Τετάρτη 20 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Newt transcriptome offers insight into tissue regeneration

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 05:15 PM PST

Scientists have identified protein families expressed during tissue regeneration in newts, providing the groundwork for research into whether particular sets of genes are used for the purpose.

Adding movement to 'dry run' mental imagery enhances performance

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 05:15 PM PST

Adding movement to mental rehearsal can improve performance finds a new study. For high jumpers the study shows that dynamic imagery improves the number of successful attempts and the technical performance of jumps The technique of mental rehearsal is used to consolidate performance in many disciplines including music and sport. Motor imagery and physical practice use overlapping neural networks in the brain and the two together can improve performance as well as promoting recovery from injury.

Exposure to air pollution is associated with increased deaths after heart attacks

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 05:15 PM PST

Air pollution contributes to an increased number of deaths among patients who have been admitted to hospital with heart attacks, according to a new study.

It's not just amyloid: White matter hyperintensities and Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:22 PM PST

New findings suggest that along with amyloid deposits, white matter hyperintensities may be a second necessary factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Common IV fluid associated with reduced likelihood of full recovery in patients with cardiac arrest

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:22 PM PST

Although an intravenous fluid that paramedics in Japan often give to patients in cardiac arrest before they reach hospital may help restore circulation, it may also be linked to reduced survival with minimal neurological or physical damage one month later, according to a new study.

Biological marker predicts susceptibility to common cold

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST

Researchers have identified a biological marker in the immune system that -- beginning at about age 22 -- predicts our ability to fight off the common cold. The study found that the length of telomeres -- protective cap-like protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes -- predicts resistance to upper respiratory infections in young and midlife adults.

Language protein differs in males, females

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:21 PM PST

Male rat pups have more of a specific brain protein associated with language development than females, according to a new study. The study also found sex differences in the brain protein in a small group of children. The findings may shed light on sex differences in communication in animals and language acquisition in people.

Engineering control theory helps create dynamic brain models

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 01:12 PM PST

Models of the human brain, patterned on engineering control theory, may some day help researchers control such neurological diseases as epilepsy, Parkinson's and migraines, according to a researcher who is using mathematical models of neuron networks from which more complex brain models emerge.

Powerful people are looking out for their future selves

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 01:12 PM PST

Would you prefer $120 today or $154 in one year? Your answer may depend on how powerful you feel, according to new research.

Tool for reading the minds of mice developed

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 01:12 PM PST

Scientists have developed a system for observing real-time brain activity in a live mouse. The device could prove useful in studying new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

New compound holds high promise in battling kidney cancer

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 01:12 PM PST

Chemists have developed a compound that holds much promise in the laboratory in fighting renal (kidney) cancer. Named TIR-199, the compound targets the "proteasome," a cellular complex in kidney cancer cells, similar to the way the drug bortezomib, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, targets the proteasome in multiple myeloma cells, a cancer coming from bone marrow.

Infants in poverty show different physiological vulnerabilities to the care-giving environment

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:10 AM PST

Some infants raised in poverty exhibit physical traits that make them more vulnerable to poor care-giving, according to new research. The combination of physiological vulnerability and poor care-giving may lead these children to show increased problem behaviors later in childhood.

Potential epigenetic mechanisms for improved cancer therapy

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST

A review article proposes a new epigenetic hypothesis linked to tumor production and novel ideas about what causes progenitor cells to develop into cancer cells.

Diet of resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal cancer

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST

New research shows that resistant starch helps the body resist colorectal cancer through mechanisms including killing pre-cancerous cells and reducing inflammation that can otherwise promote cancer.

New drug combination could prevent head and neck cancer in high-risk patients

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:02 AM PST

A new drug combination shows promise in reducing the risk for patients with advanced oral precancerous lesions to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Synaptic molecule works differently than thought; may mean new targets for Alzheimer's

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:02 AM PST

Researchers have upended a long-held view about the basic functioning of a key receptor molecule involved in signaling between neurons, and describe how a compound linked to Alzheimer's disease impacts that receptor and weakens synaptic connections between brain cells.

Music therapy improves behavior in children with autism, study suggests

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 11:01 AM PST

Weekly music therapy sessions can have a positive effect on behavior in children with autism, reports a new article. In a study of 41 children, improvements were seen particularly in inattentive behaviors over a ten month period.

In fight against cancer, a closer look at nuclear blebbing

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:16 AM PST

Misshapen cell nuclei are frequently observed in the cells of people with cancer and other diseases, but what causes the abnormality -- and why it is associated with certain disorders -- has remained unclear. Researchers have now developed a mathematical model that clarifies the mechanisms that cause bulges known as "blebs" in cells' nuclear membranes. The work could be a step toward bleb prevention, which may ultimately provide potential therapies for related diseases.

