“Swapping Spit”: DNA matching for singles

<p>This gives a whole new meaning to the old redneck slang term of “swapping spit”.  One more way to market oneself through genetics and single life.  One question comes to mind, <strong>can they do this in California and New York?</strong>  Even though the web site states this is specifically for dating, the 2 states require a prescription from a doctor, so a bit <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIZOnfNp67I/AAAAAAAAIUE/7H3yx7FaCT4/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="102" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIZOpJwP93I/AAAAAAAAIUI/y-Sczj9TGJc/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="244" /></a>gray here?  <strong>They still have your DNA in house once given.</strong>  The company is outside of the US as well, so <strong>I wonder what folks at other companies like 23andMe might have to say</strong> after the letters received putting them on notice to have a license in California.  </p> <p>In the search for querying data in search of the perfect mate, just one more drill down process to let you know there is no perfect mate.  It’s going to cost you as well, so no freebies or guarantees here, <strong>but what in life is guaranteed anyway</strong>, taxes and death, the last I heard, but who knows this could be a lucky roll of the genes at the DNA craps table.  BD  </p> <p><em>GenePartner’s service has been designed to complement your online search for a romantic partner. In our modern society people meet more and more often in chat rooms, on social networks or on dating sites. It has become common to exchange interests and values, filter for similar age and education levels, and search for likable physical appearances over the Internet. All of these standards and expectations which are important for a solid relationship can be easily exchanged online before meeting in person.</em></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:bd9aaee3-b1c6-47ec-8412-4f3632c7b024" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Dating" rel="tag">Dating</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genomics" rel="tag">Genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.genepartner.com/index.php?c=06">http://www.genepartner.com/index.php?c=06</a></p>

“Swapping Spit”: DNA matching for singles

This gives a whole new meaning to the old redneck slang term of “swapping spit”.  One more way to market oneself through genetics and single...

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As Music Plays, Doctors Advertise Online

<p>Interesting article from the Wall Street Health Blog…some doctors are marketing and using media, a good thing as it brings both visual and audio to the forefront.  There’s another outlet as well, called the “You Tube” for Doctors, the <strong><a href="http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/">Doctor’s Channel</a></strong> that offers some great insight as well with a small touch of marketing done.  The videos are professional and cover a multitude of topics and are open for anyone to view.   BD <a href="http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="273" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYkaWJMmEI/AAAAAAAAIUA/JHe8ygxEIwA/image%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="359" /></a></p> <p>Many doctors are being pulled kicking and screaming into the electronic age. But some are jumping right in, going so far as to make online videos to promote their practices.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_VVd1C1SXXQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a></p> <p>These videos aren’t exactly Hollywood productions, though some have higher production values than others. But most, as Victoria Knight of Dow Jones Newswires reports, are trying to give a glimpse of their credentials and bedside manners to potential patients.</p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:41e17cd7-f643-4130-b642-e890e2ec4797" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Physicians" rel="tag">Physicians</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthCare" rel="tag">HealthCare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Video" rel="tag">Video</a></div> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/07/22/as-music-plays-doctors-advertise-online/">http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/07/22/as-music-plays-doctors-advertise-online/</a></p>

As Music Plays, Doctors Advertise Online

Interesting article from the Wall Street Health Blog…some doctors are marketing and using media, a good thing as it brings both visual and a...

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Siemens to Market Single-Sign-On

<p>Siemens appears to be expanding their marketing plans with offering new software and hardware products, last week they <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/siemens-to-resell-kiosks.html">announced marketing and selling kiosks.</a>  BD  </p> <p>Malvern, Pa.-based Siemens Healthcare will resell single-sign-on and authentication software from Imprivata Inc., Lexington, Mass.</p> <p><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/authentication26654-1.html?ET=healthdatamanagement:e523:120588a:&st=email&channel=data_security">http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/authentication26654-1.html?ET=healthdatamanagement:e523:120588a:&st=email&channel=data_security</a></p>

Siemens to Market Single-Sign-On

Siemens appears to be expanding their marketing plans with offering new software and hardware products, last week they announced marketing a...

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deCode Genetics – Chief Scientific Officer – DNA Test may have saved his life…Prostate Cancer Diagnosis as a result

<p> An executive of the company had his own DNA tested and the results were shocking and unexpected to say the least.  <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/decode-to-accelerate-existing-product.html"><strong>Recently deCode Genetics spoke about working more with physicians in the education process of personalized medicine</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </p> <p>The test ran by the company he works for showed that he had a variant that nearly <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/decode-genetics-personalized-medicine.html"><img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SHk1vOrGHuI/AAAAAAAAIKo/bTTg2S8_YFw/image[5].png?imgmax=800" /></a>doubled the risk of prostate cancer, and this prompted him to visit his physician for a PSA test and with the <strong>results and a biopsy afterwards he found he was riddled with an aggressive type prostate cancer.  He is 48 years of age and having immediate surgery.</strong>  Was the DNA test a red flag, I think all would agree here that it was.  </p> <p><em>“DeCode’s <u>prostate cancer test</u>,, combines eight different SNP markers to determine a patient’s genetic risk of developing the disease.”</em> BD  </p> <blockquote>Jeffrey Gulcher had no reason to think much about prostate cancer. He was just 48, and the disease typically strikes later in life. Even the most cautious medical groups agree that most men need not begin annual prostate screenings until age 50.  But Gulcher happens to be the chief scientific officer of deCODE Genetics -- one of several companies that, amid some controversy, have begun offering direct-to-consumer DNA tests that can help people predict which diseases they are likely to get. So in April, he spat into a test tube and, without giving the matter much thought, sent the sample in for analysis by his own company.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1cfc7f05-7a08-420a-b374-e0ee666fc352" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PSA" rel="tag">PSA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Prostate+Cancer" rel="tag">Prostate Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/deCode" rel="tag">deCode</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genomics" rel="tag">Genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genetics" rel="tag">Genetics</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/21/ST2008072100944.html">What You Should Know Before You Spit Into That Test Tube - washingtonpost.com</a></p>

deCode Genetics – Chief Scientific Officer – DNA Test may have saved his life…Prostate Cancer Diagnosis as a result

An executive of the company had his own DNA tested and the results were shocking and unexpected to say the least.  Recently deCode Genetics...

