Month: December 2017

Do you know any instant solution to get the body in shape? Most people don’t. However, producers of numerous supplements are confirmed that their particular product is that sought-after exception of rules. Naive users get into the marketed idea and waste their money for a dream, which remains in a distance despite the promised powerful performance of the chosen supplement. It can’t be true that all diet supplements are ineffective. Indeed, many products can boast

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 22 (UPI) — New research out of the University of Southern California suggests the growth patterns specific to a tumor can predict which cancer therapies are likely to work best. Like the patients in which they grow, every tumor is unique. Doctors and researchers are becoming increasingly aware of this fact as they devise individualized cancer treatments. Because each tumor is unique, cancerous growths respond differently

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 22 (UPI) — Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus conducted a study that suggests why exercise can help Parkinson’s patients slow the disease’s progression. The critical components are the DJ-1 protective gene and the alpha-synuclein protein, according to a news release announcing the study. Humans born with a mutated version of the DJ-1 gene get severe symptoms of Parkinson’s disease at a younger

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 26 (UPI) — Researchers at University College London say they’ve found an early indicator of fatal breast cancer that could help doctors make diagnoses one year earlier than current screening methods for the disease. Using blood serum samples from almost 1,000 women, researchers looked for the presence of carbon and hydrogen molecules attached to a chunk of DNA called EFC#93. The method helped to identify cancer

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 27 (UPI) — Short-term exposure to air pollution and ozone, even at levels below current safety standards, is linked to a higher risk of premature death for elderly people, a study published Wednesday reveals. The study, by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Using data from 2000 to 2012, researchers found that increases in

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 28 (UPI) — Fewer moms went insured and more low-income mothers received prenatal care as a result of Medicaid expansions carried out in 34 states between 1996 and 2011. According to researchers at UCLA, the expansions increased access to healthcare for low-income parents. Among moms who got pregnant with their second child between 1996 and 2011, 2.3 percent fewer went uninsured. The expansions also led to

This post was originally published on this site Dec. 29 (UPI) — Laboratory-confirmed cases of contagious flu are on the rise in the United States, with 11 deaths attributed to the virus in San Diego County, Calif., alone. County health officials said six more deaths were reported this week, as were 3,873 confirmed cases of the illness. At this time in 2016, only four deaths were attributed to the virus, they said Wednesday. The California

Medicine, Health Care Does Dosing of Drug for… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by American Academy of Neurology   MINNEAPOLIS – Taking a higher dose of topiramate during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a baby’s risk of cleft lip or cleft palate more than when taking a lower dose, according to a study published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Topiramate is

Medicine, Health Care Guideline: Exercise May Improve Thinking… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by American Academy of Neurology   MINNEAPOLIS – Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology. The recommendation is an update to the AAN’s previous guideline on mild cognitive impairment and is published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical

Medicine, Health Care Blood Pressure Control Best Achieved… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by American College of Physicians   1. Blood pressure control best achieved with a multilevel, multicomponent approach Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-1805 Editorial: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-3036 URLs go live when the embargo lifts Current clinical guidelines recommend lower blood pressure targets for the general population, yet control remains elusive for most. A new study suggests that patients with hypertension can best achieve blood pressure control with a multilevel, multicomponent

Medicine, Health Care Study Explores Impact of Obesity… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center CINCINNATI -New research published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine highlights the pernicious effect of obesity on the long-term health of blood-making stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells). Published Dec. 27, the study was led by researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute. Conducted largely in genetic models of obese mice, it shows obesity causes

Medicine, Health Care Short-term Exposure to Low Levels… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Boston, MA – Short-term exposures to fine particulate air pollution and ozone–even at levels well below current national safety standards–were linked to higher risk of premature death among the elderly in the U.S. according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The risk was even higher among elderly who were

Medicine, Health Care Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: IQWiG… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care   The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently updated its guideline on biomarkers with regard to the MammaPrint test and published this update in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). On the basis of data from the MINDACT study, they concluded that in certain patient groups, MammaPrint can better identify those patients who do

