ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Rapid, point-of-care tests for syphilis: The future of diagnosis
• Sitting less and moving about more could be more important than vigorous exercise to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
• NHL drafts the wrong players due to birthday bias
• Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures
• Higher indoor humidity inactivates flu virus particles
• Quantity of sugar in food supply linked to diabetes rates, researcher says
• Praising children for their personal qualities may backfire
• Emergency room patients ask: How much will I be charged?
• Study explores distinctions in cognitive functioning for centenarians
• Protein balance key in preventing cancer
• Risk of heart attack death may increase after adult sibling's death
• Possible treatment window for memory problems identified
• Changing shape makes chemotherapy drugs better at targeting cancer cells
• Reading the human genome: First step-by-step look at transcription initiation
• Research explores factors that impact adolescent mental health
• Canadian adult obesity at historic high
• Lipid researcher, 98, reports on the dietary causes of heart disease
• Molecule does double duty in stopping asthma attacks
• Infusion of stem cells and specially generated T-cells from same donor improves leukemia survival
• Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo skin disorder
• Swine cells could power artificial liver
• Discovery opens door to multipronged attack against skin common cancer, study shows
• Patients with diabetes at no greater risk for infection or other complications after total knee replacement
• Name your neighborhood, define your health?
• Man walks again after surgery to reverse muscle paralysis
• Viruses can have immune systems: A pirate phage commandeers the immune system of bacteria
• Help from nature in fighting cancer: Compounds based on a fungal chemical show potent anti-tumor activity
• Study connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthood
• Good bacteria may expunge vancomycin-resistant bacteria from your gut
• New insight into how people choose insurance plans
• Contaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPA
• For pain control during early labor, combined spinal-epidural analgesia is best: study
• New cancer 'vaccine' shows future promise in treating and preventing metastatic cancers
• Promising breakthrough for transplant patients
• Defining the new normal in aging
• New studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givers
• Married opposite-sex couples have better overall health than same-sex couples who live together
• Seeing through HIV's disguises
• Resurrection of 3-billion-year-old antibiotic-resistance proteins
• 'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autism
• Superbug CRE may endure in patients one year after initial infection
• Popular video dancing game may reduce cognitive, physical impacts of multiple sclerosis
• Pessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier life
• Discovery on animal memory opens doors to research on memory impairment diseases
• Studying the health of same-sex couples
• Learning and stress: Hormone Homer prevents stress-induced cognitive deficits
• Invention opens the way to packaging that monitors food freshness
• Too much vitamin D during pregnancy can cause food allergies, research suggests
• Vaccination for all Meningitis strains?
• Cell sugar concentrations affect hyaluronan production and cancer growth
• Same-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggests
• Increased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccine
• Just a drop? Alcohol consumption much higher than reported in England
• Biting back: Snake venom contains toxic clotting factors
• Ability to recognize emotions in others impaired by AIDS
• Over a million pregnant women infected with syphilis worldwide

Rapid, point-of-care tests for syphilis: The future of diagnosis Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:35 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated that rapid and point-of-care tests (POC) for syphilis are as accurate as conventional laboratory tests. The findings call for a major change in approach to syphilis testing and recommend replacing first line laboratory tests with POC tests globally, especially in resource-limited settings.

Sitting less and moving about more could be more important than vigorous exercise to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:35 PM PST New research reveals that individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes would benefit from being told to sit less and move around more often -- rather than simply exercising regularly. The experts suggest that reducing sitting time by 90 minutes in total per day could lead to important health benefits.

NHL drafts the wrong players due to birthday bias Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:35 PM PST A hockey player's birthday strongly biases how professional teams assess his talent, according to a new study.

Wii-playing surgeons may improve performance on laparoscopic procedures Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:35 PM PST Laparoscopic surgeons may improve certain aspects of surgical performance by regularly playing on a Nintendo Wii, according to new research.

Higher indoor humidity inactivates flu virus particles Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:34 PM PST Higher humidity levels indoors can significantly reduce the infectivity of influenza virus particles released by coughing, according to new research.

Quantity of sugar in food supply linked to diabetes rates, researcher says Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:34 PM PST Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes? For years, scientists have said "not exactly." Eating too much of any food, including sugar, can cause you to gain weight; it's the resulting obesity that predisposes people to diabetes, according to the prevailing theory.

