HOUSTON-(Aug. 23, 2016)-Researchers at Houston Methodist have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) software that reliably interprets mammograms, assisting doctors with a quick and accurate prediction of breast cancer risk. According to a new study published in Cancer (early online Aug. 29), the computer software intuitively translates patient charts into diagnostic information at 30 times human speed and with 99 percent accuracy.

A new study suggests gaps exist in the treatment of depression with many individuals who screen positive for the mental health disorder not receiving treatment, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Previous research has suggested many adults with depression are not treated for their symptoms. Screening for depression has received increased attention with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommending that adults be screened for depression and that follow-up services for treatment be provided. Thus, it is important to assess national treatment patterns for those who screen positive for depression.

Primary care physicians are critical in identifying children and adolescents who have thyroid disorders and early identification and treatment helps to optimize growth and development.

Andrew J. Bauer, M.D., of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and coauthors examined the presentation, evaluation and treatment of thyroid disorders seen in primary care practice in a new review article published online by JAMA Pediatrics. The authors conducted a literature review and the article includes 83 publications.

The authors focused on congenital hypothyroidism, acquired hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and thyroid nodules.

WASHINGTON -- The average monthly emergency department visit increased by 5.7 percent in Illinois after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), although the population remained essentially flat. In Massachusetts, while visits to emergency departments climbed steadily between 2005 and 2014, availability of on-call specialists (surgeons, psychiatrists and other specialists) declined "significantly." The results of two state-specific studies were published online last Thursday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Increased Emergency Department Use in Illinois After Implementation of the Affordable Care Act" and "Decline in Consultant Availability in Massachusetts Emergency Departments: 2005 to 2014").

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Potential voters who see the nation as being in dire economic straits view a presidential candidate as more "presidential" when he or she uses high-intensity, emotional language, a new study suggests.

But people who think the country is doing just fine think a candidate sounds more presidential when the language is more restrained.

The results of the experimental study may help explain the appeal of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to their supporters, said David Clementson, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in communication at The Ohio State University.

"The success of each may boil down to which candidate does better matching his or her language intensity with their audience," Clementson said.

Several scientific studies have indicated that nicotine may be beneficial for memory function. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS set out to shed further light on the properties attributed to nicotine - which is known to have an adverse effect on health - by determining the precise structure of the nicotinic receptors in the hippocampus region of the brain. Using mouse models for Alzheimer's disease, they identified the β2 subunit of the nicotinic receptor as a target that, if blocked, prevents the memory loss associated with Alzheimer's. These results were published in Neurobiology of Aging on August 12, 2016.