The 36 Pit Fire began on September 13, 2014. The fire is human-caused and is still under investigation. It is currently over 2,300 acres in size and is mostly being fueled by grass and timber. The 36 Pit Fire was calm Monday night due to higher humidity. Yesterday (8/15), firefighters made progress in establishing an anchor point and beginning to construct a fireline on the West and North sides of the fire. The following resources are working on the fire: 7 20-person Crews 4 Hot Shot Crews 1 large Type 1 Helicopter 2 medium Type 2 Helicopter 2 bulldozer 17 ...

(September 16th, 2014; San Francisco) – In a healthcare climate where the costs of treatment are increasingly weighed against potential benefit, a Yale study has found that radiation oncologists are using fewer or less-aggressive radiation procedures on elderly women with early-stage breast cancer. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the 56th annual conference of the American Society for Radiation Oncology in San Francisco. (Abstract 131: Evaluating National Practice in Radiotherapy for Elderly Women: Response to a Randomized Trial and Cost Effectiveness on a ...

Magnesium sulfate given intravenously to pregnant women at risk of very preterm birth was not associated with benefit on neurological, behavioral, growth, or functional outcomes in their children at school age, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. Rates of adverse long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for infants born at less than 28 weeks' gestation remain high relative to full-term infants. Among the multiple uses for magnesium sulfate in obstetrics is as a neuroprotectant for preterm fetuses. Antenatal (before birth) magnesium sulfate given to pregnant ...

The prevalence of abdominal obesity and average waist circumference increased among U.S. adults from 1999 to 2012, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. Waist circumference is a simple measure of total and intra-abdominal body fat. Although the prevalence of abdominal obesity has increased in the United States through 2008, its trend in recent years has not been known, according to background information in the article. Earl S. Ford, M.D., M.P.H., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues used data from seven ...

Among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly those with asthma, newly prescribed long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) and inhaled corticosteroid combination therapy, compared with newly prescribed LABAs alone, was associated with a lower risk of death or COPD hospitalization, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Medications are a mainstay of COPD management, and knowing which are most effective in real-world practice is essential. ...

In an analysis of the results of nearly 50 randomized trials that examined treatments of venous thromboembolisms (blood clot in a vein), there were no significant differences in clinical and safety outcomes associated with most treatment strategies when compared with the low-molecular-weight heparin-vitamin K antagonist combination, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. Venous thromboembolism, manifested as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in a lung), is a common medical condition and is the third leading cause of cardiovascular ...

DETROIT – A new stereotactic radiosurgery system provides the same or a higher level of accuracy in targeting cancer tumors – but offers greater comfort to patients and the ability to treat multiple tumors at once – when compared to other radiation therapy stereotactic systems, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The study shows the Edge™ Radiosurgery Suite is able to target cancer tumors within 1 mm, providing sub-millimeter accuracy with extreme precision. "Radiosurgery is just one shot of precision radiation with a very high dose to treat ...

Ottawa – September 16, 2014 – Physicians around the world now have guidance that can help them determine the best oral blood thinners to use for their patients suffering from blood clots in their veins, thanks to a patient of The Ottawa Hospital who asked his physician a question he couldn't answer. This new guidance is found in a study published today by JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Right there in the clinic, he identified an important knowledge gap for clinicians. We decided to act on it and find the answer," says hematologist Dr. Marc Carrier, ...

Manufactures of turbine engines for airplanes, automobiles and electric generation plants could expedite the development of more durable, energy-efficient turbine blades thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the German Aerospace Center and the universities of Central Florida and Cleveland State. The ability to operate turbine blades at higher temperatures improves efficiency and reduces energy costs. For example, energy companies estimate that raising the operating temperature by 1 percent at a single electric generation ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Ensuring that corn absorbs the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is crucial to increasing global yields, a Purdue and Kansas State University study finds. A review of data from more than 150 studies from the U.S. and other regions showed that high yields were linked to production systems in which corn plants took up key nutrients at specific ratios - nitrogen and phosphorus at a ratio of 5-to-1 and nitrogen and potassium at a ratio of 1-to-1. These nutrient uptake ratios were associated with high yields regardless of the region ...

The fire season in California has been anything but cooperative this year. Hot conditions combined with a state-wide drought and dry lightning makes for unpleasant conditions and leads to an abundance of forest fires. On August 12, lightning struck and started the fire that grew into the Happy Camp Complex. Currently over 113,000 acres have been affected and the fire is only 55% contained as of today. Strong winds tested fire lines yesterday (8/15), and are expected to do so again today. Despite the high winds, existing fire lines held with no spotting or expansion ...

Wearable electronic activity monitors hold great promise in helping people to reach their fitness and health goals. These increasingly sophisticated devices help the wearers improve their wellness by constantly monitoring their activities and bodily responses. This information is organized into companion computer programs and mobile apps. Given the large and quickly growing market for these devices, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston analyzed 13 of these activity monitors, such as those made by Fitbit, Jawbone or Nike, to compare how the ...

