RxPG News : Latest Medical, Healthcare and Research News

464 dengue cases, Delhi Mayor orders stringent action

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:54:52 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 5 - As the national capital Thursday recorded 26 new cases of dengue, taking the total number of cases of the vector-borne disease to 464, Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain ordered health officers to take stringent action to stop the spread of the disease. 'There were 26 fresh cases of dengue confirmed today -. This takes the total number of cases to 464,' Chief Medical Officer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi - N.K. Yadav said. Confirming the figure, Sain said: 'Of the 464 dengue cases that have been reported from Delhi, 380 cases are from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's jurisdiction.' At a meeting to review the situation and measures taken to check the spread of dengue, Sain released a pamphlet containing information to educate the citizens to check the breeding of mosquito responsible for spread of the disease. 'These will be distributed to citizens on the coming Saturday and Sunday after which if breeding is found in the premises, they will be challaned - straight away as per the provisions of the DMC Act,' Sain said. Sain added that all the 12 municipal zones have been given fogging machines. 'These will do rounds in the morning and evening as per the routes decided in consultation with elected representatives and residents welfare associations for effective control over the spread of dengue,' he said. At the meeting, Yadav said that till Oct 31, MCD's domestic breeding checkers had visited 22,074,365 houses and breeding was found in 44,107 houses. 'Legal notices were issued to 45,168 persons and prosecution action was initiated against 4,963 persons,' Yadav said. Until now, there have been two deaths caused by the disease - one of a 15-year-old boy and the other of a nine-year-old boy.

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Improve traditional Indian healthcare system: Pitroda

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:43:15 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 5 - The traditional Indian healthcare system was a 'comprehensive solution' to healthcare problems as it reached out to the masses unlike Western methods that only touched 'the top of the pyramid', National Knowledge Commission chairperson Sam Pitroda said here Thursday. In his keynote address at the sixth India Health Summit in the capital, Pitroda said: 'For a comprehensive solution to our healthcare shortcomings, we need to adopt the traditional Indian model in the healthcare system.' 'The Indian healthcare system reaches out to the bottom of the pyramid while the Western method of healthcare reaches only the top of the pyramid,' he added. Titled 'Taking Quality Healthcare to the Masses', the two-day summit was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry -. Stressing the need to focus on healthcare education and research facilities related to the subject, Pitroda said the key is to lay out a plan to implement the target. 'There should be working groups set up at the state and district level in order to ensure wider reach of healthcare facilities. If we do not have a plan ready for the state and district levels, we can expect little success in this regard,' Pitroda said. 'There is a lot of potential in the sector, but it's time we needed a comprehensive approach in taking quality and affordable healthcare facilities to the grassroots level,' he added.

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Delhi records 26 new dengue cases

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:24:18 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 5 - The national capital Thursday recorded 26 new cases of dengue, taking the total number of cases of the vector-borne disease to 464, health department officials said. 'There were 26 fresh cases of dengue confirmed today -. This takes the total number of cases to 464,' Chief Medical Officer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi - N.K. Yadav said. Maintaining their stand that the number of dengue cases this season is lower than last year, Yadav said that claims by private hospitals that dengue cases are much higher in the city than what is being reported by the government were mere 'speculations'. 'The private hospitals, as far as I know, are not using the standard government guidelines while checking their patients for dengue. We are reporting cases in which we are following the correct procedures as specified by the government,' Yadav told IANS. 'Therefore, the numbers that we are putting out are correct,' he added. Until now there have been two deaths caused by the disease - one of a 15-year-old boy and the other of a nine-year-old boy.

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Vital discovery may save many from traumatic deaths

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:06:20 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Researchers have unravelled how certain proteins can enter the bloodstream and begin to kill the lining of blood vessels, resulting in uncontrolled internal bleeding. Their discovery could help save thousands from traumatic deaths, caused by car crashes or on the battlefield. Building on this work, Charles Esmon, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation - cardiovascular biology researcher, and a team of collaborators have discovered an antibody that could counter this deadly process. 'This discovery could open the door to new ways to treat soldiers hurt in IED - attacks, gunshot wound victims and people who suffer a traumatic injury,' said Esmon. 'When we realised that histones were so toxic, we immediately went to work looking for a way to stop their destructive tendencies.' Inside the cells, histones perform an important function, keeping DNA coiled and compressed inside the nucleus. But the OMRF researchers found that when cells become damaged and burst -- either through injury, infection or diseases such as diabetes -- histones can enter the bloodstream and begin to kill the lining of blood vessels. This results in uncontrolled internal bleeding and fluid build-up in the tissues, which are life-threatening. Working with Temple University's Marc Monestier, the group discovered antibodies - that can block the histones ability to kill. 'When a patient is suffering from severe bleeds, these antibodies could prevent multi-organ failure,' said Esmon. The researchers have already tested the antibodies in pre-clinical trials, where they showed promising results and no adverse effects. A potential future step, said Esmon, would be human trials. Esmon's research has already yielded two FDA-approved drugs. The findings were published online in Nature Medicine.

