Contact: Eivind Ystrom, Ph.D. eivind.ystrom@fhi.no 47-990-01-730 (Norway) Norwegian Institute of Public Health Alexis Edwards, Ph.D. aedwards5@vcu.edu 804-828-8591 Virginia Commonwealth University Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Oft-used DSM diagnosis of alcohol dependence shows reliability A new study examined the reliability of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of alcohol dependence (AD) in a population-based sample. Characteristics relevant to the disorder – number ...

Before making the vital decision of which personal injury solicitor you contact, there are a few pieces of information that you should be clear on regarding the incident in question. If you believe that you have been the victim of an act of medical negligence or personal injury visit your General Practitioner as soon as possible for supportive evidence of your injuries. If involved in a traffic accident the same applies and injuries should be documented in a medical report for potential use in your case If the circumstances dictate (such as a traffic or pedestrian ...

Contact: J. Kim Penberthy, Ph.D. jkp2n@virginia.edu 434-243-0570 University of Virginia School of Medicine Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Motivation to change, confidence to resist temptation, should tailor alcohol-dependence treatment People seeking help for their alcohol or other drug problems enter treatment with very different levels of motivation to change. Differences in motivation appear to make a critical difference in which patients seek, comply with, and complete treatment. Findings from a study of the extent to which motivation and ...

Contact: Rebecca J. Howard, Ph.D. reba@mail.utexas.edu 512-232-2487 The University of Texas at Austin Gregg Homanics, Ph.D. homanicsge@anes.upmc.edu 412-648-8172 University of Pittsburgh Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Understanding alcohol's damaging effects on the brain While alcohol has a wide range of pharmacological effects on the body, the brain is a primary target. However, the molecular mechanisms by which alcohol alters neuronal activity in the brain are poorly understood. Participants in a symposium at the June 2010 annual ...

HOUSTON - (June 15, 2011) – When Noah and Alexis Beery were diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2, their parents thought they at last had an answer to the problems that had plagued their twin infants from birth. However, that proved only a way station on a journey to find an answer to the children's problems that combined their mother's determination, the high tech world of next-generation sequencing in the Baylor Human Genome Sequencing Center (http://www.hgsc.bcm.tmc.edu/) (HGSC) and the efforts of talented physicians from across the country. In a report in the current ...

This example of an employment law Q&A reinforces the need to find a good employment solicitor to explain its intricacies. What is the procedure when a former employee decides to sue for unfair dismissal? The former employee would submit the form ET1 detailing the complaint, their personal information and any remedy sought. Employment solicitors can ensure this is done correctly. Upon receipt of the ET1 the employer must respond with form ET3 within 28 days outlining the particulars of their response. The parties involved will then enter the 'conciliation process' ...

An international consortium of researchers report today in Nature that they have knocked out almost 40 per cent of the genes in the mouse genome. The completed resource will power studies of gene activity in models of human disease. The results are founded on a novel, efficient production line that is able to target each specific gene in turn. The consortium has cracked all the challenges of generating mutations of each gene in mouse embryonic stem cells, and has already knocked out 9,000 genes in the mouse genome as part of an international effort to knockout all 21,000. ...

In a new study published today in the journal Nature, scientists discovered an entirely new way to change the genetic code. The findings, though early, are significant because they may ultimately help researchers alter the course of devastating genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and many forms of cancer. The genetic code is the set of instructions in a gene that tell a cell how to make a specific protein. Central to the body's protein production process is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which takes these instructions from DNA and directs the steps ...

New Haven, Conn.—Astronomers have been peering farther and farther into space, and back in time, using the world's most powerful telescopes to detect galaxies billions of light years away that existed when the universe was just a fraction of its current age. But detecting the giant black holes thought to lurk at the centers of those galaxies has proven much more difficult. Now a team of astronomers has discovered the earliest black holes ever detected, despite the fact that they are hidden from view by their host galaxies. They also measured the average growth rate of ...

Debenhams has revealed that the de rigueur way for British men to wear their shirts this season is with three buttons undone, otherwise known as the 'shirtego' trend. Last seen on seventies lotharios such as Richard Gere in 'American Gigolo' and John Travolta in 'Saturday Night Fever', the bare chest has marked the return of the 'machosexual' - men who are not afraid to be masculine, confident and sexy. Department store, Debenhams asked its customers, "how low can you go?" and found that 75 per cent of men now regularly wear their shirt with three buttons ...

Leading Canadian health and environmental experts today issued a list of the top five ways parents can protect their children from toxic substances in and around the home. Controlling house dust; switching to less-toxic, fragrance-free cleaners; taking extreme care with renovation projects; avoiding certain types and uses of plastics; and choosing fish that are low in mercury are the five priority actions recommended by the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE) to reduce common sources of toxic exposure associated with child health risks. ...

PHILADELPHIA – Sixty-six percent of publicly-insured children were unable to get a doctor's appointment for medical conditions requiring outpatient specialty care including diabetes and seizures, while children with identical symptoms and private insurance were turned away only 11 percent of the time, according to an audit study of specialty physician practices in Cook County, Ill. conducted by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings are published in the June 16 issue of ...

Young adults who are web savvy, but lack knowledge about federal government, may struggle to use the web for political participation, according to a team of researchers. "There's a misconception that young adults are naturally skilled at all computer techniques," said Jens Grossklags, assistant professor of information sciences and technology, Penn State. "And while they might be comfortable on some sites and social networks, that doesn't necessarily mean that young adults know how to use the Internet for political participation." In an experiment, the researchers provided ...

