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Fresh insight into rheumatoid arthritis offers hope for transforming patient care

Scientists have discovered what they believe has the potential to prevent the onset of an aggressive and hard-to-treat form of rheumatoid arthritis - a condition that affects 700,000 adults in the UK.

Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, a team of immunologists from Cardiff University tread new ground in describing how an immune system protein -- interleukin-27 -- regulates the inflammatory process in lymphoid-rich rheumatoid arthritis, which causes the characteristic symptoms of swollen and painful joints.

Disparities in time spent seeking medical care in the United States

Racial/ethnic minorities and unemployed individuals had a longer total time burden (time spent traveling to, waiting for and receiving ambulatory medical care) in a nationally representative study, although patients' face-to-face time with physicians tended not to vary, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Civic participation can bridge social classes

Good news for the Leslie Knopes and Lisa Simpsons of the civic-minded world: New research from a University of Illinois expert in social network analysis indicates that people who participate in voluntary civic organizations such as school PTAs, religious or leisure groups strengthen their ties to high-status people and accrue significantly better social cachet than their less-outgoing peers.

Good communication in the operating room prevents patient complications

In a recent study by psychologists and surgeons concerning elective, open abdominal surgeries conducted in 167 patients, communication by the surgical team that was relevant to the procedure was linked with a reduced risk of the development of surgical site infections, whereas irrelevant communication during the closing phase of the procedure was linked with an increased risk of surgical site infections.

Why hasn't she replied yet?

What are the chances that a person will respond to your email in the next hour? And why is the reply so terse? New study by USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers finds that email responses depend on a variety of factors including age, platform, volume and timing.

How health professionals help and hinder eradication of female genital mutilation

Migration has transferred the practice of genital mutilation of girls and women to countries where it was not common or does not originate, and the World Health Organization is campaigning to eradicate the practice. A new article highlights how health professionals--including nurses and midwives--both help and hinder eradication and management of female genital mutilation.

Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down

What foods are Americans really buying, where are they buying them, and how nutritious are these purchases? A new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has determined that consumers are increasingly making packaged food purchases (PFPs) at warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, and convenience stores. These outlets offer a selection of foods that have poor nutrient profiles, with higher calories and more sugar, sodium, and saturated fat compared to grocery stores. This represents a potential U.S. public health concern.

New study finds zipline-related injuries are rapidly increasing

The popularity of ziplining has skyrocketed rapidly in recent years. The number of commercial ziplines in the U.S. rose from 10 in 2001 to more than 200 in 2012, in addition to more than 13,000 amateur ziplines which can be found in outdoor education programs, camps, and backyards. The increase in popularity has also increased the number of injuries related to ziplining. A new study by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that an estimated 16,850 non-fatal zipline-related injuries were treated in U.S.

Hospital care patterns vary greatly for children with complex medical issues

Although children with high health care needs represent a small percentage of the overall pediatric population, they account for a large percentage of pediatric health care costs, including up to 40% of pediatric hospital charges. In recent years, there has been more information available about the medical care received by these children, but generally studies have been limited to care provided in hospital settings.

Like the modern world? Thank urine

There was a time when urine, yes urine, was prized by chemists. Pee played a part in some of the most significant discoveries in science, and it helped shape the modern world. This week, Reactions looks at the reasons why pee was once the "number one" material in chemistry.

source: The American Chemical Society

Risk profiling is key to managing pain in era of opioid abuse

Patients undergoing rehabilitation for physical injuries and their physicians can better understand who is most at risk of abusing opioids by reviewing their family history, lifestyle and environment for critical cues about susceptibility to addiction, according to physical medicine and rehabilitation experts.

Unconscious bias among physicians results in low quality care for LGBT, disabled patients

Physicians' unconscious attitudes toward special patient populations like disabled and LGBT patients may be partially responsible for poorer overall health observed in these communities, according to a Rowan University professor of family medicine.

Laws in 25 states put the brakes on high school bullying

In the most comprehensive study of the effectiveness of anti-bullying policies to date, researchers found that compliance with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines in antibullying laws reduced rates of bullying and cyberbullying--the most common forms of peer aggression. The study, which uncovered varying rates of bullying reported across the states, has important implications for educators, policy makers, and researchers. Findings will appear online in JAMA Pediatrics.

The media love men- and that's bad news for women

"John, Jim, Jake, Josh, Jack ...and Jane." Five out of every six names that appear in the media today are those of men, a McGill-led research team has discovered. Indeed, the more mentions a person receives in the media, the higher the chances are that this person is a man. That's because 82 per cent of the names mentioned in the media are men's. Go ahead and try it!

Coincidence or conspiracy? Investigating if believers see so much secret design

In pop culture, conspiracy believers -- like FBI agent Fox Mulder on The X Files or professor Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code -- tend to reject the notion of coincidence or chance; even the most random-seeming events are thought to result from some sort of intention or design. And researchers have suggested that such a bias against randomness may explain real-world conspiracy beliefs.