ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Need for better characterized genomes for clinical sequencing
• New climate study argues for carbon fee
• A new way to stretch DNA
• H. pylori infection may reduce risk of allergic esophageal condition
• Drinking more water associated with numerous dietary benefits, study finds
• Increases in state, local spending could decrease mortality rates, researcher finds
• Early MRI screening reduces risk of breast cancer death for survivors of childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Cholera-like disease 'piggybacking' on El Niño to reach new shores
• Expansion of lone star ticks in Kansas
• High patient satisfaction with telemedicine-based care of sleep apnea
• Donor organ recovery at standalone facility increases suitable organs for transplant
• Link between sleep and social participation may be key to healthy aging
• Impact of climate change on public health
• The evolution of amyloid toxicity in Alzheimer's
• Autism test on the horizon as firm screens for signatures of disorder
• More than 200,000 in Massachusetts still without health insurance
• Twin study: Genetics, environment affect different regions of the brain
• Low vitamin D predicts aggressive prostate cancer
• Researchers identify risk factors that predict violence in adults with mental illness
• New discovery opens doors to manipulating fat production in the body
• Beta blockers may lead to new novel triple negative breast cancer treatments
• Campuses need safety planning to protect abuse victims, study finds
• Regulating neuronal membrane lipids could be the key to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's
• Neutrophils 'vacuum' microbes away from brain
• High-carbon coal products could derail China's clean energy efforts
• Turning on blood flow turns on fat-burning brown fat in mice
• Cardiac effects of running your first marathon examined in new study
• Signposts to the muscles
• New formula can predict professional football players' long-term concussion damages
• Combination injection improves glucose control for patients with type 2 diabetes
• Study calls into question current MERS vaccine strategy
• Air pollution linked to higher risk of preterm birth for mothers with asthma
• They work for stores and airlines: Could customer loyalty programs work in health care too?
• Study may widen patient pool that benefits from EPZ-5676 against acute myeloid leukemia
• Studies explain adolescents' vulnerability to addictive drugs
• Brain connectivity disruptions may explain cognitive deficits in people with brain injury
• Whole-exome sequencing: Rational approach for 'diagnostic odyssey' patients
• Drugs that treat osteoporosis also can cause small risk of thigh bone fractures
• Tracking the tracker: Long road for Pennsylvania's prescription drug monitoring program
• Zika virus might cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, according to new evidence
• Engineers to help improve cancer treatments with new proton imaging technology
• Local environmental knowledge helps indigenous societies to adapt
• The 'transparent' man: Nerve ultrasound allows the exact diagnosis and therapy of injuries to the nerves
• New software provides overview of big data of genome sequencing
• E-cigarettes are estimated to have helped 16,000-22,000 smokers in England to quit in 2014
• Crohn's disease diagnosis difficult to obtain, life altering, new national study finds
• TXA safe, effective to reduce blood loss in joint replacement surgery
• New biomarker identifies uveal melanoma patients at high risk for metastasis
• DNA as a weapon of immune defense
• Sleep loss boosts hunger, unhealthy food choices
• Scientists identify gene that regulates growth of melanoma
• Using new drug screening tool, researchers identify potential treatments for Ewing Sarcoma
• Sexual health communication between Asian-American adolescents and health-care providers

Need for better characterized genomes for clinical sequencing Posted: 01 Mar 2016 05:49 PM PST Challenges in benchmarking difficult, but clinically important regions of the genome have been reported. The results underscore the need to extend benchmarking references against which sequencing data and analyses can be compared and validated.

New climate study argues for carbon fee Posted: 01 Mar 2016 05:49 PM PST A new study reports that current rising temperatures already noticeably load the 'climate dice,' with growing practical impacts. As a bottom line, the lead author argues that a carbon fee is needed to spur replacement of carbon fuels with clean energy.

A new way to stretch DNA Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:50 PM PST Researchers have recently developed a new way to controllably manipulate materials, in this case biomolecules that are too small to see with the naked eye. By stretching molecules like DNA and proteins, scientists can find out important information about the structure, chemical bonding and mechanical properties of the individual molecules that make up our bodies. This understanding could shed light on diseases like cancer and ALS. The new technique is called acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS).

H. pylori infection may reduce risk of allergic esophageal condition Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:48 PM PST New research suggests that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach, which occurs in about half of the world's population and can cause peptic ulcers and stomach cancer in minority of cases, may help protect against an allergic disorder of the esophagus condition called eosinophilic esophagitis.

Drinking more water associated with numerous dietary benefits, study finds Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:47 PM PST A new study has examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 US adults, and found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

Increases in state, local spending could decrease mortality rates, researcher finds Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:41 PM PST A researcher used rigorous statistical methods from the field of economics to show how small increases in social spending on welfare and education can reduce the risk of dying.

