ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Memory loss with aging not necessarily permanent, animal study suggests
• Neural variability linked to short-term memory and decision making
• Discovery paves way for improved painkillers
• Teen alcohol and illicit drug use and abuse starts earlier than you might think
• Virus protects against lupus
• Compound halts growth of malaria parasite
• How stress influences disease: Study reveals inflammation as the culprit
• New immune defense enzyme discovered
• Partner aggression in high-risk families affects parenting beginning at birth
• Seeing double: 1 in 30 babies born in US is a twin
• Caloric moderation can reverse link between low birth weight and obesity, early study indicates
• Hypnosis provides effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, study suggests
• Ovastacin cuts off sperm binding
• New research could stop tumour cells from spreading
• Whole genome sequencing not informative for all, experts say
• Newly found protein helps cells build tissues
• Death cap mushroom poison to arrest pancreatic cancer in mice, study suggests
• Special class of natural fats stimulates immune cells to fight diseases
• Combination drug treatment can cut malaria by 30 percent
• Estrogen is responsible for slow wound healing in women, study finds
• Rare immune cells could hold key to treating immune disorders
• New clues to development of blood and other cancers
• Cancer stem cell vaccine in development shows antitumor effect
• Measles-containing vaccines not linked with increased risk of febrile seizures in kids 4-6
• Too dog tired to avoid danger: Like humans, dogs engage in riskier behaviors when their self-control is depleted
• Exploring the antidepressant effects of testosterone
• Parents of children with autism more likely to get common ailments
• Genes linked to post-traumatic stress disorder
• Dramatic rise in skin cancer in young adults
• How key protein protects against viral infections
• Strong oral carcinogen identified in smokeless tobacco
• Heart failure's effects in cells can be reversed with a rest
• Scientists uncover clue to preventing, and possibly reversing, rare childhood genetic disease

Memory loss with aging not necessarily permanent, animal study suggests Posted: 02 Apr 2012 03:53 PM PDT Scientists have shown in animal models that the loss of memory that comes with aging is not necessarily a permanent thing.

Neural variability linked to short-term memory and decision making Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:27 PM PDT Mathematicians is using computational models to better understand how the structure of neural variability relates to such functions as short-term memory and decision making. Scientists examined how fluctuations in brain activity can impact the dynamics of cognitive tasks.

Discovery paves way for improved painkillers Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:26 PM PDT Scientists have made a major discovery that could lead to more effective treatment of severe pain using morphine.

Teen alcohol and illicit drug use and abuse starts earlier than you might think Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:26 PM PDT A survey of a nationally representative sample of US teenagers suggests that most cases of alcohol and drug abuse have their initial onset at this important period of development. The median age at onset was 14 years old for regular alcohol use or abuse with or without dependence; 14 years old for drug abuse with dependence; and 15 years old for drug abuse without dependence.

Virus protects against lupus Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT To the surprise of investigating researchers, an animal model of Epstein Barr virus protected lupus-prone mice against development of the autoimmune disease. Earlier work had suggested that EBV might promote the development of autoimmunity.

Compound halts growth of malaria parasite Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT A drug candidate that has shown promise for neutralizing dangerous bacteria also prevents the parasite that causes malaria from growing, new research shows.

How stress influences disease: Study reveals inflammation as the culprit Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT Stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body. Until now, it has not been clear exactly how stress influences disease and health. Now researchers have found that chronic psychological stress is associated with the body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response. The research shows for the first time that the effects of psychological stress on the body's ability to regulate inflammation can promote the development and progression of disease.

New immune defense enzyme discovered Posted: 02 Apr 2012 01:25 PM PDT A previously unknown serine protease forms part of the antibacterial defense arsenal. This enzyme could provide a new target for the treatment of diseases that involve an overactive immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Partner aggression in high-risk families affects parenting beginning at birth Posted: 02 Apr 2012 11:49 AM PDT Bickering spouses may need to clean up their act. New research finds that the level of aggression between partners around the time when a child is born impacts how a mom will be parenting three years later.

Seeing double: 1 in 30 babies born in US is a twin Posted: 02 Apr 2012 11:49 AM PDT Women having children at older ages and the growing availability of fertility treatments has led to a marked increase in the birth of twins: In 2009, one in every 30 babies born in the United States was a twin compared with one in every 53 in 1980.

Caloric moderation can reverse link between low birth weight and obesity, early study indicates Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:32 AM PDT Babies who are born small have a tendency to put on weight during childhood and adolescence if allowed free access to calories. However, a new animal model study found when small babies were placed on a diet of moderately regulated calories during infancy, the propensity of becoming obese decreased.

Hypnosis provides effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, study suggests Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:44 AM PDT Hypnosis can be a highly effective treatment for the bowel disorder IBS. Studies involving a total of 346 patients showed that hypnotherapy alleviated symptoms in 40 percent of those affected -- and that the improvement is long term.

Ovastacin cuts off sperm binding Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:43 AM PDT A new study describes how a secreted enzyme helps egg cells avoid being fertilized by more than one sperm.

