ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Intermittent montelukast in children aged 10 months to 5 years with wheeze
• Prediabetes increases the risk of cancer by 15 percent, study of almost 900,000 people shows
• Tear gas could have temporary impact on lung health
• Need for authenticity drives gender transitions in later life, expert says
• Toward a theory of child well-being
• Teens living with two college-educated parents less likely to use alcohol, marijuana
• Rapid and durable protection against Ebola virus with new vaccine regimens
• Biologists delay the aging process by 'remote control'
• In one of nature's innovations, a single cell smashes and rebuilds its own genome
• Brain damage caused by severe sleep apnea is reversible
• Too many kids with asthma, food allergies lack school emergency plans
• Declines in central line infections, ventilator pneumonias, American study shows
• Bone cancer surgical team sees success in new application of surgical aid
• Faces are more likely to seem alive when we want to feel connected
• New genetic target for a different kind of cancer drug found
• Popular cancer drug target implicated in cardiovascular defects
• No need to leave home: New system of tele-medical assistance for people with mobility problems
• Unusual immune cell needed to prevent oral thrush, researchers find
• Simeprevir in hepatitis C: Added benefit for certain patients
• New antimicrobial strategy silences NDM-1 resistance gene in pathogens
• New compound inhibits enzyme crucial to MERS, SARS viruses -- with a catch
• Scientists take a look at the feel-good benefits of belly dance
• There could be increased numbers of psychopaths in senior managerial positions, high levels of business, research shows
• Bacteria from bees possible alternative to antibiotics
• Food craving is stronger, but controllable, for kids
• New knowledge of cannabis paves way for drug development
• Benralizumab for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sputum eosinophilia
• Sleeping on animal fur in infancy found to reduce risk of asthma
• Taking short walking breaks found to reverse negative effects of prolonged sitting
• Many patients in cancer centers may not experience a dignified death
• Father's smoking prior to conception could increase asthma risk for baby
• Input from psychologist can help improve asthma symptoms
• Breath temperature test could identify lung cancer
• Poor recording of physical health, medication could be causing dementia trials to fail
• Women, health professionals spark new cycle of improving maternal, newborn health
• Research explains how you bite off the chocolate from nuts
• Word 'edges' are important for language acquisition
• New mechanism in gene regulation revealed
• Ovarian cancer oncogene found in 'junk DNA'
• Viral infection in nose can trigger middle ear infection

Intermittent montelukast in children aged 10 months to 5 years with wheeze Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:47 PM PDT This study of 1,358 children investigated whether intermittent montelukast -- a drug widely used to treat wheeze and other asthmatic symptoms -- compared with placebo, reduced wheezing episodes in children aged 10 months to 5 years, and whether patient outcome differed according to genotype.

Prediabetes increases the risk of cancer by 15 percent, study of almost 900,000 people shows Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:47 PM PDT Prediabetes increases the risk of cancer by 15 percent, with differing risks depending on the type of cancer, a meta-analysis comprising 16 studies and 891,426 participants from various regions of the world shows.

Tear gas could have temporary impact on lung health Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:46 PM PDT The effects of tear gas are not just short term and could be experienced for up to two weeks after the event, according to a new study. Results found a range of respiratory symptoms, with 70% of respondents reporting respiratory difficulties, 80% reporting a lasting cough, 45% phlegm production and 43% chest pain. The median duration of both cough and chest pain was 15 days.

Need for authenticity drives gender transitions in later life, expert says Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:43 PM PDT As we age, all of us begin to think about what makes us tick and what kind of legacy we want to leave. For some, this manifests itself in the purchase of a motorcycle, a boat or an exotic vacation. But for others, the issues of age and transition are a bit more contemplative. The paper examines an existential perspective on time with a notion of queer time based on the experiences of older transgender persons who contemplate or pursue a gender transition later in life.

Toward a theory of child well-being Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:43 PM PDT For most of us, being healthy is more than lack of disease. It is a state of physical and mental well-being. But what is well-being? Can a comprehensive picture of well-being be established? And how can a deeper understanding of the nature of well-being help further its measurement?

Teens living with two college-educated parents less likely to use alcohol, marijuana Posted: 08 Sep 2014 12:29 PM PDT A high school senior who lives with 2 college-educated parents is significantly less likely to drink alcohol or smoke marijuana than a teenager who lives with one parent, a new study has found. In terms of race, the presence of both parents is an especially strong protective factor for African-American adolescents.

Rapid and durable protection against Ebola virus with new vaccine regimens Posted: 08 Sep 2014 12:29 PM PDT One shot of an experimental vaccine made from two Ebola virus gene segments incorporated into a chimpanzee cold virus vector, called chimp adenovirus type 3 or ChAd3, protected all four macaque monkeys exposed to high levels of Ebola virus 5 weeks after inoculation, report scientists.

Biologists delay the aging process by 'remote control' Posted: 08 Sep 2014 12:29 PM PDT Biologists have identified a gene that can slow the aging process when activated remotely in key organ systems. The life scientists, working with fruit flies, activated a gene called AMPK that is a key energy sensor in cells. Increasing AMPK in the intestine increased the fly's life by about 30 percent, and the fly stayed healthier longer as well. The research could have important implications for delaying aging and disease in humans.

