ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Affordable genetic diagnostic technique for target DNA analysis developed
• Effects of spinach extract on satiety: Feel full, curb cravings
• New cancer marker identified; possible therapeutic target for breast cancer
• Starvation effects handed down for generations
• Self-assembling, biomimetic membranes may aid water filtration
• Analysis of post deployment health assessment forms indicates risks of alcohol abuse among service members returning from deployment
• On-chip processor the first step in point-of-care asthma and tuberculosis diagnostics
• Ebola vaccine efficacy trial suggest vaccine provides high protection against disease
• Getting to the bottom of aging
• Drinking at conception boosts diabetes risk for baby, study shows
• Brain-controlled prosthesis nearly as good as one-finger typing
• Discovery about brain protein causes rethink on development of Alzheimer's disease
• Young adults with autism show improved social function following skills program
• RNA-binding protein influences key mediator of cellular inflammation, stress responses
• Gold-diamond nanodevice for hyperlocalized cancer therapy
• Watching a tumor grow in real-time
• Heating and cooling with light leads to ultrafast DNA diagnostics
• Exercise during adolescence linked to lowered risk of death later
• Gene drive research: Safeguarding the greater good
• How to become a T follicular helper cell
• Cancer patients lose faith in healthcare system if referred late by GP
• Get up for your heart health, move for your waistline
• Byproduct of intestinal bacteria may jeopardize heart health in patients with kidney disease
• Cost of physician board recertification fuels questions about how best to achieve better outcomes for patients
• Texting while driving bans save 19 lives per year
• Concussions most common during practice
• Blocking PHD2 oxygen sensor inhibits breast cancer dissemination
• Waking up HIV
• New candidate genes for immunodeficiency identified by using dogs as genetic models
• Generally accepted tools used to select patients for aneurysm treatment in need of further evaluation
• Scientists create functional liver cells from stem cells
• American report highlights priorities to help states achieve national HIV/AIDS strategy goals
• Identifying a key growth factor in cell proliferation
• Genetic tug of war in the brain influences parental control over offspring behavior
• Changing clocks, changing seasons: Scientists find role for neuronal plasticity
• Why female physicians are paid less than men

Affordable genetic diagnostic technique for target DNA analysis developed Posted: 31 Jul 2015 08:20 AM PDT A technique to analyze various target DNAs has been developed using an aptamer, a DNA fragment that can recognize and bind to a specific protein or enzyme.

Effects of spinach extract on satiety: Feel full, curb cravings Posted: 31 Jul 2015 08:13 AM PDT A new study examines how consuming the concentrated extract of thylakoids found in spinach can reduce hunger and cravings. Thylakoids encourage the release of satiety hormones, which is very beneficial in slowing down fat digestion.

New cancer marker identified; possible therapeutic target for breast cancer Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:52 AM PDT Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer and is often referred to as "triple negative," which means it is not responsive to the common medical therapeutics. BLBC is more likely to metastasize -- or spread to different areas of the body -- quicker and earlier, and is associated with a poor prognosis. A new way to detect - and perhaps treat -- this deadly form of breast cancer has now been found, scientists report.

Starvation effects handed down for generations Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:52 AM PDT Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in nematodes. The epigenetic effects are a 'bet-hedging strategy.' Famine survivors are smaller and less fertile, and they acquire a toughness that lasts at least two generations. The mechanism of the epigenetic inheritance has not been identified, however.

Self-assembling, biomimetic membranes may aid water filtration Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:52 AM PDT A synthetic membrane that self assembles and is easily produced may lead to better gas separation, water purification, drug delivery and DNA recognition, according to an international team of researchers.

Analysis of post deployment health assessment forms indicates risks of alcohol abuse among service members returning from deployment Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:40 AM PDT An analysis of responses to questionnaires administered to U.S. active component service members who had returned from deployment during a 7-year surveillance period found that 3.4 percent and 4.8 percent of them, respectively, indicated a severe risk for alcohol abuse.

On-chip processor the first step in point-of-care asthma and tuberculosis diagnostics Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:40 AM PDT A device to mix liquids utilizing ultrasonics is the first and most difficult component in a miniaturized system for low-cost analysis of sputum from patients with pulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma.

Ebola vaccine efficacy trial suggest vaccine provides high protection against disease Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:39 AM PDT Tests of the experimental Ebola vaccine VSV-ZEBOV in over 7500 participants in Guinea suggest that the vaccine provides high protection against the disease as early as ten days after vaccination, in adults who have potentially been exposed to the virus by coming in close contact with a recently infected person.

