Fwd: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Feb 26

RESPEKT !

Water-world Earths could host life, even if they're askew

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Newsletter Phys.org <not-for-reply@physorg.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 2:41 AM
Subject: Science X Newsletter Thursday, Feb 26
To: Pascal Alter <pascal.alter@gmail.com>

Dear Pascal Alter,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for February 26, 2015:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

- Surgeon to offer ideas on a way to do human head transplants
- Remotely operated vehicle finds heterotrophs abundant in deepest part of the ocean
- Research pair finds color a big factor in how much an image is shared on Pinterest
- Spotify deals with random shuffle and we mortals
- Pebble turns to crowdfunding (again) for latest smartwatch
- Smart bottles make use of printed sensor tags
- Teacher unconscious prejudices put girls off math, science
- Researchers develop method for mapping neuron clusters
- Altering perception of feeding state may promote healthy aging
- Ancient wheat points to Stone Age trading links
- Bumblebees make false memories too
- Intermediary neuron acts as synaptic cloaking device
- How mantis shrimp evolved many shapes with same powerful punch
- Study identifies neurons that help predict what another individual will do
- Amphibian chytrid fungus reaches Madagascar

Astronomy & Space news

	NASA missions may re-elevate Pluto and Ceres from dwarf planets to full-on planet status Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and NASA's Dawn spacecraft will arrive at this dwarf planet on March 6, 2015.
	ALMA reveals surprisingly mild environment around a supermassive black hole A research team led by Shuro Takano at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and Taku Nakajima at Nagoya University observed the spiral galaxy M77, also known as NGC1068, with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and discovered that organic molecules are concentrated in a region surrounding a supermassive black hole at its center. Although these molecules around a black hole are throught to be dissociated by strong X-rays and UV photons, the research results indicate that some regions are shielded from X-rays and UV photons due to a large amount of dust and gas. These results, which were made possible by the high sensitivity and wideband observing capability of ALMA, will be a key to understanding the mysterious environment around supermassive black holes.
	Water-world Earths could host life, even if they're askew Life could be habitable on an Earth-sized waterworld tilted on its side if the oceans aren't too shallow, a new study reveals.
	What is Mars made of? For thousands of years, human beings have stared up at the sky and wondered about the Red Planet. Easily seen from Earth with the naked eye, ancient astronomers have charted its course across the heavens with regularity. By the 19th century, with the development of powerful enough telescopes, scientists began to observe the planet's surface and speculate about the possibility of life existing there.
	Looking deeply into the universe in 3-D The MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope has given astronomers the best ever three-dimensional view of the deep Universe. After staring at the Hubble Deep Field South region for only 27 hours, the new observations reveal the distances, motions and other properties of far more galaxies than ever before in this tiny piece of the sky. They also go beyond Hubble and reveal previously invisible objects.
	New insight found in black hole collisions New research by an astrophysicist at The University of Texas at Dallas provides revelations about the most energetic event in the universe—the merging of two spinning, orbiting black holes into a much larger black hole.
	NASA's Chandra finds intriguing member of black hole family tree A newly discovered object in the galaxy NGC 2276 may prove to be an important black hole that helps fill in the evolutionary story of these exotic objects, as described in our latest press release. The main image in this graphic contains a composite image of NGC 2766 that includes X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (pink) combined with optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Digitized Sky Survey (red, green and blue). The inset is a zoom into the interesting source that lies in one of the galaxy's spiral arms. This object, called NGC 2276-3c, is seen in radio waves (red) in observations from the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network, or EVN.
	'Bright spot' on Ceres has dimmer companion Dwarf planet Ceres continues to puzzle scientists as NASA's Dawn spacecraft gets closer to being captured into orbit around the object. The latest images from Dawn, taken nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 kilometers) from Ceres, reveal that a bright spot that stands out in previous images lies close to yet another bright area.
	Astrophysicist explores star formation in Orion's belt U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) astrophysicist Dr. T.L. Wilson is part of a multi-national research team that has discovered an outburst in the infrared from a deeply embedded protostar. The Herschel Orion Protostar Survey (HOPS) team's discovery, which helps resolve the discrepancy between the mass accretion rate and luminosity, furthers their understanding of the early stages of star formation. This research is published in the February 10, 2015 issue of Astrophysical Journal.
