Τρίτη 28 Ιανουαρίου 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Gossip, ostracism may have hidden group benefits

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:38 PM PST

Conventional wisdom holds that gossip and social exclusion are always malicious, undermining trust and morale in groups. But sharing this kind of "reputational information" could have benefits for society, according to a new study.

New, giant virus kills anthrax agent

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:38 PM PST

From a zebra carcass on the plains of Namibia in Southern Africa, an international team of researchers has discovered a new, unusually large virus (or bacteriophage) that infects the bacterium that causes anthrax. The novel bacteriophage could eventually open up new ways to detect, treat or decontaminate the anthrax bacillus and its relatives that cause food poisoning.

Natural plant compound prevents Alzheimer's disease in mice

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:37 PM PST

A chemical that's found in fruits and vegetables from strawberries to cucumbers appears to stop memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer's disease in mice, scientists have discovered. In experiments on mice that normally develop Alzheimer's symptoms less than a year after birth, a daily dose of the compound -- a flavonol called fisetin -- prevented the progressive memory and learning impairments. The drug, however, did not alter the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain, accumulations of proteins which are commonly blamed for Alzheimer's disease.

Plague or Black Death could re-emerge: Cause of one of the most devastating pandemics in human history revealed

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:37 PM PST

Scientists have discovered that two of the world's most devastating plagues -- the plague of Justinian and the Black Death, each responsible for killing as many as half the people in Europe -- were caused by distinct strains of the same pathogen, one that faded out on its own, the other leading to worldwide spread and re-emergence in the late 1800s. These findings suggest a new strain of plague could emerge again in humans in the future.

Belief in immortality hard-wired? Study examines development of children's 'prelife' reasoning

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:48 PM PST

By examining children's ideas about "prelife," the time before conception, researchers found results which suggest that our bias toward immortality is a part of human intuition that naturally emerges early in life. And the part of us that is eternal, we believe, is not our skills or ability to reason, but rather our hopes, desires and emotions.

Critical protein discovered for healthy cell growth in mammals

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:48 PM PST

A protein that is required for the growth of tiny, but critical, hair-like structures called cilia on cell surfaces has been discovered. The research has important implications for human health because lack of cilia can lead to serious diseases such as polycystic kidney disease, blindness and neurological disorders.

Yoga can lower fatigue, inflammation in breast cancer survivors

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:44 PM PST

Practicing yoga for as little as three months can reduce fatigue and lower inflammation in breast cancer survivors, according to new research. The more the women in the study practiced yoga, the better their results.

Traumatic spinal cord injuries on the rise in U.S.

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST

The number of serious traumatic spinal cord injuries is on the rise in the United States, and the leading cause no longer appears to be motor vehicle crashes, but falls, new research suggests.

Study casts doubt on theory that retired NFL players suffer CTE

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST

The media have widely reported that a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a well-established disease in retired athletes who played football and other contact sports. But a study has found little evidence that CTE actually exists.

Promising class of antibiotics discovered for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST

Scientists have discovered a promising new class of antibiotics that could aid efforts to overcome drug-resistance in tuberculosis (TB), a global killer. The drugs increased survival of mice infected with TB and were effective against drug-resistant strains of TB.

Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy may increase risk of severe preeclampsia

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST

Women who are deficient in vitamin D in the first 26 weeks of their pregnancy may be at risk of developing severe preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening disorder diagnosed by an increase in blood pressure and protein in the urine, according to research.

Choosing Wisely: Politics, economics of labeling low-value services

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST

The Choosing Wisely campaign lists of services developed by physicians' specialty societies, is a good start to spark discussion between physicians their patients about treatments and tests that may not be warranted. But researchers say the list could be improved to include more common services and higher cost services.

Scientists find genetic mechanism linking aging to specific diets

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST

In new research published, scientists identify a collection of genes that allow an organism to adapt to different diets and show that without them, even minor tweaks to diet can cause premature aging and death.

Study identifies high level of 'food insecurity' among college students

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST

One of the few studies of its type has found that a startling 59 percent of college students at one university were "food insecure" at some point during the previous year, with possible implications for academic success, physical and emotional health and other issues.

HIV medications dialogue differs by race, ethnicity

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST

Researchers found specific racial and ethnic differences in discussions of HIV medicine adherence in a newly published analysis of recorded office visits between 45 doctors and nurse practitioners and more than 400 patients.

