AScribe Health News Service articles from July 2006

AScribe Health News Service archives from July 2006

Graduated Driver Licensing Reduces Fatal Crashes by 11 Percent; Restrictions Decrease Fatal Crashes for 16-Year-Old Drivers.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Bloomberg School of Public Health BALTIMORE, July 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- Graduated driver licensing programs reduce, by an average of 11 percent, the incidence of fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers, according to a study by...

Measles Mumps Rubella and Mercury-Based Immunizations Cleared as Causes of Autism.
July 4, 2006... Byline: McGill University Health Centre MONTREAL, July 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) like autism and Asperger Syndrome have been on the rise for years. Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccines and...

Conference and 'Walk to Remember' to Unite Families Living With Death of a Child.
July 5, 2006... Byline: The Compassionate Friends DEARBORN, Mich., July 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- Patricia Loder, Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends, says she believes there's a good chance parents will be attending a July national bereavement...

Kansas State Researchers Working to Keep Airliner Air Quality Healthy, Safe.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Kansas State University MANHATTAN, Kan., July 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- In a tightly enclosed area, such as an airplane, the quality and safety of the air is of utmost importance. In addition to concerns about general air quality,...

Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Research on Flu in Children Resulted in New Vaccination Recommendations.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Vanderbilt Medical Center NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 6 (AScribe Newswire) -- The study that led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its recommendations for giving flu shots to children is published in the...

University of California Helps Farm Employers, Workers Meet Challenges of Heat Stress.
July 6, 2006... Byline: University of California Division of Agriculture FRESNO, Calif., July 6 (AScribe Newswire) -- As a new law hits the books this summer to prevent heat-related illnesses in California workplaces, UC Cooperative Extension agricultural...

Johns Hopkins University Nursing News and Research Briefs.
July 7, 2006... Byline: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University BALTIMORE, July 7 (AScribe Newswire) -- Following are news and research briefs from The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. - - - - IMPROVED MIDWIFE TRAINING CURRICULUM...

Groups Demand Immediate Halt to Food Uses of Fluoride-Based Pesticide; National Academy of Sciences Finding That Tap Water Limits Are Unsafe Spells Trouble for Fluoride in Food; EPA Seeks Comments.
July 7, 2006... Byline: Environmental Working Group WASHINGTON, July 7 (AScribe Newswire) -- This week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a 30-day public comment period for a motion filed by three watchdog groups that seeks an immediate...

Back to School: Story Ideas and Experts.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Lehigh University BETHLEHEM, Pa., July 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Lehigh University offers story ideas and experts on a variety of back-to-school topics. To schedule an interview or obtain more information, please either respond to...

Hopkins Scientists Show Hallucinogen in Mushrooms Creates Universal 'Mystical' Experience; Rigorous Study Hailed as Landmark.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Using unusually rigorous scientific conditions and measures, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the active agent in "sacred mushrooms" can induce...

Women More Likely to Be Perpetrators of Abuse as Well as Victims.
July 13, 2006... Byline: University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla., July 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- Women are more likely than men to stalk, attack and psychologically abuse their partners, according to a University of Florida study that finds college women...

Moderate Exercise Improves Survival Rates for Colon Cancer Survivors.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute BOSTON, July 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- People who have been treated for colon cancer can substantially reduce the risk that the disease will return and improve their overall chance of survival by engaging...

Children Who Live With Smokers Have More Respiratory Complications During Surgery.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Children's Hospital Boston BOSTON, July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoking, both because they are small and still growing and because they're often a "captive audience"...

Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders: Mayo Clinic Study Finds Weight Loss Precedes Dementia Diagnosis in Women.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., July 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Mayo Clinic researchers have found that women who develop dementia experience a decline in weight as many as 10 years prior to the onset of memory loss, compared to peers...

Study Finds Decline in Concentration, Decision-Making, Problem-Solving Abilities Follows Worsening Memory as Alzheimer's Develops.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., July 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- A new Mayo Clinic study finds that after memory begins to decline, executive function is the next brain function to deteriorate in the progression from mild cognitive...

