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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


How brain cells shape temperature preferences

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:02 PM PST

A new study shows that a complex set of overlapping neuronal circuits works in concert to drive temperature preferences in the fruit fly Drosophila by affecting a single target, a heavy bundle of neurons within the fly brain known as the mushroom body.

Antidepressant contribution to arrhythmia risk clarified

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:02 PM PST

An analysis of the medical records of more than 38,000 patients clarifies the contribution of citalopram and other antidepressants to lengthening of the QT interval, an aspect of the heart's electrical activity that -- when prolonged -- may increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias.

Government mistrust deters older adults from HIV testing

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:13 PM PST

One of four people with HIV/AIDS is 50 or older, yet they are far more likely to be diagnosed when they are in the later stages of infection. Government mistrust and conspiracy fears are deeply ingrained in them and these concerns often deter these vulnerable individuals from getting tested for HIV.

Online social networking at work can improve morale and reduce employee turnover

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:13 PM PST

By allowing employees to participate in a work-sponsored internal social networking site, a company can improve morale and reduce turnover, according to a new article.

In-brain monitoring shows memory network

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:48 AM PST

Working with patients with electrodes implanted in their brains, researchers have shown for the first time that areas of the brain work together at the same time to recall memories. The unique approach promises new insights into how we remember details of time and place.

Smaller Snacking is Smart Snacking: New study shows 'just a bite' will satisfy

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:48 AM PST

How much chocolate would you need to eat to be satisfied? Less than half as much as you think, according to a new snacking study.

Working to identify early warning signs in juvenile offenders

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:47 AM PST

Red flags are easy to recognize in the days following a tragic event like a mass shooting. That's why a group of researchers is working to identify those early warning signs in juvenile offenders before they turn into a pattern of criminal behavior.

Tomorrow's life-saving medications may currently be living at the bottom of the sea

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST

Two new research articles demonstrate how the next class of powerful medications may currently reside at the bottom of the ocean. In both cases, the researchers were focused on ocean-based mollusks – a category of animal that includes snails, clams and squid and their bacterial companions.

Early-onset puberty in females explained

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST

This research provides significant insight into the reasons why early-onset puberty occurs in females. The researchers located key genes that trigger puberty and highlighted how external forces (epigenetics) appear to be a possible cause of early-onset puberty in some cases.

Increasing severity of erectile dysfunction is a marker for increasing risk of cardiovascular disease and death

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST

The risk of future cardiovascular disease and death increased with severity of erectile dysfunction in men both with and without a history of cardiovascular disease. While previous studies have shown an association between ED and CVD risk, this study finds that the severity of ED corresponds to the increased risk of CVD hospitalization and all-cause mortality.

Beer's bitter compounds could help brew new medicines

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST

Researchers using a century-old technique have determined the precise configuration of substances from hops that give beer its distinctive flavor. That could lead to formulation of new pharmaceuticals to treat diabetes, some cancers and other ailments.

Hydrogen sulfide: The next anti-aging agent?

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:19 AM PST

Hydrogen sulfide may play a wide-ranging role in staving off aging, according to a new article. In this review article, a team from China explores the compound's plethora of potential anti-aging pathways.

Gene found that turns up effect of chemotherapy

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:19 AM PST

Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer patients. However, many patients suffer from serious side-effects and a large proportion does not respond to the treatment. Researchers now show that the gene FBH1 helps turn up the effect of chemotherapy.

'Master' proto-oncogene regulates stress-induced ovarian cancer metastasis

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:18 AM PST

Scientists have discovered the signaling pathway whereby a master regulator of cancer cell proteins -- known as Src -- leads to ovarian cancer progression when exposed to stress hormones. The researchers report that beta blocker drugs mitigate this effect and reduce cancer deaths by an average of 17 percent.

Attitudes toward HPV vaccination for boys

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST

A new study has found that low-income and minority parents/guardians were receptive toward vaccinating boys against Human Papilloma Virus. However, racial/ethnic differences emerged in attitudes regarding school-entry mandates.

