Impotencia

According to a report published in the journal Pediatrics, 1 in every 91 children aged between 3 and 17 years is estimated to have an autism spectrum disorder in the United States. This is over 50% higher than the current 1 in 150 estimated prevalence.

Lee Grossman, CEO, Autism Society, USA, said “This national study charts a dramatic rise in the prevalence of autism in the United States and we applaud this administrations recognition that autism is an urgent public health priority. But families today are asking how high must these prevalence rates rise before the nation responds? Significant resources must be directed toward screening and diagnosis, affordable interventions that treat the whole person and comprehensive education plans to foster lifelong skill development so that people with autism will have the ability to work and live independently.”

The report was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Childrens health. Data was gathered from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and 78,000 parents were telephoned. The study determined that 110 out of every 10,000 respondents reported having a child with an autism spectrum disorder.

The Autism Society said that the increasing numbers have longterm economic costs to the USA, as autism is a chronic (longterm) condition that affects an individual throughout his/her life.

Grossman said “Lifespan services, particularly for adults, are typically inadequate and inappropriate. This new data should be a call to action to the government to improve and increase services and supports first.”

Senator Dick Durbin (DIL), said “The information in this new report highlights the pressing need for additional services, support and treatments for families affected by autism spectrum disorders. My bill, the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act, will help children and adults with autism gain better access to coordinated services, improve training for professionals treating these disorders, and will relieve the financial burden on the millions of families struggling with this disability.”

If the bill is approved it would provide funding for research into effective treatments and interventions, the first demonstration grants on adult services, create and adult prevalence study, and fund family support and information networks.

Congressman Mike Doyle (DPA), cochair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, said “Autism affects millions of American families, and the cost of diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment imposes a heavy burden on most of them. This legislation, the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009, would improve the dissemination of information between autism researchers and service providers, improve training for professionals treating autism spectrum disorders, and mandate that health insurers cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Enactment of this legislation would do a lot to help millions of American families.”

Congressman Chris Smith (RNJ), cochair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, said “The increase in the reported prevalence of autism across the nation testifies to the urgency of executing a comprehensive strategy in response to this public health emergency. For its part, Congress must ensure robust funding to support aggressive programs of research, education, and services. Furthermore, Congress needs to enact additional legislation, such as the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009, that will establish the infrastructure and mechanisms for delivering appropriate services across the lifespan to individuals with autism and their families. We must look to maximize the reach and impact of our investments and activities by closely coordinating government efforts with those of national advocacy organizations, such as the Autism Society.”

What is autism?

Autism is known as a complex developmental disability. Experts believe that Autism presents itself during the first three years of a persons life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the persons communication and social interaction skills. People with autism have issues with nonverbal communication, a wide range of social interactions, and activities that include an element of play and/or banter.

“Prevalence of ParentReported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the US, 2007″
Michael D. Kogan, PhD, Stephen J. Blumberg, PhD, Laura A. Schieve, PhD, Coleen A. Boyle, PhD, James M. Perrin, MD, Reem M. Ghandour, DrPH, Gopal K. Singh, PhD, Bonnie B. Strickland, PhD, Edwin Trevathan, MD, MPH and Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH
Published online October 5, 2009 PEDIATRICS doi10.1542/peds.20091522

Incidence and prevalence data for endstage kidney disease in the United States will be available online from the U.S. Renal Data System a year earlier than usual, announces the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the data will be updated online every three months and will show quarterly counts of patients (click here.)

“These tables provide preliminary estimates, which may change minimally as additional updates become available,” said Paul W. Eggers, Ph.D., who directs the NIDDKs kidney and urology epidemiology programs. “However, these frequent updates will allow researchers to see and investigate trends sooner than previously possible.”

The first of the new tables shows incidence and prevalence counts through December 2008. As the tables are updated quarterly, an additional three months of counts will be added. The next update in December 2009 will include patient counts through March 2009.

Previously, incidence and prevalence data had been made available only through yearly updates of the USRDS Annual Data Report (usrds.org/adr.htm). Because the report includes detailed data from multiple sources, reporting lagged by about 18 months while data were merged and verified. For example, the 2009 report, which became available this month, has complete data only through 2007.

Data from the USRDS is used by researchers, government officials, health program planners, and others to develop research goals, assess public health needs, set program priorities, and inform policymakers and the public.

More than half a million people in the United States have endstage kidney disease, requiring frequent dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant. People with the disease account for just 1.2 percent of the Medicare population, but accounted for 7.3 percent of Medicare costs in 2007. The total cost for the disease was $35.32 billion, including coverage by Medicare and other payers, such as employer group health plans.

