الجمعة، 8 نوفمبر 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Novel genetic patterns may make us rethink biology and individuality

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 05:42 PM PST

Scientists have made two novel discoveries: 1) a person can have several DNA mutations in parts of their body, with their original DNA in the rest -- resulting in several different genotypes in one individual -- and 2) some of the same genetic mutations occur in unrelated people. We think of each person's DNA as unique, but if a person can have more than one genotype, this may have broad implications.

Bacterial toxin sets the course for infection

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 05:42 PM PST

Every year gastro-intestinal diseases have lethal consequences for more than five million individuals. Scientists have now discovered what makes a specific strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis so dangerous: the bacteria produce a molecule called CNFy that facilitates the infection process for them. It changes the host cells in a manner that enables the injection apparatus of Yersinia, which injects toxins into the cells, to work more efficiently. This strengthens the gastrointestinal infection and leads to inflammation of the tissue.

Climate may play a role in the distribution and prevalence of trachoma

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 05:42 PM PST

High temperatures and low rainfall are important factors which influence the occurrence and severity of the active stages of trachoma -- the most common cause of infectious blindness -- according to a new study.

How body clock affects inflammation: Discovery could accelerate body's response to infection, autoimmune disorders

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 02:06 PM PST

Researchers report that disrupting the light-dark cycle of mice increased their susceptibility to inflammatory disease, indicating that the production of a key immune cell is controlled by the body's circadian clock.

Children born prematurely face up to 19 times greater risk of retinal detachment

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 11:24 AM PST

Children born extremely prematurely have up to a 19 times greater risk of retinal detachment later in life than peers born at term, according to a Swedish study.

Tobacco myths persist 50 years after US Surgeon General warned Americans of smoking dangers

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 11:24 AM PST

Tobacco misconceptions prevail in the United States despite the dramatic drop in smoking rates since the release of the first Surgeon General's Report on smoking and health in January 1964. Cancer experts dispel common myths and share new educational resources to address this persistent challenge.

Small RNA molecule in blood could help diagnose pancreatic cancer

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 11:24 AM PST

A cancer researcher has demonstrated that a particular molecule is present in the blood of most pancreatic cancer patients, suggesting it could someday be a diagnostic marker for the disease.

New method predicts time from Alzheimer’s onset to nursing home, death

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 11:24 AM PST

A research team has clinically validated a new method for predicting time to nursing home residence or death for patients with Alzheimer's. The method uses data from a single patient visit, and is based on a complex model of Alzheimer's progression developed by consecutively following two sets of Alzheimer's patients for 10 years each.

Hope builds for drug that might shut down variety of cancers

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 10:28 AM PST

The most frequently mutated gene across all types of cancers is a gene called p53. Unfortunately it has been difficult to directly target this gene with drugs. Now a multi-institutional research team has identified a family of enzymes they say is crucial for the growth of cancers that have genetic aberrations in p53.

For obese teen girls, aerobic exercise may trump resistance training in health benefits

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:32 AM PST

New findings suggest that for teen girls, aerobic exercise might be superior to resistance exercise for cutting health risks associated with obesity.

Blocking the active site of thiolase

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:32 AM PST

Scientists have shown the way to new directions in drug development against African sleeping sickness and other tropical parasitic infections.

Obesity may limit overall function two years after shoulder replacement surgery

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:32 AM PST

Patients with obesity undergo a disproportionately higher number of elective orthopaedic surgeries in the US. Obesity has been linked to higher costs, complications, infections and revisions in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries.

Researchers regrow hair, cartilage, bone, soft tissues: Enhancing cell metabolism was an unexpected key to tissue repair

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:31 AM PST

Young animals are known to repair their tissues effortlessly, but can this capacity be recaptured in adults? A new study suggests that it can. By reactivating a dormant gene called Lin28a, which is active in embryonic stem cells, researchers were able to regrow hair and repair cartilage, bone, skin and other soft tissues in a mouse model.

Muscle built in diseased mice: Human muscle cells created in a dish

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:31 AM PST

Skeletal muscle has proved to be very difficult to grow in patients with muscular dystrophy and other disorders that degrade and weaken muscle. Researchers now report boosting muscle mass and reversing disease in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, using a "cocktail" of three compounds identified through a new rapid culture system. Adding the same compounds to stem cells derived from patients' skin cells, they then successfully grew human muscle cells in a dish.

