ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New studies shed light on what it cost to vaccinate girls against HPV in low income countries
• How elderly go from being perceived as capable consumer to 'old person'
• Smoking parents often expose children to tobacco smoke in their cars
• Divorce costs thousands of American women health insurance coverage
• Emotional disconnection disorder threatens marriages, researcher says
• Dance intervention improves self-rated health of girls with internalizing problems
• Fasting time prior to blood lipid tests appears to have limited association with lipid levels
• Catch and release of rare cancer cells inspired by jellyfish
• Jellyfish-inspired device that captures cancer cells from blood samples could enable better patient monitoring
• Saving lives could start at shift change: A simple way to improve hospital handoff conversations
• L-DOPA therapy for Angelman syndrome may have both benefits and unanticipated effects, study suggests
• Cold weather increases carbon monoxide dangers
• Housing quality associated with children's burn injury risk
• Nurse practitioners: The right prescription to ease doctor shortage?
• Head injury and pesticide exposure leads to triple the risk of Parkinson’s disease
• Cilia guide neuronal migration in developing brain
• Meditation appears to produce enduring changes in emotional processing in the brain
• Genetic link between pancreatitis and alcohol consumption
• Humans are slowly but surely losing intellectual and emotional abilities, article suggests
• How chronic inflammation can cause cancer
• List of diseases spread by deer tick grows, including malaria-like problems and potentially fatal encephalitis
• No more diabetes: Not all bariatric surgeries are created equal when it comes to getting rid of diabetes and unwanted pounds
• Gene sequencing project identifies abnormal gene that launches rare childhood leukemia
• Early clinical observations in the fungal meningitis outbreak
• Genome sequencing of Burkitt Lymphoma reveals unique mutation
• New live vaccine approach for SARS and novel coronaviruses discovered
• Patients shy away from asking healthcare workers to wash hands
• Ultrasound gel and infections: Researchers propose guidelines to reduce risk
• Smart drug improves survival in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia
• Bringing measuring accuracy to radical treatment
• Job stress and mental health problems contribute to higher rates of physician suicide
• Call for global monitoring of infectious diseases in dogs and cats
• Genetic defense mechanism may offer biological clue to racial disparities in kidney disease
• Mobile apps make reading fun for children with dyslexia, occupational therapist says
• Children’s headaches rarely indicate a need for eyeglasses, study finds
• Soothing sounds during cataract surgery reduces patient anxiety
• Physicians often fail to disclose conflicts of interest on social media
• Combination of PI3-kinase and PARP inhibitors may offer new treatment option for triple-negative breast cancers
• Systematic incarceration of African American males is a wrong, costly path
• Black patients with kidney cancer have poorer survival than whites, study finds
• Expert: Time to break the beta blocker habit?
• Did wild birds cause the 2010 deadly West Nile virus outbreak in Greece?
• How bacteria attack their host cells with sticky lollipops
• Place in the sun carries risks for outdoor workers
• The consequences of late preterm birth
• Mongolia and the Altai Mountains: Origins of genetic blending between Europeans and Asians
• Obesity epidemic threatens health of all social groups equally, Swedish study finds
• New statistical method offers automatic mitotic cell detection for cancer diagnosis
• Software prevents depression during and after pregnancy, study finds
• Helmets save lives of skiers and snowboarders, study suggests

New studies shed light on what it cost to vaccinate girls against HPV in low income countries Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:17 PM PST Two new studies examined the cost of delivering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to primary school girls in Tanzania. Both studies found that the cost of HPV vaccine delivery to adolescent girls may be substantially higher compared with the cost of delivering a new vaccine to an infant where the delivery schedule matches the existing infant immunization schedule.

How elderly go from being perceived as capable consumer to 'old person' Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST Many baby boomers want to improve the way people view aging, but a researcher has found they often reinforce negative stereotypes of old age when interacting with their own parents, coloring the way those seniors experience their twilight years.

Smoking parents often expose children to tobacco smoke in their cars Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST A new study suggests that parents may not recognize the dangers of smoking in their cars with a child present.

Divorce costs thousands of American women health insurance coverage Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST About 115,000 American women lose private health insurance every year in the wake of divorce, a study shows.

Emotional disconnection disorder threatens marriages, researcher says Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST An interpersonal communication researchers found when one spouse suffers from alexithymia, the partners can experience loneliness and a lack of intimate communication that lead to poor marital quality.

Dance intervention improves self-rated health of girls with internalizing problems Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST A dance intervention program improved the self-rated health of Swedish girls with internalizing problems, such as stress and psychosomatic symptoms.

