ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Flu fighting strategies should be tailored to cities and rural areas: York U study
• Emotion processing in brain changes with tinnitus severity
• RNs more likely to identify high-risk medication discrepancies
• Humans evolved to get better sleep in less time
• Puerto Rico's community health centers face bleak future, experts say
• Genes for age-related cognitive decline found in adult worm neurons
• Overprescribing of opioids is not limited to a few bad apples
• Treating colon cancer with vitamin A
• Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations
• How multiple sclerosis can be triggered by brain cell death
• Researchers create cellular 'ORACLs' to aid drug discovery
• Taking antidepressants during pregnancy increases risk of autism by 87 percent
• Experimental drugs that change energy supply in cells could slow brain tumor growth
• Diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: New Canadian guideline
• Physician-assisted death should be listed on medical certificates of death in Canada
• Potential treatment target for IDH1-mutant cancers identified
• Liver protein boosts growth of insulin-producing cells
• Promising cancer therapy advanced by chemical explanation
• Analysis of neuronal avalanches reveals spatial temporal roadmap of humans higher cognitive function
• Timing of first childbirth influences women's health at age 40
• Brain cancer self-organizes into streams, swirls, and spheres
• Early childhood exposure to farm animals, pets modifies immunological responses
• Faster, finer filtration
• New research could help to prevent blockages faced by many long-term catheter users
• Olive, sunflower oil on baby skin weakens natural defenses
• Complex 'cocktail' in white blood cells has regenerative effect
• Helicopter parenting at the doctor's office may impact teen health
• Helping others dampens effects of everyday stress
• Research traces cause of organ dysfunction in Down syndrome
• New gene editing technique turns human pluripotent stem cells into a model system for polycystic kidney disease
• Gray divorced women are more likely to be poor, new research shows
• Targeted assistance needed to fight poverty in developing coastal communities

Flu fighting strategies should be tailored to cities and rural areas: York U study Posted: 14 Dec 2015 01:59 PM PST In the face of a flu epidemic, a one-size fits all vaccine strategy won't be effective, a new study has found. Instead, strategies need to change significantly depending on the characteristics of each region in Canada and how easily the particular flu strain spreads. The window of time around the onset of a flu epidemic will be vastly different between a remote population and an urban one. Vaccination strategies need to reflect that.

Emotion processing in brain changes with tinnitus severity Posted: 14 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST People with tinnitus who are less bothered by their symptoms use different brain regions when processing emotional information, new research indicates. Tinnitus, otherwise known as ringing in the ears, affects nearly one-third of adults over age 65.

RNs more likely to identify high-risk medication discrepancies Posted: 14 Dec 2015 11:20 AM PST RNs are more likely than LPNs to identify high-risk medication discrepancies, suggesting RNs are better equipped to assess and identify medication errors that could pose risks to residents' safety. These findings suggest the need to distinguish differences in responsibilities for RNs and LPNs in nursing homes, the researchers say.

Humans evolved to get better sleep in less time Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:09 AM PST Insomniacs take heart: Humans get by on significantly less sleep than our closest animal relatives. The secret, according to a new study of slumber patterns across 21 species of primates, is that our sleep is more efficient.

Puerto Rico's community health centers face bleak future, experts say Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:07 AM PST An extraordinary need for publicly subsidized health services amidst an unprecedented economic crisis is putting Puerto Rico's federally funded community health centers in jeopardy, according to a new report.

Genes for age-related cognitive decline found in adult worm neurons Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:05 AM PST Genes important for age-related cognitive declines in memory in adult worm neurons, which had not been studied previously, have been discovered by scientists. The research could eventually point the way toward therapies to extend life and enhance health in aging human populations.

Overprescribing of opioids is not limited to a few bad apples Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:05 AM PST Most prescriptions for opioid painkillers are made by the broad swath of US general practitioners, not by a limited group of specialists, according to a new study.

Treating colon cancer with vitamin A Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:04 AM PST A leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, colon cancer is famously resistant to treatment. Now the biological pathway behind the growth of colon cancer has been discovered by researchers who have been able block it with vitamin A.

Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:03 AM PST Current approaches to genome analysis systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients' tumors, new research shows. Further, a significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

How multiple sclerosis can be triggered by brain cell death Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:03 AM PST Multiple sclerosis may be triggered by the death of brain cells that make the insulation around nerve fibers, a surprising new view of the disease reported in a study. A specially developed nanoparticle prevented MS even after the death of those brain cells, an experiment in the study showed. The nanoparticles are being developed for clinical trials that could lead to new treatments -- without the side effects of current therapies.

Researchers create cellular 'ORACLs' to aid drug discovery Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:02 AM PST A new approach for early stage drug discovery has been created that uses techniques from the world of computer vision in combination with a powerful new tool: a lineage of genetically modified cancer cells in a dish that change their appearance when treated with drugs targeting common disease pathways.

Taking antidepressants during pregnancy increases risk of autism by 87 percent Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:02 AM PST Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of autism, researchers have discovered. The findings are hugely important as six to ten percent of pregnant women are currently being treated for depression with antidepressants.

Experimental drugs that change energy supply in cells could slow brain tumor growth Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Experimental drugs that alter cell metabolism also halted tumor growth and extended survival in mice with cancers linked to changes in the same gene, according to a new study.

Diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: New Canadian guideline Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is important to help children and adults, and their families, who have the disorder. A new Canadian guideline provides recommendations for diagnosing FASD, specifically for multidisciplinary diagnostic teams.

