ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Scientist models Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome in adult stem cells
• Senior adults can see health benefits from dog ownership
• Mapping neurons to improve the treatment of Parkinson's
• A new player revealed in nerve growth process
• Heat trumps cold in the treatment of jellyfish stings
• Micro heart muscle created from stem cells
• High prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in large population of kids with type 1 diabetes
• Patients at high risk for psychiatric symptoms after a stay in the intensive care unit
• Detecting when the most common skin cancer turns dangerous
• Scientists sharpen view of gene transfer between pathogenic bacteria
• Researchers show 'dirty mice' could clean up immune system research
• A targeted agent to mitigate sepsis
• Mice flown in space show nascent liver damage, research shows
• Taking aspirin could increase cancer survival by 20 percent
• New method enlists electricity for easier, cheaper, greener chemistry
• Defects in body's cell disposal system may contribute to the most common form of lupus
• Origin of heart dysfunctions in myotonic dystrophy identified
• Moving, electrically 'silent' source initiates brain waves
• Exposure to routine viruses makes mice better test subjects
• Chemical exposure could lead to obesity, study finds
• Early abnormalities of Alzheimer's disease: It takes 2 (proteins) to tango
• Consuming too much fructose during pregnancy raises the child's risk for heart disease
• Building a CRISPR rainbow
• Military sexual trauma associated with higher risk for veteran homelessness
• Well-managed warfarin therapy associated with low risk of complications in patients with atrial fibrillation
• Clinical score may help predict likelihood of bariatric surgery curing type 2 diabetes in patients
• Importance of assessing weight control practices, eating behaviors, after bariatric surgery
• What causes the excess rate of death associated with alcohol use disorders?
• Researchers identify new functional biomarker for autism in boys
• Drug target found in rare, lethal glandular cancer
• The contrarian dance of DNA
• Childhood obesity, malnutrition connected to mom's perception of child's weight
• Brighter prospects for chronic pain
• Where next for Zika virus?
• Inflammatory protein involved in autoimmune diseases has healing potential
• One antidepressant shown to control weight during 2-year study
• New class of small molecule drug, SI-2, has potential for improving cancer treatment
• Transfer of gut bacteria affects brain function, nerve fiber insulation
• Stomach cancer diagnostics: New insights on stage of tumor growth
• Taking the fight against risky pain pill use to the ER: Study shows promise
• No matter how equal or unequal a society is, men still smoke more
• Fatty diets lead to daytime sleepiness, poor sleep
• Strength training helps older adults live longer
• How to avoid foot amputation in diabetic patients?
• Natural births after caesarean more likely if you call the midwife
• New role for immature brain neurons in the dentate gyrus identified
• Can positive memories help treat mental health problems?
• Counseling in primary care clinics helps speed recovery for depressed teens
• Researchers improve identification of women at high risk of pre-eclampsia
• No evidence to suggest lasers pointed at cockpits damage pilots' eyes
• Loneliness, isolation linked to heightened risk of heart disease/stroke

Scientist models Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome in adult stem cells Posted: 20 Apr 2016 06:11 PM PDT Studies using an innovative stem-cell model for a fatal developmental disorder is the focus of a recent study. An expert has uncovered unique cellular defects associated with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) by modeling this disease using induced pluripotent stem cells.

Senior adults can see health benefits from dog ownership Posted: 20 Apr 2016 01:29 PM PDT Among adults 60 years of age or more, walking is the most common form of leisure-time physical activity because it is self-paced, low impact and does not require equipment. Researchers have determined that older adults who also are pet owners benefit from the bonds they form with their canine companions.

Mapping neurons to improve the treatment of Parkinson's Posted: 20 Apr 2016 01:27 PM PDT Because billions of neurons are packed into our brain, the neuronal circuits that are responsible for controlling our behaviors are by necessity highly intermingled. This tangled web makes it complicated for scientists to determine exactly which circuits do what. Now, using two laboratory techniques have mapped out the pathways of a set of neurons responsible for the kinds of motor impairments found in patients with Parkinson's disease.

A new player revealed in nerve growth process Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:18 PM PDT A protein previously known for its role in kidney function, adaptor protein CD2AP, also plays a significant role in the nervous system, and is associated with a type of neural growth known as collateral sprouting, say investigators.

Heat trumps cold in the treatment of jellyfish stings Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:18 PM PDT A recent study may finally put to rest the ongoing debate about whether to use cold or heat to treat jellyfish stings. Their systematic and critical review provides overwhelming evidence that clinical outcomes from all kinds of jellyfish stings are improved following treatment with hot packs or hot-water immersion.

