Health News: Salmonella found in raw milk from New York ♦ Electric fields remove nanoparticles from blood with ease ♦ The complex sneeze, caught on tape

Salmonella found in raw milk from New York Consumers are being warned not to consume unpasteurized raw milk from the Jerry Dell Farm at Freeville in Tompkins County, NY, because it could possibly be contaminated with Salmonella. A routine sample of the milk..

Platelets promote the liver's regeneration process following surgery Certain platelet-derived growth factors are of major significance for the liver's regeneration processes. It has been shown that platelets can encourage the regrowth of liver tissue in patients who have had parts of their liver removed surgically. This may also act as a starting point for the prediction of potential postoperative problems.

Electric fields remove nanoparticles from blood with ease A new technology that uses an oscillating electric field to easily and quickly isolate drug-delivery nanoparticles from blood has been developed by a team of engineers. The technology could serve as a general tool to separate and recover nanoparticles from other complex fluids for medical, environmental, and industrial applications

The complex sneeze, caught on tape From the daintiest sleeve-stifled 'shoo to the mightiest head-whipping howl, a sneeze is as unique to an individual as a laugh -- we all do it, but everyone seems to do it differently. We know that sneezes can spread infectious diseases like measles, influenza or SARS, suspending viruses in droplets that may be inhaled or deposited onto surfaces and later picked up on the hands of some unsuspecting passerby. But we don't understand exactly how far a sneeze can spread or if and why some people spread sickness through sneezing more effectively than others.

Children's Health: Childhood obesity linked to poverty, parenting style ♦ Negative body image increases adolescent obesity risk ♦ World first blood test reduces risk,increases accuracy in prenatal testing

World first blood test reduces risk, increases accuracy in prenatal testing Research into a simple, accurate and low risk blood test that can detect fetal blood group, sex, and genetic conditions in unborn babies, report scientists. The new, simple and safe DNA blood test could spell the end of invasive amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.

Negative body image, not depression, increases adolescent obesity risk Negative body image significantly increases the risk of obesity regardless of whether youth have depression, according to researchers. For the study's purposes, persons with a body mass index of 30 or more were considered obese.

Don't delay: Having to wait doesn't help young kids exercise self-control Would your ability to resist a tantalizing cookie improve if you had to wait a few seconds before you could reach for it? The idea that natural urges 'die down' with time seems intuitive, but new research shows that it's being reminded about what not to do, not the passage of time, that actually helps young children control their impulsive behavior

Childhood obesity linked to poverty, parenting style With childhood obesity rates on the rise, a team of based researchers embarked on a study to show how authoritarian parenting and household income combine to affect kid's obesity risk.

Health Research: Gel that can make drugs last longer ♦ New antibody weapons against Marburg virus ♦ 'Drink when thirsty' to avoid fatal drops in blood sodium levels during exercise

Gel that can make drugs last longer A drug-delivering hydrogel has been developed to treat chronic diseases such as hepatitis C, a liver disease that kills around 500,000 people worldwide every year

New antibody weapons against Marburg virus New immune molecules that protect against deadly Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola virus, have been identified by researchers. The research provides ingredients needed to develop treatments for future Marburg outbreaks, they say.

'Drink when thirsty' to avoid fatal drops in blood sodium levels during exercise For hikers, football players, endurance athletes, and a growing range of elite and recreational exercisers, the best approach to preventing potentially serious reductions in blood sodium level is to drink when thirsty, according to an updated consensus statement on exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH).

Pioneering study may explain origin of several digestive diseases The tridimensional characterization of the calcium phosphate formed in the stomach is shown for the first time in a new study, revealing its internal structure, morphology and real functionality. This study has succeeded in taking one more step towards discovering the origin of certain diseases, although there is still a lot of work ahead before we can combat these diseases that would appear to be associated with a calcium deficiency.

