Culture

SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 25, 2012 – Preliminary Research presented today at The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Conference in San Diego demonstrates that habitual consumption of white potatoes (baked, boiled and mashed) is not associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes or levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of systemic inflammation once potential confounding factors are controlled for (e.g., age, gender, and education).Previous studies examining the association between potato consumption and disease states have failed to consider demographic factors that c

Experts are proposing a new model of care collaboration to diagnosis, treat and follow patients who present with various emergent cardiovascular conditions which require rapid, resource-intensive care and confer a high risk of mortality, in an article published April 24 in Circulation.

Los Angeles, CA (April 25, 2012) Public opinion and public policy often assume that immigration is directly related to higher rates of crime, but the social conditions of neighborhoods actually have a more significant effect on violent crimes than immigrant populations. A new study in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (published by SAGE) titled "Extending Immigration and Crime Studies: National Implications and Local Settings," examines the issue using local and national data over several decades.

Some patients with irregular heartbeats who are taken off anti-clotting medication face a high risk of stroke or blood clotting within a month, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series webinar.

Patients with certain types of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, take these drugs to reduce the risks of clots that could lead to a stroke. Sometimes they are instructed to stop taking the medication temporarily before surgery or permanently because of side effects.

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 – Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley says the House Appropriations Subcommittee's top-line allocation for the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services is far from what's needed to maintain a thriving research enterprise that saves lives and spurs new businesses and jobs throughout the country.

Montreal, April 25, 2012 — From rock to world beat, pop to blues, music has the power to do much more than cause the toe to tap. It can inspire, transport, educate, entertain — and in the right hands, it can even bring about healing.

LONDON, ON – Patients suffering with end-stage renal disease could increase their survival chances by undergoing intensive dialysis at home rather than the conventional dialysis in clinics. A new study by Lawson Health Research Institute shows the potential of more intensive dialysis completed in a home setting.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The more other customers look and act like us, the more likely we are to stay loyal to a particular store or product, according to a groundbreaking study co-authored by a Michigan State University marketing expert.

Surprisingly, the presence and behavior of other customers is just as important to brand loyalty as customer service, said Clay Voorhees. As a real-world example, he noted the fact that Abercrombie & Fitch offered to pay troublemaking cast members of the MTV reality show "The Jersey Shore" to stop wearing its clothes.

You're enjoying a quiet weekend at home when suddenly you double over in pain. You need emergency appendectomy surgery. How much should it cost? And how much price shopping are you able to do?

Renee Y. Hsia, MD

According to a provocative new UCSF analysis, patients are all too often left in the dark about how and what hospitals charge for their medical care — even in the face of a mounting push nationally for consumers to have a voice in how their health care dollars are spent.

Washington, DC (25 April, 2012) – The universal coverage campaign for bed nets succeeded in dramatically extending access to these life-saving products, though recent gains may be in jeopardy unless rapid action is taken. Over 560 million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) are required through 2015 alone to achieve and maintain universal coverage in Africa, at a total global cost of $2.4 billion.

As childhood and adolescent deaths from infectious diseases have declined worldwide, policymakers are shifting attention to preventing deaths from noncommunicable causes, such as drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, obesity, traffic crashes, violence and unsafe sex practices.

"We now need to think of how to prevent these behavior problems and conditions early in life because they don't only cause problems in adolescence, they can launch health issues across life," said Richard Catalano, director of the University of Washington's Social Developmental Research Group.

Research: Diagnostic value of single complete compression ultrasonography in pregnant and postpartum women with suspected deep vein thrombosis: prospective study

A single ultrasound scan (known as compression ultrasonography) may safely rule out a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in women during pregnancy or in the first few weeks after giving birth (post-partum period), finds a study published on bmj.com today.

CHICAGO – A text messaging intervention with education-related messages sent to parents increased influenza vaccination coverage compared with usual care in a traditionally hard-to-reach, low-income, urban, minority population of children and adolescents, although coverage overall remained low, according to a study in the April 25 issue of JAMA.

CHICAGO – Although botulinum toxin A ("Botox") injections are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for preventive treatment for chronic migraines, a review and analysis of previous studies finds a small to modest benefit for patients with chronic migraine headaches and chronic daily headaches, although botox injections were not associated with greater benefit than placebo for preventing episodic migraine or chronic tension-type headaches, according to an article in the April 25 issue of JAMA.

Night-time departures, early morning arrivals, and adjusting to several time zones in a matter of days can rattle circadian rhythms, compromise attention and challenge vigilance. And yet, these are the very conditions many pilots face as they contend with a technically challenging job in which potentially hundreds of lives are at stake.