ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Mass vaccination campaigns reduce the substantial burden of yellow fever in Africa
• Linking vascular inflammation to obesity and atherosclerosis
• Ban cigarette filters to save environment, suggest researchers
• Concussion rate in high-school athletes more than doubled in 7-year period, U.S. study finds
• Two-lock box delivers cancer therapy: Nano-delivery system targets cancer cells
• Protein molecule may improve survival in deadly lung disease
• One step closer to cell reprogramming
• Looking 'inside the box' for sustainable solution for intestinal parasites
• Mechanisms that link brain alertness, increased heart rate discovered
• As kids age, snacking quality appears to decline
• New expert guidelines aim to focus hospitals' infectious diarrhea prevention efforts
• Expert guidance strengthens strategies to prevent most common and costly infection
• Adults at higher risk of suicide attempt if parent abused alcohol, research finds
• Mobile health apps lack behavior-change techniques
• Snacking contributes to fatty liver, abdominal obesity
• Do we yawn to cool the brain? Yawning frequencies of people vary with temperature of the season
• Molecular switches for age-related memory decline? A genetic variant protects against brain aging
• Working to cure 'dry eye' disease
• Novel antioxidant makes old arteries seem young again, study shows
• Combined hormone therapy clinical trial yields massive economic return
• 'Laughter Guy' dissects features of counterfeit chortling
• Exenatide has potential as disease modifying agent in Parkinson's disease
• New face of tofu: Quick, easy, keeps you trim
• Genetic risk factor for premature birth found
• Clean before you clean: What's on your toothbrush just might surprise you
• Gender may contribute to recovery time after concussion
• Black, Hispanic children with autism more likely to regress than whites
• Mealtime TV viewing during pregnancy may set stage for childhood obesity
• Study finds ADHD and trauma often go hand in hand
• Design of new foods should focus particularly on healthy gastro-intestinal tract
• Hypertension related to new cancer therapies, new syndrome emerges
• Early Obesity Linked to Increased Probability of Severe Obesity Later in Life
• Perceived barriers limit healthy eating in low-income, minority communities
• Sports, energy drink consumption linked to negative behaviors
• Lots of fruits, vegetables, but lots of high-fat snacks: Home food environment of overweight women
• Women with unintended pregnancies take the shortest maternity leaves
• Where DNA's copy machine pauses, cancer could be next
• Is FDA's crackdown on direct-to-consumer genetic testing a violation of the First Amendment?
• Socioeconomic factors may make Medicare's hospital readmissions data more useful
• Factors leading to diabetes may contribute to milk supply problems for new mothers
• Immune cells outsmart bacterial infection by dying, study shows
• Monitoring RNA levels in blood yields dynamic picture of fetal development, disease
• Focused ultrasound reduces cancer pain

Mass vaccination campaigns reduce the substantial burden of yellow fever in Africa Posted: 06 May 2014 04:07 PM PDT Yellow fever, an acute viral disease, is estimated to have been responsible for 78,000 deaths in Africa in 2013 according to new research. The research also estimates that recent mass vaccination campaigns against yellow fever have led to a 27 percent decrease in the burden of yellow fever across Africa in 2013.

Linking vascular inflammation to obesity and atherosclerosis Posted: 06 May 2014 12:18 PM PDT Researchers show that IKKβ functions in smooth muscle cells to regulate vascular inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis development in mice. Surprisingly, the lack of IKKβ also protects the animals from diet-induced obesity. The use of IKKβ inhibitors may provide an innovative treatment for atherosclerosis, obesity, and metabolic disorders.

Ban cigarette filters to save environment, suggest researchers Posted: 06 May 2014 10:05 AM PDT Ban cigarette filters. Start a deposit-return scheme for used butts. Hold manufacturers responsible for clean-ups. Place warnings on packets about the impact of simply flicking one's used cigarettes away. These are among the policy measures that researchers advocate to curb the environmental harm done through the large-scale littering of cigarette butts, packaging and matches.

