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The brain's dopamine system is key to alcoholism

Among the many genes that may contribute to an individual's susceptibility to alcoholism, those in the dopamine system are of special interest because addictive substances can activate this system.

14 Nov 2004

Mast cells can provide protection from a potentially deadly condition known as sepsis

Mast cells are immune cells known mostly for their unwanted effects: they cause the wheezing of asthma, the itching of eczema, the sneezing and runny nose of hay fever and, in extreme cases, the life-threatening shock of anaphylaxis.

14 Nov 2004

Launch of Australian Country Gateway provides development expertise in the Asia-Pacific region

The Government of Australia and Development Gateway Foundation have launched the Australian Country Gateway, a web portal dedicated to advancing social and economic development throughout the Asia-Pacific Region.

14 Nov 2004

Poor communities should decide their own priorities for aid

Allowing poor communities to decide their own health priorities avoids inappropriate aid, says a senior doctor in a letter to this week's BMJ.

14 Nov 2004

Can poor countries help rich countries contain drug costs?

Rich countries could follow the lead of poor countries and adopt a more systematic way of selecting medicines for reimbursement, according to a paper in this week's BMJ.

14 Nov 2004

BMA Cymru Wales to petition parliament to ban smoking in public places unless Wales goes smoke free within 10 months

BMA Cymru Wales is seriously considering the possibility of petitioning Parliament for a ban in public places in Wales using the rarely used private bills procedure.

14 Nov 2004

Hearing set to determine if the U.S. will be better prepared for next year’s flu season

U.S. Senator Larry Craig Larry Craig has announced today that the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. titled “Liability, Licensing and the Flu Vaccine Market: Making Decisions Today to Prevent a Crisis Tomorrow.” It will be held in room 562.

14 Nov 2004

Kangaroo Mother Care is a safe and effective alternative to incubator care

A simple technique used to care for premature babies in poor countries is a safe and effective alternative to incubator care and should be encouraged in wealthy countries too, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

14 Nov 2004

Hep C and HIV among injecting drug users in London are higher than expected

Levels of hepatitis C virus and HIV among injecting drug users in London are higher than expected, according to a study published online by the BMJ.

14 Nov 2004

Better co-ordination crucial to help reduce maternal and child illness and death

The first of a series of articles looking at public health in complex emergencies (such as famine, population movement arising from civil conflicts and associated health problems) is published in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

14 Nov 2004

Uncoupling proteins in the human heart

Results of a study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that respiratory uncoupling and reduced substrate availability might lead to energy deficiency in heart failure.

14 Nov 2004

Vaccine against human papillomavirus infection could reduce the global incidence of cervical cancer

A randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET shows how a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection could potentially reduce the global incidence of cervical cancer.

14 Nov 2004

Heart bypass gets new source for replacement blood vessels

The search for a stable, renewable source of blood vessels, especially for potential use in heart bypass surgery, has reached a milestone at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

11 Nov 2004

HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors also protect against Malaria

Scientists from The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have found that a group of HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors may also be effective for treating or preventing malaria.

11 Nov 2004

Hospital admissions for diabetes on the rise

The number of hospital admissions for diabetes increased by almost 12 percent between 1999 and 2003, according to a new report released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) in conjunction with American Diabetes Month.

11 Nov 2004

Canada puts in place a national plan to ensure an adequate flu vaccine supply

Per capita, more Canadians receive the flu shot than residents of any other country. The flu vaccine is the best protection against the flu virus, so it is encouraging to see that even more Canadians are getting the flu shot this season than ever before.

11 Nov 2004

Ireland is reporting its first case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The man in his early 20's was admitted to hospital as a suspected case 4 weeks ago. Recent tests on the patient's tonsils have detected the presence of the protein which causes vCJD.

11 Nov 2004

Effective research could prevent half of the world's deaths

Health systems research has the potential to produce dramatic improvements in health worldwide and to meet some of the major development challenges in the new millennium.

11 Nov 2004

Important advance in understanding the structure of phage viruses

An important advance in understanding the structure of phage viruses, which infect and destroy bacteria, has been made by a team of scientists from Oxford and Finland, which could help develop new strategies to combat bacterial infections.

11 Nov 2004

Enzyme that normally alters the activity of other protein molecules in cells may also help prevent cancer

The enzyme is known as PTPRO (for “protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O”). When the gene responsible for producing PTPRO is silenced, as can happen in lung cancer, for example, the amount of the enzyme drops, allowing the cells to grow when they shouldn’t.

11 Nov 2004