السبت، 23 يناير 2016

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

The neurons in our gut help the immune system keep inflammation in check

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 09:25 AM PST

The immune system must protect against potential infections, but over-vigilant reactions can cause problems. New research shows that neurons in the intestine send signals to immune cells to curb inflammation.

The hideout of the Black Death

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 09:25 AM PST

Black Death, mid-fourteenth century plague, is undoubtedly the most famous historical pandemic. Within only five years it killed 30-50% of the European population. Unfortunately it didn't stop there. Plague resurged throughout Europe leading to continued high mortality and social unrest over the next three centuries.

Malaria parasite is dependent on heavy metals

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 07:42 AM PST

The malaria parasite is rendered barren when the transport of heavy metals such as copper and iron is blocked. In addition, researchers identified six proteins that are essential to the life stages of the parasite in which it sickens its host. They also discovered a gene that is essential for the parasite to settle in its host. This study provides clues for new malaria drugs and vaccines.

How to detect and preserve human stem cells in the lab

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 07:38 AM PST

Human stem cells that are capable of becoming any other kind of cell in the body have previously only been acquired and cultivated with difficulty. Scientists have now presented details of a method to detect such pluripotent cells in a cell culture and preserve them in the laboratory.

60 genetic disorders affect skin, nervous system

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:46 AM PST

At least 60 genetic diseases called neurocutaneous disorders involve the skin, central nervous system, and/or peripheral nervous system, neurologists report.

Robotic arm developed for Duchenne patients

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:38 AM PST

Researchers have developed the A-Gear: a robotic arm that can support the daily activities of people suffering the muscular disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They recently put the final touches to the first prototype for a discreet, body-connected support aid that can be worn under the clothing and that can support independent operation of the arm during important daily activities. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy occurs in approximately 1 in 5000 live born boys. The muscles of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients become weaker during their life. As a result, boys with Duchenne lose the ability to use their arms until, eventually, they are unable to use them at all.

Intensive instrument playing can lead to movement disorders

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:38 AM PST

A musician takes up his/her violin and starts to play, but rather than gripping the strings, the fingers seize up—and this happens every time he/she takes up the instrument. Such a movement disorder—the so-called focal dystonia— is a dramatic disease for those affected, which has thus far barely been studied. In total, one in 6,600 persons will develop the disorder, whereas an estimated one in 100 musicians will succumb.

Fertility experts identify genetic pattern in womb linked to IVF failure

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:37 AM PST

A specific genetic pattern has been discovered in the womb that could predict whether or not IVF treatment is likely to be successful. Experts say that the discovery would help clinicians understand why IVF fails repeatedly in some women.

Looking to lose weight in 2016? Step on the weighing scales

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:36 AM PST

Using the latest connected-health technology, research indicates that the more often people engage with digital weighing scales, the more weight they lose.

Remote care for cochlear implant users

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:36 AM PST

Audiologists are investigating how a new patient-centered approach can help cochlear implant users manage their own care program. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that can improve a person's ability to hear and understand speech if they can't benefit from a hearing aid.

Protein found that improves mobility after spinal cord injuries

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:36 AM PST

Spinal cord injuries cause severe functional disabilities in those who sustain them, including paraplegia or tetraplegia, depending on the scale of the injury. This is due to the degeneration of the spinal pathways that carry nerve signals from the brain to the different parts of the body and vice versa, resulting in loss of mobility and sensitivity underneath the injured area. Over the past few years, different studies have shown that the inflammatory response that develops after an injury contributes to the degeneration of these pathways, thus increasing the functional deficits brought by the injury. However, clinical trials using anti-inflammatory drugs like methylprednisolone have not proven their efficacy.

Should India's 'quacks' be trained to deliver basic patient care?

Posted: 22 Jan 2016 05:34 AM PST

Should unqualified practitioners be trained to deliver basic patient care to alleviate India's doctor shortage, asks a special report.

Survey: Most Americans support smart guns

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 04:10 PM PST

Nearly 60 percent of Americans, if they buy a new handgun, are willing to purchase a smart or childproof gun – a weapon that is only operable in the hands of an authorized user – new research suggests.

No evidence that water birth poses harm to newborns

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 04:09 PM PST

There is no evidence that water births, where a baby is intentionally born under water in a tub or pool, poses any increased harm to the child, researchers have found.

Mitochondrial DNA Levels in the Blood May Predict Risk of Developing Chronic Kidney Disease

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 04:09 PM PST

High levels of mitochondrial DNA in the blood was linked with a 25% reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease compared with low levels, report researchers at the conclusion of a study.

Antibodies may provide 'silver bullet' for Ebola viruses

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 04:08 PM PST

Researchers have isolated human monoclonal antibodies from Ebola survivors which can neutralize multiple species of the virus.

Mitochondrial troublemakers unmasked in lupus

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 03:56 PM PST

Mitochondria could provoke the inflammation characteristic of lupus, an autoimmune disorder affecting the joints, skin, heart and brain. Byproducts of cells' power stations goad certain white blood cells into making mesh traps as a precursor to cell death. Mitochondrial DNA is spewed out, triggering a warning and a response that can damage various organ tissues. Mouse studies suggest this disease mechanism might respond to potential drug therapies.

NYC pedestrian traffic makes for safer street crossings: Google Street View study

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 03:56 PM PST

Researchers have developed a novel method to assess how the streetscape affects the chances pedestrians will be injured by drivers. Using Google Street View the researchers assessed the pedestrian environment at more than 500 New York City street intersections. Findings show that using Google's images instead of visiting collision sites in person resulted in substantial efficiency gains in conducting research on pedestrian safety.

