ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Significant step forward in combating antibiotic resistance
• Dogma among researchers exaggerates threat of resistance to best anti-malarial drugs, says malaria expert
• The microbes you inhale on the New York City subway
• Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke
• Facebook interests could help predict, track and map obesity
• Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier
• Drinking one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, study suggests
• Discovery of wound-healing genes in flies could mitigate human skin ailments
• Biogeographic barrier that protects Australia from avian flu does not stop Nipah virus
• Material loss protects teeth against fatigue failure
• Psychopaths are not neurally equipped to have concern for others
• Teen years may be critical in later stroke risk
• Intractable seizures halted with experimental treatment for rare pediatric 'Pretzel syndrome'
• Toxicity profile informs decision on preferred conditioning regimen in autologous transplant for neuroblastoma
• After brain injury, new astrocytes play unexpected role in healing
• Functional potential of genes: Pushing the boundaries of transcription
• A simple solution to air pollution from wood-burning cookstoves
• Chernobyl follow-up study finds high survival rate among young thyroid cancer patients
• ERs have become de facto psych wards
• Link between inherited endocrine tumor syndrome and much-studied cell pathway
• Firefly protein lights up degenerating muscles, aiding muscular-dystrophy research
• Fighting bacteria with new genre of antibodies
• First vaccine to help control some autism symptoms
• Targeted screening for hepatitis C is cost-effective
• New genetic links to juvenile arthritis found
• Costs to treat heart failure expected to more than double by 2030
• Study links genetic marker to post-concussion neurocognitive function in contact sports
• Drug therapy offers high cure rate for 2 hepatitis C subtypes
• Mild blast injury causes molecular changes in brain akin to Alzheimer
• Cancer cells' Achilles' heel revealed
• Important fertility mechanism discovered
• Majority of children readmitted to hospital following stem cell transplant
• Computer game could improve sight of visually impaired children
• Microscopic dust particles found in underground railways may pose health risk
• Transgenic mice ready to fight obesity, and more
• Malaria parasite protein identified as potential new target for drug treatment
• New research findings on the brain's guardian cells

Significant step forward in combating antibiotic resistance Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:25 PM PDT New research is a significant development in combating antibiotic resistance; it will pave the way for the creation of the inhibitors to counteract the process, allowing a renaissance in the use of antibiotics.

Dogma among researchers exaggerates threat of resistance to best anti-malarial drugs, says malaria expert Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:24 PM PDT Exaggeration over the extent of the malaria parasite's resistance to the 'wonder drugs' artemisinins could jeopardise the fight against the disease, according to a leading expert.

The microbes you inhale on the New York City subway Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT The microbial population in the air of the New York City subway system is nearly identical to that of ambient air on the city streets. This research establishes an important baseline, should it become necessary to monitor the subway's air for dispersal of potentially dangerous microbes.

Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT A microbial byproduct of intestinal bacteria contributes to heart disease and serves as an accurate screening tool for predicting future risks of heart attack, stroke and death in persons not otherwise identified by traditional risk factors and blood tests, according to new research.

Facebook interests could help predict, track and map obesity Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT The higher the percentage of people in a city, town or neighborhood with Facebook interests suggesting a healthy, active lifestyle, the lower that area's obesity rate. At the same time, areas with a large percentage of Facebook users with television-related interests tend to have higher rates of obesity. Such are the conclusions of a study comparing geotagged Facebook user data with data from national and New York City-focused health surveys.

Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT Using mucosa, or the lining of the nose, researchers have demonstrated what may be the first known method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier, thus opening the door to new treatment options for those with neurodegenerative and CNS disease.

Drinking one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, study suggests Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT Drinking one (or one extra) 12-ounce serving size of sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can be enough to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, a new study suggests.

Discovery of wound-healing genes in flies could mitigate human skin ailments Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT Biologists have identified eight genes never before suspected to play a role in wound healing that are called into action near the areas where wounds occur.

