ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• FDG PET evaluates immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer
• In MS, can better sleep improve cognition?
• Household air pollution linked to higher risk of heart attacks, early death
• Molecular imaging of neuroendocrine tumors optimizes radiotherapy dose
• Gene called Prkci helps organize organisms and their organs
• Rolling on Molly: US high school seniors underreport ecstasy use when not asked about Molly
• Video game playing negatively influences adequate sleep and bedtimes
• Probing proteins' 3-D structures suggests existing drugs may work for many cancers
• Experimental antibiotic treats deadly MRSA infection
• Sleep duration varies by alcohol drinking patterns, race, and sex
• Low-tech system overcomes barriers preventing doctor-patient chat about drinking habits
• Lack of transportation hampers hungry children from getting free summer meals, study finds
• Caffeine has little to no benefit after 3 nights of sleep restriction
• Training helps those with mild cognitive impairment, study shows
• Chronic sleep restriction negatively affects athletic performance
• Adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival in patients with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer
• Autologous stem cell transplant should be standard care for HIV-associated lymphoma
• Topical application of antiretroviral drug combination prevents transmission of (S)HIV
• Recharge with sleep: Pediatric sleep recommendations promoting optimal health
• Unraveling the food web in your gut
• DNA shaping up to be ideal framework for rationally designed nanostructures
• Botox's sweet tooth underlies its key neuron-targeting mechanism
• Reclaiming the immune system's assault on tumors
• New insights into neural computations in cerebral cortex
• What are risk factors for dementia after intracerebral hemorrhage?
• Hospital or outpatient care when patients present with hypertensive urgency?
• Six in ten adults prescribed opioid painkillers have leftover pills
• Military members with PTSD/depression can be treated successfully in primary care settings
• Proper maternal folate level may reduce child obesity risk
• Study suggests another look at common treatments for hemophilia
• Insights into the ecology of the microbiome
• Central line infection prevention bundles reduce number of deadly infections in newborns
• From nanotechnology, a better prognostic tool for brain cancer
• Neurologic symptoms common in early HIV infection
• Boosting immunity in older adults: Study unmasks new infection-fighting T cells
• PET detects neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis
• Blood test predicts success of neuroendocrine cancer therapy
• Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy may eliminate colorectal cancer
• PET/CT reveals adaptations of the alcoholic brain
• How females store sperm
• Stroke damages blood-spinal cord barrier, researchers find
• Alzheimer's: Structural properties of complex model membranes after interaction with beta-amyloid peptides open the way to the identification of new drug targets
• Miniature scaffolding could support fight against superbugs
• Predicting disease outbreaks using environmental changes
• Rethink rehabilitation to reverse frailty in COPD patients
• Being born small or stress during pregnancy can lead to greater disease risk in mothers
• Love is blind, to food waste
• New research provides hope for patients with hard-to-treat breast cancer
• Blocking PRMT5 might force resistant brain-tumor cells into senescence, study suggests
• Many family physicians have inaccurate knowledge about lung cancer screening

FDG PET evaluates immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2016 01:50 PM PDT Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) have a collective reputation for not responding very well to chemotherapy. Researchers now report a means of evaluating an immunotherapy that fights off NSCLC by strengthening a patient's own immune system.

In MS, can better sleep improve cognition? Posted: 13 Jun 2016 01:49 PM PDT People with multiple sclerosis often have trouble with memory, attention and mental processing. New research shows some of these issues could stem from sleep disorders.

Household air pollution linked to higher risk of heart attacks, early death Posted: 13 Jun 2016 01:49 PM PDT Long-term exposure to household air pollution from lighting, cooking or heating with fuels such as kerosene or diesel may increase the risk of heart attacks and death. Burning cleaner fuels, such as natural gas, was associated with a lower risk of death, say experts. One-half the world's population lives in poverty and burns fuels for lighting, cooking and heating.

Molecular imaging of neuroendocrine tumors optimizes radiotherapy dose Posted: 13 Jun 2016 12:38 PM PDT Aggressive neuroendocrine cancer is something of a dark horse -- a rare, elusive and persevering force linked to discouraging long-term survival rates. Researchers are presenting a molecular imaging technique that allows oncologists to set patients' radiotherapy doses right at that critical limit of delivering the most powerful kill to neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) while protecting vulnerable vital organs.

Gene called Prkci helps organize organisms and their organs Posted: 13 Jun 2016 12:38 PM PDT A gene called Prkci can point cells in the right direction, according to a new study that demonstrated Prkci's role in organizing cells into balls and tubes during early embryo and organ formation.

