Medicine posts
- May 12, 2013
- 03:46 PM
- 47 views
A Mother's Day for All
by Michael Hsieh in Hsieh Lab Blog
This Mother’s Day leads me to not only reflect on the fortunes of my own family, but also the misfortunes of other mothers. ... Read more »
Fairley, J., Bisanzio, D., King, C., Kitron, U., Mungai, P., Muchiri, E., King, C., & Malhotra, I. (2012) Birthweight in Offspring of Mothers with High Prevalence of Helminth and Malaria Infection in Coastal Kenya. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 88(1), 48-53. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0371
Seydel LS, Petelski A, van Dam GJ, van der Kleij D, Kruize-Hoeksma YC, Luty AJ, Yazdanbakhsh M, & Kremsner PG. (2012) Association of in utero sensitization to Schistosoma haematobium with enhanced cord blood IgE and increased frequencies of CD5- B cells in African newborns. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 86(4), 613-9. PMID: 22492145
- May 12, 2013
- 06:51 AM
- 72 views
An interesting case report on autism and diet
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Nodding syndrome.Ever heard of it? Well, up until a few days ago I hadn't. That is before coming across articles on the topic by Richard Idro and colleagues* (open-access) and Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige and colleagues** (open-access). Whilst not specifically my line of expertise or interest, I was intrigued to read about how nodding and other symptoms of the epileptic variety, at least in some cases, seemed to be precipitated by food and showed a potential nutritional angle.Curving spacetime&........ Read more »
Herbert, M., & Buckley, J. (2013) Autism and Dietary Therapy: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Journal of Child Neurology. DOI: 10.1177/0883073813488668
- May 11, 2013
- 08:00 AM
- 56 views
Cellular Alchemy: Converting Fibroblasts Into Heart Cells
by Jalees Rehman in The Next Regeneration
Medieval alchemists devoted their lives to the pursuit of the infamous Philosopher's Stone, an elusive substance that was thought to convert base metals into valuable gold. Needless to say, nobody ever discovered the Philosopher’s Stone. Well, perhaps some alchemist did get lucky but was wise enough to keep the discovery secret. Instead of publishing the discovery and receiving the Nobel Prize for Alchemy, the lucky alchemist probably just walked around in junkyards, surreptitiously c........ Read more »
Nam, Y., Song, K., Luo, X., Daniel, E., Lambeth, K., West, K., Hill, J., DiMaio, J., Baker, L., Bassel-Duby, R.... (2013) Reprogramming of human fibroblasts toward a cardiac fate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(14), 5588-5593. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301019110
- May 11, 2013
- 03:34 AM
- 73 views
Young blood can breathe fresh life in older ones
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Point:
Researchers have found that blood of youngsters can rejuvenate the heart of the old ones - at least in mice.
Published in:
Cell
Study Further:
Previously, researchers found that the blood from the young mice could rejuvenate the brain of the older mice. (Nature, doi:10.1038/nature10357).
In the new study, researchers worked on two mice; one was 2-month-old and the other was 23-month-old having cardiac hypertrophy - a condition in which the heart muscle thickens lead........ Read more »
Loffredo, F., Steinhauser, M., Jay, S., Gannon, J., Pancoast, J., Yalamanchi, P., Sinha, M., Dall’Osso, C., Khong, D., Shadrach, J.... (2013) Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Is a Circulating Factor that Reverses Age-Related Cardiac Hypertrophy. Cell, 153(4), 828-839. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.04.015
- May 11, 2013
- 01:00 AM
- 51 views
Bone Marrow Cell Infusions Do NOT Improve Cardiac Function After Heart Attack
by Jalees Rehman in The Next Regeneration
For over a decade, cardiologists have been conducting trials in patients using cells extracted from the bone marrow and infusing them into the blood vessels of the heart in patients who have suffered a heart attack. This type of a procedure is not without risks.... Read more »
Surder, D., Manka, R., Lo Cicero, V., Moccetti, T., Rufibach, K., Soncin, S., Turchetto, L., Radrizzani, M., Astori, G., Schwitter, J.... (2013) Intracoronary Injection of Bone Marrow Derived Mononuclear Cells, Early or Late after Acute Myocardial Infarction: Effects on Global Left Ventricular Function Four months results of the SWISS-AMI trial. Circulation. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.001035
Rehman, J. (2013) Bone Marrow Tinctures for Cardiovascular Disease: Lost in Translation. Circulation. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.002775
- May 10, 2013
- 10:33 AM
- 100 views
Insula Activation as a Biomarker for Depression Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Right and Left Insula Cortex Highlighted in TealBiomarker research in brain disorders including schizophrenia and mood disorders is an important pathway to early identification and prevention.In a previous post, I reviewed a summary of current biomarker research in schizophrenia. This summary suggested that accelerated brain gray matter volume decline during childhood and adolescence is a candidate biomarker in schizophrenia.In this post, I will look at a similar imaging biomarker study in........ Read more »
Whalley HC, Sussmann JE, Romaniuk L, Stewart T, Papmeyer M, Sprooten E, Hackett S, Hall J, Lawrie SM, & McIntosh AM. (2013) Prediction of depression in individuals at high familial risk of mood disorders using functional magnetic resonance imaging. PloS one, 8(3). PMID: 23483904
- May 10, 2013
- 03:44 AM
- 71 views
Depression or antidepressant use linked to C.diff infection?