Biogeographic barrier that protects Australia from avian flu does not stop Nipah virus Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:51 PM PDT An invisible barrier separates land animals in Australia from those in south-east Asia may also restrict the spillover of animal-borne diseases like avian flu, but researchers have found that fruit bats on either side of this line can carry Nipah virus, a pathogen that causes severe human disease.

Material loss protects teeth against fatigue failure Posted: 24 Apr 2013 03:50 PM PDT Scientists have digitally analysed modern human teeth using an engineering approach, finite element method, to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of teeth under realistic loading. They report results showing that very widespread loss of dental material (enamel and dentine) at the base of the crown might be linked to the reduction of tooth wear in our industrialized societies.

Psychopaths are not neurally equipped to have concern for others Posted: 24 Apr 2013 01:11 PM PDT Prisoners who are psychopaths lack the basic neurophysiological "hardwiring" that enables them to care for others, according to a new study.

Teen years may be critical in later stroke risk Posted: 24 Apr 2013 01:11 PM PDT The teenage years may be a key period of vulnerability related to living in the "stroke belt" when it comes to future stroke risk, according to a new study.

Intractable seizures halted with experimental treatment for rare pediatric 'Pretzel syndrome' Posted: 24 Apr 2013 01:09 PM PDT With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five children were successfully treated with a drug that modifies the disease process, minimizing seizures and improving receptive language.

Toxicity profile informs decision on preferred conditioning regimen in autologous transplant for neuroblastoma Posted: 24 Apr 2013 11:05 AM PDT The stem cell transplant regimen that was commonly used in the United States to treat advanced neuroblastoma in children appears to be more toxic than the equally effective regimen employed in Europe and Egypt, according to a new study.

After brain injury, new astrocytes play unexpected role in healing Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:27 AM PDT The production of a certain kind of brain cell that had been considered an impediment to healing may actually be needed to staunch bleeding and promote repair after a stroke or head trauma, researchers report.

Functional potential of genes: Pushing the boundaries of transcription Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT Like musicians in an orchestra who have the same musical score but start and finish playing at different intervals, cells with the same genes start and finish transcribing them at different points in the genome. For the first time, researchers have described the striking diversity of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that such start and end variation produces, even from the simple genome of yeast cells. Their findings shed new light on the importance of mRNA boundaries in determining the functional potential of genes.

A simple solution to air pollution from wood-burning cookstoves Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT Wood-burning cookstoves, used by millions of people worldwide, cause air pollution, disease and death. A team of university students studied the problem and came up with a simple, low-cost solution: better ventilation.

Chernobyl follow-up study finds high survival rate among young thyroid cancer patients Posted: 24 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT More than a quarter of a century after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, many children and teenagers who developed thyroid cancer due to radiation are in complete or near remission, according to a recent study.

ERs have become de facto psych wards Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:58 AM PDT Long waits for insurance authorization allowing psychiatric patients to be admitted to the hospital from the emergency department waste thousands of hours of physician time, given that most requests for authorization are ultimately granted. A new study argues that pre-authorization process is akin to health care "rationing by hassle factor."

Link between inherited endocrine tumor syndrome and much-studied cell pathway Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:58 AM PDT The protein menin suppresses signaling in the much-studied Hedgehog pathway in endocrine organs. Menin mutations lead to increased Hedgehog signaling and cell proliferation. Researchers found that inhibiting proteins in the Hedgehog network using drugs reduces growth of tumors in mice.

Firefly protein lights up degenerating muscles, aiding muscular-dystrophy research Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:58 AM PDT Scientists have created a mouse model of muscular dystrophy in which degenerating muscle tissue gives off visible light.

Fighting bacteria with new genre of antibodies Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT In an advance toward coping with bacteria that shrug off existing antibiotics and sterilization methods, scientists are reporting development of a new family of selective antimicrobial agents that do not rely on traditional antibiotics. They report on these synthetic colloid particles, which can be custom-designed to recognize the shape of specific kinds of bacteria and inactivate them.

