Medindia Health News

Protein-based Therapy for Cancer
A Gene That Escalates Breast Cancer Cells
Kin Selection Theory is Discordant, Philosophically
Antidepressants Possess Dual Signal Effect
Shortage of Vascular Neurologists in US
Tests for Kidney Stones
Radiation Monitor for Medical Workers Reduces Their Rate of Radiation Exposure
Neck Pain / Stiff Neck / Cervicalgia
Double The Risk of Suicide for Cocaine and Amphetamines Users
Reaching Goals With Good Behaviors Outrage the Negative Ones
Abundant Autumn Sun Improves Bordeaux Wine Harvest
Drugs That Prevent Hepatitis Among Chemotherapy Patients
Mild Cognitive Impairment Associated with Aging
Children in US Safer, Better-Educated and Fatter
Medicaid Improves Mental Health and Encourages Preventive Screening
Frailty and Mortality Predicted by Amount of Mitochondrial DNA
Antibiotic Resistant Super-Bacteria Found in Rio Bay
Ewing Sarcoma Tumor Growth Accelerated by Single Genetic Abnormality
Quality of Life for Adults With Arthritis Improved by Hospital-Based Exercise Program
A New Screening Method to Detect Breast Cancer - Microwave Imaging
Laproscopic Approach in Bladder Cancer Management Leads to Increased Long Term Survival Rates
Learning Benefits Come Later With Naming People and Objects in First Year of Life
Eye Tracking Could be Biomarker for Brain Function and Brain Injury
Police Cars can be Spotted With 'Target Blu-Eye'
Cull Ordered After H5N8 Bird Flu Outbreak Confirmed in Germany
Decline in the Levels of Alcohol, Cigarette and Drug Abuse Among US Teens
Depression in Dementia More Prevalent in Community care Than Care Homes
No Full-proof Security Measures to Prevent Cyber Crimes
Canadian Teen Contraband Smokers More Likely to Use Illicit Drugs

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Scientists have produced a novel class of molecules that could be effective in treating cancer without dangerous side effects. Promising treatments known as biologics are on the market and under development for many serious illnesses such as cancer, but some of them come with high risks, even lethal ones. Their work on these compounds, which was tested on prostate cancer cells was reported in ACS' iJournal of the American Chemical Society/i David A. Spiegel ...

A Gene That Escalates Breast Cancer Cells

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The spread of cancer cells from their primary tumor site to other areas of the body is the cause for more than 90 percent of cancer-related deaths. A new study has identified how an important gene helps cancer cells break-free from the primary tumor. A gene normally involved in the regulation of embryonic development can trigger the transition of cells into more mobile types that can spread without regard for the normal biological controls that restrict metastasis, ...

Kin Selection Theory is Discordant, Philosophically

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One of the most divisive arguments in modern biology is the value of the theory of "kin selection". Kin selection is the idea that, because genes influence behavior, and because an animal that helps its relatives helps to spread genes likely identical to its own, animals will evolve to favor kin. Researchers have spent decades testing this explanation for apparent animal altruism, but in recent years, critics, notably Martin Nowak of Harvard University and the famous ...

Antidepressants Possess Dual Signal Effect

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The anomalous effect of certain antidepressants is that they may actually worsen symptoms before helping patients feel better. This new research finding which may help investigators fix the problem as well as create new classes of drugs to treat depression. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most widely prescribed class of antidepressant drugs, and they work by increasing levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. While this boost in serotonin ...

Shortage of Vascular Neurologists in US

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United States is experiencing an increased shortage of neurologists who specialize in stroke care, especially in the rural areas, according to the American Academy of Neurology. This shortage is especially severe in vascular neurology. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Neurologists Harold P. Adams, Jr., MD of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Jose Biller, MD of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine have proposed ...

Tests for Kidney Stones

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Kidney stones are diagnosed using radiological tests like plain x-ray KUB, CT scan, ultrasound and intravenous pyelography, blood tests and urine tests.

Radiation Monitor for Medical Workers Reduces Their Rate of Radiation Exposure

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Medical workers are exposed to radiation during cardiac-catheterization procedures and a real-time radiation monitor, alerts in response to radiation exposure. UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found a real-time radiation monitor that alerts by beeping in response to radiation exposure. In a randomized study, the researchers divided 505 patients undergoing either diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention, such as stent placement, ...

Neck Pain / Stiff Neck / Cervicalgia

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Neck pain is a very common problem that affects many and often. To avoid stiff neck or neck pain after sleeping it is important to use the right mattress and pillow.