Medicine, Health Care Calcium, Vitamin D Supplements Not… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by JAMA   Bottom Line: Supplements containing calcium, vitamin D or both did not appear to protect against hip fracture and other bone breaks in older adults. Why The Research Is Interesting: Practice guidelines recommend calcium and vitamin D supplements for older people to prevent fractures in those with osteoporosis; previous studies have come to mixed conclusions about an association between supplements and fracture

Medicine, Health Care Short-term Exposure to Air Pollution… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by JAMA   Bottom Line: Short-term exposure to air pollution at levels below current air quality standards were associated with a higher risk of death in older adults. Why The Research Is Interesting: The Clean Air Act requires that National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter and ozone be reviewed every five years. Estimates of the risk of death at air pollution

Medicine, Health Care Introducing Internet-based Testing for STIs… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine The randomised controlled trial of more than 2,000 people in Lambeth and Southwark was led by the London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine and King’s College London¹, in partnership with SH:24, a digital sexual health service. The study found testing uptake was nearly doubled in a group that was invited to use internet-accessed STI testing (e-STI

Medicine, Health Care New Guideline: Try Exercise to… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Mayo Clinic   ROCHESTER, Minn. — For patients with mild cognitive impairment, don’t be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. A new guideline for medical practitioners says they should recommend twice-weekly exercise to people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Medicine, Health Care Pulmonary Fibrosis Caused by Single… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft To date, the molecular basis of pulmonary fibrosis has been poorly understood. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now shown that reduced activity of the transcription factor FoxO3 plays a key role in the development of the disease. In research on mice, the progress of the disease was able to be halted

Medicine, Health Care Development of a Nanowire Device… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Nagoya University Researchers centered at Nagoya University develop a nanowire device able to detect microscopic levels of urinary markers potentially implicated in cancer Nagoya, Japan – Cells communicate with each other through a number of different mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms are well-known: in animals, for example, predatory threats can drive the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that travels through the bloodstream

Medicine, Health Care CD4 T Cells, Xenobiotic Transporters,… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Osaka University Osaka – Our immune system protects our bodies from numerous pathogenic microbes and toxins in the environment. The system comprises innate (non-specific) and adaptive (acquired) immunity. When innate immune cells recognize pathogens, the adaptive immune system is called into action. There are two types of adaptive immune responses: humoral immunity mediated by antibodies produced by B cells, and cell-mediated immunity

Medicine, Health Care Prevention, Diagnosis, And Treatment of… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by PLOS This week PLOS Medicine launches the research content in our Collection on Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), advised by Guest Editors Nicola Low of the University of Bern, Switzerland and Nathalie Broutet of the World Health Organization (WHO). More than 1 million people acquire an STI each day. These infections, when not treated, take their toll in

Medicine, Health Care Multidisciplinary Approach to Identifying And… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine   DES PLAINES, IL– A multidisciplinary approach aimed at providing emergency physicians with a foundation of knowledge regarding ischemic stroke in young women and addressing the unique challenges in the evaluation and diagnosis of ischemic stroke in young women may improve outcomes for patients served in the ED. That is the primary finding of a study to be

Medicine, Health Care Multimodal Intervention Can Reduce PIVC… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine   DES PLAINES, IL–Peripheral intravenous cannula (PIVC) insertion in the emergency department can be reduced using a multimodal approach designed to support critical thinking and promote clinically appropriate peripheral intravenous cannula insertion and use. That is the primary finding of a study to be published in the January 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of

Medicine, Health Care Referrals by Private ERs Are… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine   DES PLAINES, IL–The practice of indirect referrals by nonpublic emergency departments and their affiliated physicians are prevalent in communities with a public hospital option. Uninsured patients are the most affected. Those are the primary findings of a study to be published in the January 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for

Medicine, Health Care Neuroscientists Shed Light on Causes… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus BOSTON (Dec. 26, 2017)–Postpartum depression strikes nearly one in five new mothers, who may experience anxiety, severe fatigue, inability to bond with their children and suicidal thoughts. Such depression has also been associated with infants’ developmental difficulties. Although stress has been identified as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression, this complex disorder is still poorly understood.

