Program simulates spread of pandemic flu
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., May 4 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have created a program that simulates the pandemic spread of flu and how it can be reduced by using drugs and social-distancing.
"Visualizing how specific actions would help to control the spread of a flu pandemic is very valuable to public health officials," said Purdue University Professor David Ebert, who led the research.
"The idea is to help officials make decisions in terms of when to use stockpiles of anti-viral drugs, when to close schools and issue media alerts for social-distancing measures."
The program, called PanViz, was developed in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratories and is based on published epidemiology literature and data from the 1918 flu pandemic. The visualization demonstrates how certain actions affect the availability of hospital beds, the percentage of ill people and the percentage of deaths.
"This tool does not provide a prediction, but a scientifically based simulation for showing the relative benefit of implementing different actions," Ebert said. "We do not have sufficient data to begin to predict the spread and impact, but given enough statistics, the model used in the tool will be more predictive."
A video explaining the program is available at http://pixel.ecn.purdue.edu:8080/~rmacieje/PanViz_Video.avi.
ESA plans departure ceremony for Node 3
PARIS, May 4 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency says it will hold a ceremony to mark the departure of its Node 3 module, built for the International Space Station.
The node will be shipped May 17 to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Node 3 connecting module, built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, is the last element of a barter agreement by which ESA supplied NASA with International Space Station hardware. In return, NASA ferried the European Columbus laboratory to the ISS in February 2008.
Once in space, Node 3 -- named Tranquility by NASA -- will house many of the space station's environmental control and life-support systems.
Node 3 will also be the home of the European-built observation post Cupola, which allows a 360-degree view of the station and Earth, enabling scientists to monitor robotics operations and observe the planet.
Ownership of the node will be officially transferred to NASA at the end of September.
Space shuttle Endeavour, which is to deliver Tranquility and Cupola to the ISS on flight STS-130, is scheduled for launch Dec. 10.
Statins alter prostate cancer PSA levels
DETROIT, May 4 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say they've discovered statins can lower a man's prostate-specific antigen levels, thereby masking the spread of prostate cancer.
Henry Ford Hospital research in Detroit note statins are used to lower cholesterol levels and have been found to have numerous other health benefits, including lowering a healthy man's risk of developing advanced prostate cancer.
"We found that PSA levels are actually significantly lower in prostate cancer patients on statins versus prostate cancer patients not on statins," said Dr. Piyush Agarwal, an urologist at Henry Ford Hospital who was the study lead author. "The implication is that we may need to lower our PSA threshold for performing a biopsy in patients on statins, as statins may decrease the amount of measurable PSA."
Previous studies have shown statins can lower absolute PSA levels in healthy men. Until now, however, there have been no studies that looked at the effect of statins on patients with prostate cancer.
Agarwal and his colleagues presented their research last week in Chicago during the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.
Boxed warnings ordered for botulinum toxin
WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has ordered safety label changes, including a boxed warning, for all botulinum toxin products.
The federal agency said it took the action because of reports that the effects of the botulinum toxin may spread from the area of injection to other areas of the body, causing symptoms similar to those of botulism. Symptoms include unexpected loss of strength or muscle weakness, hoarseness or trouble talking, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids.
"These symptoms have mostly been reported in children with cerebral palsy being treated with the products for muscle spasticity, an unapproved use of the drugs," the FDA said. "Symptoms have also been reported in adults treated both for approved and unapproved uses."
The agency said it also took the action because of the potential for serious risks associated with the lack of interchangeability among the three licensed botulinum toxin products.
The products required to add the new label are Botox and Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin type A), marketed by Allergan; Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B), marketed by Solstice Neurosciences; and a new FDA-approved product, Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA), marketed by Ipsen Biopharm Ltd.
