MedWorm: John Hopkins University

Utilizing risk-adjustment strategies to navigate an equitable road toward health-care reform

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examine why health reform could lead to favorable or adverse risk selection across health plans. The article reviews provisions within the Affordable Care Act legislation and discusses key risk-adjustment implementation issues for states establishing health insurance exchanges. Results from a simulation using data from 5 million insured persons show how risk-adjusted transfer payments will be essential to help minimize selection bias across participating health plans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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More Accurate Diagnosis Of Genetic Mutations Expected Using New Virtual Tool

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

DNA sequencing to detect genetic mutations can aid in the diagnosis and selection of treatment for cancer. Current methods of testing DNA samples, Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing, occasionally produce complex results that can be difficult or impossible to interpret. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a free software program, Pyromaker, that can more accurately identify such complex genetic mutations... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Chlorhexidine umbilical cord care can save newborn lives

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Cleansing a newborn's umbilical cord with chlorhexidine can reduce an infant's risk of infection and death during the first weeks of life by as much as 20 percent, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study is the latest in a series of studies showing that umbilical cord cleaning with chlorhexidine can save lives. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Deterioration of cutaneous microcirculatory status of Kawasaki disease

Clinical Rheumatology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:36:16 +0100

In conclusion, KD patients, both in the afebrile and convalescent phases, exhibited morphologic alterations in the microcirculation when compared to the controls. The results indicate the potential role of dynamic capillaroscopy for the noninvasive survey of microcirculation abnormalities in patients with KD. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s10067-012-1948-xAuthors Ming-Yii Huang, Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807 TaiwanJoh-Jong Huang, Department of Family Medicine, Yuan’s General Hospital, No. 162 Cheng Kung 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 80249 TaiwanTeh-Yang Huang, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiu...

New virtual tool may provide more accurate diagnosis of genetic mutations

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Elsevier Health Sciences) DNA sequencing to detect genetic mutations can aid in the diagnosis and selection of treatment for cancer. Current methods of testing DNA samples, Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing, occasionally produce complex results that can be difficult or impossible to interpret. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a free software program, Pyromaker, that can more accurately identify such complex genetic mutations. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

'Test and Treat' model offers new strategy for eliminating malaria

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Researchers found that actively identifying undiagnosed malaria and then treating those with the disease resulted in significantly lower prevalence of malaria cases compared to a control group. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Program to Decrease Blood Pressure in Low-Income African-American Older Adults

Journal of Urban Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:20:51 +0100

Abstract Hypertension affects a large proportion of urban African-American older adults. While there have been great strides in drug development, many older adults do not have access to such medicines or do not take them. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to decrease blood pressure in some populations. This has not been tested in low-income, urban African-American older adults. Therefore, the primary purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based program for low income, minority older adults provided in residence. The secondary purpose was to learn if the mindfulness-based program produced differences in blood pressure between the intervention and control groups. Participants were at least 62 year...

Factors Affecting Clinician Educator Encouragement of Routine HIV Testing Among Trainees

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:15:12 +0100

CONCLUSIONS Clinician educators have a special role in the dissemination of the CDC recommendations as they impact the knowledge and attitudes of newly practicing physicians. Despite awareness of CDC recommendations, many CEs do not recommend universal HIV testing to trainees. Interventions that improve faculty knowledge of HIV testing recommendations and address barriers in resident clinics may enhance adoption of routine HIV testing. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s11606-012-1985-9Authors Gail V. Berkenblit, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 North Caroline St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USAJames M. Sosman, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Hea...

Health Discovery Corporation launches android version of melanoma risk analysis mobile app

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:46:39 +0100

Health Discovery Corporation (OTCBB: HDVY), the molecular diagnostics company that launched MelApp, the first SVM-based image analysis iPhone app for melanoma risk assessment, today debuts its popular MelApp mobile app for Android™ devices. Now, health-conscious consumers can easily learn about melanoma and identify areas on their skin which may need attention from a specialist, anytime, anywhere with their iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, as well as Android smartphone. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Elevated glucose associated with undetected heart damage

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that hyperglycemia injures the heart, even in patients without a history of heart disease or diabetes. The high-sensitivity test they used detected levels of cTnT tenfold lower than those found in patients diagnosed with a heart attack. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome symptomatology and the impact on life functioning: is there something here?

Quality of Life Research — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:26:26 +0100

Conclusions Unlike clinical signs of Lyme disease, new-onset symptoms are reported by a subset of participants without evidence of depressive symptomatology. Patients who developed PTLDS had significantly lower life functioning compared to those without PTLDS. We propose future avenues for researching infection-triggered symptoms resulting from multiple mechanisms. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s11136-012-0126-6Authors John N. Aucott, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 10755 Falls Road, Suite 200, Lutherville, MD 21093, USAAlison W. Rebman, The Lyme Disease Research Foundation of Maryland, 10755 Falls Road, Suite 200, Lutherville, MD 21093, USALauren A. Crowder, The Lyme Disease Research Foundation of Maryland, 1...

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Treatment of Neurocritical Care Emergencies in Pregnancy

Current Treatment Options in Neurology — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:14:15 +0100

Opinion statement Neurologic emergencies are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women. In part because the patient population is young, the nihilistic approach that often accompanies neurologically devastating disorders in other contexts is largely absent. A number of studies have demonstrated improved patient outcomes in the setting of aggressive care delivered by neurointensivists in a specialty-specific environment. It stands to reason that young, pregnant women who suffer from neurologically devastating disorders and who have a wide range of prognosis may also benefit from such specialized care. Close collaboration between obstetricians and neurointensivists is critical in this context. A number of unique considerations in diagnosis and management pre...

Phosphatase PTEN is critically involved in post-myocardial infarction remodeling through the Akt/interleukin-10 signaling pathway

Basic Research in Cardiology — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:09:57 +0100

In conclusion, PTEN is critically involved in post-MI remodeling through the Akt/IL-10 signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting PTEN may be an effective approach to post-MI remodeling. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ContributionPages 1-15DOI 10.1007/s00395-012-0248-6Authors Nirmal Parajuli, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 333, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAYuan Yuan, Department of Cardiology, Forth Military Medical University Xijing Hospital, Xian, Shaanxi, ChinaXiaoxu Zheng, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 333, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADjahida Bedja, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University Schoo...

Fat doctors 'far less likely to help obese patients lose weight'

the Mail online | Health — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:29:14 +0100

GP Onslow's opinions support findings from Johns Hopkins University that suggest overweight physicians are less effective at tackling obesity than those of normal weight. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Segmentation and quantification of intra-ventricular/cerebral hemorrhage in CT scans by modified distance regularized level set evolution technique

International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:47:02 +0100

Conclusions The MDRLSE improved the accuracy and speed for segmentation and calculation of the hemorrhage volume compared to the original DRLSE method. The method generates quantitative information, which is useful for specific decision making and reduces the time needed for the clinicians to localize and segment the hemorrhagic regions. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-14DOI 10.1007/s11548-012-0670-0Authors K. N. Bhanu Prakash, Biomedical Imaging Lab, SBIC, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, #07-01, Matrix, 30, Biopolis Road, Singapore, 138671 SingaporeShi Zhou, Biomedical Imaging Lab, SBIC, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, #07-01, Matrix, 30, Biopolis Road, Singapore, 138671 SingaporeTim C. Morg...

Comparison of Acute Toxicities in Two Primary Chemoradiation Regimens in the Treatment of Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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

Conclusions With concurrent radiotherapy, low-dose, single-agent, weekly cisplatin is less likely than higher-dose daily cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil provided at the beginning and end of treatment to be associated with ototoxicity. The preliminary data suggest at least equivalent efficacy, but longer follow-up is required. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Head and Neck OncologyPages 1-8DOI 10.1245/s10434-012-2219-4Authors Katherine Y. Fan, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAHrishikesh Gogineni, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USADavid Zaboli, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USASpencer Lake, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAMarianna L. Zahurak...

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Provider-patient Adherence Dialogue in HIV Care: Results of a Multisite Study

AIDS and Behavior — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:04:33 +0100

Abstract Few studies have analyzed physician–patient adherence dialogue about ARV treatment in detail. We comprehensively describe physician–patient visits in HIV care, focusing on ARV-related dialogue, using a system that assigns each utterance both a topic code and a speech act code. Observational study using audio recordings of routine outpatient visits by people with HIV at specialty clinics. Providers were 34 physicians and 11 non-M.D. practitioners. Of 415 patients, 66% were male, 59% African–American. 78% reported currently taking ARVs. About 10% of utterances concerned ARV treatment. Among those using ARVs, 15% had any adherence problem solving dialogue. ARV problem solving talk included significantly more directives and control parameter utterances by provid...

