sid_melo blogreen: 06/10/14

terça-feira, 10 de junho de 2014

Hepatitis B screening now recommended for high risk individuals

June 5, 2014

Loyola University Health System

A simple blood test can detect if a person is one of the two billion people worldwide infected with hepatitis B. And now experts recommend that all teens and adults who are high risk for hepatitis B get screened for the infection. “Many people with hepatitis B do not show any symptoms so they are not diagnosed which means they keep transmitting the disease to others,” says a board certified hepatologist.

A simple blood test can detect if a person is one of the two billion people worldwide infected with hepatitis B. And now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all teens and adults who are high risk for hepatitis B get screened for the infection.

"Many people with hepatitis B do not show any symptoms so they are not diagnosed which means they keep transmitting the disease to others," says Steve Scaglione, MD, board certified hepatologist at Loyola University Health System. Hepatologists are specialists in treating liver disease. "Increased screening means the disease is diagnosed earlier, treated earlier and better controlled."

Hepatitis B is an infectious disease that is passed from person to person through blood and bodily fluids. There are two varieties of the disease: acute hepatitis B causes illness for a short term before recovery. Chronic hepatitis B is ongoing and can cause life-threatening liver damage.

"Advancements in treatment for hepatitis B are bring made but prevention and early diagnosis are still the best route for public health," says Scaglione, who regularly treats hepatitis B patients at Loyola.

According to the Hepatitis B Foundation, up to 100,000 people in the United States get the virus each year, and 10 million to 30 million people in the world are infected.

Treatment for hepatitis B ranges from antiviral medication to stop the virus from multiplying to liver transplantation in cases of extreme illness. Hepatitis B can be transmitted if you:

• Have sex with an infected person without using a condom.

• Share needles (used for injecting drugs) with an infected person.

• Get a tattoo or piercing with tools that weren't sterilized.

• Share personal items like razors or toothbrushes with an infected person

Individuals considered to be high risk for hepatitis B and who are recommended to be screened include:

• Adolescents and adults not vaccinated for Hepatitis B at birth.

• People born in countries with a high rate of hepatitis B infection. These include Africa, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, China, the Middle Eastern, Eastern Europe and the northern countries of South America such as Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

• People whose parents were born in countries with a high rate of infection.

• People with HIV.

• People who inject drugs.

• Men who have sex with men.

• People who live with or have sex with someone with hepatitis B.

• Patients with weakened immune systems or who are receiving kidney dialysis.

A mother infected with hepatitis B can transmit the disease to her baby. Medication can be given to the child to prevent the infection from spreading.

Symptoms of hepatitis B include:

• Feeling very tired.

• Mild fever.

• Headache.

• Not wanting to eat.

• Feeling sick to your stomach or vomiting.

• Belly pain.

• Diarrhea or constipation.

• Muscle aches and joint pain.

• Skin rash.

• Yellowish eyes and skin (jaundice). Jaundice usually appears only after other symptoms have started to go away.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Loyola University Health System. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Soccer for untrained 70-year-old men yields amazing results

June 6, 2014

University of Copenhagen

Untrained elderly men get markedly fitter and healthier as a result of playing soccer. After only four months of twice-weekly one-hour training sessions, the men achieved marked improvements in maximum oxygen uptake, muscle function and bone mineralization. The study revealed that inactive elderly men improved their maximum oxygen uptake by 15% and their performance during interval exercise by as much as 50% by playing soccer for 1 hour two times per week over 4 months.

Click to enlarge

It is never too late to start playing football. Soccer boosts physical capacity and heart health, and minimizes the risk of falls and fractures in elderly men, who have never soccer before or have not played for decades.

Research carried out by the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health in Denmark shows that untrained elderly men get markedly fitter and healthier as a result of playing soccer. After only 4 months of twice-weekly 1-hour training sessions, the men achieved marked improvements in maximum oxygen uptake, muscle function and bone mineralization.

Three scientific articles will be published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports describing the fitness and health effects of soccer training for 63‒75-year-old untrained men.

The Copenhagen researchers, led by Professor Peter Krustrup of the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, have a compelling case. Soccer is a fun, social and effective form of high-intensity interval training that is open to all.