When it comes to newborns, age matters

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 12:05 PM PST

Knowing how many weeks a mother has carried her baby is important information when determining medical care for that child. Now, researchers have found they can estimate an infant's gestation age through a metabolic profile derived from routine newborn screenings.

College students' internet overuse leads families to connect and conflict, new study finds

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 12:01 PM PST

College students who are addicted to the Internet report positive and negative effects on their family relationships, according to new research. The study is the first to show how college students in the United States diagnosed with Problematic Internet Use (PIU) perceive its role in their families.

Low reflective ability is risk for professionalism lapses during medical school and beyond

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 12:01 PM PST

A new study is one of the first to provide quantitative evidence to support anecdotal claims linking reflective ability of medical students and professional behaviors of future physicians.

Role model stem cells: How immune cells can self-renew

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 11:51 AM PST

A research team has now discovered how human macrophages can divide and self-renew almost indefinitely. As the researchers show in their new report, the macrophages achieve this by activating a gene network similar to one found in embryonic stem cells. The findings could provide new directions in regenerative medicine and therapies.

Regulating IV infusion with innovative blind cave fish-inspired sensor

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:31 AM PST

Nurses' workload reduced with the use of this low-cost sensor, while increasing their productivity by 30%; also significantly decreasing the complications of drug infusion via IV therapy.

Harnessing the power of light to fight cancer

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:25 AM PST

Immunotherapy is one of the hottest emerging areas of cancer research. After all, using the body's own cells to fight cancer can be more effective and less invasive than flooding the entire system with toxic chemicals. Researchers are now studying how to use light to control the immune system and induce it to fight cancer.

How the economy affects traffic fatalities

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:25 AM PST

With the recent fall in gas prices, most drivers might be thinking that now they can afford to take that road trip, take a quick jaunt to the outlet mall, or just drive to work instead of taking public transportation. The trouble is that millions of other drivers are thinking the same thing—which can lead to a jump in traffic fatalities.

New standards for children's surgery verification released

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:25 AM PST

The Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program has released its latest standards document, Optimal Resources for Children's Surgical Care. The standards set forth in this document are the nation's first and only multispecialty standards for children's surgical care.

Study assesses long-term impact of post-surgical pain in children

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:20 AM PST

Children who still have moderate to severe post-operative pain one month after a surgical procedure are at risk for deterioration of their health-related quality of life, according to new research.

‘Homing’ molecule discovery could help speed-up fight against flu

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:09 AM PST

Scientists have discovered a new molecule which could help better target and kick-start the body's natural fight against common infections like influenza.

Migraines worsen as women approach menopause

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:07 AM PST

Migraine headaches heat up as women approach menopause, according to a new study. The risk for high frequency headache, or more than 10 days with headache per month, increased by 60 percent in middle-aged women with migraine during the perimenopause -- the transitional period into menopause marked by irregular menstrual cycles -- as compared to normally cycling women says the study's lead author.

Nonrecommended screenings for prostate, breast cancer in older individuals

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:03 AM PST

An estimated 15.7 percent of individuals 65 or older may have received nonrecommended screenings for prostate and breast cancers because they had limited life expectancies of less than 10 years, according to a new article.

Glowing tumors could help surgeons cut out cancer

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:03 AM PST

Optical probes that light up cancer cells, which are meant to improve tumor removal, are already in phase I and phase II clinical trials in humans and could be a common procedure in the next 5-10 years.

Why mistakes slow us down, but not necessarily for the better

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 10:00 AM PST

Taking more time to make decisions after a mistake arises from a mixture of adaptive neural mechanisms that improve the accuracy and maladaptive mechanisms that reduce it, neuroscientists have found. Their study also potentially offers insights into afflictions that impair judgments, such as Alzheimer's Disease and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Powerful machine-learning technique uncovers unknown features of pathogen

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 09:22 AM PST

A powerful new machine-learning technique can be applied to large datasets in the biological sciences to uncover previously unknown features of organisms and their genes. For example, the technique learned the characteristic gene-expression patterns that appear when a bacterial pathogen is exposed to low-oxygen conditions and robustly identified changes that occur in response to antibiotics.

New study shows aged garlic extract can reduce dangerous plaque buildup in arteries

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 09:21 AM PST

The supplement aged garlic extract can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the accumulation of certain types of plaque in the arteries, a new study finds.

New study holds hope for improving outcomes for children exposed to methamphetamine

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 09:21 AM PST

In a first of its kind study, researchers followed meth-exposed children to age 7.5 and found more supportive home environments could make a difference in their behavior and emotional control.

Scientists discover method to potentially repair nerve damage

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 09:18 AM PST

Nerve damage from neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury has largely been considered irreversible, but researchers now report progress in the effort to synthesize rare natural products that promote regeneration and growth of injured nerve cells.

Cells talk to their neighbors before making a move

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 09:18 AM PST

To decide whether and where to move in the body, cells must read chemical signals in their environment. Individual cells do not act alone during this process, two new studies on mouse mammary tissue show. Instead, the cells make decisions collectively after exchanging information about the chemical messages they are receiving.

First-of-its-kind study finds parental debt affects children's socioemotional well-being

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 06:23 AM PST

Certain types of debt that parents take on may have adverse effects on children's socioemotional well-being according to a new study. The study sheds new light on the link between debt and family well-being, as previous research on debt has typically focused on how debt affects the mental health and well-being of adults.

Brain study reveals mindfulness could help prevent obesity in children

Posted: 21 Jan 2016 06:23 AM PST

Mindfulness, described as paying attention on purpose and being in the present moment with acceptance, could be an effective way to help children avoid obesity. New research suggests that the balance in brain networks in children who are obese is different compared to healthy-weight children, making them more prone to over-eating.
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