the responsibility to mentor the next generation of physician leaders. I have learned so much from so many talented individuals and it’s a privilege to work for such a world class organization.” Since his arrival at NSMC in 1997, Dr. Rein has been consistently recognized by his peers for his thoughtful leadership, clinical acumen and high standards. His contributions to NSMC and Partners are many and include his work with the Partners HealthCare initiative for High Performance Medicine, Partners Care Redesign and Patient Affordability and NSMC’s Culture of Excellence initiatives. Dr. Rein has served in his current role at NSMC since 2004. Prior to this position, he served as chair for the department of obstetrics and gynecology at NSMC and vice chair for the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is currently a member of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital and NSMC where he practices infertility and assisted reproductive technologies and gynecology. He is also an associate professor in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Rein is chairman of the Partners Community Healthcare, Inc. (PCHI) board of trustees and a member of the board of trustees for North Shore Medical Center, North Shore Physicians Group and North Shore Health System. He also serves on numerous other committees and councils at NSMC and Partners HealthCare. NSMC (North Shore Medical Center) is a multi-site health system headquartered in Salem, Mass., which includes NSMC Salem Hospital, NSMC Union Hospital in Lynn, MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center, NSMC Heart Center, NSMC Women’s Center and the physician network known as North Shore Physicians Group. NSMC and Massachusetts General Hospital together provide care at the Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care and the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers. NSMC is a member of Partners HealthCare, which was founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. #northshoremed### << back WATCH: Celebrating the 2013 Cancer WALK NSMC Awards Stay in touch about events and information sessions related to NSMC programs and services. Join email list There are many ways to make a difference for North Shore patients. Find out how you can help. 81 Highland Avenue Salem MA 01970 North Shore Medical Center OrthopedicsSpecial expertise in shoulder, hand/finger, hip/knee, foot/ankle and spine surgery, including laparoscopic minimally invasive procedures. 81 Highland AvenueSalem, MA 01970978 741-1200

医学

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Learn more about Northwest Hospital Learn more about UW Medicine Find a Doctor � Call 206.633.4636 Douglas Sherman, Hernia As an avid golfer and former professional skier, Douglas Sherman, 48, leads a very active life. In addition to his favorite sports, the Snohomish resident works at the Washington Athletic Club. "I fix everything in the building," he says. "I do a lot of heavy lifting. I'm always turning wrenches and lifting ladders." One day, something went wrong. "I lifted a couple of televisions that day � one at my house and one at work. I didn't notice that I was hurt until the next day, when I saw a small lump in my abdomen," he recalls. That lump was an "inguinal" hernia. A hernia is the bulging of an organ through a tear in a muscle or other internal structure. This allows the organ to move into parts of the body where it doesn't belong. An inguinal hernia, one of the most common types of hernia, occurs when the intestine protrudes through the lower abdominal wall, causing a swelling or lump that can be seen and felt from the outside. In many patients, an inguinal hernia can also be very painful. Sherman hoped the lump would go away on its own, but it didn't. "It got progressively worse. I did a lot of reading online to figure out whether it was a hernia, and if it was something that I needed to get taken care of right away. I found out that hernia repair is an elective surgery, so I didn't have it fixed immediately. It wasn't painful, but it was cumbersome. And it wasn't attractive to look at. Also, you don't want to lift more than 15 pounds � otherwise, you're going to see the hernia start growing," he explains. It was challenging for Sherman to limit his activity, both at work and in his leisure activities. When golfing, he tried wearing a hernia brief, which is similar to a truss (a padded support garment that uses pressure to stabilize the hernia and prevent it from growing), but it was uncomfortable. "It was really difficult for me to step back and take it easy," Sherman recalls. "I decided that I had to get the hernia taken care of. It was limiting me too much. I was really active before the hernia and wanted to be again." That's when he found out about the UW Medicine Hernia Center. Located on the Northwest Hospital campus, the UW Medicine Hernia Center is a dedicated program offering the full range of surgical solutions to repair hernias and relieve associated pain. In addition to common inguinal hernias like Sherman had, the Hernia Center treats complex abdominal wall hernias that require reconstruction, as well as hiatal, umbilical, femoral and ventral hernias. Sherman called the UW Medicine Hernia Center and made an appointment. "I was impressed that all they do is fix hernias. The doctors do something like 200 repairs a year. I figured I'd be in good hands. I came in and I met with Dr. Wright." "Hernias are very common � much more common in men than in women. For men, more than 27 percent will develop an inguinal hernia during their lifetime," explains Dr. Andrew Wright, who joined the Hernia Center a few months after it opened in August 2012. "A lot of hernias are actually present at birth. Over time, they stretch out and get larger. Lifting, straining and chronic cough can contribute to a hernia getting worse." Though many hernias are caused by a combination of genetics and wear and tear on the body, there are a number of risk factors that can be controlled, including obesity, malnutrition, diabetes, smoking and lung disease. Dr. Wright explained the treatment options to Sherman. "Back in the old days, people just used to wear a truss or a hernia belt. Nowadays people are more likely to get their hernias repaired with surgery. The earliest hernia operations were done with open surgery, but then came laparoscopic surgery," Dr. Wright says. Laparoscopic surgery, a minimally-invasive technique, is an abdominal operation performed through very small incisions and aided by a video camera. Its benefits include less pain than open surgery, faster recovery and a lower risk of recurrence of the hernia. For both open and laparoscopic surgery, a crucial innovation was the development of a light mesh made of polypropylene that is used to patch the hernia opening. It provides a "scaffold" for the body's tissues to grow on, resulting in a higher rate of successful repair. Simply stitching the edges of the hernia together can result in tearing. Though most hernias only cause bulging or discomfort, Dr. Wright warns that a rare complication called "bowel obstruction" can occur. Part of the small intestine can get trapped or pinched until its blood supply is cut off, or "strangulated." If this happens, emergency care is critical. "Not all hernias need to be fixed. If it's not causing any pain or discomfort, you don't need to have surgery right away. But if you have pain, especially when lifting, it's time to get it looked at. Once it starts interfering with your lifestyle, you should visit the doctor. Also, if you have a small hernia that starts getting larger very rapidly, it's a good idea to have it checked out," Dr. Wright advises. "Look for a surgeon who does a lot of hernia repairs. The more they do, the better the outcomes they tend to have." Sherman's surgery � an open procedure � went smoothly. He arrived at 8 o'clock in the morning and was on his way home by noon. "It was quick. The surgery is pretty cut-and-dried," he recalls. Just a few weeks later, golf was back on his agenda. "Overall it was just a great experience. Since it is an elective surgery, the personal touch that the Hernia Center gives is important," says Sherman. "If I were to give folks advice, I'd say just get the hernia repaired. It's not that big a deal. In the long run, it will affect your life if you don't address it. They just don't repair themselves. If it affects you not only at work, but at play, it's time to get it fixed." For more information about the UW Medicine Hernia Center, visit nwhospital.org/hernia or call 206.368.3077. Share Your Story Stories of hope, healing and inspiring patient outcomes are witnessed every day at UW Medicine. We invite you to share you inspiring story of how UW Medicine has impacted your life. Please take a moment to share your story with us. Submit your story » Read More Patient Stories David King, Stroke Heather Burger, Sports Medicine Kat Sweet, Sports Medicine Doris Diaz, Cardiology Ray Sayah, Cardiology Elsa Oliva, Cardiology Jowed Hadeed, Critical Care Andrew Wolfe, Multiple Sclerosis Karissa Bray, Stroke Diane Mirante, Neurology/Spine Shirley Minnoch, Pulmonology Peggy Brown, Cardiology Bob Knudsen, Cardiology Marvin Peterson, Cancer Jaime Salazar and Rani Khan,Sports Medicine Fred Salo, Vascular Cathy Eaton, Reconstructive Surgery Heather Shi, OB/GYN Jennean Hallerman, Sports Medicine Zeke Hansen, Sports Medicine Ernie Bisset, Wound Care John Leverenz, Neurological Surgery 1550 N. 115th St. Seattle, WA 98133 visit nwhospital.org All Rights Reserved � 2010-13 Northwest Hospital & Medical Center

医学

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Genetically engineered mouse models offer better testing of melanoma drug delivery Genetically engineered mouse models appear to be the most accurate preclinical predictor of how cancer-fighting drugs are delivered to melanoma patients, a new study has found. Thursday, September 20, 2012 - 15:14 Snake venom may be 'drug source' Venomous reptiles may provide a good source for new drugs for human diseases, researchers in Liverpool say. Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 16:01 Brain neurons and diet influence onset of obesity and diabetes in mice The absence of a specific type of neuron in the brain can lead to obesity and diabetes in mice report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The outcome, however, depends on the type of diet that the animals are fed. Cystic fibrosis disrupts pancreas in two ways in diabetic ferrets A Univ. of Iowa study suggests there are two root causes of a type of diabetes associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). The findings, made possible using ferrets, which already have sparked a clinical trial, may guide development of new treatments or even help prevent diabetes in patients with CF. Human muscle, regrown on animal scaffolding In the months after a roadside bomb in Afghanistan blew off part of his left thigh, Sgt. Ron Strang wondered if he would ever be able to walk normally again. But that was two years ago. Now he walks easily, can run on a treadmill and is thinking of a post-military career as a police officer. “If you know me, or know to look for it, you can see a slight limp,” he said. “But everybody else, they go, ‘I would never have guessed.’ ” There is something else they would never have guessed: Sergeant Strang has grown new muscle thanks to a thin sheet of material from a pig. Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 13:28 Vaccine for powerful staph infection tested in mice A new wave of experimental vaccines, tested in mice, is the medical community’s latest hope against a powerful staph infection that kills more people in the U.S. than skin cancer and costs as much as $8 billion a year to treat. Monday, September 17, 2012 - 15:14 Brain implant improves thinking in monkeys, first such demonstration in primates Scientists have designed a brain implant that sharpened decision making and restored lost mental capacity in monkeys, providing the first demonstration in primates of the sort of brain prosthesis that could eventually help people with damage from dementia, strokes or other brain injuries. Friday, September 14, 2012 - 14:29 Fruit flies reveal new evolutionary link for studying human health New research reveals that fruit flies and mammals may share a surprising evolutionary link in how they control body temperature through circadian rhythm, unlocking new ways to study the insects as models of human development and disease. Stem cells restore hearing in deaf gerbils; human testing few years off Researchers have restored the ability to hear in deaf gerbils using implanted human stem cells, achieving what they call a first step in potentially overcoming some causes of hearing loss in people. Animal models demonstrate pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring Researchers from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center demonstrate, in animals, that maternal exposure to a high-fat diet or excess estrogen during pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk in multiple generations of female offspring — daughters, granddaughters and even great-granddaughters. Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 15:34 Vets and physicians find research parallels Doctors at the hospital’s Vascular Birthmark Institute were enticed by the chance to study anomalies of the arteries and veins that are rare in humans but common in dogs. And the traffic between human and animal hospitals flows in the other direction, too: Late last month, veterinarians from the Animal Medical Center began meeting with their counterparts at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to set up trials of a noninvasive device for removing tumors of the urinary tract with electrical impulses. Exchanges of this sort are becoming increasingly common. Once a narrow trail traveled by a few hardy pioneers, the road connecting veterinary colleges and human medical institutions has become a busy thoroughfare over the last five years or so, with a steady flow of researchers representing a wide variety of medical disciplines on both sides. Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 13:28 ‘Humanized’ mice developed at OHSU enable malaria research breakthrough at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute A novel human liver-chimeric mouse model developed at Oregon Health & Science University and Yecuris Corporation has made possible a research breakthrough at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute that will greatly accelerate studies of the most lethal forms of human malaria. Tuesday, September 11, 2012 - 10:05 Study in mice discovers injection of heat-generating cells reduces belly fat The injection of a tiny capsule containing heat-generating cells into the abdomens of mice led those animals to burn abdominal fat and initially lose about 20 percent of belly fat after 80 days of treatment. Monday, September 10, 2012 - 16:05 Study in mice suggests sleep problems may be early sign of Alzheimer’s Sleep disruptions may be among the earliest indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Sept. 5 in Science Translational Medicine. Working in a mouse model, the researchers found that when the first signs of Alzheimer’s plaques appear in the brain, the normal sleep-wake cycle is significantly disrupted. Friday, September 7, 2012 - 14:57 Vaginal ring protects monkeys against AIDS virus, study shows A vaginal ring that emits an HIV- fighting drug protected monkeys from getting a version of the AIDS-causing virus, according to a study that suggests the same approach may help women whose partners won’t wear condoms. Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 15:21 Animal genetics help scientists understand diseases Not only have great strides been made in human genetics but also in animal genetics. This is important because such genetic information is not only helpful to the animal, but it frequently can also be applied to humans, remarked Dr. Murray Feingold. Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 15:19 Can't smell anything? This discovery - using mice - may give you hope Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time -- a hopeful sign for people who can’t smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease. Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 10:26 Antibody prevents Hepatitis C infection in chimps Researchers found that the human monoclonal antibody targeting the virus protected chimpanzees from HCV infection in a dose-dependent manner in a study conducted at Texas Biomed's Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio. Chimpanzees are the only species other than humans that can be infected by the hepatitis C virus and therefore the results from this study were critical in the development of the monoclonal antibody. Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study with ferrets suggests Research at Imperial College London examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it means that people pass on flu to others before they know they’re infected, making it very difficult to contain epidemics. Dieting monkeys don’t live longer The latest news from a long-term study of calorie restriction in rhesus macaques shows better health, but no boost in lifespan, in monkeys who eat less.

医学

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< Go BackAll About Kidney StonesA kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney out of substances normally dissolved in the urine. Each year, about 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with the disorder.Kidney stones are more common in�whites than in African-Americans. They typically strike between age 20 and 50 and are more common in men than women. Once a person gets one stone, he or she is more likely to develop others. Repeated stone attacks can affect kidneys.How stones formThe urinary tract consists of kidneys, two bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist; two narrow muscular tubes, the ureters, which drain urine from each kidney into the bladder; the bladder, which temporarily stores urine; and the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. The kidneys make urine by removing extra water and waste from the blood stream. They also maintain the balance of certain chemicals in the bloodstream.Kidney stones form from chemicals in urine, such as calcium, oxalate, and phosphate. They begin as crystals that build up inside the kidney. Crystals that remain small can pass from the body undetected through the urine. But, if they grow larger and become stones, they can become lodged in the ureter and block the flow of urine, causing infection and pain.About 75 percent of kidney stones contain calcium, in combination with either oxalate or phosphate. A less common type of stone is caused by urinary tract infections. It is known as a struvite, or an infection stone, and is made of magnesium ammonium phosphate. Struvite stones make up about 10 to 15 percent of kidney stones. About 10 percent of the remaining stones are made of uric acid, which is formed from purine, a nitrogen compound found in protein and made in the liver. Less than 3 percent of stones are made of the amino acid cystine.Stones can range from a grain of sand to golf ball size.Salts in the urineThe underlying causes of kidney stones are not entirely known, although some people are genetically predisposed to form stones.�But a key factor in the process is supersaturation of the salts carried in the urine (calcium oxalate, uric acid, and cystine). The concentration of these salts can increase when urine volume is decreased or the levels of the salts are increased. When the concentration reaches a point at which the salts no longer dissolve, they form crystals. Normally, the urine contains chemicals, such as magnesium, citrate, pyrophosphate, and various proteins and enzymes, that prevent the formation of crystals, or prevent crystals from sticking to the inner surface of the kidney.The most common causes of kidney stones are gastrointestinal disease, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, and a metabolic disorder, such as hyperparathyroidism. In other words, changes in the way a person's body metabolizes food and drink lead to an increased likelihood of developing crystals and, in turn, stone disease.Kidney stones also tend to run in families.Other causesRare disorders that can cause kidney stones include renal tubular acidosis, sometimes a hereditary disease; cystinuria (crystals of cystine form) and hyperoxaluria (crystals of oxalate form). Absorptive hypercalciuria is a condition in which the body absorbs too much calcium from food and excretes the extra calcium into the urine. This extra calcium forms crystals, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Chronic dehydration also increases the risk of forming stones.Kidney stones are more common in people with high blood pressure or�hyperuricosuria (a disorder of uric acid metabolism). Stones are also common in people with gout, and in those�who consume too much vitamin D and have a blockage or infection of the urinary tract. Some diuretics or calcium-based antacids may increase the risk of kidney stones because they boost the amount of calcium in the urine. In addition, people who have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) or who have had an intestinal bypass or ostomy surgery may be at risk for stones.Making a diagnosisUnfortunately, there are no true "warning signs" for kidney stones. Small stones are usually passed unnoticed. Large stones often remain undetected until they become lodged in the ureter and the person has severe and sudden pain in the back or lower abdomen. The pain is usually described as a sharp and cramping pain in the back, the side, or in the lower abdomen. The pain may spread to the groin. There may also be blood in the urine, nausea, and/or vomiting. If the stone is too large to pass, the muscles of the ureter tighten trying to squeeze the stone into the bladder. Fever or chills mean there is an infection.Most kidney stones can be diagnosed by an X-ray. A sonogram can also spot a stone. These images tell the doctor the stone's size and location. Blood and urine tests help detect any abnormal substance that might promote stone formation.The doctor may decide to scan the urinary system using a CT scan or a special X-ray test called an intravenous pyelogram (IVP). The results of these tests and the others above help determine the appropriate treatment.Getting the stone outFor the vast majority of stone sufferers, treatment means allowing the stone to pass naturally. Your doctor may give you medication for pain relief, and then add fluids until the ureter builds up enough pressure to push the stone out. If the stone hasn't passed in eight to 12 hours, a urologist may be called in to push the stone back to the kidney so it can be broken up.For stones that don't pass on their own, alternative treatments are used. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) directs shock waves through the skin and body tissue toward the stone. The shock waves break the stone into small fragments that can pass from the body in the urine.For stones too large or unable to be reached with ESWL, doctors may use percutaneous stone removal. With this procedure, a surgeon makes a small incision in the person's back and creates a tunnel to the kidney. The stone is then removed through a nephroscope. If the stone is very large, the surgeon can insert an energy probe to break it into smaller pieces and remove the fragments.Ureteroscopic stone removal is another procedure, but it requires no incision. Instead, the surgeon inserts a fiber optic instrument into the urethra and the bladder and then runs it into the ureter. After the stone is located, it's removed with a cage-like basket device or shattered with laser beams or shock waves. Often, a stent is placed in the ureter to keep the tube dilated and ease passing of the fragments.100 ounces of preventionThe best treatment for kidney stones is to avoid developing them in the first place. If you've had a kidney stone in the past, you are likely to form another. That's why prevention is important. NIDDK says the therapy your doctor gives you depends on the type of stone you have. For example, a medicine that helps prevent calcium stones will not work if you have a struvite stone. The diet changes that help prevent uric acid stones may have no effect on calcium stones. Therefore, careful analysis of the stone will help guide your treatment.If you are overweight, losing weight may help.The most important part of prevention is getting plenty of fluids. This dilutes the urine, which, in turn, triggers increased urination. More trips to the bathroom help remove excess chemicals from the urine and kidneys, lowering the chances of stone formation.Kidney specialists recommend that people drink at least 100 ounces of fluid every day. Their drink of choice? Water. Water is available to everyone and has the added benefit of being very inexpensive.People who form kidney stones were once told to avoid dairy products and other foods that contained a lot of calcium. Recent studies have shown that foods high in calcium actually help prevent stones, according to the NIDDK. Calcium supplements, however, may increase the risk of developing stones.Eat less proteinFor some people, decreasing the amount of protein, especially protein from meat, in their diet may help prevent stones. Protein can increase uric acid, calcium, and oxalates in the urine and reduces citrate.People at risk for uric acid stones may benefit from decreasing their intake of foods that contain purines. These foods include sardines, yeast, and organ meats.People who absorb an increased amount of oxalate should avoid drinking large amounts of tea, which contains high levels of oxalate, and decrease or stop intake of alcohol. Other foods to avoid include chocolate, beets, coffee, cola, nuts, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, and wheat bran.Medication may be prescribed to help prevent kidney stones. The drugs control the amount of substances in the urine that form crystals or prevent the infections that can lead to stone growth.You should also limit your daily sodium intake. Salt is another chemical that must leave the body through the urine, and the more chemicals that are in the urine, the more likely you are to form a stone.Are you at risk?Conditions that may increase the chance of developing kidney stones:A family history of stone formationAn inherited condition that causes the body to absorb too much calciumA low level of citrate in the urine, which may contribute to calcium stonesOveractive parathyroid glandsUrinary tract infectionsGoutBowel diseaseHigh blood pressure

医学

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Search Health Information Alzheimer's Progression Slower After 80: Study Finding has implications for cost of patient care and testing of new treatments, experts say THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The deadly march of Alzheimer's disease is slower in people aged 80 or older than the younger elderly, researchers have found. The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with age, and by 85, the risk is about 50 percent. But those who develop the progressive brain disorder that late in life will experience a less aggressive disease than those whose symptoms appear at 60 or 70 years, according to investigators at the University of California, San Diego. Lead researcher Dominic Holland from the university's neurosciences department said doctors will need to consider these findings when assessing older patients for Alzheimer's disease. "Methods for early detection, which will rely on biomarkers as well as mental ability, will need to take into account the age of the individuals being assessed," he said. Because the "old" elderly may deteriorate at a slower pace than younger patients, doctors may not realize these people are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The findings also have implications for clinical trials evaluating potential Alzheimer's treatments and cost-of-care projections for different Alzheimer's patients, Holland and other experts say. Currently, no effective treatments exist to slow or cure Alzheimer's disease, which gradually destroys brain cells and robs people of memory, and their ability to communicate and carry out everyday tasks. The report was published Aug. 2 in the online journal PLoS One. To study Alzheimer's disease progression, Holland and colleagues used data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study. They looked at more than 700 people aged 65 to 90, some with normal mental functioning, some with mild signs of dementia and others suffering from Alzheimer's. Participants were tested every 6 or 12 months. The researchers found that younger Alzheimer's patients lost their mental abilities faster than older patients. These declines among younger patients paralleled the accelerated rate of brain tissue loss and the increase in a spinal-fluid indicator of Alzheimer's seen among the younger age group, compared with older patients, the study authors added. The researchers aren't sure why Alzheimer's is more aggressive in younger patients. One explanation might be that the older patients have been declining at that slower rate over a longer time, with some unknown factor keeping symptoms at bay, they suggest. Another possibility is that the older patients have dementia plus Alzheimer's, which might stall the full effect of Alzheimer's on the brain. But such a diagnosis must be made with an autopsy, which is the only way Alzheimer's is accurately diagnosed, Holland noted. Alzheimer's disease currently affects an estimated 5.6 million Americans, and that number is expected to triple by 2050 as the baby boom generation ages. The finding that the earlier one develops the disease, the more aggressive it is isn't good news for those younger elderly patients who will suffer the worsening loss of their mental abilities for a long time, Holland said. Another expert said the findings may affect both health cost projections and clinical trials. "This is an extremely important paper with implications for both the projections of cost of care for Alzheimer's disease and for planning clinical trials," said Dr. Sam Gandy, associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. If the clinical picture in the over-85 population is milder than what is typical in younger populations, those older patients would remain independent longer, and the projections for the economic burden to the health care system should be adjusted, he said. "The annual cost now is $200 billion in the U.S.; the projection is $1 trillion annually by 2050," Gandy said. "Maybe that $1 trillion is really only $500 to $750 billion. Still catastrophic, but it is worth considering this in projection," he added. Equally important, if the rate of decline is slower in 85-year-olds than in 65-year-olds, that must be taken into account when recruiting for clinical trials, Gandy said. For example, if all the patients receiving a drug were over 85 and all the patients receiving an inactive placebo were much younger, it might appear the drug was working when, in fact, the populations were improperly matched, Gandy pointed out. "We have known that we wanted populations to be as identical as possible, but we didn't really know of this specific phenomenon before," he said. More information For more information on Alzheimer's disease, visit the Alzheimer's Association. SOURCES: Dominic Holland, Ph.D., researcher, department of neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine; Sam Gandy, M.D., Ph.D., Mount Sinai chair in Alzheimer's Disease Research, and professor of neurology and psychiatry, and director, Mount Sinai Center for Cognitive Health, and associate director, Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City; Aug. 2, 2012, PLoS One, online

医学

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News Princeton awaits word on meningitis vaccine amid 7th case Posted: November 18, 2013 News Posted November 18, 2013 Princeton awaits word on meningitis vaccine amid 7th case The CDC requested and received permission last week from the FDA to import the vaccine, a necessary protocol since the treatment hasn’t been approved in the U.S. By Janet Lorin, Randolph Brown And Michelle Fay Cortez Bloomberg News Princeton students are taking precautions after a seventh meningitis case on campus this year is prompting efforts to offer them a vaccine unavailable in the United States. Since the outbreak in March, the Princeton, N.J.- based Ivy League school has reached out to students and parents through posters and e-mails on ways to protect themselves, including not sharing cups. In September, Princeton distributed almost 5,000 plastic 16-ounce tumblers with the message “Mine. Not Yours.” All seven cases developed infections with meningococcus B. That strain of the bacteria isn’t covered by vaccines available in the U.S., prompting federal health officials to approve import of an immunization. Princeton trustees were considering over the weekend whether to use the vaccine, made by Novartis AG., which said the shots could be available in the next month or two. The outbreak is the first of the meningitis B strain in a specific group in which health officials have had the option to vaccinate, according to Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The CDC requested and received permission last week from the FDA to import the vaccine, a necessary protocol since the treatment hasn’t been approved in the U.S. The treatment “could be used in a campuswide vaccination campaign if it were decided that that was the best course of action,” Reynolds said Nov. 16 in a telephone interview. Vaccination would be voluntary, she said. “It probably takes one to two months until vaccination could start” at Princeton, said Andrin Oswald, head of Novartis vaccines and diagnostics, in a telephone interview from Basel, Switzerland. The immunization is manufactured in Europe and would have to be administered under a special program since it’s not approved in the U.S., he said. Princeton’s trustees are deciding how to proceed and whether to inoculate, Martin Mbugua, a spokesman for the school said Nov. 16. “When we have something to announce, we will make an announcement,” he said in an e-mail Saturday. Students are heeding the campus suggestions, though they are mixed about whether to get the vaccine. Andrew Jeon, a junior, said he isn’t likely to be vaccinated. “If I got meningitis, I would know early on,” Jeon, an English major from Wayne, N.J., said in an interview. “We’ve gotten plenty of e-mails about how not to share cups.” Eva Ge, a first-year graduate student in chemistry from Ithaca, N.Y., said she would get the vaccine. “I know my lab mates and I got the flu shot after a recent e-mail about another case,” Ge said. “It’s less an issue for grad students since undergrads eat and live together.” Seven people — six students and a visitor to Princeton’s campus — have been infected, with the first diagnosed after a return from spring break in March, according to a statement from the New Jersey Department of Health. By early May, three students were diagnosed with the bacteria that spreads through kissing, sharing drinking glasses and other forms of close contact. The most recent patient developed symptoms on Nov. 8, almost eight months later. Bacterial meningitis can occur sporadically, especially in close quarters seen on college campuses. It’s spread through respiratory and throat secretions and close contact, though is typically less infectious than viruses, including influenza. Not everyone gets sick from the bacteria, which is likely being carried by as much as 10 percent of the Princeton population, Oswald said. The number of cases is occurring in about 1 out of 1,000 students there. That’s significantly higher than most other vaccine-preventable diseases, and 100 times the 1 to 2 in 100,000 seen with other forms of meningitis, he said. Princeton will send additional notices to students and parents as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches later this month. “The university continues to provide reminders and additional information on campus via posters and table tents in common areas, and through athletic teams and student groups,” Mbugua said. Other colleges in New Jersey are watching the Princeton situation, including Seton Hall University in South Orange, said Laurie Pine, a spokeswoman. No cases have been reported at Seton Hall nor on the campuses of Rider University in Lawrenceville, near Princeton, said John Lenox, a Rider spokesoman. “We are working with local health authorities to monitor the situation closely,” Lenox said in an e-mail. “We have taken the precaution of putting our student health services on alert and have informed our students of the basic infection prevention activities they can take.” While the Princeton cases have been contained to illness, meningitis has turned deadly on college campuses. In 1995, at least three students, two in college and one in high school, died in Pennsylvania from meningococcal meningitis. After one of the deaths, at Villanova University, the school provided free doses of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, and more than 1,000 students took it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Meningitis can be caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria, with bacterial meningitis causing about 170,000 deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization. The infection is marked by inflammation surrounding the thin lining around the brain and spinal cord, causing such symptoms as stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting. As many as 10 percent of those infected die within 48 hours after symptoms start, according to the WHO. Brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities may affect as many as 20 percent of survivors, the Geneva-based agency said on its website. Novartis’s Bexsero is the first vaccine against the meningococcus B strain of the bacteria, which accounts for 40 percent of cases in the U.S. and as much as 80 percent in Australia and parts of Europe. The vaccine was cleared for sale in Europe last January and in Australia last August. “We are coordinating with Princeton University, the CDC and the New Jersey Department of Health to address this public health threat,” Novartis spokeswoman Julie Masow said in an e- mail Nov. 16. Novartis, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline Plc all make shots available in Europe and the U.S. that protect against four of the five major strains of the disease, not including the B strain that is circulating at Princeton. The other strains are A, C, Y and W-135. Pfizer Inc., the New York-based drugmaker, has a vaccine for meningitis B that has begun the final stage of development. The company has said it will share data from a phase II trial of the vaccine next year.

医学

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Effectiveness of a Web-based Prevention Program for Postpartum Depression Alinne Barrera, University of California, San Francisco The original trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based program in preventing postpartum depression. The site has been modified to provide materials from both conditions. Behavioral: Mothers and babies Internet course and PPD informational brochure Allocation: Non-RandomizedEndpoint Classification: Efficacy StudyIntervention Model: Single Group AssignmentMasking: Open LabelPrimary Purpose: Prevention Using the Internet for English/Spanish Randomized Trials for Postpartum Depression Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) [ Time Frame: Measured monthly for 6 months postpartum ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ] Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale [ Time Frame: Measured monthly for 6 months postpartum ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ] Experimental: Self-help course and information An eight-lesson, self-help, Web-based program for the prevention of postpartum depression based on cognitive behavioral therapy, social-learning, and attachment theory. The PPD informational brochure is a four-page pamphlet that contains information about postpartum depression. Depression is a mental health condition in which symptoms such as sadness, inability to feel pleasure, and loss of energy interfere with a person's normal life. Postpartum depression is a type of depression experienced by women after giving birth to a child. In this study an intervention for preventing postpartum depression that has been adapted for use over the Internet will be tested. Administering a depression-prevention program over the Internet has several advantages: after the initial investment is made to develop the program, costs are lower for treating each patient; online treatment is more accessible to a greater number of people than any given clinic; and participants who may be worried about a stigma associated with mental health problems often feel more comfortable seeking information through the Internet. Previous research has shown that symptoms of depression can be reduced through Internet-based interventions, but no research has examined such interventions specifically for postpartum depression. The program tested in this study is not aimed at replacing in-person mental health care—in fact, people who have signs of serious depression will be directed to in-person mental health care. Instead, the program is aimed at providing an additional mental health service among the range of available options. The original trial was a two-arm pilot prevention of postpartum depression trial comparing the Internet-based course called "Mothers and Babies/Mamás y Bebés" (M&B) to informational materials on postpartum depression. In the original trial, 1088 pregnant women were recruited and randomized (as anticipated) to either condition. The study Website has therefore been modified such that all participants who consent to participate will now receive materials from both conditions. We have eliminated the randomization procedure. As in the original study, participants be allowed to enroll at any time during their pregnancies and will be followed for 6 months after the birth of their children, so the length of participation will vary between 6 and 15 months. After undergoing a screening process, participants will now have access to both the Internet-based course called "Mothers and Babies/Mamás y Bebés" (M&B) and the informational materials. The informational materials will include information about postpartum depression and depression that may occur before childbirth. All participants will be invited via email to complete monthly assessments for the duration of the study. These assessments will measure mood, depression, and satisfaction with the assigned intervention. Fluent in English or Spanish San Francisco, California, United States, 94110 Sponsors and Collaborators Alinne Z. Barrera, PhD English-speaking participants click here for more information on this study. Spanish-speaking participants click here for more information on this study. No publications provided by University of California, San Francisco Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number): Barrera AZ, Kelman AR, Muñoz RF. Keywords to recruit Spanish- and English-speaking participants: evidence from an online postpartum depression randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res. 2014 Jan 9;16(1):e6. doi: 10.2196/jmir.2999. Alinne Barrera, Staff Psychologist, University of California, San Francisco F32 MH077371, F32MH077371, 5A, DATR AK-TAIF Depression, Postpartum Puerperal Disorders

医学

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CooperVision Launches Multifocal Daily Disposable NEWS spectrum B+L Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Renu In July, Renu, the first multipurpose contact lens solution brand, celebrated its 25th anniversary. Bausch + Lomb (B+L) first introduced Renu in 1987. As the original single-bottle regimen, the brand revolutionized the contact lens solution category and introduced its breakthrough ingredient, Dymed, for its time to make Renu the leader in its category around the world. Today, Renu is part of a daily routine for millions of people around the world. As the No. 1 contact lens solution brand for a decade and sales of more than $2.5 billion in the United States alone, B+L says that the Renu brand continues to lead the market in more than 10 countries, including Japan, India, and Brazil. The Renu brand continues to evolve and innovate to meet the demands of consumers, according to the manufacturer. Renu is now available in a clear bottle, making it easy to track how much solution remains. GSLS Papers and Posters are Due ■ The Educational Program Committee of the Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) invites the submission of abstracts. Papers and abstracts related to presbyopia, keratoconus, corneal topography, post-penetrating keratoplasty or related irregular corneal surface, myopia control, orthokeratology, and lens care topics are welcome. Those interested can visit www.gslsymposium.com. Deadline for submissions is Aug. 31, 2012. The GSLS will be held Jan. 24 to 27, 2013 at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Contamac Celebrates 25th Anniversary More than 350 people from six continents, 27 countries, and nearly 100 businesses and organizations attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Contamac Ltd. The party in June at the Tower of London in The Pavilion facility located in the North Moat section of the historic structure celebrated Contamac's achievements of the last 25 years in the contact lens and IOL materials manufacturing industry. The company welcomed a variety of customers, industry friends and associates, current and previous staff members, and its network of global distributors from India, China, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and the American partner company Contamac U.S. Attendees from as far away as Australia enjoyed a late afternoon champagne reception, followed by a private tour of the Crown Jewels, dinner and dancing. ■ Alden Optical, Inc. has added OOGP to its network of Authorized Distributors. The addition of OOGP increases the reach of Alden's portfolio of custom and specialty lenses. Practitioners who have an OOGP account can begin ordering Alden products immediately. OOGP can be reached at (800) 654-3829 to establish an account. ■ Since entering the U.S. market two years ago, Safigel, the official U.S. distributor for Safilens, has been growing steadily with its Safigel 1-Day daily disposable sodium hyaluronate (HA) contact lens. Now, with the purchase of Safilens by Bruno Pharmaceuticals, S.P.A., further investment in Safigel is planned to provide additional resources to expand its sales and marketing efforts to reach more doctors, eyecare staff, and patients in the United States. Bruno Pharmaceuticals, S.P.A., is a privately held, family owned Italian pharmaceutical company based in Rome. For more information visit www.safigel.com or contact Customer Service tollfree at (877) 723-4435. ■ The facility for online submissions for CET workshops for the 2013 British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) Clinical Conference and Exhibition, to be held from June 6 to 9, 2013, is now available. Submissions are due by Friday, Sept. 21, 2012 - and presenters of accepted workshops must submit their CET forms and abstracts within one month of its acceptance. Submissions for Clinical Spotlights are also now being invited. Any topic related to contact lenses and/or the anterior eye will be considered. Visit www.bcla.org.uk. ■ The Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists will be managed under the administrative umbrella of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) effective Aug. 15, 2012. Under the arrangement, the CLAO Education and Research Foundation will also be managed by ASCRS. CLAO's annual symposium and congress and its publications will remain independent, and the organization will continue to function under its current bylaws and leadership board, with the sole addition of an ASCRS representative. ■ Optometry Giving Sight is once again inviting the North American optical industry to join its annual World Sight Day Company Challenge by raising funds throughout October for people who are blind or vision impaired simply because they can't access an eye exam and glasses. More information about making a donation or joining the Company Challenge is available at www.givingsight.org or by calling (888) OGS GIVE. ■ Last month, The Power Practice launched The Power Hour, optometry's first free weekly online radio talk show. The Power Hour can be heard via Skype or phone. Hosted by Dr. Gary Gerber, founder of The Power Practice, The Power Hour is a live discussion vehicle for current practice-building events in optometry, political viewpoints, and clinical topics. The Power Hour will also welcome guests from both within and outside of the optometric profession. Listeners can also join the discussion if they choose. For more information about tuning in, visit www.PowerHour.info. ASCRS Forms OD/MD Task Force The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) has formed an Integrated Ophthalmic-Managed Eye Care Delivery (IOMED) Task Force to investigate and recommend ways in which the organization and its membership can advance an eyecare delivery model based on a synergistic collaboration between optometry and ophthalmology. The IOMED Task Force is chaired by ASCRS Governing Board Member Stephen S. Lane, MD, of St. Paul, Minn. The IOMED Task Force members are: Jeff Azus, OD, of Altos Eye Physicians in Los Altos, Calif. and Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, Calif.; Marlane J. Brown, OD, FAAO, of Minnesota Eye Consultants in Minneapolis, Minn.; Derek N. Cunningham, OD, FAAO, of Dell Laser Consultants in Austin, Texas; Richard C. Edlow, OD, of Katzen Eye Group in Lutherville, Md.; Howard Fine, MD, of Oregon Eye Associates in Eugene, Ore.; David I. Geffen, OD, FAAO of Gordon Weiss Schanzlin Vision Institute in San Diego, Calif.; David A. Karcher, executive director of ASCRS, in Fairfax, Va.; and Douglas D. Koch, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. In addition to completing a comprehensive membership needs assessment, the IOMED Task Force will consider creating new educational tracks at the ASCRS Annual Symposium as well as an entirely separate society designed to meet the educational needs of integrated eyecare practitioners. The IOMED model, which is endorsed by the ASCRS Executive Committee and Governing Board, encourages arrangements in which optometrists employed by ophthalmologists, as well as optometrists employed by the military or industry, play a role in the delivery of non-surgical eye care. This patient-centered model is designed to encourage greater efficiency and coordination of care with ophthalmologists and optometrists working together to meet the growing demands for service and to address the pending changes in Medicare and general healthcare delivery. WEB UPDATE Alcon Updates FreshLook Color Studio Alcon has upgraded its FreshLook Color Studio at www.freshlookcolorstudio.com. The FreshLook Color Studio is an interactive application that allows users to virtually try on FreshLook brand lenses through their uploaded photos. Patients can now zoom in/out and see “before and after” views. They can also now use the application via their iPad, iPhone, or Android with the free mobile app and can share their color selections with friends via Facebook. AOA Honors ODs With Awards The American Optometric Association (AOA) presented its annual awards to five recipients at the 115th Annual AOA Congress & 42nd Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting in Chicago in June. Rear Adm. Michael Mittelman received the Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy and Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Tony Carnevali, OD, received the Optometric Educator of the Year Award. He is a tenured associate professor and is an instructor in ethics and on state laws relating to the practice of optometry, has acquired extensive experience in delivering full-scope optometric services, and mentors students by providing career guidance and counseling. Melvin Shipp, OD, Dr.PH, MPH, was named Optometrist of the Year. Since 2004, Dr. Shipp has served as Dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Dr. Shipp is currently the president of the American Public Health Association and is the first optometrist to serve in this position. Chris Wroten, OD, was named Young Optometrist of the Year. In 2005 he joined what is now the Bond-Wroten Eye Clinic, a multi-location group practice. He is co-chair of the Optometry Association of Louisiana Education Committee, continues to serve on numerous other committees, is the keyperson for several state legislators, and has been an instrumental part of numerous legislative victories for organized optometry in Louisiana. Vera Kohler, CPOA, was named Paraoptometric of the Year. She currently serves as the financial advisor and chair for the Constitution and Bylaws committee for the Pennsylvania Paraoptometric Association. New CEO for Menicon Holdings B.V. Menicon Co., Ltd., has named Anatole Diep as the new CEO of Menicon Holdings B.V. (MHBV), the European headquarters and subsidiary based in Emmen, the Netherlands. In his new role, Diep will lead Menicon's business activities across Europe, B.V. including launches of a series of new products. The first product launch will be a hyper- Dk monthly disposable lens, which will reinforce the distribution of Solocare Aqua, a multipurpose solution that went on sale in the member states of the European Economic Area in April. Noting the growing popularity of daily disposable lenses in Western Europe, Diep said he looked forward to overseeing the rollout of Menicon's new daily disposable lens pack there in 2013. As CEO, Diep will report directly to Toshio Matsushima, president of MHBV and executive officer of the parent company Menicon Co., Ltd. Diep, a French national, previously served as president of the Menicon Pharma contact lens care solution factory in France, as well as chief manufacturing officer for Menicon Holdings. Contact Lens Spectrum, Volume: 27 , Issue: August 2012, page(s): 3 - 7