Cancer Research; Safety of magic anti-cancer bullet ♦ Cancers highjack powerhouses of cells ♦ Sound separates cancer cells from blood samples

Sound separates cancer cells from blood samples Separating circulating cancer cells from blood cells for diagnostic, prognostic and treatment purposes may become much easier using an acoustic separation method and an inexpensive, disposable chip.

Mechanism that drives melanoma to metastasize identified  In a unique partnership demonstrating excellence in "team science," investigators identified a role for the molecule CXCR3 (widely known to regulate the migration of immune cells) as a key mediator of melanoma metastasis. The significance of this work is its descriptions of alternative mechanisms by which tumors move and settle in new locations.

New target for anticancer drugs: RNA  Messenger RNAs -- the working copies of genes that are used to assemble proteins -- have typically been ignored as drug targets because they all look about the same. But researchers have found that a subset of mRNAs -- many of which have been linked to cancer -- have unique tags. These short RNA tags bind to a protein, eIF3, that regulates translation at the ribosome, making the binding site a promising target for anticancer drugs.

Researchers put safety of magic anti-cancer bullet to test The first systematic study has been carried out analyzing the safety of so-called upconversion nanoparticles that may be used to treat skin cancer and other skin diseases. This study is one of the most important steps on the path to new, safe and effective methods to diagnose and treat cancer.

Common cancers highjack powerhouses of cells  In a breakthrough in the understanding of how cancer does its deadly work, researchers have shown that many cancers -- including nearly all pancreatic cancers -- enslave and deform mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to create an environment more conducive to tumor growth

3-D Gel-Nanoparticle Device Detoxifies Blood

Researchers developed a liver-inspired 3-D device made of hydrogel and nanoparticles that can remove toxins from blood. Designed for use outside the body, the device provides a proof-of-concept model for new detoxification techniques.

The 3-D structure of the detoxifier, measured by laser confocal microscopy.Image by the researchers, courtesy of Nature Communications.

Toxins from animal bites and stings or from bacterial infections can damage cells, leading to pain and illness. Conventional treatments, such as antisera, may not completely neutralize the toxins.

Scientists have previously developed nanoparticles that can bind certain types of toxins and neutralize them. Nanoparticles, however, can’t be given directly to patients because the particles may accumulate in the liver, creating an additional health risk.

An international team led by Dr. Shaochen Chen at the University of California, San Diego, set out to develop a nanoparticle-based detoxification device that wouldn’t be hazardous to patients. Their study was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and other NIH components. Results appeared on May 8, 2014, in Nature Communications.

The team made nanoparticles out of the polymer polydiacetylene. The chemical characteristics of polydiacetylene cause it to change its fluorescence pattern when it binds to toxins. Toxin binding changes its color from blue to red, and the intensity of red fluorescence increases with the amount of toxin bound.

To test the nanoparticles, the researchers mixed them with red blood cells and melittin, the main toxic component of bee venom. As expected, the nanoparticles bound the toxin and exhibited red fluorescence that increased with the amount of melittin bound. Using computer simulations, the researchers were able to characterize the interactions between the nanoparticles and toxin.

The group next used 3-D printing to create a device that could capture and remove melittin from a solution. They formed scaffold structures composed of the nanoparticles embedded in a non-toxic gel often used in biomedical applications. They tested several 3-D scaffold patterns with different surface areas. A hexagonal pattern with a very large surface area, which mimicked the hexagonal organization of a liver lobule, trapped the toxins best.

To further test the ability of the scaffold to remove toxins, the scientists mixed red blood cells with melittin treated with the detoxification device. The device neutralized the toxin by capturing and separating it from the cells.

“The concept of using 3-D printing to encapsulate functional nanoparticles in a biocompatible hydrogel is novel,” Chen says. “This will inspire many new designs for detoxification techniques since 3-D printing allows user-specific or site-specific manufacturing of highly functional products.”

Binge Drinking Linked to Gut Leakage and Immune Response

A single alcohol binge can cause bacteria to leak from the gut and increase levels of bacterial toxins in the blood, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Increased levels of these bacterial toxins, called endotoxins, were shown to affect the immune system, with the body producing more immune cells involved in fever, inflammation, and tissue destruction.