Fasting time prior to blood lipid tests appears to have limited association with lipid levels Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST Fasting prior to blood lipid tests appears to have limited association with lipid subclass levels, suggesting that fasting for routine lipid level determinations may be unnecessary.

Catch and release of rare cancer cells inspired by jellyfish Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST A research team has developed a novel device that may one day have broad therapeutic and diagnostic uses in the detection and capture of rare cell types, such as cancer cells, fetal cells, viruses and bacteria.

Jellyfish-inspired device that captures cancer cells from blood samples could enable better patient monitoring Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST Tumor cells circulating in a patient's bloodstream can yield a great deal of information on how a tumor is responding to treatment and what drugs might be more effective against it. But first, these rare cells have to be captured and isolated from the many other cells found in a blood sample. Scientists are now working on microfluidic devices that can isolate circulating tumor cells.

Saving lives could start at shift change: A simple way to improve hospital handoff conversations Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST At hospital shift changes, doctors and nurses exchange crucial information about the patients they're handing over -- or at least they strive to. In reality, they might not spend enough time talking about the toughest cases, according to a new study.

L-DOPA therapy for Angelman syndrome may have both benefits and unanticipated effects, study suggests Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:12 PM PST New research from the University of North Carolina provides a neurological justification for this therapeutic approach, but researchers caution there could be unanticipated effects.

Cold weather increases carbon monoxide dangers Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:12 PM PST With temperatures dropping and cold weather settling in, people will turn to gas furnaces, space heaters and fireplaces for warmth. Not so fast, caution pulmonologists from Harris Health System, who recommend that everyone get those devices checked for carbon monoxide leaks. Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is the gas byproduct of the incomplete combustion of fuel used in cars, gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal or wood, gas ranges, fireplaces and heaters.

Housing quality associated with children's burn injury risk Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:10 PM PST New study finds that many children may be at heightened risk for fire and scald burns by virtue of living in substandard housing.

Nurse practitioners: The right prescription to ease doctor shortage? Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:10 PM PST Reports indicate that Michigan faces a physician shortage much larger than the national average, and it will grow as millions of Americans qualify for insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Head injury and pesticide exposure leads to triple the risk of Parkinson’s disease Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:10 PM PST A new study shows that people who have had a head injury and have lived or worked near areas where the pesticide paraquat was used may be three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

Cilia guide neuronal migration in developing brain Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:03 PM PST A new study demonstrates the dynamic role cilia play in guiding the migration of neurons in the embryonic brain. Cilia are tiny hair-like structures on the surfaces of cells, but here they are acting more like radio antennae. In developing mouse embryos, researchers were able to see cilia extending and retracting as neurons migrate. The cilia appear to be receiving signals needed for neurons to find their places.

Meditation appears to produce enduring changes in emotional processing in the brain Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:03 PM PST A new study has found that participating in an eight-week meditation training program can have measurable effects on how the brain functions even when someone is not actively meditating. The researchers also found differences in those effects based on the specific type of meditation practiced.

Genetic link between pancreatitis and alcohol consumption Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:55 AM PST A new study reveals a genetic link between chronic pancreatitis and alcohol consumption. Researchers found a genetic variant on chromosome X near the claudin-2 gene (CLDN2) that predicts which men who are heavy drinkers are at high risk of developing chronic pancreatitis.

Humans are slowly but surely losing intellectual and emotional abilities, article suggests Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:55 AM PST Human intelligence and behavior require optimal functioning of a large number of genes, which requires enormous evolutionary pressures to maintain. A provocative theory suggests that we are losing our intellectual and emotional capabilities because the intricate web of genes endowing us with our brain power is particularly susceptible to mutations and that these mutations are not being selected against in our modern society.

How chronic inflammation can cause cancer Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:55 AM PST A new study has found that interleukin-15 (IL-15) alone can cause large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia, a rare and usually fatal form of cancer. The researchers developed a treatment for the leukemia that showed no discernible side effects in an animal model. The study shows that IL-15 is also overexpressed in patients with LGL leukemia and that it causes similar cellular changes, suggesting that the treatment should also benefit people with the malignancy.

List of diseases spread by deer tick grows, including malaria-like problems and potentially fatal encephalitis Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:55 AM PST An emerging tick-borne disease that causes symptoms similar to malaria is expanding its range in areas of the northeast where it has become well-established, according to new research.

No more diabetes: Not all bariatric surgeries are created equal when it comes to getting rid of diabetes and unwanted pounds Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:52 AM PST There are more than 72 million obese people in the United States, and tens of millions of them have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, an epidemic that continues to grow at a rapid pace. The good news is that certain types of bariatric surgery are proving to be effective options in eliminating diabetes and reducing weight. A recent study found that 36 percent of gastric bypass patients did not need diabetes medication two weeks after surgery and 67 percent were medication free after one year.

