Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. Credit: NIAID Experts are working on novel immune-enhancing therapies called host-directed therapies to use the body’s own immune system to target tuberculosis, with hopes that they could tackle even the drug-resistant forms of the disease. In a presentation at this year’s ESCMID Global Congress (formerly […]
Credit: Sora Shimazaki from Pexels Personalized “cocktails” of antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics hold great promise in the treatment of a common form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to research presented at the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27–30 April). Post-infection IBS (PI-IBS) is a form of irritable bowel syndrome that occurs […]
The current strategy used in Europe to mitigate malaria transfusion risk is efficient with just 10 reported cases over the 20 past years. However, current serological tests used to identify “at risk” donors are not sensitive enough to completely eliminate the risk. In a presentation to be given at this year’s ESCMID Global Congress (formerly […]
Credit: National Cancer Centre Singapore A team of clinician-scientists have conducted the largest study done to date of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer Gene 1 and 2) carriers in an Asian population and refined breast and ovarian cancer risk estimates for this population. The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health—Western Pacific, will better guide […]
Psychologist Hilmar Zech found that overweight people are actually more attracted to food pictures after eating than before. He did so using an old research method that he revamped for use on smartphones. Zech will defend his Ph.D. on 30 April. Addiction, phobia, and intuitive behavior: psychologists have discovered much about them with the Approach […]
Doctors and clinicians must exercise extreme caution when selecting patients to prescribe gabapentinoids to, Keele researchers have said, after finding a link between gabapentinoid prescriptions and a higher risk of worse outcomes for patients. Gabapentinoids such as gabapentin and pregabalin are anticonvulsant drugs that are approved in the United Kingdom and EU to treat epilepsy, […]
Public health strategies must begin at pre-conception and early childhood to attain optimum lung function for the world’s Indigenous Peoples who bear a higher burden of chronic respiratory disease, say an international research team in a review published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Led by childhood respiratory disease expert QUT Professor Anne Chang, from the QUT […]
The world is on the cusp of a neurotechnology revolution that could transform human health and welfare, but urgent action is needed to protect brain data, experts told AFP on Friday. Medical neurotechnology breakthroughs have allowed paralyzed people to walk again, or deaf people to hear. Elon Musk’s firm Neuralink has also publicized advances with […]
The maternal hormone-like cytokine XCL1 acts interacts with specific receptors (green) on the surface of specialized fetal placenta cells (red). c’, c” show specialized fetal cells with receptor expression (yellow). Credit: Credit: Toth Lab Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered in a preclinical model that cytokines, proteins that control immune response, circulating in maternal […]
A blood test successfully predicted knee osteoarthritis at least eight years before tell-tale signs of the disease appeared on X-rays, Duke Health researchers report. In a study appearing April 26 in the journal Science Advances, the researchers validated the accuracy of the blood test that identifies key biomarkers of osteoarthritis. They showed that it predicted […]
A genetic change or variant in a gene called SCN2A is a known cause of infantile seizures, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability, as well as a wide range of other moderate-to-profound impairments in mobility, communication, eating, and vision. The severity of these disorders can vary widely from person to person, but little is known […]
by Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute Percentage change in total Medicare physician fee schedule reimbursement per Medicare fee-for-service beneficiary for physicians, 2005 to 2021. Note. CF?=?conversion factor; RVU?=?relative value unit. Credit: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing (2024). DOI: 10.1177/00469580241249076 A new Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute study found […]
Rates of breast cancer in women under the age of 50 are rising in Canada according to a study which showed an increase in breast cancer diagnoses among females in their Twenties, Thirties, and Forties. Led by Dr. Jean Seely, this study published in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal reviewed breast cancer cases over […]
In silico analysis of enrichment for putative regulatory annotations among kidney cancer loci. Credit: Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01725-7 In a new analysis of genetic susceptibility to kidney cancer, an international team of researchers has identified 50 new areas across the genome that are associated with the risk of developing kidney cancer. These insights could […]
Study design and brief results of this study. Credit: Science China Press In a 3-stage study, three cohorts were used for diagnostic performance, and prognostic performance evaluation for this fully automated, one-click, on-site CT-FFR technique. The study was led by Professors Long Jiang Zhang and Guang Ming Lu (Department of Radiology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital […]
Medical education provider Medscape has bowed to pressure and agreed to permanently remove a series of accredited medical education courses on smoking cessation funded by the tobacco industry giant Philip Morris International (PMI), The BMJ and The Examination have found. The global company has acknowledged its “misjudgment” in a letter to complainants and says it […]