MRIs Show Drug Treatment Slows Brain Deterioration on Road to Alzheimer's Disease.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., July 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- According to a new study, the drug donepezil measurably slows the rate of brain shrinkage in some patients with mild cognitive impairment, a pre-Alzheimer's disease...

Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh Receive $15 Million From National Science Foundation to Establish Center Focused on Improving Americans' Quality of Life.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Carnegie Mellon University PITTSBURGH, July 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) have been awarded a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to...

Diabetes Drug May Also Treat Alzheimer's Disease.
July 17, 2006... Byline: University of Virginia Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- Treatment of high blood sugar may have a scientific connection to memory loss that could, one day, benefit millions of people with Alzheimer's...

Stem Cell Bills: Century Foundation Offers Primer on Complex Issues in Stem Cell Debate; Health Policy Fellow Leif Wellington Haase Available for Interviews, Commentary.
July 17, 2006... Byline: The Century Foundation NEW YORK CITY, July 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Senate is expected to vote next week on three bills related to stem-cell research, including a measure that would expand federal funding for a procedure that...

McLean Hospital Launches Premier Substance Use Treatment Program in Central Massachusetts.
July 17, 2006... Byline: McLean Hospital BELMONT, Mass., July 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, announced today the opening of The McLean Center at Fernside in Princeton, Mass., a world-class residential...

Penta Family's Love for Joslin Inspires New Dining Facility at Camp Joslin for Children With Diabetes; Dining Hall Dedication Set for Camp Alumni Day, Saturday, July 22, in Charlton, Mass.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Joslin Diabetes Center BOSTON, July 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- When campers arrived this summer for the start of summer camp at the Elliott P. Joslin Camp for Children with Diabetes in Charlton, MA, they found something new had been...

Antioxidants May Slow Vision Loss; Development in Mice Offers Hope for Treatment of Certain Eye Diseases.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Scientists at Johns Hopkins have successfully blocked the advance of retinal degeneration in mice with a form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) by treating them...

Giving Up Driving May Be Express Lane to Long-Term Care; Taking the Keys Has Serious Consequences for Older Drivers, Johns Hopkins Study Concludes.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Although the slower driving habits of some seniors often steam impatient younger motorists, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have found that...

Simply Asking Questions Can Increase Risky Behaviors, Study Shows.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Simply asking survey participants if they intend to exercise or use illegal drugs in the near future can result in increases in both behaviors, according to researchers at...

Convio and Easter Seals Partner to Create New Job Opportunities in Web Publishing for People With Disabilities.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Convio AUSTIN, Texas, July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- As the nation's employers face a growing need for workers with Web-related job skills, Convio, Inc. and Easter Seals today announced a first-time program in the nonprofit sector...

Chicago High-Rise Demolition Raises Health Concern for Asthmatics, Study Finds.
July 19, 2006... Byline: University of Illinois at Chicago CHICAGO, July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Demolition of high-rise public housing increases air pollution in Chicago neighborhoods where asthmatics live, according to a study conducted by University of...

Mayo Clinic Study Suggests Emergence of New Most Common Form of Heart Failure.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Data from a 15-year period show that the prevalence of a particular type of heart failure - heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, also known as diastolic heart...

Learn First-Hand About Recent Advances in Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- On Friday, August 18, Vista Center is excited to offer an opportunity to learn about the new treatments available for "wet"...

Robot-Assisted, Laparoscopic Surgery for Vaginal Vault Prolapse Found to Be Effective Alternative to Traditional Surgery.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., July 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- Mayo Clinic researchers have found that laparoscopic surgery assisted by a surgical robot to fix vaginal vault prolapse, a collapse of the vagina that can occur after a...

Johns Hopkins Researchers Find Link Between Cell's Energy Use and Genome Health: Another Possible Link Between Diet and Aging.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- While studying how a cell keeps its genetic material intact, scientists at Johns Hopkins got busy alternately knocking out two catalysts vital to managing a...

Virtual Reality World Teaches Deaf Children Math Skills.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- Purdue University is using technology employed in the films "King Kong" and "Lord of the Rings" to create colorful characters in a virtual reality world who...

