Supernus Announces Positive Results From Phase IIa Clinical Trial For SPN 810 In Children With ADHD And Serious Conduct Problems
Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc., announced that its Phase IIa U.S. clinical trial for SPN 810 in children with ADHD and persistent serious conduct problems met the primary endpoints of safety and tolerability, as well as showed statistically significant reduction versus baseline in conduct problems across all doses. The trial was initiated in 2009 and was a proof-of-concept, open-label study in children 6 to 12 years of age, assigned to one of four doses over a six-week treatment period, after 2-5 weeks' titration. "The product showed reductions of 32% at the lowest tested dose and 55% at the highest tested dose in persistent serious conduct problems with aggression as a key feature, " said Dr.
Department Of Health And Children Statement In Relation To Legislation To Be Made Under Misuse Of Drugs Act 1977, Ireland
The Government agreed at its meeting on 2 March 2010 to the commencement of a notification process under Directive 98/34/EC (the "Technical Standards" Directive) as amended by Directive 98/48/EC of the Government's intention to make a Declaration Order under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 declaring certain substances, products and preparations to be controlled drugs for the purposes of the Misuse of Drugs Acts, 1977 and 1984. The substances concerned include a range of products sold in so-called 'head shops' including: - synthetic cannabinoids (SPICE products) - benzylpiperazine (BZP) derivatives - mephedrone, methylone and related cathinones - GBL and 1, 4 BD In addition, the Declaration Order to be made under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 will include Ketamine and Tapentadol which are substances that have legitimate uses as medicines but which can be subject to misuse.
The Enemy Within - Food Allergies
The guidance document is the result of several years of negotiation by a high-level collaboration of experts from regulatory agencies representing Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, the European Union, academic research institutions, and food allergen test-kit manufacturers, under the auspices of the AOAC (Association of Analytical Communities) Presidential Taskforce on Food Allergens. For the first time, national authorities carrying out official food allergen controls have a common basis for accepting validated testing methods. Consumers allergic to certain food ingredients will benefit from an increased level of protection by the availability of harmonised and reliable testing methods, and international trade will be facilitated by applying mutually-agreed testing protocols.
NICE Consults On Draft Recommendations For Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis After Treatment With A TNF Inhibitor Has Failed
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising a number of drugs as possible treatments for rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor has failed. This is a part review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 36, and a review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 126 and 141. NICE has put its initial draft guidance on the NICE website, and this is now open for public consultation. Following a thorough review of all the available evidence, an independent appraisal committee has made the following draft recommendations: - Rituximab (MabThera, Roche Products), in combination with methotrexate, is recommended as an option for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis that has responded inadequately to other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including treatment with at least one TNF inhibitor, or who are intolerant of other DMARDs.
Usual Care Often Not Consistent With Clinical Guidelines For Low Back Pain
Australian general practitioners often treat patients with low back pain in a manner that does not appear to match the care endorsed by international clinical guidelines, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Low back pain is estimated to be the seventh most common reason for a general practitioner visit in Australia and the fifth most common in the United States, according to background information in the article. An overwhelming body of literature on the management of low back pain-more than 1, 200 published trials and systematic reviews-makes practice guidelines an efficient way for clinicians to base their care on the best evidence.
Risk For Bone Fractures In Older Women Increased By Diabetes Drug
A Henry Ford Hospital study finds women with type 2 diabetes who take a commonly prescribed class of medications to treat insulin resistance may be at a higher risk for developing bone fractures. After taking a thiazolidinedione (TZD) for one year, women are 50 percent more likely to have a bone fracture than patients not taking TZDs, according to study results. And those at the greatest risk for fractures from TZD use are women older than 65. "Older women are already at a higher risk of osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures, which might explain why they appeared to be the most affected by TZDs, " says study senior author L. Keoki Williams, M.D.
What Is Congenital Heart Disease Congenital Heart Defect ?
