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Credit: Cancer Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.015 A study appearing in Cancer Cell uncovers the evolutionary dynamics of glioblastoma recurrence through proteogenomic analysis, offering potential therapeutic avenues. The research team, led by Professor Jason K. Sa from Korea University College of Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Informatics and Professor Jong Bae Park from the National Cancer Center, has elucidated the evolutionary process of glioblastoma recurrence through integrative proteogenomic analysis. They have provided new treatment opportunities based on their findings. Glioblastoma is known for its complex genetic alterations and cellular capability to interact Read More
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Geographic map of the trapping sites of wild rats harboring Rocahepevirus ratti genotype C1 (HEV-C1) in the Republic of Korea (ROK), between 2011 and 2021. The geographic map shows rodent trapping sites where wild Rattus norvegicus. Credit: Journal of Medical Virology (2024). DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29401 A team of researchers from Korea University College of Medicine, including Professor Jin-Won Song from the Department of Microbiology, Professor Ji Hoon Kim from the Department of Internal Medicine, and Researcher Kyungmin Park, has identified hepatitis E virus (HEV) in urban Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Read More
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Credit: Marcus Aurelius from Pexels A UCLA-led study suggests that women who are 65 years old or older with high-risk breast cancer and are treated with chemotherapy are more likely to develop a substantial decline in physical function. The study, published in a special issue of the Journal of Cancer Survivorship, found that over 30% of older women who have early-stage breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy experienced a significant decline in their ability to perform daily tasks like walking or climbing stairs compared to those who didn’t have chemotherapy and Read More
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To see what young babies see and look at, Smith’s Lab put head-cameras on infants to wear in the home during daily life activities. Credit: Indiana University’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences What do infants see? What do they look at? The answers to these questions are very different for the youngest babies than they are for older infants, children and adults. Characterized by a few high-contrast edges in simple patterns, these early scenes also contain the very materials needed to build a strong foundation for human vision. That Read More
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When it comes to improving the lives of children with genetic conditions, medical research often focuses solely on the children. But there is an equally important population in need of research that a faculty member at the University of Colorado Department of Medicine is highlighting—the caregivers. “We need to think very broadly about how to support not just the kids—yes, that matters—but also the people caring for those kids,” said Liza Creel, Ph.D., a health services researcher and associate professor in the Division of Health Care Policy and Research. “I Read More
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The reminders are everywhere. When a woman turns 40, doctors say she should begin receiving yearly mammograms to detect breast cancer. You see it on posters, ads and buttons. Doctors beat the drum forcefully and often because the stakes are high. While both women and men can develop breast cancer, the disease occurs far more often in women. Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in women, according to the American Cancer Society. About 42,250 women in the United States will die from it this year, and Read More
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Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. In Europe, almost 3 in every 10 adults were diagnosed with a form of cancer in 2022. With the recent revelations that three members of the royal family have cancer, many people may be thinking about their own risk of developing cancer—and wondering if there’s anything they can do to prevent the disease. Cancer is a complex condition, with many factors that may increase a person’s risk. But research shows exercise may actually play an important role—with a growing body of Read More
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Counterfeit versions of Botox have been found in multiple states, including California, according to the California Department of Public Health. The health agency is warning consumers and medical providers to be wary of the counterfeit products, which have caused “hospitalizations and other serious reactions in people who received injections in non-medical, unlicensed settings.” “Counterfeit or incorrectly administered Botox, even in small amounts, can result in serious health problems and even death,” Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, department of public health director and state public health officer, said in a Wednesday news Read More
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Just a few days on a night shift schedule throws off protein rhythms related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation, processes that can influence the development of chronic metabolic conditions. The finding, from a study led by scientists at Washington State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, provides new clues as to why night shift workers are more prone to diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders. “There are processes tied to the master biological clock in our brain that are saying that day is day and night Read More
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Baby Opal and mother Jo. Credit: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust A baby girl born deaf can hear unaided for the first time, after receiving gene therapy when she was 11 months old at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Opal Sandy from Oxfordshire is the first patient treated in a global gene therapy trial, which shows “mind-blowing” results. She is the first British patient in the world and the youngest child to receive this type of treatment. Opal was born completely deaf because of a rare genetic condition, auditory neuropathy, Read More
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Too much time alone can take a toll on the mind—and for older adults, the consequences can be particularly severe. “Individuals who experience isolation have higher levels of negative cardiovascular outcomes, functional limitations, cognitive health, and a 30% increased mortality risk as indicated in certain studies,” says Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Indeed, increased risk of mortality from social isolation has been compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. At the societal level, roughly 1 in 4 people over 65 are Read More
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When doctors began using the drug sotorasib in 2021 with high expectations for its innovative approach to attacking lung cancer, retired medical technician Don Crosslin was an early beneficiary. Crosslin started the drug that July. His tumors shrank, then stabilized. But while the drug has helped keep him alive, its side effects have gradually narrowed the confines of his life, said Crosslin, 76, who lives in Ocala, Florida: “My appetite has been minimal. I’m very weak. I walk my dogs and get around a bit, but I haven’t been able Read More
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3D electron microscope volumes showing the synaptic sites where neurotransmitters are released. Credit: Jan Funke / HHMI Janelia Research Campus Like many good ideas in science, it started with a walk in the woods. During a stroll through the Berlin Botanic Garden in 2019, HHMI Janelia Research Campus Group Leader Jan Funke and some of his scientific colleagues started chatting about a familiar topic: How to get more information out of insect connectomes. These wiring diagrams give researchers unprecedented information about brain cells and how they connect to each other, Read More
