ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Blood-brain barrier repair after stroke may prevent chronic brain deficits
• Patient safety merits new review for modified medical devices, physician says
• New advances in study of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy
• Fewer children at risk for deficient vitamin D
• MRI reveals genetic activity: Deciphering genes' roles in learning and memory
• Twenty-five percent of breast cancer survivors report financial decline due to treatment
• Number of patients admitted with antibiotic-resistant infections is rising
• First stem cell study of bipolar disorder yields promising results
• Blood test may help predict whether a child will become obese
• Cancer treatment revolution potential with new drug
• Catheter innovation destroys dangerous biofilms
• Doxorubicin alone or with ifosfamide for treating soft tissue sarcoma?
• Excess weight at one year postpartum increases moms' risk for diabetes, heart problems
• Exploring Brain for Keys to Solving Parkinson's Disease
• Replacing insulin through stem cell-derived pancreatic cells under the skin
• Shorter sleepers are over-eaters, study in children shows
• 'Glue' holding together skin cells, other epithelial tissue more active than realized
• Small peptides as potential antibiotics
• Plasma tool for destroying cancer cells
• Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz
• Health-care professionals should prescribe sleep to prevent, treat metabolic disorders, experts argue
• DIY vaccination: Microneedle patch may boost immunization rate, reduce medical costs
• Small wireless pacemaker safe, effective in early testing
• Adult day-care services boost beneficial stress hormones in caregivers
• Identifying gene-enhancers: New technique
• Use of mood-stabilizing drug linked with reduced risk of developing head and neck cancer
• Stress impacts ability to get pregnant, study finds

Blood-brain barrier repair after stroke may prevent chronic brain deficits Posted: 25 Mar 2014 11:32 AM PDT Following ischemic stroke, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which prevents harmful substances such as inflammatory molecules from entering the brain, can be impaired in cerebral areas distant from initial ischemic insult. This disruptive condition, known as diaschisis, can lead to chronic post-stroke deficits, researchers report.

Patient safety merits new review for modified medical devices, physician says Posted: 25 Mar 2014 10:35 AM PDT For patient safety, the US Food and Drug Administration should require that clinical data be submitted as part of a more rigorous re-evaluation of medical devices that are modified after approval. According to authors of a new expert opinion, such a requirement could prevent deaths due to insufficiently tested device modifications.

New advances in study of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy Posted: 25 Mar 2014 09:14 AM PDT Several forms of leukodystrophies, genetic degenerative disorders that affect the myelin, are associated with vacuolization of myelin sheaths that enwrap axons of central neurons. Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy (MLC), caused by mutations in MLC1 and GlialCAM, is a rare disease that entails this type of vacuoles. To date, there is not any treatment for patients.

Fewer children at risk for deficient vitamin D Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:33 AM PDT Under new guidelines from the Institute of Medicine, the estimated number of children who are at risk for having insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D is drastically reduced from previous estimates, according to a study. The study found that under the new guidelines, 10.3 percent of children ages 6 to 18 are at risk of inadequate or deficient vitamin D levels, which translates to an estimated 5.5 million children.

MRI reveals genetic activity: Deciphering genes' roles in learning and memory Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:33 AM PDT Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also rely on it as a research tool for identifying parts of the brain that carry out different cognitive functions. Now, biological engineers are trying to adapt MRI to a much smaller scale, allowing researchers to visualize gene activity inside the brains of living animals.

Twenty-five percent of breast cancer survivors report financial decline due to treatment Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT Four years after being treated for breast cancer, a quarter of survivors say they are worse off financially, at least partly because of their treatment, according to a new study. In addition, 12 percent reported that they still have medical debt from their treatment. Financial decline varied significantly by race, with Spanish-speaking Latinas most likely to be impacted. Debt was reported more frequently in English-speaking Latinas and Blacks, the study found.

Number of patients admitted with antibiotic-resistant infections is rising Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT The emergence of community-acquired infections, such as urinary tract infections, due to strains resistant to common antibiotics are on the rise, according researchers. This creates a challenge in a community or outpatient setting where oral antibiotics are used. Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body, accounting for about 8.1 million visits to healthcare providers each year.

