Monday, July 04, 2005

National and International News



Concerns over caffeine-laced beer - Daily Mail 03/07/05

A beer made with caffeine is to be launched in the UK amid fears it could fuel binge drinking.


Anti-obesity device fools brain - Daily Mail 03/07/05

Three overweight patients are to be fitted with a device that fools their brains into thinking they have eaten in a new trial aimed at finding ways to cure obesity in Britain.

Pacemakers that make the fat fall away - The Sunday Times 03/07/05


Regular showers may be health risk - Daily Mail 03/07/05

Taking regular showers could pose a health risk and even result in permanent brain damage, it has been claimed.

Manganese inhaled from the shower - A public health threat? Maybe - Medical News Today 01/07/05


Police stun gun 'dangerous and should not be issued' - The Telegraph 03/07/05

The controversial Taser stun gun is a "dangerous weapon" which should not yet be issued to all frontline police officers, Hazel Blears, the Home Office minister, has said.


Tim Adams on the problems with chewing gum - The Observer 03/07/05

Chewing gum gets under our feet and costs us millions a year to clean up. Yet, for all the annoyances it causes, it can inspire artists and philosophers. As the late Primo Levi observed, it sticks to your mind as well...


Secret report says war on hard drugs has failed - The Observer 03/07/05

A secret Downing Street report on crack and heroin, suppressed by ministers, has discovered that the government's war on drugs has failed.


Dr John Briffa answers your medical questions - The Observer 03/07/05

I am a 51-year-old woman and have been found to be suffering from a raised level of cholesterol. I am a lover of nuts and wondered whether these might be pushing my cholesterol levels up?


Nutrition: Bad to the bone? - The Observer 03/07/05

Does eating protein help create healthier bones, or does it actually leech them of calcium? Dr John Briffa takes a look at the hard evidence


On the couch: The mental block - The Observer 03/07/05

While the preference for sweet things is inborn and the love of fats is learned through milk's strong association with the meeting of infantile needs, there remains very wide variation between classes and across cultures as to which foods taste good. In Swedish schools, learning how to cook is compulsory, unlike here, and tasting is one of the culinary disciplines. The French originally developed taste lessons as a reaction to McDonald-isation of their children's eating habits.


How to find asylum in Britain - The Observer 03/07/05

Be a nurse or a doctor seeking work rather than a genuine refugee fleeing oppression in Zimbabwe


Do mention the 'C' word - The Observer 03/07/05

What do you do when you receive the most devastating news of your life? Deborah Hutton decided to write a book full of practical ideas about how friends can help. Here, with contributions from Ruby Wax, Alastair Campbell, Sam Taylor-Wood and many others, she reveals how to cope with cancer.


National disaster register to be set up - The Observer 03/07/05

A nationwide register of the worst disasters that could befall Britain is being prepared by the government. A full assessment of the risks facing the country, ranging from flooding, a bird flu epidemic, explosions in oil refineries and terrorist attacks, is underway to help police and local communities deal with the serious emergencies.


Obese children are told to get dancing - The Independent 03/07/05

Britain's overweight schoolchildren will be urged to take up hip hop, ballet and salsa in a bid to halt the growing obesity crisis among the young.


Cost of NHS dental check-ups to double - The Independent 03/07/05

The cost of an NHS dental check-up is to rise sharply to help pay for a ceiling on the costliest treatments.


Comment: Jenny Hjul: Don't demonise doctors over sick NHS - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

It may seem insensitive, against the backdrop of the attention being directed towards Africa, to talk about what people earn in Scotland when it is likely to be so much more, whatever their line of work, than the income of the average Malawian or Zimbabwean or Zambian. But there is an abiding fascination with others' salaries, particularly when they appear to have crossed that threshold from "substantial" to "greedy".


Plan to use foreign doctors to reduce out-of-hours costs - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

DEDICATED night doctors and nurses could be hired to cut down on crippling overtime payments for out-of-hours care.


'Too posh to push' theory backed by caesarean study - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

MIDDLE-CLASS mothers are 26% more likely to opt for a caesarean section operation than those from the working class, according to a national study that claims to validate the notion that some women are "too posh to push".


Child protection - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

Operation Ore is the biggest attack on what is a highly emotive and sensitive area of criminality - online child abuse. Clear procedures and specialist training have been paramount throughout (A flaw in the child porn witch hunt, News Review, last week). All material seized has been subject to stringent review, details kept in the strictest confidence and in cases where we have moved to prosecution we have sought independent legal assessment. Some individuals under suspicion were therefore eliminated at a very early stage, while 1,500 have been convicted.


Health screening may not save men - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

YOUR article NHS "fund bias" against men (News, June 19) on Father's Day raised important issues. Death from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is common and painful and even those who survive are often disabled by it. The evidence that screening can reduce mortality from a ruptured aneurysm is now strong.


Call for curbs on smoking at home - The Sunday Times 03/07/05

THE Royal College of Physicians is calling for parents to be deterred from smoking at home so as to protect children from cigarette fumes, writes Jonathon Carr-Brown.


Every sperm donor recruited costs public 6,250, say critics - The Telegraph 03/07/05

Every sperm donor recruited by a new awareness campaign costs the Government 6,250, according to critics who say that the scheme has been wasteful.


'I ate 15 bags of crisps a day for three years. I was addicted and it nearly killed me' - The Telegraph 03/07/05

When Gina Gough was rushed into hospital in agony, with severe abdominal pains and jaundice, doctors initially suspected hepatitis and put her to an isolation ward.


Birt's secret drug warning to Blair - The Telegraph 03/07/05

Tony Blair was warned by his strategy adviser, Lord Birt, that cannabis was responsible for more mental health emergency hospital admissions than crack cocaine seven months before the Government downgraded the drug's illegality.


One in 10 school leavers is busy doing nothing - The Telegraph 03/07/05

One in 10 school leavers is doing literally nothing, according to figures from the Government.


A second language 'changes personality' - The Telegraph 03/07/05

Psychologists have discovered that people take on the characteristics of foreign nationals when they switch into their language - and such a change in the embittered hotel owner could well have improved life for the hapless Manuel.


