Research: Dietary sugars and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies Editorial: Science souring on sugar Feature: Sugar and the heart: old ideas revisited Reducing sugar intake has a small but significant effect on body weight in adults, finds a paper published on bmj.com today. Although the effect is relatively small (an average reduction of 0.8 kg), the findings provide some support for international guidelines to cut sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy to help reduce the global obesity epidemic. Excessive ...

Research: Incidence of pulmonary and venous thromboembolism in pregnancies after in vitro fertilisation: cross sectional study In vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism (blockage of the main artery of the lung) and venous thromboembolism (blood clots) during the first trimester of pregnancy, a study published today on bmj.com suggests. IVF has been used since 1978 for the 10% of couples worldwide affected by infertility. Approximately five million individuals have so far been born after IVF. It is well known that the ...

A virtual heart, developed at The University of Manchester, is revealing new information about one of the world's most common heart conditions. Researchers at the School of Physics and Astronomy used cutting edge technology to build an advanced computational model of an anatomically correct sheep's heart. It was made by taking a series of very thin slices of the heart, imaging them in 2D and then using a computer programme to render them into a 3D model. The reconstruction includes details of the complex fibre structure of the tissue, and the segmentation of the upper ...

Silicon wafers destined to become photovoltaic (PV) cells can take a bruising through assembly lines, as they are oxidized, annealed, purified, diffused, etched, and layered to reach their destinies as efficient converters of the sun's rays into useful electricity. All those refinements are too much for 5% to 10% of the costly wafers. They have micro-cracks left over from incomplete wafer preparation, which causes them to break on the conveyers or during cell fabrication. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have ...

NEWPORT, Ore. – The $15 billion ornamental fish industry faces a global problem with antibiotic resistance, a new study concludes, raising concern that treatments for fish diseases may not work when needed – and creating yet another mechanism for exposing humans to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The risk to humans is probably minor unless they frequently work with fish or have compromised immune systems, researchers said, although transmission of disease from tropical fish has been shown to occur. More serious is the risk to this industry, which has grown significantly ...

PHILADELPHIA, January 15, 2013 -- Stage 3 Meaningful Use measures need to focus more on measuring improvements in patient health outcomes rather being than a large and growing collection of functional measures, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says in a letter submitted to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee (HITPC). While praising the HITPC and its Meaningful Use Work Group for their diligence and hard work in developing recommendations for the Meaningful Use portion of the EHR Incentive Program, ACP noted that the proposed Stage 3 measures appear ...

HONOLULU — While the iconic Haleakalā silversword plant made a strong recovery from early 20th-century threats, it has now entered a period of substantial climate-related decline. New research published this week warns that global warming may have severe consequences for the silversword in its native habitat. Known for its striking rosette, the silversword grows for 20-90 years before the single reproductive event at the end of its life, at which time it produces a large (up to six feet tall) inflorescence with as many as 600 flower heads. The plant was in jeopardy ...

New Rochelle, NY, January 15, 2013—A novel therapeutic approach called exon skipping involves bypassing a disease-causing mutation in a gene to restore normal gene expression and protein production. Two innovative examples of this strategy used to correct gene defects associated with muscular dystrophy are described in articles in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available free on the Human Gene Therapy website. Willem Hoogaars and a team of researchers from France, the Netherlands, Finland, and Germany ...

Researchers at Western University in London, Canada, have identified a new genetic mutation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), opening the door to future targeted therapies. Dr. Michael Strong, a scientist with Western's Robarts Research Institute and Distinguished University Professor in Clinical Neurological Sciences at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and colleagues found that mutations within the ARHGEF28 gene are present in ALS. When they looked across both familial and sporadic forms of the disease, they found that virtually all cases of ALS demonstrated ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study has concluded that sports fans love to root for a hero and against a villain, but if the game is exciting, they'll enjoy it no matter who wins. The research, recently published in the Journal of Media Psychology, examines emotional experiences, outcome satisfaction, and enjoyment of athletic events, particularly ones featuring individual athletes rather than team sports. Lead author Colleen Bee, an assistant professor of marketing at Oregon State University, said the Olympics are a good example of an event where fans often cheer for little-known ...

NEW YORK (January 15, 2013) -- Health care providers and hospitals are being offered up to $27 billion in federal financial incentives to use electronic health records (EHRs) in ways that demonstrably improve the quality of care. The incentives are based, in part, on the ability to electronically report clinical quality measures. By 2014, providers nationwide will be expected to document and report care electronically, and by 2015, they will face financial penalties if they don't meaningfully use EHRs. A new, federally-funded study by Weill Cornell Medical College in ...

In addition to causing smoggy skies and chronic coughs, soot – or black carbon – turns out to be the number two contributor to global warming. It's second only to carbon dioxide, according to a four-year assessment by an international panel. The new study concludes that black carbon, the soot particles in smoke and smog, contributes about twice as much to global warming as previously estimated, even by the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "We were surprised at its potential contribution to climate," said Sarah Doherty, a University of Washington atmospheric ...

The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series reports that an antibacterial extract from the leaves of the carob tree (the source of a popular chocolate substitute) could fight the microbe responsible for the serious form of food poisoning called listeriosis. Based on a report by Pierluigi Caboni, Ph.D., Nadhem Aissani and colleagues in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the new podcast is available without charge at iTunes and from www.acs.org/globalchallenges. In the ...

