Culture | Page 1787 | Science Codex

Diabetes drug shown to help body rebuild after heart attack

New light has been shed on how a common diabetes drug can be used to aid recovery from a heart attack.

Heart disease is the leading cause of illness in diabetic patients. It accounts for more than half of all fatalities and the search for enhanced treatments is of high importance.

For the first time, researchers have explored the mechanism behind metformin, a key treatment used by diabetic patients to prevent heart disease. The findings are published today in the journal, Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Arthroscopic knee surgery does not cure sensations of knee catching or locking

A new Finnish study proves that a commonly used surgical treatment does not help patients who suffer from "mechanical symptoms" (sensations of knee catching or locking) associated with a degenerative knee.

"Established medical concepts should be rigorously tested from time to time to see if they can stand the scrutiny. No assumption is too obvious not to be tested in medicine", says Professor Teppo Järvinen, who led the research.

National underutilization of preemptive and early kidney transplants

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A kidney transplant is a life-changing and life-saving procedure. Yet, a new study conducted by Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan shows that only one-third of patients who ultimately receive a living donor kidney transplant receive it pre-emptively (i.e., before starting dialysis). Less than two-thirds receive a transplant either pre-emptively or within a year of starting dialysis.

Common colds at school a primary driver of asthma hospitalizations for children

The most dangerous times of year for children with asthma are soon after their schools reopen after a break, and a new study finds that cold viruses are largely to blame.

Putting a price on nature, literally

(Tempe, Ariz., Feb. 8, 2016) - We know that nature is valuable, but how does this value compare to other assets? Not as lumber or drinking water or a fancy dinner, but as standing forests, healthy aquifers or living organisms - what is the dollar value of this natural capital?

Patients with PTSD together with sleep apnea may have reduced quality of life

February 8, 2016 (Glenview, Ill.)-- New research finds patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experienced lower quality of life, more sleepiness, and less adherence and response to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.

Risk of suicide increased 3-fold in adults after a concussion

The long-term risk of suicide for adults who have had a concussion is three times higher than the population norm, and the risk increases further if the concussion occurred on a weekend, found a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Turning the volume of gene expression up and down

Gene expression can be turned on and off like a switch, or it can be finely adjusted , as with a volume control knob. Dr Garth Ilsley, research scientist in Prof. Nick Luscombe's unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), has developed a mathematical model that shows how to predictably tune gene expression. This was validated experimentally using a technique for adjusting gene expression in fruit fly embryos pioneered by Dr Justin Crocker in the group of Dr David Stern at Janelia Research Campus in the U.S.

Variation in hospice visits for Medicare patients in last 2 days of life

Medicare patients in hospice care were less likely to be visited by professional staff in the last two days of life if they were black, dying on a Sunday or receiving care in a nursing home, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Phase 3 trial with PM1183 in OC continues on the basis of positive recommendation by IDMC

PharmaMar (MSE:PHM) announced today that the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) has notified the Company of its recommendation that the Phase III (CORAIL) trial currently under way with PM1183 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients should continue without any changes.

Research finds no easy answers to use of drug screening for pain patients

Doctors who treat patients suffering from chronic pain face a quandary, according to research from the University of Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Monitoring patients through urine drug screenings, part of the standard protocol to ensure patient safety, is associated with an increase in the odds that the patients won't return for future treatment.

Muscles on-a-chip provide insight into cardiac stem cell therapies

Stem cell-derived heart muscle cells may fail to effectively replace damaged cardiac tissue because they don't contract strongly enough, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The study, "Coupling Primary and Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in an In Vitro Model of Cardiac Cell Therapy," by Yvonne Aratyn-Schaus and Francesco Pasqualini and colleagues, may help explain why stem cell-based therapies have so far shown limited benefits for heart attack patients in clinical trials.

Health care for older adults should honor diversity

By 2050, the number of older adults representing minority groups is projected to rise to 39%, up from nearly 21% in 2012. The largest increases in the proportion of older adults are projected to be among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander populations. What's more, the proportion of older Hispanic adults is projected to more than double over the next 40 years.

Management style affects quality of care and retention among nurses

A recent study shows that encouraging nurses to work towards a collective goal within a supportive milieu--a style of management called transformational leadership--can have positive effects on the quality of the care given to patients. It was also a predictor of nurses' intentions to stay on at their current healthcare facilities. Conversely, abusive leadership practices potentially lead to poorer quality of care and to a strong intention to quit.

New assay detects persistent disease in leukemia patients thought to be in remission

Philadelphia, PA, February 5, 2016 - The outcomes of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have dramatically improved as the result of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Use of a TKI regimen can lower the blood CML biomarker to levels imperceptible by current detection methods. For patients in "molecular remission," however, uncertainties remain regarding whether they will relapse or if treatment should be discontinued.