ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single treatment
• Brain circuitry is different for women with anorexia and obesity
• Bone grown from human embryonic stem cells
• Sleepwalking more prevalent among U.S. adults than previously suspected, researcher says
• Different mechanisms of pain revealed
• Button battery risks: Number of battery-related emergency department visits by children more than doubles
• Injuries associated with baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups in the U.S. surprisingly high
• A microRNA prognostic marker identified in acute leukemia
• A walk in the park gives mental boost to people with depression
• Why women chose bad boys: Ovulating women perceive sexy cads as good dads
• Begin early: Water with meals may encourage wiser choices
• Breastfeeding benefits: Human breast milk ingredient adjusts to optimize for beneficial gut bacteria over time
• Drug kills cancer cells by restoring faulty tumor suppressor
• Smoked cannabis reduces some symptoms of multiple sclerosis
• Pufferfish at the 'beak' of evolution: Why humans don't continuously replace their teeth
• Sundown syndrome-like symptoms in fruit flies may be due to high dopamine levels
• Virus 'barcodes' offer rapid detection of mutated strains
• Pay-to-play sports keeping lower-income kids out of the game
• Groundbreaking discovery on mutation-causing genetic disorder in humans
• To avoid pain during an injection, look away
• 'Thermal tasters' can experience taste from heating or cooling tongue without any food
• Real smart: Protective clothing with built-in A/C
• Artificial pancreas gets first U. S. Outpatient test
• DNA replication protein also has a role in mitosis, cancer
• Tiny solar-panel-like cells help restore sight to the blind
• Novel new device diagnoses irregular heartbeat: Small stick-on device monitors heart rhythm for weeks
• Why inhibiting DNA damage-detecting enzyme is effective in fighting cancer and other diseases
• Novel RNA transport mechanism: Ribonucleoprotein granules exit the nucleus via a budding mechanism

First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single treatment Posted: 14 May 2012 05:40 PM PDT A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the enzyme which -- metaphorically -- slows down the biological clock -- was successful. The research provides a "proof-of-principle" that this "feasible and safe" approach can effectively "improve health span."

Brain circuitry is different for women with anorexia and obesity Posted: 14 May 2012 01:16 PM PDT Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? Researchers have now shown that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized in obese women.

Bone grown from human embryonic stem cells Posted: 14 May 2012 01:16 PM PDT Human embryonic stem cells can now be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application. The study is the first example of using bone cell progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells to grow compact bone tissue in quantities large enough to repair centimeter-sized defects.

Sleepwalking more prevalent among U.S. adults than previously suspected, researcher says Posted: 14 May 2012 01:16 PM PDT What goes bump in the night? In many U.S. households: people. About 3.6 percent of US adults -- or upward of 8.4 million -- are prone to sleepwalking, new research shows. The work also showed an association between nocturnal wanderings and certain psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. A large number of people reported sleepwalking in childhood or adolescence making the lifetime prevalence of sleepwalking 29.2 percent.

Different mechanisms of pain revealed Posted: 14 May 2012 12:31 PM PDT Researchers have found a previously unknown mechanism through which pain is signaled by nerve cells -- a discovery that could explain the current failings in the drug development process for painkillers and which may offer opportunities for a new approach.

Button battery risks: Number of battery-related emergency department visits by children more than doubles Posted: 14 May 2012 12:29 PM PDT In today's technology-driven world, batteries, especially button batteries, are everywhere. They power countless gadgets and electronic items that we use every day. While they may seem harmless, button batteries can be dangerous if swallowed by children. A new study found that the annual number of battery-related emergency department visits among children younger than 18 years of age more than doubled over the 20-year study period, jumping from 2,591 emergency department visits in 1990 to 5,525 emergency department visits in 2009. The number of button batteries swallowed by children also doubled during this period.

Injuries associated with baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups in the U.S. surprisingly high Posted: 14 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT A new study examined pediatric injuries associated with baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups. Researchers found that from 1991 to 2010, an estimated 45,398 children younger than three years of age were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to the use of these products. This equates to an average of 2,270 injuries per year, or one child treated in a hospital emergency department every four hours for these injuries.

A microRNA prognostic marker identified in acute leukemia Posted: 14 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT A study has identified microRNA-3151 as a new independent prognostic marker in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that has normal-looking chromosomes. High levels of this microRNA in cancer cells indicates patients will experience shorter remissions and survival periods. Additionally, the microRNA is encoded within a gene called BAALC, which itself is an independent marker of poor survival when overexpressed in these patients.

A walk in the park gives mental boost to people with depression Posted: 14 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT In one of the first studies to examine the effect of nature walks on cognition and mood in people with major depression, researchers in Canada and the US have found promising evidence that a walk in the park may provide some cognitive benefits.

Why women chose bad boys: Ovulating women perceive sexy cads as good dads Posted: 14 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT Nice guys do finish last at least when it comes to procreation, according to a new study that answers the question of why women choose bad boys. New research has demonstrated that hormones associated with ovulation influence women's perceptions of men as potential fathers.

Begin early: Water with meals may encourage wiser choices Posted: 14 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT Water could change the way we eat. That's the conclusion of new research.

