Culture | Page 2409 | Science Codex

Most Americans save only about half of their inheritances, study finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new national study suggests that adults who receive an inheritance save only about half of what they receive, while spending, donating or losing the rest.

The results are good news for retailers, restaurant owners and people in the service industry who will receive that windfall.

But it is bad news for those who are concerned about the low U.S. savings rate, said Jay Zagorsky, author of the study and research scientist at Ohio State University's Center for Human Resource Research.

Children exposed to cigarette smoke have increased risk of COPD in adulthood

A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that children who are exposed to passive smoke have almost double the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood compared with non-exposed children.

At Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, researchers examined patients with COPD (433) and control subjects (325) who participated in the Bergen COPD Cohort Study during 2006-2009. Ane Johannessen, PhD, and co-workers assessed risk factors for COPD and analyzed by gender.

Inheritance -- do we spend it or save it?

Ever wondered what other people do with their inheritance? Do they save, spend or turn it down? According to Jay Zagorsky, from The Ohio State University in the US, it would appear that for roughly every dollar inherited, people save about one-half and either, spend, donate or lose the rest. His work, based on the analysis of data from two large samples of the US population, is published online in Springer's Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Millenials versus Baby Boomers: Fame, money more important than civic duty, environment

WASHINGTON – The times are changing, and not necessarily for the better when it comes to giving back to society, according to 40 years of research on 9 million young adults. Since the baby boomer generation, there has been a significant decline among young Americans in political participation, concern for others and interest in saving the environment, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

Reducing drug overdose for ex-prisoners -- the view from outside the prison gates

Prison inmates frequently have a strong history of drug use and misuse, especially during the time prior to incarceration, and drugs often are the driving force behind the offense itself. New research, published in BioMed Central's newly launched open access journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, shows that ex-offenders struggle to remain drug free after release from prison and identifies factors that can help them succeed.

Some NHS trusts consistently outperform others on patient experience

Some NHS trusts consistently outperform others on a range of measures of patient experience, finds research published online in BMJ Quality & Safety.

Furthermore, the top performers tend to be Foundation Trusts and teaching hospitals, the study shows.

Patient experience is one of the five domains for assessing NHS performance (NHS Outcomes Framework) and is recognised internationally as a key dimension of healthcare quality.

But it is one of the more difficult areas to measure because of the many contributory factors involved, say the authors.

Emotional expression in music and speech share similar tonal properties

Music is a very strong emotional communicator, and different cultures have different emotional associations for different musical "modes". Now, a new cross-cultural study shows that tonal trends used to express feelings in music are consistent in different cultures and are similar to those used in speech. The full report is published March 14, in the open access journal PLoS ONE.

Study finds genes improving survival with higher chemo doses in leukemia

CLEVELAND -- New research published in the March 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (embargoed 5 pm ET March 14) identifies gene mutations associated with improved overall survival with higher doses of chemotherapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Study finds expensive procedure no more effective than medical therapy to prevent strokes

CLEVELAND -- A catheter procedure that closes a hole in patients' hearts was no more effective than medical therapy in preventing recurrent strokes, according to a new study published in the March 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Genetic profiling can help doctors more accurately predict prognosis and guide treatment decisions for leukemia patients

NEW YORK, MARCH 14, 2012 – Researchers have identified a set of genetic abnormalities in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that doctors can use to more accurately predict patients' prognoses and select treatments that are most likely to benefit them. The study, led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will be published in the March 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Doctors practicing healthy lifestyles more likely to preach it to patients

Physicians who have more healthy habits are more likely than doctors without such habits to recommend five important lifestyle modifications to patients, including eating healthy, limiting sodium, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and being more physically active.

In a survey of 1,000 physicians about their lifestyles and whether they recommend national guideline lifestyle modifications to patients with high blood pressure, researchers found:

The 'twilight zone' of traffic costs lives at stoplight intersections

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Hundreds of lives are being lost each year in the United States because of mistakes made in what engineers call the "dilemma zone" – that area before a stoplight intersection where the traffic light turns yellow and the driver isn't sure whether to stop or go ahead.

New research at Oregon State University will help to more precisely identify that danger zone. Traffic engineers can then use than information, along with advanced technology that can monitor the speed and location of oncoming traffic, to improve yellow-light timing and help address this problem.

Alleged robo-calling may have significantly impacted voting

In a new paper, a Simon Fraser University economist finds that robo-calling, if the phenomenon did occur, could have significantly influenced voter turnout and ballot results in the last federal election.

Anke Kessler's discussion paper is available on her website and on Worthwhile Canadian Initiative, an economics blog.Elections Canada is investigating New Democrat and Liberal party allegations that the Conservatives hired companies to robo-call voters in ridings across Canada, thereby influencing the Tories' 2011 federal election win.

Stanford scientists discover drug side effects, interactions using new computer algorithm

STANFORD, Calif. -- A week ago, you started a new prescription medication for acne. Today, you feel dizzy and short of breath and have difficulty concentrating. Your symptoms are not listed in the package insert as possible side effects of the drug, but why else would you be feeling so odd?

Increased collaboration between nursing home RNs and LPNs could improve patient care

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Researchers estimate nearly 800,000 preventable adverse drug events may occur in nursing homes each year. Many of these incidents could be prevented with safety practices such as medication reconciliation, a process in which health care professionals, such as physicians, pharmacists and nurses, review medication regimens to identify and resolve discrepancies when patients transfer between health care settings. In nursing homes, both registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) often are responsible for this safety practice.