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Economic Crisis Heightens Financial Fallout For Bereaved
One in five people fall below the official poverty line following the death of their partner. "Hence the recent fall in the value of annuities, savings and investments means an even wider group of older people could face financial difficulties when their partner dies, whether these difficulties are short-lived or longer lasting," says researcher Anne Corden of the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York
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The Development Of Mechanosensitivity
Researchers of the Max DelbrÃøck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have gained crucial insight into how mechanosensitivity arises. By measuring electrical impulses in the sensory neurons of mice, the neurobiologists and pain researchers Dr. Stefan G. Lechner and Professor Gary Lewin were able to directly elucidate, for the first time, the emergence of mechanosensitivity. At the same time they were able to show that neurons develop their sensitivity to touch and pain during different developmental phases but always coincidentally with the growth of the neuronal pathways. (EMBO Journal, 2009, doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.73).*
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Los Angeles Times Examines Increase In Caesarean Births, Related Rise In Risk, Cost
Caesarean sections -- which are performed in 31% of births, up from 4.5% in 1965 -- often are considered an unnecessary risk and "an example of how the intensive and expensive U.S. brand of medicine has failed to deliver better results and may, in fact, be doing more harm than good," the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the Times, c-sections can increase a woman"s risk of complications, such as infection, blood clots and premature delivery. Even without complication, c-sections typically result in longer hospital stays and increased costs. Expenses related to c-section births account for 45% of the more than $79 billion in annual hospital charges that childbirth incurs in the U.S. annually. The average uncomplicated c-section costs about $4,500, which is about twice the cost for vaginal births. C-sections cost about $13,000 for privately insured patients. According to a 2008 report by Childbirth Connection, "The financial toll of maternity care on private (insurers)/employers and Medicaid/taxpayers is especially large." It also said, "Maternity care thus plays a considerable role in escalating health care costs, which increasingly threaten the financial stability of families, employers, and federal and state budgets." Addressing the Increase
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Hebrew University Research Leads To Advanced Trials Of New Cancer Treatment

Research by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor has led to the development of a product that has been shown in clinical trials to be successful in halting the growth of various types of cancer cells. The research, conducted by Prof. Avraham Hochberg of the Silberman Institute of Life Sciences at the university, has won for him first prize among faculty members for this year"s Kaye Innovations Awards, which was presented on June 9 during the annual Hebrew University Board of Governors meeting. Prof. Hochberg was successful in isolating the H19 gene in humans and determining that it is significantly expressed in over 33 different forms of cancer, including superficial bladder carcinoma and pancreatic, ovarian and metastatic liver cancer, while laying dormant and non-expressed in non-cancerous cells. Research has also demonstrated that the H19 gene plays a significant role in the tumor development process by enabling tumor cells to survive under stress conditions, such as low serum and low oxygen levels, that are typical conditions of the environment in which cancerous cells develop. This survival supports the growth of the tumor and the development of metastases. The research and understanding of the origin of cancer and metastases has progressed significantly in recent years. In light of scientific breakthroughs in cancer research, and the role of the H19 gene in such processes, it is believed that an anti-cancer drug based on suppressing the expression of the H19 gene has the potential to provide benefits that are competitive with existing treatment methods. Prof. Hochberg"s research was patented by Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University. In 2005 Yissum established BioCancell Inc., to which it licensed the technology. The company is now traded in the Tel Aviv stock exchange (TASE). BioCancell"s leading product, BC-819, has demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials (now in an advanced stage) in Israel and the US for the treatment of human bladder, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Jerry Barach The Hebrew University of Jerusalem


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