Successful regeneration of human skeletal muscle in mice

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18 AM PST

Researchers recently announced study findings showing the successful development of a humanized preclinical model for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, providing scientists with a much needed tool to accelerate novel therapeutic research and development.

New brain-scanning technique shows when and where the brain processes visual information

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST

New brain-scanning technique from Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers allows scientists to see when and where the brain processes visual information.

Quality of white matter in the brain is crucial for adding and multiplying (but not subracting and dividing)

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST

A new study has found that healthy 12-year-olds who score well in addition and multiplication have higher-quality white matter tracts. This correlation does not appear to apply to subtraction and division.

Nipping diabetes in the blood

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST

79 million Americans are thought to have "prediabetes," a condition that puts them at risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Now researchers have discovered that a simple blood test can reveal an individual's risk of developing type-2 diabetes before they develop prediabetes -- far earlier than previously believed. The findings could help doctors provide earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Researchers shed new light on double-lung transplants

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST

In the largest retrospective study to date using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing database for adult double-lung transplants, researchers have shown that there is no statistically significant difference between rejection and mortality rates among double-lung transplant recipients when their transplanted organs came from donors whose blood type was identical or compatible to their own.

Permanent changes in brain genes may not be so permanent after all

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:15 AM PST

In normal development, all cells turn off genes they don't need, often by attaching a chemical methyl group to the DNA, a process called methylation. Historically, scientists believed methyl groups could only stick to a particular DNA sequence: a cytosine followed by a guanine, called CpG. But in recent years, they have been found on other sequences, and so-called non-CpG methylation has been found in stem cells, and in neurons in the brain.

Facelift complications eased with help of new 3-D imaging technique

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:15 AM PST

New imaging technology allows scientists to analyze what happens within the smallest blood vessels during a cosmetic facelift. This finding could be used to prevent accidents during procedures and help clinicians reverse the ill effects if an injection doesn't go as planned.

Sticks and stones: Using curriculum to stop bullying

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:15 AM PST

Research finds the key to stop bullying is anti-bullying education in the school curriculum, and that teaching students empathy is as important "as teaching them science."

Severity of spatial neglect after stroke predicts long-term mobility recovery in community

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:28 AM PST

Stroke rehabilitation researchers report an association between acute, severe spatial neglect post stroke and long-term recovery of mobility. This new study indicates that severity of spatial neglect during the acute inpatient rehabilitation for right brain stroke may predict functional mobility in the community after discharge.

Researchers find changes to protein SirT1

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:28 AM PST

Studies have suggested that the protein SirT1 may be protective in metabolic diseases and the effects of aging, and diminished SirT1 activity has been reported in various disease models including diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Maintaining a normal level of this protein may be effective in preventing obesity- and age-related diseases.

Preventing, treating common cold: Nothing to sneeze at

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:27 AM PST

How do you prevent and treat the common cold? Handwashing and zinc may be best for prevention whereas acetaminophen, ibuprofen and perhaps antihistamine-decongestant combinations are the recommended treatments, according to a review.

HRT therapy may increase risk of acute pancreatitis

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:27 AM PST

Women who use postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be at increased risk of acute pancreatitis, found a new study.

Standardized protocol, surgery improve mortality outcomes for stroke victims

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

For patients who have experienced a large stroke that cuts off blood supply to a large part of the brain, the use of standardized medical management protocol and surgery to decompress swelling can improve life expectancy, researchers found in a recent study.

Lungs may suffer when certain elements go nano

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

Nanoparticles are used in all kinds of applications — electronics, medicine, cosmetics, even environmental clean-ups. More than 2,800 commercially available applications are now based on nanoparticles, and by 2017, the field is expected to bring in nearly $50 billion worldwide. But this influx of nanotechnology is not without risks, say researchers. But this influx of nanotechnology is not without risks, say researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Good outcomes with staged surgery for epilepsy in children

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

A staged approach to epilepsy surgery -— with invasive brain monitoring followed by surgery in a single hospital stay —- is a safe and beneficial approach to treatment for complex cases of epilepsy in children, new research reports.

Protecting the Skin From Sun Exposure

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) present in sunlight is the most common environmental carcinogen. To develop better methods of protection from the sun, we need to understand how the human skin detects and responds to UVR. Researchers provide new insight into the molecular pathway underlying this process.

