ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• We drink more alcohol on gym days
• Reversing the effects of pulmonary fibrosis with a microRNA mimic
• Cheater, cheater: Study shows what happens when employees feel excluded at work
• Best exercise for obese youths analyzed
• Maternal breast milk is risk factor for cytomegalovirus transmission in premature infants
• Statin use during hospitalization for hemorrhagic stroke associated with improved survival
• Old drug may be key to new antibiotics
• Actions on climate change bring better health, study says
• Artificial liver tested as potential therapy for patients with alcohol-related organ failure
• Think the system for paying U.S. Doctors is rigged to favor surgeons? New study may surprise you
• Higher risk of heart disease for South Asians in Canada
• Gene expression patterns in pancreatic circulating tumor cells revealed
• Platelets modulate clotting behavior by 'feeling' their surroundings
• Immune response turned up, not down, by flu during pregnancy, study finds
• Fine line between breast cancer, normal tissues
• Firelight talk of the Kalahari Bushmen
• Priorities for research on pharmaceutical, personal care products in the environment
• Benefits of wellness program for people with multiple sclerosis demonstrated in pilot study
• New chip promising for tumor-targeting research
• Compound from hops aids cognitive function in young animals
• Variability in heart beat keeps the body in balance
• Obesity and stress pack a double hit for health
• Hold on, tiger mom: Punitive parenting may lead to mental health risks
• Common diabetes drug associated with risk of low levels of thyroid hormone
• Online ratings influence parents' choices of physicians for their children
• Brainwave test could improve autism diagnosis, classification
• New bracelet strengthens computer security
• Blood test may help determine who is at risk for psychosis
• Some concussion education more useful than others, parents say
• How gene expression affects facial expressions
• Lack of thyroid hormone blocks hearing development
• Environment plays bigger role than genetics in food allergic disease
• Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge
• Involving female offenders in release planning can increase reintegration success
• Nurse survey shows longer working hours impact on quality of care
• Learning language through cookery and technology
• New guidelines issued for managing peri- and postoperative atrial fibrillation
• Food memory: Discovery shows how we remember taste experiences
• Classroom intervention helps shy kids learn
• Diabetes in South Asian population the focus of new efforts
• Evidence supports deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Don’t drink the (warm) water, study says
• One out of three severely injured patients undertriaged in the United States
• Brief intervention may prevent increased risk of depression in teens
• E-cigarettes unhelpful in smoking cessation among cancer patients, study shows
• Research evaluates neurodevelomental, medical outcomes in single family room NICU
• Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements in pregnancy, study shows
• Nerve cells: Communication without detours
• Research on photoacoustics to detect breast cancer
• Making light work of the workload for overworked healthcare workers
• Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated
• Putting dementia carers in control
• Gene that increases incidence of acute myelogenous leukaemia discovered
• Impact of smoking ban in homeless shelter studied
• Dry roasting could help trigger peanut allergy
• Friend or foe: 'Devastating' number of hate-fuelled crimes are committed by friends, colleagues, carers of victims
• Directed evolution: Bioengineered decoy protein may stop cancer from spreading

We drink more alcohol on gym days Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:13 PM PDT On days when people exercise more -- typically Thursdays to Sundays -- they drink more alcohol, too. This is the only study to use smartphone technology and a daily diary approach for self-reporting physical activity and alcohol use.

Reversing the effects of pulmonary fibrosis with a microRNA mimic Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:13 PM PDT A potential new treatment that reverses the effects of pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease in which scars develop in the lungs and severely hamper breathing, is being studied by scientists. The treatment uses a microRNA mimic, miR-29, which is delivered to lung tissue intravenously. In mouse models, miR-29 not only blocked pulmonary fibrosis, it reversed fibrosis after several days.

Cheater, cheater: Study shows what happens when employees feel excluded at work Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:13 PM PDT When employees feel left out, they act out. That's the message that new research delivers as it explains why employees can become weasels to benefit their work group.

Best exercise for obese youths analyzed Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT What exercise program can best fight the 'epidemic' of teen obesity? According to a study, by combining aerobic exercise with resistance training. "Obesity is an epidemic among youth," says one author. "Adolescents who are overweight are typically advised to exercise more, but there is limited evidence on what type of exercise is best in order to lose fat."

