AScribe Medicine News Service articles from December 2003

AScribe Medicine News Service archives from December 2003

New Research Finds Some Animals Know Their Cognitive Limits; Studies of Animals' Confidence, Uncertainty Inaugurate New Research Area.
December 1, 2003... Byline: University at Buffalo BUFFALO, N.Y., Dec. 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- Humans are able to feel uncertainty. They know when they know something and when they don't. This capacity for "metacognition" (thinking about thinking), or...

Ask the Experts: Medicare Discussion Webcast Tomorrow.
December 1, 2003... Byline: Kaiser Family Foundation MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- With passage of Medicare legislation by Congress, attention will shift to specific provisions such as reimportation of prescription drugs. To help provide...

Computer-Assisted Breast Imaging Systems Help Doctors Find, Distinguish Cancers; Software Improves Diagnosis of Suspicious Masses on Breast Ultrasound, Digital Mammograms.
December 1, 2003... Byline: University of Michigan Health System CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- New computerized systems that give doctors a "second pair of eyes" for looking at mammograms and other breast scans are showing great promise for detecting...

Duke University Cardiologists Offer New View of Link Between Aging, Atherosclerosis.
December 1, 2003... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- The exceptions have always fascinated Duke University Medical Center cardiologist Pascal Goldschmidt, M.D. In the case of atherosclerosis, these exceptions -- specifically...

HRT and Breast Cancer: Smaller Tumors, Better Prognosis More Likely Due to Frequent Screening Than Hormone Use.
December 2, 2003... Byline: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center SEATTLE, Dec. 2 (AScribe Newswire) -- While women with breast cancer who have used hormone-replacement therapy are known to have better survival odds than those who've never taken hormones, the...

Nicotine Patch May Alleviate 'Senior Moments'.
December 3, 2003... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- The nicotine patches that help smokers quit might also boost the recall of seniors with the mildest form of memory loss, according to results of a preliminary clinical...

Whites, African-Americans Better Rate Their Medical Care Experiences When Seeing Same-Race Physicians.
December 3, 2003... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, Dec. 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- White and African-American patients who see physicians of the same race rate their medical visits as more satisfying and participatory than do those who see...

Origin of Multiple Myeloma Found in Rare Stem Cell.
December 3, 2003... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, Dec. 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have identified the cell likely to be responsible for the development of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone...

Computerized Tool Predicts Chance of Breast Cancer's Spread.
December 3, 2003... Byline: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) have developed a new computerized tool called a nomogram that will help patients and their...

It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising and Losing Weight to Have a Healthier Cardiovascular System, Joslin Study Shows.
December 4, 2003... Byline: Joslin Diabetes Center BOSTON, Dec. 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- There's good news on the research front for those who want to shed some pounds and get in shape this holiday season. A new study by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers...

Ten Ways to Help Grieving Families Survive the Holidays After the Death of a Child.
December 5, 2003... Byline: The Compassionate Friends OAK BROOK, Ill. Dec. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- Families that have suffered the death of a child often find the holidays one of the most stressful times during the year. According to The Compassionate Friends,...

Moffitt-Developed Tumor Vaccine to Begin Clinical Trials in Collaboration With University of Nebraska Medical Center.
December 5, 2003... Byline: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- A tumor vaccine developed at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is headed for clinical trials with advanced breast-cancer...

FDA Approves Risperdal for Treatment of Bipolar Mania.
December 5, 2003... Byline: Feinstein Kean Healthcare TITUSVILLE, N.J., Dec. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Risperdal(R) (risperidone) as monotherapy (alone) or in combination with lithium or valproate for the...

National Study Seeks Cause of Baffling, Fatal Disorder Called Multiple System Atrophy.
December 5, 2003... Byline: University of California, San Diego LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- A better understanding of a baffling, frequently misdiagnosed disease called Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA) will be sought by researchers at 12 sites...

FDA Approves Risperdal for Treatment of Bipolar Mania.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Feinstein Kean Healthcare TITUSVILLE, N.J., Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RISPERDAL (R) (risperidone) as monotherapy (alone) or in combination with lithium or valproate for the...

University of Maryland Researchers Seek Volunteers for Largest Ever Study of Osteoarthritis of the Knee; Goal to Identify the Disease's Causes, New Treatment Approaches.
December 8, 2003... Byline: University of Maryland Medical System BALTIMORE, Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are recruiting patients for the largest...

Homegrown Relief for Victims of Arsenic Poisoning in South Asia.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Lehigh University BETHLEHEM, Pa., Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- A well-head device invented by Lehigh University engineering professor Arup SenGupta slashes arsenic levels in drinking water. Arsenicosis sufferers in more than 100...

