ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives
• Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet
• Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat
• Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check
• Patients don't understand risks of unnecessary antibiotics, study shows
• Two drugs before surgery help women with triple-negative breast cancer, research shows
• Hazy road to Mecca
• Proteins drive cancer cells to change states
• Therapeutic strategy may treat childhood neurological disorder
• Less than half of parents think their 18-year-olds can make a doctors appointment
• If cells can't move, cancer can't grow
• Occasional heroin use may worsen HIV infection
• Stunning zinc fireworks when egg meets sperm
• Neuronal circuits filter out distractions in brain
• Promising new method for rapidly screening cancer drugs
• Algorithm identifies networks of genetic changes across cancers
• Potential new tool for cervical cancer detection, diagnosis
• Detection of enterovirus infection in insulin producing cells in patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
• War metaphors for cancer hurt certain prevention behaviors
• Discovery may hold clues to treatments that slow aging, prevent age-related chronic disease
• Molecular 'hats' allow in vivo activation of disguised signaling peptides
• Aflibercept in diabetic macular oedema: Added benefit not proven
• Neurons listen to glia cells
• Scientists' unique system of oral vaccine delivery to address global health threats
• Parkinson's patients identify balance, anxiety among top 10 research priorities
• Curiosity main motivator behind synthetic THC use among college students
• Personalized therapy for cancer: Additional applications for FL118
• Signaling mechanism could be target for survival, growth of tumor cells in brain cancer
• 'Darwinian' test uncovers an antidepressant's hidden toxicity
• Cell biologists discover on-off switch for key stem cell gene
• Baby cells learn to communicate using the lsd1 gene
• 'Genome editing' could correct genetic mutations for future generations
• People with low numeracy feel negative about taking part in bowel cancer screening
• Teen use of e-cigarettes growing; Hawaii use rates higher than in mainland
• A two-minute delay in cutting the umbilical cord leads to a better developent of newborns during their first days of life
• New floor covering can lead to breathing problems in babies
• Barbary macaques form male bonds, study reveals
• Skipping meals increases children's obesity, cardio metabolic risk
• Simple Steps Can Safeguard Against Ebola Transmission through Organ Donation
• Immune cells in brain respond to fat in diet, causing mice to eat
• Control knob for fat?

Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Driving vehicles that use electricity from renewable energy instead of gasoline could reduce the resulting deaths due to air pollution by 70 percent. This finding comes from a new life cycle analysis of conventional and alternative vehicles and their air pollution-related public health impacts. The study also shows that switching to vehicles powered by electricity made using natural gas yields large health benefits.

Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST A student analyzing dental calculus from ancient teeth is helping resolve the question of what plant foods Easter Islanders relied on before European contact.

Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST When you open the refrigerator for a late-night snack, are you more likely to grab a slice of chocolate cake or a bag of carrot sticks? Your ability to exercise self-control -- i.e., to settle for the carrots -- may depend upon just how quickly your brain factors healthfulness into a decision, according to a recent study.

Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST Scientists have long known the p53 protein suppresses tumors. However, a recent animal study has uncovered a complicated relationship between p53 and another protein, Rbm38, highlighting how the body calibrates protein levels.

Patients don't understand risks of unnecessary antibiotics, study shows Posted: 15 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST Communication material is not effective in educating patients on proper antibiotic use, a new study has found. Over prescription of antibiotics is a major factor driving one of the biggest public health concerns today: antibiotic resistance. In a first-of-its-kind study, the research suggests that public health educational materials may not address the misconceptions that shape why patients expect antibiotics, driving doctors to prescribe them more.

Two drugs before surgery help women with triple-negative breast cancer, research shows Posted: 15 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST A breast cancer specialist and clinical researcher shows that adding either the chemotherapy drug carboplatin or the blood vessel-targeting drug bevacizumab to the standard treatment of chemotherapy before surgery helped women who have the basal-like subtype of triple-negative breast cancer.

