Among adults without diabetes, quitting smoking, compared with continuing smoking, was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease despite subsequent weight gain, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA. "Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Smoking cessation substantially reduces the risks of CVD; however, quitting smoking is associated with a small number of adverse health consequences, weight gain being one of smokers' major concerns," ...

In research that included nearly 14,000 healthy infants in Belarus, an intervention that succeeded in improving the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding during infancy did not result in a lower risk of overweight or obesity among the children at age 11.5 years, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA. Observational studies suggest that greater duration and exclusivity of having been breastfed reduces child obesity risk. "However, breastfeeding and growth are socially patterned in many settings," and observed associations between these variables ...

Among patients who were identified as likely having moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, treatment based in primary care was not clinically inferior to treatment at a specialist sleep center for improvement in daytime sleepiness scores, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA. "Obstructive sleep apnea with accompanying daytime sleepiness was estimated during the early 1990s to affect between 2 percent and 4 percent of middle-aged adults. With growing awareness of the public health implications of untreated disease and rising obesity rates ...

In a study that included 3.3 million percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) procedures, major bleeding after PCI was associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality, with an estimated 12 percent of deaths after PCI related to bleeding complications, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA. "Bleeding represents the most common noncardiac complication of PCI. Postprocedural bleeding is associated with short- and long-term death, nonfatal ...

An analysis of data from the Framingham Offspring Study – a long-term study that follows children of participants in the original Framingham Heart Study – may have answered a question that has troubled individuals considering stopping smoking: do the health effects of any weight gained after quitting outweigh the known cardiovascular benefits of smoking cessation? The report in the March 13 issue of JAMA concludes that the benefits of stopping smoking far exceed any weight-gain associated risk. "Among people without diabetes, those who stopped smoking had a 50 percent ...

The first randomised trial to compare treatments for ectopic pregnancies has found no significant differences in subsequent fertility between medical treatment and conservative surgery on one hand, and conservative or radical surgery on the other. The study, which is published online today (Wednesday) in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1], compared three ways of treating an ectopic pregnancy: medically by methotrexate injection to interrupt pregnancy in the Fallopian tube; conservative surgery, which preserves the Fallopian tube (known ...

It is estimated that there are 10 million cases of traumatic brain injury globally every year with mild traumatic brain injuries being responsible for 70-90% of these. Incidence is highest among young males. Current literature suggests that mild traumatic brain injuries cause changes in brain tissues and have important long-term consequences on cognitive function. Deficits have been described in attention, memory, verbal learning and processing speed and may occur in 15-25% of those suffering one of these injuries. However, little is known about population-wide cognitive ...

When Gulf of Mexico algae don't get enough nutrients, they focus their remaining energy on becoming more and more poisonous to ensure their survival, according to a new study by scientists from North Carolina State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The study shows that harmful and ubiquitous Karenia brevis algae, which cause red tide blooms across the Gulf of Mexico, become two to seven times more toxic when levels of phosphorus, a major algal nutrient found in fertilizers and human waste, are low. Like wearing a suit of armor, producing ...

Citizen science surveys compare well with traditional scientific methods when it comes to monitoring species biodiversity – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Research published today in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution shows that methods to record marine diversity used by amateurs returned results consistent with techniques favoured by peer-reviewed science. The findings give weight to the growing phenomenon of citizen science, which sees data crowd-sourced from an army of avid twitchers, divers, walkers and other wildlife enthusiasts. ...

Children as young as 3 years old know when they are not sure about a decision, and can use that uncertainty to guide decision making, according to new research from the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis. "There is behavioral evidence that they can do this, but the literature has assumed that until late preschool, children cannot introspect and make a decision based on that introspection," said Simona Ghetti, professor of psychology at UC Davis and co-author of the study with graduate student Kristen Lyons, now an assistant professor at Metropolitan ...

Mouse model studies show that administered genetically or topically, protein Smad7 protects against or heals mouth sores commonly associated with cancer treatment. In some cancer patients treated with radiation, the mouth sores known as oral mucositis become so severe that feeding tubes are required for nutrition and narcotics are needed for pain. In fact, 40-70 percent of patients treated with upper-body radiation develop the condition to some degree. Currently, there is no FDA approved treatment. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — As Kenyan citizens negotiated the tensions following the March 4 nationwide elections, memories of the violence that followed the December 2007 vote weighed heavily for many reasons. Among those in any nation with an HIV epidemic, argue authors of a new paper in AIDS Reviews, should be the long-term damage that political conflict can do to public health by disrupting treatment and thereby promoting resistance to antiretroviral drugs and treatment failure. "It's the long-term consequences that make this a bigger issue," said lead author ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A guidance cue that helps kidneys form may also be a red flag that they are in danger, researchers report. Acute kidney injury, a common and serious complication of hospitalization, is on the increase worldwide, affecting an estimated 6 percent of all hospitalized patients and 30-40 percent of adults and children having cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. About 10-15 percent of acute injuries translate to chronic kidney damage or failure that may require dialysis or a kidney transplant, said Dr. Ganesan Ramesh, kidney pathologist in the Vascular Biology ...

Dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum) is an exotic plant originating from the Ukraine and southeastern Russia that is becoming increasingly invasive in southern Ontario, Canada. It has been found growing successfully in both disturbed and undisturbed areas, in open fields, forest edges and understories, parks, road edges and railway embankments. The invasive plant effectively competes for light by forming large and dense stands that climb over other plants. A study published in the open access, peer-reviewed journal NeoBiota explores the effects of V. rossicum invasion ...

The Orinoco River flows from the Andes in Colombia to the Atlantic in Venezuela. The area of the basin includes landscapes of the Andes, plains of the Llanos and the Guiana shield. Orinoco's tributary rivers form a basin considered to be the 3rd most important river system on the planet, and one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world. Colombia has shown a strong commitment to the achievement of the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 biodiversity target, by promoting the conservation of at least 10% of its natural ecosystems. Protected Area categories ...

PASADENA, Calif.—Thanks to a new high-tech gadget, astronomers have observed four planets orbiting a star relatively close to the sun in unprecedented detail, revealing the roughly ten-Jupiter-mass planets to be among the most exotic ones known. The team, which includes several researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), describes its findings in a paper accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal. The findings were made possible by a first-of-its-kind telescope imaging system that allowed the astronomers to pick out the planets amidst ...

(TORONTO, Canada – March 13, 2013) – A team of Canadian and international cancer researchers led by Dr. Brenda Gallie at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN), has discovered a new type of retinoblastoma, a rapidly developing eye cancer that affects very young babies– a finding that can immediately change clinical practice and optimize care for these children. The finding, published online today in Lancet Oncology, is a breakthrough in recognizing that a single cancer gene (an oncogene) drives an aggressive retinoblastoma that starts long ...

Philadelphia, PA, March 13, 2013 – Many Canadians are concerned about dietary sodium and welcome government intervention to reduce sodium intake through a variety of measures, including lowering sodium in food, and education and awareness, according to a national survey. The top barriers to limiting sodium intake are a lack of lower sodium packaged and processed foods and lower sodium restaurant menu options. "Canadians are supportive of government intervention to lower salt intake," says lead investigator Mary R. L'Abbe, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of ...

Philadelphia, PA, March 13, 2013 – Overweight and obese children in low-income households can meet or exceed the Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity when given access to a structured weight management program, according to a new study published in Academic Pediatrics. The epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States affects children, particularly those in low-income families, where they are at higher risk due to unhealthy diets and consumption of higher calorie, ...

Research team of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, South Korea, developed high-performance organic phototransistors (OPTs) based on single-crystalline n-channel organic nanowires. Phototransistors are a kind of transistors in which the incident light intensity can modulate the charge-carrier density in the channel. Compared with conventional photodiodes, phototransistors enable easier control of light-detection sensitivity without problems such as the noise increment. However, to date, the research has mostly focused on thin-film OPTs, ...

Social networking policies may violate employee rights, NLRB finds Article provided by Bryan E. Kuhn, Counselor at Law, P.C. Visit us at http://www.bryankuhnlaw.com In the Internet era, social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have largely replaced the proverbial workplace water cooler. Unlike old-fashioned chatter between coworkers, however, an employee's gripes and grievances can easily become both public and permanent when aired online. To address this issue, many businesses have sought ways to safeguard their online reputations by creating policies ...

Texas Boy's Forearm Amputated After Washing Machine Accident Article provided by Portner & Bond, PLLC Visit us at http://www.portnerbond.com/ An eight-year-old Texas boy wanted his Spider-Man bed sheets, which were in the washing machine. He left his bedroom, went into the garage and opened up the washing machine to take them out; the agitator stopped spinning when he lifted the lid as it was supposed to. But when he reached inside, it started spinning again, according to the El Paso Times. As a result, he lost his forearm. Defective-Product Lawsuits Catastrophic ...

Which type of bankruptcy is right for you? Article provided by The Law Offices of Raymond J. Antonacci, LLC Visit us at http://www.rjalegal.com If you are considering bankruptcy, you typically have two different options to choose from: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. You may have questions about which option is right for you. The answer: it depends on your personal situation. In both types of bankruptcy, you eventually are granted a discharge, meaning that you no longer have to pay many of your outstanding debts. However, that is where the similarities end for the ...

Child custody and visitation in Michigan Article provided by Law Office of Michael A. Robbins, PLLC Visit us at http://www.michaelarobbins.com Michigan couples considering a divorce have a lot to think about. Thinking about divorce is even more complicated when children are involved. Michigan child custody laws are in place to protect children and help create a post-divorce setting that is best for them. Types of child custody in Michigan In Michigan there is both physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody refers to where the child will actually ...

Possible changes to DWI laws in North Carolina Article provided by Barnett & Falls Visit us at http://www.barnettfalls.com Several recent proposals under consideration at the North Carolina legislature would increase penalties for first time and repeat DWI offenders. The changes are part of a pattern to stiffen DWIpenalties in the state. The first bill changes the definition of habitual offender. Under current law, a DWI habitual offender is someone charged with four DWIs in a ten-year period. The habitual offender charge is a felony. Penalties for a Class ...