ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• First measurements made of key brain links
• Learning to control brain activity improves visual sensitivity
• Brain stimulation may buffer feelings of social pain
• Why is the flu more common during the winter season?
• Combating MRSA: Researchers study toxin
• Go ahead and jump: Learning how to properly jump and land can help female athletes avoid serious knee injuries
• Improving chemotherapy effectiveness by acting on the immune system
• Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions
• Understanding anger, overcoming anxiety
• Drug shows promise in prostate cancer spread to bone: Tumors were reduced on bone scans, bone pain decreased after patients received cabozantinib
• The radical restructuring of brain networks in comatose patients
• Nanotechnology drug delivery shows promise for treatment of pediatric cancer
• Predicting the age at menopause of women having suffered from childhood cancers
• Multiple media use tied to depression, anxiety
• Parents key to preventing alcohol, marijuana use by kids
• Could high insulin make you fat? Mouse study says yes
• Street forms of 'synthetic marijuana' products linked to thousands of hospital emergency departments visits each year
• Infants learn to look and look to learn: Model explains crucial links among looking, learning, and memory
• Researchers successfully destroy brain tumor cells; Use unique combination of diet and radiation therapy
• Moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of diabetes by up to 25 percent
• Working towards happiness: Retiring later is unlikely to affect men's quality of life
• Faster, safer method for producing stem cells
• Tool used in animal breeding programs also predicts skin cancer risk
• Fungus has cancer-fighting power, researchers find
• Second-hand smoke linked to children's behavior problems
• Five big strides to fight lung disease in the tiniest patients
• Crucial step in AIDS virus maturation simulated for first time
• Why some strains of Lyme disease bacteria are common and others are not
• Men with erection problems are three times more likely to have inflamed gums, study finds
• Teen smoking decreases bone accumulation in girls, may increase osteoporosis risk
• New findings on glucagon synthesis
• Diabetes drug may reduce brain damage after stroke
• How copper restricts the spread of global antibiotic-resistant infections
• Ray of hope for human Usher syndrome patients
• Healthy eating beneficial beyond drug therapy in preventing a second heart attack
• Dressing U.S. troops to safeguard against insect attacks
• Combating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease with novel antibodies
• Sharp spike in computer-related injuries predicted for medical workers, find studies

First measurements made of key brain links Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Until now, brain scientists have been almost completely in the dark about how most of the nonspecific thalamus interacts with the prefrontal cortex, a relationship believed to be key in such fundamental functions as maintaining consciousness and mental arousal. Researchers have performed a set of experiments to explore and measure those circuits for the first time.

Learning to control brain activity improves visual sensitivity Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Training human volunteers to control their own brain activity in precise areas of the brain can enhance fundamental aspects of their visual sensitivity, according to a new study. This non-invasive 'neurofeedback' approach could one day be used to improve brain function in patients with abnormal patterns of activity, for example stroke patients.

Brain stimulation may buffer feelings of social pain Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST Accumulating evidence suggests that certain brain areas involved in processing physical pain may also underlie feelings of social pain. But can altering brain activity in these areas actually change how people experience social pain? In a new study, researchers examine whether there might be a causal relationship between activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex -- known to be involved in the regulation of physical pain and negative expressions of emotion -- and experiences of social pain.

Why is the flu more common during the winter season? Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:21 PM PST Environmental engineers have shown for the first time the relationship between the influenza A virus viability in human mucus and humidity over a large range of relative humidities, from 17 percent to 100 percent.

Combating MRSA: Researchers study toxin Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST Researchers have discovered a toxin in community-associated MRSA that kills human cells.

Go ahead and jump: Learning how to properly jump and land can help female athletes avoid serious knee injuries Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST Learning how to properly jump and land might help hundreds of female athletes avoid a serious knee injury.

Improving chemotherapy effectiveness by acting on the immune system Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST A new article suggests that two chemotherapy drugs frequently used to treat digestive and breast cancers may encourage the development of tumors by modulating the anti-tumoral immune response.

Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST Selective targeting of the neurotransmitter that differentially affects brain cells that control the two distinct functions of the pancreas may allow for new medication therapies for conditions like diabetes, dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux, according to researchers.

Understanding anger, overcoming anxiety Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST Anger is a powerful emotion with serious health consequences. A new study shows that for millions of individuals around the world who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, anger is more than an emotion; it's an agent that exacerbates their illness.

Drug shows promise in prostate cancer spread to bone: Tumors were reduced on bone scans, bone pain decreased after patients received cabozantinib Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST A new drug demonstrated dramatic and rapid effects on prostate cancer that had spread to the bone, according to a new study.

The radical restructuring of brain networks in comatose patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers have analyzed data from 17 comatose patients using functional MRI data. Their research reveals that the brain networks of these patients have been restructured. The results could help clinical practitioners diagnose comatose patients.

Nanotechnology drug delivery shows promise for treatment of pediatric cancer Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Nanotechnology shows potential for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in a way that attacks cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Encapsulated dexamethasone delivered to pre-clinical models with leukemia significantly improved quality of life and survival compared to the control receiving the unencapsulated drug.

Predicting the age at menopause of women having suffered from childhood cancers Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers studied the age at menopause of a cohort of 706 women who had suffered from childhood cancer. The data revealed that these women, in particular those who had undergone unilateral oophorectomy or who had been treated with alkylating agents and who had received a radiation dose to the ovaries, were menopaused on average four to seven years earlier than average.

Multiple media use tied to depression, anxiety Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST Using multiple forms of media at the same time -- such as playing a computer game while watching TV -- is linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression, scientists have found for the first time.

Parents key to preventing alcohol, marijuana use by kids Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST New research finds that parental involvement is more important than the school environment when it comes to preventing or limiting alcohol and marijuana use by children.

