ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Disease-carrying fleas abound on New York City's rats
• BPA exposure linked to autism spectrum disorder, study reports
• New research aims to refine increasingly popular plastic surgery procedures: Buttock augmentation and vaginal rejuvenation surgery
• Colon + septic tank = unique, at times stinky, study
• Reducing animal testing for skin allergies
• Genetically speaking, mammals are more like their fathers
• Scientists override body's inflammatory response
• Low sugar uptake in brain appears to exacerbate Alzheimer's disease
• Scientists crack piece of neural code for learning, memory
• Minors easily able to purchase electronic cigarettes online
• Survey of teen dating violence among US high school students
• Cerebral blood flow as a possible marker for concussion outcomes
• Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids
• Healthy-looking prostate cells mask cancer-causing mutations
• How the altered intestinal bacterial community worsens health in HIV-infected patients
• Case study: Nebraska's Ebola isolation and decontamination approach
• New care model enhances psychological, cognitive and physical recovery of ICU survivors
• Basal cell carcinoma drug encourages both cancer regression and loss of taste in patients
• Peanut consumption associated with decreased total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular diseases
• Key to tuberculosis resistance found
• New genetic syndrome found, arising from errors in 'master switch' during early development
• Guidelines suggest blood thinners for more women, seniors with AFib
• Sleep-walking neurons: Brain's GPS never stops working -- even during sleep
• Study on adolescent bariatric surgery safety concludes
• Movement of cancer cells, tumor cell detection to be studied
• Insulin resistance in the brain, behavioral disorders: Direct link found
• Lycopene may ward off kidney cancer in older women
• Clever application of magnetic force enhances laparoscopic surgery
• Soft drink tax could improve health of the nation, Australian study says
• Conservative treatment normalizes head shape in most infants with skull flattening, reports article
• Use of new systemic adjuvant therapy in gastrointestinal tumors increasing
• Infection control experts outline guidance for animal visitations in hospitals
• Mutation may cause early loss of sperm supply
• Why nitrate supplementation may increase athletic performance
• Preventing metabolic disease may start in the womb... of your grandmother
• Mitochondrial 'shield' that helps cancer cells survive identified
• Anticholinergic drugs linked to risk for pneumonia in elderly
• Psychology has important role in changing cancer landscape
• Sall4 is required for dna repair in stem cells
• Desmoplakin's tail gets the message
• One step closer to defeating Alzheimer's disease
• Long-term care may not be best for adults with traumatic brain injury; other housing needed
• Lab-on-paper developed for rapid, inexpensive medical diagnostics
• The failure of the Medicare principle of universality in Australia
• Oral swabs: New approach to diagnosing TB
• Study identifies teens at-risk for synthetic marijuana use
• On-board school bus filtration system reduces pollutants by 88 percent
• New target identified in fight against Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis
• Licorice manufacturers encouraged to state daily limit of consumption
• Black men less willing to be investigated for prostate cancer
• With kids' antipsychotic treatment on the rise, study looks at prescriber decision-making
• Alzheimer amyloid clumps found in young adult brains
• Cesarean section rates in Portugal decline by 10 percent
• Pediatricians face increasing pressure to delay vaccinations, and more are giving in to parents' requests
• Interventional radiology offers new treatment for enlarged prostates
• 3-D printing offers innovative method to deliver medication
• Looking for alternatives to antibiotics
• Preventing spread of cancer with copper molecules
• Measles vaccine in modified form also effective against Chikungunya virus
• How is the membrane protein folded? From molecular biology toward new medical care

Disease-carrying fleas abound on New York City's rats Posted: 02 Mar 2015 12:08 PM PST In the first study of its kind since the 1920s, rats in New York City were found to carry a flea species capable of transmitting plague pathogens. Among them: 500-plus Oriental rat fleas, notorious for their role in transmitting the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death.

BPA exposure linked to autism spectrum disorder, study reports Posted: 02 Mar 2015 12:07 PM PST A newly published study is the first to report an association between bisphenol-A (BPA), a common plasticizer used in a variety of consumer food and beverage containers, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

New research aims to refine increasingly popular plastic surgery procedures: Buttock augmentation and vaginal rejuvenation surgery Posted: 02 Mar 2015 11:10 AM PST Two of the fastest-growing plastic surgery procedures are gluteoplasty or "butt augmentation," to improve the appearance of the buttocks; and labiaplasty to address cosmetic and functional concerns with the vagina. New insights into the use and outcomes of these procedures are presented in a new article.

