Physicians may soon have a new way to screen patients for Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition usually caused by chronic exposure to stomach acid. Researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed an imaging system enclosed in a capsule about the size of a multivitamin pill that creates detailed, microscopic images of the esophageal wall. The system has several advantages over traditional endoscopy. "This system gives us a convenient way to screen for Barrett's that doesn't require patient sedation, a ...

Scientists at The University of Manchester have made a surprising finding after studying how tadpoles re-grow their tails which could have big implications for research into human healing and regeneration. It is generally appreciated that frogs and salamanders have remarkable regenerative capacities, in contrast to mammals, including humans. For example, if a tadpole loses its tail a new one will regenerate within a week. For several years Professor Enrique Amaya and his team at The Healing Foundation Centre in the Faculty of Life Sciences have been trying to better understand ...

PHILADELPHIA - It is perhaps impossible to overstate the importance of the tumor suppressor gene p53. It is the single most frequently mutated gene in human tumors. p53 keeps pre-cancerous cells in check by causing cells, among other things, to become senescent – aging at the cellular level. Loss of p53 causes cells to ignore the cellular signals that would normally make mutant or damaged cells die or stop growing. In short, the p53 pathway is an obvious and attractive target for drug developers. But that strategy has so far proven difficult, as most p53 regulatory proteins ...

January 13, 2013, Fujian and Shenzhen, China- An international research consortium, led by Fujian Agriculture, Forestry University (FAFU) and BGI, has completed the first genome sequence of the diamondback moth (DBM), the most destructive pest of brassica crops. This work provides wider insights into insect adaptation to host plant and opens new ways for more sustainable pest management. The latest study was published online today in Nature Genetics. The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) preferentially feeds on economically important food crops such as rapeseed, cauliflower ...

A new method of establishing hair and eye colour from modern forensic samples can also be used to identify details from ancient human remains, finds a new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Investigative Genetics. The HIrisPlex DNA analysis system was able to reconstruct hair and eye colour from teeth up to 800 years old, including the Polish General Wladyslaw Sikorski (1881 to 1943) confirming his blue eyes and blond hair. A team of researchers from Poland and the Netherlands, who recently developed the HIrisPlex system for forensic analysis, have ...

Scientists at the Universities of York and Leeds have made a significant discovery about the cause of the destruction of ozone over oceans. They have established that the majority of ozone-depleting iodine oxide observed over the remote ocean comes from a previously unknown marine source. The research team found that the principal source of iodine oxide can be explained by emissions of hypoiodous acid (HOI) – a gas not yet considered as being released from the ocean – along with a contribution from molecular iodine (I2). Since the 1970s when methyl iodide (CH3I) was ...

Writing in Nature Materials, the scientists, working with colleagues from Aix-Marseille University, have created a device which potentially can see one molecule though a simple optical system and can analyse its components within minutes. This uses plasmonics – the study of vibrations of electrons in different materials. The breakthrough could allow for rapid and more accurate drug testing for professional athletes as it could detect the presence of even trace amounts of a substance. It could also be used at airports or other high-security locations to prevent would-be ...

This press release is available in French and German. Jointly issued with STFC and the Royal Veterinary College London. Scientists have been able to reconstruct, for the first time, the intricate three-dimensional structure of the backbone of early tetrapods, the earliest four-legged animals. High-energy X-rays and a new data extraction protocol allowed the researchers to reconstruct the backbones of the 360 million year old fossils in exceptional detail and shed new light on how the first vertebrates moved from water onto land. The results are published 13 January ...

Researchers at McGill University and the Research Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences have discovered the molecular blueprint behind the IFIT protein. This key protein enables the human immune system to detect viruses and prevent infection by acting as foot soldiers guarding the body against infection. They recognize foreign viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) produced by the virus and act as defender molecules by potentially latching onto the genome of the virus and preventing it from making copies of itself, blocking infection. The findings ...

Smoking not only causes bladder cancer—it also affects its course, in that people who smoke more have greater likelihood of developing more aggressive and deadly disease. That is one of the conclusions of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study also found that a panel of bladder cancer markers can predict which particular cases are at the highest risk for a fatal outcome. Researchers have known that smoking is one of the most common causes of bladder cancer, but they've wondered whether it also affects ...

A new study highlights the risk that female teenagers face when they go online – a risk heightened for teen girls who have been victims of abuse or neglect. The study, published in the eFirst pages of the journal Pediatrics, shows that 30 percent of teenagers reported having offline meetings with people they have met on the Internet and whose identity had not been fully confirmed prior to the meeting. "These meetings may have been benign, but for an adolescent girl to do it is dangerous," says Jennie Noll, PhD, a psychologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical ...

SEATTLE—Children age 12 to 35 months who receive DTaP vaccine in their thigh muscle rather than their arm are around half as likely to be brought in for medical attention for an injection-site reaction. So says a new study of 1.4 million children at Group Health and seven other Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) centers across the country, e-published on January 14 in Pediatrics. "These local reactions are the most common side effect of vaccinations," said study leader Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. "But we have known relatively ...

Children who regularly see specialists for chronic medical conditions are also using complementary medicine at a high rate, demonstrates recently published research from the University of Alberta and the University of Ottawa. About 71 per cent of pediatric patients attending various specialty clinics at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton used alternative medicine, while the rate of use at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa was 42 per cent. Nearly 20 per cent of the families who took part in the study said they never told their physician or ...

