Culture | Page 1771 | Science Codex

Antidepressants linked to tooth implant failure, new study finds

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Antidepressants, commonly used to treat anxiety, pain and other disorders, may play a role in dental implant failure, according to a new pilot study by University at Buffalo researchers.

The research found that the use of antidepressants increased the odds of implant failure by four times. Each year of antidepressant use doubled the odds of failure.

While these drugs are often used to manage mood and emotions, a side effect decreases the regulation of bone metabolism, which is crucial to the healing process.

Trouble sleeping? The size of your tongue and tonsils could be why

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The best time to identify signs of obstructive sleep apnea may not be at night while snoozing in bed but, instead, while sitting in the dentist's chair.

According to a new study led by University at Buffalo orthodontic researcher Thikriat Al-Jewair, dentists are in the unique position as health care professionals to pinpoint signs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to blocked upper airways.

Mount Sinai researchers report insights into blood stem cells from engineered stem cells

Building upon previous work, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai identified cells in the embryos of mice that are precursors to blood stem cells or hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). In previous studies, they reprogrammed mouse skin cells in the lab to become HSPCs. Now, they have identified a precursor cell in the placenta and embryo of mice that can be matured in the lab to make HSPCs.

Loyola study finds women suffer more neck pain than men

MAYWOOD, Ill. - Women are 1.38 times more likely than men to report neck pain due to cervical degenerative disc disease, according to a study of adult patients treated at Loyola Medicine's Pain Management Center.

The study by Meda Raghavendra, MD and Joseph Holtman, MD, PhD, of Loyola University Medical Center and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine in Palm Springs, Ca.

Risk of being involved in an avalanche less for smaller groups of recreationists

Philadelphia, PA, March 8, 2016 - Avalanches are the primary hazard for winter backcountry recreationists and cause numerous deaths and injuries annually. As winter backcountry activities increase in popularity, avalanches are a very real risk for adventurers who choose to travel off the beaten path. A new study reported in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine explored the risk of avalanche accidents with respect to group size for the first time and found that travelling in groups of four or more people carried a higher relative avalanche risk than for individuals or groups of two.

For lupus patients, anti-inflammatory immune cells are maturing Into wrong cell type

One of the mysteries of lupus is why the immune cells that normally keep inflammation at bay can't seem to do their job. A University College London study published on March 8 in Immunity now suggests that for people with lupus, the B cells that regulate inflammation are getting signaled to become pro-inflammatory cells instead. The research, done using human blood samples and genetic profiles, also provides evidence that how a lupus patient responds to treatment is related to their levels of these cellular signals.

New scanning technology benefits diabetic eye care in national telemedicine trial

BOSTON - (March 8, 2016) - In a national clinical trial led by Joslin Diabetes Center's Beetham Eye Institute, ultrawide field (UWF) scanning technology significantly improved the ability of experts at a remote central location to identify diabetic retinopathy in a patient, and to judge whether the eye disease warranted referring the patient to an ophthalmologist for further care.

Health apps and the sharing of information with third parties

In a study appearing in the March 8 issue of JAMA, Sarah R. Blenner, J.D., M.P.H., of the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, and colleagues examined the privacy policies of Android diabetes apps and the sharing of health information.

Bird communication: Chirping with syntax

Language is one of the defining characteristics of human beings: It enables us to generate unlimited meanings from a finite number of phonetic elements. Using syntactic rules, humans are able to combine words to form phrases and sentences, and thus ascribe meaning to various things and activities. Research on communication systems suggests that non-human primates and birds, too, have evolved the ability to assign meaning to arbitrary vocal elements. But until now, the evolution of syntax has been considered unique to human language.

Design research can improve patient experiences of radiotherapy

Patients risk experiencing anxiety and fear when health care does not meet individual patients' needs. New approaches to reduce anxiety for instance over radiotherapy are needed and design research is well-suited to meet these challenges. This is according to a dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden.

Patient experiences are complex and shaped by many factors: the care staff, the medical technology patients are subjected to, the information about the treatment process given beforehand and the institutional structures that health care builds upon.

Doctors aren't diagnosing or treating most cases of prediabetes, UF study finds

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Less than one-quarter of patients who met the criteria for prediabetes received drug or lifestyle modification treatment from their primary care physician, according to University of Florida researchers, who say the findings indicate physicians are missing opportunities for diabetes prevention.

The study appears today (Tuesday, March 8, 2016) in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Sea level rise threatens larger number of people than earlier estimated

More people live close to sea coast than earlier estimated, assess researchers in a new study. These people are the most vulnerable to the rise of the sea level as well as to the increased number of floods and intensified storms. By using recent increased resolution datasets, Aalto University researchers estimate that 1.9 billion inhabitants, or 28% of the world's total population, live closer than 100 km from the coast in areas less than 100 meters above the present sea level.

Leading cause of stroke in young going untreated -- and it shouldn't, study finds

Arteriovenous malformations, the most common cause of strokes in children and young adults, are sometimes left untreated, but a sweeping new study strongly suggests that is generally a mistake.

The challenge that doctors have faced in treating patients with arteriovenous malformations - tangles of blood vessels prone to leaking and causing strokes - is that the treatment options are not without risk. So one approach commonly advocated has been to leave the condition unaddressed.

Artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes are gone and Kraft macaroni and cheese fans didnt care

Last April, Kraft Heinz announced it would remove artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes from its iconic Blue Box, and did exactly that in December.Kraft Mac & Cheese replaced artificial dyes (yellow 5 and 6) with paprika, annatto and turmeric to maintain its signature color. This change has been listed in the ingredient line for the past few months. There are also no artificial flavors or preservatives in the new recipe.

Too many avoidable errors in patient care, says report

Avoidable harm to patients is still too high in healthcare in the UK and across the globe -- making safety a top healthcare priority for providers and policy makers alike.