Culture
A new study published this week demonstrates a first attempt at using the methods of ancient bacterial detection, pioneered in studies of past epidemics, to characterize the microbial diversity of ancient gut contents from two medieval latrines. The findings provide insights into the microbiomes of pre-industrial agricultural populations, which may provide much-needed context for interpreting the health of modern microbiomes.
Our brain responds differently if we talk to a person of a different socioeconomic background from our own compared to when we speak to someone whose background is similar, according to a new imaging study by UCL and Yale researchers.
In the study, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 39 pairs of participants had a conversation with each other while wearing headsets that tracked brain activity.
DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2020 -- Having a spouse in a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) may make a person more likely to have a heart attack or cardiac-related hospitalization themselves within a few weeks of the ICU admission, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.
Numerous animals may be vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a large study modelling how the virus might infect different animals' cells, led by UCL researchers.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, reports evidence that 26 animals regularly in contact with people may be susceptible to infection.
The researchers investigated how the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 could interact with the ACE2 protein it attaches to when it infects people.
PULLMAN, Wash. - Earth is not necessarily the best planet in the universe. Researchers have identified two dozen planets outside our solar system that may have conditions more suitable for life than our own. Some of these orbit stars that may be better than even our sun.
More than 27 percent of children living on Guam between the ages of 2 and 8 were found to be obese or overweight, according to a study from the University of Guam's Children's Healthy Living Program. The findings were published on Aug. 20 in the journal Nutrients.
Guam's statistic sits just above the national average, based on reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CHICAGO - Researchers have identified genetic mutations that appear to protect women from severe bleeding after childbirth, a leading cause of maternal death. A preliminary study of the findings is being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.
DNA, which carries genetic information in cells, contain biological instructions. A genetic mutation, which is a permanent change in the DNA, can be beneficial, decreasing a person's risk for a disease or condition, or harmful, increasing that risk.
CHICAGO - Almost 20 years into the opioid epidemic, there finally is evidence of significant and continual decreases in the abuse of these risky pain medications, according to an analysis of national data being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.
The rate of prescription opioids fell 26% between 2007 and 2018, according to the researchers' analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual survey of about 70,000 Americans age 12 and older asking about their use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
CHICAGO: Military surgical teams face unique demands on and off the battlefield. Combat trauma represents 0.5 percent of the 1 million annual military health system hospital admissions, presenting a challenge for military surgical teams to remain combat ready. Previous research has established the many benefits of military-civilian partnerships for training military surgeons prior to deployment and retaining critical skills during deployment.* However, there exists a lack of data about the readiness and case volumes of other members of Army Forward Resuscitative Surgical Teams (FRSTs).
CHICAGO: New applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care settings have shown early success in improving survival and outcomes in traffic accident victims transported by ambulance and in predicting survival after liver transplantation, according to two research studies presented at the virtual American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2020.
Both studies evaluated how AI can crunch massive amounts of data to support decision-making by surgeons and other care providers at the point of care.
CHICAGO: Surgical patients who participate in virtual follow-up visits after their operations spend a similar amount of time with surgical team members as those who meet face-to-face. Moreover, these patients benefit by spending less time waiting at and traveling to the clinic for in-person appointments, according to research findings presented at the virtual American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2020.
CHICAGO: The STOP THE BLEED® course teaches a skill with lifesaving potential that is easy to learn and globally relevant. Two studies presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2020 provide evidence that STOP THE BLEED® training is effective and has made a lifesaving difference around the world.
CHICAGO: People age 65 years and older account for 40 percent of inpatient operations and one-third of outpatient procedures,1,2 and these older patients are more vulnerable to longer hospital stays and other complications after surgery than younger patients. A beta test of a program for older adults who undergo major surgery has resulted in shorter hospital stays and lower rates of post-surgery delirium, among other improved outcomes, according to research presented at the virtual American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2020.
CHICAGO: Pregnant women who underwent immediate surgery to treat a ruptured or abscessed appendix and their fetuses had significantly better outcomes than those whose condition was managed without an operation. Results from a nationwide study presented at the virtual American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2020 form the basis for the potential development of a consensus on optimal management of complicated appendicitis in pregnancy.
CHICAGO: Transportation barriers, such as personal access to a vehicle or public transportation, disproportionally affect minority communities, according to results of a new study presented at the virtual American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2020.