ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Ultraviolet light-induced mutation drives many skin cancers, researchers find
• Targeting protein-making machinery to stop harmful bacteria
• Why age reduces stem cells' ability to repair muscle
• Each day in hospital raises risk of multidrug-resistant infection
• New antifungal as effective as existing drugs with fewer adverse events
• Inexpensive lab test identifies resistant infections in hours
• Researchers discover key to making new muscles
• Platelet-like particles augment natural blood clotting for treating trauma
• Dynamic duo takes out cellular trash: Research finds how dead cells are removed from body
• Patients call for health professionals to discuss care needs in life-threatening illnesses
• Flour identified as main cause of occupational asthma in France
• Electronic nose can detect sub-groups of asthma in children
• Timing of food intake could impact effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment
• Mandatory policy boosts flu vaccination rates among health care workers
• New single-dose influenza drug appears safe, effective
• Antibiotic stewardship programs reduce costs, improve outcomes
• Is football stress hazardous to fans' health?
• Examining the understudied pull of personality on adolescent sexual development and experience
• Better healing for your Achilles' heel -- literally
• Biomedical technique applied to reveal changes within body of ocean
• Complexities of reducing HIV rates in Russia

Ultraviolet light-induced mutation drives many skin cancers, researchers find Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:17 PM PDT A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers. The mutation occurs in a gene called KNSTRN, which is involved in helping cells divide their DNA equally during cell division.

Targeting protein-making machinery to stop harmful bacteria Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:12 PM PDT In an effort to kill harmful bacteria -- including so-called super-bugs -- many scientists have been focusing on the ribosomes, which manufacture a cell's proteins. But a biologist now is trying to stop those ribosomes from forming in the first place, and has, for the first time, isolated the middle steps in the process that forms the ribosomes.

Why age reduces stem cells' ability to repair muscle Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:12 PM PDT As we age, stem cells throughout our bodies gradually lose their capacity to repair damage, even from normal wear and tear. Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa have discovered the reason why this decline occurs in our skeletal muscle. Their findings were published online today in the influential journal Nature Medicine.

Each day in hospital raises risk of multidrug-resistant infection Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT If a patient contracts an infection while in the hospital, each day of hospitalization increases by 1 percent the likelihood that the infection will be multidrug-resistant, according to research.

New antifungal as effective as existing drugs with fewer adverse events Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT A newly developed antifungal, isavuconazole, is as effective as an existing drug, voriconazole, against invasive mold disease in cancer patients with less adverse effects, according to phase 3 clinical data.

Inexpensive lab test identifies resistant infections in hours Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT The protocol for a relatively new test for a dangerous form of antibiotic resistance has been changed by scientists, increasing its specificity to 100 percent. This research confirms the reliability of a test that can provide results in hours and is simple and inexpensive enough to be conducted in practically any clinical laboratory.

Researchers discover key to making new muscles Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT Cyclic bursts of a STAT3 inhibitor can replenish muscle stem cells and promote their differentiation into muscle fibers, scientists report. The findings are an important step toward developing and maintaining new muscle to treat muscle diseases.

Platelet-like particles augment natural blood clotting for treating trauma Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT A new class of synthetic platelet-like particles could augment natural blood clotting for the emergency treatment of traumatic injuries -- and potentially offer doctors a new option for curbing surgical bleeding and addressing certain blood clotting disorders without the need for transfusions of natural platelets.

Dynamic duo takes out cellular trash: Research finds how dead cells are removed from body Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT Scientists have identified how immune cells use two critical receptors to clear dead cells from the body, pointing the way to new autoimmune and cancer therapies. "This basic research focus allowed us to discover a completely new aspect of immune regulation that no one -— including any immunologist—had known about before," said one researcher.

Patients call for health professionals to discuss care needs in life-threatening illnesses Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT Patients with COPD would like healthcare professionals to discuss palliative care needs in more detail, according to a new study. Palliative care refers to care that is focused on making a person comfortable and relieving symptoms, rather than treating a condition. It is often connected with end-of-life care; although it can refer to any stage of care for any life-threatening condition.

Flour identified as main cause of occupational asthma in France Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT Flour has been identified as the main cause of occupational asthma in France, closely followed by cleaning products. The research, which is the largest of its kind to be undertaken in France, aimed to understand who was most affected by the condition and what the main causes were.

Electronic nose can detect sub-groups of asthma in children Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT An electronic nose can be used to successfully detect different sub-groups of asthmatic children, according to a new study. The new study analysed the profile of exhaled breath in samples from 106 children with asthma or wheeze. This involved looking at particles in the breath known as exhaled volatile compounds, which are then analysed by so-called electronic noses.

Timing of food intake could impact effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT The timing of food intake in the early phase of tuberculosis treatment could have a negative impact on the effectiveness of TB treatment. Research suggests that eating food just before taking a TB drug could reduce the effectiveness of the medicine.

Mandatory policy boosts flu vaccination rates among health care workers Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT Hospitals can greatly improve their flu vaccination rate among health care workers by using a mandatory employee vaccination policy, according to a study. Researchers say the health system studied achieved employee vaccination rates of 99 percent in the first two years of its mandatory policy, in which annual vaccination compliance is a condition of employment.

New single-dose influenza drug appears safe, effective Posted: 06 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT An analysis of phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials shows that a single injected dose of the neuraminidase inhibitor peramivir is safe and effective at alleviating influenza symptoms, including fever and viral shedding, when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

Antibiotic stewardship programs reduce costs, improve outcomes Posted: 06 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT Antibiotic stewardship programs, which promote the appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals and other healthcare centers, not only lead to reduction in antibiotic use with reduced adverse events, but also lead to significant savings. In the case of one New York hospital, more than $600,000 was saved annually.

Is football stress hazardous to fans' health? Posted: 06 Sep 2014 06:29 AM PDT The excitement of football, and even the activities and feelings of anticipation leading up to games, can be unhealthy in ways many do not realize, according to an expert.

Examining the understudied pull of personality on adolescent sexual development and experience Posted: 05 Sep 2014 08:39 AM PDT Can aspects of personality help explain a predilection towards risky sexual behaviors in developing adolescents? Researchers approached this question by surveying middle adolescents of various personality types. The three most common personality types found across cultures and age groups are undercontrollers (extroverted, disagreeable, unconscientiousness, open to new experiences), overcontrollers (agreeable, conscientious, introverted, emotionally unstable), and resilients (agreeable, conscientious, open to experiences, extraverted, emotionally stable).

Better healing for your Achilles' heel -- literally Posted: 04 Sep 2014 03:35 PM PDT In most surgeries, damaged tissue is cleaned out before surgeons make the necessary repairs. However, a new minimally-invasive surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon actually uses the damaged tissue to help repair the tear.

Biomedical technique applied to reveal changes within body of ocean Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT For decades, medical researchers have sought new methods to diagnose how different types of cells and systems in the body are functioning. Now scientists have adapted an emerging biomedical technique to study the vast body of the ocean.

Complexities of reducing HIV rates in Russia Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Decreasing HIV transmission among Russian HIV-infected drinkers will require creative and innovative approaches, results of a new study conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia, show. While new HIV infections globally have declined, HIV rates remain high in Russia. This is due in large part to injection drug use and spread via heterosexual sex transmission.

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