ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Scientists develop novel assay to decode functional elements of genome
• Antibiotic resistance just became more complex
• Did teen perception, use of marijuana change after recreational use legalized?
• How much money is spent on health care for kids, where does it go?
• 'Friendship Bench' program proves effective at alleviating mental illness symptoms
• Inactivity in obese mice linked to a decreased motivation to move
• Your microbiota's previous dining experiences may make new diets less effective
• New tool shines light on protein condensation in living cells
• Gut microorganisms affect our physiology
• Scientists engineer gene pathway to grow brain organoids with surface folding
• Anti-aging therapies targeting senescent cells: Facts and fiction
• Psychiatric conditions linked to increased risk of long-term opioid use
• New way to defeat therapy-resistant prostate cancer
• Round or 'shaped' breast implants? Even plastic surgeons can't tell the difference
• Drug discovery approach predicts health impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• New nutritional strategy gives a boost to tiny premature babies
• Aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer: Advantages over tamoxifen in early-stage disease
• Experts call for expansion of molecular imaging in precision cancer care
• Iron deficiency anemia associated with hearing loss
• Omega-3 supplements can prevent childhood asthma
• Possible treatment targets found for pre-malignant bone marrow disorders
• Most doctors ignore one of the most potent ways to improve health
• Biomarker tests in breast cancer: Decision on chemotherapy remains difficult

Scientists develop novel assay to decode functional elements of genome Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Scientists introduce method to identify regulatory sequences in RNA by analyzing their regulatory function in a massive parallel reporter assay during embryogenesis. The method is called RESA (RNA Element Selection Assay).

Antibiotic resistance just became more complex Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Bacteria that are susceptible to antibiotics can survive when enough resistant cells around them are expressing an antibiotic-deactivating factor. This new take on how the microbial context can compromise antibiotic therapy was just published by a team of microbiologists.

Did teen perception, use of marijuana change after recreational use legalized? Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Marijuana use increased and the drug's perceived harmfulness decreased among eighth- and 10th-graders in Washington after marijuana was legalized for recreational use by adults but there was no change among 12th-graders or among students in the three grades in Colorado after legalization for adults there, according to a new study.

How much money is spent on health care for kids, where does it go? Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Health care spending on children grew 56 percent between 1996 and 2013, with the most money spent in 2013 on inpatient well-newborn care, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and well-dental care, according to a new article.

'Friendship Bench' program proves effective at alleviating mental illness symptoms Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Brief psychological treatment delivered by Zimbabwean lay health workers dramatically improved the symptoms of patients with mental health problems, according to new research.

Inactivity in obese mice linked to a decreased motivation to move Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:19 AM PST Starting a regular program at the gym is a common New Year's resolution, but it's one that most people are unable to stick with for very long. Now a study done in mice is providing clues about one of the reasons why it may be hard for so many people to stick with an exercise program. The investigators found that in obese mice, physical inactivity results from altered dopamine receptors rather than excess body weight.

Your microbiota's previous dining experiences may make new diets less effective Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST Your microbiota may not be on your side as you try improving your diet this New Year's. In a new study, researchers explore why mice that switch from an unrestricted American diet to a healthy, calorie-restricted, plant-based diet don't have an immediate response to their new program. They found that certain human gut bacteria need to be lost for a diet plan to be successful.

New tool shines light on protein condensation in living cells Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST Researchers have unveiled a new tool that uses light to manipulate proteins inside cells, causing liquid-like structures known as membraneless organelles to condense out of a cell's watery environment. Because these structures play a critical role in cellular operations, and possibly in disease development, the researchers believe the tool will open new areas of cellular biology to exploration.

Gut microorganisms affect our physiology Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST Researchers have found evidence that could shed new light on the complex community of trillions of microorganisms living in all our guts, and how they interact with our bodies.

Scientists engineer gene pathway to grow brain organoids with surface folding Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST Researchers provide insight into a specific gene pathway that appears to regulate the growth, structure, and organization of the human cortex. They also demonstrate that 3-D human cerebral organoids can be effective in modeling the molecular, cellular, and anatomical processes of human brain development. And they suggest a new path for identifying the cells affected by Zika virus.

