Culture

In a small clinical study with an anticancer drug that halts blood vessel growth, a handful of people with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and hearing loss had restoration of hearing.

Results of the collaborative study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and Massachusetts General Hospital were described online March 14, 2016 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

DURHAM, N.C. -- A new study from Duke Health suggests that patients who need to have their thyroid gland removed should seek surgeons who perform 25 or more thyroidectomies a year for the least risk of complications.

Children with a severe type of spina bifida called myelomeningocele have a high prevalence of obesity and excess fat accumulation in their lower extremities. In a study designed to assess bone, muscle and fat tissue distribution in the lower legs of children with this disease, researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles determined that this excess fat tissue is within the muscle boundary (muscle-associated) rather than subcutaneous. These findings are significant as muscle-associated fat tissue has been linked to insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.

WASHINGTON (March 14, 2016) -- The use of a stent to repair pulmonary artery stenosis in children and adults with congenital heart disease was successful in the majority of patients, but many also experienced serious complications, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Prophet Muhammad believed that freedom of religion and civic rights were important components of a 'Muslim nation,' according to a Rice University analysis of the prophet's covenants with Christians. The researcher argues that the covenants can be used to develop a stronger democratic partnership between Muslims and Christians in the Islamic world and elsewhere.

Washington, DC - March 14, 2016 - Nafcillin and oxacillin, two antibiotics commonly prescribed in hospitals, have been used without preference for one over the other. Costs and effectiveness are similar for both. But a new study suggests that oxacillin is significantly safer than nafcillin. The research is published ahead of print March 14th in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

CHAPEL HILL, NC - For decades, researchers have tried to duplicate the function of beta cells, the tiny insulin-producing entities that don't work properly in patients with diabetes. Insulin injections provide painful and often imperfect substitutes. Transplants of normal beta cells carry the risk of rejection or side effects from immunosuppressive therapies.

Patients commonly bring multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on their hands when they are discharged from a hospital to a post-acute care facility and then they acquire more MDROs during their time there, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Minneapolis, MN - March 14, 2016 - In 2009, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF), along with Allina Health, New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) and the community of New Ulm, Minnesota, began a 10-year population health research project to learn if heart attacks and heart disease risk factors within a community could be decreased through community efforts. Results for the first five years have been released, and the initial findings are positive.

Sophia Antipolis - 14 March 2016: Yoga improves quality of life in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.1 Heart rate and blood pressure also decreased in patients who did yoga.

Often patients undergo procedures without real informed consent being achieved due to technical language, jargon and time pressure, with up to half of patients finding it difficult to understand what their doctor tells them [1, 2]. Now a group of Australian doctors has prepared patients for surgery using iPads, and found that patients' understanding was much better than after a face-to-face consultation.

Estoril, Portugal: Beta-blockers could be used to reduce the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, according to new findings.

Beta blockers are primarily used to treat stress or heart problems, such as high blood pressure and angina, but these new findings suggest they could have a potential benefit for patients with COPD.

By now the entire world has heard that famed Russian tennis champion Maria Sharapova has tested positive for a banned substance. According to a March 9 Reuters article, she has been suspended, lost major sponsors and there is a possibility that she will miss the upcoming Olympics. The substance she was taking is Meldonium or Mildronate.

Magnetic resonance image isn't everything. A new University of Alberta study shows that vibrating the spine may reveal more when it comes to treating back pain. Teaming with the University of South Denmark to study the lumbar spine of twins, Greg Kawchuk and his team demonstrate that structural changes within the spine alter its vibration response significantly.

A nationwide study analysing gun-control laws in the USA has found that just nine of the 25 state laws are effective in reducing firearm deaths. The research, published in The Lancet, suggests that if all US states were to expand the three laws that have the strongest effect on gun deaths--universal background checks for purchasing guns and ammunition, and firearm identification [1]--the national rate of gun deaths could be cut by over 90%.