Health research :Nanoscientists develop safer, faster way to remove pollutants from water ♦New approach to help bones heal faster and better ♦ Obesity spells problems for trauma patients

Nanoscientists develop safer, faster way to remove pollutants from water A team of researchers from the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA has found a new way to use enzymes to remove pollutants from water that is cost- and energy-efficient, able to remove multiple pollutants at once

New approach to help bones heal faster and better A new type of drug is being developed that may help bones heal faster and better. Using bone samples from people undergoing hip replacement surgery, the researchers were able to show that the drug - a protein that activates a molecular pathway called the 'Wnt' pathway - causes stem cells found within bones to divide and to turn into more bone cells The Wnt pathway is found throughout the animal kingdom - from sponges to humans - and it plays a fundamental role in animal development and disease. It is involved in controlling the growth of stem cells, which are 'master cells' that help restore tissues after injury.

Obesity spells problems for trauma patients A link between obesity and a higher risk for surgery in orthopaedic trauma patients has been uncovered by new research. In addition, researchers found that patients with obesity had longer hospital stays and greater treatment costs

Sound deprivation leads to irreversible hearing loss Sound deprivation in adult mice causes irreversible damage to the inner ear. The findings suggest that chronic conductive hearing loss, such as that caused by recurrent ear infections, leads to permanent hearing impairment if it remains untreated.

Woman's Health:Pollutants in early pregnancy linked to gestational diabetes ♦ New approach to mammograms could improve reliability ♦ Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions

Women exposed to organic pollutants in early pregnancy have more than four-times increased risk of gestational diabetes New research shows that a 10-times increased exposure to organic pollutants in early pregnancy is associated with a 4.4 times increased risk of a pregnant woman developing gestational diabetes.

New approach to mammograms could improve reliability Detecting breast cancer in women with dense mammary tissues could become more reliable with a new mammogram procedure that researchers have now tested in preclinical studies of mice. Scientists describe injecting gold nanoparticles in mammary tissue to enhance the imaging of early signs of breast cancer.

No long term effects of antidepressant use during pregnancy The use of antidepressants during pregnancy has no long term neurodevelopmental or behavioral effects on the child, however they may be associated with an increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage.

Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions Scientists have used a genetically engineered vaccine to successfully eradicate high-grade precancerous cervical lesions in nearly one-half of women who received the vaccine in a clinical trial. The goalwas to find nonsurgical ways to treat precancerous lesions caused by HPV.

Grieving Before Conception May Be a Risk Factor for Infant Mortality An elevated infant death rate may be linked to mourning experienced by women in the months before they become pregnant.

Cancer Research:Nanoparticles inhibit breast cancer metastasis ♦ Assessing cancer risk of pollutants ♦ Potential new targets for cancer treatments identified

siRNA-toting nanoparticles inhibit breast cancer metastasis Researchers combined finely crafted nanoparticles with one of nature's potent disrupters to prevent the spread of triple-negative breast cancer in mouse models. The researchers are working toward clinical trials.

New method developed to assess cancer risk of pollutants A faster, more accurate method to assess cancer risk from certain common environmental pollutants has been developed by scientists. The study focused on pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that commonly occur in the environment as diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke.

Potential new targets for cancer treatments identified Key steps in cell division have now been revealed by new research, possibly leading to treatments aimed at inhibiting cancer cell division.

First-in-class antibody mixture shows clinical activity against Tx-resistant, advanced CRC Sym004, a mixture of two anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies, was found in patients with advanced colorectal cancer that had become resistant to prior therapies.

New treatment option for subtype of aggressive lymphoma A specific combination of mutations and new gene fusions have been discovered, that appear to be heavily implicated in tumor growth in patients with a particularly aggressive subtype of lymphoma. The findings could lead to new targeted treatments for this disease and even to successful treatment of other types of cancer

Childrens Health: Infant growth affected environmental pollutants ♦ Nuts lower teenagers' risk of metabolic syndrome ♦ Keep kids home from school + more

Infant growth affected by exposure to environmental pollutants  Even though the levels of two environmental pollutants have declined over the last 20 years, they may still have adverse effects on children's development. The researchers found that maternal levels of DDE ( levels to which the fetuses were exposed to in utero) were significantly associated with rapid growth in early life. They also found that levels of PCB153 in milk were associated with decreased infant growth.Continue Reading

Nuts may help lower teenagers' risk of metabolic syndrome  Modest consumption of nuts every day is associated with an improved cardiovascular risk profile among adolescents, a new analysis of a large national database shows Continue Reading

When to keep kids home from school  For many reasons, a child being home from school while sick can be stressful. Parents worry about the severity of their child’s illness and about the child missing school, all while trying to shuffle work schedules to be home Continue Reading

Parents' depression can lead to toddlers in trouble  A father's or mother’s depression during the first years of parenting can put their toddlers at risk of developing troubling behaviors such as hitting, lying, anxiety and sadness during a critical time of development Continue Reading

New quality measures approved for childhood sleep apnea  A work group of physicians from leading academic medical centers across the United States has developed new quality measures for the detection and treatment of childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a potentially morbid, life-altering condition that affects hundreds of thousands of children and adolescents nationwide.Continue Reading

Obesity Research: Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise ♦ Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning ♦ Molecular Link between Obesity,Type 2 Diabetes ♦ Plus More

Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise Scientists have discovered a new hormone that fights the weight gain caused by a high-fat Western diet and normalizes the metabolism -- effects commonly associated with exercising. Continue Reading

Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning in muscle  targeted approach that overrides muscles' intrinsic energy efficiency and allows muscle to burn more energy, even during low to moderate exercise, has been developed by scientists. The new findings might provide the basis of a therapy that could help people get a head start on losing weight by helping to overcome the body's natural resistance to weight loss. Continue Reading

Molecular Link between Obesity,Type 2 Diabetes Reveals Potential Therapy   The inflammatory molecule LTB4 promotes insulin resistance, a first step in developing type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered. What's more, the team found that genetically removing the cell receptor that responds to LTB4, or blocking it with a drug, improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice ,Continue Reading

Level of pollutants accumulated in the body linked to obesity levels Scientists have confirmed that there is a relation between the levels of certain environmental pollutants that a person accumulates in his or her body and his or her level of obesity. Subjects with more pollutants in their bodies tend to have higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Continue Reading

Psychology of food choice: Challenging the status quo  Researchers are challenging conventional beliefs about the effectiveness of traditional strategies for encouraging healthy eating. Researchers tackle issues such as the harmfulness of weight stigma, encouraging healthy choices, and strategies to help children and teens  Continue Reading