Recent reports in Science and Medicine for February 2004

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February 27

Weekend Reading - Basic Science and general interest articles

  1. § I Feel Your Pain, Really [New Scientist and Science Now report]
  2. Protein Needed for Intestinal Absorption of Cholesterol Identified [Medscape report from Science 2004;303:1201-1204.]
  3. Activated Protein C Prevents Neuronal Apoptosis via Protease Activated Receptors 1 and 3. Neuron, Vol 41, 563-572, 19 February 2004.
  4. Wrong diagnoses are killing patients [New Scientist report from Critical Care- not online]
  5. Sports Activity Triggers -- But Does Not Cause -- Sudden Death in Athletes Predisposed to Ventricular Arrhythmias [Medscape review of articles in JACC not online: Does sports activity enhance the risk of sudden death in adolescents and young adults? J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1959-1963. and Editorial comment: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1964-1966.]
  6. Food tastes stronger when you're hungry [Eurekalert report from BMC Neuroscience]
  7. § MayoClinic.com recognized as best overall consumer portal: Web award presented to MayoClinic.com [Eurekalert report]
  8. The Management of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Medscape CME Steven G. Potkin, MD
  9. World Health Organization Global Outbreak Alert and Response Nipah-like virus in Bangladesh.[ICDDRB report]
  10. Vertex Drug Reverses Cancer in Animal Study in Nature Medicine
  11. § Niemann-Pick C1 Like 1 Protein Is Critical for Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption. Altmann, et al Science 2004 303: 1201-1204. [Editorial: Will the Real Cholesterol Transporter Please Stand Up and Eurekalert]
  12. § Food Tastes Stronger When You're Hungry [Science Daily report from BMC Neuroscience.]
  13. § Quick custom flu vaccines. Technique used to craft new H5N1 vaccine could speed development for all new strains.[Two reports in The Scientist summarizing studies from PNAS and WHO]

February 26

  1. § Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in 10 Patients in Vietnam. Early release published at www.nejm.org February 25, 2004 [and commentary : Crossing the Species Barrier -- One Small Step to Man, One Giant Leap to Mankind]
  2. § Plant Sterol-Fortified Orange Juice Effectively Lowers Cholesterol Levels in Mildly Hypercholesterolemic Healthy Individuals. Devaraj, et al. ATVB published February 5, 2004, ATV.0000120784.08823.99
  3. Reducing Social Disparities in Tobacco Use: A Social-Contextual Model for Reducing Tobacco Use Among Blue-Collar Workers. Am J Public Health 2004 94: 230-239. [ Blue collar workers more apt to smoke, less able to quit]
  4. § Fatal Case of Pertussis Highlights Need to Consider Diagnosis in Adults [Medscape report from MMWR February 20.]
  5. FDA Rule Requires Bar Codes on Drugs and Blood to Help Reduce Errors
  6. Lancet Volume 363, Number 9409 21 February 2004 [Full-text via Library link]
  7. Misbah, et al.In This Issue of Archives of Internal Medicine 2004;164:353.

