Project I.M.P.A.C.T.
News
Upcoming I.M.P.A.C.T. Workshops and Trainings
The National Medical Association’s Project I.M.P.A.C.T. will sponsor the Good Clinical Practices and Skills Building Program, July 25–26, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. Check out the agenda and registration form.
Food and Drug Administration - Recalls
Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:02:00 GMT: New Era Canning Company Announces New Recall of Certain Lots of Mexican-style Chili Beans, Green Beans and Dark Red Kidney Beans Because of Possible Health Risk (Jan. 8) New Era Canning Company of New Era, Michigan is announcing a new recall to include Mexican style chili beans, green beans, and dark red kidney beans that were shipped to food service and retail customers because a records review identified the possibility that a small number of cans from each lot may not have been adequately cooked and have the potential for the growth of Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:41:00 GMT: Consumer Alert: Undeclared Milk in SNGNE Brand Fruit Flavour Chews (Jan. 3) The recalled "SNGNE brand Fruit Flavour Chews," a product of China, are packaged in a plastic bag coded "Pro: 24/05/2007 Exp: 24/05/2009." The product was distributed in metropolitan New York City.
Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:33:00 GMT: Weis Markets Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Baker's Basket 18 Ct Fruit Miniatures and 2 lb Platters of Mini-Fruit Diamonds Due to Undeclared Allergen—Walnuts (Dec. 31) These products, which were sold in Weis Markets' Bakeries, have been removed from store shelves and destroyed. The 18-count Fruit miniatures come in clear plastic containers and the two pound Mini Fruit Diamonds are packaged in a platter with a clear top.
Sat, 29 Dec 2007 23:01:00 GMT: FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Raw Oysters Harvested from the West Karako Bay Section of Growing Area 3 in Louisiana (Dec. 29) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat raw oysters harvested from West Karako Bay, a section of Growing Area 3 in Louisiana. These oysters, harvested from Dec. 3 through Dec. 21, may be contaminated with norovirus.
Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:59:00 GMT: Consumer Alert: Undeclared Sulfites in Dried Potato (Dec. 28) The recalled "Dried Potato" is packaged in an uncoded 6-ounce clear plastic bag. It was sold in metropolitan New York. According to the label, the product is made in China.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:51:00 GMT: FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Super Shangai, Strong Testis, Shangai Ultra, Shangai Ultra X, Lady Shangai, and Shangai Regular (also known as Shangai Chaojimengnan) (Dec. 28) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to buy or use Super Shangai, Strong Testis, Shangai Ultra, Shangai Ultra X, Lady Shangai, and Shangai Regular, also marketed as Shangai Chaojimengnan, products because they contain undeclared active ingredients of FDA-approved prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:13:00 GMT: Whole Foods Market Expands Allergy Alert on 365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Chocolate Bars to All Varieties and Lots (Dec. 21) Whole Foods Market is expanding the recall of the 365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Milk Chocolate Bars with Rice Crisps with a Best If Used By date of 11/21/07, to include all varieties and all lots of chocolate bars with a Best If Used By date prior to 11/08/09.
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:17:00 GMT: New Era Canning Company Recalls Canned GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans Because of Possible Health Risk (Dec. 21) New Era Canning Company of New Era, Michigan is voluntarily recalling 171 cases/ 6 cans per case of 6 lbs. 5 oz. GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans, 4 Sieve, lot code 19H7FL , because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death from botulism. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:17:00 GMT: Cardinal Health Statement on Alaris Pump Module Worldwide Voluntary Recall (Dec. 21) On Nov. 5, 2007, Cardinal Health notified customers of a voluntary recall for all Alaris Pump modules, model 8100 (formerly known as Medley Pump module), shipped prior to Sept. 27, 2007.
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:02:00 GMT: AM2 PAT, Inc. Issues Nationwide Recall of Pre-Filled Heparin Lock Flush Solution USP (5 mL in 12 mL Syringes) (Dec. 21) AM2 PAT, Inc., Angier, North Carolina, is initiating a nationwide recall of one lot of Pre-Filled Heparin Lock Flush Solution USP (5 mL in 12 mL Syringes), Lot # 070926H. The heparin IV flush syringes have been found to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens, which have resulted in patient infections. CDC has confirmed growth of Serratia marcescens from several unopened syringes of this product.
Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:54:00 GMT: Royal Seafood Baza Inc. Recalls Dried Roach (Fish) Due to Possible Health Risk (Dec. 19) The recalled Dried Roach (Fish) was distributed to Net Cost Market stores located in Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The product comes in clear plastic pouches of various weights with a product code 20.03.08. It is product of Latvia.
Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:29:00 GMT: Top Line Specialty Produce Recalls Green Paradise Basil Because of Possible Health Risk (Dec. 19) The recalled Green Paradise Basil was distributed to Food Service Distributors through direct shipping on 12/06/2007 in Southern California, Illinois and Texas.
Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:59:00 GMT: Whole Foods Market Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Tree Nuts in 365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Milk Chocolate Bar With Rice Crisps (Dec. 14) Whole Foods Market is recalling 365 Organic Everyday Value Swiss Milk Chocolate Bars with Rice Crisps, 3-ounce size, with a Best If Used By date of 11-21-07, because products with that lot code may contain undeclared hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans.
Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:37:00 GMT: Domega International Ltd., Inc Issues Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in "King Chief Brand Dried Kudzu" (Dec. 12) Domega International Ltd., Inc., 98 Bay 35th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214 is recalling "King Chief Brand Dried Kudzu" because it contains undeclared sulfites.
Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:37:00 GMT: Kadouri International Foods Inc. Issues Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in King Brand Dried Turkish Apricots (Dec. 12) Kadouri International Foods, Inc. is recalling King Brand Dried Turkish Apricots because they contain undeclared sulfites.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases
Mon, 13 Jan 2008 07:57:00 EST: Researchers Uncover New Piece to the Puzzle of Human Height In studies involving more than 35,000 people and a survey across the entire human genome, an international team supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found evidence that common genetic variants recently linked to osteoarthritis may also play a minor role in human height.
Mon, 13 Jan 2008 07:57:00 EST: International Effort Finds New Genetic Variants Associated with Lipid Levels, Risk for Coronary Artery Disease Now, in an international collaboration supported primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), scientists have discovered more than 25 genetic variants in 18 genes connected to cholesterol and lipid levels.
Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:07:00 EST: Autism Risk Higher in People with Gene Variant Scientists have found a variation in a gene that may raise the risk of developing autism, especially when the variant is inherited from mothers rather than fathers. The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST: NIAID Experts See Dengue as Potential Threat to U.S. Public Health A disease most Americans have never heard of could soon become more prevalent if dengue, a flu-like illness that can turn deadly, continues to expand into temperate climates and increase in severity, according to a new commentary by Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and David M. Morens, M.D., Fauci's senior scientific advisor.
Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:47:00 EST: News Advisory: Reporters and Editors are Invited to Apply for 2008 "Medicine in the Media" Course Now in its seventh year, the National Institutes of Health is pleased to present a free annual training opportunity to help develop journalists' ability to critically evaluate and report on medical research.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST: Scientists Can Predict Psychotic Illness in up to 80 Percent of High-Risk Youth Youth who are going to develop psychosis can be identified before their illness becomes full-blown 35 percent of the time if they meet widely accepted criteria for risk, but that figure rises to 65 to 80 percent if they have certain combinations of risk factors, the largest study of its kind has shown. Knowing what these combinations are can help scientists predict who is likely to develop the illnesses within two to three years with the same accuracy that other kinds of risk factors can predict major medical diseases, such as diabetes. The research was conducted in youth with a median age of 16 and was funded primarily by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST: Researchers Uncover an Error in Immature Brain Cells in Lab and Animal Studies that May Promote the Growth of Some Brain Tumors In experiments done in lab and animal studies, a breakdown in proper cell development has been shown to cause brain-specific stem cells to become starter seeds for aggressive brain tumors called glioblastoma multiforme, according to research from a team of researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS), parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:27:00 EST: Top Malaria Experts Publish Groundbreaking Research to Aid Malaria Eradication Efforts Leading research scientists, physicians, and public health specialists from around the world have published new insights into the international burden of malaria and how the global community can best combat the disease, it was announced today by malaria experts at the Fogarty International Center, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:02:00 EST: Researchers Discover New Biomarker for Predicting Liver Cancer Spread and Survival New research has shown that a unique pattern of microRNAs, small RNA molecules that regulate gene activity, can accurately predict whether liver cancer will spread and whether liver cancer patients will have shorter or longer survival, even patients with early stage disease. The study, which appeared online January 7, 2008 in "Hepatology", was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues at Ohio State University, Columbus, and the Liver Cancer Institute in Shanghai, China.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:07:00 EST: Mayo Clinic, BIG and NCI Host Science Writers? Seminar on International Breast Cancer Trials Two potent and targeted therapies for treatment of a subtype of breast cancer will be tested with participation of thousands of women across several continents, providing a model for international collaboration that furthers cancer care.
Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:57:00 EST: Study of Sugars on Cell Surface Identifies Key Factor in Flu Infection Scientists have identified a key factor that determines the ability of influenza viruses to infect cells of the human upper respiratory tract — a necessary step for sustaining spread between people. The research, described in the January 6 online edition of "Nature Biotechnology" and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers new insights into how the H5N1 avian flu virus currently circulating in birds would have to change in order to gain a foothold in human populations.
Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:42:00 EST: Information on "Participating in Clinical Trials" Now Available on NIHSeniorHealth.gov What is a clinical trial and how does it work? What are the benefits and the risks? If you are an older adult, should you consider participating in a clinical trial? These and many other questions are addressed in "Participating in Clinical Trials", a new topic just added to NIHSeniorHealth (www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a Web site developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), both components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).