Saturday, December 10, 2005

A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies.

A day spent at the No Mercy Retail Park worshipping Bargyn deity of rampant consumerism. Or at least that's how Monst spent the day, finishing her Chrimbo shopping. Cal and cruise around trailing after her, giggling at the chaos in the shops and adding to it. Borders had Cinderella and Prince Charming running around in it. Cal told them they were boring! Lunch was pizza, and the back to the shopping. Monst headed off to Argos as Cal and I settled in the car to listen to the footy. She comes back and drags us off to the Argos at Prescot to get something not available at the No Mercy. Home to listen to Arsenal lose at Newcastle. No doubt Ingrid will be in touch.... Drop Monst at work, phone home, finish today's news and blog. Not the most exciting of nights. Laurence Rees' 'Auschwitz: The Nazi's and the Final Solution' provides relief from Christmas but not particularly cheery. Shocked that 90% of SS who served at Auschwitz and survved the war, were not prosecuted. Find 'Summer Holiday' on Beeb 4, dunno if it's a Beeb celebration of the end of the Routemaster or it's just freaky programming on their part. I move channels before I can find out. Then give up and finally get round to watching 'Shaun of the Dead'. Technorati Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/10/2005 10:01:00 pm 0 rants

Honey Crucifies

National and International News

Emma Mitchell: how can you minimise skin damage caused by injections for diabetes? - The Guardian 10/12/05 Our 11-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with diabetes type one. What can you recommend to help minimise the damage being done to her skin at injection and blood test sites?
Why the NHS should apply the brakes - The Guardian 10/12/05 In one of her first interviews as health secretary Patricia Hewitt declared six months ago that it was "not only inevitable but essential" that the government's market reforms would create instability. The aim was to get underperforming units to improve, but it would lead to some units closing if they could not deliver. Over the last 10 days our social affairs editor with the help of the freedom of information act has documented just how unstable the health service has become. About one quarter of NHS trusts are in deficit and currently forecasting an aggregate deficit of 1bn.
Young lives protected by two small tablets - The Guardian 10/12/05 The constant battle to prevent HIV-positive mothers transmitting the virus to their babies
Germany backs bigger brothels to fight World Cup sex explosion - The Independent 10/12/05 It is only a short bus ride from Germany's main World Cup stadium and it boasts a Turkish bath, two saunas, two cinemas and up to 100 prostitutes offering round-the-clock sex.
Hospital 'lottery' blamed for 5,000 deaths - The Times 10/12/05 THOUSANDS of lives could be saved each year if the country’s worst hospitals managed only a small improvement in performance, a study of the NHS has found. Healthy exercise - The Times 10/12/05 Hospital deaths 'may be prevented' - Daily Mail 10/12/05
Trauma of infertility is worse than cancer, says Winston - The Times 10/12/05 INFERTILITY is more traumatic for many patients than cancer but is still unrecognised by the Government as a serious medical condition, according to Britain’s best known expert in the specialty.
Salesman posing as a doctor 'did real harm' - The Times 10/12/05 A SALESMAN with no medical qualifications tricked his way into a hospital and practised as a psychologist before managers discovered he was bogus, a court was told yesterday.
Auction a leg up for disabled - The Times 10/12/05 Walking sticks decorated by actors, politicians and entertainers were put up for sale in an online auction. The actors Sir Ian McKellen and Robert Lindsay, and Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy were among those who created the sticks, which are being sold on eBay, the auction website, in aid of the Disabled Living Foundation. The auction ends on December 19.
Surgeons tell of fears over disclosure of death rates - The Times 10/12/05 SURGEONS in Scotland gave warning yesterday that a ruling that patient mortality rates are to be published could affect clinical decisions on how individuals are treated.
Merck doctored arthritis drug data - The Times 10/12/05 The drug giant Merck is facing further trouble after it was alleged that it had deleted data on the safety of its bestselling arthritis drug, Vioxx.
Creating a solution that gives leverage for change in health - The Times 10/12/05 GIVING the Gates way is not about charity. It is about identifying health problems and creating solutions that cost less per life saved and will have the greatest impact.
Letters to the Editor - The Times 10/12/05 It must be right for the UK to study health systems in other countries and learn wherever possible, but John A. Blackley (letter, Dec 8) is wrong to suggest that the UK should learn from the health system in the US.
Walking a fine life - The Times 10/12/05 Stories behind the news: A dopey government policy on drugs is simply befuddling us all
Ills in the aisles - The Times 10/12/05 THE department store is piping out Jingle Bells, you’re standing there after three hours of jfootslogging, nothing is ticked off your list, and you want to cry. Know the feeling? A new survey finds that people judge Christmas shopping to be the most stressful element of the festive season.
Junk medicine: animal research - The Times 10/12/05 “The proper study of mankind is man,” wrote Alexander Pope in 1734. His words have become something of a maxim for the animal rights movement. Where anti- vivisectionists would once argue that animal experiments are unjustified, regardless of any medical benefit, many now contend instead that such benefits are illusory and the experiments worthless.
Health atlas: Mapping a revolution - The Times 10/12/05 Is the future bright for our health service? A technique from marketing may help, and, in the next article, how hospital care varies
Health atlas: Battle against the superbug - The Times 10/12/05 Precautions against MRSA vary enormously from hospital to hospital, according to Dr Foster, the health data experts
Interview: Simon Callow: at this stage of my life - The Times 10/12/05 Simon Callow has always been alternative: he’s a fan of acupuncture and cupping, won’t drink water with food, ‘tames’ his body in the gym and is obsessive about work. Rosie Millard meets an original
Happy families: jolly Uncle Jack - The Times 10/12/05 Super-gran Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall continues her new column on coping with tricky family members - how to keep your cool with an adult who overheats the kids
Spas: diva for just one day - The Times 10/12/05 Olivia Lichtenstein polishes up a mother-daughter relationship
High price of elegance - The Times 10/12/05 Partying in heels can be sole-destroying. Rosie Millard learns how to put her best foot forward and, in the next article, feet treats to help you stay on your festive toes
Lunchtime fix: false eyelashes - The Times 10/12/05 False eyelashes can be great for parties, but how do you avoid them heading south?
Bodylicious: party feet - The Times 10/12/05 The celebrity pedicurist Nonie Creme recommends the best feet treatments for when you’re wearing sky-high heels
Agony and ecstasy: that really hits the spot - The Times 10/12/05 I have discovered a soft area behind the pubic bone that just needs to be touched for great pleasure. Is this an external extension of the clitoris?
Gabby Logan's ten-minute toner: bottoms - The Times 10/12/05 Does my bum look big in this? Not if you do these exercises for a more shapely rear view
Remember - a camel is not just for Christmas - The Times 10/12/05 If you thought that ethical giving was worthy but dull, think again. Charity gift catalogues are full of funky gifts for all the family — and you get to spread a little goodwill
Dipping into party winners - The Times 10/12/05 Delicious, quick and nutritious. Jane Clarke makes canapés to hit the Christmas spot
In a spiritual fashion - The Times 10/12/05 How the fit and fabulous stay that way
Doctor cleared of sex assault tells of his nightmare wait - The Telegraph 10/12/05 A family GP who was falsely accused of assaulting a teenage patient spoke yesterday of a "nightmare" nine months, after a jury took just 20 minutes to clear him.
Heart transplant mother loses her battle for life - The Telegraph 10/12/05 A woman who made medical history when she gave birth after a heart transplant has died.
After the slaughter - The Telegraph 10/12/05 Violet's dream is simple. She wants a pretty dress to wear, enough money to send her brother to school and at least one meal a day. As part of this year's Telegraph Christmas Appeal, Alice Thomson visited her in the remote village of Bweyeye in Rwanda, which was devastated in 1994 by genocide
Baby born to mum with two wombs - Daily Mail 09/12/05 When Katherine Harrison collapsed with severe stomach pains just a week before she was due to give birth, doctors at first couldn't detect the cause.
Health fears over seven-year-olds' drink and drug abuse - Daily Mail 09/12/05 Doctors have seen children as young as seven are suffering from the effects of drug or alcohol abuse, according to a new doctors' survey.
Breast cancer drug halves return risk - Daily Mail 09/12/05 The breast cancer drug Herceptin could halve the risk of early stage aggressive cancer returning, according to the latest international study. Breast cancer drug cuts death risk - Daily Mail 10/12/05 New cancer drug puts NHS under pressure - The Guardian 10/12/05
Mother dies refusing cancer aid - Daily Mail 09/12/05 A mother who refused life-saving treatment to protect her unborn baby has died from cancer. Cancer woman dies after giving birth - The Telegraph 10/12/05
Boy, 3, choked to death on meatball - Daily Mail 09/12/05 A "lovely, bubbly three-year-old boy" died after choking on a meatball during lunch at a private nursery school, an inquest has heard. Child No 2 chokes to death on meatball - The Telegraph 10/12/05
False positives in HIV tests - Daily Mail 09/12/05 A promising new oral HIV test that uses fluid swabbed from the mouth to quickly and easily detect the virus that causes Aids incorrectly diagnosed a quarter of the people who tested positive in San Francisco, city health officials have discovered.
Drugs warning after malaria deaths - Daily Mail 09/12/05 Health protection experts have warned travellers to take anti-malaria drugs when going to certain countries following the deaths of visitors returning from Gambia.
Thalidomide compensation doubled - Daily Mail 09/12/05 Thalidomide victims have welcomed a decision to more than double compensation payments as part of a "full and final" financial settlement for the 1960s drugs tragedy.
