ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Genes uniquely expressed by brain's immune cells
• Baby boys at higher risk of death, disability in preterm births
• Where someone drowns determines their chance of survival
• Drug trial for top parasitic killer of the Americas
• New studies may explain fractures in some who take osteoporosis drugs
• Potential drug target in sight for rare genetic disease
• Protein interplay in muscle tied to life span
• Dengue fever mystery in two US cities: Both exposed to risk
• State child restraint laws leave many unprotected
• Antibiotic resistance an international issue; could be addressed with education
• Bleeding symptom leads scientists to intracellular trafficker's role in virus propagation
• Glowing worms illuminate the roots of behavior
• Potential new treatment for sepsis
• Study examines link in college women's use of substances, condoms
• Older adults with severe mental illness challenge healthcare system
• Lack of sleep in teens linked to higher risk of illness
• Probiotics reduce piglet pathogens
• New genetic cause of Warburg Micro syndrome identified
• Biologists ID new cancer weakness
• Genetic signature identified for leading cause of infant hospitalizations worldwide
• Early stages breast cancer could soon be diagnosed from blood samples
• Physician argues for mandatory flu shots for health care workers
• Protein-rich breakfast helps curb appetite throughout the morning
• Scientists bring to light mechanism of drug action
• Controversial cholesterol guidelines biggest change in 25 years
• Protein that keeps people, skeletons organized
• Tiny 'Lego' blocks build Janus nanotubes with potential for new drugs and water purification
• One in seven students has dabbled in 'smart' drugs
• Are probiotics a promising treatment strategy for depression?
• Surgeons often profoundly affected by surgical complications
• Women with asthma could face delay in becoming pregnant
• Cognitive scientists ID mechanism central to early childhood learning, social behavior
• Low-intensity therapy for Burkitt lymphoma highly effective
• Gene linked to common intellectual disability
• Microbiome changed by gluten increases incidences of type 1 diabetes
• Widespread use of opioid medications in nonsurgical hospital patients
• Plant oil suppresses viability of human prostate cancer cells
• High blood pressure in middle age vs old age may predict memory loss
• Newly discovered mechanism suggests novel approach to prevent type 1 diabetes
• Intranasal insulin improves cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes
• Tiny crystals could revolutionize structural biology studies
• How common chemo drug thwarts graft rejection in bone marrow transplants
• Genomics of antiplatelet heart medication being studied
• Researchers test bandaging for swollen arm
• Clues to cocaine's toxicity could lead to better tests for detection
• Few patients with hyperlipidemia receive recommended thyroid screening
• Compound stymies polyomaviruses in lab tests
• Gymnasts face high exposure to flame retardants
• Can eyes help diagnose Alzheimer's disease?

Genes uniquely expressed by brain's immune cells Posted: 14 Nov 2013 04:34 PM PST Investigators have used a new sequencing method to identify a group of genes used by the brain's immune cells -- called microglia -- to sense pathogenic organisms, toxins or damaged cells that require their response. Identifying these genes should lead to better understanding of the role of microglia both in normal brains and in neurodegenerative disorders.

Baby boys at higher risk of death, disability in preterm births Posted: 14 Nov 2013 04:34 PM PST Groundbreaking global studies on preterm birth and disability carried out by almost 50 researchers at 35 institutions and launched in association with World Prematurity Day finds baby boys are at a higher risk of death and disability due to preterm birth than baby girls. These disabilities range from learning problems and blindness to deafness and motor problems, including cerebral palsy.

Where someone drowns determines their chance of survival Posted: 14 Nov 2013 04:34 PM PST Two new Canadian research studies show that location is the most important factor in determining drowning survival.

Drug trial for top parasitic killer of the Americas Posted: 14 Nov 2013 04:34 PM PST According to results of the first-ever Phase 2 clinical trial in Bolivia, the drug candidate E1224 showed good safety and was effective at clearing the parasite causing Chagas disease, but had little to no sustained efficacy one year after treatment. On the other hand, standard therapy, benznidazole, was effective long term but continued to be associated with side effects. The results point to alternative dosing regimens and possible combination therapies to improve patient care.