VIDEO: Global Hawk observes the Saharan Air Layer through the Cloud Physics Lidar(CPL) during Hurricane Nadine (id 4102). More information on this topic available at: http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-hs3-instrument-views-2-dimensions-of-clouds/.... Click here for more information. NASA's Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) instrument, flying aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft in this summer's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission, is studying the changing profile ...

NASA's Global Hawk 872 aircraft flew over Hurricane Cristobal on August 28 and 29 and gathered data on the storm as it was becoming extra-tropical. NASA's airborne Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission kicked off on August 26 when one of the remotely piloted Global Hawk aircraft flew a "lawnmower" or back and forth pattern over Hurricane Cristobal while gathering data using dropsondes and two other instruments. The Global Hawk dropped 81 dropsondes over Cristobal. A dropsonde is a device that measures winds, temperature, pressure and humidity as it falls ...

WASHINGTON, DC – September 16, 2014 – The first randomized trial to examine serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was reported at the 26th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. OCT uses light emitted from an intravascular catheter to capture high-resolution cross sectional imaging from within coronary arteries. OCT ...

WASHINGTON, DC – September 14, 2014 – A new study found that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) -guided intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) could improve outcomes compared to a conventional angiography-guided approach during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The IVUS-CTO study is the first randomized trial to examine the clinical impact of IVUS guidance for CTO intervention. Findings were reported today at the 26th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation ...

High school biology taught us that we inherit certain traits from our parents that are pre-determined. But what if you could change how these genes play out by taking certain drugs or better yet, just changing your diet? That's exactly what a team of researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have proposed through their research of epigenetics research. Epigenetics regulates gene expression in a reversible manner by chemically modifying DNA and histone proteins, which prevent permanent mutations or alterations within the gene themselves. Throughout ...

WASHINGTON, DC – September 14, 2014 – A new study found that fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided provisional side branch (SB) stenting of true coronary bifurcation lesions yields similar outcomes to the current standard of care. The DKCRUSH-VI clinical trial is the first study to compare FFR-guided and angiography-guided stenting. Findings were reported today at the 26th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in ...

WASHINGTON, DC – September 14, 2014 – A new clinical trial comparing the use of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and drug-eluting balloons (DEB) in treating in-stent restenosis (ISR) from drug-eluting stents found that EES provided superior late angiographic results and better late clinical outcomes. Findings were reported today at the 26th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. ...

As the number of children with food allergies in the U.S. increases, so does the risk of children having a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis on school campuses. School nurses often have treatment plans in place for students with diagnosed allergies, but many children have their first allergic reactions at school, where a specific medication, such as EpiPen epinephrine injectors, may not be available and a response protocol may not be in place. Students with identified food allergies are generally well known to school nurses. School ...

The same viruses that make us sick can take up residence in and on the human body without provoking a sneeze, cough or other troublesome symptom, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. On average, healthy individuals carry about five types of viruses on their bodies, the researchers report online in BioMed Central Biology. The study is the first comprehensive analysis to describe the diversity of viruses in healthy people. The research was conducted as part of the Human Microbiome Project, a major initiative funded by the ...

Treatment with endocrine therapy and radiation therapy as part of breast conservation is the current standard of care for women with hormone-receptor positive (HR+) invasive breast cancer. A new study by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center, however, shows that combination may not be necessary for all patient populations with the disease. The results, which Fox Chase researchers presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 56th Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 14, suggest that low-risk patients over 65 years old with small tumors may achieve comparable ...

Men with prostate cancer may one day be able to predict when and how much various treatments will impact their urinary and sexual functioning, thanks in part to new findings that researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 56th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 16. Looking over data gathered from more than 17,000 surveys completed by men diagnosed with prostate cancer, Fox Chase researchers tracked when patients' urinary and sexual symptoms changed following each type of treatment, and by how much. "The ultimate ...

In this issue of PLOS Medicine, Kathleen Holloway from WHO and David Henry (University of Toronto, Canada) evaluated data on reported adherence to WHO essential medicines practices and measures of quality use of medicines from 56 low and middle income countries for 2002-2008. They compared the countries' government-reported implementation of 36 essential medicines policies with independent survey results for 10 validated indicators of quality use of medicines (QUM). They claim that the results provide the strongest evidence to date that WHO essential medicines policies ...

Access to female-controlled contraceptive methods must be improved in order to help women and girls to counteract any risks to their reproductive health caused by intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion,* according to US experts writing in this week's PLOS Medicine. Jay Silverman and Anita Raj from the University of California in San Diego explain that intimate partner violence is a major contributor to poor reproductive outcomes, such as unintended pregnancy, among women and girls around the world. The authors argue that to improve reproductive health, ...