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Adolescents with cerebral palsy report similar quality of life to their able-bodied peer

"Our results are encouraging. Across 10 different areas of life, adolescents with cerebral palsy only ranked their quality of friend and peer relationships as on average lower than adolescents in the general population, challenging the widespread perception that adolescents with disabilities have unhappy, unfulfilled lives "*, says lead author Allan Colver, Professor of Community Child Health at Newcastle University in the UK.

Cerebral Palsy is the most common neurodevelopmental physical disability, affecting 1 in every 400 people in the UK.

Hospitals should promote "justice-friendly" hiring of former inmates

Hospitals can help to improve the health and wellbeing of former inmates by offering them a job, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Randomized trial examines community-acquired pneumonia treatments

In a randomized clinical trial of antibiotic treatments for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), researchers did not find that monotherapy with β-lactam alone was worse than a combination therapy with a macrolide in patients hospitalized with moderately severe pneumonia, write author Nicolas Garin, M.D., Hôpital Riviera-Chablais, Switzerland, and colleagues.

Hospitals use performance on publicly reported quality measures in annual goals

A majority of hospitals reported incorporating performance on publicly reported quality measures into their quality improvement efforts, however many hospital leaders expressed concern about the clinical meaningfulness of quality measures, the ability to draw inferences about quality from them and the potential for "gaming" the system to improve them, write Peter K. Lindenauer, M.D., M.Sc., of the Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., and colleagues.

New technique allows scientists to find rare stem cells within bone marrow

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Deep within the bone marrow resides a type of cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These immature cells can differentiate into cells that produce bone, cartilage, fat, or muscle — a trait that scientists have tried to exploit for tissue repair.

New theorem determines the age distribution of populations from fruit flies to humans

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The initial motivation was to estimate the age structure of a fruit fly population, the result a fundamental theorem that can help determine the age distribution of essentially any group.

This emerging theorem on stationary populations shows that you can determine the age distribution of a population by looking at how long they still have to live.

Study: Workplace diversity can help the bottom line

Gender diversity in the workplace helps firms be more productive, according to a new study co-authored by an MIT researcher — but it may also reduce satisfaction among employees.

"Having a more diverse set of employees means you have a more diverse set of skills," says Sara Ellison, an MIT economist, which "could result in an office that functions better."

Treatments for HIV-visceral leishmaniasis co-infected patients

[Gondar, Ethiopia and Geneva, Switzerland – October 6, 2014] - The international research & development (R&D) consortium, AfriCoLeish, formed by six research organizations from East Africa and Europe, has launched a Phase III clinical study to address the extreme difficulty in treating visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in patients who also are HIV-positive. The study will assess the efficacy and the safety of two treatments: a combination treatment of AmBisome® and miltefosine, and AmBisome® alone.

A vicious cycle in osteoarthritis: Sleep disturbance-pain-depression-disability

New research confirms that sleep disturbances are linked to pain and depression, but not disability, among patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Study results published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), found that poor sleep increases depression and disability, but does not worsen pain over time.

Innovative stroke patient management system cuts hospital bed usage by more than 25 percent

An innovative patient management system at the acute stroke unit of Kelowna (BC) General Hospital has reduced the number of stroke patient bed days by more than 25 per cent, according to a study of the system presented at the annual Canadian Stroke Congress in Vancouver.

In total, it is estimated the new system is saving the 380-bed hospital more than 1,000 bed days per year. This represents annual savings of up to $800,000, all achieved without the need for any new investment in devices, treatments or personnel.

Code stroke on the ward

At the first sign of a stroke, time is of the essence. For every minute of delay in treatment, people typically lose almost two million brain cells. Yet a new study presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress reveals that those delays – in getting the right tests and the right drugs – can be longer when people experience a stroke in a hospital.

LGBT bioethics: Visibility, disparities, and dialogue

Despite the legalization of same-sex marriage in 19 states and the District of Columbia and an executive order to prohibit federal contractors from discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees, LGBT individuals face tremendous hurdles in access to health care and basic human rights.

Vitamin D significantly improves symptoms of winter-related atopic dermatitis in children

A study conducted in more than 100 Mongolian schoolchildren found that daily treatment with a vitamin D supplement significantly reduced the symptoms of winter-related atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema. Led by a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician, the report in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology supports the results of a preliminary study that showed similar results in a small group of children in Boston.

Continuous fabrication system for highly aligned polymer films provides method for tuning mechanical and thermal properties in b

A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA have demonstrated a novel automated fabrication process consisting of a three-step sol-gel extrusion, structure freezing and drying, and mechanical drawing process which results in production of highly aligned polymer films. Alignment of molecular chains within polymers is a desirable trait for many applications as it results in superior mechanical and thermal properties in the polymeric materials.

Too many stroke patients miss out on the window to regain crucial functions

Too many stroke patients in Canada are not getting the rehabilitation they need to return to a healthy, active life, according to a new study which will be presented at the Canadian Stroke Congress in Vancouver tomorrow.