ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Ethical concerns tied to research on human-animal embryos
• Written 'report card' decreases dentists' antibiotic prescriptions
• Understanding how the 'police' of the cell world deal with 'intruders' and the 'injured'
• Bipolar adolescents continue to have elevated substance use disorder risk as young adults
• New drug for tropical disease Trypanosomiasis discovered
• Having children at home did not prompt parents to test for radon, secondhand smoke
• Addiction cravings may get their start deep in the right side of the brain
• Children with asthma attacks triggered by colds less responsive to standard treatment
• Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care, but disparities persist
• Retinoic acid suppresses colorectal cancer development, study finds
• Cannabinoid receptor activates spermatozoa
• Variation in 'junk' DNA leads to trouble
• Operational mechanism of the 'acid-sensing ion channel' that recognizes internal body pain
• Pets and children are a potential source of C. difficile in the community
• Caffeine and its analogues counteract memory deficits by normalizing stress responses in the brain
• Psychopaths feel fear but see no danger
• Silver nanoparticles' protein 'corona' affects their toxicity
• Cancer: Molecularly shutting down cancer cachexia
• A rapid and effective antidote for anticoagulant bleeds
• Researchers identify multidrug-resistant E. coli bacteria from New Jersey patient
• Researchers identify protein that delays type 1 diabetes onset in new mouse model
• Increasing nursing mothers' vitamin D levels may benefit babies
• 'Animal Farm' immunity receptors only work in a crowd, researchers find
• Female mosquitoes can transmit Zika virus to their eggs, offspring
• Antipsychotic medications linked to increased risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer's disease
• Mitosis study finds potential cancer target
• Swelling obesity rates may be tied to childhood antibiotic use
• Change in the immune system can lead to success
• New iPad game could help diagnose autism in children
• Caution urged in the use of blood pressure lowering treatment for heart disease patients
• Results of trial into anticoagulants for cardioversion in atrial fibrillation patients published
• A new animal model to understand metastasis in sarcomas
• People with alcohol dependency lack important enzyme
• System may help treat rare genetic disorder, reduce severe side effects
• Critical protein shows promise for the treatment of Alzheimer's
• Progress in refining the genetic causes of schizophrenia
• Molecular switch may sensitize triple-negative breast cancers to immunotherapy
• Vitamin C may boost effectiveness of acute myeloid leukemia treatment
• Five-year study reveals patients operated on at night twice as likely to die as patients who have daytime operations
• Folic acid fortified food linked to decline in congenital heart defects
• Shark fins and meat contain high levels of neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer's disease
• Cellular communication processes that make life possible
• Characteristic chemical signature for chronic fatigue syndrome identified
• Radiologists detect breast cancer in 'blink of an eye'
• Standing up for weight management
• How machine learning can help with voice disorders
• Tight focus on blood sugar narrows options for diabetes
• 'Internal astigmatism' doesn't compensate for changes in the eye over time
• Vesicles that trap amyloid appear to also contribute to Alzheimer's
• New window to understanding the brain
• Single gene mutation causes severely debilitating disease of brain blood vessels
• Special nerve cells cause goose bumps and nipple erection

Ethical concerns tied to research on human-animal embryos Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:38 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new bioethical framework for addressing concerns surrounding potentially revolutionary research on human-animal embryos.

Written 'report card' decreases dentists' antibiotic prescriptions Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:38 AM PDT Dentists are less likely to prescribe antibiotics after they receive a personalized report detailing their past prescription rates, according to a randomized controlled trial of UK dentists.

Understanding how the 'police' of the cell world deal with 'intruders' and the 'injured' Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:07 AM PDT The job of policing the microenvironment around our cells is carried out by macrophages. Macrophages are the 'guards' that patrol most tissues of the body - poised to engulf infections or destroy and repair damaged tissue.

Bipolar adolescents continue to have elevated substance use disorder risk as young adults Posted: 30 Aug 2016 11:07 AM PDT A follow up to a previous study finding an association between adolescent bipolar disorder and the incidence of cigarette smoking and substance use disorder finds that risk was even greater five years later, particularly among those with persistent bipolar symptoms. The study also finds evidence that the presence of conduct disorder, in combination with bipolar disorder, may be the strongest influence on the risk of smoking and substance use disorder.

New drug for tropical disease Trypanosomiasis discovered Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT Researchers are working to find the fastest way possible to treat and cure human African trypanosomiasis, long referred to as sleeping sickness. Human African trypanosomiasis, or HAT, is a tropical disease endemic to some rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. A vector-borne parasitic disease, existing diagnosis and treatment regimens are complex, especially challenging in some of the world's most poverty-stricken regions.

