Monthly Archives: March 2015

Health care plan enrollments steady despite reform law

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The health care reform law has so far had little effect on the percentage of employees enrolled in employer-sponsored health care plans, according to a survey.

The Mercer L.L.C. survey of nearly 600 employers found that on average 83% of employees eligible for coverage enrolled in plans this year, down from 84% in 2014.

In addition, the percentage of employees both eligible and ineligible for coverage who enrolled in plans was unchanged at 74% in both 2014 and 2015, according to the survey, which was released Tuesday.

That lack of enrollment growth is somewhat of a surprise given the stiff penalties that employers and employees face under the health care reform law if they do not, respectively, offer coverage or enroll in a plan.

Employers with at least 100 employees that do not offer coverage in 2015 to at least 70% of full-time employees those working an average of 30 hours or more a week are liable for a $2,000 per employee penalty. In 2016, the penalty applies to employers with at least 50 employees and coverage has to be offered to at least 95% of employees.

Employees not enrolled in a health care plan are liable in 2015 for a penalty of $325 or 2% of income, whichever is greater.

Employers that had to offer coverage to more employees were braced for a bump in enrollment this year, Tracy Watts, a senior partner and national leader for health reform in Mercers Washington office said in a statement.

One reason, Mercer believes, that employers did not see enrollment growth is that some employees opted out of coverage from their employers and instead enrolled in Medicaid.

The health care reform law gave states funds to expand Medicaid to more lower-income individuals, and about two dozen states took advantage of that offer.

According to the Mercer survey, 14% of respondents with 5,000 or more employees said they believe some employees who previously opted for coverage now waived it and instead enrolled in Medicaid.

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Health care plan enrollments steady despite reform law

At the front line of health care

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At the front line of health care

Becoming a nurse has been a life changing decision for Uputaua Suniula, as she battles not only to help patients, but also to prevent health problems from developing in the first place.

One of the problems we face is that teenagers and children dont come in to see a doctor till theyre really sick, Uputaua says.

What couldve been addressed in the clinic instead becomes complex, at which point they become an inpatient in the hospital.

Uputaua has worked on the front line of healthcare at both Waitangirua and Poriruas Community Health Service, two of the most challenging areas within Capital & Coasts District Health Board region.

She says that she has found the experience empowering.

The positive impact I can make within the community has been mind blowing, especially working as the first point of contact for people in need, Uputaua says.

My focus is to work with Poriruas young population to help develop prevention strategies that can stop acute presentations of preventable things like asthma and skin infections, reduce the strain on hospital services, as well as lower our overall healthcare costs.

One campaign Uputaua works closely on is the rheumatic fever prevention program in Porirua.

As Uputaua explains, a sore throat is an early indicator of the disease, which can cause a lifetime of heart issues, its all about treating the patient early, before they develop a serious problem.

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At the front line of health care

Dr. Mary- Claire King to speak at Morehouse School of Medicine on how genetic screening for all women can lower risk …

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Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 16, 2015

African American women have higher death rates from breast cancer than do white women. Veena Rao, Ph.D., researcher, professor and co-director of the Cancer Biology Program in the department of OB/GYN at Morehouse School of Medicine, has pointed to multiple factors that contribute to the increased vulnerability of African American women, such as barriers to testing and quality of treatment. Leading medical researchers, including University of Washington geneticist and Lasker Laureate Mary-Claire King, highlight additional factors undetected inherited mutations and now recommend offering genetic testing for all women at about age 30. Dr. King will make a free, public address at the Morehouse School of Medicine on March 19, to discuss Inherited Breast Cancer: From Gene Discovery to Public Health.

Dr. Kings discovery in 1990 of the BRCA1 breast cancer gene demonstrated a mechanism of inherited cancer and proved that gene mutations could predict vulnerability to the disease.

