Cancer Research: Investigational immunotherapeutic increased bladder cancer survival ♦ Weekday of surgery affects esophageal cancer surgery prognosis

Weekday of surgery affects esophageal cancer surgery prognosis Patients who undergo surgery for esophageal cancer early in the week – on a Monday or Tuesday – have a higher chance of long-term survival than those who have surgery at the end of the working week,

Global task force tackles problem of untreatable cancers and disease relapse: Non-toxic chemicals in plants and foods may be key Many cancer therapies are highly toxic, and even when they appear to work, a significant percentage of patients will experience a relapse after only a few months.  Typically these relapses result from small subpopulations of mutated cells which are resistant to therapy, and doctors who try to address this problem with combinations of therapies find that therapeutic toxicity typically limits their ability to stop most cancers

Investigational immunotherapeutic increased bladder cancer survival Among patients with metastatic bladder cancer that had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy, those who received an investigational, personalized peptide cancer vaccine and best-supportive care had extended overall survival compared with those who received best-supportive care alone.

Higher nicotine, carcinogen levels among smokeless tobacco users compared with cigarette users U.S. adults who used only smokeless tobacco products had higher levels of biomarkers of exposure to nicotine and a cancer-causing toxicant -- the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK -- compared with those who used only cigarettes

Health News: 34 Sick with salmonella infantis in Canada ♦Scientists identify proteins crucial to loss of hearing ♦ A nap to recap: How reward, daytime sleep boost learning

34 Sick with salmonella infantis in Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with federal and provincial public health partners to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Infantis in eight provinces. To date, the source of this investigation has not been identified, but the investigation is ongoing, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available. Currently, there are 34 cases of Salmonella Infantis illness...

Scientists identify proteins crucial to loss of hearing Right now, there is no way to reverse hearing loss, largely because auditory hair cells, which sense sound and relay that information to the brain, do not regenerate. A new study, however, has found a key clue to how these hair cells develop. The study identified a new role for a particular group of proteins in the development and survival of the hair cells.

Investigators create complex kidney structures from human stem cells derived from adults A highly efficient method has been developed for making kidney structures from stem cells that are derived from skin taken from patients. The kidney structures formed could be used to study abnormalities of kidney development, chronic kidney disease, the effects of toxic drugs, and be incorporated into bioengineered devices to treat patients with acute and chronic kidney injury.

A nap to recap: How reward, daytime sleep boost learning Rewarding learning selectively enhances the consolidation of learned information during sleep, report scientists. This human study builds on what we know from Drosophila by showing how sleep and reward combine to boost memory.

Nicotine gives brain more codeine relief, risk of addiction Nicotine use over time increases the speed that codeine is converted into morphine within the brain, by increasing the amount of a specific enzyme, according to new research in rat models. It appears smokers' brains are being primed for a bigger buzz from this common pain killer -- which could put them at a higher risk for addiction, and possibly even overdose. These findings are part a new way of seeing the brain's role when it comes to drugs and toxins.

Pulmonary Research: Nicotine-chomping bacteria ♦ Sulfur dioxide air pollutant still a concern for asthmatics ♦ Missed diagnostic testing found among lung cancer patients

Emissions have declined, but sulfur dioxide air pollutant still a concern for asthmatics Emissions of the air pollutant sulfur dioxide have been dramatically decreased during the past 30 years but for some people even a little inhaled sulfur dioxide may still be too much.

Delay in treatment, missed diagnostic testing found among lung cancer patients Patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer may wait too long to receive treatment, and too many patients skip vital diagnostic steps that are needed to help determine the best possible treatment, researchers report.

On-chip processor the first step in point-of-care asthma and tuberculosis diagnostics A device to mix liquids utilizing ultrasonics is the first and most difficult component in a miniaturized system for low-cost analysis of sputum from patients with pulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma

Nicotine-chomping bacteria may hold key to anti-smoking therapy A new study explores a bacterial enzyme that might be used as a drug candidate to help people quit smoking. The research shows that this enzyme can be recreated in lab settings and possesses a number of promising characteristics for drug development.

