Internet Use in Adoptions Cuts 2 Ways, Report Says

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
But even as the Web has helped open up the adoption process, it has brought risks. It has led to an increase in fraudulent adoption agencies, which often turn out to be little more than Web sites, and it has allowed abusive parents whose children have been removed to find them, sometimes with tragic consequences.

This shifting landscape is the focus of a report to be released on Thursday by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to change adoption policy and practice.

The report, part of a three-year research project, found that the Internet could have both positive and negative effects on the adoption process and the millions of people involved.

As a positive example, the report tells of a woman who reunited with her birth mother through Facebook after having been given up for adoption in the 1940s. In another case, a young mother who wanted to give her child up for adoption used the Web to find a family she felt more comfortable with than the couples she had found through an adoption agency.

Social media sites have helped bypass a system that has made it difficult for adoptees and birth parents to connect: state laws that closed birth records to protect the identities of birth mothers. Records were also closed because many families did not want children to know they were adopted.

The Donaldson Institute has long pushed for states to open adoption records to adoptees, which could not only help them find family members, but could also prove useful for medical reasons.

“Having closed-records statutes in place serves no purpose today, where almost anything or anyone can find each other on the Web,” said Adam Pertman, the executive director of the institute. “I can find my third-grade classmate on the Web these days.”

The report found that the widespread use of the Web had circumvented legal and procedural protections. Traditional adoption agencies have long offered education, counseling and the ability to screen prospective parents, but many of the Web-based adoption services not only do not offer these services, but also may not even be legitimate.

One online adoption agency cheated prospective parents out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by promising to arrange adoptions in Kazakhstan. Parents sharing information discovered the fraud, and the director was convicted.

The report found other dangers. Without their families’ knowledge, young adopted children have used Facebook and other sites to find and contact their birth parents. Also, birth parents have contacted young children.

In one case, a 13-year-old was contacted by one of her birth parents over the Internet, and the episode caught the adoptive family unprepared and caused friction, the report said.

In another case, an 11-year-old was contacted by her birth father, who had abused her and who had been ordered by a court to sever all contact with the girl. The report said the child had to undergo therapy after the contact.

Linda Spears, the vice president for policy and public affairs for the Child Welfare League of America, said that she had not seen the report, but that “it tracks with conversations that we have had with people around the country.”

“The Internet can be a wonderful tool for reconnecting people,” she added. “But since anyone can throw up a Web site and call themselves an adoption agency, prospective parents can be taken advantage of, and adopted children can be vulnerable to an abusive former parent trying to find them. People need to be careful.”

View the original article here

20% of U.S. Women Uninsured in 2010, Up From 15% in 2000: Report

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty percent of American women had no health insurance in 2010, up from 15 percent in 2000, a new report reveals.

In addition to the nearly 19 million uninsured women, another 17 million women were underinsured in 2010, according to the report, released Friday by the Commonwealth Fund. The fund is a private foundation that seeks to promote improved health care, especially for low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, children and the elderly.

The report also compared insurance coverage for U.S. women to women in 10 other industrialized countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, all of which have universal health coverage.

While uninsured women in the United States were likely to have problems paying medical bills and getting health care, many insured American women also face these problems, compared with women in other countries, the study found.

Other highlights of the report include:

U.S. women had problems paying medical bills at double the rate of women in any other country studied. In the United States, 26 percent of women had medical bill problems, compared with 13 percent in Australia, 12 percent in France, and 4 percent in Germany. 39 percent of American women spent $1,000 or more in out-of-pocket medical costs during 2009-2010, compared with 24 percent of women in Switzerland, 1 percent in Sweden, and 0 percent in the United Kingdom. 43 percent of U.S. women went without recommended care, didn't see a doctor when they were sick, or didn't fill prescriptions because of cost, compared with 28 percent in Germany and Australia, 8 percent in the Netherlands, and 7 percent in the United Kingdom. Only 52 percent of American women were sure they could afford health care if they became seriously ill, compared with 91 percent of women in the United Kingdom, 77 percent in the Netherlands and 76 percent in Switzerland.

For uninsured women the problems were worse, according to the report, titled "Oceans Apart: The Higher Health Costs of Women in the U.S. Compared to Other Nations, and How Reform Is Helping."