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A Change in Reimbursement Is Needed for Personalized Medicine to Be Successful

<p> This brings up some very good questions, how do you “code” treatments that come under the clinical trial area, or those not yet FDA approved.  Most labs have been using genetic based tests for a while now and as it states here, there is no way to determine which is a <strong>genetic test and which uses other technologies.</strong>  </p> <p>As personalized medicine continues to grow, this no doubt will be an ongoing issue on how to determine how to code to enable reimbursement and will require a more active role from the insurers as well so <strong>treatment is not delayed for the purpose of researching such.</strong>  This occurs today and treatment plans are delayed for the sake of obtaining additional information and as more tests are in use and approved, this no doubt will continue to grow.  BD   </p> <blockquote> <p>It is difficult to figure out how to reimburse [genetic tests] with the coding system we have," maintained Armstrong. In the current system, "you can't distinguish one genetic test from another because they all use the same CPT [i.e., Current Procedural Terminology] code.</p> <p>….We need to tie reimbursement strategies to best practices. We need to have partnerships with health plans and health care-delivery settings."</p> </blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3d815713-7e63-45d6-8f09-a65e849885d8" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CPT" rel="tag">CPT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Billing" rel="tag">Medical Billing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Coding" rel="tag">Coding</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare" rel="tag">Healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Reimbursment" rel="tag">Reimbursment</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.aishealth.com/Bnow/hbd072208.html">A Change in Reimbursement Is Needed for Personalized Medicine to Be Successful</a></p>

A Change in Reimbursement Is Needed for Personalized Medicine to Be Successful

This brings up some very good questions, how do you “code” treatments that come under the clinical trial area, or those not yet FDA approve...

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FDA approves Pathway Medical's system for Plaque removal

<p> With all the new breakthroughs in cardiology with the removal of plaque, soon this could be a worry of the past.  The product won’t be on the market until later this year.  The process of “roto-rootering” plaque is making some huge leaps and bounds today to clear arteries and bring arterial related plaque disease to a slow down after treatment.  BD  </p> <blockquote>The Food and Drug Administration has approved Pathway Medical <a href="http://www.pathwaymedical.com/?section=product&sub=video"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="120" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYRZ3ZgUrI/AAAAAAAAIT4/oXNfuL9rjN0/image%5B16%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="244" /></a>Technologies' "PV Atherectomy System," CEO Thomas Clement said in an  interview today. Picture The system is designed to treat patients with peripheral artery disease by removing hard and soft diseased tissue and therefore restoring circulation in the peripheral arteries. <a href="http://www.pathwaymedical.com/?section=product&sub=video"><img alt="image" border="0" height="176" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYRdDh939I/AAAAAAAAIT8/XmWKP5fdCL0/image%5B15%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="487" /></a> </blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d4c62d35-37f8-428f-911f-c05285a70146" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Devices" rel="tag">Medical Devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cardiology" rel="tag">Cardiology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Hospital" rel="tag">Hospital</a></div> <p><a href="http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thelifesciencesblog/archives/144015.asp">FDA approves Pathway Medical's system</a></p>

FDA approves Pathway Medical's system for Plaque removal

With all the new breakthroughs in cardiology with the removal of plaque, soon this could be a worry of the past.  The product won’t be on t...

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Lab Results Accessible Via Smart Phones

<p> More over test results are being delivered to mobile units.  Hopefully the new Samsung <img align="right" height="203" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbJ1fe8_I/AAAAAAAAISg/NQL9mMRU1hI/image_thumb[10].png?imgmax=800" width="155" /><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/samsung-debuts-omnia-i900-cell.html">phone</a> with the larger screen will be out soon, September is the target date here in the US.  BD</p> <blockquote>An updated version of a laboratory information system from <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/samsung-debuts-omnia-i900-cell.html">Opus  Healthcare Solutions Inc., Austin, Tex</a>., provides access to test results via smart phones or PDAs using a cell phone network or hospital Wi-Fi connection.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/labs26657-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS">Lab Results Accessible Via Smart Phones</a></p>

Lab Results Accessible Via Smart Phones

More over test results are being delivered to mobile units.  Hopefully the new Samsung phone with the larger screen will be out soon, Sept...

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Roche to Buy RNAi and Gene Therapy Company Mirus Bio for $125M

<p>This is a much smaller investment than that in <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/roche-makes-offer-to-acquire-all-of.html">yesterday’s news.</a>  Mirus’s focus has been in the area of muscular dystrophy.  BD  </p> <p>NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Roche said today that it will buy RNAi technologies company Mirus Bio Corporation for $125 million. <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIQrirCvvXI/AAAAAAAAITI/7weNg4GsI_k/image[5].png?imgmax=800" /> </p> <p>Roche plans to divest Mirus’ transfection reagents into a stand-alone business called Mirus Bio LLC, and it expects to offer employees of the Madison, Wis.-based company a transition into respective business units. The Swiss firm intends to retain an RNAi research site at the facilities in Madison.</p> <p><a href="http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148322-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS">http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148322-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS</a></p>

Roche to Buy RNAi and Gene Therapy Company Mirus Bio for $125M

This is a much smaller investment than that in yesterday’s news.   Mirus’s focus has been in the area of muscular dystrophy.  BD  NEW YORK...

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FDA Clears Response Biomedical's Heart Failure Dx Test

<p>The cardiovascular point of care tests will be marketed by Roche Diagnostics.  The test will located elevated levels of the markers for BNP,<strong> which are indicators for heart failure.</strong>  A very sophisticated technology that will allow for hospitals to check with a simple test to see if a patient in the ER room is a potential heart failure candidate quickly.  The test would serve to offer more information when treating a patient when there is little or no medical background information available.  BD</p> <p>NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared a <a href="http://www.responsebio.com/products_demonstration.asp?menu=5&submenu=1#"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="105" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYJsYvdWRI/AAAAAAAAITw/wejntg2Llwo/image%5B10%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="244" /></a><strong><a href="http://www.responsebio.com/index.asp">Response Biomedical</a></strong> point-of-care test that serves as an aid in diagnosing heart failure, the company said today. </p> <p> The RAMP NT-proBNP test identifies the marker for BNP, which is secreted from the heart’s left ventricle in response to pressure overload, and it regulates blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, and fluid volume. <a href="http://www.responsebio.com/products_demonstration.asp?menu=5&submenu=1#"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="122" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYJtIv8PsI/AAAAAAAAIT0/8KIJSno8LUQ/image%5B11%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="127" /></a></p> <p>Kay also said that the test is “clinically concordant” with Roche’s Elecsys proBNP test, allowing hospitals to standardize their decisions based on tests from their emergency rooms and central labs.</p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:c87704d6-bc45-4360-a487-9e2fd244eba2" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Heart+Failure" rel="tag">Heart Failure</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Biotech" rel="tag">Biotech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Hospital" rel="tag">Hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Devices" rel="tag">Medical Devices</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148323-1.html">http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148323-1.html</a></p>

FDA Clears Response Biomedical's Heart Failure Dx Test

The cardiovascular point of care tests will be marketed by Roche Diagnostics.  The test will located elevated levels of the markers for BNP,...

