ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Promising new target for Parkinson's disease therapies
• Complex spinal surgeries with two attending physicians, instead of one, benefit patients
• Standard written checklists can improve patient safety during surgical crises
• Three questions about HPV vaccination
• Handheld mobile device performs laboratory-quality HIV testing
• Which nutritional factors help preserve muscle mass, strength and performance in seniors?
• Semen quality of young men in south-east Spain down by 38 percent in the last decade
• Protein folding via charge zippers
• New method of predicting response to chemotherapy in bowel cancer
• Assault increases suicide risk in military
• Abortions are safe when performed by nurses practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives, study suggests
• Exposure to conflict-of-interest policies during residency reduces rate of brand antidepressant prescriptions
• Simple blood test can help identify trauma patients at greatest risk of death
• Molecular assembly line brings muscles into shape
• Good bacteria in the intestine prevent diabetes, study suggests
• Small change for big improvement: Halogen bonds and drug discovery
• How repeated aggression triggers social aversion in mice
• Severity of emphysema predicts mortality
• Stroke survivors with PTSD more likely to avoid treatment
• Inadequate food facilities in NC migrant camps could cause illness
• Botox beats steroids for painful foot condition, plantar fasciitis, study suggests
• People with low risk for cocaine dependence have differently shaped brain to those with addiction
• Guided care provides better quality of care for chronically ill older adults
• Fighting sleep: Potential new treatments for deadly sleeping sickness
• Genetic admixture in southern Africa
• Sticking with smaller goals keeps weight loss on track
• Trapping malaria parasites inside host blood cell forms basis for new class of drugs
• How the flu virus tells time
• Drug targets hard-to-reach leukemia stem cells responsible for relapses
• New insights into the mechanics of muscle fatigue
• New study examines post-Roe v. Wade arrests of and forced interventions on pregnant women
• As colorectal cancer gets more aggressive, treatment with grape seed extract is even more effective, study shows

Promising new target for Parkinson's disease therapies Posted: 18 Jan 2013 02:23 PM PST With a new insight into a model of Parkinson's disease, researchers have identified a novel target for mitigating some of the disease's toll on the brain.

Complex spinal surgeries with two attending physicians, instead of one, benefit patients Posted: 18 Jan 2013 11:53 AM PST Two heads are better than one, as the saying goes -- and a new study demonstrates how having two attending surgeons in the operating room during spinal surgeries can benefit patients in multiple ways.

Standard written checklists can improve patient safety during surgical crises Posted: 18 Jan 2013 11:52 AM PST When hospital operating room staff follow a written safety checklist to respond to a medical crisis during surgery, they are nearly 75 percent less likely to miss a critical clinical step.

Three questions about HPV vaccination Posted: 18 Jan 2013 09:59 AM PST In 2009, more than 30,000 people in the U.S. learned they had cancer linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus is best known for causing cervical cancer, but it's also the culprit behind many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus, and genitals. Unlike many forms of cancer, for which we lack the knowledge and tools to prevent, scientists have figured out how to dodge HPV-triggered cancers — by HPV vaccination. Vaccination against HPV thwarts the viruses' spread, wrecking its ability to jump between people. Wiping out HPV could mean shutting down a big source of cancer cases — more than 3 percent of all diagnoses in the U.S.

Handheld mobile device performs laboratory-quality HIV testing Posted: 18 Jan 2013 08:26 AM PST A new handheld mobile device can check patients' HIV status with just a finger prick, and synchronize the results in real time with electronic health records. This technology takes a step toward providing remote areas of the world with diagnostic services traditionally available only in centralized healthcare settings.

Which nutritional factors help preserve muscle mass, strength and performance in seniors? Posted: 18 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST A new review identifies nutritional factors that contribute to sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), or conversely, are beneficial to the maintenance of muscle mass. The Group reviewed evidence from worldwide studies on the role of nutrition in sarcopenia, specifically looking at protein, acid–base balance, vitamin D/calcium, and other minor nutrients like B vitamins.

Semen quality of young men in south-east Spain down by 38 percent in the last decade Posted: 18 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST The first comparative study on the evolution of sperm quality in young Spanish men over ten years reveals that spermatozoid concentration in men between 18 and 23 years in the regions of Murcia and Almeria has dropped by an annual average of two percent.

Protein folding via charge zippers Posted: 18 Jan 2013 08:15 AM PST Membrane proteins are the "molecular machines" in biological cell envelopes. They control diverse processes, such as the transport of molecules across the lipid membrane, signal transduction, and photosynthesis. Their shape, i.e. folding of the molecules, plays a decisive role in the formation of, e.g., pores in the cell membrane. Scientists are now reporting a novel charge zipper principle used by proteins to form functional units.

New method of predicting response to chemotherapy in bowel cancer Posted: 18 Jan 2013 08:15 AM PST Scientists have developed a new method of predicting which patients with bowel (colorectal) cancer will respond effectively to chemotherapy.

Assault increases suicide risk in military Posted: 18 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST A new study links physical and violent sexual assault as an adult to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions for military personnel. The study suggests recognizing specific triggers may enhance diagnosis and treatment.

Abortions are safe when performed by nurses practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives, study suggests Posted: 18 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST First trimester abortions are just as safe when performed by trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives as when conducted by physicians, according to a new six-year study.

Exposure to conflict-of-interest policies during residency reduces rate of brand antidepressant prescriptions Posted: 18 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST Psychiatrists who are exposed to conflict-of-interest (COI) policies during their residency are less likely to prescribe brand-name antidepressants after graduation than those who trained in residency programs without such policies, according to a new study.