Animals move around the globe in billions, sometimes - like the snow bunting - one of the iconic Arctic-breeding species, covering huge distances and enduring the most extreme frigid weather conditions. In this conspicuously white sparrow-sized bird, animal migration epitomizes a stunning success of biological adaptation – with Snow Bunting representing the only songbird to breed as far north as the Arctic Circle. Indeed, there is nothing north of the snow bunting's breeding ground except the North Pole and the polar ice cap. These passerines thrive in chilly, alpine conditions, ...

Amsterdam, NL, January 15, 2013 – Approximately half a million individuals suffer strokes in the US each year, and about one in five develops some form of post-stroke aphasia, the partial or total loss of the ability to communicate. By comparing different types of aphasia, investigators have been able to gain new insights into the normal cognitive processes underlying language, as well as the potential response to interventions. Their findings are published alongside papers on hemispatial neglect and related disorders in the January, 2013 issue of. The January issue of ...

NASA scientists say 2012 was the ninth warmest of any year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. With the exception of 1998, the nine warmest years in the 132-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the hottest years on record. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis Tuesday that compares temperatures around the globe in 2012 to the average global temperature from the mid-20th century. The ...

AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 15, 2013) — Choline, an essential nutrient similar to the B vitamin and found in foods such as liver, muscle meats, fish, nuts and eggs, when given as a dietary supplement in the last two trimesters of pregnancy and in early infancy, is showing a lower rate of physiological schizophrenic risk factors in infants 33 days old. The study breaks new ground both in its potentially therapeutic findings and in its strategy to target markers of schizophrenia long before the illness itself actually appears. Choline is also being studied for potential benefits ...

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite provides valuable data to tropical cyclone forecasters, and revealed sinking air, a small area of powerful thunderstorms, and a slightly elongated Tropical Storm Emang. Infrared data on Tropical Storm Emang's cloud top temperatures was captured by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on Jan. 15 at 0823 UTC (3:23 a.m. EST). AIRS data showed that the largest area of powerful thunderstorms were in the northern half of the storm. That area showed cold cloud top temperatures of -63F ...

NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites showed how Tropical Cyclone Narelle has fallen far from being a powerful cyclone in the Southern Indian Ocean. A time series of infrared images from an Aqua satellite instrument provides a clear picture of Narelle's former power and its recent demise, while TRMM 3-D data showed falling cloud heights and weaker rainfall. Narelle, once a powerful tropical cyclone with winds of 115 knots (~132 mph), was equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm has continued to steadily weaken as it made its way southward ...

Despite receiving blood thinners and other clot prevention treatment, some patients still develop potentially lethal blood clots in the first month after their operations anyway, especially if they developed a surgical-site infection while in the hospital, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins. The research, described in a report published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, found that patients who experience a surgical-site infection after their abdominal surgery are four times more likely than infection-free patients to develop a deep-vein ...

Judge's ruling could affect future Chapter 7 means tests In November 2012, a federal bankruptcy judge in Florida issued a ruling that challenges the conventional wisdom regarding the means test when a bankruptcy filer converts his or her bankruptcyfrom a Chapter 13 to a Chapter 7. Defining Chapter 13, Chapter 7 and means testing Before delving into the bankruptcy judge's decision, it is important to understand a few key bankruptcy concepts. Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies are both ways for filers to relieve themselves of the burden of their debts. Chapter ...

Bankruptcy may be a solution to those facing garnishment or foreclosure With the economy the way it is today, many Americans find themselves owing debts that they cannot repay. As a result, many may be facing foreclosure or garnishment of their paychecks. Many people in this situation do not know what to do to get relief from this seemingly impossible situation. Fortunately, bankruptcy offers a solution to these problems for many. Wage garnishment and bankruptcy Wage garnishment is an order from a court that requires an employer to withhold a certain amount of ...

School of Wash, the leader in quality handmade bath products announced their new men's line "SOW MAN". Just in time for Valentine's Day, SOW MAN includes paraben and sulfate free products that include shampoo, cologne, body wash, hair conditioner, body lotion, massage oil and many others. SOW MAN has launched with a special promotion running from January 1 to February 15, in which School of Wash guarantees Valentine's romance for all who purchase their limited (in quantity) "Cupid's Workshop" kits. Research has shown that certain scents are known ...

Clark International Airport (CRK) announced a large increase in the number of passengers arriving at Clark for 2012. This increase boosted tourism and accommodation demand in Clark this 2012 and the growth is seen to carry on to 2013 and beyond. Clark International Airport recorded a 71% increase in passenger traffic or a total of 1.3 million passenger arrivals for both international and domestic flights in 2012—higher than the 767,000 recorded passengers in 2011. International passengers alone numbered 1,013,100 or a 77%increase over 2012; whilst domestic passenger ...

Silk-kurtinz.com lets customers enjoy 30% discount on all made to measure items. Their wide range of luxury silk fabrics will let shoppers select the best roman blinds and curtains. With more than 3000 pure silk fabrics for made to measure curtains and roman blinds, silk-kurtinz.com is the best place for clients who want the best home improvement scheme. They will let clients to choose from slubby, smooth or even embroidered fabrics in practically all colours and textures available today. Their wide ranges of silks are carefully chosen from the leading fabric design ...