ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Competition keeps health-care costs low, U.S. researchers find
• Smoking interferes with neurocognitive recovery during abstinence from alcohol
• Bar attendance supports heavy drinking by young adults in the US-Mexico border region
• Understanding drinking behaviors among women with unwanted pregnancies
• Bogus recycling bins help identify drinking patterns among low-income seniors
• Diet for your DNA: Novel nutrition plan sparks debate around data protection
• Overweight women lose in the labor market, study finds
• How troubled marriage, depression history promote obesity
• Immersed in violence: How 3-D gaming affects video game players
• Genome editing technique advanced by researchers
• Large variation in Cesarean rates across US hospitals
• Most published medical research is false; Here's how to improve
• In disease outbreak management, flexibility can save lives, money
• Novel approach for treating non-cardiac chest pain suggested
• Cosmic rays threaten future deep-space astronaut missions
• Impressions shaped by facial appearance foster biased decisions
• Preservation technique for marginal livers prevents biliary stricture
• Treatment for osteoporosis, bone cancer, employed for the first time in dental filling procedures
• Significant rise in e-cigarette use among youth in Poland
• Research highlights extent, effects of school violence in U.S.
• Resetting the circadian clock: Shift workers might want to skip high-iron foods at night
• Survey shows what Americans fear most
• Ancient Europeans intolerant to lactose for 5,000 years after they adopted agriculture
• Fight against Alzheimer's disease: New research on walnuts
• Animal therapy reduces anxiety, loneliness symptoms in college students
• Screening questions fail to identify teens at risk for hearing loss
• Seven ways to feel full without overeating
• Blood biomarker may detect lung cancer
• CPAP use for sleep apnea does not negatively impact sexual quality of life
• Dramatic decline in mortality rates for acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Immune proteins moonlight to regulate brain-cell connections
• Detecting cancer earlier is goal of new medical imaging technology
• New analysis methodology may revolutionize breast cancer therapy
• Backpack physics: Smaller hikers carry heavier loads
• Exploring x-ray phase tomography with synchrotron radiation
• Not just skin cancer: Triplet threat from the sun
• Memory decline among menopausal women could be next research frontier for hypnotic relaxation therapy
• Misreporting diet information could impact nutrition recommendations for Hispanics
• Hungry or not, kids will eat treats
• Child's poor decision-making skills can predict later behavior problems, research shows
• How Texas campus police tackle stalking
• New viral mutation made middle-aged adults more susceptible to last year's flu
• Coordination between gut bacteria, biological clocks may be crucial for preventing obesity, glucose intolerance
• Sleep duration affects risk for ulcerative colitis
• Analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs may have impact on depression
• Peanut in house dust linked to peanut allergy in children with skin gene mutation
• Norovirus stomach bug: Scientists take step towards drug to treat
• Tarantula venom illuminates electrical activity in live cells
• 'Designer' nanodevice could improve treatment options for cancer sufferers
• Undescended testis: The recommended surgery is being performed too late
• Binge drinking in young men linked with increased risk of hypertension
• Even depressed people believe that life gets better
• 11 million will lose health insurance if ACA subsidies are eliminated, study finds
• Once CD8 T cells take on one virus, they'll fight others too
• How radiotherapy kills cancer cells
• A rich vocabulary can protect against cognitive impairment
• Exposure to aluminum may impact on male fertility, research suggests
• Flu vaccine may hold key to preventing heart disease
• Key factor in transition from moderate to problem drinking

Competition keeps health-care costs low, U.S. researchers find Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT Medical practices in less competitive health-care markets charge more for services, according to a study. The study, based on U.S. health-care data from 2010, provides important new information about the effects of competition on prices for office visits paid by preferred provider organizations, known more commonly as PPOs. PPOs are the most common type of health insurance plan held by privately insured people in the United States.

Smoking interferes with neurocognitive recovery during abstinence from alcohol Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT Researchers know that alcohol-dependent individuals (ALC) sustain neurocognitive impairment even after detoxification. A new study examines specific domains of cognitive recovery in conjunction with smoking status. Findings show that smoking status influenced the rate and level of neurocognitive recovery during eight months of abstinence in the ALC group.

Bar attendance supports heavy drinking by young adults in the US-Mexico border region Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT Mexico is a nearby destination where younger US residents can legally drink heavily. However, high levels of drinking on the US side are not always linked to recent travel to Mexico. New findings show that higher levels of drinking among US-Mexico border youth are closely linked to their patterns of bar attendance, but not to how they think about drinking.

