What is the impact on expectant mothers and hospitals when there are large-scale closures of maternity units? A new study provides views from hospital staff members in Philadelphia, where 13 out of 19 obstetric units closed in a 15-year period.
This study is first ever comprehensive analysis to investigate the Affordable Care Act’s ( Essential Health Benefit (EHB) as it relates to children. The study found that the EHB has resulted in a state-by-state patchwork of coverage for children and adolescents that has significant exclusions, particularly for children with developmental disabilities and other special health care needs.
The latest results of clinical trials of more than 125 patients testing an investigational personalized cellular therapy known as CTL019 will be presented by a University of Pennsylvania research team at the 56th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. Highlights of the new trial results will include a response rate of more than 90 percent among pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients, and results from the first lymphoma trials testing the approach, including a 100 percent response rate among follicular lymphoma patients and 45 percent response rate among those with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
An innovative therapy against a highly aggressive leukemia continues to show highly promising results in children treated in a pilot study. Of 39 children receiving bioengineered T cells, 92 percent had no evidence of cancer a month after treatment.
Wistar's Ken-ichi Noma, Ph.D., wins the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust grant.
People with mental illness are more likely to have been tested for HIV than those without mental illness, according to a new study from a team of researchers at Penn Medicine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published online this week in AIDS Patient Care and STDs. The researchers also found that the most seriously ill – those with schizophrenia and bipolar disease – had the highest rate of HIV testing.
The NCCN 3D Virtual Simulator Learning Platform allows users to walk through the continuum of care approach to colorectal cancer in a risk-free environment with increasingly complex clinical presentations.
Quitting smoking sets off a series of changes in the brain that Penn Medicine researchers say may better identify smokers who will start smoking again—a prediction that goes above and beyond today’s clinical or behavioral tools for assessing relapse risk.
Chronic kidney disease affects at least one in four Americans who are older than 60 and can significantly shorten lifespan. Yet the few available drugs for CKD can only modestly delay the disease’s progress towards kidney failure. Now, a team has found an aspect of CKD’s development that points to a promising new therapeutic strategy.
Wistar and Penn scientific alliance, which has worked together for past 16 years, was announced as winners by GlaxoSmithKline of the 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects at least one in four Americans who are older than 60 and can significantly shorten lifespan. Yet the few available drugs for CKD can only modestly delay the disease’s progress towards kidney failure. Now, a team has found an aspect of CKD’s development that points to a promising new therapeutic strategy.
The health departments of the nation's largest cities play a central role in developing innovative population health strategies for improving public health across the United States, according to a special January issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
French neurosurgeon Alim Louis Benabid and American neurologist Mahlon DeLong were recently named winners of the 2014 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for their roles in developing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson disease. The December issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, includes a special tribute to Dr. Benabid, the first neurosurgeon to receive this prestigious award. Neurosurgery is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
A study using intricate fiber dissection techniques provides new insights into the deep anatomy of the human brainstem—and helps to define "safe entry zones" for neurosurgeons performing brainstem surgery, according to a special article published in Operative Neurosurgery, a quarterly supplement to Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. These publications are published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The receptor CCR5, targeted by HIV drugs, is also key in driving prostate cancer metastases, suggesting that blocking this molecule could slow prostate cancer spread
Materials scientists from Drexel University’s College of Engineering invented the clay, which is both highly conductive and can easily be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes. It represents a turn away from the rather complicated and costly processing—currently used to make materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors—and toward one that looks a bit like rolling out cookie dough with results that are even sweeter from an energy storage standpoint.
Penn Medicine researchers have developed a cognitive test battery, known as Cognition, for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) to measure the impact of typical spaceflight stressors (like microgravity, radiation, confinement and isolation, exposure to elevated levels of CO2, and sleep loss) on cognitive performance. This computer-based test has already been tested by astronauts on Earth. It will be performed for the first time in a pilot study on the International Space Station (ISS) on November 28.
New Penn Medicine research has found that elevated levels in the blood of the brain-enriched protein calpain-cleaved αII-spectrin N-terminal fragment, known as SNTF, shortly after sports-related concussion can predict the severity of post-concussion symptoms in professional athletes. The complete findings were released today in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Differences in breast size have a significant mental health impact in adolescent girls, affecting self-esteem, emotional well-being, and social functioning, reports the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
For women considering breast reduction surgery, initial evaluation at a shared medical appointment (SMA) provides excellent patient satisfaction in a more efficient clinic visit, reports a study in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Scientists have identified four new genes associated with the severe food allergy eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Because of the genes' apparent functional roles, the findings may point toward potential new treatments for EoE.
NCCN has published the 20th annual edition of the NCCN Guidelines® for Prostate Cancer, one of the eight original NCCN Guidelines published in November 1996.