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Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:59:36 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) NEW YORK (November 5, 2009) -- Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board will fund their research investigating this possibility. The Weill Cornell team believes that permanent nerve damage may be avoided by raising levels of a compound that converts to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) -- the active form of vitamin B3. The compound would potentially be administered immediately following spinal cord injury. Boosting NAD+ after injury may prevent permanent nerve death, explains Dr. Samie Jaffrey, associate professor of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Our study is aimed at synthesizing a molecule that, when given soon after injury, may augment the body's production of NAD+ and rescue these cells before they are stressed beyond recovery. The compound, called nicotinamide riboside (NR) -- a natural NAD+ precursor found in foods like milk -- as well as other NR derivatives have already been proven to protect against cell death and axonal degeneration in cultured cells and in models of spinal cord injury. In 2007, the authors reported results of laboratory experiments finding that NR can increase NAD+ concentrations as high as 270 percent when compared with untreated control cells. No other known agent has been shown to achieve these types of increases in cells. NAD+ is known to play a key role in human cells by activating proteins called sirtuins that help the cells survive under stress. Sirtuins, which can be activated by compounds like resveratrol (found in large concentrations in the skin of grapes used to make red wine) have been shown to possess anti-aging and healing properties. The researchers believe that quickly increasing the NAD+ levels may help to activate the sirtuin levels in the...

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Massive Antarctic project takes Montana State University to one of Earth's final frontiers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:59:36 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) BOZEMAN, Mont. -- An unparalleled opportunity to drill through the Ross Ice Shelf and explore the world underneath it will involve Montana State University faculty and current and former MSU students over the next five years. The National Science Foundation recently awarded $10 million to a team of 14 researchers from nine institutions who will examine one of Earth's final frontiers, said John Priscu of MSU, current lead scientist and one of three directors of WISSARD, or Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling. MSU's portion of the grant is $2.65 million. The Ross Ice Shelf floats over the Southern Ocean, and it's fed by continental ice streams that flow to the Ross Sea. The scientists involved in WISSARD will drill through the Whillans Ice Stream and the Ross Ice Shelf and sample rivers and lakes below the Whillans Ice Stream and the grounding zone where the ice stream converges with the ice shelf. Recent satellite data has revealed that Subglacial Lake Whillans, one of more than 200 known lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the primary WISSARD study lake, fills and drains about every three years. WISSARD is the first large-scale multidisciplinary effort to examine subglacial ecosystems, said Priscu who has spent more than 25 field seasons in Antarctica. To carry it out, researchers will use a hot water drill to melt through almost 3,000 feet of ice to reach the subglacial environment. The drill will have its own decontamination system to ensure that the subglacial environment is not contaminated by their efforts. After analyzing the physical, chemical, geological and biological interactions that occur under the ice, scientists will know much more about how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet responded to past climate changes, Priscu said. This is important since the Antarctic Ice Sheets contain 70 percent of Earth's freshwater, and any significant melting can drastically increase sea level. Scientists may...

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NOAA, NY town and Oyster Farmer collaborate to understand impact of floating shellfish nursery

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:59:36 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) With demand for seafood growing, shellfish farmers often use a floating nursery called a FLUPSY, or Floating Upwelling System, to improve growth of very young shellfish known as seed and increase their chances of surviving until they are harvested. Little has been known about the possible impact of these floating systems on the local environment. A collaborative project between a commercial oyster farmer, the Town of Riverhead, N.Y., and scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC) Milford Laboratory in Milford, Conn., is measuring the effect of a FLUPSY on water quality and sediment characteristics in Riverhead's East Creek. The Town of Riverhead was interested in knowing the potential effect, if any, of the FLUPSY on the water quality in East Creek before issuing any further permits to local oyster growers, said Gary Wikfors, who heads the Milford Lab's Biotechnology Program. A commercial grower, Karen Rivara, also wanted to know if there was any effect since her livelihood depends on a healthy environment for growing shellfish. We were interested in conducting water quality studies that might help commercial shellfish farmers and the town. A FLUPSY is a floating dock with small silos or barrels underneath that contain shellfish seed on screens. Surrounding water is pumped up through the silos, enabling the one to ten millimeter long (less than a third of an inch) seed to grow much more quickly and more uniformly than in natural conditions because the young oysters receive a constant supply of food and oxygen from the water. FLUPSY's have grown popular in coastal areas in the last few decades to culture and protect small shellfish seed through the delicate nursery stage, from the time they leave a hatchery until they are large enough to be placed in shellfish beds in coastal waters to grow to harvest size. Wikfors' team of biologists, microbiologists, ecologists, chemical oceanographers and lab technicians...