Study shows that cardiac spheroids, derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, can be easily transported and injected into damaged areas of the heart to promote its regeneration and recovery of function. Credit: Hideki Kobayashi, Shinshu University Regenerative heart therapies involve transplanting cardiac muscle cells into damaged areas of the heart to recover lost function. […]
Research nurse Elisabeth Müller Granberg will use a spirometer to test the ALS patient’s respiratory capacity. Credit: Mattias Pettersson There has been a breakthrough in the research on the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Scientists at Umeå University report that the disease progression in a patient with a particularly aggressive form of ALS disease has […]
The early use of azithromycin does not prevent the development of chronic lung disease in premature babies, finds new research by Cardiff University. The largest clinical trial for azithromycin and chronic lung diseases in premature babies has provided definitive answers to whether azithromycin can decrease rates of chronic lung disease in prematurely born babies. Professor […]
Safe sleep practices are a matter of life and death for infants. In Cook County, on average, there is one sudden unexpected infant death a week. “People don’t hear about these deaths, and so they think they must be very rare,” said RUSH pediatrician Gina Lowell MD, MPH, who leads the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death […]
Schematic of the TEAD 1 signaliing module that drives liver fibrosis. Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences A healthy liver filters all the blood in your body, breaks down toxins and digests fats. It produces collagen to repair damaged cells when the liver is injured. However, a liver can produce too much collagen when an […]
A sign for flu vaccination is displayed outside of a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. On Friday, April 26, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what’s counted as an active flu […]
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In 2019, it caused over 1 million deaths globally and was linked to almost 5 million. Discovering new antimicrobials to replace those that no longer work is essential, but it isn’t the only way to tackle antimicrobial resistance. How vaccines can tackle antimicrobial resistance […]
A pile of cocaine hydrochloride. Credit: DEA Drug Enforcement Agency, public domain A team of researchers at the University of Kentucky have found that both culturally tailored and culturally universal approaches can be effective for cocaine treatment in Black Americans. Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Ph.D., the acting dean of the College of Education and a professor, and […]
Over the past three decades, hospital closures have been on the rise in both urban and rural areas. Real-life consequences take many forms: creating barriers to accessing medical care, increasing transport times and potentially leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates for time-sensitive conditions. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the issue as many areas […]
a) Multiomics analysis with the Omni-MS workflow. b) Multiomic LC–MS separation. Credit: Metabolomics (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11306-024-02088-0 A recent study led by UC Davis Health researchers provides new insights into the molecular changes linked to the rare genetic condition 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, or 22q. It found unique biomarkers that could identify patients with 22q who may […]
Surveys involving thousands of adolescents and their primary caregiver have shown the prevalence of mental disorders within the age group is very different across Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Associate Professor Holly Erskine, from The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health and the Queensland Center for Mental Health Research, said the findings demonstrated the importance […]
Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies FABP5 upregulation during HCC progression. Credit: Nature Metabolism (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01019-6 Metabolic diseases like obesity can increase the risk of developing liver cancer, research has shown. But how one disease predisposes to the other is unclear. In a new study, Yale researchers uncovered a key role played by a molecule called […]
Jaime Guevara-Aguirre (back left), Valter Longo (back right), and several of the Laron study participants at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles. Credit: Jaime Guevara-Aguirre and Valter Longo A new study highlights possible cardiovascular health advantages in individuals with a rare condition known as growth hormone receptor deficiency (GHRD), also called […]
A single injection of an experimental monoclonal antibody called L9LS prevented malaria infection in children in Mali. L9LS binds to and neutralizes “sporozoites,” the form of the malaria parasite transmitted by mosquitoes that invades the liver to initiate infection. Credit: NIH One injected dose of an experimental malaria monoclonal antibody was 77% effective against malaria […]
For undocumented Latinx patients who sought care in the emergency room during the pandemic, the reported rate of having received the COVID-19 vaccine was found to be the same as U.S. citizens, a new UCLA Health study found. These findings appearing in JAMA Network Open, surprised researchers, given that COVID-19 disproportionately affected the Latinx community […]
Housing insecurity is an issue for one in 20 patients who go to emergency departments at major medical centers in the Southeast, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) study published in JAMA Network Open. These patients were more likely to present with a chief complaint of suicide, to be uninsured, and to have […]
