ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Mood instability common to mental health disorders, associated with poor outcomes
• Smoking, drug abuse could more than triple annual ER visits
• Significant cost savings found in pediatric telemedicine consults
• Obese teens' brains unusually susceptible to food commercials, study finds
• New chemical technology boosts potency of targeted cancer therapy
• Epstein-Barr virus co-infection may boost malaria mortality in childhood
• Partly human yeast show a common ancestor's lasting legacy
• Can a viral co-infection impair immunity against Plasmodium and turn malaria lethal?
• Proteins may slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's
• Mosquito sex-determining gene could help fight dengue fever
• Bacteria cooperate to repair damaged siblings
• International study of advanced prostate cancer genome finds potential targets for drug therapy
• Scientists unveil prostate cancer's 'Rosetta Stone'
• New biotechnology for high efficiency purification of live human cells
• Memories influence choice of food
• Researchers discover molecular approach to promote cancer cell death
• Thunder god vine used in traditional Chinese medicine is a potential obesity treatment
• Why you need one vaccine for measles and many for the flu
• Compound has potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis
• Premature aging: Scientists identify, correct defects in diseased cells
• Dental researchers find some immune cells change to prolong inflammation
• Fine particulate air pollution linked to risk of childhood autism
• Workplace intervention improves sleep of employees' children
• Snacking on protein can improve appetite control, diet quality in teens
• Personalized care during eye visits didn't lower HbA1c levels for diabetics
• Pliability, elasticity of skin increase following wrinkle treatment with Botox
• Experts map surgical approaches for auditory brainstem implantation
• Imaging technique identifies early metastasis in lymph nodes
• Injury rates from wearing high-heeled shoes have doubled
• Blood to feeling: Scientists turn adult human blood cells into neurons
• Brain tumors: Millimeter by millimeter towards a better prognosis
• Odds are that chronic gamblers are often also depressed
• Continuous glucose monitoring with real-time measurement devices has added benefit
• How our gut changes through our lifetimes, and how this determines our overall health
• Infections can affect your IQ
• Nanotherapy effective in mice with multiple myeloma
• Major breakthrough against rare kidney disease
• Personality does matter, researchers say
• New data clarify leaflet thickening in TAVI and surgical aortic prostheses
• New study challenges claims on aldehyde content of third generation e-cigarettes
• Endocrine disrupting chemicals in baby teethers
• Phages transducing antibiotic resistance detected in chicken meat
• Study questions beneficial effects of a Nordic diet on cardiovascular events
• Obesity, weight loss change splicing pattern of obesity, type 2 diabetes genes
• Modern alchemy: Chemists devise synthesis of valuable exotic compounds
• Helping doctors predict what's next for patients diagnosed with hepatitis C
• Flexible electronics harvest energy from natural motions of human body
• Common mutation linked to heart disease
• How big tobacco is able to woo parliamentarians
• People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease
• Novel drug combo improves function of cystic fibrosis protein
• Growing up with smokers doubles risk for adult smoking among Hispanics

Mood instability common to mental health disorders, associated with poor outcomes Posted: 21 May 2015 06:06 PM PDT Mood instability occurs in a wide range of mental disorders, and is not exclusive to affective conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, new research confirms. The research also found that mood instability was associated with poorer clinical outcomes.

Smoking, drug abuse could more than triple annual ER visits Posted: 21 May 2015 01:05 PM PDT Smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to become frequent visitors of emergency rooms, according to findings uncovered by a preliminary study by an emergency room utilization researcher. Also, substance abuse and psychiatric illness could triple annual ER visits.

Significant cost savings found in pediatric telemedicine consults Posted: 21 May 2015 12:18 PM PDT A comprehensive study has been completed to determine whether pediatric telemedicine consultations with rural emergency departments save money compared to telephone consults.

Obese teens' brains unusually susceptible to food commercials, study finds Posted: 21 May 2015 11:41 AM PDT TV food commercials disproportionately stimulate the brains of overweight teenagers, including the regions that control pleasure, taste and -- most surprisingly -- the mouth, suggesting they mentally simulate unhealthy eating habits that make it difficult to lose weight later in life.

