ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Impact of childhood bullying still evident after 40 years
• Recalculating costs of combination vaccines
• Multitarget TB drug could treat other diseases, evade resistance
• Target for treating dengue fever discovered
• How the immune system protects children from malaria
• Malaria pathogen's cellular skeleton under super-microscope
• Gene variant raises risk for aortic tear, rupture
• Novel stapled peptide nanoparticle combination prevents RSV infection, study finds
• Tracking flu levels with Wikipedia
• Deadly human pathogen Cryptococcus fully sequenced
• Proteomics discovers link between muscle damage and cerebral malaria
• Gene variant increases risk of colorectal cancer from eating processed meat
• Building 'smart' cell-based therapies
• Is Parkinson's an autoimmune disease?
• Loud talking, horseplay in car results in more serious incidents for teen drivers
• Fish consumption advisories for expecting mothers fail to cover all types of contaminants
• Connecting sleep deficits among young fruit flies to disruption in mating later in life
• Boosting depression-causing mechanisms in brain increases resilience, surprisingly
• Re-emergence of Ebola focuses need for global surveillance strategies
• New cause of brain bleeding immediately after stroke identified
• Proper stem cell function requires hydrogen sulfide
• Internet use may cut retirees' depression
• Unraveling the 'black ribbon' around lung cancer
• Adrenaline does little to increase patient's survival after cardiac arrest, study finds
• Refining language for chromosomes
• Discovery could lead to novel therapies for Fragile X syndrome
• Neurons in brain tune into different frequencies for different spatial memory tasks
• For resetting circadian rhythms, neural cooperation is key
• Common links between neurodegenerative diseases identified
• 20 years of data shows treatment technique improvement for advanced abdominal cancer
• Surprise: Lost stem cells naturally replaced by non-stem cells, fly research suggests
• Distracted driving among teens threatens public health and safety
• Intravenously administered ketamine shown to reduce symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder
• Residing in high altitude military facilities protects service members from obesity
• Dermatologists with access to sample drugs write costlier prescriptions, study finds
• Obesity can amplify bone, muscle loss
• In old age, lack of emotion, interest may signal brain is shrinking

Impact of childhood bullying still evident after 40 years Posted: 17 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT The negative social, physical and mental health effects of childhood bullying are still evident nearly 40 years later, according to new research. The study is the first to look at the effects of bullying beyond early adulthood. Just over a quarter of children in the study (28%) had been bullied occasionally, and 15% bullied frequently -- similar to rates in the UK today. Individuals who were bullied in childhood were more likely to have poorer physical and psychological health and cognitive functioning at age 50. Individuals who were frequently bullied in childhood were at an increased risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal thoughts.

Recalculating costs of combination vaccines Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:20 PM PDT One of the most popular vaccine brands for children may not be the most cost-effective choice. And doctors may be overlooking some cost factors when choosing vaccines, driving the market toward what is actually a more expensive option, according to a new study. The researchers encourage physicians and advisory boards to take all factors into account when determining how to administer the best combination of vaccines for the lowest cost.

Multitarget TB drug could treat other diseases, evade resistance Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:20 PM PDT A drug under clinical trials to treat tuberculosis could be the basis for a class of broad-spectrum drugs that act against various bacteria, fungal infections and parasites, yet evade resistance, according to a study. The team determined the different ways the drug SQ109 attacks the tuberculosis bacterium, how the drug can be tweaked to target other pathogens from yeast to malaria -- and how targeting multiple pathways reduces the probability of pathogens becoming resistant.

Target for treating dengue fever discovered Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT New research may help scientists develop treatments or vaccines for dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and other disease-causing flaviviruses. More than 40 percent of people around the world are at risk of being bitten by mosquitoes infected with the virus that causes Dengue fever and more than 100 million people are infected. This new work explains how flaviviruses produce a unique RNA molecule that leads to disease.

How the immune system protects children from malaria Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT Children who live in regions of the world where malaria is common can mount an immune response to infection with malaria parasites that may enable them to avoid repeated bouts of high fever and illness and partially control the growth of malaria parasites in their bloodstream. The findings may help researchers develop future interventions that prevent or mitigate the disease caused by the malaria parasite.

