ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Schools using out-of-school suspension drug policy show increased likelihood of marijuana use
• Microscope technique reveals for first time when and where proteins are made
• New lead against HIV could finally hobble the virus's edge
• Scientists pinpoint molecule that controls stem cell plasticity by boosting gene expression
• Using tablets to screen new, expecting moms for perinatal depression
• Small talk with big potential: Bacterial conversation counteracts antibiotic damage
• First stem cell-based approach to treat type 2 diabetes effective in mice
• Vitamin D prevents diabetes and clogged arteries in mice
• Topical TXA in total joint replacement lowers blood transfusion use
• Effect of smoking, alcohol on feeding tube duration in head/neck cancer patients
• Racial, ethnic differences in picking surgeons, hospitals for breast cancer care
• World-first cancer drugs could work in larger group of patients
• Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy
• How does weight stigma smell? Sense of smell may reveal weight bias
• Insuring undocumented residents could help solve multiple US health care challenges
• Regulatory network in the kidney uncovered
• Researchers tweak the immune system to target cells bearing tumor antigens
• Stem cells help researchers peg rabies resistance
• The cost of dominance: Aggressively pursuing higher social status may exact a toll on health
• Targeted drug doubles progression free survival in Hodgkin lymphoma
• Dramatic rise expected in adults living with cystic fibrosis
• Melatonin can help you get a good night's sleep in a noisy environment
• Excessive vitamin intake in pregnant rats impacts food choices in offspring
• New tobacco atlas details scale, harms of tobacco epidemic
• Fast-food ban in L.A. fails to improve diets or cut obesity, study finds
• Tackling poor oral health in children around the globe
• Live donor liver transplantation found safe, effective for acute liver failure
• Scientists uncover predictors of chronic kidney disease worsening in children, adolescents
• Text message reminders boost breast cancer screening attendance
• Impact of parents' military deployment on children’s safety and mental health
• Scientists grow 'mini-lungs' to aid study of cystic fibrosis
• New knowledge strengthens risk assessment of chemical cocktails in food
• Spinal cord neurons that control pain and itch
• Breast implants could become safer thanks to cell-friendly surface
• Buckyballs become bucky-bombs, when aimed at cancer cells
• Following gestational diabetes, obese women who put on 5 kg are more than 40 times more likely to develop full blown type 2 diabetes

Schools using out-of-school suspension drug policy show increased likelihood of marijuana use Posted: 19 Mar 2015 01:53 PM PDT Schools where administrators report using out-of-school suspension to enforce drug policy and where students report low policy enforcement, regardless of the type of drug policy adopted, show an increased likelihood of marijuana use, according to new research. Schools that used abstinence-based prevention and those that counseled students about the dangers of marijuana use showed a lower likelihood of marijuana use.

Microscope technique reveals for first time when and where proteins are made Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:33 AM PDT Scientists have developed a fluorescence microscopy technique that for the first time shows where and when proteins are produced. This allows researchers to directly observe individual mRNAs as they are translated into proteins in living cells. It should help reveal how irregularities in protein synthesis contribute to human disease processes, including Alzheimer's disease and other memory-related disorders.

New lead against HIV could finally hobble the virus's edge Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:33 AM PDT Since HIV emerged in the '80s, drug 'cocktails' transformed the deadly disease into a manageable one. But the virus is adept at developing resistance to drugs, and treatment regimens require tweaking that can be costly. Now scientists are announcing new progress toward affordable drugs that could potentially thwart the virus's ability to resist them.

Scientists pinpoint molecule that controls stem cell plasticity by boosting gene expression Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:32 AM PDT Stem cells can have a strong sense of identity. Taken out of their home in the hair follicle, for example, and grown in culture, these cells remain true to themselves. After waiting in limbo, these cultured cells become capable of regenerating follicles and other skin structures once transplanted back into skin. It's not clear just how these stem cells -- and others elsewhere in the body -- retain their ability to produce new tissue and heal wounds, even under extraordinary conditions.

Using tablets to screen new, expecting moms for perinatal depression Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT University of Illinois social work researcher is collaborating with Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to administer perinatal depression screenings to low-income women.

Small talk with big potential: Bacterial conversation counteracts antibiotic damage Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PDT Scientists have shown that bacteria living in the intestine both 'talk' and 'listen' to each other. Using small molecules in place of words, these microbial conversations changed the numbers of certain species of bacteria in the gut and started to restore the huge damage caused by lasting antibiotic treatment.