Anti-aging therapies targeting senescent cells: Facts and fiction Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST It's an exciting time to be an elderly mouse. Researchers believe that by removing senescent cells (cells with a persistent damage response), which naturally accumulate with age, senior rodents can regrow hair, run faster, and improve organ function. This strategy may bring us one step closer to the 'fountain of youth,' but it's important to be cautious and not hype, says a researcher of aging.

Psychiatric conditions linked to increased risk of long-term opioid use Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST A wide range of pre-existing psychiatric and behavioral conditions and the use of psychoactive drugs could be important risk factors leading to long-term use of opioid pain medications.

New way to defeat therapy-resistant prostate cancer Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:17 AM PST A new study sheds light on a signaling circuit in cells that drives therapy resistance in prostate cancer. The researchers found that targeting the components of this circuit suppresses advanced prostate cancer development.

Round or 'shaped' breast implants? Even plastic surgeons can't tell the difference Posted: 29 Dec 2016 11:17 AM PST Looking at before-and-after photos, plastic surgeons and nurses can't tell whether breast augmentation surgery was done using conventional round implants or newer anatomically shaped implants, reports a new study.

Drug discovery approach predicts health impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals Posted: 29 Dec 2016 10:18 AM PST  Breast cancer researchers from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a novel approach for identifying how chemicals in the environment—called environmental estrogens—can produce infertility, abnormal reproductive development, including "precocious puberty," and promote breast cancer.

New nutritional strategy gives a boost to tiny premature babies Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:54 AM PST On New Year's Day this coming Sunday, we will once again be waiting to see the first baby is born safe and sound to be our "New Year's Baby 2017". It could even be a premature baby. The tiniest premature babies – weighing less than 1 kg at birth – often fail to gain very much weight during their long stay in hospital and this impacts upon their subsequent growth. Now, however, a retrospective data analysis has shown that "more aggressive" nutrition, especially including more protein, brings about a significant improvement in the nutritional status, development and growth of these tiny infants.

Aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer: Advantages over tamoxifen in early-stage disease Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:35 AM PST Patients survive longer, recurrences occur later, and certain side effects occur less often. Overall, the evidence for late-stage disease is much poorer.

Experts call for expansion of molecular imaging in precision cancer care Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:35 AM PST New molecular imaging technologies can make it easier to diagnose, monitor, and treat cancers while potentially saving patients from undergoing therapies that are likely to be ineffective and playing a role in minimizing side effects.

Iron deficiency anemia associated with hearing loss Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:34 AM PST Medical researchers examined the association between sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss and iron deficiency anemia in adults ages 21 to 90 years in the United States.

Omega-3 supplements can prevent childhood asthma Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:34 AM PST Taking certain omega-3 fatty acid supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of childhood asthma by almost one third, according to a new study.

Possible treatment targets found for pre-malignant bone marrow disorders Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:34 AM PST Medical researchers report on a new mechanism that controls blood cell function and several possible molecular targets for treating myelodysplasia syndromes (MDS) -- a group of pre-malignant disorders in which bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. MDS can lead to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-spreading blood cancer that can be deadly if not treated promptly. The authors report that overexpression of a protein called TRAF6 in hematopoietic (blood) cells drives the onset of MDS.

Most doctors ignore one of the most potent ways to improve health Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:34 AM PST Leveraging existing relationships with friends and family may be a more effective way to improve patients' health and encourage new healthy habits and behaviors than increasing interactions with physicians or other clinicians. In a new perspective article, behavioral economists suggest a five-step ladder to effectively engineering social engagements that promote health and to test their acceptability and effectiveness.

Biomarker tests in breast cancer: Decision on chemotherapy remains difficult Posted: 29 Dec 2016 08:34 AM PST Omitting chemotherapy can lead to more cases of distant metastasis and deaths. It cannot yet be judged whether this risk outweighs the chemotherapy-related burden.

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