ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Scientists find more precise way to turn off genes, a major goal of treatments that target cancer
• Low incidence of venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis
• New clues to how flu virus spreads
• Scientists eradicate lung tumors in a pre-clinical mouse model
• Nanoparticles loaded with bee venom kill HIV
• Is this peptide a key to happiness? Findings suggests possible new treatment for depression, other disorders
• Support cells found in human brain make mice smarter
• New study validates longevity pathway: Findings identify universal mechanism for activating anti-aging pathway
• Pushing the boundaries: Study provides key insight into how cells fuse
• Sniff, sniff: New form of animal communication discovered
• Industrial chemicals found in food samples
• Do-gooder or ne'er-do-well? Behavioral science explains patterns of moral behavior
• Better living through mindfulness
• Researchers find molecular switch turning on self-renewal of liver damage
• Changes in heart attack timing continue years after Hurricane Katrina
• Higher heart attack rates continue 6 years after Katrina
• Molecular key to exhaustion following sleep deprivation
• Researchers discover workings of brain's 'GPS system'
• Whoa there! Quick switch to 'barefoot' shoes can be bad to the bone
• Epigenetics: Neurons remember because they move genes in space
• Some brain cells are better virus fighters
• Age at first menstrual cycle, menopause tied to heart disease risk
• Up to half of gestational diabetes patients will develop type 2 diabetes, study finds
• Exercise shields children from stress, research indicates
• Internet searches can identify drug safety issues well ahead of public alerts
• Processed meat linked to premature death, large study finds
• Deep brain stimulation shows promise for patients with chronic, treatment resistant anorexia nervosa
• First dystonia gene found in African-Americans
• People with mental illness at highly increased risk of being murder victims, study suggests
• Potential target to better treat, cure anxiety disorders

Scientists find more precise way to turn off genes, a major goal of treatments that target cancer Posted: 07 Mar 2013 04:06 PM PST Scientists have found a more precise way to turn off genes, a finding that will speed research discoveries and biotech advances and may eventually prove useful in reprogramming cells to regenerate organs and tissues.

Low incidence of venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis Posted: 07 Mar 2013 04:06 PM PST Results of a study using several imaging methods showed that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency occurs at a low rate in both people with multiple sclerosis and non-MS volunteers, contrary to some previous studies.

New clues to how flu virus spreads Posted: 07 Mar 2013 04:06 PM PST People may more likely be exposed to the flu through airborne virus than previously thought, according to new research. The study also found that when flu patients wear a surgical mask, the release of virus in even the smallest airborne droplets can be significantly reduced.

Scientists eradicate lung tumors in a pre-clinical mouse model Posted: 07 Mar 2013 04:05 PM PST Scientists report that they have eradicated lung tumors in a pre-clinical mouse model. The study demonstrated the elimination of mouse lung tumours by inhibiting Myc, a protein that plays a key role in the development of many different tumours. The results confirm that repeated, long-term treatment does not cause side effects. Even more importantly, no resistance to treatment has been encountered, which is one of the biggest concerns with anticancer therapies.

Nanoparticles loaded with bee venom kill HIV Posted: 07 Mar 2013 01:03 PM PST Nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom can destroy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while leaving surrounding cells unharmed, researchers have shown. The finding is an important step toward developing a vaginal gel that may prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Is this peptide a key to happiness? Findings suggests possible new treatment for depression, other disorders Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST For the first time in humans, scientists have measured the release of a specific peptide, that greatly increased when subjects were happy, but decreased when they were sad. The findings have implications for the treatment of depression.

Support cells found in human brain make mice smarter Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:53 AM PST Glial cells -- a family of cells found in the human central nervous system and, until recently, considered mere "housekeepers" -- now appear to be essential to the unique complexity of the human brain. Scientists reached this conclusion after demonstrating that when transplanted into mice, these human cells could influence communication within the brain, allowing the animals to learn more rapidly.

New study validates longevity pathway: Findings identify universal mechanism for activating anti-aging pathway Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:52 AM PST A new study demonstrates what researchers consider conclusive evidence that the red wine compound resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity in animal models. What's more, the researchers have uncovered the molecular mechanism for this interaction, and show that a class of more potent drugs currently in clinical trials act in a similar fashion.

Pushing the boundaries: Study provides key insight into how cells fuse Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:51 AM PST Researchers have established a high-efficiency cell-cell fusion system, providing a new model to study how fusion works. The scientists showed that fusion between two cells is not equal and mutual as some assumed, but, rather, is initiated and driven by one of the fusion partners. The discovery, they say, could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy, since muscle regeneration relies on cell fusion to make muscle fibers that contain hundreds or even thousands of nuclei.