Maternal breast milk is risk factor for cytomegalovirus transmission in premature infants Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT Premature infants, especially those born with very low-birth-weight, are particularly vulnerable to cytomegalovirus infection because of their immature immune systems. Maternal breast milk is a primary source of postnatal cytomegalovirus in very-low-birth-weight patients, researchers say.

Statin use during hospitalization for hemorrhagic stroke associated with improved survival Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT Patients who were treated with a statin in the hospital after suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke were significantly more likely to survive than those who were not, according to a study. This study was conducted by the same researchers who recently discovered that the use of cholesterol-lowering statins can improve survival in victims of ischemic stroke.

Old drug may be key to new antibiotics Posted: 22 Sep 2014 02:57 PM PDT An anticonvulsant drug called lamotrigine is the first chemical inhibitor of the assembly of ribosomes in bacteria. he discovery is important as there is growing concern worldwide about how antibiotic resistance is making the cures for infections ineffective. The World Health Organization has declared that antibiotic resistance is a major threat to global health security.

Actions on climate change bring better health, study says Posted: 22 Sep 2014 02:57 PM PDT The number of extremely hot days in Eastern and Midwestern U.S. cities is projected to triple by mid-century, according to a new study. In presenting their synthesis, the study authors seek to encourage efforts that benefit both the health of the planet and the health of people.

Artificial liver tested as potential therapy for patients with alcohol-related organ failure Posted: 22 Sep 2014 02:57 PM PDT A novel, human cell based, bioartificial liver support system is being tested for patients with acute liver failure, often a fatal diagnosis. The external organ support system is designed to perform critical functions of a normal liver, including protein synthesis and the processing and cleaning of a patient's blood. The filtered and treated blood is then returned to the patient through the central line.

Think the system for paying U.S. Doctors is rigged to favor surgeons? New study may surprise you Posted: 22 Sep 2014 02:57 PM PDT A new study pulls back the curtain on one of the most contentious issues in health care: differences in payment between physicians who perform operations and those who don't. Contrary to perception, the research indicates, the physician payment system is not inherently "rigged" to favor surgeons.

Higher risk of heart disease for South Asians in Canada Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:29 PM PDT Findings of a new study emphasize the need to develop a standardized surveillance system for non-communicable diseases, such as CVD, cancer and lung diseases, by ethnic group in Canada.

Gene expression patterns in pancreatic circulating tumor cells revealed Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:28 PM PDT Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer identified distinct patterns of gene expression in several groups of CTCs, including significant differences from the primary tumor that may contribute to the ability to generate metastases. The investigators identified several different classes of pancreatic CTCs and found unexpected factors that may prove to be targets for improved treatment of the deadly tumor.

Platelets modulate clotting behavior by 'feeling' their surroundings Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:28 PM PDT Platelets respond to surfaces with greater stiffness by increasing their stickiness, the degree to which they "turn on" other platelets and other components of the clotting system, researchers have found. Platelets, the tiny cell fragments whose job it is to stop bleeding, are very simple. And yet they have proven to be "smarter than we give them credit for," researchers have found.

Immune response turned up, not down, by flu during pregnancy, study finds Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:28 PM PDT Pregnant women have an unusually strong immune response to influenza, an unexpected finding that may explain why they get sicker from the flu than other healthy adults, new research has found. The results were surprising because immune responses are thought to be weakened by pregnancy to prevent the woman's body from rejecting her fetus.

Fine line between breast cancer, normal tissues Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:28 PM PDT A tool has been successfully tested that will help surgeons better distinguish cancerous breast tissue from normal tissue, thereby decreasing the chances for repeat operations. The tool, known as DESI mass spectrometry imaging, works by turning molecules into electrically charged versions of themselves, called ions, so that they can be identified by their mass.

Firelight talk of the Kalahari Bushmen Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:28 PM PDT A study of Africa's Kalahari Bushmen suggests that stories told over firelight helped human culture and thought evolve by reinforcing social traditions, promoting harmony and equality, and sparking the imagination to envision a broad sense of community, both with distant people and the spirit world.

