ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Outdoor activities may be linked to exfoliation syndrome in eyes
• Potassium-rich foods cut stroke, death risks among older women
• Poor health habits linked to financial insecurity
• What is keeping your kids up at night? Turning off electronics helps everyone sleep better
• Rare stem cells hold potential for infertility treatments
• The yin and yang of overcoming cocaine addiction
• Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics
• Researchers define spontaneous retinal neovascular mouse model
• Minimally invasive, high-performance intervention for staging lung cancer
• Important regulators of immune cell response identified
• Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans
• Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows
• New therapeutic target for diabetic wound healing discovered
• Plant-based research prevents complication of hemophilia treatment in mice
• Study identifies gene network behind untreatable leukemia, possible treatment target
• Cost-effective, high-performance micropumps for lab-on-a-chip disease diagnosis
• Newest precision medicine tool: Prostate cancer organoids
• Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy'
• Messenger molecules identified as part of arthritis puzzle
• Showcase of latest advances in medical imaging for revolutionary proton therapy cancer treatment
• Breast radiation trial provides more convenience, better compliance, lowered cost and patient outcomes on par with current treatment
• Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus
• New research offers help for spinal cord patients
• Normal-weight counselors feel more successful than heavier counselors at helping obese patients slim down, study suggests
• Disparities persist in early-stage breast cancer treatment
• Breast conserving therapy shows survival benefit compared to mastectomy in early-stage patients with hormone receptor positive disease
• Breast vs. bottle feeding in rhesus monkeys: Marked difference in intestinal bacteria, immunologic development
• Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population
• Intestinal barrier damage in multiple sclerosis
• Visualizing plastic changes to brain from magnetic stimulation: Effects of novel treatment method demonstrated
• Cystic fibrosis: Additional immune dysfunction discovered
• Prostate cancer: Pioneering new imaging method
• Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows
• Non-invasive method for diagnosing common, painful back condition being developed
• Blood test for 'nicked' protein predicts prostate cancer treatment response
• Innovative algorithm spots interactions lethal to cancer
• Longitudinal study explores white matter damage, cognition after traumatic axonal injury
• Can sleep loss affect your brain size?
• Genetic 'hotspot' linked to endometrial cancer aggressiveness
• Lowering coal-fired power plant emissions may have saved 1,700 lives in one year
• Lead and cadmium found in some chocolate bought in Brazil
• Handheld scanner could make brain tumor removal more complete, reducing recurrence
• Mouse studies advance treatment for common eye diseases

Outdoor activities may be linked to exfoliation syndrome in eyes Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:37 PM PDT Outdoor activities may increase the odds of developing exfoliation syndrome (XFS) in the eyes, a condition which has been linked to cataracts and glaucoma. XFS is a harmful aging of the eye associated cataracts, elevated intraocular pressure and retinal vein blockage. There is evidence that climate factors contribute to XFS. For example, aboriginal Australians who spend lots of time outdoors have a higher prevalence of the disorder.

Potassium-rich foods cut stroke, death risks among older women Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:37 PM PDT Older women who eat foods with higher amounts of potassium may be at lower risk of stroke and death than women who consume less potassium-rich foods. The health benefits from potassium-rich foods are greater among older women who do not have high blood pressure. Most older American women do not eat the recommended amounts of potassium from foods.

Poor health habits linked to financial insecurity Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:36 PM PDT Financial hardship, or feeling that one can't make ends meet, may be more predictive of health risk behaviors than actual income levels for people with low-incomes, finds a recent study.

What is keeping your kids up at night? Turning off electronics helps everyone sleep better Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:35 PM PDT Sleep, or lack thereof, and technology often go hand in hand when it comes to school-aged kids. Nearly three out of four children (72%) between the ages of 6 and 17 have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms while sleeping, according to a National Sleep Foundation survey. Children who leave those electronic devices on at night sleep less -— up to one hour less on average per night.