Understanding drinking behaviors among women with unwanted pregnancies Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT Most women reduce or stop drinking alcohol upon discovery of pregnancy. A new study looks at changes in alcohol use, and factors contributing to these changes, among women with unwanted pregnancies. Findings indicate that most women with unwanted pregnancies quit or reduce alcohol consumption once they discover their pregnancies, and that some may be substituting alcohol for drugs once they discover their pregnancies.

Bogus recycling bins help identify drinking patterns among low-income seniors Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:21 PM PDT Substance abuse is the fastest growing health concern for older adults. New findings show that drinking levels are high enough to be concerning and tend to spike around the times older adults receive their social security checks. These results may have prevention implications for social workers working with low-income seniors.

Diet for your DNA: Novel nutrition plan sparks debate around data protection Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:21 PM PDT Personalized nutrition based on an individual's genotype - nutrigenomics - could have a major impact on reducing lifestyle-linked diseases such as obesity, heart disease and Type II diabetes, experts say. However, a study of more than 9,000 volunteers reveals that strict regulations need to be put in place before nutrigenomics becomes publicly acceptable due to people's fears around personal data protection.

Overweight women lose in the labor market, study finds Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:20 PM PDT Overweight women are more likely to work in lower-paying and more physically demanding jobs, less likely to get higher-wage positions that include interaction with the public, and make less money in either case compared to average size women and all men, according to a new study.

How troubled marriage, depression history promote obesity Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:20 PM PDT The double-whammy of marital hostility and a history of depression can increase the risk for obesity in adults by altering how the body processes high-fat foods, according to new research.

Immersed in violence: How 3-D gaming affects video game players Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:53 AM PDT Playing violent video games in 3-D makes everything seem more real – and that may have troubling consequences for players, a new study reveals. Researchers found that people who played violent video games in 3-D showed more evidence of anger afterward than did people who played using traditional 2-D systems -- even those with large screens.

Genome editing technique advanced by researchers Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT Customized genome editing -- the ability to edit desired DNA sequences to add, delete, activate or suppress specific genes -- has major potential for application in medicine, biotechnology, food and agriculture. Now researchers examine six key molecular elements that help drive this genome editing system, which is known as CRISPR-Cas.

Large variation in Cesarean rates across US hospitals Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT Cesarean delivery is the most common inpatient surgery in the United States. US cesarean rates increased from 20.7% in 1996 to 32.9% in 2009 but have since stabilized, with 1.3 million American women having had a cesarean delivery in 2011. Rates of cesarean delivery vary across hospitals, and understanding reasons for the variation could help shed light on practices related to cesarean delivery.

Most published medical research is false; Here's how to improve Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT In 2005, in a landmark paper viewed well over a million times, John Ioannidis explained in PLOS Medicine why most published research findings are false. To coincide with PLOS Medicine's 10th anniversary he responds to the challenge of this situation by suggesting how the research enterprise could be improved.

In disease outbreak management, flexibility can save lives, money Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT A new, more flexible, approach for responding to and managing disease outbreaks has been developed that could save many lives and millions of dollars. The approach, called 'adaptive management,' allows decision-makers to use knowledge gained during an outbreak to update ongoing interventions with the goal of containing outbreaks more quickly, efficiently, and effectively.

Novel approach for treating non-cardiac chest pain suggested Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT Chest pain doesn't necessarily come from the heart. An estimated 200,000 Americans each year experience non-cardiac chest pain. New research suggests a novel approach to treating non-cardiac chest pain due to esophageal hypersensitivity. The treatment involves a drug called dronabinol, a cannabinoid receptor activator that has traditionally been used to treat nausea and vomiting in HIV patients and for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Cosmic rays threaten future deep-space astronaut missions Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT Crewed missions to Mars remain an essential goal for NASA, but scientists are only now beginning to understand and characterize the radiation hazards that could make such ventures risky, concludes a new article.

Impressions shaped by facial appearance foster biased decisions Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT Research in recent years has shown that people associate specific facial traits with an individual's personality. People consistently associate trustworthiness, competence, dominance, and friendliness with specific facial traits. According to a new article, people rely on these subtle facial traits to make important decisions, from voting for a political candidate to convicting a suspect for a crime. The authors present its real-world consequences and discuss potential ways of overcoming it.

