Health and Medicine

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Dr Delphine Muriaux | Shining New Light on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Assembly Mechanisms

Dr Delphine Muriaux | Shining New Light on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Assembly Mechanisms

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) now have very effective treatment options to allow them to live long lives but the need for new and improved therapeutics remains. Dr Delphine Muriaux from Le Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Montpellier, France, researches HIV infection and replication utilising advanced state-of-the-art microscopy. This super-resolution imaging has led to new findings on the importance of the HIV-1 Gag proteins and the cellular host co-factor IRSp53, a membrane curving protein, and how they interact with host cell membranes.

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Understanding Women’s Sexual Pain from a Psychodynamic Standpoint

Understanding Women’s Sexual Pain from a Psychodynamic Standpoint

Sexual pain, often referred to as vaginismus and dyspareunia, can be a debilitating condition that prevents many women from having penetrative sexual intercourse. While many studies have investigated this disorder, its psychological underpinnings are not yet fully understood. Dr Thula Koops, Christian Wiessner, Professor Johannes Ehrenthal, and Professor Peer Briken at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf recently explored some of the psychological dimensions of women’s sexual pain. They conducted this research from the standpoint of psychodynamics, which involves exploring links to childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts and feelings.

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Dr Thula Koops – Professor Peer Briken | Real Life Stories: What Causes Sexual Pain Amongst Women?

Dr Thula Koops – Professor Peer Briken | Real Life Stories: What Causes Sexual Pain Amongst Women?

Limited research has explored the causes of sexual pain and difficulties with intercourse that are experienced by women across the world. Dr Thula Koops and Professor Peer Briken at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf have spoken to women experiencing these difficulties and listened to their real stories and thoughts on the origins of their sexual difficulties. Based on these interviews, two main themes emerged. The first links these difficulties to perceived implications of womanhood, while the second focuses on the separation between body and mind in relation to the cause.

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Dr Ruth McNair | Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Homelessness in Australia: Risk and Resilience Factors

Dr Ruth McNair | Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Homelessness in Australia: Risk and Resilience Factors

There is a strong link between identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) and homelessness. Dr Ruth McNair from the University of Melbourne analysed data investigating risk and resilience factors associated with homelessness according to sexual identity in the Australian population to understand the associations with homelessness and to improve LGB-inclusive homelessness policy and services.

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Professor Araceli Díaz Perales | Understanding the Key Role of Mould Spores in Allergic Asthma

Professor Araceli Díaz Perales | Understanding the Key Role of Mould Spores in Allergic Asthma

Professor Araceli Díaz Perales and her colleagues at the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics in Spain have made the discovery that mould spores on straw contribute to the increase in allergic asthma reactions. Their work utilising an experimental mouse model of human asthma has important implications for understanding, preventing and treating this common condition.

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Daniel Bryant, M.D | Single-Payer Health Care: Financial Implications for a Physician

Daniel Bryant, M.D | Single-Payer Health Care: Financial Implications for a Physician

When considering proposed reforms of the US health care system, some physicians dismiss a single-payer system that would provide health care for all residents, as they believe their incomes would be reduced. In a recent study, Daniel Bryant, M.D., finds that state-based single-payer schemes may actually lead to increased personal incomes for physicians. His work also provides a template for evaluating the financial consequences for physicians within a single-payer health care system.

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Professor Manoj Sharma | The Multi-theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change: Understanding Meditation, or ‘Dhyana’

Professor Manoj Sharma | The Multi-theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change: Understanding Meditation, or ‘Dhyana’

The multi-theory model – or ‘MTM’ – of health behavior change provides a theoretical framework for understanding and promoting health behaviors. Professor Manoj Sharma from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has now applied this model to understand the factors that lead people to take up meditation – or ‘dhyana’ – and to maintain this health-related behavior over time. His findings confirm the utility of the MTM in informing behavior change interventions and open up important avenues for future research.