First stem cell-based approach to treat type 2 diabetes effective in mice Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PDT A combination of human stem cell transplantation and antidiabetic drugs proved to be highly effective at improving body weight and glucose metabolism in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. The findings could set the stage for clinical trials to test the first stem cell-based approach for insulin replacement in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin D prevents diabetes and clogged arteries in mice Posted: 19 Mar 2015 09:36 AM PDT Vitamin D deficiency is linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and both disorders are rooted in chronic inflammation. Now, studying mice that lack the ability to process vitamin D in immune cells involved in inflammation, researchers found that the animals made excess glucose, became resistant to insulin action and accumulated plaques in their blood vessels. They said the way those key immune cells behave without vitamin D may provide new targets for treating diabetes and atherosclerosis patients.

Topical TXA in total joint replacement lowers blood transfusion use Posted: 19 Mar 2015 08:30 AM PDT Orthopedic surgeons have conducted a cost-benefit analysis of topical tranexamic acid in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients that revealed a 12 percent transfusion rate reduction -- from 17.5 percent to 5.5 percent -- with no significant difference in complication rates.

Effect of smoking, alcohol on feeding tube duration in head/neck cancer patients Posted: 19 Mar 2015 08:30 AM PDT Current smoking and heavy alcohol consumption appear to be risk factors for prolonged use of a feeding tube in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, according to a new report.

Racial, ethnic differences in picking surgeons, hospitals for breast cancer care Posted: 19 Mar 2015 08:30 AM PDT Black and Hispanic women with breast cancer were less likely to pick their surgeon and the hospital for treatment based on reputation compared with white women, suggesting minority patients may rely more on physician referrals and health plans in those decisions, according to a new study.

World-first cancer drugs could work in larger group of patients Posted: 19 Mar 2015 07:53 AM PDT A pioneering class of drugs that target cancers with mutations in the BRCA breast cancer genes could also work against tumors with another type of genetic fault, a new study suggests. Scientists found that errors in a gene called CLBC leave cancer cells vulnerable to PARP inhibitor drugs. Around 2 percent of all tumors have defects in CLBC.

Medical expansion has led people worldwide to feel less healthy Posted: 19 Mar 2015 07:42 AM PDT Across much of the Western world, 25 years of expansion of the medical system has actually led to people feeling less healthy over time, a new study has found.

How does weight stigma smell? Sense of smell may reveal weight bias Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT Could our reaction to an image of an overweight or obese person affect how we perceive odor? A trio of researchers says yes. The researchers discovered that visual cues associated with overweight or obese people can influence one's sense of smell, and that the perceiver's body mass index matters, too. Participants with higher BMI tended to be more critical of heavier people, with higher-BMI participants giving scents a lower rating when scent samples were matched with an obese or overweight individual.

Insuring undocumented residents could help solve multiple US health care challenges Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT An extensive review of published scientific research on Latino health care identifies four problem areas related to health care delivery to Latinos under the Affordable Care Act.

Regulatory network in the kidney uncovered Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT The kidney continuously filters the blood and excretes waste products into the urine. This is achieved by a complex system of tubules which transports the urine and regulates its composition. Researchers have now discovered a novel molecular signaling pathway and show how parts of these kidney tubules establish an inner space and form a tight barrier against adjacent structures.

Researchers tweak the immune system to target cells bearing tumor antigens Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in generating cells of the immune system to specifically target and destroy cancer cells. The immune system of the body is trained to distinguish between "foreign" and "self" and to recognize and destroy exogenous structures. In cancer, however, the immune system appears to be quite docile in its response. While it is capable of detecting cancer cells because they often bear characteristics (antigens) on their surfaces that identify them as pathologically altered cells, usually the immune system does not mount an attack but rather tolerates them.

Stem cells help researchers peg rabies resistance Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:19 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new technology to determine sensitivity or resistance to rabies virus.

The cost of dominance: Aggressively pursuing higher social status may exact a toll on health Posted: 19 Mar 2015 06:19 AM PDT Researchers conducted four studies to gauge the health effects of the hostile-dominant personality style compared with the warm-dominant style. Their findings are bad news for aggressive power-seekers.

Targeted drug doubles progression free survival in Hodgkin lymphoma Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:04 AM PDT A phase 3 trial of brentuximab vedotin (BV), the first new drug for Hodgkin lymphoma in over 30 years, shows that adults with hard-to-treat Hodgkin lymphoma given BV immediately after stem cell transplant survived without the disease progressing for twice as long as those given placebo -- 43 months vs 24 months.

Dramatic rise expected in adults living with cystic fibrosis Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:04 AM PDT The number of people living with cystic fibrosis into adulthood is expected to increase dramatically by 2025, prompting calls for the development of adult cystic fibrosis services to meet the demand. People living with cystic fibrosis have previously had low life expectancy, but improvements in treatments and care in the last three decades have led to an increase in survival with almost all children now living to around 40 years.

