Today researchers report a newly identified genetic variation that is linked to higher incidence of prostate cancer in African American men. This study, which emphasizes the importance of characterizing genetic markers associated with prostate cancer in high-risk populations, is published online in Genome Research. [click link for full article]
A report that appears in the scientific journal Genome Research details the first assembly, annotation, and comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome (Felis catus). The DNA of a 4-year-old Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon, whose well-documented lineage can be traced back several generations to Sweden, has been sequenced. [click link for full article]
Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers presented Roy Eccleston, of TheWeekend Australian, with the Medicines Australia 2007 Health Journalist of the YearAward. Mr Eccleston was named as one of the four category winners for his story Think or Sink inThe Weekend Australian magazine. [click link for full article]
Targeting surfaces often touched by hand in hospitals where MRSA is likely to be present, rather than concentrating on removing visible dirt only, could be a better way to stop the spread of the highly resistant bacteria says a UK scientist. [click link for full article]
Illegal and pharmaceutical drug users are far more likely to drive after taking drugs than those who drink alcohol, new research shows. The Australian Drug Foundation (ADF), in conjunction with Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre (TP), announced the findings of their comprehensive year-long study into the drug-driving habits of Australian motorists. [click link for full article]
James C. Orcutt, MD, PhD, Chief Ophthalmology Consultant for the Veterans Health Administration, and Eric D. Weichel, MD, Director, Vitreo-Retinal Surgery, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, are among the American Academy of Ophthalmology members featured at a Capitol Hill briefing being held to increase Congressional support for the Military Eye Trauma Treatment Act of 2007 (H.R. 3558). [click link for full article]
The American Lung Association offers a variety of resources for those affected by the wildfires still burning in Southern California. [click link for full article]
“On behalf of the American Medical Association, I would like to commend New York Attorney General Cuomo for his groundbreaking agreement with CIGNA. Physicians greatly appreciate your leadership and your commitment to our shared goal of enhancing the quality of care and ensuring patients are provided with reliable information that is meaningful to them. [click link for full article]
The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on the Thai government to halt all forced repatriation proceedings against the 7,500 ethnic Hmong refugees from Laos who are currently confined to a camp in northern Thailand’s Petchabun province. [click link for full article]
Guyana’s Ministry of Home Affairs recently launched a new project aimed at decreasing the spread of HIV among prison inmates and reintegrating HIV-positive inmates into society at the end of their sentences, the Stabroek News reports. [click link for full article]