الجمعة، 29 أبريل 2016

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

New gene testing technology finds cancer risks 'hiding in plain sight'

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:33 PM PDT

A new method for identifying mutations and prioritizing variants in breast and ovarian cancer genes, which will not only reduce the number of possible variants for doctors to investigate, but also increase the number of patients that are properly diagnosed.

Personal cooling units on the horizon

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:32 PM PDT

Firefighters entering burning buildings, athletes competing in the broiling sun and workers in foundries may eventually be able to carry their own, lightweight cooling units with them, thanks to a nanowire array that cools, according to materials researchers.

Risk factors associated with injurious falls in the elderly

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:23 PM PDT

Falls are one of the leading causes of injury-related death among elderly people. So finding the risk factors that endanger them is becoming increasingly important, particularly with the projected increase in the elderly population with the baby boomers, warn investigators.

Extreme heat, precipitation linked to more severe asthma requiring hospitalization

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:23 PM PDT

Extreme heat and heavy rainfall are related to increased risk of hospitalization for asthma in Maryland, according to a study. Based on over a decade of asthma hospitalization data (115,923 cases from 2000-2012), Researchers observed a 23 percent increase in risk of asthma hospitalizations when there was an extreme heat event during summer months. This risk was higher among 5-17 year olds.

Junk-food junkies go healthy when rewarded

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:23 PM PDT

According to new research, the most effective strategy for influencing such healthy food choices is not calorie counts and reduced prices, but rather more subtle incentives that reward healthy eating behavior.

How cancer cells escape from tumors, spread

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:21 PM PDT

Metas­tasis. The very word evokes fear. Defined as the spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, metastasis is the cause of approximately 90 percent of deaths among cancer patients. How does metastasis come about? And can we stop it?

RNA splicing mutations play major role in genetic variation and disease

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:21 PM PDT

RNA splicing is a major underlying factor that links mutations to complex traits and diseases, according to an exhaustive analysis of gene expression in whole genome and cell line data. Researchers analyzed how thousands of mutations affect gene regulation in traits such as height, and diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The findings enable accurate functional interpretations of genome-wide association study results.

Vitamin stops the aging process of organs

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:21 PM PDT

By administering nicotinamide riboside to elderly mice, researchers restored their organs' ability to regenerate and prolonged their lives. This method has potential for treating a number of degenerative diseases.

Scientists turn skin cells into heart cells and brain cells using drugs

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:21 PM PDT

In a major breakthrough, scientists have transformed skin cells into heart cells and brain cells using a combination of chemicals. All previous work on cellular reprogramming required adding external genes to the cells, making this accomplishment an unprecedented feat. The research lays the groundwork for one day being able to regenerate lost or damaged cells with pharmaceutical drugs.

Lifestyle has a strong impact on intestinal bacteria, which has a strong impact on health

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:18 PM PDT

Everything you eat or drink affects your intestinal bacteria, and is likely to have an impact on your health. That is the finding of a large-scale study into the effect of food and medicine on the bacterial diversity in the human gut.

BPA determined to have adverse effects on couples seeking in vitro fertilization

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:26 AM PDT

Exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA) may lead to reduced quality of embryos during reproduction. A new study has shown that BPA could be the cause for decreases in the frequency of implantation, pregnancy and live birth rates in couples seeking in vitro fertilization.

Shape of tumor may affect whether cells can metastasize

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:26 AM PDT

Only a few cells in a cancerous tumor are able to break away and spread to other parts of the body, but the curve along the edge of the tumor may play a large role in activating these tumor-seeding cells, according to a new study.

Scientists predict cell changes that affect breast cancer growth

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:26 AM PDT

Using a broad spectrum of analytical tools, scientists have shown how sometimes small, often practically imperceptible, structural changes in a key breast cancer receptor are directly linked to regulating molecules and can produce predictable effects in curbing or accelerating cancer growth.

TJP1 protein may identify multiple myeloma patients most likely to benefit from proteasome inhibitors

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:22 AM PDT

A gene known as TJP1 (tight junction protein 1) could help determine which multiple myeloma patients would best benefit from proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib, as well as combination approaches to enhance proteasome inhibitor sensitivity, according to a study.

Study links residential radon exposure to hematologic cancers in women

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:22 AM PDT

A new report finds a statistically-significant, positive association between high levels of residential radon and the risk of hematologic (blood) cancer in women. Radon is a naturally occurring byproduct of the decay of radium, and is a known human lung carcinogen, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Fiber optic biosensor-integrated microfluidic chip to detect glucose levels

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:22 AM PDT

A team of researchers report integrating fiber optic glucose sensors into a microfluidic chip to create portable, high-performance, low-cost devices for measuring glucose levels.

Four new genetic diseases defined within schizophrenia

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:22 AM PDT

Changes in key genes define four previously unknown conditions within schizophrenia, according to a study. Unlike "big data" genetic studies, which have loosely linked hundreds of genetic changes to schizophrenia but cannot explain varying symptoms, the new study revealed distinct disease versions that may affect large slices of patients and enable precision treatment design, say the authors.

