ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Predictors of prospective memory deficit post TBI identified by researchers
• Mouth bacteria can change its diet, supercomputers reveal
• Beating childhood cancer does not necessarily make survivors healthier adults, study shows
• Immigrants at lower risk of overdose, death from codeine than people born in Canada
• Less radical procedures offer similar cancer control compared to surgery for kidney cancer patients
• Overhaul of our understanding of why autism potentially occurs
• Mental health disparities higher for older African American adults
• Contrary to popular belief, more exercise is not always better
• Focal blood-brain-barrier disruption with high-frequency pulsed electric fields
• Scared of crime? Science shows that healthy fear of crime is a good thing
• Lead released from African cookware contaminates food
• Highly sensitive microsphere-based assay for early detection of type I diabetes
• Is empathy in humans and apes actually different? 'Yawn contagion' effect studied
• Prognosis of pneumonia: value of respiratory rate often overlooked
• Pioneering online treatment for people with bipolar disorder
• Awake within a dream: Lucid dreamers show greater insight in waking life
• Treating mental illness by changing memories of things past
• New look at heart disease may reduce stroke, heart attack
• Managers: Less stress when work relationships are good
• Integrons hold key to antibiotic resistance crisis
• Our ancestor's 'leaky' membrane answers big questions in biology
• Can instant noodles lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke?
• Hijacking the brain's blood supply: Tumor discovery could aid treatment
• Medicine looking deeper into vital differences between women, men
• ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits
• Anxiety and amen: Prayer doesn't ease symptoms of anxiety-related disorders for everyone
• African-American hair: Dermatologists' tips for everyday care, processing and styling
• Regional anesthesia for pediatric knee surgery reduces pain, speeds recovery
• Biomarker could reveal why some develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Easier way to manipulate malaria genes
• Highly drug-resistant, virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arises in Ohio
• Gloves after hand washing associated with fewer infections in preterm babies
• Normal cognition in patient without apolipoprotein E, risk factor for Alzheimer's
• Digoxin tied to increased risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation
• Blacks, women face greater burden from CVD risk factors
• Groundbreaking approach to understanding social interaction
• Medicinal oil reduces debilitating epileptic seizures associated with Glut1 deficiency, trial shows
• Mapping infant brain growth in first three months of life using MRI technology
• Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct
• Can fiction stories make us more empathetic?
• Search for biomarkers aimed at improving treatment of painful bladder condition
• Clinical trial evaluates safety of stem cell transplantation in spine
• Differing interests of psychology students, professors could impact retention
• Novel drug action against solid tumors explained
• Links between city design, health shown in study

Predictors of prospective memory deficit post TBI identified by researchers Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Predictors of prospective memory impairment after traumatic brain injury been identified by scientists. This is the first study to examine the role of rule monitoring, an executive function, post-TBI. Prospective memory refers to the ability to remember events that will occur in the future, i.e., a doctor's appointment; a medication schedule. This ability, also referred to as 'remembering to remember' is often impaired following TBI, creating challenges in performance of activities of daily living.

Mouth bacteria can change its diet, supercomputers reveal Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Mouth bacteria can change their metabolism in disease versus health. The Stampede and Lonestar supercomputers compared gene expression of 160,000 genes in healthy and diseased periodontal communities. Research paves way for biomarkers to predict illness from wide-ranging diseases such as periodontitis, diabetes, and Crohn's disease.

Beating childhood cancer does not necessarily make survivors healthier adults, study shows Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Having survived cancer as a child does not necessarily have a ripple effect that makes people lead a healthier lifestyle once they grow up. Childhood cancer survivors face different health-care challenges and are more susceptible to dying earlier than the general population. They have a higher risk of second cancers, heart disease, body weight disorders and psychosocial problems.

Immigrants at lower risk of overdose, death from codeine than people born in Canada Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT Immigrants are at lower risk of an overdose or death after being prescribed codeine than people born in Canada, a new study has found. Surprisingly, this is true even when the immigrants lack proficiency in English or French, which might be thought to hamper their ability to read prescription labels or instructions, said the lead author.

