Pipes Output http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=4601b1066bd6085d333fc9e0d854d45d Tue, 21 May 2013 09:18:26 +0000 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/halpern/ With little evidence to guide them, many hospital intensive care units (ICUs) have been employing critical care physicians at night with the notion it would improve patients' outcomes. However, new results from a one-year randomized trial from researchers at Penn Medicine involving nearly 1,600 patients admitted to the Hospital of the University Pennsylvania (HUP) Medical ICU suggest otherwise: Having a nighttime intensivist had no clear benefit on length of stay or mortality for these patients, not even patients admitted at night or those with the most critical illnesses at the time of admission. Mon, 20 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/ecmo/ Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a procedure traditionally used during cardiac surgeries and in the ICU that functions as an artificial replacement for a patient's heart and lungs, has also been used to resuscitate cardiac arrest victims in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Now, a novel study of this technique in the U.S. has been completed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, indicating a potential role for this intervention to save patients who are unable to be resuscitated through conventional measures. Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/gogineni/ The majority of cancer doctors, patients, and members of the general public support cutting health care costs by refusing to pay for drugs that don't improve survival or quality of life, according to results of a new study that will be presented by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago in early June (Abstract 6518). Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/domchek/ In the largest clinical trial to date to examine the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer, the oral drug olaparib was found to be effective against advanced pancreatic and prostate cancers. Results of the study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, will be presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago in early June (Abstract 11024). Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/dean/ Eve J. Higginbotham, SM, MD, has been named the first Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, effective August 1, 2013. Wed, 15 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/hotspots/ Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have created the first U.S. map that pinpoints hotspots for infection and severe sepsis related-deaths. Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/awards/ Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Michael Wolf will be in Philadelphia tomorrow to present the second annual “Awards for Excellence in Health Care Compliance” to the Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH) Skilled Care Center (SCC). Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/bhandoola/ In animal studies, group-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) confer immunity during a parasitic infection in mice and are also involved in allergic airway inflammation. A team of Perelman School of Medicine, researchers from the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Cancer Biology, found that maturation of ILC2s requires T-cell factor 1 (TCF-1, the product of the Tcf7 gene) to move forward. TCF-1 is protein that binds to specific parts of DNA to control transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA. Mon, 13 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/nathanson/ A new study looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The findings from this first-of-its-kind meta-analysis were reported online May 12 in Nature Genetics by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/epstein/ Now, researchers have found that a mutation in a key molecule active during embryonic development makes the plumbing between the immature heart and lungs short-circuit, disrupting the delivery of oxygenated blood to the brain and other organs. The mutation ultimately causes blood to flow in circles from the lungs to the heart's right side and back to the lungs. Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/koretzky/ Not all IL17-producing cells are the same, and the rules regarding how particular cell types are instructed to produce this important mediator differ. Research published this week in Nature Immunology from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sheds light on the intricacies of those instructions. Fri, 10 May 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/commencement/ The Perelman School of Medicine's impact in global and community health will be well represented this Sunday at graduation, when 160 students take the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new doctors. Fri, 10 May 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/dani/ John A. Dani, PhD, will become the new chair of the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, on July 1, 2013. He will also serve as Director of the Mahoney Institute of Neurosciences (MINS) at Penn. Mon, 06 May 2013 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/acog/ A national movement to eliminate non-medically indicated (NMI) delivery before 39 weeks has prompted nearly two-thirds of all U.S. hospitals handling non-emergency births to adopt specific policies against the practice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results of the nationwide survey represent a strong step in promoting maternal and perinatal health, and reducing the number of infants requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The full results of the survey are being presented today at the Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Mon, 06 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/05/artis/ David Artis, PhD, assistant professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, will receive the AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award for outstanding, early-career research contributions to the field of immunology from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). Mon, 06 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/aaas/ Perelman School of Medicine researchers Shelley L. Berger, PhD, Daniel S. Och University Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology; director of the Penn Epigenetics Program, and Virginia Man-Yee Lee, PhD, director, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research; John H. Ware 3rd Professor in Alzheimer's Research; and professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, have been elected as new members to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/efavirenz/ Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, along with colleagues at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, conducted the first large-scale comparison of first-line treatments for HIV-positive children, finding that initial treatment with efavirenz was more effective than nevirapine in suppressing the virus in children ages 3 to 16. However, the less effective nevirapine is currently used much more often in countries with a high prevalence of HIV. The results of the study of more than 800 children are published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/strom/ Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, the executive vice dean for Institutional Affairs in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, was recently presented with a National Award for Career Achievement and Contribution to Clinical and Translational Science at the Translational Science 2013 meeting in Washington, D.C. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/commencement/ University of Pennsylvania alumna Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH (B.A. '75, M.D.'79), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will deliver the address at the Perelman School of Medicine's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12, 2013 in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/seizures/ With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five children were successfully treated with a drug that modifies the disease process, minimizing seizures and improving receptive language. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/locke/ A post-doctoral fellow and doctoral student in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have each been awarded an Autism Science Foundation (ASF) grant. Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/langleben/ Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that an area of the brain that initiates behavioral changes had greater activation in smokers who watched anti-smoking ads with strong arguments versus those with weaker ones, and irrespective of flashy elements, like bright and rapidly changing scenes, loud sounds and unexpected scenario twists. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/dbs/ Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a precise region of the brain appears to reduce caloric intake and prompt weight loss in obese animal models, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/hua/ Researchers did not exactly understand how menin mutations lead to MEN1 syndrome, and more importantly, what molecular pathways might be dysregulated by menin mutations and thus can be targeted to improve therapy against this type of cancer. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that pathway, which may lead to a new treatment for patients with MEN1 and sporadic endocrine tumors. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/crf/ A gene therapy study focused on finding a cure for a rare congenital blinding disease has been recognized as one of the ten most outstanding clinical research projects of the year by the Clinical Research Forum (CRF). Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/screenings/ The Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital will conduct free screenings for national oral, head and neck cancer during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, April 14-20. Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/nowell/ Three physician scientists whose landmark research helped transform the treatment of cancer are the recipients of the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, to be officially awarded May 17. Peter C. Nowell, M.D., the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Professor Emeritus, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, will share the prize with Janet D. Rowley, M.D., University of Chicago, and Brian J. Druker, M.D., Oregon Health and Science University. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/pancreatic/ Four Penn Medicine researchers have been awarded a total of $2.4 million in grants from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/sepsis/ Though the toll of sepsis is known to be enormous – it is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system $24.3 billion each year, and is the nation's third-leading killer, behind heart disease and cancer – the true magnitude of incidence of and death from the illness remains unknown. There is substantial variability in these numbers, depending on the method used to identify the condition in patients treated at hospital across the United States, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/return/ A study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University School of Medicine has found that nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/fitzgerald/ Garret FitzGerald MD, FRS, chairman of the Pharmacology Department and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the 2013 Grand Prix Scientifique by the Institut de France. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/cappola/ Late stage thyroid cancer patients with aggressive disease may benefit from a genetic test, but experts caution that use of this test in early stage patients is inappropriate because it is unlikely to lead to better outcomes. Testing for BRAF V600E-positive tumors should be reserved for patients older than 45 who have more advanced disease, according to an accompanying editorial in JAMA co-authored by two Perelman School of Medicine researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/gwas/ A variation in the gene ABCA7 causes a twofold increase in the risk of late onset Alzheimer disease among African Americans, according to a meta-analysis by a team of researchers including experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This is the largest analysis to date to determine genetic risk associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) specifically in African American individuals. The study appears in the April 10 issue of JAMA, a genomics theme issue. Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/altman/ The Myc oncogene can disrupt the 24-hour internal rhythm in cancer cells. Postdoctoral fellow Brian Altman, PhD, and graduate student Annie Hsieh, MD, both from the in the lab of Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, present their data in the “Metabolic Pathway Regulation in Cancer” session at the 2013 American Association for Cancer Research meeting, Washington, D.C., April 9, 2013. Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/brca/ Only 53 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who were at high risk of carrying a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation – based on age, diagnosis, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer – reported that their doctors urged them to be tested for the genes, according to a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/autophagy/ A team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will present findings (Presentation #1679A) during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2013 showing that colon cancer and lung cancer cell lines which expressed a gene known as helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF) tended to be impervious to the effects of the autophagy inhibition drug hydroxycholoroquine (HCQ). Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/zafar/ In 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) halted reimbursement for so-called “virtual colonoscopy” for routine colon-cancer screening in asymptomatic patients, in part due to concerns over how this procedure, computed tomography colonography (CTC), was being used in the elderly population. In the first study to examine appropriate utilization of the test among asymptomatic Medicare beneficiaries from 2007 to 2008, a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that CTC was used appropriately and may have expanded colorectal cancer screening beyond the population screened with standard (“optical”) colonoscopy. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/mitchell/ Increasing the number of hours of sleep adolescents get each night may reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the study show that fewer hours of sleep is associated with greater increases in adolescent body mass index (BMI) for participants between 14 and 18-years-old. The findings suggest that increasing sleep duration to 10 hours per day, especially for those in the upper half of the BMI distribution, could help to reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/powell/ Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an innovative dual CAR approach in which the activation signal for T cells is physically dissociated from a second costimulatory signal for immune cells. The two CARs carry different antigen specificity -- mesothelin and a-folate receptor. Mesothelin is primarily associated with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer, and a-folate receptor with ovarian cancer. Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/kandalaft/ As many as three quarters of advanced ovarian cancer patients appeared to respond to a new two-step immunotherapy approach -- including one patient who achieved complete remission -- according research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today in a press conference at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013. Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/targeted/ A panel discussion at the American Association for Cancer Research's Annual Meeting – featuring the University of Pennsylvania physician-scientist leading the research team whose work has spurred worldwide attention to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technologies, and a trial participant whose leukemia remains in remission more than two and a half years after being treated with his own engineered cells – will explore the future of personalized cellular therapies. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/cpd/ Penn Medicine’s new Center for Personalized Diagnostics, a joint initiative of the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center, is diving deeper into each patient’s tumor with next generation DNA sequencing. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/volpp/ A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University, has found that tying financial incentives to group weight loss led to significantly greater weight loss than cash awards based on an individual's success in losing weight on his or her own. Mon, 01 Apr 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/geffen/ How do we hear? More specifically, how does the auditory center of the brain discern important sounds – such as communication from members of the same species – from relatively irrelevant background noise? The answer depends on the regulation of sound by specific neurons in the auditory cortex of the brain, but the precise mechanisms of those neurons have remained unclear. Now, a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has isolated how neurons in the rat's primary auditory cortex (A1) preferentially respond to natural vocalizations from other rats over intentionally modified vocalizations (background sounds). Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/04/brem/ Neurosurgeons can visualize important pathways in the brain using an imaging technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to better adapt brain tumor surgeries and preserve language, visual and motor function while removing cancerous tissue. In the latest issue of Neurosurgical Focus, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania review research showing that this ability to visualize relevant white matter tracts during glioma resection surgeries can improve accuracy and, in some groups, significantly extend survival (median survival of 21.2 months) compared to cases where DTI was not used (median survival of 14 months). Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/aone/ Victoria Rich, PhD, RN, FAAN, chief nurse executive at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, has received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). The award recognizes Dr. Rich’s efforts to promote diversity within the nursing workforce and to enhance an understanding of diversity issues across the health system and greater community. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/carey/ James L. Carey, MD, MPH, director of the Penn Center for Advanced Cartilage Repair and Osteochondritis Dissecans Treatment, is among this year's recipients of one of the nation's most prestigious orthopaedic research awards. Dr. Carey and colleagues were presented the 2013 Charles S. Neer Clinical Science Award for a study they conducted on predictors of success in non-operative treatment of rotator cuff tears. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/stanger/ Researchers have been able to reprogram cells experimentally, but few have shown that cells can change their identities under normal physiological conditions in the body, particularly in mammals. In the cover article of this month’s issue of Genes and Development, Stanger, PhD candidate Kilangsungla Yanger, Yiwei Zong, PhD, and their colleagues, did just that in the liver of a mouse. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/endo/ Susan Mandel, MD, MPH, professor of Medicine and Radiology, and Associate Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, has been elected vice president, Physician-in-Practice, of The Endocrine Society. In addition, Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Sylvan Eisman Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, was elected to serve as a council member, at-large. They will collaborate with other newly elected Officers and Council members to lead the world's oldest, largest and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/lee/ Clumps of α-synuclein protein in nerve cells are hallmarks of many degenerative brain diseases, most notably Parkinson’s disease. “No one has been able to determine if Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, hallmark pathologies in Parkinson’s disease can be degraded,” says Virginia Lee, PhD, director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. “With the new neuron model system of Parkinson’s disease pathologies our lab has developed recently, we demonstrated that these aberrant clumps in cells resist degradation as well as impair the function of the macroautophagy system, one of the major garbage disposal systems within the cell.” Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/mullen/ Certified Primary Stroke Centers are three times more likely to administer clot-busting treatment for strokes than non-certified centers, reports a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/grupp/ Two children with an aggressive form of childhood leukemia had a complete remission of their disease—showing no evidence of cancer cells in their bodies—after treatment with a novel cell therapy that reprogrammed their immune cells to rapidly multiply and destroy leukemia cells. A research team from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania published the case report of two pediatric patients Online First today in The New England Journal of Medicine. It will appear in the April 18 print issue. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/pfo/ The results of two long-awaited clinical trials, testing a closure device versus medication to prevent stroke recurrence in young stroke survivors who have an opening in the atrial wall, have not provided enough evidence to conclude who, if anyone, is likely to benefit from the interventional procedure, according to an accompanying editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine co-authored by a Perelman School of Medicine researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/smoking/ Research has long shown the negative effects cigarette smoking has on cardiovascular health. But now, a new study from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania corroborates early evidence showing that cigarette smoking leads to longer healing times and an increased rate of post-operative complication and infection for patients sustaining fractures or traumatic injuries to their bone. The full results of the study are being presented this week at the 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting in Chicago. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/tha/ According to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, pre-operatively identifying patients with certain comorbid risk factors that may increase their chance of being admitted to the ICU following total hip replacement surgery results in fewer deaths, post-surgery complications, and unplanned ICU admissions. The full results of the study will be presented at the 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting this week in Chicago. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/choice/ Shared decision-making between patients and physicians about health care decisions has previously been presented as superior to an approach that emphasizes physicians taking a leading role in directing key aspects of a patient’s care. But now, a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, calls into question the efficacy of shared decision-making as a tool for eliciting a patient’s genuine preference for care. The results of the study will be presented this week at the 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Chicago. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/nemiroff/ Richard Nemiroff, MD, of Penn Care OB/GYN at Pennsylvania Hospital, has been awarded the Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. He is being honored for championing the reproductive rights of women and their families for over 40 years. Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/ahn/ By studying the underlying differences in gene expression during healing after a bone break in young versus aged mice, Jaimo Ahn, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues aim to find specific pathways of fracture healing in humans. Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/hamilton/ The brain's prefrontal cortex is thought to be the seat of cognitive control, working as a kind of filter that keeps irrelevant thoughts, perceptions and memories from interfering with a task at hand. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that inhibiting this filter can boost performance for tasks in which unfiltered, creative thoughts present an advantage. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/telestroke/ Telestroke programs substantially improve access to life-saving stroke care, extending coverage to less populated areas in an effort to reduce disparities in stroke care access. A new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, being presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego March 16-23, 2013, found that telemedicine programs in Oregon pushed stroke coverage into previously uncovered, less populated areas and expanded coverage by approximately 40 percent. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/tau/ Injecting synthetic tau fibrils into animal models induces Alzheimer's-like tau tangles and imitates the spread of tau pathology, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania being presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego March 16-23, 2013. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/grossman/ A series of studies demonstrate improved detection of the second most common form of dementia, providing diagnostic specificity that clears the way for refined clinical trials testing targeted treatments. The new research is being presented by experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego March 16-23, 2013. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/aan/ Penn experts will be presenting the latest advances in treatment and diagnosis of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and stroke at the American Academy of Neurology 65th Annual Meeting. Given the high global burden of rain disorders, which cause at least 25 percent of death and disability globally, the Penn team will gather with neurologists from around the world in San Diego, CA from March 16-23 as the field discusses the latest advances in neurological medicine, science and education. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/matchday/ At the stroke of noon on March 15th, 161 Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania students (77 women and 84 men) will gather in an emotion-filled ceremony to open their "residency placement" envelopes and learn where they will spend the next few years receiving their advanced medical training. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/wherry/ . John Wherry, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology and director of the Institute for Immunology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, report in PLOS Pathogens that influenza virus-specific CD8+ T cells or virus-specific non-neutralizing antibodies are each relatively ineffective at conferring protective immunity alone. But, when combined, the virus-specific CD8 T cells and non-neutralizing antibodies cooperatively elicit robust protective immunity. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/seale/ Brown fat cells, as opposed to white fat cells, make heat for the body, and are thought to have evolved to help mammals cope with the cold. But, their role in generating warmth might also be applied to coping with obesity and diabetes. Patrick Seale, PhD, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and postdoctoral fellow Sona Rajakumari, PhD, along with Jun Wu from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, found that a protein switch called early B cell factor-2 (Ebf2) determines which developmental path fat precursor cells take – the brown vs. white cell trajectory. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/ranking/ For the 16th year in a row, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States, according to an annual survey by U.S. News and World Report. In 2013, the School of Medicine was ranked #4 in the country. Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/kirkpatrick/ New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has revealed that many electrophysiology practitioners believe ICD and pacemaker deactivation to be ethically distinct and that an ICD should not be deactivated without discussion with patients and families, even in the face of medical futility. Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/rader/ The effects of weight loss and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the standard therapy for OSA, on blood pressure have been previously studied individually, but the incremental benefit of combination therapy (weight loss and CPAP therapy) over either therapy alone in obese patients with OSA has been unknown. Now, new research from a multidisciplinary team at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that the combination of these two therapies for patients with OSA can help lower blood pressure. Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/rader/ A small study from researchers the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that while niacin increased measured levels of HDL-C, it did not improve the functionality of HDL. Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/worm/ It happens to everyone: You stay up late one night to finish an assignment, and the next day, you're exhausted. Humans aren't unique in that; all animals need sleep, and if they don't get it, they must make it up. The biological term for that pay-the-piper behavior is "sleep homeostasis," and now, thanks to a research team at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, one of the molecular players in this process has been identified – at least in nematode round worms. Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/ppmc/ For the second consecutive year, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has ranked among the nation's top 100 hospitals, according to the annual study by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters. Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:59:59 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/rosenbaum/ The wide consensus that health care spending poses a threat to the nation’s fiscal solvency has led to the championing of “value” as a goal of health care reform efforts. But the divergence of opinions between patients and physicians on the meaning of value presents an obstacle to progress in achieving genuine reform, says Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and cardiologist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:59:59 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/yehia/ Addressing on the challenges that accompany transitions between health care settings could be a key strategy for improving clinical outcomes for people living with HIV, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/foskett/ A team of investigators from nine institutions discovered how ATP – the body's main fuel source– is released as the neurotransmitter from sweet, bitter, and umami, or savory, taste bud cells. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/diamond/ A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified several important risk factors, including a donor's smoking history and recipient obesity, linked to severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD), the major cause of serious illness and death after lung transplantation. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/hoshi/ Toshinori Hoshi, PhD, professor of Physiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues showed, in two papers out this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, how fish oils help lower blood pressure via vasodilation at ion channels. Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/doubeni/ A new study led by a researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania adds support to current medical recommendations stating that screening colonoscopy substantially reduces an average-risk adult’s likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in either the right or left side of the colon. Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/03/shorter/ A multi-institution group of researchers has found new candidate disease proteins for neurodegenerative disorders. Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/twc/ Hundreds are gathering this Friday – including this year’s Woman of Courage Award Recipient, Lillian M.J. Dixon and NY Giants linebacker and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich, in support of patients and families facing cancer at Together We Can, a benefit for the Joan Joan Karnell Cancer Center (JKCC) at Pennsylvania Hospital. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/morrisey/ Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, Penn researchers showed that development of progenitor cells in the lung is specifically regulated by the combined function of two highly related HDACs, HDAC/1 and /2. The researchers published their findings in this week's issue of Developmental Cell. Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/kaestner/ Treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin induced the expression of beta cell genes in alpha cells, according to a new study that appears online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/barrett/ According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, patients with Barrett's esophagus and early or pre-cancerous cells have been shown to significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope – a medical instrument used to look inside an organ or cavity in the body. Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/biomedical/ The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania announces the creation of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBI). Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/berger/ The recently published genome sequences of seven well-studied ant species are opening up new vistas for biology and medicine. A detailed look at molecular mechanisms that underlie the complex behavioral differences in two worker castes in the Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, has revealed a link to epigenetics. Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/rustgi/ A recently described master regulator protein may explain the development of aberrant cell growth in the pancreas spurred by inflammation. Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/jemmott/ John B. Jemmott, PhD, professor of Communication in Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine and Kenneth B. Clark Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, has been selected as one of 60 scholars profiled by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/reilly/ Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Massachusetts Amherst report in the latest edition of PLOS ONE utilizing a novel statistical tool to analyze existing large databases of genetic information to mine new information about genes that modulate low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and its downstream consequences, heart attack, stroke and death. Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/grandner/ A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows for the first time that certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration and that people who report eating a large variety of foods – an indicator of an overall healthy diet – had the healthiest sleep patterns. Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/geme/ Joseph W. St. Geme, III, M.D., has been named physician-in-chief of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1, 2013. Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/greenberg/ Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found a key determinant in the balance between two proteins, BRCA1 and 53BP1, in the DNA repair machinery. Breast and ovarian cancer are associated with a breakdown in the repair systems involving these proteins. Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/Halpern/ Advance care directives allow patients to provide instructions about their preferences for the care they would like to receive if they develop an illness or a life-threatening injury and lose the capacity to make decisions for themselves. While many people may assume that patients have strong preferences for the type and aggressiveness of care they wish to receive near life's end, a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniasuggests that for many patients, preferences for end-of-life care are constructed on the spot and heavily influenced by the ways in which the options are presented. Specifically, the investigators found that even when it comes to such seemingly personal decisions as end-of-life care, people tend to accept options that are presented as the default, much as they accept the default in choosing automobile insurance or whether to contribute to 401(k) programs. The research is published in the February 2013 issue of Health Affairs. Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/02/Trojanowski/ Mounting evidence demonstrates that the pathological proteins linked to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders are capable of spreading from cell-to-cell within the brains of affected individuals and thereby “spread” disease from one interconnected brain region to another. A new study found no evidence to support concerns that these abnormal disease proteins are “infectious” or transmitted from animals to humans or from one person to another. The study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services, appears online in JAMA Neurology. Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/kandalaft/ Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with late stage disease that is unresponsive to existing therapies. In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine show that a two-step personalized immunotherapy treatment — a dendritic cell vaccine using patients’ own tumor followed by adoptive T cell therapy — triggers anti-tumor immune responses in these type of patients. Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/artis/ David Artis, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, and Brian Kim, M.D., clinical instructor of Dermatology, from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, have identified a previously unknown critical role for a recently identified immune cell population in the progression of atopic dermatitis. Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/voight/ Benjamin F. Voight, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology and Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received an award for over $100,000 from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust to study the complex patterns of genetic inheritance and environmental factors that underlie cardiovascular disease specifically in type-2 diabetics. Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/hiv/ HIV patients who participated in an intervention that helped them identify barriers to taking their drugs properly and develop customized coping strategies took a significantly greater amount of their prescribed doses than those receiving standard care, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:15:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/trauma/ A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sought to examine peoples' willingness to be enrolled in trauma studies under the federal provisions that allow patients with time-sensitive illnesses and injuries to be part of clinical trials without their express consent. The study revealed that those surveyed expressed high levels of approval and willingness to be part of these types of trials, both for themselves and their family members and friends. Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:45:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/aspen/ The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) announced the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)'s Clinical Nutrition Support Services team as one of the inaugural recipients of its 2012 Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction award. Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:30:00 +0000 http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/01/fitzgerald/ Garret FitzGerald, MD, FRS chair of the Department of Pharmacology and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2013 Scheele Award. Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:30:00 +0000