ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Mechanized human hands: System designed to improve hand function lost to nerve damage
• Agonizing rabies deaths can be stopped worldwide
• Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques
• Researchers engineer 'Cas9' animal models to study disease, inform drug discovery
• Yoga, meditation may help train brain to help people control computers with their mind
• Brain chemical potential new hope in controlling Tourette Syndrome tics
• How physical exercise protects the brain from stress-induced depression
• Coping techniques help patients with COPD improve mentally, physically
• Surprising diversity of antibody family provides clues for HIV vaccine design
• New protein players found in key disease-related metabolic pathway
• Strategic or random? How the brain chooses
• Modified vitamin D shows promise as treatment for pancreatic cancer
• How the ends of chromosomes are maintained for cancer cell immortality
• Severe childhood epilepsies: Large international study pinpoints synapse genes with major roles
• Celiac disease: A wriggly solution to a first-world problem
• Discovery may lead to better treatments for autoimmune diseases, bone loss
• Perfectionism is a bigger than perceived risk factor in suicide: Psychology expert
• Chemists recruit anthrax to deliver cancer drugs
• Autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammations: Advancing research
• Simple blood test could be used as tool for early cancer diagnosis
• ADHD: Brains not recognizing angry expressions
• How brain handles tactile sensations: New findings
• Biomarkers, stem cells offer new ways to treat deadly gut disease in premature babies
• Massive weight loss increases risk of complications in body-shaping surgery
• Dengue fever, malaria in the Himalayas
• New research shows how Ryder Cup golfers can have the edge
• Human papilloma virus vaccination provides long-term protection
• Osteoarthritis of the hip: appropriate exercise therapy can alleviate symptoms
• Cryptogenic strokes may find explanation in heart
• Calming down immune cells could hold key to melanoma treatment
• Treatment studied to help patients 'burned to the bone'
• First mouse model for ALS dementia
• Study supports camels as primary source of MERS-CoV transmission
• Increased risk of venous thromboembolism among NSAIDs users, study shows
• Treatment for complicated grief in older individuals examined in study
• Skirt size increase linked to 33 percent greater postmenopausal breast cancer risk
• Working long hours linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs
• Plant extract as possible Lupus treatment? Findings give new hope
• Better information about prenatal testing leads to fewer tests
• Customer experience matters more when economy is strong, research shows
• Despite what you've heard, kids with egg allergies should get the flu shot, experts say
• How a single, genetic change causes retinal tumors in young children

Mechanized human hands: System designed to improve hand function lost to nerve damage Posted: 25 Sep 2014 02:26 PM PDT Engineers have developed and successfully demonstrated the value of a simple pulley mechanism to improve hand function after surgery. The device, tested in cadaver hands, is one of the first instruments ever created that could improve the transmission of mechanical forces and movement while implanted inside the body.

Agonizing rabies deaths can be stopped worldwide Posted: 25 Sep 2014 11:12 AM PDT Ridding the world of rabies in humans is cost-effective and achievable through mass dog vaccination programs, an international team of researchers says. A rabies vaccine has long existed. Even so, the disease kills an estimated 69,000 people worldwide -- that's 189 each day. Forty percent of them are children, mostly in Africa and Asia. The disease is spread primarily through the saliva of infected dogs. Once a person develops symptoms, the chance that he or she will die is nearly 100-percent.

Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques Posted: 25 Sep 2014 11:12 AM PDT A new primate model has been developed to test treatments that might cure HIV/AIDS and suggests answers to questions raised by the 'Berlin patient,' the only human thought to have been cured so far.

Researchers engineer 'Cas9' animal models to study disease, inform drug discovery Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:28 AM PDT A new mouse model to simplify application of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for in vivo genome editing experiments. The researchers successfully used the new 'Cas9 mouse' model to edit multiple genes in a variety of cell types, and to model lung adenocarcinoma, one of the most lethal human cancers.

