ScienceDaily: Top Health News

---

• Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm
• When you lose weight, where does the fat go?
• Kids' cartoon characters twice as likely to die as counterparts in films for adults: Content on a par with 'rampant horrors' of popular films
• How information moves between cultures
• More than half of all children in US will likely live with an unmarried mother
• Real-time radiation monitor can reduce radiation exposure for medical workers
• Mild memory, thinking issues: What works, what doesn't?
• Effectiveness of drugs to prevent hepatitis among patients receiving chemotherapy
• Low-glycemic index carbohydrate diet does not improve cv risk factors, insulin resistance
• Probing bacterial resistance to a class of natural antibiotics
• Certain parenting tactics could lead to materialistic attitudes in adulthood
• Introverts could shape extroverted co-workers' career success, study shows
• The sense of smell uses fast dynamics to encode odors
• Home- versus mobile clinic-based HIV testing and counseling in rural Africa
• Ebola virus spreads in social clusters
• Can returning crops to their wild states help feed the world?
• People's genes may influence 'gut' bacteria that cause Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis
• Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food?
• Fluctuations in women's weight happens monthly, naturally
• Political extremists may be less susceptible to common cognitive bias
• Why lifespans are more variable among blacks than whites in the U.S.
• People trust typical-looking faces most
• Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer
• Commensal bacteria were critical shapers of early human populations
• New research unlocks a mystery of albinism
• High-definition scopes accurately assess polyps, physicians say
• Domestic abuse may affect children in womb
• GPs should be more open when referring patients for cancer investigations, study says
• A lot or a little? Wolves discriminate quantities better than dogs
• Broad receptive field responsible for differentiated neuronal activity
• How brain can distinguish good from bad smells
• Social connections keep workers on board
• Scientist finds genetic wrinkle to block sun-induced skin aging
• Promising drug doubled positive effect in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, study finds
• Breast density helps better predict breast cancer risk
• Extra vitamin E protected older mice from getting common type of pneumonia
• Men in recovery from Ebola should wear condoms for at least three months
• All boys are not poor school achievers, and all girls are not smart pupils
• Worksite health promotion programs: Why don't people participate?
• Why Norwegian birth rates are higher than in the rest of Europe
• Depression in dementia more common in community care, study finds
• Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among U.S. teens
• E-cigarettes surpass tobacco cigarettes among teens
• New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role
• To sleep, perchance to dream of a cure
• Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives
• Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet
• Long noncoding RNAs: Novel prognostic marker in older patients with acute leukemia
• Shame on us: Toward defining basic emotions
• Feeling younger than actual age meant lower early death rate for older people, study finds
• Most patients don't get counseling about sex after heart attack
• Women's age at first menstrual cycle linked to heart disease risk
• Research on farmers' markets shows presence of Salmonella, E. coli
• Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat
• Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check
• Seasoned policymakers drive the fairest bargain of all

Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:20 PM PST A paralyzed woman who controlled a robotic arm using just her thoughts has taken another step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.

When you lose weight, where does the fat go? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:20 PM PST Despite a worldwide obsession with diets and fitness regimes, many health professionals cannot correctly answer the question of where body fat goes when people lose weight, a new study shows. The most common misconception among doctors, dieticians and personal trainers is that the missing mass has been converted into energy or heat. The correct answer is that most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide and goes into thin air.

Kids' cartoon characters twice as likely to die as counterparts in films for adults: Content on a par with 'rampant horrors' of popular films Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:20 PM PST Principal cartoon characters are more than twice as likely to be killed off as their counterparts in films for adults released in the same year, reveals new research. On-screen death and violence can be particularly traumatic for young children, and the impact can be intense and long lasting.

How information moves between cultures Posted: 16 Dec 2014 02:57 PM PST Networks that map strength of connections between languages predict global influence of their speakers. By analyzing data on multilingual Twitter users and Wikipedia editors and on 30 years' worth of book translations in 150 countries, researchers have developed network maps that they say represent the strength of the cultural connections between speakers of different languages.