More efforts needed to address motor vehicle deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) More research and programs are needed to address the elevated rate of motor vehicle-related deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native populations, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. To better understand this racial and ethnic disparity, the authors conducted a systematic review of literature published over the past twenty years and found just seven studies describing the problem, and only seven that tested interventions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Fetal Armor: How the Placenta Shapes Brain Development (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0100

The placenta is unique among organs--critical to human life yet fleeting. In its short time of duty, it serves as a vital protective barrier to the fetus. The organ’s blood vessels--which resemble tree roots in this image by Norman Barker, associate professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine--also deliver essential oxygen and nutrients from the mother to her developing baby. Still, the placenta has been vastly underappreciated. Scientists are taking a closer look and finding that it is much more than a simple conduit: it actively protects the fetus and shapes neurological development. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Capturing Inner Beauty: Medical Imagery That Delves into the Aesthetic [Slide Show]

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0100

February's issue of Scientific American features a beautiful close-up image of a placenta taken by Norm Barker, associate professor of pathology and art as applied to medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Barker specializes in photo-microscopy and natural science photography, and his work appears in the permanent collections of more than 40 museums, including the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History and the Science Museum in London. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Live Liver Donations Confirmed As Safe

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0100

According to Johns Hopkins researchers, individuals who donate a portion of their liver for live transplantation usually recover safely from the procedure and can expect to live long, healthy lives. The study is published in the February issue of the journal Gastroenterology. Dorry L. Segev, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study, a transplant surgeon, and an associate professor of surgery and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explains: "The donor process is safer than some have previously thought... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Autism Spectrum Disorders: Practical Overview for Pediatricians

Pediatric Clinics of North America — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:14:51 +0100

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a history and it started with the Jewish physician Leo Kanner (1894–1981), born in a small village in Galicia, which at that time was part of Austria-Hungary. He studied medicine in Berlin and graduated in 1921, but emigrated to the United States in 1924 to take a position at the State Hospital in Yankton County, South Dakota. In 1930, he was selected to develop the first child psychiatry service at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, where he in 1933 became associate professor of psychiatry. He was in reality the first physician in the world identified as a child psychiatrist, the founder of the first academic child psychiatry department at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, and his first textbook “Child Psychiatry” from 1935 was the fir...

Bone mineral density in postmenopausal Chinese women treated with calcium fortification in soymilk and cow's milk

Osteoporosis International — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:44:57 +0100

Conclusions Daily consumption of milk containing 250 mg calcium over 18 months prevents BMD loss at the hip and the femoral neck in postmenopausal Chinese women. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00198-012-1895-zAuthors J.-C. Gui, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Zhong Rd, Shanghai, 200040 People’s Republic of ChinaJ. R. Brašić, Division of Nuclear Medicine, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAX.-D. Liu, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Zhong Rd, Shanghai, 200040 People’s Republic of ChinaG.-Y. Gong, Technical Center,...

ARL releases “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries”

News from STM — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:45:13 +0100

January 26, 2012. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) announces the release of the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries, a clear and easy-to-use statement of fair and reasonable approaches to fair use developed by and for librarians who support academic inquiry and higher education. The Code was developed in partnership with the Center for Social Media and the Washington College of Law at American University. Winston Tabb, Johns Hopkins University Dean of University Libraries and Museums and President of ARL, said, “This document is a testament to the collective wisdom of academic and research librarians, who have asserted careful and considered approaches to some very difficult situations that we all face every day.” http://bit.ly/ylp1Xj (Sour...

Physician's weight may influence obesity diagnosis and care

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A new study suggests that obesity practices and beliefs differ by physician BMI. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Clinical Outcomes after Bariatric Surgery: A Five-Year Matched Cohort Analysis in Seven US States

Obesity Surgery — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:50:12 +0100

Conclusions While bariatric surgery is associated with a higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes compared to controls, it also substantially decreased obesity-related co-morbidities during the 5-year follow-up. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical ResearchPages 1-15DOI 10.1007/s11695-012-0595-2Authors Shari Danielle Bolen, Center for Health Care Research and Policy, Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Rammelkamp building R234A, Cleveland, OH 44109, USAHsien-Yen Chang, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USAJonathan P. Weiner, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health...

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Going to physician visits with older loved ones could improve care

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Family companions who routinely accompany older adults to physician office visits could be helpful to health care quality improvement efforts. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

HIV Testing Behaviors Among Latinos in Baltimore City

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:46:49 +0100

Abstract In the US, HIV disproportionately affects Latinos who often present late in the disease. Baltimore has seen a recent rapid growth in its Latino population paralleled by an increasing impact of HIV/AIDS among Latinos. From 2009 to 2010, we performed a cross-sectional survey of Latinos accessing the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) Latino Outreach services to assess self-report of previous HIV testing, with particular attention to migration history and risk behaviors. Of 247 Latinos (46% male) accessing BCHD outreach services, 96% were foreign-born. Self-perceived HIV risk was not associated with actual risk behaviors or HIV testing. In multivariate models, previous HIV testing was correlated with knowledge of HIV transmission modes and knowing that a person ...

Many strategies to increase physical activity for kids lack injury prevention measures

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents a need for increased injury prevention efforts in many of the most popular activities for kids (walking, bicycling, swimming, sports and playground use) in the United States. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

UCSF finishes 2nd to Johns Hopkins in 2011 NIH research funding, with $533M

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:44:16 +0100

UC San Francisco received $532.8 million in research funding last year from the National Insitutes of Health, placing it second to Johns Hopkins University, officials said Thursday. The two major biomedical research centers typically finish the year in that order or close to it, but UCSF boasts that it once again had the best NIH funding total of any public U.S. university, finishing ahead of University of Michigan ($467.4 million) and the University of Washington ($455.8 million). UCSF has ranked among the top institutions in NIH funding for decades... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

Historical perspectives of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery: Alfred Blalock (1899–1964)

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:10:16 +0100

Alfred Blalock, the 30th president of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), was born on April 5, 1899, in the small town of Culloden, Georgia. Located in Monroe County in central Georgia, Culloden is approximately 0.8 square miles in size and, according to the United States Census of 1900, had a population of 334. Blalock was the eldest of 5 children born to George Z. Blalock and Martha (Davis) Blalock. The elder Blalock was a merchant and the owner of a cotton plantation. Often referenced as a firm disciplinarian, Blalock’s father placed a significant value on education. According to his sister, Alfred would “…rather [his] mother use the hairbrush on him than [his] father look at him hard.” When Alfred was a youth, the family moved to nearby Jonesboro owing to his ...

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Forceps delivery, perineal lacerations raise risk of pelvic floor disorders

Modern Medicine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Forceps deliveries and perineal lacerations but not episiotomies were associated with pelvic floor disorders, including stress incontinence, overactive bladder, anal incontinence, and prolapse symptoms 5 to 10 years after a first vaginal birth, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers in a study published online January 10 in Obstetrics and Gynecology. MORE (Source: Modern Medicine)

Africa: Fighting Malaria Through Afcon 2012

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:19:14 +0100

Public Agenda (Accra)-United Against Malaria (UAM) in collaboration with the Malaria Control Program(NMC), the John Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programs(JHC/CCP),Voices for Malaria-Free Future and the Ghana Football Association(GFA)is expected to hold a special media event on Monday January 23, 2012 in Accra to promote advocacy for malaria elimination during the forthcoming 2012 African Cup of Nation to be hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

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 ...

'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)

Fewer children require hospitalization following drowning-related incidents

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Fewer children required hospitalization following a drowning incident over the last two decades, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. According to the study, pediatric hospitalizations from drowning-related incidents declined 51 percent from 1993 to 2008. The rates declined significantly for all ages and for both genders, although drowning-related hospitalizations remained higher for boys at every age. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Joins Forces with First Lady Michelle Obama to Support Veterans and Their Families- 1/12/12

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:40:27 +0100

As part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces initiative, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is teaming up with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) to create a new generation of doctors, medical schools and research facilities that will make sure our military veterans and their families receive the care worthy of their service. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Touching a Nerve- 1/10/12

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:40:27 +0100

Neuroscientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered how the sense of touch is wired in the skin and nervous system. The new findings, published Dec. 22 in Cell, open new doors for understanding how the brain collects and processes information from hairy skin. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

A State-Wide Partnership to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools: The PBIS Maryland Initiative

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:51:18 +0100

We describe some lessons learned from the partnership and identify potential areas for future research on the prevention partnership model. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for both researchers and community partners engaged in translational research in school settings. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-13DOI 10.1007/s10488-011-0384-6Authors Catherine P. Bradshaw, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAElise T. Pas, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAJerry ...

Discovery Of First Major Genetic Mutation Associated With Hereditary Prostate Cancer Risk

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

After a 20-year quest to find a genetic driver for prostate cancer that strikes men at younger ages and runs in families, researchers have identified a rare, inherited mutation linked to a significantly higher risk of the disease. A report on the discovery was published in the January 12, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. UNC-Chapel Hill scientist Ethan Lange, PhD, was part of the team of investigators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Michigan Health System, Wake Forest University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

How Our Sense Of Touch Works

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0100

According to a study published December 22 in Cell, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found out how sense of touch is connected in the nervous system and skin. These findings provide new opportunities for understanding how the brain gathers and processes information from hairy skin. David Ginty, Ph.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Relationship of Maternal Knowledge of Anemia with Maternal and Child Anemia and Health-Related Behaviors Targeted at Anemia Among Families in Indonesia

Maternal and Child Health Journal — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:47:11 +0100

We examined the relationship between maternal knowledge of anemia and anemia in the mother and the youngest child, aged 6–59 months, in 7,913 families from urban slums and 37,874 families from rural areas of Indonesia. Knowledge of anemia was defined based upon the mother’s ability to correctly name at least one symptom of anemia and at least one treatment or strategy for reducing anemia. Hemoglobin was measured in both the mother and the child. In urban and rural areas, respectively, 35.8 and 36.9% of mothers had knowledge of anemia, 28.7 and 25.1% of mothers were anemic (hemoglobin <12 g/dL), and 62.3 and 54.0% of children were anemic (hemoglobin <11 g/dL). Maternal knowledge of anemia was associated with child anemia in urban and rural areas, respectively ...

