AScribe Health News Service articles from May 2004

AScribe Health News Service archives from May 2004

Dutch Drug Policies Do Not Increase Marijuana Use, First Rigorous Comparative Study Finds.
May 3, 2004... Byline: University of California, Santa Cruz SANTA CRUZ, Calif., May 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that...

Ads With 'Supersized' Actors Leave Men Depressed, Unhappy With Their Muscles, University of Central Florida Study Shows; Researcher Worries Images of Unattainable Bodies May Encourage Steroid Use.
May 3, 2004... Byline: University of Central Florida ORLANDO, May 3 (AScribe Newswire) -- TV images of muscular, bare-chested men lifting weights and endorsing cologne leave men feeling depressed and unhappy with their muscularity, which may lead to...

Exercise Helps Heart Attack Patients Who Are Depressed, Without Social Support.
May 3, 2004... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., May 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- Heart attack patients who are depressed or without social support are more than twice as likely to die of a second heart attack if they do not exercise, according the...

Kids' Year-Round Asthma Symptoms Triggered by Parent's Second-Hand Smoke; Children's Doctors Should Ask Parents of Asthmatic Children If They Smoke, Counsel Them on Quitting, Researchers Recommend.
May 4, 2004... Byline: University of Michigan Health System SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- Children with asthma whose parents smoke at home are twice as likely to have asthma symptoms all year long than children of non-smokers, a new study...

For Male Sand Goby, Playing 'Mr. Mom' Is Key to Female's Heart.
May 4, 2004... Byline: University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- What's a little male fish's secret weapon for attracting the lady fish? Something some guys but few other males in the animal kingdom have thought of: It acts...

Gene Therapy Reduces Drinking in Rats With Genetic Predisposition to 'Alcoholism'; Finding Confirms Earlier Result Using Better Model for Human Alcohol Abuse.
May 5, 2004... Byline: Brookhaven National Laboratory UPTON, N.Y., May 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- As a follow up to previous work showing that gene therapy can reduce drinking in rats trained to prefer alcohol, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's...

New Study Examines SEROQUEL Treatment for Depressive Episodes Associated With Bipolar Disorder; In First Large-Scale SEROQUEL Study Including Both Bipolar I, Bipolar II Disorders, Approximately 50 percent of Patients Taking SEROQUEL Achieved Remission From Bipolar Depression Symptoms by Week Two.
May 5, 2004... Byline: Edelman Public Relations WILMINGTON, Del., May 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) today announced results from the first large-scale study that examined SEROQUEL(r) (quetiapine fumarate) as a treatment for depressive...

Kansas State University Expert Gives Tips for Talking to Parents About Aging.
May 7, 2004... Byline: Kansas State University MANHATTAN, Kan., May 7 (AScribe Newswire) -- As children we relied on our mothers to care for us in our time of need, whether we were sick with the chicken pox or just needed an ear to listen. But many adults...

Effects of Vitamin E on Health Is Focus of New York Academy of Sciences Conference in Boston; International Experts to Meet at Tufts University May 22-24.
May 7, 2004... Byline: New York Academy of Sciences NEW YORK, May 7 (AScribe Newswire) -- What is the role of vitamin E in maintaining human health? What effect does it have, if any in the prevention of infection and treatment of diseases associated with...

Most Household Cleaners Remove Peanut Allergens, Hopkins Study Shows.
May 7, 2004... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, May 8 (AScribe Newswire) -- Peanut allergy sufferers and their parents take note: a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study finds that most soaps and household cleaners will remove enough...

Expert: Blackout Baby Boom a Myth, Duke Professor Says.
May 10, 2004... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., May 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Nine months ago, a massive blackout darkened homes and businesses from Michigan to New York to Canada, affecting 50 million people. So it stands to reason that maternity...

Pharmacy Access Partnership Shocked by FDA's Decision: Denial of Over-the-Counter Status for Emergency Contraception Is Public Health Setback; California Continues to Provide Emergency Contraception Directly in Pharmacies.
May 10, 2004... Byline: Public Health Institute OAKLAND, Calif., May 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Pharmacy Access Partnership, a center of the Public Health Institute, decries the FDA's decision today to deny over-the-counter status to Emergency...

