ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Ethicists find UK ban on embryo sex selection 'unjustifiable'
• A good night's sleep increases the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy lifestyle
• Curcumin may protect premature infants' lungs
• Brain sets prices with emotional value
• Test can accurately and swiftly detect most leading causes of bacterial blood stream infections
• Higher education may be protective against multiple sclerosis-associated cognitive deficits
• Workers at industrial farms carry drug-resistant bacteria associated with livestock
• IVF for male infertility linked to increased risk of intellectual disability and autism in children
• Simple math may solve longstanding problem of parasite energetics
• Passing the ball may also pass disease
• Vaginal delivery ups risk of pelvic organ prolapse
• How cancer spreads: Metastatic tumor a hybrid of cancer cell and white blood cell
• Scientists identify promising antiviral compounds
• A potentially life-saving protein takes shape
• Brown fat responsible for from heart disease-related deaths in cold winter months
• Listening to blood cells: Simple test could use sound waves for diagnosing blood-related diseases
• Hijacking stress response in cancer
• Salsalate lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes, study suggests
• Drug improves cognitive function in mouse model of Down syndrome
• Treating TB: What needs to be done to improve treatment rates
• Gene's key role in building the developing brain's scaffolding discovered
• Abiraterone: Hint of considerable added benefit for patients with metastatic prostate cancer
• Scientists discover molecular communication network in human stem cells
• Teens' self-consciousness linked with specific brain, physiological responses
• Low levels of toxic proteins linked to brain diseases, study suggests
• Genomes of cholera bacteria from Haiti confirm epidemic originated from single source
• Poor planning skills found to contribute to income-achievement gap
• New study describes imaging findings in H7N9 influenza
• Irreversible tissue loss seen within 40 days of spinal cord injury
• New method for mapping the protein signals between healthy and diseased cells
• Gene therapy cures a severe pediatric neurodegenerative disease in animal models
• People show more humorous creativity when primed with thoughts of death
• The ribosome: New target for antiprion medicines
• Scientists help explain visual system's remarkable ability to recognize complex objects
• Non-invasive brain stimulation helps stroke patients gain prolonged language recovery
• Long term night shifts linked to doubling of breast cancer risk
• Early childhood respiratory infections may be potential risk factor for type 1 diabetes
• Exercise-induced improvements in glycemic control and type 2 diabetes
• Mouse study predicts cancer drug responsiveness in human tumors

Ethicists find UK ban on embryo sex selection 'unjustifiable' Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:28 PM PDT As Europe's leading fertility specialists gather at a conference in London this weekend, a major new publication from leading medical ethicists finds no justification to support the UK's legal ban on sex selection before pregnancy for 'social' reasons.

A good night's sleep increases the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy lifestyle Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:28 PM PDT A good night's sleep can increase the benefit of exercise, healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption and non-smoking in their protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to results of a large population follow-up study.

Curcumin may protect premature infants' lungs Posted: 02 Jul 2013 02:31 PM PDT Curry spice provides protective qualities for premature infants' lungs, study suggests.

Brain sets prices with emotional value Posted: 02 Jul 2013 02:31 PM PDT You might be falling in love with that new car, but you probably wouldn't pay as much for it if you could resist the feeling. Researchers who study how the brain values things -- a field called neuroeconomics -- have found that your feelings about something and the value you put on it are calculated similarly in a specific area of the brain.

Test can accurately and swiftly detect most leading causes of bacterial blood stream infections Posted: 02 Jul 2013 02:31 PM PDT A new automated diagnostic test can quickly and accurately identify most leading causes of Gram-positive bacterial blood stream infections and the presence of three antibiotic resistance genes, according to a new study. The findings from the study suggest that the new technology could lead to faster diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from sepsis.

Higher education may be protective against multiple sclerosis-associated cognitive deficits Posted: 02 Jul 2013 02:30 PM PDT Multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to severe cognitive impairment as the disease progresses. Researchers in Italy have found that patients with high educational levels show less impairment on a neuropsychological evaluation compared with those with low educational levels.

Workers at industrial farms carry drug-resistant bacteria associated with livestock Posted: 02 Jul 2013 02:30 PM PDT A new study found drug-resistant bacteria associated with livestock in the noses of industrial livestock workers in North Carolina but not in the noses of antibiotic-free livestock workers. The drug-resistant bacteria examined were Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as "Staph," which include the well-known bug MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

IVF for male infertility linked to increased risk of intellectual disability and autism in children Posted: 02 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT In the first study to compare all available IVF treatments and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children, researchers find that IVF treatments for the most severe forms of male infertility are associated with an increased risk of intellectual disability and autism in children. Autism and intellectual disability remain a rare outcome of IVF, and whilst some of the risk is associated with the risk of multiple births, the study provides important evidence for parents and clinicians on the relative risks of modern IVF treatments.

