ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Video games could dramatically streamline educational research
• Spouse's personality influences career success, study finds
• Exercise boosts tumor-fighting ability of chemotherapy, team finds
• No sedative necessary: Scientists discover new 'sleep node' in the brain
• Sensing neuronal activity with light
• Benefits of telecommuting greater for some workers, study finds
• VIP: New way to prevent spread of devastating diseases
• New insights on an ancient plague could improve treatments for infections
• Small, fast, and crowded: Mammal traits amplify tick-borne illness
• A new quality control pathway in the cell
• Pupil size shows reliability of decisions, before information on decision is presented
• How epigenetic memory is passed through generations: Sperm and eggs transmit memory of gene repression to embryos
• How pneumonia bacteria can compromise heart health
• Technique to model infections shows why live vaccines may be most effective
• New molecule allows for up to 10-fold increase in stem cell transplants
• Scientists discover 'dimmer switch' for mood disorders
• Human sense of fairness evolved to favor long-term cooperation, primate study suggests
• Fortune 500 employees can expect to pay more for health insurance
• Reliable and highly efficient method for making stem cells
• CASIS research set for launch aboard SpaceX mission to space station
• Everything in moderation: Micro-8 to study regulating pathogens in space
• Flu vaccine for expectant moms a top priority, experts say
• Smartphone app reveals users' mental health, performance, behavior
• Gambling with confidence: Are you sure about that?
• Single dose of antidepressant changes the brain
• Stem cells use 'first aid kits' to repair damage
• Gene linked to increased dendritic spines -- a signpost of autism
• Newer tests clarify hereditary risk of cancer
• Tolerating, not fighting, viruses a viable survival strategy
• Melanoma risk found to have genetic determinant
• Students' reporting of weapons at school: Factors that influence decision to 'tell'
• Second look at glaucoma surgery: Anti-inflammatory medications after glaucoma laser surgery not helpful or necessary
• Dogs can be pessimists, too
• Kids eat better if their parents went to college
• Americans rate losing eyesight as having greatest impact on their lives
• Professional recommendations against routine prostate cancer screening have little effect
• Lone wolf terrorists target police more, but attacks not more frequent
• Living in disadvantaged neighborhood worsens musculoskeletal pain outcomes after trauma exposure
• Responsible use of x-rays in dentistry for children
• Few physicians are recommending HPV vaccination for boys, study finds
• Men enjoy competition, but so do women, researchers find
• Improving medicines for children in Canada
• Middle school dilemma: Girls' body image affected by older peers
• New microscopy technique yields fresh data on muscular dystrophy
• Rosuvastatin treatments particularly effective among prediabetic patients
• How stress tears us apart: Enzyme attacks synaptic molecule, leading to cognitive impairment
• Viability of premature babies minimal at 22 weeks' gestation, Spanish study shows
• Spontaneous mutations in key brain gene are a cause of autism, study concludes
• Researchers corroborate neuroprotective effects of Sirtuin 1 activation on mice with Alzheimer's disease
• Crowdsourcing could lead to better water in rural India
• Domestic violence issue possible red zone fumble for NFL
• 'Office life' of bacteria may be their weak spot
• PET-CT predicts lymphoma survival better than conventional imaging
• Global violence rates could be halved in just 30 years, say leading experts
• Wild berry extract may strengthen effectiveness of pancreatic cancer drug
• Failed Medicare payments law remains relevant
• Space: The final frontier ... open to the public
• CT scan is no more accurate than ultrasound to detect kidney stones, study finds
• Nine fats to include in a healthy diet

Video games could dramatically streamline educational research Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:01 PM PDT Scientists have figured out a dramatically easier and more cost-effective way to do research on science curriculum in the classroom -- and it could include playing video games. Called 'computational modeling,' it involves a computer 'learning' student behavior and then 'thinking' as students would. It could revolutionize the way educational research is done.

Spouse's personality influences career success, study finds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 05:59 PM PDT As much as we might try to leave personal lives at home, the personality traits of a spouse have a way of following us into the workplace, exerting a powerful influence on promotions, salaries, job satisfaction and other measures of professional success, new research suggests.

Exercise boosts tumor-fighting ability of chemotherapy, team finds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT Study after study has proven it true: exercise is good for you. But new research suggests that exercise may have an added benefit for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Their work, performed in a mouse model of melanoma, found that combining exercise with chemotherapy shrunk tumors more than chemotherapy alone.