	CubeSats offered deep-space ride on ESA asteroid probe Think of it as the ultimate hitchhiking opportunity: ESA is offering CubeSats a ride to a pair of asteroids in deep space.
	NASA spacecraft prepares for March 12 launch to study earth's dynamic magnetic space environment Final preparations are underway for the launch of NASA's quartet of Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft, which constitute the first space mission dedicated to the study of magnetic reconnection. This fundamental process occurs throughout the universe where magnetic fields connect and disconnect with an explosive release of energy.

Medicine & Health news

	Surgeon to offer ideas on a way to do human head transplants Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group has made it known that he intends to announce at this summer's American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons meeting, that he believes he has put together a group of techniques that should make it possible to attach a human donor body to a head. As a preview, he has published his ideas in Surgical Neurology International.
	Vilsack: Smart phones could tell consumers what's in food (AP)—In the ever-complicated debate over labeling of genetically modified foods, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he has an idea: use your smart phone.
	Harry Potter provides window into the DNA of behavioral genetics Harry Potter, the hero of J. K. Rowling's seven fantasy novels, is a chip off the old wizarding block when it comes to quidditch, the fictional sport played by rival houses at Hogwarts, the school for wizards and witches. Like his father before him, Harry is a master of the game. Perhaps his skill is in his DNA.
	A new understanding of Alzheimer's Although natural selection is often thought of as a force that determines the adaptation of replicating organisms to their environment, Harvard researchers have found that selection also occurs at the level of neurons, which are post-mitotic cells, and plays a critical role in the emergence of Alzheimer's disease.
	DNA 'barcodes' help researchers track rise, fall of yeast dynasties Bakers and beer brewers welcome the gentle, gradual bubbling that occurs when yeast is stirred into warm, sugary liquid. However, this soothing sign that all is well in the kitchen or brewery belies a pitched battle waged just under the murky surface.
	Watching the death throes of tumours A clinical trial due to begin later this year will see scientists observing close up, in real time – and in patients – how tumours respond to new drugs.
	Research cracks the code that governs infections caused by simple, single-stranded RNA viruses Researchers, including Dr Robert Coutts, Research Fellow from the School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, have cracked a code that governs infections caused by simple, single-stranded RNA viruses similar in many respects to viruses that cause the common cold, polio and the winter vomiting norovirus infections.
	Marshaling the body's own weapons against psoriasis A three-character code brings relief to patients with psoriasis and sheds light on complex immunoregulation processes: IL-4, an abbreviation for the endogenous signaling molecule Interleukin 4. The substance's ability to inhibit inflammation is well known, but its mechanism of action was not fully understood. Scientists from the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the University of Tübingen have now shown in an animal model and in a study on patients exactly how IL-4 helps against psoriasis at the molecular level and the important role it plays in our immune system.
	Thinking of God makes people bigger risk-takers Reminders of God can make people more likely to seek out and take risks, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings suggest that people are willing to take these risks because they view God as providing security against potential negative outcomes.
Researchers reverse type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in rats Yale researchers developed a controlled-release oral therapy that reversed type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in rats, according to a study published on Feb. 26 by Science.
	Research shows Asian herb holds promise as treatment for Ebola virus disease New research that focuses on the mechanism by which Ebola virus infects a cell and the discovery of a promising drug therapy candidate is being published February 27, 2015, in the journal Science. Dr. Robert Davey, scientist and Ewing Halsell Scholar in the Department of Immunology and Virology at Texas Biomedical Research Institute announced today that a small molecule called Tetrandrine derived from an Asian herb has shown to be a potent small molecule inhibiting infection of human white blood cells in vitro or petri dish experiments and prevented Ebola virus disease in mice.
	Study identifies neurons that help predict what another individual will do Every day we make decisions based on predicting what someone else will do - from deciding whether the driver approaching an intersection will stop for the red light to determining whether a particular negotiation strategy will result in a desired outcome. Now a study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has discovered two groups of neurons that play key roles in social interactions between primates - one that is activated when deciding whether to cooperate with another individual and another group involved in predicting what the other will do. Their findings appear in the March 12 issue of Cell and have been published online.