医学

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The Abortion Cocktail by Bernard N. Nathanson In April 1970, in the pages of the Obstetrical and Gynecological Review , I reviewed the history of attempts to control population growth by means of medical”i.e., nonsurgical”abortion. Starting in antiquity, I found that the ancient Greeks did not generally approve of abortion, while their Roman counterparts favored the use of thaumaturgy and incantations. Cultures in Africa and the Middle East tried concoctions of camel or goat dung. In the medical lore of Europe during the Middle Ages, pastes, emetics, purgatives, emmenagogues, sternutators, convulsants, clysters, physical maneuvers, and pessaries are mentioned. The Enlightenment had a vast pharmacopeia with dazzling names and no abortifacient effect whatever: aloes, colocynth, apioline, pennyroyal, tansy, pulegium oil, caulophyllia, cardomon, and cimicifuge.Toward the end of the paper I discussed a newly emerging class of drugs known as folic acid antagonists and antimetabolites. These drugs were used primarily to treat cancer but they were also reasonably effective in producing medical abortion, at least up to eight weeks gestation. The enormous toxicity of these drugs to the pregnant woman, however, and the fact that they produced massive congenital deformities in the fetuses who somehow survived the pharmacological assault, virtually precluded their use as abortifacients.In 1995, twenty-five years after my review, the New England Journal of Medicine carried a report that the combination of a powerful anticancer agent (methotrexate) and a relatively innocuous drug used primarily to treat gastric ulcer (misoprostol) will effect medical abortion in 96 percent of women pregnant less than nine completed weeks, with no currently identifiable damage to the pregnant woman.Some thoughtful analysts, including some pro-life advocates, have suggested that the legal battle to end abortion has at last ended in defeat with this report of an apparently effective and safe medical form of abortion. An “abortion cocktail” that women take in the privacy of their homes would eliminate the clearly specifiable abortionists against whom the pro-life movement has been able to focus its efforts. In the event of a ban on legal abortion, it would force prosecutors into the difficult position of seeking convictions against individual women rather than against the abortionists. Any attempt to pursue the doctors prescribing the “cocktail” would likely result merely in the emergence of a black market or of a charade in which women seeking abortions would report the symptoms of the diseases for which the ingredients are currently and legally prescribed.The legal battle to ban abortion, however, is not by any means defeated with this report of a medical abortifacient, and it may in fact be helped. The unprofessional and unethical means by which the procedure was tested, the unknown long”term medical effects on women of the drugs involved, and the extreme dangers to the human gene pool posed by partially completed medical abortions all suggest a strong societal interest in banning the “abortion cocktail.” And the falsity of claims that medical abortions will “demedicalize” and “empower” women by granting “at”home” abortions will soon become apparent”allowing the pro-life movement to continue to focus its efforts on the offices of abortionists.Methotrexate, the first drug used in the “abortion cocktail,” is an unusually potent and dangerous drug. The Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), an encyclopedic compendium of prescription drugs marketed in the U.S., devotes six pages to a description of the powers and hazards of this drug, its uses and abuses. (The average entry for drugs runs about one-half page.) The entry opens with a black-bordered box reading, in part: “Methotrexate should be used only by physicians whose knowledge and experience includes the use of antimetabolite therapy . . . . Because of the possibility of serious toxic reactions the patient should be informed by the physician of the risks involved, and should be under a physician’s constant supervision.”The PDR goes on to specify in excruciating detail the toxic potential of this drug: liver damage, kidney destruction, heart muscle compromise, pulmonary failure, gastrointestinal pathology, and bone marrow suppression. It has also been reported to cause loss of speech function, strokes, and convulsions. It is, in other words, one of the most toxic, dangerous, and potentially fatal drugs in the entire PDR , and it has been approved for use by the FDA only for the treatment of cancer”which is to say, the dangers of this drug are so massive that they are outweighed only by the benefit of abating or curing cancer.There is a considerable literature concerning the use of methotrexate in ectopic, or tubal, pregnancies. In the past, ectopic pregnancy had been managed by surgical means, i.e., by removal of the tube containing the pregnancy. Moral theologians generally sanctioned this approach since, although it did effect abortion, the primary intention of the surgery was to preserve the life of the mother and the abortion was a regrettable side effect.However, beginning in 1987, increasing numbers of gynecologists were reporting the successful management of ectopic pregnancy by the use of laparoscopy (the introduction of an optical system into the abdomen through a small incision in the umbilicus) and the delivery of a dose of methotrexate through the scope into the amniotic sac of the fetus developing in the tube. No longer was there a “double-effect” rationale to exonerate the surgeon; we now had a direct lethal assault on the developing child (albeit developing in the wrong place). The moral consequences of this “momentous advance” in gynecologic technology provided a bridge to the use of methotrexate to destroy the child developing in the correct place, the womb.In normative bioethics the use of a drug such as methotrexate would require a sufficient benefit to outweigh the risks: the disease being treated must be of such gravity as to justify the use of the drug. Pregnancy, however, falls comfortably into none of the usual definitions of disease: it is not a state inimical to the way one is supposed to feel; it is not a condition in which body components and systems are acting inharmoniously (to the contrary, infertility would more likely fall within that definition); it is not a state of abnormality”for the pregnant woman functions satisfactorily within soc

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search query Section navigationNT Medical ProgramWelcome to the NT Medical ProgramNT Medical Program Admission InformationNT Remote Clinical SchoolIndigenous Transition Pathways to Medicine UnitNT Simulated Learning Environment (NT Sim Lab)NT School of Anatomy (NTSoA)StudentsResearchGreening the NTMPNewsletterLocationsContact Us School of Medicine > NT Medical Program About NTMP Welcome from the Clinical DeanThe NTMPThe NTMP was established in 2011, with its first cohort of 24 medical students in year 1. The NTMP is the result of a tripartite agreement between Flinders, Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Government (NT & Commonwealth). The NTMP builds on the strength of the NTCS, the NTRCS and the Centre for Remote Health (CRH) over the last 15 years. The NTMP received funding to build a preclinical facility on CDU campus and a new clinical school facility at RDH. Students are encouraged to use all of our facilities at CDU, RDH & Palmerston Super Clinic in Darwin, Katherine, Gove and at Alice Springs: CRH, NTRCS & Poche centres. The NTMP is a leader in providing health education.On behalf of all the academic and administrative staff of the Northern Territory Medical Program I would like to welcome you to the Northern Territory and this new and exciting phase of your studies. We are confident that you will find this a unique learning experience both personally and professionally. The diversity of the case mix, the issues of Indigenous Health, and the Territory's multicultural population all offer a unique academic opportunity.We hope that during your leisure time here you will get a flavour of life in the Territory and all it offers including the world famous national parks and their imposing scenery as well as the renowned Darwin sunsets & multicultural markets.The staff of the NT Medical Program are committed to making your time during this placement a rewarding and productive one. If there is any information or assistance that you require we recommend you approach the administrative staff in the Clinical School office in Darwin or at your Remote Clinical School site or your academic supervisor.Mission StatementThe NT Clinical School is committed to enhancing the health workforce and practices in the NT through the provision of an academic environment enabling high quality, appropriate, culturally safe, clinical education to medical and allied health students, reflecting the social, political, economic and geographic contexts in which health care is delivered in the NT.The Northern Territory Medical Program: Clinical School The Northern Territory Clinical School (NTCS) was established in 1996 by a grant from the Northern Territory Government to Flinders University to provide training for medical students in the Territory. The strategic goals of the NTMP are to enable local students who have completed a degree to study medicine through the Flinders University School of Medicine program, to facilitate a positive and meaningful clinical learning experience, to impart an appreciation for the unique health issues of the NT, and to cultivate a supportive professional network for students and faculty. NTMP is principally based at the Royal Darwin Hospital. The NTMP teaches Flinders Year 3 and Year 4 graduate entry (MD) students and James Cook University (JCU) Year 5 and Year 6 undergraduate medical students.The Northern Territory Medical Program has also had an allied health student placement support program in place since 2003. The program has specifically focussed on the disciplines of speech pathology, audiology and nutrition and dietetics. Students in these disciplines can undertake placements at Northern Territory hospitals, rehabilitation centres and community based services.The Northern Territory Remote Clinical School (NTRCS) allows both third and fourth year Flinders University students to spend up to six months in a rural location. The communities of Alice Springs, Katherine and Nhulunbuy support the NTRCS program. Year 3 students of the Rural Clinical School program will spend six months in Darwin either before or after their placement in Katherine or Alice Springs; Year 4 students of the program will spend six months (four terms) in combination at Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs. The NTRCS is funded under a separate grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.Our goals at the Northern Territory Medical Program are to:Provide high quality medical teaching and training to medical students to prepare them for future medical practice in rural and remote areas of Australia, particularly the NT;Provide high quality pre- and post-graduate support to allied health students to prepare them for future practice in rural and remote areas of Australia, particularly the NT;Contribute to the evolution of clinical and allied health education through innovative curriculum development and identification of contextual learning opportunities in the NT;Undertake in its own right, and collaborate with other organisations, in research activity that will contribute to improved health outcomes and quality of life for Northern Territorians;Enhance the workforce stability, capacity and diversity of the NT in primary, secondary and tertiary health care settings;Promote rural and remote medical and allied health practice as positive and rewarding career options for all students of the School; andMaintain an organisation that reflects best practice and excellence in administration, people management and operational efficiency.A new development in late 2011 saw the establishment of the Poche Centre in Alice Springs from the generous donation by Mr Greg Poche AO. The Poche Centre focuses on Aboriginal Health and Education & Research. Other Student ResourcesNTCS Infosheet (PDF 202KB) View the NTCS DVD on Health Student Training in the Northern Territory test (11 minutes). Quick links Maintained by: Last updated: 28 Feb, 2012

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Home : News : Health News : Beauty - Cosmetic Procedures Liposuction: Why You Still Have to Work Out After It Images Why You'll Still Need to Exercise After LiposuctionStudy: Lipo May Not Be a Permanent Solution, but Exercise HelpsWebMD Medical News Study: Fat May Return After LiposuctionDebate on Laser Liposuction to Remove FatJune 15, 2012 -- Liposuction can help get rid of muffin tops, love handles, and other pockets of fat. But new research shows that removing fat from your abdominal area may cause you to gain dangerous visceral or belly fat.This type of fat is stored around the organs deep within your abdomen, and it increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes.That's the bad news. The good news is that regular physical activity can help counteract this effect. That news appears in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism."If someone chooses to undergo liposuction, it is very important, if not essential, that this person exercises after the surgery," researcher Fabiana Braga Benatti, PhD, of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, says in a news release.Exercise AdvantageThe fat -- and fat cells -- are removed permanently during liposuction. This means there are markedly fewer fat cells in the treated area, and fat regrowth will not occur there.Fat cells in other parts of the body, however, may pick up the slack.The new study included 36 women in Brazil who underwent small-volume liposuction of the abdomen. Half of these women took part in a four-month exercise regimen starting two months after the surgery. Six months later, women who did not exercise showed a 10% increase in visceral fat, compared with women who exercised three times a week.The women who exercised three times a week began each session with a five-minute warm-up followed by strength training and up to 40 minutes of treadmill time.The Skinny on Weight Regain After LiposuctionPlastic surgeon Sherrell J. Aston, MD, reminds all of his patients that liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that does not necessarily lead to permanent weight loss. He is the chairman of the department of plastic surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital in New York. "We can make you lose weight because we can take off, when indicated, a large volume of fat, but liposuction is a contouring procedure."Liposuction can trim, tighten, and tone a person's physique. "You have to do all the sensible things to maintain this. Without a healthy diet and a good exercise regimen, you will put weight back on," Aston says."The findings highlight the importance of exercise and a healthy diet even after liposuction to prevent a compensatory weight gain and maintain the results of the procedure," agrees Pankaj Tiwari, MD. He is an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus."If you take fat from one area, your body compensates in other areas," Tiwari says. "We gain weight for metabolic reasons and those hormonal drivers are not changed by liposuction."Exactly, says Lisa M. Donofrio, MD. She is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Various studies have documented weight regain in various body parts following liposuction. "This is the first one that talks about regain of intra-abdominal fat," she says."Nobody really knows why this occurs, but the theory is that the body tries to maintain fat homeostasis," Donofrio says. This refers to the amount of fat needed to provide our bodies with energy.Both Donofrio and Aston agree that the new study may have been too short to really get a handle on weight regain and distribution after liposuction.Still, "we don't see many patients coming back with globs of fat in other areas of their body," says American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery President-elect Leo McCafferty, MD. "Most are in good shape and have spot areas that don't respond to diet and exercise." He recommends that his patients start or restart an exercise regimen about six weeks after liposuction. "This really can enhance the results," he says.SOURCES:Lisa M Donofrio MD, associate clinical professor, dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.Benatti, F. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, July 2012.Pankaj Tiwari, MD, assistant professor, plastic surgery, Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine.Sherrell J. Aston MD, chairman, department of plastic surgery, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York.Leo McCafferty, MD, president-elect, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; plastic surgeon, Pittsburgh.© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Journal Scene William Corey, MD Dr. William Corey loved sports from an early age. “I was fairly athletic growing up, playing sports in high school, and that's what attracted me to orthopedics. I played basketball, soccer, baseball and did track.” And, yes, he probably would have played football, if his small school had a team. Now specializing in orthopedic medicine, he treats athletic injuries as well as other issues relating to the bone and muscles. He works within a large practice – Lowcountry Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine – which allows him to focus on patients with foot and ankle problems. That includes bunions, hammertoes, claw toes, flat feet and other foot deformities as well as Achilles tendon problems, ankle arthritis and sprains. Plus, he uses the latest advancements in ankle replacement and is trained to aspirate a patient's bone marrow and use the cells to enhance the healing of a fracture. �Medical School: West Virginia University School of Medicine Residency: West Virginia University School of Medicine Fellowship: Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD To make an appointment with Dr. Corey, please call 843-797-5050. Sign Up for Trident Health's FREE e-mail newsletter full of events, resources and information to help you on your wellness journey. Any medical or other information accessible through Health Check is provided solely by Trident Health, and has not been edited by Summerville Communications, Inc., the Summerville Journal Scene, The Gazette, or the Berkeley Independent for content or accuracy. © 2014 Trident Health.

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Show/hide main menu Home | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience | News, Events & Engagement | News Stories | Understanding brain changes in older people Understanding brain changes in older people 14 February 2011 Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), at King’s, in collaboration with colleagues at the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Newcastle have recently reported findings from the largest study to date to investigate brain changes in older people with depression. Previous studies have suggested that depression in older people may be a risk factor for developing dementia, perhaps because depression is often an early symptom of this disease. The current findings suggest reasons why some people develop depression late in life. Brains, donated for research, showed that depression was associated with loss of nerve cells in the hippocampus - an area of the brain known to be important in memory function and commonly affected by Alzheimer's disease. However, depression was not associated with the microscopic appearances in the brain that are seen with Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, depression was associated with another brain change called Lewy bodies which are known to be important in certain types of dementia and in Parkinson's disease. Dr Stewart, Head of Section of Epidemiology at the IoP and corresponding author on this paper, said: ‘This study has provided important new information on depression which affects many older people and causes substantial disability and suffering. This knowledge would not have been gained without the generosity of the many people who very kindly agreed to brain donation after their death. Donations of this sort, regardless of whether someone has been in good or poor health, are enormously important for finding out what is wrong with the brain when people develop mental health problems.’ Brain changes underlying illnesses like depression can only be definitely confirmed in people who have donated their brains for research. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognitive Function and Ageing Study and coordinated by the University of Cambridge which used data from a large community sample. ‘Neuropathological correlates of late-life depression in older people’ is published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. To read the paper in full, please follow the link. Comedian Jo Brand elected Honorary Fellow at King'sIoP hosts major summit to challenge stigma and discrimination in mental healthIoP scientist receives prestigious 2013 Klerman Prize Honorable MentionIVF for male infertility linked to increased risk of intellectual disability and autism in childrenKing's awarded £2.5m to build computer model of epileptic brainLifetime Achievement Award for Prof HowlinLouise Howard awarded prestigious NIHR Research ProfessorshipNew brain treatments: proceed with care

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First Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Approved For Infants Health, Safety, Nutrition and Kids Related Articles Promising Data Released On New Infant Vaccine To Prevent Middle-Ear Infections, Meningitis and Pneumonia Kids' Vaccinations Get a Little Easier Information and news releases furnished by the members of PR Newswire, who are responsible for their fact and content. WASHINGTON, July 31, 1996 -- The Food and Drug Administration today announced it has licensed the first acellular pertussis vaccine for use in infants and children two months of age and older for the primary series of immunizations. The vaccine protects infants against whooping cough while causing fewer side-effects than whole-cell pertussis vaccines now on the market. Currently, U.S. children receive a whole-cell pertussis vaccine in combination with diphtheria-tetanus toxoid, commonly called DTP, at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, with additional doses of either a DTP or DT vaccine with an acellular pertussis component (DTaP) at 12-18 months and before going to school. The vaccine approved today for infants is one of two DTaP vaccines already approved for children to be given as fourth and fifth doses following three DTP doses. This approval should give parents more confidence in the safety of the pertussis vaccine their infants will receive. Acellular pertussis vaccines contain only the parts of the pertussis bacterium thought to be important for immunity, while whole-cell vaccines, such as the DTP vaccines currently used in the United States for infants, contain the whole, killed bacterium. "Safety data from several studies show that acellular pertussis vaccines cause fewer adverse reactions in the primary series of immunizations than whole-cell vaccines," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs David A. Kessler, M.D. For a long time there has been concern about side effects with whole-cell vaccine. This new acellular pertussis vaccine, the first of several in the pipeline, represents an important advance." Whooping cough is a highly communicable disease of the respiratory tract that can be especially serious for infants less than one year old. It can cause spells of coughing and choking that make it hard to breathe: the coughing can last several weeks. Occasionally, infants can die from the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 1994 and 1995, a total of approximately 9,500 cases of pertussis were reported in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the disease is responsible each year for approximately 350,000 deaths worldwide in unvaccinated persons. Several studies, including one randomized, controlled study of 673 infants sponsored by Connaught Laboratories, Inc., indicate that the DTaP vaccines cause fewer adverse reactions than DTP vaccines. These can include local reactions, such as redness or swelling, as well as systemic reactions, such as fever, drowsiness, irritability, or prolonged, high-pitched crying. Studies are in progress to help determine the extent of these reactions when children receive the acellular pertussis vaccine for the entire series of immunizations. Infrequent, serious events such as seizures have been reported after immunizations with both DTP and DTaP vaccines. Two clinical studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of the pertussis component of this DTaP vaccine for infants. The first placebo-controlled, randomized trial, of the pertussis component conducted in the mid-1980's, included children 5-11 months old in Sweden, and was supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). They were immunized according to a different schedule from the one recommended in the United States. The second study, in Germany, used an immunizing schedule similar to the one used in the United States for the DTaP, and involved over 16,000 infants. Parents were allowed to choose the type of pertussis vaccine their infants would receive, or whether the vaccine even contained a pertussis component. Approximately 75% of the parents chose the DTaP vaccine. In these studies, the acellular pertussis vaccine was estimated to be between 69 and 80% effective in preventing pertussis, depending on the way the study was designed and completed. On July 13, l995, NIAID announced results of two large European clinical trials showing that three acellular pertussis vaccines were highly effective in protecting infants while causing fewer of the common side-effects. The acellular pertussis vaccine licensed today for infants was not studied in those trials. The application for this first DTaP vaccine for infants was received July 21, 1995. Additional clinical data were presented after the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee met in January to discuss this application. Children who have begun their immunizations with DTP should continue to receive their fourth and fifth doses as DTaP. For those children who will now receive DTaP at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, a fourth dose of DTaP is recommended in the second year of life. Studies are now being planned to help determine recommendations for the fifth dose. The acellular pertussis component of the vaccine is being produced by the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University in Japan. It is combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids by Connaught Laboratories, Inc., Swiftwater, Pa., and is sold under the trade name, Tripedia. Infants | Toddlers | Preschoolers | Recreation | Parenting | Media Info | Survey | About Us | Legal KidSource and KidSource OnLine are trademarks of Kidsource OnLine, Inc. Copyright 2009. Other trademarks property of their respective holders.. Created: August 01, 1996 . Last modified time : April 20, 2000 .

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Smoking Cessation Articles Newer tobacco products to face U.S. FDA review Alabama court to hear lawsuit against Pfizer drug WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cigarette makers will have to provide U.S. regulators with detailed information about the ingredients and design of products they have introduced or changed since early 2007, or face possible penalties.In new rules for the industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is implementing provisions of a law enacted last year on how companies can show new or modified cigarettes and other tobacco products are not more harmful than those sold before Feb. 15, 2007.The move aims to shed light on levels of addictive nicotine and other properties of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own products to keep more dangerous products off the market, officials said.The changes will "assure that any new or changed tobacco products are not worse to the public health than those that were on the market Feb. 15, 2007," said Lawrence Deyton, head of the FDA's new Center for Tobacco Products.Tobacco companies, most of which fought the law, have known about the requirements for almost a year, but Wednesday's announcement gives them clear deadlines and specific details to attend to.The February cut-off was set in the 2009 law, which granted the FDA power to regulate the controversial industry. The most prominent U.S. tobacco companies are Altria Group Inc, Reynolds American Inc and Lorillard Inc.Manufacturers must file reports detailing their products to FDA by March 22 in order to keep selling them. Those that do can have additional time to add more information, the FDA said.Tobacco companies that do not comply risk product seizures, injunctions and other penalties.FDA will review submissions, and any products not considered equivalent to ones on the market as of February 2007 may be prohibited from sale, officials said.Altria had no immediate comment, and representatives for other makers could not be immediately reached.Shares of tobacco companies were initially down less than 1 percent before later recovering. Altria, Reynolds, Lorillard and Vector Group were all up less than one percent in midday trading, roughly in line with the overall S&P Index.Advocates who pushed for FDA oversight said the new standards ensure that tobacco companies submit product changes in advance just as drug and device companies do."Until now, they've been able to make changes that have increased the risk of disease, increased the addictive nature of product, increased the appeal of the product in secret," Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told Reuters.

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Previous topic | Next topic Universal Health Care Author Re: Universal Health Care Quote:The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. - Tocqueville August 31st, 2010, 12:44 pm But I thought Obama repeatedly said it would reduce costs:The Hill wrote:Obama: We knew health costs would go upBy Mike Lillis - 09/10/10 01:19 PM ET President Obama on Friday defended the Democrats' healthcare law, saying the enormous expansion of insurance coverage made an increase in healthcare spending inevitable."As a consequence of us getting 30 million additional people healthcare, at the margins that's going to increase our costs — we knew that," the president told reporters during a White House press conference. "We didn't think that we were going to cover 30 million people for free." Obama was responding to questions about new cost projections, crunched by economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), revealing the nation's healthcare spending, as a share of the economy, will be 0.3 percentage points higher in 2019 than estimated before the law was passed.That CMS report, published Thursday in the journal Health Affairs, also revealed healthcare spending will grow by an average of 6.3 percent each year over the next decade, whereas pre-reform projections pegged annual growth at 6.1 percent. Republicans have latched onto the figures as evidence that the new reform law has failed in one of its central purposes: to bend the health cost curve down to sustainable levels.But Obama rejected those criticisms, arguing his pitch for reform included warning that the process would be a long one. "I said at the time it wasn't going to happen tomorrow, it wasn't going to happen next year," Obama said. "It took us decades to get into a position where our health care costs were going up 6, 7, 10 percent a year. And so our goal is to slowly bring down those costs."Obama has at least one statistic working in his favor: CMS says the annual rise in health spending between 2015 and 2019 — after the enormous insurance expansion of 2014 — will average less than the agency estimated pre-reform.It's not as low as he wants, Obama said Friday. But it's getting there."If we can get — instead of healthcare costs going up 6 percent a year — it's going up at the level of inflation, maybe just slightly above inflation, we've made huge progress," he said.http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/118079-obama-we-knew-health-costs-would-go-up My girl has enough cajones to call out Obama for the liar that he is:Sarah Palin wrote:Lies, Damned Lies – Obamacare 6 Months Later; It’s Time to Take Back the 20!.by Sarah Palin on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 2:13pm.It’s now six months since President Obama took control of one-sixth of the private sector economy with his health care “reform,” and the first changes to our health care system come into effect today. Despite overwhelming public dislike of the bill, we were told that D.C. knows best, and there was nothing to worry about, and we’d be better off swallowing the pill called Obamacare; so, in defiance of the will of the people, the President and his party rammed through this mother of all unfunded mandates. Nancy Pelosi said Congress had to pass the bill so that Americans could “find out what is in it.” We found out that it’s even worse than we feared. Remember when the president said, “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”? Not true. In Texas alone a record number of doctors are leaving the Medicare system because of the cuts in reimbursements forced on them by Obamacare! The president of the Texas Medical Association, Dr. Susan Bailey, warns that “the Medicare system is beginning to implode.” Remember the Obama administration’s promise that Obamacare would cut a typical family’s premium “by up to $2500 a year”? Not true. In fact, fueled by reports that insurers expect premiums to rise by as much as 25 percent as a result of Obamacare, Senate Democrats are contemplating the introduction of price controls. Remember when the president said in his address to Congress that “no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions”? That turned out to be yet another one of those “You lie!” moments. We found out that Obamacare-mandated high risk insurance pools set up in states like Pennsylvania and New Mexico will fund abortions after all. Remember the promise that Obamacare would “strengthen small businesses”? Not true either. The net result of Obamacare is that small businesses will face higher health care costs, new Medicare taxes, and higher regulation compliance costs, while the much-hyped health care tax credit for small businesses turns out to be almost impossible to obtain. Remember the president’s promise that his bill would ensure “everyone [has] some basic security”? False again. Besides the great uncertainty that Obamacare hampers businesses with, companies now find it is actually cheaper to pay the $2000 per employee fine imposed by Obamacare than to keep insuring their workforce. This leaves millions of American workers at risk of losing their employer-provided health insurance. And remember when the Obama administration said they would not be “rationing care” in the future? That ol’ “death panels” thing I wrote about last year? That was before Obamacare was passed. Once it passed, they admitted there was going to be rationing after all. There has to be. The reality of Obamacare is that it enshrines what the New York Times called “The Power of No” – the government’s power to say no to your request for treatment of the people you love. The fact that the president used a recess appointment to push through the nomination of Dr. Donald Berwick as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tells you all you need to know about this administration’s intentions. After all, Berwick is the man who said, “The decision is not whether we will ration care – the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.” By the way, when the administration was talking about that independent board that has the statutory power to decide which categories of treatment are worthy of funding based on efficiency calculations (that, again, sounded to me like a panel of faceless bureaucrats making life and death decisions about your loved ones – which, again, is what I referred to as a “death panel”), it was another opportunity for Americans to hear the truth about Obamacare’s intentions. So, yes, those rationing “death panels” are there, and so are the tax increases that the president also promised were “absolutely not” in his bill. (Aren’t you tiring of the untruths coming from this White House and the liberals in Congress?) When the state of Florida filed a challenge to Obamacare on the basis that the mandates in the bill are unconstitutional, the Obama Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the suit by citing the Anti-Injunction Act, which blocks courts from interfering with the federal government’s ability to collect taxes. Yes, taxes! Once the bill was passed it was no longer politically inconvenient for the Obama administration to admit that it makes no difference whether the payment is a tax or a penalty because it’s “assessed and collected in the same manner.” The National Taxpayer Advocate has already warned that “Congress must provide sufficient funding” to allow the IRS to collect this new tax. Pretty soon we’ll be paying taxes just to make it possible for the IRS to collect all the additional taxes under Obamacare! Seems as if this is another surprise that the public found out about after the bill was rammed through. But perhaps the most ridiculous promise of all was the president’s assurance that Obamacare will lead to “bending the curve” on health care spending. Yes, rationing is a part of the new system, and yes, Obamacare does raise taxes. But because the new government managed system is so incredibly complicated and expensive to run, health care spending will actually rise instead of fall. Don’t believe me? Then take a look at the Congressional Budget Office’s admittance that the CBO’s original estimate of the total costs of the bill were off by around $115 billion. Its new estimate is now above $1 trillion, and even that may be way too low. A more realistic figure calculated by the Pacific Research Institute puts the number at $2.5 to $3 trillion over the next 10 years! This is probably what President Obama was referring to when he admitted recently that he had known all along that “at the margins” his proposals were going to drive up costs. Give us a break! Only in this administration would they refer to a $3 trillion spending increase as “marginal.” Next time he comes to us with another one of his harebrained proposals for a budget-busting federal power grab, let’s make sure we remember the president’s admission that he was lying all along when he told us his health care plan was going to cut costs. He is increasing costs. He admits it now. Period. Higher costs and worse care – is it any wonder why people are overwhelmingly in favor of repealing and replacing Obamacare? Politicians who have vacillated on this issue need to be fired. Candidates who don’t support “repeal and replace” don’t deserve your support. No amount of money spent on Washington’s “government-wide apolitical public information campaign” (otherwise known as “propaganda”) will convince Americans that this awful legislation is anything other than a debt-driven big government train wreck. We need to repeal and replace it, and that can only happen if we elect a new Congress that will make scrapping Obamacare one of its top priorities. We can replace it with pro-private sector, patient-oriented reform that the GOP has proposed. On March 23, when Obamacare was signed into law, I launched my “Take back the 20” campaign, focusing on 20 congressional districts that John McCain and I carried in 2008 which are or were represented by members of Congress who voted in favor of Obamacare. They need to be held accountable for those votes. They voted for Obamacare. Now we can vote against them. We need to replace them with representatives who will respect the will of the people. That’s why today I’m launching a new Take Back the 20 website at www.takebackthe20.com! TakeBackthe20.com provides information about the candidates in these 20 districts who are committed to repealing and replacing Obamacare. It has links to their personal websites and their donation pages. It allows you to read up on them, and then support them in their race to defeat those who gave us this terrible bill. We have to send Washington a message that it’s not acceptable to disregard the will of the people. We have to tell them enough is enough. No more defying the Constitution. No more driving us off a financial cliff. We must repeal and replace Obamacare with patient-centered, results-driven, free market reform that provides solutions to people of all income levels without bankrupting our country. It’s time to make a stand! Let’s take back the 20! - Sarah Palinhttp://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/lies-damned-lies-obamacare-6-months-later-its-time-to-take-back-the-20/433315368434 September 23rd, 2010, 9:09 pm More truths which expose the lies behind Obamacare:Wall Street Journal wrote:Healthamburglar McDonald's meets ObamaCare.Among President Obama's core health-care promises was that Americans can keep their current coverage if they like it. Among the reasons that a new ObamaCare squall blows in every other day is that this claim simply is not true, as people are discovering. The latest fracas was incited by Janet Adamy's scoop in the Journal this week that McDonald's Corp. may be forced to cancel its current coverage for 29,500 employees as a result of ObamaCare. McDonald's told Health and Human Services regulators that new mandates will make its plans "economically prohibitive" and cause "a huge disruption" unless it gets a waiver.At a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius claimed that the Journal story was "flat-out wrong," adding that "I'm sorry that they were not more accurate in their reporting." If only for the sake of her own credibility, at some point Ms. Sebelius is going to have to try to persuade people who actually know something about the industries she regulates.In a statement, McDonald's did say that it was "completely false" to suggest that "we plan to drop health care coverage for our employees," and "regardless of how the regulations evolve over the next several months, McDonald's is committed to providing competitive pay and benefits." No doubt that's true: McDonald's will still need to attract workers—not to mention that corporations of its size and brand recognition are very sensitive to political intimidation. But McDonald's didn't deny that the new rules will wipe out its existing plans. And that's precisely the point. The entire philosophical and policy architecture of ObamaCare is explicitly designed to standardize health benefits and how those benefits should be paid for. Those choices and tradeoffs will be made for everyone by Ms. Sebelius's regulators. Dr. Nan Hayworth explains why she left medicine for politics and is now running in a toss-up race for a House seat..At issue in the McDonald's dust-up is a type of low-cost, low-benefit insurance known as "mini-med." These plans cover most medical services but generally have an annual deductible or benefit cap between $1,000 and $10,000. Unlike more comprehensive plans, there's no catastrophic coverage. Essentially, the very low premiums—under $100 a month—amount to prepaying for routine expenses like office checkups and E.R. visits. Around 2.5 million consumers are covered by "mini-med" policies, most of them concentrated in low-wage industries like fast food, hospitality and retail that have large numbers of part-time or temporary workers. In the case of the restaurants, 75% of the workforce turns over every year and nearly half are under age 25. Mini-med plans are a temporary stopgap for businesses that have low margins and face high labor and health costs.But Democrats hate mini-med and other skinny-benefit plans, calling them "underinsurance." ObamaCare is meant to run them out of the market by mandating benefits, eliminating coverage caps and certain technical rules about how premiums must be spent. This despite the fact that Arkansas, Connecticut and Tennessee sponsor their own mini-med plans for state residents as better than having no insurance at all.In other words, the choice is between relatively affordable coverage that isn't as generous as Democrats think it should be and dumping coverage entirely. McDonald's may eventually offer the high-cost plans that Ms. Sebelius favors, or get its waiver, but many of its less profitable or smaller competitors won't. While subsidized ObamaCare options will be available in 2014, those costs will merely be transferred to taxpayers.Ms. Sebelius facetiously called the Journal "my favorite newspaper" at the Monitor breakfast, and she'll no doubt continue to shoot the messenger. What everyone else should understand is that the almost daily damage we're seeing as this law takes effect is not unintended. It is the heart and soul of ObamaCare.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704483004575523980464573518.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop Uh Oh. More unintended consequences:Hot Air wrote:3M to dump retirees from medical coverage posted at 10:55 am on October 5, 2010 by Ed Morrissey Remember when Barack Obama repeatedly promised that no one’s current coverage would have to change if Congress approved the health-care overhaul he demanded? When the ObamaCare bill passed, the Associated Press suddenly discovered that the change of tax law that would supposedly generate billions of dollars to pay for the costs of the bill would also drive companies to dump retirees from their existing drug coverage and push them into Medicare. Minnesota-based 3M became one of the first large corporations to do just that — and push retirees off of all their plans as well:3M Co., citing new federal health laws, said Monday it won’t cover retirees with its corporate health-insurance plan starting in 2013.Instead, the company will direct retirees to Medicare-backed insurance programs, and will provide reimbursement for that coverage. It’ll also reimburse retirees who are too young for Medicare; the company didn’t provide further details.The company made the changes known in a memo to employees Friday; news of the move was reported in The Wall Street Journal and confirmed Monday by 3M spokeswoman Jackie Berry.The ObamaCare bill created a fund to subsidize employers who didn’t dump their retirees, but the WSJ notes that it simply wasn’t enough to change the negative incentives created by the government interventions:The changes won’t start to phase in until 2013. But they show how companies are beginning to respond to the new law, which should make it easier for people in their 50s and early-60s to find affordable policies on their own. While thousands of employers are tapping new funds from the law to keep retiree plans, 3M illustrates that others may not opt to retain such plans over the next few years. …Democrats that crafted the legislation say they tried to incentivize companies to keep their retiree coverage intact, especially until 2014. The law creates a $5 billion fund for employers and unions to offset the cost of retiree health benefits. More than 2,000 entities, including many large public companies, have already been approved to submit claims for such reimbursement. 3M did not apply.How did Democrats come up with the $5 billion figure for subsidies to protect retirees from losing their plans? From the looks of it, they simply made it up. They also didn’t do much calculation to determine whether the subsidies would actually incentivize employers into rejecting this strategy for cost savings. To some extent, they may not have been able to make that calculation, because thanks to the massive amount of ambiguity in the bill, no one can really say for sure what the future costs would be. And of course, that’s why 3M chose now to dump the retirees.3m has 23,000 retirees, many of them likely to be living in Minnesota. They’re also likely to vote in the upcoming midterms, perhaps even more likely now than ever. That won’t be good news for House Democrats in the Minnesota delegation hoping to win a new term in four weeks.http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/05/3m-to-dump-retirees-from-medical-coverage/ kskfordfleet Joined: September 8th, 2006, 2:56 pmPosts: 905Location: lansing MI Obamacare.. starting to show it's effects.just got informed at work, my BC health insurance is going up by 45%! for 2011and we are probaly losing our dental.. to keep health insurance.and its only going to get worse till this abomination gets repealed. _________________2011 Adopted Lion : Kyle Vanden Bosch, Relentless Red eyed QB Hunter It's just a matter of time:AP wrote:Judge: Suit over health overhaul can go to trialBy MELISSA NELSON, Associated PressPENSACOLA, Fla. – Crucial pieces of a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's health care overhaul can go to trial, with a judge ruling Thursday he wants to hear more arguments over whether it's constitutional to force citizens to buy health insurance.In a written ruling, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson said it also needs to be decided whether it's constitutional to penalize people who do not buy insurance with taxes and to require states to expand their Medicaid programs. Another federal judge in Michigan threw out a similar lawsuit last week.Vinson set a hearing for Dec. 16. The lawsuits will likely wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.In his 65-page ruling, Vinson largely agreed with the 20 states and the National Federation of Independent Business, saying Congress was intentionally unclear when it created penalties in the legislation. The states have argued that Congress is overstepping its constitutional authority by penalizing people for not doing something — not buying health insurance.The penalties for those who do not buy insurance are never referred to as taxes in the 2,700-page act, Vinson wrote. Attorneys for the Obama administration argued at a September hearing that the penalties should be considered a tax levied by Congress — as allowed by its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce."One could reasonably infer that Congress proceeded as it did specifically because it did not want the penalty to be 'scrutinized' as a $4 billion annual tax increase," Vinson wrote."It seems likely that the members of congress merely called it a penalty and did not describe it as revenue-generating to try and insulate themselves from the potential electoral ramifications of their votes."The administration's attorneys had told Vinson last month that without the regulatory power to ensure young and healthy people buy health insurance, the health care plan will not survive.Vinson also took issue with the administration's argument that the states and individual taxpayers must wait until 2014, when some of the changes take effect, to file any lawsuits. Vinson said businesses and states are feeling the ramifications of the law now.The health care act leaves states with the difficult choice of expanding their Medicaid programs and taking on major expenses or entirely withdrawing from the insurance program for the poor, Vinson wrote. In states like Florida — where 26 percent of the state budget is devoted to Medicaid, according to the lawsuit — the law amounts to coercion, Vinson wrote.Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum praised the ruling."It is the first step to having the individual mandate declared unconstitutional and upholding state sovereignty in our federal system," McCollum said in a statement.He filed the lawsuit just minutes after President Barack Obama signed the 10-year, $938 billion health care bill into law in March.Attorneys for the government did not immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment on the ruling.Vinson's ruling comes a week after District Judge George Caram Steeh in Detroit ruled that the mandate to get insurance by 2014 and the financial penalty for skipping coverage are legal. He said Congress was trying to lower the overall cost of insurance by requiring participation.There is also a lawsuit pending in Virginia. A federal judge there has allowed the lawsuit to continue, ruling the overhaul raises complex constitutional issues.The other states involved in the lawsuit Vinson is hearing are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101014/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_lawsuit IDK Sly, I'm not so sure that a federal court is going to decide that the federal government can't do something that they want to do... The fed. ct. does seem to enjoy limiting Congress' powers, but I don't have confidence that they're going to limit federal authority over the states.I've said all along that this thing IS legal, it's just legal for different reasons than what Congress was initially arguing. If they place the health care bill under Congress' taxing and spending powers its perfectly fine. If you remember when this thing first came out I said the exact same thing. Barack Obama exclaimed over and over that "THIS IS NOT A TAX"... Notice how he's going back on that now... The Florida court just threw out the argument of calling it a tax. It was written specifically as a mandate through the commerce clause, so its impossible to go back to the tax argument. And I have a feeling that the SCOTUS will strike it down because of that. If the Federal Government gained the ability to mandate citizens to buy something from a private company, it would be a bad precedent. Next time, there won't be bailouts that grow the deficit, they'll just mandate purchases. New York Times is failing... everyone has to subscribe. I know it sounds far fetched, but if that's the precedent, then you can guarantee someone in congress will try it and eventually get something passed. So it has to go to court on the basis on it being a mandate through the commerce clause, and the argument that by the 10th amendment, they can't force more medicaid spending on the states then they already agreed too. States could then just opt out of medicaid all together, or you'd have some states go default. njroar wrote:The Florida court just threw out the argument of calling it a tax. It was written specifically as a mandate through the commerce clause, so its impossible to go back to the tax argument. And I have a feeling that the SCOTUS will strike it down because of that. If the Federal Government gained the ability to mandate citizens to buy something from a private company, it would be a bad precedent. Next time, there won't be bailouts that grow the deficit, they'll just mandate purchases. New York Times is failing... everyone has to subscribe. I know it sounds far fetched, but if that's the precedent, then you can guarantee someone in congress will try it and eventually get something passed. So it has to go to court on the basis on it being a mandate through the commerce clause, and the argument that by the 10th amendment, they can't force more medicaid spending on the states then they already agreed too. States could then just opt out of medicaid all together, or you'd have some states go default.I agree that without the taxing and spending clause it may get thrown out, I just don't see what's stopping them from raising the argument before the SCOTUS... I realize this FL ruling, but I don't put much faith in what a State Court has to say on this matter. The State court ruled that they can't argue that its a tax now, because the law as passed, says its not and it specifically says they have the ability via the commerce clause. They could try and rewrite the bill, but then it'd have to go through congress and the senate again and they definitely don't have the votes to get it passed. They could raise the issue again, but they'll just look at the lower ruling when it comes up. The SCOTUS will look at the constitutionality of the case as is, not try to change the wording of the bill to mean something else, especially with a conservative majority. And the question will come up if Kagan was involved with the case in anyway prior to her being nominated for the court. She had to excuse herself from 24 of the 51 initial hearings, so even a 4-4 split, would revert back to the lower courts decision. The biggest thing about this case, is that the bill isn't divided into sections, so if this is declared unconstitutional, the entire bill fails. It might just end up being the biggest case we see in our lifetime. wjb, I see your point, but njroar already has said a lot of what I would have in response. BTW, good job njroar. If they had written the individual mandate as a tax, they may have gotten away with it, but they didn't. This will go to the Supreme Court and Obama will lose (assuming that the current court stays intact) by 5-4 (or 5-3 if Kagan is forced to recuse herself). The government simply can't demand that citizens purchase a good or service from a private entity under the Constitution. If they could, why not force us to buy a new car from Government Motors every 5 years or so?Furthermore, as njroar stated above, they really screwed up when they wrote this bill. They should have included a section (which they do in most bills) that maintains the remainder of the law if any part of it gets overturned. Fortunately, they forgot that part, so if any element of Obamacare gets ruled unconstitutional, the entire thing will be deemed so. With that said, I'm sure they've figured a way around that though. And the real issue with health care.... We DO need reform, but I'm glad they messed this up. If it weren't directly for this bill, the country wouldn't have woken up politically. That's the plus. The real issues with this bill that were immediately relevant, was that it did absolutely nothing to control costs. They said it would cost less because everyone has it, but the trickle up poverty method has never worked. All it does it shift control. I'd have worked with insurance companies to identify the major issues that raise costs. Extend the period before Generic drugs can be started, so that we wouldn't be bombarded with drug ads because they only have a limited time to recoup their research investment. I believe its 5 years now, make it 10 or come up with a solution that lowers the cost substantially. If the originals were cheaper, would we even need generics? If we could move across state lines, would the insurance companies need as many business offices with administration staff taking a bulk of the funds that funnel into the system? With less overhead costs, the costs given to the customers should drop. With as much money running into the system now, to only have a 4% margin, its easy to see that too many salaries are a drain. I havent' had coverage for over 6 years now, but luckily I only really need to see a doctor once every 3 years. It costs a lot when I do have to go to the hospital for something, but payment plans ease that burden. So i could benefit by the health care law, but its just the wrong system period. Bump. Please read this thread. It will show you that Obama and the Democrats were lying about Obamacare in the early stages while accusing the Republicans of doing so. Even though, at the time, the Democrats and the corrupt lamestream media were the ones doing the lying as we can all see the truth now.