Congenital heart disease, also known as congenital heart defect, is a general term for a series of faults in the structure of the heart and great vessels that is present from birth. In the majority of cases, the defect either obstructs blood flow in the heart or nearby vessels, or causes blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal way. Congenital heart defect is a common birth defect, and a leading cause of deaths linked to birth defects. Congenital heart disease is far more treatable today than it used to be. A significant number of babies who once died of congenital heart defect today survive well into adulthood, thanks to advances in surgical treatment.
Hospices Not Deactivating Defibrillators In Patients -- Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Cause Unnecessary Suffering In End-of-Life Patients
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that patients admitted to hospice care who have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are rarely having their ICDs deactivated and are receiving electrical shocks from these devices near the end of life. This first-of-its-kind study of hospice patients with ICDs is published in the March 2, 2010 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Mount Sinai researchers surveyed 900 hospices, 414 of which responded. Ninety-seven percent of the responding hospices admitted patients with ICDs. On average, nearly 60 percent of patients did not have the shocking function of the ICD deactivated. Only 20 percent of hospices had a question on their intake forms to identify patients with ICDs, and just 10 percent reported having a policy in place to discuss deactivation with patients and their families.
What Is Liposuction? What Are The Risks And Benefits Of Liposuction?
Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, liposculpture suction lipectomy, or lipo is a type of cosmetic surgery which breaks up and "sucks" fat from various possible parts of the body, most commonly the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, neck, chin, upper and backs of the arms, calves, and back. The fat is removed through a hollow instrument - a cannula - which is inserted under the skin. A powerful, high-pressure vacuum is applied to the cannula. It is the most common cosmetic operation in America and the United Kingdom. Over 400, 000 liposuction procedures are carried out in the USA each year. Patients who undergo liposuction generally have a stable body weight, but would like to remove undesirable deposits of body fat in specific parts of the body.
Prepared Patient: Need Help With Your Mental Health?
Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep. Gaia, a children's book author in Oregon, found herself crying uncontrollably and couldn't focus. She felt hopeless without knowing why. Insomnia and oversleeping, slowed speech, hopelessness, frequent crying and lack of focus all are symptoms of depression. Overeating or lack of appetite; suicidal thoughts; loss of interest or pleasure in activities and relationships that usually bring joy; anxiety and difficulty feeling pleasure or sustaining positive emotions can occur as well. When to Seek Help So how can you distinguish depression from sadness and when does it require professional help?
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute Cardiologist Sanjay Kaul, M.D. Co-Authors Statement On Safety Of Diabetes Drugs
A Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute cardiologist co-authored the joint science advisory issued by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology that calls for close monitoring of patients taking certain blood sugar-lowering drugs. Sanjay Kaul, M.D. co-authored the advisory about drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs) such as pioglitazone ( Actos ) or Rosiglitazone ( Avandia ). The advisory -- published online in both Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association and Journal of the American College of Cardiology -- states that the data are inconclusive on heart risks associated with the medications, but all patients taking the drugs should be closely monitored by their healthcare providers.
Bay Area Eating Disorders Symposium Upcoming At Packard Children's Hospital
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is gearing up for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Feb. 21 - 27. The hospital's Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program is reaching out to Bay Area families to enhance knowledge of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related diagnoses. On Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m., Packard Children's will host a community symposium, "It's Time to Talk About It, " an event designed to help parents learn the warning signs of eating disorders and understand the process for seeking help when a child, adolescent or young adult needs treatment. "It's a chance for parents to interact with experts whose work is dedicated to of the treatment of eating disorders, " said James Lock, MD, PhD, eating disorders researcher and director of psychiatric services in the Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program.
The Stress Of Poverty Discussed By Rockefeller Scientist At AAAS
The roots of many adult diseases sprout in poverty and other burdens on the socially disadvantaged. Rockefeller University's Bruce S. McEwen, a self-described molecular sociologist, talked about the effects such environmental stressors have on the brain and in turn other organ systems in a talk in San Diego at the 2010 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. McEwen, a neuroendocrinologist, covered research into how negative daily life experiences, above and beyond dramatic stressful events, contribute to an overall wear and tear on the body. He calls this wear and tear allostatic load, from the term allostasis, a physiological adaptation that attempts to maintain a dynamic balance in a system under pressure from a variety of sources.
