ScienceDaily: Top Health News

---

• 'Designer sperm' inserts custom genes into offspring
• Bothersome pain afflicts half of older Americans
• Micromovements hold hidden information about severity of autism
• Energy drinks plus alcohol pose a public health threat
• Single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism, study suggests
• Brain connectivity study reveals striking differences between men and women
• Vitamin D decreases pain in women with type 2 diabetes, depression
• New drug cuts risk of deadly transplant side effect in half
• Bronchial thermoplasty shows long-term effectiveness for asthma
• Kids whose bond with mother was disrupted early in life show changes in brain
• Mice can inherit learned sensitivity to a smell
• Increased risk for cardiac ischemia in patients with PTSD
• New study suggests low vitamin D causes damage to brain
• Appearing to be chronically ill may not be good indication of poor health
• Predict Alzheimer's disease within two years of screening
• Junk food, poor oral health increase risk of premature heart disease
• Researchers pinpoint superbug resistance protein
• New family of proteins linked to major role in cancer
• New evidence that gout strongly runs in family
• Sorting good germs from bad, in bacterial world
• Study of young parents highlights links among stress, poverty, ethnicity
• Why tumors become resistant to chemotherapy
• Tourette Syndrome in secondary schools: the real picture
• Air pollution, genetics combine to increase risk for autism
• Novel rehabilitation device improves motor skills after stroke
• MRI technique reveals low brain iron in ADHD patients
• PRP therapy improves degenerative tendon disease in athletes
• Cardiac MRI reveals energy drinks alter heart function
• Imaging shows long-term impact of blast-induced brain injuries in veterans
• Parents' work hours in evenings, nights, weekends disadvantage children
• Congenital heart defects affects long-term developmental outcome
• Messy children make better learners: Toddlers learn words for nonsolids better when getting messy in a highchair
• Detailed image shows how genomes are copied
• Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells
• Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path
• 'Nanosponge vaccine' fights MRSA toxins

'Designer sperm' inserts custom genes into offspring Posted: 02 Dec 2013 02:19 PM PST The "new genetics" promises to change faulty genes of future generations by introducing new, functioning genes using "designer sperm." Research shows that introducing genetic material via a viral vector into mouse sperm leads to the presence and activity of the genetic material in the embryos. These genes are inherited and functioning through three generations of the mice tested, and the discovery could break new ground in genetic medicine.

Bothersome pain afflicts half of older Americans Posted: 02 Dec 2013 02:18 PM PST Findings from a unique study underscore need for public health action on pain and disability in the elderly.

Micromovements hold hidden information about severity of autism Posted: 02 Dec 2013 02:18 PM PST Movements so minute they cannot be detected by the human eye are being analyzed by researchers to diagnose autism spectrum disorder and determine its severity in children and young adults.

Energy drinks plus alcohol pose a public health threat Posted: 02 Dec 2013 01:21 PM PST Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is riskier than just drinking alcohol alone, according to a new study that examines the impact of a growing trend among young adults.

Single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism, study suggests Posted: 02 Dec 2013 01:21 PM PST A single dose of the hormone oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, may improve the core social deficits in children with autism by making social interactions with other people more rewarding and more efficiently processed, researchers report.

Brain connectivity study reveals striking differences between men and women Posted: 02 Dec 2013 01:19 PM PST A new brain connectivity study has found striking differences in the neural wiring of men and women that's lending credence to some commonly-held beliefs about their behavior.

Vitamin D decreases pain in women with type 2 diabetes, depression Posted: 02 Dec 2013 12:20 PM PST Vitamin D decreases pain in women with type 2 diabetes and depression, according to a recent study.

New drug cuts risk of deadly transplant side effect in half Posted: 02 Dec 2013 11:27 AM PST A new class of drugs reduced the risk of patients contracting a serious and often deadly side effect of lifesaving bone marrow transplant treatments, according to a study.

Bronchial thermoplasty shows long-term effectiveness for asthma Posted: 02 Dec 2013 11:27 AM PST The beneficial effects of bronchial thermoplasty, a non-pharmacologic treatment for asthma, last at least five years, according to researchers. The therapy, in which heat is applied to a patient's airways during a bronchoscopy procedure, was approved by the FDA in 2010. The researchers report that reductions in severe asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits, medication use and missed workdays continued out to five years after the procedure was performed.

Kids whose bond with mother was disrupted early in life show changes in brain Posted: 02 Dec 2013 10:48 AM PST Children who experience profound neglect have been found to be more prone to a behavior known as "indiscriminate friendliness," characterized by an inappropriate willingness to approach adults, including strangers. Now researchers are reporting some of the first evidence from human studies suggesting that this behavior is rooted in brain adaptations associated with early life experiences.

Mice can inherit learned sensitivity to a smell Posted: 02 Dec 2013 09:15 AM PST A surprising example of apparent inheritance of an experience: Researchers found that when a mouse is trained to become afraid of a certain odor, his or her pups will be more sensitive to that odor, even though the pups have never encountered it.

Increased risk for cardiac ischemia in patients with PTSD Posted: 02 Dec 2013 09:13 AM PST There is growing concern that long-term untreated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may increase the risk of developing a number of medical problems, particularly compromised cardiovascular health. Considering that up to 30% of veterans suffer from PTSD, this is an important goal.

New study suggests low vitamin D causes damage to brain Posted: 02 Dec 2013 09:11 AM PST A new study suggests that a diet low in vitamin D causes damage to the brain.

Appearing to be chronically ill may not be good indication of poor health Posted: 02 Dec 2013 08:22 AM PST New research says how sick a patient appears to be may have limited value in diagnosing their actual state of health.