Early MRI screening reduces risk of breast cancer death for survivors of childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:41 PM PST Early screening with MRIs can reduce breast cancer mortality for female survivors of childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) who received chest radiation, researchers have confirmed in a screening effectiveness study.

Cholera-like disease 'piggybacking' on El Niño to reach new shores Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:41 PM PST Waterborne diseases are being spread by El Niño, say researchers. El Niño describes the unusual warming of surface waters along the tropical west coast of South America. These events tend to occur every 3 - 7 years; something many suggest have become more regular and extreme in recent years, as a result of climate change.

Expansion of lone star ticks in Kansas Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:40 PM PST Researchers have found habitats suitable for lone star tick populations in Kansas are growing.

High patient satisfaction with telemedicine-based care of sleep apnea Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:40 PM PST A new study suggests that telemedicine-based management for obstructive sleep apnea is as effective and may be comparable to in-person care.

Donor organ recovery at standalone facility increases suitable organs for transplant Posted: 01 Mar 2016 02:39 PM PST Transplant surgeons report that obtaining organs from deceased organ donors costs much less and leads to a higher number of transplantable organs recovered when brain-dead donors are moved from the hospital to an independent, freestanding facility dedicated to organ recovery.

Link between sleep and social participation may be key to healthy aging Posted: 01 Mar 2016 11:48 AM PST Sleep may be one of the most important factors for well-being; yet, according to the CDC, one in three adults does not get enough. Lack of sleep can lead to potential cognitive declines, chronic diseases and death. Now, research finds that older adults who have trouble sleeping, could benefit from participating in social activities, in particular attending religious events.

Impact of climate change on public health Posted: 01 Mar 2016 11:48 AM PST Doctors warn of the impending public health crisis brought on by climate change and call for action to help prepare the world for what is ahead.

The evolution of amyloid toxicity in Alzheimer's Posted: 01 Mar 2016 11:47 AM PST Outsized human suffering is linked to 'amyloid beta,' an otherwise tiny, innocuous-looking protein molecule, as it is suspected to be a key player in neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. The molecules appear to become toxic within our bodies when they make contact with each other and form small bundles. Oddly, they may become less toxic again as the bundles grow and form ordered fibrillary plaque deposits. This begs the question: what's different about these bundles?

Autism test on the horizon as firm screens for signatures of disorder Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:15 AM PST A company is screening blood samples in an effort to develop a biologically based method to diagnose autism. The company specializes in detecting the byproducts of cellular activity and then applying high-powered statistics to detect patterns among thousands of metabolites.

More than 200,000 in Massachusetts still without health insurance Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:14 AM PST The cost of health insurance, limits in eligibility and difficulties with the application process are among the major reasons more than 200,000 individuals across Massachusetts are still uninsured, according to a new report .

Twin study: Genetics, environment affect different regions of the brain Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:13 AM PST Evidence has been found that genetic influence on cerebral glucose metabolism played a major role in the bilateral parietal lobes and the left temporal lobe of the human brain, while environmental influences after birth dominated in other regions.

Low vitamin D predicts aggressive prostate cancer Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PST A new study provides a major link between low levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer. Research showed deficient vitamin D blood levels in men can predict aggressive prostate cancer identified at the time of surgery. The finding is important because it can offer guidance to men and their doctors who may be considering active surveillance, in which they monitor the cancer rather than remove the prostate

Researchers identify risk factors that predict violence in adults with mental illness Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PST Researchers have identified three risk factors that make adults with mental illness more likely to engage in violent behavior. The findings give mental health professionals and others working with adults with mental illness a suite of characteristics they can use as potential warning signs, allowing them to intervene and hopefully prevent violent behavior.

New discovery opens doors to manipulating fat production in the body Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PST Move over diet and exercise, a new weight control method is in the works and it involves manipulating the production of fat cells at their source. A new research report shows that at least some human fat cells are actually produced from stem cells that originate in bone marrow.

Beta blockers may lead to new novel triple negative breast cancer treatments Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PST New research shows that a commonly prescribed class of high blood pressure drugs may have the potential to slow the growth of triple negative breast cancer tumors. These drugs, called 'beta blockers' work by counteracting the pro-growth effect caused by adrenaline by affecting the the beta2-adrenoceptor.

Campuses need safety planning to protect abuse victims, study finds Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PST With up to half of college students experiencing abuse by an intimate partner at least once during their college careers, safety planning should be added to prevention and education programs in higher education, according to a research brief.

