Medicine and Law Weekly

McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharma. - Better driving by teens with ADHD may be due Concerta

Medical Ctr. for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw - Many women find homeopathic remedies resolve menopause-related symptoms

Medical Errors - Patients may have received wrong results for HIV, hepatitis tests

Medical Errors - Talking chips invented for prescription bottles

Medical Malpractice - Doctor suspended after allegedly showing up for surgery drunk

Medical Malpractice - Pennsylvania doctor convicted in drugs-for-sex trial

Medical Research Council, London - HIV test interval information useful in progression studies

Medicare - Florida doctor convicted of fraud

Mental Health - Missouri Governor signs bill to improve mental health care for kids

Mergers & Acquisitions - Amedisys finalizes deal to purchase home care agencies from Tenet

Mergers & Acquisitions - Anthem-WellPoint merger wouldn't hurt consumers, regulators say

Mergers & Acquisitions - Attentus Healthcare reiterates interest in acquisition of SunLink

Mergers & Acquisitions - LabOne completes acquisition of Northwest Toxicology

Mergers & Acquisitions - RehabCare Group, Inc., announces acquisitions

Mexico City General Hospital - TB often underlies cervical lymphadenopathies in Mexican women

MicroMed Technology, Inc. - New children's heart pump may save lives

Microtek Medical Holdings, Inc. - Medical-products maker reports increase in sales and revenues for Q4 and year

Millar Instruments, Inc. - New pressure-volume systems launched

Molecular Biology - Microchambers and interconnecting plumbing automate the gene isolation

Mount Sinai Hospital - Studies reinforce potential benefits of new stroke-prevention drug

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals - Altastaph receives FDA fast track designation

Nagoya City University - The biosurfactant MEL-A cultivates vigorous liposomal transfection

NanoSignal Corp. - Company opens new sales office in India for SLICES and distribution of shares

Nanogen, Inc. - Molecular diagnostics company announces $34 million common stock sale

National Center of Scientific Research - Preadipose cell changes into smooth muscle-like cells investigated

National Public Health Institute, Finland - Coffee drinking associated with reduced risk of diabetes

Natl. Inst. for Comm. Diseases, Johannesburg - HIV coreceptor expression determined in exposed but uninfected infants

Natl. Institute on Drug Abuse - Study: Alcohol treatment meds, behavioral therapy effective for cocaine addiction

Nutri Pharmaceuticals Research, Inc. - Pharmaceutical company announces vitamin E contract

ONI Medical Systems, Inc. - MRI systems manufacturer named Boston area's fastest growing private company

Obesity - Iowa Senator vows to make obesity-related issues a top legislative priority

Obesity - Obesity could top smoking as No. 1 cause of preventable death in the U.S.

Obesity - Women with weight problems earn 30% less

OraSure Technologies, Inc. - CDC reports that OraQuick test produces fewer false positive HIV-1 results

Oragenics, Inc. - Biotechnology company licenses gene target identification technology

Oregon Health & Science Univ. - Ovarian tissue transplant in monkey may hold promise for cancer survivors

Oregon Health & Science University - Biology is behind homosexuality in sheep, study confirms

Oregon Health & Science University - Grant will fund study of evolutionary computing for biomedical image analysis

Orthovita, Inc. - Biomaterials company announces new vice president of sales

Osteoporosis - Fitness and nutrition programs can reduce osteoporosis risk, doctor advises

PSS World Medical, Inc. - Proposed offering of convertible senior notes announced

Palliative Care - Hawaii house tables measure on 'death with dignity' proposal

Patient Privacy - Minnesota senate panel blocks bill to repeal parental notice law

Patient Safety - Care of patients who transition across healthcare settings needs improvement

Personnel - Neonatologist to join Pediatrix as vice president, research and education

Pfizer Inc - Pharmaceutical companies seek approval to market Exubera in Europe

Pharmacyclics, Inc. - Interim data announced for Xcytrin and concurrent chemoradiation trial

Pharmos Corporation - Pharmaceutical company reports 2003 financial results

Phi Sciences - Researcher reports on key antioxidant to slow aging

Pluristem Life Systems, Inc. - Biotech company initiates mergers and acquisitions plan for cord blood bank

Princeton University - Patient demographics and provider differences affect abortion outcomes

Privacy Issues - Judge denies request for abortion records

Q Mark, Inc. - Strategic alliance helps health plans monitor quality of network care

Quality Assurance - Insurance complaints in Oregon for second year

Quality Assurance - Stark differences in care revealed at top U.S. hospitals

Regulatory Issues - 'Certificate of Need' laws lead to improved patient outcomes for some procedures