Sniff, sniff: New form of animal communication discovered Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:51 AM PST Sniffing has been observed to also serve as a method for rats to communicate —- a fundamental discovery that may help scientists identify brain regions critical for interpreting communications cues and what brain malfunctions may cause some complex social disorders.

Industrial chemicals found in food samples Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:47 AM PST Researchers have discovered phthalates, industrial chemicals, in common foods purchased in the United States. Phthalates can be found in a variety of products and food packaging material, child-care articles and medical devices.

Do-gooder or ne'er-do-well? Behavioral science explains patterns of moral behavior Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:46 AM PST Does good behavior lead to more good behavior? Or do we try to balance our good and bad deeds? The answer depends on our ethical mindset, according to new research.

Better living through mindfulness Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:46 AM PST Results of a new study suggest that mindfulness -- awareness of the present moment -- may be linked to self-regulation throughout the day, and this may be an important contributor to better emotional and physical well-being.

Researchers find molecular switch turning on self-renewal of liver damage Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:45 AM PST The liver is one of the few organs in our body that can regenerate itself, but how it occurs is a biological mystery. New research from Denmark has identified a protein complex that act to switch on a self-regeneration program in the liver.

Changes in heart attack timing continue years after Hurricane Katrina Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:44 AM PST The upheaval caused by Hurricane Katrina seems to have disrupted the usual timing of heart attacks, shifting peak frequency from weekday mornings to weekend nights, in a change in pattern that persisted a full five years after the storm, according to new research.

Higher heart attack rates continue 6 years after Katrina Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PST New Orleans residents continue to face a three-fold increased risk of heart attack post-Katrina -- a trend that has remained unchanged since the storm hit in 2005, according to new research.

Molecular key to exhaustion following sleep deprivation Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:29 AM PST Scientists have identified one of the molecular players in this process has been identified – at least in nematode round worms. Scientists report that even in Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny nematode worm that feeds on bacteria, loss of sleep is "stressful."

Researchers discover workings of brain's 'GPS system' Posted: 07 Mar 2013 08:07 AM PST A new study pro­vides evi­dence for how the brain determines the body's location as it moves through its surroundings.

Whoa there! Quick switch to 'barefoot' shoes can be bad to the bone Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:25 AM PST A new study from a team of exercise science professors found that runners who transition too quickly to 'barefoot' running shoes suffer an increased risk of injury to bones in the foot, including possible stress fractures.

Epigenetics: Neurons remember because they move genes in space Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:23 AM PST How do neurons store information about past events? A previously unknown mechanism of memory trace formation has been discovered. It appears that at least some events are remembered thanks to ... geometry.

Some brain cells are better virus fighters Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:15 AM PST Natural immune defenses that resist viral infection are turned on in some brain cells but switched off in others, scientists have learned.

Age at first menstrual cycle, menopause tied to heart disease risk Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:15 AM PST Chinese women are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease if they have their first menstrual cycle or enter menopause later than their peers, according to a recent study.

Up to half of gestational diabetes patients will develop type 2 diabetes, study finds Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:15 AM PST Women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy face a significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future, according to a recent study.

Exercise shields children from stress, research indicates Posted: 07 Mar 2013 06:15 AM PST Exercise may play a key role in helping children cope with stressful situations, according to a recent study.

Internet searches can identify drug safety issues well ahead of public alerts Posted: 06 Mar 2013 07:11 PM PST Internet searches on health symptoms can be used to identify drug side effects and could be used to develop a new kind of early warning system to boost drug safety, a new study indicates.

Processed meat linked to premature death, large study finds Posted: 06 Mar 2013 07:09 PM PST In a huge study of half a million men and women, researchers have demonstrated an association between processed meat and cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Deep brain stimulation shows promise for patients with chronic, treatment resistant anorexia nervosa Posted: 06 Mar 2013 07:08 PM PST In a world first, a team of researchers has shown that deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with chronic, severe and treatment-resistant anorexia nervosa (anorexia) helps some patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood, and anxiety.

First dystonia gene found in African-Americans Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:39 AM PST A pair of studies tells the tale of how a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida helped to discover the first African-American family to have inherited the rare movement disorder dystonia, which causes repetitive muscle contractions and twisting, resulting in abnormal posture.

People with mental illness at highly increased risk of being murder victims, study suggests Posted: 05 Mar 2013 05:04 PM PST People with mental disorders have a highly increased risk of being victims of homicide, a large study suggests.

Potential target to better treat, cure anxiety disorders Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:46 PM PST Researchers have, for the first time, identified a specific group of cells in the brainstem whose activation during rapid eye movement sleep is critical for the regulation of emotional memory processing.

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