Future research into the underlying causes of neurological disorders such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia, should greatly benefit from a first-of-its-kind atlas of gene-enhancers in the cerebrum (telencephalon). This new atlas, developed by a team led by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is a publicly accessible Web-based collection of data that identifies and locates thousands of gene-regulating elements in a region of the brain that is of critical importance for cognition, motor functions ...

Scientists at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain have found new evidence for the role of epigenetic changes (those heritable alterations in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in DNA sequence) on premature aging diseases. A new study published in the journal Epigenetics on Jan. 1, 2013, identified a role for DNA methylation changes in a subset of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria and Werner Syndrome patients, for which no genetic cause (such as DNA mutation) had been associated with onset disease. The study, titled "Aberrant DNA ...

Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2013) Researchers have found that African American women exhibit a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids. But what motivates this group of women to have sex? And when are they more likely to use protection? A new study published today in Health Education & Behavior (a SAGE journal) found that regardless of motivations for having sex, condom use expectations were less than 50% for all types of sexual encounters, including the riskiest types of sex. Researchers Julianna Deardorff et. al used a combination of interviews ...

OAKLAND, Calif., January 31, 2013 — Low testosterone levels occur five times more often among men who take long-acting instead of short-acting opioids for chronic pain, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in The Clinical Journal of Pain. While it has been known that opioids cause low testosterone in men, this study is the first to show a significant difference in risk between short-acting (immediate release) and long-acting opioids. The 81 men in the retrospective study were between 26 and 79 years old (median age 51) and were seen in the chronic-pain ...

A new device called a soft x-ray electrostatic precipitator protected immunocompromised mice from airborne pathogenic bacteria, viruses, ultrafine particles, and allergens, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. This device, known for short as a SXC ESP, is highly versatile, with multiple potential uses, and Washington University is working on licensing the technology. "Small particles are difficult to remove, and our device overcomes that barrier," says Pratim Biswas of Washington University, St. Louis. ...

Scientists have decoded the genetic blueprint of the rock pigeon, unlocking secrets about pigeons' Middle East origins, feral pigeons' kinship with escaped racing birds and how mutations give pigeons traits like feather head crests. "Birds are a huge part of life on Earth, but we know surprisingly little about their genetics," says Michael Shapiro, one of the study's two principal authors and a biologist at the University of Utah. In the new study, "we've shown a way forward to find the genetic basis of traits--the molecular mechanisms controlling animal diversity in ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Medical research is vital to the advancement of health care, but many medical research studies have too few people who participate. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States. Through a unique, nationally representative survey of 2,150 households in 2011, University of Michigan researchers found that only 11% of adults and 5% of children had ever participated in medical research. The study was published in January in Clinical and Translational Science. About ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with late stage disease that is unresponsive to existing therapies. In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine show that a two-step personalized immunotherapy treatment — a dendritic cell vaccine using patients' own tumor followed by adoptive T cell therapy — triggers anti-tumor immune responses in these type of patients. Four of the six patients treated in the trial responded to the therapy, the investigators report this month in OncoImmunology. ...

On April 14, 2003 a map of the human genome was completed, ushering in a new era of genetics in medicine with applications that include genetic testing; newborn screening; susceptibility to diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or psychiatric conditions; screening, diagnosis and monitoring of disease; and treatment planning. A special Genomics Issue, including an evidence review by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), published by Wiley in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship on behalf of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, ...

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced it was considering anonymity in the review of grant applications. (Found at: http://chronicle.com/article/NIH-Considers-Anonymity-for/136227/?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en ) Ge Wang, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the Virginia Tech – Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, and seven of his colleagues do not believe this action is necessary if taken to counteract a charge of "racial bias." For Wang, their study ...

Belmont, MA—In a study examining the impact of a parity policy for mental health insurance benefits, researchers have concluded that parity had a different impact on spending and service utilization for enrollees with illnesses that are more severe and chronic. As a result of the parity policy, individuals seeking treatment for major depression or bipolar disorder had lower out-of-pocket spending, despite no significant difference in the amount of behavioral health services they used. However, individuals with adjustment disorder (a less severe, acute illness) had lower ...

New York, NY, February 1, 2013—Only 11 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or issued regulations to implement the Affordable Care Act's major health insurance market reforms that go into effect in 2014, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Thirty-nine states have not yet taken action to implement these requirements, potentially limiting their ability to fully enforce the new reforms and ensure that consumers receive the full protections of the law. These reforms include bans on denying people health insurance due to preexisting conditions, a minimum ...

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (February 1, 2013) Biologists at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences have discovered a bioelectric signal that can identify cells that are likely to develop into tumors. The researchers also found that they could lower the incidence of cancerous cells by manipulating the electrical charge across cells' membranes. "The news here is that we've established a bioelectric basis for the early detection of cancer," says Brook Chernet, doctoral student and the first author of a newly published research paper co-authored with Michael Levin, ...