Yoga, meditation may help train brain to help people control computers with their mind Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT People who practice yoga and meditation long term can learn to control a computer with their minds faster and better than people with little or no yoga or meditation experience, new research by biomedical engineers shows. The research could have major implications for treatments of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain chemical potential new hope in controlling Tourette Syndrome tics Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:23 AM PDT A chemical in the brain plays a vital role in controlling the involuntary movements and vocal tics associated with Tourette Syndrome, a new study has shown. The research could offer a potential new target for the development of more effective treatments to suppress these unwanted symptoms.

How physical exercise protects the brain from stress-induced depression Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:13 AM PDT Physical exercise has many beneficial effects on human health, including the protection from stress-induced depression. However, until now the mechanisms that mediate this protective effect have been unknown. In a new study in mice, researchers show that exercise training induces changes in skeletal muscle that can purge the blood of a substance that accumulates during stress, and is harmful to the brain.

Coping techniques help patients with COPD improve mentally, physically Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT Coaching patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to manage stress, practice relaxation and participate in light exercise can boost a patient's quality of life and can even improve physical symptoms, researchers report.

Surprising diversity of antibody family provides clues for HIV vaccine design Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT Scientists have described how a single family of antibodies that broadly neutralizes different strains of HIV has evolved remarkably diverse structures to attack a vulnerable site on the virus. The findings provide clues for the design of a future HIV vaccine.

New protein players found in key disease-related metabolic pathway Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT Cells rely on the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway—which senses the availability of nutrients—to coordinate their growth with existing environmental conditions. Now researchers have identified a family of proteins that negatively regulate the branch upstream of mTORC1 that senses amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

Strategic or random? How the brain chooses Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT The brain can temporarily disconnect information about past experience from decision-making circuits, thereby triggering random behavior, a study has demonstrated. The new studies look at how the brain generates strategic and random behavior, and how it switches between the two modes.

Modified vitamin D shows promise as treatment for pancreatic cancer Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT A vitamin D-derivative makes tumors vulnerable to chemotherapy, a new study shows. By attacking a wound repair mechanism called fibrosis, the findings may also have implications for other tough-to-treat tumors, such as lung, kidney and liver cancer, researchers report.

How the ends of chromosomes are maintained for cancer cell immortality Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT Maintaining telomeres is a requisite feature of cells that are able to continuously divide and also a hallmark of human cancer. Telomeres are much like the plastic cap on the ends of shoelaces -- they keep the ends of DNA from fraying. In a new study, researchers describe a mechanism for how cancer cells take over one of the processes for telomere maintenance to gain an infinite lifespan.

Severe childhood epilepsies: Large international study pinpoints synapse genes with major roles Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT An international research team has identified gene mutations causing severe, difficult-to-treat forms of childhood epilepsy. Many of the mutations disrupt functioning in the synapse, the junction at which nerve cells intercommunicate.

Celiac disease: A wriggly solution to a first-world problem Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:09 AM PDT Groundbreaking results were achieved in a clinical trial using hookworms to reduce the symptoms of celiac disease. The results are good news for sufferers of other inflammatory conditions such as asthma and Crohn's disease. In the small trial run over a year, 12 participants were each experimentally infected with 20 Necator americanus (hookworm) larvae. They were then given gradually increasing doses of gluten, with their daily dose in the final stage being equivalent to a medium-sized bowl of spaghetti.

Discovery may lead to better treatments for autoimmune diseases, bone loss Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:09 AM PDT Scientists have developed an approach to creating treatments for osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases that may avoid the risk of infection and cancer posed by some current medications.

Perfectionism is a bigger than perceived risk factor in suicide: Psychology expert Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:09 AM PDT Experts are calling for closer attention to perfectionism's potential destructiveness, adding that clinical guidelines should include perfectionism as a separate factor for suicide risk assessment and intervention. 'There is an urgent need for looking at perfectionism with a person-centered approach as an individual and societal risk factor, when formulating clinical guidelines for suicide risk assessment and intervention, as well as public health approaches to suicide prevention,' says one researcher.