Hazy road to Mecca Posted: 15 Dec 2014 09:30 AM PST Dangerously high levels of air pollutants are being released in Mecca during the hajj, the annual holy pilgrimage in which millions of Muslims on foot and in vehicles converge on the Saudi Arabian city, according to new findings.

Proteins drive cancer cells to change states Posted: 15 Dec 2014 09:30 AM PST A family of RNA-binding proteins has been implicated in the regulation of cancer, particularly in a subtype of breast cancer, researchers report. These proteins, known as Musashi proteins, can force cells into a state associated with increased proliferation.

Therapeutic strategy may treat childhood neurological disorder Posted: 15 Dec 2014 09:29 AM PST A possible therapy to treat neurofibromatosis type 1 or NF1, a childhood neurological disease characterized by learning deficits and autism, has been discovered by scientists. "Children with neurofibromatosis have a high incidence of intellectual deficits and autism, syndromes that have been linked to the cerebellum and cortex," said the lead investigator. "Our findings in these mouse models suggest that despite embryonic loss of the gene, therapies after birth may be able to reverse some aspects of the disease."

Less than half of parents think their 18-year-olds can make a doctors appointment Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:48 AM PST Many parents doubt their older teens are ready to manage their own health care, according to a recent poll. The poll found that about two-thirds of parents (69%) believe adolescents should stop seeing their child-focused provider and begin seeing an adult-focused provider for primary care at age 18 (42%), or even at younger ages (27%).

If cells can't move, cancer can't grow Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:45 AM PST By blocking a widespread enzyme, researchers have shown they can slow down the movement of cells and potentially stop tumors from spreading and growing.

Occasional heroin use may worsen HIV infection Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:45 AM PST Occasional heroin use by HIV-positive patients may be particularly harmful to the immune system and worsens HIV disease, compared to persistent or no heroin use, an international team of researchers reports.

Stunning zinc fireworks when egg meets sperm Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:45 AM PST Sparks literally fly when a sperm and an egg hit it off. The fertilized mammalian egg releases from its surface billions of zinc atoms in 'zinc sparks,' one wave after another, scientists have found. Using cutting-edge technology they developed, the researchers are the first to capture images of these molecular fireworks and pinpoint the zinc sparks' origin: tiny zinc-rich packages just below the egg's surface. The findings should be useful in improving in vitro fertilization methods.

Neuronal circuits filter out distractions in brain Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST Scientists have hypothesized for decades about how the brain filters out distractions, but it has been challenging to find evidence to support the theories. Now, researchers have identified a neural circuit in the mouse brain that controls attention and sensory processing, providing insight into how the brain filters out distractions. The work has implications for devastating psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia that are characterized at least in part by significant attention deficits.

Promising new method for rapidly screening cancer drugs Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST Traditional genomic, proteomic and other screening methods currently used to characterize drug mechanisms are time-consuming and require special equipment, but now researchers offer a multi-channel sensor method using gold nanoparticles that can accurately profile various anti-cancer drugs and their mechanisms in minutes.

Algorithm identifies networks of genetic changes across cancers Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST Using a computer algorithm that can sift through mounds of genetic data, researchers have identified several networks of genes that, when hit by a mutation, could play a role in the development of multiple types of cancer. The researchers hope the new genetic insights might aid in the development of new drugs and treatment approaches for cancer.

Potential new tool for cervical cancer detection, diagnosis Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:41 AM PST Cervical cancer is, in many ways, a shining example of how successful the war on cancer can be. Thanks largely to the advent of Pap smear screening, U.S. cervical cancer deaths decreased dramatically, by more than 60 percent, between 1955 and 1992. In the last two decades, better treatment outcomes and more powerful imaging techniques have steadily pushed 5-year survival rates ever higher. The latest weapons in modern medicine's arsenal are two new vaccines that were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing this type of cancer altogether.

Detection of enterovirus infection in insulin producing cells in patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:41 AM PST Evidence for the presence of Enterovirus in pancreatic islets of type 1 diabetic patients has been found by researchers. This discovery is consistent with the theory that a low grade Enteroviral infection in the pancreatic islets contribute to disease progression in humans.

