Culture | Page 2075 | Science Codex

Telemedicine service may expand access to acute medical care, study finds

People who are younger, more affluent and do not have established health care relationships are more likely to use a telemedicine program that allows patients to get medical help -- including prescriptions -- by talking to a doctor over the telephone, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Patients who used the service suffered from a wide assortment of acute medical problems such as respiratory illnesses and skin problems, and researchers found little evidence of misdiagnosis or treatment failure among those who used the service.

Quantifying the FDA's rulemaking delays highlights the need for transparency

In a study published in Health Affairs on February 3, 2014, Aaron Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH, and co-authors, quantify how long it takes the FDA to enact a formal rule affecting drugs, medical devices and other health-related products.

Data-driven team is key to sustaining positive behavior framework in schools

EUGENE, Ore. -- A new study finds that a dedicated team that makes decisions based on data is crucial for launching and sustaining a framework designed at the University of Oregon in the early 1990s to prevent and reduce behavioral problems in the nation's schools.

The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, involved a comprehensive survey of 257 school team members or school district personnel involved in the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) at 234 schools in 14 states.

Hypertensive patients' specialty use changed with medical home

SEATTLE—Group Health studied how patients with treated hypertension used outpatient specialty care before, during, and after a primary-care redesign (the patient-centered medical home) was spread system-wide. David T. Liss, PhD, now a research assistant professor in medicine-general internal medicine and geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, led the report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Murderers who killed during robberies more likely to return to crime when paroled

Murderers who committed homicide during robberies are more likely to commit crimes again when they are paroled, compared to murderers who committed homicide under other circumstances, according to research from North Carolina State University and Harvard University.

"We wanted to know what determines whether former homicide offenders commit crime when released from prison," says Dr. Margaret Zahn, a professor of sociology at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. "We found that the motivation for murder was a significant predictor."

Patient-controlled analgesia not as effective as epidural for labor pain

In a study to be presented on Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in New Orleans, researchers will report findings which suggest remifentanil patient controlled analgesia is not equivalent to epidural analgesia for pain, pain appreciation scores, and overall satisfaction in women who request for pain relief during labor.

Research led by Wayne State discovers single gene in bees separating queens from workers

DETROIT — A research team led by Wayne State University, in collaboration with Michigan State University, has identified a single gene in honeybees that separates the queens from the workers.

The scientists unraveled the gene's inner workings and published the results in the current issue of Biology Letters. The gene, which is responsible for leg and wing development, plays a crucial role in the evolution of bees' ability to carry pollen.

Not so 'evil': Finance study makes case for hedging

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The overuse of financial contracts known as derivatives – which were designed to help companies hedge against risk – was widely blamed for triggering the economic crisis of 2008. None other than Warren Buffet has attacked derivatives as "time bombs – both for the parties that deal in them and the economic system."

But now, for the first time, researchers have found that hedging can increase firm value.

New study finds no reason to replace fructose with glucose

TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2014 – Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found there is no benefit in replacing fructose, the sugar most commonly blamed for obesity, with glucose in commercially prepared foods.

The findings, published in the February edition of Current Opinion in Lipidology, show that when portion sizes and calories are the same, fructose does not cause any more harm than glucose.

Immune drug helps patients with frequently replapsing kidney disease

Washington, DC (January 30, 2014) — In patients with a frequently-relapsing form of kidney disease, relapses decreased approximately five-fold for at least one year after patients took a single dose of rituximab, an antibody that targets the immune system and is often used to treat immune disorders such as lymphoma and arthritis. The findings, which will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), suggest that this drug may provide considerable benefits for patients.

Researchers create database to examine vast resources of health legacy foundations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jan. 30, 2014 - Local communities can expect the number and asset size of philanthropic foundations to increase, due to the rise in health care consolidations driven by health care reform. In the past, assets of this kind may have been underused and at times, even undocumented. A new database created by UNC Charlotte researchers can help bridge this gap.

Real-time video could improve effect of core stabilization exercise in stroke patients

Amsterdam, NL, January 30, 2014 – About 80% of stroke survivors experience hemiparesis, which causes weakness or the inability to move one side of the body. Core stabilization exercise to improve postural stability and independent walking in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients could be enhanced by real-time video feedback, report researchers in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.

First report of management of pediatric trauma in England and Wales

The first national report on the nature and outcome of trauma management for children in England and Wales has been produced by TARNLET, the paediatric (0 - 15 years) component of the Trauma Audit and Research Network, The University of Manchester.

Every year across England and Wales, 10,000 people die after injury and trauma is the leading cause of death amongst children.

'Attention on the flight deck': What doctors can learn from pilots about communication

INDIANAPOLIS -- As computers become common in medical examination rooms across the United States, a new study explores the role this technology plays in the doctor-patient relationship. The researchers looked to aviation, with its long history of success in complex communication between humans and machines, as an exemplar that may provide useful strategies to improve communication in the exam room.

Signs point to sharp rise in drugged driving fatalities

The prevalence of non-alcohol drugs detected in fatally injured drivers in the U.S. has been steadily rising and tripled from 1999 to 2010 for drivers who tested positive for marijuana -- the most commonly detected non-alcohol drug -- suggesting that drugged driving may be playing an increasing role in fatal motor vehicle crashes.