Caffeine reduces muscle activity in the Fallopian tubes that carry eggs from a woman's ovaries to her womb. "Our experiments were conducted in mice, but this finding goes a long way towards explaining why drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant," says Professor Sean Ward from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, USA. Ward's study is published today in the British Journal of Pharmacology. Human eggs are microscopically small, but need to travel to a woman's womb if she is going to have a successful pregnancy. Although ...

Smarter product designs, support for developing country waste management schemes, and encouraging developed country households not to 'squirrel away' old electronic goods in drawers and closets could help boost recycling of metals world-wide. According to a report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), recycling rates of metals are in many cases far lower than their potential for re-use. Less than one-third of some 60 metals studied have an end-of-life recycling rate above 50 per cent and 34 elements are below 1 per cent recycling, yet many ...

Quinton Grant Pelley, a Texas criminal defense and bankruptcy lawyer at Pelley Law Office, L.L.P., has been selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition, 2011. Born in Sherman, Texas, Quinton Pelley received his J.D. from Texas Tech School of Law. With legal experience in medical malpractice, tort litigation and contract law, Mr. Pelley now focuses his practice in criminal defense, bankruptcy, family law and personal injury. He is admitted to practice in Texas' state courts, the Northern United States District Court of Texas and the Eastern United ...

New York, NY, May 26, 2011—Young adults ages 19-29 are struggling to get the health care they need more than almost any other age group, demonstrating the need for Affordable Care Act provisions, some already in place, that will expand health insurance and make it more affordable, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. The report found that in 2010, 45 percent of young adults couldn't afford the care they needed, meaning they didn't fill a prescription, didn't go to the doctor when they were sick, or skipped a test, treatment, or follow-up visit, up from 32 percent ...

STANFORD, Calif. — New clues to the mystery of brain function, obtained through research by scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine, suggest that distinct mental states can be distinguished based on unique patterns of activity in coordinated "networks" within the brain. These networks consist of brain regions that are synchronously communicating with one another. The Stanford team is using this network approach to develop diagnostic tests in Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders in which network function is disrupted. In a novel set of experiments, ...

Jumeirah Emirates Towers has hosted this year's Vertical Marathon to raise funds for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The event saw 236 runners ascending Jumeirah Emirates Towers for the annual fundraising event, with participants raising a total of AED 177,000 for MSF. This brings the total amount raised for MSF through this popular event to AED 1.083 million to date. The event, which is in its ninth year, was organised by Jumeirah Emirates Towers with the support of the Red Crescent Society. The Vertical Marathon requires participants to climb the 52 floors ...

A Brazilian hospital-based study assessed responses to flu vaccines in 340 RA patients in regular follow-up compared to 234 healthy patients. Measures of protection obtained by vaccination (seroprotection rate (SP)) after immunization was over 20% lower for RA patients compared to healthy individuals (60.1% vs. 82.9% comparatively (p END ...

A pan-European study of 755 gout patients found that prevalence of self-reported gout was highest in the UK (2.2%) and lowest in France (0.76%). French, German and British gout patients all had lower quality of life scores, and had significant work and social impairment compared to controls (p 2 years). Conclusions from an analysis of these responder patients suggests that subjects who have normalised their sUA after six months on pegloticase (8 mg every 2 weeks) may be able to experience a gap in therapy for as long as 167 days without losing subsequent responsiveness ...

The study of 15,766 patients with RA and 15,340 controls found that the prevalence of COPD was significantly higher in RA patients than healthy controls (8.9% vs 4.4%, p END ...

Bupa care homes' residents have their watering cans at the ready as they prepare to 'grow their own' for 'Community Crops'. 'Community Crops' is a Bupa care homes initiative which promotes the health benefits associated with gardening and growing your own fruit and veg. The project is being supported by young people involved with The Prince's Trust, who are linking up with Bupa homes, including nursing care homes, across the UK to help sow and grow the crops. Residents have also been inviting local schools and community groups to lend a hand with planting and ...

The results of the study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among 47 patients (26 yoga patients and 21 controls) demonstrate that patients who completed 12 sessions of Raj yoga** which is one of the gentler styles of yoga, combining exercise and breathing techniques showed significant improvements in disease activity scores (DAS28) of p=0.021 and health assessment questionnaire's (HAQ†) of p=0.0015. However there was no statistically significant improvement on the quality of life scale (QoL). "Most patients with RA do not exercise regularly despite the fact that ...

This study, which is one of the first of its kind, collated responses from rheumatologists (52% consultants) and obstetricians (94% consultants) on the subject of patient education on safe treatments for use during pregnancy, the existence of local guidelines on treating this patient population, and recorded HCP use of several individual drugs used during the pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding period. The survey results outlined variations around the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) with 32% of rheumatologists and 18% of obstetricians ...

The British study of 1,030 people compares the extent of bone mineral density (BMD)* loss – a common measure of osteoporosis – in two physical locations in the body. The results demonstrated that the mean BMD of the lumbar spine in patients with coeliac disease was significantly different when compared to the control group (1.79 (95% CI 1.32, 2.44)), however not for the femoral neck vs. control (1.52 (95% CI 0.86, 2.67)). "This is the first study that compares the extent of BMD loss at the lumbar spine and femoral neck in an age and sex matched cohort, and demonstrates ...