Beers Criteria for Medications to Avoid in the Elderly Updated.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Medical College of Georgia AUGUSTA, Ga., Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Forty-eight medications or classes of medications to avoid in adults age 65 or older have been identified by a national expert panel charged with updating widely...

Good and Bad Fats Linked to Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary BOSTON, Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Higher levels of good dietary fat, including fish and nuts, have been found to diminish the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and bad fat,...

Vaccine for Disease That Disables, Kills Millions in Asia Gets Major Funding Boost; Children's Vaccine Program Receives Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Combat Japanese Encephalitis.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Burness Communications SEATTLE, Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Japanese encephalitis, a close cousin of West Nile virus, has been spreading across Asia for decades, steadily expanding its lethal reach. The Children's Vaccine Program...

Two UC Davis Studies Show Promising Single-Drug Therapy for Hard-to-Control Epilepsy.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Univ. of California, Davis, Medical Center SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Two studies by physicians at UC Davis Medical Center have found that levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug typically used in combination with...

Holiday Break in Routine Creates Challenges for ADHD Children, Caregivers; ADHD Expert Offers Advice on How to Make Holidays Less Stressful.
December 9, 2003... Byline: Fleishman Hillard FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be overwhelming for any child, but even more so for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)....

Scientists Announce Long-Sought Mouse Model of Human Pancreatic Cancer; Research Could Yield Advances in Early Diagnosis, Treatment of Lethal Disease.
December 9, 2003... Byline: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute BOSTON, Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have created bioengineered mice that develop aggressive, fatal pancreatic cancer through the same genetic mishaps that...

UC Irvine to Lead First Public Health Study Exploring Link Between Air Pollution, Severity of Heart Disease; Project Will Track How Ultrafine Air Particles Impact the Elderly.
December 9, 2003... Byline: University of California, Irvine IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- A University of California, Irvine epidemiologist will lead the nation's first public health study to understand how ultrafine particles in urban air...

Medical College of Wisconsin Survey Finds Medical School Deans, Medical Society Leaders Seeing Physician Shortages.
December 9, 2003... Byline: Medical College of Wisconsin MILWAUKEE, Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- Approximately 85 percent of U.S. medical school deans and state medical society executives responding in a nationwide survey report shortages of physicians in...

Common Airborne Substance Makes Asthmatics More Sensitive to House Dust Mites: Study.
December 9, 2003... Byline: University of North Carolina Healthcare System CHAPEL HILL, Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- Exposure to endotoxin, a bacterial substance found commonly in outdoor and indoor air, makes mite-allergic asthmatics more sensitive to house...

Study Finds New FOLFOX 4 Treatment Helps Patients With Advanced Colorectal Cancer Live Significantly Longer, With Fewer Chemotherapy Side Effects.
December 9, 2003... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- The results of a five-year study of 795 patients show that a new combination of chemotherapy drugs, known as FOLFOX 4, outperforms the standard chemotherapy treatment for...

Bullying in Schools Pervasive, Disruptive, Serious, UCLA Study Finds.
December 9, 2003... Byline: UCLA LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- More than one in five 12-year-olds are repeatedly either bullies, victims or both, and bullies are often popular and viewed by classmates as the "coolest" in their classes, according...

Kaiser Family Foundation, MTV Announce Extension of Emmy Award-Winning Public Education Campaign.
December 10, 2003... Byline: Kaiser Family Foundation MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV: Music Television today announced that their Emmy Award-winning Fight for Your Rights: Protect Yourself public education...

Medicare Hospice Benefit Remains Intact, Additional Hospice Provisions Included in Medicare Reform.
December 10, 2003... Byline: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- President Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 into law at a ceremony Monday at D.A.R....

Too Many Gifts Can Send Wrong Message to Kids, Says University of Central Florida Researcher Studying Greed.
December 10, 2003... Byline: University of Central Florida ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Little Johnny's parents may want to think twice about giving him every toy and game on his long Christmas list if they want him to care deeply about others...

Mayo Clinic Develops New Technology to Improve Diagnosis of Arm and Hand Injuries, Disease; IBM Collaborated on Industrial Design, Is Manufacturing Medical Device.
December 11, 2003... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., Dec. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Mayo Clinic today announced it has developed a series of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices that make it easier to diagnose injuries and diseases that affect wrists,...

Joslin Diabetes Center and Gulf Diabetes Specialists Center in Bahrain Team Up to Launch Region's First Treatment Center to Address Growing Diabetes Epidemic.
December 11, 2003... Byline: Joslin Diabetes Center BOSTON, Dec. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Joslin Diabetes Center and the Gulf Diabetes Specialists Center in Bahrain have signed a five-year agreement to establish a state-of-the-art treatment center to provide...

