ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Time out: Spanking babies is surprisingly common, U.S. study finds
• Three quarters of people with seasonal, pandemic flu have no symptoms
• Potentially safer, greener alternative to BPA could come from papermaking waste
• Major 'third-hand smoke' compound causes DNA damage and potentially cancer
• Small-RNA pathway defends genome against enemy within
• New gene linked to key heart attack risk factor found by novel gene-finding approach
• Tequila plant possible sweetener for diabetics, helps reduce blood sugar, weight
• Intelligent people are more likely to trust others
• Married women less likely to die from heart disease
• Advance toward developing an oral pain reliever derived from debilitating snail venom
• Heart cells respond to stiff environments
• Shoulder revision repair surgery not as successful two years later
• ACL tears are not the end for college football players
• Young athletes with knee pain may turn to meniscus transplant
• More osteoarthritis noted later in life in kids who have ACL reconstruction
• Specialized care improves treatment outcomes in patients with sleep apnea
• Older age at onset of Type 1 diabetes associated with lower brain connectivity
• New nanoparticle that only attacks cervical cancer cells
• Losing or gaining weight after joint replacement affects long term outcomes, study shows
• In the lab, scientists coax E. coli to resist radiation damage
• Patient requests for specific drugs have major impact on prescribing, reports study
• DNA can be damaged by very low-energy radiation
• Resisting domestic violence is a political act, researchers suggest
• Cancer patients with insulin-treated diabetes have four times higher mortality compared to cancer patients without diabetes
• Higher exposure to take-out food could double the odds of being obese
• Pancreatic cancer surgery findings presented by researchers

Time out: Spanking babies is surprisingly common, U.S. study finds Posted: 16 Mar 2014 06:09 PM PDT The same hands that parents use to lovingly feed, clothe and bathe their babies are also commonly used to spank their bundles of joy. A new study found that 30 percent of 1-year-old children were spanked at least once in the past month by their mother, father or both parents. A long-time topic of debate, spanking children is a common practice among U.S. parents.

Three quarters of people with seasonal, pandemic flu have no symptoms Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:32 PM PDT Around 1 in 5 of the population were infected in both recent outbreaks of seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, but just 23% of these infections caused symptoms, and only 17% of people were ill enough to consult their doctor. These findings come from a major new community-based study comparing the burden and severity of seasonal and pandemic influenza in England over 5 years.

Potentially safer, greener alternative to BPA could come from papermaking waste Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:31 PM PDT A waste product from making paper could yield a safer, greener replacement for the potentially harmful chemical BPA, now banned from baby bottles but still used in many plastics. Scientists made the BPA alternative from lignin, which gives wood its strength, and they say it could be ready for the market within five years.

Major 'third-hand smoke' compound causes DNA damage and potentially cancer Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:31 PM PDT Leftover cigarette smoke that clings to walls and furniture is a smelly nuisance, but now research suggests that it could pose a far more serious threat, especially to young children who put toys and other smoke-affected items into their mouths. Scientists reported that one of the tobacco-specific nitrosamines newly formed in "third-hand smoke" damages DNA and could potentially cause cancer.

Small-RNA pathway defends genome against enemy within Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:33 PM PDT For a plant to create reproductive cells, it must first erase a series of tags attached to DNA across the genome that distinguish active and inactive genes. But the marks also keep a host of damaging 'jumping genes' inactive. As the cell wipes away the marks, it activates transposons, which can cause genetic damage. Researchers have discovered a fail-safe mechanism that helps to keep transposons inactive even when these marks are erased.

New gene linked to key heart attack risk factor found by novel gene-finding approach Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT A previously unrecognized gene variation that makes humans have healthier blood lipid levels and reduced risk of heart attacks has been found by researchers. But even more significant is how they found the gene, which had been hiding in plain sight. This region of DNA where it was found had been implicated as being important in controlling blood lipid levels in a report from several members of the same research team in 2008. But although this DNA region had many genes, none of them had any obvious link to blood lipid levels. The promise of an entirely new lipid-related gene took another six years and a new approach to find.

Tequila plant possible sweetener for diabetics, helps reduce blood sugar, weight Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT A sweetener created from the plant used to make tequila could lower blood glucose levels for the 26 million Americans and others worldwide who have type 2 diabetes and help them and the obese lose weight, researchers have reported. The main reason it could be valuable, they explained, is that agavins, a natural form of sugar found in the agave plant, are non-digestible and can act as a dietary fiber, so they would not raise blood glucose.

Intelligent people are more likely to trust others Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:38 AM PDT Intelligent people are more likely to trust others, while those who score lower on measures of intelligence are less likely to do so, says a new study. Researchers based their finding on an analysis of the General Social Survey, a nationally representative public opinion survey carried out in the United States every one to two years. The authors say one explanation could be that more intelligent individuals are better at judging character and so they tend to form relationships with people who are less likely to betray them.

Married women less likely to die from heart disease Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:37 AM PDT Married women are 28% less likely to die from heart disease than unmarried women, a new study has found. This is despite the fact that marriage makes no difference to women's chances of developing heart disease in the first place. The reasons for this difference are not known, but researchers suggest one explanation could be that the partners of married women may encourage them to seek early medical treatment for symptoms.

Advance toward developing an oral pain reliever derived from debilitating snail venom Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:28 AM PDT At least five new experimental substances — based on a tiny protein found in cone snail venom — could someday lead to the development of safe and effective oral medications for the treatment of chronic nerve pain, researchers have reported. They say the substances could potentially be stronger than morphine, with fewer side effects and lower risk of abuse.

Heart cells respond to stiff environments Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:27 AM PDT Proteins associated with the regulation of organ size and shape have been found to respond to the mechanics of the microenvironment in ways that specifically affect the decision of adult cardiac stem cells to generate muscular or vascular cells.

