KINGSTON, R.I. – January 4, 2012 – Abraham Kovoor was studying a brain protein, called RGS9 2, that he had previously related to the involuntary, random and repetitive body movements that are side effects of drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. While studying these side effects, which are called dyskinesia, Kovoor, an assistant professor in the University of Rhode Island's College of Pharmacy, discovered that RGS9 2 also plays a role in regulating body weight. Results of his study were published in the November issue of PLoS One, an interactive ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments, according to research in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. This recent study, based on lab experiments conducted by researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, provides initial evidence that pythons may be able to survive in marine and estuarine environments such as bays, inlets and open seas. The results raise concerns ...

With over 25 years in practice, Dr. Feit, podiatrist in Boca Raton, FL and Margate, FL, invites patients to celebrate Associated Foot and Ankle Care's anniversary with them. Opening in 1986, Associated Foot and Ankle Care has been helping patients from children to seniors and everyone in between. Whether patients are experiencing heel pain, ankle pain, or any other kind of foot pain in Boca Raton and Margate, they can count on the podiatric professionals of Associated Foot and Ankle Care for exceptional care. With five podiatrists currently, patients can rely on Associated ...

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 -- CHAPEL HILL – People with high cholesterol are at risk of heart attack and stroke because atherosclerotic plaques within their arteries can rupture triggering the formation of a blood clot called an occlusive thrombus that cuts off the blood supply to their heart or brain. For years, scientists have studied the cause of this abnormal clotting. Now, a study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, has identified a molecular pathway that leads to this abnormal blood clotting and turned it ...

Father and son dental team, Drs. Roger Lent and Brett Lent, Santa Monica cosmetic dentists, are pleased to offer patients online appointment requesting availability. With their increased online availability, patients are now able to request an appointment with Lent Family Dental without altering their busy schedules. With just the click of their mouse, patients can visit the practice's website for accessibility to online appointment requests. From the homepage for Lent Family Dental, patients can click on the available link for appointment requests. Once on the appointment ...

The toothiest prehistoric predators also had beefier arm bones, according to results of a study published today in the journal Paleobiology. Saber-toothed tigers may come to mind, but these extinct cats weren't the only animals with fearsome fangs. Take the false saber-toothed cats--also known as nimravids--and their catlike cousins, a family of carnivores called the barbourofelids. These mammal groups lived millions of years before cats came to be, and had knife-like canines along with well-built arm bones, said Julie Meachen, a paleontologist at the National Science ...

Patients can rely on Dr. Scot Rosen, Hamilton dentist, for the completion of all of their dental health care needs. Dr. Rosen prides himself in completing all services and procedures to meet his patients' dental health care needs, including dental cleanings. "It is important that my patients receive superior dental care, and it is my honor to be able to complete all of their needed dental work myself. From routine cleanings to more complex procedures, I pride myself in performing them all," said Dr. Scot Rosen, dentist in Trenton. By performing available ...

Despite the depressing headlines throughout the world's press of late, property for sale in Monaco and the French Riviera is faring particularly well compared to many of its European neighbours. Recent research has proven that despite restrictive measures enforced by most governments, Europe is still leading the field in the sale of exclusive real estate to wealthy investors. Indeed, Sotheby's auction house has revealed that sales in luxury property in Monaco and France has risen by 38% this last quarter compared to the previous quarter. Those looking to purchase ...

SAN FRANCISCO (January 4, 2012) — Nature's game of intimidation and imitation comes full circle in the waters of Indonesia, where scientists have recorded for the first time an association between the black-marble jawfish (Stalix cf. histrio) and the mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus). Undescribed by scientists until 1998, the talented mimic octopus is known to impersonate toxic flatfish, lionfish, and even sea snakes by creatively configuring its limbs, adopting characteristic undulating movements, and displaying bold brown-and-white color patterns. Thanks to these ...

Scientists have determined the structure of the enzyme endomannosidase, significantly advancing our understanding of how a group of devastating human viruses including HIV and Hepatitis C hijack human enzymes to reproduce and cause disease. The findings open the door to the development of new drugs to combat these deadly viruses that infect more than 180 million people worldwide. The team of international scientists led by and Professor Gideon Davies from the University of York and Associate Professor Spencer Williams from the University of Melbourne, studied bacterial ...

A hemispherewide phenomenon – and not just regional forces – has caused record-breaking amounts of freshwater to accumulate in the Arctic's Beaufort Sea. Frigid freshwater flowing into the Arctic Ocean from three of Russia's mighty rivers was diverted hundreds of miles to a completely different part of the ocean in response to a decades-long shift in atmospheric pressure associated with the phenomenon called the Arctic Oscillation, according to findings published in the Jan. 5 issue of Nature. The new findings show that a low pressure pattern created by the Arctic Oscillation ...

The report from Moneysupermarket.com revealed that the average amount of non-mortgage debt paid off each month is GBP322 a month, around 25% of the average monthly net salary for a UK adult, while a shocking 8% claim to have spent over 80% of their wages repaying debt. And despite women having the reputation for being prolific shoppers, it is men that appear to have 15% more personal unsecured debt compared to their female counterparts -  on average GBP7,944 compared to GBP6,739. MoneySupermarket.com's head of loans and debt, Tim Moss, said: "With the cost of living ...

