U-M and Yale analysis shows that within 60 minutes, 80 percent of Americans could reach a hospital that can do emergency angioplasty

In a heart attack, every minute counts. But should patients spend a few more of those minutes getting to a hospital that can provide the most advanced treatment, rather than just the closest hospital?

That question is at the heart of a current debate among heart specialists: whether to make heart attack care more like trauma care, with amb

Staph infections resistant to antibiotics, previously only associated with hospitalization or prior contact with the healthcare system, are now widespread in the community and coming home. A new study from Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital, featured in the March 7, 2006 Annals of Internal Medicine, reports on a dramatic rise in antibiotic resistant community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), making it the primary cause of skin and soft tis

The circumstances around their dying – and not the location – are what matter most to terminally ill Canadians, says Queen’s University Professor of Medicine Daren Heyland.

A national study on end-of-life care led by Dr. Heyland, research director in the Department of Medicine at Kingston General Hospital, shows that patients rated dying at home as less important than having confidence and trust in the doctors looking after them. The results may cast doubt on current efforts to s

Studies prove it: with IT, radiology departments can save up to 50 percent on time alone Today’s increasing cost pressure in the healthcare sector requires comprehensive solutions that increase the quality of care and reduce cost at the same time. In addition to the use of innovative medical systems, information technology plays an important role in this effort: only high-performance software architectures are able to display, automate and optimize the highly complex processes of ho

A scientific study reported in two related articles in the Journal of Drug Issues raises serious doubts about the nation’s illegal drug use surveillance programs. Scientists, policy makers, and the media depend on surveys to identify the extent of drug use nationwide. The study documented how drug use surveys may not accurately reflect changes in drug use, but be more related to how willing a respondent is to disclose the extent and type of drug use.

Researchers at The National Dev

Artery disease tied to hostility for wives, loss of control for husbands

Hardening of the coronary arteries is more likely in wives when they and their husbands express hostility during marital disagreements, and more common in husbands when either they or their wives act in a controlling manner.

Those are key findings of a study of 150 healthy, older, married couples – mostly in their 60s – conducted by Professor Tim Smith and other psychologists from the University o

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.

In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression,

Research also confirms utility of patch testing to discover allergens and finds patients satisfied with testing, yet they recall only half of their allergens

A new Mayo Clinic study reveals the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation resulting in swollen, reddened and itchy skin due to direct contact with an allergen. Topping the list were: Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) — metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or butt

Counseling focused on level of motivation to quit leads to best outcomes

Providence, RI – A new study suggests that incorporating smoking cessation counseling into home-based medical care is an effective and feasible way to help people break the habit. Furthermore, counseling that focuses on a patient’s motivation to quit is more successful than following standard cessation guidelines. The study is published in a recent issue of Preventive Medicine by researchers at The

Some newborns may be 26 to 50 times more susceptible to exposure to certain organophosphate pesticides than other newborns, and 65 to 130 times more sensitive than some adults, according to a new study by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington.

The study, to be published Thursday, March 2, in the journal Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, reveals far greater variability in susceptibility to pesticides than previously predicted.

Venus, as the goddess of beauty, has been celebrated in art and myth for millennia. Now, The Planetary Society and ESA celebrate the imagined rugged beauty of the planet’s natural landscape with the winning entries in the ’Postcards from Venus’ art contest in coordination with ESA’s Venus Express mission, en route toward a rendezvous with Venus on 11 April 2006.

Winners were selected in two age groups, youth and adult, with the Grand Prize winner being Tatianna Cwick, age

Learning becomes more and more important as one of the indispensable tools to ensure future prosperity and well-being. New learning paradigms and pedagogic principles, new learning environments and conditions, and new learning technologies are being tested in order to find the right combination of parameters that can optimize the outcome of the learning process in a given situation.

After a successful prelude with a number of publications on learning, including the book The Future of L

The IST project SENSATION is an ambitious project of 46 partners from 20 different countries, addressing sensing of physiological parameters, core computation, medical and industrial research. The aim is to take sleep research to a whole new level by developing a multipurpose sensing platform consisting of 17 micro sensors and two nano sensors, connected through a local area network.

“The sensors will allow you to sleep at home on, for instance, a mattress with sensors instead of going to

Exposure to toxic elements leads to worrying health problems in many parts of the world, including Europe. A new, EU-funded research project, involving partners from all over the world, will study the health effects of long-term, low-level exposure to toxic metals. The research is clearly designed to make a difference as its results will be communicated to politicians, industry and other organisations involved in decision-making.

“We will assess the roles of the toxic metals as

A new study of the Hadza population in Tanzania, forthcoming in the April 2006 issue of Current Anthropology, explores the role of hunting in human evolution. Among chimpanzees and most human populations that subsist on wild resources, hunting is a predominantly male activity, and researchers have long tried to locate the advantage that hunting, a dangerous and tiring activity, brings to men. Though some have argued that good hunters have longer-lasting ties to mates and better-fed offspring, oth

Research validates decades of work, points to future avenues for understanding learning

Through a clever experimental design, Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists have validated decades of experiments to show how learning and memory may be encoded in a living animal. The research, published in the March issue of Neuron, identifies for the first time the specific neural connections that strengthen as an animal’s brain responds to new experiences.

“We are ver