Medicine, Health Care Veterinary Surgeons Perform First-known Brain… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Tufts University   GRAFTON, Mass. (December 27, 2017)– A neurosurgical team at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has successfully performed what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind brain surgery on a Northern fur seal named Ziggy Star in an attempt to address her worsening neurologic condition. Ziggy, an adult female, is recovering well at her permanent home at Mystic Aquarium

Medicine, Health Care Researchers Find Potential Path to… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by University of California – Los Angeles   FINDINGS Gene expression in specific cells and in specific regions can provide a more precise, neuroprotective approach than traditional treatments for neurological diseases. For multiple sclerosis, specifically, increasing cholesterol synthesis gene expression in astrocytes of the spinal cord can be a pathway to repair nerves that affect walking. BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease,

Medicine, Health Care New Understanding of Why Cancer… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by University of Hawaii Cancer Center A University of Hawai’i Cancer Center researcher has identified how some cancer cells are made to move during metastasis. The research provides a better understanding of how cancer spreads and may create new opportunities for cancer drug development. Metastasis causes the deaths of 90 percent of cancer patients. The spread of cancer by metastasis is driven by

Medicine, Health Care New Hope for Stopping an… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by University of Wisconsin-Madison   MADISON — The diminutive size of our aortic valve — just shy of a quarter — belies its essential role in pushing oxygen-rich blood from the heart into the aorta, our body’s largest vessel, and from there to all other organs. Yet for decades, researchers have focused less on damaged valves than on atherosclerosis, the gradual hardening of the

Medicine, Health Care Noninvasive Brainwave Technology Improved Post-traumatic… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center   WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Dec. 22, 2017 – A noninvasive brainwave mirroring technology significantly reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress in military personnel in a pilot study conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published in the Dec. 22 online edition of the journal Military Medical Research. “Ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, whether clinically diagnosed or

Medicine, Health Care Local Economic Factors Affect Opioid… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Wolters Kluwer Health   December 27, 2017 – For non-elderly Americans on disability, local prescribing of opioid pain medications is significantly related to county-level economic factors like unemployment and income level, reports a study in the January issue of Medical Care, published by Wolters Kluwer. About half of Medicare beneficiaries under age 65 received an opioid prescription in 2014, according to the new

Medicine, Health Care New Laws Increase Access to… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by Wolters Kluwer Health   December 26, 2017 – As 2017 comes to a close, many states have enacted laws and regulations expanding access to healthcare provided by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), according to the 30th Annual Legislative Update in the January issue of The Nurse Practitioner, published by Wolters Kluwer. “In 2017, over 20 states reported passage of legislation positively impacting access

Psychology Are Childhood Blood Lead Levels… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by JAMA Pediatrics   Bottom Line: Researchers found no consistent association between childhood lead exposure and adult criminal behavior in New Zealand where low socioeconomic status, which confuses the association in settings with socioeconomic disparities, is less of a factor. Why The Research Is Interesting: Lead has well-documented effects on the brain and there is no safe level of exposure. Some research suggests lead may be

Psychology Callous And Unemotional Traits Show… Published: December 28, 2017.Released by University of Basel Callous-unemotional traits have been linked to deficits in development of the conscience and of empathy. Children and adolescents react less to negative stimuli; they often prefer risky activities and show less caution or fear. In recent years, researchers and doctors have given these personality traits increased attention, since they have been associated with the development of more serious and persistent antisocial

Medicine, Health Care Helpful Intestinal Bacteria Counteracts Tendency… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Aarhus University   New research suggests that the micro-organisms known as probiotics, which are normally providing health benefits in the intestines, also have an affect on the brain, or as an actual study at Aarhus University has shown; protect against depression. In the animal study at the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University, rats were fed with an extra fatty and fiberless