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Dr Julia Gresky | A Missed Opportunity: Reports of Ancient Rare Diseases in the Paleopathological Literature

Dr Julia Gresky | A Missed Opportunity: Reports of Ancient Rare Diseases in the Paleopathological Literature

Dr Julia Gresky of the German Archaeological Institute and her colleagues examined the frequency and content of accounts of ancient rare diseases in the paleopathological literature. By studying published records over the past 45 years, the researchers provide a long-term perspective on the reporting of rare diseases in archaeological contexts. Despite methodological advancements, their work shows that there is much still to be achieved in this fascinating but understudied field.

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Simone Henriksen | Regulating the Quality of Treatment for Substance-related Disorders

Simone Henriksen | Regulating the Quality of Treatment for Substance-related Disorders

In Australia, like in many countries, substance related disorders remain a pressing societal concern. The Australian government recently introduced a new framework to help regulate the quality of care provided and this has been reviewed by Simone Henriksen from the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her analysis highlights a variety of challenges that need to be faced and she provides critical recommendations to support the implementation and sustained usage of the new framework.

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Professor Barrett S. Caldwell | Developing Effective Chronic Care Systems for Traumatic Brain Injury

Professor Barrett S. Caldwell | Developing Effective Chronic Care Systems for Traumatic Brain Injury

An estimated 69 million people worldwide are currently living with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI can lead to short- and long-term conditions including sleep disorders, depression, headaches and an increased risk of suicide. TBI has recently been recognised as a chronic condition, although the human factors involved in recovery remain understudied. Working to address this is Professor Barrett S. Caldwell who leads the GROUPER Laboratory at Purdue University, USA.

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Professor Nadezhda Sabeva – Professor Peter Ferchmin | Determining the Safety of the Tobacco Cembranoid 4R as a Neuroprotective Agent

Professor Nadezhda Sabeva – Professor Peter Ferchmin | Determining the Safety of the Tobacco Cembranoid 4R as a Neuroprotective Agent

Increased use of organophosphate chemicals in industry, agriculture and warfare has led to a rising threat of exposure to these neurotoxins in civilian and military populations. Though their danger has been recognised and efforts made to decrease concentrations used, even at low doses these chemicals can still pose significant risks to exposed individuals. Finding effective treatments to counteract the impact of exposure is becoming increasingly important and is the focus of research by Professor Nadezhda Sabeva and Professor Peter Ferchmin at the Universidad Central del Caribe, Puerto Rico.

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Dr Susmita Bose | 3D Printed Bone-like Materials for Delivering Natural Medicine

Dr Susmita Bose | 3D Printed Bone-like Materials for Delivering Natural Medicine

Some of the greatest advances in medical history have revolved around the creation of new materials that can replace damaged tissues in the body. Today, many researchers focus on creating materials that can replace damaged bone tissue, which often cannot heal naturally. Dr Susmita Bose and her team at Washington State University have been researching ways to engineer exciting new materials that mimic the structure of natural bone, allowing us to live happier, healthier, and longer lives.

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Dr Florian Lau | Creating DNA Nanonetworks for Early Disease Detection and Drug Delivery

Dr Florian Lau | Creating DNA Nanonetworks for Early Disease Detection and Drug Delivery

Nanotechnology offers exciting possibilities for the future of healthcare. Because of the tiny size of nano-devices, they are difficult to design and produce. Self-assembly, which involves taking simple structures and allowing them to combine to form larger, more complex structures, could be a solution to this problem. There are many examples of self-assembly in nature, such as the formation of DNA. Dr Florian Lau and his colleagues at the Institute of Telematics in Lübeck, Germany, research how to alter special building blocks of DNA – which they call ‘tiles’ – in such a way that allows them to self-assemble into ‘nanonetworks’.

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Debra Klages | Post-traumatic Growth in Health Professionals Who are Mothers of Adult Children with Schizophrenia

Debra Klages | Post-traumatic Growth in Health Professionals Who are Mothers of Adult Children with Schizophrenia

For young people with schizophrenia, their first experience of psychosis is often highly traumatic. Because of the close, nurturing relationships mothers typically have with their children, they too can experience trauma while witnessing their children’s disturbing psychotic episodes. As a result, mothers of adult children with schizophrenia often experience negative impacts on their physical and psychological health. Debra Klages takes a unique perspective by shedding light on how the traumatic experiences of health professionals with dual roles as mothers can lead to personal and professional growth and resilience.