Altering perception of feeding state may promote healthy aging Targeting mechanisms in the central nervous system that sense energy generated by nutrients might yield the beneficial effects of low-calorie diets on healthy aging without the need to alter food intake, suggests new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Researchers develop method for mapping neuron clusters A team of scientists has developed a method for identifying clusters of neurons that work in concert to guide the behavior. Their findings, which appear in the journal Neuron, address a long-standing mystery about the organization of the prefrontal cortex (PFC)—one of the most recently evolved parts of the primate brain that underlies complex cognitive functions.
Should smoking be banned in UK parks? Lord Ara Darzi and Oliver Keown at the Institute of Global Health Innovation want a ban to help smokers quit and to protect children from seeing people lighting up.
Million man study examines long-term effects of blocking inflammation Inflammation - the body's response to damaging stimuli - may have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, according to a study published today in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Shopping vouchers could help 1 in 5 pregnant women quit smoking Financial incentives could help one in five women quit smoking during pregnancy, according to new research published today in the journal Addiction. The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King's College London, found that only a small number of women 'gamed' the system to receive the incentives whilst continuing to smoke.
People with ADHD are twice as likely to die prematurely, often due to accidents People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD have a lower life expectancy and are more than twice as likely to die prematurely as those without the disorder, according to new research published in The Lancet. Accidents are the most common cause of death in people with ADHD, and the relative risk of dying is much higher for women than men with ADHD and individuals diagnosed in adulthood. The study is the first to shed light on the role of ADHD in premature death.
Sewage provides insight into human microbiome A new study demonstrates that sewage is an effective means to sample the fecal bacteria from millions of people. Researchers say the information gleaned from the work provides a unique opportunity to monitor, through gut microbes, the public health of a large population without compromising the privacy of individuals.
Children of undocumented Mexican immigrants have heightened risk of behavior problems Children of undocumented Mexican immigrants have a significantly higher risk of behavior problems than their co-ethnic counterparts with documented or naturalized citizen mothers, according to a new study.
	Competition among physicians and retail clinics drive up antibiotic prescribing rate Competition among doctors' offices, urgent care centers and retail medical clinics in wealthy areas of the U.S. often leads to an increase in the number of antibiotic prescriptions written per person, a team led by Johns Hopkins researchers has found.
	Study maps extroversion types in the brain's anatomy Everyday experience and psychological studies alike tell us that there are two different types of extroverts: The gregarious "people-persons" who find reward in sharing affection and affiliation with others, and the ambitious "go-getters" who flash those bright-white smiles in their pursuit of achievement and leadership agendas. A new study shows that these overlapping yet distinct personalities have commensurately overlapping yet distinct signatures in the anatomy of the brain.
Ebola doctor: Media, politicians fueled the public's fear (AP)—A doctor who contracted the deadly Ebola virus but rode the subway system and dined out before he recovered from it said the media and politicians could have done a better job by educating people on the science of it instead of focusing on their fears.
	Can a zen-like state of mind power super cyclist to one of sport's great world records? A golden age of British cycling appears to be coming to an end. In the recent World Championships in Paris, the country's cyclists performed below expectations, recording their poorest showing at that level since 2001.
Team approach boosts human and environmental wellbeing Even seemingly intractable problems such as the antibiotic crisis and the obesity epidemic could be resolved by treating human health and society as an integral part of an ecosystem.
Retinal swelling in premature infants tied to poorer neuro-development Using a portable, non-invasive imaging device, a team of Duke Medicine doctors have identified swelling in the back of the eyes of premature infants that correlates with poorer neurodevelopment as the babies grow.
	Students use new lab to study how sounds influence human health The Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at Penn State has established the Social Science Acoustics Lab in Keller Building at the University Park campus. The lab is used in a variety of ways to investigate the impact natural sounds have on human health.
	Obesity poses serious health risks for moms and their babies Veronica Romero was 21 years old and worried. Pregnant with her first child, she was putting on a lot of weight. Her obstetrician leveled with her: "You're gaining too much." But as she neared 50 pounds of weight gain near the end of her pregnancy, Romerfo felt helpless. "I tried to watch what I was eating, but it was so hard. Pregnant women get cravings, and my cravings were sugary," recalls Romero, who had fought her weight even before conceiving.