51 percent of uninsured U.S. women had a problem paying medical bills. 77 percent went without needed health care due to costs, more than double the rates of women in other countries.

The report also found insurance differences in the United States among states.

For example, 30 percent of women in Texas were uninsured, compared with 5 percent in Massachusetts, which has a universal health insurance law similar to the Affordable Care Act, the controversial health-reform legislation signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama.

Many of these problems will be solved when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, the study authors said.

"With the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the nation is moving forward on ensuring access to high-quality care for all Americans," Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said during a Thursday news conference.

Once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented in 2014, the rate of uninsured women will drop from 20 percent to 8 percent, the study authors contended.

Under the Act, women can already get preventive care with no co-pay or deductible for services such as screenings for cervical, breast and colon cancer, cholesterol checks, and osteoporosis and chlamydia screenings. And insurance companies cannot deny coverage because of a preexisting condition, the study authors added.

The law will also prevent insurance companies from charging women higher premiums because of their gender or health.

Dr. Bradley Flansbaum, director of Hospitalist Services at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said "the Affordable Care Act fills in the gaps for women's services."

There are disparities in women's health care in coverage and premium costs, he noted.

"It's almost considered that having an extra X chromosome is considered a disability," Flansbaum said. "The Affordable Care Act levels the playing field."

Because not all states are going to increase Medicaid benefits as outlined in the law, there will still be gaps in coverage for women on Medicaid in some states, he added.

The new report is not without critics.

They include Greg Scandlen, director of the Health Benefits Group Inc., which offers health insurance and life insurance to individuals and groups. "This report is a wonderful example of how you can prove anything if you cherry-pick the data carefully enough," he said.

Women aren't disadvantaged when it comes to health insurance, Scandlen said, adding, "In fact, women are far more likely to be covered than are men at nearly every age."

There are sex-based differences in all insurance markets, Scandlen said. "Women pay more for health insurance than men because they consume far more services than men. In the life and auto insurance markets, women pay far less than men because they drive safer and live longer," he said.

By looking at health care in other countries, Scandlen said, the report didn't take into account long wait times for care and the rationing of care in other nations.

"The Affordable Care Act may very well remove price obstacles to care, although that remains to be seen," he said. "But if it floods the system with new patients without increasing the supply of providers, it may result in less actual care for everyone."

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Bradley Flansbaum, D.O., M.P.H., director, Hospitalist Services, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Greg Scandlen, director, Health Benefits Group; July 12, 2012, press conference with: Karen Davis, president, The Commonwealth Fund; July 13, 2012, report, Oceans Apart: The Higher Health Costs of Women in the U.S. Compared to Other Nations, and How Reform Is Helping

View the original article here

VIDEO: Microsoft expected to report first loss

IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.

View the original article here

Report: Last fugitive nabbed in '95 Japan gassing

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police Friday arrested the last fugitive suspected in a doomsday cult's deadly nerve gas attack on Tokyo subways 17 years ago, media reports said.

Katsuya Takahashi, 54, a former member of Aum Shinrikyo cult, was arrested on suspicion of murder after being spotted at a comic book cafe in downtown Tokyo, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said. A cafe employee had recognized him and called police.

Takahashi admitted who he was when approached by the police at the cafe, NHK said.

TV footage showed a huge crowd outside the shop, trying to catch a glimpse of the last cult fugitive. NHK showed a thin, bespectacled Takahashi being pushed into a police car.

His appearance had changed over years — in particular, his trademark bushy eyebrows have become much thinner. So police had to wait while his fingerprints were verified. He was arrested after being taken to a nearby police station, then transferred to Tokyo police headquarters for interrogation, reports said.

Takahashi, who had been cult guru Shoko Asahara's bodyguard, was on Japan's most wanted list for his suspected role in the sarin gas attack on Tokyo subways, which killed 13 people and injured more than 6,000.

Takahashi's trail had been cold for years, but it heated up after another fugitive from the cult was arrested June 3.

Since then, thousands of officers were mobilized across the Tokyo area, handing out fresh photos of Takahashi and monitoring transportation hubs to keep him from escaping the capital.

A security camera last week showed Takahashi trying to withdraw money from a bank shortly after other fugitive was arrested. Police believe he had been hiding in the Tokyo area under a false name. Local media have reported that he was working at a construction company, where he was known as a quiet and anti-social person who always wore a surgical mask.

