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Science News Archive December 2015 - Page 32


Page 32 of 32

Why online doctor ratings are good medicine

A new study found that openly sharing patient satisfaction metrics created a culture of empathy, communication, trust, and shared decision making between patients and providers at University of Utah Health Care. This led to improved patient outcomes and cultural change in healthcare.

SourceUniversity of Utah Health·JournalAcademic Medicine·DateDec 1, 2015

Red means 'go' to therapeutic viruses

Rice University researchers use engineered viruses that respond to red light to overcome the challenge of delivering genes into host cells' nuclei. By incorporating light-responsive proteins, they successfully control viral activity and gene expression in target cells.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Nano·DateDec 1, 2015

Blood levels of Ebola virus are predictive of death

Researchers found that Ebola virus blood levels are strong predictors of fatality, with case fatality ratios increasing with viremia levels. The study used laboratory and clinical data from 699 patients to model the association between viremia and CFR.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateDec 1, 2015

New research helps to explain how temperature shifts the circadian clock

Scientists have discovered that the length of a living organism's 24-hour internal clock remains constant despite temperature fluctuations. The study found that external pathways sensitive to temperature cue the clock to skip ahead or backward, while the core mechanisms within the clock itself remain insensitive to temperature.

SourceRockefeller University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 1, 2015

Unique study maps political orientation of all 50 US states over time

A new study by MIT researchers reveals that US states have become more liberal since the 1930s, with a small turn to the left in recent years. The study also shows that regional differences in state-level policies have become more pronounced, with the South becoming more conservative and the Northeast and West Coast becoming more liberal.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalAmerican Journal of Political Science·DateDec 1, 2015