Having children at home did not prompt parents to test for radon, secondhand smoke Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT New findings show the presence of children in the home did not motivate parents to test and mitigate for radon and secondhand tobacco smoke, both of which cause lung cancer.

Addiction cravings may get their start deep in the right side of the brain Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:12 AM PDT If you really want a drink right now, the source of your craving may be a pea-sized structure deep inside the right side of your brain, according to scientists.

Children with asthma attacks triggered by colds less responsive to standard treatment Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT A study confirms that respiratory viral detection, not child's age, explains the high rate of hospitalization for asthma attacks in children under six.

Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care, but disparities persist Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT The Affordable Care Act has substantially decreased the number of uninsured Americans and improved access to health care, though insurance affordability and disparities by geography, race/ethnicity, and income persist. These are some of the findings revealed in nearly 100 studies, dating back to 2010, pertaining to the ACA in a new research paper.

Retinoic acid suppresses colorectal cancer development, study finds Posted: 30 Aug 2016 10:08 AM PDT Levels of retinoic acid, a vitamin A metabolite, are low in mice and humans with colorectal cancer, according to new research. People with high levels of an enzyme that degrades retinoic acid have a poor prognosis, report researchers.

Cannabinoid receptor activates spermatozoa Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:17 AM PDT Biologists have detected a cannabinoid receptor in spermatozoa. Endogenous cannabinoids that occur in both the male and the female genital tract activate the spermatozoa: they trigger the so-called acrosome reaction, during which the spermatozoon releases digestive enzymes and loses the cap on the anterior half of its head. Without this reaction, spermatozoa cannot penetrate the ovum.

Variation in 'junk' DNA leads to trouble Posted: 30 Aug 2016 09:17 AM PDT Although genetic variants are scattered throughout the human genome, scientists have largely ignored the stretches of repetitive genetic code known as 'junk' DNA in their search for differences that influence human health and disease. Now, researchers have discovered that variation in these overlooked regions can affect the stability of the genome and the proper function of the chromosomes that package our genetic material, leading to an increased risk of birth defects, infertility, and cancer.

Operational mechanism of the 'acid-sensing ion channel' that recognizes internal body pain Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:51 AM PDT A research team has identified the pain transmission mechanism at the molecular level and presented new solutions for the understanding of pain signals and the development of pain treatments.

Pets and children are a potential source of C. difficile in the community Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:39 AM PDT Household transmission of Clostridium difficile to pets and children may be a source of community-associated C. difficile infections according to findings from a new study. The study found that patients with this bacteria can colonize or infect household contacts following or during treatment for an infection.

Caffeine and its analogues counteract memory deficits by normalizing stress responses in the brain Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:37 AM PDT A new study describes the mechanism by which caffeine counteracts age-related cognitive deficits in animals. The study shows that the abnormal expression of a particular receptor -- adenosine A2A, a target for caffeine -- in the brain of rats induces an aging-like profile: namely, memory impairments linked to the loss of stress controlling mechanisms.

Psychopaths feel fear but see no danger Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:37 AM PDT Researchers have found proof that psychopathic individuals can feel fear, but have trouble in the automatic detection and responsivity to threat.

Silver nanoparticles' protein 'corona' affects their toxicity Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:37 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in deciphering the mechanism of interaction of silver nanoparticles with the cells of the immune system.

Cancer: Molecularly shutting down cancer cachexia Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:37 AM PDT Healthy fat tissue is essential for extended survival in the event of tumor-induced wasting syndrome (cachexia). Researchers have shown that selective manipulation of an enzyme can stop unwanted metabolic processes.

A rapid and effective antidote for anticoagulant bleeds Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:33 AM PDT A specially designed antidote to reverse acute, potentially life-threatening anticoagulant-related bleeding worked quickly, and was well-tolerated according to interim results of the ongoing ANNEXA-4 study.

Researchers identify multidrug-resistant E. coli bacteria from New Jersey patient Posted: 30 Aug 2016 08:32 AM PDT New Jersey researchers have identified what is believed to be the first strain of Escherichia coli bacteria from a patient in the United States that harbored two mobile genes making it resistant to both broad spectrum carbapenem antibiotics as well as colistin, an older antibiotic increasingly used as a last resort for multidrug-resistant infections.

Researchers identify protein that delays type 1 diabetes onset in new mouse model Posted: 30 Aug 2016 07:14 AM PDT A new study reveals a counterintuitive cellular strategy that may protect insulin-producing cells from destruction during type 1 diabetes. Nearly one out of every 11 people is diagnosed with diabetes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Although a person can develop type 1 diabetes at any time, it is usually diagnosed during childhood and there is no way to prevent or cure it.

