الجمعة، 11 مايو 2012

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News


Gut-throat competition: Native bacteria fend off invaders, suggesting new way to stop dangerous forms of E. coli

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

From tiny villages in developing nations to suburban kitchens in the U.S., dangerous strains of E. coli bacteria sicken millions of people each year – and kill untold numbers of children. Now, new research gives scientists a better understanding of what is going on in the diarrhea-wracked guts of its victims, and what might be done to prevent or treat it.

Neurodegeneration 'switched off' in mice

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:14 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a major pathway leading to brain cell death in mice with neurodegenerative disease. They were able to block the pathway, preventing brain cell death and increasing survival in the mice.

Helping Hands reaches out to patients with cerebral palsy

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

A student-made invention, Dino-Might, was designed to help children with cerebral palsy restore strength and flexibility to their hands and wrists.

Obesity and the biological clock: When times are out of joint

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:26 AM PDT

Urgent appointments, tight work timetables and hectic social schedules structure modern life, and they very often clash with our intrinsic biological rhythms. The discrepancy results in so-called social jetlag, which can damage one's health. Among other effects, it can contribute to the development of obesity, as a new study shows.

Discovery in cell signaling could help fight against melanoma

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors.

Evolution's gift may also be at the root of a form of autism

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

A recently evolved pattern of gene activity in the language and decision-making centers of the human brain is missing in a disorder associated with autism and learning disabilities, a new study shows.

Feeling tired? 'Social jetlag' poses obesity health hazard, study shows

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Social jetlag -- a syndrome related to the mismatch between the body's internal clock and the realities of our daily schedules -- does more than make us sleepy. It is also contributing to the growing tide of obesity, according to a large-scale epidemiological study.

Citywide smoking ban reduced maternal smoking and preterm birth risk

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:27 AM PDT

A citywide ban on public smoking in Colorado led to significant decreases in maternal smoking and preterm births, providing the first evidence in the U.S. that such interventions can impact maternal and fetal health.

Light used to switch on gene expression

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer.

Regenerative medicine: Could the ways animals regenerate hair and feathers help restore human fingers and toes?

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:38 AM PDT

A review article that examines what's known about regenerative biology and applies it to regenerative medicine. Perhaps this knowledge could one day be used to regrow lost body parts.

Gene that causes Joubert Syndrome discovered

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:37 AM PDT

Joubert Syndrome is a condition that affects brain development and manifests itself through delayed psychomotor development, abnormal coordination of eye movements and respiratory abnormalities. Since Dr. Marie Joubert and her colleagues described it for the first time in 1969, a number of related genes have been identified in various populations, but the causal gene of the Quebec form of the syndrome has remained until now unknown.

More than one in five pregnant white women smoke cigarettes

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT

A new report shows that 21.8 percent of pregnant white women aged 15 to 44 currently (within the past 30 days) smoked cigarettes. The study also showed that cigarette smoking levels among pregnant white women were significantly higher than the levels among pregnant black women (14.2 percent) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5 percent) in the same 15 to 44 age range.

Maternal antibodies to gluten linked to schizophrenia risk in children

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT

Babies born to women with sensitivity to gluten appear to be at increased risk for certain psychiatric disorders later in life, according to new research.

Reducing brain activity improves memory after cognitive decline

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:33 AM PDT

Research suggests a new approach to improving memory and interrupting disease progression in patients with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease.

What do marine snails and insulin have in common? New approach to treat diabetes?

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, so-called conopeptides, are known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential.

Key cellular mechanisms behind the onset of tinnitus identified

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Research into hearing loss after exposure to loud noises could lead to the first drug treatments to prevent the development of tinnitus.

Testosterone-fueled infantile males might be a product of Mom's behavior

Posted: 10 May 2012 06:59 AM PDT

By comparing the testosterone levels of five-month old pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, researchers were able to establish that testosterone levels in infancy are not inherited genetically but rather determined by environmental factors. "Testosterone is a key hormone for the development of male reproductive organs, and it is also associated with behavioral traits, such as sexual behavior and aggression," said the lead author.

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