Many pediatricians know their patients use complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) to improve their health, yet most do not feel comfortable discussing or recommending these therapies, according to a study published in the November issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics.
The study was conducted by Kathi J. Kemper, M.D., a pediatrician at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Pediatricians surveyed cited lack of knowledge about CAM
McMaster researcher investigates why influenza epidemics happen in the winter
Flu season is on its way to homes across Canada. But the question of why influenza epidemics take place in the few cold months of winter remains unanswered. Is it the change in the weather? The return to school? Or increased viral production under winter conditions?
The answer to the increase of flu cases may be extremely minute seasonal changes, says David Earn of the Department of Mathematics &
Chemists at the University of Oregon have hit upon a way to build a molecular “claw” that grabs onto arsenic and sequesters it.
The discovery is published in the Nov. 5 issue of Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a premier journal in the field of chemistry.
Since the article was written, the UO team has developed additional ways of capturing arsenic so that it cannot bond with other substances in a laboratory setting, according to Darren Johnson, an assistant
The Tizard Centre at the University of Kent recently presented its findings from an important pilot study on early intervention for children with autism.
Funded by the National Autistic Society and The British Academy, and conducted by Dr Julie Beadle-Brown, Professor Glynis Murphy and researcher Hannah Dorey, this pilot study consisted of two parts, each examining different aspects of early intervention programmes for young children with autism.
The first part of
Want a romantic version of Star Wars? Or your own cut of Big Brother? Ever wish you could get more news from the headlines? Or less from a documentary?
Manipulating your favourite films and programmes to make more personalised viewing is just the beginning of a £5.1 million project involving the University of Ulster.
New Media for a New Millennium (NM2) will see the development of a completely new media genre, which will allow audiences to create their own media worlds
International efforts to protect forests have been given a boost by a unique information initiative headed by a University of Ulster scientist. Leading a four-year project compiling research by 100 European scientists, Coleraine-based researcher Dr Keith Day has co-edited a landmark publication providing essential information aimed at saving trees from bark-devouring insects, some of which transmit virulent fungi such as Dutch elm disease.
“The result is that forest research organis
New Acid Has Potential to Help With a Variety of Processes
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered the world’s strongest acid. Remarkably it is also the gentlest acid. This non-toxic and non-corrosive acid may have a role in processes such as improving the quality of gasoline, developing polymers and synthesizing pharmaceuticals.
So how can an acid be both strong and gentle? The answer lies in the way chemists define the strength of an ac
Scientists at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas Medical Branch have created a new tool that easily reveals when and where a key cellular signal is active. The development, described in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, should speed identification of the signal’s triggers and effects in normal processes and in conditions such as asthma, allergy, inflammation, lung disease and heart disease.
The tool — a special fluorescent prote
Why are old habits so hard to break? A new study suggests that over time, our bad habits (such as smoking cigarettes or over eating) become automatic, learned behaviors. Even if we consciously try to put new good intentions into place, those previously learned habits remain stronger in more automatic, unconscious forms of memory.
This research may help explain why when we’re under stress we fall back into old habits, such as cheating on a new diet after a bad day at work. Stre
Combining radiation therapy with surgery and chemotherapy helps patients with rare forms of thyroid cancer live longer, according to a study published in the November 15, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a very rare but aggressive form of the disease, afflicting less than 5 percent of those diagnosed with thyroid canc
Sick days, disability, early retirement, and premature death of diabetic Americans born between 1931 and 1941 cost the country almost $133.5 billion by the year 2000, according to a new estimate by researchers with the University of Michigan (U-M) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This analysis is the first to identify the staggering financial impact of diabetes on the economy using a single, consistent source of data — the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a national longitudinal s
A new measurement tool called the computerized clinical vignette can help clinicians and policymakers assess and improve the quality of physician practice while potentially reducing costs, according to a study led by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).
The vignette — which presents a simulated patient visit to the doctor via computer — is an accurate, inexpensive, and efficient way to measure how well physicians handle their clinical practice, the st
Could boost surveillance in public places
A new three-dimensional multi-camera system that allows viewers to search areas from various vantage points could one day boost surveillance in public places such as airports and train stations, say University of Toronto researchers. The system – based on ideas published in the October proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics – allows users to capture images of a scene from multiple angles and
Offer more human capital, skills
Cities in China not dominated by state-run industries are benefiting more from foreign investment than cities with a large number of state-controlled industries, find university researchers. “Cities that don’t have a large proportion of state-controlled industries appear to offer a better range of human capital and skills that would be attractive to foreign direct investment,” says University of Toronto economics professor Gordon Anderson, a
May not be considered non-toxic
Bismuth bullets, which became the primary form of bullets sold in Canada after lead shot was incrementally banned for environmental reasons between 1991 and 1999, may not be as non-toxic as originally thought, according to a new study. “It’s not clear whether bismuth is a non-toxic shot alternative,” says study co-author William Gough, a professor in the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto at Scarbo
Early identification can lead to early intervention
Recent immigration, lack of partner support and pregnancy-induced hypertension are significant factors in predicting whether women will experience depressive symptoms soon after giving birth, says a University of Toronto researcher. U of T nursing professor Cindy-Lee Dennis and colleagues at the University of British Columbia have developed a model that predicts which mothers are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms in
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