ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• From Vulcan salute to papal blessing: Ulnar nerve damage caused original benediction sign
• Adaptation to high-fat diet, cold had profound effect on Inuit, including shorter height
• Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions in clinical trial
• Network control: Letting noise lead the way
• Adolescent painkiller abuse a big problem for small towns, rural areas
• E. coli more virulent when accompanied by beneficial bacteria
• Research discovery leads to potential diagnostic for assessing breast cancer recurrence
• Cancer doesn't sleep: MYC oncogene disrupts clock, metabolism in cancer cells
• Digital 'Rosetta Stone' decrypts how mutations rewire cancer cells
• Can DNA evidence fill gaps in our history books?
• Ages apart: Multifaceted approach measured how brain and liver age differently
• Blood tests reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease risk in obese African-American teens
• New imaging technique detects early brain damage from hypertension
• Parkinson's disease: Everyday activity more beneficial than occasional strenuous exercise
• Extreme makeover of the heart: Matrix therapy is first FDA-approved procedure of its kind
• New approach found to tackle breast cancer hormone therapy resistance
• Novel mechanism of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes
• Personalized heart models for surgical planning
• High proportion of advanced breast cancers in sub-Saharan Africa
• Study of leukemias in children living close to heavily used roads
• Silk and ceramics offer hope for long-term repair of joint injuries
• Biomarker may predict which HER2-negative breast cancer patients will benefit from targeted therapy
• Grieving Before Conception May Be a Risk Factor for Infant Mortality
• Patients with type 2 diabetes should be prioritized for obesity surgery
• 'AIDS on steroids': Comparing the spread of Ebola, AIDS in Africa
• Surgical probe seeks out where cancer ends and healthy tissue begins
• Physical activity, sadness, and suicidality in bullied U.S. adolescents
• New import pathway into the cell's powerhouses
• Do estrogen levels affect the willingness to share?
• COPD sufferers prescribed most sedatives
• Harmful alcohol use increases health risks in all countries
• Fruit and vegetables aren't only good for a healthy body; they protect your mind too
• Multiple myeloma patients more vulnerable to 'financial toxicity' due to expensive, longer courses of treatments
• Scientists create immunity to deadly parasite by manipulating host's genes
• Researchers isolate possible ovarian cancer biomarkers
• Women who give birth in rural hospitals are more likely to need to be later readmitted
• Cure for sickle cell in adults validated
• Rapamycin prevents Parkinson's in mouse model of incurable neurodegenerative disease
• High consumption of sugar sweetened beverages linked to overall poor diet
• Being overweight may increase risk of type of brain tumor
• Could the bioenergetic health index become the next BMI?
• Mechanical ventilators: From breathing help to breathing handicap
• Alzheimer's disease consists of three distinct subtypes, according to study
• New research on attractiveness and mating

From Vulcan salute to papal blessing: Ulnar nerve damage caused original benediction sign Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:02 PM PDT A study of anatomy, art, religion, and culture overturns the popular explanation for the papal hand of benediction posture. An anatomy professor says an ulnar nerve injury suffered by St. Peter, not a median nerve injury, is the underlying reason why he adapted what later became the familiar papal gesture.

Adaptation to high-fat diet, cold had profound effect on Inuit, including shorter height Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:00 PM PDT Researchers have found unique genetic mutations in the Inuit genome that make them more adapted to cold as well as a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, with the side effect of shorter height. This is the first evidence human populations have adapted to particular diets and differ in their physiological response. While a fish oil diet may be healthful for Inuit, this may not be true for other populations.

Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions in clinical trial Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:53 AM PDT Scientists have used a genetically engineered vaccine to successfully eradicate high-grade precancerous cervical lesions in nearly one-half of women who received the vaccine in a clinical trial. The goal, say the scientists, was to find nonsurgical ways to treat precancerous lesions caused by HPV.

Network control: Letting noise lead the way Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Researchers leverage randomness in a new computational approach to keep cells healthy. Using a newly-developed computational algorithm, they showed that this randomness within and among cells, called "noise," can be manipulated to control the networks that govern the workings of living cells -- promoting cellular health and potentially alleviating diseases such as cancer.