Costs for orally administered cancer drugs skyrocket

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:21 AM PDT

New cancer drugs, taken in pill form, have become dramatically more expensive in their first year on the market compared with drugs launched 15 years ago, calling into question the sustainability of a system that sets high prices at market entry in addition to rapidly increasing those prices over time.

Study identifies a key to bone formation, vertebrate evolution

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:21 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a key action of a watershed gene critical to bone formation and the evolution of vertebrates. The Sp7 or Osterix gene more than likely emerged from an ancestral gene family about 400 million years ago, expanding the diversity of life and programming the development of bone-secreting osteoblast cells. The closest living relatives to vertebrates, including sea squirts and lampreys, lack bone and an Sp7 gene.

Cell transplant treats Parkinson's in mice under control of designer drug

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:21 AM PDT

A neuroscientist has inserted a genetic switch into nerve cells so a patient can alter their activity by taking designer drugs that would not affect any other cell. The cells in question are neurons and make the neurotransmitter dopamine, whose deficiency is the culprit in the widespread movement disorder Parkinson's disease.

Study pinpoints mechanism that allows cells with faulty DNA to reproduce

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:19 AM PDT

Researchers have figured out how some cells do an end-run on replication quality control -- opening the door to developing new cancer-quashing treatments.

Stem cell study finds mechanism that controls skin and hair color

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:19 AM PDT

A pair of molecular signals controls skin and hair color in mice and humans -- and could be targeted by new drugs to treat skin pigment disorders like vitiligo, according to a new report.

Age-dependent changes in pancreatic function related to diabetes identified

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:19 AM PDT

Age-dependent changes in pancreatic function related to diabetes have been identified by researchers. The research collaboration to procure and analyze human pancreatic tissue from deceased donors illustrates how the organ's function changes as we age, and could point the way toward new diabetes treatments, say investigators.

Narrow band imaging can reduce recurrence of bladder tumors

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:42 AM PDT

Research into bladder tumor surgery has found that using narrow band imaging can significantly reduce the risk of disease recurrence. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world.

Stem cells know how to open up and unwind

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:41 AM PDT

Research has revealed a new understanding of how an open genome structure supports the long-term and unrestricted developmental potential in embryonic stem cells. This insight provides new avenues for improving the quality and stability of embryonic stem cells – an essential requirement to fulfil their promise in regenerative medicine.

Eating chocolate each day could reduce heart disease, diabetes risk

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:41 AM PDT

New study could lead to physicians recommending daily consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate. The new paper concludes that further observational research is needed to understand the role chocolate may play in insulin resistance and cardiometabolic disorders.

Fungal spores could ‘hijack’ human immune cells to spread infection

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:41 AM PDT

Scientists have announced a major breakthrough in their understanding of how the fungus Aspergillus terreus -- the cause of serious illness in humans -- can move around the body, rather than remaining in the lungs as with similar fungal infections.

Drug research could prevent secondary cataract

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:24 AM PDT

Scientists may have found a way to prevent complications from surgery to treat cataract -- the world's leading cause of blindness. It's estimated that by the year 2020, 32 million people will need cataract surgery -- which works well to restore vision, but can lead to 'secondary cataract' forming. The research team reveal how a new focus for drugs to treat age-related macular degeneration could reduce the need for millions of follow-up eye operations.

Some moths behave like butterflies to mate

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:24 AM PDT

A new study led by Universitat Autchr('242')noma de Barcelona researcher Vchr('237')ctor Sarto describes a striking example of evolutionary convergence in the order of Lepidoptera. A diurnal moth species has adopted sexual communication rules that are specific to butterflies and has even lost pheromone glands

Scientists reveal secret of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:24 AM PDT

Researchers have built a computer model of the interaction between different bacteria, and between bacteria and the gut wall. This has led them to explain how antibiotic-resistant microbes develop and spread.

Simpler fertility test uses saliva to measure hormone levels

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:35 AM PDT

Like many would-be parents, Katie Brenner was advised to select the optimum time for conception based on blood and/or urine tests. She has now developed a quick, saliva-based method for measuring progesterone and estrogen and sending the results to a smart device.

Harsh out of necessity

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:30 AM PDT

Multiple sclerosis patients must not only address their unpleasant symptoms, they are also subject to unpredictable relapses, a condition that causes stress, say researchers. This condition has consequences for the 'moral cognition' of patients, who become particularly intransigent in moral judgments. This 'moral inflexibility' results from cognitive styles adopted to overcome the inconveniences of the disease.

'Tropical' parasitic disease emerges in Canadian Arctic

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:28 AM PDT

An outbreak of an intestinal parasite common in the tropics, known as Cryptosporidium, has been identified for the first time in the Arctic. The discovery was made in Nunavik, Quebec. The discovery could have long-term implications for the health of children in Nunavik and Nunavut's communities.

Gut bacteria may predict risk of life-threatening infections following chemotherapy

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:52 AM PDT

The bacteria in people's gut may predict their risk of life-threatening blood infections following high-dose chemotherapy, new research indicates. About 20,000 cancer patients receive high-dose chemotherapy each year in preparation for bone marrow or stem cell transplants. Typically about 20 to 40 percent develop blood infections following the chemotherapy. About 15-30 percent of those patients die as a result of the infections.

