San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is taking targeted molecular imaging to a new level by combining two commonly used imaging agents into one molecular imaging procedure. The combination of these agents creates a comprehensive examination of the extent of cancer spread within a variety of organ systems in the body. "During a time when health care costs are under intense scrutiny, consolidated procedures such as this one that provide comprehensive imaging data are a benefit to everyone—to clinicians, healthcare administrators ...

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of death in children under 2, with no treatment other than supportive care. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Early Edition, week of June 6), researchers at Children's Hospital Boston show how loss or mutation of the SMA gene causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, and suggest a promising approach to treating the condition, sometimes referred to as a "Lou Gehrig's disease of babies." Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, affects one in every 1 in 6,000-10,000 infants, but an estimated ...

San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting may provide a new tool for detection of malignant-stage ovarian cancer. Researchers found that positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT), which images both functional and anatomical changes in the body, was useful for preoperative cancer imaging of ovarian masses when used with a radiotracer that is actively metabolized by cells as fuel. Physicians imaging patients suspected of having malignant tumors can see where cancerous cells are hyper-metabolizing the tracer and accurately ...

San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—A study revealed at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting is comparing the breast-tumor detection capabilities of two very different imaging technologies—breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), which provides functional images of breast physiology, and ultrasound—for women with complex breast imaging cases that require further evaluation. Many women who have dense breast tissue (radiodense breasts) are difficult to image using mammography, currently the gold standard of breast imaging. For women whose mammograms are not clear enough to determine whether ...

San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2011)—Patients undergoing molecular imaging to evaluate their stomach's ability to clear food are going to have an altogether new kind of breakfast. A study presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting has confirmed that nuclear medicine technologists can effectively use oatmeal products radiolabeled with a medical isotope to target and image the emptying of the stomach. "The current standard for molecular imaging of gastric emptying is radiolabeling egg meal, but there are patients who, either due to lifestyle choices or allergies, cannot eat eggs," ...

(Boston) - Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers found that girls who followed the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet pattern had a lower incidence of excess weight gain as measured by body mass index (BMI) over the 10-year period of their adolescence. These findings are reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Obesity is a major public health problem, with 17 percent of American children overweight and 67 percent of adults either overweight or obese. Excess weight during childhood leads to numerous health problems ...

The implementation of virtual water into trading deals has been suggested as a realistic solution to solving the global inequality of renewable freshwater, but new research suggests that it may not be as revolutionary as first thought. In a study published today, Tuesday 7 June, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers have claimed that virtual water is unlikely to increase water use equality, primarily because the existing amount of virtual water is not large enough to overcome the inequalities that exist. Lead author David Seekell, ...

Boston, Mass (June 6, 2011)—A new study finds that the cancer care provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for men 65 years and older is at least as good as, and by some measures better than, Medicare-funded fee-for-service care obtained through the private sector. The study, reported in the June 7 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, was led by Nancy Keating, an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. Several factors could account for the high quality of VHA care. "Care in the VHA is much better coordinated than most other settings," ...

The 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe will take place on the Valencia Street Circuit on 24, 25 and 26 June this year. Formula 1 enjoys a fan base in the millions throughout the world and also attracts spectators in their tens of thousands wherever each race is held. This summer sees the prestigious Grand Prix of Europe take place in Spain's Valencia, a city which typically enjoys massive tourist numbers each summer regardless. Valencia hotels in the port area of the city can expect a bumper week, as the city's street circuit is located in that part of town. The ...

Men who report having bullied peers in childhood appear to have an increased risk of perpetrating violence against an intimate partner in adulthood, according to a report posted online today by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The authors point out, as background information, that roughly one-quarter of women will experience violence from intimate partners, and that prior research suggests up to 40 percent of men have been perpetrators of such violence. The authors sought to determine whether a history of school bullying ...

Adolescent girls whose diet resembles one recommended for adults with hypertension appear to have smaller gains in overall body mass index (BMI) over 10 years, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Excess weight during childhood leads to numerous health problems and is even associated with premature death as an adult," the authors write as background information in the article. However, the authors note that examinations of food-based dietary patterns acknowledge that consuming various ...

A brain imaging study suggests that men with a history of violent behavior may have greater gray matter volume in certain brain areas, whereas men with a history of substance use disorders may have reduced gray matter volume in other brain areas, according to a report published online today by the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to background information in the article, research suggests that violent behavior may stem from a complicated mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. Studies of the brains of violent individuals ...

The Kuningan day holiday is celebrated at the end of the Galungan festival, one of the most significant Hindu celebrations which marks the occasion of one's ancestors entering into heaven. Seminyak Beach is a popular place for Indonesian Hindus to spend the holiday since its pretty streets and coastal roads make ideal backdrops for Kuningan's processions and parades. Foreign tourists are also welcome to join in the celebrations and with Seminyak Beach being a popular travel destination in its own right, the town can expect to be thriving around July 16th when Kuningan ...

