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Scientists identify endogenous activator of sigma-1 receptors in human cells

Cells communicate through complex mechanisms that typically involve receptors and ligands that bind to them. Endogenous ligands, produced by the body, have been identified for the vast majority of cellular receptors, helping explain receptor existence and function. But in the case of sigma-1 receptors, which interact with a diverse array of psychoactive drugs, an endogenous ligand has remained elusive.

14 Jan 2019

Cancer patients are four times more likely to commit suicide

People with cancer are more than four times more likely to commit suicide than people without cancer, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

14 Jan 2019

Meth’s resurgence spotlights lack of meds to combat the addiction

In 2016, news reports warned the public of an opioid epidemic gripping the nation. But Madeline Vaughn, then a lead clinical intake coordinator at the Houston-based addiction treatment organization Council on Recovery, sensed something different was going on with the patients she checked in from the street.

14 Jan 2019

Single national electronic health record will help improve care in Canadian hospitals

Canada should invest in a single national electronic health record for primary care to improve the health of Canadians, argues an editorial in CMAJ.

14 Jan 2019

Study reveals nuances of racial inequalities in breast cancer prevention

African-American women at high risk of breast cancer are less likely than white women to pursue potentially life-saving preventive care, and racial disparities in health care and elsewhere are to blame, new research suggests.

14 Jan 2019

$An extra meal a day cuts deaths by half in elderly with hip fractures$

An extra meal a day cuts deaths by half in elderly with hip fractures

A pilot scheme called the HIP QIP programme was implemented across six trusts. Five of these were in England and one in Scotland. The scheme involves giving the elderly patients with hip fractures one extra meal per day. Results showed that this strategy can reduce the deaths among these patients by half.

13 Jan 2019

Study combines two forecasting methods with machine learning to estimate flu activity

Influenza is highly contagious and easily spreads as people move about and travel, making tracking and forecasting flu activity a challenge. While the CDC continuously monitors patient visits for flu-like illness in the U.S., this information can lag up to two weeks behind real time.

11 Jan 2019

New path for treating Latino immigrants with mental health and substance misuse symptoms

A team of researchers at the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) - in collaboration with two teams in Spain and collaborators in the U.S. and Puerto Rico - has tested a novel preventive intervention designed to provide tailored treatment for Latino immigrants with both mental health and substance misuse symptoms.

11 Jan 2019

New research could have a significant impact on cancer therapy

Research led by Suresh Alahari, PhD, the Fred Brazda Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has found a new role for a protein discovered by his lab in preventing the growth and spread of breast cancer.

11 Jan 2019

PSMF supports two federal laws aimed to improve maternal safety in hospitals

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation supports two federal laws aimed to improve the safety of mothers in hospitals across the United States.

11 Jan 2019

Many low-income women unable to afford menstrual hygiene products, finds study

While access to menstrual hygiene products has been garnering attention in the developing world, low-income women and girls in major U.S. metropolitan areas also struggle to afford period supplies and often resort to making do with cloth, rags, paper towels, or even children's diapers during their monthly cycles.

11 Jan 2019