	Seeking solutions for the impact of obesity stigma Arizona State University medical anthropologist and President's Professor Alexandra Brewis Slade says that even as more and more Americans find themselves carrying extra weight, the stigma attached to being overweight has grown.
Newly identified protein expected to help with spinal cord injury treatment A research group from Waseda University, Japan, has discovered that by controlling CRMP4, a protein that regulates the body's cytoskeleton, it is possible to prevent reactions that impede recovery.
	Gut microbes targeted for diagnosis, treatment of childhood undernutrition Guided by the immune system, researchers have identified types of gut bacteria in young children in Malawi that are linked to nutritional health and that have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for childhood undernutrition.
Scientists discover beliefs can be just as powerful as nicotine Two identical cigarettes led to a discovery by scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. Study participants inhaled nicotine, yet they showed significantly different brain activity. Why the difference? Some subjects were told their cigarettes were nicotine free.
Longer duration of prescribed antismoking medication before quitting appears promising Smokers may be more likely to successfully quit their habit if simple adjustments were made to how an existing anti-smoking medication is prescribed, according to a new study by a University at Buffalo research team.
	Irisin destroys aggressive cancer cells without negatively affecting normal cells University of New Mexico researchers are studying a newly discovered hormone that releases from muscle after exercise. Irisin, named for the Greek "messenger" goddess Iris, may prevent breast cancer and boost the effects of chemotherapy drugs used in breast cancer treatment.
	Study suggests that limiting saturated fat could help people with a genetic predisposition to obesity Limiting saturated fat could help people whose genetic makeup increases their chance of being obese. Researchers the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts identified 63 gene variants related to obesity and used them to calculate an obesity risk score for more than 2,800 white American men and women enrolled in two large studies on preventing heart disease.
	Technology as a social lifeline for kids with Asperger's Technology is often maligned for having a negative influence on young people, particularly on their ability to develop healthy social relations and a sense of identity. But technology can also be a force for good.
	New molecule could slow Parkinson's Researchers have designed a molecule that, if developed into a drug, could slow the progression of Parkinson's Disease.
Brain biomarkers could provide the ammunition to fight eating disorders During Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Dr Ciara McCabe, neuroscientist at the University of Reading, says we need more understanding of the neurobiology of these disorders if we are to develop new, effective treatments.
New drug treatment could offer stroke survivors better outcomes Promising results for a new drug treatment for ischaemic stroke patients have been published today in the journal Lancet Neurology.
	One brain area, two planning strategies Ready to strike, the spear fisherman holds his spear above the water surface. He aims at the fish. But he is misled by the view: Due to the refraction of light on the surface, he does not see the actual location of the fish. How must his brain now plan the arm movement? Do the brain cells (neurons) reflect the position where the fish was spotted, in other words, the visual target? Or do they plan the physical target, which is the actual direction in which the arm and spear should move in order to hit the fish?
Early signs in young children predict type 1 diabetes New research shows that it is possible to predict the development of type 1 diabetes. By measuring the presence of autoantibodies in the blood, it is possible to detect whether the immune system has begun to break down the body's own insulin cells.
Researchers identify pancreatic cancer patients who benefit from personalized treatment Cancer researchers at Indiana University report that about 15 percent of people with pancreatic cancer may benefit from therapy targeting a newly identified gene signature.
Research suggests anesthetics could have long-term impact on children's brains A group of anesthesiologists and toxicologists today issued a caution to parents and health care professionals about the use of general anesthetics in children.
	Researchers demonstrate optogenetic stimulation of the brain to control pain A new study by a University of Texas at Arlington physics team in collaboration with bioengineering and psychology researchers shows for the first time how a small area of the brain can be optically stimulated to control pain.
Twin study lends new insights into link between back pain and depression Genetic factors help to explain the commonly found association between low back pain and depression, suggests a large study of twins in the March issue of PAIN, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
Researchers find link between persistent insomnia and increased mortality risk A connection between persistent insomnia and increased inflammation and mortality has been identified by a group of researchers from the University of Arizona. Their study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, found that people who suffer from persistent insomnia are at greater risk than those who experience intermittent insomnia.
