ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• When it comes to how pizza looks, cheese matters
• Primary care physicians can be critical resource for abused women in rural areas
• Laser device may end pin pricks, improve quality of life for diabetics
• From dandruff to deep sea vents, an ecologically hyper-diverse fungus
• The marmoset animal model recapitulates disease symptoms of MERS infection in humans
• Impact of race, ethnicity in motor complete spinal cord injury
• Difficulty assessing effort drives motivation deficits in schizophrenia, study finds
• How cellular guardians of the intestine develop
• Some anti-inflammatory drugs affect more than their targets
• Potential risk factors for urinary tract infections in young girls
• Children with autism have extra synapses in brain: May be possible to prune synapses with drug after diagnosis
• Polio: Mutated virus breaches vaccine protection
• Cellular biology of colorectal cancer: New Insight
• Feeling bad at work can be a good thing (and vice versa)
• Insulin offers new hope for treatment of acute pancreatitis
• Experimental Ebola drugs must be fairly distributed, tested ethically in clinical trials
• 3-D printers used to create custom medical implants that deliver drugs, chemo
• Emergency department nurses aren't like the rest of us
• New feeding tube connectors will improve patient safety
• Counseling has limited benefit on young people drinking alcohol, study suggests
• Experts question value of common superbug control practices
• Models to study polyelectrolytes developed, including DNA and RNA
• Ibuprofen posing potential threat to fish, researchers say
• Important clue found for potential treatments for absence seizures
• Novel pathway for prevention of heart attack, stroke
• Adherence to diet can be measured from blood
• White-matter deficits in users of codeine-containing cough syrups
• Questioning the use of acute hemodialysis treatment
• Combined drugs, therapy most effective for severe nonchronic depression

When it comes to how pizza looks, cheese matters Posted: 21 Aug 2014 12:38 PM PDT Most consumers have an idea what they want their pizza slice to look like. Golden cheese with that dark toasted-cheese color scattered in distinct blistery patches across the surface with a bit of oil glistening in the valleys. A new study evaluated the pizza baking performance of different cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, colby, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere, and provolone) in conjunction with a new quantifiable evaluation technique to see how their composition and functional differences affected browning and blistering.

Primary care physicians can be critical resource for abused women in rural areas Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:16 AM PDT Many primary care physicians in rural communities do not routinely screen women for intimate partner violence, according to public health researchers. Rural women who are exposed to such violence have limited resources if they seek help. However, the United States Preventive Services Task Force now recommends IPV screening in the primary care setting.

Laser device may end pin pricks, improve quality of life for diabetics Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:16 AM PDT Researchers have developed a way to use a laser to measure people's blood sugar, and, with more work to shrink the laser system to a portable size, the technique could allow diabetics to check their condition without pricking themselves to draw blood. In a new article, the researchers describe how they measured blood sugar by directing their specialized laser at a person's palm.

From dandruff to deep sea vents, an ecologically hyper-diverse fungus Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:14 AM PDT A ubiquitous skin fungus linked to dandruff, eczema and other itchy, flaky maladies in humans has now been tracked to even further global reaches -- including Hawaiian coral reefs and the extreme environments of arctic soils and deep sea vents. The study considers the diversity, ecology, and distribution of the fungi of the genus Malassezia in light of new insights gained from screening environmental sequencing datasets from around the world.

The marmoset animal model recapitulates disease symptoms of MERS infection in humans Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:14 AM PDT A new article reports the first animal model that recapitulates the severe and sometimes lethal respiratory symptoms seen in human patients and suggests that the common marmoset will play an important role in the development effective countermeasures against Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus.

Impact of race, ethnicity in motor complete spinal cord injury Posted: 21 Aug 2014 10:26 AM PDT Researchers have examined racial and ethnic influences in the outcomes of patients with motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI). Findings included small but significant differences in self-care and mobility at discharge.

