ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Studies point to clinical advantages of proton therapy
• Cyclic healing removes defects in metals while maintaining strength
• Study finds existence of protein in blood can be early predictor of kidney disease
• Monkey model discovery could spur CMV vaccine development
• Gene could hold key to treating Parkinson's disease
• Gene on-off switch works like backpack strap
• Regrow a tooth? Fish, yes; humans, maybe some day
• Holocaust survivors' memories help researchers map brain circuitry for gratitude
• Significant nonmedical financial burden for families after child admitted to ICU
• New approach toward a broad spectrum malaria vaccine
• Burnout, depression: Two entities or one?
• Are cars nanotube factories on wheels?
• Antiplatelet therapy with blood thinners reduces mortality for angioplasty patients
• Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery
• Trial results show that 'health risk assessment' benefits non-disabled elderly people
• Structure of an enzyme complex that plays a vital role in cancer development determined
• Study compares traditional, modern views of aging
• Powerful plastic microscope brings better diagnostic care for world's rural poor
• Biomarker finder adjusts on the fly
• X-citing X chromosome discovery could aid research on many sex-linked disorders
• Case report finds 'popcorn lung' in patient using e-cigarettes
• 3D printing provides low-cost alternative in bronchoscopy simulation training
• The 20 lb. cereal box: Kitchen counter foods that relate to your weight
• Nanotechnology inspires next-generation dental materials
• What to do to prevent food allergies in infants
• Young babies don't experience tickles in the way you think they do
• Heavy TV watching leads to unhealthy perceptions of fast food health risks
• Whey protein optimization for athletes
• Boosting levels of a key growth factor may help prevent cardiovascular disease
• Physical activity has greater impact on body composition in postmenopausal women
• High-fat diet may cause changes in brain that lead to anxiety, depression
• Experimental treatment regimen effective against HIV
• Determining accurate life expectancy of older adults requires provider, patient discussion
• Orange lichens are potential source for anticancer drugs
• Unintended costs of health-care integration
• Building and breaking synapses
• New, potent way to boost immunity, fight viruses
• Research on 377,000 people worldwide highlights the role of genes in eczema
• Some patients in a vegetative state retain awareness, despite being unable to move
• Invasive staphylococcus aureus infections in hospitalized infants
• No increased dementia risk found in diagnosed celiac patients
• 'Reversible' tumor suppressor loss: Key to new brain cancer therapies?
• Early childhood stress affects brain's response to rewards
• How mechanical stretching forces impact human vascular cells
• Imitation biologics are therapeutically equivalent to the original drugs
• Outreach increases completion of HPV vaccination series by adolescent girls
• SUNfeet technology for the customization of comfort insoles using a smartphone
• Watching the inflammation process in real time
• Drug residues in wastewater: Private households mainly responsible
• Bacterium capable of aquifer decontamination characterized, cultivated for first time in Europe
• Heavy drinkers, drugs users underestimate their levels of consumption compared to others'
• Tualang honey supplements found to reduce harmful side effects of smoking
• Better communication about sex is just as effective as 'female Viagra'
• Study reveals a key role your gut bacteria play in body's self-defense
• Many parents unaware of plans for emergencies at preschools and child care centers

Studies point to clinical advantages of proton therapy Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:18 PM PDT New data from clinical trials demonstrate the technology's potential advantages over conventional radiation, including less side effects and survival in some cases, for several harder-to-treat tumors: pancreatic, late-stage, non-small cell lung and chordoma and chondrosarcoma, two rare cancers found in bone or soft tissue.

Cyclic healing removes defects in metals while maintaining strength Posted: 19 Oct 2015 03:30 PM PDT An international team of researchers has developed a new technique called cyclic healing that uses repetitive, gentle stretching to eliminate pre-existing defects in metal crystals.

Study finds existence of protein in blood can be early predictor of kidney disease Posted: 19 Oct 2015 03:30 PM PDT A new study study has identified the presence of a specific protein in the blood used to look for heart damage. This protein can be an early indicator of end-stage renal disease -- and ultimately death -- in people with hypertension, regardless of race or baseline kidney function.

Monkey model discovery could spur CMV vaccine development Posted: 19 Oct 2015 12:47 PM PDT Rhesus monkeys can, in fact, transmit Cytomegalovirus (CMV) across the placenta to their unborn offspring, new research shows. This finding establishes the first primate model that researchers can use to study mother-to-fetus CMV infections and spur development of potential vaccine approaches.

Gene could hold key to treating Parkinson's disease Posted: 19 Oct 2015 12:41 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new gene linked to nerve function, which could provide a treatment target for 'switching off' the gene in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

Gene on-off switch works like backpack strap Posted: 19 Oct 2015 12:41 PM PDT A research team has found that loop-forming proteins inside the human chromosome appear to work like the sliding plastic adjusters on a grade-schooler's backpack. This discovery may allow researchers to reprogram human cells by directly modifying the loops that form in DNA.

