Culture | Science Codex

Spanish Fabry disease patients appear to react differently to the rest of Europe

Spanish patients with Fabry disease, a rare hereditary condition where abnormal fatty deposits collect in blood vessels and organs throughout the body, appear to react differently to those in other European countries, according to a study in the August issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

Researchers from three university hospitals say that the Spanish patients showed a different pattern of organ involvement in ill health and death to other European patients on the Fabry Outcome Survey (FOS).

Nanomechanics: New test measures key properties of polymer thin films and membranes

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated* a measurement technique that reliably determines three fundamental mechanical properties of near-nanoscale films. The technique, which highlights the challenge of making mechanical measurements on an object with at least one dimension comparable to the size of a virus, should enable better design and engineering for a variety of thin-film technologies, particularly reverse-osmosis membranes for water purification.

Agincourt Revisited: Heavy plate made medieval battle a lot tougher

The French may have had a better chance at the Battle of Agincourt had they not been weighed down by heavy body armor, say researchers.

A study published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows that soldiers carrying armor in Medieval times would have been using more than twice the amount of energy had they not been wearing it. This is the first clear experimental evidence of the limitations of wearing Medieval armor on a soldier's performance.

HIV patient care by clinic nurses rather than hospital doctors clinically successful, cost effective

Transferring care of HIV patients from doctors in hospitals to nurses in primary health clinics is both clinically successful and cost effective

Health outcomes for stable patients with HIV on antiretroviral (anti-HIV) therapy 12 months after their care was transferred to a primary health clinic (a community clinic) where they were managed by nurses were equivalent, or even better, than the outcomes of similar patients on antiretroviral therapy who remained at a hospital-based, doctor-managed outpatient clinic.

Only one-third of HIV-positive patients remain in care before starting treatment

In sub-Saharan Africa, only about one third of patients who test positive for HIV but are not yet eligible for antiretroviral treatment remain in care until they become eligible and start treatment. Some patients never return for the results of their initial CD4 count (a prognostic and treatment eligibility biomarker); some disappear between having their initial CD4 count taken and becoming eligible for HIV treatment; and others with CD4 counts that indicate that they are eligible for treatment do not return to start receiving medications.

Vascular disease management increasingly important

Philadelphia, PA, July 19, 2011 – As the population ages and obesity and diabetes increase, more people suffer from noncardiac vascular diseases. In the July/August issue of Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, published by Elsevier, a series of articles from recognized experts on key topics in vascular disease and endovascular medicine provide an insightful compendium of the evidence available to help improve the care of this complex patient population.

Stated calories on menus of certain restaurants appear to be accurate overall

An examination of the calorie content of food from about 40 fast-food and sit-down restaurants in 3 states finds that overall the stated calories of items on the menus of the restaurants are accurate, although there was substantial inaccuracy for some individual foods, with understated calorie figures for those items with lower calorie contents, according to a study in the July 20 issue of JAMA.

Cardiac disorder may affect broader range of patients than previously reported

Stress cardiomyopathy (a transient form of acute heart failure triggered by stressful events) appears to have clinical characteristics that are broader than reported previously, including younger patients, men, and patients without an identifiable stressful trigger, according to a study in the July 20 issue of JAMA.

New report shows seniors' economic security falling

Outliving one's resources and falling into poverty is an increasingly common experience among today's senior citizens, according to a new report produced jointly by the Heller School's Institute on Assets and Social Policy and the public policy research and advocacy organization Demos.

And, researchers say, the situation could deteriorate further if cuts in Social Security are made.

The report, "From Bad to Worse: Senior Economic Insecurity On the Rise," found that seniors have too few resources and too little time to plan for a fulfilling retirement.

Non-teachers call for another change in how K-12 science education is taught

WASHINGTON – A report released today by the National Research Council presents a new framework for K-12 science education that identifies the key scientific ideas and practices all students should learn by the end of high school. The framework will serve as the foundation for new K-12 science education standards, to replace those issued more than a decade ago. The National Research Council is the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering; all three are independent, nongovernmental organizations.

Heartburn treatment may extend survival in IPF patients

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who report treatment for gastroespophageal reflux (GER) appear to have longer survival than IPF patients who are not treated for GERD, according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco.

"While preliminary, these findings support a relationship between GER, chronic microaspiration and IPF," said lead researcher Joyce Lee, MD, clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine at UCSF. Microaspiration occurs when gastric droplets reflux into the esophagus and enter the airways.

E-health records should play bigger role in patient safety initiatives, researchers advocate

Patient safety researchers are calling for the expanded use of electronic health records (EHRs) to address the disquieting number of medical errors in the healthcare system that can lead to readmissions and even death. Their commentary is in the July 6 issue of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association .

Suicide and homicide rates in mental health patients revealed

Suicide rates among people with mental illness in England and Wales have fallen over the last decade, latest figures show.

The 2011 Annual Report published today (Tuesday, 19 July) by The University of Manchester's National Confidential Inquiry (NCI) into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness reveals:

Study shows small-scale fisheries' impact on marine life

Small-scale fisheries could pose a more serious threat to marine life than previously thought. Research led by the University of Exeter, published today (19 July) in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, shows that tens of thousands of turtles from across the Pacific are being captured through the activities of small-scale fisheries.

HIV therapies provide near normal lifespan in Africa

A landmark study by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) shows that patients in Africa receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for HIV can expect to live a near normal lifespan.