Malaria pathogen's cellular skeleton under super-microscope Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT The tropical disease malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. For its survival and propagation, Plasmodium requires a protein called actin. Scientists used high-resolution structural biology methods to investigate the different versions of this protein in the parasite. Their results may in the future contribute to the development of tailor-made drugs against malaria -- a disease that causes more than half a million deaths per year.

Gene variant raises risk for aortic tear, rupture Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT The significance of a genetic variant that substantially increases the risk of a frequently fatal thoracic aortic dissection or full rupture has been confirmed by researchers. Thoracic aortic aneurysms, or bulges in the artery wall, can develop without pain or other symptoms. If they lead to a tear -- dissection -- or full rupture, the patient will often die without immediate treatment. Therefore, better identification of patients at risk for aortic aneurysm and dissection is considered essential.

Novel stapled peptide nanoparticle combination prevents RSV infection, study finds Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:17 PM PDT A combination of advanced technologies may lead to a therapy to prevent or treat respiratory syncytial virus, a potentially lethal respiratory infection affecting infants, young children and the elderly, new research suggests. Despite a wide range of anti-RSV efforts, there are no vaccines or drugs on the market to effectively prevent or treat the infection.

Tracking flu levels with Wikipedia Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT Can monitoring Wikipedia hits show how many people have the flu? Researchers have developed a method of estimating levels of influenza-like illness in the American population by analyzing Internet traffic on specific flu-related Wikipedia articles.

Deadly human pathogen Cryptococcus fully sequenced Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT A ten-year effort by an international team has sequenced the entire genome and all the RNA products of the most important pathogenic lineage of Cryptococcus neoformans, a strain called H99.These genetic instructions can give valuable insight into why a fungus responsible for a million cases of pneumonia and meningitis every year is so malleable and dangerous.

Proteomics discovers link between muscle damage and cerebral malaria Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT Malaria-related complications remain a major cause of death for children in many parts of the world. Why some children develop these complications while others don't is still not understood. Scientists now report results of a systematic proteomics approach to the question.

Gene variant increases risk of colorectal cancer from eating processed meat Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT A common genetic variant that affects one in three people appears to significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of processed meat, according to a new study.

Building 'smart' cell-based therapies Posted: 17 Apr 2014 01:42 PM PDT A technology for engineering human cells as therapies has been developed by scientists. The the technology becomes activated only in diseased tissues. It sits on the surface of a cell and can be programmed to sense specific external factors. For example, the engineered cell could detect big, soluble protein molecules that indicate that it's next to a tumor. When the biosensor detects such a factor, it sends a signal into the engineered cell's nucleus to activate a gene expression program, such as the production of tumor-killing proteins or chemicals.

Is Parkinson's an autoimmune disease? Posted: 17 Apr 2014 12:12 PM PDT The cause of neuronal death in Parkinson's disease is still unknown, but a new study proposes that neurons may be mistaken for foreign invaders and killed by the person's own immune system, similar to the way autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis attack the body's cells.

Loud talking, horseplay in car results in more serious incidents for teen drivers Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT Adolescent drivers are often distracted by technology while they are driving, but loud conversations and horseplay between passengers appear more likely to result in a dangerous incident, according to a new study. Researchers ecruited 52 North Carolina high-school age drivers to have in-vehicle cameras mounted in their cars and trucks to observe distracted driving behaviors and distracted conditions when teen drivers were behind the wheel. Young drivers were recorded in a variety of real-world driving situations over six months -- with parents in the car, with other teens in the car and alone.

Fish consumption advisories for expecting mothers fail to cover all types of contaminants Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT Fish consumption advisories for expecting mothers are ineffective in reducing infant exposure to contaminants like persistent organic pollutants. The researchers' model estimates that women who stop eating fish shortly before or during their pregnancy may only lower their child's exposure to POPs by 10 to 15 per cent.

