WASHINGTON – A new analysis finds that compared to Caucasians, African-Americans with systemic scleroderma have more antibodies in the blood that are linked to severe complications and an increased likelihood of death. They say this finding, published today in Arthritis & Rheumatism, suggests physicians can use these disease markers to screen and treat scleroderma patients proactively. For the study, Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) teamed up with researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to examine 35 years of data collected about ...

Bethesda, Md. (May 10, 2012)—This summer's action film, "The Amazing Spider-Man™," is another match-up between the superhero and his nemesis the Lizard. Moviegoers and comic book fans alike will recall that the villain, AKA Dr. Curt Connors, was a surgeon who, after losing an arm, experimented with cell generation and reptilian DNA and was eventually able to grow back his missing limb. The latest issue of the journal Physiology contains a review article that looks at possible routes that unlock cellular regeneration in general, and the principles by which hair and feathers ...

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal ailment characterized by widespread pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Doctors believe that the disease amplifies pain by affecting the way the brain processes pain signals. Essentially, painful sensations are a result of how normal signals are amplified. Normally benign aches would register as debilitating pain. Fibromyalgia is also associated with increased fatigue and sleep disturbances which can further debilitate those with the disease. Fibromyalgia (FMS) awareness has gained significant traction over the ...

PHILADELPHIA—A new study published in Science May 11 is shedding light on the molecular details of PARP-1, a DNA damage-detecting enzyme that when inhibited has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer and other diseases. The investigation led by John M. Pascal, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center, revealed new target sites—including specialized "zinc finger" domains—for drugs aiming to stop PARP-1 activity. The idea for this area of research is ...

In announcing the program, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs explained that the amnesty provides an opportunity for businesses to clear up their tax records. Businesses can do this during the amnesty period without having to pay penalties or interest on any tax reports that should have previously been filed. The amnesty applies to taxes and fees that were due prior to April 1 of this year. It does not apply to underpaid tax returns, nor does it extend the filing periods in a business audit. But Fresh Start does apply to sales taxes, franchise taxes, and other types of state ...

Throughout the nation, laws are moving slowly but invariably towards greater protections for LGBT citizens. Unfortunately, LGBT employees still do not have full protection from discrimination in the workplace, particularly in Ohio. As a result, victims of employment discrimination due to sexual orientation will have no legal recourse in many instances. But that is not always the case. Under certain circumstances, LGBT victims of workplace discrimination can vindicate their rights. There is a growing social and legal trend towards prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination ...

Scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) at the University of Edinburgh have discovered an enzyme that corrects the most common mistake in mammalian DNA. The mistake is the inclusion of individual bits of RNA within the DNA sequence, which the researchers found occurs more than a million times in each cell as it divides. The findings, published in Cell, suggest the RNase H2 enzyme is central to an important DNA repair mechanism necessary to protect the human genome. Each time a cell divides it must first ...

Barcelona, Spain: Patients with head and neck cancer and a low haemoglobin (Hb) level do not respond well to radiotherapy and therefore both control of their tumour and disease-free survival are compromised. Now researchers from The Netherlands have found that the problems caused by low Hb in these patients can be overcome by the use of a treatment known as ARCON therapy, in which accelerated radiotherapy is combined with carbogen (a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen) and the water-soluble vitamin nicotinamide [1]. Hans Kaanders, a professor of translational radiation ...

The acronym "ERISA" strikes fear in the hearts of many lawyers, even those seasoned in employment law. Believing it is too complex for all but those who specialize in employee benefits, that it will preempt all other claims, or that it provides no meaningful recovery, lawyers who represent employees often have a knee-jerk aversion to taking a case if ERISA--the Employee Retirement Income Security Act--is involved. It is of course true that ethical and practical considerations proscribe lawyers from taking cases they are not qualified to handle. It is also true ...

The cyclone that brought about the devastating winds that battered the UK in the great storm of October 1987 was exceptional in both its strength and path across the south of the country. This is the finding of a new study which has analysed the places where sting jets – an area that develops in some cyclones and causes strong surface winds – appear in the North Atlantic and how often they do so. Presenting their results today, Friday 11 May, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers from the University of Reading and Monash University, ...

Chemotherapy is a major first line defense against breast cancer. However a patient's response is often variable and unpredictable. A study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medical Genomics shows that 'gene expression signatures' for TOP2A and β-tubulin can be used to predict the outcome of chemotherapy. The goal of personalized medicine in cancer treatment is to target therapy to the characteristics of the individual tumor. For example Herceptin treatment is of most benefit to patients whose cancer is driven by HER2 and antiestrogens benefit ...

Deborah Burza has joined Willis Law as a Legal Assistant and will be working from the firm's Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids offices. Deborah earned a B.S., with an emphasis on Organization Administration, in 2011. She also has an A.A.S. and Legal Office certification. Deborah has over ten years of legal experience. She will primarily be supporting the firm's state and federal trial group. Willis Law is a full-service business law firm headquartered in downtown Kalamazoo with offices in Grand Rapids, South Haven and Paw Paw. Our law firm provides representation in several ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- New research from the University at Buffalo suggests that cardiologists may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD). ICDs are used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in patients with advanced heart disease, but many patients' devices are never triggered. New research suggests that imaging the loss of nerve function in the heart may identify those patients at greatest risk of developing a life-threatening arrhythmia. That ...

