Stena Line has reported its highest number of North Sea passengers for three years in its figures for 2010. For the first time since changing its Harwich to Hook of Holland operations to a twice-daily service in 2007, the ferry giant carried over half a million passengers in a year. Stena Line is attributing part of the 8.7 per cent annual growth in North Sea passengers to reinvigorated interest in ferry travel, fuelled both by the two new-build Superferry vessels it launched on the route in May and October and by difficulties affecting the UK aviation industry. ...

LighterLife and the National Obesity Forum have launched The UK Obesity Barometer to track weight gain in the UK. The UK Obesity Barometer shows that around 1.2 million people in the UK moved into the 'overweight' or 'obese' category over the festive season* pushing levels to a new high. The LighterLife UK Obesity Barometer shows that although overweight or obese averages decreased in some regions, overall, the nation has piled on the pounds over the last few weeks.  Whilst over one third of people questioned before the holidays in the UK were worried about putting ...

Debenhams has discovered that British women carry a staggering GBP256 worth of make-up in their handbags every day, as reported in a new study. Research found that 13 essential products make up the average cosmetics bag, with each item costing on average GBP20. Despite the fact that their beauty products are often worth more than their mobile phone and camera, 72 per cent of women did not include their make-up kits on their personal belongings insurance and 64 per cent would not think to claim for the items if their handbag was stolen. Mascara was the 'must have' ...

The video "PlaneMob" for the German discount airline Germanwings is #1 on AdCracker.com's annual list of the world's top 10 creative advertising ideas. "PlaneMob is the first project that was created specifically for social media to make our annual top 10 list, let alone to make #1," said Steve McNamara, Creative Director at AdCracker.com. "It's original. It's persuasive. And funny. Perhaps best, it didn't cost a lot of money." To create the video, ad agency Lukas Lindemann Rosinski, of Hamburg, Germany, sent six confederates aboard a competitor's airline. During ...

Introducing Aussie Talk Soup presented via Internet radio giant Blog Talk Radio. Originally from Brisbane in the great State of Queensland, Australia, Brad Smith, the presenter of Aussie Talk Soup, is a proud Aussie who has been living in Southern California for over 20 years. Drawing on his vast experience from the entertainment industry, exposure to international celebrities, and varied life opportunities, Brad creates a 'slice of Australia' through his various intrinsically unique programs. Brad gives excellent relationship advice via his segment titled 'No Yolk' ...

Vendor Insure Now, a leading online provider of vendor insurance, has developed a "tech-friendly" Internet platform that can quickly and affordably allow vendors to meet an event's liability insurance requirements by issuing a policy within minutes 24/7. Most event planning occurs at this time of year, so event organizers should be evaluating systems to improve ease-of-use, cost effectiveness and compliance. One of the trickiest compliance issues is for an organizer to demonstrate that all vendors have insurance coverage. "Some organizers have to devote an entire ...

As February 14th fast approaches, love is most certainly in the air, and today Legal & General are proposing an all-together unusual, but nonetheless heartfelt gift for your loved one; life insurance. We all know love isn't a bunch of flowers. Love is a promise: "I'll always care for you. I'll always look after you." But could you keep that promise if you or your partner became critically ill, or if one of you were to die? To truly look after each other, you need to secure your future, together or apart. That's why perhaps the best gift you can give each other ...

The Co-operative Insurance has strengthened its customer proposition with the launch of a new, affordable pet insurance product. The Co-operative Insurance now offers dog and cat owners the peace of mind that if their animal is ill or injured, at home or abroad, their treatment will be covered. Prices start from GBP10.69 per month for dog cover and GBP6.32 for cat cover with policies bought online benefiting from an additional 15% discount. Pet Insurance from The Co-operative Insurance is provided by Allianz Insurance Plc. Two types of cover are available: - ...

For more than a decade, MyCoolCell has been providing high quality cell phone accessories for the cool generation. They have recently launched their Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/MyCoolCell to connect with even more cell phone owners. By visiting the page and clicking "Like" or posting a positive feedback, customers can receive a 10% discount on their next retail order. MyCoolCell.com has had a strong online presence since the company was founded in 2000. With the slogan, "Where the Cool Generation Buys Their Cell Phone Accessories", MyCoolCell has attracted ...

H. Ross Ford, president and CEO of TCN Worldwide, has announced that York Properties of Raleigh, North Carolina is the newest member of the international commercial real estate organization. The return of York Properties, a past member of TCN Worldwide, is another example of the improving commercial real estate market and also the success of TCN Worldwide in enhancing the services and value it offers its membership. York Properties/TCN Worldwide is a full-service real estate firm offering a wide array of commercial brokerage services throughout the state of North Carolina. ...

Heartburn is a signature symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a cluster of symptoms and signs associated with regurgitation of stomach acid up to the pharynx and mouth. Patient-based studies of GERD have shown high prevalence and chronicity, particularly in Western societies. GERD is associated with significant health-care utilization and diminished quality of life. Heartburn, coupled with acid regurgitation and painful swallowing are considered to be highly specific for GERD. Very few epidemiological studies have been performed with regard to heartburn, ...

