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Medicine18 May 2011

Patients who see preferred doctor less likely to go for emergency hospital admission

A new study led by the University of Leicester has concluded that being able to see the GP of your choice in a doctor's surgery helps to reduce emergency hospital admissions. The findings by researchers in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester revealed a correlation between patients being able to see a preferred GP and emergency hospital admissions. The research, published in Emergency Medical Journal, was led by Dr John Bankart, a research fellow in medical statistics at the University. The research was funded by the NHS. Dr Bankart said: ...

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Science18 May 2011

Better passwords get with the beat

No password is 100% secure. There are always ways and means for those with malicious intent to hack, crack or socially engineer access to a password. Indeed, there are more and more websites and databases compromised on a seemingly daily basis. A new approach to verifying passwords that also takes into account the speed with which a user types in their login and the gaps between characters would render a stolen password useless. Writing in the International Journal of Internet Technology and Secured Transactions computer scientists from Beirut explain the shortcomings ...

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Technology18 May 2011

Researchers develop hardware encryption for new computer memory technology

Security concerns are one of the key obstacles to the adoption of new non-volatile main memory (NVMM) technology in next-generation computers, which would improve computer start times and boost memory capacity. But now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed new encryption hardware for use with NVMM to protect personal information and other data. NVMM technologies, such as phase-change memory, hold great promise to replace conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in the main memory of computers. NVMM would allow computers to start instantly, ...

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Science18 May 2011

Abortions generate $95 million a year for Polish doctors as women use illegal private sector

Amsterdam, 17 May, 2011 - New analysis published by the UK journal Reproductive Health Matters shows that the criminalisation of abortion in Poland has led to the development of a vast illegal private sector with no controls on price, quality of care or accountability. Since abortion became illegal in the late 1980s the number of abortions carried out in hospitals has fallen by 99%. The private trade in abortions is, however, flourishing, with abortion providers advertising openly in newspapers. Women have been the biggest losers during this push of abortion provision ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

EMAS publishes position statement about the post-reproductive health of women

Amsterdam, 17 May 2011 - Elsevier announced the publication of an important position statement from the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) in the journal Maturitas (http://www.maturitas.org/) on managing menopausal women with a personal or family history of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The statement includes summary recommendations as a quick aid for the busy clinician. "The expanding ageing female population means that clinicians increasingly have to deal with post-reproductive health problems," said Professor Serge Rozenberg, President of EMAS. "EMAS ...

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Science18 May 2011

New York Chess & Games: First and Second Graders Impress With Their Chess At Nationals!

Brooklyn chess coach Christian Whitted and his first and second graders from Pioneer Academy (P.S. 307 in Corona Queens) come surprisingly close to winning at their first national chess tournament. It looked like a good chance for a "Cinderella" ending up until the final round but there was just one team better in the K - 3rd grade unrated section this year at the United States Chess Federation's Elementary School national chess tournament. The brand new chess team from Pioneer Academy in Corona Queens NY had to settle for 2nd place as another team from New ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

A virus similar to herpes could be a risk factor for multiple sclerosis

The Epstein-Barr (EVB) virus –belonging to the herpesviruses family, which also includes the herpes simplex virus and the cytomegalovirus– is one of the environmental factors that might cause multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central nervous system, which causes are unknown. This has been confirmed by University of Granada scientists that analyzed the presence of this virus in patients with multiple sclerosis. Researchers analyzed antibody levels, that is, antibodies that are produced within the central nervous system and that could be directly involved in the ...

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Science18 May 2011

Clubbers can smell a good nightspot

Since the smoking ban in restaurants, bars and nightclubs, customers are more aware of unpleasant smells, such as body odors and the smell of old beer, that used to be masked by cigarette smoke. Now science is looking at how the introduction of pleasant ambient scents that hide unwanted odors might enhance the nightlife experience. According to Dr. Hendrik Schifferstein from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and his colleagues, carefully selected fragrances can enhance dancing activity, improve the overall perception of the evening, and improve how nightclub ...

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Science18 May 2011

No pain, big gain

It likely comes as no surprise that low back pain is the most common form of chronic pain among adults. Lesser known is the fact that those withchronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety. In a longitudinal study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, a group of pain researchers from McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) posed a fundamental question: If you can alleviate chronic ...

