Proposal Submission Deadline: July 15, 2009
Full Chapter Submission Deadline: September 30, 2009

Genomics and Bioethics: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Technologies and
Advancements
A book edited by Dr. Soraj Hongladarom
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

To be published by IGI Global:
http://www.igi-global.com/requests/details.asp?ID=641

Introduction
Today's world is one in which science and technology play an essential role in
almost every aspect of life. Almost all of the changes that are taking place are
due to advances in science and technology, as can be seen in the emergence of
the Internet, which has enabled information to explode exponentially in the past
few years, and biotechnology, which has made such scenarios as human cloning and
genetic manipulation of organisms an everyday reality.

Nowadays the two technologies are being seamlessly merged together. Genetic
information technology, made possible by the use of information technology in
the life sciences, has created a number of ethical and social concerns. It seems
now that plants and animals, indeed potentially all organisms, are malleable to
the needs and desires of human beings. The human genome sequence, perhaps what
constitutes the essence of human beings, is now no more than a piece of
information that can be stored and manipulated by computers, not unlike other
types of data such as house registrations and health records.

This merging of information and biological technologies has created a whole host
of questions related to its social, ethical, cultural, economic and legal
contexts. What is most interesting is how one could understand these social and
ethical ramifications in the context of the world's cultures and historical
traditions. The voluminous literature on the ethical, social and legal aspects
of life sciences and biotechnology show that there is indeed a very large
variety of problems related to the social and cultural contexts of science and
technology. However, what is lacking in this literature is a sustained effort to
comprehend the complex range of questions and issues that emerge when these
scientific and technological advancements have found a way to the socio-cultural
fabric of the world's cultures, including, but not limited to, Asian, African,
and European societies, cultures and communities.

Thus, chapter proposals for the book, entitled Genomics and Bioethics:
Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Technologies and Advancements, are being called
in order to fulfill this lacuna.

Objective of the Book
The objective of the book is thus to contribute to the existing gap in
interdisciplinary research on comparative studies of cultural, social and
ethical implications of genomics and bioinformatics. The focus will be ethical,
social, cultural, and legal implications of genetics, genomics and genetic
databanking as they are related to concrete cultural and historical traditions.

Target Audience
The book should be of interest to a wide range of researchers and academics, due
to its interdisciplinary and integrative feature. Philosophers, sociologists,
anthropologists, scholars in area studies, computer scientists, biologists,
geneticists, health care professionals, and policy makers, among others, should
find this book useful for their work and research. The book could be a very good
textbook for students in a variety of fields as well, including genomics,
bioethics, bioinformatics, philosophy and others.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cultural or religious perspectives on genomics, bioinformatics, databanking
• Legal perspectives from various countries on these issues
• Genetic privacy
• Property rights and personality rights in genomics and bioinformatics
• The role of informed consent
• Comparative studies of biobanking
• Genomic, bioinformatics and biobanking in developing countries

Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before July 15, 2009,
a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his
or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by July
31, 2009 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full
chapters are expected to be submitted by September 30, 2009. All submitted
chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also
be requested to serve as reviewers for this project. Additional information
regarding this publication can also be found at
http://www.stc.arts.chula.ac.th/Genomics/

Publisher
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.),
publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group
Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference" and "IGI Publishing"
imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit
http://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in
late 2010.

Important Dates
July 15, 2009: Proposal Submission Deadline
July 31, 2009: Notification of Acceptance
September 30, 2009: Full Chapter Submission
November 15, 2009: Review Results Returned
December 15, 2009: Revised Chapter Submission
January 15, 2010: Final Acceptance Notification

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (MS Word or OpenOffice
document) to:
Dr. Soraj Hongladarom
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts
CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY, BANGKOK, THAILAND
Tel.: +66(0)2218 4756 • Fax: +66(0)2218 4755
E-mail: hsoraj@...
Book website: http://www.stc.arts.chula.ac.th/Genomics/

An International Workshop

Nanoethics Asia (NEA2009)

August 26 - 28, 2009, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand


The Nanoethics Research Group, the Center for Innovative Nanotechnology, and the
Center for Ethics of Science and Technology, Chulalongkorn University, will
organize an
international workshop on "Nanoethics Asia" (NEA2009). The purpose of the
Workshop is
to stimulate and gather ground breaking research in all areas related to the
ethical, social,
cultural, and legal implications of what is broadly construed as
"nanotechnology,"
especially as these implications arise from within the contexts of Asia and
other non-
Western regions.

Call for Abstracts

Those who are interested in participating in the Workshop should submit an
abstract of
between 150 to 300 words to Mr Parkpume Vanichaka at parkpume@....
Abstracts
are accepted for considerations which consider the ethical, legal, social,
cultural aspects of
nanotechnology as well as other related technologies. Abstracts dealing with
these issues
in relation to the context of the developing country (not only in Asia) are
especially
welcome.

The following topics would be particularly suitable for the Workshop, though the
list is not
exhaustive:

Human enhancement through nanotechnology
Life extension
Nanomedicine
Safety issues arising from nanomaterial
Nanotechnology for development
Neuroethics
Legal and regulatory issues

Timeline

Last date for submission of abstract: 28 March 2009
Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2009
Submission of full paper: 15 July 2009
Workshop date: 13 – 15 August 2009

Keynote Speaker

Prof. John Weckert, Charles Sturt University, Australia and Editor-in-Chief,
Nanoethics:
Ethics for Technologies that Converge at the Nanoscale

Registration

The Workshop is sponsored in part by the Center for Innovative Nanotechnology,
Chulalongkorn University. That is a reason why we charge no registration fees.
However,
potential participants are requested for find their own funding for travelling
and
accommodation while in Thailand. We can help with reserving a room and securing
discount at participating hotels and guest houses, especially Sasa International
House,
which is a small hotel on campus. Lunches, all breaks and the conference
material will be
provided free of charge to all participants.

Accommodation

The accommodation listed here is only suggestive. Participants are not required
to stay in
any of the places listed here; however they are in close proximity to the
conference site.
Potential participants are requested to contact and arrange for the
accommodation of their
choice by themselves. All off campus hotels are within walking distance to the
Workshop
venue.

On Campus
Sasa International House
Phyathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: +66(0)2216.8844 Fax: +66(0)2215.3880
Email: SasaHouse@...

Off Campus
Novotel Hotel, Siam Square
Siam Square Soi 6
Bangkok 10330
Tel: +66(0)2255.6888; Fax: +66(0)2255.1824
Email: reserve@...

Pathumwan Princess Hotel
444 Phyathai Road
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: +66(0)2216.3700; Fax: +66(0)2216.3730
Email: ppb@...

Pan Pacific Hotel
952 Rama IV Road
Bangkok 10500
Tel: +66(0)2632.9000 Fax: +66(0)2632.9001
Email: bangkok@...

Budget accommodation
Krit Thai Mansion
931/1 Soi Kasemusun
Bangkok 10330
Tel: +66(0)2215.3042; Fax: +66(0)2216.2241


For further information please contact Dr. Soraj Hongladarom, Center for Ethics
of Science
and Technology, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn
University.
Email: s.hongladarom@...

Website: http://www.stc.arts.chula.ac.th/NEA2009/ (this will be operational in a
few days.)

Probably starting a line of discussions  questions and comments.

Such as how does Obama's choice for science adviser impact the political
landscape of science policy?  Just wondering what members think?



.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

It is unfortunate this list has been so quiet during several tremendous
science-policy opportunities afforded by climate change, economic
collapse, genomes and proteomes and metabolomes...

What/Who is needed to get things started?

Fred Stoss

Frederick W. Stoss, M.S. (zool/ecol), M.L.S.
Associate Librarian
     (Biological and Environmental Sciences and Mathematics)
228-B Capen Hall
Science and Engineering Library
      Arts & Sciences Libraries
      University Libraries
University at Buffalo--SUNY
Buffalo, NY 14260-1672
716/645-2946 ext. 224 -- 716/645-3710 FAX
fstoss@...
Professional Website:  libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/staff/index.asp?ID=35

Our leader got busy with other things.  Maybe you'd like to take over?

   donata

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
                   --Helen Keller

On Dec 22, 2008, at 1:14 AM, Bill Palmer wrote:

> What has happened to this group?
>
> It used to provide interesting information and discussion.
>
> Bill
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Views expressed in the discussion groups are the individual
> writers' and do not necessarily represent the views of the authors'
> affiliations and
> organizations or the editorial policy of Sacks Publications or
> Scipolicy-The Journal of Science and Health Policy.
>
> The discussion groups are for academic and scholarly debate and
> information
> sharing, and the postings are important public policy and historical
> information that are freely made available to the general
> public.However they are not in the public domain for unrestricted
> reproduction or republication.
>
> (c) Copyright SCIPOLICY, 2004  The several discussion groups, the
> journal and the website are the intellectual property of SCIPOLICY
> and the authors. Prior written permission is required to copy or
> republish materials. To unsubscribe or change your mail settings to
> "Digest" rather then individual e-mails go to
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scipolicy-L/  and log in and then
> select your
> desired action.
>
> Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CounterTerrorism-L/messages
>
> Help control SPAM: Forward spams received to the Federal Trade
> Commission for investigation and prosecution: SPAM@...!
> Groups Links
>
>
>

The listowner usually stimulated the discussion, and he died a couple of years
ago.