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Pond Scum – Cancer Therapy?

<p> Yes there is a grant for this research of around 3 million.  Cyanobacteria samples (the <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYC9-gu5iI/AAAAAAAAITo/yr1uhZwKGho/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="187" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIYC-jGCgII/AAAAAAAAITs/okZtigb9jto/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="115" /></a>pond scum) will be collected and grown.  Blue green algae is being studied as a potential alternative to some chemotherapy treatments.  Once more breaking down the elements with biotech research.  Many of the things we once dismissed as having no use are in a strange way being re-evaluated, but I never thought Pond Scum would have the potential to be on the list!  Pond scum has also been looked at for an alternative source of fuel in the recent past.  BD </p> <blockquote>Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy are collaborating with the Ohio State University and two other organizations to discover new cancer therapies derived from natural sources such as pond scum and plants from tropical rainforests.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:aaa2dde0-4d0e-4040-935a-018b856fb7b3" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Biotech" rel="tag">Biotech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pond+Scum" rel="tag">Pond Scum</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Technology" rel="tag">Technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare" rel="tag">Healthcare</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115722.php">New Cancer Therapies And Pond Scum</a></p>

Pond Scum – Cancer Therapy?

Yes there is a grant for this research of around 3 million.  Cyanobacteria samples (the pond scum) will be collected and grown.  Blue green...

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Paperless prescriptions – 2% higher reimbursement rate with Medicare starts January 2009

<p><strong>6 months is not that long</strong>, so I would think any physician who is not presently e-Prescribing might want to seriously take a look and think hard about it.<strong>  A little practice and learning curve ahead of time can’t hurt</strong>.  Many offices already have electronic records that integrate this service for them, but for those who do not and have not made the transition yet, or need some additional time, you can sign up for free for e-Prescribing right now, yes it is free.<a href="http://www.nationalerx.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="215" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIUlhrf9kAI/AAAAAAAAITk/MeAOe4wvJW8/image%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="334" /></a> </p> <p>On the right hand side of this page is a link that will take you to the enrollment page for NEPSI.  It only takes a few minutes to sign up and go through a small training module on how to use it.  So again, if your office is not set up electronically yet, this might prove to be the solution until a full integrated records set is created<strong>.  I don’t know of any office that would not welcome an additional 2% in their Medicare reimbursement rates</strong>, so the incentive is there!  About 4 times a year I have made a post relative to the free e-Prescribing program and maybe now it might take hold.  BD</p> <p><em>“The biggest barrier to electronic prescribing has been the expense of buying and setting up the necessary equipment and software — an estimated $3,000 per prescribing doctor. So Congress agreed to pay doctors slightly more over the next five years when they use such systems. They would get an extra <strong>2 percent in their reimbursement rates when treating Medicare patients during 2009 and 2010, 1 percent more in 2011 and 2012 and 0.5 percent more in the final year.”</strong></em></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1382c8dc-2807-4de3-abc8-51ed5d28bae4" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/e-Prescribing" rel="tag">e-Prescribing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Prescriptions" rel="tag">Prescriptions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Physicians" rel="tag">Physicians</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Drug+Information" rel="tag">Drug Information</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25787848/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25787848/</a></p>

Paperless prescriptions – 2% higher reimbursement rate with Medicare starts January 2009

6 months is not that long , so I would think any physician who is not presently e-Prescribing might want to seriously take a look and think ...

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Technology uses tobacco plants to fight cancer - Breakthrough

<p> What would occur is to use the plant to make a protein to use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.  The plant were infected with the tobacco plants with a virus from the patient’s cancer cells and as little as a week later, the protein cells are extracted.  It has been tested on a small group of people and 70% developed an immune response with no side effects.  Personalized cancer vaccines could be produced and inexpensively too. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIUhFTEGCeI/AAAAAAAAITc/oBsF-2a9BBM/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="121" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIUhINHnC6I/AAAAAAAAITg/6VOnHtsUzw4/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="161" /></a> The same process could be used for other proteins too, according to the article, like hormones for one.  This would be great if this process would prove to have a successful proven rate of performance.  Who would have ever thought tobacco plants could be used as a vaccine or cure related.  The research is being done at Stanford University. BD  </p> <blockquote><em>CHICAGO (Reuters) - A personalized vaccine made using tobacco plants -- normally associated with causing cancer rather than helping cure it -- could aid people with lymphoma in fighting the disease, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The treatment, which would vaccinate cancer patients against their own tumor cells, is made using a new approach that turns genetically engineered tobacco plants into personalized vaccine factories.</em></blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:447548d9-586e-47b2-a1d7-a97129e85222" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Tobacco" rel="tag">Tobacco</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Proteins" rel="tag">Proteins</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Personalized+Medicine" rel="tag">Personalized Medicine</a></div> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080721/hl_nm/cancer_vaccine_dc_2">Technology uses tobacco plants to fight cancer - Yahoo! News</a></p>

Technology uses tobacco plants to fight cancer - Breakthrough

What would occur is to use the plant to make a protein to use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.  The plant were infected with t...

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DMX Nabbed For Using Fake ID At Hospital – Medical Records

<p> <strong>Healthcare identity crisis – be alert.</strong>  This is not his first round though with trouble but right now this one looks to be pretty serious.  The information given was false, but who did it belong to, or at least part of the information, like the social security number for one.  In a related story this woman worked in the medical registration area of a hospital and used the <a href="http://www.local6.com/news/16923591/detail.html">credit card information from a patient’s medical records.</a>  </p> <p>Who can you trust and who will attempt to use false information when needing medical attention?  BD  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIUJwDbAa_I/AAAAAAAAITU/zKkjPYbKtT0/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="92" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIUJwn_tf2I/AAAAAAAAITY/rrE3e5jkIsQ/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="131" /></a> </p> <p>He is charged with using false name and contact info to avoid having to pay $7,500 medical bill.  Another weekend, another trip to jail for <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/dmx/artist.jhtml">DMX</a>. The rapper (born Earl Simmons) was arrested at Phoenix, Arizona's Metrocenter mall on Saturday on suspicion of giving a false name and Social Security number to the Scottsdale, Arizona, Mayo Clinic, where the 37-year-old MC went for treatment in April. </p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/07/21/20080721dmx0721.html"><i>Arizona Republic</i> newspaper</a>, X is facing charges of theft of services and identity theft in what officials said was <strong>an attempt to skirt $7,500 in medical bills.</strong> After his arrest, DMX was put into isolation for his own safety on Sunday at the Towers Jail, where he is being held on $60,000 bond. </p> <p><a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1591209/20080721/dmx.jhtml">DMX Nabbed For Using Fake ID At Hospital - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News</a></p>

DMX Nabbed For Using Fake ID At Hospital – Medical Records

  Healthcare identity crisis – be alert.   This is not his first round though with trouble but right now this one looks to be pretty serious...

