Body

The Lancet Oncology: Nationwide study sets benchmarks for 30-day mortality following chemotherapy for breast and lung cancer in

For the first time, national data on 30-day mortality for patients with breast and lung cancer treated with chemotherapy have been collected and analysed in order to help clinical teams review and improve patient care, and identify groups of patients who may have additional needs.

The study, published in The Lancet Oncology is the first time this type of data has been collected at a national level in any country. It identifies factors such as age and general well-being that affect 30-day mortality, as well as NHS trusts with higher than expected rates of mortality.

Friends are no better than strangers in accurately identifying emotion in emails

Washington, DC (August 30, 2016) - "OMG I just LOVE pizza." Is this statement sarcastic? Is it heartfelt? As our everyday communication is increasingly text-driven, inferring emotion from messages is an important skill. If the receiver of the message is a friend, they should be able to understand the sender's emotion better than a complete stranger. But a recent study by researchers at Chatham University found that friends are no better at interpreting correct emotional intent in e-mails than complete strangers.

A nonet of new plant species from Africa emphasizes the importance of herbaria in botany

Combining modern molecular methods, with more traditional morphological ones, a recent revision of the custard apple genus Monanthotaxis has revealed a nonet of new species.

Children with asthma attacks triggered by colds less responsive to standard treatment

The results of a study conducted by Dr. Francine Ducharme, Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Montreal, published in the medical journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, confirm that respiratory viral detection, not child's age, explains the high rate of hospitalization for asthma attacks in children under six.

Botulinum neurotoxin in plastic surgery -- what's the evidence for effectiveness?

August 30, 2016 - Botox and other botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) products are widely known for their use in treating facial wrinkles--but they can also be used to treat a wide range of non-cosmetic problems.

UofL research shows that children at home did not prompt parents to test for radon, secondhand smoke

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A University of Louisville School of Nursing researcher has found that the presence of children in the home did not motivate parents to test and mitigate for radon and secondhand tobacco smoke, both of which cause lung cancer. The findings highlight a need to raise awareness on these exposure risks and their long-term impact on children.

Defend or grow? These plants do both

From natural ecosystems to farmers' fields, plants face a dilemma of energy use: outgrow and outcompete their neighbors for light, or defend themselves against insects and disease.

But what if you could grow a plant that does both at the same time?

A team of researchers at Michigan State University is the first to accomplish that feat, and the breakthrough could have fruitful implications for farmers trying to increase crop yields and feed the planet's growing population.

Plastic surgery seeks to help women gain leadership positions and break through the 'plastic ceiling'

August 30, 2016 - While some progress has been made, further work is needed to achieve more equitable representation of women plastic surgeons in leadership roles, according to a special topic paper in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

UGA researchers discover a drug for a tropical disease

Researchers at the University of Georgia are working to find the fastest way possible to treat and cure human African trypanosomiasis, long referred to as sleeping sickness. By working to improve chemical entities already tested in human clinical trials, they hope to have a faster route to field studies to treat the disease using drugs that can be administered orally to patients.

The study, "Discovery of Carbazole-Derived Lead Drug for Human African Trypanosomiasis," was published in Scientific Reports Aug. 26.

UAB biomarker outperforms current gold standard to detect brain shunt infections

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In a study of children with brain shunts at Children's of Alabama, a University of Alabama at Birmingham investigational biomarker outperformed the current "gold standard" test for detecting bacterial infections in the shunts.

Vegetation matters

In California's Sierra Nevada mountains, as more precipitation falls in the form of rain rather than snow, and the snowpack melts earlier in spring, it's important for water managers to know when and how much water will be available for urban and agricultural needs and for the environment in general.

Stem cell breakthrough unlocks mysteries associated with inherited heart condition

Using advanced stem cell technology, scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created a model of a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) -- an excessive thickening of the heart that is associated with a number of rare and common illnesses, some of which have a strong genetic component.

The pros & cons of supplementary materials in scientific publishing

The ascendance of the Internet has changed academic publishing in ways that scientists are still adjusting to. A new commentary in The Auk: Ornithological Advances examines the costs and benefits of supplementary materials, which are online-only additions to scientific papers that often contain datasets, audio and visual files, and other hard-to-classify resources.

Lowering the cost and environmental footprint of white LEDs

Replacing traditional light bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) could take a significant bite out of global energy consumption. But making white LEDs isn't completely benign or budget friendly. To help reduce the environmental footprint and cost of these lights, researchers have developed the first white LED with a hybrid, metal-organic framework material. Their report appears in the journal ACS Nano.

Study finds potential new biomarker for cancer patient prognosis

To treat or not to treat? That is the question researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) hope to answer with a new advance that could help doctors and their cancer patients decide if a particular therapy would be worth pursuing.