Regulating neuronal membrane lipids could be the key to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PST Using latest-generation molecular simulations researchers have demonstrated that a decrease in polyunsaturated lipids in neuronal membranes, as seen in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's sufferers, directly affects the binding rate of dopamine and adenosine receptors.

Neutrophils 'vacuum' microbes away from brain Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new way that white blood cells (neutrophils) defend our brains from infection -- they move the microbes from our brains' blood vessels or vasculature so they can be disposed elsewhere instead of just killing them at the site of infection.

High-carbon coal products could derail China's clean energy efforts Posted: 01 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PST China's plan to ramp up production of new chemicals and synthetic fuels made from coal could derail recent efforts to lower its carbon dioxide emissions and instead lock the Chinese government into high-carbon investments for years to come, a new study finds.

Turning on blood flow turns on fat-burning brown fat in mice Posted: 01 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PST Increasing the blood flow in brown fat causes it to burn more calories in mice and may help treat obesity, a new study reports.

Cardiac effects of running your first marathon examined in new study Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:54 AM PST Novice marathon runners will be examined in a new study for possible beneficial or harmful cardiac changes by researchers in a new study that hopes to understand the effects of intensive exercise on those not used to it.

Signposts to the muscles Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:47 AM PST A protein complex, whose function had previously been virtually unknown, appears to act as a guide to growing nerve cells, ensuring they reach their intended destinations. The discovery revealed that a protein complex referred to as ASC-1 appears to be responsible for the control of numerous nerve growth factors.

New formula can predict professional football players' long-term concussion damages Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:45 AM PST Amid the heightened awareness of concussion-related brain damage among professional football players, a new study reports that researchers can predict cognitive outcomes long after the players have retired.

Combination injection improves glucose control for patients with type 2 diabetes Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:41 AM PST Injection of a new long-acting insulin combined with another drug improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes and, additionally, is associated with weight loss, a multinational clinical trial has found.

Study calls into question current MERS vaccine strategy Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:41 AM PST The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) develops mutations that make the virus less virulent during an outbreak rather than more virulent, researchers report. The study has implications for vaccine development.

Air pollution linked to higher risk of preterm birth for mothers with asthma Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:38 AM PST Pregnant women with asthma may be at greater risk of preterm birth when exposed to high levels of certain traffic-related air pollutants, according to a study. The researchers observed an increased risk associated with both ongoing and short-term exposure to nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, particularly when women were exposed to those pollutants just before conception and in early pregnancy.

They work for stores and airlines: Could customer loyalty programs work in health care too? Posted: 01 Mar 2016 08:38 AM PST When you buy a cup of coffee, an airline ticket or a tank of gas these days, you probably pull out a customer loyalty card without even thinking about it. You may be thinking mostly about perks. But the place you're buying from is focused on keeping your business. Now, a team proposes that health-care providers should offer the same kinds of programs -- for reasons that go far beyond why businesses use them.

Study may widen patient pool that benefits from EPZ-5676 against acute myeloid leukemia Posted: 01 Mar 2016 07:31 AM PST The mechanism that gene MN1 uses to cause an aggressive AML subtype is better understood thanks to new research. Drugs targeting weak link in the chain of causation are in clinical trials for other subtypes.

Studies explain adolescents' vulnerability to addictive drugs Posted: 01 Mar 2016 07:31 AM PST Researchers have discovered one reason why adolescents are more prone to drug addiction than adults, with findings that could lead to new treatments for addictive disorders.

Brain connectivity disruptions may explain cognitive deficits in people with brain injury Posted: 01 Mar 2016 07:31 AM PST Cognitive impairment following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common, often adversely affecting quality of life for those 1.7 million Americans who experience a TBI each year. Researchers have identified complex brain connectivity patterns in individuals with chronic phases of traumatic brain injury which may explain long term higher order cognitive function deficits.

Whole-exome sequencing: Rational approach for 'diagnostic odyssey' patients Posted: 01 Mar 2016 07:31 AM PST Whole-exome sequencing (WES) could serve as a viable diagnostic approach for identifying rare inherited diseases and providing a resolution for patients on a diagnostic odyssey, new clinical research shows.

Drugs that treat osteoporosis also can cause small risk of thigh bone fractures Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:53 AM PST Osteoporosis drugs have significantly reduced the risk of bone fractures for millions of people, but also have been linked to unusual fractures of the femur (thigh bone).

Tracking the tracker: Long road for Pennsylvania's prescription drug monitoring program Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:53 AM PST Prescription drug abuse is at a crisis level in Pennsylvania. In this story, the history of the crisis and the long political path the Commonwealth took to build a prescription drug monitoring system for physician use is examined.

