ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Fat cells outlive skinny ones
• College psychology classes lack curriculum about disabilities
• Clinical manual addresses how to approach organ donation after euthanasia
• Predicted impact of different alcohol taxation, pricing policies on health inequalities
• Health and development in infants after mefloquine antimalarial treatment during pregnancy
• Natural sugar may treat fatty liver disease
• Food-based proteins discovered as key to child malnutrition in developing countries
• New surgical tool keeps orthopedic procedures on target
• Two forms of radiosurgery for brain metastases are equally effective
• New therapeutic pathway may keep cancer cells turned 'off'
• Everyday mindfulness linked to healthy glucose levels
• Researchers tune mechanical properties of radiation-sensitive material for biomedical use
• Critical care resuscitation unit speeds up transfer of critically ill patients
• Childhood leukemia patients from high-poverty areas more likely to suffer early relapse
• What bats reveal about how humans focus attention
• Influenza viruses can hide from the immune system
• How sweet can you get? Plant-derived sweetener thaumatin becomes 1.7 times sweeter after amino acid swap
• Body's immune system may play larger role in Alzheimer's disease than thought
• New virus transmission route discovered in pigs
• Vaginal delivery doubles the risk of stress incontinence compared to caesarean section
• Identification of the mechanism by which cells interact with their milieu
• Nano - dangerously big
• How the microenvironment can guide secretory cavities into tubes by mechanical forces
• Are lung cancer survivors getting too many costly scans for no reason? Study suggests so
• Recombinase Brec1 trend-setting for future HIV therapy
• Stroke patients' speech loss linked to loss of brain interconnections
• Television exposure directly linked to a thin body ideal in women
• New reports show positive, negative effects of Louisiana school voucher program
• Gene linking sleep, seasonal affective disorder found
• Longer, intense rehabilitation boosts recovery after brain injury
• Dapivirine vaginal ring helped protect women against HIV in ASPIRE Phase III trial
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome appears to be underrecognized, undertreated and associated with high risk of death
• New definitions created for sepsis, septic shock
• Scientists advance cancer screening technology to better personalize cancer treatment
• Microbiologists advance CRISPR research
• Vision scientists discover potential treatment for adults with lazy eye
• New Canadian recommendation against colonoscopy for routine screening of colorectal cancer
• Common macrolide antibiotics show no increased risk of serious heart arrhythmia or death

Fat cells outlive skinny ones Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:33 AM PST Cells with higher fat content outlive lean cells, shows a new study. This study has implications for larger organisms, such as humans, as the results support the phenomenon known as the "obesity paradox." This concept shows that overweight people have the lowest all-cause mortality rates while fit people, oddly enough, have mortality rates comparable to those categorized as slightly obese.

College psychology classes lack curriculum about disabilities Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:33 AM PST Psychology classes are among the most popular courses on college campuses today, but new research shows that many of them lack important information about the largest single minority group in the US -- people with disabilities.

Clinical manual addresses how to approach organ donation after euthanasia Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:31 AM PST A new practical manual addresses the controversial topic of organ donation after euthanasia, providing guidance to clinicians whose patients have requested euthanasia and the desire to offer their organs to others in need.

Predicted impact of different alcohol taxation, pricing policies on health inequalities Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:31 AM PST Alcohol-content-based taxation or minimum unit pricing (MUP) are both predicted to reduce health inequalities more than taxation based on product value (ad valorem taxes) or alcohol tax increases under the current system (excise duty plus value added tax) in England, according to research.

Health and development in infants after mefloquine antimalarial treatment during pregnancy Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:31 AM PST Early development does not appear to be affected in children born to mothers who were treated with the antimalarial mefloquine during pregnancy compared to children of mothers treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, according to research.

Natural sugar may treat fatty liver disease Posted: 23 Feb 2016 11:31 AM PST New research shows that a natural sugar called trehalose prevents fatty liver disease in mice. The study found that trehalose prevents the sugar fructose -- thought to be a major contributor to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- from entering the liver and triggers a cellular housekeeping process that cleans up excess fat buildup inside liver cells.

Food-based proteins discovered as key to child malnutrition in developing countries Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:28 AM PST Contrary to popular belief among world relief workers, children in developing countries may not be eating enough protein, which could contribute to stunted growth, a study suggests.

New surgical tool keeps orthopedic procedures on target Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:27 AM PST A new opto-electronic drilling system detects minute changes during orthopedic surgery, allowing surgeons to correct drilling trajectories during the procedure itself. The system eliminates guide-wire bending or breakage and significantly reduces operation time and enhances safety.

