Almost a quarter of patients who were admitted to the ICU or died in 29 hospitals in the United States experienced a diagnostic error Efforts and initiatives are underway across the country to address and prevent the causes of diagnostic errors A new study from researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, in collaboration with researchers at the University of California San Francisco, has shed light on the rate and impact of diagnostic errors in hospital settings. In an analysis of electronic health records from 29 hospitals across the country of 2,428 patients who ...

In 1998, astrophysicists discovered that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, attributed to a mysterious entity called dark energy that makes up about 70% of our universe. While foreshadowed by earlier measurements, the discovery was somewhat of a surprise; at the time, astrophysicists agreed that the universe’s expansion should be slowing down because of gravity. This revolutionary discovery, which astrophysicists achieved with observations of specific kinds of exploding stars, called type Ia (read “type one-A”) ...

In recent years, research has begun to reveal that the lines of communication between the body’s organs are key regulators of aging. When these lines are open, the body’s organs and systems work well together. But with age, communication lines deteriorate, and organs don’t get the molecular and electrical messages they need to function properly. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body’s fat tissue in a feedback loop ...

Every year, about 800,000 new stroke cases are reported in the United States, often causing patients problems with both neurological and physical motor control. Disruptions in the mobility of the arms and hands, in particular, can have devastating impacts on stroke patients’ quality of life. The restoration of arm extremity and hand dexterity are often the highest priority among stroke patients. A new robotic platform developed at the University of Rhode Island, which utilizes both a patient’s brainwaves and muscle activity, aims to help post-stroke patients perform needed rehabilitation and regain critical motor skills, including complex tasks like reaching and grasping ...

CHICAGO—January 8, 2023—Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) has received a substantial grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a pioneering education program in sensory technology aimed at underrepresented groups—particularly veterans. The initiative, funded through NSF’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program, underscores Illinois Tech’s commitment to critical future technologies and expanding education to groups that have historically ...

PITTSBURGH — Contraceptive use is low among reproductive-aged people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh that highlights how lack of contraceptive coverage by Medicare may prevent disabled enrollees from accessing contraception. Published today in the January issue of Health Affairs, the study provides the first national overview of contraceptive use among enrollees in Medicare, the government health insurance for people over 65 and for people with qualifying disabilities. ...

Since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) Waiver in 2020, thousands of patients from across 300 hospitals in 37 states have been treated in their homes. Yet little is understood about these patients’ outcomes on a national level, and the waiver will end in December 2024 unless there is an act from Congress. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham analyzed outcomes from AHCaH for a diverse group of patients across America. The study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that home hospital ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 8 January 2024   Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet    @Annalsofim   Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their ...

Children and adolescents who received one of the main COVID-19 vaccines were significantly protected from the illness and showed no increased signs of cardiac complications compared to young people who were not vaccinated, according to a new real-world study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). When the Delta variant rose to prominence, the study showed that vaccinated young people were 98 percent less likely to be infected than their unvaccinated peers, and ...

Research is shedding light and potentially expanding options for patients living with Medulloblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. Medulloblastoma is a cancer impacting both very young and school aged children.  When children get this type of brain tumor, they experience the process of the tumor blocking flow of fluid around the brain.  This can cause severe headaches, vomiting, sleepiness, fussiness, and difficulty walking and coordinating movements.  Treatment is intense, involving high dose chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes radiation or stem cell transplants.  During these months long treatments, children may lose ...

Despite an alarming increase in overdose deaths among young people nationwide, a new “secret shopper”-style study led by Oregon Health & Science University researchers finds that access to residential addiction treatment centers for adolescents in the United States is limited and costly. The study, published today in the January issue of the journal Health Affairs, found that about half of the sites reported a wait time, and among those the average wait was almost a month. For those who do manage to find a placement, the average daily cost is $878 — with close to half of the facilities that provided information requiring partial or full payment upfront. For the average ...

Access to residential addiction treatment centers caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old in the United States is limited and costly, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers found that only about half (54%) of the residential addiction treatment facilities that they contacted had a bed immediately available, and for those that had a waitlist, the average estimated time before a bed opened was 28 days. In addition, the average daily cost per day of treatment was $878, with close to half (48%) of the facilities that provided information requiring partial or full payment upfront. ...

