Culture

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Imetelstat, a novel telomerase inhibiting drug, has been found to induce morphologic, molecular and clinical remissions in some patients with myelofibrosis a Mayo Clinic study has found. The results were presented today at the 2013 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – How do you measure the pain of a patient who can't communicate? A Rhode Island Hospital researcher studied an observational pain scale in cardiac surgery patients, and found that the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) provided an accurate measure of a patient's pain level. The study by Sandra Linde, RN, is the first study conducted in Rhode Island Hospital's Clinical Nurse Scholar program, in which direct care nurses are mentored to serve as principal investigators. The paper is published in the American Journal of Critical Care.

Bethesda, Md. (Dec. 5, 2013)—There are over a million people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in the United States alone with an estimated 11,000 new cases every year. Furthermore, it is estimated that there are, at least, 100,000 veterans with SCI, making the VA the largest integrated health care system in the world for SCI care. But despite this large prevalence, researchers are still discovering all the various ways that SCI affect those with this condition beyond the obvious paralysis.

LA JOLLA, Calif., December 5, 2013 – Sanford-Burnham scientists have identified the B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator (BTLA) inhibitory receptor as a key factor in limiting inflammatory responses, particularly in the skin. The study, published online today in Immunity, provides clarity on how T cells get fired up to protect against pathogens, and then cool down to restore immune homeostasis.

Rapid rehabilitation is a must after a heart attack or other cardiovascular event. Different forms of exercise as a part of rehabilitation have been examined by researchers, including high-intensity interval training (85-95 % of maximum heart rate), which has proved to be both a good and efficient form of rehabilitation.

However, most of the studies that document these findings have been conducted in exercise laboratories, where patients and the intensity of their exercise are carefully monitored. But can we expect the same benefits when patients are told to exercise at home?

WASHINGTON, DC, December 2, 2013 — Medical researchers point to developmental factors, specifically the decline of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, as an explanation for why children get less sleep as they become teenagers. But a new study suggests that social ties, including relationships with peers and parents, may be even more responsible for changing sleep patterns among adolescents.

Women are likely to burn-out even faster than their male colleagues, with almost one in five burnt-out within five years of graduating, the findings show.

Vets' psychological wellbeing has been the subject of several studies in different countries in recent years, with some evidence suggesting that male vets are less prone to distress, anxiety, and depression - an increasingly important issue in view of the increasing feminisation of the profession, say the authors.