Heartburn :: Holiday season could ring in ‘heartburn season’
Making merry is often synonymous with overindulging — whether from holiday feasts or rich desserts or alcoholic beverages — ringing in the holiday season as “heartburn season.”
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Septic Shock :: New study finds on/off switch for septic shock
According to a new study, septic shock — a dangerous, often deadly runaway immune response — is controlled by a genetic on/off switch. The research also suggests how a drug might temper sepsis. This is the first time this genetic mechanism has been revealed in an experimental animal.
Natural Gas :: MIT math model could aid natural gas production
IT engineers have developed a mathematical model that could help energy companies produce natural gas more efficiently and ensure a more reliable supply of this valuable fuel. The researchers are now collaborating with experts at Shell to apply the model to a natural gas production system in Malaysia.
Collagen :: Math model could aid study of collagen ailments for cures to osteoporosis and scurvy
An MIT researcher’s mathematical model explains for the first time the distinctive structure of collagen, a material key to healthy human bone, muscles and other tissues. The new model shows collagen’s structure from the atomic to the tissue scale. An improved understanding of nature’s most abundant protein could aid the search for cures to such ailments as osteoporosis and scurvy, all recognized as arising from diseased collagen.
HIV :: Adolescent arrest history influences risk of acquiring HIV
Adolescents with a history of arrest are at greater risk for HIV infection than adolescents with no arrest history, according to a new study published in the November issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center and Brown Medical School attribute higher rates of substance abuse, sexual risk behaviors and mental-health issues to the increased risk of infection.
Organ Transplant :: Researchers study reimbursing living organ donors for out-of-pocket expenses
In an effort to close the gap between organ supply and demand, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, the University of Michigan and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons are studying ways to reimburse living donors for some of their out-of-pocket expenses when they choose to donate an organ.
Brain :: Speak, memory – Research challenges theory of memory storage
During sleep, freshly minted memories move from the hippocampus, part of the “old” brain, to the neocortex, or “new” brain, for long-term storage. This has been the reigning theory for decades. Brown University research provides the strongest proof yet of this interaction between the old and new brains — and offers surprising evidence that challenges critical details of this theory of learning and memory. Results appear in Nature Neuroscience.
Heart Transplant :: Genes influence heart transplant rejection
Mario Deng, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the division of Cardiology and director of the Cardiac Transplantation Research at Columbia University Medical Center, will present his laboratory’s research on the relationship between genes and the rejection of transplanted hearts.
UCLA study reports conflict of interest policies and practices of major journals
UCLA researchers report that although the majority of medical journals have conflict of interest policies in place for study authors, less than half require such policies for editors or peer-reviewers. In addition, many journals do not inform readers about those potential conflicts that have been disclosed to them.
Drug treats ‘water intoxication’ faster, more effectively
Results of the two largest studies on hyponatremia, SALT-1 and SALT-2, presented Nov. 14 at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago, found that the investigational drug tolvaptan treated hyponatremia ? water intoxication — faster and more effectively than available treatments.