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InsuranceAgents.com has launched a new e-mail feature that is totally automated and integrates with the company's online insurance leads program. Agents can experiment with its functionality with a no-charge trial for one month. "Email marketing studies have indicated that using automated email follow-ups can increase average insurance agent close rates with insurance leads by 10%. Timely follow-ups can significantly improve sales results, and our email management system is the most efficient way to achieve it," reports Lev Barinskiy, Co-Founder and President of InsuranceAgents.com. ...

A large-scale UC Davis experiment with ants, lizards and seaweed on a dozen Caribbean islands shows that predicting the effects of environmental change on complex natural ecosystems requires a large laboratory. The study, which was led by UC Davis ecologist Jonah Piovia-Scott, is described in today's issue of the journal Science. Piovia-Scott said previous studies have found that environmental changes (such as shifts in temperature, precipitation or storm severity) can affect ecosystems by adding or taking away plant and animal species, as well as by shifting the seasonal ...

LA JOLLA, CA – Scripps Research Institute scientists have converted adult skin cells directly into beating heart cells efficiently without having to first go through the laborious process of generating embryonic-like stem cells. The powerful general technology platform could lead to new treatments for a range of diseases and injuries involving cell loss or damage, such as heart disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease. The work was published January 30, 2011, in an advance, online issue of Nature Cell Biology. "This work represents a new paradigm in stem cell reprogramming," ...

Cheaper, lighter and more energy-efficient broadband devices on communications satellites may be possible using metamaterials to modify horn antennas, according to engineers from Penn State and Lockheed Martin Corp. "Existing horn antennas have adequate performance, but have undergone little change over several decades except for advances in more accurate modeling techniques," said Erik Lier, technical Fellow, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. "Modifications enabled by metamaterials can either enhance performance, or they can lower the mass and thus lower the cost of ...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy shows major benefit in reducing mortality in people with heart failure when combined with optimal medical therapy or implantable cardioverter defibrillator, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj101685.pdf. Cardiac resynchronization therapy involves pacing from both the left and right ventricles of the heart at the same time to improve efficiency. Congestive heart failure is a major health issue in Canada, with more 500,000 Canadians affected ...

Poor work ability in midlife may be associated with an accelerated deterioration of health and functioning in old age, states a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100713.pdf. In a 28-year follow-up population-based study, Finnish researchers studied middle-aged white-collar and blue-collar employees to see if a person's work ability in midlife might predict their risk of death or disability. In 1981, a total of 5971 employees aged 44-58 reported on their perceived work ability as part ...

Sex in pregnancy is generally safe, with few complications, states a new primer for physicians to counsel patients wondering about sex in pregnancy, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj091580.pdf. The primer is based on current evidence. Potential, although uncommon, risks of sex in pregnancy include premature labour, pelvic inflammatory disease, hemorrhage in placenta previa (when the placenta covers part of the cervix) and blood clots. While restriction of intercourse is recommended for women ...

The issues of assisted death and palliative care in Canada should be discussed in the context of human rights, states a commentary published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj091845.pdf. While the topic of assisted death has been a recent discussion in Canada, we cannot address until the issue of equal access to palliative care has been resolved. In Canada, at least 70% of residents lack access to palliative care and for those who do have access, it is inequitable. "The equalization of palliative care ...

Health charities and health organizations must tread carefully when partnering with the food industry as it may risk compromise health promotion goals, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj110085.pdf. Partnerships with major food companies are attractive for health charities and organizations because they bring additional funding and support. For the food industry, these relationships can help burnish their brands, support marketing efforts and help with lobbying but they may obscure ...

Scientists have deciphered the genome of a persistent household pest -- the Argentine ant, an invasive species that is threatening native insects across the world. The newly sequenced genomes of the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and the red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) could provide new insights on how embryos with the same genetic code develop into either queens or worker ants and may advance our understanding of invasion biology and pest control. An international collaboration of scientists reported the results today as part of a series of three decoded ...

CHICAGO --- You know the probiotics in your peach yogurt are healthful, but now it appears they may also be a powerful treatment for disease. A genetically tweaked version of a common probiotic found in yogurt and cheese appears to be an effective therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It may also prove to be useful in colon cancer, another disease triggered by inflammation. Northwestern Medicine researchers deleted a gene in the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and fed the new form to mice with two different models ...

Studies have shown that regions spending more on medical care, such as Miami, do not have better health outcomes than regions that spend relatively less, such as Minneapolis. However, less is known about how medical spending affects health at certain critical times, such as in the immediate period after a patient is admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening condition. When hospitalized for a major acute medical condition — including heart attack, stroke and pneumonia — patients were less likely to die in high-spending hospitals, according to a new study appearing ...

