ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Killing time: Study sheds light on phages and precision cell destruction
• Drug shown to aid injured adult brains may exacerbate cognitive problems in children
• Computer models could help design physical therapy regimens
• Researchers reveal connection between female estrogen cycle, addictive potential of cocaine
• Microscopic spaces between heart cells may play role in sudden cardiac death
• Plus-sized fly: A model to understand the mechanisms underlying human obesity
• Repeat cesarean deliveries less cost-effective in low-risk women, investigators find
• Unique gene signature predicts potentially lethal prostate cancers
• Hospitals are less likely to admit publicly insured children, but outcomes aren't affected
• Innovative imaging, surgery treats lymph condition in adults
• New molecular discovery may help identify drug therapies to prevent dementia
• Gene mutations behind lack of a nose identified
• Researchers discover new subtype of cervical cancer
• What does it take for an AIDS virus to infect a person?
• Researchers find protein that weakens severe sepsis immune reaction
• Daily folic acid supplementation remains important for prevention of birth defects
• Portable device for early diabetes detection being developed
• Bacterial Pac Man molecule snaps at sugar
• DNA-evidence needs statistical back-up
• 'Housekeepers' of the brain renew themselves more quickly than first thought
• Suppressing a DNA-repairing protein in brain could be key to treating aggressive tumors
• Stem cell therapy reverses blindness in animals with end-stage retinal degeneration
• Glia, not neurons, are most affected by brain aging
• Certain species of vaginal bacteria can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV
• Aggressive prostate cancer secrets revealed in landmark study
• Rate of elevated systolic blood pressure increases globally, along with associated deaths
• Cultural differences may leave their mark on DNA
• Nothing fishy about better nutrition for moms and babies
• Byzantine skeleton yields 800-year-old genomes from a fatal infection
• Routine procalcitonin screening reduces hospital stays and costs for patients with sepsis
• Older adults with obesity less responsive to memory training than those with lower BMIs
• Circulating fatty acids ratio may help predict bariatric weight loss surgery outcome
• Compound from chicory reveals possible treatment strategy for neurodegenerative disorders
• 'Dementia gene' may guard against decline associated with parasitic disease
• Researchers develop new compound to fight cytomegalovirus
• Risk of skin cancer doesn't deter most college students who tan indoors, study shows
• Protein build-up may trigger inflammation associated with Alzheimer's and other conditions
• Study reveals best states for lovers
• New approach to managing warfarin patients improves care, cuts costs
• Couch potatoes face same chance of dementia as those with genetic risk factors: Research
• First study to show parents' concerns about neighborhood restrict kids' outdoor play
• American effort reduced risky opioid prescriptions for veterans, study finds
• Gravitational biology: Real time imaging and transcriptome analysis of fish aboard space station
• Alcohol prevents ability to extinguish fearful memories in mice
• Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners jumps by 200 percent in US children
• CDC guidelines for HIV prevention regimen may not go far enough, study suggests
• 'Goldilocks' drug prevents chronic kidney disease in primates
• Retroviruses 'almost half a billion years old'
• Current controls on alcohol marketing are not protecting youth, warn public health experts
• Weather's not to blame for your aches and pains
• Biological changes could underlie higher psychosis risk in immigrants
• Neurons modulate the growth of blood vessels
• Identification of autophagy-dependent secretion machinery
• People with forms of early-onset Parkinson's disease may benefit from boosting niacin in diet, research suggests
• Scrapping excessive neural connection helps build new connections
• The importance of the glutamine metabolism in colon cancer
• More individual therapy for blood cancer patients
• Cocaine users make riskier decisions after losing a gamble
• Wearable sensor device helps visually impaired to sense their environment
• Non-invasive screening method reveals important properties of pharmaceutical tablets

Killing time: Study sheds light on phages and precision cell destruction Posted: 10 Jan 2017 04:46 PM PST Phage therapy, which exploits the ability of certain viruses to infect and replicate within bacteria, shows promise for treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. But designing such therapies depends on understanding how phages work. Phages can kill the cell immediately, or become dormant and kill it later, with a high level of precision in kill time.