Concussion rate in high-school athletes more than doubled in 7-year period, U.S. study finds Posted: 06 May 2014 10:05 AM PDT Concussion rates in US high-school athletes more than doubled between 2005 and 2012, according to a new national study using data on nine team sports. Researchers suspect the upward trend in reported concussions reflects increased awareness. Overall, the rate increased from .23 to .51 concussions per 1,000 athlete exposures. An athlete exposure is defined as one athlete participating in one competition or practice.

Two-lock box delivers cancer therapy: Nano-delivery system targets cancer cells Posted: 06 May 2014 10:04 AM PDT A tunable virus that works like a safe deposit box has been developed by scientists. It takes two keys to open it and release its therapy for cancer and other diseases. The adeno-associated virus (AAV) developed by bioengineers unlocks only in the presence of two selected proteases, enzymes that cut up other proteins for disposal. Because certain proteases are elevated at tumor sites, the viruses can be designed to target and destroy the cancer cells.

Protein molecule may improve survival in deadly lung disease Posted: 06 May 2014 10:04 AM PDT A protein molecule that seems to slow the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that is often fatal three to five years after diagnosis, has been discovered by researchers. Nearly five million people worldwide are affected by pulmonary fibrosis, which causes the lungs to become covered in fibrous scar tissue and leads to shortness of breath that gets more severe as the disease progresses.

One step closer to cell reprogramming Posted: 06 May 2014 10:04 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the essential role played by the Wnt pathway in the cell reprogramming process. The work enables a better understanding of the reprogramming process, as well as how to efficiently induce the pluripotency of reprogrammed cells.

Looking 'inside the box' for sustainable solution for intestinal parasites Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT Finding sustainable solutions for controlling soil-transmitted helminths infections has been challenging to date. According to the World Health Organization, more than 450 million people worldwide, primarily children and pregnant women, suffer illness from soil-transmitted helminths (STH), intestinal parasites that live in humans and other animals. One expert proposes a new emphasis on sustainable, long-term investments in sanitation-based approaches. He promotes the use of improved latrines (the "box") to provide bottom-up, culturally appropriate, and economically desirable solutions to control STH in endemic areas.

Mechanisms that link brain alertness, increased heart rate discovered Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT The way that your heart rate increases in response to alertness in the brain has been recently discovered by researchers. Specifically, this study looked at the interactions between neurons that fire upon increased attention and anxiety and neurons that control heart rate to discover the "why," "how," and "where to next" behind this phenomenon. The results may have important implications for how certain conditions are treated in the future, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic anxiety, or even stress, the researchers note.

As kids age, snacking quality appears to decline Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT While snacks uniformly contribute to energy intake in both children and adolescents, the effect of snacking on diet quality differs by age group, researchers say. Findings suggest that snacks improve diet quality in elementary school-aged children, whereas they detract from diet quality in adolescents.

New expert guidelines aim to focus hospitals' infectious diarrhea prevention efforts Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT With rates of Clostridium difficile now rivaling drug-resistant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as the most common bacteria to cause healthcare-associated infections, new expert guidance encourages healthcare institutions to implement and prioritize prevention efforts for this infectious diarrhea.

Expert guidance strengthens strategies to prevent most common and costly infection Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT Surgical site infections are the most common and costly healthcare-associated infection in the United States. New evidence-based recommendations provide a framework for healthcare institutions to prioritize and implement strategies to reduce the number of infections. SSIs occur in as many as five percent of patients undergoing inpatient surgery, amounting to approximately 160,000-300,000 SSI cases each year in the U.S. However, as many as 60 percent of SSIs are preventable by using evidence-based guidelines.

Adults at higher risk of suicide attempt if parent abused alcohol, research finds Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT People who grew up with a parent who abused alcohol may be 85 percent more likely to attempt suicide than people whose parents did not abuse alcohol, according to research. Furthermore, having divorced parents increased by 14 percent the risk that a person would try to take his or her own life when compared to people whose parents did not divorce, the study found. But putting those two factors together -- parents who abuse alcohol and are divorced -- did not increase suicide attempts, according to the study.

