Focus: Hidden - Philly Metro

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Although wearable devices have received significant attention for their ability to track an individual’s physical activity, most smartphone applications are just as accurate, according to a new research letter in JAMA. The study tested 10 of the top-selling smartphone apps and devices in the United States by having 14 participants walk on a treadmill for 500 and 1,500 steps, each twice (for a total of 56 trials), and then recording their step counts. Led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, this study is a follow-up to a recent JAMA viewpoint suggesting that there’s little evidence that wearable devices alone can change behavior and improve health for those that need it most.

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Jefferson partners with Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) of Philadelphia to offer fertility services at its new Center City OBGYN facility.

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Gabrilovich and fellow investigators demonstrated what is happening at a cellular level that allows for chronic inflammation to cause a variety of cancers.

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As Phoenixville Area High School students prepare to end the United States’ eight-year absence from the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), faculty from University of the Sciences have spent the past few months helping them polish their science and research skills before the week-long competition in Thailand this summer.

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Reporting in a new study published online this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers under the Botswana-UPenn Partnership at the University of Pennsylvania, including Shruthi Ravimohan, PhD, a research associate in the division of Infectious Diseases at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, and Gregory P. Bisson, MD, MSCE, an assistant professor in the division of Infectious Diseases, have identified immune biomarkers in HIV/TB patients before they begin ART that could help distinguish who goes on to develop IRIS or die after treatment.

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Asthma, back pain, and congestive heart failure are among the conditions showing reductions in health care costs in one large employer's disease management (DM) program, reports a study in the February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

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Bariatric surgery—as a last resort when conservative interventions have failed—can improve liver disease and other obesity-related health problems in severely obese children and adolescents, according to a position paper in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, official journal of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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As medical marijuana becomes increasingly accepted, there is growing interest in its use for children and adolescents with developmental and behavioral problems such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a review in the February Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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In patients who don't resume normal urination after surgery, a simple ultrasound test can accurately diagnose the common problem of postoperative urinary retention (POUR), reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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Grant will support Jefferson Integrative Medicine and establishes Marcus Integrative Health at the Myrna Brind Center – Villanova

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The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) announces that Alan Jay Schwartz, MD, MSEd, will succeed Lawrence J. Saidman, MD, as Editor-in-Chief of its online journal Anesthesia & Analgesia Case Reports. Dr. Saidman retired in December 2014.

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A new analysis released at a DC briefing today shows that, five years after its technical end, the recession of the mid-2000s continues to impact America’s children in four key areas: health, hunger, housing, and abuse and neglect, updating research conducted in 2010. It finds lingering effects in every aspect, but it underscores the effectiveness of federal investments in mitigating harm to children.

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Kazuko Nishikura, Ph.D., receives Macula Vision Research Foundation grant for groundbreaking research to find new treatments for macular degeneration.

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The Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium announces its first three awards to companies developing new medical devices for children. The FDA-funded consortium, based at CHOP, provides know-how and seed funding.

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Researchers find clues for reducing infections after bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and lymphoma.

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Sharp and significant increases in suicides followed select financial crisis events and austerity announcements in Greece, from the start of the country’s 2008 recession to steep spending cuts in 2012, Penn Medicine researchers report in a new study published online this week in the British Medical Journal Open, along with colleagues from Greece and the United Kingdom.

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To help bring a wider array of new prostate cancer therapies to patients sooner, Jefferson joins a prestigious clinical trial group, with several projects already in the works.

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Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a common consequence of traumatic injuries, wounds caused by an external force or an act of violence, such as a car accident, gun shot or even surgery. In those injuries that require surgical reconstruction, outcomes can result in partial or complete loss of nerve function and a reduced quality of life. But, researchers at Penn Medicine have demonstrated a novel way to regenerate long-distance nerve connections in animal models using tissue-engineered nerve grafts (TENGs).

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Results from a recent unpublished study at University of the Sciences indicate that reducing the clutter and narrowing one’s possessions, activities, and thoughts can play a key role in boosting their mental and physical health.

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January 31, 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network; originally announced as an alliance of 13 leading cancer centers in 1995, NCCN has grown to a network of 25 academic cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education.

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At the invitation of the White House, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia sent two special guests to Pres. Obama's announcement today of the Precision Medicine Initiative: the Hospital CEO and 9-year-old patient Emily Whitehead.

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Two new fluorescent dyes attracted to cancer cells may help neurosurgeons more accurately localize and completely resect brain tumors, suggests a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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More than three-fourths US neurosurgeons practice some form of defensive medicine—performing additional tests and procedures out of fear of malpractice lawsuits, reports a special article in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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With the opening of the Henry A. Jordan M’62 Medical Education Center, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has expanded its urban campus with an innovative new facility that’s redefining medical education for 21st century doctors.