Herceptin And Tykerb Effective Against A Subset Of Gastric Cancers
A combination of two targeted therapies already shown to be effective in breast cancer packs an effective one-two punch against a subset of gastric cancers that have a specific genetic mutation, a study at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found. The drugs Herceptin and Tykerb when given together proved to significantly inhibit tumor growth in gastric cancers that had amplified levels of HER2, a mutation that results in an aggressive form of the disease, causing the cancers to grow and spread faster. The work was done both on cell lines and in animal models with human HER2-amplified gastric cancers. Between 18 and 27 percent of gastric cancers exhibit HER2 amplification, so the finding - if confirmed in humans - could provide a new, more effective and less toxic treatment option for tens of thousands of patients diagnosed every year worldwide with gastric cancers that carry the mutation, said Dr.
GOP Rejects Obama's Compromise On Health Care, Wants 'New Approach'
USA Today : "President Obama offered to add a handful of Republican ideas to his 10-year, $950 billion health care plan Tuesday but was rebuffed and urged to start over.The letter from Obama to the GOP signalling his interest in four specific Republican health reform ideas was met with an icy reception from Republican leaders. ... 'We were surprised and disappointed with your latest proposal to simply paper a few of these common-sense proposals over an unsalvageable bill, ' wrote Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky." (Wolf and Fritze, 3/2). Roll Call : McConnell "encouraged" Democrats to forgo the use of budget reconciliation rules to advance the overhaul package.
Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants Report Similar Quality Of Life To That Of Normal-Hearing Kids
Profoundly deaf children with cochlear implants to help them to hear rate their quality of life equal to their normal-hearing peers, according to new research from UT Southwestern Medical Center auditory specialists. In addition, the earlier a child is implanted with a cochlear device and the longer he or she wears the device, the better overall quality of life the child reports and the more successful the child is in school, according to the findings, published in the February issue of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. "Wearing cochlear implants doesn't seem to create greater psychosocial problems overall for their users, " said Dr. Betty Loy, clinical research manager in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and lead author of the study.
Innovative Respiratory Stress Test Can Quickly Detect Significant Coronary Artery Disease In A Noninvasive Setting
Newly published data shows using a Respiratory Modulation Response (RMR) is a novel, non-invasive measure to quickly and accurately detect the presence of significant coronary artery disease (sCAD). Patients in the study with sCAD had a lower RMR compared to patients without, regardless of their risk factors or clinical history of angina, previous myocardial infarction (MI), or angioplasty. These data, published in the current issue of Euro Intervention Journal, demonstrate that RMR was lower in patients with significant CAD compared to those with non-significant CAD (P<0.0011), regardless of their risk factors or clinical history of angina, previous MI, or angioplasty.
Ocular Shingles Linked To Increased Risk Of Stroke
Having a shingles infection that affects the eyes may increase the risk of stroke, according to new research published in the March 3, 2010, online issue of Neurology® , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, researchers identified 658 people diagnosed with ocular shingles and 1974 without the infection. None of these people had a history of stroke at the beginning of the study. Ocular shingles is an infection of the eye and the skin around the eye caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. About 10 to 20 percent of all people with shingles have ocular shingles. During the one-year study, stroke developed in 8.
Computational Microscope Peers Into The Working Ribosome
Two new studies reveal in unprecedented detail how the ribosome interacts with other molecules to assemble new proteins and guide them toward their destination in biological cells. The studies used molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF) to examine the interaction of the ribosome with two prominent molecular partners. The first study, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concerns the intimate signaling between the ribosome and an elongation factor (EF-Tu) that is essential to the successful assembly of a growing protein. The second, in the journal Structure, focuses on a membrane protein called SecY that sometimes latches onto the ribosome and guides a newly forming protein toward its final destination.
