| Bullying has long-term health consequences Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:05 PM PDT Childhood bullying can lead to long term health consequences, including general and mental health issues, behavioral problems, eating disorders, smoking, alcohol use, and homelessness, a study has found.  |
| Finding triggers of birth defects in an embryo heart Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:03 PM PDT Researchers have found a way to create three-dimensional maps of the stress that circulating blood places on the developing heart in an animal model – a key to understanding triggers of heart defects. The team has begun testing the technology to uncover how alcohol, drugs and other factors set off events that result in malformations.  |
| Couple of weekly portions of oily fish can help ward off stroke; But fish oil supplements don't have the same effect, study finds Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:03 PM PDT Eating at least two servings of oily fish a week is moderately but significantly associated with a reduced risk of stroke, finds a new study.  |
| Flavor and texture alter how full we expect a food to makes us feel Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:03 PM PDT Low calorie foods may help people lose weight but there is often a problem that people using them do not feel full. New research shows that subtle manipulations of texture and creamy flavor can increase the expectation that a fruit yogurt drink will be filling and suppress hunger regardless of actual calorific content.  |
| How does the brain measure time? Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:03 PM PDT Researchers have found a small population of neurons that is involved in measuring time, which is a process that has traditionally been difficult to study in the lab.  |
| Dementia patients need urgent support after diagnosis Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT There is an urgent need for support from outside the family after diagnosis of dementia according to a study led by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.  |
| Unique protein bond enables learning and memory Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:14 PM PDT Two proteins have a unique bond that enables brain receptors essential to learning and memory to not only get and stay where they're needed, but to be hauled off when they aren't, researchers say. NMDA receptors increase the activity and communication of brain cells and are strategically placed, much like a welcome center, at the receiving end of the communication highway connecting two cells. They also are targets in brain-degenerating conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.  |
| Empathy represses analytic thought, and vice versa: Brain physiology limits simultaneous use of both networks Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:14 PM PDT When the brain's analytic network is engaged, our ability to appreciate the human cost of our action is repressed, researchers have found. The study shows for the first time that we have a built-in neural constraint on our ability to be both empathetic and analytic at the same time.  |
| High levels of vitamin D in plasma protects against bladder cancer Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:14 PM PDT High levels of vitamin D are associated with protection against bladder cancer, according to a study by molecular biologists and epidemiologists.  |
| Drug offers new pain management therapy for diabetics Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:14 PM PDT A new study shows there is evidence to support a new drug therapy called nabilone to treat diabetic neuropathy, or nerve pain. Researchers enrolled 60 patients with diabetic neuropathy in a 12-week placebo controlled clinical study. At the end of the study, patients reported less pain and an improvement in sleep and anxiety when taking nabilone as compared to the placebo. Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid, which mimics some of the chemical compounds of cannabis, or marijuana.  |
| Common food preservative may slow, even stop tumor growth Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Nisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a new study found.  |
| Transforming America by redirecting wasted health care dollars Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:32 AM PDT It's estimated that $750 billion is lost each year to wasteful or excessive health care spending. If those wasteful costs could be corralled without sacrificing health care quality, say researchers, how could that money be better spent?  |
| New developments reveal a molecule with a promising function in terms of cancer treatment Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:31 AM PDT One of the current challenges in terms of cancer treatment is how it can be best adapted to patients: today the emphasis is on personalized treatment (factoring in genetic and metabolic profiles). In response to this growing need for personalization, there is an increasing demand for fundamental research to develop adapted future treatments.  |
| Roche urged to fulfil promise to release Tamiflu trial data Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:30 AM PDT Pharmaceutical giant Roche has been urged to honor the promise it made almost three years ago and release key Tamiflu trial data for independent scrutiny, a new editorial states.  |
| How silver turns people blue Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:30 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time how ingesting too much silver can cause argyria, a rare condition in which patients' skin turns a striking shade of grayish blue.  |
| Mastering weight-maintenance skills before embarking on diet helps women avoid backsliding Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:30 AM PDT A new study found that women who spent eight weeks mastering weight-maintenance skills before embarking on a weight-loss program shed the same number of pounds as women who started a weight-loss program immediately. More importantly, the study showed that the "maintenance-first" women had regained only three pounds on average a year later, compared to the average seven-pound gain for the immediate dieters.  |
| Keep moving and have fun with interactive fitness system Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:28 AM PDT People are moving less and less these days. Researchers have now developed an interactive learning system that is supposed to motivate the user to move more but in a playful way: They have combined a sensor mat with an activity monitor. Children and adults can use the system to stay fit and learn at the same time. The highlight: The system records the intensity of the physical activity and immediately displays it.  |
