ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Predictors of prospective memory deficit post TBI identified by researchers
• Mouth bacteria can change its diet, supercomputers reveal
• Beating childhood cancer does not necessarily make survivors healthier adults, study shows
• Immigrants at lower risk of overdose, death from codeine than people born in Canada
• Less radical procedures offer similar cancer control compared to surgery for kidney cancer patients
• Overhaul of our understanding of why autism potentially occurs
• Mental health disparities higher for older African American adults
• Contrary to popular belief, more exercise is not always better
• Focal blood-brain-barrier disruption with high-frequency pulsed electric fields
• Lead released from African cookware contaminates food
• Highly sensitive microsphere-based assay for early detection of type I diabetes
• Is empathy in humans and apes actually different? 'Yawn contagion' effect studied
• Prognosis of pneumonia: value of respiratory rate often overlooked
• Pioneering online treatment for people with bipolar disorder
• Treating mental illness by changing memories of things past
• New look at heart disease may reduce stroke, heart attack
• Integrons hold key to antibiotic resistance crisis
• Our ancestor's 'leaky' membrane answers big questions in biology
• Can instant noodles lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke?
• Hijacking the brain's blood supply: Tumor discovery could aid treatment
• Medicine looking deeper into vital differences between women, men
• ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits
• African-American hair: Dermatologists' tips for everyday care, processing and styling
• Regional anesthesia for pediatric knee surgery reduces pain, speeds recovery
• Size matters when convincing your brain to eat healthier foods
• Robotic-assisted ultrasound imaging: From trans-Atlantic evaluation to help in day-to-day practice
• Biomarker could reveal why some develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Scientists link environment, inclusion in adults with disabilities
• Easier way to manipulate malaria genes
• Highly drug-resistant, virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arises in Ohio
• Native bacteria block Wolbachia from being passed to mosquito progeny
• Gloves after hand washing associated with fewer infections in preterm babies
• Elusive viral 'machine' architecture finally rendered
• Normal cognition in patient without apolipoprotein E, risk factor for Alzheimer's
• Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis not associated with reduced breast cancer risk, study suggests
• Digoxin tied to increased risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation
• Blacks, women face greater burden from CVD risk factors
• Vaccine alternative protects mice against malaria
• Medicinal oil reduces debilitating epileptic seizures associated with Glut1 deficiency, trial shows
• Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct
• Search for biomarkers aimed at improving treatment of painful bladder condition
• Clinical trial evaluates safety of stem cell transplantation in spine
• Novel drug action against solid tumors explained
• Links between city design, health shown in study
• New tool proves effective in evaluating doctor's bedside manner
• New cause of osteoarthritis identified by research on a rare disease
• Postmenopausal breast cancer risk decreases rapidly after starting regular physical activity

Predictors of prospective memory deficit post TBI identified by researchers Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Predictors of prospective memory impairment after traumatic brain injury been identified by scientists. This is the first study to examine the role of rule monitoring, an executive function, post-TBI. Prospective memory refers to the ability to remember events that will occur in the future, i.e., a doctor's appointment; a medication schedule. This ability, also referred to as 'remembering to remember' is often impaired following TBI, creating challenges in performance of activities of daily living.

Mouth bacteria can change its diet, supercomputers reveal Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Mouth bacteria can change their metabolism in disease versus health. The Stampede and Lonestar supercomputers compared gene expression of 160,000 genes in healthy and diseased periodontal communities. Research paves way for biomarkers to predict illness from wide-ranging diseases such as periodontitis, diabetes, and Crohn's disease.

Beating childhood cancer does not necessarily make survivors healthier adults, study shows Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Having survived cancer as a child does not necessarily have a ripple effect that makes people lead a healthier lifestyle once they grow up. Childhood cancer survivors face different health-care challenges and are more susceptible to dying earlier than the general population. They have a higher risk of second cancers, heart disease, body weight disorders and psychosocial problems.

Immigrants at lower risk of overdose, death from codeine than people born in Canada Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Immigrants are at lower risk of an overdose or death after being prescribed codeine than people born in Canada, a new study has found. Surprisingly, this is true even when the immigrants lack proficiency in English or French, which might be thought to hamper their ability to read prescription labels or instructions, said the lead author.

