Government officials are hopeful that a new law banning genital cutting will "force a change in attitudes" about the practice, Reuters reports (Kimball, Reuters, 6/10). Genital cutting, a practice sometimes referred to as female circumcision or female genital mutilation, involves a partial or full removal of the labia, clitoris or both.
The Eritrean government in a proclamation published in April said it is illegal for anyone to subject girls or women to genital cutting, provide tools to perform the procedure or fail to inform authorities about intended plans to subject anyone to the procedure. According to a government statement, anyone who requests, takes part in or promotes the practice will face a fine of several hundred dollars or up to 10 years in jail. A government statement said the ban took effect on March 31.
The government said that genital cutting "is a procedure that seriously endangers the health of women, causes them considerable pain and suffering, besides threatening their lives." A 2002 government survey found that less than 1% of genital cutting procedures in the country were performed by people with medical training and that about 62% of circumcised women in Eritrea had the procedure performed before age one (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/10).
Aid workers have said cultural traditions will be the "biggest barrier" toward curbing the practice. Government officials said that the ban is only one part of a larger public education program. "Eritrea is easily manageable; there is a chain system, a village level, the sub-zone, the zonal level," Tesfay Misgna, a health ministry campaigner, said, adding that "[w]e can control" the practice. Misgna said that some villages banned the practice before the national government did.
Some advocates "worry the practice is too ingrained for legal threats to have much impact," Reuters reports. According to Reuters, residents of Glass, Eritrea, said genital cutting persists in the village. Luul Ghebreab, president of the National Union of Eritrean Women, said that genital cutting "is a deep-rooted culture, and it needs a persistent continuous effort (to halt it)." Pirkko Heinonen, the UNICEF representative in Eritrea, said that although genital cutting is practiced in Christian and Muslim communities, as well as in all nine of Eritrea's groups, the country has "come to a turning point." He added, "It was the exception not to be cut, but I think in the younger age group, it is the exception to be cut" (Reuters, 6/10).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 29 ноября 2011 г.
вторник, 22 ноября 2011 г.
Texas Among Most Restrictive States For Teens' Access To Birth Control
Despite its high teen pregnancy rates, Texas has some of the most restrictive policies in the U.S. regarding minors' access to prescription birth control without parental consent, the Dallas Morning News reports. Texas has the highest rate of repeat teen pregnancies in the nation, and Dallas leads the state in the number of repeat births to teens.
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's 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.
Despite these high rates, state funds cannot be used to provide minors with confidential contraceptive services. Even teens who have already given birth are prohibited from obtaining contraceptives without parental consent at nearly one-third of family planning clinics that contract with the state health department. According to the Morning News, many public health officials and women's health advocates say that doctors are unaware that Texas law does not address whether a minor may independently obtain contraceptives.
Policies on prescribing birth control to minors differ at various providers, the Morning News reports. In North Texas, most private and public clinics will prescribe contraceptives to minors without notifying their parents, but all 10 school-based clinics operated by the Parkland Health & Hospital System require parental consent. In addition, many private practice physicians in the Dallas-Fort Worth area refuse to prescribe birth control to minors without parental consent.
Texas is one of four states that does not cover contraceptives under its version of the Children's Health Insurance Program. In addition, although Texas spends $1.2 billion for Medicaid to cover 228,000 births each year, it does not automatically extend coverage for family planning services for one year postpartum, as some states do.
Critics of the state's restrictive policies say conservative leaders do not have a realistic view of teens' sexual activity. "We're in denial that our teens are sexually active," said Janet Realini, a former leader of the Bexar County health department in San Antonio who is working to reduce teen pregnancy. Only 4% of Texas schools teach students about the potential benefits and risks of contraception; instead, most schools teach an abstinence-only curriculum that focuses on the failure rate of various contraceptive methods. A spokesperson for Gov. Rick Perry (R) said that he supports abstinence-only education and believes that "the state should not usurp the role" of parents (Garrett, Dallas Morning News, 9/7).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's 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.
вторник, 15 ноября 2011 г.
Octogenarian Muscles Don't Get Stronger With Exercise
Octogenarian women were unable to increase muscle mass after a 3-month weight lifting program targeted at strengthening the thigh muscle, according to a new study from the Journal of Applied Physiology. The results are surprising because previous studies have found resistance training capable of increasing muscle mass, even for people who are into their 70s. An increase in muscle size translates to an increase in strength.
Still, the Ball State University study contained some good news: The octogenarians were able to lift more weight after the training program, likely because the nervous system became more efficient at activating and synchronizing muscles.
The American Physiological Society published the study, "Improvements in whole muscle and myocellular function are limited with high-intensity resistance training in octogenarian women." The researchers are Ulrika Raue, Dustin Slivka, Kiril Minchev and Scott Trappe. You can read the full study by clicking here.
