ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Regular consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an autoimmune liver disease, Mayo Clinic research shows. The findings were being presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2013 conference in Orlando, Fla. PSC is an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts that results in inflammation and subsequent fibrosis that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and biliary cancer. "While rare, PSC has extremely detrimental effects," says study author Craig Lammert, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. ...

Patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic, according to the largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The antidepressant benefits of ketamine were seen within 24 hours, whereas traditional antidepressants can take days or weeks to demonstrate a reduction in depression. The research will be discussed at the American Psychiatric Association meeting on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 12:30 pm in the Press Briefing Room ...

Orlando, FL (May 18, 2013) — Research presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) explores new methods for managing digestive health through diet and lifestyle. Individuals suffering from Crohn's disease are often plagued by reduced muscle strength, fatigue and poor quality of life. These symptoms can remain even when patients are in remission. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study found for the first time that vitamin D supplementation corresponded to significant relief of these symptoms. "Our findings may have significant implications for these patients," ...

Contact: Bettina B. Hoeppner, Ph.D. bhoeppner@partners.org 617-643-1988 Massachusetts General Hospital Melissa A. Lewis, Ph.D. lewisma@u.washington.edu 206-543-3513 University of Washington Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research College women exceed NIAAA drinking guidelines more frequently than college men In 1990, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) issued guidelines that define low-risk drinking, which differ for men and women. New research shows that female college student drinkers exceed NIAAA guidelines for ...

Contact: Miriam Schneider, Ph.D. miriam.schneider@zi-mannheim.de 49-621-1703-6269 (Germany) University of Heidelberg Rainer Spanagel, Ph.D. rainer.spanagel@zi-mannheim.de 49-621-1703-6251 (Germany) Central Institute of Mental Health Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Youth who have their first drink during puberty have higher levels of later drinking The earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of later alcohol problems. New research examines the influence of puberty on initiation of drinking. Findings ...

Contact: Thomas F. Babor, Ph.D. babor@nso.uchc.edu 860-679-5485 The University of Connecticut School of Medicine David H. Jernigan, Ph.D. djernigan@jhsph.edu 410-502-4096 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Beer-industry advertising guidelines: Rating panels may help industry assess itself The alcohol industry has developed and regulates its own guidelines regarding advertising. A new study has investigated the ability of panels to find consensus around code violations. Results indicate that ...

Contact: Timothy C. Durazzo, Ph.D. timothy.durazzo@ucsf.edu 415-221-4810 x4157 San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center Alecia Dager, Ph.D. alecia.dager@yale.edu 860-545-7670 Yale University Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Individuals who drink heavily and smoke may show 'early aging' of the brain Alcohol treatment interventions work best when patients understand and are actively involved in the process. A first-of-its-kind study looks at the interactive effects of smoking status and age on neurocognition in one-month-abstinent ...

In 2008 researchers from the University of Southern Denmark showed that the drug thioridazine, which has previously been used to treat schizophrenia, is also a powerful weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a huge problem all over the world: For example, 25 - 50 per cent of the inhabitants in southern Europe are resistant to staphylococci. In the Scandinavian countries it is less than 5 per cent, but also here the risk of resistance is on the rise. So any effective anti-inflammatory ...

CHAMPAIGN, lll. — New research indicates that women's reproductive function may be tied to their immune status. Previous studies have found this association in human males, but not females. The study appears in the American Journal of Human Biology. An animal's energetic resources must be carefully allocated, said University of Illinois anthropology professor Kathryn Clancy, who led the new research. The body's first priority is maintenance, which includes tasks inherently related to survival, including immune function, she said. Any leftover energy is then dedicated ...

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as TRMM measured Cyclone Mahasen's rainfall rates from space as it made landfall on May 16. Mahasen has since dissipated over eastern India. Tropical Cyclone Mahasen hit southern Bangladesh on May 16, causing the reported deaths of at least 13 people and the destruction of many homes. Mahasen brought heavy rains and tropical storm force winds when it came ashore, but the winds quickly weakened. NASA's TRMM satellite had two very informative views as deadly Tropical Cyclone Mahasen was moving toward and then ...

The first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season was short-lived. Satellite imagery revealed that Tropical Storm Alvin became a remnant low pressure area 36 hours after it was named. NASA's GOES Project created an image of Alvin's remnants using infrared data from NOAA's GOES-15 satellite on May 17 at 1200 UTC (8 a.m. EDT). NASA's GOES Project is located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Alvin became a named tropical storm on May 15 at 5 p.m. EDT and weakened into a trough (elongated area) of low pressure by 5 a.m. EDT on May 17. The ...

Researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and City University of New York have invented a proprietary new formulation called VisikolTM that effectively clears organisms to be viewed under microscopes. Visikol can be used in place of chloral hydrate, which is one of the few high-quality clearing solutions currently available but which is tightly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) due to its use as a narcotic. Clearing solutions, or clearing agents, are vital for viewing organisms under a microscope. Without them, microscope images ...