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Jobs More hepatitis C research coming from Johnson City / Article JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) -- Researchers in Johnson City have received a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for further study on hepatitis C. Dr. Zhi Q. Yao and Dr. Jonathan P. Moorman began studying hepatitis C together in 2000. Most recently they have focused on cells called monocytes, which work in concert with T cells to fight disease. According to a news release from East Tennessee State University, monocytes look for harmful, intruding pathogens in the body and alert the normally dormant T cells to attack. Moorman said breakthroughs in hepatitis C are needed because current, long-term treatments are effective in only about half the patients. Yao is an associate professor of internal medicine at ETSU's College of Medicine. Moorman is chief of infectious diseases at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The latest on the Ebola crisis: A CBS Special Report Join the Conversation!

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Breast-Conserving Therapy Gets Boost for Younger Women 09/19/2011 10:08 AM Breast-Conserving Therapy Gets Boost for Younger Women By Associated Press Younger women with early breast cancer who have breast-conserving surgery do just as well as those who undergo mastectomy, two new studies suggest. Breast-Conserving Therapy Gets Boost for Younger WomenLumpectomy Plus Radiation Has Just as Good Survival as Mastectomy, Studies SuggestWebMD Medical News Hot Flashes Linked to Lower Breast Cancer RiskAvastin May Help Fight Early Breast CancerFaulty Mammograms Cause High AnxietyBreast-Conserving Therapy Better Than Mastectomy?Sept. 7, 2011 -- Younger women with early breast cancer who have breast-conserving surgery do just as well as those who undergo mastectomy, two new studies suggest.Young age at diagnosis is considered a risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Also, studies done years ago suggested that younger women who have breast-conserving treatment (lumpectomy followed by radiation) may face a higher chance of having their cancer come back than older women, says researcher Julliette Buckley, MD, a fellow in breast surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston."With these new studies, we can reassure younger patients who are considering less aggressive treatment with breast-conserving treatment that their survival and recurrence rate [will be similar to] that of younger women having mastectomy," she tells WebMD.The findings were presented at a news briefing held in advance of the Breast Cancer Symposium 2011 in San Francisco.Survival Rates Similar After Mastectomy, Breast-Conserving TherapyFor one study, Usama Mahmood, MD, and colleagues used a National Cancer Institute database to look at survival rates among nearly 5,000 women aged 20 to 39 who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1990 and 2007. About half the women received breast conservation therapy, and the other half underwent mastectomy.Fourteen percent of those who had breast-conserving surgery and those who had mastectomy were alive and free of breast cancer after 10 years, says Mahmood, MD, a fellow in radiation oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.About 16% of women in both groups died due to any cause over the 10-year period.The groups were similar in terms of characteristics such as tumor size that affect survival rates.For the other study, Buckley and colleagues reviewed the medical records of 628 women aged 40 and younger who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1996 and 2008.The chance of cancer coming back in the same breast or spreading to the lymph nodes under the arm was 13% over a 10-year period in the group that got breast-conservation treatment and 11% in the mastectomy group, a difference so small it could have been due to chance.In the study, 30 of 421 women who underwent breast-conserving therapy and 12 of 161 patients who had a mastectomy had cancer come back in the same breast or in lymph nodes under the arm.The analysis took into account other risk factors for recurrence, including aggressiveness of the tumor and type of surgery.Better Imaging CreditedBuckley credits the improved recurrence and survival rates to enhanced imaging scans that allow doctors to better select patients for lumpectomy based on such factors as tumor size. Also, advances in chemotherapy and radiation treatment have reduced risks, she says.Although breast-conserving therapy is generally thought of as "less invasive" than mastectomy, it too carries risks, Buckley tells WebMD."If you have lumpectomy, you have to have radiation, and that's typically six weeks of treatment, nearly every day. Patients feel very tired. There can be skin changes and other problems."Some women prefer to have a mastectomy and be done, though that often means breast reconstruction surgery," Buckley says.She says she doesn't know of any studies comparing the long-term costs of the two procedures in younger women."Age is no longer a reason to reject breast-conserving treatment," says American Society of Clinical Oncology spokesman Andrew Seidman, MD, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.That said, there are certain younger women who might benefit more from mastectomy, he tells WebMD. They include women with pockets of tumor cells in more than one area of the breast and those who have BRCA gene mutations, which increase women’s risk for breast cancer, Seidman says.In 2011, there will be an estimated 290,000 new cases of breast cancer in the U.S.Mahmood conducted much of his research while at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.SOURCES:Breast Cancer Symposium 2011, San Francisco, Sept. 8-10, 2011.Usama Mahmood, MD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.Julliette Buckley, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.Andrew Seidman, MD, department of medical oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City.© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Menomonee Falls hospital celebrates 50 years By Ty SchmidtJuly 11, 2014 Menomonee Falls — What was once an empty farm field in a rural area outside Milwaukee is now so much more to so many people.It all began thanks to a small group of visionaries who chose to build the local hospital now known as Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Community Memorial Hospital. And as the community landmark celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Menomonee Falls resident Cheryl Herriges remembers what it all looked like "way back when." Herriges was 10 years old when her parents moved to to a home neighboring what was for years referred to as the hosptial on the hill. Though she was too young to remember what life was like when the complex first opened July 1, 1964, she fondly remembers the birth of all three of her children at that hospital. "Things changed so much from when I had my first child to when I had my third," she said. "But what didn't change was the level of service from the staff."That kind of experience is exactly what the staff says they strive to deliver to each and every patient. While the hospital only had 61 beds manned by a total staff of 70 when it first opened, the complex has developed into a full-service medical center for the surrounding area, featuring 202 beds, a medical staff of almost 600 and more than 1,300 total staff members."I love the fact that it's a small-town feel with everything a major metropolitan hospital would offer," said Angie Orcholski, RN, who was the nurse who assisted in delivering the 42,770th baby to be born at CMH on Tuesday, July 1. Orcholski has worked in the labor and delivery area of the Birth Center for six years, and said she loves coming to work every day because of the people she gets to help. "At a lot of larger hospitals there is only the labor and delivery area, so you deliver and send them off; it's not that way here," she said. "We build relationships with our patients throughout their time with us."In addition to its Birth Center, the hospital specializes in cancer care, heart and vascular care, orthopedics, women's health and advanced surgical procedures."Community Memorial Hospital was built because of a sincere and compassionate concern that local residents live healthy lives along with a commitment to provide excellent health care right here in their community," said CMH President Dennis Pollard in a statement. "I grew up in Menomonee Falls and know first-hand the impact Community Memorial Hospital has had on health care in this community."Watching the growth of the hospital in the village has not only been of interest to those who live and work nearby, but also by those serviced by the medical complex."It was a truly unforgettable experience," said Menomonee Falls resident Jessica Sternard, who had her daughter Alexis at CMH just over a year ago, "not just because we broughr the miracle of life into the world that day, but because of the people who helped make it possible."Hers is an example of the stories the organization is hoping to hear through its "Share Your Story" campaign. As part of the anniversary celebration, hospital staff is encouraging patients, family members, staff members, volunteers and residents alike to log on to www.froedtert.com to share how the community hospital has been special to them. This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.

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Solutions to Four Common Foot ProblemsOne surprise of aging: Your tootsies can feel the worse for wear. Here's how to deal with bunions, heel inflammation, hardening skin and nail fungusby Emily Listfield Photograph: Illustrated by Thomas FuchsAt a recent wedding reception north of New York City, Laura R. began sharing war stories about her recent bunion surgery to remove the unsightly (and painful) bone that was bulging from the side of her foot. Whipping out her iPhone, she proudly showed off an “after” photo. As every woman at the table peppered her with questions, her husband of 21 years just laughed. “This is what it’s come to. You used to show pictures of your kids; now it’s your feet,” he said. Almost every woman I know feels bad about her feet. Correction: Every woman I know has feet that feel bad. Really bad. I’m no exception: I have things wrong with my feet that I’d never heard of before. I haunt the foot section of the drugstore like a junkie looking for relief. I scout plus-size shoe stores even though the rest of me is not plus size. In all of this, I am rather typical. In a 2010 study by the American Podiatric Medical Association, 77 percent of adults said they had experienced a foot ailment. The number may be even higher for women, especially as they get older. “Before 40, many women’s foot problems stem from overuse injuries or high-heel accidents,” says New York City podiatrist Johanna Youner. But after you hit 40, your feet start to pay the price for years of holding up your body. “As you age, the tendons and ligaments in your feet lose some of their elasticity, which makes your arches flatten and your feet and ankles stiffen. At the same time, your toenails tend to thicken and curl,” Youner notes. In some women, the fat pads that cushion the bottom of the feet start to thin, so walking becomes painful. (To relieve those symptoms, Youner sometimes injects the foot pads with Juvéderm, often used for filling out facial lines.) Pregnancy can also change women’s feet. “There is some evidence that the hormones that allow the muscles to expand in the belly also relax the muscles in the feet, causing them to expand,” says Bob Baravarian, DPM, chief of podiatric foot and ankle surgery at Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital. Put everything together, and your feet can gain a half size every 10 years. For a variety of reasons, women are more prone to foot issues than men are. There’s the pregnancy factor, as well as the greater innate laxity of women’s tendons and ligaments. But men are also much more likely to opt for, well, sensible shoes. “The more rigid the sole, the less strain on the foot, and men tend to wear flat shoes that have a lot of support built into them,” explains Baravarian. “Women who wear higher heels with pointier toes and thinner soles set themselves up for trouble.” Men also have genes on their side: Some foot issues are passed down disproportionately to women. So are we destined to hobble into the golden years? Not necessarily. You can forestall trouble by choosing shoes that are easy on your feet for everyday use and saving the stilettos for special events. Another tack is to switch your workouts from activities that involve heavy pounding (such as running or jumping rope) to those that have little impact on your feet (such as swimming). But even if it’s too late for prevention, you still have options, because there have been significant advances in the treatment of problem feet. Here, four of the conditions that women suffer from most and the new fixes that can help. Condition 1: Bunion What it is: A protuberance caused by shifting of the first metatarsal (the big toe bone) toward the second toe. Symptoms: A large bump on the big-toe side of your foot, reddened skin, swelling, pain while walking. Causes: Bunions often result from a genetic predisposition, but you boost your chances of developing that big bump if you usually wear shoes that have a narrow toe box, says Baravarian. This kind of shoe creates pressure that can cause the first metatarsal to shift place. What you can do at home: If you have bunions, opt for soft, supple leather shoes with a thick sole to decrease pressure on the bone. “Stick to a shoe with a heel no higher than two inches and a wide toe box,” recommends Naomi Shields, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Wichita, Kansas, and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. An orthotic that supports the arch can also reduce stress on your big toe and slow the progression of the bunion. (See “How to Choose an Orthotic”) You might also try using a bunion pad (available in drugstores) to make your shoes more comfortable. What a surgeon can do: If you experience so much pain that it interferes with your daily activities, surgery may be your best option. There have been significant improvements in bunion surgery, and while no one would call it a walk in the park, it is not as brutal as it once was: Newer techniques considerably reduce both the recovery time and the risk of recurrence. “In the old days, doctors would shave the protruding bone, and the bunion would often grow back because the bone wasn’t realigned with the toe joint,” Baravarian explains. “Now doctors cut the bone and line it up with the joint, holding it in place with special screws. There is less postoperative swelling because there is no motion between the bone and the joint and therefore very little pain.” You wear a boot for four to six weeks and sneakers for a couple of weeks after that. You won’t need crutches, but you’re not going to be training for a marathon either. Many activities can be resumed about two months after the operation, and in most cases the bunion does not regrow. You may hear about a less invasive but more controversial surgical technique called a mini tightrope, which has been developed in the past five years. In this operation, a doctor subcutaneously ties together the first and second metatarsals (the bones leading up to the first and second toes) to realign them without cutting any bone. “In the right circumstances, mini tightrope can be a very good procedure,” says Baravarian.“The problem is that in very active patients, the FiberWire can break, or it can pull through bone. We use it in older patients who are less active.” But with the advent of new kinds of screws, the trend in the general population is toward more aggressive surgery to prevent the bunion from returning, says Mark Berkowitz, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. Condition 2: Plantar Fasciitis What it is: An inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia) that connects the heel to the toes. Symptoms: Pain in the heel, especially when you first get up in the morning. Causes: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is among the most common foot problems, one in which genetics doesn’t seem to play a role. “In patients who have tight calf muscles, flat feet or a tendency to put a lot of strain on their arches, the tissue begins to tear at the bottom of the heel, causing pain,” Baravarian explains. “The pain is usually worst first thing in the morning, because the plantar fascia gets tight while you sleep. It stretches out during the day and feels a little bit better, but over time scar tissue forms and causes increasing amounts of pain.” You can exacerbate plantar fasciitis if you wear shoes that don’t offer ade-quate support or overdo a new work-outroutine without a proper buildup. What you can do at home: “Most cases of plantar fasciitis will improve if you wear proper shoes and do certain stretches, but recovery is a slow process and can take from three months to a year,” says orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Deland, MD, chief of foot and ankle service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The best footwear: shoes with one-and-a-half-inch heels. “Flats put too much pressure on the ball of the foot, which pulls at the heel,” Shields explains. Deland recommends doing the following two stretches for five minutes in the morning and at night: “Put your affected foot on your opposite knee and gently pull the toes toward the shin and also let the ankle bend. Hold for 15 seconds, relax and then repeat.” Then do a classic runner’s stretch: Press your hands against a wall, standing two to three feet away so you’re leaning into the wall. Let your elbows bend so that your body goes forward. Adjust your distance from the wall to maximize the stretch in the back of your calves. You can also buy boots that stretch your plantar fascia while you sleep (one source: Amazon.com). If you are overweight, you have one more reason to drop the pounds. “Walking is the equivalent of putting three times your body weight on your foot with each step. If you take some weight off, you lessen the strain,” says Youner. Cortisone shots can help with the pain, though they won’t remedy the underlying cause of your problem, according to Baravarian. What a doctor can do: “Ninety percent of people with PF get better with traditional treatments, but there are 10 percent of patients, mostly over 40, for whom the condition doesn’t improve,” says Raymond Rocco Monto, MD, an orthopedic surgeon on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. One problem: “Microtears to the connective tissue accumulate over the years.” A number of therapies are available for these stubborn cases. Among the newest is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, recently in vogue among elite athletes to treat injuries such as tendinitis and tennis elbow. In this procedure, a patient’s blood is drawn, then spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which release growth factors. The plasma is then injected into the affected area. In a study involving patients with severe plantar fasciitis, “we found the group treated with PRP did much better right away than those who received traditional nonoperative treatments,” says Monto. “The PRP people also maintained those good results over the year of follow-up.” Insurance coverage for platelet-rich plasma varies, and many doctors still have a wait-and-see attitude about the procedure, but it is becoming more accepted. One treatment that is not gaining widespread support is the use of Botox to treat PF. While some doctors have touted the nerve paralyzer as a way to lessen heel pain, most in the medical community are dubious. “Your muscles can atrophy so that you might have trouble even walking,” Baravarian says. Condition 3: Neuroma What it is: An inflammation and thickening of nerve tissue in the ball of the foot, usually between the third and fourth toes. Symptoms: The feeling that there is a pebble in your shoe; pain that is lessened when a shoe is removed. Causes: If your feet tend to roll inward when you walk, that motion over time can irritate the nerve tissue between the third and fourth toes, producing a neuroma. Another possible contributor: wearing tight shoes that put pressure on nerves in the ball of your foot. Because a variety of factors can cause a similar pain, a neuroma can be difficult to diagnose. Many doctors use a sonogram to see if nerve tissue is inflamed; others press the ball of the foot to listen for a clicking sound that indicates thickened nerves. To be absolutely certain, some inject the nerve tissue with Novocain. If the pain is alleviated, it is a good bet that a neuroma was the cause. What you can do at home: “If you have a neuroma, deal with it early because it’s much easier to make an improvement then,” Baravarian says. Make sure your shoes are wide enough to avoid squeezing; orthotics and an over-the-counter insole pad to cushion the ball of the foot can also help. “You are better off in rigid-soled shoes that give more support. If you’re going to wear high heels, choose a platform or a wedge—or try to wear a bulkier heel so you don’t teeter on it,” says Baravarian. Take a break from activities that irritate the nerve, such as anything that entails pounding the balls of your feet. For instance, if you are a gym-goer, use an elliptical trainer rather than a treadmill; replace a step class with Pilates. If pain continues, a cortisone injection can offer temporary relief by calming the nerve. It is not a cure, though, and repeated injections are not recommended because they can lead to nerve atrophy. What a surgeon can do: The last resort for neuromas is surgery that removes the irritated nerve tissue, which entails up to three weeks of recovery. There is a risk of scarring, which can be painful, and full recovery can take up to three months. “I recommend trying more conservative treatments for six months first,” Deland says. Condition 4: Nail Fungus What it is: An infection that develops beneath your toenails. Symptoms: Thick toenails that are chipping and yellowed. Causes: Some 10 percent of American adults (more men than women) have this condition, which is sky-high in the yuckiness factor. You inherit a susceptibility to the fungal infection, which can enter in a spot where the nail is split or at an opening on the edge of the nail bed. Older, thicker nails are more at risk, according to the Mayo Clinic. What you can do at home: Drugstore aisles are rife with OTC topical antifungal products, and they can work, though treatment may take up to a year as the damaged nail grows out. Baravarian offers this tip: “To help medication penetrate, file the top of your nail to remove the shiny coating.” The most efficacious treatment is the prescription drug Lamisil (terbinafine), taken orally for three (or more) months. “About 75 to 88 percent of cases get cleared up, but the drug has serious side effects,” says Youner. “Three percent of patients experience an elevation in liver enzymes.” To monitor your levels, Baravarian recommends you get a blood test before you start treatment with Lamisil and another a month later. Fungi breed in moist environments, so to speed recovery and avoid re-infection (always a possibility), choose shoes made of natural, breathable fibers (as opposed to, say, rubber), with enough room for your toes to spread. Also, wear cotton socks and change them if they become damp. Youner recommends going without polish on your toes as much as possible. “Let your nails breathe,” she says. What a laser can do: In 2010 the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pinpointe Laser to treat toenail fungus. Youner is among those who have incorporated the Pinpointe into her practice. “We do it in a surgical center, no general anesthesia required. The laser goes through the nail and vaporizes the fungal material beneath it. In my experience, most people need a boost about six months later,” she says. A small, independent study published in the Journal of American Podiatric Medicine found that 85 percent of patients who received laser treatment experienced mild to moderate improvement after 180 days. The cost can be up to $1,200 per treatment and is generally not covered by insurance. Next: The Most Foot-Friendly Shoewear Want MORE? Sign up for our weekly newsletter. First Published Fri, 2012-08-03 09:18 Find this story at:http://www.more.com/common-foot-problems-solutions

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Motherisk News: Researcher Credited With 1973 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Discovery Says Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy Still 'Major Nicole Chavez, Marketing & Communications Manager MotherToBaby, Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development University of California, San Diego August 21, 2013, Brentwood, TN. It's been 40 years since Kenneth Lyons Jones, MD, and David Smith, MD, first identified Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) after examining several Children with similar traits who had all been born to chronic alcoholic mothers. Today, despite the well-documented spectrum of negative physical and mental effects alcohol can have on the developing fetus, Jones says it's a "major public concern" that 1 in 13 women still drink alcohol during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's deeply concerning," said Jones, who is president of MotherToBaby, a service of the international non–profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), and considered the world's leading expert on FAS as well as other areas of birth defects research. According to Jones, the concern has become amplified as recent, misleading reports have hit the mainstream media that suggest light drinking during pregnancy Is acceptable for all women. "Each woman metabolizes alcohol differently and 40 years of research overwhelmingly supports the conclusion that a 'safe' amount of alcohol that any individual woman can drink during pregnancy has simply not been established." Jones says as many as 1 in 100 babies are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure today which can result in a range of neurobehavioral disabilities, now known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Despite the statistics, Jones understands how many women can become frustrated with the laundry lists of "don'ts" thrown at them during pregnancy. "This is why it's important that every woman takes the well-being of her pregnancy into her own hands by receiving a personalized risk assessment directly from an expert. This way she can make an informed decision about whether drinking alcohol or taking a specific medication, for example, is worth the risk during her particular pregnancy." Message about FASD by Dr. Kenneth Jones: YouTube video

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Home > Service Areas > Neurology > News > Mount Sinai School of Medicine Receives $17 Million from NIH To Study Patterns of Flu Infection Mount Sinai School of Medicine Receives $17 Million from NIH To Study Patterns of Flu InfectionNIH renews Program for Research on Immune Modeling and Experimentation funding to develop math models to better predict patterns of flu infection. New York, NY – December 15, 2010 /Press Release/ –– Mount Sinai School of Medicine today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has renewed funding of the Program for Research on Immune Modeling and Experimentation (PRIME). This program seeks to develop easy-to-use, predictive mathematical models to better understand patterns of infection among individuals affected by the H1N1 and 1918 influenza viruses and other related viruses. The renewed contract provides an additional $17.2 million over five years to the initiative, following an initial contract of $16.8 million, bringing the total funding for PRIME to $34 million. Mount Sinai is the primary research site for PRIME, leading five other institutions and organizations around the world. As part of PRIME, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine use data-based models to simulate the response of human dendritic cells, a type of immune cell, to influenza viruses. The PRIME team will test and refine a cutting-edge informatics platform that replaces paper recordkeeping and transmits results to a centralized database sponsored by NIAID. This database will help scientists more effectively design their experiments and make better use of available data. Under the renewed contract, Mount Sinai researchers will perform large-scale experiments to validate mathematical models and test their predictions, with the goal of helping scientists better understand the immune response to these viruses. "The number of factors contributing to human response to a virus is overwhelming, far too many for scientists to test through traditional experiments," said Stuart C. Sealfon, MD, Glickenhaus Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology, Director of the Center for Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Director of the Center for Translational Systems Biology, Professor of Neurobiology, and Professor of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "Using a computational approach, we can better understand what makes these viruses tick, allowing scientists to refer to a centralized database to better direct their experiments." During the first five years of the contract, the PRIME team made several advances in working with immunologists on using these tools. With the renewal, the research team will facilitate the use of computational approaches by experimentalists to elucidate the molecular mechanism of action of virus infection. "The PRIME team is at the forefront of a major transition in medical research to leverage the power of computational biology to help design experiments," said Dr. Sealfon. "This approach can make these experiments much more efficient and accelerate scientific discovery, which is especially critical in studying severe pandemics." Subcontractors on the contract include Yale University, Princeton University, Ohio State University, Contur Software AB, and Bioanalytics Group LLC. About The Mount Sinai Medical Center The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's best hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place. For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org. Follow us on Twitter @mountsinainyc.

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Engel appointed as State Health Director Contact: Mark Van Sciver, 919-733-9190 RALEIGH – Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler today announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey P. Engel, M.D., as North Carolina State Health Director. He succeeds Dr. Leah Devlin who retired as State Health Director in January but who has continued to serve in an interim capacity. Engel’s appointment is effective March 2. (Photo of Dr. Engel, 300 KB) “North Carolina is indeed lucky to have tapped the talents and expertise of Dr. Jeff Engel to serve as State Health Director and as Director of the Division of Public Health,” Cansler said. “North Carolina has long been considered a national leader in its proactive approaches to public health issues. Dr. Engel will continue to build upon the strong and enduring foundations built by his predecessors – Dr. Leah Devlin and Dr. Ron Levine – as he guides the state’s public health efforts in the years to come.” “I am very honored, humbled and at the same time excited to be appointed as North Carolina’s State Health Director,” Dr. Engel said. “I want to thank Sec. Cansler and Gov. Perdue for allowing me the opportunity to serve and to thank my predecessor, Dr. Leah Devlin, for her support and encouragement. I look forward to leading an outstanding and dedicated group of employees in the Division. “North Carolina has an ambitious public health agenda before it. We face tough economic times. It is in times such as these that we must be most vigilant to maintain our successes and find new strategies to make us a healthier state. It will be our job to ensure that public health is a top priority because regardless of your wealth or circumstances, health is critical to a person’s quality of life. And we recognize that our greatest gains are made through strong investments in the prevention of health problems before they occur. We are fortunate in North Carolina to have outstanding local health departments working to improve health for everyone in our state as well as an outstanding cadre of dedicated public health professionals working at the state level – all of whom give credence to our public health motto: ‘Working for a Healthier and Safer North Carolina – Everywhere. Everyday. Everybody.’” Sec. Cansler’s announcement of the appointment of a new State Health Director is the first of several changes planned within the Division. “Our Public Health Division boasts one of the state’s strongest leadership teams, which we will be tapping as we plan efforts to further improve our prevention efforts as well as improvements in care quality and care management,” Sec. Cansler said. “Current Deputy Director, Dr. Steve Cline, will be taking on new and expanded duties in the area of health information technology, and Deputy Division Director Dennis Harrington will continue working with local health agencies and departments in providing new opportunities for community-based health improvement and clinical care.” Since 2002, Dr. Engel has served as the State Epidemiologist. In 2006, he was named Chief of the Epidemiology Section of the Division. From 1988-2002, he was on the faculty at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, where he attained the rank of Professor of Medicine, served as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, and Medical Director of Hospital Infection Control for Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Dr. Engel received his undergraduate (1977) and medical (1981) degrees from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and did his residency, chief residency, and fellowship training at the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center from 1981-88.

