Architecture firm Perkins & Will and design firm Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB) tapped lean materials management consultants St. Onge to assist in the development of a new hospital design that won Kaiser Permanente's first-ever "Small Hospital, Big Idea" competition. The goal was to design a small, eco-conscious hospital that provided the best in emerging care delivery. St. Onge was asked to join the design team to provide lean materials management and support services consulting. "Perkins & Will and M+NLB created a small hospital design which ...

In an effort to save the dwindling honeybee population researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas are looking to viruses to help treat one of the most destructive and widespread bee brood diseases in the United States. They report their findings today at the 2012 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. "Our food supply depends on the actions of millions of insects such as the common honeybee. Due to the importance of honeybees a pollinators in the agriculture of the United States and therefore the current and future food supply, honeybee health ...

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012 — The least appealing part of the world's most popular citrus fruits could soon be more alluring to cosmetic and drug manufacturers and, perhaps, eventually help heat our homes and fuel our cars. In research described today at the 16th annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, scientists from the United Kingdom said they have developed a sustainable way to extract and find uses for virtually every bit of the 15.6 million tons of orange and other citrus peel discarded worldwide every year. These uses could include biosolvents, fragrances ...

The quirky community of Peaks Island, Maine may soon be known as more than a vacationer's paradise near Portland. On July 7, its Umbrella Cover Museum—the only one in the world—will count and categorize over 700 umbrella sleeves from nearly 50 countries in an attempt to make Guinness Book of World RecordsTM. "We've been trying to get in for years," says museum founder Nancy 3. Hoffman, who opened the museum in 1996. "The Guinness people literally get tens of thousands of requests for new categories." The stories behind the umbrella covers have ...

SALT LAKE CITY, June 18, 2012 – Scientists worldwide are racing to sequence DNA – decipher genetic blueprints – faster and cheaper than ever by passing strands of the genetic material through molecule-sized pores. Now, University of Utah scientists have adapted this "nanopore" method to find DNA damage that can lead to mutations and disease. The chemists report the advance in the week of June 18 online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We're using this technique and synthetic organic chemistry to be able to see a damage site as ...

The Humane Society of Northwest Montana, home of the Charlotte Edkins Animal Adoption Center, announced today the award of a generous $45,000 grant award from the Petco Foundation, headquartered in San Diego, CA. Through the Foundation's "Capital Grant Program", this extraordinary gift will be used to replace the Humane Society's highly visible, beloved, and converted recreational truck known as the "Beagle". The Beagle is now well over 29 years old and maintenance and repairs have reached a point where the asset must be replaced. The Humane Society ...

Boral Stone Products LLC has announced the appointment of Emily Bonilla as Cultured Stone manufactured stone Area Sales Manager for the Rocky Mountain region. As part of the Western Region of Boral Stone, Bonilla will spearhead the company's sales efforts for the Cultured Stone manufactured stone veneer product in a territory covering the greater Denver market. "We are pleased to have Emily Bonilla join us as Rocky Mountain Area Sales Manager," said Dennis Merino, Vice President of Sales with Boral Stone Products. "Her knowledge of the Cultured Stone ...

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012 — News media and others interested in advancing the role of green chemistry can join a panel discussion on Wednesday, June 20, during the 16th annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference. From 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. (EDT) the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® (ACS GCI) will provide live streaming video of "Advancing Global Green Chemistry — The Role of Government, Business and Academia." To participate, click here. This free event will allow ACS GCI to utilize state-of-the-art technology to further enhance the profile and importance ...

CHICAGO – Among patients who underwent bariatric surgery, there was a higher prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the second year after surgery, and specifically after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, compared with the years immediately before and following surgery, according to a study in the June 20 issue of JAMA. This study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. "As the prevalence of severe obesity increases in the United States, it is becoming increasingly common ...

Top music acts from around the world will be performing for packed crowds at 2F White, a forthcoming party at the New Taipei City Exhibition Hall. The annual event is taking place for the sixth time on July 7th 2012, offering a stellar line-up of performers, headlined by renowned Dutch trance music pioneer Ferry Corsten. Also in attendance will be Egyptian DJ duo Aly & Fila, Swedish house act AN21 & Max Vangeli and rising trance star Orjan Nilsen, plus Taiwanese DJs Cookie and Reaz:ON. Proceedings get underway at 21:00 local time and continue until 04:00, ...

Hospitalizations for children with high blood pressure and related charges dramatically increased during 10 years ending in 2006, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. This nationally-based study is the first in which researchers examined hypertension hospitalizations in children. While researchers expected a rise in hospitalizations due to the increased frequency of high blood pressure in children, "the economic burden created by inpatient childhood high blood pressure was surprising," said Cheryl Tran, M.D., study lead ...

Eating a high-salt diet for several years may damage blood vessels — increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure, according to research reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. People with this type of blood vessel damage who eat a high-salt diet are more likely to develop hypertension, or high blood pressure. This research hints at the presence of a "sodium amplification loop" in which eating too much salt for a long time damages blood vessels, leading to a greater chance of developing high blood pressure if the high-salt diet is continued. Researchers ...