Less radical procedures offer similar cancer control compared to surgery for kidney cancer patients Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:33 PM PDT Needle-guided tumor destruction procedures offer near equivalent lengths of local cancer control compared to surgery for patients with small kidney cancer tumors, according to researchers. "If validated, these data suggest that an update to clinical guidelines would be warranted," says the study's lead author.

Overhaul of our understanding of why autism potentially occurs Posted: 12 Aug 2014 11:20 AM PDT An analysis of autism research covering genetics, brain imaging, and cognition has overhauled our understanding of why autism potentially occurs, develops and results in a diversity of symptoms. "One of the consequences of our new model will be to focus early childhood intervention on developing the particular strengths of the child's brain, rather than exclusively trying to correct missing behaviors, a practice that may be a waste of a once in a lifetime opportunity," states one author.

Mental health disparities higher for older African American adults Posted: 12 Aug 2014 10:37 AM PDT A new, revealing literature review suggests that older African American adults are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and dementia than others. The study reviews the mental health issues among the rapidly growing African American older adult population. Given the existing disparities in mental health treatment and the projected growth of the African American older adult population, a dire need for further research to into assessment and treatment with a focus on cultural context is obvious, authors say.

Contrary to popular belief, more exercise is not always better Posted: 12 Aug 2014 10:37 AM PDT There is strong epidemiological evidence of the importance of regular physical activity, such as brisk walking and jogging, in the management and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease and in lowering the risk of death from other diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends about 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or about 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. But there is clear evidence of an increase in cardiovascular deaths in heart attack survivors who exercise to excess.

Focal blood-brain-barrier disruption with high-frequency pulsed electric fields Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:24 AM PDT A novel method uses bursts of nanosecond duration electric pulses to open the blood-brain barrier as a potential therapy for brain cancer and neurological disorders. The Vascular Enabled Integrated Nanosecond pulse (VEIN pulse) procedure consists of inserting minimally invasive needle electrodes into the diseased tissue and applying multiple bursts of nanosecond pulses with alternating polarity.

Lead released from African cookware contaminates food Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:23 AM PDT Researchers tested 29 samples of aluminum cookware made in Cameroon and found almost all had considerable lead content. This cookware is common throughout Africa and Asia and is made from recycled scrap metal including auto and computer parts, cans, and other industrial debris. Lead exposure in children is linked to brain damage, mental retardation, lower educational performance, and a range of other health effects. Globally, lead accounts for more than 674,000 deaths per year.

Highly sensitive microsphere-based assay for early detection of type I diabetes Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT A rapid, highly sensitive assay technique for measuring type 1 diabetes mellitus marker autoantibodies can provide better temporal resolution of disease onset and progression, researchers report. "This is a clever combination of the several existing techniques, the result of which is a more sensitive, non-radioactive, clinically-relevant assay," says the senior author on the paper. "It is our hope that this technique will become a useful tool for early detection of Islet Cell Autoantibodies in at risk patients."

Is empathy in humans and apes actually different? 'Yawn contagion' effect studied Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT Whether or not humans are the only empathic beings is still under debate. In a new study, researchers directly compared the 'yawn contagion' effect between humans and bonobos -- our closest evolutionary cousins. By doing so they were able to directly compare the empathic abilities of ourselves with another species, and found that a close relationship between individuals is more important to their empathic response than the fact that individuals might be from the same species.

Prognosis of pneumonia: value of respiratory rate often overlooked Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Pneumonia – a severe lung infection – is the most common disease calling for hospital admission. More than one out of ten pneumonia patients die of the disease. Thus it is vital to accurately predict and closely monitor the clinical course. Here, measuring the respiratory rate – the number of breaths a person takes in a minute – provides valuable information. However, far too little use is still being made of this vital sign in clinical practice, researchers conclude.

Pioneering online treatment for people with bipolar disorder Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT The first effective web-based treatment for Bipolar Disorder based on the latest research evidence has been developed by psychologists. 92% of the participants in the trial of the online intervention found the content positive -- and one said it had changed her life. People with Bipolar Disorder have problems getting access to psychological therapy and this online intervention may offer a round the clock solution at a reduced cost.