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Overview Condition Information NICHD Research Information Research Goals Activities and Advances Scientific Articles Staff Contacts Clinical Trials Resources and Publications Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology: Research Activities and Scientific Advances Skip sharing on social media links Page ContentInstitute Activities and Advances Other Activities and Advances Institute Activities and Advances The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) is the primary NICHD funding source for research on rehabilitative and assistive technology. The NCMRR is developing and supporting the application of devices to improve the human-environment interface and to restore or enhance an individual’s capacity to function in his or her environment. This type of applied research and rehabilitation technology includes, but is not limited to, prosthetics, wheelchairs, biomechanical modeling, and other devices that aim to enhance mobility, communication, cognition, and environmental control. Specific examples of current funding areas include the following: Development of technologies that promote healthy, independent living for people with disabilities (PAR-11-021) Engineering of control devices for upper limb movement (NIH-NICHD-NCMRR-2011-15) Development of advanced neural prosthetics (PAR-12-053) Bioengineering research partnerships for basic, applied, and translational multidisciplinary research that addresses important biological, clinical, or biomedical research problems, including rehabilitation and assistance for people with disabilities (PAR-10-234) Other current areas of support can be found at the NCMRR website. Advances that have resulted from NCMRR funding exemplify the range of the center’s interests within rehabilitative and assistive technology. Examples are listed below. Rehabilitative Technology The NMCRR supports a project at the University of California, Irvine, that focuses on robotics for rehabilitation therapy. This project, co-funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), included the development and testing of two robotic exoskeletons—Pneumatic Wilmington Exoskeleton (Pneu-WREX) and Biomimetic Orthosis for Neurorehabilitation of the Elbow and Shoulder (BONES)—for rehabilitation of upper extremities. Videos of these devices in action are available at http://biorobotics.eng.uci.edu/videos . Many rehabilitation projects aim to improve motor function outcomes of stroke patients. Some NCMRR grantees sought to identify key biological substrates needed for improvements in mobility as a way to predict and maximize treatment outcomes. They found that the degree of injury to specific motor tracts predicts gains from treatment in stroke patients. Knowing the degree of injury could help therapists to select more targeted and effective treatments for these patients. Researchers supported by the NCMRR and the NIBIB are studying the Robotic Upper Extremity Repetitive Therapy (RUPERT) device, a portable robotic device that helps stroke patients retrain their muscles to perform basic tasks, such as picking up a cup. As the patient’s abilities improve, the robot’s computer adjusts the assistance given to stroke patients to help retrain their muscles. The device offers multiple degrees of arm movement for the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Studies showed that RUPERT offered a low-cost, safe, and easy-to-use robotic device to assist patients and therapists in systematic therapy at home or in a clinic. Physical disabilities prevent many individuals from leading independent lives. Some of these individuals however may have the capacity to drive an automobile, but are not given an opportunity. Researchers supported by the NCMRR are trying to expand driving opportunities for disabled individuals through the development of a virtual reality driving simulation. The researchers are currently examining the utility of this novel approach for evaluating the driving ability of individuals who recently experienced a concussion. The method represents a way to test individuals’ ability to drive in a safe but challenging manner. One project, supported by the NCMRR, the NIBIB, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, developed technology that detects brain signals and uses them to control assisted devices. This investigational system—called BrainGate2 —aims to help people with spinal cord injury, stroke, muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, limb loss, or other conditions to restore their mobility and independence. By turning brain signals into useful commands for external devices, such as a standard computer desktop or other communication device, a powered wheelchair, or a prosthetic or robotic limb, the system components can turn thought into action. Recently reported findings related to BrainGate2 indicate that the interface provides repeatable, accurate, point-and-click control of a computer interface to an individual 1,000 days after implantation of this sensor. In studies of a surgical technique in which targeted muscles produce signals on the surface of the skin that can be measured and used to control prosthetic arms, NCMRR grantees reported successful results. An article on this study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association and follow-up studies are now under way. Because many patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may be unable to communicate their needs through speech, NCMRR grantees are studying methods of augmentative and alternative communication for these patients. One study examined both high- and low-technology communication devices with voice output in patients of varying motor and cognitive abilities. The study showed positive results and has the potential to improve symptom communication and ease suffering to those in the ICU with speech limitations. The National Institute of Nursing Research is supporting a follow-up study of these results. Read more examples of NCMRR-sponsored research advances in rehabilitative technology. The Medical Rehabilitation Research Infrastructure Network, funded through the NCMRR with additional support from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the NIBIB, builds research infrastructure in medical rehabilitation by providing investigators with access to collaborative opportunities from allied disciplines such as neuroscience, engineering, applied behavior, and the social sciences. AccessIT: The National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education Behavioral Sciences and Rehabilitation Technologies Program Institute of Medicine (IOM) All related resources Related Organizational Units Behavioral Sciences and Rehabilitation Technologies (BSRT) Program Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch (IDDB) National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) Related Science Advances Collegiate Ice Hockey Head Impacts Vary by Gender, Head Location, and Type of Play Imaging Method Links Sports-Related Head Impacts to Brain Changes In Rehabilitation Centers, Number of Patients Is Only Slightly Related To Patient Outcomes Picture This: NICHD Support for Neuroscience Research Stroke prevention, treatment, and research topic of NICHD May podcast Wireless, implanted sensor broadens range of brain research Related Conferences

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February 2011 Cover Page Print Whole Issue Measuring efforts to translate science into public health action NIEHS DERT Director Gwen Collman, Ph.D., welcomed workshop participants. "It became apparent years ago that there weren't very many metrics related to evaluation that were readily available," she told the audience. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) Drew explained that NIEHS is not trying to prescribe program evaluation procedures. "What we are trying to do with this manual is to show you how you can come to those metrics yourself," she said. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) The workshop attracted science education outreach specialists, including, from foreground, Bono Sen, Ph.D., Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) science education outreach program manager; Carly Carroll, EHP science education program coordinator; Kelly Leovic, Environmental Protection Agency environmental education program manager; and Ericka Reid, Ph.D., NIEHS education outreach specialist. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) Members of the evaluation metrics team were on hand to help field questions about the manual. Shown above are Program Analyst Helena Davis, left, and Health Scientist Administrator Kristi Pettibone. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) Social Research Specialist Alison Gunn, representing the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was at the workshop to learn more about the new manual. Seated to her right is colleague Zoe Enga, evaluation and data coordinator. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) Program Analyst Liam O'Fallon oversees NIEHS environmental justice grants. He told the audience that a better understanding of metrics would help NIEHS staff as well benefit grantees. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw) NIEHS took a step toward helping grantees measure the progress of outreach and translation goals at a workshop Jan. 10, with the formal launch of its new Evaluation Metrics Manual(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/materials/index.cfm). The manual targets programs in the NIEHS Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/index.cfm) program (see text box) with guidance for researchers and program staff on ways to use logic models to define what constitutes success and how to measure it. Watch as DERT Director of the NIEHS Extramural Research and Training Gwen Collman, Ph.D., discusses the goals of the PEPH program (02:41) Download Media Player: Quicktime (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/) Led by the manual's senior author, NIEHS Program Analysis Branch Chief Christie Drew, Ph.D., the workshop was the first in a series of training and information-gathering sessions expected to continue through February. "Part of the challenge is that many products that are developed by PEPH outreach and translation activities do not make it into the typical peer-reviewed literature, which is how NIH often measures the progress of knowledge creation," Drew said. "So we need to think about what other kinds of approaches we can use to document grantee success." Drew emphasized that the draft is not a prescriptive design for planning and evaluation, but a collection of tangible examples from effective programs representing a starting point for what should be seen as a dynamic, living document. She encouraged public comments on the draft through an evaluation metrics feedback form or by e-mail(mailto:[email protected]), and offered to schedule webinars for interested groups. She described the process as an ongoing partnership effort by NIEHS staff and grantees from a range of programs funded by the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT). The effort to develop evaluation metrics, Drew explained, addresses public responses to a 2007 "Request for Information: Partnerships for Environmental Public Health"(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/about/rfi.cfm) and participant comments during a subsequent PEPH workshop(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/about/workshop.cfm) held in June 2008. PEPH programs and similar efforts funded by a variety of other organizations typically form partnerships with communities and stakeholders, to conduct and translate environmental health science research into new policies and programs to improve public health. While the goals may be clear - a policy decision by a government body or the removal of a potential health threat from a community, for example - in many cases, the specific steps toward those goals can be harder to define and even more challenging to measure. A logic model for evaluation The manual employs a logic model framework to analyze how programs can potentially use various resources or inputs to conduct a range of activities that generate a series of products or outputs to realize benefits or impacts. It focuses on five key program activity areas - partnerships, leveraging, products and dissemination, education and training, and capacity building for communities, researchers, healthcare professionals, and decision makers. The manual's appendices include a list of NIEHS staff and subject expert discussants and discussant dates, additional evaluation resources, a combined bibliography of the more than 150 references cited in the manual, and a cross index of examples and chapter sections. To review the manual and provide comments, visit the PEPH website(http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/peph/materials/index.cfm). Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) - an umbrella program at NIEHS With its roots in environmental justice and community-based participatory research programs, PEPH brings together scientists, community members, educators, health care providers, public health officials, and policy makers in the shared goal of advancing the impact of environmental public health research at local, regional, and national levels. The program emphasizes both scientific advances and the development of practical materials for use in communities, with a focus on translating research findings into tools, materials, and resources that can be used by a variety of audiences to prevent, reduce, or eliminate adverse health outcomes caused by environmental exposures. Members of PEPH conduct programs funded by a broad range of funding mechanisms, including center grants for the promotion of children's and women's environmental health, outreach and translation components of the Superfund Research Program, and education and training funded by the Worker Education and Training Program. The program's cross-divisional emphasis facilitates communication among partners who might otherwise have few opportunities to share their successes and challenges with one another. "EHP Science Education Program..." - previous story next story - "NIEHS-supported database joins TOXNET..." Last reviewed: 01 February 2011. This page URL: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/

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DOH Home >> Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Health Service Workplace Health & Safety Home Health Care Professionals PEOSH Program Occupational Health Surveillance Statistics PEOSH Publications Right to Know Publications Surveillance Publications Consumer, Environmental & Occupational Health Service Home Occupational Health & Safety Statistics* - New Jersey *based on most recent available information 2012 Workplace Fatalities 2012 Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses NJ Occupational Health Indicators Number of Workplace Fatalities: 901 NJ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) CFOI produces comprehensive, accurate, and timely counts of fatal workplace injuries. The information provided in CFOI annual reports is useful in identifying industries with high rates or large numbers of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Data compiled by the CFOI Project are issued annually for the preceding calendar year. CFOI is a Federal-State cooperative program that has been implemented in all 50 States and the District of Columbia since 1992. New Jersey was one of the first CFOI participants, joining the project in 1991. Nationwide information can be accessed on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Web site. NJ Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Project: FACE is a federally-funded research program that investigates the causes of fatal work-related injuries. Access hundreds of comprehensive fatality investigation reports. These reports have been issued to employers and other parties interested in workplace safety in order to prevent similar incidents. SOURCE: 1New Department of Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2012 Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Number of Nonfatal Illnesses and Injuries: 106,7001 NJ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) NJ SOII provides comprehensive statistics on nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses in New Jersey. The Survey, conducted by the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, is designed to provide an essential tool for promoting efforts to make New Jersey's workplaces safer and healthier. SOURCE: 1New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational health indicators provide a snapshot of the health of workers in New Jersey. These indicators can be used by states to track work-related adverse health effects and their causes. By using these indicators New Jersey and other states can gain information about their population's health status with respect to workplace factors that can influence the health of an individual. The indicators are intended to bring consistency to time-trend analyses and comparisons of occupational health status among states and to inform program and policy development at the national, state, and local levels to protect worker safety and health. Last Modified: Friday, 17-Jan-14 16:21:45

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Health Canada: BPA is safe in food packaging Mike Verespej Materials, Public Policy, Suppliers, Sustainability, Packaging OTTAWA (Oct. 1, 12:45 p.m. ET) — A report by Health Canada says there is no health risk from exposure to bisphenol A in food packaging — even though the Canadian government banned BPA from baby bottles four years ago.“Based on the overall weight of evidence, the findings of the previous assessment remain unchanged and Health Canada’s Food Directorate continues to conclude that current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging uses is not expected to pose a health risk to the general population, including newborns and young children,” said the Bureau of Chemical Safety of Health Canada in its report that was quietly issued Sept. 27.Studies by the Canadian government at the time the ban was put into place in October 2008 also had concluded the chemical was not likely a health risk. But it was still banned as a precautionary measure because some studies had suggested potential health risks from effects of low levels of exposure to BPA.In the United States, 11 states, the city of Chicago and four counties have banned the use of BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles and sippy cups. All major baby bottle manufacturers that make products for the U.S. market agreed in 2009 not to make or sell baby bottles or sippy cups that contain BPA.This past July — in response to an industry petition — FDA agreed to exclude baby bottles and sippy cups from regulations that permit companies to use BPA in food-contact applications.BPA is used to make polycarbonate and epoxy resins. The materials are used to line metal cans and are found in thermal printer paper and some dental composites and sealants.It is estimated that more than 8 billion pounds of BPA are produced worldwide every year. While Fakuma 2014 exhibitors and visitors occupied themselves with topics like molding of micro-sized plastic parts during the show, the presence of m... More

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Financial and Medication Assistance Resources Health Insurance and Medicare/Medicaid Information Information on Newborn Screening, Genetics & Lab Testing Information on Clinical Trials & Research Resources for People with Disabilities & Special Needs Resources from NORD Partners Resources to Find a Physician Clinical Trials.Gov is a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. Center Watch is committed to providing patients and their advocates information on clinical trials, specific drugs, as well as other essential health and educational resources. At Trials Central you can search for clinical trials by diseases and drugs. The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media, and policy makers about clinical research and the role each party plays in the process. The National Cancer Institute recently launched the International Clinical Trials Portal on Cancer.gov. This section of the NCI website provides a central location for online resources that will help investigators outside the United States navigate the legal and regulatory issues that come with collaborating on clinical trials with U.S.-based research groups. NIH Clinical Research Trials and You, NIH has developed a new website to help people learn more about clinical trials, why they matter, and how to participate. The EU Clinical Trials Register website allows you to search for information on clinical trials in European Union (EU) member states and the European Economic Area (EEA) and clinical trials which are conducted outside the EU/EEA if they form part of a paediatric investigation plan (PIP).

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Response Magazine > Direct Response MarketingRelated topics: Direct Response Marketing,Editor's Note NewsLegal / Regulations Editor's Note: Great Customer Service Helps Heal Many Fractures By: Thomas Haire Response Any writer with a keyboard or pen can come up with a million and one paeans to the meaning of good customer service. And in a business like direct response marketing, where top-flight customer service is essential to the health of every single company, I’m sure many have already done so. But not until you find yourself in a situation where the best customer service shines through do many appreciate just how refreshing and uplifting it can truly be. On the evening of July 18, I suffered three fractures in my left wrist in a minor watersports accident in Wisconsin. After toughing out that night on a houseboat with friends, I visited the Gundersen Lutheran Urgent Care facility in Onalaska, Wis., on Monday morning, where the six members of the staff I met with could not have been more friendly, caring or downright effective at their jobs if they’d wanted to. Within 75 minutes, I’d been X-rayed, examined by the wonderful Dr. Wanda DuCharme, diagnosed and fitted with a large splint in order to fly home. After a couple of visits to urgent care facilities here in my native Southern California in recent years, I cannot tell you how fortunate I felt to have suffered my first broken bone in the vicinity of this healthcare facility. While at the La Crosse, Wis., airport later that morning, I was fortunate enough to work with a great customer service agent from my medical insurance company who connected me to perhaps the best orthopedic and sports medicine clinic in America — Kerlan-Jobe. Any regular reader of sports news or viewer of ESPN would recognize the names of more than a half-dozen of the doctors on staff at Kerlan-Jobe from their work with the best athletes in the world. Given this, you might suspect that a regular Joe like me would fall far down the list of important patients. However, Dr. Steven Shin — hand specialist for the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, Kings, Angels and Anaheim Ducks — could not have made me feel more important. Truly, his — and the entire Kerlan-Jobe staff’s — customer service skills were second to none. And his surgical work appears to be quite magical, as well — just 10 days after surgery to insert a plate and five screws in my arm, I am already out of a cast and set to begin physical therapy. Obviously, the quality of the product or service remains key, as I could have been treated by the happiest and kindest folks in the world but still received a bad diagnosis or been subject to a flubbed surgery. However, when the product/service is clearly outstanding — as it has been in this case — it became the top-flight customer service that truly left me, as a customer, feeling that I’d received more than just a service. When the service provider leaves you feeling honored to have been served by them, that’s when you know the true value of great customer service.

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Relationship Worries Can Make You Sick FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Feeling insecure and frequently anxious about your romantic relationship can actually harm your health, new research contends.The feelings may boost levels of a stress hormone and lower your immune system, according to Ohio State researchers.In their study, married couples who were often anxious about their relationship -- wondering if their partner truly loved them, for example -- had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and lower levels of T-cells, which are important in the immune system to fight off infections, lead author Lisa Jaremka said."These concerns about rejection and whether or not you are truly cared for do have physiological consequences that could, in the long-term, negatively affect health," said Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State University's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research.The study was recently published online and will appear in an upcoming print issue of Psychological Science.Jaremka said she was not describing the normal now-and-then concerns about a relationship. "Everybody has these thoughts and feelings sometimes," she said. "They are a natural part of being in a relationship."But for the highly anxious, she added, "it's a chronic thing."Jaremka studied 85 couples, all married for an average of more than 12 years. Most were white. Their average age was 39. All the partners reported their general anxiety levels and symptoms, and answered questions about their marriage and about their sleep quality.The couples were generally healthy. Those with wives who were expecting a baby, or who drank excess alcohol or caffeine or had health problems affecting the immune system were all excluded.The couples provided saliva samples over three days and blood samples twice. From these, the research team measured levels of cortisol and T-cells.Participants with higher levels of anxiety about the marriage produced about 11 percent more cortisol than those with lower anxiety levels. Spouses with higher anxiety levels had between 11 percent and 22 percent lower levels of T cells than those with less anxiety.Jaremka said the two findings are likely linked, because cortisol can hamper production of T-cells.The study found a link or association between relationship anxiety and the body's stress and immune response, but cannot prove cause and effect.While the study did not track whether the highly anxious partners got sick more often, the link is reasonable, Jaremka said, based on other research about the ill effects of chronically high stress hormone levels."A lot of the negative consequences of high cortisol are beyond the common flu," she said. Rather, she added, high level have been linked to heart problems, sleep problems, depression and other conditions.Another expert who also studies attachment styles said the link between attachment anxiety and stress is not new, but the link to immune system function is newer. And it is "not that surprising," said Jeni Burnette, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond, in Virginia.Until more research is in, Jaremka suggests people who are highly anxious in relationships work on reducing their stress. Reduce stress by yoga or other exercise or meditation, she suggested. That would lower cortisol, presumably, and help their health.Burnette suggested that highly anxious partners might also try to be more forgiving, and not keep replaying negative events such as arguments. "Some of our work suggests that anxiously attached individuals are less forgiving and tend to respond with more rumination," she said.The study was supported by an American Cancer Society grant, a Comprehensive Cancer Center at Ohio State fellowship and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.More informationTo learn more about improving a relationship, visit the American Psychological Association.SOURCES: Lisa Jaremka, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Ohio State University; Jeni Burnette, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, University of Richmond, Va.; Jan. 10, 2013, Psychological Science, online Related Articles Health Tip: Anxiety Can Affect Your Health October 22, 2014 Ebola Anxiety: A Bigger Threat Now Than the Virus Itself October 21, 2014 Learn More About Sharp

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2001Nursing irrationalityby Sarah GlazerOf all the offers of help pouring in for victims of the World Trade Center explosion last month, the one from the Nurse Healers professional association was surely the strangest. The organisation, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, promotes a healing technique known as therapeutic touch (TT). The way it works, according to the organisation, is through an 'energy exchange' that takes place when the TT practitioner passes her hands over the patient's body without ever actually touching the patient.However, the organisation's website (1) now suggests that the dubious no-touch therapy can be performed long-distance on people who died at the World Trade Center. The week after the New York City tragedy, the website posted this advice to its members from Dolores Krieger, a former New York University professor of nursing and founder of the TT technique within the nursing profession:'I suggest the following.�I am doing healing at a distance, which I do by visualising myself at [a dead victim's] side and see/feel/think of myself doing therapeutic touch to that person. In this I am calling upon the help of the angels of compassion.�My first thought is to help the person through the terror of dying so suddenly and so horribly....I project that wondrous blue that is connected with the Mother of the World in all belief systems....'If this were simply one of many independently operating New Age cults, it would be of little interest to the general public. But TT has been endorsed at the highest levels of the nursing profession. The National League for Nursing, the agency that accredits nursing schools in the USA, has promoted the technique through books and videos. The technique is used by nurses in scores of hospitals in the USA and Canada. Proponents have claimed that at least 43,000 healthcare professionals have been trained in the technique (2).The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association calls TT the only appropriate treatment for a diagnosis it dubs 'energy-field disturbance'. There is no scientific evidence that such an energy-field exists, and experts consider it implausible. The technique was publicly discredited in 1998, when the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study showing that TT healers did no better than random chance when asked to 'sense an energy field' in another person (3). No well-designed study before or since has demonstrated any health benefit from TT.Yet TT continues to be practised in hospitals and taught in nursing schools, and PhD nurses continue to defend the method in nursing journals (4). If there has been any backing off, it seems to be in the claims for what TT can heal. Only a few years ago, adherents were claiming it could heal broken bones, arthritis and wounds and even boost the immune system (5). The 'official' website now claims only 'reduction of pain and anxiety' and 'promotion of relaxation'.What's the harm? Proponents have sometimes argued that even if TT hasn't been proven to heal any better than a placebo, at least it won't do any harm. One proponent has argued that nurses should go ahead and use TT anyway because the placebo effect is so powerful (6).Nurse critics say this would be an unethical use of their position. 'Doing TT automatically entails telling the client a lie', Kevin Courcey, a registered nurse at Humboldt County Mental Health in Eureka, California, said in an email. 'There is absolutely no evidence that such a thing exists, that it is subject to manipulation or that this individual practitioner has such a skill. This is not nursing. It is medical fraud and malpractice.'Moreover, a recent review of clinical trials suggests the placebo effect is not as powerful a clinical tool as has long been supposed. A placebo was no more effective than 'no treatment' in most clinical studies, suggesting that many patients just get better naturally as the course of their disease improves (7).For some patients the practice of such voodoo methods can be both physically harmful, because they are getting it in place of standard medical treatment, and emotionally distressing. Colorado registered nurse Linda A Rosa, a leading critic of TT, describes one malpractice case settled out of court. A patient who entered the hospital for a liver biopsy complained of severe pain. Instead of calling a doctor, the nurse's response was to call a practitioner of 'healing touch', a variation of TT. When the patient saw the practitioner waving her hands above him, he thought he was dying and was receiving the Last Rites. Three days later the patient returned to the hospital with an infected bladder, which had to be surgically removed.Irrational fads invading nursing As holistic techniques adopted by nurses go, TT is being joined and possibly overtaken by other New Age fads, including aromatherapy, Reiki and herbalism, a multimillion dollar, unregulated business in the USA. 'It's a sham', says nurse practitioner Linda Pearson, talking about the current marketing of herbal supplements for every imaginable ailment. Pearson is editor-in-chief of the Nurse Practitioner Journal, the premier journal for nurse practitioners in the USA. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have at least two years of graduate-level education in nursing. Because the US government does not regulate herbal medicines, the herbal industry can freely market its products with outlandish, unsubstantiated claims, Pearson points out. It is impossible to know the real contents of any bottle, because the ingredients do not have to be listed or tested. Few scientific studies have been conducted on the safety of most herbal medicines on the market. As for what dose would be safe, that is also unregulated and often unknown, even though some supplements can be quite dangerous.Yet, according to Pearson, almost every nursing conference - as well as physician conferences - these days includes a seminar on herbal medicine. 'The universities that offer these conferences know there's money to be made because everybody's taking herbal supplements. You've got nurse practitioners saying, "I've got a large percentage of my patients taking this stuff. I have to know about it".'She adds, 'It's a snake oil era. The public's scientific sophistication is being eroded by the false advertising of the herbal and diet supplement industry that is making billions [of dollars] off gullible consumers. While some nurse practitioners and physicians endorse the taking of herbs for treatment, most attend the conferences to help them understand what their patients are taking'.In spring 2001, respected Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, offered a nine-week course on 'The Art and Science of Herbalism' for continuing education credit to nurses. The course was taught by Rosemary Gladstar, author of the popular book Herbal Healing for Women. The book proudly pronounces that 'Alchemy and magic are integral parts of herbalism and healing'.Gladstar's book encourages the use of herbs like comfrey, and dismisses health concerns that comfrey has compounds known to be toxic to the liver and carcinogenic. A small number of case reports have documented liver toxicity after people ingested these herbs. Because of these health concerns, the US Food and Drug Administration has urged firms to remove any product containing comfrey from the market and to alert their customers to stop using the product immediately. Rosemary Jacobs is a resident of the Dartmouth area who was disfigured by argyria - a permanently grey skin discoloration - as a result of taking silver, which is now sold as a 'dietary supplement' in the United States. Jacobs was given nose drops containing silver as a child. She was shocked to learn that Dartmouth was training nurses in Gladstar's technique. 'It is without a bit of exaggeration that I say that I'm horrified at the thought of myself or a loved one being incapacitated and alone at night in a hospital under the care of one of the many nurses in my area who believes in magic medicine-the kind Gladstar practices', or that is practised by local nurses who believe in aromatherapy, Jacobs said in an email.A small but growing number of nurses are practising Reiki, a Japanese practice in which the practitioner 'channels' energy to various parts of a patient's body in need of healing. One website promoting Reiki claims it can heal any mental or physical disease. The practitioner does not even have to be in the same location as the recipient for it to work, according to the site, because 'the healing energies are not bound by space and time' (8).'I've read half a dozen case reports from hospitals saying patients love Reiki and it works wonders. And so the hospitals are offering it', says Donal P O'Mathuna, a professor of biochemistry and ethics at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and a critic of New Age fads. 'I see Reiki as going the next step towards spiritual practices, compared to TT, which was more covert about its spiritual side', O'Mathuna says. 'I think it needs to be made clear to a patient if you're moving out of the realm of the physical and into the spiritual.'Sarah Glazer is a journalist in Larchmont, New York, who writes on health and social policy issues. Her articles on therapeutic touch and nursing have appeared in The Public Interest, The Washington Post Health Section, and in the book Research in Science and Technology Studies: Gender and Work (From the series Knowledge and Society, Vol 12, JAI Press, 2000). Read on:Put alternative medicine back in its box, by Dr Michael FitzpatrickTouching a nerve, by Sarah Glazer The rise and rise of CAM, by Br�d HehirWatered-down science, by Howard FienbergHead cases, by Br�d Hehir (1) Nurse Healers - Professional Associates International (2) A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch, Rosa L, Rosa E, Sarner L, Barrett S, JAMA 279:1005-1010, 1998 (3) A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch, Rosa L, Rosa E, Sarner L, Barrett S, JAMA 279:1005-1010, 1998 (4) Postmodern Nursing, Glazer, Sarah, The Public Interest, Summer 2000, p3-35 (5) The Mystery of Therapeutic Touch, Glazer, Sarah, Washington Post health section, 19 December 1995 (6) 'Therapeutic touch and postmodernism in nursing', Glazer, Sarah, in Research in Science and Technology Studies: Gender and Work (from the series Knowledge and Society, Vol 12, JAI press, 2000) (7) Is the Placebo Powerless? An Analysis of Clinical Trials Comparing Placebo with No Treatment, Hrobjartsson A, Gotzche PC, New England Journal of Medicine, May 24, 2001, vol 344 (21), p1594-602 (8) See a Reiki Treatments website Reprinted from : http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000002D268.htm spiked sections | central | culture | health | life | liberties | politics | science | IT spiked, Signet House, 49-51 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JP Email: [email protected] � spiked 2000-2002 All rights reserved. spiked is not responsible for the content of any third-party websites.

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DOH Home >> Press Releases Fred M. Jacobs, M.D., J.D.Commissioner Marilyn Riley(609) 984-7160 New Jersey Overhauls Food Safety Code New Jersey has adopted the most sweeping changes to its food safety code since the 1970s, bringing the state in line with national standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health and Senior Services Commissioner Fred M. Jacobs, M.D., J.D. announced today. �We�ve updated the food safety rules over the years, but this is the first complete overhaul we�ve conducted in three decades,� Dr. Jacobs said. �Consumers will enjoy better protection because these rules reflect better scientific understanding of how to prevent food-borne illnesses.� About 50,000 New Jersey food stores, restaurants, banquet facilities, caterers and other retail food establishments are governed by the rules published January 2 in the New Jersey Register, the state�s journal of rulemaking. Sanitation in Retail Food Establishments and Food and Beverage Vending Machines, chapter 24 of the New Jersey Administrative Code, is modeled on the FDA Food Codes of 2001 and 2005. The state�s new rules are more detailed than older regulations, making requirements clear and specific. One example of the new and more detailed rules is the hand washing requirements for food workers. The rule gives specific instructions on exactly how to wash and how long to wash; when to wash, including after handling raw animal products; and how to dry hands safely. At the same time, the rules provide food establishments some flexibility in the methods they use to meet certain food safety standards.� For example, they can meet public health standards by cooking certain foods to a lower temperature if the food is held at that temperature for a longer time. �Other rule highlights are as follows: Any person in charge of a higher-risk food establishment must pass a nationally accredited food safety examination by January 2, 2010. Retail food establishments have been classified according to risk level based on the complexity of their food handling and cooking procedures. In accordance with new food safety research findings, cold foods being refrigerated must now be held at a lower temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit.� Hot foods being held on a steam table may now be held at a lower temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods has been restricted and food workers must use gloves, utensils or deli tissue to handle these foods. �Last year, the nation experienced two serious outbreaks of food-borne E. coli illness.� These and other incidents underscore the critical importance of a safe food supply and safe food-handling practices,� said Commissioner Jacobs.� �While these new regulations were not prompted by these outbreaks, they give us the up-to-date tools we need to continue protecting public health.� In addition, the departments of Health and Senior Services and Agriculture last month announced formation of a Produce Safety Task Force.� Its purpose is to protect New Jersey consumers and help local producers adapt to new produce-safety standards in the wake of the recent food-borne illness outbreaks. The new food safety rules announced today represent a major change both for the regulated community and health inspectors.� The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has already held several briefing sessions on the rules for local health officials, including a Retail Food Protection Summit in Cherry Hill in September.� Another summit will be held March 8 in New Brunswick.� DHSS has held two conference calls for health officials, and will hold more calls in the weeks ahead to discuss rule implementation issues.� Other training sessions are being scheduled for health officials and food industry representatives.� Additional training sessions will be provided by DHSS upon request. �We recommend that local health departments thoroughly review the new rules and become familiar with them before conducting inspections,� said Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, State Epidemiologist and Deputy Commissioner for Public Health Services.� �Although the rules are effective immediately, we encourage health inspectors to help educate retail food establishments and give them ample time to comply with the rules before considering enforcement actions.� The rules are available on the DHSS web site at: http://nj.gov/health/eoh/documents/chapter24_effective_1207.pdf. ��������� Previous Screen Department of Health

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Oct 11, 2013 (07:10 AM EDT) Boston Children's Hospital Innovation Chief Talks Hurdles Remote Patient Monitoring: 9 Promising Technologies(click image for larger view and for slideshow) Innovation is a challenge across the healthcare industry, and especially in pediatrics. Because the specialty is a small part of a much larger industry, some companies like device or drug developers focus their efforts on adults, leaving pediatric innovation in the hands of specialists themselves. "Most pediatricians have had to be at the front lines of innovation," said Naomi Fried, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital. "Necessity has been the mother of invention in pediatrics for a long time." Boston Children's is at the forefront of pediatric health innovation, with initiatives ranging from seed funds for innovators to apps developed in-house for patients and their families to navigate the hospital. Listening is the first step to any successful innovative strategy, Fried said. For example, doctors and nurses at Boston Children's expressed frustration with department white boards that keep track of patients and surgeries. The information wasn't updated in a timely manner and could only be accessed by standing directly in front of the board. Fried heard their concerns and assembled a team to develop a digital smart board called ALICE (Aggregated Local Information Collected Electronically). ALICE digitally displays information pulled from Boston Children's electronic health record and bed management system in real time. An in-house team developed the bed management and display system software, which is displayed on monitors. The system integrates with four other clinical systems, including the electronic health record. [ Need to get people thinking? Read 3 Ways To Foster Healthcare Innovation.] The idea for ALICE was found through Boston Children's competitive award process, a program for innovators within the hospital who want to develop new clinical technology. When an idea is chosen, the creators are given access to a team of developers who work closely with the creators to do rapid cycle development and proof of concept. The developers will write and support the testing of the pilot projects. Boston Children's also distributes grant money from a seed fund to test and develop product prototypes. A number of pilot programs are underway to improve the patient and family experience. MyPassport is a mobile app built in-house that helps patients' families navigate the hospitalization process from beginning to end. From the app, families can communicate with doctors, view pictures, names and roles of everyone on their care team, and view test results and the patient's discharge plan. Boston Children's is also in the process of exploring external partnerships and commercialization opportunities, Fried said. Boston Children's also has an investment in patient care outside of the hospital. It's piloting a text message platform called DisCo (discharge communications) to stay in communication with families after the patient is discharged. The custom-built software sends a text message to the family within 24 hours of the patient leaving the hospital to find out if the family has questions or needs any additional support. The received answers are displayed on a custom-built dashboard. Taking post-hospital care a step further, Boston Children's piloted a program that sent VGo video conferencing robots home with patients after urological surgery, allowing for virtual follow-up visits. VGo introduced its first robot in 2011. A survey showed that patients felt doctors were more engaged in these virtual visits compared to a control group that wasn't given robots. The hospital also received fewer unscheduled phone calls from the patient than from the control group. But innovation is just the first step. Overcoming what Fried calls the "operational gap" ("O gap") can be just as challenging as developing new solutions. "The question is, how do we motivate people to embrace this new idea?" Fried said. "We look to leadership to provide support. It's also important to have convincing data to demonstrate the impact of innovation. We try to get people who are involved in the operationalization into the innovation process early on. That, more than anything, closes the O gap. You want to get them involved in the pilot phase so they know what's coming."

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Medical Center acquires WKDI: Terms of deal not disclosed; office has more than 30 employees by Robyn Minor, The Daily News, originally published on 8/21/2012After years of entertaining potential buyers, Western Kentucky Diagnostic Imaging owners have reached an agreement with The Medical Center for the clinic’s sale.“The medical environment has some uncertainties now ... and that affected our decision to approach several different buyers,” partner physician Rodney Veitschegger said. “After a lengthy process, we narrowed down the field ... and The Medical Center was the winner.”Veitschegger said he and his partner, physician Sean Willgruber, aren’t part of the deal. But the office’s 37 employees will be able to apply for jobs with Commonwealth Health Corp., The Medical Center’s parent company.“I don’t know if they will be doing the exact same jobs, but they will most likely need all of the employees to continue operating the services here,” Veitschegger said.Employees were informed of the sale in meetings Friday.Veitschegger said he’s aware that rumors of the impending sale had been flying for months. “But we had to keep this thing under wraps while all the details were worked out because nothing is really final until it’s signed,” he said.The details included having the physician-owned practice apply with the state for a certificate of need to become a licensed medical facility. That licensure was required before it could be acquired by a hospital.Willgruber said it’s not the first time that the facility has been in talks for a potential sale. But for whatever reasons, earlier efforts dating back to 2001 weren’t finalized.Clerk Allison Thomas, who has been in the office for two years, said she thinks the move to CHC will be a good thing for her. Thomas said she’s not sure if she will be doing the same job or not.“They said they would let us know,” she said.Eddie Scott, director of radiological services at The Medical Center, said the operation of WKDI will pretty much remain the same, with the exception of the physicians.“Our goal is to employ all of their staff members and maintain status quo as far as operations,” Scott said. “We don’t anticipate any shuffling of staff. They have done a good job at operating this facility, and we want them to continue doing so in this acquisition.”The Medical Center’s radiological group – Imaging Consultants of Kentucky, directed by physician Jeffrey Brannick – will have one physician in the facility during all operating hours.Willgruber said he thinks the acquisition will be good for both the community and The Medical Center.Western Kentucky Diagnostic Imaging performs about 38,000 diagnostic imaging procedures a year, Willgruber said. Those services include high field MRI, open MRI, digital mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, ultrasound, bone density evaluation, fluoroscopy, CT scan, nuclear medicine and X-ray services.A comprehensive number of services will be maintained, Scott said.“The Medical Center had been looking to enhance our outpatient imaging services, so when the owners (of WKDI) approached us several months ago, we began the negotiations,” he said.The terms of the deal were not disclosed.Details of any cost changes for patients are still to be worked out, Scott said. “This is still in its early stages,” he said.The transfer of ownership is scheduled to take place Oct. 1. Veitschegger said WKDI first opened its doors in March 1996, after more than a year of planning.“So it’s really hard to let go of something that has been your baby for that long,” he said.Veitschegger and Willgruber will continue the relationship they have had for several years with Graves-Gilbert Clinic.“We are already down there pretty regularly,” Willgruber said.No longer owning a facility will free Veitschegger and Willgruber from some of their administrative duties.“We will be able to focus more (on patients),” Willgruber said.Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

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All posts Weekly support group provides social network to seniors Every week for the past two years, a group of a dozen senior citizens has gathered at Weiss. They sip coffee and chat—initially about their weeks, but as the hour-long meetings progress, they delve into deeper issues. They discuss their dreams, fears, and the ups and downs of getting older. The group initially formed for seniors coping with chronic illness, but it has evolved into a support group for all seniors—chronically ill or not. “We got to know each other, and everyone had revealed so many personal, private, secret things that we became close friends,” said Susan*, one of the members of the current “Senior Care Support Group.” Two interns, students from the social work master’s program at Loyola University in Chicago, run the meetings. “It’s important because for a lot of older adults, their social circles begin to narrow as they age. This gives them a chance to connect anew with people,” said Caitrin Connolly, one of the interns. Her colleague Sha’rika Wilson agreed. “It gives them something to look forward to, something to do, and people to talk to.” They begin each weekly meeting by asking everyone to share one good thing and one challenging thing about their week. Often, tips come out of these discussions. For example, one week, a group member might share that he had a difficult time finding fresh vegetables within his budget, but another group member will know which grocery stores have the best deals. After everyone shares, they discuss one major question, different each week, such as: What is your dream or fantasy vacation? What is your therapy—self-soothing/relaxation techniques? “We always take home some information that’s useful to us. Whether it’s coping, buying something or going to a museum that’s free—little tips that make your life easier,” Susan said. The seniors appreciate being able to help each other and accept advice in return. Many have built solid friendships within the group, and go to eat or to museums together outside of the meetings. “A lot of people have really blossomed,” said Connolly. “Almost everyone in the group is single, divorced or widowed. It’s people who are really trying to branch out.” Group member Betty* has been part of the group for two years and said she comes back every week for the sense of camaraderie. “It’s an experience where you learn you’re not all alone,” she said. New members are welcome to join the group, which meets every Friday at 11 a.m. Contact the WISE Senior Center for more information, at (773) 564-5666. *Not her real name. Members in the support group requested anonymity because of the personal information discussed in the meetings. Recent Posts

医学

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HPV Infection Protection By Health Day Story Created: May 1, 2013 at 8:00 PM EDT Story Updated: May 2, 2013 at 8:00 AM EDT The HPV vaccine protects against some types the human papillomavirus, a major cause of the disease, but it's been slow to catch on, in part due to the cost and the number of doses recommended for girls and young women. So, Canadian researchers wanted to find out whether fewer injections would be just as effective in adolescents. It's traditional with these protein vaccines to give two doses quite close together within a couple of months of each other and then wait a period of time and give a third dose. Their study included 675 females who were willing to give follow up blood samples. Participants who were between 9 and 13 years of age were randomly selected to receive either two or three doses over six months. All of the older teenagers and 20-somethings received 3 doses. My parents had explained that it will help prevent cancer for when I'm older. Antibodies were then checked in their blood over a three-year period. The two doses given to young girls was no worse than the three doses given to young women at least immediately after the last dose had been given the responses in the two dose girls was no worse than the three dose girls. The researchers say it's still too early to change the recommendation on how many shots allow for adequate protection and they're calling for more studies to be done. I'm dr Cindy Haines from HealthDay TV, with the health news for you and your family. Next Article Utica hospital prepares for possibility of treating Ebola patients Officials: black and white caterpillars are not poisonous, but can be allergenic Utica hospital prepares for possibility of treating Ebola patients Test accurately rules out heart attacks in the ER Breast cancer survivor tells her story and talks breast cancer awareness Bigger breasts, no surgery? On Demand mini

医学

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Watch ABC TV "25 Year Club" Induction By: George McDonald Updated: Thu 7:22 PM, Dec 11, 2003 By: George McDonald Home / Article Twelve new members were inducted into the Rush Health Systems' "25 Year Club" Thursday. "It has grown over the years and now it's an event where the retirees come back and celebrate with us as we induct new members into the 25 Year Club," said assistant administrator, Ken Purvis. "It's a big event for our family at Rush." "This is a very special day for me, a very special day. When I first joined Rush, I can remember being new like any employee that joins an organization. You have a lot of fears and you have a lot of growth that you have to go through and it takes several years to get there," said Wanda Price, one of the inductees. The club has about 130 members and represents more than 300 years of health care service to the community. Kress Building to Become Part of MSU Meridian Most Popular IRS Serves Search Warrant in York

