Interim Biosafety Guidance for All Individuals handling Clinical Specimens or Isolates containing 2009-H1N1 Influenza A Virus (Novel H1N1), including Vaccine Strains
from the Centers for Disease Control
This guidance is for all individuals who may perform diagnostic and research activities including rapid diagnostic testing at the point of care with 2009-H1N1 influenza A virus (Novel H1N1), including vaccine strains. Click here for the link to the guidance. For the most recent H1N1 updates related to Healthcare and Laboratory settings go to: What's New on the CDC H1N1 Flu Site: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/whatsnew.htm. More    

DNA 'Organizes Itself' on Silicon
from BBC News
Shapes of DNA have been used to enhance the production of circuits for next-generation computer chips. Researchers reporting in Nature Nanotechnology have now shown how to get engineered "DNA origami" to self-organize on silicon. The origami can be designed to serve as a scaffold for electronic components just six billionths of a metre apart. Making chips with components closer together leads to smaller devices and faster computers. More    

Lab Cells Hope in Cancer Fight
from The Press Association
An assortment of six different types of white blood cell has been created in the laboratory by scientists. The cells, produced from embryonic stem cells, could be valuable tools for studying cancer and other diseases. One day they may also provide life-saving treatments for patients with blood cancers and damaged immune systems. The most immediate use of the cells is likely to be safety screening of new drugs. More    
Related story: Screening Could Lead to More Potent Cancer Drugs (The New York Times)

Experts: Flu Drugs Little Use for Children
from Reuters
Children should not routinely be treated with flu drugs like Tamiflu since there is no clear evidence they prevent complications and the medicines may do more harm than good, British researchers said. They called for a rethink of current widespread use of antivirals among under-12s in the light of an analysis of clinical data from past seasonal flu outbreaks showing scant benefits and potentially harmful side effects. More    

Study: Children with Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy At Risk For Cognitive Problems
from Science Daily
Children who have normal IQs before they experience a first seizure may also have problems with language, memory, learning and other cognitive skills, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. More    

T-Waves Prognostic in the General Population
from Medscape Medical News
In a broad population of adults aged 30 or older, rate-adjusted QT interval may not be as useful a prognosticator, while several T-wave markers may be significantly predictive of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality independently of other risk factors, a new report suggests. More    

Hepatitis C Treatment Gap May be Solved by Genetic Finding
from Bloomberg
A genetic variation may explain why some hepatitis C patients respond better to treatment depending on their ancestry, potentially unlocking clues to more effective therapies, a study found. More    

Researchers Focus on Worst Type of Dengue Fever
from San Antonio Express-News
It may have been months since the last real rain in South Texas, but mosquito-borne dengue fever isn't going away. Sometimes, it's just nasty aches, fever and rash, but there's also the deadly hemorrhagic variety. New research is narrowing down which of the four dengue subtypes causes the worst symptoms. More    

State Laws Could Cover DTC Gene Testing
from GenomeWeb News
While the U.S. government considers whether or not it will draft policies to regulate the marketing of direct-to-consumer genetic testing through panels and working groups, the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University has taken a look at state laws to find out if they would cover such advertising. More