ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New image analytics may offer quick guidance for breast cancer treatment
• That first drink is a learning experience
• B-cell diversity in immune system's germinal centers may hold key to broad-spectrum vaccines
• What makes a bacterial species able to cause human disease?
• Engineered gene drives and the future
• Areas of excellence found, also improvement needed in quality of mental health care in the U.S. military
• Experimental drug may limit harmful effects of traumatic brain injury
• Unique next generation sequencing-based panel designed for pediatric cancer research
• A shot in the arm for flu vaccine distribution
• News from the secret world of the egg cell
• Scientists discover way to potentially track and stop human and agricultural viruses
• 50 percent of teens visiting emergency department report peer violence, cyberbullying
• Health provider awareness can curb prescription drug abuse
• Rapidly building arteries that produce biochemical signals
• Some aging treatments shown to have opposite effects on males and females
• Study reveals mechanism behind enzyme that tags unneeded DNA
• Chemistry trick paves way for safer diabetes medication
• Smart physical training in virtual reality
• Diet soda and fries, please
• Chemoradiation may increase survival for a subset of elderly head and neck cancer patients
• Chemotherapy before chemoradiation shows no survival advantage in head and neck cancer
• Teaching stem cells to build muscle
• Stemming the flow: Stem cell study reveals how Parkinson's spreads
• Scientists question a popular theory about how the nervous system trims its branches
• Breast milk sugars promote healthy infant growth through gut microbiome
• Engineered mini-stomachs produce insulin in mice
• Scientists eliminate core symptom of schizophrenia in mice
• Study pinpoints driver, potential target in aggressive pediatric leukemia subtype
• Key hurdle overcome in the development of drug against cystic fibrosis
• Paleo diet is dangerous, increases weight gain, diabetes expert warns
• National hospital hand-washing campaign effective but expensive
• New way to better predict disease-causing mutations in human genes
• 3-D mammography improves cancer detection and cuts 'call backs' over three years
• Untreated high blood pressure significantly increases risk of bleeding stroke
• Hair sampling shows unintended 'bath salt' use
• Novel combination of ingredients may offer greater support for infant brain development
• Eye movement affected in former childhood cancer patients
• Red meat metabolite levels high in acute heart failure patients, research shows
• Independence and mobility key for older drivers report finds
• Sensory loss affects 94 percent of older adults
• Cancer-causing gene found in plasma may help predict outcomes for head and neck patients
• Wearable robotic exoskeltons: Science fiction meets multiple sclerosis
• Using a mirror for squat exercises: Is there a benefit?
• Speaking English as a second language may alter results of sideline concussion testing
• Smoking Cigarettes Can Be a Chronic Pain in Your Neck
• Robotic Exoskelton AIDS in Post-Stroke Motor Skill Rehabilitaion
• Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injuries: The Sooner, the Better
• How the body recovers from an ultramarathon
• Ten-year trends in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation
• Exercise to control gestational hypertension
• Light-to-moderate drinking good for your heart
• Providing psychiatric treatment in the young person's own environment leads to better results than conventional care
• When the immune system promotes tumor growth
• Doughnut-shaped holes of killer proteins observed for the first time
• Zika virus can cross placental barrier, but link with microcephaly remains unclear, new evidence suggests
• Reporting of clinical trial results by top academic centers remains poor
• The alcohol harm paradox explained
• Science on salt is polarized, study finds
• New insights into epilepsy drug Retigabine
• Periodontitis linked to a higher mortality rate in patients with kidney disease

New image analytics may offer quick guidance for breast cancer treatment Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:52 AM PST For women with the most common type of breast cancer, a new way to analyze magnetic resonance images (MRI) data appears to reliably distinguish between patients who would need only hormonal treatment and those who also need chemotherapy. The analysis may provide women diagnosed with estrogen positive-receptor (ER-positive) breast cancer answers far faster than current tests and, due to its expected low cost, open the door to this kind of testing worldwide.

That first drink is a learning experience Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:52 AM PST A research team has examined whether a single exposure to alcohol can induce memory and behavioral changes that could promote future drinking. Their data suggest that the perceived benefits of alcohol are registered and stored in memory from the first encounter.

