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International Conference On Reproductive Science To Be Held In Pittsburgh July 18 To 22
Many of the diseases that we develop as adults likely began in our mothers" wombs. This provocative idea and others-including the causes of infertility, the impact of the environment on maternal and fetal health, and new approaches to unraveling the molecular pathways that guide reproduction-will be among the topics discussed at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), which runs from July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown Pittsburgh.
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DOD, VA, Congress Should Take Stronger Steps Toward Eliminating Tobacco Use In Military Populations, VA Medical Centers
Because tobacco use impairs military readiness, harms the health of soldiers and veterans, and imposes a substantial financial burden on the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, these agencies should implement a comprehensive strategy to achieve the Defense Department"s stated goal of a tobacco-free military, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. DOD should gradually phase in a ban on tobacco use in the military, starting at military academies and officer training programs and among new recruits, the report says. DOD should also stop selling tobacco products in Army and Air Force commissaries -- Navy and Marine Corps commissaries already do not sell them -- and should stop selling them at a discount in military exchanges and other stores. In addition, Congress should allow VA to establish tobacco-free medical centers.
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Confirmation Hearings For Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor To Begin July 13
Senate Democrats on Tuesday announced that confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor"s nomination to the Supreme Court are set to begin on July 13, the New York Times reports. According to Democrats, the schedule puts the Senate on track to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess. By the Thursday before the recess, 72 days will have elapsed since President Obama nominated Sotomayor, which is the same number of days that passed during the confirmation process for Chief Justice John Roberts (Herszenhorn, New York Times, 6/10).Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said, "There is no reason to unduly delay consideration of this well-qualified nominee." He said that critics" attacks on her character are "compelling reasons to proceed even ahead of this schedule," adding that Sotomayor needs to be given a chance to respond to her critics (Isenstadt/Raju, Politico, 6/9).Republican senators have started a campaign to stall the confirmation process, saying they need more time to review her judicial record (LoBianco, Washington Times, 6/10). Republican senators had requested to delay the hearing until September. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that Democrats are acting "unilaterally" and "being dismissive of the minority"s legitimate concerns for a fair and thorough process."Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he discussed the timeline with Obama and Leahy, both of whom had reviewed a letter from McConnell that expressed concerns about the process starting before September. According to Reid, Obama and Leahy went ahead with an earlier schedule after concluding that the timetable was similar to that of past nominations (New York Times, 6/10).
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Commercialization Grant Awards Announced By Life Sciences Discovery Fund

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) has announced $300,000 in awards from its inaugural winter commercialization grant competition to support commercial translation of health-related technologies by two Washington state-based research teams. Commercialization grants are designed to facilitate the transition of promising ideas or technologies from Washington"s non-profit research sector into marketable products and services that can improve health, foster economic growth, and promote life sciences competitiveness in the state. The grants support proof-of-concept experiments and prototype development activities that are expected to lower the risk of commercialization and help new technologies cross the "valley of death" - that stage of the commercialization pathway where development funding is particularly scarce. One team, led by Philip Fleckman of the University of Washington, will assess the ability of a novel material to prevent infections associated with catheter use. The second team, headed by Kenneth A. Schenkman, also of the University of Washington, will conduct a clinical study of a new device for the early detection of shock. Here are the details of each awarded proposal: Philip Fleckman, University of Washington, $150,000 Project Title: Cutaneous Healing into Porous Biomaterials Impedes Infection Project Focus: To test the ability of a percutaneous catheter to resist infection Percutaneous (skin-penetrating) devices such as vascular and dialysis catheters, glucose monitors, and artificial prostheses are essential for medical care. The use of these critical devices, however, is associated with high risk of infection leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The proposed work is a new approach that uses material into which the skin can heal, thus providing a barrier to microbial attachment and infection. The proposed work will test whether cutaneous integration into biomaterial inserted into the skin will resist bacterial challenge by Staphylococcus aureus, an organism that commonly infects percutaneous devices. The commercialization plan continues a fruitful collaboration with Healionics, a successful start-up biotech company that has licensed the technology from the University of Washington. Kenneth A. Schenkman, University of Washington, $150,000 Project Title: Noninvasive Clinical Monitor for Early Detection of Shock Project Focus: To test a new instrument for the diagnosis and monitoring of shock Shock is a life-threatening medical condition that results in insufficient oxygen reaching body tissues. Early and definitive diagnosis of shock is difficult using current methods. As a result, many cases are missed or not picked up until the critical later stages when organ failure and death may occur. The investigators have developed a novel noninvasive clinical monitor that they believe will fundamentally improve the early detection and continuous monitoring of shock. A proof-of-concept study will be performed on trauma patients upon admission to the emergency department and within the first hours of resuscitation in the intensive care unit. The investigators hope to demonstrate that their new monitor can identify the severity of shock and serve as a sensitive indicator of the adequacy of resuscitation. The commercialization plan for the shock monitor includes the formation of a new start-up company. Funding for the winter commercialization grants comes from donations to LSDF for grant-making purposes by Amgen, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Group Health Cooperative, Microsoft Corp., the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Regence BlueShield, and Safeco Insurance Foundation; and from Washington"s allocation of bonus payments under the Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement of 1998, revenues arising from multi-state litigation with tobacco product manufacturers. Alden Jones Life Sciences Discovery Fund


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