UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News

Penn State studies storm-phobic canines

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Penn State University researchers have determined pet owners can't resolve storm phobia in their dogs, but having a multi-dog home may reduce stress.

The study is among the first to measure, non-invasively, the production of a specific stress hormone produced by both dogs and humans.

Dr. Nancy Dreschel, a veterinarian who conducted the study, said, "There were no effects of the owners' behavior or the quality of the dog-owner relationship on the stress hormone response that we measured in the canine. However, the presence of other dogs in the household was linked to less pronounced stress reactivity and more rapid recovery of the thunderstorm-phobic animal."

Researchers said thunderstorm-anxious dogs not only show classic signs of fear, including whining and hiding, but also experience a 207 percent spike in the production of cortisol, a hormone produced during stress.

Dreschel doesn't recommend owners of storm-phobic canines get additional dogs. She notes there was no difference in the behavior of dogs in multi-dog households vs. dogs in single-dog households, although there was a significant reduction in cortison.

The study is detailed in the December issue of the journal, Applied Animal Behavior Science.

Skill, superstition: no effect on luck

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Research by Drake University psychology professors suggests the more mental mistakes gamblers make, the more they bet.

Professors W. Scott Wood and Maria Clapham say the two most common incorrect beliefs are that the player possesses some sort of control over games of chance by their game-playing skills or through magical or superstitious influence.

"Gamblers often display what psychologists call 'cognitive errors,'" said Wood. "The first belief is an illusion of control. For example, they may believe that if they watch slots closely and see one lose over and over then the machine is 'due' for a payout.

"The second cognitive error is superstition," Wood said. "This is a belief that has do with how lucky you are."

Wood comments: "The odds always favor the house. The more you play, the more likely you are to lose -- and there is no skill, insight, or lucky charm that can change that."

The study appears in the December issue of the Journal of Gambling Studies.

Pneumonia hospitalizations up for seniors

ATLANTA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta report pneumonia hospitalization rates have substantially increased for people ages 65 to 84.

Dr. Alicia Fry and colleagues conducted a study to determine if an increase in chronic underlying conditions might be contributing to greater hospitalization for pneumonia.

The researchers used data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey to study trends according to age groups in hospitalization rates for pneumonia during a 15-year period, 1988-2002, among U.S. residents 65 years or older.

The researchers found hospitalization for pneumonia increased 20 percent for patients aged 65 to 84 years. Hospitalization rates for patients aged 85 or older were double that for patients 75 to 84.

The proportion of seniors diagnosed with pneumonia and a chronic cardiac disease, chronic pulmonary disease, or diabetes mellitus, increased from 66 percent in 1988-1990 to 77 percent in 2000-2002.

The study appears in the Dec. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

British hospitals fail cleanliness checks

LONDON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Two-thirds all hospitals in England are reportedly failing to meet the highest standards of cleanliness.

Britain's Healthcare Commission conducted unannounced inspections of 98 hospitals during the summer, the BBC reported. Inspectors found mental health hospitals had particularly poor cleanliness standards.

Inspectors visited 37 National Health Service-operated acute care facilities, 33 NHS mental health and community hospitals, 11 independent acute hospitals and 17 independent mental health hospitals.

They looked at medical equipment, beds, sinks, bedpans and toilets, as well as outpatient departments, and -- if appropriate -- accident and emergency departments to check for spillages, blood, general stains, debris and dust.

While 33 hospitals met the highest standards, 43 were classed as having "room for improvement." Evidence of systemic problems was found in the worst performing 22 hospitals, the BBC said.

The six worst-performing organizations were mental health hospitals in the NHS or independent sector.

Simon Gillespie, head of operations at the Healthcare Commission, told the BBC: "There were too many organizations with unacceptable levels of cleanliness, predominantly in mental health facilities, which is particularly distressing."

He added: "I wouldn't want to go to one of these worst hospitals.