Despite a modest 5% improvement since 2023, food insecurity in L.A. County remains alarmingly high — well above the national average and L.A.’s pre-pandemic level. A USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences study found that as of October 2024, 25% of L.A. County households — about 832,000 — struggle with food insecurity. By comparison, the national average is just 14%. Among low-income households in L.A. County, 41% experienced food insecurity in 2024, compared to 27% pre-pandemic. “The ...

A positive attitude, what researchers call a "growth mindset" or belief in growth, is associated with both higher willpower and passion, according to a new large study. People who believe they will succeed are far more passionate and have greater willpower than those who do not have the belief, says Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor  at the Department of Psychology at NTNU. Sigmundsson has worked for many years to find out what makes people succeed in their goals. Now he and Professor Monika Haga at NTNU'S Department of Teacher ...

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center experts will present abstracts at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition Dec. 7-10 in San Diego. Trial finds AML drug is safe in healthy volunteers A randomized Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers found a new drug targeting treatment-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is safe and attains drug levels that would predict response in this disease. Up to 30% of patients with AML have a specific mutation called FLT-3, and a standard FLT-3 treatment called gilteritinib was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018. But as the cancer has evolved, patients ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 9, 2024, AT 9 PM EST) – Patients with multiple myeloma are living longer, healthier lives thanks to a host of new immunotherapies and targeted drugs. But there is still no cure for the disease, the second most common blood cancer. Physician-scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are working to change that. They will present research findings at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), which will be held Dec. 7-10 in San Diego. “We’d like to develop a curative ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 9, 2024, AT 9 PM EST) – Smokers with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or a precursor condition had elevated levels of genetic mutations linked to the disease, a new study shows. The study also found that heavier smokers accumulated more mutations, and long-term smokers were more likely to show disease progression. Led by Sangeetha Venugopal, M.D., M.S., a physician-scientist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the study further suggests that quitting smoking ...

Helical structures are ubiquitous across biology, from the double-stranded helix of DNA to how heart muscle cells spiral in a band. Inspired by this twisty ladder, researchers from Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering have developed an artificial polymer that organizes itself into a controlled helix.  They published their results on Oct. 24 in Angewandte Chemie. “Motivated by elegant biological helical structures, considerable effort has been devoted to developing artificial helical organizations with defined handedness ...

As the school year winds up, thousands of Aussie kids are looking forward to the summer holidays. But hand-in hand with this freedom comes an abundance of screentime, unhealthy snacks, and a lack of routine, and it has the potential to affect children’s physical and mental health.   In a new review of nearly 1500 participants University of South Australia researchers found that summer holiday programs, as offered through OHSC or sporting clubs, can help children stay engaged and active, helping offset the hours they spend in front of a screen.   UniSA PhD researcher and Fulbright Scholarship recipient Emily Eglitis says that summer programs ...

With rising greenhouse gas emissions, the urgency of addressing global warming and climate change has intensified, prompting a global shift towards renewable energy.  The development of rechargeable batteries is essential for this effort. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are one of the most widely used rechargeable batteries today, being used in cars, smartphones, and even for power storage. However, one major issue with LIBs is the risk of ignition. Commercial LIBs have a carbon-negative electrode with a low working potential. Since carbon operates near lithium metal deposition potential, there is a risk of internal short circuits, especially when the battery is quickly charged. Alternative ...

ABSTRACTS: 216, 219, 1011  SAN DIEGO ― Three clinical trials led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated significant positive results from novel triplet therapies in the treatment of relapsed or refractory and newly diagnosed leukemias. The results were presented at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. More information on all ASH Annual Meeting content from MD Anderson can be found at MDAnderson.org/ASH.   Study demonstrates strong ...

INDIANAPOLIS — A study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on how Toxoplasma gondii parasites make the proteins they need to enter a dormant stage that allows them to escape drug treatment. It was recently published with special distinction in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that people catch from cat feces, unwashed produce or undercooked meat. The parasite has infected up to one-third of the world's population, and after causing mild illness, it persists by entering a dormant ...

The numbers of e-scooter and e-bike injuries have tripled in the US since 2019, fuelled by alcohol and substance use, finds a nationwide analysis of emergency department visits, published online in the journal Injury Prevention.   And the odds of alcohol and substance use were much higher among 10-17 year old riders with these injuries than they were among older age groups, the findings show. E-scooters and e-bikes, collectively known as micromobility devices, have become increasingly popular, thanks to their zero emissions, amid higher fuel prices and better biking infrastructure, note the researchers.  Emerging evidence points to increasing numbers of injuries associated ...