Preservation technique for marginal livers prevents biliary stricture Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:49 AM PDT A preservation technique known as sequential subnormothermic ex vivo liver perfusion (SNEVLP) prevents ischemic type biliary stricture following liver transplantation using grafts from donations after cardiac death (DCD). These findings indicate that the preservation of DCD grafts using SNEVLP versus cold storage reduces bile duct and endothelial cell injury post transplantation.

Treatment for osteoporosis, bone cancer, employed for the first time in dental filling procedures Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:49 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated how the use of zoledronic acid, in combination with bioactive ion-releasing resin-based restorative materials used as dental adhesive, reduces the degradation of dentin collagen and promotes remineralisation at the resin-dentine interface.

Significant rise in e-cigarette use among youth in Poland Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT Use of electronic cigarettes among students in Poland has increased dramatically, rising more than threefold in just the last three years, research finds. Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated products that heat a liquid solution that vaporizes nicotine and other additives, which are then inhaled by the user.

Research highlights extent, effects of school violence in U.S. Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT Six percent of U.S. children and youth missed a day of school over the course of a year because they were the victim of violence or abuse at school. "This study really highlights the way school violence can interfere with learning," says the lead author. "Too many kids are missing school because they do not feel safe."

Resetting the circadian clock: Shift workers might want to skip high-iron foods at night Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT Workers punching in for the graveyard shift may be better off not eating high-iron foods at night so they don't disrupt the circadian clock in their livers. "Iron is like the dial that sets the timing of the clock," the lead researcher says. "Discovering a factor, such as iron, that sets the circadian rhythm of the liver may have broad implications for people who do shift work."

Survey shows what Americans fear most Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT The Chapman Survey on American Fears included 1,500 participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The research team leading this effort pared the information down into four basic categories: personal fears, crime, natural disasters and fear factors.

Ancient Europeans intolerant to lactose for 5,000 years after they adopted agriculture Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT By analyzing DNA from petrous bones of ancient Europeans, scientists have identified these peoples remained intolerant to lactose (natural sugar in the milk of mammals) for 5,000 years after they adopted agricultural practices. The scientific team examined nuclear ancient DNA extracted from thirteen individuals from burials from archaeological sites in the Great Hungarian Plain. The skeletons sampled date from 5,700 BC (Early Neolithic) to 800 BC (Iron Age).

Fight against Alzheimer's disease: New research on walnuts Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:57 AM PDT An new animal study reveals potential brain-health benefits of a walnut-enriched diet. Researchers suggest that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Animal therapy reduces anxiety, loneliness symptoms in college students Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT Animal-assisted therapy can reduce symptoms of anxiety and loneliness among college students, according to researchers who provided animal-assisted therapy to 55 students in a group setting at a small arts college. They found a 60 percent decrease in self-reported anxiety and loneliness symptoms following animal-assisted therapy, in which a registered therapy dog was under the supervision of a licensed mental health practitioner.

Screening questions fail to identify teens at risk for hearing loss Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT Subjective screening questions do not reliably identify teenagers who are at risk for hearing loss, according to researchers. Their study results suggest that objective hearing tests should be refined for this age group to replace screening questions.

Seven ways to feel full without overeating Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT Not feeling full after or between meals can result in overeating. Eating certain nutrients and foods may help curb appetite and keep one feeling fuller longer, according to an expert.

Blood biomarker may detect lung cancer Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT A new study shows that patients with stage I to stage III non-small cell lung cancer have different metabolite profiles in their blood than those of patients who are at risk but do not have lung cancer.

CPAP use for sleep apnea does not negatively impact sexual quality of life Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT Patients who use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat obstructive sleep apnea often believe that it makes them less sexually attractive, according to researchers. New research shows they need not worry.

Dramatic decline in mortality rates for acute respiratory distress syndrome Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT The largest study to date of mortality trends in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome shows that the rate of mortality dropped significantly over a 16-year period. Advances in critical care medicine are seen as a direct cause of the decline.

Immune proteins moonlight to regulate brain-cell connections Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT When it comes to the brain, 'more is better' seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function. Researchers recently found an immune-system protein that moonlights in the nervous system to help regulate the number of synapses, and could play an unexpected role in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes and autism.