Praising children for their personal qualities may backfire Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:33 PM PST Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.

Emergency room patients ask: How much will I be charged? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:33 PM PST It's a basic, reasonable question: How much will this cost me? For patients in the emergency room, the answer all too often is a mystery.

Study explores distinctions in cognitive functioning for centenarians Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:51 PM PST A group of researchers used a statistical technique to identify the prevalence of cognitive impairment in centenarians and try to understand the cognitive changes that are part of extreme aging.

Protein balance key in preventing cancer Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:20 PM PST Two proteins that scientists once thought carried out the same functions are actually antagonists of each other, and keeping them in balance is key to preventing diseases such as cancer, according to new findings. The results suggest that new compounds could fight cancer by targeting the pathways responsible for maintaining the proper balance between the proteins.

Risk of heart attack death may increase after adult sibling's death Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:20 PM PST The death of an adult sibling is associated with increased risk of death from heart attack among surviving siblings, especially if the sibling died of a heart attack. The increased risk is most evident years after the death. Healthcare providers should follow bereaved siblings to help recognize signs of acute or chronic psycho-social stress mechanisms that could lead to heart attack.

Possible treatment window for memory problems identified Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:19 PM PST Researchers have identified a possible treatment window of several years for plaques in the brain that are thought to cause memory loss in diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Changing shape makes chemotherapy drugs better at targeting cancer cells Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:15 PM PST Bioengineering researchers have found that changing the shape of chemotherapy drug nanoparticles from spherical to rod-shaped made them up to 10,000 times more effective at specifically targeting and delivering anti-cancer drugs to breast cancer cells.

Reading the human genome: First step-by-step look at transcription initiation Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:13 PM PST Researchers have achieved a major advance in understanding how genetic information is transcribed from DNA to RNA by providing the first step-by-step look at the biomolecular machinery that reads the human genome.

Research explores factors that impact adolescent mental health Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.

Canadian adult obesity at historic high Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST Obesity rates across Canada are reaching alarming levels and continue to climb, according to a new study.

Lipid researcher, 98, reports on the dietary causes of heart disease Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST A 98-year-old researcher argues that, contrary to decades of clinical assumptions and advice to patients, dietary cholesterol is good for your heart -- unless that cholesterol is unnaturally oxidized (by frying foods in reused oil, eating lots of polyunsaturated fats, or smoking).

Molecule does double duty in stopping asthma attacks Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST Scientists are on the brink of the next treatment advancement that may spell relief for the nearly 19 million adults and seven million children in the United States suffering from asthma. The scientists discovered two new drug targets in the inflammatory response pathway responsible for asthma attacks.

Infusion of stem cells and specially generated T-cells from same donor improves leukemia survival Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST In a significant advance for harnessing the immune system to treat leukemias, researchers for the first time have successfully infused large numbers of donor T-cells specific for a key anti-leukemic antigen to prolong survival in high-risk and relapsed leukemia patients after stem cell transplantation. Both the stem cells for transplant and the T-cells came from the same matched donors.

Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo skin disorder Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:09 PM PST Researchers have developed a genetically modified protein that dramatically reverses the skin disorder vitiligo in mice, and has similar effects on immune responses in human skin tissue samples. The modified protein is potentially the first effective treatment for vitiligo.

Swine cells could power artificial liver Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:44 AM PST Scientists are examining a line of "immortal" swine cells that can differentiate into liver cells. These cells could be part of an artificial liver device, which could reduce the need for liver transplants.

Discovery opens door to multipronged attack against skin common cancer, study shows Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:44 AM PST Researchers have identified a second way to block the activity of the signaling cascade, called the Hedgehog pathway, that is abnormally active in a common type of skin cancer.

Patients with diabetes at no greater risk for infection or other complications after total knee replacement Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:44 AM PST Patients with diabetes were no more likely to suffer infection, deep vein thrombosis (a deep vein blood clot) or other complications following total knee replacement than patients without diabetes, according to new research.

Name your neighborhood, define your health? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:43 AM PST Does your neighborhood really define health? Most of us make a choice between suburbs, countryside, or city and settle down. But others, particularly those living in poverty, don't always get to make that choice —- the choice that could actually determine our quality and length of life. So how does this choice affect our health?

