ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Reading this in a meeting? Women twice as likely as men to be offended by smartphone use
• What is it about your face? Researchers provide new insight into why each human face is unique
• Young, black women at highest risk for lupus, suffer more life-threatening complications
• Yeast, human stem cells drive discovery of new Parkinson's disease drug targets
• Grafted limb cells acquire molecular 'fingerprint' of new location
• Deadly gaps persist in new drug development for neglected diseases
• Gene variants in immune system pathways correlated with composition of microbes of human body
• 'Anklebot' helps determine ankle stiffness
• Finding psychiatric drugs in the movements of mice
• Obesity may increase risk of Clostridium difficile infection
• Researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation
• Bee sting allergy could be a defense response gone haywire
• Genetic mutation provides clues to battling childhood obesity
• Molecular biology: Designer of protein factories exposed
• Review of daily aspirin dosage highlights concerns about side effects
• Extensive use of fluorinated substances has potential harmful effects
• Conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome clarified
• Tear, repair and rehab: Live tweets of ACL surgery
• New testing strategy detects population-wide vitamin, mineral deficiencies
• Just two weeks in orbit causes changes in eyes
• Curing HIV/AIDS gets tougher: Far more 'hidden' active virus than thought
• Global HIV vaccine shows promise in monkeys
• Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules
• Sleep apnea study uncovers more hidden dangers for women
• Physicists decode decision circuit of cancer metastasis
• No increased risk for heart attacks among HIV-positive patients with high CD4 cell count
• Gene variant that raises risk for colorectal cancer from eating processed meat present in one-in-three people
• PVC as flooring material in childhood is related to asthma 10 years later
• Need different types of tissue? Just print them!
• How are children affected by maternal anxiety and depression?
• Metformin for breast cancer less effective at higher glucose concentrations
• Overuse of radiation therapy services when urologists profit through self-referral
• Researcher reveals how to better master stem cells' fate
• BROCA sequencing approach evaluates all 24 genes implicated in breast cancer
• Mutations in novel tumor suppressor gene associated with early onset breast cancer
• Bigger, better, faster: 3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy
• All girl getaways: The importance of female friendship throughout the life-cycle
• New methods to trace fragrance allergens
• Can redistribution of surplus food really improve food security?
• Preventive effect of plant sterols in Alzheimer’s disease
• Genetic factors predispose metabolic syndrome in mixed races
• Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance
• Stopping transplant drugs before conception benefits fetus
• Researcher learns how to break a sweat
• New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered
• Food additive may prevent spread of deadly new avian flu
• Oral bacteria create a 'fingerprint' in your mouth

Reading this in a meeting? Women twice as likely as men to be offended by smartphone use Posted: 24 Oct 2013 03:25 PM PDT In an increasingly uncivil world, a new study is the first to provide hard evidence for how attitudes about acceptable or rude mobile phone use actually break down across gender, age and region.

What is it about your face? Researchers provide new insight into why each human face is unique Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Researchers have found thousands of gene enhancers -- regulatory sequences of DNA that act to turn-on or amplify the expression of a specific gene -- are involved in the development of the human face. These enhancers help explain why every human face is as unique as a fingerprint.

Young, black women at highest risk for lupus, suffer more life-threatening complications Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Lupus prevalence was three times higher than previous estimates, reaching one in 537 black female Michiganders in the region, compared to one in 1,153 white women.

Yeast, human stem cells drive discovery of new Parkinson's disease drug targets Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Using a discovery platform whose components range from yeast cells to human stem cells, scientists have identified a novel Parkinson's disease drug target and a compound capable of repairing neurons derived from Parkinson's patients.

Grafted limb cells acquire molecular 'fingerprint' of new location Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT Cells triggering tissue regeneration that are taken from one limb and grafted onto another acquire the molecular "fingerprint," or identity, of their new location, developmental biologists have discovered.

Deadly gaps persist in new drug development for neglected diseases Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:19 AM PDT Researchers report a persistent deficiency in truly new therapeutics for neglected diseases, despite nominal progress and an acceleration in research and development (R&D) efforts. This continued "fatal imbalance" in medical R&D points to the urgent need to develop and deliver groundbreaking new treatments for the world's poorest and most neglected patients.

Gene variants in immune system pathways correlated with composition of microbes of human body Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:18 AM PDT Human genes in immunity-related pathways are likely associated with the composition of an individual's microbiome, which refers to the bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the body.

'Anklebot' helps determine ankle stiffness Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:18 AM PDT A researcher's 'Anklebot' helps determine ankle stiffness, could aid in rehabilitation from strokes, other motor disorders.

Finding psychiatric drugs in the movements of mice Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:18 AM PDT Using a computational method called data mining, researchers have discovered a small number of mouse behaviors that can be used to categorize psychiatric drugs more quickly and easily than standard tests. The research could improve the drug-testing process and identify new uses for existing medications.

