Scientists develop first portable kit to detect cancer

Scientists have developed the world's first portable lab-in-a-briefcase that can operate even at high temperatures, with the aim of boosting early detection rates of cancer in developing countries.

Believed to be the first kit of its kind dedicated to the portable measurement of cancer biomarkers, the concept is the brainchild of Dr Nuno Reis, a Lecturer at the Loughborough University in UK.

With the help of his Research Associate Ana Isabel Barbosa, Reis developed a solution for diagnostic testing in remote areas of developing countries that lack adequate technology to support a full laboratory.

The lab-in-a-briefcase comprises of four components; a manually driven multi-syringe device capable of performing up to 80 simultaneous tests from whole blood samples at any one time; microwell plates pre-loaded with assay reagents; a portable USB-powered film scanner to image the test strips; and a portable computer for real-time data analysis.

The entire system can be carried in a small briefcase, handbag or laptop case, and requires just one operator with minimal training to conduct the test within 15 minutes - with no need for additional equipment or instruments.

One of the remarkable features of the lab-in-a-briefcase is that it uses whole blood without the need for any sample preparation a previously challenging task outside of a laboratory setting. A new affordable and disposable microfluidic test strip comprising of tiny tubes about the size of a human hair is used specifically for the quick measurement of different types of cancer biomarkers in a whole blood sample.

This technology, which operates in a similar way to a pregnancy test, has already been used successfully by Reis in a separate study that detected prostate cancer with the help of a smartphone camera. "Our lab-in-a-briefcase is both inexpensive and simple to use; it means that high precision diagnostic kits, complete with clinical laboratory equipment, can be made accessible to remote populations, and this is what makes it a truly life-changing concept for the screening and monitoring of different types of cancer," Reis said.

"This portable lab can really make a difference, boosting levels of cancer detection in developing countries where ordinarily people would not have such easy access to early diagnostics," he said. The number of people dying from cancer in developing countries is on the increase, partly due to steadily ageing populations, but also due to limited access to proper diagnostic tools.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for over 8 million deaths per year, and 70 per cent of the world's cancer deaths occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.
The number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by 70% over the next two decades, researchers said. The study was published in the Lab on a Chip journal.

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Scientists Have developed a more effective 'multitasking' flu vaccine

Researchers from Australia say they may have uncovered a way to make the seasonal flu vaccine more effective, by adding a string of synthetic fat molecules that boost the body's immune response to the difference strains of the influenza virus.

It is estimated that worldwide, flu infections are responsible for around 3-5 million cases of severe illness and 250,000-500,000 deaths every year.

Young infants, pregnant women, adults aged 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk for flu-related complications.

The best protection against flu is the seasonal flu vaccine, which is developed every year based on a prediction of which viruses are likely to be circulating. However, such predictions are sometimes far from accurate; earlier this year, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the 2014-15 flu vaccine was only 23% effective across all age groups.

The low protection from last season's flu vaccine was put down to the emergence of influenza A H3N2 "drift variants" as the most predominant viruses, against which the vaccine had low effectiveness. 

"The holy grail would be to develop a vaccine that cross-protects against different strains, which would be beneficial for the whole community, even if the prediction of circulating strains is wrong," says Brendon Chua, a research fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia and coauthor of this latest study. 

In addition, Chua and colleagues say such a vaccine would also be beneficial in the event that a strain of flu virus from another species evolves to infect humans; this has happened in the past with the H5N1 flu strain from birds and the H1N1 strain from pigs. 

Activating both innate and adaptive immunity to combat flu

The team hypothesized that a more effective, cross-protective flu vaccine could be developed by using an adjuvant that activates a variety of antibody-independent immune responses. 

The researchers had an adjuvant in mind to test - a synthetic lipopeptide, which consists of a string of fat molecules that simulate a lipopeptide found on the outer membrane of a pathogen. They explain that this adjuvant activates both innate and adaptive immune responses. 

The innate immune response is the body's first-wave, short-term defense against pathogens to help prevent cells from becoming infected, while the adaptive immune response is the longer-term defense in which immune cells learn to "remember" pathogens they have previously encountered to launch a more effective attack. 