New studies may explain fractures in some who take osteoporosis drugs Posted: 14 Nov 2013 11:22 AM PST Research with baboons may help explain why some people who take bone-strengthening drugs like bisphosphonates are at risk for atypical fractures in the long bones in their legs.

Potential drug target in sight for rare genetic disease Posted: 14 Nov 2013 11:22 AM PST Medical researchers have discovered the structure of a potential drug target for a rare genetic disease, paving the way for an alternative treatment for the condition.

Protein interplay in muscle tied to life span Posted: 14 Nov 2013 11:21 AM PST Biologists have uncovered a complicated chain of molecular events that leads from insulin to protein degradation in muscles and significantly diminished life span in fruit flies. The new study, which may have broad implications across species, identifies the fly version the mammalian protein activin as the central culprit in the process.

Dengue fever mystery in two US cities: Both exposed to risk Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:24 AM PST As dengue fever continues to spread from Key West north into the Florida mainland, it remains a mystery as to why this dangerous mosquito-borne illness is not yet common around Tucson, Arizona -- even though outbreaks routinely occur in nearby Mexico and mosquitoes that can carry dengue are now common in the state, according to a new research.

State child restraint laws leave many unprotected Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:19 AM PST Child restraint laws across many states have gaps that leave unprotected passengers highly vulnerable to vehicle-crash injuries, a study has found. The findings show that many child restraint laws lag behind existing research on vehicular safety and fail to follow guidelines adopted by medical experts.

Antibiotic resistance an international issue; could be addressed with education Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:22 AM PST Antibiotic resistance is an international reality whose solution includes better educating physicians about using bacteria-fighting tools, says an infectious disease physician.

Bleeding symptom leads scientists to intracellular trafficker's role in virus propagation Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:22 AM PST Researchers find a new important clue to how deadly rodent-borne viruses harness ERGIC-53 to ensure their reproductive success.

Glowing worms illuminate the roots of behavior Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:22 AM PST Researchers have developed a system to image brain activity in multiple awake and unconstrained worms. The technology, which makes it possible to study the genetics and neural circuitry associated with animal behavior, can also be used as a high-throughput screening tool for drug development targeting autism, depression, and other brain disorders.

Potential new treatment for sepsis Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST Sepsis is the leading cause of in-hospital death and there is no specific treatment for it. Now, research suggests a protein called recombinant human annexin A5 may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of this disease.

Study examines link in college women's use of substances, condoms Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST A new study finds a link between alcohol consumption and reduced condom use among college women. The findings also indicate that women who smoke marijuana with established romantic partners may use condoms less often.

Older adults with severe mental illness challenge healthcare system Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST Although older adults with serious mental illness didn't have more recorded physical illness and had fewer outpatient visits to primary care physicians, they made more medical emergency department visits and had considerably longer medical hospitalizations than older adults without mental illness according to a study.

Lack of sleep in teens linked to higher risk of illness Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST Newly released findings have found that acute illnesses, such as colds, flu, and gastroenteritis were more common among healthy adolescents who got less sleep at night. Additionally, the regularity of teens' sleep schedules was found to impact their health.

Probiotics reduce piglet pathogens Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST Piglets fed probiotic Enterococcus faecium showed reduced numbers of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli strains in their intestines, according to a team of German researchers. The research is important, because in 2006 the European Union prohibited the feeding of antibiotics to livestock as growth promoters. Therefore, the research team sought to investigate whether probiotics could substitute for antibiotics, by reducing pathogen populations in the intestines.

New genetic cause of Warburg Micro syndrome identified Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST A collaborative team of researchers has identified a gene responsible for Warburg Micro syndrome, a rare genetic disease characterized by eye, brain and endocrine abnormalities. Patients with Warburg Micro syndrome are severely physically and mentally challenged, unable to learn how to walk or speak and become blind and paralyzed from an early age.

Biologists ID new cancer weakness Posted: 14 Nov 2013 09:20 AM PST Researchers find drugs that block new target gene could make many tumors more vulnerable to chemotherapy.

Genetic signature identified for leading cause of infant hospitalizations worldwide Posted: 14 Nov 2013 08:36 AM PST Scientists have identified the genetic signature of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of infant hospitalizations around the world. The work is a key step toward a better understanding of the immune response to RSV, which will aid the development of a vaccine and a tool that could allow physicians to determine the severity of the infection when symptoms first develop.

