Unfavorable drug studies don't get into print: Report

BOSTON, Jan 17: Nearly a third of antidepressant drug studies are never published in the medical literature and nearly all happen to show that the drug being tested did not work, researchers reported.

In some of the studies that are published, unfavorable results have been recast to make the medicine appear more effective than it really is, said the research team led by Erick Turner of the Oregon Health and Science University.

Even if not deliberate, this can be bad news for patients, they wrote in their report, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

''Selective publication can lead doctors to make inappropriate prescribing decisions that may not be in the best interest of their patients and, thus, the public health,'' they wrote.

The idea that unfavorable test results are quietly tucked away so nobody will see them -- sometimes call the ''file drawer effect'' -- has been around for years.

The Turner team used a US Food and Drug Administration registry in which companies are supposed to log details of their drug tests before the experiments are begun.

''It tells you where they placed their bets before they saw the data,'' Turner said in a telephone interview.

Of the 74 studies that started for the 12 antidepressants, 38 produced positive results for the drug. All but one of those studies were published.

REWRITTEN STUDIES

However, only three of the 36 studies with negative or questionable results, as assessed by the FDA, were published and another 11 were written as if the drug had worked.

''Not only were positive results more likely to be published, but studies that were not positive, in our opinion, were often published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome,'' said the authors.

For example, of the seven negative studies done on GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil, five were never published. The researchers found three studies for GSK's Wellbutrin SR, but the two negative ones never reached print.

There were five studies for Pfizer's Zoloft, but the three showing the drug to be ineffective were not published. A fourth study, ruled questionable by the FDA, was written and published to make it appear that the drug worked.

A Glaxo spokeswoman said the company posts the data from all of its trials, positive or negative, on the Internet.

''GlaxoSmithKline agrees that public disclosure of clinical trial results for marketed medicines is essential and fully supports registration of all trials in progress,'' she said.

''Pfizer is committed to the communication of results of all registered clinical studies, regardless of outcome. More specifically, we have committed to disclose clinical trial results within one year after study completion for all of our marketed products,'' Pfizer spokesman Jack Cox said in an e-mail.

Turner and his colleagues did not find out who was to blame for not publishing the studies. He said medical journals may have played a role by deciding they would rather publish favorable results.

''There's an expectation that if you get a positive result, that's what you're supposed to do, and if you get a negative result you have failed,'' said Turner. ''The first impulse is to say, 'I was wrong. Maybe I should move on to something more interesting''' so the results may never get written up. (AGENCIES)

Bird flu may be spread indirectly, WHO says

WASHINGTON, Jan 17: The H5N1 bird flu virus may sometimes stick to surfaces or get kicked up in fertilizer dust to infect people, according to a World Health Organisation report.

The WHO team reviewed all known human cases of avian influenza, which has infected 350 people in 14 countries and killed 217 of them since 2003, and found that 25 per cent of cases have no explanation.

Most are passed directly from bird to people, they noted in their report, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. And very rarely one person can infect another -- always close relatives via intimate physical contact.

''In one quarter or more of patients with influenza A (H5N1) virus infection, the source of exposure is unclear, and environment-to-human transmission remains possible,'' the researchers, led by WHO's Dr Frederick Hayden, wrote.

''For some patients, the only identified risk factor was visiting a live-poultry market.''

It could be that small particles of virus-contaminated fluid stuck to surfaces, they said. Or perhaps fertilizer made from infected bird feces somehow carried the virus into people's noses or mouths.

''It is unknown whether influenza A (H5N1) virus infection can begin in the human gastrointestinal tract,'' they wrote.

''In several patients, diarrheal disease preceded respiratory symptoms, and virus has been detected in feces.''

Government and health officials have stressed that well-cooked chicken cannot infect people. ''Drinking potable water and eating properly cooked foods are not considered to be risk factors, but ingestion of virus-contaminated products or swimming or bathing in virus-contaminated water might pose a risk,'' the WHO team of bird flu experts noted.

ENDEMIC IN BIRDS

H5N1 is considered entrenched in parts of Asia, including Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East. It pops up frequently in Europe and has prompted the slaughter of hundreds of millions of chickens.

The researchers noted that people only rarely become infected. The fear is that the virus will mutate into a strain that passes easily from one person to another, setting off a pandemic that could kill millions of people in the space of a few months.

''After exposure to infected poultry, the incubation period generally appears to be seven days or less, and in many cases this period is two to five days,'' the WHO team wrote.

