Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a drug that works against depression by a completely different mechanism than existing treatments. Their study showed that ezogabine (also known as retigabine), a drug that opens KCNQ2/3 type of potassium channels in the brain, is associated with significant improvements in depressive symptoms and anhedonia in patients with depression. Anhedonia is the reduced ability to experience pleasure or lack of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli; it is a core symptom of depression and associated with worse outcomes, poor response to antidepressant medication, and increased risk of suicide. Ezogabine was ...

In an analysis of nationwide data from the Veterans Health Administration, approximately one-quarter of individuals with kidney stones had a diagnosis of osteoporosis or bone fracture around the time of their kidney stone diagnosis. The findings are published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Investigators identified 531,431 patients with kidney stone disease between 2007 and 2015, and they found that 23.6% of patients had a diagnosis of osteoporosis or fracture around the time of their kidney stone diagnosis. In patients with no prior history of osteoporosis or bone analyses before their kidney stone diagnosis, 9.1% ...

Patients with dementia may benefit from being referred to specialist palliative care--a branch of medicine that focuses on optimizing quality of life and providing relief from symptoms--but who should be referred, and when? A recent analysis of published studies on the topic found a lack of consensus regarding referral criteria for palliative care in patients with dementia. The results are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The analysis identified a wide array of reasons for referring patients with dementia to specialist palliative care, broadly classified under 13 themes. The ...

Individuals with cancer face a higher risk of suicide than people in the general population, but little is known about the characteristics of patients with cancer who have died by suicide. A new study published in Psycho-Oncology compared the characteristics of suicide cases with and without cancer. Among 14,446 suicide cases between 2003 and 2017 in Hong Kong, 10% had a history of cancer. Compared with non-cancer cases, patients with cancer were generally older and less likely to live alone; more likely to use violent methods; less likely to have histories of physical and psychiatric problems; and more likely to communicate about their suicidal intent before death. "Patients with cancer ...

The impact of eating disorders in the United States was nearly $400 billion in 2018-19 when considering both economic costs and reduced wellbeing, according to a study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Investigators estimated that the total economic cost associated with eating disorders in 2018-19 was $64.7billion, equivalent to $11,808 per affected person, and the substantial reduction in wellbeing associated with eating disorders was valued at $326.5 billion. "Our study lays bare the devastating economic impact that eating disorders have in the United States, a country where the majority of people affected suffer alone and never receive ...

Students have diverse reasons for dropping out of colleges and universities without obtaining a degree. A new study published in the European Journal of Education provides a detailed analysis of these reasons. The study found that the most important reasons for leaving university without a degree are mainly related to students' lack of interest in their field of study, as well as wrong expectations concerning the content of their studies. Problems related to students' academic performance also appear to be important. The study suggests potential counter measures that higher education institutions might use to help students at risk of dropping out as they strive to finish their ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented economic disruption and unemployment worldwide, and it may be challenging for career counselors to determine how best to provide effective career counseling to unemployed people in the post-COVID-19 world. In an article published in the Journal of Employment Counseling, experts suggest applying a holistic model of career counseling that addresses the multifaceted needs of long-term unemployed people. The model was developed to address similar problems occurring in Greece in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The authors note that career counselors should work on multiple levels--with individuals, with employers, with policy makers, and within the wider social ...

A seven-year study of California's soupfin sharks sheds light on their migration and reproductive cycles, laying the groundwork for potential management strategies amid conservation concerns. The findings were published March 3 in the Journal of Applied Ecology by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the University of San Diego (USD). Analyzing the tracking data from 34 female soupfin sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) tagged with acoustic transmitters, Scripps Oceanography researcher and USD professor Andrew Nosal discovered these sharks exhibit a triennial migratory cycle, returning to the tagging site off La Jolla, Calif. every three years. This is the first conclusive evidence in any animal of triennial philopatry, a term meaning 'home-loving,' ...