First stem cell study of bipolar disorder yields promising results Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:32 AM PDT What makes a person bipolar, prone to manic highs and deep, depressed lows? Why does bipolar disorder run so strongly in families, even though no single gene is to blame? And why is it so hard to find new treatments for a condition that affects 200 million people worldwide? New stem cell research may help scientists find answers to these questions.

Blood test may help predict whether a child will become obese Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:30 AM PDT Scientists have found that a simple blood test, which can read DNA, could be used to predict obesity levels in children. Researchers used the test to assess the levels of epigenetic switches in the PGC1a gene - a gene that regulates fat storage in the body. Epigenetic switches take place through a chemical change called DNA methylation, which controls how genes work and is set during early life. The test, when carried out on children at five years old, differentiates between children with a high body fat and those with a low body fat when they were older.

Cancer treatment revolution potential with new drug Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT A revolution in cancer treatment could soon be underway following a breakthrough that may lead to a dramatic improvement in cancer survival rates. Commenting on the breakthrough, a study co-author said "The energy-producing machinery in cancer cells works to the limit as it attempts to keep up with quick proliferation and invasion. This makes cancer cells susceptible to minor changes in the cell 'power-house'. Our drug pushes cancer cells over the limit causing them to slow and shut down, whilst normal cells can cope with its effects."

Catheter innovation destroys dangerous biofilms Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT A new design that could help eliminate the threat of infection from millions of urinary catheters has been developed by engineers. The dual-channel design uses a mechanical method to uproot biofilms from their moorings so that they can easily be flushed away. About half of the time, the interior of long-term urinary catheters become plagued by biofilms -- structures formed by colonies of bacteria that are extremely difficult to kill. Once established, it is only a matter of time before the biofilm becomes a welcoming host for other, more dangerous bacteria or begins to choke urine drainage, causing leakage -- or even trauma to the patient's body.

Doxorubicin alone or with ifosfamide for treating soft tissue sarcoma? Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT A new study does not support administration of intensified doxorubicin and ifosfamide for palliation of advanced soft tissue sarcoma, unless the objective is to shrink the tumor. The coordinator of this study says, "Our clinical trial was designed to compare combination treatment with doxorubicin and ifosfamide to treatment with doxorubicin alone, and our results show that the combination chemotherapy did not improve overall survival. So, if the goal of treatment is to control the disease, then administering doxorubicin alone is appropriate."

Excess weight at one year postpartum increases moms' risk for diabetes, heart problems Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:26 AM PDT Watch out for weight gain within a year of giving birth, to prevent new risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, experts say. While it has long been believed that not losing 'baby weight' for several years after pregnancy carries long-term risks of diabetes and heart disease, this research team aimed to test this theory by tracking risk factors and weight in the first 12 months after giving birth.

Exploring Brain for Keys to Solving Parkinson's Disease Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:19 AM PDT One of the final frontiers of science is the human brain. The brain is the source of our intelligence, feelings and ability to make our bodies move – as well as the locus of terrible diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's – and is as complicated as any object that scientists explore. Parkinson's disease, which experts say affects more than six million people around the world, can progressively degrade many of those functions, a primary reason why a team of researchers has been given a grant to delve ever more deeply into the circuitry and function of the striatum.

Replacing insulin through stem cell-derived pancreatic cells under the skin Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:03 AM PDT A newly created method of placing stem cell-derived pancreatic cells in capsules under the skin to replace insulin is tested in diabetic disease models. The method is successful without producing likely complications. The study confirms the viability of combining stem cells and 'encapsulation' technology to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.

Shorter sleepers are over-eaters, study in children shows Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:02 AM PDT Young children who sleep less eat more, which can lead to obesity and related health problems later in life, reports a new study. The study found that 16 month-old children who slept for less than 10 hours each day consumed on average 105kcal more per day than children who slept for more than 13 hours. This is an increase of around 10% from 982kcal to 1087kcal.

'Glue' holding together skin cells, other epithelial tissue more active than realized Posted: 25 Mar 2014 07:02 AM PDT Researchers report the first evidence in living organisms that adherens junctions, the 'glue' between cells, actively respond to mechanical cues by remodeling their position and intensity, which in turn restructures the cells. These junctions are responsible for maintaining the shape and integrity of the sheets of epithelial cells that line such body cavities as the digestive tract, as well as the surfaces of structures such as the heart.

