Families of hospitalized children can provide valuable information about adverse events relating to their children's care that complements information documented by health care professionals, states a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110393.pdf. Hospitals in Canada have instituted systems to encourage reporting of adverse events — things that may negatively affect the recovery or health of a patient — in patient care. In pediatrics, it is estimated that 1% of children in hospital ...

National Institutes of Health-funded researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear—the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound. The findings are published in the Nov. 21 online issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. The study used mice in which two genes, TMC1 and TMC2, have been deleted. The researchers revealed a specific functional deficit in the mechanotransduction channels ...

The future of the metamaterials field shows great promise for achieving exotic new functions according to October's Proceedings of the IEEE, the most highly-cited general-interest journal in electrical engineering and computer science, approaching its 100th year of publication in 2012. Entitled "Metamaterials: Fundamentals and Applications in the Microwave and Optical Regimes," the 16-article issue, written by internationally renowned leaders in the field is packed with innovative research reports on potential new functions and insights that could impact many ...

MADISON -- Among the many hurdles to be cleared before human embryonic stem cells can achieve their therapeutic potential is determining whether or not transplanted cells can functionally integrate into target organs or tissues. Writing today (Monday, Nov. 21) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of Wisconsin scientists reports that neurons, forged in the lab from blank slate human embryonic stem cells and implanted into the brains of mice, can successfully fuse with the brain's wiring and both send and receive signals. Neurons are specialized, ...

As people age, their immune system becomes less robust. This makes them more susceptible to serious and frequently life-threatening infections with viruses that affect the respiratory tract such as influenza A virus (IAV). Stanley Perlman and colleagues, at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, have now identified a new immune system defect in aged mice that makes them more susceptible than young mice to developing severe clinical disease upon infection with respiratory viruses such as IAV. Importantly, they were able to reverse the defect by inhibiting the immune molecule ...

For businesses, having a signature look is important for brand awareness; however, when the evolving times call for a major change, Conservatoryinfo.co.uk knows how to do it right. After years of maintaining the same look of their website, Conservatoryinfo.co.uk implements a major redesign to improve its functionality, interface, and overall performance for users and search engines. The new website provides an easy flow of information combined with appealing graphics that was launched last September 2011. It debuted with new features and built-in SEO elements in accordance ...

Papillary carcinoma is the most common form of thyroid cancer. Approximately one quarter of these carcinomas have mutations in the BRAF gene. The prevalence of such mutations is even greater in high-grade carcinomas, particularly those that are refractory to standard treatment, which is radioactive iodine (RAI). A team of researchers led by James Fagin, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, has now identified a way to potentially exploit the expression of BRAF by such cancers for therapeutic purposes. Despite the prevalence of BRAF mutations in papillary ...

Cushing disease is a hormone disorder that causes a diverse array of symptoms, including fat accumulation, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, and ultimately death. It is caused by a tumor in the anterior pituitary gland that results in the secretion of excess amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Treatment options are essentially limited to surgical resection. However, tumors commonly recur, meaning that new treatment options are needed. A team of researchers, led by Shlomo Melmed, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, has now identified ...

EDITOR'S PICK: Boosting the aged immune response to flu virus As people age, their immune system becomes less robust. This makes them more susceptible to serious and frequently life-threatening infections with viruses that affect the respiratory tract such as influenza A virus (IAV). Stanley Perlman and colleagues, at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, have now identified a new immune system defect in aged mice that makes them more susceptible than young mice to developing severe clinical disease upon infection with respiratory viruses such as IAV. Importantly, they were ...

Experienced meditators seem to be able switch off areas of the brain associated with daydreaming as well as psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, according to a new brain imaging study by Yale researchers. Meditation's ability to help people stay focused on the moment has been associated with increased happiness levels, said Judson A. Brewer, assistant professor of psychiatry and lead author of the study published the week of Nov. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Understanding how meditation works will aid investigation into ...

topseos.com, the independent authority on search vendors, has released their list of the best affiliate marketing companies for November 2011. An evaluation of affiliate marketing companies has led to the creation of a list of rankings showcasing the top ten affiliate marketing services in the online marketing industry. The process for evaluating the best affiliate marketing services includes the use of a set of evaluation criteria which consists of the five most important aspects of these services. The Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Companies for November 2011 are: 1) ...

Since the National Cancer Institute developed the first guidelines on mammography screening over thirty years ago, advocacy and professional groups have developed guidelines focused on who should be screened, instead of communicating clearly the risks and benefits of screening, according to a commentary by Michael Edward Stefanek, Ph.D., the associate vice president of collaborative research in the office of the vice president at Indiana University, published online Nov. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Stefanek writes that too much time has been spent ...

