Τετάρτη 11 Ιουλίου 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Weight gain after quitting smoking higher than previously thought

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT

Giving up smoking is associated with an average weight gain of four-five kg after 12 months, most of which occurs within the first three months of quitting, finds a new study.

Moderate drinking may reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT

Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a new study.

New mechanism might promote cancer's growth and spread in the body

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that promotes the growth and spread of cancer. The mechanism involves key immune cells and a new role for small regulatory molecules called microRNA. The findings suggest a new strategy for treating cancer and perhaps diseases of the immune system.

Potential cause of HIV-associated dementia revealed

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT

Researchers appear to have solved the mystery of why some patients infected with HIV, who are using antiretroviral therapy and show no signs of AIDS, develop serious depression as well as profound problems with memory, learning, and motor function. The finding might also provide a way to test people with HIV to determine their risk for developing dementia.

Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT

People who are born deaf process the sense of touch differently than people who are born with normal hearing, according to new research. The finding reveals how the early loss of a sense -- in this case hearing -- affects brain development.

H1N1 vaccine associated with small but significant risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT

In studies examining the risk of adverse outcomes after receipt of the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, infants exposed to the vaccine in utero did not have a significantly increased risk of major birth defects, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction; while in another, study researchers found a small increased risk in adults of the nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, during the four to eight weeks after vaccination, according to two recent studies.

Tiny magnetic particles may help assess heart treatments

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT

An initial human study shows magnetic particles can track cells as they move through the body. The technique could be used to evaluate cell-based heart disease treatments.

Ordinary chickens may be extraordinary in fighting cancer and other diseases

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:32 PM PDT

The common barnyard chicken could provide some very un-common clues for fighting off diseases and might even offer new ways to attack cancer, according to a researchers.

Secrets of parasites' replication unraveled

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

A group of diseases that kill millions of people each year can't be touched by antibiotics, and some treatment is so harsh the patient can't survive it. They're caused by parasites, and for decades researchers have searched for a "magic bullet" to kill them without harming the patient. Now microbiologists report the first detailed characterization of the way key proteins in the model parasite Trypanosoma brucei organize to replicate its mitochondrial DNA.

Dangerous caregivers for elderly: Agencies place unqualified, possibly criminal caregivers in homes of vulnerable seniors, study suggests

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT

A troubling new U.S. national study finds many agencies place potentially dangerous and vastly unqualified caregivers in the homes of vulnerable elderly people. The study found many agencies recruit random strangers off Craigslist and place them in the home of elderly people with dementia, don't do national criminal background checks or drug testing, lie about testing the qualifications of caregivers and don't offer training.

Searching genomic data faster: Biologists' capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT

In 2001, the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics announced that after 10 years of work at a cost of some $400 million, they had completed a draft sequence of the human genome. Today, sequencing a human genome is something that a single researcher can do in a couple of weeks for less than $10,000. Since 2002, the rate at which genomes can be sequenced has been doubling every four months or so, whereas computing power doubles only every 18 months. Now a new algorithm drastically reduces the time it takes to find a particular gene sequence in a database of genomes.

Molecule that could treat inflammation discovered

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered that inflammation could be treated by targeting a molecule called the double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase (PKR). Persistent and constant inflammation can damage tissue and organs, and lead to diseases such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.

How tumor cells create their own pathways

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT

Metastasis occurs when tumor cells "migrate" to other organs through the bloodstream. Scientists have now discovered the trick tumor cells use to invade tissue from the blood vessels: They produce signaling proteins to make the arterial walls permeable – thus clearing their pathway to a different organ.

Interactive personal health records increase clinical preventive services

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT

Patients who use an interactive personal health record are almost twice as likely to be up to date with clinical preventive services as those who do not, according to a new study.

Doctors overlook chemical illnesses, study finds

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT

Chemical intolerance contributes to the illnesses of one in five patients but the condition seldom figures in their diagnosis, according to new clinical research.

First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT

A new approach that integrates rational drug design with supramolecular nanochemistry in cancer treatment has just been developed.

Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer's

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT

A clinical trial of an Alzheimer's disease treatment developed at MIT has found that the nutrient cocktail can improve memory in patients with early Alzheimer's.

Preclinical studies use specialized ultrasound to detect presence of cancer

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Vessel "bendiness" can indicate the presence and progression of cancer. This principle led scientists to a new method of using a high-resolution ultrasound to identify early tumors in preclinical studies. The method, based on vessel bendiness or "tortuosity," potentially offers an inexpensive, non-invasive and fast method to detect cancer that could someday help doctors identify cancers when tumors are less than a centimeter in size.

Cancer: New insights into Taspase1 function

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Scientists have identified a novel strategy to target the oncologically relevant protein-cleaving enzyme Taspase1. Taspase1 levels are not only elevated in cancer cells of patients with head and neck tumors and other solid malignancies but the enzyme is also critical for the development of leukemias. Central to this concept is the approach to inhibit the enzyme's activity by 'gluing together' individual Taspase1 molecules.

TLR1 protein drives immune response to certain food-borne illness in mice

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT

A naturally occurring protein called TLR1 plays a critical role in protecting the body from illnesses caused by eating undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water, according to new research.

Secure protocol for linking data registries for HPV surveillance

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a secure protocol that allows the linking of individual patient records without revealing personal information, new research suggests.

Should we sleep more to lose weight?

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT

Epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between short sleep duration and metabolic dysfunctions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. While the mechanisms behind these observations are largely unknown, experimental investigations point to an orexigenic effect of acute sleep deprivation.

Gastric bypass surgery alters gut microbiota profile along the intestine

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT

New research finds that gastric bypass surgery induces changes in the gut microbiota and peptide release that are similar to those seen after treatment with prebiotics.

Greater diet-induced obesity in rats consuming sugar solution during the inactive period

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT

New research suggests that not only the amount and type of food eaten but the time of day it is eaten is important in contributing to obesity.

Reward sensitivity increases food 'wanting' following television 'junk food' commercials

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT

New research sought to investigate personality traits that make some people more vulnerable to over-eating and weight gain.

Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than an equicaloric single piece of food in both animals and humans

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT

New research suggests that both animals and humans find multiple pieces of food to be more satiating and rewarding than an equicaloric, single-piece portion of food.

New Technology provides a deep view into protein structures

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT

Proteins consist of a sequence of amino acids and have important physiological functions, such as catalysis or transport of metabolic products. To perform their physiological role, proteins need to fold their linear amino acid chains into a stable three-dimensional structure. In part, the spatial arrangement is determined by a network of hydrogen bonds. However so far it was unclear to what extent individual hydrogen bonds contribute to the stability of a structure. Using a newly developed high pressure cell and NMR method scientists have, for the first time, completely characterize the stability of individual hydrogen bonds in the protein Ubiquitin.

Melanoma-promoting gene discovered

Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:34 AM PDT

Black skin cancer, also known as melanoma, is particularly aggressive and becoming increasingly common in Switzerland. Despite intensive research, however, there is still no treatment. Researchers have now discovered a gene that plays a central role in black skin cancer. Suppressing this gene in mice inhibits the development of melanoma and its proliferation – a discovery that could pave the way for new forms of therapy.   

Vaccine and antibiotics stabilized so refrigeration is not needed

Posted: 09 Jul 2012 12:54 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new silk-based stabilizer that, in the laboratory, kept some vaccines and antibiotics stable up to temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This provides a new avenue toward eliminating the need to keep some vaccines and antibiotics refrigerated, which could save billions of dollars every year and increase accessibility to third world populations.

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