Priorities for research on pharmaceutical, personal care products in the environment Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:17 PM PDT The results from a survey designed to identify and prioritize the scientific research needed to understand the risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment have now been released.

Benefits of wellness program for people with multiple sclerosis demonstrated in pilot study Posted: 22 Sep 2014 12:17 PM PDT A pilot study has shown the benefits of a 10-week psychoeducational wellness program in people with multiple sclerosis. Improvements were seen in mood, overall mental health, perceived stress, and pain, researchers report.

New chip promising for tumor-targeting research Posted: 22 Sep 2014 11:58 AM PDT Researchers have developed a chip capable of simulating a tumor's 'microenvironment' and plan to use the new system to test the effectiveness of nanoparticles and drugs that target cancer. The new system, called a tumor-microenvironment-on-chip (T-MOC) device, will allow researchers to study the complex environment surrounding tumors and the barriers that prevent the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents.

Compound from hops aids cognitive function in young animals Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT Xanthohumol, a type of flavonoid found in hops and beer, has been shown in a new study to improve cognitive function in young mice, but not in older animals. The findings are another step toward understanding, and ultimately reducing the degradation of memory that happens with age in many mammalian species, including humans.

Variability in heart beat keeps the body in balance Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT Although the heart beats out a very familiar 'lub-dub' pattern that speeds up or slows down as our activity increases or decreases, the pattern itself isn't as regular as you might think. In fact, the amount of time between heartbeats can vary even at a 'constant' heart rate -- and that variability, doctors have found, is a good thing.

Obesity and stress pack a double hit for health Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT If you're overweight, you may be at greater risk for stress-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a new study. Researchers observed that overweight and obese individuals have higher levels of stress-induced inflammation than those within a healthy weight-range.

Hold on, tiger mom: Punitive parenting may lead to mental health risks Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT Less supportive and punitive parenting techniques used by some Chinese parents might lead to the development of low self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties in their children and leave them vulnerable to depression and problem behaviors, according to a paper.

Common diabetes drug associated with risk of low levels of thyroid hormone Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT Metformin, a commonly used drug for treating type 2 diabetes, is linked to an increased risk of low thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in patients with underactive thyroids, according to a study. Low levels of thyroid stimulating hormone can cause harm, such as cardiovascular conditions and fractures.

Online ratings influence parents' choices of physicians for their children Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:06 AM PDT Almost three-quarters (74%) of parents are aware of online rating sites for physicians, and more than one-quarter (28%) have used those online ratings to choose a healthcare provider for their children, according to research.

Brainwave test could improve autism diagnosis, classification Posted: 22 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT Measuring how fast the brain responds to sights and sounds could help in objectively classifying people on the autism spectrum and may help diagnose the condition earlier, research suggests. Statistics show that 1 in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The signs and symptoms of ASD vary significantly from person to person, ranging from mild social and communication difficulties to profound cognitive impairments.

New bracelet strengthens computer security Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT In a big step for securing critical information systems, such as medical records in clinical settings, researchers have created a new approach to computer security that authenticates users continuously while they are using a terminal and automatically logs them out when they leave or when someone else steps in to use their terminal.

Blood test may help determine who is at risk for psychosis Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT A blood test, when used in psychiatric patients experiencing symptoms that are considered to be indicators of a high risk for psychosis, identifies those who later went on to develop psychosis, preliminary results of a new study show. "The blood test included a selection of 15 measures of immune and hormonal system imbalances as well as evidence of oxidative stress," explained a corresponding author of the study.

Some concussion education more useful than others, parents say Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:29 AM PDT Many parents whose kids participate in athletics will be asked to sign a waiver about concussion education, but that's not enough to ensure parents are confident about handling the injury, according to a new poll.

How gene expression affects facial expressions Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT A person's face is the first thing that others see, and much remains unknown about how it forms -- or malforms -- during early development. Recently, researchers have begun to unwind these mysteries.

Lack of thyroid hormone blocks hearing development Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT Fatigue, weight gain, chills, hair loss, anxiety, excessive perspiration -- these symptoms are a few of the signs that the thyroid gland has gone haywire. Harnessing electron microscopy to track the inner hair cells of the cochlea in two groups of mice, new research points to an additional complication caused by an imbalance in the thyroid gland: congenital deafness.