Aum Shinrikyo had amassed an arsenal of chemical, biological and conventional weapons in anticipation of an apocalyptic showdown with the government. Nearly 200 of its members have been convicted in the 1995 attack and dozens of other crimes. Thirteen, including Asahara, are on death row.

Makoto Hirata, charged in a 1995 cult-related kidnapping-murder as well as the subway attack, surrendered to police on New Year's Eve, stunning the nation. The second-to-last fugitive, Naoko Kikuchi, 40, was arrested on June 3. She had been accused of helping produce the sarin the group released on the subway.

The cult, split into two groups — each renamed Aleph and the Circle of Rainbow Light — once had 10,000 members in Japan and claimed another 30,000 in Russia. It still has hundreds of members. The cult is under police surveillance and its current leaders have publicly disavowed Asahara.

View the original article here

Report: FBI Facebook, Twitter, Google wants to Wiretap.

Federal Bureau of investigation will press for the law forces the network society. Email service providers and other services--peer becomes "wiretap friendly," according to the report, CNET.
Enforcing the law, the Federal law will expand is applied to the cell phone operators and broadband network. Under the communications assistance of the year 1994 to carry law enforcement (CALEA), and broadband network must have the built-in backdoors, direct access to information laws, legal users during the survey. CALEA warranted starting with people in 1994 and expanded broadband service in 2004, while. Internet companies use their own methods, slurping so that users in a promulgation the law during company search.
But while the communication method does not change the FBI wants to expand CALEA khrangkwa again with Internet companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, and Google finds FBI to expand CALEA to cover services, instant messaging, AOL Instant Messanger, Apple iChat, Gmail Chat — Chat mate in the game Xbox Live, most of the company was not available for comment but a spokesman who owns Microsoft Security Watch says Skype, never heard such murmurings on Capitol Hill: "to our knowledge. We have not seen the proposal pertaining to act this session. From managing one or on a hill that will change the scope of the existing law.
According to CNET, the FBI has a meeting with Internet companies, senators and White House to encourage them, not against the law will allow. The proposed legislation is approved by the Ministry of Justice and the need to overcome tough war on Parliament.
FBI still require these companies to provide tools can decrypt the data via surveillance something like this might make it easier for agents to strike Government say Pluto pin lock. In addition, many companies such as Skype and BlackBerry user's encrypted messages.
In March of Microsoft application conflicts for the intersection as "legal scan" approved as we reported earlier in 2009 filed patents for software Skype people surreptitiously recorded calls on VoIP networks, Microsoft rationalized the patents as a way to satisfy the request of government surveillance and wiretapping Google, Twitter and Facebook also regularly field for many users of government subpoenas.
FBI issues "to black."Reduce the expanded FBI CALEA will help the rest of the "dark" problem, the phenomenon by FBI Director Richard Mueller coined to describe the size of American power to examine a communication technology shifts again. January report from Citigroup found that text messaging is a free concert as a embracee and send customers such as Skype or just contact WhatsApp via Facebook and Twitter.
View the original article here

When gender matters: Restless legs syndrome. Report of the “RLS and woman” workshop endorsed by the European RLS Study Group

Mauro Manconia, , , Jan Ulfbergb, Klaus Bergerc, Imad Ghorayebd, Jan Wesströme, Stephany Fuldaf, Richard P. Alleng, Thomas Pollmächerf, ha Sleep and Epilepsy Center, Neurocenter (EOC) of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital, Lugano, Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerlandb Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Swedenc Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germanyd Clinical Neurophysiology Department, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux cedex, Francee Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Swedenf Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germanyg Center of Mental Health, Klinikum Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germanyh Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USAReceived 13 May 2011. Revised 30 August 2011. Accepted 30 August 2011. Available online 9 November 2011.View full text Sleep is an essential human behavior that shows prominent gender differences. Disturbed sleep, in particular, is much more prevalent in females than males. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) as one cause of disturbed sleep was observed to be somewhat more common among women than men in Ekbom's 1945 seminal series of clinical cases with the disease. He, however, reported this gender difference mainly for those with more severe symptoms. Since then numerous studies have reported that women are affected by RLS about twice as often as males for mild as well as moderate to severe RLS. The present review focuses on RLS in females from the perspectives of both epidemiology and pathophysiology. RLS will generally become worse or might appear for the first time during pregnancy. Parity increases the risk of RLS later in life suggesting that pregnancy is a specific behavioral risk factor for developing RLS. Some evidence suggests that dysfunction in iron metabolism and high estrogen levels might contribute to RLS during pregnancy. But, menopause does not lower the incidence of RLS nor does hormone replacement therapy lead to an increase, suggesting a quite complex uncertain role of hormones in the pathophysiology of RLS. Therefore, further, preferably longitudinal studies are needed to unravel the factors causing RLS in women. These studies should include genetic, clinical and polysomnographic variables, as well as hormonal measures and variables assessing iron metabolism.

