Policy gurus advocate community-based approaches to senior housing
The latest installment of Public Policy & Aging Report (PPAR, Vol. 19, No. 1) evaluates current models of creating sustainable lifelong communities for people of all ages.
Archive | May, 2009
Slicing chromosomes leads to new insights into cell division
ANN ARBOR, Mich.?By using ultrafast laser pulses to slice off pieces of chromosomes and observe how the chromosomes behave, biomedical engineers at the University of Michigan have gained pivotal insights into mitosis, the process of cell division.
Their findings could help scientists better understand genetic diseases, aging and cancer.
IFAR contributes to study that finds genes that influence the start of menstruation
(Boston, Mass.)?Two scientists at the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife are part of an international team of investigators that has identified genes that influence the start of menstruation, a milestone of female reproductive health that has lifelong influences on overall health.
Take the Fit Brains Brain Lifestyle Quiz
The Brain Lifestyle Quiz is designed to help you learn more about your own brain health! The quiz uses research-based information to propose a healthy brain lifestyle relevant to your life. We recommend you repeat this survey every three months to see your progress.
Your brain health profile is comprised of five major areas:
1. Nutrition
2. Mental Stimulation
3. Spirituality
Baby boomers can eat their way to better health
A healthy lifestyle is key to reducing the risk of illness and chronic disease. By reducing excess intake of calories, saturated fat, sodium and simple sugars and increasing intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean meats, baby boomers may help reduce their risk of developing heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
Implications of Poverty on the Brain
Most advanced nations spend a significant amount of time, money, and energy dealing with poverty and the short and long term consequences for those who live in poverty. Policy statements are drafted and then implemented with varying degrees of success.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Recovery
I am often asked clinical questions pertaining to traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are two major types of TBI that include closed head injury (CHI) in which the skull is struck and does not fracture.
Regular light bulbs made super-efficient with ultra-fast laser
An ultra-powerful laser can turn regular incandescent light bulbs into power-sippers, say optics researchers at the University of Rochester.
Caltech scientists reveal how neuronal activity is timed in brain’s memory-making circuits
PASADENA, Calif.?Theta oscillations are a type of prominent brain rhythm that orchestrates neuronal activity in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for the formation of new memories. For several decades these oscillations were believed to be “in sync” across the hippocampus, timing the firing of neurons like a sort of central pacemaker.
Minimally invasive stroke treatment produces better patient outcomes than surgical operation
MINNEAPOLIS/ST.
Study suggests obese women should not gain weight
For years, doctors and other health-care providers have managed pregnant patients according to guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Height of large waves changes according to month
“Anybody who observes waves can see that they are not the same height in winter and summer, but rather that their height varies over time, and we have applied a ‘non- seasonal’ statistical model in order to measure extreme events such as these”, Fernando J.
Knock-out drugs: Narrow window for detection
Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. The Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006.
Continuous glucose monitoring technology — special issue of Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics
New Rochelle, NY, May 29, 2009?Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices represent a critical step toward achieving automated glucose measurement, offering people with diabetes a promising new tool for maintaining optimal glucose control.
Chemotherapy combination outcomes differ for aged, younger colon cancer patients
ORLANDO, Fla.–The combination of chemotherapies 5FU and oxaliplatin compared to 5FU alone after surgery for colon cancer decreases colon cancer recurrence and promotes longer survival for patients under 70 — but not for those who are older, according to Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists who will present their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO)
One in ten advanced colon cancer patients worry about prescription drug costs
ORLANDO, Fla.–The vast majority of advanced colon cancer patients in a clinical trial were not concerned about the cost of prescription drugs for managing chemotherapy side effects, such as infection, pain and nausea and few adopted strategies to reduce drug cost burdens after joining the clinical trial, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Researchers develop light-treatment device to improve sleep quality in the elderly
Troy, N.Y. ? Sleep disturbances increase as we age. Some studies report more than half of seniors 65 years of age or older suffer from chronic sleep disturbances. Researchers have long believed that the sleep disturbances common among the elderly often result from a disruption of the body’s circadian rhythms?biological cycles that repeat approximately every 24 hours.