Obesity may increase risk of Clostridium difficile infection Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:17 AM PDT Researchers have identified obesity as a possible risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection. These findings may contribute to improved clinical surveillance of those at highest risk of disease.

Researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT How do humans and other mammals get so brainy? In a new paper, researchers explain how neural stem and progenitor cells differentiate into neurons and related cells called glia. Neural stem and progenitor cells offer tremendous promise as a future treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, and understanding their differentiation is the first step towards harnessing this therapeutic potential.

Bee sting allergy could be a defense response gone haywire Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT Scientists are providing an evolutionary explanation for severe allergic reactions. Researchers show that mice injected with a small dose of bee venom were later resistant to a potentially lethal dose of the same venom. The study is the first experimental evidence that the same immune response involved in allergies may have evolved to serve a protective role against toxins.

Genetic mutation provides clues to battling childhood obesity Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT A new paper identifies a possible genetic root to the insatiable appetite and slow metabolism of some obese patients. The study, which sequenced 2,101 individuals with severe early-onset obesity, found that patients harboring mutations in a particular gene, KSR2, had an increased appetite and a slower metabolism, suggesting that drugs developed to modulate the activity of the protein encoded by the KSR2 gene could provide new treatment options for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Molecular biology: Designer of protein factories exposed Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have probed the structure of RNA polymerase I, a crucial cog in the machinery of all cells. Now they unveil the full three-dimensional conformation of the enzyme – at atomic resolution.

Review of daily aspirin dosage highlights concerns about side effects Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have published the most comprehensive review of the benefits and risks of a daily dose of prophylactic aspirin and warn that greater understanding of side effects is needed.

Extensive use of fluorinated substances has potential harmful effects Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT More and more scientific studies indicate that perfluorinated substances are carcinogenic or otherwise hazardous to health. In the Nordic countries, new per- and polyfluorinated substances are used to replace the known harmful ones. However, there is a need for new detection methods and more knowledge on their exposure and toxicity.

Conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome clarified Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:12 AM PDT A Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) was published today for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age and a leading cause of infertility.

Tear, repair and rehab: Live tweets of ACL surgery Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:12 AM PDT In sports, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears happen. When star players suffer one, fans sometimes have questions as to what these injuries involve and how they are repaired.

New testing strategy detects population-wide vitamin, mineral deficiencies Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:12 AM PDT Researchers used a new strategy that allowed them to indirectly measure amounts of multiple nutrients in multiple people at the same time, an advance that should make it possible to rapidly detect nutritional deficiencies of an entire population, apply remediation efforts and test their worth within months instead of years.

Just two weeks in orbit causes changes in eyes Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers. This study is the first to examine eye-related gene expression and cell behavior after spaceflight.

Curing HIV/AIDS gets tougher: Far more 'hidden' active virus than thought Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT Just when some scientists were becoming more hopeful about finding a strategy to outwit HIV's ability to resist, evade and otherwise survive efforts to rid it from the body, another hurdle has emerged to foil their plans, new research shows.

Global HIV vaccine shows promise in monkeys Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT The considerable diversity of HIV worldwide represents a critical challenge for designing an effective HIV vaccine. Now a scientific team shows that mosaic antigens might overcome this challenge.

Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT A researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment. These indeterminate nodules are being evaluated with a new molecular diagnostic test that measures the expression levels of 142 genes. This test is able to identify which initially indeterminate nodules are highly likely to be benign, and thus allows patients to avoid unnecessary diagnostic surgery.

Sleep apnea study uncovers more hidden dangers for women Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT A new study shows that autonomic responses -- the controls that impact such functions as blood pressure, heart rate, sweating -- are weaker in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but even more so in females than males. While women with sleep apnea may appear to be healthy (i.e. blood pressure normal), their symptoms of OSA tend to be subtler, which often times means their sleep problem is missed and they get diagnosed with other conditions.

Physicists decode decision circuit of cancer metastasis Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Researchers have deciphered the operating principles of a genetic circuit that allows cancer to metastasize. The study revealed that the decision circuit has three settings, an oddity that could open the door to cancer treatments that disrupt the circuit.

No increased risk for heart attacks among HIV-positive patients with high CD4 cell count Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:21 AM PDT Patients who are HIV-positive and have high CD4 cell counts -- or have a high number of white blood cells that fight infections -- aren't at an increased risk for heart attacks compared to patients who are HIV-negative, according to a study.

Gene variant that raises risk for colorectal cancer from eating processed meat present in one-in-three people Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:21 AM PDT A common genetic variant that affects one in three people significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of red meat and processed meat.

PVC as flooring material in childhood is related to asthma 10 years later Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT Children who had PVC floorings in the bedroom at baseline were more likely to develop asthma during the following 10 years period when compared with children living without such flooring material. Furthermore, there were indications that PVC flooring in the parents' bedrooms were stronger associated with the new cases of asthma when compared with child's bedroom. This could be an indication that prenatal exposure is of importance.