No sedative necessary: Scientists discover new 'sleep node' in the brain Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT A sleep-promoting circuit located deep in the primitive brainstem has revealed how we fall into deep sleep. This is only the second 'sleep node' identified in the mammalian brain whose activity appears to be both necessary and sufficient to produce deep sleep.

Sensing neuronal activity with light Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT For years, neuroscientists have been trying to develop tools that would allow them to clearly view the brain's circuitry in action -- from the first moment a neuron fires to the resulting behavior in an organism. To get this complete picture, neuroscientists are working to develop a range of new tools to study the brain. Researchers have now developed one such tool that provides a new way of mapping neural networks in a living organism.

Benefits of telecommuting greater for some workers, study finds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:09 PM PDT Telecommuting is positively associated with improvement in two important employee measures: task-based performance and organizational citizenship behavior, including one's contributions toward creating a positive, cooperative and friendly work environment, an expert says.

VIP: New way to prevent spread of devastating diseases Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:09 PM PDT Researchers around the country are adopting a technique to try to guard against infection. The method, called VIP, was originally designed to trigger an immune response to HIV, and because of its success with HIV is now being studied, in mice, for protection against influenza, malaria, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.

New insights on an ancient plague could improve treatments for infections Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT Dangerous new pathogens such as the Ebola virus invoke scary scenarios of deadly epidemics, but even ancient scourges such as the bubonic plague are still providing researchers with new insights on how the body responds to infections.

Small, fast, and crowded: Mammal traits amplify tick-borne illness Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:15 AM PDT In the U.S., some 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually. Thousands also suffer from babesiosis and anaplasmosis, tick-borne ailments that can occur alone or as co-infections with Lyme disease. In our struggle to manage the ever-growing list of tick-borne diseases, we need to understand which animals magnify human disease risk. New results suggest when generalist pathogens emerge, small mammals with large populations and a fast pace of life warrant careful monitoring.

A new quality control pathway in the cell Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:15 AM PDT Researchers have described a new protein quality control system in the inner nuclear membrane. The new system has two main functions, to eliminate misfolded proteins and to protect the nucleus from accumulating mislocalized or ectopic proteins. This may be especially relevant in non-dividing cells such as neurons.

Pupil size shows reliability of decisions, before information on decision is presented Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:15 AM PDT The precision with which people make decisions can be predicted by measuring pupil size before they are presented with any information about the decision, according to a new study.

How epigenetic memory is passed through generations: Sperm and eggs transmit memory of gene repression to embryos Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental stresses can cause changes in gene expression that are transmitted from parents to their offspring, making 'epigenetics' a hot topic. Epigenetic modifications do not affect the DNA sequence of genes, but change how the DNA is packaged and how genes are expressed. Now, scientists have shown how epigenetic memory can be passed across generations and from cell to cell during development.

How pneumonia bacteria can compromise heart health Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT Bacterial pneumonia in adults carries an elevated risk for adverse cardiac events (such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and heart attacks) that contribute substantially to mortality -- but how the heart is compromised has been unclear. A study now demonstrates that Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium responsible for most cases of bacterial pneumonia, can invade the heart and cause the death of heart muscle cells.

Technique to model infections shows why live vaccines may be most effective Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT Vaccines against Salmonella that use a live, but weakened, form of the bacteria are more effective than those that use only dead fragments because of the particular way in which they stimulate the immune system, according to new research.

New molecule allows for up to 10-fold increase in stem cell transplants Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT A new molecule, the first of its kind, allows for the multiplication of stem cells in a unit of cord blood. Umbilical cord stem cells are used for transplants aimed at curing a number of blood-related diseases, including leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma. For many patients this therapy comprises a treatment of last resort.

Scientists discover 'dimmer switch' for mood disorders Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT Researchers have identified a control mechanism for an area of the brain that processes sensory and emotive information that humans experience as "disappointment." The discovery may provide be a neurochemical antidote for feeling let-down.

Human sense of fairness evolved to favor long-term cooperation, primate study suggests Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT The human response to unfairness evolved in order to support long-term cooperation, according to a new research. Fairness is a social ideal that cannot be measured, so to understand the evolution of fairness in humans scientists have studied the behavioral responses to equal versus unequal reward division in other primates.