Man walks again after surgery to reverse muscle paralysis Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:43 AM PST After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery to restore the use of his leg.

Viruses can have immune systems: A pirate phage commandeers the immune system of bacteria Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:43 AM PST A new study reports that a viral predator of the cholera bacteria has stolen the functional immune system of bacteria and is using it against its bacterial host. This provides the first evidence that this type of virus, the bacteriophage, can acquire an adaptive immune system. The study has implications for phage therapy, the use of phages to treat bacterial diseases.

Help from nature in fighting cancer: Compounds based on a fungal chemical show potent anti-tumor activity Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST Inspired by a chemical that fungi secrete to defend their territory, chemists have synthesized and tested several dozen compounds that may hold promise as potential cancer drugs.

Study connects early childhood with pain, depression in adulthood Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST New research examines how childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and maternal depression increase the risk of major depression and chronic pain when they become adults.

Good bacteria may expunge vancomycin-resistant bacteria from your gut Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST Too much antibiotic can decimate the normal intestinal microbiota, which may never recover its former diversity. That, in turn, renders the GI tract vulnerable to being colonized by pathogens. Now researchers show that reintroducing normal microbial diversity largely eliminated vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the intestinal tracts of mice. The investigators showed further that the findings may apply to humans.

New insight into how people choose insurance plans Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST A new paper suggests that forecasting the likely spending reduction associated with high deductibles requires a fine-grained approach, to account for the differing ways consumers respond to incentives in the health-care market. The research indicates that consumers select insurance plans based not only on their overall wellness level -- with people in worse health opting for more robust coverage -- but also on their own anticipated response to having insurance.

Contaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPA Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:19 AM PST While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.

For pain control during early labor, combined spinal-epidural analgesia is best: study Posted: 27 Feb 2013 09:16 AM PST During the first stage of labor, a combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique offers faster and better-quality analgesia (pain relief) compared to traditional epidural analgesia, according to a new report.

New cancer 'vaccine' shows future promise in treating and preventing metastatic cancers Posted: 27 Feb 2013 08:31 AM PST Preclinical, laboratory studies suggest a novel immunotherapy could potentially work like a vaccine against metastatic cancers, according to scientists. Results from a recent study show the therapy could treat metastatic cancers and be used in combination with current cancer therapies.

Promising breakthrough for transplant patients Posted: 27 Feb 2013 08:31 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new cause of organ rejection in some kidney transplant patients. They have identified a new class of antibodies -- anti-LG3 -- which, when activated, led to severe rejection episodes associated with a high rate of organ loss. This discovery, which holds promise for organ recipients.

Defining the new normal in aging Posted: 27 Feb 2013 08:30 AM PST Researcher says terms such as "normal," "healthy" or "successful" aging can prejudice our views of seniors.

New studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givers Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:29 AM PST Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.

Married opposite-sex couples have better overall health than same-sex couples who live together Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Same-sex couples who live together have worse health than married opposite-sex couples and similar health as opposite-sex couples who are living together (after adjusting for socioeconomic differences), according to a new study.

Seeing through HIV's disguises Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Studying HIV-1, the most common and infectious HIV subtype, scientists have identified 25 human proteins "stolen" by the virus that may be critical to its ability to infect new cells. The researchers believe these 25 proteins may be particularly important because they are found in HIV-1 viruses coming from two very different types of infected cells.

Resurrection of 3-billion-year-old antibiotic-resistance proteins Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Scientists are reporting "laboratory resurrections" of several 2-3-billion-year-old proteins that are ancient ancestors of the enzymes that enable today's antibiotic-resistant bacteria to shrug off huge doses of penicillins, cephalosporins and other modern drugs. The achievement opens the door to a scientific "replay" of the evolution of antibiotic resistance with an eye to finding new ways to cope with the problem.

'Network' analysis of brain may explain features of autism Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.

Superbug CRE may endure in patients one year after initial infection Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:19 AM PST Patients who tested positive for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) took an average of 387 days following hospital discharge to be clear of the organism, according to a new study.

