الثلاثاء، 4 يونيو 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 04:29 PM PDT

A new study suggests that U.S. businesses pay almost $6,000 per year extra for each employee who smokes compared to the cost to employ a person who has never smoked cigarettes. Researchers say it's the first study to take a comprehensive look at the financial burden for companies employing smokers.

Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and thus more likely to transmit diseases to people. The finding may have a bearing on urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Fukushima-derived radioactivity in seafood poses minimal poses minimal health risk, experts say

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:31 PM PDT

In 2012, biologists reported that they had detected radioactivity in Pacific bluefin tuna swimming off the California coast. The source of the radioactivity was Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi powerplants, which were damaged by the strong earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011 and released large quantities of radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean. The news prompted widespread media interest and speculation as to the possible risks to seafood consumers posed by the levels of radioactivity found in the tuna. New research shows the likely doses of radioactivity ingested by humans consuming the contaminated fish, even in large quantities, is comparable to, or less than, the radiological dosages associated with other commonly consumed foods, many medical treatments, air travel and other background sources.

Time limits on welfare can lead to higher mortality rates

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:42 PM PDT

US workfare programs have been praised for improving the economic well-being of families but little is known about how these policies affected participants' health and mortality. In a study of enrollees in Florida's Family Transition Program who were given a time limit for welfare benefits, researchers found that participants had a 16 percent higher mortality rate or nine months of life expectancy lost compared to recipients of traditional welfare.

Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT

A new study examines the association between IL-17F and treatment response to interferon beta-1b among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT

Vegetarian diets are associated with reduced death rates in a study of more than 70,000 Seventh-day Adventists with more favorable results for men than women, according to a new report.

New kind of antibiotic may be more effective at fighting tuberculosis, anthrax, and other diseases

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:38 PM PDT

Diseases such as tuberculosis, anthrax, and shigellosis -- a severe food-borne illness -- eventually could be treated with an entirely new and more-effective kind of antibiotic, say scientists who found 46 previously untested molecules that target and disrupt an important step in the process of protein synthesis in bacteria. These molecules render bacteria incapable of replicating.

Early-life risk factors account for racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT

A new prospective study finds that the increased prevalence of obesity and overweight among black and Hispanic children can largely be explained by early-life risk factors such as rapid infant weight gain, early introduction of solid foods and a lack of exclusive breast feeding.

New strategy for defeating neuroblastoma

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT

Researchers have found a promising strategy for defeating neuroblastoma -- a malignant form of cancer in children -- that focuses on the so-called MYCN protein. A specific chemical molecule helps to break down MYCN, which either kills the cancer cell or makes it mature into a harmless neuron.

Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth, opening the possibility of developing a new class of anti-cancer drugs.

Are smartphones disrupting your sleep?

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT

Smartphones and tablets can make for sleep-disrupting bedfellows. One cause is believed to be the bright light-emitting diodes that allow the use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms; the light exposure can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle. But there may be a way to check your mobile device in bed and still get a good night's sleep. A new study suggests dimming the smartphone or tablet brightness settings and holding the device at least 14 inches from your face while using it will reduce its potential to interfere with melatonin and impede sleep.

Manipulating memory in the hippocampus

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered that manipulating the levels of the protein tomosyn in a part of the brain associated with learning and memory may aid in the development of therapeutic procedures for epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Rash decision? New UK coins increase nickel skin allergy risk four fold

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT

In a bid to save £10 million a year the British Treasury is replacing copper–nickel five and ten pence coins with new nickel-plated steel versions. However, while no UK health assessment has taken place, scientists in Sweden have analyzed the allergy risk.

Mystery behind dormant breast tumor cells that become metastatic unlocked

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT

Researchers have identified the microenvironment surrounding microvasculature as a niche where dormant cancer cells may reside, and the sprouting of microvasculature blood vessels as the event that transforms dormant cancer cells into metastatic tumors.

Smoking, sugar, spirits and 'sin' taxes: Higher price would help health

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT

Go ye and sin no more -- or pay for it, when it comes to junk food, smoking and consuming alcohol. That's the message from two physicians who say raising "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages and imposing them on sugary drinks and fatty foods would lead many people to cut back, improving public health.

PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT

Highly educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment that later progressed to Alzheimer's disease cope better with the disease than individuals with a lower level of education in the same situation, according to a new study. In the study, neural reserve and neural compensation were both shown to play a role in determining cognitive reserve, as evidenced by positron emission tomography.

Genetic signature of deadly brain cancer identified

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT

A multi-institutional team of researchers have pinpointed the genetic traits of the cells that give rise to gliomas -- the most common form of malignant brain cancer. The findings provide scientists with rich new potential set of targets to treat the disease.

Faster method to identify Salmonella strains developed

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT

A new approach may be able to reduce by more than half the time it takes health officials to identify Salmonella strains, according to researchers.

Salt gets under your skin

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT

It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist. Scientists have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

Risk of kidney disease doubled with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT

The risk of acute kidney disease is doubled for people taking oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics, according to a new study.

New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT

Current immune suppressants have major drawbacks, but medical researchers have now demonstrated a new technique that may lead to a better way to selectively repress unwanted immune reactions without disabling the immune system as a whole.

Common protein known to cause autism now linked to specific behaviors

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT

Researchers find abnormal brain networks in Fragile X syndrome, a genetic malady that is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability.

Night work may impair glucose tolerance

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT

A new study suggests that night work may impair glucose tolerance, supporting a causal role of night work in the increased risk of type 2 diabetes among shift workers.

Narcolepsy study finds surprising increase in neurons that produce histamine

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT

A new study provides surprising evidence that people with narcolepsy have an increased number of neurons that produce histamine, suggesting that histamine signaling may be a novel therapeutic target for this potentially disabling sleep disorder.

Study links workplace daylight exposure to sleep, activity and quality of life

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:40 AM PDT

A new study demonstrates a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers' sleep, activity and quality of life.

Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT

Scientists have taken a vital step forward in understanding how cells from skin tissue can be reprogrammed to become stem cells.

Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT

Researchers have come up with a new, mood-boosting therapy for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment: Shelter dogs. Dog-interaction activities have been found to improve mood among teenagers living in residential treatment centers.

'Back to sleep' does not affect baby's ability to roll

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT

New research shows little change in babies' ability to roll from their tummy to back and vice versa 20 years after 'back to sleep' campaign.

Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

Role conflict and emotional demands are 'most important' risk factors for distress in workers

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT

Employees who face high emotional demand and conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress—placing them at higher risk of mental health disorders and reduced productivity, reports a new study.

Distracted drivers: Your habits are to blame

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:31 AM PDT

More than a decade of research has shown that using a handheld or hands-free phone while driving is not safe because the brain does not have enough mental capacity to safely perform both tasks at once.

Metastatic tumors: New path in immunotherapy

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:31 AM PDT

Cancer immunotherapy is showing promise in treating patients with a variety of advanced, metastatic tumors, as evidenced by two newly unveiled studies.

Researchers focus on a brain protein and an antibiotic to block cocaine craving

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:26 AM PDT

A new study by neuroscientists demonstrates that GLT1, a protein that clears glutamate from the brain, plays a critical role in the craving for cocaine that develops after only several days of cocaine use.

Clear link between perceived stress and an increased incidence of psychosomatic symptoms

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:24 AM PDT

In four out of ten cases, long-term stress suffered by women leads to some form of physical complaint. This is shown by a study of 1,500 women.

More TV time equals higher consumption of sweetened beverages among children

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT

More time in front of the TV set and higher exposure to TV advertisements may lead to increased consumption of sweetened beverages among children.

An altered gut microbiota can predict diabetes

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT

Intestinal bacteria may have a greater influence on us than was previously thought. Researchers have shown that patients with type 2 diabetes have an altered gut microbiota. Their findings have led to a new model to identify patients at increased risk of developing diabetes.

Four lifestyle changes will protect your heart and significantly reduce your risk of death

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT

A large, multi-center study has found a significant link between lifestyle factors and heart health, adding even more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking.

Cancer drug shortages hit 83 percent of U. S. oncologists

Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:05 AM PDT

Eighty-three percent of cancer doctors report that they've faced oncology drug shortages, and of those, nearly all say that their patients' treatment has been impacted, according to a new study. The results showed that shortages – which have hit especially hard among drugs to treat pediatric, gastrointestinal and blood cancers – have left physicians surveyed unable to prescribe standard chemotherapies for a range of cancers.

Some patients with treatment-resistant colorectal cancers may have a new option

Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT

A subset of colorectal cancers responds to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapies, but develops resistance within months. Among cancers that develop resistance to anti-EGFR therapy, some showed overexpression of a gene called MET, according to a new study. Preliminary data published in this study showed human tumors with MET amplification, grown in mice, responded to MET inhibitor drugs.

New cancer drug shows promise for treating advanced melanoma

Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT

Researchers report preliminary results showing significant antitumor activity with very manageable side effects from a new drug being tested in patients with advanced melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Growth factor that triggers hair follicle generation identified

Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT

Researchers have determined the role of a key growth factor, found in limited quantities in human skin cells, that helps hair follicles form and regenerate during the wound healing process. When this growth factor, called Fgf9, was overexpressed in a mouse model, there was a two- to three-fold increase in the number of new hair follicles produced. Researchers believe that this growth factor could be used therapeutically for people with various hair and scalp disorders.
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