Fortune 500 employees can expect to pay more for health insurance Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:09 AM PDT A new survey is the first factual collection of data on how firms have been impacted by PPACA and how they are responding to the rising costs they report. More than 200 responded to this year's survey, providing a definitive look at how medium and large-sized firms have been affected by the changes to the health insurance and health care system and how companies have responded.

Reliable and highly efficient method for making stem cells Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:09 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to boost dramatically the efficiency of the process for turning adult cells into so-called pluripotent stem cells by combining three well-known compounds, including vitamin C.

CASIS research set for launch aboard SpaceX mission to space station Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT This fall marks another commercial cargo flight to the International Space Station. In September, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to blast off to the orbital laboratory carrying supplies and investigations as part of the company's fourth contracted mission to the complex.

Everything in moderation: Micro-8 to study regulating pathogens in space Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:26 AM PDT Candida albicans, an opportunistic yeast pathogen and model organism for research, is common and usually doesn't damage our healthy personal ecosystem. However, when our immune system is stressed on Earth or in space, such as during long-duration space travel, C. albicans can grow out of control and potentially cause infections. Scientists want to address controlling these outbreaks with the next round of cellular growth experiments on the International Space Station -- Micro-8.

Flu vaccine for expectant moms a top priority, experts say Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT All pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should receive a flu shot because the normal changes to a pregnant woman's immune system, heart and lungs put moms-to-be at increased risk of the harmful effects of flu infection, experts say. Also, babies born to mothers who got their flu shot while pregnant were protected from serious illness from influenza during their first six months of life, research shows.

Smartphone app reveals users' mental health, performance, behavior Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT Researchers have built the first smartphone app that automatically reveals college students' mental health, academic performance and behavioral trends. In other words, your smartphone knows your state of mind -- even if you don't -- and how that affects you. The StudentLife app, which compares students' happiness, stress, depression and loneliness to their academic performance, also may be used in the general population -- for example, to monitor mental health, trigger intervention and improve productivity in workplace employees.

Gambling with confidence: Are you sure about that? Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT Confidence determines much of our path through life, but what is it? Most people would describe it as an emotion or a feeling. In contrast, scientists have found that confidence is actually a measurable quantity, and not reserved just for humans. The team has identified a brain region in rats whose function is required to for the animals to express confidence in their decisions.

Single dose of antidepressant changes the brain Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT A single dose of antidepressant is enough to produce dramatic changes in the functional architecture of the human brain. Brain scans taken of people before and after an acute dose of a commonly prescribed serotonin reuptake inhibitor reveal changes in connectivity within three hours, say researchers.

Stem cells use 'first aid kits' to repair damage Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:13 AM PDT Neural stem cells -- master cells that can develop into any type of nerve cell -- are able to generate mini "first aid kits" and transfer them to immune cells, according to a new study.

Gene linked to increased dendritic spines -- a signpost of autism Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:13 AM PDT Knocking out the gene NrCAM increases the number of dendritic spines on excitatory pyramidal neurons, researchers have discovered. Other studies have confirmed that the overabundance of dendritic spines allows for too many synaptic connections – a phenomenon strongly linked to autism.

Newer tests clarify hereditary risk of cancer Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:13 AM PDT Not all genetics tests that screen for cancer risk are the same, says a genetics counselor. While knowing you are at a higher genetic risk for cancer is stressful, that knowledge can guide how you manage your health going forward. For instance, you might be more likely to stay on top of health screenings or choose to have preventative surgery, which can be a difficult choice, she outlines.

Tolerating, not fighting, viruses a viable survival strategy Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:12 AM PDT In ecology, disease tolerance is defined as a host strategy not to fight a pathogen tooth and nail, but rather tolerate it to live (and survive) better in the long term. One key feature of tolerance is that the disease only progresses very slowly -- if at all -- even if the host carries a high pathogen load. In some HIV sufferers, this approach is evident. A research team has now determined how strongly patients differ in their tolerance and upon which factors it depends.

Melanoma risk found to have genetic determinant Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:11 AM PDT Longer telomeres increase the risk of melanoma, researchers report, suggesting that melanoma risk has a genetic determinant. Telomeres are a part of the genome that function like the plastic caps of your shoelaces, which prevent the laces from fraying. Instead they protect the ends of chromosomes from environmental damage, such as exposure to smoke or sunlight, which can harm them.

Students' reporting of weapons at school: Factors that influence decision to 'tell' Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT As a result of outbreaks of violence in the nation's schools, concerns have grown about school safety and the overall well-being of students. Now, criminology researchers discovered that academic achievement and knowledge of security measures increased the likelihood that high school students would report a knife or gun at school.

