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Democrats Promote Sotomayor's 'Mainstream Record'; GOP Senators Seek More Documents
Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday circulated talking points stating that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has a "mainstream record of judicial modesty," the AP/Miami Herald reports. The document includes a quote from Sotomayor expressing her belief in basing judicial decisions on the Constitution rather than on politics.Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) also wrote to the president of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, formerly known as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund, requesting the quick disclosure of documents Sotomayor has requested in relation to her work with the group (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Miami Herald, 6/19). Sotomayor worked with the group from 1980 to 1992, assisting in a number of legal briefs and helping the group develop stances on public policy matters (Stanton, Roll Call, 6/18). According to the AP/Herald, interest groups and members of both political parties are "competing to define" Sotomayor ahead of her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to begin July 13. Conservative groups have focused on labeling her an "activist" and singled out her involvement with PRLDEF as evidence of her support for abortion rights. The group sided with abortion-rights supporters in several major Supreme Court cases during Sotomayor"s time on its board (AP/Miami Herald, 6/19).
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American Red Cross Bleeds Frontline Blood Drive Workers
Teamsters General President Hoffa called on the American Red Cross to support its frontline blood drive workers whose efforts help safeguard America"s blood supply. The Red Cross is currently pursuing a campaign against its frontline workers that would worsen working conditions, push down living standards, undermine workers" rights to representation, threaten safety standards and create a disposable work force.
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Health Protection 2009 Conference - Programme Announced
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced an innovative and wide-ranging programme for the Health Protection 2009 conference, which is taking place at Warwick University from 14th to 16th September.
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Roche Launches New PCR Assay For Tuberculosis Testing In South Africa

Roche Diagnostics announced the launch of a new tuberculosis test for South Africa. Worldwide, South Africa is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of tuberculosis. The new kit detects different species of Mycobacterium from human sputum samples using the LightCycler® 2.0 Instrument. The diagnosis of tuberculosis in South Africa relies on smear microscopy and culture methods. Smear microscopy allows for direct detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in the specimen and makes it possible to identify the most infectious patients. Although it provides rapid results and is inexpensive, it is limited by its lack of sensitivity and specificity. Based on the inherent advantages of the LightCycler® system, Roche Applied Science, South Africa has developed a LightCycler® assay that overcomes these problems. The LightCycler® Mycobacterium Detection Kit was thoroughly tested in extended analytical and clinical trials together with the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) (Pretoria and Kimberley Laboratories), South Africa, and at the University Hospital in Regensburg, Germany. The new test offers a number of advantages over current testing methods: it enables differentiation between Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium, and Mycobacterium kansasii in a single PCR run, and provides laboratories with reliable, accurate and objective results within hours, significantly improving patient management. Replacing the AFB smear test will significantly reduce false negative results obtained by microscopy. Use of the new test will result in fewer cultures being performed, leading to significant improvements in turnaround times for the patient. The test sequence is convenient and easy to perform; the throughput of the system suits low, medium and high throughput sample sites. "We are proud of our contribution in the battle against tuberculosis, which is really a plague in African countries. Every patient should get exactly what he needs to be cured - this is Roche"s basic idea of Personalized Healthcare. A fast, safe test result is the backbone of this concept." said Manfred Baier, Head of Roche Applied Science. Roche is currently evaluating which countries besides South Africa would also be suitable candidates for the test. Tuberculosis is one of the major causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide, killing nearly 2 million people each year. It is also the most common cause of death in developing countries for individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly among patients with sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. The increase in the incidence of tuberculosis fueled by the HIV pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa has highlighted the urgent need for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. Roche


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