Northridge, CALIF (Jan 4, 2012) – Daily doses of a soy germ-based nutritional supplement containing S-equol significantly improved menopausal symptoms, including significantly reducing hot flash frequency after 12 weeks according to a placebo-controlled study in postmenopausal Japanese women published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Women's Health. "It is believed that S-equol, produced from the isoflavone daidzein during the fermentation of soy germ, interacts with specific estrogen receptors to promote the improvement in menopausal symptoms. Data from this study and ...

In 2006, the Food & Drug Administration approved two new models of silicone implants: one model was made by Mentor and the other by Allergan. This approval by the FDA proved controversial as many critics claimed there wasn't enough evidence of silicone implants being safe for the long term. To study how the implants held up over long-term, the FDA required both Mentor and Allergan to perform a variety of follow-up studies--some studies won't even end until 2016. The study involved 40,000 participants for each model, totaling 80,000 in all. Some studies included ...

January article highlights: Seriously, we're poisonous: Coloration is an honest signal of toxicity in poison frogs Bright Eyes: How butterflies recognize their compatriots in a world of mimics Researchers show how a nest parasite can be a good thing for an ant colony A rough start for a hatchling could mean duller plumage for life For a complete list of articles in the January issue, go to www.journals.uchicago.edu/an Seriously, we're poisonous: Coloration is an honest signal of toxicity in poison frogs The conspicuous colors of poisonous frogs serve as a warning ...

If you are looking to reduce the signs of facial aging that make you look prematurely aged, but you are not ready for a surgical facelift, you may be considering nonsurgical treatments. Nonsurgical facelifts are not an alternative to traditional facelifts, but they can be an interim treatment for some people. However, if you are considering using nonsurgical treatments for your facial rejuvenation, you should make sure that your choice of plastic surgeon is capable of combining treatments successfully. Here are some of the elements that go into a nonsurgical facelift. BOTOX ...

January 04, 2012-PORTLAND, Ore. — When patients with diabetes experience interruptions in health - insurance coverage, they are less likely to receive the screening tests and vaccines they need to protect their health. A new study finds that this is true even when patients receive free or reduced-cost medical care at federally funded safety net clinics. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and findings published online in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. “Our study shows that patients need continuous health insurance ...

With more than a decade of experience helping Tampa-area homeowners recover for sinkhole damage to their homes, Attorney Ted Corless, of Corless Associates, wants to clear the air related to recent coverage of sinkhole claims and insurance 'abuse' by policyholders. In the first of three articles to be run by the Tampa Bay Times, sinkhole insurance is characterized as the "Great Florida Sinkhole Lottery;" examples of Florida homeowners receiving payment for losses due to sinkhole damage and using the money for other purposes than repairing the damaged home are ...

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, with the majority of cases occurring in the Northeast. It has been three decades since the agent of the disease, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, and the ticks that vector it were identified. However, the number of Lyme disease cases have steadily increased. In a new article appearing in the forthcoming issuue of the Journal of Medical Entomology called "What Do We Need to Know About Disease Ecology to Prevent Lyme Disease in the Northeastern United States?" authors from Colorado ...

ST. LOUIS -- An investigational vaccine protected some women against infection from one of the two types of herpes simplex viruses that cause genital herpes, according to findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. The vaccine was partially effective at preventing herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), but did not protect women from herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). There were less than half of the cases of genital herpes caused by HSV-1 – 58 percent fewer -- in women who received the investigational vaccine compared to women who received the control vaccine. "There ...

Most states require minimum levels of auto insurance coverage and impose penalties on drivers who fail to comply with those laws. Louisiana law only requires liability insurance, but drivers can decide whether they want other coverage such as uninsured motorist and medical payments coverage. You should know about the available types of coverage since it can determine how you will be compensated for medical bills and property damage claims in the event of a car accident. Liability Insurance Requirements Louisiana requires drivers to carry minimum amounts of liability ...

A phase II clinical trial found that rilonacept, an inhibitor of the protein interleukin-1 (IL-1), significantly reduced acute gout flares that occur when initiating uric acid-lowering therapy. Results of the trial—the first placebo-controlled study investigating IL-1 targeted therapy in prevention of gout flares—show rilonacept to be generally well tolerated with no serious infections or treatment-related serious adverse events reported. Full findings are published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Patients with gout—a ...

Drivers might not be aware of two relatively new vehicle and traffic laws in New York that went into effect in the last year. The first law, found in New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law Article 1122-a, relates to bicyclists riding on the shoulder of a road. And the second law, Article 1144-a, relates to drivers and emergency vehicles stopped on the shoulder of a road. Being Mindful of Bicyclists Article 1122-a of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires drivers approaching a bicyclist on the shoulder of the road to make an effort to put as much distance ...

WASHINGTON—The rezoning around a planned light rail line in the Twin Cities would create both opportunities and potential risks for the health of the people in the communities it would pass through, according to a health impact assessment (HIA) released today by PolicyLink, TakeAction Minnesota, and ISAIAH, a nonprofit coalition of 90 congregations of various faiths in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud region. The HIA was made possible through a grant by the Health Impact Project, which is a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable ...

In the 1980s, crack-cocaine use was seen as a problem of epic proportions. The conversion of powder cocaine to crack transformed what had been an expensive drug into a much cheaper, more widely available and -- in the beginning -- more potent drug. From the creation of a Cabinet-level Drug Czar to additional legislation from Congress, a variety of actions were demanded by the public to stop the perceived drug crime epidemic. Part of the response by Congress was increased penalties for crack-possession convictions, including mandatory minimum prison sentences that were ...