Noven Pharmaceuticals has appointed Joel Lippman as its new vice president of clinical development and chief medical officer, effective immediately.

In this role, Dr Lippman will lead all aspects of the clinical, regulatory and medical affairs functions at Noven.

Prior to joining Noven, Dr Lippman served Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company, as worldwide vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer and as a member of that company’s global management board.

Dr Lippman holds a medical degree from New York Medical College and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University School of Public Health.

Peter Brandt, president and CEO of Noven, said: “Dr Lippman’s appointment further expands the industry experience of a Noven team committed to establishing Noven as a high growth specialty pharmaceutical company.”

By Buff, Ann M Deshpande, Swati J; Harrington, Theresa A; Wofford, Taylor S; O’Hara, Timothy W; Carrigan, Kenichi; Martin, Nicholas J; McDowell, Jackie C; Ijaz, Kashef; Jensen, Paul A; Lambert, Lauren A; Moore, Marisa; Oeltmann, John E

ABSTRACT Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was diagnosed in a sailor aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan; an investigation was conducted to determine a screening strategy for 1,172 civilian passengers who were aboard during a temporary guest rider program. Sailors were screened for latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. A case- control study was conducted among sailors to determine factors associated with new LTBI. No secondary TB disease was identified; 13% of close contacts had new LTBI. Factors associated with new LTBI among sailors were having been born outside the United States (adjusted odds ratio = 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.55-5.07) and being a carrier air wing member (adjusted odds ratio = 2.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.83-4.58). Among 38 civilian passengers berthed near the patient, 1 (3%) had LTBI. The investigation results indicated that Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission was minimal and eliminated unnecessary TB screening for 1,134 civilians which saved public health resources. INTRODUCTION

Historically, U.S. Navy ships were common and efficient settings for occupational transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection due to large crews, enclosed compartments, and closed ventilation systems.1-3 However, over the last 20 years, only two U.S. Navy shipboard outbreaks of tuberculosis disease (TB) have been reported.4,5 Both TB outbreaks occurred during long deployments and transmission of M. tuberculosis among sailors was extensive. Secondary TB disease was diagnosed in 0.2% to 0.9% of sailors and new latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI) were identified in 25% to 28% of sailors screened with tuberculin skin testing (TST).4,5

Tuberculosis contact investigations involving passengers and crew exposed during travel on modes of mass transportation, including airplanes, trains, and school buses, have previously been reported.6- 11 On airplanes and school buses where transmission of M. tuberculosis has been reported, factors associated with transmission were the extent of the patient’s illness and duration or frequency of travel. Highly contagious patients with smear-positive cavitary disease, air flights over 8 hours, and exposure over weeks to months on a school bus have been linked to M. tuberculosis transmission to both passengers and crew.6,8,10,11

In January 2006, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ronald Reagan deployed for 6 months with 4,977 sailors aboard; 3,348 sailors were assigned to the ship’s company and 1,629 sailors were assigned to the carrier air wing (CAW). During the last week of deployment, 1,172 civilian passengers were invited aboard as guests for a 1- week cruise. Civilian passengers, who were family members and friends of sailors, embarked on June 29 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and disembarked on July 6 in San Diego, California. Civilian passengers slept in spaceavailable bunks in the same berthing compartments as sailors. On July 13, a sailor assigned to the CAW was diagnosed with smear-positive, cavitary, pulmonary TB; by then, civilian passengers had returned to their homes in almost every U.S. state and three foreign countries. The U.S. Navy subsequently requested assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine the extent of M. tuberculosis transmission among sailors and to recommend and implement a screening strategy for civilian passengers based on their risk for TB infection.

This report describes a large shipboard TB contact investigation and demonstrates the interaction between occupational risks for sailors and recreational risks for passengers.

METHODS

Medical Record Review and Patient Interview

The patient’s medical records were reviewed to summarize disease characteristics and to estimate the patient’s infectious period.12 We interviewed the patient to obtain a list of close contacts (e.g., sailors with whom he worked and socialized) and the locations he frequented.

Shipboard Screening for LTBI

The U.S. Navy’s TB control program requires one baseline TST upon induction for all sailors and an annual TST for those sailors in operational or deployable units.13 All sailors who were aboard ship during deployment were screened for TB and LTBI following the patient’s diagnosis. We defined a new positive TST result as a >/=5- mm increase in induration as compared to the sailor’s most recent TST result.12,13 Sailors with a past history of a positive TST result (>100 -mm induration) were screened clinically and with a chest radiograph.12,13

Environmental Evaluation

We qualitatively assessed airflow in the patient’s berthing and work compartments and mapped the bunk locations of all sailors and civilians assigned to the patient’s berthing compartment.

Case-Control Study

We conducted a case-control study among sailors to establish factors associated with a new positive TST result, indicative of recent M. tuberculosis transmission. A case was defined as a sailor aboard the U.S.S Ronald Reagan during January to July 2006 with a >/ =5-mm increase in TST induration as compared with his/her most recent TST result. A control was any sailor aboard the ship during the same time period with

Controls were selected by simple random sampling from a complete listing of all sailors aboard the ship during deployment. To detect an odds ratio of 2 for having a new positive TST result, a ratio of four controls to each case was required. Due to transfers, separations, and deployments in this highly mobile military population, controls were initially oversampled. Eight hundred controls were selected for participation. Study participation was voluntary; institutional review board approval was not required for this public health investigation.

We administered participants a 31-item questionnaire to collect information on demographics, berthing and workspace locations, communal locations (e.g., galleys), and time spent off the ship for liberty or temporary duty. Associations between dichotomous predictor variables of interest by case or control status were evaluated using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fisher’s exact test was used when appropriate. Associations between continuous predictor variables of interest by case or control status were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. To adjust for the effects of multiple predictor variables, logistic regression models were it to include all variables during the initial construction which were significant at alpha = 0.1 in univariate analyses. Variables were removed from the model using backward elimination.

RESULTS

Medical Record Review and Patient Interview

The patient was a 32-year-old male who was born in the Republic of the Philippines and assigned to the CAW. Upon enlistment in July 1994, his TST result was 11 mm; treatment for LTBI was not started. The patient reported to his first duty station in December 1994; he had a 17-mm TST reaction and a negative chest radiograph. He completed the then standard 6 months of daily isoniazid (INH) treatment for LTBI in July 1995 based on patient report and medical records which included prescription refills and pill counts. In April 2006, the patient denied any symptoms consistent with TB during his annual symptom screening.

In early June 2006, he presented to the ship’s medical clinic with complaints of productive cough, fever, chills, headache, and general malaise for ~3 weeks. His temperature was 39.90C and his chest radiograph showed a right upper lobe (RUL) infiltrate. He was diagnosed with communityacquired pneumonia, treated with a fluoroquinolone antibi-. otic, and restricted for 1 week to his berthing compartment (sick-in-quarters). His symptoms improved over the following week.

Approximately 3 weeks later, the patient returned to clinic with continued productive cough and right-sided, pleuritic chest pain. He was afebrile and had expiratory wheezes on examination. A TST was placed and documented 48 hours later as negative at O mm. A repeat chest radiograph showed RUL consolidation. No sputum specimens were obtained. He was diagnosed with resolving community-acquired pneumonia and treated with a macrolide antibiotic.

One week later in July 2006, he returned to his provider with continued productive cough, chest wall pain, and weight loss of 6.4 kg over 4 weeks. He was treated with over-thecounter medications for symptom relief and placed on sickin-quarters status for the remainder of the deployment. He was also referred to the pulmonary medicine clinic after deployment for further evaluation.

On July 13, 1 week after the ship returned to port, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary TB and was hospitalized. His sputum smear was positive for 4+ acid-fast bacilli, chest radiograph and computed tomography showed RUL posterior segment consolidation with marked cavitation, and human immunodeficiency virus serology was negative. His sputum cultures grew M. tuberculosis susceptible to all four first-line antituberculosis medications (isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide). The patient was treated with a standard four-drug, antituberculosis medication regimen by directly observed therapy. Based on the patient’s onset of symptoms in late May, we estimated that his infectious period started ~3 months previously in late February.12 Close Contact Investigation and Shipboard Screening

No TB disease was identified among 20 sailors named as close contacts. Among close contacts were the patient’s 5 immediate bunkmates and 13 workmates. Three (60%) bunkmates and two (15%) workmates had previous positive TST results; therefore, we could not determine recent infection status in these sailors (Fig. 1). Two (13%) of 15 close contacts had new positive TST results. Of the sailors with new positive TST results, one worked with and was mentored by the patient, and one was both a bunkmate and workmate of the patient. Both sailors subsequently completed INH treatment for LTBI.

The patient was not hospitalized on the ship’s medical ward but visited the ship’s clinic at least seven separate times and cumulatively spent over 20 hours in medical spaces while contagious. Among 50 medical personnel, none had new positive TST results.

A total of 134 (3%) of 4,524 sailors had new positive TST results; the median TST induration was 10 mm (range, 5-40 mm). All sailors started INH treatment. All 420 (8%) sailors with a history of positive TST results had negative clinical evaluations and chest radiographs for TB disease. Despite efforts to notify sailors who had separated from the U.S. Navy, we were unable to locate 33 (0.7%) sailors for screening.

Environmental Evaluation

The main focus of the evaluation was the patient’s berthing compartment and the adjacent berthing compartment. These two open bay berthing compartments were used exclusively by male sailors assigned to the CAW. The two berthing compartments were aligned front to back with openings to allow free movement of air between the compartments. One hundred twenty sailors were berthed in each compartment. The patient’s bunk was located ~20 feet from the main air exhaust unit (Fig. 1). The air exhaust unit was actively drawing air from the berthing space and had two large standard paniculate filters in place. The air exhaust duct ran through a toilet and shower compartment to the exterior of the ship. The air was not recirculated but rather exhausted overboard for odor control.

Case-Control Study

All 134 sailors with new positive TST results were initially considered for inclusion in the case-control study. Nine (7%) sailors were excluded from the study because their medical records were not available to confirm case status. One hundred twenty-five (93%) sailors were eligible for inclusion as cases; 92 (74%) cases and 549 (69%) controls completed questionnaires. Sailors were not available for questionnaire administration due to leave, deployment, transfer, separation, or declined participation.

Univariate analysis demonstrated that cases were more likely to be of Hispanic or Asian race/ethnicity, born outside of the United States, and members of the CAW as compared with controls (Table I). No continuous variables were significantly associated with increased odds of a new positive TST result (Table II).

Multivariable analysis suggested that those sailors born outside the United States (adjusted odds ratio, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.55-5.07, p

Civilian Passenger Screening

Because no secondary TB disease was identified among close contacts or other sailors and because the patient was restricted to his berthing compartment during the week that civilian passengers were aboard, we recommended and implemented TB screening for only those civilians who shared the same or adjacent berthing compartments as the patient. Thirty-eight civilian passengers slept in the two berthing compartments; one slept directly across from the patient. Their median age was 48 years with a range from 9 to 70 years. All were male and born in the United States.

Thirty-six (95%) of 38 civilian passengers were screened, and two (5%) refused (Table III). No secondary TB disease was identified among them. One (3%) U.S.-born, 70-year-old male had a 15-mm TST result; he did not have a previous TST result for comparison. His clinical evaluation was negative. All other civilian passengers had either negative TST results or negative clinical evaluations including chest radiographs.

DISCUSSION

The U.S. Navy and CDC conducted this comprehensive investigation to determine a screening strategy for civilian passengers who were exposed to the patient with TB disease aboard ship. The situation was complicated by the large number of civilian passengers who were located in 47 U.S. states and at least three foreign countries. We reviewed the close contact investigation and shipboard screening results, evaluated environmental conditions aboard ship, and conducted a case-control study among sailors who were aboard ship with the contagious patient during a 6-month deployment, to determine factors associated with a new positive TST result, indicative of recent M. tuberculosis transmission.

The close contact investigation and shipboard screening revealed no secondary cases of TB disease, and 13% of the patient’s close contacts and 3% of all sailors had new positive TST results; generally, 20% to 30% of named close contacts have positive TST results during TB contact investigations.13 The environmental evaluation showed that air from the patient’s sleeping quarters was exhausted overboard without being recirculated. Finally, the case- control study found that sailors assigned to the CAW and those who were born outside of the United States had an increased likelihood of having new positive TST results as compared with other sailors. Because the patient was a member of the CAW and shared berthing and work locations with other CAW sailors, it is reasonable that members of the CAW were at increased risk of TB infection. Being born in a country with a high TB prevalence is a well-known risk factor for both LTBI and TB disease.14-16 However, all sailors, regardless of birthplace, were previously tested, and those with a history of positive TST results were excluded from the study. Therefore, new positive TST results in these sailors likely represents recent transmission of M. tuberculosis.

Results from each component of the investigation provided evidence that there was limited transmission of M. tuberculosis to sailors aboard the ship during the 6-month deployment and, therefore, likely minimal risk of TB infection among civilian passengers who were aboard for 1 week. Based on these conclusions, we recommended screening only the 38 civilian passengers berthed in the same or adjacent berthing compartments as the patient rather than all 1,172 civilian passengers. Although sharing the same or adjacent berthing compartment as the patient was not found to be a significant risk factor, many of the sailors who were berthed closest to the patient had a history of positive TST results, and, therefore, not included in the case-control study. As a result, the case-control study may have underestimated the risk of M. tuberculosis transmission to sailors berthed in the same or adjacent compartments as the patient.

Only one (3%) civilian passenger had a positive TST result at 18 days after exposure; since this passenger did not have a previous TST result for comparison, we cannot determine if this represents recent transmission or previous undiagnosed LTBI. The estimated prevalence of LTBI in the general population is 4%.17 By prioritizing civilian passengers for TB screening based on risk for infection, we eliminated unnecessary TB screening for 1,134 low- risk people and prevented unnecessary LTBI treatment for those who would have had false-positive TST results. This approach saved limited public health resources by targeting the small number of civilian passengers at risk for infection.

There were two main limitations of the case-control study. Nine (7%) sailors with new positive TST results were excluded from study participation as a result of insufficient data to determine case status; all those excluded were from the CAW. Only 74% of the eligible cases completed questionnaires; more cases from the ship’s company (81%) completed questionnaires compared with the CAW (69%). Consequently, both limitations differentially affected CAW sailors and may have led to an underestimation of the true association between having a new positive TST result and being a member of the CAW.

Two other observations from this investigation deserve mention. The first is the patient’s delayed TB diagnosis. Diagnosis of pulmonary TB disease is commonly delayed, particularly in low- incidence settings.18 Tuberculosis in the U.S. Navy is relatively rare; fewer than two cases of TB disease per 100,000 persons are diagnosed annually.19 In addition, the patient was initially treated with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic for community-acquired pneumonia; fluoroquinolone antibiotics have excellent bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis.20,21 Failing to consider TB in the differential diagnosis of upper lobe pneumonia-particularly when fluoroquinolones are initially prescribed with resulting temporary clinical improvement-can significantly delay the diagnosis of TB and initiation of antituberculosis treatment.22,23

The second observation was the misinterpretation of the patient’s TST result. A negative TST reaction does not exclude the diagnosis of TB disease in patients with signs and symptoms consistent with TB disease. Up to 25% of patients with TB disease will have negative TST results when tested during the diagnostic evaluation.24,25 Patients with TB disease may have a diminished ability to mount a delayed-hypersensitivity reaction to tuberculin antigens because of depressed immune function. The inability to react to skin tests is termed anergy and may be caused by conditions or medications associated with immunosuppression (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus infection, chronic renal failure, solid organ transplant, the equivalent of 15 mg of prednisone per day, tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists). Skin tests for anergy (i.e., control antigens) have poor predictive value and are no longer recommended. In this patient with a known previous 17-mm TST reaction in 1995, a TST should not have been placed. However, when the patient’s TST reaction was negative, the result should have prompted an evaluation for TB disease. And although treatment of LTBI with 6 months of INH reduces the subsequent incidence of TB by up to 70%, patients with a history of treated LTBI remain at risk for TB disease throughout their lifetimes.26,27 Despite a delay in diagnosis and several months of potential exposure to a contagious patient, M. tuberculosis transmission aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan was limited. In addition, civilians who shared a berthing compartment with the patient were no more likely than the general population to have a positive TST result. Both U.S. Navy ships and passenger cruise ships have sailors and crew members from TB-endemic countries, and occasionally a sailor or crew member is diagnosed with TB disease even on ships with rigorous TB control programs. This investigation suggests that results from shipboard contact investigations, where sailors and crew members have documented baseline TST results, can be used to guide decisions regarding TB screening of passengers under similar circumstances. In this particular situation, mass screening of passengers was unnecessary because their risk for infection was minimal. Decisions to conduct future investigations in similar settings should take into consideration the activities of the contagious TB patient, potential for infection through shared airspace, and available public health resources.

REFERENCES

1. Hardy MA, Schmidek HH: Epidemiology of tuberculosis aboard a ship. JAMA 1968; 203: 109-13.

2. Houk VN, Baker JH, Sorensen K, Kent DC: The epidemiology of tuberculosis infection in a closed environment. Arch Environ Health 1968; 16: 25-35.

3. Houk VN, Kent DC, Baker JH, Sorensen K, Hanzel GD: The Byrd study: in-depth analysis of a micro-outbreak of tuberculosis in a closed environment. Arch Environ Health 1968; 16: 4-6.

4. DiStasio AJ, Trump DH: The investigation of a tuberculosis outbreak in the closed environment of a U.S. Navy ship, 1987. Milit Med 1990; 155; 347-51.

5. LaMar JE, Malakooti M: Tuberculosis outbreak investigation of a U.S. Navy amphibious ship crew and the marine expeditionary unit aboard, 1998. Milit Med 2003; 168: 523-7.

6. Driver CR, Valway SE, Morgan WM, Onorato IM, Castro KG: Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis associated with air travel. JAMA 1994; 272: 1031-5.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Exposure of passengers and flight crew to Mycobacterium tuberculosis on commercial aircraft, 1992-1995. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995; 44: 137-40.

8. Kenyon TA, Valway SE, Ihle WW, Onorato IM, Castro KG: Transmission of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis during a long airplane flight. N Engl J Med 1996; 334: 933-8.

9. Moore M, Valway SE, Ihle W. Onorato IM: A train passenger with pulmonary tuberculosis: evidence of limited transmission during travel. Clin Infect Dis 1999; 28: 52-6.

10. Yusuf HR, Braden CR, Greenberg AJ, Weltman AC, Onorato IM, Valway SE: Tuberculosis transmission among five school bus drivers and students in two New York counties. Pediatrics [serial online] 1997; 100: E9. Available at http://www.pediatrics.Org/cgi/content/ full/100/3/ e9; accessed April 30, 2007.

11. Curtis AB, Ridzon R, Vogel R, et al: Extensive transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a child. N Engl J Med 1999; 341: 1491-5.

12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Guidelines for the investigation of contacts of persons with infectious tuberculosis: recommendations from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association and the CDC. No. RR-15. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2005; 54: 1-47.

13. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery: BUMED Instruction 6224.8: Tuberculosis Control Program. Philadelphia, PA, Naval Publications and Forms Directorate, September 14, 1993.

14. American Thoracic Society and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis, Ed 4. Atlanta, GA, Department of Health and Human Services, 2000.

15. Talbot EA, Moore M, McCray E, Binkin NJ: Tuberculosis among foreign-born persons in the United States, 1993-1998. JAMA 2000; 284: 2894-900.

16. Zuber PL, McKenna MT, Binkin NJ, Onorato IM, Castro KG: Longterm risk of tuberculosis among foreign-born persons in the United States. JAMA 1997; 278: 304-7.

17. Bennett DE, Courval JM, Onorato IM, et al: Prevalence of tuberculosis infection in the U.S. population: the national health and nutrition examination survey, 1999-2000. Am J RespirCrit Care Med 2008; 177: 1-8.

18. Golub JE, Bur S, Cronin WA, et al: Patient and health care system delays in pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in a low- incidence state. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2005; 9: 992-8.

19. Gamble-Lawson C, Bowman C, Bowman W, Riegodedios A, Bohnker B: Tuberculosis in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps: a 4-year retrospective analysis 2000-2003. Navy Med Surveill Rep: 2004; 7: 6- 9.

20. De Souza MV, Vasconcelos TR, de Almeida MV, Cardoso SH: Fluoroquinolones: an important class of antibiotics against tuberculosis. Curr Med Chem 2006; 13: 455-63.

21. Johnson JL, Hadad DJ, Boom WH, et al: Early and extended early bactericidal activity of levofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin in pulmonary tuberculosis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2006; 10: 605-12.

22. Yoon YS, Lee HJ, Yoon HI, et al: Impact of fluoroquinolones on the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis initially treated as bacterial pneumonia. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2005; 9: 1215-19.

23. Dooley KE, Golub J, Goes FS, Merz WG, Sterling TR: Empiric treatment of community-acquired pneumonia with fluoroquinolones, and delays in the treatment of tuberculosis. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34: 1606-12.

24. Holden M, Dubin MR, Diamond PH: Frequency of negative intermediate-strength tuberculin sensitivity in patients with active tuberculosis. N Engl J Med 1971; 285: 1506-09.

25. Nash DR, Douglass JE: Anergy in active pulmonary tuberculosis: a comparison between positive and negative reactors and an evaluation of 5 TU and 250 TU skin test doses. Chest 1980; 77: 32-7.

26. Comstock GW, Ferebee SH, Hammes LM: A controlled trial of community-wide isoniazid prophylaxis in Alaska. Am Rev Respir Dis 1967; 95: 935-43.

27. International Union Against Tuberculosis Committee on Prophylaxis: Efficacy of various durations of isoniazid preventive therapy for tuberculosis: five years of follow-up in the IUAT trial. Bull World Health Organ 1982; 60: 555-64.

LCDR Ann M. Buff, USPHS*[dagger]; Swati J. Deshpande, PhD*[double dagger]; CDR Theresa A. Harrington, USPHS[dagger]; Taylor S. Wofford, MD[section]; LCDR Timothy W. O’Hara, MC USN[para]; LCDR Kenichi Carrigan, MC USNJ[para]; LT Nicholas J. Martin, MSC USN||; LT Jackie C. McDowell, MC USN#; Kashef Ijaz, MD[dagger]; CAPT Paul A. Jensen, USPHS[dagger]; Lauren A. Lambert, MPHf; CDR Marisa Moore, USPHS[dagger][double dagger]; John E. Oeltmann, PhD[dagger]

* Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-92, Atlanta, GA 30333.

[dagger] Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-10, Atlanta, GA 30333.

[dagger] County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, 3851 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92110.

[section] The CDC Experience Fellow, Office of Workforce and Career Development, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS E-92, Atlanta, GA 30333.

[para] U.S. Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Five, 3235 Albacore Alley, San Diego, CA 92136.

|| U.S. Naval Hospital Lemoore, 937 Franklin Avenue, Lemoore, CA 93243.

# Carrier Air Wing Fourteen, Branch Medical Clinic, Naval Air Station North Island, Box 357046, San Diego, CA 92135-7046.

This manuscript was received for review in December 2007. The revised manuscript was accepted for publication in March 2008.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the sailors and officers of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, Carrier Air Wing Fourteen, Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and U.S. Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Five for their participation. We also thank the state tuberculosis controllers and local health departments for their support in this investigation.

Dr. Taylor S. Wofford is a fellow of The CDC Experience, a 1- year fellowship in applied epidemiology at the CDC, funded by Pfizer Public Health Group through the CDC Foundation.

Copyright Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Jun 2008

(c) 2008 Military Medicine. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

After concerns were raised over severe side effects of antibiotics known as flouroquinolones, last week the Food and Drug Administration ordered manufacturers to provide additional warnings and cautionary literature for their products.

The Associated Press reported the two leading drugs covered by the warning are Cipro, made by Bayer, and Levaquin, which is made by Ortho-McNeil. For everyday purposes, Cipro is often used to treat urinary tract infections, while Levaquin is generally used to treat respiratory infections but both have been linked to tendonopathy in hundreds of patients in the United states.

Dr. Melvin Deese, and orthopedic surgeon at Summit Sports Medicine in Brunswick, said the issue is twofold.

“Cipro and others like it are commonly required antibiotics today because over the years germs more resistant to less powerful drugs,” Deese said.

“This class of drugs, detrimental to the patient in two ways,” He added “They slow the healing process and simultaneously destroy components of the tendons.”

While the effects are most commonly seen in the Achilles, which is the largest most stressed tendon in the body, some reports also involved the rotator cuff in the shoulder, tendons in the hands and biceps.

Side effects initially manifest with pain, swelling and redness in joints and can eventually lead to tendon tears or ruptures. This problem can be debilitating for patients because tendons, which attach muscle to bone, are essential to joint mobility and movement.

