DETROIT – Nerve mapping technology allows surgeons to determine whether surgery has been effective for relieving pressure from compressed nerves, which often function poorly and cause sciatica or pain and weakness in muscles supplied by the nerve. In a small study involving 42 patients at Henry Ford Hospital, lead author and orthopaedic surgeon Stephen Bartol, M.D., says that mechanomyography, or MMG, is effective with measuring nerve function and determining whether nerves are compressed. MMG, which functions by detecting muscle movement and sending real-time alerts ...

Environmental education programs that took middle school students outdoors to learn helped minority students close a gap in environmental literacy, according to research from North Carolina State University. The study, published March 22 in PLOS ONE, showed that time outdoors seemed to impact African-American and Hispanic students more than Caucasian students, improving minority students' ecological knowledge and cognitive skills, two measures of environmental literacy. The statewide study also measured environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior such as recycling ...

The notion that each gene can only codify for a single protein has been challenged for some years. Yet, the functional outcomes that may result from genes encoding more than one protein are still largely unknown. Now, in a study published in the latest issue of The Plant Cell journal*, a group of scientists led by Paula Duque at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Portugal) discovered a gene – ZIFL1 – that has the particularity of producing two different proteins with completely distinct locations and functions in the plant. The researchers observed that in the root ...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Research from the University of North Carolina has shown that children at risk of developing schizophrenia have brains that function differently than those not at risk. Brain scans of children who have parents or siblings with the illness reveal a neural circuitry that is hyperactivated or stressed by tasks that peers with no family history of the illness seem to handle with ease. Because these differences in brain functioning appear before neuropsychiatric symptoms such as trouble focusing, paranoid beliefs, or hallucinations, the scientists believe ...

An international study, involving researchers from Griffith University's Eskitis Institute, has discovered a molecule which could form the basis of powerful new anti-malaria drugs. Professor Vicky Avery from Griffith University's Eskitis Institute is co-author of the paper "Quinolone-3-Diarylethers: a new class of drugs for a new era of malaria eradication" which has been published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. "The 4(1H)-quinolone-3- diarylethers are selective potent inhibitors of the parasite mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex," Professor Avery ...

For decades researchers have recorded sounds from whales and other marine mammals, using a variety of methods including passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to better understand how these animals use sound to interact with each other and with the environment. Now, for the first time, researchers report using this technology to record spawning cod in the wild. Acoustic behavior in cod has been of interest for several decades, but few studies have observed their use of sound as part of reproductive behavior. Although both sexes produce low frequency "grunts", only male Atlantic ...

In August 2011, researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were presented with a serious, and potentially very costly, puzzle in Kennewick, Wash. Since Kennewick lies within a region near the heart of Washington state's $1.5 billion apple-growing region, an annual survey of fruit trees is performed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to look for any invading insects. This time the surveyors discovered a crabapple tree that had been infested by a fruit fly that they couldn't identify. It was possible that the fly's larvae, eating away inside ...

Orthopaedic surgeons have debated the effectiveness of the single versus double-bundle method of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair for years. However new data shows both techniques lead to similarly effective outcomes for patients, according to researchers presenting their work today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago, IL. "We examined 98 patients who underwent reconstructions to repair ruptured ACLs using either one of these methods after two years," commented lead researcher Mattias Ahldén, MD, of Sahlgrenska University ...

CHICAGO, IL – Outcomes after surgery have always been difficult to determine. Now a new case study on more than 500 hip procedures highlights that complication rates may be even higher than previous reports, say researchers presenting at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago, IL. "The overall complication rate after hip arthroscopy was 7.2 percent, which is higher than what has been previously reported in the literature at 1.5 percent," said lead author Christopher Larson, MD of the Minnesota Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Institute ...

CHICAGO, IL – Research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago, IL shows that biceps tenodesis surgery is safe and effective for individuals who suffer a SLAP (superior labral anterior posterior) tear of the shoulder. Patients examined had previously undergone unsuccessful arthroscopic repair for their injuries. "Our research focused on a sample of 42 active-duty men and women who were unable to return to duty after primary arthroscopic SLAP repair," said Frank McCormick, MD, and CDR Matthew T. Provencher, MD, ...

CHICAGO, IL – Get out there and regularly kick that soccer ball around with your kids, you may be helping them prevent a broken hip when they are older, say researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago, IL. "According to our study, exercise interventions in childhood may be associated with lower fracture risks as people age, due to the increases in peak bone mass that occurs in growing children who perform regular physical activity," said lead author, Bjorn Rosengren, MD, PhD of Skane University Hospital, ...

CHICAGO, IL – Treatment of large cartilage knee defects with an allograft osteoarticular transplant (OATS) may not allow some military personnel to return to full active duty status, say researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in Chicago, IL. "Only 28.9 percent of the military patients we studied were able to return to full duty, when they received the OATS procedure with only 5.3 percent returning to their pre-injury level of activity," said James S. Shaha, MD of Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. ...

Hang up and drive: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month Article provided by Tindall Law Firm LLC Visit us at http://www.tindall-lawfirm.com/ To help draw attention to the dangers of distracted driving, federal officials have designated April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The campaign, which uses the slogan "One text or call could wreck it all," places an emphasis on preventing cellphone-related distracted driving accidents. Connecticut distracted driving law In Connecticut, as in many other states, the law restricts cellphone ...

