ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

---

• New bracelet strengthens computer security
• Blood test may help determine who is at risk for psychosis
• Some concussion education more useful than others, parents say
• How gene expression affects facial expressions
• Lack of thyroid hormone blocks hearing development
• Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge
• Nurse survey shows longer working hours impact on quality of care
• New guidelines issued for managing peri- and postoperative atrial fibrillation
• Food Memory: New discovery outlines how we remember taste experiences
• Evidence supports deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Don’t drink the (warm) water, study says
• One out of three severely injured patients undertriaged in the United States
• Brief intervention may prevent increased risk of depression in teens
• E-cigarettes unhelpful in smoking cessation among cancer patients, study shows
• Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements in pregnancy, study shows
• Research on photoacoustics to detect breast cancer
• Making light work of the workload for overworked healthcare workers
• Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated
• Gene that increases incidence of acute myelogenous leukaemia discovered
• Impact of smoking ban in homeless shelter studied
• Narrow focus on physical activity could be ruining kids' playtime
• Dry roasting could help trigger peanut allergy
• Friend or foe: 'Devastating' number of hate-fuelled crimes are committed by friends, colleagues, carers of victims
• Immune system of newborn babies stronger than previously thought
• Battling superbugs: Two new technologies could enable novel strategies for combating drug-resistant bacteria
• Program predicts placement of chemical tags that control gene activity
• Cancer cells adapt energy needs to spread illness to other organs
• On/off switch for aging cells discovered by scientists
• New hepatitis C medication in children to be studied
• Ultrasound enhancement provides clarity to damaged tendons, ligaments
• New cancer drug target involving lipid chemical messengers
• Two generation lens: Current state policies fail to support families with young children
• Gun deaths twice as high among African-Americans as white citizens in U.S., study finds

New bracelet strengthens computer security Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT In a big step for securing critical information systems, such as medical records in clinical settings, researchers have created a new approach to computer security that authenticates users continuously while they are using a terminal and automatically logs them out when they leave or when someone else steps in to use their terminal.

Blood test may help determine who is at risk for psychosis Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT A blood test, when used in psychiatric patients experiencing symptoms that are considered to be indicators of a high risk for psychosis, identifies those who later went on to develop psychosis, preliminary results of a new study show. "The blood test included a selection of 15 measures of immune and hormonal system imbalances as well as evidence of oxidative stress," explained a corresponding author of the study.

Some concussion education more useful than others, parents say Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:29 AM PDT Many parents whose kids participate in athletics will be asked to sign a waiver about concussion education, but that's not enough to ensure parents are confident about handling the injury, according to a new poll.

How gene expression affects facial expressions Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT A person's face is the first thing that others see, and much remains unknown about how it forms -- or malforms -- during early development. Recently, researchers have begun to unwind these mysteries.

Lack of thyroid hormone blocks hearing development Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT Fatigue, weight gain, chills, hair loss, anxiety, excessive perspiration -- these symptoms are a few of the signs that the thyroid gland has gone haywire. Harnessing electron microscopy to track the inner hair cells of the cochlea in two groups of mice, new research points to an additional complication caused by an imbalance in the thyroid gland: congenital deafness.

Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Influenza infection can enhance the ability of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae to cause ear and throat infections, according to research. "As with most pneumococcal infections, it should be appreciated that localized nonlethal infections are much more common than the rapidly lethal presentations," says one expert. "For example, influenza is a contributing factor in otitis media (middle ear infections) in children."

Nurse survey shows longer working hours impact on quality of care Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Results of a survey of more than 30,000 nurses across Europe show that nurses who work longer shifts and more overtime are more likely to rate the standard of care delivered on their ward as poor, give a negative rating of their hospitals safety and omit necessary patient care.

New guidelines issued for managing peri- and postoperative atrial fibrillation Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:02 AM PDT The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has released new evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and treatment of perioperative and postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and flutter for thoracic surgical procedures. "These guidelines have the potential to prevent the occurrence of atrial fibrillation in thousands of patients who undergo lung surgery in the United States each year," commented one expert.

Food Memory: New discovery outlines how we remember taste experiences Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT A functional link between the brain region responsible for taste memory and the area responsible for encoding the time and place we experienced the taste had been found. The findings expose the complexity and richness of the simple sensory experiences that are engraved in our brains and that in most cases we aren't even aware of. The study can also help explain behavioral results and the difficulty in producing memories when certain areas of the brain become dysfunctional following and illness or accident.