Shoulder revision repair surgery not as successful two years later Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT Long-term outcomes of revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is not as successful as in a first-time surgery, according to researchers. Scientists analyzed and followed-up with 360 arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery patients where they compared the functional and clinical outcomes of 310 primary cases with that of 50 revision cases.

ACL tears are not the end for college football players Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT High-level college football players frequently return to the field after an ACL reconstruction, according to new research. The study added to earlier research by exploring specific factors that affected return to play, including player standing on rosters and year in school.

Young athletes with knee pain may turn to meniscus transplant Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT Patients undergoing meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) surgery require an additional operation approximately 32% of the time, but overall see a 95% success rate after an average five-year follow-up, according to new research.

More osteoarthritis noted later in life in kids who have ACL reconstruction Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT Adolescents who have an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction are more likely to demonstrate osteoarthritic changes later in life, researchers have discovered. "Early reconstruction of ACLs is often the trend for young more skeletally mature athletes to restore knee stability and prevent progressive meniscal and/or articular cartilage damage. Often these procedures do allow individuals to return to the playing field and continue an active lifestyle. However, it is still important to evaluate long-term effects such as osteoarthritis when considering surgeries for these pediatric patients," said the lead researcher.

Specialized care improves treatment outcomes in patients with sleep apnea Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:22 PM PDT Treatment outcomes were better when sleep apnea patients received care from sleep specialists and accredited sleep centers, a new study has found. Patient satisfaction also was associated with physician certification, and timeliness of care was better at accredited centers.

Older age at onset of Type 1 diabetes associated with lower brain connectivity Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:22 PM PDT Children and adolescents older than age 8 at the onset of type 1 diabetes had weaker brain connectivity when tested later in life relative to those who had earlier ages of diagnosis, researchers have discovered. The findings were made by analyzing the brain scans of 44 middle-age adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as children.

New nanoparticle that only attacks cervical cancer cells Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:21 PM PDT One of the most promising technologies for the treatment of various cancers is nanotechnology, creating drugs that directly attack the cancer cells without damaging other tissues' development. Researchers have now developed a therapy to attack cervical cancer tumors.

Losing or gaining weight after joint replacement affects long term outcomes, study shows Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:20 PM PDT While many overweight patients intend to lose weight after joint replacement, a study finds that although some are able to achieve this goal, equal numbers of patients actually gain weight after hip or knee replacement. Patients who lose weight have better joint replacement outcomes in terms of function and activity level two years down the road.

In the lab, scientists coax E. coli to resist radiation damage Posted: 14 Mar 2014 01:41 PM PDT Capitalizing on the ability of an organism to evolve in response to punishment from a hostile environment, scientists have coaxed the model bacterium Escherichia coli to dramatically resist ionizing radiation and, in the process, reveal the genetic mechanisms that make the feat possible. The study provides evidence that just a handful of genetic mutations give E. coli the capacity to withstand doses of radiation that would otherwise doom the microbe. The findings are important because they have implications for better understanding how organisms can resist radiation damage to cells and repair damaged DNA.

Patient requests for specific drugs have major impact on prescribing, reports study Posted: 14 Mar 2014 08:13 AM PDT Patient requests for specific medications -- including requests for brand-name drugs spurred by direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising -- have a substantial impact on doctors' prescribing decisions, suggests a study. "A patient request for a specific medication dramatically increases the rate at which physician s prescribe that medication," according to the lead researcher. "These results highlight potential negative impacts of DTC advertising and other forms of activation in medication requests."

DNA can be damaged by very low-energy radiation Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PDT That energetic particles damage DNA is not surprising. It is now appears that very low-energy OH radicals also damage DNA, with a propensity that depends on how vigorously OH rotates: rotationally 'hot' OH induce irreparable double breaks. These findings utilize OH formed in plasma created when intense IR femtosecond laser pulses propagate in water containing DNA. Industry characterizes as 'eye-safe' IR lasers. With such wavelengths being proficient at inducing DNA damage, how safe is 'eye-safe'?

Resisting domestic violence is a political act, researchers suggest Posted: 14 Mar 2014 06:36 AM PDT Resisting domestic violence is more than a personal act; it's a form of activism, claims an academic. Individual acts of resistance and activism can inspire and become part of wider social change. In other words, we all have a part to play in creating a safer society, through resisting abuse, reporting abuse, and supporting the abused and their rights through our political, judicial and legal systems, the author writes.

Cancer patients with insulin-treated diabetes have four times higher mortality compared to cancer patients without diabetes Posted: 13 Mar 2014 06:28 PM PDT People who have diabetes at the time they are diagnosed with cancer are more likely to die early than those without diabetes, concludes research. The researchers note that patients with both diabetes and cancer constitute a particularly vulnerable group, and efforts are needed to reduce cancer-related mortality among these patients.

Higher exposure to take-out food could double the odds of being obese Posted: 13 Mar 2014 06:28 PM PDT People exposed to take-out food restaurants around their home, at work and on their way to work are more likely to consume more of these foods, as well as being more likely to be obese, suggest a new paper. During the past decade in the UK, consumption of food away from home has risen by 29% while the number of takeaways has increased dramatically. This, the researchers say, could be contributing to rising levels of overweight and obesity. Despite increasing policy focus, identifying the association between exposures to unhealthy neighborhood food outlets, diet and body weight has proved challenging.

Pancreatic cancer surgery findings presented by researchers Posted: 13 Mar 2014 06:26 PM PDT Despite the benefits of surgery for early stage pancreatic cancer, it remains under-utilized for patients with this deadly disease, according to a new national analysis of trends and outcomes. Physician-scientists presented their findings and strategies to increase rates recently, adding to the breadth of knowledge on the topic of pancreatic cancer.

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