On the health front, the poor often have at least two things going against them: a lack of insurance and chronic illnesses, of which diabetes is among the most common. The federal Affordable Care Act would expand the capacity of the nation's 8,000 community health centers to provide care for low-income, largely minority patients — from the current 20 million to about 40 million by 2015. The federal government is also trying to ensure that these community health centers deliver high-quality primary care, including diabetes care. A crucial part of this is the implementation ...

Pasadena, CA— Eta Carinae, one of the most massive stars in our Milky Way galaxy, unexpectedly increased in brightness in the 19th century. For ten years in the mid-1800s it was the second-brightest star in the sky. (Now it is not even in the top 100.) The increase in luminosity was so great that it earned the rare title of Great Eruption. New research from a team including Carnegie's Jose Prieto, now at Princeton University, has used a "light echo" technique to demonstrate that this eruption was much different than previously thought. Their work is published Feb. 16 in ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Half of the young adult Latino men and women responding to a survey in rural Oregon acknowledge not using regular effective contraception – despite expressing a desire to avoid pregnancy, according to a new Oregon State University study. Researchers say the low rate of contraception among sexually active 18- to 25-year-olds needs to be addressed – and not just among Latino populations. Research has shown many young adults from all backgrounds eschew contraception for many reasons including the mistaken belief that they or their partners cannot get pregnant. "The ...

Faced with the inevitability of death, we all wish for good caregiving during the final stage of our lives. A new study from Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University shows that non-pharmacological caregiving at the end of life in specialized palliative care is not as basic as one might believe but is based on complex professional decisions that weave physical, psychosocial and existential dimensions into a functional whole. The researchers have found that particularly important aspects of palliative care are an aesthetically pleasing, safe and comfortable environment, ...

Scientists at the University of Illinois, USA have discovered a new species of tiny, grasshopper-like insect in the tropical rainforests of the Toledo District in southern Belize. Dr Sam Heads and Dr Steve Taylor co-authored a paper, published in the open access journal ZooKeys, documenting the discovery and naming the new species Ripipteryx mopana. The name commemorates the Mopan people – a Mayan group, native to the region. "Belize is famous for its biodiversity, although very little is known about the insect fauna of the southern part of the country. This is particularly ...

There is an urgent need to increase the number of organ donors from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in countries with a strong tradition of immigration, such as the UK, USA, Canada and the Netherlands, in order to tackle inequalities in access and waiting times. That is the key finding of a research paper on ethnicity and transplants, published by the Journal of Renal Care in a free online supplement that includes 15 studies on different aspects of diabetes and kidney disease. "BME groups are disproportionately affected by kidney problems for a number of ...

Stress levels of unemployed people are linked more to their surroundings than their age, gender, disposable income, and degree of deprivation, a study shows. The presence of parks and woodland in economically deprived areas may help people cope better with job losses, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue and anxiety, researchers say. They found that people's stress levels are directly related to the amount of green space in their area – the more green space, the less stressed a person is likely to be. Researchers measured stress by taking saliva samples ...

A drastic switch to low carbon-emitting technologies, such as wind and hydroelectric power, may not yield a reduction in global warming until the latter part of this century, research published today suggests. Furthermore, it states that technologies that offer only modest reductions in greenhouse gases, such as the use of natural gas and perhaps carbon capture and storage, cannot substantially reduce climate risk in the next 100 years. The study, published today, Thursday 16 February, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, claims that the rapid ...

VIDEO: When myomesin is pulled, as it is when muscles contract and extend, its helices (green) unfold. This strategy, discovered by scientists at EMBL Hamburg, enables the elastic part of the... Click here for more information. In this video, a protein called myomesin does its impression of Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four of comic book fame, who performed incredible feats by stretching his body. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in ...

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered a new molecule that could offer the hope of new treatments for people allergic to the house dust mite. The team of immunologists led by Dr Amir Ghaem-Maghami and Professor Farouk Shakib in the University's School of Molecular Medical Sciences have identified the molecule DC-SIGN which appears to play a role in damping down the body's allergic response to the house dust mite . The molecule can be found on the surface of the immune cells which play a key role in the recognition of a major allergen from house dust ...

Laser light in combination with certain drugs – known as photodynamic therapy – can destroy cancer tumours, but is today used mostly to cure skin cancer. The reason that internal tumours are not treated with the method is that the technology does not exist to check that the precise amount of light is administered. However, software developed by researchers in atomic physics at Lund University in Sweden looks like being able to solve the problem. "I think we are about to see a real breakthrough, both for us and for other research groups around the world who conduct research ...

A study from North Carolina State University shows that Toyota's safety-related recalls that began in 2009 made little to no impact on how consumers perceived the brand. "These findings highlight the importance of establishing and maintaining a reputation for quality," says Dr. Robert Hammond, an assistant professor of economics at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the study. "Not only will it help you sell cars in the first place, but it will help you weather public scrutiny in the event of a recall." Hammond launched the study because he wanted to see ...

Drs. Chad Slocum and Sara Lundgaard, Mill Creek dentists, encourage patients to visit their Google places page to write a review of their experience with Penny Creek Family and Cosmetic Dentistry. A husband and wife dental team, Drs. Slocum and Lundgaard, dentists in Mill Creek, WA, value their patients' opinions and urge them to leave their reviews to further expand the practice's services and to provide other patients with confidence for their next appointment. "We are proud to utilize proven techniques and procedures with state-of-the-art technology to enable ...

