Providence, RI - - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered the most effective treatment option for patients with severe depression who cannot find symptom relief through antidepressant medications or psychotherapy. In a new study, researchers at Butler Hospital and Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island found a sharp decline in the availability and use of ECT in general hospitals across the U.S. The findings were published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry on October 10, 2012. The researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of US general ...

Health professionals may soon have a new method of diagnosing Parkinson's disease, one that is noninvasive and inexpensive, and, in early testing, has proved to be effective more than 90 percent of the time. In addition, this new method has the potential to track the progression of Parkinson's, as well as measure the effectiveness of treatments for the disorder, said Rahul Shrivastav, professor and chairperson of Michigan State University's Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and a member of the team developing the new method. It involves monitoring a ...

Called BRIGHTs, the tiny probes described in the online issue of Advanced Materials on Nov. 15, bind to biomarkers of disease and, when swept by an infrared laser, light up to reveal their location. Tiny as they are, the probes are exquisitely engineered objects: gold nanoparticles covered with molecules called Raman reporters, in turn covered by a thin shell of gold that spontaneously forms a dodecahedron. The Raman reporters are molecules whose jiggling atoms respond to a probe laser by scattering light at characteristic wavelengths. The shell and core create an ...

The risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) following insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) is very low, whether or not women have been screened beforehand for gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to a joint study of nearly 60,000 women by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. The study appears this week in the current online issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the official journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, also known as Green Journal. The ...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., – Nov. 20, 2012 – Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have modified electrically-conductive polymers, commonly used in solar energy applications, to develop revolutionary polymer nanoparticles (PNs) for a medical application. When the nanoparticles are exposed to infrared light, they generate heat that can be used to kill colorectal cancer cells. The study was directed by Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nicole H. Levi-Polyachenko, Ph.D., and done in collaboration with colleagues at the Center for Nanotechnology ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- "And don't let the bed bugs bite" is no longer a harmless adage. In reality today, these bloodthirsty bugs infest thousands of homes. According to a team of Penn State entomologists, biopesticides -- naturally occurring microorganisms -- might provide an answer to this pest problem. Bed bugs need blood meals for growth and development throughout their life cycle. Increased travel, widespread insecticide resistance and changes in management practices have caused a resurgence in those insects throughout North America and Europe. Compounding the problem ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Scotch tape, a versatile household staple and a mainstay of holiday gift-wrapping, may have a new scientific application as a shape-changing "smart material." Researchers used a laser to form slender half-centimeter-long fingers out of the tape. When exposed to water, the four wispy fingers morph into a tiny robotic claw that captures water droplets. The innovation could be used to collect water samples for environmental testing, said Babak Ziaie, a Purdue University professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering. The ...

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome may receive relief from sleep disorders after undergoing an adenotonsillectomy, suggests a new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital published in the November print issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. "Patients with Prader-Willi syndrome are at risk for sleep disordered breathing as growth hormone commonly used to treat their condition can cause the tonsils and adenoids to enlarge," said the study's lead author Kris Jatana, MD, FAAP, with Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at Nationwide Children's. "Growth ...

On Nov. 20, 2012, at 7:09 a.m. EST, the sun erupted with a coronal mass ejection or CME. Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME is a solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and can reach Earth one to three days later. When Earth-directed, CMEs can affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), show that the Nov. 20 CME left the sun at speeds of 450 miles per second, which is a slow to average speed for CMEs. CMEs can cause ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – MRI shows changes in the brains of people with post-concussion syndrome (PCS), according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Researchers hope the results point the way to improved detection and treatment for the disorder. PCS affects approximately 20 percent to 30 percent of people who suffer mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)—defined by the World Health Organization as a traumatic event causing brief loss of consciousness and/or transient memory dysfunction or disorientation. Symptoms of PCS include headache, poor concentration ...

Pregnant women with mental health disorders are facing too many barriers to help them quit smoking during pregnancy despite their willingness to accept support, finds a new study published today (21 November) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study, undertaken by researchers at King's College London, looked at referrals to smoking cessation services and what barriers pregnant women with mental health disorders face compared to those women without disorders. Overall 400 women, who reported smoking at their first appointment, were monitored ...

Harrisburg pedestrian deaths hint at national trend On the morning of October 31, 2012, a 16-year-old girl was struck and killed by a large vehicle in the intersection of South 13th and Sycamore in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The fatal accident occurred shortly before 9:00 a.m. as parents walked their children to nearby Foose Elementary School. Initial news reports indicated that the driver had fled the scene, but he has since been identified and has reportedly been cooperating with the authorities. Investigators are working to determine whether the driver knew he had ...

New California law guards consumers from LTC insurance premium increases California legislatures recently passed a new law designed to protect consumers from being taken advantage of by insurance companies providing long-term care, or LTC, policies. These insurance policies are designed to provide consumers with assistance funding long-term care facilities like assisted living facilities, nursing homes and home care programs. Long-term care facilities may be needed when an individual is no longer able to take care of themselves. Insurance companies consider a person ...