MayoClinic.com Sleep Center Offers Tips on Achieving Restful Sleep.
May 10, 2004... Byline: Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn., May 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Stress. Work. Kids. Managing a household. These are just a few of life's daily obstacles that keep people from getting enough sleep. On top of the tasks that prevent you...

McLean Study Reveals Discrepancies in Care for Medicaid Recipients With 'Carve-Out' Insurance.
May 10, 2004... Byline: McLean Hospital BELMONT, Mass., May 10 (AScribe Newswire) -- Health insurers commonly hire subcontractors to manage their mental and behavioral health benefits for them, but a study headed by a researcher at McLean Hospital...

Some Married Couples Will Do Better by Lowering Expectations, Study Finds.
May 11, 2004... Byline: Ohio State University COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- For some newlywed couples, it may be better to expect difficult times rather than anticipate a rosy future of wedded bliss, according to a new study. ...

Soybeans May Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer.
May 11, 2004... Byline: Georgia Institute of Technology ATLANTA, May 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- A substance found in soybeans may reduce the risk of colon cancer, the third most common form of cancer in the world according to the World Health Organization....

Survey Results Reveal Oral Hygiene Habits of Men Lag Behind Women; Adult Brushing, Flossing Frequency Up Slightly.
May 11, 2004... Byline: American Dental Association CHICAGO, May 11 (AScribe Newswire) -- Men will have to brush up on caring for their teeth and gums to equal the oral hygiene efforts of women, according to survey findings from the American Dental...

Experiments Reveal Startling Insights Into Lemur Intelligence.
May 12, 2004... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., May 12 (AScribe Newswire) -- Until now, primatologists believed lemurs to be primitive, ancient offshoots of the primate family tree, with far less intelligence than their more sophisticated cousins,...

Graphic Images of Violence Alter Children's Attitudes Toward Aggression.
May 12, 2004... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, May 12 (AScribe Newswire) -- A Johns Hopkins team that included a trauma surgeon renowned for his treatment of gunshot victims has found that exposing at-risk children and teenagers to...

Congressional Leaders, Prominent Figures Gather for Capitol Hill Premiere of 8th Annual Prism Awards.
May 12, 2004... Byline: Entertainment Industries Council WASHINGTON, May 12 (AScribe Newswire) -- Florida First Lady Columba Bush along with Congressional Leaders gathered today on Capitol Hill with the leadership of national organizations addressing...

UCI Tobacco Research Center Study Suggests First Exposure to Nicotine May Change Adolescents' Brain, Behavior; Animal Study Suggests Nicotine Use Is More Rewarding During Teen Years.
May 13, 2004... Byline: University of California, Irvine IRVINE, Calif., May 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- The adolescent brain appears to be more responsive to nicotine's rewarding effects than the adult brain, a UC Irvine Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use...

Better Speech and Hearing Month: Experts.(avoiding disorders of the throat, voice, and ears)
May 13, 2004... Byline: Purdue University WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., May 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- Purdue University experts listed below can comment on issues relating to hearing and speech. May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. 1. Shhhh! Lower your...

Poll Finds Alcohol and Drug Addiction Has Impacted Lives of 63 Percent of Americans; Strong Public Support for Action To Address Discrimination Against People In Recovery from Addiction.
May 14, 2004... Byline: Burness Communications WASHINGTON, May 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- People in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol or other drugs face widespread stigma and discrimination, according to a groundbreaking, national survey...

New Molecule May Be Basis for Drugs that Battle Overeating and Drug Dependency; UCI Study Identifies How New Anandamide Inhibitor Can Regulate Brain's Natural 'Bliss' System.
May 14, 2004... Byline: University of California, Irvine IRVINE, Calif., May 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug...

OPINION: What Drives One Human To Torture Another? By University of Vermont Professors Paul Newhouse, M.D. and David Fassler, M.D.
May 14, 2004... Byline: University of Vermont BURLINGTON, Vt., May 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- President George W. Bush has labeled the recent abusive acts of U.S. soldiers on Iraqi prisoners as "un-American." The military claims the incident in Iraq is...

