AScribe Medicine News Service articles from July 2003

AScribe Medicine News Service archives from July 2003

Lawsuit Seeks Community Integration of Thousands of New Yorkers With Mental Illnesses.
July 1, 2003... Byline: Bazelon Center NEW YORK, July 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- Disability rights advocates today filed suit in the United States District Court against Governor Pataki and other New York officials on behalf of approximately 4,000...

Strategy to Treat AIDS Patients in Africa Using Reduced Drug Amounts Set for Clinical Test, But Government Funding 'Catch 22' May Derail Study's Launch.
July 1, 2003... Byline: The Wistar Institute PHILADELPHIA, July 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- An innovative AIDS-treatment strategy that would reduce the overall amount of drugs needed to control a patient's HIV infection by about a third has been approved for...

McDonald's Is Leading the Way, But Hasn't Gone Far Enough Yet - by Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition.(McDonald's Corp.)(social responsibility and hormone levels in meat products)
July 1, 2003... Byline: Cancer Prevention Coalition CHICAGO, July 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- Responding to growing concerns that the routine use of antibiotics in meat production has resulted in their decreased effectiveness for treating infectious diseases,...

First Randomized Trial of Continuous Quality Improvement Accomplished on a National Scale in Medicine Reported in JAMA.
July 1, 2003... Byline: LSU Health Sciences Center NEW ORLEANS, July 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- T. Bruce Ferguson, Jr., MD, Professor of Surgery and Physiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, is the lead author of a paper...

Music an Effective Tool in HIV Prevention, Researcher Finds.(music promoting HIV prevention found to help sexually active teenagers)
July 2, 2003... Byline: University of Connecticut STORRS, Conn., July 2 (AScribe Newswire) -- Music is not only an important part of most adolescents' lives, it can also be a life-saving tool. Anthony Lemieux, a University of Connecticut researcher, says...

Prices of Most Popular Drugs for Seniors Rose Nearly Three-and-One-Half Times Rate of Inflation Last Year; Prices of 27 of Top 50 Drugs Sold to Seniors Rose More Than Three Times Rate of Inflation.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Families USA WASHINGTON, July 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- The prices of the 50 most-prescribed drugs to senior citizens rose, on average, nearly three-and-one-half times the rate of inflation last year, according to a new report...

University of Virginia Researchers Discover Mechanism for Regulation of Low-Voltage-Activated Calcium Channels.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2003... Byline: University of Virginia Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have defined a molecular mechanism by which the activity of low-voltage-activated...

Clinical Trial of Botanicals to Treat Menopause Symptoms.
July 10, 2003... Byline: University of Illinois at Chicago CHICAGO, July 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- The University of Illinois at Chicago is launching a study to test whether two herbal products - black cohosh and red clover - are effective in relieving...

Carter Center Awards 2003-2004 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.
July 11, 2003... Byline: The Carter Center ATLANTA, July 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Carter Center's Mental Health Program today named eight recipients of its seventh annual Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, including two fellows...

UCSD Trauma Center Receives Level I Verification From American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
July 11, 2003... Byline: University of California, San Diego SAN DIEGO, July 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- UCSD Medical Center, Hillcrest, Trauma Center has been verified again as San Diego's Level I trauma center by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American...

Changing How America Deals With Living and Dying: UC Davis Medical Center Recognized for Innovation in End-of-Life Care.
July 13, 2003... Byline: Univ. of California, Davis, Medical Center SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- University of California, Davis Medical Center today was named a Circle of Life Award winner. It was recognized for its West Coast Center...

Straight Talk: Adult and Embryonic Stem Cells and the Future of Research.
July 13, 2003... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- At an American Association for Cancer Research forum designed to provide straight talk on what's known -- and what isn't known -- about the primitive...

New Approach for Halting Liver Tumors' Blood Supply Shrinks Tumors and Extends Survival in Mice.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center have demonstrated a new way to target and choke off the blood supply to cancerous liver tumors in mice. The new method...

Study Finds Neural Stem Cells Are Not Rejected When Transplanted; Findings Will Improve Retinal, Nervous System Transplantations.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Schepens Eye Research Institute BOSTON, July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- For the first time scientists have shown that brain stem cells are immune privileged, which means that they are invisible to a transplant recipient's immune...

Johns Hopkins Physician To Assume Indiana University's Top Surgery Post.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Indiana University School of Medicine INDIANAPOLIS, July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- Keith D. Lillemoe, M.D., has been named chair of the Indiana University Department of Surgery. Dr. Lillemoe, a professor at The Johns Hopkins...

Inflammation Blocks Impact of Heart Healthy Diets for Some.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Results of a Johns Hopkins study suggest that natural chemicals released in the body as a result of chronic inflammation may underpin the failure of...

Microbubbles Can Image Blood Vessel Growth in Tumors.
July 15, 2003... Byline: University of Virginia Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Imagine being able to quickly detect and diagnose blood vessel growth in cancerous tumors, and even predict how fast the tumors might...

UC Davis Physicians Use High-Tech Virtual Training System to Practice Skills on Rare and Routine Cases.
July 16, 2003... Byline: Univ. of California, Davis, Medical Center SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 16 (AScribe Newswire) -- For decades pilots have used flight simulators to hone their skills. Now UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center is establishing a...