A 2013 study of inherited predisposition to breast cancer among African American women by Dr. King and Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade, director of The Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics, at the University of Chicago, found that 22 percent of African American breast cancer patients inherited a damaging mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 or another breast cancer gene. Women carrying a mutation of BRCA1 or BRCA2 have a greater than 80 percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, as compared with 11% for women without mutations.

Recently, Dr. King showed that women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations had elevated risk for breast cancer, even if they have no family history of the disease. Therefore, she recommends that BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing be made available to all women.

I believe that every woman should be offered testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 at about age 30 as part of routine medical care, said Dr. King. About half of women who inherit mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have no family history of breast or ovarian cancer and have no idea that they are carrying cancer-causing mutations. Affordable, accessible early detection is a public health priority for saving lives.

While some within the medical community voice caution that universal screening could lead to anxiety for some women, King and Olopade focus on the benefits. Having a genetic mutation doesnt mean youre definitely going to get cancer, Dr. Olopade told NPR last September. Women at greater risk should work with their doctors closely to make decisions about the best approach to reducing their chances of developing breast cancer.

Within the African American community, access to mammograms and other testing, as well as follow-up care continues to be a challenge. Disparities in availability of breast cancer care is a profound public health concern.

On March 19, Dr. King will give a special lecture, co-sponsored by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and the Morehouse School of Medicine. In September 2014, the Lasker Foundation awarded Dr. King its prestigious Special Achievement Award in Medical Science for her bold, imaginative, and diverse contributions to medical science and human rights.

For more information on the availability of genetic screening in the Atlanta area, please see:

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Dr. Mary- Claire King to speak at Morehouse School of Medicine on how genetic screening for all women can lower risk ...

Genetic background determines whether aspirin/NSAIDS will reduce colorectal cancer risk

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Analysis of large epidemiologic studies identifies rare variants associated with no preventive benefit

An analysis of genetic and lifestyle data from 10 large epidemiologic studies confirmed that regular use of aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appears to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in most individuals. The study being published in the March 17 issue of JAMA found that a few individuals with rare genetic variants do not share this benefit. The study authors note, however, that additional questions need to be answered before preventive treatment with these medications can be recommended for anyone.

"Previous studies, including randomized trials, demonstrated that NSAIDS, particularly aspirin, protect against the development of colorectal cancer, but it remains unclear whether an individual's genetic makeup might influence that benefit," says Andrew Chan, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Gastroenterology Division, co-senior and co-corresponding author of the JAMA report. "Since these drugs are known to have serious side effects - especially gastrointestinal bleeding - determining whether certain subsets of the population might not benefit is important for our ability to tailor recommendations for individual patients."

The research team analyzed data from the Colon Cancer Family Registry and from nine studies included in the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium - which includes the Nurses' Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Women's Health Initiative - comparing genetic data for 8,624 individuals who developed colorectal cancer with that of 8,553 individuals who did not, matched for factors such as age and gender. The comprehensive information on lifestyle and general health data provided by participants in the studies again confirmed that regular use of aspirin or NSAIDs was associated with a 30 percent reduction in colorectal cancer risk for most individuals. However, that preventive benefit did not apply to everyone, and the study found no risk reduction in participants with relatively uncommon variants in genes on chromosome 12 and chromosome 15.

"Determining whether an individual should adopt this preventive strategy is complicated, and currently the decision needs to balance one's personal risk for cancer against concerns about internal bleeding and other side effects," states Chan, who is an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "This study suggests that adding information about one's genetic profile might help in making that decision. However, it is premature to recommend genetic screening to guide clinical care, since our findings need to be validated in other populations. An equally important question that also needs to be investigated is whether there are genetic influences on the likelihood that someone might be harmed by treatment with aspirin and NSAIDs."