The USRDS, funded by the NIDDK, collaborates with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ESRD Networks and the United Network for Organ Sharing in sharing datasets and improving the accuracy of information.

Source
Arthur Stone

Its often said that overly macho males suffer from “too much testosterone.” But a new study in mice reveals how estrogen might share in that blame.

The report in the October 2nd issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, reveals how early estrogen exposure “masculinizes” the brain circuitry, predisposing boys to be boys as it were. That early event is specifically critical in producing male mice that will pick fights with other males and that dutifully mark their territories with urine.

“Its been known for decades that estrogen may play a role in making males behave like males,” said Nirao Shah of the University of California, San Francisco. “What we do here is to provide insight into the logic of how estrogen regulates that behavior.”

The basis for differences between the sexes in such behaviors, they show, may reside in the neurons that are equipped with an enzyme, called aromatase, that converts testosterone into estrogen. The masculine brain has more of those testosteroneconverting neurons in certain regions. The researchers now show that these neurons establish a unique neural circuitry in males, and that this difference in wiring depends on estrogen.

The researchers found that female mice exposed to estrogen as pups get wired to behave as “tomboys” of a sort. Their aromatase neurons now look like what is seen in the male brain, and the female mice take on aggressive and territorial behaviors typically reserved for males.

But if estrogen, the female hormone, establishes male behavior patterns, why dont girls act like boys? Shah explains that the ovaries normally dont pump out any hormone that early in life, but males do see a surge in testosterone at a young age, at least some of which gets converted by aromatase to estrogen.

The findings indicate that adult gonadal hormones are not the entire story when it comes to determining masculine versus feminine behavior, Shah said. “Rather than the gonadal hormones telling the adult brain what do to, the brain interprets signals based on its prior history,” he said. Thus, female mice exposed to estrogen as pups respond to estrogen as adults by switching on the aggressive and territorial behaviors typically observed in males.

As for whether differences in early estrogen exposure or in the resulting brain circuitry can account for variation among males in stereotypically male behavior remains to be seen, Shah says.

“About eighty percent of male mice will fight with other males routinely, but there is always a fraction that fight poorly or not much at all,” he said, a difference that may be explained by some combination of social experience along with early developmental events that wire the brain differently.

Testosterone itself isnt off the hook yet, however. Shahs team suspects it is also likely to have direct effects. As evidence of that, Shah notes that female mice whose brains are masculinized by exposure to estrogen in early development do fight, but they tend to fight with less intensity than males. But when these females have their ovaries their adulthood source of estrogen removed and are treated with male levels of testosterone, their will to fight goes up. “It suggests testosterone acts on its own receptor to increase the intensity of malelike fighting,” Shah said.

The researchers include Melody V. Wu, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Devanand S. Manoli, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Eleanor J. Fraser, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Jennifer K. Coats, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Jessica Tollkuhn, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; ShinIchiro Honda, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; Nobuhiro Harada, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; and Nirao M. Shah, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

Source
Cathleen Genova

Today we have seen another wave of devastation and human suffering, caused by powerful earthquakes which have ripped through Sumatra, the tsunami which struck the Samoan islands, while people in South East Asia are being continuously hit by torrential rains.

In Indonesia, thousands are believed to be buried under the ruins a distressing reminder of the destruction which occurred during the 2004 tsunami. Hospitals are overloaded with hundreds of injured people, and many have had to flee their destroyed homes and seek refuge in mosques. While fire fighters struggle to put out the burning markets and houses, our teams are on the ground to help assess the damage.

In the Samoan islands, thousands of people are still trapped under the rubble and many have been swept out to sea.

And in the Philippines, we are rapidly expanding our relief effort to provide vital food rations to 1 million people.

When nature strikes with such force, the world must come together.

Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NasdaqDVAX) announced the initiation of a Phase 3 registration trial for HEPLISAVTM hepatitis B vaccine in individuals with chronic kidney disease. A second registration trial, a Phase 3 lottolot consistency trial, is expected to begin in early 2010. HEPLISAV is an investigational adult hepatitis B vaccine designed to provide increased, rapid protection with fewer doses than current licensed vaccines. Dynavax believes that these studies, taken together, could support registration filing of HEPLISAV with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“After achieving pivotal trial data demonstrating HEPLISAVs clinical benefit, we currently expect to complete these two registration trials within the next 24 months,” commented Dino Dina, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynavax. “The unmet medical need for better hepatitis B vaccination for certain groups such as chronic kidney disease patients is significant and is a large, servable market opportunity for Dynavax.”