Aim: Strengthen Octogenarian Thigh Muscle
The experiment involved six women, all in their 80s, all of whom lived independently and came to the laboratory three times a week for three months. The women exercised on a machine designed to strengthen the thigh (quadriceps) muscle. They did three sets of 10 lifts, with a 2-minute rest period between sets.
The researchers measured the size of the women's thigh muscle using an MRI, before the exercise program began and after it ended. They also took biopsies from the thigh muscles, which they used to track muscle changes at the cellular level.
The biopsies included both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscles are high powered and explosive and are associated with anaerobic exercise. Slow-twitch are associated with aerobic tasks, including endurance exercise such as marathons.
Fast-twitch muscles are important in posture and balance and so may be of particular importance for the elderly, who are more prone to falls. When people do not use their muscles during a period of convalescence or with a sedentary lifestyle, the fast twitch muscles lose functionality and atrophy more quickly than slow-twitch.
From the muscle biopsies, the researchers isolated single muscle strands, both fast-twitch and slow-twitch. They measured the strength, speed and power of each fiber and examined the genetic profile of these strands.
No change in muscle strength
As a result of the exercise program, the octogenarians were able to increase the amount they could lift with their quadriceps by 26%. That was the good news. The bad news was that the pre- and post-training MRIs showed that the training did not change their muscle size. This was surprising because an earlier study had found that 70-year-old women gained 5% muscle mass with resistance training.
The biopsy results confirmed the MRI results: there was no change in the size of the individual muscle strands, pre-training versus post-training. This confirms that the increase in the amount the women could lift with the quadriceps was unrelated to improvement in muscle strength. Instead, the results were probably due to improvements in how efficiently the nervous system was able to activate and synchronize the muscles.
In an earlier study, the researchers found that the muscles of octogenarian men also failed to gain strength with the exercise program. Together, the studies show that the muscles of octogenarian men and women are far less responsive to improving with exercise, even compared to people only 10 years younger.
"The message of the study is that exercise is good for octogenarians, just not as good as we thought it would be," Dr. Trappe said. The study also suggests that it is better to build as much muscle mass as possible earlier in life to ensure more muscle strength in later life. "We should do all we can to educate people to build up the muscle before 80," he said.
Next steps
Muscle atrophy relates not only to aging, but to people whose muscles are immobilized for a period and even for astronauts who spend long periods of time in space. Dr. Trappe, who also does research on astronauts, next wants to begin to uncover the physiological basis for why the muscles of octogenarians do not gain strength with resistance exercise.
His team may be able to build on two intriguing findings from the current study:
-- while the octogenarian women had many fewer muscle fibers, the fibers they did have were large and healthy looking
-- the genes involved in muscle growth are present in the resting muscle of the octogenarians at much higher levels compared to young people.
These results suggest that the octogenarian muscle is already operating at peak capacity and may not have the potential for better performance, Dr. Trappe said. If these mechanisms can be understood, it may be possible to find ways to strengthen older muscles.
Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS) has been an integral part of this scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887.
American Physiological Society (APS)
9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda
MD 20814
United States
the-aps
Still, the Ball State University study contained some good news: The octogenarians were able to lift more weight after the training program, likely because the nervous system became more efficient at activating and synchronizing muscles.
The American Physiological Society published the study, "Improvements in whole muscle and myocellular function are limited with high-intensity resistance training in octogenarian women." The researchers are Ulrika Raue, Dustin Slivka, Kiril Minchev and Scott Trappe. You can read the full study by clicking here.
Aim: Strengthen Octogenarian Thigh Muscle
The experiment involved six women, all in their 80s, all of whom lived independently and came to the laboratory three times a week for three months. The women exercised on a machine designed to strengthen the thigh (quadriceps) muscle. They did three sets of 10 lifts, with a 2-minute rest period between sets.
The researchers measured the size of the women's thigh muscle using an MRI, before the exercise program began and after it ended. They also took biopsies from the thigh muscles, which they used to track muscle changes at the cellular level.
The biopsies included both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscles are high powered and explosive and are associated with anaerobic exercise. Slow-twitch are associated with aerobic tasks, including endurance exercise such as marathons.
Fast-twitch muscles are important in posture and balance and so may be of particular importance for the elderly, who are more prone to falls. When people do not use their muscles during a period of convalescence or with a sedentary lifestyle, the fast twitch muscles lose functionality and atrophy more quickly than slow-twitch.
From the muscle biopsies, the researchers isolated single muscle strands, both fast-twitch and slow-twitch. They measured the strength, speed and power of each fiber and examined the genetic profile of these strands.
No change in muscle strength
As a result of the exercise program, the octogenarians were able to increase the amount they could lift with their quadriceps by 26%. That was the good news. The bad news was that the pre- and post-training MRIs showed that the training did not change their muscle size. This was surprising because an earlier study had found that 70-year-old women gained 5% muscle mass with resistance training.
The biopsy results confirmed the MRI results: there was no change in the size of the individual muscle strands, pre-training versus post-training. This confirms that the increase in the amount the women could lift with the quadriceps was unrelated to improvement in muscle strength. Instead, the results were probably due to improvements in how efficiently the nervous system was able to activate and synchronize the muscles.