Predict Alzheimer's disease within two years of screening Posted: 02 Dec 2013 08:20 AM PST In a new study, scientists accurately predicted (at a rate of 90%) which of their research subjects with mild cognitive impairment would receive a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease within the following two years, and which subjects would not develop this disease.

Junk food, poor oral health increase risk of premature heart disease Posted: 02 Dec 2013 07:53 AM PST The association between poor oral health and increased risk of cardiovascular disease should make the reduction of sugars such as those contained in junk food, particularly fizzy drinks, an important health policy target, say experts.

Researchers pinpoint superbug resistance protein Posted: 02 Dec 2013 07:52 AM PST Researchers have recently identified a resistance protein that allows a "superbug" to survive a disinfectant used in hospitals.

New family of proteins linked to major role in cancer Posted: 02 Dec 2013 07:52 AM PST Scientists have described a new family of proteins that appear to play a key role in cancer and might be targets for future cancer drugs. A major new study sets out the structure of the new family, called glutamate intramembrane proteases -- the founding member of which plays a critical role in transforming healthy cells into cancer cells.

New evidence that gout strongly runs in family Posted: 02 Dec 2013 07:50 AM PST It's historically known as 'the king of diseases and the disease of kings' and was long thought to be caused by an overindulgent lifestyle, but now scientists have confirmed that gout strongly runs in families.

Sorting good germs from bad, in bacterial world Posted: 02 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST There are good E. coli and bad E. coli. Some live in your gut and help you keep healthy, others can cause serious disease -- even death. For pathologists, telling them apart has been a long and laborious task sometimes taking days. New technology using microscale electric field gradients now can tell the difference between good and bad bacteria in minutes from extremely small samples.

Study of young parents highlights links among stress, poverty, ethnicity Posted: 02 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST An avalanche of chronic stress affecting poor mothers and fathers is revealed in new data from a comprehensive national, federally funded American study.

Why tumors become resistant to chemotherapy Posted: 02 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST Researchers describe one of the causes that make a patient with colon cancer that responds well to initial chemotherapy, becomes resistant when the tumor reappears.

Tourette Syndrome in secondary schools: the real picture Posted: 02 Dec 2013 06:41 AM PST Secondary school can be a stressful enough time for any teenager, but for those living with Tourette Syndrome (TS) their neurological condition can present a whole new set of challenges.

Air pollution, genetics combine to increase risk for autism Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Exposure to air pollution appears to increase the risk for autism among people who carry a genetic disposition for the neurodevelopmental disorder, according to newly published research.

Novel rehabilitation device improves motor skills after stroke Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Using a novel stroke rehabilitation device that converts an individual's thoughts to electrical impulses to move upper extremities, stroke patients reported improvements in their motor function and ability to perform activities of daily living.

MRI technique reveals low brain iron in ADHD patients Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Magnetic resonance imaging provides a noninvasive way to measure iron levels in the brains of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study. Researchers said the method could help physicians and parents make better informed decisions about medication.

PRP therapy improves degenerative tendon disease in athletes Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Ultrasound-guided delivery of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) improves functionality and reduces recovery time in athletes with degenerative disease in their tendons, according to a new study.

Cardiac MRI reveals energy drinks alter heart function Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Healthy adults who consumed energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine had significantly increased heart contraction rates one hour later, according to a new study.

Imaging shows long-term impact of blast-induced brain injuries in veterans Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:26 AM PST Using a special type of magnetic resonance imaging, researchers have found that soldiers who suffered mild traumatic brain injury induced by blast exposure exhibit long-term brain differences, according to a new study.

Parents' work hours in evenings, nights, weekends disadvantage children Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:24 AM PST A comprehensive review of studies on parents' work schedules and child development spanning the last three decades shows that parents' work schedules in evenings, nights and weekends, so called "nonstandard work schedules" or "unsociable work hours", may have negative consequences for children. When parents work such hours, children tended to have more behavioral problems, poorer cognitive ability, and were more likely to be overweight or obese than children in families where parents mostly worked during the daytime hours and week day.

Congenital heart defects affects long-term developmental outcome Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:24 AM PST Approximately one percent of all newborns in Switzerland are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, and roughly half of them require open heart surgery. Most children, including those with the most severe heart defects, survive because of the significant advancements in surgical techniques. Therefore, the current research focuses less on survival than on long-term consequences and quality of life of these children.

Messy children make better learners: Toddlers learn words for nonsolids better when getting messy in a highchair Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:23 AM PST Parents, let your children get messy in the high chair: They learn better that way. That's according to a new study which concludes that a 16-month-old's setting and degree of interaction enhances his or her ability to identify nonsolid objects and name them.

Detailed image shows how genomes are copied Posted: 01 Dec 2013 02:43 PM PST For the first time, researchers have succeeded in showing how the DNA polymerase epsilon enzyme builds new genomes. The detailed image produced by these researchers shows how mutations that can contribute to the development of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer lead to changes in the structure of the protein.

Human stem cells converted to functional lung cells Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:02 AM PST For the first time, scientists have succeeded in transforming human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells. The advance has significant potential for modeling lung disease, screening drugs, studying human lung development, and, ultimately, generating lung tissue for transplantation.

Colon cancer researchers target stem cells, discover viable new therapeutic path Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:02 AM PST A team of scientists and surgeons have discovered a promising new approach to treating colorectal cancer by disarming the gene that drives self-renewal in stem cells that are the root cause of disease, resistance to treatment and relapse. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.

'Nanosponge vaccine' fights MRSA toxins Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:02 AM PST Nanosponges that soak up a dangerous pore-forming toxin produced by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) could serve as a safe and effective vaccine against this toxin. This "nanosponge vaccine" enabled the immune systems of mice to block the adverse effects of the alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA -- both within the bloodstream and on the skin.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top Health News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610