Deese said adverse reactions can occur as quickly as a few hours after the initial dose and up to a few months after treatment has commenced. There is no way to determine if a patient is susceptible to the specific side effect before administering treatment, though manufacturers have called the tendon ruptures a rare side effect.

“It’s not an allergic reaction, and it only occurs in a minority of patients,” Deese noted. “But as more of it dispensed the potential for adverse reactions more pronounced and increasingly evident.”

Flouroquinolones don’t have an exceptionally long presence in the body but anyone who is diagnosed with the side effect should stop taking the drug. Less severe instances of the deterioration can be treated with non-steroidal drugs or anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen but extreme cases can require immobilization and even surgery.

The Associated Press reported that FDA officials stressed many of the serious injuries appear to be preventable if patients stop taking the drug at the first sign of pain or swelling in a tendon, call their doctor, and switch antibiotics.

Medsphere(R) Systems Corporation, the leading provider of Open Source healthcare IT solutions, today announced a partnership with WebReach, Inc., a premier healthcare IT consultancy and creator of Open Source health IT solutions, for comprehensive support of Medsphere’s OpenVista(R) electronic health record (EHR). Through Mirth, WebReach’s healthcare messaging integration engine, Medsphere creates standard interfaces for a hospital’s existing and proprietary applications, enabling disparate patient data systems to efficiently exchange information. This rapid, seamless and scalable interaction between existing information systems and the comprehensive OpenVista solution enables facilities to realize clinical, operational and regulatory benefits in as little as half the time and for one-third the cost of alternative solutions.

In OpenVista and Mirth, Medsphere and WebReach offer hospitals an Open Source, feature-rich and commercially supported solution that meets unique facility needs and overcomes the cost, interoperability and complexity limitations of traditional “vendor lock” EHRs. Central to the success of OpenVista is the ability to seamlessly interoperate with existing third-party applications — from administrative and financial applications to clinical data repositories and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) — preserving legacy IT investment and delivering superior time-to-value and time-to-benefit. This efficient integration is made possible because OpenVista incorporates Mirth and interfacing standards such as Health Level 7 (HL7) for the exchange and retrieval of electronic health information.

“Medsphere and WebReach are committed to improving healthcare by dramatically reducing the time and cost required for hospitals to achieve full health information system interoperability and secure information sharing,” said Michael J. Doyle, CEO of Medsphere. “With Mirth Appliances, we are able to interoperate more efficiently than with other integration engines, ensuring that OpenVista will continue to meet and exceed the performance and functionality demands of modern healthcare while remaining a time-, cost- and clinically effective EHR solution.”

The agreement between Medsphere and WebReach provides for coordinated, around-the-clock support; customized technical training; and expanded interface engineering capabilities, including scalable message translation and advanced mapping between health information systems and across various protocols, data sources and distributed systems. In addition, the partnership gives Medsphere preferred pricing on WebReach’s Mirth Appliances, helping to fast-track complex customer integration projects with the secure, resilient and turn-key Mirth solution.

“Our partnership brings together two professional Open Source companies focused on delivering world-class healthcare IT solutions,” said Jon Teichrow, president of WebReach. “WebReach and Medsphere are proving life-critical, commercial-quality, community-driven Open Source healthcare solutions can be delivered to healthcare organizations in less time than previously thought possible. This is a significant milestone for Open Source healthcare.”

OpenVista recently enabled Midland Memorial Hospital in West Texas to be named a Health Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics Stage 6 facility following a more rapid and less costly implementation than is available with alternative solutions. Through the Stage 6 designation, HIMSS Analytics recognizes healthcare facilities that have implemented healthcare IT solutions and achieved established levels of automated patient care and clinical process improvement.

Medsphere’s current activities include OpenVista implementations at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. OpenVista is already in use at multiple healthcare facilities and care delivery organizations, including all seven West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) facilities, Century City Doctor’s Hospital in Los Angeles, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs, Wyoming and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service.

About OpenVista

OpenVista is a commercialized version of the highly acclaimed VistA EHR created and developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over more than 20 years. OpenVista enables hospitals and other healthcare facilities to reduce operating costs and improve patient care more rapidly and inexpensively than other approaches. As a disruptive technology, OpenVista meets the needs of acute, ambulatory, and long-term care environments, as well as multi-facility, multi-specialty healthcare organizations, and offers clinicians a feature-rich, user-friendly and secure environment for accessing patient information in real time.

Medsphere supports the core principles of the Open Source community and has released the enhanced code base for the OpenVista Clinical Information System (CIS), the EHR’s core medical record application. The Open Source release of CIS enables customers and other interested parties to use, modify, and enhance it in support of improved processes and workflows, and better patient safety. OpenVista is the core focus of the Healthcare Open Source Ecosystem, a collaborative community of healthcare facilities, developers, value-added resellers, clinicians and other interested parties dedicated to improving patient care through Open Source tools. The Ecosystem enables participants to develop OpenVista according to particular needs and desires, communicate feedback, share enhancements, and benefit from one another’s work.

About Medsphere Systems Corporation

As the Open Source source for healthcare, Medsphere is revolutionizing the industry by delivering commercially supported software based on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ proven VistA EHR. Medsphere offers healthcare an economically sustainable and comprehensive solution in OpenVista(R), a portfolio of products and professional services for hospitals, clinics, and integrated delivery networks. The company addresses the capital constraints of the healthcare industry through an innovative subscription-based pricing model. Medsphere’s experienced team of healthcare technology professionals and unique suite of implementation tools deliver a fluid transition to a comprehensive healthcare information technology solution. Founded in 2002, Medsphere is backed financially by Azure Capital Partners, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, and EPIC Ventures (formerly the Wasatch Venture Fund). For more information, visit http://www.medsphere.com.

About Mirth

Mirth is rapidly becoming the interface engine of choice for health information system data exchange. Mirth delivers robust HL7, XML, X12, NCPDP, and DiCOM interface capabilities in an Open Source package, providing an alternative to costly proprietary and in-house systems. Mirth is licensed under the Mozilla Public License (MPL 1.1) and is free to download and use for development and production deployments. The license also allows companies to embed and distribute Mirth free of charge. Mirth’s zero-cost license ensures cost-effective deployment across as many systems and CPUs as business needs require, with no hidden costs. For more information about Mirth, please visit http://webreachinc.com and http://www.mirthproject.org.

About WebReach, Inc.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Irvine, CA, WebReach serves some of the nations largest and most respected healthcare organizations. WebReach delivers information technology consulting, hosts high availability secure applications, and designs user-driven health information solutions. WebReach software is used daily by thousands of health professionals across the U.S. to streamline care management processes and to securely exchange health information. The Mirth Project is the first in a series of WebReach initiatives aimed at transforming health information technology by making high-value information technology utilities available to the healthcare community on an Open Source basis. For more information visit http://webreachinc.com.

 Contacts Medsphere Systems Rick Jung Chief Operating Officer (949) 297-8182 office [email protected]  Media Marisa Borgasano Schwartz Communications for Medsphere (415) 512-0770 [email protected]

SOURCE: Medsphere

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 15 /PRNewswire/ — Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Rib-X” or the “Company”), a development-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial for an intravenous form of antibiotic compound RX-3341 in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs). The safety and efficacy study will be conducted at 35 sites across the United States. As a precursor to this news the Company also announced positive results of a two-part Phase 1 study with the same candidate.

“We have made significant progress in advancing this next-generation broad spectrum antibiotic further toward clinical use,” said Dr. Susan Froshauer, President and CEO of Rib-X. “We intend to rapidly move forward with the development of our IV dosage form to meet the need for a broad-spectrum antibiotic in the hospital setting, particularly one that is active against quinolone-resistant MRSA. We also hope to further progress our oral dosage form to ensure a greater diversity of use in the treatment of serious infections in a number of settings.”

Phase 2 Study Design

This Phase 2 double-blind study (study RX-3341-201) will evaluate the safety and efficacy of RX-3341 at two different doses administered intravenously to hospitalized cSSSI patients every 12 hours for 5 to 14 days, as compared to tigecycline (Tygacil(TM)). The study’s primary endpoint is the assessment of RX-3341 efficacy, safety and tolerability at the two different doses compared to that of tigecycline’s standard dosing regimen. A secondary endpoint for the study is the assessment of clinical efficacy of RX-3341 compared to tigecycline in patients with cSSSIs caused by methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Phase I Results

The two-part Phase 1 study (RX-3341-103) compared the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of two intravenous formulations of RX-3341. Part 1 of the study was designed to compare the safety and pharmacokinetics of the two IV formulations, with the purpose of optimizing the formulation of the IV dosage form. Twelve individuals received one dose of each of the formulations in a cross-over design. The two formulations were thus shown to be comparable in terms of exposure.

Part 2 of the study was designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of the optimized intravenous RX-3341 formulation. Results showed that the chosen intravenous RX-3341 formulation was well tolerated using multiple doses for 14 days.

About RX-3341

RX-3341 is a novel, broad spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic which has shown increased activity against gram-positive organisms compared to other quinolones, and similar or better activity to that of ciprofloxacin against gram-negative organisms in in-vitro studies and twelve Phase I and two Phase 2 clinical trials of the oral dosage form.

About Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a product-driven small molecule drug discovery and development company focused on the structure-based design of new classes of antibiotics. The Company’s underlying drug discovery engine capitalizes on its proprietary high-resolution crystal structure of the ribosome, which performs an essential role in the fundamental process of protein synthesis. Many known, commercially valuable antibiotics bind to the ribosome, including those used to treat both community-acquired and hospital- acquired pathogens. The Company’s integrated research strategy, which combines state of the art, proprietary computational analysis, X-ray crystallography, medicinal chemistry, microbiology and biochemistry, allows it to rapidly synthesize new agents designed to avoid typical antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Rib-X’s iterative intelligent engine has yielded several distinctive new antibiotic classes. The Company currently has two programs in human clinical trials, the RX-1741 designer oxazolidinone program as an oral/IV agent to treat serious hospital Gram-positive infections and the RX- 3341 program, a next generation fluoroquinolone, active against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the Company has multiple drug discovery programs. The first of these programs is focused on design and development of an orally active macrolide for community use for treatment of skin infections, including those caused by MRSA. The second discovery program is directed towards identifying a new chemical class of antibiotics active against multi-drug resistant Gram- negative bacteria.

For more information on the ribosome and the Rib-X mission, please visit the Company website at http://www.rib-x.com/.

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: Investors, Matthew Duch, +1-212-850-5758, [email protected],or Media, Irma Gomez-Dib, +1-212-850-5761, [email protected], both of FDLife Sciences, for Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Web site: http://www.rib-x.com/

PITTSBURGH, July 15 /PRNewswire/ — MED3OOO Group, Inc. (MED3OOO), a national leader in healthcare management and technology products and services for providers and employers, is pleased to announce the addition of Thomas P. Cooper, M.D., a nationally recognized healthcare entrepreneur, to MED3OOO’s Board of Directors.

MED3OOO recently announced partnership arrangement with Mitsui & Co. (USA), Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui). The agreement with Mitsui provides MED3OOO with opportunities to expand its vision of being a global “premier strategic operations partner” for those involved in the delivery and financing of healthcare. Dr. Cooper will be joining other outside MED3OOO Board members, which include John McConnell (founder and former CEO of Medic Computer Systems, now Misys Healthcare, and former CEO of A4 Health Systems, now Allscripts), Scott Miller, Managing Partner and cofounder of Lovett Miller & Co., a private equity company, and Rick Salas, investor and director of Medical Manager Systems and former CEO of iLIANT Inc.

Dr. Cooper has used his medical training and business acumen to start up and manage several companies that have become national leaders in their respective fields. He founded a national emergency physician company (Spectrum Emergency Care, acquired by Laidlaw, Inc.), the largest correctional facility healthcare company (Correctional Medical Services), the leading provider of mental health programs for long-term care facilities (Vericare), and the largest provider of X-Ray/EKG to nursing homes (Mobilex USA, acquired by Integrated Health Services). These companies have had combined revenues of over $1 billion, serve over five-thousand facilities, and are located in all 50 states, reaching more than four million patients. Dr. Cooper is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship, and he serves on the Boards of Hanger Orthopedic, Kindred Healthcare, and IPC The Hospitalist Company. He is also actively involved with other portfolio companies of Aperture Venture Partners, a venture capital firm where he is a senior partner.

“We are excited to have Dr. Cooper’s expertise on our board, given his vast leadership experience and knowledge in building and operating successful companies within the healthcare industry. We believe he will provide valuable strategic direction to MED3OOO,” said Patrick V. Hampson, Chairman and CEO of MED3OOO.

About MED3OOO

MED3OOO, a leader in healthcare management services, information management, and technologies, advances the quality and performance of healthcare delivery for providers and payors across the United States. Focused on the provision of evidence-based management and population health management, MED3OOO empowers over 15,000 physician, hospital, employer, health system, and municipal clients across the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.med3000.com/ or contact Karla Sartori, MED3OOO Corporate Marketing, at 412-937-8887 or [email protected].

   CONTACT:   Karla Sartori   412-937-8887 ext. 325   [email protected]    

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

MED3OOO Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Karla Sartori of MED3OOO Group, Inc., +1-412-937-8887 ext. 325,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.med3000.com/

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Merlin(TM)@home transmitter, an RF wireless technology that remotely monitors patients’ implanted cardiac devices. The transmitter supports the St. Jude Medical Current(R) RF and Promote(R) RF family of devices and works in conjunction with the St. Jude Medical data management system, Merlin(TM).net Patient Care Network (PCN), to provide complete remote care service for patients and their physicians.

Until recently, patients with implanted cardiac devices were typically required to visit doctors’ offices several times per year to have their device performance checked. With the advent of transmitters capable of downloading and transmitting device data over telephone lines, patients are now able to initiate and perform many of these follow-ups in their own homes.

The Merlin@home transmitter’s wireless technology gives patients the additional comfort of having devices automatically checked. Since the transmitter initiates the scheduled follow-up and uses RF wireless telemetry to download data from the device, the entire follow-up procedure is conducted without any direct patient involvement. The only requirement is that each patient remains within range of the transmitter while it reads his or her device. Patients also may initiate data transmissions as instructed by their physicians.

The Merlin@home transmitter is transportable and can be set-up wherever a standard phone line is available, typically by the bedside for data transmission while the patient sleeps. Data downloaded by the Merlin@home transmitter is sent to Merlin.net PCN, a secure, Internet-based data management system, where it is stored for review by the patient’s physician.

“We have simplified remote follow-ups to the extent that they are now something that can be performed seamlessly without interrupting the patient’s day. Patients simply set-up the Merlin@home transmitter; after that, the system handles all aspects of patient follow up, including daily monitoring,” said Eric S. Fain, M.D., president of the St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division. “The simplicity of the system reduces the chance of patients missing follow-up transmissions.”

The Merlin@home transmitter also monitors cardiac devices outside of regularly scheduled follow-ups. The system can perform daily checks to monitor for alerts about device performance or about patient heart rhythms that may have been detected by the implanted device. Merlin.net PCN can be programmed to alert a physician directly – including an on-call physician outside normal business hours – in the event that the monitored data reveals an episode the physician needs to know about as soon as possible.

“By directly alerting physicians, the Merlin@home transmitter and Merlin.net PCN can help reduce risks associated with cardiac episodes that physicians would want to know about right away,” said Fain. “Without this notification, these events might go undetected for significant amounts of time. Direct notification is one more way to give physicians more control over their patient’s critical health care.”

The Merlin@home transmitter will be available in the U.S. early this fall and internationally in the fourth quarter.

About Merlin.Net Patient Care Network (PCN)

Implantable cardiac devices are designed to capture and record vast amounts of information about device performance and patient heart rhythms that is vital to patient care. Merlin.net PCN not only stores this information for physicians to review, but also allows data to be sent directly to a clinic’s or a hospital’s electronic health records (EHR) system so the data is included in the patient’s comprehensive personal health record. With immediate access to patient information through the secure Merlin.net PCN website, physicians can remotely monitor and assess patient device data and determine the level of care needed. Alert notification delivery times can be customized by the physician.

Other Merlin.net PCN features include DirectCall(TM) Message, which uses an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system to call patients to remind them of upcoming scheduled follow-ups, inform them if they have missed a follow-up, confirm that their transmitted data has been reviewed or ask them to call their physician’s office for more information.

Merlin.net PCN supports all currently marketed Atlas(R) and Epic(R) implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) devices in the U.S, as well as Current(R) RF and Promote(R) RF devices. The Merlin.net PCN system adheres to patient privacy standards and requirements for the electronic transmission of health information, as set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

About St. Jude Medical and Connectivity

St. Jude Medical is the only cardiac rhythm management company able to transfer information directly from the remote care system to a patient’s electronic health record using the requirements established by the IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise), which promotes standards for securely sharing healthcare information across clinical settings. Meeting these standards helps make the transfer of patient data from Merlin.net PCN to the clinic’s electronic health record (EHR) system seamless and secure.

About St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical develops medical technology and services that focus on putting more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide. The company is dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., St. Jude Medical employs more than 12,500 people worldwide and has five major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation. For more information, please visit www.sjm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical successes, anticipated regulatory approvals and future product launches, and projected revenues, margins, earnings, and market shares. The statements made by the Company are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company’s control and the risk factors and other cautionary statements described in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including those described in the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 27, 2008. The Company does not intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstance.

Heidi Murkoff, the mom who wrote the book that’s helped over 27 million families know “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” has launched a nationwide immunization awareness campaign to help parents know what to expect from childhood vaccines. The “What to Expect(R) Guide to Immunizations” is a new, complimentary booklet available at many pediatricians’ offices across the country as well as online at www.whattoexpect.org. This concise, comprehensive guide and planner provides parents with important information about vaccines and the diseases they protect against, and answers parents’ frequently asked questions and concerns about vaccines, such as:

— Why are immunizations so important?

— Do vaccines really work?

— Who decides which shots are recommended and when they should be given?

— Why do I need to make sure my child gets his or her shots at the recommended times?

“No parent likes to see a needle headed his or her child’s way,” acknowledges Murkoff, President of the What to Expect Foundation and author of the “What to Expect” pregnancy and parenting series. “But having your child vaccinated is by far one of the best ways to help keep them (and other children and adults in the community) healthy. It is because of vaccinations that some childhood diseases are only a distant medical memory in this country.”

“For vaccines to continue protecting children,” adds Murkoff, “children have to continue being vaccinated. And, they have to receive the right shot at the right time. Fortunately, it’s easier than you’d think — especially if you know what to expect.”

Parents will also be happy to learn about recent advances in combination vaccines. “There’s great news when it comes to the number of shots your child will be getting,” said Murkoff. “The combo vaccines that combine immunizations against two or more diseases at the same time — in one shot — are becoming more common. They’re just as safe and effective as individual shots. Which means your child will get fewer shots — with the same protection. How’s that for win-win?”

About the Guide

Written in the same warm, reassuring tone that parents have come to expect from her books, Heidi’s new “What to Expect Guide to Immunizations” is a free, comprehensive guide that explains what parents need to know about vaccine-preventable diseases and the vaccines and schedules recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The “What to Expect Guide to Immunizations” also includes a vaccine chart and planner to help parents and pediatricians work together to keep track of the shots that children receive. Plus there are tips to help minimize those vaccination tears and fears. Funding and other support for the Guide was provided by GlaxoSmithKline.

About The What to Expect Foundation

The What to Expect Foundation takes its name from the best-selling “What to Expect” pregnancy and parenting series which has helped over 27 million families from pregnancy through their child’s toddler years. The Foundation works to help underserved families receive the health literacy support they need so they too can expect healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries and happier babies. The Foundation has reached over 300,000 at-risk families nationwide.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) provided funding and other support to The What to Expect Foundation for the development and free distribution of the “What to Expect Guide to Immunizations: What You Need to Know About Your Child’s Vaccinations.”

Heidi Murkoff is the mom who wrote “What To Expect,” the bestselling series that has helped over 27 million families from pregnancy through their child’s toddler years. Heidi and The What to Expect Foundation are committed to helping every family know what to expect — which is why she donated her time and services for this program.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

About the What to Expect Foundation: http://76.12.66.24/release/About_the_What_to_Expect_Foundation.doc

Heidi Murkoff Bio: http://76.12.66.24/release/HEIDI_MURKOFF_BIO.doc

Immunization Backgrounder: http://76.12.66.24/release/Immunizations_Backgrounder.doc

Questions & Answers with Heidi Murkoff: http://76.12.66.24/release/Q&A_with_Heidi_Murkoff.doc

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Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=782784

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=776961

Embedded Video Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=405533

 Contact: Lindsey K. Minella Cohn & Wolfe 312-596-3365 [email protected]

SOURCE: The What to Expect Foundation

SOMERSET, N.J., July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Alfacell Corporation today announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Megapharm Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical company in Israel, for the commercialization of ONCONASE(R) (ranpirnase) in Israel. ONCONASE, the company’s lead drug candidate, recently completed an international confirmatory Phase IIIb clinical trial for unresectable malignant mesothelioma (UMM).

Under the agreement, Alfacell has granted Megapharm exclusive rights in the defined territory for the marketing, sales and distribution of ONCONASE. Alfacell will receive 50% of all sales in the territory. In addition, Alfacell will manufacture and supply the product to Megapharm, while Megapharm will be responsible for all activities and costs related to regulatory filings and commercial activities in the territory.

Miron Drucker, CEO and founder of Megapharm, said, “Having been interested observers in the development of ONCONASE, a first-in-class anti-cancer agent, we are proud to include this unique product in our oncology portfolio. We believe that ONCONASE will prove to be a promising new treatment option for patients suffering from mesothelioma.”

“We are very pleased to add Megapharm to our growing list of important regional partners for ONCONASE,” said Kuslima Shogen, chief executive officer of Alfacell. “Megapharm’s role as a leader in biotechnology marketing in Israel provides Alfacell with an ideal partner to maximize the potential of ONCONASE in this region. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Megapharm.”

About ONCONASE(R)

ONCONASE is a first-in-class therapeutic product candidate based on Alfacell’s proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. A natural protein isolated from the leopard frog, ONCONASE has been shown in the laboratory and clinic to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. ONCONASE triggers apoptosis, the natural death of cells, via multiple molecular mechanisms of action.

Alfacell has licensed the U.S. commercial rights for ONCONASE to Strativa Pharmaceuticals, a division of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. Strategic marketing and distribution agreements for ONCONASE have been secured with BL&H Co. Ltd. for Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, USP Pharma Spolka Z.O.O., an affiliate of US Pharmacia, for Eastern Europe, and GENESIS Pharma, S.A. for Southeastern Europe.

ONCONASE has been granted fast track status and orphan-drug designation for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma by the FDA. Additionally, ONCONASE has been granted orphan-drug designation in the European Union and Australia.

About Alfacell Corporation

Alfacell Corporation is the first company to advance a biopharmaceutical product candidate that works in a manner similar to RNA interference (RNAi) through late-stage clinical trials. The product candidate, ONCONASE, is an RNase that overcomes the challenges of targeting RNA for therapeutic purposes while enabling the development of a new class of targeted therapies for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Alfacell has completed Phase III clinical trials of ONCONASE in unresectable malignant mesothelioma and, in addition to ongoing efforts to complete the related rolling New Drug Application, Alfacell is currently planning for Phase II clinical trials in other oncology indications. For more information, visit http://www.alfacell.com/.

About Megapharm

Megapharm Ltd. is one of the leading private biotech, pharmaceutical and medical nutrition marketing companies in Israel with a strong biotech orientation, exclusively representing a number of major American and European pharmaceutical companies. Megapharm has demonstrated dynamic sales growth by developing a strong company presence and expertise in select therapeutic areas, and diversified segments of the healthcare business. The company also has a recognized and proven track record for obtaining reimbursement and inclusion of its products in all the health funds in Israel. For more information, visit http://www.megapharm.co.il/.

