Feature Channels: All Journal News

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Knowing what type of lung cancer a patient has is critical to determine which drug will work best and which therapies are safest in the era of personalized medicine. Key to making that judgment is an adequate tumor specimen for the pathologist to determine the tumor’s histology, a molecular description of a tumor based on the appearance of cells under a microscope. But not all specimens are perfect, and are sometimes so complex that a definitive diagnosis presents a challenge.

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Two beachfront communities in New Jersey were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, but one fared much better than the other thanks to a long-forgotten seawall buried beneath the sand, according to Virginia Tech researchers.

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After switching to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) in the US, men make fewer emergency department visits for even severe problems—which may lead to a later increase in hospitalization rates, suggests a study in the July issue of Medical Care, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Research using electronic clinical data (ECD) has the potential to make major contributions to health care research and improve patient outcomes. However, many complex issues remain unanswered. A special August supplement to Medical Care presents an update from the Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum, with a commissioned set of papers discussing "challenges and innovations from the research and QI community using ECD." Medical Care is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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New areas of extragalactic study may emerge from research by University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) astrophysicists using data from the Chandra Space Telescope to conclude that baryons making up all visible matter – once thought to be missing from clusters – are present in the expected ratios in large, luminous clusters.

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Scientists have found a way to sneak nanoparticles carrying tumor-fighting drugs past the immune system.

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Successful prosecutions of crimes against humanity must occur at the International Criminal Court if it is to succeed in its mandate to punish perpetrators of atrocities and deter others from committing such crimes, argues Leila Sadat, JD, international law expert and WUSTL professor. Her research, arguments and analysis are published in the latest issue of the American Journal of International Law.

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Researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered that specific types of bacteria that live in the gut are major contributors to lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells that are part of the human immune system.

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Use of electronic health records can reduce the costs of outpatient care by roughly 3 percent, compared to relying on traditional paper records.

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Prosthetic valve endocarditis (inflammation and infection involving the heart valves and lining of the heart chambers) remains associated with a high one-year mortality rate and early valve replacement does not appear to be associated with lower mortality compared with medical therapy.

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A new study suggests that Chinese people may be at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians. The research is published in the July 16, 2013, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Many children develop fevers without an obvious cause. Now, researchers have shown they can tell whether a child has a viral or bacterial infection by profiling the activity of genes in a blood sample.

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Ithaca College faculty member Skott Freedman has discovered insights that indicate children can learn two native languages as easily as they can learn one.

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NCI scientists have developed a comprehensive list of genetic variants for each of the types of cells that comprise what is known as the NCI-60 cell line collection. This new list adds depth to the most frequently studied human tumor cell lines in cancer research, molecular pharmacology, and drug discovery.

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In Nature this week, Santa Fe Institute External Professor Andreas Wagner and University of Zurich colleague Aditya Barve, by simulating changes in an organism’s metabolism, show that most traits may emerge as non-crucial "exaptations" rather than as selection-advantageous adaptations.

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Exceptional spatial ability at age 13 predicts creative and scholarly achievements more than 30 years later, according to results from a Vanderbilt University longitudinal study, published today in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

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A new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Disease Ecology Laboratory of Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Argentina (ICIVET LITORAL, UNL-CONICET) shows that increases in precipitation and changes in vegetative structure in Argentine forests – factors driven by climate change and deforestation in the region – are leading to increased parasitism of young nesting birds by fly larvae (botflies) of the species Philornis torquans.

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New research in the Journal of Newborns & Infant Nursing Reviews concludes that so-called “kangaroo care” (KC), the skin-to-skin and chest-to-chest touching between baby and mother, offers developmentally appropriate therapy for hospitalized preterm infants.

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With an aging population and people living longer with chronic illness, it is increasingly important for patients and family members to decide how they and their loved ones would like to spend their final days. And for physicians in both hospital and primary care settings, it is crucial that they know how to address this issue with sensitivity. A new “conversation guide” aims to guide physicians through these sensitive discussions with patients in hospital and their family members.

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Several companies sell genetic testing directly to consumers, but little research has been done on how consumers experience such tests. Now, a study is providing insight into how a diverse sample of primary care patients experience genetic testing.

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McGill University researchers are shedding light on the biological mechanisms by which cranberries may impart protective properties against urinary tract and other infections.

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Scientists in the fast-growing field of computational genomics are getting lots of data but lack the computer power needed to analyze it quickly.

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A drug originally developed to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs has now been shown to dramatically reduce seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) – a genetic disease characterized by benign tumors on multiple organ systems. TSC is estimated to affect more than a million individuals throughout the world.

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Scientists led by Drs. Mona Gauthier and Tak Mak at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have solved a key piece in the puzzle of how BRCA1 gene mutations specifically predispose women to breast and ovarian cancers.

