HICNet Medical News Digest Sun, 24 Apr 1994 Volume 07 : Issue 14 Today's Topics: Sleep Apnea Conference Correction on address for Oncology Gopher Conference: Methods and Techniques in Human Identification Histopathology Seminar Seminar: Diagnostic Exfoliation & Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology AIDS Daily Summary +------------------------------------------------+ ! ! ! Health Info-Com Network ! ! Medical Newsletter ! +------------------------------------------------+ Editor: David Dodell, D.M.D. 10250 North 92nd Street, Suite 210, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4599 USA Telephone +1 (602) 860-1121 FAX +1 (602) 451-1165 Compilation Copyright 1994 by David Dodell, D.M.D. All rights Reserved. License is hereby granted to republish on electronic media for which no fees are charged, so long as the text of this copyright notice and license are attached intact to any and all republished portion or portions. The Health Info-Com Network Newsletter is distributed biweekly. Articles on a medical nature are welcomed. If you have an article, please contact the editor for information on how to submit it. If you are interested in joining the automated distribution system, please contact the editor. E-Mail Address: Editor: Internet: david@stat.com FidoNet = 1:114/15 Bitnet = ATW1H@ASUACAD LISTSERV = MEDNEWS@ASUACAD.BITNET (or internet: mednews@asuvm.inre.asu.edu) anonymous ftp = vm1.nodak.edu Notification List = hicn-notify-request@stat.com FAX Delivery = Contact Editor for information ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 15:41:43 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: Sleep Apnea Conference Message-ID: <9JB0kc11w165w@stat.com> SLEEP APNEA AND SNORING: Recognition, Responsibility, and Respect "I got tired of knocking him in the arm to breathe every night!" "Going to sleep at our house?!!? - It was about as easy as sleeping in a lumber mill during working hours!" "Hey, I ended up sleeping in another room to get away from the noise, but I wanted to sleep in another zip code!" RANDOLPH, MA - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is more common in adults than asthma. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research mandated by Congress, 20 - 30 MILLION Americans are plagued by excessive daytime sleepiness as a result of sleep apnea. Tragically, however, 97 out of every 100 people suffering from apnea remains undiagnosed. This disorder, when left untreated, limits capabilities and shortens lives. The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Sleep Apnea Association, in cooperation with the American Sleep Apnea Association and Massachusetts Sleep Breathing Disorders Society, is presenting "Sleep Apnea and Snoring: Recognition, Responsibility, Respect." This event is being sponsored by the Massachusetts Thoracic Society and will take place Friday, June 3rd at Lantana, Randolph Massachusetts. The point of this conference is to make people who have the problem but aren't in treatment aware that help is available and further to become aware that their lives can dramatically and positively change. "Sleep Apnea and Snoring: Recognition, Responsibility, Respect" is all about social responsibility. The conference sessions are divided between medical-scientific meetings for health care professionals and lay sessions in which no prior medical or scientific training is assumed. The goal is to allow patients to bring their physicians so that both can learn more about sleep apnea. This conference is for people with sleep apnea, their families, and medical professionals. Whether you suffer from sleep apnea, or you have a family member who does, or you are a physician, nurse, psychologist, respiratory therapist or sleep lab technician - - if you are concerned with the impact of untreated sleep apnea on health, personal and public safety, well-being, and productivity, this conference will be beneficial to you. The faculty panel is impressive. Dr. William C. Dement, Director of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Stanford University will deliver the Keynote Address "The Effects of Sleep Apnea on Society." Topics like " Driving and Sleep Apnea," "Sleep Apnea and the Workplace," and "A Patient's Guide to Treatment" will be presented and discussed in a dynamically interactive format. For information contact the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Sleep Apnea Association at 1-800-947-2811. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 15:43:44 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: Correction on address for Oncology Gopher Message-ID: From: "Peter von Baeckmann" Hello David ! While trying to connect via gopher into Oncolink, I recieved several "address not found"- messages. The reason for this was the omitted "med." in the instructions for gopher users given in the announcement of Oncolink. IMHO the correct text in the announcement should read: " With a gopher client (e.g. gopher) use gopher cancer.med.upenn.edu 80 " ^^^ I thougt this might be of interest to other readers of your newsletter. ----- Mit freundlichen Gruessen Greetings ----- --- Auf Wiederlesen until reading again --- Peter von Baeckmann Peter.Baeckmann@vu-wien.ac.at ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 15:45:03 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: Conference: Methods and Techniques in Human Identification Message-ID: METHODS and ADVANCED TECHNIQUES IN HUMAN IDENTIFICATION will be presented 8-10 June 1994 at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. SPONSOR: The American Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the