Surgery death rates to be published - Daily Mail 09/12/05 Scotland's surgeons have given a cautious welcome to a ruling that health chiefs must publish the death rates of their patients.
'Jekyll and Hyde' dementia clue - BBC Health News 10/12/05 A brain protein switches from 'Jekyll to Hyde' - building memories, but also playing a role in killing brain cells in conditions such as dementia.
Hope over chronic epilepsy onset - BBC Health News 10/12/05 Using drugs to block chemical brain signals may stop epileptic seizures in children and the onset of a chronic form of the condition, a study says.
Lung cancer drug 'gets go-ahead' - BBC Health News 09/12/05 Patients across the north east of England are to be given a potentially life-saving lung cancer drug.
Infections follow surgery blitz - BBC Health News 09/12/05 Four people who had cataract operations performed by an Australian surgical team have now developed serious eye infections, the BBC has learned.
Vomiting bug hits over 250 pupils - BBC Health News 09/12/05 At least 250 pupils and 20 staff at a secondary school have been confirmed to be suffering from a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Stomach bug sweeps through school - Daily Mail 09/12/05 250 pupils struck down by stomach illness - The Guardian 10/12/05 Stomach virus hits 250 schoolchildren - The Telegraph 10/12/05
Ageing population 'to strain NHS' - BBC Health News 09/12/05 The ageing population will place a huge strain on the NHS, a study says.
US FDA issues alert on study of Abbott antibiotic - Reuters 09/12/05 U.S. regulators alerted the public on Friday to a study showing a higher death rate among heart disease patients a year after taking an Abbott Laboratories Inc. antibiotic, as part of an effort to release early information about potential safety concerns.
Allergic rhinitis treatment key to asthma control - Reuters 09/12/05 Good asthma management requires appropriate treatment of persistent stuffy nose or "allergic rhinitis," researchers report in the journal Chest.
Mom's attitude affects teen's dieting - Reuters 09/12/05 Teenagers who think their mothers put a high value on thinness may be more likely to worry about their weight and frequently diet, new research suggests.
Many return to sports after hip replacement - Reuters 09/12/05 The number of older adults participating in sports activities increases after hip replacement but declines after knee replacement for osteoarthritis, research suggests.
Lean women may be susceptible to endometriosis - Reuters 09/12/05 Women diagnosed with endometriosis have a tendency to be lean, as measured by body mass index (BMI), both at the time of diagnosis and historically, research hints.
HeBirth weight tied to excess mortality in diabetics - Reuters 09/12/05 It is known that the risk of death in adults with diabetes is approximately twofold that of the general population. A new study suggests that the excess mortality associated with diabetes is disproportionately concentrated among those diabetics who were singleton term infants with low or high birth weight.
Low-fat dairy tied to lower blood pressure - Reuters 09/12/05 Middle-aged adults who favor skim milk and other low-fat dairy foods may have lower blood pressure than others their age, a new study suggests.
Kellogg touts soy oil alternative to trans fats - Reuters 09/12/05 Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, said on Friday it plans to reduce artery-clogging trans fats in some of its products and called on others to invest in a new variety of soybean oil it said is healthier than other trans-fat-free oils.
Merck deleted Vioxx dangers: journal - Reuters 09/12/05 A prestigious medical journal on Thursday said Merck & Co. withheld information about the dangers of arthritis drug Vioxx in a key study, an alleged lapse that analysts said could hurt Merck as it defends itself against Vioxx-related lawsuits.
Smoking lowers chances of surviving throat cancer - Reuters 09/12/05 For people with cancer of the larynx or lower pharynx, continuing to smoke or drink alcohol make it less likely that they'll survive, while eating a diet rich in vegetables and vitamin C improves their survival, a new study shows.
Trust Your Doctor And You're More Likely To Have Better Outcomes - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Patients with higher levels of trust in their regular physicians are more likely than patients with less trust to have better care, a new study finds.
Advancements And Solutions For Quality Of Life Assessments, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers recently published the first series of chapters in a two-part monograph discussing quality of life (QOL) assessment - best practices, promising techniques and revolutionary applications. The monograph was published in the November-December issue of Current Problems in Cancer, with the second half to follow in early 2006.
Phase II Data On E7389, Potential New Therapy For The Treatment Of Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Researchers today presented preliminary safety and efficacy data for E7389 in the treatment of advanced, refractory breast cancer during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. E7389 is a synthetic analog of halichondrin B (HB), which is a natural product shown in preclinical studies to have highly potent anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Halichondrin B was originally isolated from a type of marine sponge.
Beyond Tom Cruise - The Bigger Ultrasound Picture - Medical News Today 10/12/05 "Patient safety and diagnostic excellence are paramount and are best achieved through education, certification, and accreditation of ultrasound facilities" asserted Lennard Greenbaum, MD, president of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) in support of the criticism voiced by the medical community regarding Tom Cruise's purchase of an ultrasound machine for personal use. As the association for medical ultrasound, the AIUM leads in addressing the ultrasound community's concerns on a closely related issue: the emergence of businesses promoting ultrasound services for entertainment purposes. The AIUM promotes a 3-pronged approach to safety--for both the mother and the unborn child.
ASU Researchers 'wire' DNA To Identify Mutations - Medical News Today 10/12/05 A team of ASU researchers led by Nongjian Tao and Peiming Zhang has developed a new, breakthrough technique for the detection of DNA mutations.
Life-Changing Effects Of A Heart Attack, Study - Medical News Today 10/12/05 A new survey reveals a majority of heart attack survivors characterize their attack as a life-altering "wake-up call," giving them renewed priorities and a second chance at life. However, many of those surveyed also say their heart attack left them with feelings of depression, hopelessness or fear. In fact, the survey showed that heart attack survivors are more likely to fear having another attack than death. Surprisingly, the survey also showed that while an overwhelming majority acknowledge their increased risk for another attack, 40 percent admit they are not doing everything they can to avoid one.
'Doctor Franklin's Medicine' Explores Founding Father's Vast Medical Legacy, USA - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Benjamin Franklin's myriad contributions as scientist, inventor, publisher and statesman will be back in the spotlight in coming months as America celebrates his 300th birthday on Jan. 17, 2006.
Preventing Atherosclerosis Is All About Going With The Flow - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Despite the presence of risk factors such as high cholesterol, some regions of blood vessels remain relatively resistant to the development of atherosclerotic lesions that can block blood flow to essential organs.
Inflamed About Obesity: CCR2 Keeps Fat Cells In A State Of Inflammation - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Obesity is associated with a state of chronic, low-level inflammation in fatty tissue (adipose tissue), which contains an increased number of macrophages.
Inhibiting Kidney Protein USAG-1 May Help Decrease Dialysis Dependency - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Dialysis has become a necessary form of treatment for the removal of waste products from the blood of patients with end-stage renal disease, a condition that cannot be reversed or repaired by currently available therapies.
New Therapy For Asthma Is A Breath Of Fresh Air - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Glucocorticoids, the treatment of choice for many people with asthma, boost production of the molecule IL-10, which helps decrease airway inflammation. However, some asthmatic patients are resistant to glucocorticoid therapy because their T cells do not produce IL-10 in response to these steroids. In a study appearing online on December 8 in advance of print publication in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Catherine Hawrylowicz and colleagues from King's College London investigate IL-10-producing T cells in the context of human allergic and asthmatic disease.
'Computer-chemistry' Yields New Insight Into A Puzzle Of Cell Division - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Duke University biochemists aided by Duke computer scientists and computational chemists have identified the likely way two key enzymes dock in an intricate three-dimensional puzzle-fit to regulate cell division. Solving the docking puzzle could lead to anticancer drugs to block the runaway cell division behind some cancers, said the researchers.
Herceptin Plus Chemotherapy Improves Disease-free Survival In Early Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Pairing the targeted therapy Herceptin with chemotherapy in patients with early stage breast cancer significantly increases disease-free survival time in women who test positive for a genetic mutation that results in a particularly aggressive form of the disease, according to large, international study.
Asthma Sufferers Resistant To Steroid Treatment Benefit From Vitamin D3 Supplement - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Asthma patients who don't respond to steroid treatment suffer repeated asthma attacks, and are at greater risk of dying from the condition. Researchers from King's College London have found that vitamin D3 could substantially improve the responsiveness of these patients to steroid treatment, offering them hope of an improvement in their condition. Their results are published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Breast Cancer Patients Have Raised Risk Of Developing Second Cancer - Medical News Today 10/12/05 A new large-scale study on women with breast cancer found a 25 percent increase in the risk of developing a new non-breast cancer compared to women without cancer. The study, published online December 8, 2005 in the International Journal of Cancer, the official journal of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), is available via Wiley InterScience (interscience.wiley.com/journal/ijc).