Drug shown to aid injured adult brains may exacerbate cognitive problems in children Posted: 10 Jan 2017 01:09 PM PST The pediatric brain responds negatively to traumatic brain injury treatment that targets inflammation, new research suggests.

Computer models could help design physical therapy regimens Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:44 PM PST Researchers have developed a computational walking model that could help guide patients to their best possible recovery after a stroke.

Researchers reveal connection between female estrogen cycle, addictive potential of cocaine Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:44 PM PST A new study shows how high estrogen release during the estrus cycle increases the pleasure felt via the brain's reward pathway.

Microscopic spaces between heart cells may play role in sudden cardiac death Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:44 PM PST Sudden cardiac death in patients with heart failure is a major concern in the United States. A research team will investigate how the microscopic spaces surrounding heart cells affect connections called gap junctions.

Plus-sized fly: A model to understand the mechanisms underlying human obesity Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:41 PM PST A new fly model sheds light on how the brain acts to signal 'fullness' and the possibility of conferring resilience against the impact of high-fat diets.

Repeat cesarean deliveries less cost-effective in low-risk women, investigators find Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:41 PM PST For women with a prior low transverse incision cesarean delivery, the decision to undergo a vaginal delivery or elect to have a repeat cesarean delivery has important clinical and economic ramifications.

Unique gene signature predicts potentially lethal prostate cancers Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:41 PM PST Standard therapy for prostate cancer, the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men, is based on blocking androgens, the male sex hormones. However, for some men, prostate cancer recurs despite androgen-deprivation therapy. A team of scientists has identified an 11-gene signature unique to advanced recurrent prostate cancer that they believe will help to identify these aggressive and potentially fatal prostate cancers sooner.

Hospitals are less likely to admit publicly insured children, but outcomes aren't affected Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:14 PM PST Hospitals are less likely to admit children covered by public insurance such as Medicaid than privately insured children with similar symptoms, especially when hospitals beds are scarce. But the disparity doesn't appear to affect health outcomes, according to researchers.

Innovative imaging, surgery treats lymph condition in adults Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:14 PM PST Researchers who developed a safe and effective procedure to remove thick clogs in children's airways are now reporting similar success in adult patients. In this rare condition, called plastic bronchitis, patients develop thick, caulk-like casts that form in the branching paths of their airways.

New molecular discovery may help identify drug therapies to prevent dementia Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:14 PM PST Scientists have discovered a molecular pathway in the brain that may help provide answers to long-term memory problems in the elderly and aid researchers in identifying drug-based therapies to prevent dementia.

Gene mutations behind lack of a nose identified Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:13 PM PST Researchers have identified gene mutations associated with a rare congenital condition involving the absence of a nose and often accompanied by defects involving the eye and reproductive systems. Mutations in the same gene have previously been associated with a form of muscular dystrophy.

Researchers discover new subtype of cervical cancer Posted: 10 Jan 2017 12:13 PM PST Scientists have identified a new subtype of cervical cancer that may explain why a fraction of cervical cancer patients do not respond to standard treatment.

What does it take for an AIDS virus to infect a person? Posted: 10 Jan 2017 10:48 AM PST Researchers examined the characteristics of HIV-1 strains that were successful in traversing the genital mucosa that forms a boundary to entry by viruses and bacteria. Studying viral isolates from the blood and genital secretions of eight chronically HIV-1 infected donors and their matched recipients, the researchers identified a sub-population of HIV-1 strains with biological properties that predispose them to establish new infections more efficiently.

Researchers find protein that weakens severe sepsis immune reaction Posted: 10 Jan 2017 10:47 AM PST No effective therapy exists today for sepsis, an inflammatory storm that afflicts about 3 million Americans a year, killing up to half. But now, investigators have identified a key molecule that, in mice, helps protect the body's central nervous system against the runaway inflammation.

Daily folic acid supplementation remains important for prevention of birth defects Posted: 10 Jan 2017 10:35 AM PST Despite the mandatory addition of folic acid to enriched grain products in the United States, many women still do not consume adequate amounts of this important vitamin, according to a new editorial.