Untrained elderly men can also play

"Our previous studies have shown that 70-year-old men with lifelong participation in soccer possess a postural balance and rapid muscle force that is comparable to that of 30-year-old untrained men," says Krustrup. "This time we have gone one step further by evaluating the intensity of soccer training as well as the health and fitness effects of soccer for untrained elderly men with little experience of soccer."

"The study revealed that inactive elderly men improved their maximum oxygen uptake by 15% and their performance during interval exercise by as much as 50% by playing soccer for 1 hour two times per week over 4 months. Moreover, muscle function was improved by 30% and bone mineralization in the femoral neck increased by 2%," says Krustrup.

"The results provide strong evidence that soccer is an intense, versatile and effective form of training, including for untrained elderly men. It is definitely never too late to start playing soccer. Soccer boosts physical capacity and heart health, and minimizes the risk of falls and fractures in elderly, men who have never played soccer before or have not played for decades," says Krustrup.

Sky-high intensity

"The players had heart rates that were sky high and corresponded to the values obtained during elite soccer games," says Associate Professor Eva Wulff Helge of the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen.

"GPS measurements and video analyses also showed that there are many fast runs, stops, turns, dribbles, passes and shots, providing strong stimuli for muscle and bone adaptations. The fast runs, intense actions and unorthodox movements may well be the cause of a large increase in bone mineralization in the femur bone and femoral neck after only 4 months and of the further 3% improvement from 4 to 12 months of training," says Helge.

An active everyday life and better health

"Our study shows that intense training such as soccer can change the lives of elderly men," says Krustrup.

"The remarkable improvements in aerobic fitness and muscle strength make it easier for the players to live an active life and overcome the physical challenges of everyday life such as climbing stairs, shopping, cycling and gardening. This benefits not only the players themselves, but also their families and friends," says Krustrup.

The scientific study

The researchers at the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health have conducted numerous randomized controlled training studies involving soccer and other team sports.

In the present study, a total of 27 untrained men aged 63 to 75 were recruited, tested and randomized into a soccer group, a strength training group and an inactive control group. The two training groups exercised for 1 hour twice a week for a year. A comprehensive testing battery was used at baseline, after 4 months and after 12 months. The research team, comprising 20 researchers from the Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, the University of Southern Denmark, Gentofte University Hospital and the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, was led by Professor Peter Krustrup, who has studied fitness and health effects for more than 10 years and published 55 articles in the area over the last 5 years.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Copenhagen. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal References:

T. R. Andersen, J. F. Schmidt, M. Thomassen, T. Hornstrup, U. Frandsen, M. B. Randers, P. R. Hansen, P. Krustrup, J. Bangsbo. A preliminary study: Effects of football training on glucose control, body composition, and performance in men with type 2 diabetes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2014; DOI: 10.1111/sms.12259
T. R. Andersen, J. F. Schmidt, J. J. Nielsen, M. B. Randers, E. Sundstrup, M. D. Jakobsen, L. L. Andersen, C. Suetta, P. Aagaard, J. Bangsbo, P. Krustrup. Effect of football or strength training on functional ability and physical performance in untrained old men. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2014; DOI: 10.1111/sms.12245
E. W. Helge, T. R. Andersen, J. F. Schmidt, N. R. Jørgensen, T. Hornstrup, P. Krustrup, J. Bangsbo. Recreational football improves bone mineral density and bone turnover marker profile in elderly men. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2014; DOI: 10.1111/sms.12239

Longer telomeres linked to risk of brain cancer: Double-edged sword, gene variants may promote overall health while increasing risk of gliomas

New genomic research led by UC San Francisco (UCSF) scientists reveals that two common gene variants that lead to longer telomeres, the caps on chromosome ends thought by many scientists to confer health by protecting cells from aging, also significantly increase the risk of developing the deadly brain cancers known as gliomas.

The genetic variants, in two telomere-related genes known as TERT and TERC, are respectively carried by 51 percent and 72 percent of the general population. Because it is somewhat unusual for such risk-conferring variants to be carried by a majority of people, the researchers propose that in these carriers the overall cellular robustness afforded by longer telomeres trumps the increased risk of high-grade gliomas, which are invariably fatal but relatively rare cancers.