Sociologist Unlocks Ways Children Form Race, Gender Attitudes.
May 14, 2004... Byline: University of Vermont BURLINGTON, Vt., May 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- Summer camp is not only a place to swim, sing and make macaroni paintings. It also can be where children develop attitudes about race and gender. Valerie Ann...

Study: Low-Carb Diet More Effective Than Low-Fat Diet.
May 17, 2004... Byline: Duke University DURHAM, N.C., May 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- People who followed a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet lost more weight than people on a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie diet during a six-month comparison study...

New Insights on Sirtuins, Involved in Gene Expression, Aging: Structural Details Could Inform Design of Anti-Cancer Drugs.
May 17, 2004... Byline: The Wistar Institute PHILADELPHIA, May 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- In recent years, scientists have become interested in the workings of a family of enzymes called sirtuins, known to play critical roles in a variety of vital life...

Folic Acid Fortification Needed, Says University of Toronto Researcher.(Brief Article)
May 18, 2004... Byline: University of Toronto TORONTO, May 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- Only about 25 per cent of women in many countries voluntarily take folic acid tablets before conception, says a U of T researcher. Dr. Joel Ray, along with fellow...

Herceptin and Chemotherapy Combination Highly Active in Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer, Two UCLA Studies Find.
May 18, 2004... Byline: UCLA LOS ANGELES, May 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- A pair of studies at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center taking laboratory science to the patient bedside found that combining the molecularly targeted therapy Herceptin with a specific...

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Collaborates With Program For Homeless Vets.
May 20, 2004... Byline: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee MILWAUKEE, May 20 (AScribe Newswire) -- Those who serve in the military are in the spotlight right now, but some veterans who've served their country have quickly been forgotten. Homeless...

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Opposes Plan to Divert Bioterrorism Preparedness Funds; Plan Would Hurt State Preparedness Efforts.
May 21, 2004... Byline: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials WASHINGTON, May 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials strongly opposes plans to redirect FY2004 Centers for Disease Control and...

University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Find Clues to Male Sexual Behavior in the Developing Brain.
May 22, 2004... Byline: University of Maryland Medical System BALTIMORE, May 23 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered that adult male sexual behavior in rats is determined by the actions of...

Nation's First Blind Doctor Addresses Gettysburg College Graduates.(David Hartman )
May 24, 2004... Byline: Gettysburg College GETTYSBURG, Pa., May 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- "Each of us is disabled in one way or another," blind psychiatrist David Hartman told 597 graduates at Gettysburg College today. "Some of us are shy, some of us are...

Vest and Harness May Protect 'Fragile' Adults in Car Crashes; Engineering Seniors Test Their Invention on High-Tech Crash Dummy.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Johns Hopkins University BALTIMORE, May 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- When a car crash occurs, people with osteoporosis and other brittle bone disorders often suffer more serious injuries. To better protect these "fragile" motorists,...

University of Arkansas Anthropologist's Book Looks at How Dispersed Sierra Leoneans Maintain Sense of Community.(An Imagined Geography)(Book Review)
May 24, 2004... Byline: University of Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., May 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- When civil war broke out in the West African country of Sierra Leone in 1991, it sent thousands of Sierra Leoneans fleeing to peace and asylum abroad....

Good News for Red Wine Drinkers: Researchers Discover That a Protein in Grape Skins Can Kill Cancer Cells.
May 25, 2004... Byline: University of Virginia Health System CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- It's well known that drinking red wine in moderation can have some health benefits, mainly attributed to a compound called resveratrol. Now,...

Study Shows That Genes Can Protect Kids Against Poverty.
May 25, 2004... Byline: University of Wisconsin - Madison MADISON, Wis., May 25 (AScribe Newswire) -- For children growing up poor, money isn't the only solution to overcoming the challenges of poverty. According to a new study, the genes and warm...