New research could stop tumour cells from spreading Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:42 AM PDT Researchers have managed for the first time to obtain detailed information about the role of the protein metastasin in the spread of tumor cells.

Whole genome sequencing not informative for all, experts say Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:41 AM PDT With sharp declines in the cost of whole genome sequencing, the day of accurately deciphering disease risk based on an individual's genome may seem at hand. But a study involving data of thousands of identical twins finds that genomic fortune-telling fails to provide informative guidance to most people about their risk for most common diseases, and warns against complacency born of negative genome test results.

Newly found protein helps cells build tissues Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT Biologists have found a new molecule in fruit flies that is key to the information exchange needed to build wings properly. They have also uncovered evidence that an analogous protein may exist in people and may be associated with problems such as cleft lip, or premature ovarian failure.

Death cap mushroom poison to arrest pancreatic cancer in mice, study suggests Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:29 AM PDT Scientists have coupled the fungal toxin amanitin to an antibody which recognizes a cancer-typical target molecule. Like a guided missile, the antibody carries its poisonous load to target cancer cells. The poison-loaded antibody arrested the growth of various types of cancer cells in the culture dish and even caused the complete disappearance of transplanted pancreatic tumors in experimental mice.

Special class of natural fats stimulates immune cells to fight diseases Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:29 AM PDT A special class of fatty molecules is essential for activating a unique group of early-responding immune cells. This study sheds light on how recognition of fatty molecules by immune cells could protect from infection, allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Combination drug treatment can cut malaria by 30 percent Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:29 AM PDT Malaria infections among infants can be cut by up to 30 percent when antimalarial drugs are given intermittently over a 12-month period, a three-year clinical trial in Papua New Guinea has shown.

Estrogen is responsible for slow wound healing in women, study finds Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:43 AM PDT Estrogen causes wounds in women to heal slower than in men -- who have lower levels of estrogen -- says a new study. Researchers provide the first evidence that mild injury response in the eye is fundamentally different in males and females because of estrogen.

Rare immune cells could hold key to treating immune disorders Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:43 AM PDT The characterization of a rare immune cell's involvement in antibody production and ability to "remember" infectious agents could help to improve vaccination and lead to new treatments for immune disorders.

New clues to development of blood and other cancers Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:41 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered more details about how defects in components of the machinery that makes new proteins can lead to blood and other cancers.

Cancer stem cell vaccine in development shows antitumor effect Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:41 AM PDT Stem cells had greater effect than differentiated tumor cells in eliciting antitumor immunity in vivo. Antibodies and T cells targeted cancer stem cells in laboratory models. Data could provide a rationale for a new type of immune therapy.

Measles-containing vaccines not linked with increased risk of febrile seizures in kids 4-6 Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:41 AM PDT Vaccines for measles were not associated with an increased risk of febrile seizures among 4-6 year olds during the six weeks after vaccination, according to a new study.

Too dog tired to avoid danger: Like humans, dogs engage in riskier behaviors when their self-control is depleted Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:39 AM PDT Like humans, dogs engage in riskier behaviors when their self-control is depleted.

Exploring the antidepressant effects of testosterone Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:37 AM PDT Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, appears to have antidepressant properties, but the exact mechanisms underlying its effects have remained unclear. Scientists have now discovered that a specific pathway in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory formation and regulation of stress responses, plays a major role in mediating testosterone's effects.

Parents of children with autism more likely to get common ailments Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:37 AM PDT Parents of children with autism are more likely to get common ailments such as colds, coughs and headaches as a direct result of the increased stresses linked to their caring duties, according to new research.

Genes linked to post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:35 AM PDT Scientists have linked two genes to a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The study suggests that PTSD susceptibility is inherited and could explain why some persons succumb to the disorder while others who suffered the same ordeal do not.

Dramatic rise in skin cancer in young adults Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:31 AM PDT Even as the rates of some cancers are falling, Mayo Clinic is seeing an alarming trend: the dramatic rise of skin cancer, especially among people under 40. According to a new study the incidence of melanoma has escalated, and young women are the hardest hit.

How key protein protects against viral infections Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:31 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a mouse protein called IFITM3 contributes to defense against some types of viral infections by binding to an enzyme responsible for regulating the pH of a cell's waste disposal system.

Strong oral carcinogen identified in smokeless tobacco Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:31 AM PDT The chemical (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN, which is present in smokeless tobacco products, is a strong oral carcinogen, according to new results.

Heart failure's effects in cells can be reversed with a rest Posted: 01 Apr 2012 04:57 PM PDT Structural changes in heart muscle cells after heart failure can be reversed by allowing the heart to rest, according to a new study.

Scientists uncover clue to preventing, and possibly reversing, rare childhood genetic disease Posted: 01 Apr 2012 10:53 AM PDT Scientists think they have found a way to prevent and possibly reverse the most debilitating symptoms of a rare, progressive childhood degenerative disease that leaves children with slurred speech, unable to walk, and in a wheelchair before they reach adolescence. The findings may also offer clues to treating other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

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