Background:This study was carried out to compare the HRQoL of patients in general practice with differing chronic diseases with the HRQoL of patients without chronic conditions, to evaluate the HRQoL of general practice patients in Germany compared with the HRQoL of the general population, and to explore the influence of different chronic diseases on patients' HRQoL, independently of the effects of multiple confounding variables.Methods:A cross-sectional questionnaire survey including the SF-36, the EQ-5D and demographic questions was conducted in 20 general practices in Germany. 1009 consecutive patients aged 15-89 participated.

New research led by a Michigan State University scholar refutes commonly held stereotypes that overweight workers are lazier, more emotionally unstable and harder to get along with than their "normal weight" colleagues. With the findings, employers are urged to guard against the use of weight-based stereotypes when it comes to hiring, promoting or firing.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have voted to override President's George W. Bush's veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. In response Bruce T.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has announcesd the outcome from its third annual large grants competition. The large grant scheme provides funding for experienced researchers requiring longer term funding or extended support for research or research infrastructure. All four grants address important social and economic issues both within the UK and globally.

Behavior spanning the wide spectrum of the animal and human world will be examined at the 12th International Behavioral Ecology Congress, hosted by the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, on Aug. 10 -14, 2008, at Cornell University in Ithaca.

According to a study published in The Lancet, immunization against the amyloid-β peptide clears amyloid plaques in the brain but fails to halt the progressive neurodegeneration that comes with Alzheimer's disease. The amyloid-β peptide accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and this engenders plaque formation.

University of Queensland research is showing the benefits of resistance training in keeping older Australians in tip top form. Dr Tim Henwood, a postdoctoral research fellow with UQ and Blue Care, said his recently completed PhD research investigated how people over the age of 65 responded to resistance training.

The world's top engineers, physicians and scientists are joining forces to conceptualize, develop and bring to reality the future tools and treatments of 21st century health care through UC San Diego's new Institute of Engineering in Medicine.

A new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered how to direct the growth of nanorods made up of two single crystals using a biomolecular surfactant.

The National Human Genome Research Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, has announced grants expected to total about $31 million over the next four years for research aimed at gaining a better understanding of how specific genetic variants act to influence the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other common diseases.

Commercial venues are very aware of the effects that the environment - in this case, music - can have on in-store traffic flow, sales volumes, product choices, and consumer time spent in the immediate vicinity. A study of the effects of music levels on drinking in a bar setting has found that loud music leads to more drinking in less time.

Prenatal alcohol exposure may be particularly destructive for neurotrophins, a family of peptides that influence the growth, development and functional plasticity of the fetal brain.

For the first time, researchers have successfully grown functional human blood vessels in mice using cells from adult human donors - an important step in developing clinical strategies to grow tissue, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has announced the recipients of its annual awards competition. Eight scientists were singled out for their outstanding achievements and contributions to science. The awards will officially be presented at the Experimental Biology 2009 Meeting, April 18-22, in New Orleans.

When it comes to stenting - using metal tubes to prop open blocked arteries - physicians are continuing to choose to gain entry to the circulatory system through an opening in the leg instead of the arm, even though the latter option appears to be safer, with fewer side effects, say researchers at Duke Clinical Research Institute.

A new study from Duke University Medical Center finds that patients treated solely with medications after suffering from chest pain, heart attack or coronary artery disease are more likely to die during the first year following their initial hospitalization.

Talking fish are no strangers to Americans. From the comedic portrayal of "Mr. Limpet" by Don Knotts, to the children's Disney favorite, "Nemo," fish can talk, laugh and tell jokes - at least on television and the silver screen. But can real fish verbally communicate? Researchers say, "Yes," in a paper published in the July 18 issue of the journal Science.

Neurological experts from across the U.S. and other countries including a nationally renowned researcher from Rush University Medical Center will discuss the latest findings in basic and clinical research for Fragile X at the 11th International Fragile X Conference, to be held July 23-27 in St. Louis. Families with children who are diagnosed with Fragile X also will be attending the conference.

Humans have long been trying to make the dream of nanoscopic robots come true. The dream is, in fact, taking on some aspects of reality. Nanoscience has produced components for molecular-scale machines. One such device is a rotor, a movable component that rotates around an axis. Trying to observe such rotational motion on the molecular scale is an extremely difficult undertaking.

More than 100 physicians and scientists from around the country will discuss the latest findings in pancreatic research at PancreasFest 2008 at the Hillman Cancer Center July 24 through 26.