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FDA Clears Osmetech's Warfarin Sensitivity Test

<p>Warfarin is the second-most-likely drug, to cause adverse events requiring hospitalization.  The use of warfarin sensitivity testing in the U.S. could avoid 85,000 serious-bleeding incidents.  More in the way of personalized medicine and if you were a patient determined to have an adverse reaction to the drug, this perhaps could be lifesaving to make sure a wrong dose is not delivered or perhaps if it should be used. BD  </p> <p><em>“ NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared for arketing <strong><a href="http://www.osmetech.com/">Osmetech’s eSensor Warfarin Sensitivity Test,</a></strong> the London-based firm announced today.</em> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.osmetech.com/esensor-xt8.htm"><img alt="image" border="0" height="283" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SITxGBTQT5I/AAAAAAAAITQ/sxTpyrxR4-k/image%5B13%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="554" /></a>The genetic test is used to aid physicians in identifying patients who are at risk for increased sensitivity to the blood-thinning drug warfarin.</strong> Osmetech <a href="http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/144282-1.html">submitted </a>its application with the FDA for the test at the beginning of this year.  The firm said that the <strong>FDA also cleared its second-generation eSensor XT-8 molecular diagnostics platform.”</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148304-1.html">http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148304-1.html</a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8c88c485-6c5e-4419-9090-883bc254fcf1" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Warafarin" rel="tag">Warafarin</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genomics" rel="tag">Genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Personalized+Medicine" rel="tag">Personalized Medicine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pharmaceuticals" rel="tag">Pharmaceuticals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a></div>

FDA Clears Osmetech's Warfarin Sensitivity Test

Warfarin is the second-most-likely drug, to cause adverse events requiring hospitalization.  The use of warfarin sensitivity testing in the ...

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A Musical Score for Disease – Listening to Cancer Genes?

<p> This is very interesting and thanks to Medgadget for finding this one.  Will we someday be listening to cancer genes and perhaps others?  If you would like to hear what the <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1460879066/bctid1672070565"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="228" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIToBu7IpXI/AAAAAAAAITM/KDxAqbGqM0c/image%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>genes sound like, <strong><a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1460879066/bctid1672070565">here’s the page.</a></strong>  I do have to say that this is a very interesting concept whereby I wonder if it would make it’s way to the diagnosis end of healthcare or perhaps offer an alternative method of initial interpretation.  BD </p> <blockquote> <p><em>“When set to music, colon cancer sounds kind of eerie. That's the finding of Gil Alterovitz, a research fellow at Harvard Medical  School who is developing a computer program that translates protein and gene expression into music. In his acoustic translation, harmony represents good health, and discord indicates disease.</em></p> <p><em>Gil Alterovitz, a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, translated populations of genes into musical notes. Each constellation (green) represents a key network of interrelated genes (blue). Each network is represented by a musical note. In healthy cells, the notes form music in harmony, indicating a healthy state. In cancer cells, the soundtrack veers out of harmony, signaling a transition from a healthy to a diseased state.”</em></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/21094/?a=f">Technology Review: A Musical Score for Disease</a></p> <p><strong>Hat Tip:  </strong><a href="http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/07/music_used_to_analyze_gene_expression.html"><strong>Medgadget</strong></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2a1ce029-8163-4eae-93e8-96f15845ce82" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genomics" rel="tag">Genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Harvard+Medical+School" rel="tag">Harvard Medical School</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genes" rel="tag">Genes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Science" rel="tag">Science</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a></div>

A Musical Score for Disease – Listening to Cancer Genes?

This is very interesting and thanks to Medgadget for finding this one.  Will we someday be listening to cancer genes and perhaps others?  I...

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New York Restaurants Can Be Fined For Not Showing Calories

<p> Going out to eat now in New York gets a little more informative.  One question that comes to mind is how many customers will read and will this make a difference on how we eat?  I guess as time moves on and we have some figures we will know more.  We all pretty much know <strong>that big slice of chocolate cake is going to have a large amount of calories,</strong> much more than the serving of carrots that came with our meal.  </p> <p>Overall this will be a good thing to make consumers aware of what they are eating, if they take the time to read,<strong> but what about when one decides to load up the carrots with a few packets of butter?</strong>  Will it make a difference in our choices?  BD</p> <blockquote>As of midnight last Friday, big chain restaurants in New York City can now be fined between 200 and 2,000 dollars if they do not show calorie counts on their menus. Since May, city health inspectors have had the authority to cite restaurants that did not comply with the new ruling, but the right to fine them has only just come into force. Over 12,000 restaurants have been cited up to 12th July, according to the New York Times.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115638.php">New York Restaurants Can Be Fined For Not Showing Calories</a></p>

New York Restaurants Can Be Fined For Not Showing Calories

Going out to eat now in New York gets a little more informative.  One question that comes to mind is how many customers will read and will ...

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Cell Therapeutics running out of cash - Biotech

<p> One Biotech looking for money with their focus on cancer treating drugs in various stages of clinical trials.  BD  </p> <blockquote>Seattle-based <strong><a href="http://www.celltherapeutics.com/">Cell Therapeutics</a></strong> is sending out an SOS signal to investors. "We have an immediate need to raise additional capital in the next thirty days in order to meet our operation needs," the company said in SEC documents. Cell Therapeutics also said that it does not have enough money to get through the current quarter. The biotech, which has yet to file its quarterly statement through June 30, stated that it ended the first quarter with $15.3 million in cash and $47.9 million in liabilities.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/cell-therapeutics-running-out-cash/2008-07-21?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FB0">Cell Therapeutics running out of cash - FierceBiotech</a></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:42fcf3ef-ae84-4d54-bfeb-0433d18e1950" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cancer" rel="tag">Cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Biotech" rel="tag">Biotech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Research+and+Development" rel="tag">Research and Development</a></div>

Cell Therapeutics running out of cash - Biotech

One Biotech looking for money with their focus on cancer treating drugs in various stages of clinical trials.  BD  Seattle-based Cell The...