February 25

    1. § Granulocyte–Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Gene-Modified Autologous Tumor Vaccines in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Nemunaitis, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 326-331.
    2. § Virologic Versus Cytologic Triage of Women With Equivocal Pap Smears: A Meta-analysis of the Accuracy To Detect High-Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 280-293.
    3. Problems Paying Out-of-Pocket Medication Costs Among Older Adults With Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2004 27: 384-391. [Medscape report]
    4. Dietary Approaches to Prevent the Metabolic Syndrome: Quality versus quantity of carbohydrates . Diabetes Care 2004 27: 613-614.
    5. Modest weight loss and physical activity in overweight patients with chronic liver disease results in sustained improvements in alanine aminotransferase, fasting insulin, and quality of life. Gut 2004; 53: 413-419.[Medscape report]
    6. This week in the British Medical Journal Volume 328, Number 7437, Issue of 21 Feb 2004
      • § Lessons from medicine's shameful past . BMJ  2004;328
      • Summaries: Treatment to change sexual orientation did not benefit patients. ...and health professionals had doubts about efficacy and ethics, Evidence of success of blinding in clinical trials is scant Aspirin induced asthma is more common than previously suggested. Activation leaflets may improve patients' satisfaction...  ...but perceived pressure from patients affects doctors' behaviour
      • Editorials: Human cells from cloned embryos in research and therapy . BMJ  2004;328:415-416,
      • Patients' expectations of consultations pp 416-417, Making amends for negligence pp :417-418. No time to train the surgeons. pp 418-419. Prognosis after cochlear implantation. pp 419-420, Korean scientists clone 30 human embryos. pp 21, Study finds no connection between MMR vaccine and autism. p :421.
      • GlaxoSmithKline staff told not to publicise ineffectiveness of its drug BMJ  2004;328:422
      • 100 000 children die needlessly from cancer every year BMJ  2004;328:422
      • § One in 12 older people are prescribed the wrong drug. BMJ  2004;328:424
      • Pregnant women should have two scans, Scottish agency says. BMJ  2004;328:424
      • Coughing can reduce pain of injection, study shows. BMJ  2004;328:424
      • WHO warns that avian flu could still be in the environment. BMJ  2004;328:426
      • Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s—an oral history: the experience of patients . BMJ  2004;328:427,
      • Treatments of homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s—an oral history: the experience of professionals BMJ  2004;328:429
      • Turning a blind eye: the success of blinding reported in a random sample of randomised, placebo controlled trials. BMJ  2004;328:432
      • § Systematic review of prevalence of aspirin induced asthma and its implications for clinical practice. BMJ  2004;328:434
      • Training for patients in a randomised controlled trial of self management of warfarin treatment. BMJ  2004;328:437-438
      • Coeliac disease and schizophrenia: population based case control study with linkage of Danish national registers. BMJ  2004;328:438-439
      • Randomised controlled trial of effect of leaflets to empower patients in consultations in primary care. BMJ  2004;328:441
      • Importance of patient pressure and perceived pressure and perceived medical need for investigations, referral, and prescribing in primary care: nested observational study. BMJ  2004;328:444

February 24

  1. Impact of Combination Evidence-Based Medical Therapy on Mortality in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes. Mukherjee, et al Circulation 2004 109: 745 - 749. [Eurekalert report ] and editorial We Must Use the Knowledge That We Have to Treat Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes. White and Willerson. Circulation 2004 109: 698 - 700
  2. Influenza Vaccination in Children with Asthma: Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-controlled Trial. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2004; 169: 488-493.
  3. Serum Amyloid A as a Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiovascular Outcome in Women: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–Sponsored Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE). Johnson, et al. Circulation 2004 109: 726 - 73
  4. New England Journal of Medicine Volume 350 February 19, 2004 Number 8  Summaries

February 23

  1. Maternal and Personal Cigarette Smoking Synergize to Increase Airflow Limitation in Adults. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2004; 169: 479-487.
  2. § Diagnosing Asthma: Comparisons between Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurements and Conventional Tests. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2004; 169: 473-478.
  3. Hospital Teaching Status and Outcomes of Complex Surgical Procedures in the United States. Dimick; et al. Arch Surg. 2004;139:137-141.
  4. Cytoreductive Surgery and Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy With Mitomycin C for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Nonappendiceal Colorectal Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2004 11: 178-186. [Science Daily report]
  5. This Week in JAMA. 2004;291:787.
  6. § Revised Bethesda Guidelines for Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (Lynch Syndrome) and Microsatellite Instability. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 261-268.
  7. Aspirin and the Risk of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in a Population-Based Case–Control Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96: 305-315.

February 20

Weekend Reading - Basic Science and general interest articles

  1. U.S. Life Expectancy at All-Time High, But Infant Mortality Increases CDC NCHS reports [news report Infant Deaths Up for First Time Since '58 U.S. Infant Mortality Rises for the First Time Since 1958, but Life Expectancy at Record High]
  2. Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2004. 70: 1088-1096.  
  3. Aromatase inhibitors: A promising new treatment for endometriosis [Eurekalert report from February Fertility and Sterility (not online)]
  4. Renewable Hydrogen from Ethanol by Autothermal Reforming. Deluga, et al. Science; 2004; 303 13 Feb 2004, pp. 993-997
  5. Cytoreductive Surgery and Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy With Mitomycin C for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Nonappendiceal Colorectal Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2004 11: 178-186. [Science Daily report]
  6. Exposure To Low-level Magnetic Fields Causes DNA Damage In Rat Brain Cells, Researchers Find [Scienc Daily report from Environmental Health Perspectives]
  7. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:
  8. Neurologists Create A Font Of Human Nerve Cells [Science Daily report from Nature Biotechnology]
  9. Vitamins Stall Doggie 'Alzheimer's' [Science Now report from the annual AAAS meeting]
  10. Statin Medications May Markedly Improve Survival Of Heart Failure Patients [Science Daily report from the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology - not available online]