医学

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Cost-control plan for health care could cost you May 16, 3:36 AM (ET)By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR (AP) This April 11, 2014 file photo shows President Barack Obama, flanked by...Full Image WASHINGTON (AP) — You just might want to pay attention to the latest health insurance jargon. It could mean thousands of dollars out of your pocket. The Obama administration has given the go-ahead for a new cost-control strategy called "reference pricing." It lets insurers and employers put a dollar limit on what health plans pay for some expensive procedures, such as knee and hip replacements. Some experts worry that patients could be surprised with big medical bills they must pay themselves, undercutting financial protections in the new health care law. That would happen if patients picked a more expensive hospital — even if it's part of the insurer's network. The administration's decision affects most job-based plans as well as the new insurance exchanges. Other experts say reference pricing will help check rising premiums. A recent policy ruling from the administration went to unusual lengths to acknowledge concerns, saying the pricing strategy "may be a subterfuge" for "otherwise prohibited limitations on coverage." Nonetheless, the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services said reference pricing could continue. Plans must use a "reasonable method" to ensure "adequate access to quality providers." Regulators asked for public comment, saying they may publish additional guidance in the future. HHS spokeswoman Erin Shields Britt said in a statement that the administration is monitoring the effects of reference pricing on access to quality services and will work to ensure that financial protections for consumers are not undermined. One way the new approach is different is that it sets a dollar limit on what the health plan will pay for a given procedure. Most insurance now pays a percentage of costs, and those costs themselves can vary from hospital to hospital. Now if you pick a more expensive hospital, the insurance still pays the same percentage. The new strategy works like this: Your health insurance plan slaps a dollar limit on what it will pay for certain procedures, for example, hospital charges associated with knee and hip replacement operations. That's called the reference price. Say the limit is $30,000. The plan offers you a choice of hospitals within its provider network. If you pick one that charges $40,000, you would owe $10,000 to the hospital plus your regular cost-sharing for the $30,000 that your plan covers. The extra $10,000 is treated like an out-of-network expense, and it doesn't count toward your plan's annual limit on out-of-pocket costs. That's crucial because under the health care law, most plans have to pick up the entire cost of care after a patient hits the annual out-of-pocket limit, currently $6,350 for single coverage and $12,700 for a family plan. Before the May 2 administration ruling, it was unclear whether reference pricing violated this key financial protection for consumers. Some experts are concerned. "The problem ... from the patient's perspective is that at the end of the day, that is who gets left holding the bag," said Karen Pollitz of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Previously a top consumer protection regulator in the Obama administration, Pollitz said the administration ruling amounts to a substantial change for consumers. It's not on the radar yet for most people, but the new approach is gaining ground. The Mercer benefits consulting firm said 12 percent of the largest employers were using reference pricing last year, nearly double the 7 percent in 2012. It's been pioneered in California by CalPERS, a giant agency that manages health and retirement benefits for public employees. CalPERS started with knee and hip replacements in 2011, steering patients to hospitals that had been vetted for quality and charged $30,000 or less. Ann Boynton, the agency's health benefits director, said the program has been a success, with patients able to choose from about 50 hospitals. "People do not feel like we went to bargain-basement hospitals where the quality is not good," she said. "The quality is the same, and in some instances, better." Economist James C. Robinson of the University of California at Berkeley studied the CalPERS experiment and found not only that many patients shifted to lower-cost hospitals, saving money, but that expensive hospitals responded by cutting their prices. Although insurers don't appear to be using reference pricing on the new health exchanges, Robinson said he thinks it's only a matter of time. However, the strategy appears to be suitable only for a subset of medical care: procedures and tests that are frequently performed, where the prices charged vary widely but the quality of results generally does not. In addition to knee and hip replacements, that could include such procedures as MRIs and other imaging tests, cataract surgery and colonoscopies. Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All right reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

医学

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Henry Gray (1825–1861). Anatomy of the Human Body. 1918. If the thorax be fixed, the muscles, acting together, draw the pelvis upward, as in climbing; or, acting singly, they draw the pelvis upward, and bend the vertebral column to one side or the other. The Recti, acting from below, depress the thorax, and consequently flex the vertebral column; when acting from above, they flex the pelvis upon the vertebral column. The Pyramidales are tensors of the linea alba. The Transversalis Fascia.—The transversalis fascia is a thin aponeurotic membrane which lies between the inner surface of the Transversus and the extraperitoneal fat. It forms part of the general layer of fascia lining the abdominal parietes, and is directly continuous with the iliac and pelvic fasciæ. In the inguinal region, the transversalis fascia is thick and dense in structure and is joined by fibers from the aponeurosis of the Transversus, but it becomes thin as it ascends to the diaphragm, and blends with the fascia covering the under surface of this muscle. Behind, it is lost in the fat which covers the posterior surfaces of the kidneys. Below, it has the following attachments: posteriorly, to the whole length of the iliac crest, between the attachments of the Transversus and Iliacus; between the anterior superior iliac spine and the femoral vessels it is connected to the posterior margin of the inguinal ligament, and is there continuous with the iliac fascia. Medial to the femoral vessels it is thin and attached to the pubis and pectineal line, behind the inguinal aponeurotic falx, with which it is united; it descends in front of the femoral vessels to form the anterior wall of the femoral sheath. Beneath the inguinal ligament it is strengthened by a band of fibrous tissue, which is only loosely connected to the ligament, and is specialized as the deep crural arch. The spermatic cord in the male and the round ligament of the uterus in the female pass through the transversalis fascia at a spot called the abdominal inguinal ring. This opening is not visible externally, since the transversalis fascia is prolonged on these structures as the infundibuliform fascia. The Abdominal Inguinal Ring (annulus inguinalis abdominis; internal or deep abdominal ring).—The abdominal inguinal ring is situated in the transversalis fascia, midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis pubis, and about 1.25 cm. above the inguinal ligament (Fig. 401). It is of an oval form, the long axis of the oval being vertical; it varies in size in different subjects, and is much larger in the male than in the female. It is bounded, above and laterally, by the arched lower margin of the Transversus; below and medially, by the inferior epigastric vessels. It transmits the spermatic cord in the male and the round ligament of the uterus in the female. From its circumference a thin funnel-shaped membrane, the infundibuliform fascia, is continued around the cord and testis, enclosing them in a distinct covering. The Inguinal Canal (canalis inguinalis; spermatic canal).—The inguinal canal contains the spermatic cord and the ilioinguinal nerve in the male, and the round ligament of the uterus and the ilioinguinal nerve in the female. It is an oblique canal about 4 cm. long, slanting downward and medialward, and placed parallel with and a little above the inguinal ligament; it extends from the abdominal inguinal ring to the subcutaneous inguinal ring. It is bounded, in front, by the integument and superficial fascia, by the aponeurosis of the Obliquus externus throughout its whole length, and by the Obliquus internus in its lateral third; behind, by the reflected inguinal ligament, the inguinal aponeurotic falx, the transversalis fascia, the extraperitoneal connective tissue and the peritoneum; above, by the arched fibers of Obliquus internus and Transversus abdominis; below, by the union of the transversalis fascia with the inguinal ligament, and at its medial end by the lacunar ligament. Extraperitoneal Connective Tissue.—Between the inner surface of the general layer of the fascia which lines the interior of the abdominal and pelvic cavities, and the peritoneum, there is a considerable amount of connective tissue, termed the extraperitoneal or subperitoneal connective tissue.

医学

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The Stem Cellar The Official Blog of CIRM, California's Stem Cell Agency CIRM News Ethics and Policy CIRM Creativity Program ICOC Board Meetings ISSCR Annual Meeting About CIRM Month: August 2012 Finding a therapy for macular degeneration August 31, 2012June 27, 2014 / Anne Holden / 1 Comment One thing about working at CIRM is that you meet a lot of amazing people living with a lot of disease that are all in need of cures. One of those people I’ve met is Virginia Knepper-Doyle, who has the most common cause of blindness in older people called macular degeneration. We went to her home near Tiburon, just outside San Francisco, to film her as part of a video on stem cell therapies for macular degeneration. She’s an artist, and as her vision grew worse her paintings became more abstract, and in my opinion more lovely. Judges apparently agree with me because she has been invited to participate in more art shows since she began losing her vision. Knepper-Doyle is featured in a story in the San Francisco Chronicle this week. Writer Erin Allday summed up progress toward treating macular degeneration, including implants, new drugs, and of course stem cells. She quotes CIRM science officer Ingrid Caras: “As our population is aging, the number of people affected is going to grow. And you have people who are otherwise healthy but they can’t read, they can’t drive – that’s a huge burden on society,” said Ingrid Caras, a science officer at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which has pumped about $50 million into funding for stem cell research to treat macular degeneration. “Macular degeneration is very high on the priority list of diseases that need attention,” Caras said. We have more information on our website about CIRM projects to develop stem cell-based therapies for macular degeneration (you can see that here). That page also has a list and description of all the awards. One of our macular degeneration awards is a $15 million disease team that hopes to start clinical trials soon. They’ve found a way of maturing embryonic stem cells into the cells at the back of the eye that degrade in people with macular degeneration. In animals, the researchers can slide sheets of those cells into the back of the eye where they appear to help the animals regain vision. We have a more detailed description of that work, along with a slideshow of Knepper-Doyle’s paintings, on our website. The company Advanced Cell Technology also has a clinical trial underway testing a different form of stem cell therapy for macular degeneration. Whichever therapy proves most effective—whether it’s the implants Allday describes, new drugs or a stem cell approach—it’s a disease that demands a therapy. Here’s the video that includes our conversation with Virginia Knepper Doyle Read more stem cell research news from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine by visiting our blog at cirmresearch.blogspot.com. HIV/AIDS advocate Jeff Sheehy reappointed to CIRM’s governing board August 29, 2012May 28, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Jeff Sheehy and CIRM governing board chair Jonathan Thomas You find out the most unexpected things in announcements from state bodies. For instance, a recent news release from State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg’s office contained this line: Charles J. Sheehy, a Democrat from San Francisco, has been reappointed as a representative of an HIV/AIDS advocacy group to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Independent Citizens Oversight Committee. I’ve known Mr. Sheehy for many years, dating back to my time as a TV journalist specializing in health and medical news, but I had no idea his given first name was Charles! Who knew? Everyone I know calls him Jeff. But while I didn’t know his first name, what I do know about Jeff is that he is a tireless advocate for patients and that we are delighted he has signed up for another tour of duty as a member of our governing board. In his day job Jeff is the Director for Communications at the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF. He is also a longtime HIV/AIDS and gay civil rights activist and a person living with HIV. He brings with him not just a wealth of experience but also a great deal of compassion and dedication, all wonderful qualities to have in someone who plays such an important role in shaping how we do our job. But his most important role is in helping keep us focused on what our real purpose is here, namely, finding treatments for people with chronic diseases and disorders. Jeff never loses sight of that goal and his impact is felt at every level of our organization. For example, there are seven subcommittees on the ICOC, our governing board, and Jeff is a member and very active participant on six and is Co-Chair on one of them, the Science Subcommittee. (There’s more about the subcommittees on our website.) In many ways Jeff embodies one of the founding principals of CIRM: that patient advocates have a voice in everything we do, help shape the way we work, and the research we fund. But he is also a lot more than that. He is a great colleague to have around – particularly for those of us who work in communications. He always has good ideas and brings a fresh perspective to any conversation. And he’s always happy to help out in any way he can. For a small organization with huge goals, that’s always appreciated. His involvement extends to blogging for us – he’s written in the past about our HIV/AIDS projects and about the involvement of patient advocates in funding decisions. You can read can read those posts here. He also worked with us on a video that discusses the HIV/AIDS project led by John Zaia at City of Hope. Jeff was sworn in this week by Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and his term runs till November 30, 2020. Which is great news for us. Jeff is blessed with a sharp mind and an open heart, and we consider ourselves fortunate he is going to continue to be an important part of our work for at least the next 8 years. K.M. Stem cell trial for autism: hope vs. caution August 28, 2012 / Anne Holden / 2 Comments Last week brought a media and social media frenzy over the announcement that a new clinical trial would be testing the effect of injecting cord blood into kids with autism. The trial—and the conversation surrounding it—illustrates a tension in stem cell science between the hope of the patients and caution on the part of scientists. What’s important to remember is that this is just a trial. Often, I see new trials heralded as proof that stem cells are working, especially by those who really want to believe in that trial. New trials testing adult versions of stem cells, for example, are heralded as proof of the effectiveness of adult stem cells compared to their embryonic counterparts. A trial is just that—a trial. More early stage clinical trials fail than succeed. That’s how science moves forward. Right now it’s easier to get a trial started with adult stem cells than with embryonic stem cells, and so there are many more of them. But trials don’t equal success. Given that this trial may or may not provide any relief for kids with autism or their parents, it’s too soon to be celebrating. Scientist and science writer Emily Willingham has written about her concerns regarding the science behind this trial. She characterizes the excitement as “stem cells are hot and autism is hot so lets throw some stem cells at autism.” Her blog entry is worth a read. In it, she discusses her concerns about the scientific rational for using cord blood as a therapy for autism. However, a person commenting on Willingham’s blog makes exactly the point we often struggle with at CIRM. That is, when is it the right time to take risks. The commenter Chris August notes, “As a parent with a child with mild Autism I cheer progress.” He goes on to make the point that even if the stem cells aren’t a magic wand, there’s no harm in testing them. (Willingham herself has a child with autism, which she mentions in her response.) In a story in Nature’s blog, the lead investigator of the trial Michael Chez gives his own reason for why it’s important to be testing blood cells for autism even if the science behind the trial isn’t strong. Cord blood cells and fat stem cells are being administered overseas as a possible treatment for autism. “Our research is important because many people are going to foreign countries and spending a lot of money on therapy that may not be valid.” He’s right. CIRM is one of many organizations and individuals who are worried about the rise of stem cell tourism, in which unregulated clinics overseas promise miracle cures at a steep cost (here’s information on our website about stem cell tourism). Those miracle cures are often based on shaky science, or have no scientific basis at all. They aren’t part of clinical trials and outcomes aren’t recorded. At least in the case of this trial, people who participate will be followed and any benefit or lack thereof will be recorded and could help guide future trials. On our own governing board this tension between funding the very best science and taking risks to push the science forward for life-threatening diseases comes up routinely. Our patient advocate board members, who make up 10 of the 29 members, sometimes push for funding for science that didn’t get the highest scores from our scientific reviewers. Their point: maybe it’s not a sure thing, but it might help us learn something important. Alan Trounson: The path from IVF scientist to international stem cell advocate August 27, 2012June 27, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment CIRM president Alan Trounson was one of the early scientists working to help women get pregnant through in vitro fertilization. His team was responsible for the eight of the first 10 IVF babies born in Australia. Five million babies have now been born worldwide using the technique. Trounson’s work in that field is what led him to stem cell science. The technique mixes sperm and egg in a lab dish to develop embryos that can be implanted into a woman’s uterus. Left over embryos from IVF are the source for human embryonic stem cells. In a story in Western Australia Today, Trouson talks about applying what he learned earlier in his career to his role leading CIRM. Most importantly, patience. ”Like with 5 million babies, it takes a good 25 years to embed into society that this science may be a good thing. It takes a long time for clinical trials – often it’s seven to nine years before research gets to be put to use in general medicine.” Since coming to CIRM in 2008, Trounson has been a strong advocate for building international teams of researchers. The agency now has agreements with 20 international funding agencies, U.S. states and foundations which have contributed to 25 CIRM-funded projects. (You can read more about those collaborations on our website.) ”I am a global scientist, sort of a facilitator, trying to get the world’s best scientists to not only work together but work with health authorities and institutes in various countries,” Trounson says. ”This combined effort is making stem-cell research more effective globally, and it’s possibly unique in the area of medical research.” In the WAToday piece, Trouson pointed to HIV, diabetes, brain tumors, leukemia, forms of blindness and heart disease as areas where projects funded by the agency could soon be entering clinical trials. A related story profiles Trounson’s oldest daughter Kylie, who is a playwrite. In that story she recounts how she came to understand IVF research, which was highly controversial at the time. ”My experience of IVF was being four years old and not allowed to answer the home phone because it could be right-to-lifers calling with threats against Dad, or people going through our rubbish, or driving past the old convent on St Georges Road just after I’d learned to read and reading out ‘Alan Trounson is a baby murderer’ to my mum, who’s driving and going, ‘Oh god, why did I teach this kid to read so early?’ ” She has written a play about those early days of IVF research. Trounson urged her to make the women entering IVF trials the heros of the play. “They were the truly selfless people in this picture; they went through all of this, didn’t get a baby of their own but really felt that they had contributed to the science.” The waiting ends: Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research deemed legal August 24, 2012 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment Good news today regarding stem cell litigation that had put federal funding of embryonic stem cell research in jeopardy. Three judges on federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s July 2011 ruling that dismissed the lawsuit. The lawsuit sought to prevent federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, claiming that the research violated the Dickey-Wicker amendment that prohibits federal funding of research in which human embryos are destroyed. The Dickey-Wicker amendment does prevent federal funding for the creation of human embryonic stem cell lines, which uses embryos left over from in vitro fertilization clinics. These 4-5 day old embryos are the source of virtually all human embryonic stem cell lines in use today. However, federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health – the major funder of biomedical research in the United States – have been able to fund research using human embryonic stem cell lines. Under president Bush, the number of lines that were available for federal funding was severely restricted. Under president Obama, many additional lines became available for federal funding once they had passed an ethics review. A registry of all lines approved for federal funding is available here. CIRM has been able to fund the creation of new stem cell lines, several of which are also included on the NIH registry, and additional lines are listed here. Our Stem Cell Basics includes information about how new stem cell lines are created. The judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit wrote three different rationales for their decision but were unanimous in the key decision, writing: Because we conclude that the district court committed no error, we affirm the order and judgment under review. Here’s some history on the lawsuit from this blog: What the embryonic stem cell research ban means to California researchers (8/27/2010) Government appeals stem cell ruling, claims harm to patients (8/31/2010) The ups and downs of federal funding for stem cell research (9/9/2010) Legal wrangling slows Stanford researcher’s quest for a cure (9/15/2010) U.S. Appeals Court decision–good news, but not the final word (4/29/2011) A.A. Stem Cell Awareness Day 10/3/12 – what are you doing to spread the word? August 23, 2012May 28, 2014 / Anne Holden / 1 Comment Visitors tour stem cell research labs at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute What are you doing October 3? If your answer doesn’t have something to do with stem cell events, it’s time to start planning. That date marks the fifth annual Stem Cell Awareness Day, an international effort to educate people about the field of stem cell research. You can learn more about the day on the website: www.stemcellday.com. Last year, Stem Cell Awareness Day brought 31 events in four U.S. states and seven countries. Those events ranged from public lectures to opportunities for people to tour stem cell labs and meet some of the patients who could benefit from stem cell research. Each year CIRM also encourages stem cell scientists to visit high school classes and talk about their research. Last year, scientists spoke with more than 1,000 students throughout California. We’ll be updating the Events section of the Stem Cell Awareness Day website as we learn about events being hosted throughout California or in other states or countries. If you don’t see events at an institution near you, we encourage you to contact the institution and let them know that you’d like to attend a public lecture. Better yet, offer to help put something together or ask a researcher to visit your patient advocacy group. Researchers who are interested in visiting classrooms or participating in public events should contact Don Gibbons [email protected]. We have more information on our website about how you can get involved in stem cell awareness throughout the year. That information is on our Get Involved page. Partnering event helps move research into therapies August 21, 2012May 28, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine is once again collaborating with CIRM on a Partnering Forum associated with the annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa in La Jolla. According to their press release: This forum provides a unique opportunity within the regenerative medicine field to facilitate translational research, encourage PI engagement with the business community, and provide the opportunity for hundreds of business, academic research and investor participants to connect for one-on-one meetings and strategic partnering. Admittedly, talking about “strategic partnering” doesn’t have the same feel-good vibe as talking about new cures, but the two are intertwined. Many of the projects CIRM funds are going to need help from investors and industry to take their research through clinical trials and to patients. Events like this one bring together great research and potential investors and it’s those relationships that will bring the new cures. The meeting is still a ways off – it doesn’t start until October 29 – but you can see preliminary speaker lists and attendees at the web site: http://www.alliancerm.org/event/stem-cell-meeting-mesa. CIRM fosters new industry August 17, 2012May 28, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment CIRM funding spawns patch technology company to treat blindness We’ve written a lot in the past year about our increased efforts to engage with industry and to connect our researchers with industry partners. In most cases, we need the involvement of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies if the research by our grantees is going to reach patients. Those companies are the ones that will take the therapy candidates and move them through clinical trial and into the clinic. Given our focus on industry it was nice to see a story in today’s Science-Business Exchange, which is a joint publication of BioCentury and Nature. The story requires a paid subscription to read. The story points out that in addition to funding one company in the most recent round of funding, two companies have resulted from the first round of Disease Teams: Moreover, 2 of those 12 projects have spawned new companies: in 2011 the City of Hope brain cancer project leader founded TheraBiologics Inc., and also in 2011 the University of Southern California (USC) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) project team spun out Regenerative Patch Technologies Inc. Generating new companies based on CIRM-funded research creates new jobs in the state, which is one of CIRM’s goals. It’s hard to predict which research will be most successful. However, the story does quote CIRM’s Don Gibbons talking about which disease team projects are closest to reaching clinical trials. Gibbons declined to say which of the 2009 projects might reach the clinic first but added that CIRM president Alan Trounson “has indicated he thinks the HIV team at City of Hope and the macular degeneration team of USC are pretty close.” Where are our projects on the path to the clinic? Find out August 16, 2012June 27, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment Phases of the therapy development pipeline I’ve been spending time recently updating CIRM’s website to reflect all the new awards that came out of last month’s Disease Team funding. About a year ago, when I first posted sections to the website showing our projects that are headed toward disease therapies I could see the entire list without scrolling. Try that now: Here’s a link to our therapy-focused projects online. We now have 71 projects worth more than $530 million all working toward disease therapies. Some of these are at the earliest stages—trying to show that their idea for a therapy has potential. Other projects, like ones for melanoma, osteoporosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Huntington’s disease, vascular disease and SCID (“bubble boy disease”) all intend to complete at least one phase of testing their therapy in clinical trials in the next four years. As I go through and add the new projects to the list, I can’t help but think of all the patient advocates I’ve met during my time at CIRM who have spoken so passionately for funding in their disease area. For almost every disease category, there is a person I’ve met who either has the disease or who is caring for a family member with that disease. We don’t have cures yet, but I do like seeing all the promising therapies coming down the pipeline. For people with an interest in a specific disease, you can go to our disease pages and see all the projects focused on that disease area. The pages also have all of our videos that focus on that disease. In therapy development jargon, the group of projects that are working toward therapies is called a therapy development portfolio. You can see that portfolio on our website, and also download documents we’ve created as handouts to explain our funding strategy. (Those PDFs are at the top of the page.) High school students gain experience, get excited about stem cell research August 14, 2012May 28, 2014 / Anne Holden / Leave a comment High school student Brandon Hernandez discusses his summer research at the Creativity Awards meeting One of the things that’s fun about working at CIRM is knowing that we are making a real difference in people’s lives. We got to see evidence of that yesterday when a group of 63 high school students and their mentors from throughout California got together on Stanford campus to share the results of their summer research as part of our Creativity Awards program. (We blogged about the program here.) This program supports high school students from all socioeconomic backgrounds doing research projects in stem cell labs. The goal is to foster an interest in stem cell biology in the state’s most promising young people. And promising they were. These students had more poise while giving talks and discussing their research than many graduate students I’ve known—and I heard a few explaining their research in multiple languages. What could be more representative of California’s diversity and high tech prowess than young people speaking in multiple languages about stem cell research discoveries? Among the many impressive students I met was Brandon Hernandez, who has been doing research at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. The San Diego Union Tribune recently profiled Hernandez. He has been on his own since he was 13, and is now giving talks about medical research and has plans to attend UC Berkeley. Students like Hernandez and all the other bright young people at the meeting yesterday make me hopeful for our state’s future. These kids are going places. Irv Weissman, who directs Stanford’s stem cell institute, spoke to the students about how he started his career in stem cell research, and about the promise of the field. The Stem Cellar in your Inbox Bone/Muscle/Blood Gastrointestinal Disease Heart Disease/Stroke Immune Disease iPS Cells Stem Cells in your Face Virology/Immunology Follow CIRM on TwitterMy TweetsFlickr Photos More Photos Recent Posts CIRM-Funded Scientists Make New Progress Toward Engineering a Human Esophagus Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Some good news got a little overplayed on blindness and Alzheimer’s UCLA Study Suggests New Way to Mend a Broken Heart Recent Comments Anne Holden on UCLA Study Suggests New Way to Mend a Broken Heart Mike Nelgan on Meet the Stem Cell Agency President C. Randal Mills Hani Sinno on Scientists Reach Yet Another Milestone towards Treating Type 1 Diabetes Search for: The Nose Knows: Stem Cells are Vital Players in Brain Circuits Responsible for Smell Cranking it Up to Eleven: Heightened Growth of Neural Stem Cells Linked to Autism-like Behavior Recent Comments Anne Holden on UCLA Study Suggests New Way to…Mike Nelgan on Meet the Stem Cell Agency Pres…Hani Sinno on Scientists Reach Yet Another M…Alana quinn on UCLA Study Suggests New Way to…Anne Holden on CIRM-Funded Scientists Make Ne… Archives October 2014 Categories Adult Stem Cells Follow “The Stem Cellar”

医学

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MiTools WolvAccess RmScheduling University of Michigan School of Dentistry Search – or – go to U–M & Directory search Search Find a person You are hereHome » About the School » Adjunct Faculty Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery / Hospital Dentistry Adjunct Faculty OMSHD Home Combined Appointments Robert H. Burke, DDS, MS, MD, FACS Adjunct Clinical Professor Dr. Burke attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate, dental student, and oral/maxillofacial surgery resident. As a dental student, he was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society and was awarded the Great Lakes Society of Oral Surgeon’s outstanding senior dental student award. He completed his residency directed by Dr. James Hayward in 1976. His research leading to his M.S. degree won the American Association of Orthodontists Award of Merit. He later obtained his Medical Degree at the Michigan State University College of Human medicine. He studied at St. Joseph Hospital in Ann Arbor and completed a fellowship in Philadelphia, Pa. He was president of the Washtenaw County Medical Society exactly 50 years after a former head of the department, Dr.John Kemper. He was 1940 and I was 1990. Dr. Burke is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Michigan State University. He serves as an Adjunct Professor in the department. Douglas Hock, DDS, MS Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Douglas Hock completed both his DDS in 1975 and his MS in Restorative Dentistry in 1978 at the University of Michigan. Dr. Hock has been associated with the University of Michigan Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor for 16 years. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association, American College of Prosthodontists, and the Academy of Osseointegration. Dr. Hock holds a Michigan State Board Certification in Prosthodontics and is a member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants. Gilbert Kleiff, DDS Gilbert R. Kleiff DDS was trained in undergraduate education at Wayne University from 1955 to 1958 and accepted to The University of Detroit, School of Dentistry graduating with honors in 1962. After service as a Captain in the United States Air Force Dental Corp he was an Intern and Assistant Resident at The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Dental Surgeons, Department of Oral Surgery. Dr. Kleiff completed his residency in 1967 at the University of Michigan Hospital under the toolage of Dr James Hayward. From 1967 until 2008 he practiced Oral Surgery full-time in the Detroit area then joining the University of Michigan Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor since 2008. Kyriaki C. Marti, DMD, MD, PhD, FEBOMFS Dr. Marti received her Dental and PhD Degree from the University of Thessaloniki School of Dentistry, and her Medical Degree from the University of Athens School of Medicine, in Greece. She completed her Residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Athens School of Dentistry. Dr. Marti is a Fellow of the European Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. She has served as Assistant Professor (with tenure), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Athens School of Dentistry, and as Visiting Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. Her main clinical interests are dentoalveolar surgery, implants, lasers, and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Dr. Marti is currently the Course Director for DENT 607-Medical Emergencies and DENTHYG 272- Dental Practice Emergencies. Dr. Marti’s main interest is Health Professions Education and she is currently enrolled in the MHPE program of the Department of Learning Health Sciences at the Medical School, University of Michigan. Kyle T. Pullen, DDS Adjunct Clinical Lecturer Dr. Pullen was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI in 1993. He then attended the University of Michigan where he completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1997. Dr. Pullen is a general dentist who maintains a private practice in Ann Arbor and has been an adjunct clinical faculty member of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the past fifteen years. DDS, DH, BS, MS, & Certificate Programs Oral Health Sciences PhD Accounting & ProcurementCommunicationsComplianceContracts & GrantsDental Informatics (IT)Faculty AffairsHuman ResourcesFacilities Initiatives & Resources Sindecuse Museum Diversity at the School of Dentistry Contact Web Admins University of MichiganSchool of Dentistry1011 North University AvenueAnn Arbor, MI 48109734.763.6933

医学

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Taking the Genome for a Test Drive BRCA research pioneer Lawrence Brody, Ph.D., will steer NHGRI’s new Division of Genomics and Society. Dr. Brody’s division strives to shed light on the social, ethical, legal, and even economic issues likely to arise from the wider use of genomics in clinical settings. [NIH] Soon after his lab in 1994 was among the first to report a link between BRCA1 and BRCA2 and breast and ovarian cancer in women, then between specific BRCA1 mutations and higher frequency in Ashkenazi Jews, Lawrence C. Brody, Ph.D., set out to make connections beyond the bench. Dr. Brody and colleagues followed up with a survey of 5,318 Jewish men and women in the Washington, DC, area, comparing results from anonymous genetic testing of blood samples with personal and family cancer histories. Fewer mutations were found in all age and cancer history subgroups than predicted from models based on data from cancer genetic screening clinics. Participants were disproportionately female, well-educated, and affiliated with synagogues and other Jewish organizations. Questions raised by the research sparked Dr. Brody’s interest in the societal impacts of genetics and genomics—issues he and staffers will explore in his new position as the first director of the newly established Division of Genomics and Society at NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). A 20-year NIH veteran, Dr. Brody has relinquished his post as chief of the Genome Technology Branch within NHGRI’s intramural research program, a position he has held since 2010. He will retain the post he’s held since 2006 as CSO of the trans-NIH Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR), an NIH-funded facility operated by Johns Hopkins University that provides next-generation sequencing and genotyping services to investigators. In his new position, as at CIDR, Dr. Brody is expected to interact with all of the agency’s 27 institutes and centers. Dr. Brody’s division will strive to generate data it hopes will shed light rather than heat on the social, ethical, legal, and even economic issues likely to arise as better understanding of the genome enables wider use of genomics in clinical settings. The division will employ five or six direct staffers. Looking to Clinic, Community “We’re hoping to get out and take the genome for test drives,” Dr. Brody told GEN. “We would hope that clinicians at all levels would be interested in participating in some of these test drives, in the form of research projects.” Dr. Brody would not discuss upcoming projects, but did say they are envisioned as taking place beyond the large academic medical centers that have traditionally driven clinical research, into community institutions: “Most of the country probably does not receive its average healthcare from academic medical centers, so I think we would expect to be looking at other caregiver organizations as well.” “What we want to do with genomic advances is try to do our homework either as we’re doing it, or ahead of time,” he said—to find out, for example, if people can be stratified for colon cancer screening based on biomarkers and other genetic data rather than simply age, then study how that could be implemented, and its effects on healthcare delivery and reimbursement. “Genetics has that potential. I don’t think we’re exactly there for that example yet, because we’re not that great at predicting risk, but that would have the potential to change the system,” Dr. Brody said. “We’re not at the stage where we can just introduce more and more expensive technology into the healthcare system.” In articulating a primarily research role to inform NIH policymakers at the intersection of science and society, Dr. Brody’s division differs from entities in and outside government that have recommended, or will recommend, more prescriptive answers. The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, for example, last year urged that individual genetic privacy interests be respected and secured—in part by Washington joining states in developing “a consistent floor of protections” ensuring security for whole-genome sequence data. Until now, federal action has been limited to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), which bars employment discrimination based on genetic information. This past November, Kaiser Permanente joined the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and UC Hastings College of Law in announcing the launch of the Center for Transdisciplinary ELSI Research in Translational Genomics. Over three years, CT2G will study the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of translating genomic findings into clinical care, with an eye to educating professionals about the issues that underlie genomic data privacy. The importance of privacy, and how easily it can be breached, were illustrated earlier this year when Yaniv Erlich, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Whitehead Institute needed just a computer, an Internet connection, and publicly accessible online resources to identify nearly 50 individuals who had submitted personal genetic material for genomic studies. CT2G, which is funded through a $780,000 NHGRI grant, will have working groups examine race/ethnicity and sex/gender in translational genomics, the boundary between genomics research and clinical care, and community governance and genomics. CT2G’s co-directors are Barbara A. Koenig, Ph.D., of UCSF and Carol P. Somkin, Ph.D., a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente. “It is heartening to see increasing recognition of the importance of ELSI and wider considerations in preparing for the growth in genomic medicine internationally; increased knowledge and understanding of such issues can only be a good thing, and multidisciplinary input is vital,” the U.K.’s nonprofit PHG Foundation said in a statement, citing both CT2G and Dr. Brody’s appointment. Building on ELSI Priorities Dr. Brody’s division is expected to build upon the work of NHGRI’s ELSI research program, established in 1990 as part of the Human Genome Project. In 2011, that program articulated four research priorities in a strategic plan for the future of human genome research, called Charting a Course for Genomic Medicine from Base Pairs to Bedside: Design and conduct of genomic research including production, analysis, and broad sharing of individual genomic data, often coupled with detailed health information. Effects of advances in genomic technologies and their torrents of data on healthcare, and how that in turn affects the health of individuals, families and communities. Underpinnings of beliefs, practices, and policies regarding genomic information and technologies, and their implications for understanding health, disease, and individual responsibility. Effects of existing genomic research, health, and public policies and regulations, and the development of new policies and regulatory approaches. He said the added research wouldn’t necessarily pose the risk of slowing down development of new medicines needed by patients—an argument industry can be expected to make based how drug developers initially chafed at FDA’s requiring additional studies during clinical trials almost a decade ago. “I don’t think it would if you build in data gathering in such a way that we hope it’s pretty usable for evaluating outcomes—not just the outcomes for health, but also the outcomes for patients’ understanding and well-being as well,” Dr. Brody said. “That model would be a missed opportunity if we didn’t try to do that.” Dr. Brody joined NHGRI in 1993 as a senior staff fellow, and eight years later became senior investigator and head of the Molecular Pathogenesis Section in the Genome Technology Branch. At NHGRI, he co-created the Multiplex Initiative designed to improve understanding of how the general public comprehends and reacts to personal genetic testing results. Also at NHGRI, Dr. Brody collaborated with researchers at Howard University to describe mutations and rare variants in BRCA1 carried by African-Americans with breast and ovarian cancer from 74 families. Eight distinct protein-truncating mutations were detected in six women and two men, with two of the eight not having been previously described. Of 11 different polymorphisms identified in high-risk African-American breast cancer patients, four may be unique to African Americans. Dr. Brody’s experience dealing with distinct populations should help his new division persuade key stakeholders—both within government and the research community—that it can effectively address the societal questions arising from genome research, and that addressing those questions will ultimately produce better research, with better data through which not only investigators benefit, but ultimately patients as well. KEYWORDS: Bioethics NIH Funds Minority Disease Susceptibility Studies Bringing Informed Interpretation to Vexing Variants H3Africa, a Refreshingly Ethical Research Endeavor in Africa

医学

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| | Remnants of a Life on Paper By Kathleen Vogtle, NAMI Communications Coordinator Remnants of a Life on Paper: A Mother and Daughter's Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder By Bea Tusiani, Pamela Tusiani, Paula Tusiani-Eng Mental illness is like a ripple on a pond. The waves are most well-defined and cause the greatest disturbance near their origin, rocking family and friends the hardest even as they maintain a tight cluster around their loved one. As the ripple widens and spreads outward, the waves soften, yet still leave a distinct impression on an untold number of people. The displacement of the water also draws unknown and unpredictable elements to the surface, which may then influence the direction, spread or even the longevity of the ripple. Bea Tusiani felt this ripple effect first hand when her daughter, Pamela, was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Remnants of a Life on Paper: A Mother and Daughter’s Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder is a moving, impactful account of their family’s journey through symptoms, medication, healthcare issues, government agencies and lawsuits, and in-so-doing, urges others to reach out and seek help. Remnants of a Life on Paper immediately draws the reader in through its structure. Each of the 12 chapters begins with a series of question-and-answer sessions that took place between Ed Davis, a lawyer, and Pamela’s mother and father, Bea and Michael. These excerpts provide not only a lead-in to each chapter, but also how Bea and Michael’s perceived their daughter’s thoughts and actions at the time and the understanding they gained after the fact. The content of each chapter is presented in a unique way, with excerpts from Pamela’s diaries�her artwork, poetry and inner musings�alternating with her mother’s recollection and viewpoint on the same events. Both accounts are incredibly moving and insightful, offering a rare understanding of BPD. Pamela’s diary entries very clearly illustrate her periods of depressed mood, irritability, anxiety and impulsiveness, all of which present a real face to typical BPD. For example, in December 1999, she writes: DO NOT GET HIGH EVER AGAIN! I am an idiot! I must be insane! I hate myself for everything! I am not normal. I go from fine to freak-out. I feel stupid for how I acted last night. I should not doubt my drug problem. I want to be in control of my life. I feel crappy. Called everyone I know�. I am in a cold sweat. Should I go out to some bar tonight? No! I know that drill�but still�.I don’t want to sleep or watch TV, I want some human contact. I bought a damn outfit for New Year’s Eve and don’t have anyone to look good for. No chance of love. Bea’s accounts are rife with a mother’s worry, her attempts to live her own life whilst caring for and worrying about Pamela, the hope as her daughter seems to improve, and the disappointment, frustration and helplessness as she slides back down again. The reader hopes and grieves with them both. Remnants of a Life on Paper not only recounts the relationship between mother and daughter, it also offers their differing perspectives on her treatment. The most notable instance of this occurs upon Pamela’s dual diagnosis and the family’s subsequent discussion of possible treatment facilities. Her strong desire to attend Road to Recovery, a dual diagnosis facility in Malibu, Calif. was met with uncertainty from her parents, as neither they nor any of Pamela’s psychiatrists had heard of it. “It amazes me,” Bea recalls of Pamela’s insistence, “how, in such a short time, my daughter transitions from being withdrawn and dependent to someone in control and decisive.” But their eventual decision to allow Pamela to enter Road to Recovery ultimately proves to have tragic consequences. Remnants of a Life on Paper is a gripping reminder of how deeply mental illness affects millions of people around the world. As Pamela writes, “There I stood, in a hole, deep in the ground. Did I dig it or just get in? Did I fall into it? Did someone else dig it and throw me in?” In the aftermath of their experience, Bea echoes her daughter in saying, “The hole Pamela wrote about is still there, but through the telling of valiant struggle, she has extended a hand to help others climb out.” Copyright Date: 11/07/2013

