Health News

Pathogens reduced by probiotics

Date: Nov-18-2013
Piglets fed probiotic Enterococcus faecium showed reduced numbers of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli strains in their intestines, according to a team of German researchers. The research is important, because in 2006 the European Union prohibited the feeding of antibiotics to livestock as growth promoters. Therefore, the research team sought to investigate whether probiotics could substitute for antibiotics, by reducing pathogen populations in the intestines, says first author Carmen Bednorz of Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany.

Lack of sleep linked to higher risk of illness in teens

Date: Nov-18-2013
Newly released findings from Bradley Hospital published in the Journal of Sleep Research have found that acute illnesses, such as colds, flu, and gastroenteritis were more common among healthy adolescents who got less sleep at night. Additionally, the regularity of teens' sleep schedules was found to impact their health. The study, titled "Sleep patterns are associated with common illness in adolescents," was led by Kathryn Orzech, Ph.D. of the Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory.

Healthcare system challenged by older adults with severe mental illness

Date: Nov-18-2013
Although older adults with serious mental illness didn't have more recorded physical illness and had fewer outpatient visits to primary care physicians, they made more medical emergency department visits and had considerably longer medical hospitalizations than older adults without mental illness according to a study conducted by researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research.

Sequencing study underscores difficulty of treating ovarian cancer, points to diverse patterns of ovarian cancer evolution

Date: Nov-18-2013
One of the most comprehensive studies of genetic mutations in ovarian cancer has been published, demonstrating an unprecedented level of genetic variation that exists in both primary tumors and metastatic lesions of ovarian cancer. The study highlights potential new pathways for therapeutic intervention and suggests that sampling and sequencing of multiple disease sites may be required for effective targeted treatments.

Early tests show hybrid heart valve to be strong and durable

Date: Nov-18-2013
A hybrid heart valve created from thin and highly elastic mesh embedded within layers of human cells was strong and durable in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.Researchers created a three-dimensional cell culture by coating a scaffold of nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol), used for devices that require flexibility and motion, with layers of smooth muscle, connective tissue and lining cells. The valves performed well in a heart simulator, opening and closing under various pressures and remaining stable and strong throughout the tests.

Diagnosis by blood test of early stages of breast cancer a hope for the near future

Date: Nov-18-2013
What could someday be the first blood test for the early detection of breast cancer was shown in preliminary studies to successfully identify the presence of breast cancer cells from serum biomarkers, say the Houston Methodist Research Institute scientists who are developing the technology.

Why some women who take osteoporosis drugs suffer fracture of their femurs

Date: Nov-18-2013
Research with baboons at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute may help explain why some people who take bone-strengthening drugs like bisphosphonates are at-risk for atypical fractures in the long bones in their legs.Texas Biomed scientist Lorena M. Havill, Ph.D. and colleagues at the Southwest Research Institute and Indiana University examined femurs of deceased baboons and found differences in the microstructure of their femurs that she traced to genetic variation among the animals.

Nanopore-based technology improved for detecting DNA molecules

Date: Nov-18-2013
If we wanted to count the number of people in a crowd, we could make on the fly estimates, very likely to be imprecise, or we could ask each person to pass through a turnstile. The latter resembles the model that EPFL researchers have used for creating a "DNA reader" that is able to detect the passage of individual DNA molecules through a tiny hole: a nanopore with integrated graphene transistor.The DNA molecules are diluted in a solution containing ions and are driven by an electric field through a membrane with a nanopore.

Dual-wave nanotherapy method shows promise in fighting pancreatic cancer

Date: Nov-18-2013
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new technique for fighting deadly and hard-to-treat pancreatic cancer that uses two different types of nanoparticles, the first type clearing a path into tumor cells for the second, which delivers chemotherapy drugs.The research team, led by Dr. Andre Nel, a UCLA professor of nanomedicine and a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, and Dr.

Multi-institutional study recommends cut point for clinical experience in pediatric ICUs

Date: Nov-18-2013
Nursing leaders from 38 children's hospitals, led by Patricia Hickey, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, vice president of critical care and cardiovascular services at Boston Children's Hospital, demonstrated that nursing education and experience significantly impact outcomes for patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The researchers recommend that there be no more than 20 percent of nurses with less than two years of clinical experience in pediatric ICUs to decrease mortality rates. Nurse education preparation at the baccalaureate level or higher also improved mortality rates in these hospitals.