Two forms of radiosurgery for brain metastases are equally effective Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:25 AM PST While two advanced radiosurgery approaches -- Gamma Knife and RapidArc® -- offer different strengths, they are equally effective at eradicating cancer in the brain, report researchers.

New therapeutic pathway may keep cancer cells turned 'off' Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:25 AM PST A new study offers tangible evidence that it is possible to keep osteosarcoma lesions dormant using novel nanomedicines. Osteosarcoma is a cancer that develops in the bones of children and adolescents. It is one of the most aggressive cancers, with only a 15 per cent, five-year survival rate when diagnosed in an advanced metastatic stage.

Everyday mindfulness linked to healthy glucose levels Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:25 AM PST Researchers investigating how mindfulness may affect cardiovascular health have measured a significant association between a high degree of 'everyday' mindfulness and a higher likelihood of having normal, healthy glucose levels. Their analysis showed that a lower risk of obesity and greater sense of control among more mindful people may play mediating roles.

Researchers tune mechanical properties of radiation-sensitive material for biomedical use Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:24 AM PST A composite material has been developed that emits light and heat when exposed to specific wavelengths of radiation and that can be customized to have specific mechanical characteristics. The composite holds promise for use in biomedical imaging, drug delivery and therapeutic treatments.

Critical care resuscitation unit speeds up transfer of critically ill patients Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:24 AM PST A team of surgeons has developed a program that utilizes its Shock Trauma Center model to direct critically ill non-trauma patients to the appropriate treatment location and get them into an operating room and hospital intensive care unit bed as quickly as possible.

Childhood leukemia patients from high-poverty areas more likely to suffer early relapse Posted: 23 Feb 2016 10:24 AM PST Among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common pediatric cancer, those from high-poverty areas are substantially more likely to suffer early relapse, despite having received the same treatment, according to research. The findings are significant because ALL that relapses early is more difficult to successfully treat. The study is among the first to explore possible factors contributing to outcome disparities among children who received uniform treatment.

What bats reveal about how humans focus attention Posted: 23 Feb 2016 07:53 AM PST You're at a crowded party, noisy with multiple conversations, music and clinking glasses. But when someone behind you says your name, you hear it and quickly turn in that direction. Researchers have now discovered how a bat's brain screens out sounds not worth paying attention to, and this this may provide clues to how humans do the same.

Influenza viruses can hide from the immune system Posted: 23 Feb 2016 07:28 AM PST Influenza is able to mask itself, so that the virus is not initially detected by our immune system, a new study shows. The researchers behind the study hope that the discovery can be used to develop better treatment against influenza and chronic inflammation conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

How sweet can you get? Plant-derived sweetener thaumatin becomes 1.7 times sweeter after amino acid swap Posted: 23 Feb 2016 07:28 AM PST Researchers have made a sweeter version of thaumatin, a natural sweetener commonly used in 'diet' beverages, gummy, and jelly candies. Thaumatin, a protein derived from the fruit of an African tropical plant, is the sweetener of choice when it comes to "diet" beverages and gummy and jelly candies boasting natural ingredients. Thaumatin also masks bitterness and helps enhance flavor.

Body's immune system may play larger role in Alzheimer's disease than thought Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:49 AM PST Immune cells that normally help us fight off bacterial and viral infections may play a far greater role in Alzheimer's disease than originally thought, according to neurobiologists.

New virus transmission route discovered in pigs Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:48 AM PST Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus causes serious inflammation of the brain in people and fertility problems in pigs. Mosquitoes were previously the only known transmission route. However, the virus can also be spread from pig to pig by direct contact, and this could enable it to circulate in pigs during the mosquito-free winter season.

Vaginal delivery doubles the risk of stress incontinence compared to caesarean section Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:47 AM PST Vaginal delivery is associated with approximately twofold increase in the risk of stress urinary incontinence compared to cesarean section. However, avoiding one case of at least moderate stress incontinence would require about a dozen cesarean sections, according to an extensive meta-analysis.

Identification of the mechanism by which cells interact with their milieu Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:47 AM PST The cells of an organism interact not only with each other but with the extracellular matrix that surrounds them. Now, a mechanism through which the cells of an organism interact with their extracellular matrix has been discovered by researchers.

Nano - dangerously big Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:45 AM PST Keywords such as nano-, personalized-, or targeted medicine sound like bright future. What most people do not know, is that nanomedicines can cause severe undesired effects for actually being too big. Those modern medicines easily achieve the size of viruses which the body potentially recognizes as foreign starting to defend itself against - a sometimes severe immune response unfolds.

