Medical leadership lessons form former UCLA Dean |  |
- Medical leadership lessons form former UCLA Dean
- A streetcar named Nano - for Rajasthan's sterilisation drive
- Will power keeping fasting Hazare in form: Doctors
- Study: Community organization can reduce, negate impact of alcohol outlets on neighborhood violence
- CWRU School of Dental Medicine receives $2.6 million in grants
- Small molecules shed light on cancer therapies
- Targeting a cure: Research looks at developing a bull's-eye therapy to combat lung cancer
- Measurement tools for traffic crash injury severity improving says Wayne State study
- Government hospitals may run short of DPT vaccine
| Medical leadership lessons form former UCLA Dean Posted: 24 Aug 2011 12:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Just months after Dr. Gerald S. Levey began interviewing for the position as head of one of the world's premier academic health centers, Mother Nature rewrote the job description. The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged UCLA Medical Center beyond repair, and it soon became clear that a significant portion of Levey's mandate would be to oversee the building of a new hospital. "In one fell swoop, the job I thought I was going to have completely changed," he said. Levey stepped down nearly 16 years later, having amassed an extraordinary record of accomplishments, including unprecedented fundraising, elite rankings for UCLA's medical school and hospital, and the building of five new state-of-the-art facilities — including Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, which was 14 years in the making and which Levey calls "the most challenging thing I have ever done." Now, the former vice chancellor for medical sciences and dean emeritus of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA shares lessons drawn from his successful leadership experience in "Never Be Afraid To Do the Right Thing: A Leadership Guide in an Age of Change and Challenge," published this month by Second River Healthcare Press. Levey, a trained internist and endocrinologist who prior to coming to UCLA had served as a senior vice president at Merck & Co., wrote the book as a business memoir intended to provide insights for leaders of all types of organizations. "The traits I identify are as relevant to business or government as they are to medicine," he said. "Rather than going into details about issues like cost containment, patient satisfaction and quality of care, I wanted to share how a successful leader makes decisions and the role of the leadership team in achieving the institution's goals." The book takes its title from Levey's favorite piece of business advice. He frequently told members of his leadership team that it was less important whether a decision... http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| A streetcar named Nano - for Rajasthan's sterilisation drive Posted: 23 Aug 2011 12:53 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Jaipur, Aug 23 - Will a Rs.1 lakh car prove to be a million-dollar idea? In an effort to get more people to undergo sterilisation, the authorities in two districts of Rajasthan are offering them a chance to win Tata Nano cars. After Jhunjhunu introduced the scheme last month, it is now Pali district where one can get sterilised and drive away a Nano. The medical and health department in Pali recently announced the scheme in which Nano cars will be offered on a lottery basis to people who get sterilised there. 'We have decided to give away two Nano cars, one on Oct 2 and the other April 7 next year, to those who get sterilised in government camps,' a senior district administration official told IANS. Not only this, cash prizes and mobiles are also being offered. 'Men who get sterilised after the birth of one girl child are to get Rs.15,000, while the women will get Rs.10,000 for the same. This is to promote the birth of a girl child and to control the population rate at the same time,' said the officer. 'The scheme is likely to get a good response from people and we expect the rate of sterilisation to increase by a substantial margin in the days to come,' he added. Earlier, on July 1, the medical and health department of Jhunjhunu, some 170 km from here, had announced the scheme for boosting sterilisation operations and curbing population growth. The department offered people a chance to win a Tata Nano car, motorcycles and television sets, among other things. 'The response so far has been good and we hope to achieve our target,' a medical official in Jhunjhunu said. He said on July 1 itself, over 1,625 sterilisation operations had been conducted. 'Our target is to achieve 21,000 operations by March 31, 2012,' the official added. According to figures released by the latest census, Rajasthan has 883 girls between the ages of 0 and 6 for every 1,000 boys in the same age group. The child sex ratio in 2001 was 909. The... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Will power keeping fasting Hazare in form: Doctors Posted: 22 Aug 2011 06:36 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Aug 22 - He has not had food for a week, but Anna Hazare is apparently going strong despite weakening health. The 74-year-old anti-corruption campaigner seems to have mastered the technique of surviving without food for long periods, say health experts. Doctors treating Hazare told IANS that the septuagenarian has lost five kg of weight as his fast continued for the seventh day at Ramlila Maidan in the capital. Hazare drinks only water during his fast. His blood and urine samples are showing up ketone particles, that are created by the body during starvation, and are meant to provide an alternate source of fuel from fatty acids. 'Ketone particles have been traced in his blood and urine. He was 71 kg. After a week of fasting, he has lost five kg of weight; now he weighs 66 kg,' Balram Gupta of Medanta Medicity, one of the doctors treating Hazare at the fast venue, told IANS. 'His health is deteriorating but for his age he is strong,' said Gupta. According to health experts, formation of ketone particles is dangerous as it may affect vital organs like kidney and liver. After 60 hours of continuous fasting, any human being body will get dehydrated and blood sugar levels will go down. 'Normally a person is required to take 1.5 litres of water a day for normal functioning of the body. Anna takes around 3 to 4 litres of water. Fasting is not new for Anna who is a follower of Gandhi,' said a member of Team Anna. Meanwhile, Rommel Tickoo, senior consultant - of Max Hospital, said,'It depends on person to person. As per medical literature, anyone who goes on hunger strike can withstand for three weeks, but after that complications creep in. 