Small electrodes placed on or inside the brain allow patients to interact with computers or control robotic limbs simply by thinking about how to execute those actions. This technology could improve communication and daily life for a person who is paralyzed or has lost the ability to speak from a stroke or neurodegenerative disease. Now, University of Washington researchers have demonstrated that when humans use this technology – called a brain-computer interface – the brain behaves much like it does when completing simple motor skills such as kicking a ball, typing or ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The huge value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated, experts say in a new report, while conventional wisdom and historic vaccine programs have concentrated on the elderly and those at higher risk of death and serious complications. A computer modeling analysis was just published in the journal Vaccine, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study suggests that children in school and young adults at work do the vast majority of flu transmission. Programs that effectively increase ...

The Fourmile fire located 20 miles northeast of Morenci, Arizona is basically a grass fire. Currently it is over 5000 acres in size and is not contained at all. Because of the hot, dry conditions, the potential for growth of this fire is high. Officials are estimating that containment of this fire will be on or about June 15, 2013. Silver Fire in New Mexico was started on June 7 by a lightning strike about 7 miles southwest of Kingston, NM. Currently this fire is 6,700 acres in size and its potential for growth is high. Firefighters are challenged by extremely rough terrain, ...

SAN ANTONIO (June 11, 2013) — A protein secreted by the chlamydia bug has a very unusual structure, according to scientists in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. The discovery of the protein's shape could lead to novel strategies for diagnosing and treating chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease that infects an estimated 2.8 million people in the U.S. each year. The protein, Pgp3, is secreted by Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacterium that causes chlamydia. Pgp3's shape is very distinguishable — sort of like an Eiffel ...

PITTSBURGH—Humans began contributing to environmental lead pollution as early as 8,000 years ago, according to a University of Pittsburgh research report. The Pitt research team detected the oldest-discovered remains of human-derived lead pollution in the world in the northernmost region of Michigan, suggesting metal pollution from mining and other human activities appeared far earlier in North America than in Europe, Asia, and South America. Their findings are highlighted on the cover of the latest issue of Environmental Science & Technology. "Humanity's environmental ...

Tropical Storm Andrea formed on the late afternoon of June 5th, 2013 from a trough of low pressure that had persisted for several days over the southeast Gulf of Mexico. This trough extended out over the Gulf from the Yucatan Peninsula and provided the focus for the development of showers and thunderstorms in the region, eventually leading to the formation of Tropical Storm Andrea. With its suite of passive microwave and active radar sensors, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite is ideally suited to measure rainfall from space. TRMM is a joint mission ...

DURHAM, N.H. –- Space scientists from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) report that data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) show lighter materials like plastics provide effective shielding against the radiation hazards faced by astronauts during extended space travel. The finding could help reduce health risks to humans on future missions into deep space. Aluminum has always been the primary material in spacecraft construction, but it provides relatively little protection against high-energy cosmic rays ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When Web surfers sign up for a new online service or download a Web application for their smartphone or tablet, the service typically requires them to click a seemingly innocuous box and accept the company's terms of service and privacy policy. But agreeing to terms without reading them beforehand can adversely affect a user's legal rights, says a new paper by a University of Illinois expert in technology and legal issues. Law professor Jay P. Kesan says the current "non-negotiable approach" to user privacy is in need of serious revision, especially ...

LA JOLLA, CA – June 11, 2013 – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified key triggers of an important cancer-blocking mechanism in cells. Termed "oncogene-induced senescence," this mechanism can block most cancer types, and is commonly experienced when incipient skin cancers turn instead into slow-growing moles. Tumors that achieve malignancy often do so by defeating or circumventing this growth barrier—which is why scientists have been eager to find out precisely how it works. "We have known about some of the molecular signals that mediate ...

Mandatory influenza (flu) vaccination, as a condition of employment, does not lead to excessive voluntary termination, according to a four-year analysis of vaccination rates at Loyola University Health System in Chicago. "First do no harm is our mandate as health care workers," said Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA, study author and professor of medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "We have a fiduciary responsibility to perform hand hygiene and adhere to contact precautions, and flu vaccines should be considered in the same vein – meaning ...

ANN ARBOR—The newly discovered bacterium that causes gum disease delivers a one-two punch by also triggering normally protective proteins in the mouth to actually destroy more bone, a University of Michigan study found. Scientists and oral health care providers have known for decades that bacteria are responsible for periodontitis, or gum disease. Until now, however, they hadn't identified the bacterium. "Identifying the mechanism that is responsible for periodontitis is a major discovery," said Yizu Jiao, a postdoctoral fellow at the U-M Health System, and lead author ...

In the first prospective study of its kind, Seaver Autism Center researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provide new evidence of the severity of intellectual, motor, and speech impairments in a subtype of autism called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS). The data are published online in the June 11 issue of the journal Molecular Autism. Mutation or deletion of a gene known as SHANK3 is one of the more common single-gene causes of autism spectrum disorders and is critical to the development of PMS, a severe type of autism. To date, clinicians have relied ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Hours spent at the video gaming console not only train a player's hands to work the buttons on the controller, they probably also train the brain to make better and faster use of visual input, according to Duke University researchers. "Gamers see the world differently," said Greg Appelbaum, an assistant professor of psychiatry in the Duke School of Medicine. "They are able to extract more information from a visual scene." It can be difficult to find non-gamers among college students these days, but from among a pool of subjects participating in a much ...

