Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Study Shows US Seniors 'Smarter' Than English Seniors
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan have carried out the first international comparison of cognitive function in nationally representative samples of older adults in the US and England and discovered that US seniors performed significantly better that their English counterparts.
generic viagra online
Studies Examine Cigarette Smuggling In Poor Countries, Deaths Due To Alcohol Abuse In Russia
A new report finds that "a growing global trade in black market cigarettes is killing tens of thousands of people a year, causing massive health problems and costing governments billions of pounds," the Guardian reports.
News of the day
Washington Times Examines Proposed Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative In Obama Budget Plan
The Washington Times recently included a two-part series examining President Obama"s proposed reallocation of abstinence-only sex education funding in his 2010 budget plan. The proposal would redirect funding toward a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative that uses comprehensive sex education curriculums. Summaries of the series appear below.~ Part 1: Obama"s budget proposal states that funds for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative should go to programs that are proven to help delay first sex, increase contraceptive use or reduce teen pregnancy, though a few advocates of comprehensive sex education say such goals are laudable but too narrow, the Times reports. William Smith -- vice president for public policy for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States -- and James Wagoner -- president of Advocates for Youth -- wrote in a June 17 blog entry that preventing unintended pregnancy among teens is "incredibly important" but that it is "not the only sexual and reproductive health issue facing our nation"s youth." They continued that it would be more beneficial to "expand the scope" of the initiative so it can serve "all young people in all communities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, whose needs fall wholly outside of the narrow teen-pregnancy-prevention framework." According to the Times, Smith said in an interview that money allotted for the initiative would be best used if it went to programs focused on "good outcomes" for youth, "not these disaster-aversion silos that don"t serve us well." Wagoner said that advocates have been "very clear in giving the president credit for shifting tracks here in a big way" by ending funding for abstinence-only sex education. However, he added that it is "our job to press for the right destination" and to see the changes implemented into law (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 6/28).~ Part 2: Some supporters of Obama"s proposal argue that it is "exactly the right idea, at the right time," as the U.S. teen birth rate has increased in the last two years after 14 years of decline, the Times reports. Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said that Obama"s proposal is the "first really focused expenditure on effective teen pregnancy prevention programs." Brown noted that the U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth in the industrialized world. She said that the best programs will address one or more of the three goals of the initiative -- delaying first sex, increasing contraceptive use or reducing teen pregnancy. Last month, about 175 organizations sent a letter to Obama and members of Congress calling for an expanded initiative that would include subjects such as sexually transmitted infections and abusive relationships. However, Brown said that many teen pregnancy prevention programs include discussion of STIs and other areas, "[s]o we really don"t see much tension here" (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 7/5).
Health Insurance

Northeastern University Researchers Develop New Cancer Screening Technology

Researchers at Northeastern University have developed an early-stage, highly accurate cancer screening technology that determines- in seconds-whether a cell is cancerous, precancerous or normal. The breakthrough technology, for which there is a patent pending, automatically captures a "fingerprint" of the cell"s biochemical composition, which is subsequently analyzed by a computer for abnormalities. The new method, which currently can screen for oral, cervical and head-and-neck cancers, is faster, more accurate, and enables earlier detection than current screening methods. Those methods rely on the visual detection, under a microscope, of a few abnormally shaped cells among thousands. Referred to as Spectral Cytopathology (SCP), the technology was pioneered by professor of chemistry and chemical biology Max Diem, head of Northeastern"s Laboratory for Spectral Diagnosis; chemistry and chemical biology research scientists Melissa Romeo, Ben Bird and Miloå¡ Miljkovic; and several Northeastern graduate and undergraduate students. "We are looking beyond traditional methods by focusing on detecting cellular changes that happen in the earlier stages of cancer, which will have a tremendous impact on patients," said Diem. "Cytologists [scientists who study the structure and function of cells] have the most difficulty identifying pre-cancers in the earliest stages," said Romeo. "Our technology offers the ability to detect abnormal changes in cells even before (structural) changes become apparent." Earlier detection combined with greater accuracy-SCP has a greater-than 95 percent accuracy rate compared to 65 to 70 percent for current screening methods-would make a significant difference in patient survival rates. The high death rate associated with oral cancer, for example, results from late- stage diagnoses, often after the cancer has metastasized. When discovered early, however, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. The technology behind SCP works by capturing a cell"s biochemical composition. After a cell sample is obtained through a minimally invasive exfoliation procedure, the cells are probed with infrared light, which interacts with the cell"s molecular components and produces a "fingerprint" of each cell"s biochemical composition. The data is analyzed by a computer, which reports if the cells are normal, cancerous or precancerous. Traditional screening methods require cytologists to detect abnormalities by examining cells under a microscope to discover very subtle structural changes in just a few cells among as many as 10,000. The new technology, which Diem estimates is no more than five years away from bringing into application, would relieve a testing logjam at existing cytology laboratories. There is a shortage of cytologists able to conduct the tests, he said, limiting the number of screenings that can be performed. SCP "could be applied to several other forms of cancer and result in more early diagnoses, potentially improving the survival rate of patients with cancer," added Diem. "Our ultimate goal is to have this application in doctors" and dentists" offices so that patients can be routinely screened." Northeastern University


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009