Researchers Develop Novel Mouse Model to Witness Immune System Attack on Chlamydia; Findings From Chlamydia Study Could Hasten Development of Vaccines for STDs.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Harvard University Medical School BOSTON, July 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- Using a novel mouse model that allows scientists to study how the immune system's fighter cells respond to invaders in the genital tract during the initial...

University of Georgia Researchers Find High Rates of Off-Label Prescriptions for Antidepressant, Anticonvulsant, Antipsychotic Drugs.
July 25, 2006... Byline: University of Georgia ATHENS, Ga., July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- A University of Georgia study has found that three-quarters of people prescribed antidepressant drugs receive the medications for a reason not approved by the federal...

Inexpensive Hand-Held Braille Writer Devised by Undergraduates; Low-Tech Prototype Could Promote Use of Braille.
July 25, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins University BALTIMORE, July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- To help provide a low-cost communication tool for blind people, undergraduates at The Johns Hopkins University have invented a lightweight, portable Braille writing...

'Grandtravel' Popular Bonding Experience for Grandparents.
July 25, 2006... Byline: University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla., July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Seniors who like to "spoil the grandchild" without interference from the parents have discovered that the safest bets are long trips to theme parks, historical...

McLean Hospital Researchers Using Novel Method to Identify Schizophrenia Genes.
July 25, 2006... Byline: McLean Hospital BELMONT, Mass., July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital have received a $3-million federal grant to look for genes linked to schizophrenia in individuals with a diagnosis of...

Don't Talk to a Friend While Reading This; Multi-Tasking Adversely Affects the Brain's Learning Systems, UCLA Scientists Report.
July 25, 2006... Byline: UCLA LOS ANGELES, July 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- Multi-tasking affects the brain's learning systems, and as a result, we do not learn as well when we are distracted, UCLA psychologists report this week in the online edition of...

Avon Foundation Breast Imaging Center and Research Lab Open at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center; Screenings for Underserved Women and Innovative Breast Cancer Research; $16 Million in Gifts From Avon Foundation Since 2000.(Company overview)
July 26, 2006... Byline: Columbia University Medical Center NEW YORK, July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center today announced the dedication of the Avon Foundation Breast Imaging Center and the Avon...

Psychiatric Expert Available to Discuss Israel/Hezbollah Conflict.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Vanderbilt Medical Center NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Paul Ragan, M.D., associate professor of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, is available for interviews on the Israel/Hezbollah Conflict....

Penn Researchers Calculate How Much the Eye Tells the Brain.
July 26, 2006... Byline: University of Pennsylvania Health System PHILADELPHIA, July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine estimate that the human retina can transmit visual input at about the same rate as...

Johns Hopkins Children's Center to Lead Largest-Ever Study on Kidney Disease in Children; Findings Will Help Curb Complications, Prevent Kidney Failure.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- The early progression of chronic kidney disease in children and teens is poorly understood, but a national research team led by Johns Hopkins scientists is...

Joslin's New Book Demystifies Nutrition, Meal Planning to Help People with Diabetes Stay Healthy.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Joslin Diabetes Center BOSTON, July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Conflicting headlines in the news media about what foods are healthy to eat can be confusing, especially when you or a loved one has diabetes. Besides understanding the...

Expert Available to Discuss Senate Vote on Child Custody Protection Act; Legislation Would Make It a Crime to Take Pregnant Minor Out of State for Abortion.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Lafayette College EASTON, Pa., July 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- The U.S. Senate passed legislation Tuesday on the Child Custody Protection Act (S. 403) that would make it a federal crime to take a pregnant minor out of state to...

Message to Older Adults: Embrace, Don't Fear Effects of Sensible Exercise; Stress From Exercise Does Not Threaten Heart, Hopkins Study Shows.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, July 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- A Johns Hopkins study should ease the concerns held by many older adults with mild high blood pressure about the strain or harm exercise could cause their...

Scripps Research Scientists Successfully Test New Anti-Obesity Vaccine; Prototype Slows Weight Gain, Reduces Fat in Animal Models.
July 31, 2006... Byline: The Scripps Research Institute LA JOLLA, Calif., July 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- In what may be the first published breakthrough of its kind in the global battle against obesity, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have...