The research was published online in Nature Genetics on June 8, 2014.

"There are clearly high barriers to developing gliomas, perhaps because the brain has special protection," said Margaret Wrensch, MPH, PhD, the Stanley D. Lewis and Virginia S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research at UCSF and senior author of the new study. "It's not uncommon for people diagnosed with glioma to comment, 'I've never been sick in my life.'"

In a possible example of this genetic balancing act between risks and benefits of telomere length, in one dataset employed in the current study -- a massive genomic analysis of telomere length in nearly 40,000 individuals conducted at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom -- shorter telomeres were associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Though longer telomeres might be good for you as a whole person, reducing many health risks and slowing aging, they might also cause some cells to live longer than they're supposed to, which is one of the hallmarks of cancer," said lead author Kyle M. Walsh, PhD, assistant professor of neurological surgery and a member of the Program in Cancer Genetics at UCSF's Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In the first phase of the new study, researchers at UCSF and The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine analyzed genome-wide data from 1,644 glioma patients and 7,736 healthy control individuals, including some who took part in The Cancer Genome Atlas project sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and National Human Genome Research Institute. This work confirmed a link between TERT and gliomas that had been made in previous UCSF research, and also identified TERC as a glioma risk factor for the first time.

Since both genes have known roles in regulating the action of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains telomere length, the research team combed the University of Leicester data, and they found that the same TERT and TERC variants associated with glioma risk were also associated with greater telomere length.

UCSF's Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her pioneering work on telomeres and telomerase, an area of research she began in the mid-1970s. In the ensuing decades, untangling the relationships between telomere length and disease has proved to be complex.

In much research, longer telomeres have been considered a sign of health -- for example, Blackburn and others have shown that individuals exposed to chronic stressful experiences have shortened telomeres. But because cancer cells promote their own longevity by maintaining telomere length, drug companies have searched for drugs to specifically target and block telomerase in tumors in the hopes that cancer cells will accumulate genetic damage and die.

Walsh said the relevance of the new research should extend beyond gliomas, since TERT variants have also been implicated in lung, prostate, testicular and breast cancers, and TERC variants in leukemia, colon cancer and multiple myeloma. Variants in both TERT and TERC have been found to increase risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive disease of the lungs.

In some of these cases, the disease-associated variants promote longer telomeres, and in others shorter telomeres, suggesting that "both longer and shorter telomere length may be pathogenic, depending on the disease under consideration," the authors write.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The original article was written by Pete Farley. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Venice

Venice Lagoon

A narrow barrier island protects the Lagoon of Venice from storm waves in the northern Adriatic Sea, and breakwaters protect inlets to the lagoon. Red tiles on the roofs of Venice contrast with the grays of the sister city of Mestre, and the cities are joined by a prominent causeway. What appears to be another causeway joining the island to the airport (top right) is actually the combined wakes of many boats and water taxis shuttling between them. Small, bright agricultural fields on well-drained soils (top left) contrast with the darker vegetation of back-bay swamps, where fishing is a popular pastime.

The water is turbid in the northern half of the lagoon, the result of heavy use by watercraft and of dense urban populations on the shores. This turbidity and other issues of environmental concern led to the creation in 2002 of the Atlas of the Lagoon (Atlante della laguna), which was set up to document environmental conditions and to track changes. Today, the Atlante della laguna is available online (in Italian) and provides a comprehensive collection of interpretive maps and imagery—including astronaut photographs from the International Space Station. A detailed view of Venice in 2007 can be viewed here. A more detailed article on the use of astronaut photography to monitor environmental change in the Lagoon of Venice is available here.

This astronaut photograph (ISS039-E-19482) was acquired on May 9, 2014, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 39 crew. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed.

> View annotated image

Image Credit: NASA
Caption: M. Justin Wilkinson, Jacobs at NASA-JSC.