Despite new regulations restricting UK TV advertisements for food, children are still exposed to the same level of advertising for junk foods which are high in fat, salt and sugar, researchers have found. Unexpectedly, academics at Newcastle University also found that since the new restrictions were introduced five years ago, viewers of all ages are seeing many more adverts for unhealthy foods. In work funded by National Prevention Research Initiative and published today in PLoS ONE, the team describe how they examined the nutritional content of TV ads 6 months before ...

For 2011, Dr. Robert Stanton, cosmetic dentist in Fort Lauderdale, is pleased to announce that Stanton Dental Excellence was the highest rated dental practice in Broward County. With help from his loyal and devoted patients, Dr. Stanton is excited that his patients have been so supportive in Stanton Dental Excellence, allowing them to provide exceptional care in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. "It is always reassuring when your patients share their dental experiences with their friends and family. Thanks to the referrals of all of our loyal and devoted patients, ...

TORONTO, Ont. -- One of the first things people ask new parents is how much does their baby weigh. For some immigrant parents, especially South Asians, the question may be stressful. Many of their newborns are incorrectly diagnosed as being significantly underweight, meaning they could be at higher risk of developmental issues. Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital say many of these infants are in fact the correct birthweight for their ethnic group and should not be compared to those of babies of Canadian-born mothers. The researchers, led by Dr. Joel Ray, have developed ...

Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball or even learning how to write. But scientists have not known whether those difficulties run in families or are linked to autism. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to autism as the culprit. Their findings were reported in the journal Autism. "From our results, it looks like motor impairments may be part of the autism diagnosis, rather than a trait genetically carried in the family," says lead author Claudia List Hilton, PhD, assistant ...

Dr. Joseph Kizior, orthodontist in La Grange, Western Springs, and Brookfield, is pleased to offer patients Invisalign. Teens and adults with crooked teeth can now straighten their smiles comfortably and discreetly with invisible cosmetic braces. Western Springs Invisalign involves creating a series of custom aligners that perfectly fit each patient's teeth at every phase of treatment. As the aligners are worn and switched out for a new set every two weeks, the teeth slowly shift into the desired position. Apart from an enhanced smile and straighter teeth, there are ...

Groundwater in aquifers on the East Coast and in the Central U.S. has the highest risk of contamination from radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element and known carcinogen. According to a study conducted by the USGS, radium was detected in concentrations that equaled or exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards in more than one in five wells tested in the Mid-Continent and Ozark Plateau Cambro-Ordovician aquifer systems, underlying parts of Ark., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Mich., Minn., Mo, and Wis.; and the North Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- According to a new study, smoking causes the body to turn against its own helpful bacteria, leaving smokers more vulnerable to disease. Despite the daily disturbance of brushing and flossing, the mouth of a healthy person contains a stable ecosystem of healthy bacteria. New research shows that the mouth of a smoker is a much more chaotic, diverse ecosystem—and is much more susceptible to invasion by harmful bacteria. As a group, smokers suffer from higher rates of oral diseases -- especially gum disease -- than do nonsmokers, which is a challenge ...

Dr. Blake Weber, experienced dentist in Little Rock, AR, is well-known for his commitment to maintaining the newest technologies available in order to better treat and communicate the importance of oral health to his patients. Now social-savvy patients can stay on top of the latest practice news, treatment options and dentistry trends by following their Little Rock cosmetic dentist on the popular social media site, Facebook. With more than 800 million users, Facebook is undoubtedly a place that people are spending a great deal of time. Recognizing the potential reach ...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists and engineers at the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) three national security laboratories appear committed to their work and core mission of maintaining the country's nuclear weapons stockpile, but according to a new National Research Council report, a "broken relationship" between NNSA and the labs threatens to erode the quality of the scientific research and engineering being conducted there. The committee that wrote the report said that an intrusive degree of oversight stemming from past security and safety concerns at one ...

Children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults, according to a new study. Published in ACS' journal, Environmental Science & Technology, it provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial – a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects – in a wide range of consumer goods. In the study, Paul Westerhoff, Ph.D., and colleagues point out that titanium dioxide is a common additive to many consumer products, from food ...

When patients receive dental treatment their first reaction is to tell friends and family of their experience. For that reason, Dr. Khoury, Milpitas dentist, invites patients to not only share their positive experiences with their friends and family, but to also share it with other patients by leaving reviews of Montague Dental Excellence online. The patient reviews allow Drs. Khoury and Kolnes, dentists in Milpitas, to not only improve upon the office's practices, but it also encourages new patients to make appointments at Montague Dental Excellence knowing their next ...

Astronomers know how massive stars collapse to form small black holes a few times the mass of the Sun. However, it is not clear how supermassive black holes, which can have masses of millions or even billions of times the Sun's, form in the cores of galaxies. One idea is that supermassive black holes may build up through the merger of small and mid-sized black holes, a view supported by a new study using Hubble. Sean Farrell of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy in Australia and the University of Leicester, UK, discovered a middleweight black hole in 2009 using the European ...