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by Gary Sacks, Kathryn Backholer, Kathryn Bradbury and Sally Mackay, The Conversation In recent years, there’s been increasing hype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods. But new evidence published this week found not all “ultra-processed” foods are linked to poor health. That includes the mass-produced wholegrain bread you buy from the supermarket. While this newly published research and associated editorial are unlikely to end the wrangling about how best to define unhealthy foods and diets, it’s critical those debates don’t delay the implementation of policies that Read More
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In the United States fluconazole is commonly used to treat yeast infections and thrush, but in other parts of the world—particularly sub-Saharan Africa—it’s also the only drug available to combat life-threatening fungal infections associated with AIDS. Credit: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Emily Finn For the roughly 150,000 AIDS patients who come down with a life-threatening infection called fungal meningitis each year, there aren’t many options. In many parts of the world, there’s only one treatment available: a drug called fluconazole that works for less than half of Read More
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First introduced five decades ago, MRI scanners are now a cornerstone of modern medicine, vital for diagnosing strokes, tumors, spinal conditions and more, without exposing patients to radiation. A magnetic resonance imaging device built with off-the-shelf parts and paired with AI matched the performance of high-end MRI machines, according to a study published Thursday that could pave the way for greater access to the life-saving tools. First introduced five decades ago, MRI scanners are now a cornerstone of modern medicine, vital for diagnosing a wide range of conditions — including strokes, Read More
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In the 2007 film “The Bucket List,” Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go on a range of energetic, overseas escapades. Since then, the term “bucket list”—a list of experiences or achievements to complete before you “kick the bucket” or die—has become common. You can read articles listing the seven cities you must visit before you die or the 100 Australian bucket-list travel experiences. But there is a more serious side to the idea Read More
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Microbiota changes in esophageal cancer. The microbiota of the distal esophagus was influenced by acid reflux from the stomach. Acid reflux leads to inflammation and mucosal damage, resulting in the change of microbiome in the distal esophagus. This process allows the columnar epithelium to replace the original squamous epithelium of the esophagus, which can then progress to BE and EAC. The microbiota in the upper part of the esophagus is influenced by oral resident flora, in which P. gingivalis promotes the development of ESCC. BE, Barrett’s esophagus; EAC, esophageal adenocarcinoma; Read More
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The highest performing countries across public health outcomes share many drivers that contribute to their success. That’s the conclusion of a study published May 9 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Dr. Nadia Akseer, an Epidemiologist-Biostatistician at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-author of the study and colleagues in the Exemplars in Global Health (EGH) program. In recent years, the EGH program has begun to identify and study positive outliers when it comes to global health programs around the world, with an aim of Read More
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Six layers of excitatory neurons color-coded by depth. Credit: Google Research and Lichtman Lab A cubic millimeter of brain tissue may not sound like much. But considering that tiny square contains 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and 150 million synapses, all amounting to 1,400 terabytes of data, Harvard and Google researchers have just accomplished something enormous. A Harvard team led by Jeff Lichtman, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and newly appointed dean of science, has co-created with Google researchers the largest synaptic-resolution, 3D Read More
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For patients with acute stroke and a large infarct, thrombectomy plus medical care results in better functional outcomes and lower mortality, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Vincent Costalat, M.D., Ph.D., from the Hôpital Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier in France, and colleagues assigned patients with proximal cerebral vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation and a large infarct detected on magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography within 6.5 hours after symptom onset to undergo endovascular thrombectomy and receive medical care Read More
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Health care professionals attending certain smoke-producing endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures, including a procedure that uses electrical current to remove polyps, could be exposed to dangerous toxin levels equivalent to smoking a cigarette during each procedure and face “significant health risks” over their careers, according to a study scheduled for presentation at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024. “Surgeons in the operating room have regulations and guidelines to mitigate smoke exposure, but that does not exist for gastrointestinal endoscopy,” said Trent Walradt, MD, a research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and lead Read More
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Credit: RUN 4 FFWPU from Pexels Extreme exercise doesn’t seem to shorten the lifespan as is widely believed, suggest the findings of a study on the longevity of the first 200 athletes to run a mile in under 4 minutes, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. They outlive the general population by several years, shows the study, which marks the 70th anniversary of the seminal achievement of Roger Bannister, who was the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes in May 1954. While regular Read More
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New research from the University of Toronto finds that adults reporting more depression symptoms in the past week are less likely to report physical activity in the same period, and this relationship generally goes both ways: being more active is also linked to better mental health. Published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, the study contributes to better understanding how depression symptoms and physical activity are connected and mutually affect each other during adulthood. “It was surprising to find that present depression symptoms can negatively impact your physical Read More
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Manhattan (A) and QQ plot (B) from the EWAS of DNAm with the ADI. Adjusted for race, sex, educational attainment, age at death, APOE genotype, cell type, and post-mortem interval. Bonferroni-threshold: 0.05/789889 = 6.33e-8 (?=0.94). Credit: Aging (2024). DOI: 10.18632/aging.205764 A new research paper was published in Aging, titled, “The association between neighborhood deprivation and DNA methylation in an autopsy cohort.” Previous research has found that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with poor health outcomes. Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may alter inflammation and immune response in the body, Read More
