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Monday, December 22, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


First successful vaccination against 'mad cow'-like wasting disease in deer

Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:37 PM PST

Researchers say that a vaccination they have developed to fight a brain-based, wasting syndrome among deer and other animals may hold promise on two additional fronts: protecting US livestock from contracting the disease, and preventing similar brain infections in humans.

Researchers move closer to new range of biosensors

Posted: 20 Dec 2014 08:43 PM PST

Researchers have found a way of binding peptides to the surface of gallium nitride in a way that keeps the peptides stable even when exposed to water and radiation. The discovery moves researchers one step closer to developing a new range of biosensors for use in medical and biological research applications.

Televised medical talk shows: Health education or entertainment?

Posted: 20 Dec 2014 08:35 PM PST

Millions of viewers around the world watch the televised medical talk programs 'The Dr. Oz Show' and 'The Doctors' for medical advice, but how valuable are the recommendations they receive? In a first of its kind study, researchers have examined the recommendations given on those two shows to see if there is believable evidence to back up the claims presented. The results were revealing.

Polymorphism, bacteria inside us help dictate inflammation, antitumor activity

Posted: 20 Dec 2014 08:35 PM PST

A common polymorphism can lead to a chain of events that dictates how a tumor will progress in certain types of cancer, including a form of breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer, according to new research. The research reveals a more explicit role about the symbiotic relationship humans have with the various bacteria that inhabit our body and their role during tumor progression.

Vaccine therapy for prostate cancer patients with rising PSA examined

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 01:05 PM PST

Aiming to increase treatment options for prostate cancer patients who have an early relapse, investigators from a multi-institutional cooperative group have demonstrated that a vaccine therapy that stimulates the body's own immune defenses can be given safely and earlier in the course of prostate cancer progression.

The dementia that is not Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 01:04 PM PST

The term Alzheimer's is frequently used to describe all dementias even though there are many different causes for dementia. Lewy body dementia affects 1.4 million American and is frequently misdiagnosed, experts report.

Steroid-based treatment may answer needs of pediatric EoE patients

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:40 AM PST

A new formulation of oral budesonide suspension, a steroid-based treatment, is safe and effective in treating pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, according to a new study. Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic immune system disease caused by a buildup of white blood cells in the lining of the esophagus. This build up, which is a reaction to food, allergens or acid reflux, can inflame or injure esophageal tissue.

Epithelial tube contraction: A new feedback mechanism for regulating contractility

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:39 AM PST

Researchers have identified a novel mechanosensitive regulation of epithelial tube contraction. Many of the fundamental processes of life rely on biological structures known as epithelial tubes. These tubes serve to transport various gases, liquids and cells around the body. With each breath, for example, epithelial tubes transport oxygen to the lungs.

Parkinson's disease reverted at experimental stage

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:58 PM PST

Scientists demonstrated experimentally, with adult rats, that mobility can be restored in patients with Parkinson's disease, the major degenerative disease of the motor system worldwide. The experiments have not yet been transferred to humans, but are a scientific, measurable and repeatable basis to fight against this disease.

Creation of 'rocker' protein opens way for new smart molecules in medicine, other fields

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST

Human cells are protected by a largely impenetrable molecular membrane, but researchers have built the first artificial transporter protein that carries individual atoms across membranes, opening the possibility of engineering a new class of smart molecules with applications in fields as wide ranging as nanotechnology and medicine.

Fast-changing genes help malaria hide in human body

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST

A new study, which shows how malaria parasites behave when they live in human red blood cells, could explain why the deadly infection has proved so hard to beat. Scientists have found that Plasmodium falciparum parasites can rapidly change the proteins on the surface of their host cells in order to hide from the immune system. Around a million new and unrecognizable surface proteins can be created in every infected human every two days.

'Hairclip' protein mechanism explained

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:09 AM PST

A new study describes, for the first time, a fundamental mechanism regulating a protein's shape. The 'Hairclip' mechanism involves mutations acting on one side of a protein to open or close the configuration of amino acids on the other. The findings have implications for the manipulation of proteins, with potential applications in biotechnology and drug development.

Neuro-oncologists discover cancer cells can burn acetate for fuel

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST

Brain tumors are capable of burning acetate for fuel, providing a new potential target for halting tumor growth, researchers report. Researchers have been struggling with what fuels cancer cell growth. For more than 75 years, they have known that cancer cells use glucose as the major fuel, but efforts to halt cancer growth by controlling glucose levels in the brain haven't worked.

