A new formula that can predict future health costs more accurately than previous models could help guide commissioning budgets for general practices under the government's new Health Bill, finds a study published on bmj.com today. The model (known as the 'person based resource allocation' or PBRA) was developed to help allocate resources for commissioning hospital care to all general practices in England, based on the health needs of each individual registered in each practice. A team of researchers led by The Nuffield Trust set out to develop a formula that was accurate ...

Grey seals have different types of personality that affect the extent to which they guard and care for their young, according to new research. Researchers from Durham University and the University of St Andrews, looking at seal colonies in Scotland, found that seal mothers are often unpredictable and adopt a wide variation of mothering styles when it comes to checking on their pups. Some are very attentive while others are not, the researchers found. The Durham-St Andrews study shows, for the first time, the extent of personality differences in marine mammals in the ...

In a new study published this month in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have pinpointed the cancer-fighting potential in the bat plant, or Tacca chantrieri. Susan Mooberry, Ph.D., leader of the Experimental Development Therapeutics Program at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center and a professor of pharmacology at the UT Health Science Center, has been working to isolate substances in the plant, looking for a plant-derived cancer drug with the potential of Taxol. Taxol, the first ...

Registration requirements and other restrictions placed on people convicted of sex crimes in Pennsylvania recently have been the subject of much debate in the Pennsylvania Legislature. Lawmakers are deciding whether to adopt provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Act that would tighten restrictions on sex offenders or to forgo federal funding in the form of law enforcement grants to avoid enacting federal rules that some believe would not serve Pennsylvania residents well. Supporters of the proposed sex-offender legislation say it would increase public safety and guarantee ...

New Rochelle, NY -- Bioengineering -- the application of engineering principles to understand and treat medical conditions -- is delivering innovative solutions for diagnosing and repairing damage to the brain caused by a traumatic injury. A broad sample of these new, cutting-edge techniques is presented in a special issue of Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com) The entire issue is available online at http:// www.liebertpub.com/neu The issue captures the broad scope of current and future diagnostic ...

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced last month that nine manufacturers and distributors have initiated a voluntary recall of pourable gel fuels intended for use in outdoor firepots. The recall occurred after the CPSC received reports that at least 65 people suffered injuries when the fuel spontaneously combusted while they were pouring it into their firepots. So far, two people have died and 34 have been hospitalized with second- or third-degree burn injuries. Product Described as "Napalm-Like" The injuries occurred while consumers ...

Traffic congestion is something many of us deal with on a daily basis. When considering lost time and added fuel costs, it comes as little surprise that the collective effects of congestion cost Americans billions every year. However, according to a new study from AAA, the substantial costs of congestion pale in comparison to the cost of traffic accidents. The Economic Toll of Motor Vehicle Accidents More Than Triple That of Congestion In early November, AAA released a report that compared traffic congestion and automobile crashes in terms of economic impact for the ...

This press release is available in French. Montreal -- Too much fast food, poor meal choices and bad eating habits are causing more Canadians to be overweight or obese. Despite this trend, individuals who eat well are 20 per cent less likely to be obese, according to a study by Concordia University economists published in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. "The risk of being obese or overweight is directly related to bad eating habits such as skipping meals, eating away from home, high consumption of fast and processed foods, as well as low consumption ...

The clinical trial was random, regulated, double-blinded and broad-based. The drug was tested on 457 patients, aged 16-45, who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a short time before joining the trial. The trial took place in around 40 medical centers in Europe, Israel and South Africa. The patients in the trial were randomly assigned to one of two groups: One received the trial drug (DiaPep277®) through a subcutaneous injection once every three months, for a period of two years, while the control group was given a placebo in the same way. In addition, all of the patients ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – While most people only gain about a pound of weight during the holiday season, that pound may never come off, increasing the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese and the risk of related health problems, according to a National Institutes of Health study. University of Missouri dietitians recommend families maintain healthy diet and exercise habits during the holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving. Donna Mehrle, registered dietitian and extension associate in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, reminds people to consider ...

Authorities Break Up Maryland Child Pornography Ring In June, a Maryland man pled guilty to one count of interstate advertisement of child pornography. The man used a friend-sharing program to establish a child pornography network that shared over 10,000 images and photos of young boys with over 70 "buddies." Everyone in the network was encouraged to manufacture "fresh" material for the group. Those who did not were threatened with being kicked out. According to statements made by the man, he spent several hours a day making new videos for the ...

By 2017, quantum physics will help reduce the energy consumption of our computers and cellular phones by up to a factor of 100. For research and industry, the power consumption of transistors is a key issue. The next revolution will likely come from tunnel-FET, a technology that takes advantage of a phenomenon referred to as "quantum tunneling." At the EPFL, but also in the laboratories of IBM Zurich and the CEA-Leti in France, research is well underway. As part of a special issue of Nature devoted to silicon, Adrian Ionescu, an EPFL researcher, has written an article on ...