Double The Risk of Suicide for Cocaine and Amphetamines Users

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The risk of suicidal behavior among those who inject drugs is two-fold greater in people who use cocaine and amphetamines. The groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Montreal and the CHUM Research Centre could help develop and evaluate more appropriate suicide prevention efforts in this highly vulnerable population. The researchers were able to explore the relationship between substance abuse and risk of suicidal behaviour by studying ...

Reaching Goals With Good Behaviors Outrage the Negative Ones

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People pursuing goals give more weight to progress than setbacks, says a new research. The University of Colorado Boulder-led study claims that people who tend to believe good behaviors are more beneficial in reaching goals than bad behaviors. They believe that bad behaviors obstruct goals, for instance, a dieter might think that refraining from eating ice cream helps his weight-management goal more than eating ice cream. It is considered as an overestimating movement ...

Abundant Autumn Sun Improves Bordeaux Wine Harvest

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Most famous French wines saw poor harvest this year, but but Bordeaux enthusiasts can celebrate a "rare" vintage blessed by an abundance of autumn sun, local producers say. With production estimated at between 5.2 and 5.4 million hectolitres, 2014 has proved another low-volume year in the southwestern area, but still better than the historic lows of 2013 when hailstorms helped ruin much of the crop. At 3.8 million hectolitres, the 2013 harvest was the ...

Drugs That Prevent Hepatitis Among Chemotherapy Patients

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Antiviral drug entecavir helps lower incidence of hepatitis B virus-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy. This was in comparison to the antiviral drug lamivudine, revealed a study in the December 17 issue of iJAMA/i. Hepatitis B virus reactivation is a well--documented chemotherapy complication, with diverse manifestations including life-threatening liver failure, as well as delays in chemotherapy ...

Mild Cognitive Impairment Associated with Aging

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Aging is associated with memory and thinking problems and up to one in five Americans over age 65 are affected. This comes along with the embarrassment of not being as "sharp" as they once were, and the worry that it will get much worse. They might just call it "getting older". But officially, when memory or cognitive problems don't interfere significantly with daily living, doctors call them mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. What can be done to prevent ...

Children in US Safer, Better-Educated and Fatter

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Children in America are generally safer and better-educated than they have been in 20 years, finds a new report from Duke University. Stubborn problems remain, including high rates of child poverty and a still-raging obesity epidemic, the 2014 National Child and Youth Well-Being Index Report notes. But "compared to 20 years ago, U.S. children are doing pretty well," said the report's lead author, Kenneth Land, the John Franklin Crowell Professor of ...

Medicaid Improves Mental Health and Encourages Preventive Screening

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Medicaid is an excellent value - (Dollar) 62,000 gain in quality-adjusted life years, contributing to better mental health and financial well-being. It also seems to encourage preventive screening, reveals a new study. Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health analyzed the results of the Oregon Health Experiment, where eligible uninsured individuals were randomly assigned Medicaid or to stay with their current care. Study findings are online in ...

Frailty and Mortality Predicted by Amount of Mitochondrial DNA

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Medical Frailty of a person is associated with the amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found in the his or her blood, suggests a new research from The John Hopkins University. This DNA may prove to be a useful predictor of overall risk of frailty and death from any cause 10 to 15 years before symptoms appear. The investigators say their findings contribute to the scientific understanding of aging and may lead to a test that could help identify at-risk individuals ...

Antibiotic Resistant Super-Bacteria Found in Rio Bay

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An antibiotic-resistant super-bacteria has been discovered in Rio Bay by Brazilian scientists. The bacteria is thought to emanate from hospital water. This pollution in the bay could affect the hosting of sailing events at the 2016. Contact with the bacteria, which was found at three locations in a river feeding Guanabara Bay, could cause infections that require hospitalization, said microbiologist Ana Paula d'Alincourt, who led the study by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute. ...

Ewing Sarcoma Tumor Growth Accelerated by Single Genetic Abnormality

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Bone cancer Ewing sarcoma is driven by a genetic abnormality that operates through two distinct processes. It activates genes that stimulate tumor growth and also suppresses those that should keep cancer from developing. These findings by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, published in the November issue of iCancer Cell/i, may lead to new therapies targeting these aberrant mechanisms. The second most common bone cancer in children and young ...