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The lead author of the JAMA report is Hongmei Nan, MD, PhD; formerly a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and now on the faculty at the Fairbanks School of Public Health and the Simon Cancer Center at Indiana University. Li Hsu, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is co-corresponding author, and Ulrike Peters, PhD, MPH, also of Fred Hutch, is co-senior author. Support for this study includes several grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $760 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Genetic background determines whether aspirin/NSAIDS will reduce colorectal cancer risk

Global Animal Genetics Market Worth Around $4 Billion by 2020

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DALLAS, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report"Global Animal Genetics Market, By Product (Canine, Equine, Poultry, Porcine, Bovine, and Genetic Material), by testing services (DNA Sexing, DNA Typing, Genetic Disease Test, and Others) - Global Forecast to 2020", published by MarketsandMarkets, The global Animal Genetics Market is estimated to be worth around $2.5 Billion in 2014 and $4 Billion in 2020, to grow at a CAGR of 8-9% during the forecast period of 2014 to 2020.

Browse96market data Tables and27Figures spread through200Pages and in-depth TOC on "Global Animal Genetics Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/animal-genetic-market-12462093.html

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The Animal Genetics Market witnessed healthy growth during the last decade, primarily attributed to the increasing animal protein consumption by and increasingly urban global population. To cater the rising demand of animal proteins, farmers are increasingly adopting advanced genetic technologies for larger-scale production and quality breeds. In addition, growing awareness about veterinary genetic diseases and disorders; increase in the population of livestock animals, especially in emerging markets; implementation of animal welfare acts in developed countries; and development of cutting-edge technologies in animal genetic testing are further driving this market. However, stringent regulations regarding animal genetic engineering, expensive and time-consuming R&D activities, high cost of animal testing, and insufficient number of skilled professionals in animal genetics are restraining the growth of animal genetics market during the forecast period of 2014 to 2020.

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In this report, the animal genetics market is segmented by products, testing services, and region. Based on type of product, the market is mainly segmented into live animals and genetic materials. The live animal segment is further subsegmented into canine, equine, poultry, porcine, bovine, and others. On the other hand, the genetic material segment is subsegmented into semen and embryo. Animal genetics market is segmented into various testing services such as DNA sexing, DNA typing, genetic disease tests, and others in the report.

In 2014, the live segment accounted for the largest share of the market. Growing population, increasing urbanization, and rising demand of animal derived products have contributed to the growth of the live animal market. In addition, increase in the population of livestock animals especially in emerging markets and implementation of animal welfare acts are further fueling the growth of live animal market.

North America represented the largest regional market in 2014, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and ROW. The Asia-Pacific region represents the fastest-growing market for the animal genetics market, primarily due to the increasing population, rapid urbanization, and rising demand of animal products in this region. In addition, increased awareness towards animal welfare in developing countries and development of cutting-edge technologies in animal genetic testing are further driving the market in this region.

Major players in the global animal genetics market are Animal Genetics, Inc. (U.S.), Genus Plc (U.K.), Topigs (Netherlands), Harlan Laboratories, Inc. (U.S.), Hendrix Genetics BV (Netherlands), Aviagen Group (U.S.), Neogen Corporation (U.S.), Alta Genetics (Canada), VetGen (U.S.), and Zoetis, Inc.(U.S.) among others.

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Global Animal Genetics Market Worth Around $4 Billion by 2020

Science Advances : Gene therapy rescues disease phenotype in a spinal muscular atrophy…… – Video

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Science Advances : Gene therapy rescues disease phenotype in a spinal muscular atrophy......
Gene therapy rescues disease phenotype in a spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) mouse model. Monica Nizzardo et al (2015), Scie...

By: KeSimpulan

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Science Advances : Gene therapy rescues disease phenotype in a spinal muscular atrophy...... - Video

Futurist Jack Uldrich to Adress Cleveland Community College

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Shelby, NC (PRWEB) March 17, 2015

Highly acclaimed education futurist, technology forecaster, and best-selling author, Jack Uldrich has been selected to deliver two keynote speeches at Cleveland Community College in Shelby, NC, on March 19th and 20th.