Performing Monkeys In Asia Carry Viruses That Could Jump Species To Humans - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Some urban performing monkeys in Indonesia are carrying several retroviruses that are capable of infecting people, according to a new study led by University of Washington researchers. The results indicate that contact with performing monkeys, which is common in many Asian countries, could represent a little-known path for viruses to jump the species barrier from monkeys to humans and eventually cause human disease. Performing monkeys are animals that are trained to produce tricks in public.
Limiting Damage Caused By Burns And Encourage Skin Tissue Regeneration - Medical News Today 10/12/05 An innovative drug treatment that could limit the damage caused by burns and encourage skin tissue regeneration is the focus of a new partnership between West Australian research groups headed by two Australians of the Year.
Gatton Livestock Studies Spurred A Flu-fighter - Medical News Today 10/12/05 The University of Queensland, Australia, is awarding the Gatton Gold Medal to a scientist whose Gatton studies sowed the seeds of a revolutionary flu drug.
Gastrointestinal Problems May Impede Overweight People From Exercising - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Doctors treating overweight or obese patients often prescribe exercise as part of a regime to take off pounds. However, a new study indicates that some people's ability to exercise may be hampered by a variety of gastrointestinal problems that frequently affect individuals who are overweight.
Lowering Blood Pressure More Important Than Drug Class In Preventing Kidney Disease - Medical News Today 10/12/05 The first-line drug choices to treat high blood pressure in patients with kidney disease may not be the best option, according to an article in this week's issue of The Lancet.
Progress Conference On Child Survival As Called For In 2003 Lancet Series To Take Place Next Week - Medical News Today 10/12/05 An editorial in this week's issue highlights an upcoming conference on child survival that was called for in the 2003 Lancet Bellagio child survival series. As a result of the Bellagio initiative, progress towards improving child survival will be tracked in a series of 2-yearly rolling meetings, the first of which takes place at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on Dec 13-14. The conference is called Tracking Progress in Child Survival: Countdown to 2015.
How Strong Is Hole In Heart And Stroke Link? - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Mayo Clinic researchers have found that -- contrary to current thinking by some in the medical community -- a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart, does not predestine an individual to a stroke later in life. Findings will appear online on Friday, Dec. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Nurses Key To Restoring Public Confidence In UK Hospital Care, Argues Expert In This Week's BMJ - Medical News Today 10/12/05 Nurses led the transformation of hospitals in the 19th century. So, why after a century of outstanding success, is the future of the large general hospital in question? asks Professor Nick Black of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Pacifiers Lower Sudden Infant Death, Population Based Case-Control Study - Medical News Today 10/12/05 A study published by the British Medical Journal today indicates clearly that the use of pacifiers significantly reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (cot death). Dummies Lower Cot Death Risk By 90 Per Cent - Medical News Today 09/12/05
Hundreds Of Thousands Celebrate 'Move It Or Lose It!' World Osteoporosis Day 2005 A Success - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Hundreds of thousands of people around the world joined in the fight against osteoporosis and celebrated World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) 2005, the International Osteoporosis Foundation said today.
Alzheimer's Prevention Easier Than The Cure - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Current hypotheses suggest that it is the accumulation over time of amyloid beta peptide 1-42 (Abeta42) that triggers changes in the brain that lead to cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. The reduction of amyloid levels is therefore a major therapeutic objective. Todd Golde and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville report evidence to suggest that prevention of amyloid deposition may be easier than curing established Alzheimer's disease. Their results will appear online on December 8 in advance of print publication in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
How Many Stem Cell Lines Are Needed For A Functional Therapeutic Bank? - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Scientists have estimated the number of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines that are needed to create a functional therapeutic hESC bank in the UK. They report their findings in this week's issue of The Lancet.
WHO Must Prepare Health Ministries For Trade Liberalisation - Medical News Today 09/12/05 The World Health Organization (WHO) has an important role in ensuring health ministries everywhere have the knowledge to make future trade in health services accessible and equitable, states an editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.
Understanding Causes Of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) In Young People - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Scientists at the Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University have made a breakthrough in our understanding of the causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people.
How Reliable Are US Flu Death Figures? - Medical News Today 09/12/05 US data on influenza death may be more PR than science, argues a Harvard University graduate student in this week's BMJ.
Experts Say Facial Transplants Are Justified, British Medical Journal - Medical News Today 09/12/05 With news of the world's first facial transplant hitting the headlines, experts in this week's BMJ debate whether the benefit of this procedure to someone with severe facial deformity outweighs the risk of long term suppression of the immune system. 'No barrier' to face transplants - BBC Health News 09/12/05
Ageing Population Will Impose Huge NHS Burden, UK - Medical News Today 09/12/05 New figures published by Dr Foster in this week's BMJ predict that the UK's ageing population will impose considerable workload and financial pressures on the NHS.
Low-dose Chemotherapy Plus Antiangiogenesis Drug Has Activity In Advanced Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Chemotherapy given in low, frequent doses - a novel strategy called "metronomic" delivery - achieved partial shrinkage of disease in some advanced breast cancer patients when given concurrently with an angiogenesis inhibitor, report researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
New Technique Puts Brain-imaging Research On Its Head - Medical News Today 09/12/05 It's a scene football fans will see over and over during the bowl and NFL playoff seasons: a player, often the quarterback, being slammed to the ground and hitting the back of his head on the landing.
New Muscle-building Agent Beats All Previous Ones - Mouse Study - Medical News Today 09/12/05 The Johns Hopkins scientists who first created "mighty mice" have developed, with pharmaceutical company Wyeth and the biotechnology firm MetaMorphix, an agent that's more effective at increasing muscle mass in mice than a related potential treatment for muscular dystrophy now in clinical trials.
Mathematics Used To Discern Immune Response To Infectious Diseases - Medical News Today 09/12/05 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a five-year, $9.1 million contract to develop sophisticated mathematical models for investigating how the immune system responds to the pathogens that cause flu, tuberculosis (TB) and tularemia, an especially dangerous infection that some authorities believe could be used as a biological weapon. Such models should help expedite the development of vaccines and therapies against these and other infectious agents and help researchers and public health officials in their efforts to predict or prevent disease outbreaks as well as determine the best courses of treatment.
Researchers Discover A Protein Responsible For Shaping The Nervous System - Medical News Today 09/12/05 A team of researchers led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Toronto (U of T) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered a protein that is responsible for shaping the nervous system. This research was made possible with the support of a $1.5-million NeuroScience Canada Brain Repair ProgramTM team grant that enabled scientists from across Canada to work together and fast track their research. This research is reported in the December 8, 2005 issue of the journal Neuron.
Ulcerative Colitis Survey Unmasks Challenges For Patients Beyond Devastating Symptoms - Medical News Today 09/12/05 Results released today from the Voices of UC survey of 1,000 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients underscore the extensive burden of the disease. UC is a debilitating chronic disease affecting more than 500,000 Americans, for whom there is no medical cure. While UC affects more people in the United States than multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis, general awareness of the disease is disproportionately lower.
Tamiflu Production To Rise Dramatically After Roche Agrees With 15 US Labs - Medical News Today 09/12/05 US Senator, Charles Schumer, said Roche is in the verge of announcing production agreements with 15 US drug producers to produce more Tamiflu. Tamiflu is an antiviral medication that provides some hope of survival for people infected with bird flu if administered early enough.
TLR4 Gene Found To Protect Against Tumor Development And Chronic Lung Inflammation - Medical News Today 09/12/05 A new study finds that a gene which plays an important role in immune function, known as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), may also play a critical role in suppressing chronic lung inflammation and tumor development in mice.
Regulating Gene Expression - STAT - Medical News Today 09/12/05 In the December 15th issue of G&D, Dr, Michael Snyder and colleagues (Yale University) explore transcription factor binding under different cell activation conditions. The authors used a ChIP-chip approach to map out STAT1 and STAT2 binding sites along the human chromosome 22 after IFN-alpha or IFN-gamma stimulation.

