Neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have taken one of the first direct looks at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations": a brain signal that never switches off and may support many cognitive functions.
A protein that helps keep immune cells quiet is more abundant in the spinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), further boosting suspicion that the protein, TREM-2, may be an important contributor to the disease.
Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
"It is troubling that weighty bailout decisions are being made on an ad hoc basis behind closed doors," says Cheryl Block, leading federal budget expert and professor of law. "These decisions potentially involve not only substantial amounts of taxpayer money, but they also involve employment decisions regarding management of major business enterprises."
Cancer death rates in the United States are highest among African Americans, but a new report shows that in Missouri the disparity in cancer incidence and death between African Americans and whites is declining. As a result, cancer incidence (the rate of newly diagnosed cases) between the races is equal, although the death rate will probably remain higher for African Americans for some time.
The genome of a humble worm that dines on the microbial organisms covering the carcasses of dead beetles may provide clues to the evolution of parasitic worms, including those that infect humans, say scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Germany.
A new predictive measurement, called a PEPI score, could bring good news to many women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer "” a low PEPI (preoperative endocrine prognostic index) score could show that they have little risk of relapse and can safely avoid chemotherapy after surgery.
Floodwaters can bring health problems. H. James Wedner, M.D., at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.
Futuristic nanotechnology has been teamed with a decades-old drug to beat atherosclerotic plaques in research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The scientists have found that drug-laced nanoparticles plus a statin could stop the growth of tiny blood vessels that feed arterial plaques and potentially shrink or stabilize the plaques.
A $10 million, government-funded, multicenter clinical trial of an aggressive treatment for blood clots in the leg known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) will be led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Radhakrishnan Gopalan, Ph.D., assistant professor of finance at Washington University in St. Louis, comments on the mortgage giants' federal bailout and the impact on taxpayers, shareholders, the mortgage market and the confidence of the American people.
A narrow region on chromosome 15 contains genetic variations strongly associated with familial lung cancer, says a study conducted by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions. The researchers found a more than five times higher risk of lung cancer for people who have both a family history of the disease and these genetic variations.
For the first time, researchers have described hour-by-hour changes in the amount of amyloid beta, a protein that is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, in the human brain. The researchers report their results this week in Science.
"We are headed into a time when a confluence of changes are going to lead to a perfect storm, making us finally realize that our health care system needs a major overhaul," says Timothy D. McBride, Ph.D., leading health economist and professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. "As the elderly population doubles between now and about 2030, projections are that we will see at least a doubling of the costs of the federal and state health and retirement programs," he says. "That will likely be when the perfect storm hits."
"Minor political parties' inability to gain traction in the United States does not reflect natural facets of our national character," says Gregory P. Magarian, J.D., election law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, home of the 2008 vice presidential debate. "The legal entrenchment of the two major parties has solidified a centrist political order." Magarian is available to discuss general election law and electoral system issues.
Despite popular theories to the contrary, early humans evolved not as aggressive hunters, but as prey of many predators. "Humans are no more born to be hunters than to be gardeners," argues Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, in the newly-updated version of the controversial book "Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators and Human Evolution."
Silver-coated endotracheal tubes are giving critically ill patients another reason to value the lustrous metal. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the NASCENT Investigation Group report that the silver-coated tubes led to a 36 percent reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. According to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, one way is early home interventions "” teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana instead of potato chips.
A mutation that causes a childhood tumor syndrome also impairs growth hormone secretion, researchers at Washington University have found. The discovery provides new insights into an old mystery, revealing why patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 are frequently shorter than their peers.
With food and fuel costs far above what they were a year ago, school children can expect to see some changes in menu offerings this academic year, says a nutrition expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Psychologists have shown that to see objects better, you should take them into your own hands. Humans are compelled to closely analyze objects near our hands, they say, because we have a non-conscious, reflexive need to figure out how to handle nearby items or to provide protection against them. Findings offer new insight into the wiring of the brain.
Staying awake slows down our brains. Mental performance is at its peak after sleep but inevitably trends downward throughout the day, and sleep deprivation only worsens these effects. Researchers working with fruit flies have found a way to stop this downward slide for the first time.
As you load up the family vehicle or rental truck to take your child to college later this summer, leave the satellite dish off your packing list. A little common sense goes a long way when determining what to pack for a student's first, or any, year at school, says a residential housing director at Washington University in St. Louis.
Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped particles "” called nanobialys because they resemble tiny versions of the flat, onion-topped rolls "” could soon be carrying medicinal compounds through patients' bloodstreams to tumors or atherosclerotic plaques. Nanobialys were developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
According to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts. The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training.
