Selected by hardinlibrary

• 
  New England Journal of Medicine

• Oral Fingolimod or Intramuscular Interferon for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

  Cohen, J. A., Barkhof, F., Comi, G., Hartung, H.-P., Khatri, B. O., Montalban, X., Pelletier, J., Capra, R., Gallo, P., Izquierdo, G., Tiel-Wilck, K., de Vera, A., Jin, J., Stites, T., Wu, S., Aradhye, S., Kappos, L., the TRANSFORMS Study Group

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  In this 12-month trial involving patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, oral fingolimod was more effective than intramuscular interferon beta-1a in reducing relapse rates. Adverse events associated with fingolimod included herpesvirus infections (two fatal infections), atrioventricular block, macular edema, skin cancer, and liver-enzyme elevation. <P>

• A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral Fingolimod in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

  Kappos, L., Radue, E.-W., O'Connor, P., Polman, C., Hohlfeld, R., Calabresi, P., Selmaj, K., Agoropoulou, C., Leyk, M., Zhang-Auberson, L., Burtin, P., the FREEDOMS Study Group

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  In this 24-month, randomized trial involving patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, oral fingolimod reduced the rates of relapse and disability progression, as compared with placebo. Adverse events reported in patients treated with fingolimod included bradycardia, atrioventricular conduction block, macular edema, elevations in liver-enzyme levels, and mild hypertension. <P>

• CME: Under Pressure

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  (No abstract is available for this citation)

• CME: Jet Lag

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  (No abstract is available for this citation)

• CME: A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral Fingolimod in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  (No abstract is available for this citation)

• 
  JAMA current issue

• Proteinuria [JAMA Patient Page]

  Torpy, J. M., Lynm, C., Glass, R. M.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

• IMAGINATION AND IDEALISM IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES [JAMA 100 Years Ago]

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

• Evidence-Based Medicine Requires Appropriate Clinical Context [Editorial]

  McNutt, R. A., Livingston, E. H.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

• Procalcitonin-Based Guidelines and Lower Respiratory Tract Infections--Reply [Letters]

  Schuetz, P., Zimmerli, W., Mueller, B.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

• Safe Electronic Health Record Use Requires a Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Framework [Commentary]

  Sittig, D. F., Classen, D. C.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

• 
  Archives of Internal Medicine current issue

• The Need for More Accurate Terminology in Discussing End-of-Life Options [Editor's Correspondence]

  Tucker, K. L.

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

• Procedure Training--Is It Time for a Change? [Editor's Correspondence]

  Ault, M. J., Rosen, B. T.

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

• The Evidence Chasm [Editor's Correspondence]

  Ziegelstein, R. C., Rand, C. S.

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

• Ventricular Tachycardia After Ingestion of Ayurveda Herbal Antidiarrheal Medication Containing Aconitum [Clinical Observation]

  Dhesi, P., Ng, R., Shehata, M. M., Shah, P. K.

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  Ayurveda is an East Indian tradition involving the treatment of medical ailments through the use of herbal medications. A previously asymptomatic 62-year-old man with a history of hypertension and stable coronary artery disease developed paresthesias and fascicular and ventricular tachycardia after ingestion of an Ayurveda bowel regimen containing substrates from the Aconitum species, which is a known neurotoxin and cardiotoxin. Findings of electrophysiologic study and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were within normal limits, pointing to the ingestion of Aconitum as the most likely source…

• Impact of Hospital-Associated Hyponatremia on Selected Outcomes [Original Investigation]

  Wald, R., Jaber, B. L., Price, L. L., Upadhyay, A., Madias, N. E.

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  Background  Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder encountered in hospitalized patients. Methods  We evaluated whether hospital-associated hyponatremia has an independent effect on all-cause mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and patient disposition. This cohort study included all adult hospitalizations at an academic medical center occurring between 2000-2007 for which an admission serum sodium concentration ([Na]) was available (N = 53 236). We examined community-acquired hyponatremia (admission serum [Na], <138 mEq/L [to convert to…

• 
  Annals of Internal Medicine recent issues

• Gout

  Wilson, J. F.

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

  This issue provides a clinical overview of gout focusing on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, practice improvement, and patient information. Readers can complete the accompanying CME quiz for 1.5 credits. Only ACP members and individual subscribers can access the electronic features of In the Clinic. Non-subscribers who wish to access this issue of In the Clinic can elect "Pay for View." Subscribers can receive 1.5 category 1 CME credits by completing the CME quiz that accompanies this issue of In the Clinic. The content of In the Clinic is drawn from the clinical information and education…

• Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

• Extended Nicotine Treatment for Long-Term Smokers

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

• Correction: Probiotics for Ulcerative Colitis

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

• Correction: Screening for Breast Cancer

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

• 
  European Journal of Internal Medicine

• Editorial Board

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

• CONTENTS

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

• Serum albumin as an outcome predictor in hospital emergency medical admissions

  Owen Lyons, Bryan Whelan, Kathleen Bennett, Deirdre O'Riordan, Bernard Silke

  29 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Abstract: Background: To examine the relationship between admission serum albumin and 30-day mortality during an emergency medical admission.Methods: An analysis was performed of all emergency medical patients admitted to St. James's Hospital (SJH), Dublin between 1st January 2002 and 31st December 2008, using the hospital in-patient enquiry (HIPE) system, linked to the patient administration system, and laboratory datasets. Mortality was defined as an in-hospital death within 30days. Logistic regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence…

• Corrigendum to “Hepatitis B remains a major health priority in Western Balkans: Results of a 4-year prospective Greek–Albanian collaborative study” [European Journal of Internal Medicine (2009) 20:698–702]

  Konstantinos H. Katsanos, Dimitrios K. Christodoulou, Eleftheria Zervou, Adriana Babameto, Bledar Kraja, Heleni Hyphantis, Vasileios Karetsos, Gerasimos Tsonis, Jovan Basho, Bashkim F. Resuli, Epameinondas V. Tsianos

  29 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  The authors regret that the fifth author's name was incorrect in the original article. The corrected full list of authors appears above.

• Data integrity, reliability and fraud in medical research

  Mark Otto Baerlocher, Jeremy O'Brien, Marshall Newton, Tina Gautam, Jason Noble

  29 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Abstract: Background: Data reliability in original research requires collective trust from the academic community. Standards exist to ensure data integrity, but these safeguards are applied non-uniformly so errors or even fraud may still exist in the literature.Objective: To examine the prevalence and consequences of data errors, data reliability safeguards and fraudulent data among medical academics.Methodology: Corresponding authors of every fourth primary research paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2001–2003), Canadian Medical Association Journal…

• 
  MayoClinic.com

• Pregnancy and diabetes: Why lifestyle counts

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Pregnancy and diabetes — What you need to know to deliver a healthy baby.

• Rev up your workouts with interval training

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Interval training — Use this simple technique to get the most out of your workouts.

• Blepharitis may be uncomfortable and unsightly

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Blepharitis — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, treatment and self-care for this eyelid condition.

• E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  E. coli doesn't affect the way a food looks, smells or tastes.

• Cellulitis infection: Is it contagious?

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Cellulitis — a common, potentially serious bacterial skin infection — is not directly contagious.

• 
  The American Journal of Medicine

• Competency-based Advancement: Risky Business

  Donald R. Bordley, Lawrence G. Smith, Jeffrey G. Wiese

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Outcomes Project has successfully initiated a shift in focus on residency education from process measures to educational outcomes. The next phase of this transformation is the development of clear milestones to mark incremental steps toward competency. The development of these milestones for internal medicine is an important and challenging task that has been undertaken by a group of educators and residents facilitated by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Representatives from multiple key stakeholder groups are participating in…

• Tell Me Something New: Report Cards and the Referring Physician

  Andrew J. Epstein, J. Niels Rosenquist

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  “But even though quality cannot be defined, you know what quality is.”–Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Report cards are used in health care to evaluate hospitals and doctors across a variety of medical conditions and procedures. There are 2 main reasons for publishing report cards: to stimulate quality improvement efforts among medical practitioners and to steer patients toward high-quality providers. Ideally, patients benefit as provider quality improves, and better-performing providers are rewarded with recognition and increased volume. While the logic behind…

• Sarcoma of the Chest Wall: A Rare Tumor

  Matthew J. Czarny, Grant V. Chow, Daniel S. Rhee, Joel Fradin, Jessica Colburn, Mehran Habibi, Ilene Browner

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  A 44-year-old construction worker presented with pain and swelling of the right anterior chest, first noticed 8 months previously as a quarter-sized induration. The mass had gradually enlarged and become tender and was producing an exertion-related aching pain. On the day of arrival, the pain became excruciating and was associated with new numbness and tingling of the entire right arm. There also were several weeks of fatigue, night sweats, generalized muscle aches, dyspnea, and dizziness. Past medical and family history were unremarkable; social history was significant for 45 pack-years of…

• Aspirin for the Primary Prevention of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction: Ineffective or Wrong Dose?

  James E. Dalen

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  More than 40 million Americans take aspirin for the primary or secondary prevention of myocardial infarction and stroke, including approximately half of all those aged 65 years or more. The daily dose varies from 81 mg (1 baby aspirin) to 325 mg (1 adult aspirin). The efficacy of aspirin for the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction and stroke has been validated by multiple randomized clinical trials.

• Angiotensin-converting Enzyme-related Cough among Chinese-Americans

  Daniel S. Tseng, Jan Kwong, Firozeh Rezvani, Ashley O. Coates

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Abstract: Background: Few studies have examined the relationship between ethnicity and tolerance of hypertension medications. We investigated the perception that Chinese-Americans may have a higher incidence of chronic cough from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.Methods: We searched electronic databases to identify patients who had received a new lisinopril prescription. This cohort was separated into 295 patients of Chinese descent and 4263 patients in the general population group with an instrument that used surnames to identify Chinese ethnicity. For those who discontinued…

• 
  WebMD Health

• IBD Flare-ups May Increase Blood Clot Risk

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

  Non-hospitalized patients with a flare-up of inflammatory bowel disease are 16 times more likely to develop potentially life-threatening blood clots as people without the bowel disorder, new research reveals.

• Feeling Gray? Colors May Match Moods

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am

  Depressed people prefer dull colors like gray over brighter hues, British researchers find.

• Mediterranean Diet May Prevent Stroke-Related Brain Damage

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:39 pm

  Following a Mediterranean diet may help lower risk of brain damage related to silent strokes, new research shows.

• Gout Raises Women's Heart Attack Risk

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:04 pm

  Women with gout may face an even greater risk of heart attack as a result of their condition than men.

• Less TV, More Family Dinners Fight Childhood Obesity

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:47 pm

  Simple lifestyle habits at home, such as having more family meals, could reduce obesity in preschoolers, new research suggests.

• 
  Smartbrief: The American College of Gastroenterology

• Patient Perspective

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Gluten-Free Girl discusses eating on a budget and gets feedback from others, including the following tip: "Buy in bulk, buy l -More- 

• Health reform moves to state level as federal plan stalls

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have introduced separate bills on expanding health care coverage in their jurisdict -More- 

• Tips to control IBS symptoms with diet, lifestyle changes

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional GI disorder with no cure, so patients must learn to manage their pain and other symp -More- Whole Grain Foods for Every Meal of the Day Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Inc. is proud to offer a diverse selection of delicious organic and gluten-free cereals, specialty flours and whole grain products for every meal of the day. Our wholesome products are stone ground to ensure the highest quality, creating nutritious whole grain foods that benefit digestive health. Order here.

• Few cases of cancer missed by upper GI endoscopy

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Esophagogastroduodenoscopy or upper GI endoscopy misses few cases of cancer in Western populations, Australian researchers re -More- "Stress Management: Approaches for preventing and reducing stress" — Learn techniques to reduce the stress in your life with this special report from the experts at Harvard Medical School. 30% off the cover price and free shipping for SmartBrief readers. Click here to order in hard copy or electronic download.

• Vaccines and healthy habits are focus of cancer prevention report

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  About 40% of cancer cases could be prevented worldwide if people were vaccinated against infections and adopted healthier lif -More- 

• 
  New York Times: Health

• On Health Bill, G.O.P.’s Road Is a New Map

  By ROBERT PEAR and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

  Republicans this month will bring President Obama a set of ideas and a more modest health care plan.

• Personal Health: Less Invasive Hip Surgeries Make Inroads

  By JANE E. BRODY

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Orthopedic surgeons across the country are using techniques for hip replacement that reduce complications and speed recovery in patients.

• Update: Recovery Matches a Marathon Operation

  By DENISE GRADY

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:49 pm

  After a surgeon removed a huge cancerous tumor from his abdomen, Robert Collison, 59, spent eight weeks in the hospital with infections and other complications.

• Vital Signs: Hazards: A Warning on Mixing Herbs and Medicine

  By RONI CARYN RABIN

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm

  A study found that products including St. John’s wort, ginger and garlic could be dangerous for people taking common medicines.

• Vital Signs: Risks: Study Looks at Serotonin and SIDS Deaths

  By RONI CARYN RABIN

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm

  Researchers are a step closer to understanding why babies who appear to be perfectly healthy may die suddenly.

• 
  CNN: Health

• Study: 'Electronic cigarettes' don't deliver

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:55 pm

  "Electronic cigarettes" that vaporize nicotine juice to inhale instead of smoke from burning tobacco do not deliver as promised, according to research at Virginia Commonwealth University.

• Jackson doc charged with manslaughter

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:39 pm

  Michael Jackson's doctor was charged Monday with involuntary manslaghter in connection with the pop star's June 25 death at age 50.

• Health care meeting to be televised Feb. 25

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:33 pm

  President Obama's bipartisan meeting on health care reform planned for February 25 will be broadcast live, a senior administration official said Monday.

• How to fight childhood obesity in 3 steps

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pm

  Worried about your child's weight? You can do more than just nag him or her about eating too much junk food. Implementing three healthy family habits--eating dinner together, making sure they get enough sleep, and limiting TV--may help.

• Michelle Obama's war on childhood obesity

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

  The convenience store near my house is where I first became aware of the problem.

• 
  Washington Post

• Featured Advertiser

  10 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

• Gym workouts for skiiers before hitting the slopes

  Vicky Hallett

  10 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  I'm not one of those people who doesn't go skiing in the Washington region because the slopes are too puny and the conditions are too icy. Nope, I'm one of those people who doesn't ski around here because sharp poles, slippery surfaces and gravity never seemed like a friendly combination.

• Autism and diet: Many questions to digest

  Post

  10 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Last week, the British medical journal the Lancet, which had originally published a controversial 1998 study by British researcher Andrew Wakefield that implied a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, formally retracted that study . In the wake of this, one of the...

• 'Village' groups help seniors remain in their homes as they grow older

  Howard Gleckman

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Nearly three years ago, Harry Rosenberg and his wife, Barbara Filner, met with nine of their neighbors about starting an aging-in-place "village" in the Burning Tree community of Bethesda. The idea: If neighbors could help one another with basic services such as transportation and simple home...

• Earthquake-response doctors in Haiti can't save everyone seeking emergency care

  Tom Kirsch

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  We have three tents for our "triage emergency department." Two tents stand out: the "Jiffy Pop" (look that up, those of you born in the microwave era) and the Blue Tent.

• 
  Fox News

• Indian Man's Internal Organs Backwards

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:53 am

  An Indian man has been told by doctors that all of his internal organs are positioned back-to-front. He is thought to be the only person living with a case of “situs inversus”, the Daily Telegraph reported.

• Some People Swallowing Parasitic Worms to Lose Weight

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  How far would you go to lose weight quickly without eating less? Some people in Hong Kong are going to such extremes that they’re risking their lives by swallowing parasitic worms, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported.

• Leeches Pump Fresh Blood Into Economy

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  A resurgence in the use of leeches is pumping fresh blood into Russia's economy with health experts, western governments and movie stars endorsing their benefits.