Research Institute of Cardiology, Minsk - Interstitial purine metabolites elevated during post-MI LV remodeling

Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Kiyose - STAT1 plays key role in defense against pulmonary TB in mice

Roche - New medicine offers hope to lupus patients with kidney disease

Roger Maris Cancer Center - Variance exists in confidant and breast cancer patient reports of QOL issues

Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Ctr. - New, two-incision approach to total hip arthroplasty is described

S. Giovanni Addolorata Calvary Hospital - Hepatitis C virus type 1 is the most prevalent genotype in central Italy

SUNY Upstate Medical University - Self-hypnosis is effective at quieting habit cough

Schering-Plough Corp. - Joseph C. Connors, general counsel, plans to leave company.

Scottish Natl. Blood Transfusion Service - Fetal cytokine production during MLRs determined

Scripps Clinic - Study shows highest sustained response rates reported in hepatitis C patients

Sepracor, Inc. - FDA issues approvable letter for ESTORRA

Serono - European Commission approves Gonal-f Filled-by-Mass prefilled pen

Sex Education - Health advocates rally against abstinence-only plan

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation - Integrated lysis and affinity purification plates introduced

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation - Life science company introduces RapidTransit Transformation Kit

Smallpox - Clinical trial of smallpox vaccines to be conducted in St. Louis

Sourasky Medical Ctr., Tel Aviv - CNS metastases from breast cancer can occur after trastuzumab treatment

Spelman College, Atlanta - Verotoxin and IFN-alpha have synergistic effect on erythropoiesis

Spinal Surgery - Abington Memorial Hospital orthopedists testing new surgical materials

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - ERBB2 protein might identify medulloblastoma patients resistant to treatment

Staar Surgical Company - Ophthalmic products manufacturer reports 2003 financial results

Supr. Council of Scientific Investigation, Spain - Sesquiterpenes inhibit multidrug-resistance in Leishmania tropica

Supr. Council of Scientific Investigations, Madrid - Olfactory bulb neural stem cells lack hematopoietic potential

SureScripts - Network to allow electronic exchange of prescription information

Swiss Medica - Bioscience company appoints new chairman

TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. - Prevacid NapraPAC available in U.S.

Targent Incorporated - Pharmaceutical company announces in-licensing of colorectal cancer drug

Technical Univ. of Munich - Translational research seeks ways to avoid radiotherapy-induced lung toxicity

Tel Aviv University - YefM antitoxin family carries novel antibacterial target

Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center - Leukocyte counts may have prognostic value in acute CVD

Thomas Jefferson University - Metabolic "footprint" may be new measure of heart risk in obese kids

Thomas Jefferson University - The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy is a reliable tool for assessing nurses

TransnetYX - Diagnostics company launches high-speed genotyping service

Tranzyme Pharma - Drug discovery company announces expansion of strategic alliance

TriZetto Group, Inc. - HMO upgrades management software to offer members broader products, services

Tuberculosis - Tuberculosis cases increased in South Dakota in 2003

Tufts University - GATA-4 transcription factor regulates cardiac myocyte apoptosis

Tufts University - Obesity, diet, and physical activity in college students assessed

U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - Cases of spotted fever rickettsioses in U.S. travelers summarized

U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - Poor diet, physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as leading cause of death

U.S. Food & Drug Administration - Recommendations issued on development of drugs for vaccine side effects

U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Acetyl and phosphate groups quantified in vaccine polysaccharides

U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Method to determine putrescine and cadaverine in shrimp developed

U.S. National Cancer Institute - Higher doses would make taxane-mediated antiangiogenesis more effective

Uganda Virus Research Institute - Medical injections do not spread HIV in rural Uganda

United Nations - Rape exploits women's increased vulnerability to HIV infection

Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - FDA approves Cecure anti-bacterial spray for poultry

Univ. of California, Los Angeles - Ku86 deficiency reduces intrachromosomal homologous recombination

Univ. of California, Los Angeles - Scientists defend government-funded sex health studies

Univ. of California, San Diego - E2a/Pbx1 triggers proliferation of SCF-dependent pro-T cells

Univ. of California, Santa Cruz - Research on pathogen's life cycle focuses on biofilm formation

Univ. of Michigan Health System - Following care guidelines reduces risk of death within 1 year of heart attack

Univ. of Michigan Health System - National medical privacy law makes health research harder, more expensive