Safe Harbor

This press release includes statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements, usually containing the words “believe,””estimate,””project,””expect” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainty whether the clinical trial results will allow the company to complete submission of a New Drug Application and if a New Drug Application submission is completed, uncertainty whether FDA will file or approve such application, uncertainties involved in transitioning from concept to product, uncertainties involving the ability of the company to finance research and development activities, potential challenges to or violations of patents, uncertainties regarding the outcome of clinical trials or differences of opinion in interpreting the results of clinical trials, the company’s ability to secure necessary approvals from regulatory agencies, dependence upon third-party vendors, the company’s ability to timely regain its compliance with NASDAQ continued listing standards and maintain such compliance, and other risks discussed in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

   Media Contact:                       Investor Contact:   David Schull or Wendy Lau            Andreas Marathovouniotis   Russo Partners                       Russo Partners   212-845-4271                         212-845-4235   [email protected]    [email protected]   [email protected]  

Alfacell Corporation

CONTACT: Media Contact: David Schull, [email protected],or Wendy Lau, [email protected], +1-212-845-4271, for AlfacellCorporation, or Investor Contact: Andreas Marathovouniotis, +1-212-845-4235,[email protected], all of Russo Partners for AlfacellCorporation

Web site: http://www.alfacell.com/http://www.megapharm.co.il/

NEW YORK, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Five-time gold medalist, Nadia Comaneci, and nine-time gold medalist, Mark Spitz, today joined Allergan, Inc. , the maker of BOTOX(R) Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A), to launch a new consumer education campaign — Your Personal Best. As part of the campaign, Comaneci and Spitz will share tips on how they remain at the top of their game in an effort to inspire men and women to achieve their own personal best — be it through diet, exercise or by improving their personal skin care routine.

According to a recent national survey (n = 2,403), four in five people define their personal best as a combination of feeling their best, looking their best and fulfilling their responsibilities.(1) Recognizing this, long- time friends, Comaneci (46) and Spitz (58) will travel the nation offering tips and insights on how women and men can define their own personal gold standard and achieve their goals.

According to acclaimed dermatologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Amy Wechsler, the Your Personal Best mission of encouraging people to define their own personal best and focus on total wellness is often a key factor to personal satisfaction. “I always tell my patients that their health and personal state of mind are closely connected. Simply put, improving your state of mind can be achieved by exercising, making healthy food choices and taking care of your skin. As a dermatologist, I recommend a personalized skin care regimen to help my patients achieve the results they’re looking for. By helping them improve their skin, I am putting them a step closer to achieving the ultimate mind- body connection.”

This is true for Comaneci who describes her personal best as taking care of her inner and outer self. “As a mother of an active two-year old boy, I am constantly on the go and trying to find time to take care of myself,” said Comaneci, who today runs a gymnastics school with husband and fellow gold- medalist gymnast, Bart Conner. “About five years ago, I realized that while I exercised and ate right most of my life, there was nothing I could do on my own that would get rid of those two stubborn frown lines stamped on my forehead. They looked like an ’11’ and made me upset with the way I looked, and that’s when I decided to talk to my physician about BOTOX(R) Cosmetic treatment. I attained a perfect ’10’ at age 14, and I’m working hard to stay close to that in all that I do.”

How the “11” Makes People Feel

Also according to the survey, approximately 60 percent of women and men agree that their “11” presents negative connotations.(2) Dr. Wechsler attributes the negative emotions stirred by the glabellar lines, commonly referred to as the “11”, as a significant contributor to why millions of women and men talk to their physicians about and have treatment with BOTOX(R) Cosmetic each year.

Already common among women, this trend is growing rapidly among men. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2007, there was a 20 percent increase in men opting for non-surgical aesthetic procedures, including BOTOX(R) Cosmetic.(3) BOTOX(R) Cosmetic was also the most popular non-surgical aesthetic procedure among men.(4)

Mark Spitz, who holds the world record for the greatest number of gold medals achieved in a single Olympic game and was named one of the sexiest men over 50 by MSN.com, decided to talk to his physician about getting treated with BOTOX(R) Cosmetic for the first time. “As a financial advisor and motivational speaker, my facial expression is a very important part of my message,” said Spitz. “When I am serious, my ’11’ makes me look angry and unapproachable rather than congenial. I knew I had to do something about it, but for a long time, I just didn’t know what my options were. Then I heard about BOTOX(R) Cosmetic and spoke to my wife about it. She encouraged me to see a great doctor who answered all my questions.”

Spitz is not alone. The survey also found that men are four times more likely to consider aesthetic treatments if their significant other recommends them.(5,6)

“Today, more and more women bring their husbands into my office for a BOTOX(R) Cosmetic treatment to lose their ’11,'” said Dr. Wechsler. “Men are now learning what women who are treated with BOTOX(R) Cosmetic have known for a long time — it’s not about looking younger, but about achieving a natural look.”

Sharing Tips to Achieve Your Personal Best

Comaneci and Spitz will participate in local Your Personal Best events where they will share their personal stories including their experiences with BOTOX(R) Cosmetic. Attendees also will have the opportunity to ask a physician expert questions about BOTOX(R) Cosmetic and will receive simple steps to help them achieve their personal best, including ways to:

— Reduce Stress – Approximately three-quarters (77%) of Americans experienced physical symptoms of stress (fatigue, upset stomach, dizziness)(7)

— Be Sun Smart – While 58 percent of people say they are concerned about skin cancer, 40 percent of Americans never use sunscreen and only 11 percent use an SPF15 or higher daily(8)

— Get Active – 39.5 percent of U.S. adults are physically inactive(9)

— Catch Some Zs – Approximately 7 in 10 U.S. adults (71%) are getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep a night on weekdays(10)

The Your Personal Best campaign Web site, http://www.ypbevents.com/, will provide information on registration for the events, tips for achieving your best along with questions to ask your physician about BOTOX(R) Cosmetic.

Important BOTOX(R) Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A) Information

BOTOX(R) Cosmetic is indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people 18 to 65 years of age.

Important BOTOX(R) Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A) Safety Information

Serious heart problems and serious allergic reactions have been reported rarely. If you think you are having an allergic reaction or other reactions, such as difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, call your doctor immediately. The most common side effects following injection are temporary eyelid droop and nausea. Patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at increased risk of serious side effects.

For full prescribing information, please visit http://www.botoxcosmetic.com/resources/pi.aspx

Your Personal Best Survey Methodology

TSC, a division of Yankelovich, Inc., conducted a phone omnibus of 2,403 men and women ages 30 to 64 in the United States. A national probability sample was used, based on random-digit dialing and including both listed and unlisted phone numbers. Data were weighted by age, sex, geographic region and race to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total population. The margin of error for this study is plus or minus 2.8% among men and plus or minus 2.8% among women. Statistical differences between groups are set at the 95% confidence interval. The survey was funded by Allergan, Inc.

About Allergan, Inc.

With more than 55 years of experience providing high-quality, science- based products, Allergan, Inc., with headquarters in Irvine, California, discovers, develops and commercializes products in the ophthalmology, neurosciences, medical dermatology, medical aesthetics, obesity intervention and other specialty markets that deliver value to its customers, satisfy unmet medical needs, and improve patients’ lives.

About Allergan Medical

Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc., offers the most comprehensive, science-based, aesthetic product offerings under its Total Facial Rejuvenation portfolio, including BOTOX(R) Cosmetic; hyaluronic acid and collagen-based dermal fillers; and physician-dispensed skin care products. Allergan Medical also offers the industry’s widest range of breast implant options for reconstructive and aesthetic breast surgery, and leading minimally invasive devices for obesity intervention treatment.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements”, including statements by Ms. Comaneci, Mr. Spitz and Dr. Wechsler and statements regarding research and development outcomes, efficacy, adverse events, market and product potential and other statements regarding BOTOX(R) Cosmetic.

These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from Allergan’s expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, general industry and market conditions; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in the research and development and regulatory processes; challenges related to product marketing, such as the unpredictability of market acceptance for new products and/or the acceptance of new indications for such products; inconsistency of treatment results among patients and the potential for product failures; unknown risks associated with the investigational devices that are the subject of clinical trials; potential difficulties in manufacturing new products; general economic conditions; and governmental laws and regulations affecting domestic and foreign operations. Allergan expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward- looking statements except as required to do so by law.

Additional information concerning these and other risk factors can be found in press releases issued by Allergan, as well as Allergan’s public periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under the heading “Risk Factors” in Allergan’s 2007 Form 10-K and Allergan’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Copies of Allergan’s press releases and additional information about Allergan is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.allergan.com/ or you can contact the Allergan Investor Relations Department by calling 1-714-246-4636.

(C) 2008 Allergan, Inc. Irvine, CA 92612. (R) mark owned by Allergan, Inc.

(1) TSC, a division of Yankelovich. “BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Your Personal Best.” June 2008. Page 1.

(2) TSC, a division of Yankelovich. “BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Your Personal Best.” June 2008. Page 3.

(3) American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2007 Cosmetic Surgery Statistics. Available at: http://www.surgery.org/press/statistics.php Retrieved May 29, 2008.

(4) American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2007 Cosmetic Surgery Statistics. Available at: http://www.surgery.org/press/statistics.php Retrieved May 29, 2008.

(5) TSC, a division of Yankelovich. “BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Your Personal Best.” June 2008. Page 7.

(6) TSC, a division of Yankelovich. “BOTOX(R) Cosmetic Your Personal Best.” June 2008. Page 5

(7) American Psychological Association. Stress a Major Health Problem in the U.S., Warns APA. October 24, 2007. Available at: http://www.apa.org/releases/stressproblem.html.Retrieved June 2. 2008.

(8) Skin Cancer Foundation. Survey: Tanned Skin Losing its Appeal. May 28, 2007. Available at http://www.skincancer.org/content/view/252/70. Retrieved June 2, 2008.

(9) National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2007 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, MD: 2007. Page 286. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus07.pdf

(10) National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. (1992) Wake Up America: A National Sleep Alert. Report of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. Washington, DC.

Allergan, Inc.

CONTACT: Crystal Cienfuegos, +1-714-246-5842, for Allergan, Inc.

Web site: http://www.allergan.com/http://www.ypbevents.com/

T2 Biosystems, Inc., a company developing the first portable medical diagnostic products which combine nanotechnology and miniaturized magnetic resonance (MR) technology, today announced significant research findings that demonstrate the superior efficacy of the Company’s nanoparticle-based, magnetic resonance diagnostic technology in a new miniaturized prototype. The findings appear in Nature Medicine in an article entitled “Chip-NMR biosensor for detection and molecular analysis of cells.”

The findings published in Nature Medicine show the clinical potential and exquisite sensitivity of T2’s technology as a robust and portable diagnostic device for multiplexed, quantitative and rapid analysis within a miniaturized prototype. In the study, a prototype device developed by the investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University performed measurements on biological samples, accurately detecting bacteria with high sensitivity, identifying small numbers of cells and analyzing them on a molecular level in real time, while measuring a series of protein biomarkers in parallel. The results showed the prototype distinguished between simulated blood samples representing healthy individuals, those with cancer, and those with diabetes, by looking for eight different biomarker molecules and also demonstrated it is sensitive enough to detect just 10 bacteria in a given sample.

This new research demonstrates the clinical potential of T2’s technology, through new methods of advancing and developing magnetic resonance-based diagnostics, which will ultimately offer improved speed, accuracy and efficiency as well as portability to a broader range of settings including doctor’s offices, homes and hospitals.

“This exciting data shows that this T2 technology-based prototype is currently two to three orders of magnitude more sensitive than the standard NMR scanners used in many laboratories today, and the revolutionary potential this technology can bring to bear on the field of clinical diagnostics,” said Ralph Weissleder, Ph.D., author of the paper, co-founder of T2 Biosystems and Professor, Harvard Medical School. “This novel technology will ultimately enable immediate, accurate diagnostic testing for nearly any health condition, in nearly any setting.”

“This exciting data is a continued validation of the breakthrough potential of T2’s novel technology,” said John McDonough, CEO of T2 Biosystems. “This data further demonstrates the robust capabilities of our portable diagnostics platform and the potential to improve health care by providing accurate and rapid diagnostic results in virtually any healthcare setting.”

T2 Biosystems is developing the next generation of medical diagnostic products through its proprietary technology, which combines nanotechnology and the miniaturization of proven MR technology to develop rapid, accurate and portable diagnostics. T2 Biosystems’ technology has been validated in multiple published journal articles and has shown to accurately analyze viruses, bacteria, proteins, hormones, DNA, small molecules and other diagnostic targets. The Company is developing a pipeline of diagnostic products based on its technology, including devices for hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and medical offices, as well as individual patients.

About T2 Biosystems

T2 Biosystems is a private biotechnology company developing next-generation medical diagnostic products using its proprietary technology, combining nanotechnology and miniaturized magnetic resonance (MR) technology to provide rapid, accurate and portable diagnostics. T2 Biosystems was founded in 2006 by renowned researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and has assembled a world-class team, board of directors and scientific advisory board that collectively have a proven track record of translating technologic innovations into breakthrough products, building significant corporate value. T2 Biosystems is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.t2biosystems.com.

By Emily Bregel, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.

Jul. 15–A newly created Tennessee stroke database will help improve treatment for one of the state’s leading killers, according to researchers and health advocates.

The stroke registry, created by legislation signed into law in June, will include stroke treatment and outcome data from as many Tennessee hospitals as possible, with an eye to identifying and improving weaknesses in stroke care, said Dr. Patti Vanhook, chairwoman of the stroke registry committee for the state’s stroke task force and assistant professor in the college of nursing at East Tennessee State University.

The university’s college of public health will start up and maintain the stroke registry, she said. Participation in the registry is voluntary and 15 Tennessee hospitals already have agreed to report stroke data to the registry.

Erlanger hospital’s Regional Stroke Center, which has collected its own stroke data for two years, is not yet signed up but will participate in the registry, said Pat Joly, stroke coordinator at Erlanger’s Regional Stroke Center.

“Where it’s going to help tremendously is in stroke prevention,” she said. “If you can identify what kind of strokes (are occurring) and where they are, you can concentrate your preventative (efforts) with those types of patients in mind.”

Memorial Hospital officials said the hospital will participate, and Parkridge Medical Center officials said they are currently reviewing the registry’s reporting requirements and most likely will participate in the program.

The stroke registry is one project of the state’s task force on stroke, which formed in 2005 as a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Hospital Association, the Quality Improvement Organization of Tennessee and the American Stroke Association, part of the American Heart Association, Dr. Vanhook said.

The registry will include data on stroke care given in the hospital, such as the use of clot-dissolving medications. It also will consider circumstances outside the hospital, such as whether the patient showed up at the hospital in his or her own car or an Emergency Medical Services vehicle.

The data will help public health officials identify system weaknesses, such as a lack of access to emergency transportation services or overcrowding in the ER waiting room, Dr. Vanhook said.

“We’re looking for: How can we help? What are the barriers to putting those things into place?” she said.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Tennessee, as well as in the United States, after heart disease and all cancers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stroke survival rates in Tennessee are poor compared to the rest of the nation. Tennessee ranks 48th in terms of stroke mortality, Dr. Vanhook said.

East Tennessee State University’s College of Public and Allied Health will start the statewide registry at a cost of $30,000, compared to the $500,000 it would have cost the state health department to get the program going, Dr. Vanhook said.

The university can utilize faculty members, graduate students and volunteers to create and maintain the database, but the state would have had much greater hiring and labor expenses, Dr. Vanhook said. The project coordinators hope to get federal funding in the future.

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Copyright (c) 2008, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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By Jeff Meyers, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Jul. 15–PLATTSBURGH — New digital mammography equipment at the Women’s Imaging Center in Plattsburgh is improving the quality of screening for certain women.

Traditional film-screen mammography that has been used for the past several decades has aided doctors in detecting early breast cancer and has helped to dramatically reduce the death rates associated with the disease.

However, those exams could not always detect early cancers, particularly in younger women and those with dense breast tissue.

“Fatty breast tissue is typically easier to penetrate (with mammography x-rays),” said Fay Ashline, manager of the Women’s Imaging Center. “The new full-field digital mammography is the next step toward finding more early-stage cancers in women with dense breast tissue.”

DIGITAL IMAGERY

Digital mammography uses an electronic x-ray detector similar to those found in digital cameras. The detector converts x-ray photons to light, passing it through a fiber-optic cable to a device that converts light to a digitized signal for display on a computer monitor.

“This digital system seems to work better with women who are younger or have denser breasts,” said Dr. David Hammack of Lake Champlain Radiology Associates. “It’s an advancement that will help us better serve this population of women in need.”

With digital imagery, radiologists can alter the orientation, magnification, brightness and contrast as desired to interpret films.

Their workstation includes high-resolution monitors, required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to retrieve information and to review a patient’s previous studies in relation to updated images.

“The radiologist can make several copies of previous mammograms, adding to the efficiency for the radiologist to review previous studies in electronic format,” Ashline said.

The center also has new digitizing equipment that enables staff to transfer the old hard-copy x-ray photos to electronic images. As patients come into the center for appointments, staff has been switching their old x-rays to the new digitized format.

EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT

The new process has also removed some of the waiting time that was required for women to receive information from their mammograms, Ashline noted.

“There is no longer a need for a darkroom to process films, and the images are checked for accuracy within 30 seconds,” she said.

Studies have shown improved screening quality for women in three categories:

women age 50 and under;

women of any age with very dense or extremely dense breasts;

women of any age who are pre- or peri-menopausal.

The new imagery also provides improved contrast between dense and non-dense breast tissue and offers the radiologist the ability to correct under or over-exposure without having to repeat examinations.

The equipment is expensive, Ashline noted, with the two new machines costing $750,000 and an additional $45,000 for the electronic digitizer. But the expense has been worth it over the first few weeks the equipment has been in use.

“The patients seem extremely pleased,” she said. “The exams are more comfortable and faster.”

EARLY DETECTION VITAL

The Women’s Imaging Center offers mammography services to Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties, performing an average of 60 mammograms per day.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that more than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 die annually. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

Approximately 1,700 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die each year as well.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96 percent. A mammogram is among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had the procedure done.

The National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that women 40 and older have mammograms every one to two years. A complete early-detection plan also includes regular clinical breast examinations by a trained medical professional. Monthly breast self-exams are suggested as well.

[email protected]

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

PURCHASE, N.Y., July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Nutrition 21, Inc. announced today that the Board of Directors effective July 14, 2008 appointed Michael A. Zeher as President & Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board.

Michael A. Zeher comes to Nutrition 21 with a distinguished record of consumer product success spanning more than 35 years in the health and personal care sectors. Mr. Zeher most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nutritional Laboratories International, Inc., recognized by Dun & Bradstreet and Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the U.S. Prior to joining Nutritional Labs, Mr. Zeher was President and Chief Operating Officer of Pharmaceutical Formulations, Inc., a publicly-traded contract manufacturer of over 100 different types of solid-dose branded and private label over-the-counter pharmaceutical products. He also led the integration and growth of the company’s branded division platform, Konsyl, Inc., a premium marketer of OTC and nutraceutical products in the digestive health category. He has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lander Co., Inc., a privately-held global manufacturer and marketer of personal care products. Earlier in his career Mr. Zeher held various management positions of increasing responsibility at industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson and Marion Merrill Dow. Mr. Zeher is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.

“I am delighted to join the team at Nutrition 21,” said Mr. Zeher. “I believe this company is uniquely positioned to grow into a thriving and profitable business providing products to support active, healthy lives and improved cognitive function. Nutrition 21 has a history of developing efficacious products by effectively combining research, biotechnology, and strategic marketing partnerships. We will look to leverage that tradition with a strong corporate structure, financial discipline, a vision dedicated to taking this company to the next level of its development, and in creating sustainable shareholder value.”

“Nutrition 21 is indeed fortunate to introduce Mike Zeher as its new President and Chief Executive Officer,” said John Gutfreund, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nutrition 21, Inc. “Mike’s extensive experience in the nutritional supplement industry will enable him to set a clear course for the Company in the future. Mike also knows well how to manage and motivate a small, entrepreneurial organization to get the maximum value out of every employee. Under his leadership, the Board fully expects that the Company will enjoy renewed growth, both in revenues and in profits.”

Peter Mann, a member of Nutrition 21’s Board of Directors added, “I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mike Fink and Gerry Butler for the exceptional job they have done as interim Co-CEO’s. Mike and Gerry arrived on the job in late March 2008 and immediately set the Company on a new and exciting path. Under their leadership, Nutrition 21 is now focused on delivering positive EBITDA while continuing to grow top-line revenues in its key business segments. We are all deeply grateful for their contributions. Mike and Gerry will continue as executive officers in their new positions as Co-COOs and will work closely with Mike Zeher in his new position as President and CEO. I am also delighted that Mike Zeher is joining NXXI. I have known Mike for many years, and he is an individual with exceptional values and uniquely strong character.”

In connection with the Company’s hiring of Mr. Zeher, he was awarded an inducement grant of an option to purchase 1,000,000 shares of common stock at $0.36 per share. The option vests (i) one-third on each of the first three anniversaries of July 14, 2008 provided Mr. Zeher is then employed by the Company, or (ii) if earlier, on his death or permanent disability while employed. The option will expire on the earlier of 89 days after termination of employment or July 13, 2018.

About Nutrition 21

Nutrition 21, Inc. , headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of chromium picolinate-based and omega-3 fish oil-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by clinical research. Nutrition 21 holds more than 30 patents for nutrition products and uses. Nutrition 21’s portfolio of health and wellness brands include: Chromax(R), Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula(TM), Diabetes Essentials(TM), Iceland Health(R) Maximum Strength Omega-3 and Iceland Health(R) Joint Relief. The company also manufactures private label supplements and ingredients for third parties. Nutrition 21 distributes its products nationally through more than 29,000 major food, drug and super center retailers as well as internationally. For more information please visit http://www.nutrition21.com/.

Safe Harbor Provision

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. The words “believe,””expect,””anticipate” and other similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: the effect of the expiration of patents; regulatory issues; uncertainty in the outcomes of clinical trials; changes in external market factors; changes in the Company’s business or growth strategy or an inability to execute its strategy due to changes in its industry or the economy generally; the emergence of new or growing competitors; various other competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K/A for the year ended June 30, 2007. Actual results could differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the results referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will in fact occur. Additionally, the Company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking statements, or any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements.

   Contact:  For Investor Inquiries:             Joe Diaz             Lytham Partners, LLC             602-889-9700  

Nutrition 21, Inc.

CONTACT: Joe Diaz of Lytham Partners, LLC, +1-602-889-9700, forNutrition 21, Inc.

Web site: http://www.nutrition21.com/

By Matt Sanders, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

Jul. 15–METROPOLIS, Ill. — Shawn Mathis, who pleaded guilty last month to aggravated battery of his 5-week-old baby, will wait one more week before learning how long he will spend in prison.

Mathis, 34, faces six to 30 years.

He was to have been sentenced Monday in Massac Circuit Court. However, the 10 a.m. hearing was pushed back to the afternoon session because a court reporter had a family emergency, State’s Attorney Patrick Windhorst said. During the afternoon hearing, Mathis’ attorney, Shane Aden, asked for a continuance because a potential witness for the defendant was not available. Windhorst did not object.

Judge Terry Foster scheduled the sentencing for 1:30 p.m. July 21 in Massac Circuit Court.

Windhorst withheld comment on what sentence he will recommend.

The charge is a Class X felony, the most severe Illinois felony except for first-degree murder.

Mathis had faced a July 7. However, he pleaded guilty during a June 16 hearing after Foster accepted an evaluation that deemed the defendant fit to stand trial.

Mathis was charged May 25, 2007, after doctors at St. Louis Children’s Hospital suspected that the baby had been abused. The baby was transferred to the St. Louis hospital one week after being taken to Massac Memorial Hospital. Court records said that between May 10 and May 23, someone injured the baby by squeezing his body and head.

Matt Sanders can be contacted at 575-8659.

*

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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By Lisa Falkenberg, Houston Chronicle

Jul. 15–With all his awards and accolades, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey still considered the high school named for him in Houston’s Third Ward one of his proudest achievements.

“This (was) one of the real joys of his life,” said Dr. Robert Austin, a retired Baylor pediatrician who chairs the oversight board of the DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

The legendary heart surgeon, who passed away Friday night at 99, not only helped open the high school in the early 1970s with the goal of encouraging more minorities to seek medical careers, he led ninth-graders on hospital tours each year before he became sick, made frequent visits to the school and always demanded higher standards.

A high ranking The “exemplary” magnet school, which is 90 percent black, Hispanic or Asian, certainly delivered on his expectations, despite the obstacles: Half of its students receive free or reduced lunch. The school consistently earns the state’s highest ranking, and about 98 percent of its graduates get accepted to college. Recently, it was ranked one of the nation’s top 100 high schools by U.S. News & World Report.

“The thing he continually drilled in every conversation we had was about high standards,” said Charlesetta Deason, the school’s principal. “You know, the literature says that these (underprivileged) kids can’t or will not do certain things. We just totally blew that theory out of the water in terms of performance. And he was always so proud of that.”

Deason said DeBakey was less involved in the past couple of years because of his health, and wasn’t able to lead first-year students on the introductory tour of Baylor, which included many students’ first glimpse at “brains and bodies,” as one former student described it.