| New MRI technique allows detailed imaging of complex muscle structures and muscle damage Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:27 AM PDT Scientists have developed a technique that allows detailed 3-D imaging of complex muscle structures of patients. It also allows muscle damage to be detected very precisely. This new technique opens the way to much better and more patient-friendly diagnosis of muscular diseases. It also allows accurate, non-invasive muscle examinations among top athletes.  |
| Deviating from radiation protocols increases risk of treatment failure and death in cancer patients Posted: 30 Oct 2012 11:23 AM PDT Implementing measures to ensure radiation therapy protocols are followed not only decreases deviations, but it can also improve overall survival in cancer patients, researchers suggest in a first-of-its kind study.  |
| Videos reduce children's anxiety prior to surgery Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:13 AM PDT Having children watch a video immediately prior to surgery can reduce their anxiety during anesthesia induction, the most stressful time for children throughout the perioperative process.  |
| Exoskeleton of advanced design promises new degree of independence for people with paraplegia Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:13 AM PDT Engineers have developed a powered exoskeleton that enables people with severe spinal cord injuries to stand, walk, sit and climb stairs. Its light weight, compact size and modular design promise to provide users with an unprecedented degree of independence.  |
| New way to prevent recurrent ear infections? Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:13 AM PDT Eliminating bacteria's DNA and boosting antimicrobial proteins that already exist may help prevent middle ear infections from reoccurring. These are the findings from a new study that examined how an immune defense protein common in the middle ear interacts with a structure meant to protect a colony of bacteria.  |
| Fighting melanoma's resistance to chemotherapy Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:13 AM PDT Blocking the action of a particular protein in our skin could improve the treatment of skin cancers, according to a new study.  |
| New findings on men's genes could alter interpretation of PSA test Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:37 AM PDT By studying a specific part of the male DNA, it may be possible to refine the interpretation of PSA tests. This would reduce the risk of men being treated for prostate cancer unnecessarily.  |
| Oxidative stress and altered gene expression occurs in a metabolic liver disease model Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:26 AM PDT Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is the most common genetic liver disorder in children and may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in adults. New evidence indicates that oxidative stress occurs in a genetic model of this disease. The report suggests that treatment with antioxidants might be of therapeutic benefit. Investigators also Identified potential alterations in gene expressions that could modify the development of disease. This information could lead to the design of therapeutic treatments.  |
| Women undergoing IVF report problems with sexual relationship, study finds Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:24 AM PDT A new study has found that women undergoing in-vitro fertilization report that the process of infertility treatment has many negative impacts on their sexual relationship with their partner. Little attention has been given to the sexual dynamics of couples as they navigate infertility and treatments such as IVF, despite the important role that sex plays in a couple's attempt to conceive a child.  |
| Distinct developmental patterns identified in children with autism during their first three years Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:24 AM PDT Researchers have found a preclinical phase in children with autism that is not easily detected. Published in the journal Child Development, the study found that early in development, children who display early signs of ASD show greater initial delay across multiple aspects of development compared to children whose ASD symptoms emerge later.  |
| Water-based exercise bicycle provides workouts as good as land-based stationary bicycle Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:23 AM PDT People who used an immersible ergocycle – basically an exercise bike in a pool – had just about the equivalent workout to using a typical stationary bike. Those who can't train on land can train in the water and have the same benefits in terms of improving aerobic fitness.  |
| Risk of cardiac arrest depends on where you live: Study compares 'cardio-toxicity' of Toronto-area neighborhoods Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:23 AM PDT Your chances of having a sudden cardiac arrest can depend on where you live.  |
| Smoking causes asthma in second generation offspring, study shows Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:22 AM PDT The dangers of smoking on smokers and their children are widely known but new research demonstrates that nicotine exposure also causes asthma in the smoker's grandchildren. Asthma is a major public health problem. It is the most common chronic disease of childhood. While there are many factors which contribute to asthma maternal smoking during pregnancy is a well known, and avoidable, risk.  |
| Every single junk food meal damages your arteries, new study reveals Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:20 AM PDT A single junk food meal – composed mainly of saturated fat – is detrimental to the health of the arteries, while no damage occurs after consuming a Mediterranean meal rich in good fats such as mono-and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  |
| Overweight and smoking during pregnancy boost risk of overweight kids Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT Mums who carry too much weight and/or who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of having overweight kids, indicates a systematic analysis of the available evidence.  |
| Smoking and hyperactivity share common genetic risk factor Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT A variation of a particular gene may link the behaviors typical of childhood attention hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, and those associated with smoking, suggests new research.  |
