LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2011) – Patients suffering from dystonia, an uncommon yet potentially crippling movement disorder, get better results if they begin deep brain stimulation therapy sooner rather than later, according to an international study published in the March issue of the Journal of Neurology. "Our data suggest that patients who begin treatment earlier in the disease process may expect a better general outcome than those with longer disease duration. Also, age at surgery appears to influence the time necessary to achieve the best clinical response, meaning ...

Despite much research that demonstrates potential dangers from climate change, public concern has not been increasing. One theory is that this is because the public is not intimately familiar with the nature of the climate uncertainties being discussed. "A major challenge facing climate scientists is explaining to non-specialists the risks and uncertainties surrounding potential" climate change, says a new Perspectives piece published today in the science journal Nature Climate Change. The article attempts to identify communications strategies needed to improve layman ...

The deVere Group, the world's largest financial consultancy group is pleased to announce the extension of its alliance with The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, in relation to the construction and distribution of the bank's range of Structured Products into the offshore market. Following a very successful 12 month-operation, the alliance is now moving into its second year, and will continue to provide access to the bank's full range of Structured Products through the deVere Group. The deVere Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Green, commented: "The first twelve months ...

LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2011) – Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Eya1 protein phosphatase is a crucial regulator of the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. The correct functioning of lung epithelium is essential to life. Cellular polarity of lung epithelial cells, meaning that they have an asymmetrical orientation or a front and back, is crucial. Dysregulation of cell polarity has been associated with developmental disorders as well as cancer. Until now, little has ...

April is a wonderful time for hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon. The weather is ideal with average daytime highs in the mid-80s and nighttime lows in the mid-50s. The illustrious Grand Canyon flowers are in bloom during April. The incredible spring wildflower season only occurs in the Grand Canyon from March to early May, just in line with the Hiker's Special trip. The Hiker's Special will include many different types of hiking opportunities in Grand Canyon. Hike up narrow slot canyons of beautiful sandstone, hike to the source of grand waterfalls where the water ...

Los Angeles, CA (MARCH XX, 2011) College women who engage in "fat talk" (women speaking negatively about the size and shape of their bodies) face greater dissatisfaction with their bodies and are more likely to have internalized an ultra-thin body ideal than those who engage in fat talk less frequently, according to a review article from Psychology of Women Quarterly (published by SAGE). Study results found that while frequency of fat talk was associated with increased dissatisfaction with women's own bodies, over half of the participants reported that they believe fat ...

Los Angeles, CA (MARCH 2011) Despite popular belief, a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by SAGE) finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades. Researchers from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte (Bob Algozzine, Chuang Wang and Amy Violette) followed 350 students in seven at-risk schools over a 5-year period. They assessed both teacher perceptions of student behavior and academic achievement, as well as actual performance. They found that teachers ...

NEW YORK (March 29, 2011) -- Bariatric surgery is an especially cost-effective therapy for managing Type 2 diabetes in moderately and severely obese patients. These findings and others were presented today at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. Cost effectiveness is central to the larger issue of access to surgical treatment of diabetes, says Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the Congress and director of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian ...

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 devastated the Gulf of Mexico ecologically and economically. However, a new study published in Conservation Letters reveals that the true impact of the disaster on wildlife may be gravely underestimated. The study argues that fatality figures based on the number of recovered animal carcasses will not give a true death toll, which may be 50 times higher than believed. "The Deepwater oil spill was the largest in US history, however, the recorded impact on wildlife was relatively low, leading to suggestions that the environmental damage ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Programs that allow facilities to buy and sell emission allowances have been popular and effective since they were introduced in the U.S. two decades ago. But critics worry the approach can create heavily polluted "hot spots" in low-income and minority communities. A new study by Evan Ringquist, professor in the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, finds the problem hasn't materialized -- that the efficiency gains of allowance trading have not come at the expense of equitable treatment of minorities and the poor. "There ...

Everyone knows where to look for the medications that you might have a need for one day. Online pharma shops have proven to be a reliable source for medication but how can you be sure that you are buying from the right generic Viagra merchant? www.rx-webmasters.com can easily satisfy your uncertainty with high-quality services provided all over the world. Through years of successful and prosperous development, the company has launched an inevitable upgrade, bringing a brand-new drug store to your attention - www.lelamed.org. You don't have to question anything due to ...

An exciting mix of folk music's founding voices and modern favorites highlights the 52nd edition of the Newport Folk Festival set for July 30-31 at Fort Adams State Park, it was announced today by the Newport Festivals Foundation, the recently-formed 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization which produces the event. Tickets go on sale worldwide on Thursday, March 31, at 10:00 am at www.newportfolkfest.net. The Newport Folk Festival welcomes Alex and Ani (www.alexandani.com), a celebrated eco-friendly jewelry and lifestyle brand, as sponsor of the Harbor Stage. Located ...