Adolescent painkiller abuse a big problem for small towns, rural areas Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Adolescents who live in rural areas and small towns and cities are more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than adolescents who live in large urban areas, according to sociologists.

E. coli more virulent when accompanied by beneficial bacteria Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Scientists wonder why some people get so sick and even die after being infected by the foodborne pathogen E. coli O157:H7, while others experience much milder symptoms and recover relatively quickly. Now researchers believe they have discovered an explanation.

Research discovery leads to potential diagnostic for assessing breast cancer recurrence Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Every woman successfully treated for breast cancer lives with the knowledge that it could come back. New research may lead to a simple blood test to determine the risk of such recurrence, or the cancer invading other organs such as the lungs, bone or brain. Such a test would have profound implications for improving the future treatment of women with all types of breast cancer.

Cancer doesn't sleep: MYC oncogene disrupts clock, metabolism in cancer cells Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:50 AM PDT Myc is a cancer-causing gene responsible for disrupting the normal 24-hour internal rhythm and metabolic pathways in cancer cells. Researchers have found that MYC protein may affect circadian rhythm and metabolism by promiscuously binding to promoter regions in key genes for maintaining these daily cycles.

Digital 'Rosetta Stone' decrypts how mutations rewire cancer cells Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:50 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how genetic cancer mutations systematically attack the networks controlling human cells, knowledge critical for the future development of personalized precision cancer treatments.

Can DNA evidence fill gaps in our history books? Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT If you go back far enough, all people share a common ancestry. But some populations are more closely related than others based on events in the past that brought them together. Now, researchers have shown that it's possible to use DNA evidence as a means to reconstruct and date those significant past events. The findings suggest that evidence in our genomes can help to recover lost bits of history.

Ages apart: Multifaceted approach measured how brain and liver age differently Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Scientists have now measured and compared just how aging affects rats' liver and brain cells. In a new study, they were able to tease out general aging processes from those that are specific to each of these organs.

Blood tests reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease risk in obese African-American teens Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Obese African-American teens, particularly girls, may have immune system changes that can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Taking steps to control weight early in life may reduce inflammation and its negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Blood tests are a possible new preventive tactic to identify teens who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

New imaging technique detects early brain damage from hypertension Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Some people with high blood pressure also have early signs of brain damage, a new imaging technique has found. The damage is linked to difficulties in certain cognitive skills, decision-making, and the ability to regulate emotions. Researchers suggest physicians should start to consider potential brain damage as they treat patients with high blood pressure.

Parkinson's disease: Everyday activity more beneficial than occasional strenuous exercise Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:16 AM PDT Parkinson's patients often become sedentary because of motor symptoms such as gait, balance problems or falls. However, new research finds that non-exercise physical activity, more than occasional trips to the gym, is linked to less severe motor symptoms.

Extreme makeover of the heart: Matrix therapy is first FDA-approved procedure of its kind Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:16 AM PDT A cardiovascular team has successfully performed a first-in-the-world heart procedure on a 72-year-old attorney after suffering a large heart attack. In the emerging heart procedure cardiac matrix is directly injected into a damaged heart.

New approach found to tackle breast cancer hormone therapy resistance Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:04 AM PDT A new explanation has been found as to why women with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer develop resistance to hormone treatment, and a potential new approach to overcome the problem.

Novel mechanism of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:04 AM PDT Insensitivity to insulin, also called insulin resistance, is associated with type 2 diabetes and affects several cell types and organs in the body. Now, scientists have discovered a mechanism that explains how insulin-producing cells can be insulin resistant and insulin sensitive at the same time. The findings may lead to future novel treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

Personalized heart models for surgical planning Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:00 AM PDT A system that can take MRI scans of a patient's heart and, in a matter of hours, convert them into a tangible, physical model that surgeons can use to plan surgery has been developed to decrease the risks patients face when they go under the knife.

High proportion of advanced breast cancers in sub-Saharan Africa Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT In one of the first studies of its kind, a new report finds a large majority of breast cancers in Cote d'Ivoire and Republic of Congo are detected only after they've become advanced. Although breast cancer is far less common in Cote d'Ivoire and Republic of Congo than in high-income countries, breast cancer is the leading cancer among females in sub-Saharan Africa, estimated to constitute one in three female cancers in these two countries in 2012.