Rolling on Molly: US high school seniors underreport ecstasy use when not asked about Molly Posted: 13 Jun 2016 12:38 PM PDT A new study compared self-reported ecstasy/MDMA use with and without 'Molly' in the definition. Researchers found that reported lifetime use (8.0 percent vs. 5.5 percent) was significantly higher with Molly in the definition.

Video game playing negatively influences adequate sleep and bedtimes Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:46 AM PDT A new study found that gamers will push off obtaining adequate sleep in order to continue video gaming. Results show that on average, gamers delayed going to bed 36 percent of the nights they played video games. Average game playing was 4.6 nights per week. The average delay in bedtime on the nights spent gaming was 101 minutes.

Probing proteins' 3-D structures suggests existing drugs may work for many cancers Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:46 AM PDT Examining databases of proteins' 3-D shapes, scientists have identified more than 850 DNA mutations that appear to be linked to cancer. The information may expand the number of cancer patients who can benefit from existing drugs.

Experimental antibiotic treats deadly MRSA infection Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:46 AM PDT A new experimental antibiotic successfully treats the deadly MRSA infection and restores the efficacy of a commonly prescribed antibiotic that has become ineffective against MRSA. Scientists are racing to develop a new class of antibiotics to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, which are responsible for 19,000 deaths annually and represent $3 billion in annual health care costs.

Sleep duration varies by alcohol drinking patterns, race, and sex Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:43 AM PDT Compared to their white counterparts within each alcohol drinking pattern (never, moderate, excessive) investigated, black men and women were significantly more likely to get less than six hours of sleep, less likely to get seven to eight hours of sleep and generally more likely to get nine or more hours of sleep. Short sleep disparity increased with increasing alcohol consumption between black and white men. Long sleep duration was more common among heavy drinkers, but only in black men and white women.

Low-tech system overcomes barriers preventing doctor-patient chat about drinking habits Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:09 AM PDT Primary care doctors are reluctant to talk to patients about their drinking habits, for fear of being perceived as judgmental. But a simple, intervention that encourages discussion could resolve this issue, according to a recent study.

Lack of transportation hampers hungry children from getting free summer meals, study finds Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:08 AM PDT Lack of transportation is a hurdle for many Texas families whose children could benefit from free meals, according to the Texas Hunger Initiative.

Caffeine has little to no benefit after 3 nights of sleep restriction Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:08 AM PDT A new study found that after restricting sleep to 5 hours per night, caffeine use no longer improved alertness or performance after three nights. Results show that relative to placebo, caffeine significantly improved Psychomotor Vigilance Task performance during the first two days, but not the last three days of sleep restriction.

Training helps those with mild cognitive impairment, study shows Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:08 AM PDT Strategy-based reasoning training can improve the cognitive performance for those with mild cognitive impairment, a preclinical stage of those at risk for Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows.

Chronic sleep restriction negatively affects athletic performance Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:07 AM PDT A new study found that chronic sleep restriction negatively affects athletic performance. Results show that following sleep restriction, energy expenditure during submaximal exercise decreased 3.9 percent; maximal aerobic power decreased 2.9 percent and time to exhaustion decreased by 10.7 percent (37 seconds). Submaximal heart rate decreased after sleep restriction, as well as peak heart rate and Psychomotor Vigilance Test response speed.

Adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival in patients with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:07 AM PDT The use of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients improves overall survival and five-year OS in patients with tumor sizes ranging from 3-7 cm.

Autologous stem cell transplant should be standard care for HIV-associated lymphoma Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:06 AM PDT According to researchers, people with HIV-associated lymphoma who receive autologous stem cell transplant have similar survival rates and are no more at risk of serious complications compared to those without HIV receiving this therapy.

Topical application of antiretroviral drug combination prevents transmission of (S)HIV Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:24 AM PDT For the first time, researchers show that two powerful antiretroviral drugs can provide complete protection against HIV when delivered topically by a sustained release intravaginal ring (IVR) device. The combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine delivered at independently controlled rates via the pod-IVR was successful at preventing SHIV162p3 infection for over four months.

Recharge with sleep: Pediatric sleep recommendations promoting optimal health Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:24 AM PDT For the first time, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released official consensus recommendations for the amount of sleep needed to promote optimal health in children and teenagers to avoid the health risks of insufficient sleep.