Detecting cancer earlier is goal of new medical imaging technology Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT A new medical imaging method could help physicians detect cancer and other diseases earlier than before, speeding treatment and reducing the need for invasive, time-consuming biopsies. The potentially lifesaving technique uses nanotechnology and shortwave infrared light to reveal small cancerous tumors and cardiovascular lesions deep inside the body.

New analysis methodology may revolutionize breast cancer therapy Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:13 AM PDT Stroma cells are derived from connective tissue and may critically influence tumor growth. This knowledge is not new. However, a team of researchers has developed a novel methodology for investigation. Using modern mass spectrometry, tumor-promoting activities from breast fibroblasts were directly determined from needle biopsy samples.

Backpack physics: Smaller hikers carry heavier loads Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT Hikers are generally advised that the weight of the packs they carry should correspond to their own size, with smaller individuals carrying lighter loads. Although petite backpackers might appreciate the excuse to hand off heavier gear to the larger members of the group, it turns out that they may not need the help.

Exploring x-ray phase tomography with synchrotron radiation Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT X-ray phase tomography is an imaging technique that uses penetrating X-rays to create volumetric views through "slices" or sections of soft biological tissues, such as tumors, and it offers strongly enhanced contrast compared to conventional CT scans. Yet scientists still do not know which X-ray phase tomography methods are best suited to yield optimized results for a wide variety of conditions.

Not just skin cancer: Triplet threat from the sun Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT The most obvious effects of too much sun exposure are cosmetic, like wrinkled and rough skin. Some damage, however, goes deeper—ultraviolet light can damage DNA and cause proteins in the body to break down into smaller, sometimes harmful pieces that may also damage DNA, increasing the risk of skin cancer and cataracts. Understanding the specific pathways by which this degradation occurs is an important step in developing protective mechanisms against it.

Memory decline among menopausal women could be next research frontier for hypnotic relaxation therapy Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:07 AM PDT Memory decline — a frequent complaint of menopausal women — potentially could be lessened by hypnotic relaxation therapy, say researchers who already have done studies showing that such therapy eases hot flashes, improves sleep and reduces stress in menopausal women.

Misreporting diet information could impact nutrition recommendations for Hispanics Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT Faulty self-reporting of the food we eat can lead to incorrect conclusions about whether we are meeting dietary recommendations for certain essential nutrients, say researchers. A new study is the first to examine how accounting for the problem of misreporting affects nutrient intake estimates in the Hispanic community. Nearly one in three US residents is projected to be Hispanic in 2060.

Hungry or not, kids will eat treats Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT Even though they are not hungry, children as young as three will find high-energy treats too tempting to refuse, new research has confirmed. In a study of three and four year olds, 100 per cent of children opted for a sweet or savory snack despite eating a filling healthy lunch only 15 minutes prior.

Child's poor decision-making skills can predict later behavior problems, research shows Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT Children who show poor decision-making skills at age 10 or 11 may be more likely to experience interpersonal and behavioral difficulties that have the potential to lead to high-risk health behavior in their teen years, according to a new study.

How Texas campus police tackle stalking Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:15 AM PDT One out of every five female students experience stalking victimization during their college career, but many of those cases are not reported to police, according to a new study.

New viral mutation made middle-aged adults more susceptible to last year's flu Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:15 AM PDT A possible explanation for why middle-aged adults were hit especially hard by the H1N1 influenza virus during the 2013-2014 influenza season has been uncovered by scientists. Their findings offer evidence that a new mutation in H1N1 viruses potentially led to more disease in these individuals.

Coordination between gut bacteria, biological clocks may be crucial for preventing obesity, glucose intolerance Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:15 AM PDT Proper coordination between our gut bacteria and our biological clocks may be crucial for preventing obesity and glucose intolerance, scientists say. "Our gut bacteria's ability to coordinate their functions with our biological clock demonstrates, once again, the ties that bind us to our bacterial population and the fact that disturbances in these ties can have consequences for our health," a researcher notes.

Sleep duration affects risk for ulcerative colitis Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:15 AM PDT If you are not getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night, you may be at increased risk of developing ulcerative colitis, according to a new study.

Analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs may have impact on depression Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:15 AM PDT Ordinary over the counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs purchased from pharmacies may also be effective in the treatment of people suffering of depression, as demonstrated by the largest ever meta-analysis based on 14 international studies with a total 6,262 patients who either suffered from depression or had individual symptoms of depression.

