Dr Barbara Fam from the University's Molecular Obesity Laboratory group at Austin Health with Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos have discovered that the liver can directly talk to the brain to control the amount of food we eat. The results have demonstrated that the liver, which has never been classed as an important organ in controlling body weight before, is in fact a major player and should be considered a target for treatment of weight gain. Test on mice showed that over-expression of a specific enzyme in the liver resulted in 50% less fat and the subjects ...

On March 7, 2012, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a new law providing that as of July 1, people convicted in the commonwealth of driving under the influence for the first time will be required to install ignition-interlock devices on their cars as a condition of regaining driving privileges. The device will be required during the six-month restricted license period that follows a first DUI conviction. Under existing law, ignition interlocks are only required for repeat DUI offenders and for those who are caught driving while highly intoxicated -- with blood alcohol ...

Taking large doses of vitamin C may moderately reduce blood pressure, according to an analysis of years of research by Johns Hopkins scientists. But the researchers stopped short of suggesting people load up on supplements. "Our research suggests a modest blood pressure lowering effect with vitamin C supplementation, but before we can recommend supplements as a treatment for high blood pressure, we really need more research to understand the implications of taking them," says Edgar "Pete" R. Miller III, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the division of general internal ...

Singapore, April 20, 2012 – Could engineered human stem cells hold the key to cancer survival? Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have discovered that neural stem cells possess the innate ability to target tumor cells outside the central nervous system. This finding, which was demonstrated successfully on breast cancer cells, was recently published in leading peer reviewed journal, Stem Cells. Despite decades of cancer research, cancer remains a leading cause ...

A study of the families of 150 preschoolers suggests that parents of healthy-weight and overweight preschoolers are generally well aware of dietary risk factors that fuel childhood obesity. The research, conducted by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and All Children's Hospital in Florida, suggests that awareness alone is not enough to effect meaningful weight change, and that pediatricians should help parents with specific and tailored guidance on how to apply their knowledge in daily practice, the researchers said. The study, published ahead of print on April 11 ...

Depression may be associated with an increased risk of arterial narrowing in the legs and pelvis, a condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2012 Scientific Sessions in Chicago. While experts know that depression is a risk factor for constricted heart arteries, its effect on PAD is uncertain. Researchers used data from 1,024 men and women in the Heart and Soul Study and followed them for about seven years. At the study's start, 12 percent ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): Alcohol use in Bollywood movies is directly influencing the drinking habits of India's adolescents, according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology in Dubai. Overall 10 per cent of the students (aged between 12-16 years) surveyed in the study had already tried alcohol. But students that had been most exposed to alcohol use in Bollywood movies were found to be 2.78 times more likely to have tried alcohol as compared with those who were least exposed. Even when adjustments were made for demographic variables, social ...

The reasons behind a DUI charge can vary from an incorrectly calibrated breathalyzer machine to poor judgment before getting behind the wheel. One thing is certain, though: regardless of the reason for the charge itself, the consequences are very serious. Those charged with a DUI can have their driving privileges revoked, be forced to attend alcohol education courses, face substance abuse treatment, pay substantial fines and deal with the reality of time behind bars. These penalties increase if the driver is a repeat offender. As a result, it is important not to treat ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): The successful implementation of smokefree legislation in Hong Kong has led to an overall decrease in the total number of smokers but the remaining smokers who are finding it difficult to quit are going on to become "hardcore" smokers, according to a new study from Hong Kong presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. Hardcore smokers are defined as those smokers that (1) are daily smokers, (2) have a smoking history of at least six years, (3) have never tried to quit, (4) don't want to quit smoking, (5) smoke at least 11 cigarettes, on ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): High normal blood pressure becomes less of a risk factor for incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) with age, according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. The study, carried out over 9.3 years, evaluated the risk of different blood pressure categories among 6,273 participants aged 30 years old and above. The results showed that the risk of developing incident CVD and CHD was significantly higher in people with high normal blood pressure during middle-age (between 30 and 60 years of ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): The Indian Heart Watch (IHW) study has revealed the truth behind the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of key risk factors that are driving the country's growing cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic, in a first-of-a-kind presentation of data at the World Congress of Cardiology today. The study assessed the prevalence of different "lifestyle" and biological CVD risk factors across the country – and results show that these risk factors are now at higher levels in India than in developed countries and regions such as the USA and Western ...

Though ships many seem like an unlikely place for a fire, fires can and too often do occur on-board. It is the responsibility of the vessel owner to ensure that measures are in place to prevent on-board fires which could injure or kill crewmembers. Maritime Liability The Jones Act, passed in 1920, granted seamen and their families the right to hold maritime employers responsible for any injury, illness or death sustained during the course of employment on a ship caused by their employer's negligence. It is an employer's responsibility to provide adequate fire prevention, ...

