Culture

Scientific data continue to indicate that higher intake of alcohol during pregnancy adversely affects the fetus, and could lead to very severe developmental or other problems in the child. However, most recent publications show little or no effects of occasional or light drinking by the mother during pregnancy. The studies also demonstrate how socio-economic, education, and other lifestyle factors of the mother may have large effects on the health of the fetus and child; these must be considered when evaluating the potential effects of alcohol during pregnancy.

No one ever calls academically mandated goals that have no basis in reality a complete failure but a 2010 'goal' set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for staunching the loss of the world's species fell far short of expectations for "The International Year of Biodiversity." But they had no chance of being met so the call is out to make the next goal something realistic.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A new law aimed at helping stimulate small business job growth through tax deductions could have major consequences for anyone with a retirement savings account at work, a University of Illinois expert on taxation and elder law notes.

Ontologist predicts a long, cold cyberwar as we feel our way toward equilibrium

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cyber attacks of various sorts have been around for decades. The most recent, and very dangerous, escalation in the past few years has been marked by countries launching attacks against other nations, such as Stuxnet, the nuclear plant-disrupting worm the Iranians have blamed on Israel and the U.S., while others are pointing the finger at Russia.

WASHINGTON—October 13, 2010—A majority of Americans (58%) said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports increased federal spending on job creation, in a national poll commissioned by Research!America. In addition, support for expanded federal health research funding fared well among issues that would make Americans more likely to vote for a candidate.

Washington, DC, 13 October 2010 - Mental disorders in children are tricky due to the many changes that occur during the normal course of maturation but researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health say they have analyzed data on a broad range of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents and claim that approximately one in five children in the U.S. meet the criteria for a mental disorder severe enough to disrupt their daily lives.

BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, October 13, 2010 — A new study conducted by a researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) for Jerusalem's Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel reports that Israeli's have a higher life expectancy on average than residents of other OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.

San Francisco, Calif., 13 October, 2010 - Elsevier Business Intelligence, publisher of PharmAsia News, IN VIVO and "The Pink Sheet," today announced the agenda for Windhover's 2nd PharmAsia Summit (Oct. 25-26). This year's Summit will bring top biopharma leaders from Asia and the U.S. to San Francisco to share what works and what doesn't in China, India, Japan and the Pacific Rim.

In two studies published today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, the risk factors for readmission to the hospital are examined based upon general medicine inpatients and those with at least two admissions in a six-month period. Alongside clinical factors such as having cancer, chronic diseases such as heart failure or lung disease, or being on high-risk medications, the studies identified other factors which increase the likelihood of a patient being readmitted which could help hospitalists focus in on these groups.

Helping to address the issue of medication adherence, persons with opioid dependence who had the medication buprenorphine implanted had less opioid use over 16 weeks, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA.

A study that includes data on more than 100,000 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery finds that there is wide variability among hospitals in the U.S. on the use of blood transfusions, without a large difference in the rate of death, suggesting that many transfusions may be unnecessary, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA. Another study in this issue of JAMA examines the effect of a restrictive transfusion strategy on outcomes after cardiac surgery.

CORAL GABLES, FL (October 12, 2010)--Still hampered by workforce shortages and barriers that impede their ranks from delivering health care to the full extent of their education and training, nurses may have gotten the much-needed shot in the arm they need to transform their profession with the release of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommending sweeping changes for improving their profession.