Countries in which girls are commonly married before the age of 18 have significantly higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, report researchers in the current online issue of the journal Violence Against Women. The study, by Anita Raj, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Ulrike Boehmer, PhD, an associate professor in the Boston University School of Public Health, is the first published ecological analysis of child marriage and maternal mortality. The study demonstrates that a 10 percent ...

VIDEO: A Texas A&M bird expert explains importance of macaw genome sequencing. Click here for more information. COLLEGE STATION, May 8, 2013 – In a groundbreaking move that provides new insight into avian evolution, biology and conservation, researchers at Texas A&M University have successfully sequenced the complete genome of a Scarlet macaw for the first time. The team was led by Drs. Christopher Seabury and Ian Tizard at the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center in the College ...

COLLEGE STATION, May 13, 2013 – The tiniest bones in the human body – the bones of the middle ear – could provide huge clues about our evolution and the development of modern-day humans, according to a study by a team of researchers that include a Texas A&M University anthropologist. Darryl de Ruiter, a professor in the Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M, and colleagues from Binghamton University (the State University of New York) and researchers from Spain and Italy have published their work in the current issue of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science). The ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Remains of endangered Hawaiian petrels – both ancient and modern – show how drastically today's open seas fish menu has changed. A research team, led by Michigan State University and Smithsonian Institution scientists, analyzed the bones of Hawaiian petrels – birds that spend the majority of their lives foraging the open waters of the Pacific. They found that the substantial change in petrels' eating habits, eating prey that are lower rather than higher in the food chain, coincides with the growth of industrialized fishing. The birds' dramatic ...

Doctors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) have found a combination of drugs to potentially treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) more effectively. The research was published online on May 3, 2013, and it will appear as a letter in the journal Leukemia, a publication of the prestigious Nature Publishing Group. The study helps address a basic problem of treating CLL. CLL lives both in the blood in circulation, and in lymph nodes and bone marrow. The former is relatively easy to kill, but the disease recurs because of resistant CLL cells in the ...

UC Irvine Health researchers have helped discover that genes controlling circadian clock rhythms are profoundly altered in the brains of people with severe depression. These clock genes regulate 24-hour circadian rhythms affecting hormonal, body temperature, sleep and behavioral patterns. Depression is a serious disorder with a high risk for suicide affecting approximately one in 10 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and is ranked as fourth of all diseases by the World Health Organization in terms of lifetime disability. Study findings provide the ...

BINGHAMTON, NY– A new study, led by a Binghamton University anthropologist and published this week by the National Academy of Sciences, could shed new light on the earliest existence of humans. The study analyzed the tiny ear bones, the malleus, incus and stapes, from two species of early human ancestor in South Africa. The ear ossicles are the smallest bones in the human body and are among the rarest of human fossils recovered. Unlike other bones of the skeleton, the ossicles are already fully formed and adult-sized at birth. This indicates that their size and shape ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Four out of five parents and grandparents in Michigan say they'd rather take children to a hospital that does medical research for children than one that does not, according to a new poll from the University of Michigan. A new study from the Michigan Child Health Research Priorities team at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that more than 80 percent of parents and grandparents prefer a hospital that does medical research about children -- if they can expect the same level of care, the hospital is equally accessible and with no difference in cost. The ...

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center report that cancers physically alter cells in the lymphatic system – a network of vessels that transports and stores immune cells throughout the body – to promote the spread of disease, a process called metastasis. The findings are published in this week's online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Roughly 90 percent of all cancer deaths are due to metastasis – the disease spreading from the original tumor site to multiple, ...

Rachel Sam rsam@globalhealthstrategies.com 212-929-7888 ext. 45 Global Health Strategies New global study pinpoints main causes of childhood diarrheal diseases, suggests effective solutions Findings published in The Lancet can guide prevention, treatment and research on diarrheal diseases, which claim the lives of 800,000 children annually BALTIMORE, May 13, 2013 – A new international study published today in The Lancet provides the clearest picture yet of the impact and most common causes of diarrheal diseases, the second leading killer of young children ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Digital direct radiography (DR) is significantly more effective than computed radiography (CR) at detecting breast cancer, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The findings are the first to show a difference between the two types of digital imaging when compared with screen film mammography and suggest that women should be informed of the potential for lower cancer detection with CR, the researchers said. Digital mammography, which takes an electronic image of the breast that can be stored and sent electronically, has ...

Researchers at EPFL present new evidence for the crucial role of algae in the survival of their coral hosts. Ultra-high resolution images reveal that the algae temporarily store nutrients as crystals, building up reserves for when supplies run low. The relationship between corals and the microscopic algae they harbor is a classic example of biological symbiosis - the mutually beneficial interaction of two species. But crucial details regarding their relationship have remained elusive until now. Using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, Anders Meibom and his team of ...

Microscopic algae that live within reef-forming corals scoop up available nitrogen, store the excess in crystal form, and slowly feed it to the coral as needed, according to a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Scientists have known for years that these symbiotic microorganisms serve up nitrogen to their coral hosts, but this new study sheds light on the dynamics of the process and reveals that the algae have the ability to store excess nitrogen, a capability that could help corals cope in their chronically ...