• Double Hand Transplant Patient Leaves Hospital

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:48 am

  The nation's first double hand transplant recipient has left a Pittsburgh hospital after medicine cleared up a rash that signaled he might be rejecting his new hands.

• Study Reveals Why It's So Scary to Lose Money

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:31 am

  People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why — the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble.

• 
  medLine Plus

• Valentine's Day

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:36 am

  Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Child Mental Health, Parenting

• FDA Updates Statement on the Investigation into the Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:38 pm

  Source: Food and Drug Administration Related MedlinePlus Topic: Salmonella Infections

• Paxil Blocks Tamoxifen, Lowers Survival Odds Against Breast Cancer

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Patients should avoid taking the two drugs together, researchers say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Antidepressants, Breast Cancer, Cancer Chemotherapy

• Even Third-Hand Smoke Carries Carcinogens

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm

  Old tobacco smoke does more than simply make a room smell stale -- it can leave cancer-causing toxins behind, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Indoor Air Pollution, Secondhand Smoke, Smoking

• Alzheimer's Drug Dimebon Helps Huntington's

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm

  Dimebon, a pill being developed for Alzheimer's disease, helped people with Huntington's disease improve their thinking, learning and memory skills, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's Disease

• 
  WHO news

• WHO hails new Gates Foundation support for decade of vaccines

  29 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am

  29 January 2010 -- WHO welcomes the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge of US$ 10 billion over the next ten years to accelerate global vaccine efforts.

• Statement of the World Health Organization on allegations of conflict of interest and 'fake' pandemic

  22 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am

  22 January 2010 -- Providing independent advice to Member States is a very important function of the World Health Organization (WHO). We take this work seriously and guard against the influence of any improper interests. The WHO influenza pandemic policies and response have not been improperly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

• WHO Executive Board appoints Regional Directors

  18 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  19 January 2010 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board, currently holding its 126th session in Geneva, has appointed Mrs. Zsuzsanna Jakab as the new WHO Regional Director for Europe and re-appointed Dr Luis Gomes Sambo as the WHO Regional Director for Africa.

• WHO spearheads health response to earthquake in Haiti

  12 Jan 2010 | 4:01 pm

  13 January 2010 -- The severe earthquake that has struck Haiti and the Dominican Republic has inflicted large-scale damage, including on hospitals and health facilities, and large numbers of casualties are feared. Immediate health priorities include search and rescue of survivors, treatment of injuries and preventing the infection of wounds.

• Afghanistan first in world to use new vaccine against polio

  14 Dec 2009 | 4:01 pm

  15 December -- Using a new vaccine for the first time, a sub-national polio immunization campaign will take place from 15-17 December in Afghanistan. About 2.8 million children under five in the Southern, South-Eastern and Eastern Regions of Afghanistan will receive the vaccine.

• 
  Medpagetoday

• AAPM: Online Program Helps Manage Pain (CME/CE)

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:16 am

  SAN ANTONIO (MedPage Today) -- A personalized, online self-management program helped patients with pain syndromes improve coping skills and reduce stress and depression, according to results of two studies reported here.

• Limited Benefit Seen in CML Drug, FDA Says

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:58 am

  WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who are resistant to imatinib (Gleevec) had a low response rate to treatment with omacetaxine (Omapro), according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewers.

• Black Mothers at Increased Risk for Cardiomyopathy (CME/CE)

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  African-American women have an increased risk of peripartum cardiomyopathy, researchers have found.

• Murtha Dead at 77

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am

  Representative John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), 77, long-time chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, died yesterday afternoon from complications following a planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy, according to a statement from the congressman's office.

• Calcium Scoring Misses 20% of CAD Cases (CME/CE)

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:51 am

  Contrary to guidelines, the absence of coronary artery calcium doesn't rule out coronary artery disease in symptomatic patients, researchers found in a new study.

• 
  Reuters Health eLine

• For obese, vaccine needle size matters

  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Our ever-expanding waistlines may have outgrown the doctor's needle, researchers say, in what could be another casualty of the obesity epidemic.

• Study shows how Medicare rewards MDs for overuse

  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medicare's move in 2005 to pay doctors to do bladder cancer surgery in their offices rather than in hospitals dramatically raised the number of procedures and overall health costs, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

• Being religious may not make you healthier after all

  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- A number of studies over the past two decades have shown that religious people tend to be healthier. But a new study suggests that when it comes to heart disease and clogged arteries, attending religious services or having spiritual experiences may not protect against heart attacks and strokes.

• Few high-risk women in U.S. take breast cancer drug

  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Only a small number of U.S. women at high risk of breast cancer have chosen to use the drug tamoxifen to lower that risk, according to a study published Monday.

• Early language problems may hinder adult literacy

  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children with a limited vocabulary at the age of 5 may be at increased risk of poor literacy as adults, a study published Monday suggests.

• 
  Yahoo! News: Health News

• Mood drug inhibits breast cancer medication: study (AFP)

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:28 pm

  AFP - A common antidepressant weakens or cancels the beneficial effects of a standard treatment for breast cancer, according to a study released Tuesday.

• Cleaning Agent Tied to Parkinson's in Study (HealthDay)

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:04 pm

  HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The industrial cleaner trichloroethylene (TCE) has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, U.S. researchers say.

• Older Moms More Apt to Have Autistic Child (HealthDay)

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:03 pm

  HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Older moms are more likely to have a child with autism than women who give birth at a younger age, new research shows.

• Paxil Blocks Tamoxifen, Lowers Survival Odds Against Breast Cancer (HealthDay)

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:03 pm

  HealthDay - MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer who take both tamoxifen and the antidepressant Paxil may increase their risk of dying because Paxil reduces tamoxifen's effectiveness, Canadian researchers report.

• Autism risks detailed in children of older mothers (AP)

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

  AP - A woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found.

• 
  Clinical Cases and Images - Blog

• Health News of the Day

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:01 am

  Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in bullet-point format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day: Spending on health care in US is 17.3% of GDP, up from 16.2% in 2008 - largest percentage increase in 5 decades http://goo.gl/IZE4 People who drank 2 or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk of pancreatic cancer http://goo.gl/DcXd Thirdhand Smoke (tobacco smoke residue) Creates Indoor Cancer Risk. Nicotine reacts with indoor air pollutant to form carcinogenic…

• Cleveland Clinic Adoption of Web 2.0 - Slideshow by John Sharp

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:05 am

  Hospital Adoption Of Medicine 2.0 View more presentations from John Sharp."While social media strategy continue to evolve, new opportunities present themselves. Particularly significant shifts are toward participatory medicine and e-patients." References: Interview on Social Media by John Sharp. Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, or follow me on Twitter.

• Faces of America - PBS Series

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:52 am

  Faces of America premieres nationally Wednesdays, February 10 - March 3, 2010 on PBS: "What made America? What makes us? These two questions are at the heart of the new PBS series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. who turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans." Posted at Clinical Cases and Images. Stay updated and subscribe, or follow me on Twitter.

• Health News of the Day

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:11 am

  Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in bullet-point format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day: 40% of cancers could be prevented http://goo.gl/bPOi Breast reduction for men is the fastest growing part of the cosmetic surgery industry - BBC http://goo.gl/sxOb Why did the Lancet take so long to retract the infamous MMR paper? BMJ http://bit.ly/cXThYc Tooth Fairy Is Paying More - the average went from $1.88 to $2.13 per tooth nationwide http://goo.gl/YD3N Packaged salads…

• Atul Gawande: "Doctors are human. We miss stuff" - Checklists can help

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:10 am

  Atul Gawande on NPR: Doctors are human, and that their profession is like any other. "We miss stuff. We are inconsistent and unreliable because of the complexity of care," Gawande says. "I got a chance to visit Boeing and see how they make things work, and over and over again they fall back on checklists. The pilot's checklist is a crucial component, not just for how you handle takeoff and landing in normal circumstances, but even how you handle a crisis emergency when you only have a couple of minutes to make a critical decision." References: Atul Gawande's 'Checklist' For Surgery Success.

• 
  KevinMD.com - Medical Weblog

• How fame has corrupted Dr. Mehmet Oz

  Kevin

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  by Toni Brayer, MD The newest media doc on the block is Dr. Mehmet Oz. When he was first seen on Oprah, he seemed engaging and answered some interesting questions in a real and professional way. The audience loved his blue scrubs and boyish clean cut open style. That was then. Let’s face it . . . the media spotlight seems to corrupt even the best physicians. Dr. Oz now has his own show and website and production company. That is a pretty big infrastructure to maintain and we know that the public is fickle. So what does he do? His “Real-Age” website got 27 million people to sign up and…

• Increasing copays will increase costs for health insurance companies in the long run

  Kevin

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Originally published in MedPage Today by Todd Neale, MedPage Today Staff Writer Raising seniors’ copayments for ambulatory care to offset increasing healthcare costs may backfire on insurers, researchers asserted. Seniors enrolled in Medicare plans that increased copayments had significantly fewer outpatient visits but spent more time in the hospital than patients in plans that left copayments untouched, according to Amal Trivedi, MD, MPH, of Brown University in Providence, R.I., and colleagues. Assuming an average reimbursement of $60 for an outpatient visit, seven annual visits per…

• Do part time doctors worsen the primary care shortage?

  Kevin

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  More graduating doctors are making family and personal life a priority, and opting for part-time work. But when primary care doctors are needed more than ever, is that contributing to the shortage? That’s a question that Dr. Gwenn asks over at Better Health. In pediatrics specifically, more “are now opting for part time work right out of the gate, just after training or during, in their 30s. And, that more men are going part time as well as subspecialists along with the women and generalists that have been steady part timers for a while. All tolled, as of 2006, 23% of the…

• The power of a doctor’s choice of words in explaining CPR

  Kevin

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  by Alex Smith, MD Words have power. Language has power. The words we use may comfort or shock, allay or provoke, sooth or batter. Words often imply layers of meaning that are not explicitly articulated, yet rest beneath the surface: “I worry that time is short for you” (You are dying) (I care about you) “I wish we could have done more” (Nothing would have changed her death) (I am on your side) “I hope with you that you’ll get better, but I think we should prepare in case things don’t go as we hope” (You are not getting better) (I support your hope) I can think of no situation…

• How your health can depend on where you live

  Kevin

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  Bill Davenhill asks, “Can your health depend on where you live?” From TEDMED 2009. Posted at KevinMD.com. Stay updated and subscribe, follow me on Twitter, or connect on Facebook. Related posts:KevinMD Live Q&A on health care reform, today at 11:30am Eastern A vasectomy, live on Twitter KevinMD Live Q&A today at 2:00pm Eastern

• 
  NHS Blog Doctor

• Gordon Brown to refuse elderly patients access to hospital

  Dr John Crippen

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:43 pm

  Just a minute, that's a misleading headline. That's not what our beloved Prime Minister said. THIS is what he said:People aged over 65 could be given up to six weeks' support to enable them to remain in their own homes after a stay in hospital or residential care, or a fall or an illness, Gordon Brown said today. The prime minister said the plan forms part of the government's ambition to build a National Care Service, but details of how it might be funded would have to await a forthcoming white paper. It could benefit tens of thousands of people who end up in care when, with the proper…

• Mercy killing - should the law be changed?

  Dr John Crippen

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:20 am

  Juries have always been reluctant to convict motorists of the offence of manslaughter. They will however convict for the offence of “causing death by dangerous driving”. Different, but more acceptable, words to describe the same offence. Causing death by dangerous driving is still manslaughter. The law on murder is clear but, when it comes to so-called mercy killings, juries are similarly reluctant to convict. Something needs to be done…The Guardian, Tuesday 2 February 2010A reply to some of the comments.Oh! Gawd, here we go again. Maybe I wasn't too clear in the Guardian  (I am a…

• The Apple iPad ...why?

  Dr John Crippen

  27 Jan 2010 | 5:28 pm

  I love gadgets. Always have done. Eighteen months ago, perhaps under the eerie influence of the DK, I banished Bill Gates and Windows from my life, and bought an iMac. It hasn't crashed once since I bought it. Not once. Rapture. Then I have an iPhone. Modified rapture. The gadget is good, but the expense is ludicrous. Now we have the iPad. Well, Stephen Fry does. I don't as yet. And I probably won't. I don't see it. It looks like a hyptertrophied anorexic iPhone. Ok, sure, I want want want one. But what will I do with it once the novelty has worn off?  Someone please tell me. And I'm…

• How do medical students choose a speciality?

  Dr John Crippen

  27 Jan 2010 | 12:10 pm

  Dr & Mrs Crippen dine outIt is interesting the way that a subsidiary point in an article often becomes the main talking point. I was discussing the care of patients with dementia, but the comments have largely centred on what motivates medical students in their choice of speciality. Can it really be money? When I was at medical school, albeit in the time of Galen, there was no talk of money. There was, I suppose, an unspoken assumption that as a doctor one would never starve but that was about it. Guy's Hospital Medical School is just a few hundred yards from the City, the Mammon…

• Commissar Ed Balls

  Dr John Crippen

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:21 am

  The increasingly impressive Gillian Low, a leading headmistress, and the current president of the Girls’ Schools Association is rightly critical of the endless top-down micro-management imposed upon the teaching profession by education commissar Ed Balls. Balls is often described as being Stalinist. I disagree. He is more Mao than Stalin. His collected utterances could be gathered together in a not so little Little Red Book. Take a look at the 16 diktats ("bright ideas") that have been handed down by Commissar Balls since September 2009.Gillian Low, the president of the Girls’ Schools…

• 
  Running a hospital

• Doctor's orders

  Paul Levy

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:02 am

  Sad ironies occur every now and then. Why do they feel ineluctable in health care settings?Michael Howell is one of the BIDMC physicians who has been greatly involved in the enhancement of patient care in our ICUs. I sent him an email asking if he would review an article that IHI's Maureen Bisognano and I had written about this process. He received the note while accompanying his terminally ill grandfather to another hospital.Here is his reply:I am happy to review the article in the next day two. It is ironically appropriate: I am sitting in an ICU waiting room right now, excluded from…

• How to get enough votes in the Senate

  Paul Levy

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  When Hillary Clinton was running for President, she set forth a more modest agenda for health care reform than her competitor, Barack Obama. Maybe she understood better, based on her experience, how difficult it is to get a comprehensive bill through Congress in this field.What is possible now that the President has lost the 60-vote majority in the Senate? I think the thing to remember is that he was having trouble even holding together the 60 votes he used to have. He had to agree to an assortment of give-aways -- to Nebraska, to Louisiana, to the labor unions -- to get the votes he needed.

• The end of Moby Dick

  Paul Levy

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:20 pm

  It was somehow appropriate to find this distressed edition of Moby Dick on Horseneck Beach, just down the road from New Bedford. Are those remains of the great whale in the post below?

• Bones on the beach

  Paul Levy

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:16 pm

  On a cold and windy day at Horseneck Beach in southeastern Massachusetts, bleached out remnants of sea creatures provoke thoughts of what they might have been.

• A scene from Ballinvalley

  Paul Levy

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:34 am

  In a post below, I mentioned Thomas Rice's new book, Far from the Land. I want to present you with an excerpt and hope you agree how compelling it is. This takes place when he is a small boy living on a farm with his sisters and mother, abandoned by his father.Tinkers were Ireland's "untouchables" in the forties, marginalized and despised, especially in the farming community. . . .The first time I saw Bridget Cash at the gate, I nearly died of fright. She was more than six feet tall with long, jet-black curls that sprung out from under her black shawl like live, corkscrew creatures. She had…

• 
  USA TODAY: Health

• Debate over blood samples from babies

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:26 am

  A critical safety net for babies -- that heelprick of blood taken from every newborn in the U.S. -- is facing an ethics attack.