Unexpected player in regulation of blood cholesterol levels

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

Kinesins are motor proteins that "walk" along microtubules and transport various cargoes throughout the cell. Researchers uncover an unexpected role for one kinesin in the pathway that regulates cholesterol levels in the blood.

A trigger for muscular diseases

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 09:21 AM PST

Various muscular diseases are associated with changes in the elasticity of the protein titin, but whether these changes are a cause or an effect of disease has been unclear. Researchers help solve this "chicken or the egg" conundrum and identify a key player in determining titin's size and stiffness.

Visual system can retain considerable plasticity after extended blindness

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:28 AM PST

Deprivation of vision during critical periods of childhood development has long been thought to result in irreversible vision loss. Now, researchers have challenged that theory by studying a unique population of pediatric patients who were blind during these critical periods before removal of bilateral cataracts.

Silk coat for diamonds makes sleek new imaging, drug delivery tool

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST

Silk and diamonds aren't just for ties and jewelry anymore. They're ingredients for a new kind of tiny glowing particle that could provide doctors and researchers with a novel technique for biological imaging and drug delivery. A team of researchers describes this new hybrid diamond-silk material in a paper published.

Brain biomarker shows promise in heart

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST

A biomarker widely used to diagnose brain injury has shown early promise for assessing the severity of heart inflammation, or myocarditis, find researchers.

Research finds link between alcohol use, not pot, and domestic violence

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST

Research among college students found that men under the influence of alcohol are more likely to perpetrate physical, psychological or sexual aggression against their partners than men under the influence of marijuana.

Position paper reveals enormous variation in worldwide usage of FRAX

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST

Doctors worldwide now use tools such as FRAX, a widely available online calculator, to help identify patients in need of osteoporosis treatment. A new position paper by the IOF Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group has assessed the uptake of FRAX worldwide. The study concludes that there were approximately 2.3 million FRAX calculations during a one-year period beginning in May 2012, with enormous variation in worldwide usage.

Punctured cell membranes lead to high blood pressure

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST

Researchers have identified how a mutated protein can lead to holes in a protein sitting in a cell's membrane. Such holes cause high blood pressure, and the discovery can now lead to new and better medication for high blood pressure.

Shadowy world of Britain's discount hitmen revealed in new study

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST

Contract killing is one of the least studied, but most intriguing areas of organized crime; and new research into British hitmen has found that in some cases victims were murdered for as little as £200. The first typological study of British hitmen has identified four main types of contract killer; the novice, the dilettante, the journeyman; and the master.

300,000-year-old hearth found: Microscopic evidence shows repeated fire use in one spot over time

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST

When did humans really begin to control fire and use it for their daily needs? Scientists discovered in the Qesem Cave, an archaeological site near present-day Rosh Ha'ayin, the earliest evidence -- dating to around 300,000 years ago -- of unequivocal repeated fire building over a continuous period. These findings help answer the question and hint that those prehistoric humans already had a highly advanced social structure and intellectual capacity.

Sun-induced frowning: a possible cause of aggression?

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:11 AM PST

Research recently published examines how facial expression can trigger an emotional response. The authors set out to test this theory that mood can be governed by facial expression, to the extent that intensity of a person's smile bears a relationship to well-being, fulfillment and longevity. They conducted a study on involuntary sun-induced frowning and relationship to emotional state of the subject.

'Element of surprise' explains why motorcycles are greater traffic hazard than cars

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:10 AM PST

"I didn't see it, because I wasn't expecting it there," might be the more accurate excuse for motorists who have just crashed into a bus or a motorcycle. The mere fact that such vehicles are less common than cars on our roads actually makes it harder for drivers to notice them, research shows. This so-called "low-prevalence effect" increases the likelihood of accidents.

Rare genetic variations may account for life-threatening reaction to long-acting beta agonist drugs in some people

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:09 AM PST

More than 25 million people in the United States have asthma, a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways causing recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. Although several types of drugs are available to treat asthma, long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) are among the most commonly used and work well for most people. However, for a small subgroup of people with asthma, LABAs can cause severe, life-threatening side effects.