Posted by Kieran at 12/10/2005 09:06:00 pm 0 rants

Friday, December 09, 2005

You're having a laugh

Detour to the Reebok via Bolton, shoulda headed for Preston. VLE gig was fine, some interesting stuff, some less interesting stuff. Nice to see Liz etc. Ring Nicola for the url to bring Dave up to speed with the soap. Bemuse other librarians... Good!

The Bolton Evening News makes more sense now I've travelled through the place. It's Royston Vasey on a large scale. Mind you, it'd have to be to fit Big Sam. See Jonathon from the NPC for the first time in ages. Nice to see him, he tells me things about clinical answers that interest me. The most pleasant of the munsters, nice to see him.

Drop Dave and head back to an empty house. Cal's school christmas play thing today and they were off to Uncle Sam's for dinner with Aaron, Paula and Dean. Relax, phone home and speak to my Aunt, Barbara. Sharon's Aunt calls as does Kitty. The window cleaner comes round demanding money with jokes. A staunch Liverpudlian, I'm not suprised when he tells me he's heard Calum Best is worth 6 million more since his Dad's death. Apparently he took back the empties. I return the compliment with Sally's Gary Glitter joke. We both cackle at the sick nature of both jokes. He's a nice fella and acknowledges that Rafa winning Manager of the Month is bad news for his team. I'm impressed that Robin van Persie won player of the month. He's come on leaps and bounds since his brush with the law.

Family arrive home, the food wasn't great so I'm sent to the Ying Wah but not before I see the vid of Cal as a snowflake. Cool! Sit in the pub and wait on it being cooked. Nice relaxing pint and nice food to look forward to. Result. Should respond to a mail from Angela Delea but can't be arsed!

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Posted by Kieran at 12/09/2005 08:26:00 pm 0 rants

Reebock Bound

Day out at the Reebock which now seems like a cruel joke given the 2-0 drubbing the other week that Arsenal were on the receiveing end of. Event is about the North West VLE which I hope to exploit. Due to pick Dave up at 8.00 so shortly need to put the coffee down having sorted Exhibit B and head. Not looking forward to the drive, rush hour Manc bound, bad karma beckons. Apparently a goodly number of library folk are due to be there along with a smattering of IT so expecting to see a good few people I know and like. Technorati Tags: ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/09/2005 07:17:00 am 0 rants

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Ever feel like your life is a soap opera....

