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Researchers identify new approach to diagnose blood clots in lungs of patients over 50

Researchers from Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City have identified a new "sliding scale" model used to rule out potentially deadly blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolisms, that is more accurate than current diagnostic methods.

The new model, which factors in a patient's age, more accurately identifies a patient's risk of the often-deadly blood clots and can more easily rule out the need for additional, more invasive tests, helping to reduce unnecessary costs.

The research is published in the medical journal, CHEST.

Rx drugs, 'bath salts,' fake pot and laundry pods lead millions to call poison centers

WASHINGTON - National Poison Control Center data from 2012 show that poisonings from prescription drugs are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, and that poisonings from "bath salts," synthetic marijuana and laundry detergent pods are emerging threats to public health. The paper was published online Monday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Poisoning in the United States: 2012 Emergency Medicine Report of the National Poison Data System").

Behavioral analysis of ISIS brutality

The Muslim terror organization known as the Islamic State, or ISIS, uses extreme violence and brutality against anyone it perceives as a threat to its goal of expansion and restoration of an Islamic Caliphate. The significant behavioral aspects of this unparalleled violence and its implications for the future are explored in a compelling Review article published in Violence and Gender.

Stroke patients experience superior outcomes with intra-arterial treatment vs. tPA

ALAMEDA, Calif. - December 17, 2014 - Penumbra, Inc., the market leader in intra-arterial stroke treatment, announced that an independent study published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine found that intra-arterial stroke treatment, including the company's clot extraction technology, was shown to be significantly more effective than medical management with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which is the current standard of care.

Widespread looting and damage to historical sites in Syria

Four of six major archaeological sites in Syria have been heavily looted and damaged, according to an analysis of high-resolution satellite images that documents the extent of the destruction.

The report analyzes six of the 12 sites that Syria has nominated as World Heritage Sites: Dura Europos, Ebla, Hama's Waterwheels, Mari, Raqqa, and Ugarit.

Images from 2014 show numerous pits throughout three sites where ancient cities once stood. The pits generally do not appear in similar images from 2011, when the conflict in Syria began.

Top weather conditions that amplify Lake Erie algal blooms revealed

SAN FRANCISCO--Of the many weather-related factors that contribute to harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie, a new study has identified one as most important: the wind.

Over a 10-year period in Lake Erie, wind speed contributed more consistently to HABs than sunshine or even precipitation, researchers at The Ohio State University and their colleagues found.

The ongoing study is unusual, in that researchers are building the first detailed analyses of how the various environmental factors influence each other--in the context of satellite studies of Lake Erie.

Severely mentally ill criminals: Who goes to prison and who goes to psych institutions?

This news release is available in French.

This news release is available in French.

Kids' cartoon characters twice as likely to die as counterparts in films for adults

The findings prompt the authors to describe children's cartoons as "rife with death and destruction," with content akin to the "rampant horrors" of popular films for adults given restrictive age ratings.

"Rather than being innocuous and gentler alternatives to typical horror or drama films, children's animated films are, in fact, hotbeds of murder and mayhem" say the study leaders Dr Ian Colman and Dr James Kirkbride.

Traffic stops and DUI arrests linked most closely to lower drinking and driving

American states got tough on impaired driving in the 1980s and 1990s, but restrictions have flat lined.
A new study looks at associations between levels and types of law-enforcement efforts and prevalence of drinking and driving.
The number of traffic stops and DUI arrests per capita had the most consistent and significant associations.

Density of alcohol outlets in rural areas depends on the town's average income

Alcohol outlets tend to be concentrated in lower-income areas. Given that alcohol-related problems such as trauma, chronic disease, and suicide occur more frequently in areas with a greater density of alcohol outlets, lower-income populations are exposed to increased risk. This study examines the distribution of rural outlets in the state of Victoria, Australia, finding towns had more outlets of all types where the average income was lower and where the average income in adjacent towns was higher, and that this was consistent with retail market dynamics.

Effectiveness of drugs to prevent hepatitis among patients receiving chemotherapy

Among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy, receiving the antiviral drug entecavir resulted in a lower incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation, compared with the antiviral drug lamivudine, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.

Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among US teens

ANN ARBOR--A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use.

Both alcohol and cigarette use in 2014 are at their lowest points since the study began in 1975. Use of a number of illicit drugs also show declines this year.

UTMB study finds most patients do not use inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors correctly

For people with asthma or severe allergies, medical devices like inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors, such as EpiPen, can be lifesaving.

However, a new study by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston indicates that a majority of patients often do not use these devices correctly, resulting in less effective delivery of these medications and potentially disastrous outcomes.

What is the equation for solar market success?

Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have used statistical analyses to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful. Their findings indicate that while no standard formula for solar implementation exists, a combination of foundational policies and localized strategies can increase solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in any state.

Main reason for lifespan variability between races not cause of death

Eliminating health disparities between races is a goal of many groups and organizations, but a team of sociologists suggests that finding the reasons for the differences in the timing of black and white deaths may be trickier than once thought.