Could high insulin make you fat? Mouse study says yes Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST When we eat too much, obesity may develop as a result of chronically high insulin levels, not the other way around. That's according to new evidence in mice which challenges the widespread view that rising insulin is a secondary consequence of obesity and insulin resistance.

Street forms of 'synthetic marijuana' products linked to thousands of hospital emergency departments visits each year Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST Street forms of synthetic cannabinoids – so-called "synthetic marijuana" – were linked to 11,406 of the 4.9 million drug-related emergency department (ED) visits in 2010, according to a new report.

Infants learn to look and look to learn: Model explains crucial links among looking, learning, and memory Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST Researchers have explained how infants learn by looking, and the crucial role these activities play in how infants gain knowledge. Their computer model of babies aged 6 weeks to one year shows how infants use looking to create knowledge and to sear that knowledge into memory. The model also explains how infants' looking and learning changes as they develop.

Researchers successfully destroy brain tumor cells; Use unique combination of diet and radiation therapy Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST A team of brain cancer researchers has effectively treated brain tumor cells using a unique combination of diet and radiation therapy.

Moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of diabetes by up to 25 percent Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:24 AM PST New research highlights the potential role of coffee consumption in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Working towards happiness: Retiring later is unlikely to affect men's quality of life Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST Raising the retirement age to increase financial stability does not make men worse off psychologically in the long-run, according to a new study. Her work shows that individuals go through the same psychological stages as they adjust to retirement, with life satisfaction stabilizing after 70, irrespective of how old they are when they retire.

Faster, safer method for producing stem cells Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:19 AM PST A new method for generating stem cells from mature cells promises to boost stem cell production in the laboratory, helping to remove a barrier to regenerative medicine therapies that would replace damaged or unhealthy body tissues.

Tool used in animal breeding programs also predicts skin cancer risk Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:19 AM PST Techniques used in breeding programs meant to yield the perfect dairy cow may soon more accurately predict a person's genetic risk for skin cancer.

Fungus has cancer-fighting power, researchers find Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:18 AM PST Arthrobotrys oligospora doesn't live a charmed life; it survives on a diet of roundworm. But a discovery could give the fungus's life more purpose -- as a cancer fighter.

Second-hand smoke linked to children's behavior problems Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:18 AM PST It is a known fact that active maternal smoking during pregnancy has negative effects on child health, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, new research suggests that second hand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), may be just as harmful.

Five big strides to fight lung disease in the tiniest patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST A new paper describes a proposed therapy that would use stem cells from umbilical cords to treat a disease previously thought to be untreatable -- bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD.

Crucial step in AIDS virus maturation simulated for first time Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Bioinformaticians in Spain have used molecular simulation techniques to explain a specific step in the maturation of the HIV virions, i.e., how newly formed inert virus particles become infectious, which is essential in understanding how the virus replicates. These results could be crucial to the design of future antiretrovirals.

Why some strains of Lyme disease bacteria are common and others are not Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST New clues about the bacteria that cause Lyme disease could lead to a novel strategy to reduce infections, according to new research. The study reveals that the immune system of the white-footed mouse, a very common reservoir for the bacteria that causes the disease responds differently to different strains of the bacterium, a finding that will help scientists tweak the animals' immune systems to prevent spread of infection.

Men with erection problems are three times more likely to have inflamed gums, study finds Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Men in their thirties who had inflamed gums caused by severe periodontal disease were three times more likely to suffer from erection problems, according to a new study.

Teen smoking decreases bone accumulation in girls, may increase osteoporosis risk Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Teenage girls who smoke accumulate less bone during a critical growth period and carry a higher risk of developing osteoporosis later in life, according to new research. In the study, researchers report the data can be useful for developing strategies to help prevent osteoporosis (a disease where bones lose mineral density and become brittle) and bone fractures.

New findings on glucagon synthesis Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:12 AM PST Researchers in Sweden have shown that the cells that produce glucagon are stimulated by the hormone itself. A previous study by the same group demonstrated that this principle also applies to insulin. This means that a feedback system is at work in the body, whereby hormone secreting cells receive an immediate signal to produce more of the hormone.

Diabetes drug may reduce brain damage after stroke Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:12 AM PST In a study in mice, scientists in Sweden have discovered a new potential therapy that may reduce brain damage following stroke in type 2 diabetic patients. The suggested drug is already approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, the scientists hope that this new results also opens up the possibility to decrease brain injury after stroke in other patient groups with a high stroke risk.

How copper restricts the spread of global antibiotic-resistant infections Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST New research has shown that copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes, which has contributed to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria is largely responsible for the development of antibiotic resistance, which has led to an increasing number of difficult-to-treat healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).

Ray of hope for human Usher syndrome patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST After years of basic research, scientists are increasingly able to understand the mechanisms underlying human Usher syndrome -- a congenital disorder that causes the loss of both hearing and vision -- and are coming ever closer to finding a successful treatment approach.

Healthy eating beneficial beyond drug therapy in preventing a second heart attack Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:29 PM PST A heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish significantly reduces the chance of a second heart attack and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease, researchers have found.

Dressing U.S. troops to safeguard against insect attacks Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:16 AM PST Outfitting soldiers with clothing that effectively repels or kills insects is one of the strategies U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are using to help protect US military personnel deployed overseas against disease-transmitting mosquitoes and sand flies.

Combating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease with novel antibodies Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:52 AM PST Newly developed antibodies have been found to be unusually effective at preventing the formation of toxic protein particles linked to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Sharp spike in computer-related injuries predicted for medical workers, find studies Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:17 AM PST As U.S. health care goes high tech, spurred by $20 billion in federal stimulus incentives, the widespread adoption of electronic medical records and related digital technologies is predicted to significantly boost musculoskeletal injuries among doctors and nurses.

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