American Registry of Pathology. GEN INFO: This program is designed to inform the participants of basic and advanced methods in human identification. The course will cover all aspects of identification to include anthropology, odontology, radiology, fingerprinting, advanced serological and DNA typing, and computer morphometrics and enhancement. Special emphasis will be given to selection of the most appropriate methods and techniques for a variety of case scenarios ranging from the identification of a single set of remains to that involving multiple individuals such as encountered in a mass disaster. Additionally there will be discussion on the use of advanced DNA and serological techniques for separation and re-association of highly fragmented an comingled remains. Course participants can also be expected to acquire a better understanding of the legal and evidentiary problems associated with human identification. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) is a recognized leader in the field of Human Identification. The office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner and its DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) have pioneered advances in the identification of badly fragmented and degraded human remains utilizing both anthropological methods as well as both nuclear and mitochondrail DNA. Some well known cases of identification handled by the AFIP include the Jonestown massacre - Guyana, Gander crash - Newfoundland, the Apollo and Space Shuttle Challenger disasters, aircraft mishap of Congressman Micky Leland - Ethiopia, the Middle East hostages, the Gulf War dead, the Branch Davidian Compound - Waco, Texas, and skeletal remains from past wars and conflicts. (English) TUITION: $250. Active duty military, DOD civilians, full-time permanent Dept. of Veterans Affairs employees (not residents or fellows), and commissioned officers of the Public Health Services with authorized approval have a registration fee of $175. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 15:46:02 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: Histopathology Seminar Message-ID: HISTOPATHOLOGY SEMINAR will be presented 3-5 August 1994 at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA. SPONSORS: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the American Registry of Pathology. CONTENT: This program offers a wide variety of scientific topics in the field of histotechnology, electron microscopy and immunohistology. This seminar is designed to cover selected methodologies with a comprehensive discussion of potential problems, corrective measures and desired results. Techniques and equipment demonstrations will give participants a greater understanding of a variety of issues as well as methods of fixation, processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining on standard and non-standard tissue specimens. 15.5 CME (English) INFORMATION: Education Dept., 14th & Alaska Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20306-6000, USA; 301/427-5231 or FAX 301/427-5001; INTERNET: LOWTHER@email.afip.osd.mil ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 23 Apr 94 15:48:34 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: Seminar: Diagnostic Exfoliation & Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology Message-ID: DIAGNOSTIC EXFOLIATIVE and FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY will be presented 6-10 June 1994 at the Hyatt Regency, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. SPONSOR: American Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the American Registry of Pathology. GEN INFO: Education Department, 14th & Alaska Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20306-6000, USA; 301/427-5231 or FAX 301/427-5001; INTERNET: LOWTHER@email.afip.osd.mil CONTENT: This course provides formal training in diagnostic exfoliative and fine needle aspiration cytology for pathologists through formal lectures and microscopic workshop sessions. Materials presented is at an intermediate to advanced levels. Topics covered include benign and malignant criteria for all body sites: female genital tract; respiratory, urinary, and gastrointestinal tracts; body cavity effusions; cerebrospinal fluids; salivary glands; breast; lymph nodes; thyroid; retroperitoneum; pediatric; and liver and pancreas. Lectures on immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry will also be presented. Microscopes will be provided. Each participant will receive an extensive syllabus and accompanying set of 35mm slides. (English) TUITION: $675. Active duty military, DOD civilians, full-time permanent Dept. of Veteran Affairs employees (not residents or fellows), and commissioned offericers of the Public Health Service with authorized approval have a registration fee of $465. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Apr 94 06:16:01 MST From: mednews (HICNet Medical News) To: hicnews Subject: AIDS Daily Summary Message-ID: AIDS Daily Summary The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD Topics in this issue: - AIDS Patients Living Longer, New Study Says - AIDS Plan - AIDS Survival Rates Up in New York - Structure of HIV-1's Principal Neutralization Site Determined - Ultraviolet Light--An Answer to Tuberculosis? "AIDS Patients Living Longer, New Study Says" Philadelphia Inquirer (04/13/94) P. A5 Newly infected HIV patients can expect to live about a year longer than those who were infected when the epidemic began more than a decade ago, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Typical survival was a year longer in 1993 than in 1983, said the study's lead author, Dennis Osmond, an assistant professor at the University of California at San Francisco. The improvement was largely due to doctors' success in fighting pneumo- cystis carinii (PCP)--which affects about half of infected patients- rather than in battling the virus itself. Of the 370 gay, male study participants, most of the improvement was expressed among patients who received preventive therapy or treatment for PCP. Related Stories: New York Times (04/13) P. A17; USA Today (04/13) P. 1D "AIDS Plan" Associated Press (04/13/94) National AIDS Policy Coordinator Kristine Gebbie yesterday unveiled her proposed new plan, which centers around 15 research,service, and prevention goals. Those objectives include providing accurate and timely prevention information to all Americans, early help for those living with the deadly virus, andidentifying and removing obstacles to the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. Critics said that Gebbie must flesh out the proposal and find ways to finance the goals. "It's a skeletal plan," said Greg Gonsalves of the Treatment Action Groupin New York. "Unless it's linked to a budget, it's meaningless."Dr. Mervyn Silverman, president of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, agreed. "It really isn't an action plan," he said. "These are just a set of goals." Related Story: Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (04/13) P. A7 "AIDS Survival Rates Up in New York" United Press International (04/12/94) While AIDS patients may live longer than they did 15 years ago, there remain disparities in the survival rates between men and women, blacks and whites, and gay men and intravenous drug users,reports a newly released survey from the New York City Departmentof Health. The study, which followed 23,000 infected patients from the beginning of the epidemic to June 1989, found that people diagnosed within the last three years of the 1980s survived an average of 16.4 months after an AIDS diagnosis. That figure compares to a median survival time of only 11.4 months for people diagnosed at the very beginning of the epidemic and 14.8 months for those diagnosed in the mid-1980s. The increase in survival time may have been influenced by AIDS awareness and earlier diagnosis in some instances, said Dr. Pauline Thomas, director of the Health Department's Office of AIDS Surveillance. She also said improvements in medical care and treat- ments have helped prolong the lives of AIDS patients. In general, men lived longer than women after diagnosis; whites lived longer than blacks and Hispanics; and homosexual men lived longer than IV-drug addicts. Thomas said the variations between race and gender could be explained by access to health care. "Structure of HIV-1's Principal Neutralization Site Determined" Chemical & Engineering News (04/04/94) Vol. 72, No. 14, P. 24 AIDS scientists have long focused on a region of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein called the V3 loop, which is essential to HIV infection. In laboratory experiments, antibodies that recognize the V3 region prevent infection even if the virus has already attached to the target cell. Now, investigators at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and Repligen Corp. in Cambridge, Mass., have determined the 3-D structure of the peptide segment that forms the active part of the V3 loop. Led by Scripps' Ian A. Wilson, the research team demonstrates that the segment assumes an S-shaped conformation not predicted by previous studies. Scientists should now be able to tailor small molecules to bind the receptor for that region, thus inhibiting the ability of HIV to infect cells or indirectly cause the destruction of immune system cells. The new findings may be useful in helping researchers produce more effective synthetic vaccines against HIV. "Ultraviolet Light--An Answer to Tuberculosis?" EPRI Journal (03/94) Vol. 19, No. 2, P. 5 The health care industry has used ultraviolet (UV) light to kill bacteria for half a century, and some physicians are now urging widespread use of UV to control tuberculosis. According to medical experts, UV light can kill many airborne viruses and bacteria, such as measles and chicken pox. The National Tuberculosis Coalition is now beginning a controlled study of the use of UV lamps to prevent the spread of tuberculosis. The coalition, with help from EPRI, Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, the Lighting Research Institute, and other sources, intends to study use of UV lamps in six urban areas in the United States. In the plan, UV lamps would be installed in homeless shelters, which often serve as breeding grounds for the disease. Researchers, over a five-year period, will study the spread of the disease among workers and homeless people in the shelters. Some tuberculosis bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. According to Myron Jones, who is managing EPRI's involvement with the coalition, "Tuberculosis could become a real health crisis in the next 5 to 10 years. By supporting this research, electric utilities may ultimately help hold down health care costs in their service territories. And by reducing these costs, utilities are also helping to keep their commercial customers more competitive." ------------------------------ End of HICNet Medical News Digest V07 Issue #14 *********************************************** --- Editor, HICNet Medical Newsletter Internet: david@stat.com FAX: +1 (602) 451-1165 Bitnet : ATW1H@ASUACAD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------