With the prevalence and speed of the Internet and mobile devices, racy photos and conversation are often shared via email, chat or text. Colorado has tough legislation that targets sexual exploitation of children that occurs over electronic media. Internet sex crimes have gained notoriety following various political scandals. In a recent case, a 37-year-old Colorado Springs school board member was accused of sending text messages to a 14-year-old boy. The text messages discovered by the boy's sister were sexual in nature and referenced oral sex. The messages started ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University researchers have discovered a fine-tuning mechanism involved in plant root growth that has them questioning whether a popular herbicide may have unintended consequences, causing some plants to need more water or nutrients. Angus Murphy, a professor of horticulture, and Wendy Peer, an assistant professor of horticulture, study the movement of auxin, a plant hormone essential for plant development. They showed that ABCB4, a protein responsible for moving auxin into cells, also removes the hormone when too much has accumulated. "We ...

Boston – In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to examine the relationship between pre-existing depression (with and without anxiety) and the amount of time to diagnostically resolve an abnormal mammogram and/or Pap test, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found suffering from depression was not associated with a prolonged time to diagnostic resolution in a vulnerable population of urban women. These findings currently appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Delays in care after abnormal cancer screenings contribute ...

In support of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, Howard D. Olinsky, L'85, a disability law attorney representing clients across the country, has announced a commitment of $100,000 to BBI, one of the institute's most generous private donations. "This fantastic gift will help ensure that BBI builds the next generation of young leaders by supporting fellowships for law students to positively impact people with disabilities," said University Professor Peter Blanck, BBI chairman. "Howard's commitment is a perfect example of an investment ...

The Olympic Games are big business and generate substantial amounts of revenue for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through lucrative television contracts and corporate sponsorship. The Games are now also widely perceived as important promotional opportunities for cities seeking to reinforce their claims as 'world class' destinations for tourists and capital in the global economy. Related to these latter goals, beginning with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Games have also been envisioned by civic elites as opportunities to develop under-utilized land through ...

In many cases, tumors suppress a patient's immune system in a way that keeps the cancer safe from immune system attack. This is particularly true for patients with glioblastoma, a primary brain tumor that carries a prognosis of only 12-15 months survival after diagnosis. A study at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, recently published as a featured article in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, shows that treatment with the over-the-counter amino acid arginine may reactivate cancer-fighting T-cells in patients with glioblastoma, thus potentially allowing the ...

We represented Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC in an appeal of a judgment against Garlock entered by the US District Court in Louisville, Kentucky. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the judgment and effectively rendered judgment against the plaintiff in Garlock's favor. The plaintiff, Olwen Moeller, individually and as executrix for the estate of Robert L. Moeller, sued Garlock alleging Mr. Moeller's work as a pipefitter with asbestos-containing gaskets made by Garlock were a substantial cause of his mesothelioma. Plaintiff supported ...

Conventional wisdom would say that blocking a hole would prevent light from going through it, but Princeton University engineers have discovered the opposite to be true. A research team has found that placing a metal cap over a small hole in a metal film does not stop the light at all, but rather enhances its transmission. In an example of the extraordinary twists of physics that can occur at very small scales, electrical engineer Stephen Chou and colleagues made an array of tiny holes in a thin metal film, then blocked each hole with an opaque metal cap. When they shined ...

The law firm of Martin Banks has expanded its Social Security Disability and Long-Term Disability practice with the addition of Associate, Maria E. Harris. Ms. Harris focuses her practice exclusively on Social Security and Long-Term Disability law. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harris practiced at an international defense firm litigating insurance matters in the areas of life, health, disability and ERISA claims. She has also previously served as a law clerk in the Family Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey. In 2007, Ms. Harris earned her law degree from Widener ...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Although men have higher cancer mortality rates than women, they are less willing to be screened for cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues at Sanoa Consulting LLC, Muscle Shoals, Ala., and the New York University College of Dentistry. The study, which was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/National Institutes of Health, was conducted in New York City, Baltimore, Maryland and San Juan, Puerto Rico, through a random-dial telephone survey of 1,148 adult ...

One of the most recent, popular supplements for athletes looking to boost performance comes in the form of a naturally-occurring amino acid called L-arginine. The reason for its popularity is twofold says Scott Forbes, a doctoral student in exercise physiology. "First, L-arginine is a precursor for nitric oxide that is known to improve blood flow, which in turn may aid the delivery of important nutrients to working muscles and assist with metabolic waste product removal. Secondly, L-arginine has been shown to increase growth hormone levels in the blood." The benefits ...

Use of retail medical clinics located in pharmacies and other retail settings increased 10-fold between 2007 and 2009, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The determining factors in choosing a retail medical clinic over a physician's office were found to be age, health status, income and proximity to the clinic. No link between availability of a primary care physician and retail clinic use was found. The study was published in the American Journal of Managed Care. The RAND team used data from a commercially-insured population of 13.3 million to describe ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Wrinkles and folds are ubiquitous. They occur in furrowed brows, planetary topology, the surface of the human brain, even the bottom of a gecko's foot. In many cases, they are nature's ingenious way of packing more surface area into a limited space. Scientists, mimicking nature, have long sought to manipulate surfaces to create wrinkles and folds to make smaller, more flexible electronic devices, fluid-carrying nanochannels or even printable cell phones and computers. But to attain those technology-bending feats, scientists must fully understand the ...