'Taking Anna's age into consideration, he seems to be strong after a week's fast and his will power is admirable. He seems to be active and fasting for long periods seems to be a practice for this ex-army man. Even people who are much younger can't do this,' Tickoo said. Yoga guru... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Study: Community organization can reduce, negate impact of alcohol outlets on neighborhood violence Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The density of businesses that sell alcohol in a community has been tied to local levels of violence, but new research has found that the influence depends on the nature of the community. More stable communities can see little to no influence but more disorganized communities are not so fortunate. Communities with greater levels of disorganization, marked by higher percentages of people living in poverty and in women-headed households with children and more renters, were hit the hardest by the presence of the liquor establishments. Common values and stronger social cohesion found in more organized communities usually results in a greater ability to regulate the behavior of local retailers and those who patronize the local alcohol outlets, said William Alex Pridemore, professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Indiana University Bloomington. These communities are more likely to have greater social capital, effective informal surveillance, and even friends who work at city hall. They're more likely to get the attention of police or authorities who license liquor establishments. Pridemore will discuss his findings on Monday during the American Sociological Association's annual meeting in Las Vegas. The study results have policy implications. Changing local and state alcohol policies can be daunting because of its complex political and commercial context but Pridemore said changing alcohol policy, such as restricting the number of outlets that can operate in disorganized neighborhoods, might be easier to achieve than changing neighborhood characteristics like poverty or social disorganization. Citywide policies that establish density thresholds for businesses that sell alcohol might not be necessary, he said, but instead such policies could be targeted to protect the most fragile neighborhoods. The co-author of the study is Tony Grubesic, associate professor in the College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| CWRU School of Dental Medicine receives $2.6 million in grants Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is supporting pre- and post-doctoral training programs in dental public health at Case Western Reserve University in an effort to combat disparities in oral health. Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine received two, five-year grants, totaling nearly $2.6 million. The funding will support efforts to close the gap between those with and those without dental care. The dental school is located near 10 Cleveland neighborhoods identified by HRSA as having fewer than one dentist for every 5,000 people. The problem of limited access to dental care isn't going away, says Sena Narendran, associate professor of community dentistry and principal investigator of the new grants. The first grant received focuses on pre-doctoral training programs and awarded $1.281 million for the school's Family First Program and soon-to-be-established dual degree in Doctor of Dental Medicine and Masters of Public Health. Family First is a collaborative effort of the Departments of Family Medicine and Nutrition, and the school is collaborating with Case Western Reserve School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics to implement the dual degree program. The second grant focuses on a post-doctoral training program in dental public health and awards $1.29 million to support a residency program at the School of Dental Medicine. Dental public health residents will have placement in community health centers and public health agencies. Addressing oral health disparities starts early in Case Western Reserve dental students' education. After their first-year cornerstone experience in the Healthy Smiles Sealant Program that provides free dental exams to the public, as well as cleanings and sealants for second and sixth graders in the Cleveland Municipal School District, second-year dental students engage in an experiential... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Small molecules shed light on cancer therapies Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Patients suffering from an aggressive brain cancer will benefit from the results of a University of Illinois study that could advance the development of targeted gene therapies and improve prognosis. We have advanced the understanding of the role of microRNAs on glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly brain cancer, by studying the networks between the microRNAs and their target genes associated with different stages of cancer development and progression, said Kristin Delfino, a U of I doctoral candidate in animal science with a focus in genetics and bioinformatics. What exactly are microRNAs? microRNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of genes such as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. U of I researchers used a novel approach to identify the simultaneous association between tens of thousands of microRNAs, target genes, and glioblastoma progression and survival. Delfino integrated clinical information such as race, gender, therapy, survival, and cancer stage from 253 patients together with genome-wide microRNA and gene expression data. We looked at the big picture and how microRNAs work together, Delfino said. When you look at a single microRNA alone, it can seem significant. But when you evaluate it in the context of all other microRNAs, some turn out to be more significant and others may not be as significant as they appear on their own. The systems biology approach that we implemented is critical for understanding the gene pathways influencing cancer. The study evaluated 534 microRNAs together, unlike the typical method of studying one at a time. They confirmed 25 microRNAs previously associated with glioblastoma survival and identified 20 other microRNAs associated with initiation or growth of other cancer types such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer and gastric adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest common pathways that can be targeted with similar drugs already developed and tested for other... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Targeting a cure: Research looks at developing a bull's-eye therapy to combat lung cancer Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University professor is trying to create a patient-friendly treatment to help the more than 220,000 people who are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Masaaki Tamura, associate professor of anatomy and physiology, and his research team are working on several projects that use nanoparticles to treat and directly target the bull's-eye: cancer cells. It's estimated that nearly 156,940 people will die from lung-related cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Lung cancer-related deaths are higher than the next three common cancer-related deaths combined: colon, breast and pancreatic cancers. Given lung cancer's high mortality rate, Tamura has focused his research on peptide nanoparticle-based gene therapy, which is the process of treating diseases by introducing therapeutic genes. His research team is collaborating with University of Kansas researchers to develop a way to treat cancer other than current chemotherapy practices. We want to generate a safe patient-friendly therapy, Tamura said. Cancer develops from our own bodies, Tamura said, which makes it very difficult for traditional chemotherapy to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells. As a result, chemotherapy often kills both cancer cells and healthy cells, which is why patients often experience whole body reactions to treatment, such as hair loss, diarrhea and vomiting. If the chemotherapy treatment damages intestines, it often has fatal consequences for patients. Tamura has found the potential for safer therapy in cationic peptide nanoparticles. This small peptide helps transfer an important gene called angiotensin II type 2 receptor, which helps to maintain cardiovascular tissue. By attaching this receptor gene to peptide nanoparticles, Tamura hopes to create a form of treatment that can directly target cancer cells without damaging healthy cells. The peptide itself is a very safe material and it has no harmful... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Measurement tools for traffic crash injury severity improving says Wayne State study Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Efforts to improve traffic safety have been aided by mathematical models that allow researchers to better assess those factors that impact the degree of injury suffered as a result of traffic crashes, a Wayne State University researcher says. Peter Savolainen, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in WSU's College of Engineering, recently conducted a comprehensive state-of-the-practice review of research in that area addressing a variety of methodological issues that can complicate analysis of injury severity data. He believes substantial progress has been made and will continue in the gathering of information that will yield ever more precise knowledge about crash outcomes. Reducing the severity level of injury resulting from a crash is one of two primary emphases of traffic safety research; reducing crash frequency is the other. A separate state-of-the-practice paper was published last year on crash frequency models; collectively, those works assist researchers charged with providing decision makers and transportation agencies with supportable conclusions that enable them to better allocate resources aimed at improving traffic safety. Ultimately we're trying to determine what the impacts of specific factors are on injury severity, Savolainen said. With that information, we can then make informed decisions as to policies and programs aimed at reducing crash severity. However, a variety of issues complicate researchers' ability to analyze those factors. One is simply the quality of the injury severity data, which generally is obtained from crash reports. That data tends to be most thorough with respect to the driver, for whom complete information is uniformly collected. Crash data tends to be of lower quality and less complete for injured passengers, and particularly for uninjured passengers. Reports also can prove problematic, Savolainen said, when details are omitted about things like occupant age and... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Government hospitals may run short of DPT vaccine Posted: 21 Aug 2011 12:54 PM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kasauli -, Aug 20 - Government hospitals in India are likely to face shortage of the DPT - vaccine as the state-run Central Research Institute - here is unable to meet its targets for want of staff. DPT vaccination is part of the Indian government's national immunisation programme. It's administered to children free of cost in government hospitals and dispensaries. A CRI official told IANS that the central government's target of producing 100 million DPT doses in the current fiscal year would not be met, mainly due to staff shortage. 'In the past four-and-a-half months, the institute has produced only 140 lakh - doses. There is a huge gap between the target and the actual production,' said the official, requesting anonymity. CRI's licence was suspended by the Drugs Controller General of India in January 2008 as it was not found in compliance with the World Health Organisation - norms for manufacturing. However, the government allowed CRI Kasauli to restart production last year after it upgraded its machinery and laboratories by spending Rs.50 crore -, according to norms of WHO's Good Manufacturing Practices -. 'And whereas the entire matter has been carefully considered by the government...now, therefore, the central government, in exercise of its powers... hereby orders revocation, with immediate effect, the suspension of the above licence,' the health ministry said in its order March 2, 2010, for CRI Kasauli. 'The appellant institute shall ensure that the production line is made fully compliant with GMP standards within three years from the date of the issue of this order,' it added. CRI director H.G. Brahmne admitted that the institute is far behind its target in the production of DPT vaccine. 'The institute is suffering mainly due to staff shortage. Now, we have the latest machinery and other infrastructure but there is a shortage of manpower,' Brahmne said. 'We need more employees to meet WHO standards - right from... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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