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A Selection Of Thursday's Editorials And Opinions
The GOP Can Stop ObamaCare Wall Street Journal
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ChIP-Seq, Drosophila Targeted Mutagenesis Featured In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
High-throughput whole-genome analysis is becoming a standard laboratory approach for investigating cellular processes. Next-generation sequencing is replacing microarrays as the technique of choice for genome-scale analysis, because it offers advantages in both sensitivity and scale. The June issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features "Native Chromatin Preparation and Illumina/Solexa Library Construction" from Keji Zhao and colleagues at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The article describes sample preparation for sequencing of chromatin-immunoprecipitated DNA (ChIP-Seq) to analyze histone modification patterns using native chromatin and the Solexa/Illumina Genome Analyzer. Step-by-step instructions are given for purification of human CD4+ T cells from lymphocytes and chromatin fragmentation using micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion, followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and construction of a library for sequencing. The article is freely available on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://cshprotocols.cshlp.org/cgi/content/full/2009/6/pdb.prot5237).
News of the day
Washington Post Profiles Operation Rescue Founder Randall Terry
The Washington Post on Wednesday profiled Randall Terry, the founder and former head of the antiabortion-rights group Operation Rescue. According to the Post, Terry is known as a "shock jock of the antiabortion movement" with a "theatrical bent." The Post reports that Terry was arrested dozens of times in the late 1980s and 1990s during his protests. For a short period, his "tactics transformed the antiabortion movement," earning him praise from conservative Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. However, after a 1994 federal law made blocking clinics a federal crime, Terry"s group "started to unravel" after he struggled to pay fines for violating the law. He lost in several lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood -- resulting in him owing $1.6 million to the group -- and he filed for bankruptcy in 1998. Although Terry left as the leader of Operation Rescue in 1991, he now has moved to the Washington, D.C., area to "try to reclaim the prominence he once enjoyed within the antiabortion movement," an effort he is making "much to the consternation of people on both sides of the abortion debate," according to the Post. Most recently, he has been leading protests outside the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The Post reports that leaders in the antiabortion-rights movement "are cringing at Terry"s sudden return," saying that "his incendiary rhetoric and showy tactics turn off ordinary Americans and reflect Terry"s struggle to regain his glory years." He also is focused on starting a new organization, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex, a Latin term translated to mean "insurrection against death" (Salmon, Washington Post, 7/15). The Post also included a timeline of Terry"s personal life and history with the antiabortion-rights movement (Washington Post, 7/15).
Health Insurance

Terumo Heart, Inc. Reaches Clinical Milestone As The 100th Patient Worldwide Receives The DuraHeart(TM) Left Ventricular Assist System

