Previous work from this group of scientists, led by Tracy Hussell at Imperial College, London, showed that recovery from flu infection left mice unusually vulnerable to infection with pneumonia-causing bacteria. Components of these bacteria normally trigger receptors on immune cells in the lung. These signals result in the recruitment of other immune cells into the lung that help destroy the bugs.

ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products, announced initial clinical results of stand-alone ablation procedures and an overall expansion into the stand-alone market, using the ATS CryoMaze(TM) product line.

Arbios Systems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ABOS) announced that the Company has received conditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (”FDA”) of an Investigational Device Exemption (”IDE”) to begin the pivotal clinical trial for SEPET(TM), Arbios’ extracorporeal (outside the body) artificial liver assist device for blood purification of chronically ill patients suffering from acute liver failure.

HBV is tiny. The genome of this virus is a partial double stranded circle. When made fully double stranded, this genome carries about 3000 base pairs, compared to 200 kilo base pairs of the genome of the smallpox virus. These 3000 base pairs encode an envelope protein, a core protein, a polymerase essential for virus replication and a very special X protein.

CMS on Thursday announced two proposed rule changes that the agency said would grant states “unprecedented flexibility” in designing Medicaid programs and would require increased cost-sharing for beneficiaries, CQ HealthBeat reports.

Antibiotics are not linked to a significant decrease in fluid buildupin the ear when administered to children with middle ear infections.This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis of previous studies releasedon February 18, 2008 in the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head &Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.In infants and children, one of the most prevalent diseases is the earinfection.