Chemists recruit anthrax to deliver cancer drugs Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:09 AM PDT With some tinkering, a deadly protein becomes an efficient carrier for antibody drugs, researchers have discovered. "Anthrax toxin is a professional at delivering large enzymes into cells," says one researcher. "We wondered if we could render anthrax toxin nontoxic, and use it as a platform to deliver antibody drugs into cells."

Autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammations: Advancing research Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:08 AM PDT Multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and lupus are autoimmune diseases in which the immune cells can no longer differentiate between friend and foe and thus attack the body's own tissue. Here, the immunoproteasome, which supplies the immune system with information on processes within the cell, plays a central role. Chemists have now discovered a way to inhibit its functionality, thereby laying the foundation for possible optimizations of existing medications.

Simple blood test could be used as tool for early cancer diagnosis Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:08 AM PDT High levels of calcium in blood, a condition known as hypercalcemia, can be used by GPs as an early indication of certain types of cancer, according to a study by researchers. Hypercalcaemia is the most common metabolic disorder associated with cancer, occurring in 10 to 20 per cent of people with cancer. While its connection to cancer is well known, this study has, for the first time, shown that often it can predate the diagnosis of cancer in primary care.

ADHD: Brains not recognizing angry expressions Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:07 AM PDT The characteristics of facial expression recognition of children with ADHD has been initially identified by researchers by measuring hemodynamic response in the brain. They showed that children with ADHD showed significant hemodynamic response to the happy expression but not to the angry expression. This difference in the neural basis for the recognition of facial expression might be responsible for impairment in social recognition and the establishment of peer-relationships.

How brain handles tactile sensations: New findings Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:04 AM PDT The traditional understanding in neuroscience is that tactile sensations from the skin are only assembled to form a complete experience in the cerebral cortex, the most advanced part of the brain. However, this is challenged by new research findings that suggest both that other levels in the brain play a greater role than previously thought, and that a larger proportion of the brain's different structures are involved in the perception of touch.

Biomarkers, stem cells offer new ways to treat deadly gut disease in premature babies Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:02 AM PDT Two major breakthroughs in the treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis suggest that there may finally be a way to stop this lethal disease of prematurity. The condition creates an inexplicable combination of inflammation and infection that causes parts of the intestine to die. NEC progresses at a ruthless speed, leaving physicians with few options -- typically supportive care, emergency surgery or antibiotics.

Massive weight loss increases risk of complications in body-shaping surgery Posted: 25 Sep 2014 07:02 AM PDT Patients who lost more than 100 pounds and those who shed weight through bariatric surgery had the highest risk of complications from later surgical procedures to reshape their leaner bodies, a new study shows.

Dengue fever, malaria in the Himalayas Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT Research by Nepalese and German scientists analyzes the current situation of malaria and Dengue fever in the Himalayan country of Nepal, and highlights how they profit from climate change and globalization.

New research shows how Ryder Cup golfers can have the edge Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT Elite golfers can recognize when they enter 'the zone' and can control the experience to perform at their peak for longer, new research has revealed. Previously, research suggested that individuals only become aware they had been in a so-called 'flow' state when they finished the activity, but the study has revealed elite golfers are aware that the phenomenon is happening as they play.

Human papilloma virus vaccination provides long-term protection Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT Persistent infection with a high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) type is a necessary prerequisite for the development of dysplasia and neoplasia of the cervix, precursors to cervical cancer. The HPV vaccination has been a subject of heated debate since it was launched. Now researchers have produced a systematic review that shows no decrease in protection over a period of five years following vaccination against HPV types 16 and 18.

Osteoarthritis of the hip: appropriate exercise therapy can alleviate symptoms Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT Osteoarthritis of the hip is a progressive degenerative disorder affecting the hip joints, which affects one in 10 adults. The symptoms range from pain after intense joint loading to morning pain/stiffness and impaired mobility in everyday life. To date, no cure exists. Appropriate exercise therapy can, however, delay progression of the disease and alleviate symptoms, as shown in a randomized controlled study.

Cryptogenic strokes may find explanation in heart Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT More than half of the patients who have suffered a stroke with no well-defined aetiology have an enlarged left atrial appendage of the heart, according to a study. The results indicate that the enlargement of the left atrial appendage may be an independent risk factor of strokes with cardiac origin.