How the microenvironment can guide secretory cavities into tubes by mechanical forces Posted: 23 Feb 2016 04:45 AM PST The underlying mechanism revealed for the formation and growth of a fundamental type of tissue – epithelial tubes. Defects in the architecture of epithelial tubes lead to diseases such as cholestasis, atherosclerosis and polycystic kidney disease. The research findings contribute towards a deeper understanding of the principles that underline epithelial tube formation, and offer opportunities for developing better therapies for such diseases.

Are lung cancer survivors getting too many costly scans for no reason? Study suggests so Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:10 PM PST Once you've made it through lung cancer treatment, you want to make sure you catch it early if it comes back again. But a new study suggests that one approach to watching for a cancer's return is being inappropriately used at many hospitals. And it isn't helping patients survive longer, the research shows.

Recombinase Brec1 trend-setting for future HIV therapy Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:08 PM PST Researchers have succeeded in developing a designer recombinase (Brec1) that is capable of specifically removing the provirus from infected cells of most primary HIV-1 isolates.

Stroke patients' speech loss linked to loss of brain interconnections Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:08 PM PST When brain regions that control speech and reading comprehension are destroyed due to blockage of blood flow, patients are often unable to speak or comprehend spoken or written language. These difficulties with language, or 'aphasia,' are a common symptom in the aftermath of stroke. However, in a new study, researchers report that damage to the underlying connections among different areas of the brain can also affect the severity of aphasia.

Television exposure directly linked to a thin body ideal in women Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:08 PM PST For the first time experts have been able to eliminate external factors and specifically pinpoint television as having a direct link with female body ideals.

New reports show positive, negative effects of Louisiana school voucher program Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:08 PM PST A new report examines the impact of Louisiana's school voucher program on the achievement and non-cognitive skills of students offered vouchers, as well as racial segregation and the competitive effects on students in public schools.

Gene linking sleep, seasonal affective disorder found Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:58 PM PST A newly discovered human gene mutation appears to contribute both to unusual sleep patterns and to heightened rates of seasonal depression, according to new research.

Longer, intense rehabilitation boosts recovery after brain injury Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:58 PM PST Cognitive and functional recovery after a stroke or traumatic injury requires intense rehabilitative therapy to help the brain repair and restructure itself. New findings report that not only is rehabilitation vital but that a longer, even more intense period of rehabilitation may produce even greater benefit.

Dapivirine vaginal ring helped protect women against HIV in ASPIRE Phase III trial Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:56 PM PST A vaginal ring containing an ARV called dapivirine that women use for a month at a time was safe and helped protect against HIV in a large-scale clinical trial of women in Africa. HIV risk was reduced significantly more among the study's older participants, who also used the ring most consistently. The results of the ASPIRE study, together with results of a second Phase III trial, are a boost to HIV prevention efforts in women.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome appears to be underrecognized, undertreated and associated with high risk of death Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:56 PM PST Among nearly 460 intensive care units (ICUs) in 50 countries, acute respiratory distress syndrome appeared to be underrecognized, undertreated, and associated with a high mortality rate, according to a study.

New definitions created for sepsis, septic shock Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:56 PM PST Updated definitions and clinical criteria for sepsis should facilitate earlier recognition and more timely management of patients with or at risk of developing sepsis, report clinicians.

Scientists advance cancer screening technology to better personalize cancer treatment Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:21 PM PST Despite a growing interest in developing non-invasive methods to identify rare cancer cells or cancer cell DNA in blood, current techniques remain complicated and often prohibitively expensive. Now, researchers have pioneered a more effective approach to these "liquid biopsies" that has the potential to offer a streamlined and low-cost solution for people with the disease.

Microbiologists advance CRISPR research Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:20 PM PST Scientists have known for years that bacteria have the ability to fight off invading viruses but considered their immune systems to be relatively primitive. However, a new discovery in recent years of CRISPRs, an acronym for "clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats," changed that perception.

Vision scientists discover potential treatment for adults with lazy eye Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST A new treatment for adults with lazy eye, a condition previously thought to be treatable only in childhood, is one step closer thanks to new research.

New Canadian recommendation against colonoscopy for routine screening of colorectal cancer Posted: 22 Feb 2016 10:41 AM PST Physicians should screen for colorectal cancer in asymptomatic, low-risk adults aged 50 to 74 years every two years using fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years, rather than colonoscopy, according to a new Canadian guideline.

Common macrolide antibiotics show no increased risk of serious heart arrhythmia or death Posted: 22 Feb 2016 10:41 AM PST The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning about the risk of serious heart rhythm disturbances and death with macrolide antibiotics use may be overstated, according to a large study published in Canada.

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