Colon + septic tank = unique, at times stinky, study Posted: 02 Mar 2015 10:08 AM PST What do a human colon, septic tank, copper nanoparticles and zebrafish have in common? They were the key components used by researchers to study the impact copper nanoparticles, which are found in everything from paint to cosmetics, have on organisms inadvertently exposed to them.

Reducing animal testing for skin allergies Posted: 02 Mar 2015 10:06 AM PST The JRC has validated and recommended a new method which is not based on animal testing, to identify chemicals that can trigger skin allergies, estimated to affect already 20% of the population in Europe.

Genetically speaking, mammals are more like their fathers Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:32 AM PST You might resemble or act more like your mother, but a novel research study reveals that mammals are genetically more like their dads. Specifically, the research shows that although we inherit equal amounts of genetic mutations from our parents -- the mutations that make us who we are and not some other person -- we actually 'use' more of the DNA that we inherit from our dads.

Scientists override body's inflammatory response Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:32 AM PST Scientists who have discovered the mechanism of a protein that suppresses inflammation in the body, say the information could potentially be used to develop new drugs to control inflammation. The study is universally applicable to all types of inflammation in patients of all ages, in conditions ranging from the common cold to serious life-threatening illnesses, authors noted.

Low sugar uptake in brain appears to exacerbate Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST A deficiency in the protein responsible for moving glucose across the brain's protective blood-brain barrier appears to intensify the neurodegenerative effects of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new mouse study. The research suggests that targeting the protein called GLUT1 could help prevent or slow the effects of Alzheimer's, especially among those at risk for the disease.

Scientists crack piece of neural code for learning, memory Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST Researchers describe how postmortem brain slices can be 'read' to determine how a rat was trained to behave in response to specific sounds, a new article suggests. The work provides one of the first examples of how specific changes in the activity of individual neurons encode particular acts of learning and memory in the brain.

Minors easily able to purchase electronic cigarettes online Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST Teenagers in North Carolina were easily able to buy electronic cigarettes online because both Internet vendors and shipping companies failed to verifying ages in a study that assessed compliance with North Carolina's 2013 e-cigarette age-verification law, according to an article.

Survey of teen dating violence among US high school students Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST A survey of US high school students suggests that 1 in 5 female students and 1 in 10 male students who date have experienced some form of teen dating violence (TDV) during the past 12 months. "These results present broader implications for TDV prevention efforts. Although female students have a higher prevalence than male students, male and female students are both impacted by TDV, and prevention efforts may be more effective if they include content for both sexes," the study concludes.

Cerebral blood flow as a possible marker for concussion outcomes Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:31 AM PST Cerebral blood flow recovery in the brain could be a biomarker of outcomes in patients following concussion, a new imaging study suggests. Most of the 3.8 million sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that occur annually are concussions. Developing methods to diagnose the presence and severity of concussions is imperative, the authors say.

Growth screening could help detect celiac disease in kids Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:29 AM PST Screening for five growth parameters helped detect celiac disease (CD) with good accuracy in both boys and girls because growth falters in most children with CD, according to a new article. CD is an immune-mediated disorder brought on by gluten and characterized by a variety of nonspecific symptoms including poor growth, short stature and poor weight gain.

Healthy-looking prostate cells mask cancer-causing mutations Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:29 AM PST Prostate cells that look normal under the microscope may be hiding genetic mutations that could develop into cancer, prompting new ways to improve treatment for the disease, according to research. "We're finding new ways to detect precancerous cells, and this will give us the tools to prevent them becoming a threat in the future. This latest research provides powerful new insights into prostate cancer that we hope will help more men beat the disease," an author noted.

How the altered intestinal bacterial community worsens health in HIV-infected patients Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PST An investigation shows how the altered metabolism of gut microbiota contributes to worsen health in HIV-infected patients. The study was conducted with a cohort of HIV-infected patients with a positive response to antiretroviral therapy and with control individuals of the same age and gender as those infected.

Case study: Nebraska's Ebola isolation and decontamination approach Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:25 AM PST The Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU), located at the Nebraska Medical Center, has shared its protocol for Ebola patient discharge, handling a patient's body after death and environmental disinfection in a new article.

New care model enhances psychological, cognitive and physical recovery of ICU survivors Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:16 AM PST The Critical Care Recovery Center care model -- the nation's first collaborative care concept focusing on the extensive cognitive, physical and psychological recovery needs of intensive care unit survivors -- decreases the likelihood of serious illness after discharge from an ICU, investigators report.