Increasing nursing mothers' vitamin D levels may benefit babies Posted: 30 Aug 2016 07:13 AM PDT New research has found that giving breastfeeding mothers monthly high-dose vitamin D supplements may be a possible way to improve their babies' vitamin D status. Vitamin D is essential for calcium and bone metabolism and is mainly obtained from exposure to sunlight, with only low levels found in food and breast milk. Risk factors for infant vitamin D deficiency -- which can lead to the bone disorder rickets -- include being exclusively breastfed.

'Animal Farm' immunity receptors only work in a crowd, researchers find Posted: 30 Aug 2016 07:13 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how human immune receptors become activated in the presence of harmful substances, paving the way for new technologies to fight against deadly diseases.

Female mosquitoes can transmit Zika virus to their eggs, offspring Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:15 AM PDT Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can pass the Zika virus to their eggs and offspring, new research shows. The recent Zika virus outbreak in Florida has dramatically increased efforts to remove A. aegypti mosquitoes. The new findings highlight the importance of including larvicide in the efforts to curb the spread of the Zika virus.

Antipsychotic medications linked to increased risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer's disease Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:15 AM PDT Antipsychotic medications are associated with an increased risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The risk of pneumonia was the highest at the beginning of antipsychotic treatment, remaining elevated also in long-term use. No major differences were observed between the most commonly used antipsychotics.

Mitosis study finds potential cancer target Posted: 30 Aug 2016 06:15 AM PDT By drilling down to the atomic level of how specific proteins interact during cell division, or mitosis, a team of scientists has found a unique new target for attacking cancer.

Swelling obesity rates may be tied to childhood antibiotic use Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:44 AM PDT As the nation's obesity rate continues to skyrocket, scientists across the country are combing the health records of 1.6 million kids to determine if childhood antibiotic use causes weight gain later in life.

Change in the immune system can lead to success Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:43 AM PDT The sequencing of the Atlantic cod genome in 2011 demonstrated that this species lacks a crucial part of its immune system. In a follow-up study, researchers have investigated a large number of additional fish species and found that this is a trait that Atlantic cod have in common with its close relatives – the codfishes. Further analyses show that the alternate immune system observed is associated with increased speciation rates, and a key to the success of this group of fishes.

New iPad game could help diagnose autism in children Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:41 AM PDT Autism could be diagnosed by allowing children to play games on smart phones and tablets, a study has found. Researchers used fun iPad games to track players' hand movements – gathering information that can help identify autism.

Caution urged in the use of blood pressure lowering treatment for heart disease patients Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:41 AM PDT Caution has been urged in the use of blood pressure lowering treatment for heart disease patients after a study in more than 22,000 patients with coronary artery disease found that too low blood pressure was associated with worse outcomes.

Results of trial into anticoagulants for cardioversion in atrial fibrillation patients published Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:40 AM PDT Clinical trial finds edoxaban to be equally effective as current use of warfarin.

A new animal model to understand metastasis in sarcomas Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:37 AM PDT Researchers have developed a modified version of an orthotopic model to recreate the metastatic steps in Ewing sarcoma, the second most common bone tumor in children and adolescents. This new model may become a valuable experimental tool to analyze metastatic potential in different kinds of sarcomas.

People with alcohol dependency lack important enzyme Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:37 AM PDT A research group has identified an enzyme whose production is turned off in nerve cells of the frontal lobe when alcohol dependence develops. The deficiency in this enzyme leads to continued use of alcohol despite adverse consequences.

System may help treat rare genetic disorder, reduce severe side effects Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:37 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a type of drug delivery system that may offer new hope for patients with a rare, ultimately fatal genetic disorder -- and make what might become a terrible choice a little easier.

Critical protein shows promise for the treatment of Alzheimer's Posted: 30 Aug 2016 05:36 AM PDT In new research, researchers examine p62 -- a critical protein associated with tell-tale symptoms of Alzheimer's. The study demonstrates for the first time that p62 may have a role in reversing the effects of damaged plaques in the brain.

Progress in refining the genetic causes of schizophrenia Posted: 29 Aug 2016 07:59 PM PDT An international study has made advances in understanding the ways in which genetic risk factors alter gene function in schizophrenia. The study combined genetic sequence information with measures of gene regulation in schizophrenia patients and matched controls.

Molecular switch may sensitize triple-negative breast cancers to immunotherapy Posted: 29 Aug 2016 04:26 PM PDT A new study offers compelling evidence that enzyme PRL-3 is 'switch' in TNF-R1 pathway, determining whether pathway helps cancer cells survive or die when challenged with immunotherapy.