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Roche Makes Offer to Acquire all of Outstanding Genentech Shares for $89.00 a Share in Cash

<p>More business action with <strong>big pharma and the biotech industry,</strong> although Roche and Genentech already are invested together and have worked on conjunction on research  <a href="http://www.transactioninfo.com/roche/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="111" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIQrirCvvXI/AAAAAAAAITI/7weNg4GsI_k/image%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="128" /></a>projects.   Roche acquired a majority in Genentech in 1990 and currently owns 55.9% of  all outstanding shares. <strong><a href="http://www.transactioninfo.com/roche/">Roche</a></strong> will need to raise the necessary fund with debt financing.  This just goes to confirm the large interest in biotech from the pharmaceutical business and it’s probably nowhere near done.  BD  </p> <p>Just last week <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/roche-pharma-suspended-from-association.html">Roche was in the news in Europe for a suspension from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for 6 months</a>.  Genentech offices in San Francisco are to remain the as the headquarters.  Media Press Release below.  BD</p> <object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="500" id="doc_128597864217309" name="doc_128597864217309" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=4014667&access_key=key-1xhq3065u36p44fdjx06&page=&version=1&auto_size=true"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="play" value="true"> <param name="loop" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showall"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <param name="devicefont" value="false"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="menu" value="true"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="salign" value=""> <embed src="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=4014667&access_key=key-1xhq3065u36p44fdjx06&page=&version=1&auto_size=true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_128597864217309_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object> <div style="display: none"> </div> <p><em>Roche’s Palo Alto Virology research and development activities will relocate to South San Francisco, while its Palo Alto Inflammation group will become part of Roche’s Nutley, NJ research and development organization. Nutley will host two global Disease Biology Areas (Oncology and Inflammation) as well as key functions in Metabolism and will remain an important pillar for the U.S. and Roche’s global organization. With Genentech’s site in South San Francisco and Roche’s New Jersey-based campus, the U.S. will be home to the biggest research and development centers within the Roche Group.</em> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><em>Roche will host a media conference at its headquarters in Basel (Grenzacherstrasse, Research Building 92) on Monday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m. CET. The conference will be broadcast on </em><a href="http://www.roche.com"><em>www.roche.com</em></a><em>. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the website.Roche also will host an investor meeting on Tuesday, July 22 at 10:00 a.m. EDT in New York. Webcast log-in and dial-in information is available on </em><a href="http://www.roche.com/"><em>www.roche.com</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://www.transactioninfo.com/roche/"><em>www.transactioninfo.com/roche/</em></a><em>. </em></p> <p><a name="_DV_M41"><em></em></a><b></b></p> <p><em>There will be a webcast for the investment community on Monday, July 21 at 7:45 a.m.</em></p> <p><em>CET / 1:45 a.m. EDT. A second webcast for the investment community will take place on Monday, July 21 at 2:00 p.m. CET / 8:00 a.m. EDT. Webcast log-in and dial in information is available on </em><a href="http://www.roche.com/"><em>www.roche.com</em></a><em> . A replay of the webcast will also be archived on the website.</em></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5f50e131-47a0-4ed2-9a14-cf2b448b8ea0" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Roche" rel="tag">Roche</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genentech" rel="tag">Genentech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Bio+Tech" rel="tag">Bio Tech</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pharmacogenomics" rel="tag">Pharmacogenomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Personalized+Medicine" rel="tag">Personalized Medicine</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pharma" rel="tag">Pharma</a></div>

Roche Makes Offer to Acquire all of Outstanding Genentech Shares for $89.00 a Share in Cash

More business action with big pharma and the biotech industry, although Roche and Genentech already are invested together and have worked o...

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Leaded or Unleaded…I’ll take my lipstick unleaded

<p> Dior cosmetics are not the only ones in legal trouble, there are a few others, but the exposure to lead can cause some serious effects, but not known if there’s enough in lipstick, and <strong>I guess it might depend on how much lipstick on would wear.</strong>  Some state <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIQJ7oz_DVI/AAAAAAAAITA/ov_8dvpQ7D0/s1600-h/image%5B6%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="101" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIQJ94vORwI/AAAAAAAAITE/CBsCFDx7ZWw/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="117" /></a>that the <strong>FDA has been slow to issue public warnings</strong> as it is not illegal for lipstick to have unlimited amounts of lead, so the court cases move on.  Some manufacturers have made changes to product products without lead.  Again, given a choice, I’ll take mine unleaded.  BD  </p> <blockquote>Class action against a top manufacturer of women's perfumes and  makeup has been given the green light to proceed in the United States. The legal action is against the major luxury goods company giant LVMH and concerns lipstick produced for Dior which has been found to contain unacceptably high levels of lead. Dior's Addict Positive Red lipstick apparently contains double the safe level of lead and is at the centre of the case but is by no means the only culprit.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6c78428c-f915-4d80-95a1-eca01f48c183" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA.+Cosmetics" rel="tag">FDA. Cosmetics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Lead" rel="tag">Lead</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/?id=40114">Class action over lead in lipstick</a></p>

Leaded or Unleaded…I’ll take my lipstick unleaded

Dior cosmetics are not the only ones in legal trouble, there are a few others, but the exposure to lead can cause some serious effects, but...

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Unlike McCain, many seniors depend on the Web

<p>  Oh you have love this, how can a person today not read!!  My 83 year old mother depends on the Internet and searches out her Medicare information all on her own, she and I do more than that too, we file share with Folder Share from Microsoft, so we don’t have to email pictures!  </p> <p>She also orders her prescriptions online, and did I teach her how to do that, no, she learned on her own by not being afraid to “click” and go there, and of course she reads!  She also does her own online banking too, all self taught by reading!!</p> <p>So <strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/mccain-admits-he-doesn-know-how-to-use.html">Senator McCain</a></strong> get with the 21t century and <strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/robert-scoble-visits-washington-how-and.html">join the others in Congress who</a></strong> are using technology, you just might be glad you did. <strong> Why ask someone else to do for you, what you can do for yourself.</strong>  BD  </p> <blockquote>(AP) -- If Sen. John McCain is really serious about becoming a Web-savvy citizen, perhaps <strong>Kathryn Robinson can help. Robinson is now 106 - that's 35 years older than McCain - and she began using the Internet at 98, at the Barclay Friends home in West Chester, Pa., where she lives</strong>. "I started to learn <img align="right" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R9MHI21DMnI/AAAAAAAADgw/isMTKQmmw2A/image_thumb[1]?imgmax=800" />because I wanted to e-mail my family," she says - in an e-mail message, naturally. Blogs have been buzzing recently over McCain's admission that when it comes to the Internet, "I'm an illiterate who has to rely on his wife for any assistance he can get." And the 71-year-old presumptive Republican nominee, asked about his Web use last week by the New York Times, said that aides "go on for me. I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:065ce04c-0612-4628-b3c8-4d0b08f88fec" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/McCain" rel="tag">McCain</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Internet" rel="tag">Internet</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Seniors" rel="tag">Seniors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Online" rel="tag">Online</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news135789987.html">Unlike McCain, many seniors depend on the Web</a></p>

Unlike McCain, many seniors depend on the Web

  Oh you have love this, how can a person today not read!!  My 83 year old mother depends on the Internet and searches out her Medicare info...

