ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Probiotics prevent deadly complications of liver disease
• Herpesviruses undercover: How the virus goes undetected by body's immune system
• Clinical review of mixed urinary incontinence conducted
• Prostate cancer biomarkers identified in seminal fluid
• Soccer for untrained 70-year-old men yields amazing results
• Deadly diseases overlooked for too long, scientists say
• Ability to identify source of pain varies across body
• Smokers, passive smokers more likely to suffer hearing loss, study shows
• First case of catatonic psychosis caused by consumption of Spice described by researchers
• Mitochondrial DNA of first Near Eastern farmers is sequenced for the first time
• Biomarkers accurately distinguish mesothelioma from non-cancerous tissue
• Sleep apnea tied to diabetes in large study
• Newborns exposed to dirt, dander, germs may have lower allergy, asthma risk
• Three gene networks found in autism, may present treatment targets
• Taking tissue regeneration beyond state-of-the-art
• Alcohol may protect trauma patients from later complications
• Seemingly invincible cancers stem cells reveal a weakness
• New tuberculosis test more than skin deep
• Long-Sought Molecular Map of Critical Genetic Machinery developed

Probiotics prevent deadly complications of liver disease Posted: 06 Jun 2014 07:20 AM PDT Probiotics are effective in preventing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study. The investigators conducted trial with cirrhosis patients who showed risk factors for hepatic encephalopathy, but had yet to experience an obvious episode. When comparing treatment with probiotics versus placebo, the researchers found that the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy was lower in patients treated with probiotics.

Herpesviruses undercover: How the virus goes undetected by body's immune system Posted: 06 Jun 2014 07:20 AM PDT Pathogens entering our body only remain unnoticed for a short period. Within minutes our immune cells detect the invader and trigger an immune response. However, some viruses have developed strategies to avoid detection and elimination by our immune system. Researchers have now been able to show how the herpesviruses achieve this.

Clinical review of mixed urinary incontinence conducted Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:18 AM PDT Many women experience mixed urinary incontinence, urine loss with laughing, coughing and sneezing AND on their way to the bathroom. When women experience both types of urine leakage, their condition is called mixed urinary incontinence. It is estimated that 20 to 36 percent of women suffer from mixed urinary incontinence, which is challenging to diagnose and treat because symptoms vary and guidelines for treatment are not clear. A review of clinical work done has been conducted and published.

Prostate cancer biomarkers identified in seminal fluid Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:17 AM PDT Improved diagnosis and management of one of the most common cancers in men -- prostate cancer -- could result from research that has discovered that seminal fluid contains biomarkers for the disease. Results of a study have shown that the presence of certain molecules in seminal fluid indicates not only whether a man has prostate cancer, but also the severity of the cancer.

Soccer for untrained 70-year-old men yields amazing results Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:17 AM PDT Untrained elderly men get markedly fitter and healthier as a result of playing soccer. After only four months of twice-weekly one-hour training sessions, the men achieved marked improvements in maximum oxygen uptake, muscle function and bone mineralization. The study revealed that inactive elderly men improved their maximum oxygen uptake by 15% and their performance during interval exercise by as much as 50% by playing soccer for 1 hour two times per week over 4 months.

Deadly diseases overlooked for too long, scientists say Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:17 AM PDT Decades of neglect have allowed infectious diseases to devastate the lives of thousands of people in the developing world, a study reveals. Researchers say three diseases in particular -- anthrax, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis -- have failed to receive the official recognition and funding needed to combat them effectively.

Ability to identify source of pain varies across body Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:16 AM PDT 'Where does it hurt?' is the first question asked to any person in pain. A new study defines for the first time how our ability to identify where it hurts, called 'spatial acuity,' varies across the body, being most sensitive at the forehead and fingertips. The findings have important implications for the assessment of both acute and chronic pain.

Smokers, passive smokers more likely to suffer hearing loss, study shows Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:15 AM PDT Giving up or reducing smoking and avoiding passive exposure to tobacco smoke may reduce your risk of hearing loss, new research shows. Current smokers have a 15.1% higher odds of hearing loss than non-smokers researchers found. Passive smoking also increased the likelihood of hearing loss by 28%.