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny". So said a very sceptical Han Solo.Regular readers might know that I'm a bit of fan of the whole gut-brain axis; indeed other kinds of axes too. I know that to some it might sound a bit daft that what goes on in our deepest, darkest bowels might actually have some important effects on the operations of the grey-pinkish matter floating around in skull central - and vice-versa - but nonetheless it interests me. The gastrointestinal ........ Read more »
Rogers, M., Greene, M., Young, V., Saint, S., Langa, K., Kao, J., & Aronoff, D. (2013) Depression, antidepressant medications, and risk of Clostridium difficile infection. BMC Medicine, 11(1), 121. DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-121
- May 10, 2013
- 12:04 AM
- 65 views
Wii Balance Boards for Testing Postural Control During Single-Leg Stance Tests
by Kyle Harris in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Take Home Message: The Wii Balance Board is an acceptable substitute for measuring the center of pressure during single leg stance balance tests.
While a laboratory grade force plate is the gold standard for both testing and training balance, these force plates are limited to research laboratories. Due to the importance of balance testing and training during the rehabilitation process, a cost effective, widely available and portable force plate is desirable. Therefore, Huurnink and colleagues........ Read more »
Huurnink A, Fransz DP, Kingma I, & van Dieën JH. (2013) Comparison of a laboratory grade force platform with a Nintendo Wii Balance Board on measurement of postural control in single-leg stance balance tasks. Journal of Biomechanics, 46(7), 1392-5. PMID: 23528845
- May 9, 2013
- 04:47 PM
- 59 views
HIV and Female Genital Schistosomiasis: The Hidden Human Cost
by Michael Hsieh in Hsieh Lab Blog
....public health advocates have called for deworming as a cost-effective strategy to reduce risk of contracting HIV in regions endemic for S. haematobium and HIV... Read more »
Hotez PJ, Fenwick A, & Kjetland EF. (2009) Africa's 32 cents solution for HIV/AIDS. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 3(5). PMID: 19479041
Ndeffo Mbah, M., Kjetland, E., Atkins, K., Poolman, E., Orenstein, E., Meyers, L., Townsend, J., & Galvani, A. (2013) Cost-effectiveness of a community-based intervention for reducing the transmission of Schistosoma haematobium and HIV in Africa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(19), 7952-7957. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221396110
- May 9, 2013
- 04:21 PM
- 71 views
Merged mice lead to new heart failure treatment
by beredim in Stem Cells Freak
Heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure) is one of the most common and debilitating conditions associated with ageing. At present, there is no real cure for the condition and treatments focus on improving the symptoms and preventing the progression of the disease. Today, a new study was published by researchers at Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) that sheds new light on the condition and proposes a potential new treatment option.Read More... Read more »
Loffredo, F., Steinhauser, M., Jay, S., Gannon, J., Pancoast, J., Yalamanchi, P., Sinha, M., Dall’Osso, C., Khong, D., Shadrach, J.... (2013) Growth Differentiation Factor 11 Is a Circulating Factor that Reverses Age-Related Cardiac Hypertrophy. Cell, 153(4), 828-839. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.04.015
- May 9, 2013
- 02:24 PM
- 43 views
Dancing Your Way to Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa
by Andrea in Science of Eating Disorders
The idea of including dance and movement in interventions for eating disorders may seem somewhat controversial; generally, exercise and physical activity are discouraged for individuals recovering from eating disorders. Including dance in therapeutic interventions might raise a few eyebrows given the links between appearance-oriented athletic endeavors such as ballet and gymnastics and the development of eating disorders.