Connecting sleep deficits among young fruit flies to disruption in mating later in life Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT Mom always said you need your sleep, and it turns out, she was right. According to a new study, the lack of sleep in young fruit flies profoundly diminishes their ability to do one thing they do really, really well -- make more flies. To address whether sleep loss in young flies affects development of courtship circuits, the team investigated a group of neurons implicated in courtship. One particular subset of those neurons was smaller in sleep-deprived animals than normal flies, suggesting a possible mechanism for how sleep deprivation can lead to altered courting behavior.

Boosting depression-causing mechanisms in brain increases resilience, surprisingly Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:18 AM PDT New research uncovers a conceptually novel approach to treating depression. Instead of dampening neuron firing found with stress-induced depression, researchers demonstrated for the first time that further activating these neurons opens a new avenue to mimic and promote natural resilience.

Re-emergence of Ebola focuses need for global surveillance strategies Posted: 17 Apr 2014 10:35 AM PDT A review calls for improved global surveillance strategies to combat the emergence of infectious diseases such as the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa that has claimed the lives of 122 people in the countries of Guinea and Liberia. The deadly Ebola virus can cause mortality rates up to 90 percent of those individuals who contract the disease. No cure or vaccine exists for Ebola hemorrhagic fever and public health officials are concerned about further spread of the virus in the region.

New cause of brain bleeding immediately after stroke identified Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT By discovering a new mechanism that allows blood to enter the brain immediately after a stroke, researchers have opened the door to new therapies that may limit or prevent stroke-induced brain damage. A complex and devastating neurological condition, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and primary reason for disability in the U.S. The blood-brain barrier is severely damaged in a stroke and lets blood-borne material into the brain, causing the permanent deficits in movement and cognition seen in stroke patients.

Proper stem cell function requires hydrogen sulfide Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT Stem cells in bone marrow need to produce hydrogen sulfide in order to properly multiply and form bone tissue, according to a new study. Researchers demonstrated that mice's osteoporosis-like condition could be rescued by administering small molecules that release hydrogen sulfide inside the body. The results indicate that a similar treatment may have potential to help human patients.

Internet use may cut retirees' depression Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT Spending time online has the potential to ward off depression among retirees, particularly among those who live alone, according to research. Authors report that internet use reduced the probability of a depressed state by 33 percent among their study sample. Late-life depression affects between 5 and 10 million Americans age 50 and older. This new study shows that the Internet offers older Americans a chance to overcome the social and spatial boundaries that are believed to fuel depression.

Unraveling the 'black ribbon' around lung cancer Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:45 AM PDT A study consisting of lung cancer patients, primarily smokers between the ages of 51 to 79 years old, is shedding more light on the stigma often felt by these patients, the emotional toll it can have and how health providers can help. Previous research has shown that lung cancer carries a stigma. Because lung cancer is primarily linked to smoking behaviors, the public's opinion of the disease can often be judgmental. Today, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death globally.

Adrenaline does little to increase patient's survival after cardiac arrest, study finds Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:45 AM PDT Giving patients adrenaline after they suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital does not increase their prospects of surviving long-term, according to new research. When a person has a cardiac arrest, his or her heart stops beating. Unless the heart is restarted within minutes, the person usually dies. More than 90 per cent of people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital will die before reaching a hospital or soon after.

Refining language for chromosomes Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:44 AM PDT A new classification system that may standardize how structural chromosomal rearrangements are described has been proposed by a team of researchers. Known as Next-Gen Cytogenetic Nomenclature, it is a major contribution to the classification system to potentially revolutionize how cytogeneticists worldwide translate and communicate chromosomal abnormalities.

Discovery could lead to novel therapies for Fragile X syndrome Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:43 AM PDT Scientists studying the most common form of inherited mental disability -- a genetic disease called 'Fragile X syndrome' -- have uncovered new details about the cellular processes responsible for the condition that could lead to the development of therapies to restore some of the capabilities lost in affected individuals.

Neurons in brain tune into different frequencies for different spatial memory tasks Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:43 AM PDT Your brain transmits information about your current location and memories of past locations over the same neural pathways using different frequencies of a rhythmic electrical activity called gamma waves, report neuroscientists. The research may provide insight into the cognitive and memory disruptions seen in diseases such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's, in which gamma waves are disturbed.

