Health

Certain bacteria and immune factors in vagina may cause or protect against preterm birth

Seven types of bacteria and certain immune factors in a woman's vagina and cervix may be responsible for increasing the risk of spontaneous preterm birth or protect against it, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

A pleasure to burn: Why do people like spicy foods?

Humans are the only animals known to willingly eat foods that cause irritation, discomfort, and even pain.Theories for why range from thrill-seeking behavior to an evolutionary adaptation for seeking foods that reduce pathogens.Taste results from an interplay of genes, culture, memory, and personality, a complex design that scientists are only now beginning to understand. None If a Martian anthropologist found its way to a Clifton Chili Club Chili Eating Contest, it would discover one the univer...
Tags: Psychology, Food, Europe, Earth, Bacteria, Nature, Birds, Innovation, Evolution, University of Pennsylvania, Sherman, University Of Southern California, Evolutionary Psychology, Microbes, Biomechanics, Padron

Does Anxiety Cause PTSD or Does PTSD Cause Anxiety?

“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.” ― Susan Pease Banitt This question came up in conversation when I was speaking with someone who has experienced severe panic attacks to the point of calling them “debilitating”, requiring inpatient care.  As they were sharing about the ordeal, they told me that when they contemplate the time spent seeking treatment and the aftermath, it ramped up both the anxiety and PTSD symptoms...
Tags: Psychology, Personal, Ptsd, Anxiety, Trauma, Relaxation, Psychotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Anxiety And Panic, Self Care, Breathing Exercise, Martin Seligman, Aromatherapy, Michele, Michele Rosenthal, Rosenthal

Research Finds New Health Benefits from Sleep

“To die, to sleep — perchance to dream — ay, there’s the rub, for in this sleep of death what dreams may come…” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet Everyone requires sleep in order to function properly. Sleep is known to aid in healing, in memory formation, reducing stress, eliminating toxins – literally wiping the slate clean of the day’s experiences to begin anew. The subject of decades of research, sleep science continues to amass evidence of new health benefits from sleep. A Single Gene T...
Tags: Psychology, Sleep, Memory, Research, Insomnia, Agitation, Anger Management, University of Pennsylvania, Anger, Jackson, Nightmares, Smith, Sleep Disorder, Northwestern University, Memory And Perception, Circadian Rhythm

7 Winter Depression Busters

We’ve entered the “dark ages” as the midshipmen at the Naval Academy say — the weeks between Christmas break and Spring break when everyone turns a pasty white and the sidewalks are full of ugly slush. The lack of sunlight and the shorter days don’t help the pursuit of sanity. However, if you approach this time of year with a dose of creativity and enthusiasm, you need not fall down the rabbit hole of depression. Here are some ideas to keep your mood sunny when the weather is anything but. 1....
Tags: Psychology, General, Noah, Depression, Creativity, Epa, University of Pennsylvania, Ucla, Omega, Mental Health And Wellness, Motivation And Inspiration, Martin Seligman, Harvard Medical School, Fernandez, Naval Academy, Maddock

Psychology’s five revelations for finding your true calling

Look. You can't plan out your life. What you have to do is first discover your passion – what you really care about.Barack ObamaIf, like many, you are searching for your calling in life – perhaps you are still unsure which profession aligns with what you most care about – here are five recent research findings worth taking into consideration. First, there's a difference between having a harmonious passion and an obsessive passion. If you can find a career path or occupational goal that fires yo...
Tags: Psychology, Career, New York, Happiness, Mental Health, Work-life balance, Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Mind, Oprah Winfrey, Duckworth, University of South Florida, Felipe Calderon, Columbia Business School, Angela Duckworth, Barack ObamaIf

Misused veterinary prescriptions could contribute to the ongoing opioid epidemic

The increase in opioid prescriptions for people over the past decade may have been paralleled by an increase in opioid prescriptions for pets, according to a study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine

Podcast: A Delicious Ritual to Reduce Stress

  Living in our fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves stressed out, and many others don’t even realize how stressed they’ve become. Many people choose to ignore their stress, others use meditation, exercise, or other endeavors to reduce stress. This episode shares the story of a woman whose solution to stress involves regularly making challah, a traditional Jewish bread. Not only does the ritual of the making of the bread reduce stress, but the history and tradition of the bread are ...
Tags: Psychology, Amazon, General, Instagram, Wales, California, Stephen King, Los Angeles, Stress, Mindfulness, Ohio, University of Pennsylvania, Kitchenaid, Vincent, Gabe Howard, Don