Difficulty assessing effort drives motivation deficits in schizophrenia, study finds Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Individuals with schizophrenia often have trouble engaging in daily tasks or setting goals for themselves, and a new study suggests the reason might be their difficulty in assessing the amount of effort required to complete tasks. The research can assist health professionals in countering motivation deficits among patients with schizophrenia and help those patients function normally by breaking up larger, complex tasks into smaller, easier-to-grasp ones.

How cellular guardians of the intestine develop Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT New research sheds light on the development of a unique class of immune cells known as intraepithelial lymphocytes found in the thin layer of tissue lining the intestine. This work may help lead to new insights into inflammatory diseases of the gut, including Inflammatory Bowel Disorder and celiac disease, as well as cancer.

Some anti-inflammatory drugs affect more than their targets Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Three commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alter the activity of enzymes within cell membranes, researchers have found. Their finding suggests that, if taken at higher-than-approved doses and/or for long periods of time, these prescription-level nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other drugs that affect the membrane may produce wide-ranging and unwanted side effects.

Potential risk factors for urinary tract infections in young girls Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:47 AM PDT Young girls with an intense, red, itchy rash on their outer genital organs may be at increased risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The treatment may be as simple as better hygiene and avoiding potential irritants such as bubble baths and swimming pools.

Children with autism have extra synapses in brain: May be possible to prune synapses with drug after diagnosis Posted: 21 Aug 2014 09:47 AM PDT Children and adolescents with autism have a surplus of synapses in the brain, and this excess is due to a slowdown in a normal brain "pruning" process during development, according to a new study. Because synapses are the points where neurons connect and communicate with each other, the excessive synapses may have profound effects on how the brain functions.

Polio: Mutated virus breaches vaccine protection Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:57 AM PDT Thanks to effective vaccination, polio is considered nearly eradicated. Each year only a few hundred people are stricken worldwide. However, scientists are reporting alarming findings: a mutated virus that was able to resist the vaccine protection to a considerable extent was found in victims of an outbreak in the Congo in 2010. The pathogen could also potentially have infected many people in Germany.

Cellular biology of colorectal cancer: New Insight Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:24 AM PDT A new role for the protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) in suppressing colorectal cancer -- the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. -- has been outlined by new research, providing a better understanding of the illness. "It's not widely appreciated, but there is still plenty of cell growth going on in adults, with the colon being a good example," a researcher said. "On average, we shed and replace about 70 pounds of intestinal tissue annually, so you can imagine that this process requires exquisite control to prevent tumor formation."

Feeling bad at work can be a good thing (and vice versa) Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:24 AM PDT Contrary to popular opinion, it can be good to feel bad at work, whilst feeling good in the workplace can also lead to negative outcomes, researchers say. The commonly-held assumption that positivity in the workplace produces positive outcomes, while negative emotions lead to negative outcomes, may be in need for reconsideration.

Insulin offers new hope for treatment of acute pancreatitis Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:24 AM PDT Insulin can protect the cells of the pancreas from acute pancreatitis -- a disease for which there is currently no treatment -- researchers report. Acute pancreatitis involves the pancreas digesting itself resulting in severe abdominal pain, vomiting and systemic inflammation.

Experimental Ebola drugs must be fairly distributed, tested ethically in clinical trials Posted: 21 Aug 2014 07:21 AM PDT Critical ethical principles need to be adhered to if experimental drugs are to be deployed in the Ebola outbreak, bioethicists say, stating that the patients selected to receive such drugs must not be limited to well-off or well-connected patients -- including health care professionals. These experts also point out that, given the limited supply of experimental drugs and their low probability of success, containment of the epidemic and strengthening health systems in affected regions should be a priority.

3-D printers used to create custom medical implants that deliver drugs, chemo Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT An innovative method for using affordable, consumer-grade 3D printers and materials has been developed to fabricate custom medical implants that can contain antibacterial and chemotherapeutic compounds for targeted drug delivery. "It is truly novel and a worldwide first to be 3D printing custom devices with antibiotics and chemotherapeutics," said one researcher.