But Deason said that at a recent symposium at the Texas Medical Center, DeBakey was thrilled at the welcome students gave him.

‘He was like a rock star’ “When he came in, in the wheelchair, to the students, he was like a rock star,” Deason said. “The kids were taking pictures, they were standing up, they were cheering, they were so happy to see him.”

“I probably wouldn’t be here today without his support,” said Snehal Desai, a 28-year-old Baylor resident who attended DeBakey High and received a medical scholarship funded by DeBakey’s foundation.

But one of DeBakey’s goals for the school was never accomplished: He wanted a new building that performed as well as the students. And his passing comes during a transition for the school. Its fearless leader for the past two decades, Deason, retires later this summer to help establish the DeBakey High School in Qatar.

“I’m not certain where we go,” from here, said DeBakey’s PTA President, Shelton Sparks.

His primary concerns are with the school’s still unfinished $12 million renovation project, approved in 2002.

In December, DeBakey expressed his outrage: “All you’ve got to do is go in that old building and see how terrible it is,” DeBakey said.

He called for community leaders to “rise up and protest” and put pressure on Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra and other district officials to build a new school. A few years ago, a Medical Center official offered HISD prime Medical Center real estate for $1 a year for 99 years to build a new DeBakey High, but the district couldn’t come up with the funds. So the district chose to patch up the old building instead.

Scaffolding is still up In an interview, Saavedra had referred to the DeBakey building as a “quality” facility that would be made better by the renovation.

DeBakey’s pleadings apparently fell on deaf ears. Three months after a new deadline the district had set for completion of the renovation, the scaffolding is still up.

School and PTA officials say the district has reneged on its promise to fix such things as shoddy new brick work, a poor-quality cafeteria floor, a faulty air-conditioning unit that keeps breaking down and a fire alarm that goes off for no reason, summoning the fire department out to the school at least four times this summer. And a few months ago, district officials stopped the regular meetings they began having with parents in response to complaints.

“In all honesty, we’re appalled at the attitude … ” Sparks, the PTA president, said.

If only the district insisted on the same standards that the surgeon stressed at DeBakey High.

Nevertheless, the school perseveres and remains one of the most important contributions DeBakey left us. Each student who passes through the doors is a piece of his legacy.

[email protected]

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Copyright (c) 2008, Houston Chronicle

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Researchers at the University of North Carolina reported Monday that genes may play a role in young men who grow up in tough neighborhoods or with disadvantaged families and later become violent criminals.

The scientists have identified three genes they believe play a role. One, called MAOA, played a particularly strong role, and had been shown in previous research to affect antisocial behavior. The researchers called the gene “disturbingly common”.

Sociology professor Guang Guo, who led the study, said those with a particular variation of the MAOA gene known as 2R were extremely prone to criminal and delinquent behavior.

“I don’t want to say it is a crime gene, but 1 percent of people have it and scored very high in violence and delinquency,” Guo told Reuters during a telephone interview.

Guo and his team studied only boys, and used data obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The data provided a nationally representative sample of about 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 to 12. The young men involved in the study were routinely interviewed in person, with some providing blood samples.

Guo’s team then developed a “serious delinquency scale” based on some of the questions the participants had answered.

“Nonviolent delinquency includes stealing amounts larger or smaller than $50, breaking and entering, and selling drugs,” the team wrote in a report about the study.

“Violent delinquency includes serious physical fighting that resulted in injuries needing medical treatment, use of weapons to get something from someone, involvement in physical fighting between groups, shooting or stabbing someone, deliberately damaging property, and pulling a knife or gun on someone.”

Specifically, they found specific variations in three genes associated with bad behavior: the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, the dopamine transporter 1 (DAT1) gene and the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene.  However, the bad behavior only occurred when the boys suffered from other stresses, such as failing school, family issues and low popularity.

MAOA regulates several neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which play an important role in aggression, emotion and cognition.

The links were very specific, the researchers said. 

In fact, the study showed that the effect of repeating one school grade depended on whether an adolescent had a certain MAOA mutation called a 2 repeat.   In addition, a certain DRD2 mutation seemed to set off a boy if he did not have regular meals with his family.

“But if people with the same gene have a parent who has regular meals with them, then the risk is gone,” Guo said.

“Having a family meal is probably a proxy for parental involvement,” Guo explained.

“It suggests that parenting is very important.”

Young people at risk might benefit from having surrogates of if their parents are unavailable, Guo said.

“These results, which are among the first that link molecular genetic variants to delinquency, significantly expand our understanding of delinquent and violent behavior, and they highlight the need to simultaneously consider their social and genetic origins,” the researchers wrote.

Guo said it was premature to begin considering whether drugs might be developed to protect such adolescents.  He was also unclear if criminals might someday use a “genetic defense” in court.

“In some courts (the judge might) think they maybe will commit the same crime again and again, and this would make the court less willing to let them out,” he said.

The research was published in August issue of the American Sociological Review.

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On the Net:

• University of North Carolina
• American Sociological Review
• National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health

By Jonathan D. Epstein

Fidelis Care, a statewide Catholic health insurance plan, is launching a statewide multilingual advertising campaign and holding promotional events in Buffalo and Central New York with partner Radio Disney in a major bid to push its name.

The Albany-based insurer, which serves more than 420,000 members in 41 counties, is unveiling its first print, radio and billboard campaign in more than four years.

Developed and produced in-house, the advertising and branding effort will focus on key health messages and the need for consumers to have their own doctor, and will tout the benefits of getting Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus or Medicaid managed care coverage through Fidelis.

The campaign includes more than 15 print ads and three radio spots, which will be produced in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and other languages as needed to target communities.

Additionally, Fidelis signed a sponsorship agreement with Radio Disney, extending its community events sponsorship for two events in Central New York and one in Buffalo later this year. The “Fun Factory” events, typically held at local schools, YMCAs, and Boys & Girls Clubs, include a free 45-minute live show and a moving screening.

Fidelis Care is one of the largest health insurers offering government-sponsored coverage in New York.

Members have access to more than 39,000 healthcare providers. Besides the three plans for low-income residents, Fidelis also offers a Medicare Advantage program to seniors in 22 counties and a combined Medicare and Medicaid plan in 17 counties.

e-mail: [email protected]

Originally published by NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER.

(c) 2008 Buffalo News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Leanne Kleinmann

Like lots of other 8-year-old boys this summer, my son is all about sports. Soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming. But the highlight of the summer was his baseball team. This year they’ve graduated to kid-pitch, far beyond T-ball or even the gentle pitches of the coaches/ parents last year.

Little did I know that the first year of kid-pitch baseball would be so treacherous. At this age, they (sort of) know how to pitch, catch and bat, but their gangly legs and arms haven’t quite caught up to their brains. In nearly every game, kids got on base because they got hit with a pitch. Bruises happen. Batting helmets are not optional.

So I was only mildly surprised when, one Saturday morning after practice, I found Tomas lying on the couch in a blood-stained T- shirt with an ice bag on his mouth. “Busted lip,” his dad said.

Actually, it was way more than that. When Tomas pulled the ice pack away, one of his front teeth was conspicuously out of line, the other one at a strange angle. His big, beautiful, permanent front teeth.

I had to walk quickly out of the room, so Tomas wouldn’t see my eyes fill with tears. You see, when I was a freshman in college, I got hit in the mouth with a field hockey stick (yes, I wore a mouthguard, but it was a teammate who hit me in a halftime huddle), and lost one of my front teeth. I endured a root canal so painful that it made childbirth seem easy; I’m on the third crown, and it’s never really been right. It’s the one vanity that has obsessed me since college: At some point in my life, I hope I make enough money to make my teeth look perfect again.

So when I saw my only child’s perfect teeth hanging at bloody angles, it was a powerful flashback.

Fortunately we were able to find Dr. Betsy, our endlessly patient pediatric dentist, to come in on a Saturday afternoon and splint Tomas’ teeth back in place. Unlike my awful experience all those years ago, she’s terrifically competent, and I think it was harder on us to watch than on the patient himself.

It’s not lost on me that a loose tooth or two isn’t the same as a cancer diagnosis or even a broken arm. Given the progress of dental technology, it doesn’t look like he’ll lose his teeth, even if he has to have root canals.

But, beyond the specifics of his dental issues, what I know now with blinding clarity is how desperately I want to save him from the pain and unhappiness I’ve experienced, even if it’s something as (relatively) inconsequential as a broken tooth.

Not possible, I know. And that’s the most painful lesson of all.

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On the Web

When did you hurt for your child most? Go to iDivamemphis and add your comment. Leanne Kleinmann is editor of skirt! magazine. E-mail [email protected] or call 901.521.1927.

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Originally published by Leanne Kleinmann .

(c) 2008 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

County Executive John R. Leopold announced the appointment of new members to the Pascal Senior Center Advisory Council.

The members will serve a two-year term.

The new members are Malvenia Hughes, Robert Kraft, Pat McLellan, Joan McTaggart and Charles Thiesz. Senior center members who will serve the second year of their term are Loretta DiForte, Alyce Flemming, Phylliss O’Neil and Frank Strumsky.

The advisory council meets at 9 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the center, 125 Dorsey Road.

Advisory council members evaluate activities, suggest new programs, identify problems, recommend solutions and publicize the center.

The Poet’s Corner will show a film on American poet Emily Dickinson at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

For more information, call the center at 410-222-6680.

Carry-out dinners

Ferndale United Methodist Church, 117 Ferndale Road, will sponsor a carry-out dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. following the 10:30 a.m. worship service tomorrow.

This month’s menu features a pit-roasted beef sandwich, potato salad, baked beans and dessert.

The cost is $8. Only carry-out will be available. Dinners may be reserved.

Proceeds from the event will benefit church mission projects.

For more information, call the church at 410-761-2880 or Alice Neary at 410-766-4458 or 443-857-0778.

Camp Kidgits

Youth are invited to participate in Camp Kidgits at Marley Station mall, 7900 Ritchie Highway, through July 25.

This week’s activities include “A Day at the Circus” activities from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday in the center court.

Free family movies will be shown at the Regal Cinema at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Children are invited to exercise at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Gold’s Gym. This week’s program is “Boot Camp.”

Children’s entertainer Tracey Eldridge will present “Music Around the World” at noon Friday in the center court.

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for all activities. Annual membership in the Kidgits club costs $5 and includes a free T-shirt.

For details, call 410-760-5990.

School registration

School officials are encouraging new residents to register students early.

All school offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the summer break; however, registration is accepted only at designated times.

Parents are asked to register new students early so that the schools have adequate time to prepare for the start of the new year in August. Schools need the time to hire staff and order supplies.

Parents should provide a photo identification, the child’s original birth certificate, immunization record, two proofs of residency and custody papers, if applicable. Items accepted as proof of residency include lease agreements, utility bills, a home sales contract, W-2 form, or a pay stub if it includes the parent’s home address. Driver’s licenses are not accepted as a proof of residency.

Required immunizations include four diptheria-tetanus-pertussis, three polio, two measles, one mumps, one rubella, one varicella and three hepatitis B vaccinations. Parents also must provide evidence that the child has had a blood test for lead poisoning. Vaccinations must be completed before the child can attend school. Parents may get free vaccinations at the Glen Burnie Health Center, 416 A St., from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Appointments are not required, but parents must take current shot records.

Students enrolling in kindergarten must be age 5 before Sept. 1. Those enrolling in pre-kindergarten must be age 4 before Sept. 1.

The following area schools recently announced registration hours and information:

North County High School, 10 E. First Ave., 410-222-6970. Registrations are accepted by appointment only and must be made in advance with the guidance staff.

Corkran Middle School, 7600 Quarterfield Road, 410-222-6495. Registrations accepted by appointment between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ferndale Early Education Center, 105 Packard Ave., 410-222-6927. Parents whose children live within the George Cromwell Elementary School boundaries should enroll their children here for fall classes.

George Cromwell Elementary School, 525 Wellham Ave., 410-222- 6920. Registrations are accepted from 9 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Glen Burnie Park Elementary School, 500 Marlboro Road, 410-222- 6400. Registrations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Parents are asked to call first to set up an appointment for registration.

Hilltop Elementary School, 415 Melrose Ave., 410-222-6409. Registrations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

North Glen Elementary School, 615 W. Furnace Branch Road, 410- 222-6416. Registrations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Oakwood Elementary School, 330 Oak Manor Drive, 410-222-6420. Registrations are accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Richard Henry Lee Elementary School, 400 A St., 410-222-6435. Registrations are accepted from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Woodside Elementary School, 160 Funke Road, 410-222-6910. Registrations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CASOS store

The Community Advocates for Senior Opportunities and Services Inc. operates a craft and consignment store on the first floor of the Anne Arundel Community College in the Glen Burnie Town Center, 101 Crain Highway N.E.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All of the craft items sold in the store have been handmade by seniors in the county; 20 percent of the profits fund an emergency and crisis intervention fund for seniors.

Consignment items are accepted from seniors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For details, call 410-761-1769.

VFW Post 434

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 434 will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ferndale Senior Center, 7205 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.

New members are welcome to join the post. Post membership is limited to veterans who have served overseas during times of war or other conflict.

For more information, call Dillard Harris at 410-761-2696.

Pizza fundraiser

The Glen Burnie United Methodist Church Mission Committee will benefit from a fundraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday at the East Park Pizza Hut in the Park 97 shopping center, 7938 Crain Highway S.

The church will receive a portion of the sales from all patrons who mention the church when they pay for carry-out or dining room orders.

For more information, call the church at 410-761-4381.

Bingo

The Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company will sponsor bingo games from 7:30 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday in the fire hall, 4 S. Broadview Blvd.

Two different bingo packages, including specials, are sold. A $500 jackpot game also is offered.

Refreshments will be sold.

For details, call 410-766-2131.

Quarter auction

A quarter auction will be held Friday at the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company hall, 4 S. Broadview Blvd.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Celebrate Recovery, a new addictions recovery program at 7305 E. Furnace Branch Road.

In addition, canned goods and other non-perishable food items will be collected for the North County Emergency Outreach Network.

Admission is $3. Anyone who takes two friends gets in free. Those who take five friends will be entered into a special drawing to play for free. Extra auction paddles will be available for $2 each.

The doors open at 6 p.m. The auction will begin at 7 p.m.

Food items will be sold.

Direct sales consultants from Pampered Chef, Home Interiors, PurseSnickety, Arbonne, Avon, Cookie Lee, Creative Memories, Party Lites, DK Designs and Tastefully Simple have provided gifts valued between $10 and $100. Each item is placed in a bidding category. A prize valued at $0 to $25 is one quarter, $26 to $50 is two quarters, $51 to $75 is three quarters and $76 and higher is four quarters.

Participants can choose which prizes they want to bid on. After the bidding is closed, the auctioneer will pull out winning numbers of the prizes from among those who paid their quarters to bid on the prizes. It would cost approximately $40 in quarters to bid on every prize.

Door prizes be awarded and there will be raffle drawings for two baskets and a 50-50 drawing.

For details, visit www.quarterauctiongroup.com or call Karol Hancock at 410-766-3579.

Bus trip

The Eternal Quilters will host a bus trip to the Quilt Extravaganza in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sept. 5. The show features more than 600 quilts on display and 200 vendors.

The cost of the trip is $34, which includes bus transportation, gratuity and show admission. The bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. from the Cromwell light rail station and return at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, call Carolyn Doneski at 410-761-1515.

Burwood Seniors

Registered nurse Bonnie Summers will check seniors’ blood pressures at noon Tuesday at the Burwood Senior Nutrition program site, 6658 Shelly Road.

All seniors are welcome.

Tammy Hommel will teach a painting class at 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday. She also will lead a “Keep Your Mind Alert” class at 9:30 a.m. every Friday.

Bingo games are offered at 12:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday.

For details, call Latori Golbourne at 410-222-6262.

Ravens Nest meeting

Ravens Nest 10 will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Fireside Inn, 7400 Ritchie Highway.

New members are welcome.

For more information, call Lauren Forgnoni at 301-646-3042 or visit www.ravensnest10.com.

New hips and knees

Baltimore Washington Medical Center will offer a free seminar on hip and knee replacement surgery at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Courtney Conference Center, located on the lower level of the Tate Cancer Center, 305 Hospital Drive.

Patients thinking about joint replacement surgery are invited to attend.

Certified physicians assistants and nurse practitioners will talk about hip and knee replacement surgery, including what patients can expect after the operation and during recovery, and how to prepare for the surgery. Two videos will be shown and there will be a question-and-answer session.

Reservations are requested.

For details, call 410-553-8282.

Blood pressure

Bonnie Summers, a registered nurse, will conduct a free blood pressure screening at noon Wednesday at the Glen Square Senior Nutrition Program site, 102 Crain Highway N.W.

All seniors are welcome.

Senior information specialist Wanda Swift will meet with seniors at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Mrs. Swift will assist seniors with determining their needs, locating services and completing applications for assistance.

The service is free.

For more information, call Doris Payne at 410-222-6264.

Clubs and organizations in the 21061 ZIP code area can call Maryland Gazette correspondent Kathleen Shatt at 410-766-8547 for publication of their news. They can also fax information to her at 410-766-1520 or send e-mail to [email protected]. {Corrections:} {Status:}

(c) 2008 Maryland Gazette. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Samantha Sims Pidde, Clinton Herald, Iowa

Jul. 14–DEWITT — The 75th annual Clinton County Fair, also known as the 4-H and FFA Club Show, will kick off Wednesday at the fairgrounds in DeWitt.

“It’s a reasonably priced entertainment feature,” said Bob Gannon, of Delmar, president of the Clinton County Agricultural Society.

“Once you get on the grounds, you can take in any of the shows or anything that’s going on and there’s no additional charge,” he said.

He said that in past years, the fair has been seen as primarily a 4-H and FFA event for the children. He added that while these events are as important as always, citizens should be aware that the fair offers more entertainment than the agricultural and livestock shows.

“In order for the fair to survive, we have to find other things to bring people in to the gate,” said Gannon about the need for more entertainment at the fair.

The fair will open each day at 8 a.m. On the weekdays, activities will end at 10 p.m. and on the weekend the fair will close at midnight. Admission for each day will cost visitors age 9 to adults $5 each. People may also purchase a season pass that will be good for the entire fair, for $15. Visitors under the age of 9 get in for free. Daily programs should be available at the gate.

The fair will be opening Wednesday with the participants bringing in their entries. That day will be a free day. People will also be able to participate in vegetable and flower shows.

The vegetable show check-in will be from 9 a.m. until noon, with the judging at 1 p.m.

The flower show check-in will also be from 9 a.m. until noon, and judging will be at 1:30 p.m. The garden tractor pull, which Gannon described as a free and fun event, will be held at 6 p.m. Also beginning that Wednesday, will be the carnival.

Evans United Carnival will be at the Clinton County Fair. People will be able to play games and ride rides throughout the entire fair. Tickets will be available at the carnival. On Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., people may use wristbands that they have purchased to ride as many rides as they want. Wristbands will cost $10 until Tuesday and $12 after that day. People may purchase wristbands from the Extension office, 331 E. Eighth St., DeWitt, from DeWitt Bank and Trust, 815 Sixth Ave., DeWitt, or from First Central State Bank, 914 Sixth Ave. DeWitt.

On Thursday, the Club Show Olympics will begin at 5:30 p.m. During the Olympics, past and present Fair Board members will be honored in a special ceremony.

The crowning of the Clinton County Fair Queen will be Thursday. The pageant took place last Wednesday and the winner will be announced at 7 p.m. Thursday. The queen will be handing out ribbons during the fair and will eventually represent the area at the Iowa State Fair. The main show of the night will be a presentation by the Mounted Cowboy Shooting Association at 7:30 p.m.

Another event that will take place Thursday will be the Celebrity Steer Show.

The main event for Friday will be the rodeo, which will begin at 8 p.m. At the start of the rodeo, the fair will have mutton busting, where children will be put on sheep and ride them around the area. T&C Rodeo will be handling the entire event and providing the sheep.

Friday will also feature other events. From 8 p.m. to midnight, The Love Dogs will be returning for a performance in the beer garden. This primarily rock and roll band performed at last year’s fair as well.

Saturday is Farm Bureau Day, with all of the day’s events being sponsored by the Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau Barbecue Contest will begin at 2 p.m. An antique tractor parade will be held at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in the event should contact the Extension Office at (563) 659-5125. A teen dance will also be open to all teenagers.

The demolition derby is on Saturday. This event, which returns every year, will begin at 7 p.m. and is expected to draw a large crowd. From 8 p.m. until midnight in the beer garden, 50 Pound Rooster will be performing. This local primarily country band recently opened for Kenny Chesney.

The main event Sunday is hypnotist Jim Wand’s 7 p.m. show. Wand has been involved in the field of hypnosis for over 20 years.

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To see more of Clinton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.clintonherald.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, Clinton Herald, Iowa

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

PHOENIX, July 14 /PRNewswire/ — Physicians and staff of Arizona Heart Institute remember Michael E. DeBakey, M.D. who died this past weekend at the age of 99. Dr. DeBakey, world-famous cardiovascular surgeon who performed the world’s first coronary artery bypass surgery, was a teacher and mentor to Dr. Edward B. Diethrich, founder and medical director of the Arizona Heart Institute and Arizona Heart Hospital.

“I could not have realized my accomplishments without the guidance and mentorship I received from Dr. DeBakey,” said Dr. Diethrich, who spent nearly seven years under the tutelage of Dr. DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

After completing his thoracic and cardiovascular surgical residency in 1966, Dr. Diethrich continued his work with Dr. DeBakey as an assistant professor of surgery at Baylor. During this time, Dr. Diethrich stood right by Dr. DeBakey’s side, first assisting in many of the earliest coronary artery bypass procedures, multiple organ transplantations and other revolutionary procedures which have since redefined the practice of cardiovascular medicine.

“Unless you were there, it is impossible to understand the enormous impact Dr. DeBakey had on young trainees and his associates,” says Dr. Diethrich. “His demand for perfection in every aspect of cardiovascular medicine, research, teaching and clinical care set the standards which are followed to this day. He was a tough mentor but an awesome inspiration.”

Wanting to open his own heart center, Dr. Diethrich founded the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix nearly 40 years ago. Since then, Dr. Diethrich has extended the skills and knowledge he developed under Dr. DeBakey’s guidance to thousands of patients and physicians worldwide.

“It is perhaps unfortunate that Dr. DeBakey did not live to be 100, but we did celebrate his early birthday in May at the DeBakey Center in Houston,” according to Diethrich. “Friends and colleagues from around the world paid tribute to him in a background of scientific and educational presentations — an atmosphere which he always cherished. He will forever be remembered as the surgeon who moved cardiovascular medicine and surgery into the real world.”

Arizona Heart Institute

CONTACT: Sarah Harper of Arizona Heart Institute, +1-602-402-1341,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.azheart.com/

Higher education is good for the mind, and new research by the American Cancer Society says it good for the body as well.

The study indicates people with a college degree or more than 16 years of education die less often from lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers, researchers said in a news release Monday on Ivanhoe Newswire.

Black and white men at that education level had a statistically significant decrease in death rates from prostate, lung and colorectal cancer, researchers said. The same reduction in mortality from breast, lung and colorectal cancer was seen in women as well.

The only exception was lung cancer among black women with higher education, researchers said. No significant reduction in death from that form of cancer was observed.

For people with less than 12 years of education, researchers found a reduction in breast cancer deaths but an increase in lung cancer mortality. Colon cancer deaths were higher for black men with the same educational level.

The research appeared in the July 8 online condition of Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NEW YORK, July 14 /PRNewswire/ — Touchstone Health HMO, Inc. announced today that Penelope Kokkinides has recently joined the organization as Chief Operating Officer.

“We are very fortunate to have Penny in our team,” says Michael A. Muchnicki, President & Chief Executive Officer of Touchstone Health. “She brings more than ten years of experience in governmental insurance programs and has proven success in reorganizing operations for managed care organizations. She brings a remarkable record of achievement with her that we know will be repeated at Touchstone Health.”

In her new position, Kokkinides will be responsible for planning and directing all aspects of the organization’s operational policies, objectives and initiatives. “I am very excited to assume this role and other key responsibilities to meet the strategic objectives of Touchstone Health,” says Kokkinides. “I was attracted to this company’s vibrant vision of advancing the quality of care and service for its members. I share the management’s commitment to operational excellence and to providing exceptional, compassionate and member-centric ‘high touch’ approach to health care.”

Kokkinides most recently served as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Aveta, Inc. Prior to that, she was Corporate Vice President for Care Management and Disease Management at AmeriChoice, a business unit of UnitedHealth Group, where she was instrumental in developing and implementing the company’s health model. Kokkinides holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and classical languages from SUNY-Binghamton. In addition, she received a master’s degree in social work from New York University and a second master’s degree in public health from Columbia University. She is also in the process of completing her doctorate in public administration.