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Science18 May 2011

That anxiety may be in your gut, not in your head

Hamilton, ON (May 17, 2011) - For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour. The findings are important because several common types of gastrointestinal disease, including irritable bowel syndrome, are frequently associated with anxiety or depression. In addition there has been speculation that some psychiatric disorders, such as late onset autism, may be associated with an abnormal bacterial content in the gut. "The exciting results provide stimulus for further ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

Mitigating mummy berry disease of blueberry

Blueberries may be nutritional powerhouses, but some types are no match for the fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi, which causes "mummy berry" disease. Fortunately, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have more than 100 years of experience in blueberry breeding and cultivation. Geneticist Mark Ehlenfeldt and plant pathologist James Polashock embody the latest generation. They work for USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). With ARS colleagues, they have conducted comprehensive studies examining the responses of today's blueberry cultivars to infection ...

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Science18 May 2011

CHEO Research Institute develops secure protocol for data disclosure

OTTAWA, May 17, 2011 - It is important for health care providers to report health issues, such as influenza outbreaks, to public health authorities. But there is evidence of a reluctance to share patient data for public health purposes due to concerns for both patient privacy and provider confidentiality. Dr. Khaled El-Emam and his research team at the CHEO Research Institute have developed a secure protocol and system that would solve this problem. The new system would protect the identity of patients and health care providers while providing effective disease surveillance ...

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Science18 May 2011

Landslides: How rainfall dried up Panama's drinking water

To understand the long-term effects of a prolonged tropical storm in the Panama Canal watershed, Robert Stallard, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and research hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, and Armando Ubeda, the LightHawk Mesoamerica program manager, organized four flights over the watershed to create a digital map of landslide scars. Two feet of heavy rain inundated the Panama Canal watershed between Dec. 7 and 10, 2010. Landslides tore down steep slopes, choking rivers with sediment and overwhelming Panama City's water-treatment ...

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Technology18 May 2011

Cloud-Based DynaFile Adds Digital Drop Box to Document Management Suite

SaaS-based Paperless Office solution, DynaFile, launched a digital drop box feature to its suite of document management solutions last month. DynaFile subscribers can now receive files in their paperless filing cabinet through a secure online drop box without worrying about sensitive information disclosure, inadvertent spam blocking, or downloading bulky attachments. In the past, users who received a documents attached to an email would have to download the file onto their computer and then upload it into the online DynaFile system. Now, clients and external partners ...

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Technology18 May 2011

Which technologies get better faster?

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Some forms of technology — think, for example, of computer chips — are on a fast track to constant improvements, while others evolve much more slowly. Now, a new study by researchers at MIT and other institutions shows that it may be possible to predict which technologies are likeliest to advance rapidly, and therefore may be worth more investment in research and resources. In a nutshell, the researchers found that the greater a technology's complexity, the more slowly it changes and improves over time. They devised a way of mathematically modeling ...

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Science18 May 2011

NASCAR Unites on "NASCAR Day" with Car Wash for Kids

In an effort to help children lead happier, healthier lives, Columbus Motor Speedway will unite on NASCAR Day, May 20, with Car Wash for Kids, a NASCAR Unites national fundraiser engaging motorsports tracks, charities and organizations with the goal of raising $1 million for children's charities. Columbus Motor Speedway is located at 1841 Williams Road, Columbus, OH, 43207. Complete information is available at ColumbusSpeedway.com, www.NASCAR.com/foundation or www.facebook.com/NASCARFoundation. "Columbus Motor Speedway is proud to be a part of this national effort ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

A 'brain wave' test for schizophrenia risk?

Philadelphia, PA – 17 May 2011 – There is a significant need for objective tests that could improve clinical prediction of future psychosis. One strategy has been to determine whether physiologic measures that are abnormal in people diagnosed with schizophrenia might also be useful in estimating the risk for developing this illness. This is the strategy taken by German and Swiss researchers in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry. They used electroencephalography (EEG), which measures the brain's electrical activity or "brain waves", to study the brain's response ...