More than half of all children in US will likely live with an unmarried mother Posted: 16 Dec 2014 02:57 PM PST More than half of all American children will likely live with an unmarried mother at some point before they reach age 18, according to a new report. The absence of a biological father increases the likelihood that a child will exhibit antisocial behaviors like aggression, rule-breaking and delinquency. As a result, these children are 40 percent less likely to finish high school or attend college.

Real-time radiation monitor can reduce radiation exposure for medical workers Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST It's a sound that saves. A "real-time" radiation monitor that alerts by beeping in response to radiation exposure during cardiac-catheterization procedures significantly reduces the amount of exposure that medical workers receive, researchers found.

Mild memory, thinking issues: What works, what doesn't? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST For up to one in five Americans over age 65, getting older brings memory and thinking problems. It may seem like part of getting older - but officially, it's called mild cognitive impairment or MCI. A new definitive look at the evidence about what works and what doesn't in MCI should help doctors and the seniors they treat.

Effectiveness of drugs to prevent hepatitis among patients receiving chemotherapy Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST Among patients with lymphoma undergoing a certain type of chemotherapy, receiving the antiviral drug entecavir resulted in a lower incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and HBV reactivation, compared with the antiviral drug lamivudine, according to a study.

Low-glycemic index carbohydrate diet does not improve cv risk factors, insulin resistance Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST In a study that included overweight and obese participants, those with diets with low glycemic index of dietary carbohydrate did not have improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid levels, or systolic blood pressure, according to a study.

Probing bacterial resistance to a class of natural antibiotics Posted: 16 Dec 2014 12:47 PM PST Researchers explore the clever techniques used by bacteria to survive destruction from antimicrobial peptides -- potent defense factors produced by all living forms, including humans.

Certain parenting tactics could lead to materialistic attitudes in adulthood Posted: 16 Dec 2014 12:47 PM PST A new study found that parents who use material goods as part of their parenting techniques may be setting children up for difficulties later in adulthood.

Introverts could shape extroverted co-workers' career success, study shows Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Introverted employees are more likely to give low evaluations of job performance to extroverted co-workers, giving introverts a powerful role in workplaces, new research shows. Introverts consistently rated extroverted co-workers as worse performers, and were less likely to give them credit for work performed or endorse them for advancement opportunities, according to two separate studies.

The sense of smell uses fast dynamics to encode odors Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Neuroscientists have discovered that mice can detect minute differences in the temporal dynamics of the olfactory system. The research team used light in genetically-engineered mice to precisely control the activity of neurons in the olfactory bulbs in mice performing a discrimination task.

Home- versus mobile clinic-based HIV testing and counseling in rural Africa Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Home- and community-based HIV testing and counselling services can achieve high participation uptake in rural Africa but reach different populations within a community and should be provided depending on the groups that are being targeted, according to new research.

Ebola virus spreads in social clusters Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:07 AM PST An analysis of the ongoing Ebola outbreak reveals that transmission of the virus occurs in social clusters, a finding that has ramifications for case reporting and the public health. Prior studies of Ebola transmission were based on models that assumed the spread of infection occurred between random pairs of individuals. However, because transmission of the virus happens most often in hospitals, households, and funeral settings, researchers investigated the possibility of clustered transmission, or spread between individuals in small social groups.

Can returning crops to their wild states help feed the world? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:07 AM PST To feed the world's growing population -- expected to reach nine billion by the year 2050 -- we will have to find ways to produce more food on less farmland, without causing additional harm to the remaining natural habitat. A new review points the way to intensifying agriculture sustainably by fixing weaknesses that have sprung up quite by accident in the process of traditional crop breeding over the course of thousands of years.

