An examination of medication adherence among children with newly diagnosed epilepsy found that nearly 60 percent showed persistent nonadherence during the first 6 months of therapy, and that lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher non-adherence, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA. Epilepsy, a disorder of recurrent unprovoked seizures, affects 325,000 children younger than 15 years in the United States. "Because of epilepsy's common occurrence, the narrow therapeutic and safety margins of antiepileptic medications, and the recognized complications ...

An examination of health literacy (such as understanding basic health information) among managed care patients with heart failure, a condition that requires self-management, found that nearly one in five have low health literacy, which was associated with a higher all-cause risk of death, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA. Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, as defined by the Institute of Medicine. According to background ...

In an analysis of data from a coronary care registry in Sweden, between 1996-2007 there was an increase in the prevalence of use of evidence-based invasive procedures and pharmacological therapies for treatment of a certain type of heart attack, and a decrease in the rate of death at 30 days and one year after a heart attack for these patients, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA. Although recent population-based studies indicate a reduction in incidence, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; a certain pattern on an electrocardiogram following a heart ...

Among obese patients, activation of the protein biomarker CTNNB1 was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas post-diagnosis physical activity was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival among patients negative for CTNNB1, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA. Activation of the WNT signaling pathway (a network of proteins known for their roles in cancer) and cadherin-associated protein beta-1 (CTNNB1; [beta-catenin]) plays a critical role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Accumulating evidence ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Several genes have been linked to ALS, with one of the most recent called FUS. Two new studies in PLoS Biology, one from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the other from colleagues at Brandeis University, both examined FUS biology in yeast and found that defects in RNA biology may be central to how FUS contributes to ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. These findings point to new targets for developing drugs. Proteins aggregate to form insoluble clumps in the brain and spinal cord of ALS patients. In some instances of ALS, the clumping ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Teens are rarely described as stable, so when something about their rapidly changing brains remains placidly unaltered, neuroscientists take notice. Such is the case in a new study of electroencephalography (EEG) readings gathered from dozens of teens while they slept. Despite the major neural overhaul underway during adolescence, most individuals maintained a unique and consistent pattern of underlying brain oscillations. The work lends a new level of support to the idea, already observed in adults, that people produce a kind of brainwave ...

Hospitals and physician practices that form care-coordinating networks called "Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)," under provisions of the new health-care law could reap cost-savings and other benefits. However, experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania warn that such networks could potentially be designed to exclude minorities and widen disparities in health care. In a commentary appearing in the April 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a Johns Hopkins physician says that as a result of new provisions in the Patient Protection ...

Coastal Kids Dental & Braces is proud to announce that Dr. Isabel Driggers, Owner and Founder of Coastal Kids Dental & Braces, was selected as the South Carolina representative by the AAPD to attend the 2011 Congressional Lobby Day. This is the 2nd year that Dr. Isabel has attending the AAPD Lobby Day as the SC representative. As part of the AAPD Congressional Lobby Day, Dr. Isabel visited Washington, DC and met with the offices of Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint and Congressmen Tim Scott and Jim Clyburn to discuss current issues in Pediatric Dentistry ...

Astronomers may now know the cause of an historic supernova explosion that is an important type of object for investigating dark energy in the universe. The discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, also provides strong evidence that a star can survive the explosive impact generated when a companion star goes supernova. The new study examined the remnant of a supernova observed by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in 1572. The object, dubbed Tycho for short, was formed by a Type Ia supernova, a category of stellar explosion useful in measuring astronomical ...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Canada needs a national pharmacare program and federal leaders must commit adequate funding, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/doi/10.1503/cmaj.110643. Unlike many countries in Europe and Australia and New Zealand, Canada lacks a national pharmacare program that provides consistent coverage across all regions of the country. Currently, drugs that are covered in some provinces may not be in others. "The inevitable consequence is that some people are prevented from getting the drugs they ...

Men and women had starkly different immune system responses to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, with men showing no response and women showing a strong response, in two studies by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. While a robust immune response protects the body from foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, an over-activated response causes inflammation, which can lead to such conditions as cardiovascular disease and arthritis. In a study published in the March, 2011 issue of Brain, Behavior, ...

While wind turbines primarily are a source of renewable energy, they also produce wakes of invisible ripples that can affect the atmosphere and influence wind turbines downstream -- an issue being researched in a newly launched study led by the University of Colorado Boulder's Julie Lundquist, assistant professor in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences department. The study, called the Turbine Wake and Inflow Characterization Study, or TWICS, also includes researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable ...

Brandeis researchers have made a significant advance in the effort to understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by successfully reversing the toxicity of the mutated protein in the familial type of the disease. Currently there is no cure or prevention for the disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Most frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, after its most famous victim, ALS typically causes death due to respiratory paralysis within three to five years of onset. The only approved drug, Riluzole, can extend the lifespan of some ...