New evidence for link between depression and heart disease

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:16 AM PST

Interleukin-6, an inflammatory biomarker associated with cardiovascular disease, is significantly higher in patients with major depression, a study has found.

Variations within influenza strain may explain varying patient response

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:15 AM PST

Researchers have found variations within H1N1 patients who were hospitalized during the 2009-10 pandemic and identified those that most impacted patients.

When it comes to genetic code, researchers prove optimum isn't always best

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:14 AM PST

Imagine two steel springs identical in look and composition but that perform differently because each was tempered at a different rate. Molecular biologists have shown that concept -- that the speed of creation affects performance -- applies to how a protein they studied impacts an organism's circadian clock function.

Eye movements reveal reading impairments in schizophrenia

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:14 AM PST

A study of eye movements in schizophrenia patients provides new evidence of impaired reading fluency in individuals with the mental illness. The findings could open avenues to earlier detection and intervention for people with the illness.

Reduced risk of preterm birth for pregnant women vaccinated during pandemic flu

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST

Pregnant women who received the H1N1 influenza vaccine during the 2009 pandemic were less likely to have premature babies, and their babies weighed more on average.

Nicotine lozenges, tobacco-free snuff help smokeless tobacco users quit

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST

Smokeless tobacco users who said they didn't want to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a new study.

Fungi offers new clues in asthma fight

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:12 AM PST

Hundreds of tiny fungal particles found in the lungs of asthma sufferers could offer new clues in the development of new treatments.

'Growing' medicines in plants requires new regulations, experts say

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:12 AM PST

Scientists say amending an EU directive on GMOs could help stimulate innovation in making vaccines, cheaper pharmaceuticals and organic plastics using plants.

Is there a link between childhood obesity and ADHD, learning disabilities?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:10 AM PST

A new study has established a possible link between high-fat diets and such childhood brain-based conditions as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory-dependent learning disabilities.

Abnormal growth regulation may occur in children with heart defects

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:09 AM PST

The poor growth seen in children born with complex heart defects may result from factors beyond deficient nutrition. A new study by pediatric researchers suggests that abnormalities in overall growth regulation play a role.

Steroid injection may lead to worse outcomes in patients with spinal stenosis

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:09 AM PST

For patients with spinal stenosis, epidural steroid injections (ESI) may actually lead to worse outcomes—- whether or not the patient later undergoes surgery, according to a new study.

Children with auditory processing disorder may now have more treatment options

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:09 AM PST

Researchers are helping children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment. They have developed a program that uses evidence-based practices and incorporates speech-language pathologists into therapy.

Effects of human exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals examined in landmark United Nations report

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 08:55 AM PST

Many synthetic chemicals, untested for their disrupting effects on the hormone system, could have significant health implications according to the State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WHO.

Researchers coat spinal polymer implants with bioactive film to improve bonding with bone

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:25 AM PST

Researchers have for the first time successfully coated polymer implants with a bioactive film. The discovery should improve the success rate of such implants -- which are often used in spinal surgeries.

Gene linked to worse outcomes for melanoma

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:24 AM PST

Scientists have identified a gene present in some melanoma which appears to make the tumor cells more resistant to treatment.

We know when we're being lazy thinkers: Human thinkers are conscious cognitive misers

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:22 AM PST

A new study shows that human thinkers are conscious cognitive misers. Are we intellectually lazy? Yes we are, but we do know when we take the easy way out, according to a new study. Contrary to what psychologists believe, we are aware that we occasionally answer easier questions rather than the more complex ones we were asked, and we are also less confident about our answers when we do.

It may be educational, but what is that TV show really teaching your preschooler?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST

Most parents carefully select what television programs and movies their children can watch. But a psychologist says educational shows could come with an added lesson that influences a child's behavior. Children exposed to educational programs were more aggressive in their interactions than those who weren't exposed.

Silencing of retinoblastoma gene found to regulate differentiation of myeloid cells in cancer

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST

Researchers have found a potential mechanism by which immune suppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells can prevent immune response from developing in cancer. This mechanism includes silencing the tumor suppressor gene retinoblastoma 1 or Rb1. Their data explains a new regulatory mechanism by which myeloid-derived suppressor cells are expanded in cancer.

Novel coronavirus well-adapted to humans, susceptible to immunotherapy

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:10 AM PST

The new coronavirus that has emerged in the Middle East is well-adapted to infecting humans but could potentially be treated with immunotherapy, according to a new study.

Fear, anger or pain: Why do babies cry?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:06 AM PST

Researchers have studied adults' accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition. It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.

Discovery of previously unknown immunodeficiency

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:06 AM PST

Severe autoimmunity in childhood can be an indication of a primary immunodeficiency (PID) – this has now been demonstrated in a 13-year-old patient. A previously unknown B-cell defect was identified in the teenager with the aid of so-called "next generation sequencing", with which genetic mutations in the genetic material can be detected within a few days.
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