Culture

CHICAGO – While it is well known that a majority of hip fracture patients of all ages and both sexes have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D, a new study presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) looks at whether or not living in a warm, sunny climate improves patient vitamin D levels.

Researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City have developed and implemented the first real-time electronic screening tool to identify patients with pneumonia to speed up diagnosis and treatment and improve outcomes.

Pneumonia is the most common infectious cause of death in developed countries. It kills more than 60,000 Americans each year, and results in nearly 1.1 million hospitalizations.

(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that the use of Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters for the prevention and treatment of venous thrombotic events (VTE) may result in poor outcomes due to mechanical filter complications--largely due to low filter retrieval rates and inconsistent use of anticoagulants--and high rates of venous thromboembolism.

Milan, 18 March 2013 - New evidence from Sweden confirms previous studies which suggest that functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy may vary between surgeons, especially in relation to continence. However, the group found no evidence of heterogeneity in potency-related outcomes.

The results of this investigation, to be presented at the 28th Annual EAU Congress, aimed of to examine between surgeon variation with regards to oncological and patient-reported functional outcomes in one European centre.

Putnam Valley, NY. (March 18, 2013) – When a research team in China evaluated the efficacy and safety of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expanded from the bone marrow of non-self-donors to treat patients experiencing poor graft function (PGF) after receiving transplants of non-self-donated blood stem cells (allo-HSCT), they found that the mesenchymal stem cells were both safe and effective for treating primary and secondary PGF.

One of the most widely advocated strategies for dealing with HIV/AIDS could double the number of multi-drug-resistant HIV cases in the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) in LA County over the next 10 years, cautions a new study.

In the United States, LA County has the largest incident population of HIV positive individuals.

Milan, 18 March 2013 – A new study from Japan investigated various prognostic indicators, including clinico-pathological and pre-operative hematological factors to develop a novel prognostic factors-based risk stratification model for disease-specific survival (DSS) in bladder cancer (BCa) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC).

This large series demonstrated that two types of pre-operative haematological disorders assessed by haemoglobin (Hb) and C-reacted protein (CRP) are independent prognostic indicators for patients with BCa treated by RC.

Higher levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in people with cardiac chest pain that developed as a result of heart disease/coronary artery disease, according to a study published in CMAJ.

PAPP-A, used to screen for Down syndrome in pregnant women, has been suggested as a marker of unstable plaque in coronary arteries.

Researchers in Manchester have found a link between several lifestyle factors and pre-existing conditions, including smoking cigarettes and diabetes, and an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Milan, 18 March 2013 – Markers such as CA9, CD31, CD34 and VEGFR1/2 in the primary tumours might serve as predictors of a good response to a sunitinib treatment in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), according to a new study to be presented at the 28th Annual EAU Congress currently on-going in Milan.

In light of the recent decline in the percentage of physician assistants choosing careers in primary care, researchers examine the demographics associated with an increased likelihood of primary care practice among PAs in hopes that such knowledge may aid efforts to increase that number.

Water resources can become strained by both natural factors such as drought and by human factors such as unsustainable use. Water resource managers can develop practices to reduce overuse of water resources, but they cannot prevent droughts, so distinguishing the causes of water stress can be useful. However, since the two factors often occur at the same time, separating them can be difficult.

Taking part in unhealthy eating behaviors may cause women who are concerned about their diet and self-image to experience a worsening of their moods, according to Penn State researchers.

In a study, college-age women who were concerned about their eating behaviors reported that moods worsened after bouts of disordered eating, said Kristin Heron, research associate at the Survey Research Center.

"There was little in the way of mood changes right before the unhealthy eating behaviors," said Heron. "However, negative mood was significantly higher after these behaviors."

Anyone who needs a reason not to overindulge on St. Patrick's Day — or on any other day of the year — can view a new American Chemical Society (ACS) video on alcohol's effects on the body at http://www.BytesizeScience.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—A new National Academy of Sciences report identifies tools that would help miners devise their own means of escape when trapped underground.

In part, the report suggests that The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) work closely with technology companies to develop new communications and tracking devices—ones that keep working underground after a mining accident.