ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Two-for-one bacterial virulence factor revealed
• Gregarious chimps harbor richer gut microbiomes
• Weight loss, quitting smoking and giving up alcohol may be aided by hormones from our guts
• How a developmental gene controls feeding behaviour
• Cause of an aggressive form of childhood cancer identified
• New particle can track chemo
• Occupational textile dust exposure linked to rheumatoid arthritis
• UK teens heavily exposed to alcohol and tobacco content in YouTube music videos
• How diabetes drug metformin inhibits progression of pancreatic cancer
• Higher dietary nitrate, green leafy vegetable intake associated with lower risk of glaucoma
• Novel blood thinner found to be safe and effective in women
• Photovoltaics? On perovskites produced by mechanochemistry
• Ultrasound guidance lowers risks of thoracic nerve block technique for mastectomy
• Biodesign: Microfiber pad to improve diagnostics, treatment of urinary tract infection in infants and elderly

Two-for-one bacterial virulence factor revealed Posted: 16 Jan 2016 06:49 PM PST Given that antibiotics are losing effectiveness faster than replacements are being found, a chemist suggests we try a new approach. Drugs that hobble the production of virulence factors, small molecules that help bacteria to establish an infection in a host, would put much less selective pressure on bacteria and delay the evolution of resistance. In a new article, he describes recent work on a target virulence factor.

Gregarious chimps harbor richer gut microbiomes Posted: 16 Jan 2016 06:47 PM PST Spending time in close contact with others means risking catching germs and getting sick. But being sociable may also help transmit 'good' microbes, finds a new study. Researchers monitored changes in the gut microbiomes and social behavior of chimpanzees over eight years in Tanzania. The number of bacterial species in a chimp's GI tract increased when the chimps were more gregarious. The results help scientists understand the factors that maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Weight loss, quitting smoking and giving up alcohol may be aided by hormones from our guts Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:53 AM PST Scientists are investigating whether an infusion of gut hormones could help people to stop over-eating, quit smoking, or give up alcohol. In the study, volunteers will have three infusions of hormones similar to GLP-1 and ghrelin, or a placebo infusion of salt water. There will be 90 participants in total -- 30 will be overweight and trying to lose weight, 30 will be ex-smokers and another 30 will be ex-drinkers.

How a developmental gene controls feeding behaviour Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:53 AM PST New insights into a Hox gene have been gained by biologists, using the fruit fly model organism. The team of scientists studied the function of a special developmental gene of the Hox gene family. This gene is essential for maintaining a motor unit in the fly's head that consists of a muscle and the stimulating neurons that enable the fly to feed.

Cause of an aggressive form of childhood cancer identified Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:52 AM PST Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a very aggressive cancer of the blood, which usually occurs as a tumour in lymph nodes, the skin, the lungs, the liver, and in soft tissue, and mainly affects children and young adults. The cause of this disease has not previously been researched. But now, scientists for the first time have succeeded in identifying the origins of ALCL.

New particle can track chemo Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:24 PM PST Tracking the path of chemotherapy drugs in real time and at a cellular level could revolutionize cancer care and help doctors sort out why two patients might respond differently to the same treatment. Researchers have found a way to light up a common cancer drug so they can see where the chemo goes and how long it takes to get there.

Occupational textile dust exposure linked to rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:24 PM PST Occupational exposure to textile dust is associated with a more than doubling in the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, finds new research. And it is also linked to a heightened risk of genetic susceptibility to the risk of developing antibodies to rheumatoid arthritis, known as ACPA, which hasten progression of the disease.

UK teens heavily exposed to alcohol and tobacco content in YouTube music videos Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:24 PM PST UK teens are heavily exposed to alcohol and tobacco images and lyrics in digital YouTube music videos, indicates new research. Those exposed the most are 13-15 year olds, and girls, the findings suggest.

How diabetes drug metformin inhibits progression of pancreatic cancer Posted: 14 Jan 2016 09:17 AM PST Investigators may have uncovered a novel mechanism behind the ability of the diabetes drug metformin to inhibit the progression of pancreatic cancer. In their report, the research team describes finding that metformin decreases the inflammation and fibrosis characteristic of the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

Higher dietary nitrate, green leafy vegetable intake associated with lower risk of glaucoma Posted: 14 Jan 2016 09:17 AM PST Greater intake of dietary nitrate and green leafy vegetables was associated with a 20 percent to 30 percent lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study.

Novel blood thinner found to be safe and effective in women Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:36 AM PST In new research, investigators compared the safety and efficacy of cangrelor to another commonly used anti-platelet therapy, clopidogrel, to see whether the effects differed between men and women.

Photovoltaics? On perovskites produced by mechanochemistry Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:34 AM PST Perovskites, substances that perfectly absorb light, are the future of solar energy. The opportunity for their rapid dissemination has just increased thanks to a cheap and environmentally safe method of production of these materials, developed by chemists from Warsaw, Poland. Rather than in solutions at a high temperature, perovskites can now be synthesized by solid-state mechanochemical processes: by grinding powders.

Ultrasound guidance lowers risks of thoracic nerve block technique for mastectomy Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:09 AM PST A regional anesthesia technique called thoracic paravertebral nerve block (TPVB) is highly effective in controlling pain after breast cancer surgery, but concern about potential complications may limit its use. A new study provides evidence that using ultrasound to guide the nerve blocking procedure lowers the risk of complications.

Biodesign: Microfiber pad to improve diagnostics, treatment of urinary tract infection in infants and elderly Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:08 AM PST Contamination of urine samples from infants and the elderly is so common that physicians often needlessly prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics prophylactically. Now, a team of researchers has developed an innovative microfiber pad that can save time and money in the collection of sterile samples. The non-invasive solution draws urine samples from absorptive pads in seconds while the remainder is absorbed by a polymer matrix, preventing cross-contamination of the urine sample by contact with skin or fecal matter.

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