''In clusters in which limited, human-to-human transmission has probably occurred, the incubation period appears to be approximately three to five days, although in one cluster it was estimated to be eight to nine days.''

It usually causes severe pneumonia and tests suggest that it rarely or never infects people without causing symptoms.

Avian flu kills on average within nine to 10 days and has killed 61 percent of victims.

Quick use of antiviral drugs can save lives, they noted, although some strains of the virus are more treatable than others with Tamiflu, the drug of choice to treat influenza. It is made by Roche Holdings AG and Gilead Sciences under the generic name oseltamivir. (AGENCIES)

`N gathering in NY focuses on gender issues

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17: Gender advisers from all UN peacekeeping missions have met at the world body's headquarters in New York to discuss issues related to the specific needs of men and women in post-conflict situations.

India has played a prominent role in global peacekeeping operations under the UN flag.

Addressing participants, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guihenno noted the progress made in integrating gender issues more systematically in peacekeeping.

Advances have been made in increasing the number of women elected to office, supporting the adoption of gender-sensitive laws on rape, domestic violence and inheritance rights and supporting national police in recruiting more women to security services.

There has also been modest progress in appointing women to senior roles in peacekeeping, as well as increased deployment of women by troop and police contributing countries, he noted.

Nevertheless, challenges remain in translating the growing body of policies and guidelines into practice, as well as in confronting passive resistance to gender issues among peacekeeping personnel.

Topics discussed at the annual training and strategic planning workshop included best practices, gender mainstreaming and other global priorities.

Professional excellence of Indian peacekeeping troops has won universal admiration, according to information available with the Permanent Mission of India to the UN. New Delhi is one of the largest contributors of peacekeepers to the global body. More than 55,000 Indian military and police personnel served the UN in 35 peacekeeping operations in all continents.

About 100 Indian soldiers and officers have sacrificed their lives during their UN peacekeeping missions thus becoming a part of the best traditions of the world body.

The sharing of best practices and lessons learned during UN operations is also the subject of a new report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in which he emphasized the importance of having a comprehensive body of accessible and updated guidance for the Organization_s peacekeeping activities.

''It is essential that we build upon the experiences arising from the scale of current deployments and ensure that today_s peacekeepers receive the best possible support from their colleagues around the globe,'' the Secretary General Ban said.

He stated that in modern peacekeeping, support is no longer measured only in terms of the timely provision of personnel, funds and materiel. Today, it also includes the capacity to apply institutional knowledge to help solve new challenges and avoid any recurrence of problems of the past.

The Secretary-General noted that more than 100,000 young men and women will rotate through UN peacekeeping operations this year as soldiers, police and civilians, many of whom have never served in the world body_s missions.

''They come from diverse backgrounds with legitimate expectations that the institution that has deployed them into difficult post-conflict environments will furnish them with access to the knowledge and guidance they need to do their work,'' Mr Ban pointed out.

He also evaluated the methodology and tools used to manage best practices in peacekeeping operations since the introduction in 2005 of a new system for these activities. (UNI)

China's longest river at lowest in 142 years

BEIJING, Jan 17: China's longest river, the Yangtze, is suffering from a severe drought this year with water levels in some areas falling to the lowest in 142 years, state media said today.

China is suffering its worst drought in a decade, which has left millions of people short of drinking water and has shrunk reservoirs and rivers.

Hardest hit are large swathes of the usually humid south, where water levels on several major rivers have plunged to historic lows in recent months.

On January 8, the Yangtze water level at Hankou plunged to 13.98 metres (46 ft), the lowest since records began in 1866, the China Daily said, quoting the Wuhan-based Changjiang Times.

''This year's drought is rare,'' Li Changmin, a farmer from central Hubei province, was quoted as saying. ''Just days ago, I saw ship after ship running aground. I have never seen that before.''

Since October, more than 40 ships have run aground in the main course of the Yangtze, the world's third longest river which stretches 6,300 km from west to east, the traditional dividing line between north and south China.

This year's dry season came a month earlier than usual and water levels fell sooner than expected, an official was quoted as saying.

''Also, large amounts of water were stored at the Three Gorges Dam last month, which caused the flow volume in the river to fall 50 per cent. But the Yangtze River Water Resource Commission said the drought has nothing to do with the dam,'' the China Daily said.

The Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project, is an engineering feat that seeks to tame the Yangtze.

Backers say the dam will end devastating floods downstream and generate clean electricity. Critics call it a reckless folly that has brought wrenching dislocation for many people.