Binge drinking is defined by NIAAA as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08g/dL or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks for women, in about two hours. Some individuals will reach a 0.08g/dL BAC sooner depending on body weight. Binge drinking is known to pose health and safety risks, including car crashes and injuries. Over the long term, binge drinking can damage the liver and other organs.

“While the negative health effects of chronic drinking are well-documented, this is a key study to show that a single alcohol binge can cause damaging effects such as bacterial leakage from the gut into the bloodstream,” said Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of NIH.

In the study, 11 men and 14 women were given enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol levels to at least .08 g/dL within an hour. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes for four hours after the binge and again 24 hours later.

The researchers found that the alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in endotoxin levels in the blood and evidence of bacterial DNA, showing that bacteria had permeated the gut. Endotoxins are toxins contained in the cell wall of certain bacteria that are released when the cell is destroyed. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol levels and circulating endotoxin levels.

“We found that a single alcohol binge can elicit an immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy individual,” said Dr. Szabo. “Our observations suggest that an alcohol binge is more dangerous than previously thought.”

Earlier studies have tied chronic alcohol use to increased gut permeability, wherein potentially harmful products can travel through the intestinal wall and be carried to other parts of the body. Greater gut permeability and increased endotoxin levels have been linked to many of the health issues related to chronic drinking, including alcoholic liver disease.

Abbott Blood Glucose Test Strips Recalled

Abbott today announced it is initiating a voluntary recall of 20 lots of FreeStyle® and FreeStyle Lite® Blood Glucose Test Strips in the United States. These lots of test strips may produce erroneously low blood glucose results when used with both "FreeStyle® Blood Glucose Meter" and "FreeStyle® Flash Blood Glucose Meter” [neither of which have been in production since 2010], as well as the OmniPod® Insulin Management System.

When the test strips are used with the newer FreeStyle brand meters including FreeStyle® Freedom Blood Glucose Meter, FreeStyle Lite® Blood Glucose Meter* and FreeStyle Freedom® Lite Blood Glucose Meter*, the blood glucose test results are not affected. Testing with the FreeStyle InsuLinx® Blood Glucose Meter is not affected by this action, as FreeStyle InsuLinx Blood Glucose Meter uses FreeStyle InsuLinx test strips.

The affected test strips are from lots that hold expiration dates from between May 2014 and March 2015, and can be identified as follows:

Lot Numbers
1281732	1363321	1367917
1283345	1365056	1373262
1283603	1365920	1374907
1285007	1365934	1366515
1366111	1366337	1366006
1363015	1366347	1350414
1363109	1365921

The company is notifying healthcare professionals, pharmacies, distributors and customers about the recall; customers affected by this action are instructed to call Abbott's diabetes care customer service at 1-888-736-9869 for a replacement of the affected test strips at no charge.

For more information, please visit abbottdiabetescare.com.

About Abbott Diabetes Care

Abbott Diabetes Care, based in Alameda, Calif., is a leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing glucose monitoring systems designed to help people better manage their diabetes. Additional information about Abbott Diabetes Care may be found at www.abbottdiabetescare.com.

About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 70,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

No Training Required for Phlebotomist in 47 States

Three states require blood collection personnel (Phlebotomist) to be certified or licensed. California, Nevada and Louisiana Require licenses but only california has minimum training standards.

I Personally ran into a Phlebotomist who was not well trained. She stuck me seven or eight times before she told me it was her first and to come back the next day when some one else would would draw my blood. But there are more important problems than my discomfort. Studies showing 95 percent of diagnostic delays are caused by errors before the blood gets to the lab to be analyzed.

Mistakes in blood work can be catastrophic. If a doctor gets blood results that are late or incorrect it can result in death.In most states if an employer thinks a person is good enough they can start drawing blood with no or minimal training. Most Phlebotomist do a good job, but we need them all to do a good job.