Micro heart muscle created from stem cells Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT Scientists have invented a new way to create three-dimensional human heart tissue from stem cells. The tissue can be used to model disease and test drugs, and it opens the door for a precision medicine approach to treating heart disease. Although there are existing techniques to make three-dimensional tissues from heart cells, the new method dramatically reduces the number of cells needed, making it an easier, cheaper, and more efficient system.

High prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in large population of kids with type 1 diabetes Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT A nursing team has examined the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and diabetes control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. These data underscore the importance of vitamin D screening in all children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Patients at high risk for psychiatric symptoms after a stay in the intensive care unit Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT Results of a multi-institutional national study of nearly 700 people who survived life-threatening illness with a stay in an intensive care unit suggest that a substantial majority of them are at high risk for persistent depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder -- especially if they are female, young and unemployed.

Detecting when the most common skin cancer turns dangerous Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT A team of researchers who specialize in treating cancers of the eye wanted to identified EZH2 as a marker for aggressive basal cell skin cancer. It may also provide a potential target for treatment, they say.

Scientists sharpen view of gene transfer between pathogenic bacteria Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT Bacteria possess the ability to take up DNA from their environment, a skill that enables them to acquire new genes for antibiotic resistance or to escape the immune response. Scientists have now mapped the core set of genes that are consistently controlled during DNA uptake in strep bacteria, and they hope the finding will allow them to cut off the microbes' ability to survive what doctors and nature can throw at them.

Researchers show 'dirty mice' could clean up immune system research Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new way to study mice that better mimics the immune system of adult humans and which could significantly improve ways to test potential therapeutics. The researchers describe the limitations of laboratory mice for immunology research and reveal the benefits of what they are calling 'dirty mice.'

A targeted agent to mitigate sepsis Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT Researchers have developed a targeted therapy (ABTAA) for mitigating sepsis by strengthening as well as protecting blood vessels. ABTAA is a separate, independent treatment which eliminates the root cause of sepsis so the body has a strong battlefield to fight the infection.

Mice flown in space show nascent liver damage, research shows Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:14 PM PDT In a discovery with implications for long-term spaceflight and future missions to Mars, researchers have found that mice flown aboard the space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth with early signs of liver disease.

Taking aspirin could increase cancer survival by 20 percent Posted: 20 Apr 2016 12:14 PM PDT Patients receiving cancer treatment could increase their chance of survival by up to 20 percent and help stop their cancer from spreading by taking a low dose of aspirin, new research suggests.

New method enlists electricity for easier, cheaper, greener chemistry Posted: 20 Apr 2016 10:18 AM PDT Scientists have found a new and better way to achieve a chemical reaction that is used widely in the pharmaceutical as well as flavor and fragrance industries.

Defects in body's cell disposal system may contribute to the most common form of lupus Posted: 20 Apr 2016 10:17 AM PDT Scientists may be setting the stage for new approaches to control or prevent the inflammation and tissue damage associated with the chronic autoimmune disorder lupus.

Origin of heart dysfunctions in myotonic dystrophy identified Posted: 20 Apr 2016 10:17 AM PDT An international team of scientists is lifting the veil on the molecular mechanisms causing heart dysfunctions in myotonic dystrophy, a genetic disease affecting one person in 8,000.

Moving, electrically 'silent' source initiates brain waves Posted: 20 Apr 2016 10:15 AM PDT A traveling spike generator appears to move across the hippocampus and change direction while generating brain waves. The generator itself, however, produces no electrical signal. The speed of the waves most closely match those found in epilepsy and in healthy sleep and theta waves.

Exposure to routine viruses makes mice better test subjects Posted: 20 Apr 2016 10:15 AM PDT Vaccines and therapeutics developed using mice sometimes don't work as expected in humans. New research points to the near-sterile surroundings of laboratory mice as a key reason. When the researchers infected laboratory mice with the mouse equivalent of microbes that cause common infections in humans, the infections changed the animals' immune systems so they were more similar to adult humans.'

Chemical exposure could lead to obesity, study finds Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:55 AM PDT Exposure to chemicals found in everyday products could affect the amount of fat stored in the body, according to a study. Phthalates are chemicals found in everything from plastic products to soap to nail polish -- they give plastic its bendy stretch.

Early abnormalities of Alzheimer's disease: It takes 2 (proteins) to tango Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT For years, neuroscientists have puzzled over how two abnormal proteins, called amyloid and tau, accumulate in the brain and damage it to cause Alzheimer's disease. Which one is the driving force behind dementia? The answer: both of them, according to a new study.