• FDA aims to rein in radiation-based medical scans

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am

  The Food and Drug Administration is working with doctors and medical manufacturers to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure ...

• Michelle Obama aims to end child obesity in a generation

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:09 pm

  Today the first lady launches Let's Move, a campaign to help parents deal with the national health crisis of childhood obesity.

• Interview excerpts: First lady talks kids' exercise, eating

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:45 pm

  The first lady talks about a wide range of childhood-obesity-related topics with USA TODAY ahead of the launch of her Let's Move ...

• AstraZeneca gets OK for expanded Crestor use

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:07 pm

  Federal regulators have granted AstraZeneca approval to market its cholesterol pill Crestor as a preventive measure against heart ...

• 
  Wall St Journal: Health Blog

• Hey, Docs: When Do You Fire a Patient?

  Jacob Goldstein

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:48 am

  Doctors have a fair bit of freedom in deciding whether to take on a new patient. But once they do, ethics and state licensing rules limit the circumstances when they can drop the patient from their practice, the WSJ’s Melinda Beck explains in her column today. “You cannot abandon!” a former AMA official wrote to Beck, explaining that a doctor needs to give a patient a chance to find another doctor before discontinuing treatment. In general, docs can fire patients who consistently miss appointments or refuse to pay their bills. Chronically abusing the doctor or disrupting the…

• Cholesterol Drug Approved for People Without High Cholesterol

  Jacob Goldstein

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:47 am

  Statins’ global conquest continues. The class of cholesterol drugs already includes Pfizer’s megablockbuster Lipitor as well as simvastatin, the hugely popular generic that Merck sold under the brand name Zocor. Now, AstraZeneca’s statin Crestor has crossed a new threshold: It’s the cholesterol drug for people who don’t have high cholesterol. The FDA just expanded the drug’s approval to include reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who meet all of the following criteria: Older than 50 for men, older than 60 for women Elevated…

• Study: Health Costs Higher Where Hospital Competition Is Lower

  Anna Wilde Mathews

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:17 pm

  Spending by private insurers tends to be higher when the hospital market is less competitive, a new study finds. The study, published in the American Journal of Managed Care, compared geographic patterns of Medicare spending, using the Dartmouth Atlas data, with spending by big employers that cover their workers. The upshot was that the two didn’t correlate. The reason didn’t seem to be that insurers (in this case, acting on behalf of big employers) are better than Medicare at saying no to paying for unneeded care since utilization pattenrs were somewhat parallel. Instead, the researchers…

• Eli Lilly CEO’s 2009 Compensation Totaled $16.4 Million

  Jacob Goldstein

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

  Proxy season! Time, once again, to learn how much the captains of industry are pulling down. First up for the Health Blog this year is Eli Lilly, which just filed its preliminary proxy. John Lechleiter, the company’s CEO, had a package totaling $16.4 million, according to an analysis by Dow Jones Newswires. That includes $1.48 million in salary, $3.55 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, $11.25 million in certain equity awards and $90,091 from a savings-plan match and tax reimbursements. Lechleiter has requested that he not receive an increase in salary or bonus for 2010,…

• Tough Questions Await Cell Therapeutics’ Cancer Drug

  James A. White

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am

  Cell Therapeutics’ experimental lymphoma drug pixantrone faces rough sledding from an FDA advisory committee after an agency staff review raised questions about the drug’s effectiveness and side effects. The news sent the company’s shares sharply lower. One of the chief studies of the drug was supposed to involve 320 patients but only 140 were enrolled. Cell Therapeutics told the FDA it had trouble finding participants for the study because doctors preferred to use multiple chemotherapy drugs or supportive care, Reuters said, citing the FDA staff summary. Here’s the…

• 
  CBS News: Health

• Study: Soda Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  People Who Drink as Few as Two Soft Drinks a Week Face Nearly Twice the Risk of Developing Deadly Cancer, Study Finds

• Study: Paxil Blocks Cancer Drug's Effects

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Canadian Researchers Say Popular Drug Interferes With Breast Cancer Treatment

• Video: Protecting Girls Against Violence

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:14 am

  The CDC estimates that more than 30 percent of girls experience domestic violence. Maggie Rodriguez discussed the issue with author Eve Ensler.

• Video: Older Women and Autism

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am

  Dr. Jennifer Ashton discussed a new study that showed older women are more likely to have autistic children.

• Video: The Risk of Amateur Football

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:23 am

  Football players are often the victims of sports-related head injuries but pro-athletes aren't the only ones at risk. The CDC estimates that about 300,000 student athletes suffer concussions each year. Dr. Jennifer Ashton reports.

• 
  ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

• Poor hand-grip strength associated with poor survival

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Poor or declining hand-grip strength in the oldest old is associated with poor survival and may be used as a tool to assess mortality, found a new article. The fastest growing segment of the elderly population is the group older than 85 years, classified as the oldest old.

• Detecting cancer early

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  A new testing method is being developed to detect cancer soon after the tumor has formed. It will identify characteristic substances in the blood which accompany a certain type of tumor. The first steps in the development have already been completed.

• Marijuana ineffective as an Alzheimer's treatment

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease have been challenged in a new study.

• Music, not gadgets, related to teenagers' headaches

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Use of most electronic media is not associated with headaches, at least not in adolescents. A study of 1,025 13- to 17-year-olds found no association between the use of computer games, mobile phones or television and the occurrence of headaches or migraines. However, listening to one or two hours of music every day was associated with a pounding head.

• Mediterranean diet may lower risk of brain damage that causes thinking problems

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to a new study.

• 
  BBC News: Health

• First Lady tackles child obesity

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am

  First Lady Michelle Obama launches a nationwide campaign to tackle child obesity, which she says threatens America's future.

• India defers first GM food crop

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:48 am

  India defers the cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified vegetable crop because of safety concerns.

• Backless hospital gown redesigned

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

  Backless hospital gowns get a Hollywood-style makeover to preserve patients' dignity.

• Gold, myrrh and...

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:59 am

  Could frankincense be used to treat cancer?

• 'Third-hand smoke' risk warning

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:04 pm

  Lingering residue from tobacco smoke that clings to upholstery, clothing and the skin releases cancer-causing agents, warn experts.

• 
  Forbes: Health

• Ten Questions About High Cholesterol

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pm

  The biggest heart risk factor still mystifies top scientists. Here's what you need to know.

• Ten Misleading Drug Ads

  2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  The FDA is finally cracking down on drug companies for ads that underplay serious risks.

• The Least Deadly Hospitals

  26 Jan 2010 | 9:30 am

  Some regional hospitals do a better job preventing fatal complications than famous academic medical centers.

• America's Least Deadly Hospitals

  25 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Some regional hospitals do a better job preventing fatal complications than famous academic medical centers.

• Industrial Chemicals Lurking In Your Bloodstream

  21 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

  Everyone has heard about BPA. How many other potentially nasty chemicals may be in your body?

• 
  Medical News Today: Public Health

• Analysts: If Health Reform Fails, Expect More Industry Mergers

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  News outlets report on how the fate of the health care overhaul might affect health industry mergers and biotech firms...

• States Deal With Small Budgets, Medicaid Cuts

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Virginian-Pilot: Area hospitals are preparing "for a round of Medicaid spending cuts that executives say could be the worst in decades and lead to more cutbacks in their organizations. Rising health care costs and a surge in the number of Medicaid patients have increased the state's obligation to the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled by $777...

• Statement On HSE National Service Plan, 2010, Ireland

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  The Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney, T.D. announced her approval of the HSE National Service Plan 2010. The Plan outlines how the HSE plans to deliver health and personal social services within its 2010 current budget of 14.069bn euros. It projects service activity levels for 2010 which are broadly in line with 2009 levels...

• New Zealand Medical Association Welcomes Election Of New Medical Council Chair

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  The election of Dr John Adams, the Dean of the Dunedin School of Medicine, as Chair of the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) has been welcomed by the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA). "Dr Adams has extensive experience in practice, academia and advocacy...

• Tax On Sugared Drinks Loses Appeal, Tanning Salons Still Fighting

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Los Angeles Times: "Only months ago, supporters of the soda tax saw it as an idea whose hour was near. The sheer magnitude of the medical cost of obesity added urgency to the issue ... But opponents questioned any link between sugary drinks and obesity, and expressed concern about a slippery slope of taxes on other products...

• 
  MSNBC: More Health

• Religious folks may not be healthier, after all

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:19 pm

  Attending religious services or having spiritual experiences may not protect against heart attacks and strokes, a new study suggests.

• Even if you're careful, drugs can end up in water

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:18 am

  The federal government advises throwing most unused or expired medications into the trash instead of down the drain, but they can end up in the water anyway, a study from Maine suggests.

• FDA warns of brain risks with Tysabri use

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  Federal health officials warned doctors Friday that the risk of a deadly brain inflammation linked to the multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri increases with use of the drug.

• No ‘weekend effect’ seen in trauma cases

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:53 pm

  People who suffer a traumatic injury during the weekend or at night will fare just as well as people injured during the day or on a weekday, as long as they make it to a Level 1 trauma center for treatment, new findings show.

• Cadmium found in adult jewelry, too

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:16 pm

  Concern about the heavy metal cadmium in jewelry grew Tuesday as a California environmental group said new testing of adult jewelry bought at three leading retailers.

• 
  Reuters: Health News

• Shoulder injury rate higher in baseball than softball

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am

  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - High school baseball players are somewhat more likely to suffer a shoulder injury than their female counterparts in softball -- with pitchers being at particular risk, a new study shows.

• Study shows why it is so scary to lose money

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:50 am

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why -- the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble.

• U.S. seek new safeguards for medical imaging devices

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:32 am

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Tuesday said they want manufacturers of CT, nuclear and other medical imaging machines to incorporate new safeguards to help reduce patients' exposure to unnecessary radiation.

• Luxury Mexican drug rehab clinic lures U.S. addicts

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:27 am

  MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican entrepreneur is luring U.S. drug addicts to plush rehabilitation centers south of the border, even as shoddier Mexican clinics earn a reputation for attracting cartel shootouts.

• Obamas take on problem of obese children

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:20 am

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alarmed that nearly a third of U.S. children are obese or overweight -- and likely to stay that way all their lives -- President Barack Obama launched an initiative on Tuesday to roll back the numbers and put his wife in charge of promoting it.

• 
  Iowa Avenue

• 10 healthy cooking tips for great flavor with less salt

  Ayala laufer-Cahana MD

  I devoted last week’s post to salt, and to the fact that we consume, to our detriment, two-to-three times our recommended daily upper limit of salt. The bulk of this excess intake comes unnoticed and hidden in processed and restaurant (especially fast-food restaurant) foods. The best way to deal with our salt overload is to minimize highly processed foods in our diet. (To be honest, if salt were the only issue with these highly processed foods I wouldn’t get so excited. Not everyone becomes hypertensive, and not every hypertensive person is sensitive to salt, but it so happens that salt…

• Chia Seeds: An Ancient American Super Food

  Susana

  Though we’ve all heard of chia pets, it’s less known that the tiny black seed responsible for the chia “fur” is a bona fide nourishing food crop, once cultivated by The Aztecs, and even used as a currency. Chia (Salvia columbariae, S. hispanica) is a member of the Lamiaceae (Mint) Family. Salvia, the genus name, derives from the Latin salvere, meaning, “to save.” Another well known member of the Salvia genus is sage (Salvia officinalis). The common name, chia, derives from the Mayan chiabaan, meaning, “strengthening.” The native peoples of the American Southwest for endurance…

• Looking For Some Terrific Recipes?

  Kristi Rimkus

  If you eat light, then I bet you cook a lot at home. I guess it's obvious that I do, since I author a light cooking blog. Of course this means I'm always on the hunt for something new to make. That's why I love my fellow bloggers. These blogs offer some really terrific recipes, and I always find inspiration as I read through their stories, and get a glimpse into their lives. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Gina's WW RecipesFight the Fat FoodieSimply Sugar and Gluten FreeCheap, Healthy, GoodFamily Fresh CookingHealthy HostessHappy cooking!Kristi Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right

• The Inside Scoop on Agave Nectar

  Susana

  By Andrew Behrendt, Natural Solutions magazine Forty miles northwest of Guadalajara, in the arid highlands of western Mexico, lies the town of Tequila. In the hills surrounding the town, the subdued blue of the Agave tequilana plant colors the countryside. The region’s farmers grow and harvest acre upon acre of the plant. They discard the plant’s succulent, spiky leaves, despite their beauty, and focus instead on the pineapple-like heart of the plant, which has created a lot of buzz recently, not only for its best-known derivative, tequila, but also for its sweet, health-promoting nectar.

• i wanna lose 10 lbs

  craze2008

  just a little note to remind myself why i need to lose that 10 lbs. I've notice that my hips are getting bigger and rounder and that really scares me becuase I a petite person who needs to maintain a healthy weight. I really wanna lose 10 lbs but I can't seem to get in a certain routine where i can go and workout. i'm a broke college student with a full schedule. although it may seem unhealthy but i've been on this rush for 2 weeks since school started, i've barely have time for breakfeasts. all i get in the morning is a cup of coffee and i don't get a break till 11 oclock, by that time my…

• 
  AP Top Health News At 11:42 a.m. EDT

• Electronic Arts shares dive on weak outlook

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:22 pm

  A disappointing outlook from Electronic Arts Inc. sent shares of the video game publisher sharply lower Monday, a sign that significant cost-cuts and layoffs have not ended the company's slump.

• Autism risks detailed in children of older mothers

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

  A woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found.

• China finds 170 more tons of tainted milk powder

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:26 am

  The discovery has punched a 170-ton hole in China's promises to overhaul its food safety system. Officials say they've found yet another case where large amounts of tainted milk powder from the country's 2008 scandal that should have been destroyed were instead repackaged.

• Bad malaria pills in Africa raise resistance fears

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  High rates of the most effective type of malaria-fighting drugs sold in three African countries are poor quality _ including nearly half the pills sampled in Senegal _ raising fears of increased drug resistance that could wipe out the last weapon left to battle a disease that kills 1 million people each year, according to a U.S. report released Monday.

• Even if you're careful, drugs can end up in water

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:24 pm

  The federal government advises throwing most unused or expired medications into the trash instead of down the drain, but they can end up in the water anyway, a study from Maine suggests.

• 
  Hospital Impact

• You're invited: Come to Fierce's free HiMSS networking party

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:46 am

  by Wendy Johnson I'm excited to announce that FierceHealthIT is hosting a free networking party at this year's HiMSS10. RSVP today for our "Mix It!" cocktail party, which takes place at the World of Coca-Cola on Tuesday evening, March 2, from 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Whether you're looking for a breather from heady discussions about meaningful use, interoperability, data security and the newly launched iPad--or want to continue those discussions in a more casual atmosphere with liquid refreshments in hand--we hope you'll make a point to stop by. The entire Fierce team will be there and we'd…

• Creating collaborative environments for success

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:21 am

  by Christopher Cornue I've often written about (and will most likely continue to write about) the importance for leaders to be collaborative, seek counsel from many disparate individuals, and to recognize there are varying opinions and views to consider when making decisions. Essentially...to be open to debate. This, coupled with other leadership characteristics (e.g., being decisive), will make one an incredibly effective and impactful leader. I've come across some readings recently that help to reinforce this. [More:] The first comes from the November issue of HealthLeaders, where they talk…

• Few hospitals have harnessed social media's true potiential--assuming there is one

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:13 am

  by Wendy Johnson We've had a dialogue on Hospital Impact about the pros and cons of using social media to promote your organization and connect with your community. Turns out that although nine in ten hospitals and health systems use Social Media to some degree, few are going about it in an organized way to really harness its power. Only about one-third of hospitals have some kind of formal social media plan in place, let alone a budget for "social media employees." These results come, perhaps not surprisingly, from a web marketing firm that specializes in healthcare. Still, those who are…

• The philosophy behind Michigan's 'I'm Sorry' program

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:06 am

  by Emily Paulsen Part I of a two-part series Since taking over as chief risk officer at the University of Michigan in 2002, Richard Boothman has gained national recognition for transforming how the institution responds to medical errors and malpractice claims. Two simple words are at the heart of the shift: "I'm sorry." By apologizing to patients when a medical error takes place, the organization has cut its malpractice insurance cash reserves by a whopping 81 percent--down to $13 million from more than $70 million. Now, instead of engaging in a courtroom battle, physicians and hospital…

• An EMR I'd stand in line to use

  28 Jan 2010 | 7:48 am

  by Robert B. Teague, M.D. As we progress through yet another cycle of sound and fury of EMR hype--not to mention billions of dollars of public largesse--the question remains: Why doesn't anyone use these things? For those of you with a dim view of human nature, pure petulance and willful obstruction seem to be the easy answer. I don't think so, though. The truth is, for clinical purposes, they don't work. [More:] All systems produce what they are designed to produce. EMRs, in concept, were designed as back-office automation tools. And for these functions, they sometimes perform admirably. To…

• 
  Cancer Research UK - Cancer news

• PM promises one-to-one home care for cancer patients

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:45 pm

  The prime minister has pledged to introduce one-to-one support at home for all cancer patients if the government stays in power after the forthcoming general election.

