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Friday, July 4, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Biochemical cascade causes bone marrow inflammation, leading to serious blood disorders

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:23 PM PDT

Like a line of falling dominos, a cascade of molecular events in the bone marrow produces high levels of inflammation that disrupt normal blood formation and lead to potentially deadly disorders including leukemia, a research team has reported. The discovery points the way to potential new strategies to treat the blood disorders and further illuminates the relationship between inflammation and cancer.

Compounded outcomes associated with comorbid Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular disease

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:23 PM PDT

Anecdotal information on patients with both Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease have been confirmed by researchers using mouse models in two different studies. The findings, which found elevated levels of homocysteine is associated with a number of disease states, have potentially significant implications for patients with both disorders.

New discovery in living cell signaling

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 12:18 PM PDT

A breakthrough discovery into how living cells process and respond to chemical information could help advance the development of treatments for a large number of cancers and other cellular disorders that have been resistant to therapy.

Sweet genes: New way found by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 12:18 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new way by which metabolism is linked to the regulation of DNA, the basis of our genetic code. The findings may have important implications for the understanding of many common diseases, including cancer.

Safer, cheaper building blocks for future anti-HIV and cancer drugs

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:24 AM PDT

Researchers have developed an economical, reliable and heavy metal-free chemical reaction that yields fully functional 1,2,3-triazoles. Triazoles are chemical compounds that can be used as building blocks for more complex chemical compounds, including pharmaceutical drugs.

Cellular defense against fatal associations between proteins and DNA

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:23 AM PDT

DNA -- the carrier of genetic information -- is constantly threatened by damage originating from exogenous and endogenous sources. Very special DNA lesions are DNA-protein crosslinks -- proteins covalently linked to DNA. So far hardly anything was known about repair mechanisms specifically targeting DNA-protein crosslinks. Scientists have now discovered a protease that is able to chop down the protein component of DNA-protein crosslinks, thereby enabling organisms to copy their genetic information even if crosslinks arise. The results of this study have major implications for the understanding of genome integrity and cancer development.

Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people, study shows

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 11:21 AM PDT

People are focused on the external world and don't enjoy spending much time alone thinking, according to a new study. The investigation found that most would rather be doing something -- possibly even hurting themselves -- than doing nothing or sitting alone with their thoughts.

Fondue with chicken causes campylobacter infections in Switzerland

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:58 AM PDT

A hotpot with chicken is one of the primary risk factors for a campylobacter infection in Switzerland in winter, a new study shows. At the end of each year, the reported case numbers of this severe intestinal infection increase in Switzerland. According to the new study, this increase over the festive season can be attributed to the consumption of Hot Pots.

Leading hypothesis for miscarriages, birth defects ruled out

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:55 AM PDT

Reproductive biologists have ruled out the 'Production-Line Hypothesis,' one of the leading thoughts on why older women have an increased risk of miscarriages and children with birth defects.

New strategy could uncover genes at the root of psychiatric illnesses

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:55 AM PDT

Understanding the basis of psychiatric disorders has been extremely challenging because there are many genetic variants that may increase risk but are insufficient to cause disease. Now investigators describe a strategy that may help reveal how such 'subthreshold' genetic risks interact with other risk factors or environmental exposures to affect the development of the nervous system. Their research pinpoints a genetic variant that may predispose individuals to schizophrenia.

Explaining 'healthy' obesity

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:55 AM PDT

Up to one-quarter of individuals currently labeled as obese are actually metabolically healthy. Though obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, the two conditions aren't always linked. A new study sheds light on a possible explanation, revealing that high levels of a molecule HO-1 are linked to poor metabolic health and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in obese humans. HO-1 blockers could represent a promising new strategy for the treatment of metabolic disease.

Bone marrow fat tissue secretes hormone that helps body stay healthy

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:52 AM PDT

It has been known for its flavorful addition to soups and as a delicacy for dogs but bone marrow fat may also have untapped health benefits, new research finds. Researchers find that with calorie restriction, a less-studied fat tissue releases adiponectin, which is linked to reduced risk of diseases like diabetes.

New clue helps explain how brown fat burns energy

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:52 AM PDT

New research helps explain the heat-generating properties of brown fat, a possible key to weight loss.

Biological signal processing: Body cells -- instrumentalists in a symphony orchestra

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:28 AM PDT

Every organism has one aim: to survive. Its body cells all work in concert to keep it alive. They do so through finely tuned means of communication. Scientists have now successfully revealed for the first time the laws by which cells translate signals from their surroundings into internal signals.

