Women delivers baby near lift in Noida hospital |  |
- Women delivers baby near lift in Noida hospital
- Psoriasis is associated with impaired HDL function, Penn study finds
- Inundated AIT helps Thailand map floods
- Research aims to prevent obesity by reaching parents, young children through child care
- LGBT seniors face harder old age, national study finds
- Study IDs new genetic links to impulsivity, alcohol problems in men
- Atherosclerotic plaques' downstream spread linked to low shear stress
- NIH TRND program announces next round of drug development projects
- New heart cells increase by 30 percent after stem cell infusion
- Large differences in the climate impact of biofuels
| Women delivers baby near lift in Noida hospital Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:16 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Noida, Nov 17 - Denied admission in the emergency ward, a woman delivered a baby outside the elevator of a district hospital in Noida Thursday morning, her husband said. Karuna, a resident of Sector 8 in Noida, gave birth to a boy while she was being taken to the out-patient department - from the emergency ward. The hospital administration has formed a committee to probe the incident. 'The case will be properly investigated from all angles. We are yet to record the statements of the patient's family. A report will be submitted to the additional director of state health department soon,' said Chief Medical Superintendent Meena Mishra. The woman's husband Bashir said: 'We first went to the emergency ward situated on the fourth floor. We told the doctors that her condition was bad, but they refused to hear us and asked us to take her to the OPD.' 'While we were bringing her down in the lift, her pain suddenly intensified and she started screaming. On seeing her collapse in the lift, we stopped it on the first floor and took her out of it. Within a few minutes, she delivered the child,' he said. http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| Psoriasis is associated with impaired HDL function, Penn study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Orlando - Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health. In two new studies presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Penn researchers show that the systemic inflammatory impact of psoriasis may alter both the makeup of cholesterol particles and numbers, as well as impair the function of high density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol. Anecdotally, many researchers have observed that HDL levels may be lower in states of inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and even obesity, said lead study author Nehal Mehta, MD, MSCE, director of Inflammatory Risk in Preventive Cardiology at Penn. However, these new findings suggest that in addition to lower levels, chronic inflammation associated with conditions like psoriasis may change the composition and decrease the function of HDL as well. In the current studies, researchers enrolled 78 patients with psoriasis and 84 control subjects. In the first study, the authors measured fasting lipid levels and examined the number and size of cholesterol particles using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This analysis revealed that patients with psoriasis had a higher number of smaller LDL particles, or bad cholesterol, which was independent of traditional risk factors and obesity. It was striking that the NMR profiles from patients with psoriasis resembled those seen in patients with diabetes, and that these patients with psoriasis had otherwise normal traditional lipid panels Dr. Mehta added. In the second study, the researchers measured HDL efflux, which is the ability of a patient's HDL to... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Inundated AIT helps Thailand map floods Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) How can an Institute which is already flooded help others cope with the situation? How can it generate information products to grapple with floods, when it is itself faced with a disaster? At the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), which faced its greatest crisis ever when it was inundated with 2 meters of water on 21 October 2011, work on flood and disaster management is still on. The Disaster Charter on the floods in Thailand was activated on 17 October 2011 following a request by the Asia Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) through the Sentinel Asia, and AIT was appointed as incharge of project management. Dr. Masahiko Nagai, Associate Director, AIT's Geo Informatics Center, was appointed project manager of the Disaster Charter. Since then, scores of satellite maps and value-added products have been prepared on the Thailand floods. These satellite maps are being used by organizations like Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development (GISTDA), Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), and UNESCAP. A significant fact is that these products have been produced by student volunteers who are pursuing studies in Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems at AIT, Dr. Nagai says. These students have been able to use the knowledge they acquired during their studies, and have been able to apply them to real life situations, while benefitting a whole range of people across the country, he says. With AIT faced floods, Dr.Nagai's team involved in the Disaster Charter temporarily relocated to Nakhon Nayok so that they can continue producing maps of the disaster hit areas. Apart from Dr. Nagai, the team has four other members. The task is not easy since there are both hardware and software constraints as the mother campus has been under flood water since 21 October 2011. Floods in Thailand have affected nearly two-thirds of the country and have killed over 500 people so far. Two million people are affected,... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Research aims to prevent obesity by reaching parents, young children through child care Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University research group is jumping ahead to improve nutrition and physical activity among young children and prevent childhood obesity. The researchers -- led by David Dzewaltowski, professor and kinesiology department head -- have developed a program called HOP'N Home, which stands for Healthy Opportunities for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Home. The researchers have been working on obesity prevention for more than 15 years. The latest segment of the program partners with the Butler County Health Department and K-State Research and Extension to reach 3- to 5-year-olds and their parents through activities conducted at child care facilities. Our research has moved to younger and younger age groups because we have found through the public health literature and surveillance that you need to start as young as possible, Dzewaltowski said. The project works with child care centers to build the capacity of staff to help children and their parents offer more physical activity and more nutritious food options as well as understand the impact of advertising on their food and physical activity choices. The project has been supported by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. The project is divided into four phases. The first phase evaluated a 12-week program with the university's Stone House Early Childhood Education Center. The second phase occurred last spring, when the researchers partnered with Butler County Research and Extension to work with four child care providers. The researchers are currently in the third phase of the project and are working with the Butler County Health Department to develop a training model that helps child care providers deliver the 12-week program. For the final phase, the researchers will partner with agencies such as Child Care Aware of Kansas to make the training model available to child care providers statewide. We've done rigorous evaluation of the program... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| LGBT seniors face harder old age, national study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study on aging and health in these communities. The study, released Nov. 16 and led by Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen and colleagues at the University of Washington's School of Social Work, indicates that prevention and intervention strategies must be developed to address the unique needs of these seniors, whose numbers are expected to double to more than 4 million by 2030. The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health, said Fredriksen-Goldsen, a UW professor of social work and director of UW's Institute for Multigenerational Health. The health disparities reflect the historical and social context of their lives, and the serious adversity they have encountered can jeopardize their health and willingness to seek services in old age. She presented some of the study's key findings last week during a congressional briefing. The study highlights how these adults have unique circumstances, such as fear of discrimination and often the lack of children to help them. Senior housing, transportation, legal services, support groups and social events were the most commonly cited services needed in the LGBT community, according to the study. Fredriksen-Goldsen and her co-authors surveyed 2,560 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults aged 50-95 across the United States. The researchers found that the study participants had greater rates of disability, depression and loneliness and increased likeliness to smoke and binge-drink compared with heterosexuals of similar ages. Those seniors are also at greater risk for social isolation, which is linked to poor mental and... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Study IDs new genetic links to impulsivity, alcohol problems in men Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Being impulsive can lead us to say things we regret, buy things we really don't need, engage in behaviors that are risky and even develop troublesome addictions. But are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA? A new study suggests the answer is yes -- especially if you're a man. The research, led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant professor of psychology Scott Stoltenberg, found links between impulsivity and a rarely researched gene called NRXN3. The gene plays an important role in brain development and in how neurons function. The newly discovered connection, which was more prevalent among men than women in the study, may help explain certain inclinations toward alcohol or drug dependence, Stoltenberg said. Impulsivity is an important underlying mechanism in addiction, he said. Our finding that NRXN3 is part of the causal pathway toward addiction is an important step in identifying the underlying genetic architecture of this key personality trait. For the study, researchers measured impulsivity levels in nearly 450 participants -- 65 percent women, 35 percent men -- via a wide range of tests. Then, they compared those results with DNA samples from each participant. They found that impulsivity was significantly higher in those who regularly used tobacco or who had alcohol or drug problems. The results, interestingly, also came down along gender lines. In men, two connections clearly emerged; first, between a particular form of the NRXN3 gene and attentional impulsivity, and second, between another NRXN3 variant and alcohol problems. The connections for women, meanwhile, were much weaker. Stoltenberg said the gender-specific results are a rich area for further study. We can't really say what causes these patterns of association to be different in men and women. But our findings will be critical as we continue to improve our understanding of the pathways from specific genes to health-risk... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Atherosclerotic plaques' downstream spread linked to low shear stress Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) In human coronary arteries, atherosclerotic plaques tend to spread downstream because of the changes in blood flow patterns the plaque causes, researchers have found. This insight comes from a study of fluid dynamics in the arteries of people being treated for coronary artery disease. The results are being presented Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting in Orlando. The study leader is Habib Samady, MD, professor of medicine and director of interventional cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine. Postdoctoral researcher Parham Eshtehardi is presenting the data. Shear stress is a measure of how hard blood pulls on the walls of arteries, and is calculated based on intracoronary ultrasound and measurements of blood flow. Shear stress influences how sticky the cells lining the arterial walls are and how much white blood cells and cholesterol build up. The researchers found that atherosclerotic plaques are often linked to a region of low shear stress immediately downstream, which in turn forms conditions favorable for additional plaque buildup. In contrast, regions of high shear stress are most often found within plaques. Our findings confirm, for the first time in humans, some of the relationships between fluid dynamics and atherosclerosis that have been predicted by laboratory studies, Eshtehardi says. This may provide an insight to the role of shear stress in how plaques in human coronary arteries enlarge and progress. The goal of Samady's research is to help doctors identify vulnerable plaque, or plaque likely to spill open and form a blood clot, leading to a heart attack or stroke. Mature atherosclerotic plaques often have components such as a fibrous cap, dense calcium and a necrotic core of dying cells and fats. A thin cap and a necrotic core are features that may make the plaque more vulnerable to rupture. A companion poster presentation (also Tuesday) has data showing that... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| NIH TRND program announces next round of drug development projects Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Researchers will begin drug development projects for rare and neglected diseases that include potential treatments for a musculoskeletal disorder, a cognitive dysfunction disorder, a virus that affects the central nervous system of newborns, a parasitic worm infection, a form of muscular dystrophy and a rare lung disease. The six new projects are part of the National Institutes of Health's Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) program. These projects reinforce NIH's commitment to translational research and the need to accelerate potential new treatments that benefit patients with rare and neglected diseases, said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. It is wonderful that TRND scientists and their collaborators can advance such promising projects that may have otherwise remained stalled due to a lack of scientific or fiscal resources. Congress created the TRND program to facilitate the development of new drugs for rare and neglected diseases. TRND bridges the wide gap in expertise and resources that often exists between basic research discoveries and the development and testing of new drugs in human subjects. As it develops new treatments, TRND also conducts research aimed at improving the drug development process. In contrast to conventional drug development efforts, TRND will publish successes and failures so that the broader drug development community can benefit from the work done. To develop new medicines, TRND establishes partnerships with academic, government, biopharmaceutical and patient advocacy groups. TRND and its collaborators focus on the optimization and pre-clinical development of new drugs, as needed, advancing them from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational, new-drug approval to first, in-human clinical trials. Typically, the success rate for such projects is low, with 80 to 90 percent of projects failing in the pre-clinical phase and never making it to clinical trials. This... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| New heart cells increase by 30 percent after stem cell infusion Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) ORLANDO, Fla. -- Healthy, new heart cells have been generated by animals with chronic ischemic heart disease after receiving stem cells derived from cardiac biopsies or cardiospheres, according to research conducted at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The research is being presented today (Nov. 15) at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Orlando. The UB research demonstrated a 30 percent increase in healthy heart muscle cells within a month after receiving cardiosphere-derived cells (or CDCs). This finding is contrary to conventional wisdom which has held that heart cells are terminally differentiated and thus, are unable to divide. Ischemic heart disease from coronary artery narrowing and prior heart attacks is the most common cause of heart failure, the UB researchers explain. While other investigators have largely focused on regenerating muscle in scarred tissue, the UB group has shown that cardiac repair could be brought about by infusing the CDCs slowly into coronary arteries of the diseased as well as normal areas of the heart. Whereas most research has focused upon irreversible damage and scarring following a heart attack, we have shown that a single CDC infusion is capable of improving heart function in areas of the heart that are viable but not functioning normally, explains study co-author John M. Canty Jr., MD, the Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Professor of Medicine in the UB medical school and UB's chief of cardiovascular medicine. He explains that areas of myocardial dysfunction without fibrotic scarring are common in patients with heart failure from coronary artery disease and that they arise from remodeling in response to a heart attack, as well as adaptations that develop from periods of inadequate blood flow, sometimes called hibernating myocardium. The rationale for our approach is somewhat analogous to planting seeds in fertile soil versus... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Large differences in the climate impact of biofuels Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) When biomass is combusted the carbon that once was bound in the growing tree is released into the atmosphere. For this reason, bioenergy is often considered carbon dioxide neutral. Research at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, however, shows that this is a simplification. The use of bioenergy may affect ecosystem carbon stocks, and it can take anything from 2 to 100 years for different biofuels to achieve carbon dioxide neutrality. Using a tree as biofuel creates a carbon dioxide debt that must be paid back before the fuel can be considered to be carbon dioxide neutral. Energy forest is fully neutralised after 3-5 years, while other trees grow so slowly that it can take up to 100 years before they achieve carbon dioxide neutrality says Lars Zetterberg of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Gothenburg. The use of bioenergy affects ecosystem carbon stocks over time in either a positive or negative way. Biofuels where the combustion related emissions are compensated rapidly have a lower climate impact than fuels for which it takes a long time for the emissions to be compensated. Despite this, the difference in climate impacts between slow and rapid biofuels is rarely highlighted in political contexts. Emissions from bioenergy are, for example, not included in countries' commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. In his PhD thesis, Lars Zetterberg analyses how different types of biofuels affects the ecosystem carbon stock over time, and the consequent climate impact. The results show that biofuels where the combustion related emissions are compensated rapidly have a lower climate impact than fuels for which it takes a long time for the emissions to be compensated. Results from this study can help decision makers to understand the climate impacts from different bioenergy types in order to prioritize between different bioenergy alternatives. The time perspective over which the analysis is done is crucial for the... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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