• Cancer Research UK's lovely valentine's gifts

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:08 pm

  St. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for lovers across the world to show their adoration. Hundreds of fun Valentine’s gifts are available to buy now from the Cancer Research UK online shop, www.shoptobeatcancer.org.uk, with a wide range of items that are perfect for a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or that secret crush. 100 per cent of the profits go to Cancer Research UK.

• Lower overall dosage of radiotherapy in fewer larger doses as safe for breast cancer patients

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:01 am

  The chronic side-effects of radiotherapy for early breast cancer, as reported by women themselves, are not any worse when treatment is given in a lower overall dose in fewer but larger treatments according to a trial part funded by Cancer Research UK and published today in the Lancet Oncology.

• CRT and AstraZeneca form major alliance to create cancer metabolism drugs

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:01 am

  Cancer Research UK’s commercialisation and development arm, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), today announced it has teamed up with biopharmaceutical business, AstraZeneca in a major, multi-project alliance, in which around 30 scientists will be focused on creating a stream of new anti-cancer drugs, it is announced today (Sunday).

• Dundee leads Scotland in launching new cancer research centre

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am

  Dundee today (Thursday) becomes Scotland’s first link in a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres that are being launched across the UK. The launch of the Dundee Centre coincides with World Cancer Day.

• 
  James Hubbard's My Family Doctor Blog

• What to do when you forget what the doctor said

  lhubbard

  20 Jan 2010 | 10:01 am

  by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H. Once I told a perfectly sane, intelligent and otherwise coherent patient to wait in the exam room to have blood work drawn. He smiled, said thanks and followed me out...

• Johnson and Johnson Recall List: Tylenol, Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids, More

  lhubbard

  15 Jan 2010 | 4:07 pm

  by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor Heard about the Johnson and Johnson recall? News came out today that they’ve expanded it. Most of the news stories I’ve seen about it don’t link...

• Can Fruit Really Rot in Your Stomach? The Truth About the Food Combining Theory.

  lhubbard

  9 Dec 2009 | 10:01 pm

  by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor Just around the corner loom … dum, dum, duuuuum … New Year’s resolutions! Let the dieting begin! This week, we focus on one type of diet that...

• Healthy, Fun Pumpkin Recipes for Halloween

  lhubbard

  26 Oct 2009 | 11:09 am

  by Leigh Ann Otte, managing editor Impending kiddie sugar high scaring the heck out of you? How ’bout enticing them away with a steaming bowl of boiled jack o’ lantern guts (i.e. pumpkin...

• Weekly Health Tip: Fiber to help you lose weight (from our current issue)

  lhubbard

  30 Aug 2009 | 11:00 pm

  “Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest; therefore it adds volume to fill you up without adding extra calories.  Weight loss genius!  A common complaint often expressed by...

• 
  QJM - current issue

• Elements: In this month's issue

  Bannon, M.

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am

• Optimizing the diagnostic potential of blood pressure measurement in Addison's disease

  Jolobe, O. M.P.

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am

• Pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

  Dowman, J. K., Tomlinson, J.W., Newsome, P.N.

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am

• Secondary hyperparathyroidism in a poorly compliant patient

  Shawcross, J.S., Sayer, J.A.

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am

• Apical potassium (BK) channels and enhanced potassium secretion in human colon

  Sandle, G. I., Hunter, M.

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am

  The human colon has the capacity to secrete potassium (K) ions and enhanced K secretion is a feature of a variety of diarrhoeal diseases. Recent work points to K secretion in human colon being mediated by high conductance (BK) K channels located in the apical membrane of colonic epithelial cells. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of these channels in maintaining K homoeostasis in health and disease.

• 
  AAFP News Now

• Salmonellosis Outbreak Spreads to 42 States

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

  Family physicians and their patients should be aware that an outbreak of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella serotype Montevideo that has been linked to certain salami products is responsible for more than 200 reported cases in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

• AAFP Asks Members to Call on Congress to Pass Health Care Reform

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  The AAFP once again is rallying support for enactment of comprehensive health care reform legislation by asking its members to send a message about the need for health care reform directly to Congress. The Academy issued an Action Alert on Feb. 5, urging members to sign on to a Speak Out letter that calls on Congress to pass reform legislation that enhances access, improves quality and lowers costs.

• Not Everyone Is Enchanted With Electronic Health Records

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:35 pm

  I just saw the article in AAFP News Now about electronic health records, or EHRs ("Health IT Helps Practices Grow, Improve Patient Care"), and I wondered why you hadn't interviewed any physicians who weren't as enchanted with EHRs as the four you found.

• PricewatehouseCoopers Assesses 'Top 10' Health Issues for 2010

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  Crystal balls may be out of vogue, but PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute recently released an annual report that assesses what the new year could bring to anyone with a stake in the U.S. health care industry. Issues that may affect FPs the most include health information technology, or health IT; fraud and abuse programs; alternative health care delivery methods; accountable care organizations, or ACOs; and health care spending.

• Surgeon General Offers Vision for Healthy, Fit Nation

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:20 pm

  Family physicians and the patient-centered medical home can play important roles in combating the nation's obesity epidemic, said U.S. Surgeon General and family physician Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., during a Jan. 28 press event at which she and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were joined by first lady Michelle Obama to kick off a campaign to reduce overweight and obesity among U.S. adults and children. The news conference coincided with Benjamin's first release to the nation, "The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010," in which she highlights the growing numbers of…

• 
  DoctorWorld.NET: Upcoming stories

• New CATCH Rule To Determine Need For CT Scans In Children With Minor Head Injury

  doctorworld

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  A new tool may help standardize the use of computed tomography (CT scans) in children with minor head injury and help reduce the number of scans, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). More than 650,000 children with minor head injuries resulting in loss of consciousness, amnesia, disorientation and/or vomiting are... Read more... | Original Medical News | Votes so far: 1 / 0

• Gold, myrrh and...

  doctorworld

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  Could frankincense be used to treat cancer? Read more... | Original Medical News | Votes so far: 1 / 0

• Astra gets Crestor boost ahead of key patent trial - Reuters

  doctorworld

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  TopNews United StatesAstra gets Crestor boost ahead of key patent trialReutersLONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has pulled ahead of the pack with an expanded label in the United States for its heart drug Crestor, but the medicine's future remains uncertain ahead of a vital patent trial this month. ...FDA Widens Crestor Approval Wall Street... Read more... | Original Medical News | Votes so far: 1 / 0

• Incidence Of Cerebral Palsy On Rise In United States

  doctorworld

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  Cerebral palsy (CP) has increased in infants born prematurely in the United States, according to data presented by researchers from Loyola University Health System (LUHS). These findings were reported at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Chicago. They also were published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology... Read more... | Original Medical News | Votes so far: 1 / 0

• Social care flat fee plan denied

  doctorworld

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm

  Health Secretary Andy Burnham denies planning a £20,000 compulsory inheritance levy to help pay for social care for the elderly in England. Read more... | Original Medical News | Votes so far: 1 / 0

• 
  Everyone's Blog Posts - DoctorsHangout.com

• Doctor/Facility of the Month!

  Medical Tourism Connection

  Doctor of the Month: Dr. Rafael E. Lorenzana Dr. Rafael Lorenzana is an American Board Certified dentist-prothodontist specializing in dental implants. His curriculum reflects many years of dental studies, including two dental degrees; the first from the University of El Salvador and the second from Baylor College of Dentistry. He's also a former member of the Baylor College of Dentistry and Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, and a member of the American College of Prosthodontics. Dr. Lorenzana owns Lorenzana Dental Center in San Salvador, El Salvador where he offers over 30 years of…

• Excessive Internet use is linked to depression

  Doctors Hangout Team

  Researchers found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results suggest that this type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health. Lead author Dr Catriona Morrison, from the University of Leeds, said: "The internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side. "While many of us use the internet to pay bills, shop and send emails, there is a small subset of the population who find it…

• 'Nanobubbles' kill cancer cells

  Doctors Hangout Team

  Using lasers and nanoparticles, scientists at Rice University have discovered a new technique for singling out individual diseased cells and destroying them with tiny explosions. The scientists used lasers to make "nanobubbles" by zapping gold nanoparticles inside cells. In tests on cancer cells, they found they could tune the lasers to create either small, bright bubbles that were visible but harmless or large bubbles that burst the cells."Single-cell targeting is one of the most touted advantages of nanomedicine, and our approach delivers on that promise with a localized effect inside an…

• Top 10: Timeless Exercises

  Doctors Hangout Team

  "Discover the greatest exercise ever: Kettlebell swings while standing on an exercise ball! The combination of high-velocity resistance and unstable surface will really light up your muscles while burning a ton of fat too!" If you’re like most men, you’ve been sold this crap before. In reality, this "workout tip" would just be another circus trick promoted by someone who has no idea how the body functions and who has a complete disregard for the health, well-being and body composition of the guys hearing his message. If you want rapid results, you’ll leave all the gimmicky exercises for…

• Are Multivitamins Worth the Money?

  Doctors Hangout Team

  Nowadays, there seems to be a pill for everything, and multivitamins are getting a reputation of being a quick fix for nutrition and overall healthy living. But University of Cincinnati Physicians say that for the healthy patient, multivitamins aren't living up to their promise.“Nearly half of Americans take multivitamins, and one-a-days could be seen as an insurance policy on nutrition, but it’s not been proven whether or not they are necessary,” says Sarah Pritts, MD. Pritts who sees patients at UC’s Wyoming Family Care practice, says a well-balanced diet should provide all of the…

• 
  HarvardScience

• Report from Haiti

  404132862

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:49 am

  PARISIEN, Haiti — Nearly a month after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti, paramedic Anthony Croese looked into the crowd outside a destroyed orphanage near Port-au-Prince and spotted an emaciated baby cradled in his father’s arms. read more

• National Institute on Aging funds two new "Roybal Center" programs at Harvard

  404132862

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

  Harvard Medical School professor Nicholas Christakis, whose work focuses on social networks, and economics professor David Laibson, who examines how and why people make the decisions they do regarding savings and health behaviors, have been selected to receive five year Roybal Center grants, of about $1.5 million each, from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a part read more

• A molecule that destroys normal metabolism is found

  404132862

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:19 am

  Overeating in mice triggers a molecule once considered to be only involved in detecting and fighting viruses to also destroy normal metabolism, leading to insulin resistance and setting the stage for diabetes, according to the results of a new study led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).read more

• Open innovation challenge seeks solutions to type 1 diabetes

  404132862

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pm

  The best scientific insights, which ultimately may lead to the solution of the world’s great puzzles, do not always come from the experts in the fields in question. Sometimes they come from outliers who approach a problem from an entirely new perspective — just as unknown English clockmaker John Harrison demonstrated that longitude could be determined by using an accurate timepiece and not, as almost all experts predicted, by the study of astronomy. So suppose the intellectual power of the entire Harvard community, more than 55,000 faculty members, students, and staff members, in all of…

• For bonobos, it’s one for all

  404132862

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:05 pm

  Daycare workers and kindergarten teachers tend to offer young humans a lot of coaching about the idea of sharing. But for our ape cousins the bonobos, sharing just comes naturally. read more

• 
  Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review

• The Health Care Summit—Who’s Gonna Win the Photo-Op?

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:50 am

  Getting Democrats and Republicans to constructively engage on health care is the best way to make progress.To date, the Democrats have blown health care reform once again by being too arrogant in thinking they could just ram their version through.The Republicans have no health care proposal. Their “black book” list of ideas they handed the President in Baltimore is a collection of second and

• A Way Out of the Health Care Wilderness?

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:39 am

  I just came across an interview that I will suggest we all may have missed and perhaps charts the way out of this health care reform wilderness we now seem to be in.It was on February 2nd and was between the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein and rising Republican House star Paul Ryan (WI).Ezra asked Ryan about the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill as a place for both sides to find common ground. It’s a

• “Plan B” Has Begun

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

  With word that the House is likely to take up the repeal of the health insurance industry anti-trust exemption it is now clear the Democratic leadership has begun Plan B.It is also clear that this is much more a part of a political Kabuki dance then any substantive effort at even piecemeal health care reform.The House probably has the votes to pass the repeal. The Senate does not. I doubt that

• Friday in Baltimore--The Way to Actually Accomplish Something

  30 Jan 2010 | 1:23 pm

  Intentionally or unintentionally, my sense is that the White House came out of Baltimore thinking they are now on to something, and I hope the Republicans took the same lesson away.Constructive good faith political engagement in Washington actually works.It is just incredible that House Minority Leader John Boehner has had not direct contact with the White House for about a year. A pox on both

• The State of the Union--The President Came to a Fork in the Road and He Took It

  27 Jan 2010 | 6:59 pm

  As Yogi Berra said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."The President came to a fork in the road tonight on health care reform. Would he do what many liberals have demanded--push harder to pass the Democratic health care bills? Or, do as many moderate Dems and some Republicans have called for--work to get a smaller but bipartisan health care bill?Listening to his speech he seems to be

• 
  Scientific American

• NASA Readies a Satellite to Probe the Sun, Inside and Out

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is what might be called a satellite for the information age. It is designed to provide scientists who study the sun with a torrent of data--the space agency says the observatory will return 150 million bits of data about Earth's host star per second, or about 1.5 terabytes per day. [More]

• What Happens in the Amygdala... Damage to Brain's Decision-Making Area May Encourage Dicey Gambles

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Imagine you've lost your job. You have some money saved, and a chance to double it with a gamble. But if you lose the bet, you'll forfeit everything. What would you do? [More]

• City Dwellers Drive Deforestation in 21st Century

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

  Globally, roughly 13 million hectares of forest fall to the blade or fire each year. Such deforestation has long been driven by farmers eking out a slash-and-burn living or loggers using new roads to cut inroads into pristine forest. But now new data appears to show that, at least for the first five years of the 21st century, big block clearings that reflect industrial deforestation have come to dominate, rather than smaller-scale efforts that leave behind long, narrow swaths of cleared land. [More]

• Researchers Identify Genetic Variant Linked to Faster Biological Aging

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am

  There's no right answer when someone asks you: " How old do you think I am ?"Faced with such a dilemma, most of us aim low--erring on the side of flattery rather than honesty. But the truth is, accurately guessing someone's age is a difficult task, perhaps best left to amusement park workers and street performers. [More]

• CERN Gears Up Its Computers for More Atom Smashing

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  A deluge of high-energy physics data is headed toward servers in Geneva, Switzerland, later this month. That's because the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) now says it plans to restart its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) soon for a run that could last as long as two years at a collision energy of seven TeV (tera–electron volts, 3.5 TeV per beam). As CERN ramps up the world's most powerful particle accelerator to operate well beyond its previous best performance , the lab's computer systems must likewise be tuned so they can properly capture and analyze all of this new…

• 
  HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog

• Transparency: Too little, too late?