February 19

  1. § Association between industry funding and statistically significant pro-industry findings in medical and surgical randomized trials . CMAJ 2004 170: 477-480.
  2. Randomized clinical trials: What gets published, and when? CMAJ 2004 170: 481-483.
  3. § The "file drawer" phenomenon: suppressing clinical evidence. CMAJ 2004 170: 437
  4. US Medicare reform. CMAJ 2004 170: 461-462.
  5. Antidepressants and adverse effects in young patients: uncovering the evidence. CMAJ 2004 170: 487-489.
  6. Facing the evidence: antidepressant treatment in children and adolescents . CMAJ 2004 170: 489-491.
  7. Annals of Internal Medicine 17 February 2004 Volume 140 Issue 4

February 18

  1. § Early release JAMA Antibiotic Use in Relation to the Risk of Breast Cancer. Velicer, et al. JAMA; 2004; 291:827-835.[Eurekalert and Medscape reports]
  2. British Medcial Journal 14 February 2004 Vol 328, No 743
  3. WHO guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants
  4. Behaviors Used by Men to Protect Themselves against Prostate Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004 13: 78-86.

February 17

  1. New England Journal of Medicine Volume 350 February 12, 2004 Number 7 
  2. Institute of Medicine Report: Dietary Reference Intakes: Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate [Science Daily report]
  3. Immunopharmacologic Analysis of an Autologous, Hapten-Modified Human Melanoma Vaccine. Berd, et al. JCO Feb 1 2004: 403–415. [Eurekalert report]
  4. Diabetes increases the risk of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. El-serag, et al. Gastroenterology 2004; 126: doi:10. 1053/j.gastro.2003.10.065.
  5. Vaccine Shortage Changes Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations [Medscape report from Mor Mortal Wkly Rep CDC Surveill Summ 2004;108:108-109.]
  6. FDA News: FDA Approves Erbitux for Colorectal Cancer
  7. Ultrasound is kinder prostate cancer treatment [New Scientist report from March issue Urology (no online content access)]

February 16

  1. This Week in JAMA. 2004;291:663.
  2. Problems Paying Out-of-Pocket Medication Costs Among Older Adults With Diabetes. Piette,et al. Diabetes Care 2004 27: 384-391.[Eurekalert report]
  3. § Concentration of fatty acid ethyl esters in hair of alcholics comparison to other biological state markers and self reported ethanol intake. Wurst, et al. Alcohol and Alcoholism 39: 33-38. [New Scientist report ]

February 13

Weekend Reading - Basic Science and general interest articles

  1. § Evidence of a Pluripotent Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Derived from a Cloned Blastocyst. Woo Suk Hwang, et al. Science published online 12 February 2004.[Eurekalert report]
  2. § Researchers Determine Reason For Deadly Spread Of 1918 Influenza [Science Daily report from February 5, 2004, in ScienceExpress, the online version the journal Science.]
  3. Prenatal Exposure To Mercury From A Maternal Diet High In Seafood Can Irreversibly Impair Certain Brain Functions In Children [Science Daily report from February issue of The Journal of Pediatrics and Harvard press release.]
  4. § Natural killer cellers are made, not born - First evidence of immune cell's activation potential in infection, tumor control [Eurekalert report]
  5. Amlodipine Effectively Controls Morning Blood Pressure Surge [Medscape report from the American Journal of Hypertension (subscription only)]
  6. American Stroke Association meeting report in Eurekalert
  7. Mastering the PDA [Medscape technology review]
  8. Researchers Discover Memory Mechanism [Science Daily report from the journal Cell]
  9. TGF-ß Signaling in Fibroblasts Modulates the Oncogenic Potential of Adjacent Epithelia. Bhowmick, et al. Science Feb 6 2004: 848-851. [Eurekalert report]

