Despite a high level of global awareness of trafficking in persons, not enough is known about the scale and health implications of trafficking, according to a new editorial published in this week's PLoS Medicine. The editorial accompanies a six-part series on Migration and Health (http://www.ploscollections.org/article/browseIssue.action?issue=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fissue.pcol.v07.i14), published by PLoS Medicine in May and June 2011. The editors argue that even compiling an international picture of the numbers affected by trafficking is challenging, with statistical ...

The Vision Zero report released by Transportation Alternatives in partnership with the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy gained support from New York auto accident lawyer David Perecman. Revealed in the report available to New York auto accident lawyers, more people in New York City have died in auto accidents than from guns in the past decade. The group of transportation advocates is now using the statistics to kick off an aggressive street safety campaign called Vision Zero. Vision Zero means "zero deaths, zero injuries and zero fear of traffic." ...

In the final article in a six-part PLoS Medicine series on migration & health, Anita Davies and colleagues from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) discuss the specific health risks and policy needs associated with return migration. As global migration increases generally, so too does return to home countries, where the health of returnees is impacted by the cumulative exposure to social determinants and risk factors of health during the migration process, during the return movement, and following return. The authors say that "to maintain and improve the ...

The world's oceans support vast populations of single-celled organisms (phytoplankton) that are responsible, through photosynthesis, for removing about half of the carbon dioxide that is produced by burning fossil fuels – as much as the rainforests and all other terrestrial systems combined. One group of phytoplankton, known as the coccolithophores, are known for their remarkable ability to build chalk (calcium carbonate) scales inside their cells, which are secreted to form a protective armour on the cell surface. On a global scale this calcification process accounts ...

An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that intensive-dose statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes compared with moderate-dose therapy, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. Compared with placebo, statin therapy significantly reduces cardiovascular events among individuals with and without a history of diabetes mellitus. Recently, findings of several trials comparing intensive- to moderate-dose statin therapy suggested an excess risk of new diabetes among those treated with intensive statin regimens, ...

Female workers at the Central Park Boathouse are routinely being subjected to sexual harassment by their bosses, according to the New York Daily News. Six current and former employees have filed acivil rights violation lawsuit against the famous restaurant saying they were subjected to sexual harassment and workplace discrimination by managers. "The restaurant industry is no stranger to sexual harassment lawsuits. In 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recognized the restaurant industry as the 'single largest' source of sexual harassment ...

Only about 10 percent of patients with a certain type of heart attack who need to be transferred to another hospital for a PCI (procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) are transferred within the recommended time of 30 minutes, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. "Primary percutaneous coronary intervention is the preferred method of reperfusion for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI; a certain pattern on an electrocardiogram following a heart attack], yet approximately ...

Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and who are also smokers have an associated increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and prostate cancer-specific death, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. These patients also had an increased likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence. Accumulating evidence suggests that smoking may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality. However, studies of smoking in relation to prostate cancer mortality or recurrence in prostate cancer patients are limited, with few prostate cancer-specific ...

A Southfield, MI murder case the United States Supreme Court dealt a shocking blow to your Constitutional rights. In essence, the Court gutted the People's right to remain silent under the long established Miranda Warnings. Now, according the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 decision in Berghuis v. Thompkins, 08-1470, decided June 1, 2010, if the police read you your rights, your silence is no longer golden. Instead, you must speak up and specifically tell the police that you want to remain silent and that you will not answer any questions. If you do not "affirmatively assert" ...

Over the past 2 decades the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease in the U.S. increased in direct proportion to the prevalence of diabetes itself, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common complication of diabetes and the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in the developed world. Approximately 40 percent of persons with diabetes develop DKD, which also accounts for nearly half of all new cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States. "Over time, the prevalence of DKD may increase due to the expanding ...

In a study that included nearly 14,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, the use of certain disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs was found to lower the risk of diabetes, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. Two common systemic inflammatory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis, predispose patients to insulin resistance and may place patients at risk for diabetes mellitus (DM). The treatment of psoriasis and RA includes disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, which are ...

Boston, MA – A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and University of California, San Francisco, researchers suggests that men with prostate cancer who smoke increase their risk of prostate cancer recurrence and of dying from the disease. A link also was found between smoking at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis and aggressive prostate cancer, overall mortality (death) and cardiovascular disease mortality. "In our study, we found similar results for both prostate cancer recurrence and prostate cancer mortality," said Stacey Kenfield, lead author ...

This year, in the case of McDonald v City of Chicago, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment extends throughout the United States and protects gun owners in every state and municipality. The Court unequivocally affirmed an individual's right to own handguns for self-defense. While gun-control laws may still be legal, the Court has also effectively prohibited states and localities from complete bans on gun ownership. In short, gun control efforts will be subjected to constitutional scrutiny and analysis. If restrictions go too far, courts are likely to find such ...