Health News: Six firms selling pesticide tainted imported produce ♦ Predict amount of nicotine emitted from e-cigarettes ♦ Cheaper, high-performance prosthetic knee

Six firms selling pesticide tainted imported produce The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has fined six companies that ignored warnings and repeatedly sold imported fruits and vegetables with illegal pesticide residues to predominantly ethnic minority customers. According to an agency statement released July 28, the fines range from $10,000 to more than $20,000 for violating pesticide laws and potentially endangering consumers....

When surgeons listen to their preferred music, their stitches are better and faster From classical to rock, music can be heard in operating rooms across the world. When plastic surgeons listen to music they prefer, their surgical technique and efficiency when closing incisions is improved.

Novel model developed to predict amount of nicotine emitted from e-cigarettes Researchers have developed the first ever, evidence-based model that can predict with up to 90 percent accuracy the amount of nicotine emitted by an electronic cigarettes.

Paralyzed men move legs with new non-invasive spinal cord stimulation Five men with complete motor paralysis were able to voluntarily generate step-like movements thanks to a new strategy that non-invasively delivers electrical stimulation to their spinal cords. The strategy, called transcutaneous stimulation, delivers electrical current to the spinal cord by way of electrodes strategically placed on the skin of the lower back. This expands to nine the number of completely paralyzed individuals who have achieved voluntary movement while receiving spinal stimulation.

Cheaper, high-performance prosthetic knee Researchers report that they have designed a cheap prosthetic knee that mimics normal walking motion. They have calculated the ideal torque that a prosthetic knee should produce, given the mass of the leg segments, in order to induce able-bodied kinematics, or normal walking

Health News: New way to eliminate antibiotic-resistant infection ♦ 9 case outbreak from rare strain of Salmonella ♦ India Maggi noodles recalled due to excess lead

Arizona reports 9 case outbreak from rare strain of Salmonella  Maricopa County, AZ, is reporting nine illnesses from a rare strain of Salmonella paratypi which officials say is associated with raw minced or ground tuna used in sushi. Disease onset for the nine AZ cases was from and three people have been hospitalized.

Scientists may have found a way to eliminate antibiotic-resistant infections A new method of gene therapy called CRISPR to selectively slash the DNA of an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli. The method uses a virus as its vector to infect the bacterial cells and target the exact sequence of genetic base-pairs that confers antibiotic resistance.

India Maggi noodles recalled due to excess lead Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across the country, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead.

Beyond the poppy: A new method of opium production Moonshiners and home-brewers have long used yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. New research shows that those methods could also be adapted for something with more significant ramifications: the production of drugs including opiates, antibiotics, and anti-cancer therapeutics.

Getting smokers to quit with an unlikely drug: Nicotine COPD is a mix of chronic bronchitis (which involves a constant cough) and emphysema (which destroys lung tissue). Most people who develop COPD are older with a history of smoking. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that smoking is the cause for as many as nine out of 10 COPD-related deaths, yet 39 percent of people with COPD continue to smoke. Nicotine stimulates the reward pathways in the brain, which is why most people can't just have one cigarette every once in a while. They're always craving the feeling of satisfaction they get from smoking. Researchers are studying whether people would quit smoking if they were allowed to keep having nicotine

4/15/14 Health News: Poisoning Spike Linked to TV Chefs ♦ Refills for E-cigarettes Break Poison Labelling Laws ♦ Should be Skeptical of Walmart’s Cheap Organic Food ♦ Hospital Cited for 8 Violations in TB outbreak

Most nicotine refills for e-cigarettes break poison labelling laws

Almost 70% of nicotine-based refills for electronic cigarettes fail to state the contents are poisonous, despite this being required by law, according to research by the Dutch food safety body NVWA. The packaging should carry a skull icon to show the contents are dangerous to health. This means users are not being properly warned about the contents Continue Reading

