ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Zika virus infects human placental macrophages
• Rethinking hospital alarms
• First-of-its-kind procedure combines scalp, skull, kidney and pancreas transplant
• Using virtual users to develop accessible ICT-based applications
• New model of T cell activation
• Rapid bone growth and underwater breathing: Putting the science of Harry Potter’s universe to the test
• Predicting the spread of the Zika virus
• Vitamin nicotinamide riboside protects mice from diabetes complications
• Restoring chemotherapy sensitivity by boosting microRNA levels
• Study finds that protein puts the brakes on melanin
• The dying child: Room for improvement in end-of-life care
• Palliative, hospice care lacking among dying cancer patients, researcher finds
• Stress affects males, females differently
• New 'genetic barcode' technique reveals details of cell lineage
• Mimicking deep sleep brain activity improves memory
• Potential impact of a dengue vaccine in the Yucatan
• The brain needs cleaning to stay healthy
• How prions kill neurons: New culture system shows early toxicity to dendritic spines
• New malaria drugs kill Plasmodium parasites by promoting premature parasite division
• For millions on long-term opioid medications, change will be a challenge
• New 3-D hydrogel biochips prove to be superior in detecting bowel cancer at early stages
• Cells engineered from muscular dystrophy patients offer clues to variations in symptoms
• Genes that increase children's risk of blood infection identified
• In brain-injured patients, a way to measure awareness or its impending return
• Women may be able to reduce breast cancer risk predicted by their genes

Zika virus infects human placental macrophages Posted: 27 May 2016 10:33 AM PDT One of Zika's mysteries is how the virus passes from an infected mother, through the placenta, to a developing fetus. The route may not be direct either -- transmission via multiple cell types may be necessary. A new study supports the possibility that placental immune cells called Hofbauer cells, which have direct access to fetal blood vessels, are one cell type involved.

Rethinking hospital alarms Posted: 27 May 2016 09:30 AM PDT On average, there are about 480,000 patients in hospitals in the United States -- each generating about 135 clinical alarms per day. But studies show that more than 90 percent of these alarms result in no action, and alarm errors occur roughly 8 million times per day.

First-of-its-kind procedure combines scalp, skull, kidney and pancreas transplant Posted: 27 May 2016 08:30 AM PDT Simultaneous transplantation of a "composite" skull and scalp flap plus a kidney and pancreas -- all from the same donor -- provided excellent outcomes for a patient with a non-healing scalp defect and declining organ kidney and pancreas function, according to a report.

Using virtual users to develop accessible ICT-based applications Posted: 27 May 2016 06:10 AM PDT In a new report, researchers report the development of a set of parametric cognitive virtual models of users with disabilities that can be used to simulate the user interaction with Information and communications technology (ICT) applications. This simulation will allow researchers to develop more efficient and accessible ICT applications for people with functional limitations and disabilities.

New model of T cell activation Posted: 27 May 2016 06:10 AM PDT Biologists show that cholesterol prevents an immune response, even when no antigen is present. T cell receptors are an important part of the human immune system. They are able to switch their conformation from an inactive to an active state spontaneously without any antigens present. Cholesterol binds and stabilizes inactive receptors, giving it a decisive role in the activation of a T cell, the study shows.

Rapid bone growth and underwater breathing: Putting the science of Harry Potter’s universe to the test Posted: 27 May 2016 06:09 AM PDT In the world of Harry Potter the young wizard undergoes two magical biological transformations: eating Gillyweed to grow gills in order to breathe underwater and drinking Skele-Gro to repair broken bones. Students have put these arcane medical practices to the test -- and have concluded that a little magic might indeed be required in both situations to make them scientifically feasible.

Predicting the spread of the Zika virus Posted: 27 May 2016 06:09 AM PDT A new tool predicts the risk of Zika virus importation and local transmission for 189 countries.

Vitamin nicotinamide riboside protects mice from diabetes complications Posted: 27 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT A naturally occurring vitamin, nicotinamide riboside, can improve metabolic symptoms and prevent peripheral nerve damage in mouse models of diabetes, according to a new study.

Restoring chemotherapy sensitivity by boosting microRNA levels Posted: 27 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT By increasing the level of a specific microRNA (miRNA) molecule, researchers have for the first time restored chemotherapy sensitivity in vitro to a line of human pancreatic cancer cells that had developed resistance to a common treatment drug.