医学

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Early Hormone Therapy May Be Safe for Women’s Hearts July 28, 2014 By Kathleen DohenyHealthDay Reporter MONDAY, July 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Healthy women at low risk of cardiovascular disease may be able to take hormone replacement therapy soon after menopause for a short time without harming their hearts, according to a new study. Previous studies, including the large-scale Women’s Health Initiative, found that hormone replacement therapy had harmful effects on the heart. But, many of those women were older when they began the hormone treatments, and much further past menopause. In this new study, researchers wanted to look at how markers of heart disease, such as the thickness of artery walls, might be affected if healthy women began hormone therapy soon after menopause. “We were expecting it to slow down the progress of arterial disease,” said study researcher Dr. S. Mitchell Harman, chief of the endocrine division and interim chief of medicine at the Phoenix VA Healthcare System. That, in turn, would reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. The results, however, did not turn out that way. “We cannot recommend estrogen for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, even in this younger healthier group,” he said. The good news? “It doesn’t hurt either,” Harman said. “It looks like a wash.” So, for women who are affected by the common menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats, taking hormone replacement therapy for a few years doesn’t appear to jeopardize heart health, he said, at least in this healthy group of women. Findings from the study were published July 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study was funded primarily by Kronos Longevity Research Institute, which is supported by the not-for-profit Aurora Foundation. The foundation has no pharmaceutical company ties. The study, known as the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), was a four-year clinical trial to compare the effects of three regimens in more than 700 women. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: low-dose oral hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progesterone; a skin patch of estrogen and oral progesterone; or placebo treatment, with no hormones given. The women’s average age was nearly 53 but ranged from 42 to 58. Their last menstrual period was within 36 months before the study start. The average time since the start of menopause was 1.4 years, according to the study. Over the course of the study period, Harman’s team evaluated markers of heart disease risk. They looked at changes in the thickness of the wall of the common carotid artery in the neck, using ultrasound. This can predict heart attack and stroke risk. They looked at the appearance of new calcium deposits in the heart arteries. They looked also at blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The investigators found few differences among groups for build-up of plaque and other markers of heart disease risk. The oral dose group had decreased levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol. But they also had increased triglycerides, another type of blood fat that may increase the risk of heart disease. The patch group seemed to have better blood sugar levels, the study authors noted. Hormone replacement therapy has also been linked with increased breast cancer risk, but this study only looked at its effect on heart health. “Mostly they are confirming what we already know,” said Dr. Kellie Flood-Shaffer, division director of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The research ”seems to have taken more measurements reflecting cardiovascular disease risk than other studies,” she said. “I think they are showing, at least from a vascular standpoint, we can at least keep [heart disease] at bay,” she said, at least in the younger, healthy women. The study findings point to the need to individualize decisions on hormone replacement therapy based on each person’s risk factors, she said. For instance, if a woman has a family history of heart disease, high LDL and bothersome symptoms, she might prescribe hormone therapy. To learn more about hormone replacement therapy recommendations, visit the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

医学

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Penn State Hershey Medical Center sponsored a rose on the “Rose Parade Donate Life America” float for each organ donor who gave the gift of life at the hospital between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. Dozens of people representing 15 donors from across central Pennsylvania attended the Organ Donor Remembrance Ceremony.Image: Penn State The Medical Minute: Become an organ donor, save a lifeMay 8, 2014 The Medical Minute: Become an organ donor, save a life Conversations about death are rarely pleasant, but if you want to be an organ donor then it is a necessary conversation to have with family, rather than leave them with such an important and difficult decision during their time of grief and loss. One simple way to make your desires clear is to sign the donor card at the Department of Motor Vehicles, or sign up online at http://goo.gl/kcjcmq and have an organ donor notification made on your driver’s license. But many people hesitate to do this because of some common misconceptions. Dr. Zakiyah Kadry, director of the Penn State Hershey Transplant Program, believes one reason for this fear may be television shows depicting the same doctor caring for a patient, declaring the patient a donor, harvesting the organs and doing the transplant. That fictional depiction is far from reality. “Transplant surgeons are very far down the line, we’re not at the beginning,” Kadry said. “The process involves multiple, separate teams, not just one person. As a transplant surgeon, I’m not involved in making the decision whether a person becomes an organ donor because I would have a conflict of interest.” People may worry that if their driver’s license says “organ donor” that doctors may not do what is necessary to take care of them in a crisis. “There’s always that doubt that ‘it’s easier to make me an organ donor than it is to take care of me,’” she said. But physicians swear an oath to do no harm and do everything they can to care for patients. A person is only considered for organ donation after doctors have exhausted every potential lifesaving option to treat them, resulting in a final determination of death. Others believe that they may be too old, but according to Kadry, even an 80-year-old liver could work fine as long as the donor doesn’t have any other conditions and is otherwise healthy. She encourages anyone faced with this kind of decision to consider how dire a situation the recipient is experiencing. For example, patients high on the waiting list for a liver transplant are at high risk of death. Those awaiting a heart transplant often spend much of their time on the list in the hospital due to the severity of their need. Click here to watch a video about a few Penn State Hershey heart transplant recipients and the advice they give others who may be facing the same wait: http://goo.gl/xSm5mh Another myth is that the wealthy or famous receive organs first, but the allocation of organs is not based on income or status. “You can’t buy organs, you don’t get preferential treatment, you get treated exactly the same as everybody else,” she said. “The organ allocation is based on your clinical and medical condition only.” The most important thing to remember when considering becoming a donor is that there are a lot of people dying in need of organs. Yearly, there are between 17,000 and 18,000 patients waiting for a liver and an average of only 6,500 become available. “The whole allocation process is based on the sickest first, and even then we can’t seem to save all of them because a donor may not become available for a specific person,” Kadry said. The shortage cannot be supplemented with donations from living people because many have other health concerns that prevent donation of a kidney or part of their liver. Plus, the number of live donors is limited. Doctors need to ensure that no harm comes to the donor and make sure that they’re healthy enough to undergo live donation. Click here to read the story of one person who made the courageous decision to give an organ and save the lives of a chain of people across the country: http://goo.gl/55lWwo For more information on becoming an organ donor, visit The Gift of Life at http://www.donors1.org or http://www.unos.org. The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature brought to you by Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Articles feature the expertise of Penn State Hershey faculty physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience. Contacts: Scott [email protected] Phone: 717-531-1887http://www.pennstatehershey.org/ Last Updated May 28, 2014 Share this story submit to redditLinkedInSubmit this story to StumbleUponPin this story on PinterestShare on TumblrEmail this articlePrint this article Related ContentThe Medical Minute: Myths and misconceptions about organ donationApril is National Donate Life MonthPenn State Hershey a partner in organ donation initiativeTopicsGlobalImpactTagshealth, Medical Minute, organ donationAudienceAlumniBusiness and IndustryFaculty and StaffStudentsVisitors and NeighborsCampusHershey News for:

医学

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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE 4:00 p.m. EST Contact: Philippa Benson (301) 496-3583 Jane DeMouy (301) 435-8115 NIH Research Shows 100 to 200 Mg of Vitamin C Daily May Benefit Healthy Adults Research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that healthy adults may benefit from daily intake of 100 to 200 milligrams of vitamin C, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports in its April 21 issue. The conclusion is based on recent findings about the mechanisms and action of vitamin C by Mark Levine, M.D., of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Levine says adults need about 200 mg of vitamin C daily, approximately the amount contained in five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. "Our work reinforces the health message that healthy people should be eating five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. You'll get adequate vitamin C and you have the potential benefit of preventing disease, especially certain cancers, " Levine explains. Scientists do not know if the protection comes from vitamin C alone or from an interaction of vitamin C with other substances in foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Cancer Institute both advocate a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Healthy people are better off eating fruits and vegetables rather than relying on supplements because absorption of the vitamin in supplements varies widely, depending on manufacturing methods and the dose taken. Daily doses of 200 mg of vitamin C from supplements do not decrease the incidence of certain kinds of cancer. The current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60 mg/day, a number originally set in 1980 and reviewed in 1989 by the Food and Nutrition Board, a part of the National Academy of Sciences. The RDA is based on the amount of vitamin C needed to prevent scurvy, a potentially fatal disease marked by fatigue and bleeding. "We need to think not just about deficiency, which has been the starting point for recommended daily allowances," Levine says, "but about a variety of other scientific factors, such as how much vitamin C is concentrated in blood and tissue when a person takes a specific amount, how much is excreted in urine, what the beneficial and adverse effects are." When the subjects in Levine's study received 30 mg, most reported feeling tired and irritable. At 200 mg, blood plasma had more than 80 percent maximal concentration of vitamin C and tissues were completely saturated. At doses of 500 mg and higher, there was excess vitamin C that was completely excreted in urine. At 1,000 mg, some volunteers showed high levels of oxalate and uric acid in their urine, which might lead to kidney stones. According to a 1991 National Survey of Health and Nutrition, half of all American men consume less than 84 mg of vitamin C daily in their food. Half of U.S. women consume 73 mg a day from food. For 20 to 30 percent of U.S. adults, food provides less than the current RDA of 60 mg. These surveys did not include vitamin C intake from supplements, which are taken by 40 to 50 percent of the U.S. population. The Food and Nutrition Board is planning a broad revision of dietary intake guidelines. In 1998, the Board developed new reference values for nutritional intake in addition to the RDA, including estimated average requirements (EAR), adequate intake (AI), and tolerable upper intake level (UL). Radio Editors: A one-minute audio report with actualities is available at 1-800-MED-DIAL (1-800-633-3425) on Tuesday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

医学

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Division of Mental Health Services Home Reporting State Hospital Abuse, Neglect, Safety or Quality Concerns Wellness & Recovery Olmstead Disaster & Terrorism Branch Office of State Hospital Management (OSHM) News, Publications, Reports & Resources Data Dashboard Reports Brochures, Fact Sheets, Directories & Other Publications Directory of Mental Health Services USTF Forms and Documentation Information for Providers & Stakeholders: Contracts, Legal Notices Assistant Commissioner, Key Staff & Contact Information Public Advisory Boards, Commissions & Councils Alerts & Current Issues DHS Home > Division of Mental Health Services > News, Publications, Reports & Resources > Brochures, Fact Sheets, Directories & Other Publications > Directory of Mental Health Services > Introduction The mission of the Division of Mental Health Services in New Jersey is to promote opportunities for adults with serious mental illness to maximize their ability to live, work, socialize, and learn in communities of their choice. This is accomplished through a comprehensive culturally competent system of care, including psychiatric inpatient settings and community-based support services comprised of partnerships among the Division of Mental Health Services, other State agencies, consumers, families, providers, and mental health advocates, with the understanding that adults with serious mental illness are entitled to dignified and meaningful lives. This mission is realized in both new and existing Division programs by application of the following operating principles: Services are to be delivered by means of a comprehensive system of care, which emphasizes the most appropriate, least restrictive settings to promote the highest level of functioning; There must be continuity of care and coordination of services within the State and between the public and private sectors; The range of services within the system of care must respond to the needs of the individual consumers and to the special populations served; The Division must assure appropriate, high quality care for the State’s most severely disabled citizens in State psychiatric hospitals and for the less disabled citizens in community programs. Division mailing address:Division of Mental Health Services 222 South Warren Street 1-800-382-6717 - Toll Free TTD 609-777-0714 IntroductionThis directory is intended to provide information about mental health programs in the state of New Jersey. A wide variety of programs are offered at many locations in all twenty-one counties in the state. This directory does not attempt to provide information about all mental heath services available within the State of New Jersey. The providers listed here have been limited to only those which receive some funding from the State of New Jersey through it’s Division of Mental Health Services. In some cases this source of public funding represents only a small portion of the overall budget of the provider. In other cases the service provider is directly operated or predominately funded by the Division of Mental Health Services. In some cases community service providers offer additional programs beyond the field of mental health. Such programs may be targeted at the developmentally disabled, substance abuser or other populations. Only mental health programs are included in this directory. Every attempt has been made to insure that the information published in this directory is current and accurate at the time of printing. However, service providers and locations do change over time so it is possible that a reference to a program included here may no longer be available. In such an event, persons are encouraged to contact the Division of Mental Health Services at 800-382-6717 for referral. How to use this bookTo best take advantage of this directory, you should answer two questions to find someone to contact for information about mental health programs and services in your area. 1. What county does the person seeking services live in?Go to that county page in the directory. (see table of contents for page number.) 2. What mental health service(s) in the county list might be needed? Go to that service in the county list and see what local providers are available. Contact the local service provider and request an intake evaluation. In an emergency situation, where there is an immediate risk of injury to people, contact your county primary screening center. The screening center listings are highlighted with capital letters in the county listing. Your county screening center is also listed in the emergency section of your local phone book under “Psychiatric Crisis Intervention Unit” or similar listing. This book is intended to help citizens of New Jersey locate information about available mental health services in the state. You may be looking for help for yourself or for someone you care about. Brief descriptions of the mental health services are provided with each program section beginning on page 59. Read about the different types of services and try to decide what might be helpful to the person in question. If you locate a program which you think would address the person’s issues, you can then contact a local program provider for more information. The person seeking programming must begin contacts in their county of residence. Your county of residence page will identify agencies offering these programs. The second major section of the book groups agencies by the type of program offered. If you are interested in locating all providers of integrated case management services look on pages 75and 76. Each program has their own list in this section. Agencies providing the services are arranged alphabetically. Since agencies can provide the same service at more than one location there may be multiple listings for these agencies. Mental Health Agencies can provide more than one program type and therefore, agencies are listed under as many program sections as needed. Contact

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About UCR HealthSustainabilityPolicyTechnology Back to Health | More Profiles Monica Carson Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences Exploring Early Alzheimer’s Detection
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today. As the nation’s population of aging Baby Boomers increases, the rates for this and other neurodegenerative diseases are skyrocketing. Monica Carson’s research looks at the way the brain and immune system interact in both health and disease. Until recently, the brain and immune systems were believed to be completely separate and non-interacting in healthy individuals. In fact, interactions of any kind between these two systems were believed to be a major cause of neurodegenerative and neurologic diseases. However, her research finds that not only do the brain and immune system interact from infancy to old age, it’s imperative that these two systems constantly “play well” together to maintain brain health. With this knowledge, we can gain a better understanding of how to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Center For Glial-Neuronal Interactions (Director) ASN NEURO (Editor-In-Chief) International Society for Neurochemistry (Secretary and President-elect) Select Honors and Distinctions Secretary and President-elect, International Society for Neurochemistry Director, Center for Glial-Neuronal Interactions Editor-In-Chief, ASN NEURO President, American Society for Neurochemistry (2009) Chair, National Multiple Sclerosis Society Pilot Grant Study Section (2011–13) Award in Neuroimmunology, Dana Foundation (2008) The interactions of the brain and immune system in both health and disease to better understand how to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Q: What has your research found about the interaction between the brain and the immune system?It turns out, there’s constant communication back and forth between the immune system and the brain at all ages even before birth. The brain even has a full time immune cell that colonizes the brain before birth and stays in the brain your entire life: the microglia. Microglia are a type of macrophage (or what I call “the moms of the brain”) that constantly checks on other brain cells to ensure everything is in working properly. Our work has shown how loss of a single molecule called TREM2 changes how microglia supports normal development of brain neurons and repair of damaged brain tissue. Recently, mutations in TREM2 found to be associated with a three-fold increase risk in Alzheimer’s disease and as well as other forms of dementia. Our studies help to identify how specific defects in the brain’s macrophage lead to specific losses of brain function and dementia.Q: What are the implications of your research on treatments?Previously the assumption was that too much of an immune system attack was causing harm but now we’re seeing that it might also be too much of the repair process or a repair occurring too soon while the attack is still underway. Instead of an all-on or all-off approach of the past, our findings indicate that drugs and treatments should be more selective and must keep in mind that this attack/repair balance needs to change depending both on age and on the type of brain injury or infection.Q: What is the impact of your research on the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease?According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it is projected that the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple by 2050, raising the nation’s cost of care from $203 billion to $1.2 trillion unless new findings pave the way for more effective medical treatments to prevent, slow or stop the disease. Previously, treatments had been designed to prevent communication between the brain and immune system, cutting off this essential interaction and therefore preventing critical immune support of the brain. Our research works to understand what’s normally going on in the immune system to keep the brain functioning versus what shouldn’t be going on and should be prevented. There are many contributing factors to Alzheimer’s disease and if we can identify the many pathways involved such as those revealed by gene mutations, we can create specific targeted treatments unique to the physiology of each individual.Q: What’s next for your research?We are following up on repair pathways that we can manipulate to foster optimal brain function. We are specifically testing some well-tolerated cancer therapies for novel approaches to limit and/or reset the balance between attack:repair pathways within the brain. However, our studies are also leading us to identify age-specific microglia functions required during infancy and childhood, times when we have many of our first encounters with infections. Surprisingly, we are finding that microglia dysfunction during these early insults contributes not only to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders but also to increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases of old age. Our goal is to both identify risk factors and developmental windows for risk for in pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adolescence. If we can identify early periods contributing to later disease, these are the first steps in prevention as well as for therapeutic strategies aimed at stages before too much irreversible brain damage has occurred.Q: What does Living the Promise mean to you?Living the Promise at UC Riverside is a promise for better research so that our community can benefit from better living and better health. This kind of research cannot be done in the private sector because private companies must report to shareholders in short-term, profit-driven periods, while the issues that we’re tackling are long-term, tough research problems. My team and I have spent more than a decade pursuing the contributions of immune cells and microglia to brain function, which will have tremendous impacts in the health of our community and the world.Q: Why is UCR a great place to do research?Being here at Riverside is a place of promise — we’re building a new school of medicine to serve the Inland Empire and surrounding communities, However, I’m not only part of one educational or research unit. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with folks from so many units and departments all over our campus. At UCR, we get the close, friendly and collaborative community that you’d see at a small college, paired with the strength and breadth of a large research institution.Q: In your spare time, what are you reading (books, blogs, Twitter accounts, websites, etc.)? What makes these interesting for you?I mostly read non-fiction and essays. Currently, I have enjoyed Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln. It is not only an outstanding discussion of history and the impact of an important individual, but also on reconciling conflicting and deeply held opposing positions to address important issues.I also like science fiction. This literature is fun not only for the new ideas but also as a method to consider difficult topics by placing them in novel theoretic contexts. At UCR, we are lucky to have the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction, which is the largest publicly accessible collection of science fiction in the world. I recommend taking a tour to see this collection, which includes the 1517 edition of Thomas More’s Utopia and a first edition of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein from 1818. It's an eye-opening collection worth seeing!Q: What advice do you have for students graduating in the next five years?My advice is not novel. Like many before me, I suggest students follow their passion, pursue excellence and don’t be afraid to combine multiple approaches or try alternative or novel career choices. These suggestions aren’t offered as a way to make things easy. Rather it is hoped that this type of an approach is what keeps it worthwhile and rewarding when things do become difficult. "The interactions of the brain and immune system in both health and disease to better understand how to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism." —Monica Carson Microglia Activation—Venusberg Meeting Questions M1, M2 Designations Explore More: Read Online Magazine Office of Strategic Communications 1156 Hinderaker Hall Last modified: 2014-Apr-03 Hire UCR Students Colleges, Divisions and Schools UCR Magazine UC Office of the President Subscribe to UCR Today via RSS

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« Medical bag The Daily Challenge: Food is...» ‘Fantastic’ Geisinger surgeon delivers reverse shoulder replacement November 27, 2012 By ALYSSA MURPHY [email protected] , Save | With ever-changing and improving technology, one Pennsdale resident had a speedy recovery from a shoulder surgery after a scary accident. Elayne Greenberg walked into the bathroom at 3 a.m. Nov. 2, 2011. She was hit with a wave of nausea and lost consciousness. When she awoke three hours later, she found that she had fallen into the bathtub and crushed her left shoulder. She unsuccessfully tried to get out of the bathtub for another three hours. Her daughter would not be checking on her until that night. She forced herself to get up and call her daughter, who took her to an emergency room. Although Greenberg was admitted, she said she waited at the hospital for a week. Eventually, she was told she could not be treated because her injuries were too severe. Instead, doctors suggested she go to Geisinger Medical Center. Greenberg worked with her daughter to find the best doctor who could help her. She found Dr. Gary Harter, a Geisinger Medical Center orthopedic surgeon. When she finally spoke with him, Harter told her he would operate the next day. "She had a very difficult fracture with her shoulder," Harter said. He explained the specific type of fracture she had often leaves the person with "not a lot of function." Harter performed a reverse shoulder replacement. A shoulder is made up of a ball-and-socket joint. With a regular shoulder replacement surgery, the ball is replaced with a ball and the socket with a socket, he explained. A reverse shoulder replacement surgery replaces the ball on the socket, or cup, and the cup on the ball. "It creates a very stable shoulder," Harter said. "The story goes, I went back to see him (after the surgery)," Greenberg said. "He couldn't believe the progress." She said Harter was astounded and called everyone in to see. By the time she finished with her treatment, he took pictures because of how good the outcome was. Most of the time, Greenberg cannot even tell she has metal from her elbow to the shoulder, she said. "Most days I don't think about it," Greenberg said. "It works just like my other arm." Even if the rotator cuff doesn't heal, a patient still has reasonably good function, Harter said. A reverse shoulder replacement surgery takes about six months after the operation to completely heal. "I saw her at six months," Harter said. "She was just fantastic." After her surgery, she had two months of physical therapy at Muncy Valley Hospital, which included mostly stretching exercises, some which she still does even though she has finished her time at therapy. She now has more range of motion in her replaced shoulder than she does in her other shoulder. With an aging population, Harter said it is common for him to see people with fractures. "We will see much more of them over the years," he said. He expects that as time goes on, the reverse shoulder surgery will improve, as will the technology used. "I'm so glad I picked the right doctor," Greenberg said. Save | Subscribe to Williamsport Sun-Gazette I am looking for:

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« The Situation of Prejudice: Us vs. Them? or Them Is Us? The Situation of Sexism » Should Psychologists Speak More to the General Public? Posted by Adam Benforado on May 15, 2010 I really enjoyed reading Paul Bloom’s article, The Moral Life of Babies, in the New York Times last weekend. If you missed it, here is the intriguing opening: Not long ago, a team of researchers watched a 1-year-old boy take justice into his own hands. The boy had just seen a puppet show in which one puppet played with a ball while interacting with two other puppets. The center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the right, who would pass it back. And the center puppet would slide the ball to the puppet on the left . . . who would run away with it. Then the two puppets on the ends were brought down from the stage and set before the toddler. Each was placed next to a pile of treats. At this point, the toddler was asked to take a treat away from one puppet. Like most children in this situation, the boy took it from the pile of the “naughty” one. But this punishment wasn’t enough — he then leaned over and smacked the puppet in the head. This incident occurred in one of several psychology studies that I have been involved with at the Infant Cognition Center at Yale University in collaboration with my colleague (and wife), Karen Wynn, who runs the lab, and a graduate student, Kiley Hamlin, who is the lead author of the studies. We are one of a handful of research teams around the world exploring the moral life of babies. The article held personal interest for me because of recent experiments in the area of moral psychology that I’ve been working on with a cognitive psychologist colleague. However, what really got me thinking today is the creation of the article itself. How did it come to be? I assume that Bloom approached the New York Times (although perhaps they approached him, as he’s written for them before) with the thought that he should reach a broader audience with his current research. I, for one, am glad that he did, but while an increasing number of psychologists, behavioral economists, and other academics seem to be having similar urges, others seem quite resistant to the idea. After a behavioral economist friend of mine recently told me about some new studies he was working on, I urged him to write an op-ed as his work seemed to shed important light on a current news topic. Although agreeing that his research had the potential to reframe the debate, he was very wary of the idea of speaking to the public directly. “Why don’t I send you some things and you can write the op-ed,” he said. What do you think? Does summarizing one’s work for a popular magazine, or writing an op-ed or blog post exploring some of the potential implications of one’s research, stand as a threat to academia or is it something that could make academia more effective? This is a conversation I hope we can continue on the Situationist in the coming months. To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Journalists as Social Psychologists & Social Psychologists as Entertainers,” “Implicit Associations on Oprah.” and “Situationism’s Improving Situation.” This entry was posted on May 15, 2010 at 11:39 pm and is filed under Behavioral Economics, Social Psychology. 3 Responses to “Should Psychologists Speak More to the General Public?” Tamara Piety said May 16, 2010 at 9:55 pm Adam – I do think psychologists should publish for the general public. And actually there is a lot of evidence that they regularly do. (Think the slew of books lately on these topics). Whether those psychologists (or for that matter neurologists, economists, etc.) who do are criticized by those in their academic circles as oversimplifying the research or engaging in work that is unseemly for an academic I couldn’t say since I don’t work in those fields. But I do know there is some wariness about employing that research in legal arguments. This sort of criticism (or something like it) has been particularly launched at those seeking to apply the insights of behavioral research to legal questions. Charges have been made that the application is over simplified or insufficiently nuanced. For example, some of my work has been criticized for claiming that Kahneman and Tversky’s work on bounded rationality and cognitive biases revealed that these sorts of limitations were widely shared human limitations or that debiasing was largely ineffective, when according to the critics, not *all* biases applied to all people or that *some* debiasing efforts could be successful. However, the critique missed the obvious wider point, that, *in general* the limitations Kahneman and Tversky discussed were common features of human reasoning, not special shortcomings of the uneducated or the intellectually lazy. And indeed, this, and much of the work that has followed in behavioral psychology and has been the subject of many books for the popular press would be utterly insignificant if that were not the case. It is no great insight to discover that sometimes, some people reason poorly or irrationally. The significance of this work, and thus presumably the reason for Kahneman’s Nobel, arises from the observation that these limitations are systematic, predictable and widely shared and (in some cases) very resistant to bebiasing efforts. All of this is by way of saying that I think one thing that sometimes inhibits the translation of academic work into something for general readers is fear of being charged by one’s colleagues with having made a mistake or of overstated a finding. For us I think the fear is also that if you are not a psychologist or an economist you will be charged with going beyond your area competency. However, I think sometimes you have to risk being wrong. And history reflects that many powerful thinkers have not shrunk from putting their ideas out there for fear that they may not be perfect or subject to later revision. Wittgenstein’s second work of philosophy almost completely repudiated the ideas he’d advanced in his first. John Maynard Keynes ideas evolved over time. In the present day, Richard Posner has not been shy about either revising some of his earlier opinions or venturing into areas of social science or literary commentary for which he does not have formal training. Coase was an economist who wrote about law. Kahneman a psychologist who won a prize in economics. You get the idea. I think the argument that speaking to the general public somehow undermines your scholarly credentials is often just used as a weapon to try to intimidate and silence those with novel ideas (or ones the critic disagrees with). You didn’t say whether your colleague who expressed that reluctance was young and untenured, but this is undoubtedly a more legitimate concern for junior scholars since the disapproval of ones elders can put you out of a job. But I don’t think this should be an obstacle for those who are past worrying about tenure. And from a purely selfish standpoint, I enjoy reading articles like the one you allude to and I find them intellectually stimulating. So I hope your colleague reconsiders. The financial rewards for writing best selling books like “Predictably Irrational” or “Nudge” offers some assurance that some people will continue to offer some findings or implications from their academic research to a broader audience. But my endorsement of writing for a wider public stems from more than just my interest in its entertainment value or the possibility of financial reward. Sometimes this research has important implications for social justice (ex. IAT; stereotype threat) that I think we, as legal academics in particular, have an obligation to bring to the awareness of a wider audience if would seem to advance justice application of the law or suggest new solutions to problems of injustice. The Profits and Perils of Public Engagement « The Situationist said May 24, 2010 at 8:56 am [...] Should Psychologists Speak More to the General Public? [...] Psychologists – Latest Psychologists news – Experimental Cognitive Psychology And Its Applications … said June 23, 2010 at 10:44 pm [...] Should Psychologists Speak More to the General Public? « The … [...]

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Club helps patients with lung disease By Elisabeth Rentschler LAFAYETTE , Ind. (WLFI) – A new organization in Lafayette hopes to help those in our community who suffer from lung disease. It’s called the Better Breathers Club. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Nurse Tonya Mitchell said the club will hold monthly meetings, and focus on how to better live with the disease. Mitchell said it’s important for people to know they’re not alone in their fight. “Maybe they’re short of breath doing regular activities, carrying in groceries, little things that maybe we take for granted when we don’t have lung disease,” said Mitchell. “To be around somebody else who knows that experience maybe can help them through it.” “You feel alone out there and it’s so much nicer to be around people that have the disease and you can relate to each other,” said COPD patient Karen Lowry. “I just can’t stress enough the support you need when you have it.” All meetings are free. The first meeting will take place on March 11 at 1:00 p.m. at the Franciscan Healthy Living Center at 1116 N. 16th St. For more information on the Better Breathers Club, click here. Barton Beach Road residents could see buyout Indiana Olympian Goepper honored by lawmakers AP In

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What are you doing to cut health care costs? 0 by ROBERT GRAEF, Arlington Times Editorial Apr 12, 2010 at 11:53AM It’s no secret that folks in Snohomish County are wondering about the merits of the Health Care Reform Act. One senator said of the bill, “It ain’t pretty but we got her done.” Many believe it to be an uncertain step in the right direction. Others disagree. For some weeks media and mail have been spewing falsehoods regarding the health care bill. It was interesting how the National Chamber of Commerce that normally lobbies Congress and hosts business conventions magically came up with $800 million to fund a kill-the-bill TV blitz. Where do you suppose the money came from? But that happened in the other Washington. What are we doing about health care here in Marysville? What’s our role in fixing the crisis? How can we help to make national health care affordable? Marysville and Arlington get mixed report cards on the issue of health care. If local restaurant menus and fast food offerings are an indication we’re eating ourselves into early graves. One trendy burger joint advertises a burger featuring a half pound of beef drizzling with cheese. Factor in the amount of shelf-space supermarkets devote to additive-laden prepared foods and the early grave draws even closer. Winco appears to offer a higher percentage of healthy food than its competitors. Shoppers find an admirable selection of fruits and veggies there along with bulk-dispensers of unadulterated components for healthy recipes. SubWay tops the list when it comes to healthy fast food. You are what you eat. Because Health Care Reform won’t undo what a lousy diet does to one’s body, cost-control for the national health-care system depends on individual food and drink choices. The overweight critic who gripes about the cost of universal coverage while munching corn dogs is stubbornly blind to this. You are what you do. The physical condition of the average couch-potato proves that. Broken bodies of extreme athletes prove that exceeding the limits of bone and muscle also runs up the cost of any medical program. It does no good to curse the Feds for the cost of keeping the nation healthy if citizens squander their health on unhealthy appetites for food, drink, drugs and danger. Too much of advertising paints the good life as one of physical inactivity. Recreation becomes pushing buttons at casinos, watching television or movies, attending athletic contests, lolling at poolside, dining out or going on a cruise. From a marketing standpoint, it figures. To maximize profits, people have to be kept close to cash registers. We live in a world of contradictions. While school leaders bemoan children’s sedentary life-style, school bus stops are spaced to keep kids from walking more than a block or two. With the demise of Physical Education classes it is mostly varsity athletes that benefit from school-based exercise. Fear of injury even caused one school district to restrict elementary kids from running on playgrounds during recess. If we’re serious about health, much of this needs to be re-thought. Not willing to wait for Congress to fix the system, Dr. Tony Roon spearheaded Providence Hospital’s low-cost clinic in north Everett’s mall. It is a place where the uninsured or under-insured can find treatment at an affordable cost. The clinic, administered by Providence, reduces costs by depending heavily on Physicians’ Assistants and Nurse Practitioners (PAs and NPs) to give primary care. With M.D.s in short supply, medical schools are fast-tracking these almost-doctors to fill the need. Another example of local action is Marysville’s June 5th Healthy Communities Challenge Day to be held at Allen Creek Elementary. In collaboration with Snohomish County’s Get Movin’ program, the day is a one-stop resource for healthy living. Activities include Everett Clinic family health screenings, bike safety checks, how-to seminars on gardening and more. Visitors may test the 3.8 mile Jennings walking loop that offers a mid-point coffee stop at Vinaccio. More local action is ramping up at Wilcox Farm Community Gardens where seventy new plots will be ready to meet growing demand. Volunteers spent the early spring carving out the new plots, running a new water line and making general improvements to the site. Support for the project came from the Healthy Communities Grant due to the gardens’ blending of healthy home-grown veggies with outdoor labor. But all that is about living. We can cut health-care costs by also cutting the cost of dying. Because 100% of us will eventually die it makes sense to re-think the cost of America’s unreasonable fear of death. As a friend put it, “I don’t fear death. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Yet it will happen. I know because the obit page has my age-group dropping like flies. There is a time to live and a time to die. We sometimes get them crossed up. Look at the numbers. It cost $50 billion last year to support patients’ last two months of life. Of that, 20% to 30% of the treatments had absolutely no impact. A day in intensive care can cost $10,000. The Wall Street Journal reports that 27.4% of all Medicare payments were spent on the last year of life. Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reports that patients who were counseled on end-of-life issues not only cost Medicare less than half as much as others, they were more comfortable during their last days. Personal health has to become each individual’s responsibility. Once we accept that, we’ll live better, die better, and the bill won’t be so high. Comments may be addressed to: [email protected].

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Canbex Therapeutics Completes £2.1m ($3.2m) Financing Round | Print | Monday, 08 April 2013 09:00 (UTC + 2) London, UK, April 8, 2013 / B3C newswire / - Canbex Therapeutics Ltd announced today that it has completed a £2.1m ($3.2m) fundraising round that will enable the Company to complete the early development of its lead candidate for the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Merck Serono Ventures, the venture capital arm of Merck Serono, led the financing for this round. “The goal of the Canbex programme is to set a new standard in the treatment of spasticity through improved tolerability,” said Jesse Schulman, CEO of Canbex. “Spasticity is among the most serious and debilitating symptoms of MS. VSN16R, our lead investigational candidate, has the potential to make a difference to people with MS.” Nilesh Kumar, Director of Merck Serono Ventures, will join the Canbex Board of Directors. Kumar said: “We believe that an effective and well-tolerated treatment for spasticity would address an important medical need, and that VSN16R has the potential to make a major contribution in the area of symptomatic treatments of MS.” Canbex is a spin-out of University College London (UCL) and was founded by a leading scientific team including Professor David Baker and Professor David Selwood, later joined by Professor Gavin Giovannoni, a practicing MS clinician who is a global leader in MS drug development and clinical research. The company received a Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust in 2011 to support development of VSN16R. In addition to Merck Serono Ventures, other participants in the financing round included UCL Business PLC (UCLB), the technology transfer company of UCL, and the Wellcome Trust, through the release of the remaining tranches of funding from the 2011 Translation Award. UCLB Senior Business Manager Abigail Watts commented: “UCLB are delighted that with this latest investment Canbex will see its lead MS therapeutic move into human trials.” Past investors in Canbex include Fast Forward, the commercial drug development arm of the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Bloomsbury Bio-Seed Fund and the venture capital fund Esperante SA. To contact Canbex, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it About CanbexCanbex is a single-asset company that was established for the purpose of developing the VSN compound series. In addition to its pioneering scientific founders, Canbex has assembled a skilled and focused management team. Development activities are carried out through outsourcing to well-established CROs and CMOs. The company’s capital efficiency and lean management strategy ensure that funds are deployed overwhelmingly to compound development and that the company is well structured for exit. About Merck Serono VenturesMerck Serono Ventures is the strategic, corporate venture capital fund of Merck Serono, the division for biopharmaceuticals of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany. The fund invests in emerging biotechnology companies with the potential to provide breakthrough medical solutions in Merck Serono’s focus therapeutic areas: neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology. In addition, Merck Serono Ventures invests in companies developing innovative technologies that could enable the discovery and development of new products in its core therapeutic areas. About UCL Business PLCUCLB is a leading technology transfer company that supports and commercialises research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. UCLB has a successful track record and a strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from the laboratory to market. UCLB supports UCL’s Grand Challenges of increasing UCL’s positive impact on and contribution to Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Intercultural Interaction and Human Wellbeing. About the Wellcome TrustThe Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. About “Fast Forward”Fast Forward, LLC is a nonprofit organisation established by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society USA in order to accelerate the development of treatments for MS. Fast Forward accomplishes its mission by connecting university-based MS research with private-sector drug development and by funding small biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies to develop innovative new MS therapies and repurpose FDA-approved drugs as new treatments for MS. More information about Fast Forward and the National MS Society can be found at www.fastforward.org and www.nationalmssociety.org.

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Home » Info/Contact » Company Information » Press Releases Bellin Health gets top grade for hospital safety Bellin Health earned an “A” Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national non-profit organization run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The A score was awarded in the latest update to the Hospital Safety Score, within which hospitals earn an A, B, C, D or F score based on preventable medical errors, injuries accidents, and infections. The score was compiled under the guidance of leading experts on patient safety and is designed to give members of the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors. “We encourage patients to be informed and active participants in their health and their health care,” said George Kerwin, Bellin president and CEO. “Leapfrog is a valuable, independent source of information to help guide health care decisions.” The high grade clearly illustrates Bellin’s dedication to patient safety, a Leapfrog Group official said. “Hospitals like this that earn an A have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I congratulate Bellin Health for its safety excellence, and look forward to the day when all hospitals will match this standard.” Bellin’s scores as they compare nationally and locally are available at the Hospital Safety Score website, http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org Calcu.lated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s nine-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the safety score uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe. About The Leapfrog Group The Leapfrog Group (http://www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national non-profit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.

