Three antiretroviral-based strategies intended to prevent HIV infection among women did not prove effective in a major clinical trial in Africa. For reasons that are unclear, a majority of study participants—particularly young, single women—were unable to use their assigned approaches daily as directed, according to findings presented today by one of the study's co-leaders at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta. The Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) study, or MTN 003, was designed to evaluate the ...

New York, NY, March 4, 2013 – In a new phase III trial mirabegron, a β3-adrenoceptor agonist, given once daily for 12 weeks, reduced the frequency of incontinence episodes and number of daily urinations, and improved urgency and nocturia in adults with overactive bladder (OAB) compared to those in a placebo group. The incidence of common adverse events (hypertension, urinary tract infection, headache, nasopharyngitis) was similar in the mirabegron and placebo groups in this study. Rates of dry mouth and constipation were similar in the drug and placebo groups. The ...

A new study shows that although certain bumble bees are at risk, other bee species in the northeastern United States persisted across a 140-year period despite expanding human populations and changing land use. Led by Rutgers University and based extensively on historical specimens from the American Museum of Natural History and nine other bee collections, the study informs conservation efforts aimed at protecting native bee species and the important pollinator services they provide. The results are published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Eighty-seven ...

Reducing fear and stress following a traumatic event could be as simple as providing a protein synthesis blocker to the brain, report a team of researchers from McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, McGill University, and Massachusetts General Hospital in a paper published in the March 4 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is an important basic neuroscience finding that has the potential to have clinical implications for the way individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder are treated," said Vadim Bolshakov, PhD, director of the Cellular ...

Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to develop postpartum depression, according to a new study published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. "Now we have some clue as to how support might 'get under the skin' in pregnancy, dampening down a mother's stress hormone, and thereby helping to reduce her risk for postpartum depression," said Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, a UCLA National Institute ...

New research from the University of Adelaide has discovered a high prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency among refugees, prompting calls for refugees to be routinely screened for the problem soon after they arrive. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a sign of severe malnourishment and can result in permanent damage to the nervous system. For women of child-bearing age, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to developmental defects in their unborn children. If left untreated, the deficiency could be fatal. In the first study of its kind in the world, researchers from the University ...

Dining on field grasses would be ruinous to human teeth, but mammals such as horses, rhinos and gazelles evolved long, strong teeth that are up to the task. New research led by the University of Washington challenges the 140-year-old assumption that finding fossilized remains of prehistoric animals with such teeth meant the animals were living in grasslands and savannas. Instead it appears certain South American mammals evolved the teeth in response to the gritty dust and volcanic ash they encountered while feeding in an ancient tropical forest. The new work was conducted ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Bringing the concept of an "artificial leaf" closer to reality, a team of researchers at MIT has published a detailed analysis of all the factors that could limit the efficiency of such a system. The new analysis lays out a roadmap for a research program to improve the efficiency of these systems, and could quickly lead to the production of a practical, inexpensive and commercially viable prototype. Such a system would use sunlight to produce a storable fuel, such as hydrogen, instead of electricity for immediate use. This fuel could then be used on demand ...

Human activities are not the primary cause of arsenic found in groundwater in Bangladesh. Instead, a team of researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Barnard College, Columbia University, University of Dhaka, Desert Research Institute and University of Tennessee found that the arsenic in groundwater in the region is part of a natural process that predates any recent human interaction, such as intensive pumping. The results appear in the March 4 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Millions of people in Bangladesh and neighboring ...

(Boston) – Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and VA Boston Healthcare System (VA BHS) have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help relieve pain for people with painful diabetic neuropathies. The study, which is the first of its kind to examine this treatment for people with type II diabetes mellitus, is published in the March issue of the Journal of Pain. Type II diabetes mellitus is the most common form of the disease and affects more than 20 million Americans. The onset of type II diabetes mellitus is often gradual, occurring ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Since the mid-1800s, doctors have used drugs to induce general anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery. Despite their widespread use, little is known about how these drugs create such a profound loss of consciousness. In a new study that tracked brain activity in human volunteers over a two-hour period as they lost and regained consciousness, researchers from MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have identified distinctive brain patterns associated with different stages of general anesthesia. The findings shed light on how one commonly used ...

VIDEO: NASA scientists at the Goddard Cosmic Ice Lab are studying a kind of chemistry almost never found on Earth. The extreme cold, hard vacuum, and high radiation environment of space... Click here for more information. Behind locked doors, in a lab built like a bomb shelter, Perry Gerakines makes something ordinary yet truly alien: ice. This isn't the ice of snowflakes or ice cubes. No, this ice needs such intense cold and low pressure to form that the right conditions ...

Back in 2010, the ideas behind a squid's sticky tendrils and Spiderman's super-strong webbing were combined to create a prototype for the first remote device able to stop vehicles in their tracks: the Safe, Quick, Undercarriage Immobilization Device (SQUID). At the push of a button, spiked arms shot out and entangled in a car's axles—bringing a racing vehicle to a screeching halt.* The need to stop vehicles remotely was identified by the law enforcement community. With funding from Homeland Security's Science & Technology Directorate, and the expertise of the engineers ...

