Culture | Page 1792 | Science Codex

New strategy for reducing readmissions: Get the family involved

DETROIT - A new study finds that educating and involving family members in the care of a loved one who has memory loss may significantly reduce hospital readmissions.

When researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit evaluated the strategy in treating 489 patients in its congestive heart failure (CHF) unit, the results were impressive: the 30-day readmission rate dropped to 16 percent from 23 percent - a 30 percent decline.

Researchers theorize the decline could have been higher had they studied a larger pool of patients.

High corporate taxes incentivize corporate debt

Multinational American companies with significant operations in countries with low corporate taxes take on less debt than companies that face higher taxes, according to a new study from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. The finding helps to solve an academic mystery: A link between higher corporate taxes and debt levels is predicted by economic theory, but some recent studies have either failed to find such a connection or found it to be weaker than expected.

American College of Prosthodontists issues guidelines on maintaining tooth-borne and implant-borne dental restorations

Patients with dental restorations such as crowns, bridges and veneers that are supported by natural teeth, as well as those with restorations supported by implants, can keep their teeth healthy with careful lifelong maintenance. Using the best level of available evidence, the American College of Prosthodontists, working with the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, and American Dental Hygienists Association, recently published the first clinical practice guidelines for patients and dental professionals as they care for tooth-borne and implant-borne restorations.

RAND survey shows that voters see little difference between candidates on ideology

Although much has been written about the differences between "establishment" and "outsider" candidates in the U.S. presidential election, voters don't see each party's candidates as very ideologically different, according to the new RAND Presidential Election Panel Survey (PEPS).

Ongoing HIV replication replenishes viral reservoirs during therapy

WHAT:

In HIV-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART), ongoing HIV replication in lymphoid tissues such as the lymph nodes helps maintain stores, or reservoirs, of the virus, a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests. A better understanding of how HIV persists in the body is essential for developing strategies to eliminate viral reservoirs--a prerequisite to achieving a cure for HIV infection.

HIV is still growing, even when undetectable in the blood

CHICAGO --- A team of international scientists led by Northwestern University found that HIV is still replicating in lymphoid tissue, even when it is undetectable in the blood of patients on antiretroviral drugs.

The findings provide a critical new perspective on how HIV persists in the body despite potent antiretroviral therapy.

Four factors predict neurodevelopmental outcomes for children with low birth weight

Four factors - medical complications at birth, maternal education, early motor assessments, and early cognitive assessments - help predict later cognitive function and motor performance for children born early and at a very low birth weight, finds a new study by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Women younger than 40 at melanoma diagnosis indoor tanned earlier, more

Women younger than 40 when diagnosed with melanoma reported initiating indoor tanning at an earlier age and more frequent tanning than older women diagnosed with the potentially fatal skin cancer, according to an article on a study in Minnesota published online by JAMA Dermatology.

Airbrushing out racism is attempting 'to re-edit the past'

London, UK (January 27, 2016). Racist words and stereotypes in old films, television programmes and books are a vital insight into our past, says film historian Kunle Olulode. In the latest issue of Index on Censorship Magazine, published by SAGE, Olulode argues that, however uncomfortable, they should not be edited out.

Experts: High drug price trend has 'infected' generics

(WASHINGTON, January 27, 2016) - An article published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), suggests that pharmaceutical companies use several strategies to keep affordable generic drugs from the market, illustrating an emerging trend that authors say is becoming as harmful to consumers as high-cost brand-name drugs.

Smartphones and intelligent socks to help prevent diabetic amputations

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage associated with the development of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Resulting from anatomical deformation, excessive pressure and poor blood supply, it affects over 130 million individuals worldwide. It is also the leading cause of amputation, costing the United States economy alone more than $10 billion annually.

A new magnetoresistance effect occurring in materials with strong spin-orbit coupling

These materials, which include metals such as platinum or tantalum, are characterized for being capable of generating a spin current from an electrical current (and viceversa) by means of the so-called spin Hall effect. For this reason, these materials are of outmost importance in the field of spintronics -the branch of science that is devoted to explore the generation, transmission and detection of spin currents in materials and devices.

Pharmacists key to detecting chronic kidney disease in at-risk patients

January 26, 2016 (Ottawa): Pharmacists who screened at-risk patients for chronic kidney disease (CKD) found previously unrecognized disease in 1 of every 6.4 patients tested, according to a study to be published in the January/February 2016 issue of the Canadian Pharmacists Journal.

Recognizing health concerns in wind energy development a key recommendation in new study

As wind energy development blossoms in Canada and around the world, opposition at the community level is challenging the viability of the industry. A new study with research from the University of Waterloo, published in Nature Energy, identifies four major factors leading to disputes over wind farms, and offers recommendations on avoiding disagreements.

Sleep apnea treatment associated with reduced readmissions for patients with heart failure

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea may reduce six-month readmissions for patients hospitalized with heart failure, according to research recently published online by the American Journal of Cardiology.