Predominant object-centered encoding across neuronal populations in the size invariant task. a) Hypothetical and actual confusion matrices in cross-conditional decoding. b) Across the population of PMd (red) and PRR (blue) neurons, Position and Size Invariance values were mostly positive, indicating predominant size-invariant neural selectivity in the last 300?ms of visual memory period. c) Equivalently, positive […]
This 2009 electron microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a large group of Gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium bacteria that had been isolated from a pure culture. Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a […]
Pfizer’s Beqvez, which is given as a single intravenous infusion, was shown in a clinical trial of 45 people to be better at preventing bleeding among adults with moderate to severe hemophilia B, compared to regular infusions of a protein that promotes clotting. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has received US approval for a gene therapy against […]
In vitro cytotoxicity and expansion of (CAR) T cells in responders and nonresponders. Credit: Nature Cancer (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00763-8 CAR T cell therapy has proven effective in treating various hematological cancers. However, not all patients respond equally well to treatment. In a clinical study, researchers from the University of Leipzig Medical Center and the Fraunhofer […]
Certain features of modern buildings seem to cause more or less pronounced disadvantages for health, as they prevent contact with the multitude of microbes in the natural environment and in total seem to have negative effects on microbial diversity. Credit: Katja Duwe-Schrinner Over the last 20 years, the life sciences have come to realize that […]
The visual stimuli consisted of NCS stimuli that evoked illusory luminance to form a drifting grating and control stimuli that either blocked the illusion (DBC stimuli) or were a real grating (LDG stimuli). Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46885-6 For the first time, research shows that a certain kind of visual illusion, neon color spreading, […]
Between 2018 and the spring of 2023, a cluster of clients who had gotten ‘vampire facial’ microneedling skin treatments at a New Mexico spa were diagnosed with HIV, probably via poorly cleaned instruments, a new report finds. When HIV arises among people without known risk factors, doctors “might consider cosmetic injection services as a route […]
Each year, thousands of Americans head home after a surgery clutching prescription opioids to help ease post-surgical pain. Trouble is, most won’t use all those pills, and that could lead to a lot of misuse and addiction, one study found. And with National Prescription Drug Take Back Day slated for Saturday, it’s time yet again […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114073 A fully functioning immune system is essential to help the body maintain good health, and macrophages play a critical role in maintaining robust immune responses against infections. A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of […]
Food options presented to the participants before starting the DD task. Example of (B) money and (C) food DD task trials. During fMRI, participants had to choose between a smaller but immediate or a larger but delayed reward. Credit: eneuro (2024). DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0153-23.2024 Neuroscience researchers from Bochum confirm different strategies when choosing between primary and […]
Intranasal ?-glucan exposure generates environmentally adapted ApoE+CD11b+ AMs within the bronchoalveolar space. Credit: Nature Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01830-z Our lungs are bombarded by all manner of different particles every single day. While some are perfectly safe for us, others—known as pathogens—have the potential to make us ill. The immune system trains its response whenever it […]
Pathway enrichment for differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at baseline. Circle size represents the number of genes belonging to each pathway (bigger circle?=?higher number of gene). Credit: Annals of Neurology (2024). DOI: 10.1002/ana.26923 A team of Northwestern Medicine investigators has discovered novel DNA methylation patterns in the blood of patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to findings […]
April is IBS Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. Research suggests that about 12% of people in the U.S. have irritable bowel syndrome, and it’s more common among women than men and in people younger than 50, according to the National Institute […]
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, which make this a good time to learn about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease, according to the American Parkinson Disease Association. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder […]
Spontaneous vasomotion detection. Credit: eLife (2024). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.93721.3 Compared with computers, the brain can perform computations with a very low net energy supply. Yet our understanding surrounding how the biological brain manages energy is still incomplete. What is known, however, is that the dilation and constriction cycles of blood vessels, or vasomotion, spontaneously occur in […]
Climbing stairs is associated with a longer life, according to research presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart,” said study author Dr. Sophie Paddock […]
“Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 Australian children and young people live with currently untreatable childhood dementia. Broadly speaking, childhood dementia is caused by any one of more than 100 rare genetic disorders. Although the causes differ from dementia acquired later in life, […]
Three years after the federal government launched the Canada-wide early learning and child-care plan (CWELCC), our study conducted through the Atkinson Center for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto finds mixed results in terms of the plan’s ambitions to improve families’ access to affordable child care. Across the country care is less […]
