What is an 'osteopathic physician'?Chicago Tribune, United States - 23 hours ago

Background:Vampire bats are important rabies virus vectors, causing critical problems in both the livestock industry and public health sector in Latin America. In order to assess the epidemiological characteristics of vampire bat-transmitted rabies, the authors conducted phylogenetic and geographical analyses using sequence data of a large number of cattle rabies isolates collected from a wide geographical area in Brazil. Methods:Partial nucleoprotein genes of rabies viruses isolated from 666 cattle and 18 vampire bats between 1987 and 2006 were sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. The genetic variants were plotted on topographical maps of Brazil.

Ewing sarcoma (ES) of the mandible is rare and can be mistaken for inflammation of dental origin. We present a 24-year old male patient which underwent radical tumour surgery and primary reconstruction with a microvascular osteoseptocutaneous free fibular flap as well as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Incomplete osseous tumour resection required a second intervention. This case report recapitulates the clinical and histopathological findings in oral ES, demonstrates its sometimes difficult diagnosis and discusses the (dis-)advantages of primary osseous reconstruction in ablative tumour s

The BMA says yesterday's (Tuesday 4 November, 2008) announcement on co-payments offers a practical way of balancing the rights of individual patients with the values of fairness and equality on which the NHS is based. However, the BMA is still calling for a wider public debate about the scope of a publicly funded healthcare system.

A very difficult-to-treat child leukemia may benefit from the discovery of a small but potent epigenetic change that launches the cancer - but could potentially be reversed relatively easily, preventing cancer-promoting genes from being turned on.

In September 2007, a phase II HIV-1 vaccine trial was abruptly halted when researchers found that the vaccine may have promoted, rather than prevented, HIV infection. A new study by a team of researchers at the Montpellier Institute of Molecular Genetics in France shows how the vaccine could have enhanced HIV infection.

Background:IFN-gamma is a multifunctional peptide with a potent immune defense function which is also known as a prototypic Th1 cytokine. While screening for genes differentially expressed by Th1 and Th2 cytokines, human thioredoxin was identified as a novel target gene induced by IFN-gamma. The mechanism by which thioredoxin is induced by IFN-gamma and the signaling pathways involved in its induction were analyzed. In addition, the effects of thioredoxin on immune cell survival and cytokine production were examined by thioredoxin over-expression and recombinant thioredoxin treatment.Results:Human thioredoxin was selectively induced by IFN-gamma in monocytic and T cell lines.

Background Interferon-gama-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) is a potent inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis. It has been reported that the antiangiogenic therapy combined with chemotherapy has synergistic effects. Methods To investigate whether IP-10 gene combined with a chemotherapy agent has synergistic effects, we intramuscularly injected pBLAST-IP-10 expression plasmid combined with gemcitabine into tumor-bearing mice. Results Treatment with pBLAST-IP-10 twice a week for 4 weeks combined with gemcitabine 10 mg/kg (once a week) resulted in inhibition of tumor growth and prolongation of the survival of tumor-bearing mice.

Akorn, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKRX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for Akorn's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Adenosine Injection USP, 3 mg/mL. Adenosine Injection is indicated for supraventricular tachycardia in cardiac patients. Annual sales for Adenosine Injection were approximately $22 million in 2007, according to IMS sales data.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood. Moreover, they have shown for the first time that the metabolic programming occurs in the fetal hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible for maintaining the body's energy homeostasis (body weight) throughout life.

Increasing quantities of medical supplies are being provided by foreign governments to save lives in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for more support to meet urgent health needs.

Background:We report age-dependent penetrance estimates for leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) related Parkinson's disease in a large sample of familial PD. The most frequently seen LRRK2 mutation, Gly2019Ser (G2019S), is associated with approximately 5-6% of familial PD cases and 1-2% of idiopathic cases making it the most common known genetic cause of PD. Studies of the penetrance of LRRK2 mutations have produced a wide range of estimates, possibly due to differences in study design and recruitment, including particularly differences between samples of familial PD versus sporadic PD.Methods:A sample, including 903 affected and 58 unaffected members from 509 families ascertained for having two or more PD affected members, 126 randomly ascertained PD patients and 197 controls, was screened for 5 different LRRK2 mutations.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, which affects about 2% of the population over age 60. In 2004 mutations in the LRRK2 gene were first described, that turned out to be the most frequent genetic cause of familial and sporadic PD and may account up to 40% of PD patients in distinct populations. Based on these findings Latourelle and colleagues show that the penetrance of the most common LRRK2 mutation is higher in familial compared to sporadic PD patients and identified a substantial number of affected relatives of mutation carriers not presenting with a LRRK2 mutation themselves.

Background:Robo1, Robo2 and Rig-1 (Robo3), members of the Robo protein family, are candidate receptors for the chemorepellents Slit and are known to play a crucial role in commissural axon guidance in the spinal cord. However, their roles at other axial levels remain unknown. Here we examine expression of Robo proteins by cerebellofugal (CF) commissural axons in the rostral hindbrain and investigate their roles in CF axon pathfinding by analysing Robo knockout mice.Results:We analysed the expression of Robo proteins by CF axons originating from deep cerebellar neurons in rodent embryos, focusing on developmental stages of their midline crossing and post-crossing navigation.

Background:Radial glia comprise a molecularly defined neural progenitor population but their role in neurogenesis has remained contested due to the lack of a single universally accepted genetic tool for tracing their progeny and the inability to distinguish functionally distinct developmental stages.Results:By direct comparisons of Cre/loxP lineage tracing results obtained using three different radial glial promoters (Blbp, Glast, and hGFAP) , we show that most neurons in the brain are derived from radial glia. Further, we show that hGFAP promoter induction occurs in ventral telencephalic radi

After publication of this work [1], we noted that we inadvertently failed to include the complete list of all co-authors. The full list of authors has now been added and the Authors' contributions and Competing interests section modified accordingly.

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is accepting nominations for the 2009 Medal of Excellence Award. The award recognizes and honors a renal physician making a significant contribution to the progress of patient education and disease treatment in the kidney community.

Responding to the publication of Professor Mike Richard's review 'Improving access to medicines for NHS patients', The King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson said: 'This is a landmark report. The decision not to withdraw NHS care from patients who choose to purchase additional drugs is a welcome one.

BMA(NI) has welcomed the decision recently, by Health Secretary Alan Johnson, to permit patients in England to pay privately for drugs without having their NHS treatment withdrawn. Dr Stephen Austin, Chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee in NI, said that the Association would be lobbying the NI Government to go down the same route.