ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• How kids' brain structures grow as memory develops
• Eavesdropping on brain cell chatter
• Cancer drugs block dementia-linked brain inflammation, study finds
• How smells stick to your memories: Your nose can be a pathfinder
• Hide and seek: Revealing camouflaged bacteria
• Sperm meets egg: Protein essential for fertilization discovered
• Scientists re-define what's healthy in newest analysis for human microbiome project
• HIV-positive women respond well to HPV vaccine, study shows
• Percent of uninsured Texans declined since September 2013
• Synapses: stability in transformation
• DNA looping damage tied to HPV cancer, researcher discovers
• Trials of the Cherokee were reflected in their skulls
• Expect changes in appetite, taste of food after weight loss surgery
• Local homicide rate increases cause more elementary students to fail school
• Breakthrough points to new drugs from nature
• Using video surveillance to measure peoples' hand washing habits
• Multiple births don't have to be an inevitable result of fertility treatments
• How toddlers learn verbs: New insight
• Progress in understanding immune response in severe schistosomiasis
• Fighting neuroblastomas by blocking DNA replication, repair
• Computer software analyzing facial expressions accurately predicts student test performance
• Body mass index associated with breast cancer, regardless of body shape
• Fish exposed to antidepressants exhibit altered behavioral changes
• Gate for bacterial toxins found in cells
• Potential use of Google Glass in surgical settings
• Masculine boys, feminine girls more likely to engage in cancer risk behaviors, study finds
• Thyroid disease risk varies among blacks, Asians, whites
• Mothers with higher BMI have increased risk of stillbirth, infant death
• Vitamin D deficiency contributes to poor mobility among severely obese people

How kids' brain structures grow as memory develops Posted: 16 Apr 2014 11:33 AM PDT Our ability to store memories improves during childhood, associated with structural changes in the hippocampus and its connections with prefrontal and parietal cortices. New research is exploring how these brain regions develop at this crucial time. Eventually, that could give insights into disorders that typically emerge in the transition into and during adolescence and affect memory, such as schizophrenia and depression.

Eavesdropping on brain cell chatter Posted: 16 Apr 2014 11:33 AM PDT Everything we do -- all of our movements, thoughts and feelings -- are the result of neurons talking with one another, and recent studies have suggested that some of the conversations might not be all that private. Brain cells known as astrocytes may be listening in on, or even participating in, some of those discussions. But a new mouse study suggests that astrocytes might only be tuning in part of the time -- specifically, when the neurons get really excited about something.

Cancer drugs block dementia-linked brain inflammation, study finds Posted: 16 Apr 2014 10:33 AM PDT A class of drugs developed to treat immune-related conditions and cancer -- including one currently in clinical trials for glioblastoma and other tumors -- eliminates neural inflammation associated with dementia-linked diseases and brain injuries, according to researchers. In their study, the researchers discovered that the drugs, which can be delivered orally, eradicated microglia, the primary immune cells of the brain. These cells exacerbate many neural diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as brain injury.

How smells stick to your memories: Your nose can be a pathfinder Posted: 16 Apr 2014 10:33 AM PDT Waves in your brain make smells stick to your memories and inner maps. Researchers have recently discovered the process behind this phenomenon. The brain, it turns out, connects smells to memories through an associative process where neural networks are linked through synchronized brain waves of 20-40 Hz.

Hide and seek: Revealing camouflaged bacteria Posted: 16 Apr 2014 10:33 AM PDT A protein family that plays a central role in the fight against the bacterial pathogen Salmonella within the cells has been discovered by researchers. The so called interferon-induced GTPases reveal and eliminate the bacterium's camouflage in the cell, enabling the cell to recognize the pathogen and to render it innocuous.

Sperm meets egg: Protein essential for fertilization discovered Posted: 16 Apr 2014 10:32 AM PDT Interacting proteins on the surface of the sperm and the egg have been discovered by researchers. These are essential to begin mammalian life. These proteins, which allow the sperm and egg to recognize one another, offer new paths towards improved fertility treatments and the development of new contraceptives.

Scientists re-define what's healthy in newest analysis for human microbiome project Posted: 16 Apr 2014 10:31 AM PDT A new look at the Human Microbiome Project shows wide variation in the types of bacteria found in healthy people. Based on their findings, there is no single healthy microbiome. Rather each person harbors a unique and varied collection of bacteria that's the result of life history as well their interactions with the environment, diet and medication use.