New chemical technology boosts potency of targeted cancer therapy Posted: 21 May 2015 11:40 AM PDT A new chemical technology uses cancer cells' own protein-degrading machinery to destroy, rather than merely inhibit, cancer proteins. Researchers developed the strategy as a way to develop inhibitors of "undruggable" proteins and overcome drug resistance, a common shortcoming of targeted therapies. Resistance arises when tumors that originally responded to a particular therapy manage to circumvent the drug's effects and resume their growth.

Epstein-Barr virus co-infection may boost malaria mortality in childhood Posted: 21 May 2015 11:40 AM PDT Malaria researchers are calling attention to a trouble-maker whose effects may be underappreciated: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Their experiments with mice show that co-infection with a virus closely related to EBV can make a survivable malaria parasite infection lethal.

Partly human yeast show a common ancestor's lasting legacy Posted: 21 May 2015 11:39 AM PDT Despite a billion years of evolution separating humans from the baker's yeast in their refrigerators, hundreds of genes from an ancestor that the two species have in common live on nearly unchanged in them both, say biologists. The team created thriving strains of genetically engineered yeast using human genes and found that certain groups of genes are surprisingly stable over evolutionary time.

Can a viral co-infection impair immunity against Plasmodium and turn malaria lethal? Posted: 21 May 2015 11:39 AM PDT It is known that infections with certain viruses can weaken the immune response to another pathogen. A new study reports provocative findings in mice that infection with the mouse equivalent of Epstein-Barr virus can turn infections with certain parasites that cause malaria in mice (which are normally quickly suppressed by the immune system) into a lethal disease.

Proteins may slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's Posted: 21 May 2015 11:38 AM PDT Certain proteins may slow the devastating memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease, according to a groundbreaking new study. The researchers found evidence that an elevated presence of a protein called neuronal pentraxin-2 may slow cognitive decline and reduce brain atrophy in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Mosquito sex-determining gene could help fight dengue fever Posted: 21 May 2015 11:38 AM PDT A gene responsible for sex determination in mosquitoes that can transmit yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses has been identified by researchers. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need blood for developing eggs, and researchers believe that a higher ratio of males could reduce disease transmission.

Bacteria cooperate to repair damaged siblings Posted: 21 May 2015 10:37 AM PDT A certain type of soil bacteria can use their social behavior of outer membrane exchange to repair damaged cells and improve the fitness of the bacteria population as a whole, new research demonstrates. This is the first evidence that a bacterium can use cell-content sharing to repair damaged siblings, the authors say.

International study of advanced prostate cancer genome finds potential targets for drug therapy Posted: 21 May 2015 10:37 AM PDT First study of the genomic composition of prostate cancer shows many patients have gene mutations that can be targeted with existing or potential drugs. The finding is based on an analysis of tumor samples from 150 men with metastatic prostate cancer that no longer responded to standard hormone-blocking therapy.

Scientists unveil prostate cancer's 'Rosetta Stone' Posted: 21 May 2015 10:37 AM PDT Almost 90 percent of men with advanced prostate cancer carry genetic mutations in their tumors that could be targeted by either existing or new cancer drugs, a landmark new study reveals. Scientists now have created a comprehensive map of the genetic mutations within lethal prostate cancers that have spread around the body, in a paper being hailed as the disease's 'Rosetta Stone.'

New biotechnology for high efficiency purification of live human cells Posted: 21 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT Cell therapies require a purification step that isolates the desired cell types from contaminating cells. Normally cell surface receptors are used as markers to distinguish cell types, but undesired cell types also show these receptors, compromising purification. Evidence suggests microRNA may be a better marker.

Memories influence choice of food Posted: 21 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT The stronger our memory is of a certain food, the more likely we are to choose it -- even if it is the more unattractive option. Psychologists conducted a study on how memory influences our choices by offering various foods and using scans to track brain activity. The researchers were able to show that the influence of memory is mediated by increasing communication between the relevant brain areas.

Researchers discover molecular approach to promote cancer cell death Posted: 21 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT Lung cancer researchers have discovered a novel strategy to exploit apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death, for the treatment of lung cancer. The protein Bcl-2 is a known target for cancer treatment since it allows cancer cells to evade cell death via apoptosis.

Thunder god vine used in traditional Chinese medicine is a potential obesity treatment Posted: 21 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT An extract from the thunder god vine, which has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, reduces food intake and causes up to a 45 percent decrease in body weight in obese mice. The weight-loss compound, called Celastrol, produces its potent effects by enhancing the action of an appetite-suppressing hormone called leptin. The findings are an early indicator that Celastrol could be developed into a drug for the treatment of obesity.

Why you need one vaccine for measles and many for the flu Posted: 21 May 2015 10:36 AM PDT While the influenza virus mutates constantly and requires a yearly shot that offers a certain percentage of protection, old reliable measles needs only a two-dose vaccine during childhood for lifelong immunity. A new study has an explanation: The surface proteins that the measles virus uses to enter cells are ineffective if they suffer any mutation, meaning that any changes to the virus come at a major cost.

Compound has potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 21 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT A new study outlines a chemical compound with potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the world. Characterized by stiff, swollen joints, it's a progressive disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own cells. Inflammation in the lining of the joints leads to loss of bone and cartilage. People who have rheumatoid arthritis lose mobility and joint function without adequate treatment.

Premature aging: Scientists identify, correct defects in diseased cells Posted: 21 May 2015 09:11 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in restoring normal activity in cells isolated from patients with the premature aging disease Cockayne syndrome. They have uncovered the role played in these cells by an enzyme, the HTRA3 protease.

Dental researchers find some immune cells change to prolong inflammation Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT One of the mysteries of how a small group of immune cells work has been unraveled by researchers: some inflammation-fighting immune cells may actually convert into cells that trigger disease.

Fine particulate air pollution linked to risk of childhood autism Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT Exposure to fine particulate air pollution during pregnancy through the first two years of the child's life may be associated with an increased risk of a child developing autism spectrum disorder, a condition that affects one in 68 children, according to an investigation of children in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Workplace intervention improves sleep of employees' children Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT A workplace intervention designed to reduce employees' work-family conflict and increase schedule flexibility also has a positive influence on the sleep patterns of the employees' children, researchers report.

Snacking on protein can improve appetite control, diet quality in teens Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT Although eating high-protein, afternoon snacks can aid appetite control in adults, little information exists to guide parents on what types of snacks might benefit their adolescent children. Now, researchers have found that afternoon snacking, particularly on high-protein-soy foods, reduces afternoon appetite, delays subsequent eating and reduces unhealthy evening snacking in teenagers.

Personalized care during eye visits didn't lower HbA1c levels for diabetics Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT Providing personalized education and risk assessment for patients with diabetes when they visit the ophthalmologist did not improve glycemic control as measured by hemoglobin A1c levels compared with patients who received usual care, according to a study.

Pliability, elasticity of skin increase following wrinkle treatment with Botox Posted: 21 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT Human skin has three biomechanical features: strength, pliability (the ability to stretch) and elasticity (the ability to recoil). As people age, these properties change and the loss of skin elasticity appears to be the most prominent. Now researchers report that skin pliability and elasticity improved after treatment with onabotulinum toxin (Botox) for mild facial wrinkles, and the effect lasted for up to four months.

Experts map surgical approaches for auditory brainstem implantation Posted: 21 May 2015 09:09 AM PDT A technique called auditory brainstem implantation can restore hearing for patients who can't benefit from cochlear implants. A team of experts has mapped out the surgical anatomy and approaches for auditory brainstem implantation.

Imaging technique identifies early metastasis in lymph nodes Posted: 21 May 2015 09:09 AM PDT A highly sensitive imaging technique for non-invasive screening of lymph nodes for metastatic cancer has been developed by researchers. The new imaging technique -- so far tested in mice -- offers a rapid tool to noninvasively identify cancer's spread at its earliest stages.