People's genes may influence 'gut' bacteria that cause Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST People's genes may have an influence over some of the intestinal bacteria that cause Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively know as inflammatory bowel disease, a new study by an international team of researchers shows for the first time. About 1.6 million Americans suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Understanding the causes of these diseases is another step toward prevention and treatment.

Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, scientists tracked uptake and accumulation of quantum dot nanoparticles from water to plant roots, plant leaves and leaf-eating caterpillars.

Fluctuations in women's weight happens monthly, naturally Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Some women become preoccupied with their body weight and shape after changes in hormones drive increases in emotional eating, or the tendency to overconsume food in response to negative emotions. The recurring nature of monthly increases in weight concerns in menstruating women may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder, researchers say.

Political extremists may be less susceptible to common cognitive bias Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:31 AM PST People who occupy the extreme ends of the political spectrum, whether liberal or conservative, may be less influenced by outside information on a simple estimation task than political moderates, according to new research.

Why lifespans are more variable among blacks than whites in the U.S. Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:31 AM PST Eliminating health disparities between races is a goal of many groups and organizations, but a team of sociologists suggests that finding the reasons for the differences in the timing of black and white deaths may be trickier than once thought.

People trust typical-looking faces most Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Being 'average' is often considered a bad thing, but new research suggests that averageness wins when people assess the trustworthiness of a face. The research indicates that, while typical-looking faces aren't seen as the most attractive, they are considered to be the most trustworthy.

Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Although currently available diagnostic screening systems for breast are effective at detecting early signs of tumors, they are far from perfect, subjecting patients to ionizing radiation and sometimes inflicting discomfort on women who are undergoing screening because of the compression of the breast that is required to produce diagnostically useful images. New research suggests a better, cheaper, and safer way to look for the telltale signs of breast cancer may be with microwaves.

Commensal bacteria were critical shapers of early human populations Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Using mathematical modeling, researchers have shown that commensal bacteria that cause problems later in life most likely played a key role in stabilizing early human populations. The finding offers an explanation as to why humans co-evolved with microbes that can cause or contribute to cancer, inflammation, and degenerative diseases of aging.

New research unlocks a mystery of albinism Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST A team of biologists has discovered the way in which a specific genetic mutation appears to lead to the lack of melanin production underlying a form of albinism. About 1 in 40,000 people worldwide have type 2 oculocutaneous albinism, which has symptoms of unsually light hair and skin coloration, vision problems, and reduced protection from sunlight-related skin or eye cancers.

High-definition scopes accurately assess polyps, physicians say Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST It may not be necessary for experienced gastroenterologists to send polyps they remove from a patient's colon to a pathologist for examination, according to a large study conducted by physician researchers. They conclude that the pathological polyp examination now required by national practice guidelines may not be necessary -- an advance they say could result in substantial cost savings for the patient and the health care system, as well as more rapid information and recommendations for follow-up for the patient.

Domestic abuse may affect children in womb Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST Domestic violence can affect children even before they're born, indicates new research. The study is the first to link abuse of pregnant women with emotional and behavioral trauma symptoms in their children within the first year of life. Symptoms include nightmares, startling easily, being bothered by loud noises and bright lights, avoiding physical contact and having trouble experiencing enjoyment.

GPs should be more open when referring patients for cancer investigations, study says Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST GPs should consider a more overt discussion with patients when referring them for further investigation of symptoms which may indicate cancer, according to a new paper. The study found that patients were rarely involved in the decision to be referred for investigation and that reasons for referral tended to be couched in non-specific terms rather than 'cancer investigation', even when the patient was on a cancer-specific pathway.

A lot or a little? Wolves discriminate quantities better than dogs Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Being able to mentally consider quantities makes sense for any social species. Scientists studied how well dogs can discriminate between different quantities and discovered that wolves perform better than dogs at such tasks. Possibly dogs lost this skill, or a predisposition for it, during domestication.

Broad receptive field responsible for differentiated neuronal activity Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Some neurons are more active than others, even when they are positioned right next to each other and are one and the same neuron type. Researchers now have discovered the cause for this phenomenon.

