ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Altering the community of gut bacteria promotes health and increases lifespan
• Increased mobility thanks to robotic rehab
• Brain on autopilot
• Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics
• Potential treatment for drug-resistant H7N9 influenza virus
• Image perception in the blink of an eye
• Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness
• Stem cells overcome damage in other cells by exporting mitochondria
• Typhoid fever: A race against time
• Does taking multiple medicines increase risk of being admitted to hospital? Yes and no
• Spirituality, religion may protect against major depression by thickening brain cortex
• Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention
• Drinking and driving: Unsafe at any level, study concludes
• Symphony of life, revealed: New imaging technique captures vibrations of proteins, tiny motions critical to human life
• Eelectronic health record use improves shingles vaccination rate among baby boomers
• UK rates of gout soaring, but treatment remains poor
• Food processors beware: Salmonella biofilms incredibly resistant to powerful disinfectants
• Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health
• Head injuries triple long-term risk of early death
• Living in densely populated neighborhoods can actually decrease risk of diabetes, obesity
• Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukaemia
• New avenues for influenza control suggested by identification of an enzyme that plays a crucial role in resistance to the infection
• Most practice guideline recommendations based on less-than-ideal quality of evidence
• Minimally invasive surgery rates triple in U.S. for pancreatic disease
• Heavy drinking in middle age may speed memory loss by up to six years in men
• Theory behind popular blood-type diet debunked
• New drug combo cures toughest cases of hepatitis C, hints to future injection-free therapies
• Natural selection can favor 'irrational' behavior

Altering the community of gut bacteria promotes health and increases lifespan Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:06 AM PST Having the right balance of gut bacteria may be the key to enjoying a long healthy life. Scientists promoted health and increased lifespan in Drosophila by altering the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and the absorptive cells lining the intestine. The work provides a model for studying diseases associated with the aging gut, and how we go from having a young, healthy gut to one that is old and decrepit.

Increased mobility thanks to robotic rehab Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST After a stroke, patients often struggle with persistent paresis. Researchers examined whether robot-assisted therapy can help stroke patients. This form of therapy proved successful particularly with the most severely affected persons with arm paresis.

Brain on autopilot Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST The structure of the human brain is complex, reminiscent of a circuit diagram with countless connections. But what role does this architecture play in the functioning of the brain?

Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST Researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including new prosthetics, robotic systems and flexible touch panels. The sensors can measure strain, pressure, human touch and bioelectronic signals such as electrocardiograms.

Potential treatment for drug-resistant H7N9 influenza virus Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST A research project is showing promise in fighting the deadly novel avian H7N9 influenza virus.

Image perception in the blink of an eye Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST Imagine seeing a dozen pictures flash by in a fraction of a second. You might think it would be impossible to identify any images you see for such a short time. However, a team of neuroscientists has found that the human brain can process entire images that the eye sees for as little as 13 milliseconds -- the first evidence of such rapid processing speed.

Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:51 AM PST A review and update of a controversial 20-year-old theory of consciousness claims that consciousness derives from deeper level, finer scale activities inside brain neurons. The recent discovery of quantum vibrations in "microtubules" inside brain neurons corroborates this theory, according to review authors. They suggest that EEG rhythms (brain waves) also derive from deeper level microtubule vibrations, and that from a practical standpoint, treating brain microtubule vibrations could benefit a host of mental, neurological, and cognitive conditions.

Stem cells overcome damage in other cells by exporting mitochondria Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:50 AM PST A research team has identified a protein that increases the transfer of mitochondria from mesenchymal stem cells to lung cells. The researchers reveal that the delivery of mitochondria to human lung cells can rejuvenate damaged cells. The migration of mitochondria from stem cells to epithelial cells also helps to repair tissue damage and inflammation linked to asthma-like symptoms in mice.

Typhoid fever: A race against time Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:50 AM PST The life-threatening disease typhoid fever results from the ongoing battle between the bacterial pathogen Salmonella and the immune cells of the body. A research group has now uncovered how the typhoid pathogen repeatedly manages to evade the host's immune system.

Does taking multiple medicines increase risk of being admitted to hospital? Yes and no Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:50 AM PST Patients with a single illness who take many drugs have an increased risk of being admitted to hospital, but for patients with multiple conditions, taking many medicines is now associated with a near-normal risk of admission. Doctors call the situation where people take many drugs 'polypharmacy', a state of affairs that is becoming increasingly common in part because we have more elderly people and also a rising number of people are being diagnosed with multiple health conditions.

Spirituality, religion may protect against major depression by thickening brain cortex Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST A thickening of parts of the brain cortex associated with regular meditation or other spiritual or religious practice could be the reason those activities guard against depression – particularly in people who are predisposed to the disease, according to new research. Researchers studied 130 subjects and found that those who highly valued spirituality showed thicker portions of brain cortices that may protect against depression -- especially in those at high risk for the disease.

Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST The brain appears to synchronize the activity of different brain regions to make it possible for a person to pay attention or concentrate on a task, scientists have learned.

Drinking and driving: Unsafe at any level, study concludes Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST A study finds that even "minimally buzzed" drivers -- with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01 percent -- are 46 percent more likely to be officially and solely blamed by accident investigators than are the sober drivers they collide with.

Symphony of life, revealed: New imaging technique captures vibrations of proteins, tiny motions critical to human life Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST Like the strings on a violin or the pipes of an organ, the proteins in the human body vibrate in different patterns, scientists have long suspected. Now, a new study provides what researchers say is the first conclusive evidence that this is true.

Eelectronic health record use improves shingles vaccination rate among baby boomers Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST Shingles, a painful blistering virus related to the chicken pox, are more common in the winter and spring than any other time of the year. While people over the age of 60 account for 50% of all shingles cases, less than 15% get a vaccine that can prevent the illness. Now, a new study is showing that simple hi- and low-tech interventions may help motivate seniors to get vaccinated. The study also suggests that the combined use of pharmacists and electronic medical records could be successfully reapplied to managing other preventable or chronic illnesses.

UK rates of gout soaring, but treatment remains poor Posted: 15 Jan 2014 04:32 PM PST UK rates of gout have soared since the late 1990s, with one in every 40 people now affected by the condition -- the highest in Europe -- but treatment remains as poor now as it was then, reveals research published.

Food processors beware: Salmonella biofilms incredibly resistant to powerful disinfectants Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:29 PM PST Once Salmonella bacteria get into a food processing facility and have an opportunity to form a biofilm on surfaces, it is likely to be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to kill it, according to research published.

Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:28 PM PST Treatment with progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone that has been shown to alleviate severe hot flashes and night sweats in post-menopausal women, poses little or no cardiovascular risk, according to a new study.

Head injuries triple long-term risk of early death Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:28 PM PST Survivors of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are three times more likely to die prematurely than the general population, often from suicide or fatal injuries, finds a study. A TBI is a blow to the head that leads to a skull fracture, internal bleeding, loss of consciousness for longer than an hour or a combination of these symptoms.

Living in densely populated neighborhoods can actually decrease risk of diabetes, obesity Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:28 PM PST Torontonians living in neighborhoods that aren't conducive to walking have a 33 percent greater risk of developing diabetes or being obese, according to new research.

Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukaemia Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:27 PM PST A team of scientists has demonstrated a novel treatment for Hairy Cell Leukaemia (HCL), a rare type of blood cancer, using a drug administered to combat skin cancer.

New avenues for influenza control suggested by identification of an enzyme that plays a crucial role in resistance to the infection Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:26 PM PST Researchers have identified an enzyme, cIAP2 that helps the lungs protect themselves from the flu by giving them the ability to resist tissue damage.

Most practice guideline recommendations based on less-than-ideal quality of evidence Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:26 PM PST A study published shows that most clinical practice guidelines for interventional procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy, angioplasty) are based on lower-quality medical evidence and fail to disclose authors' conflicts of interest.

Minimally invasive surgery rates triple in U.S. for pancreatic disease Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:26 PM PST Researchers report a three-fold increase in the use of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across the nation for patients with pancreatic disease. Although adaptation of MIS for this difficult-to-reach gland is recent, the growing trend points to improved patient outcomes, such as reduced bleeding and infections.

Heavy drinking in middle age may speed memory loss by up to six years in men Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:22 PM PST Middle-aged men who drink more than 36 grams of alcohol, or two and a half US drinks per day, may speed their memory loss by up to six years later on, according to a study published. On the other hand, the study found no differences in memory and executive function in men who do not drink, former drinkers and light or moderate drinkers. Executive function deals with attention and reasoning skills in achieving a goal.

Theory behind popular blood-type diet debunked Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:22 PM PST Researchers have found that the theory behind the popular blood type diet -- which claims an individual's nutritional needs vary by blood type -- is not valid.

New drug combo cures toughest cases of hepatitis C, hints to future injection-free therapies Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:22 PM PST Efforts to cure hepatitis C, the liver-damaging infectious disease that has for years killed more Americans than HIV/AIDS, are about to get simpler and more effective, according to new research.

Natural selection can favor 'irrational' behavior Posted: 14 Jan 2014 05:29 PM PST It seems paradoxical that a preference for which of two houses to buy could depend on another, inferior, house -- but researchers at the have identified that seemingly irrelevant alternatives can, and should, influence choices. Even more remarkable is the finding that optimal choices can violate the principle of transitivity: it can be best to choose A from A or B, and choose B from B or C, but choose C from A or C.

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