ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

---

• Weight gain after quitting smoking higher than previously thought
• Moderate drinking may reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis
• New mechanism might promote cancer's growth and spread in the body
• Potential cause of HIV-associated dementia revealed
• Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch
• H1N1 vaccine associated with small but significant risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Tiny magnetic particles may help assess heart treatments
• Ordinary chickens may be extraordinary in fighting cancer and other diseases
• Secrets of parasites' replication unraveled
• Dangerous caregivers for elderly: Agencies place unqualified, possibly criminal caregivers in homes of vulnerable seniors, study suggests
• Contraceptive use averts 272,000 maternal deaths worldwide
• Searching genomic data faster: Biologists' capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power
• Molecule that could treat inflammation discovered
• How tumor cells create their own pathways
• Interactive personal health records increase clinical preventive services
• Doctors overlook chemical illnesses, study finds
• First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity
• Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer's
• Preclinical studies use specialized ultrasound to detect presence of cancer
• Cancer: New insights into Taspase1 function
• Liver stiffness predicts liver failure, cancer and mortality
• TLR1 protein drives immune response to certain food-borne illness in mice
• Secure protocol for linking data registries for HPV surveillance
• U.S. federally funded clinics for low-income patients as effective as private practices
• Should we sleep more to lose weight?
• Subtle goal reminders, known as primes, can offset hedonic effects of food and facilitate health behavior
• Gastric bypass surgery alters gut microbiota profile along the intestine
• Greater diet-induced obesity in rats consuming sugar solution during the inactive period
• Reward sensitivity increases food 'wanting' following television 'junk food' commercials
• Weight gain induced by high-fat diet increases active-period sleep and sleep fragmentation
• Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than an equicaloric single piece of food in both animals and humans
• New Technology provides a deep view into protein structures
• Melanoma-promoting gene discovered
• Dermatologists' top tips for maintaining smooth, shiny hair
• Vaccine and antibiotics stabilized so refrigeration is not needed

Weight gain after quitting smoking higher than previously thought Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT Giving up smoking is associated with an average weight gain of four-five kg after 12 months, most of which occurs within the first three months of quitting, finds a new study.

Moderate drinking may reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a new study.

New mechanism might promote cancer's growth and spread in the body Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that promotes the growth and spread of cancer. The mechanism involves key immune cells and a new role for small regulatory molecules called microRNA. The findings suggest a new strategy for treating cancer and perhaps diseases of the immune system.

Potential cause of HIV-associated dementia revealed Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT Researchers appear to have solved the mystery of why some patients infected with HIV, who are using antiretroviral therapy and show no signs of AIDS, develop serious depression as well as profound problems with memory, learning, and motor function. The finding might also provide a way to test people with HIV to determine their risk for developing dementia.

Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT People who are born deaf process the sense of touch differently than people who are born with normal hearing, according to new research. The finding reveals how the early loss of a sense -- in this case hearing -- affects brain development.

H1N1 vaccine associated with small but significant risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT In studies examining the risk of adverse outcomes after receipt of the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, infants exposed to the vaccine in utero did not have a significantly increased risk of major birth defects, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction; while in another, study researchers found a small increased risk in adults of the nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, during the four to eight weeks after vaccination, according to two recent studies.

Tiny magnetic particles may help assess heart treatments Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT An initial human study shows magnetic particles can track cells as they move through the body. The technique could be used to evaluate cell-based heart disease treatments.

Ordinary chickens may be extraordinary in fighting cancer and other diseases Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:32 PM PDT The common barnyard chicken could provide some very un-common clues for fighting off diseases and might even offer new ways to attack cancer, according to a researchers.

Secrets of parasites' replication unraveled Posted: 10 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT A group of diseases that kill millions of people each year can't be touched by antibiotics, and some treatment is so harsh the patient can't survive it. They're caused by parasites, and for decades researchers have searched for a "magic bullet" to kill them without harming the patient. Now microbiologists report the first detailed characterization of the way key proteins in the model parasite Trypanosoma brucei organize to replicate its mitochondrial DNA.

Dangerous caregivers for elderly: Agencies place unqualified, possibly criminal caregivers in homes of vulnerable seniors, study suggests Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT A troubling new U.S. national study finds many agencies place potentially dangerous and vastly unqualified caregivers in the homes of vulnerable elderly people. The study found many agencies recruit random strangers off Craigslist and place them in the home of elderly people with dementia, don't do national criminal background checks or drug testing, lie about testing the qualifications of caregivers and don't offer training.

Contraceptive use averts 272,000 maternal deaths worldwide Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT Contraceptive use likely prevents more than 272,000 maternal deaths from childbirth each year, according to a new study. Researchers further estimate that satisfying the global unmet need for contraception could reduce maternal deaths an additional 30 percent.

Searching genomic data faster: Biologists' capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT In 2001, the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics announced that after 10 years of work at a cost of some $400 million, they had completed a draft sequence of the human genome. Today, sequencing a human genome is something that a single researcher can do in a couple of weeks for less than $10,000. Since 2002, the rate at which genomes can be sequenced has been doubling every four months or so, whereas computing power doubles only every 18 months. Now a new algorithm drastically reduces the time it takes to find a particular gene sequence in a database of genomes.

Molecule that could treat inflammation discovered Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that inflammation could be treated by targeting a molecule called the double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase (PKR). Persistent and constant inflammation can damage tissue and organs, and lead to diseases such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.