How brain can distinguish good from bad smells Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST In fruit flies, the quality and intensity of odors can be mapped in the so-called lateral horn, scientists have found. They have created a spatial map of this part of the olfactory processing system in the fly brain and showed that the lateral horn can be segregated into three activity domains, each of which represents an odor category.

Social connections keep workers on board Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Contrary to popular belief, new research suggests that some employees adapt well to pressures caused by changes in the workplace. Pay cuts, reduced working hours, fewer training and promotion opportunities are just a few of the measures organizations employ to combat economic downturn and industry competition. Where previous research has suggested cut backs result in a demotivated and unhappy workforce, experts now say this might not necessarily be the case.

Scientist finds genetic wrinkle to block sun-induced skin aging Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Scientists have shown that an enzyme is key in the aging of skin, which is caused mostly by sun exposure; mice lacking that enzyme developed fewer wrinkles, they report. The discovery points toward potential therapies that would preserve the strength of various tissues -- not just skin, but blood vessels and lung passages.

Promising drug doubled positive effect in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, study finds Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST In a groundbreaking study that offers new hope for women with advanced breast cancer, researchers have published final clinical trial results that showed the amount of time patients were on treatment without their cancer worsening (called progression-free survival) was effectively doubled in women with advanced breast cancer who took the experimental drug palbociclib.

Breast density helps better predict breast cancer risk Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Adding a measurement of breast density better predicts women's risk for breast cancer, a study has found. The study evaluated the association between risk factors and breast cancer diagnosis based on more than 3,400 women who received digital mammograms, including women diagnosed with breast cancer and women not diagnosed with breast cancer between 2003 and 2013.

Extra vitamin E protected older mice from getting common type of pneumonia Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Extra vitamin E protected older mice from a bacterial infection that commonly causes pneumonia. The study found that extra vitamin E helped regulate the mice's immune system. The older mice were fed a diet containing extra amounts of vitamin E, the equivalent to about 200 IU/day consumed by humans -- about 10 times the Recommended Daily Allowance but well below the upper limit -- were far more resistant to the bacteria than the older mice that had a normal amount of vitamin E in their diet.

Men in recovery from Ebola should wear condoms for at least three months Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:26 AM PST A new article reports that despite a clear lack of research on male survivors of Ebola, the current recommended practice of waiting at least three months after recovery to have unprotected sex should be upheld.

All boys are not poor school achievers, and all girls are not smart pupils Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:25 AM PST The answer to why pupils perform differently in school is not found by looking at girls and boys as separate groups, one expert says.

Worksite health promotion programs: Why don't people participate? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST Worksite health promotion (WHP) programs are designed to help identify and address health and lifestyle issues, and are offered by 40–75% of employers in Europe and the US. But research suggests that a high proportion (50–75%) of workers do not participate. Why do so many employees choose not to take part? Researchers investigated the reasons for nonparticipation, and have identified a variety of barriers.

Why Norwegian birth rates are higher than in the rest of Europe Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST The Norwegian birth rate is higher than in the rest of Europe not only because they put their faith in the welfare state. They can't imagine a good life without children.

Depression in dementia more common in community care, study finds Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST Those residing in long-term care homes are less likely to suffer from depressive symptoms than those living in the community, an English study of over 400 people in eight EU countries with severe dementia has found.

Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among U.S. teens Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use. Both alcohol and cigarette use in 2014 are at their lowest points since the study began in 1975. Use of a number of illicit drugs also show declines this year.

E-cigarettes surpass tobacco cigarettes among teens Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST In 2014, more teens use e-cigarettes than traditional, tobacco cigarettes or any other tobacco product—the first time a U.S. national study shows that teen use of e-cigarettes surpasses use of tobacco cigarettes. "As one of the newest smoking-type products in recent years, e-cigarettes have made rapid inroads into the lives of American adolescents," said a senior investigator of the study.