Advertisers target children's play areas - The Telegraph 03/07/05

Children's play areas have become the latest prime location for advertisers.


'Safe to miss the Pill' - Daily Mail 02/07/05

Doctors have voiced concerns over new medical guidance which tells millions of women they can miss two or even three contraceptive pills in a row and still be protected against pregnancy.


Patients 'brought MRSA with them'- Daily Mail 02/07/05

One in four patients tested for MRSA at an NHS trust with the highest rate of infection in the country brought the superbug into its hospitals with them, it emerged today.


Smoking 'could increase TB risk' - BBC Health News 02/07/05

Smoking cigarettes may increase the risk of developing tuberculosis, a study has suggested.


'Too young for an old person's illness' - BBC Health News 02/07/05

When he was in his late-40s, Dave Edmonds was extremely active.


Clue to cause of nerve diseases - BBC Health News 02/07/05

Scientists have uncovered a new factor influencing neurodegenerative disorders such as motor neurone disease and Huntington's disease.


Doctor justifies his role in baby death cases - The Guardian 02/07/05

I told the truth as I saw it, says former expert witness

Paediatrician tells of witness box 'ordeal' - The Guardian 02/07/05
Medical journal 'will not influence watchdog' - The Guardian 01/07/05
Meadow should not have been charged, says Lancet - The Guardian 01/07/05
Witness box left my head spinning, says Meadow - The Independent 02/07/05
Children's doctor suffered hostility - The Times 02/07/05
Sally Clark's reputation is put on trial again over cot death - The Times 02/07/05
Meadow was reluctant trial witness - Daily Mail 01/07/05
Wrongly-jailed mother's fury at Meadow defence - Daily Mail 01/07/05
Cot death expert defends evidence - BBC Health News 01/07/05


Patients 'brought MRSA with them' - The Guardian 02/07/05

One in four patients tested for MRSA at an NHS trust with the highest rate of infection in the country brought the superbug into its hospitals with them, it emerged today.


Drug reverses Parkinson's brain damage - The Guardian 02/07/05

An experimental drug for Parkinson's disease has been shown to trigger new nerve growth in the brain, the first time any treatment has reversed the brain damage caused by the condition.


Hugh Phillips - The Guardian 01/07/05

Thousands of people owe their hip or knee replacements, directly or indirectly, to the consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Hugh Phillips, who has died, aged 65, of lung cancer. Based at the Norfolk and Norwich university hospital from 1975 until the summer of 2004, he trained several hundred junior doctors, set NHS policy and national standards for joint replacement surgery, and was, at the time of his death, president of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).


Simon Hoggart: Never mind the results, does it work in theory? - The Guardian 02/07/05

Dr Jennie Blackwell, speaking at the British Medical Association's conference this week, told the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, that the government's obsession with targets was making hospitals look like war zones, "with patients strewn all over the place".


Spanish police swoop on fake dentists - The Guardian 02/07/05

Spanish dentistry was a safer place yesterday after police swooped on a network of rogue Ecuadorian practitioners who had used home-made drills and other makeshift utensils on the canines of unsuspecting patients.


Muriel Gray: Identity cards will deprive the innocent of one of their most basic rights - The Guardian 02/07/05

Identity cards will deprive the innocent of one of their most basic rights


Birt's secret 'blue skies' advice to Blair revealed - The Guardian 02/07/05

The extraordinary range of the "blue-skies thinking" of the prime minister's most controversial adviser, Lord Birt, was revealed last night when Downing Street published previously secret reports written by him.


Private health deal sweeteners face axe - The Guardian 02/07/05

Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, promised today to phase out the sweeteners enjoyed by private sector health corporations treating patients from the NHS waiting list.


Margaret Hughes: Will we ever get out of this 'sorry state'? - The Guardian 02/07/05

Thinktank calls for urgent action to end suffering of elderly


Even Nye Bevan's NHS saw a role for the private sector [Comment] - The Guardian 02/07/05

Ask people why they are proud to be British and many would put the NHS at the top of the list. Its founding principles - a health service paid for by all, with treatment provided free to everyone - reflect the best British characteristics of fairness, decency and respect. The outstanding dedication and commitment of NHS staff makes us proud, as well as grateful.


Radical feminist Sheila Jeffreys talks to Julie Bindel - The Guardian 02/07/05

Breast implants for 18-year-olds? Hymen reconstructions? Rape-themed fashion collections? Don't tell Sheila Jeffreys these are signs of female liberation. The radical feminist talks to Julie Bindel


Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 02/07/05

I'm a 28-year-old who still suffers from spots. I feel like a teenager! The problem seems partly hormonal, as they flare up just before my period.


Time to eliminate unnecessary risks - The Guardian 01/07/05

Matt Seaton explains why he's now fully in favour of arguments for cycle helmets to be made compulsory


Rise in patients waiting six months for treatment - The Guardian 01/07/05

Hospitals are still missing a key government target on waiting times, according to new figures published today.


Scotland calls time on pub smokers - The Guardian 01/07/05

The days of smokers in Scotland lighting up over a pint in a pub are numbered.


No way to die - The Guardian 01/07/05

We all hope to pass away peacefully, but despite the best efforts of 21st-century medicine, too many of us end our lives in agonising pain and distress. Why are we seemingly incapable of managing death effectively? Sarah Boseley reports, while Alan Rusbridger describes his father's final days 'clouded by his growing pain and sense of betrayal' - and asks, must it be this way?


Victim of priest's abuse wins record sum - The Guardian 01/07/05

Solicitors warn that more claims are likely to cost church millions


Boots will become less healthy, and less beautiful - The Guardian 01/07/05

Here we go again. Once more (it happens every five years or so) Boots is trying to find some way of profitably using the excess space it has in 120 of its biggest stores. The problem is that Boots's core health and beauty ranges comfortably fill only 25,000 sq ft of trading space, but 10% of the stores have up to 50% more than that.

