CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – At the molecular level, drugs like salvinorin A (the active ingredient of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum) work by activating specific proteins, known as receptors, in the brain and body. Salvinorin A, the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen, is unusual in that it interacts with only one receptor in the human brain — the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Scientists know of four distinct types of opioid receptors, but until now the structure of the 'salvia receptor', and the details about how salvinorin A and other drugs interact with ...

Last year, the Texas legislature made changes to the law governing protective orders obtained to protect women from domestic violence. One significant change was the creation of a civil protective order with potentially unlimited duration. New Durations Previously, a two-year limit was imposed on any protective order (unless the offender was in prison), which could be extended by requesting a new protective order after the previous one had expired. However, this would mean the women would have to return to court and relive the violent experience. The new law permits ...

The law offices of Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP are pleased to announce a recent ruling that will allow them to pursue a medical claim against Toledo Hospital. The facts of the case are clear. The firm's client, Gary Tisdale, was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery in 2002. His physicians ordered staff to apply external pressure leg cuffs post-surgery to prevent deep vein thrombosis, a condition where blood clots form in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs. Unfortunately, hospital staff failed to apply the external pressure cuffs and, as a result, ...

EMBARGOED FOR MARCH 21, 2012, ARLINGTON, Va.] – The vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses and should not be treated with antibiotics, suggest new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Nearly one in seven people are diagnosed with a sinus infection each year. Although sinus infections are the fifth leading reason for antibiotic prescriptions, 90 to 98 percent of cases are caused by viruses, which are not affected by antibiotics. Used inappropriately, antibiotics foster the development of drug-resistant superbugs. "There ...

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta N- Perimeter Mall Hotel, at Atlanta Perimeter Center, announces the Economic Stimulus Package. Available for a limited time, guests who book this package will be rewarded with a $25 gift card, per paid night, to one of America's favorite retailers like Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Amazon.com. Available while supplies last; some restrictions may apply. Rates start at $124.00 USD per night. A top choice among other hotels in Atlanta Perimeter, travelers are sure to enjoy their stay at the Holiday Inn Express ...

LA JOLLA, CA -- March 21, 2012 -- Scientists have for the first time determined the three-dimensional atomic structure of a human opioid receptor, a molecule on the surface of brain cells that binds to opioids and is centrally involved in pleasure, pain, addiction, depression, psychosis, and related conditions. Dozens of legal and illegal drugs, from heroin to hospital anesthetics, work by targeting these receptors. The detailed atomic structure information paves the way for the design of safer and more effective opioid drugs. "This finding is going to have a major impact ...

The Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport Hotel (North) offers convenient lodging to travelers attending the 2012 NCAA South Regional Men's Basketball Tournament. The Road to the Final Four , the NCAA South Regional (Division I) tournament will be held from March 23 - 25, 2012 at the Georgia Dome in downtown Atlanta, GA. Featuring the NCAA "Sweet 16 " and "Elite Eight " Rounds of the NCAA Tournament, this year's winner of the two-day event will be awarded a spot in the 2012 NCAA Final FOUR that will be held in New Orleans. "Conveniently located only ...

Vienna, Austria: Detecting the presence of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the blood of women with early breast cancer after surgery but before the start of chemotherapy can provide useful information about their chances of surviving the disease. CTCs are cancer cells which are detectable in patients with a solid tumour and their value in the prognosis of metastatic breast cancer has been known for a few years. Until now, however, there has been little information about their role in early disease. Results to be presented today (Thursday) from the first large-scale ...

Door2Tour.com has revealed that the 'staycation' could be making a comeback. The latest figures from the tour operator have shown that sales of UK breaks have increased by approximately 9% compared to the same period last year. This has been put down to the UK being under the spotlight during 2012. There are a variety of factors causing this resurgence in UK breaks with the main one being the UK playing host to some top events during 2012 such as the Queens Diamond Jubilee, The Olympics, the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic and the 200th anniversary ...

Vienna, Austria: Women aged 50 and over with breasts that have a high percentage of dense tissue are at greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, according to Swedish research presented at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna today (Wednesday). Dr Louise Eriksson and her colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) found that women with denser breasts had nearly double the risk of their cancer recurring, either in the same breast or in the surrounding lymph nodes, than women with less dense breasts. They warn that doctors ...

Vienna, Austria: Results from one of the longest-running national breast cancer screening programmes have shown that it has contributed to a drop in deaths from the disease, that any harm caused by the screening, such as false positives and over-diagnosis, has been limited, and that the costs have been reasonable. The Dutch population-based mammography breast cancer screening programme began in 1989, and today (Wednesday) Mr Jacques Fracheboud, a senior researcher at the Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), reported on the first 20 years to ...

Vienna, Austria: Adding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to standard breast cancer screening approaches is expensive, though it could be cost effective for a group of women who may not have inherited the breast cancer susceptibility genes, but who have a familial risk of developing the disease. This is the conclusion of research presented at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) today (Wednesday). Women who carry the BRCA1/2 gene mutations are known to be at much higher risk of developing breast cancer, and at an early age; for this reason most breast ...