Heath, Medical Experts Available for Comment on Technology, Appraisals, Workplace Fitness, Smoking Policies.
December 11, 2003... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Below is a list of Purdue University experts that can talk about a variety of health and medical issues. 1. Medical technology has ills of its own 2....

Holiday Shopping, Dreaded by Many, Can Trigger Serious Consequences for Compulsive Buyers; Smith College Psychologist Finds Risk Factors in End-of-Year Retail Push.
December 11, 2003... Byline: Smith College NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Dec. 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- The holiday shopping season can bring out the worst in people. Crowded stores, empty shelves, pressing deadlines and endless check-out lines lead quickly to irritation...

Arizona State University, University of Michigan Team up to Develop Brain Neurovascular Material.
December 12, 2003... Byline: Arizona State University TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 12 (AScribe Newswire) -- Arizona State University and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, are teaming up to market a new material that promises to become an effective non-surgical way...

20 Percent of Women Murdered in United States Are Shot by Intimate Partner; Physicians Call for Disarmament of Abusers, Better Screening for Victims.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago CHICAGO, Dec. 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Domestic violence continues to devastate as many as 2 million lives each year and immediate steps must be taken to disarm abusers and increase screening...

John F. Kennedy University Faculty Member Kristin Hancock Elected to American Psychological Association Board.
December 15, 2003... Byline: John F. Kennedy University ORINDA, Calif., Dec. 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Kristin Hancock, PhD, a full-time faculty member at John F. Kennedy University, has been elected to the American Psychological Association's Board of...

Purdue University Biologists Expose Inner Workings of Viral Machine.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Purdue University scientists have peered inside a virus and visualized for the first time how it produces and exports genetic materials into a host cell, an...

Risk Factors Determine Need for Colonoscopy.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Indiana University School of Medicine INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- An index being developed by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine may help determine patients' risk levels for colorectal cancer...

Scripps Research Institue Receives $3 Million Anonymous Donation to Establish the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research; Focus on Development of Drugs to Prevent Relapse.
December 15, 2003... Byline: The Scripps Research Institute LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Scripps Research Institute recently received a $3 million gift to establish The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research that will...

Race Affects Older Americans' Likelihood of Getting Flu Shot.
December 16, 2003... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- As America battles the first wave of influenza this season, a new Duke University Medical Center study reveals a major gap in vaccination rates between older...

Staffing Levels, Not User Fees, Responsible For Decline in Prescription Drug Approval Times, Health Affairs Study Says.
December 16, 2003... Byline: Health Affairs BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- Prescription drug review times have declined by 3.3 months for every 100 staff members added to the Food and Drug Administration's drug review division since 1977, but the...

University of Florida Study: Elderly Admit Hearing Loss But Not Necessarily Its Effects.
December 17, 2003... Byline: University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla., Dec. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- The elderly aren't as stubborn as stereotyped in their unwillingness to admit hearing loss, although they may still deny the strain it creates for themselves...

Researcher Seeks Gay/Lesbian Couples for Survey on In-Law Relationships.
December 17, 2003... Byline: Washington University, St. Louis ST. LOUIS, Dec. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- All across America, aging baby boomers are hoping their adult children, daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws will be around to help them out when living...

Study: Men Do Not Cause Yeast Infections in Women; University of Michigan Researchers Find Oral Sex, Masturbating Linked to Recurrent Infections.
December 18, 2003... Byline: University of Michigan Health System ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- Women may blame their husbands or boyfriends for headaches, tears and stress. But they can't be blamed for those nasty recurrent yeast infections,...

Spreading Cancer Survives Via Signals From Nearby Blood Vessels Long Before New Vessels Are Grown.
December 18, 2003... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- In one of the clearest models of cancer metastasis, scientists have shown that spreading cancer cells receive growth-sustaining signals from nearby blood vessels telling...

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Hosts Conference in South Africa to Develop Clinical Guide on Palliative Care for HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
December 19, 2003... Byline: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization hosted a summit on Supportive/Palliative Care for HIV/AIDS, in Cape Town, South...

UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Shares Expressive Art Collection Through New Book; Artwork of Autistic Children, Adults Showcased in "Art of the M.I.N.D.".
December 19, 2003... Byline: Univ. of California, Davis, Medical Center SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- The walls of the UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute are graced with art created by...

Survey: Most U.S. Medical School Deans Perceive Physician Shortages.
December 22, 2003... Byline: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Dec. 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- A new survey of 73 medical school deans in the United States and Puerto Rico reveals that most deans believe the country is...

Thousands of Students Turned Away From Nation's Nursing Schools Despite Sharp Increase in Enrollment; 2003 Nursing School Enrollment Increase Larger Than Preliminary Estimate.
December 22, 2003... Byline: American Association of Colleges of Nursing WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- According to the results of the annual survey released today by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollments in entry-level...

