DALLAS, TX--(Marketwire -04/23/12)- Airway Management (www.amisleep.com) has formed the Dental Institute of Sleep Medicine (http://amisleep.com/training) for the purpose of training dental practitioners in the use of TAP oral appliance therapy for sleep disordered breathing. Upcoming courses are sponsored by TAP, VirtuOx, and Patterson Dental.

"By 2020, 40 percent of the U.S. population will have some form of sleep disordered breathing. With the failure of CPAP as a long-term therapy for many patients, dentists will play the key role in the management of these disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea. Demand for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea has increased exponentially, yet the dentist is confronted with what seems to be a great barrier due to the medical nature of the condition. The truth is that treating these patients can be accomplished easily, appropriately and profitably in the dental office," says Dr. W. Keith Thornton, inventor of the TAP and TAP PAP adjustable oral appliances for sleep disordered breathing. "I am delighted to join with Dr. Paul McLornan and Dr. Steve Bender in developing courses that will make it both efficient and effective for dentists to provide TAP appliance therapy."

All courses are in an interactive workshop format with didactic presentations, hands-on exercises, and ample time for questions and answers. An introductory 1-day course, titled "Jump Start Your Practice," and an intermediate 1-day course titled "Clinical Mastery" are being held on successive days at multiple Patterson Dental branches around the United States. A 3-day "Advanced Comprehensive Therapy" course is being held monthly at Airway Management in Dallas, Texas.

"One of the exciting aspects of our training," says Dr. Thornton, "is learning how to use and interpret an overnight pulse oximeter. We have created VirtuOx Professional Edition, which is a web-based patient management system. Participants in the courses learn how to gather specific information and use necessary forms for patient evaluation, how to deliver and adjust a TAP oral appliance, and how to fit a morning repositioner (the AM aligner). On completion of the second day of training (the Clinical Mastery course), the participant receives TAP Certification. In Dallas, the Advanced Comprehensive training is limited to 10 participants per session. It covers the curriculum of the other courses, plus training in all areas of the TAP system and the new TAP PAP system, so at the completion of the course, the participant has achieved both TAP and TAP PAP Certification."

"The TAP system has been hugely beneficial to patients in my practice," says Dr. Steve Bender, one of the Dental Institute of Sleep Medicine faculty members. "Dr. Thornton is a third generation dentist who has dedicated the last decade of practice to the treatment of sleep disordered breathing. He has over 52 US and foreign patents on oral appliances, CPAP masks, and combination oral appliance mask interface systems. The TAP is the market leader and most prescribed adjustable oral appliance for sleep apnea. More than 250,000 have been delivered worldwide."

"The TAP system is not only efficacious," says Dr. Paul McLornan, a prosthodontist in private practice and assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio Dental School. "It is the only appliance shown to be not inferior to CPAP. Sleep disordered breathing contributes more to morbidity and mortality than patients realize. Most dentists are not aware that they can now easily develop the ability to help their patients and also offer therapeutic options to CPAP. All general dentists would benefit from higher awareness and many would benefit from adding oral appliance therapy for sleep disordered breathing to their practice services. Patterson Dental is to be commended for moving forward as an educational leader in this arena."

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Airway Management Forms Dental Institute of Sleep Medicine

PHILADELPHIA Garret FitzGerald, MD, chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine & Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is among the 44 newly elected Fellows and eight newly elected Foreign Members to the Royal Society.

"Science impacts on most aspects of modern life, improving our understanding of the world and playing an increasing role as we grapple with problems such as feeding a growing global population and keeping an aging population healthy. These scientists who have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society are among the world's finest. They follow in the footsteps of luminaries such as Newton, Darwin and Einstein and I am delighted to welcome them into our ranks," noted Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society.

FitzGerald, also professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and the McNeil Professor in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, takes an integrative approach to elucidating the mechanisms of drug action. He was the first to describe the dose-dependent suppression by aspirin of thromboxane and prostacyclin in humans and animal models. This body of research contributed substantially to the development of low-dose aspirin as a preventive approach to heart disease. His group was the first to predict and then explain mechanistically the cardiovascular hazard from NSAIDs. His team was also the first to discover a molecular clock in the cardiovascular system, which has contributed substantially to the understanding of the importance of peripheral clocks in the regulation of cardiovascular and metabolic function.