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Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have generated a data set of cancer-specific genetic variations and are making these data available to the research community, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

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A new study from neuroscientists at the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the first novel insights into the neural origins of hot flashes in menopausal women in years. The study may inform and eventually lead to new treatments for those who experience the sudden but temporary episodes of body warmth, flushing and sweating.

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The trajectory of amyloid plaque buildup—clumps of abnormal proteins in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease—may serve as a more powerful biomarker for early detection of cognitive decline rather than using the total amount to gauge risk, researchers from Penn Medicine’s Department of Radiology suggest in a new study published online July 15 in Neurobiology of Aging.

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New research from the University of Adelaide shows that the sperm of obese fathers could increase the risk of both their children and their grandchildren to inherit obesity.

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Swarms of small earthquakes can precede a volcanic eruption, sometimes resulting in "harmonic tremor" resembling sound from some musical instruments. A new analysis shows tremor during a 2009 sequence at Alaska's Redoubt Volcano glided to substantially higher frequencies, then stopped abruptly just before six of the eruptions.

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Using a technique to measure the energy required for electrons to pair up and how that energy varies with direction, scientists have identified the factors needed for magnetically mediated superconductivity—as well as those that aren’t.

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Scientists have captured new details of the biochemical interactions necessary for cell division. The research may suggest ways for stopping cell division when it goes awry.

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An international group of scientists has shown that a drug candidate designed by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute significantly increases exercise endurance in animal models.

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A set of proteins involved in the body’s natural defenses produces a large number of mutations in human DNA, according to a study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that these naturally produced mutations are just as powerful as known cancer-causing agents in producing tumors.

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A study on HIV-positive women who were sexually abused as children has found that the more severe their past trauma, the greater their improvement in an intervention program designed to ease their psychological suffering.

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New research finds that almost two-thirds of female survivors of childhood cancer who tried unsuccessfully for at least a year to conceive eventually got pregnant.

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A Johns Hopkins study finds that healthy people who carry a genetic mutation for arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) are at much higher risk of developing the symptoms of the life-threatening heart disease if they participate in endurance sports and frequent exercise. The study also suggests that those carriers who significantly cut back on their exercise regimen may reduce their risk or delay the onset of symptoms.

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Older African-American and Hispanic men who have survived cancer are less likely than their white counterparts to see a specialist or receive basic preventive care, such as vaccinations, according to new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Utilizing crowdsourcing in medical research can improve the quality, cost, and speed of a research project while engaging large segments of the public and creating novel science.

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A researcher finds correlation between financial arguments, decreased relationship satisfaction.

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At the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s men who were married were significantly less likely to die of HIV/AIDS than their single counterparts. For women, marital status had little impact on who was more likely to die of the disease. But race proved to be a significant risk factor.

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Scientists have created a virtual model of the brain that daydreams like humans do. They hope the model will help them understand why certain portions of the brain work together when a person is mentally idle.

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• Among kidney disease patients receiving pre-dialysis care in a universal healthcare system, black patients experienced a faster progression to kidney failure than whites. • The faster decline in kidney function among black compared with white patients was predominantly present in patients with diabetes and in patients with more advanced kidney dysfunction.

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• A novel drug called Bendavia can help prevent acute kidney injury in animal models and is currently being studied in clinical trials for kidney disease. • Bendavia acts by protecting a unique compound called cardiolipin, which is only found in mitochondria and is essential for keeping cells alive and functioning.

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When we think of our prehistoric ancestors, we don’t usually imagine them lining graves with flowers – yet Weizmann scientists have now identified the oldest such grave. Using the Institute’s new accelerator mass spectrometer, the team will not only uncover new information about prehistoric life, but also overturn some long-held theories.

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A new study in American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that schools with more robust federal wellness programs offer healthier foods and beverages, including foods offered in vending machines, school stores and a la carte sales.

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Using the same type of mathematical formulas used to draw political redistricting maps, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have developed a model that would allow for the more equitable allocation of livers from deceased donors for transplantation.

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National quality assessment programs usually measure and reward practices based on improving clinical processes such as re-hospitalization or infection rates. While this type of information is important and useful to clinicians, it doesn’t always take into account what is most important to the patient and families of the patient receiving care, such as the management of long-term symptoms or ability to conduct daily activities.

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Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that nerves play a critical role in both the development and spread of prostate tumors. Their findings, using both a mouse model and human prostate tissue, may lead to new ways to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer and to novel therapies for preventing and treating the disease. The study published online today in the July 12 edition of Science.

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Salk researchers' findings on chromosome shortening suggest a potential target to arrest cancer cell growth.

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A Vanderbilt research program that trains community pediatricians to diagnose autism within their individual practices may lead to more effective treatment of the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children.