Melatonin can help you get a good night's sleep in a noisy environment Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:04 AM PDT Using melatonin could provide more and better quality sleep compared to using an eye mask and earplugs in a simulated noisy and illuminated environment, according to research. This study was carried out on healthy subjects but could have future implications for intensive care unit patients.

Excessive vitamin intake in pregnant rats impacts food choices in offspring Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:04 AM PDT A rat model has been used to see how maternal intake of above-requirement vitamins (A, D, E, and K) impact offspring's brain development and behavior. During pregnancy many women consume better quality diets, but are also likely to use vitamin supplements, which combined may exceed vitamin intake requirements, authors warn.

New tobacco atlas details scale, harms of tobacco epidemic Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT The fifth edition of the Cancer Atlas graphically details the scale of the tobacco epidemic; the harmful influence of tobacco on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment; the progress being made in tobacco control; and the latest products and tactics being used by the industry to protect its profits and delay and derail tobacco control

Fast-food ban in L.A. fails to improve diets or cut obesity, study finds Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT In 2008, the city of Los Angeles passed a law restricting the opening or expansion of any 'stand-alone fast-food restaurant' in low-income neighborhoods where obesity was a problem. A new study finds the measure has failed to reduce fast-food consumption or reduce obesity rates in the targeted neighborhoods.

Tackling poor oral health in children around the globe Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT A new research project has established an effective model for the fight against the escalating burden of tooth decay among children in Asia. The model is an important tool in breaking the social inequity in oral health of children.

Live donor liver transplantation found safe, effective for acute liver failure Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT When patients develop acute liver failure, severe complications arise rapidly after the first signs of liver disease, and patients' health can deteriorate rapidly. New research indicates that emergency evaluations of living liver donors can be conducted safely to allow acute liver failure patients to undergo transplantation before their condition worsens.

Scientists uncover predictors of chronic kidney disease worsening in children, adolescents Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:03 AM PDT New insights into why a child's chronic kidney disease (CKD) may worsen to kidney failure have been uncovered through a new study. Among nearly 500 children and adolescents with mild to moderate CKD, researchers identified factors, such as high blood pressure, protein loss from the kidneys, and anemia, that predicted disease worsening but that could be treated to ideally change the course of the disease.

Text message reminders boost breast cancer screening attendance Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT Women who received a text message reminding them about their breast cancer screening appointment were 20 per cent more likely to attend than those who were not texted, according to a study. "Our research found that a cheap, simple text-message-reminder could boost the number of women -- especially those from deprived areas -- attending screening, or cancelling in advance," authors said.

Impact of parents' military deployment on children’s safety and mental health Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT Following military parents' return from combat deployment, children show increased visits for mental healthcare, physical injury, and child maltreatment consults, compared to children whose parents have not been deployed, a study concludes. The same types of healthcare visits were also found to be significantly higher for children of combat-injured parents.

Scientists grow 'mini-lungs' to aid study of cystic fibrosis Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT 'Mini-lungs' have been created by researchers using stem cells derived from skin cells of patients with cystic fibrosis, and have shown that these can be used to test potential new drugs for this debilitating lung disease.

New knowledge strengthens risk assessment of chemical cocktails in food Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:01 AM PDT Denmark's largest research project on chemical cocktail effects in food has just been completed. It has established that even small doses of chemicals can have significant negative effects if they are present together. A reliable method for calculating the effects of chemical cocktails has been developed in the project. The project has also shown a need for limiting the Danish population's exposure to certain substances.

Spinal cord neurons that control pain and itch Posted: 19 Mar 2015 04:58 AM PDT The spinal cord transmits pain signals to the brain, where they are consciously perceived. But not all the impulses arrive at their destination: Certain neurons act as checkpoints and determine whether a pain signal is relayed or not. Researchers have identified these neurons and their connections. Moreover, they developed means to specifically activate these neurons, which reduces not only pain -- but astonishingly also alleviates itch.

Breast implants could become safer thanks to cell-friendly surface Posted: 19 Mar 2015 04:58 AM PDT Scientists have created an enhanced surface for silicone breast implants which could reduce complications and make them less likely to be rejected by the body. In the US alone almost 400,000 cosmetic breast augmentations and reconstructions are carried out each year, and the number is growing. Some of these cases are for reconstruction after surgery for breast cancer and can have important psychological benefits.

Buckyballs become bucky-bombs, when aimed at cancer cells Posted: 18 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT Scientists have built nanoscale explosives out of buckyballs that could one day be used to eliminate cancer cells without damaging surrounding tissue.

Following gestational diabetes, obese women who put on 5 kg are more than 40 times more likely to develop full blown type 2 diabetes Posted: 18 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT New research shows that in women who have developed gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, being obese before the pregnancy and putting on more weight after it massively increases the risk of later developing type 2 diabetes.

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