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a Class 1 recall—its most urgent kind—for an IOS app linked to a specific kind of insulin pump used by people with diabetes. The recall notice, which the FDA says is a “correction” rather than a product removal, involves version 2.7 of the Apple iOS t:connect mobile app. It’s used in conjunction with t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ technology. The problem: The app can repeatedly crash and then restart. Over time, this drains the battery of the insulin pump, which must Read More
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Timeline of human embryogenesis showing the developmental stages and the emergence of different features of life. Credit: 2024 Loseva and Gladyshev. A new review paper was published in advance by Aging, titled “The beginning of becoming a human.” According to birth certificates, the life of a child begins once their body comes out of the mother’s womb. In this new review, researchers Polina A. Loseva and Vadim N. Gladyshev from Harvard Medical School pose the controversial question: when does their organismal life begin? Science holds a palette of answers—depending on Read More
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Australian researchers have discovered how changes in antibody levels over time can predict which children are likely to outgrow their peanut allergy. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne and published in Allergy, found two thirds of children with a peanut allergy remain allergic by the age of 10. But for those who did naturally outgrow their allergy, the majority achieved this by six years old. The study was the first to use antibodies as biomarkers to identify persistent or a resolved peanut allergy during the Read More
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Neighborhoods of high need are where investment in social care offers the best opportunities to improve health. Screening for social determinants of health is comparatively easy, but building the infrastructure to meet needs occurring outside the formal health care system is quite difficult. Few health systems have achieved more than even partial integration of social care into routine patient care. In a case study of pioneering social care provided by Eskenazi Health, a safety net health system located in Indianapolis, researchers from Eskenazi Health, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School Read More
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Members of the Adair Lab at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Dr. Jen Adair, center in tan blazer, is working with patients to make gene therapy accessible to all. Credit: Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientist Jennifer E. Adair, Ph.D., is on a mission to foster worldwide collaboration on potentially curative gene therapies. Holder of the Fleischauer Family Endowed Chair in Gene Therapy Translation, Adair just co-authored two articles published today in Science Translational Medicine as part of a special series on global access to Read More
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AI-generated PET results shown overlaid on CT. Credit: Oncotarget (2024). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28583 A new research paper was published in Oncotarget, titled “Deep learning-based whole-body PSMA PET/CT attenuation correction utilizing Pix-2-Pix GAN.” Radiation dosage limits the sequential PET/CT studies oncology patients can undergo during their treatment follow-up course. In this new study, researchers from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute proposed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to produce attenuation-corrected PET (AC-PET) images from non-attenuation-corrected PET (NAC-PET) images to reduce need for low-dose CT scans. “AI-generated PET images have clinical Read More
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Every oncologist and cancer researcher is familiar with the hallmarks of cancer, a series of functional capabilities that human cells acquire as they transition from a normal state to a neoplastic state (a state of excessive and abnormal growth). These hallmarks have been used (and updated) during the last quarter of a century as a “conceptual scaffold” to help “rationalize the complex phenotypes of diverse human tumor types and variants in terms of a common set of underlying cellular parameters.” Now, Ken Lau, professor of cell and developmental biology, and Read More
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Estimated carbon footprint of different health-care facility types by Canadian province. Scope 1 and 2, excluding transportation. Estimate for Fraser Valley home care informed by estimates of energy consumption and bed data provided by Fraser Health Authority, with support from the Energy and Environmental Sustainability team. Credit: The Lancet Planetary Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00048-2 A study led by Canadian researchers sheds new light on how to approach decreasing the carbon footprint of our health care system by thinking critically about end-of-life care. The study, led by a team at McMaster Read More
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Patients with pulmonary fibrosis from the poorest areas had more severe symptoms by the time they saw a hospital doctor and had a poorer survival rate than those living in wealthier areas, according to the new research. The study, led by the University of East Anglia, also found people living furthest from a hospital pulmonary fibrosis center also had shorter life expectancy than those living closer. It is estimated that 32,500 people in the U.K. are living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic progressive scarring lung disease which makes Read More
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This “smart” contact lens could someday help measure eye pressure and send wireless signals to enable early detection of glaucoma. Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02289 Most people with early-stage glaucoma don’t know they have it, even though early treatment is key to reducing vision loss. While detecting a subtle increase in eye pressure helps doctors to diagnose glaucoma, it’s challenging to monitor continuously, especially with the variety of temperatures eyes experience. Now, researchers in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces report a prototype “smart” contact Read More
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A new study has investigated how measures of thinking, memory, and Alzheimer’s disease risk group together in Veterans aged 65 and older without dementia. Results of the study showed multiple patterns of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and Alzheimer’s disease risk and may imply that older Veterans with certain cognitive difficulties could mistakenly receive a diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s disease, when other factors such as PTSD may really be the root cause of the cognitive difficulties. The findings are published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. “PTSD seems to keep emerging Read More
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New research by Western Sydney University has identified the need to translate psychosocial assessment tools, which measure social ability and well-being, used in aged care environments into multiple languages. This translation is crucial for the effective evaluation of social engagement and quality of life in older adults receiving aged care services. The research revealed that cultural appropriateness significantly impacted the delivery of questions within the assessment tools. This included difficulties such as the lack of terms for unique places of worship, outdated language such as references to reading newspapers, and Read More
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Researchers interviewed 586 people in Tijuana (202) and San Diego (384) between 2020 and 2021, including people experiencing homeless and living on streets like this one in San Diego. Credit: Alhelí Calderón Villarreal, M.D., M.P.H. A defining development of the 20th century that changed the course of public health was when governments around the world improved access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. However, a binational study led by University of California San Diego researchers has found that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, people experiencing homelessness and individuals Read More