In one of nature's innovations, a single cell smashes and rebuilds its own genome Posted: 08 Sep 2014 12:29 PM PDT A pond-dwelling, single-celled organism has the remarkable ability to break its own DNA into nearly a quarter-million pieces and rapidly reassemble those pieces when it's time to mate. This elaborate process could provide a template for understanding how chromosomes in more complex animals such as humans break apart and reassemble, as can happen during the onset of cancer.

Brain damage caused by severe sleep apnea is reversible Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT A neuroimaging study is the first to show that white matter damage caused by severe obstructive sleep apnea can be reversed by continuous positive airway pressure therapy. The results underscore the importance of the 'Stop the Snore' campaign of the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society and other partners.

Too many kids with asthma, food allergies lack school emergency plans Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Only one in four students with asthma and half of children with food allergies have emergency health management plans in school, leaving schools inadequately prepared to manage daily needs and handle medical emergencies related to often life-threatening medical conditions, reports a new study.

Declines in central line infections, ventilator pneumonias, American study shows Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Hospitals across the country have seen sharp declines in rates of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) among critically ill neonates and children, according to a new study.

Bone cancer surgical team sees success in new application of surgical aid Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT An ortho-oncology team successfully adapted a shoulder surgical aid (the Spider Limb Positioner) to conduct a left hip disarticulation on a melanoma patient as described in a new case report.

Faces are more likely to seem alive when we want to feel connected Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Feeling socially disconnected may lead us to lower our threshold for determining that another being is animate or alive, according to new research. "This increased sensitivity to animacy suggests that people are casting a wide net when looking for people they can possibly relate to -- which may ultimately help them maximize opportunities to renew social connections," explains psychological scientist and lead researcher of the study.

New genetic target for a different kind of cancer drug found Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:53 AM PDT The protein RBM4, a molecule crucial to the process of gene splicing, is drastically decreased in multiple forms of human cancer, including lung and breast cancers, researchers have discovered. The finding offers a new route toward therapies that can thwart the altered genetic pathways that allow cancer cells to proliferate and spread.

Popular cancer drug target implicated in cardiovascular defects Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:53 AM PDT Researchers have discovered an unlikely relationship between CXCR7 -- a protein implicated in tumor growth and metastasis -- and adrenomedullin -- a hormone involved in cardiovascular health. Deleting CXCR7 allows adrenomedullin to run rampant, triggering the development of an enlarged heart and the overgrowth of the lymphatic vessels that traffic immune cells and fluids throughout the body.

No need to leave home: New system of tele-medical assistance for people with mobility problems Posted: 08 Sep 2014 10:52 AM PDT Medical researchers have designed a remote medical care system that supports the rehabilitation of people with spasticity, an alteration of the nervous system related to increased tone muscle making motor skills difficult or impossible for those affected.

Unusual immune cell needed to prevent oral thrush, researchers find Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:15 AM PDT An unusual kind of immune cell in the tongue appears to play a pivotal role in the prevention of thrush, according to the researchers who discovered them. The findings might shed light on why people infected with HIV or who have other immune system impairments are more susceptible to the oral yeast infection.

Simeprevir in hepatitis C: Added benefit for certain patients Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT Certain patients with hepatitis genotype 1 infection -- without HIV infection -- have fewer symptoms or side effects. Probability and extent of added benefit vary, however.

New antimicrobial strategy silences NDM-1 resistance gene in pathogens Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:09 AM PDT A molecule that can silence the gene responsible for severe antibiotic resistance in some bacteria has been synthesized by researchers. "There is a critical need to find new treatments for antibiotic-resistant pathogens and using a gene-silencing approach could be one viable strategy for new antimicrobial development," says one researcher.

New compound inhibits enzyme crucial to MERS, SARS viruses -- with a catch Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:09 AM PDT A compound that effectively inhibits an enzyme crucial to the viruses that cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome has been identified by researchers. The compound appears to have a different method of inhibition in each virus due to slight differences in each virus' enzyme which means finding other compounds that inhibit both may be difficult.

Scientists take a look at the feel-good benefits of belly dance Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT A new study contributes to the scant literature available on belly dancing. Belly dancers have fewer hang-ups about their bodies. Most women who participate in this torso-driven dance do so because it is fun and they get to perform interesting moves -- not because they necessarily feel sexier while doing so.

There could be increased numbers of psychopaths in senior managerial positions, high levels of business, research shows Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT For the first time, it has been demonstrated that people with psychopathic tendencies who have high IQs can mask their symptoms by manipulating tests designed to reveal their personalities. It raises the possibility that large numbers of ruthless risk-takers are able to conceal their level of psychopathy as they rise to key managerial posts.

Bacteria from bees possible alternative to antibiotics Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Thirteen lactic acid bacteria found in the honey stomach of bees have shown promising results in a series of studies. The group of bacteria counteracted antibiotic-resistant MRSA in lab experiments. The bacteria, mixed into honey, has healed horses with persistent wounds. The formula has previously been shown to protect against bee colony collapse.