Portable device for early diabetes detection being developed Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:11 AM PST Researchers are developing a portable device for detecting type 1 or type 2 diabetes at an early stage. The ultimate aim of the project is to develop a prototype of the device.

Bacterial Pac Man molecule snaps at sugar Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:10 AM PST Many pathogens use certain sugar compounds from their host to help conceal themselves against the immune system. Scientists have now analyzed the dynamics of a bacterial molecule that is involved in this process. They demonstrate that the protein grabs onto the sugar molecule with a Pac Man-like chewing motion and holds it until it can be used. Their results could help design therapeutics that could make the protein poorer at grabbing and holding and hence compromise the pathogen in the host.

DNA-evidence needs statistical back-up Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:10 AM PST How do forensic scientists deal with complex DNA-evidence found at crime scenes? A researcher has now developed new statistical models to analyze them.

'Housekeepers' of the brain renew themselves more quickly than first thought Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:10 AM PST Cells in the brain responsible for detecting and fixing minor damage renew themselves more quickly than previously thought, new research has shown.

Suppressing a DNA-repairing protein in brain could be key to treating aggressive tumors Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:10 AM PST Inhibiting a DNA-repairing protein in brain could be key to treating aggressive tumors, say researchers.

Stem cell therapy reverses blindness in animals with end-stage retinal degeneration Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:07 AM PST A stem cell-based transplantation approach that restores vision in blind mice moves closer to being tested in patients with end-stage retinal degeneration, according to a study. The researchers showed that retinal tissue derived from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) established connections with neighboring cells and responded to light stimulation after transplantation into the host retina, restoring visual function in half of mice with end-stage retinal degeneration.

Glia, not neurons, are most affected by brain aging Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:07 AM PST The difference between an old brain and a young brain isn't so much the number of neurons but the presence and function of supporting cells called glia. In a new article, researchers who examined postmortem brain samples from 480 individuals ranging in age from 16 to 106 found that the state of someone's glia is so consistent through the years that it can be used to predict someone's age.

Certain species of vaginal bacteria can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:07 AM PST Specific bacteria living in the human vagina may play a previously unrecognized role in the sexual transmission of HIV. Researchers, working with young, healthy, South African women, found that individuals with vaginas dominated by pro-inflammatory bacterial species were at a 4-fold higher risk of acquiring HIV than those with 'healthy' vaginal bacteria. Meanwhile, viruses in the female genital tract showed no correlation with HIV risk.

Aggressive prostate cancer secrets revealed in landmark study Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST A landmark study has revealed the reason why men with a family history of prostate cancer who also carry the BRCA2 gene fault have a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Rate of elevated systolic blood pressure increases globally, along with associated deaths Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST An analysis that included 8.7 million participants finds that the rate of elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased substantially globally between 1990 and 2015, and that in 2015 an estimated 3.5 billion adults had systolic blood pressure of at least 110 to 115 mm Hg, and 874 million adults had SBP of 140 mm Hg or higher, according to a study.

Cultural differences may leave their mark on DNA Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST Signatures of ethnicity in the genome appear to reflect an ethnic group's shared culture and environment, rather than their common genetic ancestry, report scientists. Epigenetic signatures distinguishing Mexican and Puerto Rican children in this study cannot be explained by genetic ancestry alone, the researchers say.

Nothing fishy about better nutrition for moms and babies Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST Researchers have found a way to provide mothers and young children in Cambodia with better nutrition through an unlikely source -- fish sauce.

Byzantine skeleton yields 800-year-old genomes from a fatal infection Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST New insight has been gained into the everyday hazards of life in the late Byzantine Empire, sometime around the early 13th century, as well as the evolution of Staphylococcus saprophyticus, a common bacterial pathogen.

Routine procalcitonin screening reduces hospital stays and costs for patients with sepsis Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST A dangerous and often deadly condition, sepsis affects more than a million Americans every year and the cases continue to increase. A new study examines whether procalcitonin (PCT) testing helps to more effectively manage sepsis care. Investigators found that the use of PCT screening on the first day of ICU admission was linked to significantly shorter hospital stays, as well as an overall decrease in cost of care.