Exotic bacteria that do not rely on oxygen may have played an important role in determining the composition of Earth's early atmosphere, according to a theory that UChicago researcher Albert Colman is testing in the scalding hot springs of a volcanic crater in Siberia. He has found that bacteria at the site produce as well as consume carbon monoxide, a surprising twist that scientists must take into account as they attempt to reconstruct the evolution of Earth's early atmosphere. Colman, an assistant professor in geophysical sciences, joined an American-Russian team ...

The Europe wide figures for new car sales across Europe fell by nearly 2 percent in the first quarter of the year. Whilst some countries experienced an increase a number of factors, including economic troubles in Portugal and Greece contributed to the overall reduction. Within the top five markets: Spain, Italy and Great Britain all experienced negative retail figures for new car sales. Whilst this is gloomy news for much of the Motor Trade (particularly within the UK), there have been some brands that have bucked the trend. Alfa Romeo sales have increased 60 percent ...

A low pressure area currently over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin has created conditions that call for a forecast of severe weather in the eastern third of the U.S. today and one area is even labeled "high risk." The GOES-13 Satellite captured a visible image of the system today as daytime heating was boiling up strong and severe thunderstorms. What's unusual about the system is that there are a handful of days where a "high risk" for severe weather is noted by NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). Today, April 26, 2011 is one of them. The high risk ...

The Parking Authority of Suffern, New York is launching RingGo Pay by Cell Phone service beginning April 26, 2011. The new service is available for nine village lots including the daily parking spaces at the Suffern Train Station. As an added convenience, Suffern residents may now purchase monthly parking permits through RingGo. This state-of-the-art system makes paying for parking far more convenient for Suffern's residents and visitors. Instead of having to make sure they have the right amount of cash or coins or walking and standing in the snow at the honor boxes, ...

New York, NY, April 27, 2011—Ninety percent of American families living above the federal poverty level will be able to afford health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report by Jonathan Gruber and Ian Perry of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The report finds that new subsidies available through health insurance exchanges established under the law will make premiums affordable for most families. But the authors also warn that high out-of-pocket costs will likely mean some families will still be unable to afford ...

A new true trader's journal, www.spread-betting.com has been revamped online and introduces a new clean design with a user-friendly interface aimed at educating investors. Spread-Betting.com is the UK's new leading trade journal and tutor for investors who seek answers regarding financial spread betting. With information on oil, gas, silver, wheat or simply a question of a certain stock doubling in value, www.spread-betting.com is answering important questions concerning how one might bet the Dollar against the Euro or Pound against the Euro; questions about the Nasdaq ...

AgilQuest Corporation, a business focused on workplace flexibility and real estate optimization, is a sponsor at the upcoming Telework Exchange Town Hall meeting. AgilQuest will demonstrate services and technology to create telework programs and explain how agencies can shift budgets to fund the telework mandates. Telework Exchange's Town Hall Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 28 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. Government agencies will attend classes and speak to exhibitors as they work to comply with the recent Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. "The ...

With InsuranceAgents.com, consumers can easily compare homeowners insurance quotes from multiple top-rated companies. This is why the service can proclaim with confidence, "We do all the work for you." Insurance consumers report that shopping for homeowners insurance quotes, especially the first time, can be a difficult process as they struggle to find the right coverage at the right price that is represented by the right insurance agent. Unfortunately, they may not discover they made the wrong decision until a future date when they have already experienced ...

More and more organizations are adding Rapid Actions Tools to their Lean Six Sigma Deployments to drive faster and bigger results. Rapid Action Tools complement traditional Lean and Six Sigma methods with a just-in-time, simple to deploy process and toolset for engaging frontline employees in 60-day or shorter rapid improvement projects. According to Lean Six Sigma Deployment Leaders adopting the toolset, major benefits delivered are reduced project cycle-times, increased Belt productivity and faster cultural change by expanding engagement of leaders and employees at ...

The Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) announced that the organization's first collegiate event in the Scholastic Steel Challenge program will be hosted by firearms maker Smith & Wesson with targets provided by Action Target. The match will take place May 7-8 at the Hartford Gun Club in Hartford, Conn. The Scholastic Steel Challenge Collegiate Spring Championship will feature a two-day format with instruction and demonstrations on setting up and running the various Steel Challenge stages followed by team practice sessions on day one. Team competition will ...

North America's largest pop-culture tour continues as the 11th annual Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, June 17-19, with superstar guests Bruce Campbell, Adam Baldwin, Pam Grier, Vivica A. Fox, Julie Benz and Billy Dee Williams headlining the list of celebrity attendees. The event will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, comics, toys, video gaming, television, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Campbell ...

RNA plays a critical role in directing the creation of proteins, but there is more to the life of an RNA molecule than simply carrying DNA's message. One can imagine that an RNA molecule is born, matures, and eventually, meets its demise. Researchers at the Broad have developed an approach that offers many windows into the lifecycle of these essential molecules and will enable other scientists to investigate what happens when something in a cell goes wrong. They describe their approach, which offers high resolution and a comprehensive scope, in a Nature Biotechnology article ...