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High Intake Of Linoleic Acid Associated To A Third Of Ulcerative Colitis Cases
A research published ahead of print in Gut (International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) reports that high intakes of linoleic acid might be associated to a third of ulcerative colitis cases. Linoleic acid is a common dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (N-6 PUFA).
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Newly Discovered Gene Fusion May Lead To Improved Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have discovered a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers. The results may lead to more accurate prostate cancer testing and new targets for potential treatments. Experts believe that gene fusions -- a hybrid gene formed from two previously separated genes -- may be at the root of what causes cancer cells to grow more quickly than normal cells.
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Clinics Report Rise In Egg, Sperm Donations During Recession
More men and women are seeking to donate sperm and eggs as a way to make money during the continuing recession, according to sperm banks and egg donation agencies, USA Today reports. Compensation for donations varies by region, state and donor agency, according to USA Today. David Battaglia, lab director for Oregon Health and Science University Fertility Consultants, said that sperm donors receive $100 per collection and can donate twice per week, while egg donors -- who undergo an outpatient extraction process -- can receive $5,000 for a donation. Battaglia said his lab has seen "easily a 25%-30% increase in calls in the last nine months." Kim Springfield, vice president of sales for donor referral service Health News, said that the company"s donations have seen "a definite spike" of about 40% since February. Robin van Halle, president of Alternative Reproductive Res, which works with egg donors, said, "Our calls have just about doubled." However, she noted, "It"s not a quick buck."Springfield said that many prospective donors choose not to begin the process once they learn that medical and psychological screening can take weeks or months and rules out most interested people. Egg donors must be screened for mental and physical health, then chosen by prospective parents. Battaglia said that OHSU Fertility Consultants require that egg donors are between ages 21 to 32 and that sperm donors are between ages 20 to 39 to improve fertility odds. Von Halle noted that the rise in donors is giving infertility patients more choices. However, because in vitro fertilization can cost thousands of dollars, economic concerns are forcing many to postpone their plans, she said (Keen, USA Today, 7/7).
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Greater Boston Unites To Transform Health Care

A coalition of organizations representing healthcare stakeholders throughout Greater Boston has been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to participate in a planning grant to become part of the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative. AF4Q is the Foundation"s signature effort to lift the overall quality of healthcare in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and provide models for national reform. The Boston-area coalition, that includes consumers, providers, payers, employers, and local government representatives, has been awarded a six-month planning grant of $200,000 to develop a plan of action to better align efforts and create concrete and long-lasting systems change that have an impact on the way care is provided, received, and paid for in the region. More than 35 Boston-area organizations, representing the breadth of the region"s healthcare stakeholders, have committed to the Greater Boston AF4Q planning initiative, showing a groundswell of support for this opportunity. "Healthcare reform in Massachusetts has created a new environment and level of commitment among stakeholders to work together to preserve and enhance the gains brought by this universal coverage," says Stuart Altman, Sol C. Chaiken Professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University"s Heller School for Social Policy and chair of the Eastern Massachusetts Healthcare Initiative (EMHI) Executive Committee. Altman, who co-chairs the Greater Boston Aligning Forces Initiative, adds, "There is widespread support for using the opportunity AF4Q provides to demonstrate the sustainability of healthcare reform." "Greater Boston is primed to take great advantage of this opportunity," says Barbra Rabson, executive director of Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) and co-chair for the Greater Boston Aligning Forces Initiative. "Healthcare reform, combined with a rich tradition of collaboration and huge reservoirs of talent and expertise, positions Greater Boston on the brink of healthcare transformation. The Aligning Forces initiative offers a framework for focusing our efforts to meet this potential." Through a competitive process, Greater Boston was identified as a community best positioned to make fundamental and cutting edge changes to rebuild its healthcare system. Over the next six months, the Greater Boston community will establish a roadmap for developing key programmatic areas identified by RWJF. The AF4Q initiative takes specific actions to improve the quality of healthcare in communities including: * Helping physicians improve the quality of their care * Encouraging people to become better partners with their doctors * Improving care inside hospitals, with special focus on the role nurses play * Reducing inequality in the care for patients of different races and ethnicities AF4Q, a long-term, comprehensive effort to improve the quality of care in communities, is the signature program in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation"s $300 million commitment to improve the quality of U.S. healthcare. The program recognizes that though healthcare quality is a national problem, healthcare is delivered locally and fixing it requires local action. To date, RWJF has invested in 15 regions across the nation, including Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Humboldt County (CA), Kansas City (MO), Maine, Memphis, Minnesota, Puget Sound (WA), South Central Pennsylvania, West Michigan, Western New York, Willamette Valley (OR) and Wisconsin. Greater Boston healthcare stakeholders are working together to build and deliver a compelling proposal to become one of the next AF4Q communities. Notes: About Greater Boston Aligning Forces for Quality Initiative The Greater Boston Aligning Forces for Quality (Boston AF4Q) Initiative is a multi-stakeholder collaborative with a mission to create substantive change and improvement in our region"s healthcare system. Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) and the Eastern Massachusetts Healthcare Initiative (EMHI) are partnering to spearhead this effort. MHQP, the operational home for the planning grant, is a non-profit, broad-based collaborative that has been collecting and reporting on healthcare quality information for providers and the public since 1995. EMHI is a collaborative of hospitals, health plans, and universities with the shared vision for creating a high performance healthcare system for the region. The following 35+ organizations represent the broad range of stakeholders coming together to develop a transformative approach that will reduce disparities in care and improve the quality of care for residents of Greater Boston. Supporting Organizations Atrius Health/Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Boston Medical Center Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan Boston Public Health Commission Cambridge Health Alliance Children"s Hospital Boston Eastern Massachusetts Healthcare Initiative (EMHI) Employers" Action Coalition on Healthcare (EACH) Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Harvard University Health Care for All Institute for Nursing Healthcare Leadership, Inc. Lahey Clinic Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors Massachusetts Consortium for Children with Special Healthcare Needs Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) MHQP Physician Council Massachusetts Health Data Consortium Massachusetts Hospital Association Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers Massachusetts Medical Society Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives Masspro Mount Auburn Hospital Neighborhood Health Plan Network Health Partners Healthcare Partnership for Healthcare Excellence Tufts Health Plan Tufts Medical Center Tufts University Winchester Hospital Contact: Barbara Lambiaso Greater Boston Aligning Forces for Quality Laura Gardner Brandeis University


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