War metaphors for cancer hurt certain prevention behaviors Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:39 AM PST It's not unusual for people to use war metaphors such as "fight" and "battle" when trying to motivate patients with cancer. "Hearing metaphoric utterances is enough to change the way we think about a concept," said the study's lead investigator. "When we hear the phrase 'win the battle against cancer,' it forces us to think of cancer as if it's an enemy that we are at war with."

Discovery may hold clues to treatments that slow aging, prevent age-related chronic disease Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:39 AM PST A microscopic worm (C. elegans) has been used to identify a new path that could lead to drugs to slow aging and the chronic diseases that often accompany it—and might even lead to better cosmetics.

Molecular 'hats' allow in vivo activation of disguised signaling peptides Posted: 15 Dec 2014 08:39 AM PST When someone you know is wearing an unfamiliar hat, you might not recognize them. Researchers are using just such a disguise to sneak biomaterials containing peptide signaling molecules into living animals.

Aflibercept in diabetic macular oedema: Added benefit not proven Posted: 15 Dec 2014 07:16 AM PST There were no relevant differences between the treatment groups for patients in whom the area of greatest visual acuity is also affected. For other patients, data were lacking.

Neurons listen to glia cells Posted: 15 Dec 2014 07:16 AM PST A new signal pathway in the brain has been discovered that plays an important role in learning and the processing of sensory input. It was already known that distinct glial cells receive information from neurons. However, it was unknown that these same glial cells also transmit information to neurons.

Scientists' unique system of oral vaccine delivery to address global health threats Posted: 15 Dec 2014 07:16 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in describing and validating a unique system of oral vaccine delivery using a common bacteria found in the mouth. According to the World Health Organization, nine million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2013, the latest year in which data is available, and 1.5 million people died from the disease. It is second only to HIV/AIDS in prevalence.

Parkinson's patients identify balance, anxiety among top 10 research priorities Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:43 AM PST Patients with Parkinson's, medics and carers have identified the top ten priorities for research into the management of the condition. People with personal experience of the condition worked together to identify crucial gaps in the existing evidence to address everyday practicalities in managing Parkinson's. Top of the list, which was narrowed down from a list of 94 uncertainties, was the need to identify what treatments help reduce balance problems and falls.

Curiosity main motivator behind synthetic THC use among college students Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:43 AM PST Researchers find that for the college population, curiosity is the main motivator behind synthetic THC use.

Personalized therapy for cancer: Additional applications for FL118 Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:41 AM PST New mechanisms of action of the novel anticancer agent FL118 have been reported by scientists, as well as new potential therapeutic targets for the agent, a camptothecin analogue.

Signaling mechanism could be target for survival, growth of tumor cells in brain cancer Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:41 AM PST Neurology researchers have identified an important cell signaling mechanism that plays an important role in brain cancer and may provide a new therapeutic target. The researchers found that this mechanism -- a type of signaling termed constitutive or non-canonical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling -- is highly active in glioblastomas, the most common type of adult brain cancer and a devastating disease with a poor prognosis.

'Darwinian' test uncovers an antidepressant's hidden toxicity Posted: 15 Dec 2014 06:41 AM PST The organismal performance assay detects subtle toxic effects by subjecting mice to a relentless, Darwinian competition for food, shelter and mates. If there is a defect in any physiological system, it is more likely to stand out if test animals have to compete for resources, scientists say.

Cell biologists discover on-off switch for key stem cell gene Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:49 AM PST A new study by cell and systems biologists investigating stem cells in mice shows, for the first time, a relationship between the Sox2 gene which is critical for early development, and a region elsewhere on the genome that effectively regulates its activity. The discovery could mean a significant advance in the emerging field of human regenerative medicine, as the Sox2 gene is essential for maintaining embryonic stem cells that can develop into any cell type of a mature animal.

Baby cells learn to communicate using the lsd1 gene Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:49 AM PST Infant cells have to go through a developmental process that involves specific genes before they can take part in the group interactions that underlie normal cellular development and keep our tissues functioning smoothly, research shows. The existence of a childhood state where cells cannot communicate fully has potentially important implications for our understanding of how gene activity on chromosomes changes both during normal development and in cancerous cells.