Surcharges "” additional fees such as shipping and handling "” are unwelcome but common charges that can shoot up the cost of online and catalog shopping. Yet how many of us base our purchasing decision on these niggling fees? More than you might think. Washington University in St. Louis marketing expert Amar Cheema shows that how consumers think about and respond to these surcharges depends, in large part, on the seller's reputation.
As one of only 120 board-certified pediatric sports medicine physicians in the country, Mark Halstead, M.D., instructor in orthopaedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has particular insight into young athletes and the injuries that commonly occur. His experience enables him to address a number of misconceptions that exist regarding pediatric sports injuries.
Sports-related concussions in young athletes frequently go unrecognized, and often do not receive proper respect for the potential seriousness that even a mild injury may have.
Not every child is sitting around playing an Xbox. Some are at the other end of the spectrum, playing multiple competitive sports year-round. That imbalance leaves them open to injury.
The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will lead a $16 million international research collaboration dedicated to understanding inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) will fund the project.
There's no cure for the so-called stomach flu, a group of highly contagious viruses that can hit with a vengeance, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have identified the primary immune sensor that detects the presence of stomach viruses in the body. This knowledge may help develop a treatment that prevents or reduces the infection.
Every moment we live, cells in our bodies are dying. One type of cell death activates an immune response while another type doesn't. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis report in the journal Immunity that they have figured out how some dying cells signal the immune system. The finding eventually could have important implications in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Ten percent to 19 percent of children miss school or sports activities every year because of pain caused by heavy backpacks and 30 percent to 50 percent of adolescents complain of pain related to backpack use.
There often are highly publicized examples of teen exploitation secondary to Internet use, but these are usually extreme cases and not the norm. The negative experiences associated with Internet use should not deter teens from using this resource; however, negative experiences should serve as warnings of situations to avoid while on-line.
Beginning July 1, all children in kindergarten or first grade entering Missouri schools for the first time are required to have a comprehensive eye exam. A pediatric ophthalmologist at Washington University School of Medicine says the bill forces pediatricians from their gatekeeper's role.
Two pediatric eye surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis expressed alarm over what they label a "21st century snake oil" scam. They are concerned that reports will mislead many parents of children with optic nerve hypoplasia, who may bankrupt savings, go deeply into debt or organize fundraisers to pay for sham treatment.
In a new study published in Pediatrics, Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis, found that families with similar demographics and nature of their children's special needs have different out-of-pocket health expenditures depending on the state in which they live. He notes that wealthier states tend to have a lower average extra cost for caring for a child with special needs. "At the low end, families in Massachusetts paid an average of $560 for out-of-pocket medical expenses," he says.
The sound of a noisy Chicago restaurant during the breakfast rush "” the clang of plates and silverware and the clamor of many voices "” was the crucial test of new hearing aid technology in a study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study showed that the hearing aids worked well in a noisy environment "” the most challenging test for a hearing aid.
Medical science may be a significant step closer to climbing into the driver's seat of an important class of immune cells, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Nature Immunology.
The game of baseball was designed to make a lefty the "Natural," according to David A. Peters, Ph.D., the McDonnell Douglas Professor of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, and uber baseball fan. Peters is a mechanical engineer who specializes in aircraft and helicopter engineering and has a different approach to viewing America's Favorite Pastime.
Compact, bedside brain-activity monitors detected most seizures in at-risk infants, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed. That means the compact units could assist clinicians in monitoring for electrical seizures until confirmation with conventional EEG (electroencephalography), the researchers assert in an article published in the June issue of Pediatrics.
Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells.
Saturday can be the worst enemy for our waistlines, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week.
President Bush's call for Congress to end its decades-old ban on offshore oil and gas drilling has highlighted key differences in the big-oil platforms of presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees Barak Obama and John McCain.
As if the emotional and financial impact of flood damage isn't bad enough, floodwaters can also bring health problems. H. James Wedner, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.
Nutrition researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified five common genetic variations that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors linked to heart disease and diabetes. Another variant they found appeared to protect against the condition.
A group of steroids found in female mouse urine goes straight to the male mouse's head, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. They found the compounds activate nerve cells in the male mouse's nose with unprecedented effectiveness.
Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a genetic variation associated with an earlier age of onset in Alzheimer's disease. Unlike genetic mutations previously linked to rare, inherited forms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease "” which can strike people as young as their 30s or 40s "” these variants influence an earlier presentation of symptoms in people affected by the more common, late-onset form of the disease.
Women born after 1944 began drinking alcohol at younger ages than their elders, and that appears to have put them at greater risk for alcoholism, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
More than 1,000 babies are receiving a $1,000 jumpstart on saving for college thanks to SEED for Oklahoma Kids, a study designed to determine the impact of "seeding" a college savings account for children at birth. SEED OK, announced June 3 by the Governor Brad Henry and State Treasurer Scott Meacham, is a collaboration between the Okla. State Treasurer and the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis.
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