Breakthrough in the treatment of inherited genetic disease

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:49 AM PDT

A significant breakthrough has been made in the treatment of an inherited genetic disorder which damages muscle and nerve cells in the body. Pompe disease is caused by a defective gene that results in a deficiency of an enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) which causes progressive muscle weakness in people of all ages.

Possible substitute for antibiotics to treat dangerous infections

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:49 AM PDT

Infections continue to threaten human health. With remarkable genetic flexibility, pathogenic organisms outsmart available therapies. Fortunately, microbial versatility is matched by the host immune system, which evolves in dialogue with the microbes. Therapies that enhance the beneficial effects of the immune response represent a promising, but underexplored, therapeutic alternative to antibiotics.

Gestational exposure to type of antidepressants associated with adolescent offspring depression

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT

The use of certain antidepressants during pregnancy can result in offspring depression by early adolescence. Using national register data from Finland, researchers found that children exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during gestation had more chance of being diagnosed with depression after age 12, reaching a cumulative incidence of 8.2% by age 15. For children exposed to maternal psychiatric illness but no antidepressants, the incidence was 1.9%. Rates of anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Modifying an obesity drug could reduce side effects like anxiety and depression

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT

A new version of an obesity drug that caused serious psychiatric side effects could help people lose pounds without experiencing the anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts previously associated with it. The research shows that the new version of the drug can still work without reaching the brain in rats, avoiding the side effects.

Augmented games can increase the diversity of sports

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT

Augmented climbing wall increases social interaction, helps to attract wider target audiences and empowers users to become content creators.

Milestone in the battle against arsenic- and fluoride-contaminated drinking water

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT

Over 300 million people worldwide use groundwater contaminated with arsenic or fluoride as a source of drinking water. Now a research team has developed a method whereby the risk of contamination in a given area can be estimated using geological, topographical and other environmental data without having to test samples from every single groundwater resource.

Study shows how neurons decline as Parkinson's develops

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:45 AM PDT

Researchers are studying changes in Parkinson's-affected cells at various stages of the disease, long before any symptoms are evident. Parkinson's is marked by the degeneration and death of cells called dopamine neurons. These neurons are found in a brain structure called the substantia nigra. The researchers studied mice in which only these neurons are affected by a genetic mutation.

Brain cells divide the work to recognize bodies

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:44 AM PDT

Specific regions of the brain are specialized in recognizing bodies of animals and human beings. By measuring the electrical activity per cell, scientists have shown that the individual brain cells in these areas do different things. Their response to specific contours or body shapes is very selective.

Tiny microscopes reveal hidden role of nervous system cells

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:44 AM PDT

Imaging technologies offer a new window into spinal cord to understand touch and pain sensations. The innovative technology revealed that astrocytes--cells in the nervous system that do not conduct electrical signals and were traditionally viewed as merely supportive--unexpectedly react to intense sensation.

Friends 'better than morphine'

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:44 AM PDT

People with more friends have higher pain tolerance, researchers have found, in a study looking at social networks and endorphin levels.

'Moonshot to Malawi' outlines global cancer disparities

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:18 PM PDT

A health expert has called for a commitment to contribute resources and energy to control cancer in less-resourced countries, where there are significant gaps in cancer awareness, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Silent epidemic? Head injury may be linked to lasting sleep problems

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:11 PM PDT

People who have had a traumatic brain injury may still have sleep problems a year and a half after being injured, according to a study. In addition, people with TBI may also be unaware of just how much their sleep is disturbed.

Electronic cigarettes are beneficial to UK public health, new report shows

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:11 PM PDT

Electronic cigarettes have the potential to contribute to reducing death and disability caused by Britain's biggest killer, say experts. The evidence summarized in the report shows that e-cigarettes have so far been beneficial to UK public health, both at individual and population level, by providing smokers with a viable alternative to tobacco smoking.

Poorer patients in UK less likely to get hip replacements

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:11 PM PDT

'Inconsistent and inequitable' hip fracture treatment in the UK means deprived patients and those admitted at weekends are least likely to receive the recommended operation. Poorer patients, and those who require surgery, at the weekend are less likely to receive a total hip replacement (THR), despite clear national guidelines setting out who should get one.

All hairstyles are not created equal: Scalp-pulling and hair loss

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:53 PM PDT

In a review of 19 studies, researchers say they can confirm a 'strong association' between certain scalp-pulling hairstyles -- many common among African-Americans -- and the development of traction alopecia, gradual hair loss caused by damage to the hair follicle from prolonged or repeated tension on the hair root.

COPD linked to increased bacterial invasion

Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common smoking-related lung illness and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists have long believed that inhaling toxic gases and particles from tobacco smoke causes inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, leading to the development of COPD. However, the theory doesn't explain why airway inflammation and disease progression continue even after the patient stops smoking. A new study shows that persistent inflammation in COPD may result from a defect in the immune system that allows airway bacteria to invade deeper into the lung.
مرسلة بواسطة في

ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق

الاشتراك في: تعليقات الرسالة (Atom)