Almost a quarter of US children with symptoms of a brain injury or concussion are not checked for the condition, with younger children particularly likely to be overlooked, a new national study finds. The research, which is published in the journal Brain Injury, also shows that children with symptoms or a diagnosis of a brain […]
A study in more than 3,000 US counties, with 315 million residents, has suggested that air pollution is linked with stress and depression, putting under-65-year-olds at increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The research is presented today at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024. “Our study indicates that the air we breathe affects our mental well-being, […]
Researchers have developed tiny, flexible devices that can wrap around individual nerve fibers without damaging them. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, combined flexible electronics and soft robotics techniques to develop the devices, which could be used for the diagnosis and treatment of a range of disorders, including epilepsy and chronic pain, or the […]
A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests a common brain network exists between heart rate deceleration and depression. By evaluating data from 14 people with no depression symptoms, the team found that stimulating some parts of the brain linked to depression with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) also affected heart rate, suggesting […]
In the United States this year alone, there will be an anticipated 2,001,140 new cancer cases—leading to an estimated 611,720 related deaths. That’s 5,480 new cases and 1,680 deaths every day. And, according to a recent CNN report, cancer cases among younger people are rising sharply. The American Cancer Society-reported cancer risks rise greatly with […]
Credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels Millions of people around the world live with diabetes mellitus. Many of them have medication and specific dietary management approaches to help them maintain stable blood sugar levels. However, recent innovations, such as inhaled insulin, the hormone made by the pancreas, which controls blood sugar, have sparked hope for more […]
Categorical operationalizations of dose–response relationships between PA and diseases of interest as estimates of relative risk for each 1 mMET-hour/week category of PA derived from ‘drpa’ R package. Credit: Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108667 Physical activity in natural environments prevent almost 13,000 cases of non-communicable diseases a year in England and save treatment costs of […]
A research team from the School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), found positive effects of tai chi and aerobic exercise on sleep quality, psychological well-being, physical function, and circadian rhythm in patients with advanced lung cancer. The study, conducted over a four-year period, discovered additional advantages in […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Metabolism (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.01.015 Aging, a phenomenon that affects every individual, is a natural part of the human condition but one that often induces anxiety. These feelings are paired with health conditions and illnesses that accompany the aging process, all of which decrease lifespan, the amount of healthy and active years, […]
There is increasing evidence that implicit bias—non-conscious attitudes toward specific groups—is a source of racial inequities in certain aspects of health care, and lawmakers are taking note. Since the tragic murder of George Floyd in May 2020, wherein a Black man was killed by police, several U.S. federal and state legislators have introduced proposals declaring […]
Vaping is now more common than cigarette smoking among young people, according to a new report coordinated by the University of Glasgow and commissioned by the World Health Organization. This echoes research that has found the popularity of vaping among young people in the UK has surged in recent years. The number of children experimenting […]
Patricia Creque describes herself as “one of those people who has music in my head and am always ready to dance.” Peripheral artery disease (PAD), however, had made it difficult for her to dance—or even walk. “For years I had such issues with my legs,” said Creque, 69, of Wyomissing. “I had no idea what […]
School lunches will soon contain less added sugars and salt under new nutrition standards announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday. “We all share the goal of helping children reach their full potential,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release announcing the changes. “Like teachers, classrooms, books and computers, nutritious school […]
Credit: Scientific Reports (2024). DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-52588-1 University of Waterloo researchers have invented a digital medical imaging system that significantly improves the cancer detection process to deliver immediate results and enable swift, effective treatment for all types of cancer. The Photon Absorption Remote Sensing (PARS) system, an innovative, built-from-scratch technology, is faster than traditional cancer-detection methods and […]
A screenshot of the infant gut model. From top to bottom: bacteria, milk sugar, lactic acid, and acetic acid. Nutrients like milk sugar enter from the left and flow to the right. Meanwhile, bacteria convert them into substances like lactic acid. These substances also flow to the right and can be further converted by other […]
Men are still often afforded a great deal of power and privilege in society due to their gender, however, they also experience disproportionate rates of negative psychosocial outcomes. Men, for instance, have higher mortality rates, lower life expectancy, and are more likely to die by suicide. Yet, despite those challenges, men are less likely than […]