Injury rates from wearing high-heeled shoes have doubled Posted: 21 May 2015 09:09 AM PDT New research shows that high-heeled-shoe-related injuries doubled between 2002 and 2012. The frequency and severity of those injuries were sufficient to make the investigators suggest that wearing the appropriate shoes for the appropriate occasion and being aware of one's surroundings are good ideas.

Blood to feeling: Scientists turn adult human blood cells into neurons Posted: 21 May 2015 09:09 AM PDT Stem cell scientists can now directly convert adult human blood cells to both central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) neurons as well as neurons in the peripheral nervous system (rest of the body) that are responsible for pain, temperature and itch perception. This means that how a person's nervous system cells react and respond to stimuli, can be determined from his blood.

Brain tumors: Millimeter by millimeter towards a better prognosis Posted: 21 May 2015 07:49 AM PDT A method known as navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has been gaining importance in neurosurgery for some time now. Among other applications, it is used to map brain tumors before an operation and to test whether important regions of the brain, for example motor and language areas, are affected. Doctors have now shown that preoperative nTMS analysis of motor areas improves the prognosis of patients with malignant brain tumors.

Odds are that chronic gamblers are often also depressed Posted: 21 May 2015 07:48 AM PDT If a young man is a chronic gambler, the chances are extremely high that he also suffers from depression, finds a study that is is the first to investigate the extent to which gambling and depression develop hand-in-hand from the teenage years to early adulthood.

Continuous glucose monitoring with real-time measurement devices has added benefit Posted: 21 May 2015 06:50 AM PDT Real-time continuous glucose monitoring has advantages for HbA1c control, reviewers have concluded in a new report.

How our gut changes through our lifetimes, and how this determines our overall health Posted: 21 May 2015 06:50 AM PDT Scientists and clinicians have carried out the first detailed study of how our intestinal tract changes as we age, and how this determines our overall health.

Infections can affect your IQ Posted: 21 May 2015 06:50 AM PDT New research shows that infections can impair your cognitive ability measured on an IQ scale. The study is the largest of its kind to date, and it shows a clear correlation between infection levels and impaired cognition.

Nanotherapy effective in mice with multiple myeloma Posted: 21 May 2015 06:18 AM PDT A nanoparticle-based therapy has been designed by researchers that is effective in treating mice with multiple myeloma, a cancer of immune cells in the bone marrow. Targeted specifically to the malignant cells, these nanoparticles protect their therapeutic cargo from degradation in the bloodstream and greatly enhance drug delivery into the cancer cells. These are longtime hurdles in the development of this class of potential cancer drugs.

Major breakthrough against rare kidney disease Posted: 21 May 2015 06:17 AM PDT A significant breakthrough has been made in the fight against Membranous Nephropathy (MN) -- a rare kidney disease which can lead to kidney failure -- scientists report in a new article.

Personality does matter, researchers say Posted: 21 May 2015 06:17 AM PDT Why do people behave the way they do? Why do people feel the way they do? In one of the largest studies to employ experience sampling methods to measure the effects of situations on human behavior in real-time and outside of a lab setting, researchers have shown that personality predicted behavior across a lot of different situations over time, confirming that personality really does matter.

New data clarify leaflet thickening in TAVI and surgical aortic prostheses Posted: 21 May 2015 05:24 AM PDT New data suggest that thickening of the valve leaflets following implantation of a transcatheter or surgical aortic valve bioprosthesis is relatively rare, not linked to short-term clinical events, and not unique to any one type of valve. Longer-term follow-up and larger studies looking specifically at this issue are warranted, experts said at a special session devoted to the emerging understanding of the phenomenon.

