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WHO and CDC have stated that the predictive accuracy of their annual formulations for human influenza vaccines is "suboptimal" - often correct less than 50% of the time, especially for seniors. Perhaps in part because we are not yet accurate in our predictions of upcoming influenza strains, approximately 36,000 people die each year of flu in the United States alone. As in the case of hurricanes, early warning of the location and intensity of virus outbreaks would allow us more rapidly and effectively to defend ourselves with strain-specific vaccines. This is now possible. The key to this predictive technology is a new class of structural virus peptides that have been shown to be involved in the chemistry of rapid replication. (PRWeb Nov 12, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1607184.htm

(University of Texas health Science Center at Houston) Two clones of highly antibiotic-resistant organism strains, which previously had only been identified in the United States, are now causing serious sickness and death in several Colombian cities including the capital Bogotá, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. The study, done in collaboration with Universidad El Bosque in Bogota, is presented in a research letter published in the Nov. 13 issue of the New England Journal of medicine.

Background: Decompensated heart failure may present with severe hypertension in patients with preserved (PreEF) or reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (RedEF) and is clinically indistinguishable. Previously, we demonstrated that arterial pressure elevation increases LV filling pressures in a canine model of chronic LV dysfunction with PreEF or RedEF. It is not clear whether any differences in hemodynamics, LV volume or performance, or diastolic function can be demonstrated between canines with PreEF or RedEF in response to arterial pressure elevation. We hypothesized that the LV systolic, diastolic, and hemodynamic response to pressure loading would be similar in RedEF or PreEF. Methods: We studied 25 dogs with chronic LV dysfunction due to coronary microsphere embolization with RedEF (35+4%) and 20 dogs with PreEF (50+3%). Arterial pressure was increased with methoxamine infusion and hemodynamics and echo-Doppler parameters of LV size, function, transaortic and transmitr