Medicine, Health Care G-quadruplex Regulates Breast Cancer-associated Gene… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Baylor College of Medicine For breast cancer, carrying protein CD44s, instead of CD44v, has a survival advantage. Researchers have now discovered a mechanism by which cells can regulate switching between the two proteins, opening options for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to control cancer growth in the future. The study appears in the journal Genes Development. “In previous studies, we found

Medicine, Health Care Researchers Recommend Specific Diets for… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) Colorectal cancer is the most prevalent malignant tumour in Spain. It is known that factors such as diet and intestinal inflammation play an important role in its occurrence, but direct links between nutrients, inflammation and colorectal cancer are poorly described. Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered that the amount of protein

Medicine, Health Care Preterm Infants Have Narrowed Upper… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Children’s National Health System Infants born preterm have significantly lower nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal volumes, compared with newborn peers carried to full term, and those lower airway volumes are independent of the infants’ gender, ethnicity or weight, according to a study published online Dec. 16, 2017 in Clinical Imaging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 10 babies born

Medicine, Health Care Deep Brain Stimulation: Improving Outcomes… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Dystonia affects more than 500,000 people across Europe. Globally, it is the third most common movement disorder after Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. In patients with dystonia, the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural connections, which is normally responsible for ‘normal’ movement processes, is disrupted. This results in patients experiencing involuntary movements, muscle spasms and contractions; in the

Medicine, Health Care Selective Suppression of Inflammation Could… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Case Western Reserve University A class of anti-inflammatory drugs already FDA-approved for rheumatoid arthritis could “purge” the reservoir of infected immune cells in people infected by HIV, according to new research. When culturing cells from HIV-infected individuals, researchers found the medications tofacitinib and ruxolitinib block viral production from infected cells, prevent transmission to bystander cells, and decay the viral reservoir. The results

Medicine, Health Care Analysis of New Studies Including… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by European Association for the Study of Obesity   A new review of the latest evidence on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)- which includes 30 new studies published between 2013 and 2015 (and none of them industry sponsored) – concludes that SSB consumption is associated with overweight and obesity, and that countries that have not already done so should take action to reduce the consumption of

Medicine, Health Care A Kiss of Death for… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Hokkaido University Hokkaido University researchers have uncovered a cellular protein that stabilizes a tumor promoting signaling pathway, suggesting a new target to treat prostate cancer. The drug Gefitinib is used to treat breast, lung, and other cancers by inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, but it has only a limited effect on prostate cancer. EGFR, present on the cell membrane, is

Medicine, Health Care LSUHealthNo Contributes to 1st-of-its-kind Study… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA – Using data interpreted by LSU Health New Orleans’ Louisiana Tumor Registry, a case-control study found for the first time that older people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are at higher risk for cancers of the upper respiratory and digestive tract. The study is published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery online December

Medicine, Health Care Shutdown of Coal-fired Power Plant… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Lehigh University As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves to dismantle the Clean Power Plan touting a return to “cooperative federalism,” the results of a new study focused on the downwind impact on fetal health of emissions from a coal-fired power plant, which is located on the border between two states, highlight policy gaps engendered by state-level regulation of air pollution.

Medicine, Health Care Zika Remains a Research And… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Since 2016, when Zika was declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern, the virus has become established in more than 80 countries, infected millions of people, and left many babies with birth defects (collectively called congenital Zika syndrome). Although scientists have made progress in their understanding of the

Medicine, Health Care Revised ‘Mcdonald Criteria’ Expected to… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by National Multiple Sclerosis Society New York, Dec. 21, 2017 — The McDonald Criteria for the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis have just been revised by a 30-member international panel of MS experts co-chaired by Jeffrey Cohen, MD (Cleveland Clinic) and Alan Thompson, MD (University College London). Recommended revisions are expected to speed the diagnostic process and reduce the chance of misdiagnosis. The panel

Medicine, Health Care T Cell-inducing Dengue Vaccines May… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine For a long time, a dengue vaccine was the holy grail in dengue research. Now that a dengue vaccine is finally on the market (Sanofi’s Dengvaxia®), other issues have arisen, such as what happens in the babies of vaccinated mothers. A vaccinated mother passes anti-dengue antibodies to her child during gestation and