Basal cell carcinoma drug encourages both cancer regression and loss of taste in patients Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:16 AM PST Many patients undergoing chemotherapy experience severe taste disruptions that make eating a challenge at a time when maintaining good nutrition is extremely important. Now, researchers report that they have identified the pathway responsible for taste changes among users of chemotherapy drugs that treat basal cell carcinoma.

Peanut consumption associated with decreased total mortality and mortality from cardiovascular diseases Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:16 AM PST Researchers have examined the association of nut and peanut consumption with mortality among low-income and racially diverse populations and found that intake of peanuts was associated with fewer deaths, especially from heart disease.

Key to tuberculosis resistance found Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:16 AM PST The cascade of events leading to bacterial infection and the immune response is mostly understood. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response to the bacteria that causes tuberculosis have remained a mystery -- until now. Researchers have uncovered how a bacterial molecule controls the body's response to TB infection and suggest that adjusting the level of this of this molecule may be a new way to treat the disease.

New genetic syndrome found, arising from errors in 'master switch' during early development Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:16 AM PST Analyzing a puzzling multisystem disorder in three children, genetic experts have identified a new syndrome, shedding light on key biological processes during human development. The investigators named the disorder CHOPS syndrome, with the acronym representing a group of symptoms seen in the affected children: cognitive impairment and coarse facies (facial features), heart defects, obesity, pulmonary involvement, short stature and skeletal dysplasia (abnormal bone development).

Guidelines suggest blood thinners for more women, seniors with AFib Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST Nearly all women and people over 65 in the U.S. with atrial fibrillation are advised to take blood thinners under new guidelines. Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. It affects about 2.7 million people in the U.S. Anticoagulant drugs help prevent blood from clotting and potentially causing stroke.

Sleep-walking neurons: Brain's GPS never stops working -- even during sleep Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST Navigational brain cells that help sense direction are as electrically active during deep sleep as they are during wake time, scientists have discovered. Such information could be useful in treating navigational problems associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

Study on adolescent bariatric surgery safety concludes Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST Cardiovascular risks of severe pediatric obesity, assessed among a recent study, have been recently published. The authors found that severely obese adolescents carry not only excess weight, but also have much higher risk for CVD than previously realized. Of the 242 participants in the cohort, 95 percent had at least one CVD risk factor. Seventy-five percent had elevated blood pressure (including hypertension and pre-hypertension), 50 percent had unhealthy cholesterol levels, and nearly three-quarters of the group were insulin resistant. Importantly, the study also confirmed that increasing weight in teenagers is associated with increases in blood sugar and blood pressure.

Movement of cancer cells, tumor cell detection to be studied Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST Two grants will aid development of new methods and tools to better understand cancer metastasis and tumor cell detection. Metastasis is the process in which cells from a primary tumor break-off, enter the blood stream and create new tumors elsewhere in the body. The metastasis of tumor cells is what causes death in about 70 percent of cancer patients. The basic understanding of a tumor is that once the cells enter the body's highway system (blood flow), the cancer threat becomes increasingly dangerous. Previous research has led scientists to believe the most aggressive cells are soft and deformable so they can speed through the blood stream, squeezing through spaces of various sizes and shapes. The question is why.

Insulin resistance in the brain, behavioral disorders: Direct link found Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST People with diabetes are more prone to anxiety and depression than those with other chronic diseases that require similar levels of management. Genetically modifying mice to make their brains resistant to insulin, scientists first found that the animals exhibited behaviors that suggest anxiety and depression, and then pinpointed a mechanism that lowers levels of the key neurotransmitter dopamine in areas of the brain associated with those conditions.

Lycopene may ward off kidney cancer in older women Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST A higher intake by postmenopausal women of the natural antioxidant lycopene, found in foods like tomatoes, watermelon and papaya, may lower the risk of renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, scientists report.

Clever application of magnetic force enhances laparoscopic surgery Posted: 02 Mar 2015 09:15 AM PST A team of engineers is using magnetic force to design new and improved instruments for minimally invasive surgery. The use of magnetic actuation allows them to create tools that are more flexible and more powerful than conventional designs, which place the instruments on the end of long sticks.

Soft drink tax could improve health of the nation, Australian study says Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:53 AM PST An excise tax on sugar-sweetened drinks would be an effective way to improve the health of heavy consumers, new research shows. Australian researchers compared the impact that a 20 per cent sales tax and a 20 cents per litre excise tax on beverages such as carbonated non-diet soft drinks, cordials and fruit drinks would have on moderate and high consumers.