  David Harlow

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:20 am

  When the President of the United States, allegedly possessed of the best bully pulpit in the free world, needs to go on the Super Bowl pre-game show to attract a big audience, you know that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. We can't solve that problem here at HealthBlawg, but perhaps we can address the issue that Obama put on the table during the pre-game show: transparency in health reform negotiations. From the New York Times: “I want to come back and have a large meeting, Republicans and Democrats, to go through systematically all the best ideas that are out there and move it…

• Wayne Burton and Cyndy Nayer, from the Center for Health Value Innovation, speak with David Harlow about value-based health designs for health improvement and cost savings

  David Harlow

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:07 am

  I recently spoke with Wayne Burton, MD and Cyndy Nayer.  Cyndy is co-founder and President of the Center for Health Value Innovation; Wayne is a member of the Board of Strategic Advisors, and former longtime Corporate Medical Director of JP Morgan Chase.  The Center focuses on sharing evidence of improved health and economic outcomes through value-based designs.  In the current environment, this sort of private-sector focus on value-based health improvement and cost savings is critical.  Given the recent collapse of health reform inside the Beltway, now is the time for organizations such…

• Medical Apologies: Do right and do well

  David Harlow

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:35 pm

  An often overlooked tool in health care providers' struggle with the malpractice crisis is the medical apology.  Two thirds of the states provide some form of protection for the medical apology (i.e., a simple apology is not admissible in court as an admission of culpability), and settlements reached post-apology are almost invariably lower that they would be otherwise.  (In the current environment, articles on medical apologies are popping up everywhere ... even in the NY Times business section.) It is important to note that an effective apology policy does not stop with the simple apology…

• Health reform now or later -- What's a physician to do?

  David Harlow

  24 Jan 2010 | 7:31 pm

  A few weeks ago, I suggested that -- love it or hate it -- physicians need to prepare themselves for the likely advent of health reform by getting a handle on internal costs and processes, and by strategically organizing into stronger bodies able to negotiate more effectively with payors across a range of new approaches to payment for health care services.  While the landscape has changed dramatically in the past week, my advice still holds.  Some physicians may believe that reform in any form similar to the bills that are now derailed must be stopped in its tracks, and that entertaining…

• Holy Mackarel: Scott Brown, Health Reform Redux and What Can (Should) Happen Next

  David Harlow

  22 Jan 2010 | 11:04 am

  Today's story begins in the Massachusetts State House Senate chamber.  Prominent in the chamber is the Holy Mackarel.  (Really.  The House chamber is graced by the Sacred Cod of Massachusetts; the Senate had to get something.)A recent alum of the Massachusetts Senate, one Scott Brown, has been eliciting cries of Holy Mackarel (and worse) this week.  The stunning setback to health reform represented by Brown's election to Ted Kennedy's seat the people's seat in the US Senate is just sinking in -- inside the Beltway, across Massachusetts, and around the country.  While we all try to figure…

• 
  Disease Management Care Blog

• Compare and Contrast CIGNA's and General Electric's Approach to Disease Management. What's the Difference... Really?

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:26 am

  After reading the latest CIGNA earnings call transcript, the Disease Management Care Blog couldn't help thinking some more about the Business Week (BW) faux exposé of the disease management (DM) industry.CIGNA seems to have had a very good year thanks to a total income of $1.1 billion or earnings of $3.98 of per share. This represents an impressive 16% increase compared to last year. Not only have their capital levels been clawing their way back to healthy levels, but the insurer has also been tackling overhead, including a reduction of $100 million in its healthcare operations, while…

• Business Week and Disease Management: A Closer Look

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:19 pm

  The Feb. 4 Business Week has an article on disease management provocatively titled ‘Take Your Meds, Exercise – and Spend Billions.’ The accompanying graphic displays a circa 1950’s nurse pointing to a Rube Goldberg contraption that ends in cash being shredded.Ouch.The article opens with a description of General Electric’s disease management (DM) misadventure and contrasts that with the seemingly inexplicable $2.5 billion commitment of 75% of the nation’s large employers to the DM industry. Even more mysterious to authors Chad Terhune and Arlene Weintraub is the success of…

• The Latest Health Wonk Review Is Up!

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  So what's the real skinny on health reform? What are the good ideas that haven't been thought of and what's problematic with the ideas that everyone seems to take for granted? You can find this out and more when you check out the latest Health Wonk Review, ably hosted by Joe Paduda over at Managed Care Review. Check it out.

• When Nurses Speak, the DMCB Listens. This Time the Topic is Hospice & Palliative Chemotherapy: Why Can't They Co-Exist?

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pm

  The Disease Management Care Blog has always appreciated the special insights that nurses have, whether it be how to treat a sick patient at 3 AM or how to tackle a particularly thorny health policy issue. When a close colleague offered to describe her travails with hospice for her dying father, the DMCB could not say no.I am a nurse with experience in direct hands-on patient care, Medicaid, commercial health insurance and medical informatics. I also have a father that is dying from advanced cancer. The good news is that he is a Medicare enrollee and has access to hospice. That bad news is…

• The President Says Politicans Shouldn't Read This Blog

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:50 pm

  This quote from President Obama today to Democratic Senators on how divine the what voters really want in today's media landscape:“If we could just — excuse the press — turn off the cameras, turn off your CNN, your Fox, your MSNBC, your blogs, turn off this echo chamber … where the topic is politics. … We’ve got to get out of the echo chamber. That was a mistake I made last year — not getting out of here [Washington].”Er, 'exsqueeze me,' but the Disease Management Care Blog humbly submits the White House and Congress would have done better with health reform if more of them…

• 
  InsureBlog

• Hail Obama [UPDATED and BUMPED]

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:06 am

  [Welcome Industry Radar readers!][Scroll down for update]HHS Secretary Sebelius seems to be "hailing" the chief in her comments on proposed rate increases by Anthem Blue Cross.The Obama administration is asking why Anthem Blue Cross is raising its health insurance rates by nearly 40 percent for some California customers while making handsome profits -- and is pointing to the rate hike as evidence of why health care reform needs to pass. Seems to me it is evidence that Blue is doing something right. In contrast, the folks in Washington can't balance a budget. So who are they to be giving…

• COBRA/ARRA Extension Update

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am

  We'd be remiss if we failed to remind folks that the famed COBRA/ARRA Subsidy has been extended (along with more and more folks' status as unemployed), The good news for those affected is that "[e]ligibility for the subsidy now runs through Feb. 28 ... and the duration of the subsidy can be up to 15 months. For state continuation, the length of the subsidy period depends on a particular state’s current continuation legislation. "That last refers to states with so-called "mini-COBRA" regs.There are, of course, a lot of reasons to stay on COBRA when one's (former) employer is footing most of…

• Grand Rounds: Thoughtful Edition

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:42 am

  Dr Edwin Leap jumps into his edition of this weekly roundup of the best medblog posts with enthusiasm and insight. Well done.

• Prescient Carrier Tricks

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  Today's McPaper reports that almost 3 years ago, State Farm warned the Feds that there seemed to be some "sudden acceleration" issues with some Toyota and Lexus models. The Bloomington, Illinois-based insurance behemoth "notified NHTSA in late 2007 that it was seeing an increase in sudden acceleration trends with other" vehicles from the Japanese automaker.A decade before that, State Farm also led the way in "identifying the increasing trend of tire tread separation" which then plagued Ford and Firestone.Kudos, Good Neighbor©!

• Pre-paid Death Taxes?

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am

  One of the varied uses of permanent life insurance is to pay estate taxes at a discount (since insurance dollars never cost as much as "real" ones). FoIB Joe Kristan takes that a step further, reporting on a proposal that would allow non-dead (not to be confused with "The UnDead," or the Grateful Dead) to prepay their estimated "death taxes."Interesting proposition, and definitely worth reading.

• 
  Reuters: Science News

• Study shows why it is so scary to lose money

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:50 am

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why -- the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble.

• Scientists find gene variant link to aging cells

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am

  LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found specific genetic variants which may explain why some people age earlier than others and say their findings have important implications for understanding cancer and age-related diseases.

• Shuttle Endeavour blasts off for space station

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The space shuttle Endeavour bolted off its seaside launch pad in Florida on Monday, carrying six astronauts on a voyage to install the last two main pieces of the International Space Station.

• Arctic climate changing faster than expected

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:32 pm

  WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Climate change is transforming the Arctic environment faster than expected and accelerating the disappearance of sea ice, scientists said on Friday in giving their early findings from the biggest-ever study of Canada's changing north.

• Russian cargo ship docks at International Space Station

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:14 pm

  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian cargo ship delivered food, water, fuel and other supplies to the International Space Station on Friday, space officials said.

• 
  Healthcare Economist

• The CBO’s Budget Outlook: Not Good

  Jason Shafrin

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:33 am

  In January, the CBO released a report titled The Budget and Economic Outlook:  Fiscal Years 2010 to 2020.  A summary of the findings is available on the CBO Director’s blog.  Today, however, I focus on CBO’s evaluation of how changes in health care spending affect the federal budget. “Medicaid spending (excluding stimulus funding) increased by 9 percent ($18 billion) in 2009—exceeding its 7 percent average annual growth rate of the previous 10 years—largely because higher unemployment boosted enrollment in the program. Medicare outlays (including an offset for premium…

• How to construct a Price Index

  Jason Shafrin

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:08 am

  Price indices are useful for calculating inflation over time.  The consumer price index (CPI) measures changes in prices for the overall economy.  Researchers can also use price indices to understand the evolution of the price of health care over time.  For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also calculates a CPI for Medical Care and Medical Care Services. The question of how to calculate a price index is far from trivial however.  To calculate the change in the price of any good between years 1 and T, one could simply use the following formula: Psimple=piT/pi1 However, a price…

• Weekend Links

  Jason Shafrin

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:13 am

  Antidepressants no more effective than placebos. If you are readying this, you may be depressed. Health expenditures in 2018: 20.3% of GDP. Worker’s Comp and Medicare. Understanding the employer-based health insurance tax subsidy. Vaccines don’t cause autism.

• Capitalism vs. Socialism

  Jason Shafrin

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:16 am

  John Kay offers a European perspective on the debate of between the superiority of a market economy against a centrally planned economy.  Is there empirical evidence that a market economy is superior?  John Kay says yes: “The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 …marked the end of the most extensive controlled experiment in the history of social sciences – the division of Germany into two economic zones, one centralised and planned, the other a market economy. After forty years, the gap in living standards between the two was so extreme that the experiment was terminated.” Why…

• Money Driven Medicine: A Review

  Jason Shafrin

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:02 am

  I recently watched the movie Money Driven Medicine.  The movie documents many of the current ills of the American healthcare system.  The movie’s focus details how financial incentives drive both the quantity and quality of care.  Any health economist will of course say ‘duh’, but for those who believe that medicine is purely an altruistic endeavor, this may be an eye opening film.  Some of the problems they document include: Doctors get paid to provide more services whether or not these services actually benefit the patient. Doctors get paid for procedures.  Thus,…

• 
  Medical Humanities Blog

• Symposium on Disease and Disability in the Middles Ages and Renaissance

  Daniel Goldberg

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  http://www.newberry.org/renaissance/conf-inst/diseasedisability.html Newberry LibraryCenter for Renaissance StudiesSymposium on Disease and Disability in the Middles Ages and RenaissanceSaturday, February 20, 2010Ruggles Hall, The Newberry Library Due to space restrictions, registration in advance is required (see  below). 9:30 a.m. Coffee and continental breakfast 10:00 a.m. Disability in the Middle Ages Kings and Cripples: Royal and Eccentric Bodies in Medieval EuropeChristopher Baswell, Barnard College and Columbia University Mephibosheth in the Middle Ages: Disabilities, Children,…

• On Ghostwriting Policies & Elite Academic Medical Centers

  Daniel Goldberg

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

  Jeffrey Lacasse (Ariz. State Univ.) and Jeffrey Leo (Lincoln Memorial University) have published an article in PLoS Medicine entitled Ghostwriting at Elite Academic Medical Centers in the United States.  Like all articles in PLoS Medicine, the article is available full-text, open-access.  The article lacks an abstract, but here is an excerpt of the Background section (citations omitted): Medical ghostwriting, the practice of pharmaceutical companies secretly authoring journal articles published under the byline of academic researchers, is a troubling phenomenon…

• Call for Papers: Scientizing the Other: Science, Medicine and the Study of Human Difference, 1800-1950

  Daniel Goldberg

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:09 am

  Scientizing the Other: Science, Medicine and the Study of Human Difference, 1800-1950 A one-day postgraduate student conference to be held at Churchill College, University of Cambridge 22 June 2010 For the last two hundred years, members of the scientific and medical establishments have represented and misrepresented peoples of different class, sex, race, age and ability in their efforts to chart human variation. This conference will explore how science has been used to evaluate the ‘other’ in society, and will examine the various means by which seemingly objective conclusions were…

• Call for Papers: Collected Volume of Essays on Early Modern Disability

  Daniel Goldberg

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:02 am

  *Call for Papers: Collected Volume of Essays on Early Modern Disability* Abstract: 500 words (Due Date: April 1, 2010) Editors: Allison P. Hobgood and David Houston Wood Accepted abstracts will lead to scholarly essays (c. 5,000-6,000 words) to be included in a proposed book collection tentatively entitled “Disabling the Renaissance: Recovering Early Modern Disability.” While Renaissance scholarship in the past few decades has been interested in all sorts of new identity histories, too little work has been undertaken on early modern disabled selves as such. Accordingly, we are interested…

• Review: Graham Mooney, Jonathan Reinarz, eds. Permeable Walls: Historical Perspectives on Hospital and Asylum Visiting. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2009

  Daniel Goldberg

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:11 pm

  H-Net Disability (history) listserv* has posted an excellent book review of an important new book entitled Permeable Walls: Historical Perspectives on Hospital and Asylum Visiting, eds. Graham Mooney, Jonathan Reinarz. Here is the first paragraph excerpted: Graham Mooney and Jonathan Reinarz’s Permeable Walls is the first collection entirely devoted to the history of visiting patients in the hospital and asylum setting, neatly deflecting attention away from a more traditional focus within the history of medicine upon the experiences of patients and doctors within the institutional…

• 
  msnbc.com: Fitness

• Work the core! Fitness secrets of Olympic stars

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:33 am

  The country's top coaches and Olympians share their training secrets for building extreme strength, speed, endurance, and agility that can give you a gold-medal edge in your own life. Olympic Games - Gold medal - Sport - Agility - Fitness

• Is exercise worth your time? Genes tell

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

  A new study suggests specific genes may determine, at least in part, how much we really benefit from exercise. Shopping - Health - Business - Time - United States

• Losing the weight war? Head to the mountains

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

  Overweight people may want to vacation in the mountains rather than at the beach — and not just to avoid putting on a swimsuit.  A new study finds obese people lose weight at high altitudes. Weight loss - Obesity - Health - Support group - Shopping

• Teeny bike pedals away ‘sitting disease’ fears

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:32 am

  Horrified by headlines about the connection between a sedentary lifestyle and serious health issues, our writer tests a tiny exercise bike she can use while she works. Health - Sedentary lifestyle - Stationary bicycle - Conditions and Diseases - Physical exercise

• Owie! Readers share their weirdest gym injuries

  29 Jan 2010 | 2:53 pm

  Broken noses, fractured bones, smashed fingers, smooshed toes, bonked heads and banged knees — is there anything you guys haven't managed to injure while working out? Health - Recreation - United States - Literature - Security

• 
  NYT > Fitness & Nutrition

• Really?: The Claim: 3-D Movies Can Induce Headaches and Sickness

  By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:34 pm

  Can 3-D movies like “Avatar” cause motion sickness?