Evidence supports deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT Available research evidence supports the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who don't respond to other treatments, concludes a review. Despite the limited evidence base, DBS therapy for OCD has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration under a humanitarian device exemption.

Don’t drink the (warm) water, study says Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT There's an old saying: "Don't drink the water." But a scientist warns Americans not to drink water from plastic bottles if it's been sitting in a warm environment for a long time. A research team examined 16 bottled water brands at 158 degrees for four weeks. The study found that as bottles warmed over the four-week period, antimony and BPA levels increased.

One out of three severely injured patients undertriaged in the United States Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Patients with severe injuries should be treated at level I or level II trauma centers, experts say. Those centers have the resources to provide the best care for those patients. But one out of three major trauma patients in 2010 actually received their treatment at lower-level trauma centers or nontrauma centers, according to a new study.

Brief intervention may prevent increased risk of depression in teens Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT A low-cost, one-time intervention that educates teens about the changeable nature of personality traits may prevent an increase in depressive symptoms often seen during the transition to high school, according to new research.

E-cigarettes unhelpful in smoking cessation among cancer patients, study shows Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT In a new study of cancer patients who smoke, those using e-cigarettes, in addition to traditional cigarettes, were more nicotine dependent and equally or less likely to have quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users.

Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements in pregnancy, study shows Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Mothers of children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, a study by researchers.

Research on photoacoustics to detect breast cancer Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:11 AM PDT Researchers report a new method to detect breast cancer based on photoacoustics, which could become an alternative to mammography or sonogram, they say. One advantage this method has over X-rays is that no type of ionizing radiation is used. This technology exploits the property of ultrasonic wave generation in tissue when it is illuminated with short, high-energy pulses of light.

Making light work of the workload for overworked healthcare workers Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Modern hospitals are staffed by overworked and overstressed healthcare workers, according to a research paper. As such, new technology must be implemented to reduce the number of treatment errors that arise because of this. With appropriate and regular training, a new article suggests that the advantages and benefits of IT solutions in hospitals such as the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and healthcare management and dispensing software and electronic health records (EHR) can be made clear.

Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Through the use of a new antibody, an international team of researchers has demonstrated how Parkinson's disease spreads from cell to cell in the human brain. Until now, this mechanism has only been observed in experimental models, but has now been demonstrated for the first time in humans too.

Gene that increases incidence of acute myelogenous leukaemia discovered Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Targeted therapy to treat acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) may be closer, thanks to recent research. The scientists discovered that inhibition of Leo1 and Leo1 downstream signalling pathways provide an avenue for targeted treatment of the disease. In addition, this is the first study to suggest that the protein PRL-3 plays a role in the regulation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) related processes, a finding which advances the understanding of how the protein contributes to cancer progression.

Impact of smoking ban in homeless shelter studied Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:09 AM PDT Instituting a partial smoking ban at a homeless shelter can lead to a reduction in expired carbon monoxide levels, an indicator of exposure to cigarette smoke, and may have positive effects on shelter residents' health, according to new research.

Narrow focus on physical activity could be ruining kids' playtime Posted: 21 Sep 2014 07:36 PM PDT While public health authorities focus on the physical activity benefits of active play, a new study reveals that for children, playing has no goal -- it is an end in itself, an activity that is fun, done alone or with friends, and it represents "an opportunity to experience excitement or pleasure, but also to combat boredom, sadness, fear, or loneliness."'By focusing on the physical activity aspect of play, authorities put aside several aspects of play that are beneficial to young people's emotional and social health,' says a professor.

Dry roasting could help trigger peanut allergy Posted: 21 Sep 2014 07:36 PM PDT Dry roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergy to peanuts than raw peanuts, suggests a study involving mice. The researchers say that specific chemical changes caused by the high temperatures of the dry roasting process are recognized by the body's immune system, 'priming' the body to set off an allergic immune response the next time it sees any peanuts.

Friend or foe: 'Devastating' number of hate-fuelled crimes are committed by friends, colleagues, carers of victims Posted: 21 Sep 2014 07:36 PM PDT People in trustworthy positions to victims, such as friends or carers, can be sources of cruelty and hate, a new study has concluded. Hate crime victims have recorded being tipped from wheelchairs, finding feces posted through letterboxes and having their guide dogs attacked, often by those that are closest to them. Many victims suffer in silence due to lack of knowledge of available support, say authors of a new report.