Simple math may solve longstanding problem of parasite energetics Posted: 02 Jul 2013 12:10 PM PDT Feeling faint from the flu? Is your cold causing you to collapse? Your infection is the most likely cause, and, according to a new study, it may be possible to know just how much energy your bugs are taking from you.

Passing the ball may also pass disease Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:15 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that basketballs and volleyballs can spread potentially dangerous germs among players. Their findings may bring a new awareness to athletes, coaches, trainers and parents regarding safe sanitation practices for athletes.

Vaginal delivery ups risk of pelvic organ prolapse Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:15 AM PDT Women who give birth vaginally are at increased risk of developing pelvic organ prolapse during the year after delivery, according to a new study.

How cancer spreads: Metastatic tumor a hybrid of cancer cell and white blood cell Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:15 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence that a human metastatic tumor can arise when a leukocyte (white blood cell) and a cancer cell fuse to form a genetic hybrid.

Scientists identify promising antiviral compounds Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:15 AM PDT Scientists have identified two promising candidates for the development of drugs against human adenovirus, a cause of ailments ranging from colds to gastrointestinal disorders to pink eye. The researchers sifted through thousands of compounds to determine which might block the effects of a key viral enzyme they had previously studied in atomic-level detail.

A potentially life-saving protein takes shape Posted: 02 Jul 2013 09:33 AM PDT The protein ubiquitin, found in all membranous cells, may hold the key to treating diseases from cancer to Parkinson's. Structural biologists examine an omnipresent but rarely studied form of ubiquitin, the polymeric ubiquitin chains linked by the animo acid Lysine-11. The team finds these chains are remarkably flexible and probably multi-functional.

Brown fat responsible for from heart disease-related deaths in cold winter months Posted: 02 Jul 2013 09:33 AM PDT More people die from heart-disease during the winter months, and according to a new study, the increase in mortality is possibly due to the accelerated growth of atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels caused by the activation of brown fat by the cold.

Listening to blood cells: Simple test could use sound waves for diagnosing blood-related diseases Posted: 02 Jul 2013 09:33 AM PDT New research reveals that when red blood cells are hit with laser light, they produce high frequency sound waves that contain a great deal of information. Similar to the way one can hear the voices of different people and identify who they are, investigators could analyze the sound waves produced by red blood cells and recognize their shape and size. The information may aid in the development of simple tests for blood-related diseases.

Hijacking stress response in cancer Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT NRF2 works as a "master gene" that turns on stress response by increasing numerous antioxidants and pollutant-detoxifying genes to protect the lungs from variety of air pollutants such as diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke. However, researchers have found for the first time that NRF2 signaling also plays a role in the growth of tumor cells by altering metabolic pathways.

Salsalate lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes, study suggests Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT Scientists report that salsalate, a drug used to treat arthritis, lowers blood glucose and improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. These findings provide additional evidence that salsalate may be an effective drug to treat type 2 diabetes.

Drug improves cognitive function in mouse model of Down syndrome Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT An existing FDA-approved drug improves cognitive function in a mouse model of Down syndrome, according to a new study.

Treating TB: What needs to be done to improve treatment rates Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:15 AM PDT People with tuberculosis in China often delay going to see a doctor for more than two weeks. Reasons for this include a poor understanding of TB, increasing costs of treatment not covered by health insurance, and using traditional approaches first. Even after going to a clinic there were still delays in treatment, especially in rural areas, due to a lack of qualified medical staff.

Gene's key role in building the developing brain's scaffolding discovered Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:15 AM PDT Researchers have pinpointed the role of a gene known as Arl13b in guiding the formation and proper placement of neurons in the early stages of brain development. Mutations in the gene could help explain brain malformations often seen in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Abiraterone: Hint of considerable added benefit for patients with metastatic prostate cancer Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:10 AM PDT Abiraterone can prolong life and delay the occurrence of severe pain in patients with metastatic prostate cancer that is not responsive to hormone blockade, in whom chemotherapy is not yet indicated. However, greater harm in the form of side effects cannot be excluded with certainty, experts say.

Scientists discover molecular communication network in human stem cells Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:09 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a molecular network in human embryonic stem cells that integrates cell communication signals to keep the cell in its stem cell state.

Teens' self-consciousness linked with specific brain, physiological responses Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:09 AM PDT Teenagers are famously self-conscious, acutely aware and concerned about what their peers think of them. A new study reveals that this self-consciousness is linked with specific physiological and brain responses that seem to emerge and peak in adolescence.