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Having social support and strong social networks is vital to the health and well-being of older adults living with HIV, according to a Rutgers Health study. Published in AIDS Care and led by Kristen Krause, an instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, the study examined the social connections of older people living with HIV in Newark, N.J.—a region frequently overlooked in research focusing on this demographic. “This study helps us understand how support networks affect older adults living with HIV and how stigma and fragmented relationships can ultimately Read More
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Among New Yorkers with low incomes, the “Vision Zero” initiative to stem roadway crashes resulted in a marked, 30% reduction in traffic injuries of varying severity from early 2014—when the city government launched the program—until 2019, according to a new study conducted at New York University. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, revealed this trend of improved safety by comparing Medicaid-covered injury treatments during Vision Zero’s first five years with those of Medicaid enrollees in neighboring jurisdictions on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley, where Read More
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Scatterplot of the 28-item and 5-item PES-NWI composite scores in the 2016 hospital sample. PES-NWI, Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Credit: Research in Nursing & Health (2024). DOI: 10.1002/nur.22388 New research from Penn Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR)—recently published in the journal Research in Nursing & Health—has successfully validated a new, streamlined version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), originally authored in 2002 by Eileen T. Lake, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Professor of Nursing, the Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor Read More
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A team of neuroscientists have studied the impact of escalating environmental and social challenges on both our brains and the sustainability of the planet. The expert team is led by Dr. Agustin Ibáñez from the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and a perspective paper from the group is published in the journal Neuron. The paper explores the ways in which the “brain economy” can contribute to the objectives of the One Health framework, a long-established United Nations priority that seeks to harmonize and improve the health of humans, animals, and Read More
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Neuralink, the brain implant company owned by Elon Musk, said that it had fixed an issue that saw its first patient’s ability to move a computer cursor greatly reduced. Musk’s neurotechnology company in January installed a brain implant in Noland Arbaugh, the company’s first human test subject, which the billionaire head of Tesla and X touted as a success. Arbaugh was left paralyzed from the shoulders down by a diving accident eight years ago. Shortly after the implant operation, he told of playing chess and the videogame “Civilization,” as well Read More
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Discrimination may speed up the biological processes of aging, according to a new study led by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health. The research links interpersonal discrimination to changes at the molecular level, revealing a potential root cause of disparities in aging-related illness and death. “Experiencing discrimination appears to hasten the process of aging, which may be contributing to disease and early mortality and fueling health disparities,” said Adolfo Cuevas, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at NYU’s School of Global Public Health Read More
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Diagrammatic overview of themes and subthemes. Credit: BMJ Open (2024). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082779 Young people who have undergone successful treatment for eye cancer are often subject to bullying and require psychological support, a new study has revealed. Researchers at the University of York say that more longer-term support is needed for those who have been treated for a rare childhood cancer, Retinoblastoma, which is diagnosed in 40–50 children in the U.K. a year. The condition, which is often diagnosed before the age of 5, is usually treatable but often leaves patients Read More
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A new study by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) has found that compared to non-volunteers, older adults who volunteer feel more supported by their social networks, which in turn leads to an improvement in their quality of life. This is even though social networks from which older adults receive actual help do not expand as a result of volunteering. Through a study of 2,887 Singaporeans aged 60 and above, the NTU Singapore and Duke-NUS researchers also found that those who volunteered regularly with a Read More
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Symptom burden is prevalent among young childhood cancer survivors, with caregiver anxiety and greater neighborhood deprivation associated with greater symptom burden, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Network Open. Madeline R. Horan, Ph.D., from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and colleagues examined the prevalence of symptom burden among young childhood cancer survivors in a cross-sectional analysis. The study included 302 dyads of children aged 8 to 18 years who survived at least five years beyond diagnosis and their primary caregivers. The researchers Read More
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Mothers’ childhood experiences of trauma can predict their children’s behavior problems, even when the mothers did not raise their children, who were placed for adoption as newborns, a new University of Oregon study shows. The research team, led by Leslie Leve, a professor in the UO College of Education and scientist with the Prevention Science Institute, found a link between birth mothers who had experienced stressful childhood events, such as abuse, neglect, violence or poverty, and their children’s behavior problems. This was true even though the children were raised by Read More
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Experts in mycobacterial diseases at National Jewish Health, in collaboration with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are investigating a potential outbreak of a highly drug-resistant mycobacterium (germ) after U.S. patients who traveled to Mexico for stem cell injections became sick. Genetically identical Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense infections following stem cell injections at various clinics in Mexico prompted this investigation. Early results of the study are published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and additional cases are being evaluated. “As a world-renowned Read More
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Credit: Blood Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021826 A new study, led by Jesmond Dalli, professor of molecular pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, has found that people with a genetic mutation that leads to a reduction in a protein called LGR6, found on the surface of immune cells, have a decreased ability to clear viral infections. The research, published May 8 in Blood, suggests that new drugs that target these immune system mechanisms could improve the treatment of viral infections. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 6 (LGR6) manages specific molecules produced Read More