Mobile health apps lack behavior-change techniques Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT Behavior-change techniques are not well represented in the marketing materials for top-rated physical-activity apps, according to a team of researchers. They also found that two types of physical-activity apps are available on the market -- those that focus on educating users on how to perform different exercises and those that focus on supporting users' motivation for physical activity.

Snacking contributes to fatty liver, abdominal obesity Posted: 06 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods was independently associated with abdominal fat and fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) research has shown. According to the study, hypercaloric diet with frequent meals increases intrahepatic triglyceride content and fat around the waist, but increasing meal size did not.

Do we yawn to cool the brain? Yawning frequencies of people vary with temperature of the season Posted: 06 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Why do we yawn? We tend to yawn before sleep and after waking, when we are bored or under stimulated. We yawn in the anticipation of important events and when we are under stress. What do all of these have in common? Researchers highlight a link with thermoregulation, and in particular, brain cooling.

Molecular switches for age-related memory decline? A genetic variant protects against brain aging Posted: 06 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Even among the healthiest individuals, memory and cognitive abilities decline with age. This aspect of normal aging can affect an individual's quality of life and capability to live independently, but the rate of decline is variable across individuals. There are many factors that can influence this trajectory, but perhaps none more importantly than genetics.

Working to cure 'dry eye' disease Posted: 06 May 2014 08:56 AM PDT The eye is an exquisitely sensitive system with many aspects that remain somewhat of a mystery -- both in the laboratory and in the clinic. Mathematicians and optometrists are working to change this by gaining a better understanding of the inner workings of tear film distribution over the eye's surface. This, in turn, may lead to better treatments or a cure for the tear film disease known as "dry eye."

Novel antioxidant makes old arteries seem young again, study shows Posted: 06 May 2014 06:49 AM PDT An antioxidant that targets specific cell structures -- mitochondria -- may be able to reverse some of the negative effects of aging on arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease, according to a new study. When the research team gave old mice -- the equivalent of 70- to 80-year-old humans -- water containing an antioxidant known as MitoQ for four weeks, their arteries functioned as well as the arteries of mice with an equivalent human age of just 25 to 35 years.

Combined hormone therapy clinical trial yields massive economic return Posted: 06 May 2014 06:49 AM PDT The overall economic return from a combined hormone therapy clinical trial indicates that changes in practice stemming from the trial provided a net economic return of $37.1 billion over the 10-year period since the main findings were published. "The motivation for the first WHI trial was to see if we could prevent heart disease, the number one killer of women. That's why we did it -- the economics never occurred to me," said the lead investigator. What these findings underscore is the significant role clinical trials play in science and the importance of continuing to find ways to strategically invest public research funds to maximize value to society."

'Laughter Guy' dissects features of counterfeit chortling Posted: 06 May 2014 06:49 AM PDT Ever wonder how often you fool your boss or in-laws by pretending to laugh at their dumb jokes? The answer is probably around one-third of the time, according to new research by a communication expert who conducted research on fake laughs. When your fake laughs fall short of convincing, tiny subtleties of your breathing are probably giving you away, suggests one researcher.

Exenatide has potential as disease modifying agent in Parkinson's disease Posted: 06 May 2014 06:48 AM PDT A follow-up study of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who participated in an earlier 'proof of concept' clinical trial using exenatide showed that improvements persisted 12 months after discontinuing exenatide therapy. These data provide strong encouragement for the further study of this drug in patients with PD, report researchers.

New face of tofu: Quick, easy, keeps you trim Posted: 06 May 2014 06:48 AM PDT Many young American women prepare tofu because they want something that's quick, easy to cook and that can help keep them trim. These researchers also found that the best way to encourage others to try tofu is by showing them that it is low cost and easy to cook; as such, they may be up to 50 percent more likely to try cooking with tofu at home.