These Boots are made for filling - The Guardian 01/07/05


Patient spiked receptionist's coffee with sedative - The Guardian 01/07/05

A man who secretly dropped a sedative into the coffee of a doctor's receptionist with whom he had been arguing was today sentenced to a community rehabilitation order.


Drink fuels 'stranger danger' of rising violence on streets - The Times 01/07/05

VIOLENT attacks by strangers on the streets of England and Wales are increasing, according to a new Home Office report, which estimates the cost of crime to individuals and households at 36 billion a year.


Get back to Nature - The Times 02/07/05

SURPRISE discoveries from the back of Mother Nature's medicine cabinet could mean serious new uses for cannabis and mistletoe, as well as a century-old tree therapy.


Well scrubbed - The Times 02/07/05

Doctors want to shed their white coats - and ER image


You should get out more - The Times 02/07/05

PARKS and green spaces might seem to be packed at this time of year- but we don't get out into the fresh air enough.


Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 02/07/05

I try confirming patient recall: What did I just say? "Can't you remember then, doc?"


Junk medicine: increase in autism
- The Times 02/07/05

Scare talk of an epidemic does little to further our understanding of autism


Better than all the rest? - The Times 02/07/05

To open the curtains on a debate on sleep, Jerome Burne asks if we really want to stay up all night


Want to give him a hand?
- The Times 02/07/05

If you're fed up with being bullied by Bob Geldof and suspicious of African dictators, there are other ways to support projects with a high impact on Africa's health problems


Suits me to feel comfy - The Times 02/07/05

Designer jackets were a stretch too far for pregnant broadcaster Gabby Logan. Something had to give


Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 02/07/05

I'm 23 and have been on the combined Pill for two years but I am finding that I don't have the most raging libido. Am I just a normal, busy young woman or could the Pill be the problem?


Ready to reproduce? - The Times 02/07/05

You've got the job, the house, the spouse - it must be time for babies. But are we waiting far too long to become parents?


Moving on: lost sex appeal - The Times 02/07/05

Finding a date is not the answer for a single, older woman looking for love I am 68 but still slim and attractive. I was divorced at 41. I lived it up for 15 years and was always in demand. I had a "part-time" boyfriend for eight years after that, but then I moved to another part of the country and seemed to lose all my attractiveness. My self-esteem is at rock bottom as the only people who find me attractive seem so old. I joined a dating club, where the men I met were fanciable but none wanted to see me again. I have a wide range of interests and get on well with men but have never been able to flirt. Is this the problem? I would like to love and care for someone, and to be loved in return, before it is too late.


Vegetarian teen in a new beef - The Times 02/07/05

My eldest son is nearly 14. When he was 7 he decided to go vegetarian and he has eaten no meat or fish since. I cook him a varied, balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables, nuts, pulses, seeds, quorn etc. However, he has now decided that he wants to start eating meat again. How do we introduce this back into his diet?


It works for me: Electro-acupuncture According to Voll - The Times 02/07/05

James Delingpole has sniffed out a remedy for hay fever that put an end to his summer blues


Alfresco feasts - The Times 02/07/05

Take the stress out of mealtimes, grab the kids and head for a hassle-free picnic. Jane Clarke unpacks her hamper of healthy, delicious treats


Sun, sea and salad - The Times 02/07/05

Are you bikini-fit? From toning tomes to an exotic spa and some positive thinking, here are three tried and tested methods to get you in shape


How to cheat at eating: French dressing - The Times 02/07/05

Woulda ... HELLMAN'S FRENCH DRESSING Fat 3.9g per 15ml serving Salt 0.3g Price £1.29 per 235ml bottle Verdict This has a creamy texture, but it tastes nothing like the real thing. A home-made French dressing combines oil, vinegar, a little sugar, salt, pepper and garlic, and possibly mustard and lemon juice. This variety also includes water, parsley, coriander, oregano, glucose syrup, modified maize starch, flavourings, tartaric acid, stabiliser, emulsifier and citric acid. If you don't mind spending the calories on a full-fat dressing, you'd be better off making your own. 45 calories per 15ml


Not just any body: Morgan Spurlock, 34 - The Times 02/07/05

Documentary-maker Morgan Spurlock still loves a good burger but fast food is off the menu


Ditch the Zimmer frame and put on a bionic suit - The Times 02/07/05

HE grew up on a diet of cyborg comics and hums the Terminator theme while working in his lab. Now, Yoshiyuki Sankai is about to realise his dream by creating a generation of bionic grannies and grandads.


500,000 taxi habit may put health officials on bus - The Times 02/07/05

HEALTH officials were accused yesterday of being too fond of taxis after running up a 550,000 annual cab bill.


Drug find offers a glimmer of hope to Parkinson's sufferers - The Times 02/07/05

SCIENTISTS are hailing a potential breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions following research into an experimental drug that prompts the regrowth of lost nerve fibres.

New hope for Parkinson's sufferers - Daily Mail 01/07/05


Nuclear reactors are the only truly 'green' solution - The Telegraph 02/07/05

We know that this Government likes to boss us about. But the scheme to personalise carbon emissions - that is to set quotas on how much fuel we can use - is particularly silly. The idea begs at least five questions.


Does it work? Neem products - The Telegraph 01/07/05

Barbara Lantin takes a closer look at a natural product that discourages insects from biting


'Mummy, where's the baby?' - The Telegraph 01/07/05

How do you tell a small child about a sibling's death? Charlotte Bevan meets a mother whose book can help other parents


Energy ration cards for everyone planned - The Telegraph 02/07/05

Every individual in Britain could be issued with a "personal carbon allowance" - a form of energy rationing - within a decade, under proposals being considered seriously by the Government.


Everything you always wanted to know by text... and an answer in seconds - The Telegraph 02/07/05

There are 900,000 rabbits in Northern Ireland, the Irish pop singer Bono takes a size 10 hat and it is never too late to send a thank you card.