Older adults with obesity less responsive to memory training than those with lower BMIs Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST In first study to compare results of cognitive training by BMI category, scientists found that memory training provided only one-third the benefit to older adults with obesity than benefit it provided to older adults without obesity.

Circulating fatty acids ratio may help predict bariatric weight loss surgery outcome Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST New findings may one day help clinicians predict the outcome of roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Compound from chicory reveals possible treatment strategy for neurodegenerative disorders Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:06 AM PST In a new research report scientists used mice to show that chicoric acid, a component of chicory, may help reduce memory impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease, and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases.

'Dementia gene' may guard against decline associated with parasitic disease Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:05 AM PST New research suggests that carriers of the Apolipoprotein E4 allele, which is the single strongest genetic predictor of Alzheimer's disease and is associated with cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease, may have a reduced risk of cognitive decline associated with parasitic diseases.

Researchers develop new compound to fight cytomegalovirus Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:05 AM PST A Retro94-based compound may prevent a common and sometimes fatal virus -- human cytomegalovirus (CMV) -- from reproducing and help to protect immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV, on chemotherapy, with transplants, and infants from the effects of the disease, according to researchers.

Risk of skin cancer doesn't deter most college students who tan indoors, study shows Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:05 AM PST White female college students in Indiana who tan indoors know they are placing themselves at risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging, but most continue to tan indoors anyway, according to a study.

Protein build-up may trigger inflammation associated with Alzheimer's and other conditions Posted: 10 Jan 2017 09:05 AM PST A recent review article points to the 'trigger' for the inflammatory response, caused by the immune system, that precedes Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions.

Study reveals best states for lovers Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST Is Virginia really for lovers? Other states may have something to say about that, finds a new American study.

New approach to managing warfarin patients improves care, cuts costs Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST New performance measures have been developed for patients on warfarin that may save lives and money, report investigators.

Couch potatoes face same chance of dementia as those with genetic risk factors: Research Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST Sedentary older adults with no genetic risk factors for dementia may be just as likely to develop the disease as those who are genetically predisposed, according to a major study which followed more than 1,600 Canadians over five years.

First study to show parents' concerns about neighborhood restrict kids' outdoor play Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST Parents who are concerned about their neighborhoods restrict their children's outdoor play, new research has found for the first time.

American effort reduced risky opioid prescriptions for veterans, study finds Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:33 AM PST Fewer veterans received prescriptions for risky dosages of opioid painkillers after a national initiative took aim at reducing high doses and potentially dangerous drug combinations, a new study finds. Over a two-year period, high-dose opioid prescribing declined by 16 percent, and very-high-dose opioid prescribing dropped by 24 percent. The number of patients receiving both opioids and sedatives, which can be lethal when combined, dropped by 21 percent.

Gravitational biology: Real time imaging and transcriptome analysis of fish aboard space station Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:16 AM PST Scientists report that live-imaging and transcriptome analysis of medaka fish transgenic lines lead to immediate alteration of cells responsible for bone structure formation. These findings are important for assessing the effects microgravity on long term human space missions.

Alcohol prevents ability to extinguish fearful memories in mice Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:16 AM PST If the goal is to ease or extinguish fearful emotional memories like those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol may make things worse, not better, experiments in mice suggest that. Results of their study demonstrate, they say, that alcohol strengthens emotional memories associated with fearful experiences and prevents mice from pushing aside their fears.

Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners jumps by 200 percent in US children Posted: 10 Jan 2017 07:16 AM PST About 25 percent of children and more than 41 percent of adults in the United States reported consuming foods and beverages containing low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin in a recent nationwide nutritional survey, according to a study out today. Those numbers represent a 200 percent increase in LCS consumption for children and a 54 percent jump for adults from 1999 to 2012.

CDC guidelines for HIV prevention regimen may not go far enough, study suggests Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST CDC guidelines for who should be on Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) don't go far enough because current standards could miss some people who should be on it, report experts who have developed an online PrEP risk calculator that may fill that gap.

'Goldilocks' drug prevents chronic kidney disease in primates Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST A research team has developed a way to avoid ischemia/reperfusion injury of the kidney with a new monoclonal antibody that binds its target receptor in a way that is 'just right.'