Study of leukemias in children living close to heavily used roads Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT The risk of acute leukemia in children living close to heavily used roads has been the focus of recent study. The results of the study show that the incidence of new cases of myeloblastic leukemia (418 of 2,760 cases of leukemia) was 30 percent higher in children in the population whose residence was located within 150 m of heavily used roads, and had a combined length of over 260 m within this radius.

Silk and ceramics offer hope for long-term repair of joint injuries Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Driven by the need to develop more effective therapies requiring less recovery time for common joint conditions such as osteoarthritis, an international team of researchers has developed an integrated two-part scaffold for implantation into damaged joints -- with cartilage scaffold made from silk, and bone scaffold made from ceramics. This combination of materials allows stem cells to successfully populate the graft and differentiate into cartilage and bone cells. The cells fill the damaged areas to reconstitute the original structure of the joint, after which the scaffold biodegrades, leaving the smooth surface required for a pain-free, functioning interface.

Biomarker may predict which HER2-negative breast cancer patients will benefit from targeted therapy Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Brief exposure to a targeted therapy can tell doctors which HER2-negative patients will respond -- and which should switch to another kind of treatment -- new research suggests.

Grieving Before Conception May Be a Risk Factor for Infant Mortality Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT An elevated infant death rate may be linked to mourning experienced by women in the months before they become pregnant, reports a new study.

Patients with type 2 diabetes should be prioritized for obesity surgery Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT When considering overall costs of healthcare, obese patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those with recent disease onset, should be prioritized for obesity surgery over those without type 2 diabetes, experts say, since many patients see a reversal of diabetes after surgery and thus need fewer expensive diabetes medications or treatment for complications in future.

'AIDS on steroids': Comparing the spread of Ebola, AIDS in Africa Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT Just weeks after Sierra Leone discharged its last patient, a new study reflects on the lessons learnt from the recent outbreak of Ebola, comparing it with that of AIDS in Africa in the early 1980s. The authors conclude that both Ebola and AIDS spread rapidly due to the slow international response and the failure of various public-health systems to deal with the root causes of the epidemics.

Surgical probe seeks out where cancer ends and healthy tissue begins Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT A new surgical tool that uses light to make sure surgeons removing cancerous tumors 'got it all' was found to correlate well with traditional pathologists' diagnoses in a clinical study, showing that the tool could soon enable reliable, real-time guidance for surgeons.

Physical activity, sadness, and suicidality in bullied U.S. adolescents Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:14 AM PDT Across the U.S., nearly 20% of students report being bullied on school property. Bullying is associated with academic struggle, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and self-harm. Exercise has been widely reported to have robust positive effects on mental health including reduction in depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, and now research suggests that exercise for 4 or more days per week is associated with an approximate 23% reduction in both suicidal ideation and attempt in bullied adolescents in the United States.

New import pathway into the cell's powerhouses Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have used artificial membranes to show how a particular protein reaches the mitochondria. Mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of the cell, converting the energy stored in foods into a form cells can use. When this important task fails, it can result in numerous diseases, particularly those affecting organs with a high energy consumption like the brain or the heart. The research team has discovered a new import pathway proteins use to reach the mitochondria.

Do estrogen levels affect the willingness to share? Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT Fluctuating hormone levels change a woman's social behaviour over the course of the menstrual cycle. Mood swings and irritability before the period as well as a greater interest in sex during ovulation are well known. Now psychologists have discovered that the willingness to share one's own resources with strangers also fluctuates with hormone levels. Women exhibit a higher willingness to cooperate during and shortly after menstruation -- this is the result of two online studies involving over 400 German and US American women.

COPD sufferers prescribed most sedatives Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:12 AM PDT Norwegian COPD sufferers are prescribed even more sedatives than psychiatric patients, new research reveals. The researchers behind the study believe that this is problematic because the drugs in question are addictive and inhibit lung function.

Harmful alcohol use increases health risks in all countries Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:56 PM PDT Data support the call to increase global awareness of the harmful use of alcohol and the need to further identify and target the modifiable determinants of harmful alcohol use. Authors of a new study also identified differences between countries of different levels of prosperity.