There's no such thing as a free lunch, a cheap ID card or on-budget government IT [Opinion] - The Telegraph 02/07/05

The scene: a Secret Hide-Out in a tree somewhere in the Home Counties. The time: a summer afternoon some time in the 1930s. The cast: several eight-year-old boys who, since school broke up, have been moonlighting as Pirates. So far, the piracy business has been going well enough. Each Pirate has subscribed a sum of money to the communal treasure chest, out of which they supply the essentials of pirate life - gobstoppers, catapults, ginger beer and so forth. Successful raids have been conducted on nearby sweetshops. Jam tarts have been expropriated from windowsills. Communications systems involving tin cans and string have been put into place.


'Stop poaching African medics', BMA - Daily Mail 01/07/05

The world's largest nations were urged to stop poaching medics from developing countries.


Lack of sun harming children, says doctor - Daily Mail 01/07/05

Young children are not getting enough sunlight because of fears about skin cancer, a doctor has claimed.


Smoking not sexy, says 6.3m health drive - Daily Mail 01/07/05

The Government has launched a new health campaign which urges young people to quit cigarettes for the sake of their looks and sex lives.


Tiny babies 'prone to depression' - Daily Mail 01/07/05

Babies that are born underweight are more likely to suffer from depression later in life, a study has revealed.


Marine DNA cloned for cancer drugs - Daily Mail 01/07/05

Scientists have made a major breakthrough which could help in the treatment of cancer patients through the cloning of marine DNA.


NHS waiting list continues to fall - Daily Mail 01/07/05

The NHS waiting list fell by more than 1,000 in May - and no patient is now waiting longer than a year, figures show.

Number waiting for NHS ops down - BBC Health News 01/07/05


Woman dies from eating disorder - Daily Mail 01/07/05

A young woman has died from a rare genetic disorder that forced her to eat continuously, it has emerged.


GMC suspends 'moonlighting' doctor - Daily Mail 01/07/05

A doctor who swindled thousands of pounds in false expenses claims while moonlighting at hospitals across the country has been suspended by the General Medical Council.


Widower urges 'better training' - Daily Mail 01/07/05

A man whose wife died minutes after her chest pains were wrongly diagnosed as indigestion has called for receptionists to receive better training.


Child psychiatrist struck off - Daily Mail 01/07/05

One of the UK's top child psychiatrists has been struck off the medical register.

'Whitewash' doctor is struck off - BBC Health News 01/07/05


Forty and fat for the 'junk food generation' - Daily Mail 30/06/05

It is a tantalising prospect . . . the chance to see what you'll look like in 30 years time. Or is it?


Jamie asked for hospital dinners - Daily Mail 30/06/05

Doctors called today for a Jamie Oliver-style make-over of hospital food.


Lettuce get frisky - Daily Mail 30/06/05

It certainly explains a lot about rabbits! Lettuce is an ancient Viagra that can boost your sexual performance, scientists revealed yesterday.


Doctors veto early abortion time limit - Daily Mail 30/06/05

Doctors today voted against supporting a reduction in the legal limit for abortion.


Pay-out over baby's body on shelf - BBC Health News 01/07/05

Steven and Lisa Cooper with their daughter The Coopers now have a nine-month-old daughter called Sydney A hospital has agreed a £10,000 out-of-court settlement with a couple whose stillborn daughter's body was left in a cupboard for three days.


Disabled Kenyan baby granted visa - BBC Health News 01/07/05

A disabled Kenyan boy has been given a visa to visit the UK for medical tests, the Foreign Office has confirmed.


Doctors hail ovarian cancer test - BBC Health News 01/07/05

UK doctors say they have found an easier way to diagnose ovarian cancer.


Vessel time-bomb killing children - BBC Health News 01/07/05

Children are dying from a condition that could be treated surgically if it is spotted early, warn US doctors.


Depression risk for tiny babies - BBC Health News 01/07/05

Babies with small birthweights are at an increased risk of depression in later life, research suggests.


Cancer 'fertility predictor' test - BBC Health News 01/07/05

UK researchers say they have found a way to forecast how long women will be fertile after being treated for cancer.


The nurse who inspired Live Aid - BBC Health News 01/07/05

Scenes of starving children, who were within days or hours of death, were beamed round the world in 1984.


NHS women 'miss out on top jobs' - BBC Health News 01/07/05

Women in the NHS miss out on top jobs because of a "glass elevator" that sees men soar to managerial posts, a study suggests.


TV ads show smoking is 'unsexy' - BBC Health News 30/06/05

Risqué TV, radio and billboard ads will be appearing across the UK from July to drill home the message to young people that smoking is not sexy.


Safety of egg donation 'unclear' - BBC Health News 30/06/05

More needs to be known about the long term health dangers of egg donation, fertility experts have warned.


BMA drops euthanasia opposition - BBC Health News 30/06/05

Doctors have voted to drop their opposition to changes to the law which would allow terminally ill patients to be helped to die.


Abortion time limit cut rejected - BBC Health News 30/06/05

Doctors at the British Medical Association conference in Manchester have voted against reducing the upper limit for abortion.


U.S. experts warn of risky silicone 'pump parties' - Reuters 02/07/05

A dangerous underground of "pump parties" has sprung up around the country catering to transgender individuals seeking more feminine features through cheap -- sometimes deadly -- black-market silicone injections, experts say.


AIDS is Asia's 'silent tsunami,' experts say - Reuters 02/07/05

AIDS is a silent tsunami that threatens all of Asia, but the deadly disease can still be conquered if governments take urgent action now, world health officials said on Saturday.


FDA warns consumers about Liqiang 4 capsules - Reuters 02/07/05

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers on Friday not to take Liqiang 4 dietary supplement capsules, which contain a drug that could have life-threatening consequences for some users.


FDA probes antidepressant safety for adults - Reuters 01/07/05

U.S. regulators alerted the public on Friday about a potential link between antidepressant use and suicidal behavior in adults and urged close monitoring of patients taking any of the widely prescribed drugs.


Frozen embryos may yield better pregnancy outcomes - Reuters 01/07/05

Low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth are more frequent in babies born through assisted reproductive techniques (ART), a study from Australia shows. The study also shows that use of fresh rather than frozen embryos appears to be one risk factor for these outcomes.


