ALICE's brilliance to spark breakthrough in cell biology and cancer research at Daresbury |  |
- ALICE's brilliance to spark breakthrough in cell biology and cancer research at Daresbury
- Multi-pronged strategy can combat drugs: Sibal
- Genetic testing for inherited cardiac conditions is 'patchy' in Europe
- Now simpler surgery for fistula patients
- Denmark keen to partner India in quality health care
- AIIMS served notice for turning away patient
- India, China work together for health
- 'Language tests being misused' -- new study
- HIV/AIDS project reaches out to vulnerable truck drivers
- Yale researchers pinpoint reasons for dramatic rise in cesarean births
| ALICE's brilliance to spark breakthrough in cell biology and cancer research at Daresbury Posted: 27 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Unique research carried out at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire is set to trigger a new era in research into cancer diagnosis and our understanding of how living things function. Scientists from the University of Liverpool are linking up to Europe's most intense terahertz light source at Daresbury's ALICE accelerator, with its state-of-the-art tissue culture centre and beamline to understand the effects of terahertz (THz) rays on human cells. This improved understanding of human cells could eventually lead to significant advances in human development and the understanding of diseases, including melanomas and oesophageal cancer. THz rays lie between microwaves and infrared light in the electromagnetic spectrum. THz light already has proven applications in both security devices and medical imaging and is already being used to detect hidden explosives, concealed weapons and drugs. Unlike traditional X-rays, terahertz radiation is considered intrinsically safe, in that it is non-destructive and non-invasive to human cells. However, scientists do not yet know what the safe upper limits for human exposure to this radiation are. A deeper understanding of THz rays' impact on living tissue will enable a new generation of medical and security imaging devices to be developed and used safely. Professor Weightman, Principal Investigator from the University of Liverpool explained: Like radio waves and visible light, THz rays are not expected to damage tissue like X-rays do. Our preliminary research at STFC Daresbury Laboratory has indicated that at low powers human cells appear to be unaffected by THz rays. However, the research carried out in this unique facility is the only way of establishing the safe limits of human exposure to THz radiation at high powers and what effect repeated low level exposure may or may not have on our bodies. The work will give us invaluable insight into... http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| Multi-pronged strategy can combat drugs: Sibal Posted: 26 Jun 2011 10:05 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 26 - India needs a multi-pronged approach to fight drug abuse, which has destroyed many civilisations in the past, Human Resource Development - Minister Kapil Sibal said here Sunday. 'Addiction of drugs leads to a diseases which is just like diabetes, but not hereditary. For the rich, it's a kind of entertainment, but this problems has afflicted the youth our country and we need a collective approach to fight this menace,' Sibal said on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. He said drug abuse and trafficking, which were earlier confined to the northeast, has now spread to states like Punjab and Haryana. 'A war is being fought in the world against drug trafficking and India is particularly affected by this lucrative trade,' said Sibal. He said that there should be 'zero tolerance' of drug suppliers. 'The country lacks the organisational structure to deal with the problem of drug addiction in a human manner. We need to have a multi-pronged approach to deal with menace,' Sibal said. The minister urged the youth and civil society members not to 'let not the soul of the country die' and work towards uprooting the evil. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Genetic testing for inherited cardiac conditions is 'patchy' in Europe Posted: 26 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) While genetic inheritance is known to play a role in the multifactorial development of most diseases of the heart, there are also a number of clearly diagnosed cardiac conditions which owe their development to quite specific genetic abnormalities. When these genetic disorders affect the integrity of the heart's muscle they are known as a cardiomyopathy; when the disorder affects the heart's excitability, it is known as a channelopathy. Both conditions predispose to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death - often in the young. A reliable genetic test for the presence of DNA changes in the genes which encode for ion channels and relevant proteins would not only help identify affected patients and reduce these serious risks, but also provide information for personalised treatment. An expert consensus statement on the value of diagnostic genetic testing for these inherited cardiac conditions will be unveiled today at the EHRA EUROPACE 2011 congress in Madrid. The report, the HRS/EHRA Expert Consensus Statement on the State of Genetic Testing for the Channelopathies and Cardiomyopathies, is a joint development of the Heart Rhythm Society and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). The latter is the organiser of EHRA EUROPACE 2011. According to Dr Silvia Priori, who will present details of the consensus statement today, its aim is to provide recommendations on how each of 13 inherited conditions might be tested for and diagnosed using genetic analysis. The guidance makes clear that these recommendations deal with uncommon diseases and are based on the results of studies which are much smaller than those available for more common diseases, such as myocardial infarction or heart failure. But, says Dr Priori, the field is evolving rapidly. In deed, the genetics of inherited arrythmogenic diseases is a recent sub-specialty of cardiology and it's only in the past 25 years that the first causative genes for channelopathies and... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Now simpler surgery for fistula patients Posted: 25 Jun 2011 08:13 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 25 - Patients suffering from fistula, which affects seven per 1,000 men in India, do not have to undergo the traditional surgery any longer with the minimally invasive anal fistula treatment - being launched here Saturday. 'The technique called MAFT is the first such in entire Asia-Pacific region. The technique is performed for surgical treatment of anal fistulas through a fistulascope,' said Pradeep Chowbey, chief of surgery and allied surgical specialties at Max Hospital, Saket, where the technique was launched. Fistula, a condition where the anal region witnesses inflammation and formation of pus and tract, occurs mostly in men with symptoms such as pain in the anal region, development of lumps, and discharge also. MAFT surgery costs around Rs.35-40,000, the same as the traditional surgery. 'The advantage of this surgery is that it is minimally invasive, the fistulascope gives you visuals of the inner tract and makes it easy to operate,' said Percarlo Meinero, chief of proctology at Italy's Rapallo Lavagna hospital and the one who developed the technique. Meinoro conducted the first MAFT surgery in 2006. While the patient can recover in about a week after the MAFT, the chances of recurrence are also less, say experts. 'The advantage is that if the first MAFT surgery fails, you can re-conduct it. Apart from that, chances of recurrence are less as compared to traditional surgery,' said Chowbey. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Denmark keen to partner India in quality health care Posted: 24 Jun 2011 09:16 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Panaji, June 24 - Denmark is keen to partner with India to facilitate quality healthcare in Goa, Danish ambassador Freddy Svane said here Friday. 'The diabetes registry will aid the government in a population-based approach to risk- assessment and thereby aid in better and effective management of various chronic diseases related to the alarming increase of diabetes,' Svane said in his address at the launch of India' first diabetes registry. 'In a fast growing and vibrant economy like India, diabetes and its complications can lead to huge human and economic losses... I am keen to ensure even closer cooperation between Danish and Indian organizations in order to facilitate access to quality healthcare in India,' he added. The diabetes registry has been launched by the Goa government in association with the Denmark-based Novo Nordisk Education Foundation - and will monitor the metabolic disease in the state on a regular basis. 'This is the first such exercise of a diabetes registry in the country. The registry will aim to capture details of every individual Diabetes patient in the state and will further aid government health services to monitor each patient based on a unique identification number,' Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane said. The Goa government has already earmarked around Rs.1.5 crore for a diabetes survey across the state. Rane said the health authorities in the state needed to work harder to ensure that the rate of diabetes was reined in. 'When the survey is over we will have a very clear picture of the prevalence of the disease. As far as we know now, diabetes is a cause for concern and needs to be handled on an urgent basis,' he said. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| AIIMS served notice for turning away patient Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:38 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 24 - The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences - here after taking note of a petition filed by a woman who alleged that the hospital denied her treatment as she could not bear the expense. A vacation bench of Justice Manmohan Singh issued notice to AIIMS, seeking their response by June 27. The court was hearing the petition filed by Manju Devi, 40, who is suffering from chronic liver disease. Devi approached the court Thursday, seeking direction to the hospital that she should be provided immediate medical aid and assistance. Her lawyer Rakesh Prabhakar, who filed the petition, said: 'The hospital, instead of treating the petitioner, discharged her on the grounds that she is unable to bear the cost of liver transplant.' The woman, hailing from Bihar, was first admitted to hospital May 31, 2010 and despite being below the poverty line she was told to bear all the medical expenses, the petition said. Since 2010, she has been admitted to AIIMS and discharged a number of times. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| India, China work together for health Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:00 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 24 - India and China have worked together to lay down reforms in population, development and reproductive health in 25 developing countries which are part of Partners in Population Development -, a statement said Friday. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad chaired the 18th executive meeting of the PPD in Dalian, China June 23-24. PPD is an inter-governmental initiative launched in 1994 for expanding and improving south-to-south collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population and development following the International Conference on Population and Development -. 'For the first time, the committee undertook the revision of existing bylaws to meet the changed requirements and reflect the growing role of PPD in population and development dynamics,' the statement said. 'The important initiative of getting a management and financial audit conducted in the last year to identify the gaps and challenges in the management, implementation and budgeting processes as well as programmatic areas was taken. 