How have travel restrictions and reduced tourism in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected mammals in different tourist destinations? Researchers recently reviewed published studies and news stories to consider this question. Their findings are published in Mammal Review. The authors noted that whether the pandemic has affected mammals positively or negatively is difficult to determine--their findings showed that effects of reduced tourism varied by species and the contexts that they are in. For example, some mammals in zoos thrived in the absence of visitors while others appeared to be deprived of ...

During their seasonal migration, birds typically travel between breeding and non-breeding grounds along migratory routes grouped into major flyways, such as the Indo-European flyway between Europe and the Indian subcontinent. In a new study published in the Journal of Biogeography, investigators used modelling and tracking techniques to identify potential migratory barriers and corridors within the Indo-European flyway, as well as birds' adaptive behaviors that help with navigation along the route. "For me, the study started years ago on the coast of the German Baltic Sea. Together with two of my co-authors Roland Neumann and Benjamin Metzger, we caught and tracked Common rosefinches ...

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid misuse has continued unabated in the United States, with an estimated 2.5 million or more Americans suffering from opioid use disorder. Most people treated for the disorder are given medications, such as buprenorphine, that activate opioid receptors. But there is disagreement about whether it's safe to prescribe buprenorphine for people who also take benzodiazepines, which are potentially addictive medications prescribed for stress, sleep and anxiety. New research involving the medical data of more than 23,000 patients being treated for opioid use disorder supports the use of buprenorphine in patients also taking benzodiazepines. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that the drug can protect opioid users from ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 3, 2021)--The length of the female reproductive period (the time from the onset of menses to the final menstrual period) has important health implications. A new study compared the length of reproductive periods for women with type 1 diabetes with women without diabetes to confirm the effect diabetes has on the female reproductive system. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Insulin plays a key role in regulating female reproductive function, and previous studies have shown the effect of insulin deficiency on a woman's reproductive system. Until now, however, little was known ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 3, 2021)--The loss of estrogen after menopause is associated with rapid bone loss. A new study compared the bone health outcomes in women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and early menopause with women who experienced menopause at the standard age to confirm the association between POI and osteoporosis. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue that leads to fragility and an increased risk of fracture. The debilitating disease, which affects more women than men, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality when osteoporotic fractures occur, leading to an increased rate ...

Proof of immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may soon be required in many parts of the globe. The authors discuss how immunization passports could work, what Canada needs to do, and potential barriers and limitations in a CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) commentary. "We expect that immunization passports may be imminently introduced for international travel," writes Dr. Kumanan Wilson, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa and Bruyère and Ottawa Hospital Research Institutes, with Colleen M. Flood, University of Ottawa Centre for Health, Law Policy & Ethics, Ottawa, Ontario. "Canada will need to ensure alignment with global standards for security, authentication, privacy and data exchange ...

SAN RAMON, Calif., March 2, 2021--A newly-published work highlights the long-term ocular health of children wearing daily disposable soft contact lenses and reports minimal impact on physiology over six years.[1] Its results affirm that such lenses are an option for children as young as eight years old. END ...

In recent years, hummus has become a pop culture food phenomenon, drawing praises from dieticians for the health benefits and chefs for the flavor. However, the core ingredient, the chickpea, has had its production threatened. The chickpea has played a significant role in the vegetarian diet for thousands of years. It is high in protein and rich in important carbohydrates and minerals. Grown in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains of the United States, the chickpea has an integral role in the agriculture systems of these regions. Recently this role has been threatened by a soil-born water mold, Pythium ultimum. George Vandemark and his team have worked to improve chickpea varieties and develop new ways to control disease ...

Sesame seed oil, used by many for its nutty aroma and high burn-point, is made by extracting the fatty oils from sesame seeds, with the empty shells thrown out as waste. In a literal instantiation of the age-old adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure", researchers discovered that a chemical called sesaminol, abundant in this waste, has protective effects against Parkinson's disease. "Currently there is no preventive medicine for Parkinson's disease", states OCU Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, "we only have coping treatments". Associate Professor Kojima-Yuasa led her research group ...

