Medical-Science News-

Medical News Voting Day Round-Up! Research and Experts on 2016 Election click to view recent experts and research related to the 2016 Election – Newswise Embargo expired on 08-Nov-2016 at 08:50 ET Antibody Protects Developing Fetus From Zika Virus, Mouse Study Shows Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have identified a human antibody that prevents, in pregnant mice, the fetus from infection and the placenta from damage. The antibody al... – Washington University in St. Louis Nature, Nov-2016; AI073755; AI104972; AI007163; HHSN272201400024C; HHSN272201400058C Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 11:00 ET Mosquito-Borne Illness Spreads in and Around Homes, Disproportionately Hits Women Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease chikungunya appear to be driven by infections centered in and around the home, with women significantly more likely to become ill, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,... – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health PNAS, Nov. 7 Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Does Sugar Make Your Alcoholic Drink Less Dangerous? Recent research suggests that some women restrict food before and while drinking, quite possibly to compensate for alcohol-related calories. This can result in a combined state of fasting/alcohol intake, which can lead to higher breath alcohol concen... – Research Society on Alcoholism Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 17:00 ET Could an Iron-Grabbing Molecule Help Prevent UTIs? New U-M Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice For the first time, scientists have prevented urinary tract infections in mice by vaccinating them with tiny molecules that UTI bacteria usually use to grab iron from their host and fuel the growth of bacteria in the bladder. – University of Michigan Health System PNAS Early Edition, DOI:10.1073/pnas.1606324113 ; AI116791; DK097362; AI007528 Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Mouse Study Shows Antibody Can Soothe Raging, Nerve-Driven Poison Ivy Itch Scientists at Duke Health and Zhejiang Chinese Medical University have developed a strategy to stop the uncontrollable itch caused by urushiol, the oily sap common to poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak and even mango trees. The team found that by b... – Duke Health Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 2015-DIG LIU, 722223A08301/ 001/004, 81603676, UL1 TR001117, R01 ES015056, U01 ES015674, R21 AR070554 Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Early Study Finds Antibody That 'Neutralizes' Zika Virus Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, have isolated a human monoclonal antibody that in a mouse model "markedly reduced" infection by the Zika virus. – Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nature Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 11:00 ET Checkpoint Blockade Helps Only a Subset of Patients, Why? Many cancer patients respond favorably to immunotherapies, but most do not. Blame for treatment failures is usually attributed to so-called “cold” tumors, thought to lack key targets able to provoke an immune response. Two studies in the Nov. 7 i... – University of Chicago Medical Center Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Northwestern Medicine Scientists Use Advanced Technology to Better Understand a Devastating Neurodegenerative Disorder According to a recent study published in JAMA Neurology, Northwestern Medicine scientists have examined more than a century of data of the genetic makeup of ataxias, a neurodegenerative disorder, to better understand the different forms of this devas... – Northwestern Medicine JAMA Neurol. Oct-2016 Genetic Signaling Pathway Blocks Formation of a Cancer in the Cerebellum A signaling pathway has the potential to block a type of cancer in the cerebellum, suggests new research from a team at the Krembil Research Institute’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute. – University Health Network (UHN) Malaria Immunity: Researchers Discover Key to Long-Lasting Protection and Potential Vaccine Targets Houston Methodist researchers have discovered a set of immune proteins that facilitate long-lasting immunity against malaria. In a study recently published in Immunity (online Oct. 25), researchers reported that elevated production of specific protei... – Houston Methodist Immunity, Oct-2016; R01CA101795; DA030338 Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Increased Risk of Bladder Cancer Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer, according to a systematic review of seven studies presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton. Though further clinical studies ... – University of Warwick Suppressing Protein Alleviates Radiation-Induced Bone Loss in Animal Model New research may hold a clue to curtailing the feared side effect of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy being at high risk of losing bone density and suffering from broken bones within the radiation field during their lifetimes. Suppressing ... – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania R01AR066098, R01DK095803, K01AR066743, P30AR050950, 1K08HD049598 Protamine Shows Promise for New Types of Contact Lens Disinfectant Protamine—a natural protein with a proven safety record—may be useful in developing new types of disinfectant solutions for contact lenses, according to a study published in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of ... – Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Optometry and Vision Science Imaging Study Shows High Rate of Strut Coverage and Low Rates of Neoatherosclerosis with Thin Strut Bioresorbable Polymer-Based and Durable Polymer-Based Drug-Eluting Stents Results from TRANSFORM-OCT, a prospective, randomized trial using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to evaluate strut coverage and neoatherosclerosis (NA) found that bioresorbable polymer-based drug-eluting stents (BP-EES) are comparable to durable ... – Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) Pretreating Red Blood Cells with Nitric Oxide May Reduce Severe Side Effect Linked to Blood Transfusions A new treatment may diminish a dangerous side effect associated with transfusions of red blood cells (RBCs) known as pulmonary hypertension, an elevated blood pressure in the lungs and heart that can lead to heart failure, suggests a new study publis... – American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Scientists