Correctly used condoms do reduce STD risk - Reuters 01/07/05

Adolescent girls who always use condoms correctly are indeed protected from common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new study. However, the findings also show that only 16 percent of the young women used condoms properly.


Argentina's fashion police target rake-thin teens - Reuters 01/07/05

Argentine girls struggling to stay slim troll street stores for low-slung jeans and midriff sweaters often dreading the cruelest of words from salespeople at the door: "Don't come in, we don't have your size."


Tests detect 'masked' hypertension - Reuters 01/07/05

Home blood pressure monitoring and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring -- two different ways to measure blood pressure outside a doctor's office -- are both effective methods to detect "masked hypertension," according to a study.


Glaxo, others seen hungry for $2 bln Boots' drugs - Reuters 01/07/05

GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and other trade buyers are set to dominate the bidding for Boots Plc's (BOOT.L: Quote, Profile, Research) healthcare business, which could fetch about $2 billion (1.13 billion pounds) when it goes on the block this month, banking and industry sources said on Friday.


Video gamers may have quicker eyes - Reuters 01/07/05

Video game players may spend a lot of time on the couch, but when they're ready to go out they can find their keys quicker than the rest of us, a study suggests.


Smoking and hepatitis C up risk of lymphoma - Reuters 01/07/05

Results of an Italian study confirm that heavy smoking doubles the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the lymph nodes. The study also shows that hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive individuals who are heavy smokers have an approximately 4-fold elevated risk of developing NHL.


Arsenic toxicity may vary, depending on genes - Reuters 01/07/05

Some children with particular genetic patterns appear to process arsenic differently, suggesting that they may be more -- or less -- vulnerable to its effects, according to new study findings.


Poly/mono balance important to cholesterol-lowering diet - Medical News Today 03/07/05

In the search for the best fats for a heart healthy diet, trans- and saturated fats have long been recognized as undesirable and those that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are preferred -- with no clear benefit demonstrated for higher levels of either the PUFAs or the MUFAs within recommended limits.


Teen IQ and mental activity linked to dementia risk later on - Medical News Today 03/07/05

A new study by researchers at the University Memory and Aging Center, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University (Case) and University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC), found that persons who were more active in high school and who had higher IQ scores, were less likely to have mild memory and thinking problems and dementia as older adults. Their results are published in the July 2005 issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.


Protein structure initiative advances to rapid production phase - Medical News Today 03/07/05

With the announcement of 10 new research centers, the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI) launches the second phase of its national effort to find the three-dimensional shapes of a wide range of proteins. This structural information will help reveal the roles that proteins play in health and disease and will help point the way to designing new medicines.


UCSD researchers boost white cells ability to kill bacteria - Medical News Today 03/07/05

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have determined how white blood cells up the ante against invading bacteria, a finding that may lead to new treatments for infections including those caused by invasive--"flesh-eating"-- Streptococcus bacteria.


Eliminating bacterial infections out of thin air - Medical News Today 03/07/05

When microorganisms invade the body, immune mechanisms kick in to fight them off. The infected tissues typically show depleted oxygen levels, and a protein called HIF-1 alpha regulates this. Interestingly, the cells responsible for destroying the foreign pathogens are effective in this low-oxygen environment. In a new study appearing in the July 1 print issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Randall Johnson and collegues from UCSD show for the first time that induction of the HIF-1 pathway can act as a "super-antibiotic", accelerating the killing of bacteria in conditions typical of those found during bacterial infection and sepsis.


Poor T cell responsiveness limits current approaches - Medical News Today 03/07/05

In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in developing therapeutic vaccines. Most Americans are familiar with prophylactic, or preventive vaccines, which protect an individual from infections; examples include the common pediatric vaccines as well as the flu shot. But therapeutic vaccines are designed instead to be administered to patients who have already acquired chronic infections, such as HIV or hepatitis. These therapeutic vaccines aim to enhance the immune system's ability to combat an infectious agent, such as a virus. Researchers are also developing therapeutic vaccines to treat a variety of cancers.


Stolen gene allows insect virus to enter cells - Medical News Today 03/07/05

A gene enabling an insect virus to enter new cells was likely stolen from a host cell and adapted for the virus's use, researchers at Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell University report.


Nerve growth factor induces hyperresponsiveness of the human bronchus - Medical News Today 03/07/05

The nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor essential for the development and survival of neurons. Recent findings propose it also as an important mediator of inflammation, in particular in the airways.


Benefits from asthma drugs - what patients really want - Medical News Today 03/07/05

Traditionally, trials of new asthma medicines have studied objective outcomes such as improvements in lung function or symptoms, believing these to be important for both the doctor and the patient.


Brazil Using HIV/AIDS as Excuse to Expand Drug Industry Without Recognizing U.S. Patents, Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 03/07/05

"Brazil is ripping off American drug and biotech patents as part of a larger effort to expand its economy and bolster its drug industry without having to spend the billions required to bring new medicines to market," Robert Goldberg, director of the... Manhattan Institute for Policy Research's Center for Medical Progress, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece (Goldberg, Washington Times, 6/27). Brazil's lower house of government earlier this month approved a bill that would suspend patents on all antiretroviral drugs and allow Brazilian companies to produce generic versions of the drugs if the government cannot negotiate price reductions or licensing agreements with patent-holding pharmaceutical companies (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/3). On Friday, Brazilian Health Minister Humberto Costa informed Abbott Laboratories that it will break the company's patent on the antiretroviral drug Kaletra within 10 days unless the company lowers the price of the drug by 42%. Brazil also is negotiating price reductions for Merck's efavirenz and Gilead's tenofovir (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/27). Brazil claims that it must break patents to make the medications affordable, but Brazil's HIV prevalence rate of 0.6% is similar to the U.S. rate of 0.5%, Goldberg says, adding that, for comparison, the rate in Swaziland is 38.6%. In addition, Brazil is "relentlessly" protecting patents of its growing and profitable industries, according to Goldberg. Supporters of a measure sponsored by Rep. Anne Northup (R-Ky.) that would prohibit trade agreements with provisions enforcing patent protections for medications are "aid[ing] and abett[ing] patent piracy," Goldberg writes. "Stripping the power of our government to enforce contracts in other countries makes patent protection worthless," Goldberg writes, concluding that Northup's measure "would make it easier for Brazil and other patent pirates to expand their thievery to other industries, undermining American competitiveness and job creation as they go" (Washington Times, 6/27)


Mental health charity warns of consequences of online gambling - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Poker websites and other online gambling services may be exciting investors at the moment, but there may be dangers for online gamblers, warns a mental health charity.