South Carolina, Oklahoma And Arkansas Grapple With Medicaid Cuts To Help Balance Budget
States consider major cuts to Medicaid services and reimbursement rates to help fill gaps in the budget. The Associated Press : "Lawmakers are considering cutting all services for nearly 26, 000 people with disabilities as South Carolina tries to plug a $560 million budget hole. Parents say the proposed cuts to day care programs and other services would force them to give up much-needed jobs to stay home and care for their young and adult children." But "[l]awmakers say they have little choice. They are trying to close a shortfall in next year's budget in a heavily Republican state where tax increases are not considered a viable option" (Davenport, 3/3). McKnight's Long-Term Care News: "Starting April 1, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is reducing Medicaid reimbursements to nursing homes by 3.
Menopause Symptoms Red Hot Mama's And Leading OB GYN's Discuss Solutions
By the year 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 billion women will be age 50 and older, the age when hormone production by the ovaries declines and most women experience symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, rapid heartbeat, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, irritability, memory lapses, dryness, loss of libido, muscle aches and weight gain. The extent and type of symptoms are extremely varied among different women, and the way we experience menopause is definitely not a one size fits all. "A positive way to approach menopause is to gain greater awareness of the changes and embrace these changes with knowledge, understanding and acceptance, " says, Karen Giblin, Founder and President of Red Hot Mamas, the largest menopause education program in the U.
Florida Faces Fight Over Medicaid Reform Expansion; In Kansas, Cuts Hurt A Mental Health Clinic
Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration may broaden that state's Medicaid-reform pilot program to include 19 more counties to save more than $58 million by requiring Medicaid beneficiaries enroll in managed-care plans, Health News Florida reports. "Such an expansion could affect 375, 000 people and save $58.7 million during the upcoming fiscal year. Managed-care supporters say expanding the pilot program would help reduce fraud and hold down spiraling Medicaid costs." The expansion could cover Miami-Dade County. "Advocates for Medicaid enrollees have long been wary of the program, in part because of concerns that managed-care organizations will save money by squeezing care.
Research Findings Presented At American Academy Of Allergy Asthma Immunology
Dozens of National Jewish Health faculty presented their latest research findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology in New Orleans Feb 27-March 2, 2010. Below are several noteworthy presentations. Vitamin D May Boost Effectiveness of Corticosteroids in Asthma Vitamin D enhances the activity of the corticosteroid dexamethasone more than ten-fold in cells taken from asthma patients. National Jewish Health pediatrician Dan Searing, MD, and his colleagues measured levels of MKP-1, a protein essential for the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids, in cells that had been cultured with dexamethasone alone or with vitamin D and dexamethasone.
Community Involvement Important In Fight Against Childhood Obesity
Community support of school obesity prevention programs is critical to achieving a significant decrease in obesity among children, according to researchers at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, which is part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Deanna Hoelscher, Ph.D., professor of behavioral sciences at UTHealth's School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, examined obesity prevalence changes among children in Travis County after the implementation of a school-based obesity intervention program, the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH). Hoelscher, director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, compared the traditional school-based focus (CATCH BasicPlus) against the traditional school-based focus with greater community input (CATCH Community).
FDA Approves Exalgo trade; Extended-Release Tablets
CombinatoRx, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CRXX) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the New Drug Application (NDA) for Exalgo™ (hydromorphone HCl) extended-release tablets, for the management of moderate to severe pain in opioid tolerant patients requiring continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesia for an extended period of time. CombinatoRx will receive a $40 million milestone payment from Covidien based on Exalgo approval and is eligible to receive tiered royalties on Exalgo net sales. Under the terms of the agreements relating to the merger with Neuromed Pharmaceuticals, effective with the FDA approval of Exalgo, approximately 38, 609, 168 additional shares of CombinatoRx common stock are outstanding, resulting in CombinatoRx having total shares of common stock outstanding following FDA approval of Exalgo of approximately 88, 610, 640.