Drought and floods are perennial problems in China but meteorologists have complained about the increased extreme weather, pointing to global climate change as a culprit. (AGENCIES)

Jenna Bush to be married in May: People magazine

WASHINGTON, Jan 17: US President George W Bush's daughter Jenna and her fiance, Henry Hager, will marry on May 10, People magazine reported on its Web site, citing two sources it did not identify.

The wedding will be held at the president's 1,600-acre (646-hectare) ranch in Crawford, Texas, one source told the magazine, yesterday.

A spokeswoman for first lady Laura Bush said she could not confirm the report and had no comment on it.

''It's going to be a small wedding,'' the source told People, adding Jenna had already selected her bridesmaids. ''She's very excited. They make a great couple.''

Jenna Bush, 26, became engaged in August to Hager, 29, who comes from a prominent Republican family and worked in the president's re-election campaign.

The couple's engagement announcement touched off a flurry of speculation about the possibility of a White House wedding.

Laura Bush told People magazine in November she fancied the idea of a White House wedding herself but knew it would not be very private.

''And of course we want to do what Jenna wants to do,'' she said. (AGENCIES)

Cashiers vulnerable to flu from banknotes: Study

GENEVA, Jan 17: Bank cashiers and others working with large quantities of paper currency are vulnerable to catching various types of flu from the germs living on notes, a Swiss researcher said.

Yves Thomas, head of the National Influenza Research Centre at Geneva University Hospital, said yesterday that flu viruses could survive on banknotes from 24 hours up to 17 days.

''Our studies have convinced us that it is possible to catch flu from banknotes, but the chances are very, very slim and there is no cause for concern among the general population,'' he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

''All the same, bank employees and others who have to handle large quantities of notes daily could be at risk,'' Thomas said. ''This could be reduced if they wear gloves, or even a mask for those who have to examine currency closely.''

Scientists have long known that various types of germs and bacteria can survive on paper currency, but until now medical experts have thought that flu only spread through small droplets in airborne transmission.

But Thomas said his team found that some types of flu virus could also survive and spread on everyday objects, like doorhandles as well as banknotes.

When the researchers put different amounts of virus on notes in laboratory conditions, the common H1N1 variety of ''influenza A'' survived for only a few hours.

However, the H3N2 variety stayed active for up to three days. When mixed with nose mucus from children already suffering from flu, it survived for up to two and a half weeks.

No attempt was made to infect anyone with the samples, he said. ''But it is clear that in theory, the virus could infect people handling infected banknotes and then touching their noses or mouths.''

The team used only common flu viruses known to be passed easily between humans, and did not seek samples of the deadly bird flu H5N1 virus, which has devastated bird populations but is not known to be responsible for human-to-human infections.

''H5N1 is notoriously difficult to work with and it is not easy to obtain samples,'' Thomas said.

(AGENCIES)

"Legend" keeps No 1 UK box office spot

LONDON, Jan 17: Sci-fi spectacular ''I Am Legend'' held on to the UK box office top spot for a third week, according to Screen International, raising its total gross to 21.9 million pounds.

Starring Will Smith, the story of a US army officer in Manhattan who may just be the last man on Earth kept Hilary Swank and ''P S I Love You'' in second spot.

Swank's portrayal of a smart Manhattanite who gets mail from her dead husband has -- unusually -- crept gradually up the UK charts rather than peaking in its opening week. It started at No. 10 late last year.

New at three was ''Charlie Wilson's War,'' with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts plotting to defeat the Soviet Union.

Schoolgirls-gone-wild caper ''St Trinian's'' was unchanged at four while Disney's send-up of its trademark fairy tales, ''Enchanted'' was down two places at five.

Family movie ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' stayed at six, just above ''The Golden Compass'', the adaptation of the Philip Pullman book starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig which was down two places to seven.

New at eight was romantic comedy ''Dan in Real Life,'' with Steve Carell as an over-protective father of three daughters falling in love with Juliette Binoche.

Down two places at nine was the animated ''Bee Movie'' with Jerry Seinfeld as the voice of Barry B Benson, a college bee who does not want to become a worker.

At 10, down from eight, was the adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's Afghan novel ''The Kite Runner.''

(AGENCIES)

Bird flu strikes farm in southwestern Bangladesh

DHAKA, Jan 17: Health and veterinary workers in Bangladesh have culled nearly 1,700 chickens after bird flu was confirmed at a poultry farm in the country's south-west, officials said today.

