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Thursday, October 11, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Analysis finds likely U.S. voters rank health care second most important issue in presidential choice

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT

A new analysis of 37 national opinion polls conducted by 17 survey organizations finds that health care is the second most important issue for likely voters in deciding their 2012 presidential vote. This is the highest that health care has been ranked as a presidential election issue since 1992.

Testosterone increases honesty, study suggests

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT

Testosterone is considered the most important male hormone, associated with aggression and posturing. Researchers have now been able to demonstrate that this sex hormone surprisingly also fosters social behavior. In play situations, subjects who had received testosterone clearly lied less frequently than individuals who had only received a placebo.

First whole genome sequencing of multiple pancreatic cancer patients has been outlined

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT

Whole genome sequencing -- spelling all 3 billion letters in the human genome -- "is an obvious and powerful method for advancing our understanding of pancreatic cancer," according to a new study.

Singing mice show signs of learning

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT

Guys who imitate Luciano Pavarotti or Justin Bieber to get the girls aren't alone. Male mice may do a similar trick, matching the pitch of other males' ultrasonic serenades. The mice also have certain brain features, somewhat similar to humans and song-learning birds, which they may use to change their sounds, according to a new study.

Negative news stories affect women's stress levels but not men's

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT

Bad news articles in the media increase women's sensitivity to stressful situations, but do not have a similar effect on men, according to a new study.

Nerve and muscle activity vary across menstrual cycle

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:19 PM PDT

Nerve fibers, and the muscles they control, behave differently at different points along the menstrual cycle, potentially making women more vulnerable to knee injuries.

High Levels of Blood-Based Protein Specific to Mesothelioma

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:19 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered the protein product of a little-known gene may one day prove useful in identifying and monitoring the development of mesothelioma in early stages, when aggressive treatment can have an impact on the progression of disease and patient prognosis.

Older adults tend not to stick with their meds following heart attacks

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:19 PM PDT

A new study of Medicare patients after heart attacks revealed an overall low exposure to the four medication classes.

Exercise could fortify immune system against future cancers

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:18 PM PDT

A small pilot study suggests that T cells become more responsive in exercising cancer survivors weeks after chemo ends.

Minutes of hard exercise can lead to all-day calorie burn

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:18 PM PDT

Time spent in the drudgery of strenuous exercise is a well-documented turn-off for many people who want to get in better shape. In a new study, researchers show that exercisers can burn as many as 200 extra calories in as little as 2.5 minutes of concentrated effort a day -- as long as they intersperse longer periods of easy recovery in a practice known as sprint interval training.

Scientists pinpoint gene variations linked to higher risk of bipolar disorder

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 12:14 PM PDT

Scientists have identified small variations in a number of genes that are closely linked to an increased risk of bipolar disorder, a mental illness that affects nearly six million Americans.

Neuroimaging technique captures cocaine's devastating effect on brain blood flow

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a high-resolution, 3D optical Doppler imaging tomography technique that captures the effects of cocaine restricting the blood supply in vessels of the brain.

Gene signature predicts prostate cancer survival

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 12:12 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a six-gene signature that can be used in a test to predict survival in men with aggressive prostate cancer.

Human neural stem cells study offers new hope for children with fatal brain diseases

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT

Physician-scientists have demonstrated for the first time that banked human neural stem cells can survive and make functional myelin in mice with severe symptoms of myelin loss. Myelin is the critical fatty insulation, or sheath, surrounding new nerve fibers and is essential for normal brain function.

Melanoma: The wolf in sheep’s clothing

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 11:11 AM PDT

Melanoma is so dangerous because it tends to metastasize early on. New treatment approaches utilize, among other things, the ability of the immune defense to search out and destroy malignant cells. Yet this strategy is often only temporarily effective. A research team has discovered why this is the case: In the inflammatory reaction caused by the treatment, the tumor cells temporarily alter their external characteristics and thus become invisible to defense cells. This knowledge forms an important foundation for the improvement of combination therapies.

Squeezing ovarian cancer cells to predict metastatic potential: Cell stiffness as possible biomarker

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT

New research shows that cell stiffness could be a valuable clue for doctors as they search for and treat cancerous cells before they're able to spread. The findings found that highly metastatic ovarian cancer cells are several times softer than less metastatic ovarian cancer cells.