New study challenges claims on aldehyde content of third generation e-cigarettes Posted: 21 May 2015 05:24 AM PDT In January 2015 a report found that a third generation e-cigarette -- an e-cigarette with variable power settings -- set to the maximum power and long puff duration generated levels of formaldehyde that, if inhaled in this way throughout the day, would several times exceed formaldehyde levels that smokers get from cigarettes. A new study took a closer look at those findings in the context of real-world conditions. It concluded that 3rd generation e-cigarettes can indeed produce high levels of aldehydes -- but only under extreme conditions which human smokers can be expected to avoid because of the immediate unpleasant sensory effects.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in baby teethers Posted: 21 May 2015 05:23 AM PDT In laboratory tests, two out of ten teethers, plastic toys used to sooth babies' teething ache, release endocrine disrupting chemicals. One product contains parabens, which are normally used as preservatives in cosmetics, while the second contains six so-far unidentified endocrine disruptors.

Phages transducing antibiotic resistance detected in chicken meat Posted: 21 May 2015 05:23 AM PDT Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria poses a global threat to public health. Common antibiotics are often ineffective in treating infectious diseases because pathogens acquire resistance genes. These antimicrobial resistance genes are obtained in different ways.

Study questions beneficial effects of a Nordic diet on cardiovascular events Posted: 21 May 2015 05:23 AM PDT Although individual components of a healthy so-called Nordic diet previously have been linked to beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, as well as to other health effects, there is no evidence of an association with cardiovascular events in a general population, a study concludes. The study was conducted in in over 40,000 Swedish women.

Obesity, weight loss change splicing pattern of obesity, type 2 diabetes genes Posted: 21 May 2015 05:23 AM PDT Alternative splicing of obesity and type 2 diabetes related genes may contribute to the pathophysiology of obesity, according to research. Obesity leads to changes in the splicing pattern of metabolically relevant genes such as TCF7L2 and INSR, resulting in impaired insulin action. However, weight loss, induced by either obesity surgery or a very low-calorie diet, reverses these changes. The findings increase our understanding of splicing dysregulations in obesity and can result in a new, more targeted treatment and more accurate diagnostics of metabolic disorders.

Modern alchemy: Chemists devise synthesis of valuable exotic compounds Posted: 21 May 2015 05:22 AM PDT A broad and strikingly inexpensive method for synthesizing "amines," a class of organic compounds prominent in drugs and other modern products, has been discovered by a group of chemists. The new reaction is particularly useful for synthesizing complex amines that would be highly valuable in pharmaceuticals, but are impractical -- or impossible -- to make with standard methods.

Helping doctors predict what's next for patients diagnosed with hepatitis C Posted: 21 May 2015 05:16 AM PDT As more Baby Boomers are screened for hepatitis C, a patient risk prediction model may help doctors target costly medications to those most likely to develop serious liver issues. The model uses routine lab values and machine-learning methods to help doctors predict the health outlook of patients diagnosed with hepatitis C.

Flexible electronics harvest energy from natural motions of human body Posted: 21 May 2015 05:16 AM PDT Researchers created thin, flexible electronic devices that efficiently harvest the mechanical energy from natural motions of the human body. In addition to advances in materials processing to enable creating these devices, accurate analytical models were developed to predict the electrical output.

Common mutation linked to heart disease Posted: 20 May 2015 04:40 PM PDT A common mutation in a gene that regulates cholesterol levels may raise the risk of heart disease in carriers up to 49 percent, particularly among men and African Americans, according to a new study.

How big tobacco is able to woo parliamentarians Posted: 20 May 2015 04:40 PM PDT An investigation asks to what extent is the tobacco industry able to reach out and influence parliamentarians? The findings raise important questions about how far the vested interests of the tobacco industry control the public health agenda.

People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease Posted: 20 May 2015 04:35 PM PDT People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a large study.

Novel drug combo improves function of cystic fibrosis protein Posted: 20 May 2015 04:35 PM PDT A novel two-drug combination has the potential to target and restore a defective protein underlying cystic fibrosis (CF), according to two phase III clinical trials conducted at 187 medical centers around the world.

Growing up with smokers doubles risk for adult smoking among Hispanics Posted: 20 May 2015 04:35 PM PDT For Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States, growing up in a home with a regular smoker nearly doubled their chances of becoming an adult smoker. The findings are based on data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the largest ongoing study of this ethno-culturally diverse population in the U.S.

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