Steve

Steve Fuller
Professor of Sociology
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
Phone +44 2476 523 940
www.warwick.ac.uk/~sysdt/Index.html


________________________________

From: Scipolicy-L@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Bill Palmer
Sent: Mon 22/12/2008 06:14
To: Scipolicy-L@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Scipolicy-L] What has happened to this group?



What has happened to this group?

It used to provide interesting information and discussion.

Bill






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

What has happened to this group?

It used to provide interesting information and discussion.

Bill

Aquatic Plant Control Research Program (APCRP) Publications
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center announces the publication
of a new document on its Web site. Visit our Aquatic Plant Control Research
Program Web site http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/programs.cfm?Topic=apcrp.

ERDC/EL SR-05-1
A Survey of the Invasive Aquatic and Riparian Plants of the Lower Rio Grande,
2004
by Chetta S. Owens, Michael J. Grodowitz, and Fred Nibling

Abstract:
Hydrilla has exhibited extensive range expansion along the Rio Grande since it
was first discovered in early 1990 and is now found in areas far removed from
the original infestation in Brownsville, TX. Hydrilla, a nonindigenous aquatic
plant species, has been implicated in restricted water delivery, inaccurate
water accounting, and an overall breakdown of system maintenance. The presence
of hydrilla also has had a decided impact on native flora by the formation of
extensive monocultures in many areas.
In 2004, surveys were conducted starting below Amistad Reservoir to immediately
below Falcon Reservoir to assess the distribution and expansion of hydrilla
infestations and document the presence of other invasive aquatic and riparian
plant species. A total of seven nonindigenous plant species, hydrilla (Hydrilla
verticillata), Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), parrotfeather (M.
aquaticum), elephant-ear (Colcasia esculenta), giant cane (Arundo donax), salt
cedar (Tamarisk spp.), and castorbean (Ricinus communis) were observed. Hydrilla
infestations that were originally discovered during 2003 had increased in size
through localized stolon expansion. Also, new hydrilla sites were discovered in
2004, including several directly below Amistad Reservoir. No hydrilla was
discovered immediately south of Laredo; however, hydrilla infestations had
dramatically increased below Falcon Reservoir. Giant cane continues to spread
down river, even displacing well-established common cane (Phragmites australis)
below Falcon Reservoir. While no new Eurasian watermilfoil sites were discovered
in 2004, existing infestations near Del Rio remain stable, extending
bank-to-bank and considerable distances down the river. Eurasian watermilfoil
fragments, which could lead to the formation of new infestations downstream,
were observed in the river. Numerous new sites of parrotfeather, elephant-ear,
and salt cedar were found during the 2004 survey, and all sites identified in
2003 had increased in localized spread. One endangered wetland plant species,
Correll's false dragonhead (Physostegia correllii), was tentatively identified.

If you wish to access/download the document (26 pages, 1.1 MB) in pdf format,
the address is: http://libweb.wes.army.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/EL-SR-05-1.pdf

================================================================================\
=

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sensible remarks from a dynamical systems theorist.

NL

------------------------------------------------

'Loony' jibe at US policy over climate

Robin McKie, science editor
Sunday November 27, 2005
The Observer


Britain's most senior scientist warned last week that UK research is being
stifled by an 'appalling, obsessive' bureaucracy. 'A bunch of academic
apparatchiks' is threatening our scientific brilliance, said Lord May,
retiring president of the Royal Society.
'Today, Crick and Watson's work on DNA would have been blocked before they
had got started. Crick would have been sacked for being idle and Watson
would have been told to piss off and stop messing about with his grant.'

May - in short - is in typical form. The Australian-born mathematician -
scourge of greenies, homeopaths, lawyers, bureaucrats and politicians -
leaves office on Wednesday, but he is not going quietly. He described the
beliefs of US climate chief James Connaughton as 'loony' and warned that
Christian and Islamic fundamentalists now threaten to create a blighted,
blinkered world worthy of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four

He also attacked arrogant doctors for fuelling the recent MMR crisis and
lambasted author Michael Crichton - whose State of Fear claims that global
warming is a myth - for writing nonsense. 'Crichton's ... book is presented
as something important. In fact, it is total rubbish.'

May, aged 69, remains convinced that science can make the world a better
place, despite attempts to stifle it by fundamentalists, errant writers and
bureaucrats: 'Ten years ago, UK science was pretty poorly supported. Now it
is relatively well-funded.'

Unfortunately, a new layer of academic administration has been created to
ensure this money is well spent, he added. 'We have pro-vice-chancellors for
any old thing. Many are not very good. We have created an obsessive
bureaucracy that masquerades as accountability. Crick and Watson would have
had no chance.'

For a man at the peak of his profession, such directness is unsettling. For
a Brit, emollient diplomacy is expected. But for May, an outsider to our
class system, bluntness has been tolerated.

He grew up in Sydney, enduring a childhood of 'genteel poverty', but found
that he shone at school. 'I topped every class for every subject,' he once
recalled, a typical piece of unswerving self-confidence. As a colleague
remarked: 'The trouble is Bob thinks he is five times cleverer than everyone
else, but is really only twice as clever.'

An expert on animal populations and chaos theory, he ended up in Oxford,
where, in 1995, he was appointed the government's chief scientific adviser,
a job that required him to defend the UK's handling of the BSE crisis and
the planting of GM crops. Five years later, as the Royal Society's
president, he made similar pronouncements on MMR and autism, homeopathy (it
doesn't work) and other issues, defending science and its practitioners with
fierce loyalty.

'Scientists are trusted by most people,' he said. 'Polls make that clear.
They are up there among doctors, particularly for young people. It is a myth
that people do not have confidence in scientists.'

Trusting them is a critical issue for May, hence his outrage over the fact
that Connaughton - 'a slick, charming lawyer' - heads George Bush's
environmental affairs, and is not a scientist. 'Of course, if you are trying
to defend the indefensible, the first thing you do is hire a good lawyer.
That might explain it. Personally, I think Connaughton's argument that US
carbon dioxide emissions are really going down - if you compare them with
America's rising GDP - is loony. He and I live on different planets.'

'And it is very worrying. By the middle of the century, America's gulf
states could be uninhabitable thanks to global warming. I hope people
realise the danger sooner rather than later.'

As for claims that Tony Blair is wavering over the issue of compulsory
carbon emission limits, May remains confident: 'I see no signs. I hope I am
right.' The last remark is intriguing. May is rarely unsure about anything.
His hesitancy therefore speaks volumes, though those who think there is
nothing to fear from him now he has left office could be in for a shock. He
has left the Royal Society but fully intends to keep battling over
scientific issues in the House of Lords. Britain - and the Prime Minister -
has not yet heard the last of Robert May.

http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=2243602005
Top stem-cell scientist 'used assistant's eggs'
EBEN HARRELL
THE world's leading stem-cell scientist has become embroiled in an ethics
scandal after it was alleged he used eggs from his assistant's ovaries for his
experiments.

Hwang Woo-suk, of South Korea, has been accused of using the young scientist's
eggs for his groundbreaking research.


  If the accusations are true, he will have violated a widely held ethics code
that precludes people in positions of authority from accepting egg donations
from junior researchers.

On Sunday, Gerald Schatten, a researcher from the University of Pittsburgh in
the United States, ended a 20-month collaboration with Professor Hwang, citing
his partner's "unethical practices".

Eggs are typically donated by women through a process that requires a month-long
series of hormone injections followed by a minor, but not risk-free, surgical
procedure.

Prof Hwang and his team at Seoul National University made world headlines
earlier this year when they created stem cells with a patient's genetic
material, derived through cloned human embryos. The same researchers later
created Snuppy, the first clone of a dog.

Prof Hwang has since established ties with scientists across the globe,
including Ian Wilmut, who headed the Scottish team that cloned Dolly the sheep.
Dr Wilmut visited Prof Hwang in South Korea last December.

Yesterday, Prof Hwang defended his work. "All research up until now has been
conducted in strict observance of the government-set guidelines," he told a
conference in Seoul.

He didn't elaborate on the latest allegations, saying he would "divulge
everything" at an appropriate time.

He is a national hero in his home country, where the government has embraced his
research, and he is able to operate with little said about the ethics of his
experiments.

It is unclear whether South Korea will undertake sanctions against him if the
accusations prove true.

Prof Hwang recently opened the World Stem Cell Hub with the aim of providing
scientists around the world with "pluripotent" embryonic stem cells - master
cells that can grow into all kinds of tissues in the body and are seen as a
potential source of replacement tissue for people with a variety of ailments.

Earlier this month, thousands of patients applied to participate in his
research, hoping that the cloning technology would help overcome hard-to-treat
conditions such as Parkinson's disease or damaged spinal cords.

Related topic

   a.. Cloning & stem cell research
   http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=10
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=2243602005

Last updated: 15-Nov-05 01:16 GMT

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

For Immediate Release
November 14, 2005

Contact:
Media Relations
(415) 561-8534
media@...


