Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Building a good-neighbor policy between livestock industry and communities

A study by University of Illinois economist Peter Goldsmith highlights the need for better communication between the livestock industry and local communities. The research found that more effective communication can help reconcile important issues and build common experiences, leading to a more factual conversation.

Study examines use of transthoracic echocardiography

A study of 535 patients undergoing transthoracic echocardiography found that only 31.8% resulted in an active change in care, with most TTEs classified as appropriate yet failing to improve outcomes. The low rate highlights the need for efficient use of healthcare resources while maintaining high-quality care.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·DateJul 22, 2013

Nurse practitioners can boost quality of care for older patients with chronic conditions

A recent UCLA-led study highlights the crucial role nurse practitioners play in treating chronic geriatric conditions. Nurse practitioners were found to improve the satisfaction of quality indicators for patients with falls, urinary incontinence, dementia, and depression when co-managed with primary care physicians.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society·DateJun 26, 2013

Overdose education, bystander nasal naloxone rescue kits associated with decreased opioid overdose death

A study found that overdose education and naloxone distribution programs in Massachusetts led to a significant reduction in opioid overdose death rates. The programs educated people at risk of overdose and provided them with naloxone rescue kits, which are safe and effective antidotes for reversing life-threatening opioid overdose effe...

Website launched to help patients prepare for complex medical decisions

A new online resource called PREPARE has been developed to help people make complex medical decisions through user-friendly content, videos, and a step-by-step process. The website addresses key aspects of advance care planning and decision making, providing concrete examples and tools for patients and their families.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalJournal of Pain and Symptom Management·DateJan 4, 2013

A code of silence in acute myeloid leukemia

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that a transcriptional regulator called C/EBPG was highly expressed in AML samples with an epigenetically silenced C/EBPA gene. By blocking this epigenetic modification, researchers were able to reduce C/EBPG and restore normal myeloid blood cells.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateNov 19, 2012

Better ways to monitor quality of care for newborns

Experts in PLOS Medicine recommend new signal functions to track the quality of routine and emergency newborn care. The new methods aim to improve maternal and newborn care in low- and middle-income countries, helping to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateNov 13, 2012

PNAS study: Language structure arises from balance of clear and effective communication

A team of researchers found that when learning a new language, humans automatically organize words into sentences that are both clearly understood and efficient to communicate. Participants in the study added case markings to nouns precisely when it made the sentence clearer, indicating a universal principle guiding language structure.

SourceGeorgetown University Medical Center·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 15, 2012

Veterans are at higher risk of alcohol abuse relapse due to smoking

A recent study published in Frontiers found that veterans who smoke are more likely to experience cognitive impairment and are at a higher risk of relapse. The research controlled for genetic variables and showed that smokers performed worse on measures of learning, memory, and processing speed compared to non-smokers.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Pharmacology·DateOct 12, 2012

Search for element 113 concluded at last

Researchers at RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-based Science conclusively identify element 113 through six consecutive alpha decays. The discovery sets the stage for Japan to claim naming rights for the element, following a long-standing competition with the US and Russia.

SourceRIKEN·JournalJournal of the Physical Society of Japan·DateSep 26, 2012