Early stages breast cancer could soon be diagnosed from blood samples Posted: 14 Nov 2013 08:36 AM PST A new blood test for the early detection of breast cancer was shown in preliminary studies to successfully identify the presence of breast cancer cells from serum biomarkers.

Physician argues for mandatory flu shots for health care workers Posted: 14 Nov 2013 07:26 AM PST Should flu vaccines be mandatory for health care workers? A new article argues both sides of the debate.

Protein-rich breakfast helps curb appetite throughout the morning Posted: 14 Nov 2013 07:25 AM PST New research presented today at The Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting in Atlanta shows that eating high protein sausage and egg-based breakfasts curbed hunger throughout the morning, compared with a low-protein breakfast (pancakes and syrup) or skipping breakfast, in 18-55-year-old women.

Scientists bring to light mechanism of drug action Posted: 14 Nov 2013 07:25 AM PST Scientists have discovered the exact mode of action by plerixafor, a drug commonly prescribed to stimulate immune responses in patients suffering from neutropenia, which causes them to become prone to oral, skin, genital infections and in worst cases, a fatal whole-body infection. A better understanding of the drug's mechanism can improve its usage to more effectively reduce risk of infections in these patients.

Controversial cholesterol guidelines biggest change in 25 years Posted: 14 Nov 2013 07:19 AM PST New cholesterol guidelines for identifying adults at risk for heart disease represent the biggest change in such expert advice in more than 25 years, and could dramatically affect how patients are treated.

Protein that keeps people, skeletons organized Posted: 14 Nov 2013 06:49 AM PST Most people think that their planners or their iPhones keep them organized, when in fact, proteins such as liver kinase b1 actually have a lot more to do with it. New research sheds light on how this important protein keeps people organized on a basic level by promoting orderly skeletal growth and preventing skeletal tumors.

Tiny 'Lego' blocks build Janus nanotubes with potential for new drugs and water purification Posted: 14 Nov 2013 06:49 AM PST Researchers have created tiny protein tubes named after the Roman god Janus which may offer a new way to accurately channel drugs into the body's cells.

One in seven students has dabbled in 'smart' drugs Posted: 14 Nov 2013 06:47 AM PST American and European studies prove that students use prescription medication or drugs to enhance their cognitive performance. Researchers examined whether Swiss students have also experimented with neuroenhancement and which substances they take by conducting a survey of 6,725 students with an average age of 23 at the two universities and ETH Zurich.

Are probiotics a promising treatment strategy for depression? Posted: 14 Nov 2013 06:47 AM PST Probiotics are not new, but their status as a nutritional buzzword is. Most folks have now heard and seen the term countless times in commercials and advertisements, as yogurt, dietary supplement, natural food product, and even cosmetic companies promote their probiotic-containing products. But what are they, and why are they important?

Surgeons often profoundly affected by surgical complications Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:37 PM PST Many surgeons are seriously affected on an emotional level by major surgical complications, and they often feel that institutional support is inadequate. Those are among the conclusions of a small study published. The findings provide valuable insights into the factors that affect surgeons' reactions to surgical complications and how surgeons could be better supported in their aftermath.

Women with asthma could face delay in becoming pregnant Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:37 PM PST Women with asthma could take longer to conceive, according to new research.

Cognitive scientists ID mechanism central to early childhood learning, social behavior Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST A study provides compelling evidence for a new and possibly dominant way for social partners to coordinate joint attention, key for parent-child communication and early language learning. The findings open up new questions about language learning and the teaching of language. They could also have major implications for the treatment of children with early social-communication impairment, such as autism, where joint caregiver-child attention with respect to objects and events is a key issue.

Low-intensity therapy for Burkitt lymphoma highly effective Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST Adult patients with a type of cancer known as Burkitt lymphoma had excellent long-term survival rates -- upwards of 90 percent -- following treatment with low-intensity chemotherapy regimens, according to a new clinical trial finding.

Gene linked to common intellectual disability Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST Researchers have taken a step forward in unravelling the causes of a commonly inherited intellectual disability, finding that a genetic mutation leads to a reduction in certain proteins in the brain.

Microbiome changed by gluten increases incidences of type 1 diabetes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST Research has shown that the intestinal microbiome plays a large role in the development of type 1 diabetes.