Consuming too much fructose during pregnancy raises the child's risk for heart disease Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT The negative health effects of consuming large amounts of fructose could impact several generations, according to researchers. The study found that when pregnant mice only drink water sweetened with fructose, a common sweetener in foods and beverages, their offspring have several more risk factors for heart disease, compared with mice who only drank water throughout pregnancy.

Building a CRISPR rainbow Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT CRISPRainbow, a new technology using CRISPR/Cas9 allows researchers to tag and track up to seven different genomic locations in live cells. This labeling system will be an invaluable tool for studying the structure of the genome in real time.

Military sexual trauma associated with higher risk for veteran homelessness Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT The devastating consequences of sexual trauma in the military, reported by 25 percent of female and 1 percent of male veterans who served in the US armed forces, are associated with a much higher risk for homelessness.

Well-managed warfarin therapy associated with low risk of complications in patients with atrial fibrillation Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT The efficacy and safety of well-managed warfarin therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation has been the focus of recent study. Atrial fibrillation is a strong independent risk factor for ischemic stroke.

Clinical score may help predict likelihood of bariatric surgery curing type 2 diabetes in patients Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Researchers examined whether the DiaRem score, a validated score generated from data readily available could be used to predict patients for whom bariatric surgery will result in cure of type 2 diabetes. This score can be used to predict whether bariatric surgery will lead to short-term remission of diabetes.

Importance of assessing weight control practices, eating behaviors, after bariatric surgery Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Assessing certain weight control practices and eating behaviors after bariatric surgery can significantly influence the amount of weight loss after surgery, according to a study.

What causes the excess rate of death associated with alcohol use disorders? Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT To what degree does the excess rate of death in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) happen because of a predisposition in the person who develops AUD compared with the direct effect of the AUD itself?

Researchers identify new functional biomarker for autism in boys Posted: 20 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method to map and track the function of brain circuits affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in boys using brain imaging. The technique will provide clinicians and therapists with a physical measure of the progress patients are making with behavioral and/or drug treatments. For the first time, doctors would be able to quantify how that brain circuit is working in their patients and assess the effectiveness of an intervention.

Drug target found in rare, lethal glandular cancer Posted: 20 Apr 2016 08:14 AM PDT Using a novel cell culture approach, researchers have discovered critical vulnerabilities in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare and lethal glandular cancer with a high recurrence rate and few treatment options.

The contrarian dance of DNA Posted: 20 Apr 2016 08:12 AM PDT A piece of DNA's movements are often counterintuitive to those of objects in our everyday grasp. A rod of rubber, for example: bend it until its ends meet, and you can count on the elastic tension to snap it back straight when you let go. When you bend DNA into a short loop, the elastic energy more often than not wants to bend the chain further in instead of pushing it back out.

Childhood obesity, malnutrition connected to mom's perception of child's weight Posted: 20 Apr 2016 08:12 AM PDT A child's risk for obesity or malnutrition may be tied to the mother's misperception of her child's weight, new research shows. A key to understanding this may lie in how she regards her own weight status. Researchers say the situation calls for healthcare providers to broaden their health care screenings.

Brighter prospects for chronic pain Posted: 20 Apr 2016 08:11 AM PDT The potential of light as a noninvasive, highly focused alternative to pain medication was made more apparent thanks to new research. Optogenetics is a growing field of research with a wide variety of applications. In this case the activity of pain-signaling neurons was reduced in a localized part of a mouse's body, the hind paw, and the duration of the effect could easily be controlled by the amount of time the light was applied. The precision of this technique underlines potential advantages for use in humans.

Where next for Zika virus? Posted: 20 Apr 2016 08:11 AM PDT A new global risk map reveals priority regions where authorities could intervene to control the vector mosquito population and where surveillance of the virus should be concentrated in order to improve rapid outbreak response and clinical diagnosis.

Inflammatory protein involved in autoimmune diseases has healing potential Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:43 AM PDT TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory molecule and protein produced by the body's cells during infection, also promotes the immune system regulatory responses by first inducing immune surveillance cells. This is a finding that could lead to more targeted drug therapies for treating several autoimmune diseases, say researchers.

One antidepressant shown to control weight during 2-year study Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:43 AM PDT Bupropion (marketed as Wellbutrin) is the only antidepressant that tends to be linked to long-term modest weight loss, new research indicates. Previously, researchers linked depression to obesity--and most antidepressant medications to weight gain. The new study suggests that bupropion is the best initial choice of antidepressant for the vast majority of Americans who have depression and are overweight or obese.