Regrow a tooth? Fish, yes; humans, maybe some day Posted: 19 Oct 2015 12:41 PM PDT When a Lake Malawi cichlid loses a tooth, a new one drops neatly into place as a replacement. Why can't humans similarly regrow teeth lost to injury or disease?

Holocaust survivors' memories help researchers map brain circuitry for gratitude Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:34 AM PDT Holocaust survivor stories helped a post-doctoral researcher with a series of studies on gratitude and how it functions in the brain. The study sheds new light on a very under-studied subject, said the study's senior author.

Significant nonmedical financial burden for families after child admitted to ICU Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:34 AM PDT Researchers found that families with children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit incurred significant nonmedical, out-of-pocket expenses and demonstrated work absenteeism and inability to perform daily activities, with lowest income brackets bearing the highest burden.

New approach toward a broad spectrum malaria vaccine Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:33 AM PDT Malaria affects millions of people worldwide. Plasmodium falciparum enolase participates in parasite invasion of host red blood cells and mosquito midgut epithelium. Anti-enolase antibodies interfere with the invasion, inhibiting parasite growth and transmission. A pentapeptide insert of parasite enolase, conserved in all Plasmodia species, but absent from host enolases, shows considerable protection against malaria when displayed on Archaeal gas vesicle nanoparticles. A vaccine based on this motif could confer protection against all malaria parasites.

Burnout, depression: Two entities or one? Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:29 AM PDT Burnout and depression overlap considerably, according to the latest study on the subject. The findings are based on a survey taken by 1,386 public school teachers, from pre-K to 12th grade across the United States during the 2013-14 academic year.

Are cars nanotube factories on wheels? Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:29 AM PDT Scientists detect the presence of carbon nanotubes in cells extracted from the airways of Parisian children with asthma. Their results suggest nanotubes may be common components of airborne pollution and vehicles may be a source.

Antiplatelet therapy with blood thinners reduces mortality for angioplasty patients Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:27 AM PDT Patients with acute coronary syndrome who have undergone angioplasty have a reduced risk of all-cause in-hospital mortality but an increased risk of bleeding when given glycoprotein 2b/3a inhibitors after the procedure, according to a new study.

Low household income can increase risk of death after heart surgery Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:27 AM PDT Low household income was associated with higher risk of death after cardiac surgery in Sweden despite that the entire population has access to free health care, according to a new study.

Trial results show that 'health risk assessment' benefits non-disabled elderly people Posted: 19 Oct 2015 11:27 AM PDT Implementation of a collaborative care model among community-dwelling older people using a health risk assessment instrument resulted in better health behaviors and increased use of preventative care, according to a new study.

Structure of an enzyme complex that plays a vital role in cancer development determined Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:10 AM PDT Researchers have deciphered the long-sought atomic structure of PRC2, an enzyme complex that plays a key role in the development of several types of cancer, in particular blood cancer.

Study compares traditional, modern views of aging Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:10 AM PDT Traditional societies may see the aging process in a more positive light than modern societies, according to a researcher.

Powerful plastic microscope brings better diagnostic care for world's rural poor Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:08 AM PDT A plastic, miniature digital fluorescence microscope has been developed that can quantify white blood cell levels in patients located in rural parts of the world that are far removed from the modern laboratory.

Biomarker finder adjusts on the fly Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:08 AM PDT Bioengineers have developed a continuously tunable method to locate biomarkers in DNA and RNA. Finding biomarkers is important for the detection of diseases and design of therapies to treat them.

X-citing X chromosome discovery could aid research on many sex-linked disorders Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:08 AM PDT A new genetic discovery could help scientists understand exactly how one X chromosome in each cell of a female's body gets 'silenced' -- and perhaps lead to better treatment for X-linked diseases.

Case report finds 'popcorn lung' in patient using e-cigarettes Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:08 AM PDT A case report has been presented of acute inhalation lung injury related to the use of e-cigarettes and a flavored e-cigarette liquid containing diacetyl.

3D printing provides low-cost alternative in bronchoscopy simulation training Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:08 AM PDT 3D-printed tracheobronchial tree models compared favorably against other more standard models in training pulmonary physicians to perform bronchoscopy, researchers have found. The study compared the two models based on realism, accuracy, look and feel, and overall usefulness as a teaching tool. Currently, most simulation centers use models that are more expensive than 3-D-printed models and fail to capture the subtle anatomical details of the airways.

The 20 lb. cereal box: Kitchen counter foods that relate to your weight Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:07 AM PDT Over 200 American kitchens were photographed to determine if the food sitting out on counters could predict the weight of the woman living in each home.