Unraveling the food web in your gut Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT Despite recent progress, the organization and ecological properties of intestinal microbial ecosystem remain under investigated. Using a manually curated metabolic module framework for (meta-)genomic data analysis, researchers studied species-function relationships in gut microbial genomes and microbiomes. The Flemish Gut Flora Project observed that half of the bacteria in the human gut were metabolic generalists, while others were specializing and feeding on specific substrates.

DNA shaping up to be ideal framework for rationally designed nanostructures Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT Scientists developed two DNA-based self-assembly approaches for desired nanostructures. The first approach allows the same set of nanoparticles to be connected into a variety of three-dimensional structures; the second facilitates the integration of different nanoparticles and DNA frames into interconnecting modules, expanding the diversity of possible structures. These approaches could enable the rational design of nanomaterials with enhanced or combined optical, electric, and magnetic properties to achieve desired functions.

Botox's sweet tooth underlies its key neuron-targeting mechanism Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT The Botox toxin has a sweet tooth, and it's this craving for sugars -- glycans, to be exact -- that underlies its extreme ability target neuron cells in the body, while giving researchers an approach to neutralize it.

Reclaiming the immune system's assault on tumors Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT One of the major obstacles with treating cancer is that tumors can conscript the body's immune cells and make them work for them. Researchers have now found a way to reclaim the corrupted immune cells, turn them into signals for the immune system to attack the tumor, and even prevent metastasis.

New insights into neural computations in cerebral cortex Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT Scientists have provided strong evidence that the arrangement of synaptic connections within the dendritic field supports an active role for dendrites in cortical processing and that these dendritic computations shape how neurons encode visual information.

What are risk factors for dementia after intracerebral hemorrhage? Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT Larger hematoma size and location were risk factors associated with dementia after an intracerebral hemorrhage when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, according to a new article.

Hospital or outpatient care when patients present with hypertensive urgency? Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT Do ambulatory patients who present in office settings with hypertensive urgency -- systolic blood pressure (BP) at least 180mm HG and diastolic BP at least 110 mm Hg -- do better when they are referred to the hospital or when they have their BP managed in an outpatient setting?

Six in ten adults prescribed opioid painkillers have leftover pills Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:22 AM PDT In the midst of an epidemic of prescription painkiller addiction and overdose deaths, a new survey suggests that more than half of patients prescribed opioids have leftover pills -- and many save them to use later.

Military members with PTSD/depression can be treated successfully in primary care settings Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:22 AM PDT The rate of PTSD and depression is high among active military members, but stigma often prevents them from seeking care from a mental health specialist. A new study finds that treating such patients in primary care settings with a program that includes specially trained nurses and telephone therapy significantly improves outcomes after one year. The findings support the idea that such efforts can bring more military members under a high-quality treatment umbrella sooner.

Proper maternal folate level may reduce child obesity risk Posted: 13 Jun 2016 09:22 AM PDT Proper maternal folate levels during pregnancy may protect children from a future risk of obesity, especially those born to obese mothers, according to a new study.

Study suggests another look at common treatments for hemophilia Posted: 13 Jun 2016 08:18 AM PDT Participants who received a recombinant therapy— the present standard in the United States — developed antibodies or "inhibitors" to the treatments at almost twice the rate as those whose treatments were made from human plasma, new research shows.

Insights into the ecology of the microbiome Posted: 13 Jun 2016 08:16 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed data from large metagenomic datasets (e.g., the Human Microbiome Project and Student Microbiome Project) to look at the dynamics of the gut, mouth and skin microbiomes of healthy subjects.

Central line infection prevention bundles reduce number of deadly infections in newborns Posted: 13 Jun 2016 08:16 AM PDT Infection prevention bundles, a package of evidence-based guidelines implemented in unison, are effective for reducing central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) in critical care newborn infants, according to a new study. The bundle helped reduce the number of lines placed, the duration of time used and the number of infections.

From nanotechnology, a better prognostic tool for brain cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2016 08:01 AM PDT A new nano-fabricated platform for observing brain cancer cells provides a much more detailed look at how the cells migrate and a more accurate post-surgery prognosis for brain cancer (glioblastoma) patients.

Neurologic symptoms common in early HIV infection Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:57 AM PDT Half of people newly infected with HIV experience neurologic issues, research shows. These neurologic findings are generally not severe and usually resolve after participants started anti-retroviral therapy.

Boosting immunity in older adults: Study unmasks new infection-fighting T cells Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:57 AM PDT Immune-system frailty in adults 65 and older is a widespread public health issue. A study now points to new cells that may hold a solution.