Rare stem cells hold potential for infertility treatments Posted: 04 Sep 2014 12:38 PM PDT Rare stem cells in testis that produce a biomarker protein called PAX7 help give rise to new sperm cells -- and may hold a key to restoring fertility, research suggests. Infertility, which the Centers for Disease Control estimates affects as many as 4.7 million men in the United States, is a key complication of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The yin and yang of overcoming cocaine addiction Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:46 AM PDT Biology, by nature, has a yin and a yang -- a push and a pull. Addiction, particularly relapse, researchers find, is no exception. A new paper is the first to establish the existence of a brain circuitry that resists a relapse of cocaine use through a naturally occurring neural remodeling with "silent synapses."

Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:20 AM PDT A team of scientists has reconstructed how bacteria tightly control their growth and division, the cell cycle, by destroying specific proteins through regulated protein degradation. All organisms use controlled protein degradation to alter cell behavior in response to changing environment. A process as reliable and stable as cell division also has to be flexible, to allow the organism to grow and respond. But little has been known about the molecular mechanics of how this works.

Researchers define spontaneous retinal neovascular mouse model Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT Researchers have characterized a novel mutant mouse model, termed neoretinal vascularization 2, which develops abnormal neovessels from retinal vascular plexus. Their hope is this new model will help them understand AMD and develop new treatments for the disease.

Minimally invasive, high-performance intervention for staging lung cancer Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT Endoscopic biopsy of lymph nodes between the two lungs (mediastinum) is a sensitive and accurate technique that can replace mediastinal surgery for staging lung cancer in patients with potentially resectable tumors. The new study shows that it is not necessary to perform surgery to confirm negative results obtained through the endoscopic approach during the pre-operative evaluation of patients with this type of cancer. This discovery has many advantages for both the patients and the health-care system.

Important regulators of immune cell response identified Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT A more effective method to determine how T cells differentiate into specialized cell types has been identified by researchers. The new approach could help accelerate laboratory research and the development of potential therapeutics, including vaccines. The method may also be used to identify the genes that underlie tumor cell development.

Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT The avian influenza A H3N8 virus that killed harbor seals along the New England coast can spread through respiratory droplets and poses a threat to humans, scientists have found. The findings reinforce the need for continued surveillance of flu viruses circulating in wild and domestic animals to understand the risk the viruses pose to humans, said the study's first author.

Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Mothers who live in neighborhoods with plenty of grass, trees or other green vegetation are more likely to deliver at full term and their babies are born at higher weights, compared to mothers who live in urban areas that aren't as green, a new study shows.

New therapeutic target for diabetic wound healing discovered Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT A novel family of chemical mediators that rescue the reparative functions of macrophages -- a main type of mature white blood cells -- impaired by diabetes has been identified, restoring their ability to resolve inflammation and heal wounds.

Plant-based research prevents complication of hemophilia treatment in mice Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT A strategy to prevent one of the most serious complications of hemophilia treatment is underway at an American university. The approach, which uses plant cells to teach the immune system to tolerate rather than attack the clotting factor protein, offers hope for preventing one of the most serious complications of hemophilia treatment.

Study identifies gene network behind untreatable leukemia, possible treatment target Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Researchers have identified a genetic/molecular network that fuels a high-risk and aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia and its precursor disease myelodysplastic syndrome -- providing a possible therapeutic strategy for an essentially untreatable form of the blood cancer.

Cost-effective, high-performance micropumps for lab-on-a-chip disease diagnosis Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:11 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated an acoustofluidic pump powered by a piezoelectric transducer about the size of a quarter. This reliable, inexpensive, programmable pump is a crucial feature for lab-on-a-chip devices that could make the diagnosis of many global life-threatening diseases easy and affordable.

Newest precision medicine tool: Prostate cancer organoids Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:11 AM PDT Organoids derived from human prostate cancer tumors can be grown in the laboratory, giving researchers an exciting new tool to test cancer drugs and personalize cancer treatment, research demonstrates for the first time.

Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy' Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT A team of investigators has made a thought-provoking discovery about a type of cholesterol previously believed to be a 'bad guy' in the development of heart disease and other conditions. "Based on our analysis, we were surprised to find that, instead of increasing the amount of cholesterol uptake and accumulation in the macrophage foam cells, mildly oxidized LDL almost completely prevents increases in cholesterol," a researcher said.

Messenger molecules identified as part of arthritis puzzle Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT The way in which some cells alter their behavior at the onset of osteoarthritis has been identified for the first time by researchers. "We've not discovered the cause of arthritis, but this does shed light on the process of how the disease manifests itself. To develop new drugs to treat one of the leading causes of disability requires the fullest possible understanding of the condition and this discovery is part of that overall picture," one researcher concluded.

Showcase of latest advances in medical imaging for revolutionary proton therapy cancer treatment Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:11 AM PDT Advances in medical imaging technology which could make proton beam therapy a viable treatment for many more cancer sufferers will be described on an international stage.

Breast radiation trial provides more convenience, better compliance, lowered cost and patient outcomes on par with current treatment Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT An experimental regimen of once-weekly breast irradiation following lumpectomy provides more convenience to patients at a lower cost, results in better completion rates of prescribed radiation treatment, and produces cosmetic outcomes comparable to the current standard of daily radiation, researchers report.

Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT New ways to identify drugs that could be used to treat Ebola virus infection are the focus of recent study. Researchers have looked at what proteins inside a cell are critical for the functions of Ebola virus and are hijacked by the virus to help with infection. One of the proteins they have targeted is known as VP24. This protein disrupts signalling in infected human cells and disrupts the body's immune system and the fight against the virus.

New research offers help for spinal cord patients Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT The cause of the involuntary muscle contractions which patients with severe spinal cord injuries frequently suffer has been discovered through a study on rats. The findings, in the long run, can pave the way for new treatment methods.

Normal-weight counselors feel more successful than heavier counselors at helping obese patients slim down, study suggests Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:33 AM PDT Normal-weight nutrition and exercise counselors report feeling significantly more successful in getting their obese patients to lose weight than those who are overweight or obese, a study shows. The findings suggest that patients may be more receptive to those who "practice what they preach."

Disparities persist in early-stage breast cancer treatment Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:33 AM PDT Despite its acceptance as standard of care for early stage breast cancer almost 25 years ago, barriers still exist that preclude patients from receiving breast conserving therapy (BCT), with some still opting for a mastectomy, according to research.

Breast conserving therapy shows survival benefit compared to mastectomy in early-stage patients with hormone receptor positive disease Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:33 AM PDT When factoring in what is now known about breast cancer biology and heterogeneity, breast conserving therapy (BCT) may offer a greater survival benefit over mastectomy to women with early stage, hormone-receptor positive disease, according to research.

Breast vs. bottle feeding in rhesus monkeys: Marked difference in intestinal bacteria, immunologic development Posted: 04 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT Infant rhesus monkeys receiving different diets early in life develop distinct immune systems that persist months after weaning, a study has shown. While the researchers expected different diets would promote different intestinal bacteria (microbiota), they were surprised at how dramatically these microbes shaped immunologic development. Specifically, breast-fed macaques had more "memory" T cells and T helper 17 (TH17) cells, which are known to fight Salmonella and other pathogens.

Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT Liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period, research shows. According to the study, liver injury caused by non-bodybuilding supplements is most severe, occurring more often in middle-aged women and more frequently resulting in death or the need for transplantation than liver injury from bodybuilding supplements or conventional medications.

Intestinal barrier damage in multiple sclerosis Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT A new study investigates whether the function of the intestines is also attacked in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The results, obtained from a disease model of MS in mice, shows inflammation and changes in the barrier function of the intestines early in the course of the disease.

Visualizing plastic changes to brain from magnetic stimulation: Effects of novel treatment method demonstrated Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT Tinnitus, migraine, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's: all these are examples of diseases with neurological causes, the treatment and study of which is more and more frequently being carried out by means of magnetic stimulation of the brain. However, the method's precise mechanisms of action have not, as yet, been fully understood.

