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School of Veterinary Medicine
Successful Guide Dogs Have ‘Tough Love’ Moms, Penn Study Finds
Much has been written of the pitfalls of being a helicopter parent, one who insulates children from adversity rather than encouraging their independence.
Penn Vet Researchers Contribute Expertise to Checklist for ‘One Health’ Studies
A growing body of scientific research is focused on One Health, the integration of knowledge concerning humans, animals and the environment. Yet there is no clear, unified definition of what a One Health study is or how such a study should be conducted.
A Perturbed Skin Microbiome Can Be ‘Contagious’ and Promote Inflammation, Penn Study Finds
Even in healthy individuals, the skin plays host to a menagerie of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Growing scientific evidence suggests that this lively community, collectively known as the skin microbiome, serves an important role in healing, allergies, inflammatory responses and protection from infection.
Fossil ‘Winged Serpent’ Is a New Species of Ancient Snake, Penn Doctoral Student Finds
An ancient sink hole in eastern Tennessee holds the clues to an important transitional time in the evolutionary history of snakes. Among the fossilized creatures found there, according to a new paper co-authored by a University of Pennsylvania paleontologist, is a new species of snake that lived 5 million years ago.
Penn Team Characterizes the Underlying Cause of a Form of Macular Degeneration
Named for Friedrich Best, who characterized the disease in 1905, Best disease, also known as vitelliform macular dystrophy, affects children and young adults and can cause severe declines in central vision as patients age. The disease is one in a group of conditions known as bestrophinopathies, all linked to mutations in the BEST1 gene.
Look to Lactate to Help Predict Ill Cats’ Prognoses, Penn Vet Study Says
Many factors go into evaluating the prognosis of a critically ill animal, usually involving a combination of objective metrics, such as blood pressure or blood oxygenation, and more subjective clinical signs, such as alertness or lethargy.
Penn Vet Library Exhibit Explores the Human-Animal Connection Through Art
Eleanor Hubbard, an artist and University of Pennsylvania alumna, is a firm believer in the power of serendipity. Without it, her latest exhibition, “Natural Selection: Lost Cat, Found Ox and Other Inspiring Bonds,” would have never come to be.
Mathematical Models Lend Penn Vet Professor Insights Into Diabetes
For a trove of examples of the rich outcomes of interdisciplinary work, look no further than Darko Stefanovski’s research portfolio.
Penn Vet Team Identifies New Therapeutic Targets for the Tropical Disease Leishmaniasis
Each year, about 2 million people contract leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of a sand fly. The cutaneous form of the disease results in disfiguring skin ulcers that may take months or years to heal and in rare cases can become metastatic, causing major tissue damage.
T Cells Support Long-lived Antibody-producing Cells, Penn-led Team Finds
If you’ve ever wondered how a vaccine given decades ago can still protect against infection, you have your plasma cells to thank. Plasma cells are long-lived B cells that reside in the bone marrow and churn out antibodies against previously encountered vaccines or pathogens.
In the News
The Washington Post
Dogs may be able to communicate by pressing buttons, research suggests
Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs use buttons as a trained behavior to try and get the things they want.
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Popular Science
Dogs really are communicating via button boards, new research suggests
Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs are using button boards to communicate non-randomly and with intent, although they don’t necessarily have formal language ability.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Saving Philly’s bats, one DIY condo at a time
The Wildlife Futures Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine has facilitated the design and construction of wooden bat boxes to be installed in campus parks, with remarks from Julie Ellis. The project is the brainchild of Penn undergraduate Nick Tanner.
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Voice of America
Can honeybees and dogs detect cancer earlier than technology?
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to recognize certain cancer odors.
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The Scientist
Dogs engage in scent-sational science to sniff out staphylococcus bacteria
Meghan Ramos and Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues are training dogs to detect infections that accumulate on orthopedic implants after surgery.
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