Nanotechnology inspires next-generation dental materials Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:07 AM PDT Have a cavity? Ask your dentist about filling it with a mixture of nanoparticles including silica and zirconia. These white fillings resemble teeth better than their metal alternatives and are less likely to come loose or fracture teeth. This is just the beginning argue scientists in a review of 'nanodentistry.' Next-generation dental materials incorporating nanotechnology aim to help teeth self-heal, rebuild enamel, and protect against bacterial infections.

What to do to prevent food allergies in infants Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:07 AM PDT With food allergies in children on the rise, parents often ask the question, How do I prevent food allergies in my baby? A new review, based on the latest evidence, interprets new evidence to guide physicians and families regarding food introduction and allergy prevention.

Young babies don't experience tickles in the way you think they do Posted: 19 Oct 2015 10:07 AM PDT When you tickle the toes of newborn babies, the experience for them isn't quite as you would imagine it to be. That's because, according to new evidence, infants in the first four months of life apparently feel that touch and wiggle their feet without connecting the sensation to you.

Heavy TV watching leads to unhealthy perceptions of fast food health risks Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:40 AM PDT The amount of TV adolescents watch is likely to bias their views about the consequences of eating fast food, suggests new research. Investigators surveyed over 1,000 teenagers who reported hours of TV viewing, beliefs about the consequences of eating fast food, and their frequency of fast food consumption.

Whey protein optimization for athletes Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:37 AM PDT While whey protein supplementation helps athletes build lean body mass, progress can be stifled by overlooking a key facet of training: muscle recovery. New research tests a whey protein supplement fortified with compounds designed to aid in muscle recovery following highly demanding resistance exercise.

Boosting levels of a key growth factor may help prevent cardiovascular disease Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:37 AM PDT New research indicates that low levels of a growth factor called stem cell factor (SCF)—which is thought to be important for blood vessel repair—are linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In a study of 384 patients with a first coronary event and 409 event-free individuals, SCF measurements had a predictive value that was in the same range as that of established cardiovascular risk factors such as LDL and HDL cholesterol. Moreover, smokers and diabetics had reduced levels of SCF in the circulation, and low blood levels of the growth factor were associated with more severe disease among patients with atherosclerosis.

Physical activity has greater impact on body composition in postmenopausal women Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:34 AM PDT Everyone knows that exercise is good for you, regardless of your age. But a new study shows that some types of physical activity have a greater impact on body composition in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women.

High-fat diet may cause changes in brain that lead to anxiety, depression Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:32 AM PDT A new study in mice reveals that increased body weight and high blood sugar as a result of consuming a high-fat diet may cause anxiety and depressive symptoms and measurable changes in the brain.

Experimental treatment regimen effective against HIV Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:31 AM PDT Protease inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs that are commonly used to treat HIV. Scientists have designed a new delivery system for these drugs that, when coupled with another investigational drug, rid immune cells of HIV and kept the virus in check for long periods. While current HIV treatments involve pills that are taken daily, the new regimens' long-lasting effects suggest that HIV treatment could be administered perhaps once or twice per year.

Determining accurate life expectancy of older adults requires provider, patient discussion Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT Health care providers must have detailed discussions with their older adult patients to better determine their true life expectancy, according to researchers.

Orange lichens are potential source for anticancer drugs Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT An orange pigment found in lichens and rhubarb called parietin may have potential as an anti-cancer drug because it interferes with the metabolic enzyme 6PGD, scientists have discovered.

Unintended costs of health-care integration Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT As hospital acquisition of physician practices has led to more physicians becoming employees of hospitals, prices have gone up, with no offsetting evidence of greater efficiency.

Building and breaking synapses Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a protein that's involved in helping control the architecture of connections between neurons -- a basic process involved in both healthy and diseased brains.

New, potent way to boost immunity, fight viruses Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:29 AM PDT Studying mice with a variety of viral infections, scientists have demonstrated a way to dial up the body's innate immune defenses while simultaneously attacking a protein that many viruses rely on to replicate.

Research on 377,000 people worldwide highlights the role of genes in eczema Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:24 AM PDT In the largest genetic study of eczema in the world to date, a group of international researchers has combined data on 377,000 participants in 40 research studies worldwide, including the Bristol-based Children of the 90s, to identify 10 new genetic variants related to eczema.

Some patients in a vegetative state retain awareness, despite being unable to move Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:24 AM PDT New insight into a vital cerebral pathway has explained how some patients in a vegetative state are aware despite appearing to be unconscious and being behaviorally unresponsive.

Invasive staphylococcus aureus infections in hospitalized infants Posted: 19 Oct 2015 09:22 AM PDT Invasive methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection (MSSA) caused more infections and more deaths in hospitalized infants than invasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection (MRSA), which suggests measures to prevent S. aureus infections should include MSSA in addition to MRSA, according to a new article.

