Culture

Hospital team significantly reduced risk of further vascular events after 'mini strokes'

Patients who had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), sometimes referred to as a "mini stroke", were much less likely to experience further vascular events in the first year if their care was co-ordinated by a special hospital team. That is the key finding from a study published in the November issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

Policymakers should prepare for major uncertainties with Medicaid expansion

Boston, MA – The number of low-income, uninsured Americans enrolling in Medicaid under the expanded coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 could vary considerably from the levels currently projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. They report that it's probably more realistic to say somewhere between 8 million and 22 million may enroll in Medicaid by 2014 instead of the 16 million predicted by the CBO.

Annual chest x-ray does not reduce rate of lung cancer deaths

CHICAGO - In a trial that included more than 150,000 participants, those who underwent annual chest radiographic screening for up to 4 years did not have a significantly lower rate of death from lung cancer compared to participants who were not screened, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST 2011).

Altamira caves:Controversy over reopening the 'Sistine Chapel' of Stone Age art

Plans to reopen Spain's Altamira caves are stirring controversy over the possibility that tourists' visits will further damage the 20,000-year old wall paintings that changed views about the intellectual ability of prehistoric people. That's the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine. The caves are the site of Stone Age paintings so magnificent that experts have called them the "Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art."

Discovered: Only recorded flight of largest (and extinct) woodpecker

ITHACA, N.Y. - It was once the undisputed king of its clan, but most believe the imperial woodpecker faded unseen into the pages of history sometime in the late 20th century in the high mountains of Mexico. Thanks to some keen detective work, the largest woodpecker that ever lived can be seen by the world once more – and this 85-second flight through time offers us a lesson about its behavior, and ours.

Food chemical regulations lack transparency, rely heavily on industry self-policing

WASHINGTON -- Safety decisions concerning one-third of the more than 10,000 substances that may be added to human food were made by food manufacturers and a trade association without review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to an analysis spearheaded by the Pew Health Group. The report, published today in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety illustrates potential problems with the U.S. food additive regulatory program.

Academic misconduct: Can plagiarism be weeded out?

For the majority of students, cheating is out of the question because success can only be achieved through honest and hard work, i.e. academic integrity. Some cultures, like in China, have copying so ingrained that scientists don't consider plagiarism cheating at all, while some students do it just to have an easier time.

According to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), there are 1.2 million full- and part-time students enrolled at 95 institutions of higher learning across our nation. How many of them might cheat on their way to graduation isn't clear.

NIH study shows benefits, limits of therapy for rare inflammatory syndrome

A study shows that the medication etanercept reduces the frequency and severity of symptoms of TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), a rare inherited condition characterized by recurrent fevers, abdominal pain and skin rashes. The study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, also points out the need for the development of additional therapies to more thoroughly ease symptoms and prevent long-term complications of the disease.

Bedside assessment may provide better outcomes for older cancer patients

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- In geriatric medicine, the adage that age is just a number holds true. New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center uses a simple assessment tool to determine how well older adults diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can handle treatment.

Study indicates nanoparticles could help pain-relieving osteoarthritis drugs last longer

Arlington, Va. — A novel study demonstrates that using nanoparticles to deliver osteoarthritis drugs to the knee joint could help increase the retention of the drug in the knee cavity, and therefore reduce the frequency of injections patients must receive. This research is being presented Oct. 23 – 27 at the 2011 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C.

ARISTOTLE trial finds new drug may revolutionize the treatment of atrial fibrillation

Vancouver – New research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition affecting a quarter of a million Canadians which is expected to strike even more in the coming years, as the Canadian population ages.

AF is the most common type of heart arrhythmia and puts those affected at a three to five times greater risk for stroke. Now, there is a new drug poised to battle the condition.

Standard definition of loss-to-follow-up for ART patients

A study led by Benjamin Chi of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA and colleagues reports on the development of a standard definition for loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) that can be used by HIV antiretroviral programs worldwide. Based on their findings, which are published in this week's PLoS Medicine, the authors recommend that the standard definition for LTFU should be when 180 days or more have elapsed since the patient's last clinic visit.

Researchers find gene variants that cause stent thrombosis in people with coronary artery disease

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent implantation in people with coronary artery disease. The team found that three of these variants were associated with impaired sensitivity to the common blood thinner clopidogrel, and a fourth that affects a blood platelet receptor involved in platelet aggregation and clot formation.

Many Alzheimer's patients get drugs with opposing effects

SEATTLE, WA—You wouldn't brake your car while stepping on the gas—or wash down a sleeping pill with espresso. Yet many people taking common Alzheimer's disease medications—cholinesterase inhibitors—are given medications with anticholinergic properties, which oppose their effects. Group Health Research Institute scientists investigated how often that happens and reported on the consequences in an "Early View" study e-published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Daily smoking, low mastery associated with repeat episodes of depression

Previous depression, daily smoking and a lack of control over life circumstances — or "low mastery" — are risk factors for repeat episodes of depression, states an article in Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Depression is a common disorder that negatively affects quality of life for people with the condition. About 65% of people with depression have repeat episodes. Depression can be associated with weight and dietary control, pain and inattention to other health issues.