Quality of Life for Adults With Arthritis Improved by Hospital-Based Exercise Program

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A new study at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that older adults experienced less pain, reduced stiffness and less fatigue after participating in a hospital-based exercise program. Exercise can be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions though it may seem counter-intuitive. "The study adds to the growing body of evidence that exercise can help people with muscle and joint conditions," said Sandra Goldsmith, ...

A New Screening Method to Detect Breast Cancer - Microwave Imaging

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Detecting the early signs of tumors for breast cancer is done by the currently available diagnostic screening systems like X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and mammography. Though effective, they are far from perfect as the patients are subjected to ionizing radiation and sometimes inflict discomfort on women who are undergoing screening because of the compression of the breast that is required to produce diagnostically useful images. A better, cheaper, and safer ...

Laproscopic Approach in Bladder Cancer Management Leads to Increased Long Term Survival Rates

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A study published in BJU International reports that long-term survival rates following laparoscopic surgery for bladder cancer are on par with those of open surgery. The findings, which come from the largest study to date with long-term follow-up after this type of minimally invasive surgery, indicate that prospective randomized trials comparing these two bladder cancer surgeries are warranted. Open radical cystectomy or removal of the bladder through open ...

Learning Benefits Come Later With Naming People and Objects in First Year of Life

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Talking to babies, specially naming things in their world, can help them make connections between what they see and hear. These learning benefits can be seen as much as five years later. Developmental psychologist Lisa Scott and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst reported this in a follow-up to her earlier studies of learning in infancy. "Learning in infancy between the ages of six to nine months lays a foundation for learning later in childhood," ...

Eye Tracking Could be Biomarker for Brain Function and Brain Injury

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The location and impact of a brain injury can be assessed merely by tracking eye movements of patients as they watch music videos for less than four minutes. This is possible with a new technology developed by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center. The study was published Friday on-line in the iJournal of Neurosurgery/i. The study suggests that the use of eye tracking technology may be a potential biological marker for assessing brain function and monitoring ...

Police Cars can be Spotted With 'Target Blu-Eye'

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Drivers can now spot police cars over half a mile away with a new device called "Target Blu-Eye". Currently, it is completely legal in UK, though many want it to be banned, the Daily Star reported. The 999 euro gadget searches for TETRA radio signals which are used by all of the UK's emergency services and could even warn motorists of unmarked cars and police helicopters. The makers of the device claim it's been designed to prevent accidents, by alerting ...

Cull Ordered After H5N8 Bird Flu Outbreak Confirmed in Germany

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German authorities have ordered the cull of thousands of farm animals after a H5N8 bird flu outbreak was confirmed. The district had already imposed a 3-day ban on all poultry transports to thwart the potential spread of H5N8. Some strains of avian influenza are fatal for birds, and also pose a health threat to humans, who can fall sick after handling infected poultry. This precautionary move comes after the discovery of the pathogenic H5N8 strain at a poultry farm in ...

Decline in the Levels of Alcohol, Cigarette and Drug Abuse Among US Teens

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There has been remarkable decline in the levels of substance use among students in the US middle schools and high schools, according to researchers at University of Michigan. The national survey, 'Monitoring the Future', has revealed that both alcohol and cigarette use in 2014 are at their lowest points since the study began in 1975. Also, use of a number of illicit drugs also show declines this year. Personal disapproval of use and reported unavailability explain the modest ...

Depression in Dementia More Prevalent in Community care Than Care Homes

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Depression in people with dementia is more prevalent in people living in the community as compared to those living in care homes. 414 people with severe dementia along with their carers in England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden were part of the study. Researchers studied quality of life, activities of daily living such as bathing, feeding and dressing and presence of depressive symptoms using standardized measures. It was found ...

No Full-proof Security Measures to Prevent Cyber Crimes

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There are no possible solutions to ensure full-proof security and prevent future cyber attacks, according to security experts at Mandiant, the cyber security firm investigating the Sony breach. Last month Sony Pictures' computer network was breached by a group of hackers, called the 'Guardians of Peace', and at least four films and thousands of documents were leaked by them. The security firm says that even companies that have made responsible and sustained investments ...

Canadian Teen Contraband Smokers More Likely to Use Illicit Drugs

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A University of Alberta economics professor has discovered a link between illicit drug use and contraband cigarette use among Canadian teens. Professor Mesbah Sharaf, a health economics lecturer at the University of Alberta in Canada, recently published a joint study with the University of Waterloo titled "Association Between Contraband Tobacco and Illicit Drug Use Among High School Students in Canada" in iThe Journal of Primary Prevention/i. The ...