The Hilton Garden Inn - Atlanta Airport Hotel (North), located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, recently named Nicholas Henderson as their new Sales Assistant. The premier hotel near Atlanta Airport is pleased to welcome Mr. Henderson to their sales and marketing team. A 2011 graduate of The University of North Carolina Greensboro, Henderson earned a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a concentration in Travel and Tourism. As the Sales Assistant, Henderson will work with the hotel's Director of Sales and Marketing to generate revenue ...

Research: Outcomes of elective induction of labour compared with expectant management: population based study Induction of labour beyond 37 weeks of pregnancy can reduce perinatal mortality (death before, during or shortly after birth) without increasing caesarean section rates, finds a study published on bmj.com today. However, induction is associated with a greater risk of admission to a special care baby unit. Induction of labour is frequently performed for pregnancies of more than 41 weeks gestation to reduce perinatal mortality. Induction at term (beyond 37 weeks) ...

Research: Venous thrombosis in users of non-oral hormonal contraception: follow-up study, Denmark 2001-10 A study published on bmj.com today adds to the evidence that certain non-oral hormonal contraceptives (e.g. skin patches, implants and vaginal rings) carry a higher risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism) than others. The findings suggest that some women should switch from a non-oral product to a contraceptive pill to help reduce their risk. Several studies have assessed the risk of venous thrombosis (a collective term for deep vein thrombosis ...

Holiday Inn Express Simpsonville Hotel offers close lodging to Greenville Hospital System's Freedom Weekend Aloft. Presented by Bi-Lo, the event will take place Memorial Weekend, May 25-28, 2012 at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC. Sure to be fun for the whole family to enjoy, event activities will include: - Hot-Air Balloon Rides - Charter Amphitheatre Concerts - with Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat, and more - Family Fun Zone - Disc/Frisbee Dogs - Krazy Kow 5K - Artist Showcase - Lacrosse Tournament "Freedom Weekend Aloft is a popular hot air balloon festival ...

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children under 5, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They examined the distribution of child deaths globally by cause in 2010 and found that 64 percent were attributable to infectious causes and 40 percent occurred in neonates. The authors' findings, published in the May issue of the Lancet, suggest a decline in the total number of deaths between 2000 and 2010, however, they caution the decline is not sufficient enough to reach Millennium Development Goal number ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — From tiny villages in developing nations to suburban kitchens in the United States, dangerous strains of E. coli bacteria sicken millions of people each year – and kill untold numbers of children. Now, new research from the University of Michigan Health System gives scientists a better understanding of what is going on in the diarrhea-wracked guts of its victims, and what might be done to prevent or treat it. Specifically, they show that the bacteria that usually live in our digestive tracts compete against invading bacteria such as E. coli to help ...

Hampton Inn Spartanburg - North I-85, a premier Spartanburg Hotel, offers nearby accommodations to Wofford College's Class of 1962 50th Reunion. The event will take place on May 19-20, 2012 at Wofford Campus. The Reunion will include: - Baccalaureate Service - 50th Class Reunion - Commencement - Luncheon Class of 1962 alumni can register to attend the reunion at wofford.edu. "We are happy to welcome alumni visiting Spartanburg for Wofford College's Class of 1962 50th Reunion," shares Dawn Allison, General Manager at the Hampton Inn Spartanburg SC Hotel. ...

Dams are believed to be one of the biggest threats to freshwater organisms worldwide: They disrupt normal patterns of water and sediment flow, impede migration, and alter the character of spawning and feeding grounds. A shortage of data has until now prevented a thorough global assessment of the threat dams pose to fish species, but a study described in the June issue of BioScience attempts just that. The report, by Catherine Reidy Liermann of Umeå University, Sweden, and three coauthors, analyzed 397 ecologically distinct freshwater regions around the world and plotted ...

Newly launched MMABoxingWorld.com enters the arena of mixed martial arts and boxing featuring related news, schedules and insider interviews with trainers, fighters and promoters. MMABoxingWorld.com will also offer a comprehensive state by state list of all the most important Boxing and MMA gyms in the United States. Started by Omar "OD" Davis, also founder of AHAT.TV, the premier west coast rap battle league based in Las Vegas, MMA Boxing World will focus on being a resource and new outlet for fans of professional fighting leagues. "As a fan of MMA and ...

Hospitals that perform expensive, invasive cardiovascular procedures on a disproportionate number of patients are more costly for all heart failure patients, including those treated with noninvasive methods, according to a new Yale study. Most heart failure patients are cared for without the use of invasive procedures like cardiac catheterization, notes the study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes; but the rates of invasive procedures used for heart failure patients vary across hospitals. The study authors represent the NIH Heart, Lung, and ...

Patients with mitral regurgitation, a type of valvular heart disease common in the elderly, are living longer after surgery, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Surgery that replaces or repairs the mitral valve remains the definitive therapy for symptomatic mitral regurgitation, but surgery carries considerable risks of mortality and complications such as infection and renal failure. Led by John A. Dodson, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow in cardiology and geriatrics at Yale School of Medicine, the researchers ...

PASADENA, Calif.—For those who study earthquakes, one major challenge has been trying to understand all the physics of a fault—both during an earthquake and at times of "rest"—in order to know more about how a particular region may behave in the future. Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces, in a single physical framework, the available observations of both the fault's seismic (fast) and aseismic (slow) behavior. "Our study describes a methodology ...