PET detects neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT The triggers of autoimmune inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) have eluded scientists for many years, but molecular imaging is bringing researchers closer to identifying them, while providing a means of evaluating next-generation therapies for MS.

Blood test predicts success of neuroendocrine cancer therapy Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT Malignant neuroendocrine tumors are relatively rare, notoriously difficult to treat, and associated with poor long-term survival. An investigative blood test could predict how patients will respond to peptide receptor radionuclide therapy before they commit to a course of treatment.

Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy may eliminate colorectal cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT An emerging cancer therapy has colorectal tumors surrounded. A novel radioimmunotherapy combines a cancer-seeking antibody with potent radionuclide agents, resulting in complete remission of colorectal cancer in mouse models.

PET/CT reveals adaptations of the alcoholic brain Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT Alcoholism is a devastating disorder that too often leads to a perpetual cycle of abuse. An emerging molecular imaging technique may provide a way to break that cycle. It could signal patients' heightened risk and lead to targeted drug treatments that reduce the compulsion to drink.

How females store sperm Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT The science of breeding chickens has revealed part of the mystery of how certain female animals are able to store sperm long-term. Droplets of fat transferred from female cells to sperm cells may contribute to keeping sperm alive. A scientific understanding of how sperm can be kept viable longer could benefit any fertility-related work.

Stroke damages blood-spinal cord barrier, researchers find Posted: 13 Jun 2016 07:24 AM PDT Researchers investigating the short and long-term effects of ischemic stroke in a rodent model have found that stroke can cause long-term damage to the blood-spinal cord barrier, which provides a specialized protective 'microenvironment' for neural cells in the spinal cord, creating a 'toxic environment' in the spinal cord that might leave stroke survivors susceptible to motor dysfunction and disease pathology.

Alzheimer's: Structural properties of complex model membranes after interaction with beta-amyloid peptides open the way to the identification of new drug targets Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:07 AM PDT A new report describes the structural properties of complex model membranes after the interaction with beta-amyloid peptides, involved in Alzheimer's disease, opening the way to the identification of new drug targets.

Miniature scaffolding could support fight against superbugs Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:06 AM PDT Tiny molecular scaffolding that joins molecules together could be the key to our battle against antibiotic resistance. Research shows that carbon nanodot scaffolding assembled with small molecules called polyamines can kill some dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, including Acinetobacter baumanii and Klebsiella pneumonia.

Predicting disease outbreaks using environmental changes Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:04 AM PDT A model that predicts outbreaks of zoonotic diseases -- those originating in livestock or wildlife such as Ebola and Zika -- based on changes in climate, population growth and land use has been developed by a team of researchers.

Rethink rehabilitation to reverse frailty in COPD patients Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT One in four patients with COPD referred for exercise rehabilitation are frail, but nevertheless can respond favorably to rehabilitation and their frailty can be reversed, finds a new study. The findings have wider implications for treating frailty, which affects one in ten over-65s, where adapting other rehabilitation programs could potentially benefit more patients.

Being born small or stress during pregnancy can lead to greater disease risk in mothers Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT Low birth weight or stress during pregnancy can lead to long-term health problems in women, according to a study. The research found that stress during pregnancy leads to long-term health issues in mothers, affecting adrenal, metabolic and cardio-renal health after pregnancy.

Love is blind, to food waste Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT For many, there's nothing like sitting down for a family meal at a table filled with hot, ready-to-serve food. Many caregivers enjoy providing diverse, nutritious meals to their families to be perceived as a good provider, and in some cultures, preparing excessive quantities of food is common.

New research provides hope for patients with hard-to-treat breast cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT A new way to slow the growth of the most aggressive type of breast cancer has been identified by scientists, according to a new report. The work found that using a drug called JQ1 can alter how cancer cells respond to hypoxia -- or low oxygen -- found in more than 50 per cent of breast tumours overall and most commonly in triple negative breast cancer, the form of the disease that is hardest to treat.

Blocking PRMT5 might force resistant brain-tumor cells into senescence, study suggests Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT Blocking an enzyme called PRMT5 in tumor cells could be a promising new strategy for the treatment of glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer, a new study suggests.

Many family physicians have inaccurate knowledge about lung cancer screening Posted: 13 Jun 2016 06:03 AM PDT Although clinical trials have shown that lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can detect lung cancers early and reduce lung cancer mortality, less than half of family physicians in a recent survey agreed that screening reduces lung cancer-related deaths.

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