In an earlier study, the researchers found that the muscles of octogenarian men also failed to gain strength with the exercise program. Together, the studies show that the muscles of octogenarian men and women are far less responsive to improving with exercise, even compared to people only 10 years younger.
"The message of the study is that exercise is good for octogenarians, just not as good as we thought it would be," Dr. Trappe said. The study also suggests that it is better to build as much muscle mass as possible earlier in life to ensure more muscle strength in later life. "We should do all we can to educate people to build up the muscle before 80," he said.
Next steps
Muscle atrophy relates not only to aging, but to people whose muscles are immobilized for a period and even for astronauts who spend long periods of time in space. Dr. Trappe, who also does research on astronauts, next wants to begin to uncover the physiological basis for why the muscles of octogenarians do not gain strength with resistance exercise.
His team may be able to build on two intriguing findings from the current study:
-- while the octogenarian women had many fewer muscle fibers, the fibers they did have were large and healthy looking
-- the genes involved in muscle growth are present in the resting muscle of the octogenarians at much higher levels compared to young people.
These results suggest that the octogenarian muscle is already operating at peak capacity and may not have the potential for better performance, Dr. Trappe said. If these mechanisms can be understood, it may be possible to find ways to strengthen older muscles.
Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS) has been an integral part of this scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887.
American Physiological Society (APS)
9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda
MD 20814
United States
the-aps
вторник, 8 ноября 2011 г.
Hispanic Women At Higher Risk For Heart Disease
Hispanic women's heart disease risk is comparable to the heart disease risk level of Caucasian women who are about a decade older. This disagrees with a long-held belief that Hispanic women have less heart disease than Caucasian women, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
"The prevailing theme in medicine has been that Hispanic patients have fewer heart attacks and strokes than Caucasians, even though Hispanics seem to have equal, if not worse, cardiac risk factors and tend to be more socio-economically deprived," said John C. Teeters, M.D., study lead author and fellow in the department of cardiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. "In clinical practice, however, we see the opposite, with Hispanic patients who seem to have heart disease earlier than Caucasians."
To explain the disparity, researchers have raised questions about the quality of Hispanic population census gathering in the United States, wondering if Hispanics are underrepresented in the census and health records because they tend to migrate back to their homelands to die and are more likely to be illegal immigrants.
To compare heart disease risk among the ethnic populations, Teeters and colleagues conducted a series of free community health screenings at churches, community centers and outpatient clinics that cater to Hispanics. They performed medical histories to determine cardiac risk, as well as measured each subject's waist circumference, activity level, weight, height, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol level. They gathered the same data in a Caucasian group of people and compared data among the women in the study.
There were 79 Hispanic and 91 Caucasian adult women in the study. The average age in the Hispanic group was 53, versus 63 years in the Caucasian group. Sixty-one percent of the Hispanic women were postmenopausal versus 85 percent of the Caucasian women.
When combined, the heart disease risk for the two groups was about the same, according to Teeters.
"If you look at prevalence by age, there is a clear trend for Hispanics towards increased prevalence at a younger age, with earlier onset in Hispanic women for these cardiac risk factors," he said.
While the women scored similarly in the areas of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and waist circumference, the researchers found that the Hispanic women's prehypertension rate (32 percent) was significantly higher than Caucasian women (19 percent). The Hispanic women's activity levels were also significantly lower when compared to the Caucasian women, and Hispanic women had a slightly higher rate of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors including excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and high fasting glucose levels. The presence of three or more of the factors increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"The study suggests that Hispanic women develop cardiac risk factors earlier than their Caucasian counterparts and that being Hispanic could be an independent risk factor for heart disease among women," Teeters said.
Doctors should consider more aggressively treating and trying to prevent heart disease at earlier ages, Teeter said. Teeters and colleagues plan to study these patients prospectively to determine if early and aggressive heart disease therapy and lifestyle changes reduce Hispanics' lifetime cardiac risk.
Co-authors are Gladys P. Velarde, M.D.; Jason Pacos, M.D.; Susan Hume, N.P.; Cynthia Petit, R.N., B.S.N. and Jeff Huntress, Pharm.D.
Outreach clinics were funded by Pfizer Inc.; however, Pfizer did not fund data analysis or have any input into presentation of the data.
Statements and conclusions of abstract authors that are presented at American Heart Association/American Stroke Association scientific meetings are solely those of the abstract authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The associations make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
Contact: Karen Astle
American Heart Association
"The prevailing theme in medicine has been that Hispanic patients have fewer heart attacks and strokes than Caucasians, even though Hispanics seem to have equal, if not worse, cardiac risk factors and tend to be more socio-economically deprived," said John C. Teeters, M.D., study lead author and fellow in the department of cardiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. "In clinical practice, however, we see the opposite, with Hispanic patients who seem to have heart disease earlier than Caucasians."