World's first robot-assisted bilateral breast reconstruction performed by Penn surgeons

A team of surgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are the first in the world to use a surgical robot to assist with a bilateral free flap breast reconstruction - a procedure in which tissue is taken from the lower abdomen - similar to a "tummy tuck" - and used to rebuild the breast.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Penn, Perelman School of Medicine

Portion-Control in Social Media? How Limiting Time Increases Well-Being

“Today, spend a little time cultivating relationships offline. Never forget that everybody isn’t on social media.” – Germany Kent If you find yourself anxiously checking the posts of your social media contacts to see what’s going on in their world and can’t seem to curb the urge to stay riveted to your feed, new research on the negative effect of too much social media on well-being may be worth your time to review.1 Researchers Find Causal Link Between Social Media Time and Loneliness and De...
Tags: Psychology, Apple, Technology, Germany, Habits, Happiness, Research, Snapchat, Self-help, University of Pennsylvania, Memory And Perception, Facebook Instagram, Twitter Facebook Instagram, Portion Control in Social Media

Cutting social media use to 30 mins per day significantly reduces depression and loneliness

Prior research has shown that social media usage can negatively impact our mental health, but until now, very few studies have shown this experimentally.A study from the University of Pennsylvania asked study participants to limit their social media usage so their resulting mental health could be measured.The results tell us how to regulate our social media usage to improve our well-being. None In 2008, American adults used their mobile phones for about a half hour a day. Nearly a decade later, ...
Tags: Psychology, Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Snapchat, Mental Health, Brain, Depression, Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, BDI, Hunt, Facebook Instagram, Instagram Facebook, Melissa G Hunt, Penn Today Hunt

Study shows that social media makes you lonely and depressed

Prior research has shown that social media usage can negatively impact our mental health, but until now, very few studies have shown this experimentally.A study from the University of Pennsylvania asked study participants to limit their social media usage so their resulting mental health could be measured.The results tell us how to regulate our social media usage to improve our well-being. None In 2008, American adults used their mobile phones for about a half hour a day. Nearly a decade later, ...
Tags: Psychology, Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Snapchat, Mental Health, Brain, Depression, Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, BDI, Hunt, Facebook Instagram, Instagram Facebook, Melissa G Hunt, Penn Today Hunt

Abramson Cancer Center becomes the 28th member institution of National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) at the University of Pennsylvania announced today that it is joining the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) as its 28th member institution.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center, Abramson Cancer Center ACC, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, National Comprehensive Cancer Network NCCN

Psychology Around the Net: November 17, 2018

Ever wonder if there’s an actual psychology behind our love of the taste of coffee? Why social media can increase loneliness, rather than combat it? If writing your own eulogy could help you sort out your life? Wonder no more — it’s all here in this week’s Psychology Around the Net! The Funny Psychology of Why We Love the Taste of Coffee: According to a new study from Northwestern University, those of us who love coffee aren’t less sensitive to its bitter taste (which, at first, would make se...
Tags: Psychology, Instagram, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, UC Santa Barbara, Swansea University, Hunter College, Pavlov, Facebook Snapchat, Taste of Coffee, Michael Gurven, Melody Wilding, Melissa G Hunt

The one easy trick that will sharpen your decision-making

Every month, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Executive Education and Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change Management come together to release a "nano tool" that hones in on small changes you can make to improve your performance and leadership abilities. Their September suggestion highlights the positive impact — and widespread usage amongst successful people — of walking while making difficult decisions or thinking through complex problems.Walking has a long history as a regular h...
Tags: Psychology, Facebook, Happiness, Research, Meditation, Mindfulness, Creativity, Nature, Innovation, Philosophy, Charles Dickens, University of Pennsylvania, Mind, Stanford University, Aristotle, Elizabeth

Penn and CHOP receive major grant to help curb distracted driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,450 drivers are killed each year from distracted driving. M. Kit Delgado, MD, MS, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an associate fellow at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a team from Penn and CHOP have received a major grant from the Federal Highway Administration, an agenc...
Tags: Health, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Penn, Perelman School of Medicine, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Delgado, United States Department of Transportation, Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology

Research shows neural link between altruism and empathy for the pain of strangers

