ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Study zeros in on gene that limits desire to drink alcohol
• Taste bud maintenance in mice requires Hedgehog signaling
• Smart patch releases blood thinners as needed
• Survey of New York City soil uncovers medicine-making microbes
• Bullying rates remain higher for children with disabilities, even as they mature
• Cracking the code of a deadly virus
• Modern hunter-gatherers show value of exercise
• Our closest worm kin regrow body parts, raising hopes of regeneration in humans
• Our complicated relationship with viruses
• Prevention program safeguards children's brains from effects of poverty, says study
• How to avoid feeling depressed on Facebook
• Staph uses nitric oxide enzyme to colonize noses
• First-ever capsule to treat hemophilia developed
• New finding about a protein that enables our brains and muscles to talk
• How kids' brains respond to a late night up
• Activity trackers can work when paired with wellness coaching
• Genes, early environment sculpt the gut microbiome
• Defining immortality of stem cells to identify novel anti-aging mechanisms
• Successfully treating genetically determined autoimmune enteritis
• Safe hair care spares hair, dermatologists report
• Targeting breast cancer metabolism to fight the disease
• Comparing gait parameters can predict decline in memory, thinking
• New regulator of immune reaction discovered
• Vestibular function declines starting at age 40
• Gene mutation linked to early onset of Parkinson's disease in caucasians
• Enzyme's 'editing' preferences have implications for infertility, cancer
• Community healthcare professionals lack knowledge on severe allergic reactions in children
• Glycocluster design could lead to targeted drug delivery
• Almost half of kids childcare children have respiratory virus, study shows

Study zeros in on gene that limits desire to drink alcohol Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:40 PM PST In the largest study of its kind, scientists say that they have identified a gene variant that suppresses the desire to drink alcohol.

Taste bud maintenance in mice requires Hedgehog signaling Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:39 PM PST Disruptions in the Hedgehog signaling pathway can interfere with taste bud maintenance in mice, potentially explaining why some cancer patients experience a loss of taste during treatment with Hedgehog-blocking drugs, researchers have found.

Smart patch releases blood thinners as needed Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:35 PM PST A smart patch has been designed to monitor a patient's blood and release blood-thinning drugs as needed to prevent the occurrence of dangerous blood clots – a condition known as thrombosis. In an animal model, the patch was shown to be more effective at preventing thrombosis than traditional methods of drug delivery.

Survey of New York City soil uncovers medicine-making microbes Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:30 PM PST Microbes have long been an invaluable source of new drugs. And to find more, we may have to look no further than the ground beneath our feet, say researchers.

Bullying rates remain higher for children with disabilities, even as they mature Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:29 PM PST More than 22 percent of children ages 12-18 say they have been bullied in school within the last month; a significant portion of those children have disabilities. However, little research exists on how bullying rates for individual children change over time. Now, a researcher and bullying expert has determined that children with disabilities are victimized by bullying at a much higher rate over time than their peers without disabilities.

Cracking the code of a deadly virus Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:23 PM PST Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is an unforgiving killer of horses, donkeys and zebras, resulting in mortality as high as 80 percent of infected animals. It causes rapid, catastrophic swelling of the brain and spinal cord, leading to severe neurological symptoms and—in many cases—sudden death. The virus can also infect humans, with similar results. Now a research team has exploited a weakness in VEEV's genetic code, resulting in a far less deadly mutant version of the virus when tested in laboratory mice.

Modern hunter-gatherers show value of exercise Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:12 PM PST In a remote area of north-central Tanzania, men leave their huts on foot, armed with bows and poison-tipped arrows, to hunt for their next meal. Dinner could come in the form of a small bird, a towering giraffe or something in between. Meanwhile, women gather tubers, berries and other fruits. The Hadza live a very different kind of lifestyle -- and a very active one, engaging in significantly more physical activity than what is recommended by U.S. government standards. They also have extremely low risk of cardiovascular disease.

Our closest worm kin regrow body parts, raising hopes of regeneration in humans Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:10 PM PST A new study of one of our closest invertebrate relatives, the acorn worm, reveals that regenerating body parts might one day be possible.

Our complicated relationship with viruses Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:10 PM PST Nearly 10 percent of the human genome is made of bits of virus DNA. For the most part, this viral DNA is not harmful. In some cases, scientists are finding, it actually has a beneficial impact.

Prevention program safeguards children's brains from effects of poverty, says study Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:10 PM PST Participation in a prevention program known as the Strong African American Families Program, which enhances supportive parenting and strengthens family relationships, removes the effects of poverty on brain development, research demonstrates for the first time.

How to avoid feeling depressed on Facebook Posted: 28 Nov 2016 12:08 PM PST Comparing yourself with others on Facebook is more likely to lead to feelings of depression than making social comparisons offline, investigators report.

Staph uses nitric oxide enzyme to colonize noses Posted: 28 Nov 2016 10:20 AM PST Staph bacteria colonize nasal passages through a newly discovered function for a primeval biochemical mechanism. The interior of the nose is a prime dwelling place for some forms of staph. More than one-third of the population has a chronic presence of Staphylococcus aureus in their nostrils and sinuses. From there, it can get onto the hands and other skin areas, say scientists.