Social symptoms in autistic children may be caused by hyper-connected neurons

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PST

The brains of children with autism show more connections than the brains of typically developing children do. What's more, the brains of individuals with the most severe social symptoms are also the most hyper-connected. The findings reported in two independent studies are challenge the prevailing notion in the field that autistic brains are lacking in neural connections.

Fountain-of-youth gene repairs tissue damage in adults

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PST

Young animals recover from tissue damage better than adults, and from Charles Darwin's time until now, scientists have puzzled over why this is the case. A study has revealed that an evolutionarily conserved gene called Lin28a, which is very active in embryos but not in adults, enhances tissue repair after injury when reactivated in adult mice. The findings open up new avenues for the treatment of injuries and degenerative diseases in adult humans.

DNA software identifies people by testing relatives' DNA

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:29 AM PST

New software is able to identify people from their relatives' DNA. The software has already been used to identify the victims – the majority of whom were Dutch – of the 2010 Tripoli airplane crash, and in 2012 to find out who had murdered a young Dutch woman, Marianne Vaatstra, in 1999.

Online course improves physicians skill level for detecting skin cancer

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:28 AM PST

Primary care physicians who took an online training course about skin cancer detection significantly improved their skill to properly diagnose and manage benign and malignant lesions, according to an American national study. The physicians' enhanced skill level also led to a reduction in unnecessary referrals to dermatology specialists.

Researchers discover new driver of breast cancer

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 09:27 AM PST

A team of researchers has found that as cholesterol is metabolized, a potent stimulant of breast cancer is created – one that fuels estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, and that may also defeat a common treatment strategy for those cancers.

Clotting protein hardens aging hearts

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:38 AM PST

A researcher has found through studies of pigs' heart valves that age plays a critical role in the valves' progressive hardening, and the problem may be due to the infiltration of a protein known as von Willebrand factor. Tissues from pig valves are commonly used to make human heart-valve replacements.

Getting to grips with seizure prediction

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:37 AM PST

A device that could predict when a person with epilepsy might next have a seizure is one step closer to reality thanks to the development of software by researchers in the USA.

Calcium, vitamin D improve bone density in patients taking antiepileptic drugs

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST

A recent prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial reports that calcium and vitamin D supplementation improves bone density in a group of male veterans with epilepsy who were treated chronically with antiepileptic drugs. These results suggest that risedronate, a bisphosphonate, may help to prevent new vertebral fractures when taken with calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Hearing through sight: Brain plasticity and why cochlear implants work better for some people than others

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST

Cochlear implants allow adults who have become profoundly deaf to recover the ability to understand speech. However, recovery differs between individuals. Activating the visual regions of the brain has proved essential to the satisfactory recovery of hearing, according to a new study.

Special camera detects tumors

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST

Cancer patients have the highest probability of recovering if tumors are completely removed. However, tiny clusters of cancer cells are often difficult for surgeons to recognize and remove. A camera makes hidden tumors visible during an operation.

Bio patch that can regrow bone

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:34 AM PST

Researchers have created an implantable bio patch that regrows bone in a living body, using existing cells. The team created a scaffold seeded with plasmids containing the genetic information for producing bone. The plasmids are absorbed by bone cells already in the body, spurring new growth. Potential applications extend to dentistry.

BPA in dialysis machine components may be toxic to patients' cells

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 07:33 AM PST

Research has found that viability, necrosis, and death of immune cells are influenced by BPA concentrations in components of dialysis machines. Alternative polymers for dialysis machine components may reduce cells' exposure to BPA during dialysis.

Natural products discovery group asks for public's help with citizen science program

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:46 AM PST

A research group has taken an unconventional approach to finding new compounds with therapeutic relevance by launching a crowdsourcing initiative with citizen scientists from around the country. Researchers team with the public to sample soils from all across the United States for the purpose of identifying new microorganisms that produce drug-like compounds.

Nanoparticles can overcome drug resistance in breast cancer cells

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:40 AM PST

Nanoparticles filled with chemotherapeutic drugs can kill drug-resistant breast cancer cells, according to a study published.