FDA APPROVES LABEL CHANGE FOR FLOMAX FOLLOWING REPORT OF CATARACT SURGERY
COMPLICATIONS

Study Shows Prostate Drug Causes “Intraocular Floppy Iris Syndrome” Doctors
Must Anticipate Using Alternative Surgical Strategies


SAN FRANCISCO, Monday, November 14, 2005 – Who knew that the most commonly
prescribed prostate drug may complicate cataract surgery in male patients? David
F. Chang, MD and John R. Campbell, MD suspected this after conducting a recently
published study that examined the incidence of Intraoperative Floppy Iris
Syndrome (IFIS) in their cataract surgery practices.


“Flomax does not affect vision or eye health,” said Dr. Chang. “But it
blocks the dilator muscle in the iris, and during cataract surgery, the pupil
needs to be dilated.”


Following the announcement of their findings, ophthalmologists were asked to
track the incidence of IFIS in cataract patients on Flomax and other prostate
drugs, and send reports on verified cases to the Federal Drug Administration.
The FDA responded to the doctors concerns and approved a label change for the
drugs that reads “The patient’s ophthalmologist should be prepared for
possible modifications to their surgical technique.” The Academy has notified
its members of the FDA label change regarding the Flomax/IFIS link, and
recommended that they thoroughly question their male cataract patients about
prostate medications prior to surgery. Other prostate drugs in this class
include Hytrin, Cardura, and Uroxatral.


In addition to having a pupil that dilates poorly, a patient with IFIS will have
an iris that behaves erratically during cataract surgery. It will tend to be
floppy and the pupil may suddenly constrict during the middle of surgery. This
increases the risk of having surgical complications. .


Dr. Chang and Dr. Campbell suggest that cataract surgeons inquire specifically
about prior use of Flomax as IFIS can occur several years after the drug has
been discontinued.


“The persistence of IFIS long after the discontinuation of Flomax suggests a
semi-permanent loss of iris dilator muscle tone,” Dr. Chang said in his paper.


Dr. Chang continues to say that it is not necessary to stop the use of Flomax,
but patients should inform their ophthalmologist if they are taking the drug, or
any type of prostate medication prior to having eye surgery.


“Flomax is an excellent drug for treating the symptoms of an enlarged
prostate, and patients taking it should not worry,” concluded Dr. Chang.
“However, prior to cataract surgery, they absolutely need to inform their eye
surgeon if they are, or have taken prostate drugs.”
“Being forewarned that the patient is taking Flomax allows the eye surgeon to
anticipate the need for special measures during surgery,” he added.


The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest association of
eye physicians and surgeons – Eye M.D.s – with more than 27,000 members. For
more information about eye health care or to find an Eye M.D. in your area,
visit the Academy’s Web site at www.aao.org.


Note to editors: For additional information on the intraocular floppy iris
syndrome, please visit Dr. Chang’s Web site at www.changcataract.com  and go
to the link for “articles for physicians.”

###

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

SciPolicy Journal has filed an Amicus Currie brief and issued and editorial
in the Intelligent case, Kitzmiller v Dover Area School District.

FYI, all the documents and editorial are avail on the Scipolicy website:
http://scipolicy.net

Best to all,

Stephen

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NIH News
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
http://www.cancer.gov/

RESEARCHERS USE NEW METHOD TO DISCOVER GENE REARRANGEMENTS THAT CAN AID
IN DETECTION OF EARLY PROSTATE CANCER

A new study, using a unique detection method, has led scientists to
identify several genes whose rearrangements in prostate cancer cells may
play a role in the development and progression of the disease.
Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, report that two
genes, "ETV1" and "ERG", which previously were implicated as
cancer-causing gene rearrangements in Ewing's sarcoma (a relatively rare
bone cancer), are now seen as important cancer-causing genes in prostate
cancer. Closer analysis showed how rearrangement of these genes was
responsible for their cancer-causing potential. The research appears in
the October 28, 2005, issue of "Science"* and was supported by the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of
Health.

This study is the first evidence that non-random, recurrent
rearrangements of genes can occur in cancers derived from epithelial
cells, which line the body's cavities. Previously, non-random recurrent
genetic rearrangements were known to occur only in leukemia, lymphoma,
and soft tissue sarcomas.

Gene rearrangements that involve the movement of a gene fragment from
one segment of DNA to another, possibly affecting gene expression
(whether a gene is turned on or off), is called a translocation. Gene
translocations can have a dramatic effect on gene expression. One
well-known example of a translocation involves the fusion of the "BCR"
gene and the ABL gene. The resulting "BCR-ABL" fusion gene causes the
development of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Epithelial tumors, such as
prostate cancer, previously have not been known to have such gene
changes.

"Studying gene alterations in prostate cancer is difficult," said Jacob
Kagan, Ph.D., program director for this study. "As a result there has
never been a clear identification of recurrent, non-random genetic
rearrangements. This finding is an important advance because it suggests
that similar mechanisms may be involved in other epithelial cancers such
as breast, lung, and colon."

Researchers began their search for altered genes in prostate cancer
cells by analyzing sets of microarray data. Microarray analysis is a
method used to measure the expression of all genes in a cell
simultaneously. To probe a large amount of microarray data, the
scientists developed an innovative step-by-step process, called Cancer
Outlier Profile Analysis (COPA), for selection of leading cancer-related
over-expressed genes. COPA takes a vast amount of microarray data and
combs it for outliers, or those genes that deviate substantially from
the ordinary profile of genes that are expressed in prostate cancer
tissues.

COPA data allowed scientists to then identify two new fusion genes,
"TMPRSS2-ERG" and "TMPRSS2-ETV1". These genes were formed by fusion of
the "TMPRSS2" gene, which is specifically related to the prostate, to
the "ERG" or the "ETV1" gene, respectively.

"The finding of a fused gene in prostate cancer is creating a new
frontier in developing tests for earlier detection of cancer and
molecular targeting," said Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., Chief, Cancer
Biomarkers Research Program and director of the NCI's Early Detection
Research Network (EDRN). "This type of research exemplifies the
innovative, forward-looking research goals of the EDRN."

COPA analysis of 221 historical cases (167 tumor and 54 benign prostate
tissues samples) showed that either "ERG" or "ETV1" were over-expressed
in 95 of the 167 (57 percent) of the tumor samples, while there was no
over-expression of either "ERG" or "ETV1" in benign prostate tissue.

In studies done in the labs at the University of Michigan, involving a
sample of 22 prostate cancer tissues, 20 (91 percent) showed
over-expression of the "ERG" or "ETV1" and also showed fusion with the
"TMPRSS2" gene, suggesting that the juxtaposition of "ERG" or "ETV1" to
the "TMPRSS2" gene resulted in over-expression of these gene sequences.

"This finding may have important implications for the understanding of
the prostate cancer disease process and the development of potential
therapies to arrest this process," said lead author of the study, Arul
Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., University of Michigan Medical School, and a
principal investigator of the EDRN.

These findings are the first evidence of non-random, recurrent genetic
rearrangements in epithelial tumors that could lead to research advances
in other cancers. However, these results must be verified in a larger
number of tissue samples before actual detection techniques or therapies
can be developed.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical
Research Agency" -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a
component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is
the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
* Tomlins SA, Rhodes DR, Perner S, Dhanasekaran SM, Mehra R, Sun XW,
Varambally S, Cao X, Tchinda J, Kuefer R, Lee C, Montie JE, Shah RB,
Pienta KJ, Rubin MA, Chinnaiyan AM. Recurrent Fusion of "TMPRSS2" and
"ETS" Transcription Factor Genes in Prostate Cancer. Science, October
28, 2005; Vol. 310, No. 5748.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

##
============================================================
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/oct1005avflu.ht\
ml
See above site for info in infectous diseases
Avian flu reported in Turkey, suspected in Romania
Oct 10, 2005 (CIDRAP News) - Avian flu extended its reach into new territory by
spreading to Turkey and possibly Romania in the past week, while Indonesians
face another suspected human case of H5N1 flu and allegations of vaccine-related
fraud.

An outbreak in turkeys has resulted in 1,700 deaths from disease and 100 deaths
from culling near Balikesir in northwestern Turkey, according to a report
submitted yesterday by Dr. Nihat Pakil, with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Affairs in Ankara, to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The
virus has been typed as H5, but the neuraminidase subtype (N number) hasn't yet
been determined.

This is the first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu ever reported in
Turkey, according to the OIE.

Military police set up roadblocks outside the village near Balikesir and were
checking incoming and outbound vehicles, the Associated Press (AP) reported
today. In addition, officials ordered all birds and "street dogs" in the
affected village to be destroyed as a precaution, according to the story.
Farmers are to be compensated for lost poultry.

Despite concerns and repeated testing more than a year ago in Thailand, there
has been no evidence to date of dogs becoming infected with H5N1.

The farmer with the sick birds told the Anatolia news agency on Oct 8 that he
hadn't yet been checked for avian flu and was afraid to be near his family.

