science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Τρίτη 24 Ιουνίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

Using Air Bubbles to Reveal Fertility Problems
A disease of mistaken identity
Fatal cellular malfunction identified in Huntington’s disease
Maternal use of antidepressants in pregnancy and childhood obesity: are they linked?

Using Air Bubbles to Reveal Fertility Problems

Posted: 23 Jun 2014 06:22 PM PDT

Many women struggling to become pregnant may suffer from some degree of tubal blockage. Traditionally, an x-ray hysterosalpingogram (HSG) that uses dye is the most common procedure to determine whether a blockage exists, but it can cause extreme discomfort to the patient. UC San Diego Health System’s doctors are the first fertility specialists in the county to use a new ultrasound technique to assess fallopian tubes by employing a mixture of saline and air bubbles that is less painful, avoids x-ray exposure and is more convenient to patients during an already vulnerable time.

A disease of mistaken identity

Posted: 23 Jun 2014 06:10 PM PDT

increase levels of the hormone cortisol, the disease and the growths initially can go undetected. Many of the symptoms are shared with other health issues, so the disease itself can be mistaken for obesity or depression in its early stages.

Aldasouqi, who is also a senior endocrinologist at the university, presented the study with MSU postgraduate students and co-authors Tiffany Burns, Deepthi Rao and Mamata Ojha, at the Endocrine Society’s annual International Congress of Endocrinology in Chicago on June 21.

Fatal cellular malfunction identified in Huntington’s disease

Posted: 23 Jun 2014 05:51 PM PDT

Researchers believe they have learned how mutations in the gene that causes Huntington’s disease kill brain cells, a finding that could open new opportunities for treating the fatal disorder. Scientists first linked the gene to the inherited disease more than 20 years ago.

Maternal use of antidepressants in pregnancy and childhood obesity: are they linked?

Posted: 23 Jun 2014 05:40 PM PDT

Maternal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in pregnancy can increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in offspring. This is the main message from research presented on June 22nd 2014 at the joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and The Endocrine Society in Chicago. The study was carried out using treatment of a rat model with the SSRI fluoxetine (Prozac®) by researchers in McMaster University in Canada.