Gene sequencing project identifies abnormal gene that launches rare childhood leukemia Posted: 12 Nov 2012 10:52 AM PST Research has identified a fusion gene responsible for almost 30 percent of a rare subtype of childhood leukemia with an extremely poor prognosis. The finding offers the first evidence of a mistake that gives rise to a significant percentage of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) cases in children. AMKL accounts for about 10 percent of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The discovery paves the way for desperately needed treatment advances.

Early clinical observations in the fungal meningitis outbreak Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:32 AM PST A new article describes the diagnosis and treatment protocol established in a Roanoke, Va. hospital to care for dozens of patients presenting with suspected fungal meningitis related to contaminated epidural spinal injections. This unprecedented surge of patients seeking care for a rare central nervous system (CNS) infection required physicians to react quickly with little data to guide treatment decisions. The authors suggest that the data collected from these cases may fill information gaps and inform current and future therapy for fungal meningitis patients.

Genome sequencing of Burkitt Lymphoma reveals unique mutation Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:31 AM PST In the first broad genetic landscape mapped of a Burkitt lymphoma tumor, scientists identified 70 mutations, including several that had not previously been associated with cancer and a new one that was unique to the disease.

New live vaccine approach for SARS and novel coronaviruses discovered Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:31 AM PST Researchers have found that accelerating the rate of mutations in the coronavirus responsible for deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome cripples the virus's ability to cause disease in animals.

Patients shy away from asking healthcare workers to wash hands Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:31 AM PST According to a new study, most patients at risk for healthcare-associated infections agree that healthcare workers should be reminded to wash their hands, but little more than half would feel comfortable asking their physicians to wash. The study points to the need for patient empowerment to improve hand hygiene of healthcare workers.

Ultrasound gel and infections: Researchers propose guidelines to reduce risk Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:31 AM PST Guidelines have been proposed by epidemiologists to reduce the risk of infection from contaminated gels. The recommendations are based on the authors' own experiences with an outbreak traced to contaminated ultrasound transmission gel.

Smart drug improves survival in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia Posted: 12 Nov 2012 08:31 AM PST A new study has found acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients given a new type of 'smart drug' in addition to chemotherapy treatment are 22 per cent less likely to relapse and around 13 per cent less likely to die from their disease.

Bringing measuring accuracy to radical treatment Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:14 AM PST An international team of scientists has determined for the first time the absolute density of active substances called radicals found in a state of matter known as plasma, in a new study. These findings could have important implications for medicine -- for example, for stimulating tissue regeneration, or to induce a targeted antiseptic effect in vivo without affecting neighboring tissues.

Job stress and mental health problems contribute to higher rates of physician suicide Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:14 AM PST Despite high access to health care, doctors are less likely to seek mental health treatment; trouble at work is associated with higher suicide risk for physicians, according to new research.

Call for global monitoring of infectious diseases in dogs and cats Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:10 AM PST Most emerging infectious diseases of humans come from animals. International health agencies monitor these diseases, but they do so only for humans and livestock, not for companion dogs and cats. A new study recommends a global system is needed to monitor infectious diseases of companion dogs and cats.

Genetic defense mechanism may offer biological clue to racial disparities in kidney disease Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST Genetic changes that protected their ancestors against fly-borne parasites may partly explain why African-Americans with lupus are up to five times more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease than those of European descent.

Mobile apps make reading fun for children with dyslexia, occupational therapist says Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST Mobile apps and daily visual activities encourage children with dyslexia to participate in reading exercises.

Children’s headaches rarely indicate a need for eyeglasses, study finds Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST A new study provides the first clear evidence that vision or eye problems are rarely the cause of recurring headaches in children, even if the headaches usually strike while the child is doing schoolwork or other visual tasks. Many parents assume that frequent headaches mean their child needs glasses, so they ask their doctor to refer their child for an eye exam. This study was conducted by pediatric ophthalmologists who wanted to find reliable answers for parents, family doctors and pediatricians facing this common health question.

Soothing sounds during cataract surgery reduces patient anxiety Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST New research shows that the use of an audio therapy known as binaural beats can significantly reduce patients' anxiety during cataract surgery. The 141-patient study, conducted in Thailand, is the first of its kind in cataract surgery, which is one of the most frequently performed procedures worldwide, with more than 3 million performed annually in the United States.