LA JOLLA, CA—In analyzing the molecular sensor for the plant growth hormone brassinolide, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered that although plants took an evolutionary path different from their animal cousins, they arrived at similar solutions to a common problem: How to reliably receive and process incoming signals. The team's findings, published in the February 1, 2011 issue of Genes and Development, revealed that so-called tyrosine phosphorylation—used as an "on" or "off" switch and long thought to be a feature unique to animal cells—is ...

A study published today shows that African Americans have a better survival rate compared to whites after being hospitalized for a stroke. This conclusion contradicts prevailing wisdom and is one piece in a growing body of evidence that points to the important role that patients – and the decision they and their families make in terms of treatment – may play on mortality rates. The study found that – after adjusting data for variables such as age, socioeconomic status, and risk factors – that African Americans who were hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke had a significantly ...

PITTSBURGH, PA., and CHAMPAIGN, ILL.—A new study shows that one year of moderate physical exercise can increase the size of the brain's hippocampus in older adults, leading to an improvement in spatial memory. The project—conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Illinois, Rice University, and Ohio State University—is considered the first study of its kind focusing on older adults who are already experiencing atrophy of the hippocampus, the brain structure involved in all forms of memory formation. The study, funded through the National ...

Scientists have discovered that molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the energy factories, or mitochondria, in cells, may play a role in a rare inherited disorder in which uncontrolled inflammation damages the body's tissues. Their research in human and mouse cells suggests that blocking these molecules could reduce inflammation in TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and possibly other inflammatory diseases. The work, published online on January 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org), was supported by the National ...

A protein that protects stem cells in the gut relieves a potentially lethal complication of bone marrow transplantation in mice, according to a study published online on January 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org). Bone marrow transplantation can cure diseases such as leukemia but it can also lead to a potentially fatal complication known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). A group led by Takanori Teshima at Kyushu University in Japan found that mice treated with a protein called R-spondin1 developed less severe GVHD after bone marrow transplantation. ...

A Johns Hopkins-led safety checklist program that virtually eliminated bloodstream infections in hospital intensive-care units throughout Michigan appears to have also reduced deaths by 10 percent, a new study suggests. Although prior research showed a major reduction in central-line related bloodstream infections at hospitals using the checklist, the new study is the first to show its use directly lowered mortality. "We knew that when we applied safety science principles to the delivery of health care, we would dramatically reduce infections in intensive care units, ...

Berkeley — A research team led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University has unlocked the genetic code of the highly invasive Argentine ant, providing clues as to why this species has been so successful. The draft genome of the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) – the tiny brown insect that homeowners so frequently find marching en masse through their kitchens – is among a trio of ant genomes being published the week of Jan. 31 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The other two ant species are ...

Widespread screening or routine ultrasound for blocked neck arteries to determine stroke risk isn't necessary, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, American College of Cardiology and other groups. Carotid stenting and carotid endarterectomy are reasonable and effective ways to treat blocked neck arteries, though some patients may be a better candidate for one procedure over the other, the guidelines also state. When the carotid arteries on the side of the neck or vertebral arteries alongside the spinal column ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that high-functioning autistic adults appear to have trouble using theory of mind to make moral judgments in certain situations. Specifically, the researchers found that autistic adults were more likely than non-autistic subjects to blame someone for accidentally causing harm to another person. This shows that their judgments rely more on the outcome of the incident than on an understanding of the person's intentions, says Liane Young, an MIT postdoctoral associate and one of the lead authors of the study, which ...

The wilful neglect of any patient should become a criminal offence for doctors and nurses in England, as it is in France, suggest ethicists in a leading article published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Normally, healthcare professionals in England can only face prosecution if a serious error results in the death of a patient, say the authors from the University of Manchester's Centre for Social Ethics and Policy. But under current mental health legislation, nurses, doctors, and managers can be charged with the criminal offence of wilful neglect, which is ...

A head injury can blight the chances of survival up to 13 years after the event, especially among younger adults, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Injury severity seems to make little difference over the longer term, the findings show. The research team tracked over 2,000 people, 757 of whom had sustained a head injury that required admission to one of five hospitals in Glasgow between 1995 and 1996. The rest of the group were split between those who had been admitted to hospital for other reasons, but for the ...

Dogs can sniff out bowel cancer in breath and stool samples, with a very high degree of accuracy - even in the early stages of the disease - reveals research published online in the journal Gut. The findings prompt the authors to suggest that chemical compounds for specific cancers circulate throughout the body, which opens up the prospect of developing tests to pick up the disease before it has had the chance to spread elsewhere. A specially trained Labrador retriever completed 74 sniff tests, each comprising five breath (100 to 200 ml) or stool samples (50 ml) at ...