“TAR cloning is used to genetically engineer synthetic viruses with novel properties that may be used for the development of new vaccines.” BUFFALO, NY- January 8, 2024 – A new review paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on December 22, 2023, entitled, “Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning and its applications for gene function; genome architecture and evolution; biotechnology and biomedicine.” Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning represents a unique tool to selectively and efficiently recover a given chromosomal segment up to several hundred ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mobile phones pack a lot of information into pocket-sized devices, which is why users may want to slow down the next time they’re scrolling through social media or checking email on a mobile app. People process information more efficiently but tend to be less vigilant about misinformation on their mobile phones compared to personal computers (PCs), according to a team led by Penn State researchers. This is especially true for users who have developed a routine or habit of using their ...

AMHERST, Mass. – In a first-of-its-kind research breakthrough, a team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has analyzed and described what they call the “mosquito effect,” which sheds light on how certain pathogens, such as cancerous tumor cells, can outwit the body’s immune system. Just as mosquitoes ingest their host’s blood, the immune system’s T cells incorporate cytoplasmic material from tumors into their own cytoplasm. While it has long been known that many kinds of cells can transfer cellular material from one to another, the transfer of the cytoplasm has never been observed in T cells. Subsequent single-cell RNA (scRNA) ...

Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that engages in three simultaneous behaviors: rolling forward, spinning like a record,and following a path that orbits around a central point. The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robotic devices that can be used to navigate and map unknown environments. The new soft robots are called twisted ringbots. They are made of ribbon-like liquid crystal elastomers that are twisted – like a rotini ...

In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects. One big focus of research: bottled water, which has been shown to contain tens of thousands of identifiable fragments in each container. Now, using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole ...

The body’s immune response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may play a role in causing damage in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a new study led by UTHealth Houston. EBV infection has long been associated with multiple sclerosis, but how the infection might contribute to multiple sclerosis has not been clear. More than 95% of people have been infected with this very common virus; however, it typically remains in its latent stage and doesn’t cause any issues. In some cases, though, the T-cells specific for the EBV infection may cause ...

EMBARGO:  THIS CONTENT IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 3 P.M. U.S. EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON JANUARY 8. INTERESTED MEDIA MAY RECIVE A PREVIEW COPY OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLE IN ADVANCE OF THAT DATE OR CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, BUT THE INFORMATION MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, OR POSTED ONLINE UNTIL AFTER THE RELEASE WINDOW. A global study organized and led by Colorado State University scientists shows that the effects of extreme drought – which is expected to increase in frequency with climate change – has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. The findings – published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – quantify the impact of extreme ...

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a molecular “barcode” system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the new study shows that many bacteria can figuratively scan genetic codes to learn which proteins to keep and which proteins to expel into the environment. According to researchers, those proteins that are expelled are often toxic to human cells, making the ...

Well-managed migration can enable migrants to boost sustainable development, research shows. Sustainable development means enhancing wellbeing in ways that equitably meet needs of present and future generations. Migration is often viewed as a threat to this – and to stability and security – while the benefits for migrants and host nations and regions are overlooked. The new research – a set of studies published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – shows new policies are needed for managing migration to maximise sustainability, and to minimise involuntary displacement due to conflict or disasters. The ...

Novel Test Holds Promise for Detecting Parkinson’s Disease Early  Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Wyss Institute are working together to develop a new approach to detect and quantify minute amounts of a biomarker of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders at early stages  The platform has the potential to create early applicable molecular diagnostics, improve clinical trials, and facilitate drug screening (Boston) — In the development of Parkinson’s ...

When imagining corals, the picture that comes to mind is usually a stationary one: a garden of rock-like structures covering sections of the ocean floor. Reef conservation efforts typically focus on preserving established coral and protecting them from known stressors such as pollution, overfishing and runoff from coastline populations. However, new research near Miloliʻi in the southwestern part of Hawai’i Island shows that identifying and protecting marine ecosystems, both down-current and up-current of coral reefs, specifically areas where coral larvae are more likely to survive and thrive, is crucial to future coral conservation and restoration efforts—especially ...

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan. 8, 2024 — What’s all the buzz about? Most garden enthusiasts know that certain flowers can attract pollinators. New research helps explain why, and also provides more details about how the nutrition found in plant pollen may determine which specific bee communities might favor your garden. On a larger scale, this research may help fight against pollinator declines through better design of rangeland restoration projects.      Scientists at the USDA Forest Service’s ...

The brain is not only the most complex organ of the human body, but also one of the most difficult to study. To understand the roles of different regions of the human brain and how they interact, it is crucial to measure neuronal activity with awake subjects while they perform controlled tasks. However, the most accurate measurement devices are invasive, which greatly limits their use on healthy humans in real-life settings. To overcome this major obstacle, scientists have come up with ingenious techniques to measure brain activity in safe and ...