Develop Computer Models to Predict Cancer Cell Network Activity A multi-institution academic-industrial partnership of researchers led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has developed a new method to broadly assess cell communication networks and identify disease-specific network anomalies. – Case Western Reserve University Oncogene, Nov-2016; P50 CA150964; R25T CA094186 Western and Lawson Scientists Develop Game-Changing Blood Test for Concussions Scientists from Children's Health Research Institute, a program of Lawson Health Research Institute, and Western University have developed a new blood test that identifies with greater than 90 per cent certainty whether or not an adolescent athlete h... – Lawson Health Research Institute Metabolomics Three Key Practices in Hospital HR Departments Linked to Exemplary Patient Care While employee salaries and wages can account for up to 80 percent of the total operating budget in health care organizations, human resources departments in many U.S. hospitals still rely on traditional, bureaucratic HR practices that can constrain ... – University of Missouri Health Hybrid Sirolimus-Eluting Stents with Biodegradable Polymer Did Not Improve Angiographic Outcomes Compared to Everolimus-Eluting Stents with Durable Polymer in Treatment of Chronic Total Occlusions Results from a randomized, multicenter trial failed to show non-inferiority of hybrid, ultra-thin strut sirolimus-eluting stents (Osiro SES) with a biodegradable polymer compared to thin-strut everolimus-eluting stents (Xience EES) with a durable pol... – Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) Results From Real-World United States Post-FDA Approval Usage of the Watchman Device Presented at TCT 2016 and Published Simultaneously in JACC Results from the U.S. real-world, post-FDA approval experience of the Watchman device found high procedural success and low complication rates despite implantations by a large percentage of new operators. The Watchman device was approved by the U.S. ... – Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) New Technique AIDS Search for Genetic Roots of Disease A new technique to cheaply and rapidly create sets of DNA fragments that include all possible genetic variants will help scientists distinguish between genetic variants linked to disease and those that are innocuous. – Washington University in St. Louis Nature Methods, Oct-2016; AR067715-01; 84291-STL; 85200-STL Twenty Percent of Children with Celiac Disease Do Not Heal on a Gluten-Free Diet Even after a year on a gluten-free diet, nearly 20 percent of children with celiac disease continue to have intestinal abnormalities (enteropathy) on repeat biopsies, reports a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, officia... – Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition How Important Is the Gut Microbiome? It May Depend on Your Genetics Joslin Diabetes Center investigators are shedding light on how the success of such microbiome treatments may be affected by genetics of the individual or animal being treated. – Joslin Diabetes Center Journal of Clinical Investigation Exercise Program Improved Testosterone Levels in Obese Men, Dad’s Preconception Exercise May Increase Obesity, Women Have Lower Risk of Heart Disease After Weight-Loss Surgery Than Men, and More in the Obesity News Source The latest research and features on obesity in the Obesity News Source. – Newswise Researchers Discover Way to Inhibit Major Cancer Gene Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a new way to block the action of genetic mutations found in nearly 30 percent of all cancers. John O'Bryan, associate professor of pharmacology in the UIC College of Medicine, and a... – University of Illinois at Chicago Nature Chemical Biology Mount Sinai Researchers Find Improved Cholesterol Efflux Linked to Plaque Stabilization in Statin-Treated Patients A new study of patients treated with intensive statin therapy reveals intracoronary imaging evidence of plaque stabilization associated with improved cholesterol transport and distinct transcriptomic perturbations – Mount Sinai Health System UCI-MIT Team Forge New Approach Against Salmonella and Other Pathogens University of California, Irvine and MIT researchers have developed a new strategy to immunize against microbes that invade the gastrointestinal tract, including Salmonella, which causes more foodborne illness in the United States than any other bact... – University of California, Irvine Funding a Set of Essential Medicines for Low- and Middle-Income Countries As the world moves toward universal health coverage, the question arises: How can governments ensure equitable access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries? A section of The Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines Policies repor... – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences The Lancet Vanderbilt Ophthalmologist Emphasizes Care in Dim-Light Driving as Time Change Brings Darkness to Evening Commute As the end of daylight saving time draws near, ophthalmologists at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute want to focus on a real issue—dim-light driving situations that can endanger drivers and pedestrians. – Vanderbilt University Medical Center SNEB Webinar - Probiotics: Understanding the Microbiome and the Role of Probiotics in Long Term Health The microbiome and our health are intricately connected and research in the areas of the microbiome and probiotics is advancing at a rapid rate – Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior ATS Expert: World Pneumonia Day Nov. 12; Experts Roomi Nusrat, MD, and Charles Dela Cruz, MD, PhD “Pneumonia is the top infection-linked killer of children globally,” says Roomi Nusrat, MD, a member of the American Thoracic Society’s Pneumonia Working Group and Allergy, Immunology and Inflammation Assembly. “It is responsible for more tha... Expert Available – American Thoracic Society (ATS) Johns Hopkins Awarded $10 Million Cohen Foundation Grant to Expand Current Lyme Disease Research Initiatives Johns Hopkins University received a $10 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation to explore Lyme disease and develop potential new therapies to address the illness. Johns Hopkins is the only institution in the nation to receive mu... – Johns Hopkins Medicine Lurie Children’s Surgeon Named to American College of Surgeons’ Board Arun Gosain, MD, a pediatric plastic surgeon at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, was