B-cell diversity in immune system's germinal centers may hold key to broad-spectrum vaccines Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:51 AM PST The germinal centers that form in the body's lymph nodes work as a fitness boot camp in which B cells evolve to produce antibodies of increasingly higher affinity to an invading pathogen. This new finding overturns a previously held notion that only a narrow range of B cells can survive this training and go on to secrete high-affinity antibodies. This revised understanding may aid development of effective vaccines against HIV, influenza, and other viruses that mutate rapidly.

What makes a bacterial species able to cause human disease? Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:51 AM PST The first comprehensive, cross-species genomic comparison of all 20 known species of Leptospira, a bacterial genus that can cause disease and death in livestock and other domesticated mammals, wildlife and humans, has now been completed by scientists. The resulting analyses reveal novel adaptations and traits in infectious species of Leptospira that not only help illuminate its evolutionary history, but may also provide new preventive and treatment approaches.

Engineered gene drives and the future Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:49 AM PST Engineered gene drives, which have the potential to spread desirable genes throughout wild populations or to suppress harmful species, have received a lot of recent attention because of their potential to control organisms, such as mosquitoes that carry diseases such as Zika virus, malaria and dengue fever. At the same time, say researchers, the recently discovered CRISPR gene editing technology has the potential to create, streamline and improve the development of gene drives.

Areas of excellence found, also improvement needed in quality of mental health care in the U.S. military Posted: 18 Feb 2016 11:49 AM PST The care provided by the US military health care system to service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression is good in some areas, but needs improvement in other realms, according to a new study.

Experimental drug may limit harmful effects of traumatic brain injury Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:50 AM PST An experimental drug may aid patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), for which there is currently no effective treatment to prevent increased risk of dementia or other neurologic complications.

Unique next generation sequencing-based panel designed for pediatric cancer research Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:40 AM PST A next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based panel will be designed specifically for pediatric cancer research, say scientists. The assay would be designed to target biomarkers associated with childhood cancers.

A shot in the arm for flu vaccine distribution Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:40 AM PST Each fall, doctors stress the importance of getting a flu shot: influenza is the most frequent cause of death from a vaccine-preventable disease in the United States. But on-time delivery of the vaccine can be tenuous, and there can be shortages during times of peak demand, as seen in 2014.

News from the secret world of the egg cell Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST The division of mammalian egg cells depends on cohesin proteins that embrace chromosomes before birth and are not renewed thereafter, scientists have discovered. The cohesin complex is remarkably long-lived but eventually lost irreversibly from chromosomes. The inability of egg cells to renew the ties that hold chromosomes together might contribute to maternal age-related chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy, leading to the production of trisomic fetuses. These insights provide a possible explanation for the molecular causes of the maternal age effect.

Scientists discover way to potentially track and stop human and agricultural viruses Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST A new discovery has broad ranging applications in stopping viral outbreaks such as hepatitis C in humans and a number of viruses in plants and animals because it applies to many viruses in the largest category of viral classes -- positive-strand RNA viruses, report scientists.

50 percent of teens visiting emergency department report peer violence, cyberbullying Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST Nearly 50 percent of teens seen in the emergency department for any reason report peer violence and nearly 50 percent also report being the victims of cyberbullying, a new study has found. Almost one-quarter of teens in the emergency department also report symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study shows that cyberbullying, physical peer violence and PTSD are common and inter-related, and that early identification and treatment are crucial.

Health provider awareness can curb prescription drug abuse Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST Increasing health care providers' level of concern about prescription drug abuse in their communities may be an effective public health tool in fighting America's prescription drug abuse epidemic, according to a study.

Rapidly building arteries that produce biochemical signals Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST Engineers have developed a technique to make artificial arteries that produce biochemical signals vital to their natural functions. The technique is ten times faster than current methods. It was used to make tiny arteries that can support 3-D microscale organ platforms for drug testing and may enable researchers to conduct experiments on arterial replacements in record time.