Second look at glaucoma surgery: Anti-inflammatory medications after glaucoma laser surgery not helpful or necessary Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT Using anti-inflammatory medications after glaucoma laser surgery is not helpful or necessary, new research concludes. Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the world, and is mainly caused by pressure within the eye being high enough to damage the optic nerve. The optic nerve is responsible for sending messages from the eye to the brain and is a vital part of vision.

Dogs can be pessimists, too Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT Dogs generally seem to be cheerful, happy-go-lucky characters, so you might expect that most would have an optimistic outlook on life. In fact some dogs are distinctly more pessimistic than others, new research shows.

Kids eat better if their parents went to college Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT Children of college-educated parents eat more vegetables and drink less sugar, according to a new study. But it's still not enough, the study goes on to say, as all kids are falling short when it comes to eating healthier at school. The research suggests a parent's educational attainment, an indicator of socioeconomic status, may inform a child's diet.

Americans rate losing eyesight as having greatest impact on their lives Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:16 AM PDT Many Americans across racial and ethnic groups describe losing eyesight as potentially having the greatest impact on their day-to-day life, more so than other conditions including: loss of limb, memory, hearing and speech, a survey shows.

Professional recommendations against routine prostate cancer screening have little effect Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:14 AM PDT The effect of guidelines recommending that elderly men should not be routinely screened for prostate cancer "has been minimal at best," according to a new study. The review focused on the use of PSA – prostate-specific antigen – to test for prostate cancer.

Lone wolf terrorists target police more, but attacks not more frequent Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:14 AM PDT Lone wolf terrorist attacks are not on the rise as popular culture might lead one to believe — but the attacks are more personal, use high-velocity firearms and targeting military and police, a researcher concludes.

Living in disadvantaged neighborhood worsens musculoskeletal pain outcomes after trauma exposure Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:13 AM PDT People living in lower-income neighborhoods have worse musculoskeletal pain outcomes over time after stressful events such as motor vehicle collisions than people from higher-income neighborhoods, a new study finds.

Responsible use of x-rays in dentistry for children Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:13 AM PDT Radiologists and dental specialists discuss the implications of the Image Gently campaign in a new article.

Few physicians are recommending HPV vaccination for boys, study finds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:13 AM PDT Family physicians and pediatricians in the United States are not always recommending vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) for young male patients. Approximately 6 million people are newly infected with HPV each year, a virus that can lead to the development of cancer. There are also more than 600,000 new cases of cancer attributed to HPV each year worldwide.

Men enjoy competition, but so do women, researchers find Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:55 AM PDT Common stereotypes would have us believe that men are more competitive and women more cooperative. Researchers studied the physiological responses to competitive and cooperative play, investigating emotions, i.e. how males and females are motivated to behave in these situations. While males did enjoy competition more than cooperation, females enjoyed both competition and cooperation equally.

Improving medicines for children in Canada Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT A new expert panel report addresses the importance of developing safe and effective medicines for children. Each year about half of Canada's seven million children use at least one prescription drug. Much of this prescribing is done off-label, creating potential health risks.

Middle school dilemma: Girls' body image affected by older peers Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT The media is highly criticized for contributing to body image issues in adolescents. However, a study finds a different source for body dissatisfaction among young girls: older girls at school.

New microscopy technique yields fresh data on muscular dystrophy Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT A new microscopy technique yields resolution an order of magnitude better than previously possible. Through this new technique, the researchers showed that dystrophin was responsible for regulating tiny molecular fluctuations in calcium channels while muscles are in use. The discovery suggests that a lack of functional dystrophin alters the dynamics of ion channels -- helping to cause the defective mechanical responses and the calcium imbalance that impair normal muscle activity in patients with muscular dystrophy.

Rosuvastatin treatments particularly effective among prediabetic patients Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT Cardiovascular disease is the leading causes of death worldwide and high cholesterol plays a major role in accelerating its progression. Medical practitioners have turned to statins as a treatment to decrease cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins. A new study finds that rosuvastatin may be more effective among prediabetic patients than patients with normal glucose levels.

How stress tears us apart: Enzyme attacks synaptic molecule, leading to cognitive impairment Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT Why is it that when people are too stressed they are often grouchy, grumpy, nasty, distracted or forgetful? Researchers have just highlighted a fundamental synaptic mechanism that explains the relationship between chronic stress and the loss of social skills and cognitive impairment. When triggered by stress, an enzyme attacks a synaptic regulatory molecule in the brain, leading to these problems.

