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• DARPA taps Lawrence Livermore to develop world's first neural device to restore memory
• 'Mississippi Baby' now has detectable HIV, researchers find
• Drinking alcohol provides no heart health benefit, new study shows
• Inherited 'memory' of poor nutrition during pregnancy passed through sperm of male offspring
• On the link between periodontitis and atherosclerosis
• Bacterial colonization prior to catching flu may protect against severe illness
• Standardization of safe imaging protocols for children needed, experts say
• Want a higher GPA in college? Join a gym
• What you eat may affect your body's internal biological clock
• New compound treats both blindness, diabetes in animal studies
• New therapeutic combination to slow resistant sarcomas
• Link between antibiotics, bacterial biofilms and chronic infections found
• What's a concussion? Review identifies four evidence-based indicators
• For children with pacemakers, 'self-competence' affects quality of life
• How antioxidants can accelerate cancers, and why they don't protect against them
• Working to loosen the grip of severe mental illness
• Depressed men with prostate cancer are diagnosed with later stage disease, and get less effective therapies
• Comprehensive concussion literature analysis lays foundation for evidence-based guidelines
• The bigger the better: Cigarette warning labels prompt quit attempts
• Food imagery ideal for teaching doctors -- but they must have strong stomachs
• Smokers with mental health issues cost UK nearly £2.5 billion a year
• Patient-specific stem cells and personalized gene therapy
• Urban Aboriginal people face unique health challenges
• Natural birth may strengthen immune system, mouse study shows
• Go play outside: Outdoor time promotes physical activity in youth
• New drug active against most aggressive type of lung cancer cells
• How coffee protects against Parkinson's
• Why weight-loss surgery cures diabetes: New clues
• New persimmon milkshake with high antioxidant potential created by scientists
• Teaching the brain to reduce pain
• How key controller protein is switched on revealed by research
• Distinguishing psoriasis from eczema: New diagnostic test
• The future of cancer research: In your medicine cabinet?
• New class of anti-arthritis drugs effectively treats multiple inflammatory diseases
• Low back pain? Don't blame the weather
• Position statement on e-cigarettes by American Thoracic Society
• Climate change may bring more kidney stones
• Stabilizing shoulder surgery helps NFL players return to the game
• Intercollegiate contact athletes with shoulder instability return to in-season sports
• Young athletes should consider the benefits of ACL surgery
• Entering MLB early may increase elbow surgery risk
• Risk factors for Little League shoulder identified
• Men's hot flashes: Hypnotic relaxation therapy may ease the discomfort that guys don't talk about
• Vasectomy may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer
• New medication shows promise in treating common skin disease
• Pluripotency factor NANOG active in adult organisms
• Bacteria found in bladders of healthy women differ from those in women with incontinence
• Protein found that pushes breast cancer cells to metastasize
• Signal in may send cancer's cellular factories into overdrive
• Review of ADHD drug approvals highlights gaps between approval process, long-term safety assessment
• Alternative to surgery for Graves' eye disease: Low-carb, gluten-free diet may help

DARPA taps Lawrence Livermore to develop world's first neural device to restore memory Posted: 10 Jul 2014 02:53 PM PDT The Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) up to $2.5 million to develop an implantable neural device with the ability to record and stimulate neurons within the brain to help restore memory, DARPA officials announced this week.

'Mississippi Baby' now has detectable HIV, researchers find Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:19 PM PDT The child known as the 'Mississippi baby' -- an infant seemingly cured of HIV that was reported as a case study of a prolonged remission of HIV infection in the New England Journal of Medicine last fall -- now has detectable levels of HIV after more than two years of not taking antiretroviral therapy without evidence of virus, according to the pediatric HIV specialist and researchers involved in the case.

Drinking alcohol provides no heart health benefit, new study shows Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:19 PM PDT Reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may improve cardiovascular health, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower body mass index and blood pressure, according to a new multi-center study. The latest findings call into question previous studies which suggest that consuming light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.

Inherited 'memory' of poor nutrition during pregnancy passed through sperm of male offspring Posted: 10 Jul 2014 11:15 AM PDT When a pregnant mother is undernourished, her child is at a greater risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, in part due to so-called 'epigenetic' effects. A new study in mice demonstrates that this 'memory' of nutrition during pregnancy can be passed through sperm of male offspring to the next generation, increasing risk of disease for her grandchildren as well -- but raises questions over how long such effects will continue to have an impact.