Some aging treatments shown to have opposite effects on males and females Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST What helps her live longer might be harmful to him, according to a new study that may shed light on how and why organisms age. Aging treatments that helped females were shown to hurt males, report scientists at the conclusion of their study.

Study reveals mechanism behind enzyme that tags unneeded DNA Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST The two-step process that activates an essential human enzyme, called Suv39h1, which is responsible for organizing large portions of the DNA found in every living cell, has been revealed by new research. Mistakes in packing DNA jeopardizes the stability of chromosomes and can result in severe diseases. Suv39h1 is one of the main enzymes that chemically mark the irrelevant regions of DNA to be compacted by cellular machinery, but little has been known about how it installs its tag until now.

Chemistry trick paves way for safer diabetes medication Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:31 AM PST New research points to an entirely new approach for designing insulin-based pharmaceuticals. The approach could open the door for more personalized medications with fewer side effects for Type 1 Diabetes patients, say researchers.

Smart physical training in virtual reality Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:31 AM PST A new system in a virtual training room is helping users practice and improve sports exercises and other motor activities. Now six research groups are working on a project to develop a virtual coaching space.

Diet soda and fries, please Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:31 AM PST New research aims to untangle the apparent disconnect between stated health concerns and actual food purchases. Researchers found evidence of significant balancing behavior across product categories and consumer health segments that has implications for retail strategies as well as for public policy.

Chemoradiation may increase survival for a subset of elderly head and neck cancer patients Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:31 AM PST The addition of chemotherapy (CT) to radiation therapy (RT) improves survival rates among a subset of elderly head and neck cancer patients, specifically those ages 71 to 79 with low comorbidity scores and advanced disease stage, report investigators.

Chemotherapy before chemoradiation shows no survival advantage in head and neck cancer Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:31 AM PST Patients receiving induction chemotherapy rather than chemoradiation live no longer and are less likely to receive definitive course of radiation treatment, new research concludes.

Teaching stem cells to build muscle Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:23 AM PST Researchers have identified pecific ways in which fetal muscle stem cells remodel their environment to support their enhanced capacity for regeneration, which could lead to targets for therapies to improve adult stem cells' ability to replace injured or degenerated muscle.

Stemming the flow: Stem cell study reveals how Parkinson's spreads Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST New clues as to how Parkinson's spreads from cell to cell, a process which has evaded researchers for decades, have been revealed by new research. The work is the first to link the release of alpha synuclein, a naturally occurring protein that plays a central role in the development of Parkinson's, with its most common genetic risk factor -- GBA-1 -- shedding new light on its role in the progression of the devastating neurological condition and its symptoms.

Scientists question a popular theory about how the nervous system trims its branches Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST Scientists have long believed axons regulate their own pruning during development. But recent findings have challenged this assumption, and now scientists have proven that axons receive instructions from the cell body when its time to degenerate.

Breast milk sugars promote healthy infant growth through gut microbiome Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST Bacteria that live in the gut interact with dietary components to affect health and wellness. Scientists now finds key components in breast milk that promote healthy infant growth and how interactions with the gut bacteria drive this process.

Engineered mini-stomachs produce insulin in mice Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST Researchers have spent decades trying to replace the insulin-producing pancreatic cells, called beta cells, that are lost in diabetes. Now researchers have discovered that tissue from the lower stomach has the greatest potential to be reprogrammed into a beta-cell state. The researchers took samples of this tissue from mice and grew them into 'mini-organs' that produced insulin when transplanted back into the animals.

Scientists eliminate core symptom of schizophrenia in mice Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST Researchers have successfully disrupted a genetic chain of events in a mouse model of schizophrenia and reversed memory deficits, one of the disorder's most difficult-to-treat symptoms. This discovery -- which builds upon decades of early-stage research -- could lead to more effective therapies for the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder that affects more than 21 million people worldwide.

Study pinpoints driver, potential target in aggressive pediatric leukemia subtype Posted: 18 Feb 2016 10:22 AM PST Scientists report that they have discovered inactivation of the gene EZH2 as a driver and inroad to a potential therapeutic target in aggressive pediatric leukemia subtype.