Conservative treatment normalizes head shape in most infants with skull flattening, reports article Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:52 AM PST More than three-fourths of infants with skull flattening related to sleep position achieve normal head shape with conservative treatment -- without the need for helmet therapy, reports a new study.

Use of new systemic adjuvant therapy in gastrointestinal tumors increasing Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:52 AM PST The use of adjuvant systemic therapy for localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors has significantly increased over time, a new study has found, and patients treated with the therapy have better survival than those treated with surgery alone, researchers say.

Infection control experts outline guidance for animal visitations in hospitals Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:52 AM PST New expert guidance outlines recommendations for developing policies regarding the use of animals in healthcare facilities, including animal-assisted activities, service animals, research animals and personal pet visitation in acute care hospitals.

Mutation may cause early loss of sperm supply Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:52 AM PST Problems in a gene responsible for producing the protein TAF4b leave mice -- and maybe men -- unable to sustain sperm production. As embryos, mice lacking the protein failed to develop an adequate number of key cells in the sperm production process and as adults they quickly lost their initial fertility.

Why nitrate supplementation may increase athletic performance Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:50 AM PST Walk down the aisles of any food supplement store and you'll see that the use of nitrate supplements by athletes and fitness buffs has been popular for years. The hope is that these supplements will increase endurance, and possibly other performance/health benefits, by improving the efficiency at which muscles use oxygen. Now, a research study helps explain how some of these supplements may work.

Preventing metabolic disease may start in the womb... of your grandmother Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:50 AM PST No one wants to have child who is born underweight, but for numerous reasons, this may be unavoidable. An intriguing research report involving rats suggests that helping fetuses achieve optimal weight before birth is of even greater importance than currently believed.

Mitochondrial 'shield' that helps cancer cells survive identified Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:50 AM PST Scientists have moved closer to understanding why cancer cells can be so resilient, even when faced with the onslaught of nearly toxic drug cocktails, radiation, and even our own immune systems. A new research report shows that intermediate filaments formed by a protein called 'vimentin' or VIF, effectively 'insulate' the mitochondria in cancer cells from any attempt to destroy the cell.

Anticholinergic drugs linked to risk for pneumonia in elderly Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:47 AM PST Taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects is associated with a significantly higher risk for developing pneumonia in a study of more than 3,000 olde patients living in the community -- not in nursing homes.

Psychology has important role in changing cancer landscape Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Psychology has played, and will continue to play, a critical role in cancer prevention, treatment and control, according to newly published research.

Sall4 is required for dna repair in stem cells Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST A protein that helps embryonic stem cells retain their identity also promotes DNA repair. The findings raise the possibility that the protein, Sall4, performs a similar role in cancer cells, helping them survive chemotherapy.

Desmoplakin's tail gets the message Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Cells control the adhesion protein desmoplakin by modifying the tail end of the protein, and this process goes awry in some patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, according to a new study.

One step closer to defeating Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Researchers show that toning down the activity of the receptor TREM2 may help put a stop to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Long-term care may not be best for adults with traumatic brain injury; other housing needed Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST A new, large-scale Canadian study shows that many adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) live in a long-term health setting – such as a nursing home- which may not be appropriate for their condition and younger age.

Lab-on-paper developed for rapid, inexpensive medical diagnostics Posted: 02 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST A new paper-based platform has been created for conducting a wide range of complex medical diagnostics. The key development was the invention of fluid actuated valves embedded in the paper that allow for sequential manipulation of sample fluids and multiple reagents in a controlled manner to perform complex multi-step immune-detection tests without human intervention.

The failure of the Medicare principle of universality in Australia Posted: 02 Mar 2015 06:17 AM PST For the first time, researchers have revealed clear and detailed evidence of the inequitable delivery of mental health care services for disadvantaged Australians.

Oral swabs: New approach to diagnosing TB Posted: 02 Mar 2015 06:17 AM PST Drawing inspiration from veterinary medicine, researchers have helped developed a new prospective approach to diagnosing tuberculosis -- easy-to-obtain oral swab samples, greatly improving on standard diagnostics.

Study identifies teens at-risk for synthetic marijuana use Posted: 02 Mar 2015 06:16 AM PST One of the first American national studies to examine risk factors for use of synthetic marijuana among a large, nationally representative sample of teens. Popular among teens, in 2011, synthetic marijuana was used by more than one out of ten (11.4%) high school seniors in the US, making it the most commonly used drug after real marijuana.

