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Editorial, Opinion Piece Discuss Issues Related To Routine HIV Testing
A recent directive to streamline the HIV testing consent process in Massachusetts as well as consent forms "no longer hav[ing] to accompany test specimens to the lab," are bringing "the state closer to a CDC recommendation that clinicians provide HIV screening on an opt-out basis," according to a Boston Globe editorial. "The opt-out provision is at the heart" of legislation sponsored by state Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D) that would end the state"s requirement of written consent for HIV testing "and instead have healthcare providers inform patients verbally that the test is planned but that they can decline it," the editorial states, adding, "The Jehlen bill would help destigmatize HIV testing itself" (7/6).
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Babies Born To Native High-Altitude Mothers Have Decreased Risk Of Low Birth Weight
Pregnant women who are indigenous to the Andes Mountains deliver more blood and oxygen to their fetuses at high altitude than do women of European descent. The study helps explain why babies of Andean descent born at high altitude weigh more than European babies born at altitude.
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Cancer Survivors: Exercise Guidelines Are Coming
New exercise guidelines are being developed that will give cancer survivors a comprehensive plan on how to safely start or maintain a physical activity program - and, in turn, enjoy a higher quality of life after battling the disease.
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Faster, More Cost-effective DNA Test For Crime Scenes, Disease Diagnosis

Scientists in Japan are reporting development of a faster, less expensive version of the fabled polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a DNA test widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, biological research and other applications. The new method could lead to expanded use of PCR in medicine, the criminal justice system and elsewhere, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the July 15 issue of Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal. In the new study, Naohiro Noda and colleagues note that PCR works by "amplifying" previously undetectable traces of DNA almost like photocopiers produce multiple copies of documents. With PCR, crime scene investigators can change traces of DNA into amounts that can be identified and linked to a suspect. Biologists can produce multiple copies of individual genes to study gene function, evolution, and other topics. Doctors can amplify the DNA from microbes in a patient"s blood to diagnose an infection. Current PCR methods, however, are too expensive and cumbersome for wide use. The scientists describe development and testing of a new PCR method, called the universal QProbe system, that overcomes these problems. Existing PCR processes require several "fluorescent probes" to seek out DNA. QProbe substitutes a single "fluorescent probe" that can detect virtually any target, saving time and cutting costs. The new method also is more specific, accurately detecting DNA even in the presence of unfavorable PCR products in the samples that may interfere with quantification results. Analytical Chemistry


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