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Yissum Signs A Collaboration Agreement With Aurum Ventures MKI For The Development Of Breakthrough Liver-Bypassing Oral Drug Delivery Nanotechnology
Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced today at the ILSI-Biomed Israel 2009 conference, it has signed an agreement with Aurum, Ventures MKI, the technology investment arm of Mr. Morris Kahn, for the development of a nanotechnology controlled release drug delivery platform that increases the bioavailability of orally administered lipophilic drugs. The technology was developed by Prof. Simon Benita at the Hebrew University"s School of Pharmacy.
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Rwanda Launches Campaign To Address Cross-Generational Sex
The Rwanda Ministry of Youth recently launched a six-month campaign aimed at reducing the trend of cross-generational sex, which some health officials say is contributing to the spread of HIV among young people in the country, the New Times/AllAfrica.com reports. Rwanda"s National Commission for the Fight Against AIDS, USAID and Population Services International launched the campaign urging youth to avoid having sex with older people. The minister of youth, Protais Mitali, said that all institutions in the country should help address the trend in order to curb the spread of HIV among young people. According to Anita Asiimwe, executive secretary of the commission, data show that Rwandan women ages 20 to 24 are five times more likely to be HIV-positive than men their age. She added that statistics indicate that one out of every 10 girls had her first sexual experience with a man 10 or more years older. She added, "Since older men are much more likely to be [HIV-positive] than their male counterparts, young girls appear to be getting infected by older men, rather than by boys of their age." Staci Leuschuer with PSI Rwanda said that there are lower rates of condom use among young people, noting that about 40% of young people report condom use and that about 24% to 25% of girls ages 15 to 24 are using condoms (Mutara, New Times/AllAfrica.com, 5/24).
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The Therapeutic Process Of Mother-Infant Psychotherapy
Psychotherapists who treat mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other mood disorders with their infants have developed a proven process that contributes to a greater positive experience with immediate insights for the mothers to develop healthy connections between their maternal experiences and their infants" behaviors.
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Infection Control 'Urgently Needed' To Curb Spread Of XDR-TB Among Health Care Workers

Healthcare workers in South Africa are at a significantly increased risk of developing drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDR-TB, in a trend which threatens to further exacerbate the already beleaguered healthcare systems in sub-Saharan countries, according to results of a new study. Researchers say the results underscore the urgent need for stringent TB screening policies among healthcare workers in these areas. Keertan Dheda, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and collaborators, Julie Jarand, M.D. from University of Calgary and Max O"Donnell, M.D. from the Boston University, presented their findings at the 105th American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego on May 17. XDR-TB is a potentially untreatable strain of tuberculosis that is resistant to all major primary and secondary anti-tuberculosis drugs. This retrospective study is the first to focus on healthcare workers who have contracted XDR-TB in a non-outbreak setting, said Dr. Dheda. "The purpose of this study was to describe a series of healthcare workers in South Africa with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis and to determine whether XDR-TB was prevalent among them," Dr. Dheda noted. The study was based on a chart review of 270 patients in South Africa with passively detected XDR-TB, including 11 healthcare workers. Of those 11, eight were working in district hospitals, 10 had been treated for TB at least once previously and eight were negative for HIV. At the time these workers were diagnosed with XDR-TB, there were no standard infection control measures in place at the facilities where they were employed. In separate presentations Dr. O"Donnell and Dr. Dheda will present their findings from Kwa-Zulu Natal and four treatment centers in South Africa, respectively. Dr. Dheda noted that although tuberculosis is a well-recognized occupational risk for healthcare workers in both low- and high-income countries, the prevalence and natural history of XDR-TB in these workers is unknown. "The emergence and progression of XDR-TB is threatening to destabilize global tuberculosis control," he said. "The negative impact of XDR-TB is further exacerbated by a global shortage of healthcare workers, a shortage which has reached crisis levels in most of sub-Saharan Africa." "XDR-TB is an important risk for healthcare workers globally, particularly for those who work or travel to high-burden areas, regardless of HIV status," Dr. Dheda added. "Implementation of infection control measures and rapid diagnostic testing for all healthcare workers suspected of TB needs to be undertaken urgently to minimize the risk of drug-resistant TB." Keely Savoie American Thoracic Society


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