Through
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Health Sciences
Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19
Side Gigs for Good during COVID-19
Whether making masks, writing letters, raising funds, or shopping for neighbors, members of the Penn community have stepped up during the pandemic to support those in need.
To boost opioid treatment prescriptions, entice physicians
To boost opioid treatment prescriptions, entice physicians
A new study shows that a financial incentive can dramatically increase the number of emergency department physicians trained to prescribe a potentially life-saving medication that prevents patients from fatal opioid overdose.
Oral care during COVID-19
Oral care during COVID-19
Experts from the School of Dental Medicine share tips on how to maintain healthy teeth and gums even when a trip to the dentist isn’t in the cards for the time being and what to expect as restrictions are lifted.
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
The conclusions hold even after accounting for changes in chronic health conditions and functional limitations, religious service attendance, and relationship strain.
Steep decline in organ transplants amid COVID-19 outbreak
Steep decline in organ transplants amid COVID-19 outbreak
France and the United States have experienced a significant reduction in the number of organ donations and solid organ transplant procedures since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cavity-causing bacteria assemble an army of protective microbes on human teeth
Cavity-causing bacteria assemble an army of protective microbes on human teeth
Examining bacteria growing on toddlers’ teeth, a team from the School of Dental Medicine and Georgia Tech found that the microbes’ spatial organization is crucial to how they cause tooth decay.
Reddit reveals peaks of public interest in COVID-19 topics
Reddit reveals peaks of public interest in COVID-19 topics
Online forums can be used by public health officials to quickly identify topics of public interest during the COVID-19 pandemic and to quell misinformation.
Supportive work environments help nurses do their job to the fullest
Supportive work environments help nurses do their job to the fullest
A Penn LDI study shows that adequate resources and staffing helps nurses to avoid delayed or missed care opportunities for their patients.
To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics
To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics
Mental shortcuts and cognitive biases may factor into whether a gun gets locked up, separate from ammunition. New findings suggest several ways to positively influence this behavior.
Activating an estrogen receptor can stop pancreatic cancer cells from growing
Activating an estrogen receptor can stop pancreatic cancer cells from growing
Activating the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor has been shown to stop pancreatic cancer from growing, but may also make tumors more visible to the immune system and thus more susceptible to modern immunotherapy.
In the News
6ABC.com
Bird flu suspected in deaths of 200 snow geese in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley
Stephen Cole of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that indoor cats are contracting bird flu through raw pet foods of poultry origin or raw milk products.
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Self
The surgeon general calls for new warning labels on alcohol—here’s the truth about how it impacts your health
Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that alcohol’s effects on the brain are observed more readily because it’s the organ of behavior.
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NPR
Tuberculosis rates plunge when families living in poverty get a monthly cash payout
Aaron Richterman of the Perelman School of Medicine says that there are large and underappreciated benefits of cash-transfer programs, such as potentially ending a tuberculosis epidemic.
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Newsweek
Cancer breakthrough as ‘speckles’ may reveal best treatment
A paper co-authored by PIK Professor Shelley Berger finds that patterns of “speckles” in the heart of tumor cells could help predict how patients with a common form of kidney cancer will respond to treatment options.
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Time
Scientists are racing to develop a new bird flu vaccine
Drew Weissman and Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine are testing a vaccine to prevent a strain of H5N1 bird flu in chickens and cattle.
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