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS. The findings of the research study, published online today in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine could have therapeutic applications for MS as well as cerebral palsy and leukodystrophies, all disorders associated with loss of white matter, which is the brain tissue that carries information between nerve cells in the brain ...

Many women in Texas who are found to have an abnormality on routine mammogram or discover a lump in one of their breasts end up having an old-fashioned surgical biopsy to find out whether the breast abnormality is malignant. Since 2001, national expert panels have recommended that the first course of action for women with breast lumps or masses should be minimally invasive biopsy. Minimally invasive biopsies are most commonly done under ultrasonographic or X-ray guidance, with either a fine needle or preferably a "core tissue extraction" needle. They do not require surgery ...

In the race to protect society from infectious microbes, the bugs are outrunning us. The need for new therapeutic agents is acute, given the emergence of novel pathogens as well as old foes bearing heightened antibiotic resistance. Shelley Haydel, a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute has a new approach to developing effective, topical antibacterial agents — one that draws on a naturally occurring substance recognized since antiquity for its medicinal properties: clay. In research appearing in the journal PLOS ONE, Haydel and her graduate ...

On 5:24 a.m. EDT on May 17, 2013, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later and affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 745 miles per second. The solar material in CMEs cannot pass through the atmosphere to affect humans on Earth. Not to be confused ...

By day, insects provide the white noise of the South, but the night belongs to the amphibians. In a typical year, the Southern air hangs heavy from the humidity and the sounds of wildlife. The Southeast, home to more than 140 species of frogs, toads and salamanders, is the center of amphibian biodiversity in our nation. If the ponds and swamps are the auditorium for their symphonic choruses, the scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey's Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, or ARMI, have front-row seats. Amphibians, which rely on water for part or all ...

NEW YORK, May 18, 2013. Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or under-react in response to stressful tasks, such as recalling a traumatic event or reacting to a photo of a threatening face. Now, researchers at NYU School of Medicine have explored for the first time what happens in the brains of combat veterans with PTSD in the absence of external triggers. Their results, published in Neuroscience ...

Study reports daydreaming main cause of distracted driving Article provided by Stoops & LaCourse PLLC Visit us at http://www.stoopslacourse.com Car accidents are traumatizing experiences, especially those that involve young victims. Unfortunately, distracted driving is most prevalent among young drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association website on distracted driving, approximately 16 percent of distracted driving related crashes involve drivers under age 20. Additionally, around 11 percent of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal ...

The truth about bankruptcy in Mississippi Article provided by James W. Amos Visit us at http://www.amoslawfirm.com Financial struggles have plagued many people throughout the country in recent years. Some thought purchasing a home would lead to financial security, only to find themselves upside down owing more for their home than it's currently worth. Others who invested in their education find themselves struggling to pay off loans for degrees that may or may not lead to employment in this difficult job market. Regardless of the reason behind financial struggles, ...

Tips lead Denver police to a hit-and-run suspect Article provided by VanMeveren Law Group P.C. Visit us at http://www.vanmeverenlaw.com A car accident is a traumatizing experience. The situation becomes more complicated when the driver who caused the accident disappears. However, sometimes police tips result in an arrest of a hit-and-run suspect, which is what occurred in a recent incident. Suspect has a history of alcohol related driving arrests According to ABC 7 news in Denver, CO, a 30 year-old man was recently arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal ...

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month Article provided by VanMeveren Law Group P.C. Visit us at http://www.vanmeverenlaw.com Colorado residents may be aware that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. However, most residents probably do not know that this campaign began in Colorado and was prompted by the death of a nine year-old girl who was killed by a distracted driver in 2008. Cell phones are one of the key causes of distracted driving The National Safety Council states that approximately 24 percent of accidents in 2010 involved ...

Vehicle searches in New York: What are your rights? Article provided by DeRoberts Law Firm Visit us at http://www.derobertslawfirm.com Seeing the flashing lights of a police car behind you can may make your heart race and your palms sweat. Drivers sometimes feel powerless when they get pulled over because they are not aware of their rights and fear for the worst. Motorists may be particularly concerned about whether police have a right to search their vehicle subsequent to being stopped for a traffic violation. Two New Yorkers arrested following a vehicle search A ...

Be wary of social media during divorce Article provided by Allen E. Schwartz Visit us at http://www.aeslaw.net With the advent of the internet, email and social media, communication has become instantaneous. In the past, it took time to write a letter and then address an envelope or find another way to send the message. In a divorce when relations are already strained a Facebook post or tweet written in anger can come back during a motion hearing or trial. In addition, social media may not only be dangerous during a divorce, it can also affect your marriage. ...

An overview of child custody in Illinois Article provided by Scott B. Meyer, Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.scottbmeyerlaw.com Going through a divorce can be emotionally challenging, especially if there are children involved. It can help if spouses are able to work together to some degree and negotiate some of the key matters in their divorce outside of court. In many cases, if divorcing parents can agree on a child custody and visitation arrangement themselves, a judge will uphold their agreement. However, if the parents cannot reach an agreement, a judge ...