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Kent State receives $2.7 million NSF training grant for environmental aquatic resource sensing

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:59:36 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Kent State University has been awarded a training grant in the amount of $2,756,719 by the National Science Foundation under its Integrative Graduation Education and Research Training (IGERT) program. This is the first IGERT grant to be awarded to Kent State. The grant, which is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, runs through 2014. The grant funds an IGERT project that focuses on environment aquatic resource sensing (EARS). The purpose of the program is to train doctoral students in environment sensing to learn how to protect and sense things in aquatic environments. The training provided by this project will prepare graduate students for a variety of future careers relevant to freshwater resources. The use of sensing technology allows us to monitor and understand what's going on in our environment, said Laura Leff, professor and assistant chair of Kent State's Biological Sciences department and principal investigator of the program. Humans are dependent on freshwater resources, and there is not much freshwater on the Earth's surface. There are many diverse threats that can impact our aquatic systems, and technology, such as sensors, allows us to ask questions we couldn't ask before. The EARS project is interdisciplinary and involves Kent State and Miami University. We want students to collaborate across disciplines to get a real hands-on experience and business experience in terms of technology transfer, Leff said. The project provides a unique opportunity to bring together people in sciences, business and technology, serving as a catalyst of new partnerships to form not just between the sciences, but also with the colleges of business and technology. A highly competitive program, Kent State was one of more than 400 pre-proposals that got narrowed down to approximately 100 proposals. Of those, only 25 were funded. This grant brings a lot of prestige to the university since it's a highly...

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Haryana helps kin of man who died at Chandigarh hospital

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:50:52 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Chandigarh, Nov 4 - The Haryana government Wednesday gave a cheque of Rs.200,000 to the aggrieved family of the 32-year-old man who died Tuesday at the gate of a hospital here because the security for the prime minister's visit hindered his access to timely medical treatment. 'Ambala deputy commissioner - has delivered a cheque of Rs.200,000 to the family members of Sumit Prakash Verma. They have also promised free education up to Class 12 for Sumit's two sons -- 12-year-old Chirag and six year-old Saran,' Dheeraj Verma, nephew of Sumit Prakash Verma, told IANS late Wednesday evening. 'During the meeting with the DC, we had urged the district administration to provide a government job for Sumit's wife Isha Verma, so that she can properly look after her family in the coming years,' Dheeraj Verma said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday wrote to Sumit Prakash Verma's family and expressed his regrets. 'The prime minister wrote to his family and expressed regret -,' an official at the Prime Minister's Office - told IANS. The official added that the prime minister said the death occurred under unfortunate circumstances. Sumit Prakash Verma died Tuesday after the vehicle carrying him to the PGIMER Chandigarh could not enter the emergency area in time for treatment, his relatives alleged. The prime minister was at the time visiting the medical college and hospital for its 30th convocation. The family of Verma, who was suffering from a major kidney ailment and had breathing trouble, alleged that their vehicle that had come from Ambala, 45 km from Chandigarh, was stopped at different gates of the institute by overzealous securitymen, leading to wastage of crucial time. The victim's family, however, Wednesday sought to absolve the prime minister of responsibility for Verma's death and blamed his elite special protection group - and other security agencies for the incident. 'We don't hold him -...

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Haryana gives Rs.2 lakh to widow of patient who died at PGIER

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:09:53 PST

( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Chandigarh, Nov 4 - The Haryana government Wednesday gave a cheque of Rs.200,000 to the aggrieved family of the 32-year-old man who died Tuesday at the gate of a hospital here because the prime minister's security hindered his access to timely medical treatment. 'Ambala deputy commissioner - has delivered a cheque of Rs.200,000 to the family members of Sumit Prakash Verma. They have also promised free education up to Class 12 for Sumit's two sons -- 12-year-old Chirag and six year-old Saran,' Dheeraj Verma, nephew of Sumit Prakash Verma, told IANS late Wednesday evening. 'During the meeting with the DC, we had urged the district administration to provide a government job for Sumit's wife Isha Verma, so that she can properly look after her family in the coming years,' Dheeraj Verma said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday wrote to Sumit Prakash Verma's family and expressed his regrets. 'The prime minister wrote to his family and expressed regret -,' an official at the Prime Minister's Office - told IANS. The official added that the prime minister said the death occurred under unfortunate circumstances. Sumit Prakash Verma died Tuesday after the vehicle carrying him to the PGIMER Chandigarh could not enter the emergency area in time for treatment, his relatives alleged. The prime minister was at the time visiting the medical college and hospital for its 30th convocation. The family of Verma, who was suffering from a major kidney ailment and had breathing trouble, alleged that their vehicle that had come from Ambala, 45 km from Chandigarh, was stopped at different gates of the institute by overzealous securitymen, leading to wastage of crucial time. The victim's family, however, Wednesday sought to absolve the prime minister of responsibility for Verma's death and blamed his elite special protection group - and other security agencies for the incident. 'We don't hold him - responsible. It is his...

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