A study examining ambulance transport data in Toronto found that diversion can cause important delays for critically ill patients. The researchers used data from 3609 patients with chest pain in 1997 and 1999 to show a 28.4% increase in transport intervals during periods of high overcrowding.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that family-friendly policies should prioritize protecting work from disruptions and fostering productivity. The study suggests that learning opportunities at work can be applied at home, providing a more beneficial balance between work and family life.
Research suggests that lying awake for long periods and having disrupted sleep patterns increase the risk of death among older adults. Interventions aiming to improve sleep quality may also prolong life and enhance overall well-being in this age group.
A Canadian study analyzing 47,000 Ontario patients reveals a strong correlation between wealth and access to angiography procedures. The findings suggest that disparities in healthcare are unlikely to be resolved by increasing the overall availability of these procedures.
A study examining ephedra's effects found it was more likely to cause negative side effects than other herbs; sale of ephedra as a supplement should be restricted or banned due to increased risk. A hospital discharge period is also deemed dangerous for patients, with one in five experiencing adverse events after going home.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found an association between impaired glucose regulation and reduced hippocampal volume, leading to poorer memory performance. This suggests that improving glucose tolerance may have significant treatment implications for age-related cognitive decline.
The article highlights the critical state of primary care in the United States, citing organizational and financial pressures that threaten its viability. The UCSF-led report proposes seven principles for reconstructing primary care, focusing on patient-centered care, adequate reimbursement, and improved education.
A comparative herbal study found that ephedra is hundreds of times riskier than other commonly used herbs, posing a risk 200 times greater than all other herbal supplements combined. The study's findings prompted calls for more stringent regulation or banning of the substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The LabWrite Web site provides step-by-step instruction on writing lab reports, including goal-setting, data organization, and visualization. Students using the tool showed statistically significant improvement in lab-report scores and attitudes toward lab reports.
Purdue University researchers have discovered how RNA molecules bind energy-bearing ATP molecule, enabling physical work and potential applications in nanotechnology. The discovery sheds light on RNA's role in creation of living things and may unlock new methods for delivering therapeutic molecules.
A Cornell University library sciences study found that instructors setting minimal bibliographic guidelines for research led to a return of citation levels to pre-Internet era. Students now obtain references from original sources like government papers and legal documents more easily online.
Researchers found a 6.9% annual increase in complex severe sepsis cases and a slight increase in ICU admissions. Despite this, sepsis-related mortality decreased by approximately 4% over the seven-year period.
Groundbreaking studies show that marine protected areas can help maintain migratory species populations and increase fish catches, while also providing economic benefits for society. However, the optimal MPA size varies depending on specific situations, with estimates suggesting sizes of 25-70% of the total area.
In Nova Scotia, a 52% increase in out-of-hospital cancer deaths between 1992 and 1997 was observed. This trend poses challenges for the healthcare system, particularly palliative care.
Research by Dr. Karen Hjerl and colleagues found that depression before diagnosis may boost the risk of death for women with advanced breast cancer, but not those in early stages. The study used Danish national health registries to analyze data from 20,593 women.
A recent study reveals that Icelanders are more genetically diverse than previously thought, with higher rates of nucleotide differences and population admixture. This contradicts earlier claims of genetic homogeneity, which were largely based on flawed data and errors in publicly accessible databases.
A recent study found that up to 63% of pediatric practices in the Washington D.C. area contradict their own policies on confidential care for adolescents when answering phone calls.
African-American infants are disproportionately affected by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) due to sleeping on non-crib surfaces or sharing a bed with adults. The study highlights the need for public awareness campaigns to address this racial disparity and promotes the use of cribs as the only safe places for sleeping babies.
Researchers found that both groups of parents reported making active, informed decisions for their babies' heart surgery. Fathers in the prenatal diagnosis group had less anxiety and higher optimism than those with postnatal diagnoses. The study suggests that parental informed consent is related to the timing of the child's diagnosis.
A study by Express Scripts found that stimulant prescription claims for school-age children are concentrated in the South and Midwest, with higher-income communities also showing higher usage. States like Louisiana had a rate of 6.5 stimulant prescriptions per 100 eligible, while the District of Columbia had a much lower rate of 1.6.
The Field Museum's Center for Cultural Understanding and Change has launched an Institute to develop museum-based public interest anthropology. The program aims to facilitate interaction between communities and universities on critical social issues.
A new vaccine based on a chimpanzee adenovirus has shown promise against HIV by inducing a powerful T-cell-based immune response in mice. The vaccine avoids the issue of pre-existing immunity seen with human adenovirus vaccines.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center found that malfunctioning beta-spectrin genes cause defects in embryonic development and interfere with TGF-beta functions, which are crucial for growth and cancer progression. This discovery has important implications for human disease research and treatment.