HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites. This racial disparity in HIV prevalence has persisted in the face of both governmental and private actions, involving many billions of dollars, to combat HIV. In the November 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examine factors responsible for the stark racial disparities in HIV infection in the U.S. and the now concentrated epidemic among African Americans.
Culture
Over 90% of people with mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders in low and middle income countries go untreated, an inequity known as the mental health "treatment gap." This week PLoS Medicine kicks off a major new series aimed at helping to close the gap.
The series coincides with the October 9th 2009 launch of the Centre for Global Mental Health, a collaborative initiative of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.
Three quarters of European people surveyed between the 30th April and 6th May 2009 said they were either not at all concerned or only a little concerned about swine flu. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases surveyed people in Europe and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, about their responses to initial reports about the outbreak.
The Race to the Top initiative is a $4.35 billion grant program included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to encourage states to implement education reforms. The U.S. Department of Education recently issued draft guidelines explaining how the grants will be awarded.
A new report from the National Research Council comments on the guidelines and offers recommendations for how reforms funded by Race to the Top should be evaluated. The report will be released on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Adolescents with psychiatric symptoms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, hostility and depression may be more likely to develop an Internet addiction, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Results: MIT engineers have boosted stem cells' ability to regenerate vascular tissue (such as blood vessels) by equipping them with genes that produce extra growth factors (naturally occurring compounds that stimulate tissue growth). In a study in mice, the researchers found that the stem cells successfully generated blood vessels near the site of an injury, allowing damaged tissue to survive.
A new study suggests that high mortality rates in small-bodied people, commonly known as pygmies, may be part of the reason for their small stature. The study, by Jay Stock and Andrea Migliano, both of the University of Cambridge, helps unravel the mystery of how small-bodied people got that way.
The article appears in the October issue of Current Anthropology.
ITHACA, NY—October 5, 2009—In an article from a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies the results of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Liability Survey for recent years are analyzed. The annual Chamber of Commerce surveys (dating back to 2002 and still in progress) are used to rank state judiciaries and are utilized in tort reform policy debates.
San Diego, CA – A comparison of symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) revealed that those with the NAR experienced worse symptoms. The findings are according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA.
Injury is the leading cause of death for children over the age of 1 in industrialized countries and improving the safety of the manmade (built) environment will benefit children's health, according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/press/cmaj080162.pdf www.cmaj.ca.
(Boston) – Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana, (Carmel, Indiana), found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000. The findings, which were recently reported in Dermatologic Surgery, parallels the growth in the age of individuals between the ages of 40 to 55, who make up the "Baby Boomer" generation.
San Diego, CA – In order to ensure an aesthetically-balanced face, surgeons performing rhinoplasty should also assess the patient's need for chin augmentation, according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA. In fact, the research suggests that the focus on what complications may arise has changed.
San Diego, CA – A comprehensive study of the prevalence and risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) show that men, especially those who are white and married, are significantly more at risk than women, according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA.
PROVIDENCE, RI – The costs of drinking and driving are all too apparent, with alcohol involved in 41 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2006. In addition to the mortality and morbidity associated with drinking and driving, the economic impact of alcohol impaired driving is considerable, estimated at $51 billion, with medical costs accounting for 15 percent of that figure.
For most American women, their "time of the month" is seen as a hindrance to daily life. In impoverished and developing countries, however, monthly periods are a major cause for concern among women. The lack of affordable, quality sanitary pads results in females missing up to 50 days of school annually – thereby compromising their educational and professional potential. Researchers at North Carolina State University are helping to combat the problem by designing affordable pads made from natural, available materials that will allow for local production and sale.