In the same region, Romania has notified OIE of its first possible avian flu
outbreak since 1942, although the pathogen remains in doubt. An outbreak
occurred on one farm in Ceamurlia-de-Jos in Tulcea County, in eastern Romania
near the Black Sea. The report to OIE said 52 laying hens and 48 ducks were
dead. Of those, 36 died of disease and 64 were destroyed. The Oct 7 report said
Romania plans to control wildlife reservoirs but didn't describe how.

Dead birds were first found in Ceamurlia-de-Jos late in September, Romanian
officials told the AP, according to a Guardian newspaper story published online
Oct 8.

However, British authorities announced today that preliminary tests in Romania
were negative for any avian flu viruses, according to the online edition of the
British newspaper The Mirror. A European Union team was en route to Romania to
conduct more tests, the story added.

In Indonesia, a 4-year-old boy from Lampung, Sumatra, has tested positive for
H5N1 infection in preliminary tests, according to a Reuters story yesterday.
Samples from the boy-who remained in a hospital in Lampung but appeared to be
suffering only a cough-were to be tested in a World Health Organization (WHO)
reference laboratory in Hong Kong.

If the case is confirmed as H5N1, it would be Indonesia's sixth WHO-recognized
case. The WHO today announced it had confirmed Indonesia's fifth case, that of a
21-year-old man, also from Lampung, who was hospitalized Sep 24. His case was
reported by the media last week.

The man had been exposed to sick and dying chickens before falling ill on Sep
20, the WHO said. He remained in the hospital in stable condition. Three of
Indonesia's five WHO-confirmed H5N1 patients have died.

The Indonesian government said another six suspected avian flu patients were in
a hospital in Jakarta, Reuters noted.

Signs of fraud in the production of Indonesia's H5N1 poultry vaccine have forced
officials to test doses to see if they were properly prepared, according to an
Agence France-Presse (AFP) story picked up by The Jakarta Post today.

Government auditors have accused Indonesian vaccine makers of colluding with
government officials to produce low-quality doses to boost profits, the AFP
reported. The agriculture ministry is testing the vaccines still in stock to see
if those doses meet minimum standards.

The agriculture minister, Anton Apriyantono, told AFP that tests last year in
Java showed the vaccine's protection level was from 11.8% to 28%.

A spokesman for the ministry said the testing would be a gradual process because
laboratory capacity is limited.

"We will gradually test samples and decide which vaccine can continue to be used
and which [will] have to be withdrawn from circulation," spokesman Syamsul Bahri
told AFP.

See also:



WHO confirmation of Indonesian case
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_10_10/en/index.html

Report to OIE of avian flu in Turkey
http://www.oie.int/Messages/051010TUR.htm

Report to OIE of avian flu in Romania
http://www.oie.int/Messages/051010ROM.htm



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------------

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

  Genentech and FDA notified healthcare professionals of updated
  cardiotoxicity information related to the use of Herceptin (trastuzumab),
  obtained from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project
  (NSABP) study (B-31), a randomized, Phase III trial that was conducted in
  2043 women with operable, HER2 overexpressing breast cancer (IHC 3+ or
  FISH+). This study demonstrated a significant increase in cardiotoxicity in
  patients who were randomized to the Herceptin-containing arm as compared to
  patients who received chemotherapy alone.

  Preliminary analysis of safety data from Study NSABP B-31 and the North
  Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) study (N9831) revealed a
  statistically significant increase in the 3-year cumulative incidence of
New
  York Heart Association Class III and IV congestive heart failure and
cardiac
  death observed in patients who received the Herceptin-containing regimen
  (4.1%) compared with control (0.8%). There were no cardiac deaths observed
  in patients who received the Herceptin-containing regimen and one cardiac
  death was observed in the control arm. Final analysis of the cardiac safety
  data collected in Studies NSABP B-31 and NCCTG N9831 is ongoing.

  Read the completed MedWatch 2005 Safety Summary including the link to the
  Dear Healthcare Provider Letter at:

  http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2005/safety05.htm#Herceptin

  --------

  Thank you for using MedWatch as a trusted source for timely safety
information on drugs and other medical products regulated by he U.S. Food
and Drug Administration. If you find this e-mail notification helpful,
please consider telling colleagues and friends about edWatch.  They can
learn more about us and subscribe/unsubscribe to the e-list at the MedWatch
homepage,  ttp://www.fda.gov/medwatch or by going directly to
http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=medwatch&A=1

>

Please see the enclosed Statement on child auto restraints and feel free to
comment directly to the author or posting to this group.

Thanks.

Best,

Stephen

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 10:55 AM
Subject: Message from Flaura Winston, MD PhD - Please distribute: Credible
information on child passenger safety


I am writing this note to direct you to resources regarding child passenger
safety and to ask your help in dissemination and distribution of this
information.  We have become aware of a faulty analysis that may have confused
parents and policymakers regarding the effectiveness of child restraints - and
could ultimately put children in danger.

As leaders in healthcare, and with the understanding that car crashes are the
number one killer of children older than one year, you understand the critical
importance of getting sound information into the hands of parents- especially
given an 80% misuse rate for most child restraints. PCPS has limited funding for
distribution and promotion of information to parents (largely available on our
website) and would welcome suggestions as to channels of distribution through
e-mail links, newsletters, or high-profile links to our website.

By way of background:  Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, authors of
Freakonomics, called into question the effectiveness of child safety seats in
the July 10 issue of the New York Times Magazine, in an article entitled "The
Seat Belt Solution."  The authors proposed glibly that parents' money would be
just as well spent on a DVD player to keep children seated in the back seat..
The study, unfortunately, received coverage in the national media (NPR, NBC's
Today Show, regional media as part of the book tour).

Decades' worth of peer-reviewed rigorous medical and biomechanical research has
shown that while seat belts are better than no restraint, properly fitting child
restraints are more effective than belts alone in protecting children in
crashes.  Child restraints reduce the risk of injury by 71% in children under
age 14 as compared to seat belts alone; and for children ages 4 through 7, the
use of booster seats reduces injury risk by 59%. Disregarding previous findings,
Levitt and Dubner chose to promote their research in the media without
submitting it for peer review and overinterpreted their results with policy
implications (on their website).  Peer review would have revealed a selection
bias in their data source and other errors in their analysis that led to
underestimation of the effectiveness of child restraints relative to seat belts.
They examined children in fatal crashes (about 1200 per year) while ignoring the
equally informative data on those in non-fatal crashes (about 450,000 per year).
As my colleague, Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE and I state in our July 24th
letter-to-the-editor in response to the authors' article, premature publication
of Levitt's results without proper peer review was both irresponsible and
dangerous - as evidenced by posts on the web supporting and promoting their
interpretation following the flurry of media on this subject.

Crashes are not only the leading cause of death in children older than one year,
but also are the leading cause of acquired disability for children who sustain
injuries. In 2003, 1,794 children under 16 were killed in crashes and
approximately 241,000 were injured.  Preventable injuries such as paralysis,
traumatic brain injury, facial scarring, injuries to abdominal organs, and
serious fractures can be devastating to both children and their families. 
Parents who use age- and -size-appropriate restraints for their children on
every trip and place those younger than 13 years of age in the rear seat reduce
their children's risk of serious injury to less than 2 percent.

To learn more about the effectiveness of child restraint systems and how to
properly install a car seat or booster seat, view the interactive videos at the
Partners for Child Passenger Safety Web site (www.chop.edu/carseat). Please feel
free to contact Dana Mortensen (267-426-6092 / mortensen@...) with
comments, questions or suggestions.

I hope that you found this update helpful.

Best regards,

Flaura Winston, MD PhD

Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics
Associate Professor, Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania
Principal Investigator, PCPS (on-going child-focused crash surveillance system
with information on more  557,000 children in crashes)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
  http://www.niehs.nih.gov/

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 30, 2005

  CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE HAS LONG-LASTING EFFECTS: FRUIT
  FIBER MAY HELP

  A new study finds early life exposure to second-hand smoke can produce
  life-long respiratory problems. The study of 35,000 adult non-smokers in
  Singapore found that those who lived with a smoker during childhood had
more
  respiratory problems, including chronic cough. Study participants who
  reported eating more fruit and soy fiber as adults seemed to be protected
  against some of the negative health effects often associated with early
  tobacco exposure.

  Individuals 18 or younger, living with one or more smokers, were more than
  twice as likely to suffer from chronic dry cough as adults, according to a
  new study published by researchers at the National Institute of
  Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of
  Health, the University of Minnesota, and the National University of
  Singapore. This paper, which appears online in "Thorax", is the largest
  study to date on the effects of childhood exposure to environmental tobacco
  smoke (ETS) on later respiratory disease, and the first to include data on
  dietary intake.

  "This research adds to a growing body of evidence that exposure to
  second-hand smoke early in life has health consequences that can last a
  lifetime," said Dr. David Schwartz, Director of the NIEHS. "In addition to
  finding ways to reduce the exposure of children to tobacco smoke and other
  environmental pollutants, we also need to look for ways to reduce the
  disease burden."