Physician-assisted death should be listed on medical certificates of death in Canada Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Physician-assisted death should be recorded on medical certificates of death in Canada in the event that assisted dying becomes legal, according to a new analysis.

Potential treatment target for IDH1-mutant cancers identified Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST A potential new treatment target for tumors -- including a significant percentage of malignant brain tumors -- driven by mutations in an important metabolic enzyme has been identified by a group of researchers.

Liver protein boosts growth of insulin-producing cells Posted: 14 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST A key protein produced in the liver aids in accelerating the growth of insulin-producing cells, new research has shown. Identifying growth factors that naturally circulate in the blood offers potentially major advantages for building healthy beta cells, the researchers say.

Promising cancer therapy advanced by chemical explanation Posted: 14 Dec 2015 07:23 AM PST Radiation therapy: A chilling word that creates images of burn-injuries where the cancer killing ray went through the skin. For decades research hospitals have been investigating the alternative method Hadron therapy, or particle therapy, where runaway cells are bombarded with 'naked' atomic nuclei or protons. When the particles pass through sick cells the collision creates chemical reactions preventing further cell division. Now researchers have discovered an unknown reaction caused by the therapy.

Analysis of neuronal avalanches reveals spatial temporal roadmap of humans higher cognitive function Posted: 14 Dec 2015 06:27 AM PST For the first time ever in a study of the living human brain as it responds to outside stimuli, an Israeli doctoral candidate recently completed a quantitative analysis of how neuronal avalanches arise from the balance between two fundamental electrochemical forces mediated on the level of neural networks -- the force that excites the propagation of electrical activity through the brain, and the force that inhibits it.

Timing of first childbirth influences women's health at age 40 Posted: 14 Dec 2015 06:27 AM PST A new study finds some surprising ways in which women's health at midlife is connected to when they had their first child and to their marital history.

Brain cancer self-organizes into streams, swirls, and spheres Posted: 14 Dec 2015 06:27 AM PST Brain cancer is not anarchy, say researchers but highly organized--self-organized. Researchers report that glioma cells build tumors by self-organizing into streams,10-20 cells wide, that obey a mathematically predicted pattern for autonomous agents flowing together. These streams drag along slower gliomas, may block entry of immune cells, and swirl around a central axis containing glioma stem cells that feed the tumor's growth.

Early childhood exposure to farm animals, pets modifies immunological responses Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:50 AM PST Exposure to farm animals in early childhood modifies the key allergy-related immunological mechanisms, shows a recent study, which provides new insight into the role of dendritic cells and cytokine production in particular.

Faster, finer filtration Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:50 AM PST The right blend of polymers enables rapid and molecule-selective filtering of tiny particles from water, say scientists. A method of fabricating polymer membranes with nanometer-scale holes that overcomes some practical challenges has been demonstrated by the researchers.

New research could help to prevent blockages faced by many long-term catheter users Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:49 AM PST New research could lead to new treatments to prevent blockages and urinary tract infections experienced by many long-term catheter users. Up to 50 per cent of long-term catheter users experience encrustations and subsequent blockage, which result in severe trauma and pain for the individual and place high burdens on healthcare services and finances.

Olive, sunflower oil on baby skin weakens natural defenses Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:49 AM PST Using olive or sunflower oil on new born babies' skin damages the barrier which prevents water loss and blocks allergens and infections, new research has found.

Complex 'cocktail' in white blood cells has regenerative effect Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:49 AM PST Irradiated white blood cells release substances that reduce the severity of the damage caused by a heart attack or stroke and in spinal injuries and have a positive effect upon tissue repair, new research shows. However, up until now it wasn't known exactly which particular substances were responsible for these beneficial effects.

Helicopter parenting at the doctor's office may impact teen health Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:47 AM PST Nearly 40 percent of parents say that they alone -- not their teen -- would ask doctors questions about health issues. A new article outlines the picture of helicopter parenting in the doctor's office.

Helping others dampens effects of everyday stress Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:47 AM PST Providing help to friends, acquaintances, and even strangers can mitigate the impact of daily stressors on our emotions and our mental health, according to new research.

Research traces cause of organ dysfunction in Down syndrome Posted: 14 Dec 2015 05:47 AM PST While most Down syndrome research has focused on the brain, a new report by Johns Hopkins University biologists uncovers how the disorder hampers a separate part of the nervous system that plays a key role in health and longevity.

New gene editing technique turns human pluripotent stem cells into a model system for polycystic kidney disease Posted: 11 Dec 2015 10:22 AM PST By linking CRISPR/Cas9 with another cutting edge technology—human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs)—researchers have used CRISPR/Cas9 to guide hPSCs into becoming a human cell-based lab model system for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Gray divorced women are more likely to be poor, new research shows Posted: 11 Dec 2015 10:22 AM PST More and more adults are entering their golden years alone, either through gray divorce, or by choosing to stay unmarried, and for older women, Social Security benefits often aren't enough to stave off poverty.

Targeted assistance needed to fight poverty in developing coastal communities Posted: 11 Dec 2015 10:01 AM PST There needs to be a better understanding of how conservation and aid projects in developing countries impact the people they are designed to help, researchers say. Millions of dollars have been spent on integrated conservation and development projects that are aimed at improving people's lives in developing countries, but our understanding of whether these projects are effective and how they impact people is very weak.

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