Psychotherapy May Help Autoimmune Disease
This study shows that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in dealing with patients suffering from lupus and high levels of daily stress as it significantly reduces the incidence of psychological disorders associated with lupus and improves and maintains patients' QOL, despite there being no significant reduction in the disease activity index. A study that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by a group of Spanish investigators addresses the role of cognitive behavioral treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus. Chronic stress worsens the quality of life (QOL) of lupus patients by affecting their physical and psychological status.
How Community-Based Organizations And Nongovernmental Organizations Can Transform Global Public Health
Igniting the Power of Community: The Role of CBOs and NGOs in Global Public Health is a new book edited by Paul Gaist, PhD, MPH, adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which explores the pursuits and potential of community-based organizations (CBOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to transform global public health. "At a time of unprecedented challenge - economic crises, social inequalities, environmental stressors, emerging health threats - these organizations are driving change, often being the first to call attention to the issues and increasingly forging significant and sustainable solutions, " said Gaist.
Stroke Survivors Can Improve Functioning Of Paralyzed Arm Years After Stroke
High-intensity, repetitive rehabilitation exercises can help stroke survivors significantly improve functioning in their paralyzed arm and in their quality of life even years after their disabling event, according to late-breaking science results presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010. Survivors who had 12 weeks of either robot- or human-assisted therapy showed clinically significant improved arm function (3-point improvement on the Fugl-Meyer Scale compared to usual care) and better quality of life (6-point improvement on the Stroke Impact Scale) six months later compared to survivors who had no additional therapy.
Possible Insight Into The Schizophrenic Brain Via Mouse Model
Schizophrenia is an incredibly complex and profoundly debilitating disorder that typically manifests in early adulthood but is thought to arise, at least in part, from pathological disturbances occurring during very early brain development. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the February 25 issue of the journal Neuron, manipulates a known schizophrenia susceptibility gene in the brains of fetal mice to begin to unravel the complex link between prenatal brain development and maturation of information processing and cognition in adult animals. "Although it is clear that multiple factors are involved in schizophrenia, many studies have suggested that variations in disease susceptibility genes might contribute to disruption of high brain functions such as cognition and information processing, " explains study author Dr.
Dementia Study Launched Within The Deaf Community
Researchers have launched a unique project to improve early diagnosis and management of dementia among Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL). The research, funded by Alzheimer's Society, will examine how to identify dementia in Deaf people and explore how they might best cope with their condition. The study will also investigate how to provide support services for the Deaf community and develop assessment tools in BSL. The University of Manchester team, working with colleagues at UCL (University College London), City University London, and the Royal Association for Deaf people, brings together Deaf and hearing researchers from a range of disciplines, including dementia care, social work, old-age psychiatry, psychology, Deaf studies and Sign Language research.
Also In Global Health News: U.S. Ambassador To U.N.; Male Circumcision; River Blindness In Ecuador; Nursing Shortage In Caribbean; Maternal Health
U.S. Ambassador To U.N. In Geneva Assumes Position, Ending 13 Month Vacancy Betty King reported to her new position as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. "Washington's Geneva mission had been without an ambassador since Warren W. Tichenor left his post on Jan. 20, 2009 - when Barack Obama was sworn in as president, " according to the news service (3/3). IRIN/PlusNews Tracks Progress Of Male Circumcision Programs In 13 African Countries IRIN/PlusNews tracks the progress of efforts to scale-up male circumcision programs for HIV prevention efforts in 13 African countries. Kenya, Zambia, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and Uganda were "identified as priority countries for male circumcision scale-up by the U.
Impact Of Sleep Deprivation On Brain Functioning Different Than Previously Thought
What goes on in your brain when you're sleep deprived and how does it affect your ability to process information and make decisions? A research study conducted at Washington State University into the effects of sleep deprivation on executive functioning-the ability to initiate, monitor and stop actions to achieve objectives-has yielded surprising results and caused a shift in the current thinking on this topic. Published in the January 2010 issue of the journal "SLEEP, " the study found that sleep deprivation affects distinct cognitive processes in different ways. The researchers found that working memory-a key element of executive functioning-was essentially unaffected by as much as 51 hours of total sleep deprivation.