Environment plays bigger role than genetics in food allergic disease Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Environment has a much stronger role than genetics in eosinophilic esophagitis, a severe, often painful food allergy that renders children unable to eat a wide variety of foods, researchers have found. Eosinophils are normal cellular components of the blood, but when the body produces too many eosinophils they can cause a variety of eosinophilic disorders. These are disorders involving chronic inflammation and resulting tissue damage, often in the gastrointestinal system.

Influenza A potentiates pneumococcal co-infection: New details emerge Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Influenza infection can enhance the ability of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae to cause ear and throat infections, according to research. "As with most pneumococcal infections, it should be appreciated that localized nonlethal infections are much more common than the rapidly lethal presentations," says one expert. "For example, influenza is a contributing factor in otitis media (middle ear infections) in children."

Involving female offenders in release planning can increase reintegration success Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Women who are about to be released from prison need to be more involved in their discharge planning if they are to successfully reintegrate into their communities and avoid returning to prison, according to a new study.

Nurse survey shows longer working hours impact on quality of care Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:04 AM PDT Results of a survey of more than 30,000 nurses across Europe show that nurses who work longer shifts and more overtime are more likely to rate the standard of care delivered on their ward as poor, give a negative rating of their hospitals safety and omit necessary patient care.

Learning language through cookery and technology Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:03 AM PDT Researchers have cooked up a new way to teach modern languages. They placed the latest digital devices into cooking utensils to create the LanCook project -- an unique mix of cookery, technology and language teaching.

New guidelines issued for managing peri- and postoperative atrial fibrillation Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:02 AM PDT The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) has released new evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and treatment of perioperative and postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and flutter for thoracic surgical procedures. "These guidelines have the potential to prevent the occurrence of atrial fibrillation in thousands of patients who undergo lung surgery in the United States each year," commented one expert.

Food memory: Discovery shows how we remember taste experiences Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT A functional link between the brain region responsible for taste memory and the area responsible for encoding the time and place we experienced the taste had been found. The findings expose the complexity and richness of the simple sensory experiences that are engraved in our brains and that in most cases we aren't even aware of. The study can also help explain behavioral results and the difficulty in producing memories when certain areas of the brain become dysfunctional following and illness or accident.

Classroom intervention helps shy kids learn Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT A program that helps teachers modify their interactions with students based on an individual's temperament helps shy children to become more engaged in their class work, and in turn, improves their math and critical thinking skills, researchers report.

Diabetes in South Asian population the focus of new efforts Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT A graduate student of South Asian descent is using his medical training and cultural background to educate New Jersey's South Asian communities on diet and lifestyle changes. "Since most people from South Asia are vegetarian, white rice is our go-to food, which means that carb-heavy meals with a high glycemic index are common," he explains. "To reduce their risk, they have to change their diet as well as understand their genetic predisposition."

Evidence supports deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT Available research evidence supports the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who don't respond to other treatments, concludes a review. Despite the limited evidence base, DBS therapy for OCD has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration under a humanitarian device exemption.

Don’t drink the (warm) water, study says Posted: 22 Sep 2014 08:01 AM PDT There's an old saying: "Don't drink the water." But a scientist warns Americans not to drink water from plastic bottles if it's been sitting in a warm environment for a long time. A research team examined 16 bottled water brands at 158 degrees for four weeks. The study found that as bottles warmed over the four-week period, antimony and BPA levels increased.

One out of three severely injured patients undertriaged in the United States Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Patients with severe injuries should be treated at level I or level II trauma centers, experts say. Those centers have the resources to provide the best care for those patients. But one out of three major trauma patients in 2010 actually received their treatment at lower-level trauma centers or nontrauma centers, according to a new study.

Brief intervention may prevent increased risk of depression in teens Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT A low-cost, one-time intervention that educates teens about the changeable nature of personality traits may prevent an increase in depressive symptoms often seen during the transition to high school, according to new research.