Nicotinic agonists: a new therapeutic approach of asthma - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Nicotinic agonists (such as nicotine) are a family of molecules that stimulate nicotinic receptors present on inflammatory and smooth muscle cells. Stimulation of these receptors provokes the down-regulation of these cells.


ARRS President Responds to NAS Report on Ionizing Radiation, USA - Medical News Today 02/07/05

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) today released a report that indicates that low levels of ionizing radiation may cause harm. The following is a response to the report from Bruce McClennan, MD, president of the American Roentgen Ray Society.


BMA(NI) says Minister must introduce a complete ban on second-hand tobacco smoke - Medical News Today 02/07/05

The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, which has energetically campaigned for a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces, said that the Minister's decision not to introduce an immediate total ban in Northern Ireland was very disappointing.


Poor lung function increases lung cancer risk, especially in women - Medical News Today 02/07/05

People with poor lung function are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, suggests a study in Thorax.


Local Governments Considering Program To Allow MSM With STDs To Notify Sex Partners via E-Mail - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Local governments in the United States and worldwide are working to adopt a program that allows men who have sex with men who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease to send e-cards to inform their sex partners of their condition, the... St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Martinez, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 6/26). The program -- known as InSPOT, Internet Notification Service for Partners or Tricks, and funded by the San Francisco Department of Public Health STD Services -- was launched in October 2004 in San Francisco and is the first service that allows people diagnosed with an STD to inform others of their condition, rather than having public health officials contact their partners. The e-cards use funny slogans, can be sent to up to six e-mail addresses at a time, may be signed or sent anonymously and use a drop-down menu of eight STDs, not including HIV (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/7/04). The Indiana State Department of Health recently said it plans to use the program, and the Mazzoni Center -- a Philadelphia group that works with sexual minorities -- and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health earlier this month announced they will work together to examine adopting the service in the city. In addition, an international nongovernmental organization has said it will replicate the service in Romania, according to Deb Levine, executive director of Internet Sexuality Information Services, which runs the program in San Francisco. Officials in Florida, Maryland, New York state and British Columbia also have expressed interest in the program, the Pioneer Press reports. The groups will spend approximately $20,000 to adapt the service to local communities, plus an annual maintenance fee for the Web site, according to Levine (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 6/26).


Scotland's doctors quiz Health Secretary on smoking - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Scotland's doctors took the opportunity to ask the English Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, what steps her Government was taking to protect workers in England from the deadly effects of second hand smoke, in light of moves towards a comprehensive ban in Scotland.


Nutritional Supplement Successfully Fights Acne without Antibiotics or Side-Effects - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Florida dermatologist has successfully combined 7 vitamins, minerals and one herb into a tablet which appears to provide relief to people suffering from acne.


Small excess risk of cancer associated with low-dose radiation exposure, international study - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Low doses of radiation, such as those received in the nuclear industry, are associated with a small excess risk of developing cancer, according to a study published online by the BMJ today.


Infotrieve Introduces the Infotrieve/ELN 2.4 Electronic Laboratory Notebook - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Infotrieve, Inc, a global provider of content management technology and information services for the life sciences and other R&D-intensive industries, announced today the immediate availability of the Infotrieve/ELN 2.4. The Infotrieve/ELN is an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) enterprise software package that allows experimental data to be securely collected, analyzed, stored, and shared among all pharmaceutical professionals, including biologists, chemists, regulatory, quality assurance, and records management professionals.


MRC Study Finds Vaccine Eliminates HIB Disease In The Gambia - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Medical Research Council (MRC) study results, announced online today in The Lancet, illustrate that a routine immunisation programme in The Gambia has been successful at eliminating the incidence of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease.


Israeli Ovarian Tissue Transplant Patient Gives Birth - Medical News Today 02/07/05

A 28-year-old Israeli woman who underwent an ovarian transplant using tissue frozen before she began chemotherapy treatments for cancer gave birth on Monday, according to an... article published online Monday by the New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/USA Today reports. Dror Meirow of Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues reported that the woman experienced premature menopause as a result of the chemotherapy, and she remained infertile two years after chemotherapy, according to lab tests. Researchers then attached strips of her frozen ovary tissue to her left ovary and fragments of the tissue were injected into her right ovary. About nine months later, the woman resumed menstruation. Researchers took a single egg from her left ovary, fertilized it with her husband's sperm in a lab and implanted the resulting embryo into the woman, who became pregnant. The woman gave birth to a healthy girl (AP/USA Today, 6/27). Doctors have said the procedure shows a critical advance in fertility treatment that might allow the reversal of early onset menopause in women who undergo chemotherapy for cancer, the Wall Street Journal reports. Although there is a possibility that the egg extracted from the woman was not a result of the tissue transplant, doctors said it is unlikely. The details of the case will be reported in the July 21 issue of NEJM. About 600,000 U.S. women under age 40 are diagnosed with cancer annually, and more than 80% become infertile following radiation and chemotherapy treatments. An estimated 125,000 women have had ovarian tissue frozen prior to beginning cancer treatments in hopes of regaining their fertility (Pereira, Wall Street Journal, 6/28).


Possible IMF/World Bank link to spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Economic reforms recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to countries in sub-Saharan Africa may inadvertently be contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in women and children, according to a review article published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition by a University College London (UCL) public health scientist.


Multi-Language Epilepsy Information - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Epilepsy Action, the UK's largest member-led epilepsy organisation, has launched a multi-language leaflet for Kurdish, Somali, Welsh, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi and Gujarati speakers, to highlight the support services of the charity, through the use of Language Line.


