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Saved By Junk DNA
VIB researchers linked to K.U.Leuven and Harvard University show that stretches of DNA previously believed to be useless "junk" DNA play a vital role in the evolution of our genome. They found that unstable pieces of junk DNA help tuning gene activity and enable organisms to quickly adapt to changes in their environments. The results will be published in the reputed scientific ournal Science.
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Investigation Urgently Needed Into Treatment Of Mentally Ill Immigration Detainees At California Facility, Editorial States
"Although the number of mentally ill immigration detainees" at the La Mesa, Calif.-based private psychiatric hospital Alvarado Parkway Institute "at any one time seems to range from as few as two to only five or so, their situation needs to be addressed quickly," a San Diego Tribune editorial states (San Diego Tribune, 5/19). Some disability rights lawyers and advocates for the mentally ill say that conditions at many of the private facilities, including API, violate state and federal laws governing treatment of mentally ill people. Ann Menasche, a lawyer with the legal advocacy group Disability Rights California, last month sent a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement claiming that after visiting API and interviewing detainees, she found that the conditions are "excessive, unjustifiable and punitive" (Kaiser Health Disparities Report, 5/18).According to the Tribune, "California"s strict patients" rights laws specify that psychiatric patients can have daily visitors, use the telephone, exercise, socialize and be free from restraint unless the chief of the facility determines that a specific individual is a threat to himself or others," but, according to Menasche, patients at API are being denied those rights. The editorial adds that the conditions Menasche describes "may sound appalling, but it is unclear whether they are proper for the circumstances," and an "independent probe by the state Department of Public Health ... is needed to determine whether the detainees are being treated properly" (San Diego Tribune, 5/19).
News of the day
Potential Patient Safety Risks Among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients Identified By Researchers
Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers have identified potential safety risks among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients due to the quantity and accuracy of medical record documentation. Improved communication and coordination among substance use treatment and medical providers could mitigate and manage the potential adverse effects of methadone and interacting medications. The BMC study appears in the July issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Mental Health

Maine CDC Issues Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Advisory For Those Opening Their Summer Camps, USA

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, is issuing an advisory about the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning when people open camps for the summer. Health officials urge camp owners to make sure their propane-fueled stoves and/or refrigerators are operating properly and safely when turned on for the season. They should also make sure they have a working carbon monoxide detector close to where people sleep. "Last spring we saw several poisonings in which family members were exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide because of poorly maintained gas-fueled appliances. Some of these poisonings were life-threatening," said State Toxicologist Dr. Andrew Smith. Though early in the season, state health officials have already investigated two camp-related incidents involving carbon monoxide poisoning. The Maine CDC recently made carbon monoxide poisoning a reportable disease and now investigates the causes of all reported poisonings. "Tgus change in reporting will help us identify the causes of carbon monoxide poisonings so we can better inform the public about ways to prevent these hazards," said Smith said. Each year, there are more than 100 emergency department admissions in Maine due to carbon monoxide poisoning, with between one and five deaths. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless colorless gas emitted when burning most fuels. Improper venting, maintenance, operation or placement of combustion devices can result in poisoning when CO gas builds up in enclosed spaces. CO interferes with the delivery of oxygen to body tissues. Warning signs of CO poisoning are flu-like symptoms, including headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion, but no fever. CO poisoning can cause coma and death. "The best way to prevent CO poisoning is to make sure combustion devices are well-maintained, regularly serviced, and operated properly," said State Health Officer Dr. Dora Anne Mills. "A carbon monoxide detector with back-up battery power should be placed near every sleeping area." The Maine State Legislature passed a new law this session that requires carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in all apartments and new single-family dwellings. Detectors are also required in existing single-family dwellings whenever there is a transfer of ownership or the addition of at least one new bedroom. For information on the new State law requiring carbon monoxide detectors, click here. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention


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