Chemo before breast cancer operation increases likelihood of breast-preserving procedure Patients with largEr malignant tumors of the breast who undergo chemotherapy before a breast cancer operation are more likely to opt for a breast-preserving procedure and forgo a mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast), according to a new study published online as an "article in press" in the journal of the american college of surgeons. the study will appear in a print edition of the Journal this spring.
Ireland passes EU's first tobacco plain packaging law Ireland on Thursday became the first European Union member state to pass a law introducing mandatory plain packaging for tobacco products, prompting the tobacco industry to threaten legal action.
Researchers identify protein pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth Glioblastomas are a highly aggressive type of brain tumor, with few effective treatment options. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are one step closer to understanding glioblastoma development following the identification of a key protein signaling pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth and survival. Brain tumor stem cells are believed to play an important role in glioblastoma development and may be possible therapeutic targets.
Reasons for ibrutinib therapy discontinuation in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia About 10 percent of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) discontinued therapy with the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor drug ibrutinib because of disease progression during clinical trials, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
Patient perceptions of physician compassion measured Cancer patients perceived a higher level of compassion and preferred physicians when they provided a more optimistic message in a clinical trial that used videos with doctors portrayed by actors, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
Human antibodies target Marburg, Ebola viruses; 1 step closer to vaccine Researchers at Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and The Scripps Research Institute for the first time have shown how human antibodies can neutralize the Marburg virus, a close cousin to Ebola.
	Small molecule helps get stem cells to sites of disease and damage Bioengineers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) with collaborators at the pharmaceutical company Sanofi have identified small molecules that can be used to program stem cells to home in on sites of damage, disease and inflammation. The techniques used to find and test these small molecules may represent important tools in advancing cell-based therapy, offering a new strategy for delivering cells to the right locations in the body. The results of their work appear online this week in Cell Reports.
	Scaffold-free iPS cell-based hyaline cartilage for joint repair Cranky knees and other joint pains are normal in the elderly and sometimes even in the young. While these pains are rarely life threatening, those who have them know the burden and effect on quality of life. In many cases, the cause is a loss of hyaline cartilage, which does not have the capacity to regenerate, meaning once gone it is gone forever. Hyaline cartilage is constituted of chondrocytes and its secretions, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which includes collagens II and XI. They do not include collagen I, which is the primary collagen in fibrocartilage, or scar tissue. The key to a successful recovery then is to introduce into the deteriorated cartilage chondrocytes that secrete only hyaline cartilage ECM proteins.
Leukemia-associated mutations almost inevitable as we age It is almost inevitable that we will develop genetic mutations associated with leukaemia as we age, according to research published today in Cell Reports. Based on a study of 4219 people without any evidence of blood cancer, scientists estimate that up to 20 per cent of people aged 50-60 and more than 70 per cent of people over 90 have blood cells with the same gene changes as found in leukaemia.
Gene discovery sheds light on causes of rare type of dwarfism A gene linked to a type of dwarfism has been identified, in a development that will help to provide better diagnoses for those families affected.
HIV latency is not an accident: It is a survival tactic employed by the virus New research from the Gladstone Institutes for the first time provides strong evidence that HIV latency is controlled not by infected host cells, but by the virus itself. This fundamentally changes how scientists perceive latency, presenting it as an evolutionarily advantageous phenomenon rather than a biological accident.
GLP-1 secretion is reduced in overweight, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes GLP-1 is a hormone that regulates glucose levels in the body by stimulating the secretion of insulin, and GLP-1 also inhibits appetite. "We have found that GLP-1 is reduced by up to 25% among people with pre-diabetes and up to 20% among obese people compared to normal weight people. This indicates that the reduction in GLP-1 is not a consequence of type 2 diabetes, but appears much earlier in the disease development and may predispose people to type 2 diabetes," says one of the lead investigators Kristine Faerch, Senior Research Fellow at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark.
Interaction of estrogen receptor and coactivators seen for first time For more than 50 years, Dr. Bert O'Malley, chair of Baylor College of Medicine's department of molecular and cellular biology, has worked to understand the estrogen receptor, how it works and how it partners with other molecules in the cell.