U.S. Policy on Needle Exchange Makes It 'Scoundrel' in HIV/AIDS Fight, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 02/07/05

The Bush administration is "both savior and scoundrel" in the fight against HIV/AIDS because the United States is the largest funder of AIDS programs worldwide but it also "uses its muscle to extinguish necessary and successful programs it finds politically objectionable and to carry out ineffective ideological crusades," a... New York Times editorial says. In recent good news, FDA last week granted tentative approval to Indian drug manufacturers Aurobindo Pharma and Ranbaxy Laboratories to produce generic versions of the antiretroviral drugs nevirapine and efavirenz, qualifying them to be included in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the editorial says. Although none of the seven approved generic antiretrovirals is being distributed under PEPFAR yet, the FDA approvals eventually will "allow four times as many lives to be saved for the same amount of money," according to the editorial. Despite this, the Bush administration has been on a "moral crusade" that could lead to increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS cases in Eastern Europe and Asia, the editorial says. At a UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board meeting earlier this month, an administration official asked that all references to needle-exchange programs be excluded from the organization's governing policy paper, a request that likely will be voted on this week because of the United States' influence as UNAIDS' largest donor, according to the Times. If UNAIDS no longer promotes needle-exchange programs, countries will "los[e] a valuable source of technical help" and a "lack of consensus could keep countries from starting needle exchanges," the editorial says, concluding, "American law already forbids United States money from financing needle-exchange programs. For Washington to decide that it wants to stop everyone else from doing that as well is a breathtakingly dangerous step" (New York Times, 6/27).


NY Times Profiles Young Adults, Pre-Teens Who Were Born HIV-Positive, Examines Their Unique Challenges - Medical News Today 02/07/05

The New York Times on Sunday profiled several young adults, teenagers and pre-teens who were born HIV-positive, the difficulties their families face about how and when to educate them about HIV/AIDS and the difficulties they face coping with a lifetime of disease. As antiretroviral treatment has improved, a "generation of young people whose unexpected maturation is both a miracle and an extraordinary challenge" has emerged, the Times reports. However, because HIV-positive people often face stigma in the United States and because talking about HIV often involves discussions of unprotected sex or other topics usually reserved for older children or adults, some parents decide to wait until their HIV-positive children are teenagers before telling them they are HIV-positive. In 1990, about 2,000 children nationwide were born HIV-positive. Because drugs are available that drastically reduce the risk of transmitting HIV during pregnancy or delivery, only about 200 HIV-positive infants are born annually in the United States today (Dee, New York Times, 6/26).


Treatment to Combat Male Fertility Problems More Common than IVF Procedures in Europe, Study Says - Medical News Today 02/07/05

A treatment used to combat male fertility problems has become more common than in vitro fertilization procedures in health clinics across Europe, indicating that more men than women might be having fertility problems, according to a study presented on Wednesday at the... European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology's annual conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, London's Daily Telegraph reports (Fleming, Daily Telegraph, 6/23). Anders Andersen, head of the University of Copenhagen's fertility clinic, on behalf of ESHRE surveyed clinics in 24 European countries about procedures used to treat fertility problems (Ross, AP/Long Island Newsday, 6/22). The report found that intracytoplasmic sperm injection -- in which a single sperm is placed into an egg using a syringe and is used when a man has a low semen count or poor sperm quality -- accounted for 52% of assisted reproductive procedures in 2002, compared with other IVF techniques, which accounted for 48% of the procedures (Roberts, BBC News, 6/23). Andersen said there likely are many reasons for the increased proportion of ICSI treatments, including a rise in male infertility, perhaps due to declining sperm quality and environmental factors, London's Independent reports (Frith, Independent, 6/23). An estimated one in six couples experience fertility problems, according to Reuters AlertNet (Reaney, Reuters AlertNet, 6/22).


Targacept compounds show long-lasting improvement in cognition - Medical News Today 02/07/05

In a review of research to be published in the July issue of Trends In Pharmacological Sciences, Targacept compounds were reported to have a beneficial effect on cognition well after they were no longer present in the central nervous system. For example, in preclinical animal studies, Targacept's compounds TC-1827 and TC-1734 improved cognitive performance for up to 15 and 18 hours, respectively, though the compounds were appreciably metabolized and eliminated in less than an hour.


Cystic Fibrosis - Novel pathway of inflammation that contributes to lung damage - Medical News Today 02/07/05

Researchers have identified a highly specific pathway that causes inflammation in lung tissue, a discovery that could help in the design of more targeted treatments for patients with various lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis.


TB Infection Contracted By Almost One In Six Child Contacts of Immigrants with Tuberculosis, Netherlands - Medical News Today 01/07/05

While tuberculosis is relatively uncommon in Europe generally, it is increasingly widespread among migrants and other vulnerable groups. In the Netherlands, 16% of children in contact with immigrants who have pulmonary tuberculosis catch the disease, according to a study to be published in the July issue of European Respiratory Journal (ERJ). The authors call for better prevention.


End the rape of the poorest countries says BMA Chairman - Medical News Today 01/07/05

In a message setting a “very clear moral and ethical priority for the new Government as it chairs the G8 summit”, the leader of the UK's doctors, BMA Chairman James Johnson today (Monday 27 June) criticised developed countries for draining skilled health professionals from some of the world's poorest countries. The “rape of the poorest countries must stop” he said.


Routine Vaccination Could Eliminate HIB Disease in Children in Developing Countries - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Routine immunisation against a bacterial microorganism that can cause meningitis and pneumonia should be introduced for children in developing countries, suggests a report published in this week's issue of The Lancet. The study shows that disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) has been virtually eliminated from children in The Gambia after the introduction of a nationwide vaccination programme.


Rapid Meningitis Tests Provide Fast Answers in Emergency Situations - Medical News Today 01/07/05

The Wellcogen range of rapid diagnostic tests, that are now available from Oxoid, will detect the major causes of serious bacterial meningitis in body fluids, such as serum and Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (CSF), within half an hour. Such speed is of great value in emergency situations given the high mortality rate of bacterial meningitis.