Univ. of Texas Health Science Cntr., San Antonio - Antisense knockdown in zebrafish models mammalian prothrombin deficiency

Univ. of Texas Medical School, Houston - HIV-neutralizing antibody fragment isolated from lupus library

Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison - Study documents incidence of and risk factors for dry eye in older people

University College, London - Lentiviral vector encoding NY-ESO-1 induces effective CTL response

University Hospital of Larissa - Bactec MGIT 960 provides accurate TB drug resistance profiles

University Medical, Inc. - Neutron Enterprises, Inc., completes merger; retains legal, accounting firms

University of Alberta - Assessments of medieval bones show activity mitigates osteoporotic fracture

University of Alberta - Drug appears safe for some men with congestive heart failure

University of Amsterdam - SAGE identifies genes that are differentially expressed in thyroid carcinoma

University of Cambridge - Hydrocortisone increases the differentiation rate of human osteoblasts

University of Cincinnati - New drug helps smokers quit while limiting post-cessation weight gain

University of Edinburgh - New treatment may help patients with kidney failure

University of Ferrara - TRAIL regulates erythroid maturation via ERK signaling

University of Florida - PU.1 supports proliferation of immature erythroid progenitors

University of Frankfurt - Multidetector CT scan permits systematic examination of the colon

University of Konstanz - Losing consciousness can stop you from getting PTSD

University of Leipzig - p53 gene mutations are found in exhaled breath condensate of NSCLC patients

University of Liege - Spacer-containing doxorubicin prodrugs limit tumors without systemic toxicity

University of Lublin - Immature myeloid DCs predominant in umbilical cord blood

University of Maryland - Silk-elastin-like hydrogels convey genes to human cancer cells

University of Massachusetts - Perinuclear HIV RNA release mediated by hRIP

University of Messina - Rosiglitazone reduces acute inflammation

University of Michigan - Implanted defibrillators not covered for patients who could benefit

University of Michigan - Search for eye disease genes narrows

University of Munich - Four-color immunofluorescence enables mesenchymal stem cell identification

University of Nebraska - A large-sample QTL study in mice examined body composition

University of Oklahoma - Core 1-derived O-glycans command successful angiogenesis

University of Ottawa - Ottawa HIV "superinfection" case did not carry superinfection

University of Pennsylvania - Interleukin-1 beta stimulates persistent liver inflammation

University of Pennsylvania - Therapy containing adeno-associated virus type 8 corrects murine hemophilia A

University of Rome La Sapienza - Gender influences interhemispheric interconnectivity in the corpus callosum

University of Rome Tor Vergata - Major determinants of activity of antibiotic peptide described

University of Rostock - Treosulfan-fludarabine conditioning regimen safe and effective

University of Ryukyus - Protease activity regulates Env-mediated membrane fusion

University of Southern California - Hormone supplement used by athletes may not increase testosterone

University of Tsukuba - Hepatic infiltration of leukemia cells leads to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

University of Tsukuba - IL-2-activated NK cells enhance effect of tumor vaccine in brain cancer

University of Utrecht - Progestins mitigate thrombotic risk of contraceptive estrogens

University of Valencia - Parathyroid hormone production diverges with surgical versus natural menopause

University of Vermont - Combo paclitaxel/carboplatin is effective as second-line ovarian cancer therapy

University of Washington - Analysis, biopsy of sarcomas should be done by experienced professionals

Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Angiotensin II causes oxidative stress in hypertension patients

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. - FDA-approved X-ray imaging accessory to aid in image-guided cancer treatment

Vascular Solutions, Inc. - Medical device company enters definitive agreements for $6M private placement

VaxGen, Inc. - Phase I clinical trial results of anthrax vaccine candidate reported

Venetec International - Articles by nurses describe StatLock benefits

Veteran Care - Donation accepted to build veterans clinic in Sumter County, Florida

Washington Cancer Inst. - Chemo improves survival after cryoreductive surgery for ovarian, peritoneal cancer

Washington University - Apoptosis of insulin-secreting cells investigated

Washington University - Peptide ester conjugates for ester prodrug stability developed

Washoe Pregnancy Center - Sonography accurately detects a case of choledochal cyst before birth

Wolfson Inst. of Preventive Medicine - High blood pressure is a poor predictor of heart disease

Women's Health - Brazil announces health, domestic violence measures

Women's Health - Genetics may play part in miscarriages

World Health Organization - Prospects for new tuberculosis vaccines reviewed

Yale University - Diets high in fat and animal protein linked to increased risk of lymph cancer

Zimmer, Inc. - New knee surgery offers speedy recovery