On the link between periodontitis and atherosclerosis Posted: 10 Jul 2014 11:15 AM PDT Chronic oral infection with the periodontal disease pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, not only causes local inflammation of the gums leading to tooth loss but also is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. A new study reveals how the pathogen evades the immune system to induce inflammation beyond the oral cavity.

Bacterial colonization prior to catching flu may protect against severe illness Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:10 AM PDT Severe illness and even death are likely to result if you develop another respiratory infection after catching the flu. Now, however, a team of researchers has determined that if you reverse the order of infection, pneumococcus bacteria may actually protect against a bad case of the flu. The bacterial protein pneumolysin, a bacterial virulence factor, might protect certain immune system cells (macrophages) in the alveoli of the lungs, preventing inflammation and, thus, pneumonia.

Standardization of safe imaging protocols for children needed, experts say Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:10 AM PDT The benefits of medical imaging far outweigh the risks when children receive The Right Exam, ordered The Right Way, with The Right Radiation Dose. However, overuse and misuse of imaging change the benefit-risk ratio, say researchers. "No hospital or medical imaging facility in the country should be granted the privilege of imaging children unless it first meets fundamental safe practice performance measures," says the lead author and radiologist.

Want a higher GPA in college? Join a gym Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:09 AM PDT For those students looking to bump up their grade point averages during college, the answer may not be spending more time in a library or study hall, but in a gym. New research shows that students who were members of the recreational sports and fitness centers during their freshman and sophomore years had higher GPAs than those who weren't. The research also indicated that students with memberships stayed in school longer.

What you eat may affect your body's internal biological clock Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:08 AM PDT Food not only nourishes the body but also affects its internal biological clock, which regulates the daily rhythm of many aspects of human behavior and biology. Researchers provide new insights into how adjusting the clock through dietary manipulation may help patients with various conditions and show that insulin may be involved in resetting the clock.

New compound treats both blindness, diabetes in animal studies Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:05 AM PDT A chemical compound designed to precisely target part of a crucial cellular quality-control network provided significant protection, in rats and mice, against degenerative forms of blindness and diabetes has been developed by researchers.

New therapeutic combination to slow resistant sarcomas Posted: 10 Jul 2014 08:19 AM PDT A new therapeutic combination to combat resistant sarcomas have been tested in 19 patients in a recent study. The clinical trial results indicate that the new treatment could stabilize the growth of these tumors. Sarcomas are a rare type of tumor, and are complex since there are several subtypes. They can affect anyone from childhood onward.

Link between antibiotics, bacterial biofilms and chronic infections found Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:15 AM PDT The link between antibiotics and bacterial biofilm formation leading to chronic lung, sinus and ear infections has been found, researchers report. The study results illustrate how bacterial biofilms can actually thrive, rather than decrease, when given low doses of antibiotics. Results of this study may lead to new approach for chronic ear infections in children.

What's a concussion? Review identifies four evidence-based indicators Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:14 AM PDT A research review identifying the clinical indicators most strongly associated with concussion is an important first step in the process of developing evidence-based guidelines for concussion diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, according to a new report. Concussion is a common and familiar problem, yet one that has been defined in different ways. Since there's no objective test or universally accepted definition, establishing a set of indicators based on the best available research is an important first step to developing evidence-based concussion guidelines.

For children with pacemakers, 'self-competence' affects quality of life Posted: 10 Jul 2014 07:14 AM PDT For children and teens living with a cardiac pacemaker, a low sense of self-competence seems to contribute to decreased quality of life, reports a study. For children with cardiac arrhythmias, pacemaker implantation is a standard treatment that leads to positive health outcomes. As survival improves for infants with congenital heart abnormalities, more children are living with pacemakers, which may affect their lives in many ways. However, these children may have to limit their physical activity level. They may have scars and a visible chest bulge, and may require repeated surgeries.

How antioxidants can accelerate cancers, and why they don't protect against them Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:44 AM PDT Two cancer researchers have proposed why antioxidant supplements might not be working to reduce cancer development, and why they may actually do more harm than good. Their insights are based on recent advances in the understanding of the system in our cells that establishes a natural balance between oxidizing and anti-oxidizing compounds. These compounds are involved in so-called redox (reduction and oxidation) reactions essential to cellular chemistry.