Zika virus might cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, according to new evidence Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:51 AM PST Analysis of blood samples from 42 patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia provides the first evidence that Zika virus might cause GBS, a severe neurological disorder, according to new research. Based on the analysis of data from French Polynesia, if 100,000 people were infected with Zika virus, 24 would develop GBS.

Engineers to help improve cancer treatments with new proton imaging technology Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:50 AM PST Engineers are to develop new imaging technology that could provide more accurate cancer treatments. The technology will enable proton imaging of adults that can help improve the accuracy of proton therapy. Radiotherapy with protons is important in some cancer treatments as its greater treatment accuracy can reduce side effects.

Local environmental knowledge helps indigenous societies to adapt Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:49 AM PST In indigenous societies, individuals with greater local environmental knowledge catch more game and enjoy better health, a study demonstrates.

The 'transparent' man: Nerve ultrasound allows the exact diagnosis and therapy of injuries to the nerves Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:49 AM PST Nerve ultrasound has rapidly developed into becoming a more precise and easily applied diagnosis tool. People suffering from injuries of peripheral nerves and require reconstructive plastic surgery often have a long history of woe and many operations behind them. Today, with nerve ultrasound, this time of woe can be extremely truncated, as the ultrasound-supported view into the neural pathways helps to take more precise and faster measures during diagnosis as well as therapy.

New software provides overview of big data of genome sequencing Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:45 AM PST Since researchers first succeeded in mapping the human genome back in 2003, the technological development has moved at warp speed, and the process which at that time took several years and billions of dollars can now be performed in a few days. Researchers have developed a new type of software, which enables a much faster analysis and interpretation of the vast amounts of data provided by sequencing technology.

E-cigarettes are estimated to have helped 16,000-22,000 smokers in England to quit in 2014 Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 AM PST Researchers estimate that use of e-cigarettes produced 16K-22K additional long-term quitters in England in 2014.

Crohn's disease diagnosis difficult to obtain, life altering, new national study finds Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 AM PST A new national survey of Crohn's disease patients reveals that it was not uncommon for patients to see multiple health-care professionals, have numerous office visits, and endure multiple diagnostic tests before receiving a diagnosis. Results demonstrate an impact on such things as the ability to work or exercise, but also on overall quality of life and social activities. Respondents wished more people understood the disease and its impact.

TXA safe, effective to reduce blood loss in joint replacement surgery Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 AM PST Blood loss and the need for a blood transfusion are major concerns in joint replacement surgery, but a new use for an old drug is proving effective in reducing blood loss and transfusion rates, according to a study. The drug, tranexamic acid, or TXA, has been used for decades in heart surgery, to treat hemophilia and to stop excessive uterine bleeding.

New biomarker identifies uveal melanoma patients at high risk for metastasis Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 AM PST A biomarker that puts patients at a higher risk for metastasis of uveal melanoma has been identified by researchers. Among uveal melanomas categorized as class 1, those with high levels of the biomarker PRAME mRNA were more likely to metastasize than those with low levels of PRAME mRNA, indicating that patients with this biomarker be monitored more closely for metastatic disease.

DNA as a weapon of immune defense Posted: 01 Mar 2016 04:42 AM PST Our innate immune system uses two mechanisms. The first kills foreign bodies within the phagocyte itself. The second kills them outside the cell. Microbiologists have discovered that a social amoeba also uses both these mechanisms. Since this amoeba possesses an innate defense system similar to that of humans, while being genetically modifiable, the researchers can therefore carry out experiments on it in order to understand and fight genetic diseases of the immune system.

Sleep loss boosts hunger, unhealthy food choices Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:10 PM PST Cutting back on sleep boosts levels of a chemical signal that can enhance the pleasure of eating snack foods and increase caloric intake, report investigators. It may be part of a mechanism that encourages overeating, leading to weight gain, they say.

Scientists identify gene that regulates growth of melanoma Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:10 PM PST A gene in melanoma that can dramatically affect the growth of the disease has been identified by a team of researchers. The findings provide new insight into how melanoma grows and identifies a new target for treatment of melanoma and other cancers.

Using new drug screening tool, researchers identify potential treatments for Ewing Sarcoma Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:06 PM PST In a first-of-its-kind-study, researchers have discovered and applied a new screening technique capable of testing thousands of potential drug compounds to see if those compounds can reverse abnormal DNA unwinding in Ewing sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue cancer that's most common in teens and young adults.

Sexual health communication between Asian-American adolescents and health-care providers Posted: 29 Feb 2016 03:27 PM PST Health care providers play an important role in providing accurate information to adolescents about sexual health issues, including prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. There has been limited research, however, on how to best provide effective discussions about sexual health with Asian-American adolescents in a culturally sensitive manner.

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