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Bob Wilbur and Giordano Jacuzzi, co-authors of the study, watch a Growler jet land on Whidbey Island. Credit: Kiyomi Taguchi/UW News Bob Wilbur thought he’d found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly. As often as four days a week, Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft based at the nearby Read More
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The abuse of people with a learning disability and autistic people sadly features in several health and care services across the years. Researchers have consistently reported that people with a learning disability and autistic people are more at risk of abuse than other groups, especially when living in residential services (as compared to older people more generally, or those people with mental health needs). In England, care homes and supported living providers who provide personal care must be registered, meet set standards, and are inspected by the regulator, the Care Read More
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In a new study published in Health Promotion Journal of Australia, La Trobe University researchers found large support for a browser plug-in that blocks online alcohol-related imagery to prevent young people being influenced to start drinking alcohol or drinking to excess. Lead researcher from La Trobe’s Center for Alcohol Policy Research, Maree Patsouras, said depictions of alcohol were common online, and there was a clear relationship between alcohol exposure and alcohol use. “A large portion of the people we interviewed in this study believed that viewing online alcohol imagery could Read More
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Colorectal cancer incidence has steadily increased among younger people in the U.S. over the last two decades, with the youngest seeing the most dramatic jumps, according to a study scheduled for presentation at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024. Between 1999 and 2020, the rate of colorectal cancers grew 500% among children ages 10 to 14, 333% among teens aged 15 to 19, and 185% among young adults ages 20 to 24, researchers said. “Colorectal cancer is no longer considered just a disease of the elderly population,” said lead researcher Islam Read More
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A new weight-loss treatment could be on the horizon with an innovative endoscopic procedure that ablates (burns) the stomach lining to reduce production of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger, resulting in decreased appetite and significant weight loss, according to a first-in-human trial to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024. The six-month trial involving 10 female patients with obesity resulted in a 7.7% loss of body weight and a reduction of more than 40% in fasting ghrelin levels. Patients reported through validated questionnaires that their hunger was diminished Read More
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Cyberknife. Credit: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Radiotherapy can be used alongside hormone treatment, delaying the need for chemotherapy and therefore significantly protecting their quality of life for some patients with advanced prostate cancer, according to researchers from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Findings from the TRAP (targeting hormone resistant metastases with radiotherapy) study were presented at The European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) annual congress. Treating cancer that has spread The Phase II trial is the first prospective trial Read More
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The appendix, once dismissed as an unnecessary human organ, has more recently been shown to play a role in the immune system. However, we lack a clear understanding of how its removal to treat appendicitis affects long-term human health. A new study from researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, found that an appendectomy—a surgical procedure to remove the appendix—was linked with a reduced risk of a certain type of colorectal cancer, characterized by the presence of a likely tumor-promoting Read More
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A new assessment tool that leverages powerful artificial intelligence was able to predict whether participants exhibited suicidal thoughts and behaviors using a quick and simple combination of variables. Developed by researchers at Northwestern University, the University of Cincinnati (UC), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard School of Medicine, the system focuses on a simple picture-ranking task along with a small set of contextual/demographic variables rather than extensive psychological data. The tool was on average 92% effective at predicting four variables related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The work Read More
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In November 2017, days after her daughter Mallory Smith died from a drug-resistant infection at the age of 25, Diane Shader Smith typed a password into Mallory’s laptop. Her daughter gave it to her before undergoing double-lung transplant surgery, with instructions to share any writing that could help others if she didn’t survive. The transplant was successful, but Burkholderia cepacia—an antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain that first colonized her system when she was 12—took hold. After a lifetime with cystic fibrosis, and 13 years battling an unconquerable infection, Mallory’s body could take Read More
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As COVID-19 swept over Phoebe Putney Health System and Southwest Georgia in the first days of the pandemic, residents and public health officials were desperate to know what patients had and how far it was spreading. The Albany, Georgia-based outbreak turned out to be one of the four largest in the world in terms of the percentage of the population infected, along with Wuhan, New York and Northern Italy, and it was only the beginning. Four years later, a warning system exists, but a big part of it is being Read More
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Researchers developed a potential new treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. The new microneedle patch delivers immune-regulating molecules that can teach T cells not to attack hair follicles, helping hair regrow. Pictured is an up-close view of the microneedles. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Researchers at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have developed a potential new treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss and affects people of all ages, including children. For most patients with this type Read More
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Eph/ephrin and EphA4-Fc structure. The EphA and EphB receptors have a conserved domain structure. The ephrin-A ligands are attached to the cell membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The ephrin-B ligands are transmembrane proteins. The EphA4-Fc fusion protein combines the ectodomain of EphA4 with the Fc domain of IgG. EphA4 binds promiscuously to multiple ephrin-As and Bs (88); therefore, EphA4-Fc is a pan-ephrin blocker with high affinity for ephrin-A1. Credit: Science Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg5768 A new drug could prevent sepsis-related organ failure and death by restoring the health of Read More
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Host & Microbe (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.04.006 A team led by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) has developed a vaccine approach that works like a GPS, guiding the immune system through the specific steps to make broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. Publishing in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, the study describes an approach that provides step-by-step directions for the immune system to generate the elusive, yet necessary antibodies for a successful HIV vaccine. “HIV is the fastest-evolving virus known. So it’s been a long-standing goal Read More