Poisoning spike linked to TV chefs

A SPIKE in food poisoning cases has been linked to South Australians undercooking eggs at home.The new cases have sparked warnings from health authorities to be wary of attempting techniques used on television cooking shows.SA Health figures show 353 cases of potentially life-threatening salmonellosis have been reported throughout the state so far this year. That is about a third more than the number of cases — 267 — reported at the same time last year.Continue Reading

Why you should be skeptical of Walmart’s cheap organic food

Out on the mean streets of the U.S. organic foods industry, Walmart has stepped onto the corner with both guns drawn. On Thursday, the superstore behemoth announced its plan to partner with Wild Oats(which you may recognize as a former subsidiary of Whole Foods) to offer a line of organic goods at unprecedentedly low prices in 2,000 of its U.S. stores. To start, the line will offer primarily canned goods and other pantry staples that will cost up to 25 percent less than those of other organic brands. Continue Reading

Summerlin Hospital cited for 8 violations in TB outbreak

The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday that it cited Summerlin Hospital for eight violations in connection with last year's tuberculosis outbreak that claimed the life of a mother and at least one of her children. Continue Rea

Tobacco, drug use in pregnancy can double risk of stillbirth

Smoking tobacco or marijuana, taking prescription painkillers, or using illegal drugs during pregnancy is associated with double or even triple the risk of stillbirth, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers based their findings on measurements of the chemical byproducts of nicotine in maternal blood samples; and cannabis, prescription painkillers and other drugs in umbilical cords. Taking direct measurements provided more precise information than did previous studies of stillbirth and substance use that relied only on women’s self-reporting. The study findings appear in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Smoking is a known risk factor for stillbirth, but this analysis gives us a much clearer picture of the risks than before,” said senior author Uma M. Reddy, M.D. “Additionally, results from the latest findings also showed that likely exposure to secondhand smoke can elevate the risk of stillbirth.”

Dr. Reddy added, “With the legalization of marijuana in some states, it is especially important for pregnant women and health care providers to be aware that cannabis use can increase stillbirth risk.”

The study enrolled women between March 2006 and September 2008 in five geographically defined areas delivering at 59 hospitals participating in the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network . Women who experienced a stillbirth and those who gave birth to a live infant participated in the study. The researchers tested blood samples at delivery from the two groups of women and the umbilical cords from their deliveries to measure the exposure to the fetus. They also asked participants to self-report smoking and drug use during pregnancy.

Stillbirth occurs when a fetus dies at or after 20 weeks of gestation. While the U.S. stillbirth rate decreased from 18 per 1,000 births in 1950 to 6 per 1,000 births in 2006, it still remains higher than many other developed countries and affects almost 26,000 U.S. newborns per year.

The researchers tested the women’s blood for cotinine, a derivative of nicotine, and tested fetal umbilical cords for evidence of several types of drugs. They looked for evidence of the stimulants cocaine and amphetamine; prescription painkillers, such as morphine and codeine, and marijuana. These tests reflect exposure late in pregnancy. Among the women who had experienced a stillbirth, more than 80 percent showed no traces of cotinine and 93 percent tested negative for the other drugs. In comparison, about 90 percent of women who gave birth to a live infant tested tobacco-free and 96 percent tested negative for other drugs.

Based on the blood test results and women’s own responses, the researchers calculated the increased risk of stillbirth for each of the substances they examined:

• Tobacco use — 1.8 to 2.8 times greater risk of stillbirth, with the highest risk found among the heaviest smokers
• Marijuana use — 2.3 times greater risk of stillbirth
• Evidence of any stimulant, marijuana or prescription painkiller use — 2.2 times greater risk of stillbirth
• Passive exposure to tobacco — 2.1 times greater risk of stillbirth

The researchers noted that they could not entirely separate the effects of smoking tobacco from those of smoking marijuana.

Only a small number of women tested positive for prescription painkiller use, but there was a trend towards an association of these drugs with an elevated stillbirth risk.

“As about 1 in 20 members of the U.S. population over the age of 12 have used opioid pain relievers non-medically, this finding could affect many pregnant women and calls for more investigation,” said study co-author Marian Willinger, Ph.D., also of the NICHD.