Internet

30 Fantastic websites to lose yourself in

New molecule enables quick drug monitoring

Monitoring the drug concentration in patients is critical for effective treatment, especially in cases of cancer, heart disease, epilepsy and immunosuppression after organ transplants. However, current methods are expensive, time-consuming, and require dedicated personnel and infrastructure away from the patient. Publishing in Nature Chemical Biology, scientists at EPFL introduce novel light-emitting sensor proteins that can quickly and simply show how much drug is in a patient's bloodstream by changing the color of their light. The method is so simple that it could be used by patients themselves.

Effective drug treatment relies on balancing the efficiency and toxicity of the drug, which lies at the core of personalized medicine. But as each patient differs from another, this requires constant monitoring in order to best customize drug dosage and prevent side-effects or even poisoning. Current drug-monitoring methods rely on techniques that require specialized personnel and expensive devices, and have to be carried out in diagnostic labs away from the patient's point-of-care. Developing quick, low-cost methods could improve drug therapy at the patient's bedside or home, especially in areas with poor medical infrastructure.

A new molecule for monitoring drug concentration

Kai Johnsson's team at EPFL has developed a novel biosensor molecule that can quickly and accurately measure drug concentration in a patient's system without requiring anything more complicated than a regular digital camera. The molecule is the result of innovative protein engineering and organic chemistry, and has been shown to work on a range of common drugs for cancer, epilepsy and immunosuppression.

The sensor molecule works by binding the drug circulating in the patient's bloodstream and changing color accordingly. The molecule itself is made up of four components. One component is a receptor protein, which can bind the molecules of the target drug. The second component is a small molecule similar to the target drug, which can bind the drug receptor. The third component is a light-producing enzyme called luciferase, and the fourth is a fluorophore molecule that can modify the color of the luciferase's light when it comes close to it.

When there is no drug around, the receptor and the drug-like molecule bind together. This brings the fluorophore close to the luciferase enzyme, and the system produces a red light. But in the presence of drug, e.g. in the blood of a patient, the drug molecules bind the receptor more efficiently and therefore "push" the drug-like molecule off it. The whole sensor molecule system opens up, taking the fluorophore away from the luciferase. As a result, the emitted light turns gradually from red to blue in proportion to the concentration of the drug.

The doctor or the patient can record the signal very easily by putting a drop of sample, e.g. blood, onto a piece of paper, placing it in a dark box and photographing it with a conventional camera. The photograph can then be analyzed by color-measuring software to generate an average measurement. By comparing this measurement to a standard drug-concentration curve, it is easy to calculate the drug concentration in a sample or a patient's bloodstream. The sensor molecule can be used with virtually any kind of drug, as it simply requires changing the receptor protein on one end and the drug-like molecule on the other.

Successfully tested against anti-cancer and other drugs

The EPFL scientists have called their new class of biosensors "LUCiferase-based Indicators of Drugs," or LUCIDs. To test their versatility, they developed LUCIDs against six commercially available drugs, including three immunosuppressants, one anti-epileptic, one anti-arrhythmic, and one anti-cancer drug. The drugs were successfully tested in vitro, and the anti-cancer one was also tested against actual human blood-plasma samples. The signal from all six LUCIDs was shown to be accurate and very stable, lasting for more than 10 minutes.

"This system is a cheap, effective solution for customizing drug dosage in patients across a whole array of diseases," says Rudolf Griss, one of the authors. The successful achievement has encouraged him and co-author Alberto Schena to develop a start-up company in order to streamline and commercialize the innovation. "We envision a simple, hand-held detector where the patient can take a pin-prick of blood and can have an immediate reading of free drug concentration in their system -- much like diabetics do now for blood glucose."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Rudolf Griss, Alberto Schena, Luc Reymond, Luc Patiny, Dominique Werner, Christine E Tinberg, David Baker, Kai Johnsson. Bioluminescent sensor proteins for point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring. Nature Chemical Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1554

Both teens, teachers not getting sex-ed training: New standards needed?

June 9, 2014

University of North Florida

A handful of sex educators from across the United States have came together to develop and release the National Teacher Preparation Standards on Sexuality Education. In the United States, sexuality education is most commonly taught within the health curriculum at the middle and high school levels. In addition to parents, America's teachers play a vital role in providing young people with the information they need to protect their health and futures.

