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UVC machines can cut transmission of four drug-resistant superbugs by 30%, study finds

A new tool -- a type of ultraviolet light called UVC -- could aid hospitals in the ongoing battle to keep drug-resistant bacteria from lingering in patient rooms and causing new infections.

17 Jan 2017

Alcohol strengthens emotional memories linked to fearful experiences, study shows

Experiments in mice by researchers at Johns Hopkins suggest that if the goal is to ease or extinguish fearful emotional memories like those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol may make things worse, not better.

10 Jan 2017

Penn study finds evidence of AD neuropathology in post-mortem brains of LBD patients

Patients who had a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) with dementia (PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and had higher levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in their donated post-mortem brains also had more severe symptoms of these Lewy body diseases (LBD) during their lives, compared to those whose brains had less AD pathology, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

6 Jan 2017

New study from Veterans Health Administration finds significant decline in MRSA HAI rates

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration's campaign to limit healthcare facility-associated infections (HAIs) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to make significant progress, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology .

6 Jan 2017

Witnessing fear in others may change how information flows in the brain, study finds

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered that observing fear in others may change how information flows in the brain.

4 Jan 2017

Researchers uncover two factors that play crucial role in chronic autoimmune disorders

Researchers from Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear have uncovered two factors responsible for the chronic, lifelong nature of autoimmune disorders, which tend to "flare up" intermittently in affected patients.

4 Jan 2017

New research letter compares melanoma death and incidence by states and geographic regions

A new research letter published online by JAMA Dermatology compares melanoma death and incidence by states and in four geographic regions.

30 Dec 2016

OTC medical device receives CE Mark approval to treat pain linked to fibromyalgia

AVACEN Medical announced its AVACEN 100, Class-IIa, OTC medical device has received the CE Mark approval to treat widespread pain associated with fibromyalgia.

23 Dec 2016

Linking human genome sequences to EHR information could influence clinical medicine, says expert

The value of intersecting the sequencing of individuals' exomes or full genomes to find rare genetic variants -- on a large scale -- with their detailed electronic health record information has "myriad benefits, including the illumination of basic human biology, the early identification of preventable and treatable illnesses, and the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets," wrote Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of the Department of Genetics, in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Science this week, with Scott M. Damrauer, MD, an assistant professor of Surgery at Penn and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia.

23 Dec 2016

Vitamin D supplementation improves metabolic syndrome in mice

It is well known that a diet high in fat can trigger a metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that pose as risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

22 Dec 2016

Hormone receptor could be potential biomarker for gastric cancer, research shows

Scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, and Shantou University Medical College in China, have shown that the hormone receptor GHRH-R could be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer, enabling earlier diagnoses and better staging.

21 Dec 2016

VA’s final rule leads to underutilization of CRNAs in VHA facilities

Despite documented evidence confirming that veterans are experiencing delays for essential healthcare services due to lack of anesthesia support in Veterans Health Administration facilities, the Department of Veterans Affairs has published its final rule granting full practice authority to all advanced practice registered nurses except Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

15 Dec 2016

Western diet during pregnancy may increase obesity risk in offspring

Diet composition around the time of pregnancy may influence whether offspring become obese, according to a new study using animal models at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

15 Dec 2016

BUSM researchers discover role of hippocampus in future thinking

Over the past decade, researchers have learned that the hippocampus--historically known for its role in forming memories--is involved in much more than just remembering the past; it plays an important role in imagining events in the future.

5 Dec 2016

OHSU scientists identify potential target for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease

A new scientific discovery may provide a future avenue for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

1 Dec 2016

Use of Frailty Screening Initiative linked to reduced risk of postoperative mortality and illness

In a study published online by JAMA Surgery, Daniel E. Hall, M.D., M.Div., M.H.Sc., of the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System and University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined the effect of a Frailty Screening Initiative on death and complications by comparing the surgical outcomes of patients treated before and after implementation of the FSI.

30 Nov 2016

Research provides new insight into how diseases that disconnect brain and body occur

A huge colony of receptors must be optimally positioned and functioning on our muscle cells for our brains to talk with our bodies so we can walk and breathe.

29 Nov 2016

Home-based telemental health provides improved quality of life for depressed elderly veterans

Home-based telemental health for depression is well received by patients and delivers as good a quality of life as in-person visits, according to the results of a clinical trial in 241 depressed elderly veterans reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

23 Nov 2016

New combinatination therapy shows promise in treating patients with traumatic brain injury

A combination of the stimulant drug methylphenidate with a process known as cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation is a promising option to help people who suffer from persistent cognitive problems following traumatic brain injury, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have reported.

22 Nov 2016

Diabetic patients with three major risk factors experience sharp reduction in healthy renal function

Patients with diabetes and suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI), proteinuria and uncontrolled blood sugar experience a sharp reduction in the number of years they have healthy renal function before being forced onto dialysis, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

21 Nov 2016