Simple blood test can help identify trauma patients at greatest risk of death Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:22 AM PST A simple, inexpensive blood test performed on trauma patients upon admission can help doctors easily identify patients at greatest risk of death, according to a new study.

Molecular assembly line brings muscles into shape Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:48 AM PST Scientists have discovered the molecular basis underlying the patterned folding and assembly of muscle proteins.

Good bacteria in the intestine prevent diabetes, study suggests Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:47 AM PST All humans have enormous numbers of bacteria and other micro-organisms in the lower intestine. New research suggests that the influence of the intestinal bacteria extends deep inside the body to influence the likelihood of getting diabetes. Scientists have been able to show that intestinal bacteria, especially in male mice, can produce biochemicals and hormones that stop diabetes developing.

Small change for big improvement: Halogen bonds and drug discovery Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:47 AM PST Halogen bonding has been applied in crystal engineering, materials research, and nanotechnology for some time. Scientists have now developed a new tool to use halogen bonds for drug discovery applications.

How repeated aggression triggers social aversion in mice Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:47 AM PST One of the mechanisms involved in the onset of stress-induced depression has been highlighted in mice. Scientists have determined the role of the corticosterone (stress hormone) receptor, in the long-term behavioral change triggered by chronic stress. In mice subject to repeated aggressions, this receptor participates in the development of social aversion by controlling the release of dopamine, a key chemical messenger. If this receptor is blocked, the animals become "resilient": although anxious, they overcome the trauma and no longer avoid contact with their fellow creatures.

Severity of emphysema predicts mortality Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:46 AM PST Severity of emphysema, as measured by computed tomography (CT), is a strong independent predictor of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in ever-smokers with or without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

Stroke survivors with PTSD more likely to avoid treatment Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:45 AM PST 65% of stroke survivors with PTSD, vs. 33% of those without PTSD, failed to adhere to treatment. Nonadherence in PTSD patients was partially explained by increased ambivalence toward medication. About one-third of stroke survivors with PTSD viewed medications as disruptions to their lives, worried about long-term effects of medications or potential dependence on them.

Inadequate food facilities in NC migrant camps could cause illness Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:28 PM PST Farmworkers are at potential risk from food and waterborne illnesses because of the condition of cooking and eating facilities available to them, according to a new study.

Botox beats steroids for painful foot condition, plantar fasciitis, study suggests Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:20 PM PST Plantar fasciitis is the most frequent cause of chronic heel pain, leaving many sufferers unable to put their best foot forward for months at a time. Now a Mexican study suggests that physicians should turn to Botox rather than steroids to offer patients the fastest road to recovery.

People with low risk for cocaine dependence have differently shaped brain to those with addiction Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:33 AM PST People who take cocaine over many years without becoming addicted have a brain structure which is significantly different from those individuals who developed cocaine-dependence, researchers have discovered.

Guided care provides better quality of care for chronically ill older adults Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:32 AM PST Patients who received Guided Care, a comprehensive form of primary care for older adults with chronic health problems, rated the quality of their care much higher than patients in regular primary care, and used less home care. Researchers also found that in a 32-month randomized controlled trial, Guided Care patients rated the quality of their care significantly higher than those in normal care.

Fighting sleep: Potential new treatments for deadly sleeping sickness Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:32 AM PST While its common name may make it sound almost whimsical, sleeping sickness, or African trypanosomiasis, is in reality a potentially fatal parasitic infection that has ravaged populations in sub-Saharan Africa for decades, and it continues to infect thousands of people every year.

Genetic admixture in southern Africa Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST Researchers have investigated the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA of 500 individuals from southern Africa speaking different Khoisan and Bantu languages. Their results demonstrate that Khoisan foragers were genetically more diverse than previously known. Divergent mtDNA lineages from indigenous Khoisan groups were incorporated into the genepool of the immigrating Bantu-speaking agriculturalists through admixture, and have thus survived until the present day, although the Khoisan-speaking source populations themselves have become extinct.

Sticking with smaller goals keeps weight loss on track Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:29 AM PST A health and wellness expert encourages positive weight loss efforts through healthy weight loss in small increments.

Trapping malaria parasites inside host blood cell forms basis for new class of drugs Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:29 AM PST One of the most insidious ways that parasitic diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis wreak their havoc is by hijacking their host's natural cellular processes, turning self against self.

How the flu virus tells time Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:29 AM PST According to researchers, the flu knows how much time it has to multiply, infect other cells, and spread to another human being. If it leaves a cell too soon, the virus is too weak. If it leaves too late, the immune system has time to kill the virus.

Drug targets hard-to-reach leukemia stem cells responsible for relapses Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:29 AM PST Researchers have discovered that hard-to-reach, drug-resistant leukemia stem cells (LSCs) that overexpress multiple pro-survival protein forms are sensitive – and thus vulnerable – to a novel cancer stem cell-targeting drug currently under development.

New insights into the mechanics of muscle fatigue Posted: 17 Jan 2013 08:18 AM PST A new study examines the consequences of muscle activity with surprising results, indicating that the extracellular accumulation of potassium that occurs in working muscles is considerably higher than previously thought.

New study examines post-Roe v. Wade arrests of and forced interventions on pregnant women Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:58 AM PST A new study looks at criminal and civil cases in which a woman's pregnancy was a deciding factor leading to deprivations of her physical liberty.

As colorectal cancer gets more aggressive, treatment with grape seed extract is even more effective, study shows Posted: 17 Jan 2013 07:58 AM PST When the going gets tough, grape seed extract gets going: A new study shows that the more advanced are colorectal cancer cells, the more GSE inhibits their growth and survival. On the other end of the disease spectrum, GSE leaves healthy cells alone entirely.

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