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Thursday, May 2, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


PTSD research: Distinct gene activity patterns from childhood abuse

Posted: 01 May 2013 12:44 PM PDT

A study of adult civilians with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) has shown that individuals with a history of childhood abuse have distinct, profound changes in gene activity patterns, compared to adults with PTSD but without a history of child abuse.

Potential novel treatment for influenza discovered: Scientists pursue new therapies as deadly H7N9 flu spreads in China

Posted: 01 May 2013 12:44 PM PDT

An experimental drug has shown promise in treating influenza, preventing lung injury and death from the virus in preclinical studies, according to new research. The scientists found that a drug called Eritoran can protect mice from death after they have been infected with a lethal dose of influenza virus.

Soil may harbor answer to reducing arsenic in rice

Posted: 01 May 2013 12:44 PM PDT

Agricultural researchers are studying whether a naturally occurring soil bacterium, referred to as UD1023, can create an iron barrier in rice roots that reduces arsenic uptake.

How brain's auditory center transmits information for decisions, actions

Posted: 01 May 2013 11:51 AM PDT

When a pedestrian hears the screech of a car's brakes, she has to decide whether, and if so, how, to move in response. Is the action taking place blocks away, or 20 feet to the left? One of the primal mechanisms we depend on -- acting on the basis of information gathered by our sense of hearing -- is yielding its secrets. Surprising results fill in a key piece of the puzzle about how mammals act on the basis of sound cues.

Gentle touch and the bionic eye: Using haptics to improve outcomes for people given visual prosthetics

Posted: 01 May 2013 11:51 AM PDT

Normal vision is essentially a spatial sense that often relies upon touch and movement during and after development. Training with haptic, touch, technology could improve outcomes for the blind children and older people fitted with visual prosthetic devices.

New molecule heralds hope for muscular dystrophy treatment

Posted: 01 May 2013 11:51 AM PDT

There's hope for patients with myotonic dystrophy, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. A new small molecule has been shown to break up the protein-RNA clusters that cause the disease in living human cells, an important first step toward developing a pharmaceutical treatment for the as-yet untreatable disease.

Genetic mutation linked with typical form of migraine headache

Posted: 01 May 2013 11:51 AM PDT

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation that is strongly associated with a typical form of migraine.

Scientists weaken HIV infection in immune cells using synthetic agents

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:20 AM PDT

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is notorious for hiding within certain types of cells, where it reproduces at a slowed rate and eventually gives rise to chronic inflammation, despite drug therapy. But researchers recently discovered that synthetic anti-inflammatory substances distantly related to the active ingredient of marijuana may be able to take the punch out of HIV while inside one of its major hideouts -- immune cells called macrophages.

Genomics to reshape endometrial cancer treatment

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:19 AM PDT

The most in-depth look yet at endometrial cancer shows that adding genomics-based testing to the standard diagnostic workup could change the recommended course of treatment for some women.

Hypothalamus: Brain region may hold key to aging

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:18 AM PDT

While the search continues for the Fountain of Youth, researchers may have found the body's "fountain of aging": the brain region known as the hypothalamus. For the first time, scientists report that the hypothalamus of mice controls aging throughout the body. Their discovery of a specific age-related signaling pathway opens up new strategies for combating diseases of old age and extending lifespan.

Scientists find dissimilar proteins evolved similar seven-part shape

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:17 AM PDT

Solving the structure of a critical human molecule involved in cancer, scientists have found what they call a good example of structural conservation —- dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes.

Wide-eyed fear expressions may help us -- and others -- to locate threats

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:16 AM PDT

Wide-eyed expressions that typically signal fear seem to enlarge our visual field making it easier to spot threats at the same time they enhance the ability of others to locate the source of danger, according to new research.

Baby knows best: Fetuses emit hormone crucial to preventing preeclampsia

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:16 AM PDT

Listening to the hormonal 'conversation' between mother and fetus could reveal new opportunities for preeclampsia detection and prevention.

New evidence on how fluoride fights tooth decay

Posted: 01 May 2013 08:28 AM PDT

In an advance toward solving a 50-year-old mystery, scientists are reporting new evidence on how the fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, mouth rinses and other oral-care products prevents tooth decay.