About the Trial

Dynavaxs Phase 3 trial is enrolling approximately 600 patients with chronic kidney disease. After being randomized 1 to 1, patients will receive either 3 doses of HEPLISAV (at 0, 1, and 6 months) or 8 doses of the current licensed vaccine EngerixB® (2 doses at 0, 1, 2, and 6 months). The primary endpoint is seroprotection rate at month 7.

Clinical Data

Dynavax plans to present clinical data from previous trials of HEPLISAV in chronic kidney disease patients at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), October 29 through November 1, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information on this conference, please visit the IDSA website at idsociety.org.

About HEPLISAV

HEPLISAV is a Phase 3 investigational adult hepatitis B vaccine designed to provide increased, rapid protection with fewer doses than current licensed vaccines. Over 2,500 individuals have been vaccinated with HEPLISAV, which has completed a pivotal Phase 3 study demonstrating the vaccines immunogenicity.

Dynavax is developing HEPLISAV for populations that are less responsive to current licensed vaccines, including adults over 40 years of age, individuals with chronic kidney disease, and others. The Company has worldwide commercial rights to HEPLISAV, which combines hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with a proprietary Tolllike Receptor 9 agonist to enhance the immune response.

About Hepatitis B Vaccines

The total worldwide market for adult hepatitis B vaccines is estimated at over $500 million annually. Current vaccines leave unmet needs for more rapid and increased protection, particularly for less responsive, underserved populations.

Chronic Kidney Disease Market A highvalue segment, the chronic kidney disease market is large, growing rapidly, and is widely recommended for vaccination. There are approximately 750,000 endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients in the United States and the 5 major European markets and approximately 150,000 new patients annually. Approximately 35% of these immunocompromised ESRD patients do not respond to vaccination and 20% require boosters. As vaccination for these patients occurs regularly at dialysis centers, this is a highly concentrated, renewable market that can be served by costeffective, targeted sales and distribution networks.

Souce

In July 2009, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) became aware of alleged marking irregularities on the University of Manchesters accredited Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) undergraduate degree.

As the statutory regulator for pharmacy in Great Britain, the RPSGB is responsible for the accreditation of MPharm degrees. In September 2009, an investigation to establish whether or not there was an MPharm accreditation issue was conducted by the RPSGB with the cooperation of the University of Manchester.

It was alleged that the marking process had been compromised on one MPharm module and that the process had not been conducted in accordance with the universitys own procedures. The investigation confirmed that there had been marking irregularities related to the MPharm module and that the university had taken steps to remedy the situation.

The RPSGB is satisfied that the steps taken by the University have demonstrated that the marks are correct and that neither academic standards nor patient safety have been compromised by the irregularities. Consequently, the RPSGB will be taking no further action in this matter.

Source

Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTUREKNE), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and remove microbial biofilms is pleased to announce that DispersinB® Topical Wound Gel has passed the FDArecommended Cytotoxicity and Primary Skin Irritation tests conducted by WuXi AppTec Inc. (St. Paul, MN) in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). Thus, DispersinB® wound gel is considered noncytotoxic and nonirritant. The other FDArecommended biocompatibility tests (sensitization, genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity) are currently in progress.

In addition, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has also studied the cytotoxicity of research grade DispersinB® enzyme under NonGLP conditions.

“We have tested the in vitro cytotoxicity of DispersinB® enzyme using human and mouse cell lines and DispersinB® enzyme showed negligible or no cytotoxicity against the cultured cell lines under the conditions tested,” stated Dr. Jeffrey B. Kaplan, the discoverer of the DispersinB enzyme and Associate Professor, Department of Oral Microbiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ. “The clinical grade DispersinB® cytotoxicity test results from WuXi AppTec confirm our findings that DispersinB® is noncytotoxic,” concluded Dr. Kaplan.

“Although DispersinB® is a naturally occurring enzyme produced by one of the oral bacteria, it is important to demonstrate its safety for human applications using a battery of FDArecommended biocompatibility tests,” stated Dr. Sri Madhyastha, VicePresident, Research & Chief Scientific Officer of Kane Biotech Inc. “After completing all the tests, the biocompatibility data will be used to prepare the FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) package for submission”.

Source

More than 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, most common among the overweight and obese. More than just loud snoring, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and a poor quality of life. For years, doctors have told patients with sleep apnea that their best bet for alleviating it would be to lose weight, but theres been very little researchbased evidence to prove that.

“Existing research has been limited by a number of factors, so there are very few studies that show whether the recommended amount of weight loss about 10 percent is enough to sufficiently improve sleep apnea,” said Gary Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education.