Breastfeeding benefits: Human breast milk ingredient adjusts to optimize for beneficial gut bacteria over time Posted: 14 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT A new study shows that human milk oligosaccharides, or HMO, produce short-chain fatty acids that feed a beneficial microbial population in the infant gut. Not only that, the bacterial composition adjusts as the baby grows older and its needs change. For the first time, scientists have shown that a complex mixture of HMO and a single HMO component produce patterns of short-chain fatty acids that change as the infant gets older.

Drug kills cancer cells by restoring faulty tumor suppressor Posted: 14 May 2012 09:27 AM PDT New research uses a novel, computer based strategy to identify potential anti-cancer drugs, including one that targets the third most common p53 mutation in human cancer, p53-R175H. The number of new cancer patients harboring this mutation in the United States who would potentially benefit from this drug is estimated to be 30,000 annually.

Smoked cannabis reduces some symptoms of multiple sclerosis Posted: 14 May 2012 09:26 AM PDT A clinical study of 30 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown that smoked cannabis may be an effective treatment for spasticity – a common and disabling symptom of this neurological disease.

Pufferfish at the 'beak' of evolution: Why humans don't continuously replace their teeth Posted: 14 May 2012 08:28 AM PDT Prickly pufferfish could hold the key to why humans do not continually replace their teeth and may lead to advances in dental therapies.

Sundown syndrome-like symptoms in fruit flies may be due to high dopamine levels Posted: 14 May 2012 07:49 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a mechanism involving the neurotransmitter dopamine that switches fruit fly behavior from being active during the day (diurnal) to nocturnal. This change parallels a human disorder in which increased agitation occurs in the evening hours near sunset and may also be due to higher than normal dopamine levels in the brain.

Virus 'barcodes' offer rapid detection of mutated strains Posted: 14 May 2012 07:49 AM PDT Researchers are developing a way to 'barcode' viral diseases to rapidly test new outbreaks for potentially lethal mutations.

Pay-to-play sports keeping lower-income kids out of the game Posted: 14 May 2012 07:49 AM PDT Nearly one in five lower-income parents report costs forced their children to cut back on sports.

Groundbreaking discovery on mutation-causing genetic disorder in humans Posted: 14 May 2012 07:48 AM PDT Scientists have identified the genetic cause of a birth defect known as Hamamy syndrome. Their findings lend new insights into common ailments such as heart disease, osteoporosis, blood disorders and possibly sterility.

To avoid pain during an injection, look away Posted: 14 May 2012 07:47 AM PDT Health professionals commonly say, "Don't look and it won't hurt" before administering an injection, but is there any scientific basis for the advice? A group of German investigators has found that, in fact, your past experience with needle pricks, along with information you receive before an injection, shape your pain experience.

'Thermal tasters' can experience taste from heating or cooling tongue without any food Posted: 14 May 2012 07:44 AM PDT Can the temperature of the food we eat affect the intensity of its taste? It depends on the taste, according to a new study. New research shows that changes in the temperature of foods and drinks have an effect on the intensity of sour, bitter and astringent (e.g. cranberry juice) tastes but not sweetness. In addition, research suggests that in 20-30 percent of the population, heating or cooling small areas of the tongue draws out a taste sensation without the presence of food or drink. These individuals are known as 'thermal' tasters. They seem to taste foods more intensely than others people do.

Real smart: Protective clothing with built-in A/C Posted: 14 May 2012 07:44 AM PDT In order to test a new 'smart' protective vest, an experimenter wearing one jogged several kilometers on a treadmill in a climate-controlled chamber. During the jog he lost 544 grams in weight through sweating –  but thanks to the vest's integrated cooling system this was still 191 grams less than if he had been wearing a conventional garment.

Artificial pancreas gets first U. S. Outpatient test Posted: 14 May 2012 07:43 AM PDT The first U.S. outpatient trial of an artificial pancreas could make it easier for type 1 diabetes patients to manage their condition.

DNA replication protein also has a role in mitosis, cancer Posted: 13 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a protein known as Cdt1, which is required for DNA replication, also plays an important role in a later step of the cell cycle, mitosis. The finding presents a possible explanation for why so many cancers possess not just genomic instability, but also more or less than the usual 46 DNA-containing chromosomes.

Tiny solar-panel-like cells help restore sight to the blind Posted: 13 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Using tiny solar-panel-like cells surgically placed underneath the retina, scientists have devised a system that may someday restore sight to people who have lost vision because of certain types of degenerative eye diseases.

Novel new device diagnoses irregular heartbeat: Small stick-on device monitors heart rhythm for weeks Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT A new study has found that a novel new heart monitoring device helped emergency room patients avoid unnecessary follow-up care.

Why inhibiting DNA damage-detecting enzyme is effective in fighting cancer and other diseases Posted: 10 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT A new study is shedding light on the molecular details of PARP-1, a DNA damage-detecting enzyme that when inhibited has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer and other diseases.

Novel RNA transport mechanism: Ribonucleoprotein granules exit the nucleus via a budding mechanism Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT The movement of genetic materials, such as RNA and ribosomes, from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a critical component in a cell's ability to make the proteins necessary for essential biological functions. Until now, it was believed the nuclear pore complex was the sole pathway between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm for these materials. New evidence reveals a novel budding mechanism, similar to the process used by some viruses, capable of exporting large ribonucleoprotein particles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

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