ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Breakthrough study reveals biological basis for sensory processing disorders in kids
• New class of highly potent antimalarial compounds discovered
• School policies reduce student drinking –- if they're perceived to be enforced
• Parasites in cat feces: Potential public health problem?
• The inverse CSI effect in the age of digital crime
• Dip, dip, hooray -- Kids eat more veggies with flavored dips
• Outdated practice of annual cervical-cancer screenings may cause more harm than good
• Novel nanoparticle delivers powerful RNA interference drugs
• Contaminated ultrasound gel tied to outbreak of healthcare-associated infections
• Suspicions confirmed: Brain tumors in children have a common cause
• Double-barreled attack on obesity in no way a no-brainer
• Rate of aging may be determined in the womb and linked to birthweight, study reveals
• Bird vaccine for West Nile Virus
• H7N9 influenza: History of similar viruses gives cause for concern
• Women who give birth to multiple babies after IVF are at higher risk of breast cancer
• Large UK population study finds no increased cancer risk in children born after assisted conception
• Women working shifts are at greater risk of miscarriage, menstrual disruption and subfertility
• Men say they want prostate cancer test, despite risks
• 'Scent device' could help detect bladder cancer
• Most babies born to mothers on methadone exposed to several illicit drugs in womb
• Irregular bed times curb young kids' brain power: And may have knock-on effects on health throughout life
• Health-related website search information may be leaked to third-party tracking entities
• Seizures late in life may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease
• Early, late first exposure to solid food appears associated with development of Type 1 diabetes

Breakthrough study reveals biological basis for sensory processing disorders in kids Posted: 09 Jul 2013 11:35 AM PDT In a groundbreaking new study, researchers have found that children affected with sensory processing disorders have quantifiable differences in brain structure, showing a biological basis for the disease that sets it apart from other neurodevelopmental disorders.

New class of highly potent antimalarial compounds discovered Posted: 09 Jul 2013 11:33 AM PDT Despite renewed global efforts for eradication, malaria continues to exert devastating effects on human health. An estimated 220 million people are infected each year by malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. This enormous infection burden leads to some 660,000 lives lost to malaria each year, the majority of these young children in sub-Saharan Africa. While a vaccine to prevent malaria remains elusive, we depend on antimalarial compounds both to treat infections and prevent disease.

School policies reduce student drinking –- if they're perceived to be enforced Posted: 09 Jul 2013 11:33 AM PDT Anti-alcohol policies on middle and high school campuses do work, but only if students believe they will be enforced. Harsh punishment doesn't deter drinking, but counseling does.

Parasites in cat feces: Potential public health problem? Posted: 09 Jul 2013 09:41 AM PDT Each year in the United States, cats deposit about 1.2 million metric tons of feces into the environment, and that poop is carrying with it what may be a vast and underappreciated public health problem, say scientists.

The inverse CSI effect in the age of digital crime Posted: 09 Jul 2013 09:39 AM PDT The "CSI Effect" has been described as being an increased expectation from jurors that forensic evidence will be presented in court that is instantaneous and unequivocal because that is how it is often presented for dramatic effect in television programs and movies. Of course, in reality forensic science, while exact in some respects is just as susceptible to the vagaries of measurements and analyses as any other part of science. In reality, crime scene investigators often spend seemingly inordinate amounts of time gathering and assessing evidence and then present it as probabilities rather than the kind of definitive result expected of a court room filled with actors rather than real people.

Dip, dip, hooray -- Kids eat more veggies with flavored dips Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:59 AM PDT Many parents have a difficult time persuading their preschool-aged children to try vegetables, let alone eat them regularly. Food and nutrition researchers have found that by offering a dip flavored with spices, children were more likely to try vegetables -- including those they had previously rejected.

Outdated practice of annual cervical-cancer screenings may cause more harm than good Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:59 AM PDT For decades, women between the ages of 21 and 69 were advised to get annual screening exams for cervical cancer. In 2009, however, accumulating scientific evidence led major guideline groups to agree on a new recommendation that women be screened less frequently: every three years rather than annually.

Novel nanoparticle delivers powerful RNA interference drugs Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:58 AM PDT Silencing genes that have malfunctioned is an important approach for treating diseases such as cancer and heart disease. One effective approach is to deliver drugs made from small molecules of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, which are used to inhibit gene expression. The drugs, in essence, mimic a natural process called RNA interference.