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Patients undergoing bariatric surgery for severe obesity are often left with excess, sagging skin affecting all areas of the body—including the face. The unique challenges of facelift surgery in this group of patients—and effective techniques for addressing them—are presented in a paper in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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With attention to some unique patient characteristics, breast reduction surgery achieves good aesthetic outcomes in bodybuilders with gynecomastia—enlargement of the male breast, according to a report in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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According to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, only 25 percent of women who had reported no earlier sleep problems developed moderate or severe insomnia or other sleep disturbances during a 16-year period around menopause. What’s more, the researchers say that these sleep woes did not appear to be caused by menopause itself, which may quell common fears about symptoms associated with this phase of life.

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Wistar’s newly-created team of technology development professionals are in place to connect scientists’ research with translational science opportunities to form partnerships that will accelerate groundbreaking discoveries in medicine.

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Contact lens wearers who don't follow certain hygiene habits have increased bacterial contamination of their contact lens cases, reports a study in the February issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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A recent Stanford Cancer Institute study shows that adherence to the NCCN Guidelines® for Colon Cancer in an integrated health care setting improves outcomes in all patients, including minorities.

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Tens of millions of people worldwide have abnormal, leak-prone sproutings of blood vessels in the brain called cerebral cavernous malformations. These abnormal growths can lead to seizures, strokes, and hemorrhages, yet their precise molecular cause has never been determined. Now, cardiovascular scientists have studied this pathway in heart development to discover an important set of molecular signals, triggered by CCM-linked gene defects, that potentially could be targeted to treat the disorder.

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The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) announces that Jean-François Pittet, MD, will succeed Steven L. Shafer, MD, as Editor-in-Chief of its flagship journal Anesthesia & Analgesia (A&A). Dr. Shafer’s current term expires in March 2016.

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Infants show distinct, consistent patterns of brain activity in response to painful vaccinations, reports a study in the February issue of PAIN®, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Workhorse molecules called heat-shock proteins contribute to refolding proteins that were once misfolded and clumped, causing such disorders as Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have been developing ways to "reprogram" one such protein – a yeast protein called Hsp104 -- to improve its therapeutic properties.

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The Monell Center has received a $1.5M NIH grant to further develop clinical methodology that can predict the path of air flow through a person’s nasal passages. The methodology may someday help physicians predict success taes for surgery to reverse nasal obstruction and associated loss of smell (anosmia).

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Despite effective new treatments for their disease, children with pulmonary hypertension (PHT) are still a high-risk group for serious complications and death related to anesthesia and surgery, reports a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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The increase in Medicaid reimbursement for primary care providers, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was associated with a 7.7 percentage points increase in new patient appointment availability without longer wait times, according to results of a new 10-state study — co-authored by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Urban Institute, and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — published online-first by the New England Journal of Medicine.

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For the first time, researchers at Penn Medicine have found that a mutation in the ATRX gene may serve as a much-needed biomarker for the pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas that become malignant. These rare neuroendocrine tumors are typically benign, but when they go rogue, they become very aggressive.

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As the United States population has doubled since 1955, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds in the United States has been cut by nearly 95 percent to just 45,000, a wholly inadequate equation when considering that there are currently 10 million U.S. residents with serious mental illness. A new viewpoint in JAMA looks at the evolution away from inpatient psychiatric beds, evaluates the current system for housing and treating the mentally ill, and then suggests a modern approach to institutionalized mental health care as a solution.

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The University of Pennsylvania has announced an expanded relationship with Spark Therapeutics, a late-stage gene therapy company developing treatments for debilitating, genetic diseases. As part of the expanded relationship, which included both an exclusive license agreement to certain Penn-owned intellectual property rights and a clinical trial agreement, Penn will be one of the clinical sites for a clinical trial to evaluate the treatment of a rare genetic form of progressive blindness.

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Penn Medicine researchers, in a continuation of their groundbreaking work to better understand how anesthesia works in the body, have found the first new class of novel anesthetics since the 1970s. Their findings, published in February issue of Anesthesiology, detail the processes through which the group uncovered these compounds.

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Physicians who use health information technology (HIT) systems are only slightly more likely to receive the patient information they need to provide coordinated care, reports a study in the January issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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When retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters were approved for use in the United States in 2003 to prevent pulmonary embolism among patients unable to receive the standard blood thinner treatment, many experts anticipated most of them would be removed when no longer needed and IVC filter complications would decrease. Instead, the number of IVC filters placed has more than doubled in the last 10 years, and by some estimates, less than half of these retrievable devices are actually removed each year.

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Lung cancer rates in both smokers and non-smokers are lower in higher-elevation counties in the western part of the United States, suggesting that oxygen may promote the incidence of lung cancer, according to a new study co-authored by a student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Wolters Kluwer announced today that its Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) medical and nursing journal portfolio won 15 awards in nine categories at the 2014 FOLIO: Eddie & Ozzie Awards. Emergency Medicine News, Oncology Times, and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open all took top spots in their categories. Sponsored by FOLIO: Magazine, the Eddie & Ozzie awards represent one of the industry’s largest, most prestigious awards competitions for magazine and digital editorial and design excellence.

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Once more, the multifactorial and heterogeneous nature of breast cancer fascinate researchers and is newly confirmed by the results of a study entitled “Anthropometric, metabolic and molecular determinants of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression in luminal b breast cancer”, published in December 2014 in the international journal Journal of Cell Physiology.