Newswise Dr. Paul H. Crandall, who co-founded the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery and pioneered surgical approaches still used today to treat stubborn epileptic seizures, died March 15 from complications related to pneumonia at UCLA Medical CenterSanta Monica. He was 89. "Paul was the father of UCLA's epilepsy program," said Dr. Neil Martin, chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "His clinical work laid the foundation for our current strategies to treat epileptic seizures, and his scientific research informs neurosurgeons' treatment of epilepsy today." The youngest of seven children, Crandall was born to Arthur and Ellen Crandall on Feb. 15, 1923, in Essex Junction, Vt. He looked up to his siblings: One was a physician, two were attorneys, two owned businesses and one became food editor for the Boston Globe. According to Crandall's wife, Barbara, his older brother who was a surgeon encouraged him to pursue a career in neurosurgery. Crandall graduated cum laude and earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont in 1946, then completed his residency training in neurosurgery at the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1952. There, he met his wife, now a professor emeritus of pediatrics and genetics at … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2012) A new epilepsy gene for idiopathic epilepsy in Belgian Shepherds has been found in the canine chromosome 37. The research of Professor Hannes Lohi and his group conducted at the University of Helsinki and the Folkhlsan Research Center opens new avenues for the understanding of the genetic background of the most common canine epilepsies. The research also has an impact on the understanding of common epilepsies in humans. The research is published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE on March 23, 2012. Epilepsy affects about 1-5% of the human population at some stage of live, and it includes a host of syndromes the age of onset, causes and prognosis of which vary significantly. Based on their basic mechanisms epilepsy syndromes are divided into genetic (idiopathic) epilepsies, structural / metabolic (symptomatic) epilepsies and epilepsies of unknown cause. Symptomatic causes refer to discernible external or structural change, whereas with idiopathic epilepsy there is a strong genetic background. A common denominator between the different syndromes are reoccurring epileptic seizures, which are divided according to an international classification into two main groups -- focal and generalized seizures -- based on clinical symptoms and research findings. About two thirds of the … Continue reading →

BENSALEM, Pa., March 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Leading women's specialty retailer, Fashion Bug, is proud to announce the launch of its partnership with Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization. Beginning March 25, 2012, Fashion Bug invites consumers to "round up at the register" and join in their effort to raise money for Autism Speaks' core mission of research, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. This community awareness and fundraising campaign will take place from March 25 through April 7, 2012 at all Fashion Bug stores across the country. During this time, customers are encouraged to "round up" purchases to the next whole dollar amount and Fashion Bug will donate the spare change to Autism Speaks for support of the charity's programs. "Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S., affecting an estimated 1.5 million people. We wanted to join forces with the organization leading the charge in research and advocacy for this pervasive disorder," said MaryEllen MacDowell, President of Fashion Bug, about the partnership. "Our customers are very compassionate and together we know we can make a significant contribution to Autism Speaks through the 'Spare Change Makes a Difference' campaign." Fashion Bug will also … Continue reading →

Public release date: 23-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Carolann Murphy CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org 973-324-38382 Kessler Foundation West Orange, NJ. March 23, 2012. In 2011, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) convened the Stroke Progress Review Group (SPRG) to conduct a final 10-year review of the state of stroke research. The goal is to set priorities and shape future NINDS programs and policies. While SPRG found much available data for maximizing stroke rehabilitation outcomes, translation to clinical practice is inadequate. To realize the enormous potential for improving rehabilitation and recovery, more resources should be applied to implementing and directly supporting SPRG's recommendations. The Final Report of the Stroke PRG is on the NINDS SPRG website: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/find_people/groups/stroke_prg/01-2012-stroke-prg-report.htm. The working group for rehabilitation and recovery was co-chaired by Anna Barrett, MD, director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation, Pamela Duncan, PT, PhD, Duke Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, with Steven C. Cramer, MD (NINDS liaison co-chair). "The strategic plan and vision set out in the 2002 SPRG was intended for ten-year implementation," said Dr. Barrett. "To assess progress in rehabilitation and recovery, we recruited eleven working group members (John Chae, Leonardo Cohen, Bruce Crosson, Leigh Hochberg, Rebecca … Continue reading →

By Adam Bonislawski Proteome Sciences said this week that it will be performing biomarker analysis for a new European research initiative to study hypothermia as a treatment after stroke. The research project, called EuroHyp-1, is a phase III clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of cooling the brain within six hours of a stroke. The 1,500-patient trial, which involves 60 universities and hospitals in 25 countries, is being funded by an 11 million ($14.6 million) grant from the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme. As part of the project, UK-based Proteome Sciences will use its mass spectrometry-based assays to perform biomarker analysis of patient samples in blood, the company said. According to Ian Pike, Proteome Sciences' chief operational officer, the biomarkers the company plans to analyze stem from a separate stroke research collaboration between Proteome Sciences and the lab of University of Geneva researcher Jean-Charles Sanchez. That work, Pike told ProteoMonitor, has focused on identifying protein markers in plasma that can rapidly distinguish between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, which is key to determining whether patients can be given tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA, treatment, a therapy that dissolves blood clots and is therefore effective against ischemic, or blocked, strokes, but … Continue reading →

22-03-2012 12:29 Dr. Rebecca Carley talks about the vast dangers of vaccines and other AMA-approved treatments that actually do greater harm. website: drcarley.com (expand for more info) "The only safe vaccine is one that is never used." (Dr.James R. Shannon, former Director National Institute of Health) Vaccine Ingredients - Formaldehyde, Aspartame, Mercury + more The numbers of microbes, antibiotics, chemicals, heavy metals and animal byproducts is staggering. Would you knowingly inject these materials into your children? This following list of common vaccines and their ingredients should shock anyone --- eye-opening list here http://www.rense.com (page xcerpt) Acel-Immune DTaP - Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556 * diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed, formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) gelatin Act HIB Haemophilus - Influenza B Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463 * Haemophilus influenza Type B, polyribosylribitol phosphate ammonium sulfate, formalin, and sucrose Attenuvax - Measles Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372 * measles live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin, chick embryo Biavax - Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372 * rubella live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue BioThrax - Anthrax Adsorbed BioPort Corporation 517.327.1500 * nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, … Continue reading →

Public release date: 23-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Dawn Peters healthnews@wiley.com 781-388-8408 Wiley-Blackwell New research found the genetic variant Patatin-like phospholipase domain containing protein-3 (PNPLA3) acting in conjunction with the glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) is associated with increased susceptibility to fatty liver disease in obese children. The study, published in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, determined the PNPLA3 and GCKR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were responsible for up to 39% of the hepatic fat content in this pediatric population. Obesity is a global health concern and children are not unscathed by this epidemic. As a result, experts say nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the leading cause of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents in industrialized countries. Previous studies indicate genetics significantly impacts the susceptibility of developing fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), particularly in early-onset disease, which places greater interest on childhood obesity. For the current study, a team led by Dr. Nicola Santoro from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut recruited 455 obese children and adolescents who underwent genotyping and fasting triglycerides and lipoprotein particles testing. Participants in … Continue reading →