To explain the disparity, researchers have raised questions about the quality of Hispanic population census gathering in the United States, wondering if Hispanics are underrepresented in the census and health records because they tend to migrate back to their homelands to die and are more likely to be illegal immigrants.
To compare heart disease risk among the ethnic populations, Teeters and colleagues conducted a series of free community health screenings at churches, community centers and outpatient clinics that cater to Hispanics. They performed medical histories to determine cardiac risk, as well as measured each subject's waist circumference, activity level, weight, height, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol level. They gathered the same data in a Caucasian group of people and compared data among the women in the study.
There were 79 Hispanic and 91 Caucasian adult women in the study. The average age in the Hispanic group was 53, versus 63 years in the Caucasian group. Sixty-one percent of the Hispanic women were postmenopausal versus 85 percent of the Caucasian women.
When combined, the heart disease risk for the two groups was about the same, according to Teeters.
"If you look at prevalence by age, there is a clear trend for Hispanics towards increased prevalence at a younger age, with earlier onset in Hispanic women for these cardiac risk factors," he said.
While the women scored similarly in the areas of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and waist circumference, the researchers found that the Hispanic women's prehypertension rate (32 percent) was significantly higher than Caucasian women (19 percent). The Hispanic women's activity levels were also significantly lower when compared to the Caucasian women, and Hispanic women had a slightly higher rate of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors including excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and high fasting glucose levels. The presence of three or more of the factors increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"The study suggests that Hispanic women develop cardiac risk factors earlier than their Caucasian counterparts and that being Hispanic could be an independent risk factor for heart disease among women," Teeters said.
Doctors should consider more aggressively treating and trying to prevent heart disease at earlier ages, Teeter said. Teeters and colleagues plan to study these patients prospectively to determine if early and aggressive heart disease therapy and lifestyle changes reduce Hispanics' lifetime cardiac risk.
Co-authors are Gladys P. Velarde, M.D.; Jason Pacos, M.D.; Susan Hume, N.P.; Cynthia Petit, R.N., B.S.N. and Jeff Huntress, Pharm.D.
Outreach clinics were funded by Pfizer Inc.; however, Pfizer did not fund data analysis or have any input into presentation of the data.
Statements and conclusions of abstract authors that are presented at American Heart Association/American Stroke Association scientific meetings are solely those of the abstract authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The associations make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
Contact: Karen Astle
American Heart Association
вторник, 1 ноября 2011 г.
Qatar Home To World-Class Biomedical Research Program
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Weill CornellMedical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) have unveiled a major initiative to establish a world-class biomedical research program, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
The program aims to form a bio-medical research infrastructure, developing a scientific and technical workforce for the benefit of the region at large. Central to this endeavor is a partnership approach, bringing together institutions that have overlapping missions in medical education, research and healthcare. The program will also support high quality research in the fields of genetic and molecular medicine, women's and children's health, gene therapy, stem cells, and vaccine development.
Specific objectives include:
Development of first rate, translational and clinical research projects that establish Qatar as a center of excellence with a focus on improving the health of the population.
Development of the bio-medical research infrastructure to include laboratories, compliance and regulatory functions.
Creation of a critical mass of research faculty in Qatar and developing a regional scientific and technical workforce.
To draw on the strengths of existing and future organizations in the Qatar healthcare sector such as Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Sidra Medical and Research Center.
To create a conduit for commercialization of discoveries through the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP)
In five years, approximately 120 people will be engaged in the program, establishing a critical mass, which will give Qatar a sustainable scientific research community. These include principal investigators, post-doctoral fellows, technicians, administrative staff for shared use core facilities, clinical and translational investigators and clinical research support staff.
Vice President for Research at Qatar Foundation Dr. Abdelali Haoudi said: "I am delighted to participate in the official launch of this bio-medical research initiative. Qatar Foundation's aim is to establish Qatar as one of world's leading research and intellectual centers through partnering with international and regional organizations as required and through being a key partner in the drive towards a Knowledge Based Economy. This is one major strand of that overall strategy and bio-medical research will play a vital role in the development of the country's research capability. To underline the importance of research to Qatar, 2.8% of the GDP has been allocated for research programs, which positions Qatar among the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest GDP contribution to support Research and Development."
Interim Dean of WCMC-Q Dr Javaid Sheikh said: "This is a significant investment in biomedical research which forms the second leg of our triple mission of education, research and clinical care. We are embarking on a long term plan which will play a key role in building biomedical research capacity and knowledge for the first time."
"We will be working closely with our partners such as Qatar Foundation, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the National Ministry of Health, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and our colleagues in our parent campus at WCMC in New York. Eminent researchers and faculty there will be playing major roles in establishing this program."
"We have already embarked on two proof of concept research projects. The first one compares variations in gene expression levels in the airways of smokers and non-smokers, whereas the second one assesses the clinical care of diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses in Qatar. In addition, we have initiated the process of developing core capabilities in our research laboratories, including the genomics and proteomics cores, computational biology and biostatistics core, a vivarium, a microscopy core, and a basic laboratory support core.