Montréal, May 14, 2013 – It's on Saturday that the Journal of the American Heart Association published the conclusive results from a study directed by Dr. Éric Thorin of the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI), which suggests for the first time that a blood protein contributes to the early development of atherosclerosis. Dr. Thorin, his team and his collaborators discovered that the blood levels of angiopoietin-like protein 2 (angptl2) are six times higher in subjects with coronary heart disease than in healthy subjects of the same age. Their basic research study also revealed ...

Warrantless blood test case waits for U.S. Supreme Court's decision Article provided by Nicole A Longton Visit us at http://www.longtonlaw.com A recent decision by the United States Supreme Court could have a large impact on state laws relating to drunk driving. Many states, including Massachusetts, have what is known as an implied consent law. This law basically gives law enforcement the right to use blood tests or some other kind of test to determine drivers' blood alcohol content. The reasoning behind the law is that drivers have given their consent simply by ...

Crime lab mistakes raise concern over convictions in Massachusetts Article provided by Nicole A Longton Visit us at http://www.longtonlaw.com The arrests of two chemists at two separate Massachusetts crime labs earlier this year have raised a lot of questions over the validity of hundreds, if not thousands of convictions in the state. In the most recent case, a chemist is alleged to have tampered with evidence in drug cases, replacing illegal drugs with non-illegal substances according to Reuters. Apparently the chemist used the drugs for her personal consumption. The ...

Pennsylvania hiring more officers to fight drugged driving Article provided by Law Offices of Lance T. Marshall Visit us at http://www.statecollegecriminallawyer.com Whenever there is a crime that receives a significant amount of media attention, law enforcement officers in the affected area are often instructed to maintain a greater presence in order to deter potential offenders. More police means more arrests, which can help a community feel like its concerns are being addressed. In Pennsylvania, drugged driving is one criminal offense that is on the rise throughout ...

Connecticut city ranked highest in US for drunk driving fatalities Article provided by Moore, O'Brien, Jacques & Yelenak Visit us at http://www.mojylaw.com/ Connecticut drivers may be surprised to learn that their state is home to the city with the highest proportion of fatal car accidents caused by drunk driving. According to a recent article in the Atlantic, intoxication is a factor in 55.8 percent of fatal vehicle crashes in Stamford, Connecticut. This is the highest of any city in the U.S., according to the report, which relied on federal data from the Fatality ...

How the Supreme Court holding on blood tests for DUIs impacts Colorado law Article provided by Law Office of Ginger Vidrine Visit us at http://www.gvattorney.com The Supreme Court of the United States, or SCOTUS, recently reviewed a case questioning the need for a warrant to draw blood on suspected drunk drivers. The justices, in a 5-4 vote, held that whether or not a warrant is needed depends on the situation. The case comes out of Missouri, Missouri v. McNeely, and begins when an officer allegedly noticed a vehicle swerving over the center lane and speeding. ...

Establishing paternity in Texas Article provided by Law Office of Brian Turner Visit us at http://www.brianturnerlaw.com Establishing a man as a child's legal father is beneficial to the father, the child, the mother and the family as a whole. If a child's biological father was not acknowledged as the child's legal father at birth, there are options to establish legal paternity in Texas. What are the benefits of establishing paternity? Establishing paternity means creating legal fatherhood for the father and creating a more secure future for the child. Texas ...

Proposed Texas bill may ban discrimination based on gender preferences Article provided by English & Associates, PLLC Visit us at http://www.englishpllc.com Some Texas lawmakers are seeking approval for a bill that would ban job discrimination based on an individual's gender preference. The proposed law would ban segregating, failing to hire or discriminating against individuals due to their gender preferences such as: -Sexual orientation: A person's romantic or sexual attraction to a specific gender -Gender identification: An individual's concept of self ...

Supreme Court holding will impact Pennsylvania drug law Article provided by Law Offices of Patrick F. Lauer, Jr. LLC Visit us at http://www.dui-pa.com The Supreme Court of the United States, or SCOTUS, recently issued a holding on a drug case that will likely impact Pennsylvania drug law. This case addressed how the use of narcotics trained dogs can bring into question the basic protections against unreasonable searches guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment. The case involved a man who was pulled over by a police officer due to an expired license plate. When ...

Need a warrant for a DUI blood draw? According to SCOTUS it depends... Article provided by Law Offices of Patrick F. Lauer, Jr. LLC Visit us at http://www.dui-pa.com People generally prefer to know what is and is not allowed, often choosing to avoid the "maybes" in life. Unfortunately, the legal community does not always cater to this desire. The Supreme Court of the United States, or SCOTUS, recently issued an opinion that falls into the "maybe" category. The opinion was supposed to determine whether or not a warrant was required before an ...

The benefits of creating a will in New York Article provided by Felicia Pasculli Visit us at http://www.pascullilaw.com/ Having a valid will can be very beneficial to New York residents. The main benefit of creating a will is that it gives individuals the ability to leave property and possessions to the people of their choice. An individual who dies without a will is considered to have died intestate. If a person dies intestate, then his or her estate is divided in accordance with New York law, which is not always consistent with the deceased person's wishes. ...

David versus Goliath: Opposing eminent domain proceedings Article provided by Eminent Domain Services, LLC Visit us at http://www.eminentdomainservices.com Battles are raging in a number of states in the U.S. regarding eminent domain rights of landowners, companies and governmental agencies. Eminent domain is a right that the government has to take privately owned property for projects that are for the public good. Under the United States Constitution and many state laws, landowners have many rights including the right to just compensation. But for many, the idea ...