However, some therapists and scholars interested in alternative ther........ Read more »
Padrão, M., & Coimbra, J. (2011) The Anorectic Dance: Towards a New Understanding of Inner-Experience Through Psychotherapeutic Movement. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 33(2), 131-147. DOI: 10.1007/s10465-011-9113-7
- May 9, 2013
- 12:46 PM
- 82 views
Heart cells change stem cell behavior
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it’s important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study by researchers at Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue. But these electrical connections alone do not prompt amniotic cells to become cardiac cells.... Read more »
MIKE WILLIAMS. (2013) Heart cells change stem cell behavior. Rice University News. info:/
- May 9, 2013
- 11:24 AM
- 75 views
Biomarkers for Psychosis and Schizophrenia Risk
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Prefrontal Cortex Highlighted in RedIdentifying valid biomarkers for psychosis and schizophrenia is an active focus in brain research.Tyronne Cannon, Ph.D. from Yale University recently presented a summary of research on this topic at the William K. Warren Neuroscience Symposium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are my notes from his presentation along with related free full-text research references.Biomarker research in psychosis is important because current treatment for psychosis with the antipsy........ Read more »
Sun D, van Erp TG, Thompson PM, Bearden CE, Daley M, Kushan L, Hardt ME, Nuechterlein KH, Toga AW, & Cannon TD. (2009) Elucidating a magnetic resonance imaging-based neuroanatomic biomarker for psychosis: classification analysis using probabilistic brain atlas and machine learning algorithms. Biological psychiatry, 66(11), 1055-60. PMID: 19729150
Seidman LJ, Giuliano AJ, Meyer EC, Addington J, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, McGlashan TH, Perkins DO, Tsuang MT, Walker EF.... (2010) Neuropsychology of the prodrome to psychosis in the NAPLS consortium: relationship to family history and conversion to psychosis. Archives of general psychiatry, 67(6), 578-88. PMID: 20530007
Gee DG, Karlsgodt KH, van Erp TG, Bearden CE, Lieberman MD, Belger A, Perkins DO, Olvet DM, Cornblatt BA, Constable T.... (2012) Altered age-related trajectories of amygdala-prefrontal circuitry in adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis: a preliminary study. Schizophrenia research, 134(1), 1-9. PMID: 22056201
- May 9, 2013
- 09:57 AM
- 46 views
Taking memory research to Parliament
by Kamar Ameen-Ali in NC3Rs Blog
NC3Rs-funded PhD student Kamar Ameen-Ali, Department of Psychology, Durham University, takes us on a trip to the House of Commons SET for BRITAIN event, where she presented her research recently to MPs and VIPs.... Read more »
Ameen-Ali, K., Eacott, M., & Easton, A. (2012) A new behavioural apparatus to reduce animal numbers in multiple types of spontaneous object recognition paradigms in rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 211(1), 66-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.08.006
- May 8, 2013
- 04:30 PM
- 76 views
Does experience matter – Part II
by Rogue Medic in Rogue Medic
In spite of the evidence to the contrary and a lack of rationality in the claim, we continue to be told that increasing the number of people with a title, such as paramedic, will result in better care.
Here is more evidence that dividing the skills among more people leads to less skilled care.
The authors begin by referring to other studies that demonstrate the high failure rate of doctors performing procedures on children.