Popular video dancing game may reduce cognitive, physical impacts of multiple sclerosis Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:19 AM PST Researchers have tested Dance Dance Revolution's ability to help MS patients. Studies show the video game may help improve balance and mobility in certain patient populations.

Pessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier life Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:19 AM PST Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.

Discovery on animal memory opens doors to research on memory impairment diseases Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:59 AM PST A new study offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal. The findings have fascinating implications, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, or disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD and depression.

Studying the health of same-sex couples Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:59 AM PST Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a national study that could have implications for the gay marriage debate.

Learning and stress: Hormone Homer prevents stress-induced cognitive deficits Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:59 AM PST Before examinations and in critical situations, we need to be particularly receptive and capable of learning. However, acute exam stress and stage fright causes learning blockades and reduced memory function. Scientists have now discovered a mechanism responsible for these cognitive deficits, which functions independently of stress hormones. In animal studies, the researchers show that social stress reduces the volume of Homer-1 in the hippocampus -- a region of the brain that plays a central role in learning.

Invention opens the way to packaging that monitors food freshness Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:59 AM PST Millions of tons of food are thrown away each year because the 'best before' date has passed. But this date is always a cautious estimate, which means a lot of still-edible food is thrown away. Wouldn't it be handy if the packaging could 'test' whether the contents are still safe to eat? Researchers have invented a circuit that makes this possible: a plastic analog-digital converter. This development brings plastic sensor circuits costing less than one euro cent within reach. Beyond food, these ultra-low-cost plastic circuits have numerous potential uses, including, pharmaceuticals.

Too much vitamin D during pregnancy can cause food allergies, research suggests Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:58 AM PST Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.

Vaccination for all Meningitis strains? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:58 AM PST Scientists have taken a significant and important step in keeping people safe from the most common form of meningitis in the UK. Meningitis B (also known as Meningococcal group B or MenB) is one of the deadliest strains of meningitis. Each year, an average of 1,870 people in the UK are affected by the disease with one in 10 people dying from it. Recently the first potentially universal MenB vaccine - Bexsero - was awarded a license for use throughout Europe, but it has been estimated that in this country, this new vaccine should protect against 73 per cent of the bacterial strains that cause the disease. Now medical researchers have discovered a potential way of protecting people against the other 27 per cent of strains of the disease.

Cell sugar concentrations affect hyaluronan production and cancer growth Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:58 AM PST According to a recent study, elevated cell sugar concentrations increase the production of hyaluronan which, in turn, promotes cancer growth. Regulating the production of hyaluronan may be a way to prevent the spreading of cancer. Hyaluronan is a long, linear carbohydrate polymer present in the human body. It forms a coating on the surface of many cells and plays a key role in fetal development and in the maintenance of normal tissue balance. Under normal circumstances, hyaluronan promotes tissue healing; however, it can also maintain inflammation and promote the growth of cancer cells.

Same-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggests Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:57 AM PST Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.

Increased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccine Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:40 PM PST A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.

Just a drop? Alcohol consumption much higher than reported in England Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:39 PM PST Alcohol consumption could be much higher than previously thought, with more than three quarters of people in England drinking in excess of the recommended daily alcohol limit, according to a new article.

Biting back: Snake venom contains toxic clotting factors Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:38 PM PST The powerful venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus contains both anticoagulants and coagulants according to a new study. These may be a source of potent drugs to treat human disease. The saw-scaled viper family Echis, responsible for most snake attacks on humans, are recognizable by the 'sizzling' noise they make, produced by rubbing together special serrated scales, when threatened. Echis venom causes coagulopathy, which can result in symptoms ranging from lack of blood clotting, hemorrhage, renal failure and stroke.

Ability to recognize emotions in others impaired by AIDS Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:38 PM PST People with HIV are less able to recognise facial emotion than non-infected people finds a new study. Reduction in their ability to recognize fear in others is linked to a similar loss in immediate recall, while those with a lower general neurocognitive performance also had a reduced ability to recognize happiness.

Over a million pregnant women infected with syphilis worldwide Posted: 26 Feb 2013 02:25 PM PST Syphilis still affects large numbers of pregnant women worldwide, causing serious health problems and even death to their babies, yet this infection could be prevented by early testing and treatment, according to a new study.

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