E-cigarettes unhelpful in smoking cessation among cancer patients, study shows Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT In a new study of cancer patients who smoke, those using e-cigarettes, in addition to traditional cigarettes, were more nicotine dependent and equally or less likely to have quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users.

Research evaluates neurodevelomental, medical outcomes in single family room NICU Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT A single-family room neonatal intensive care unit provides for appropriate levels of maternal involvement, developmental support, and staff involvement, which are essential to provide the kind of care that can optimize the medical and neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants and lead to the development of preventive interventions to reduce later impairment, researchers have found.

Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements in pregnancy, study shows Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Mothers of children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, a study by researchers.

Nerve cells: Communication without detours Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:11 AM PDT Certain nerve cells take a shortcut for the transmission of information: signals are not conducted via the cell`s center, but around it like on a bypass road. This is a previously unknown nerve cell shape. Nerve cells communicate by using electrical signals.

Research on photoacoustics to detect breast cancer Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:11 AM PDT Researchers report a new method to detect breast cancer based on photoacoustics, which could become an alternative to mammography or sonogram, they say. One advantage this method has over X-rays is that no type of ionizing radiation is used. This technology exploits the property of ultrasonic wave generation in tissue when it is illuminated with short, high-energy pulses of light.

Making light work of the workload for overworked healthcare workers Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Modern hospitals are staffed by overworked and overstressed healthcare workers, according to a research paper. As such, new technology must be implemented to reduce the number of treatment errors that arise because of this. With appropriate and regular training, a new article suggests that the advantages and benefits of IT solutions in hospitals such as the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and healthcare management and dispensing software and electronic health records (EHR) can be made clear.

Mechanism of Parkinson's spread demonstrated Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Through the use of a new antibody, an international team of researchers has demonstrated how Parkinson's disease spreads from cell to cell in the human brain. Until now, this mechanism has only been observed in experimental models, but has now been demonstrated for the first time in humans too.

Putting dementia carers in control Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Experts will explore how improved support and powers for people caring for loved-ones with dementia can improve quality of life for both patients and carers around the UK as part of a new study.

Gene that increases incidence of acute myelogenous leukaemia discovered Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Targeted therapy to treat acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) may be closer, thanks to recent research. The scientists discovered that inhibition of Leo1 and Leo1 downstream signalling pathways provide an avenue for targeted treatment of the disease. In addition, this is the first study to suggest that the protein PRL-3 plays a role in the regulation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) related processes, a finding which advances the understanding of how the protein contributes to cancer progression.

Impact of smoking ban in homeless shelter studied Posted: 22 Sep 2014 06:09 AM PDT Instituting a partial smoking ban at a homeless shelter can lead to a reduction in expired carbon monoxide levels, an indicator of exposure to cigarette smoke, and may have positive effects on shelter residents' health, according to new research.

Dry roasting could help trigger peanut allergy Posted: 21 Sep 2014 07:36 PM PDT Dry roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergy to peanuts than raw peanuts, suggests a study involving mice. The researchers say that specific chemical changes caused by the high temperatures of the dry roasting process are recognized by the body's immune system, 'priming' the body to set off an allergic immune response the next time it sees any peanuts.

Friend or foe: 'Devastating' number of hate-fuelled crimes are committed by friends, colleagues, carers of victims Posted: 21 Sep 2014 07:36 PM PDT People in trustworthy positions to victims, such as friends or carers, can be sources of cruelty and hate, a new study has concluded. Hate crime victims have recorded being tipped from wheelchairs, finding feces posted through letterboxes and having their guide dogs attacked, often by those that are closest to them. Many victims suffer in silence due to lack of knowledge of available support, say authors of a new report.

Directed evolution: Bioengineered decoy protein may stop cancer from spreading Posted: 21 Sep 2014 11:51 AM PDT A decoy protein has been designed by researcher to interrupt the signaling pathway that triggers the breakaway of cancerous cells; in other words the signal that initiates metastasis. Preliminary tests showed this strategy effective in mice models; infusion with this decoy protein greatly reduced metastasis in mice with aggressive breast and ovarian cancers when compared to a control group. Years of tests lie ahead, but it's a promising start for an alternative to chemotherapy.

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