About Touchstone Health

Touchstone Health, headquartered in New York City, is an HMO focused on the Medicare market. Touchstone Health currently has 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Orange, Westchester, Broome, Chenango, Delaware & Onondaga counties. Benefits are available to anyone enrolled in both Medicare Part A and B and continue to pay their Medicare applicable premiums.

Touchstone Health is a privately held company owned and advised by, among other investors, Lehman Brothers Venture Capital, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures and Steven Wiggins. The company was founded in 1998 by a group of neighborhood physicians to bring personalized health care to New York. Prior to September 2007, Touchstone Health managed the medical services of enrollees of other HMOs operating in the federal Medicare program. In September 2007, the company received an HMO license and no longer contracts with other HMOs. Touchstone prides itself on its local focus and customer service.

For more information about Touchstone Health, please visit the company’s website at http://www.touchstone-health.com/.

   Contact:  Jill Tobin             Touchstone Health HMO Inc.             14 Wall Street, 9th Floor             New York, NY 10005             212-294-6996             [email protected]  

Touchstone Health HMO, Inc.

CONTACT: Jill Tobin of Touchstone Health HMO Inc., +1-212-294-6996,[email protected]

Web Site: http://www.touchstone-health.com/

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had a triple coronary artery bypass in April 1998. The vessel used for the grafts was taken from my leg.

A cardiologist tells me that the leg vessel graft needs replacement in eight years. It is not as good as grafts taken from arteries in the arm or the chest wall. I feel fine. It has been 10 years since my operation. Am I living on borrowed time? Why isn’t the leg vessel as good as the others? – W.P.

ANSWER: Hold on a minute. Predictions about the longevity of grafts for clogged arteries are hazardous. The source of the graft is not the sole factor in its life span. The general health of the person getting the graft is most important. Diabetes, for example, has a negative effect on all blood vessels, including grafts. If graft recipients make major changes in how they live – watch their weight, keep their cholesterol low, get exercise, pay attention to blood pressure and don’t smoke – then their grafts are bound to stay healthy for a long time.

The leg vessel you speak of is a long and large leg vein. Veins are not the same as arteries. Arteries have to stand up to pressure that is much higher than it is in veins, so arteries are tougher. At five years, 75 percent of vein grafts are functioning well, and at 15 years, 50 percent are still in good shape. Some last much longer.

The “chest wall” graft isn’t from the chest wall. These grafts come from arteries within in the chest. They are directly hooked up to heart arteries, so they have long lives – as long as arteries have. Most of these grafts stay open for 20 or more years.

Many heart surgeons use an arm artery as the source of their grafts. The arm does quite well with only one major artery. These grafts are better than vein grafts. They’re arteries. They have a life span between that of a vein graft and that of the inner chest artery graft.

The booklet on coronary artery disease discusses this common problem in depth. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue – No. 101, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My doctor told me I should start taking medication for diabetes because my last reading was 108 (5.9), and the time before 110 (6.1). I informed the doctor that I would like to try to reduce the count myself without medicine. This did not please the doctor. I would appreciate your thoughts. – Anon.

ANSWER: You don’t have diabetes. You have prediabetes. After an eight-hour fast, a plasma glucose (blood sugar) of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher is diabetes, and the test should be repeated. A normal blood sugar is one less than 100 (5.6). The in-between numbers are prediabetes. People with prediabetes have to be watched more closely so they don’t become diabetics.

A modest weight loss – 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight, can often take a person out of the prediabetes category. Add some daily exercise – a weekly total of 150 minutes – and the chances of having a normal blood sugar increase. Brisk walking is a suitable exercise.

Having a go at lowering blood sugar without medicine shouldn’t rile the doctor.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband is on blood pressure and cholesterol- lowering medicine. He is now trying herbal medicines ordered from a catalog. I understood that when you are on medicines, you should consult your doctor before making changes or discontinuing them.

My husband says that he is going to stop all medicines. He is 57. I always thought blood pressure medicine was for life. What is the truth? – P.

ANSWER: The truth is that stopping medicines without consulting the doctor is foolhardy. Some people can get off blood pressure medicine by adhering to a strict, low-salt diet, losing weight and exercising. And some people can get off cholesterol medicine by adopting a low-fat – especially low-saturated-fat – diet. Giving up medicines blindly is asking for trouble, as is substituting unproven remedies.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My dad lived with us for five years. He was in his late 80s. All during those years, the only medical problem he talked about was constipation. About a month ago, he said he had a stomachache, and he thought it was due to constipation. This was on a Friday night, and I let things pass until Monday, when the pain got worse. I took him to the emergency room, and my dad was admitted to the hospital. For a full week he underwent testing. Then they diagnosed him with diverticulitis. That same night, he died. His death certificate said he died of peritonitis from diverticulitis. Would he still be alive if I had acted more quickly? – J.O.

ANSWER: You’re torturing yourself about something that doesn’t deserve the slightest bit of guilt. Your dad was in a hospital with doctors all over the place and with testing facilities that you certainly don’t have at your home. It took a full week for his physicians to diagnose his trouble. There is no way you could have made the diagnosis.

One of your father’s diverticula burst, and colon bacteria flooded his abdominal cavity causing the infection of peritonitis. That’s a very difficult infection to cure, even in an otherwise healthy, younger person. You did everything appropriately.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853- 6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com

(c) 2008 Sun-Journal Lewiston, Me.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By JONI AVERILL

The nomination deadline for the eighth annual 2 Those Who Care awards is Friday, July 18, reports Meredith Eaton of United Way of Eastern Maine, which co-sponsors the award with WLBZ-2, both of Bangor.

This program “seeks to find and honor individuals who demonstrate exceptional service to the community,” Eaton wrote of the honorees who will be recognized during a dinner in October at Husson College.

Presented and supported by Webber Energy Fuels and Merrill Bank, individual honorees receive an award and a cash contribution to the nonprofit organization of their choice. The program also offers the John W. Coombs Award to a UWEM agency volunteer best exemplifying the “integrity, dedication and professionalism set forth by the late John Coombs,” Eaton wrote of the award first presented in 1984 in memory of Coombs, who served the Bangor YMCA for 33 years.

For information about making a nomination and learning more about the 2 Those Who Care award, visit WLBZ2.com, click on Community and then click on 2 Those Who Care, or call Emma Pope-Welch of UWEM at 941-2800, ext. 208, or e-mail emmap@uni

tedwayem.org.

Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, July 18.

Toni Mailloux e-mailed that a free blood pressure clinic will be offered from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, at the Belfast Public Health Nursing Association office, 119 Northport Ave. in Belfast.

Appointments are not needed and walk-ins are welcome.

For information, call Belfast public health nurse Diane Whitten at 338-3368.

The GEAR Parent Network, a group of parents, grandparents and foster parents of children with special mental health needs, invites you to its support group meeting 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at Wings for Children and Families, 900 Hammond St. in Bangor.

Penobscot Partners for Children and Families, a community collaborative, is holding a tea and focused discussion about creating an avenue for parent voice in planning services for children living in Maine communities.

Refreshments will be available, RSVP by calling Wings at 800-823- 2988.

Nicole Heanssler reports Waldo County TRIAD, the Belfast Police Department and Waldo County General Hospital will sponsor a Medication Collection Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at Redman Hall on Main Street in Belfast.

She urges residents “to bring any unused or expired medication for proper disposal.”

Carol Lackedy e-mailed that the Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Community Pantry is open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursdays, and that the next opening, Thursday, July 17, on Route 2 in Hermon, is for residents of Hermon and Levant.

The cupboard will be open at the same time Thursday, July 24, for Carmel, Etna and Dixmont residents.

For information about this community service, call Lackedy at 299- 5186.

Librarian Lyn Smith of the Pittsfield Public Library e-mailed to remind parents and guardians of coming sessions of its 2008 Summer Reading Program, “Catch the Reading Bug!”

Sessions are offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Tuesdays, in July, at the library. The 1 p.m. session is for children ages 4-7, and the 2 p.m. session is for children ages 8-12.

“Hooray for Honeybees” is the title of the 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, session and “Exploring Bees” is the title of the 2 p.m. session.

Also, “Science You Can Eat,” for children age 7 and older is 11 a.m. Thursdays, at the library.

The next session, July 17, is “Kitchen Chaos”; after which there will be “Chemistry of Chocolate,” July 24; and “Smell the Difference,” July 31. This program is sponsored with Maine Nutrition Network and Cornerstones of Science.

For information, call the library at 487-5880.

Members of the Blue Hill Historical Society invite you to an Antiques Appraisal Day from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the historic Carriage House behind the Holt House on Water Street in Blue Hill.

The appraisal day will be conducted by Jim Julia and Associates, reports Jan Crofoot, and fees will be charged for items appraised. Sandwiches and cold drinks will be available.

For information, visit www.bluehillhistory.org/HoltHouse.htm.

My sincerest sympathies are extended to Manna Ministries of Bangor executive director Bill Rae and his family after the death last week of his wife of 34 years, Karen Rae.

Karen was a marvelous helpmate and supporter of those in need, and I always appreciated hearing from her as she worked to assist others.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; [email protected]; 990-8288.

(c) 2008 Bangor Daily News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Mount Culmen Evangelical Congregational Church, 1885 Turkey Hill Road, East Earl, will present the GOOSE CREEK BOYS in a concert of gospel and bluegrass music at 10 a.m. Sunday.

THE WEAVER FAMILY will perform in concert at Grace Chapel, 2535 Colebrook Road, Elizabethtown, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The singing family – which includes the Rev. Luke Weaver Jr., son of Grace Chapel’s founding pastors, Luke Sr. and Edna Weaver – hails from New Brunswick, Canada. Luke Weaver Jr., his wife Bonnie and their oldest daughter, Lisa, recently released a country blue grass gospel music album.

The Music in the Grove concert series at St. John Center Lutheran Church, 599 Reading Road, East Earl, will present SUNNYSIDE in concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

A freewill offering will be received, and the youth group will serve refreshments. Those attending may wish to bring lawn chairs. In case of rain, the concert will be held indoors.

Widow2Widow Inc. in Quarryville and Ephrata will sponsor author Jennifer Sands, who was widowed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as keynote speaker at a national conference on A WIDOW’S JOURNEY & GOD’S PROVISION at Black Rock Retreat, 1345 Kirkwood Pike, Quarryville, Friday to Sunday, Sept. 12-14.

For more information or to register, call (717) 786-2802 or e- mail [email protected].

The drama team, His Guiding Light, of Lititz United Methodist Church, will present THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN TWENTY MINUTES, a light-hearted and somewhat modern view of some well-known Biblical stories, in the Mount Gretna Bible Festival’s Summer at the Tabernacle, Third Street and Glossbrenner Avenue in the Campmeeting section of Mount Gretna, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. A freewill offering will be received.

Bergstrasse Evangelical Lutheran Church, 9 Hahnstown Road, Ephrata, will hold its annual CARNIVAL ON THE HILL from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19.

Canned goods will be collected for Ephrata Area Social Services, and each child who brings a can of food will receive two free game tickets. Hot dogs, soup, drink, baked goods and more will be for sale.

Proceeds will benefit the ministry of Love, Inc., which stands for Love In The Name of Christ.

Jeff Bach, director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, will speak on Reform and Renewal: From the Reformation to Today at the 32nd annual outdoor meeting of the ALLEGHENY MENNONITE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION in the 1855 Allegheny Mennonite Meetinghouse, 39 Horning Road, Mohnton, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

The Weaverland Men’s Chorus will perform. Eddie Martin will lead congregational singing from the Church and Sunday School Hymnal. Please bring a hymnal and a lawn chair. In case of rain, the meeting will be held indoors. For more information, call (610) 777-3003 or (717) 949-3475.

THE CHRISTIAN WRITERS FELLOWSHIP will meet at Lancaster Mennonite Conference Center, 2160 Lincoln Highway East, Room 5, at 2 p.m. Sunday. Writers may bring a manuscript or talk about their writing. For information call (717) 509-5829.

THE REV. DAVID UNANGST recently retired from Long Memorial United Methodist Church, 2660 Lititz Pike, after 38 years as pastor of three congregations in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC.

A graduate of United Theological Seminary, he served Neffsville’s Long Memorial for 12 years before retiring on June 30. Previously, he served 20 years at Covenant UMC in Moore Township and six years at St. Paul UMC in Mount Carmel.

Unangst resides with his wife, Mary Ann, in Lititz and is a part- time retired supply pastor at Salem UMC in Rothsville.

Salem Hellers Church, 2555 Horseshoe Road, Leola, will hold a self-directed community GATHERING FOR PRAYER from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 23. Worshippers may come for five minutes or an hour for quiet, uninterrupted prayer and reflection.

(c) 2008 Intelligencer Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Ginger Plumbo of the Mayo Clinic, +1-507-284-5005 (days), +1-507-284-2511 (evenings), [email protected]

ROCHESTER, Minn.,July 14/PRNewswire-USNewswire/–Here are highlights from the July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letterattribution is required.Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Visitwww.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.comorcall toll-free for subscription information, 1-800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

Test Your Knowledge of Bone Health

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Knowing key facts about bone health can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become weak, brittle and prone to fracture. Bone loss that leads to osteoporosis often can be slowed by:

— Getting adequate calcium and vitamin D

— Doing weight-bearing exercise and strength training

— Limiting alcohol consumption

— Stopping smoking

The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letterincludes this short true-or-false quiz on bone health:

Being overweight reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

True:Weight has a powerful impact on bone mass. Because weight increases the load on your skeleton, bones compensate by growing stronger to support the weight. But the benefit isnt an excuse to gain weight or not to lose weight, for those who are overweight. Instead, thinner or smaller adults — who have weighed less than 127 pounds for much of their lives — tend to have lower bone density and may want to emphasize weight-bearing exercise such as walking or jogging to increase their skeletal load.

Taking testosterone isnt effective at warding off osteoporosis in older men.

False:Men with very low testosterone levels are at increased risk of osteoporosis and can perhaps improve their bone density with testosterone replacement. This therapy also may help men with low testosterone strengthen muscles and reduce the risk of falling.

Taking a prescription osteoporosis drug does not substitute for adequate calcium intake.

True:No osteoporosis drug will help bolster weak bones if calcium intake is inadequate. Vitamin D also is needed to help the body absorb calcium. For postmenopausal women and men over 65 who have osteoporosis, taking a total 1,500 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day is reasonable — in increments of no more than 500 mg at a time.

Ordinary and Not-So-Ordinary Causes of Swelling

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Puffy feet and swollen legs usually arent reason for alarm. But the key word is usually.

The reasons for edema (swelling) often are ordinary — hot weather, sitting or standing for a long time or eating too much salty food. If the swelling isnt accompanied by other signs and symptoms and goes away within about 24 hours, a visit to the doctor probably isnt needed.

Longer-lasting or recurring edema, even if fairly slight, typically warrants a doctors appointment, according to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Heath Letter. Some causes of edema are serious, such as heart failure, kidney disease, liver damage or blood clots. Edema can be a side effect of commonly used drugs such as certain blood pressure medications, hormones, medications that open blood vessels and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some herbal supplements also can contribute to edema.

A doctor will try to identify the possible causes of edema. The underlying conditions and the edema can be treated. Chronic edema can cause pain and discomfort, itchy rashes, and reddish-brown skin discoloration. Treatment options include:

Sodium restriction — Reducing salt consumption helps decrease retention of body fluids.

Diuretic drugs — These medications increase the kidneys output of water and sodium and are most effective when patients reduce sodium consumption.

Exercise — Moving and using the muscles of the affected area can enhance circulation of blood and body fluids.

Elevation — Raising the affected limb(s) over the level of the heart for about 30 minutes or longer, while sleeping, helps blood and excess fluids circulate.

Compression stockings or bandages — These keep pressure on limbs to prevent fluids from collecting in the tissues. Bandages and stockings typically are worn below the knees.

Just Desserts

Fruit, slimmed-down desserts can be tasty and healthy

ROCHESTER, Minn. — In a diet-focused culture, desserts often get a bad rap. But some can actually be beneficial.

Desserts made with fruit, natures natural sweetener, are ideal, healthy after-dinner treats. Reducing the sugar and fats in a recipe can make favorite desserts more healthful and still taste good.

The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letteroffers healthy dessert suggestions, including:

Grill fruit slices:Cut apples, pineapple, pears or peaches into chunks. Brush them lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Grill the fruit on skewers or wrap in foil and grill over low heat for three to five minutes.

Make a fruit dip:Mix together 1/2 cup of low-fat sugar-free lemon yogurt, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Serve cold as a dip for fruits such as grapes, sliced strawberries, kiwi or bananas.

Add a dollop:Add a dollop of fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt to frozen or canned fruit. Opt for fruit without syrup.

Slim down baked goods:Favorite recipes can be made with much less sugar and fat. Reducing sugar by one-third to one-half works in many recipes. To enhance the sweetness, increase the amount of vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg. Applesauce, mashed banana, prune puree or commercial fat substitute can replace up to half the butter, shortening or oil in many recipes.

Use reduced-fat or fat-free ingredients instead of high-fat products:Fat-free, 1 percent or 2 percent milk can be used instead of whole milk. Evaporated fat-free milk can replace regular evaporated milk. Fat-free plain yogurt or low-fat sour creams can be substituted for sour cream. Light cream cheese or low-fat cottage cheese often substitutes nicely for cream cheese.

Mayo Clinic Health Letteris an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on todays health and medical news. To subscribe, please call 800-333-9037 (toll-free), extension 9PR1,or visitwww.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com.

SOURCE Mayo Clinic

(c) 2008 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists:

 WHAT: --------------- A media briefing about new consensus conference findings that highlight the need for a new approach to better diabetes management. This conference will determine when the risks of diabetes begin. WHO: --------------- -- Alan J. Garber, MD, PhD, FACE, Chair of task force and writing committee, The Diagnosis and Management of Pre-Diabetes in the Continuum of Hyperglycemia, Board of Directors, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine -- Yehuda Handelsman MD, FACP, FACE, Co-chair of programming, The Diagnosis and Management of Pre- Diabetes in the Continuum of Hyperglycemia, Medical Director, Metabolic Institute of America, Chair & Program Director, 6th World Congress on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome - 2008 Chair, International Committee for Insulin Resistance, Treasurer, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Immediate Past President, California Chapter AACE, Senior Scientific Consultant, Metabolic Endocrine Education Foundation -- Daniel Einhorn, MD, FACP, FACE, Co-chair finance, The Diagnosis and Management of Pre-Diabetes in the Continuum of Hyperglycemia, Vice-President, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Medical Director, Scripps Whittier Institute for Diabetes, Diabetes and Endocrine Associates WHY: --------------- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shocked the world by announcing that eight percent of the American population suffers from diabetes. In the same report, the CDC also indicated "another 57 million people are estimated to have pre- diabetes," a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes. Until now, there has never been a consensus about when patients with pre-diabetes become at risk for the complications of diabetes. These complications include heart attacks, blindness, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disorder and possibly even death. In 2007, the economic costs of diabetes totaled 174 billion dollars. For these reasons, diabetes experts throughout the world are meeting in Washington, DC, to answer these questions:  -- What are the clinical risks of not treating pre- diabetes? -- Can society afford the costs of treating of not treating the pre-diabetes state? -- What goals and treatment modalities should be the focus of the management of pre-diabetes or how early in the continuum should we treat diabetes? WHEN AND WHERE: ---------------  Wednesday, July 23, 2008 National Press Club 12:00 - 1:00 PM EDT      529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor (Lunch will be provided) Murrow Room Washington, DC 20045 

A full list of speakers and participants is available at http://media.aace.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4792.

By PATRICIA SULLIVAN, WASHINGTON POST NEWS SERVICE

Michael E. DeBakey, 99, the father of modern cardiovascular surgery, who invented scores of medical procedures and instruments, developed the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and established what became the Veterans Administration hospital system, died Friday at Methodist Hospital in Houston.

The hospital did not release the cause of death, but he had heart surgery in 2006. Over a 70-year medical career, Dr. DeBakey became one of the most influential and innovative heart surgeons in history. He changed the practice of cardiac surgery, performed the first successful heart bypass operation and is credited with saving thousands of lives.

“His legacy is holding the fragile and sacred gift of human life in his hands and returning it unbroken,” President Bush said in April, while awarding Dr. DeBakey the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

As a Tulane University medical student in 1932, Dr. DeBakey devised the “roller pump,” an essential component of the heart-lung machine that permitted open-heart surgery.

In the 1950s, he used his sewing skills, which he had learned from his mother, to patch faulty aortas by grafting.

The Dacron graft is now used throughout the world on diseased arteries. He also performed the first successful removal of a blockage of the main artery of the neck, a procedure known as an endarterectomy, which became the standard method for treating stroke.

He developed a device in 1963 that helped blood move from one chamber of the heart to another, and in 1966 he created a partial artificial heart.

One of his inventions, the DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, is an apparatus implanted into the heart to increase blood flow.

Although Dr. DeBakey stopped performing surgery at age 90, after more than 60,000 operations, his legacy lives on among the thousands of surgeons he trained, many of whom now lead hospital and medical school departments.

Dr. DeBakey’s renown was such that the Duke of Windsor turned to him in 1964 to have an aneurysm removed. He was called on in 1996 when Boris Yeltsin, then running to be the first Russian president in the post-Soviet era, had a heart attack and needed quintuple bypass surgery. Russian doctors were afraid he would not survive an operation.

Dr. DeBakey examined him and declared him fit for surgery, as long as it was performed by one of the doctors he had trained. Renat Akchurin did the surgery, and Yeltsin survived another 11 years.

On New Year’s Eve 2005, Dr. DeBakey suffered a dissecting aortic aneurysm and became the oldest survivor of an operation he devised to repair torn aortas. In a stunning account in The New York Times almost a year later, the physician who had saved so many lives admitted that the pain of the initial incident was so searing that he accepted death as a better alternative.

“It never occurred to me to call 911 or my physician,” he told the Times. “As foolish as it may appear, you are, in a sense, a prisoner of the pain, which was intolerable. You’re thinking, what could I do to relieve myself of it. If it becomes intense enough, you’re perfectly willing to accept cardiac arrest as a possible way of getting rid of the pain.”

Michael Ellis DeBakey was born Sept. 7, 1908, to Lebanese immigrants in Lake Charles, La. His father was a pharmacist.

His mother, who tailored handmade clothing and embroidered linens, was enlisted by neighbors to teach their daughters to sew. Her son, the eldest of five children, sat in.

He graduated from Tulane in 1930 and received his medical degree two years later.

His innovations in surgery were not limited to the heart. He revolutionized treatments for strokes and aneurysms, replacing damaged blood vessels with a segment of the intestine. The once- risky procedure later became a standard surgical practice.Survivors include his wife of 33 years, German actress Katrin Fehlhaber, and their daughter, Olga-Katarina DeBakey; and two sons from his first marriage, Michael DeBakey Jr. and Dennis DeBakey.

(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By The Dallas Morning News

Jul. 13–Michael DeBakey, the father of modern cardiovascular surgery who invented scores of medical procedures and instruments, developed the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and established what later became the Veterans Administration hospital system, died Friday. He was 99.

Dr. DeBakey died at The Methodist Hospital in Houston of natural causes, according to a statement issued early Saturday by the hospital and Baylor.

“His legacy is holding the fragile and sacred gift of human life in his hands and returning it unbroken,” President Bush said in April, while awarding Dr. DeBakey the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

The Journal of the American Medical Association said in 2005: “Many consider Michael E. DeBakey to be the greatest surgeon ever.”

He was a pioneering physician in the 1930s, before antibiotics, and remained a pioneer into the 21st century, assisting work on an artificial heart. He performed more than 60,000 operations in his career and campaigned relentlessly from the surgical suite to the White House for improvements in the field of medicine.

“Dr. DeBakey’s reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means,” said Ron Girotto, president of The Methodist Hospital System.

On Saturday, former colleagues and other medical professionals gathered at the uncompleted DeBakey Library on the Baylor medical campus to remember him.

“He took risks that others might not take to advance medicine and to prove the value of the procedures,” said Dr. Bobby Alford, chancellor of the Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. DeBakey started his climb early. As a 23-year-old medical student at Tulane University in 1932, the Louisiana native invented a pump that became the key component of the heart-lung machine, essential for open-heart surgery.

A gruff perfectionist, he was legendary for his skill and endurance as a surgeon. His ability to maintain his focus and intensity for hours caused medical students to joke that he was “either a mutant or the product of an alien visitation,” Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier, a heart surgeon who trained under Dr. DeBakey, said with a chuckle.