"Harnessing both types of immunity would provide protection in that period during an outbreak when no [new] vaccine is available," notes Chua. 

Increased protection with adjuvanted vaccine

For their study, published in the journal mBio, the researchers gave a group of mice a low dose of an inactivated influenza A vaccine in which the synthetic lipopeptide had been added, while another group was given an inactivated influenza A vaccine without the adjuvant. Three days later, the mice were exposed to the flu strain that was included in the vaccine, as well as an "unmatched" strain that was not. 

The team found the mice that received the adjuvanted vaccine demonstrated much better protection against both flu strains, compared with mice that received the standard flu vaccine, and they even survived a normally lethal dose of the flu virus. 

What is more, the researchers found the mice that received a low dose of the adjuvanted vaccine produced around 600 times more neutralizing antibodies than mice that received a similar dose of the standard vaccine, and the adjuvanted vaccine also stimulated a higher number of T cells responsible for clearing flu infection in the lungs. 

"The culmination of all these responses is that it reduces the ability of the virus to infect cells, reproduce and spread," says Chua. 

The researchers then infected mice with flu virus strains - only one of which was included in the vaccine - 35 days after giving them either the low-dose adjuvanted vaccine or standard vaccine. 

The mice that received the adjuvanted vaccine showed significant protection against both strains, while mice that received the standard vaccine demonstrated low protection against both strains, according to the results.

"The biggest advantage is that this approach doesn't rely on getting a match between the strains used in the vaccine and circulating virus - you can still get some protective effect at the population level."

The team believes their findings suggest that adding a simple component to the seasonal flu vaccine may not only lead to more effective protection against the flu virus, but it could also offer community protection against a new flu strain in the early stages of an outbreak. 

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Addiction V/s Habit The Difference You need to know

People with an addiction do not have control over what they are doing, taking or using. Their addiction may reach a point at which it is harmful. Addictions do not only include physical things we consume, such as drugs or alcohol, but may include virtually anything, such abstract things as gambling to seemingly harmless products, such as chocolate - in other words, addiction may refer to a substance dependence (e.g. drug addiction) or behavioral addiction (e.g. gambling addiction).

 This article focuses mainly on addiction to physical substances.

 In the past addiction used to refer just to psychoactive substances that cross the blood-brain barrier, temporarily altering the chemical balance of the brain; this would include alcohol, tobacco and some drugs. A considerable number of psychologists, other health care professionals and lay people now insist that psychological dependency, as may be the case with gambling, sex, internet, work, exercise, etc. should also be counted as addictions, because they can also lead to feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, despair, failure, rejection, anxiety and/or humiliation.

 When a person is addicted to something they cannot control how they use it, and become dependent on it to cope with daily life.

A habit may eventually develop into an addiction

Many of us can use substances or become engaged in activities without any significant problems. Some people, however, may experience damaging psychological and/or physical effects when their habit becomes an addiction. 

What is the difference between a habit and an addiction?

◾Addiction - there is a psychological/physical component; the person is unable to control the aspects of the addiction without help because of the mental or physical conditions involved.

◾Habit - it is done by choice. The person with the habit can choose to stop, and will subsequently stop successfully if they want to. The psychological/physical component is not an issue as it is with an addiction.

 With a habit you are in control of your choices, with an addiction you are not in control of your choices. 

 Addiction to substances or activities can sometimes lead to serious problems at home, work, school and socially. 

 The causes of addiction vary considerably, and are not often fully understood. They are generally caused by a combination of physical, mental, circumstantial and emotional factors. 

 Addiction, often referred to as dependency often leads to tolerance - the addicted person needs larger and more regular amounts of whatever they are addicted to in order to receive the same effect. Often, the initial reward is no longer felt, and the addiction continues because withdrawal is so unpleasant. 

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Night Terrors: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Night terrors (or sleep terrors) differ substantially from standard nightmares and can be incredibly distressing for the sufferer and their family.

 Although night terrors can be genuinely terrifying, they are not normally an indicator of anything more serious and tend to cease of their own accord.