New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST Researchers have discovered a way to repurpose fibroblasts into functional melanocytes, the body's pigment-producing cells. The technique has immediate and important implications for developing new cell-based treatments for skin diseases such as vitiligo, as well as new screening strategies for melanoma.

To sleep, perchance to dream of a cure Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST Sleep-deprived rats on chemotherapy drug Paclitaxal had worse side effects (extra rest later had no effect), researchers report in a new article. Another study, outlined in the same article, makes that suggestion that religious beliefs can lead cancer patients to better care.

Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Driving vehicles that use electricity from renewable energy instead of gasoline could reduce the resulting deaths due to air pollution by 70 percent. This finding comes from a new life cycle analysis of conventional and alternative vehicles and their air pollution-related public health impacts. The study also shows that switching to vehicles powered by electricity made using natural gas yields large health benefits.

Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST A student analyzing dental calculus from ancient teeth is helping resolve the question of what plant foods Easter Islanders relied on before European contact.

Long noncoding RNAs: Novel prognostic marker in older patients with acute leukemia Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Patterns of molecules called long noncoding RNAs might help doctors choose the least toxic, most effective treatment for many older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, new research shows. AML occurs mainly in older patients and has a three-year survival rate of 5 to 15 percent.

Shame on us: Toward defining basic emotions Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Emotions are complicated and never more so than in the realm of the scientific, where commonly accepted definitions are lacking. In a new article, a researcher examines the basic emotions of grief, fear/anxiety, anger, shame and pride as they appear in scientific literature in an attempt to take a first step in defining them. "Emotion terms, especially in English, are wildly ambiguous," he writes in the paper's introduction.

Feeling younger than actual age meant lower early death rate for older people, study finds Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Turns out, feeling younger than your actual age might be good for you. Older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or who felt more than one year older than their actual age, researchers found.

Most patients don't get counseling about sex after heart attack Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:52 PM PST Most patients don't receive counseling about resuming sexual activity after having a heart attack. Often when healthcare providers did counsel about sexual activity, they recommended restrictions that were more conservative than medical guidelines. In 2013, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement about counseling patients with cardiovascular disease about sexual activity. The statement concluded that sexual counseling should be tailored to the individual needs and concerns of cardiovascular patients and their partners/spouses

Women's age at first menstrual cycle linked to heart disease risk Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:52 PM PST The risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure was significantly higher when menstruation began at age 10 or younger, or age 17 or older. First menstrual cycle at the age of 13 posed the lowest risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

Research on farmers' markets shows presence of Salmonella, E. coli Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:51 PM PST A study on the presence of Salmonella and E. coli on certain herbs sold at farmers' markets has been published. Of the 133 samples tested from 13 farmers' markets, 24.1 percent tested positive for E. coli and one sample tested positive for Salmonella.

Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:51 PM PST Inhibiting a nuclear receptor in the gut could lead to a treatment for a liver disorder that affects almost 30 percent of the Western world's adult population, according to an international team of researchers. The researchers found that tempol, an antioxidant drug, and antibiotics can treat and prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice that were fed a high-fat diet. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- NAFLD -- is a build up of fat in liver cells that disrupts liver function and, if left untreated, can lead to liver failure.

Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST When you open the refrigerator for a late-night snack, are you more likely to grab a slice of chocolate cake or a bag of carrot sticks? Your ability to exercise self-control -- i.e., to settle for the carrots -- may depend upon just how quickly your brain factors healthfulness into a decision, according to a recent study.

Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST Scientists have long known the p53 protein suppresses tumors. However, a recent animal study has uncovered a complicated relationship between p53 and another protein, Rbm38, highlighting how the body calibrates protein levels.

Seasoned policymakers drive the fairest bargain of all Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST Is an experienced policymaker a more rational and a more self-interested bargainer than the average person? That is what nearly all prior research has assumed. But a new study shows just the opposite.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States