SEATTLE—Researchers used electronic health records to identify Group Health patients who weren't screened regularly for cancer of the colon and rectum—and to encourage them to be screened. This centralized, automated approach doubled these patients' rates of on-time screening—and saved health costs—over two years. The March 5 Annals of Internal Medicine published the randomized controlled trial. "Screening for colorectal cancer can save lives, by finding cancer early—and even by detecting polyps before cancer starts," said study leader Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH. "But ...

Studied for decades for their essential role in making proteins within cells, several amino acids known as tRNA synthetases were recently found to have an unexpected – and critical – additional role in cancer metastasis in a study conducted collaboratively in the labs of Karen Lounsbury, Ph.D., University of Vermont professor of pharmacology, and Christopher Francklyn, Ph.D., UVM professor of biochemistry. The group determined that threonyl tRNA synthetase (TARS) leads a "double life," functioning as a critical factor regulating a pathway used by invasive cancers to induce ...

VANCOUVER, Wash.—Fishers near marine protected areas end up traveling farther to catch fish but maintain their social and economic well-being, according to a study by fisheries scientists at Washington State University and in Hawaii. The study, reported in the journal Biological Conservation, is one of the first to look closely at how protected areas in small nearshore fisheries can affect where fishers operate on the ocean and, as a consequence, their livelihood. "Where MPAs are located in relation to how fishers operate on the seascape is critical to understand for ...

If you think giving someone the cold shoulder inflicts pain only on them, beware. A new study shows that individuals who deliberately shun another person are equally distressed by the experience. "In real life and in academic studies, we tend to focus on the harm done to victims in cases of social aggression," says co-author Richard Ryan, professor of clinical and social psychology at the University of Rochester. "This study shows that when people bend to pressure to exclude others, they also pay a steep personal cost. Their distress is different from the person excluded, ...

Domestic violence in New Jersey Article provided by Keith, Winters & Wenning, L.L.C. Visit us at http://www.kwwlawfirm.com Everyone thought the story was over. In 2009 pop sensation Rihanna was brutally assaulted by her then boyfriend Chris Brown. The singer stated that she ended the relationship and the media applauded her brave move. She became a role model for domestic violence victims around the world. That is, until January of 2013 when the star publicly announced that she had rekindled her relationship with her convicted abuser. Unfortunately, Rihanna's ...

Revocable living trust: Is it right for you? Article provided by Anderson and Associates, P.C. Visit us at http://www.davidandersonlaw.com/ Most people consider wills for estate planning; however, this is not the only option. In addition to avoiding probate, a revocable living trust may offer you significant before-death and after-death advantages. In general, a trust involves three parties: the creator, the trustee or trustees (who agree to manage the assets according to the terms of the trust) and the beneficiary or beneficiaries. Something as miniscule as ...

Why borrowing against your 401(k) may be a bad idea Article provided by Law Offices of Brian Barta Visit us at http://www.brianbartalaw.com Twenty-five percent of Americans have made early withdrawals from their retirement plans using a 401(k) loan, according to a recent report by online financial guidance service HelloWallet. However, many people who tap into their retirement funds may do so without being fully aware of the risks involved in doing so. Particularly in the aftermath of the recent recession, people who borrow against their retirement savings often ...

Changes for teen distracted driving laws in California? Article provided by Law Offices of Joshua Katz and Bozman-Moss & Watson Visit us at http://www.sonomalegal.com One of the most highly-anticipated moments for any teen is when he or she finally receives a driver's license. Once licensed, these drivers no longer have to rely upon mom or dad for transportation. They can go where they want to go, when they want to go there. However, the freedom that a new driver's license provides requires that teens practice safe driving habits. Even after passing the test, ...

Obamacare may curb health care spending, lead to more investigations Article provided by Rivas Goldstein LLP Visit us at http://www.rivasgoldstein.com/ A new government report states the massive increases in health care costs are starting to slow. In fact, according to Susan Dentzer, an expert with the well respected journal Health Affairs, 2009 and 2010 showed the slowest increase in health care spending in 51 years. The motivator for this change is a controversial topic in Washington. According to some, the change is due to the economic downtown. People simply ...

NY appeals court: Protection order not always a bar to child custody Article provided by DeRoberts Law Firm Visit us at http://www.derobertslaw.com/ According to a recent decision by a New York appellate court, parents in New York may be granted child custody even if a criminal court has barred them from having contact with their children. On December 26, 2012, the New York Appellate Division, Second Department, ruled unanimously that judges in the state's family courts may override a criminal order of protection against a child's parent as long as the protection ...

Almost half of Americans near financial collapse, report says Article provided by Law Offices of Scott R. Schneider Visit us at http://www.scott-schneider.com The recent economic recession has been hard on many Americans. However, according to a new report, it may be worse than previously thought. According to the report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development, about 43.9 percent of U.S. households are nearing financial collapse. The report found that in event of a health crisis, job loss or other financial emergency, this percentage of Americans lack ...

Florida criminal law: major St. Augustine marijuana cultivation bust Article provided by The Law Office of Donald A. Lykkebak Visit us at http://www.donaldlykkebak.com The state of Florida has very tough drug laws with steep penalties and is not a good place to be arrested for narcotic-related criminal charges. As common as marijuana has become in our society and despite the beginning of a national trend to decriminalize some uses, modern Florida criminal laws treat marijuana possession harshly. On January 31, 2013, law enforcement arrested a middle-aged St. ...