Peanut in house dust linked to peanut allergy in children with skin gene mutation Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:11 AM PDT A strong link between exposure to peanut protein in household dust during infancy and the development of peanut allergy in children genetically predisposed to a skin barrier defect has been discovered by researchers.

Norovirus stomach bug: Scientists take step towards drug to treat Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:11 AM PDT An experimental drug currently being trialled for influenza and Ebola viruses could have a new target: norovirus, often known as the winter vomiting virus. A team of researchers has shown that the drug, favipiravir, is effective at reducing -- and in some cases eliminating -- norovirus infection in mice.

Tarantula venom illuminates electrical activity in live cells Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:11 AM PDT A cellular probe that combines a tarantula toxin with a fluorescent compound has been developed to help scientists observe electrical activity in neurons and other cells. This is the first time researchers have been able to visually observe these electrical signaling proteins turn on without genetic modification.

'Designer' nanodevice could improve treatment options for cancer sufferers Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:10 AM PDT Cancer diagnostics and treatment options could be drastically improved with the creation of a 'designer' nanodevice currently being developed by an international team of researchers. The diagnostic 'nanodecoder', which will consist of self-assembled DNA and protein nanostructures, will greatly advance biomarker detection and provide accurate molecular characterization enabling more detailed evaluation of how diseased tissues respond to therapies, they say.

Undescended testis: The recommended surgery is being performed too late Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:10 AM PDT Undescended testis is commonly found in newborn boys and usually normalizes spontaneously by the age of six months. In one in a hundred boys, however, at least one testis remains undescended -- a condition associated with impaired fertility and a higher risk of testicular cancer in later life.

Binge drinking in young men linked with increased risk of hypertension Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:10 AM PDT Binge drinking in early adulthood is associated with an increased likelihood of high blood pressure in males, while low to moderate alcohol use in early adulthood is associated with a decreased likelihood of hypertension in females, according to a new study.

Even depressed people believe that life gets better Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:56 AM PDT Adults typically believe that life gets better -- today is better than yesterday was and tomorrow will be even better than today. A new study shows that even depressed individuals believe in a brighter future, but this optimistic belief may not lead to better outcomes.

11 million will lose health insurance if ACA subsidies are eliminated, study finds Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:56 AM PDT Several lawsuits have challenged the legality of the subsidies that help low- and moderate-income people buy private health insurance through marketplaces set up under the federal Affordable Care Act. A new study finds that eliminating those subsidies would sharply boost costs for consumers and cause more than 11 million Americans to lose their health insurance.

Once CD8 T cells take on one virus, they'll fight others too Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:56 AM PDT CD8 T cells are known for becoming attuned to fight a specific pathogen ('adaptive immunity'), but a new study shows that in that process they also become first-responders that can fend off a variety of other invaders ('innate immunity'). The findings suggest that innate immunity changes with the body's experience and that the T cells are more versatile than thought.

How radiotherapy kills cancer cells Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:55 AM PDT A new discovery in experimental physics has implications for understanding how radiotherapy kills cancer cells, among other things.

A rich vocabulary can protect against cognitive impairment Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:55 AM PDT Some people suffer incipient dementia as they get older. To make up for this loss, the brain's cognitive reserve is put to the test. Researchers have studied what factors can help to improve this ability and they conclude that having a higher level of vocabulary is one such factor. 'Cognitive reserve' is the name given to the brain's capacity to compensate for the loss of its functions. This reserve cannot be measured directly; rather, it is calculated through indicators believed to increase this capacity.

Exposure to aluminum may impact on male fertility, research suggests Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:51 AM PDT Human exposure to aluminum may be a significant factor in falling sperm counts and reduced male fertility, new research suggests. Fluorescence microscopy using an aluminum-specific stain confirmed the presence of aluminum in semen and showed aluminum inside individual sperm.

Flu vaccine may hold key to preventing heart disease Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:51 AM PDT Flu vaccines are known to have a protective effect against heart disease, reducing the risk of a heart attack. For the first time, this research reveals the molecular mechanism that underpins this phenomenon. The scientists behind the study say it could be harnessed to prevent heart disease directly.

Key factor in transition from moderate to problem drinking Posted: 21 Oct 2014 05:48 AM PDT A tiny segment of genetic material known as a microRNA plays a central role in the transition from moderate drinking to binge drinking and other alcohol use disorders, researchers have discovered.

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