February 12

  1. In This Issue of Archives of Internal Medicine Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:241.
  2. Extensive tissue-regenerative capacity of neonatal human keratinocyte stem cells and their progeny.J. Clin. Invest. 2004 113: 390-400
  3. Autoreactive T cell responses show proinflammatory polarization in diabetes but a regulatory phenotype in health J. Clin. Invest. 2004 113: 451-463 [Science Daily report Understanding The Autoimmune Response In Type 1 Diabetes]
  4. § Helicobacter pylori persistence: biology and disease J. Clin. Invest. 2004 113: 321-333.
  5. Central role of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and reactive oxygen species in nitroglycerin tolerance and cross-tolerance. J. Clin. Invest. 2004 113: 482-489. [Science Daily report]
  6. § Researchers find leptin turns fat-storing cells into fat-burning cells [Eurekalert and New Scientist reports from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]

February 11

  1. FDA News: FDA Issues Regulation Prohibiting Sale of Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids and Reiterates Its Advice That Consumers Stop Using These Products.
  2. U. S. FDA Statements on Dietary Supplements
  3. Structure of the Uncleaved Human H1 Hemagglutinin from the Extinct 1918 Influenza Virus. Stevens, et al, Science published online February 5, 2004 with Comment.[Science Daily report]
  4. The Effect of the PREMIER Interventions on Insulin Sensitivity. Ard, et al. Diabetes Care 2004 27: 340-347.[Medscape review]
  5. § Active and Passive Smoking and the Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. An International Population-Based Case-Control Study Anderson, et al. Stroke published online, 10.1161/01.STR.0000115751.45473.48
  6. § Successful Treatment of an Adynamic Bone Disorder with Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 in a Renal Ablation Model. Lund, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol 15: 359-369
  7. Gender Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Complaining of Chronic Cough. Chest 2004 125: 482-488.
  8. Racial Disparities in Rectal Cancer Treatment: A Population-Based Analysis. Arden M. Morris; et al. Arch Surg. 2004;139:151-155. [Eurekalert commentary]
  9. Clozapine improves dyskinesias in Parkinson disease: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Neurology 2004 62: 381-388.
  10. Dry Eye Signs and Symptoms in Women With Premature Ovarian Failure Smith, et al. Ophthalmol. 2004;122:151-156.
  11. Behaviors Used by Men to Protect Themselves against Prostate Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004 13: 78-86.

February 10

  1. FDA Updates Hormone Therapy Information for Post Menopausal Women
  2. The Lancet Volume 363, Number 9407     07 February 2004
  3. Advances in Stroke 2003: Introduction. Stroke. 2004;35:341.
  4. Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion: Diffusion-Perfusion MRI Characterization of Tissue Salvage in Patients Receiving Intra-Arterial Stroke Therapies. Stroke 2004 35: e30 - e34; published online.
  5. § Self-Reported Sleep Duration as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality: Results from the JACC Study, Japan. Tamakoshi, et al. Sleep 2004; 27: 51-54. and § Editorial: Do we sleep too much? D F Kripke.
  6. Does the sleeping brain 'wake up' – if only just a little – with every snore? {Eurekalert report from Sleep 2004: Method for Detection of Respiratory Cycle-Related EEG Changes in Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Chervin, et al. and Correlates of Respiratory Cycle-Related EEG Changes in Children with Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Chervin, et al.]

February 9

  1. § Daily Nighttime Melatonin Reduces Blood Pressure in Male Patients With Essential Hypertension Hypertension 2004 43: 192-197
  2. Blood Pressure Management in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke. Hypertension 2004 43: 137-141
  3. Salt Intake, Endothelial Cell Signaling, and Progression of Kidney Disease. Hypertension. 2004;43:142.
  4. New England Journal of Medicine Volume 350 February 5, 2004 Number 6

February 6

Weekend Reading - Basic Science and general interest articles

  1. FDA News
  2. § Activation of receptor ups development of precancerous intestinal polyps. Study suggests new target for prevention; raises caution about drugs that activate receptor. [Science Daily report from the journal Nature Medicine.]
  3. § Even Moderate Caloric Restriction Lowers Cancer Risk In Mice. [Science Daily report from the Experimental Biology 2002 Meeting]
  4. Hepatocyte Growth Factor Gene Therapy for Pancreatic Islets in Diabetes: Reducing the Minimal Islet Transplant Mass Required in a Glucocorticoid-Free Rat Model of Allogeneic Portal Vein Islet Transplantation. Lopez-Talavera, et al. Endocrinology 2004 145: 467-474 and Editorial: Gene-Altered Islets for Transplant: Giant Leap or Small Step? David M. Harlan Endocrinology 2004 145: 463-466 [Eurekalert report]
  5. Pacifying bacteria prevents lethal post-op infections [Eurekalert from the February issue of Gastroenterology.]
  6. Toll-like receptor 9 signaling mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics in murine experimental colitis. Rachmilewitz et al. Gastroenterology. (Feb. 2004) DOI:10.1053[Eurekalert report and news report on NIAID ]
  7. Maternal SSRI Use During Pregnancy May Disrupt Newborn Neurobehavior [Medscape report from the February issue of Pediatrics.]
  8. Warnings Urged for Antidepressants in Children [Science NOW report]
  9. New findings are a window into the late stages of 'Lou Gehrig's' disease [Eurekalert report from the January 2004 edition of Physiological Genomics