Hairtrade, the UK's leading retailer of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products has added an exciting new line to its hair styling range. No Inhibition is a sophisticated hair styling line which consists of a number of products, from smoothing creams, styling gels and shaping pomades to moulding muds, modelling wax and texturizing foams. The elegance of this line is evident in the unique and stylish shaped bottles and colourful chic packaging. Keven Kou, managing director of I&K International Limited said: "We've been looking for some new and exciting ...

Vienna, Austria: A Dutch study of the effectiveness of breast cancer screening shows that, even with improved treatments for the disease, population-based mammography programmes still save a significant number of lives. The finding, presented today (Wednesday) at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna, will add further fuel to the debate about whether or not breast cancer screening does more harm than good. Those who argue against national screening programmes say that treatment for the disease is so effective nowadays that the chances of surviving ...

When observing a fly buzzing around the room, we should have the impression that it is not the fly, but rather the space that lies behind it that is moving. After all, the fly is always fixed in our central point of view. But how does the brain convey the impression of a fly in motion in a motionless field? With the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scientists from the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen have identified two areas of the brain that compare the movements ...

Confused.com has revealed shocking research showing the extent of driver habits on UK roads, with a range of behaviours admitted. Apparently some drivers across the UK are getting in the driving seat wearing nothing more than pyjamas and with their feet clad in just their slippers or even barefoot. Applying make-up is another part of the morning routine which some women leave until they are actually driving the car: 1 in 10 women put make-up on and drive at the same time and 15% of men have had a shave while driving. Car insurance experts at Confused.com are warning ...

Studies in monkeys are unlikely to provide reliable evidence for links between social status and heart disease in humans, according to the first ever systematic review of the relevant research. The study, published in PLoS ONE, concludes that although such studies are cited frequently in human health research the evidence is often "cherry picked" and generalisation of the findings from monkeys to human societies does not appear to be warranted. Psychosocial factors such as stress, social instability and work dynamics are often believed to play an important role in ...

With buds bursting early, only for a mild winter to turn Arctic and wipe them out, we are witnessing how warm weather can trigger flowering, even out of season, and how important it is for plants to blossom at the right time of year. BBSRC-funded scientists have unpicked why temperature has such a powerful affect on how plants flower. In research to be published in the journal Nature, scientists from the John Innes Centre on the Norwich Research Park have identified the switch that accelerates flowering time in response to temperature. With warm air, a control gene, ...

(Boston) - Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have conducted a study on a modified version of the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP) to help promote early intervention and treatment for patients with drug use in primary care. The findings, which validate this modified version of the SIP in a primary care setting, will appear online in the American Journal on Addictions in the March issue. The SIP, originally designed to measure the health and social consequences of alcohol use, was adapted ...

Bioethicists at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics are co-authors on a consensus article placing "significant responsibility" on biobanks to report individual research results (IRRs) and incidental findings (IFs) to the contributors of genetic material. "The biobank should set the rules for the overall process of recognizing (and subsequently analyzing and returning) IFs and IRRs," the authors write in Genetics in Medicine. Biobanks should define and manage a system by which "findings that are analytically valid, reveal an established and substantial risk ...

(March 21, 2012 - Chicago, IL) Large-scale microfinance programs are widely used as a tool to fight poverty in developing countries, but a recent study from the Consortium on Financial Systems and Poverty suggests that they can have varying results for participants and may be the most cost-effective use of funds only in limited situations. The Thai Million Baht Village Fund is one of the largest government microfinance initiatives of its kind. Beginning in 2001, Thailand transferred one million Thai baht ($1.8 billion) in government funds to create almost 80,000 village ...

Hollywood mini-star and pop culture icon, Verne Troyer, joins the NavTones brand of celebrity GPS voices. Known for his roles in blockbuster films such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Men In Black, and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Verne Troyer's films have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, but it was his role as "Mini Me" alongside Mike Myers in the Austin Powers franchise that catapulted him to international stardom. His tough attitude from the Powers films carries over to his GPS voice, albeit with the hilarious vocalization that the muted ...

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia may spread within nerve networks in the brain by moving directly between connected neurons, instead of in other ways proposed by scientists, such as by propagating in all directions, according to researchers who report the finding in the March 22 edition of the journal Neuron. Led by neurologist and MacArthur Foundation "genius award" recipient William Seeley, MD, from the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, and post-doctoral fellow Helen Juan Zhou, PhD, now a faculty member at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, the ...

Bordeaux, France, March 21, 2012 -- An extensive study of country-specific risk of hip fracture and 10-year probability of a major fragility fracture has revealed a remarkably large geographic variation in fracture risk. Even accounting for possible errors or limitations in the source data, there was an astonishing 10-fold variation in hip fracture risk and fracture probability between countries. 'A systematic review of hip fracture incidence and probability of fracture worldwide', authored by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Working Group on Epidemiology ...

Australia's prolonged whooping cough epidemic has entered a disturbing new phase, with a study showing a new strain or genotype may be responsible for the sharp rise in the number of cases. A team of Australian scientists, led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), believe this emerging new genotype (called prn2-ptxP3) of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium may be evading the protective effects of the current acellular vaccine (ACV), and increasing the incidence of the potentially fatal respiratory illness, according to the study published in The Journal of Infectious ...