prs.rt("abs_end");Restless legs syndrome; Gender; Female; Sleep; Insomnia; Pregnancy; Estrogens; Menopause; Quality of life

Figures and tables from this article:

Fig. 1. Epidemiological results on RLS and pregnancy. Histograms show the prevalence trend of RLS in a group of 606 women surveyed at the end of pregnancy. In the period before pregnancy, 60 women already experienced RLS symptoms in their life (in a non pregnancy period) and were classified as “pre-existing RLS”. The remaining 546 women had never experienced RLS symptoms before and were classified as “healthy”. During the first assessed pregnancy (2nd histogram) 101 women, out of the 546 “healthy” ones, developed a transient RLS form strictly related to the pregnancy and were classified as “pregnancy-related RLS”. All these 101 women with a new form of pregnancy-related RLS form, except 6 women, recovered after delivery (3rd histogram). Fifty nine of the same pregnancy-related RLS group suffered again RLS symptoms during a further following pregnancy. After a mean follow up of 7 years, 25 out of the 101 women who experienced the symptoms during the first pregnancy (pregnancy-related RLS group) developed a chronic apparently idiopathic RLS form even out of pregnancy. Elaborated data from the study of Cesnik et al.37

View Within ArticleFig. 2. Prevalence of RLS among women in two age groups and according to number of children born in the German general practioner study.43

View Within ArticleFig. 3. Median serum ferritin by age for major USA gender and population groups.

View Within ArticleFig. 4. Prevalence of clinically significant RLS by gender and age from large European and United States population-based samples. (Slightly modified from Allen et al).21

View Within ArticleTable 1. Studies on the prevalence of RLS performed in random samples of the general population of different countries, using the IRLSSG criteria to assess the diagnosis.

View Within ArticleTable 2. Epidemiological studies published in literature on RLS prevalence that included an assessment on the quality of life.

Abbreviations: EQ-5D VAS, visual analogue scale score for the EQ-5D, a quality of life questionnaire developed by the EuroQoL Group; HRQoL, health related quality of life; MCS, mental component score of the SF-36; RLS, restless legs syndrome; PCS, physical component score of the SF-36; SF-36, SF-12, short form health survey.

View Within ArticleTable 3. Studies exploring the role of estrogens in RLS.

Abbreviations: AC, active controlled; CO, crossover; DB, double blind; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; IQR, interquartile range; PC, placebo controlled; PG, parallel group; PLM, periodic leg movements; R, randomized; SD, standard deviation.

View Within ArticleCopyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

prs.rt('data_end');

View the original article here

When gender matters: Restless legs syndrome. Report of the “RLS and woman” workshop endorsed by the European RLS Study Group

Mauro Manconia, , , Jan Ulfbergb, Klaus Bergerc, Imad Ghorayebd, Jan Wesströme, Stephany Fuldaf, Richard P. Alleng, Thomas Pollmächerf, ha Sleep and Epilepsy Center, Neurocenter (EOC) of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital, Lugano, Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerlandb Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Swedenc Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germanyd Clinical Neurophysiology Department, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux cedex, Francee Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Swedenf Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germanyg Center of Mental Health, Klinikum Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germanyh Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USAReceived 13 May 2011. Revised 30 August 2011. Accepted 30 August 2011. Available online 9 November 2011.View full text Sleep is an essential human behavior that shows prominent gender differences. Disturbed sleep, in particular, is much more prevalent in females than males. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) as one cause of disturbed sleep was observed to be somewhat more common among women than men in Ekbom's 1945 seminal series of clinical cases with the disease. He, however, reported this gender difference mainly for those with more severe symptoms. Since then numerous studies have reported that women are affected by RLS about twice as often as males for mild as well as moderate to severe RLS. The present review focuses on RLS in females from the perspectives of both epidemiology and pathophysiology. RLS will generally become worse or might appear for the first time during pregnancy. Parity increases the risk of RLS later in life suggesting that pregnancy is a specific behavioral risk factor for developing RLS. Some evidence suggests that dysfunction in iron metabolism and high estrogen levels might contribute to RLS during pregnancy. But, menopause does not lower the incidence of RLS nor does hormone replacement therapy lead to an increase, suggesting a quite complex uncertain role of hormones in the pathophysiology of RLS. Therefore, further, preferably longitudinal studies are needed to unravel the factors causing RLS in women. These studies should include genetic, clinical and polysomnographic variables, as well as hormonal measures and variables assessing iron metabolism.

