Optimism

Washington, Dec 5 (IANS) US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed optimism that Democratic and Republican lawmakers could reach an agreement on a new COVID-19 relief package before they leave Washington by the end of the year."As you know, we are engaged in talks on the omnibus bill. When I spoke to Leader McConnell yesterday, we talked about the possibility of putting a COVID package on the omnibus bill," Pelosi said at a weekly news conference on Friday, referring to a government funding legislation to avoid a shutdown after December 11, Xinhua news agency reported."We are going to keep government open. You know, we're not going to have a Continuing Resolution. But we need to take the time to do that," she said, adding the two parties are making progress."We'll take the time we need, and we must get it done...before we leave (Washington for holidays). We cannot leave without it," Pelosi said. "I'm pleased that the tone of our conversations is one that is indicative of the decision to get the job done."Pelosi's remarks came after she had a phone conversation with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday, during which the two leaders "shared commitment to completing an omnibus and COVID relief as soon as possible," according to Drew Hammill, Pelosi's spokesman and deputy chief of staff.Despite of a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been deadlocked for months over the size and scope of the next round of fiscal support.Federal Reserve officials have warned that the US economy is "plateauing" due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and the lack of fiscal support."Additional fiscal support is essential to bridge past COVID's second wave in order to avoid labor market scarring, reductions in crucial state and local services, and bankruptcies," Fed board governor Lael Brainard said earlier this week.Without a new relief package, many Americans will soon lose their unemployment benefits and begin to face hardships like eviction and foreclosure by the end of the year.--IANSint/

New York. Researchers have found that stroke survivors with high levels of optimism had lower inflammation levels, reduced stroke severity and less physical disability after three months, compared to those who are less optimistic. "Our results suggest that optimistic people have a better disease outcome, thus boosting morale may be an ideal way to improve mental health and recovery after a stroke," said study senior author Yun-Ju Lai from University of Texas in the US. In a small study of 49 stroke survivors, researchers examined the relationship among optimism, inflammation, stroke severity and physical disability for three months after an attack. Researchers said that understanding how these elements relate to, or impact one another, may provide a scientific framework to develop new strategies for stroke recovery. Post-stroke inflammation is detrimental to the brain and impairs recovery, the researchers said. Optimism has been associated with lower inflammation levels and improved health outcomes among people with medical conditions. However, no prior studies have assessed if this association exists among stroke patients. This pilot study is a secondary analysis of data collected from a repository of neurological diseases. Outcomes included optimism levels from the revised Life Orientation Test, a standard psychological tool for measuring optimism; stroke severity evaluation through the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and levels of inflammatory markers--interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and C-reactive protein (CRP). As optimism levels increased, stroke severity and the inflammatory markers IL-6 and CRP decreased even after considering other possible variables. However, this was not true of TNFa. "Patients and their families should know the importance of a positive environment that could benefit the patient, mental health does affect recovery after a stroke," Lai said. The study is scheduled to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference slated from February 18 to 21 in the US.  (IANS) READ MORE >>> Visit natural spaces for better physical, mental health