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Graphic model of the mechanisms underlying blocking CD300A enhances the anti-tumor function of NK cells. Credit: Cancer Biology & Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0341 Cancer has a profound impact on human life, and immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) has made remarkable strides in cancer treatment. However, ICT faces challenges such as low overall response rates and the emergence of immune-related adverse events. To overcome these hurdles, researchers are exploring new immune checkpoints. CD300A, a type-I transmembrane protein with immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs, emerges as a potential immune checkpoint, negatively regulating NK cell Read More
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Fluorescence image of astrocytes and their processes in the hippocampus (yellow), with co-staining of cell bodies (blue). Credit: Peter Rupprecht Neurons are known to communicate and integrate information they receive from their dendrites, branch-like structures extending from their body. In contrast, the activity in astrocytes, a class of star-shaped glial cells found in the central nervous system (CNS), has so far been assumed to be largely uncoordinated, thus lacking the central integration of information. Researchers at University of Zurich and ETH Zurich recently gathered evidence suggesting that this widespread description Read More
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Standard of care treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is safe and effective for adults over 80, according to a study published in Blood Neoplasia. For roughly a quarter of patients, this treatment can durably prolong survival. AML is an aggressive and often deadly form of blood cancer that can be difficult to treat. For older adults with AML, the conventional treatment consists of a medication called venetoclax combined with a hypomethylating agent (HMA), also known as VEN-HMA. AML treatment is often intensive and can significantly suppress the immune system Read More
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a Schema of chemogenetic modulation. Injection of AAV-CaMKII?-hM4Di-mCherry into the Grin2bC456Y/+ ACC (5 weeks) was followed by CNO/DMSO treatment and fMRI measurements of brain regional activities (15.2 Tesla) induced by whisker stimulation of mice at 2–3 months. b Group fMRI maps in Grin2bC456Y/+ and WT brains before/after CNO treatment (pre/post-CNO). Credit: Molecular Psychiatry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02572-y A research team led by Director Kim Eunjoon of the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions and Director Kim Seong-Gi of the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has Read More
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Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine assembled a multidisciplinary team and recently published a “Personal View” paper exploring the unique challenges of providing timely, effective care in developing Caribbean states impacted “first and worst” by climate hazards and rising cancer rates. The group featured five Caribbean authors, including Sylvester Ph.D. student, Lashae Rolle. The findings are published in The Lancet Oncology. “Our author team brings together a compilation of wisdom from leading Caribbean cancer specialists, researchers and climate activists, alongside U.S.-based Read More
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Freshly dissected tissue (lower left) and its pathology-prepared slide with identified tumor regions by a pathologist (upper left), and a pseudo-color image of hyperspectral dark-field microscopy (HSDFM) data cube (middle) region marked on the tissue images on the left. The HSDFM generates an image where each pixel contains a spectral signature corresponding to tissue composition. The image on the right shows the tumor regions by a supervised method (pink) and by an unsupervised technique (grayscale) overlaid. Credit: Jeeseong Hwang, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Breast-conserving surgery (BCS), also called Read More
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People with limited English proficiency have a worse experience with virtual health care visits than those who are proficient in English, according to a new study led by a team of investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The study highlights the importance of designing telehealth platforms and processes that better serve people who face day-to-day language barriers. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed results of the 2021 California Health Interview Survey of 24,453 patients, 9% of whom identified as having limited English proficiency. The survey was conducted in Read More
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Tripath (far right), which utilizes 3D deep learning and the whole tissue volume, is able to outperform the current clinical baseline (far left) and 2D deep learning baselines (middle) on cancer recurrence risk prediction task. Credit: Andrew H. Song, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Human tissue is intricate, complex and, of course, three dimensional. But the thin slices of tissue that pathologists most often use to diagnose disease are two dimensional, offering only a limited glimpse at the tissue’s true complexity. There is a growing push in the field of pathology Read More
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Confocal microscopy fluorescent images of a human omental adipose tissue section (visceral fat), depicting the mesothelial cell layer surrounding lobules of adipocytes. In the image, adipocytes are visualized using a staining against perilipin 1 (PLIN1, in yellow), while mesothelial cells are stained using TM4SF1 (green) and MSLN (pink). DAPI staining was used to visualize cellular nuclei (cyan). Credit to:. Credit: Radiana Ferrero and Julie Russeil (EPFL) Understanding how fat tissue forms and functions is crucial for addressing obesity and related metabolic diseases. However, adipose tissue, or body fat, behaves differently Read More
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Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have made an important breakthrough that offers promise for developing new immune therapies for cancer. They have discovered that a vaccine adjuvant called C100 promotes potent anti-tumor immunity when it is injected directly into tumors in an animal model. The scientists found that C100, derived from chitin—one of the most common building materials in nature, and which gives strength to the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects, and the cell walls of fungi—is highly effective at stimulating a key sensing and signaling molecule which regulates anti-tumor immune Read More
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Deaths averted, years of life saved, and years of full health gained due to vaccination. Credit: The Lancet (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00850-X An international team of health and medical researchers including workers at the WHO, working with economists and modeling specialists, has found that the use of vaccines to prevent or treat disease has saved the lives of approximately 154 million people over the past half-century. In their study, published in The Lancet, the group used mathematical and statistical modeling to develop estimates for lives saved due to vaccines and then Read More
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NGF establishes an immune-excluded TME in melanoma. Credit: Nature Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01723-7 An international study led by Dr. Li Qi-Jing from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) has revealed a mechanism by which melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, evades the immune system. Melanoma is notoriously difficult to treat in its advanced stages. Despite some treatments that have improved outcomes, a category of melanomas remains “cold,” meaning they are unresponsive to current therapies. The findings, recently published in the Nature Immunology, demonstrate that human melanomas Read More