Working to loosen the grip of severe mental illness Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT The underlying brain architecture of a person at rest is basically the same as that of a person performing a variety of tasks, a researcher has found. This is important to the study of mental illness, he says, because it is easier to analyze a brain at rest. "We can now observe people relaxing in the scanner and be confident that what we see is there all the time," says the lead researcher, who feared that the study might find that the brain reorganizes itself for every task.

Depressed men with prostate cancer are diagnosed with later stage disease, and get less effective therapies Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT Depressed men with localized prostate cancer were more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive prostate cancer, received less effective treatments and survived for shorter times than prostate cancer patients who were not depressed, a study has found.

Comprehensive concussion literature analysis lays foundation for evidence-based guidelines Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT There has been heightened public concussion awareness in the last few years related to professional sports, in particular, the NFL. The most underreported, under diagnosed and underestimated head injury is concussion, with the number of cases ranging in the millions every year. The term "concussion" is not well defined in clinical or research contexts, contributing to confusion among patients, families, and health providers.

The bigger the better: Cigarette warning labels prompt quit attempts Posted: 10 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT Cigarette warning labels can influence a smoker to try to quit even when the smoker is trying to avoid seeing the labels, according to a survey of thousands of adult smokers in four countries. "Warning labels vary widely from country to country but it's clear that once people see the labels, the same psychological and emotional processes are involved in making people consider quitting smoking," said the study's lead author.

Food imagery ideal for teaching doctors -- but they must have strong stomachs Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:14 AM PDT From 'beer belly' to 'port wine stain,' food imagery has a long history of being used in medicine to identify the diagnostic features of a wide range of conditions and ailments, says a pathologist. In a gastronomic tour of some of the many food descriptors used in medicine, the author highlights imagery such as 'anchovy sauce' to describe the pus from a liver abscess, through 'sago spleen' to indicate protein (amyloid) deposits, to 'oat cell carcinoma,' which describes the appearance of a highly aggressive form of lung cancer.

Smokers with mental health issues cost UK nearly £2.5 billion a year Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:14 AM PDT People with mental health issues who smoke cost the UK economy nearly £2.5 billion a year, reveals research. The total costs are more or less equally divided among losses sustained from premature death, lost productivity, and healthcare costs to treat smoking related diseases in this group.

Patient-specific stem cells and personalized gene therapy Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:14 AM PDT Researchers have created a way to develop personalized gene therapies for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a leading cause of vision loss. The approach, the first of its kind, takes advantage of induced pluripotent stem cell technology to transform skin cells into retinal cells, which are then used as a patient-specific model for disease study and preclinical testing.

Urban Aboriginal people face unique health challenges Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:14 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have access to detailed information about how an urban Aboriginal population in Canada uses health care. A new study uses this health database to clearly demonstrate the unique challenges faced by urban Aboriginal people in Canada. Aboriginal people are often excluded, unidentified, or under-represented in most Canadian health information databases, researchers say.

Natural birth may strengthen immune system, mouse study shows Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:14 AM PDT New knowledge about the immune system has been uncovered by a mouse study, which indicates that natural birth improves the immune system of the pups. Newborns delivered by natural birth are exposed to more bacteria from the mother. The newborn baby's immune system in this way learns to distinguish between its own harmless molecules and foreign molecules. In the experiment, pups delivered by Caesarean section showed a lower number of cells of a type that plays an important role in preventing reactive immune cells from responding to molecules from the body itself, from the diet and from harmless intestinal bacteria.

Go play outside: Outdoor time promotes physical activity in youth Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT The World Health Organization recommends that youth participate in a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each day. Studies have shown that youth experience most of their MVPA during school hours. Therefore, it stands to reason that increasing outdoor time after school hours would increase MVPA. Researchers have now confirmed that time spent outdoors after school was positively associated with MVPA.

New drug active against most aggressive type of lung cancer cells Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT A new drug could prove useful in treating small cell lung cancer -- the most aggressive form of lung cancer, researchers report. Scientists tested a drug -- known as AZD3965 -- on small cell lung cancer cells, with a focus on exploiting the change in energy production in tumors. In cancer cells, there is a switch to using glycolysis, a process that requires less oxygen and produces lactate as a by-product. Certain molecules -- monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) -- are involved in the movement of lactate out of cells and drugs that target MCTs have been shown to stop tumor growth.