HIV-positive women respond well to HPV vaccine, study shows Posted: 16 Apr 2014 09:56 AM PDT A vaccine can safely help the vast majority of HIV-positive women produce antibodies against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, even if their immune system is weak and even if they've had some prior HPV exposure, a three-nation clinical trial found. HPV causes cervical and other cancers. The commonly used HPV vaccine Gardasil had not been tested in seriously immune-suppressed women with HIV. In addition, vaccines are often less effective in HIV-positive people.

Percent of uninsured Texans declined since September 2013 Posted: 16 Apr 2014 09:56 AM PDT The percentage of uninsured adults ages 18 to 64 in Texas declined from 24.8 to 23.5 between September 2013 and March 2014, according to a report. The decrease in uninsured appears to be attributable to an increase in employer-sponsored health insurance. The report also found that during this period approximately 746,000 Texans purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, of which 178,000 (30.2 percent) were previously uninsured.

Synapses: stability in transformation Posted: 16 Apr 2014 09:56 AM PDT Synapses are the points of contact at which information is transmitted between neurons. Without them, we would not be able to form thoughts or remember things. For memories to endure, synapses sometimes have to remain stable for very long periods. But how can a synapse last if its components have to be replaced regularly? New research shows that synapses remain stable if their components grow in coordination with each other.

DNA looping damage tied to HPV cancer, researcher discovers Posted: 16 Apr 2014 08:30 AM PDT Certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) are known to cause about five percent of all cancer cases, yet all the mechanisms aren't completely understood. Now, researchers have leveraged Ohio Supercomputer Center resources and whole-genome sequencing to identify a new way that HPV might spark cancer development -- by disrupting the human DNA sequence with repeating loops when HPV is inserted into host-cell DNA as it replicates.

Trials of the Cherokee were reflected in their skulls Posted: 16 Apr 2014 08:29 AM PDT Researchers have found that environmental stressors -- from the Trail of Tears to the Civil War -- led to significant changes in the shape of skulls in the eastern and western bands of the Cherokee people. The findings highlight the role of environmental factors in shaping our physical characteristics.

Expect changes in appetite, taste of food after weight loss surgery Posted: 16 Apr 2014 08:28 AM PDT Changes in appetite, taste and smell are par for the course for people who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery during which one's stomach is made smaller and small intestines shortened. These sensory changes are not all negative, and could lead to more weight loss among patients. Their findings showed that after gastric bypass surgery, patients frequently report sensory changes.

Local homicide rate increases cause more elementary students to fail school Posted: 16 Apr 2014 08:27 AM PDT A new study finds that an increase in a municipality's homicide rate causes more elementary school students in that community to fail a grade than would do so if the rate remained stable. "This finding is a source of concern because exposure to environmental violence is highly prevalent in contemporary societies and is unequally distributed along socioeconomic lines," said study co-author.

Breakthrough points to new drugs from nature Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT A new technique for discovering natural compounds has been discovered, and could form the basis of novel therapeutic drugs. "This new research technique opens the door to unlimited opportunities, both in terms of chemistry and biology research, as we continue the search for new therapies against disease," one author said.

Using video surveillance to measure peoples' hand washing habits Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:16 AM PDT Use of video surveillance to better understand essential hygiene behavior has been pioneered by researchers. Still, despite years of global public awareness campaigns, hand washing rates remain low. Caregivers of young children in low-income, developing world settings are found to wash their hands only 17 percent of the time after using the toilet. A new study finds that video surveillance can provide insights into hand washing behavior. Study findings could inform the design, monitoring and evaluation of hygiene campaigns.

Multiple births don't have to be an inevitable result of fertility treatments Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:16 AM PDT While fertility treatments have helped many people become parents, they commonly result in multiple births, increasing the risk of prematurity, and leading to lifelong complications. But this doesn't have to be the case, according researchers, who recommend sweeping changes to policy and clinical practice.

How toddlers learn verbs: New insight Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:16 AM PDT Parents can help toddlers' language skills by showing them a variety of examples of different actions, according to new research. Previous research has shown that verbs pose particular difficulties to toddlers as they refer to actions rather than objects, and actions are often different each time a child sees them.

