Culture | Page 1845 | Science Codex

Number of addicted rises, but percentage in drug treatment remains stagnant

Despite the quadrupling of heroin overdose deaths over the past decade and a dramatic rise in deaths from prescription painkillers, the percentage of people getting treatment for their opioid abuse and dependence has remained the same, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

Writing in the Oct. 13 Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers say that while more money has been spent on treatment in recent years, the resources necessary to ensure wider access to treatment haven't kept up with the burgeoning demand.

Nonmedical prescription opioid use disorders, deaths increase in the US

From 2003 to 2013, the percentage of nonmedical use of prescription opioids decreased among adults in the U.S., while the prevalence of prescription opioid use disorders, frequency of use, and related deaths increased, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA.

Benefit of early physical therapy for low-back pain appears modest

Early physical therapy for recent-onset low back pain resulted in statistically significant improvement in disability compared to usual care, but the improvement was modest and did not achieve a difference considered clinically important at the individual patient level, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of JAMA.

Substance abuse treatment remains low for opioid use disorders

During the decade from 2004 to 2013, use of treatment remained low for individuals with opioid use disorders, according to a study in the Oct. 13 issue of JAMA.

Social-media messages in China censored, new research reveals

London, UK (October 13, 2015). In March 2015 a video documentary about air pollution in China, entitled 'Under the Dome', went viral. Yet, while it is well known that the video disappeared offline following government objection, what is lesser known is that hundreds of posts on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, were also censored for commenting on the film and its findings.

Study shows social media content may hold keys to important health information

PHILADELPHIA - Language used in everyday social media posts may have a strong connection to an individual's health, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In the first study of its kind, the new results suggest that not only are many adult Facebook and Twitter users willing to share their social media data and medical data for research purposes, but that by building a language databank, it may be possible to link social media content to health outcomes.

Public agencies less likely than private firms to comply with environmental regulations

Government entities are less likely to comply with certain federal environmental regulations than are similar entities owned by private companies, according to a new study co-authored by an Indiana University researcher.

And regulatory authorities are less vigorous in enforcing the rules when they are regulating other governments, the study finds. Publicly owned facilities are less likely to face fines or other sanctions for violations than are those owned and run by private firms.

Study finds local government supervisor training can be more efficient

LAWRENCE -- City department supervisors would benefit from training roughly every eight to nine months on conceptual leadership skills, like strategic planning and conflict resolution, according to a study that includes two University of Kansas professors.

Have you got the X Factor? Psychologists find that you may be musical and not even know it

The old adage says practice makes perfect, but a new study from the University of Cambridge has shown that personality also plays a key role in musical ability, even for those who do not play an instrument.

In a study published this week in the Journal of Research in Personality, a team of psychologists identified that the personality trait 'Openness' predicts musical ability and sophistication. People who score highly on Openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are open to new ways of thinking and changes in their environment.

Non-lethal firearm related hospitalizations in USA cost $679 million annually

Firearm-related injuries (FRIs) in the USA are major sources of public health concern. Annually, FRIs result in thousands of deaths and thousands more injuries. In 2013 alone, over 32 000 people in the USA died as a result of FRIs. In 2009 it was estimated that there were 310 million firearms in the USA, not including weapons owned by the military, which is more than one firearm for every citizen.

Obstructive sleep apnea associated with incident heart failure, death in women

BOSTON, MA - Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the development of subsequent cardiovascular (CV) complications differ by sex, but it is not clear from prior research whether the effects of sleep apnea on heart disease is similar for men and women.

Four in 10 older adults burdened by demands of health-care system

Nearly four in ten older adults say that managing their health care needs is difficult for them or their families, that medical appointments or tests get delayed or don't get done, or that all of the requirements of their health care are too much to handle, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

The findings are published in the October issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Study finds flu vaccine helps reduce hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia

More than half of hospitalizations due to influenza pneumonia could be prevented by influenza vaccination, according to a study led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"We estimated that about 57 percent of influenza-related pneumonia hospitalization could be prevented through influenza vaccination," said Carlos Grijalva, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Health Policy.

Research sheds new light on the Great Recession

It's no secret that a housing bubble kicked off the financial crisis that began in 2007, rippling through institutions caught holding subprime mortgages. But a fresh look suggests much of the lingering damage was caused by the forced sale of corporate bonds at below-market prices, starting a chain reaction that cascaded through the supply chain.

Patients using nurse practitioners are less likely to have avoidable hospital admissions

New research from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston indicates that diabetic patients who got their primary care from nurse practitioners did not have an increase in potentially preventable hospital admissions.