Genetic risk factor for premature birth found Posted: 06 May 2014 06:46 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a genetic risk factor for premature birth. The risk factor is related to a gene that codes for a protein that the scientists have found helps the body's immune cells recognize and fight Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria. These bacteria are found in the vagina or lower gastrointestinal tract of approximately 15 to 20 percent of healthy women, but may cause life-threatening infections, such as sepsis or meningitis in newborns, especially those born prematurely.

Clean before you clean: What's on your toothbrush just might surprise you Posted: 06 May 2014 06:44 AM PDT Do you know Staphylococci, coliforms, pseudomonads, yeasts, intestinal bacteria and -- yes -- even fecal germs may be on your toothbrush? Appropriate toothbrush storage and care are important to achieving personal oral hygiene and optimally effective plaque removal. Appropriate toothbrush storage and care are important to achieving personal oral hygiene and optimally effective plaque removal

Gender may contribute to recovery time after concussion Posted: 06 May 2014 04:47 AM PDT A study of concussion patients using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) found that males took longer to recover after concussion than females did. Results of the study show that DTI can be used as a bias-free way to predict concussion outcome. Each year, more than 17 million Americans suffer a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), more commonly known as a concussion, of which approximately 15 percent suffer persistent symptoms beyond three months.

Black, Hispanic children with autism more likely to regress than whites Posted: 06 May 2014 04:47 AM PDT Some children with autism appear to be developing normally when they are very young. They babble or even talk, make eye contact with their parents, and crawl and walk on schedule. Then suddenly, these skills seem to vanish. Described as developmental regression, this loss of language, motor or social skills occurs more often in black and Hispanic children compared to white children, according to a study.

Mealtime TV viewing during pregnancy may set stage for childhood obesity Posted: 06 May 2014 04:47 AM PDT Turning the TV off during mealtimes to help prevent childhood obesity may need to start even before a child is born, according to a new study.

Study finds ADHD and trauma often go hand in hand Posted: 06 May 2014 04:47 AM PDT When children struggle with focusing on tasks, staying organized, controlling their behavior and sitting still, they may be evaluated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinicians, however, shouldn't stop there, according to a new study.

Design of new foods should focus particularly on healthy gastro-intestinal tract Posted: 06 May 2014 04:45 AM PDT New foods should be designed -– more than has been the case up to now -– with human health in mind, and especially the health of the gastro-intestinal tract. There is a need for a new generation of products known as functional foods, which are beneficial to bowel health and which are also regarded as such by consumers. A researcher believes his own scientific discipline should help to reduce the high percentage of failures involved in introducing new products.

Hypertension related to new cancer therapies, new syndrome emerges Posted: 06 May 2014 04:44 AM PDT New cancer therapies, particularly agents that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling, have improved the outlook for patients with some cancers and are now used as a first line therapy for some tumors. However, almost 100% of patients who take VEGF inhibitors (VEGFIs) develop high blood pressure, and a subset develops severe hypertension. The mechanisms underlying VEGF inhibitor-induced hypertension need to be better understood and there is a need for clear guidelines and improved management, say investigators.

Early Obesity Linked to Increased Probability of Severe Obesity Later in Life Posted: 06 May 2014 04:44 AM PDT Exposure to long-term obesity has become more common with increases in obesity at younger ages. Researchers in a new study examined the relationship between BMI at age 25, obesity later in life, and biological indicators of health. They found that people who were obese by age 25 had a higher chance of more severe obesity later in life, but that current weight, rather than the duration of obesity, was a better indicator of cardiovascular and metabolic risk.

Perceived barriers limit healthy eating in low-income, minority communities Posted: 06 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT Low-income and minority communities and people participating in food assistance programs are more likely to consume fewer fruits and vegetables, depriving them of the health benefits of those foods. However, the government provides assistance, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), designed to improve the dietary quality of at-risk women and children and improve their ability to purchase nutrient-dense foods.