Food craving is stronger, but controllable, for kids Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Children show stronger food craving than adolescents and adults, but they are also able to use a cognitive strategy that reduces craving, according to new research. "These findings are important because they suggest that we may have another tool in our toolbox to combat childhood obesity," says psychological scientist and the study's lead researcher.

New knowledge of cannabis paves way for drug development Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Revolutionary nanotechnology method could help improve the development of new medicine and reduce costs. Researchers have developed a new screening method that makes it possible to study cell membrane proteins that bind drugs, such as cannabis and adrenaline, while reducing the consumption of precious samples by a billion times.

Benralizumab for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sputum eosinophilia Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with eosinophilic airway inflammation in 10–20 percent of patients. Benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody, has been shown to decrease the number of blood and sputum eosinophils.

Sleeping on animal fur in infancy found to reduce risk of asthma Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Sleeping on animal fur in the first three months of life might reduce the risk of asthma in later childhood a new study has found. The chance of having asthma at the age of 6 years was 79% lower in children who had slept on animal skin after birth compared with those who were not exposed to animal skin. The risk decreased to 41% by the age of 10.

Taking short walking breaks found to reverse negative effects of prolonged sitting Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Three easy -- one could even say slow -- 5-minute walks can reverse harm caused to leg arteries during three hours of prolonged sitting, researchers report. Sitting for long periods of time is associated with risk factors such as higher cholesterol levels and greater waist circumference that can lead to cardiovascular and metabolic disease. When people sit, slack muscles do not contract to effectively pump blood to the heart. Blood can pool in the legs and affect the endothelial function of arteries, or the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow.

Many patients in cancer centers may not experience a dignified death Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Many patients in cancer centers do not experience a dignified death, a new German study that surveyed physicians and nurses suggests. The study indicates the need for cancer centers to invest more in palliative care services, adequate rooms for dying patients, staff training in end-of-life care, and advance-care-planning standards.

Father's smoking prior to conception could increase asthma risk for baby Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT A baby has a greater risk of asthma if his or her father smoked prior to conception, research shows. The study is the first in humans to analyze the link between a father's smoking habits before conception and a child's asthma. The findings add to growing evidence from animal studies which suggest that the father's exposures before parenthood can harm his child.

Input from psychologist can help improve asthma symptoms Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Psychological input into the treatment and management of people with severe asthma can help improve their symptoms, according to a new study. Around 27% of people with severe asthma are thought to experience psychological problems'; however, this isn't routinely addressed by asthma healthcare professionals.

Breath temperature test could identify lung cancer Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT The temperature of exhaled breath could be used to diagnose lung cancer, according to a new study. Results of a study demonstrated that the patients with lung cancer had a higher breath temperature than those without. The temperature also increased with the number of years a person had smoked and the stage at which their lung cancer had developed.

Poor recording of physical health, medication could be causing dementia trials to fail Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT Dementia trials could be failing because they all too often overlook the physical health of patients, according to new research. More than 60 per cent of people with dementia are estimated to have three or more other conditions (co-morbidities). The research shows how the combined effects of co-morbidities including diabetes, lung disease, arthritis and chronic heart failure are not being adequately described in dementia trials.

Women, health professionals spark new cycle of improving maternal, newborn health Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT Demand for better care by women linked with the expansion of basic services, rather than political pressure, has helped to improve midwifery services in low to middle-income countries, according to international research. An examination of maternal and newborn health systems found that after initial investment in health infrastructure, a virtuous cycle developed in these countries -- with increased demand for care leading to the deployment of more midwives, better services, improved outcomes, and in-turn, more demand and investment.

Research explains how you bite off the chocolate from nuts Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT Simply biting off the chocolate from a nut dipped in chocolate, instead of biting through both the chocolate and nut requires sophisticated control of the biting power. This is possible owing to an advanced coordination of muscle activation and brake reflexes in different parts of the jaw muscles.

Word 'edges' are important for language acquisition Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT Word "edges" are important for language acquisition. Children start to learn the sound of words by remembering the first and last syllables. A new study sheds light on the information the infant brain uses during language acquisition and the format in which it stores words in its memory.

New mechanism in gene regulation revealed Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT The information encoded in our genes is translated into proteins, which ultimately mediate biological functions in an organism. Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays an important role, as it is the molecular template used for translation. Scientist have now unraveled a molecular mechanism of mRNA recognition, which is essential for understanding differential gene regulation in male and female organisms.

Ovarian cancer oncogene found in 'junk DNA' Posted: 06 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT A research team has mined 'junk DNA' sequences to identify a non-protein-coding RNA whose expression is linked to ovarian cancer. Using clinical, genetic, and gene expression data as filters to distinguish genes whose copy number alteration causes cancer from those for whom copy number changes are incidental, the team whittled down their list from 14,000 to a more manageable number, each of which they systematically tested using genetic experiments in animals.

Viral infection in nose can trigger middle ear infection Posted: 06 Sep 2014 06:29 AM PDT Middle ear infections, which affect more than 85 percent of children under the age of 3, can be triggered by a viral infection in the nose rather than solely by a bacterial infection, according to researchers.

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