Dr. Elissa Barr, associate professor of public health in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, is among a handful of sex educators nationwide who came together to develop and release the National Teacher Preparation Standards on Sexuality Education, created to provide guidance to institutions of higher education in order to better prepare undergraduate physical and health education teachers to deliver sexuality education in school settings.

The recent Centers for Disease Control findings that report 80 percent of teens ages 15 to 17 have had no formal sex education before they have sex for the first time, certainly point to a missed opportunity for educators and community members to provide young people with the skills and tools to make healthy decisions about sex and relationships.

Barr is among 10 sexuality education professors from across the country that developed these national standards for sex education at the university level and is a co-author of "Improving Sexuality Education: The Development of Teacher-Preparation Standards," published this month in the Journal of School Health.

"Being part of such an important national initiative has been the highlight of my career. I am honored to have worked with some of the best sexuality educators and professional organizations in my field," said Barr. "Better preparing teachers to deliver quality sexuality education is critical, not only to reduce teen pregnancy and STDs/HIV, but to improve communication, relationships and sexual health in general."

The National Teacher Preparation Standards on Sexuality Education represent an unprecedented unified effort to better prepare undergraduate physical and health education students earning degrees at higher education institutions to provide high-quality comprehensive sexuality education that is developmentally, culturally and age appropriate. This is the first time specific standards for teachers have been developed in teaching sexuality education.

In the United States, sexuality education is most commonly taught within the health curriculum at the middle and high school levels. In addition to parents, America's teachers play a vital role in providing young people with the information they need to protect their health and futures. However, only 61 percent of colleges and universities require sexuality education courses for health education certification and nearly one-third of teachers responsible for sexuality education report receiving no pre-service or in-service training in this area.

"Providing instruction on sexual health education can be challenging. Teachers have the unique opportunity to directly impact the health of our youth, including their current and future relationships," said Barr, who has been studying adolescent sexuality and sexual health for more than 15 years. Her research addresses advocacy and policy to improve sexuality education to reduce risky sexual behaviors of youth.

The National Teacher Preparation Standards address seven broad professional areas, including professional disposition, diversity and equity, content knowledge, legal and professional ethics, planning, implementation and assessment. With these standards, teacher-preparation programs will be able to guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment decisions among undergraduate students who will eventually be responsible for teaching sexuality education.

The development of the National Teacher Preparation Standards is part of the ongoing Future of Sex Education Initiative, a national project to improve sex education and reproductive health of the nation's youth (reduce STDs/HIV, teen pregnancy, rape/dating violence and improve relationships/communication). The initiative is led by three professional sex education organizations: Advocates for Youth, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and Answer.

The National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education is currently available in the Journal of School Health. For more information on the teacher standards, visit http://www.futureofsexeducation.org.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of North Florida. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Elissa M. Barr, Eva S. Goldfarb, Susan Russell, Denise Seabert, Michele Wallen, Kelly L. Wilson. Improving Sexuality Education: The Development of Teacher-Preparation Standards. Journal of School Health, 2014; 84 (6): 396 DOI: 10.1111/josh.12156

Paraplegic will walk again with exoskeleton at the World Cup

Paraplegic will walk again with exoskeleton at the World Cup Built with funding for basic research from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Miguel Nicolelis and the Walk Again Project have built an exoskeleton that will allow paraplegics to walk again. The exoskeleton uses computer algorithms to interpret the user's brain activity, which powers the exoskeleton forward. Credit: NSF

Most breast cancer patients may not be getting enough exercise

June 9, 2014

Wiley

Physical activity after breast cancer diagnosis has been linked with prolonged survival and improved quality of life, but most participants in a large breast cancer study did not meet national physical activity guidelines after they were diagnosed. Moreover, African-American women were less likely to meet the guidelines than white women. The findings indicate that efforts to promote physical activity in breast cancer patients may need to be significantly enhanced.

Physical activity after breast cancer diagnosis has been linked with prolonged survival and improved quality of life, but most participants in a large breast cancer study did not meet national physical activity guidelines after they were diagnosed. Moreover, African-American women were less likely to meet the guidelines than white women. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings indicate that efforts to promote physical activity in breast cancer patients may need to be significantly enhanced.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the American Cancer Society, recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity (or an equivalent combination thereof) each week for general health benefits and for chronic disease prevention and management.