  The data for this study were collected from the Singapore Chinese Health
  Study, a population of men and women of Chinese ethnicity ranging in ages
  from 45 to 74 at enrollment, who live in Singapore. The 35,000 non-smokers
  provided information regarding ETS before and after age 18, a medical
  history including information on respiratory symptoms of chronic cough,
  phlegm production and asthma diagnosis, as well as information on dietary
  intake.

  Chronic cough was defined as occurring on most days for at least three
  months of the year and lasting more than two years in a row. More than 45
  percent of the study participants reported having fathers who smoked, and
19
  percent reported having mothers who smoked. The researchers found that more
  smokers in the home during childhood, was linked to a greater incidence of
  chronic cough, and chronic phlegm.

  "Because we had previously found in this Singaporean population data
  suggesting that a diet high in fruit and soy fiber may reduce the incidence
  of chronic respiratory symptoms, we decided to study the impact of fiber on
  problems associated with early tobacco exposure," said NIEHS researcher
  Stephanie London, M.D. "We actually found that people who ate even a small
  amount of fruit fiber had less chronic cough related to environmental
  tobacco smoke."

  Study participants who ate more than 7.5 grams of fiber each day had fewer
  health effects associated with ETS. This is equivalent to eating about two
  apples a day. Dr. London pointed out that the average weight of the
  Singapore study participants was 127 lbs. She also added that most
  Singaporeans get their fiber from fruits, vegetables and soy.

  "Fiber may have beneficial effects on the lung," said Dr. London. "It seems
  to have the ability to reduce blood glucose concentrations, reduce
  inflammation, and enhance antioxidant processes. All of these may help to
  protect the lung against environmental insults, such as ETS in childhood.
  However, the possible benefits of fiber should not lessen the importance of
  reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke."

  NIEHS, a component of the National Institutes of Health, supports research
  to understand the effects of the environment on human health. For more
  information about environmental tobacco smoke and other environmental
health
  topics, please visit our website at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/.

  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research
  Agency" -- is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of
  the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary
Federal
  agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational
  medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for
  both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
  programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

  ##
  ===========================================
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group

Next on NOVA: "Origins"

http://www.pbs.org/nova/origins

Broadcast: August 23, 2005 at 8 p.m. ET/PT -- Repeat
(NOVA airs Tuesdays on PBS at 8 p.m. Check your local listings as
dates and times may vary.)

Has the universe always existed? How did it become a place that
could harbor life? Are we alone, or are there alien worlds waiting
to be discovered? NOVA presents some startling new answers in
"Origins," a groundbreaking four-part miniseries beginning this
Tuesday. Hosted by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and
Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural
History, the miniseries investigates new clues from the frontiers of
science. Over the next four Tuesdays, Tyson guides viewers on a
cosmic journey to the beginning of time and to the depths of space,
searching for life's first stirrings and its traces on other worlds.

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

Inquiry, Interviews, and More

      Life's Little Essential
      Everybody knows that liquid water is necessary for life. But just
      why exactly?

      A Conversation With Neil deGrasse Tyson
      Hear from the series host on the hottest discoveries in origins
      research, his advice for budding scientists, and more.

      How did Life Begin?
      Harvard's Andrew Knoll discusses the deeply mysterious jump long
      ago from non-living to living.

      Does Mars Have Life?
      NASA's Christopher McKay thinks the red planet once had living
      things and maybe, just maybe, still does.

      Who Needs Galaxies?
      Astronomer Sandra Faber explains how galaxies brew the
      ingredients for life.

      Are We Alone?
      Paleontologist Peter Ward says that as intelligent creatures, we
      humans are probably not alone in the universe, just very lonely.

Interactives and Slide Shows

      Do Aliens Exist in the Milky Way?
      In this interactive poll, explore a series of arguments for and
      against, then vote online. (Results to date: 79% yes, 15% no,
      and 7% undecided).

      The Drake Equation
      Try your hand at calculating how many intelligent, communicating
      civilizations might be in our galaxy.

      Decoding Cosmic Spectra
      Play astronomer and analyze the spectral fingerprints of a planet,
      star, galaxy, and nebula.

      The Pillars of Creation
      Assemble the famous image of the Eagle Nebula from raw data
      beamed down from the Hubble Space Telescope.

      The Origins Game
      Where are scientists making the great discoveries in origins
      research? Check out our world map.

      History of the Universe
      This interactive time line chronicles the evolution of the
      universe from the big bang to 10 to the 100 years from now.

      A Brief History of Life
      Review the grand march of organisms from over three billion
      years ago to the present.

      ET Gallery
      Sci-fi films and T.V. shows reveal how limited our imagination
      is when it comes to alien life.

Also, watch a video preview of the program, browse Links & Books,
get a recipe for "Cosmic Soup," and more.

http://www.pbs.org/nova/origins/

==========================================================
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

FDA chief takes show on the road
Crawford to hear consumer concerns
By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff  |  August 16, 2005

WASHINGTON -- The new head of the Food and Drug Administration will
hit the road, Oprah-style.

FDA commissioner Lester Crawford will walk through smallish audiences,
fielding questions.

Crawford picked the talk show format for ''Vision 2006" public
hearings the agency will hold in Massachusetts, Arizona, and Florida.
The hearings will be Crawford's highest-profile event since his Senate
confirmation. The first will be held Sept. 13 in Miami, followed by a
Nov. 2 hearing at the Boston Marriott, in Cambridge, and a Nov. 30
session in Phoenix, according to an eight-page notice published in
today's Federal Register. People interested in attending may register
at www.grad.usda.gov/vision.

Suzanne Trevino, an FDA spokeswoman, said the sessions will not be
idle chatter.

''This is an opportunity for Dr. Crawford to shape his leadership and
set the tone that we are very interested in what consumers have to say
and will be responsive to what they have to say," Trevino said.

Trevino said public comments will influence FDA actions as the
regulatory agency celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006. Each 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. session will include at least 150 people, with time
devoted to such hot-button topics as drug advertising, conflicts of
interest among federal advisers, and drug safety.

The events lift a page from the playbook of Dr. David A. Kessler, who
held similar information exchanges with the public while serving as
FDA commissioner from 1990 to 1997.

Such sessions can serve triple duty, said William Vodra, a former FDA
associate chief counsel for drugs. They balance the sessions the FDA
holds with the drug industry, give a chance to hear what a large
number of consumers have on their minds, and make the agency's top
leaders and scientists accessible.

''This is a consumer-protection agency," said Vodra, a partner at
Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C. ''If the consumers think they've
bagged out to industry, that's a very bad thing. They've got to be
open and available."

This fall's meetings come as the FDA faces unprecedented scrutiny from
Congress and the public, as well as criticism from the drug industry.
Last fall's withdrawal of the painkiller Vioxx due to heart risks
triggered congressional hearings and fueled calls for major changes at
the FDA. To fend off congressionally mandated changes, the drug
industry has initiated voluntary restrictions on advertising to
consumers.

''The FDA needs to step in to not only vet these drugs for safety, but
also make them not so susceptible to consumer whim," said Lori
Ehrlich, 42, a certified public accountant who lives in Marblehead
with her husband and two daughters.

Ehrlich said television ads for erectile dysfunction drugs prompted
her 9- and 13-year-old daughters to ask ''a lot of questions." The
conversations that followed were age appropriate, but remained
uncomfortable. And the episode piqued her curiosity. A quick family
survey showed nine of 13 advertisements during the evening news were
for pharmaceuticals.

''They're just so in-your-face now," Ehrlich said.

In addition to drug advertising qualms, the FDA expects drug safety
concerns to be on consumer's minds.

Few consumers balance the risks and benefits of prescription drugs,
said Alan Sager, a professor of health services at Boston University.

''Most of us listen to our doctors and do what our doctor says because
our doctor has actually been to medical school," Sager said. ''Most of
us haven't the time, ability, or willingness to make these complicated
trade-offs."

The FDA chose locations around the nation to gauge consumer interest
that can vary by region. Cambridge has a high concentration of drug
and medical device companies whose profits are affected by the speed
of FDA drug approvals. Arizona and Florida have high numbers of
elderly residents, who use more prescription drugs than younger
consumers. Trevino said Florida was selected for the diversity of its
aging population, and Arizona because many seniors travel to Mexico to
buy inexpensive prescription drugs.

The FDA has warned that prescription drugs purchased in Canada or
Mexico could be made in far-flung countries and could be unsafe.

But elderly residents also hear from doctors that they should take
prescription drugs to improve or lengthen their lives.

''Half the time, it's bad advice. But that's what they hear," said
Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical Consumers. ''The
question is what message are you going to hear louder?"

Those who can't afford life-saving drugs trek across the border,
despite the FDA warnings, he said.

Diedtra Henderson can be reached at dhenderson@....

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
--
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.,
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone and FAX: 610-660-0220
Website: http://www.Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L@yahoogroups.com
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L@yahoogroups.com

FDA chief takes show on the road
Crawford to hear consumer concerns
By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff  |  August 16, 2005

WASHINGTON -- The new head of the Food and Drug Administration will
hit the road, Oprah-style.

FDA commissioner Lester Crawford will walk through smallish audiences,
fielding questions.