Concerning treatment, until recently the only definitive treatment for hydatid disease had been surgery. Different surgical techniques and procedures have been carried out and even in some cases, a liver transplant has been required. Advances in drug therapy has been influenced by the introduction of albendazole and accelerated by addition of praziquantel, but this requires a long period of treatment i.e. up to a year or more, and is not effective for everyone. A research article to be published on February 7, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this ...

The concept of fast track rehabilitation program has been recently introduced in colorectal surgery. It is basically a multidisciplinary perioperative care strategy for patients after resection of colorectal cancer. A research article to be published on February 7, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors compared the complications, restoration of gastrointestinal functions, and hospital stay time of postoperative colorectal cancer patients after fast-track rehabilitation program and conventional care. The results indicate that ...

CSIRO research has shown that some mining by-products can be effective in preventing nutrients from entering river systems, thereby reducing the potential for algal blooms. A joint project between CSIRO and the Western Australian Department of Water investigated a range of mining industry by-product materials, which are currently unused, to determine whether they could instead be used to filter nutrients from natural waters or to treat wastewater that would otherwise be discarded. CSIRO project leader, Dr Grant Douglas, says the use of abundant, low-cost by-product materials ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. – People who spend more time in the sun and those with higher vitamin D levels may be less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the February 8, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. MS is a chronic disease of the brain and spinal cord, usually with recurrent flare-ups of symptoms. It is often preceded by a first episode (or event) of similar symptoms lasting days to weeks. "Previous studies have found similar results, but this is the first study to look at people ...

Focused programs and public health policies can help reduce the burden of alcohol in Canada, which contributes significantly to acute and chronic diseases, social problems and trauma, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100825.pdf. The analysis, by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia and the University of Victoria, outlines several steps that must be taken to reduce the impact of alcohol in society ...

Exposure to low-dose radiation from cardiac imaging and other procedures after a heart attack is associated with an increased risk of cancer, found a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100463.pdf. The use of procedures with low-dose ionizing radiation, such as computed tomography (CT) angiography and nuclear scans, is increasing which has led to mounting concern in the medical community that patients may be at increased risk of cancer. For patients with known or suspected coronary artery ...

A five-week old infant most likely contracted a vaccine strain of yellow fever virus through breastfeeding, according to a case report published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100619.pdf "Until recently, avoidance of vaccination of breastfeeding women with yellow fever vaccine had been based on theoretical grounds only," writes Dr. Susan Kuhn, with coauthors. "We report the probable transmission of vaccine strain of yellow fever virus from a mother to her infant through breastfeeding," which supports ...

STANFORD, Calif. — The root causes of complex diseases such as type-2 diabetes and obesity have been difficult to identify because the diseases are, well, complex. They occur at the dicey biological intersection of genes and environment, and, because they arose in our relatively recent past, it's not easy to simply compare DNA sequences from "then" and "now" to pinpoint likely genetic culprits. Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified genetic variations in a hormone involved in the secretion of insulin — a molecule that regulates blood ...

The majority of fatal cases of malaria are caused by infection with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Most at risk are young children and women who are pregnant. A team of researchers, led by Patrick Duffy, at the National Institutes of Health, Rockville, has now developed an approach to profile P. falciparum parasites in such a way that they are able to identify parasite genes associated with severe infection. In the study, they identified a distinct subset of genes in parasites infecting pregnant women, including a gene whose protein product is already known to be ...

EDITOR'S PICK: Profiling malaria-causing parasites The majority of fatal cases of malaria are caused by infection with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Most at risk are young children and women who are pregnant. A team of researchers, led by Patrick Duffy, at the National Institutes of Health, Rockville, has now developed an approach to profile P. falciparum parasites in such a way that they are able to identify parasite genes associated with severe infection. In the study, they identified a distinct subset of genes in parasites infecting pregnant women, including ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Unprecedented single molecule imaging movies of living cell membranes, taken by a research team based at Kyoto University and the University of New Mexico, have clarified a decades-old enigma surrounding receptor molecule behaviors. The results, appearing in the latest issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, promise to open the door to new possibilities for drug development. The work focuses on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a class of molecules in cell membranes that comprise the largest superfamily in the human genome. In spite of being the focus ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Numerous studies have shown that the brain molecule neuropeptide Y (NPY) helps to restore calm after stressful events. A team of University of Michigan-led researchers has now found that people whose genes predispose them to produce lower levels of NPY are more responsive to negative stimuli in key brain circuits related to emotion – and are therefore less resilient in the face of stress and may be at higher risk for developing a major depressive disorder. The scientists hope the research will eventually help with early diagnosis and intervention for ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As loved ones with dementia disappear into symptoms of aggression, agitation or delusions, families are left with few good medical solutions. A new generation of antipsychotic medications gained popularly in the 1990s because they avoided side effects such as Parkinson's syndrome associated with conventional antipsychotic medications used to treat dementia. But a new study led by University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System researchers shows the use of these second-generation medications began to decline significantly in 2003, years ahead ...

The bone marrow stem cells responsible for generating new blood cells are less fixed and more flexible than previously thought, according to a paper published online on February 7 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (www.jem.org). Some earlier studies suggested that these hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) come in two distinct varieties: those that remain dormant during times of health but possess the ability to regenerate the whole blood system after trauma such as irradiation or chemotherapy, and those that divide frequently and contribute to new blood production during ...