Sports, energy drink consumption linked to negative behaviors Posted: 06 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT Weekly consumption of sports drinks and energy drinks among adolescents is significantly associated with higher consumption of other sugar-sweetened beverages, cigarette smoking, and screen media use, according to a study conducted by researchers. Although national data have shown a decline in the prevalence of soft drink and fruit drink consumption, sports and energy drink consumption has tripled among adolescents in recent years. The high caffeine content of energy drinks, as well as the high sugar and calorie content of many sports and energy drinks, has drawn much concern from health professionals.

Lots of fruits, vegetables, but lots of high-fat snacks: Home food environment of overweight women Posted: 06 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT The home is an important microenvironment in models of obesity and can trigger behaviors both positively and negatively associated with weight status. With this in mind, a group of researchers sought to examine the home food environment and determine which aspects are associated with healthy eating in low-income overweight and obese women who receive healthcare through local federally-qualified community health centers.

Women with unintended pregnancies take the shortest maternity leaves Posted: 05 May 2014 06:14 PM PDT Mothers in the United States who have unintended pregnancies return to work sooner after childbirth than mothers whose pregnancy was intended, according to a study. This is the first study to examine pregnancy intention and return to work after childbirth. Findings suggest the need for policies that increase access to effective contraceptive methods and enable women to take longer maternity leaves.

Where DNA's copy machine pauses, cancer could be next Posted: 05 May 2014 06:14 PM PDT A comprehensive mapping of the 'fragile sites' where chromosomes are more likely to experience breakage shows the damage appears in specific areas of the genome where the DNA copying machinery is slowed or stalled during replication, either by certain sequences of DNA or by structural elements. The study could give insight into the origins of many of the genetic abnormalities seen in solid tumors.

Is FDA's crackdown on direct-to-consumer genetic testing a violation of the First Amendment? Posted: 05 May 2014 06:12 PM PDT In November 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the company 23andMe to stop offering its direct-to-consumer DNA testing service, which provided individuals with $99 assessments of their genetic risk for almost 200 disorders. Experts now examines whether this move by FDA is a violation of the First Amendment, or a necessary step to protect consumers.

Socioeconomic factors may make Medicare's hospital readmissions data more useful Posted: 05 May 2014 06:10 PM PDT Some hospitals facing financial penalties from Medicare for readmitting too many patients soon after discharge have said they are being unfairly penalized. Hospitals that treat a large number of patients with limited income and education are more likely to face such penalties. A new study shows that if socioeconomic factors related to patients' income and education are taken into account, differences in readmission rates among hospitals may not be as great as Medicare data indicate.

Factors leading to diabetes may contribute to milk supply problems for new mothers Posted: 05 May 2014 06:10 PM PDT The same factors that lead to diabetes contribute to low milk supply in some new mothers, new evidence demonstrates. Researchers discovered that problems with mothers' insulin metabolism may affect their milk production. The study found that women diagnosed with low milk supply were 2.5 times more likely to have experienced gestational diabetes compared to women seen at the clinic solely because their infants were having problems latching onto the breast.

Immune cells outsmart bacterial infection by dying, study shows Posted: 05 May 2014 12:53 PM PDT A clearer picture of the delicate arms race between the human immune system and a pathogen that seeks to infect and kill human cells has been painted through new research. The research explores the strategies by which the bacterial pathogen Yersinia, responsible for causing plague and gastrointestinal infections, tries to outsmart immune cell responses and looks at the tactics used by the immune system to fight back.

Monitoring RNA levels in blood yields dynamic picture of fetal development, disease Posted: 05 May 2014 12:53 PM PDT Researchers have moved beyond relying on the static information delivered by DNA sequences in the blood. Instead, they've generated a much more dynamic picture by monitoring changing levels of another genetic material -- RNA -- in the blood. It's the biological difference between a still photo and a video when it comes to figuring out what the body is doing, and why.

Focused ultrasound reduces cancer pain Posted: 05 May 2014 12:51 PM PDT When cancer progresses and spreads to the bone, patients often suffer debilitating pain. Now, a new phase III clinical trial shows that non-invasive magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound treatment that heats the cancer within the bone, relieves pain and improves function for most patients when other treatment options are limited.

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