"The start up of this major program in Doha now takes bio-medical research to new levels. As we initiate this world-class research program, our focus would be on developing sustainable local research capacity while targeting the disease areas important in the Gulf region, namely diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. We have established two broad research themes: a Genetic & Molecular Medicine research program with a focus on personalized medicine, gene therapy for cancer, and stem cell research; and a Women & Children's Health research program with a focus on maternal fetal medicine and the neurogenetic disorders of the newborn. I am particularly excited to be part of such a strong commitment to the future of the country as it aspires to become a Center of Excellence for Research in the region."
WCMC-Q is a leading player in the development of the healthcare sector in Qatar. As the first American medical college graduating doctors outside of the United States, the college brings an illustrious tradition of medical teaching to Qatar. This tradition is inspiring the next generation of doctors in the country, preparing them to be physicians, biomedical researchers and medical educators at the forefront of their fields.
Source:
Noura Zreik
Weill Cornell Medical College--Qatar
The program aims to form a bio-medical research infrastructure, developing a scientific and technical workforce for the benefit of the region at large. Central to this endeavor is a partnership approach, bringing together institutions that have overlapping missions in medical education, research and healthcare. The program will also support high quality research in the fields of genetic and molecular medicine, women's and children's health, gene therapy, stem cells, and vaccine development.
Specific objectives include:
Development of first rate, translational and clinical research projects that establish Qatar as a center of excellence with a focus on improving the health of the population.
Development of the bio-medical research infrastructure to include laboratories, compliance and regulatory functions.
Creation of a critical mass of research faculty in Qatar and developing a regional scientific and technical workforce.
To draw on the strengths of existing and future organizations in the Qatar healthcare sector such as Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Sidra Medical and Research Center.
To create a conduit for commercialization of discoveries through the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP)
In five years, approximately 120 people will be engaged in the program, establishing a critical mass, which will give Qatar a sustainable scientific research community. These include principal investigators, post-doctoral fellows, technicians, administrative staff for shared use core facilities, clinical and translational investigators and clinical research support staff.
Vice President for Research at Qatar Foundation Dr. Abdelali Haoudi said: "I am delighted to participate in the official launch of this bio-medical research initiative. Qatar Foundation's aim is to establish Qatar as one of world's leading research and intellectual centers through partnering with international and regional organizations as required and through being a key partner in the drive towards a Knowledge Based Economy. This is one major strand of that overall strategy and bio-medical research will play a vital role in the development of the country's research capability. To underline the importance of research to Qatar, 2.8% of the GDP has been allocated for research programs, which positions Qatar among the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest GDP contribution to support Research and Development."
Interim Dean of WCMC-Q Dr Javaid Sheikh said: "This is a significant investment in biomedical research which forms the second leg of our triple mission of education, research and clinical care. We are embarking on a long term plan which will play a key role in building biomedical research capacity and knowledge for the first time."
"We will be working closely with our partners such as Qatar Foundation, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the National Ministry of Health, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and our colleagues in our parent campus at WCMC in New York. Eminent researchers and faculty there will be playing major roles in establishing this program."
"We have already embarked on two proof of concept research projects. The first one compares variations in gene expression levels in the airways of smokers and non-smokers, whereas the second one assesses the clinical care of diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses in Qatar. In addition, we have initiated the process of developing core capabilities in our research laboratories, including the genomics and proteomics cores, computational biology and biostatistics core, a vivarium, a microscopy core, and a basic laboratory support core.
"The start up of this major program in Doha now takes bio-medical research to new levels. As we initiate this world-class research program, our focus would be on developing sustainable local research capacity while targeting the disease areas important in the Gulf region, namely diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. We have established two broad research themes: a Genetic & Molecular Medicine research program with a focus on personalized medicine, gene therapy for cancer, and stem cell research; and a Women & Children's Health research program with a focus on maternal fetal medicine and the neurogenetic disorders of the newborn. I am particularly excited to be part of such a strong commitment to the future of the country as it aspires to become a Center of Excellence for Research in the region."
WCMC-Q is a leading player in the development of the healthcare sector in Qatar. As the first American medical college graduating doctors outside of the United States, the college brings an illustrious tradition of medical teaching to Qatar. This tradition is inspiring the next generation of doctors in the country, preparing them to be physicians, biomedical researchers and medical educators at the forefront of their fields.
Source:
Noura Zreik
Weill Cornell Medical College--Qatar
вторник, 25 октября 2011 г.
RCOG Release: NHS Cultural Shift Is Needed In The Provision Of Services For Women, UK
The President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will today call upon the new Coalition Government to listen and to work with its doctors to change the NHS for the better. This comes on the day the College releases the results of its pre-election member poll at the 32nd British International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BICOG) in Belfast.