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Stimuli and procedure. (A) Examples of the stimuli. Top: original; bottom: shuffled. (B) The flow of the shuffling process. The patch size shrank in a step-by-step manner from 64 × 64 to 1 × 1 pixels. In the binary images of the two middle steps, the white regions indicate remaining pixels for further shuffling. (C) The sequence of one trial of the experiment. Note that the ratio of the screen to the fixation point and the stimulus in this panel differs from the actual ratio used in this study. Credit: Vision Research (2024). DOI: Read More
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Patients perceive relationships formed in group telehealth sessions as surprisingly good, if not better than those in traditional in-person consultations, Monash University-led research has found. Published in BMJ Quality and Safety, the study found that therapeutic relationships were developed with a perceived positive impact on treatment engagement and patient outcomes. Clinicians generally believed they needed to find a balance between building relationships and the faithful delivery of telehealth treatments. The qualitative study interviewed 25 participants (18 patients with shoulder pain and 7 clinicians) about developing therapeutic relationships in group telehealth Read More
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When the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on April 9, 2024, that the state’s Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions was enforceable, it brought into stark reality the potential impacts of leaving reproductive rights up to the states to regulate, and the related consequences for women’s health. The ruling, set to go into effect in late June 2024, will only remain active for a few months because Arizona lawmakers repealed the law on April 30. Starting in the fall, a previous state law banning abortion after 15 weeks will be Read More
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The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was a critical part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. However, on May 7, 2024, the European Commission announced the vaccine is no longer authorized for use. This EU announcement was preceded by an application from AstraZeneca on March 27, 2024, to withdraw the EU marketing authorization. This development has been covered in various media outlets as primarily related to the known “adverse events,” namely a very small risk of blood clots. However, other factors are far more likely to be driving this decision. The first AstraZeneca vaccine Read More
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Parenting makes the heart grow fonder, and the brain grow … smaller? Several studies have revealed that the brain loses volume across the transition to parenthood. But researchers like me are still figuring out what these changes mean for parents. In a new study that looked at brain change in first-time fathers, my colleagues and I found that brain volume loss was linked with more engagement in parenting but also more sleep problems and mental health symptoms. These results might point to a cost of caregiving, traditionally shouldered by women Read More
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Credit: Leah Newhouse from Pexels Drug overdoses are a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, which has the highest maternal mortality rate of all high-income nations. And despite this convergence of the maternal mortality and overdose crises, substance use during pregnancy has traditionally only been tracked during the hospital visits when babies are delivered. In a new study, published in the June edition of Annals of Epidemiology, researchers at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health found the traditional measurements greatly underestimate the true impact of substance Read More
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Mothers have described feeling “empowered” and “respected” during their labor and birth at a small rural hospital in Victoria’s Goldfields region that has adopted a midwifery continuity of caregiver model, labeled as “gold standard” by La Trobe University experts. This is amid a decline of more than 200 birthing suites across rural and remote locations over the past two decades, with estimates that only 19% of Australia’s population has access to this continuity of caregiver model known as Midwifery Group Practice (MGP). The MGP model provides personalized support and enables Read More
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Investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have pinpointed a combination immunotherapy treatment that enhances the immune response for people with malignant gliomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor that is fast growing and difficult to treat. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that pairing a personalized dendritic cell vaccine with the immune-boosting substance poly-ICLC enhances the immune response and activity of T cells in patients with malignant glioma, and improves the dendritic cells’ ability to fight the brain tumor more effectively than the vaccine alone. “Treating Read More
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Mouse liver cells from mouse-rat chimeras had mature function and could relieve chronic liver fibrosis after transplantation as well as normal mouse liver cells by the decreased number of apoptotic cells and the reduction of collagen deposition. Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Liver disease, due to viral infections, alcohol abuse, obesity, or cancer, accounts for one in every 25 deaths worldwide. A liver transplant can be life saving for people with end-stage liver disease. However, the procedure has limitations related to donor shortage, a technically challenging and invasive surgical Read More
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a Nf1OPG mice undergo optic nerve crush (ON-CR) at 6 weeks of age, while optic nerves are analyzed at 12 weeks of age. Nf1OPG mice following ON-CR have increased b optic nerve volumes and exhibit increased c proliferation , d %Olig2+ cells and e %Blbp+ cells f 12-week-old Nf1f/R1809C; hGFAP-Cre mice following optic nerve crush at 6 weeks of age exhibit increased g optic nerve volumes h proliferation i %Olig2+ cells and j %Blbp+ cells compared to those undergoing a sham operation. Credit: Acta Neuropathologica Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01735-w A Read More
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Participants in 4T Study 1 had lower LOESS based means compared to those in the Pilot 4T Study and the historical cohort. HbA1c trajectories in the first 12?months of diabetes diagnosis in the historical, Pilot 4T and 4T Study 1 cohorts. Mean HbA1c was higher in the Pilot 4T and 4T Study 1 cohorts. Young people in the 4T Study 1 cohort had the lowest nadir 4?months after diabetes diagnosis and remained on a lower HbA1c trajectory throughout the first year of diabetes diagnosis. Credit: Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02975-y Read More
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A high-resolution computed tomography of the lungs of a patient with a fatal case of MDA5-autoimmunity and Interstitial Pneumonitis Contemporaneous with the COVID-19 Pandemic (MIP-C). Credit: Gabriele De Marco, Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Pradipta Ghosh, M.D., sat down in her office at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and considered a request from the other side of the world. Ghosh, a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, received an email Read More
