Culture | Page 1721 | Science Codex

Yuck factor may boost hand hygiene compliance

DETROIT - The yuck factor may be an effective tool for boosting hand hygiene compliance among health care workers, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Infection Prevention and Control specialists observed that showing magnified images of bacteria found on things common in the health care environment like a mouse pad or work station, even a person's hand, swayed workers in four patient care units to do a better job of cleaning their hands. Compliance rates improved on average by nearly 24 percent.

The Lancet: Most antidepressant drugs ineffective for children and teens, according to study

Most available antidepressants are ineffective, and some may be unsafe, for children and teenagers with major depression, according to the most comprehensive comparison of commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs so far, published in The Lancet.

The findings indicate that out of 14 antidepressant drugs [1], only fluoxetine was more effective at relieving the symptoms of depression than placebo, whilst taking venlafaxine was linked with an increased risk of engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts compared with placebo and five other antidepressants.

Most people don't sleep any worse when taking medicines with sleep disturbance warnings

Medicines that carry warnings about sleep disturbances do not seem to contribute to the amount of sleep disturbances in the general population, according to new 'real world' research. The findings, which are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggest that investigators may need to provide more careful reporting of side effects in clinical trials, and emphasizes the value of research into the safety of medicines once they are being taken by the general population.

Fishing prohibitions produce more sharks along with problems for fishing communities

Scientists working for Murdoch University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, and other groups have good news about fishing closures established in Indonesia's shark sanctuary: It's good for sharks and other fish, all of which are more abundant within zones with fishing restrictions.

Research finds offender risk assessment tools in US Are promising, but questions remain

The criminal justice system in the United States uses a variety of tools to assess the behavior of criminal offenders, and those risk assessments can have a significant impact on an offender's fate. A new meta-analysis of the research conducted in the U.S. on these tools shows that -- while promising -- it is still unclear whether these tools reduce bias against offenders based on race or other factors.

Anti-epileptic drug linked to birth defects when taken with other drugs

In an analysis of pregnancies in Australia from 1999 to 2014 in which women were taking anti-epileptic drugs, fetal malformation rates fell over time in pregnancies where only one drug was taken, but rates increased in pregnancies where multiple drugs were taken.

How 4-D simulation can help construction projects come in on time -- and on budget

Montreal, June 7, 2016 -- Massive public transportation infrastructure projects are notorious for exceeding both budgets and deadlines. Think Boston's Big Dig, finally completed eight years late and billions of dollars over budget.

Luckily, projects like Montreal's Turcot Interchange don't need to suffer the same fate, thanks to a new modelling method developed by researchers at Concordia University in Montreal, and described in a recent study in Automation in Construction.

The method is designed to help those projects come in on time and on budget.

Electronic anti-theft systems remain a threat to cardiac device patients

Nice, France - 8 June 2016: Electronic anti-theft systems still post a threat to cardiac device patients, according to research presented today at CARDIOSTIM - EHRA EUROPACE 2016 by Professor Robert Stevenson, senior scientist at Greatbatch Medical in Santa Clarita, California, US.1

Old World metals traded on Alaska coast hundreds of years before contact with Europeans

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Two leaded bronze artifacts found in northwestern Alaska are the first evidence that metal from Asia reached prehistoric North America prior to contact with Europeans, according to new Purdue University research.

Psoriasis: Light shed on new details

"A pathological and very complex autoimmune reaction of the skin": This is the definition doctors and scientists use to describe psoriasis, a disease that affects one to three percent of the population. It is characterised by accelerated cell division in the upper dermal layers with proliferated skin cells and an inflammation of the skin beneath. Many different cells are involved in the complex processes: skin cells (keratinocytes) and cells of the immune system, among others T lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells and others.

Influence on an anti-inflammatory cytokine

Russians do not trust modern biomedical technologies -- poll

According to the poll, most Russians consider biological novelties useless or even unethical

Russians are cautious about modern technologies, including biomedicine achievements in biomedicine, suggests a poll conducted by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) of the Higher School of Economics (HSE) as part of the Monitoring Survey of Innovative Behavior of the Population.

Faster, better, cheaper tests for blood disease

Researchers and clinicians from hospitals and universities from many countries have collaborated to better understand diseases of platelets -- the little cells that help blood to clot. They have developed a more effective, comprehensive and cheaper panel of genetic tests that are already being used to benefit both patients and the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

Development of the test is described in the journal Blood, published in print on Thursday June 09, 2016.

Scientists applaud passage of Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act

"The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine applauds the Senate passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, updating the statute that regulates chemicals policy.

"The bill requires alternatives to animal tests be considered and used, and places restrictions on animal testing-which are stronger than current law-that will over time facilitate the development and adoption of human-relevant, nonanimal methods. Because information obtained on chemicals will be human-relevant, products Americans use will be safer.

It can do no wrong: even Mediterranean diet high in fat doesn't lead to weight gain

Focus on low-fat diets and lack of differentiation between healthy and unhealthy fat has led to 'paradoxical policies' about healthy eating

Shorter patient consent forms, video formats improve comprehension

When patients participate in a clinical trial, they are required -- for legal and ethical reasons -- to complete consent forms that are typically long, complicated and filled with technical language. Some experts fear these forms can lead some patients to enroll in studies without fully understanding them and others to miss valuable opportunities.