(CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts) - A team at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard John A. Paulson School for Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has invented a method for 3D bioprinting thick vascularized tissue constructs composed of human stem cells, extracellular matrix, and circulatory channels lined with endothelial blood vessel cells. The resulting network of vasculature contained within these deep tissues enables fluids, nutrients and cell growth factors to be controllably perfused uniformly throughout the tissue.
Culture
Advances in understanding the molecular genetics of hepatocellular neoplasia have been made, and developing targeted therapeutics in combination with molecular tumor profiling may help accomplish the goal of precision treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
In a recently published article, Dr. Nelson Yee and Dr. Eric Marks provide an updated review of the genetic abnormalities and mechanisms that drive carcinogenesis of HCC, and discuss the targeted therapeutics clinically investigated in patients with this disease.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The phrase "public corruption" invokes images of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich or disgraced Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell. Often shaped by sensational media coverage of high officials, the public's general perception of corruption in the U.S. is that it is on the rise. Jeffrey Milyo, a professor of economics at the University of Missouri, examined thousands of corruption cases from 1986 to 2014 and found that corruption convictions are not increasing as fast as the public may think and mostly involve low-ranking officials.
Cutting-edge simulations run at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) over a two-year period are helping physicists better understand what influences the behavior of the plasma turbulence that is driven by the intense heating necessary to create fusion energy. This research has yielded exciting answers to long-standing questions about plasma heat loss that have previously stymied efforts to predict the performance of fusion reactors and could help pave the way for this alternative energy source.
As candidates running for national office look beyond Super Tuesday, Americans across the political spectrum want to know their detailed plans to advance medical progress. While a majority of Americans (73%) agree that their health has been improved thanks to research over the course of their lifetime, and 77% say they receive value for federal dollars spent on medical research, many are not content with the status quo. More than a third (36%) say the health care they receive does not seem to be based on the best and most recent research available.
PHILADELPHIA - Refugees seeking asylum in the United States are twice as likely to be granted protection if their application is supported by medical documentation of torture, writes Jules Lipoff, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and two colleagues in the March 7, 2016 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
Chestnut Hill, Mass. (3/7/16) - The slow pace of change in Catholic schools as they adjust to an increasingly Hispanic Church poses significant barriers to Hispanic families when considering enrolling their children in parochial schools, according to a new Boston College study that reveals complex challenges for school leaders and clergy trying to serve the fastest-growing population of U.S. Catholics.
Analyzing the immediate neighborhood surroundings of teenaged homicide victims, Philadelphia researchers found that neglected conditions--vacant lots, poor street lighting, fewer parks and less-traveled thoroughfares--were in much greater abundance compared to neighborhoods where adolescents were safer. Without attributing cause-and-effect, the new study adds to previous research suggesting that modifying specific outdoor features with low-cost improvements may foster community interaction and potentially reduce youth violence in cities.
Neighborhood features including street lighting, parks, public transportation and maintained vacant lots were associated with lower odds of homicide among young people ages 13 to 20, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Youth violence is as complex as it is pervasive. Understanding the influence of modifiable environmental factors on adolescent homicide is an important step in designing interventions for youth violence prevention.
Boston, MA - In an international, multicenter study researchers have found that the HOSPITAL score, an acronym created to identify the variables associated with hospital readmissions, successfully predicted patients at high risk of a 30-day potentially avoidable readmission. Researchers believe this score may help easily identify patients in need of intense transitional care interventions to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions.
The findings are published in the March 07, 2016 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
It's happened to many of us. We eat at a restaurant with less than ideal hygiene and come down with a nasty case of food poisoning.
Foodborne illness afflicts 48 million people annually in the U.S. alone; 120,000 individuals are hospitalized annually, and 3,000 die from the illness. In fact, one out of every six Americans gets food poisoning each year. And many of these sufferers write about it on Twitter.
DETROIT - A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that common asthma symptoms like waking up in the middle of the night and shortness of breath are associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety in teens with asthma.
In a small study of 38 asthma patients ages 14-17, researchers found that their average scores for stress and anxiety levels were higher than those seen in the general population.
Researchers suggest the findings are a red flag for physicians of young asthma patients.
Orlando, FL - Using soft tissue allografts (cadaver tissue) in ACL reconstructions may increase the risks for a revision reconstruction postoperatively, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study adds to research demonstrating that the bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft (graft harvested from the surgical patient) remains a strong choice for these surgeries.
Orlando, FL - Single and double-bundle techniques may provide similar outcomes in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction, as noted in research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study shows patients in both groups demonstrate similar performance during recovery.
Orlando, FL -Repairing massive rotator cuff tears is often a tricky proposition, especially for those who have failed prior surgery. Researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day today, discussed how a new arthroscopic procedure to treat large rotator cuff tears may help patients return to sports and work quicker.