'A large number of training programmes have been conducted in various countries to build capacity of the professionals working in the fields of population and reproductive health.' India has provided 210 scholarships for one-year diploma courses in population health, it added. The 25 PPD member countries include India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| 'Language tests being misused' -- new study Posted: 23 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A seminal article on language testing, co-authored by Dr Glenn Fulcher, a Reader in Education at the University of Leicester, argues that some agencies are using unsuitable language tests to achieve policy ends. Dr Fulcher, and Professor Fred Davidson of the University of Illinois Department of Linguistics, argue that generic tests are being used for multiple purposes because some policy makers go for cheap and simple solutions to complex problems, such as immigration. Their article, entitled Test architecture, test retrofit, which has won this year's Best Paper Award from the International Language Testing Association (ILTA), uses architectural references to illustrate how language tests are being misused. The researchers will be presented with a cheque and a plaque at the Language Testing Research Colloquium, being held at the University of Michigan from June 23-25, 2011. Dr Fulcher, from the University of Leicester School of Education, said: The use of language tests as instruments of public policy has spread exponentially over the last ten years. Most recently, for example, the UK Border Agency has introduced the use of language testing to reduce the number of students entering the United Kingdom; and a policy of restricting immigration rights to the non-EU spouses of UK citizens who do not speak English is now in place. In the world of professional certification language testing is also becoming increasingly important. The press has recently been full of stories about the horrors of allowing professionals to practice without the necessary language and communication skills to function safely. These have ranged from calls to introduce language testing for all medical staff who trained in non-English environments to the standardization of language testing for air traffic controllers and pilots. These are all cases of high stakes test use situations, where the consequences of poor decision making are serious. Dr Fulcher... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| HIV/AIDS project reaches out to vulnerable truck drivers Posted: 22 Jun 2011 09:47 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, June 22 - An HIV/AIDS project by a brewery company is reaching out to tens of hundreds of truck drivers - a vulnerable section - referring 859 of them to testing centres and hospitals. 'Humsafar', as the project by the brewery SABMiller is called, has reached out to 12,832 drivers in states like Rajasthan, Puducherry and Karnataka. Meenakshi Sharma of SABMiller said in a statement: 'The project helps truckers learn about HIV/AIDS through interpersonal communication and helps to address the issue by enduring prevention through knowledge and information dissemination.' The project has also distributed 25,069 condoms among the truckers through social marketing. Lakshmi Narayana, a truck driver in Bangalore, said: 'I visited SABMiller in December and participated in the programme on health. It was very useful as it involved plays, exhibitions and games.' Interventions are also carried out in food joints where truck drivers frequently halt along the highway. 'Since literacy rates amongst truckers are low, mass media tools such as movies, videos, games are widely used to effectively take the message to truckers,' Sharma's statement said. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Yale researchers pinpoint reasons for dramatic rise in cesarean births Posted: 22 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) In one of the first studies to examine the reasons for the rising number of women delivering their babies by cesarean section, Yale School of Medicine researchers found that while half of the increase was attributable to a rise in repeat cesarean delivery in women with a prior cesarean birth, an equal proportion was due to a rise in first time cesarean delivery. Among these deliveries, factors such as slowly progressing labor and fetal heart rate concerns were the largest contributors. The U.S. cesarean delivery rate has increased dramatically over the past decade, with some of the highest increases noted in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Much of the previous research on the reasons for this increase is limited to birth certificate data, which does not record the specific indication or reason for cesarean delivery. Pre-released online and published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study was led by Yale researcher Jessica Illuzzi, M.D., of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences. Illuzzi and her co-authors analyzed indications for cesarean delivery on prospectively collected data from over 30,000 births at Yale-New Haven Hospital from 2003 to 2009. "We found that more objective reasons, such as the baby being in a breech position and placenta previa, remained stable over time, while less objective reasons, such as slow progress in labor and concerns about fetal heart tracings contributed large proportions (>50%) to the increasing primary cesarean delivery rate," said Illuzzi. In addition, suspected large infants, twin pregnancies, and preeclampsia contributed to the increase despite relatively stable rates of these conditions in the population during the seven-year study. "This suggests that the use of cesarean for these indications is increasing," said Illuzzi. The researchers also examined some of the commonly cited reasons for increasing cesarean rates. "Despite speculation... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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