	Growth signal can influence cancer cells' vulnerability to drugs, study suggests In theory, a tumor is an army of clones, made up of many copies of the original cancerous cell. But tumor cells don't always act like duplicates, and their unpredictable behavior can create problems for treatment. For while some cells within a tumor succumb to anti-cancer drugs, others may survive to bring the cancer back to life once therapy has ended.
Novel precision medicine tool could help personalize cancer treatments By measuring how vigorously tumor cells turn on "self-destruct" signals when exposed to different cancer drugs, a novel lab test can predict within less than 24 hours which agent is most likely to work against a particular tumor, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
	CDC: in U.S., half million C. difficile infections in 2011 (HealthDay)—Almost half a million Americans were infected with the bacteria Clostridium difficile in 2011, and 29,000 died within a month of diagnosis, U.S. health officials say. The report is published in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	More musculoskeletal pain for workers in interventional lab (HealthDay)—Health care workers who are involved in procedures utilizing radiation more often report experiencing work-related musculoskeletal pain, according to a study published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
	CBT, sertraline insufficient in diabetes and depression (HealthDay)—For patients with diabetes and depression, improvements in depression are seen with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or sertraline, with a significant advantage for sertraline, but glycemic control remains unchanged with both treatments, according to a study published online Feb. 17 in Diabetes Care.
	Longer needles recommended for epinephrine autoinjectors (HealthDay)—Given the increasing epidemic of obesity, epinephrine autoinjectors (EAIs) for anaphylaxis require longer needles to ensure intramuscular injection, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Allergy.
	U.S. pedestrian death rate leveling off, but still too high (HealthDay)—The number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roads is expected to remain unchanged from 2013 to 2014, according to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
	More cases of high blood pressure in less affluent states (HealthDay)—Your odds of suffering from high blood pressure may rise depending on the state you live in, a new study suggests.
	Cancer drug first tested in pet dogs begins human trials A new drug that prompts cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing healthy cells is now entering phase I clinical trials in humans. The drug, called PAC-1, first showed promise in the treatment of pet dogs with spontaneously occurring cancers, and is still in clinical trials in dogs with osteosarcoma.
Minipool technology to prepare immunoglobulins to fight viral infections in developing countries A study publishing February 26th, 2015 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases describes a new, pragmatic, method for the production of immunoglobulin G (IgG) from human plasma in developing countries. IgG are therapeutic preparations on the WHO Medicine Essential List that are used to treat patients with primary immune immunodeficiency (PID) and to fight various infectious diseases. PID affects approximately 1 out of 5000 individuals. IgG are manufactured mostly in sophisticated facilities located in advanced economies and are produced from plasma collected in the USA or Europe. There are serious shortages of IgG worldwide, leaving PID patients in the developing world without treatment and therefore exposed to local viral and bacterial pathogens.
A novel immunotherapy technique to treat patients with osteosarcoma and neuroblastoma A novel phase 1 clinical trial that leverages T-cell immunotherapy is now under way at Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) in Detroit and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City; bringing new hope to children and young adults with osteosarcoma and neuroblastoma. This new clinical trial is being funded by charity partners Solving Kids' Cancer and Fishin' For The Cure.
Poor response to cholesterol drugs may indicate blocked arteries If your "bad" cholesterol level stays the same or increases after you take statin drugs, you may have more blocked arteries than people whose levels drop, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
Screening for diabetes at dental visits using oral blood It is estimated that 8.1 million of the 29.1 million Americans living with diabetes are undiagnosed and many who have diabetes have poor glycemic control. Given that each year many Americans visit a dental provider but not a primary care provider, dental visits may be an opportune site for diabetes screening and monitoring glucose control for many at-risk patients.
Urine test predicts heart failure patients' risk of kidney injury Levels of a protein in the urine may help clinicians predict which patients with acute heart failure are at increased risk of developing kidney injury during hospitalization, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Strong connection between violence and mental illness during Guatemala Civil War Violence during the civil war in Guatemala from 1960 to 1996 resulted in the development of significant mental health problems and conditions for the county's people, according to a new multi-institution study from researchers under the Guatemala-Penn Partnership . People who experienced or witnessed violence were four times more likely to suffer from alcohol-related disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the civil war, researchers from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Brown University report this week in the American Journal of Public Health.