Key hurdle overcome in the development of drug against cystic fibrosis Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:48 AM PST In people suffering from cystic fibrosis the CFTR protein is not located in the right place in mucus-producing cells: it remains inside the cell while it should be in the cell wall. Those cells secrete a tough mucus with serious consequences. However, researchers have now succeeded in conducting the CFTR to the cell walls.

Paleo diet is dangerous, increases weight gain, diabetes expert warns Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:47 AM PST Following a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet for just eight weeks can lead to rapid weight gain and health complications, a new mouse study has demonstrated. The study has prompted researchers to issue a warning about putting faith in so-called fad diets with little or no scientific evidence.

National hospital hand-washing campaign effective but expensive Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:47 AM PST A health economics study in 50 Australian hospitals of the impact of a national hand hygiene campaign found many hospital patients were protected from a 'golden staph' infection and at least 96 years of life will be saved each year.

New way to better predict disease-causing mutations in human genes Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:47 AM PST A new method has been developed that could help clinicians and scientists better predict which mutations in people's genes could cause a disease and which would remain dormant.

3-D mammography improves cancer detection and cuts 'call backs' over three years Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:47 AM PST The increased cancer detection and reduced call backs associated with 3-D mammography, also known as Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), can be maintained years after a patient's first DBT screening with regularly scheduled DBT imaging, according to a new study.

Untreated high blood pressure significantly increases risk of bleeding stroke Posted: 18 Feb 2016 08:47 AM PST Untreated high blood pressure significantly increased the risk of a bleeding stroke, compared to patients without high blood pressure, regardless of race. Even when high blood pressure was treated, blacks and Hispanics had a higher chance of a bleeding stroke than whites.

Hair sampling shows unintended 'bath salt' use Posted: 18 Feb 2016 07:28 AM PST An American team of researchers is the first to examine whether ecstasy users are unknowingly or unintentionally using "bath salts" and/or other novel psychoactive drugs.

Novel combination of ingredients may offer greater support for infant brain development Posted: 18 Feb 2016 07:25 AM PST A novel combination of prebiotics, milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), and lactoferrin added to a DHA- and ARA-containing formula fed to piglets, advanced overall brain development compared to piglets who were fed a formula containing only DHA and ARA (both omega fatty acids that are now standard in infant formula), report researchers.

Eye movement affected in former childhood cancer patients Posted: 18 Feb 2016 05:36 AM PST Commonly used chemo toxins impair the eyesight in childhood cancer survivors in a way that indicates an impact on the central nervous system, new research confirms.

Red meat metabolite levels high in acute heart failure patients, research shows Posted: 18 Feb 2016 05:35 AM PST Patients with acute heart failure often have high levels of the metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) – of which red meat is a major dietary source - according to researchers.

Independence and mobility key for older drivers report finds Posted: 18 Feb 2016 05:35 AM PST The majority of older drivers want to continue driving as long as they are able to safely, according to a new report.

Sensory loss affects 94 percent of older adults Posted: 18 Feb 2016 05:32 AM PST The first study to measure the full spectrum of age-related damage to all five senses found that 94 percent of older adults in the United States have at least one sensory deficit, 38 percent have two, and 28 percent have three, four or five. Deficits in multiple senses were strongly associated with age, gender and race.

Cancer-causing gene found in plasma may help predict outcomes for head and neck patients Posted: 18 Feb 2016 05:32 AM PST A human cancer-causing gene, called DEK, can be detected in the plasma of head and neck cancer patients, research shows. DEK may help doctors understand how a person's immune system could be used to treat cancer or predict outcomes for patients.

Wearable robotic exoskeltons: Science fiction meets multiple sclerosis Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Walking with a wearable robotic exoskeleton may enable people with multiple sclerosis to walk more efficiently by reducing the energy and muscle activity needed to walk, according to research.

Using a mirror for squat exercises: Is there a benefit? Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Despite being common practice, performing squat exercises in front of a mirror has no effect on preferential loading, according to a pilot study.

Speaking English as a second language may alter results of sideline concussion testing Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Athletes who speak English as a second language may have disparities when completing sideline concussion tests, according to new research.