The national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program was funded by Congress in 2005 in an effort to create safe environments for American children to walk or bike to school. Has the program been effective? In New York City, most definitely, according to a new study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health that evaluated the program here. Researchers found that the annual rate of injury to school-age pedestrians ages 5-19 fell 44% during the peak times for walking to school, in neighborhoods where the program was implemented. Significantly, the injury ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Newly published research by Indiana University structural biologist Joel Ybe and colleagues identifies a "topology switch" in the protein clathrin, the function of which may shed light on molecular processes involved in tumor suppression. The paper, available in and featured on the front cover of the Jan. 16, 2013, issue of FEBS Letters, a journal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies, could broaden scientists' understanding of the importance of clathrin and potentially lead to new strategies for controlling cancer. "This is a totally ...

While a great deal of research on childhood obesity has spotlighted the long-term health problems that emerge in adulthood, a new UCLA study focuses on the condition's immediate consequences and shows that obese youngsters are at far greater risk than had been supposed. Compared to kids who are not overweight, obese children are at nearly twice the risk of having three or more reported medical, mental or developmental conditions, the UCLA researchers found. Overweight children had a 1.3 times higher risk. "This study paints a comprehensive picture of childhood obesity, ...

And, Ditch now has a thrilling teaser trailer. The short clip shows actor Bill Oberst Jr. as Vick, with axe in-hand. Vick's past is linked with Jenny's (Katy Foley). Jenny has made a mistake somewhere in her past, one which she knows nothing about. Both characters will collide as Vick desires revenge for this past wrong: "people have to pay for what they do." Preview this exciting reel in the first teaser trailer for Ditch below. The horror feature Ditch is currently in post-production. This film is expected to release in 2013, with a more specific release ...

T-shirts have always been the most favored casual wear for more than a century. They allow one complete freedom unlike shirts which tend to endorse for a more formal look and feel. People love t-shirts and they feel comfortable wearing them in different occasions. Personalized t-shirts are perfect for work wear uniform, community events, make an excellent promotional item or simply to express personality, etc. If you are searching for a branded and trusted company to manufacture your own personalized t-shirts, then your search ends here at TeeTick. The company performs ...

Aditi Pictures presents The Newlyweds by Beverly Orozco from February 8 to February 16, 2013. Director Beverly Orozco, brings back the popular highly acclaimed Off-Broadway stage adaptation successfully running since 2006 starring Bad Boys of Comedy & Comedy Central comedian - Rob Stapleton. Any idea what happens when two people pretending to be wealthy get together and exchange vows only to find out they are both broke? "THE NEWLYWEDS" is a romantic comedy about a couple that meet thinking the other is rich and decide to quickly get married before their ...

Let a qualified Riverside bankruptcy attorney handle your case. Call Andrew S. Bisom today for a free bankruptcy consultation. Andy will explain your bankruptcy options, and offer a solution to your financial problems. The centrally located Law Office of Andrew S. Bisom serves clients from all surrounding areas including Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and all of Orange County. Andy's areas of expertise include Chapter 7, foreclosure prevention, debt consolidation and Chapters 11 and 13 bankruptcies; Chapter 7 is usually considered liquidation. In a chapter ...

In Stretch Yourself, Create the Relationships You Deserve 10 Steps to Creating Effective Relationships in Business and Life, ($17.95 Outskirts Press Publishing, January 2013) author Ron Broussard taps his 26 years of hands-on relational know-how to outline successful relational tips tailored for creating effective relationships in business and life. This book explains the relationships we create and maintain and how we can consciously create great relationships in our business and life. This timely and practical guide doesn't just explain why keeping good relationships ...

This fast paced, biographical work contains layers of storyline with twists and turns that are poignant, startling and finishes with a shocking ending. "HARD WIRED" Joins three young men as they launch themselves onto the college football scene and refuse to be denied their impact both on and off the field. These mistakenly overlooked college football players take over a struggling football team with their drive and tenacity, all in an effort to play one more football season. Living on the edge of college life as driven athletes, they face dramatic obstacles ...

The Cotton Company has announced the premiere of the Wake Forest Bridal Show on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm in their Event Gallery. The venue will partner with the Raleigh Wedding Group to provide an elegant afternoon of food and fun with dozens of local vendors on-site to assist brides with every aspect of planning the perfect wedding. During this unique style Bridal Show, pre-registered brides (WFBridalShow.com) will be admitted for free and will be treated to delicious butlered hors d'oeuvres and champagne mimosas provided by Cannon Catering. The ...

Western riders and rodeo fans will probably lay claim to being amongst the happiest people on the planet. Their hobby is considered a lifestyle, and their passion segues into all areas of their consumer preferences; one of those being apparel. And fortunately for riders, they can now flaunt some very fashionable, yet affordable apparel while staying true to their western roots. Spur Ridewear launched on January 10th 2013 with the targeted mission of creating rider inspired apparel and bridging the gap between western and pop culture fashion for the riding community. When ...

This will be Ms. Grossman's eleventh solo exhibition in New York, and her first since a well-received, one-woman show at the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio in 2012. Susan Grossman's large-scale works in charcoal and pastel—mostly of her native New York City--have been described by The New York Times as "capturing the exhilarating vitality of metropolitan street life." In fact, the fifteen new drawings showcase the artist's remarkable range as well as the medium's vast expressive possibilities. Painterly, yet rendered in a distinct photo-real style, ...