Treating mental illness by changing memories of things past Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Author Marcel Proust makes a compelling case that our identities and decisions are shaped in profound and ongoing ways by our memories. This truth is powerfully reflected in mental illnesses, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addictions. In PTSD, memories of traumas intrude vividly upon consciousness, causing distress, driving people to avoid reminders of their traumas, and increasing risk for addiction and suicide. In addiction, memories of drug use influence reactions to drug-related cues and motivate compulsive drug use.

New look at heart disease may reduce stroke, heart attack Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT A long-overlooked function of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis has been identified by researchers. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques in the arteries, leads to myocardial infarction and stroke and is the major cause of death in the Western world. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries arising from interactions of modified lipoproteins and various cell types including monocyte-derived macrophages from the blood and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the vessel wall.

Integrons hold key to antibiotic resistance crisis Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT In Mexico, the sale of antibiotics for human consumption is controlled to prevent misuse, although in the veterinary sector failure in the implementation of the "Guidelines for veterinarian products prescription", has prompted common bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella to become resistant to regular drugs such as streptomycin, trimethoprim, ampicillin, gentamicin, and tetracycline as a result of excess drug use.

Our ancestor's 'leaky' membrane answers big questions in biology Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT All life on Earth came from one common ancestor -- a single-celled organism -- but what it looked like, how it lived and how it evolved into today's modern cells is a four billion year old mystery being solved by researchers at using mathematical modelling. Findings suggest for the first time that life's Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had a 'leaky' membrane, which helps scientists answer two of biology's biggest questions.

Can instant noodles lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke? Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:16 AM PDT Significant consumption of instant noodles -- ramen included -- may increase a person's risk for cardiometabolic syndrome, especially in women, research shows. The findings could shed new light on the risks of a worldwide dietary habit. "This research is significant since many people are consuming instant noodles without knowing possible health risks," one researcher said. "My hope is that this study can lay a foundation for future research about the health effects of instant noodle consumption."

Hijacking the brain's blood supply: Tumor discovery could aid treatment Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:16 AM PDT Dangerous brain tumors hijack the brain's existing blood supply throughout their progression, by growing only within narrow potential spaces between and along the brain's thousands of small blood vessels. The findings help explain why drugs that aim to stop growth of new vessels have failed in brain tumor clinical trials.

Medicine looking deeper into vital differences between women, men Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:15 AM PDT It is now commonly accepted that there is a biological basis for sex differences in a number of common conditions. And there's active research into why other conditions occur more frequently in women than men. "When we look closely, we tend to find differences" between men and women, said one expert. "But for most of the past, we never looked."

ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:15 AM PDT The origins of ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder have been traced, and researcher have found that they develop from the same neurocognitive deficits, which in turn explains why they often occur together. The findings shed light on the cognitive deficits that could be targeted in order to potentially help treat comorbid cases (e.g. adolescents who have been diagnosed with both conduct disorder and substance use problems).

African-American hair: Dermatologists' tips for everyday care, processing and styling Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:13 AM PDT Unique in appearance and structure, African-American hair is especially fragile and prone to injury and damage. More than half of African-American women will cite thinning hair or hair loss as their top hair concern. Fortunately, there are a lot of things African-Americans can do to help minimize damage and keep their hair beautiful.

Regional anesthesia for pediatric knee surgery reduces pain, speeds recovery Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:13 AM PDT A recent study of an ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia technique, called femoral nerve block, shows that it leads to less opioid use and allows the majority of patients to go home within hours of surgery. Anesthesiologists use ultrasound to guide a needle to the specific surgical site and deliver local anesthetic to numb only the nerves in that region. A femoral nerve block numbs the femoral nerve, which runs close to the femoral artery and conducts signals running along the front of the thigh, the inner leg and the foot. By numbing this nerve, all feeling to those regions is blocked.