Progress in understanding immune response in severe schistosomiasis Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:13 AM PDT A mechanism that may help explain the severe forms of schistosomiasis, or snail fever, has been discovered by researchers. Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in the world. The study in mice may also offer targets for intervention and amelioration of the disease. Although schistosomiasis is not contracted in the United States or Europe, the World Health Organization reports that this neglected tropical disease is endemic primarily in Africa, but is also found in South America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Fighting neuroblastomas by blocking DNA replication, repair Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:13 AM PDT PCNA is a protein essential to DNA repair and replication, and researchers are targeting it in neuroblastoma cells in order to halt tumor growth and induce cell death. Neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest childhood cancers, accounting for 15 percent of pediatric cancer deaths. For patients with high-risk neuroblastomas, the five-year survival rate is 40 to 50 percent even with the most rigorous treatments available today.

Computer software analyzing facial expressions accurately predicts student test performance Posted: 16 Apr 2014 07:13 AM PDT Real-time engagement detection technology that processes facial expressions can perform with accuracy comparable to that of human observers, according to new research. The study used automatic expression recognition technology to analyze students' facial expressions on a frame-by-frame basis and estimate their engagement level. The study also revealed that engagement levels were a better predictor of students' post-test performance than the students' pre-test scores.

Body mass index associated with breast cancer, regardless of body shape Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:08 AM PDT A larger waist circumference is associated with higher risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, but not beyond its contribution to BMI, a new study of predominantly white women finds. The study fails to confirm previous findings that body shape itself is an independent risk factor for breast cancer.

Fish exposed to antidepressants exhibit altered behavioral changes Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT Fish exposed to the antidepressant Fluoxetine, an active ingredient in prescription drugs such as Prozac, exhibited a range of altered mating behaviours, repetitive behaviour and aggression towards female fish, according to new research. "With increased aggression, in the highest level of concentration, female survivorship was only 33% compared to the other exposures that had a survivorship of 77-87.5%. The females that died had visible bruising and tissue damage," according to the lead author.

Gate for bacterial toxins found in cells Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT A molecule that smuggles toxins from intestinal pathogens into human cells has been discovered by scientists. "In order to prevent the toxin from entering the cell, it is necessary to find the receptor that serves as the gatekeeper. But the search for this key molecule remained unsuccessful for a long time," one researcher. The team has now identified a receptor for a clostridial toxin of this type for the first time ever.

Potential use of Google Glass in surgical settings Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:04 AM PDT A new article shows the potential applications for Google Glass in the surgical setting, particularly in relation to training. Personal portable information technology is advancing at a breathtaking speed. Google has recently introduced Glass, a device that is worn like conventional glasses, but that combines a computerized central processing unit, touchpad, display screen, high-definition camera, microphone, bone-conduction transducer, and wireless connectivity.

Masculine boys, feminine girls more likely to engage in cancer risk behaviors, study finds Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:03 AM PDT The most "feminine" girls and "masculine" boys are more likely than their peers to engage in behaviors that pose cancer risks, according to a new study. The most feminine teenage girls use tanning beds more frequently and are more likely to be physically inactive, while the most masculine teenage boys are more likely to use chewing tobacco and to smoke cigars, compared with their gender-nonconforming peers.

Thyroid disease risk varies among blacks, Asians, whites Posted: 15 Apr 2014 01:17 PM PDT An analysis that included active military personnel finds that the rate of the thyroid disorder Graves disease is more common among blacks and Asian/Pacific Islanders compared with whites. The authors write that the differences in incidence by race/ethnicity found in this study may be due to different environmental exposures, genetics, or a combination of both.

Mothers with higher BMI have increased risk of stillbirth, infant death Posted: 15 Apr 2014 01:17 PM PDT Higher maternal body mass index (BMI) before or in early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal death, stillbirth, and infant death, with women who are severely obese having the greatest risk of these outcomes from their pregnancy, according to a study. The authors suggest that several biological mechanisms could explain the association found in this study, including that being overweight or obese has been associated with increased risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational hypertension, and congenital anomalies, conditions that have been strongly associated with risk of fetal and infant death.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes to poor mobility among severely obese people Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT Among severely obese people, vitamin D may make the difference between an active and a more sedentary lifestyle, according to a new study. The study found severely obese people who also were vitamin D-deficient walked slower and were less active overall than their counterparts who had healthy vitamin D levels. Poor physical functioning can reduce quality of life and even shorten lifespans.

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