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Are Medical Schools equipped to train students for positions that may not exist yet? New specialty areas developing?

<p>Not too many years ago I remembered hearing the term “hospitalist” and asked what’s that?  The hospitalist has evolved and is now one of the top growing professions.  With Pharmacogenomics, <strong>we might be on the verge of a new specialty, a “Longevity Doctor”.</strong>  We already have a dwindling force of primary practice physicians who are <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIOZL9juiWI/AAAAAAAAIS4/CgRn73w7UiI/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="149" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIOZMdln-sI/AAAAAAAAIS8/7u3e82EPrlk/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="115" /></a> seeing more patients today in a time limited environment,<strong> so how does personalized medicine impact the already over worked family practice physician?</strong>  </p> <p>This could in fact be opening up a new field of specialists who can work with a family practice physician with treatment plans.  There are a limited amount of MDs currently with knowledge in this area and as the study of drugs with research and development continues it may be just more than a on person task, something to think about.  </p> <p><strong>With Life Extension growing with big investments from venture capitalists,</strong> it only stands to continue to be one rapidly growing field and patients are going to want answers and quickly, especially in the areas of cancer, not to mention other disease research areas.<strong> It also comes around to once again being the “informed patient” and taking on a little time to “read up” yourself as a patient, as there is no way you can possibly get all the medical information you need today in the 15 minute consult</strong>.  </p> <p>How are the future medical students being educated in this new emerging field and will there be new specialists in this area?  I would almost guess help from a specialist for the family practice physician will be not only needed soon, but in demand and welcomed.  A new level of specialty care and community of peers could just very well be what the doctor will order.  BD  </p> <p><em><strong>Longevity Docs Needed</strong> <br />It is not clear that traditional physicians will be those prescribing longevity remedies. Specialist longevity docs are needed and will likely arise and market themselves as such, there are a few examples of this today. Most traditional physicians do not currently have expertise in new areas such as longevity and personalized genomics, or the enhancement and prevention vs. cure mindset.</em></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:49206ebc-5615-4e57-bca7-b00d1547cf5e" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare" rel="tag">Healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Genomics" rel="tag">Genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Physician" rel="tag">Physician</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+School" rel="tag">Medical School</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pharmacogenomics" rel="tag">Pharmacogenomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Personalized+Mediince" rel="tag">Personalized Mediince</a></div> <p><a href="http://futurememes.blogspot.com/2008/07/next-big-vc-market-life-extension.html" title="http://futurememes.blogspot.com/2008/07/next-big-vc-market-life-extension.html">http://futurememes.blogspot.com/2008/07/next-big-vc-market-life-extension.html</a></p>

Are Medical Schools equipped to train students for positions that may not exist yet? New specialty areas developing?

Not too many years ago I remembered hearing the term “hospitalist” and asked what’s that?  The hospitalist has evolved and is now one of the...

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Group backs medical marijuana

<p> The debate continues on, but in some areas of California you can get a pot card under the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.  Clinics such as this one have established support groups.  In Los Angeles, there is a pot vending machine, but it comes with an armed guard and camera to help those get legally approved marijuana.  <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/01/marijuana-machines-could-be-cure-for.html"><img align="right" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R6Emg8wu8mI/AAAAAAAACf4/mOPq57PI-rA/image_thumb[1]?imgmax=800" /></a> A summary of prior posts on the topic <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/search?q=marijuana">can be read here.</a>  BD  </p> <blockquote>Why?" she asked emphatically. "Why should we be made to feel like lawbreakers when we're only taking what our doctors prescribed?" Victor, a Temecula resident, is talking about medical marijuana. It's a volatile subject, and the ongoing debate over its use is a source of great concern for people like her. A new support group in Riverside is offering help. Victor suffers from multiple sclerosis, seizures and agoraphobia. She's taken many traditional medications with little results and life-altering side effects including depression, mood swings and exhaustion.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.sbsun.com/living/ci_9935081">Group backs medical marijuana - San Bernardino County Sun</a></p>

Group backs medical marijuana

The debate continues on, but in some areas of California you can get a pot card under the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.  Clinics such as t...

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Georgia low on family doctors

<p>This is scary and probably the numbers are reflective in many states, family practice is slowly dying on the vine, and one big reason is payment compensation.  International <strong>graduates are helping fill the bill to a degree.</strong>  The workload is heavier too with family practice physicians seeing more than twice the amount of office patients as a specialist would. <strong> We all recognize this fact, but what is being done?  </strong></p> <p>More work and patients for less pay?  It surely seems to look this way and many physicians have also left a private practice to work for a large health group, whereby they are on a salary and pretty much work their own shift, thus the private practice as we know it today is also an endangered species.  BD  </p> <p>This spring, 385 students graduated from Georgia's medical schools, but only <strong>two of them chose to remain in the state to pursue a family medicine residency</strong>. Overall, 20 students, or 5 percent, chose to go into family medicine — half the number that it was just five years ago.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/07/19/family_doctors.html">http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/07/19/family_doctors.html</a></p>

Georgia low on family doctors

This is scary and probably the numbers are reflective in many states, family practice is slowly dying on the vine, and one big reason is pay...