Because it's important to understand whether there is capacity for improvement in the physical activity levels of women with breast cancer, Brionna Hair, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her colleagues examined levels of and changes in physical activity following breast cancer diagnosis, overall and by race, in a population-based study of breast cancer patients. The study assessed pre- and post-diagnosis physical activity levels in 1,735 women aged 20 to 74 years who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2008 and 2011 in 44 counties of North Carolina.

The researchers found that only 35 percent of breast cancer survivors met current physical activity guidelines post-diagnosis. A decrease in activity approximately six months after diagnosis was reported by 59 percent of patients, with the average participant reducing activity by 15 metabolic equivalent hours -- equivalent to about five hours per week of brisk walking. When compared with white women, African-American women were about 40 percent less likely to meet national physical activity guidelines post-diagnosis, although their reported weekly post-diagnosis physical activity was not significantly different from that of White women (12 vs 14 metabolic equivalent hours). Ms. Hair noted that it's important to realize that African-American women experience higher mortality from breast cancer than other groups in the United States.

"Medical care providers should discuss the role physical activity plays in improving breast cancer outcomes with their patients, and strategies that may be successful in increasing physical activity among breast cancer patients need to be comprehensively evaluated and implemented," said Ms. Hair.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Wiley. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Brionna Y. Hair, Sandi Hayes, Chiu-Kit Tse, Mary Beth Bell, Andrew F. Olshan. Racial differences in physical activity among breast cancer survivors: Implications for breast cancer care. Cancer, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/cncr.28630

Iron supplements improve anemia, quality of life for women with heavy periods

A study by researchers from Finland found that diagnosis and treatment of anemia is important to improve quality of life among women with heavy periods. Findings published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, suggest clinicians screen for anemia and recommend iron supplementation to women with heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia).

One of the common causes of iron deficiency and anemia is heavy bleeding during menstration. Over time monthly mentrual iron loss without adequate dietary iron supplementation can reduce iron stores in the body. Previous studies have found that iron deficiency anemia may impact women's physical performance, cognitive function, mood, and overall quality of life.

Led by Dr. Pirkko Peuranpää from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hyvinkää Hospital in Finland, this prospective study assessed the impact of anemia and iron deficiency on health-related quality of life in 236 women treated for heavy menstrual bleeding. The participants were randomized to either hysterectomy or treatment with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system such as Mirena®.

The team separated the participants into two groups. Women with hemoglobin -- the oxygen-carrying proteins in the red blood cells -- levels less than 120 g/L were defined as anemic and those with levels greater than 120 g/L were in the non-anemic group. Researchers also measured levels of ferritin in the blood to assess iron stores in both groups.

Results show that at the start of the study, 27% of women were anemic and 60% were severely iron deficient with ferritin levels less than 15 µg/L. In those women who were anemic only 8% took an iron supplement. One year following treatment hemoglobin levels had increased in both groups, but women who were initially anemic still had significantly lower levels compared to those in the non-anemic group.

One year after treatment women in the anemic group had a significant increase in energy, along with physical and social function, and a decrease in anxiety and depression compared to the non-anemic group. It took five years for the iron stores to reach normal levels. "The quality of life of women with heavy periods is plural, but the treatment of anemia is important to get good results," concludes Dr. Peuranpää. "Our findings suggest that clinicians should screen for anemia in women with heavy menstrual bleeding and recommend early iron supplementation as part of the treatment process."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Wiley. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Pirkko Peuranpää, Satu Heliövaara-Peippo, Ian Fraser, Jorma Paavonen And Ritva Hurskainen. Effects of Anemia and Iron Deficiency on Quality of Life in Women With Heavy Menstrual Bleeding. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, June 2014 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.12394

Beer brewing waste could help bone regeneration

As a result of a research study conducted by researchers from the Centre for Biomedical Technology of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and the Institute of Materials Science and the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), all in collaboration with the Mahou and Createch Co., have developed biocompatible materials to be used as support for bone regeneration from the food industry waste, mainly bagasse (residue) from beer brewing. These new materials can be considered as an alternative to the prosthesis made from processed sheep bones or synthetic materials which are more expensive and more harmful to the environment.

