السبت، 23 أغسطس 2014

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Tissue regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanomolecules

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT

Anyone who has suffered an injury can probably remember the after-effects, including pain, swelling or redness. These are signs that the body is fighting back against the injury. When tissue in the body is damaged, biological programs are activated to aid in tissue regeneration. Now, researchers are working on innovative approaches to tissue regeneration in order to improve the lives of patients with urinary bladder dysfunction.

Women with severe, chronic health issues are screened for breast cancer less often

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT

Women with severe disabilities and multiple chronic conditions are screened for breast cancer less often than women with no disabilities or no chronic conditions, a new study has found. Worldwide, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Deaths have significantly dropped due to advances in prevention and treatment.

C2D2 fighting corrosion

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT

Bridges become an infrastructure problem as they get older, as de-icing salt and carbon dioxide gradually destroy the reinforced concrete. A new robot can now check the condition of these structures, even in places that people cannot reach.

Use rule of thumb to control how much you drink

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT

Sticking to a general rule of pouring just a half glass of wine limits the likelihood of overconsumption, researchers report. "It is essential for all drinkers, especially men of higher BMIs, to have a rule of thumb for self-serving, because eye-balling a serving size is a difficult task and will often lead people to pour too much," said one author.

Creating pomegranate drug to stem Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:41 AM PDT

Research will look to produce compound derivatives of punicalagin for a drug that would treat neuro-inflammation and slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease, scientists report. The onset of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed and some of its symptoms curbed by a natural compound that is found in pomegranate. Also, the painful inflammation that accompanies illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease could be reduced, according to the findings of the two-year project.

Epigenetic changes in children with Crohn's disease seen in study

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:40 AM PDT

A wide range of epigenetic changes -— alterations in DNA across the genome that may be related to key environmental exposures -— in children with Crohn's disease (CD), has been observed and reported in a new study. Crohn's disease is a painful, medically incurable illness that may attack anywhere along the digestive system. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which involves only the large intestine (colon), are the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease.

Study Identifies Challenges Faced by NYU Langone Nurses in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:40 AM PDT

The post-Sandy deployment of nurses to help address patient surge in eight local hospitals and health facilities had an impact that has not been well studied since the storm. A new research study is one of only a few to evaluate the psychological toll on nurses working in such rapidly changing, uncontrolled, and potentially dangerous circumstances.

Playing hunger games: Are gamified health apps putting odds in your favor?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:42 AM PDT

For many people, finding motivation to exercise is a challenge. Thankfully, there are Zombies chasing you. At least that's the approach of Zombies, Run! -- one of more than 31,000 health and fitness apps on the market today, and one of the growing number of apps that use games to increase physical activity. Gamification is currently the popular trend for mobile fitness apps, but whether or not it's the best way to exercise remains to be seen.

Despite significant reduction in smog-producing toxins, the Greater Toronto Area still violates Canada's standards for ozone air pollution

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:42 AM PDT

While the Greater Toronto Area has significantly reduced some of the toxins that contribute to smog, the city continues to violate the Canada-wide standards for ozone air pollution, a study shows. Smog, which can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is produced by a set of complex photochemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides and sunlight, which form ground-level ozone.

Low birth weight linked to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in African American women

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:40 AM PDT

African American women born at a low or very low birth weight may be at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The findings may explain in part the higher occurrence of type 2 diabetes in African American populations, which has a high prevalence of low birth weight.

Fungus deadly to AIDS patients found to grow on trees

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:40 AM PDT

Researchers have pinpointed the environmental source of fungal infections that have been sickening HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California for decades. It literally grows on trees. The discovery is based on the science project of a 13-year-old girl, who spent the summer gathering soil and tree samples from areas around Los Angeles hardest hit by infections of the fungus named Cryptococcus gattii (CRIP-to-cock-us GAT-ee-eye).

Coronary calcium predicts heart disease risk in patients with chronic kidney disease

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:40 AM PDT

Calcium build-up in the coronary artery walls was more useful for correctly predicting kidney disease patients' risk of heart disease than other measures of atherosclerosis, such as thickness of the carotid artery walls and narrowing of the arteries in the legs, a new study reports.

Climate change could see dengue fever come to Europe

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:39 AM PDT

Dengue fever could make headway in popular European holiday destinations if climate change continues on its predicted trajectory, according to research. The study used current data from Mexico, where dengue fever is present, and information about EU countries to model the likelihood of the disease spreading in Europe. They found that coastal regions around the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, the Po Valley and North East Italy were most at risk.