Physicians often fail to disclose conflicts of interest on social media Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST As the use of Twitter and other social media by physicians and patients rises, more and more physicians seem to forget to do what many consider crucial for building doctor-patient trust: disclose potential conflicts of interest. However, physicians are not entirely at fault: prominent medical societies have failed to lay out comprehensive guidelines for physicians on when and how to disclose a conflict of interest when utilizing social media.

Combination of PI3-kinase and PARP inhibitors may offer new treatment option for triple-negative breast cancers Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:59 AM PST The simultaneous inhibition of two separate and seemingly unrelated pathways could potentially provide an effective treatment for women with triple-negative breast cancer, according to results of two new studies.

Systematic incarceration of African American males is a wrong, costly path Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:07 AM PST Mental health experts have released the first comprehensive report on the correlation between the incarceration of African American males and substance abuse and other health problems in the United States. The authors conclude that the moral and economic costs of current racial disparities in the judicial system are fundamentally avoidable, especially if more resources are spent on education and treatment.

Black patients with kidney cancer have poorer survival than whites, study finds Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:07 AM PST Among patients with the most common form of kidney cancer, whites consistently have a survival advantage over blacks, regardless of patient and tumor characteristics or surgical treatment. That is the conclusion of a new study, the results of which suggest that additional efforts are needed to prolong the survival of all patients with kidney cancer.

Expert: Time to break the beta blocker habit? Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:07 AM PST First developed in the 1950s, beta blockers have been a mainstay in medicine for decades, used to treat everything from heart disease to stage fright to glaucoma. But some older classes of beta blockers are causing new concerns.

Did wild birds cause the 2010 deadly West Nile virus outbreak in Greece? Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:05 AM PST In 2010, 35 people in Greece died from a West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak, with a further 262 laboratory-confirmed human cases. A new article examines whether wild or migratory birds could have been responsible for importing and amplifying the deadly virus.

How bacteria attack their host cells with sticky lollipops Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:05 AM PST Yersinia enterocolitica, a pathogenic bacterium, causes fever and diarrhea. With the help of a protein anchored in its membrane, Yersinia attaches to its host cells and infects them. Scientists have determined the structure of an important component of the membrane protein and have gained insight into its biogenesis. The membrane proteins provide an interesting starting point for the development of new antibiotics against pathogens.

Place in the sun carries risks for outdoor workers Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:04 AM PST Those individuals who work outdoors with resultant sun exposure are at increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. A new study shows that the connection between occupational UV exposure and squamous cell carcinoma is now well-established.

The consequences of late preterm birth Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:04 AM PST Delivery at any time before the 39th week of gestation increases the risk of postnatal problems and mortality. A team of authors has analyzed mortality and morbidity data from epidemiological studies of infants born between two and six weeks preterm, comparing them with infants born at full term.

Mongolia and the Altai Mountains: Origins of genetic blending between Europeans and Asians Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:04 AM PST A group of researchers has discovered the first scientific evidence of genetic blending between Europeans and Asians in the remains of ancient Scythian warriors living over 2,000 years ago in the Altai region of Mongolia. Contrary to what was believed until now, the results indicate that this blending was not due to an eastward migration of Europeans, but to a demographic expansion of local Central Asian populations, thanks to the technological improvements the Scythian culture brought with them.

Obesity epidemic threatens health of all social groups equally, Swedish study finds Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:04 AM PST It is often assumed that those on low incomes and with low levels of education are overly represented in the major increase in obesity of recent decades. New research from Sweden shows that obesity is increasing across all social groups and that we need to look at factors other than socioeconomic status to understand and solve one of the major public health concerns of the Western world.

New statistical method offers automatic mitotic cell detection for cancer diagnosis Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST Scientists have developed a statistical image analysis method which can assist in the grading of breast cancer by automatically segmenting tumour regions and detecting dividing cells in tissue samples.

Software prevents depression during and after pregnancy, study finds Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST Despite 6 to 8 percent of women in Spain suffering depression during and after pregnancy, there are few effective tools for early detection and treatment. Researchers in Spain are working on developing a psychological on-line assessment tool to detect and prevent emotional disturbances during pregnancy and after childbirth. It is a tool that through Internet will assess, diagnose and, in the future, intervene, in cases of prenatal and postnatal depression.

Helmets save lives of skiers and snowboarders, study suggests Posted: 12 Nov 2012 05:49 AM PST The use of helmets by skiers and snowboarders decreases the risk and severity of head injuries and saves lives, new research suggests. The findings debunk long-held beliefs by some that the use of helmets gives athletes a false sense of security and promotes dangerous behavior that might increase injuries.

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