prs.rt("abs_end");Restless legs syndrome; Gender; Female; Sleep; Insomnia; Pregnancy; Estrogens; Menopause; Quality of life

Figures and tables from this article:

Fig. 1. Epidemiological results on RLS and pregnancy. Histograms show the prevalence trend of RLS in a group of 606 women surveyed at the end of pregnancy. In the period before pregnancy, 60 women already experienced RLS symptoms in their life (in a non pregnancy period) and were classified as “pre-existing RLS”. The remaining 546 women had never experienced RLS symptoms before and were classified as “healthy”. During the first assessed pregnancy (2nd histogram) 101 women, out of the 546 “healthy” ones, developed a transient RLS form strictly related to the pregnancy and were classified as “pregnancy-related RLS”. All these 101 women with a new form of pregnancy-related RLS form, except 6 women, recovered after delivery (3rd histogram). Fifty nine of the same pregnancy-related RLS group suffered again RLS symptoms during a further following pregnancy. After a mean follow up of 7 years, 25 out of the 101 women who experienced the symptoms during the first pregnancy (pregnancy-related RLS group) developed a chronic apparently idiopathic RLS form even out of pregnancy. Elaborated data from the study of Cesnik et al.37

View Within ArticleFig. 2. Prevalence of RLS among women in two age groups and according to number of children born in the German general practioner study.43

View Within ArticleFig. 3. Median serum ferritin by age for major USA gender and population groups.

View Within ArticleFig. 4. Prevalence of clinically significant RLS by gender and age from large European and United States population-based samples. (Slightly modified from Allen et al).21

View Within ArticleTable 1. Studies on the prevalence of RLS performed in random samples of the general population of different countries, using the IRLSSG criteria to assess the diagnosis.

View Within ArticleTable 2. Epidemiological studies published in literature on RLS prevalence that included an assessment on the quality of life.

Abbreviations: EQ-5D VAS, visual analogue scale score for the EQ-5D, a quality of life questionnaire developed by the EuroQoL Group; HRQoL, health related quality of life; MCS, mental component score of the SF-36; RLS, restless legs syndrome; PCS, physical component score of the SF-36; SF-36, SF-12, short form health survey.

View Within ArticleTable 3. Studies exploring the role of estrogens in RLS.

Abbreviations: AC, active controlled; CO, crossover; DB, double blind; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; IQR, interquartile range; PC, placebo controlled; PG, parallel group; PLM, periodic leg movements; R, randomized; SD, standard deviation.

View Within ArticleCopyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

prs.rt('data_end');

View the original article here

When gender matters: Restless legs syndrome. Report of the “RLS and woman” workshop endorsed by the European RLS Study Group