Size matters when convincing your brain to eat healthier foods Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT Playing with the portions of good and not-so-good-for-you foods is better than trying to eliminate bad foods, according to a study. The idea is to not give up entirely foods that provide pleasure but aren't nutritious. Instead, the focus should be on lowering the portion of the "vice" foods and correspondingly raising the portion of a healthy food to replace it, researchers report.

Robotic-assisted ultrasound imaging: From trans-Atlantic evaluation to help in day-to-day practice Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT While in Germany a surgeon used a computer to perform a robot-assisted trans-Atlantic ultrasound examination on a person in Boston. In another study, a scientist showed how a cardiologist's video e-consultation, coupled with a remote robot-assisted echocardiogram test, dramatically reduces the waiting time for a diagnosis faced by heart failure patients.

Biomarker could reveal why some develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT Blood expression levels of genes targeted by the stress hormones called glucocorticoids could be a physical measure, or biomarker, of risk for developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), researchers report. PTSD is triggered by a terrifying event, either witnessed or experienced. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, which is why the study aimed to identify biomarkers that could better measure each person's vulnerability to the disorder.

Scientists link environment, inclusion in adults with disabilities Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT An association between the built environment and disability-related outcomes for adults with physical impairments has been made by researchers. These findings focus attention on the environment as an important factor in disability-related outcomes.

Easier way to manipulate malaria genes Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT A new approach to knocking out parasite's genes could make it easier to identify drug targets. Biological engineers have now demonstrated that a new genome-editing technique, called CRISPR, can disrupt a single parasite gene with a success rate of up to 100 percent -- in a matter of weeks. This approach could enable much more rapid gene analysis and boost drug-development efforts, they say.

Highly drug-resistant, virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arises in Ohio Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT A team of clinician researchers has discovered a highly virulent, multidrug resistant form of the pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in patient samples in Ohio. Their investigation suggests that the particular genetic element involved, which is still rare in the United States, has been spreading heretofore unnoticed, and that surveillance is urgently needed.

Native bacteria block Wolbachia from being passed to mosquito progeny Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT Native bacteria living inside mosquitoes prevent the insects from passing Wolbachia bacteria -- which can make the mosquitoes resistant to the malaria parasite -- to their offspring, according to a team of researchers. The team found that Asaia, a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in Anopheles mosquitoes, blocks invasion of Wolbachia into the mosquitoes' germlines -- the cells that are passed on through successive generations of an organism -- thus stopping the insects from transmitting Wolbachia to their offspring.

Gloves after hand washing associated with fewer infections in preterm babies Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT Extremely premature babies in a neonatal intensive care unit had fewer infections when medical staff wore gloves after washing their hands compared with hand washing alone. Even after hand washing, medical staff can still have microorganisms on their hands. This can be dangerous for extremely preterm newborns because of their immature immune systems and underdeveloped skin and mucosal barriers.

Elusive viral 'machine' architecture finally rendered Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT Biologists have worked with the Lambda virus as a model system for more than 50 years but they've never had an overarching picture of the molecular machines that allow it to insert or remove DNA from the cells that it infects. Now they can, thanks to an advance that highlights the intriguingly intricate way the virus accomplishes its genetic manipulations.

Normal cognition in patient without apolipoprotein E, risk factor for Alzheimer's Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT A 40-year-old California man exhibits normal cognitive function although he has no apolipoprotein E, which is believed to be important for brain function but a mutation of which is also a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers suggest this could mean that therapies to reduce apolipoprotein E in the central nervous system may one day help treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis not associated with reduced breast cancer risk, study suggests Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT An analysis of data from two randomized clinical trials finds that 3-4 years of treatment with bisphosphonates to improve bone density is not linked to reduced risk of invasive postmenopausal breast cancer. Some studies have suggested that bisphosphonates, which are commonly used to treat osteoporosis, may have antitumor and antimetastatic properties. Some observational studies have suggested bisphosphonates may protect women from breast cancer.

Digoxin tied to increased risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT In 'An Account of the Foxglove and Some of its Medical Uses,' published in 1785, Sir William Withering cautioned readers that extracts from the plant foxglove, also called digitalis, was not a perfect drug. 'Time will fix the real value upon this discovery,' he wrote. Now, more than 200 years later, researchers have validated Withering's warning with the discovery that patients with atrial fibrillation who are treated with the digitalis-derivative digoxin are more likely to die than similar patients who received different treatments.