• Personal Health: Less Invasive Hip Surgeries Make Inroads

  By JANE E. BRODY

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:56 pm

  Orthopedic surgeons across the country are using techniques for hip replacement that reduce complications and speed recovery in patients.

• Patient Money: Fighting Denied Claims Requires Perseverance

  By WALECIA KONRAD

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:11 pm

  Following a few steps can make the process of appealing insurance denials easier and increase the likelihood of success.

• A Federal Effort to Push Junk Food Out of Schools

  By GARDINER HARRIS

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm

  To fight obesity, legislation would ban candy and sugary beverages, and many schools would be required to offer more nutritious fare.

• One Bowl = 2 Servings. F.D.A. May Fix That.

  By WILLIAM NEUMAN

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:05 pm

  The F.D.A. may update serving sizes for foods like chips, cookies and ice cream to reflect how Americans really eat.

• 
  Dentistry News From Medical News Today

• Detailed Engagement On Steele Vital Says GDPC Chair - British Dental Association

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Continued and detailed engagement with the profession is vital to the success of the Steele Review pilots. That's the verdict of Dr John Milne, Chair of the British Dental Association's (BDA's) General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC)...

• Research Roundup: Medicare Spending, Community Health Centers, Children's Dental Services

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Health Affairs: Prices Don't Drive Regional Medicare Spending Variations - "Per capita Medicare spending is more than twice as high in New York City and Miami than in places like Salem, Oregon...

• Barker Hypothesis Strengthened By Ancient Tooth Remains

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Ancient human teeth are telling secrets that may relate to modern-day health: Some stressful events that occurred early in development are linked to shorter life spans...

• Medicaid Cuts, Past And Proposed, A Concern To Businesses And Patient Advocates

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Kansas Health Institute: "The Kansas Hospital Association will throw its lobbying clout behind a proposed increase in the state tobacco tax to restore a cut in the Medicaid rates paid to providers" (McLean, 2/3). Chattanooga Times Free Press: Tennessee "hospitals could lose a half billion dollars under the cumulative effect of Gov...

• Safer Hip, Knee And Dental Implants With Smart Coating

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a "smart coating" that helps surgical implants bond more closely with bone and ward off infection. When patients have hip, knee or dental replacement surgery, they run the risk of having their bodies reject the implant. But the smart coating developed at NC State mitigates that risk by fostering bone growth into the implant...

• 
  DentistLinx News

• Is Income Inequality Related to Childhood Dental Caries in Rich Countries

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  The Journal of the American Dental Association

• Effect of Tisseel on bone healing with particulate dentin and plaster of Paris mixture

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontics

• Management of a Perplexing Sinus Lift Complication

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Journal of Periodontology

• Retrospective study of treatment outcomes with implant-retained extraoral prostheses: Survival rates and prosthetic complications

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry

• Role of the Craniofacial Orthodontist on the Craniofacial and Cleft Lip and Palate Team

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Seminars in Orthodontics

• 
  ADA News Today

• 'Not a cure-all, but a great start'

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  South Bend, Ind.--At 7:20 a.m. today, patients were already checking in at Erskine Family Dentistry for Give Kids A Smile day exams, cleanings, dental education and care.

• Feb. 5 is Give Kids a Smile day

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  Today is the ADA's eighth annual Give Kids A Smile day, and some 50,000 dental professionals will volunteer to provide free services to more than 320,000 children at 2,000 program sites nationwide.

• Images from GKAS across the country

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  A gallery of images from Give Kids A Smile Events across the country.

• GKAS satellite media tour

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  PHOTO: Live from Nashville: Dr. Lindsey Robinson, a California pediatric dentist and past chair of the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations (left), and Dr. David Johnson, an oral surgeon and ADA spokesperson from Tennessee, host the 2010 Give Kids A Smile Satellite Media Tour Feb. 3, from Nashville, Tenn.

• Association seeks repeal of antitrust exemption

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:48 am

  Washington--The Association urged repeal of the health insurance antitrust exemption as the U.S. House of Representatives prepared to vote on a measure that two freshmen members say would "end special treatment for the insurance industry."

• 
  ScienceDaily: Dentistry News

• Biofilms: Discovery of a new mechanism of virus propagation

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Researchers have shown for the first time that certain viruses are capable of forming complex biofilm-like assemblies, similar to bacterial biofilms. These extracellular infectious structures may protect viruses from the immune system and enable them to spread efficiently from cell to cell. "Viral biofilms" would appear to be a major mechanism of propagation for certain viruses. They are therefore emerging as new and particularly attractive therapeutic targets.

• Psychosocial problems are common in children with dental fear

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Children and adolescents with severe dental fear often come from families with a turbulent background. It is also more common that they have had counseling contact with a psychologist.

• Ancient human teeth show that stress early in development can shorten life span

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Ancient human teeth are telling secrets that may relate to modern-day health: Some stressful events that occurred early in development are linked to shorter lifespans. "Prehistoric remains are providing strong, physical evidence that people who acquired tooth enamel defects while in the womb or early childhood tended to die earlier, even if they survived to adulthood," says anthropologist George Armelagos, who recently published the first summary of prehistoric evidence for the Barker hypothesis.

• Children more likely to visit the dentist if their parents do, too

  31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Whether or not children receive regular dental care is strongly associated with their parents' history of seeking dental care. A new report is the first to analyze the relationship between parents' and childrens' dental visits in a nationally representative sample.

• Parents should use toothpastes that contain fluoride with a minimum concentration of 1,000 parts per million, study suggests

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am

  Parents should use toothpastes that contain fluoride with a minimum concentration of 1,000 parts per million to prevent tooth decay in their children, says a new report. Preventing tooth decay can help reduce the need for extensive and costly dental treatments, including extractions.

• 
  Latest Dental News

• Hi-tech Jet Could Soon Replace Dentist's Drill

  A futuristic "plasma jet" that eradicates tooth decay without fillings could soon replace the dentist's drill. In the study, published in the February

• Parents Advised To Use Fluoridated Toothpaste in Children

  A new report advises parents to use fluoride toothpastes (with a minimum concentration of 1,000 parts per million) to prevent tooth decay in their children.

• Dentist's Drill may be Replaced by Plasma Jets

  Plasma jets which can destroy tooth decay-causing bacteria has shown promise as an effective and less painful alternative to the dentist's drill, according

• Good Dental Hygiene Not Enough for Tooth Enamel Decay!!

  Experts have pointed that the two factors - too little saliva and inadequate fluoride - and not good dental hygiene alone, that necessarily stop tooth enamel from decaying.

• Replacing Teeth With Dental Implants Becoming Popular

  The use of dental implants to replace teeth lost to an accident, gum diseases or tooth decay is becoming popular. Sreenivas Koka, chair of Mayo Clinic

• 
  The Endo Blog

• Root Canal Treatment Saves a Perforated Tooth

  12 Jan 2010 | 8:21 pm

  This root canal was started in July '09. After having difficulty finding the canals, the tooth was referred to our office.Upon opening the tooth, we found a supraboney perforation on the ML surface.Canals were located using a operating microscope and the root canal completed.The ML perforation was repaired using Geristore. (Since this perforation was above the crestal bone, a restorative material that would not wash out must be used. MTA is not the best material in this type of perforation)A six month recall finds the lesions almost completely healed and the tooth pain free and functional.

• Calcium Hydroxide as Intercanal Medicament

  9 Dec 2009 | 2:31 pm

  Ca(OH)2 pastes are used in endodontics as a temporary canal filling material for multiple purposes including:1. Stimulate continue root development2. Control exudate/disinfect the canal system3. Prevention of external root resorption following traumatic injuries4. Create an apical barrier following over instrumentationOccasionally, I will use calcium hydroxide as a intracanal medicament to look for signs of initial healing prior to obturation. On this particular retreatment case, the distal canal was long and wide. I was concerned there may have been some resorption or possible an apical…

• Herodontics? - Revisited

  3 Dec 2009 | 2:00 pm

  In Aug 2009, an American Academy of Implant Dentistry press release stated, "...times have changed and patients should forego prolonged dental heroics to save failing teeth and replace them with long-lasting dental implants". While it universally accepted that implants are a great way to replace missing teeth, a more controversial topic is when to replace a diseased tooth with an implant. In my opinion, those promoting dental implants have become increasingly more aggressive about replacing natural teeth.As a specialist, I am occasionally called upon to perform "heroic" procedures. This may…

• Retreatment & MTA Save a Perforated Tooth

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:30 am

  The following case was submitted by Dr. Rico D. Short of Smyrna, GA.Original endodontic treatment was done 15 years ago. The crowns on 8 & 9 were replaced 2 years earlier at which time the dentist placed post for retention. During post preparation, the root was perforated. A large lesion has developed.DX: Prior RCT w/ Chronic Apical Abscess w/ root perforation. Pt was informed the prognosis was questionable due to the perforation. Pt understood and consented for treatment including perforation repair.Retreatment on #8 completed with MTA root repair.8 month recall22 month recall finds…

• Endodontic Retreatment & MTA Preserve the Tooth

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:11 am

  Here's a tooth that had endodontic treatment over 10 years ago. While the clinician had difficulty finding all the canals, the tooth has been functional for quite some time. A large furcal defect raises suspicion of a root fracture or perforation.DX: Prior RCT w/ Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis.There are many who would consider this hopeless and recommend extraction.Let us consider the cause of this treatment failure:1. Missed Canals2. Furcal Perforation or Root Fracture?Can these issues be addressed to preserve the natural tooth?In my consultation with the patient, I explain these issues…

• 
  Smartbrief: American Nurses Association

• First lady to officially announce campaign to fight obesity

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  First lady Michelle Obama today plans to outline her campaign on fighting childhood obesity that she has been working on for  -More- 

• Mediterranean diet may protect against brain infarcts

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  A study found that people who follow a Mediterranean-style diet are less likely to suffer strokes or other brain damage linke -More- 

• Quality family dental care is affordable again

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  ANA introduces Enhanced ANA Group Dental Insurance exclusively for its valued members.  -More- 

• Few women use tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Very few high-risk women eligible to take tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer actually use the drug, even though it can cut th -More- 

• N.Y. Senate passes bill to protect nurses on job

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  The New York Senate approved legislation to expand the definition of assault on emergency medical professionals to include re -More- 

• 
  Smartbrief: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

• Maryland NPs want end to collaboration requirement

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Maryland nurse practitioners, who provide 40% of primary care in the state, support state legislation to remove the requireme -More- 

• Few women use tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Very few high-risk women eligible to take tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer actually use the drug, even though it can cut th -More- 

• Connect. Monitor. Empower. Learn how you can use Heart360 to enhance your practice.

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Help your patients take charge of their health with Heart360.org.  -More- 

• Mediterranean diet may protect against brain infarcts

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  A study found that people who follow a Mediterranean-style diet are less likely to suffer strokes or other brain damage linke -More- 

• Republicans threaten to snub health summit

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Reps.  -More- Become a visionary nurse practitioner. Earn your MBA in Healthcare from The George Washington University. Learn the fundamentals of business and management while you select electives that fit your personal and professional goals. The School of Business is AACSB International-accredited and the MBA program is ranked among the top 50 MBAs in the US by The Financial Times. Learn more.

• 
  Nursing News

• Bangladesh Conjoined twins successfully separated

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

  A team of 24 surgeons and nurses successfully separated a pair of conjoined female infants in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka who were joined at their lower chest.

• Physician assistants to take growing role in health care across Canada

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:54 am

  Susi Schoeley knew she wanted to work in medicine, but nursing didn't appeal to her and becoming a doctor would require too much of a time commitment, both for earning her credentials and after entering the workforce.

• Binghamton University to Offer New Doctoral Program in Nursing

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:15 am

  Binghamton University's Decker School of Nursing will introduce a doctor of nursing practice program in the fall semester of 2010, offering advanced practice nurses the opportunity to gain clinical and leadership expertise beyond the master's-degree level.

• AORN Journal Introduces New Editorial Features And Enhanced Layout

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:42 pm

  Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail Article Date: 06 Feb 2010 Elsevier, the leading global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce that the AORN Journal , the official journal of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses , has expanded ...

• National Article

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:19 pm

  Alberta's Tory government has decided to consult the public on health-care reform.

• 
  Nursing / Midwifery News From Medical News Today

• Abbott Misrepresents Nurses' Union - Australian Nursing Federation

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Assistant Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), Lee Thomas said comments by the Federal Opposition Leader made about the union in Federal Parliament yesterday (3:10pm 8 Feb.) were completely false and should be corrected...

• University Of Chicago RNs Speak Out - Hospital Cuts Endanger Patient Care, Retention Of Experienced RNs

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  University of Chicago Medical Center registered nurses will hold a press conference Tuesday to warn that hospital administration demands for sweeping reductions in RN and patient care standards erode safety conditions at the hospital and threaten the retention and recruitment of RNs...

• RCN Calls For Better Co-ordination Of Trauma Networks

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Commenting on the Major trauma care in England report, published last week by the National Audit Office, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "It is disappointing that trauma care is still not up to scratch in many areas despite numerous calls for improvement...

• Illinois High Court Rules Medical Malpractice Caps Are Unconstitutional

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a medical malpractice law enacted in 2005 that limited monetary damages to $1 million from hospitals and $500,000 from doctors for pain and suffering, the Chicago Tribune reports. "The much-anticipated ruling deals a blow to doctors and hospital officials who say caps on damages are a way to tame rising health care costs. ...

• AORN Journal Introduces New Editorial Features And Enhanced Layout

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Elsevier, the leading global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce that the AORN Journal, the official journal of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), has expanded its editorial content and redesigned the layout of its print format...

• 
  Nursing Informatics Online

• [Promoting nursing competitiveness: introduction to the digital divide.]

  Forum: Nursing Informatics Journal Articles Posted By: Nursing Informatics News Post Time: 02-04-2010 at 05:08 AM

• Clinical practice corner: health information technology.

  Forum: Nursing Informatics Journal Articles Posted By: Nursing Informatics News Post Time: 02-03-2010 at 05:34 AM

• Collaborating to optimize nursing students' agency information technology use.

  Forum: Nursing Informatics Journal Articles Posted By: Nursing Informatics News Post Time: 01-29-2010 at 05:45 AM

• Adoption of a PDA-based home hospice care system for cancer patients.

  Forum: Nursing Informatics Journal Articles Posted By: Nursing Informatics News Post Time: 01-29-2010 at 05:45 AM

• Recording practices and satisfaction of hemophiliac patients using two different data entry systems.

  Forum: Nursing Informatics Journal Articles Posted By: Nursing Informatics News Post Time: 01-29-2010 at 05:45 AM

• 
  Nurse.com News

• Trial by Fire

  American nurses who went to Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake that struck the island nation last month say they used common sense, basic nursing skills, and whatever equipment and materials were on hand to care for Haitians with minor to life-threatening injuries.

• Daily News: Nursing Loan Repayment Program Deadline Set for March 4

  The Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications for its 2010 Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program until March 4. Under the program, RNs can get assistance in repaying loans in exchange for two years of work in a healthcare facility that has a critical nursing shortage. The HRSA program also offers an optional third year of service.

• DAISY Spotlights: Meet the Recent RN Recipients

  Thanks to The DAISY Foundation, nurses across the country are celebrated for their extraordinary patient care, spirit, and character. Each quarter, Nurse.com would like to recognize the nation?s DAISY recipients so the celebration of their accomplishments continues. A sample of these nurses' nominations, or "spotlights," will be featured on Nurse.com and DAISYfoundation.org. The following are excerpts from DAISY Award recipients' fourth-quarter nominations.