Less radical procedures offer similar cancer control compared to surgery for kidney cancer patients Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:33 PM PDT Needle-guided tumor destruction procedures offer near equivalent lengths of local cancer control compared to surgery for patients with small kidney cancer tumors, according to researchers. "If validated, these data suggest that an update to clinical guidelines would be warranted," says the study's lead author.

Overhaul of our understanding of why autism potentially occurs Posted: 12 Aug 2014 11:20 AM PDT An analysis of autism research covering genetics, brain imaging, and cognition has overhauled our understanding of why autism potentially occurs, develops and results in a diversity of symptoms. "One of the consequences of our new model will be to focus early childhood intervention on developing the particular strengths of the child's brain, rather than exclusively trying to correct missing behaviors, a practice that may be a waste of a once in a lifetime opportunity," states one author.

Mental health disparities higher for older African American adults Posted: 12 Aug 2014 10:37 AM PDT A new, revealing literature review suggests that older African American adults are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and dementia than others. The study reviews the mental health issues among the rapidly growing African American older adult population. Given the existing disparities in mental health treatment and the projected growth of the African American older adult population, a dire need for further research to into assessment and treatment with a focus on cultural context is obvious, authors say.

Contrary to popular belief, more exercise is not always better Posted: 12 Aug 2014 10:37 AM PDT There is strong epidemiological evidence of the importance of regular physical activity, such as brisk walking and jogging, in the management and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease and in lowering the risk of death from other diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends about 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or about 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. But there is clear evidence of an increase in cardiovascular deaths in heart attack survivors who exercise to excess.

Focal blood-brain-barrier disruption with high-frequency pulsed electric fields Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:24 AM PDT A novel method uses bursts of nanosecond duration electric pulses to open the blood-brain barrier as a potential therapy for brain cancer and neurological disorders. The Vascular Enabled Integrated Nanosecond pulse (VEIN pulse) procedure consists of inserting minimally invasive needle electrodes into the diseased tissue and applying multiple bursts of nanosecond pulses with alternating polarity.

Scared of crime? Science shows that healthy fear of crime is a good thing Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:23 AM PDT A healthy fear of crime is a good thing, a study by a criminologist says. The study suggests adolescents who are more fearful of crime are less apt to become victims and offenders of violent acts. Essentially, fearful youth tend to avoid potentially dangerous people, locations and activities such as drug-fueled parties, said the lead researcher.

Lead released from African cookware contaminates food Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:23 AM PDT Researchers tested 29 samples of aluminum cookware made in Cameroon and found almost all had considerable lead content. This cookware is common throughout Africa and Asia and is made from recycled scrap metal including auto and computer parts, cans, and other industrial debris. Lead exposure in children is linked to brain damage, mental retardation, lower educational performance, and a range of other health effects. Globally, lead accounts for more than 674,000 deaths per year.

Highly sensitive microsphere-based assay for early detection of type I diabetes Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT A rapid, highly sensitive assay technique for measuring type 1 diabetes mellitus marker autoantibodies can provide better temporal resolution of disease onset and progression, researchers report. "This is a clever combination of the several existing techniques, the result of which is a more sensitive, non-radioactive, clinically-relevant assay," says the senior author on the paper. "It is our hope that this technique will become a useful tool for early detection of Islet Cell Autoantibodies in at risk patients."

Is empathy in humans and apes actually different? 'Yawn contagion' effect studied Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT Whether or not humans are the only empathic beings is still under debate. In a new study, researchers directly compared the 'yawn contagion' effect between humans and bonobos -- our closest evolutionary cousins. By doing so they were able to directly compare the empathic abilities of ourselves with another species, and found that a close relationship between individuals is more important to their empathic response than the fact that individuals might be from the same species.

