Health & Medicine

  • Radiotracer effective for detection and assessment of lung fibrosis
    on June 12, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Positron emission tomography (PET) using a 68Ga-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) can noninvasively identify and monitor pulmonary fibrosis, according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting. By binding to activated fibroblasts present in affected lungs, FAPI-PET allows for direct imaging of the disease process.

  • AI predicts how patients with viral infections, including COVID-19, will fare
    on June 11, 2021 at 4:00 am

    UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered gene expression patterns associated with pandemic viral infections, providing a map to help define patients’ immune responses, measure disease severity, predict outcomes and test therapies — for current and future pandemics.

  • Are we genetically ‘grounded’?
    on June 11, 2021 at 4:00 am

    Scientists found that the ability to fly is embedded in birds’ spinal cords. The team closely examined the neural networks of chicken and mice embryos and discovered that the genetic coding of the ephrin-B3 molecule in birds is fundamentally different than those of mammals and reptiles.

  • Deep learning with SPECT accurately predicts major adverse cardiac events
    on June 12, 2021 at 9:13 am

    An advanced artificial intelligence technique known as deep learning can predict major adverse cardiac events more accurately than current standard imaging protocols, according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021 Annual Meeting. Utilizing data from a registry of more than 20,000 patients, researchers developed a novel deep learning network that has the potential to provide patients with an individualized prediction of their annualized risk for adverse events such as heart attack or death.

  • Brazil green-lights Pfizer vaccine for kids 12 and up
    on June 12, 2021 at 9:13 am

    Brazil’s health regulator approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Friday for use in children aged 12 and up, though they will likely have to wait months in line for older age groups to be vaccinated first.

  • Pandemic surges in Africa as it slows elsewhere
    on June 12, 2021 at 9:12 am

    Coronavirus cases continued to soar in Africa as they slowed elsewhere in the world for the sixth week in a row, throwing vaccine inequalities starkly into the spotlight.

  • Teen girls suicide attempts up dramatically in pandemic: study
    on June 12, 2021 at 9:07 am

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts by teenage girls rose significantly last year compared to 2019, highlighting the mental health impact of the pandemic.