• Trend Shows Younger Nursing Workforce

  LITHICUM, Md. ? ?The average age of the registered nurse workforce is getting younger,? Peter Buerhaus, RN, PhD, FAAN, told nurse leaders from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. While discussing nursing workforce challenges with members of the Maryland Organization of Nurse Executives, he also noted that nursing is still facing a shortage, although it will not be as severe as previously predicted.

• Mental Healthcare Parity Rules Implemented

  The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 came to fruition today with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury issuing new rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.

• 
  New Scientist

• What the LHC could find at half-power

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am

  Next week engineers will begin preparing the machine to run at half its maximum energy – so what can a half-power collider find?

• Today on New Scientist: 9 February 2010

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  Today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: the hunt for the world's missing whales, how bright the stars really are, and how to make your food more filling

• Airliner landing gear not fit for all emergencies

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:45 am

  An investigation into an airliner brought down by ice in its fuel tank has thrown up a design problem that may affect many aircraft

• Complex smells make food more filling

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:41 am

  Food that incorporates more complex aromas appears to make you feel more full

• Software photo-doctor fixes up bad photos

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  A tool that knows what makes a good photo subtly tweaks and moves elements of a bad snap to make it more aesthetically pleasing

• 
  NPR Topics: Health & Science

• Math Professor Helps Uncover Art Fakes

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Professor Daniel Rockmore is an art lover — and the chairman of the math department at Dartmouth College. He has united his two interests, art and math, to develop a program that analyzes pen strokes. The program gives art historians a new tool for detecting art forgeries, which are estimated to make up 20 percent of the worldwide art market.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• New Data Point To Huntington's Disease Hope

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  A study being published Monday offers hope for those with Huntington's disease. The Archives of Neurology has a report about a drug aimed at the serious cognitive deficits that people with Huntington's also suffer.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Shuttle Heads To Space Station As Weather Clears

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

  Space shuttle Endeavour is now orbiting Earth after blasting off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center in Monday's early morning darkness. Weather problems had delayed what might be the last pre-dawn launch for the shuttle program, which is heading toward retirement.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Scientist: Autism Paper Had Catastrophic Effects

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  The prestigious British medical journal Lancet took a rare step this week: It retracted a 1998 paper that sparked a firestorm about potential links between vaccines and autism. That paper has been a bane to Dr. Paul Offit, co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine and chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. Offit tells host Guy Raz why he thinks the paper was a disaster for parents seeking answers about autism.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Is It Time To Throw Out 'Primordial Soup' Theory?

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  A group of scientists says the idea that life emerged from a prebiotic broth is past its expiration date.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 
  PLoS Biology

• Using Structural Information to Change the Phosphotransfer Specificity of a Two-Component Chemotaxis Signalling Complex

  Christian H. Bell et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Analysis of the crystal structure of a phosphotransfer complex from the Rhodobacter sphaeroides chemotaxis pathway allowed reengineering of molecular recognition in a two-component signalling system.

• Paleovirology—Modern Consequences of Ancient Viruses

  Michael Emerman et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

• A Novel High-Affinity Sucrose Transporter Is Required for Virulence of the Plant Pathogen Ustilago maydis

  Ramon Wahl et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  A novel, high-affinity sucrose transporter identified in the plasma membrane of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis is essential for fungal virulence and successful infection of maize.

• mRNA Secondary Structures Fold Sequentially But Exchange Rapidly In Vivo

  Elisabeth M. Mahen et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Self-cleavage assays of RNA folding reveal that mRNA structures fold sequentially in vitro and in vivo, but exchange between adjacent structures is much faster in vivo than it is in vitro.

• Living the Sweet Life: How Does a Plant Pathogenic Fungus Acquire Sugar from Plants?

  Nicholas J. Talbot

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

• 
  NYT > Science

• Findings: Will You Be E-Mailing This Column? It’s Awesome

  By JOHN TIERNEY

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  A University of Pennsylvania study found that readers of news in print and online had more exalted tastes than might be expected.

• Skeptics Find Fault With U.N. Climate Panel

  By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:56 am

  Rajendra K. Pachauri and the U.N. panel he leads face accusations of scientific sloppiness and conflicts of interest.

• Thirty Knots, With the Wind at Your Wings

  By HENRY FOUNTAIN

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:48 am

  The sailboats competing in the America’s Cup are the fastest ever built but about as delicate as a house of cards.

• Personal Health: Less Invasive Hip Surgeries Make Inroads

  By JANE E. BRODY

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Orthopedic surgeons across the country are using techniques for hip replacement that reduce complications and speed recovery in patients.

• Update: Recovery Matches a Marathon Operation

  By DENISE GRADY

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:49 pm

  After a surgeon removed a huge cancerous tumor from his abdomen, Robert Collison, 59, spent eight weeks in the hospital with infections and other complications.

• 
  PLoS Genetics

• Wing Patterns in the Mist

  Arnaud Martin et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

• DNA Binding of Centromere Protein C (CENPC) Is Stabilized by Single-Stranded RNA

  Yaqing Du et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Here we address the issue of how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next without the involvement of specific DNA sequences. This type of inheritance is referred to as epigenetics. Centromeric sequences are highly variable and in many cases are not sufficient for centromere function. Rather, secondary features of the DNA, such as methylation or associated RNA molecules may serve to recruit key centromere binding proteins. Prior data from several species have established that single-stranded RNAs are surprisingly abundant on centromeric chromatin. Here we…

• Genomic Hotspots for Adaptation: The Population Genetics of Müllerian Mimicry in Heliconius erato

  Brian A. Counterman et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Identifying the genetic changes responsible for beneficial variation is essential for understanding how organisms adapt. Here, we use a combination of mapping, population genetic analysis, and gene expression studies to identify the genomic regions responsible for phenotypic evolution in the Neotropical butterfly Heliconius erato. H. erato, together with its co-mimic H. melpomene, have undergone parallel and concordant radiations in their warningly colored wing patterns across Central and South America. The “genes” underlying the H. erato color pattern radiation are classic…

• Mutations in SLC29A3, Encoding an Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter ENT3, Cause a Familial Histiocytosis Syndrome (Faisalabad Histiocytosis) and Familial Rosai-Dorfman Disease

  Neil V. Morgan et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary The histiocytoses are a group of systemic disorders usually confined to childhood and are caused by an excessive number of histiocytes which phagocytose other cells and process antigens. Although nearly a century has passed since histiocytic disorders were recognised, their pathophysiology remains largely unclear, and treatment is nonspecific. The identification of SLC29A3 mutations as the molecular basis for a familial form of syndromic histiocytosis (FHC/RDD) confirms a direct link between Faisalabad histiocytosis and Rosai-Dorfman disease and links these disorders to other…

• Genetic and Functional Dissection of HTRA1 and LOC387715 in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

  Zhenglin Yang et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading blindness cause in western countries. Several genes encoding components of the complement pathway—including CFH, C2/BF, and C3—have been confirmed to be associated with AMD, as well as a region on 10q26 that encompasses two genes. Recent data have suggested that loss of LOC387715 on 10q26, mediated by an insertion/deletion (in/del) at its 3'UTR that destabilizes its message, is causally related with the disorder. We found that a common disease haplotype including the in/del and rs11200638 also has an effect on the…

• 
  PLoS Pathogens

• Neutrophil-Derived CCL3 Is Essential for the Rapid Recruitment of Dendritic Cells to the Site of Leishmania major Inoculation in Resistant Mice

  Mélanie Charmoy et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary When infectious agents enter our body, neutrophils are the first cells recruited to the scene. In addition to their capacity to kill microbes, neutrophils secrete molecules that attract other cells also involved in immune defense, such as dendritic cells (DCs). Here, we investigate the secretion of DC-attracting chemokines by neutrophils after inoculation of mice with Leishmania major, a protozoan parasite that can cause long-lasting, skin ulcers in man. Following parasite inoculation, most inbred strains of mice (e.g.C57BL/6) develop self-resolving lesions, while in a few…

• Immunoelectron Microscopic Evidence for Tetherin/BST2 as the Physical Bridge between HIV-1 Virions and the Plasma Membrane

  Jason Hammonds et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Tetherin or BST2 is a cellular protein that was recently found to limit the ability of HIV to escape from cells. HIV counteracts this cellular restriction to its lifecycle by expressing the small viral accessory protein Vpu. Upon viral infection, cells expressing high levels of tetherin accumulate large clusters or strings of virions that remain attached to the plasma membrane by an unknown mechanism. The simplest explanation for this clustering is that tetherin itself physically attaches particles to the plasma membrane and to each other. In this article, we demonstrate that…

• Reverse Genetics in Candida albicans Predicts ARF Cycling Is Essential for Drug Resistance and Virulence

  Elias Epp et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Candida albicans is a fungus that normally resides as part of the microflora in the human gut. Candida species can cause superficial infections like thrush in the healthy human population and life-threatening invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. Fungal infections are often treated with azole drugs, but due to the fungistatic nature of these agents, C. albicans can develop drug resistance, leading to therapy failure. To improve the action of azoles and convert them into fungicidal drugs, we first systematically analyzed the genetic requirements for tolerance to one…

• Fis Is Essential for Capsule Production in Pasteurella multocida and Regulates Expression of Other Important Virulence Factors

  Jason A. Steen et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Pasteurella multocida is an animal pathogen of worldwide economic significance. It causes fowl cholera in wild birds and poultry, hemorrhagic septicemia in ungulates, and atrophic rhinitis in swine. The major virulence factor in fowl cholera-causing isolates is the polysaccharide capsule, which is composed of hyaluronic acid. Although there have been reports of spontaneous capsule loss in some strains, to date there has been no systematic investigation into the molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon. In this study, we describe for the first time the underlying transcriptional…

• Distinct External Signals Trigger Sequential Release of Apical Organelles during Erythrocyte Invasion by Malaria Parasites

  Shailja Singh et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Malaria remains a major public health problem in many parts of the tropical world. All the clinical symptoms of malaria are attributed to the blood stage of the parasite life cycle during which Plasmodium merozoites invade and multiply within host erythrocytes. Invasion by Plasmodium merozoites is a complex process that requires multiple molecular interactions between the invading parasite and target erythrocyte. Parasite proteins that mediate such interactions are localized in membrane bound internal organelles at the apical end of merozoites called micronemes and rhoptries.

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  PLoS ONE Alerts

• Maternal Investment Influences Expression of Resource Polymorphism in Amphibians: Implications for the Evolution of Novel Resource-Use Phenotypes

  Ryan A. Martin et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Maternal effects—where an individual's phenotype is influenced by the phenotype or environment of its mother—are taxonomically and ecologically widespread. Yet, their role in the origin of novel, complex traits remains unclear. Here we investigate the role of maternal effects in influencing the induction of a novel resource-use phenotype. Spadefoot toad tadpoles, Spea multiplicata, often deviate from their normal development and produce a morphologically distinctive carnivore-morph phenotype, which specializes on anostracan fairy shrimp. We evaluated whether maternal investment influences…

• The Induction of Colitis and Ileitis in Mice Is Associated with Marked Increases in Intestinal Concentrations of Stimulants of TLRs 2, 4, and 5

  Clett Erridge et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) appear to be modulated by the interaction of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) derived from intestinal bacteria with their respective innate immune receptors, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We aimed to establish if intestinal concentrations of proinflammatory bacterial ligands of TLR2, TLR4, or TLR5 may be altered in murine IBD models, and to characterize which of the major bacterial groups may contribute to each signal. Methodology/Principal Findings PAMPs specific for TLR2 (lipopeptide equivalents), TLR4 (lipopolysaccharide…

• Engineering Clostridium Strain to Accept Unmethylated DNA

  Hongjun Dong et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  It is difficult to genetically manipulate the medically and biotechnologically important genus Clostridium due to the existence of the restriction and modification (RM) systems. We identified and engineered the RM system of a model clostridial species, C. acetobutylicum, with the aim to allow the host to accept the unmethylated DNA efficiently. A gene CAC1502 putatively encoding the type II restriction endonuclease Cac824I was identified from the genome of C. acetobutylicum DSM1731, and disrupted using the ClosTron system based on group II intron insertion. The resulting strain SMB009 lost…

• Identification of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Murine Embryonic and Postnatal Cortical Neural Progenitors

  Lorelei D. Shoemaker et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background The central nervous system (CNS) develops from a heterogeneous pool of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPC), the underlying differences among which are poorly understood. The study of NSPC would be greatly facilitated by the identification of additional proteins that mediate their function and that would distinguish amongst different progenitor populations. Methodology/Principal Findings To identify membrane and membrane-associated proteins expressed by NSPC, we used a proteomics approach to profile NSPC cultured as neurospheres (NS) isolated from the murine cortex during a…

• An Empirical Method for Establishing Positional Confidence Intervals Tailored for Composite Interval Mapping of QTL

  Andrew Crossett et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background Improved genetic resolution and availability of sequenced genomes have made positional cloning of moderate-effect QTL realistic in several systems, emphasizing the need for precise and accurate derivation of positional confidence intervals (CIs) for QTL. Support interval (SI) methods based on the shape of the QTL likelihood curve have proven adequate for standard interval mapping, but have not been shown to be appropriate for use with composite interval mapping (CIM), which is one of the most commonly used QTL mapping methods. Results Based on a non-parametric confidence interval…

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  PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

• Of Cattle, Sand Flies and Men: A Systematic Review of Risk Factor Analyses for South Asian Visceral Leishmaniasis and Implications for Elimination

  Caryn Bern et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a potentially deadly parasitic disease that affects 200,000 to 300,000 people per year in the Indian subcontinent, where an effort is currently underway to eliminate the disease. Studies have identified fairly consistent patterns of risk factors for VL. This information can help to inform the elimination effort. Because humans form the sole source of infection, clustering of VL cases is a prominent feature, both at the household level and on a larger scale. Mud walls, dampness in houses, and peri-domestic vegetation increase infection risk by…

• Schistosoma mansoni Stomatin Like Protein-2 Is Located in the Tegument and Induces Partial Protection against Challenge Infection

  Leonardo P. Farias et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease causing serious chronic morbidity in tropical countries. Together with the publication of the transcriptome database, a series of new vaccine candidates were proposed based on their functional classification. However, the prediction of vaccine candidates from sequence information or even by proteomics or microarrays data is somewhat speculative and there remains the considerable task of functional analysis of each new gene/protein. In this study, we present the characterization of one of these molecules, a stomatin like protein 2…

• Temporal Expression of Chemokines Dictates the Hepatic Inflammatory Infiltrate in a Murine Model of Schistosomiasis

  Melissa L. Burke et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms, is a significant cause of illness and death in the developing world. Furthermore, recent reports suggest that the global burden of disease due to schistosomiasis has been significantly underestimated. Schistosomiasis of the liver arises due to inflammation and the deposition of scar tissue around parasite eggs trapped in this organ. In the current study we analysed the gene-expression profile of the mouse liver at several time points following infection with a virulent strain of Schistosoma japonicum to better understand the…

• Transcriptional Changes in Schistosoma mansoni during Early Schistosomula Development and in the Presence of Erythrocytes

  Geoffrey N. Gobert et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Schistosome blood flukes cause more mortality and morbidity than any other human worm infection, but current control methods primarily rely on a single drug. There is a desperate need for new approaches to control this parasite, including vaccines. People become infected when the free-swimming larva, the cercaria, enters through the skin and becomes the schistosomulum. Schistosomula are susceptible to immune responses during their first few days in the host before they become adult parasites. We characterised the genes that these newly transformed parasites switch on when they…

• An “In-Depth” Description of the Small Non-coding RNA Population of Schistosoma japonicum Schistosomulum

  Zhangxun Wang et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent and serious parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. Schistosomes are pathogens that have a unique repertoire of genes expressed at different life cycle stages. Small regulatory RNAs play an important role in the control of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In a previous study, we identified five conserved miRNAs in adult S. japonicum worms through traditional sequencing methods. In this work, we discovered more microRNAs, including 16 new schistosome-specific miRNA families in addition to 20 conserved…

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  PLoS Hubs for Clinical Trials

• Safety and Immunogenicity of an AMA1 Malaria Vaccine in Malian Children: Results of a Phase 1 Randomized Controlled Trial

  Mahamadou A. Thera et al.

