Paris, France: French researchers have found a way to identify quickly the 5-10% of patients in whom the commonly used painkiller, tramadol, does not work effectively. A simple blood test can produce a result within a few hours, enabling doctors to switch a non-responding patient on to another painkiller, such as morphine, which will be able to work in these patients. Dr Laurent Varin, an anaesthesiologist at the Caen Teaching Hospital (Caen, France), presented the findings to the European Anaesthesiology Congress in Paris today (Sunday). Tramadol is a synthetic opioid ...

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder affecting about one out of 300 children in the United States. It characteristically affects movement control, causing muscles to stiffen or jerk. Often, people with this disorder move their limbs awkwardly, and other muscles in the body may be affected as well. Patients with cerebral palsy may also be affected cognitively. The range of severity of symptoms of cerebral palsy is variable...some people are completely dependent on others for every aspect of daily living, and may be confined to bed or wheelchairs, while others are able to ...

Oxford, June 10, 2012 - Despite considerable research showing that children of same-sex parents fare just as well as children with heterosexual parents, two papers - a review of existing studies and a new study - published today in Elsevier's Social Science Research, find insufficient data to draw any definitive conclusions. The review by Dr. Loren Marks from Louisiana State University finds that much of the science that forms the basis for the highly regarded 2005 official brief on same-sex parenting by the American Psychological Association (APA) (http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/parenting-full.pdf) ...

Enabling bioengineers to design new molecular machines for nanotechnology applications is one of the possible outcomes of a study by University of Montreal researchers that was published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology today. The scientists have developed a new approach to visualize how proteins assemble, which may also significantly aid our understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which are caused by errors in assembly. "In order to survive, all creatures, from bacteria to humans, monitor and transform their environments using small protein ...

With the Tom Sachs space-themed art exhibit, "Space Program: Mars" as a backdrop, XCOR Aerospace named Space Expedition Corporation (SXC) as the new General Sales Agent (GSA) for the XCOR owned Lynx Suborbital vehicle flying from the Mojave Air and Spaceport. SXC was previously announced as the first wet lease customer for a Lynx production vehicle with planned flights from Curacao. The GSA places the responsibility with SXC for ticket sales through the extensive network of XCOR Space Tourism Specialists and for astronaut training and relations for XCOR Lynx flights ...

The Fairfax dentists unveil a new office video tour, which viewers can find on the Smiles at Fairfax Corner website. The video tour displays the incredible amenities and beautiful office environment that Dr. Riaz Rayek offers to patients. The new office video tour provides viewers with an in-depth depiction of everything Smiles at Fairfax Corner has to offer. From the welcoming, relaxing reception area to a look into the treatment rooms filled with high-tech dental equipment, Dr. Rayek guides viewers through the various facets of the office. You can also see the dental ...

Decoding the DNA of patients with advanced breast cancer has allowed scientists to identify distinct cancer "signatures" that could help predict which women are most likely to benefit from estrogen-lowering therapy, while sparing others from unnecessary treatment. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis uncovered mutations linked to whether or not women respond to aromatase inhibitors, drugs often prescribed to shrink large tumors before surgery. These mutations also correlate with clinical features of breast tumors, including how likely they ...

The Homeland Security Network has just completed a face-lift that will make it easier and quicker to use the site. The new home page gives user's clear options on where to go to get free educational webinars, educational movies, DVDs, News, Resources and lots more. "Everybody concerned with protecting the USA knows that the dots get connected when information from many different agencies is fused. The Homeland Security Network is like a private Facebook, with a big difference. It is only for hand-verified members of the US First Responder agencies or private security ...

NEWPORT, Ore. – A team of scientists that last year created waves by correctly forecasting the 2011 eruption of Axial Seamount years in advance now says that the undersea volcano located some 250 miles off the Oregon coast gave off clear signals hours before its impending eruption. The researchers' documentation of inflation of the undersea volcano from gradual magma intrusion over a period of years led to the long-term eruption forecast. But new analyses using data from underwater hydrophones also show an abrupt spike in seismic energy about 2.6 hours before the eruption ...

LA JOLLA, CA – June 10, 2012 – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have developed chemical compounds that can make key modifications to common sugar molecules ("glycans"), which are found on the surface of all cells in our body. The new study presents powerful new tools for studying these molecules' function, for example in cell signaling and immunity, and for investigating new treatments for chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancer metastasis, and related conditions. The new study, which appears online in Nature Chemical Biology on June 10, 2012, describes ...

Researchers studied genetic data of more than 11 000 people and found altogether six genes that predispose to migraine without aura. Four of these genes are new and two of them confirm previous findings. The new genes identified in this study provide further evidence for the hypothesis that dysregulation of molecules important in transmitting signals between brain neurons contribute to migraine. Two of the genes support the hypothesis of a possible role of blood vessels and thus disturbances in blood flow. The researchers carried out what is known as a genome-wide ...

Concertboom is launching the public version of its live music database, offering a top-class portal for the global concert and ticketing industries. Concertboom provides the most accurate live-music data information, in the fastest possible time and features a simple, desirable appearance and feel with a revolutionary two-click motion that gives live music lovers worldwide access to a database that spans all musical genres. Recently highlighted by Google AdSense for top-ranking positions and strategic marketing within the music industry space, Concertboom is an early ...