"I am deeply honored by this recognition of the efforts and accomplishments of those with whom I have been privileged to work," said FitzGerald.

The Royal Society is a self-governing fellowship of many of the world's most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society's fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognize, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.

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Perelman School of Medicine Professor Elected to the Royal Society

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--(Marketwire -04/24/12)- Graymark Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRMH - News), the nation's second largest provider of diagnostic sleep services and an innovator in comprehensive care for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), opened four new facilities for its comprehensive sleep medicine services in the second quarter of 2012.

These new sleep centers bring the aggregate number to 105 and allows Graymark to better serve patients within these markets. The locations of the new standalone Graymark sleep centers include:

Patients in the geographic regions these hospitals serve can now receive sleep medicine care in familiar surroundings, while Graymark Healthcare ensures comprehensive, state-of-the-art services. Together, the new centers will add 10 beds to the Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta markets.

Including today's new locations, Graymark now operates a total of 105 sleep locations nationwide, consisting of 19 standalone facilities, seven therapy facilities and 79 hospital or rural outreach locations. While the care environments may vary based on community need, Graymark ensures that the quality and comprehensiveness of the services provided remain at the highest standard.

"The opening of these four new sleep centers is directly due to the increased volume we are experiencing for our comprehensive model of diagnosing and treating patients afflicted by sleep apnea," said Stanton Nelson, CEO of Graymark Healthcare. "With the additional Atlanta locations, we were able to leverage our successful partnership with Emory-Adventist Hosipital -- our first entrance into the Georgia market -- to expand our market share in the region. The Mesquite, Texas location also represents our tenth location in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, making Graymark the market leader in terms of number of sleep studies conducted in the area."

In addition to treating all sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome, Graymark specializes in the treatment of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing. Each pause or "apnea" can last from a few seconds to minutes, and can occur from five to more than 30 times per hour. OSA is the most common form of apnea and occurs when the soft tissue in the airway obstructs breathing. The proper diagnosis and treatment of OSA is critical due to the many significant associated health risks, including stroke and cardiac disease.

Graymark Healthcare's effective five step clinical approach to managing sleep disorders includes a convenient referral process, accurate and timely assessment, diagnosis, treatment and long-term follow-up to maximize patient compliance. All steps are managed by a board certified Sleep Medicine physician. To find out more or to locate a sleep center near you, visit http://www.graymarkhealthcare.com.

About Graymark HealthcareHeadquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., Graymark Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRMH - News) is the nation's second largest provider of sleep management solutions. In addition to diagnosing and treating over 80 sleep disorders, the company specializes in comprehensive care for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Graymark offers its services through 105 sleep laboratories primarily in the Midwest, including standalone or IDTF facilities, therapy facilities, rural outreach hospital sites and urban hospital management agreements. For more information, visit http://www.graymarkhealthcare.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations, forecasts and assumptions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from the Company's expectations, forecasts and assumptions. These risks and uncertainties include risks and uncertainties not in the control of the Company, including, without limitation, the risk that the transaction does not close as planned or at all, the current economic climate and other risks and uncertainties, including those enumerated and described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which filings are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Unless otherwise required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Graymark Healthcare Opens Four New Facilities for Sleep Medicine Services

PHILADELPHIA Perelman School of Medicine researchers Thomas Curran, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Gary A. Koretzky, MD, PhD, vice chair for research and chief scientific officer, Department of Medicine, and are among the 220 elected to the 2012 class of members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

One of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies, the Academy is also a leading center for independent policy research. The current membership includes some of the world's most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities and the arts.

Gary A. Koretzky is also a Francis C. Wood professor in the Department of Medicine. Through investigations of the regulation of blood cell formation and movement, Koretzky has made inroads into understanding the complexities of immune system function.

Thomas Curran is also an investigator at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and deputy scientific director at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Curran's studies of the molecular basis of brain cell growth have informed new strategies to treat pediatric brain tumors. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and of the Royal Society.

The other Penn winners admitted to this years' class are Robert M. Seyfarth, professor of psychology, George J. Mailath, Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the social sciences and professor of economics, and Michael Kearns, professor and National Center Chair in Resource Management and Technology, Computer and Information Science Department.

