Social Sciences

Philadelphia, PA, 1 April 2009 – If a drug took the fun out of stealing, would it reduce crime? A new study scheduled for the April 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, suggests that this may be so. Kleptomania is a type of impulse control disorder characterized by persistent and recurrent patterns of stealing, where afflicted individuals often experience an irresistible urge to steal items they often don't even need. In a rigorous study design, researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine recruited individuals with kleptomania who were actively…

There is so far a lack of scientific evidence that glitazones are better than alternative therapies at reducing mortality or complications caused by blood vessel damage in people with type 2 diabetes. As long-term studies are lacking, reliable conclusions on the long-term benefit or harm of these oral antidiabetics are presently possible only to a limited extent. Available studies provide indications that patients could benefit from one of the two currently approved active substances (pioglitazone); however, these studies also provide indications of potential disadvantages, including an…

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Several studies have suggested there is a connection between organisms that cause gum disease, known scientifically as periodontal disease, and the development of heart disease, but few studies have tested this theory. A study conducted at the University at Buffalo, where the gum disease/heart disease connection was uncovered, now has shown that two oral pathogens in the mouth were associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack, but that the total number of germs, regardless of type, was more important to heart health. Results of the study will be presented…

Bethesda, MD (April 1, 2009) – Doctors have developed and validated a clinical prediction rule for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection that was simple, reliable and accurate, and can be used to identify high-risk patients most likely to benefit from measures to prevent recurrence. Their findings appear in a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. "This rule is valuable in clinical practice as it defines a high-risk population in whom awareness of the risk can facilitate more prompt recognition,…

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (April 1, 2009) – It appears that a drug commonly used to treat alcohol and drug addiction has a similar effect on the compulsive behavior of kleptomaniacs – it curbs their urge to steal, according to new research at the University of Minnesota. The Medical School's Department of Psychiatry conducted an eight-week, double-blind study of 25 men and women ages 17-75, who spent an average of at least one hour a week stealing. Those who took the drug Naltrexone (mean dose of 117mg/day) reported significantly greater decline in stealing behavior compared to those taking…

ROSEMONT, IL –A popular cable reality television show, Little People, Big World, focuses on the daily lives of short stature individuals. This series bring achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, into the spotlight. According to a literature review published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), treating patients with dwarfism is an extremely complex process. Orthopaedic surgeons and others caring for people with this disorder should be aware of its many manifestations. For example, limb lengthening treatments for those…

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A recent discovery by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine could clear the way for a new drug that inhibits tumor growth in cancer patients and could potentially help in the healing of wounds. The discovery stems from a study, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, in which researchers looked at angiogenesis – the body's formation of new blood vessels from existing blood vessels – and how some blood proteins are involved in that process and affect blood vessel growth. Researchers…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A new study reveals the first-ever genetic link to the reason African-Americans are at increased risk of dying from colon cancer. The discovery by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is focused on a protein variant called Pro72 identified through genetic testing. In the study, African-Americans with a Pro72 protein variant had more than double the risk of dying from an advanced form of colon cancer compared to whites, the researchers said. The discovery boosts the scientific understanding of racial disparities in cancer and other diseases and adds…

BLACKSBURG, Va., March 30, 2009 –– Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech – Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies. Their review appears in the March/April 2009 Journal of Supportive Oncology. One of the purposes of the study, said Andrea Dietrich, professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech, is to provide…

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant, and an average of 17 die waiting each day, according to University of Illinois communication professor Brian Quick. But you'll rarely hear those facts in organ donation stories on TV network news, says Quick, the lead author of a study published this month in the journal Health Communication. You'll also rarely hear about the simple steps required to become a potential donor, he said. "We found that the networks didn't spend a whole lot of time talking about the need, and they didn't spend a lot of…