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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Atomic force microscope advance leads to new breast cancer research

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers who developed a high-speed form of atomic force microscopy have shown how to image the physical properties of live breast cancer cells, for the first time revealing details about how deactivation of a key protein may lead to metastasis. The new findings also are providing evidence for the mechanisms involved in a cell's response to anti-cancer drugs, said Arvind Raman, Purdue University's Robert V. Adams Professor of Mechanical Engineering. In atomic force microscopy (AFM), a tiny vibrating probe called a cantilever passes over a material, ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

Water: The province of provinces

This news release is available in French. Montreal, June 30, 2015 -- Unsafe drinking water is a topic usually connected to the developing world. But the regular recurrence of boil-water advisories, and widely publicised outbreaks in towns like Walkerton and Kashechewan have shown that, even in Canada, clean water cannot be taken for granted. The increased scrutiny that arose from such issues has resulted in widespread criticism of the uneven drinking water regulation among Canada's provinces and territories.. However, centralizing water regulation is not necessarily ...

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Space30 Jun 2015

NASA sees new depression forms near Solomon Islands

The Southern Pacific Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season just got an extension with the birth of a new tropical depression near the Solomon Islands. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the new depression and saw that it was already affecting some of the islands. The Solomon Islands make up a nation that consists of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific. The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Depression 25P as it was forming in the Southern Pacific, just north of the Solomon ...

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Space30 Jun 2015

Suomi-NPP satellite sees formation of Tropical Depression Chan-Hom

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP Satellite passed over the newborn ninth tropical depression of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean typhoon season on June 30. At 02:55 UTC (10:55 p.m. EDT, June 29), the VIIRS or Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi satellite captured a visible image of the newly developed depression. The VIIRS image revealed bands of thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center from the north and western quadrants. VIIRS collects visible and infrared imagery and global observations of land, atmosphere, cryosphere ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

How small genetic change in Yersinia pestis changed human history

CHICAGO -- While studying Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for epidemics of plague such as the Black Death, Wyndham Lathem, Ph.D., assistant professor in microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, found a single small genetic change that fundamentally influenced the evolution of the deadly pathogen, and thus the course of human history. In a paper published in Nature Communications, Lathem and first author Daniel Zimbler, Ph.D., a Feinberg post-doctoral fellow, demonstrated how the acquisition of a single gene caused the ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Repeated courses of antibiotics may profoundly alter children's development

June 30, 2015, NEW YORK -- A new animal study by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers adds to growing evidence that multiple courses of commonly used antibiotics may have a significant impact on children's development. In the study, to be published online June 30 by the journal Nature Communications, female mice treated with two classes of widely used childhood antibiotics gained more weight and developed larger bones than untreated mice. Both of the antibiotics also disrupted the gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes that inhabit the intestinal tract. Overall, ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

New cardiac arrest recommendations: Increased CPR/AED training will improve survival rates

Washington, DC - June 30, 2015 - A new report released today from the Institute of Medicine calls for a campaign to promote public education and training opportunities to reduce barriers to the provision of bystander CPR and defibrillation. Annual rates of CPR and AED use by bystanders remain less than three percent in the United States even though evidence indicates that its use significantly improves cardiac arrest survival. The American Red Cross strongly supports the IOM's recommendation to encourage training through employers, local public health departments, schools ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Spouses & relatives of celiac disease patients at risk for autoimmune diseases

Bethesda, MD (June 30, 2015) -- Both spouses and first-degree relatives of patients with celiac disease are at increased risk of nonceliac autoimmune disease, according to a study in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. This risk represents a mixture of genetic, environmental and ascertainment bias mechanisms. "The prevalence of celiac disease in first-degree relatives of individuals with celiac is approximately 10 percent. Despite these findings, little is ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Pinaverium shows promising results for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Bethesda, MD (June 30, 2015) -- Pinaverium offers quick and effective relief of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, according to clinical trial results published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Pinaverium bromide (pinaverium), an antispasmodic, is used widely in many countries around the world, including European countries, Canada and Mexico. However, original clinical studies on pinaverium are scarce and there has been no convincing evidence for its effectiveness ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Vitamin A supplementation may cause the immune system to 'forget' past infections