Crawford picked the talk show format for ''Vision 2006" public
hearings the agency will hold in Massachusetts, Arizona, and Florida.
The hearings will be Crawford's highest-profile event since his Senate
confirmation. The first will be held Sept. 13 in Miami, followed by a
Nov. 2 hearing at the Boston Marriott, in Cambridge, and a Nov. 30
session in Phoenix, according to an eight-page notice published in
today's Federal Register. People interested in attending may register
at www.grad.usda.gov/vision.

Suzanne Trevino, an FDA spokeswoman, said the sessions will not be
idle chatter.

''This is an opportunity for Dr. Crawford to shape his leadership and
set the tone that we are very interested in what consumers have to say
and will be responsive to what they have to say," Trevino said.

Trevino said public comments will influence FDA actions as the
regulatory agency celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006. Each 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. session will include at least 150 people, with time
devoted to such hot-button topics as drug advertising, conflicts of
interest among federal advisers, and drug safety.

The events lift a page from the playbook of Dr. David A. Kessler, who
held similar information exchanges with the public while serving as
FDA commissioner from 1990 to 1997.

Such sessions can serve triple duty, said William Vodra, a former FDA
associate chief counsel for drugs. They balance the sessions the FDA
holds with the drug industry, give a chance to hear what a large
number of consumers have on their minds, and make the agency's top
leaders and scientists accessible.

''This is a consumer-protection agency," said Vodra, a partner at
Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C. ''If the consumers think they've
bagged out to industry, that's a very bad thing. They've got to be
open and available."

This fall's meetings come as the FDA faces unprecedented scrutiny from
Congress and the public, as well as criticism from the drug industry.
Last fall's withdrawal of the painkiller Vioxx due to heart risks
triggered congressional hearings and fueled calls for major changes at
the FDA. To fend off congressionally mandated changes, the drug
industry has initiated voluntary restrictions on advertising to
consumers.

''The FDA needs to step in to not only vet these drugs for safety, but
also make them not so susceptible to consumer whim," said Lori
Ehrlich, 42, a certified public accountant who lives in Marblehead
with her husband and two daughters.

Ehrlich said television ads for erectile dysfunction drugs prompted
her 9- and 13-year-old daughters to ask ''a lot of questions." The
conversations that followed were age appropriate, but remained
uncomfortable. And the episode piqued her curiosity. A quick family
survey showed nine of 13 advertisements during the evening news were
for pharmaceuticals.

''They're just so in-your-face now," Ehrlich said.

In addition to drug advertising qualms, the FDA expects drug safety
concerns to be on consumer's minds.

Few consumers balance the risks and benefits of prescription drugs,
said Alan Sager, a professor of health services at Boston University.

''Most of us listen to our doctors and do what our doctor says because
our doctor has actually been to medical school," Sager said. ''Most of
us haven't the time, ability, or willingness to make these complicated
trade-offs."

The FDA chose locations around the nation to gauge consumer interest
that can vary by region. Cambridge has a high concentration of drug
and medical device companies whose profits are affected by the speed
of FDA drug approvals. Arizona and Florida have high numbers of
elderly residents, who use more prescription drugs than younger
consumers. Trevino said Florida was selected for the diversity of its
aging population, and Arizona because many seniors travel to Mexico to
buy inexpensive prescription drugs.

The FDA has warned that prescription drugs purchased in Canada or
Mexico could be made in far-flung countries and could be unsafe.

But elderly residents also hear from doctors that they should take
prescription drugs to improve or lengthen their lives.

''Half the time, it's bad advice. But that's what they hear," said
Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical Consumers. ''The
question is what message are you going to hear louder?"

Those who can't afford life-saving drugs trek across the border,
despite the FDA warnings, he said.

Diedtra Henderson can be reached at dhenderson@....

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.
--
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.,
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone and FAX: 610-660-0220
Website: http://www.Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L@yahoogroups.com
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L@yahoogroups.com

Jul 22, 2005 09:00 ET

                   Unprecedented Federal Alignment Announced to Help Provide
People with Mental Illness Opportunity for Recovery

                   WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The federal government is
aligning resources in an unprecedented collaborative effort to help ensure that
people with mental illness have every opportunity for recovery. Six cabinet
level departments -- Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban
Development, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs and the Social Security
Administration have detailed 70 specific steps in a mental health action agenda
released today.


                   "Transforming Mental Health Care in America. The Federal
Action Agenda: First Steps" is the beginning of a multi-year effort to alter the
form and function of the mental health system. Also announced today is the
creation of a Federal Executive Steering Committee to guide the work of mental
health system transformation.


                   In the United States, recovery from mental illness is the
expectation, not the exception. Yet many people with mental illness remain
untreated. They struggle with an illness that affects their minds, their
feelings and their relationships with others. There are approximately 19.6
million adults aged 18 or older (9.2 percent) in the United States with serious
mental illness (SMI). A similar percentage of children -- about 5% to 9% -- have
a serious mental health problem.


                   "As we approach the 15th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, the Action Agenda makes an important contribution for
Americans with mental health-related disabilities," Health and Human Services
Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "The Action Agenda details the initial steps the
federal government is taking to transform the form and function of the mental
health service delivery system in America. HHS and its partners across the
federal government are committed to a shared goal of collaborating to
fundamentally change the way the nation's mental health care system currently
functions."


                   "The Action Agenda is not a 'quick fix' for the problems that
have ailed the mental health care system for decades. It is a living document
that begins to chart the course for the long term," said Charles G. Curie, M.A.,
A.S.C.W., Administrator of HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), which has lead in the development of the federal action
agenda.


                   Curie continued, "The public sector is the major financial
driver in mental health care and transformation is a shared responsibility.
Federal agencies must act as leaders, partners, and facilitators. States,
however, will be the centers of action for system transformation. Many have
already begun this critical work. Their leadership in planning, financing,
service delivery and evaluation of consumer and family-driven services will
significantly advance the transformation agenda."


   Highlights of the Mental Health Action agenda include:

   * Reinforce the message that mental illnesses and emotional disturbances
     are treatable and that recovery is the expectation.

   * Act immediately to reduce the number of suicides in the nation through
     implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, launched
     by HHS in 2001.

   * Help states develop the infrastructure necessary to formulate and
     implement comprehensive state mental health plans that include the
     capacity to create individualized plans of care that promote resilience
     and recovery.

   * Develop a plan to promote a mental health workforce better qualified to
     practice mental health care that is culturally sensitive and based on
     evidence-based practices in both specialty settings and at the primary
     care level.

   * Initiate a national effort focused on the mental health needs of
     children and promote early intervention with informed parental consent
     for children identified to be at risk for mental disorders.  Prevention
     and early intervention can help forestall or prevent disease and
     disability.

   * Expand the "Science-to-Services" agenda to develop new toolkits
     outlining evidence-based practices for use by providers, administrators,
     educators, and consumers.

   * Increase the employment of people with psychiatric disabilities.

   * Design and initiate an electronic health records and information system
     that will help providers and consumers better manage mental health care
     and that will protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers'
     health information.

"The reason for the Action Agenda is simple. People with mental disorders have a
vital role to play in our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our
country. Their ability to participate fully can no longer be derailed by
outdated science, outmoded financing systems, and unspoken discrimination.
Putting people with mental disorders at the heart of the health care system can
be accomplished through the steps outlined in the Action Agenda," Curie
explained.


   Members of the Executive Steering Committee include:

    U.S. Department of Agriculture -- Joseph Jen, Under Secretary, Research,
     Education and Economics
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services --
     Josefina Carbonell, Assistant Secretary Administration on Aging.
     Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and
      Families.
     Carolyn Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
     Mark A. Safran, Chair, Mental Health Workgroup, Centers for Disease
      Control and Prevention.
     Mark McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
      Services.
     Elizabeth Duke, Administrator, Health Resources and Services
      Administration.
     Charles Grim, Director, Indian Health Services.
     Thomas Insel, Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National
      Institutes of Health.
     Charles Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
      Administration.

     Within the HHS Office of the Secretary
      Michael O'Grady, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
      Richard Campanelli, Director, Office for Civil Rights.
      Margaret Giannini, Director, Office on Disability.
      Christina Beato, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Health
       and Science.

      U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development -- Patricia Carlile,
       Deputy Assistant Secretary, Special Needs Program.
      U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs -- Frances Murphy, Deputy Under
       Secretary for Health Policy Coordination.
      U.S. Department of Education -- John Hagar, Assistant Secretary.
      U.S. Department of Justice -- Regina Schofield, Assistant Attorney
       General.
      U.S. Department of Labor -- W. Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary for
       Disability Employment Policy.
      U.S. Department of Transportation -- Jennifer Dorn, Administrator,
       Federal Transit Administration.
      Social Security Administration -- Martin Gerry, Deputy Commissioner for
       Disability and Income Security Programs.

The report is available on the web at http://www.samhsa.gov/, click on mental
health transformation.


                   SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality
and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental
health services in the United States.