FDA Approval of Revolutionary Two-Drug Combo to Treat Advanced Melanoma

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:09 AM PST

Researchers have laid the groundwork for a revolutionary new combination therapy for the treatment of advanced melanoma – melanoma that cannot be removed surgically or has spread to other areas of the body. The newly FDA-approved therapy, Mekinist (trametinib) in combination with Tafinlar (dabrafenib), is one of the biggest advancements in melanoma treatment in the past 30 years.

Fragmented sleep accelerates cancer growth

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:09 AM PST

Poor-quality sleep with frequent awakenings can speed cancer growth, increase tumor aggressiveness and dampen the immune system's ability to control cancer. This study demonstrates the effects of sleep loss on tumor growth and invasiveness and points to a mechanism for therapy.

Early tumor response from stereotactic radiosurgery predicts outcome

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:09 AM PST

The response of a patient with metastatic brain tumors to treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery in the first six-to-twelve weeks can indicate whether follow-up treatments and monitoring are necessary, according to research.

Health care costs grow with body mass

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 07:09 AM PST

Researchers report that health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements, even beginning at a recommended healthy weight. Pharmacy and medical costs may even double for obese people compared with those at a healthy weight, according to a recent study.

Immune system drives pregnancy complications after fetal surgery in mice

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:32 AM PST

Researchers have shown that, in mice at least, pregnancy complications after fetal surgery are triggered by activation of the mother's T cells.

Biases in animal studies may differ from those in clinical trials

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:32 AM PST

A new analysis of animal studies on cholesterol-lowering statins found that non-industry studies had results that favored the drugs even more than studies funded by industry.

New stent for aortic aneurysms soon to be available to patients in the US

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:32 AM PST

A US-based hospital will be testing a new device known as a multilayer stent in patients suffering from aortic aneurysm. Approved in Europe in 2010, the device has already been used to help hundreds of European patients with the condition.

Robotic operation for heart valve reconstruction holds promise

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

A potentially fatal bacterial disease of the heart, infective endocarditis frequently affects the heart's tricuspid valve, often resulting in permanent tissue damage. A reconstructive technique, in which the valve is repaired with a bioscaffold on which new tissue can grow, can give some patients a new lease on life.

Researchers discover new combination therapy to kill cancer

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

Researchers looked at how to leverage current experimental therapies, in different combinations, to speed the fight against cancer. Scientific evidence suggests a specific combination approach is effective.

Researchers motivate diabetics to adopt healthy lifestyle

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

By means of so-called health coaching, researchers have helped a large group of diabetics to markedly improve their oral health. The patients assume responsibility for their own bodies and boost their self-efficacy through motivational health coaching, taking a different approach to conventional health campaigns and one-way communication.

Cannabis during pregnancy endangers fetal brain development

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

A current study by an international consortium of researchers shows that the consumption of Cannabis during pregnancy can impair the development of the fetus' brain with long-lasting effects after birth. Cannabis is particularly powerful to derail how nerve cells form connections, potentially limiting the amount of information the affected brain can process.

Science of baby-making still a mystery for many women

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

A new study provides insight into how much women of reproductive age in the United States know about reproductive health. The study found that about 50 percent of reproductive-age women had never discussed their reproductive health with a medical provider and about 30 percent visited their reproductive health provider less than once a year or never.

After the gunshot: Hospitalizations for firearm injuries prevalent among children

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

About 20 children per day in the United States are injured by firearms seriously enough to require hospitalization, and more than 6 percent of these children die from their injuries, according to a study.

Music therapy's positive effects on young cancer patients' coping skills, social integration

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:31 AM PST

A new study has found that adolescents and young adults undergoing cancer treatment gain coping skills and resilience-related outcomes when they participate in a therapeutic music process that includes writing song lyrics and producing videos. The findings indicate that such music therapy interventions can provide essential psychosocial support to help young patients positively adjust to cancer.

Your childhood memories are probably less accurate than you think

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:30 AM PST

How much detail can you reliably recall in your childhood memories? Actually very little, according to a new study with profound implications for our legal system.

Tracheotomies faster and safer with new device?

Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:30 AM PST

A new device has been created to minimize the risks associated to emergency tracheotomies and the reduce the time needed to perform planned tracheotomies. This is possible thanks to the combination of mechanical and drilling devices with medical imaging elements and information management that it would allow the adaptation of the surgery to the physical conditions of the patient.

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