recently named to the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). As a Governor he is one of the leaders of the largest orga... – Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago UNC Scientists Named to European Union-Funded Global Zika Research Consortium Two researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have been named to a global consortium for Zika research and vaccine development. – University of North Carolina Health Care System Two Case Western Reserve Researchers Receive Vision Grants From Global Eye Bank Organization Two Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have received grants totaling $40,000 from Ann Arbor-based Eversight, a global nonprofit network of eye banks. The CWRU projects are aimed at helping glaucoma patients and those with ... – Case Western Reserve University Researchers Want to Use Hardware to Fight Computer Viruses Fighting computer viruses isn’t just for software anymore. Binghamton University researchers will use a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how hardware can help protect computers too. – Binghamton University, State University of New York Linda Sarna Named UCLA School of Nursing Dean Linda Sarna, an internationally recognized scholar in promoting the role of nursing in tobacco control and oncology research focused on patients with lung cancer, has been appointed dean of the UCLA School of Nursing. – UCLA School of Nursing Science News Tracing the Ivory Trail More than 90 percent of ivory in large seized shipments came from elephants that died less than three years before, according to a new University of Utah study. – University of Utah Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Elephant Crisis Fund Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET We Gather Here Today to Join Lasers and Anti-Lasers Berkeley Lab scientists have, for the first time, achieved both lasing and anti-lasing in a single device. Their findings lay the groundwork for developing a new type of integrated device with the flexibility to operate as a laser, an amplifier, a mo... – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Nature Photonics, Nov. 7, 2016 Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 11:00 ET Variable Tree Growth After Fire Protects Forests From Future Bark Beetle Outbreaks Do severe wildfires make forests in the western United States more susceptible to future bark beetle outbreaks? The answer, according to a study co-authored by a University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist, is no. By leading to variability in the d... – University of Wisconsin-Madison Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nov 7 2016 Embargo expired on 07-Nov-2016 at 15:00 ET Physicists Gain New Understanding of How Materials Break New research suggests scientists could eventually help create materials that resist breaking or crack in a predictable fashion. Using both a simulation and artificial structures called metamaterials, scientists at the University of Chicago, New Y... – University of Chicago Changing Cell Behavior Could Boost Biofuels, Medicine A computer scientist at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a way to coax cells to do natural things under unnatural circumstances, which could be useful for stem cell research, gene therapy and biofuel production.Michael Brent, the Henr... – Washington University in St. Louis PNAS How Land Use Change Affects Water Quality, Aquatic Life Using 20 years of data from federal and state agencies, a fisheries biologist and Fulbright scholar are tracking how land use changes have impacted the water quality and aquatic life in lakes and streams in northeastern South Dakota. These environmen... – South Dakota State University Mislabeled Seafood May Be More Sustainable, New Study Finds A University of Washington study is the first to broadly examine the ecological and financial impacts of seafood mislabeling. The paper, published online Nov. 2 in Conservation Letters, finds that in most cases, mislabeling actually leads people to e... – University of Washington Conservation Letters, Nov-2016 Alice Cialella Named Chair of Brookhaven Lab’s Environmental and Climate Sciences Department Alice Cialella leads a department whose research is focused on aerosol chemistry and microphysics, aerosol-related infrastructure, climate and process modeling, cloud processes, data management and software engineering, terrestrial ecosystems, meteor... – Brookhaven National Laboratory Lifestyle & Social Sciences St. Mary’s College of Maryland Political Science Faculty Predict Clinton as Next President In keeping with tradition, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Political Science Department has issued its Election 2016 predictions. There is unanimous agreement that Hilary Clinton will beat Donald Trump though by varying margins. Most see a Democ... – St. Mary's College of Maryland Telephone-Based Intervention Shows Promise in Combating Alcohol Abuse Among Soldiers Researchers at the University of Washington tested a telephone-based intervention for military members struggling with alcohol abuse, with promising results. Participants significantly reduced their drinking over time, had lower rates of alcohol depe... – University of Washington Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology ACA Turmoil: How Did We Get Here, And Where Are We Going? November 1 marked the beginning of the third open enrollment period for individuals without health insurance to purchase plans through the marketplaces, or exchanges, established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health care law commonly referred... – Texas A&M University Tracking the ‘Next Big Thing’ Notable alumni presenting at A Day of Revolutionary Thinking on Rutgers’ 250th birthday give a glimpse of the most important issues on the horizon in their fields – Rutgers University Voter Survey: Texans Support Trump, Split on Muslim Ban and Border Wall The Texas Tech University Earl Survey Research Lab (ESRL) released on Monday (Nov. 7) the results of its statewide survey of registered voters on the 2016 election and policy preferences. – Texas Tech University Business News Bankruptcy Expert Studies Trump Casinos A new study by a Temple University professor shows that Donald Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City lost more jobs and money than competitors’ casinos, while also going through more bankruptcies than any other major business in America. – Temple University The Wall Street Journal