Vitamin C may boost effectiveness of acute myeloid leukemia treatment Posted: 29 Aug 2016 04:26 PM PDT A simple adjustment to patients' therapeutic regimen may improve the effectiveness of the standard epigenetic treatment for myeloid dysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Five-year study reveals patients operated on at night twice as likely to die as patients who have daytime operations Posted: 29 Aug 2016 04:26 PM PDT New research shows that patients who have surgery during the night are twice as likely to die as patients operated on during regular working hours.

Folic acid fortified food linked to decline in congenital heart defects Posted: 29 Aug 2016 04:26 PM PDT Food fortified with folic acid helped lower overall rates of congenital heart defects in Canada. The effect was evident in some types of congenital heart defects but not all.

Shark fins and meat contain high levels of neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer's disease Posted: 29 Aug 2016 01:35 PM PDT Scientists found high concentrations of toxins linked to neurodegenerative diseases in the fins and muscles of 10 species of sharks. The research team suggests that restricting consumption of sharks can have positive health benefits for consumers and for shark conservation, since several of the sharks analyzed in the study are threatened with extinction due to overfishing.

Cellular communication processes that make life possible Posted: 29 Aug 2016 01:35 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a mechanism of intercellular communication that helps explain how biological systems and actions -- ranging from a beating heart to the ability to hit a home run -- function properly most of the time, and in some scenarios quite remarkably.

Characteristic chemical signature for chronic fatigue syndrome identified Posted: 29 Aug 2016 01:32 PM PDT Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a mysterious and maddening condition, with no cure or known cause. But researchers, using a variety of techniques to identify and assess targeted metabolites in blood plasma, have identified a characteristic chemical signature for the debilitating ailment and an unexpected underlying biology: It is similar to the state of dauer, and other hypometabolic syndromes like caloric restriction, diapause and hibernation.

Radiologists detect breast cancer in 'blink of an eye' Posted: 29 Aug 2016 01:32 PM PDT Visual attention researchers showed radiologists mammograms for half a second and found that they could identify abnormal mammograms at better than chance levels. They further tested this ability through a series of experiments to explore what signal may alert radiologists to the presence of a possible abnormality, in the hopes of using these insights to improve breast cancer screening and early detection.

Standing up for weight management Posted: 29 Aug 2016 12:52 PM PDT A new study examined the potential weight management benefits of sit-stand desks. Researchers found that regular use of a height-adjustable workstation, when combined with other low-intensity activities, is an effective measure for maintaining weight for most people.

How machine learning can help with voice disorders Posted: 29 Aug 2016 11:04 AM PDT A wearable device has been developed that can tell if a user is misusing their voice and potentially someday be used to help detect vocal disorders.

Tight focus on blood sugar narrows options for diabetes Posted: 29 Aug 2016 11:04 AM PDT The glucocentric focus on lowering blood sugar in type 2 diabetes may have short-circuited development of new diabetes therapies, according to a new paper. Overall, the authors suggest that the widespread consensus for tight glycemic control should be re-examined.

'Internal astigmatism' doesn't compensate for changes in the eye over time Posted: 29 Aug 2016 11:04 AM PDT For people with nearsightedness (myopia), the lens doesn't compensate for growth or other changes in the structure of the eye, according to a long-term follow-up study.

Vesicles that trap amyloid appear to also contribute to Alzheimer's Posted: 29 Aug 2016 09:31 AM PDT Vesicles, fluid-filled sacs that brain cells make to trap amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's, appear to also contribute to the disease, scientists report. Reducing the production of these vesicles, called exosomes, could help reduce the amount of amyloid and lipid that accumulates, slow disease progression and help protect cognition, scientists say.

New window to understanding the brain Posted: 29 Aug 2016 09:21 AM PDT A team of researchers has demonstrated that syringe-injectable mesh electronics can stably record neural activity in mice for eight months or more, with none of the inflammation produced by traditional implanted probes.

Single gene mutation causes severely debilitating disease of brain blood vessels Posted: 29 Aug 2016 09:21 AM PDT The cause of a disease that targets blood vessels in the brain -- leading to multiple debilitating symptoms and, often, to early death -- has been tracked to a single mutated gene, opening up the immediate possibility of improved patient care through genetic testing, and of future treatments.

Special nerve cells cause goose bumps and nipple erection Posted: 29 Aug 2016 09:21 AM PDT The sympathetic nerve system has long been thought to respond the same regardless of the physical or emotional stimulus triggering it. However, in a new study, scientists show that the system comprises different neurons that regulate specific physiological functions, such as erectile muscle control.

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