Cystic fibrosis: Additional immune dysfunction discovered Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a frequent genetic disease affecting the lung and the gastrointestinal tract. Scientists have now shown that many of the adult patients with CF in addition lack a cell surface molecule, which is important for immune defense.

Prostate cancer: Pioneering new imaging method Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT Researchers are pioneering the use of a radioactive tracer in combination with PET MRI imaging to help some prostate cancer patients avoid lengthy and unnecessary surgery.

Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:42 AM PDT Administering synthetic marijuana (cannabinoids) soon after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD-like (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms in rats, caused by the trauma and by trauma reminders, scientists report.

Non-invasive method for diagnosing common, painful back condition being developed Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:42 AM PDT Tthe first imaging technique used to identify biomarkers that could indicate that patients have a painful, degenerative back condition is under development, researchers report.

Blood test for 'nicked' protein predicts prostate cancer treatment response Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:37 PM PDT Prostate cancer patients whose tumors contain a shortened protein called AR-V7, which can be detected in the blood, are less likely to respond to two widely used drugs for metastatic prostate cancer, according to results of a study. If large-scale studies validate the findings, the investigators say men with detectable blood levels of AR-V7 should avoid these two drugs and instead take other medicines to treat their prostate cancer.

Innovative algorithm spots interactions lethal to cancer Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:35 PM PDT An ideal anti-cancer treatment -- one that's immediately lethal to cancer cells, harmless to healthy cells, and resistant to cancer's relapse -- is still a dream. New research takes a step closer to the realization of that dream with an innovative computer algorithm that spots cancer-busting 'genetic partners' whose interactions are lethal to cancer cells.

Longitudinal study explores white matter damage, cognition after traumatic axonal injury Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:26 PM PDT Traumatic Axonal Injury is a form of traumatic brain injury that can have detrimental effects on the integrity of the brain's white matter and lead to cognitive impairments. A new study investigated white matter damage in the acute and chronic stages of a traumatic axonal injury in an effort to better understand what long-term damage may result.

Can sleep loss affect your brain size? Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:16 PM PDT Sleep difficulties may be linked to faster rates of decline in brain volume, according to a study. "It is not yet known whether poor sleep quality is a cause or consequence of changes in brain structure," said a study author. "There are effective treatments for sleep problems, so future research needs to test whether improving people's quality of sleep could slow the rate of brain volume loss. If that is the case, improving people's sleep habits could be an important way to improve brain health."

Genetic 'hotspot' linked to endometrial cancer aggressiveness Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:15 PM PDT Genetic mutations in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC), the most common form of this cancer of the uterine lining, have been identified by scientists. With endometrial cancer, the most common gynecological cancer in the western world and the fourth most prevalent in the U.S., it can literally be a matter of life and death. Mortality rates from this cancer have nearly tripled in the last 25 years and are thought to be attributed to the rising incidence of obesity.

Lowering coal-fired power plant emissions may have saved 1,700 lives in one year Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT After scoring a Supreme Court victory this spring, the Environmental Protection Agency can move forward with its strategy to cut air pollution from coal-fired power plants in several states -- and new research suggests the impact could be lifesaving.

Lead and cadmium found in some chocolate bought in Brazil Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:58 AM PDT Scientists have found that commercial samples of chocolate purchased in Brazil contain varying levels of lead and cadmium, which can cause health problems, and that those levels are linked to how much cocoa a product contains.

Handheld scanner could make brain tumor removal more complete, reducing recurrence Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:57 AM PDT Cancerous brain tumors are notorious for growing back despite surgical attempts to remove them -- and for leading to a dire prognosis for patients. But scientists are developing a new way to try to root out malignant cells during surgery so fewer or none get left behind to form new tumors. The method could someday vastly improve the outlook for patients.

Mouse studies advance treatment for common eye diseases Posted: 03 Sep 2014 07:53 AM PDT Working with mice, a multicenter team of researchers has found a new way to reduce the abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage in the eye that accompany some eye diseases. The finding could lead to the development of new drugs for wet macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema.

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