Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Obama Administration Faces Increasing Challenges To Health Reform
The Obama administration is facing increasing opposition to various aspects of health reform proposals - especially the idea of a "public plan."

Therapy Technique Cuts Divorce/Separation Rate By Nearly 50 Percent
Four simple questions on well-being asked at the start of each session of ongoing couples therapy can greatly increase chances for reconciliation and improved relationships, according to a newly published study. The largest clinical trial with couples to date, it shows that divorce and separation rates for couples that used this feedback technique were 46.2 percent less than that of couples who received therapy as usual. The findings, published in the August 3, 2009, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, are the results of a 2-year study conducted at the Vestfold Family Counseling Center in Norway by a U.S.-Norwegian team of researchers.
News of the day
Bathtub Danger: Thousands Of Kids Injured Each Year In Slips And Falls
More than 43,000 children are injured in bathtubs and showers every year, mostly from slips and falls, according to the study, "Injuries Associated With Bathtubs and Showers Among Children in the United States." While bathtub injuries associated with tap water burns and submersions have generated much research, this is the first study using nationally representative data to look at injuries from slips and falls, which are responsible for the majority of bathtub injuries. Using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1990 to 2007, researchers evaluated an estimated 791,200 bathtub- and shower-related injuries during the 18-year study period among children 18 years old and younger who were treated in U.S. emergency departments.
Mental Health

Purdue-developed Tool Can Get Most Pollution Control For The Money

There may be thousands of things large and small that can be done to better control pollution on even the smallest waterways, and a new tool developed at Purdue University may help sort out how to choose the best ones. Indrajeet Chaubey, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, combined a best management practices tool with a complex genetic algorithm that can search out the best solutions for non-point pollution control in a watershed. By analyzing data from an area, in just a few hours the tool can compute the most cost-effective pollution-control strategies for water res affected by agriculture, a process that currently takes weeks or months. A paper on the work appeared this past week in the journal Water Res Research. "When you have got limited res to control non-point pollution in an area, you have to decide where to best use your res," Chaubey said. "At the same time, you want to be sure you don"t disrupt the agricultural production in an area." Chaubey has spent the last several years developing a best management practices tool that takes into consideration all feasible solutions for decreasing non-point pollution, or pollution that gets into water through runoff. The tool determines the best solution - such as changes in tillage practices, grass coverage and structural changes on the land - based on the amount of pollution that can be eliminated, the economic impact to agricultural land and other factors. The calculations used include soil, water, topography and other data usually collected by governmental agencies. The algorithm assesses which of those practices will result in the most pollution control for the amount of money available with as little disruption to agriculture as possible. "You have to look at the economic information at the same time. If the solution we provide will negatively impact farmers, it will not be adopted," Chaubey said. "Combining economic analysis with environmental analysis gives solutions that are more likely to be acceptable to farmers and watershed managers." Current methods used to choose watershed-management practices include funding projects based on a first-come basis or spending on the project or projects seen as most beneficial. The problem is that one major project might break the budget, while several smaller projects could result in better pollution control for the same money. Chaubey said the system was tested with information from the L"Anguille River Watershed in eastern Arkansas. Further testing is being done on six locations in Indiana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the research. Chaubey also expects to develop the tool in a format accessible by government officials to evaluate projects in their jurisdictions. Written by Brian Wallheimer Purdue University


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009