Penn Researchers Identify Secondary Pathway for Survival of Cancer Cells; Discovery May Lead to Targeted Therapies to Interrupt Cancer Development.
July 16, 2003... Byline: University of Pennsylvania Health System PHILADELPHIA, July 16 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania have determined that a key enzyme, Pim-2, is...

Direct Relief International Provides $5.5 Million of Medical Supplies to Iraq.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Direct Relief International SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 21 (AScribe News) -- Direct Relief International announced today the shipment of high-value medical relief supplies to be delivered to hospitals in Baghdad, Nazarieh, and...

University of Illinois at Chicago Researchers Pinpoint Genes Involved in Cancer Growth.
July 21, 2003... Byline: University of Illinois at Chicago CHICAGO, July 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- In a study made possible by the sequencing of the human genome, scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified 57 genes involved in the...

Most Women Can Skip Pap Smears After Hysterectomy; University of Michigan Researchers Find No Benefit to Screenings for Women Without Risk Factors.
July 21, 2003... Byline: University of Michigan Health System ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- Most women who have undergone hysterectomy for non-cancerous diseases can forgo annual Pap smear exams, according to new research by University of...

A Smile a Day Keeps the Doctor Away, Says Carnegie Mellon Psychologist.(happy people are less likely to catch the common cold)
July 21, 2003... Byline: Carnegie Mellon University PITTSBURGH, July 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- People who are happy, relaxed or exhibit other positive emotions are less likely to catch colds than those who are unhappy or anxious, according to a study by...

Statement From Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Release of Final Report by President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2003... Byline: The Carter Center ATLANTA, July 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- I am pleased to see that the White House has released the final report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health...

Record Attendance Reached During 80th Annual Session of American Dental Hygienists' Association.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2003... Byline: American Dental Hygienists' Association CHICAGO, July 22 (AScribe Newswire) -- More than 1,200 dental hygienists representing all 50 states convened at the 80th annual session of the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) in...

New Growth-Stimulating Cue Identified for Nerve Cells.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 23 (AScribe Newswire) -- For decades, scientists have hunted for signals that guide nerve cells' tentacle-like axons, hoping to understand how these cell tips reach out to distant...

Research Shows Need for More Encouragement to Get Cancer Screenings; Hamilton College Professor Publishes 'Sickness and Preventative Medical Behavior'.(Brief Article)
July 23, 2003... Byline: Hamilton College CLINTON, N.Y., July 23 (AScribe Newswire) -- "More encouragement should be given to patients, particularly those in poor health, to get cancer screenings when visiting the doctor," says Hamilton College economics...

Drivers With Type-1 Diabetes Report Increased Incidence of Car Crashes.
July 25, 2003... Byline: University of Virginia Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Drivers with type-1 diabetes reported higher numbers of driving mishaps according to a multi-center study led by researchers at the University...

Americans Practice What They Hear Preached: Going to Services Leads to More Charity, University of Chicago Study Shows.
July 25, 2003... Byline: University of Chicago CHICAGO, July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Americans on average give selflessly of themselves at least 109 times a year, with religiousness being the strongest determinant of how often people reach out to help,...

Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Study Finds Use of Automated External Defibrillators in Children Safe and Effective.(Brief Article)
July 25, 2003... Byline: Vanderbilt Medical Center NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 25 (AScribe News) -- A research study performed at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, proving the safety and effectiveness of using automated external defibrillators (AED's) in...

Direct Relief International Emergency Airlift Responds to Pneumonia Outbreak in El Salvador; Salvadoran Health Minister Declares 'Red Alert' in Face of 45,000 Cases, 297 Deaths This Year; 7 Children Died in Past Three Days.
July 25, 2003... Byline: Direct Relief International SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Direct Relief International today announced it is responding to an urgent request to provide medical assistance to El Salvador, where outbreaks of...

Job Stress May Be Missing Link Between Workplace Exercise, Heart Risk; Los Angeles Study Underscores Benefits of Physical Activity During Off Hours.
July 29, 2003... Byline: USC Health Sciences LOS ANGELES, July 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- Several researchers have suggested that employees whose jobs require a lot of physical activity face a greater risk for heart disease, but investigators from the Keck...

Population-Based Disease Management Could Improve Quality, Lower Costs In Medicare, But Needs To Be Tested.
July 29, 2003... Byline: Health Affairs BETHESDA, Md., July 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- Population-based disease management programs that target beneficiaries with costly chronic conditions enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare could improve health outcomes...

Gates Foundation Funds Programs to Improve Maternal, Child Health Care in Afghanistan.(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation )
July 30, 2003... Byline: CDC Foundation ATLANTA, July 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- The CDC Foundation announced today that it has received a grant of $1 million from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help rebuild the health care infrastructure for women...

Eating Peanuts Helps Keep Heart Healthy Without Weight Gain.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- Adding peanuts to that apple a day that keeps the doctor away is a good way to stay heart-healthy and trim, says a Purdue University professor. Research by...

Antidepressant Drugs May Protect Brain From Damage Due to Depression.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Washington University, St. Louis ST. LOUIS, August 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- Studying women with histories of clinical depression, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that the use of...