A Loving Approach to Dementia Care: Making meaningful connections with the person who has Alzheimer's Disease or other dementia or memory loss * Laura Wayman, The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD, 2011, 128 pages, $14.95 (USD, Paperback) ISBN-10: 1-4214-0034-0 (paperback), ISBN-10: 1-4214-0033-2 (hardcover)

Dementia — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Dementia)

Inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 block breast cancer metastatic niche formation and lung metastasis

Journal of Molecular Medicine — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:37:55 +0100

Abstract Intratumoral hypoxia, a frequent finding in metastatic cancer, results in the activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). HIFs are implicated in many steps of breast cancer metastasis, including metastatic niche formation through increased expression of lysyl oxidase (LOX) and lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) proteins, enzymes that remodel collagen at the metastatic site and recruit bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) to the metastatic niche. We investigated the effect of two chemically and mechanistically distinct HIF inhibitors, digoxin and acriflavine, on breast cancer metastatic niche formation. Both drugs blocked the hypoxia-induced expression of LOX and LOXL proteins, collagen cross-linking, CD11b+ BMDC recruitment, and lung metastasis in an orthotopic breast canc...

Study finds federal amendments increased gun sales diverted to criminals

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

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research finds that the number of guns that were subsequently linked to crime sold by Badger Guns & Ammo, a Milwaukee-area gun shop, increased dramatically after Congress adopted measures likely to reduce the risks gun dealers face if they divert guns to criminals. The study is the first to examine the impact of these amendments on the diversion of guns to criminals. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

New Jobs on MLANET January 4, 2012

Medical Library Association News — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:44:27 +0100

Newest postings (January 4, 2012): Head of Information and Instruction Services, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine-Medical Library, Florida International University; Basic Sciences Informationist (One Position, Two Levels), Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore, MD; Clinical Informationist (One Position, Two Levels), Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore, MD; Clinical Informatics Librarian, Thomas Jefferson University, Pennsylvania. The MLANET job page is updated weekly on Wednesdays. Jobs appear chronologically, with the most recent postings at the top of the page, and then alphabetically by state. (Source: Medical Library Association News)

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The Secret Lives of Bats [Slide Show]

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0100

Bats have an image problem. Throughout much of the world, they "often are associated with the devil, the underworld and the supernatural," write Michael J. Harvey, J. Scott Altenbach and Troy L. Best, authors of the new field guide Bats of the United States and Canada (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011). In fact, these flying mammals are among the most agriculturally and ecologically beneficial of animals, consuming vast numbers of insects, dispersing seeds, and pollinating plants. A study published last year in Science showed that insect-eating bats save the U.S. agricultural industry at least $3 billion per year. Yet most North American bat species are in decline as a result of white nose syndrome , habitat loss and extirpation by humans. The book disc...

Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer Office Licenses New Technology to NexImmune for the Development of Cancer Immune Therapies- 1/4/12

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

Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer announced today that it has granted a license for the Artificial IMmune (AIM) nanotechnology to NexImmune, a start-up company formed in part by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine faculty members who are also involved in the development of the technology. AIM, which involves engineering artificial cells to stimulate specific immune responses, represents a potentially important advance in the development of immunotherapies for a variety of cancers and other diseases. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

SOD2 as a potential modifier of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy clinical phenotypes

Journal of Neurology — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:52:09 +0100

Abstract X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (XALD), a neurological disorder caused by mutations in the peroxisomal membrane protein gene ABCD1, presents as a rapidly progressing, inflammatory cerebral demyelination (cerebral cases) or a slowly progressing, distal axonopathy (non-cerebral cases). Specific ABCD1 defects do not explain this significant phenotypic variation. Patients have increased plasma and tissue very long chain fatty acid levels and increased cellular oxidative stress and oxidative damage. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), at candidate modifier locus 6q25.3, detoxifies superoxide radicals protecting against oxidative stress and damage. We tested an SOD2 variant C47T (Ala16Val) associated with reduced enzymatic activity as a potential modifier gene of cerebral demyel...

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK for myopia of up to –10 diopters: 10 years of follow-up

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:59:56 +0100

Conclusions Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK for the correction of myopia ≤ –10.00 D is infrequent. The risk of RRD after LASIK is very low if you screen patients, and do prophylactic treatment as performed in this study. RRD, if managed promptly, will result in good vision. We recommend that patients scheduled for refractive surgery undergo a very thorough dilated indirect funduscopy with scleral depression and treatment of any retinal lesion predisposing to the development of a RRD before LASIK surgery should be performed. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Retinal DisordersPages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00417-011-1907-2Authors J. Fernando Arevalo, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAAndres F. Lasave, Th...

Detection of clinical and subclinical retinal abnormalities in neurosarcoidosis with optical coherence tomography

Journal of Neurology — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:49:21 +0100

Abstract The aim of this work was to determine if neurosarcoidosis (NS) patients exhibit quantitative and/or qualitative in vivo evidence of retinal abnormalities on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Retinal imaging was performed using spectral-domain Cirrus HD-OCT in 20 NS patients (40 eyes) and 24 age-matched healthy controls (48 eyes). Study participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and detailed neurological and ophthalmological evaluation. Quantitative OCT abnormalities of average macular thickness (AMT), peri-papillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, or both, were detectable in 60% of NS patients. Of NS patients with ocular symptomatology, 75% demonstrated quantitative OCT abnormali...

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“Stories in Medicine” Podcast Debuts

What's New on JEFFLINE — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:45:51 +0100

Journal Medicine has launched a series of bimonthly podcasts about infectious disease medicine: Stories in Medicine. Initial podcasts will feature pioneering infectious disease physician Dr. John Bartlett, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and an Associate Editor of Medicine. In his first podcast, Dr. Bartlett talks about his background in infectious disease medicine and his work on HIV/AIDS. He shares a few insights on the unpredictable and ‘always electrifying’ field of infectious disease. View the first podcast at http://journals.lww.com/md-journal. [Note that the podcasts are freely available to all Internet users from the Medicine website. However, journal articles and other features ...

Meet OCRF's 2012 Grantees

OCRF News — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

OCRF has awarded $5.4 million in new research grants to fourteen investigators from top research institutions across the country. OCRF has awarded $5.4 million in grants for ovarian cancer research this year. After receiving over 100 applications – the highest number in its history – OCRF and its prestigious Scientific Advisory Committee endeavored first and foremost to fund the best science. The Committee evaluated each proposal through intensive peer review, and selected a sound portfolio of 2012 grants that represent the present and future of ovarian cancer research.These exciting grants address two important themes in the field: understanding how and where ovarian cancer originates at the molecular genetic and tissue levels; and developing novel, creative approaches to impr...

New Year? How About A New Calendar?

NPR Health and Science — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0100

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have devised a different way to count our days — with a leap week every few years to keep the calendar on track.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

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Explore — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This latest issue of the Weil Integrative Medicine Library edited by Gerard Mullin, MD, John Hopkins University School of Medicine Associate Professor and Director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services is indeed welcome. It is long overdue, with a number of delays in publication. I ordered it last year when first announced and have gotten a half dozen or so notices of “delays in shipping” from Amazon, much to my impatience. So I was really pleased when it finally arrived. Dr. Mullin is one of the lead teachers in the advanced practice module in gastroenterology sponsored by the Institute of Functional Medicine. It was that course that supplied me with the information, tools, and skills to write my recent popular press functional medicine-oriented The Healthy Gut Workbook. Many of the co...

Genetic predisposition to peripheral nerve neoplasia: diagnostic criteria and pathogenesis of neurofibromatoses, Carney complex, and related syndromes

Acta Neuropathologica — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:42:01 +0100

Abstract Neoplasms of the peripheral nerve sheath represent essential clinical manifestations of the syndromes known as the neurofibromatoses. Although involvement of multiple organ systems, including skin, central nervous system, and skeleton, may also be conspicuous, peripheral nerve neoplasia is often the most important and frequent cause of morbidity in these patients. Clinical characteristics of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) have been extensively described and studied during the last century, and the identification of mutations in the NF1 and NF2 genes by contemporary molecular techniques have created a separate multidisciplinary field in genetic medicine. In schwannomatosis, the most recent addition to the neurofibromatosis group, p...

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A Comparison of Outcomes for Younger and Older Adult Patients Undergoing Surgery for Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Annals of Surgical Oncology — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:50:02 +0100

Conclusions Younger patients with PHPT present with significantly higher serum calcium levels than older patients. However, younger patients are less likely to localize abnormal parathyroid glands on sestamibi or ultrasound. Though younger patients appear to have a higher incidence of hyperplasia compared with older patients, single gland disease is still the overall most frequent cause. Our data suggest that MIP should be more frequently considered in younger patients because of the high incidence of single gland disease. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Endocrine TumorsPages 1-5DOI 10.1245/s10434-011-2185-2Authors Emad Kandil, Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LouisianaDewan Safwan Majid, Department of Surgery, Tulane ...

Transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract: optimizing image interpretation with 3D reconstructions

Abdominal Imaging — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:48:19 +0100

This article reviews the pathophysiology of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), CT urography (CTU) protocols, different possible 3D reconstruction techniques, and the importance of 3D reconstructions for appropriate interpretation. Results/conclusion CTU has largely replaced conventional IV pyelography in the evaluation of the upper urinary tract for TCC. The majority of large lesions can be easily seen on standard axial images with multiplanar reformats. However, it is imperative to also use 3D reconstructions when interpreting these studies, as subtle lesions can be difficult to visualize on the more traditional images. In this pictorial essay, we present multiple cases of upper urinary tract TCC which illustrate the value of 3D reconstructions for increasing the ...