After years of generating current awareness the place has finally cracked as Nicola and Sally or is that Sally and Nicola introduce the world to a blog based soap known as BrookEnderFarm Street. Confused? You soon will be but you can grab it via a feed at http://brookenderfarmstreet.blogspot.com/atom.xml. Technorati Tags: ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/08/2005 04:39:00 pm 0 rants

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

We wll laugh, the day.....

Thatcher in hospital, time to cue the Hefner? Technorati Tags: ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/07/2005 09:40:00 pm 0 rants

Eeek! Meerkats!

A day of news, mucking around with mail formats, winding up acutes via Google Groups (it's easy and cheap... all over LMS use)and delivering stuff to Gill Swash. Shan over to talk chartershp with Tracy, think they had a good sesh. Drag them to the Marina for beer and Shan supplies the scran. Nice to chat, swap goss and disuss public health. Home to find Helen and Lonen round and my tea on. Pleasant change. Then into the cleaning post scran. Deep joy! Rome later and a programme on meerkats... flee to listen to Arsenal in the kitchen. Ajax tonight in the Champions League and they could win all their group games. Weird reversal in fortunes which should get me excited by European prospects but I've fallen for that one before! Technorati Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/07/2005 07:56:00 pm 0 rants

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Ted Heaf Orchestra

Dash to Regatta to pick up folders and stuff for a corporate induction today up at the Heaf. Tracy kindly onstucts folders as I stuff 'em. Consequently I miss the traffic and enjoy shooting both the Mersey Wave and Runcorn Bridge without getting stopped. Works well with a Franz Ferdinand soundtrack. Spend the day dropping things off at HCLU (where I bum a coffee from Shan) and with teh Inquiry crew, not attending the corporate induction which is cancelled because no bugger turned up (not suprised the welcome to your new organisation which is being disbanded is not the best of messages). Also contemplate EDRMS and E-filing and write some stuff. Deal with a variety of FoI issues and despatch a response to yesterday's hearse chaser. Response was as I desired.... Technorati Tags: ; ; ; ; ; ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/06/2005 04:42:00 pm 0 rants

Monday, December 05, 2005

More Mucking Around With Pics


Don't ask me, the library move in collage. Another case of mucking around with pictures. Posted by Picasa Technorati Tags: ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/05/2005 11:00:00 pm 0 rants

Downfall

A day where most of the day has been spent with a headache and without a phone. Not impressed with the latter and could have done without the former. Lacked analgesia and amputation seemed like too drastic a cure. Christmas decs greet me in the library, make my token anti-christmas protest and get on with the day. Meet with Angela Delea and drag Sally along. Deep joy we have a presentation to prepare for a group that don't really want to see us but have a defined need (defined by us, not by them but you work with what you've got). Score some time on the induction programme as a result of the meeting which is a bit of a result. Check out a throwaway line on Fighting Talk about Stuart Pearce that proves to be true. The geezer loves his punk. More than a bit impressed, might have to find a copy of 'Psycho' as a result to dig around the subject more. Home, feed Monst, cook summat different for Cal who refuses food (don't blame him), threaten my chicken soup and finish cooking it in preparation for tomorrow. Technorati Tags: ; ; ;

Posted by Kieran at 12/05/2005 08:55:00 pm 0 rants

Chase that Hearse

Cal goes off to school, I come to work and the phone system is shagged. In the mail I discover the following request:

  • The names of those who have died within your health authority with no known next of kin in the past calendar year, and whose details you have or will soon pass onto the Treasury Solicitor.
  • Their last known address, date of death, date of birth and an estimation, if possible, of the size of the estate left.
    • All you need isn't it, a shagging hearse chaser. Has me scurrying to the legal stuff. So the Access to Health Records Act 1990 gets a whirl. DPA don't apply because we're talking about stiffs. Can't call the people I need to talk to don't even know if we hold the information. Hoping above all else that we don't so I can send a polite fuck off. Do come across Hearse Driver which google advertises as photos, chat room, and links for current and aspiring hearse drivers or the Hearse Enthusiast which vaguely amuse me. Technorati Tags: ; ;

    Posted by Kieran at 12/05/2005 10:06:00 am 0 rants

    Sunday, December 04, 2005

    Scrooge strikes again....

    And so from Friday the chemical warfare continued into Saturday, punctuated by a trip to Sainsbury's and more chemical warfare, listening to the cricket and the disaster that unfolded there, the tip to drop stuff off that is being junked and the delights of Curry's as Monst sources a TV for Cal. Trip to the loft sorts the decs, gates an issue, not in the loft. Need to check elsewhere in the house or with Helen. Flip through the news on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, job done actually feels like a break. Sunday and Cal gets a tree up. I return to chemical warfare elsewhere and need to clear up the needles that have dropped from an artificial tree that is convinced it is real. Been bugged by a revolving Santa chiming out jingle bells and early carollers who have been told to go away however I restrain myself from telling them to sod off. Technorati Tags: ; ; ; ;