Although vitamin A supplementation can have profound health benefits when someone is deficient, new evidence is emerging to show that vitamin A supplementation above and beyond normal levels may have negative health consequences. A new research report published in the July 2015 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology may help to explain why too much vitamin A can be harmful. Too much vitamin A shuts down the body's trained immunity, opening the door to infections to which we would otherwise be immune. This study adds to the arguments that vitamin A supplementation should ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

Water used for hydraulic fracturing varies widely across United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The amount of water required to hydraulically fracture oil and gas wells varies widely across the country, according to the first national-scale analysis and map of hydraulic fracturing water usage detailed in a new study accepted for publication in Water Resources Research, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. The research found that water volumes for hydraulic fracturing averaged within watersheds across the United States range from as little as roughly 9,800 liters (2,600 gallons) to as much as 37 million liters (9.7 million gallons) per well. In ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Sialic acid: A key to unlocking brain disorders

A new report published in the July 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that a common molecule found in higher animals, including humans, affects brain structure. This molecule may play a significant role in how brain cells communicate, possibly shedding light on the underlying causes of certain brain disorders. The study, involving mice, shows that small changes in how sialic acid attaches to cell surfaces result in damaging effects on brain structure, poor motor skills, hyperactivity, and difficulty in learning. "Sialic acid is part of the molecular language that ...

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Space30 Jun 2015

Cheek muscles hold up better than leg muscles in space

It is well known that muscles need resistance (gravity) to maintain optimal health, and when they do not have this resistance, they deteriorate. A new report published in the July 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal, however, suggests that this might not be true for all muscles, offering hope that there may be ways to preserve muscle mass and strength for individuals in low-resistance environments, whether it be the microgravity of space, extended periods in a hospital bed, or a 9-5 job behind a desk. "Maintaining muscle mass and good muscle repair is key to all areas of ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Omega-3 supplements and antioxidants may help with preclinical Alzheimer's disease

Here's more evidence that fish oil supplementation and antioxidants might be beneficial for at least some people facing Alzheimer's disease: A new report published in the July 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal describes the findings of a very small study in which people with mild clinical impairment, such as those in the very early stages of the disease, saw clearance of the hallmark amyloid-beta protein and reduced inflammation in neurological tissues. Although the findings involved just 12 patients over the course of 4 to 17 months, the findings suggest further clinical ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Cardiac survival rates around 6 percent for those occurring outside of a hospital

WASHINGTON - Cardiac arrest strikes almost 600,000 people each year, killing the vast majority of those individuals, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Every year in the U.S., approximately 395,000 cases of cardiac arrest occur outside of a hospital setting, in which less than 6 percent survive. Approximately 200,000 cardiac arrests occur each year in hospitals, and 24 percent of those patients survive. Estimates suggest that cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind cancer and heart disease. Following a cardiac arrest, each ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Human urine helps prevent bacteria from sticking to bladder cells

WASHINGTON, DC --June 30, 2015--Human urine contains factors that prevent a common culprit in urinary tract infections (UTIs), uropathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria, from properly attaching to bladder cells, a necessary step for infection. The research, published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, reveals a weakness that could be exploited to develop more effective, non-antibiotic treatments for UTIs. "There is a pressing, unmet need when it comes to developing new and better ways to treat UTIs," says Scott Hultgren, ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Hantaviruses are highly dependent on cell membrane cholesterol to infect humans

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Hantaviruses use cholesterol in cell walls to gain access into cells and infect humans, according to laboratory research published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. "Our work demonstrates that hantaviruses are extremely sensitive to the amount of cholesterol in the membranes of the cells they are trying to infect," said senior study author Kartik Chandran, Ph.D., an associate professor of microbiology and immunology, and Harold and Muriel Block Faculty Scholar in Virology, at the Albert ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