No increased dementia risk found in diagnosed celiac patients Posted: 19 Oct 2015 08:25 AM PDT Celiac patients are at no increased risk for dementia before or after their diagnosis of celiac disease, a new and comprehensive study has found. The study analyzed data on 8,846 individuals over the age of 50, matching patients with celiac disease to controls with regard to their rate of developing dementia. After a median follow-up period of 8.4 years, dementia was diagnosed in 4.3% of celiac disease patients and 4.4% of matched controls.

'Reversible' tumor suppressor loss: Key to new brain cancer therapies? Posted: 19 Oct 2015 08:25 AM PDT It's no surprise that people enjoy warm places like Hawaii but may suffer in hostile locales such as Antarctica. A tumor suppressor gene called PTEN is similar in that it is affected by the microenvironments of certain bodily organs to which it travels.

Early childhood stress affects brain's response to rewards Posted: 19 Oct 2015 08:09 AM PDT A new study has pinpointed how early childhood stress affects brain activity, related to risks for depression and other mental health problems in adulthood.

How mechanical stretching forces impact human vascular cells Posted: 19 Oct 2015 08:09 AM PDT Vascular cells are continuously subjected to pulsatile mechanical extension of vessels caused by the periodic contraction of the heart. The physiology of vascular cells strongly depends on these mechanical forces. Now, it has been demonstrated that the temporal reactions of vascular cells to such mechanical perturbation are specific for the individual vascular cell type -- smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. These cell type-specific mechano-responses may overall contribute to the vascular tissues integrity.

Imitation biologics are therapeutically equivalent to the original drugs Posted: 19 Oct 2015 07:37 AM PDT Rheumatologists have been analyzing clinical data on biosimilars that have already been approved for use. The term 'biosimilars' refers to drugs that mimic the effects of biologics. A particular focus of the article is the efficacy of biosimilars that have already been approved for the treatment of rheumatic diseases within the past three years.

Outreach increases completion of HPV vaccination series by adolescent girls Posted: 19 Oct 2015 07:37 AM PDT A multicomponent outreach program increased completion of the three-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series that reduces the risk of cervical cancer caused by the virus, say researchers.

SUNfeet technology for the customization of comfort insoles using a smartphone Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:22 AM PDT Scientists have developed SUNfeet, insoles which are customized to the anatomy of the user's foot, which increase the comfort of footwear and reduce pain and fatigue in the feet.

Watching the inflammation process in real time Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Scientists have developed a test system for the search for new active ingredients. Medical researchers were able to study in detail the mechanism through which the enzyme 5-Lipoxygenase together with another protein called FLAP starts inflammation processes.

Drug residues in wastewater: Private households mainly responsible Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Most drug residues discharged to wastewater come from private households. As contributors of pollution by Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), health establishments, such as hospitals, psychiatric and nursing facilities are hardly worth mentioning, say researchers. They merely discharge a small amount, and only at local level, of these significant contaminating substances to wastewater.

Bacterium capable of aquifer decontamination characterized, cultivated for first time in Europe Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Researchers have identified in the Besòs river estuary (Barcelona, Spain) a bacterium of the genus Dehalogenimonas, which has the capacity to transform toxic organochlorine compounds into others that are harmless. These experts have succeeded in characterizing and cultivating these bacteria for the first time in Europe, which opens the door to their production and application to contaminated aquifers.

Heavy drinkers, drugs users underestimate their levels of consumption compared to others' Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Heavy drinkers and users of illegal drugs downplay their relative levels of consumption, when comparing themselves to others, reveals research. The research shows that 68 per cent of respondents were drinking at hazardous or harmful levels, yet the vast majority (83 per cent) felt they were drinking at low or average levels.

Tualang honey supplements found to reduce harmful side effects of smoking Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Smoking is a known factor in many serious health issues: stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, to name but a few. In their recent research, investigators sought to study what impact antioxidants in honey have on the oxidative stress in smokers.

Better communication about sex is just as effective as 'female Viagra' Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT A hormone treatment with oxytocin improves the sexual experience of women suffering from sexual dysfunction. However, a control group that only received a placebo via a nasal spray, showed similar improvements. Sexual dysfunction in women is therefore not merely a question of a chemical hormone deficiency but is often also a sign of a lack of communication with a partner and an expression of everyday stress, emphasizes an expert.

Study reveals a key role your gut bacteria play in body's self-defense Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:20 AM PDT Human intestinal flora regulates the levels of the body's main antioxidant, glutathione, which fights a host of diseases, new research confirms. The findings could lead to new probiotic-delivering foods, and a better understanding of the metabolic processes behind diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Many parents unaware of plans for emergencies at preschools and child care centers Posted: 19 Oct 2015 04:19 AM PDT Young children at American preschools and child care centers can be especially vulnerable during emergencies like a hurricane or violent community situation, say authors of a new report, who outline what it is that parents should know.

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