    Posted by Kieran at 12/04/2005 08:30:00 pm 0 rants

    Carpe Jugulum

    Cheshire and Mersey News

    MP urges members to reject merger - Warrington Guardian 03/12/05 HOSPITAL board members are being urged to reject secret plans to merge Warrington Hospital with Whiston.
    Bumper year for League of Friends - Warrington Guardian 02/12/05 WARRINGTON Hospital's League of Friends has enjoyed a bumper fundraising year, collecting almost £150,000.
    Waste site job estimate incorrect - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05 A WASTE park will create 2,000 fewer jobs than first estimated if given the go-ahead.
    Tree of Light event - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05 THE Countess of Chester Hospital's 2005 Tree of Light will be lit during a special ceremony and service of remembrance tonight at 6pm.
    So where is the drunken chaos? - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05 Last week, Britain became a 24-hour drinking nation as the licensing laws underwent controversial change. Opponents believe it will increase drunken behaviour on the streets while supporters feel it will reduce such problems.
    Kiddie booze haul seized - Chester Chronicle 02/12/05 POLICE seized 108 litres of alcohol from children in a clampdown on underage street drinking.
    Carer in battle for fortune - Daily Post 02/12/05 A YACHT dealer who claims he was left with nothing after caring for a Liverpool millionairess until she died of cancer yesterday launched a High Court battle for a share of her fortune.
    Cumbria and Lancashire News
    Anguish of 'happy slapping' victim - Lancashire Evening Post 03/12/05 A "HAPPY slapping" attack victim today told how yobs laughed as they filmed an attack which left him with severe facial injuries.
    70k to reduce NHS waiting list - Lancashire Evening Post 03/12/05 MORE than 70,000 in NHS cash is to be spent on private staff to bring down a waiting list which has run longer than a year.
    Dentist's cash extraction too painful - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 03/12/05 THE greed of professional people never fails to annoy me. The majority of dentists are now in private practice and we now hear the opticians are also thinking of going private.
    Hair loss help for cancer patients - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 02/12/05 Cancer patients at the Royal Preston Hospital are to benefit from a hi-tech machine that will minimise hair loss during chemotherapy treatment.
    Doctor denies sex charge - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 02/12/05 A DOCTOR accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old patient in her hospital bed has been suspended by the General Medical Council for 18 months.
    Greater Manchester News
    Look after the elderly this winter - Bury Times 02/12/05 RELATIVES, friends and neighbours in Prestwich and Whitefield are being urged by fire chiefs to keep an eye on the elderly as forecasters predict one of the coldest winters in years.
    Maternity unit: decision will be made after consultation - Bury Times 02/12/05 There are inaccuracies in your report last week ('Baby unit will shut in plan to axe services', Guide, November 24) which we are most anxious to correct as they will cause unnecessary worries to local residents. Baby unit meant that I was close to my son - Bury Times 02/12/05 Fight for mum and baby unit - Bury Times 02/12/05
    Hospice plea for lights - Bury Times 02/12/05 BURY Hospice is asking revellers to dig deep this festive season.
    Prescription pricing staff in strike threat over job cuts - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 UNIONS representing staff at the Prescription Pricing Authority have threatened industrial action following the announcement of job cuts across the North-west.
    Life-saving treatment is cancelled as disease spreads - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 A CANCER sufferer due to have a second bout of pioneering treatment is devastated after being told the disease has spread.
    Hospital building 'must be saved' - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 A FORMER Victorian cottage hospital could be demolished and replaced with a industrial unit.
    Mother's campaign against phone mast - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 A MOTHER has launched a campaign to stop a mobile phone mast being built near to her son's bedroom.
    Hospital winning the fight against superbugs - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 THE battle against superbugs is being won at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
    Hospice charity is wound up - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05 A CHARITY which received more than 40,000 in donations to build a children's hospice in Bolton has folded after running out of cash.
    Yobs target immigrant nurses - Manchester Evening News 02/12/05 DOZENS of foreign healthcare workers drafted into Manchester to tackle NHS staff shortages are living in fear after being targeted by racist yobs.
    NHS agrees to pay life-saving bill - Manchester Evening News 02/12/05 A CANCER patient has won a second battle to get the NHS to pay for life-saving treatment.