February 5

  1. Efficacy of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy for Children With Cerebral Palsy With Asymmetric Motor Impairment. Pediatrics 2004; 113: 305-312.
  2. Distress and Depression in Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Urban Men’s Health Study. Am J Psychiatry 2004 161: 278-285. [Eurekalert comment]
  3. Optic nerve disease may cause sleep disorders [Eureekalert report from the February issue of the journal Ophthalmology]
  4. New risk factors for retinal disorder identified [Eurekalert the February issue of Ophthalmology
  5. This Week in JAMA. 2004;291:523.
  6. Dietary intake of fatty acids and fish in relation to cognitive performance at middle age. Neurology 2004 62: 275-280. [Medscape report]
  7. Racial disparities in the use of and indications for colorectal procedures in Medicare beneficiaries. Cooper and Koroukian. Cancer 2003; DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20014: 418-424.
  8. § Mild Illness Associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection: Lessons from a Prospective Seroepidemiologic Study of Health-Care Workers in a Teaching Hospital in Singapore. J Inf Dis 2004;189:000
  9. Monitoring falls in gastric cancer mortality in Europe. Levi, et al. Ann Oncol 15: 338-345. [Eurekalert: Stomach cancer rates declining fast in Europe]
  10. Eligibility and Outcomes Reporting Guidelines for Clinical Trials for Patients in the State of a Rising Prostate-Specific Antigen: Recommendations From the Prostate-Specific Antigen Working Group. JCO Feb 1 2004: 537–556. [Eurekalert report]

February 4

  1. Consensus Development Conference on Antipsychotic Drugs and Obesity and Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2004 27: 596-601. [Medscape comment]
  2. § Risk of cancer from diagnostic X-rays: estimates for the UK and 14 other countries Amy Berrington de González, Sarah Darby Lancet 2004; 363, 345-51.[Medscape comment]
  3. § Non-invasive assessment of hepatic iron stores by MRI. Olivié, et al. Lancet 2004; 363: 357-63.[Medscape comment]
  4. § Lancet Early online publication: HABITS (hormonal replacement therapy after breast cancer--is it safe?), a randomised comparison: trial stopped  L Holmberg, H Anderson, for the HABITS steering and data monitoring committees and Commentary: Menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer. Chlebowski et al.
  5. Adverse events among medical patients after discharge from hospital, Forster, et al. CMAJ 2004 170: 345-349.
  6. § Joining the DoTS: new approach to classifying adverse drug reactions. Aronson,and Ferne BMJ  2003;327:1222-1225 (22 November)
  7. Annals of Internal Medicine 3 February 2004 Volume 140 Issue 3

February 3

  1. New England Journal of Medicine Volume 350 January 29, 2004 Number 5
  2. Relationship of Serum Antioxidants to Asthma Prevalence in Youth. R. Rubin, et al. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2004; 169: 393-398.
  3. Airway Inflammation after Cessation of Exposure to Agents Causing Occupational Asthma. Maghni, et al. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2004; 169: 367-372.
  4. Editorial: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure: Two Unhappy Bedfellows. R. Doug McEvoy, M.D. Am. J. Respir. Crit Care Med. 2004;169: 329-331,

February 2

  1. This Week in JAMA. 2004;291:397
  2. § Management of Influenza in Households: A Prospective, Randomized Comparison of Oseltamivir Treatment With or Without Postexposure Prophylaxis. Hayden, et al. JID 2004; 189: 440.
  3. Guidelines for Treatment of Candidiasis. Pappas, et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004;38:161-89
  4. § The TLC Model of Palliative Care in the Elderly: Preliminary Application in the Assisted Living Setting. Jerant, et al. Ann Fam Med 2004 2: 54-60.