Computerized brain games that are advertised as a way to help boost intelligence and prevent dementia will be popular Christmas gifts this year. But there’s little scientific evidence to support these industry claims.
“The envelope is always being pushed to create something new that will get attention, potentially create a druglike effect and can pass under the radar of law enforcers,” said Christina Hantsch, MD, toxicologist, Department of Emergency Medicine at Loyola University Health System.
Leading researchers will provide policymakers in New York City with rigorous, objective, scientific evidence to help reduce crime, violence and the toll taken by aspects of the criminal justice system. Crime Lab New York, part of the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab, will gather experts from around the nation, spanning disciplines, to develop data-driven approaches to these fundamental societal problems. Using data provided by the city of New York and other government partners, they will identify and evaluate interventions that can be measured and replicated, to help guide the best use of public resources.
Some 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, according to the Institute of Medicine, but funding to support scientific research that could lead to effective new therapies for pain remains inadequate. Recognizing this dilemma, the American Pain Society (APS) today released its Pain Research Agenda for the 21st Century, which identifies promising but underfunded approaches to develop new treatments and to help make currently used pain medications safer and more effective.
A fancy department store box with pajamas, a robe or a sweater, gourmet treats or designer cologne are all traditional and thoughtful gifts. But if you want to really show someone with special needs that you are concerned about their well-being, check out your local pharmacy for gifts they’ll use every day,” said Debbie Jansky, assistant nurse manager, Home Health Services at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Hawaii to take the first steps towards developing a computer that can take data and produce meaningful visualizations based on natural language requests, accompanied by common gestures like pointin
The countdown for the holidays is on and so is the calorie-counting. “For many, the fear of gaining weight is significantly greater than the actual number of pounds that may accrue at holiday time,” says Lauren Zuro, registered dietician at Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Care. “Many of my patients are on long-term weight-loss programs and have become accustomed to the eating and exercise routine and the regular weigh-in that shows a loss.”
As a biomedical engineer, Lynn Anne Gantt always longed to work on the frontlines of patient care. After having four boys, she took a break from engineering before discovering an outlet that would allow her to pursue her dreams.
Not everyone has a picture book holiday. Tips from Loyola Emergency Department physician on how to identify people at risk for health problems, such as depressive behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, at the holidays.
The University of Chicago Divinity School has launched a two-year, interdisciplinary project aimed at understanding what it means to enhance life and how the human aspiration for a better life can be fulfilled.
Using an innovative technique combining genetic analysis and mathematical modeling with some basic sleuthing, researchers have identified previously undescribed microlesions in brain tissue from epileptic patients. The millimeter-sized abnormalities may explain why areas of the brain that appear normal can produce severe seizures in many children and adults with epilepsy.
Although stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, there’s an increasing shortage of neurologists who specialize in stroke care.
An imaging scan called SPECT records brain activity during epileptic seizures. The scan pinpoints where seizures originate, and helps in the planning of surgery to remove the part of the brain responsible for seizures.
In a study that included overweight and obese participants, those with diets with low glycemic index of dietary carbohydrate did not have improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid levels, or systolic blood pressure, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.
Among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy, receiving the antiviral drug entecavir resulted in a lower incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation, compared with the antiviral drug lamivudine, according to a study in the December 17 issue of JAMA.
The start of a new year offers the opportunity to reflect and consider what you can do to make your life happier and healthier. Resolve to be food safe in 2015 and reduce your risk of food poisoning with tips from Home Food Safety, a public awareness campaign from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods.
Since 2007, U.S. meat consumption has been declining (NCC, 2014) with more than a third of consumers turning to meat alternatives for meals (Mintel, 2013). In the December issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Executive Editor Mary Ellen Kuhn writes about the abundance of new plant-based protein food products that are entering the market.
The appliances of 2050 will likely work interactively with consumers to plan and shop for meals, monitor special dietary needs, even produce customized food products at the touch of a 3-D printer button, according to the latest series of interviews from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FutureFood 2050 publishing initiative. FutureFood 2050 explores how increasingly sophisticated science and technology will help feed the world’s projected 9 billion-plus people in 2050.
IFT Spokesperson and food safety expert, Christine Bruhn, PhD, CFS, Former Director of the Center for Consumer Research, University of California, Davis and her team videotaped 120 consumers as they prepared a chicken and a salad in their home. They found that while many felt confident about their food safety skills, many were making critical mistakes while preparing their meals that could lead to foodborne illness.
IFT Student Association members Amy DeJong and Maya Warren show us what life is like for PhD students in food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. DeJong and Warren are also the #SweetScientists team on the 25th season of the reality TV series “The Amazing Race” and will be competing in the season finale that airs Friday, December 19th.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is proud to announce that 34 professionals have recently earned the prestigious Certified Food Scientist (CFS) credential, joining more than 1,600 in 55 countries worldwide. These include professionals that represent diverse roles within organizations such as British Columbia Institute of Technology, The Hershey Company, Chiquita Brands International, and International Flavors and Fragrances.
Argentina is the second highest corn producing country in the world. But because of the slow drying process in corn kernels and wet weather conditions in Argentina, corn grown there can easily become infected with fungus. A new study in the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) found that the essential oils from oregano can have an antifungal effect on corn.
The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) announced the recipients of the 2014 ARN Role Awards at its 40th Annual Educational Conference, held October 29 – November 1 in Anaheim, CA.