Need different types of tissue? Just print them! Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT What sounds like a dream of the future has already been the subject of research for a few years: simply printing out tissue and organs. Now scientists have further refined the technology and are able to produce various tissue types.

How are children affected by maternal anxiety and depression? Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT Maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression increased the risk of emotional and disruptive problem behaviors in children as early as 18 months of age, according to new research findings. The risk persisted into adolescence and also gave an increased risk of depressive symptoms.

Metformin for breast cancer less effective at higher glucose concentrations Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:19 AM PDT A new study shows that breast cancer cell growth, motility and aggression is promoted by excess glucose, as experienced by patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Patients with high glucose may require higher doses of the drug metformin to achieve the same anti-cancer activity as patients with normal glucose levels.

Overuse of radiation therapy services when urologists profit through self-referral Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:19 AM PDT A comprehensive review of Medicare claims for more than 45,000 patients from 2005 through 2010 found that nearly all of the 146 percent increase in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer among urologists with an ownership interest in the treatment was due to self-referral, according to new research.

Researcher reveals how to better master stem cells' fate Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT Researchers have long been searching for biotech's version of the fountain of youth -- ways to encourage embryonic stem cells and epiblast stem cells to endlessly self-renew, or divide to produce more stem cells.

BROCA sequencing approach evaluates all 24 genes implicated in breast cancer Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT Comprehensive testing for all known inherited breast cancer gene mutations explains occurrence of the cancer in women with normal BRCA genes and family history of the disease.

Mutations in novel tumor suppressor gene associated with early onset breast cancer Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT Researchers have identified association between heritable, rare mutations in RINT1 gene and increased risk of early onset breast cancer. Although mutations in RINT1 are rare, it is most likely that the remaining unknown breast cancer susceptibility genes will account for similar small proportions of the disease, scientist said.

Bigger, better, faster: 3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:01 AM PDT The molecular machine that makes essential components of ribosomes – the cell's protein factories – is like a Swiss-army knife, researchers have found. By determining the 3-dimensional structure of this machine, called RNA polymerase I, for the first time, the scientists found that it incorporates modules which prevent it from having to recruit outside help. The findings can help explain why this protein works faster than its better-studied counterpart, RNA polymerase II.

All girl getaways: The importance of female friendship throughout the life-cycle Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT A recent article, authors discuss the burgeoning trend of all-female holidays, the many different purposes and effects for those participating, and the relationship to the life-cycle of the women. The basis of the article was a study conducted by the authors featuring 79 women of different race, social class, nationality and marital and familial status.

New methods to trace fragrance allergens Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT A recent doctoral thesis presents new methods to trace allergenic fragrance compounds in consumer products, such as perfumes.

Can redistribution of surplus food really improve food security? Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT While surplus food redistribution has been promoted as a way of reducing food waste and food poverty, a paper published recently concludes that unless a distinction is drawn between genuine waste to be recovered and surplus to be redistributed for community benefit, surplus food as a resource is unlikely to be fully utilized.

Preventive effect of plant sterols in Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT It's no secret that many of the phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables have a positive effect on our health. For instance, plant sterols (also known as phytosterols) help to lower cholesterol levels. According to a new study, they also appear to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic factors predispose metabolic syndrome in mixed races Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT Researchers have carried out a study on genetic factors that can be associated to metabolic syndrome, main trigger of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes and obesity, with the goal of identifying high risk populations and influence its treatment in the most effective way. The objective was to review the genetic susceptibility of the mixed and indigenous Mexican populations to developing metabolic syndrome or one of its components, and the relationship of this risk with its indigenous, Caucasian or African origins.

Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance Posted: 24 Oct 2013 05:58 AM PDT Uterine fibroids cause significant fear and morbidity, and can compromise workplace performance, according to a recently published survey of nearly 1,000 women in the U.S. The findings shed new light on the impact, prevalence and treatment concerns related to uterine leiomyomas (fibroids), which affect up to 80 percent of women by age 50.

Stopping transplant drugs before conception benefits fetus Posted: 24 Oct 2013 05:58 AM PDT Kidney transplant recipients who discontinue immunosuppressive drugs before conception have a higher rate of live births and a lower rate of birth defects without an increased risk of kidney problems.

Researcher learns how to break a sweat Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT Without sweat, we would overheat and die. In a recent paper, a team of researchers explored the ultimate origin of this sticky, stinky but vital substance -- sweat gland stem cells.

New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT The fact that sleep deprivation has an impact on the function of the human immune system is well known. In a recent study, results have shown new biological links between sleep loss and the immune system. The results provide at least a partial explanation of why sleep deprivation increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Food additive may prevent spread of deadly new avian flu Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT A common food additive can block a deadly new strain of avian influenza virus from infecting healthy cells, report researchers.

Oral bacteria create a 'fingerprint' in your mouth Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT The bacteria in the human mouth -- particularly those nestled under the gums -- are as powerful as a fingerprint at identifying a person's ethnicity, new research shows.

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