Gene Linked to Alcoholism.
May 26, 2004... Byline: University of Illinois at Chicago p CHICAGO, May 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Alcoholism tends to run in families, suggesting that addiction, at least in part, has an underlying genetic cause. Now, researchers at the University of...

New Theory Suggests People Are Attracted to Religion for 16 Reasons.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Ohio State University COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- People are not drawn to religion just because of a fear of death or any other single reason, according to a new comprehensive, psychological theory of religion. ...

Expert: Explaining the Iraqi Prison Scandal to Kids.
May 26, 2004... Byline: University of Vermont BURLINGTON, Vt., May 26 (AScribe Newswire) -- Like the repeated visual images of September 11, media coverage of the Iraqi prison scandal is expected to continue over the coming months. As a result, many...

Serono Receives FDA Approval for GONAL-F(r) Pen to Treat Infertility; First and Only Prefilled Device With New Liquid Formulation Developed to Make Infertility Treatment Easier for Patients.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Edelman Public Relations GENEVA and ROCKLAND, Mass., May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Serono, Inc., the US affiliate of Serono (virt-x: SEO and NYSE: SRA), announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has...

Joslin Medical Team Goes 'On the Road' to Screen for Diabetes May 29 at Asian Pacific American Community Summit at Tacoma Dome in Washington State; Effort Expected to Be Largest Free One-Day Diabetes Screening.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Joslin Diabetes Center BOSTON, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- A medical team from Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston will offer a free one-day diabetes screening at the Asian Pacific American Community Summit, this Saturday, May 29, at...

Inexperienced Surgeons Operate on Most Ovarian Cancer Patients in Maryland; Investigator Calls Results 'Alarming'.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions BALTIMORE, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Johns Hopkins researchers report that more than half of ovarian cancer surgeries in Maryland are done by surgeons who perform the operation only once or at...

Learning Matters: News Tips About Education From Indiana University Bloomington.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Indiana University BLOOMINGTON, Ind., May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Indiana University Bloomington today released the following education news tips. --- STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Learning disabilities do not...

Updated Eldercare at Home Provides Support, Guidance to Caregivers.(Book Review)
May 27, 2004... Byline: American Geriatrics Society NEW YORK, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) (www.healthinaging.org) has released the 2nd edition of Eldercare at Home, a step-by-step resource for families taking...

Georgia Tech, City of Atlanta Announce Alcohol Server Training Program.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Georgia Institute of Technology ATLANTA, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Atlanta bar, restaurant and nightclub owners have a new tool to help employees sell alcohol responsibly. Georgia Tech is offering a free online training program...

New Report Documents Benefits of Land Conservation As Drinking Water Protection Strategy.(Protecting the Source report)
May 27, 2004... Byline: Trust for Public Land WASHINGTON, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- A critical tool for protecting the quality of the nation's drinking water supplies is land conservation, according to a new report released today by the Trust for...

Global Warming Concerns, Need for Cleaner Cars Rank High on Statewide Public Opinion Poll: Strong Support for Reducing Car Emissions That Lead to Global Warming; Car Companies Could Do Better Job Producing Cleaner Vehicles.
May 27, 2004... Byline: American Lung Association OAKLAND, Calif., May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Eighty-seven percent of California adults said that it is either very important (61 percent) or somewhat important (26 percent) for California to take a leading...

Public Health Institute Appoints Pharmacy Access Partnership Director.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Public Health Institute OAKLAND, Calif., May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Public Health Institute, an independent, nonprofit organization based in Oakland, Calif., has appointed Belle Taylor-McGhee as the executive director of the...

The Silence of the Genes: USC Researchers Provide Unique View of Inherited Disorders, Cancer With Discussion of New Field of Epigenetics in Journal Nature.
May 27, 2004... Byline: USC Health Sciences LOS ANGELES, May 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Researchers from the University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center are heralding an entirely new approach to the treatment of aging, inherited...

Board of Supervisors Step up to Bat to Protect Kids From Tobacco; Licensing Ordinance Adopted in Sacramento County.
May 28, 2004... Byline: American Cancer Society SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 28 (AScribe Newswire) -- Following a grassroots campaign by the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and local citizens, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors...