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  Scientists study the evolutionary origins of coronary arteries Coronary arteries are a vital part of the human heart, providing it with oxygen-rich blood so that it can work. By comparing the hearts of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and frogs, a multi-institutional team of researchers appears to have found evidence that the structure of our hearts evolved in a stepwise process from fish, through amphibians to reptiles to mammals. When animals evolved from living in the water to living on land, a significant remodeling of the blood vessels to the heart occurred , enabling survival without gills. Understanding the ancestral origins of our cardiovascular system could help us find the basis for certain genetic defects. Knowing the systems of various other animals also broadens the scope for studying heart disease and potential treatments. How do you take care of your heart? Being active, reducing stress and eating heart-healthy foods can all help to protect and strengthen this vital ...

  DEFERRED PROSECUTION AGREEMENTS ALIVE AND WELL 15 YEAR AFTER  CHRISTIE CONTROVERSY    “ N.J. medical company will pay $95K in settlement after alleged kickbacks to physicians ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jackie Roman:   “A Morris County sonography company has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve criminal charges alleging it paid physicians kickbacks to persuade them to refer patients to use their services and will pay $95,000 to settle a related civil lawsuit brought by a doctor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. From January 2015 through December 2018, H&D Sonography LLC of Parsippany agreed to make inflated rent payments to physicians in exchange for referring patients for diagnostic testing to H&D, the office said. … After H&D began making payments, physicians would refer patients to H&D for diagnostic tests, which were then billed to Medicare, according to court documents. …  As part of the three-year deferred prose...