Culture

ROOTSTOWN, Ohio -- June 6, 2016 -- An overwhelming majority of Ohio residents say it is important for the state to be a leader in education (89 percent) and in medical and health research (87 percent), according to a state-based public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America. A high percentage of Ohioans also say the state should lead in science and technology, agriculture, and manufacturing.

INDIANAPOLIS -- More than 53 million Americans age 50 and older, primarily women, have osteoporosis or are at high risk for the condition due to low bone density. A recent study of oral bisphosphonates, the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis treatment, found that approximately a third of women prescribed these drugs continue to be at elevated risk for bone fracture, an outcome that may have several origins.

Treating B cell malignancies with the patients' own T cells modified so as to target specific B cell markers has shown clinical success.

However, clinical success may require T cells to remain present in the body for prolonged periods of time, which results in sustained attack against B cells, an important branch of the immune response, and a substantial reduction in their total number.

In the United States, the transition from volume to value dominates discussions of health care reform. While shared decision making might help patients determine whether to get care, transparency in procedure- and hospital-specific value measures would help them determine where to get care.

CHAPEL HILL - In the last month of their lives, younger cancer patients continued to be hospitalized and receive other aggressive treatment at high rates, a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study found.

A national health claims analysis of cancer patients who were younger than age 65 and had metastatic disease revealed that nearly two-thirds were admitted to the hospital or visited the emergency room in the last 30 days of their lives. The researchers said nearly a third of patients died in the hospital.

BOSTON - Nursing homes in the United States care for increasing numbers of people with dementia, yet many lack access to geriatric psychiatrists, behavioral neurologists and other specialists who may help manage symptoms associated with dementia, including behavioral issues. As a result, nursing home staff may resort to physical restraints or antipsychotic medications to manage behavioral challenges, which can significantly compromise a patient's health, autonomy and dignity.

PRINCETON, N.J.--Financial strain has long been one of the leading causes of family discord, but a recent study suggests that simply living through major economic recessions increases a mother's chance of suffering from domestic violence.

Researchers from Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley, investigated the impact of economic distress on romantic relationships, demonstrating unexpected side effects of economic downturns.

New research from the University of British Columbia finds that rogue fishing vessels are able to secure insurance including those that have been flagged by international watchdogs for unlawful activity.

"Restricting access to insurance could play a major role in ending illegal fishing, and right now, it's a largely overlooked method," said lead author Dana Miller, who studied illegal fishing and insurance while she was a postdoctoral fellow at UBC.

Does human activity drive global climate change? For members of Congress, the answer often depends on party affiliation. In general, Republicans say "nay," Democrats "yea."

A research team led by Brian Helmuthprofessor in the College of Science and the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairswants to change that.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In a study recently published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, investigators in the REasons for Geographical And Racial Differences in Stroke Study, or REGARDS, found that blacks are four times more likely to die of stroke at age 45 than their white counterparts because blacks have more strokes, not because blacks who have a stroke are more likely to die than whites who have a stroke.

New research on the first procedure-free gastric balloon, presented at this year's European Obesity Summit (EOS) in Gothenburg, Sweden (June 1-4) shows it is safe and results in similar weight loss to other balloon procedures that use endoscopy. The study is by Dr Ioannis Raftopoulos, Weight Management Program, Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke, MA, USA, and colleagues.

Data from a large UK survey on the eating habits of very young children (aged 4-18 months) show that overweight children consume larger meals, but do not eat more frequently, than healthy weight children. This study of the UK Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC) is presented at the European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg (1-4 June) by Hayley Syrad, University College London, UK, and colleagues.

Neuroblastoma tumors shrank, some dramatically, in 80 percent of newly diagnosed, young, high-risk patients enrolled in a Phase II clinical trial that included an experimental monoclonal antibody. The immunotherapy agent was produced on the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital campus where the study is still underway.

The research is being presented today at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

It has been known for years that personality traits of animals, such as aggressiveness, risk-taking, curiosity or sociality, may have far-reaching consequences for reproduction and survival. However, separating the effect of personality from other factors, such as environmental conditions, is not easy. If the natural environment of the animals is subjected to strong fluctuations, the different personalities may have different consequences depending on the prevailing situation.

Empagliflozin (trade name: Jardiance) has been approved since May 2014 for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in whom diet and exercise alone do not provide adequate glycaemic control. In 2014, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) concluded in its dossier assessment that an added benefit of the drug in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapies was not proven.