Results of a Chinese study showed that the HPV vaccine did not have significant effects on the number of disease flares or antibody measures in patients with inactive SLE receiving stable doses of medications after administration, and therefore was determined safe to use to prevent HPV in this group of patients. SLE, an autoimmune disorder, affects nine times as many women as men1 and studies have shown that the rate of HPV in this group is significantly higher than in the healthy population.2 Vaccination is therefore an important consideration in protecting SLE patients ...

For financial planning software developers, the United States has been a unique market in the world. With its aging population, large middle class and its complex income and estate tax laws, the United States has become the world's largest market for personal financial services and in turn the largest need for personal financial planning software. This demand has resulted in the United States becoming the market with the largest selection of personal financial and retirement planning software packages. Though there are a variety of financial planning software tools available ...

The results of a Dutch study of 300 patients demonstrated that 22% of patients with Sjögren's syndrome were classified as clinically 'alexithymic' (experiencing difficulty identifying and describing emotions) compared to 12% of healthy controls. Subsequent results of the study showed that higher levels of alexithymia were moderately correlated with worse mental wellbeing in both groups (Pearson's correlation* (r) ≥ 0.32, p< 0.001), showing that there is a proven link between the two. Interestingly, in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, levels of emotion suppression ...

DALLAS – May 26, 2011 – UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are engaging the help of professional boxers and trainers to study whether a component in red wine and grapes could help reduce the short- and long-term effects of concussions. Researchers plan to recruit about two dozen professional boxers to take the neuroprotective compound resveratrol after a fight to see if it reduces damage to the brain after impact and helps restore subtle brain functions and connections via its antioxidant effects. If successful, researchers hope the results may be applicable not ...

Researchers have discovered that the ultraviolet (UV) light that causes the temporary but painful condition of snow blindness in humans is life-saving for reindeer in the arctic. A BBSRC-funded team at UCL has published a paper today (12 May) in the Journal of Experimental Biology that shows that this remarkable visual ability is part of the reindeer's unique adaptation to the extreme arctic environment where they live. It allows them to take in live-saving information in conditions where normal mammalian vision would make them vulnerable to starvation, predators and ...

SoloHealth (www.solohealth.com), a leading consumer healthcare technology company that develops and deploys self-service health screening and data kiosks, is excited to announce the addition of Charles ("Chic") Leehan in the role of Director of National Accounts. Effective immediately, Leehan, who brings more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, will report directly to SoloHealth's VP of Channel Development, Rick Voight. In his new position, Leehan will oversee and manage relationships across national accounts to ensure SoloHealth's ...

To go along with a new look and decor on the inside, The Eatery is getting a new look online. "The Eatery's web site has gotten a total makeover to help us connect better with regulars and with people who have not come in for a visit yet," said co-owner Cindy Gifford. The new site lists daily specials like Chicken and made-from-scratch Dumplings on Mondays and has a chef's corner blog for Don Gifford to share delicious recipes and some of the ways he mixes flavors to create savory lunch and dinner appetizers, entrees and desserts. The web site also features ...

Often when we think of social networking, we think of chatting to friends and family, and fooling around in social games that take up so much of our time. SocialGO doesn't believe that social networks should be solely limited to leisure activities, in fact the ability of social media networks to connect people across countries, cultures and social divides means that is only the beginning. That ability to connect people can have major impacts on how education can be accessed by people around the world. Connecting pupils to each other and to teachers through social media ...

According to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker nearly two-thirds of homeowners said they plan to invest in renovation projects this year, on average $3,400. That's considerably less compared with the $6,200 in 2010. More than half of them said they'll take on at least some of the work themselves. DIY or Not.com, a financial web site specializing in home improvement projects analyzes the cost of hiring a contractor compared with doing it yourself. The site, rated by CNNMoney.com as "one of the 20 best money websites" features 350 job costs ...

Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA) has formally launched to accelerate a worldwide transition to highly reflective, cooler, and healthier cities. Its mission is to advance policies and programs that increase the solar reflectance of our buildings and pavements to promote cool buildings and cool cities, and, most importantly, to mitigate the effects of climate change through global cooling. Commenting on GCCA, Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy stated that, "the launch of Global Cool Cities Alliance is an important step. The U.S. Department of Energy is proud ...

Cruise tour operator Cruise1st has followed up its offer of a GBP50 gift voucher for customers signing up at the site with a batch of discounted cruise deals. Holidays to such luxurious locations as Turkey, New Zealand and Australia are all heavily reduced and can be investigated in more detail at the company website. Current deals from reputable companies such as Thomson, Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard are all showcased clearly at the top of www.cruise1st.co.uk, giving customers a great deal of choice when it comes to cheap cruises. No matter the kind of cruise ...

Ugam Interactive has released the newest version of its Competitive Intelligence Solution, PriceTrac. Used by the world's largest retailers and brands, PriceTrac provides a systematic method of tracking competitors' pricing, promotions, and product assortments. Highlighted in this latest release is the "Watch List" feature. This new addition to PriceTrac allows the user to identify, track, and define alerts on specific products within their own or competitors' assortment. These alerts on Key Value Items can be based on business rules defined by each individual ...