ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Estrogen works in the brain to keep weight in check, study shows
• False starts can sneak by in women's sprinting, analysis finds
• X-linked mental retardation protein is found to mediate synaptic plasticity in hippocampus
• One size does not fit all for knee replacements and other medical devices, expert says
• Research could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and viral infections
• Age a big factor in prostate cancer deaths, study finds
• Pollutants linked to 450 percent increase in risk of birth defects in rural China
• Common link suggested between autism and diabetes: Study implicates hyperinsulinemia in increased incidence of autism
• Bridging the gap: Neuroscientists find normal brain communication in people who lack connections between right and left hemispheres
• Computer games help people with Parkinson's disease, pilot study shows
• Antibody treatment protects monkeys from Hendra virus disease
• The ultimate qPCR based lncRNA profiling platform
• Increased safety using simultaneous techniques for cardiac testing
• New aggression tool predicted violent patients in medical and surgical wards
• Can breastfeeding reduce pain in preterm infants?
• Irish hereditary emphysema rates found to be among highest in the world
• Delayed vs. immediate coronary stenting
• Cell mechanism that reduces effectiveness of breast cancer treatment identified

Estrogen works in the brain to keep weight in check, study shows Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:41 PM PDT A recent study found that estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight, while insufficient estrogen receptors in specific parts of the brain may lead to obesity.

False starts can sneak by in women's sprinting, analysis finds Posted: 19 Oct 2011 06:36 PM PDT Olympic timing procedures don't accurately detect false starts by female sprinters, according to a new analysis. Under the current rules, a woman can purposely anticipate the gun by up to 20 milliseconds, or one-fiftieth of a second, without getting called for a false start, the researchers say.

X-linked mental retardation protein is found to mediate synaptic plasticity in hippocampus Posted: 19 Oct 2011 06:22 PM PDT Scientists have solved part of a puzzle concerning the relationship between changes in the strength of synapses -- the tiny gaps across which nerve cells in the brain communicate -- and dysfunctions in neural circuits that have been linked with drug addiction, mental retardation and other cognitive disorders.

One size does not fit all for knee replacements and other medical devices, expert says Posted: 19 Oct 2011 05:56 PM PDT Undergoing a knee replacement involves sophisticated medical equipment, but innovative prosthetic design may not offer the same benefits for all knee replacement recipients, researchers report.

Research could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and viral infections Posted: 19 Oct 2011 05:01 PM PDT The intestinal ecosystem is even more dynamic than previously thought, according to two new studies. The research provides a new understanding of the unique intestinal environment and suggest new strategies for the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and viral infections, the researchers said.

Age a big factor in prostate cancer deaths, study finds Posted: 19 Oct 2011 04:54 PM PDT Contrary to common belief, men age 75 and older are diagnosed with late-stage and more aggressive prostate cancer and thus die from the disease more often than younger men, according to a new analysis.

Pollutants linked to 450 percent increase in risk of birth defects in rural China Posted: 19 Oct 2011 03:51 PM PDT Pesticides and pollutants are related to an alarming 450 percent increase in the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly in rural China, according to scientists.

Common link suggested between autism and diabetes: Study implicates hyperinsulinemia in increased incidence of autism Posted: 19 Oct 2011 03:46 PM PDT A review of the genetic and biochemical abnormalities associated with autism reveals a possible link between the widely diagnosed neurological disorder and Type 2 diabetes, another medical disorder on the rise in recent decades.

Bridging the gap: Neuroscientists find normal brain communication in people who lack connections between right and left hemispheres Posted: 19 Oct 2011 03:18 PM PDT Like a bridge that spans a river to connect two major metropolises, the corpus callosum is the main conduit for information flowing between the left and right hemispheres of our brains. Now, neuroscientists have found that people who are born without that link -- a condition called agenesis of the corpus callosum, or AgCC -- still show remarkably normal communication across the gap between the two halves of their brains.

Computer games help people with Parkinson's disease, pilot study shows Posted: 19 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Playing computer-based physical therapy games can help people with Parkinson's disease improve their gait and balance, according to a new pilot study. More than half the subjects in the three-month research project showed small improvements in walking speed, balance and stride length.

Antibody treatment protects monkeys from Hendra virus disease Posted: 19 Oct 2011 02:28 PM PDT A human antibody given to monkeys infected with the deadly Hendra virus completely protected them from disease, according to a new study. Hendra and the closely related Nipah virus, both rare viruses that are part of the NIH biodefense research program, target the lungs and brain and have human case fatality rates of 60 percent and more than 75 percent, respectively. These diseases in monkeys mirror what happens in humans, and the study results are cause for hope that the antibody, named m102.4, ultimately may be developed into a possible treatment for people who become infected with these viruses.

The ultimate qPCR based lncRNA profiling platform Posted: 19 Oct 2011 09:29 AM PDT lncRNAs represent an emerging important class of regulatory transcribed elements. The study of lncRNAs is timely and relevant, because of their implication in important cellular processes, through new modes of action. The lncRNA genes are generally low abundant, which is exactly why there is a genuine need for a platform with ultimate sensitivity superseding microarray based platforms.

Increased safety using simultaneous techniques for cardiac testing Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:55 AM PDT Experts have published an article on the safety of cardiac imaging methods. This study is important for patients worried about radiation exposure during X-ray based studies of the heart. X-ray based methods have greatly improved the diagnosis of heart disease, but they can produce significant levels of radiation exposure.

New aggression tool predicted violent patients in medical and surgical wards Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:55 AM PDT Using a specially designed risk assessment tool within 24 hours of admission was an effective way of identifying which hospital patients in medical and surgical units would become violent. Researchers studied more than 2,000 patients admitted to an acute care hospital over a five-month period. As well as identify the traits that were most likely to lead to violence, they found that a disproportionate number of elderly patients and males became violent.

Can breastfeeding reduce pain in preterm infants? Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:49 AM PDT Poorly managed pain in the neonatal intensive care unit has serious short- and long-term consequences, causing physiological and behavioral instability in preterm infants and long-term changes in their pain sensitivity, stress arousal systems, and developing brains. Researchers report that breastfeeding during minor procedures mitigated pain in preterm neonates with mature breastfeeding behaviors.

Irish hereditary emphysema rates found to be among highest in the world Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:45 AM PDT RCSI study reveals 90% of people with genetic lung condition are undiagnosed. Researchers have conducted a study which has found that Ireland has one of the highest incidences in the world of a genetic condition that causes severe hereditary emphysema. The study raises the possibility that hundreds of people suffering from chronic lung disease could have this genetic condition but have yet to be diagnosed.

Delayed vs. immediate coronary stenting Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:45 AM PDT Medical researchers have published an article on the timing of coronary stenting, a thought-provoking paper that challenges one of the dogmas of acute heart attack management today.

Cell mechanism that reduces effectiveness of breast cancer treatment identified Posted: 19 Oct 2011 07:45 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a complex cell mechanism activated by a protein --HOXB9-- that becomes an obstacle for radiation effectiveness.

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