Estate planning: It's for everybody Pennsylvanians of all ages and income levels, take note: estate planning can benefit you. Many people of modest means believe that only the wealthy need to plan ahead for what will happen to their possessions, but that is a misconception. Why everyone needs to plan The future is uncertain, and people cannot predict their life span or when the need for estate planning will arise. It is better to plan early and have decades of peace of mind than to wait until it is too late. Plans can be readily changed throughout a lifetime, so ...

Protecting children's interests in blended families Getting divorced and remarried have become common occurrences for people in Pennsylvania and across the country. Over half of all couples in first marriages eventually get divorced, according to the National Stepfamily Resource Center. In addition, three-quarters of those who divorce will get married again. Blended families make for complex finances A Pew Research Center study this year found that over 40 percent of adults in the United States have at least one step-relative. Considering that people already have ...

Coloradans who lost homes to foreclosure may qualify for reimbursement In September 2012, the Colorado attorney general mailed letters to Colorado residents who may qualify for reimbursement from the national mortgage settlement that the five largest mortgage lenders in the U.S. reached with the federal government and 49 state governments, informing people of the deadlines for filing claims. People in Colorado should be aware of the details of the national mortgage settlement, the provisions the settlement includes for payments to borrowers to reimburse them for their ...

Dealing With the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster in Texas Super Storm Sandy caused billions of dollars of damage throughout the East Coast and 20 states. According to a study by Scientific American, the storm has the potential to be the most expensive in the history of the U.S. Moody's has estimated the damage at $50 billion. Part of the high cost came from where Sandy made landfall, as it struck one of the most crowded corridors in the U.S. Of course, Texans are no strangers to hurricane damage to their homes and businesses, either. No matter where a hurricane, tornado ...

Common Commercial Hurricane Damage Claim Disputes in Texas Insurance companies are experienced at contesting certain types of claims that result from hurricanes and large storms. With Super Storm Sandy leaving $50 billion in damage, according to an estimate by Moody's, rebuilding damage in the wake of a devastating storm is on many people's minds. The reason an insurance company may deny or underpay on a claim is varied and depends on the type of insurance coverage, the provisions in the coverage and the integrity of the insurance company. Type of Water Damage Water ...

Preventing Pedestrian Injuries in Texas One person died every three hours on Texas roadways in 2011 and The Texas Department of Transportation is trying to change this by asking drivers to "Drive Friendly, Drive Safe." Officials from the Texas DOT recall having to give death notifications to families informing them that their loved ones have been killed in a car crash. One Texas DOT spokesperson said that he hates using the word accident when it comes to giving these notifications because they are not usually accidents but something caused by people who are ...

New Study: Years Required to Recover from Traumatic Brain Injury According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year. And while physicians have long recognized that even mild TBIs can cause serious problems, researchers have discovered that they may be even more dangerous than previously believed. Indeed, a recent study out of the University of Oklahoma suggests that symptoms of traumatic brain injuries may last for years without decreasing in intensity. Details ...

After the Divorce: When Parents Disagree Raising a child involves many decisions. Some of these decisions are day-to-day, while others are huge decisions that have much more impact on a child and their development. Often, when parents get divorced, there is disagreement that takes place on what each person thinks is best for the child. Knowing some possible disagreement points, and knowing how to cut down on those disagreements is beneficial and overall, much better for the child. Problems Faced by Parents Parents often face problems and disagreements about the ...

Illinois Child Support Calculation May Change Illinois parents who pay or receive child support are accustomed to the current model for determining the amount of support. Under this model, the parent who does not live with the child pays a percentage of net income to the parent who lives with the child. Support percentage varies depending on how many children there are. Under the percentage of income model, parents currently have no established provisions for adjusting child support when each parent spends a substantial amount of time with the child. Other circumstances ...

Banks' Incompetence Hurts Homeowners In Indiana and the rest of the nation, foreclosures became almost an epidemic over the past few years. One strategy for homeowners desperate to keep their homes in spite of financial hardship is to ask their banks for a loan modification. Loan modifications would seem to be advantageous all the way around: A modification helps the homeowner by reducing the monthly loan payment to an affordable level, and it helps the lender by keeping mortgage payments coming. However, loan modification is not being used as much as anticipated to ...

Johnson & Johnson Faces More Potential Product Liability in Hip Replacements The medical device and pharmaceutical maker, Johnson & Johnson, faces a second set of product liability lawsuits and another potential recall concerning its portfolio of all-metal artificial hips. Two years ago, Johnson & Johnson conducted a $3 billion recall for and faced product liability suits over its ASR all-metal artificial hips. Now its successor, the Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip system is under fire for potential design defects leading to replacements and potential health ...

White Collar Crimes Carry Serious Penalties It is a common misconception that those who are convicted of white collar crimes do not spend time in "real" prisons. Indeed, many people believe that those facing prison sentences for crimes like securities fraud, mortgage fraud, or tax evasion do time in a "country club" atmosphere, where they are spared the indignities of normal prison life. The fact is, however, that convictions for white collar crimes can bring serious prison sentences in harsh conditions. The Prison Routine Even in low security ...