Poverty, race drive asthma rates more than city living It was the day after Mother's Day in 2012 when Faith Walker ran into her East Baltimore house unable to breathe.
Novel gene variants found in a difficult childhood immune disorder Genomics researchers analyzing a rare, serious immunodeficiency disease in children have discovered links to a gene crucial to the body's defense against infections. The finding may represent an inviting target for drugs to treat common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).
	Why debunked autism treatment fads persist The communication struggles of children with autism spectrum disorder can drive parents and educators to try anything to understand their thoughts, needs and wants. Unfortunately, specialists in psychology and communication disorders do not always communicate the latest science so well.
	African Americans who fled the South during Great Migration led shorter lives, study finds Millions of African Americans moved from the South in the early 20th century to seek better job opportunities and higher wages, but a new study on the historic Great Migration shows that with improved economic conditions came a greater risk of mortality.
Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D may control brain serotonin Although essential marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to improve cognitive function and behavior in the context of certain brain disorders, the underlying mechanism has been unclear. In a new paper published in FASEB Journal by Rhonda Patrick, PhD and Bruce Ames, PhD of Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), serotonin is explained as the possible missing link tying together why vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids might ameliorate the symptoms associated with a broad array of brain disorders.
Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel may prove more effective for long-term treatment of PD Although levodopa remains the "gold standard" to effectively control motor deficits in the treatment of early stage Parkinson's disease (PD), it loses effectiveness as the disease progresses. After four to six years of treatment with oral medications for Parkinson's disease, about 40% of patients experience lack of muscle control (dyskinesias), end-of-dose wearing off, and fluctuations in "On/Off" states. By nine years of treatment, about 90% will suffer these effects.
	Drinking coffee may lower risk of multiple sclerosis People who drink four to six cups of coffee daily may be less likely to get multiple sclerosis, according to international research out Thursday.
	Use new meningitis vaccines only for outbreaks (AP)—A U.S. panel on Thursday recommended that two new meningitis vaccines only be used for rare outbreaks, resisting tearful pleas to give it routinely to teens and college students.
Heat blamed for spray vaccine's failure against swine flu (AP)—The makers of the nasal spray version of the flu vaccine say now they know why it has failed to protect young U.S. children against swine flu—fragile doses got too warm.
Electronic alerts may do more harm than good for kidney patients The use of electronic alerts by hospitals treating patients with acute kidney injury may increase interventions without improving care, a study by Yale researchers found.
New evidence helps health workers in the fight against Ebola One year after the first Ebola cases started to surface in Guinea, the latest findings from a Cochrane review show new ways of hydrating patients in critical care environments across the world.
	Researchers find hospital design has little effect on patient satisfaction Contrary to previous reports, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that patients' satisfaction scores only modestly improved based on the newly remodeled design of a hospital.
Ebola-hit Liberia no longer America's forgotten stepchild As Liberia's president visits the US Senate on Thursday to thank Americans for their pivotal role in the Ebola recovery, she will reflect on a sometimes fractious relationship spanning two centuries.
Australia to tighten food labelling laws after China scare Australia is set to strengthen food labelling laws after a series of hepatitis A infections were linked to frozen berries from China, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday.
Panel: Base quarantines, other outbreak decisions on science (AP)—Attempts to quarantine health workers returning to the U.S. from Ebola-stricken West Africa were a mistake, the president's bioethics advisers said Thursday.
Income inequality – not just low wages – is taking a toll on the health of American workers "Income inequality" has already become a buzz phrase for the campaigns leading up to the 2016 elections. Likely candidates and pundits on both ends of the political spectrum have begun to talk about how fairness, social justice and—even after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act—the cost of health care insurance are contributing to the large and growing gap between the rich and poor.
Children and young people to get more say in their health care The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) has been chosen as one of seven new sites to develop Patient Centred Outcome Measures (POCMs) by NHS England. The new centres will mean that children and young people will play a more active role in deciding which outcomes are important to them.
	Extra medical tests for disability support can make health worse The review of the national welfare system released today has proposed reducing the number of basic payments and tightening eligibility for disability support. But a government move towards the latter is already risking the integrity of the welfare system, and the health of people with disability.