Johns Hopkins gets $8M cancer research grant

AuntMinnie.com Headlines — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0100

Johns Hopkins University has received a five-year research grant worth more (more) (Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines)

Treatment of Homonymous Visual Field Defects

Current Treatment Options in Neurology — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:40:10 +0100

Opinion statement A clinical presentation of a retrochiasmal or homonymous visual field defect (HVFD) usually represents a permanent visual impairment. The visual and functional ramifications of HVFD will vary by patient. Comprehensive care—the clinical evaluation and consideration for treatment of HVFD—includes vision rehabilitation provided by optometrists, occupational therapists, or ophthalmologists. On the basis of individual patient needs, the eye care practitioner typically uses one or both of the following approaches to treat the HVFD: (1) field enhancement (also referred to in the literature as “field expansion”), in which optical systems incorporating prism are prescribed to optimize the use of the remaining vision, and (2) rehabilitative techniques inclu...

Pain Education In Medical Schools Needs Improvement

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Even though pain is by far the leading reason people seek medical care, pain education at North American medical schools is limited, variable and often fragmentary, according to a Johns Hopkins University study published in The Journal of Pain. The study examined the curricula at 117 medical schools in the United States and Canada and went beyond a simple analysis of historical presence-or-absence criteria in assessing pain education for medical students. This measurement does not distinguish the number of classroom hours devoted to pain education or coverage of various pain topics... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Time for a change?

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University) Time can stand still, or at least look the same from year to year, two calendar reform advocates say. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

A robotic assistant for trans-oral surgery: the robotic endo-laryngeal flexible (Robo-ELF) scope

Journal of Robotic Surgery — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:46:51 +0100

Abstract This paper describes the continued development of the Robotic EndoLaryngeal (Robo-ELF) Scope System, a simple clinically usable robot for manipulating flexible endoscopes, particularly in laryngeal surgery. The system includes a robot with three active and two passive degrees of freedom, a five degree of freedom passive positioning arm, a malleable scope shaft support, and a custom joystick controller. The Robo-ELF Scope allows a surgeon to control a flexible endoscope with only one hand and also to release the controls and perform bimanual surgery if desired. We have evaluated the Robo-ELF Scope system in both phantom and cadaver studies and found it superior to hand manipulation of flexible endoscopes and conventional rigid endoscopes. Content Type Journal A...

A cost-benefit analysis of bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel in the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:45:50 +0100

Abstract Bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy increases progression-free survival (PFS), but not overall survival when compared to chemotherapy alone in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Recently in November, 2011 the Food and drug administration revoked approval of bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of MBC. The European Medicines Agency, in contrast, maintained its approval of bevacizumab in MBC. While neither agency considers health economics in their decision-making process, one of the greatest challenges in oncology practice today is to reconcile hard-won small incremental clinical benefits with exponentially rising costs. To inform policy-makers in the US, this study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab/...

Early Minocycline Treatment Prevents a Decrease in Striatal Dopamine in an SIV Model of HIV-Associated Neurological Disease

Journal of NeuroImmune Pharmacology — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 06:32:43 +0100

Abstract HIV-infected individuals, even with antiretroviral therapy, often display cognitive, behavioral and motor abnormalities and have decreased dopamine (DA) levels. Minocycline prevents encephalitis and neurodegeneration in SIV models, suggesting that it might also protect against nigrostriatal dopaminergic system dysfunction. Using an SIV/macaque model of HIV-associated CNS disease, we demonstrated that striatal levels of DA were significantly lower in macaques late in infection and that levels of the metabolite DOPAC also tended to be lower. DA levels declined more than its metabolites, indicating a dysregulation of DA production or catabolism. Minocycline treatment beginning at 12 but not 21 days postinoculation prevented striatal DA loss. DA decline was not d...

New hydrogel regenerates scar-free tissue

Modern Medicine — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:07:27 +0100

Johns Hopkins University researchers have developed a wound-healing method using a gel that appears to regenerate healthy, scar-free tissue. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Validation of prostate cancer risk-related loci identified from genome-wide association studies using family-based association analysis: evidence from the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG)

Human Genetics — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:45:05 +0100

Abstract Multiple prostate cancer (PCa) risk-related loci have been discovered by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on case–control designs. However, GWAS findings may be confounded by population stratification if cases and controls are inadvertently drawn from different genetic backgrounds. In addition, since these loci were identified in cases with predominantly sporadic disease, little is known about their relationships with hereditary prostate cancer (HPC). The association between seventeen reported PCa susceptibility loci was evaluated with a family-based association test using 1,979 hereditary PCa families of European descent collected by members of the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics, with a total of 5,730 affected men. The risk al...

Spiral Assisted ERCP Is Equivalent to Single Balloon Assisted ERCP in Patients with Roux-en-Y Anatomy

Digestive Diseases and Sciences — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:42:21 +0100

Conclusion Diagnostic and therapeutic yields are similar with SBE-ERCP and SE-ERCP in patients with Roux-en-Y anatomy with no significant difference in procedure time or complication rates. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s10620-011-2000-8Authors Anne Marie Lennon, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USASumit Kapoor, Sinai Hospital Program in Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAMouen Khashab, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAErin Corless, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch...

Effects of Divided Attention on Swallowing in Persons with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

Dysphagia — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:55:08 +0100

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether attentional resources are involved in swallowing in persons with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, and if so, in which phase(s) of swallowing. The approach involved a dual-task, reaction time (RT) paradigm using ten participants with Parkinson’s disease. Single-task baseline measures were obtained for durations of the anticipatory phase and oropharyngeal phase of swallowing and RTs were obtained for nonword auditory stimuli. A dual-task then required participants to swallow 5 ml of water from an 8-oz. cup while listening for a target nonword presented auditorily during the anticipatory or oropharyngeal phase. Target stimuli were randomized across baseline and dual-task trials. Durations of the anticipatory ...

In vivo laser speckle imaging reveals microvascular remodeling and hemodynamic changes during wound healing angiogenesis

Angiogenesis — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:54:18 +0100

Sense of touch could be thanks to 'hair follicles in our skin'

the Mail online | Health — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:52:37 +0100

Researchers from The John Hopkins University in Maryland said specialised neurons in hair follicles may work as individual sensory organs, tuned to register different types of touch. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Rothman is Named Leader of Johns Hopkins Medicine- 12/19/11

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:18:01 +0100

Paul B. Rothman, a distinguished physician, scientist, educator and academic health care leader, was appointed today as the 14th dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and second chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine, a $6.5 billion academic medical center and a health system with a global reach. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Johns Hopkins names Rothman new dean, health system CEO

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:23:53 +0100

Johns Hopkins University on Monday named Dr. Paul B. Rothman the CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine and dean of the university’s medical school. Rothman joins Hopkins from the University of Iowa, where he is dean of the Carver School of Medicine. In his new role, Rothman, a rheumatologist and molecular immunologist, will oversee one of the nation’s top-ranked medical schools, with about 3,800 full- and part-time faculty, and a $5 billion health care system that employs more than 2,800 physicians... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

Babies remember even as they seem to forget

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University) Babies may not remember what they saw, but they remember that they saw something. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Body Absorbs Breast Implant During Pilates Session

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0100

A breast cancer survivor's breast implant was swallowed up by her own body during a Pilates session, resulting in surgical intervention to retrieve it and place it back into the breast, according to an article by doctors at Johns Hopkins' University and published in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine). The 59-year-old female had undergone a double mastectomy, followed by breast implants. The woman had recently undergone heart surgery - minimally invasive surgical mitral-valve repair for the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation - which had weakened her ribs, the article added... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Chimps to be spared from use in US medical experiments

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:08:22 +0100

American scientific group urges strict limits on laboratory research using chimpanzeesChimpanzees should hardly ever be used for medical research, a prestigious scientific group told the US government on Thursday – advice that means days in the laboratory may be numbered for humans' closest relatives.The Institute of Medicine stopped short of recommending the outright ban that animal rights activists had pushed for.Instead, it urged strict limits that would make invasive experiments with chimps essentially a last resort, saying today's more advanced research tools mean the primates' use only rarely would be necessary enough to outweigh the moral costs.Chimp research was already dwindling fast as scientists turned to less costly and less ethically charged alternatives.The US government ag...

Transient bilateral post-operative visual loss in spinal surgery

European Spine Journal — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:44:04 +0100

Conclusion This is the only documented case of POVL to have resolved completely within 48 h. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportPages 1-4DOI 10.1007/s00586-011-2117-7Authors Nasir A. Quraishi, Centre for Spine Studies and Surgery, Queens Medical Centre, West Block, D Floor, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UKJean-Paul Wolinsky, Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAZiya L. Gokaslan, Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Journal European Spine JournalOnline ISSN 1432-0932Print ISSN 0940-6719 (Source: European Spine Journal)

Imaging Copper Metabolism Imbalance in Atp7b−/− Knockout Mouse Model of Wilson’s Disease with PET-CT and Orally Administered 64CuCl2

Molecular Imaging and Biology — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:43:07 +0100

Conclusions PET-CT quantitative analysis demonstrated an increased level of 64Cu radioactivity in the liver of Atp7b −/− KO mice compared with that in the control C57BL WT mice, following oral administration of 64CuCl2 as a tracer. The results of this study suggest the feasibility and utility of PET-CT using orally administered 64CuCl2 as a tracer (64CuCl2-PET/CT) for functional imaging of copper metabolism imbalance in WD. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s11307-011-0532-0Authors Fangyu Peng, Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390-8542, USASvetlana Lutsenko, Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAXiankai Sun, De...