Prognosis of pneumonia: value of respiratory rate often overlooked Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Pneumonia – a severe lung infection – is the most common disease calling for hospital admission. More than one out of ten pneumonia patients die of the disease. Thus it is vital to accurately predict and closely monitor the clinical course. Here, measuring the respiratory rate – the number of breaths a person takes in a minute – provides valuable information. However, far too little use is still being made of this vital sign in clinical practice, researchers conclude.

Pioneering online treatment for people with bipolar disorder Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT The first effective web-based treatment for Bipolar Disorder based on the latest research evidence has been developed by psychologists. 92% of the participants in the trial of the online intervention found the content positive -- and one said it had changed her life. People with Bipolar Disorder have problems getting access to psychological therapy and this online intervention may offer a round the clock solution at a reduced cost.

Awake within a dream: Lucid dreamers show greater insight in waking life Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT People who are aware they are asleep when they are dreaming have better than average problem-solving abilities, new research has discovered. Experts say that those who experience 'lucid dreaming' – a phenomena where someone who is asleep can recognize that they are dreaming – can solve problems in the waking world better than those who remain unaware of the dream until they wake up. The concept of lucid dreaming was explored in the 2010 film Inception, where the dreamers were able to spot incongruities within their dream. It is thought some people are able to do this because of a higher level of insight, meaning their brains detect they are in a dream because events would not make sense otherwise.

Treating mental illness by changing memories of things past Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT Author Marcel Proust makes a compelling case that our identities and decisions are shaped in profound and ongoing ways by our memories. This truth is powerfully reflected in mental illnesses, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addictions. In PTSD, memories of traumas intrude vividly upon consciousness, causing distress, driving people to avoid reminders of their traumas, and increasing risk for addiction and suicide. In addiction, memories of drug use influence reactions to drug-related cues and motivate compulsive drug use.

New look at heart disease may reduce stroke, heart attack Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT A long-overlooked function of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis has been identified by researchers. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques in the arteries, leads to myocardial infarction and stroke and is the major cause of death in the Western world. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries arising from interactions of modified lipoproteins and various cell types including monocyte-derived macrophages from the blood and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the vessel wall.

Managers: Less stress when work relationships are good Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT Managers who enjoy a good relationship with their employees, suffer less dangerous stress at work, according to a study of nearly 3000 managers. Much research has been conducted regarding stress, but not many studies have looked specifically at stress among managers. How is life among those in the driving seat in companies and organizations? Are they more stressed than what is good for them?

Integrons hold key to antibiotic resistance crisis Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT In Mexico, the sale of antibiotics for human consumption is controlled to prevent misuse, although in the veterinary sector failure in the implementation of the "Guidelines for veterinarian products prescription", has prompted common bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella to become resistant to regular drugs such as streptomycin, trimethoprim, ampicillin, gentamicin, and tetracycline as a result of excess drug use.

Our ancestor's 'leaky' membrane answers big questions in biology Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:17 AM PDT All life on Earth came from one common ancestor -- a single-celled organism -- but what it looked like, how it lived and how it evolved into today's modern cells is a four billion year old mystery being solved by researchers at using mathematical modelling. Findings suggest for the first time that life's Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had a 'leaky' membrane, which helps scientists answer two of biology's biggest questions.

Can instant noodles lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke? Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:16 AM PDT Significant consumption of instant noodles -- ramen included -- may increase a person's risk for cardiometabolic syndrome, especially in women, research shows. The findings could shed new light on the risks of a worldwide dietary habit. "This research is significant since many people are consuming instant noodles without knowing possible health risks," one researcher said. "My hope is that this study can lay a foundation for future research about the health effects of instant noodle consumption."

Hijacking the brain's blood supply: Tumor discovery could aid treatment Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:16 AM PDT Dangerous brain tumors hijack the brain's existing blood supply throughout their progression, by growing only within narrow potential spaces between and along the brain's thousands of small blood vessels. The findings help explain why drugs that aim to stop growth of new vessels have failed in brain tumor clinical trials.

Medicine looking deeper into vital differences between women, men Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:15 AM PDT It is now commonly accepted that there is a biological basis for sex differences in a number of common conditions. And there's active research into why other conditions occur more frequently in women than men. "When we look closely, we tend to find differences" between men and women, said one expert. "But for most of the past, we never looked."

ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:15 AM PDT The origins of ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder have been traced, and researcher have found that they develop from the same neurocognitive deficits, which in turn explains why they often occur together. The findings shed light on the cognitive deficits that could be targeted in order to potentially help treat comorbid cases (e.g. adolescents who have been diagnosed with both conduct disorder and substance use problems).

Anxiety and amen: Prayer doesn't ease symptoms of anxiety-related disorders for everyone Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:14 AM PDT Whether the problem is health, enemies, poverty or difficulty with aging, "Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there," suggested the late gospel musician Charles A. Tindley. But when it comes to easing anxiety-related disorders, prayer doesn't have the same effect for everybody, according to a researcher.

African-American hair: Dermatologists' tips for everyday care, processing and styling Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:13 AM PDT Unique in appearance and structure, African-American hair is especially fragile and prone to injury and damage. More than half of African-American women will cite thinning hair or hair loss as their top hair concern. Fortunately, there are a lot of things African-Americans can do to help minimize damage and keep their hair beautiful.

Regional anesthesia for pediatric knee surgery reduces pain, speeds recovery Posted: 12 Aug 2014 09:13 AM PDT A recent study of an ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia technique, called femoral nerve block, shows that it leads to less opioid use and allows the majority of patients to go home within hours of surgery. Anesthesiologists use ultrasound to guide a needle to the specific surgical site and deliver local anesthetic to numb only the nerves in that region. A femoral nerve block numbs the femoral nerve, which runs close to the femoral artery and conducts signals running along the front of the thigh, the inner leg and the foot. By numbing this nerve, all feeling to those regions is blocked.

Biomarker could reveal why some develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT Blood expression levels of genes targeted by the stress hormones called glucocorticoids could be a physical measure, or biomarker, of risk for developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), researchers report. PTSD is triggered by a terrifying event, either witnessed or experienced. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, which is why the study aimed to identify biomarkers that could better measure each person's vulnerability to the disorder.

Easier way to manipulate malaria genes Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT A new approach to knocking out parasite's genes could make it easier to identify drug targets. Biological engineers have now demonstrated that a new genome-editing technique, called CRISPR, can disrupt a single parasite gene with a success rate of up to 100 percent -- in a matter of weeks. This approach could enable much more rapid gene analysis and boost drug-development efforts, they say.

Highly drug-resistant, virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arises in Ohio Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT A team of clinician researchers has discovered a highly virulent, multidrug resistant form of the pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in patient samples in Ohio. Their investigation suggests that the particular genetic element involved, which is still rare in the United States, has been spreading heretofore unnoticed, and that surveillance is urgently needed.

Gloves after hand washing associated with fewer infections in preterm babies Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT Extremely premature babies in a neonatal intensive care unit had fewer infections when medical staff wore gloves after washing their hands compared with hand washing alone. Even after hand washing, medical staff can still have microorganisms on their hands. This can be dangerous for extremely preterm newborns because of their immature immune systems and underdeveloped skin and mucosal barriers.

Normal cognition in patient without apolipoprotein E, risk factor for Alzheimer's Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT A 40-year-old California man exhibits normal cognitive function although he has no apolipoprotein E, which is believed to be important for brain function but a mutation of which is also a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Researchers suggest this could mean that therapies to reduce apolipoprotein E in the central nervous system may one day help treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Digoxin tied to increased risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:01 PM PDT In 'An Account of the Foxglove and Some of its Medical Uses,' published in 1785, Sir William Withering cautioned readers that extracts from the plant foxglove, also called digitalis, was not a perfect drug. 'Time will fix the real value upon this discovery,' he wrote. Now, more than 200 years later, researchers have validated Withering's warning with the discovery that patients with atrial fibrillation who are treated with the digitalis-derivative digoxin are more likely to die than similar patients who received different treatments.