First case of catatonic psychosis caused by consumption of Spice described by researchers Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:14 AM PDT The first case of catatonic psychosis caused by a synthetic derivate of Cannabis, Spice, has been described by researchers. The relation between the consumption of this substance, a psychotic break and some locomotor system problems, similar to the ones caused by Parkinson's, have also been described for the first time.

Mitochondrial DNA of first Near Eastern farmers is sequenced for the first time Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:14 AM PDT The mitochondrial DNA of the first Near Eastern farmers has been sequenced for the first time. Experts analyzed samples from three sites located in the birthplace of Neolithic agricultural practices: the Middle Euphrates basin and the oasis of Damascus, located in today's Syria and date at about 8,000 BC.

Biomarkers accurately distinguish mesothelioma from non-cancerous tissue Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:14 AM PDT Scientists have identified four biomarkers that may help resolve the difficult differential diagnosis between malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and non-cancerous pleural tissue with reactive mesothelial proliferations (RMPs). This is a frequent differential diagnostic problem in pleural biopsy samples taken from patients with clinical suspicion of MPM. The ability to make more accurate diagnoses earlier may facilitate improved patient outcomes.

Sleep apnea tied to diabetes in large study Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:11 AM PDT In the largest study to date of the relationship between sleep apnea and diabetes, a new study of more than 8,500 patients has demonstrated a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the development of diabetes, confirming earlier evidence of such a relationship from smaller studies with shorter follow-up periods.

Newborns exposed to dirt, dander, germs may have lower allergy, asthma risk Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:11 AM PDT Infants exposed to rodent and pet dander, roach allergens and a wide variety of household bacteria in the first year of life appear less likely to suffer from allergies, wheezing and asthma, according to results of a recent study. Those who encounter such substances before their first birthdays seem to benefit rather than suffer from them. Importantly, the protective effects of both allergen and bacterial exposure were not seen if a child's first encounter with these substances occurred after age 1, the research found.

Three gene networks found in autism, may present treatment targets Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:11 AM PDT A new analysis of DNA from thousands of patients has uncovered several underlying gene networks with potentially important roles in autism. These networks may offer attractive targets for developing new autism drugs or repurposing drugs for other indications. Furthermore, one of the autism-related gene pathways also affects some patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia—raising the possibility that a class of drugs may treat particular subsets of all three neurological disorders.

Taking tissue regeneration beyond state-of-the-art Posted: 06 Jun 2014 06:11 AM PDT A new class of injectable material that stimulates stem cells to regenerate damaged tissue and form new blood vessels, heart and bone tissue is being developed by an international team of researchers. The aim is to produce radical new treatments that will reduce the need for invasive surgery, optimize recovery and reduce the risk of undesirable scar tissue.

Alcohol may protect trauma patients from later complications Posted: 05 Jun 2014 06:31 PM PDT Intoxicated trauma patients have a reduced risk for cardiac and renal complications, according to a study. "After an injury, if you are intoxicated there seems to be a substantial protective effect," says the author of the study. "But we don't fully understand why this occurs." Nearly 85,000 trauma patients with measured blood alcohol levels were included in the retrospective study, which analyzed 10 years of cases at level I and level II trauma units.

Seemingly invincible cancers stem cells reveal a weakness Posted: 05 Jun 2014 04:07 PM PDT Metastatic cancer cells, which can migrate from primary tumors to seed new malignancies, have thus far been resistant to the current arsenal of anticancer drugs. Now, however, researchers have identified a critical weakness that actually exploits one of these cells' apparent strengths—their ability to move and invade tissues. Their research could inform novel approaches to screening tumors for personalized therapy or to drugs that specifically target these cells.

New tuberculosis test more than skin deep Posted: 05 Jun 2014 03:36 PM PDT A new screening process for tuberculosis infections in prisons could mean that more than 50 percent of those screened won't undergo unnecessary treatment due to false positives. A test for TB using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) will detect a pre-existing TB infection, or latent TB, that might not present itself for many years, or until the body becomes weakened by another source, researchers say.

Long-Sought Molecular Map of Critical Genetic Machinery developed Posted: 05 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT Advanced electron microscopy techniques have been used to determine the first accurate structural map of Mediator, one of the largest and most complex "molecular machines" in cells. The finding demonstrates how recently developed molecular imaging methods can be applied to characterize large and important protein complexes.

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