The latest infection was reported in Jessore, 275 km from capital Dhaka, a livestock ministry official said.

''After the confirmation of bird flu, authorities culled 1,693 chickens at the affected farm,'' the official said. More fowl were also culled in the southern coastal district Barishal after detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

''Veterinary workers culled nearly 2,000 chickens, ducks and birds in a one-kilometre area around the affected backyard poultry,'' said the official of the outbreak in Barishal.

Suspected outbreaks have also reported at a farm in northwestern Rajshahi district and another farm in northern Rangpur district, where the virus has been confirmed in fowl previously.

The H5N1 virus was first reported near the capital in March last year and has since spread to 23 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, forcing authorities to kill more than 300,000 chickens.

So far there have been no cases of human infection in the densely populated country, Government officials say.

But experts fear the bird flu virus might mutate or combine with the highly contagious seasonal influenza virus and spark a pandemic that could kill millions of people.

There have been 217 human deaths globally from the H5N1 strain and 350 confirmed cases of infection since 2003, World Health Organisation figures show.

In neighbouring India, veterinary workers began killing thousands of chickens in West Bengal state on Wednesday following what the WHO said was the worst outbreak of bird flu in the country.

Officials said it could take up to a week to cull about 350,000 birds in three districts of West Bengal. (AGENCIES)

Tom Cruise lauds power of Scientology in Web video

NEW YORK, Jan 17: A video of actor Tom Cruise touting himself and fellow Scientologists as ''authorities on the mind'' has appeared on the Internet, coinciding with a new biography that examines his role in the movement.

The origin of the footage, which the Church of Scientology said was a video shown at a 2004 International Association of Scientologists meeting, was not clear. It popped up on several Web sites and some took it down after copyright claims by the church.

Cruise, shown wearing a black turtleneck sweater and speaking while the musical theme to his hit movie ''Mission: Impossible'' played in the background, said he was dedicated to changing people's lives.

''It's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist and it's something that you have to earn,'' he said.

''We're the authorities on getting people off drugs. We're the authorities on the mind. We're the authorities on improving conditions,'' he says. ''We can rehabilitate criminals. Way to happiness. We can bring peace and unite cultures.''

In the video, which could be seen on www.Gawker.Com, Cruise explained what made Scientologists different from others.

''Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident it's not like anyone else. As you drive past you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one who can help,'' the Oscar-nominated actor said.

Cruise is one of the best-known Scientologists. The movement has a following among some Hollywood celebrities but is condemned as a cult in some quarters, including by the German government.

SCIENTOLOGY VS PSYCHIATRY

Cruise's ties to Scientology, and his outspoken adherence to its rejection of psychiatry, have frequently drawn attention. In June 2005 he publicly attacked actress Brooke Shields for revealing that she had taken medication as treatment for postpartum depression.

In a subsequent appearance on NBC's ''Today'' show, Cruise called psychiatry a ''pseudo science'' and told interviewer Matt Lauer: ''You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.''

The Church of Scientology said in a statement that the video was Cruise's acceptance speech after he was awarded the religion's ''Freedom Medal.'' It was shown to 5,000 church parishioners and guests.

''While the video can be seen in any Church of Scientology, what has appeared on the Internet is a pirated and edited version of a 3-hour event,'' the church said.

The Internet site Gawker.Com said the video had ''been passed around privately by reporters and writers investigating Cruise's ties to Scientology,'' which was founded more than 50 years ago in Los Angeles by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

On Tuesday, in a 15-page statement posted on the NBC ''Today'' show Web site, the church disputed claims made in the book ''Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography'' by British author Andrew Morton.

''Insinuations that Mr. Cruise is second-in-command of the Church are not only false, they are ludicrous,'' the statement said. ''He is neither 2nd or 100th. Mr Cruise is a Scientology parishioner and holds no official or unofficial position.''

Cruise's lawyer, Bert Fields, has described material in the book to Reuters as ''outrageous, sick stuff'' and said that it ''is actionable,'' although he declined to comment on legal issues.

He slammed what he called a ''sick comparison of (Cruise's) child to 'Rosemary's Baby''' as a ''grotesque lie.'' Morton wrote that some Scientologists wondered if Cruise's wife, actress Katie Holmes, ''had been impregnated with Hubbard's frozen sperm.''

But Morton, also author of a 1992 book on Britain's Princess Diana, told Reuters on Tuesday that Cruise was ''a very important figure inside the church, it's nonsense for them to say he's just a parishioner.''

