Τρίτη 23 Ιουλίου 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Vaccinating boys plays key role in HPV prevention

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:30 PM PDT

Improving vaccination rates against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in boys is key to protecting both men and women, says new research. HPV has been linked to anal, penile and certain types of throat cancers in men. Since the virus is also responsible for various cancers in women, vaccinating boys aged 11 to 21 will play a crucial role in reducing cancer rates across the sexes.

Surgeon recommends off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting be abandoned

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:29 PM PDT

Cardiothoracic surgeons have found that off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery has failed to show any significant improvement in short-term morbidity or mortality as compared to the traditional on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Plain packaging seems to make cigarettes less appealing and increase urgency to quit smoking

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:29 PM PDT

Plain packaging for cigarettes seems to make tobacco less appealing and increase the urgency to quit smoking, suggest early findings.

Scientists prove ticks harbor Heartland virus, a recently discovered disease in the United States

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:29 PM PDT

Scientists have for the first time traced a novel virus that infected two men from northwestern Missouri in 2009 to populations of ticks in the region, providing confirmation that lone star ticks are carrying the recently discovered virus and humans in the area are likely at risk of infection. There is no treatment available for HRTV. Unlike other tick-borne diseases like Lyme, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, HRTV is a virus and thus does not respond to antibiotics.

Skipping breakfast may increase coronary heart disease risk

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:28 PM PDT

A large 16-year study finds men who reported that they skipped breakfast had higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease. The timing of meals, whether it's missing a meal in the morning or eating a meal very late at night, may cause adverse metabolic effects that lead to coronary heart disease. Even after accounting for modest differences in diet, physical activity, smoking and other lifestyle factors, the association between skipping breakfast (or eating very late at night) and coronary heart disease persisted.

Scientists identify key brain circuits that control compulsive drinking in rats

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:26 PM PDT

Scientists have identified circuitry in the brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats, and likely plays a similar role in humans.

Weight is a factor in graduate school admissions

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:26 PM PDT

Want to go to graduate school? Your weight could determine whether or not you receive an offer of admission.

Novel 'top-down' mechanism repatterns developing brain regions

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 05:26 PM PDT

Dennis O'Leary was the first scientist to show that the basic functional architecture of the cortex, the largest part of the human brain, was genetically determined during development. But as it so often does in science, answering one question opened up many others. O'Leary wondered what if the layout of the cortex wasn't fixed? What would happen if it were changed?

Chemical reaction could streamline manufacture of pharmaceuticals and other compounds

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 12:27 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a new chemical reaction that has the potential to lower the cost and streamline the manufacture of compounds ranging from agricultural chemicals to pharmaceutical drugs. The reaction resolves a long-standing challenge in organic chemistry in creating phenolic compounds from aromatic hydrocarbons quickly and cheaply.

Breastfed children are less likely to develop ADHD later in life, study suggests

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 12:27 PM PDT

Scientists have completed a study that finds a clear link between rates of breastfeeding and the likelihood of developing Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, even when typical risk factors were taken into consideration.

Ability to learn new words based on efficient communication between brain areas that control movement and hearing

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 12:27 PM PDT

For the first time scientists have identified how a pathway in the brain which is unique to humans allows us to learn new words.

Flex plan for physically demanding jobs: Flexibility tests are often as good as strength tests, and not as discriminatory

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Fitness tests that focus on sheer strength may not be the most accurate way to qualify applicants for physically demanding jobs and may also increase the likelihood of a gender discrimination lawsuit from female applicants.

New key to 'switching off' hypertension

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Researchers have designed new compounds that mimic those naturally used by the body to regulate blood pressure. The most promising of them may literally be the key to controlling hypertension, switching off the signaling pathways that lead to the deadly condition.

Rare immune cells promote food-induced allergic inflammation in the esophagus

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 11:14 AM PDT

A rare immune cell and specific molecular reactions to allergenic foods team up – in a bad way – to cause a food allergy-associated disorder, which points to new ways to possibly treat inflammation associated with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Teen eating disorders increase suicide risk

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 09:32 AM PDT

Is binge eating a tell-tale sign of suicidal thoughts? According to a new study of African American girls, those who experience depressive and anxious symptoms are often dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to display binge eating behaviors. These behaviors put them at higher risk for turning their emotions inward, in other words, displaying internalizing symptoms such as suicide.

'Love hormone' is two-faced: Oxytocin strengthens bad memories and can increase fear and anxiety

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 09:32 AM PDT

Oxytocin is known as the hormone that promotes feelings of love, bonding and well-being. It's even being tested as an anti-anxiety drug. But new research shows oxytocin also can cause emotional pain. Oxytocin appears to be the reason stressful social situations, perhaps being bullied at school or tormented by a boss, reverberate long past the event and can trigger fear and anxiety in the future. That's because the hormone actually strengthens social memory in the brain.

New hope for hormone resistant breast cancer

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 09:31 AM PDT

A new finding provides fresh hope for the millions of women worldwide with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Scientists have shown that a specific change, which occurs when tumors become resistant to anti-estrogen therapy, might make the cancers susceptible to treatment with chemotherapy drugs.

Protein complex linked to cancer growth may also help fight tumors

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a gene expression signature that may lead to new immune therapies for lung cancer patients. They found that NF-κB, a protein complex known to promote tumor growth, may also have the ability to boost the immune system to eliminate cancerous cells before they harm, as well as promote antitumor responses.

Study lays groundwork for norovirus anti-viral treatments

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 08:14 AM PDT

There's no vaccine to prevent norovirus, or drugs to treat the pesky virus that sickens millions each year and is known to complicate cruise ship vacations. But a first ever small animal model provides a new tool to develop anti-viral treatments.

Could turning on a gene prevent diabetes?

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 07:56 AM PDT

The resistance to insulin seen in type 2 diabetics is caused partly by the lack of a protein that has not previously been associated with diabetes. This breakthrough could potentially help to prevent diabetes.

Mental illness linked to early death in people with epilepsy

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:20 AM PDT

People with epilepsy are 10 times more likely to die early, before their mid-fifties, compared with the general population, according to a 41 year study.

To savor the flavor, perform a short ritual first

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:20 AM PDT

Blowing out the candles on birthday cake isn't just for fun. New research reveals that the rituals we perform before eating can actually change our perception of the food.

Too many antioxidants? Resveratrol blocks many cardiovascular benefits of exercise

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:19 AM PDT

In older men, a natural antioxidant compound found in red grapes and other plants – called resveratrol – blocks many of the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, according to new research.

Health risks from arsenic in rice exposed

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:19 AM PDT

High levels of arsenic in rice have been shown to be associated with elevated genetic damage in humans, a new study has found.

When cells are consumed by wanderlust

Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:19 AM PDT

Whether in fish embryos or human tumors, the same gene controls how cells migrate in cell tissue. In experiments on zebrafish, researchers have demonstrated that the same proteins that lead to the formation of metastases in humans also cause the cells to migrate during embryonic development.

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