A recent article by Kessler Foundation researchers underscores the importance of processing speed in overall cognitive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their performance of everyday life activities. The article, “A pilot study examining speed of processing training (SPT) to improve processing speed in persons with multiple sclerosis”, was published August 27, 2018 […]
Separated entry and exit doors for calcium keep energy production smooth in the powerhouses of heart cells
Stress demands the heart to work harder and faster. To keep pace, the muscle must make its fuel at an accelerated rate. Bursts of calcium entering mitochondria—the cell’s powerhouses—normally help control energy output, but too much calcium can overload the system and lead to cell death. Now research led by Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas […]
Factors predictive of escalated care in infant bronchiolitis ID’d
(HealthDay)—Variables have been identified that predict escalated care for infants with bronchiolitis, according to a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics. Gabrielle Freire, M.D., from the University of Toronto, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study of previously healthy infants aged
Mercury in traditional Tibetan medicine could be harmful
(HealthDay)—The high mercury (Hg) concentration contained in traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) could be harmful to humans and contribute to the environmental Hg burden in Tibet, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of Environmental Science & Technology. Maodian Liu, Ph.D., from Peking University in China, and colleagues investigated elevated concentrations of total […]
Model estimates mortality in patients waiting for hearts
(HealthDay)—For patients with advanced heart failure who are listed for transplantation, mortality risk is related to adverse events and end-organ dysfunction that vary over time, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Eugene H. Blackstone, M.D., from the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues developed […]
Working at night is associated with a greater risk of breast cancer in women
Women who work at night, especially during pre-menopause, may be at greater risk of developing breast cancer. This is the finding of a new analysis of surveys of 13,000 women from five countries conducted by a team of researchers that includes Anne Grundy, a research associate at Université de Montréal’s Department of Social and Preventive […]
BPA replacements in plastics cause reproductive problems in lab mice
Twenty years ago, researchers made the accidental discovery that the now infamous plastics ingredient known as bisphenol A or BPA had inadvertently leached out of plastic cages used to house female mice in the lab, causing a sudden increase in chromosomally abnormal eggs in the animals. Now, the same team is back to report in […]
Rituximab plus lenalidomide effective in follicular lymphoma
(HealthDay)—Rituximab plus lenalidomide has similar efficacy to rituximab plus chemotherapy among patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Franck Morschhauser, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Lille in France, and colleagues conducted an international, randomized phase 3 trial to […]
How bad bacteria gain an edge in the gut
The bacterium Clostridium difficile, which is responsible for the majority of antibiotic-associated diarrhea outbreaks worldwide, produces a unique compound called p-cresol to gain a competitive advantage over natural protective gut bacteria. The findings were reported by Lisa Dawson and Team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues on September 11 in […]
Pain response in babies’ brains controlled in ‘similar way to adults’
Researchers from the Department of Paediatrics and Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging at the University of Oxford, UK, have identified the neural network that helps control babies’ brain activity in response to pain in a similar way to adults. Their findings build on their previous study from 2015, which revealed that newborns experience pain like […]