Mauro Manconia, , , Jan Ulfbergb, Klaus Bergerc, Imad Ghorayebd, Jan Wesströme, Stephany Fuldaf, Richard P. Alleng, Thomas Pollmächerf, ha Sleep and Epilepsy Center, Neurocenter (EOC) of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital, Lugano, Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerlandb Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Swedenc Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germanyd Clinical Neurophysiology Department, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux cedex, Francee Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Swedenf Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germanyg Center of Mental Health, Klinikum Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germanyh Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USAReceived 13 May 2011. Revised 30 August 2011. Accepted 30 August 2011. Available online 9 November 2011.View full text Sleep is an essential human behavior that shows prominent gender differences. Disturbed sleep, in particular, is much more prevalent in females than males. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) as one cause of disturbed sleep was observed to be somewhat more common among women than men in Ekbom's 1945 seminal series of clinical cases with the disease. He, however, reported this gender difference mainly for those with more severe symptoms. Since then numerous studies have reported that women are affected by RLS about twice as often as males for mild as well as moderate to severe RLS. The present review focuses on RLS in females from the perspectives of both epidemiology and pathophysiology. RLS will generally become worse or might appear for the first time during pregnancy. Parity increases the risk of RLS later in life suggesting that pregnancy is a specific behavioral risk factor for developing RLS. Some evidence suggests that dysfunction in iron metabolism and high estrogen levels might contribute to RLS during pregnancy. But, menopause does not lower the incidence of RLS nor does hormone replacement therapy lead to an increase, suggesting a quite complex uncertain role of hormones in the pathophysiology of RLS. Therefore, further, preferably longitudinal studies are needed to unravel the factors causing RLS in women. These studies should include genetic, clinical and polysomnographic variables, as well as hormonal measures and variables assessing iron metabolism.

prs.rt("abs_end");Restless legs syndrome; Gender; Female; Sleep; Insomnia; Pregnancy; Estrogens; Menopause; Quality of life

Figures and tables from this article:

Fig. 1. Epidemiological results on RLS and pregnancy. Histograms show the prevalence trend of RLS in a group of 606 women surveyed at the end of pregnancy. In the period before pregnancy, 60 women already experienced RLS symptoms in their life (in a non pregnancy period) and were classified as “pre-existing RLS”. The remaining 546 women had never experienced RLS symptoms before and were classified as “healthy”. During the first assessed pregnancy (2nd histogram) 101 women, out of the 546 “healthy” ones, developed a transient RLS form strictly related to the pregnancy and were classified as “pregnancy-related RLS”. All these 101 women with a new form of pregnancy-related RLS form, except 6 women, recovered after delivery (3rd histogram). Fifty nine of the same pregnancy-related RLS group suffered again RLS symptoms during a further following pregnancy. After a mean follow up of 7 years, 25 out of the 101 women who experienced the symptoms during the first pregnancy (pregnancy-related RLS group) developed a chronic apparently idiopathic RLS form even out of pregnancy. Elaborated data from the study of Cesnik et al.37

View Within ArticleFig. 2. Prevalence of RLS among women in two age groups and according to number of children born in the German general practioner study.43

View Within ArticleFig. 3. Median serum ferritin by age for major USA gender and population groups.

View Within ArticleFig. 4. Prevalence of clinically significant RLS by gender and age from large European and United States population-based samples. (Slightly modified from Allen et al).21

View Within ArticleTable 1. Studies on the prevalence of RLS performed in random samples of the general population of different countries, using the IRLSSG criteria to assess the diagnosis.

View Within ArticleTable 2. Epidemiological studies published in literature on RLS prevalence that included an assessment on the quality of life.

Abbreviations: EQ-5D VAS, visual analogue scale score for the EQ-5D, a quality of life questionnaire developed by the EuroQoL Group; HRQoL, health related quality of life; MCS, mental component score of the SF-36; RLS, restless legs syndrome; PCS, physical component score of the SF-36; SF-36, SF-12, short form health survey.

View Within ArticleTable 3. Studies exploring the role of estrogens in RLS.

Abbreviations: AC, active controlled; CO, crossover; DB, double blind; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; IQR, interquartile range; PC, placebo controlled; PG, parallel group; PLM, periodic leg movements; R, randomized; SD, standard deviation.

View Within ArticleCopyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

prs.rt('data_end');

View the original article here

Report: Variety is key to success of hybrid vehicles

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Buying a new hybrid vehicle could be a process with an extra step in the near future, as consumers may need to decide not only on make and model, but on propulsion system, according to a report from tech news site CNET.

A single type of car could be offered to the public in several different variations, including plug-in hybrid and battery-electric. Vice president of marketing and communications at lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Andy Chu told the website this offers consumers better choices.

"As these vehicles come online, the fact that you can choose the type that fits your specific needs will lead to greater adoption. Different regions or countries may gravitate to one architecture or another," Chu said.

While most hybrid vehicles still tend to have higher price points than traditional models, the savings in gasoline could add up quickly, making them attractive to budget-conscious consumers looking to buy cars.