What are night terrors?

Night terrors are nocturnal episodes where the sufferer experiences terror, the sufferer may flail their limbs and scream and shout. Bouts are often associated with sleep walking.

Night terrors are most common in children, but adults can also suffer from them. A normal attack generally lasts between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, but can be substantially longer.1

Night terrors are unpleasant for all involved, but in general they are not a cause for medical concern.

A study conducted in Norway looking at various parasomnias (a category of sleep disorders) asked 1,000 random participants how often they had experienced night terrors. The results showed that 10.4% of respondents had experienced night terrors at one point in their life and 2.7% in the last 3 months. 2

A similar study was conducted in the UK. Of the 4,972 participants, 2.2% reported having experienced night terrors. 3

Extrapolating from these figures we can estimate that more than 7 million people in the US will have experienced night terrors at some point in their lives.

Signs and symptoms of night terrors

Night terrors differ from nightmares. In a nightmare the dreamer may wake up, but during night terrors they will generally stay asleep.

This difference is most likely because of the phase of sleep in which they occur. Nightmares tend to happen during rapid eye movement sleep (REM), towards the end of a night's sleep.

Night terrors, on the other hand, occur in the first third of the night during deeper sleep, also called slow wave sleep or non-REM sleep.4

The signs of a night terror episode can include the following:

◾Scream and shout
◾Sit up in bed
◾Kick and flail
◾Heavy breathing, racing pulse, and profuse sweating
◾Dilated pupils and increased muscle tone
◾Difficult to rouse from sleeping and general confusion if successfully woken
◾Stare wide-eyed as if awake but be unresponsive to stimuli
◾Behave aggressively (more common in adults)
◾Get out of bed and run around the house(D again)
◾Amnesia of the event

What causes night terrors?

There can be a number of potential causes or contributing factors where night terrors are concerned. Here is a short list of some of them:

◾Stress
◾sleep deprivation
◾Light or noise
◾An overfull bladder
◾Spending the night somewhere unfamiliar
◾Possible genetic component

Treatment and prevention of night terrors? 

Generally, there is no need for any kind of medication for night terrors. With children, although it appears distressing, it does not permanently harm them and most children grow out of night terrors. 

Gently restraining your child and speaking calmly can help shorten the episodes.

Treatment is only generally called upon if the episodes are having a significant negative effect on the sufferer or their family's safety or their ability to function during the day. If treatment is necessary it generally falls into these categories: 

◾Treating an underlying condition - such as sleep apnea or a mental health problem

◾Improving sleeping conditions - if sleep deprivation is thought to be a major factor

◾Medication - drugs are rarely used, but benzodiazepines and serotonin re-uptake inhibitors have found to be useful in some cases5 

◾Dealing with stress - therapy or counseling can help if stress seems to be a factor.

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Biggest health mistakes women make in their 50s

1. You ignore heart health.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and risk rises as women age. Menopause doesn't cause cardiovascular disease. Rather, it's those bad habits earlier in life, such as smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise that can begin to take a toll on heart health in the 50 and over woman, according to the American Heart Association.

A September 2015 report issued by the CDC on so-called "heart age" versus biological age shows women, on average, have hearts that are five years older than actual chronological age. If a woman has high blood pressure (140 mm Hg or more), her heart's "age" is 18 years older than she is, according to the report.

But the good news is that it's not too late to change habits that increase your risk of heart disease, says Leslie Cho, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic's Women's Cardiovascular Center.

"Although some damage may already be done, the evidence points to the fact that changes you make in terms of getting more exercise, eating smarter, losing weight, and quitting smoking, no matter what your age, will benefit your heart," says Cho.

In fact, a study by the German Cancer Research Center of nearly 9,000 people between the ages of 50 and 74 showed that heart attack and stroke risk can be cut by some 40 percent within the first five years of tossing those cigarettes.

This is also the time to make sure you keep up with heart health tests such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol testing. "Prevention or early detection, when problems can be easily treated, will help keep a woman active and healthy," says Cho.