Five Tips To Help A Stressed-Out President - Or Anyone Else - Quit Smoking
President Barack Obama's recent physical examination revealed that he is in generally good health - and that he is still trying to quit smoking. His doctor's advice: keep up his "smoking cessation efforts"; in other words, he should keep trying to kick the habit. Susan Rausch, health educator at the Pat Walker Health Center and co-chair of the University of Arkansas' FRESH campaign to promote the Tobacco Free Campus policy, says that stress is one of the reasons people give for not being able to quit smoking. "Obviously, President Obama has a very stressful job, " she says. "But University of Arkansas students facing mid-term exams know something about stress, too.
New TAU Study Says Control Freaks Can Reduce Their Stress Load And Perform Better
Budget cutbacks have left many of us with more work than ever. Now new research by Dr. Danit Ein-Gar of Tel Aviv University's Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration offers us tips to help us stay at the top of our game. And the good news is there's no need to be a "control freak." With her co-author Dr. Yael Steinhart of Haifa University, Dr. Ein-Gar is investigating multi-tasking control freaks. Contrary to the notion that they get the job done well, people with high-levels of self-control tend to burn out the fastest, she warns. High in self-control people tend to use all of their resources at once - concentrating intently on the task immediately at hand - but are stymied when unexpected challenges are thrown their way.
Short- And Long-Term Promise From Newer Cornea Transplant Surgery
One year post-surgery, patients who underwent Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) experienced greater cell loss overall compared to those who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), according to a new analysis of data collected from the Cornea Donor Study (CDS) Investigator Group's 2008 Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study (SMAS). However, the study, published in the March issue of Ophthalmology, showed that cell loss in DSAEK patients plateaued more quickly than in those who underwent PKP. The two procedures are alternative methods of corneal transplant surgery for diseases affecting the back cell layer of the cornea, the endothelium.
News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Feb. 22, 2010
VIROLOGY: Successfully modeling hepatitis B and C virus infection Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infect liver cells, and persistent infection can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and/or a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma. Current small animal models of HBV and HCV infection are not particularly good, and new models are needed if we are to learn more about how these viruses operate and test new potential therapeutics. Inder Verma and colleagues, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, have now developed a human liver chimeric mouse model by transplanting a large number of human liver cells into mice lacking three proteins (Fah, Rag2, and Il-2r-gamma) to generate mice with livers in which 95% of the liver cells are human.
The Bigger The Animal, The Stiffer The 'Shoes'
If a Tiger's feet were built the same way as a mongoose's feet, they'd have to be about the size of a hippo's feet to support the big cat's weight. But they're not. For decades, researchers have been looking at how different-sized legs and feet are put together across the four-legged animal kingdom, but until now they overlooked the "shoes, " those soft pads on the bottom of the foot that bear the brunt of the animal's walking and running. New research from scientists in Taiwan and at Duke University has found that the mechanical properties of the pads vary in predictable fashion as animals get larger. In short, bigger critters need stiffer shoes. Kai-Jung Chi, an assistant professor of physics at National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan ran a series of carefully calibrated "compressive tests" on the footpads of carnivores that have that extra toe halfway up the foreleg, including dogs, wolves, domestic cats, leopards and hyenas.
New York Times Analyzes Ford's Decision Not To Challenge Gillibrand For N.Y. Senate Seat
The New York Times on Tuesday examined how former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) came to concede that a campaign against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary "would be a brutal fight dominated by endless debates about when he began paying taxes as a New Yorker and the sincerity of his support for gay marriage and abortion rights." After weeks of courting Democratic donors and traveling the state to meet with voters, Ford announced on Monday that he would not challenge Gillibrand in the primary. According to the Times, "Ford knew that some liberals would attack his relatively conservative voting record but, those he spoke with said, he was taken aback by the depth of the anger he encountered from advocates for abortion rights and gay marriage.