How coffee protects against Parkinson's Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT A specific genetic variation discovered by researchers protects against Parkinson's Disease – especially for those who drink a lot of coffee. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's have a complicated background where both genetic factors and exposure to environmental factors are involved. In a study of a million genetic malformations, the research team identified a variant of the GRIN2A gene as a protective factor against Parkinson's. The corresponding protein is part of a complex that is thought to play a role in several neurodegenerative diseases.

Why weight-loss surgery cures diabetes: New clues Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT Scientists are a step closer to understanding why diabetes is cured in the majority of patients that undergo gastric bypass surgery. "Our research centered on enteroendocrine cells that 'taste' what we eat and in response release a cocktail of hormones that communicate with the pancreas, to control insulin release to the brain, to convey the sense of being full and to optimize and maximize digestion and absorption of nutrients," said the study's team leader.

New persimmon milkshake with high antioxidant potential created by scientists Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:13 AM PDT A new persimmon milkshake with high antioxidant potential has been created by researchers. Persimmons are an important source of antioxidant compounds due to their content of carotenoids and tannins. According to the tests developed in laboratories, one of these shakes could contain the same quantity of carotenoids as a whole persimmon.

Teaching the brain to reduce pain Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT People can be conditioned to feel less pain when they hear a neutral sound, new research has found. This lends weight to the idea that we can learn to use mind-over-matter to beat pain. "We have shown that just as the physiological reaction of saliva secretion was provoked in Pavlov's dogs by the ringing of a bell, an analogous effect occurs regarding the ability to mask pain in humans," said a researcher.

How key controller protein is switched on revealed by research Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT New research has uncovered how a complex protein pivotal in the development of cancer, viral infection and autoimmune diseases is activated. The discovery answers a key question about one of the most widely-researched proteins in human biology, which has been the subject of tens of thousands of research papers and millions in research funding.

Distinguishing psoriasis from eczema: New diagnostic test Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT In some patients, the chronic inflammatory skin diseases psoriasis and eczema are similar in appearance. Up to now, dermatologists have therefore had to base their decision on which treatment should be selected on their own experience and an examination of tissue samples. A team of researchers has now analyzed the molecular processes that occur in both diseases and discovered crucial differences. This has enabled them for the first time to gain a detailed understanding of the ways in which the respective disease process occurs.

The future of cancer research: In your medicine cabinet? Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT Where are the new low-cost cancer drugs? Do common drugs from the pharmacy represent the future of cancer treatment? Existing and widely-used non-cancer drugs may represent a relatively untapped source of novel therapies for cancer, new research suggests.

New class of anti-arthritis drugs effectively treats multiple inflammatory diseases Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT Inflammatory diseases can occur simultaneously in distinct sites in the same patient, complicating treatment because a medication effective for one disorder may exacerbate the other. One such example is the anti-arthritic medication dexamethasone, which alleviates joint disease but can worsen periodontal bone disease. A study highlights the effects of a new class of anti-arthritic drugs, specifically DTrp8-ɣMSH (DTrp), that acts via the melanocortin (MC) system to reduce both arthritic joint inflammation and periodontitis.

Low back pain? Don't blame the weather Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:12 AM PDT Sudden, acute episodes of low back pain are not linked to weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind direction and precipitation, researchers have determined. These findings indicate that the risk of low back pain slightly increases with higher wind speed or wind gusts, but was not clinically significant.

Position statement on e-cigarettes by American Thoracic Society Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT Experts have released a position statement on electronic cigarettes, focusing on their potential adverse effects on human health and calling on governments to ban or restrict their use until their health impacts are better known.

Climate change may bring more kidney stones Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT As daily temperatures increase, so does the number of patients seeking treatment for kidney stones. In a study that may both reflect and foretell a warming planet's impact on human health, a research team found a link between hot days and kidney stones in 60,000 patients in several U.S. cities with varying climates.

Stabilizing shoulder surgery helps NFL players return to the game Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT Shoulder instability is a common injury in football players but the rate of return to play has not been regularly determined following surgery. A new study details that return rates for NFL players is approximately 90 percent no matter what the stabilization procedure (open vs. arthroscopic).