Medicine, Health Care How Small Does Your Rice… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Springer Have you ever tried turning the spoon back after stirring jam into a rice pudding? It never brings the jam back into the spoon. This ever-increasing disorder is linked to a notion called entropy. Entropy is of interest to physicists studying the evolution of systems made up of multiple identical elements, like gas. Yet, how the states in such systems should

Medicine, Health Care Study: Rate And Risk of… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by St. Michael’s Hospital   TORONTO, Dec, 22, 2017 — The rate and potential risk of traumatic brain injury in mixed martial arts remain unknown due to lack of regulation and protocols surrounding these injuries, according to a new study. Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital reviewed 18 studies involving 7,587 patients, examining head injuries in MMA fighting published between 1990 and 2016. Of the

Medicine, Health Care Folic Acid Late in Pregnancy… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Adelaide Research from the University of Adelaide suggests that taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in children affected by growth restriction during pregnancy. Folic acid, a type of B vitamin, is widely used to prevent neural tube defects in the fetus, and to aid in the development of the central nervous system. The neural

Medicine, Health Care Researchers Shed Light on Why… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus   AURORA, Colo. (Dec. 22, 2017) – While vigorous exercise on a treadmill has been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in patients, the molecular reasons behind it have remained a mystery. But now scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus may have an answer. For the first time in a progressive, age-related

Medicine, Health Care Study Identifies New Loci Associated… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus   An international study led by scientists from Inserm and Paris Diderot University (France), the University of Chicago (USA), the National Heart and Lung Institute (UK) and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (USA) together with researchers of the Trans-National Asthma Genetics Consortium (TAGC) has discovered five new regions of the genome that increase the risk

Medicine, Health Care Hormone Therapy Combination May Benefit… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Treating ovariectomized mice with a combination of conjugated estrogens and the drug bazedoxifene triggers the expression of genes that improve metabolism and prevent weight gain – without stimulating the uterus and increasing risks of reproductive cancer, a new study suggests. University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Zeynep Madak-Erdogan led a group

Medicine, Health Care How a Tumor Grows Can… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Southern California   Individual tumors respond differently to cancer drugs, if at all. Until now, it remained a mystery why tumors have different reactions to the exact same therapy. But a new study at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering finds that tumor growth properties can influence response to cancer drugs. “Identifying a measurement or quantity that predicts how specific tumors

Psychology Resolving to Have a Happier,… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Florida State University   Put together a list of New Year’s resolutions yet? Every year, many of us pledge to work harder at being healthy, losing weight or eating more veggies. A Nielsen survey showed about one-third of Americans resolved to shed a few pounds and reshape their bodies. Here’s a better resolution: Lose the critical thoughts about your body. That’s the advice of Florida

Psychology Alexa And Siri in Our… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences We regularly find ourselves in situations in which we talk to others. We talk to friends in a different way than we do to strangers. One important skill for this is not just understanding what the other person is saying but also recognising who is talking. Therefore, the voice of our conversation partner helps us.

Psychology Study Confirms Beauty Is in… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Popular songs and barstool philosophers have long observed how, after a few drinks, guys often change how they look at women around them. University of Nebraska-Lincoln psychology researchers used eye-tracking technology to investigate alcohol’s influence on when college-age men drop their gaze from a woman’s face to other parts of her anatomy. In a newly published study, they confirmed that intoxicated

Psychology Short-term Exercise Equals Big-time Brain… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Western Ontario A 10-minute, one-time burst of exercise can measurably boost your brain power, at least temporarily, researchers at Western University in London, Canada, have found. While other studies have showed brain-health benefits after 20-minutes of a single-bout of exercise, or following commitment to a long-term (24-week) exercise program, this research suggests even 10 minutes of aerobic activity can prime the parts

Psychology Promoting Self-esteem among African-American Girls… Published: December 25, 2017.Released by University of Washington For African-American students, data, alongside societal attitudes and stereotypes, often present a negative picture: a wide academic achievement gap separating them from their white peers. Higher rates of discipline and absenteeism. Discrimination by other students, teachers and the larger community. And just last summer, a study indicated that black girls, from an early age, are perceived as more aggressive and sexual