View the original article here

Vehicle history report important for any used car purchase

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

While thousands of Americans purchase a new car each year, many of them may not know how to investigate its history to determine whether they are buying a quality vehicle. Even if a used car looks brand new, it may not run that way, which is why experts recommend buyers obtain a third-party vehicle history report before committing to a purchase.

Why a history report is necessary

A vehicle history report can help assure interested used-car buyers they know what they're purchasing. Reports combine information from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles and Registry of Motor Vehicles, in addition to police reports and other sources, allowing a buyer to analyze a comprehensive look into where that car has been before committing to it. According to CarFax.com, there are certain parts of a vehicle's history a buyer should be sure to look out for.
Previous owners

An automobile is likely to have more wear and tear if it has already gone through multiple owners. While vehicle's such as former rental cars and taxis may sell for less than a typical used vehicle, the source said they will likely have a history of damage or abuse which may affect car safety.

Location is key

A used vehicle from certain sections of the country may be more damaged than others, according to the source. For instance, cars which have undergone multiple winter storms may have some problems from salted roads or excessive water exposure. Similarly, automobiles exposed to floods, extreme heat and ocean air may have hidden damage not seen in vehicles from more temperate climates.

Pay attention to identification

Buyers should be sure to carefully review a vehicle's documentation to make sure they're purchasing the right car. Vehicle identification number (VIN) cloning is typical among car thieves who use a VIN number from a legally owned automobile to mask the identity of a similar stolen model. Many vehicle history reports include detailed descriptions of the car in question, which can help a buyer make sure they're looking at the right model.

As more companies begin selling used cars on the internet, relying on a solid car history report may become more important than ever. The auction website eBay has become a popular source for used vehicles, while other ventures such as driverselect.com are also finding success on the web.  

View the original article here

Mutual Funds Report: First Quarter

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota A second consecutive quarter of eye-popping gains for stocks hasn’t convinced much of the investor world that happy days are here again.

The rising market in the first quarter was built on technology and consumer stocks, not the safe, income-producing shares that led it higher at the start of 2011.

 

Mutual Funds Report: First Quarter

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota A second consecutive quarter of eye-popping gains for stocks hasn’t convinced much of the investor world that happy days are here again.

The rising market in the first quarter was built on technology and consumer stocks, not the safe, income-producing shares that led it higher at the start of 2011.

 

Mutual Funds Report: First Quarter

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota A second consecutive quarter of eye-popping gains for stocks hasn’t convinced much of the investor world that happy days are here again.

The rising market in the first quarter was built on technology and consumer stocks, not the safe, income-producing shares that led it higher at the start of 2011.

Battling depression with "battery-powered brains" - CNN report on deep brain stimulation (DBS)

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota CNN reports on treating severe depression with electrodes inside the brain:

The procedure -- called deep brain stimulation, or DBS -- targets a small brain structure known as Area 25, the "ringleader" for the brain circuits that control our moods.

Area 25 is relatively overactive in depressed patients. One hypothesis is that in patients who do not improve with treatments for depression, Area 25 is somehow stuck in overdrive.

DBS had been used since 1997 as a treatment for movement disorders, including essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia.

References:

Treating depression with electrodes inside the brain. CNN, 2012.

 

Battling depression with "battery-powered brains" - CNN report on deep brain stimulation (DBS)

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota CNN reports on treating severe depression with electrodes inside the brain:

The procedure -- called deep brain stimulation, or DBS -- targets a small brain structure known as Area 25, the "ringleader" for the brain circuits that control our moods.

Area 25 is relatively overactive in depressed patients. One hypothesis is that in patients who do not improve with treatments for depression, Area 25 is somehow stuck in overdrive.

DBS had been used since 1997 as a treatment for movement disorders, including essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia.

References:

Treating depression with electrodes inside the brain. CNN, 2012.

 

Battling depression with "battery-powered brains" - CNN report on deep brain stimulation (DBS)

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota CNN reports on treating severe depression with electrodes inside the brain:

The procedure -- called deep brain stimulation, or DBS -- targets a small brain structure known as Area 25, the "ringleader" for the brain circuits that control our moods.

Area 25 is relatively overactive in depressed patients. One hypothesis is that in patients who do not improve with treatments for depression, Area 25 is somehow stuck in overdrive.

DBS had been used since 1997 as a treatment for movement disorders, including essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia.

References:

Treating depression with electrodes inside the brain. CNN, 2012.