How tumor cells create their own pathways Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Metastasis occurs when tumor cells "migrate" to other organs through the bloodstream. Scientists have now discovered the trick tumor cells use to invade tissue from the blood vessels: They produce signaling proteins to make the arterial walls permeable – thus clearing their pathway to a different organ.

Interactive personal health records increase clinical preventive services Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Patients who use an interactive personal health record are almost twice as likely to be up to date with clinical preventive services as those who do not, according to a new study.

Doctors overlook chemical illnesses, study finds Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Chemical intolerance contributes to the illnesses of one in five patients but the condition seldom figures in their diagnosis, according to new clinical research.

First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT A new approach that integrates rational drug design with supramolecular nanochemistry in cancer treatment has just been developed.

Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer's Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT A clinical trial of an Alzheimer's disease treatment developed at MIT has found that the nutrient cocktail can improve memory in patients with early Alzheimer's.

Preclinical studies use specialized ultrasound to detect presence of cancer Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Vessel "bendiness" can indicate the presence and progression of cancer. This principle led scientists to a new method of using a high-resolution ultrasound to identify early tumors in preclinical studies. The method, based on vessel bendiness or "tortuosity," potentially offers an inexpensive, non-invasive and fast method to detect cancer that could someday help doctors identify cancers when tumors are less than a centimeter in size.

Cancer: New insights into Taspase1 function Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have identified a novel strategy to target the oncologically relevant protein-cleaving enzyme Taspase1. Taspase1 levels are not only elevated in cancer cells of patients with head and neck tumors and other solid malignancies but the enzyme is also critical for the development of leukemias. Central to this concept is the approach to inhibit the enzyme's activity by 'gluing together' individual Taspase1 molecules.

Liver stiffness predicts liver failure, cancer and mortality Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:59 AM PDT Researchers have established that liver stiffness, measured by transient elastography (TE), is an independent predictor of liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality in cirrhotic patients coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

TLR1 protein drives immune response to certain food-borne illness in mice Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT A naturally occurring protein called TLR1 plays a critical role in protecting the body from illnesses caused by eating undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water, according to new research.

Secure protocol for linking data registries for HPV surveillance Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Scientists have developed a secure protocol that allows the linking of individual patient records without revealing personal information, new research suggests.

U.S. federally funded clinics for low-income patients as effective as private practices Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Federally Qualified Health Centers and "look-alike" clinics are expected to be part of the solution to anticipated primary care shortages, as up to 32 million currently uninsured people begin to seek health care as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Despite concerns that these clinics may provide less effective care, a new study has found that they are as effective as private primary care practices, and better on some quality measures.

Should we sleep more to lose weight? Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between short sleep duration and metabolic dysfunctions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. While the mechanisms behind these observations are largely unknown, experimental investigations point to an orexigenic effect of acute sleep deprivation.

Subtle goal reminders, known as primes, can offset hedonic effects of food and facilitate health behavior Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research introduces novel cost-effective strategies to facilitate healthy eating among weight-conscious consumers. A number of experiments now suggest that simply adding words related to health and weight on posters, restaurant menu's, or recipe cards can stimulate healthy food choices among dieters and overweight individuals, in a variety of real-life settings.

Gastric bypass surgery alters gut microbiota profile along the intestine Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research finds that gastric bypass surgery induces changes in the gut microbiota and peptide release that are similar to those seen after treatment with prebiotics.

Greater diet-induced obesity in rats consuming sugar solution during the inactive period Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research suggests that not only the amount and type of food eaten but the time of day it is eaten is important in contributing to obesity.

Reward sensitivity increases food 'wanting' following television 'junk food' commercials Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research sought to investigate personality traits that make some people more vulnerable to over-eating and weight gain.

Weight gain induced by high-fat diet increases active-period sleep and sleep fragmentation Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT Research finds that prolonged exposure to a high-fat diet reduces the quality of sleep in rats.

Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than an equicaloric single piece of food in both animals and humans Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research suggests that both animals and humans find multiple pieces of food to be more satiating and rewarding than an equicaloric, single-piece portion of food.

New Technology provides a deep view into protein structures Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT Proteins consist of a sequence of amino acids and have important physiological functions, such as catalysis or transport of metabolic products. To perform their physiological role, proteins need to fold their linear amino acid chains into a stable three-dimensional structure. In part, the spatial arrangement is determined by a network of hydrogen bonds. However so far it was unclear to what extent individual hydrogen bonds contribute to the stability of a structure. Using a newly developed high pressure cell and NMR method scientists have, for the first time, completely characterize the stability of individual hydrogen bonds in the protein Ubiquitin.

Melanoma-promoting gene discovered Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:34 AM PDT Black skin cancer, also known as melanoma, is particularly aggressive and becoming increasingly common in Switzerland. Despite intensive research, however, there is still no treatment. Researchers have now discovered a gene that plays a central role in black skin cancer. Suppressing this gene in mice inhibits the development of melanoma and its proliferation – a discovery that could pave the way for new forms of therapy.

Dermatologists' top tips for maintaining smooth, shiny hair Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:32 AM PDT Want more good hair days? Dermatologists say how you wash your hair and the products you use could go a long way in maintaining smooth, shiny hair.

Vaccine and antibiotics stabilized so refrigeration is not needed Posted: 09 Jul 2012 12:54 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new silk-based stabilizer that, in the laboratory, kept some vaccines and antibiotics stable up to temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This provides a new avenue toward eliminating the need to keep some vaccines and antibiotics refrigerated, which could save billions of dollars every year and increase accessibility to third world populations.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610