RNA-based therapy brings new hope for an incurable blood cancer

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT

A new class of drugs that interfere with the aggressive over-production of a protein related to Mantle Cell Lymphoma is being developed. The drugs have the ability to kill off the mutated protein and stop the over-proliferation of cells.

More about spatial memory problems associated with Alzheimer's revealed

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Researchers have created a mouse model that reproduces some of the chemical changes in the brain that occur with Alzheimer's, shedding new light on this devastating disease.

Applying information theory to linguistics

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Researchers believe that information theory -- the discipline that gave us digital communication -- can explain differences between human languages.

How the body uses vitamin B to recognize bacterial infection

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:14 AM PDT

An Australian research team has discovered how specialized immune cells recognize products of vitamin B synthesis that are unique to bacteria and yeast, triggering the body to fight infection.

Detailed view of brain protein structure; Results may help improve drugs for neurological disorders

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Researchers have published the first highly detailed description of how neurotensin, a neuropeptide hormone which modulates nerve cell activity in the brain, interacts with its receptor. Their results suggest that neuropeptide hormones use a novel binding mechanism to activate a class of receptors called G-protein coupled receptors.

Zinc fingers: A new tool in the fight against Huntington's disease

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:13 AM PDT

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited genetic disorder caused by the multiple repetition of a DNA sequence (the nucleotides CAG) in the gene encoding a protein called "Huntingtin". People who do not suffer from the disease have this sequence repeated 10 to 29 times. But in an affected person, the triplet is present more than 35 times. New research provides positive results reducing the chromosomal expression of the mutant gene, which would prevent the development of disease.

Living near livestock may increase risk of acquiring MRSA

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:13 AM PDT

New study finds regional density of livestock is an important risk factor for nasal carriage of livestock-associated MRSA for persons with and without direct contact with livestock.

3-D model for lung cancer mimics the real thing

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:13 AM PDT

A new technique that allows scientists to grow lung cancer cells in three dimensions could accelerate discoveries for a type of cancer that has benefited little from scientific research over the last several decades. The model uses biological matter to form miniature lungs.

Does immune dysfunction contribute to schizophrenia? Genetic findings from new study

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 07:20 AM PDT

A new study reinforces the finding that a region of the genome involved in immune system function, called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), is involved in the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia.

Satiation hormone could increase risk of diabetes, heart attack and breast cancer in women

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT

One of the body's satiation hormones, neurotensin, could raise women's risk of suffering one of three common and serious conditions: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. There is also a connection between the hormone and premature death in women, especially from cardiovascular disease.

Diabetic foot ulcers linked with higher risk of death, heart attack and stroke

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:42 AM PDT

People with diabetes who develop foot ulcers are at more risk of dying prematurely than those without the complication, finds a new large-scale study. The researchers say the findings highlight the potential need for improved detection and management of those with diabetes and foot ulcers.

HPV vaccination does not lead to an increase in sex, study suggests

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:42 AM PDT

Contrary to recent discussions, the HPV vaccination does not increase sexual activity in adolescent girls, new research shows. There have been claims recently that the HPV (Human papillomavirus) vaccination increases sexual activity in adolescent girls as it effectively gives them a 'green light' to have sex because of a perceived protection against sexually transmitted infections.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2012: Smart receptors on cell surfaces

Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:19 AM PDT

Your body is a fine-tuned system of interactions between billions of cells. Each cell has tiny receptors that enable it to sense its environment, so it can adapt to new situtations. Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka have been awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for groundbreaking discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family of such receptors: G-protein-coupled receptors.

HRT taken for 10 years significantly reduces risk of heart failure and heart attack, study suggests

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:26 PM PDT

Women who take HRT for 10 years following menopause have a significantly reduced risk of mortality, heart failure and heart attack without any increased risk of cancer, DVT or stroke, a new study suggests.

Rare genetic disorder points to molecules that may play role in schizophrenia

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 02:14 PM PDT

Scientists studying a rare genetic disorder have identified a molecular pathway that may play a role in schizophrenia, according to new research. The findings may one day guide researchers to new treatment options for people with schizophrenia -- a devastating disease that affects approximately 1% of the world's population.

Preterm labor powerhouse therapy offers promise for inflammatory diseases

Posted: 09 Oct 2012 09:11 AM PDT

Researchers recently discovered the mechanism by which magnesium reduces the production of cytokines. Cytokines are molecules responsible for regulating inflammation; they play a key role conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, asthma, and alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis.

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