                   Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration




Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Report: Nearly 500 Greyhounds Injured at Massachusetts Racetracks; Dogs Suffer
Broken Legs, Dislocations, Cardiac Arrest, Paralysis

7/20/2005 10:21:00 AM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- According to a report submitted this morning
to state lawmakers, nearly 500 racing greyhounds have been injured while
competing at Massachusetts racetracks over the past three years.

The document, released by the greyhound protection organization GREY2K USA, is a
compilation of injury records maintained by the Massachusetts State Racing
Commission. This is the first public release of this information since the
passage of a 2001 state law requiring that area dog tracks report on greyhound
injuries.

"This is the first time lawmakers will know what is happening to racing
greyhounds in Massachusetts," said GREY2K USA Vice President Chrsitine Dorchak.
"It is our hope that this new information will cause them to rethink a cruel
industry and support a phase out of dog racing."

According to state records, 481 greyhounds were injured between 2002 and 2004.
Reported injures included broken legs, fractures, dislocations, cardiac arrest,
spontaneous seizures, sudden collapse before or after racing, spinal cord
paralysis, severed tails, bleeding toes, lacerated eyes, a puncture wound and a
broken neck. A total of 28 greyhounds died or were reported euthanized.

"Racetrack owners claim this is a safe sport, but the catastrophic injuries
described by track vets refute that claim," said Dorchak. "When voters learn the
truth about this cruel industry, they will outlaw dog racing."

---

GREY2K USA is a national, non-profit greyhound protection organization with more
than 15,000 supporters in all 50 states. For more information, contact GREY2K
USA Vice President Christine Dorchak at 617-666-3526.

=============================================================================
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

Guidant notified physicians and patients of new safety information for
certain models of cardiac pacemakers manufactured between November 25, 1997
and October 26, 2000. A hermetic sealing component used in these devices may
experience a gradual degradation, resulting in a higher than normal moisture
content within the pacemaker case late in the device's service life. The
clinical behaviors associated with this failure mode can result in serious
health complications. Guidant has confirmed twenty reports of loss of pacing
output associated with this failure mode, including five patients
experiencing syncope. Loss of pacing output has also been associated with
reports of presyncope requiring hospitalization. Guidant has received two
reports of sustained Maximum Sensor Rate ("MSR") pacing in which heart
failure may have developed in association with sustained high rate pacing.
Physicians should consider the unique needs of individual patients and the
specific technical recommendations set forth in the July 18, 2005 physician
communication. Guidant recommends that physicians consider replacing devices
for pacemaker-dependent patients and advises patients to seek medical
attention immediately if they notice shortness of breath, dizziness,
lightheadedness or a prolonged fast heart rate.

Read the complete MedWatch 2005 Safety summary, including a link to the firm
press release and the Guidant physician communication, at:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2005/safety05.htm#Guidant3


Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Study: One Flax Seed Muffin a Day for 30 days Kills 31 Percent of Breast Cancer
Cells in Newly Diagnosed Women

7/19/2005 1:23:00 PM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EL VERANO, Calif., July 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Canadian scientists, following up
on previous studies conducted in mice, enrolled women newly diagnosed with
breast cancer as volunteers to study the effects of flaxseed on breast cancer
progression. In this study, one flaxseed muffin, containing a predetermined
concentration of pre-lignans, was consumed per day for 30 days. Tissue biopsies
were preformed prior to and after the 30 day period. The results showed that the
flaxseed pre-lignans, converted in the intestines by bacteria into powerful
anti-cancer lignans, were extremely efficient, in low doses, in killing the
breast cancer cells in these volunteer women.

The results were nothing short of dramatic. The growth index in the cancer cells
was reduced 34.2 percent, while the level of programmed cell death increased
30.7 percent. Women who expressed the HER2 (c-erbB2) metastatic oncogene saw its
expression decrease by a dramatic 71 percent.

According to Dr. Stephen Martin, chief scientist of Grouppe Kurosawa, data like
this has ever been reported before.

"This study is critically important not only for breast cancer patients, but for
all cancer patients because lignans kill many kinds of cancers, including the
presently incurable melanoma. With the exception of palmitic acid, the common
saturated fatty acid, specific foods do not normally have the ability to kill
cancer cells. And we are only talking about one muffin a day. What if we ate
two? This study is so exciting that it has me jumping out of my skin. This study
and parallel studies are too important for the public health to be ignored so we
decided to send out a press release."

The WHO estimates that 1.2 million women will develop breast cancer in 2004.
Since many of these women lack adequate medical care, they will eventually die
from this disease. In the U.S., a country with unlimited medical resources,
211,240 women will develop breast cancer in 2005, and 40,410 will die. African
American women in the U.S. are particularly prone to develop and die from this
cancer.

Medical costs are out of control in the U.S. and throughout the world. Natural
medicines such as lignans are cheap, non-toxic, effective in low doses, and the
only hope for those without health insurance. Anyone can grind up flaxseed and
put it in muffins, smoothies, yogurt or animal food. The idea that this simple
seed can actually kill cancer cells in the human/animal body is almost
overwhelming in its implications for human and animal health.

Grouppe Kurosawa, an organization dedicated to developing treatment protocols
for acute and chronic diseases using only natural medicines and over the counter
drugs, has compiled the information on lignans and cancer into the Medicinal
Nutrition folder on its Web site. The folder contains hyperlinked scientific
references, and flax meal recipes --
http://www.grouppekurosawa.com/nutrition.htm -- so people can investigate the
medicinal powers of flaxseed on their own.

================================================================================\
==============

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

FDA issued a public health advisory to alert health care professionals,
patients and their caregivers of reports of death and other serious side
effects from overdoses of fentanyl in patients using fentanyl transdermal
(skin) patches for pain control. Deaths and overdoses have occurred in
patients using both the brand name product Duragesic and the generic
product. Some patients and health care providers may not be fully aware of
the dangers of this very strong narcotic painkiller. The directions for
using the fentanyl skin patch must be followed exactly to prevent death or
other serious side effects from overdosing with fentanyl.

Read the MedWatch safety summary, including links to the Public Health
Advisory, Healthcare Professional and Patient Information Sheets, and the
Drug Information Page at:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/safety05.htm#Fentanyl

Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NIH News
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)


DECLINE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLAYS KEY ROLE IN WEIGHT GAIN AMONG ADOLESCENT
GIRLS

Girls who were inactive during adolescence gained an average of 10 to 15
pounds more than active girls, according to results of a 10-year
observational study of obesity. Total calorie intake increased only slightly
and was not associated with the weight gains. These new results show that a
previously reported steep decline in physical activity among adolescent
girls is directly associated with increased fatness and an increase of body
mass index (BMI), a measure of body weight adjusted for height.

The results of the Health and Growth Study, funded by the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, will be
published in an online edition of the "Lancet" on July, 13, 2005, and in the
July 23, 2005, print edition.

Study investigators previously found that girls' leisure-time physical
activity declined between the ages of 9 and 19 by an average of 7.5 brisk,
30-minute walks per week among all girls in the study.

At ages nine and ten, there were only small differences in BMI -- about 4 to
5 pounds -- between girls who were evaluated as "active" (doing the
equivalent of 5 or more brisk 30-minute walks per week) and those who were
"inactive" (doing the equivalent of 2.5 or less brisk 30-minute walks per
week). However, in the subsequent nine years of follow-up, the differences
widened, so that inactive girls had three times greater gains in BMI and
were approximately 10 to15 pounds heavier in the tenth year of the study.

"These results show that many girls are at a literal standstill when it
comes to exercise and physical activity in their pre-teen and teen years. As
parents, educators, and health care providers, we can do a lot to encourage
girls to continue physical activity throughout their adolescence, a step
that has been shown to help them maintain a healthy weight," said NHLBI
Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.

The study is a multi-center, longitudinal study of obesity development in
1,213 black and 1,166 white girls who were followed up annually from ages 9
or 10 to ages 18 or 19. The study took place between 1987 and 1998 in San
Francisco, Cincinnati, and the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Differences were noted between the black and white participants in BMI, food
intake and activity levels. Girls who self-reported their race as black were
consistently heavier than those who reported their race as white, their
calorie intake was higher, and increased with age. Thirty-two percent of
white participants maintained "active" physical activity status, compared
with 11 percent of black girls. Conversely, 58 percent of black girls
remained "inactive" compared with 28 percent of white girls.

At each annual study visit, BMI was derived from measures of height and
weight and skinfold measurements were taken to evaluate total body fat. Data
on physical activity and diet were collected from questionnaires and a
three-day food diary, recorded under the supervision of a nutritionist.

Study authors acknowledge that food intake is generally underreported,
especially among white girls and women. Dr. Sue Kimm, of the University of
New Mexico School of Medicine and the study's lead author, theorized that
"the phenomenon of under-reporting calories may have increased with the age
of the girls and may account for some of the largely unchanged dietary
patterns, especially among the white girls in the study."

Both black and white participants who maintained "inactive" status had 20
percent higher gains in BMI and an average of 20-40 percent increase in
skinfold thickness -- a measure of total body fat than girls who maintained
an "active" status.