Born in 1908 in Lake Charles, La., to Lebanese Christian immigrant parents, Dr. DeBakey was the oldest of five children. His father, Shaker, was a prosperous businessman with real estate, a pharmacy and a rice farm.

Dr. DeBakey’s mother, Raheejah, taught compassion and generosity, taking the family on regular Sunday visits to donate food and clothing to the needy.

He got interested in medicine while listening to physicians chat at his father’s pharmacy.

“I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. I just didn’t know what kind,” Dr. DeBakey once said.

He became the prize protege of famous doctor Alton Ochsner at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans. In 1937, Dr. DeBakey joined the faculty at his alma mater.

Five years later, he volunteered for military service during World War II, serving in the surgeon general’s office.

In 1948, a fledgling Baylor College of Medicine, which had moved from Dallas to Houston five years earlier, asked Dr. DeBakey to become chairman of the department of surgery.

It wasn’t much of a school at the time, but within 25 years, Baylor would be surrounded by the sprawling, world-famous Texas Medical Center.

In 1968, Dr. DeBakey became president of Baylor medical school and announced, “I don’t want to be around mediocrity.”

The next year, he engineered the separation of the facility from Baylor University in Waco, although he kept the name.

In 1975, under Dr. DeBakey’s leadership, Baylor became home to the first National Heart and Blood Vessel Research and Demonstration Center, a fiercely fought-for honor that brought with it significant federal funding. Four years later, Dr. DeBakey gave up the presidency to become chancellor of the college. In 1993, he relinquished his chairmanship in surgery but remained active in his medical practice.

Dr. DeBakey obtained a federal grant for development of a total artificial heart. The work led to his break with Dr. Denton Cooley.

Dr. Cooley, scion of a prominent Houston family, already had made a name for himself at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore when Dr. DeBakey hired him at Baylor in 1951.

Dr. Cooley says they got along well in the early years. But after a few years, their growing patient loads competed and Dr. Cooley started operating at neighboring St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. In 1962, Dr. Cooley founded the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s.

The complete break came in 1969. Working with a researcher who also was working for Dr. DeBakey, Dr. Cooley implanted the first totally artificial heart in a patient, who died several days later.

Dr. DeBakey called it “stealing” and was hurt because close associates were involved.

In 1968, following the lead of Dr. Christiaan Barnard in South Africa, Dr. Cooley became the first American surgeon to perform a “successful” human heart transplantation. Within a few months, Dr. DeBakey joined the experimentation with the new procedure.

But surgeons soon abandoned the procedure because the recipient’s immune system rejected the new organ. The operation became popular, however, after anti-rejection drugs were found.

Gave money away

Dr. DeBakey made money in medicine, but he gave a lot of it to Baylor, friends say, living fairly modestly.

Dr. DeBakey’s first wife, Diana Cooper DeBakey, died of a heart attack in 1972.

Survivors include his wife of 33 years, German actress Katrin Fehlhaber, and their daughter, Olga-Katarina DeBakey; and two sons from his first marriage, Michael DeBakey Jr. and Denis DeBakey.

The Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press and The Washington Post contributed to this report.

FAMOUS PATIENTS, GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS:

During his career, Dr. Michael DeBakey cared for, among others:

–Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon

–Russian President Boris Yeltsin

–Shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis

–Comedian Jerry Lewis

–Actress Marlene Dietrich

–The Duke of Windsor

–The Shah of Iran

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Dr. DeBakey recorded a long list of medical firsts:

–During the 1950s, he developed Dacron grafts for repair and replacement of diseased arteries. He sewed the first one on his wife’s sewing machine.

–He pioneered surgical repair of blocked carotid arteries (the neck arteries that supply the brain) and of obstructed aortas (the main blood vessel of the body).

–He was among the first to perform a coronary bypass, now common for the blood vessels serving the heart.

–Dr. DeBakey became the first surgeon to use a partial mechanical heart, implanting a device called a left ventricular bypass pump in a patient.

–He brought out a ventricular assist device touted as one-tenth the size of current heart pumps that helped ease suffering for patients waiting for heart transplants.

–In World War II, Dr. DeBakey said that he and others created early versions of what became the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, or MASH unit, in the Korean War. The Army awarded him the Legion of Merit.

–The Veterans Affairs hospital in Houston is named for him.

–He published more than 1,600 articles and several books, including The Living Heart (1977) and the best-selling The Living Heart Diet (1984).

–He won the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Research in 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the National Medal of Science in 1987.

—–

To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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WPO,

By Colleen Lamay, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Jul. 13–Boise’s two big hospitals haul in more money — and sock away more of it for reinvestment — every year.

Nonprofits both, St. Luke’s Health System and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center are two of the biggest businesses in the Treasure Valley, with thousands of workers and revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars each.

And they operate much like businesses. They market themselves like businesses, spreading their logos across the Treasure Valley and beyond, on billboards, medical clinics, mammogram centers and more.

Revenues have grown rapidly. They topped $600 million at St. Luke’s last year and will fall between $400 million and $500 million at Saint Al’s this year, hospital officials say.

As health-care costs continue to outpace inflation, burdening businesses, workers and taxpayers, the hospitals’ spending has raised questions.

Some critics say the hospitals in Boise, along with many of their nonprofit counterparts nationwide, make too much money and hoard it or don’t spend it where their communities need it most.

Boise-area hospitals say they’re doing their best to keep up with growing health-care needs — including charity care and other community services — and are spending prudently.

“Every red cent we make goes back into the organization,” said Gary Fletcher, chief executive officer of St. Luke’s hospitals in Boise and Meridian.

St. Luke’s now has four full-service hospitals — one each in Boise, Meridian, Twin Falls and Ketchum — and in 2006 created a new corporation, St. Luke’s Health System, to reflect its growth beyond the Valley.

Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is growing, too. Its main Boise campus has a new, nine-story tower with sweeping views and the latest technology and comforts. Saint Alphonsus also offers outpatient surgeries and other services in Meridian. Its Eagle Health Plaza has the only emergency room in Eagle.

The hospitals say they must anticipate growth and must meet patients’ expectations for high-quality care. That includes the latest technology — implants, lasers — and private rooms.

“People don’t want to have second-rate health care,” said Brent Lloyd, chairman of the Saint Alphonsus board and chief executive officer of Futura Corp., a family-held holding company in Boise. “People don’t want to choose a Chevy when there’s a Mercedes out there.”

St. Luke’s bought land in the Caldwell area, expected to be the epicenter of the next growth spurt, although both Caldwell and Nampa already have full-service community hospitals of their own that also are growing with the population.

But talking about the money that nonprofit hospitals make is tricky. Technically, you can’t call the money left over after operating expenses are paid “profits,” as the hospitals have no owners or shareholders seeking returns on their investments.

The hospitals call the “profits” operating income or operating margin.

In the past five years, St. Luke’s in Boise and Meridian, along with its Mountain States Tumor Institute, posted operating margins ranging from a low of 4 percent in 2004 and 2005 to a high of 8.5 percent in 2006.

At Saint Al’s, the margins have ranged from 5.3 percent so far this year to 12 percent in 2007. St. Al’s expects margins to slip to 3 percent to 4 percent this year.

Hospitals need a margin of at least 5 percent to provide needed services to their communities, Saint Al’s President and CEO Sandra Bruce said. She said for-profit companies that make some medical supplies the hospitals need have margins around 20 percent.

And while the growth in revenue may seem high, it isn’t nearly high enough to keep up with projected growth, St. Luke’s officials say.

They expect the Valley’s population to grow 53 percent by 2020. They say they will need money for Baby Boomers who are living longer, for constant and expensive advances in treatments, and for the rising costs of caring for people who fall through the cracks of public safety nets, who lack insurance or who have inadequate coverage.

St. Luke’s says it will need to generate about $1 billion over the next 10 years for buildings and new technology to maintain its share of the health-care market. That is about twice as much as in the previous 10 years.

“The population is growing, and we want to take care of the people who want to be taken care of at St. Luke’s, and we think we’ve done a good job historically,” Fletcher said.

Annual health care spending in the U.S. has been increasing two to five times the rate of inflation since 2000, according to the nonpartisan National Coalition on Health Care.

The cost elicits strong feelings among patients, who may either love their hospitals, no matter the price, or are bitter about the price of their care.

“I just got nailed by St. Luke’s for $4,500 for a three-hour visit,” Boisean Eric Lee, 50, said recently. He says he was not allowed to leave when he wanted after treatment for kidney stones, a problem he was familiar with because he’d had them before.

St. Luke’s officials said they cannot discuss specific patients’ cases. But they said patients are free to go when they want, even against medical advice. Some doctors may be more aggressive than others about encouraging patients to stay until they can safely leave.

Many patients and their families believe no price is too high to save themselves or their loved ones, but most nonprofits nationwide have come under fire in the past few years for the amount of money they make and the ways they spend it.

The combined operating income of the 50 largest nonprofit hospitals in the U.S was more than $4 billion in 2006, up from less than $1 billion in 2001, according to a recent front-page story headlined, “Nonprofit hospitals, once for the poor, strike it rich,” in The Wall Street Journal.

“The profits being made in the not-for-profit hospitals are huge, and they are driving up health-care costs,” said Joe Novak, a consultant in Chicago and irreverent blogger on nonprofit hospitals nationwide.

Boise hospitals are more profitable than the national average, said Bobbie Kale, a Nevada consultant for the for-profit Riverside Medical Center planned for the corner of 27th Street and Fairview Avenue.

An analysis conducted for Riverside of zip codes within a 25-mile radius of the hospitals puts the Boise area in the top 8 percent of medical markets nationwide, said Michael O. Browning Jr., vice president of research and development for Montecito Research and Analytics, in Irving, Texas.

Boise ranks high for reasons including household wealth, health insurance and propensity to use medical services more than people in most markets, Browning said.

But local experts have few words of criticism for St. Luke’s or Saint Al’s. A half-dozen local health-policy experts reached by the Statesman either declined to comment or offered praise for the hospitals’ services.

Dr. Karl Watts, a Boise physician who has spoken publicly about reforming health care, says Saint Al’s and St. Luke’s help the poor in numerous ways.

“We get lab services for no charge, and X-ray services for no charge,” Watts said. “(We) get surgical procedures at no charge through the hospital.”

In addition to his medical practice, Watts is president and chairman of the board of Genesis World Mission, a nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to meeting medical and other needs of the poor around the Valley and around the world.

One patient suffered from painful spinal stenosis that kept him from working, said Steve Reames, executive director of Genesis World Mission. Doctors performed surgery at no charge in a free operating room, and the patient recovered enough to return to work.

“Without that surgery (suite), there’s no way the surgeons could do what they needed to do to make it right,” Reames said.

Both hospitals also provide unreimbursed care. Saint Al’s said it spent $8.6 million to write off all or part of patients’ bills in 2007, about 2 percent of $373 million in revenue. The hospital spent $36.5 million that year on programs for the poor, services that make little or no money, unreimbursed Medicare and Medicaid fees, bad debt and community programs, Saint Al’s says in its report.

St. Luke’s says it provided $8.4 million in charity care in 2007, a little more than 1 percent of its total revenue of $615 million.

The two hospitals, while competitors, collaborate on some health-care projects like the Humphreys Diabetes Center in Boise, which they co-own, and recruiting a gynecological cancer specialist.

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To see more of The Idaho Statesman or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.idahostatesman.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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NWS,

By Mechele Cooper, Morning Sentinel, Waterville, Maine

Jul. 13–HALLOWELL — Sherman Kostick huffed his way through a half-hour on the exercise bike at Age Right Fitness.

The 77-year-old said he had recently joined the new gym for people age 40 and older to build up his endurance.

He works out for an hour and a half, he said, six days a week.

“I have multiple health problems … two knee operations, a hip operation, bypass surgery, a pacemaker and defibrillator to get my heart started,” said Kostick, who is semi-retired and lives in Manchester.

“I’m trying to build up my endurance so I’m stronger and build up my muscles. I’ve been sick a long time.”

Kostick worked out with a half-dozen other seniors on weight machines and cardio equipment.

After he completed his half-hour session, Valerie Ross, a personal trainer, helped him with his sneakers. Kostick had been riding the bicycle in his stocking feet.

She and Bob Sweet are partners in this senior fitness venture.

“You did a half-hour. That’s awesome!” Ross said as she slid his sneakers onto his feet. “There you go, sir. Your golden slippers.”

Ross and Sweet are certified personal trainers through the American Council of Exercise and hold certificates through The American Senior Fitness Association. They also are certified in automated external defibrillator training, cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and first aid.

Sweet lives in Manchester and Ross lives in a home attached to the gym at 124 Outlet Road. As part of the membership fee, they design individual exercise programs and provide personalized training to the elderly.

Ross said the gym has been open since January. Most of their clients have chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, hip and knee replacements and heart conditions.

“We develop programs that help them manage their conditions,” Sweet said. “They might have high blood pressure and now they’re off their medicine. Exercise does provide that ability. Through exercise you can reverse, in most cases, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. With diabetes it certainly can affect the blood level sugars. They can see a dramatic reduction.”

They chose Hallowell for the location of the gym because, he said, it has a large senior citizen population. But their clients also come from surrounding towns.

Ross, who holds a master’s degree in gerontology, said she loves working with the elderly. She said she envisioned a larger facility, but said many of the large gyms are closing their doors.

So she and Sweet decided to scale down their mission and focused on the older population.

“We’re not a typical gym with music and TV,” Ross said. “We want people to relax and slow down and think of themselves. There’s a lot of camaraderie that goes on. And no two programs are the same. They’re all made to meet their different needs and interests and health concerns.”

She said people are finding their gym by word of mouth. She has done some local advertising and Age Right Fitness has a Web site, www.agerightfitness.com.

Members can pay a $50 monthly fee, $270 for six months or $500 for the year.

The gym offers senior discounts and membership applications are available by calling 623-3550 or e-mailing [email protected].

Barbara Seavey, 70, a retired state worker from Randolph who said she has diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, joined the gym in February.

She does both cardio and strength training on the treadmills, elliptical machines and the exercise bicycle. She comes to the gym five days a week.

Seavey said she liked the gym because it was small and she wouldn’t be faced with a lot of fit, young bodies.

“I do all the weight machines and some work on the balls for balance issues,” Seavey said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience here. I’ve only lost a few pounds, but my clothes are fitting much better.”

Don Trott of Augusta, 61, retired federal worker, said he was impressed that a doctor’s certificate was needed if clients were on any type of medication, and that a trainer is on the floor at all times monitoring clients.

In a month, Trott said he lost four pounds and replaced fat with muscle.

“I feel better at 61 than I’ve felt in a long time,” Trott said. “As a baby boomer, I would not have come back to the gym unless I had this kind of experience.”

The experience is what has kept Mary Lou Titus coming back. The 60-year-old school bus driver from Augusta said she’s paid for a personal trainer before, but never got the service Ross and Sweet has given her. She said they understand her goals, which is to lose weight and gain body strength.

“They’ve helped me with the equipment and wrote up a program and the trainer never did that,” Titus said. “They give you personal attention and explain the program. And stand there and make sure your heart rate is right and that I’m using the machines correctly, which is very important.”

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Copyright (c) 2008, Morning Sentinel, Waterville, Maine

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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By Kelly Metz, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Jul. 14–Last winter, then-9-year-old Kelleeanne Jackson nearly drowned.

Six months later, she danced outside the home where she lives with her mother and sisters in Fort Wayne. She loves dogs — especially Chihuahuas — and she thanks her older sister for saving her life.

On Jan. 6, Kelleeanne, her then-10-year-old sister Madalynn and their brother Matthew, 8, were racing in the indoor pool at the Jorgenson Family YMCA on Aboite Center Road.

Madalynn was winning, but when she looked back, she didn’t see her little sister.

“I thought she just got out of the pool,” she said. She and Matthew continued swimming — until they spotted something at the bottom of the deep end.

“There was a glare from the snow on the top of the water, so we couldn’t see under,” Madalynn said. Matthew dove under the water, came up and said, “I know that swimsuit,” and Madalynn screamed for the lifeguard.

Madalynn remembers hearing whistles blown, bodies shuffling in a hurry from the pool, the lifeguard diving in and pulling up Kelleeanne’s little body. She ran to get her stepmother, who was in the changing room.

Lifeguards started CPR and in the ambulance to Lutheran Hospital, the paramedics heard Kelleeanne’s seemingly last breath. But they kept trying to resuscitate her, said Nancy Thomas, the girls’ mother.

Kelleeanne said she saw God, and he was handsome.

“I went to heaven,” she said. “I sat on (the Archangel) Gabriel’s lap. My dog that died ran to me. I saw my ancestors. I told Gabriel ‘I miss my family’ and he said he loved me, and pushed me off his lap.”

Mary Zull, the girls’ grandmother, was with Thomas when they got the call with the news. Thomas started screaming, “This can’t be happening. … My baby, my baby.” And she ran out the door barefoot in the snow.

“We didn’t know if she was alive, what condition she was in. We didn’t know anything. I have never felt that kind of despair,” she said.

Zull drove them to Lutheran Hospital. Thomas was hysterical, shouting for her to run red lights, go faster. Zull was trying to stay calm for her daughter but she was panicking inside.

It was a few hours before Kelleeanne was stable. Her body temperature had been in the 70s since she was pulled from the pool, and doctors and nurses were working to keep her warm. She had breathing tubes inserted and IVs protruding from her arms.

And her mother was thankful.

“It was like giving birth again,” Thomas said. When Kelleeanne woke up, the first whispered words to her family were, “I love you.” Her first words to Madalynn were, “Thank you for saving my life.”

Madalynn said the week her sister was in the hospital she couldn’t sleep. She tried to rest in a beanbag chair on the floor of Kelleeanne’s room, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her sister.

Kelleeanne doesn’t remember anything from the accident itself, just her spiritual journey.

Moving ahead

During the week she was in the hospital, she lost 11 pounds. Her vocal cords were damaged, leaving her with a constant hoarseness. She has trouble concentrating and with her coordination and short-term memory.

“She used to love reading,” Thomas said. “She could sit down and read a book a day. But now she can’t remember what she’s read. So she stopped.” Her grades at Whispering Meadows Elementary dropped from A’s to C’s.

Both girls are still swimming.

“We’re a fish family; we’ve always been fish,” Thomas said. Still, she’s very nervous about letting the girls swim. Buddying in threes and taking frequent breaks are now family rules.

“I just don’t think we’ll get that lucky again,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to test it.”

She has been back to the YMCA and looked at the pool, calling it a haunting experience. The girls have been back and although it was weird at first, they still had fun.

Winning story

Madalynn is a hero. At least her grandma thought so when she entered her in Splash Universe Water Park Resort’s “Hometown Hero” contest.

She thought she had a great story but wasn’t sure she would win — but, she did.

The family received free tickets for a weekend at Splash Universe in Shipshewana. It’s an award that makes Thomas’ stomach understandably queasy.

Through it all, lessons have been learned. The family is thankful for friends and relatives who’ve made the experience a tad more manageable. The preciousness of life is something to be valued.

Madalynn and Kelleeanne still argue like sisters do. Madalynn still plays softball and crafts her own earrings. Kelleeanne is still dancing and loves going tubing behind her uncle’s boat.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a weekly series about people like you living in Allen County. If you have someone we should showcase in Our Town, call 461-8354 or e-mail [email protected].

—–

To see more of The News-Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.FortWayne.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

By Todd Ackerman and Eric Berger, Houston Chronicle

Jul. 12–Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey, internationally acclaimed as the father of modern cardiovascular surgery — and considered by many to be the greatest surgeon ever — died Friday night at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. He was 99.

Methodist officials said DeBakey died of natural causes. Dr. Marc Boom, executive vice president of Methodist, said DeBakey was taken to the hospital on Friday night after the surgeon’s wife called 911. He was prounounced dead shortly after arriving.

Medical statesman, chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine, and a surgeon at The Methodist Hospital since 1949, DeBakey trained thousands of surgeons over several generations, achieving legendary status decades before his death. During his career, he estimated he had performed more than 60,000 operations. His patients included the famous — Russian President Boris Yeltsin and movie actress Marlene Dietrich among them — and the uncelebrated.

“He was a great contributor to medicine and surgery, of course,” said Dr. Denton Cooley, president and surgeon-in-chief at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston and a longtime DeBakey rival.

“But he left a real legacy in the Texas Medical Center and at Baylor College of Medicine, where he’s brought so much attention. Together we were able to establish Houston as a world leader in cardiovascular medicine.”

Cooley had known DeBakey since 1945. “In the first half of the 20th century, very little went on in this field,” he said of cardiovascular surgery. “So when he and I began our careers, we pretty much had an open field.”

“Dr. DeBakey singlehandedly raised the standard of medical care, teaching and research around the world,” said Dr. George Noon, a cardiovascular surgeon and longtime partner of DeBakey’s. “He was the greatest surgeon of the 20th century, and physicians everywhere are indebted to him for his contributions to medicine.”

Debakey almost died in 2006, when he suffered an aortic aneurysm, a condition for which he pioneered the treatment. He is considered the oldest patient to have both undergone and survived surgery for it. He recovered well enough to go to Washington earlier this year to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation’s two highest civilian honors.

He remained vigorous and was a player in medicine well into his 90s, performing surgeries, traveling and publishing articles in scientific journals. His large hands were steady, his hearing sharp. His personal health regimen included taking the stairs at work and a single cup of coffee in the morning.

DeBakey’s death was mourned Friday night by the leaders of Methodist and Baylor. Methodist President Ron Girotto said, “He has improved the human condition and touched the lives of generations to come. We will greatly miss him.” And Baylor President Dr. Peter Traber added that “he set a standard for preeminence in all areas of his life that those who knew him and worked with him are compelled to emulate. And he served as a very visible reminder of the importance of leadership and giving back to ones community.”

Debakey was born in Lake Charles, La., in 1908, a month before Ford began making Model Ts and a quarter-century before the discovery of bacteria-fighting drugs. His genius helped shape surgery and health care as we know it. While still in medical school, he developed the roller pump for the heart-lung machine. DeBakey invented many of the procedures and devices — more than 50 surgical instruments — used to repair hearts and arteries today.

He is widely credited with laying the foundation for the Texas Medical Center in Houston by recruiting pre-eminent doctors and researchers and giving the city an international reputation for leading-edge health care. He was a maverick, running afoul of the Harris County Medical Society for insisting that surgeons be certified by the American Board of Surgery. At the time, it was common for general physicians to operate.

“DeBakey built a department of surgery at Baylor and at The Methodist Hospital, which was to become one of the most celebrated in the world, a galaxy of young stars,” the late author Thomas Thompson wrote in 1970 in Hearts: Of Surgeons and Transplants, Miracles and Disasters Along the Cardiac Frontier. “In a city where 25 years ago there was practiced medicine of the most mediocre sort, there sprung up in a swampy area six miles south of downtown … one of the handful of distinguished medical centers in the world.”

He invented and refined ways to repair weakened or clot-obstructed blood vessels using replacements made from preserved human blood vessels, and later, with artificial ones. He is credited with the first successful surgical treatment of potentially deadly aneurysms of various parts of the aorta. He co-authored one of the earliest papers linking smoking and lung cancer in 1939.

“Dr. DeBakey is a legendary figure in medicine and a mentor to hundreds of practicing doctors and medical students. The full weight of his contributions may not be known for many years, but everyone who knew him gravitated to his kindness, warmth and spirit,” U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told the Associated Press on Saturday.

During World War II, serving in the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, DeBakey’s work led to the development of mobile surgical hospitals, called MASH units. He helped President John F. Kennedy lobby for Medicare; he recommended creation of the National Library of Medicine, subsequently authorized by Congress. In 1963 DeBakey won the Lasker Award for Clinical Research, considered the U.S. equivalent of a Nobel.

“At times he could act like the meanest man in the world. He didn’t let you breathe,” said Dr. John L. Ochsner of New Orleans, who trained under DeBakey and whose father, Dr. Alton Ochsner, was DeBakey’s mentor at Tulane University School of Medicine. DeBakey baby-sat the four Ochsner children, including John, and let them do chin-ups on his arm.

Said John Ochsner, “The thing that made him so mad all the time was he was trying to conquer the world and every minute was so important to him. He didn’t have time for frivolity at all.”

Patients and their families saw him otherwise. To them, DeBakey was a healer with quiet authority who seemed to work miracles. Enfolding a patient’s hands in his, the patient’s face would relax, some recalled.

He was pained by the breakup in 2004 of the historic, 50-year marriage between Baylor and Methodist, which dissolved over disagreements about the future of the institutions. DeBakey said the breakup made no sense and hurt both parties. Friends described him as “heartbroken” about the split and in an interview earlier this year he said the description was not inaccurate.