Smoking may increase the risk of tuberculosis infection - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Smoking may increase the risk of developing tuberculosis infection, show researchers in Thorax.


Intravenous Bisphosphonate Treatment For Postmenopausal Osteoporosis - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Bisphosphonates, such as ibandronate, have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of fracture related to postmenopausal osteoporosis when taken orally on a daily basis. However, oral bisphosphonates may not be suitable for all patients (e.g., patients with pre-existing gastrointestinal disorders). Intravenous administration of the medication is at least as effective as oral dosing, and may be an important option for patients who are unable to take the oral regimen. Silvano Adami, MD reported these findings today at the Second Joint Meeting of the European Calcified Tissue Society and the International Bone and Mineral Society.


Brazilian Health Minister Urges Countries to Use WTO Rules to Challenge Drug Companies to Lower AIDS Drug Prices - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Brazilian Health Minister Humberto Costa on Monday encouraged other countries to use World Trade Organization rules on patents to challenge the antiretroviral drug pricing policies of large pharmaceutical companies, the... AP/Forbes.com reports. Under an existing WTO intellectual property agreement, governments can approve the domestic production of generic versions of patented drugs during emergency public health situations if they fail to reach an agreement with the patent holder (Harnischfeger, AP/Forbes.com, 6/27). Costa on Friday informed Abbott Laboratories that Brazil will break the company's patent on the antiretroviral drug Kaletra within 10 days unless the company lowers the price of the drug 42% to $1.17 per pill (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/27). Speaking to journalists in Geneva, where he is attending a UNAIDS meeting, Costa said it would take about one year for Brazil to establish facilities to produce and test a generic version of Kaletra for efficacy and safety (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/27). Brazil also is negotiating price reductions for Merck's efavirenz and Gilead's tenofovir (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/27). Costa said other countries could take similar steps to produce antiretroviral drugs, the Chicago Tribune reports (Japsen, Chicago Tribune, 6/28). "We do not want to make this situation a showcase," Costa said, adding, "But I think we can stimulate with this decision that other countries use this legal mechanism" (AP/Forbes.com, 6/27).


European Medicines Agency concludes action on COX-2 inhibitors - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Concluding its review of the class of COX-2 inhibitors, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended the suspension of the marketing authorisation for Bextra (valdecoxib) and recommended new contraindications and warnings for other COX-2 inhibitors that continue to be available in the European Union (EU). This builds on earlier regulatory actions taken in February 2005.


Why Preemie Brains Improve Over Time, Groundbreaking Study - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Infants born prematurely and with hypoxia-inadequate oxygen to the blood-are able to recover some cells, volume and weight in the brain after oxygen supply is restored, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in Experimental Neurology.


Israeli critical care specialists advise on how to deal with victims of terrorist attacks - Medical News Today 01/07/05


Specialists in critical care from the main hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, give recommendations regarding the management and treatment of terrorist attack victims in an article published today in the journal Critical Care. Based on over 500 victims of 33 separate terrorist attacks in the last four years, this study represents invaluable information from some of the most experienced critical care specialists. It will be of great use to critical care workers dealing with victims from terrorist attacks or natural disasters.


Brazil To Break Patent, Allow Generic Production of Antiretroviral Kaletra Unless Abbott Lowers Price of Drug - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Brazilian Health Minister Humberto Costa on Friday informed Abbott Laboratories that it will break the company's patent on the antiretroviral drug Kaletra within 10 days unless the company lowers the price of the drug 42% to $1.17 per pill, London's... Financial Times reports. If the patent is broken, generic drug manufacturers could begin producing versions of the drug, which is a combination of the antiretrovirals lopinavir and ritonavir (Bowe/Colitt, Financial Times, 6/25). Costa at a news conference on Friday said researchers at the state-run laboratory Farmanguinhos could produce a generic version of Kaletra for 68 cents per pill, saving the country $54 million each year. Brazil said its decision to break the patent would be based on national and international trade legislation allowing compulsory licenses for drug production as a matter of public interest or during national emergencies, the Wall Street Journal reports (Moffett/Won Tesoriero, Wall Street Journal, 6/27). Costa said that the Kaletra patent is of public interest, adding that if the patent is broken, it would be the first time Brazil has broken a patent on any drug and the first antiretroviral patent to be broken worldwide (Pariz, Reuters, 6/24).


US/African project deciphers deadly parasite genome - Medical News Today 01/07/05

An innovative North-South research collaboration has culminated in a study published in this week's Science that provides molecular clues to help develop new ways to treat or prevent East Coast fever.


A 'dimmer switch' for genes - Protein that controls genes doesn't just turn on or off - Medical News Today 01/07/05

A protein that was thought to simply turn genes on and off now looks to be more like a cellular "dimmer switch," researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, report in the July 1, 2005, issue of the journal Science.


Helping unravel the function of microRNAS - Medical News Today 01/07/05

MicroRNAs are a recently discovered large class of small, non-coding genes. Each animal genome contains hundreds of these genes, which have been shown to regulate the expression of protein coding genes by binding to partially complementary sites in messenger RNAs. However, little is known about the biological function of these tiny genes, which are encoded in a string of 21 to 24 DNA bases.


Prescription pain patch abuse blamed for increase in deaths - Medical News Today 01/07/05

Drug abusers are increasingly turning to a slow-release form of a powerful painkiller for a quick and dangerous high, University of Florida researchers warn. The trend is raising alarm as the number of people dying from an overdose of the drug fentanyl, an opioid 100 times more potent than morphine, rises.


New theory about human genome evolution - tracking 'stealth' DNA elements - Medical News Today 01/07/05

A group of LSU researchers, led by biological sciences Professor Mark Batzer, have unraveled the details of a 25-million-year-old evolutionary process in the human genome. Their study focused on the origin and spread of transposable elements in the genome, many of which are known to be related to certain genetic disorders, such as hemophilia.


Cheshire and Mersey News


Ex-medic molested woman - Southport Visiter 01/07/05

A FORMER ambulance driver who went to school with Prince Charles has been convicted of molesting a woman at Southport Infirmary.

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