The materials presented in this lecture series are based on a combination of Uldrich's best-selling book, "Higher Unlearning: 39 Post Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future," and his latest book, "Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow." The lectures are designed to provide education students, teachers and North Carolina based innovators with solid and thought-provoking ideas and practical strategies for life inside and outside of the academy. A sample of some of Uldrich's ideas on the future of education can be found in this chapter, The Future of Higher Education: A Cloudy Forecast, from Foresight 2020.

Beyond addressing a number of educational trends, including open-source educational platforms (such as Coursera, EdX and Udacity), mobile web communications, interactive and customizable e-books, gaming dynamics, augmented-reality, artificial intelligence, and crowdsourcing; Uldrich also will tackle how these trends are transforming the student and teacher relationship and review what educational leaders must do today in order to get ahead of tomorrow's coming changes.

In his second lecture, "The Future Demands Unlearning," Uldrich will discuss why these future trends will require unlearning and provide an overview of how these technological changes are upending long-standing educational and funding mechanisms. Uldrich, who has been hailed as "America's Chief Unlearning Officer," will conclude the seminar by reviewing the consequences of not embracing the concept of unlearning. An overview of his talk can be found in this article: 5 Trends of Higher Education.

Uldrich has addressed dozens of educational groups and associations, including delivering customized keynote presentations to EAIE, in Istanbul, Indiana University, The Council of Great Lakes Schools, The University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Business, Educational Services of America, Belmont University, The Chief Learning Officers Summit, The Minneapolis Public School System, The Teaching and Technology Conference, The League of Innovation, The California League of Middle Schools, and The American Technical Education Association. Uldrich has also addressed a number of major, non education-related corporations and institutions on the topics of future trends, change management and unlearning, including Wells Fargo, Verizon Wireless, ABB, Cisco, IBM, PepsiCo, United Healthcare, WiPro, and General Electric.

Parties interested in learning more about him, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website. Media wishing to know more about either the event or interviewing Jack as a futurist or trend expert can contact Amy Tomczyk at (651) 343.0660.

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Futurist Jack Uldrich to Adress Cleveland Community College

4 Bush Foundation grant recipients hail from Twin Cities

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Bush Foundation recipients, from left, Trista Harris, Jennifer Almanza, Sarah Bellamy and Kashif Saroya

Trista Harris will travel from her hometown of Burnsville to California's Silicon Valley and the think tanks of Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of philanthropy.

Futurism isn't a new art, but tapping current trends to chart the destiny of the nonprofit industry is, and Harris -- the president of the Minnesota Council on Foundations -- will be at the forefront, thanks in large part to a grant of up to $100,000 from the Bush Foundation.

The St. Paul-based Bush Foundation was established in 1953 by 3M Co. executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edith. For 50 years, the foundation has awarded sizable grants to residents of Minnesota and the Dakotas who have already enriched their community and aim to take their leadership skills to the next level.

The foundation on Tuesday was to announce 23 recipients of its 2015 Bush Fellows program. Chosen from among 625 applicants, each grant winner will receive up to $100,000 and 24 months to further his or her leadership abilities through formal education or self-guided research. The leadership fellowship is considered one of the most flexible of its kind in the country.

"It's a leadership development program, but we allow the fellows to articulate what they need to increase their leadership capacity and then provide them the resources to make it happen," foundation spokesman Dominick Washington said.

The fellowship does not require recipients to take time off from work, but many do.

"Some people stay on their job," Washington said.

In addition to Harris, three other Bush Fellows hail from the Twin Cities east metro area.

Jennifer Almanza of Inver Grove Heights will use her Bush Fellowship to pursue a doctorate of nursing practice in midwifery. Almanza researched the birthing experience of women living on the Leech Lake Reservation in north-central Minnesota and served as an instructor and charge nurse in the Regions Hospital Birth Center.

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4 Bush Foundation grant recipients hail from Twin Cities