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Children treated abroad as U.S. doctors push for devices in the US

<p> This is a big topic and the development of pediatric devices is not as active or pursued as it is for adults, and the reason comes down to cost and return on investments for the most part.  Physicians want the devices, but resources are limited by comparison to the adult market.  There are some new incentives to help bolster the development, but once again when stock holders are wanting a return, it may not be there in as large of a return, thus the R and D here still struggles.  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIN9rkyhoTI/AAAAAAAAISw/ru8RERKvyxc/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="152" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIN9s6kyl7I/AAAAAAAAIS0/XRcMdELZl6k/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="125" /></a> </p> <p>The number of devices sold for adults versus children clearly outnumbers the potential sales, thus it becomes a “niche” market of sorts, so in the meantime children have to travel to other countries to seek treatment with pediatric devices, something still very frustrating to all.  BD  </p> <blockquote>According to Hijazi, who is chief of pediatric cardiology at Rush University Medical Center, and other doctors,<strong> children are getting worse treatment in the United States, and have even died, because pediatric medical devices are not approved.</strong> Hijazi said that more than 90 percent of the medical devices he uses on children are "off-label," meaning that they are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for other uses, for example for use in adults.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:036e3054-f299-4cad-8836-04fc5b057bb4" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Devices" rel="tag">Medical Devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Pediatrics" rel="tag">Pediatrics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare" rel="tag">Healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1028101520080720?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0">Children treated abroad as U.S. doctors push for devices | U.S. | Reuters</a></p>

Children treated abroad as U.S. doctors push for devices in the US

This is a big topic and the development of pediatric devices is not as active or pursued as it is for adults, and the reason comes down to ...

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Expression Analysis To Provide Array Services for Immunity Genomics Project

<p>The <strong>National Institute of Health</strong> sees the value of genetic profiles and is funding additional research.  Duke University was the first client to use Expression Analysis and collaborates with the FDA and pharma for electronic submissions of data in an effort to accelerate drugs and diagnostics though the approval process at the FDA with additional knowledge up front.  More studies on the mouse.  BD  </p> <p>NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – <strong><a href="http://www.expressionanalysis.com/index.html">Expression Analysis</a></strong> said today that it will provide microarray expression profiling services for the <strong>Immunological Genome Project, a program funded by the National Institutes of Health. </strong></p> <p>IGP is a consortium focused on generating gene expression profiles and building genetic regulatory networks for immunological populations in the mouse. The project will generate a complete microarray dissection of gene expression in the mouse immune system. </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3312ea85-4770-4a41-8c1f-f06d45fe90c7" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/genomics" rel="tag">genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/NIH" rel="tag">NIH</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148258-1.html">http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148258-1.html</a></p>

Expression Analysis To Provide Array Services for Immunity Genomics Project

The National Institute of Health sees the value of genetic profiles and is funding additional research.  Duke University was the first clie...

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SAMSUNG DEBUTS OMNIA i900 Cell Phone…Windows Mobile Tool for Healthcare…coming soon..

<p>If you like the iPhone, there’s a new Windows Mobile phone, rumored to be coming out from AT&T around September or so. It will have the nice increased real estate for the <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbCYjkQqI/AAAAAAAAISU/4e7cFlg4Y4M/s1600-h/image%5B13%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="240" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbD3uq9aI/AAAAAAAAISY/wtJ4phPmeWQ/image_thumb%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="180" /></a>screen, what we all want and like.  <strong>In addition, the camera on the unit is  5 megapixels and that’s better than my regular digital camera!   </strong>8 GB storage and of course room for more with an expansion SD card.  It is out in Europe this month, so exactly when it hits the states is still really not known for sure.   </p> <p>Some other nice features are <strong>GPS, FM radio, TV-out</strong> and there will be no keyboard, all onscreen with a 3.5  inch <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbIEykbKI/AAAAAAAAISc/2Y-o9KkypTY/s1600-h/image%5B14%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="320" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbJ1fe8_I/AAAAAAAAISg/NQL9mMRU1hI/image_thumb%5B10%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="164" /></a>touch screen.  These are the specs right now for the international market and it will be unlocked.  </p> <p> 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 <br /> 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100</p> <p><strong>It will also have a “Mouse”.</strong>  I can see this being a real potential tool for healthcare with the larger screen and basically it is designed for conferencing with the camera.  A <strong>bigger screen for using Outlook is wonderful.</strong>  To view images and health records on a larger screen is huge.  Sure there are times when you want a larger unit when in the office by using a <strong><a href="http://www.tabletkiosk.com">Tablet PC,</a></strong> but for being on the go, this sure looks to have all the elements set.  HTC is also due to have a phone out soon to compete.  Here are a couple videos from You Tube that give a better idea of how it looks and works.  BD    </p> <p><em>SEOUL, KOREA – June 9 2008: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of Samsung OMNIA (model name: SGH-i900). It brings together high performance business content, top of the range style and a fun, dynamic multi-media experience, to ensure consumers are always connected both at home and at work. OMNIA, meaning ‘everything’ in Latin and ‘wish’ in Arabic, goes beyond the current top-of-the-line features available in today’s mobile phones. The OMNIA will be available to the market from June 2008. </em></p> <p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:001818a2-19f6-4159-868e-20ec2e568769" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 204px; padding-top: 0px"><div><object height="171" width="204"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AGcatrxh2vA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AGcatrxh2vA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="204" height="171"></embed></object></div></div>    <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:0d0b527d-5e02-472f-86d3-a675db0d573e" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 196px; padding-top: 0px"><div><object height="164" width="196"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qEtgKXzbyII&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qEtgKXzbyII&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="196" height="164"></embed></object></div></div> </p> <p>If you want to watch a hands on comparison with both <strong>phones,</strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MXdQwa2sPs">there’s a video on You Tube, not in English, but you can watch and get the idea</a>.  BD<em> <br /> <br /><strong><u>Bringing a PC environment to Mobile</u></strong>  The new Samsung OMNIA allows users to <strong>switch seamlessly between Microsoft Outlook email and productivity applications that replicate the look and feel of their PC - with a stroke of their finger. </strong><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbNdCxSSI/AAAAAAAAISk/iLW0CUafV8s/s1600-h/image%5B39%5D.png"><strong><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="240" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIbPKyZn6I/AAAAAAAAISo/NBzjGpapwmE/image_thumb%5B33%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="151" /></strong></a><strong> <br /></strong>Based on the most up to date <strong><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/6-1/default.mspx">Windows Mobile 6.1</a> Professional</strong> operating system, Samsung OMNIA gives users a mobile extension to their PC experience, with access to MS Office documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word. Users can also send and receive email and manage their appointments in <strong>Outlook while on the go.</strong> The Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system means users can <strong>download additional programs as they would on their PC and customize it for their individual needs.</strong> For ease of navigation an optical mouse similar to those on laptop computers offers improved usability and one-handed control.</em></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:845da9fd-4d43-4312-9a21-d0962ca46763" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Omnia+i900" rel="tag">Omnia i900</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cell+phones" rel="tag">Cell phones</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Windows+Mobile" rel="tag">Windows Mobile</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Technology" rel="tag">Technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Touch+Screen" rel="tag">Touch Screen</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/news/newsIrRead.do?news_ctgry=irnewsrelease&news_seq=8999&search_keyword=&from_dt=&to_dt">http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/news/newsIrRead.do?news_ctgry=irnewsrelease&news_seq=8999&search_keyword=&from_dt=&to_dt=</a></p>

SAMSUNG DEBUTS OMNIA i900 Cell Phone…Windows Mobile Tool for Healthcare…coming soon..