Giving up a kidney to a stranger requires a certain sense of selflessness, what's come to be known in social science as extraordinary altruism. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz wanted to understand the connection between this trait and empathy, specifically empathy for distress emotions.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Kristin Brethel Haurwitz

Embassy illnesses in Cuba point to mysterious world of microwave weapons

The director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania said in a recent interview that microwaves were now considered a main suspect, and the team was increasingly sure the diplomats had suffered brain injury.
Tags: Health, News, World, Nation, University of Pennsylvania, Cuba, Nation & World, Nation & World Politics, Center for Brain Injury and Repair

New personalized cellular therapy approved for use in the European Union

The European Commission has approved a personalized cellular therapy developed at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, making it the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy permitted for use in the European Union in two distinct indications.
Tags: Health, European Union, European Commission, University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center

How to separate good medical students from superb ones

Since the beginning of the fourth year of medical school, I have lived in six different cities and have been fortunate to call a Michigan apple orchard, an island on the Mississippi River, and a little apartment in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Boston home. I come to you as an emergency medicine intern fully immersed in the second month of residency excited about what the future holds as a newly minted physician-in-training. Yet, as I continue to integrate myself in a new city and role, I ...
Tags: Health, Education, Boston, Harvard, Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Emergency Medicine, Mississippi River, Medical School, Coolidge Corner

Scientists publish study results of AAV therapy product for treatment of RHO-adRP

Ophthotech Corporation announced today that scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Florida published proof-of-concept study results on an adeno-associated virus gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa licensed by Ophthotech.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, Ophthotech Corporation

Study explores how many American cities protect the rights of employed breastfeeding mothers

Of the 151 largest cities across the United States, only Philadelphia and New York City have legislation that protects a nursing mother who returns to work outside the home and who wants to continue breastfeeding, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia published in Breastfeeding Medicine.
Tags: Health, New York City, United States, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Children s Hospital

Reduced plasmalogen level may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease, shows study

Reduced levels of plasmalogens-;a class of lipids created in the liver that are integral to cell membranes in the brain-;are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease, according to new research presented this week at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2018 by Mitchel A. Kling, MD, an associate professor of Psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Mitchel A Kling

Study: Greening vacant urban land reduces feelings of depression for surrounding residents

Greening vacant urban land significantly reduces feelings of depression and improves overall mental health for the surrounding residents, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions show in a new randomized, controlled study published in JAMA Network Open.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, School of Arts Sciences

Brain stimulation can reduce a person's intention to commit violent act

Stimulating the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for controlling complex ideas and behaviors, can reduce a person's intention to commit a violent act by more than 50 percent, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and Nanyang Technological University.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Journal of Neuroscience

Electrical brain stimulation may help reduce violent crime in future – study

Researchers found that applying an electric current to a part of the brain linked to violent acts reduced people’s intentions to commit assaultIt could be a shocking way to treat future criminals. Scientists have found that a session of electrical brain stimulation can reduce people’s intentions to commit assaults, and raise their moral awareness.Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore explored the potential for brain stimulation ...
Tags: Psychology, Science, Singapore, Neuroscience, World news, University of Pennsylvania, Nanyang Technological University NTU

Targeting proteins in semen could prevent sexually transmitted spread of Ebola virus

Protein fragments, called amyloid fibrils, in human semen significantly increase Ebola virus infection and protect the virus against harsh environmental conditions such as heat and dehydration. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report these findings in a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine

Blocking viral-host interaction slows down flu virus replication, study shows

Influenza A (flu A) hijacks host proteins for viral RNA splicing and blocking these interactions caused replication of the virus to slow, according to new research published in Nature Communications by Kristin W. Lynch, PhD, chair of the department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and doctoral student Matthew Thompson.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Nature Communications, Perelman School of Medicine, Kristin W Lynch

'Antifreeze' molecules may hold key to better treatments for brain injuries

The key to better treatments for brain injuries and disease may lie in the molecules charged with preventing the clumping of specific proteins associated with cognitive decline and other neurological problems, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in a new study published in Neurobiology of Disease.
Tags: Health, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine

Researchers understand the role of brain's ‘reward circuit’ in autism spectrum disorder

A pair of recent studies performed by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania represents a significant step forward in understanding the role of the brain's "reward circuit" and certain hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder, namely difficulty interpreting or engaging in typical social behavior and restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors.
Tags: Health, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Children s Hospital