Could boosting brain cells' appetites fight disease? New research shows promise

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:24 AM PDT

Deep inside the brains of people with dementia and Lou Gehrig's disease, globs of abnormal protein gum up the inner workings of brain cells – dooming them to an early death. But boosting those cells' natural ability to clean up those clogs might hold the key to better treatment for such conditions.

New insights on conditions for new blood vessel formation

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:30 AM PDT

With lifesaving applications possible in both inhibiting and accelerating the creation of new blood vessels, a more fundamental understanding of what regulates angiogenesis is needed. Now, researchers have uncovered the existence of a threshold above which fluid flowing through blood vessel walls causes new capillaries to sprout.

How you cope with stress may increase your risk for insomnia

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:30 AM PDT

A new study is the first to identify specific coping behaviors through which stress exposure leads to the development of insomnia. Results show that coping with a stressful event through behavioral disengagement -- giving up on dealing with the stress -- or by using alcohol or drugs each significantly mediated the relationship between stress exposure and insomnia development.

Tool helps guide brain cancer surgery

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT

A tool to help brain surgeons test and more precisely remove cancerous tissue was successfully used during surgery. The mass spectrometry tool sprays a microscopic stream of charged solvent onto the tissue surface to gather information about its molecular makeup and produces a color-coded image that reveals the location, nature and concentration of tumor cells.

More left-handed men are born during the winter: Indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:29 AM PDT

Men born in November, December or January are more likely of being left-handed than during the rest of the year. While the genetic bases of handedness are still under debate, scientists obtained indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism promoting left-handedness among men.

Do not disturb! How the brain filters out distractions

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:26 AM PDT

You know the feeling? You are trying to dial a phone number from memory ... you have to concentrate ... then someone starts shouting out other numbers nearby. In a situation like that, your brain must ignore the distraction as best it can so as not to lose vital information from its working memory.Scientists can now give us some insight into just how the brain manages this problem.

Review of primaquine to prevent malaria transmission

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:20 AM PDT

Researchers conducted an independent review of the effects of adding a single dose of primaquine (PQ) to malaria treatment to prevent the transmission of the disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases: Glitch in garbage removal enhances risk

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:19 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a pathogenic mechanism that is common to several neurodegenerative diseases. The findings suggest that it may be possible to slow the progression of dementia even after the onset of symptoms.

Little benefit seen when corticosteroids added to injections for spinal stenosis

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 05:38 PM PDT

Epidural injections with a glucocorticoid in combination with the local anesthetic lidocaine appear to be no better in reducing pain and physical limitations in patients with spinal stenosis, a common spine disorder, than injections of lidocaine alone, a new study has found. Glucocorticoids, also known as corticosteroids, are commonly used to treat inflammation.

Gene type confers 26 percent chance of early celiac sign by age 5

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 05:38 PM PDT

More than one quarter of children with two copies of a high-risk variant in a specific group of genes develop an early sign of celiac disease called celiac disease autoimmunity by age 5. Researchers found that youth with two copies of HLA-DR3-DQ2 had the highest likelihood of disease development by age 5. Of this group, 26 percent developed CDA by age 5 and 12 percent developed celiac disease. In those with one copy of HLA-DR3-DQ2, the risks of CDA and celiac disease by age 5 were 11 percent and 3 percent, respectively. About 90 percent of celiac disease patients carry HLA-DR3-DQ2.

Hypertension, antihypertension medication, risk of psoriasis

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT

Women with long-term high blood pressure appear to be at an increased risk for the skin condition psoriasis, and long-term use of beta (²)-blocker medication to treat hypertension may also increase the risk of psoriasis. Psoriasis is an immune-related chronic disease that affects about 3 percent of the U.S. population. The authors suggest prospective data on the risk of psoriasis associated with hypertension is lacking.

New approach to treating conversion disorder reduces seizures, improves co-morbid symptoms

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT

A cognitive behavior therapy-informed psychotherapy significantly reduces the seizures in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures -- a conversion disorder present worldwide and that affects up to 400,000 people in the US -- a study finds.

Veterans with muscle injuries and mental health conditions more likely to end service

Posted: 02 Jul 2014 11:06 AM PDT

Sixty percent of US Army soldiers who were unable to return to a military career after an Iraq deployment couldn't do so because of a muscle, bone or joint injury, and nearly half had a mental health diagnosis, a new study outlines. Lower rank, which indicated socioeconomic status, was also a predictor of poor health outcomes among service members.

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