Why major cow milk allergen is actually allergenic

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:39 AM PDT

Cow milk allergy occurs in children and in adults. Scientists have investigated what actually makes the milk allergenic. A specific protein in milk known as beta-lactoglobulin is able to initiate an allergy only when being devoid of iron. Loaded with iron, the protein is harmless. The scientists discovered the same mechanism recently with regard to birch pollen allergy.

Water quality in glass, plastic bottles: Better than expected in Spanish study

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:39 AM PDT

Bottled water sold in Spain is practically free of constituents given off by plastic packaging or glass bottle lids. They are only detected in some cases, albeit in quantities much lower than limits found harmful for health, an analysis of more than 130 types of mineral water reveals. Plastic materials used in food packaging are made up of small molecules or monomers which, together with their additives, can migrate into the product during packaging manufacturing, filling or storage.

Genetics, lifestyle have a strong impact on biomarkers for inflammation, cancer

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:39 AM PDT

For the first time, results from a large-scale study of the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream have been shown. The results show that genetics and lifestyle are determining factors for protein levels, a discovery that greatly influences the possibilities for using more biomarkers to identify disease.

Extracorporeal support can significantly increase number of organs for transplant

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:37 AM PDT

Using heart-lung support technology, one Transplant Center was able to increase the number of kidneys, livers and pancreases available for transplant by about 20 percent. As of Aug. 6, 2014, 123,191 people nationwide were waiting for a solid organ transplant in the United States. The Institute of Medicine has named donation after circulatory determination of death as the number one research priority to improve organ donation.

Electronic alerts significantly reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:36 AM PDT

Targeted automated alerts in electronic health records significantly reduce urinary tract infections in hospital patients with urinary catheters. In addition, when the design of the alert was simplified, the rate of improvement dramatically increased.

Biologists reprogram skin cells to mimic rare disease

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:47 AM PDT

Stem cell biologists have reprogrammed skin cells from patients with a rare genetic disorder, called familial dysautonomia, into neural crest cells that mimic and display many biological features of the disease. The research expedites the creation of these precursor cells from any patient with a neural crest-related disorder, allowing scientists to study each patient's disorder at the cellular level.

Early bottlenecks in developing biopharmaceutical products delay commercialization

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT

An analysis of patented university inventions licensed to biotechnology firms has revealed early bottlenecks on the path to commercialization. To open these roadblocks, the researchers suggest that better communication of basic research results during the discovery stage could lead to faster commercialization down the road.

Study identifies protein that helps prevent active tuberculosis in infected patients

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT

A UCLA-led study has identified a protein that appears to play a key role in protecting people infected with the tuberculosis bacteria from developing the active form of the disease. The findings could help doctors identify people who are at the greatest risk for developing disease as well as target new treatment strategies. The study also demonstrates a unique role for Vitamin D -- the protein can only kill the bacteria when there are adequate levels of this vitamin present.

Pica in pregnant teens linked to low iron

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:40 PM PDT

In a study of 158 pregnant teenagers in Rochester, NY, nearly half engaged in pica – the craving and intentional consumption of ice, cornstarch, vacuum dust, baby powder and soap, and other nonfood items, reports a new study. Moreover, such teens had significantly lower iron levels as compared with teens who did not eat nonfood substances.

Pain treatments less effective for those with irritable bowel

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:40 PM PDT

The immune system is defective in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, which is a major reason why sufferers have ongoing issues with pain, researchers say. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects up to 10% of the community. There are different forms of IBS but all of them involve unexplained gut pain, which often has the greatest impact on sufferers' quality of life.

Colds and other common infections tied to some stroke risk in kids

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:40 PM PDT

A new study suggests that colds and other minor infections may temporarily increase stroke risk in children. The study found that the risk of stroke was increased only within a three-day period between a child's visit to the doctor for signs of infection and having the stroke.

Recovery reversal seen in study of returning concussed athletes

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 11:00 AM PDT

When are athletes who have suffered concussions ready to return to action? A new study has found that high school athletes who head back on the field with medical clearance within 60 days experience a significant regression in their abilities to simultaneously walk and do simple mental tasks.

Veterans generally satisfied with mental health care, study shows

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 09:32 AM PDT

A survey of US veterans receiving mental health services from the Veterans Health Administration finds general satisfaction, but also significant room for improvement among all areas studied. Because the survey is several years old, researchers say the results may provide a useful baseline to judge future patient satisfaction and highlight areas needing improvement as federal policymakers overhaul the VA health system.
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