The waste obtained from the beer brewing process contains the main chemical components found in bones (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and silica), that after undergoing modification processes, this waste can be used as support or scaffold to promote bone regeneration for medical applications such as coating prosthesis or bone grafts. The waste usage from the food industry is a great source of raw material recovery rich in chemical diversity, and simultaneously it can reduce the impact generated by the accumulation of waste in the environment

So far, the usage of synthetic materials as bone substitutes is the most used therapy for treatment of bone diseases. The therapeutic strategies are based on stiff porous scaffolds made of biocompatible materials to be used as molds. These molds will provide mechanical stability and will promote the growth of the new bone tissue that helps its regeneration.

The synthetic calcium phosphates are frequently used as matrices and coatings for orthopedic implants because of their resemblance to the composition of a bone. These materials are often obtained through chemical reactions of complex synthesis that use toxic reagents (for example benzoyl peroxides benzene and aniline) and calcinations at high temperatures close to 1500 ° C. As a result of this process, we obtain bioceramics but just after adding silicon through the hydrolysis of TEOS and sintering over 1,100 ° C.

The billing of the brewing sector was €2,990 million in 2012, almost covering completely the total production of malt and hops in the country. The most common products in the production process are bagasse, yeast and malt dried residues.

Bagasse is constituted by organic waste from malt, never experiencing modifications afterwards. This is the reason why bagasse is considered a subproduct, commonly used to make fodder and it is inexpensive. The treatments applied to bagasse residue in this research give as a result a new material rich in silicon, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. The analysis of this new material shows the presence of interconnected pores of between 50 and 500 microns in diameter which is similar to the porosity of cancellous bone. All this would facilitate the complete vascularization after the bone implant.

A first approach using cell cultures has established the biocompatibility of the materials by analyzing the cell viability of cultured osteoblasts in the presence of powder materials components. Then, after compacting and sintering the materials that became 3D solid matrixes, the ability of bone-like cells to adhere to these materials were analyzed. Also, researchers analyzed how these materials proliferate and distinguish from the mature bone cells which are able to express typical markers of bone phenotype such as alkaline phosphatase and to conduct the collagen synthesis and mineralization of the extracellular matrix.

Quest for long-lasting blood: Scientists developing one-size-fits-all artifical blood

June 9, 2014

University of Essex

Scientists are hoping to develop a one-size-fits-all, third generation artificial blood substitute. Every day thousands of people around the world have their lives saved or improved thanks to someone giving blood. But imagine how many more lives could be saved if a long-lasting blood substitute could be found, which could easily be stored at room temperature and available to all patients, regardless of their blood type.

A team of scientists at the University of Essex are hoping to develop a one-size-fits-all, third generation artificial blood substitute.

Every day thousands of people around the world have their lives saved or improved thanks to someone giving blood.

But imagine how many more lives could be saved if a long-lasting blood substitute could be found, which could easily be stored at room temperature and available to all patients, regardless of their blood type.

This is the challenge a team of scientists at the University of Essex are hoping to overcome with their Haem02 project to develop a one-size-fits-all, third generation artificial blood substitute.

Led by Professor Chris Cooper, the research team are developing an artificial blood substitute that is a safe, long-lasting, virus-free alternative to current blood transfusions available to all countries and immediately accessible at the site of natural disasters.

Haemoglobin is the key protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around our bodies. The Haem02 team aim to create an artificial haemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) that could be used as a substitute for blood lost in surgery or trauma.

However, attempts so far to make a safe and effective HBOC have proved problematic as outside the protective environment of the red cell, haemoglobin can be toxic. The beauty of the product being engineered at Essex is that it is detoxified by the body's own defences.

As Professor Cooper, a biochemist and blood substitute expert, explained, the implications of manufacturing a product with a shelf life of up to two years were huge.

"It means we could overcome some of the inherent problems with transfusions as there would be no need for blood group typing and a longer shelf life means you are able to stockpile the supplies necessary for major disasters. It also offers the opportunity for routine transfusion support in ambulances or at remote inaccessible locations," he explained.

