Σάββατο 20 Απριλίου 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Muscle repair after injury helped by fat-forming cells

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered that muscle repair requires the action of two types of cells better known for causing inflammation and forming fat. 

Genome study suggests new strategies for understanding and treating pulmonary fibrosis

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT

A new genome-wide association study of more than 6,000 people has identified seven new genetic regions associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers have found a number of genes associated with host defense, cell-cell adhesion and DNA repair, which provide clues to possible mechanisms underlying this currently untreatable disease.

Same protein that fires up cancer-promoting erk also blocks its activation

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT

A protein which is intimately involved in cancer-promoting cell signaling also keeps a key component of the signaling pathway tied down and inactive, scientists report. Union with Shc keeps a potential troublemaker away from bad company and out of the nucleus.

New potential target for cancer therapy identified

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 01:07 PM PDT

Researchers have found that alternative splicing -- a process that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins -- appears to be a new potential target for anti-telomerase cancer therapy.

Scientific basis for cognitive complaints of breast cancer patients

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT

Researchers have shown a statistically significant association between neuropsychological (NP) test performance and memory complaints in post-treatment, early stage breast cancer patients. Patient-reported memory difficulties were also associated with having received chemotherapy and radiation and depressive symptoms in one of the first studies to show patient complaints of cognitive problems after breast cancer treatment (chemo brain) associates with NP test performance.

Insight into osteoarthritis

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT

To better understand the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, scientists looked at cells from articular cartilage using atomic force microscopy.

Quest for edible malarial vaccine leads to other potential medical uses for algae

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT

Can scientists rid malaria from the Third World by simply feeding algae genetically engineered with a vaccine? That's the question biologists sought to answer after they demonstrated last May that algae can be engineered to produce a vaccine that blocks malaria transmission. In a follow up study, they got their answer: Not yet, although the same method may work as a vaccine against a wide variety of viral and bacterial infections.

Novel monoclonal antibody inhibits tumor growth in breast cancer and angiosarcoma

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 10:25 AM PDT

A monoclonal antibody targeting a protein known as SFPR2 has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in pre-clinical models of breast cancer and angiosarcoma.

Intense, specialized training in young athletes linked to serious overuse injuries

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 10:25 AM PDT

Young athletes who specialize in one sport and train intensively have a significantly higher risk of stress fractures and other severe overuse injuries, according to the largest clinical study of its kind.

Alternative medicine use by MS patients now mapped

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 09:11 AM PDT

A major Nordic research project has, for the first time ever, mapped the use of alternative treatment among multiple sclerosis patients -- knowledge which is important for patients with chronic disease and the way in which society meets them.

Random walks on DNA: Bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 07:52 AM PDT

Scientists have revealed how a bacterial enzyme has evolved an energy-efficient method to move long distances along DNA. The findings present further insight into the coupling of chemical and mechanical energy by a class of enzymes called helicases, a widely-distributed group of proteins, which in human cells are implicated in some cancers.

Mammogram rate did not decline in U.S. after controversial recommendations

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 05:00 AM PDT

More than three years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine mammogram screening for women between the ages of 40 and 49, a new study finds that mammogram rates in the United States have not declined in that age group, or any other.

Early cognitive behavioural therapy reduces risk of psychosis

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:59 AM PDT

Young people seeking help who are at high risk of developing psychosis could significantly reduce their chances of going on to develop a full-blown psychotic illness by getting early access to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), new research shows.

Understanding and prevention of side effects caused by drugs

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:59 AM PDT

Yellow vision, pseudo-pulmonary obstruction, involuntary body movements, respiratory paralysis. These are some of the 1,600 known side effects (SEs) produced by drugs. Adverse effects are one of the main causes of hospital admission in the west. These effects are difficult to predict, and in practice specific assays are required to test the safety of agents in pre-clinical phases, thus these effects are often not discovered until the drug has been launched. A new study seeks to fill this information gap.

Risk of dementia declined over past 20 years

Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:59 AM PDT

The risk of developing dementia may have declined over the past 20 years, in direct contrast to what many previously assumed. The decrease in dementia risk coincides with the general reduction in cardiovascular disease over recent decades, researchers said.

Scientists scan the human heart to create digital anatomical library

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:42 AM PDT

Medical researchers have demonstrated the anatomical reconstruction of an active human heart. The research uses contrast-computed tomography (CT) to allow in-depth 3-D computer modeling of hearts that can be used for prolonged archiving.

Social gaming promotes healthy behavior, reveals new research

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

Adding social gaming elements to a behavior tracking program led people to exercise more frequently and helped them decrease their body-mass index, according to new research.

Treatment for novel coronavirus shows promise in early lab tests

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

Scientists studying an emerging coronavirus have found that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs, ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b, can stop the virus from replicating in laboratory-grown cells. These results suggest that the drug combination could be used to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus, but more research is needed to confirm this preliminary finding.

Despite superbug crisis, progress in antibiotic development 'alarmingly elusive'

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

Despite the desperate need for new antibiotics to combat increasingly deadly resistant bacteria, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved only one new systemic antibiotic since the Infectious Diseases Society of America launched its 10 x '20 Initiative in 2010 -- and that drug was approved two and a half years ago.

Brain's 'slow waves': Scientists probe source of pulsing signal in sleeping brain

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

New findings clarify where and how the brain's "slow waves" originate. These rhythmic signal pulses, which sweep through the brain during deep sleep, are assumed to play a role in important processes such as consolidation of memory. For the first time, researchers have shown conclusively that slow waves start in the cerebral cortex. They also found that such a wave can be set in motion by a local cluster of just 50 to 100 neurons.

Long-term exposure to fine particles of traffic pollution increases risk of heart disease

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

Long-term exposure to fine particle matter air pollution in part derived from traffic pollution is also associated with atherosclerosis independent of traffic noise.

Demanding physical work associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:01 AM PDT

Demanding physical work has a detrimental effect on an individual's risk of coronary heart disease, according to new research.

Brain-behavior associations: Researchers look at ties between early social experiences and adolescent brain function

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 06:59 AM PDT

Brains develop in the context of experience. Social experiences may be particularly relevant for developing neural circuits related to the experience of feeling or emotion. Factors such as negative life events and the quality of relationships also matter. New findings come from four large, longitudinal studies of high-risk adolescents from varied backgrounds.

Photoacoustics spares healthy lymph nodes in patients with metastasized cancer

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 06:46 AM PDT

If a tumor has spread through the lymph nodes, the decision is often taken to exercise caution and remove extra tissue, to prevent it from spreading further. This often involves the removal of healthy lymph nodes. Photoacoustic detection allows surgeons to see which nodes are affected and which are not, while the operation is in progress. This could cut the number of unnecessary complications following surgery, while still ensuring that all affected tissue is removed.

Tell me where you're from and I'll tell you what tastes you prefer

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 06:46 AM PDT

The country of residence is a fundamental factor in taste preferences. Children love fatty and sugary foods. Or do they? New research contradicts the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlights the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.

Depression: Why life can feel out of control

Posted: 18 Apr 2013 06:46 AM PDT

People with depression often feel their life is out of control. It can evoke feelings that their life is pointless or by merely existing bad things can happen. Research suggests that these feeling may be caused by subtle changes in the way depressed people perceive time and process their surroundings.

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