Bethesda, MD - The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has submitted comments in response to the National Science Board's (NSB) Task Force on Administrative Burdens Request for Information (RFI) on reducing investigators administrative workload for federally funded research. The NSB will use the information collected from the RFI to develop recommendations to reduce administrative workload for researchers and institutions. In its response (http://bit.ly/117IDix), FASEB identified three major themes of administrative burden and made six broad ...

VIDEO: Landsat satellites have captured hundreds of images of the region surrounding El Paso, Texas. On May 30, 2013, Landsat 8 began adding to the program's extensive image archive. Click here for more information. Landsat has seen a lot in its day. In one spot of desert, where the Rio Grande marks the border between the United States and Mexico, the satellite program captured hundreds of images of fields turning green with the season, new developments expanding from El Paso, ...

CHICAGO -– Fever-induced childhood seizures, known as febrile seizures, can be terrifying for parents to witness. The full-body convulsions, which mostly affect children six months to five years old, can last from mere seconds up to more than 40 minutes. Currently, children are not treated with daily anticonvulsant medication to prevent these seizures even when they recur repeatedly because toxic side effects of existing treatments outweigh potential benefits. While scientists know these seizures typically occur when a fever is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees ...

Contact: Kathy Fackelmann kfackelmann@gwu.edu 202-994-8354 George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Moderate-intensity walking timed just right might help protect against Type 2 diabetes 15-minute walks taken after meals helped curb risky rise in blood sugar, new study says WASHINGTON, DC (June 12, 2013)—A fifteen minute walk after each meal appears to help older people regulate blood sugar levels and could reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at the George Washington University ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 12, 2013)—More than half of middle-aged women who still have regular cycles have hot flashes. Asian and Hispanic women are less likely to have them than white women, but compared with previous studies, the figures are surprisingly high, showed a survey of some 1,500 women published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The survey, conducted by researchers at Group Health (a large healthcare system in the Pacific Northwest) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, consisted ...

UK and Australian scientists have been able to show ways in which we can markedly improve drug targeting of solid tumours, using tiny 'biosensors' along with new advanced imaging techniques. In real time and in three dimensions, these technologies can show us how cancers spread and how active cancer cells respond to a particular drug. They can also tell us how much, how often and how long to administer drugs. Finally, using preclinical models of the disease, they can guide the use of 'combination therapies', techniques that enhance drug delivery by breaking up the tissue ...

Medical malpractice: Proof is always hidden by the health care provider Article provided by Gregg W. Luther Visit us at http://www.greggwluther.com Health care professionals are rarely taught how to disclose medical errors. In fact, they are often discouraged from admitting mistakes and will never admit that they failed to follow the rules for patient safety. Generally, physicians are taught that errors should not be discussed with patients. Instead, such issues are considered a learning opportunity for new doctors. Some physicians are even advised by their lawyers ...

The dollar count for drunk driving Article provided by KELLEY ENDERLEY Visit us at http://www.nytrooperticketlaw.com Many understand that the consequences of a drunk driving conviction could bring in hefty fines. In addition to court costs and penalties, one's insurance premium can go up, too. However, did you know that it could cost around $10,000 to $15,000, according to MainStreet.com? This is probably a little more than you expected. Sources have broken down how conviction-related expenses become so high. The breakdown of drunk driving costs Assuming ...

The safety rule for making a diagnosis Article provided by Gregg W. Luther Visit us at http://www.greggwluther.com Diagnosis issues often evolve from inaccurate medical records, physicians who do not spend enough time with a patient and ill-completed (or misinterpreted) test results. Other common causes include health care providers not talking to each other, test results not being followed up and lack of a system to make sure patients do not fall through the cracks. A misdiagnosis can happen to patient when the health care provider did not follow the rules for ...

Workers exposed to unsafe levels of lead at a Washington gun range Article provided by Harpold Thomas, PC Visit us at http://www.harpoldlaw.com/ A Washington gun shop and a construction contractor working on remodeling the shop have been fined for exposing their workers to toxic lead. The incident is said to be one of the largest in recent history, both in terms of the number of people exposed and the severity of their exposure, and it demonstrates how workers may suffer injury or illness on the job. The Seattle Times reports that the exposure happened in September ...

Divorce rate amongst baby boomers continues to rise Article provided by Yellin & Hyman, P.C. Visit us at http://www.yellin-hyman.com/ If you are baby boomer considering divorce, you are not alone. Over 600,000 people over the age of 50 divorced in 2009 alone, doubling the rate of divorce within this age group. There are many potential reasons for the increase, including what sociologists are calling a shift in how Americans view marriage. A report in The Wall Street Journal states that the boomer generation views marriage much differently than past generations. ...

Cancer and illness underlie many Washington bankruptcy filings Article provided by CBG Law Group PLLC Visit us at http://www.cbglawgroup.com Getting sick in the United States can lead to a financial tailspin that results in debts an individual or family may never be able to repay. A recent study by researchers in Washington found that cancer patients, in particular, were more at risk for bankruptcy. The lead author of the study, Dr. Scott Ramsey, director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research in Seattle, matched almost 200,000 adults from a ...