'Genome editing' could correct genetic mutations for future generations Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:49 AM PST A technique for 'editing' the genome in sperm-producing adult stem cells has been demonstrated by researchers, a result with powerful potential for basic research and for gene therapy. The study involved spermatogonial stem cells, which are the foundation for the production of sperm and are the only adult stem cells that contribute genetic information to the next generation. Repairing flaws in the cells could thus prevent mutations from being passed to future generations, researchers say.

People with low numeracy feel negative about taking part in bowel cancer screening Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:49 AM PST People who have problems with numbers may be more likely to feel negative about bowel cancer screening. Those with low numeracy skills were more likely to have a defensive attitude to cancer information, researchers say, such as saying they did not need screening because their bowel movements were regular, they ate healthily, or their GP had not told them that the test was important.

Teen use of e-cigarettes growing; Hawaii use rates higher than in mainland Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:49 AM PST E-cigarette use among teenagers is growing in the US, and Hawaii teens take up e-cigarette use at higher rates than their mainland counterparts, a new study has found. The findings come as e-cigarettes grow in popularity and the Food and Drug Administration is considering how to regulate their sale. Some public health officials are concerned that e-cigarettes may be recruiting a new generation of young cigarette smokers who otherwise might not take up smoking at all, and the study's results bolster this position.

A two-minute delay in cutting the umbilical cord leads to a better developent of newborns during their first days of life Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:46 AM PST Delaying the cutting of the umbilical cord in newborns by two minutes leads to a better development of the baby during the first days of life, research shows. The study reveals that the time in cutting the umbilical cord (also called umbilical cord clampling) influences the resistance to oxidative stress in newborns.

New floor covering can lead to breathing problems in babies Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:44 AM PST New flooring in the living environment of pregnant women significantly increases the risk of infants to suffer from respiratory diseases in their first year of life. This is the result of a study that demonstrates that exposure to volatile organic compounds in the months before and after birth induces breathing problems in early childhood. The scientists therefore recommend that redecoration should be avoided during pregnancy or in the first year of children's life.

Barbary macaques form male bonds, study reveals Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:44 AM PST Male Barbary macaques form social bonds similar to human friendships to protect against disease and death, an international study has revealed. This study shows that changes in everyday stressors such as the amount of aggression received or cold weather can cause long-term elevated glucocorticoid levels in wild male Barbary macaques, but keeping a few close male associates will avoid that.

Skipping meals increases children's obesity, cardio metabolic risk Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:44 AM PST Children who skip main meals are more likely to have excess body fat and an increased cardiometabolic risk already at the age of 6 to 8 years, according to a study. A higher consumption of sugary drinks, red meat and low-fat margarine and a lower consumption of vegetable oil are also related to a higher cardiometabolic risk. "The more of these factors are present, the higher the risk," says a researcher.

Simple Steps Can Safeguard Against Ebola Transmission through Organ Donation Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:44 AM PST While serious infections can be transmitted from donated organs, the risk of passing Ebola virus disease from an organ donor to a recipient is extremely small. Experts explain how simple assessments of donors can help ensure that the organ supply is safe, while having little impact on the donor pool.

Immune cells in brain respond to fat in diet, causing mice to eat Posted: 12 Dec 2014 04:02 PM PST Immune cells perform a previously unsuspected role in the brain that may contribute to obesity, according to a new study. When researchers fed mice a diet high in saturated milk fats, microglia, a type of immune cell, underwent a population explosion in the brain region called the hypothalamus, which is responsible for feeding behavior, they report.

Control knob for fat? Posted: 12 Dec 2014 04:02 PM PST Researchers found a new function for a long-studied gene: it appears to regulate fat storage in C. elegans. A version of the protein, which exists in humans, also regulates protein production in the cell, raising the possibility that it too may control fat storage. A protein with such a function would offer a new target for pharmaceuticals to regulate fat, said the study's corresponding author.

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