Nationwide study measures short-term spike in July 4 particulate matter

From our nation's founding, the Fourth of July has been synonymous with fireworks. While many grew up learning that fireworks can be dangerous to the eyes and hands if not handled properly, fireworks also produce air pollutants, including particulate matter, that are linked to short-term or long-term health effects. NOAA scientist Dian Seidel and Abigail Birnbaum, a student intern at NOAA, have authored a new study appearing in the journal Atmospheric Environment that quantifies the surge in fine particulate matter -particles that are two and one half microns in diameter ...

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Environment30 Jun 2015

Ocean algae will cope well in varying climates, study shows

Tiny marine algae that play a critical role in supporting life on Earth may be better equipped to deal with future climate change than previously expected, research shows. Scientists investigated the likely future impact of changing environmental conditions on ocean phytoplankton, a microscopic plant that forms the basis of all the oceans' food chains. Phytoplankton is important for absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while generating much of the oxygen needed to sustain life on Earth. The study grew phytoplankton at the high carbon dioxide levels predicted ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Topical benzoyl peroxide efficacy on Propionibacterium acnes reduction in shoulder surgery

Greenwich, CT, 30 June, 2015 - A new paper to be published in The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery evaluates the effect that topical benzoyl peroxide (BPO), with chlorhexidine skin preparation, has on the presence of Propionibacterium acnes cultured at the time of shoulder surgery. The authors hypothesized that adding topical BPO, the active ingredient in Clearasil, to the pre-operative skin preparation would reduce the number of positive P. acnes cultures identified during surgery. P. acnes infection is a significant problem after shoulder surgery. Residual P. ...

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Science30 Jun 2015

Restored streams take 25 years or longer to recover

New research has found that the number of plant species growing just next to restored streams can take up to 25 years to increase above those channelized during the timber floating era. This is according to doctoral student, Eliza Maher Hasselquist, and other researchers from Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). In the Vindel River catchment in northern Sweden, the main channel and most tributary streams were channelized from the 1850s to the 1950s to accommodate timber floating, which stopped in 1976. Boulders in the streams ...

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Environment30 Jun 2015

Europeans have unknowingly contributed to the spread of invasive plant species in the USA

Halle (Saale). The role of plant traits might be overestimated by biologists in studies on plant invasiveness. Anthropogenic factors such as whether the spcies was being cultivated proved to be more important. These conclusions were made from a study on Central European plants that were introduced by humans to North America and over time became naturalised in this continent. Naturalisation of new plant species, a process that makes it a permanent member of the local flora, most strongly depends on residence time in the invaded range and the number of habitats occupied by ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Chitosan coated, chemotherapy packed nanoparticles may target cancer stem cells

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Nanoparticles packed with a clinically used chemotherapy drug and coated with an oligosaccharide derived from the carapace of crustaceans might effectively target and kill cancer stem-like cells, according to a recent study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). Cancer stem-like cells have characteristics of stem cells and are present in very low numbers in tumors. They are highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation and ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Offering healthier options at carryout stores improves bottom line

A pilot program designed to encourage mom and pop carryout shops in Baltimore to promote and sell healthier menu items not only improved eating habits, but also increased the stores' gross revenue by an average 25 percent, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research found. A key finding, published in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, is that not only were healthier options expanded in low-income, African-American neighborhoods, but that storeowners actually made money selling these foods -- which the researchers say should ...

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Medicine30 Jun 2015

Lack of research funding could leave health care training 'to chance,' says BMJ editorial

Health care education researchers, led by Dr. Julian Archer from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, have penned a heartfelt editorial in The BMJ calling for more research funding to support the evidence base for medical training. Without it the authors claim that the future of training for doctors, nurses and other health care professionals will be 'left to chance' - to the detriment of their professional development, the efficient running of health services and the ultimate benefit of patients. The authors cite the cost of medical practitioners ...

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