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background The objective was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the AMA1-based malaria vaccine FMP2.1/AS02A in children exposed to seasonal falciparum malaria. Methodology/Principal Findings A Phase 1 double blind randomized controlled dose escalation trial was conducted in Bandiagara, Mali, West Africa, a rural town with intense seasonal transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The malaria vaccine FMP2.1/AS02A is a recombinant protein (FMP2.1) based on apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) from the 3D7 clone of P. falciparum, formulated in the Adjuvant System AS02A. The comparator…

• Effect of a High Intake of Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Lipoprotein Levels in Healthy Human Subjects

  Anne J. Wanders et al.

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background Trans fatty acids are produced either by industrial hydrogenation or by biohydrogenation in the rumens of cows and sheep. Industrial trans fatty acids lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The effects of trans fatty acids from ruminants are less clear. We investigated the effect on blood lipids of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a trans fatty acid largely restricted to ruminant fats. Methodology/Principal Findings Sixty-one healthy women and men were…

• Ghostwriting at Elite Academic Medical Centers in the United States

  Jeffrey R. Lacasse et al.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Jeffrey Lacasse and Jonathan Leo assess ghostwriting policies at 50 academic medical centers in the United States and find that only 10 explicitly prohibit ghostwriting.

• Priming Immunization with DNA Augments Immunogenicity of Recombinant Adenoviral Vectors for Both HIV-1 Specific Antibody and T-Cell Responses

  Richard A. Koup et al.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Background Induction of HIV-1-specific T-cell responses relevant to diverse subtypes is a major goal of HIV vaccine development. Prime-boost regimens using heterologous gene-based vaccine vectors have induced potent, polyfunctional T cell responses in preclinical studies. Methods The first opportunity to evaluate the immunogenicity of DNA priming followed by recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) boosting was as open-label rollover trials in subjects who had been enrolled in prior studies of HIV-1 specific DNA vaccines. All subjects underwent apheresis before and after rAd5 boosting to…

• Considerations for the Design and Conduct of a Pharmacovigilance Study Involving Mass Drug Administration in a Resource-Constrained Setting

  Demissie Alemayehu et al.

  26 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

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  PLoS Computational Biology

• Predicted Functions of MdmX in Fine-Tuning the Response of p53 to DNA Damage

  Sohyoung Kim et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary A Molecular Interaction Map (MIM) akin to a circuit diagram of an electric device can give a comprehensive view of cellular processes and help understand complex protein functions in cells. To this end, we generated a MIM focused on the p53-Mdm2-MdmX network proteins and performed computer simulations to help understand how Mdm2 and MdmX may regulate p53. Proper regulation of p53 is important for cell survival: elevated levels of p53 can lead to cell death, and decreased levels of p53 can lead to cancer. Mdm2 and MdmX are structurally homologous proteins that regulate p53. Mdm2…

• In Silico Analysis of the Apolipoprotein E and the Amyloid β Peptide Interaction: Misfolding Induced by Frustration of the Salt Bridge Network

  Jinghui Luo et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Unraveling the molecular details of the interaction between apolipoprotein E and the amyloid β peptide will yield insights into the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and lipid transport and metabolism. The isoform E4 of apolipoprotein E has been shown to be closely related to Alzheimer's disease. We have therefore used a computational approach to depict a detailed interaction map for this peptide-lipoprotein interaction. The simulation shows that the specific formation of the lipoprotein isoform E4 and the peptide complex affects the structure of the lipoprotein and the…

• The Overlap of Small Molecule and Protein Binding Sites within Families of Protein Structures

  Fred P. Davis et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Proteins function through their interactions with other biological molecules, including other proteins. Often times, these interactions underlie cellular processes that go awry in disease. Therefore, modulating these interactions with small molecules is an active area of research for new drugs to treat diseases and new chemical tools to dissect cellular interaction networks. However, targeting protein–protein interactions has proven to be more challenging than the typical drug targets found on individual proteins. Here, we present a computational approach that aims to help in…

• A Universal Trend of Reduced mRNA Stability near the Translation-Initiation Site in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

  Wanjun Gu et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Synonymous mutations are mutations that change the nucleotide sequence of a gene without changing the amino-acid sequence. Because these mutations don't alter the expressed protein, they are frequently also called silent mutations. Yet increasing evidence demonstrates that synonymous mutations are not that silent. In particular, experimental work in Escherichia coli has shown that the choice of synonymous codons near the start codon can greatly influence protein production. Codons that allow the mRNA to fold into a stable secondary structure seem to inhibit efficient…

• Explicit Kinetic Heterogeneity: Mathematical Models for Interpretation of Deuterium Labeling of Heterogeneous Cell Populations

  Vitaly V. Ganusov et al.

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Author Summary Understanding of cellular processes is impossible without quantitative estimates of how quickly cells in an organism divide and die. The most widely used approach to measure rates of cell turnover in humans is by labeling dividing cells with deuterium given in the form of deuterated glucose or heavy water. Surprisingly, quantitative estimates of the rates of cell turnover obtained from accumulation and decay of the labeled nucleotides in the cell population varied between different studies. We demonstrate that these differences were not likely to arise because of different…

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  PLoS Medicine

• The Global Research Neglect of Unassisted Smoking Cessation: Causes and Consequences

  Simon Chapman et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Simon Chapman and Ross MacKenzie review the evidence and argue that health promotion messages should emphasize that the most successful method used by most ex-smokers is unassisted cessation.

• Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Incidence of Pregnancy among HIV-Infected Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cohort Study

  Landon Myer et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  A multicountry cohort study in sub-Saharan Africa by Landon Myer and colleagues reveals higher pregnancy rates in HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

• Developing Global Maps of the Dominant Anopheles Vectors of Human Malaria

  Simon I. Hay et al.

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Simon Hay and colleagues describe how the Malaria Atlas Project has collated anopheline occurrence data to map the geographic distributions of the dominant mosquito vectors of human malaria.

• Ghostwriting at Elite Academic Medical Centers in the United States

  Jeffrey R. Lacasse et al.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Jeffrey Lacasse and Jonathan Leo assess ghostwriting policies at 50 academic medical centers in the United States and find that only 10 explicitly prohibit ghostwriting.

• Measuring hsCRP—An Important Part of a Comprehensive Risk Profile or a Clinically Redundant Practice?

  James P. McCormack et al.

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  James McCormack and Michael Allan discuss issues and questions surrounding hsCRP measurements in patients.

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  Drugs.com - New Drug Approvals

• Labopharm Receives FDA Approval for Oleptro

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:54 am

  LAVAL, QC and PRINCETON, NJ, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Labopharm Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Oleptro (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of...

• Auxilium Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval for Xiaflex for the Treatment of Dupuytren's Contracture

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:53 am

  MALVERN, Pa., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, just announced that it has received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Xiaflex (collagenase...

• GSK's Tykerb Receives Accelerated Approval for First-Line Combination Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer

  1 Feb 2010 | 6:04 am

  PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- GlaxoSmithKline announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for a new combination regimen using Tykerb (lapatinib) as a first-line, all-oral treatment for...

• FDA Approves Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution for Relief of Acute and Chronic Pain

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:43 am

  Approval is part of Agency's unapproved drugs initiative SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution for the relief of moderate to severe, acute and...

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Labeling Update for Prezista To Include 96-Week Data in HIV-1 Infected Adult Patients

  28 Jan 2010 | 5:50 am

  BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Tibotec Therapeutics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a labeling update for Prezista (darunavir) tablets to include 96-week data from the ARTEMIS and TITAN...

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  Drugs.com - Clinical Trials

• Cerus Corporation Reports Positive Outcome of Phase 1 Clinical Trial of INTERCEPT Red Blood Cells

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  Data Supports Advancement of Product Development   CONCORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 9, 2010 - Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) announced today that its Phase 1 trial of red blood cells treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System met its primary...

• Denosumab Demonstrated Superiority Over Zometa in Pivotal Phase 3 Head-to-Head Trial in Prostate Cancer Patients With Bone Metastases

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:53 am

  Denosumab Trial Met Primary and All Secondary Endpoints by Significantly Delaying Time to First Skeletal Related Event and Significantly Reducing First-and-Subsequent Skeletal Related Events Compared to Zometa Second Phase 3 Advanced Cancer Trial...

• ThromboGenics - Positive Microplasmin Phase II Data Published in Ophthalmology

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:47 am

  - Paper Examines the Potential of Microplasmin to Improve the Treatment of a Range of Back of the Eye Diseases LEUVEN, Belgium, February 9/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the...

• AMAG Pharmaceuticals Provides Feraheme® Safety Update

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am

  ~ Conference call will be held today at 4:45 p.m. Eastern time ~ LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 5, 2010 - AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAG), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a...

• Researchers Report Elevated Levels of Tβ4 Levels Predict Patient Survival in Hepatitis B Virus-related Liver Failure

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  Tβ4 – Potential New Therapeutic Agent for Liver Failure BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 8, 2010 - REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (NYSE Amex:RGN) announced today that researchers have correlated Tβ4 levels with...

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  ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

• Plant derivative could help refine cancer treatment

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Researchers are seeking to refine cancer treatment with an anti-inflammatory plant derivative long used in Chinese medicine.

• How respiratory tubes and capillaries form in flies

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Scientists in Spain report on the formation of the small-diameter respiratory tubes of the fly Drosophila -- a process that resembles the development of the finest blood vessels, the capillaries, in mammals.

• Method of the future uses single-cell imaging to identify gene interactions

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Cellular imaging offers a wealth of data about how cells respond to stimuli, but harnessing this technique to study biological systems is a daunting challenge. Researchers have now developed a novel method of interpreting data from single-cell images to identify genetic interactions within biological networks, offering a glimpse into the future of high-throughput cell imaging analysis.

• Agricultural scientists turn to a wild oat to combat crown rust

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pm

  Scientists are tapping into the DNA of a wild oat, considered by some to be a noxious weed, to see if it can help combat crown rust, the most damaging fungal disease of oats worldwide.

• Argonautes: A big turn-off for proteins

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  Scientists believe they may have figured out how genetic snippets called microRNAs are able to shut down the production of some proteins.

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  Biology News Net - Biotechnology

• Smart coating opens door to safer hip, knee and dental implants

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:57 pm

  Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a "smart coating" that helps surgical implants bond more closely with bone and ward off infection.

• 3-D scaffold provides clean, biodegradable structure for stem cell growth

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:27 pm

  Medical researchers were shocked to discover that virtually all human embryonic stem cell lines being used in 2005 were contaminated. Animal byproducts used to line Petri dishes had left traces on the human cells. If those cells had been implanted in a human body they likely would have been rejected by the patient's immune system.

• Researchers develop new tool for gene delivery

  27 Jan 2010 | 2:23 pm

  Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have developed a new tool for gene therapy that significantly increases gene delivery to cells in the retina compared to other carriers and DNA alone, according to a study published in the January issue of The Journal of Gene Medicine. The tool, a peptide called PEG-POD, provides a vehicle for therapeutic genes and may help researchers develop therapies for degenerative eye disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.

• Microbes produce fuels directly from biomass

  27 Jan 2010 | 2:23 pm

  A collaboration led by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) has developed a microbe that can produce an advanced biofuel directly from biomass. Deploying the tools of synthetic biology, the JBEI researchers engineered a strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria to produce biodiesel fuel and other important chemicals derived from fatty acids.

• MIT: Unusual snail shell could be a model for better armor

  18 Jan 2010 | 2:46 pm

  New insights about a tiny snail that lives on the ocean floor could help scientists design better armor for soldiers and vehicles, according to MIT researchers.

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  BMC Biotechnology - Latest articles

• Comparative transfection of DNA into primary and transformed mammalian cells from different lineages

  Rosalie Maurisse

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Background: The delivery of DNA into human cells has been the basis of advances in the understanding of gene function and the development of genetic therapies. Numerous chemical and physical approaches have been used to deliver the DNA, but their efficacy has been variable and is highly dependent on the cell type to be transfected. Results: Studies were undertaken to evaluate and compare the transfection efficacy of several chemical reagents to that of the electroporation/nucleofection system using both adherent cells (primary and transformed airway epithelial cells and primary fibroblasts as…

• Heterologous expression of leader-less pga gene in Pichia pastoris: intracellular production of prokaryotic enzyme

  Helena Maresova

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Background: Penicillin G acylase of Escherichia coli (PGAEc) is a commercially valuable enzyme for which efficient bacterial expression systems have been developed. The enzyme is used as a catalyst for the hydrolytic production of beta-lactam nuclei or for the synthesis of semi-synthetic penicillins such as ampicillin, amoxicillin and cephalexin. To become a mature, periplasmic enzyme, the inactive prepropeptide of PGA has to undergo complex processing that begins in the cytoplasm (autocatalytic cleavage), continues at crossing the cytoplasmic membrane (signal sequence removing), and it is…

• Periplasmic expression of soluble single chain T cell receptors is rescued by the chaperone FkpA

  Kristin Gunnarsen

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Background: Efficient expression systems exist for antibody (Ab) molecules, which allow for characterization of large numbers of individual Ab variants. In contrast, such expression systems have been lacking for soluble T cell receptors (TCRs). Attempts to generate bacterial systems have generally resulted in low yields and material which is prone to aggregation and proteolysis. Here we present an optimized periplasmic bacterial expression system for soluble single chain (sc) TCRs. Results: The effect of 1) over-expression of the periplasmic chaperon FkpA, 2) various culture conditions and 3)…

• A new approach to dual-color two-photon microscopy with fluorescent proteins

  Shane Tillo

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Background: Two-photon dual-color imaging of tissues and cells labeled with fluorescent proteins (FPs) is challenging because most two-photon microscopes only provide one laser excitation wavelength at a time. At present, methods for two-photon dual-color imaging are limited due to the requirement of large differences in Stokes shifts between the FPs used and their low two-photon absorption (2PA) efficiency. Results: Here we present a new method of dual-color two-photon microscopy that uses the simultaneous and efficient excitation of the lowest-energy electronic transition of a blue…

• Senescent vs. non-senescent cells in the human annulus in vivo: Cell harvest with laser capture microdissection and gene expression studies with microarray analysis

  Helen Gruber

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  IntroductionSenescent cells are well-recognized in the aging/degenerating human disc. Senescent cells are viable, cannot divide, remain metabolically active and accumulate within the disc over time. Molecular analysis of senescent cells in tissue offers a special challenge since there are no cell surface markers for senescence which would let one use fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a method for separating out senescent cells. Methods: We employed a novel laser capture microdissection (LCM) design to selectively harvest senescent and non-senescent annulus cells in paraffin-embedded…

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  Nature.com: Biotechnology News

• Open-source science takes on neglected disease

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:52 pm

  Chemist launches collaborative project to make more potent form of much-needed drug.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/news/rss/news_s1/~4/2s-7ScDM7dk" height="1" width="1"/>

• Biodiversity law could stymie research

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Tighter rules on accessing and developing genetic resources may be counterproductive for conservation.

• Project set to map marks on genome

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:39 am

  Consortium sets sights on the differences that make us different.

• Beetle-based bonding

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:34 pm

  Device inspired by nature clings to surfaces using 'liquid bridges'.

• Lawsuit rekindles gene-patent debate

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:19 pm

  Criticism of exclusive licences puts university policies in the spotlight.