Attention Talk Radio presents "Audio Stimulation: Its Impact on Neuroplasticity to Help Treat ADHD and Autism" with show host, Jeff Copper, in an interview of Dr. Ron Minson of Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) on how the iLs program impacts neuro­plasticity, which is an often overlooked form of treatment. Copper also interviews Rebecca Goniwich, certified iLs advanced practitioner, who shares how the iLs program helps her manage her own ADHD, as well as her two sons' ADHD and autism. Dr. Minson has a unique background in public health, family practice, and ...

AMHERST, Mass. – Governments and the nuclear industry have failed to address serious data gaps and untested assumptions guiding exposure limits to Cesium (Cs)-137 released in the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and this year's incident at Fukushima, says University of Massachusetts Amherst toxicologist Edward Calabrese. It's time now to move toward adopting more evidence-based risk assessment for the future, he adds. "It is also critical that the linear, no-threshold (LNT) model and the alternative models, such as the threshold and hormesis models, be objectively assessed ...

Researchers have found long-sought genes in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that, when mutated, prevent sound waves from being converted to electric signals – a fundamental first step in hearing. The team, co-led by Jeffrey Holt, PhD, in the department of otolaryngology at Children’s Hospital Boston, and Andrew Griffith, MD, PhD, of the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), then restored these electrical signals in the sensory cells of deaf mice by introducing normal genes. The study paves the way for a test of gene ...

CHICAGO – Body Mass Index (BMI) appears to be associated with 30-day mortality risk following surgical procedures, and patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 appear to be at highest risk of death, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Recent reports suggest that the prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults has increased more than 100 percent since 1990," the authors write as background information in the article. "This analysis examines the relationship between obesity (as measured by body mass index [BMI; ...

CHICAGO – Among older Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgical treatment for diverticulitis, black race was associated with increased risk of urgent/emergency surgery, high risk of in-hospital mortality and higher total hospital charges, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Observed racial disparities in diverticulitis surgery have been attributed to differences in health insurance status and medical comorbidity," the authors write as background information in the article. "This study explores the ...

As a featured author, the first chapter of White's book is now available to thousands of readers to sample - free of charge. At BookDaily.com, book fans can browse, search and read first chapters from a selection of more than 80,000 titles. White is currently promoting "Because, I Love You", a Christian devotional style book about the amazing love that God has and the personal relationship He desires to have with you, His child. Filled with countless nuggets of wisdom, it encourages readers to search out their own intimacy with God and ask Him for their own ...

CHICAGO – Taking oral antibiotics for treatment of acne appears to be associated with reporting symptoms of pharyngitis (sore throat), according to a report published Online First by Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Many inconsistent concerns have been voiced about the safety of long-term use of antibiotics," the authors write as background information in the study. "Because of the high prevalence of acne and the frequent use of antibiotics to control acne, individuals undergoing therapy to treat their acne are an ideal group in which to study ...

CHICAGO – Among patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, treatment options that are most compatible with their personal and professional life appear to be most important, and treatment location appears more important than probability and magnitude of treatment outcome, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "As a chronic debilitating inflammatory disease of the skin and joints, psoriasis can cause considerable physical impairment," the authors write as background information in the study. "The well-being ...

CHICAGO – Death rates have declined among U.S. patients with cancer of the mouth and pharynx from 1993 to 2007, with the greatest decreases seen among men and women with at least 12 years of education, according to a report in the November issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Decreases in risk factors and improved detection and treatment have contributed to decreasing death rates from major types of cancer – including lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers – in the U.S. since the early 1990s. The decreases ...

SecuTech Solution, inc. today announced the new version of UniKey Console has been released. The design of this new version has been greatly changed. The user interface becomes more friendly and easy to use, and more functions have been added. New console imported a new concept, that it should follow the software lifecycle, from the designing stage to the end of the software. Users are able to track the whole history of a product, check sales performance and know the customers purchase habit. All the information collected from the system will greatly increase your profit, ...

CHICAGO – Carbon dioxide laser ablation (removal) may have a role as an alternative treatment for a common precancerous skin lesion known as lentigo maligna when surgery or radiation therapy is not feasible, according to a report in the November/December issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to background information in the article, lentigo maligna (LM) is a common premalignant skin lesion typically seen in older populations with a history of chronic sun damage and it is commonly located in the head and neck region. ...

SANTA CRUZ, CA--Without the ability to swim to their targets in the stomach, ulcer-causing bacteria do not cause the inflammation of the stomach lining that leads to ulcers and stomach cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Online Early Edition, week of Nov. 21-25), provide new clues about how the bacteria, called Helicobacter pylori, trigger harmful inflammation in some people. About half of all people worldwide are infected with H. pylori, ...

Black senior citizens who need surgery for the intestinal disorder diverticulitis are significantly more likely to die in the hospital than their equally ill white counterparts, even when each racial group carries the same health insurance, new Johns Hopkins research suggests. While all of the patients in the study required surgery, black patients were 26 percent more likely than white patients to undergo riskier and more expensive emergency diverticulitis surgery rather than "elective" scheduled surgery for their condition, the Hopkins researchers found. The results ...