MAIDENHEAD, England, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Two-year Data From COMET Study in Early Active Moderate-to-Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Indicated Sustained Halt of Progressive Joint Damage

- New Analyses From ASCEND Study in Ankylosing Spondylitis Indicated Improvement in Patients With and Without Peripheral Joint Involvement

- Results From PRESTA Study in Psoriatic Arthritis Indicated Improvement in Joint and Skin Symptoms

PARMA, Italy, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The centre, which is to be located in Parma over an area of 22,000 sq. m., will be operative from 2011 and will employ over 300 qualified researchers from both Italy and abroad. The investment is worth around euro 70 million. The aim of the centre is the study of innovative products for chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and special care diseases such as cystic fibrosis and respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants.

AMERSFOORT, The Netherlands, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Oikocredit has Unveiled the Initial Results of an International Women Empowerment Study

At Oikocredit, it's essential to know exactly how fair finance affects the lives of those it serves. In the first phase of an international study covering four countries (Bulgaria, Kenya, Peru and the Philippines) Oikocredit has examined the notion of fair financing and women empowerment.

Using in-depth interviews, we asked what women empowerment means to our microfinance clients. What is it, how does it work and what does it look like? Is the concept a notion of the North? Or is it genuinely relevant to the small entrepreneurs of the South?

KYOTO, Japan, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

On May 31, 2009, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MOE) held a publicity event for the 'Cool Biz 2009' campaign in Kyoto, the first such event in Kansai (the western district of Japan) in its 5-year history. Since the campaign kicked off in 2005, workers have been encouraged to limit the use of air conditioning and wear casual clothes such as short-sleeved shirts without jackets or ties. This year, the MOE aims to expand the movement from the business scene to everyday lifestyles, using various knowledge and ideas, to stay comfortable in 28 C rooms.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090610/COOLBIZ )

BRUSSELS, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- For the Attention of European Accredited Medical Writers Only

- Data Presented at the 13th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

- Long-term Treatment With rotigotine was Generally Well Tolerated in Patients With Early Stage Parkinson's Disease (up to Four Years)

- Treatment With rotigotine Improved Early Morning akinesia in Patients With Advanced Parkinson's Disease

Fingerprints are essential for crime dramas and look nicely distinct for each of us but what are fingerprints really for?

According to Roland Ennos, from the University of Manchester, other primates and tree-climbing koalas have fingerprints and some South American monkeys have ridged pads on their tree-gripping tails, so everyone presumed that fingerprints are there to help us hang onto objects that we grasp. This theory that fingerprints increase friction between the skin and whatever we grab onto has been around for over 100 years, but no one had directly tested the idea.

WIDNAU, Switzerland, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- By Guideline-Based Solution for Blood Pressure Measurement -- Microlife WatchBP(R)

According to National Stroke Association, high blood pressure is the one of the top two stroke risk factors. To measure true blood pressure is crucial and indispensable for hypertension treatment and management. From perspectives of primary care doctors and physicians, how to obtain the best estimation of a patient's true blood pressure in an accurate way is very important for their daily diagnoses and treatment outcomes. Blood pressure measurement devices for office, home, and ambulatory use indubitably play an important role in such diagnoses and treatment.

COPENHAGEN, June 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Advice to Support the 100 Million People in the EU who Suffer From Chronic Musculoskeletal Disorders

Researchers, doctors and patient groups will today call on rheumatologists and related healthcare professionals to view their patients as productive workers and make their staying in work an important outcome in managing their condition. Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in Europe account for 50% of all work-related disorders and 60% of permanent work incapacity in the EU.

From 1958 to 1970 Wladimiro Dorigo, my father, directed a political and cultural magazine called "Questitalia" ("This italy"), where emerging political issues were discussed, and the ongoing transformations of Italian society were dissected by a distinguished group of intellectuals. I own a copy of all the 150 issues of that publication, and every once in a while I pick one of them out of the lot at random, and learn what Italy was 40 or 50 years ago.

MAARSSEN, Netherlands, June 11 /PRNewswire/ --

CPhI Japan - with ICSE Japan and P-MEC Japan - marked its seventh anniversary in April with robust numbers and positive feedback, against the most challenging business background in pharma services for several years.

Organisers UBM International Media were rewarded with good exhibitor and visitor responses to expanded and new features. The co-located events form Japan's leading ingredients, contract services and equipment exhibitions and seminars.

Bookings for next year's Japan shows were also higher than in previous years. In a further positive development for the region, this month's CPhI China exhibition has been fully sold, with visitor pre-registrations sharply ahead of 2008.