Prior to the elections, RCOG members were asked for their views on a range of issues concerning the provision of healthcare services within the specialty1. The main findings are as follows:
Generally, RCOG members agreed that a patient-centred NHS should be the main driver for all those involved in the care of women. There was unanimous agreement that an over-managed NHS resulted in an obsession with meeting targets and the bureaucratic culture present in the majority of hospitals. These developments have taken doctors away from what they are there to do (ie. focusing on their patients) and impacted on the quality of care given to women.
According to respondents, the main challenges facing the next Government post-elections are:
- Staffing - the NHS needs more midwives and consultants to run its busy maternity services. There are emerging challenges posed by the need to comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) alongside safety issues from the reduced number of hours that junior doctors are allowed to work.
- Service pressures - financial cutbacks from the recession, a target-driven ethos in the NHS and too many NHS managers were identified as problems.
- Social pressures - the rising birth rate, rising numbers of complex pregnancies and the increase in patient expectations have had an impact on O&G services.
When asked about what RCOG members would like to see change in present NHS O&G services, the common themes that emerged were:
- The focus must be on patients rather than targets.
- There is the need to reduce bureaucracy so that clinicians can get on with their work.
- There were too many NHS managers interfering in clinical matters and not involving clinicians in management decisions.
- The reorganisation of services - there is an acceptance that some centralisation is needed to provide better care. However, there seems to be a split in views about reorganisation. The main view was that reorganisation needs to be done in a case-by-case basis according to local needs.
When asked about how the quality of O&G services can be improved, respondents mentioned that the EWTD had impacted negatively on safety and training. The solutions offered by members included the provision of a consultant-led service, opting out of the EWTD or extending the length of postgraduate medical training so that doctors have the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies by the time they complete their medical training. Respondents also felt that the reduced number of working hours has resulted in service gaps that need to be addressed urgently.
The RCOG was also keen to hear from its membership what they would personally like politicians and policy-makers to do to improve O&G services. Respondents mentioned that politicians need to better understand the pressures which doctors go through and the service needs/demands by engaging with healthcare professionals and professional bodies. Some respondents felt that politicians should cease their meddling in clinical matters and to stop developing policy which is either unrealistic and/or difficult to fulfil without further investment in services (eg. the home birth pledge).
Members were asked to vote what they thought are the most important actions which will result in better care in NHS O&G services over the next year. The top three are:
1. Providing the training that the service requires based on clinical needs
2. Increasing consultant presence in labour wards to enhance supervision
3. Reducing NHS litigation in the specialty by greater investment in staffing
Members were asked to vote on what they thought are the most important public health issues affecting women's healthcare at the moment. The top three are:
1. The increasing incidence of maternal obesity in the population
2. The rising birth rate leading to a redistribution of NHS resources
3. Smoking in the female population
RCOG President Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran said, "Over the course of the last year, with the build-up to the elections, there was a lot of talk about which political party had the best policies on various aspects of healthcare.
"There was the feeling amongst healthcare professionals (especially those at the coal-face of service delivery) that some existing policy ideas, though laudable, were impractical at best, misguided at worst. We decided to ask our members what they thought were the pressure points facing obstetric and gynaecological care in the NHS. More importantly, we wanted to know what they thought were the changes needed so that the quality of services improves.
"Safety and patient satisfaction were identified as paramount issues. Most notably, an overwhelming majority of our members stated that the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) is having a negative impact on junior doctor training and there may be a serious knock-on effect on the provision of safe services in years to come. We call upon politicians, policy makers and civil servants to pay heed to these concerns. Develop solutions on your own at your own peril. Instead, work with the Royal Colleges and those involved in service delivery so that you are aware of the appropriate levels of care needed and what can be achieved given our limited resources.
"The Coalition Government has a unique opportunity here. Many of the health announcements made over the last weeks shows it is determined to start with a clean slate and to make some bold changes. The previous government did much to put maternity back on the agenda. We would urge the new Government to work with us as we make our maternity services one of the best in the world."
For more information about BICOG and to view the programme, please click here.
1 To complement its Election Manifesto, the RCOG undertook an online survey of its UK membership in March and April this year. Members were asked a series of questions on the state of maternity and gynaecological services on the NHS, the external factors impacting on the provision of these services and the areas where improvements can be made.
254 responses were received.
Source:
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Prior to the elections, RCOG members were asked for their views on a range of issues concerning the provision of healthcare services within the specialty1. The main findings are as follows:
Generally, RCOG members agreed that a patient-centred NHS should be the main driver for all those involved in the care of women. There was unanimous agreement that an over-managed NHS resulted in an obsession with meeting targets and the bureaucratic culture present in the majority of hospitals. These developments have taken doctors away from what they are there to do (ie. focusing on their patients) and impacted on the quality of care given to women.
According to respondents, the main challenges facing the next Government post-elections are:
- Staffing - the NHS needs more midwives and consultants to run its busy maternity services. There are emerging challenges posed by the need to comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) alongside safety issues from the reduced number of hours that junior doctors are allowed to work.