First vaccine to help control some autism symptoms Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT A first-ever vaccine for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms.

Targeted screening for hepatitis C is cost-effective Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT Researchers have found that targeted screening for populations with a higher estimated prevalence for hepatitis C may be cost-effective.

New genetic links to juvenile arthritis found Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT Researchers report they have increased the number of confirmed genes linked to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from three to 17 -- a finding that will clarify how JIA fits into the spectrum of autoimmune disorders and help identify potential treatment targets.

Costs to treat heart failure expected to more than double by 2030 Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:22 AM PDT By 2030, you — and every U.S. taxpayer — could be paying $244 a year to care for heart failure patients, according to a new policy statement.

Study links genetic marker to post-concussion neurocognitive function in contact sports Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:21 AM PDT A new study is coming one step closer to finding out whether or not an athlete's genetic makeup determines the severity of post-concussive brain function.

Drug therapy offers high cure rate for 2 hepatitis C subtypes Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:31 AM PDT A new drug is offering dramatic cure rates for hepatitis C patients with two subtypes of the infection -- genotype 2 and 3, say a team of scientists. The drug, called sofosbuvir, offers more effective treatment for most patients studied in a Phase 3 clinical trial who had no other treatment options, report researchers.

Mild blast injury causes molecular changes in brain akin to Alzheimer Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:31 AM PDT Scientists have shown that mild traumatic brain injury after blast exposure produces inflammation, oxidative stress and gene activation patterns akin to disorders of memory processing such as Alzheimer's disease.

Cancer cells' Achilles' heel revealed Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:29 AM PDT Scientists from the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR) have discovered why a particular cancer drug is so effective at killing cells. Their findings could be used to aid the design of future cancer treatments.

Important fertility mechanism discovered Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:29 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new mechanism that controls egg cell fertility and that might have future therapeutic potential. They found that the blood protein fetuin-B plays an important and previously unknown role in the fertilization of oocytes. Fetuin-B, first identified in the year 2000, is formed in the liver and secreted into the blood stream.

Majority of children readmitted to hospital following stem cell transplant Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:13 AM PDT Almost two-thirds of children who receive stem cell transplants are readmitted to the hospital within six months, according to new research.

Computer game could improve sight of visually impaired children Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:13 AM PDT Visually impaired children could benefit from a revolutionary new computer game being developed by a team of neuroscientists and game designers.

Microscopic dust particles found in underground railways may pose health risk Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:13 AM PDT New research has found that working or traveling on an underground railway for a sustained period of time could have health implications. Previously published work suggests that working in environments such as steel mills or welding plants, which are rich in airborne metals, like iron, copper and nickel, can have damaging effects on health. However, little research has been done on the effects of working in an underground railway environment - a similarly metal-rich environment.

Transgenic mice ready to fight obesity, and more Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:13 AM PDT Scientists have investigated mice with a very precisely modified genome. Because it is possible to turn off the Dicer gene in adult mice, they can be used to investigate the processes related to such cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Also scientists have just shown that the new transgenic mouse is suitable to study metabolic dysfunctions resulting in obesity.

Malaria parasite protein identified as potential new target for drug treatment Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:13 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how a protein within the malaria parasite is essential to its survival as it develops inside a mosquito. They believe their findings identify this protein as a potential new target for drug treatments to prevent malaria being passed to humans. The researchers found that when this protein – a transporter responsible for controlling the level of calcium inside cells – is absent during the parasite's sexual reproduction stages inside a mosquito, the parasite dies before developing fully.

New research findings on the brain's guardian cells Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:10 AM PDT Researchers have now succeeded in identifying a deviation in the structure of the microglia cells, which makes it possible to visualise them and study their behaviour. By inserting a luminescent protein controlled by a microscopic molecule, microRNA-9, the researchers can now distinguish the microglia and monitor their function over time in the brains of rats and mice.

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