Contaminated ultrasound gel tied to outbreak of healthcare-associated infections Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:58 AM PDT After a 2011 outbreak of P. aeruginosa, investigators determined contaminated ultrasound gel was the source of bacteria causing the healthcare-associated infection. The findings emphasize the need for increased scrutiny of contaminated medical products.

Suspicions confirmed: Brain tumors in children have a common cause Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:53 AM PDT An overactive signaling pathway is a common cause in cases of pilocytic astrocytoma, the most frequent type of brain cancer in children. In all 96 cases studied, researchers found defects in genes involved in a particular pathway. Hence, drugs can be used to help affected children by blocking components of the signaling cascade.

Double-barreled attack on obesity in no way a no-brainer Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:53 AM PDT In the constant cross talk between our brain and our gut, two gut hormones are already known to tell the brain when we have had enough to eat. New research suggests that boosting levels of these hormones simultaneously may be an effective new weapon in the fight against obesity. While the double-barreled approach may seem like a no-brainer, the strongly enhanced effect seen was by no means inevitable.

Rate of aging may be determined in the womb and linked to birthweight, study reveals Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:48 AM PDT Scientists have found that key metabolites in blood -- chemical 'fingerprints' left behind as a result of early molecular changes before birth or in infancy -- could provide clues to a person's long-term overall health and rate of aging in later life.

Bird vaccine for West Nile Virus Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:48 AM PDT Researchers have developed a vaccine to halt the spread of West Nile Virus among common and endangered bird species.

H7N9 influenza: History of similar viruses gives cause for concern Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:47 AM PDT The H7N9 avian flu strain that emerged in China earlier this year has subsided for now, but it would be a mistake to be reassured by this apparent lull in infections. The virus has several highly unusual traits that paint a disquieting picture of a pathogen that may yet lead to a pandemic, according to scientists.

Women who give birth to multiple babies after IVF are at higher risk of breast cancer Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:47 AM PDT Women who give birth to multiple babies following IVF treatment are at a higher risk of breast cancer than those giving birth to singletons or who remain childless. Investigators said the explanation may not be the multiple pregnancy per se but a maternal trait related to a higher implantation potential and to breast cancer itself.

Large UK population study finds no increased cancer risk in children born after assisted conception Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:47 AM PDT Children born as a result of assisted reproduction (ART) are at no greater risk of cancer than children born spontaneously in the general population, according to results of one of the largest ever cohort studies of ART children.

Women working shifts are at greater risk of miscarriage, menstrual disruption and subfertility Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:47 AM PDT Shift work, which encourages sleep deprivation and patterns of activity outside the circadian rhythm, has been associated with a greater risk of ill health and loss of well-being in some studies. However, little is known about the effects of shift work on reproductive health and fertility. A new study indicates that working shift patterns is associated with an increased risk of menstrual disruption and subfertility.

Men say they want prostate cancer test, despite risks Posted: 09 Jul 2013 06:14 AM PDT A survey of men age 40 to 74 found that 54 percent said that they would still opt for a popular prostate cancer screening test despite recent recommendations that the test not be performed, finds a new study.

'Scent device' could help detect bladder cancer Posted: 08 Jul 2013 05:02 PM PDT Researchers in the United Kingdom have built a device that can read odors in urine to help diagnose patients with early signs of bladder cancer.

Most babies born to mothers on methadone exposed to several illicit drugs in womb Posted: 08 Jul 2013 05:02 PM PDT Most babies born to drug addicted mums on methadone maintenance are exposed to several other drugs while in the womb, and half are additionally exposed to excess alcohol, reveal the results of a small study.

Irregular bed times curb young kids' brain power: And may have knock-on effects on health throughout life Posted: 08 Jul 2013 05:01 PM PDT Going to bed at different times every night throughout early childhood seems to curb children's brain power, finds a large, long term study.

Health-related website search information may be leaked to third-party tracking entities Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:09 PM PDT Patients who search on free health-related websites for information related to a medical condition may have the health information they provide leaked to third party tracking entities through code on those websites, according to new research.

Seizures late in life may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 08 Jul 2013 01:19 PM PDT Patients with epilepsy who had amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease presented earlier with cognitive decline than patients who did not have epilepsy, according to a new report.

Early, late first exposure to solid food appears associated with development of Type 1 diabetes Posted: 08 Jul 2013 01:19 PM PDT Both an early and late first exposure to solid food for infants appears to be associated with the development of Type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study.

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