Corporations may use corporate social responsibility programs not only to improve their public image, but also to gain access to politicians, influence agendas and shape public health policy to best suit their own interests. In aPLoS Medicine article, these programs are called "an innovative form of corporate political activity".
Culture
Two essays in PLoS Medicine delve into the cultural fundamentalist cesspool; the idea that films with smoking scenes should have "adult" ratings applied to them.
Indeed, as should any film with a woman's skirt above the knees.
Christopher Millett from Imperial College, London, UK and colleagues worry that, despite the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommendation that films with smoking scenes have adult content rating, very few governments have complied with this advice.
No one listens to the U.N. anyway.
New technology appears to provide faster, more accurate heart scans for both viewing blood vessels in the heart and measuring blood supply to the heart muscle, while exposing patients to less radiation, researchers report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Electronic medical record text search tool shows promise for identifying postoperative complications
CHICAGO – Use of natural language processing, such as in the form of free-text searches of electronic medical records (EMRs) of clinical and progress notes of patients performed better at identifying postoperative surgical complications than the commonly used administrative data codes in EMRs, according to a study in the August 24/31 issue of JAMA.
A follow-up of participants in a heart function study finds that the prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (left ventricular filling [with blood] is abnormal and is accompanied by elevated filling pressures) had increased; that diastolic function had worsened in a nearly a quarter of patients; and that participants who had diastolic dysfunction were more likely to develop heart failure, according to a study in the August 24/31 issue of JAMA.
Although some preliminary reports have indicated an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events with the use of certain biologic therapies to treat chronic plaque psoriasis, an analysis of previous studies finds no significant difference in the rate of these events among patients who received these medications compared to patients who received placebo, according to an article in the August 24/31 issue of JAMA.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition.
The aberrant immune response found in IBD is prompted by different cytokines – small signaling proteins secreted by various cells, including immune cells – that activate the immune system, causing chronic inflammation.
Throughout the ages, because fine art has been accorded a special significance and a cultural tool, it has been used to sell everything from products to politics to religion.
But when used carelessly by advertisers it can backfire, according to a new study inPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
If the artwork is viewed as a product-relevant illustration, then consumers no longer view it as art. Suddenly, they can take a critical view of its message, according to the new work.
Studies from the University of Toronto's psychology department show that people who use more invasive anti-aging methods such as Botox injections or surgery are viewed more negatively than those who use milder techniques such as sun-avoidance and facial creams and younger adults are more negative about using anti-aging methods than older adults.
MANHATTAN, KAN. -- We see it in the movies and on television when a character realizes they desperately want to have a child. Often it is connected with a ticking biological clock. Or we may experience it ourselves when we see baby toys and clothes in the store. "It" can be summarized in two words: Baby fever.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation and who receive telephone counseling that supports exercise are more likely to adhere to an exercise program. Results of the study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
If so many poor people live around national parks in developing countries, does that mean that these parks are contributing to their poverty?
Yes, according to the conventional wisdom, but no, according to a 10-year study of people living around Kibale National Park in Uganda that was published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new.
The pioneering treatment promises to transform the approach to filling teeth forever.
Tooth decay begins when acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves the mineral in the teeth, causing microscopic holes or 'pores' to form. As the decay process progresses these micro-pores increase in size and number. Eventually the damaged tooth may have to be drilled and filled to prevent toothache, or even removed.
LAS VEGAS — Victims of bullying often suffer academically, and this is particularly true for high achieving black and Latino students, according to new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
Some men have a preference for one-night stands and have sexist attitudes towards women - and some women like that. It's like "Mad Men", except in real life.