A phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of a severe form of age-related macular degeneration called geographic atrophy (GA) has become the first study to show the benefit of a therapy to slow the progression of vision loss for this disease. The results highlight the benefit of the use of a neurotrophic factor to treat GA and provide hope to nearly one million Americans suffering from GA. The multi-center research team, including Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego, Shiley Eye Center, the lead author of the paper and one of the leading investigators ...

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice will be staged at Seville's Teatro de la Maestranza next month. It is adapted from the piece written by Christoph Willibald Gluck in the 18th century and will include starring roles for opera singers Carlos Mena, Roberta Invernizzi and Maria Espada. Taking place on May 22nd, the concert will feature the Seville Baroque Orchestra led by violinist and director Vincent Onofri. Orpheus is one of the most well-known characters in Greek mythology, known for his ability to charm all living things with his musical ability. When his ...

American rock legends Anthrax are set to headline Quezon City's Pulp Summer Slam XI: Resurrection concert later this month. The thrash metal icons formed back in the early 1980s and are seen as one of the genre's big four bands, alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They rose to prominence with 1984 debut Fistful of Metal and have gone on to release a further 20 albums, EPs and compilations of live shows. Anthrax are joined on the bill by Hellyeah, who started out as a side project for members of Mudvayne, Nothingface and Pantera. Other big names confirmed ...

Contrary to popular belief among physicians, frailty in elderly patients is not associated with an increased risk of adverse reactions to medications, according to a study led by Michael Steinman, MD, a geriatrician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. The study of 377 patients age 65 or older appears in the online Early View section of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. "There is a common, and reasonable, perception among clinicians that older people who are unable to carry out activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and walking without ...

Jimmy Fallon, the host of "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" has carved out his own little corner of the late night universe, appealing to a particular brand of pop culture awareness and nostalgia. That love of junk culture from a particular era (mostly the early '90s) inspired Fallon to stage reunions of the casts of "Saved By the Bell" and "California Dreams" as well as a number of music acts from the era. Such was the case when Bel Biv Devoe took the stage at 30 Rock to tear into their classic single "Poison." BBD is represented for celebrity appearances by none other than ...

Two new UC Davis studies add scientific evidence that hunters' lead ammunition often finds its way into carrion-eating birds, such as eagles and turkey vultures. These scavenger species often take advantage of animal remains left behind when a hunter cleans a kill or when a shot deer or wild pig escapes the hunter but dies later. However, when the remains contain lead shot pellets or bullet fragments, the scavenger birds can develop lead poisoning, which can cause inability to fly, starvation, anemia, blindness, seizures and death. In 1991, to protect bald eagles, ...

On paper, the performance of African brands in the BrandFinance Global 500 list of the most valuable brands looks poor. Telecoms giant MTN is the sole representative of African brands to make the top 500, positioned 199th in the table topped by Google. However, we took the time to delve deeper into the outlook for the continent's brands - and it is certainly bright. We spoke to two experts in the field Oliver Schmitz - Managing Director of Brand Finance South Africa and Thebe Ikalafeng, the founder of Brand Leadership Group. "MTN has set the standard and the ...

Cave fish sleep significantly less than their surface counterparts, a finding by New York University biologists that reveals the genes involved in sleep patterns and disorders. Their study, which appears in the journal Current Biology, may shed light on how genetic makeup contributes to sleep variation and disruption in humans. The study's authors were Erik Duboué, an NYU graduate student, Alex Keene, an NYU post-doctoral fellow, and Richard Borowsky, a professor in NYU's Department of Biology. They examined surface fish in the species Astyanax mexicanus and three cave ...

In just six years, bacteria in the genus Rickettsia spread through a population of the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), an invasive pest of global importance. Infected insects lay more eggs, develop faster and are more likely to survive to adulthood compared to their uninfected peers. The discoveries were made by a University of Arizona-led team of scientists and are published in the April 8 issue of the journal Science. "It's instant evolution," said Molly Hunter, a professor of entomology in the UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the study's ...

On paper, the performance of African brands in the BrandFinance Global 500 list of the most valuable brands looks poor. Telecoms giant MTN is the sole representative of African brands to make the top 500, positioned 199th in the table topped by Google. However, we took the time to delve deeper into the outlook for the continent's brands - and according to experts Oliver Schmitz, Managing Director of Brand Finance South Africa and Thebe Ikalafeng, founder of Brand Leadership - it is certainly bright. We also asked the question as to whether African brands are really ...

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a model that will allow them to simulate how rats use their whiskers to sense objects around them. The model enables further research that may provide insight into the human sense of touch. Hundreds of papers are published each year that use the rat whisker system as a model to understand brain development and neural processing. Rats move their whiskers rhythmically against objects to explore the environment by touch. Using only tactile information from its whiskers, a rat can determine all of an object's spatial ...

A new study demonstrates that a procedure used in preconception diagnosis to identify eggs that are free of genetic disease might not work well in all cases. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, highlights the issues associated with analyzing the amount of mutant mitochondrial DNA in supporting cells as a proxy for eggs prior to in vitro fertilization. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preconception diagnosis (PCD) are services that have been very useful to couples who have a genetic defect in their ...

