ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• New weapon in fight against cervical cancer
• Good kidney health begins before birth
• Probiotics prevent diarrhea related to antibiotic use, review shows
• Quitting smoking: Licensed medications are effective
• Ketamine cousin rapidly lifts depression without side effects, study suggests
• Healthy lifestyle choices mean fewer memory complaints
• Biologists take snapshot of fleeting protein process
• TCE exposure linked to increased risk of some cancers
• Innovative new nanotechnology stops bed bugs in their tracks - literally
• Researchers gain insight into key protein linked to cancers, neurodegenerative disorders
• Novel approach to create red blood cells, platelets in vitro
• Sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear
• Genetic variants linked to educational attainment
• Nerve stimulation helps with overactive bladder
• Low doses of THC (cannabis) can halt brain damage, study suggests
• Cost of resiliency in kids uncovered
• Brain makes its own version of Valium
• Soccer training improves heart health of men with type 2 diabetes
• New single virus detection techniques for faster disease diagnosis
• New agent inhibits HCV replication in mouse models: No resistance seen
• Interleukin-22 protects against post-influenza bacterial superinfection
• Omega-3 fatty acids may help heal a broken heart
• New gene delivery method: Magnetic nanoparticles
• New discovery permits rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis
• Newly discovered hormone makes ovaries grow
• MRSA study slashes deadly infections in sickest hospital patients
• Epigenetic biomarkers may predict if a specific diet and exercise regimen will work
• Give barefoot running the boot?
• Immune system to fight brain tumors
• Origins of key cells in the thymus
• Big feet preference in rural Indonesia defies one-size-fits-all theory of attractiveness

New weapon in fight against cervical cancer Posted: 30 May 2013 04:24 PM PDT Scientists have found a way to target and destroy a key protein associated with the development of cervical and other cancers.

Good kidney health begins before birth Posted: 30 May 2013 04:24 PM PDT Researchers have found that conditions in the womb can affect kidney development and have serious health implications for the child not only immediately after birth, but decades later.

Probiotics prevent diarrhea related to antibiotic use, review shows Posted: 30 May 2013 04:24 PM PDT Probiotic supplements have the potential to prevent diarrhea caused by antibiotics, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. The authors studied Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections in patients taking antibiotics and found symptoms of diarrhea were substantially reduced when patients were also treated with probiotics.

Quitting smoking: Licensed medications are effective Posted: 30 May 2013 04:24 PM PDT Nicotine replacement therapy and other licensed drugs can help people quit smoking, according to a new systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. The study supports the use of the smoking cessation medications that are already widely licensed internationally, and shows that another drug licensed in Russia could hold potential as an effective and affordable treatment.

Ketamine cousin rapidly lifts depression without side effects, study suggests Posted: 30 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the street drug side effects, reported a new study.

Healthy lifestyle choices mean fewer memory complaints Posted: 30 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT To examine the impact of these lifestyle choices on memory throughout adult life, researchers polled more than 18,500 individuals between the ages of 18 and 99. As expected, problems with memory were found to increase with age, but researchers were surprised by the percentage of younger adults who also reported memory difficulties.

Biologists take snapshot of fleeting protein process Posted: 30 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT Structural biologists have captured the first three-dimensional crystalline snapshot of a critical but fleeting process that takes place thousands of times per second in every human cell. The research sheds new light on a protein that was discovered more than 120 years ago and could prove useful in the study of cancer and other diseases.

TCE exposure linked to increased risk of some cancers Posted: 30 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT Trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure has possible links to increased liver cancer risk, and the relationship between TCE exposure and risks of cancers of low incidence and those with confounding by lifestyle and other factors need further study, according to a new study.

Innovative new nanotechnology stops bed bugs in their tracks - literally Posted: 30 May 2013 01:58 PM PDT Bed bugs now need to watch their step. Researchers have developed a safe, non-chemical resource that literally stops bed bugs in their tracks. This innovative new technology acts as a human-made web consisting of microfibers 50 times thinner than a human hair which entangle and trap bed bugs and other insects.

Researchers gain insight into key protein linked to cancers, neurodegenerative disorders Posted: 30 May 2013 12:33 PM PDT Researchers studying a key molecular player called Hsp70 that is responsible for protein homeostasis have uncovered how it binds together with another molecule responsible for intracellular energy transfer to enhance its overall activity and efficiency -- details that have previously not been well understood.

Novel approach to create red blood cells, platelets in vitro Posted: 30 May 2013 12:33 PM PDT A study led by Boston University School of Medicine has identified a novel approach to create an unlimited number of human red blood cells and platelets in vitro. In collaboration with Boston University School of Public Health and Boston Medical Center, the researchers differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells into these cell types, which are typically obtained through blood donations.

Sensitive new microphone modeled on fly ear Posted: 30 May 2013 12:28 PM PDT Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids.

Genetic variants linked to educational attainment Posted: 30 May 2013 11:19 AM PDT A multi-national team of researchers has identified genetic markers that predict educational attainment by pooling data from more than 125,000 individuals in the United States, Australia, and 13 western European countries.

Nerve stimulation helps with overactive bladder Posted: 30 May 2013 10:25 AM PDT New research finds that symptoms of overactive bladder, or OAB, were reduced in those who received tibial nerve stimulation. The three-year results show participants with urinary frequency, urgency and involuntary loss of urine maintained significant improvement in their symptoms.

Low doses of THC (cannabis) can halt brain damage, study suggests Posted: 30 May 2013 10:25 AM PDT Medical cannabis is often used by sufferers of chronic ailments, including cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder, to combat pain and other symptoms. Now a researcher says that the drug has neuroprotective qualities as well, protecting the brain from long-term cognitive damage in the wake of injury from lack of oxygen, seizures, or toxic drugs.

