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Emphysema Severity Directly Linked To Coal Dust Exposure
Coal dust exposure is directly linked to severity of emphysema in smokers and nonsmokers alike, according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
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Determining Success Or Failure In Cholesterol-Controlling Drugs
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that a complex network of interactions between drugs and the proteins with which they bind can explain adverse drug effects. Their findings suggest that adverse drug effects might be minimized by using single or multiple drug therapies in order to fine-tune multiple off-target interactions.
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National Organization for Women Establishes Kansas Abortion-Rights PAC To Fill Void After Death Of Abortion Provider Tiller
The Kansas chapter of the National Organization for Women has formed its own political action committee to replace ProKanDo, a PAC founded in 2002 by abortion provider George Tiller that was closed after his murder in May, the AP/Hays Daily News reports. ProKanDo spent more than $1 million over the last four years to advocate for abortion rights, assist candidates who support abortion rights and oppose antiabortion-rights candidates. The organization had more than 6,400 contributors but received between one-third and one-half of its annual funding from Tiller, according to former Director Julie Burkhart.NOW has scheduled a conference in Wichita on July 25 to discuss legislative strategy and Kansas elections. Marla Patrick, coordinator of NOW"s Kansas chapter,÷ said that although the new PAC will not have the same financial support from Tiller that ProKanDo received, his death has invigorated grassroots support. She added, "I think that can be every bit as effective, if not more so, especially in light of all the recent events" (Hegeman, AP/Hays Daily News, 7/18).
Mental Health

Polyomavirus Infection In Merkel Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Better Outcomes

A polyomavirus known as MCPyV is associated with clinical outcomes, including fewer metastases and better survival, in patients with a rare form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, according to a new study published online June 17 in the JNCI. Integration of the Merkel cell carcinoma polyomavirus (MCPyV) genome into the tumor genome was recently found to be frequent in skin cancers, but the clinical consequences of MVPyV genomic integration was unclear. To examine the consequences of viral DNA integration, Heikki Joensuu, M.D., of the Department of Oncology at Helsinki University Central Hospital, and colleagues, conducted histopathologic and molecular biological analyses of tumor tissue and DNA from 109 Finnish patients who were diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma from 1979 to 2004. Approximately 50% of the tumors were positive for MCPyV DNA. These cancers tended to be located in a limb, to have less frequent nodal or distant metastases at the time of diagnosis, and to be associated with better survival compared with MCPyV DNA-negative cancers. "Identification of MCPyV as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of Merkel cell carcinoma might provide novel choices for future therapeutic strategies," the authors write. In an accompanying editorial, James A. DeCaprio, M.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, points out parallels between MCPyV infection in Merkel cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus infection in head and neck cancers, suggesting reasons that the presence of these viruses would predict a better prognosis. "Perhaps expression of the viral oncogenes can induce or promote the development of cancers that have fewer host cell chromosomal abnormalities, which may result in tumors with simpler genomic abnormalities," the editorialist writes. "Alternatively, the viral oncogenes may specifically perturb host signaling pathways, including immune surveillance, that render them less aggressive or lethal." Author: Joensuu Heikki Steve Graff Journal of the National Cancer Institute


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