Low levels of toxic proteins linked to brain diseases, study suggests Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:09 AM PDT Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's could be better understood thanks to insight into proteins linked to such conditions, a study suggests.

Genomes of cholera bacteria from Haiti confirm epidemic originated from single source Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:08 AM PDT The strain of cholera that has sickened thousands in Haiti came from a single source and was not repeatedly introduced to the island over the past three years as some have thought, according to a new study.

Poor planning skills found to contribute to income-achievement gap Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:07 AM PDT A new study shows that poor planning skills are one reason for the income-achievement gap. Researchers examined data on the planning skills of 1,500 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse children across the US. They found that children's reading and math performance in fifth grade was related to the quality of their planning skills in the third grade, and replicated the finding that lower household income during infancy is related to fifth grade reading and math performance.

New study describes imaging findings in H7N9 influenza Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:07 AM PDT H7N9 pneumonia is characterized by imaging findings that differentiate it from other types of pneumonia, including rapidly progressive changes in the lungs and pulmonary connective tissues, according to the first study to describe radiologic findings in the disease.

Irreversible tissue loss seen within 40 days of spinal cord injury Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:05 AM PDT The rate and extent of damage to the spinal cord and brain following spinal cord injury have long been a mystery. Now, scientists have found evidence that patients already have irreversible tissue loss in the spinal cord within 40 days of injury. Using a new imaging measurement technique the impact of therapeutic treatments and rehabilitative interventions can be now determined more quickly and directly than before.

New method for mapping the protein signals between healthy and diseased cells Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:03 AM PDT Researchers are developing a way to trace detailed communication between cells.

Gene therapy cures a severe pediatric neurodegenerative disease in animal models Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:03 AM PDT A single session of gene therapy cures Sanfilippo Syndrome A in animal models. This syndrome is a neurodegenerative disease that affects between 1 and 9 out of every 100,000 children, and causes the death of the child on reaching adolescence.

People show more humorous creativity when primed with thoughts of death Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:03 AM PDT Humor is an intrinsic part of human experience. It plays a role in every aspect of human existence, from day-to-day conversation to television shows. Yet little research has been conducted to date on the psychological function of humor. In human psychology, awareness of the impermanence of life is just as prevalent as humor. According to the Terror Management Theory, knowledge of one's own impermanence creates potentially disruptive existential anxiety, which the individual brings under control with two coping mechanisms, or anxiety buffers: rigid adherence to dominant cultural values, and self-esteem bolstering.

The ribosome: New target for antiprion medicines Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:01 AM PDT The key to treating neurodegenerative prion diseases such as mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may lie in the ribosome, the protein synthesis machinery of the cell. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by misfolding of prion proteins. Examples of prion diseases are scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in human.

Scientists help explain visual system's remarkable ability to recognize complex objects Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT How is it possible for a human eye to figure out letters that are twisted and looped in crazy directions, like those in the little security test internet users are often given on websites? It seems easy to us -- the human brain just does it. But the apparent simplicity of this task is an illusion. The task is actually so complex, no one has been able to write computer code that translates these distorted letters the same way that neural networks can. That's why this test, called a CAPTCHA, is used to distinguish a human response from computer bots that try to steal sensitive information. Now, a team of neuroscientists has taken on the challenge of exploring how the brain accomplishes this remarkable task. Two studies demonstrate how complex a visual task decoding a CAPTCHA, or any image made of simple and intricate elements, actually is to the brain.

Non-invasive brain stimulation helps stroke patients gain prolonged language recovery Posted: 02 Jul 2013 06:59 AM PDT A new study details a technique developed by researchers to improve language function in stroke patients with chronic speech-language impairment.

Long term night shifts linked to doubling of breast cancer risk Posted: 01 Jul 2013 04:02 PM PDT Working night shifts for 30 or more years doubles the risk of developing breast cancer, and is not confined to nurses as previous research has indicated, a new study finds.

Early childhood respiratory infections may be potential risk factor for type 1 diabetes Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:37 PM PDT Respiratory infections in early childhood may be a potential risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), according to a new study.

Exercise-induced improvements in glycemic control and type 2 diabetes Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:37 PM PDT Exercise-induced improvements in glycemic control are dependent on the pre-training glycemic level, and although moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can improve glycemic control, individuals with ambient hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) are more likely to be nonresponders, according to new research.

Mouse study predicts cancer drug responsiveness in human tumors Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:58 AM PDT A research team has found that genetically engineered mouse models were able to accurately predict human response to a standard chemotherapy drug combination commonly used in the clinic.

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