Medicine, Health Care Researchers Find Key to Making… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Houston Methodist HOUSTON-(Dec. 20, 2017) – Houston Methodist researchers have cracked a code in T-cells that could make autoimmune diseases and organ transplant rejection a thing of the past. Wenhao Chen, Ph.D., a scientist in the Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, and his colleagues have identified a critical switch that controls T-cell function and dysfunction and

Medicine, Health Care Early Disease Diagnosis Could Be… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Imperial College London The presence of, or changes in the concentration of, certain proteins in biological fluids can be indicators of disease. However, in the early stages of disease these ‘biomarkers’ can be difficult to detect, as they are relatively rare. Detecting important biomarkers in lower concentrations will allow patients to be treated earlier for diseases such as some cancers and neurological

Medicine, Health Care Neurosexuality Needs to Be Better… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by IOS Press   Amsterdam, NL, December 20, 2017 – For people with brain disorders, whether from injury or disease, rehabilitation is a complex process. Neurosexuality is an emerging area of study and practice that focuses on the relationships between brain and sexual function in individuals with and without neurological disorders. Experts on the subject, reporting in NeuroRehabilitation, discuss how sexuality can affect neurorehabilitation

Medicine, Health Care More Tumor Mutations Equals Higher… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Johns Hopkins Medicine   The mutational burden, or the number of mutations present in a tumors DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec. 21 New England Journal of Medicine,

Medicine, Health Care CRISPR Therapy Preserves Hearing in… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Cambridge, Boston, MA (Dec. 20, 2017) — Hearing loss is the most common form of sensory loss in humans, and almost half of cases have an underlying genetic cause. Reporting today in Nature, a team led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Medicine, Health Care Many Brain Tumor Patients Do… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Massachusetts General Hospital While more than 60 percent of patients with the brain tumors called malignant gliomas enroll in hospice services, almost a quarter of them do so within a week of death, probably too late for patients and family members to benefit from hospice care. A study by research team from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center also finds that

Medicine, Health Care Low-dose X-ray Exposure Does Not… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Biophysicists have shown that following low-dose exposure to X-rays (at 80 milligrays), stem cells remain healthy, proliferate, and do not accumulate DNA damage to be passed on to their progeny. The paper was published in the journal Aging. “The 80-milligray dose is equivalent to the radiation exposure during a medical diagnostic imaging procedure such as a

Medicine, Health Care Better Treatment, Not More Spending,… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan A new long-term look at heart attack care and spending in America since the turn of the century shows more survival, more spending, and more variation between hospitals on both scores. And while some of that spending – on rapid angioplasty to open clogged heart arteries – appears to be paying off, a lot of the

Medicine, Health Care Fluorescent Nanomedicine Can Guide Tumor… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Oregon State University   PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon State University scientists have developed a nanomedicine platform for cancer that can help doctors know which tissue to cut out as well as kill any malignant cells that can’t be surgically removed. The platform allows for greater precision and thoroughness in cancer treatment. Here’s how it works: Nanoparticles tightly loaded with a dye compound are

Medicine, Health Care Decriminalizing Prostitution Could Reduce Sexual… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Oxford University Press USA A new study published in the Review of Economic Studies finds that Rhode Island’s 6-year prostitution decriminalization policy increased the size of the sex market, but it also appears that during this period both rape offenses and female gonorrhea incidence declined dramatically. Prostitution prohibition is mostly due to moral concerns, though disease transmission and victimization risks associated with

Medicine, Health Care Two Surgical Approaches Equal in… Published: December 20, 2017.Released by Penn State   Implanting a shunt or endoscopically reducing intracranial pressure and reducing fluid production are equally effective in treating infants with hydrocephalus caused by brain infections, according to an international team of researchers, but endoscopy may have fewer down-the-line complications. “This clinical trial asked if we could do a version of shuntless surgery, without the need to implant a plastic tube,” said