Teens choose water when calorie count of sugary beverages is easier to understand

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Providing easily understandable caloric information, specifically in the form of a physical activity equivalent, may reduce the likelihood of sugar-sweetened beverage purchases among adolescents by as much as half (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043) HIV/AIDS Community Mobilization (CM) to Promote Mobile HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (MVCT) in Rural Communities in Northern Thailand: Modifications by Experience

AIDS and Behavior — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:40:20 +0100

Abstract Project Accept is a RCT designed to test the efficacy of community mobilization (CM), mobile voluntary counseling and testing (MVCT), and post-test support services (PTSS) in reducing HIV incidence in three African countries and Thailand. The intervention started in rural areas, northern Thailand in January 2006. CM initially included door-to-door visits during the daytime, small group discussions and joining organized meetings and followed by MVCT. In February 2007, CM strategy using HIV/AIDS “edutainment” (education and entertainment) during evening hours was introduced. After edutainment was initiated, the number of participants increased substantially. VCT uptake increased from 18 to 28 persons/day on average (t test; t = 7.87 P < 0.0...

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Johns Hopkins' Man-Made Yeast Go Global- 12/5/11

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:23:45 +0100

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who recently reported the design and creation of a man-made yeast chromosome have now signed on some international collaborators at BGI, a genomics company headquartered in Beijing, China. The newly formed relationship brings together the Johns Hopkins project with some of the world’s experts in so-called next generation genome sequencing in an effort to speed the understanding of how genomes are built and organized and how they function. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

In third-degree burn treatment, hydrogel helps grow new, scar-free skin

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University) Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a jelly-like material and wound treatment method that, in early experiments on skin damaged by severe burns, appeared to regenerate healthy, scar-free tissue. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Opioid abuse linked to mood and anxiety disorders

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Researchers find that mood and anxiety disorders are highly associated with non-medical prescription opioid use. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Signaling of Cytokines is Important in Regulation of GnRH Neurons

Molecular Neurobiology — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:12:27 +0100

Abstract Cytokines encompass a broad class of peptides that mediate signals in a broad range of physiological situations including inflammation, infection, and obesity. The cytokine receptor-associated tyrosine kinase, Jak2, is one of the most important proteins mediating cytokine signaling pathway activation. Recently, our group has demonstrated that Jak2 signaling in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron plays a critical role in fertility in males and females, implicating cytokine activation of the neuron in GnRH neuronal development and function. To date, the specific cytokine(s) essential for activating Jak2 during neuroendocrine development are not known. In this article, we review the evidence for the role of several class 1 cytokines in regulating GnRH ne...

Acute Lung Injury - Depression and Impaired Physical Function Common And Often Long-Term

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0100

A new study from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, reveals that during the first two years after an acute lung injury (ALI) depressive symptoms and impaired physical function were common and long-lasting, with depressive symptoms being an independent risk factor for impaired physical function. Leading author O... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Pluripotent Stem Cells From Pigs May Be Safer Than Previously Thought

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Pig stem cell research conducted by two animal scientists at the University of Georgia reveals a better way to determine the safety of future stem cell therapies than rodent-based models. Rodent studies are likely inadequate for testing many human therapies - including pharmaceuticals - since 50 percent of all chemicals test positive as carcinogens in rodents regardless of their source or identity, according to Thomas Hartung, a professor in the Bloomsburg College of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. He suggests these rodent studies may be no better than a coin toss... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Depressive Symptoms And Impaired Physical Function Are Frequent And Long-Lasting After Acute Lung Injury

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function were common and long-lasting during the first two years following acute lung injury (ALI), according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Depressive symptoms were an independent risk factor for impaired physical function. "Early identification and treatment of depressive states should be evaluated as a potential intervention to improve long-term outcomes in ALI survivors," said first author O. Joseph Bienvenu, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Partnerships for the Design, Conduct, and Analysis of Effectiveness, and Implementation Research: Experiences of the Prevention Science and Methodology Group

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:09:08 +0100

Abstract What progress prevention research has made comes through strategic partnerships with communities and institutions that host this research, as well as professional and practice networks that facilitate the diffusion of knowledge about prevention. We discuss partnership issues related to the design, analysis, and implementation of prevention research and especially how rigorous designs, including random assignment, get resolved through a partnership between community stakeholders, institutions, and researchers. These partnerships shape not only study design, but they determine the data that can be collected and how results and new methods are disseminated. We also examine a second type of partnership to improve the implementation of effective prevention programs int...

Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function are frequent and long-lasting after ALI

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(American Thoracic Society) Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function were common and long-lasting during the first two years following acute lung injury, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Depressive symptoms were an independent risk factor for impaired physical function. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Multi-person Sex among a Sample of Adolescent Female Urban Health Clinic Patients

Journal of Urban Health — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:23:15 +0100

Abstract Adolescent sexual activity involving three or more people is an emerging public health concern. The goal of this exploratory, cross-sectional study was to describe the prevalence, correlates, and context of multiple-person sex among a sample of adolescent females seeking health care from an urban clinic. Because sex involving multiple people may either be consensual (i.e., “three-ways” or “group sex”) or forced (i.e., “gang rape”), we use the term “multi-person sex” (MPS) to encompass these experiences. Subjects were 328 females, ages 14–20 years old, who utilized a Boston-area community- or school-based health clinic between April and December of 2006, and completed an anonymous survey using computer-assisted self-interview software. Overall...

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Decreased microglial activation in MS patients treated with glatiramer acetate

Journal of Neurology — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:11:56 +0100

Abstract Activated microglia are thought to be an important contributor to tissue damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). The level of microglial activation can be measured non-invasively using [11C]-R-PK11195, a radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography (PET). Prior studies have identified abnormalities in the level of [11C]-R-PK11195 uptake in patients with MS, but treatment effects have not been evaluated. Nine previously untreated relapsing-remitting MS patients underwent PET and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain at baseline and after 1 year of treatment with glatiramer acetate. Parametric maps of [11C]-R-PK11195 uptake were obtained for baseline and post-treatment PET scans, and the change in [11C]-R-PK11195 uptake pre- to post-treatment was evaluated a...

Johns Hopkins' Man-Made Yeast Go Globaly- 12/5/11

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:57:23 +0100

Upregulation of arginase-II contributes to decreased age-related myocardial contractile reserve

European Journal of Applied Physiology — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:43:02 +0100

Abstract Arginase-II (Arg-II) reciprocally regulates nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and offsets basal myocardial contractility. Furthermore, decreased or absent myocardial NOS activity is associated with a depression in myocardial contractile reserve. We therefore hypothesized that upregulation of Arg-II might in part be responsible for depressed myocardial contractility associated with age. We studied arginase activity/expression, NOS expression, NO production in the presence and absence of the arginase inhibitor S-(2-boronoethyl)-l-cysteine (BEC) in old (22 months) and young (3 months) rat hearts and myocytes. The spatial confinement of Arg-II and NOS was determined with immuno-electron-miocrographic (IEM) and immuno-histochemical studies. We tested the effect of B...

World's Largest Online Cardiology Congress, CardioCareLive Presented by Johns Hopkins, to Meet Live Online December 7th and 8th

Medical News (via PRIMEZONE) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:34:00 +0100

BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine today announced that thousands of cardiologists and cardiovascular disease specialists are expected to login to view twelve interactive Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions over two days at the annual meeting of the world's largest online cardiology congress at www.CardioCareLive.com. This year's congress is titled, "Preventing Crisis in Cardiology Care: Roadmap to the Future" and is being supported by educational grants from Abbott Laboratories, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly USA, St. Jude Medical and Novo Nordisk. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE))

Patterns of myocardial perfusion in humans evaluated with contrast-enhanced 320 multidetector computed tomography

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:42:39 +0100

Abstract Left ventricular (LV) myocardial contrast enhancement can be recorded using 320 multi detector computed tomography (MDCT). We aimed to (1) assess patterns of regional myocardial perfusion at rest and compare them with NH3 positron emission tomography (PET) (2) and to assess the effect of intravenous adenosine infusion on regional myocardial perfusion. To evaluate myocardial perfusion patterns at rest, we scanned 14 healthy subjects with PET and 14 age and gender matched subjects with 320 MDCT. To evaluate the effect of adenosine stress on relative perfusion patterns 14 subjects with near-normal epicardial coronary arteries were studied at rest and during adenosine stress. Relative perfusion was assessed as attenuation density (AD) in 16 segments of the LV, and each...

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Combined photodynamic therapy with verteporfin and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:40:12 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Letter to the EditorPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00417-011-1884-5Authors J. Fernando Arevalo, Retina Division, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USAJuan V. Espinoza, Retina and Vitreous Service, Clínica Oftalmológica Centro Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela Journal Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental OphthalmologyOnline ISSN 1435-702XPrint ISSN 0721-832X (Source: Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology)

Birdbooker Report 199 | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Books, books, beautiful books! This is a list of biology, ecology, environment, natural history and animal books that are (or will soon be) available to occupy your bookshelves (or your library's bookshelves) and your thoughts.Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky,My pile of books is a mile high.How I love them! How I need them!I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. ~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books. Compiled by Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, the Birdbooker Report is a weekly report listing the wide variety of nature, natural history, ecology, animal behaviour, science and history books that have been newly released or republished in North America and in the UK. The books listed here were received by Ian during the previous week, courtesy of various pu...