New class of small molecule drug, SI-2, has potential for improving cancer treatment Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:43 AM PDT Cancer cells communicate with their environment through cell molecules that pass on signals to the inside of the cell. SI-2 is a potent small-molecule inhibitor to drug the undruggable steroid receptor coactivator-3.

Transfer of gut bacteria affects brain function, nerve fiber insulation Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:42 AM PDT Specific combinations of gut bacteria produce substances that affect myelin content and cause social avoidance behaviors in mice, report scientists.

Stomach cancer diagnostics: New insights on stage of tumor growth Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:42 AM PDT Correlations have been found between the superoxide and nitric oxide generation rates, levels of active forms of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in tumor and adjoining tissues between each other and with the disease stages for gastric cancer patients.

Taking the fight against risky pain pill use to the ER: Study shows promise Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:42 AM PDT As America battles an epidemic of deaths from misused pain pills, a new study suggests an inexpensive way to cut risky use of these drugs by people who have a high chance of overdosing. And it could happen exactly where many patients get those drugs in the first place: the emergency room of their local hospital.

No matter how equal or unequal a society is, men still smoke more Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:25 AM PDT In the developing world, far more men than women smoke. This is usually ascribed to pronounced gender disparities in social, political or economic power. But what about a developing society with a high degree of gender equality like the Aka pygmy tribe living in West Africa's Congo Basin? Surprisingly, even there, smoking is definitely a male thing, say anthropologists.

Fatty diets lead to daytime sleepiness, poor sleep Posted: 20 Apr 2016 07:25 AM PDT Men who consume diets high in fat are more likely to feel sleepy during the day, to report sleep problems at night, and are also more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, new research reveals.

Strength training helps older adults live longer Posted: 20 Apr 2016 06:04 AM PDT Older adults who met twice-weekly strength training guidelines had lower odds of dying, a new analysis concludes. The study is the first to demonstrate the association in a large, nationally representative sample over an extended time period, particularly in an older population.

How to avoid foot amputation in diabetic patients? Posted: 20 Apr 2016 06:01 AM PDT Scientists have developed techniques to treat diabetic foot syndrome with special insoles with silver nano-particles. The techniques help to fight ulcers appearing on feet in diabetic patients, facilitates their healing and disinfection, reducing the risk of amputation.

Natural births after caesarean more likely if you call the midwife Posted: 20 Apr 2016 06:00 AM PDT Women who had a caesarean section in a previous pregnancy are much more likely to have a safer vaginal birth if their antenatal care is led by a midwife, according to a new study.

New role for immature brain neurons in the dentate gyrus identified Posted: 20 Apr 2016 05:39 AM PDT Researchers present data and a simple statistical network model that describe an unanticipated property of newly formed, immature neurons in the dentate gyrus. The model resolves a seeming paradox in one of the most intriguing areas of the brain, how immature granule cells in the dentate gyrus appear able to enhance pattern separation.

Can positive memories help treat mental health problems? Posted: 20 Apr 2016 05:39 AM PDT A study highlighting the effectiveness of using positive memories and images to help generate positive emotions has been published by researchers. The work suggests that savouring positive memories can generate positive emotions. Increasing positive emotion can have a range of benefits including reducing attention to and experiences of threat.

Counseling in primary care clinics helps speed recovery for depressed teens Posted: 20 Apr 2016 05:39 AM PDT Depressed teenagers who received cognitive behavioral therapy in their primary care clinic recovered faster, and were also more likely to recover, than teens who did not receive the primary care-based counseling, according to a study.

Researchers improve identification of women at high risk of pre-eclampsia Posted: 19 Apr 2016 06:42 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new tool that will improve how clinicians can identify women at high risk of developing pre-eclampsia, and who should take Aspirin after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

No evidence to suggest lasers pointed at cockpits damage pilots' eyes Posted: 19 Apr 2016 06:41 PM PDT There is no evidence to suggest that lasers pointed at airplane cockpits damage pilots' eyesight. But obviously if directed at critical moments, the dazzle from the beam and ensuing distraction could prove disastrous for crew and passengers, say leading eye specialists.

Loneliness, isolation linked to heightened risk of heart disease/stroke Posted: 19 Apr 2016 06:41 PM PDT Loneliness and social isolation are linked to around a 30 percent increased risk of having a stroke or developing coronary artery disease -- the two leading causes of illness and death in high income countries -- finds an analysis of the available evidence, new research shows.

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