ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes
• Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems
• Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis
• Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death
• New kind of antibiotic may be more effective at fighting tuberculosis, anthrax, and other diseases
• New strategy for defeating neuroblastoma
• Meeting online leads to happier, more enduring marriages
• Higher-activity jobs tied to sleep extremes
• Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered
• Are smartphones disrupting your sleep?
• Manipulating memory in the hippocampus
• Women reject sexually promiscuous peers when making female friends
• American, Nepalese children disagree on social obligations with age
• Blood vessels in the eye linked with IQ, cognitive function
• Mystery behind dormant breast tumor cells that become metastatic unlocked
• Smoking, sugar, spirits and 'sin' taxes: Higher price would help health
• PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients
• Genetic signature of deadly brain cancer identified
• Faster method to identify Salmonella strains developed
• Salt gets under your skin
• Risk of kidney disease doubled with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics
• New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses
• Common protein known to cause autism now linked to specific behaviors
• Narcolepsy study finds surprising increase in neurons that produce histamine
• Study links workplace daylight exposure to sleep, activity and quality of life
• Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases
• Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment
• 'Back to sleep' does not affect baby's ability to roll
• Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests
• Role conflict and emotional demands are 'most important' risk factors for distress in workers
• Distracted drivers: Your habits are to blame
• Researchers focus on a brain protein and an antibiotic to block cocaine craving
• More TV time equals higher consumption of sweetened beverages among children
• An altered gut microbiota can predict diabetes
• Four lifestyle changes will protect your heart and significantly reduce your risk of death
• Cancer drug shortages hit 83 percent of U. S. oncologists
• New cancer drug shows promise for treating advanced melanoma
• Growth factor that triggers hair follicle generation identified

Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes Posted: 03 Jun 2013 04:29 PM PDT A new study suggests that U.S. businesses pay almost $6,000 per year extra for each employee who smokes compared to the cost to employ a person who has never smoked cigarettes. Researchers say it's the first study to take a comprehensive look at the financial burden for companies employing smokers.

Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT Scientists have discovered mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and thus more likely to transmit diseases to people. The finding may have a bearing on urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT A new study examines the association between IL-17F and treatment response to interferon beta-1b among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT Vegetarian diets are associated with reduced death rates in a study of more than 70,000 Seventh-day Adventists with more favorable results for men than women, according to a new report.

New kind of antibiotic may be more effective at fighting tuberculosis, anthrax, and other diseases Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:38 PM PDT Diseases such as tuberculosis, anthrax, and shigellosis -- a severe food-borne illness -- eventually could be treated with an entirely new and more-effective kind of antibiotic, say scientists who found 46 previously untested molecules that target and disrupt an important step in the process of protein synthesis in bacteria. These molecules render bacteria incapable of replicating.

New strategy for defeating neuroblastoma Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT Researchers have found a promising strategy for defeating neuroblastoma -- a malignant form of cancer in children -- that focuses on the so-called MYCN protein. A specific chemical molecule helps to break down MYCN, which either kills the cancer cell or makes it mature into a harmless neuron.

Meeting online leads to happier, more enduring marriages Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT More than a third of marriages between 2005 and 2012 began online, according to new research which also found that online couples have happier, longer marriages.

Higher-activity jobs tied to sleep extremes Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Certain high-activity careers lead to both lower and higher sleep duration, potentially creating or exacerbating health problems.

Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth, opening the possibility of developing a new class of anti-cancer drugs.

Are smartphones disrupting your sleep? Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Smartphones and tablets can make for sleep-disrupting bedfellows. One cause is believed to be the bright light-emitting diodes that allow the use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms; the light exposure can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle. But there may be a way to check your mobile device in bed and still get a good night's sleep. A new study suggests dimming the smartphone or tablet brightness settings and holding the device at least 14 inches from your face while using it will reduce its potential to interfere with melatonin and impede sleep.

Manipulating memory in the hippocampus Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that manipulating the levels of the protein tomosyn in a part of the brain associated with learning and memory may aid in the development of therapeutic procedures for epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Women reject sexually promiscuous peers when making female friends Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:22 AM PDT College-aged women judge promiscuous female peers more negatively than more chaste women and view them as unsuitable for friendship, according to psychologists.

American, Nepalese children disagree on social obligations with age Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:56 AM PDT As preschoolers age, American kids are more prone to acknowledge one's freedom to act against social obligations compared to Nepalese children, who are less willing to say that people can and will violate social codes, finds a cross-cultural study. The findings, researchers said, suggest that culture is a significant influence on children's concepts of choice regarding social norms.

Blood vessels in the eye linked with IQ, cognitive function Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT The width of blood vessels in the retina, located at the back of the eye, may indicate brain health years before the onset of dementia and other deficits, according to a new study.