For resetting circadian rhythms, neural cooperation is key Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:43 AM PDT Fruit flies are pretty predictable when it comes to scheduling their days, with peaks of activity at dawn and dusk and rest times in between. Now, researchers have found that the clusters of brain cells responsible for each of those activity peaks -- known as the morning and evening oscillators, respectively -- don't work alone. For flies' internal clocks to follow the sun, cooperation is key.

Common links between neurodegenerative diseases identified Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:42 AM PDT The pattern of brain alterations may be similar in several different neurodegenerative diseases, which opens the door to alternative therapeutic strategies to tackle these diseases, experts say.

20 years of data shows treatment technique improvement for advanced abdominal cancer Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:41 AM PDT Analysis of 20 years' worth of patient data shows that outcomes have clearly improved for patients suffering from advanced cancer of the abdomen when treated with cytoreductive surgery with Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy, or HIPEC. Cytoreductive surgery, or debulking, is removal of part of a malignant tumor which can't be completely excised and is done to enhance chemotherapy effectiveness. HIPEC is a perfusion technique in which heated chemotherapy is administered directly into the abdomen during the surgery to kill remaining cancer cells.

Surprise: Lost stem cells naturally replaced by non-stem cells, fly research suggests Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:41 AM PDT An unexpected phenomenon in the organs that produce sperm in fruit flies has been discovered: When a certain kind of stem cell is killed off experimentally, another group of non-stem cells can come out of retirement to replace them. This study has been using the fruit fly as a model living system in which to study stem cells in their natural state. Most stem cell research is done on cells grown in the laboratory, but in real life, stem cells reside in tissues, where they are sequestered in tiny spaces known as niches. Adult stem cells keep dividing throughout life to make various kinds of cells, like new blood cells and germ cells.

Distracted driving among teens threatens public health and safety Posted: 17 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT Motor vehicle crashes rank as the leading cause of teen deaths and in 2008, 16% of all distraction-related fatal automobile crashes involved drivers under 20 years of age. These grim statistics, coupled with an increasing nationwide awareness of the dangers of distracted driving for all ages, prompted the publication of important research that explores the causes of distracted driving and offers practical recommendations to reduce the incidence of distracted driving among teens.

Intravenously administered ketamine shown to reduce symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 16 Apr 2014 02:20 PM PDT For the first time, evidence that a single dose of IV-administered ketamine was associated with the rapid reduction of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with chronic PTSD was demonstrated in a proof-of-concept, randomized, double blind crossover study. These findings could be the first step toward developing new interventions for PTSD.

Residing in high altitude military facilities protects service members from obesity Posted: 16 Apr 2014 02:19 PM PDT Overweight U.S. service members are 41 percent less likely to transition to clinical obesity when stationed at military facilities located at high altitude, according to a new study. The quasi-experimental, retrospective study assessed the health records and migration patterns of nearly 100,000 enlisted service members in the active component of the U.S. Army and Air Force with at least two years in the services from records in the Defense Medical Surveillance System.

Dermatologists with access to sample drugs write costlier prescriptions, study finds Posted: 16 Apr 2014 01:26 PM PDT Dermatologists with access to free drug samples are more likely than those without access to samples to write prescriptions for drugs that are more expensive, according to a study. Although studies have shown that most physicians do not believe that the availability of free samples affects their behavior or recommendations for patients, the researchers found that the average retail cost of the prescriptions written by dermatologists with access to samples are about twice the cost of prescriptions written by dermatologists at an academic medical center where such samples are prohibited.

Obesity can amplify bone, muscle loss Posted: 16 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT A new syndrome called "osteosarcopenic obesity" that links the deterioration of bone density and muscle mass with obesity has been identified by researchers. The syndrome explains how many obese individuals experience a triad of problems that place them at a higher risk for falling and breaking bones. Researchers note that the work stands to remind people to consider the damage that can be done to all parts of the body if they are overweight.

In old age, lack of emotion, interest may signal brain is shrinking Posted: 16 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT Older people who have apathy but not depression may have smaller brain volumes than those without apathy, according to a new study. Apathy is a lack of interest or emotion.

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