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Science18 May 2011

Of moose and men

This release is available in French. Montreal, May 17, 2010 – Country roadways can be hazardous for moose and men. According to estimates, millions of vehicles collide with moose, elk and caribou in North America and Europe each year. Moose, in particular, venture to roadsides to lick the salt pools that collect following pavement deicing. Because moose are the largest animal in the deer family, with males weighing up to 720 kilograms, their salt cravings can pose significant risks to human and vehicle safety. That's why a group of Canadian researchers has investigated ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

Pets Best Insurance Invites Facebook Friends to "Ask a Vet" Their Pet Health Questions

Pets Best Insurance believes that knowledge is power--especially when it comes to our pets' health care. While the pet insurance company always recommends taking a pet in for veterinary evaluation at the first sign of illness, it has also created a means for pet owners to ask a licensed veterinarian general pet health and behavioral questions on its Facebook page. Dr. Fiona Caldwell, of Idaho Veterinary Hospital in Nampa, Idaho responds to the questions on film each week. The clips are then posted to the Pets Best Insurance Facebook wall, http://www.facebook.com/PetsBestInsurance ...

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Science18 May 2011

Forest Service unveils first comprehensive forecast on southern forests

The USDA Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters released the first phase of the Southern Forest Futures Project report on Tuesday, May 17, which identifies areas forest managers will focus on to maintain southern forests in the coming years. According to the report, urbanization, bioenergy use, weather patterns, land ownership changes and invasive species will significantly alter the South's forests between the years 2010 and 2060. About 23 million acres of forest land are projected to decrease. People are also expected to influence water resources, ...

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Science18 May 2011

Staff-prisoner relationships are key to prison quality

As public sector prisons move towards the thin staffing level model of profit-making institutions, with their high turnover of personnel who are less connected to their occupation, a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) warns of a potentially detrimental impact on prison quality. "Until now, little has been known about the relative strengths and weaknesses of public and private prisons," says Professor Liebling of Cambridge University who led the research. "Today, when the privatisation of prisons is on the increase and the public sector staffing ...

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Medicine18 May 2011

Understanding a bacterial immune system 1 step at a time

Researchers at the University of Alberta have taken an important step in understanding an immune system of bacteria, a finding that could have implications for medical care and both the pharmaceutical and dairy industries. In research published in the high impact journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Andrew MacMillan and co-workers in his lab have described the first step of the immune response of bacterial cells. Scientists had previously found that a bacterial virus, called a bacteriophage, attacks a bacterial cell by injecting its DNA in to the cell. MacMillan's ...

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Science18 May 2011

Pro athletes ought to bargain outside federal court, legal scholar says

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research by a University of Illinois law and labor expert shows that in labor disputes between professional athletes and owners, courts have consistently failed to maintain a clear separation between antitrust and labor law. While players in the three major sports – football, baseball and basketball – have pursued a two-pronged approach of collective bargaining and antitrust litigation to eliminate owner-imposed constraints on labor market competition, Michael LeRoy says that the institution of collective bargaining should not be subordinated to ...

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Technology18 May 2011

Madison, WI Event Aims to Pass the $1 Million Mark in Funds Raised for Local Charities

Madisonians can all agree they are anxiously waiting for the first smells of summer and the moment they can fire up the grill. The good news is, they don't have to wait long! This year's biggest summer grilling kickoff will be at The World's Largest Brat Fest, now in its 29th year of record-breaking grilling! The 2011 World's Largest Brat Fest, sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage and produced by Metcalfe's Market, will be held rain or shine Memorial Day Weekend, May 27 through the 30 in Madison, WI. "This is the time of year we absolutely love; it's the time when ...

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Science18 May 2011

True love may wait -- but waiting won't make you a safer lover later on

Whether sex education focuses only on abstinence or teaches students about contraception and other topics as well, it all shares one main message: Wait. In abstinence-only, students are exhorted to wait for sex until they're married. In "comprehensive" or "abstinence-plus," the idea is to delay sexual relations until . . . later. "The underlying assumption is that delay reduces sexual risk-taking"—and with it unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, says University of South Florida psychologist Marina A. Bornovalova. "If they just wait, then they'll be ...

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