Studies and Analyses

A study published in the February issue of the journal Radiology shows that a positron emission mammography (PEM) device designed and built by Jefferson Lab scientists is capable of imaging breast cancer tumors. In the pilot study, conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers, the unit imaged 18 malignant tumors in 23 patients receiving additional screening due to suspicious mammograms.

For many women, regular mammograms allow physicians to spot breast cancer tumor

Brain tests at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest that autistic children shy from eye contact because they perceive even the most familiar face as an uncomfortable threat.

The work deepens understanding of an autistic brain’s function and may one day inform new treatment approaches and augment how teachers interact with their autistic students.

Tracking the correlation between eye movements and brain activity, the researchers found that in autistic subjects, t

The use of motorbikes among children and adolescents is dangerous, on the rise and leading to a greater number of injuries, according to a new Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study. In addition, the study shows that children often ride motorbikes on public roads and, most of the time, without wearing helmets, leading to significantly increased severity of injury.

The study, published in the March issue of Pediatrics, concludes that children should not operate m

A new study documenting the treatment of late-life depression by Canadian health professionals will be presented today at the American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The study is the first to assess whether people diagnosed with late-life depression receive ’guideline concordant pharmacotherapy’ medication recommended in guidelines issued by the Canadian Psychiatric Association.

The research, conducted by Dr. Maida Sewitch at the McGill University Hea

A study finds that forced distribution ratings systems, where a predetermined percentage of low-performing employees is fired every year, can be an effective way to improve a company’s workforce, although these benefits diminish over time.

“A significant number of organizations either already use, or are considering using, ’rank and yank’ systems of the type we studied, said Steve Scullen, one of the authors and associate professor of management at Drake University.

Gap-toothed youngsters may not be the only ones who are a little sore when they leave the orthodontist’s office. While they sport tight braces on their teeth, their doctors may be nursing tight, aching backs, according to a study from the University of Alberta.

A study of graduate orthodontic students at the university and a practising orthodontist–who’d been working for 18 years–showed that long hours of bending low and working in patients’ mouths put heavy strain