Blacks, women face greater burden from CVD risk factors Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:00 PM PDT The impact of major cardiovascular risk factors combined is greater in women than men and in blacks than whites, research shows. While the gender gap may be narrowing, differences by race may be increasing. Researchers studied population attributable risk (PAR) changes for the five major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors -- high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. The PAR is a measure that considers how common a risk factor is and by how much the factor raises the chance of future cardiovascular disease.

Groundbreaking approach to understanding social interaction Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have created the Human Dynamic Clamp to address the difficult problem of studying social interactions in the laboratory. Using state-of-the-art human-machine interface technology, the Human Dynamic Clamp works by having humans interact with a computational model that behaves very much like humans themselves. In simple experiments, the model – on receiving input from human movement – drives an image of a moving hand which is displayed on a video screen.

Medicinal oil reduces debilitating epileptic seizures associated with Glut1 deficiency, trial shows Posted: 11 Aug 2014 01:58 PM PDT A rare metabolic disease that caused hundreds of seizures daily for a 6-year-old is now significantly under control as part of a clinical trial that uses a medicinal oil for treatment. Within hours, treatment with an edible oil dramatically reduced the number of seizures for then-4-year-old.

Mapping infant brain growth in first three months of life using MRI technology Posted: 11 Aug 2014 01:58 PM PDT A new approach to measuring early brain development of infants has been developed by scientists, resulting in more accurate whole brain growth charts and providing the first estimates for growth trajectories of subcortical areas during the first three months after birth. For the first time, researchers used MRI of the newborn brain to calculate the volume of multiple brain regions and to map out regional growth trajectories during the infant's first 90 days of life.

Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:16 PM PDT A molecule that can cause cancer cells to self-destruct by ferrying sodium and chloride ions into the cancer cells has been developed by scientists. These synthetic ion transporters confirm a two-decades-old hypothesis that could point the way to new anticancer drugs while also benefiting patients with cystic fibrosis.

Can fiction stories make us more empathetic? Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:16 PM PDT Exposure to narrative fiction may improve our ability to understand what other people are thinking or feeling, a researcher reports. Many stories are about people -- their mental states, their relationships. The researcher explains that we understand stories using basic cognitive functions, and there is not a special module in the brain that allows us to do this. Understanding stories is similar to the way we understand the real world.

Search for biomarkers aimed at improving treatment of painful bladder condition Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:14 PM PDT Taking advantage of technology that can analyze tissue samples and measure the activity of thousands of genes at once, scientists are on a mission to better understand and treat interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful and difficult-to-diagnose bladder condition. IC is also known as bladder pain syndrome. Symptoms can include severe pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency and painful sexual intercourse. IC is often misdiagnosed as other conditions such as endometriosis, kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections.

Clinical trial evaluates safety of stem cell transplantation in spine Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:14 PM PDT A clinical trial to investigate the safety of neural stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic spinal cord injuries has been launched in the United States. Related goals of the clinical trial include evaluating the stem cell graft's survival and the effectiveness of immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection. The researchers will also look for possible therapeutic benefits such as changes in motor and sensory function, bowel and bladder function, and pain levels.

Differing interests of psychology students, professors could impact retention Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:14 PM PDT What is the best way to keep psychology students from switching majors? According to a study, putting off intensive science courses may help. The study compared the views and interests of college students and instructors with regard to the psychology discipline, and then examined the implications of the differential interests.

Novel drug action against solid tumors explained Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:11 PM PDT Researchers have discovered how a drug that deprives the cells of a key amino acid specifically kills cancer cells. The study describes how arginine starvation specifically kills tumor cells by a novel mechanism involving mitochondria dysfunction, reactive oxygen species generation, nuclear DNA leakage and chromatin autophagy, where leaked DNA is captured and "eaten" by giant autophagosomes.

Links between city design, health shown in study Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT In a rare study of how street network design affects public health, researchers have discovered that older, more compact cities promote more walking and biking and are generally healthier than many newer cities. "We built these dense, connected street networks for thousands of years but only over the last century or so did we switch to designing sparse, tree-like networks with cars in mind," one researcher noted.

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