Foster and colleagues from six other universities recently completed the largest randomized study on the effects of weight loss on sleep apnea in patients with type 2 diabetes. They found that among patients with severe sleep apnea, those who lost the recommended weight were three times more likely to nearly eliminate the number of sleep apnea episodes compared to those who did not lose weight. The results are published in the Sept. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The new study, called Sleep AHEAD, looked at 264 obese patients with type 2 diabetes already enrolled in the Look AHEAD trial, an ongoing 16site study investigating the longterm health impact of an intensive lifestyle intervention in 5,145 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants were between 45 and 75 years old.

The 264 participants were broken into two randomized groups the first received a group behavioral weight loss program developed especially for obese patients with type 2 diabetes, portioncontrolled diets, and a prescribed exercise regimen of 175 minutes per week. The second attended three group informational sessions over a oneyear period that focused on diabetes management through diet, physical activity and social support.

After one year, members of the first group lost an average of 24 pounds. More than three times as many participants in this group had complete remission of their sleep apnea (13.6 percent compared to 3.5 percent), and also had about half the instances of severe sleep apnea as the second group. Further, participants in the second group only lost about a pound, and saw significant worsening of their sleep apnea, which suggested to Foster and his team that without treatment, the disorder can progress rapidly.

“These results show that doctors as well as patients can expect a significant improvement in their sleep apnea with weight loss,” said Foster, the studys lead author. “And a reduction in sleep apnea has a number of benefits for overall health and wellbeing.”

Other authors on the study were Kelley Borradaile, from Temple; Mark Sanders, Anne Newman and David Kelley, from the University of Pittsburgh; Richard Millman and Rena Wing, from Brown University; Gary Zammit, from Clinilabs; Thomas Wadden and Samuel Kuna, from the University of Pennsylvania; F. Xavier Pi Sunyer, from Columbia University; David Reboussin, from Wake Forest University, and the Sleep AHEAD Research Group. Funding was provided by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, both part of the National Institutes of Health.

Source
Renee Cree

A Polish court on Wednesday ordered the Roman Catholic magazine Gosc Niedzielny to pay a fine and apologize to a woman for calling her a killer for wanting an abortion and likening the procedure to Nazi war crimes, the AP/Miami Herald reports.

Judge Ewa Solecka said that Catholics are permitted to express their moral disapproval of abortion and even refer to it as “murder,” but they must do so in a general way that does not vilify a specific individual. Solecka said the magazines language was “particularly contemptuous” and ordered the publication to pay the woman, Alicja Tysiac, the equivalent of about $11,000 and issue her a written apology.

According to the AP/Herald, Tysiac became “a symbol for the abortionrights movement” after she challenged the countrys abortion restrictions with the European Court of Human Rights. Poland permits abortion until 12 weeks gestation in cases of rape or incest, if the womans life is in danger or if there is irreparable damage to the fetus. In 2007, the human rights court ordered Poland to pay Tysiac damages of about $37,000 after doctors refused to let her terminate her pregnancy, despite serious risks to her eyesight because of a medical condition. After giving birth, her eyesight deteriorated considerably because of a retinal hemorrhage.

Gosc Niedzielny called Wednesdays ruling an infringement on freedom of speech and said it plans to appeal (Gera, AP/Miami Herald, 9/23).

Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Womens Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Womens Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

There is clear evidence that lifestyle choices affect the incidence and treatment of cancer, according to a study published in the current issue of American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM).

The article “Lifestyle Interventions in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer” looks at recent research on the five most common forms of cancer (lung, colorectal, breast, prostate and skin) and how some risk factors for these cancers can be lifestyle based and therefore controllable through alterations in human behavior. A Webinar based on the article will be moderated by James M. Rippe, MD, EditorinChief of AJLM, and presented by lead author Clarence H. Brown III, MD, president and CEO of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando. Participants can earn 1 CME while learning about lifestyle interventions that have been shown to be effective in preventing cancers

recent evidence for specific lifestyle behaviors for specific cancers

how to counsel patients for appropriate lifestyle behaviors to lower cancer risk “While a universal cure for all types of cancer is still not in the foreseeable future,” write the authors in the article, “changes in lifestyle adhering to a healthy diet, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking and excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation can decrease the incidence of cancer.”

The Webinar “Lifestyle Interventions in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer,” sponsored by Orlando Health, is being presented by Clarence H. Brown III, MD on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 from 200300 P.M. EDT. This educational activity will be worth 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. For more information or to register, please visit ajl.sagepub.com.

The AJLM article, “Lifestyle Interventions in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer,” written by Clarence H. Brown III, MD, Said M. Baidas, MD, Julio J. Hajdenberg, MD, Omar R. Kayaleh, MD, Gregory K. Pennock, MD, Nikita C. Shah, MD, and Jennifer E. Tseng, MD, is being made available by SAGE for a limited time at ajl.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/3/5/337.

Source
Jim Gilden