An alphabetical list of the 220 new members is at http://www.amacad.org/news/alphalist2012.pdf.

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 6, at the Academy's headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. For full release on all Penn winners, visit http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/five-penn-professors-elected-american-academy-arts-and-sciences.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

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Perelman School of Medicine Researchers Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

TIJUANA, Mexico, April 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regenerative Medicine Institute, Mexico (RMI) will be among top scientists and physicians presenting cutting edge data at the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). The ISSCR's annual meeting has become the world's premier stem cell research event. The meeting serves as the largest forum for stem cell and regenerative medicine professionals from around the world. The ISSCR 10th Annual Meeting will be held June 13 - 16, 2012 at the Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan.

A summary of data on the use of adult stem cells from adipose tissue to treat heart failure and COPD will be presented by Kristin Comella, Chief Scientific Officer of Bioheart Inc. Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. RMI is currently running Phase I/II trials at the Hospital Angeles in collaboration with Bioheart and the Ageless Regenerative Institute.

Dr. Javier Lopez, President and CEO of RMI and a member of ISSCR said that "We are proud to share our initial results with the scientific community at such a prestigious event."

For more information on RMI, visit http://www.regenerativemedicine.mx

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Regenerative Medicine Institute, Mexico Presents Summary of Clinical Data at the International Society of Stem Cell ...

NEW YORK, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The third Aesthetic Plastic Surgery / Anti Aging Medicine: The Next Generation Symposium held on July 20-22, 2012 at the Conrad New York, promises to be the most ground-breaking conference to date, featuring the latest advancements in aesthetic surgery, cosmetic medicine and anti-aging therapies. The world-class multi-specialty faculty includes plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, dermatologists and oculoplastic surgeons from across the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Attendees of this year's Next Generation Symposium can expect to learn about the most important future developments in medical aesthetics. Course Chairman New York Plastic Surgeon Z. Paul Lorenc, M.D., F.A.C.S. states, "With the economy turning around, we are encouraged by the interest from investors and research in our field. There are many outstanding and significant innovations emerging that we will discuss at the Symposium, most notably in the areas of body shaping technologies, autologous fat, stem cells and plasma rich platelets, anti-aging topicals and injectables."

According to Washington D.C. Dermatologist Cheryl Burgess, M.D., "The comprehensive live injection workshop will feature a superb faculty of experts, including Drs. Rebecca Fitzgerald, Heidi Waldorf, Steven Fagien, Sabine Zenker, Brian Kinney, Haideh Hirmand, and Miles Graivier, who will share their collective experience with dermal fillers, facial volumizing techniques, and neurotoxins. It will be an unbiased, balanced and informative format for aesthetic practitioners to perfect their skills."

New for 2012, there will be special workshops covering a range of hot topics and emerging technologies including new laser and energy based devices, advanced skin peels, 3D imaging, practice marketing and branding, treating skin of color, and Platelet-rich Fibrin Matrix. This year's roster of sponsors and exhibitors shall include ZO Skin Health, Aesthetic Factors, Ellman International, Merz Aesthetics, Andrew Technologies, Sciton, Nordson Micromedics, Medicis, SkinMedica, Valeant, and Ethicon/Mentor. Open to physicians as well as nurses, aestheticians and office staff, the interactive Next Generation meeting offers excellent opportunities to network with colleagues and exhibitors, and learn invaluable pearls and techniques.

About Aesthetic Plastic Surgery & Anti-Aging Medicine: The Next Generation - An interdisciplinary approach to disseminating, teaching and promoting the most advanced information and developments in the fields of aesthetic plastic surgery and anti-aging medicine.

For information about sponsorship opportunities and early bird registration, visit http://www.nextgenmtg.org

Like us on http://www.facebook.com/apssny and http://www.twitter.com/nextgenmtgfor daily updates and news

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Aesthetic Plastic Surgery / Anti Aging Medicine: The Next Generation Symposium Features Comprehensive Program and ...

Traditional Chinese medicine is enjoying increasing popularity all over the world. But two recently published studies show that the treatments can be harmful. The papers focus attention on the fact that not all of the ingredients in TCM treatments are listed, or even legal, and that some can cause cancer.

Critics have long warned that some mixtures can also contain naturally occurring toxins; contaminants such as heavy metals; added substances such as steroids, which can make them appear more effective; and traces of animals that are endangered and trade-restricted.

Now, researchers in Australia have investigated the issue using modern sequencing technology. The team analyzed 15 TCM samples seized by Australian officials.

We took these traditional preparations, smashed them to pieces and extracted the DNA from the powder, explained molecular geneticist Michael Bunce.

Some products contained material from animals classified as vulnerable or critically endangered, such as the Asiatic black bear and the Saiga antelope, just as the producers of the products claimed. But often, the medicine also harbored ingredients not mentioned on the packaging, the team reported online in PLoS Genetics.

In the herbal preparations that they tested, Bunce and his colleagues found members of 68 plant families, among them plants of the genera Ephedra and Asarum. Both can contain toxic substances such as aristolochic acid, banned in many countries because it causes kidney disease and upper urinary tract cancer, or UUC. Although detecting DNA from a certain species does not mean that a toxin produced by that plant is present, chemical analysis of one of the four samples containing Asarum did turn up aristolochic acid.

The threat posed by aristolochic acid is also highlighted in a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For this paper, researchers focused on Taiwan, which has the highest rate of UUC in the world. A previous analysis had shown that roughly one-third of the Taiwanese population consumed herbs likely to contain aristolochic acid.

The scientists sequenced the tumors of 151 patients with UUC. Among those with mutations in a tumor-suppressor gene that make people more vulnerable to cancer, 84 percent showed indications of exposure to aristolochic acid. The study provides compelling evidence that aristolochic acid is a primary cause of UUC in Taiwan, the authors argue.

Kai Kupferschmidt of ScienceNOW, the daily online news service of the journal Science

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Samples of traditional Chinese medicine are found to contain harmful ingredients

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In an ongoing effort to improve patient safety, Ellis Medicine is the first hospital in the region, second in the state, to use Xenex's innovative germ-zapping technology to keep patients even safer from infections.

We have zero-tolerance for hospital-acquired infections, stated David Liebers, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Ellis Medicine. Ellis Medicine has a strong infection prevention program in place right now and were already lowering infection ratesin fact, most are below state and national rates, but we want to do even better. Were taking this additional step to provide our patients with an extra layer of protection, he added.

"Were always looking for innovative ways to provide even better, safer care and improve outcomes," remarked Eve Bankert, Director, Infection Prevention and Control, Ellis Medicine. Xenex is the newest weapon in our arsenal. At Ellis, were declaring war on hospital acquired infections with this advanced technology.

Xenex Healthcare Services portable room disinfection device pulses blue ultraviolet light throughout the patient room to quickly destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores typically in about 5-10 minutes. Ellis will use the device after thorough cleaning by housekeeping staff of rooms where patients with infectious conditions have stayed.

"Our housekeepers currently follow Center for Disease Control and state DOH protocol when cleaning patient rooms and they do a good job," said Joe Salvione, Director of Environmental Services at Ellis Medicine. Xenex will support those efforts by providing our patients with an extra measure of disinfection, he added.

Studies show the Xenex room disinfection system is consistently 20 times more effective than standard chemical cleaning practices.

The Xenex system was first deployed in late 2010, meaning our early customers have now had enough time to calculate the impact Xenex is having on infection rates, explains Dr. Mark Stibich, Chief Scientific Officer of Xenex. In one hospital in Northampton, Mass, Clostridium difficile (C. diff) rates dropped 67% percent after adding UV light disinfection to their cleaning process.

Xenexs UV room disinfection technology will help Ellis Medicine further reduce the presence of bacteria - including C. diff- a stubborn bacteria thats been on the rise in New York State and in hospitals across the country in recent years. Ellis has already achieved a dramatic drop in C. diff cases from 2011 to 2012 by aggressively focusing additional resources on preventing its transmission from patient to patient. The most current stats show Ellis with a 50% lower rate of C. diff infection than the state average.

The C. diff germ can be found in the community and can be transmitted when a patient is in any health care facility, including a hospital or a nursing home. C. diff is a bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon and can live in an environment for months.

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Ellis Medicine Unveils New Tool to Enhance Patient Safety

Omkar Nath Sharma collects unused medicine from the rich, and distributes it to the poor.

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India Ink: The 'Medicine Baba' Goes Door to Door