Mystery behind dormant breast tumor cells that become metastatic unlocked Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Researchers have identified the microenvironment surrounding microvasculature as a niche where dormant cancer cells may reside, and the sprouting of microvasculature blood vessels as the event that transforms dormant cancer cells into metastatic tumors.

Smoking, sugar, spirits and 'sin' taxes: Higher price would help health Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Go ye and sin no more -- or pay for it, when it comes to junk food, smoking and consuming alcohol. That's the message from two physicians who say raising "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages and imposing them on sugary drinks and fatty foods would lead many people to cut back, improving public health.

PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Highly educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment that later progressed to Alzheimer's disease cope better with the disease than individuals with a lower level of education in the same situation, according to a new study. In the study, neural reserve and neural compensation were both shown to play a role in determining cognitive reserve, as evidenced by positron emission tomography.

Genetic signature of deadly brain cancer identified Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT A multi-institutional team of researchers have pinpointed the genetic traits of the cells that give rise to gliomas -- the most common form of malignant brain cancer. The findings provide scientists with rich new potential set of targets to treat the disease.

Faster method to identify Salmonella strains developed Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT A new approach may be able to reduce by more than half the time it takes health officials to identify Salmonella strains, according to researchers.

Salt gets under your skin Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist. Scientists have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

Risk of kidney disease doubled with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT The risk of acute kidney disease is doubled for people taking oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics, according to a new study.

New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Current immune suppressants have major drawbacks, but medical researchers have now demonstrated a new technique that may lead to a better way to selectively repress unwanted immune reactions without disabling the immune system as a whole.

Common protein known to cause autism now linked to specific behaviors Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Researchers find abnormal brain networks in Fragile X syndrome, a genetic malady that is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability.

Narcolepsy study finds surprising increase in neurons that produce histamine Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT A new study provides surprising evidence that people with narcolepsy have an increased number of neurons that produce histamine, suggesting that histamine signaling may be a novel therapeutic target for this potentially disabling sleep disorder.

Study links workplace daylight exposure to sleep, activity and quality of life Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:40 AM PDT A new study demonstrates a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers' sleep, activity and quality of life.

Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Scientists have taken a vital step forward in understanding how cells from skin tissue can be reprogrammed to become stem cells.

Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Researchers have come up with a new, mood-boosting therapy for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment: Shelter dogs. Dog-interaction activities have been found to improve mood among teenagers living in residential treatment centers.

'Back to sleep' does not affect baby's ability to roll Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT New research shows little change in babies' ability to roll from their tummy to back and vice versa 20 years after 'back to sleep' campaign.

Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

Role conflict and emotional demands are 'most important' risk factors for distress in workers Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT Employees who face high emotional demand and conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress—placing them at higher risk of mental health disorders and reduced productivity, reports a new study.

Distracted drivers: Your habits are to blame Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:31 AM PDT More than a decade of research has shown that using a handheld or hands-free phone while driving is not safe because the brain does not have enough mental capacity to safely perform both tasks at once.

Researchers focus on a brain protein and an antibiotic to block cocaine craving Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:26 AM PDT A new study by neuroscientists demonstrates that GLT1, a protein that clears glutamate from the brain, plays a critical role in the craving for cocaine that develops after only several days of cocaine use.

More TV time equals higher consumption of sweetened beverages among children Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT More time in front of the TV set and higher exposure to TV advertisements may lead to increased consumption of sweetened beverages among children.

An altered gut microbiota can predict diabetes Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT Intestinal bacteria may have a greater influence on us than was previously thought. Researchers have shown that patients with type 2 diabetes have an altered gut microbiota. Their findings have led to a new model to identify patients at increased risk of developing diabetes.

Four lifestyle changes will protect your heart and significantly reduce your risk of death Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT A large, multi-center study has found a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking.

Cancer drug shortages hit 83 percent of U. S. oncologists Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT Eighty-three percent of cancer doctors report that they've faced oncology drug shortages, and of those, nearly all say that their patients' treatment has been impacted, according to a new study. The results showed that shortages – which have hit especially hard among drugs to treat pediatric, gastrointestinal and blood cancers – have left physicians surveyed unable to prescribe standard chemotherapies for a range of cancers.

New cancer drug shows promise for treating advanced melanoma Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Researchers report preliminary results showing significant antitumor activity with very manageable side effects from a new drug being tested in patients with advanced melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Growth factor that triggers hair follicle generation identified Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Researchers have determined the role of a key growth factor, found in limited quantities in human skin cells, that helps hair follicles form and regenerate during the wound healing process. When this growth factor, called Fgf9, was overexpressed in a mouse model, there was a two- to three-fold increase in the number of new hair follicles produced. Researchers believe that this growth factor could be used therapeutically for people with various hair and scalp disorders.

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