University of Illinois at Chicago Dean Joan Shaver Elected President of American Academy of Nursing.
December 22, 2003... Byline: University of Illinois at Chicago CHICAGO, Dec. 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- Joan Shaver, dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, has been elected president of the American Academy of Nursing, a national...

University of Florida Study: Strong Families Enjoy Most Support From Those Who Find Relationships Difficult.
December 22, 2003... Byline: University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla., Dec. 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- The most positive attitudes about the value of marriage and the importance of families are found among groups that experience the greatest difficulty forming and...

December/January Culture & Living News Tips From Washington University in St. Louis.
December 22, 2003... Byline: Washington University, St. Louis ST. LOUIS, Dec. 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- The following are news and feature story ideas from Washington University in St. Louis. For more information on any of the stories below or for assistance in...

University of California Davis Experts Available for Comment: Mad Cow Disease/BSE.
December 23, 2003... Byline: University of California, Davis DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 23 (AScribe Newswire) -- UC Davis faculty members with a variety of expertise are available to discuss issues related to mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE)....

Mad Cow: Experts Available to Comment on Mad Cow Disease Found in U.S.
December 24, 2003... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- The following experts are available to comment on the effects of the report of the first case of mad cow disease in this country: - Chris Hurt, professor of...

Mad Cow: Iowa State University Experts Can Comment.
December 24, 2003... Byline: Iowa State University AMES, Iowa, Dec. 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- The first-ever suspected case of mad cow disease in the U.S. is being investigated in Washington state, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced Dec. 23. A...

Advisory: Mad Cow Disease Experts and Resources.
December 24, 2003... Byline: Straus Communications SAN FRANCISCO, December 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- Following is a summary of news sources available to discuss mad cow disease and the safety of food supply. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, commonly...

AScribe Advisory: Sources Able to Assist on Mad Cow Disease.
December 24, 2003... Byline: AScribe, The Public Interest Newswire OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- Following is a summary of news sources from colleges and universities who are willing to provide information on bovine spongiform encephalopathy...

UC Davis Experts: Mad Cow Disease / BSE.
December 24, 2003... Byline: University of California, Davis DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- University of California, Davis faculty members are available during the holidays to discuss issues related to mad cow disease (bovine spongiform...

'Smart Bomb' Delivery Destroys Tumors in Mice; New Method Selectively Kills Cancer Cells, Leaves Healthy Ones Intact.
December 29, 2003... Byline: American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science REHOVOT, Israel, Dec. 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- Weizmann Institute scientists have destroyed malignant tumors in mice using a chemical that occurs naturally in garlic. The key...

Study Identifies Inhibitor of Anthrax Toxin; Findings Could Lead to More Effective Therapy for Deadly Agent.
December 29, 2003... Byline: Harvard University Medical School BOSTON, Dec. 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- A research team led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) has identified a group of small molecules...

Study Finds Less-Experienced Hospitals Do More Needless Appendectomies in Kids.
December 30, 2003... Byline: Children's Hospital Boston BOSTON, Jan. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- Hospitals that perform a high volume of appendectomies are less likely to misdiagnose children as having appendicitis and less likely to do unnecessary operations,...

Consumers Union Praises FDA Move to Ban Ephedra; Badly Needed Ban Long Overdue; Stronger Federal Oversight of Unsafe Supplements Urged; Consumers Should Avoid All Weight-Loss, Energy-Boosting Supplements, Including 'Ephedra-Free' Products.
December 30, 2003... Byline: Consumers Union YONKERS, N.Y., Dec. 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- Consumers Union (CU), the independent nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, praised the FDA on Tuesday for taking action to ban dietary supplements containing...

UC Davis Experts: Mad Cow Disease/BSE.
December 31, 2003... Byline: University of California, Davis DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- UC Davis faculty members are available during the holidays to discuss issues related to mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE). If you...

Consumers Union: USDA Proposals to Prevent Spread of Mad Cow Disease Inadequate to Protect Public Health.
December 31, 2003... Byline: Consumers Union YONKERS, N.Y., Dec. 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- Consumers Union, independent nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, criticized the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) new proposals today to prevent the spread...

Purdue University Experts Can Comment on Implications of Mad Cow Disease.
December 31, 2003... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- Detected for the first time in the United States in December 2003, mad cow disease, technically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, is a disorder...

Prionics AG, World's Leading 'Mad Cow' Diagnostic Company, Responds to USDA's Additional BSE Protection Measures.
December 31, 2003... Byline: Edelman Public Relations SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- Prionics AG, the world leader in testing procedures for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), today issued the following statement in response to the...