    Posted by Kieran at 12/04/2005 07:11:00 pm 0 rants

    The Spooks

    National and International News

    India's newly rich battle with obesity - The Observer 04/12/05 India is facing an obesity crisis among its newly wealthy middle class as millions of its rural poor still struggle for enough to eat.
    Life doesn't end at 60 ... three who found fulfilment by staying at work - The Observer 04/12/05 Sheila Richardson, 69, works at Aylett Nurseries, London Colney in Hertfordshire. She looked up 'retire' in the dictionary, found it defined as 'to withdraw, retreat and recede' and thought, 'No, thank you'. Daggers drawn on cost of pensions - The Observer 04/12/05
    Cheer leaders - The Observer 04/12/05 'Tis not just the season to be merry, but time to maintain a permanent level of sloshed-ness, according to statistics. Each year, every adult in the UK drinks 25.4 litres of wine, mostly condensed into the month of December. However, it's no secret the average glass comprises several splashes of oil (if you factor in production and transportation) and even optical brighteners. Then there's viticulture's massive pesticide habit: a recent Friends of the Earth study found residues of two pesticides in white wine which are known human disrupters.
    Children die as winter snow sweeps quake valleys - The Observer 04/12/05 As temperatures plummet in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dan McDougall reports on the misery of Pakistani Kashmir, where cold and disease are multiplying the woes of the disaster's survivors
    How the drugs giant and a lone academic went to war - The Observer 04/12/05 Worrying power games are at the heart of Procter and Gamble's relationship with academics, alleges the scientist investigating its billlion-dollar osteoporosis treatment, reports Jo Revill Doctor accuses drugs giant of 'unethical' secrecy - The Observer 04/12/05
    This was Plan B, actually - The Observer 04/12/05 We've all heard the panic stories about 'have-it-all' women leaving motherhood until later - or too late. But for most who have a baby around 40, doing it any earlier was simply not an option
    Growing pains - The Observer 04/12/05 Is gymnastics a form of child abuse masquerading as sport? Does it destroy the health and stunt the growth of young girls? Former gymnast Rebecca Seal investigates the dangers as well as the addictive thrills of a sport she loved but which, she believes, left her shorter by four inches and struggling with permanent injuries
    Oliver James: Blame games - The Observer 04/12/05 If our genes aren't responsible for the onset of many mental illnesses, what is? Oliver James weighs up the evidence - and fingers the culprit
    Organisational disaster zone - The Observer 04/12/05 Struggling with paperwork? Lacking the tidy gene? Time to invest in a wall organiser that's easy to use - a shelf
    Will it be socks or botox this year? - The Independent 04/12/05 Vouchers for facelifts and tummy tucks are proving popular this Christmas as women buy for their partners
    Now women start to worry about being good in bed - The Independent 04/12/05 Sex therapists and doctors are reporting the first cases of young women seeking help for "performance anxiety" - a syndrome normally associated with men.
    Hospital to woo patients with death rate boast - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 A HOSPITAL trust is planning to advertise for patients by stating that it has the lowest death rates in the National Health Service.
    Britain urged to test cocaine addict vaccine - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 THE government wants to harness an anti-addiction vaccine designed to cancel out the high experienced by users of cocaine and other drugs.
    Doctor says bird flu drug is useless - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 A VIETNAMESE doctor who has treated dozens of victims of avian flu claims the drug being stockpiled around the world to combat a pandemic is “useless” against the virus.
    Sex lessons at five urged - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 CLASSROOM lessons about sex and relationships should be a routine part of the education of children as young as five so they can deal with today’s “increasingly sexualised society”, according to a government-commissioned report. Sex lessons planned for all children - The Observer 04/12/05 Let's talk about sex - The Observer 04/12/05
    Tobacco giant 'aided smuggling of cigarettes' - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 ONE of Britain’s biggest tobacco firms, Gallaher, has been accused by a key distributor of “permitting” the illegal smuggling of its cigarettes.
    Abortion horrors - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 WAS appalled to read that the Royal College of Obstetricians approves of stopping babies’ hearts to ensure they are dead when they are born (Fifty babies a year are alive after abortion, News, last week).
    Obese women to be refused IVF - The Sunday Times 04/12/05 SCOTLAND’S leading fertility experts are to recommend that fat patients should be denied access to IVF treatment.
    I handed over a jar in a pub car park and became a father. I'm really pleased about that - Telegraph 04/12/05 I am a resolutely single, 40-year-old man, and I am about to be a father. A woman is carrying my unborn child as I write. Maybe that doesn't sound so outlandish? Then how about this: I don't know much about the woman, because I only met her in a Croydon car park, for about a minute. You see, I am an internet sperm donor.
    Under-18s may face tobacco purchase ban - Telegraph 04/12/05 Sixteen and 17-year-olds may be banned from buying cigarettes under a new government crackdown. Hewitt considers smoking ban change - Daily Mail 04/12/05 Age limit on cigarettes could be increased to 18 - The Observer 04/12/05 Smoking ban for under-18s - The Independent 04/12/05 England considers raising smoking age to 18 - Reuters 04/12/05 Smoking age could increase to 18 - BBC Health News 04/12/05 Anti-smoking group says tobacco restrictions 'cynical' -The Telegraph 04/12/05 Minimum smoking age rise considered - Daily Mail 04/12/05 Smoking lobby backs age increase - BBC Health News 04/12/05
    NHS Caesareans at top private hospital - Telegraph 04/12/05 The National Health Service has spent thousands of pounds for women to have Caesarean sections at an exclusive private London hospital favoured by celebrity mothers because of a crisis in maternity care.
    'I remember following the ambulance, saying to the tail lights: Don't leave me, Jessica. Don't you leave me - Telegraph 04/12/05 Jessica Palmer was exhausted but she had planned the scene meticulously - she was lying in bed with her arms outstretched waiting for her toddler son, Harry, to come and greet his newborn sister.
    Drugs policy turns failing force around - Telegraph 04/12/05 The police force at the centre of a controversial Government drugs initiative has jumped from the bottom of performance tables for solving drugs crime to the top.
    Call for stronger action on sex traffic - The Telegraph 04/12/05 Ministers are under growing pressure to crack down on sex traffickers following the Sunday Telegraph's investigations exposing the brutal trade. Letters: Sex trade - The Independent 04/12/05
    Warning over internet health claims - Daily Mail 04/12/05 Overstated and outlandish claims about health issues on the internet are giving science a bad name, campaigners warned.
    Cranberries 'fight tooth decay' - Daily Mail 04/12/05 Eating Christmas dinner could be good for your teeth - but only if you cover it with cranberry sauce, research suggests.
    Spinal Cord Injury, Nerve Regeneration Possible, University Of California San Francisco - Medical News Today 04/12/05 A team of scientists at UCSF has made a critical discovery that may help in the development of techniques to promote functional recovery after a spinal cord injury.
    BiovaxID Vaccine Therapy Of Follicular Lymphoma In First Remission, Ongoing Phase III Trial Update - Medical News Today 04/12/05 Biovest International (OTCBB: BVTI.OB), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of patient specific immunotherapeutics and automated cell culture instrumentation, announced that an abstract being presented on December 11 at the American Society for Hematology in Atlanta, Ga., presenting long term follow-up data from its BiovaxID Phase II clinical trial is available on-line at www.hematology.org.
    Bacterium Confirmed As Cause Of Death In California Women Who Took Mifeprex; Risk Of Infection 'Low,' Report Says - Medical News Today 04/12/05 The deaths of four California women who were taking... Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- were linked to toxic shock caused by the bacterium Clostridium sordellii, but the risk of infection in conjunction with taking the drug is "low," according to a report published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Baltimore Sun reports (Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, 12/1). FDA in July issued a public health advisory warning physicians to watch for any signs of sepsis or other infections among women taking the drug -- which FDA approved in 2000 for the termination of pregnancies of 49 days or less. FDA officials on Nov. 4 updated the warning on the agency's Web site after they discovered that the deaths of four California women who took the drug all were caused by C. sordellii, a rare and deadly bacterium (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/28). The report found no direct link between the deaths of the four women, who received prescriptions at different clinics throughout the state between 2003 and 2005. It also found that the drugs they received came from different manufacturing lots (La Ganga, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). CDC said the one factor that ties the four cases together is that misoprostol was administered vaginally instead of orally. Vaginal administration of misoprostol is considered "off-label use," which is allowed but not recommended by FDA (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/23). The researchers note that additional data need to be gathered to "evaluate ... possible association between medical abortion and C. sordellii infections," adding that the four cases "demonstrate that serious infection can occur after medically induced abortion, much as it can occur after childbirth, spontaneous abortion and surgical abortion." They add the cases point to a "need for physician awareness of this syndrome" (Fischer et al., NEJM, 12/1).
    USA Today Examines 'Different Conclusions' Two Studies Reach On Association Between Vaginal Birth, Bladder Control - Medical news Today 04/12/05 USA Today on Thursday examined the "somewhat different conclusions" reached by two recent studies examining the effects of vaginal birth on bladder control. Gunhilde Buchsbaum, a urogynecologist at the University of Rochester, and colleagues in a study published in the December issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded that genetics, not childbirth, determine urinary incontinence in women. The researchers examined 143 pairs of postmenopausal sisters with an average age of 61, in which one sister had delivered an average of three infants vaginally and the other sister had never delivered an infant. About half of the women who had given birth vaginally reported incontinence, compared with 48% of the women who had not given birth. The difference was not statistically significant. In a separate study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Roger Goldberg, director of urogynecology research at Evanston-Northwestern Healthcare in Evanston, Ill., examined 271 pairs of identical twins with an average age of 47 and found that childbirth is associated with of incontinence. The study found that women who had delivered vaginally were more than twice as likely to report urinary incontinence as women who had delivered infants by caesarean section. Goldberg said that identical twins "eliminat[e] any possibility that any differences you find are due to genetics," adding that how infants are delivered "is a major factor" among women who develop incontinence in their younger years. Buchsbaum's study suggests that the effect of delivery on incontinence "disappears" by menopause, according to USA Today (Rubin, USA Today 12/1).