The National Trust has announced that this summer looks set to be the best for butterflies in more than 30 years as population's boom, sales of butterfly products increase and butterfly imagery is adopted by big high street brands. At the half way point in the butterfly season there has been a number of record breaking early appearances from spring species thanks to the warm and dry weather, especially in April. The favourable conditions are also leading experts to predict that a number of species will produce extra generations this year. Matthew Oates, wildlife ...

New York, NY, June 15, 2011—A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that Medicaid managed care plans that are owned by publicly traded for-profit companies whose primary line of business is managing Medicaid enrollees spent an average of 14 percent of premiums on administrative costs, compared with an average of only 10 percent spent by non-publicly traded plans owned by groups of health care providers, health systems, community health centers, or clinics. Sampling health plans with at least 5,000 enrollees resulted in an initial sample of 225 Medicaid managed care plans representing ...

Malaria is a devastating disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Hundreds of millions of new cases of malaria are reported each year, and there are more than 750,000 malaria-related deaths annually. As a result, there is an urgent need for vaccines to combat infection. Now, a new study uncovers a powerful strategy for eliciting an immune response that can combat the parasite during multiple stages of its complex life cycle and describes what may be the most effective next-generation vaccination approach for malaria. ...

When populations around the globe started turning to agriculture around 10,000 years ago, regardless of their locations and type of crops, a similar trend occurred: The height and health of the people declined. "This broad and consistent pattern holds up when you look at standardized studies of whole skeletons in populations," says Amanda Mummert, an Emory University graduate student in anthropology. Mummert led the first comprehensive, global review of the literature regarding stature and health during the agriculture transition, to be published by the journal Economics ...

Thomson Holidays has officially launched Thomson Couples, an all-new adults-only holiday experience aimed at couples who want to spend time abroad in a child-free environment. With the first Couples customers flying out in June, Thomson is the first mainstream travel company to offer 100% child-free holiday resorts worldwide. News of the launch of the adult-only holidays will be welcomed by more than three quarters (79%) of all those questioned for a Thomson Holidays survey who admitted their holidays were affected by other people's children, while 31% said that unruly ...

An evaluation of the Public Health Grid (PHGrid) technology during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic could enhance the capabilities of epidemiologists and disease-control agencies when the next emergent disease appears, according to a study published in the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing. Terry Boyd and colleagues at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, Georgia, working with informatics specialists at Deloitte Consulting LLP, explain how historically, public health surveillance systems in the USA were designed to register ...

Mice inhabiting an area known for its high concentration of asbestos-contaminated dust, have a higher level of genetic somatic mutations, compared with other regions where asbestos pollution levels are lower. This has been shown in a new study carried out by Dr. Rachel Ben-Shlomo and Dr. Uri Shanas of the University of Haifa's Department of Biology in Oranim. "This study clearly indicates that there is a link between the higher levels of asbestos in the environment and the frequency of genetic somatic mutations in the mammals," the scientists said. Earlier studies of ...

Competing in races is the life of a runner. But, for sportspeople with sensory impairments, any race is one of obstacles. Tecnalia is working intensely on eliminating these obstacles. The system involves a series of wireless-interconnected devices in order to facilitate the starts in time trials for persons with sensory disabilities and thus enable the athlete to have a reaction time equal to his or her competitors. This is a pioneering system, developed by Tecnalia with the help of the Basque companies Enkoa and Leabai and of the Gipuzkoan Federation for Adapted Sports. ...

It is assumed that many bird species are monogamous, yet infidelity is a widespread phenomenon. The advantage for the male seems obvious as in this way he can increase the number of his offspring. A female, however, mostly faces costs. The cuckolded partners often reduce their parental care. In addition, the extra lovers also may transmit diseases. Nevertheless, some females actively seek such contacts. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen investigated a large number of zebra finches and found a possible explanation for this behaviour. In ...

42U, a leading national data center engineering consulting company, is pleased to announce that the company is hosting a free web cast seminar entitled, Key Data Center Metrics, June 28, 2011 at 11 am MDT. 42U's featured panel of experts include Mark Monroe, Executive Director of The Green Grid; Scot Heath, CTO at 42U; and John Pflueger, Principal Environmental Strategist at Dell. "This discussion will provide our audience with an understanding of data center efficiency and sustainability metrics" says Trica Ang, Marketing Director for 42U. "In addition ...

A new report launched today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA) reveals that the burden of fractures in Europe has been vastly underestimated. The report concludes that in Europe's five largest countries and Sweden alone, an estimated 2.5 million new fragility fractures occurred in 2010 – the equivalent of 280 fractures per hour. It also showed an astounding eighty deaths per day attributable to fragility fractures. 'Osteoporosis: Burden, health care provision ...

Researchers from North Carolina State University have designed a sensor that can measure strain in structural materials and is capable of healing itself – an important advance for collecting data to help us make informed decisions about structural safety in the wake of earthquakes, explosions or other unexpected events. Engineers use sensors to measure the strain, or forces, exerted on materials used to build everything from airplanes to civil infrastructure. For example, these sensors can tell us how an airplane wing is performing in flight, and give maintenance authorities ...