Dubai (UAE), Geneva (Switzerland) (April 20, 2012): A report released today at the World Heart Federation World Congress of Cardiology in Dubai reveals significant gaps in public awareness regarding the cardiovascular risks of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. The report, entitled "Cardiovascular harms from tobacco use and secondhand smoke", was commissioned by the World Heart Federation and written by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC Project), in collaboration with the Tobacco Free Initiative at the World Health Organization. According to the report, half ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking, according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. The study, carried out in Greece, assessed the effect of four-week oral treatment with 2 g/day of omega-3 fatty acids on the arterial wall properties of cigarette smokers. The results showed that short-term treatment with omega-3 fatty acids improves arterial stiffness and moderates the acute smoking-induced impairment of vascular elastic properties in smokers. "These findings suggest that ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): Exercise may help smokers to quit and remain smokefree, according to new data presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. Moreover, exercise increases life expectancy in smokers and non-smokers alike. The study of 434,190 people who went through medical examination program at a private fee-paying company between 1996 and 2008 in Taiwan revealed that active smokers (those engaged in at least moderate activity) were 55 per cent more likely to quit smoking that those that were inactive. Furthermore, these active smokers were 43 per cent ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): Women with heart disease are more likely to give birth to female rather than male babies according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. The study found that three-quarters of the 216 children born to 200 pregnant women with diagnosed heart disease were female. The study reviewed the sex of children born to 200 pregnant women with diagnosed cardiac disease. Sixty-four per cent of these women had diagnosed valvular disease, 19 per cent were living with dilated cardiomyopathy, while 14 per cent had uncorrected or significant ...

Dubai (20 April 2012): Women with acute coronary syndrome∗ (ACS) receive inferior or less aggressive treatment compared to men, according to three large studies presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. The CREATE registry study of 20,468 patients in India revealed that relatively fewer women are admitted with ACS. Moreover, these women are older, reach hospital later, have more risk factors, receive inferior treatments and have worse outcomes. While the BRIG project study of 3,168 patients in China concluded that a substantial portion of women with ...

SAN DIEGO - Calorie intake from white potatoes is surprisingly modest for adults and school-aged children, according to a new study released today at the Experimental Biology 2012 Annual Meeting. Dr. Maureen Storey, Chief Executive Officer for the science-based Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) presented the new analysis using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). "School-aged children consumed, on average, only three percent or less of calories per day from all types ...

CLEVELAND -- Clinical-researchers from University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center report that cochlear implantation provides an effective and safe way of restoring hearing in patients with far advanced otosclerosis (FAO), a hereditary condition that can lead to severe hearing loss. "This is the first study to demonstrate that cochlear implants provide robust and long-term hearing restoration for patients with FAO," said lead author Maroun T. Semaan, M.D., an otolaryngologist with UH Case Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University ...

Emirates Tours, a leading travel operator specialising in luxury holidays, has announced a new competition to win a travel bag made by designer luggage brand, Aspinal of London. The tour operator has teamed up with the luggage brand which shares its belief in high-quality products, in order to give back to its loyal customers through this unique opportunity. "We are proud to be offering customers the chance to own an Aspinal of London Weekender Bag. When you are passionate about travel like we are, then arriving at your destination with stylish, top quality luggage ...

Carnivory is behind the evolutionary success of humankind. When early humans started to eat meat and eventually hunt, their new, higher-quality diet meant that women could wean their children earlier. Women could then give birth to more children during their reproductive life, which is a possible contribution to the population gradually spreading over the world. The connection between eating meat and a faster weaning process is shown by a research group from Lund University in Sweden, which compared close to 70 mammalian species and found clear patterns. Learning to ...

Studying a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, neuroscientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have observed correlations between increases in both soluble and plaque-forming beta-amyloid – a protein implicated in the disease process – and dysfunctional developments on several levels: individual cortical neurons, neuronal circuits, sensory cognition, and behavior. Their results, published in Nature Communications, show that these changes progress in parallel and that, together, they reveal distinct stages in Alzheimer's disease with a specific order in time. In ...

INDIANAPOLIS — Neither screening for cognitive impairment nor screening followed by computerized alerts to the health care team improved patient outcome according to the first randomized, controlled study of care provided to hospitalized patients with cognitive impairment. The study, conducted by researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine, screened 998 older adults for cognitive impairment within 48 hours of admission to the hospital. Approximately 40 percent were found to have cognitive impairment and were enrolled in the study. ...

Scientists have identified a link between different strains of malaria parasites that cause severe disease, which could help develop vaccines or drugs against life-threatening cases of the infection. Researchers have identified a key protein that is common to many potentially fatal forms of the condition, and found that antibodies that targeted this protein were effective against these severe malaria strains. The protein has sticky properties that enable it to bind to red blood cells and form dangerous clumps that can block blood vessels. These clumps, or rosettes, ...

When loggerhead turtles are accidentally captured by humans, a recovery process follows, the complexity of which varies according to the turtle's injuries. Spanish researchers have analysed the process of reintegrating these animals into the environment and they have discovered that there are changes in the behaviour of the turtles that have a complicated recovery process. The study, which has been published in Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, involved placing satellite transmitters on the shell of 12 healthy, wild loggerhead turtles' (Caretta caretta), ...