Despite a fall in the number of people with asthma over the past decade who say that cost has stopped them taking their meds as prescribed, financial hardship still remains a deterrent for 1 in 6 with the condition, suggests research published online in the respiratory medicine journal Thorax. Failure to stick to their drug treatment was associated with a near doubling in the risk of an asthma attack and a more than 60% heightened risk of an emergency department visit, the findings indicate. The findings reinforce the importance of healthcare policy in promoting equitable access to drug treatment, concludes a linked editorial. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control ...

Psychedelic substances like psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), LSD (commonly known as acid), and ayahuasca have shown potential in treating conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and addiction. These substances can induce profound psychological experiences that, when paired with psychotherapy — a form of talk therapy — have been proposed to lead to significant therapeutic benefits. Why Now? Despite the growing interest and media coverage, no major regulatory agency has yet approved psychedelics for specific medical use. Access to these treatments remains limited to clinical ...

Removing 10 per cent of a patient’s blood before major liver surgery and giving it back afterwards reduced transfusions by half, according to a large clinical trial published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Known as hypovolemic phlebotomy, this practice could save one in every 11 patients having this surgery from needing a transfusion. “Blood loss is a major concern in liver surgery. Taking out half a litre of blood right before major liver surgery is the best thing we’ve found so far for reducing blood loss and transfusions,” said co-lead author Dr. Guillaume Martel, a surgeon and scientist who holds the Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary ...

Despite a decade of global efforts, the world is far from reaching essential nutrition 2030 milestones set by the World Health Assembly, with critical gaps threatening the health of millions. According to a new Global Burden of Disease analysis, most countries are struggling to meet the six global nutrition targets set in 2012 to combat low birthweight, inadequate breastfeeding, child malnutrition, and anemia in reproductive-age women.   By 2021, limited success was seen with only a few countries meeting some of the targets: five countries achieved breastfeeding ...

EPA study finds that U.S. public schools with the highest potential exposure risk to air toxics have higher proportions of disabled Latino, Hispanic, and Asian children     Children are at greater risk from inhaled air pollutants than adults, as they have higher respiratory rates. Research has shown that air pollutants in the form of respiratory toxicants (such as some  pesticides and solvents) can represent a significant health risk to children.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed a nationwide study to assess the estimated non-cancer exposure risks of public school ...

About The Study: This randomized controlled trial secondary analysis examines the association between treatment expectancies and the relative efficacy of psilocybin compared with escitalopram for major depressive disorder.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ethan Dutcher, MD, PhD, email ethan.dutcher@ucsf.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.4387) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London provides valuable insights into the brain-body immune connection identifying key communication hubs in the dural sinuses and skull bone marrow at the back of the head.  The research, which was supported by funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and published in the journal Brain, used neuroimaging techniques to establish that the dural sinuses, a region at the ...

Online training that helps people recognise and understand new voices could be key to helping older adults improve communication in everyday environments, finds research by UCL experts. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, tested whether learned voices were easier to understand than unfamiliar voices in 20 older (55-73 years) and 20 younger (18-34 years) adults. Participants took part in some preparatory online training, where they were trained to understand three new voices by listening to them each say 10 meaningful sentences until they became “familiar”. They then had to listen to one of these voices speak ...

Short-term cognitive boost from exercise may last for 24 hours The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. Previous research in a laboratory setting has shown that people’s cognitive performance improves in the hours after exercise, but how long this benefit lasts is unknown. The new study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, ...

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $75 million to a consortium of leading global institutions, including the Pulte Institute for Global Development at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, to enhance the effectiveness of poverty alleviation programs through research. The Promoting Impact and Learning with Cost-Effectiveness Evidence (PILCEE) partnership, led by the Center for Effective Global Action at the University of California, Berkeley, represents a historic ...

ABSTRACT: 805 SAN DIEGO – Adult patients with newly diagnosed malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (mHLH) – a rare, aggressive hyperinflammatory condition – who were treated with the first-in-class monoclonal antibody, ELA026, experienced a 100% response rate and an improved survival rate at two months, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Data from the Phase Ib trial were presented today at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition by Abhishek Maiti, M.D., assistant professor of Leukemia and the trial’s principal investigator. ...

Playing video games is a rite of passage for many adolescents, but for some, it could also be the first step to a gaming addiction. “A number one concern for parents of children and teenagers is how much screen time and how much gaming is enough gaming and how to figure out where to draw the line,” said John Foxe, PhD, director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester and co-author of a study out today in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions that discovered a key marker in the brain of teens who develop gaming addiction symptoms. “These data begin to give us some answers.” Researchers ...

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 9 December 2024     @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 own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.          ----------------------------          1. ...

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/About The Study: In hospitalized adults, daily procalcitonin -guided protocol reduced antibiotic duration safely compared with standard care, but daily C-reactive protein -guided protocol does not. All-cause mortality for C-reactive protein was inconclusive.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Paul Dark, MD, PhD, email adaptsepsistrial@warwick.ac.uk. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.26458) Editor’s ...