On-board school bus filtration system reduces pollutants by 88 percent Posted: 02 Mar 2015 06:16 AM PST An on-board air filtration system developed specifically for school buses reduces exposure to vehicular pollutants by up to 88 percent, according to a new study.

New target identified in fight against Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis Posted: 02 Mar 2015 06:16 AM PST Highlighting a potential target in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests that triggering a protein found on the surface of brain cells may help slow the progression of these and other neurological diseases.

Licorice manufacturers encouraged to state daily limit of consumption Posted: 02 Mar 2015 05:11 AM PST A recent case study details the account of a 10-year-old boy who suffered seizures after over-indulging in licorice sweets. The boy was admitted to hospital in Bologna, Italy after suffering a 2 minute tonic-clonic seizure. A cluster of another three generalized seizures occurred in the next few hours. The boy also complained of a bad headache and had high blood pressure. Doctors discovered that he had been eating at least 20 licorice sweets each day for the past four months. This resulted in the consumption of 2.88 mg/kg of glycyrrhizic acid (one of the active ingredients of licorice), well above the World Health Organization's recommended maximum of 2 mg/kg.

Black men less willing to be investigated for prostate cancer Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST The incidence of prostate cancer among men of Afro-Caribbean origin is higher than in white men, they are more likely to be diagnosed as emergencies and their mortality rates are higher. Until now it has been unclear why these disappointing outcomes exist. To investigate the possible effects of patients' preferences and choices, a team of researchers carried out a study in more than 500 men attending general practices.

With kids' antipsychotic treatment on the rise, study looks at prescriber decision-making Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST More kids nationwide are taking medications designed to treat such mental health illnesses as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Pediatricians and psychiatrists have conducted a study to determine why.

Alzheimer amyloid clumps found in young adult brains Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST Amyloid -- an abnormal protein that's a hallmark of Alzheimer's -- starts accumulating inside neurons of people as young as 20, reports a study. This is the first time amyloid accumulation has been shown in such young human brains. Small toxic amyloid clumps were found in neurons of deceased young adults. The clumps grew larger in the brains of normal older adults and those with Alzheimer's. The clumps likely damage and eventually kill memory-related neurons.

Cesarean section rates in Portugal decline by 10 percent Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST A new study reports a significant decline in the rate of cesarean section (C-section) births in Portugal. Findings indicate a 10 percent reduction in overall C-section rates between 2009 and 2014, with a 14 percent reduction in state-hospitals during the same time period.

Pediatricians face increasing pressure to delay vaccinations, and more are giving in to parents' requests Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST Pediatricians are facing increasing pressure from some parents who want to spread out the recommended vaccine schedule for their children by postponing vaccines, pointing to a need for improved programs that support timely vaccinations, according to a new study.

Interventional radiology offers new treatment for enlarged prostates Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition in which the prostate is enlarged but not cancerous, have a new, breakthrough treatment option.

3-D printing offers innovative method to deliver medication Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:13 AM PST 3-D printing could become a powerful tool in customizing interventional radiology treatments to individual patient needs, with clinicians having the ability to construct devices to a specific size and shape. Researchers and engineers collaborated to print catheters, stents and filaments to deliver antibiotics and chemotherapeutic medications to a targeted area in cell cultures.

Looking for alternatives to antibiotics Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:11 AM PST Bacteria that talk to one another and organize themselves into biofilms are more resistant to antibiotics. Consequently, researchers are now working to develop drugs that prevent bacteria from communicating.

Preventing spread of cancer with copper molecules Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:11 AM PST A molecule containing copper that binds specifically with DNA and prevents the spread of cancer has been developed by scientists. First results show that it kills the cancer cells more quickly than cisplatin -- a widely used anti-cancer drug that is frequently administered in chemotherapy.

Measles vaccine in modified form also effective against Chikungunya virus Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:10 AM PST A modified, conventional measles vaccine has the potential to act against the Chikungunya virus, concludes a recent study. Up until now, there has been no effective vaccine against the Chikungunya virus and the associated feverish illness which can prove lethal, and is particularly prevalent in Latin America and the Caribbean.

How is the membrane protein folded? From molecular biology toward new medical care Posted: 02 Mar 2015 04:10 AM PST A key factor in the biosynthesis and stable expression of multi-pass transmembrane proteins has been discovered, and its loss is thought to cause retinal degeneration. The factor works especially for multi-pass membrane proteins, in the integration of polypeptides into the membrane and/or protein folding. Understanding the mechanisms underlying protein folding and trafficking may contribute to the large-scale, therapy-based production of target proteins.

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