Ensuring burn victims receive the best nutrition University of Adelaide researchers are working to solve one of the biggest problems of caring for critically ill burns victims – how to provide them with the nutrition they need to survive.
Ebola teaches us public health preparedness requires ethics preparedness Today the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (Bioethics Commission) reported that the federal government has both a prudential and a moral responsibility to actively participate in coordinated global responses to public health emergencies wherever they arise.
Studies find emergency doctors and paramedics commonly misinterpret documents for end-of-life care choices Emergency care providers vary in their understanding of a type of medical order intended to communicate seriously ill patients' choices for life-sustaining treatments, according to a pair of studies in the March Journal of Patient Safety.
Suits filed against scope maker in superbug infection (AP)—Two lawsuits target the maker of a medical scope linked to the outbreak of a superbug at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Blood samples as surrogates for tumor biopsies in patients with lung cancer A study examined the feasibility of using circulating free DNA (cfDNA) from blood samples of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer as a surrogate for tumor biopsies to determine tumor-causing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and then correlate that with expected patient outcomes, according to a study published online by JAMA Oncology.
Ultrasound lags behind MRI for supplemental breast cancer screening Cancer screening of women with dense breast tissue is a subject of great interest to both the medical community and the press. Dense parenchyma reduces the sensitivity of mammography to half that of fatty breasts. Approximately 40% of women 40 years of age or older have dense breast tissue, making supplemental breast cancer screening essential.
Impact of a supermarket on children's diets Locating full-service supermarkets within neighborhoods considered to be "food deserts" may not result in healthful dietary habits or reductions in childhood obesity—at least in the short term, according to a new study by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers in the February 26th online edition of the journal Public Health Nutrition.
US wraps up Ebola military mission in Liberia The United States staged a military ceremony Thursday to end its five-month Ebola mission in Liberia, with the west African nation in recovery from the worst-ever outbreak of the virus.
NYC mayor defends deal oral suction circumcision ritual (AP)—Mayor Bill de Blasio is defending New York City's tentative agreement with members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community over a tradition known as oral suction circumcision.
	Use of injected opioid tied to HIV outbreak in indiana (HealthDay)—Addicts' use of a powerful painkiller is driving a large HIV outbreak in Indiana, according to health officials.
New antibiotic avycaz approved (HealthDay)—The combination antibiotic Avycaz (ceftazidime-avibactam) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with complicated infections of the intra-abdominal area or urinary tract, including the kidneys.
	Fewer americans burdened by medical bills (HealthDay)—The number of Americans struggling to pay medical bills has declined every year since 2011 and particularly since 2013, a new government report shows.
People with disabilities experience unrecognized health disparities, new research shows People with disabilities have unmet medical needs and poorer overall health throughout their lives, and as a result should be recognized as a health disparity group so more attention can be directed to improving their quality of life, a team of policy researchers has found.
Better insurance access leads to more hip, knee replacements among minorities Researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that the expansion of insurance coverage in Massachusetts increased the number of elective knee and hip replacement procedures by 4.7 percent, with greater increases among black and Hispanic patients. The findings are published online in advance of print in the British Medical Journal.
Hospitals face growing active shooter threat A new Viewpoint article in The Journal of the American Medical Association questions whether the notion of the community hospital as a sanctuary from violence may have become too quaint. The fatal shooting death of a Boston surgeon Jan. 20, 2015, the authors note, was another in what appears to be an increasingly frequent series of "active shooter" incidents in U.S. health care facilities.
	If Supreme Court says no, they'd lose health insurance help (AP)—Millions of Americans have a big personal stake in next Wednesday's Supreme Court challenge to the nation's health care law: Can they legally continue to get subsidies to help pay for their insurance? If the court says no, people across more than 30 states could lose federal subsidies for their premiums.
Chile government rejects 14 year-old's plea for euthanasia (AP)—Chile's government on Thursday rejected an ailing 14-year-old girl's plea to let her "sleep forever."
Online education tool helps bridge gaps in therapeutic decision-making for advanced NSCLC A new interactive online tool helps educate practicing oncologists worldwide with therapeutic decision-making for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on a patient's molecular and clinical characteristics by providing feedback from an expert panel.
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are much less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer According to new research, adults in Ontario with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are significantly less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than the general population.

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