Blacks, women face greater burden from CVD risk factors Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:00 PM PDT The impact of major cardiovascular risk factors combined is greater in women than men and in blacks than whites, research shows. While the gender gap may be narrowing, differences by race may be increasing. Researchers studied population attributable risk (PAR) changes for the five major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors -- high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. The PAR is a measure that considers how common a risk factor is and by how much the factor raises the chance of future cardiovascular disease.

Vaccine alternative protects mice against malaria Posted: 11 Aug 2014 01:58 PM PDT Injecting a vaccine-like compound into mice was effective in protecting them from malaria, a study suggests. The findings suggest a potential new path toward the elusive goal of malaria immunization. Malaria is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, killing as many as 1 million people per year, the majority of them children in Africa.

Medicinal oil reduces debilitating epileptic seizures associated with Glut1 deficiency, trial shows Posted: 11 Aug 2014 01:58 PM PDT A rare metabolic disease that caused hundreds of seizures daily for a 6-year-old is now significantly under control as part of a clinical trial that uses a medicinal oil for treatment. Within hours, treatment with an edible oil dramatically reduced the number of seizures for then-4-year-old.

Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:16 PM PDT A molecule that can cause cancer cells to self-destruct by ferrying sodium and chloride ions into the cancer cells has been developed by scientists. These synthetic ion transporters confirm a two-decades-old hypothesis that could point the way to new anticancer drugs while also benefiting patients with cystic fibrosis.

Search for biomarkers aimed at improving treatment of painful bladder condition Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:14 PM PDT Taking advantage of technology that can analyze tissue samples and measure the activity of thousands of genes at once, scientists are on a mission to better understand and treat interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful and difficult-to-diagnose bladder condition. IC is also known as bladder pain syndrome. Symptoms can include severe pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency and painful sexual intercourse. IC is often misdiagnosed as other conditions such as endometriosis, kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections.

Clinical trial evaluates safety of stem cell transplantation in spine Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:14 PM PDT A clinical trial to investigate the safety of neural stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic spinal cord injuries has been launched in the United States. Related goals of the clinical trial include evaluating the stem cell graft's survival and the effectiveness of immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection. The researchers will also look for possible therapeutic benefits such as changes in motor and sensory function, bowel and bladder function, and pain levels.

Novel drug action against solid tumors explained Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:11 PM PDT Researchers have discovered how a drug that deprives the cells of a key amino acid specifically kills cancer cells. The study describes how arginine starvation specifically kills tumor cells by a novel mechanism involving mitochondria dysfunction, reactive oxygen species generation, nuclear DNA leakage and chromatin autophagy, where leaked DNA is captured and "eaten" by giant autophagosomes.

Links between city design, health shown in study Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT In a rare study of how street network design affects public health, researchers have discovered that older, more compact cities promote more walking and biking and are generally healthier than many newer cities. "We built these dense, connected street networks for thousands of years but only over the last century or so did we switch to designing sparse, tree-like networks with cars in mind," one researcher noted.

New tool proves effective in evaluating doctor's bedside manner Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT The best way to improve a doctor's bedside manner may lie in a new tool that evaluates and helps medical residents improve their communication and other soft skills to become better doctors, according to a new study. The study is the first to look at the medical residents' collaboration, communication and other soft skills in orthopedic surgical training.

New cause of osteoarthritis identified by research on a rare disease Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT A new mechanism of joint destruction caused by a natural material that grinds away healthy cartilage and worsens osteoarthritis has been identified in human hip joints for the first time. The scientists were studying the hip of a man with the genetic condition, alkaptonuria (AKU). This is a metabolic disease in which a substance called homogentisic acid accumulates in joint cartilage, causing changes to its physical properties.

Postmenopausal breast cancer risk decreases rapidly after starting regular physical activity Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Postmenopausal women who in the past four years had undertaken regular physical activity equivalent to at least four hours of walking per week had a lower risk for invasive breast cancer compared with women who exercised less during those four years, according to new data.

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