Smoking Cigarettes Can Be a Chronic Pain in Your Neck Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Adding to the already length list of reasons not to smoke, researchers have connected smoking to worsening degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine, according to new research.

Robotic Exoskelton AIDS in Post-Stroke Motor Skill Rehabilitaion Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Motor skill training using a robotic arm exoskeleton may be beneficial to people suffering from post-stroke weakness affecting an entire side of their body, according to new research.

Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injuries: The Sooner, the Better Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Early rehabilitation following a traumatic spinal cord injury may lead to better functional outcomes for patients at the time of their discharge and in the subsequent year, according to new research.

How the body recovers from an ultramarathon Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST Ultramarathon runners can expect an approximate five-to-seven-day subjective recovery post race, according to new research. The study also looked at factors that affect physical recovery and a runner's ability to return to full running speed after participation in an ultramarathon.

Ten-year trends in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:22 AM PST The way in which pediatric rehabilitation services are delivered has changed in the last decade, according to new research.

Exercise to control gestational hypertension Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:09 AM PST Researchers have shown that performing supervised moderate-intensity exercise during pregnancy can prevent gestational hypertension in pregnant women and overweight in newborns.

Light-to-moderate drinking good for your heart Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:09 AM PST People who drink wine, liquor or beer regularly are less prone to heart failure and heart attacks than those who rarely or never drink. Three to five drinks a week can be good for your heart.

Providing psychiatric treatment in the young person's own environment leads to better results than conventional care Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:09 AM PST Young people with mental problems – especially those with psychotic-like symptoms – should receive help as early as possible and in their own environment, a multi-institutional study has concluded.

When the immune system promotes tumor growth Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:09 AM PST The immune system plays an important role in the prevention of cancer. So-called Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells and responsible for the elimination of cancerous cells. Researchers have now discovered that NK cells can switch and promote tumor growth, with STAT5 acting as the key regulator. NK cells require active STAT5 to kill tumor cells; however, when STAT5 is absent or inhibited, NK cells do the opposite: they accelerate cancer progression by promoting angiogenesis. Drugs targeting STAT5 may therefore boost tumor growth.

Doughnut-shaped holes of killer proteins observed for the first time Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:09 AM PST For the first time, researchers have seen the pores, shaped like rings and crescent moons, that the Bax protein perforates in mitochondrial membranes. This advance has been achieved thanks to super-resolution microscopy and may help find the "holy grail" of cell suicide, a crucial process in preventing cancer.

Zika virus can cross placental barrier, but link with microcephaly remains unclear, new evidence suggests Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST Zika virus has been detected in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women whose fetuses had been diagnosed with microcephaly, according to a study. The report suggests that Zika virus can cross the placental barrier, but does not prove that the virus causes microcephaly, as more research is needed to understand the link.

Reporting of clinical trial results by top academic centers remains poor Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST Dissemination of clinical trial results by leading academic medical centers in the United States remains poor, despite ethical obligations -- and sometimes statutory requirements -- to publish findings and report results in a timely manner, concludes a study.

The alcohol harm paradox explained Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST New research explains why people in deprived communities have higher levels of alcohol-related ill health than people in non-deprived communities, despite drinking the same amounts of alcohol -- the alcohol harm paradox.

Science on salt is polarized, study finds Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST An analysis of scientific reports and comments on the health effects of a salty diet reveals a polarization between those supportive of the hypothesis that population-wide reduction of salt intake is associated with better health and those that were not. In all, 54 percent were supportive of the hypothesis; 33 percent, not supportive; and 13 percent inconclusive.

New insights into epilepsy drug Retigabine Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST New insights into Retigabine, a known pharmacological treatment for epilepsy, have been gained by recent study. Epilepsy is a family of encephalopathies characterized by abnormal synchronous and rhythmic neuronal activity in the brain that results in seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the brain and has been diagnosed in 5.1 million people in the United States.

Periodontitis linked to a higher mortality rate in patients with kidney disease Posted: 18 Feb 2016 03:07 AM PST Patients with chronic kidney disease patients and periodontitis (severe gum disease) have a higher mortality rate than those with chronic kidney disease alone, research shows.

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