Diabetic kidney disease has become more prevalent in the United States over the past 20 years, despite a substantial increase in the use of medications for the treatment of people with diabetes, according to a study to be published June 22 in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. These medications include drugs that lower glucose, blood pressure and lipids. The widespread application of medications proven to improve health in clinical trials has markedly bettered the control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in the diabetic population ...

After two days of testimony by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States District Court in Detroit granted the defendant's motion to dismiss the indictment, and immediately released Jesus Manuel Caro-Villalobos of Silt, Colorado, from custody. The Court ruled that the government clearly violated Mr. Caro's constitutional right to a speedy-trial. See U.S. v. Caro-Villalobos, EDMI, # 00-80572. Regarding the Court's decision, Mr. Caro's attorney, former federal prosecutor John Freeman of Troy, remarked, ...

Researchers in Australia have discovered that mothers who smoke during pregnancy are causing developmental changes to their unborn babies that lead to them having lower levels of the type of cholesterol that is known to protect against heart disease in later life – high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The research, published online today in the European Heart Journal [1], showed that, by the age of eight years, children born to mothers who smoked while they were pregnant had HDL cholesterol levels of about 1.3 millimoles per litre (mmol/L), compared to the more ...

Every year more than 20,000 people in Indiana sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Nationwide, about one million people experience a TBI each year. Medical advancements have reduced fatalities from brain injuries, but as a result many people are now living with disabilities stemming from brain injuries. A TBI is defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an injury that occurs when "impact to the head results in disruption of brain functioning." There are a variety of causes of TBI, with motor vehicle accidents being one of the most common. ...

Using barium oxide nanoparticles, researchers have developed a self-cleaning technique that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to be powered directly by coal gas at operating temperatures as low as 750 degrees Celsius. The technique could provide a cleaner and more efficient alternative to conventional power plants for generating electricity from the nation's vast coal reserves. Solid oxide fuel cells can operate on a wide variety of fuels, and use hydrocarbons gases directly – without a separate reformer. The fuel cells rely on anodes made from nickel and a ceramic ...

Thousands of patients in Scotland who are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events (ADEs) were prescribed high-risk medications by their GPs which could potentially cause them harm, according to research published on BMJ.com today. Although at least some of this prescribing will be appropriate because prescribers and patients are balancing risks and benefits when there may be no clearly 'correct' course of action, the study also finds that there was significant variation in the prescribing practices between the GPs surgeries surveyed. This variation could not ...

BOSTON, MA – Individuals with systemic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis, experience a 1.5 to 2-fold increased rate of cardiovascular disease. Previous research suggests that inflammation and insulin resistance, linked with these conditions, likely accelerate the development of cardiovascular risk and diabetes. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) sought to determine whether commonly used disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which are directed against inflammation, might reduce the risk for developing diabetes ...

When people hear the term "mild brain injury" they may assume that such an injury is not that serious. The basic misunderstanding stems from the fact that "mild" is used to indicate to neurosurgeons that the injury is not life-threatening and does not require emergent surgery. "Mild" does not intend to describe the seriousness of the consequences resulting from the injury. In fact, a mild traumatic brain injury can potentially cause serious and long-term damage to the functioning of an individual's brain. What is a Mild Brain Injury? A ...

Tampa, FL (June 21, 2011) – A yet unidentified component of coffee interacts with the beverage's caffeine, which could be a surprising reason why daily coffee intake protects against Alzheimer's disease. A new Alzheimer's mouse study by researchers at the University of South Florida found that this interaction boosts blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fight off the Alzheimer's disease process. The findings appear in the early online version of an article to be published June 28 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Using mice bred to develop symptoms ...

LOS ANGELES—(June 21, 2011)—In a study that increases the understanding of the link between fetal development and obesity later in life, researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) found altering the levels of two common hormones, insulin and leptin, in utero changes the cellular development in the region of the brain that regulates appetite. Their study using fetal neural stem cells from animal models, which was published online by the journal, Endocrinology, found that altered levels of leptin or insulin may have ...

The Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport Hotel (North, I-85) provides nearby lodging to runners and fans attending the 2011 Peachtree Road Race. The annual event will take place on July 4 and will include approximately 60,000 participants and 150,000 spectators. It is the world's largest 10K. In addition, the AJC Peachtree Road Race has been selected to host the USA Men's 10 km Championship sponsored by Atlanta Track Club. The AJC Peachtree Road Race begins in Buckhead by Lenox Square Mall. It continues south 6.2 miles into midtown, finishing at Piedmont Park. After the ...

Scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Lund have discovered that the community composition of bumble bee species and their relative abundances have changed drastically over the last 70 years in Sweden. Over the same period, the average seed yield of red clover has declined and variation in yield has doubled, suggesting that the current dependence on few species for pollination of red clover has been detrimental especially to stability in seed yield. The study was published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society ...