The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has provided updates about proposed changes to the state juvenile justice process in response to the 2009 scandal involving two Luzerne County judges. Former judges Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. and Michael T. Conahan were charged with racketeering after taking nearly $3 million from the owner of two private detention facilities in exchange for juvenile commitments. Conahan pleaded guilty in 2009 and Ciavarella was recently found guilty by a Scranton jury. Since this shocking news came to light, Pennsylvania authorities have granted thousands ...

A type of adult stem cell is now proving itself more versatile for research and therapies thanks to revolutionary 3D experiments. These cells have already shown great promise for repairing damaged bone and cartilage but until now have been fairly limited in the types of cells they can form in the laboratory. Dr Paul Genever from the University of York will be speaking later today (31 March) at the annual UK National Stem Cell Network science meeting. He will tell the gathered audience of world-class scientists about his work to grow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) – currently ...

Researchers using two brain-imaging technologies have found that apparently normal older individuals with brain deposits of amyloid beta – the primary constituent of the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients – also had changes in brain structure similar to those seen in Alzheimer's patients. Results of the study, which has received early online publication in the Annals of Neurology, may help identify individuals who could be candidates for therapies to prevent the development of dementia. "Our findings support the theory that Alzheimer's disease ...

It's very plausible that both motorcyclists injured in West Broward in late January understood that riding a motorcycle involves risk. A possible trip to the hospital, road rash or broken bones may have been in the back of their minds. Amputation, however, probably never entered their minds, even briefly. Unfortunately, on that Wednesday night in late January a devastating accident would result in an ambulance ride for one and airlift to the hospital for the other. And yes, one of the riders had to have his leg amputated. Risk of Injury A motorcycle provides less ...

Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network conference in York later today (31 March), Professor Tessa Holyoake from the University of Glasgow will discuss a brand new approach to treating chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in which a small number of cancer cells persist despite effective therapy thus preventing cure. CML is a type of blood cancer caused by the infamous "Philadelphia Chromosome" genetic abnormality. It is usually treated using a class of drugs called Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and in the majority of cases this treatment is successful, with around 90% of ...

For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone. The research, by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is reported March 31 in The New England Journal of Medicine. Older adults who are obese face severe health risks, including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, which can be compounded by a lack of mobility. "We wanted to tease apart the effects of dieting and exercise in older people who are obese," says principal investigator Dennis ...

Most of the time when employees are injured on the job in Florida, workers' compensation provides the employee's only legal recourse. Generally, the workers' compensation insurance company pays for medical treatments and lost wages, regardless of whether or not the employer was truly responsible for the injury. In exchange for not having to prove fault, workers are not allowed to pursue personal injury lawsuits. In some cases this is a reasonable balance. When an on-the-job accident results in a loss of life, though, this balance becomes more difficult to justify. To ...

Stem cells in the intestine, which when they mutate can lead to bowel cancers, might also be grown into transplant tissues to combat the effects of those same cancers, the UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) annual science meeting will hear today. Professor Nick Barker of the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore will explain how he and his team identified that the stem cells which are crucial to maintaining a healthy intestine are also the site at which bowel cancers first begin, and how he also hopes to use healthy stem cells to regenerate tissues to help patients ...

DALLAS – March 31, 2011 – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered genetic pathways to starve selectively kidney cancer cells. Two separate studies indicate that both rare and common cases of kidney cancer may be susceptible to a new class of drugs that inhibits cancer cells from generating the energy needed to survive. In one study, available online and scheduled for the May 5 issue of the journal Oncogene, researchers found that inactivating the gene von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) in mice blocked cells from using oxygen to provide energy to the cell, forcing ...

ATLANTA – The American College of Rheumatology has developed new guidelines for starting and monitoring treatments for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. These are the first JIA guidelines endorsed by the ACR, with the goal of broad acceptance within the rheumatology community. Created as a guide for health care providers, the guidelines focus on the initiation and safety monitoring of multiple medications used in the treatment of JIA, including: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen, and many others) Intraarticular glucocorticoid ...

In early February, a Davis County charter school drama teacher pleaded guilty to forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. According to the allegations, the teacher had given an underage girl rides home and fondled her on at least two occasions, and while he was charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, one count was dropped by the prosecutor in exchange for a guilty plea. As a second-degree felony, forcible sexual abuse carries a possible sentence of one to 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000. However, the prosecutors in the office of the Davis ...

New research out of the University of Cincinnati suggests that being diagnosed with asthma is significantly associated with a greater risk for a lifetime history of daily smoking and nicotine dependence. The findings are reported in the online preview issue of the Journal of Health Psychology. The article is authored by Alison McLeish, a UC assistant professor of psychology, along with Jesse Cougle, assistant professor of psychology at Florida State University, and Michael Zvolensky, a psychology professor at the University of Vermont. The study analyzed data from the ...

Most people have had trouble remembering something they just heard. Now, a University of Missouri researcher found that forgetfulness may have something to do with being in a good mood. Elizabeth Martin, a doctoral student of psychology in the College of Arts and Science, has found that being in a good mood decreases your working memory capacity. "Working memory, for example, is the ability to recall items in a conversation as you are having it," Martin said. "This explains why you might not be able to remember a phone number you get at a party when you are having a ...