Retroviruses 'almost half a billion years old' Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST Retroviruses -- the family of viruses that includes HIV -- are almost half a billion years old, according to new research. That's several hundred million years older than previously thought and suggests retroviruses have ancient marine origins, having been with their animal hosts through the evolutionary transition from sea to land. The findings will help us understand more about the continuing 'arms race' between viruses and their hosts.

Current controls on alcohol marketing are not protecting youth, warn public health experts Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST Youth around the world are exposed to extensive alcohol marketing, experts warn, adding that current controls on that marketing appear ineffective in blocking the association between youth exposure and subsequent drinking.

Weather's not to blame for your aches and pains Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST The weather plays no part in the symptoms associated with either back pain or osteoarthritis, new research reveals. It's long been thought episodes of both back pain and arthritis can be triggered by changes in the weather, including temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction and precipitation.

Biological changes could underlie higher psychosis risk in immigrants Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:46 AM PST A new study could explain how migrating to another country increases a person's risk of developing schizophrenia, by altering brain chemistry. Immigrants had higher levels of the brain chemical dopamine than non-immigrants in the study; abnormal dopamine levels are linked to symptoms of schizophrenia, say the researchers.

Neurons modulate the growth of blood vessels Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:21 AM PST A team of researchers shake at the foundations of a dogma of cell biology. By detailed series of experiments, they proved that blood vessel growth is modulated by neurons and not, as assumed so far, through a control mechanism of the vessel cells among each other. The results are groundbreaking for research into and treatment of vascular diseases, tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Identification of autophagy-dependent secretion machinery Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:21 AM PST A group of researchers identified a molecular machinery by which autophagy mediates secretion. These results underscore an important role of autophagy other than degradation, and will bring us to future translational research of medicine.

People with forms of early-onset Parkinson's disease may benefit from boosting niacin in diet, research suggests Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:20 AM PST A new study is strengthening the therapeutic potential for dietary interventions in Parkinson's disease, suggesting that these patients may benefit from a boost in niacin, which is found in some nuts and meat.

Scrapping excessive neural connection helps build new connections Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:20 AM PST Neural activity that retracts excessive early innervation in a certain pathway helps make late neural connections in a different pathway, research has found. This may provide a self-organizing mechanism of neural connections, and additionally, early excessive innervation may serve as a guide for making late neural connections.

The importance of the glutamine metabolism in colon cancer Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:19 AM PST The importance of glutamine has been made clear as a colon cancer specific metabolism. It is known that glutamine metabolism is important for pancreatic cancer, but the importance of glutamine metabolism for colon cancer has been unclear. In this study, researchers showed the importance of glutamine metabolism.

More individual therapy for blood cancer patients Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:19 AM PST Because it is impossible to predict which acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients will benefit, all patients are routinely treated with chemotherapy although only some will respond to the treatment. Researchers have now discovered a novel biomarker that enables the detection of therapy responders and non-responders with high accuracy. In addition, their research reveals new hope for patients who currently cannot be effectively treated.

Cocaine users make riskier decisions after losing a gamble Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:19 AM PST People addicted to cocaine make riskier decisions than healthy people after losing a potential reward, according to a study. In the study, researchers show that this heightened sensitivity to loss displayed by the cocaine users correlated with an exaggerated decrease in a part of the brain that processes rewards.

Wearable sensor device helps visually impaired to sense their environment Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:19 AM PST A wearable assistive device has been developed for the visually impaired, which enables them to sense their environment and move around more safely. The device, which is worn like a heart rate monitor, has been clinically tested.

Non-invasive screening method reveals important properties of pharmaceutical tablets Posted: 10 Jan 2017 06:19 AM PST Information on significant properties of pharmaceutical tablets, such as their mechanical strength and dissolution, can now be obtained without resorting to the conventional, time-consuming and destructive testing methods, according to a new study. A new structural descriptive parameter based on terahertz (THz) time-domain techniques allow for a non-invasive detection of pharmaceutical tablet parameters, constituting a research breakthrough in the field of pharmacy.

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