HPSTAR scientists Dr. Songhao Guo and Dr. Xujie Lü report three orders of magnitude increase in the photoconductivity of Cs2PbI2Cl2 from its initial value, at the industrially achievable level of 2 GPa, using pressure regulation. Impressively, pressure regulating the 2D perovskite's excitonic features gains it 3D compound characteristics without diminishing its own advantages, making it a more promising material for photovoltaic and photodetector applications. Their study is published as a Cover article in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Two-dimensional ...

New research from The University of Manchester has identified various ways in which UK higher education institutions are beginning to tackle emissions associated with business travel and catering. These are two substantial contributors to emissions in this sector, and difficult to decarbonise. The findings suggest need for further sector-wide efforts to tackle the planet's most pressing issue. This new study, from The University of Manchester's Tyndall Centre for Climate Change and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), analysed publicly available policies of 66 UK universities to identify strategies ...

Red ginseng, which has long been used as an ingredient in traditional Korean medicine, has recently drawn increased attention as a functional material for its health-promoting effects. The composition and activities of red ginseng vary depending on the processing method, and this has become an active area of research. Recently, a research team in Korea has entered the spotlight as they discovered that red ginseng has inhibitory effects against lung cancer metastasis. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) reported that a joint study conducted by Dr. Jungyeob Ham from the Natural Product Research Center at the KIST Gangneung Institute of Natural Products and Dr. Hyeonseok Ko of Seoul Asan Medical Center revealed that two components of red ginseng, ...

Researchers from the University of Texas, University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, and London School of Economics published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines whether entrepreneurs in emerging markets can benefit from marketers' help. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled "Do Marketers Matter for Entrepreneurs? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Uganda" and is authored by Stephen Anderson, Pradeep Chintagunta, Frank Germann, and Naufel Vilcassim. Can marketers help improve the world? While this question may seem vast and unknowable, this new study proposes ...

BINGHAMTON, NY -- Customized diets and lifestyle changes could be key to optimizing mental health, according to new research including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. "There is increasing evidence that diet plays a major role in improving mental health, but everyone is talking about a healthy diet," said Begdache, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University and co-author of a new paper in Nutrients. "We need to consider a spectrum of dietary and lifestyle changes based on different age groups and gender," she said. "There is not one healthy diet that will work for everyone. There is not one fix." Begdache, who is also a registered dietitian, believes that ...

Home health visits change to virtual ones during pandemic 'We don't have to rely on mental health professionals' As perinatal depression soars during pandemic, there's a growing need for treatment CHICAGO --- Perinatal depression has soared during the pandemic. But many mental health professionals are overwhelmed and can't take on new clients. Good news comes from a new Northwestern Medicine study finding paraprofessionals generated similar reductions in depressive symptoms as mental health professionals when delivering a group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention. The study findings are based on ...

New research has revealed that the diets of early lizards and snakes, which lived alongside dinosaurs around 100 million years ago, were more varied and advanced than previously thought. The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in Royal Society Open Science, showed lizards, snakes, and mosasaurs in the Cretaceous period already had the full spectrum of diet types, including flesh-eating and plant-based, which they have today. There are currently some 10,000 species of lizards and snakes, known collectively as squamates. It was originally understood their great diversity was acquired only after the extinction ...

Patients with type 2 diabetes that were treated with a weekly injection of the breakthrough drug Semaglutide were able to achieve an average weight loss of nearly 10kg, according to a new study published in The Lancet today. Led by Melanie Davies, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and the Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, the study showed that two thirds of patients with type 2 diabetes that were treated with weekly injections of a 2.4mg dose of Semaglutide were able to lose at least 5% of their body weight and achieved significant improvement in blood glucose control. More than a quarter of patients were able to ...