Widespread use of opioid medications in nonsurgical hospital patients Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST A comprehensive analysis of more than 1 million hospital admissions in the United States finds that over 50 percent of all nonsurgical patients were prescribed opioids during their hospitalizations -- often at very high doses.

Plant oil suppresses viability of human prostate cancer cells Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST Geranylgeraniol, found in linseed oil, Cedrela toona wood oil, sucupira branca fruit oil and more recently, annatto seed oil, may be a new weapon in the arsenal of mevalonate-suppressive isoprenoids with potential synergism in the fight against prostate cancer.

High blood pressure in middle age vs old age may predict memory loss Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:23 PM PST People in middle age who have a high blood pressure measure called pulse pressure are more likely to have biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in their spinal fluid than those with lower pulse pressure, according to research published.

Newly discovered mechanism suggests novel approach to prevent type 1 diabetes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:35 AM PST New research demonstrates a disease mechanism in type 1 diabetes that can be targeted using simple, naturally occurring molecules to help prevent the disease. The work highlights a previously unrecognized molecular pathway that contributes to the malfunction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in T1D in humans and mice, and shows that a chemical intervention can help beta cells function properly and survive.

Intranasal insulin improves cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST As the link between type 2 diabetes and dementia becomes more widely recognized, new findings offer promise of a new treatment for this growing problem.

Tiny crystals could revolutionize structural biology studies Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST Scientists have developed a new method that generates a high-resolution protein structure from crystals one-million times smaller than those needed for X-ray crystallography, the most common method for determining protein structure. The new technique, called MicroED, has the potential to accelerate structural biologists' efforts and to expand the repertoire of proteins whose high-resolution structures can be solved.

How common chemo drug thwarts graft rejection in bone marrow transplants Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST Results of a study may explain why a chemotherapy drug called cyclophosphamide prevents graft-versus-host (GVHD) disease in people who receive bone marrow transplants. The experiments point to an immune system cell that evades the toxic effects of cyclophosphamide and protects patients from a lethal form of GVHD.

Genomics of antiplatelet heart medication being studied Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:21 AM PST Which antiplatelet medication is best after a coronary stent? The costly and potential life-or-death question lingers after most of the 600,000 angioplasties performed every year in the United States. The answer may lie in your genes, but professional cardiovascular societies and many working cardiologists question the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent recommendation that patients undergo genetic testing before taking Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate).

Researchers test bandaging for swollen arm Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:21 AM PST As a complication of treatment, breast cancer patients may develop swelling in the arm, called lymphedema, which can last a long time. But there's no difference if simple compression bandages or a complicated daily lymphatic massage are used as treatment.

Clues to cocaine's toxicity could lead to better tests for detection Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST A new study on cocaine, the notorious white powder illegally snorted, injected or smoked by nearly 2 million Americans, details how it may permanently damage proteins in the body. That information, gleaned from laboratory tests, could be used to potentially detect the drug in biofluids for weeks or months -- instead of days -- after use, say scientists. The findings could also help explain cocaine's long-term health effects.

Few patients with hyperlipidemia receive recommended thyroid screening Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST Despite current guidelines that recommend newly diagnosed high-cholesterol patients have a TSH blood test done to make sure they do not have hypothyroidism, researchers have found that only about half of these patients were screened for thyroid dysfunction. The findings show the current guidelines may be underutilized.

Compound stymies polyomaviruses in lab tests Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST There is no approved medicine to treat polyomaviruses, which afflict those with weakened immune systems, but scientists have found that a chemical compound called Retro-2 is able to significantly reduce the infectivity and spread of the viruses in lab cell cultures. Now they are working to improve it further.

Gymnasts face high exposure to flame retardants Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Competitive gymnasts have a higher exposure to potentially harmful flame-retardants than the general population, likely because such contaminants are present in foam used in gym equipment.

Can eyes help diagnose Alzheimer's disease? Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST An international team of researchers studying the link between vision loss and Alzheimer's disease report that the loss of a particular layer of retinal cells not previously investigated may provide a new way to track disease progression. "The retina is an extension of the brain so it makes sense to see if the same pathologic processes found in an Alzheimer's brain are also found in the eye," they explain.

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