According to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, primary care physicians prefer to deliver the results of radiology examinations themselves and feel medico-legally obligated by recommendations within radiology reports. The radiology report is the primary means of communication between the radiologist, the patient, and the patient care team and serves an important role in facilitating patient care, especially for primary care physicians in the outpatient setting. "There is considerable interest in improving radiology ...

Man Charged in Connection to Blagojevich Scandal Gets Minimal Sentence Cooperation can pay. That appears to be the theme of a recent sentence issued by a judge in Illinois for a case connected with the Gov. Rob Blagojevich's corruption charges. The judge recently sentenced Mr. Stuart Levine, a political campaign contributor who provided key information leading to the prosecution of former Gov. Blagojevich. Not only did Mr. Levine receive a much shorter sentence than anticipated, according to the Associated Press he also received praise for his cooperation in helping ...

Grand Rapids marijuana decriminalization effort in jeopardy In November 2012, voters in Grand Rapids approved an initiative that amended the city charter to decriminalize the possession of a small amount of marijuana. The amendment makes the personal possession of marijuana a civil infraction (as opposed to a misdemeanor crime). Though the amendment itself did not specify a cutoff point for when marijuana possession becomes a crime, the city has said that it plans to use a 2.5 ounce threshold, since that is the same limit used under Michigan's medical marijuana law. The ...

Drowsy driving a major safety hazard for young people For many young people, the ability to function on limited sleep is a badge of honor. Whether it's staying up all night to finish a paper, working a late shift or just hanging out late with friends, burning the candle at both ends is a pretty common part of being a young adult in America. Of course, keeping up this behavior for too long can start to take a toll on a person's health. However, there is also a short-term danger that many people are not aware of -- even if the driver is sober, getting behind the wheel ...

When things go awry on a construction site who is responsible? In January 2013, a 380-foot crane collapsed at a construction site behind the iconic Pepsi sign on the East River shoreline in Long Island City, New York. The crane had been assembled just four days earlier at the site of a luxury apartment tower build. As workers loaded the crane with wood planks, it came crashing to the ground, smashing scaffolding and plywood. Fortunately, only seven workers were injured despite around 70 people being on site at the time. Three workers were trapped under the crane, ...

How to Reduce Risk: Elderly Drivers and Serious Car Accidents The importance of being mobile and independent often grow with age and a part of remaining mobile is the ability to drive, especially for elderly drivers in suburban and rural areas of Pennsylvania. However, drivers age 80 and older have the second highest rate of fatal traffic accidents of any group. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, it's important that driving safety for older drivers is addressed for the well-being of all age groups on the road. Whether a Doctor Should Have Reported a Medical ...

NLRB ruling provides new guidance for employers' social media policies These days, a good online reputation is an invaluable asset for any business. So, employers often -- and rightfully -- find themselves wanting to prevent their employees from making disparaging or negative comments online. To this end, many companies have drafted policies that use preventative strategies govern what their employees can say and do on the Internet, especially with regard to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Increasingly, though, these policies are being struck down by ...

U.S. Supreme Court ruling may impact DWI law in New York The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments on whether police should be allowed to force drinking and driving suspects to submit to warrantless blood tests without consent. While it is illegal for police in New York to force drivers suspected of DWI to submit to a warrantless blood draw without the driver's consent, half of the states favor the policy and a decision in favor of a warrantless blood test without consent would change New York law. During oral arguments, the Court took issue with the amount of ...

U.S. Supreme Court to decide legality of warrantless DUI blood draws In Arizona it's against the law for police to conduct a warrantless blood draw on a DUI suspect without the suspect's consent. That could change when the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling on the issue sometime this year because half of U.S. states follow a law similar to Arizona's and the other half allow warrantless blood draws without a DUI suspect's consent. Law enforcement is in favor of warrantless blood draws without consent because it allows police to gather blood alcohol levels in a timely manner. ...

Texas man receives prison sentence for repeat DWI offense A man who had been on probation after four misdemeanor DWI convictions in Washington State found that his luck ran out in Texas when he was arrested in early 2012 with a blood alcohol content of 0.28 -- more than three times the legal limit. Texas authorities charged the man with third-degree felony driving while intoxicated, his fifth DWI charge since 2001, ABC News reported. Explaining that alcohol addiction was the reason for his repeated DWI arrests, the man requested probation and placement in a substance ...

US Supreme Court to rule on DWI blood test issue The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case addressing whether police are required to obtain a warrant before drawing blood samples from people suspected of driving while intoxicated. Courts and law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are divided on whether warrantless blood draws violate the ban on unreasonable searches and seizures set forth in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment requires police to obtain permission from a judge before conducting most searches and seizures ...

Dividing a military pension in a divorce If you or your spouse is in the military or has a military pension, the property division in your divorce is more complex than most. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, or USFSPA, governs how a military pension and other military benefits are distributed or used in the event of a divorce. Basics of the USFSPA Military disposable retired pay is the service member's monthly retirement benefit -- a military pension. The USFSPA allows state courts to treat a military pension just like any other pension plan ...