One step closer to a blood test for Alzheimer's

Posted: 01 May 2013 07:13 AM PDT

Scientists are much closer to developing a screening test for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

The biology behind binge eating

Posted: 01 May 2013 07:13 AM PDT

Female rats are much more likely to binge eat than male rats, according to new research that provides some of the strongest evidence yet that biology plays a role in eating disorders.

CPR 'hands-only' guidelines may not be best for rural areas

Posted: 01 May 2013 07:13 AM PDT

Hands-only CPR (CPR without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation), may not be the best method for rural or remote areas or for anyone who has to wait more than a few minutes for an ambulance, a new study suggests.

Outdoor recess time can reduce the risk of nearsightedness in children

Posted: 01 May 2013 07:12 AM PDT

A study conducted in Taiwan, the first to use an education policy intervention, finds that when children are required to spend recess time outdoors their risk of nearsightedness is reduced. A separate study in Danish children is the first to show a direct correlation between seasonal fluctuations in daylight, eye growth and the rate of nearsightedness progression.

Researchers look to mathematics, nature, to understand the immune system and its role in cancer

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:18 AM PDT

Can patterns in tree branches or the meandering bends in a river provide clues that could lead to better cancer therapies? According to a new study, these self-similar, repeating patterns in nature known as fractals help scientists better understand how the immune system is organized and may one day be used to help improve stem cell transplant outcomes in leukemia patients by predicting the probability of transplant complications.

Amusement rides in U.S. injure 4,400 kids a year: Injuries higher on 'fixed' rides

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:18 AM PDT

On average, a child is treated in an emergency department every other hour in the US for injuries on amusement rides, according to the first national study to examine those types of accidents in depth. Researchers investigated amusement ride injuries from 1990 to 2010 and found nearly 93,000 children were injured on rides including roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and coin-operated rides. The study finds consistent safety standards are needed.

No link between anesthesia, dementia in elderly

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:07 AM PDT

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new research. The study analyzed thousands of patients using the Rochester Epidemiology Project -- which allows researchers access to medical records of nearly all residents of Olmsted County, Minn. -- and found that receiving general anesthesia for procedures after age 45 is not a risk factor for developing dementia.

How 'traffic' in our cells works both for and against us

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:07 AM PDT

A mechanism that permits essential substances to enter our cells while at the same time removing from them harmful components also has a "down side." This negativeaspect prevents vital drugs, such as anti-cancer drugs, from achieving their designed functions, while also enabling bacterial cells to develop resistance to penetration of antibiotics.

Humor styles and bullying in schools: Not a laughing matter

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:06 AM PDT

There is a clear link between children's use of humor and their susceptibility to being bullied by their peers, according to a major new study.

Gastric bypass findings could lead to diabetes treatment

Posted: 01 May 2013 06:06 AM PDT

Scientists have shed new light on why gastric bypass often sends diabetes into remission rapidly, opening the door to developing treatment with the same effect.

Regional anesthesia technique significantly improves outcomes of hip and knee replacement

Posted: 01 May 2013 05:58 AM PDT

A highly underutilized anesthesia technique called neuraxial anesthesia, also known as spinal or epidural anesthesia, improves outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, according to a new study.

Decoded: Molecular messages that tell prostate and breast cancers to spread

Posted: 30 Apr 2013 10:16 AM PDT

Cancer cells are wily, well-traveled adversaries, constantly side-stepping treatments to stop their spread. But for the first time, scientists have decoded the molecular chatter that ramps certain cancer cells into overdrive and can cause tumors to metastasize throughout the body.

Possible alternative to bariatric weight loss surgery

Posted: 30 Apr 2013 10:15 AM PDT

An experimental procedure successfully tested in obese laboratory rats may provide a less-invasive alternative to bariatric weight-loss surgery. Scientists used a catheter to redirect the flow of bile from the bile duct into the small intestine, producing the same metabolic and weight-loss benefits as bariatric surgeries such as gastric by-pass.

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