Viability of premature babies minimal at 22 weeks' gestation, Spanish study shows Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT A new study analyses the survival rates in Spain of newborns with a gestational age under 26 weeks. The results show that survival under 23 weeks is 'exceptional', although other factors such as birth weight and sex also have an influence. The data have been drawn from the national database that gathers information on all babies born weighing less than 1.5 kilos.

Spontaneous mutations in key brain gene are a cause of autism, study concludes Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Spontaneous mutations in the brain gene TBR1 disrupt the function of the encoded protein in children with severe autism. In addition, there is a direct link between TBR1 and FOXP2, a well-known language-related protein, researchers report.

Researchers corroborate neuroprotective effects of Sirtuin 1 activation on mice with Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT A study has described a mechanism that plays a key role in the evolution of Alzheimer's disease. According to the paper, the activation of the protein Sirtuin 1 in a murine model with familial Alzheimer's disease has neuroprotective effects.

Crowdsourcing could lead to better water in rural India Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:07 AM PDT A novel environmental crowdsourcing technique for assessing water quality in India is being evaluated by a three-continent research consortium. The technique relies on 53-cent test kits and the nation's ubiquitous mobile phone service.

Domestic violence issue possible red zone fumble for NFL Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:07 AM PDT Twice as many women as compared to men are of the strong opinion that Ray Rice, former Baltimore Ravens running back, should never play in the NFL again, according to a new survey.

'Office life' of bacteria may be their weak spot Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:19 PM PDT We may be able to drown deadly bacteria in their own paperwork, scientists suggest. For the first time, researchers have shown how the "paper shredder" that keeps the bacteria E. coli on top of its day job works. Now the group is looking for ways to jam the mechanism and leave E. coli and similar bacteria in filing hell. Dr Kenneth McDowall, Associate Professor in Molecular Microbiology, who led the research, said: "If we block the 'shredder' using genetics in the lab, the bacteria drown in a flood of messages. The challenge now is to block it with drugs so that bacterial infections in humans can be killed. Our latest results give us a good idea how this can be done."

PET-CT predicts lymphoma survival better than conventional imaging Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:16 PM PDT Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) is more accurate than conventional CT scanning in measuring response to treatment and predicting survival in patients with follicular lymphoma, and should be used routinely in clinical practice, according to new research.

Global violence rates could be halved in just 30 years, say leading experts Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:16 PM PDT Homicide rates in many countries are falling, research shows. Leading experts from around the world believe that global rates of homicide and other interpersonal violence - such as child abuse and domestic violence - could be reduced by as much as 50% in just 30 years if governments implement the right policies.

Wild berry extract may strengthen effectiveness of pancreatic cancer drug Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:16 PM PDT A wild berry native to North America may strengthen the effectiveness of a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer, reveals research. The study suggests that adding nutraceuticals to chemotherapy cycles may improve the effectiveness of conventional drugs, particularly in hard to treat cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.

Failed Medicare payments law remains relevant Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:34 PM PDT A new commentary outlines what experts saw as merits of the originally bipartisan Sustainable Growth Rate Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014. The perennial trouble with how Medicare pays doctors will return in the 114th Congress, and broader trends in health care practice that the bill attempted to address will remain just as strong, they say.

Space: The final frontier ... open to the public Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT Historically, spaceflight has been reserved for the very healthy. Astronauts are selected for their ability to meet the highest physical standards to prepare them for any unknown challenges. However, with the advent of commercial spaceflight, average people can now fly. The aerospace medicine community has had little information about what medical conditions should be considered particularly risky in the spaceflight environment, as most medical conditions have never been studied for risk in space -- until now.

CT scan is no more accurate than ultrasound to detect kidney stones, study finds Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT To diagnose painful kidney stones in hospital emergency rooms, CT scans are no better than less-often-used ultrasound exams, according to a clinical study conducted at 15 medical centers. "Ultrasound is the right place to start," researchers said. "Radiation exposure is avoided, without any increase in any category of adverse events, and with no increase in cost."

Nine fats to include in a healthy diet Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:30 PM PDT Fats are often considered the enemy of good nutrition, but when included in a healthy diet they can boast several potential health benefits. Fatty acids and nutritional oils may benefit cognition, weight management, heart health, eye and brain development, and even mood.

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