Cough Reflex in Lung Transplant Recipients

Lung — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:14:11 +0100

Abstract Lung transplantation has become the standard of care for particular individuals with advanced lung disease. However, this surgical procedure involves interruption of the lower vagal nerve fibers which leads to loss of the protective cough reflex. Injury of the neural pathways involved with the sensory limb of the cough reflex is associated with an increased risk of complications involving the allograft. While loss of the cough reflex was once considered permanent, recent evidence indicates functional and structural restoration is a time-dependent process that occurs 6–12 months after lung transplantation. The implication that the cough reflex may be reestablished in lung transplant recipients provides insight into the dynamic response to airway neural injur...

Cost-Effectiveness of Childcare Discounts on Parent Participation in Preventive Parent Training in Low-Income Communities

The Journal of Primary Prevention — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:47:02 +0100

Abstract We tested the cost-effectiveness of giving low-income parents childcare discounts contingent on their participation in the Chicago Parent Program, a 12-session preventive parent training (PT) program offered at their child’s daycare center. Eight centers were matched and randomized to an experimental condition in which parents received a discount on their childcare bill (M = $8.92 per session attended) or a control group with no financial incentive. Participants (n = 174) consisted mostly of African American (55%) or Latino (42%) mothers, 62% reporting annual household incomes less than $20,000. Parents in the discount condition were 15.4% more likely to enroll than control parents, though this difference was not significant. There were no dif...

The effect of tibial tuberosity realignment procedures on the patellofemoral pressure distribution

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:31:21 +0100

Conclusions The results indicate that medializing the tibial tuberosity by 10 mm reduces the pressure applied to lateral patellar cartilage for intact cartilage and cartilage with lateral lesions, but does not overload medial cartilage. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory KneePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00167-011-1802-8Authors Archana Saranathan, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Calhoun Research Laboratory, Akron General Medical Center, 400 Wabash Avenue, Akron, OH 44307, USAMarcus S. Kirkpatrick, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Calhoun Research Laboratory, Akron General Medical Center, 400 Wabash Avenue, Akron, OH 44307, USASaandeep Mani, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Calhoun Research Laboratory, Akron General Medical Center, 400 Wabash Avenue, Akron, OH 4...

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Molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma: the current consensus

Acta Neuropathologica — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:29:51 +0100

Abstract Medulloblastoma, a small blue cell malignancy of the cerebellum, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric oncology. Current mechanisms for clinical prognostication and stratification include clinical factors (age, presence of metastases, and extent of resection) as well as histological subgrouping (classic, desmoplastic, and large cell/anaplastic histology). Transcriptional profiling studies of medulloblastoma cohorts from several research groups around the globe have suggested the existence of multiple distinct molecular subgroups that differ in their demographics, transcriptomes, somatic genetic events, and clinical outcomes. Variations in the number, composition, and nature of the subgroups between studies brought about a consensus conference in...

Robotic-assisted oropharyngeal reconstruction

Journal of Robotic Surgery — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:55:30 +0100

This report details our early experience with the use of robotic surgery for management of soft tissue defects of the oropharynx in 12 patients. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s11701-011-0326-zAuthors Umamaheswar Duvvuri, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Suite 500 Eye and Ear Institute, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USASteven C. Bonawitz, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 801 N. Caroline Street, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21287, USASeungwon Kim, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Suite 500 Eye and Ear Institute, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA Journal Journal of Robotic Surger...

Sammy Franks obituary

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:32:16 +0100

Prostate pathologist whose research linked cancer and ageingLeonard Maurice Franks, fondly known as "Sammy", who has died aged 90, was regarded as the doyen of prostate pathologists. Particularly important was his research into the high frequency of prostate cancer in ageing men, which led to the appreciation that if a man lives long enough, he will develop prostate cancer. Sammy was also a pioneer in the application of cell culture and electron microscopy to cancer research. He was for decades a revered authority on tumour biology.He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and graduated in medicine from Durham University in 1942. After a short period in general practice in Newcastle, he was almost immediately caught up in the second world war, serving as regimental officer with the Rifle Brigade,...

Jhpiego wins $1.6M grant from GE Foundation

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:23:27 +0100

A Johns Hopkins University affiliate has been awarded $1.6 million from the GE Foundation to support the development of lifesaving technologies for women and children in developing countries. Jhpiego, a Baltimore-based international nonprofit, will use the money to create new products through its Innovation Development Program. Centered on maternal and child health, the program focuses on early-stage innovation and then, for selected projects, field-testing and product introduction. The grant provides yet another injection of cash for Jhpiego, which has seen an influx of funding this year... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

The Likelihood of Remission of Food Allergy in Children: When Is the Optimal Time for Challenge?

Current Allergy and Asthma Reports — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:55:22 +0100

Abstract Although diagnostic testing methods for food hypersensitivity have improved over time, both in vivo and in vitro methods are significantly flawed, especially as evidenced by the frequent occurrence of false-positive test results. Because of these limitations, oral food challenge testing remains an essential element in the diagnosis and management of food allergy. In fact, the double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of food allergy. In this review, we focus on the optimal timing of oral food challenges, especially for patients with a known food allergy, to determine if the food allergy may have been outgrown. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Anaphylaxis and Drug Allergy (P Lieberman and S Spector, Section ...

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Brain electric shocks used to treat Alzheimer's

NHS News Feed — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:30:00 +0100

Conclusion This was a small, early-stage clinical study that tested the safety of using deep brain stimulation to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Due to the preliminary nature of this research and the fact it did not compare DBS patients against a control group, the results can’t be universally applied to all patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers have since started a larger-scale study (involving 50 people) to assess the benefits and effectiveness of the treatment. Potential issues with this sort of study are: Without a control group it isn’t possible to say that any slowing of the deterioration expected in people with Alzheimer’s was due to the treatment. It isn’t valid to compare the results from so few people with an “expected” rate of decline. The patients...

'Brain pacemaker' used to treat Alzheimer's

NHS News Feed — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:30:00 +0100

Multiplex Sequencing of Seven Ocular Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Genomes: Phylogeny, Sequence Variability, and SNP Distribution [Immunology and Microbiology]

Investigative Ophthalmology — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. Multiplex sequencing is a cost-effective way to obtain the genomic sequences of ocular HSV-1 isolates with sufficient coverage of the unique regions for genomic analysis. The number of SNPs and their distribution will be useful for analyzing the genetics of virulence, and the sequence data will be useful for studying HSV-1 evolution and for the design of structure–function studies. (Source: Investigative Ophthalmology)

Epidemiologic profile, sexual history, pathologic features, and human papillomavirus status of 103 patients with penile carcinoma

World Journal of Urology — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:53:32 +0100

Conclusions In our series, patients with penile cancer presented a distinctive epidemiologic and pathologic profile. These data might help explaining the geographical differences in incidence and aid in the design of strategies for cancer control in Paraguay. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00345-011-0802-0Authors Alcides Chaux, Instituto de Patología e Investigación, Asunción, ParaguayGeorge J. Netto, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 401 N Broadway/Weinberg 2242, Baltimore, MD 21231, USAIngrid M. Rodríguez, Instituto de Patología e Investigación, Asunción, ParaguayJosé E. Barreto, Instituto de Patología e Investigación, Asunción, ParaguayJudith Oertell, Instituto de Patolo...

Enhancement of tumor immunotherapy by deletion of the A2A adenosine receptor

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:49:54 +0100

Abstract The A2A adenosine receptor plays a critical and non-redundant role in suppressing inflammation at sites of hypoxia and tissue damage. The tumor microenvironment has high levels of adenosine as a result of hypoxia and ectopic expression of enzymes responsible for the generation of extracellular adenosine. Thus, we sought to determine the ability of A2A receptor null mice to immunologically reject tumors. We observed that mice lacking the A2A adenosine receptor showed significantly delayed growth of lymphoma cells when compared to WT mice. Furthermore, when immunized with a low dose of tumor or with an irradiated GM-CSF–secreting tumor vaccine, A2A receptor null mice showed significantly enhanced protection from a subsequent high-dose challenge from both immunogenic ...

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Canada announces support to Johns Hopkins University to improve reporting of reduced child mortality in Africa

WHO Maternal, Newborn and Child Health — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:29:00 +0100

21 NOVEMBER 2011| OTTAWA, Ontario―The Government of Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency, is supporting phase two of the Johns Hopkins' Real-Time Results Tracking project, which will allow CIDA to track the results of its child health interventions. (Source: WHO Maternal, Newborn and Child Health)

Long-Term Outcome in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism who Underwent Minimally Invasive Parathyroidectomy

World Journal of Surgery — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:57:40 +0100

Conclusions This study demonstrates that MIP has long-term benefits in terms of excellent symptom resolution and a high biochemical cure rate (97%) in selected patients who have PHPT, preoperative localization with sestamibi scans, and assessment of intraoperative PTH level. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00268-011-1344-8Authors Raghunandan Venkat, Endocrine Surgery Section, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 606, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAGuennadi Kouniavsky, Endocrine Surgery Section, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 606, Baltimore, MD 21287, USARalph P. Tufano, Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, ...

Impact of international laboratory partnerships on the performance of HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing in five resource-constrained countries

International Journal of STD and AIDS — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

To review a quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) model established to ensure the validity and reliability of collection, storage and analysis of biological outcome data, and to promote good laboratory practices (GLPs) and sustained operational improvements in international clinical laboratories, we conducted a two-arm randomized community-level HIV behavioural intervention trial in five countries: China, India, Peru, Russia and Zimbabwe. The trial was based on diffusion theory utilizing a Community Popular Opinion Leaders (CPOLs) intervention model with behavioural and biological outcomes. The QC/QA model was established by the Biological Outcome Workgroup, which collaborated with the Data Coordinating Center and John Hopkins University Reference Laboratory. Five international lab...