In 2003, his MicroMed DeBakey LVAD was implanted in a 10-year-old girl, the youngest patient in the world to receive the device. In 2004, a special child-sized version became available for children as young as 5. DeBakey developed the device, which boosts the heart’s main pumping chamber, in collaboration with heart surgeon Noon and NASA.

“The man has an incredible mind and an incredible grasp of details,” said former MicroMed CEO Travis Baugh . “He’s also never stopped inventing. We are working on a project with him a new way of attaching sutures to the heart.'”

The power to intimidate and awe

In his prime — and it was an unusually lengthy prime — DeBakey, with his sharp-nosed profile and dark brown eyes, had the power to intimidate and awe his acolytes. In surgery, DeBakey was famous for his withering remarks, delivered in a velvety Louisiana drawl, directed at the anxious and ambitious residents operating alongside him.

John Ochsner recalled how, if an operation was going slowly, DeBakey might ask, “Am I the only one here doing anything?”

Or a clumsy resident might prompt DeBakey to say, “Do you have two left hands?”

If DeBakey was displeased by the progress of a procedure, he would remark with an air of faint disgust, “I am surrounded by incompetence.”

DeBakey’s trainees cringed at his criticism but, among themselves, recounted the barbs in a sometimes dead-on imitation of the revered surgeon. Ochsner, now chairman emeritus of the Department of Surgery at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, said DeBakey’s stern manner came from a desire to prepare his students for the demanding career that lay ahead.

“He’s not hard to work with if things are done right,” said Noon, DeBakey’s colleague of more than three decades, in a 1995 interview. “He was hard on people who slacked off or made mistakes. But he was so busy. He had to depend on people, and he could be tough. But he was always tough for a reason.”

DeBakey was the eldest of five children born to Lebanese immigrants Raheehja and Shaker Morris DeBakey. Shaker Morris DeBakey was a well-to-do businessman and pharmacist in Lake Charles who invested in real estate and rice farming. Michael DeBakey grew up with his brother and three sisters in a large house two blocks from the public school with maids, butlers and gardeners.

The DeBakeys ate healthy foods — fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, seafood, rice and beans. They didn’t smoke or drink. They encouraged their children to check out books from the library every week. At dinnertime, the family chatted about things that happened at the drugstore or the doings of politicians who sought out Shaker’s advice.

“You could not get a word in edgewise until one of our parents announced who had the floor,” DeBakey recounted to a reporter in 1997. “It was very stimulating.”

Each Sunday after services at their Episcopal church, the DeBakeys would take clothing to a nearby orphanage. One time, the give-away bundle included DeBakey’s favorite cap. When the youngster protested, his mother sat him down and said, “You have a lot of caps. These children have none.”

“It made a great impression on me,” he said.

DeBakey’s mother also taught him one of his future career’s essential skills — sewing. He would help her repair items headed for the orphanage. He also learned to tat, using a little bobbin to make lace. Years later, in the 1950s, DeBakey would introduce artificial arteries made from Dacron; he sewed the prototype on his wife’s sewing machine using fabric purchased at Houston’s downtown Foley’s.

He went to medical school at Tulane after graduating as valedictorian from his high school class. During his senior medical school year, he developed the roller pump, a device which two decades later became a crucial component of the heart-lung machine used on patients during open-heart surgery.

As a surgery resident at New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, DeBakey caught his first glimpse of a living human heart — pink and pulsating in the chest of a knifing victim.

“I saw it beating and it was beautiful, a work of art,” DeBakey said in 1987. “I still have an almost religious sense when I work on the heart. It is something God makes, and we have yet to duplicate.”

Later, at Charity Hospital, DeBakey experienced a potentially catastrophic near-miss — he accidentally punched through a patient’s aorta — which gave him an appreciation for the steadying influence of his mentor, Alton Ochsner.

He and Ochsner were operating in an amphitheater with a full audience of visiting surgeons. DeBakey was on one side of the patient, Ochsner on the other. DeBakey was attempting to lift up the aorta, which had been weakened by infection “when I suddenly realized, with a gripping terror, that I had entered the aorta.”

DeBakey whispered this to Ochsner, who calmly instructed DeBakey to leave his finger over the hole. Ochsner stitched it up, and no one realized a near-fatal accident had occurred.

During the late 1930s, DeBakey married his first wife, Diana, a nurse he met in New Orleans. They had four sons: Michael, Ernest, Barry and Denis. When he came to Houston in 1948 to head up Baylor’s surgery department, he moved his family into a home near Rice University, only five minutes from the Texas Medical Center, so he wouldn’t waste time commuting. He never moved from that home.

Diana DeBakey died of a heart attack in 1972. They had been in Mexico for a medical meeting, staying with a close relative of the President of Mexico. They ate well and stayed up late, and when the DeBakeys got back home, Diana was complaining of an upset stomach.

At that time, gastrointestinal problems were not widely recognized as a heart attack symptom in women. When her discomfort worsened, DeBakey had her admitted to the hospital to find out what was wrong. While DeBakey was in surgery on someone else, he got a call that there was an emergency. When he reached his wife’s bedside, she had died.

Three years after her death, DeBakey married German film actress Katrin Fehlhaber, whom he met through Frank Sinatra. They had a daughter, Olga. In 1978, DeBakey was hospitalized for smoke inhalation sustained in rescuing his daughter after a Christmas tree caught fire in his home, he told the New York Times.

The workaholic DeBakey rarely slept more than five hours a night, awaking at 5 most mornings to write research papers or read medical journals. He rarely drank, never smoked, ate sparingly — mostly salads, late in life — and didn’t watch television. Lean and nearly 6 feet tall, he weighed the same as he did in 1926 when he graduated from high school — about 160 pounds. He spent much of his adult years in light-blue scrubs, and wore a pair of gleaming-white cowboy boots for the operating room. He liked to say that he conducted the presidency of Baylor between cases.

In 1948, when DeBakey came to Houston, he had turned the Baylor job down twice. The fledgling school had moved to Houston from Dallas just five years earlier, and Baylor students were scattered all over the city doing their clinical rotations, a situation that didn’t appeal to DeBakey. He finally was persuaded to come when Hermann Hospital promised the school a 20-bed surgical service, according to Ruth SoRelle’s history of Baylor, The Quest for Excellence.

The Hermann deal fell through, and DeBakey nearly left. But the Truman administration asked DeBakey to transfer Houston’s Navy hospital into aVeterans Administration hospital, an idea championed by DeBakey that evolved into the national VA system. There, DeBakey’s students started the city’s first surgical residency program.

DeBakey’s program was legendary for cutting its participants off from all contact with the outside world. As a DeBakey trainee, Dr. Edward Lefrak once spent 91 consecutive days on duty in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, missing the birth of one of his children, sleeping when he could in the patient recovery ward. Lefrak’s rotation was supposed to last just 30 days, but DeBakey had a tendency, when things were going well, to keep arrangements unchanged.

“It was like a compliment,” said Lefrak, medical director of cardiac surgery at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in Falls Church, Va. “But then, on the other hand, it was another 30 days.”

One of the most talked-about events of DeBakey’s life was his legendary feud — more Arctic freeze than hot-tempered spat — with Dr. Denton Cooley, his one-time close collaborator. DeBakey hired Cooley in 1951 after the Houston native finished his training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

In 1965, DeBakey participated in a federally funded program to design an artificial heart. Within a few years he had a device that some physicians felt was ready for human trials, but DeBakey believed it needed more work.

Then, to international acclaim in 1969, Cooley performed the first implantation of an artificial heart into the chest of 47-year-old Haskell Karp, a dying heart surgery patient. Karp lived with the heart in his chest 65 hours before dying shortly after a heart transplant.

Cooley’s fame was quickly tarnished after DeBakey said the heart was identical to one under development in the Baylor labs, and that Cooley had used it without permission.

Cooley said he and Dr. Domingo Liotta, who also designed artificial hearts in DeBakey’s lab, had built the heart privately, and that he had no choice but to use the heart because the patient’s life was in jeopardy.

After the incident, the American College of Surgeons voted to censure Cooley, and, amid a dispute with the trustees of Baylor, Cooley resigned from the institution. The two men never collaborated again and rarely spoke. DeBakey changed his focus and decided funds would be better spent developing pumps to assist failing hearts. Such devices became the mainstream treatment for patients with failing hearts.

The episode “stole DeBakey’s shot at a Nobel Prize,” Methodist heart surgeon Mike Reardon said in 2004. “What Mike needed was one crowning event to make him a candidate. And that was going to be the artificial heart.”

But the two buried the hatchet last year. Cooley inducted DeBakey into his surgical society and, in a surprise, DeBakey accepted, telling his former colleague he was touched by the gesture. Earlier this year, DeBakey returned the favor, granting Cooley membership in his surgical society. In April, when DeBakey was given the Congressional Gold Medal, Cooley made the trip to Washington too.

“I feel a sadness over his passing,” said Dr. Denton Cooley. “It represents the end of an era. We were at one time colleagues, and then we were competitors, and then finally we restored our friendship.”

More accolades poured in Saturday as news of the death spread. Traber recorded a taped webcast for the college community saying DeBakey “created the foundations of modern surgical practice,” and always looked for new ways to treat patients ravaged by heart disease.

For a man who outlived most of his peers, DeBakey seemed surprisingly unphilosophical about death, appearing to view it as a personal enemy. Losing a patient put him in a black mood and set his mind spinning with thoughts of what he might have done differently.

“You fight (death) all the time, and you never really can accept it,” he once said. “You know in reality that everybody is going to die, but you try to fight it, to push it away, hold it away with your hands.”

DeBakey was preceded in death by his sons, Houston lawyer Ernest O. DeBakey, who died in 2004, and Barry E. DeBakey, who died in 2007; and a brother, Dr. Ernest G. DeBakey, who died in 2006.

In addition to his wife, Katrin, and their daughter, Olga, DeBakey is survived by sons Michael DeBakey of Lima, Peru, and Denis DeBakey, of Houston; and sisters Lois and Selma DeBakey, both medical editors and linguists at Baylor.

By Todd Ackerman and Eric Berger. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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To see more of the Houston Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chron.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Houston Chronicle

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYT,

Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings (LabCorp(R)) (NYSE:LH) is now offering ColoSure(TM), among the most sensitive, in-guideline non-invasive colorectal cancer screening methods available. ColoSure is in guidelines for assessing the presence of any stage of colorectal cancer in asymptomatic average risk patients who are unwilling or unable to undergo a more invasive exam (such as colonoscopy, computed tomographic colonography, double contrast barium enema, and flexible sigmoidoscopy). The assay is performed on a complete bowel movement with a simple collection process, making it a convenient and useful screening option. LabCorp’s method examines DNA in exfoliated colon cells for cancer-associated aberrant methylation of the vimentin gene. ColoSure is a single marker laboratory developed, stool based DNA test with a sensitivity range of 72-77% and a specificity range of 83-94% in average risk individuals. The ColoSure assay can be used as a part of a comprehensive, ongoing colorectal cancer-screening program. Current guidelines emphasize routine screening beginning at age 50.

“LabCorp is pleased to offer ColoSure to enhance the potential of detecting and treating colorectal cancer in its early or localized stage, when the likelihood of survival is greatest,” said Myla P. Lai-Goldman, M.D., Executive Vice President, and Chief Medical Officer of LabCorp. “ColoSure is a significant addition to LabCorp’s family of advanced molecular tests, to aid in the detection, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy selection, and surveillance of colorectal cancer.”

It has been estimated that for the year 2008, 148,810 men and women will be newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer. It has been further estimated that 49,960 will die from the disease in 2008. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among women and men. If colorectal cancer is diagnosed and treated at the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 90%; unfortunately, only 39% of all cases are found at the localized stage. Most colorectal cancers are detected at the regional or distant stage when the 5-year survival rates are 68% and 10% respectively.

About LabCorp(R)

Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings, a S&P 500 company, is a pioneer in commercializing new diagnostic technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With annual revenues of $4.1 billion in 2007, over 26,000 employees nationwide, and more than 220,000 clients, LabCorp offers clinical assays ranging from routine blood analyses to HIV and genomic testing. LabCorp combines its expertise in innovative clinical testing technology with its Centers of Excellence: The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Genetics Institute, Inc., ViroMed Laboratories, Inc., The Center for Esoteric Testing, DIANON Systems, Inc., US LABS, and Esoterix and its Colorado Coagulation, Endocrine Sciences, and Cytometry Associates laboratories. LabCorp conducts clinical trial testing through its Esoterix Clinical Trials Services division. LabCorp clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies. To learn more about our organization, visit our Web site at: www.labcorp.com.

Each of the above forward-looking statements is subject to change based on various important factors, including without limitation, competitive actions in the marketplace and adverse actions of governmental and other third-party payors. Actual results could differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements. Further information on potential factors that could affect LabCorp’s financial results is included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent SEC filings.

TUSTIN, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — (http://www.amdl.com/) AMDL, Inc., a leading vertically integrated bio-pharmaceutical company with major operations in China and the US, announced that the AMDL-ELISA DR- 70(R) (FDP) test has been shown to be a useful test for the detection of cancer in clinical practice according to an independent study of 185 patients from the Medical Department II at the University Hospital in Frankfurt Germany. The results were published in the international medical research publication Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

The purpose of this independent study was to evaluate the potential of the DR-70 ELISA (FDP) test as a detection test for gastrointestinal cancers that include, colorectal, esophageal, gallbladder, gastric, liver, pancreatic and intestinal cancers. Additionally, the quantitative value of DR-70 (FDP) was tested as a parameter for the progression of these cancers. Serum samples were taken from a total of 80 cancer patients with histologically proven malignant tumors and 100 healthy blood donors in this study. Patients with colorectal cancer were also tested for carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA), a competing diagnostic test to AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP). The complete article about AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP) can be accessed via AMDL’s corporate website located at http://www.amdl.com/ under the RESOURCES link.

“When we compared the DR-70 immunoassay with conventional tumor markers, DR-70 turned out to be superior to CEA in the detection of patients with colorectal cancer,” according to the conclusion of authors. The authors also concluded that DR-70 (FDP) levels were shown to be significantly higher across all types of gastrointestinal cancers tested and not limited to specific tumor types, suggesting the AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP) test could be clinically used as a global cancer detection tool.

   According to the results:    --  The AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP) test showed strong clinical performance       with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 93% in testing       conducted on patients with hepatocellular, cholangiocellular,       pancreatic, colorectal, stomach and oesophagus cancers.   --  The test reliably differs between patients with cancer of the       gastrointestinal tract or the hepatobilary system and healthy       patients; therefore showing promise as a useful cancer detection tool       in clinical practice.   --  The study also found an association between the quantitative DR-70       value and the stage of the cancer in patients tested which suggests       the AMDL-ELISA DR-70 (FDP) test can also be used as a prognostic       factor in cancer monitoring.    

About AMDL: Headquartered in Tustin, CA with operations in Shenzhen, Jiangxi, and Jilin, China, AMDL, Inc., along with its subsidiary Jade Pharmaceutical Inc. (JPI), is a vertically integrated bio-pharmaceutical company devoted to the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of diagnostic, pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement, and cosmetic products. The company employs approximately 320 people in the U.S. and China. The AMDL ELISA DR-70 (FDP) cancer diagnostic test was cleared to market by the US FDA on July 13, 2008 and the Company has 4 additional pharmaceutical and diagnostic products under review by various regulatory authorities. For additional information on AMDL and its products visit the company’s website at http://www.amdl.com/ or call +1 (714)505-4460.

   AMDL Contact:   Kristine Szarkowitz   Director-Investor Relations   [email protected]   (M) (206) 310-5323   (O) (206) 201-3286  

AMDL, Inc.

CONTACT: Kristine Szarkowitz, Director-Investor Relations of AMDL, Inc.,mobile, +1-206-310-5323, office, +1-206-201-3286, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.amdl.com/

* What: Opening Night and Flower Girl Presentation, held in the Teller House gardens and the Opera House on June 28.

* The event: The Central City Opera Flower Girls Presentation is the oldest debutante ceremony in Colorado. It began in 1932 to encourage young women to appreciate the importance of maintaining Colorado’s rich cultural heritage.

* Benefits: Central City Opera

* The evening: Presentation of the Flower Girls was followed by dinner. After dinner, the group enjoyed West Side Story, followed by dessert and a champagne toast.

* The girls: All 15 girls have a connection to Colorado history and the Opera. They are: Sarah Grace Ammons, Allison McDonald Bathgate, Elizabeth Ashton Eliot, Arianna Milan Gerdes, Georgia Pynchon Grey, Alexandra Scripps Groos, Elizabeth Anne Marsico, Erin Anne McGonagle, Samantha Rand McMillan, Elizabeth Helen Craig Pickard, Olivia Sullivan Ross, Haley Marie Sorensen, Ann Marie Stookesberry, Allison Louise Welsh and Megan Elizabeth Zajkowski.

* Chairwomen: Nancy Hemming, Heidi Hoyt, Ronda Smith

* Adviser: Pam Powell

* Emcee: Lanny Martin

Originally published by Rocky Mountain News.

(c) 2008 Rocky Mountain News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. today announced that the Aurora(R) 1.5Tesla Dedicated Breast MRI System is immediately available to patients at the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center through Memorial Health Care System. The Aurora System is accessible to patients in Chattanooga, Tenn. and its surrounding areas at the 12,000 square foot women’s center that offers a team of breast health specialists and the latest technology to fight breast disease.

The Aurora System is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared dedicated breast MRI system specifically developed for the detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring of breast disease. It features an exclusive precision gradient coil design to provide a large homogeneous elliptical field of view to image both breasts, the chest wall and axillae in a single bilateral scan. The benefit of this breakthrough design is the production of outstanding images in both clarity and contrast.

“We are thrilled to have the Aurora System at our center as it plays an important role in our breast health practice,” said Jessie Varnell, M.D., co-medical director, MaryEllen Locher Breast Center. “Our center now has exceptional MRI capabilities provided by the Aurora System, which has recently detected a lesion on a patient that was not seen on mammogram or ultrasound. This type of high-quality result makes a big difference not only in the convenience for our patients, but it also helps us provide patients with the most thorough and most efficient medical care available.”

The implementation of the Aurora System at the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center strategically addresses Tennessee’s cancer statistics. According to the Tennessee Cancer Registry’s report, Cancer in Tennessee, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Tennessee women. Additionally, breast cancer is diagnosed almost twice as often as any other malignancy, and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Tennessee women ages 25 to 44.

“The breast cancer statistics in Tennessee are significant. However, breast cancer mortality rates can be reduced through early detection from physical examination and breast cancer screening, and the Aurora System was exclusively developed to tackle this issue,” said Olivia Ho Cheng, president and chief executive officer, Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. “The Aurora System’s advanced MRI technology is a truly unique tool because it is specifically designed from the ground up to aid in the battle against breast disease. The availability of the Aurora System at breast centers throughout the U.S., like the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center, directly supports the most recent American Cancer Society guidelines, recommending breast MRI for women at increased risk of breast cancer.”

Serving more than half of the breast cancer patients in Chattanooga, Tenn., the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center chose the Aurora System to offer a targeted tool that will best service the specific needs of their patients. Prior to the installation of the Aurora System, the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center shared a traditional full body MRI system with the Memorial’s general imaging center, which was at more than 100 percent of its capacity, posing an inconvenience for patients in need of a timely breast MRI. The Aurora System is now an integrated tool within the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center to offer patients a more efficient and conveniently accessible imaging service.

The installation of the Aurora Dedicated Breast MRI System at the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center marks the first breast health center in Chattanooga, Tenn., and only the second center in the state to house this advanced imaging technology.

About Memorial Health Care System

Memorial Health Care System is a not-for-profit, faith-based health care organization dedicated to the healing ministry of the Catholic Church. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and strengthened as part of Catholic Health Initiatives, it offers a continuum of care including preventative, primary and acute hospital care, as well as cancer and cardiac care, orthopedic and rehabilitation services. Memorial is a regional referral center of choice with 4,000 associates and more than 700 affiliated physicians providing health care throughout Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. Memorial is recognized as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson for excellence in quality of care. To learn more, visit www.memorial.org.

About Aurora Imaging Technology Inc.

Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. is a private company based in North Andover, Mass. committed to expanding the fight against breast cancer. Aurora strives to manufacture the highest quality and most cost-effective breast MRI solutions and partners with a growing number of the nation’s finest breast care centers to provide the ultimate in the detection, diagnosis, biopsy and treatment of breast cancer. The Aurora System is in clinical use at a growing number of leading breast care centers in the United States, Europe and Asia. To find an Aurora Breast MRI System near you, visit www.auroramri.com.

SAN DIEGO, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Cardium Therapeutics and its operating unit InnerCool Therapies, Inc., announced today that InnerCool’s RapidBlue(TM) endovascular temperature modulation system conforms to the European Union CE Mark requirements for use in inducing, maintaining and reversing mild hypothermia in a variety of clinical indications including cardiac arrest, neurosurgery, fever, cardiovascular re-warming, trauma re-warming, and potential additional applications including acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The CE Mark will allow the Company to begin marketing the RapidBlue system in Europe and many other countries that recognize the certification. The Company expects to begin selling the RapidBlue System through its established distribution network next quarter. As previously reported, InnerCool’s RapidBlue System is currently under review for FDA 510(k) clearance.

   (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080714/LAM033)   (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051018/CARDIUMLOGO)  

“We believe our RapidBlue System is truly the most dynamic and best-in-class temperature modulation system on the market and receiving CE Mark and UL certification demonstrates that the Company has established and operates a world class quality system. Based on our three year development effort, InnerCool’s RapidBlue System establishes new performance standards by which all other endovascular and surface systems on a worldwide basis will now be judged,” stated Christopher J. Reinhard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cardium Therapeutics and InnerCool Therapies. “This is the first UL global certification for an endovascular thermal regulating system and further confirms the technology leadership position that InnerCool is establishing with the RapidBlue System. With commercialization agreements in place with leading distributors in the European Union, we look forward to expanding our distribution activities to include our RapidBlue System.”

InnerCool’s RapidBlue System is a thermal regulating system designed to manage and control patient body temperature. The system automatically cools or warms patients, as necessary, to maintain desired body temperature. RapidBlue provides rapid or gradual temperature control for all patient sizes and its closed loop catheter based system modulates whole body temperature without fluid introduction or exchange by circulating cool or warm saline within the interior of the catheter. Unlike various other systems, RapidBlue is powerful enough to quickly cool awake patients and can eliminate the need to use paralytic agents. The system includes a programmable console with an enhanced user-friendly interface and touch-panel screen.

The RapidBlue System powers InnerCool’s low-profile flexible Accutrol(R) catheter which can quickly modulate patient temperature at cooling rates of 4-5 degrees Celsius per hour. The Accutrol catheter contains an integrated temperature sensor capable of accurately measuring core body temperature to within 0.1 degree Celsius of pulmonary artery temperature. Its novel software control algorithm provides automated and precise body temperature control, eliminating the use of peripheral temperature probes which are generally slow to respond to changes in core body temperature.

The Company also announced that Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) completed a national and international conformity assessment for the RapidBlue System and concluded that it meets all of the applicable requirements of the U.S. (UL 60601-1), Canadian (CSA C22.2 No. 601.1-M90), and European Union (EN60601-1) medical electrical safety standards. In addition, the RapidBlue console passed the stringent UL 471 Standard for commercial refrigerators and freezers.

InnerCool’s RapidBlue(TM) and CoolBlue(TM) Temperature Modulation Systems

InnerCool’s RapidBlue system for high-performance endovascular temperature modulation includes a programmable console with an enhanced user-friendly interface and touch-panel screen and powers the low-profile, flexible Accutrol(R) catheter to quickly modulate patient temperature at cooling rates of 4-5 degrees Celsius per hour. The Accutrol catheter, which has a flexible metallic temperature control element(TM) (TCE) and a built-in temperature feedback sensor to provide fast and precise patient temperature control, can accurately measure core body temperature within 0.1 degree Celsius of pulmonary artery temperature. Its novel software control algorithm provides automated and precise body temperature control, eliminating the use of peripheral temperature probes which are generally slow in responding to core temperature changes.

The RapidBlue console and Accutrol catheter can quickly and accurately modulate whole body temperature without introducing or exchanging any fluid within the body. The system functions by programmably circulating cold or warm saline in a closed circuit within the catheter to either cool or warm its outer metallic surface, which effectively conducts heat out of or into the surrounding bloodstream. The unique design of InnerCool’s TCE(TM), which is both thermally conductive and includes alternating surface helices to promote mixing around the TCE, further enhances heat transfer and enables rapid patient temperature modulation, even in obese patients. The catheter and TCE have a covalently-bonded heparin coating for hemo-compatibility and the catheter can be readily placed in an operating room or intensive care setting without the need for continuous fluoroscopy. The integrated temperature sensor allows for automated temperature management, and also eliminates the need to place bladder or other patient temperature probes which can be slow to react to changes in core body temperature, and may be uncomfortable to the patient and time-consuming to place.