Core hospital care team members may surprise you

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST

Doctors and nurses are traditionally thought to be the primary caretakers of patients in a typical hospital setting. But according to a study at a burn center intensive care unit, three physicians, a social worker and a dietitian were documented as the most central communicators of the patient clinical team.

Of bugs and brains: Striking similarities in brain structures across invertebrates

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:19 AM PST

The fundamental structures underlying learning and memory in the brains of invertebrates as different as a fruit fly and an earthworm are remarkably similar, according to neuroscientists. It turns out that the structure and function of brain centers responsible for learning and memory in a wide range of invertebrate species may possibly share the same fundamental characteristics.

Microexons: Small fragments of genes, essential for neuron maturation

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:15 AM PST

Scientists have described a group of small DNA fragments that are key in neuron regulation and maturity. The discovery reveals the importance of these small fragments and their relationship with autism.

Tackling neurotransmission precision

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST

A new way to measure the distance from voltage-gated channels to vesicles has been developed by one expert, who, in a new article, explains how this distance affects neural signaling precision and efficacy.

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Lost memories might be able to be restored, suggests research into marine snail

Posted: 20 Dec 2014 07:41 AM PST

New research indicates that lost memories can be restored, according to new research into a type of marine snail called Aplysia. The findings offer some hope for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

First direct evidence that a mysterious phase of matter competes with high-temperature superconductivity

Posted: 20 Dec 2014 07:41 AM PST

Scientists have found the first direct evidence that a mysterious phase of matter known as the "pseudogap" competes with high-temperature superconductivity, robbing it of electrons that otherwise might pair up to carry current through a material with 100 percent efficiency.

Early exposure to antidepressants affects adult anxiety, serotonin transmission

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 01:06 PM PST

Early developmental exposure to two different antidepressants, Prozac and Lexapro, has been studied by researchers in a mouse model that mimics human third trimester medication exposure. They found that, although these serotonin-selective reuptake inhibiting antidepressants were thought to work the same way, they did not produce the same long-term changes in anxiety behavior in the adult mice. About 15 percent of women in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders and depression during their pregnancies, and many are prescribed antidepressants.

Neuroscientists identify brain mechanisms that predict generosity in children

Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:39 AM PST

Developmental neuroscientists have found specific brain markers that predict generosity in children. Those neural markers appear to be linked to both social and moral evaluation processes. Although young children are natural helpers, their perspective on sharing resources tends to be selfish.

NASA's Kepler reborn, makes first exoplanet find of new mission

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 04:44 PM PST

NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft makes a comeback with the discovery of the first exoplanet found using its new mission -- K2. The discovery was made when astronomers and engineers devised an ingenious way to repurpose Kepler for the K2 mission and continue its search of the cosmos for other worlds.

'Tipping points' for sea level rise-related flooding determined

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST

By 2050, a majority of US coastal areas are likely to be threatened by 30 or more days of flooding each year due to dramatically accelerating impacts from sea level rise, according to a new study.

New, tighter timeline confirms ancient volcanism aligned with dinosaurs' extinction

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST

A definitive geological timeline shows that a series of massive volcanic explosions 66 million years ago played a role in the extinction event that claimed Earth's non-avian dinosaurs, and challenges the dominant theory that a meteorite impact was the sole cause of the extinction.

Ancient, hydrogen-rich waters deep underground around the world: Waters could support isolated life

Posted: 17 Dec 2014 11:11 AM PST

A team of scientists has mapped the location of hydrogen-rich waters found trapped kilometers beneath Earth's surface in rock fractures in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. Common in Precambrian Shield rocks -- the oldest rocks on Earth -- the ancient waters have a chemistry similar to that found near deep sea vents, suggesting these waters can support microbes living in isolation from the surface.

Personality outsmarts intelligence at school: Conscientiousness and openness key to learning

Posted: 17 Dec 2014 06:08 AM PST

Recent research has found that personality is more important than intelligence when it comes to success in education and this needs to take this into account when guiding students and teachers. Furthermore these personality traits for academic success can be developed.

Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET

Posted: 28 Aug 2001 04:56 AM PDT

Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Of bugs and brains: Striking similarities in brain structures across invertebrates

Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:19 AM PST

The fundamental structures underlying learning and memory in the brains of invertebrates as different as a fruit fly and an earthworm are remarkably similar, according to neuroscientists. It turns out that the structure and function of brain centers responsible for learning and memory in a wide range of invertebrate species may possibly share the same fundamental characteristics.