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Nebraska Legislature Advances Ultrasound Viewing Bill
The Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday voted to advance a bill (L.B. 675) that would require abortion providers who perform ultrasounds on women seeking the procedure to tell women that a view of the fetus will be available and display the screen in a way that the image can be easily seen, the AP/Lincoln Journal Star reports. The bill also would require the state to compile a list of clinics that offer no-cost ultrasound services. State Sen. Brenda Council (D) criticized that particular provision, saying it would force the state Department of Health and Human Services to spend more taxpayer money.Lawmakers advanced the bill by voice vote after approving an amendment to clarify language surrounding the qualifications of health professionals performing ultrasounds. Advocates for the bill claim it would provide more information to women seeking abortion procedures, while opponents of the bill argue that it would allow the government to interfere in a private procedure. The bill faces a final vote before going to Gov. Dave Heineman (R). If the bill becomes law, Nebraska would join more than a dozen states that have similar laws, the AP/Journal Star reports (Ortiz, AP/Lincoln Journal Star, 5/27).
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Study Of Infant Sleep Patterns And Parenting
Infants" sleep patterns and their parents" influence on it are the focus of the SIESTA II project, supported by a five-year, $2.67 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to Douglas M. Teti, professor of human development and psychology, Penn State.
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Patient Radiation Exposure During Interventional Procedures Is A Concern For Some Developing Countries
Interventional radiology procedures are on the rise in developing countries and there is a significant need for optimization of these procedures to ensure patient safety. Many facilities in these countries lack the concept of patient dose estimation and dose management, putting patients at a higher risk of developing complications due to overexposure from radiation during interventional procedures, according to a study performed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.
Oncology

Creighton Medical Laboratories First To Offer New Cancer Test

Creighton Medical Laboratories, based at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, announced today that it has become the first clinical laboratory worldwide to offer a new and more effective testing method for cancer. The method, called SNP array karyotyping, has been successfully used in research laboratories to study cancer for several years. However, Creighton Medical Laboratories, using AffymetrixTM SNP arrays, is the first laboratory to validate the test in a clinical setting and make it available for routine clinical use. The method can help doctors make more accurate cancer diagnoses and tailor patient management based on the DNA profiles of each person"s cancer. Array-based karyotyping is a 21st century spin on older genetic testing methods that have helped guide patient care for decades. DNA is bundled inside cells as chromosomes; a karyotype is a representation of all of the chromosomes in a cell. Normal human cells have two copies of each chromosome. Cancer cells will often duplicate or lose pieces of chromosomes, and these chromosomal changes can help physicians categorize a tumor, determine its aggressiveness, and/or determine which tumors will respond to specific drugs. With the new method being used at Creighton Medical Laboratories, DNA from tumor cells is applied to the arrays and scanned into a computer. The chromosomes are reconstructed by the computer to provide a genome-wide view of the cancer cells at unprecedented resolution; physicians then "surf" the cancer genome using web-based genome browsers. "SNP array karyotyping is a powerful new tool in our molecular tool box," said Jill Hagenkord, M.D., a pathologist and director of molecular pathology and clinical genomics at Creighton Medical Laboratories. "We can detect genetic abnormalities that previously would have been missed." The SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) array used by Creighton allows the detection of a very common genetic abnormality or lesion in cancer cells - called copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH) - that often goes undetected with conventional diagnostic methods as well as standard array-based karyotyping. "As an example, with SNP-array virtual karyotypes, we have detected copy neutral LOH at important regions of the cancer genome, like the p53 gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. If the tumor has no functional copies of this important gene, it tends to behave aggressively, and the treating physician may want to treat it more aggressively," Hagenkord said. "This genetic lesion would not have been detectable with the current testing methods, which really underscores the importance of having this new testing method available clinically." Roger Brumback, M.D., chair of the Department of Pathology at Creighton University School of Medicine, said, "We feel that SNP array karyotyping will become the standard of care for the diagnosis and management of many cancers. Creighton Medical Laboratories is excited to be at the forefront of this technology and proud to provide progressive medical care for our patients." "We are very fortunate to have Dr. Hagenkord at the helm in clinical genomics, since she is currently the only pathologist worldwide with fellowship training in both molecular genetic pathology and pathology/oncology informatics. She has been performing SNP array karyotyping of tumors since the technology emerged and she is truly an expert in the field." Creighton University


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