Cost of resiliency in kids uncovered Posted: 30 May 2013 10:24 AM PDT Children living in poverty who appear to succeed socially may be failing biologically. Students able to overcome the stress of growing up poor are labeled "resilient" because of their ability to overcome adversity, but researchers found this resiliency has health costs that last well into adulthood.

Brain makes its own version of Valium Posted: 30 May 2013 10:24 AM PDT Researchers have found that a naturally occurring protein secreted only in discrete areas of the mammalian brain may act as a Valium-like brake on certain types of epileptic seizures.

Soccer training improves heart health of men with type 2 diabetes Posted: 30 May 2013 08:13 AM PDT A new study demonstrates that soccer training improves heart function, reduces blood pressure and elevates exercise capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Soccer training also reduces the need for medication.

New single virus detection techniques for faster disease diagnosis Posted: 30 May 2013 08:13 AM PDT Two independent teams have developed new optics-based methods for determining the exact viral load of a sample by counting individual virus particles. These new methods are faster and cheaper than standard tests and they offer the potential to conduct the measurements in a medical office or hospital instead of a laboratory.

New agent inhibits HCV replication in mouse models: No resistance seen Posted: 30 May 2013 08:13 AM PDT Treatments against hepatitis C virus have only been partially successful. A major problem is that antivirals generate drug resistance. Now scientists have developed agents that bind to the business end of a critical protein, disabling it so successfully that no resistance has arisen.

Interleukin-22 protects against post-influenza bacterial superinfection Posted: 30 May 2013 08:13 AM PDT Researchers have shown in a mouse model that interleukin-22 protects against bacterial superinfections that can arise following influenza.

Omega-3 fatty acids may help heal a broken heart Posted: 30 May 2013 08:11 AM PDT Procedures like angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery may save lives, but they also cause excessive inflammation and scarring, which ultimately can lead to permanent disability and even death. A new research report shows that naturally derived compounds from polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s) may reduce the inflammation associated with these procedures to help arteries more fully and completely heal.

New gene delivery method: Magnetic nanoparticles Posted: 30 May 2013 08:11 AM PDT Stent angioplasty saves lives, but comes with complications. A new nanoparticle gene delivery method will hopefully overcome limitations of gene therapy vectors and prevent complications associated with stenting. Stents are the platform for magnetically targeted gene delivery, where genes are moved to cells at arterial injury locations without side effects. These nanoparticles protect genes and help them reach their target in active form, a challenge in gene therapy.

New discovery permits rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis Posted: 30 May 2013 08:11 AM PDT Despite advances in treating infections and disease, effective treatments for sepsis remain elusive. New research could help health care providers predict who may or may not develop sepsis, and facilitate new therapies to address the root causes, rather than just managing the symptoms. This also may benefit patients suffering from viral infections, as well as chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Newly discovered hormone makes ovaries grow Posted: 30 May 2013 08:11 AM PDT A newly discovered hormone produced by the eggs of human females may improve the effectiveness of current fertility treatments for women and possibly lead to entirely new treatments altogether. Researchers have identified a new hormone called "R-spondin2" that promotes follicle development and stimulates ovary growth.

MRSA study slashes deadly infections in sickest hospital patients Posted: 30 May 2013 06:50 AM PDT Using germ-killing soap and ointment on all intensive-care unit (ICU) patients can reduce bloodstream infections by up to 44 percent and significantly reduce the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in ICUs. A new study tested three MRSA prevention strategies and found that using germ-killing soap and ointment on all ICU patients was more effective than other strategies.

Epigenetic biomarkers may predict if a specific diet and exercise regimen will work Posted: 30 May 2013 06:49 AM PDT Would you try a diet and exercise regimen knowing in advance it would actually help you lose weight? New research shows that this could become reality. Scientists have identified five epigenetic biomarkers in adolescents associated with better weight loss at the beginning of a weight loss program. This could help predict an individual's response to weight loss intervention, and offer targets for enhancing a weight loss program's effects.

Give barefoot running the boot? Posted: 30 May 2013 06:48 AM PDT Barefoot running has been making headlines ever since 1960, when a shoeless Abebe Bikila set a new world-record marathon time at the Rome Olympics. Even manufacturers have muscled in on the trend over the years, with most now offering their own version of 'barefoot' or 'minimalist' shoes.

Immune system to fight brain tumors Posted: 30 May 2013 06:48 AM PDT Research gives hope that one of the most serious types of brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme, could be fought by the patients' own immune system. The tumors are difficult to remove with surgery because the tumor cells grow into the surrounding healthy brain tissue. A patient with the disease therefore does not usually survive much longer than a year after the discovery of the tumor.

Origins of key cells in the thymus Posted: 30 May 2013 06:46 AM PDT Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) allow the thymus to ensure that the body's T cells are able to distinguish between potentially harmful foreign antigens and those that are produced by the body itself. New research suggests that mTECs do not share a common progenitor with cortical-thymic TECs (cTECs) that produce T cells, but may actually evolve from them.

Big feet preference in rural Indonesia defies one-size-fits-all theory of attractiveness Posted: 30 May 2013 06:44 AM PDT People in most cultures view women with small feet as attractive and a sign of a potential mate's youth and fertility. But a new research study shows that the Karo Batak living in rural villages in Indonesia deem women with big feet as more appealing, suggesting that culture – not just genetics – plays a role in deciding what makes a mate attractive.

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