ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Mobile money lifts Kenyan households out of poverty
• Neuroimaging categorizes four depression subtypes
• Scientists develop new drug screening tool for dystonia
• Protein disrupts infectious biofilms
• Personality traits, psychiatric disorders linked to specific genomic locations
• Better diabetes treatment? Artificial beta cells from human kidney cells
• Scientists reveal 'safety catch' within all dividing cells
• 17th Century strain of smallpox retrieved from partial mummified remains of Lithuanian child
• How to make a motor neuron
• Role of protein in pancreatic secretion suggests potential method for treating diabetes
• Honeybee memories: Another piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle?
• Researchers find the incident commander in the brain's defence system
• Drug use strong predictor for postpartum mental health problems
• Anxiety measure for children with autism proven reliable
• Protection against Zika just as important during winter
• Scientists track restoration of communication in minimally conscious patient
• Scientists' study of human migration could help understand cancer metastasis
• Scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun
• RNA modification important for brain function
• How to mix the perfect (drug) cocktail
• New tool to help predict dementia risk in older people
• Researchers link dental problems in cleft lip and palate to abnormal salivary glands
• Oxygen can wake up dormant bacteria for antibiotic attacks
• Scientists examine bacterium found 1,000 feet underground
• Localized immunotherapy new possibility to treat bladder cancer
• GPs not dissatisfied with performance related pay, study finds
• Newly discovered bacteria-binding protein in the intestine
• New biomarker is higher in suicide attempters and associated with stress response
• Heavy alcohol use changes adolescents' brains
• DNA methylation biomarker for prostate cancer shows promise for accurately determining a patient's risk
• Gut feelings: How the microbiome may affect mental illness and interact with treatment
• Public urged to be more body vigilant in fight against cancer

Mobile money lifts Kenyan households out of poverty Posted: 08 Dec 2016 12:19 PM PST Mobile-money services have had notable long-term effects on poverty reduction in Kenya -- especially among female-headed households -- and have inspired a surprising occupation shift among women, outlines a new report.

Neuroimaging categorizes four depression subtypes Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Patients with depression can be categorized into four unique subtypes defined by distinct patterns of abnormal connectivity in the brain, according to new research.

Scientists develop new drug screening tool for dystonia Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Researchers have identified a common mechanism underlying separate forms of dystonia, a family of brain disorders that cause involuntary, debilitating and often painful movements, including twists and turns of different parts of the body. The research has led to the development of a new cell-based test that is being deployed on a large scale to identify new drug candidates to treat dystonia.

Protein disrupts infectious biofilms Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST Researchers have discovered a protein that inhibits biofilms of a bacterium responsible for many cystic fibrosis infections.

Personality traits, psychiatric disorders linked to specific genomic locations Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has identified six loci or regions of the human genome that are significantly linked to personality traits, report researchers. The findings also show correlations with psychiatric disorders.

Better diabetes treatment? Artificial beta cells from human kidney cells Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Researchers have used the simplest approach yet to produce artificial beta cells from human kidney cells. Like their natural model, the artificial cells act as both sugar sensors and insulin producers.

Scientists reveal 'safety catch' within all dividing cells Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Researchers have made a major discovery about how cells control when to divide -- representing a step forward in scientists' understanding of one of the most fundamental processes of life.

17th Century strain of smallpox retrieved from partial mummified remains of Lithuanian child Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST New genetic research suggests that smallpox, a pathogen that caused millions of deaths worldwide, may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination.

How to make a motor neuron Posted: 08 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST A team of scientists has uncovered details of the cellular mechanisms that control the direct programming of stem cells into motor neurons.

Role of protein in pancreatic secretion suggests potential method for treating diabetes Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST New research revealed contrasting roles for the SNAP23 protein in pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes and hormones such as insulin. Inhibiting SNAP23 with a potential new diabetes drug enabled an alternative related protein of higher efficacy to compensate for its function and increase insulin secretion in mice. The novel therapy also shows promise as a treatment for pancreatitis.

Honeybee memories: Another piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle? Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST The honeybee can form complex memories through processes much like those happening in human brains. This study shows that DNA methylation is one molecular mechanism that regulates memory specificity and re-learning, and as such, could control how experiences are integrated over a lifetime.

Researchers find the incident commander in the brain's defence system Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST Researchers have come closer to answering the question of how the brain defends itself against viral infections. In the long term, the discovery may turn out to be very important for the treatment of diseases of the brain in which the immune system is involved such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and potentially also psychiatric disorders.

Drug use strong predictor for postpartum mental health problems Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST New research finds that a woman's lifetime history of drug use can help predict whether the woman will suffer from problems with stress and anxiety after childbirth. The finding could help health-care providers screen pregnant women for mental health problems and provide relevant treatment.

