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Two Loyola professors explore ethical issues that arise with use of social media in health care

In a recent AMA Journal of Ethics article titled "Why Can't We Be Friends? A Case-Based Analysis of Ethical Issues with Social Media in Health Care," two Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine professors analyze this issue. Kayhan Parsi, JD, PhD, and Nanette Elster, JD, MPH, who are part of Loyola's Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media and health care.

19 Nov 2015

Role of genetic predisposition in pediatric cancer patients

The most detailed analysis yet of the role germline mutations in genes associated with cancer predisposition play in the development of childhood cancer suggests that comprehensive genomic screening may be warranted on all pediatric cancer patients, not just those with a family history of cancer.

19 Nov 2015

Survivors of gunshot violence in high-crime urban area at risk of early death

One in 20 survivors of gunshot violence in an urban area with high crime died within five years, mainly by homicide, according to the results of a study that tracked patients after they had been discharged from the hospital that treated them.

19 Nov 2015

Researchers develop simple visual test to identify individuals' level of executive cognitive abilities

University of Georgia researchers have developed a simple technique to measure an individual's visual processing speed--the speed at which an individual can comprehend visual information--in order to identify whether or not they may have cognitive issues.

19 Nov 2015

Testosterone cause of sex differences in the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests

Men are twice as likely as women to develop Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder characterized by tremors and difficulty moving. New research to be presented at Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases: Physiology and Gender suggests that the difference in risk may be due to the presence of the male sex hormone testosterone.

19 Nov 2015

Uninsured, low-income breast cancer patients less likely to continue hormonal therapy

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment shows that breast cancer patients whose health insurance plans included prescription drug benefits were 10 percent more likely to start important hormonal therapy than patients who did not have prescription drug coverage.

19 Nov 2015

New study identifies patient-reported barriers to quality end-of-life care among ethnic minorities

A new study identifies six main patient-reported barriers to receiving quality end-of-life (EOL) care among ethnic minority populations. The biggest barrier is lack of sufficient financial resources and insurance, according to the article published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

19 Nov 2015

New technique improves accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

A new CRISPR/Cas9 technology developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is precise enough to surgically edit DNA at nearly any genomic location, while avoiding potentially harmful off-target changes typically seen in standard CRISPR gene editing techniques.

19 Nov 2015

New insulin pill shows promise as novel form of therapy for diabetes

An insulin pill being developed by researchers at UC Santa Barbara may in the near future give another blood sugar management option to those who suffer from diabetes. The novel drug delivery technology may also apply to a wide spectrum of other therapies.

19 Nov 2015

Role of biomarkers in drug development and regulatory decision making

Biomarkers in Medicine, a leading MEDLINE-indexed journal, has published a special focus issue exploring the increasingly important role of biomarkers in both drug development and regulatory decision making.

19 Nov 2015

Scientists, chefs explore ways to help people with neurologically-related taste impairments enjoy food again

Two women, seated at a table, told their stories in quiet tones. A group of chefs, some standing, others seated, leaned forward eagerly, clearly interested in what these two women had to say. They peppered the women with questions: did food taste better cold or hot? Was texture an issue? Did a glass of wine before dinner help or hurt the flavor experience? The women have taken chemotherapy for their cancer. One of them -- Gina Mullin -- will be taking chemotherapy every three weeks for the rest of her life. Both of them tell heartbreaking stories about a side effect of chemotherapy that gets swept under the rug: food tastes terrible.

19 Nov 2015

Sound deprivation causes irreversible damage to the inner ear

Massachusetts Eye and Ear investigators have shown that sound deprivation in adult mice causes irreversible damage to the inner ear. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, suggest that chronic conductive hearing loss, such as that caused by recurrent ear infections, leads to permanent hearing impairment if it remains untreated.

19 Nov 2015

Dartmouth study reveals the brain's visual pathways

A Dartmouth study reveals how the brain understands motion and still objects to help us navigate our complex visual world.

19 Nov 2015

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz have unraveled a complex regulatory mechanism that explains how a single gene can drive the formation of brain cells. The research, published in The EMBO Journal, is an important step towards a better understanding of how the brain develops. It also harbors potential for regenerative medicine.

19 Nov 2015

New study finds link between obesity and surgery risk in orthopaedic trauma patients

A new study appearing in the November 18 issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery found a link between obesity and a higher risk for surgery in orthopaedic trauma patients. In addition, researchers found that patients with obesity had longer hospital stays and greater treatment costs. They were also more likely to be discharged to a care facility, rather than to home.

19 Nov 2015

International task force aims to develop new approach to cancer prevention and treatment

Advancements in precision medicine have led to many new targeted cancer therapies for cancer patients. These treatments focus on using agents that target one or two genes that contribute to tumor development. The approach tends to be more effective against cancer cells and less toxic toward normal cells than standard chemotherapeutic regimens.

19 Nov 2015

IQWiG finds no added benefit for insulin degludec/liraglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes

The fixed combination of the two drugs insulin degludec and liraglutide (trade name: Xultophy) has been approved since June 2015 also in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when oral antidiabetics (OADs) combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist do not provide adequate glycaemic control. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this fixed combination offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy (ACT).

19 Nov 2015

New article examines women's perceptions of relationship in Fifty Shades of Grey

Examining women's perceptions of the relationship between Christian and Anastasia in the popular movie Fifty Shades of Grey is a safe and valuable way to discuss healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, including the warning signs of intimate partner violence. Young women expressed mixed views, describing parts of the movie relationship as exciting and romantic and other aspects as controlling, manipulative, and emotionally abusive in a new study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

19 Nov 2015

HIV+ individuals show deficits in cognitive functioning

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have found in a small study that although a group of HIV+ older individuals scored "cognitively normal" in standard neuropsychology testing, a scan of their brains tells a different story.

19 Nov 2015

Infants are capable of deductive problem solving before age one, new study reveals

Human infants are capable of deductive problem solving as early as 10 months of age, a new study by psychologists at Emory University and Bucknell finds. The journal Developmental Science is publishing the research, showing that babies can make transitive inferences about a social hierarchy of dominance.

19 Nov 2015

Medical Research News

Two Loyola professors explore ethical issues that arise with use of social media in health care

Role of genetic predisposition in pediatric cancer patients

Survivors of gunshot violence in high-crime urban area at risk of early death

Researchers develop simple visual test to identify individuals' level of executive cognitive abilities

Testosterone cause of sex differences in the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests

Uninsured, low-income breast cancer patients less likely to continue hormonal therapy

New study identifies patient-reported barriers to quality end-of-life care among ethnic minorities

New technique improves accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

New insulin pill shows promise as novel form of therapy for diabetes

Role of biomarkers in drug development and regulatory decision making

Scientists, chefs explore ways to help people with neurologically-related taste impairments enjoy food again

Sound deprivation causes irreversible damage to the inner ear

Dartmouth study reveals the brain's visual pathways

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

New study finds link between obesity and surgery risk in orthopaedic trauma patients

International task force aims to develop new approach to cancer prevention and treatment

IQWiG finds no added benefit for insulin degludec/liraglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes

New article examines women's perceptions of relationship in Fifty Shades of Grey

HIV+ individuals show deficits in cognitive functioning

Infants are capable of deductive problem solving before age one, new study reveals

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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