医学

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Home iHealth Today's Health News > Selflessness Can Threaten Clergy Members' Health Smaller Larger Selflessness Can Threaten Clergy Members' HealthBy TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- The tendency of clergy to put others' needs ahead of their own may take a toll on their health, according to a new study. Researchers from Duke University said chronic diseases and depression are more prevalent among clergy than lay people. Encouraging them to seek medical care is difficult because they focus on helping others first, the study authors said. "Clergy recognize the importance of caring for themselves, but doing so takes a back seat to fulfilling their vocational responsibilities, which are tantamount to caring for an entire community," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, research director of the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School and assistant research professor at the Duke Global Health Institute. The researchers examined focus-group data from 88 United Methodist clergy in North Carolina and found that clergy members have increased rates of obesity (40 percent compared to the average of 29 percent), as well as higher rates of diabetes, asthma, arthritis and hypertension. The study also found that clergy members show signs of depression at nearly double the national average (10.5 percent versus 5.5 percent). Despite greater prevalence of chronic diseases, clergy members also are more likely to say their health doesn't affect their ability to do their work, the study's authors said. "Clergy perceive themselves to be much healthier than they actually are," Proeschold-Bell said in a university news release. "They don't always recognize that they need help. That makes it all the more important that we design health interventions that pastors are likely to accept." Duke researchers said they are designing health programs that address the tendency of clergy to set their own health needs aside. "Many pastors equate self-care with selfishness," said Proeschold-Bell. "They feel they need permission to take the time to attend to their health. A health intervention aimed at clergy must address this tendency head-on." To be successful, health intervention programs for the clergy must find solutions to many barriers to care, including cost, unpredictable work schedules and fear of the stigma associated with mental-health issues. The researchers said a program designed for pastors also must show a link between physical and mental health and spiritual health. The study, recently published in the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, doesn't prove that ministering to others causes chronic disease. It merely noted an association between clergy members and poor health. Duke Divinity School provides more information on creating health interventions for clergy.

医学

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HomeiHealthBIDMC's Health NotesSenior Health & WellnessStaying Healthy as You Age > Seniors Should Stay Active, Engaged to Fight Depression Back to BIDMC's Health Notes The Latest News about Healthy Aging Staying Healthy as You Age 50 Tips for Staying Well Maintaining a Healthy Weight as We Age Why You Should Control Your Blood Pressure and How to Go About Doing It How to Eat Right and Stay Active to Protect Your Heart Better Nutrition as You Age Preserve Spiritual Meaning In Your Life Seniors Should Stay Active, Engaged to Fight Depression Getting Quality Zzzzzs How to Keep Older Eyes Sharp Seniors: Be Prepared When Going for Your Annual Physical Screening Tests: Which Ones Do I Need? Vaccinations Help Extend the Golden Years Exercise & Bone Health Common Health Issues Planning Ahead/Caregiver Information Smaller Larger Seniors Should Stay Active, Engaged to Fight Depression By Michael Lasalandra Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center correspondent Senior citizens are at relatively high risk for depression for a variety of reasons: loss of health, loss of friends, loss of purpose. But there are things that can be done to sharply reduce that risk. "Seniors are at less risk if they stay engaged in the world," says Dr. Michael C. Miller, a psychiatrist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "I'm a great believer in staying active," he says. "People who do best are the ones who keep themselves going. Community organizations, church or synagogue groups, a sport, volunteer activities, political activities. It can be almost anything." Part of it is to stay connected to people. "Relationships are very important," he says. "People who have built networks of friends or enjoy family relationships tend to be happiest. If you can continue to interact with a variety of people, that's good. People who are more social are less likely to get depressed." Another part is to find something meaningful to do. "Retirement can be very difficult, particularly for men, but increasingly for women as well," Dr. Miller says. "The idea of stepping away from a full-time career is very complicated. Many of us build our self-esteem on what we do." The way to protect against that loss is to find worthwhile things to do. "Hobbies help," he says. "Maybe you are an amateur musician or an artist. Or you like to travel. Or you are eager to take adult education courses. The good news is that you can teach an old dog new tricks, so you can try something new. Any way you do it, staying engaged in the world is good for your health and for your brain." Nationally, about one-third of seniors experience some form of depression. And while those over age 65 comprise 10 percent of the population, they commit 16 percent of all suicides, according to Dr. Miller. Besides physical ailments, the loss of productive work and the deaths of friends, seniors are more likely to have a condition called "vascular depression," where interrupted blood flow causes subtle damage to nerve pathways that modulate mood, Dr. Miller says. An important step in combating depression no matter what its cause is to recognize it when it occurs, he says. Dr. Suzanne Salamon, Associate Chief of Clinical Programs in the Division of Gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, points out that many seniors don't feel comfortable with the concept that they might be depressed. She says family members and doctors should be on the lookout for signs of mood problems. "Many in that generation will never admit to depression," she says. Signs of depression can include sleep problems, apathy, fatigue, inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, psychomotor retardation (decreased energy to do things), hopelessness or thoughts of suicide. "If you are experiencing several of these, you may have a problem," she says. "I ask my patients about these things. But I don't ask them if they are depressed. I may use the terms 'feeling blue' or 'down in the dumps.'" Dr. Miller says there is a place for medication or talk therapy or both in seniors who are depressed, even though they may be resistant. "These are tools that can be used," he says. "But you can't just say 'go take a pill.' This should be done in the context of a careful discussion." Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor. Division of Gerontology Lowry Medical Office Building #1B (West Campus) 110 Francis Street

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Nurses set to lead fight against alcohol related injuries Welsh nurses are set to lead the fight against the rising tide of binge drinking and alcohol related injuries, as part of a unique initiative led by the Welsh Assembly Government.Patients who return to hospital for follow-up treatment after a drink related injury are set to receive advice from nurses on their alcohol intake in a bid to help them change their drinking habits. This all-Wales initiative, due to start in February, is part of a unique Cardiff University and NHS Wales link-up designed to target drinkers who usually do not need specialist alcohol treatment but whose drinking is likely to damage their health in the long term.Research by Jonathan Shepherd, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cardiff University’s Violence Research Group has found that it is possible to detect alcohol misuse and treat it using brief interventions when patients with injuries return to hospital – trauma and maxillofacial clinics for standard injury care.Nurses who work in trauma and maxillofacial clinics across Wales are being encouraged to be trained to deliver the brief interventions. This also provides an opportunity for continuing professional development and can be used towards a nursing degree or diploma. Professor Shepherd said: "Excessive drinking is a major cause of illness, injury, and behavioural problems in Wales.""The Chief Medical Officer for Wales’ latest annual report found that some 45,000 hospital admissions and 1,000 deaths every year in Wales are linked to alcohol misuse. "One way to address this is through brief interventions. Hospital treatment can be a sobering experience for people and evidence shows that people are more receptive to healthcare messages when they are delivered in a clinical setting."It is for this reason that this unique partnership between the NHS and a leading University is the means of transferring our expert knowledge for the practical benefit of Welsh patients."In a letter to all Nurse Directors, Heads of Nursing and Midwifery Higher Education Institutions and Senior Nurse Advisors in Wales, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales are urging support for the new initiative. Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said: "The Welsh Assembly Government’s substance misuse strategy has provided the impetus for the provision of training in how to identify high-risk individuals and how to give advice in primary care settings, A&E departments and other settings. "In my recent letter to the service I highlighted the need to educate people about the health risks associated with exceeding safe drinking limits and make sure the health service takes this opportunity to engage fully in this training programme. Rosemary Kennedy, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales said "Binge drinking culture is getting worse in Wales. Evidence-based interventions will help reduce the long term damage from excessive drinking and the increasing burden on the NHS." Cardiff UniversityCardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain’s leading teaching and research universities. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, the University today combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research. The University’s breadth of expertise in research and research-led teaching encompasses: the humanities; the natural, physical, health, life and social sciences; engineering and technology; preparation for a wide range of professions; and a long-standing commitment to lifelong learning. The University has just established the Universities Police Science Institute, a joint venture with South Wales Police and the University of Glamorgan, which will be the first institute in England and Wales dedicated to addressing issues facing modern police forces. Cardiff is a member of the Russell Group of Britain’s leading research universities.The University website is at: www.cardiff.ac.ukThe Violence and Society Research Group website is at www.cardiff.ac.uk/vrg Professor Jonathan ShepherdSchool of DentistryCardiff UniversityTelephone 029 20742442 or 20744215Mobile 07779 490022Email: [email protected]

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Doctors save Ohio boy by ’printing’ an airway tube by 09:39 PM, Wednesday, May 22 2013 | 668 views | 0 | 7 | | Kaiba Gionfriddo plays with the family's dog, Bandit, outside his Youngstown, Ohio home. Born with a birth defect that caused the boy to stop breathing every day, he can now breathe normally, with a first-of-a-kind biodegradable airway made by Michigan doctors using plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer. (ASSOCIATED PRESS / Mark Stahl) In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day.It’s the latest advance from the booming field of regenerative medicine, making body parts in the lab.In the case of Kaiba (KEYE’-buh) Gionfriddo, doctors didn’t have a moment to spare. Because of a birth defect, the little Ohio boy’s airway kept collapsing, causing his breathing to stop and often his heart, too. Doctors in Michigan had been researching artificial airway splints but had not implanted one in a patient yet.In a single day, they “printed out” 100 tiny tubes, using computer-guided lasers to stack and fuse thin layers of plastic instead of paper and ink to form various shapes and sizes. The next day, with special permission from the Food and Drug Administration, they implanted one of these tubes in Kaiba, the first time this has been done.Suddenly, a baby that doctors had said would probably not leave the hospital alive could breathe normally for the first time. He was 3 months old when the operation was done last year and is nearly 19 months old now. He is about to have his tracheotomy tube removed; it was placed when he was a couple months old and needed a breathing machine. And he has not had a single breathing crisis since coming home a year ago.“He’s a pretty healthy kid right now,” said Dr. Glenn Green, a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where the operation was done. It’s described in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.Independent experts praised the work and the potential for 3-D printing to create more body parts to solve unmet medical needs.“It’s the wave of the future,” said Dr. Robert Weatherly, a pediatric specialist at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. “I’m impressed by what they were able to accomplish.”So far, only a few adults have had trachea, or windpipe transplants, usually to replace ones destroyed by cancer. The windpipes came from dead donors or were lab-made, sometimes using stem cells. Last month, a 2-year-old girl born without a windpipe received one grown from her own stem cells onto a plastic scaffold at a hospital in Peoria, Ill.Kaiba had a different problem — an incompletely formed bronchus, one of the two airways that branch off the windpipe like pant legs to the lungs. About 2,000 babies are born with such defects each year in the United States and most outgrow them by age 2 or 3, as more tissue develops.In severe cases, parents learn of the defect when the child suddenly stops breathing and dies. That almost happened when Kaiba was 6 weeks old at a restaurant with his parents, April and Bryan Gionfriddo, who live in Youngstown, in northeast Ohio.“He turned blue and stopped breathing on us,” and his father did CPR to revive him, April Gionfriddo said.More episodes followed, and Kaiba had to go on a breathing machine when he was 2 months old. Doctors told the couple his condition was grave.“Quite a few of them said he had a good chance of not leaving the hospital alive. It was pretty scary,” his mother said. “We pretty much prayed every night, hoping that he would pull through.”Then a doctor at Akron Children’s Hospital, Marc Nelson, suggested the experimental work in Michigan. Researchers there were testing airway splints made from biodegradable polyester that is sometimes used to repair bone and cartilage.Kaiba had the operation on Feb. 9, 2012. The splint was placed around his defective bronchus, which was stitched to the splint to keep it from collapsing. The splint has a slit along its length so it can expand and grow as the child does — something a permanent, artificial implant could not do.The plastic is designed to degrade and gradually be absorbed by the body over three years, as healthy tissue forms to replace it, said the biomedical engineer who led the work, Scott Hollister.Green and Scott Hollister have a patent pending on the device and Hollister has a financial interest in a company that makes scaffolds for implants.Dr. John Bent, a pediatric specialist at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said only time will tell if this proves to be a permanent solution, but he praised the researchers for persevering to develop it.“I can think of a handful of children I have seen in the last two decades who suffered greatly ... that likely would have benefited from this technology,” Bent said. Mistletoe Market dates announced Baby sitter in child death case returned to Texas Power of positive campaigning

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Type 2 DiabetesAre We Closer to Knowing "Why?" by Wayne Clark Diabetes was described as early as 1552 BC, but it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that it was linked to the pancreas, and not until 1936 that it was classified into two different types. Today, the cause of Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is still an open question. Still, scientists are closing in on a more thorough understanding of what Dr. J. Denis McGarry, former Professor of Internal Medicine and Biochemistry at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, once described as “the enormous complexity of a disease process in which almost every aspect of the body’s metabolism goes awry.” What causes Type 2 diabetes is an important question, not least because people with diabetes want to know why they have it. The questions only go on from there: Could it have been prevented? Can it be reversed? Are my children at risk? Does obesity cause diabetes, or does diabetes cause obesity? Does insulin resistance (the reduced ability of muscle, fat, and other cells to respond to insulin) harm the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, or is insulin resistance the result of damaged beta cells? These “chicken and egg” questions are at the heart of current investigations into the cause of Type 2 diabetes. What is immediately apparent is that diabetes is more than a disease; it is a disease process. It begins long before it becomes evident, as much as 15 years before the appearance of any signs or symptoms. More and more, in fact, it is obvious that it begins at conception. “It’s widely felt that genetics plays a role in why some people can be subjected to the obesifying environment in which we live and not develop diabetes, and others can become equally obese and develop it,” says David E. Cummings, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Seattle VA Puget Sound Health Care System. “It largely has to do with the health of their beta cells.” There is an undeniable association between obesity and diabetes. In one study, 30% of people newly diagnosed with diabetes had a body-mass index (BMI) of 25–30 kg/m2, and 60% had a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2. A BMI of 25–30 is considered overweight, and a BMI above 30 is considered obese. Genetic mapping has found a number of genes that are associated with diabetes, and others associated with obesity. Recently, a gene locus was identified that influences the risk of diabetes primarily by increasing fat mass. A study of the Pima Indians of Arizona found an exact match between the locations of an obesity susceptibility gene and a diabetes susceptibility gene. These are the first, but likely not the last, indications that diabetes and obesity may be “co-inherited.” Generally, obesity is believed to be a genetic predisposition, though one that can be compensated for by behavior. As evidence, Dr. Cummings points to studies of identical twins in which both will become obese even if raised in different environments, and studies of fraternal twins (who are not genetically identical) in which one will become obese and one not, even though raised in the same environment. These studies and others demonstrate, he says, that 70% to 80% of obesity has a genetic basis. “The fallacy of the ‘willpower’ argument,” Dr. Cummings says, “is the genetic basis of obesity. It is possible to modify lifestyle and achieve a 5% to 10% reduction in weight, and this should be encouraged, but the biological set-points are difficult to change.” Page 1 2 3 4 Show All Wayne Clark is a freelance medical and science writer who has written extensively on diabetes. He lives in Oregon. More articles on Type 2 Diabetes More articles on Diabetes Basics Statements and opinions expressed on this Web site are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the publishers or advertisers. The information provided on this Web site should not be construed as medical instruction. Consult appropriate health-care professionals before taking action based on this information. Shift Work Tied to Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk Shift work is linked to an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to new... Blog High Blood Glucose If you've had diabetes for any length of time at all, you've probably seen lists of the signs... Article Setting Goals for Healthy Living The value of a goal lies in the goal itself; and therefore the goal cannot be attained unless... Article Can I get off insulin with good self-management? Get tip 1. Insulin

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Soldiers, Suicide and Drugs By Martha Rosenberg Global Research, December 05, 2010 beyondwarispeace.com 13 October 2010 Theme: Science and Medicine, US NATO War Agenda More soldiers than ever are on drugs that have been linked to suicide and violent behavior. In 2009 there were 160 active duty suicides, 239 suicides within the total Army including the Reserves, 146 active duty deaths from drug overdoses and high risk behavior and 1,713 suicide attempts. In addition to suicide, other out-of-character behavior like domestic violence is known to erupt from the drugs. More troops are dying by their own hand than in combat, according to an Army report titled “Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, Suicide Prevention.” Not only that, but 36 percent of the suicides were troops who were never deployed. The unprecedented suicide rates are accompanied by an unprecedented rise in psychoactive drug rate among active duty-aged troops, 18 to 34, which is up 85 percent since 2003, according to the military health plan Tricare. Since 2001, 73,103 prescriptions for Zoloft have been dispensed, 38,199 for Prozac, 17,830 for Paxil and 12,047 for Cymbalta says Tricare 2009 data, which includes family prescriptions. All of the drugs carry a suicide warning label. In addition to the leap in SSRI antidepressants, prescriptions for the anticonvulsants Topamax and Neurontin rose 56 percent in the same group since 2005, says Navy Times — drugs the FDA warned last year double suicidal thinking in patients. This article comes from a 10 September article in AlterNet: Are We Giving Our Soldiers Drugs That May Make Them Kill Themselves? In fact, 4,994 troops at Fort Bragg are on antidepressants right now, says theFayetteville Observer. Six-hundred-sixty-four are on an antipsychotics and “many soldiers take more than one type of medication.” Of course, depression itself is a risk factor for suicide, so it is not always possible to tell if the disease or the drug is at fault. But many believe the dramatic and tandem rises in suicide rates and psychoactive drug rates are correlated. “Intuitively, it just tells you that there’s a connection,”Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. told the National Journal this month. Troops may also be taking Chantix, an antismoking drug so linked to violence and self-harm that Secretary of the VA James Peake was forced to defend its use, even in drug trials, before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in 2008. “If you know the drug induces suicidal thoughts,” an unappeased Committee chair Bob Filner D-Ca. asked Rep. Filner, “Why don’t you just stop?” Even widely prescribed asthma drugs like Singulair and Advair are linked to suicide, says the FDA, and have been cited in young people’s deaths. And who knows what happens when the drugs are mixed with mood stabilizers, insomnia and pain pills and antianxiety and antipsychotic pills — combinations that have never been tested for safety? In June Marine Times reported 32 deaths on prescription drugs in Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) since 2007 and said an internal review “found the biggest risk factor may be putting a soldier on numerous drugs simultaneously, a practice known as polypharmacy.” Links between suicide and even murder-suicide and SSRI and SNRI antidepressants have been long recognized. Of course, not everyone on SSRIs will be a suicide risk; but the danger is serious enough that the automatic and “knee-jerk” military prescribing of the drugs should be investigated. Traci Johnson, a healthy 19-year-old with no mental problems, hanged herself during Lilly trials of Cymbalta in the drugmaker’s own clinic in 2004. Red Lake shooter Jeff Weise, who killed 10 on a Minnesota Indian reservation in 2005, had just upped his Prozac. And the Virginia Tech shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, was also on psychoactive medications, according to news reports. Americans have doubled their antidepressants since 1999 so that 10 percent of the population, or 27 million, now take them. Suicides have climbed by 5 percent since 1999 and 16 percent in middle-aged adults. (The suicide rate actually doubled in Japan since SSRIs were introduced.) In fact, the high percentage of civilian suicides on psychoactive drugs is probably the clearest indication that military life is not the only cause of the shocking troop suicides: In September alone, there were 18 civilian suicides, 11 murders, two murder suicides and other violence linked to people who were using or had used antidepressants, according to published reports. A 54-year-old respiratory patient with a breathing tube and an oxygen tank and no previous criminal record held up a bank in Mobile. She had gone off her antidepressants. An enraged man in Australia, also off his antidepressants, chased his mailman and threatened to cut his throat…for bringing him junk mail. And a 58-year-old Amarillo man with no criminal history tried to abduct three people, killing an Oklahoma grandmother in the process. He had “an antidepressant in his blood,” said police. Also in the 30-day period, a 60-year-old grandmother in Seattle killed three family members and herself; a disc jockey in Bristol, UK set himself on fire; and an Exeter, UK man was determined to have stabbed himself in the heart. All were on antidepressants. Finally, in the month of September, legal proceedings began against two mothers and a father charged with killing their own children. Over 4,000 published reports of violent and bizarre behavior of people affected by antidepressants on the web archive ssristories.com reveal the same out-of-character violence and self harm in civilians that is currently seen in the military. Twenty people set themselves on fire. Ten bit their victims (including a biter who was sleepwalking and a woman, on Prozac, who bit her 87-year-old mother into critical condition). Three men in their 70s and 80s attacked their wives with hammers. Many stab their victims obsessively — one even stabbed furniture after killing his wife — and 14 parents drowned their children, a crime seldom heard of before the 2001 Andrea Yates case. (Yates drowned her five children while she was taking the antidepressant Effexor, which manufacturer Wyeth (now Pfizer) “issued no public warning” about, says the Associated Press.) Then there’s the North Carolina pilot on Zoloft who sang, “I’m going down for the last time,” into the cockpit voice recorder before he crashed his plane in June. And the mayor of Coppell, Texas, Jayne Peters, who killed herself and her daughter in July over the grief of losing her husband. Police found antidepressants at the home. Why don’t doctors and media outlets publicize the names of these volatile drugs? It’s a good question, said Gary Kohls, a Minnesota family practitioner, in an oped written after Iraq veteran Matthew Magdzas killed his pregnant wife, their 13-month-old daughter, their dogs and himself in Wisconsin in August. “Nobody in the media has, to my knowledge, had the courage to report what the drugs were, nor have they interviewed the physician or his clinic to find out the rationale for prescribing drugs that have common violence-inducing effects (with black box warnings stating that in the prescribing information),” he writes. “Therefore nothing has been learned from this important teachable moment, probably because revealing the common reality of prescription drug-induced violence would be economically harmful for the sacred cows of Big Pharma and Big Medicine.” David Healy, a psychiatrist and professor at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, has authored several books about the connections. “Prozac and other SSRIs can lead to suicide,” he said in a lecture at the University of Toronto. “These drugs may have been responsible for one death for every day that Prozac has been on the market in North America.” And psychiatrist and expert witness Dr. Peter Breggin specifically called on the military to “curtail the use of these drugs and rely instead on psychotherapeutic and educational processes that have already proved effective,” in a recent oped. “There is “profound danger of prescribing drugs that cause impulsivity, hostility and suicidality to heavily armed young men and women under stress on active military duty.” He also called for “additional research in the military and the VA concerning suicide and violence caused by antidepressants.” Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. has also zeroed in on medicated troops in Senate hearings this year, calling the fact that one of every six troops are on psychoactive drugs “pretty astounding and also very troubling.” And Retired Col. Bart Billings, a former Army psychologist who has also testified before Congress, said, “I feel flat out that psychiatrists are directly responsible for deaths in our military, for some of these suicides,” in a March Marine Timesarticle. “I think it’s criminal, what they are doing.” Still, the remarks of Katie Bagosy, the wife of Marine Sgt. Tom Bagosy who took his own life in May after being prescribed the medication Neurontin, might be the most persuasive of all. In an article called “A Prescription For Tragedy” in the current National Journal, she says that her husband told her before his death that “‘It all started to get worse when I got on this medication.’ Looking back, that was the beginning of the end.” Martha Rosenberg frequently writes about the impact of the pharmaceutical, food and gun industries on public health. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune and other outlets. Martha Rosenberg Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. The Center of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post original Global Research articles on community internet sites as long as the text & title are not modified. The source and the author's copyright must be displayed. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected] Copyright © Martha Rosenberg, beyondwarispeace.com, 2010

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All Stories by Month ISU-Boise Search ISU Headlines U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo to speak at Idaho Traumatic Brain Injury Summit at Idaho State University May 28 Posted May 21, 2013 As many as 35,000 Idahoans are living with a severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, and medical professionals and health educators want to do something about it. They're holding an Idaho Traumatic Brain Injury Summit on Tuesday, May 28, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Idaho State University Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1002 Sam Nixon Ave., in Pocatello. The Summit, which is free and open to the public, will focus on assistance for Idaho residents who have experienced a TBI and their families in addition to health education and prevention policies. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo will present opening remarks and participate in a roundtable discussion, presented by TBI experts. An answer session for audience members and a press conference will follow. The event is co-sponsored by the ISU Division of Health Sciences and ISU's Institute of Rural Health, the Healing Center at Idaho Doctors Hospital, and the Aegis Research Institute at Bingham Memorial Hospital. A TBI is defined as one or more concussions caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 3.5 million people experience a TBI every year—some so serious they lead to death or permanent disability. Those at high risk for TBI include soldiers injured by roadside bombs, athletes and people injured in car crashes. "We already provide the best available care for TBI. But we believe we can achieve better outcomes by employing cutting-edge research to identify even better treatments that have long-lasting positive effects without the risks associated with the medications currently used," said Louis Kraml, chief executive officer of Idaho Doctors Hospital and Bingham Memorial Hospital. "A comprehensive strategy for TBI is needed because it is a complex problem that not only impacts the health and functioning of the injured individual, but also their family members and employers," said Russell Spearman, TBI program director for the state of Idaho and a senior research associate at the ISU Institute of Health. TBI has reached epidemic proportions. The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force reports that the national cost of TBI is estimated to be $60 billion annually. Idaho's strategy for addressing the TBI epidemic must include education, prevention, early detection and intervention, provision of the most effective therapies and rehabilitation, as well as community health strategies, according to event organizers. For more information contact Neill Piland, director of ISU Institute of Rural Health, 208-282-4436, or Bernadette Howlett at the Aegis Research Institute at Bingham Memorial Hospital, 208-782-2953.

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U.S. Study Finds Veterans Could Be At Greater Risk Of Alzheimer's By: KKTV/AP Updated: Mon 8:08 AM, Jul 18, 2011 / Article Adding to a list of struggles that many veterans face upon returning from a combat zone: a new study shows that even mild brain injuries could raise the risk of Alzheimer's later in life. Researchers, who reported the findings at an Alzheimer's conference in Paris Monday, say this risk also extends to some athletes, primarily football players. Another study looked at former NFL players, which showed that those who had experienced concussions were at elevated risk for mild cognitive impairment, a potential precursor of Alzheimer's. Advances in technology have allowed more soldiers from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to survive bomb blasts, but consequentially, many sustain mild to traumatic brain injuries in the process. The long-term effects for veterans of the post-9/11 generation is still unknown. "Even a concussion or a mild brain injury can put you at risk," said Laurie Ryan, a neuropsychiatrist who used to work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and now oversees Alzheimer's grants at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California led the veterans study. Researchers examined medical records for 281,540 U.S. veterans over the age of 55 who did not have a dementia diagnosis at the beginning of the study. Out of those studied, 4,902 of the veterans suffered a traumatic brain injury in combat. More than 15 percent of those who had suffered a brain injury developed a form of dementia, more than double the number of veterans without previous brain injuries who did. Yaffe said the severity of the brain injury made no difference in the odds of developing dementia. The study has been touted as the largest ever done on the possible brain injury-dementia connection, and according to Yaffe, the first to look at veterans specifically. That worries Ryan Lamke, 26, a medically retired Marine who lives in suburban Washington, D.C. He suffered a traumatic brain injury from multiple blast exposures in 2005 in Iraq. "I'm diagnosed as a moderate (brain injury) but it feels like a mild," said Lamke, who relies on electronic calendars and other gadgets to stay organized. He's a student at Georgetown University and works part-time as a government relations intern for a private firm. "I have to read for twice as long as my classmates" to accomplish what's needed, he said. "I've not found a doctor so far who can give me a true understanding of what's going to happen 20 or 30 years down the road." Experts say that while young veterans--many not even 30 yet--don't need to be frightened about their future, they do need to be proactive about treating common post-deployment conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, which can potentially lead to cognitive impairment. Veterans who sustained even minor head injuries will also need to be closely monitored in the years ahead. "While we don't want people frightened to think they're going to be permanently impaired, a mild traumatic brain injury does not necessarily mean" no long-term problems, said Dr. Gregory O'Shanick, a psychiatrist and chairman of the board of the advocacy group Brain Injury Association of America. But only time will tell what sort of lingering effects the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will have on its veterans as they age, experts say. Their best post-deployment advice: take care of yourself. "What the people who have had a head injury and read this should do is to exercise and eat right and take their medicines and take their aspirin and do meditation to reduce stress — reduce risk factors that are modifiable," said Dr. David Cifu, national director of physical medicine and rehabilitation for the Veterans Health Administration.

医学

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Tea Drinking Benefits Older Population The British Journal of Nutrition published the findings of researchers at Duke University in North Carolina of a beneficial effect for tea consumption among older individuals residing in China.* Danan Gu and associates analyzed data from 13,429 men and 19,177 women aged 65 years and older who participated in the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey. Subject interviews provided data on frequency of tea consumption and other data. Tea drinking was categorized as daily or almost daily, sometimes (two to four times per week), or seldom or never. Among men, those who reported drinking tea almost every day had up to a 20% lower risk of dying in comparison with men who seldom drank the beverage. Frequency of tea intake did not appear to have an effect on mortality among women in this study. However, the authors did note that for both sexes, high frequency of tea consumption decreases the risk of cognitive impairment, cumulative health deficits, cardiovascular disease, and disability in self-care. Editor's Note: In their discussion, the authors suggest that the higher prevalence of smoking among older Chinese men in comparison with women could make the protective effects of tea more noticeable in this group. —D. Dye * Br J Nutr. 2012 Nov;108(9)1686-97. Review Finds Reduction in Tooth Decay in Association with Increased Vitamin D A recent issue of the journal Nutrition Reviews published an article by Dr. Philippe Hujoel of the University of Washington in Seattle, which found an association between increased vitamin D and reduced tooth decay in children.* For his review, Dr. Hujoel selected 24 controlled clinical trials including a total of 2,827 children between the ages of 2 and 16 years. Vitamin D was increased by supplementation with vitamin D2, vitamin D3, cod liver oil, or ultraviolet light. The median follow-up period was 12 months, during which tooth decay was quantified by number of new dental caries that occurred. In a pooled analysis of subjects, tooth decay was reduced by 47% in children given vitamin D in comparison with those who did not receive it. No significant differences were observed between vitamin D2, vitamin D3, and ultraviolet light exposure. Editor's Note: Dr. Hujoel observed that the incidence of dental caries in young children is on the rise at a time when vitamin D levels are declining. “Whether this is more than just a coincidence is open to debate," he said. "In the meantime, pregnant women or young mothers can do little harm by realizing that vitamin D is essential to their offspring's health. Vitamin D does lead to teeth and bones that are better mineralized." * Nutr Rev. 2012 Dec. Body Mass Index May be Better Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease than Serum Cholesterol A research letter published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that body mass index (BMI) could be a better predictor of the development of cardiovascular disease than serum cholesterol levels.* (Body mass index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.) David Faeh, MD, MPH, and his associates at the University of Zurich analyzed data from 17,791 men and women who participated in a community health promotion initiative. Over up to 31.2 years of follow-up, 2,170 men and 1,761 women died, among whom 749 and 630 deaths were attributable to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Faeh and colleagues calculated ten year risk models of fatal cardiovascular disease using total serum cholesterol or body mass index values. They found that the BMI model could better discriminate between persons at low and high cardiovascular disease risk. Editor's Note: Although it is not an infallible indicator of an individual's healthy or unhealthy body weight, BMI can be useful in studies examining large numbers of people, such as the current study. While the results of the study are not to be interpreted as a negation of the relative importance of cholesterol levels in the development of heart disease, the authors remark that traditional cardiovascular disease predictive models such as the Framingham Risk Score fail to take BMI into account. —D. Dye * Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(22):1766-68. Apples May Help Lower Cholesterol Evidence suggests that consumption of apple, or its bioactive components, modulate lipid metabolism and reduce the production of proinflammatory molecules. A recent article in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sought to study this evidence.* A trial was designed involving one-hundred sixty qualified postmenopausal from the greater Tallahassee, FL, area during 2007-2009 who were randomly assigned to one of two groups: dried apple (75 g/day) or dried plum (comparative control). Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to measure various parameters. Physical activity recall and 7-day dietary recall were also obtained. Over the course of the study, there were no significant differences between the dried apple and dried plum groups in altering serum levels of atherogenic cholesterols except total cholesterol at 6 months. However, when within treatment group comparisons are made, consumption of 75 g dried apple (about two medium-sized apples) can significantly lower atherogenic cholesterol levels as early as 3 months. Furthermore, consumption of dried apple and dried plum are beneficial to human health in terms of anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. —M. Richmond *J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1158-68. Meta-analysis Affirms Benefit for CoQ10 Supplementation in Heart Failure The results of a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicate that supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is associated with an improvement in ejection fraction in men and women with congestive heart failure.1 Colleagues at Tulane University selected 13 randomized, controlled trials involving CoQ10 supplementation that reported ejection fraction or New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification of congestive heart failure patients (which classifies the extent of the disease on a scale of I-IV). Coenzyme Q10 doses ranged from 60 to 300 mg/day, which were given for 4 to 28 weeks. Pooled analysis of a total of 395 participants found an average net increase in ejection fraction of 3.67% among those supplemented with CoQ10 in comparison with control groups. New York Heart Association classification among CoQ10-supplemented subjects also improved slightly, although the researchers did not consider it significant. Clinical research by cardiologist Peter Langsjoen in 2008 found that ejection fraction could be boosted from 24% to 45% (the higher the percentage, the better) using 450 mg/day of the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 on congestive heart failure patients.2 Editor's Note: Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart fails to pump in an efficient manner. The condition is assessed by measuring ejection fraction, which represents the fraction of blood pumped out of a heart’s ventricles each time it contracts. —D. Dye 1. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec 5. 2. Langsjoen P. 5th Annual International CoQ10 Symposium. Kobe, Japan: November 9-12, 2007. Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Outcome in Men with Low-Risk Prostate Cancer An article published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports the findings of a trial conducted by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina which revealed a benefit for supplementing with vitamin D among men whose prostate cancer was at low risk of progressing into a more aggressive form.* The trial included 48 African-American and Caucasian men with low-risk prostate cancer who received 4,000 IU vitamin D3 for one year. Prostate biopsies were conducted before and after the treatment period. Nineteen men diagnosed with prostate cancer who underwent biopsies at a similar interval served as controls. Of the vitamin D-treated subjects, 55% had fewer cancerous cores in their biopsied tissue or improved Gleason scores (which evaluate the prognosis of cancerous prostate tumors) at the end of the trial. In contrast, progression occurred in 63% of the men in the untreated control group. Editor's Note: Men with low risk prostate cancer frequently receive regular monitoring, as opposed to undergoing surgery or radiation which can cause unwanted effects such as urinary incontinence. —D. Dye * J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Jul;97(7):2315-24. Reduced CoQ10 Levels Associated with Poor Neurologic Outcome and Greater Risk of Dying Following Cardiac Arrest The journal Resuscitation published the results of a study conducted by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center which found a reduction in coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) among patients who died while hospitalized subsequent to resuscitation following cardiac arrest.* The study included 23 post-arrest patients and 16 healthy controls. Blood samples obtained 24 hours after return of spontaneous circulation in the cardiac arrest group were analyzed for plasma CoQ10 and markers of inflammation, and compared to values obtained from the control subjects. Neurologic function among cardiac arrest survivors was assessed at hospital discharge. Coenzyme Q10 values among cardiac arrest patients averaged less than half of those of healthy subjects. Patients who survived had CoQ10 levels that were nearly twice that of those who died during hospitalization. Similar differences were observed when those with good neurologic outcome were compared to those whose neurologic outcome was poor. Editor's Note: Cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping, affects an estimated 350,000 individuals each year in the United States, resulting in a significant incidence of death and neurologic injury. * Resuscitation. 2012 Aug;83(8):991-5. Longer Telomeres Linked to Eating Less Fat, More Fruit and Vegetables A decrease in telomere length, which has been linked with age-related diseases including heart disease, has been found in a recent study to be associated with a reduced intake of vegetables in women and fruit in men. Men also experienced a decrease in average telomere length in association with a greater intake of fat, particularly butter. The study was reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.* Researchers measured white blood cell telomere length in 1,942 men and women. Questionnaire responses were analyzed for the intake of fats, fruits, and vegetables. Higher total fat intake as well as saturated fat was associated with shorter telomeres in men, but not women, however, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats were not associated with telomere length in either gender. Consuming more butter was associated with shorter telomere length among men. Women who ate more vegetables and men who consumed more fruit had longer telomeres. Editor's Note: Telomeres are bits of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with cellular aging. Telomere length has been suggested as a marker for biological aging, chronic disease risk, and premature mortality. The authors remark that the increase in inflammation and oxidative stress associated with increased saturated fat intake could explain the adverse effect on telomere length observed in this study. However, fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which could help protect telomeres. —D. Dye * Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec;66(12):1290-4. Omega-3 Supplementation Improves Working Memory in Young Adults The journal PLOS One published an article recently that reveals a benefit for supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids men and women.* University of Pittsburgh researchers led by Rajesh Narendran of the Department of Radiology tested the effects of a supplement providing 930 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 750 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in 11 men and women between the ages of 18 and 25. Evaluation of working memory, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the brain, and tests for red blood cell fatty acid levels were conducted before and after the six month treatment period. Participants experienced an increase in plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels and improvement in working memory at the end of six months. Editor’s Note: “What was particularly interesting about the presupplementation n-back test was that it correlated positively with plasma omega-3,”observed Bita Moghaddam, whose lab conducted the research. “This means that the omega-3s they were getting from their diet already positively correlated with their working memory.” * PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46832. Healthy Talk with Dr. Mike Smith of Life Extension Premieres! You won't want to miss a single episode of Healthy Talk. Hosted by Life Extension's senior health science specialist, Michael Smith, MD, this new hour-long show features the very latest health information, global health news, innovative therapies, and so much more. Known to his devoted fans as "Dr. Mike, the country doctor with a city education," he specializes in presenting complex health topics – be it diabetes, migraines, or food sensitivity – in a clear, conversational manner. Each week, he'll welcome knowledgeable experts and influential opinion leaders in the fields of health, wellness, fitness, and medicine. You'll learn something new with every show. And the best part is you'll be able to join in the conversation. So keep your questions handy, be sure to listen … and call in! It's health news you can use! Tune in to Healthy Talk every Wednesday at 1 p.m. on WWNN-AM, 1470 in South Florida. Or listen in live on www.wwnnradio.com.

