BASEL, Switzerland, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

- First Study to Show Diovan/HCT Improves Artery Elasticity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease(1) - Diovan/HCT Demonstrated Superior Benefits on Artery Elasticity, a Strong Predictor of Increased Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack(2), Compared to Amlodipine - Diovan/HCT Lowered Albumin excretion rate, a key marker of kidney disease, by 35% compared to a rise of 24% with amlodipine(1) - Diovan is the world's number one branded high blood pressure medicine3

OXFORD, England, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

WaveSense Europe announced today that Mr. Alec Winton, formerly of Menarini Diagnostics, has joined WaveSense Europe as General Manager, UK, and that WaveSense Europe headquarters will be based in Oxfordshire.

Could macro-scale chemical engineering be used to stop a volcanic lava flow in its tracks and save potentially thousands of lives and homes when the next eruption occurs? R.D. Schuiling of Geochem Research BV, based in The Netherlands, thinks so.

During the 1960s, Schuiling pioneered the discipline of geochemical engineering, which involves the use of natural processes to solve environmental and civil engineering problems. He recently turned his attention to the ongoing problem of how to tame volcanic lava flows. Lava flows regularly threaten and sometimes destroy human settlements. In 1973, the Icelanders had some success slowing the advance of lava from Heimaey by dousing the flow with huge volumes of seawater. Meanwhile in Sicily, the town of Zafferana was saved from being ravaged by the 1991-1993 eruption cycle of Etna by huge earth walls built to divert the lava flow.

ZURICH, Switzerland, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

OleOle is adding real-time, interactive live blogging to enable football fans to pick sides as they interact around match reports - from their computer and from the stadium

British scientists are developing a new type of glass that can dissolve and release calcium into the body. This will enable patients to regrow bones and could signal a move away from bone transplants.

The porous glass, originally developed at Imperial College is capable of acting as an active template for new bone growth, dissolving in the body without leaving any trace of itself or any toxic chemicals. As it dissolves it releases calcium and other elements such as silicon into the adjacent body fluids, stimulating bone growth.

Proposals to overhaul the approach to obtaining patient consent lack detail, contain advice that is non-specific, and might prevent doctors from making major changes to their practice warns an editorial in this week's BMJ.

Writing in response to the publication of the General Medical Council (GMC) guidance on patient consent to be implemented in June, Professor Glyn Elwyn argues that although the guidance appears radical and urges a change in the approach to informed consent, it fails to address how doctors will do this in busy clinical settings.

The process of obtaining consent from patients for procedures such as surgical operations often just involves patients signing a piece of paper declaring that they understand the nature of the procedure and its consequences, only a few hours before an operation. This rarely provides time for patients to read or consider the information about harms and benefits. In addition, evidence shows that patients want to be given more information about risks and consequences.

Simplistic and unpiloted NHS reforms are inadvertently damaging patient care in general practice, according to a group of academics writing in this week's BMJ.

Professor Howie, from the University of Edinburgh, writing with colleagues, criticises recent reforms in general practice and says if they "continue unchallenged [it] will result in the dismemberment of a primary care system that has been the envy of other countries."

They argue that the holistic care patients have always received from their GP, and which has worked in the individual patient's favor, is in danger of being harmed by recent changes.

LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

WATERLOO, Ontario, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new and generous act of personal philanthropy, Mike Lazaridis has provided an additional $50 million (Canadian) to Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI). This private donation increases his personal contributions to $150 million in the research institute.

The private funding announcement, delivered by The Honourable John Wilkinson, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation, was celebrated by over 600 people just prior to a PI Public Lecture. The donation was acknowledged by all dignitaries representing the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, important members of a public-private partnership that fund the scientific research and outreach operations.

LONDON, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

LONDON, June 5 /PRNewswire/ --

- Flora Launches 'Cooking With Schools' Initiative to Help Put Healthy Eating at the Heart of the Classroom

Research released by Flora today reveals 93% of primary school teachers want the Government to take more action to improve cookery lessons in school, 99% of teachers believe teaching children how to choose and prepare healthy food is essential to good health.

To help put healthy eating at the heart of the classroom, the Flora team is launching Cooking with Schools, an initiative that will offer free cooking equipment to all primary schools across the UK and Ireland and provide teachers with comprehensive resource packs.