Motorized omni-directional hospital bed for easy maneuverability

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:40 AM PST

Moving wheeled hospital beds from one place to another is a laborious and time-consuming task. This is made more cumbersome by complicated hospital layouts that often feature narrow corridors, tight elevators and crowded rooms. It takes a minimum of two staff to transport a bed – one at the back to push the bed, and one in the front to provide direction. A shortage of hospital staff is one of the common causes of delay in transporting patients lying in hospital beds between locations, which could occur in time critical situations.

Food blogs serve as source of nutritionally balanced recipes? Analysis of six popular food blogs

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:38 AM PST

More people are cooking at home, and more people are finding their recipes online via food blogs. The photos of dishes posted on the blogs, however, may attract potential cooks more than the nutritional value of the recipes. In addition, many food companies sponsor these sites, so the recipes become advertisements for their products. This has the potential to change the healthfulness of the recipes.

Three 'hands on' nutrition classes enough to impact health behaviors in lower income women

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:38 AM PST

The knowledge and skills required to change poor nutrition and health behavior choices are often unavailable to those living with financial limitations. Competing demands on time and resources may pose obstacles to their achieving better diets. However, two researchers recently completed a study that looked at the effects that three educational sessions might have on knowledge and behaviors of 118 low-income women of ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Defining allergy fact from fiction

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:38 AM PST

From gluten allergy and hypoallergenic pets, to avoiding the flu shot because of an egg allergy, there are a lot of common myths and misconceptions about allergies. Many might be shocking due to a great deal of false information in the media and on the Internet. And some of the misconceptions can be damaging to your health.

Common genetic pathway could be conduit to pediatric tumor treatment

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 06:38 AM PST

Investigators have found a known genetic pathway to be active in many difficult-to-treat pediatric brain tumors called low-grade gliomas, potentially offering a new target for the treatment of these cancers.

Collaborative efforts help mental health patients quit smoking

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:18 PM PST

To combat reliance on tobacco in mental health populations, experts agree that mental health services and government-sponsored tobacco control programs must work together to improve education and access to smoking cessation programs.

Hormone levels in women using contraception affect nerve activity involved in vessel constriction

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:22 PM PST

Latest research provides new insight into mechanisms through which lower hormone levels may make the body more susceptible to damage caused by stress and the chronic elevation of the fight or flight response. A pattern consistent with these findings is observed in postmenopausal women.

Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism, development of diabetes

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 11:13 AM PST

New research suggests that the development of diabetes Type 2 requires a failure of both the islet-cell system in the pancreas and a brain-centered system for regulating blood sugar levels. Boosting insulin levels alone will lower glucose levels, but only addresses half the problem. Restoring normal glucose regulation requires addressing failures of the brain-centered system as well. Approaches that target both systems could actually cause diabetes to go into remission.

Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 11:13 AM PST

Can parents use digital cameras and smart phones to potentially screen their children for the most common form of pediatric eye cancer? Researchers believe so.

Nuclear medicine therapy increases survival for patients with colorectal cancer, liver metastases

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 10:20 AM PST

For patients who fail to respond to current first-line and second-line treatments for colorectal cancer liver metastases, radioembolization with Y-90 microspheres could extend survival according to new research. A systematic review showed that approximately 50 percent of salvage patients have an overall survival of more than 12 months after this nuclear medicine therapy.

'Tearless' onions could help in fight against cardiovascular disease, weight gain

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 10:19 AM PST

Onions, a key ingredient in recipes around the globe, come in a tearless version that scientists are now reporting could pack health benefits like its close relative, garlic, which is renowned for protecting against heart disease. They published their laboratory analysis, which suggests a similar heart-friendly role for the tearless onions, as well as a possible role in managing weight gain.

Hospitals with neurology residency programs more likely to administer life-saving stroke drugs

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 10:18 AM PST

Stroke patients treated at hospitals with neurology residency programs are significantly more likely to get life-saving clot-busting drugs than those seen at other teaching or non-teaching hospitals, new research suggests.

Osteoarthritis medicine delivered on-demand

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST

Scientists are reporting development of a squishy gel that when compressed -- like at a painful knee joint -- releases anti-inflammatory medicine. The new material could someday deliver medications when and where osteoarthritis patients need it most.
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