Getting to the bottom of aging Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:38 AM PDT The question of why we age is one of the most fascinating questions for humankind, but nothing close to a satisfactory answer has been found to date. Scientists have now taken one step closer to providing an answer. They have conducted a study in which, for the first time, they have shown that a certain area of the cell, the so-called endoplasmic reticulum, loses its oxidative power in advanced age. If this elixir of life is lost, many proteins can no longer mature properly. At the same time, oxidative damage accumulates in another area of the cell, the cytosol. This interplay was previously unknown and now opens up a new understanding of aging, but also of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

Drinking at conception boosts diabetes risk for baby, study shows Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT Babies conceived by women who drink alcohol around the time of conception face dramatically increased risks of type 2 diabetes and obesity in early middle age, a study has found.

Brain-controlled prosthesis nearly as good as one-finger typing Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT Brain-controlled prostheses sample a few hundred neurons to estimate motor commands that involve millions of neurons. Sampling errors can reduce the precision and speed of thought-controlled keypads. A new technique can analyze this sample and make dozens of corrective adjustments in the blink of an eye to make thought-controlled cursors more precise.

Discovery about brain protein causes rethink on development of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT A protein involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease also has properties that could be helpful for human health, a research study has found. The discovery helps researchers better understand the complicated brain chemistry behind the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Young adults with autism show improved social function following skills program Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT A social skills program for high-functioning young adults with autism spectrum disorder significantly improved the participants' ability to engage with their peers, a new study has found.

RNA-binding protein influences key mediator of cellular inflammation, stress responses Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:36 AM PDT RNA-binding proteins such as RC3H1 regulate the degradation of the mRNA molecules and thus prevent the production of specific proteins. Researchers have now shown that ROQUIN binds several thousand mRNA molecules. They demonstrated that ROQUIN also influences the gene regulator NF-kappaB, a key mediator of cellular inflammation and stress responses.

Gold-diamond nanodevice for hyperlocalized cancer therapy Posted: 31 Jul 2015 07:36 AM PDT Precise targeting biological molecules, such as cancer cells, for treatment is a challenge, due to their sheer size. Now, scientists have proposed an advanced solution that can potentially be applied to thermal cancer therapy. An improved sensing technique for nanometer-scale heating and temperature sensing uses a chemical method to attach gold nanorods to the surface of a diamond nanocrystal, the authors have invented a new biocompatible nanodevice.

Watching a tumor grow in real-time Posted: 31 Jul 2015 04:04 AM PDT Researchers have gained new insight into the phases of breast cancer growth. The ability to visualize and characterize the composition of a tumor in detail during its development can provide valuable insights in order to target appropriate therapeutics.

Heating and cooling with light leads to ultrafast DNA diagnostics Posted: 31 Jul 2015 04:02 AM PDT Researchers used LEDs and a thin film of gold to turbocharge the heating and cooling cycles of the PCR test so results are ready in minutes, not hours. The innovation greatly expands the clinical and research applications of a workhorse lab tool used in forensics, medical diagnostics and more.

Exercise during adolescence linked to lowered risk of death later Posted: 31 Jul 2015 04:02 AM PDT Women who participated in exercise as adolescents had a reduced risk of death from cancer and all causes in their middle and older ages. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors in adult life, the researchers found that women who participated in exercise as adolescents for 1.33 hours a week or less had a 16 percent lowered risk for death from cancer, and a 15 percent lowered risk for death from all causes; those who participated in exercise as adolescents for more than 1.33 hours a week had a 13 percent lowered risk for death from all causes.

Gene drive research: Safeguarding the greater good Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:00 PM PDT Research teams have proactively assembled an international group of 26 experts, including prominent genetic engineers and fruit fly geneticists, to unanimously recommend a series of preemptive measures to safeguard gene drive research.

How to become a T follicular helper cell Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:00 PM PDT Follicular helper Tcells (TFH cells), a rare type of immune cell that is essential for inducing a strong and lasting antibody response to viruses and other microbes, have garnered intense interest in recent years but the molecular signals that drive their differentiation had remained unclear. Now, a team of researchers has identified a pair of master regulators that control the fate of TFH cells.

Cancer patients lose faith in healthcare system if referred late by GP Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:00 PM PDT If it takes more than three trips to the GP to be referred for cancer tests, patients are more likely to be dissatisfied with their overall care, eroding confidence in the doctors and nurses who go on to treat and monitor them, a study shows.

Get up for your heart health, move for your waistline Posted: 30 Jul 2015 07:00 PM PDT More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, according to a new study. The study also shows that replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index.