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has launched an innovative website to help educators assess more precisely what students know about key ideas in science and -- just as importantly -- the incorrect ideas they have. It offers an unusually detailed picture of how middle and high school students across the United States are currently doing in science, and features information on what they know and on hundreds of misconceptions they have about everything from the size of atoms to whether all organisms have DNA. Knowing these misconceptions and how ...

ECustom Finishes, crafters of fine reclaimed wood furniture and accessories, has announced plans to expand its e-commerce division by 50 percent and, to accommodate growth, the company has inked a deal to lease a new location at Phoenix Park in Shirley, Massachusetts, beginning July 1, 2011. ECustom Finishes owner Chris Longdon said the company, which offers customized solid wood furniture for the home including rustic pine tables, end tables, dining room sets and other casually sophisticated classic and rustic wood accessories, witnessed a 45 percent increase in e-commerce ...

AMES, Iowa – NASA's Kepler Mission has detected changes in brightness in 500 sun-like stars, giving astronomers a much better idea about the nature and evolution of the stars. Prior to Kepler's launch in March 2009, astronomers had identified the changes in brightness, or oscillations, of about 25 stars similar to our sun in size, age, composition and location within the Milky Way galaxy. The discoveries are reported in a paper, "Ensemble Asteroseismology of Solar-Type Stars with the NASA Kepler Mission," in the April 8 issue of the journal Science. The lead author ...

In an effort to help his patients look better, feel better and save money on some of their favorite treatments, Dr. Vincent Lepore (www.vincentleporemd.com) is now offering specials on several plastic surgery procedures in San Jose. "Cosmetic surgery is a big decision, and I want to make it a little easier for my patients who want to invest in themselves by offering special rates on some of the most popular procedures at my practice," notes Dr. Lepore, a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice for almost 25 years. "I think people interested in body contouring ...

The internally-driven daily cycle of blood pressure changes doesn't appear to be linked to the known increase in morning heart attacks, according to a study in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers sought to identify the role of the internal human body clock in the daily rise and fall in blood pressure. In the study, three groups of volunteers showed an internal daily blood pressure variation with a peak at around 9 p.m. — independent of changes in activity and other behavioral influences that can affect blood pressure. Increased ...

Virtual reality (VR) and other video games led to significant improvement in arm strength following stroke and could provide an affordable, enjoyable and effective way to intensify treatment, according research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers analyzed seven observational and five randomized trials, representing a total of 195 patients, ages 26 to 88, who had suffered mild to moderate strokes. Each study had investigated the effects of electronic games on upper arm strength and function. In the observational studies, there ...

David Blair of QuadCap Wealth Management, LLC, recently spoke to a group of Dallas business owners regarding the necessity of withholding and/or estimated payments. An excerpt of this talk follows: "The United States tax system is a pay-as-you-go system that requires taxpayers to pay as the income they are taxed on is earned. If you are paying your taxes throughout the year through withholding, you can increase this towards the end of the year to make up any shortfall. If you are self-employed however, you must make estimate payments throughout the year." The first ...

SEATTLE—A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery. Researchers randomly assigned half the patients to receive an educational booklet on bariatric surgery and half to watch the video-based decision aid. After three months, those who watched the video felt less conflicted ...

Dr. Lori Polacek (www.polacekplasticsurgery.com), a board-certified plastic surgeon, is now offering Exilis to patients at her plastic surgery practice in Rhode Island. Exilis, a completely non-surgical procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to heat and shrink underlying tissue, is one of the most innovative and sophisticated techniques for body sculpting and skin tightening in recent years. "I'm excited to add Exilis to my practice, and I think my patients will share in my excitement once they see what this treatment can do - all without surgery," notes Dr. Polacek, ...

STANFORD, Calif. — People who use in vitro fertilization to conceive children often have leftover embryos and must decide whether to store them, dispose of them or possibly donate them for research. A new process developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine allows these people to make this decision in the privacy of their own homes — without any interaction with clinic personnel or scientists who might benefit from the research. "There is concern that conflicts of interest and influence by researchers and clinicians may play a role in donor choice," ...

A paper published by Cell Press in the April 8th issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new and more efficient method for reprogramming adult mouse and human cells into an embryonic stem cell-like state and could lead to better strategies for developing stem cells for therapeutic use. The ability to reprogram adult cells into cells that resemble embryonic stem cells has tremendous potential for both stem cell research and regenerative medicine. "Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of iPSCs not only in the study of basic stem biology, but also in ...

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have devised a totally new and far more efficient way of generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), immature cells that are able to develop into several different types of cells or tissues in the body. The researchers used fibroblast cells, which are easily obtained from skin biopsies, and could be used to generate patient-specific iPSCs for drug screening and tissue regeneration. iPSCs are typically generated from adult non-reproductive cells by expressing four different genes called ...

Dr. Grant Stevens of Marina Plastic Surgery (www.marinaplasticsurgery.com) is seeing a rise in the popularity of facial plastic surgery procedures such as eyelid surgery and facelift in Los Angeles, but his practice is also seeing a dramatic jump in the number of nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures being performed. These nonsurgical procedures meet the demands of patients' busy schedules while helping them look their best and allowing them to remain on-the-go. "My Los Angeles plastic surgery patients choose from a wide range of procedures," says Dr. Stevens, "and ...