Medical News Synthetic Stem Cells Could Offer Therapeutic Benefits, Reduced Risks Researchers have developed a synthetic version of a cardiac stem cell. These synthetic stem cells offer therapeutic benefits comparable to those from natural stem cells and could reduce some of the risks associated with stem cell therapies. – North Carolina State University DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS13724 Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 05:00 ET Study: Hospital Readmission Rates Decrease Following Passage of Affordable Care Act Financial Penalties The Affordable Care Act (ACA) instituted financial penalties against hospitals with high rates of readmissions for Medicare patients with certain health conditions. A new analysis led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Ha... – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Annals of Internal Medicine; P01 CA 134294; R01 GM111339; R01 ES024332; K23 HL 118138-01 Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 17:00 ET Research Reveals the Importance of Long Non-Coding RNA Regulating Cellular Processes Scientific research over the past decade has concentrated almost exclusively on the 2 percent of the genome’s protein coding regions, virtually ignoring the other 98 percent, a vast universe of non-coding genetic material previously dismissed as no... – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Nature; R01 CA082328 ; R35 CA197529 Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 11:00 ET Reducing Radiation Successfully Treats HPV-Positive Oropharynx Cancers and Minimizes Side Effects Human papillomavirus-positive oropharynx cancers (cancers of the tonsils and back of the throat) are on rise. After radiation treatment, patients often experience severe, lifelong swallowing, eating, and nutritional issues. However, new clinical tria... – Yale Cancer Center Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dec. 26, 2016 Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 16:00 ET Naturally Occurring Mechanism of Cancer Drug-Resistance May Itself Be a Treatment Target The use of proteasome inhibitors to treat cancer has been greatly limited by the ability of cancer cells to develop resistance to these drugs. But Whitehead Institute researchers have found a mechanism underlying this resistance—a mechanism that na... – Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 15:00 ET Obesity-Associated Protein Could Be Linked to Leukemia Development Cancer researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found an obesity-associated protein’s role in leukemia development and drug response which could lead to more effective therapies for the illness. – University of Cincinnati (UC) Academic Health Center CA178454,CA182528,CA214965,GM071440,2011R50015 Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET Prior Kidney Damage May Pose Risks for Pregnant Women and Their Babies • Women with a history of recovered acute kidney injury had an increased rate of preeclampsia and delivered infants earlier than women with a history of normal kidney function. – American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Journal of the American Society of Nephrology Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 17:00 ET Smoking While Pregnant May Compromise Children’s Kidney Function • Compared with those born from nonsmoking mothers, young children whose mothers smoked while pregnant were 1.24-times more likely to show signs of kidney damage. – American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 17:00 ET Here's Why You Don't Feel Jet-Lagged When You Run a Fever A clump of just a few thousand brain cells, no bigger than a mustard seed, controls the daily ebb and flow of most bodily processes in mammals -- sleep/wake cycles, most notably. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists report direct evidence in mice for how th... – Johns Hopkins Medicine Current Biology; EY001730 Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET UCLA-Led Study Provides Roadmap to More Personalized Cancer Treatment Researchers have found that people with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the KRAS-variant inherited genetic mutation have significantly improved survival when given a short course of the drug cetuximab in combination with standard c... – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences JAMA Oncology Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 11:00 ET UAB’s 500th TAVR Procedure Gives Retired Pastor, Baseball Player Opportunity to Help Others UAB is the only hospital in Alabama to perform 500 TAVR cases. – University of Alabama at Birmingham Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET Give New Year’s Resolutions a Boost with a “Monday Resolution” Research shows that only 8% of people making New Year’s resolutions end up achieving them each year. Some health experts believe a more effective approach would be to follow New Year’s with a recommit strategy that capitalizes on the natural mome... – Monday Campaigns A Baby Boomer’s New Year Resolution: Ask Your Doctor About Your Medicines A Saint Louis University geriatrician says her patients frequently feel better when she reduces the number of medicines they take. She advocates older adults who take five or more medications talk their doctors annually about triaging their pill boxe... – Saint Louis University Medical Center Shoulder Pain Linked to Increased Heart Disease Risk After all the lifting, hauling and wrapping, worn out gift givers may blame the season’s physical strain for any shoulder soreness they are feeling. It turns out there could be another reason. A new study led by investigators at the University of U... – University of Utah Health Sciences Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Trial Results Confirm Ebola Vaccine Provides High Protection Against Disease An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to a new study that included researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. – University of Maryland School of Medicine The Lancet UF Plays Key Role in Trial for Successful Ebola Vaccine An international group of researchers associated with the World Health Organization has published its final report on the Ebola vaccine trial in Guinea, finding that the vaccine is a safe and effective way to prevent Ebola infection. – University of Florida Lancet Study Potentially Explains Vulnerability of Young Cancer Patients to Treatment Toxicities Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute say they have discovered a potential explanation for why brain and heart tissues in very young children are more sensitive to collateral damage from cancer treatment than older individuals. – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Cancer Cell New Precision Medicine Tool Helps Optimize Cancer Treatment Columbia University researchers have created a user-friendly computational tool that rapidly predicts which genes are implicated in an individual’s cancer and recommends treatments. – Columbia University Medical Center Genome Medicine, December 22, 2016 High-Mileage Runners Expend Less Energy Than Low-Mileage Runners Runners who consistently log high mileage show more neuromuscular changes that improve running efficiency than their low-mileage counterparts, according to researchers from Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom. The paper is publishe... – American Physiological Society (APS) Wayne State University Leads Groundbreaking Research on Preterm Birth Preterm birth — birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy — affects up to one in every six births in the United States and many other countries. In a recent study published in the premier biomedical research journal Nature Medicine, a team of researcher... – Wayne State University Division of Research Nature Medicine, Dec-2016; National Institutes of Health, AI95776 Training to Become a Scuba Diver? Start at the Dentist A new University at Buffalo pilot study found that 41 percent of scuba divers experienced dental symptoms in the water. Recreational divers should consider consulting with their dentist before diving if they recently received dental care. – University at Buffalo British Dental Journal Canadian-Israeli Development: A New Biological Pacemaker Using human embryonic stem cells to create a type of cardiac cells known as sinotrial (SA) node pacemaker cells, researchers have developed a biological pacemaker that overcomes many of the limitations of electrical pacemakers. – American Technion Society Nature Biotechnology, Nov-2016 Scientists Discover Concussion Biomarker The secret to reliably diagnosing concussions lies in the brain’s ability to process sound, according to a new study by researchers from Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory. Widely considered a crisis in professional sports... – Northwestern University Nature, Scientific Reports Kidney Transplant Recipient, Will Attempt Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Together in 2017 In an effort to bring awareness to the power and benefits of living organ donation, Hasberry, Kuykendall and Kuykendall’s son, Cade, will attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa, in June 2017. – University of Alabama at Birmingham TSRI Study: Protein Monitors Lung Volume and Regulates Breathing The researchers said this study might help shed light on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in human babies, which is thought to be associated with dysfunctional airway sensory neurons. – Scripps Research Institute Nature, Dec. 2016; R01DE022358; R01HL132255 Post-Op Complications Measurements Differ, Mayo Clinic Study Finds PHOENIX – How do medical professionals determine whether or not a patient has experienced a post-operative complication? A team of Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers has published results of a three-year study examining mechanisms for measuring... – Mayo Clinic Annals of Surgery Capsule for Severe Bleeding Disorder Moves Closer to Reality Researchers are working to develop a pill to treat this serious inherited bleeding disorder. Oral delivery of the treatment--clotting factor IX--would allow individuals with type B hemophilia to swallow a pill rather than be subjected to several week... – National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Int J Pharm, Dec-2016; EB000246 Protein That Activates Immune Response Harms Body’s Ability to Fight HIV In findings they call counterintuitive, a team of UCLA-led researchers suggests that blocking a protein, which is crucial to initiating the immune response against viral infections, may actually help combat HIV. – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences Journal of Clinical Investigation Hopkins Project Shows House Calls and Good Neighbors Can Benefit Patients and Hospitals When people with chronic health problems couldn't get around town to their doctors' appointments, a four-year Johns Hopkins program brought the appointments to them. Johns Hopkins cardiologist and senior director for accountable care Scott Berkowitz,... – Johns Hopkins Medicine Healthcare Interdisciplinary Teamwork Yields Improved Antibiotic Stewardship A hospital engaged in a quality improvement program launched by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) has identified weaknesses in existing antibiotic stewardship initiatives and implemented workflow changes that resulted in faster ant... – ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) The Medical Minute: Social Interaction Can Affect Breast Cancer Outcomes New research suggests that women with stronger social connections while being treated for breast cancer may fare better than those who don’t have that kind of support. – Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Neurologist Warns of Increased Risk of Strokes During the Holidays Along with increased cheer and festivities during the holidays comes an increased risk of stroke, one of the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. Patrick D. Lyden, MD, chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Neurology, said he sees a si... – Cedars-Sinai Linking Human Genome Sequences to Health Data Will Change Clinical Medicine, Says Penn Expert The value of intersecting the sequencing of individuals’ exomes (all expressed genes) or full genomes to find rare genetic variants -- on a large scale -- with their detailed electronic health record (EHR) information has “myriad benefits, includ... Expert Available – Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Physician, Heal Thyself: Doctors and Clinicians Make New Year’s Resolutions, Too We all make resolutions to be healthier in the New Year, but what resolutions do health professionals themselves make? UCLA Health experts share theirs. Expert Available – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences Making the Most of the Holidays When You’re Hospitalized When a patient is hospitalized over the holidays, it can intensify the feelings of "holiday blues." Here are some tips to make the most of the holidays when hospitalized. Expert Available – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences Military Health System Will Test U-M-Developed Concept Under Newly Signed Defense Bill A health care reform idea originated by University of Michigan faculty will get a major test among members of the nation’s military and their families, thanks to a provision in the national defense spending bill signed by President Obama Friday. – University of Michigan Health System Dr. Anthony Atala Named 2016 Innovator of the Year Dr. Anthony Atala, leader of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), has been named 2016 Innovator of the Year by R&D Magazine and received a Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award in life sciences for his efforts to const... – Wake Forest University CDP Offers ‘Summer Institute’ for Future Military Behavioral Health Providers The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) is seeking psychology or counseling students interested in careers as military behavioral health providers for their “Summer Institute,” June 19-23... – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) With $8.6 Million Grant From Nih, UCLA-Led Consortium Will Map the Heart’s Nervous System A consortium directed by UCLA’s Dr. Kalyanam Shivkumar has received a three-year, $8.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to map the heart’s nervous system. The group’s goal: To conduct research that leads to new ways to treat... – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences 2017 Neuro Film Festival Introduces New Categories, Expanded Mission The 2017 Neuro Film Festival, presented by the American Academy of Neurology, is now accepting video submissions. The Neuro Film Festival, now in its eighth year, is an online video contest that encourages people to share their story about how brain ... – American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Science News Ash Dieback: Insect Threat to Fungus-Resistant Trees Scientists from the University of Exeter and the University of Warwick examined trees which are resistant to ash dieback and – unexpectedly – found they had very low levels of chemicals which defend against insects. – University of Warwick Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 11:00 ET Engineers Create Programmable Silk-Based Materials with Embedded, Pre-Designed Functions Tufts University engineers have created a new format of solids made from silk protein that can be preprogrammed with biological, chemical, or optical functions, such as mechanical components that change color with strain, deliver drugs, or respond to... – Tufts University Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Office of Naval Research (N00014-13-1-0596) Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 15:00 ET Researchers Use World's Smallest Diamonds to Make Wires Three Atoms Wide Scientists at Stanford University and the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a way to use diamondoids – the smallest possible bits of diamond – to assemble atoms into the thinnest possible electrical wir... – SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 11:00 ET Six California State University Presidents Sign Open Letters on Climate Action Higher education leaders ask President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to take action on climate issues. – California State University, Sacramento Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 13:30 ET Biologists Follow ‘Fossilizable’ Clues to Pinpoint When Mammal, Bird and Dinosaur Ancestors Became Athletes The study is the first to draw a link between RBC size and microscopic traces of blood vessels and bone cells inside bones. They found that extinct mammal and bird relatives had smaller RBCs and were likely better athletes than earlier terrestrial ve... – University of Utah Current Biology, Jan. 9 2016 Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET Biology’s “Breadboard” Understanding how the nervous system of the roundworm C elegans works will give insights into how our vastly more complex brains function and is the subject of a paper in Nature Methods. – New York Institute of Technology Nature Methods Embargo expired on 26-Dec-2016 at 11:05 ET Stability Without Junctions Scientists from the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore at the National University of Singapore have discovered that cadherin clusters, which are well known for forming junctions between cells, also play a role in stabilising the cell cortex. – National University of Singapore Current Biology, Dec 2016 A Wolverine Inspired Material Scientists, including several from the University of California, Riverside, have developed a transparent, self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material that can be electrically activated to power artificial muscles and could be used to improve... – University of California, Riverside journal Advanced Material One Step Closer to Reality: Devices That Convert Heat Into Electricity The same researchers who pioneered the use of a quantum mechanical effect to convert heat into electricity have figured out how to make their technique work in a form more suitable to industry. – Ohio State University Nature Communications Feeding the Ravenous Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy Feature describes improved method for simulating collisionless accretion disk around supermassive Sagittarius A* at center of Milky Way. – Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory UT Southwestern Researchers Identify Process Cells Use to Destroy Damaged Organelles with Links to Cancer, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Aging Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the mechanism that cells use to find and destroy an organelle called mitochondria that, when damaged, may lead to genetic problems, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory disease,... – UT Southwestern Medical Center Cell, Dec-2016 UCI Scientists Identify a New Approach to Recycle Greenhouse Gas Using a novel approach involving a key enzyme that helps regulate global nitrogen, University of California, Irvine molecular biologists have discovered an effective way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO) that can be adapted for ... – University of California, Irvine Nature Chemical Biology Researchers Capture Video of False Killer Whale’s Encounter with Longline A team of researchers and fishermen used video and audio recordings to observe false killer whales removing fish from a longline fishing hook, a behavior known as depredation. – University of California San Diego NDSU Scientist Uses Genetics to Identify Wood for High-End Guitars NDSU faculty member Jill Hamilton’s research on spruce hybrids has applications for conservation, but it is also being used to identify suitable wood for guitars. – North Dakota State University Physics Tradition Bridges Past with Future Associate Professor of Physics Ed Pogozelski and his student bridge-building competition have come a long way since the spaghetti year of ’97. That’s when he used food as the construction material of choice after learning — just two weeks ahead... – State University of New York at Geneseo Future ‘Smart Cities’ Should be Super-Connected, Green and Resilient When Superstorm Sandy lashed New Jersey in 2012, Narayan B. Mandayam lost power in his East Brunswick home for five days. Sandy sparked the Rutgers professor’s interest in helping to engineer smart cities, where everything is connected; renewable e... – Rutgers University University of Birmingham Researchers Discover New Ancient Tombs Archaeologists from the University of Birmingham have found “compelling evidence” of new pharaonic tombs at Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has revealed. – University of Birmingham Christmas Cuisine: Why We Eat Certain Foods During the Holidays Roger Adams, associate professor and rare books librarian for K-State Libraries, has studied the history of traditional holiday foods. – Kansas State University For Critical Marine Low Clouds, a Research and Observation Plan Marine low clouds hover in the lowest couple of kilometers above the world’s oceans. They produce little but drizzle, and could never match their deeper mid-continent cousin clouds for dramatic weather and severe storms. But marine low clouds are v... – Department of Energy, Office of Science Two Scientists Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows Northwestern University scientists Thomas J. Meade and Joseph R. Moskal have been named 2017 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Meade’s research has led to the development of electronic biosensors for the detection of DNA and prot... – Northwestern University Paraguay Unveils New Management Plan for Jaguars Asunción, Paraguay (December 22, 2016) – The Government of Paraguay took a major step forward today to ensuring a future for the Western Hemisphere’s largest cat species by completing a country-wide management plan for jaguars, the culmination o... – Wildlife Conservation Society Lifestyle & Social Sciences Photography Professor Brings Meaning to San Quentin Images Inmates at notorious maximum-security prison dig into stories behind the images being archived by Sac State professor. – California State University, Sacramento Embargo expired on 23-Dec-2016 at 12:00 ET Dr. Ching-Hua Wang Named as New Sacramento State Provost Dominican University dean will take the reins of Academic Affairs, starting Feb. 1. – California State University, Sacramento Embargo expired on 22-Dec-2016 at 14:30 ET Losing Sleep Over Discrimination? 'Everyday Discrimination' May Contribute to Sleep Problems People who perceive more discrimination in daily life have higher rates of sleep problems, based on both subjective and objective measures, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the Amer... – Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Psychosomatic Medicine Consumer Behavior Expert Shares Four Savings Goals, Financial Tips for the New Year A Baylor University consumer behavior expert shares four savings goals and offers a few tips to get in good financial shape in the coming year. Expert Available – Baylor University