Radiology and I.T.: Finding Common Ground

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:56:10 +0100

Source: Joseph Goedert, HDM Breaking News Content: “Radiologists are extremely dependent on information technology staff, but I.T. isn’t part of the radiology department–which means radiologists don’t have control over I.T., says Paul Nagy, director of quality in the department of radiology and an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. At RNSA 2011, being held [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Hearing Loss Could Indicate Alzheimer’s Risk

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:28:51 +0100

BOSTON (CBS) – For many of us, the older we get, the tougher it is for us to hear. In fact, a full 50% of us will be candidates for a hearing aid by the time we reach retirement age. Many assume hearing loss is just a part of the aging process and there’s nothing we can really do about it. But there’s new research that suggests hearing loss could be an indicator of something much more serious. Researchers at John’s Hopkins University studied about 600 people over a period of several decades. They discovered a significant association between people with hearing loss and a risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The findings indicated the greater the hearing loss, the greater the risk for developing cognitive impairment. Lead researcher Dr. Frank Lin was surprised b...

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Initiation of Statin Therapy: Are There Age Limits?

Current Atherosclerosis Reports — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:57:42 +0100

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death, with a higher prevalence in older adults who form an increasing proportion of the population of the United States. Statin treatment reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in middle-aged adults. However, few studies have included older individuals, particularly ages 80 years or older. We review recent publications regarding primary and secondary prevention of CVD with statin therapy in older adults. Risk scores and their limitations in this population are discussed. The association of adverse effects with intensive doses of statin and their interactions with other drugs may be more problematic in older adults. Statin therapy appears cost-effective for individuals with higher CVD risk but this ...

Neurofibromatosis 2011: a report of the Children’s Tumor Foundation Annual Meeting

Acta Neuropathologica — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:47:18 +0100

Abstract The 2011 annual meeting of the Children’s Tumor Foundation, the annual gathering of the neurofibromatosis (NF) research and clinical communities, was attended by 330 participants who discussed integration of new signaling pathways into NF research, the appreciation for NF mutations in sporadic cancers, and an expanding pre-clinical and clinical agenda. NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis collectively affect approximately 100,000 persons in US, and result from mutations in different genes. Benign tumors of NF1 (neurofibroma and optic pathway glioma) and NF2 (schwannoma, ependymoma, and meningioma) and schwannomatosis (schwannoma) can cause significant morbidity, and there are no proven drug treatments for any form of NF. Each disorder is associated with additional mani...

Contrasting patterns of malaria drug resistance found between humans and mosquitoes

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A study detected contrasting patterns of drug resistance in malaria-causing parasites taken from both humans and mosquitoes. Parasites found in human blood samples showed a high prevalence for pyrimethamine-resistance, which was consistent with the class of drugs widely used to treat malaria. However, parasites taken from mosquitoes themselves had very low prevalence of pyrimethamine-resistance and a high prevalence of cycloguanil-resistant mutants indicating resistance to a newer class of antimalaria drug not widely used in Zambia. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Statins and associated risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:56:22 +0100

Conclusion Our findings indicate that the purported benefit of statins in preventing pneumonia is inconsistent, and of low magnitude, with upper bounds of the confidence interval being close to null. In view of the substantial statistical and clinical heterogeneity in the dataset, there is no convincing evidence to support the therapeutic application of statins for reducing the risk of pneumonia. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Pharmacoepidemiology and PrescriptionPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00228-011-1159-4Authors Chun Shing Kwok, School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UKJessica Ka-Yan Yeong, School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UKRichard M. Turner, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, ...

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Predisposing risk factors for non-contact ACL injuries in military subjects

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:48:00 +0100

Conclusions Elevated BMI combined with narrow notch width may predispose young athletes to non-contact ACL injury. Level of evidence Retrospective comparative study, Level III. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory KneePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00167-011-1755-yAuthors Korboi N. Evans, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USAKelly G. Kilcoyne, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USAJonathan F. Dickens, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USAJohn-Paul Rue, Naval Health Clinic Annapolis, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USAJeffrey Giuliani, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USADavid Gwinn, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USAJo...

Gala Event Nov. 10 at Johns Hopkins to Mark Opening of Lieber Institute for Brain Development- 11/9/11

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:33:14 +0100

Friends and family of people with mental illness, mental health advocates, philanthropists, and members of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries will join Johns Hopkins University officials and research scientists on Thursday, Nov. 10, to celebrate the opening of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. The evening event will be held in the university’s historic George Peabody Library. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

A short-term biomarker modulation study of simvastatin in women at increased risk of a new breast cancer

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:49:47 +0100

This study demonstrates the feasibility of short-term biomarker modulation studies using the contralateral breast of high-risk women. Simvastatin appears to modulate estrone sulfate concentrations and its potential chemopreventive activity in breast cancer warrants further investigation. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical TrialPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s10549-011-1858-7Authors Michaela J. Higgins, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1650 Orleans Street, CRBI, Room 144, Baltimore, MD 21231, USATatiana M. Prowell, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1650 Orleans Street, CRBI, Room 144, Baltimore, MD 21231, USAAmanda L. Blackford, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Canc...

Epigenetic Therapy Shows Promise In Hard-to-treat Lung Cancer

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0100

Patients with recurrent metastatic non-small cell lung cancer have a morbid prognosis, but a new epigenetic therapy may have potential for this population, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. A research team at Johns Hopkins University tested a combination epigenetic therapy of azacitidine and entinostat among 45 patients with recurrent metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who had been heavily pretreated with other therapies but showed no response... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Erratum to: Gestational Diabetes and Subsequent Growth Patterns of Offspring: The National Collaborative Perinatal Project

Maternal and Child Health Journal — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:57:27 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumPages 1-1DOI 10.1007/s10995-011-0903-9Authors Kesha Baptiste-Roberts, School of Nursing, Penn State University, University Park, 1300 ASB/A110, 600 Centerview Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USAWanda K. Nicholson, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USANae-Yuh Wang, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USAFrederick L. Brancati, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA Journal Maternal and Child Health JournalOnline ISSN 1573-6628Print ISSN 1092-7875 (Source: Maternal and Child Health Journal)

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Inhibitory Synaptic Regulation of Motoneurons: A New Target of Disease Mechanisms in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Molecular Neurobiology — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:56:36 +0100

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the third most common adult-onset neurodegenerative disease. It causes the degeneration of motoneurons and is fatal due to paralysis, particularly of respiratory muscles. ALS can be inherited, and specific disease-causing genes have been identified, but the mechanisms causing motoneuron death in ALS are not understood. No effective treatments exist for ALS. One well-studied theory of ALS pathogenesis involves faulty RNA editing and abnormal activation of specific glutamate receptors as well as failure of glutamate transport resulting in glutamate excitotoxicity; however, the excitotoxicity theory is challenged by the inability of anti-glutamate drugs to have major disease-modifying effects clinically. Nevertheless, hyperexcit...

Blood longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation time constants at 11.7 Tesla

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:44:20 +0100

Conclusion This study reported blood T 1 and T 2 measurements at 11.7 T for the first time. These blood relaxation data could have implications in numerous functional and physiological MRI studies at 11.7 T. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Research ArticlePages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s10334-011-0287-2Authors Ai-Ling Lin, Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229, USAQin Qin, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAXia Zhao, Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX ...

Advances in PET myocardial perfusion imaging: F-18 labeled tracers

Annals of Nuclear Medicine — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:04:12 +0100

Abstract Coronary artery disease and its related cardiac disorders represent the most common cause of death in the USA and Western world. Despite advancements in treatment and accompanying improvements in outcome with current diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, it is the correct assignment of these diagnostic techniques and treatment options which are crucial. From a diagnostic standpoint, SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using traditional radiotracers like thallium-201 chloride, Tc-99m sestamibi or Tc-99m tetrofosmin is the most utilized imaging technique. However, PET MPI using N-13 ammonia, rubidium-82 chloride or O-15 water is increasing in availability and usage as a result of the growing number of medical centers with new-generation PET/CT systems taking a...

Testing of seafood imported into the US is inadequate

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) A new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future shows that testing of imported seafood by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is inadequate for confirming its safety or identifying risks. The findings highlight deficiencies in inspection programs for imported seafood across four of the world's largest importing bodies and show which types of aquatic animals, and from which countries, are most often failing inspection. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Online game aims to improve scientific peer review accuracy

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Peer review of scientific research is an essential component of research publication, the awarding of grants, and academic promotion. Reviewers are often anonymous. However, a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that greater cooperation between reviewer and author can improve accuracy of the review. Their study is published in the Nov. 9 edition of the journal PLoS ONE. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Genetic variants associated with the white blood cell count in 13,923 subjects in the eMERGE Network

Human Genetics — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:15:31 +0100

Abstract White blood cell count (WBC) is unique among identified inflammatory predictors of chronic disease in that it is routinely measured in asymptomatic patients in the course of routine patient care. We led a genome-wide association analysis to identify variants associated with WBC levels in 13,923 subjects in the electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network. We identified two regions of interest that were each unique to subjects of genetically determined ancestry to the African continent (AA) or to the European continent (EA). WBC varies among different ancestry groups. Despite being ancestry specific, these regions were identifiable in the combined analysis. In AA subjects, the region surrounding the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor gene (DARC) on 1q21 e...