A 25 year study in Northern Sweden, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal, is the first to show that a regional and national dietary intervention to reduce fat intake, decreased cholesterol levels, but a switch to the popular low carbohydrate diet was paralleled by in an increase in cholesterol levels. Over the entire 25 year period the population BMI continued to increase, regardless of either diet, and both the increase in body mass and increased cholesterol levels are indicators of increased cardiovascular risk. In the 1970's it was noticed ...

Scientists at the Babraham Institute have gained a new understanding of how the growth of the placenta is regulated before birth, which has important implications for a healthy pregnancy. The research, published today (10 June) in the journal Nature Cell Biology shows that the controlled release of a specific molecule, called miR-675, slows down growth of the placenta before birth. RNA molecules are best known as the intermediary between the cell's DNA and the making of proteins necessary for cell function. However, there are also many RNA molecules with functions other ...

Global Medical Equipment Platform, MedWOW, has developed free Chrome and Firefox browser search plugins, allowing easier access and convenience for users to view over 170,000 medical devices and supplies that are currently available for sale. Browser toolbars are a popular and unique way for online businesses to create an interest based search tool for users. As MedWOW recognized an increasing number of users that are using Chrome and Firefox while approaching the online trading platform it offers, a tool that will simplify the process of browsing through MedWOW's impressive ...

In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects. Intravenous injection of a vasodilator (a substance that dilates blood vessels), such as nitroglycerin, dilates both the diseased vessels and the rest of our arteries. Blood pressure can thus drop, which would limit the desired increased blood flow generated by vasodilatation ...

Michael Walters Advertising (MWA), based in Chicago, has been selected by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) to launch a new brand identity to promote the benefits of mutual insurance for its member companies. "The story we need to get out is that mutual property/casualty insurers exist to serve their policyholders, rather than shareholders who are only interested in making short-term profits," said Brent Bahler, vice president of public affairs for NAMIC. "Now, when more consumers are looking for genuine value-driven and customer-focused ...

An international team of scientists, funded in the UK by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has uncovered the structure of the protective protein coat which surrounds many bacteria like a miniature suit of armour. Their research, which is published today (Sunday 10 June) in Nature, has far ranging consequences in helping us understand how some pathogenic bacteria infect humans and animals, and could help us develop new vaccines. Until now, scientists have known very little about the structure and function of this coat, which scientists ...

DARIEN, IL – Habitually sleeping less than six hours a night significantly increases the risk of stroke symptoms among middle-age to older adults who are of normal weight and at low risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study of 5,666 people followed for up to three years. The participants had no history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, stroke symptoms or high risk for OSA at the start of the study, being presented today at SLEEP 2012. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recorded the first stroke symptoms, along with demographic ...

iFreedom Direct Corporation, a dedicated government-backed lender, is now offering FHA Streamline refinancing based on the new reduced mortgage insurance rates announced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on March 6, 2012. The price reductions take effect June 11, 2012 for current FHA borrowers whose loans were endorsed on or before May 31, 2009. The top-ranked mortgage company will feature a reduced upfront mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) of just .01% and an annual premium of .55% for certain FHA Streamline refinance loans. Reduced mortgage ...

DARIEN, IL – A small study of Toronto college students is shedding light on a contributing factor of insomnia that might be hard to admit – an adult fear of the dark. Nearly half of the students who reported having poor sleep also reported a fear of the dark. Researchers confirmed this objectively by measuring blink responses to sudden noise bursts in light and dark surroundings. Good sleepers became accustomed to the noise bursts but the poor sleepers grew more anticipatory when the lights were down. "The poor sleepers were more easily startled in the dark compared ...

Leading men's health organizations and experts from around the world are coming together to bring awareness to the health and well-being of men and boys during International Men's Health Week. Celebrated each June, organizations, healthcare professionals, media, policy makers and individuals host activities and promote physical, social, and psychological health in men, boys, and their families during this week. This year men's health leaders will be meeting on Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15 for "Gender and Health through Life", a two-day conference in Copenhagen, ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In April 2009, the world took notice as reports surfaced of a virus in Mexico that had mutated from pigs and was being passed from human to human. The H1N1 "swine flu," as the virus was named, circulated worldwide, killing more than 18,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States said it was the first global pandemic in more than four decades. Swine flu will not be the last viral mutation to cause a worldwide stir. One way to contain the next outbreak is ...

Limited Edition is an innovative new trade show set to shake up the high-end travel industry and is dedicated to the thriving contemporary travel market. Present will be a curated selection of the world's hottest, on-trend, original, high-end travel suppliers and the world's most productive travel trade buyers (leisure, media/entertainment, business, corporate and MICE) who have exclusive connections with the 'Creative Class' - a new generation of lifestyle tastemakers travelling in a way which is more innovative and sophisticated. The Guest List of exhibitors will include: Art ...

Athletes for Education (AFE) will host their 7h Annual Celebrity Golf Classic with "After Party" on Friday, June 15, 2012 to benefit youth programs throughout San Diego County. The golf tournament includes a Kennedy's Karne lunch and a dinner with entertainment, opportunity drawing and live/silent auction from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Maderas Golf Club located at 17750 Old Coach Road in Poway (registration begins at 10:30 am with a shotgun start at 12:30 pm). Competitions include male and female longest drive and closest to the pin challenges. Surgery One is sponsoring ...