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The Multi-theory Model of Health Behavior Change: Understanding Meditation, or ‘Dhyana’ | Professor Manoj Sharma

The Multi-theory Model of Health Behavior Change: Understanding Meditation, or ‘Dhyana’ | Professor Manoj Sharma

Meditation is the regular, purposeful practice of becoming aware of one’s bodily sensations, thoughts, or other points of focus. Professor Manoj Sharma, a global health promotion leader and Chair of the Social and Behavioral Health department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, wished to test whether a health behavioral model that he developed could explain why adults begin and maintain a meditation practice. While this multi-theory model – or ‘MTM’ – has been applied to many health-related behaviors, two domains are core to the model: initiation of a health behavior and sustenance of this behavior.

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Dr Maggie O’Haire | Dr Kerri Rodriguez – Service Dogs: Understanding Their Impact on Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Dr Maggie O’Haire | Dr Kerri Rodriguez – Service Dogs: Understanding Their Impact on Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event, such as being part of military combat. Dr Maggie O’Haire and Dr Kerri Rodriguez at Purdue University in the USA and their colleagues are working to better understand why and how PTSD service dogs may improve PTSD symptoms among military veterans.

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Professor Manoj Sharma | The Multi-theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change: Understanding the Determinants of Breast Cancer Screening

Professor Manoj Sharma | The Multi-theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change: Understanding the Determinants of Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women overall but there are stark differences in breast cancer risk and survival rates between racial and ethnic groups. Breast cancers must be detected at an early stage to ensure timely treatment and the reduction of premature mortality. Professor Manoj Sharma from the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, USA, is working with colleagues to gain an in-depth understanding of the determinants of undertaking mammogram screening in typically under-represented groups with a view to improving health through behaviour change.

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Access to Human Tissue for Collaborative Research

Access to Human Tissue for Collaborative Research

The Collaborative Biorepository for Translational Medicine (CBTM) is based at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Professor Kourosh Saeb-Parsy and the team work to provide reliable access to fresh tissue for collaborative research and to ensure the generously donated tissue has the best chance to make a positive impact.

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Professor Michael Bukrinsky | Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-morbidities: How Lipid Homeostasis Alterations Lead to Cardiovascular and Neurological Disorders

Professor Michael Bukrinsky | Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-morbidities: How Lipid Homeostasis Alterations Lead to Cardiovascular and Neurological Disorders

Professor Michael Bukrinsky at George Washington University in Washington DC is working with scientists across the globe to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the comorbidities associated with human immunodeficiency virus so that they can be targeted with therapies.

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Dr Kristin Parent | Bacteriophage Hunting: Searching for the Tiny Viruses That Kill Harmful Bacteria

Dr Kristin Parent | Bacteriophage Hunting: Searching for the Tiny Viruses That Kill Harmful Bacteria

Shigellosis is an infection of the Shigella bacteria with over 164 million cases each year leading to 1.1 million deaths. The ever-increasing antibiotic resistance of the bacteria means we need alternatives or supplements to existing antibiotics. Dr Kristin Parent from Michigan State University is working on exciting, collaborative projects hunting for bacteriophages to be used in novel therapeutics.

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Sarah Leighton | Can Psychiatric Assistance Dogs Help Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

Sarah Leighton | Can Psychiatric Assistance Dogs Help Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

Psychiatric assistance dogs trained to help with mental health symptoms have become increasingly popular as a complementary intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sarah Leighton and her colleagues from Purdue University and the University of Arizona in the USA are exploring the effectiveness of psychiatric assistance dog partnerships for military veterans with PTSD.

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Professor Derrick Robinson | Using Intrabodies to Induce Cell Death in Trypanosome Parasites

Professor Derrick Robinson | Using Intrabodies to Induce Cell Death in Trypanosome Parasites

Trypanosomes are single-celled parasites that cause life-threatening diseases in humans, domestic livestock and wild animals. In sub-Saharan Africa, infection with a species called Trypanosoma brucei or T.brucei causes African sleeping sickness, which results in organ failure and eventually fatal coma if left untreated. There are limited diagnostic tests and treatments available and much of trypanosome biology remains undiscovered.

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