Intercollegiate contact athletes with shoulder instability return to in-season sports Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT College athletes experiencing in-season shoulder instability regularly return to play within one week of injury, but developed recurrent instability in 63% of cases, according to new research. This latest information may help guide team physicians in providing the most optimal treatment plans for injured players.

Young athletes should consider the benefits of ACL surgery Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT Young patients who wait for ACL surgery may be at increased risk for secondary knee injuries, according to new research. The study adds to existing research noting the risk of secondary meniscal and chondral injuries in pediatric patients.

Entering MLB early may increase elbow surgery risk Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT The common elbow surgery made famous by Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, Tommy John, definitely does its job to return pitchers to the mound, but risks for having the surgery may be able to be recognized earlier in a player's career, say researchers. The new study was the largest cohort of MLB pitchers, to date, that have undergone UCL reconstruction.

Risk factors for Little League shoulder identified Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT As cases of Little League Shoulder (LLS) occur more frequently, the need for additional information about the causes and outcomes of the condition has become clear. Researchers have shared new data identifying associated risk factors, common treatment options and return to play.

Men's hot flashes: Hypnotic relaxation therapy may ease the discomfort that guys don't talk about Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:10 AM PDT Men who experience hot flashes are unlikely to talk much about it, but they may find relief from their silent suffering if they are willing to try an unusual treatment, according to new research. After seven weeks of hypnotic relaxation therapy, a 69-year-old man who had uncontrolled hot flashes following prostate cancer surgery showed a drastic decrease not only in hot flashes but also an impressive improvement in sleep quality, according to the study.

Vasectomy may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer Posted: 09 Jul 2014 03:22 PM PDT Vasectomy was associated with a small increased risk of prostate cancer, and a stronger risk for advanced or lethal prostate cancer according to a new study. Vasectomy is a common form of contraception in the U.S., with about 15% of men having the procedure. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. men, so identifying risk factors for lethal prostate cancer is important for public health.

New medication shows promise in treating common skin disease Posted: 09 Jul 2014 03:22 PM PDT An investigational medication shows promise in treating eczema or atopic dermatitis, the most common skin disorder, according to a study. The findings could eventually bring significant relief for many who suffer intense itching and other troubling features of atopic dermatitis, according to the study's lead author.

Pluripotency factor NANOG active in adult organisms Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:44 PM PDT NANOG, an essential gene for embryonic stem cells, also regulates cell division in stratified epithelia in adult organisms, researchers have found. According to the conclusions of the study this factor could also play a role in the formation of tumors derived from stratified epithelia of the esophagus and skin.

Bacteria found in bladders of healthy women differ from those in women with incontinence Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT Bacteria found in the bladders of healthy women differ from bacteria in women with a common form of incontinence, according to researchers. Approximately 15 percent of women suffer from UUI and yet an estimated 40 -- 50 percent do not respond to conventional treatments. One possible explanation for the lack of response to medication may be the bacteria present in these women. "These findings may have strong implications for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of women with this form of incontinence," said a co-investigator.

Protein found that pushes breast cancer cells to metastasize Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Using an innovative tool that captures heretofore hidden ways that cells are regulated, scientists have identified a protein that makes breast cancer cells more likely to metastasize. What's more, the protein appears to trigger cancer's spread in part by blocking two other proteins that are normally linked to neurodegeneration, a finding that suggests these two disease processes could have unexpected ties.

Signal in may send cancer's cellular factories into overdrive Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT A network of signals active in almost all types of cancer sends the protein factories in our cells into overdrive, and may help fuel a tumor's uncontrolled growth, new research suggests. The findings may help to explain how cancer cells maintain their high levels of metabolism -- and could uncover future targets for cancer treatment.

Review of ADHD drug approvals highlights gaps between approval process, long-term safety assessment Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Over the last 60 years, the US Food and Drug Administration approved 20 medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder based on clinical trials that were not designed to study their long-term efficacy and safety or to detect rare adverse events, researchers report. The study highlights gaps in how the long-term safety of drugs intended for chronic use in children is assessed as part of the FDA approval process.

Alternative to surgery for Graves' eye disease: Low-carb, gluten-free diet may help Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:15 PM PDT A low-carb, gluten-free diet with plenty of vegetables is helping a patient with Graves' eye disease to see normally again. Graves' eye disease, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy, is present in about half of people who have Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder. In Graves' eye disease, the immune system attacks muscles and other tissues around the eye. This can cause the eyes to bulge out and become misaligned.

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