Don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. "If you are having problems with exercise or weight loss and blood pressure control, don't think you have to do everything on your own," she says. "Talk to your doctor. He or she can help you."

2. You put up with menopause miseries.

One of the biggest mistakes women make during this time is thinking they have to learn to live with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, sleeping difficulties, and vaginal and urinary problems. 

Although short-term use of hormonal therapy has been shown to help many women who deal with some of the most severe problems of menopause, not every woman is a candidate or may want to take hormones, says reproductive endocrinologist Barbara Soltes, M.D., of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "But that doesn't mean they have to suffer since there is other help available," she says. 

For example, if hot flashes are causing difficulty, the North American Menopause Society just released findings on what really works to cool the heat. According to their report cognitive behavioral therapy (including relaxation techniques, learning how to feel more positive about menopause, and sleep strategies) can reduce hot flash severity. Clinical hypnosis has some good evidence, too. 

Bladder issues like stress or urge incontinence can also be helped with medications, devices, and behavioral changes, says Soltes, who advises women to see a doctor with a special interest in menopause if they are having any menopausal difficulties.

3. You think sex is over.

Sexual frequency can decline with age, but a survey published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows even 75- to 85-year-olds had sex two to three times a month, with more than 20 percent reporting sexual relations at least once a week. 

However, sex can change due to hormonal upheavals at menopause, which can cause vaginal dryness and potentially painful sex. But over-the-counter lubricating products can help, as can prescription topical estrogen, says Kat Van Kirk, a licensed family and marriage therapist and board-certified clinical sexologist in Lihue, Hawaii. (Yoga, Kegel exercises, and pelvic floor physical therapy may also help some women improve sexual function, according to The North American Menopause Society.) 

It's important for women to remember that sex ". . . can be hugely beneficial to our bodies, minds and spirits," says Van Kirk, often resulting in improved pelvic muscle tone, healthier vaginal tissues, and better psychological well-being. 

Despite the challenges, sexual relationships can actually improve as people age since women no longer fear pregnancy and couples have less stress about careers or financial situations.

4. You believe weight gain is inevitable.

Here's the real story: The risk of weight gain rises due to advancing age, but it does not mean extra pounds are inevitable. But you do have to work harder to maintain your weight and to lose weight, says Rush Medical Center's Soltes. 

That's because so-called energy expenditures decrease during menopause due to loss of muscle and hormonal changes. "If you eat the same things and exercise the same amount as you did in your thirties, you could potentially still gain weight," says Soltes. "Women don't want to hear that, but it is biology." 

A good starting point is the American Heart Association's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week, broken into 30 minutes, five times a week, or smaller increments such as 15 minutes twice a day, says Cho, of the Cleveland Clinic. 

While exercise is great, you have to eat a little smarter, too. A study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion followed nearly 200 middle-aged women for three years, tracking eating patterns, overall health and lifestyle. The researchers found women who did not change their eating habits as they aged were 138 percent more likely to put on 6.6 pounds or more during midlife. 

The fix is to eat more fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, and be aware of what you are putting on your plate, says Soltes. 

5. You lose your sense of "purpose."

"Purpose" provides structure to our lives, says psychiatrist Niranjan Karnik, M.D. of Rush University Medical Center. And when retirement or other age-related challenges loom, some individuals may lose their sense of "purpose" and positivity, leading to poor health and poorer sense of well-being, he adds. 

Having "purpose" in midlife and beyond doesn't mean you have to strive to change the world — although if you think you can, why not try? Rather, ". . . it's simply finding meaning in the day to day," whether that's gardening, learning a new language, volunteering at a local pet shelter, or even starting a new career if you want, says Karnik. 

It's these small things that can pay some big dividends. A study of some 6,000 people, who were a part of the Midlife in the United States study, found a lower risk of mortality during the study's 14-year-follow-up among participants who had a sense of purpose in life and maintained good social relationships. 

A study at Rush University showed having "purpose" later in life slowed cognitive decline by about 30 percent. Other studies show "purpose" reduces your risk of heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and may even make an individual more likely to follow a healthy lifestyle. 

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