Bassler Wins L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Award in Life Sciences

News from the National Academies — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:40:28 +0100

National Academy of Sciences member Bonnie L. Bassler has been selected as the 2012 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Laureate for North America. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Principal Investigator at Princeton University’s Department of Molecular Biology, Bassler was chosen for her work in understanding chemical communication between bacteria and its use in developing anti-bacterial therapies to combat infectious disease. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1990 and was elected as an NAS member in 2006. (Source: News from the National Academies)

Saul Roseman: His many contributions to biochemistry over eight decades [Retrospectives]

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Saul Roseman (born 1921) was the Ralph S. O'Connor Professor of Biology, Emeritus, at The Johns Hopkins University. He died of congestive heart failure on July 2, 2011 at the age of 90.pnas;108/45/18219/UNFIG01F1unfig01Saul Roseman.Roseman was born in Brooklyn and received his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the City College of New York (CCNY) in 1941, one of a remarkable number of scientists of his generation to receive their science training at CCNY. He began graduate training in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin only to have it interrupted by service in the infantry in Europe in World War II, also... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Effects of dabigatran in vitro on thrombin biomarkers by Calibrated Automated Thrombography in patients after ischemic stroke

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:14:28 +0100

Abstract Randomized trials suggest superior and safe stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation after anticoagulation with dabigatran (D) at a 150 mg BID as described in the RE-LY prospective randomized open-label trial when compared to warfarin. Thrombin generation (TG) is a cornerstone of coagulation cascade, and represents a critical biomarker of atherothrombosis. We, therefore, sought to define the effect of D in escalating concentrations on the time course of TG using the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram® (CAT) technology in patients after ischemic stroke. Serial plasma samples were obtained from 20 patients with ischemic stroke documented by neuroimaging, who were treated with aspirin for at least 30 days. The impact of 0.1, 0.23, 0.46, 0.69&nbs...

Branched-chain amino acid levels are associated with improvement in insulin resistance with weight loss

Diabetologia — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:59:57 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation A cluster of metabolites comprising BCAAs and related analytes predicts improvement in HOMA-IR independent of the amount of weight lost. These results may help identify individuals most likely to benefit from moderate weight loss and elucidate novel mechanisms of IR in obesity. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ArticlePages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2356-5Authors S. H. Shah, Department of Medicine, DUMC, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3445, Durham, NC 27710, USAD. R. Crosslin, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAC. S. Haynes, Center for Human Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USAS. Nelson, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAC. B. Turer, Depa...

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Delaware Fire Service offers important lessons for fire prevention programs nationwide

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Fire and life safety programs in Delaware offer a strategic, comprehensive and coordinated approach to fire prevention. A new study highlights the diversity of prevention initiatives underway in the state and documents how tradition, dedication, and a sense of community are keys to success for the program. Delaware was chosen for the study because some federal fire officials view the state as a model for fire and life safety practices. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Rapid, reliable, and reproducible molecular sub-grouping of clinical medulloblastoma samples

Acta Neuropathologica — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:08:02 +0100

We present an assay based on nanoString technology that is capable of rapidly, reliably, and reproducibly assigning clinical FFPE medulloblastoma samples to their molecular subgroup, and which is highly suited for future medulloblastoma clinical trials. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Methods PaperPages 1-12DOI 10.1007/s00401-011-0899-7Authors Paul A. Northcott, The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Center, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaDavid J. H. Shih, The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Center, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaMarc Remke, Division Molecular Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, GermanyYoon-Jae Cho, Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USAMarcel Kool...

Relationship Between Birth Spacing, Child Maltreatment, and Child Behavior and Development Outcomes Among At-Risk Families

Maternal and Child Health Journal — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:55:06 +0100

This study is among the first to focus on the associations of birth spacing with maltreatment, behavior and development outcomes in the index child. Future work regarding the effects of birth spacing should include a focus on the index child. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s10995-011-0909-3Authors Sarah Shea Crowne, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAKay Gonsalves, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USALori Burrell, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAElizabeth McFarlane, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Universi...

ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas: size does not correlate with hormonal activity

Pituitary — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:48:04 +0100

Abstract ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas (Cushing’s disease, CD) are the most frequent cause of Cushing’s syndrome. To test whether the size of ACTH-secreting adenomas correlates with the degree of biochemical and clinical features of hypercortisolism, we retrospectively reviewed all newly diagnosed CD patients seen at our institution by two neuro-endocrinologists over a 10-year time period. We documented the number of clinical manifestations and baseline hormonal measurements. There were 37 microadenomas (μAs) and 16 macroadenomas (MAs). We sought to characterize the relationship between tumor size (μA vs. MA) and number of signs and symptoms of hypercortisolism and biochemical assessment of hypercortisolemia. There were no significant differences in mean age, BMI...

Riverview Medical Center Designated To Expand Elective Angioplasty Program

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0100

In May 2009, Riverview Medical Center became part of a research study sponsored by Johns Hopkins University called the Atlantic C-PORT-E Elective Angioplasty trial. Riverview was selected to participate in this research study for its high level of experience and outstanding cardiovascular services. Based on its positive patient outcomes, the state of New Jersey has endorsed Riverview to continue to provide elective angioplasty and stenting to patients at the time of a heart catheterization with the conclusion of the study on March 31, 2011... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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It takes two: Brains come wired for cooperation, neuroscientist asserts

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University) The brain was built for cooperative activity, whether it be dancing on a TV reality show, building a skyscraper or working in an office. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Decline in dead zones: Efforts to heal Chesapeake Bay are working

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins University) Efforts to reduce the flow of fertilizers, animal waste and other pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay appear to be giving a boost to the bay's health. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Study shows promise for teen suicide prevention

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0100

Roughly 1 million people die by suicide each year. In the U.S., where nearly 36,000 people take their own lives annually, more than 4,600 victims are between the ages of 10 and 24, making suicide the third leading cause of death in this age group. Youths treated at hospital emergency rooms for suicidal behavior remain at very high risk for future suicide attempts. But despite the urgent need to provide them with mental health follow-up care, many don't receive any such care after their discharge. Consequently, a major goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's National Strategy for Suicide Prevention has been to increase rates of follow-up care after discharge for patients who come to the emergency department (ED) due to suicidal behavior. Now, a new study...

Immunizations in children with chronic kidney disease

Pediatric Nephrology — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:59:34 +0100

Abstract Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. These patients may have a reduced response to and/or reduced duration of antibody after immunization and therefore monitoring of antibody levels or titers is indicated for some vaccines. In addition, pediatric CKD patients require immunizations not routinely provided to healthy children. Unfortunately, studies in pediatric CKD patients, including those on dialysis and awaiting kidney transplantation, have demonstrated sub-optimal immunization rates. In order to minimize the risk for vaccine-preventable disease in pediatric CKD patients, it is imperative that all who care for these patients remain abreast of the recommended childhood immunization schedule, as well as ...

International Doctoral Education Partnership: The First Full-Time Doctoral Program for Nurses in China

Journal of Professional Nursing — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

In July 2008, five nurses graduated from the first full-time doctoral program for nurses in China at Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in Beijing. The purpose of this article is to describe the doctoral program partnership between the Schools of Nursing at PUMC and Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins) in the United States that led to this historic event. The planning, implementation, evaluation, and early outcomes of the program are described to provide a model for rapidly increasing capacity for doctoral education in nursing in countries without sufficient or any doctoral education in nursing. One of the main objectives of this doctoral program partnership was to transition the Chinese University to an independent doctoral program as rapidly as possible. Lessons learned are presented as w...

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International doctoral education partnership: the first full-time doctoral program for nurses in china.

Journal of Professional Nursing — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Nolan MT, Liu H, Li Z, Lu C, Hill MN Abstract In July 2008, five nurses graduated from the first full-time doctoral program for nurses in China at Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in Beijing. The purpose of this article is to describe the doctoral program partnership between the Schools of Nursing at PUMC and Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins) in the United States that led to this historic event. The planning, implementation, evaluation, and early outcomes of the program are described to provide a model for rapidly increasing capacity for doctoral education in nursing in countries without sufficient or any doctoral education in nursing. One of the main objectives of this doctoral program partnership was to transition the Chinese University to an independent doctoral pro...

Kristof's Non-Sequitur—I Run and Have Sex, Therefore I'm Addicted

Psychology Today Addiction Center — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:31:43 +0100

Nicholas Kristof of the Times, recounting tales from a new book on neurobiology, claims it proves drugs—then sex, then exercise—are special objects for brain addiction, while in fact it makes the exactly opposite point—addictive temptations are available to all of us, many have succumbed, but most of us right our lives in service of broader goals and desires. Primary Topic: Addiction read more (Source: Psychology Today Addiction Center)

Mycobacterium szulgai: an unusual cause of disseminated mycobacterial infections

Infection — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:47:06 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory CorrespondencePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s15010-011-0213-6Authors S. Riedel, Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Avenue; A Building, Room 102-B, Baltimore, MD 21224, USAK. Dionne, Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street; Meyer B1-193, Baltimore, MD 21287-7093, USAC. Ellis, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAA. Duffield, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospit...

Update in Geriatric Medicine

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:22:25 +0100

Abstract INTRODUCTION With an aging population, internists will provide care to a growing number of older adults, a population at risk of developing multiple chronic medical conditions and geriatric syndromes. For this update in geriatric medicine, we highlight recent key articles focused on preventive strategies and lifestyle changes that reduce the burden of disease and functional decline in older adults. METHODS We identified English-language articles published between March 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011 by review of the contents of major geriatrics/general medicine journals and journal watch services including: New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, Archives of Internal Medicin...