The global economy depends on marine transportation. But in addition to cargo, the world's 50,000-plus commercial ships carry tiny stowaways that can cause huge problems for the environment and economy. A new model created by Smithsonian scientists will facilitate accurate screening of vessels for dangerous species before they unload. The team's findings are published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Ballast water taken up by ships in coastal waters teems with plankton and microbes. When discharged at the next port of call, these hitchhikers can ...

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 28, 2011)—Interventional radiologists have completed the first human randomized controlled trial of therapeutic renal denervation or RDN—a procedure that uses a catheter-based probe inserted into the renal artery that emits high-frequency energy to deactivate the nerves near the kidneys (or in the renal artery) that are linked to high blood pressure. The researchers say these results confirm that RDN may be an effective therapy for reducing—and consistently controlling—resistant hypertension when current medications have failed. The results were presented ...

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 28, 2011)—Understanding that angioplasty—a medical treatment used by interventional radiologists to widen the veins in the neck and chest to improve blood flow—is safe may encourage additional studies for its use as a treatment option for individuals with multiple sclerosis, say researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 36th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Ill. "Angioplasty—the nonsurgical procedure of threading a thin tube into a vein or artery to open blocked or narrowed blood vessels—is a safe treatment. Our study will provide ...

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 28, 2011)—Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT: it's more than just a one-time complication from taking a long plane ride. The Society of Interventional Radiology wants individuals to know the risk factors for this very serious condition, which can lead to post-thrombotic syndrome, pulmonary embolism, permanent damage to the leg and even death. "Individuals and their doctors need to be aware that in the United States alone about 600,000 people are hospitalized with deep vein thrombosis each year and more than 100,000 people die of resulting pulmonary embolism," ...

Interventional radiologists have been the leaders in the use of intra-arterial yttrium-90 radioembolization, since its introduction in 2000, to treat liver cancer. Now, new results from a large multi-institutional study show that treating liver tumors with higher doses of Y-90 than previously tried is safe, provides results when chemotherapies have failed, preserves the patient's quality of life—and can be done on an outpatient basis. This study, presented by researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 36th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Ill., further ...

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Some ingredients in 'green' products come from petroleum rather than natural sources ANAHEIM, March 28 , 2011 — With more and more environmentally conscious consumers choosing "green" products, scientists today reported that the first reality check has revealed that the ingredients in those products may ...

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society From crankcase to gas tank: New microwave method converts used motor oil into fuel This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese. ANAHEIM, March 28, 2011 — That dirty motor oil that comes out of your car or truck engine during oil changes could end up in your fuel tank, according to a report ...

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Potential new medicines show promise for treating colon cancer, asthma ANAHEIM, March 28, 2011 — In what they described as the opening of a new era in the development of potentially life-saving new drugs, scientists today reported discovery of a way to tone down an overactive gene involved in colon cancer and ...

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Mimicking Mother Nature yields promising materials for drug delivery and other applications ANAHEIM, March 28, 2011 — Mimicking Mother Nature's genius as a designer is one of the most promising approaches for developing new medicines, sustainable sources of food and energy, and other products that society needs ...

When the recent decision was made to merge the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) into a yet unnamed institution, there were a lot of questions as to how, and even why, it needed to be done. A commentary piece to be released in the April 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, which is currently available at Early View, explores that subject in great detail to analyze its problems and present possible solutions. One of the main issues, according to leading alcohol researchers who ...

Shortly after experiments on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland began yielding scientific data last fall, a group of scientists led by a Syracuse University physicist became the first to observe the decays of a rare particle that was present right after the Big Bang. By studying this particle, scientists hope to solve the mystery of why the universe evolved with more matter than antimatter. Led by Sheldon Stone, a physicist in SU's College of Arts and Sciences, the scientists observed the decay of a special type of B meson, ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. –Any possible pain relief that marijuana has for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be outweighed by the drug's apparent negative effect on thinking skills, according to research published in the March 29, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Some clinical trials have reported a mild benefit of marijuana on pain, bladder dysfunction and spasticity in MS, an auto-immune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The researchers studied two groups of 25 people each between the ages of 18 ...

BrianGeary.com has posted a list of tie-in ideas for April news release topics. The April tie-ins are available for free to all website visitors. Businesses seeking ideas for April news releases are encouraged to review the list to see which topics might be most appropriate to tie-in with their product or service news release. "Writing news releases that tie-in with current or cultural events," explains company spokesman Brian Geary, "have always been effective ways to attract viewers to read your news release." The effectiveness of the tie-in, however, is directly ...