NFL and General Electric join forces to fight traumatic brain injuries Article provided by Tindall Law Firm LLC Visit us at http://www.tindall-lawfirm.com/ General Electric and the National Football League recently announced their plans to team up with leading neurologists to accelerate research on the treatment and diagnosis of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI. The $60 million initiative, announced March 11, 2013, will include $40 million for the development of imaging technologies used to diagnose brain injuries, as well as $20 million to improve the prevention, ...

Town of Fairfield settles final claim for Madoff investment mess Article provided by Tinley, Nastri, Renehan & Dost, LLP Visit us at http://www.tnrdlaw.com The town of Fairfield, Connecticut, recently settled its final claim to recover funds lost in the $20 billion Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernie Madoff. The town's legal battle began back in 2007, when Madoff's record-breaking fraud was first coming to light. It would take another several years for the full scope of the fraud to be revealed, and by that point, many assumed that Fairfield's pension fund investments ...

Covenant marriage bill passes Oklahoma Senate 40-5 Article provided by Branch & Hurtt Law Firm, P.C. Visit us at http://www.branchhurttlaw.com Oklahomans are divorcing at a higher rate than those of most other U.S. states. According to the National Vital Statistics Reports, in 2011, 5.2 people in Oklahoma out of every 1,000 divorced. Looking at comparable rates in surrounding states, Texas had 3.2, New Mexico 3.3, Missouri and Kansas 3.9 and Colorado 4.4. Only Arkansas surpassed Oklahoma at 5.3. By contrast, Iowa came in at 2.4. Legal grounds for Oklahoma ...

Estate planning important for everyone, regardless of net worth Article provided by Hamilton Law Office, P.C. Visit us at http://www.stuarthamiltonlaw.com People often prefer not to dwell on what happens in the event of their passing. Unfortunately, those who do not take a moment to make some decisions regarding their financial and healthcare wishes may leave these decisions to the discretion of the state. If a person does not put together a basic estate plan, the court system will determine how assets are distributed. This can lead to some unwanted outcomes. Dangers ...

Possible Utah adoption law changes give birthparents more rights Article provided by Stephen J. Buhler, Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.4utahlaw.com Waiting for an adoption to be finalized can be stressful for those involved. Adoptive parents are often worried that an adoption could fall through, and birthparents sometimes worry about whether or not they will be allowed contact with their birth child after the adoption is finalized. Current adoption laws in Utah When birthparents choose the adoptive parents with whom their child will be placed, one ...

Laura's Law targets multiple DWI offenders Article provided by Plumides Law Office, PC Visit us at http://www.plumideslaw.com In December 2012, North Carolina's new law targeting individuals with multiple drunk driving offenses went into effect. The law has implications for those with multiple drunk driving convictions. Laura's Law in North Carolina The new law is named after a teenage girl who was killed by a drunk driver. The driver had multiple drunk driving offenses on his record and was intoxicated when he hit the teen. Now convicted of second-degree ...

New Yorkers should name a health care proxy for help with medical care Article provided by Felicia Pasculli Visit us at http://www.pascullilaw.com/ It's a disturbing thought for most people: what will happen to me in the event of a catastrophic illness or injury that renders me unable to decide medical care on my own behalf? Because it is such a disquieting thought, many people put off planning for such events. Yet the only thing worse than having an accident that renders a person unable to make medical decisions is subsequently getting care that he or she never ...

Behavior on parole has consequences for Pennsylvania man Article provided by Shaffer & Engle Law Offices, LLC Visit us at http://www.shafferengle.com A Pennsylvania resident who has been convicted of a criminal offense may breathe a sigh of relief if probation is ordered instead of jail time, or if a jail sentence has ended early and parole has been granted. What is important to know, though, is that even when people are released from jail, they can find themselves in further trouble for violating the terms of probation or parole. One Pennsylvania man in ...

Louisiana trucking company shuttered for repeated safety violations Article provided by Frischhertz & Associates LLC Visit us at http://www.frischhertzlaw.com/ How many times have you been driving along the interstate only to find yourself nestled amongst a pack of large tractor trailers? In some parts of Louisiana, this is an incredibly frequent occurrence. The only reason these scenarios aren't scarier than they already are is because we trust that trucking companies are keeping their vehicles in good repair and making sure their drivers are safe behind the ...

Medical mistakes can lead to cerebral palsy Article provided by Greene & Eisen, Co. L.P.A. Visit us at http://www.malpracticeohio.com Families of children with cerebral palsy suffer greatly--both financially and emotionally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 303 children is born with the disorder. Although cerebral palsy can be caused by many different things, medical mistakes made by doctors, nurses and other medical staff - before or during delivery - can cause the disorder. Types of cerebral palsy There are ...

Schlosser Signs, Inc. (http://coloradosigncompany.com/), a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of signage in northern Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, has announced the addition of a new energy efficiency service division. The new department will evaluate the energy efficiency of customers' existing lighting and signage and replace inefficient lighting with energy-saving LEDs and other lighting technology. This type of retrofit can save customers thousands of dollars a year in energy costs. The new department is the brainchild of Ian Senesac, who brings ...

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 20, 2013)...Kathy Cook, Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD) director of advertising, said it best. "Creative minds at The Barber Shop Marketing provided the brain power for DCCCD's award-winning ad campaign. The 'Smart Starts Here' brain campaign resulted in standout, creative ads that deliver DCCCD's message in a fresh and compelling way, reaching our audience effectively via broadcast, outdoor and online media." The Barber Shop (TBS)and DCCCDhave receivedfour awards for the "Smart Starts Here" campaign in ...