医学

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Center for Endocrine Tumors The Center for Endocrine Tumors at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is a comprehensive program specializing in the treatment of all types of benign and malignant endocrine tumors. Find an endocrine tumor specialist Endocrine tumor resources Find a physician in the Center for Endocrine Tumors Find an endocrine tumor specialist and make an appointment Find open clinical trials for endocrine tumors Endocrine surgery Endocrinology The Center for Endocrine Tumors U.S. News & World Report ranks Massachusetts General Hospital third in the nation for treating endocrine diseases. Although many endocrine conditions are benign (non-cancerous), our program combines the resources of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and the Massachusetts General Hospital Division of Endocrinology to provide advanced treatment for all patients. Learn more about our treatment programs for: Our ApproachOur program is one of the largest and most specialized in the country in treating disorders of the endocrine system. Among the innovations that make our program distinct are: Collaboration from a wide range of clinical experts, including endocrinologists, endocrine surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, specialized nursing staff and a wide range of support services Pioneering approaches to the treatment of endocrine disorders; from the first operation for hyperparathyroidism in 1926 to the most advanced diagnostics, procedures and medical therapies of today Our endocrine surgeons' extensive, high volume surgical experience in the diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands, including effective, minimally-invasive procedures Advanced clinical trials to find better therapies for endocrine tumors Request an appointment at the Cancer Center Contact the Cancer Center to schedule an appointment with one of our cancer specialists Billing & Insurance

医学

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Letters to the Editor Profiles Q&A The Last Word Staff/Contact Article Options • Brain • Cancer • Developmental Biology • Drug Discovery • Future of Science • Global Health • Heart & Vascular • Imaging • Inflammation • Pediatric research • Proteomics • Viral Infections Big problems for small lungs pg. 5 William Walsh, M.D., director of nurseries at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, examines a preterm infant in the NICU.Photo by John Russell “We see it all the time,” said William Walsh, M.D., director of nurseries at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. “Often these babies born at 24 or 26 weeks do well for a couple of weeks, and then they begin to decline, no matter what you do.”Payton Wilson was supposed to be a miracle baby. She was delivered on Aug. 17, 2008, at a mere 24 weeks of gestation in order to save her mother, who had developed a heart problem in pregnancy. Payton was on the highest level of respiratory care since day one, yet somehow she kept bouncing back from crisis after crisis.A year later, Payton was finally preparing to leave the NICU when she suddenly went into heart failure and could not be revived. Nikki Wilson says she lost her daughter less than 15 minutes before she would have turned 1. It was the day before she was to come home for the first time.Losing babies like Payton is devastating for parents and incredibly hard on everyone who cares for them.“We have at least one or two babies like Payton in our NICU all the time,” says Chris Lynn, RRT, who has been a respiratory therapist and educator at the Children’s Hospital for many years.He is painfully and constantly aware of the thin line between supporting a baby and prolonging damaging treatments. Currently, however, it appears the new BPD may be a price of survival.Role of infectionA retrospective study of 4,065 very low birth-weight infants treated in 1998, 2001 and 2006 at eight NICUs found that survival rates climbed after ventilator use was cut and CPAP and surfactant use increased. But the proportion of babies who developed BPD also rose -- from 25 percent to 29 percent, the researchers reported in the March 2010 issue of Pediatrics. Page < 1 ©2014 Vanderbilt University Medical Center. All rights reserved. Website by SBResults

医学

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Home > Find Support > Patient Community > MPIP: Melanoma Patients Information Page > RAB7RAB7 Return to Bulletin Board Anonymous 6/30/2014 7:16am Activity Replies: 0 PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: Contact: Nuria [email protected] Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO) CNIO researchers discover more than 40 melanoma-specific genes that determine aggressiveness The results of the study could help to determine the development of metastasis in patients suffering from the disease Researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered more than 40 genes that predict the level of aggressiveness of melanoma and that distinguish it from other cancers with a poor prognosis. The discovery, published in Cancer Cell, will help to identify unique aspects of melanoma that could contribute to determine the risk of developing metastasis in patients with this disease. This study is relevant because it explains why a drug, also described by CNIO, is being used to selectively attack the melanoma tumour cells. Melanoma is one of the worst, most metastatic cancers known today. What is the function of these genes? Strangely, the factors that are increased in melanoma share a common mechanism: the formation of vesicles called endosomes. Endosomes are machinery that tumour cells, via a process called endocytosis, can use to incorporate components into their environment and obtain energy by degrading them via autodigestion or autophagy. Autophagy is also used for self-cleaning to eliminate other proteins as well as damaged or unneeded cellular components. Among all the genes that control endocytosis, the authors of the study focused specifically on one, called RAB7; this gene is highly expressed in melanoma cells. After more than six years of research, the research team led by María Soengas, head of CNIO's Melanoma Group, showed that RAB7 acts as an orchestra director, determining the fate of melanoma cells: at high concentrations of RAB7, cellular autodigestion is very active, and this allows tumour cells to obtain energy, prevent the accumulation of toxic components and thus divide and proliferate; when RAB7 is reduced, cells use endosomes to recycle metastatic proteins, favouring their dispersal throughout the body. Defining "the key to the fate of the tumour cell", as Soengas says, is just one of many new aspects of melanoma uncovered by this study. "Finding which mechanisms determine why melanoma is so aggressive is very complex because more than 80,000 mutations have been described for this tumour", says Direna-Alonso Curbelo, the article's first author. POTENTIAL CLINICAL APPLICATIONS This study is also relevant for clinical work. One application is the prognosis of the melanoma: the authors show in tumour biopsies that the amount of RAB7 in a cutaneous tumour defines the risk of developing metastasis. "This study opens avenues for the potential use of proteins that control vesicles and regulate autophagy as novel markers of patient survival", says Soengas. Furthermore, these results help to understand the mechanism of action of a compound that, as the group discovered in 2009, is lethal in melanoma cells as well as in other tumour cells. This RNA-based nanoparticle compound kills the cells by acting on the formation of vesicles. "We knew how our nanoparticles act inside tumour cells, but not how they selectively incorporate inside the cells", says Soengas. The size of these molecules requires cells to form endosomes in order to be able to trap the compound. This study demonstrates that this endosome formation (via RAB7) is very active in tumour cells but not in normal cells. Normal cells, therefore, do not incorporate RNA nanoparticles, reducing the risk of toxic effects. The work published in Cancer Cell complements previous research efforts from the CNIO Melanoma Group, which could lead to the development of novel drugs that selectively target the mechanism of cell autodigestion as a potential therapeutic strategy. MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH This has been a multidisciplinary study in which many new computational techniques have been used to process large amounts of genomic data. CNIO's Bioinformatics Unit has been key in comparing 900 cell lines derived from up to 35 tumour types in order to identify unique aspects of melanoma. On the other hand, CNIO's Molecular Imaging Unit has made it possible to analyse vesicle formation mechanisms at high resolution and in real-time. The study's authors have worked alongside researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, as well as with dermatologists and pathologists from the hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, and experts in the field of melanoma diagnosis and treatment. This work has been funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the National Institute of Health Carlos III, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Fundación Mutua Madrileña and the Fundación "La Caixa". Reference article: Alonso-Curbelo et al., RAB7 Controls Melanoma Progression by Exploiting a Lineage-Specific Wiring of the Endo- lysosomal Pathway, Cancer Cell (2014)

医学

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"Spare Tire" Increases Heart Disease Risk < Aug. 11, 2010 > -- A new study finds that even a small amount of extra fat around the middle can increase the risk for high blood pressure and other heart problems because of the effect on the function of cells that line blood vessels. The cells which line blood vessels are called endothelial cells. These cells are vital for proper functioning of blood vessels. They control the ability of the vessel to contract and dilate, which in turn controls blood flow. Damage to the endothelium can affect the functioning of the blood vessel, eventually leading to high blood pressure and blood vessel disease, according to the researchers. The report is being released this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "When people put on a modest amount of weight, if the fat is in the belly, those people tended to have a greater impairment of endothelial function," says lead researcher Dr. Virend K. Somers, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. "Endothelial function is a marker of health of the blood vessel." "There is something about fat deposited in the belly that makes it potentially hazardous to health, because impaired endothelial function has been linked to increased risk of high blood pressure and blood vessel disease," Dr. Somers says. Extra Weight Affects Dilation of Arteries For the study, Dr. Somers' team randomly assigned 43 normal-weight adults to either gain about nine pounds or keep their current weight. The researchers measured endothelial function in the brachial artery, which is located in the arm. Specifically, they assessed the ability of the artery to dilate. Measurements were taken before the study started, after eight weeks of weight gain, and again after 16 weeks of weight loss. The researchers found that people who gained weight showed a decrease in the ability of the artery to dilate. However, when the study participants lost the weight they had gained, the ability of the brachial artery to dilate properly returned to normal. Even Small Weight Gains are Significant People tend to ignore minor weight gain, such as the few pounds they can put on over the holidays, Dr. Somers says. "It's only 10 pounds, and that's not much, but even this modest amount of weight gain has potentially harmful effects for blood vessels," he says. Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center at the University of California, said that "increased body fat has been linked to both premature cardiovascular disease and endothelial dysfunction." This study nicely demonstrates that weight gain and increases in abdominal fat are directly contributing to endothelial dysfunction, he says. "Further, this endothelial dysfunction is entirely reversible after the excess weight and abdominal fat is lost through diet. This is yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight and avoid excess belly fat," Dr. Fonarow adds. Always consult your physician or other healthcare provider for more information. For more information on health and wellness, please visit health information modules on this Web site. Apple or Pear: What Is Your Shape? There is a saying about what matters in real estate: location, location, location. The same holds true for your personal real estate. When you look in a mirror, where do you see extra pounds? Weighing too much is harmful, but the location of those extra pounds can worsen the risk. Simply put, extra weight around your middle puts you at greater risk for heart disease. "For both men and women, abdominal fat carries the greatest health risk," says Dr. James M. Rippe, associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and author of 26 health and fitness books, including The Healthy Heart for Dummies. He says the so-called apple-shaped body is more dangerous because abdominal fat cells cause greater metabolic changes. Those changes can include insulin resistance (a forerunner of diabetes) and a faster heartbeat. The body mass index (BMI) has become the standard way to learn the healthy weight for your height. In general, BMI can accurately determine if you are of normal weight, or if you are overweight or obese, but the calculation is not perfect. If you are very muscular but with little body fat, for example, your BMI may wrongly indicate that you are overweight or obese. Other people might have a normal BMI, but still have excess body fat. Dr. Rippe says there is a less technical way to find out if you are too fat, and it is backed by a study he co-authored in a supplement to the journal Obesity Research. "Waist circumference is the best predictor of risk for heart disease," he says. The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommend to keep your waist circumference less than 40 inches for men and less than 35 inches for women. All you need to learn your waist circumference is a plastic tape measure and a half-naked body. "It's an easy measurement to take, but less than 1 percent of doctors take it," Dr. Rippe laments. Regardless of height, if your waist measures more than 37 inches for a man and more than 31.5 inches for a woman, it's time to think about a weight-loss program, Dr. Rippe says. "You don't have to wait for it to get to that point," he adds. "The higher the numbers, the greater the risk. There's no free pass if it's slightly under." Everyday Choices - ADA, AHA, and ACS Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Modest Visceral Fat Gain Causes Endothelial Dysfunction in Healthy Humans NIH - Heart Diseases Women's HealthThe Stroke Care ServiceCardiac Health Center CardiologyInternal Medicine "Man-to-Man" Prostate Cancer Support Group11/12/2014 Longer Commutes Drive Up Health RisksOverview of ObesityConsidering Birth Control? Know Your Options HealthGrades Names New York Hospital Queens Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Joint Replacement and Maternity Care10/21/2011New York Hospital Queens Receives Grant for Women's Health10/19/2010West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Queens, N.Y.07/22/2010

医学

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I’m Mad As Hell, and I’m Not Going to Eat it Anymore Taking Control of Your Health and Your Life–One Vegan Recipe at a Time Christina Pirello, chef, teacher, award-winning television host, and vocal advocate for healthy living, is mad as hell-and she’s going to do something about it!In this, her most ambitious and passionate book to date, Pirello takes on the food establishment, big pharma, marketers, the government, and nongovernmental health agencies in a sweeping and well-argued indictment of the roles these organizations play in the demise of our collective health, our health care system, and our planet.But she goes beyond an angry diatribe to show you how you can take responsibility for your own health and well-being even in the face of overwhelming odds. Step by step, Pirello guides you to an understanding of the causes of this country’s major health problems and offers solutions that show how to create change, whether you are taking the first tentative steps toward healthier eating or are ready for a full- on commitment to embracing a completely plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle.Armed with the information and advice that Pirello has presented in her accessible signature style, which has already garnered tens of thousands of loyal fans for her books, shows, and articles, anyone will be able to take those first critical steps on the way to total health and wellness.As practical as it is inspirational, this book also features cooking techniques, advice for stocking a pantry, and more than 125 vegan recipes, including "makeovers" of family favorites. "Christina Pirello has zeroed in on exactly why we’re out of control with our health and our lives, and she shows us the solution. If you’ve had it with being manipulated by food commercials and lied to by food manufacturers, and you’re confused about what’s healthy and what’s not, Christina sorts it out with wisdom and humor, and makes it phenomenally easy to change your life for good." – -Neal D. Barnard, MD, President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Read a Letter From the Authors, Todd Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener. Read more

医学

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Why Are Doctors Skeptical & Unhelpful about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? [ 2 Comments ] By Julie Rehmeyer • www.ProHealth.com • May 1, 2014 Reprinted with the kind permission of Julie Rehmeyer and The Last Word on Nothing By Julie Rehmeyer Eight years ago, collapsed on a neurologist’s examining table, I asked a naive question that turned out to be at the center of a controversy continuing to this day. I had just received a diagnosis for the illness that had been gradually overtaking me for the previous six years, and I asked, “So what is chronic fatigue syndrome?” A week earlier, I’d woken up suddenly barely able to walk. “Fatigue” hardly described what I felt: “Paralysis” was more like it. My legs seemed to have been amputated and replaced with tubes of liquid concrete, and just shifting them on the table made me grunt like an Olympic weightlifter. Not only that, my very bones hurt. Most disturbingly, my brain felt like a swollen mass. Speaking required tracking down and spearing each word individually as it scampered away from me. I felt as capable of writing an article about science – my job – as of slaughtering a rhino with my teeth. My neurologist’s face was blank as he pronounced, “We don’t understand it very well.” He could recommend no tests, no treatments, no other doctors. I came to understand that for him, “chronic fatigue syndrome” meant “I can’t help you.” My neurologist’s understanding of the illness closely reflected that of most doctors, who typically believe two things about CFS: that it’s probably psychosomatic, and that there’s nothing doctors can do for these patients. Experts have known otherwise for decades. The result is that while patients don’t get the help they need, they often do get a helping of scorn. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched an effort to change these misperceptions, it says, arguing that the problem goes back to that very first question I asked: What is chronic fatigue syndrome? There are currently many competing definitions, and none of them has trickled down to doctors. So HHS has hired the Institute of Medicine, an affiliate of the National Academies, to develop yet another definition of the illness. The stated hope is that doctors will embrace a definition developed by such a prestigious institution and then learn about treatments. But the CFS community of experts, advocates and patients has responded to this plan with a revolt. Fifty specialists in the illness (nearly all of them) wrote to HHS requesting cancellation of the contract, and hundreds of patient advocates and thousands of patients wrote in support of the experts. And unfortunately, this is just the latest in a long string of disputes between the federal agencies and the CFS community, disputes that have nearly derailed the central work of understanding a disease acknowledged by all to sometimes be as disabling as late-stage AIDS or heart failure. At the time of my diagnosis, though, I was far too consumed with learning to cope to worry about the politics of CFS. A couple of weeks after my trip to the neurologist, I woke up feeling better enough to venture to the grocery store. By the time I put the bags in the car, though, I was quivering with exhaustion. That night I was too weak to turn over in bed. Overexertion, I realized, was my enemy, so I began a program of aggressive rest. Gradually, I got stronger and the limits lifted. But over the next five years, I got worse again, then better, then worse. I consulted doctors, but when they couldn’t help much, I stopped. Each time I was stuck in bed, I scoured my activities, my diet, my environment, seeking a reason. Ultimately I concluded my illness might have been controlled by the Greek gods, creatures more irrational and capricious than the human mind can comprehend. Then in 2011, I disintegrated. Day after day, I couldn’t get out of bed, couldn’t work, couldn’t even focus my eyes to read a novel. I flew across the country and staggered into the office of Dr. Nancy Klimas, an immunologist and CFS expert at the University of Miami. She smiled and said wryly, “Your legs aren’t working too well for you there! We should be able to get you feeling better.” I nearly cried. She told me that although CFS didn’t yet have a cure, she and other researchers had discovered a lot about it. At that moment, many thought the retrovirus XMRV might be the cause, though she was growing skeptical and soon thereafter the theory was disproven. Regardless, she told me, she and her fellow researchers were certain the illness wasn’t psychosomatic. The physiological abnormalities in CFS patients were too consistent for that. She soon confirmed those patterns in me: Some parts of my immune system barely functioned, while others were in overdrive. Several viruses had become reactivated in my body, causing mischief long after the initial infection was past. My heart couldn’t manage to pump enough blood to my brain when I stood up: After six minutes of standing still, my blood pressure fell to 80/52, my heart raced, and I begged to lie down lest I vomit or pass out. One test I declined, the two-day exercise test. When CFS patients exercise to exhaustion two days in a row, their output plummets the second day though they work just as hard. In addition, their bodies flag at using oxygen, inflammation goes wild, and their very cells change, reading their genes differently. That pattern, called exercise intolerance, seems unique to CFS. The test can help prove disability and provide objective guidelines patients can use to regulate their activities, but it can also leave them even sicker for months. Though Klimas couldn’t cure me, she helped. She gave me immune modulators so my immune system wouldn’t overrev as though I were fighting an eternal flu. She worked to improve my sleep. She prescribed beta blockers to steady my heart rate when I stood. The most effective treatment was astonishingly simple: Gatorade. Electrolytes increased my blood volume – typically a liter low in CFS patients – thereby stopping my blood pressure from dropping so dramatically. She also monitored me for cancers common in CFS patients, since our natural killer cells, the immune system’s designated cancer assassins, barely function. I improved enough to work a little bit, and it was a tremendous relief to have a knowledgeable and compassionate doctor behind me. Still, Klimas (who also treats HIV/AIDS) says if she had to choose between having HIV and CFS, she’d unquestionably choose HIV. Two decades of well-funded research have made HIV a manageable chronic illness, while her CFS patients often remain disabled. I was extremely fortunate to get such competent care. There are a dozen or two US specialists to treat the one million Americans with CFS, and most non-specialists are as hamstrung by lack of knowledge about the illness as the neurologist who diagnosed me. Somehow, doctors haven’t gotten the word that CFS is a physiological illness with physiological treatments that help. Once I grew so sick that the illness dominated my life, I couldn’t get the question out of my mind: Why? Reading about the history of the illness made the situation seem far less inscrutable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first investigated it in the mid-1980s, when a few hundred people near Lake Tahoe suddenly got symptoms much like mine. A couple of doctors documented abnormalities, also much like mine, and noted that the malady fit the profile of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), an illness that had cropped up sporadically for decades. Purported epidemics usually turn out to be nothing more than coincidences, though, and CDC investigators found the abnormalities peculiar and the symptoms suspiciously diverse. They performed a quick investigation and wrote up a report downplaying the illness. But concern continued to grow, and a manuscript outlining the abnormalities was being prepared for the Annals of Internal Medicine. So investigators created a definition for the illness, but they kept it broad, disregarding the specific findings and requiring six months of fatigue along with several picks from a grab-bag of other subjective symptoms, like sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and brain fog. They named it “chronic fatigue syndrome,” and they tacitly subsumed myalgic encephalomyelitis within this new illness (which the federal agencies now often call ME/CFS). With such a broad definition, CFS suddenly applied to widely varying patients with few shared abnormalities. As a result, many doctors came to view the CFS grab-bag as a psychosomatic illness. The triviality of the name “chronic fatigue syndrome” reinforced the skepticism. After all, aren’t we all tired? The name makes the illness that made it nearly impossible for me to stand up or talk or do my job sound very much like the everyday tiredness most folks push through. Enough good science would dispel this notion, but the illness hasn’t easily yielded its secrets. More shockingly, federal agencies have often impeded progress. In 2005, the CDC broadened the definition still further, requiring low levels of symptoms other than fatigue, and the number of patients who qualified for the illness increased by six to ten times — including some depressed people, pregnant women, and people suffering from the side effects of drugs. This and other broad definitions have caused huge problems in the research, especially through confusing ME/CFS and depression. The CDC has reinforced this confusion in a variety of ways. For example, a group of UK researchers primarily uses a still broader definition of the illness, requiring no symptoms at all other than fatigue. In 2011, this group released a large study in the Lancet evaluating graded exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy for CFS patients. Although the researchers claimed that the two were “effective treatments,” the study reported no improvements in employment, health insurance claims, or welfare claims. About 15 percent of patients reported feeling better, but after a year of treatment, patients were still unable to walk as fast as those in heart failure (on average), and there were no other objective signs of improvement. The finding was trumpeted in headlines around the world: “Got ME? Just get out and exercise, say scientists,” reported The Independent. Rather than helping to clarify the muddle, the CDC increased it. It has long embraced graded exercise therapy, putting it prominently on its website and suggesting that exercise will restore even bed bound patients to daily functioning — though the UK study showed that such expectations are highly unrealistic. The website doesn’t point out the lack of evidence that exercise is safe or useful for severely ill patients (the UK study excluded them), and while it cautions against overdoing exercise, it doesn’t mention how difficult that can be to avoid and doesn’t mention the objective guidance patients might get from the findings from two-day exercise tests. On top of that, the website recommends cognitive behavioral therapy but almost none of the treatments I got from Klimas, like blood pressure regulation and increased monitoring for cancer. It is the primary source of information about the illness for most U.S. general practitioners, and as a result, many doctors recommend no treatments other than some symptomatic care along with therapy and exercise to all their CFS patients, without impressing on them the extreme care that is essential to exercise safely. For years, U.S. experts specializing in the disease have strenuously objected and pleaded for changes, but modifications have been only minor. Little wonder, then, that doctors tend to be skeptical about whether the illness is real and have no idea how to treat it. Money is the other big problem. In the late ’90s, the CDC diverted $13 million appropriated for ME/CFS research to other projects, lied to Congress about it, and was caught by a whistleblower. The government now spends a mere $5 million a year on this illness; by comparison, it spends $3 billion on HIV/AIDS (which also affects about a million Americans). Even Ian Lipkin, the famous “virus hunter” who helped disprove the theorized XMRV viral link to ME/CFS, couldn’t get the $1.2 million he needs to study the microbiome in ME/CFS patients from the government. He has now turned to crowdsourcing (with impoverished patients eagerly contributing). This fraught relationship with the federal agencies is the backdrop for the revolt of the ME/CFS community in response to HHS’s latest plan to have the Institute of Medicine develop a new definition of the illness. The specialists who requested that the contract be cancelled argued that they had already developed a good definition themselves, one requiring exercise intolerance as well as abnormalities in neuroendocrine, immune and autonomic functioning. But HHS continues to use a broader definition and has instructed the Institute of Medicine to consider many definitions, including the very general ones that can make the illness appear psychosomatic. Furthermore, more than half the members of the Institute of Medicine committee have no professional experience with the illness. As Dr. Derek Enlander, an ME/CFS specialist at Mt. Sinai Hospital, put it, “Do you want a podiatrist to treat your grandfather with lung cancer?” Klimas, my doctor (now at Nova University), was among those who signed the letter requesting that HHS cancel its contract with the Institute of Medicine. I asked her why she was concerned. “I’m afraid they’re about a year early,” she said. If HHS had waited, she explained, they could have developed a disease definition grounded in data, and that’s what will give a definition the heft needed to change attitudes. Just a year would be enough: Several large studies are now collecting tissues from more than a thousand patients and controls, looking for the telltale biological indicators that most effectively distinguish the two groups. Furthermore, Klimas said, without that evidence, a skeptical committee might dismiss the results of the many small studies that are now most revealing — and could as a result develop a broad definition that would exacerbate the current confusion. HHS has pushed forward despite the intense concern from patients, advocates and professionals in the illness, and their seeming disregard undermines their effort. “If you have a great review but you don’t have buy-in from the vested communities, you’ll have problems,” says Leonard Jason of DePaul University, the leading expert in ME/CFS definitions. These squabbles are heartbreaking when the needs of ME/CFS patients are so great. Even the high quality treatment I got from Klimas helped me only slightly. Later, I heard from patients who had significantly recovered through assiduously avoiding mold, and though I considered the theory wacky, I was desperate enough to experiment. And for me, it worked. I’m nearly recovered. I can go running, write articles, travel with my new husband – and every time I do, it feels like a miracle. My strange experience leaves me with a thousand questions. Is mold sickening others with this illness? If indeed exposure to mold triggered my CFS, why did it make me so sick when many seem to tolerate it just fine? Do other environmental toxins contribute, or is mold the whole problem? Do only certain kinds of mold cause trouble, and if so, which ones? Could my experience offer a clue that would lead to a cure, or even better, prevention? And the many possible causes besides mold need to be investigated as well – viruses, autoimmune breakdowns, other toxins. Personally, my confidence in the true experts on the panel (including, now, Klimas) is sufficient that I expect – guess – hope – that the Institute of Medicine will develop a definition that’s moderately specific. But it almost certainly won’t put the definitional controversy to rest or give rank-and-file doctors a current, scientific understanding of the illness. Doing those things will at a minimum require a definition that’s grounded in data — data that’s still being gathered. And we need to do better than this. We shouldn’t be wasting so much money and energy on ill-conceived efforts. Patients should be treated with respect, both by their doctors and by the federal officers whose job is to guide the effort to research their illness. And our nation – for its own economic self-interest, if nothing else – should make an investment in researching this illness that is in proportion to the devastation it causes. Julie Rehmeyer is a math and science writer in Santa Fe, NM. She is a contributing editor for Discover Magazine and has written for Science News, Wired, Slate, Science, and other publications. She is working on a book about her experience with ME/CFS and the science and politics of confusing illnesses. She recently wrote about her father for Aeon. Please Discuss This Article: Rating the article... Posted by: BottsieMay 1, 2014 I found this to be one of the very best articles I have read in regards to simply and effectively stating the basic history and current climate of this disease. However, when I tried to rate it with 5 stars, I'm afraid that it registered as only one. Is there any way to fix that?? I've never rated an article before and thought I had to click on each star for it to show up. I would hate someone to disregard this due to a low rating on my part. It really is an excellent article and I am looking forward to reading the book. Reply cfs Posted by: katlea75May 2, 2014 My son and i both have the same issues.. but yet treated for two different diagnoses. I was just told i had insomnia but nothing ever really treated. Just given ambient, which never works. And cymbalta for fibromyalgia, depression anxiety. Still nothing works. My son on the other hand said he grew to much in a year and his fainting spells were due something called P.O.T.S. Syndrome. He sleeping issues as well. Was just insomnia depression, and anxiety. Was given seriquill and effexor. Still nothing on him. He was told to eat salty food and drink gatoraide. Due to his blood pressure dropping as well. Strange how we can all have same effects but none diagnosed same things. The Brain Boosting and Fatigue Fighting B-12

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Rare Cancer Patient and Advocate Creates Nonprofit, The Patients' Project, to Address Health Literacy Late stage cancer patient and advocate uses navigational and educational skills acquired during her own health journey as the basis for a health literacy program which includes an introduction to health and the Affordable Care Act on the Internet. The program will launch the same day the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, October 1, 2013. we expect a “health literacy tsunami” based on a 2008 National Assessment of Adult Literacy that 38% of adults living in the US (81 million people) are health illiterate. Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) May 22, 2013 After being diagnosed with metastatic carcinoid cancer, patient advocate Suzi Garber learned there was no cure for her cancer or any treatment available locally. This life-altering event afforded her the opportunity to develop powerful methodologies for learning, coping, and communicating in a health care environment. She is channeling these skills into a curriculum for the new nonprofit “The Patients’ Project” (TPP) to teach these skills to others, targeting populations with low health literacy such as immigrants, minorities, and the Low Education and English as a Second Language populations (LEP & ESL). The nonprofit’s heartbeat would be a community-based voice for health literacy. TPP’s services would be available initially as an outreach program in partnership with community-based organizations such as medical centers, clinics, senior living centers, churches, and activity centers. The program's launch is scheduled for October 1, 2013, when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect. The program will be a timely and important resource for those who are health illiterate and have little or no Internet skills since they will have to sign up and select their health insurance on a government Internet site. Garber has said she expects a “health literacy tsunami” based on a 2008 National Assessment of Adult Literacy which revealed that 38% of adults living in the US (81 million people) are health illiterate. The three-part learning platform is based on Garber’s journey as a chronically-ill cancer and cardiac patient. Instructional seminars, hands-on Internet instruction, and back-end health coaching support would provide the basic knowledge and skills to attain health literacy. The instructional seminars would engage clients by demonstrating real life solutions to such critical issues as how to communicate with providers, obtaining a doctor’s appointment, preparing for an office visit, understanding doctors’ instructions, organizing and archiving health documents, interpreting a food or prescription label, managing a medical crisis, etc. The next learning module would be for hands-on Internet skills addressing how to find reliable, authentic information, use of search engines, and an introduction to the “Obamacare” website. After completion of the program, clients would be prepared to make informed decisions for their family’s health and health insurance. Health coaches would be available to those who have completed the program but need additional or specialized support. Here are some sobering statistics. The National Center for Education Statistics reports these facts: 22% of the adult population (16 and over) in Philadelphia lack basic literacy skills. This is the highest rate in the state and accounts for 250,000 individuals. The national average is much lower at 14.5 %. It follows that this population would also be illiterate about health issues, disease prevention and medical compliance. Illiteracy is a major factor in the epidemic of an overweight population fraught with diabetes, drug use, high blood pressure and other public health issues. Therefore, teaching health literacy skills would reduce health costs through patients becoming educated, engaged, and empowered. It’s daunting that in 5 months, millions of those who will be newly insured will access the system and need assistance in navigating through very unfamiliar territory. Many will be severely handicapped by their lack of literacy. The cost of low health literacy in the U.S. is estimated between $106-$238 billion annually. Garber hopes that programs like TPP will result in better outcomes, fewer medical errors, healthier patients and a reduction in the overall cost of the nation's healthcare In the near future. The Patients’ Project will continue its patient advocacy efforts tandem to the Affordable Care Act launch. Currently, the Patients’ Project is seeking those qualified to be health coaches, those wishing to participate as seminar leaders, and strong, community-based partnerships. Or, if you are interested in hearing about healthcare from a patient advocate’s point of view, please contact Suzi @ info(at)phillycarcinoid.org. Suzi Garber The Patients' Project 267-288-5642 Descriptive pamphlet The Patients Project

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Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory A new brain-imaging study reveals differences in cocaine users' ability to monitor their behavior and emotions in comparison to healthy control subjects. Such impairments may underlie vulnerability to drugs and suggest new targets for treatment. During an emotionally salient task, fMRI scans of cocaine-addicted individuals (bottom) showed stronger deactivation in the anterior cingulate cortex compared with scans of healthy controls (top). This deactivation suggests that this region may have been trying to "tune out" emotional stimuli, such as craving. Credit: Image courtesy of DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory Parts of the brain involved in monitoring behaviors and emotions show different levels of activity in cocaine users relative to non-drug users, even when both groups perform equally well on a psychological test. These results — from a brain-imaging study conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and published online the week of May 25, 2009, by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — suggest that such impairments may underlie addictive vulnerability, and that treatments aimed at improving these functions could help addicted individuals resist drugs. "Many studies have found decreased brain activity in drug-addicted individuals relative to healthy control subjects during psychological tests," said lead author Rita Goldstein, a psychologist at Brookhaven Lab. "But it's never been clear if these differences were due to varying levels of interest or ability between the two groups. This is the first study to look at two groups matched for performance and interest — and we still see dramatic differences in the brain regions that play a very significant role in the ability to monitor behavior and regulate emotion, which are both important to resisting drug use. "Whether these brain differences are an underlying cause or a consequence of addiction, the brain regions involved should be considered targets for new kinds of treatments aimed at improving function and self-regulatory control," Goldstein said. The researchers studied 17 active cocaine users and 17 demographically matched healthy control subjects. Both groups were trained to push one of four colored buttons corresponding to the color of type used to present words that were either related to drug use (e.g., crack, addict) or neutral household terms. Subjects were given monetary rewards for fast, accurate performance — up to 50 cents for each correct answer on some tests, for a maximum of $75. After training, both groups performed equally well on this same test while lying in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, with performance improving when they knew they'd be earning the highest monetary reward. During the tests, the scientists used functional MRI (fMRI) to indirectly measure the amount of oxygen being used by specific regions of the brain, as an indicator of brain activity in those regions. There were three main differences between the cocaine-addicted subjects and the healthy controls: The cocaine users had reduced activity in a portion of the anterior cingulate cortex that usually becomes more active (compared to a passive baseline) when monitoring behavior. Activity levels were lowest during the least "interesting," or salient, version of the test — when there was no monetary reward and the words shown were neutral household terms. Within the cocaine-user group, activity levels were lowest in the people who had used cocaine most frequently in the 30 days prior to the test. The cocaine users also had reduced activity in another part of the anterior cingulate cortex that usually becomes less active (compared to a passive baseline) when someone is successfully suppressing emotional feelings. Within the cocaine-user group, activity levels during the high-salience version of the test — when each fast, correct answer was rewarded with 50 cents and the words presented were drug-related — were lowest in the people who were most successful in suppressing the task-induced craving. In healthy controls, who did not report craving, activation in this region was not significantly different from baseline. The functions within the behavior-monitoring and emotion-monitoring brain regions were interconnected in the healthy control subjects but not in the addicted individuals. In all, these group differences in brain function and interconnectivity were quite robust and all the more meaningful in that there were no differences between the groups in performance on or interest ratings for the task."When you really have to suppress a powerful negative emotion, like sadness, anxiety or drug craving, activity in this brain region is supposed to decrease, possibly to tune out the background 'noise' of these emotions so you can focus on the task at hand," Goldstein said. "Our results show that activity in this region indeed went down in the drug-using group, suggesting they were actively trying to suppress craving. Indeed subjects who reported the highest levels of task-induced craving were the least able to suppress activity in this particular brain region. "This could be because these drug users were still being distracted by background 'noise' stimuli, like memories of having taken drugs or anticipation of further use," Goldstein said. "This work gives us some clues as to what happens when drug users are unable to suppress craving — and how that might work together with a decreased ability to monitor behavior, even during neutral, non-emotional situations, to make some people more vulnerable to taking drugs," Goldstein said. The findings point to the importance of improving activity in the behavior-monitoring brain region, possibly by using behavioral and pharmacological approaches to increase motivation and top-down monitoring. Treatments aimed at strengthening activity in the emotion-monitoring brain region may further help addicted individuals regain self-control, especially during hard to suppress highly emotional situations (e.g., during craving). Treatments aimed at strengthening the interconnectivity between these brain regions may decrease impulsivity. This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the General Clinical Research Center of Stony Brook University. The above story is based on materials provided by DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory. "Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 May 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173438.htm>. DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory. (2009, May 26). Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 22, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173438.htm DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory. "Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173438.htm (accessed October 22, 2014). Mind & Brai

医学

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Top Heart Specialist Joins Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital's Cardiac Team Sentara News Home As part of a growing initiative to enhance heart health for the region, Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital is excited to announce the successful recruitment of Stephanie Goodwin, D.O., F.A.C.C. to its cardiac care team. Dr. Goodwin specializes in invasive/interventional cardiology consisting of heart catheterization, angioplasty, stent placement, and atherectomy procedures. "Dr. Goodwin’s proven expertise offers distinct advantages as we strengthen the region’s cardiac care programs," said Robert Graves, administrator of SWCH. "She shares our vision of raising heart health awareness and providing exemplary cardiac care for the greater Williamsburg community," he continued. A highly trained interventional cardiologist, Dr. Goodwin received her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York in 1989. She holds a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Albany College of Pharmacy. She completed an internship at Massapequa General Hospital in Seaford, New York in 1990. She completed a residency in internal medicine in 1993 and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease in 1996 at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Dr. Goodwin has a strong interest in women’s heart care, and served as director of the Women’s Healthy Heart Center at Guthrie Clinic in Pennsylvania. Most recently, she served as an associate in cardiology and director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, New York. Dr. Goodwin is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Cardiovascular Disease. She is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, American College of Physicians, and American Medical Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Sentara Williamsburg Community Hospital, which merged with Sentara in 2002, is a 139-bed hospital serving upper Peninsula residents and tourists with emergency, surgical, cardiac, and cancer services. The hospital specializes in medicine, surgery and obstetrics. It also features complete diagnostic and imaging services, cardiac care, a cancer treatment center, pediatrics and orthopedics. Other services include home health, emergency services, a hospital program and community health education. Sentara Healthcare, a premier not-for-profit health care provider in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, is comprised of more than 70 sites of care including 6 acute care hospitals, a hospital for extended recovery, 2 outpatient care campuses, 7 nursing centers, 3 assisted living centers, and 25 primary care practices. Sentara also offers a full range of award-winning health coverage plans, home health and hospice services, physical therapy and rehabilitation services, mobile diagnostic vans, and ground and air medical transport services, including Nightingale—the region’s only air ambulance service. Sentara also was the first in the nation to pioneer and develop eICU®, an electronic intensive care treatment system. Striving to improve the wellness of the community, Sentara continues to participate in national and international research trials as a means to increase the medical options available to patients well into the future. Sentara Healthcare has consistently ranked among the nation’s top integrated health care networks as published in Modern Healthcare magazine. Garnering the No. 1 position in the U.S. in 2001 and No. 2 in 2002 and 2003, Sentara is the only health care system on the East Coast to be ranked in the nation’s top 10 all seven years the survey has been conducted. Get Social with Sentara About Us

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