Study finds that protein puts the brakes on melanin Posted: 27 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT Skin, eye and hair pigmentation requires a delicate balance of acidity within the cellular compartments where melanin is made -- that balance is partly regulated, scientists now know, by a protein called TPC2.

The dying child: Room for improvement in end-of-life care Posted: 27 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT Many pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists believe that their clinical care extends from treating ill children through end-of-life care. However, are pediatricians actually meeting the needs of families and their dying child? In a new study, researchers surveyed bereaved parents and found that pediatric end-of-life care needs improvement.

Palliative, hospice care lacking among dying cancer patients, researcher finds Posted: 27 May 2016 06:06 AM PDT Medical societies recommend that patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care soon after diagnosis and receive hospice care for at least the last three days of their life. Yet major gaps persist between these recommendations and real-life practice, a new study shows.

Stress affects males, females differently Posted: 26 May 2016 04:04 PM PDT A stress receptor in the brain regulates metabolic responses to stressful situations differently in male and female mice, report researchers. The results could aid in the development of treatments for regulating hunger or stress responses, including anxiety and depression.

New 'genetic barcode' technique reveals details of cell lineage Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT By using the gene editing tool CRISPR to create unique genetic 'barcodes,' it's possible to track the lineage of cells in a living organism, a new study reveals.

Mimicking deep sleep brain activity improves memory Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT It is not surprising that a good night's sleep improves our ability to remember what we learned during the day. Now, researchers have discovered a brain circuit that governs how certain memories are consolidated in the brain during sleep. The study shows how experimentally manipulating the identified neural connection during non-REM sleep (deep sleep) can prevent or enhance memory retention in mice.

Potential impact of a dengue vaccine in the Yucatan Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT While no dengue vaccine has yet been approved for general use, several candidates are in clinical development. Data from the clinical trials can be used in mathematical models to estimate the benefits and risks and of different vaccination strategies. A new study suggests that even a moderately efficient dengue vaccine -- if it induces long-lasting immunity -- can substantially reduce disease burden.

The brain needs cleaning to stay healthy Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT New research has revealed the mechanisms that keep the brain clean during neurodegenerative diseases.

How prions kill neurons: New culture system shows early toxicity to dendritic spines Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT Prion diseases are fatal and incurable neurodegenerative conditions of humans and animals. Yet, how prions kill nerve cells (or neurons) remains unclear. A new study describes a system in which to study the early assault by prions on brain cells of the infected host.

New malaria drugs kill Plasmodium parasites by promoting premature parasite division Posted: 26 May 2016 12:17 PM PDT Several new malaria drugs under development share a common feature: they promote an influx of sodium ions into Plasmodium parasites that have invaded red blood cells and multiply there. A study published on May 26 in PLOS Pathogens suggests that this increase in sodium concentration kills the parasite by changing the composition of its outer membrane (the skin equivalent) and promoting division of the parasite before its genome has been replicated.

For millions on long-term opioid medications, change will be a challenge Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT A recent study surveyed patients to understand barriers to reducing the use of opioids to manage chronic pain. Millions of Americans take opioid medications daily to manage chronic pain, but there are growing concerns among health care professionals of opioid misuse and overdose.

New 3-D hydrogel biochips prove to be superior in detecting bowel cancer at early stages Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT A new method of diagnosing colorectal cancer has been developed by researchers. The scientists have created a hydrogel-based biochip to help detect bowel cancer (colorectal cancer).

Cells engineered from muscular dystrophy patients offer clues to variations in symptoms Posted: 26 May 2016 09:48 AM PDT Researchers have inadvertently found a way to make human muscle cells bearing genetic mutations from people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Genes that increase children's risk of blood infection identified Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT Genes that make certain children more susceptible to invasive bacterial infections have been identified by performing a large genome-wide association study in African children.

In brain-injured patients, a way to measure awareness or its impending return Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT The precise diagnosis and prognosis of recovery of consciousness of patients after a severe brain injury is a challenging clinical task, as some brain-injured patients retain certain levels of awareness despite appearing fully unresponsive. Now, researchers have evidence that measures of the amount of glucose consumed by the brain can predict a person's current level of awareness, or the likelihood that they will recover awareness within a year.

Women may be able to reduce breast cancer risk predicted by their genes Posted: 26 May 2016 09:03 AM PDT Women with a high risk of developing breast cancer based on family history and genetic risk can still reduce the chance they will develop the disease in their lifetimes by following a healthy lifestyle, new research suggests.

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