Small peptides as potential antibiotics Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:58 AM PDT Small peptides attack bacteria in many different ways and may well become a new generation of antibiotics. Biologists have been researching how such peptides kill bacterial cells.

Plasma tool for destroying cancer cells Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT Plasma medicine is a new and rapidly developing area of medical technology. Specifically, understanding the interaction of so-called atmospheric pressure plasma jets with biological tissues could help in medical practice. Researchers have conducted a study of the different types of DNA damage induced by atmospheric pressure plasma exposure. This approach, they hope, could ultimately lead to devising alternative tools for cancer therapy as well as applications in hospital hygiene, dental care, skin diseases, antifungal care, chronic wounds and cosmetics treatments.

Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz Posted: 25 Mar 2014 06:48 AM PDT Bitterness can generally be tasted at very low concentrations, but not so for those who light up. Smokers and those who have quit cannot fully appreciate the full flavor of a cup of coffee, because many cannot taste the bitterness of their regular caffeine kick. It is already known that smoking, and especially the toxic chemicals in tobacco, causes a loss of taste among smokers. It also causes structural changes to the fungiform papillae of the tongue where the taste buds are located. However, it is not yet known whether the full taste range returns to normal once a person quits smoking, or how long it takes.

Health-care professionals should prescribe sleep to prevent, treat metabolic disorders, experts argue Posted: 24 Mar 2014 05:05 PM PDT Evidence increasingly suggests that insufficient or disturbed sleep is associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, and addressing poor quality sleep should be a target for the prevention -- and even treatment -- of these disorders. Addressing some types of sleep disturbance -- such as sleep apnea -- may have a directly beneficial effect on patients' metabolic health, say the authors. But a far more common problem is people simply not getting enough sleep, particularly due to the increased use of devices such as tablets and portable gaming devices.

DIY vaccination: Microneedle patch may boost immunization rate, reduce medical costs Posted: 24 Mar 2014 05:04 PM PDT There are many reasons some people may not get a flu shot, but would they be more likely to do so if there was a simple device that could be mailed directly to them, was easy enough to use by themselves, and provided at least the same level of protection as a traditional flu shot without the pain of a needle jab? A recent study suggests the answer is yes.

Small wireless pacemaker safe, effective in early testing Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:15 PM PDT A battery-sized, wireless pacemaker was safe and effective in early testing. The smaller leadless device may reduce the risk of complications that occur with traditional pacemakers. After three months, the new pacemakers were functioning well, the researchers found. They are continuing to track the patients and expect to report longer-term outcomes later this year.

Adult day-care services boost beneficial stress hormones in caregivers Posted: 24 Mar 2014 11:54 AM PDT Family caregivers show an increase in the beneficial stress hormone DHEA-S on days when they use an adult day care service for their relatives with dementia, according to researchers. "We know that caregivers are at increased risk of illness, because of the long hours of care they provide and the high levels of stress. These findings suggest that use of adult day care services may protect caregivers against the harmful effects of stress associated with giving care to someone with dementia," say the authors.

Identifying gene-enhancers: New technique Posted: 24 Mar 2014 11:54 AM PDT A new technique for identifying gene enhancers -- sequences of DNA that act to amplify the expression of a specific gene -- in the genomes of humans and other mammals has been developed. Called SIF-seq, this new technique complements existing genomic tools, such as ChIP-seq, and offers additional benefits.

Use of mood-stabilizing drug linked with reduced risk of developing head and neck cancer Posted: 24 Mar 2014 06:04 AM PDT A new study indicates that a commonly used mood stabilizing drug may help prevent head and neck cancer. Valproic acid (VPA) is currently prescribed as an anti-seizure medication and mood stabilizer, but it is also being studied as an anticancer agent because it inhibits histone acetyl transferases, which help control gene expression by changing DNA structure.

Stress impacts ability to get pregnant, study finds Posted: 24 Mar 2014 06:04 AM PDT Women who have trouble getting pregnant may be under too much stress, according to a new study. According to researchers, women who had the highest levels of stress actually took 29 percent longer to get pregnant compared to other women, and their risk of infertility doubled. Researchers tracked 501 American women ages 18 to 40 years who were free from known fertility problems and had just started trying to conceive, and followed them for 12 months or until they became pregnant.

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