According to www.Scientology.Org, Scientology ''is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life. The religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths.'' Those truths include man being an immortal, spiritual being whose experience ''extends well beyond a single lifetime.'' (AGENCIES)

Australia appeal US to ratify Kyoto protocol

MELBOURNE, Jan 17: Australia has appealed the US to ratify the Kyoto protocol ahead of the second round of climate change talks in Hawaii.

US President George W Bush has invited Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the United Nations to send representatives to the January 30-31 meeting.

The meeting will discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy security and efficiency and sustaining economic growth for the world's major economies.

The talks will also discuss voluntary measures for helping poor countries acquire cleaner technology that would help them to stem their own greenhouse gas pollution.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Climate Change Minister Senator Penny Wong would represent Australia. "We believe that all forms of global cooperation in dealing with the great challenge of climate change are necessary," Rudd was quoted saying in a media report in 'The Age.'

"That's why the first action of this national government was to ratify Kyoto," Rudd, said adding it was an action the US needed to undertake. "I believe it is time for the United States to ratify Kyoto as well," he said.

"We need America as part of the global climate change negotiations. America has been an overwhelming force for good in the world in so many areas - we need their voice at the table on climate change as well," he said.

President Bush held a first round of climate change talks in September last year under an initiative he proposed in June in the face of intensifying international pressure for Washington to do more to battle greenhouse gas emissions. (PTI)

Longer legs make you sexier: Study

LONDON, Jan 17: It's not only men who are attracted to the physical attributes of women. When it comes to finding Mr Right, a new study has revealed that females too prefer long-legged males than their stumpier counterparts.

Researchers in Europe have carried out the study and found that taller people are more physically appealing to the opposite sex -- in fact, people whose legs are five per cent longer than average are considered the most attractive, regardless of their gender.

"There are good evolutionary reasons for the preference. Long legs are a sign of health," 'The Guardian' quoted lead researcher Boguslaw Pawlowski of University of Wroclaw in Poland as saying.

The researchers came to the conclusion after asking 218 male and female volunteers to rank the attractiveness of seven men and seven women from digitally altered images. While all of the people were the same height, the length of their legs was altered to make them equal to the Polish average or longer by five per cent, ten per cent or 15 per cent.

The team found that regardless of the volunteers' own body shape and leg length, people whose legs were five per cent longer than average were rated as the most attractive. The next most appealing was an average leg length, or those that were ten per cent longer than normal.

According to Prof Martin Tovee of the Newcastle University, longer legs are one of many subtle cues that suggest good health, especially in women. "Leg length is a good indicator of childhood nutrition in women because their legs stop growing once they reach puberty.

"So if a woman has long legs it suggests she grew up in a good environment and that has a positive effect on fertility. The effect in men is more subtle, because their legs continue to grow beyond puberty," he said.

Previous research has linked shorter legs with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity-related type II diabetes in both sexes. Shorter-legged men are also more likely to have higher levels of triglycerides, which are linked to arterial disease and strokes. (PTI)

Islamists in Pak impose Rs 5,000 fine for shaving beard

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: A radical Islamic group in Pakistan's Khyber Agency bordering Afghanistan has warned that any man shaving his beard will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.

Haji Namdar, the chief of the Tanzim Bilmaroof (group for promotion of virtue), announced a ban on shaving in a broadcast made yesterday from his illegal FM radio station.

"Shaving the beard is forbidden in Islam and I feel duty-bound to make every Muslim of my tribe sport a beard," said Namdar.

The Tanzim Bilmaroof had earlier imposed fines for various acts it says are against the teachings of Islam. This includes a fine of Rs 50,000 for owning a dish antenna for receiving satellite TV broadcasts and a fine of Rs 500 for not praying five times a day.

The group has also banned listening to music and watching TV. It has also imposed a fine of Rs 500 for each audio cassette found in any person's possession. Volunteers of the Tanzim Amr Bilmaroof have severely beaten tribesmen who do not cover their heads.

Namdar was the first person to set up a radical group in Bar Qambarkhel in Khyber Agency and establish an illegal radio station. However, the Sheikhmal Khel tribe has revolted against Namdar after he set up checkpoints to collect "toll tax" from vehicles.

The Tanzim Bilmaroof also has links with the Lashkar-e-Islam militant group led by Mangal Bagh. The Lashkar-e-Islam too has banned several "un-Islamic acts" and imposed severe fines for violators. (PTI)