WASHINGTON — A new National Research Council report presents a 20-year road map for increasing U.S. resilience to earthquakes, including a major earthquake that could strike a highly populated area. The report was mostly written prior to the March 11 earthquake in Japan, but the committee of experts who authored it noted that the Japanese experience is a reminder of the devastation that can occur even in a country acknowledged as a leader in implementing earthquake-resilience measures. In recent decades, destructive earthquakes in the U.S. have only been moderate to ...

(WASHINGTON, March 30, 2011) – While the median age at diagnosis for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is over 60 years old and incidence increases dramatically with age,limited data are available about the long-term outcome for older patients treated with imatinib, the standard first-line therapy used to treat CML. Results from a study published today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology, reveal that age does not affect response to imatinib and study investigators conclude that overall survival for CML is similar in older and younger patients treated ...

In January 2011, a Chicago nursing home for disabled children was cited for the death of a 14-month-old girl. According to the Chicago Tribune, this death was the 14th time Chicago care facility Alden Village North has been cited by the state for a child or teen death since 2000. State regulators discovered that Alden Village North staff waited for two days before contacting the girl's doctor, despite signs of a serious staph infection. Once her doctor was reached, the girl was sent to the hospital. She arrived with a high fever (105.4 degrees) and a pulse of 180. A ...

Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have stumbled upon a geological colossus in a remote corner of Afghanistan: a natural stone arch spanning more than 200 feet across its base. Located at the central highlands of Afghanistan, the recently discovered Hazarchishma Natural Bridge is more than 3,000 meters (nearly 10,000 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest large natural bridges in the world. It also ranks among the largest such structures known. "It's one of the most spectacular discoveries ever made in this region," said Joe Walston, Director ...

Hampton Inn Atlanta-Southlake Morrow Hotel offers convenient lodging to potential students and guests attending Spring 2011 Open House at Clayton State University (CSU). The event will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 9:00am - 2:30pm. At the Spring Open House CSU's faculty, staff, and students will share detailed information about: - Academic programs - The admission process - Financial aid - On-campus housing and campus life - Student services Part of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is four year school offering both bachelors ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A lack of equipment and venues – and a lack of motivation even if those were available – are the main barriers to physical activity for adolescent boys, according to recently published research from a Michigan State University nursing researcher. A study of sixth-grade boys' attitudes led by Lorraine Robbins from MSU's College of Nursing suggests an after-school physical activity program could help overcome the decrease in exercise typically seen in this age group. Robbins' research, published in the Journal of School Nursing, identified the benefits ...

CHAMPAIGN, lll. — Researchers have built a computer model of the crowded interior of a bacterial cell that – in a test of its response to sugar in its environment – accurately simulates the behavior of living cells. The new "in silico cells" are the result of a collaboration between experimental scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Biology in Germany and theoretical scientists at the University of Illinois using the newest GPU (graphics processing unit) computing technology. Their study appears in the journal PLoS Computational Biology. "This is the first time ...

Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter Hotel North, located near Dunwoody, GA, offers convenient accommodations to fans attending WestleMania XXVII. Hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the event will take place at 6:30pm on Sunday, April 3 at Georgia Dome. Spectators can witness WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends as they take center stage at this exciting show. WestleMania XXVII match-ups and features include: - The Streak vs. The Game - WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. The Miz - World Heavyweight Championship Match: Edge vs. Alberto del Rio - The Viper vs. Straight Edge ...

Cancer Commons, an initiative of CollabRx, a provider of information technology to personalize cancer treatments and accelerate research, announces the publication of a molecular disease model of melanoma (MDMM) which classifies the disease into molecular subtypes, rather than traditional histological or cellular subtypes, and describes treatment guidelines for each subtype, including specific assays, drugs, and clinical trials. The paper, titled "Molecular Disease Model for Melanoma," by Vidwans et al, was published in the March 30th issue of PLoS ONE. Published as a ...

AMES, Iowa – NASA's Kepler Mission is giving astronomers such a clear view of changes in star brightness that they can now see clues about what's happening inside red giant stars. "No one anticipated seeing this before the mission launched," said Steve Kawaler, an Iowa State University professor of physics and astronomy and a leader of the Kepler Asteroseismic Investigation. "That we could see so clearly down below a red giant star's surface was unexpected." The astronomers' preliminary findings are published in two papers: "Kepler Detected Gravity-Mode Period Spacings ...

The Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport Hotel (North, I-85) offers nearby accommodations travelers attending the 2011 American Diabetes Association Expo from 9:00am - 4:00pm on April 9 at Georgia World Congress Center. Located approximately 7 miles from downtown Atlanta, this ATL Airport hotel is a great place for Atlanta travelers to stay. The Expo is free to attend and will include health screenings, cooking demonstrations, product and service exhibitors, and leading experts speaking on preventing and managing diabetes. Guests attending the Diabetes Expo learn how ...

ST. LOUIS – The drug boceprevir helps cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C, says Saint Louis University investigator Bruce R. Bacon, M.D., author of the March 31 New England Journal of Medicine article detailing the study's findings. The results, which were first reported at the 61st annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's last November, offer a brighter outlook for patients who have not responded to standard treatment. Bacon, who is professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator ...