MedWorm: Harvard

New Insight Into 2011 E. coli Outbreaks In Europe Provided By Whole-Genome Sequencing

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Using whole-genome sequencing, a team led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Broad Institute has traced the path of the E. coli outbreak that sickened thousands and killed over 50 people in Germany in summer 2011 and also caused a smaller outbreak in France. It is one of the first uses of genome sequencing to study the dynamics of a food-borne outbreak and provides further evidence that genomic tools can be used to investigate future outbreaks and provide greater insight into the emergence and spread of infectious diseases... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Well Blog: Phys Ed: Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries?

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:16 +0100

Researchers combed through four years' worth of data about Harvard runners to produce the surprisingly controversial finding that how a person runs may affect whether he or she winds up hurt. (Source: NYT Health)

Phys Ed: Phys Ed: Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries?

NYT Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:16 +0100

How Technology Impacts Physical And Emotional Health

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:25:06 +0100

BOSTON (CBS) – We text. We tweet. We surf. Technology has changed the way we live our lives and for many of us, that means working more hours. Just ask Jeff Prag, who runs his own consulting company in Needham. “It starts probably about 5:30 in the morning. The phone is going off, checking emails and trying to respond to client needs,” he said. There are many days, according to Prag, that he is plugged into his business until midnight. That constant contact leaves him feeling exhausted. Fatigue is only part of the problem. There are a number of ways that technology can have an impact on our physical and emotional health. WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports var videoCanvas = new WNVideoWidget("WNVideoCanvas", "wnVideo_6719190");videoCanvas.SetWidth(320);videoCanvas.SetHeight(240);v...

Panel: Getting effective treatments to patients more quickly

Cardiovascular Business News — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:16:59 +0100

BOSTON—Advancements in healthcare have allowed the average lifespan to reach approximately 80 years, but longer lives mean receiving more and spending more forhealthcare. While modern advancements in healthcare, whether in the realm of health IT or pharmaceuticals, may have the ability to reduce these costs, establishing their use in practice can be difficult. A panel of healthcare professionals gathered at the 2012 Harvard Business School Conference on Feb. 4 to discuss this dilemma. (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)

Fall of Communism changed mathematics in US: New study

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Notre Dame) The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 brought an influx of Soviet mathematicians to US institutions, and those scholars' differing areas of specialization have changed the way math is studied and taught in this country, according to new research by University of Notre Dame Economist Kirk Doran and a colleague from Harvard. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Five Prime Therapeutics Inc. makes interim CEO official

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:21:06 +0100

Five Prime Therapeutics Inc. made Lewis Williams, M.D., president and CEO, thus confirming him in a job he’s held temporarily since August. Williams, who started Five Prime, worked in the past at Chiron Corp. and at the University of California, San Francisco. He was also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and was a staff cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He’s been temporary CEO of Five Prime since Julia Gregory quit as CEO last summer. Gregory herself had replaced CEO Gail Maderis in 2009... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Bill Gates backs climate scientists lobbying for large-scale geoengineering

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:18:00 +0100

Other wealthy individuals have also funded a series of reports into the future use of technologies to geoengineer the climate• What is geo-engineering?• Scientists criticise handling of geoengineering pilot projectA small group of leading climate scientists, financially supported by billionaires including Bill Gates, are lobbying governments and international bodies to back experiments into manipulating the climate on a global scale to avoid catastrophic climate change.The scientists, who advocate geoengineering methods such as spraying millions of tonnes of reflective particles of sulphur dioxide 30 miles above earth, argue that a "plan B" for climate change will be needed if the UN and politicians cannot agree to making the necessary cuts in greenhouse gases, and say the US governme...

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Whole-genome sequencing of 2011 E. coli outbreaks in Europe provides new insight

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard School of Public Health) Using whole-genome sequencing, a team led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and the Broad Institute has traced the path of the E. coli outbreak that sickened thousands and killed over 50 people in Germany in summer 2011 and also caused a smaller outbreak in France. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Differences in the Circuitry-Based Association of Copy Numbers and Gene Expression Between the Hippocampi of Patients With Schizophrenia and the Hippocampi of Patients With Bipolar Disorder [Original Article]

Archives of General Psychiatry — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Insertions and deletions of genomic DNA in -aminobutyric acid cells at a key locus of the hippocampal circuit are reflected in transcriptional changes in GAD67 regulation that are circuitry-based and diagnosis-specific. (Source: Archives of General Psychiatry)

Spaghetti western reveals differences between human and monkey brains

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:03:00 +0100

A 'neurocinematic' comparison provides clues about evolution of the human brainMonkeys are closely related to us and their brains have long served as an indispensable model for understanding how our own brain works. But we're separated from each other by millions of years of evolution, so there are some major differences between their brains and ours. On the one hand, we can't assume that the results from experiments on their brains can be generalized to humans. But on the other, a better understanding of our differences can provide important clues about the evolutionary forces that shaped the human brain. A new method may help to overcome some of the difficulties in comparing the human and monkey brains. To test the method, researchers scanned the brains of humans and macaque monkeys whil...

Piltdown Man: British archaeology's greatest hoax | Robin McKie

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:05:35 +0100

Discussion of the Piltdown Skull, by John Cooke, presents its discoverers in an almost holy atmosphere. Keith is seated while Smith Woodward stands behind him in front of a table with pieces of skull on it. Also standing, with a picture of Charles Darwin behind him, is the benign figure of Charles Dawson. "The way the painting is structured suggests Darwin is passing on his mantle to Dawson," says Russell. "The former had the theory, the latter had provided it, it is being suggested."Certainly, the Wizard of Sussex had come far. He was now feted as one of the world's greatest archaeologists and would have been knighted, as were Keith and Smith Woodward, had he not died of septicaemia in 1916. Kindly and rotund, the figure of Dawson looks the acme of Edwardian rectitude, a successful s...

Rupert Sheldrake: the 'heretic' at odds with scientific dogma

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:04:00 +0100

Rupert Sheldrake has researched telepathy in dogs, crystals and Chinese medicine in his quest to explore phenomena that science finds hard to explainIt is not often, in liberal north London, that you come face to face with a heretic, but Rupert Sheldrake has worn that mantle, pretty cheerfully, for 30 years now. Sitting in his book-lined study, overlooking Hampstead Heath, he appears a highly unlikely candidate for apostasy; he seems more like the Cambridge biochemistry don he once was, one of the brightest Darwinians of his generation, winner of the university botany prize, researcher at the Royal Society, Harvard scholar and fellow of Clare College.All that, though, was before he was cast out into the wilderness. Sheldrake's untouchable status was conferred one morning in 1981 when, a co...

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The Role of Shox2 in SAN Development and Function

Pediatric Cardiology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:51:33 +0100

Abstract Embryonic development is a tightly regulated process, and many families of genes functions to provide a regulatory genetic network to achieve such a program. The homeobox genes are an extensive family that encodes transcription factors with a characteristic 60-amino acid homeodomain. Mutations in these genes or in the encoded proteins might result in structural malformations, physiological defects, and even embryonic death. Mutations in the short-stature homeobox gene (SHOX) is associated with idiopathic short stature in humans, as observed in patients with Turner syndrome and/or Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis. A closely related human homolog, SHOX2, has not been linked to any syndrome or defect so far. In mice, a SHOX ortholog gene is not present in the genome; howev...

[News of the Week] Newsmakers

Science: Current Issue — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:34:11 +0100

This week's Newsmakers are Janet Rowley of the University of Chicago, Brian Druker of the Oregon Health & Science University, Nicholas Lydon of Blueprint Medicines, and Masato Sagawa of Intermetallics Co., winners of the Japan Prizes; Scott Doney, whose nomination to be chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been withdrawn by the White House; Johannes Vogel, an expert on fern genetics, who took over as director of Berlin's Natural History Museum this week; and Paul Alivisatos of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Charles Lieber of Harvard University, Jacob Bekenstein of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ronald Evans of the Salk Institute, Michael Aschbacher of the California Institute of Technology, and Luis Caffarelli of the University of Texas, A...

Two Studies Find that Patients Want Access to their Health Records, Including Clinical Pathology Test Data

Dark Daily — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:27 +0100

Patients are ready to ready access to their medical records; but physicians are wary Data from two studies here in the United States affirms that patients want access to their health records. Consequently, health systems are increasingly making it easier for patients to get access to prescription lists, medical laboratory test results and now even [...] (Source: Dark Daily)

Timothy leary's mid‐career shift: clean break or inflection point?

Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:27:18 +0100

The psychologist Timothy Leary (1920–1996), an iconic cultural figure in the United States in the 1960s and afterward, has received comparatively scant attention in the history of psychology. This may be due to perceptions that, after a major career shift centering around his experimentation with psychedelic substances and his subsequent dismissal from Harvard in 1963, Leary parted company with the field. While there are several good reasons to adopt this view, examination of his entire career as well as his intellectual ancestry reveals unacknowledged continuities, suggesting that a more prominent place be accorded to him in the history of psychology, as well as to the challenges he poses. (Source: Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences)

New international standards to aid data sharing

MEDEV News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:38:29 +0100

Led by researchers at University of Oxford (UK) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) at Harvard University, (USA), more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard for integrating biological data sets. This will make it possible to consistently describe the enormous and radically different databases that are compiled in the biosciences in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies.This collaborative effort provides a way for scientists in widely disparate life science fields to co-ordinate each other's findings by allowing behind-the-scenes combination of the mountains of data produced by modern, technology driven science. This will allow researchers to put data to work more effectively a...

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Castaway lizards offer new look at evolutionary processes

EurekAlert! - Biology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(National Science Foundation) Biologists who released lizards on tiny uninhabited islands in the Bahamas have uncovered a seldom-observed interaction between evolutionary processes.Jason Kolbe, a biologist at the University of Rhode Island -- along with colleagues at Duke University, Harvard University and the University of California, Davis -- found that the lizards' genetic and morphological traits were determined by both natural selection and a phenomenon called the founder effect. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Reply to commentary – CT radiation dose reduction: can we do harm by doing good?

Pediatric Radiology — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:08:24 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory CommentaryPages 1-3DOI 10.1007/s00247-011-2331-9Authors Beverley Newman, Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USAMichael J. Callahan, Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Journal Pediatric RadiologyOnline ISSN 1432-1998Print ISSN 0301-0449 (Source: Pediatric Radiology)

Scientists sign petition to boycott academic publisher Elsevier

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:07:55 +0100

Cost of Knowledge petition criticises 'exorbitantly high' price of Elsevier's scientific journals and the publisher's 'huge profits'More than 3,000 academics, including several Fields medal-winning mathematicians, have put their names to a petition declaring their intention to boycott the academic publisher Elsevier.The "Cost of Knowledge" petition claims Elsevier charges "exorbitantly high" prices for its journals and criticises its practice of selling journals in "bundles" so libraries "must buy a large set with many unwanted journals, or none at all". It says the publisher makes "huge profits by exploiting their essential titles, at the expense of other journals".The petition also criticises Elsevier's support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), PIPA and the US Research Works Act, wh...

31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) detects early changes in kidney high-energy phosphate metabolism during a 6-month Valsartan treatment in diabetic and non-diabetic kidney-transplanted patients

Acta Diabetologica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:54:30 +0100

Abstract 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) is a non-invasive tool to study high-energy phosphate (HEP) metabolism. We evaluate whether 31P-MRS can detect early changes in kidney HEP metabolism during a 6-month trial with Valsartan. Twenty consecutive stable and normotensive kidney-transplanted patients were enrolled. Nine of them received short-term low-dose Valsartan treatment (80 mg/day) for 6 months, while 11 controls received no medication. Kidney HEP metabolism was evaluated both at baseline and after treatment by 31P-MRS with a 1.5 T system (Gyroscan Intera Master 1.5 MR System; Philips Medical Systems, Best, The Netherlands). Valsartan-treated patients (n = 9) showed a significant increase in β-ATP/Pi ratio, a marker of kidney H...

Illusion Contest Offers Mind-Warping Visions (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Jordan Suchow came to three rapid-fire conclusions as he watched his Macintosh laptop plummet toward the floor. First, in approximately 300 milliseconds he was going to be in a heap of trouble--the machine had been given to him by his thesis adviser, George Alvarez of Harvard University. Second, hoping against all hope, he decided that Harvard could probably afford to buy him a new computer. Third, he realized that the most important observation of his life was unfolding right in front of him as his laptop accelerated toward the parquet: the onscreen doughnut that he had programmed to scintillate appeared to have stopped doing so. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Current Strategies and Future Perspectives for Intraperitoneal Adhesion Prevention

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:55:38 +0100

Discussion Mesothelial cells play a crucial physiological role in frictionless gliding of the serosa and the maintenance of an antiadhesive surface. The formation of postoperative adhesions results from a cascade of events and is regulated by various cellular and humoral factors. Therefore, optimization or functionalization of barrier materials by developments interacting with this cascade on a structural or pharmacological level could give an innovative input for future strategies in peritoneal adhesion prevention. For this purpose, the proper understanding of the formal pathogenesis of adhesion formation is essential. Based on the physiology of the serosa and the pathophysiology of adhesion formation, the available barriers in current clinical practice as well as new inn...

Institute for Aging research awarded $2.7 million grant to investigate 'dowager's hump'

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research) The Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, today announced that Dr. Lisa Samelson and the Institute were awarded a $2.7 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to conduct a five-year study to better understand the cause of hyperkyphosis, a condition that causes extreme forward curvature of the spine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

2/7 Seminars in Oncology: "Deconstructing the Molecular Genetics of Human Cancer, and its Therapeutic Implications"

DF/HCC: Latest News — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:28:44 +0100

Speaker: Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD George C. Reisman Professor of Medicine and Pathology Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA Tuesday, February 7, 2012 4 p.m. Jimmy Fund Auditorium Hosted by: Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD 617-582-7646 (Source: DF/HCC: Latest News)

Validation of the Better Care® system to detect ineffective efforts during expiration in mechanically ventilated patients: a pilot study

Intensive Care Medicine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:14:14 +0100

Conclusions In this pilot, Better Care® classified breaths as IEE in close agreement with experts and the EAdi signal. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory OriginalPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00134-012-2493-4Authors Lluis Blanch, Critical Care Center, Hospital de Sabadell, Corporacio Sanitaria Universitària Parc Tauli, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Parc Taulí 1, 08208 Sabadell, SpainBernat Sales, CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, ISCiii, Madrid, SpainJaume Montanya, Fundació Parc Tauli, Corporacio Sanitaria Universitària Parc Tauli, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, SpainUmberto Lucangelo, Department of Perioperative Medicine, Intensive Care and Emergency, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste University, Trieste, ItalyOscar Garcia-Esquirol, Critical Care Cente...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Stimulant Therapy, and the Patient with Congenital Heart Disease: Evidence and Reason

Pediatric Cardiology — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:13:49 +0100

Abstract Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood, and congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of birth defect. Children with CHD are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD. Stimulant medications, specifically methylphenidates and amphetamines, are frequently prescribed and effective in reducing the symptoms of ADHD. Despite their efficacy and long history of use, the safety of these medications has recently come into question due to isolated reports describing sudden unexplained death of children undergoing treatment. This review summarizes the current literature on the cardiovascular risks associated with the use of pharmacologic therapy for ADHD, with an emphasis on p...

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Disseminated Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma in an Adolescent Confirmed by Application of PLAG1 Immunohistochemistry and FISH for PLAG1 Rearrangement

Head and Neck Pathology — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:13:46 +0100

Abstract A 16-year-old previously asymptomatic boy presented with complaints of fatigue, weight loss, and back pain for several months. Imaging studies revealed a large superior mediastinal mass, numerous bilateral pulmonary nodules, and multiple lytic bone lesions. A needle biopsy from a sternal lesion showed a poorly differentiated carcinoma, immunoreactive for cytokeratins and EMA and immunonegative for various organ/tissue-specific markers. His past medical history was significant for excision of a parotid gland tumor 5 years earlier. Histologic review of the salivary gland tumor revealed a pleomorphic adenoma containing a microscopic focus of invasive carcinoma (carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma). By immunohistochemistry, both the salivary gland tumor and the diss...

Halamka: DICOM = A non-standard standard

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:57:47 +0100

John D. Halamka, MD, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, seems to be taking a bit of flak for a recent assertion dubbing DICOM a "non-standard standard." (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

PPI heartburn drugs 'up hip fracture risk in smokers'

NHS News Feed — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:19:00 +0100

Conclusion This large study had several strengths. Unlike some previous studies, it collected information on and took into account other key risk factors for fracture, including body weight, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity. It also looked at the women’s use of PPIs every two years (rather than just asking them once) and took into account variations in use during this time in their analysis. However, as the authors note, it also had some limitations: It did not ask about the brands of PPI used, nor the doses of PPI the women took, both of which could affect risk of fracture. The information about hip fracture was self-reported and not confirmed by medical records (although a smaller study has found self-reporting of hip fracture to be reliable). Also, the study did ...

Access To Psychotropic Medicines Affected By Health Systems Factors

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

In a cross-sectional analysis of WHO-AIMS data published in this week's PLoS Medicine, Ryan McBain of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA and colleagues investigated the associations between health system components and access to psychotropic drugs in 63 low- and middle- income countries (LAMICs). The authors' findings indicate that access to psychotropic medicines in LAMICs is related to key components within the mental health systems of these countries but that availability and affordability are affected to different extents by these components... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Statins Work As Well On Females As Males

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Statins given to female patients are as effective in preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular events as they are for men, researchers from Boston and New York reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Cardiovascular events include stroke, heart attack, and angina. William J. Kostis, Ph.D., M.D., from Harvard Medical School, and team set out to determine what impact statins might have on reducing cardiovascular event risk in male and female patients. They gathered and analyzed data on 18 clinical trials which had gender-specific outcomes... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Roles of MicroRNAs and Other Non-coding RNAs in Breast Cancer Metastasis

Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:45:59 +0100

Abstract Despite the fact that metastases are responsible for the overwhelming majority of human cancer deaths, our comprehension of the molecular events that drive metastatic progression remains woefully incomplete. Excitingly, the recent appreciation that various species of non-coding RNAs—including microRNAs—play pivotal roles in dictating the malignant behaviors of breast carcinoma cells promises to afford new insights into the molecular circuitry that determines metastatic propensity. Here, I summarize our current knowledge regarding these still-emerging functions for non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of breast cancer metastasis, with an emphasis placed upon the roles played by microRNAs in these processes. Additionally, I discuss the potential translational opp...

Halamka offers tools for ICD-10 implementation

Cardiovascular Business News — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:02:04 +0100

Despite his belief that implementation of ICD-10 is a costly endeavor with no expected benefits, thought leader John Halamka, MD, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), CIO at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, is helping his facility move forward and posted on his blog Jan. 31 two tools to help other facilities with the project. (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)

Has the Survival Rate for Surgically Resected Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Improved in the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Era?

Annals of Surgical Oncology — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:11:02 +0100

Conclusions The TKI era is associated with dramatic improvements in OS and DSS for patients with surgically resected gastric GISTs, irrespective of stage, tumor size, and extent of operation through 6 years of follow-up. It remains unclear, however, whether this survival advantage is a change in cure rate or simply a delay in disease progression. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Healthcare Policy and OutcomesPages 1-11DOI 10.1245/s10434-012-2222-9Authors Felipe E. Pedroso, Department of Surgery, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, USAChandrajit P. Raut, Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USAHong ...

Effects of exercise and nutritional intake on sleep architecture in adolescents

Sleep and Breathing — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:07:00 +0100

Conclusions BMI and exercise were associated with increases in stage II sleep. In girls, total fat intake was associated with a reduction in REM sleep, while in boys (after controlling for BMI percentile and age), total fat intake correlated with REM sleep. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s11325-012-0658-6Authors Karim M. Awad, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USAAmy A. Drescher, Arizona Respiratory Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724, USAAtul Malhotra, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USAStu...

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Sweeteners and Risk of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: The Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Current Diabetes Reports — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:05:05 +0100

Abstract Temporal patterns over the past three to four decades have shown a close parallel between the rise in added sugar intake and the global obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) epidemics. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which include the full spectrum of soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy and vitamin water drinks, are composed of naturally derived caloric sweeteners such as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, or fruit juice concentrates. Collectively they are the largest contributor to added sugar intake in the US diet. Over the past 10 years a number of large observational studies have found positive associations between SSB consumption and long-term weight gain and development of T2D and related metabolic conditions. Experimental studies provide insight into poten...

Anthony E. Siegman: Laser pioneer, Optical Society president, friend, and colleague [Retrospectives]

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The death of Anthony E. (Tony) Siegman on October 7, 2011, was a profound shock to the worldwide optical science and laser community. An esteemed scientist and educator, Tony was also a kind and gentle man.Tony was born November 23, 1931, and raised in rural Michigan. As an early National Merit Scholar, he attended Harvard University and received an AB degree summa cum laude in 3 years. After 2 years on a cooperative plan with the University of California, Los Angeles, and Hughes Research Laboratories, he obtained an MS degree in Applied Physics in 1954. He went north to Stanford... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Who came up with the model for excessive pay? No, it wasn't the bankers – it was academics | Aditya Chakrabortty

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:30:01 +0100

All the focus has been on bankers' bonuses, yet no one has looked at the economists who argued for rewarding bosses by giving them a bigger financial stake in their companiesTake a big step back. Ignore those sterile debates about how Dave screwed up over Stephen Hester's pay and where this leaves Ed. Instead, ask this: which profession has done most to justify the millions handed over to the boss of RBS, his colleagues and counterparts? Which group has been most influential in making the argument that top people deserve top pay? Not the executives themselves – at least, not directly. Nor the headhunters. Try the economists.The ground rules for the system by which City bankers, Westminster MPs and ordinary taxpayers live today were set by two US economists just a couple of decades ago. I...

More Use of Whole Gene Sequencing Poised to Play Important New Roles in Microbiology and Medical Laboratory Testing

Dark Daily — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:57:04 +0100

Cheaper, faster, and more accurate rapid gene sequencing technologies show great promise in identifying infectious disease agents In clinical laboratories across the nation, microbiology has greatly benefited from the introduction of molecular diagnostics in clinical practice. Now the field of microbiology is poised to undergo a more profound transformation of clinical practice, due to advances [...] (Source: Dark Daily)

Toxic BPA levels increase by a shocking 1,200 percent after eating canned food

NaturalNews.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100

A Harvard study suggests that avoiding BPA packaging most of the time isn't enough to avoid its toxic side effects. Even a daily bowl of canned soup is enough to spike your BPA levels by more than 1,200 percent. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health studied... (Source: NaturalNews.com)

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Stealthy leprosy pathogen evades critical vitamin D-dependent immune response

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

A team of UCLA scientists has found that the pathogen that causes leprosy has a remarkable ability to avoid the human immune system by inhibiting the antimicrobial responses important to our defenses. In one of the first laboratory studies of its kind, researchers discovered that the leprosy pathogen Mycobacterium leprae was able to reduce and evade immune activity that is dependent on vitamin D, a natural hormone that plays an essential role in the body's fight against infections. The pathogen manipulated micro-RNAs, tiny molecules made of ribonucleic acids that carry information and that help regulate genes to direct cell activity, including immune system defenses. Micro-RNAs are short RNAs that do not code information for proteins, which carry out all cell activity; ...

Oxford, Harvard scientists lead data-sharing effort

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard University) Led by researchers at University of Oxford and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute at Harvard University, more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard that will make possible the consistent description of enormous and radically different databases compiled in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Double Gestational Diabetes Risk With Diet High in Animal Fat

About Diabetes — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Eating less animal fat and cholesterol might decrease a woman's risk for gestational diabetes in pregnancy. Eat too much, and the risk almost doubles. This is according to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University. The increased risk of gestational diabetes due to a diet high in these fats was not lowered by other factors such as exercise which have been found to reduce risk. Women whose total fat or other fat consumption was high (not animal fat or cholesterol) did not have increased risk. This has been the largest study conducted on pre-pregnancy diet and it's effects on gestational diabetes. Researchers used information from over 13,000 women from the Nurses' Healthy Study II. Subjects were divided into groups according to per...

Animal Fat Consumption Before Conception Linked To Gestational Diabetes Risk

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes seen during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes increases the risk for certain pregnancy complications and health problems in the newborn. Women whose diets were high in total fat or other kinds of fats - but not in animal fat or cholesterol - did not have an increased risk... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Patient Safety

Surgical Clinics of North America — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:25:18 +0100

Perhaps ironically, the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, most likely as a result of human error, occurred at about same the time that Harvard physician, biochemist, and historian, Lawrence J. Henderson, famously proclaimed that the pace of progress in medicine had reached a point at which a random patient had a better than even chance of benefiting from consultation with a random physician. Since then, the availability of treatment options for virtually every ailment known to afflict humanity has exploded, resulting in an unprecedented growth in the quantity of health care services. These advances, punctuated occasionally by spectacular cures, have delivered a level of societal welfare and productivity that could not have been envisioned by those who first learned of that great nautical ...

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High Animal Fat Diet Increases Gestational Diabetes Risk

Diabetes News from dLife.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:13:01 +0100

January 25, 2012 (NIH) — NIH study shows animal fat before conception linked to pregnancy related condition. Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University. read more (Source: Diabetes News from dLife.com)

Designers of Exotic Materials Learn New Tricks from Animals (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0100

Among the first things you notice when you step into the corner office of Harvard University professor Joanna Aizenberg are the playthings. Behind her desk sit a sand dollar, an azure butterfly mounted in a box, a plastic stand with long fibers that erupt in color when a switch is pulled, and haphazard rows of toys. Especially numerous are the Rubik’s cubes--the classic three-by-three, of course, but also ones with four, five, six and even seven mini cubes along each edge. An eight-year-old would be in heaven. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

New Water-Repelling Surfaces Avoid the Deadly Perils of Icing [Video]

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:44:00 +0100

Joanna Aizenberg's muse is the whole of the natural world. The Harvard University materials scientist takes her inspiration from creatures that suggest engineering of substances in unexpected ways. Ocean creatures in particular have proved inspirational. The brittle star, a relative of the starfish and the sea urchin, has a shell coated with lenses, which may furnish ideas for new types of optical communication systems. There is also the deep-sea sponge with a crown composed of optical fibers. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Risk Of Surgical Complications May Be Reduced By Limiting Protein Or Certain Amino Acids Before Surgery

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

Limiting certain essential nutrients for several days before surgery - either protein or amino acids - may reduce the risk of serious surgical complications such as heart attack or stroke, according to a new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study. The study appears in the January 25, 2012 issue of Science Translational Medicine... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Recommendations For Tablet Computer Use To Avoid Shoulder Pain

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

The sudden popularity of tablet computers such as the Apple iPad® has not allowed for the development of guidelines to optimize users' comfort and well-being. In a new study published in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Microsoft Corporation, and Brigham and Women's Hospital report that head and neck posture during tablet computer use can be improved by placing the tablet higher to avoid low gaze angles, and through the use of a case that provides optimal viewing angles... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Cavefish: A Study in Evo-Devo (interview)

ActionBioscience — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Why are cavefish a good example of evo-devo? The blind Mexican cavefish is one of the few species that has an ancestor on the surface and a descendent in caves. Jeffery: Scientists study all kinds of organisms in evolutionary developmental biology, but when I started working in the evo-devo field, I decided that in order to understand how development evolved, we would have to look at two closely related species that have diverged recently [developed in separate directions] or to look at the same species in the process of divergence. I looked around for models, and I found several of them. One of them happened to be in caves, and the species is called Astyanax mexicanus, the blind Mexican cavefish. This cave organism is one of the few in which the acknowledged ancestor is still present on...

Iodine Usage In Scans Affects Thyroid Function

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100

Using iodinated contrast media in imaging scans has been linked to alterations in thyroid function, which in turn raises the risk of developing hyperthyroidism, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, reported in Archives of Internal Medicine. The authors explained that iodinated contrast media are utilized in imaging procedures and scans, such as CT scans and cardiac catheterization. The authors wrote, as background information: "Iodinated contrast media (ICM) are commonly administered pharmaceutical agents... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Doctor, I've got iPad shoulder! Using Apple gadget on your lap causes you pain as you hunch over to see screen

the Mail online | Health — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:05:37 +0100

Owners of iPads have been warned that using them on their lap can lead to pain in the shoulders, according to scientists at Harvard School of Public Health. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Extracellular Matrix Identified As Source Of Spreading In Biofilms

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

New research at Harvard explains how bacterial biofilms expand to form slimy mats on teeth, pipes, surgical instruments, and crops. Through experiment and mathematical analysis, researchers have shown that the extracellular matrix (ECM), a mesh of proteins and sugars that can form outside bacterial cells, creates osmotic pressure that forces biofilms to swell and spread. The ECM mechanism is so powerful that it can increase the radius of some biofilms five-fold within 24 hours. The results have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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With a little help from our ancient friends

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard Medical School) The social networks of the Hadza, a group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, show evidence that many elements of social network structure may have been present at an early point in human history; that early humans may have formed ties with both kin and non-kin, based in part on their tendency to cooperate; and that social networks may have contributed to the emergence of cooperation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Cancer: Tumour cells lend a hand

Nature — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Nature 481, 7382 (2012). doi:10.1038/481412d Cells that provide tumours with support may also defend against the cancer's spread, so chemotherapies that target these cells could inadvertently fuel metastasis.Pericytes are cells that provide structural support to blood vessels, including those that feed tumours. Raghu Kalluri at Harvard Medical School in (Source: Nature)

Natural history and management of cervical spine disease in chondrodysplasia punctata and coumarin embryopathy

Child's Nervous System — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:15:12 +0100

Conclusions This study emphasizes the need for careful neurological and surgical evaluation of pediatric patients with cervical spine abnormalities affected by CDP or CE in order to prevent progressive instability. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-11DOI 10.1007/s00381-012-1694-zAuthors Timothy W. Vogel, Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USAArnold H. Menezes, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA Journal Child's Nervous SystemOnline ISSN 1433-0350Print ISSN 0256-7040 (Source: Child's Nervous System)

Release of superoxide dismutase-1 by day 3 embryos of varying quality and implantation potential

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:09:42 +0100

Conclusions While SOD1 does not predict implantation potential of select good-quality embryos, our data support the need to evaluate the biological significance of released SOD1 by embryos of varying quality and from patients of varying age. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIESPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s10815-012-9711-4Authors Catherine M. H. Combelles, Biology Department, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall 346, Middlebury, VT 05753, USAEmily A. Holick, Biology Department, Middlebury College, McCardell Bicentennial Hall 346, Middlebury, VT 05753, USACatherine Racowsky, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Journal Journal of Assisted Repr...

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In vivo function of posterior cruciate ligament before and after posterior cruciate ligament-retaining total knee arthroplasty

International Orthopaedics — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:53:18 +0100

Conclusions The current PCL-retaining TKA systems and surgical techniques may not adequately re-establish normal biomechanics of PCL bundles after PCL-retaining TKA. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00264-011-1481-6Authors Bing Yue, Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, GRJ 1215, Boston, MA 02114, USAKartik M. Varadarajan, Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, GRJ 1215, Boston, MA 02114, USAHarry E. Rubash, Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fr...

Sex-related outcome differences after implantation of low-contact-stress mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty

International Orthopaedics — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:53:17 +0100

Conclusions We found no factors in favour of gender-specific total knee prostheses. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s00264-012-1486-9Authors Norbert Kastner, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 5, 8036 Graz, AustriaGerald Gruber, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 5, 8036 Graz, AustriaBirgit A. Aigner, Department of General Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 8, 8036 Graz, AustriaJörg Friesenbichler, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 5, 8036 Graz, AustriaMichael Pechmann, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 5, 8036 Graz, AustriaFlor...

Y chromosome haplogroups and prostate cancer in populations of European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry

Human Genetics — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:34:54 +0100

Abstract Genetic variation on the Y chromosome has not been convincingly implicated in prostate cancer risk. To comprehensively analyze the role of inherited Y chromosome variation in prostate cancer risk in individuals of European ancestry, we genotyped 34 binary Y chromosome markers in 3,995 prostate cancer cases and 3,815 control subjects drawn from four studies. In this set, we identified nominally significant association between a rare haplogroup, E1b1b1c, and prostate cancer in stage I (P = 0.012, OR = 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.30–0.87). Population substructure of E1b1b1c carriers suggested Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, prompting a replication phase in individuals of both European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. The association was not signific...

Dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of hip fracture in men and women

Osteoporosis International — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:26:51 +0100

Conclusions This study does not support a significant role for PUFA intake in the prevention of hip fractures, although low total PUFA, n-6 PUFA, or linoleic acid intakes may increase the risk in women. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00198-012-1903-3Authors J. K. Virtanen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, FinlandD. Mozaffarian, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USAW. C. Willett, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USAD. Feskanich, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Ha...

Spot sign score predicts rapid bleeding in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Emergency Radiology — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:55:15 +0100

This study was conducted to determine whether spot sign score correlates with average rate of hematoma expansion and whether average rate of expansion predicts in-hospital mortality and clinical outcome in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The study included 367 patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2008 with nontraumatic ICH. All received noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) of the head and multidetector CT angiography (MDCTA) on presentation to the ED and a follow-up NCCT within 48 h. Imaging was used to determine the hematoma location and volume, average rate of expansion, and spot sign score. Primary outcome measures included in-hospital mortality and clinical outcome based on modified Rankin Scale at 3 mon...

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Prescriptions Blog: Doctors Refer More Patients to Specialists

NYT Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:16:42 +0100

A new study finds that primary care doctors are referring patients to other doctors at double the rate of a decade ago. The reasons are unclear but the researchers say the practice is driving up health care costs. (Source: NYT Health)

The payout to the boss of RBS is a disastrous deal for the taxpayer | Aditya Chakrabortty

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Ministers could act over Stephen Hester, the most lavishly rewarded public servant of all – but will they?How much would you pay the boss of RBS? No one in Westminster would be crass enough to put it like that, naturally; but that's the fundamental question party leaders are addressing in their arguments about Stephen Hester's bonus.Except that when Ed argues that the chief executive shouldn't get his annual top-up, and Nick coughs about the need for restraint and Dave tries to get everyone to look away by loosing the hounds on Fred Goodwin, they always leave out the most important bit: how Hester's payout is taxpayer money. As chief executive of a bank that is 83% owned by taxpayers, Hester is as much a public-sector worker as anyone behind the desk at your local JobCentre. If ministers...

Mass. Eye and Ear granted $30,000 medical eye research fellowship

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) Research to Prevent Blindness has awarded Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, a $30,000 Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship. The award will support the work of Mamta Shah. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Mighty mesh

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard University) New research at Harvard explains how bacterial biofilms expand to form slimy mats on teeth, pipes, surgical instruments, and crops. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Stossel Is Right For Demonizing The Demonization Of Physician-Industry Relationships

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:15:47 +0100

Monday’s WSJ (online now) features an exceptionally important and courageous op-ed by Harvard professor (and frequent co-author of mine, although not in this case) Tom Stossel, discussing a rule within recently enacted healthcare legislation with the Orwellian title, “The Physician Payment Sunshine Act,” focused on physician/industry relationships. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

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Canadian Medical Association Journal, New Editor-In-Chief Announced

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Dr. John Fletcher has been named the new editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), Dr. John Haggie, President of the Canadian Medical Association announced today. Dr. Fletcher, from England, holds a master's degree in public health from Harvard University and a medical degree from the University of Cambridge. Fletcher was a research fellow at the University of Oxford, and is an accredited specialist in public health in the United Kingdom. Prior to moving to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), where he spent 7 years, Dr... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The Double Helix by James D Watson – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0100

Given his part in discovering the structure of DNA and his writing flair, we can perhaps forgive Watson his lack of modestyWe're now reading God and the New Physics by Paul Davies, which Tim will review on Friday 16 MarchThe Double Helix opens with the words: "I have never seen Francis Crick in a modest mood." I have never seen James D Watson in a modest mood, either. He is not an innately modest person. In his later years he would consent to press briefings – usually on important anniversaries – and then, with long pauses and enigmatic mumbles, say almost nothing.This was not because he was self-effacing or disliked controversy. He would say almost nothing, one sensed, because he couldn't be bothered with stupid questions from stupid people. He has made it clear more than once that th...

New Research Shows How Neurons Interact And Could Lead To New Treatment For Addiction

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Harvard scientists have developed the fullest picture yet of how neurons in the brain interact to reinforce behaviors ranging from learning to drug use, a finding that might open the door to possible breakthroughs in the treatment of addiction. The finding is the result of a year-long effort by a team of researchers led by associate professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Naoshige Uchida to examine a brain process known as reward prediction error... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Why Networking Is the Essential Professional Skill

Psychology Today Work Center — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:33:01 +0100

Networking is increasingly being promoted as both a business and personal social skill. There's no doubt that both the social media form of networking and personal face-to-face networking has become a fundamental part of the modern landscape.read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Defend our freedom to share (or why SOPA is a bad idea) [video] | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

This video gives us a clearer understanding of the context and underlying motivations for SOPA/PIPASo a new day has begun and you have checked your personal email, glanced over your facebook and google+ pages whilst eating breakfast, and even watched a video whilst sipping your coffee. Wikipedia, Google, Boing Boing and Reddit are all back online. Even a few US senators have changed their minds and announced on twitter that they now oppose PIPA. So it looks like the internet hasn't been irreparably broken despite the voluntary blackout of a number of large sites yesterday. So now what? Should we all just go on with our lives as if nothing has happened? This is the end to the legal attacks upon our right to share information with others, right? Wrong. This isn't the end. The SOPA/PIPA bills...

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ENU mutagenesis in mice identifies candidate genes for hypogonadism

Mammalian Genome — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:55:00 +0100

Abstract Genome-wide mutagenesis was performed in mice to identify candidate genes for male infertility, for which the predominant causes remain idiopathic. Mice were mutagenized using N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), bred, and screened for phenotypes associated with the male urogenital system. Fifteen heritable lines were isolated and chromosomal loci were assigned using low-density genome-wide SNP arrays. Ten of the 15 lines were pursued further using higher-resolution SNP analysis to narrow the candidate gene regions. Exon sequencing of candidate genes identified mutations in mice with cystic kidneys (Bicc1), cryptorchidism (Rxfp2), restricted germ cell deficiency (Plk4), and severe germ cell deficiency (Prdm9). In two other lines with severe hypogonadism, candidate sequencin...

Serous Cystadenoma Causing the Double Duct Sign

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:48:23 +0100

Discussion Serous cystadenomas are benign tumors without significant malignant potential. Unlike pancreatic adenocarcinomas, these tumors tend to be slow growing, well-demarcated, and rarely, as in this case, produce a mass effect. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory GI ImagePages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s11605-011-1817-yAuthors Zain Khalpey, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USATaufiek Konrad Rajab, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USAStanley W. Ashley, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Journal Journal of Gastrointestinal SurgeryOnline ISSN 1873-4626Print ISSN 1091-255X (Sourc...

Which way did it go?

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(German Center for Research and Innovation) On Jan. 31, 2012, David Fitzpatrick (Max Planck Florida Institute) and Joshua Sanes (Harvard University) will discuss how identifying motion-sensitive neurons in the visual system aids in understanding brain function and development. The event will take place at the German Center for Research and Innovation New York. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

How to Prioritize in Four Simple Steps

Psychology Today Work Center — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:42:57 +0100

Want to be more focused and intentional at work? Follow these four productivity boosting tips.read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Mindlessness at Work

Psychology Today Work Center — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:59:55 +0100

Whether or not we are employed as actors on television or the silver screen, all of us have pre-programmed “scripts” that guide our actions in many situations.read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

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Halamka: Every hospital larger than 50 beds needs a CMIO

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:29:09 +0100

Every hospital larger than 50 beds should have a full or part-time designated CMIO due to increasing demands for clinical workflow automation, meaningful use and healthcare reform, stated thought leader John Halamka, MD, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, CIO at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, on his blog Jan. 17. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Increasing Care Needs For Children With Neurological Impairment

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

In this week's PLoS Medicine, Jay Berry of Harvard Medical School, USA and colleagues report findings from an analysis of hospitalization data in the United States, examining the proportion of inpatient resources attributable to care for children with neurological impairment (NI). Their results indicate that children with NI account for a substantial proportion of inpatient resources and that the impact of these children is growing within children's hospitals, necessitating adequate clinical care and a coordination of efforts to ensure that the needs of children with NI are met... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Racial variation in umbilical cord blood sex steroid hormones and the insulin-like growth factor axis in African-American and white female neonates

Cancer Causes and Control — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:51:13 +0100

Conclusion We provide evidence of racial variation in cord blood testosterone and testosterone to SHBG in African-American compared to white female neonates, and higher IGF-2 in white compared to African-American female neonates. Findings suggest plausible explanations for a prenatal influence on subsequent breast cancer risk and mortality. Further work is needed to confirm these observations. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s10552-011-9893-6Authors Tanya Agurs-Collins, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USASabine Rohrmann, Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandCatherine ...

Reinforcing behavior in the brain

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard University) Harvard scientists have developed the fullest picture yet of how neurons in the brain interact to reinforce behaviors that range from learning to the use of illegal drugs, a finding that could open the door to new breakthroughs in the treatment of addiction. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Flu and climate may be connected

Physics Today News Picks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

BBC: Global climate shifts and flu pandemics may be linked, say researchers. Weather can influence the migratory patterns of wild birds; thus different species are brought together that don’t normally mix. The birds then share viruses, which can morph into different strains to which the human population has not been previously exposed. In a paper published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University and Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University note that the four most recent human influenza pandemics—in 1918, 1957, 1968, and 2009—were preceded by a climate pattern called La Niña. However, the researchers emphasize, most La Niñas have not preceded a pandemic. Rather, climate patterns could be one of several factors th...

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From Television News to Bestselling Author

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:58:24 +0100

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a poster girl for the saying "don't quit your day job." The New York Times best-selling author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a Contributing Editor-At-Large for Newsweek Magazine and The Daily Beast and the deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations' Women and Foreign Policy program.read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

La Nina weather pattern could increase risk of flu pandemics by altering flight path of migratory birds

the Mail online | Health — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:42:18 +0100

Harvard scientists found that La Nina events - when the sea temperature cools three to five celsius lower than normal - preceded the last four worldwide flu pandemics. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Flu Pandemics And La Nina

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

Worldwide pandemics of influenza caused widespread death and illness in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009. A new study examining weather patterns around the time of these pandemics finds that each of them was preceded by La Nina conditions in the equatorial Pacific. The study's authors - Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health - note that the La Nina pattern is known to alter the migratory patterns of birds, which are thought to be a primary reservoir of human influenza... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Cytotoxic purine nucleoside analogues bind to A1, A2A, and A3 adenosine receptors

Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:07:28 +0100

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of cytotoxic nucleoside analogues to bind and activate adenosine receptor subtypes (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3). Radioligand binding studies utilizing Chinese hamster ovary cells, stably transfected with adenosine A1, A2A, or A3 receptor subtype, were used to assess the binding affinities of these compounds, whereas adenylyl cyclase activity was used to assess the binding to A2B receptors. Clofarabine and cladribine both bound to the A2A receptor with a K i of 17 and 15 μM, respectively. Clofarabine was the only adenosine analogue to bind to the A3 receptor with a K i of 10 μM, and none of these compounds bound to the A2B receptor. Results show that clofarabine, cladribine, and fludarabine bind to the A1 receptor. In additio...

Delayed and Forgone Care for Families with Chronic Conditions in High-Deductible Health Plans

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:03:12 +0100

Conclusions Among families with chronic conditions, reporting of delayed/forgone care due to cost is higher for both adults and children in HDHPs than in traditional plans. Families with lower incomes are also at higher risk for delayed/forgone care. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1970-8Authors Alison A. Galbraith, Center for Child Health Care Studies, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USAStephen B. Soumerai, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USADennis Ross-Degnan, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inst...

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Evotec and Harvard University Expand Strategic Alliance Into Kidney Disease

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:03:00 +0100

HAMBURG, Germany, Jan. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evotec AG (Frankfurt:EVT) (TecDAX) today announced a second strategic alliance with Harvard University, this time including Brigham and Women's Hospital aimed at discovering and developing new biomarkers and treatments in the field of kidney disease. The first successful collaboration "CureBeta" was established in March 2011 to develop new diabetes therapies targeting beta cell regeneration. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Imaging Technology For Looking Inside Brain May Help Test New Brain Cancer Drugs

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Using imaging technology that reveals whether brain tumors have a particular genetic mutation known as IDH, a team of academic and pharmaceutical company researchers has developed a way to help doctors select the right treatment, and developers to make new drugs that target the mutation. The researchers, from MIT, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Agios Pharmaceuticals, write about their findings in the 11 January online issue of Science Translational Medicine. Some of the deadliest cancers are those that affect the brain... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The Perfect Mormon Family

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:06:07 +0100

Many observers -- including such diverse commentators as Meghan McCain and Maureen Dowd -- are preoccupied with the Romney family structure, which seems to many (like McCain) to be perfect. Others from similar backgrounds, like Marie Osmond, occupy less heavenly terrain.read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

'Open-Source' Robotic Surgery Platform Going To Top Medical Research Labs

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Robotics experts at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Washington (UW) have completed a set of seven advanced robotic surgery systems for use by major medical research laboratories throughout the United States. After a round of final tests, five of the systems will be shipped to medical robotics researchers at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Nebraska, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, while the other two systems will remain at UC Santa Cruz and UW... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

"Smart" Nanotherapeutics Developed That Deliver Drugs Directly To Pancreas

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A research collaboration between the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Children's Hospital Boston has developed "smart" injectable nanotherapeutics that can be programmed to selectively deliver drugs to the cells of the pancreas. Although this nanotechnology will need significant additional testing and development before being ready for clinical use, it could potentially improve treatment for Type I diabetes by increasing therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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No Association Found Between Traditional Healer Use and Delayed Antiretroviral Initiation in Rural Uganda

AIDS and Behavior — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:55:40 +0100

We examined HIV-infected individuals in southwestern Uganda to test the hypothesis that TH/SC use was also associated with lower CD4 counts at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Approximately 450 individuals initiating ART through an HIV/AIDS clinic at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) were recruited to participate. Patients were predominantly female, ranged in age from 18 to 75, and had a median CD4 count of 130. TH/SC use was not associated with lower CD4 cell count, but age and quality-of-life physical health summary score were associated with CD4 cell count at initiation while asset index was negatively associated with CD4 count at ART initiation. These findings suggest that TH/SC use does not delay initiation of ART. Content Type Journal ArticleC...

Magnetoastrocoolness: How Cosmic Magnetic Fields Shape Planetary Systems

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0100

AUSTIN, Texas Astrophysicists have a funny attitude toward magnetic fields. You might say they feel both repelled and attracted. Gravitation is assumed to rule the cosmos, so models typically neglect magnetism, which for most researchers is just as well, because the theory of magnetism has a forbidding reputation. The basic equations are simple enough, solving them less so. Electromagnetism is a standard weeder course in graduate school, and magnetohydrodynamics ranks up there with quantum field theory as the hardest subject known to mortal minds. That said, when astrophysicists don’t understand something, they often invoke the m-word. “When all else fails, introduce a magnetic field,” exoplanet theorist Dimitar Sasselov of Harvard University told an audience at the Ameri...

Type Of Fat Matters: Dispelling The Low-Fat-Is-Healthy Myth; And The Muffin Makeover

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Dozens of studies, many from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers, have shown that low-fat diets are no better for health than moderate- or high-fat diets - and for many people, may be worse. To combat this "low fat is best" myth, nutrition experts at HSPH and chefs and registered dietitians at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have developed five new muffin recipes that incorporate healthy fats and whole grains, and use a lighter hand on the salt and sugar... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Potential New Treatment For Smoking-Related Diseases

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

The discovery, by researchers at the University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, US, could dramatically improve treatments and slow the progression of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) which includes the incurable condition emphysema. COPD is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe and is mostly caused by excessive smoking. Approximately 2.1 million Australians have some form of COPD. By 2050, this figure is expected to more than double to 4.5 million... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Walk this way: Scientists and MBL physiology students describe how a motor protein 'steps out'

EurekAlert! - Biology — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Marine Biological Laboratory) Scientists at Harvard Medical School and from the MBL Physiology Course have discovered the unique "drunken sailor" gait of dynein, a protein that is critical for the function of every cell in the body and whose malfunction has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

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Surgeons Implant Synthetic Trachea in Baltimore Man

NYT Health — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:35:20 +0100

In only the second procedure of its kind, surgeons in Sweden replaced the cancerous windpipe of a Baltimore man with one made in a laboratory. (Source: NYT Health)

Common patterns of violence experiences and depression and anxiety among adolescents

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:47:46 +0100

Conclusion Exposure to a high level of violence—within a single domain or multiple domains—poses significant risk for MDD and GAD, and risk increases with high exposure in multiple domains. Thus, pervasive exposure to violence is associated with the highest risk for the development of psychopathology. Based on these results, prevention and treatment efforts should target adolescents exposed to violence in multiple settings. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-15DOI 10.1007/s00127-011-0466-5Authors Natalie Slopen, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USAGarrett M. Fitzmaurice, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USADavid R. Williams, Department of S...

The Need for Safeguards in Advance Care Planning

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:42:14 +0100

Abstract The recent uproar about Medicare “death panels” draws attention to public and professional concerns that advance care planning might restrict access to desired life-sustaining care. The primary goal of advance care planning is to promote the autonomy of a decisionally incapacitated patient when choices about life-sustaining treatments are encountered, but the safety of this procedure has not received deserved scrutiny. Patients often do not understand their decisions or they may change their mind without changing their advance care directives. Likewise, concordance between patients’ wishes and the understanding of the physicians and surrogate decision makers who need to represent these wishes is disappointingly poor. A few recent reports show encouraging out...

New 'smart' nanotherapeutics can deliver drugs directly to the pancreas

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard) A research collaboration between the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Children's Hospital Boston has developed "smart" nanotherapeutics that can be programmed to selectively deliver drugs to the cells of the pancreas. The approach was found to increase drug efficacy by 200-fold in in vitro studies based on the ability of these nanomaterials to both protect the drug from degradation and concentrate it at key target sites, such as regions of the pancreas that contain the insulin-producing cells. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

How a Doctor Handles a Wife’s Cancer Diagnosis

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

At his blog “Life as a Healthcare CIO,” Harvard Medical School chief information officer John Halamka has started writing a series on an unfamiliar health care challenge he now faces: His wife Kathy’s recent breast cancer diagnosis. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

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Male Reproduction May Be Adversely Affected By Environmental Exposure To Organochlorines

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Melissa Perry, Sc.D., M.H.S., professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the GW School of Public Health and Health Services and adjunct associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, led an observational study indicating that environmental exposure to organochlorine chemicals, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-DDE (the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT) can affect male reproduction. The research was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The Effectiveness Of Nicotine Replacement Therapies In Doubt

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) designed to help people stop smoking, specifically nicotine patches and nicotine gum, do not appear to be effective in helping smokers quit long-term, even when combined with smoking cessation counseling, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The study appears in an advance online edition of Tobacco Control and will appear in a later print issue... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

2011 panel on developing a biomaterials curriculum.

Biomed Res — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This article provides the transcript for the Panel on Developing a Biomaterials Curriculum held at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Biomaterials in Orlando, FL. The panelists were Thomas R. Harris of Vanderbilt University, Jack Lemons of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Antonios G. Mikos of Rice University, David A. Puleo on the University of Kentucky, Frederick J. Schoen of Harvard Medical School, and Johnna S. Temenoff of Georgia Tech/Emory. The panelists, each an expert in engineering education and textbook author, presented their perspectives on key issues of developing undergraduate and graduate curricula that contain a biomaterials focus. The presentations were followed by a lively and informative discussion with the audience. A redacted portion of this discussion is ...

Heart attack risk 'rises after bereavement'

NHS News Feed — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0100

Conclusion This study looked at whether there was an association between a recent bereavement and risk of a heart attack in 1,985 older people. The study had an unusual design. Researchers asked individuals about their bereavement status shortly before a heart attack, and compared this to their status several months before. The researchers calculated that in the 24 hours after a bereavement, the participants had a 21-fold increase in the risk of having a heart attack. The risk then steadily declined after this time. A key point to consider when viewing these results is that the study looked at the circumstances of people who had had a heart attack, and not the absolute risk of having a heart attack in a group of people who had been bereaved. Therefore, it cannot directly tell us how likely...

Correlates of hazardous drinking among Veterans with and without hepatitis C

Journal of Behavioral Medicine — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:49:09 +0100

We examined group differences between HCV+ patients (n = 43) and their negative HCV counterparts (n = 511). Results indicate a higher percentage of HCV+ patients report using substances to cope with possible symptoms of PTSD (P < .05) and depression (P < .01), and endorse more lifetime drinking-related negative consequences than HCV patients (P < .01). Furthermore, HCV+ patients place greater importance on changing alcohol use (P < .01) but report less confidence in their ability to change (P < .01). Use of brief assessment and feedback with skills-based interventions to decrease alcohol use may be well-received by HCV+ patients. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s10865-011-9394-9Auth...

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Nicotine patches branded a waste of time as study finds they don't help smokers quit long-term

the Mail online | Health — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:31:07 +0100

Nicotine patches do not help smokers to stub out the habit, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Harvard Pilgrim offers cash to patients for using cheaper facilities

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:09:37 +0100

The health plan is the second in New England to give rebates to patients who select "cost-effective" testing locations. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Gambling when sleep deprived: don't bet on stimulants.

Chronobiology International — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:01:16 +0100

Authors: Killgore WD, Grugle NL, Balkin TJ Abstract Recent evidence suggests that sleep deprivation leads to suboptimal decision-making on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a pattern that appears to be unaffected by moderate doses of caffeine. It is not known whether impaired decision-making could be reversed by higher doses of caffeine or by other stimulant countermeasures, such as dextroamphetamine or modafinil. Fifty-four diurnally active healthy subjects completed alternate versions of the IGT at rested baseline, at 23 and 46 h awake, and following a night of recovery sleep. After 44 h awake, participants received a double-blind dose of caffeine (600 mg), dextroamphetamine (20 mg), modafinil (400 mg), or placebo. At baseline, participants showed a normal pattern of advant...

Cochlear Kainate Receptors

JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:48:38 +0100

Abstract Synaptic transmission between the cochlear hair cell and its afferent fiber is mediated by glutamate receptors. While kainate receptors are known to be present in the spiral ganglion, little is known of their distribution or functional role. We have detected all five kainate receptor subunits in the mouse cochlea with quantitative RT-PCR and with immunohistochemistry. We observed kainate receptors on afferent terminals co-localized with α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (ampa) receptors at the afferent synapse. Individual terminals innervating a single hair cell varied in their ratios of ampa to kainate receptor immunoreactivity. Infusion of the mouse cochlea via the scala tympani with UBP296, a recently developed antagonist with high specificity...

Characterizing Sexual Health Resources on College Campuses

Journal of Community Health — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:40:12 +0100

Abstract This observational study describes the development of the college resources and sexual health inventory, the profile of sexual health promotion resources at participating colleges, and comparisons of resources across several college characteristics. 28 diverse college campuses in one Midwestern state participated. 10 domains were assessed, including characteristics of campus health services (e.g. convenience), condom programs, sexual health information, communication about resources, sexual violence resources and gay/lesbian/bisexual student resources. Scores for each measure reflected the presence or extent of each resource. Summary scores were created for the overall level of sexual health resources and for each domain. T tests and ANOVAs were used to compare res...

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Craniovertebral junction abnormality in a case of Joubert syndrome

Child's Nervous System — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:35:21 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportPages 1-4DOI 10.1007/s00381-012-1682-3Authors Timothy W. Vogel, Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USABrian J. Dlouhy, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USAArnold H. Menezes, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA Journal Child's Nervous SystemOnline ISSN 1433-0350Print ISSN 0256-7040 (Source: Child's Nervous System)

Overfed Ossabaw swine with early stage metabolic syndrome have normal coronary collateral development in response to chronic ischemia

Basic Research in Cardiology — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:34:41 +0100

Abstract Ossabaw miniswine have been naturally selected to efficiently store large amounts of lipids offering them a survival advantage. Our goal was to evaluate the myocardial response to chronic ischemia of the Ossabaw consuming a hypercaloric, high-fat/cholesterol diet with and without metformin supplementation. At 6 weeks of age animals were fed either a regular diet (OC, n = 9), a hypercaloric high-fat/cholesterol diet (OHC, n = 9), or a hypercaloric high-fat/cholesterol diet supplemented with metformin (OHCM, n = 8). At 9 weeks, all animals underwent ameroid constrictor placement to the left circumflex coronary artery to simulate chronic ischemia. Seven weeks after ameroid placement, all animals underwent hemodynamic and functiona...

Nicotine replacement has no long-term benefit when quitting smoking

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:04:42 +0100

This study shows that the likelihood of relapse among smokers who have quit smoking is unrelated to whether they used NRT, or for how long, in the process of quitting. This is not a surprising observation."We know from extensive observational and clinical trial evidence that smokers who want to quit are substantially more likely to succeed if they use NRT or other medication, and this study does not change that fact. However, we also know that addiction to smoking is a lifelong, relapsing condition, and although relapse becomes less likely with the passage of time, it is always a danger."This study shows that danger is equally real for those who used NRT and those who did not, just as the likelihood of falling from a tightrope is unrelated to whether the walker was helped to the start."Deb...

GW researcher and colleagues identify environmental exposure to organochlorines may impact male reproduction

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(George Washington University Medical Center) Melissa Perry, Sc.D., M.H.S., professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the GW School of Public Health and Health Services and adjunct associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, led an observational study indicating that environmental exposure to organochlorine chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls and p,p'-DDE (the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT) can affect male reproduction. The research was published online on Dec. 21, 2011, in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Nicotine replacement therapies may not be effective in helping people quit smoking

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard School of Public Health) Nicotine replacement therapies designed to help people stop smoking, specifically nicotine patches and nicotine gum, do not appear to be effective in helping smokers quit long-term, even when combined with smoking cessation counseling, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts Boston. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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E-Cigarette study is just amateur propaganda

Health Facts and Fears — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Researchers from the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health are suggesting that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) adversely affect users’ airways, thus raising concern about the safety of these products. But we here at ACSH remain baffled as to why these studies continue to ignore the relative dangers of actual smoking. (Source: Health Facts and Fears)

John Brockman: the man who runs the world's smartest website

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:05:00 +0100

Since the mid-1960s John Brockman has been at the cutting edge of ideas. He is a passionate advocate of both science and the arts, and his website Edge is a salon for the world's finest mindsTo say that John Brockman is a literary agent is like saying that David Hockney is a photographer. For while it's true that Hockney has indeed made astonishingly creative use of photography, and Brockman is indeed a successful literary agent who represents an enviable stable of high-profile scientists and communicators, in both cases the description rather understates the reality. More accurate ways of describing Brockman would be to say that he is a "cultural impresario" or, as his friend Stewart Brand puts it, an "intellectual enzyme". (Brand goes on helpfully to explain that an enzyme is "a bio...

One Scholar's Take On The Power of The Placebo

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

A placebo can take the form of a sugar pill or even a fake surgery. It's often used to test the effectiveness of a trial drug. Ted Kaptchuk, director of Harvard University's Program in Placebo Studies and the Therapeutic Encounter, discusses potential applications for the healing power of placebos.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

Gastrin inhibits a novel, pathological colon cancer signaling pathway involving EGR1, AE2, and P-ERK

Journal of Molecular Medicine — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:47:46 +0100

Abstract Human anion exchanger 2 (AE2) is a plasma membrane protein that regulates intracellular pH and cell volume. AE2 contributes to transepithelial transport of chloride and bicarbonate in normal colon and other epithelial tissues. We now report that AE2 overexpression in colon cancer cells is correlated with expression of the nuclear proliferation marker, Ki67. Survival analysis of 24 patients with colon cancer in early stage or 33 patients with tubular adenocarcinoma demonstrated that expression of AE2 is correlated with poor prognosis. Cellular and molecular experiments indicated that AE2 expression promoted proliferation of colon cancer cells. In addition, we found that transcription factor EGR1 underlies AE2 upregulation and the AE2 sequester p16INK4a (P16) in the...

High-impact articles in hand surgery

Hand — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:44:42 +0100

Conclusions The top 50 highly cited articles in hand surgery reflect the most common clinical, scientific, and educational efforts of the field. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Surgery ArticlesPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s11552-011-9388-7Authors Kyle R. Eberlin, Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USABrian I. Labow, Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USAJoseph Upton, Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USAAmir H. Taghinia, Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Children’s Hosp...

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Q&A: A passion for science without barriers

Nature — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:29:20 +0100

Nature 481, 7379 (2012). http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/481013a Author: Nancy Hopkins In 2005, Nancy Hopkins sparked a firestorm of controversy by walking out during a presentation by Larry Summers, then-president of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had suggested that innate differences might account for the lack of women in high-achieving roles in science, and Hopkins, a well-known champion of gender equality in science, wanted to register her outrage. This May, the biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, whose career has mirrored the growth and diversity of molecular genetics, will retire from laboratory research and from most public speaking on women and science. (Source: Nature)

Gregg Semenza Receives American Society for Clinical Investigation Award- 1/4/12

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:29:17 +0100

Gregg L. Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins is one of two recipients of this year’s Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award, given by the American Society for Clinical Investigation for their “contributions to the molecular understanding of cellular oxygen sensing and cellular adaptation to hypoxia.” Semenza and his co-recipient, William G. Kaelin Jr., M.D., of Harvard Medical School, will share the $10,000 honorarium and present the Korsmeyer Lecture at the 2012 ASCI/AAP Meeting, April 27 to 29, in Chicago, Illinois. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Study finds age-related effects in MS may be reversible

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Joslin Diabetes Center) Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge have found that the age-related impairment of the body's ability to replace protective myelin sheaths, which normally surround nerve fibers and allow them to send signals properly, may be reversible, offering new hope that therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring efficient regeneration can be effective in the central nervous system throughout life. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents Announces New Members

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents (a working group of the Office of AIDS Research Council) is pleased to welcome four new members to the Panel. The new members will begin a 4-year term starting in March 2012. Judith Aberg, M.D. (New York University) Adaora Adimora, M.D., M.P.H. (University of North Carolina) Phyllis Tien, M.D., M.S. (University of California, San Francisco) Rochelle Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. (Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School) (Source: AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS))

In vitro cytotoxicity and morphological assessment of smoke from polymer combustion in human lung derived cells (A549).

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Lestari F, Hayes AJ, Green AR, Chattopadhyay G Abstract The application of polymer and composites in building and modern transport interiors raises concerns of potential health hazards during combustion. Cytotoxicity and morphological assessment of smoke from polymer combustion in human lung derived cells (A549) has been investigated. A laboratory scale vertical tube furnace was used for the generation of combustion products. A range of materials used in the building and transport industry including high density-polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fiberglass reinforced polymers (FRPs), and melamine faced plywood (MFP) were studied. The exposure of combustion toxicants to human lung cells (A549) at the air/liquid interf...

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Researchers Link Urine BPA With Consuming Canned Soup

LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:03:24 +0100

BOSTON - Researchers in the Harvard School of Public Health announced Nov. 22 that they found that consuming a serving of canned soup daily for five days increased the urine levels of bisphenol A 1,221 percent compared to urine levels after consuming fresh soup; the research was published Nov. 22 online and Nov. 23 in the print edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Emerging Toxic Torts Legal News)

Age related demyelination

Multiple Sclerosis Trust — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

The body's ability to repair damaged myelin reduces with age. Researchers at Harvard and Cambridge have managed to reverse this in mice by introducing immune cells from younger animals Newswise Scotsman Medical Daily Press Association (Source: Multiple Sclerosis Trust)

Decomposing differences in utilization of health services between depressed and non-depressed elders in Europe

European Journal of Ageing — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:06:36 +0100

Abstract Utilization rates of non-psychiatric health services are often higher in depressed compared to non-depressed adults. We examine whether these differences can be explained by the increased prevalence or the increased impact of demographic, socioeconomic, geographic, and health-related factors. The sample was taken from The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Wave 1 Release 2), a prospective observational study of 31,115 randomly selected people ages 50+ living in Austria, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, and Israel. Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition methods for multivariate linear regression models were used to estimate the influence of prevalence and impact of covariates on utilization among...

A dietary pattern derived to correlate with estrogens and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:51:44 +0100

In conclusion, diet pattern appeared to only have modest association with estrogens, and was not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Although these results were null, it should be repeated in other populations as differences in food intake may yield a dietary pattern with stronger association with estrogens. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EpidemiologyPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s10549-011-1942-zAuthors Teresa T. Fung, Department of Nutrition, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115, USAMatthias B. Schulze, Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Nutrition, Potsdam, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, GermanyFrank B. Hu, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USASusan E. ...

Aβ Imaging: feasible, pertinent, and vital to progress in Alzheimer’s disease

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:52 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory EditorialPages 1-11DOI 10.1007/s00259-011-2045-0Authors Victor L. Villemagne, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, AustraliaWilliam E. Klunk, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USAChester A. Mathis, Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USAChristopher C. Rowe, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, AustraliaDavid J. Brooks, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London and GE Healthcare, Medical Diagnostics, Amersham, UKBradley T. Hyman, Department of Neurology, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USAMilos D. Ikonomovic, Department of Neurology, University ...

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Can features of phosphate toxicity appear in normophosphatemia?

Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:51:27 +0100

This article briefly discusses the potential that some of the early consequences of phosphate toxicity might not be evident from serum phosphate levels. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Invited ReviewPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00774-011-0343-zAuthors Satoko Osuka, Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Room: 304, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USAMohammed S. Razzaque, Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Room: 304, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA Journal Journal of Bone and Mineral MetabolismOnline ISSN 1435-5604Print ISSN 0914-8779 (Source: Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism)

Toward a World Without Conflict

CounsellingResource.com News and Features — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:13:24 +0100

Whether it's a new myth, new metaphor, or new science, we need it: something that can help bind and direct the peacemakers among us. Harvard University's new International Negotiation Program represents one move toward a unifying body of thought that could serve this role.Tags: communication, politics, power, relationships, society, violence (Source: CounsellingResource.com News and Features)

Update on biologic pathways in inflammatory bowel disease and their therapeutic relevance

Journal of Gastroenterology — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:02:22 +0100

Abstract Results of recent genetic and immunologic studies have brought to the forefront several biologic pathways that allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms of tissue homeostasis, on the one hand, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on the other. The explosion of research activity as a result of these newly identified targets is bringing the pathogenesis of these complex disorders into focus as well as creating new therapeutic opportunities. The greatest advances with perhaps the largest impact on our understanding of the etiology of Crohn’s disease are those related to bacterial sensing, such as through nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) and its relationships to autophagy and the unfolded protein response as a consequenc...

Experts urge BMI method for calculating weight in kids with eating disorders

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Chicago Medical Center) In a study to be published online Jan. 4, 2012, in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the University of Chicago, the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Rochester Medical Center compared three common methods for calculating expected body weight of adolescents with eating disorders and found that the body mass index percentile method is recommended for clinical and research purposes. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Broad Institute Collaboration Began With a Disastrous Lunch

NYT Health — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:17:04 +0100

Eric Lander laid the groundwork for a joint venture between two fierce rivals: Harvard and M.I.T. (Source: NYT Health)

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Groundswell – Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Harvard Business Press, 2009. ISBN‐13: 978‐1422125007

Psychology and Marketing — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Psychology and Marketing)

Leadership in Conflict: Part 1

Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Illegitimum non carborundum. —Slogan of the Harvard University Band [] In a previous column [], I discussed the importance of adhering to principles and maintaining ethics in your role as a leader. Sometimes when I discuss this in a lecture, people think it means that you should be soft, just try to please everyone you interact with in your work, and not make waves. In fact, you wouldn't be alone if you did. Many leaders in science and medicine do shy away from conflict, hoping that rationality and good will are all that it will take to lead well. Unfortunately, in the rough-and-tumble world we live in, you also have to be willing to be tough and at times quite hard if you are to be an effective leader. This doesn't mean that you have to give up your principles. You can be fair and ethi...

Retraction Notice

Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Genome-wide assessment of copy number variations in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia 2011;7:S94 Basavaraj Hooli1, Lars Bertram2, Antonio Parrado3, Rudolph Tanzi4, Kristina Mullin1, Lucille Gotta1, 1Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass., United States; 2Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin; 3Massachusetts General Hopsital & Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts; 4Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts (Source: Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association)

Mucosal Pigmentation Caused by Imatinib: Report of Three Cases

Head and Neck Pathology — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:49:59 +0100

Abstract Imatinib mesylate (STI-571, Gleevec®), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a first-line medication for treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Clinical studies revealed very good hematological responses without significant side effects. However, imatinib may lead to mucosal pigmentation. Three patients, two males aged 64 and 53 and one female aged 29 presented with a painless, diffuse, grey-blue pigmentation of the mucosa of the hard palate. Both male patients had a history of CML and had been on imatinib for 4 and 10 years, respectively. The female patient had been on imatinib for 4 years for pelvic fibromatosis. Histopathologically, deposition of fine, dark-brown, spherical granules was noted within the connective tissue. There was no inflammation or hemo...