    Simple mesh gives Iraq woman hope - Medical News Today 04/12/05 A simple piece of mesh, costing just 65 pounds in the UK, was able to save an young Iraqi woman from a life of misery and rejection.
    NHS patients tracked by satellite - Medical News Today 04/12/05 The movement of patients in Coventry and Warwickshire is being tracked to streamline NHS ambulance services.
    Virus clue to cervical cancer jab - BBC Health News 04/12/05 Scientists have unravelled the body's immune response to a virus which causes most cases of cervical cancer.
    Impact Of Pain On Rheumatic Disease Treatment - New Insights Into Pain Mechanisms; Practical Advice On Pain Management - Medical News Today 04/12/05 Long treated as a side effect, pain is now widely recognized as an integral part of patient care. While the last decade has brought extraordinary advances in the unravelling of pain mechanisms at the molecular level, evaluating and alleviating pain remains an ongoing challenge for physicians, particularly rheumatologists. The December 2005 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis) offers a timely examination of pain as it pertains to rheumatology practice.
    Rheumatoid Arthritis, Role Of Type II Collagen, Study - Medical News Today 04/12/05 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints, which gradually erodes the cartilage and bone. The agents of destruction include inflammatory cells, cytokines, and protein-degrading enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
    Would Legalizing Physician-assisted Suicide Undermine Patient's Trust In Doctor? Apparently Not - Medical News Today 04/12/05 There is little evidence to support the argument that legalizing physician-assisted death would reduce patients' trust in their doctors, according to a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
    Mutations In HRAS Gene Sequence Confirmed In Patients With Costello Syndrome - Medical News Today 04/12/05 Gene mutations in the HRAS sequence are present in most patients affected with Costello syndrome, according to a new study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. The mutations occurred de novo in patients, meaning, they were not observed in their parents' genes. The study is published in the December issue of the journal, which is published by John Wiley & Sons. It is also available online via Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
    Caffeine Dependence Linked To Family History Of Alcoholism, Johns Hopkins Study Suggests - Medical News Today 04/12/05 A study led by Johns Hopkins investigators has shown that women with a serious caffeine habit and a family history of alcohol abuse are more likely to ignore advice to stop using caffeine during pregnancy. Withdrawal symptoms, functional impairment and craving were cited by the women as reasons they could not cut out or cut back on caffeine use.
    AIDS Patients In Haiti Have Similar Response To Drug Regimen As U.S. Patients, Study Says - Medical News Today 04/12/05 When given a standard three-drug antiretroviral regimen, AIDS patients in Haiti have similar treatment responses as AIDS patients in the U.S., according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, Boston Globe, 12/1). Patrice Severe of the Haitian Study Group on Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections and colleagues examined 1,004 AIDS patients who began a regimen of antiretroviral drugs after clinics in Haiti started receiving international funding in 2003. Researchers found that one year after the treatment began, 87% of adults and 98% of children were still alive, which is comparable to one-year survival rates in the U.S. (Nano, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 12/1). The report's finding runs counter to some arguments that the high cost of antiretrovirals and a lack of medical infrastructures in many developing countries make delivering treatment difficult, the Miami Herald reports. Andre Vulcain, coordinator for AIDS care at the University of Miami's program in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, said, "For many years, the international community had a lot of reservations in promoting treatment for HIV/AIDS in developing countries" (Goldstein, Miami Herald, 12/1). Calvin Cohen -- research director for the Community Research Initiative of New England, which conducts HIV/AIDS drug trials -- said, "What this report confirms is that the hesitation to treat [patients in developing countries] is not warranted for any medical reasons" (Boston Globe, 12/1). According to a report released last week by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization, Haiti -- the country with the highest HIV prevalence rate in the Western hemisphere -- has shown an encouraging decrease in prevalence, with rates declining from 5% to 3% since the 1990s, in part because of a reduction in the stigma associated with the virus, new education programs and clinics, and international aid (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/23).
    Number Of HIV-Positive California Residents Increases Because Of Improved Treatment, Longer Survival - Medical News Today 04/12/05 The number of HIV-positive California residents has increased 40% over the past seven years because of improvements in medications to treat the disease, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of California's Universitywide AIDS Research Program, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The consequence of improved survival among persons with AIDS is a rapid and sustained increase in the number of persons living with AIDS," UARP Director George Lemp said. About 151,000 HIV-positive residents live in the state, compared with 108,000 in 1998, according to the report. An estimated 57,200 of those individuals have been diagnosed with AIDS, twice the number of reported AIDS cases in the state 10 years ago. Because more people are living longer with the disease, the total annual cost of treatment also is increasing, according to the report. Spending through California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which uses federal and state funding to provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals, increased from $145 million in 2001 to $275 million this year, the report says. However, spending on HIV/AIDS prevention programs through the state Office of AIDS has declined, falling from $429 per HIV-positive person in fiscal year 2000-2001 to $351 in FY 2005-2006.
    Global Ceremonies Mark World AIDS Day - Medical News Today 04/12/05 World leaders, advocates and HIV-positive people marked World AIDS Day by calling for "far stronger" action to fight the pandemic, Reuters reports (Wulfhorst, Reuters, 12/1). In Cambodia, the government distributed free condoms and cell phone games to raise awareness. In Russia, advocates marching in Moscow said that stigma has hampered prevention efforts and helped the disease spread in the country. In India, students in the city of Agartala dressed as skeletons bearing messages to fight the pandemic. Members of the Belarussian Youth Union in Minsk, Belarus, formed the word "AIDS" with candles (Guardian, 12/2). World AIDS Day ceremonies in Swaziland -- where an estimated 38% of adults are HIV-positive -- were canceled by the king because they conflicted with a traditional ceremony. However, in nearby Lesotho, King Letsie III called on all citizens of the country "to know their status so that they can be able to manage their lives and receive treatment" (Diouf, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/2). AIDS advocates in Buenos Aires, Argentina, decorated the city's famous obelisk with an enormous pink condom to highlight condoms as a method of HIV prevention. Speaking in Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI said that prevention policies promoting abstinence and marriage are showing results "in several regions of Africa" (Reuters, 12/1).
    Nutritionally Enhanced Rice Reduces Iron Deficiency, Study - Medical News Today 04/12/05 Breeding rice with higher levels of iron can have an important impact on reducing micronutrient malnutrition, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. The research, conducted by scientists from the Philippines and the United States, is a major step forward in the battle against iron deficiency, one of the developing world's most debilitating and intractable public health problems affecting nearly 2 billion people.
    Enzyme May Be Target For New Anti-inflammatory Compounds, Virginia Commonwealth University - Medical News Today 03/12/05 Virginia Commonwealth University researchers studying the enzyme that triggers inflammation have found that it may be a target for a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, lung and colon cancers and Alzheimer's disease.
    Study finds coffee reduces liver risk - Reuters 04/12/05 Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of serious liver damage in people who drink alcohol too much, are overweight, or have too much iron in the blood, researchers reported on Sunday.
    S.Korea scientist in seclusion; storm continues - Reuters 04/12/05 South Korea's pioneering stem cell scientist has been in seclusion since he spoke of ethical lapses in procuring human eggs, but with national pride and global science at stake, the affair shows little sign of dying down.
    FDA panel supports ADHD patch with limits - Reuters 03/12/05 An experimental patch to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is safe and effective but should carry certain warnings, a U.S. advisory panel unanimously said on Friday.
    "Dr. Ecstasy" laments the rave drug's notoriety - Reuters 02/12/05 Rated 3 in Health; News; National and International News on Dec 4, 2005 at 08:54:34 GMT. The scientist who introduced Ecstasy to the world in the 1970s fears the drug's notoriety and popularity at nightclubs is destroying any chance that it might be used to treat the mentally ill.
    New intestinal bug emerging in North America - Reuters 02/12/05 Two reports highlight the emergence of a new, highly toxic strain of the bacterium Clostridium difficile that is resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin), and is causing geographically dispersed outbreaks.
    Bacterial vaginosis makes viral shedding more likely - Reuters 02/12/05 Women with bacterial vaginosis are four times more likely to shed cytomegalovirus in their lower genital tract than women without bacterial vaginosis, a new study shows.
    Survival rate still poor when bone cancer returns - Reuters 02/12/05 Although as many as 70 percent of patients who have the localized stage of the bone cancer osteosarcoma survive after surgery and chemotherapy, the overall survival rate after recurrence is less than 30 percent, researchers report.
    Blunt trauma raises heart attack risk - Reuters 02/12/05 New research supports the idea that that blunt trauma can lead to a heart attack.
    Passive smoking is breast cancer risk factor - Reuters 02/12/05 The results of studies "with thorough passive smoking exposure assessment" indicate that passive smoking raises the risk of breast cancer, especially in premenopausal women, to a similar degree as active smoking.
    Purging disorder is a distinct eating disorder - Reuters 02/12/05 Purging disorder appears to be a disorder that is separate from bulimia nervosa, Iowa researchers report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

    Posted by Kieran at 12/04/2005 02:24:00 pm 1 rants

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