Underlying circadian rhythms is a clock built of transcription factors that control the oscillation of genes, serving as the wheels and springs of the clock. But, how does a single clock keep time in multiple phases at once? A genome-wide survey found that circadian genes and regulatory elements called enhancers oscillate daily in phase with nearby genes – both the enhancer and gene activity peak at the same time each day.
Those fortunate enough to be somewhere warm during this recent cold snap might wonder how Philadelphia’s homeless population can survive the frigid outdoor conditions, said Stephen Metraux, PhD, associate professor of health policy and public health at University of the Sciences
Changes in the lipid layer of the eyes' natural tear film may contribute to the common problem of contact lens discomfort, reports a study in the December issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Blocking molecules involved in ALS-drug resistance may improve how well ALS therapeutics work, suggesting that re-evaluation of drugs that appeared to have failed might be appropriate
Researchers debate whether the lung tissue in pulmonary fibrosis is directly damaged, or whether immune cells initiate the scarring process – an important distinction when trying to find new ways to battle the disease. Now research shows that both processes may be important, and suggest a new direction for developing novel therapies.
Researchers from CHOP presented findings on pediatric heart disease: 3-D prototype printing of heart anatomy, the use of AEDs in infants, long-term cardiac risk in Fontan survivors, and whether cardiac cath volumes correlate with better outcomes.
NCCN has published the 20th annual edition of the NCCN Guidelines® for NSCLC, one of the eight original NCCN Guidelines published in November 1996.
A new study has found that the more active a shopper is with social media, the less likely it is that shopper will use a grocery retailer’s app in a store.
Research suggests more referrals needed from primary care doctors to mental health professionals when dealing with eating disorders.
Blocking a key receptor in brain cells that is used by oxygen free radicals could play a major role in neutralizing the biological consequences of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at Temple University.
A new study from Penn Medicine researchers in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics demonstrated that bed bugs, like the triatomines, can transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, one of the most prevalent and deadly diseases in the Americas.
Programming electronic health records to make generic drugs the default choice when physicians write prescriptions may offer one way to reduce unnecessary spending and improve health care value in the face of spiraling U.S. health expenditures, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine, The Wharton School and the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. The study is published in a special issue of Annals of Internal Medicine featuring research from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) clinical scholars on innovative high-quality and high-value health care initiatives.
Most patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)—small devices placed in a person’s chest to help treat irregular heartbeats with electrical pulses, or shocks—haven’t thought about device deactivation if they were to develop a serious illness from which they were not expected to recover. But given changes in healthcare, there may be a new reason to do so. A new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, which was presented today at the 2014 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, investigated patient perspectives on deactivation of these devices at the end of life, especially related to decisions to deactivate devices against patient or family wishes.
lack patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure are no less likely than white patients to get atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia), according to a new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, which was presented today at the 2014 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. These findings run counter to previous studies, which have found that black patients with heart failure tend to have less atrial fibrillation problems than white patients.
A growing body of research evidence shows that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has health benefits for US military veterans and active duty personnel, according to a special December supplement to Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Members of the public in counties with higher median household incomes are more likely to step into action to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, when they witness someone have a cardiac arrest, according to a new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, which was presented today at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium 2014.
On Dec. 16, Wistar Institute Emeritus Professor Dr. Stanley A. Plotkin receives the Hamdan Award at the Dubai International Conference for Medical Sciences.
While noninvasive alternatives are increasingly available, liver biopsy still provides essential information in some children with liver disease, according to a new position paper in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, official journal of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
A regional anesthesia procedure widely used for surgery in infants and young children is effective and safe, with a minimal rate of serious complications, concludes a large database study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
After the Boston Marathon bombings, more than 100 people were treated for trauma affecting the ears and hearing—with many having persistent or worsening hearing loss or other symptoms, reports a study in the December issue of Otology & Neurotology. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
An anti-cancer drug protects normal cells from radiation damage and increases the effectiveness of radiation therapy in prostate cancer models
Obese workers miss more work days, and those absences carry high costs at the state and national level, according to a study in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Psychologist Stacey Cahn offers thoughts, tips for those in treatment for or recovering from an eating disorder, and their loved ones.
Pennsylvania’s Autism Services, Education, Resources & Training Collaborative (ASERT) has released the Pennsylvania Autism Census Update for 2014. The original Pennsylvania Autism Census released in 2009 identified almost 20,000 individuals with autism receiving services across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The 2014 Pennsylvania Autism Census Update now estimates that there are over 55,000 children and adults with autism receiving services, which is almost triple the number initially identified.
Researchers unravel the mechanisms behind a novel cancer vaccine for brain tumors, paving the way for further development
A new perspective piece in The New England Journal of Medicine, written by health policy researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, describes various digital marketing tactics targeting physicians, outlines concerns about their influence over physician decisions, and makes recommendations about how to adapt policies to keep up with the changing nature of pharmaceutical marketing.
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