Anxiety measure for children with autism proven reliable Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST In children on the spectrum, anxiety is often masked by the symptoms of autism. But a new variant to a standard anxiety screening method has now proven effective in separating the two and it is leading to important diagnoses.

Protection against Zika just as important during winter Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Just because temperatures are cooling down as winter approaches, it's no time to let your guard down when it comes to mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus. A new report details characteristics of the mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus in the United States, their habitats and biting behaviors, as well as control measures.

Scientists track restoration of communication in minimally conscious patient Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST A severely brain injured woman, who recovered the ability to communicate using her left eye, restored connections and function of the areas of her brain responsible for producing expressive language and responding to human speech, according to new research.

Scientists' study of human migration could help understand cancer metastasis Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Migration for the first humans in America was easier moving east-west as opposed to north-south, researchers report, largely because the knowledge needed to live in the same climate zones was easily transferable. Researchers said the findings could also shed light on the behavior of metastatic cancers.

Scheduling leisure activities makes them less fun Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Nothing ruins a potentially fun event like putting it on your calendar. In a series of studies, researchers found that scheduling a leisure activity like seeing a movie or taking a coffee break led people to anticipate less enjoyment and actually enjoy the event less than if the same activities were unplanned.

RNA modification important for brain function Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:58 AM PST Researchers have shown that a new way of regulating genes is vital for the activity of the nervous system. They found that this form of regulation, a chemical modification on RNA called m6A, is also important in influencing whether flies become male or female. This study clearly shows that RNA modifications play an important role.

How to mix the perfect (drug) cocktail Posted: 08 Dec 2016 09:19 AM PST The fine art of mixing drug cocktails is incredibly complicated, with virtually infinite numbers of possible interactions and side effects. Now, a new model lets scientists compare combinations of drugs to determine efficacy – a major step forward in personalized medicine.

New tool to help predict dementia risk in older people Posted: 08 Dec 2016 07:16 AM PST A machine learning method analyzing large amounts of health information has potential in assessing the risk of cognitively healthy older people for later dementia, according to research. The new risk assessment tool also presents the individual risk profile in a quickly interpretable visual form.

Researchers link dental problems in cleft lip and palate to abnormal salivary glands Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:40 AM PST Dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth, report investigators.

Oxygen can wake up dormant bacteria for antibiotic attacks Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST Bacterial resistance does not come just through adaptation to antibiotics. Sometimes the bacteria simply go to sleep. An international team of researchers is looking at compounds that attack bacteria's ability to go dormant and have found the first oxygen-sensitive toxin antitoxin system.

Scientists examine bacterium found 1,000 feet underground Posted: 08 Dec 2016 06:07 AM PST Researchers find a bacterium 1,000 feet underground (called Paenibacillus) that is resistant to 18 different antibiotics and uses identical methods of defense as similar species found in soils. The scientists identified five novel pathways that were of potential clinical concern.

Localized immunotherapy new possibility to treat bladder cancer Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST Antibody-based immunotherapy is a new promising method to treat cancer. Unfortunately, today's treatments can result in adverse side effects. New findings show an alternative way to administer the therapy, which has the same effect on the tumor but less impact other parts of the body.

GPs not dissatisfied with performance related pay, study finds Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Linking general practioners' pay to their performance has no discernible effect on their job satisfaction, a study of almost 2,000 UK doctors over a four-year period has found.

Newly discovered bacteria-binding protein in the intestine Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Deficiency in a certain protein in the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to lead to both inflammation and abdominal fat accumulation in mice. The discovery provides yet another piece of the puzzle of how humans are affected — or not — by the large quantities of intestinal bacteria we carry with us.

New biomarker is higher in suicide attempters and associated with stress response Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Researchers have measured a biomarker in cell-free blood plasma which can be linked to an overactive stress system in suicidal individuals. This biomarker can hopefully be used in future psychiatric studies.

Heavy alcohol use changes adolescents' brains Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Heavy alcohol use during adolescence alters the development of brain, according to a recent study. Cortical thinning was observable in young people who had been heavy drinkers throughout their adolescence.

DNA methylation biomarker for prostate cancer shows promise for accurately determining a patient's risk Posted: 08 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST Analysis consistently shows elevated PITX2 methylation associated with the presence of a prostate tumor, reports a research team, suggesting an advance in determining a patient's risk.

Gut feelings: How the microbiome may affect mental illness and interact with treatment Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST All of us who have experienced a 'nervous stomach' under periods of stress suspect that there is a link between our gut and our mood. Now researchers have received strong scientific support for exactly this link.

Public urged to be more body vigilant in fight against cancer Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:13 AM PST A new study urges people to be more body vigilant to improve early cancer diagnosis rates. Over a quarter of patients in a recent study failed to contact medical professional with 'cancer alarm symptoms.' Nearly half of those diagnosed with cancer are at an advanced stage of the disease, the investigators report.

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