- Service pressures - financial cutbacks from the recession, a target-driven ethos in the NHS and too many NHS managers were identified as problems.
- Social pressures - the rising birth rate, rising numbers of complex pregnancies and the increase in patient expectations have had an impact on O&G services.
When asked about what RCOG members would like to see change in present NHS O&G services, the common themes that emerged were:
- The focus must be on patients rather than targets.
- There is the need to reduce bureaucracy so that clinicians can get on with their work.
- There were too many NHS managers interfering in clinical matters and not involving clinicians in management decisions.
- The reorganisation of services - there is an acceptance that some centralisation is needed to provide better care. However, there seems to be a split in views about reorganisation. The main view was that reorganisation needs to be done in a case-by-case basis according to local needs.
When asked about how the quality of O&G services can be improved, respondents mentioned that the EWTD had impacted negatively on safety and training. The solutions offered by members included the provision of a consultant-led service, opting out of the EWTD or extending the length of postgraduate medical training so that doctors have the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies by the time they complete their medical training. Respondents also felt that the reduced number of working hours has resulted in service gaps that need to be addressed urgently.
The RCOG was also keen to hear from its membership what they would personally like politicians and policy-makers to do to improve O&G services. Respondents mentioned that politicians need to better understand the pressures which doctors go through and the service needs/demands by engaging with healthcare professionals and professional bodies. Some respondents felt that politicians should cease their meddling in clinical matters and to stop developing policy which is either unrealistic and/or difficult to fulfil without further investment in services (eg. the home birth pledge).
Members were asked to vote what they thought are the most important actions which will result in better care in NHS O&G services over the next year. The top three are:
1. Providing the training that the service requires based on clinical needs
2. Increasing consultant presence in labour wards to enhance supervision
3. Reducing NHS litigation in the specialty by greater investment in staffing
Members were asked to vote on what they thought are the most important public health issues affecting women's healthcare at the moment. The top three are:
1. The increasing incidence of maternal obesity in the population
2. The rising birth rate leading to a redistribution of NHS resources
3. Smoking in the female population
RCOG President Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran said, "Over the course of the last year, with the build-up to the elections, there was a lot of talk about which political party had the best policies on various aspects of healthcare.
"There was the feeling amongst healthcare professionals (especially those at the coal-face of service delivery) that some existing policy ideas, though laudable, were impractical at best, misguided at worst. We decided to ask our members what they thought were the pressure points facing obstetric and gynaecological care in the NHS. More importantly, we wanted to know what they thought were the changes needed so that the quality of services improves.
"Safety and patient satisfaction were identified as paramount issues. Most notably, an overwhelming majority of our members stated that the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) is having a negative impact on junior doctor training and there may be a serious knock-on effect on the provision of safe services in years to come. We call upon politicians, policy makers and civil servants to pay heed to these concerns. Develop solutions on your own at your own peril. Instead, work with the Royal Colleges and those involved in service delivery so that you are aware of the appropriate levels of care needed and what can be achieved given our limited resources.
"The Coalition Government has a unique opportunity here. Many of the health announcements made over the last weeks shows it is determined to start with a clean slate and to make some bold changes. The previous government did much to put maternity back on the agenda. We would urge the new Government to work with us as we make our maternity services one of the best in the world."
For more information about BICOG and to view the programme, please click here.
1 To complement its Election Manifesto, the RCOG undertook an online survey of its UK membership in March and April this year. Members were asked a series of questions on the state of maternity and gynaecological services on the NHS, the external factors impacting on the provision of these services and the areas where improvements can be made.
254 responses were received.
Source:
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
вторник, 18 октября 2011 г.
Long Island Doctor Shows First '4K' Ultra-High Definition Surgery
Doctors at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine got a glimpse into the future of women's health with the presentation of endoscopic gynecologic surgery performed for the first time using "4K" technology.
Steven F. Palter, MD, an obstetrician, gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist performed the world's first 4K super high-definition (HD) laparoscopy at Syosset Hospital, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, and presented images from that surgery on October 20 at the 65th annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
"The images are the sharpest, most detail-rich and color-correct endoscopic images ever created anywhere," Dr. Palter said. "There is not a more accurate view inside the human body."
Produced in conjunction with RED Digital Cinema Camera Company; Sony Electronics, Inc., an ultrahigh definition projector company; and the University of Southern California Cinema Arts School, the diagnostic images were presented in a specially built digital theater with a projector designed to run "ultra-HD" movies in high-end movie theatres. "It's a prime example of how Hollywood film technology can be used to transform medicine by enabling doctors to see more accurately inside the body to study and treat disease," Dr. Palter said.
Ultra-high resolution digital cameras are transforming the art of cinema. Leading Hollywood directors such as Peter Jackson and Stephen Soderbergh are filming the next generation of cinema blockbusters using cameras with "4K" resolution, four times the resolution of HD with 4,096 lines of resolution to give audiences unprecedented realism.
"Through the use of this digital technology, Hollywood is moving from observation to immersion -- you're not just watching something, you are there," said Dr. Palter, medical and scientific director of Gold Coast IVF in Syosset, NY, who presented the plenary presentation, Film and Medicine: The Technological Transformation of Medicine. "In this session we showed how tomorrow's film technology can apply to laparoscopic surgery, which is all performed using video techniques."
Dr. Palter joined with the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company that manufactures the 4K Red One system to create Hollywood movies of tomorrow, and Sony, the leading ultra-HD theatrical projector company, to perform laparoscopic surgery using the Hollywood camera system.
During the film presentation, the 3,500 reproductive medicine specialists in attendance were able to visualize the surgery as if they were standing in the operating room. However, by combining unprecedented resolution and magnification, the surgical images were beyond what a surgeon would see in traditional surgery. The progress from regular surgical film technology is like comparing sitting in an HD home theater to watching a video on a cell phone," said Dr. Palter.
"Dr. Palter's research and vision of surgery's technological future opened the eyes and minds of the audience to fantastic treatments beyond what can be done today," said R. Dale McClure, MD president of ASRM.
The session also included a projection of the largest HD three-dimensional (3D) surgical images ever. Using the same system as 3D blockbuster Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, surgeons felt as if they could "reach out and conduct the operation." These images were enabled by converting Sony's 4K and 3D theatrical systems to show medical footage of what Dr. Palter has called "futurevision." To obtain the images, Dr. Palter and researchers from USC Cinema Arts created a method to attach the Red One 4K camera to a laparoscope. Offhollywood, a leading movie production company converted these images into a 4K digital cinema movie that was projected on $200,000, 700-pound Sony SRX-R220 projectors back to back with 4K Hollywood images of such stars as Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Will Smith. RealD 3D lenses projected HD 3D surgery as well as Hollywood images from 3Ality of movies, sports and the rock music band U2.
Source: North Shore-LIJ Health System
Steven F. Palter, MD, an obstetrician, gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist performed the world's first 4K super high-definition (HD) laparoscopy at Syosset Hospital, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, and presented images from that surgery on October 20 at the 65th annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
"The images are the sharpest, most detail-rich and color-correct endoscopic images ever created anywhere," Dr. Palter said. "There is not a more accurate view inside the human body."
Produced in conjunction with RED Digital Cinema Camera Company; Sony Electronics, Inc., an ultrahigh definition projector company; and the University of Southern California Cinema Arts School, the diagnostic images were presented in a specially built digital theater with a projector designed to run "ultra-HD" movies in high-end movie theatres. "It's a prime example of how Hollywood film technology can be used to transform medicine by enabling doctors to see more accurately inside the body to study and treat disease," Dr. Palter said.
Ultra-high resolution digital cameras are transforming the art of cinema. Leading Hollywood directors such as Peter Jackson and Stephen Soderbergh are filming the next generation of cinema blockbusters using cameras with "4K" resolution, four times the resolution of HD with 4,096 lines of resolution to give audiences unprecedented realism.
"Through the use of this digital technology, Hollywood is moving from observation to immersion -- you're not just watching something, you are there," said Dr. Palter, medical and scientific director of Gold Coast IVF in Syosset, NY, who presented the plenary presentation, Film and Medicine: The Technological Transformation of Medicine. "In this session we showed how tomorrow's film technology can apply to laparoscopic surgery, which is all performed using video techniques."
Dr. Palter joined with the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company that manufactures the 4K Red One system to create Hollywood movies of tomorrow, and Sony, the leading ultra-HD theatrical projector company, to perform laparoscopic surgery using the Hollywood camera system.
During the film presentation, the 3,500 reproductive medicine specialists in attendance were able to visualize the surgery as if they were standing in the operating room. However, by combining unprecedented resolution and magnification, the surgical images were beyond what a surgeon would see in traditional surgery. The progress from regular surgical film technology is like comparing sitting in an HD home theater to watching a video on a cell phone," said Dr. Palter.
"Dr. Palter's research and vision of surgery's technological future opened the eyes and minds of the audience to fantastic treatments beyond what can be done today," said R. Dale McClure, MD president of ASRM.
The session also included a projection of the largest HD three-dimensional (3D) surgical images ever. Using the same system as 3D blockbuster Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, surgeons felt as if they could "reach out and conduct the operation." These images were enabled by converting Sony's 4K and 3D theatrical systems to show medical footage of what Dr. Palter has called "futurevision." To obtain the images, Dr. Palter and researchers from USC Cinema Arts created a method to attach the Red One 4K camera to a laparoscope. Offhollywood, a leading movie production company converted these images into a 4K digital cinema movie that was projected on $200,000, 700-pound Sony SRX-R220 projectors back to back with 4K Hollywood images of such stars as Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Will Smith. RealD 3D lenses projected HD 3D surgery as well as Hollywood images from 3Ality of movies, sports and the rock music band U2.
Source: North Shore-LIJ Health System
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