Calming down immune cells could hold key to melanoma treatment Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:22 AM PDT Immune cells may be responsible for drug resistance in melanoma patients, according to research. Scientists found that chemical signals produced by a type of immune cell, called macrophages, also act as a survival signal for melanoma cells.

Treatment studied to help patients 'burned to the bone' Posted: 25 Sep 2014 05:14 AM PDT Burn researchers examine a new approach for treating painful aftermath of war-defining combat injuries. Those burned by high-velocity explosive devices are at-risk for heterotopic ossification (HO), in which bone develops in places it shouldn't be, outside the skeleton, in joints, muscles and tendons. The painful condition can make it difficult to move and function and commonly affects patients who suffer burns, automobile accidents, orthopedic surgery and blast injuries and other combat wounds.

First mouse model for ALS dementia Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT The first animal model for ALS dementia, a form of ALS that also damages the brain, has been developed by scientists. The advance will allow researchers to directly see the brains of living mice, under anesthesia, at the microscopic level. This will accelerate drug testing by allowing direct monitoring of test drugs in real time to determine if they work.

Study supports camels as primary source of MERS-CoV transmission Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT Scientists have provided experimental evidence supporting dromedary camels as the primary reservoir, or carrier, of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The study involved three healthy camels exposed through the eyes, nose and throat to MERS-CoV isolated from a patient. Each camel developed a mild upper respiratory tract infection consistent with what scientists have observed throughout the Middle East.

Increased risk of venous thromboembolism among NSAIDs users, study shows Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT There is a statistically significant increased risk of venous thromboembolism -- a condition which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism -- among users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a study concludes. NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used medications around the world, and they are already well-known for their potential adverse effects.

Treatment for complicated grief in older individuals examined in study Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT A treatment designed to help older individuals deal with complicated grief after the loss of a loved one appeared to be more effective than using a treatment designed for depression, a study concludes.

Skirt size increase linked to 33 percent greater postmenopausal breast cancer risk Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT Going up a skirt size over a period of 10 years between your mid 20s and mid 50s is linked to a 33 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer after the menopause, finds a large observational study.

Working long hours linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:19 PM PDT People working for more than 55 hours per week doing manual work or other low socioeconomic status jobs have a 30% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the largest study in this field so far.

Plant extract as possible Lupus treatment? Findings give new hope Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:05 PM PDT Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against itself, attacking a person's healthy tissue, cells and organs. New findings by a biomedical engineer and his team raise hope for a new class of drugs to treat lupus that may not include the long list of adverse risks and side effects often associated with current treatments for this disease.

Better information about prenatal testing leads to fewer tests Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:04 PM PDT When pregnant women are educated about their choices on prenatal genetic testing, the number of tests actually drops, even when the tests are offered with no out-of-pocket costs, a clinical trial has found. The findings underscore the need for clear information on all prenatal testing options and their possible outcomes, including the option of no testing, before pregnant women decide whether or not to have genetic testing, the authors said.

Customer experience matters more when economy is strong, research shows Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT Customers care more about their past experiences with service firms when the economy is doing well, according to a research team. This study is among the first to examine how customers respond to improvements in customer experience during changes in the economy. Previous studies have not explored this subject from a customer perspective, authors said.

Despite what you've heard, kids with egg allergies should get the flu shot, experts say Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT If you have a child with egg allergies, you may have been told they shouldn't get the shot because of a possible reaction to the trace amounts of egg in the vaccine. Not true, say experts. Recent research has shown that administration of the flu vaccine is safe for kids with egg allergies.

How a single, genetic change causes retinal tumors in young children Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT Retinoblastoma is a childhood retinal tumor usually affecting children one to two years of age. Although rare, it is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children. Left untreated, retinoblastoma can be fatal or result in blindness. It has also played a special role in understanding cancer, because retinoblastomas have been found to develop in response to the mutation of a single gene -- the RB1 gene -- demonstrating that some cells are only a step away from developing into a life-threatening malignancy.

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