Difficulty remembering important dates and medications, and gathering paperwork, is more common in older individuals with mild cognitive impairment than in those with no cognition problems, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to background information in the article, mild cognitive impairment is a condition that includes some difficulty with cognition and, in the amnestic subtype (aMCI), difficulty with memory, but does not include considerable problems with daily tasks, work, or social ...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Research from the University of Louisville published today (June 6) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates the removal of a tiny RNA molecule in mice suppresses carcinogenic tumor formation. The study appears in the journal's Early Edition online at www.pnas.org. Yong Li, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and his research team led by postdoctoral fellows Xiaodong Ma and Munish Kumar found that the removal of a non-coding RNA molecule known as MicroRNA 21 suppressed the formation of skin tumors ...

Patients in residential treatment programs for drug and alcohol abuse may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for depressive symptoms, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The article notes, as background information, that depression and substance abuse often co-occur, but that individuals with both disorders are not always treated for both. "The consequences of this unmet need are great," report the authors. "The interactive nature of the two disorders leads to poorer depression and substance ...

Puerto Galera makes for a stunning backdrop to a training course like the PADI workshop, but also ensures that there is high demand for places on the course. The location also means that there will be higher than average demand for a Puerto Galera hotel, leading Internet-based hotel room comparison website DirectRooms.com to advise early, online booking. PADI qualification is the scuba diving industry's most popular qualification, allowing successful divers the status of being able to go diving in any location around the world. The July training course will be held in ...

Roanoke, Va. -- Gratuities, gifts, sponsorship, product price, free samples, favors all can influence judgment and decision-making. If a person is influenced in their choice of cereal, the result is a bit of income for a manufacturer. But a lot of people can be impacted if a politician is influenced by support from a special interest; or the health of a handful of patients can be affected if a physician is influenced by gifts from drug reps. Scientists with the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have demonstrated through behavioral research and brain scans using ...

Scotland's Lesley Paterson, who won the inaugural Xterra off-road triathlon Pacific Championships in Santa Cruz in Northern California just two weeks ago, followed that up with her first ever Ironman victory at the 2011 Mooseman Ironman 70.3 in New Hampshire. Paterson finished in the time of 4 hours 30 minutes 58 seconds, 48 seconds in front of the second place Caitlin Snow. Having been injured and ill with a stomach parasite off and on for most of the past year, an injury free Paterson was finally able to put it all together for the victory, posting an even 27 minute ...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – June 6, 2011 – A natural nutritional supplement, marketed for the last decade as a sexual aid, has been shown to significantly improve overall quality of life for female cancer survivors, according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The findings will be presented today at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. Interested in quality of life issues for female cancer survivors, Kathryn M. Greven, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist, first learned of the supplement, called ...

It may have started this way: one passerine flying high above a plant-free, uninhabited and unnamed island - in the Pacific, north of the equator - unknowingly drops one seed from a mud-encrusted thigh. That seed and many others brought to the islands by other birds, animals, people and the wind now feeds the island's residents and visitors. That island is presently called Hawaii. Ancient Hawaiians were innovative farmers and skilled fisherman whose customs of sharing food amongst their communities lives on today as residents of present-day Hawaii struggle to return ...

To fully optimize a drug therapy for osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD), patients should maintain vitamin D levels above the limits recently recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), according to a new study by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The study will be presented at the Endocrine Society's Annual Meeting in Boston, June 4-7. The study demonstrated that maintaining a circulating vitamin D level above 33 ng/ml is associated with a seven-fold greater likelihood of having a more favorable outcome with bisphosphonate therapy. ...

Wrinkles are a telltale sign of aging, and they might also be able to predict a woman's bone fracture risk, according to Yale School of Medicine researchers who report in a new study that the severity and distribution of skin wrinkles and overall skin quality could tell the story of bone mineral density in early menopausal women. The findings will be presented June 6 at the Endocrine Society Meeting in Boston, Mass., by Lubna Pal, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science at Yale School of Medicine. "Skin and bones share ...

Patients in the intensive care unit who do not tolerate adequate nutrition from tube feeding should wait a week before receiving intravenous (IV) feeding because, compared with early IV feeding, it enhances recovery from critical illness. Results of a new multicenter study from Belgium will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston. "These findings have enormous impact for improving quality and reducing the cost of medical care for critically ill patients," said the study's principal investigator, Greet Van den Berghe, MD, PhD, a professor ...

New research finds that gestational diabetes, or pregnancy-related diabetes, may not raise the risk of heart disease independent of other cardiovascular risk factors except in certain high-risk populations, such as Hispanics. The results will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston. "The prevalence of gestational diabetes is increasing, and its impact for the mother can extend well beyond pregnancy by raising her risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease," said study co-author Rhonda Bentley-Lewis, MD, of Massachusetts ...