Credit: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2024.02.009 A multicenter study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy in Nashville has identified a potential new treatment for acute heart failure, a leading cause of hospitalization and death. The drug, dapagliflozin, was initially approved for the treatment […]
Correlation between body mass index (BMI) and very low frequency (VLF) amplitude of fluctuation (AFVLF) in brain regions. Left: Statistical map of the voxelwise correlation between AFVLF with BMI. AFVLF was positively associated with BMI in brain regions indicated on the red-yellow color scale. Right: Correlation plot illustrating the relationship between mean AFVLF averaged across […]
The widespread use of alcohol and e-cigarettes among adolescents is “alarming”, according to a report released on Thursday by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European branch, which recommended measures to limit access. Based on survey data from 280,000 young people aged 11, 13 and 15 in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, the WHO said it […]
For the past year, police Detective Tim Lillard has spent most of his waking hours unofficially investigating his wife’s death. The question has never been exactly how Ann Picha-Lillard died on Nov. 19, 2022: She succumbed to respiratory failure after an infection put too much strain on her weakened lungs. She was 65. For Tim […]
Frailty is a well-established predictor of complications and death after surgery. However, patients over 65 who undergo a high-risk operation in the emergency room are at significantly increased risk of postoperative complications and death in comparison to the same patients who are assessed solely on their level of frailty, according to a study published in […]
The mitochondria in the liver change their shape as soon as food is perceived. The image shows an electron micrograph of the mitochondria in liver cells. Credit: S. Henscke/Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research What happens in the body when we are hungry and see and smell food? A team of researchers at the Max […]
It’s an idea as old as modern medicine and as new as the latest medical research. No matter how you look at health equity, the conversation involves contradictions. But at its core are fundamental questions about illness and health, say experts who have watched the conversation move from the fringes of scholarly debate to the […]
Baseline (6 p.m.) related changes in cognitive performance, speed in processing time and metabolic parameters after oral administration of creatine versus placebo when pooled at 3 points (0 p.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m.). Creatine administration led to significant improvements in word memory task (WMT), speed in processing time in WMT, language, logic, and numeric tasks, […]
Consumers need clearer information about the nutritional content and processing of meat and dairy alternatives when they are buying food, according to a new study. Overall, the research from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that plant-based alternatives are more environmentally friendly than animal-based products, and can be healthier. Their findings, […]
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Aalborg University in Denmark, have found that vitamin D encourages the growth of a type of gut bacteria in mice which improves immunity to cancer. Reported in Science, the researchers found that mice given a […]
Diagnosing rare Mendelian disorders is a labor-intensive task, even for experienced geneticists. Investigators at Baylor College of Medicine are trying to make the process more efficient using artificial intelligence. The team developed a machine learning system called AI-MARRVEL (AIM) to help prioritize potentially causative variants for Mendelian disorders. The study is published in NEJM AI. […]
An international group of noise experts from the Copenhagen Cancer Institute (Denmark), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Philadelphia (U.S.) and the Department of Cardiology at the Mainz University Medical Center have analyzed recent epidemiological data and found strong evidence that transportation noise […]
Substance use during pregnancy and postpartum may impact areas of the brain associated with what psychologists and neuroscientists call “affective empathy,” or the emotional response experienced as a result of others’ emotions, a new study suggests. Researchers exposed both mothers who used substances during the perinatal period [start of pregnancy until one year after birth], […]
Investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai and colleagues report that women with type 2 diabetes diagnosed with hypertension before age 50 may benefit from intensive blood pressure treatment. The findings, published in Diabetes Care, show the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is reduced in women with type 2 diabetes diagnosed with hypertension in […]
Young-onset breast cancer (YOBC) with germline BRCA pathogenic variants (PVs) is associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality if diagnosed within 10 years after childbirth, according to a study published online April 19 in JAMA Network Open. Zhenzhen Zhang, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues examined whether […]
Rotator cuff anatomy. The bursa is a thin, fluid-filled sac originally thought to protect tendons in the rotator cuff by providing a cushion between the tendons and adjacent bones. While repairing injuries to the rotator cuff tendons, surgeons often remove the bursa because they suspect it is a source of shoulder inflammation and pain. Credit: Stavros […]
Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02451 Research appearing in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry shows for the first time SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can be inhibited from replicating in living cell cultures using a compound that targets “Mac-1,” a protein key to defending SARS-CoV-2 against the human immune response. […]