Emergency department nurses aren't like the rest of us Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT Emergency department nurses aren't like the rest of us -- they are more extroverted, agreeable and open -- attributes that make them successful in the demanding, fast-paced and often stressful environment of an emergency department, according to a new study.

New feeding tube connectors will improve patient safety Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT New feeding tube connectors, designed by an international standards process, will be available soon and will improve patient safety. Small-bore connectors, which are used to join medical devices, components, and accessories to deliver fluids or gases, can allow misconnections with other medical devices. Serious patient harm, including death, can occur if fluids, medications, or nutrition formulas intended for the gastrointestinal tract are administered via the wrong route.

Counseling has limited benefit on young people drinking alcohol, study suggests Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT Counseling techniques used to help young people with drinking problems may be of limited benefit, a new study suggests. Researchers found that an approach known as motivational interviewing did not substantially reduce drinking or alter alcohol-related behavior.

Experts question value of common superbug control practices Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT The jury is still out on the effectiveness of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug control policies in hospitals, according to leading infectious disease experts. In particular, screening and isolating infected patients -- which have long been regarded as the gold standard MRSA prevention strategy and are required by law in some countries -- have poor evidence for their effectiveness, say the authors.

Models to study polyelectrolytes developed, including DNA and RNA Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:06 AM PDT A novel and versatile modeling strategy has been developed to simulate polyelectrolyte systems. The model has applications for creating new materials as well as for studying polyelectrolytes, including DNA and RNA. Polyelectrolytes are chains of molecules that are positively or negatively charged when placed in water. Because they are sensitive to changes in their environment, polyelectrolytes hold promise for use in applications such as drug delivery mechanisms.

Ibuprofen posing potential threat to fish, researchers say Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT Many rivers contain levels of ibuprofen that could be adversely affecting fish health, researchers report. In what is believed to be the first study to establish the level of risk posed by ibuprofen at the country scale, the researchers examined 3,112 stretches of river which together receive inputs from 21 million people.

Important clue found for potential treatments for absence seizures Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT A group of researchers has succeeded in revealing a principle mechanism of a neural network in the human brain, which will provide an important clue to potential treatments for absence seizures. Absence seizures are believed to be elicited by T-type calcium channels in the thalamic reticular nucleus of the brain that regulate influxes of calcium. These channels enable thalamic reticular nucleus neurons to generate burst firing, leading the neurons to enter a hyper-excited state.

Novel pathway for prevention of heart attack, stroke Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT A recent study could pave the way for preventing brain and cardiac ischemia induced by atherosclerosis. Finnish researchers have found that the low-expression variant of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), which is particularly common among Finns, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. The finding revealed a promising new way to customize a potentially preventive drug for atherosclerosis.

Adherence to diet can be measured from blood Posted: 21 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT New results show that it's possible to assess dietary compliance from a blood sample. This is especially useful in controlled dietary intervention studies investigating the health benefits of specific diets. So far, such studies have mainly relied on the participants' self-reported dietary intake, which is often biased, making it more difficult to assess the real health benefits.

White-matter deficits in users of codeine-containing cough syrups Posted: 20 Aug 2014 03:39 PM PDT An imaging study of chronic users of codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS) has found deficits in specific regions of brain white matter and associates these changes with increased impulsivity in codeine-containing cough syrup users. These findings were consistent with results of previous studies of heroin and cocaine addicts. White matter disruptions also correlated with the duration of CCS use.

Questioning the use of acute hemodialysis treatment Posted: 20 Aug 2014 03:39 PM PDT A common approach to treating kidney failure by removing waste products from the blood did not improve survival chances for people who suddenly developed the condition, an analysis concludes. The findings suggest acute hemodialysis, an aggressive method that is commonly used for people with sudden kidney failure, may not provide a definitive benefit to the patient.

Combined drugs, therapy most effective for severe nonchronic depression Posted: 20 Aug 2014 01:40 PM PDT The odds that a person who suffers from severe, nonchronic depression will recover improve substantially when treated by drugs and therapy, researchers say. In North America, about one in five women and one in 10 men suffer from major depression in her or his lifetime.

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