Other currently-marketed endovascular systems rely on plastic-based balloon catheters that are inflated after placement in the bloodstream. Although expansion of the balloons increases their overall surface area for heat transfer, it also tends to make the catheters fairly large and rigid. In addition, they do not contain integrated temperature feedback sensors and heat transfer is limited by the very poor conductive nature of plastic. In terms of performance, a medium-sized balloon-based catheter which inflates to about 8 mm (24 French) has been reported to cool anesthetized intubated (i.e. surgical) patients at a rate of around 1 degree Celsius per hour. In comparison, InnerCool’s RapidBlue System combines an ultra-thin flexible metallic catheter of only 3.5 mm (10.7 French) or 4.6 mm (14 French) with the potential to achieve cooling rates that are approximately 4-fold faster, i.e. about 1 degree Celsius per 15 minutes. Rapid cooling is considered to be particularly important for preserving tissue and organ function under conditions of acute ischemia, which result from reduced blood flow to critical tissues and organs.

The RapidBlue System can be used in inducing, maintaining and reversing mild hypothermia in neurosurgical patients, both in surgery and in recovery or intensive care. The system can also be used for cardiac patients in order to achieve or maintain normal body temperatures during surgery and in recovery/intensive care, and as an adjunctive treatment for fever control in patients with cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage. Potential additional applications of the technology include endovascular cooling for cardiac arrest, acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

InnerCool’s CoolBlue(TM) surface temperature modulation system, which includes a console and a disposable CoolBlue vest with upper thigh pads, is designed to provide a complementary tool for use in less acute patients or in clinical settings best suited to prolonged temperature management. InnerCool’s CoolBlue vest and thigh pads wrap the body without requiring any adhesives to stick to the skin and produce cooling rates of around 1 degree Celsius per hour, i.e. similar to those of currently-marketed surface cooling systems and endovascular systems using inflatable balloon-based catheters. InnerCool’s CoolBlue external or surface-based temperature modulation system is designed to cool or warm patients from outside of their bodies and is intended for use in less acute settings such as in-hospital fever management. InnerCool’s CoolBlue nurse-friendly and cost-effective surface temperature modulation system, launched in the U.S. in fourth quarter 2007, is also currently available in Europe and Australia.

About Cardium

Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, InnerCool Therapies, Inc. and the Tissue Repair Company, are medical technology companies primarily focused on the development, manufacture and sale of innovative therapeutic products and devices for cardiovascular, ischemic and related indications. Cardium’s lead product candidate, Generx(TM) (alferminogene tadenovec, Ad5FGF4), is a DNA-based growth factor therapeutic being developed for potential use by interventional cardiologists as a one-time treatment to promote and stimulate the growth of collateral circulation in the hearts of patients with ischemic conditions such as recurrent angina. For more information about Cardium and its businesses, products and therapeutic candidates, please visit http://www.cardiumthx.com/ or view its 2007 Annual Report at http://www.cardiumthx.com/flash/pdf/CardiumAR07_Book_FINAL.pdf.

Cardium’s InnerCool Therapies subsidiary is a San Diego-based medical technology company in the emerging field of patient temperature modulation therapy to rapidly and controllably cool the body in order to reduce cell death and damage following acute ischemic events such as cardiac arrest or stroke, and to potentially lessen or prevent associated injuries such as adverse neurological outcomes. For more information about Cardium’s InnerCool subsidiary, including InnerCool’s RapidBlue(TM) and CoolBlue(TM) patient temperature modulation systems, please visit http://www.innercool.com/.

Cardium’s Tissue Repair Company subsidiary (TRC) is a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of growth factor therapeutics for the treatment of severe chronic diabetic wounds. TRC’s lead product candidate, Excellarate(TM), is a DNA-activated collagen gel for topical treatment formulated with an adenovector delivery carrier encoding human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Excellarate is initially being developed to be administered once or twice for the potential treatment of non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. Other potential applications for TRC’s Gene Activated Matrix(TM) (GAM(TM)) technology include therapeutic angiogenesis (cardiovascular ischemia, peripheral arterial disease) and orthopedic products, including hard tissue (bone) and soft tissue (ligament, tendon, cartilage) repair. For more information about Cardium’s Tissue Repair Company subsidiary, please visit http://www.t-r-co.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. For example, there can be no assurance that new marks and certifications, distribution agreements or other commercialization efforts will effectively accelerate InnerCool’s patient temperature modulation business or market, that product modifications or launches will be successful or that the resulting products will be favorably received in the marketplace, that our products or proposed products will prove to be sufficiently safe and effective, that our products or product candidates will not be unfavorably compared to competitive products that may be regarded as safer, more effective, easier to use or less expensive, that results or trends observed in one clinical study will be reproduced in subsequent studies, that third parties on whom we depend will behave as anticipated, or that necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained. Actual results may also differ substantially from those described in or contemplated by this press release due to risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties that are inherent in the development, testing and marketing of therapeutic hypothermia devices and the conduct of human clinical trials, including the timing, costs and outcomes of such trials, whether our efforts to launch new devices and systems and expand our markets will be successful or completed within the time frames contemplated, our dependence upon proprietary technology, our ability to obtain necessary funding, regulatory approvals and qualifications, our history of operating losses and accumulated deficits, our reliance on collaborative relationships and critical personnel, and current and future competition, as well as other risks described from time to time in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof.

      Copyright 2008 Cardium Therapeutics, Inc.  All rights reserved.     For Terms of Use Privacy Policy, please visit http://www.cardiumthx.com/.     Cardium Therapeutics(TM) and Generx(TM) are trademarks of Cardium                             Therapeutics, Inc. Tissue Repair(TM), Gene Activated Matrix(TM), GAM(TM) and Excellarate(TM)                  are trademarks of Tissue Repair Company.      InnerCool Therapies(R), InnerCool(R), Celsius Control System(R),  

RapidBlue(TM), CoolBlue(TM). Accutrol(R), Temperature Control Element(R) and

TCE(R) are trademarks of InnerCool Therapies, Inc.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080714/LAM033http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051018/CARDIUMLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN10PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Cardium Therapeutics, Inc.

CONTACT: Press|Investor, Bonnie Ortega, Director, Investor|PublicRelations of Cardium Therapeutics, Inc., +1-858-436-1018,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.cardiumthx.com/

HARTFORD, Conn., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Understanding complicated medical information can be difficult for all Americans. But for the approximately 21 million people in the United States who have limited English proficiency, miscommunication at the doctor’s office can lead to poor medical care and make even a simple visit confusing and overwhelming. To help Spanish-speaking Americans communicate more effectively with their doctors, Plan for Your Health, the public education program from Aetna and the Financial Planning Association(R) (FPA), launched the Hable Con Su Medico (Talking to Your Doctor) program at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference. The new program provides consumers with practical advice on how to make the most of their doctor’s appointments.

“Direct communication between physicians and their patients is crucial. Language barriers or misunderstandings should never prevent patients from receiving the best health care possible, but unfortunately I’ve seen firsthand that it does,” said Haydee Muse, M.D., Senior Medical Director, Aetna. “Poor communication – or lack of communication – can result in embarrassment, confusion and fear for patients. In some cases, it can impact the quality of care because physicians don’t have the information they need to understand a patient’s condition or because a patient may not be able to understand their physician.”

The Hable Con Su Medico program will help Spanish-speaking patients learn how to take control of their health. The new, easy-to-follow guidelines developed by Plan for Your Health will empower patients with the information they need to better communicate with their doctors and, ultimately, help to ensure that they receive quality medical care. The guidelines provide the following four steps patients can follow to make their next visit to the doctor more successful:

— Prepare: Helpful tips on getting ready for your next visit to the doctor

— Share: Health-related information that is important to tell your doctor and how to share it

— Ask: Advice on important questions to ask your doctor

— Act: Suggestions on ways to follow your doctor’s recommendations and improve your overall health

The full guidelines can be viewed in Spanish at http://www.planifiqueparasusalud.com/, or in English at http://www.planforyourhealth.com/. Helpful information and tips for working with a translator and getting the most out of health benefits are also available on these sites.

“Regardless of what language a patient speaks, following the Hable Con Su Medico guidelines before, during and after doctor’s visits will help improve communication and overall health,” said Dr. Muse. “While there are federal and state laws that mandate language services for people with limited English proficiency, and translators in some medical offices, these efforts are sometimes not enough. The guidelines may seem like small steps, but following them will make a big difference in the care received.”

Aetna launched the Plan for Your Health consumer education campaign in partnership with the Financial Planning Association in English in September 2004. Planifique Para Su Salud and Hable Con Su Medico are extensions of the program to help all Americans make smart health benefits and financial planning decisions. The campaign Web site, http://www.planifiqueparasusalud.com/, offers culturally-relevant tips, tools and information to help consumers choose, use and get the most value from their health benefits.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. http://www.aetna.com/

About Plan for Your Health

Plan for Your Health, a public education campaign from Aetna and the Financial Planning Association, gives consumers the information they need to make health benefits and financial choices that meet their needs now and in the future. The Web site focuses on five life events when women need to re-examine their health benefits – career, marriage, family, living single and retirement – and offers consumer-friendly tools, tips and content that support well-informed decision-making. http://www.planforyourhealth.com/

About The Financial Planning Association(R) (FPA(R))

FPA is the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning. FPA demonstrates and supports a professional commitment to education and a client-centered financial planning process. Based in Denver, Colo., FPA has over 100 chapters throughout the country representing more than 28,000 members involved in all facets of providing financial planning services. Working in alliance with academic leaders, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations, FPA is the community that fosters the value of financial planning and advances the financial planning profession. http://www.fpanet.org/

Aetna

CONTACT: Alli Sherman, +1-202-835-7261, [email protected], forAetna

Web Site: http://www.fpanet.org/

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — ThermoGenesis Corp. , a leading supplier of innovative products and services that process and store adult stem cells, today said it has received authorization from the FDA to begin marketing its MarrowXpress (MXP) device for use in a clinical laboratory setting or intraoperatively for preparation of a cell concentrate from bone marrow.

Last month, the Company announced it had submitted a 510(k) pre-market notification application to the FDA. Upon its review, the FDA determined that the device was exempt from the agency’s pre-market notification requirements and will instead be regulated as laboratory equipment labeled for a specific medical use. The device is a derivative of the Company’s AutoXpress(TM) (AXP(TM)) Platform that is used to volume reduce and collect stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

“This notification that we can immediately begin marketing our MXP device is a major regulatory milestone for the Company and particularly exciting since we received this notification just several weeks after filing our submission, and since it follows by less than a month from having received the CE-Mark enabling us to market the device in the European Community,” noted Dr. William Osgood, Chief Executive Officer.

Bone marrow derived stem cells are the dominant source of stem cells studied in regenerative medicine clinical trials for treating several large patient population diseases and injuries including blood disorders, ischemic heart diseases, peripheral artery diseases, and diabetes. According to the latest statistics, there are 24 million people in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with heart disease, 16.2 million with peripheral artery disease, and 15.8 million with diabetes. Worldwide statistics would be more than twice these amounts.

In addition, bone marrow stem cells are currently processed in a number of orthopedic and vascular surgeries inside and outside the U.S. Outside the U.S., stem cell treatments for ischemic heart disease are practiced and reimbursed by insurance companies.

“In anticipation of this authorization, we have initiated discussions with an orthopedic surgery group, vascular surgeons, and leading academic medical centers not only in the U.S. but also in Europe and Asia, and look forward to begin placing this device in the clinical setting in the near future. We believe this positions ThermoGenesis to significantly participate in what will ultimately represent a multi-billion dollar market opportunity in regenerative medicine,” Osgood added.

“We are confident that the users of this technology will value the unique capability of this device to achieve significantly improved recovery of the stem cells from bone marrow meaning that less marrow will need to be collected from their patients to obtain the same number of stem cells,” said Dr. John Chapman, Vice President of Research and Development and Scientific Affairs. “While the initial marketing application for the MXP will be for bone marrow processing, both at point-of-care and in a laboratory, we will continue our exploration of the use of this technology platform for other sources of adult stem cells including mobilized peripheral blood and adipose tissue stem cell processing,” Chapman added.

About ThermoGenesis Corp.

ThermoGenesis Corp. (http://www.thermogenesis.com/) is a leader in developing and manufacturing automated blood processing systems and disposable products that enable the manufacture, preservation and delivery of cell and tissue therapy products. These products include:

— The BioArchive(R) System, an automated cryogenic device, is used by cord blood stem cell banks in more than 25 countries for cryopreserving and archiving cord blood stem cell units for transplant.

— AXP(TM) AutoXpress Platform (AXP(TM)) is a proprietary family of automated devices that includes the AXP and the MarrowXpress(TM) and companion sterile blood processing disposable for harvesting stem cells in a closed system. The AXP device is used for the processing of cord blood. GE Healthcare is the exclusive global distribution partner for the AXP cord blood product except for Central and South America, China and Russia/CIS, where ThermoGenesis markets through independent distributors. The MarrowXpress is used for isolating stem cells from bone marrow. ThermoGenesis sells the MarrowXpress directly to global customers.

— The CryoSeal(R) FS System, an automated device and companion sterile blood processing disposable, is used to prepare fibrin sealants from plasma in about an hour. The CryoSeal FS System is approved in the U.S. for liver resection surgeries. The CryoSeal FS System has received the CE-Mark which allows sales of the product throughout the European community. Asahi Medical is the exclusive distributor for the CryoSeal System in Japan and the Company markets through independent distributors in Europe and South America.

— The Thrombin Processing Device(TM) (TPD(TM)) is a sterile blood processing disposable that prepares activated thrombin from a small aliquot of plasma in less than 30 minutes. The CE-Marked TPD is currently being marketed in Europe by Biomet, Inc., subsidiary Biomet Biologics, Medtronic, Inc. and independent distributors.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, and such statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Several factors, including timing of FDA approvals, changes in customer forecasts, our failure to meet customers’ purchase order and quality requirements, supply shortages, production delays, changes in the markets for customers’ products, introduction timing and acceptance of our new products scheduled for fiscal year 2009, and introduction of competitive products and other factors beyond our control, could result in a materially different revenue outcome and/or in our failure to achieve the revenue levels we expect for fiscal 2009. A more complete description of these and other risks that could cause actual events to differ from the outcomes predicted by our forward-looking statements is set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, and you should consider each of those factors when evaluating the forward-looking statements.

   ThermoGenesis Corp.   Web site: http://www.thermogenesis.com/   Contact: Investor Relations   +1-916-858-5107, or   [email protected]  

ThermoGenesis Corp.

CONTACT: Investor Relations, ThermoGenesis Corp., +1-916-858-5107,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.thermogenesis.com/

For the fifteenth year, MossRehab of the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading rehabilitation facilities in the 19th annual U.S. News & World Report magazine survey of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

“We are honored that MossRehab is consistently recognized as one of the leading rehabilitation facilities in the country and one of the most frequently recognized in the state,” said Ruth Lefton, Chief Operating Officer, MossRehab. “The recognition affirms our commitment to serving people with temporary or permanent disabilities. It is a tribute to the expertise of our physicians and staffers, who are dedicated to helping patients achieve their highest possible level of independence. And it recognizes the role of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute in developing new technologies and procedures to advance the state of rehabilitation care.”

MossRehab offers a wide range of specialized services, including comprehensive programs for brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and orthopaedic conditions. In addition, MossRehab is one of only a few rehabilitation hospitals in the nation to be designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a Model System of Care for traumatic brain injury, and one of the few to have an internationally known research institute dedicated to the study of cognitive and mobility problems, and their rehabilitation.

U.S. News put 5,462 medical centers through progressively finer screens to create 16 specialty rankings. Just 173 hospitals made it into the rankings. Rehabilitation medicine was one of a few medical specialties ranked whose outcome was based solely on reputation. The survey, conducted by RTI International in Triangle Park, North Carolina, involved a sampling of board-certified physicians randomly selected from the American Medical Association’s database. The physicians were asked to list up to five hospitals they believe to be top in each specialty, without considering cost or location.

For complete survey information, see the magazine’s America’s Best Hospitals 2008 issue, which will be available on newsstands Monday, July 14th.

As part of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, MossRehab has two main facilities — MossRehab at Elkins Park at 60 Township Line Road in Elkins Park, PA, and Moss Rehab at 1200 West Tabor Road in Philadelphia. It also operates inpatient units, outpatient sites and various community programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. For more information about MossRehab’s programs and services, call 1-800-EINSTEIN or visit www.mossrehab.com.

About Albert Einstein Healthcare Network

Albert Einstein Healthcare Network is a 1,200 bed integrated delivery network serving the communities of North Philadelphia and Montgomery County, PA. A founding member of the Jefferson Health System, Einstein combines the best of academic medicine and community service, employing nearly 7,000 people, and offering training programs for physician residents and fellows, nurses and other health professionals. The Network provides healthcare services through Albert Einstein Medical Center and Einstein at Elkins Park hospitals, its MossRehab and Belmont Behavioral Health divisions, Germantown Community Health Services, Willow Terrace (a nursing home), Willowcrest (a center for subacute care), outpatient facilities such as Center One and Einstein Neighborhood Healthcare, network of primary care and specialist practices throughout the community. For more information, visit www.einstein.edu or call 1-800-EINSTEIN.

Exercise builds muscle. But guess what else it does? It makes bones _ living tissue that they are _denser and stronger. Work those puppies and they’ll work for you.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation tells us that two types of exercise are important for building and maintaining bone strength and density:

_ Weight-bearing, impact exercises: These include activities that make you move against gravity while being upright.

_ Resistance and strengthening exercises: These include actions where you move weights, your body or other resistance against gravity.

The NOF goes into plenty of detail on its site (www.nof.org) about these. Here are five of its best tips to help you keep your bones strong and osteoporosis at bay.

1. If you are not frail and don’t have osteoporosis, try these: Dancing, hiking, jumping rope, playing tennis, running or jogging, high-impact aerobics.

2. If you are frail, or the idea of actually doing the above makes you roll your eyes or start to giggle, try these: Elliptical training machines, walking, stair-step machines, low-impact aerobics.

3. To increase muscle strength and reduce the risk of broken bones and falls, try these: Balance exercises such as tai chi; posture exercises, which decrease the risk of fractures; functional exercises in which you practice such activities as sitting in a chair and standing up until you are tired.

4. These are great as part of an exercise program: Swimming, water aerobics, bicycling or indoor cycling. They don’t build bones, though, so be sure to include weight-bearing exercises that do.

5. How much how often? Do the weight-bearing, impact variety for 30 minutes (at once or in 10-minute increments) almost every day. For the resistance-strengthening exercises, aim for two or three times a week.

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(c) 2007, The Dallas Morning News.

Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/

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Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), a fully integrated biotechnology company, today announced it has received approval from the China State Food and Drug Administration to market ABRAXANE(R) Paclitaxel for Injection (Albumin Bound) for the treatment of breast cancer after failure of standard chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. The Phase III clinical trials in the U.S. and China on which this approval was based demonstrated that ABRAXANE doubled the response rate, significantly prolonged time to tumor progression, and in the U.S. trial, significantly improved overall survival versus Taxol(R) in the approved indication.

Data from the U.S. pivotal head-to-head trial demonstrated that ABRAXANE nearly doubled the overall response rate versus Taxol (33% vs. 19%; P = .001) and achieved a 25% percent improvement in time to tumor progression when compared to Taxol. Furthermore, patients receiving ABRAXANE in the second-line setting had a significantly prolonged survival by an additional 27% compared to solvent-based Taxol. The tolerability with ABRAXANE and Taxol was comparable, despite the 50% greater dose of paclitaxel administered as ABRAXANE.

A second head-to-head trial in Chinese patients with metastatic breast cancer further demonstrated the improved efficacy of ABRAXANE compared to solvent-based Paclitaxel Injection. ABRAXANE significantly improved overall response rate versus solvent-based Paclitaxel Injection (54% vs. 29%; P = less than .001) and achieved a 26% percent improvement in progression free survival when compared to solvent-based Paclitaxel Injection (7.6 months vs. 6.2 months; P = 0.118). Both therapies had similar toxicity profiles.

ABRAXANE is now approved for marketing in 35 countries. Abraxis has three issued Chinese patents covering ABRAXANE, as well as five additional pending patent applications in China.

In the Asia-Pacific region, ABRAXANE was approved in India in November 2007 and in Korea in April 2008. ABRAXANE is under regulatory review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia and by the Federal Authority for Healthcare and Social Development Regulation in Russia for the treatment of breast cancer. In March 2008, the Japanese licensee of Abraxis, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., filed a New Drug Application (J-NDA) with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to market ABRAXANE for the treatment of breast cancer in Japan.

“The approval for ABRAXANE in China provides the most populated country in the world with an important new treatment option for women with metastatic breast cancer,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraxis BioScience. “With cancer rates on the rise in China, the introduction of a new taxane therapy such as ABRAXANE is particularly important.”

From 2000 to 2005, the incidence of breast cancer in China has increased 25% to 25 out of every 100,000 women. There are approximately 400,000 women with breast cancer in China, with approximately 168,000 new cases of breast cancer reported in China each year. In the commercial center of Shanghai, in 2007, 55 out of every 100,000 women had breast cancer, a 31 percent increase since 1997, and about 45 out of every 100,000 women in Beijing had the disease, representing a 23 percent increase during the past 10 years. According to IMS market data, there were approximately 1.5 million vials of paclitaxel injection (30 mg/vial) sold in China in 2007, representing total market value of $83 million. This represents a 30% increase over 2006, when the total market value of paclitaxel injection was approximately $64 million. The total taxane market in China was approximately $167 million in 2007.

About ABRAXANE(R)

ABRAXANE(R) is a solvent-free chemotherapy treatment option for metastatic breast cancer. Developed using Abraxis BioScience’s proprietary nab(TM) technology platform, ABRAXANE is a protein-bound chemotherapy agent, which combines paclitaxel with albumin, a naturally-occurring human protein, to deliver the drug and eliminates the need for solvents in the administration process. Because solvents are not used for administration, ABRAXANE allows for the delivery of a 49% higher dose compared to solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol(R)) without compromising safety and tolerability. In a previous randomized Phase III study of metastatic breast cancer patients, ABRAXANE demonstrated nearly double the overall tumor response rate compared to solvent-based paclitaxel.

ABRAXANE is currently in various stages of investigation for the treatment of the following cancers: first-line metastatic breast, non-small cell lung, malignant melanoma, pancreatic, and gastric. The most serious adverse events associated with ABRAXANE in the randomized metastatic breast cancer study for which FDA approval was based included neutropenia, anemia, infections, sensory neuropathy, nausea, vomiting and myalgia/arthralgia. Other common adverse reactions included anemia, asthenia, diarrhea, ocular/visual disturbances, fluid retention, alopecia, hepatic dysfunction, mucositis and renal dysfunction. For the full prescribing information for ABRAXANE, including Boxed Warning, please visit www.abraxane.com.

ABRAXANE was developed by Abraxis BioScience and is marketed in the United States under a co-promotion agreement between Abraxis and AstraZeneca.

About Abraxis BioScience

Abraxis BioScience is a fully integrated global biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of next-generation therapeutics and core technologies that offer patients safer and more effective treatments for cancer and other critical illnesses. The company’s portfolio includes the world’s first and only protein-bound chemotherapeutic compound (ABRAXANE), which is based on the company’s proprietary tumor targeting technology known as the nab(TM) platform. The first FDA approved product to use this nab(TM) platform, ABRAXANE, was launched in 2005 for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Abraxis trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol ABII. For more information about the company and its products, please visit www.abraxisbio.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, goals, intentions, initiatives or strategies, including statements regarding the approval and launch of ABRAXANE in China. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues with respect to ABRAXANE; the need for additional data or clinical studies for ABRAXANE; regulatory developments (domestic or foreign) involving the company’s manufacturing facilities; the market adoption and demand of ABRAXANE, the costs associated with the ongoing launch of ABRAXANE; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the availability and pricing of ingredients used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products; the ability to successfully manufacture products in a time-sensitive and cost effective manner; the acceptance and demand of new pharmaceutical products; and the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties. Additional relevant information concerning risks can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and in other documents it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The information contained in this press release is as of the date of this release. Abraxis assumes no obligations to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

Taxol(R) is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.