First-ever capsule to treat hemophilia developed Posted: 28 Nov 2016 10:11 AM PST In the near future, hemophiliacs could be able to treat their disease by simply swallowing a capsule. Thanks to a new breakthrough, treatment for hemophilia can now be administered via a biodegradable system, a capsule, giving people affected by the hereditary bleeding disorder hope for a less expensive, less painful treatment option than conventional injections or infusions.

New finding about a protein that enables our brains and muscles to talk Posted: 28 Nov 2016 10:11 AM PST A huge colony of receptors must be optimally positioned and functioning on our muscle cells for our brains to talk with our bodies so we can walk and breathe. Now scientists have found that a protein believed to help anchor that city of receptors also helps ensure their formation and function and slow their degradation.

How kids' brains respond to a late night up Posted: 28 Nov 2016 10:08 AM PST Any parent can tell you about the consequences of their child not getting enough sleep. But there is far less known about the details of how sleep deprivation affects children's brains and what this means for early brain development.

Activity trackers can work when paired with wellness coaching Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:37 AM PST While critics have debated the effectiveness of activity trackers, a recent study has found activity trackers can work, if paired with wellness coaching.

Genes, early environment sculpt the gut microbiome Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:37 AM PST Environment and genetics determine relative abundance of specific microbes in the gut, new research shows. The findings represent an attempt to untangle the forces that shape the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in keeping us healthy.

Defining immortality of stem cells to identify novel anti-aging mechanisms Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:33 AM PST With age, somatic cells such as neurons lose their ability to maintain the quality of their protein content. Pluripotent stem cells, on the contrary, do not age and have increased mechanism to maintain the integrity of their proteins. Researchers have defined the mechanisms underlying increased protein quality control of pluripotent stem cells. Then, the researchers mimicked these mechanisms in somatic tissues of model organisms to extend lifespan and delay age-related diseases.

Successfully treating genetically determined autoimmune enteritis Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:17 AM PST Using targeted immunotherapy, doctors have succeeded in curing a type of autoimmune enteritis caused by a recently discovered genetic mutation. These results raise new possibilities for the management of diarrhea, which is often a side effect of melanoma treatment.

Safe hair care spares hair, dermatologists report Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:16 AM PST A common cause of hair loss and breakage known as acquired trichorrhexis nodosa, or TN --often more prevalent in African-Americans -- can actually be remedied through appropriate use of cleansing products, hair care and styling practices, say researchers.

Targeting breast cancer metabolism to fight the disease Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:16 AM PST How does a cancer cell burn calories? New research shows that breast cancer cells rely on a different process for turning fuel into energy than normal cells.

Comparing gait parameters can predict decline in memory, thinking Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:15 AM PST Walking is a milestone in development for toddlers, but it's actually only one part of the complex cognitive task known as gait that includes everything from a person's stride length to the accompanying swing of each arm. A new study has found that problems associated with gait can predict a significant decline in memory and thinking.

New regulator of immune reaction discovered Posted: 28 Nov 2016 08:14 AM PST A calcium signal in cell nucleus regulates not only many brain functions, but also defense reactions of the immune system, report scientists.

Vestibular function declines starting at age 40 Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:53 AM PST Vestibular thresholds begin to double every 10 years above the age of 40, representing a decline in our ability to receive sensory information about motion, balance and spatial orientation, new research has found.

Gene mutation linked to early onset of Parkinson's disease in caucasians Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:53 AM PST A defect in a gene that produces dopamine in the brain appears to accelerate the onset of Parkinson's disease, according to new research. The effect is particularly dramatic for young-to-middle-age adults.

Enzyme's 'editing' preferences have implications for infertility, cancer Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:53 AM PST To "turn off" particular regions of genes or protect them from damage, DNA strands can wrap around small proteins, called histones, keeping out all but the most specialized molecular machinery. Now, new research shows how an enzyme called KDM4B "reads" one and "erases" another so-called epigenetic mark on a single histone protein during the generation of sex cells in mice. The researchers say the finding may one day shed light on some cases of infertility and cancer.

Community healthcare professionals lack knowledge on severe allergic reactions in children Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:52 AM PST School first aiders, community pharmacists and GP practice nurses overestimate the risk of fatal reaction for children with food allergy, suggests a new study, yet some are unable to treat allergic reactions safely.

Glycocluster design could lead to targeted drug delivery Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:51 AM PST A team of researchers has developed a way to engineer glycan complexes—clusters of sugar chains attached to proteins or lipids—in a way that allows the molecules to be transported preferentially to specific organs of the body, depending on the sugar chains contained in the cluster. According to the scienitsts, this discovery could lead to the development of glycocluster-based diagnostic tools with better selectivity and precision than current tracers based on peptides and antibodies.

Almost half of kids childcare children have respiratory virus, study shows Posted: 28 Nov 2016 05:45 AM PST Forty-three per cent of children at two daycare centers researchers studied had at least one virus in their respiratory tract, a new study shows.

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