“You can enjoy the holidays and not get swept away by the many high-calorie tempting treats,” says Allison Grupski, PhD, psychologist at Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Health who offers the following tips. “Participating in the festivities can include taking a bite out of the holidays and savoring the seasonal flavors, without ringing in the New Year with a tighter waistband.” Dr. Grupski regularly counsels weight-loss patients at Loyola and is certified in bariatrics, or weight-loss medicine.
Two studies published in the January issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists® (ASA®), shed new light on the prevalence of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO), the number one and two leading causes of blood transfusion-related deaths in the United States.
Retired NFL All Pro receiver Danny Abramowicz has returned to his rigorous workout routine after undergoing a catheter ablation procedure to fix an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, more than 37 million Americans suffer at least one bout of acute sinusitis per year making it the most common medical ailment. Otolaryngology is the medical specialization of ear, nose and throat (ENT) conditions. “If you have cold-like symptoms that do not go away, and/or recurring cases of sinusitis, see a board certified ear, nose and throat specialist, preferably associated with an academic medical center,” says Patadia, who has completed more than 15 years of academic medical training.
More Chicago neighborhoods are declining than gentrifying, despite the greater attention given to gentrification, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Gentrification is concentrated on the North Side and neighborhoods adjacent to the Loop.
Cyclists who are preparing for race day may have a new sports drink to give them an edge in recovery: tart cherry juice. A new study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that Montmorency tart cherry juice helped accelerate recovery, maintain muscle function and reduce certain markers of exercise-induced inflammation among a group of cyclists participating in a simulated road race.
Patients who require rehabilitation care often are discharged from the hospital after a traumatic injury or illness to one place or another without a clear understanding of why a particular setting was chosen.
Despite the recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the flu vaccine is not effective against certain active strains, Jorge Parada, MD, infectious disease specialist at Loyola University Health System urges everyone to still get vaccinated. “If you have not gotten your flu shot, get it as soon as possible,” he says. “There are many varieties of flu and the flu vaccine still offers protection.”
The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model consistently and significantly improves quality of care for patients and reduces health care costs, reports a first-of-its-kind, large-scale literature review of the PSH in the United States and abroad. The review, published online this month in Milbank Quarterly, provides further evidence to support the benefits, and encourage the adoption, of the PSH model.
An ancient meteorite and high-energy X-rays have helped scientists conclude a half century of effort to find, identify and characterize a mineral that makes up 38 percent of the Earth.
The Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research today released the first set of findings from its inaugural environment poll. The poll surveys a nationally representative sample of American adults and provides a portrait of what the public thinks and feels about environmental issues, and what actions they are taking as consumers.
The University of Illinois at Chicago and its North Lawndale community partner submitted a comprehensive proposal to host the Obama Presidential Library. The proposal outlines a vision for creating an east-west cultural and civic corridor extending from the lakefront Museum Campus through UIC to North Lawndale, uniting and serving community and academic purposes and establishing dramatic new public green spaces throughout the corridor.
The many smells and tastes of the holidays that get so many in a festive mood can sicken others, thanks to allergic reactions. But with some seasonal savvy, allergy sufferers can breathe easy this festive time of year. “The dust from the boxes and on the decorations that have been packed away in dank basements or dusty attics is triggering reactions in my allergy and asthma patients,” said Rachna Shah, MD, affiliate faculty member at Loyola Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and allergist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
Riesebrodt, professor emeritus of the sociology of religion in the Divinity School and Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, died Dec. 6 of cancer in Berlin. He was 66.
Approximately 60 Stritch School of Medicine students, faculty and staff participated in a "die-in" demonstration Wednesday to protest police brutality across the nation. The event was meant to align with Loyola’s Jesuit beliefs in social justice.
Riding a couple roller coasters at an amusement park appears to have triggered an unusual stroke in a 4-year-old boy, according to a report in the journal Pediatric Neurology.
University of Illinois at Chicago filmmaker Edgar Barens has been named recipient of the Council on Social Work Education’s 2014 Audience Choice Award.
Researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine may have identified a way to assess who is at risk for developing a urinary tract infection (UTI) following pelvic-floor surgery. These findings were reported in the latest issue of PLOS ONE.
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a nonavalent vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) represents another important step in the eradication of cervical cancer, according to the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO).
Loyola researchers and collaborators have reported promising results from a novel therapeutic approach for women with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer.
The Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation (RNF) announced the 2014 Excellence in Rehabilitation Nursing Honorees at its 40th Annual Educational Conference, held October 29 – November 1 in Anaheim, CA.
In patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, infusion of pembrolizumab produced durable responses in almost one out of five patients. One of the 27 patients had a complete response and four had a partial response. Seven more patients had stable disease.
Among primary care physicians, the spending patterns in the regions in which their residency program was located were associated with expenditures for subsequent care they provided as practicing physicians, with those trained in lower-spending regions continuing to practice in a less costly manner, even when they moved to higher-spending regions, and vice versa, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
An analysis of the non-English-language skills of U.S. medical residency applicants finds that although they are linguistically diverse, most of their languages do not match the languages spoken by the U.S. population with limited English proficiency, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
There has been a doubling during the last decade in the number of U.S. medical schools that have student-run free clinics, with more than half of medical students involved with these clinics, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
In a sample of U.S. emergency departments, compared to attending physicians alone, supervised visits (involving both resident and attending physicians) were associated with a greater likelihood of hospital admission and use of advanced imaging and with longer emergency department stays, according to a study in the December 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
Science teachers of color are underrepresented in Chicago schools, say education researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago who will use a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to train African-American and Latino science teachers for Chicago public high schools.
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