How is that relevant to EMS? We have a low frequency of use of ........ Read more »
Mittiga, M., Geis, G., Kerrey, B., & Rinderknecht, A. (2013) The Spectrum and Frequency of Critical Procedures Performed in a Pediatric Emergency Department: Implications of a Provider-Level View. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 61(3), 263-270. DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.06.021
Blaivas M. (2010) Inadequate needle thoracostomy rate in the prehospital setting for presumed pneumothorax: an ultrasound study. Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, 29(9), 1285-9. PMID: 20733183
Tanz RR, & Charrow J. (1993) Black clouds. Work load, sleep, and resident reputation. American journal of diseases of children (1960), 147(5), 579-84. PMID: 8488808
Meyr, A., Gonzalez, O., & Mayer, A. (2011) Quantification and Perception of On-call Podiatric Surgical Resident Workload. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 50(5), 535-536. DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2011.04.035
- May 8, 2013
- 12:00 PM
- 64 views
Microbial Misadventures: Anthrax, Hippies & Drum Circles
by Rebecca Kreston in BODY HORRORS
When you think of drum circles taking place in the United States, visions of hippies, Birkenstocks and the vibrant green lawns of private colleges may appear. The bacteria Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax, does not often materialize alongside the skunky mix of patchouli and ganja hovering above the crowd in one’s visions of (ar)rhythmic drumming events.
... Read more »
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2010) Gastrointestinal anthrax after an animal-hide drumming event - New Hampshire and Massachusetts, 2009. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 59(28), 872-7. PMID: 20651643
- May 8, 2013
- 09:50 AM
- 111 views
Thanks Mom!
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Like Mother, like baby! Photo from freedigitalphotos.net.Moms give us so much more than we ever give them credit for. Biologically speaking, we all have a mom and a dad (unless you’re a flatworm or some other species that can reproduce without sex) that provide us with one of each chromosome type (our chromosomes contain our genes, commonly thought of as our “biological blueprints”). So it makes sense that we tend to think of ourselves as being half-our-mom and half-our-dad. But not so! Al........ Read more »
BERNARDO, J. (1996) Maternal Effects in Animal Ecology. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 36(2), 83-105. DOI: 10.1093/icb/36.2.83
Wolf, J., & Wade, M.J. (2009) What are maternal effects (and what are they not)?. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 1107-1115. info:/
- May 8, 2013
- 08:10 AM
- 64 views
http://blog.dolotest.com/2013/05/08/pain-and-depression-linked-to-the-immune-system/
by Kim Kristiansen in Picture of Pain
epression together with pain, but not pain alone, may increase activity in the immune system and inflammation. These are the important findings of a new study just published in the journal “Pain Medicine”.... Read more »
Kim Kristiansen, M.D. (2013) Pain and Depression Linked to the Immune System. Picture of Pain Blog. info:/
- May 8, 2013
- 08:10 AM
- 82 views
It's An Airtight Case
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Humans are relatively weak when it comes to oxygen utilization. We can’t go very long without breathing, while other animals can make much better use of the oxygen they take in and can therefore go longer between breaths. The reasons for these differences are starting to be understood. These include special proteins in the brain to prevent hypoxic damage, and alternate gas exchange pathways, like plastron respiration in ticks. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can survive 50 years in hypoxic cond........ Read more »
Gengenbacher, M., & Kaufmann, S. (2012) Mycobacterium tuberculosis: success through dormancy. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 36(3), 514-532. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2012.00331.x
Fielden, L., Knolhoff, L., Villarreal, S., & Ryan, P. (2011) Underwater survival in the dog tick Dermacentor variabilis (Acari:Ixodidae). Journal of Insect Physiology, 57(1), 21-26. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.08.009
Williams, T., Zavanelli, M., Miller, M., Goldbeck, R., Morledge, M., Casper, D., Pabst, D., McLellan, W., Cantin, L., & Kliger, D. (2008) Running, swimming and diving modifies neuroprotecting globins in the mammalian brain. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1636), 751-758. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1484
- May 8, 2013
- 05:00 AM
- 38 views
Behavioural Risk Factors for Running Injury
by Craig Payne in Running Research Junkie
Behavioural Risk Factors for Running Injury... Read more »
Nielsen, R., Buist, I., Parner, E., Nohr, E., Sorensen, H., Lind, M., & Rasmussen, S. (2013) Predictors of Running-Related Injuries Among 930 Novice Runners: A 1-Year Prospective Follow-up Study. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 1(1). DOI: 10.1177/2325967113487316
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