12.1
Health Sciences
Reprogramming ant ‘soldiers’
Reprogramming ant ‘soldiers’
A Penn study reveals the epigenetic pathway that controls social behavior in carpenter ants, finding that the ants reprogram up to five days after they hatch, while reprogramming was ineffective at the 10-day mark.
If you’re black and pregnant, heart disease diagnosis may come too late
If you’re black and pregnant, heart disease diagnosis may come too late
A Penn study finds black women are diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy significantly later than white women, which likely explains disparities in outcomes.
Kill stomach cancer risk by attacking this common bacteria
Kill stomach cancer risk by attacking this common bacteria
Penn researchers are the first to assess Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer risk among certain demographics and ethnic groups.
Memory recall and spatial navigation elicit similar electrical activity in brain
Memory recall and spatial navigation elicit similar electrical activity in brain
Penn neuroscientists show for the first time that low-frequency oscillations called theta waves appear in both cases, a finding that could eventually help diminish memory loss.
How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?
How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?
That’s the question Allyson Mackey and Dylan Tisdall hope to answer, through a new grant from an NIH initiative focused on addiction research.
Complete remission within reach for rare autoimmune disease
Complete remission within reach for rare autoimmune disease
The findings may inform use of the recent FDA-approved drug rituximab to better treat patients with pemphigus, a rare chronic autoimmune condition.
Pushing medical science forward, with bioethics
Pushing medical science forward, with bioethics
Alongside Nursing Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, Penn President Amy Gutmann and PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno discussed their new book “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die” at the Smilow Center for Translational Research.
Tweets from Twitter users could predict loneliness
Tweets from Twitter users could predict loneliness
By identifying similar themes across tweets, researchers are uncovering markers that could be used to predict loneliness, something that could lead to depression, heart disease, and dementia.
Advancing algorithmic care
Advancing algorithmic care
Experts from Penn share their perspectives on the role of advanced algorithms and AI in health care and what the future holds for digital health technologies.
A novel approach to treating opioid use disorder
A novel approach to treating opioid use disorder
An FDA-approved drug called exendin-4 decreased voluntary oxycodone taking and drug-seeking behavior during withdrawal in rats without reducing the relief the opioid provided.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Dental school grads find it hard to beat back student debt
Dean Mark Wolff of the School of Dental Medicine said dental school tuition has increased because dentistry, in general, has gotten more expensive. “You used to get the X-rays in your mouth taken with film, put inside your mouth. Today, we put sensors inside the mouth, capture it directly into the computer,” he said. “Film used to cost a few dollars a pack. That sensor is a $7,000 sensor.”
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U.S. News & World Report
Antarctic study shows isolation, monotony may change the human brain
Alexander Stahn of the Perelman School of Medicine led a study that found a volume decrease in the hippocampi of explorers who spent 14 months at a research station in Antarctica. “It was an average of about 7%, which is really big in terms of brain changes,” he said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care
Linda Aiken of the School of Nursing said that mandated nurse-to-patient ratios result in fewer complications, infections, and injuries, as well as lower mortality rates.
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The Washington Post
Do NAD-boosting supplements fight aging? Not according to current research
Joseph Baur of the Perelman School of Medicine said that while supplements claiming to increase NAD levels and improve longevity are unlikely to do harm, they’re ineffective when it comes to actually extending human life. “There have been several short-term clinical trials that have been mostly disappointing,” he said.
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Men’s Health
Wait, is it safe to take cold medicine when you’re breastfeeding?
Anna Graseck of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “Over-the-counter cold medicines are generally safe for breast feeding moms,” but warned that anything containing the decongestants pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine can impact the milk supply.
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