Immune system of newborn babies stronger than previously thought Posted: 21 Sep 2014 11:51 AM PDT Contrary to what was previously thought, newborn immune T cells may have the ability to trigger an inflammatory response to bacteria, according to a new study. Although their immune system works very differently to that of adults, babies may still be able to mount a strong immune defense, finds the study.

Battling superbugs: Two new technologies could enable novel strategies for combating drug-resistant bacteria Posted: 21 Sep 2014 11:51 AM PDT Two new technologies could enable novel strategies for combating drug-resistant bacteria, scientists report. Most antibiotics work by interfering with crucial functions such as cell division or protein synthesis. However, some bacteria have evolved to become virtually untreatable with existing drugs. In the new study, researchers target specific genes that allow bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. The CRISPR genome-editing system presented the perfect strategy to go after those genes, they report.

Program predicts placement of chemical tags that control gene activity Posted: 21 Sep 2014 11:50 AM PDT Biochemists have developed a program that predicts the placement of chemical marks that control the activity of genes based on sequences of DNA. By comparing sequences with and without epigenomic modification, they identified DNA motifs associated with the changes. They call this novel analysis pipeline Epigram and have made both the program and the DNA motifs they identified openly available to other scientists.

Cancer cells adapt energy needs to spread illness to other organs Posted: 21 Sep 2014 11:49 AM PDT Cancer cells traveling to other sites have different energy needs from their "stay-at-home" siblings, which continue to proliferate at the original tumor site, researchers have discovered. Given that a cancer cell's unyielding ability to metastasize is the primary cause of cancer-related death, understanding how they successfully migrate can be lifesaving.

On/off switch for aging cells discovered by scientists Posted: 20 Sep 2014 04:34 AM PDT An on-and-off "switch" has been discovered in cells that may hold the key to healthy aging. This switch points to a way to encourage healthy cells to keep dividing and generating, for example, new lung or liver tissue, even in old age. In our bodies, newly divided cells constantly. However, most human cells cannot divide indefinitely -– with each division, a cellular timekeeper at the ends of chromosomes shortens. When this timekeeper becomes too short, cells can no longer divide, causing organs and tissues to degenerate, as often happens in old age. But there is a way around this countdown, researchers have found.

New hepatitis C medication in children to be studied Posted: 20 Sep 2014 04:34 AM PDT After the success of a new drug treatment in adults with hepatitis C infection, a Saint Louis University pediatric researcher is testing the safety and efficacy of the medications in children. The current approach to treat the hepatitis C infection is with interferon shots combined with Ribavirin, a therapy that takes about six to 12 months and also causes many side effects including, flu-like symptoms and depression.

Ultrasound enhancement provides clarity to damaged tendons, ligaments Posted: 19 Sep 2014 01:54 PM PDT Ultrasound is a safe, affordable and noninvasive way to see internal structures, including the developing fetus. Ultrasound can also "see" other soft tissue — including tendons, which attach muscles to bone, and ligaments, which attach bone to bone. Now one expert is commercializing an ultrasound method to analyze the condition of soft tissue.

New cancer drug target involving lipid chemical messengers Posted: 19 Sep 2014 01:54 PM PDT More than half of human cancers have abnormally upregulated chemical signals related to lipid metabolism, yet how these signals are controlled during tumor formation is not fully understood. Researchers report that TIPE3, a newly described oncogenic protein, promotes cancer by targeting these pathways.

Two generation lens: Current state policies fail to support families with young children Posted: 19 Sep 2014 09:22 AM PDT Recent two generation approaches to reducing poverty that help children and their parents are receiving increasing attention. By combining education and training for parents, these programs aim to improve the life opportunities of both. However, according to a new report, while research supports this poverty reduction strategy, state policies fail to provide adequate two generation supports to families with young children.

Gun deaths twice as high among African-Americans as white citizens in U.S., study finds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:01 PM PDT Gun deaths are twice as high among African-Americans as they are among white citizens in the United States, finds a study of national data. But the national figures, which have remained relatively steady over the past decade, mask wide variation in firearms deaths by ethnicity and state, the findings show.

You are subscribed to email updates from Health & Medicine News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610