Fruit and vegetables aren't only good for a healthy body; they protect your mind too Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:55 PM PDT Eating a Mediterranean diet or other healthy dietary pattern, comprising of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts and low in processed meats, is associated with preventing the onset of depression, according to research. A large study of 15,093 people suggests depression could be linked with nutrient deficits.

Multiple myeloma patients more vulnerable to 'financial toxicity' due to expensive, longer courses of treatments Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:51 PM PDT Even patients with health insurance who have multiple myeloma may be vulnerable to "financial toxicity" because of the higher use of novel therapeutics and extended duration of myeloma treatment, researchers report.

Scientists create immunity to deadly parasite by manipulating host's genes Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Researchers have silenced genes within human cells to induce immunity to the parasite E. histolytica, demonstrating the effectiveness of an entirely new approach to protecting people from infectious diseases.

Researchers isolate possible ovarian cancer biomarkers Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Researchers have utilized a highly sensitive mass spectrometry analysis to identify and measure difficult-to-detect N-glycan biomarkers associated with ovarian cancers in stages I-IV. In a surprising finding, the researchers determined that the level of biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer does not simply increase or decrease over the course of the disease, but can rise and fall during different stages.

Women who give birth in rural hospitals are more likely to need to be later readmitted Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Researchers compared hospital readmission rates for women who delivered their baby in rural versus urban hospitals. The study found that women discharged from rural hospitals had higher readmission rates than urban hospitals.

Cure for sickle cell in adults validated Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Physicians have cured 12 adult patients of sickle cell disease using a unique procedure for stem cell transplantation from healthy, tissue-matched siblings. The new technique eliminates the need for chemotherapy to prepare the patient to receive the transplanted cells and offers the prospect of cure for tens of thousands of adults suffering from sickle cell disease.

Rapamycin prevents Parkinson's in mouse model of incurable neurodegenerative disease Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Rapamycin, a drug that extends lifespan in several species, prevented Parkinson's disease in middle-age mice that were genetically fated to develop the incurable neurodegenerative disease. While rapamycin did great things for the mice, scientists also got an unexpected plus from the research -- a new understanding of the role parkin plays in cellular dynamics, one that challenges the current dogma in PD research and presents new opportunities for drug discovery.

High consumption of sugar sweetened beverages linked to overall poor diet Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which has been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, is part of a poor overall diet, new research shows.

Being overweight may increase risk of type of brain tumor Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:49 PM PDT Being overweight or obese may be tied to an increased risk of a type of brain tumor called meningioma, according to a new meta-analysis. Meningiomas occur at a rate of about five to eight cases per 100,000 people per year. The five-year survival rate for meningioma is 63 percent.

Could the bioenergetic health index become the next BMI? Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:54 PM PDT A number of chronic diseases that have widespread effects on worldwide populations, such as cancer, neurodegeneration and cardio-metabolic syndromes, are known to have a connection to mitochondrial bioenergetics, the process by which cells create and use energy. The bioenergetic health index has the potential to be a new biomarker for assessing patient health for both prognostic and diagnostic value, experts now say.

Mechanical ventilators: From breathing help to breathing handicap Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:54 PM PDT Mechanical ventilators are routinely used in both surgical and emergency situations every day in U.S. hospitals. Though often life saving in the short term, prolonged use of ventilators can lead to diaphragm weakness, and problems commonly arise—roughly 20 to 30 percent of the time—when weaning the patient off of the ventilator. In a new study, researchers provide insights into what causes the weakness on a cellular level. Their result could lead to strategies that hospitals can use to help prevent ventilator-related diaphragm damage.

Alzheimer's disease consists of three distinct subtypes, according to study Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:54 PM PDT Alzheimer's disease, long thought to be a single disease, really consists of three distinct subtypes, according to a new study. The need for a new approach to treat Alzheimer's is urgent. It is the most common age-related dementia, and the number of people with the disease in the U.S. is expected to increase to 15 million in 2050, from nearly 6 million today, experts say.

New research on attractiveness and mating Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:29 PM PDT New research on what people find 'desirable' and 'essential' in a long-term partner is based on two of the largest national studies of mate preferences ever conducted. The studies examined how heterosexual mate preferences differed according to a person's gender, age, personal income, education and appearance satisfaction.

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