Singapore will stage a new production of the ever-popular musical spectacular La Cage aux Folles from July 20th to August 4th 2012.   The show - which was adapted for Broadway in 1983 from the original French play by Jean Poiret - is coming to the Esplanade Theatre with a local cast and a reworked story that relocates the action to Singapore.   La Cage aux Folles tells the story of George, suave owner of the eponymous nightclub, and his happy relationship with his long-term partner, the flamboyant drag queen Albin.   However, when the couple's son John announces that ...

CHICAGO – Loneliness in individuals over 60 years of age appears associated with increased risk of functional decline and death, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. In older persons, loneliness can be a common source of distress and impaired quality life, according to the study background. Carla M. Perissinotto, M.D., M.H.S., of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues examined the relationship between loneliness and risk of functional decline and death in older individuals in ...

SANTA CRUZ, Ca.--A continued increase of Lyme disease in the United States, once linked to a recovering deer population, may instead be explained by a decline of the red fox, UC Santa Cruz researchers suggest in a new study. The team's findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal that although deer populations have stabilized, Lyme disease has increased across the northeastern and midwestern United States over the past three decades. The increase coincides with shrinking populations of the red fox, which feeds on small mammals, ...

The Suffolk County Bar Association, one of the largest voluntary bar associations in the State of New York which represents the lawyers of Suffolk County, has appointed two attorneys from Roe Taroff Taitz & Portman, LLP to chair significant association committees. Partner Elliott M. Portman has been appointed for a fourth term as chair of the Creditor's Rights Committee. Counselor Christine R. Shiebler has been appointed to a two-year term as co-chair of the Surrogate's Court Committee, a role that partner John J. Roe III most recently held. "These independent ...

CHICAGO – Living alone was associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular death in an international study of stable outpatients at risk of or with arterial vascular disease (such as coronary disease or peripheral vascular disease), according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. Social isolation may be associated with poor health consequences, and the risk associated with living alone is relevant because about 1 in 7 American adults lives alone. Epidemiological evidence suggests that social isolation ...

CHICAGO – A study that examined national outcome differences between laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass suggests that the minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure was associated with greater safety and used fewer resources because of shorter hospital stays and less cost, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Surgery, a JAMA Network publication. A major public health concern, obesity has been associated with such adverse health conditions as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and some cancers. Bariatric ...

CHICAGO – A survey of surgical interns suggests many of them believe that new duty-hour restrictions will decrease continuity with patients, coordination of care and time spent operating, as well as reduce their acquisition of medical knowledge, development of surgical skills and overall educational experience, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Surgery, a JAMA Network publication. In July 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented new resident duty-hour standards, including more supervision and a 16-hour shift ...

CHICAGO – Among well-functioning older adults without dementia, diabetes mellitus (DM) and poor glucose control among those with DM are associated with worse cognitive function and greater cognitive decline, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, a JAMA Network publication. Findings from previous studies have suggested an association between diabetes mellitus and an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer disease, but this association continues to be debated and less is known regarding incident DM in late ...

CHICAGO – A population-based study from the United Kingdom suggests that the common skin condition psoriasis may be a risk factor for the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a report published Online First by Archives of Dermatology, a JAMA Network publication. Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by scaling of the skin, affects 2 percent to 4 percent of the adult population, according to the study background. Rahat S. Azfar, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and colleagues used data from The Health Improvement ...

Continuing an annual tradition, trucking transport company Refrigerated Food Express, Inc. will once again donate the use of one of their 53-foot long refrigerated trailer for the 2012 Pan Mass Challenge. Refrigerated trailers are traditionally used for food transport and storage, and will be utilized for that purpose once again this year. With the trailer provided by Refrigerated Food Express, cyclists from across Massachusetts will have energy and refreshment as they engage in the important fight against cancer. The Pan Mass Challenge is a large-scale fundraiser presented ...

CHICAGO – Smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer, according to a report of a meta-analysis and review of available medical literature published Online First by Archives of Dermatology, a JAMA Network publication. About 97 percent of skin cancers are epithelial (cells that cover the skin) in origin and are either basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) or squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), which are collectively known as nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The incidence of NMSC is increasing worldwide with an estimated 2 ...

CHICAGO – Among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, a history of chronic inflammation in the mouth (periodontitis, i.e. gum disease) may be associated with an increased risk of tumors positive for human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a report published Online First by Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, a JAMA Network publication. The National Cancer Institute has reported a steady increase in the prevalence of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States since 1973, despite a significant decline in tobacco use since 1965, according to ...

Do away with the DJ and scrap the composer. A computer program powered by Darwinian natural selection and the musical tastes of 7,000 website users may be on the way to creating a perfect pop tune, according to new research published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Scientists from Imperial College London have devised a way of producing music from noises without a composer. They programmed a computer to produce loops of random sounds and analyse the opinions of musical consumers, who decided which ones they liked. The result ...