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Overall survival (OS) of different donor-recipient match patterns based on sex after PSM. OS of different transplant patterns based on sex. M–M, male donor transplant to male recipient; F–F, female donor transplant to female recipient; M–F, male donor transplant to female recipient; F–M, female donor transplant to male recipient. Credit: Cancer Biology & Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0453 Liver transplantation is a life-saving option for those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent type of liver cancer. Although often successful, outcomes can vary widely among recipients. A key variable drawing increasing Read More
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The brain slices of three pigs were analyzed for immunotherapy delivery. The gray photos show the slices before treatment. The corresponding slices in blue show the right regions treated with ultrasound (FUS+) had higher amounts of the fluorescent-dye labeled immunotherapy drug (in light blue/green) compared with the untreated left regions (FUS-). Credit: Hong Chen, Ph.D., associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis Malignant primary brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer deaths among children and young adults with few therapeutic options. Treatments are limited by the blood–brain barrier, Read More
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In the short term, bariatric surgery is associated with a greater risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but in the long-term, it is associated with lower risk, according to a study published online April 30 in Obesity Surgery. Laura B. Harrington, Ph.D., M.P.H., from Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, and colleagues evaluated the association between bariatric surgery and long-term VTE risk. The analysis included 30,171 adults with body mass index??35 kg/m2 who underwent bariatric surgery (January 2005 to September 2015) and 218,961 matched nonsurgical patients. The researchers found Read More
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A simple oral rinse could provide early detection of gastric cancer, the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to a study scheduled for presentation at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024. “In the cancer world, if you find patients after they’ve developed cancer, it’s a little too late,” said Shruthi Reddy Perati, MD, author and general surgery resident at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine. “The ideal time to try to prevent cancer is when it’s just about to turn into cancer. We were able to identify people who Read More
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Higher consumption of most ultra-processed foods is linked to a slightly higher risk of death, with ready-to-eat meat, poultry, and seafood based products, sugary drinks, dairy based desserts, and highly processed breakfast foods showing the strongest associations, finds a 30-year US study in The BMJ today. The researchers say not all ultra-processed food products should be universally restricted, but that their findings “provide support for limiting consumption of certain types of ultra-processed food for long term health.” Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, and Read More
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Getting children to speak the truth can be a struggle at times. While a lie, when discovered, is often followed by a punishment, there’s a more effective way to prevent future fibbing, says new Brock-led research. “Previous studies have found punishing lie-telling actually increases this behavior because children are afraid of getting in trouble,” says Brock Professor of Psychology Angela Evans, lead author of the article, “Encouraging Honesty: Developmental Differences in the Influence of Honesty Promotion Techniques” published in Developmental Psychology. A combination of techniques that encourage and praise truth-telling Read More
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Nine of 10 American adults are in the early, middle or late stages of a syndrome that leads to heart disease, a new report finds, and almost 10% have the disease already. “Poor cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health is widespread among the U.S. population,” concludes a team led by Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Researchers looked specifically at rates of what the American Heart Association has dubbed cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic (CKM) syndrome—interrelated factors that progress with time and, if left Read More
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Credit: Sasha Wolff/Wikipedia Migraine is a neurologic disorder. The severe pain of migraine typically is on one side of the head but may be on both sides. Symptoms also may include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, difficulty speaking, or visual disturbances known as aura with flashes of light or blind spots. Attacks may last hours or days, and they can make work, school or other daily activities difficult. Migraine is common, especially in women. It’s also hereditary. Migraine attacks can be triggered by multiple causes, from weather to Read More
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Parents striving to be “perfect” will never attain that goal, and the aim isn’t even healthy for their families, a new study says. The risks of striving for perfection are such that researchers have now created a scale to help parents track their burnout and, if necessary, counter it. The first-of-its-kind, Working Parent Burnout Scale is a 10-point survey that helps parents measure their stress and fatigue in real time, researchers say. “If maybe you’re prioritizing making sure your house is spotless all the time, but then you don’t feel Read More
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When people are ill, they feel less empathy for others than when they are healthy. This has been confirmed by a study conducted by Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. The researchers investigated “sickness behavior,” a process in which the body reorganizes its biological priorities in the context of an acute infection. So far, it has mainly been researched in connection with social withdrawal and feelings of social disconnection. But how does illness affect our empathy? The current study sheds new light on the links between infections Read More
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South Carolina received a poor report card from the March of Dimes in 2023 because more of its mothers die due to pregnancy-related complications or childbirth than the national average. For every 100,000 births, there are 32.7 maternal deaths in South Carolina, versus 23.5 that occur in the nation. Rates may be higher in part because of disorders related to high blood pressure during pregnancy, or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), which disproportionately affect the state’s older mothers and mothers of racial and ethnic minority groups. HDP is known for Read More
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Some 27% of Brazilian children and adolescents suffer from musculoskeletal pain of unspecified cause, according to a study reported in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. The problem is frequently underestimated by parents and health professionals, the authors of the article note, and an understanding of its true extent will contribute to better planning of public health policy regarding treatment of chronic pain in adults, the leading cause of disability in the world. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health estimates that more than 35% of over-fifties suffer from chronic pain. Read More
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Small, simple forms of social connection—such as a conversation with a friend, or even just looking forward to one—can lessen the negative feelings and thoughts that come with being socially excluded, according to a new study by Cornell researchers. “Maybe someone doesn’t smile at you, or maybe somebody doesn’t include you in an email chain. We were interested in how interventions involving friends and strangers before the experience might buffer and help people react less strongly to minor but common forms of social exclusion, and promote recovery afterward so they Read More