The quest to create artificial blood is big business, with the past 25 years seeing up to £2 billion invested globally on research into a usable alternative and many major US companies falling by the wayside in the hunt for a substitute.

After winning over £1.5 million of funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC)'s Biomedical Catalyst funding programme and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)'s Super Follow On Fund, the team from Essex are a step further towards the commercialisation of a viable artificial substitute. Their engineered haemoglobin product has already been granted patents in the US and Australia and has a patent pending in the EU.

"This is an exciting time for artificial blood research in Britain," explained Professor Cooper. "This funding allows our team to take to first step on the road to bridging the gap between top class research and the commercialisation of a product."

Currently over 85 million units of donated blood are given to people worldwide for use in hospitals. However, there are growing concerns about its use in routine operations. With the number of potential and active blood donors decreasing worldwide, the challenge is to have enough blood in the right place at the right time and be assured of its quality, purity and efficacy.

Some artificial blood products are licensed for use in South Africa and Russia but have failed to get a licence in the UK or in the United States.

For more details about Haem02 please visit: www.haemO2.com.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Essex. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Video game technology aids horse rider assessment

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Horse riders' balance, symmetry and poor posture could be improved thanks to an innovative body suit that works with motion sensors, commonly used by movie makers and the video games industry.

New research by Elizabeth Gandy, a senior lecturer in the University of Sunderland's Department of Computing, Engineering and Technology, uses inertial motion sensors worn in the XsensTM MVN body suit and is now showing promising results as a method of assessing rider asymmetry and lower back pain and injury risk.

The research has been supported by funding from the University's Faculty of Applied Sciences Digital Innovation research beacon and has now been published in the Sports Technology journal titled: 'A preliminary investigation of the use of inertial sensing technology for the measurement of hip rotation asymmetry in horse riders'.

Elizabeth said: "Lower back pain affects around one-third of the UK adult population and studies have reported that some of the highest injury rates are to be found in equestrian sports. Despite this, limited scientific research has been carried out into the effects of asymmetry and poor posture on rider health.

"The incorporation of inertial motion sensors into a body-worn suit is an emerging technology, which provides a non-constraining alternative to video capture for motion analysis. Examples include medical research and applications within the video game and film industries."

To evaluate the potential of this technology for rider assessment, Elizabeth and colleagues, in collaboration with research associates from the Saddle Research Trust, carried out a postural analysis of 12 riders wearing the Xsens^TM MVN inertial motion capture suit. Hip angle rotation was measured and software developed to customize the analysis of the data for rider analysis. Results revealed the presence of asymmetry in all of the 12 riders studied, with up to 27° difference between left and right hips, 83 per cent with greater external rotation of the right hip.

"This preliminary study has demonstrated that the use of the inertial motion sensor suit provides an efficient and practical method of assessing riders during a range of movements," explained Elizabeth. "Furthermore, the technology could potentially provide a tool to meet the needs of riders and coaches, for assessment within training and competitive environments."

The MNV Biomech is a 3D human kinematic, camera-less measurement system, with integrated small tracking sensors placed on the joints, which can communicate wirelessly with a computer to capture every twist and turn οf the body and is displayed as an avatar and a 3D set of data on screen.

From biomechanics, sports science, nurse training, rehabilitation and ergonomics are just some of the areas the University of Sunderland's researchers and students are now exploring since investing in the hi-tech suit in 2011, developed by Dutch company Xsens.

Previously used to create the animated alien in the science fiction movie 'Paul', the suit works with sensors and can be used in most environments, both internal and external. Previous technology at the university meant any 3D motion capture data had to be recorded via fixed cameras in a lab.

The full results of the Elizabeth's study will be presented at the second Saddle Research Trust International Conference, to be held in Cambridge on 29^th November 2014 at Anglia Ruskin University.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Sunderland. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Elizabeth Gandy et al. A preliminary investigation of the use of inertial sensing technology for the measurement of hip rotation asymmetry in horse riders. Sports Technology, April 2014 DOI: 10.1080/19346182.2014.905949