Byproduct of intestinal bacteria may jeopardize heart health in patients with kidney disease Posted: 30 Jul 2015 02:25 PM PDT Blood levels of TMAO, a byproduct generated from intestinal bacterial as they metabolize dietary nutrients, progressively increase with advancing severity of kidney disease. TMAO levels are dramatically reduced when kidney function is restored following kidney transplantation, researchers say, noting that high TMAO levels are linked with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and premature death in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Cost of physician board recertification fuels questions about how best to achieve better outcomes for patients Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:31 PM PDT Many American physicians are pushing back against or debating new requirements for maintaining medical board certifications, which affect more than 250,000 physicians nationwide.

Texting while driving bans save 19 lives per year Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:30 PM PDT On average, there was a 7 percent reduction in crash-related hospitalizations in states that have enacted bans on texting and driving, researchers say. Hospitalizations were reduced the most -- 9 percent -- among 22-64 year olds and those aged 65 and older.

Concussions most common during practice Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:30 PM PDT As high school and college athletes hit the fields and courts in pre-season practice, concussion awareness should be part of their education, experts say, as most concussions happen during practice and not during games.

Blocking PHD2 oxygen sensor inhibits breast cancer dissemination Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:29 PM PDT Reducing the expression of the PHD2 oxygen sensor impairs the ability of breast cancers to metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body, scientists have discovered. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, primarily due to metastasis. These findings indicate that PHD2 inhibition may have valuable therapeutic potential.

Waking up HIV Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:22 PM PDT Highly active anti-retroviral therapy has helped millions survive the human immunodeficiency virus. Unfortunately, HIV has a built-in survival mechanism, creating reservoirs of latent, inactive virus that are invisible to both HAART and the immune system. But now, researchers have identified a compound that activates latent HIV, offering the tantalizing possibility that the virus can be flushed out of the silent reservoirs and fully cured.

New candidate genes for immunodeficiency identified by using dogs as genetic models Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:22 PM PDT IgA deficiency is one of the most common genetic immunodeficiency disorders in humans and is associated with an insufficiency or complete absence of the antibody IgA. Researchers have now performed the first comparative genetic study of IgA deficiency by using the dog as genetic disease model.

Generally accepted tools used to select patients for aneurysm treatment in need of further evaluation Posted: 30 Jul 2015 01:22 PM PDT Strict adherence to two commonly-used tools to weigh the risk of treating unruptured aneurysms may not prevent the majority of morbidity-mortality outcomes associated with ruptured intracranial aneurysms, new research suggests.

Scientists create functional liver cells from stem cells Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:12 AM PDT Evaluating drug-induced liver injury is a critical part of pharmaceutical drug discovery and must be carried out on human liver cells. Now, scientists report that they produced large amounts of functional liver cells from human embryonic and genetic engineered stem cells. The cells can detect the toxic effect of over a dozen drugs with greater than 97 percent accuracy.

American report highlights priorities to help states achieve national HIV/AIDS strategy goals Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:12 AM PDT A set of recommendations has been released by experts for how states across the US can improve HIV prevention and care outcomes in an effort to achieve the goals identified within the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Identifying a key growth factor in cell proliferation Posted: 30 Jul 2015 10:11 AM PDT Researchers reveal why proliferating cells — including those in tumors — require mitochondrial respiration. While there are other ways to make ATP, cells can't proliferate without access to electron acceptors provided by respiration, they say.

Genetic tug of war in the brain influences parental control over offspring behavior Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:10 AM PDT Researchers report that a nuanced, targeted version of parental control over gene expression is the method of choice over classic genomic imprinting. So-called noncanonical imprinting is particularly prevalent in the brain, and skews the genetic message in subpopulations of cells so that mom, or dad, has a stronger say, they say. The mechanism can influence offspring behavior, and because it is observed more frequently than classic imprinting, appears to be preferred.

Changing clocks, changing seasons: Scientists find role for neuronal plasticity Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:10 AM PDT A team of scientists has linked changes in the structure of a handful of central brain neurons to understanding how animals adjust to changing seasons. Its findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms vital to the regulation of our circadian system, or internal clock.

Why female physicians are paid less than men Posted: 30 Jul 2015 09:08 AM PDT In a survey of hospital medical physicians across the United States, women made nearly $15,000 less than their male counterparts, with a portion of this disparity explained by female doctors' tendency to prioritize collegiality and control over personal time, rather than substantial pay. The figure was determined after controlling for a number of factors, including age, geography, specialty, and amount and type of clinical work.

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