Terumo Heart Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Terumo Corporation, announced reaching a critical milestone in the worldwide expansion of its DuraHeart(TM) Left-Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) as the 100th patient was treated by Latif Arusoglu, MD and Michiel Morshuis, MD, cardiothoracic surgeons at the Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University of Bochum in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. During the weeks leading up to this major milestone, heart failure centers in Europe and the U.S. were kept up to date in the progress toward treating the one hundredth patient. In a fitting example of the successful ongoing global expansion of the DuraHeart LVAS program, the distinction for the 100th implant came in rapid succession as three centers across two continents performed implants. In less than 20 hours, Yoshifumi Naka, MD, PhD, director of cardiac transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and associate professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, treated the 99th patient; Drs. Arusoglu and Morshuis treated the 100th patient; and David A. Dean, MD, Head, Section of Thoracic and Cardiac Transplantation, Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, treated the 101st patient. "Our institution has implanted more of these devices than any other institution worldwide so we were very happy to be the site for the 100th patient implant," said Professor Jan Gummert, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Director of the Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University of Bochum in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. "The DuraHeart LVAS, which offers the latest technology, is both highly effective and very reliable. We believe the device is an excellent tool to treat our end-stage heart failure patients who are no longer capable of pumping enough blood to allow normal activity, and enables the patient to have a very good quality of life." The DuraHeart LVAS is the first, third-generation rotary blood pump designed for long-term patient support that incorporates a centrifugal flow rotary pump with an active magnetically levitated impeller featuring three position sensors and magnetic coils that optimize blood flow, while minimizing device wear and tear. The DuraHeart LVAS is currently being studied in the DuraHeart Pivotal U.S. Trial for Bridge-to-Transplant, a multi-center, prospective, non-randomized study, involving 140 patients in up to 40 centers nationwide. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the device in helping to sustain patients awaiting heart transplant who are at risk of death due to end-stage left ventricular failure. The DuraHeart LVAS carries a CE Mark and is currently available for sale in European countries. Additionally, the company has completed clinical trial enrollment for this device in Japan. "As the case drew closer, it was exciting to know that multiple centers globally had patients scheduled for implantation, but in the end, the time zone difference meant that our colleagues in Germany would implant before us and we did patient number 101 within a matter of hours," said Dr. Dean. "What matters most is that we are able to bring this state-of-the-art, life-sustaining technology to our patients awaiting heart transplant who are at risk of death due to end-stage left ventricular failure. We are excited to offer this leading-edge technology as one of the first centers in the country to participate in the DuraHeart Pivotal U.S. Bridge-to-Transplant trial." The DuraHeart LVAS features a small centrifugal pump that is implanted in a small pocket created underneath the abdominal muscle. When the pump is activated, the impeller is levitated by the electromagnets and its position is precisely controlled by position sensors to keep it centered within the blood chamber. Permanent magnets couple the impeller to the motor so when the motor spins, it causes the impeller to rotate and pump blood from the heart to the body. In its weakened state, the heart is not strong enough to supply sufficient blood for normal activities. The DuraHeart supplements the natural flow by pumping blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, increasing total flow to normal levels. The development of the DuraHeart LVAS began in 1995 at Research & Development Center, Terumo Corporation, in Japan as a part of a Japanese National Project funded by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The project was moved from Japan to Ann Arbor, Michigan for product realization in 2000. The first human clinical trial was launched in 2004 in Europe and CE-mark was granted in 2007. "It is truly gratifying to participate in the development and significant progress of the DuraHeart System that everyone at Terumo Heart and each one of our clinical partners has worked so hard to achieve," said Chisato Nojiri, M.D., Ph.D., Chairperson and Chief Medical Officer, Terumo Heart, Inc. "The implanting of the 100th patient is an exciting point along the road to bringing this important, next-generation technology to the global market, and the implanting of three devices in such a short period gives testimony to its benefit and the commitment and belief of cardiothoracic surgeons in Europe and the U.S. in its potential. We continue to receive excellent feedback from physicians and are working toward completion of enrollment and ultimately commercial use of the DuraHeart LVAS in the US." About Heart Failure More than 22 million people suffer from heart failure worldwide with approximately one million new patients diagnosed annually. In the setting of an aging global population, heart failure is the number one reason for hospitalization. The most severely ill patients need heart transplants in order to recover. More than 8,000 people worldwide are on the list of eligible candidates for heart transplants annually, but less than 3,000 will receive a transplant each year. A large number of people who suffer from severe heart failure do not qualify for transplantation due to other health issues. An alternative for these patients is access to artificial mechanical assist devices. Left Ventricular Assist Systems are a type of mechanical circulatory device specifically designed to improve the quality of life of the patients waiting for donor hearts, as well as those who are ineligible for a heart transplant. About Terumo Heart, Inc. Terumo Heart, Inc. is a U.S. subsidiary of Terumo Corporation with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company"s focus is the innovation and introduction of products to improve the quality of healthcare for heart failure patients. Terumo Corporation, located in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading developer, manufacturer and global marketer of a wide array of medical products. DuraHeart is limited to investigational use only in the United States, and is CE marked in Europe. Terumo Heart, Inc.


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