If you like the iPhone, there’s a new Windows Mobile phone, rumored to be coming out from AT&T around September or so. It will have the ...

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They Shoot Pigs, Don’t They…

<p> I would think there are better ways with technology to perhaps do this, instead of having to shoot the pigs but the technology may be expensive.  There are simulation processes that can pretty much do the same thing, hospitals use them now for training for emergency treatment in the ER rooms.  <strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/05/texas-and-m-university-creates-3d.html">Texas A and M University has a program</a></strong> they developed and now market.  Here’s another <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/08/medical-students-train-on-patient-who.html"><strong>simulation that actually talks.</strong></a>  Anyway, it might just be that the exercise with pigs could be coming around to perhaps being outdated soon.  BD  </p> <blockquote>Despite opposition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Army proceeded to shoot live pigs and treat their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise Friday at Schofield Barracks for soldiers headed to Iraq. Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said the training was conducted as scheduled under a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and the careful supervision of veterinarians and a military Animal Care and Use Committee.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfTfIjXieiu7ztxTG5LmW8HPaXoQD920IGC00">The Associated Press: Army shoots live pigs for medical drill</a></p>

They Shoot Pigs, Don’t They…

I would think there are better ways with technology to perhaps do this, instead of having to shoot the pigs but the technology may be expen...

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Ed McMahon sues Cedars-Sinai hospital over injury

<p> Ed McMahon has been in the news lately over financial issues with his home and now he claims the hospital failed to X-ray his neck after a fall and he left with a broken neck.  The <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIA1-lC8PI/AAAAAAAAISM/Q94IGN6ro00/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="112" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SIIA27LhFuI/AAAAAAAAISQ/rHn-PvWGxIw/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="image" width="98" /></a>hospital has not commented yet.  This is sad to see someone we loved for years on television every night to go through the agony of both pain and financial issues, plus it is all being played out in the media.  </p> <p>This may be a long battle as it moves forward with all medical records being scrutinized and a couple other surgeries at the hospital are reviewed.  I remember well all the publicity he had for years giving away the money for publisher’s clearing house and now it appears he could stand to win a little for himself.  BD  </p> <blockquote>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ed McMahon, the long-time sidekick to talk show host Johnny Carson, sued a Los Angeles hospital on Friday, claiming its doctors failed to diagnose his broken neck after a fall and discharged him without taking an X-ray. McMahon, 85, also accused Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of botching two subsequent spine operations, and the entertainer claims to have suffered months of discomfort and pain.</blockquote> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:0d1931e4-9ab3-4a5a-9d2e-fc7b1c40fd61" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Cedars-Sinai" rel="tag">Cedars-Sinai</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Hosptial" rel="tag">Hosptial</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Surgery" rel="tag">Surgery</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ed+McMahon" rel="tag">Ed McMahon</a></div> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1825672620080719">Ed McMahon sues hospital over injury | Entertainment | Reuters</a></p>

Ed McMahon sues Cedars-Sinai hospital over injury

Ed McMahon has been in the news lately over financial issues with his home and now he claims the hospital failed to X-ray his neck after a ...

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Drug Wars – FDA, Ranbaxy, the Department Of Justice and Congress…

<p>The issues at hand goes back to 2006 with deviations from specifications on drugs, and now it is up to the Congress and the FDA once more.  Did <strong>the FDA knowingly allow suspected drugs to continue to be sold?</strong>  Ranbaxy makes a lot of different generic <img align="right" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R-UwKVKN8DI/AAAAAAAAEHA/33zLAhVEK5o/s144/fdaimage.png" /> drugs and there’s no mention of the ones in question.  This one could get hot depending on what the investigations return, federal agents raided the New Jersey plant earlier this year.  I just hope there’s not another “<strong>economic decision”</strong> somehow involved. I sure hope this is not a widespread condition.  BD     </p> <blockquote>The U.S. Department of Justice has accused $1.6 billion (sales) Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest pharmaceutical firm, <strong>of selling adulterated drugs. In a motion filed July 3 in federal court in Maryland</strong>, the Justice Department alleged that Ranbaxy, one of the world's biggest generic drug makers, has engaged in a "pattern of systematic fraudulent conduct," including false and fabricated information submitted to the Federal Drug Administration, as well as attempts to conceal from the FDA "violations of current good manufacturing practices regulations." <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:5660f4fa-1979-459e-9eaf-2b0cb2fdce40" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ranbaxy" rel="tag">Ranbaxy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Drugs" rel="tag">Drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Congress" rel="tag">Congress</a></div> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/healthcare/2008/07/18/ranbaxy-drugmaker-india-biz-healthcare-cz_mb_0718ranbaxy.html?feed=rss_business_healthcare">Drug Wars - Forbes.com</a></p>

Drug Wars – FDA, Ranbaxy, the Department Of Justice and Congress…

The issues at hand goes back to 2006 with deviations from specifications on drugs, and now it is up to the Congress and the FDA once more.  ...

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VeriChip Closes Sale of Subsidiary - RFID

<p> It appears having a “chip” implant is perhaps not as popular as one might have thought as least on the consumer medical records side.  Stanley, the tools folks, have purchased one portion of the business , Xmark which makes RFID chips for a number of purposes from tracking people to medical equipment.  The Veri-Med portion of the business is still looking for a buyer and there are only a few individuals with the implant that carries all their health information, but a special scanner is needed to read the chips as well.  BD  </p> <blockquote><em>Xmark sells radio frequency identification technology to tag and track newborns, adults prone to wandering and medical equipment. The Stanley Works is a major manufacturer of tools and security products.</em></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/acqusition26642-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS">VeriChip Closes Sale of Subsidiary</a></p>

VeriChip Closes Sale of Subsidiary - RFID

It appears having a “chip” implant is perhaps not as popular as one might have thought as least on the consumer medical records side.  Stan...

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