At the height of the pandemic, timely access to COVID-19 testing was crucial for curbing the spread of the disease and informing treatment decisions. Studies have unveiled racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection rates, clinical outcomes, and access to treatment and testing. However, until now, there has been a gap in research specifically examining […]
U.S. recalls of foods for salmonella, foreign objects or undeclared allergens are rampant nowadays and the highest they’ve been since 2020, a watchdog group warns. “Everyone needs to do better: food producers, regulators and lawmakers,” said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). “We shouldn’t have to worry that everything from […]
As many patients already know, urinary tract infections (UTIs) can recur despite the use of antibiotics. So, it’s welcome news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) to fight bacterial UTIs. “UTIs are a very common condition impacting women and one of the most frequent reasons for antibiotic use,” Dr. […]
Ways in which artificial intelligence is being developed to manage and treat erectile dysfunction. AI, artificial intelligence; ED, erectile dysfunction. Credit: Sanchez, D., Slovacek, H. and Wang, R. In a review published in the journal of UroPrecision, researchers from the University of Texas McGovern Medical School reveal how artificial intelligence (AI) is setting a new […]
Human activities have transformed and degraded Earth’s natural systems. But it’s not just the planet that endures the harms of things like pollution and climate change. Changes like rising ocean temperatures and CO2 levels have cascading effects that threaten the future of humans. In this Q&A, adapted from the April 22 episode of Public Health […]
A quality improvement (QI) initiative to standardize care for babies in the NICU following surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) correlated with fewer unplanned intubations and improved mortality rates. The study, “Reducing Unplanned Intubations in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit After Children’s Surgery: A Quality Improvement Project,” streamlined care following surgery in […]
Tumor-resident microbiota ETBF together with NOD1 expression predict a poor response to chemotherapy in breast cancer. Credit: Wei Ma, Lu Zhang, Weilong Chen, Zhaoxia Chang, Juchuanli Tu, Yuanyuan Qin, Yuwen Yao, Mengxue Dong, Jiajun Ding, Siqin Li, Fengkai Li, Qiaodan Deng, Yifei Yang, Tingting Feng, Fanrong Zhang, Xiying Shao, Xueyan He, Lixing Zhang, Guohong Hu, […]
Many researchers and clinicians advise the parents of a deaf child waiting for a cochlear implant to avoid sign language and focus exclusively on spoken language. This is due to the widespread belief that exposing a deaf child to sign language actually interferes with the learning of spoken language after the implant has restored hearing. […]
DNA, which has a double-helix structure, can have many genetic mutations and variations. Credit: NIH A new paper by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists lays the foundation for targeted therapies to inhibit the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-?B), a transcription factor that plays a role in various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancers. The […]
Cancer Survivors Reporting Loneliness Experience Higher Mortality Risk, New Study Shows. Credit: American Cancer Society A new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) showed people surviving cancer who reported feeling more lonely experienced a higher mortality risk compared to survivors reporting low or no loneliness. Researchers observed the highest mortality risk […]
Child maltreatment is a serious public health issue in the United States, particularly affecting young children who are most vulnerable due to their dependence on caregivers. Infants under two years old account for over one-quarter, or 28.1%, of all maltreatment cases in the U.S., and infants under one year of age experience the highest rate […]
Antibiotic treatment of adults hospitalized with moderate COVID-19 is associated with clinical deterioration, despite the drugs being given to over 40% of patients, according to new research being presented at this year’s ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) The findings underscore the need to discourage indiscriminate prescribing and improve antibiotic stewardship […]
In global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that scientists step forward to engage with the public and help deliver medical and scientific advice in a friendly, digestible and open format. While the traditional way for scientists to do this is by responding to media requests, alternatives, including collaborating with illustrators and local […]
During epidemics of Ebola, COVID-19, Zika and other public health emergencies, effective communication of public health messages is crucial to control the spread of disease, maintain public trust, and encourage compliance with health measures. In a new evidence review to be given at this year’s ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April), […]
Despite progress in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the U.S. since its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital-acquired AMR infections remain well above pre-pandemic levels, according to a major new study examining AMR before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 120 US hospitals. The study was led by Dr. Christina Yek from the US […]
Living at higher altitudes in India is linked to an increased risk of stunted growth, with children living in homes 2,000 meters or more above sea level 40% more at risk than those living 1,000 meters below, finds research published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. Children living in rural areas seem to be the […]
Both social isolation, defined as the objective state of having few connections with others, and loneliness, which is a subjective negative feeling of being alone, adversely impact the body and mind. In contrast, some individuals can be socially isolated and yet lead healthy lives without experiencing loneliness. However, comprehensive research on the mechanisms through which […]