Women who suffer from asthma or poor lung function as adults generally started their periods at the age of 10 or before. This is the conclusion of a European research study with Spanish participation, which shows that this trend is more common in southern Europe, and particularly affects women from large families. "Adult women who had their first menstruation at the age of 10 or earlier have significantly lower lung capacity than women who had their first period at 13", Ferenc Macsali, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Haukeland Hospital in Bergen (Norway), ...

General Medical Council (GMC) decisions about doctors who qualified outside the UK are more likely to have far reaching consequences (high impact decisions), finds research published on bmj.com today. The authors, led by Professor Charlotte Humphrey from King's College London, say there is no clear reason why overseas doctors do worse in GMC fitness to practise processes than their UK-trained peers. Humphrey argues that perhaps "real differences exist in fitness to practise between groups of doctors who are referred to the GMC" or "that the GMC processes tend to ...

Medical and military leaders have come together today to warn that climate change not only spells a global health catastrophe, but also threatens global stability and security. "Climate change poses an immediate and grave threat, driving ill-health and increasing the risk of conflict, such that each feeds upon the other," they write in an editorial published on bmj.com today. Their views come ahead of an open meeting on these issues to be held at the British Medical Association on 20 June 2011. The authors point to several reports, highlighting the threat that climate ...

Research led by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that Metformin, a drug treatment used to treat diabetes and also in women with Polycystic vary syndrome (PCOS), may potentially provide protection against endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract and the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK and the US. Up to a third of PCOS women also have endometrial hyperplasia which, in turn predisposes these women to endometrial cancer. PCOS affects 5%-10% of women of reproductive age, where ...

Bremerhaven/Vienna, 05.04.2011. Over the past few days ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia leading to higher than normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland. These air masses will move east over the next few days, covering parts of Russia and perhaps extend as far south as the Chinese/Russian border. Such excursions of ozone-depleted air may also occur over Central Europe and could reach as far south as the Mediterranean. On an international press conference by the World Meteorological Organisation ...

Berlin's Theatertreffen is one of the most important events of the year for fans of German-language theatre. Taking place at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele between Friday May 6th and Monday May 23rd, this 'theatre meeting' is based around a showcase of the ten best productions from the previous season. The plays are selected by an independent jury of experts from a list of approximately 400 productions staged in the German capital. In addition, Theatertreffen includes a varied programme of discussions, premieres, prize ceremonies, concerts and exhibitions. The ...

Devices which could be used to rehabilitate the arms and hands of people who have experienced a stroke have been developed by researchers at the University of Southampton. In a paper to be presented this week (6 April) at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Assisted Living Conference, Dr Geoff Merrett, a lecturer in electronic systems and devices, will describe the design and evaluation of three technologies which could help people who are affected by stroke to regain movement in their hand and arm. Dr Merrett worked with Dr Sara Demain, a lecturer in ...

Kid Koala is poised to give a demonstration of his world-renowned turntable skills in Bilbao later this month. The Montreal-based DJ - real name Eric San - will appear at the Spanish city's Kafe Antzokia on Friday April 29th, when fans of his inventive and idiosyncratic style are expected to be out in force. Having released several albums on the influential British dance music label Ninja Tune, Kid Koala has established an international fan base and performed to packed venues around the world. The artist, who has also published his own full-length graphic novel, ...

The sudden death of a young athlete always prompts full media attention, most recently spurring a call for preventative screening methods, including costly electrocardiogram (EKG) tests for all school-age athletes. But a new study by Dr. Sami Viskin of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine found that these screening measures, which are now mandatory in Israel and other countries, does not reduce the incidence of sudden death syndrome. "There's a lot of debate about this in the U.S. right now," says Dr. Viskin, even though cardiac arrest in athletes remains ...

Every year on May 1st, the people of Rome gather for a special day of music in the Piazza San Giovanni. Known as the Primo Maggio concert, this free event represents the Italian capital's first festival of the spring season and is usually attended by people from all over the country. The line-up is traditionally announced just days before the festival, so visitors will have to wait to see who is performing. However, the event usually features a number of well-known Italian pop bands, solo acts and international artists, with the likes of Hard-Fi and Marlene Kuntz ...

Research published in the Cancer Cell journal in March was a significant step in knowing the causes of cancer better, especially breast cancer, revealing that the lack or loss of a protein in the cells known as SIRT3, induces the proliferation of this disease and thereby, this protein can be an may be a therapeutic target in the development of effective therapies for cancer. The research was led by Dra. Marcia Haigis of the Harvard Medical School, with the participation of Dr. Arkaitz Carracedo, from the Proteomics Laboratory at CIC bioGUNE. One of the grand aims of the ...

Visitors to Naples next month may get a chance to see the city's football team take on Udinese in a crucial Serie A fixture. Both sides are chasing the title in Italy's top domestic league, as Napoli currently occupy third place in the table and their rivals from the north-east are just three points behind in fourth. The two sides will face each other at the famous Stadio San Paolo in Naples on Sunday April 17th, with the match shaping up to be a decisive moment in the season. Although league leaders AC Milan and second-placed Internazionale are considered more ...

According to the study, 50% of patients suffering from bipolar disorder suffers some type of work, social and family disability, and approximately 20% present some disorder at the three levels. This was the conclusion drawn in a cientific article recently published in the prestigious journal Psychiatry Research, prepared by Dr. Luis Gutiérrez Rojas, a member of the Research Group of Psychiatry Research and Neuroscience of the University of Granada coordinated by professor Manuel Gurpegui Fernández de Legaria. This study analyzed the factors associated to serious work, ...