Better way to culture central nervous cells

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST

A protein associated with neuron damage in Alzheimer's patients provides a superior scaffold for growing central nervous system cells in the lab. The findings could have clinical implications for producing neural implants and offers new insights on the complex link between the apoE4 apolipoprotein and Alzheimer's disease.

Indoor air puts Chinese women nonsmokers at risk

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST

The hazards of breathing outdoor air in some Chinese cities have been well-documented. Now a study confirms that breathing indoor air also carries significant cancer risks, especially for Chinese women.

Link found between insulin sensitivity, cells' powerhouses: Mice with mitochondrial mutation live longer, have less fat

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:02 AM PST

Mice with decreased activity of a protein complex involved in mitochondrial function exhibit reduced body weight and decreased fat mass, and their media life span is 20 percent longer. This intrigues scientists.

Epigenetic control of cardiogenesis

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:02 AM PST

Scientists have now been able to demonstrate that non-coding RNA is essential for normal embryonic cardiogenesis.

New insights into conquering influenza

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:02 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a new protein that protects against viral infections such as influenza.

Taking the stairs, raking leaves may have same health benefits as a trip to the gym

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:01 AM PST

New research suggests the health benefits of small amounts of activity – even as small as one- and two-minute increments that add up to 30 minutes per day – can be just as beneficial as longer bouts of physical exercise achieved by a trip to the gym.

Diabetes drug could hold promise for lung cancer patients

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 07:01 AM PST

Ever since discovering a decade ago that a gene altered in lung cancer regulated an enzyme used in therapies against diabetes, one medical researcher has wondered if drugs originally designed to treat metabolic diseases could also work against cancer.

Doctor-patient relationship: Physicians' brain scans indicate doctors can feel their patients' pain -- and their relief

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:06 AM PST

In a novel investigation in which physicians underwent brain scans while they believed they were actually treating patients, researchers have provided the first scientific evidence indicating that doctors truly can feel their patients' pain -- and can also experience their relief following treatment.

Could the timing of when you eat, be just as important as what you eat?

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:06 AM PST

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, have found that it's not simply what you eat, but also when you eat, that may help with weight-loss regulation.

Eating bright-colored fruits and vegetables may prevent or delay amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:05 AM PST

New research suggests that increased consumption of foods containing colorful carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene and lutein, may prevent or delay the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A step towards repairing the central nervous system

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:02 AM PST

Despite recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of nerve injury, tissue-engineering solutions for repairing damage in the central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive, owing to the crucial and complex role played by the neural stem cell (NSC) niche. This zone, in which stem cells are retained after embryonic development for the production of new cells, exerts a tight control over many crucial tasks such as growth promotion and the recreation of essential biochemical and physical cues for neural cell differentiation.

Early menopause may occur in women with BRCA gene

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:44 AM PST

Women with harmful mutations in the BRCA gene, which put them at higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, tend to undergo menopause significantly sooner than other women, allowing them an even briefer reproductive window and possibly a higher risk of infertility, according to a new study.

Health benefits of coming out of the closet demonstrated

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:44 AM PST

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers. Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body. When chronically strained, cortisol contributes to the 'wear and tear' exerted on multiple biological systems.

Debunking the ‘July Effect’: Surgery date has little impact on outcome

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:44 AM PST

The "July Effect" -- the notion that the influx of new residents and fellows at teaching hospitals each July makes that the worse time of year to be a patient -- seems to be a myth, according to new research that examined nearly 1 million hospitalizations for patients undergoing spine surgery from 2001 to 2008. Among those going under the knife, researchers discovered that the month surgery occurred had an insignificant impact on patient outcomes.

Long-Term Outcomes Favor Heart Surgery Over Stents and Angioplasty

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:44 AM PST

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery have a lower overall composite risk for heart attack, stroke, and death in the 4 years following the procedure compared to patients who undergo stenting or balloon procedures, according to a new study.

Genetic test identifies small but deadly lung cancers

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:44 AM PST

A novel genetic test can help identify small but aggressive lung tumors associated with poor survival, according to a new study.

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