"While 2.5 or more brisk walks per week is considered a modest level of
activity, increasing exercise by that small amount could potentially prevent
weight gain and serve as a goal for public health programs and schools, "
said Eva Obarzanek, Ph.D. NHLBI research nutritionist. "Just preventing the
decline in physical activity that currently occurs among adolescent girls
may be enough to prevent obesity."

The NHLBI has recently launched We Can! -- Ways to Enhance Children's
Activity and Nutrition -- a childhood obesity prevention program designed to
encourage parents and children to adopt healthy eating habits, increase
physical activity, and reduce leisure "screen time". More than 35
communities across the country are integrating We Can! lessons into health
programming for parents and kids.

NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal
Government's primary agency for biomedical and behavioral research. NIH is a
component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NHLBI press
releases and other materials including information about obesity prevention
in youth are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. The NHLBI's initiative
We Can! Provides resources for parents and guardians at
http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

##

===========================================================================
Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

FDA issued a public health advisory to notify health care professionals and
consumers that the sponsor of Palladone, Purdue Pharma, has agreed to
suspend sales and marketing of Palladone (hydromorphone hydrochloride,
extended release capsules), a potent narcotic painkiller, because of the
potential for severe side effects if Palladone is taken with alcohol.
Drinking alcohol while taking Palladone may cause rapid release of
hydromorphone, leading to high drug levels in the body, with potentially
fatal effects. High drug levels of hydromorphone may depress or stop
breathing, cause coma, and even cause death.

Read the complete MedWatch 2005 Safety summary, including links to the
PHA,FDA press release, and supplemental information for healthcare
professionals in the Q&A's and Healthcare Professional Information Sheet,
at:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/safety05.htm#Palladone


Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
  NIH News
  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/


  SCIENTISTS UNCOVER NEW CLUES ABOUT BRAIN FUNCTION IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR

  Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the
  National Institutes of Health, have discovered a genetically controlled
  brain mechanism responsible for social behavior in humans -- one of the
most
  important but least understood aspects of human nature. The findings are
  reported in "Nature Neuroscience", published online on July 10, 2005.

  The study compared the brains of healthy volunteers to those with a genetic
  abnormality, Williams Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes unique changes
  in social behavior. This comparison enabled the researchers to both define
a
  brain circuit for social function in the healthy human brain, and identify
  the specific way in which it was affected by genetic changes in Williams
  Syndrome.

  People with Williams Syndrome who are missing about 21 genes on chromosome
  seven are highly social and empathetic, even in situations that would
elicit
  fear and anxiety in healthy people. They will eagerly, and often
  impulsively, engage in social interactions, even with strangers. However,
  they experience increased anxiety that is "non-social", such as fear of
  spiders or heights (phobias) and worry excessively.

  For several years, scientists have suspected that abnormal processing in
the
  amygdala, an almond-shaped structure deep in the brain, may be involved in
  this striking pattern of behavior. The amygdala's response and regulation
  are thought to be critical to people's social behavior through the
  monitoring of daily life events such as danger signals. Scientists know
from
  animal studies that damage to the amygdala impairs social functioning.

  "Social interactions are central to human experience and well-being, and
are
  adversely affected in psychiatric illness. This may be the first study to
  identify functional disturbances in a brain pathway associated with
abnormal
  social behavior caused by a genetic disorder," said NIMH Director Thomas R.
  Insel, M.D.

  In this study, investigators used functional brain imaging (fMRI) to study
  the amygdala and structures linked to it in 13 participants with Williams
  Syndrome who were selected to have normal intelligence (Williams Syndrome
is
  usually associated with some degree of mental retardation or learning
  impairment) and compared to healthy controls. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg,
  M.D., Ph.D., and Karen Berman, M.D., from the NIMH Genes, Cognition, and
  Psychosis Program, and colleagues, then showed participants pictures of
  angry or fearful faces. Such faces are known to be highly socially relevant
  danger signals that strongly activate the amygdala. The fMRI showed
  considerably less activation of the amygdala in participants with Williams
  Syndrome than in the healthy volunteers. These findings suggest that
reduced
  danger signaling by the amygdala in response to social stimuli might be
  responsible for their fearlessness in social interactions.

  Next, researchers showed the study participants pictures of threatening
  scenes (a burning building or a plane crash), which did not have any people
  or faces in them and thus had no immediate social component. In remarkable
  contrast to the response to faces, the amygdala response to threatening
  scenes was abnormally increased in participants with Williams Syndrome,
  mirroring their severe non-social anxiety.

  "The amygdala response perfectly reflected the unique profile of social and
  non-social anxiety in Williams Syndrome," said Meyer-Lindenberg. "Because
  our data showed that the amygdala did still function, although abnormally,
  in Williams Syndrome, we wondered whether it might be its regulation by
  other brain regions that was the cause of the amygdala abnormalities."

  To investigate this, the scientists looked at the whole brain to identify
  other regions where reactivity was different between Williams's
participants
  and healthy volunteers. They identified three areas of the prefrontal
  cortex, located in the front part of the brain, that have been implicated
in
  decision-making, representation of social knowledge, and judgment. Those
  regions are the dorsolateral, the medial, and the orbitofrontal cortex.
  Specifically, the dorsolateral area is thought to establish and maintain
  social goals governing an interaction; the medial area has been associated
  with empathy and regulation of negative emotion; and orbitofrontal region
is
  involved in assigning emotional values to a situation.

  The researchers found a delicate network by which these three regions
  modulate amygdala activity. In Williams Syndrome, this fragile system was
  significantly abnormal, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex. This area
did
  not activate for either task and was not functionally linked to the
  amygdala, as it was in healthy controls. Instead, the scientists observed
  increased activity and linkage in the medial region, which is consistent
  with the high level of empathy exhibited by people with Williams Syndrome.

  "We had previously seen that the orbitofrontal cortex is structurally
  abnormal in Williams Syndrome, but we didn't know what role it played
  functionally in the disorder; it is now clear that this area can play a
major role in producing social behavioral abnormalities," said Berman. "The
  over-activity of the medial-prefrontal cortex may be compensatory, but the
  result is still an abnormal fear response. The medial-prefrontal cortex
  still works and in fact it is working over-time because it may be the only
  thing that still regulates the amygdala in Williams Syndrome."

  Other releases on this topic: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/prwilliams.cfm.

  For more information visit the NINDS web site on Williams
  http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/williams/williams.htm.

  In addition to the NIMH Intramural Research Program, the research was also
  funded by a grant from the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and
  Stroke (NINDS) to co-author Dr. Carolyn Mervis, University of Louisville.
  Also participating in the research were Dr. Ahmad Hariri, Karen Munoz, Dr.
  Venkata Mattay, NIMH, and Dr. Colleen Morris, University of Nevada.

  For a press release photo that depicts abnormal regulation of the amygdala
  in participants with Williams Syndrome compared to controls please visit
  http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2005/nimh-10.htm#brain.

  NIMH and NINDS are part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the
  Federal Government's primary agency for biomedical and behavioral research.
  NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research
  Agency" -- is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of
  the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary
Federal
  agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational
  medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for
  both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
  programs, visit www.nih.gov.

  ##

==========================
Posted by Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group

Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 4:43 PM
Subject: FDA MedWatch - Liqiang 4 Dietary Supplement Capsules contain unla
beled glyburide and pose health risk


  MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

  FDA notified consumers and healthcare professionals about the risks of
  taking Liqiang 4 Dietary Supplement Capsules because they contain glyburide
  - a drug that could have serious, life-threatening consequences in some
  people. The product is manufactured by Liqiang Research Institute, China,
  and marketed throughout the United States in herbal stores and through mail
  order by Bugle International of Northridge CA. Glyburide is a drug used to
  lower blood sugar, and is safe and effective when used as labeled in
  FDA-approved medications. People who have low blood sugar or those with
  diabetes can receive dangerously high amounts of glyburide by consuming
  Liqiang 4. Consumers should immediately stop using these products and seek
  medical attention, especially if they are currently being treated with
  diabetes drugs or if they have symptoms of fatigue, excessive hunger,
  profuse sweating, or numbness of the extremities.

  Read the complete MedWatch 2005 Safety summary, including a link to the FDA
  Talk Paper, at:

  http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/safety05.htm#liqiang

  --------

Ask the Experts: Health Information Technology  6/30/2005
Kaiser Family Foundation Broadcast Studio, Washington, D.C.

Jill Braden Balderas, managing editor of kaisernetwork.org, talks to David
Brailer, M.D., Ph.D., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology,
HHS, Winston Price, M.D., FAAP, president, National Medical Association and Dean
Rosen, director of health policy, office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist,
M.D. (R-Tenn.) about improving the nation's health technology infrastructure.

View webcast now:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=1462


Stephen  Miles Sacks, Ph.D.
Editor and Publisher
SCIPOLICY-The Journal of Science and Health Policy
Box 504, Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone:  610-660-0220
            Fax:  610-660-0120
Website: http://Scipolicy.net
E-mail: editor@...
and
Owner/Moderator ResearchEvaluation-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator ThePayoff-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator Scipolicy-L Discussion Group
Owner/Moderator CounterTerrorism-L Discussion Group


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]