Burgers, meat loaf and other lean ground beef favorites may be made from "trim," the meat that's left over after steaks and roasts have been carved from a side of beef. A study conducted several years ago to ensure that imported beef trim is safe to eat has led to an ongoing collaboration between U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists who conducted the research and colleagues from Uruguay, which exports this in-demand beef. Microbiologist Joseph M. (Mick) Bosilevac with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and his colleagues examined 1,186 samples of beef ...

Motor racing stars such as Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will head to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix next month. The fifth race of the Formula One season is due to take place at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday May 22nd, with practice sessions and qualifying starting two days before. Mark Webber won the race for Red Bull last year after a dramatic finish, but the Australian will be just one of several drivers aiming to clinch glory on the track this time around. World champion Sebastian Vettel got his title defence off to the perfect ...

Philadelphia, PA, 5 April, 2011 - Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are a class of medications that are commonly prescribed to treat type-2 diabetes, while fibrates are a structurally-related class of medications that are prescribed to modulate lipid levels in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. These drugs work by binding to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), with TZDs reducing insulin resistance and lowering the levels of cytokines that promote inflammation, and fibrates reducing low-density lipoprotein ...

A smartphone is all it takes to turn the heating on or off at home. This might sound like science fiction to the average user, but it is not unusual for the scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg. In an innovative test laboratory, the SmartEnergyLab, they are investigating how to network various electrical household appliances and operate them remotely. In the residential housing sector in particular there is still a great deal of potential for smart energy-management systems that are capable of tailoring local power generation and ...

Electronic music star James Blake is set to perform at Paris venue La Maroquinerie on Monday April 25th. The gig should give French fans a chance to see what all the fuss is about, as Blake has been widely hailed as one of British dance music's brightest young hopes since releasing a critically acclaimed series of EPs last year. After finishing as runner-up in the BBC's influential Sound of 2011 poll, Blake boosted his profile even further with his self-titled debut LP, which was released on February 7th. The 22-year-old from north London has also kept critics ...

Genetadi Biotech has presented to the scientific community – meeting at the XXVI National Congress on Human Genetics held in Murcia - a prenatal diagnostic device based on amniocentesis. More concretely, it is based on microarray technology (genomic hybridisation genetic chips) and with a diagnostic resolution 100 times greater than the common cytogenetic techniques. The new device, known as Amniochip, is able to detect 150 genetic genetic syndromes. "This involves currently validated genetic syndromes, including malformations and idiopathic mental deficiency not detected ...

Nitin Sawhney, the acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and composer, is set to launch his new album at the Royal Albert Hall next month. The musician will debut tracks from the LP, entitled Last Days of Meaning, at the famous London venue on Friday May 6th. His performance is also due to feature a retrospective of his studio work to date and a special commission for the hall's great organ. Written by Sawhney, this 15-minute piece will be performed by his childhood friend James Taylor, one of the UK's most highly rated Hammond organists. Last Days of Meaning is Sawhney's ...

It can be a total surprise: car tires burst, sealing rings fail and even your dearly beloved panton chair or your freely oscillating plastic chair develops cracks and the material gets fatigued. The reason for this often sudden and unforeseen material failure is triggered by microcracks that may be found in any component. You may hardly see these cracks and they may grow fast or slow. This also applies to fractures in components made of plastic that can be elastically formed. Sealing rings or tires are made of these elastomers and they can withstand mechanical loads especially ...

US singer Trey Songz will bring his chart-topping brand of contemporary R'n'B to Liverpool later this month. The Virginia-born musician is due to perform at the Liverpool Guild of Students venue Mountford Hall on Saturday April 23rd. Songz - real name Tremaine Aldon Neverson - is already a huge star in his native country and is now looking to boost his profile in the UK with a series of live dates. He released his latest studio album Passion, Pain and Pleasure in September last year, reaching number one on the US Billboard R'n'B/hip-hop chart. The LP also featured ...

HOUSTON -- (April 5, 2011) -- Some people collect stamps and coins, but when it comes to sheer utility, few collections rival the usefulness of Rice University researcher Michael Deem's collection of 2.6 million zeolite structures. Zeolites are materials -- including some natural minerals -- that act as molecular sieves, thanks to a Swiss-cheese-like arrangement of pores that can sort, filter, trap and chemically process everything from drugs and petroleum to nuclear waste. Zeolites are particularly useful as catalysts -- materials that spur chemical reactions. There ...

The 2011 Australian Jazz Bell Awards will see some of the country's most talented musicians head to Melbourne for a night of food, wine and performances. Named after Dixieland and classical jazz pianist Graeme Bell, the annual event is an opportunity to honour and encourage excellence in musical creativity, recording and presentation. As well as receiving the recognition of their peers, the winner of each category will be rewarded with AU$5,000 in prize money. Stars who have triumphed at the Bell Awards in the past include Jonathan Zwartz, who picked up the best ...

The Queensland Pops Orchestra (QPO) have enlisted the help of leading tenor Gregory Moore, plus numerous local performers and musicians, for their upcoming Celtic Celebration in Brisbane. Moore will take the stage alongside the likes of the Brotherhood of St Laurence's Choir, Watkins Academy of Irish Dance and Villanova College's Irish Ensemble for the show, which opens the QPO's 2011 season. The orchestra was formed back in 1984 by Colin Harper, a lifelong conductor of concert bands in the British and Australian armies. Since those early days the Pops have become ...