ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• MRSA cases in academic hospitals double in five years
• Efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression confirmed in new study
• Yoga may help stroke survivors improve balance
• Do ovaries continue to produce eggs during adulthood?
• Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse
• Additional benefits of early HIV treatment revealed
• Decoding the secrets of balance
• Alcohol could intensify effects of some drugs in the body
• Solving the mystery of how cigarette smoking weakens bones
• Protective role of skin microbiota described
• Bone marrow transplant eliminates signs of HIV infection
• Climate change linked to ozone loss: May result in more skin cancer
• World's smallest semiconductor laser created
• Prosthetic implant under development
• Genetic cause of most lethal brain tumor pinpointed: May lead to new treatment
• Researchers unveil molecular details of how bacteria propagate antibiotic resistance
• Study identifies receptor's role in regulating obesity, type 2 diabetes
• Repetitious, time-intensive magical rituals considered more effective, study shows
• Lower vitamin D could increase risk of dying, especially for frail, older adults
• Men with prostate cancer more likely to die from other causes
• Diabetes research reveals important link to overcoming 'lazy insulin granules'
• Protein discovery links to cancer research
• New drug could help maintain long-term weight loss
• Eye-writing technology: Writing in cursive with your eyes only
• Mutation rates in cancer cells strongly linked to how chromatin is organized
• Deadly E. coli strain decoded
• DNA damage in roofers due to PAH exposure, possible cancer link
• New stroke treatments becoming a reality
• Genome analysis of brain tumors showing the way to new treatment strategies
• Unprecedented accuracy in locating brain electrical activity with new device

MRSA cases in academic hospitals double in five years Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:03 PM PDT Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) doubled at academic medical centers in the US between 2003 and 2008, according to a new report.

Efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression confirmed in new study Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:03 PM PDT In one of the first studies to look at transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in real-world clinical practice settings, researchers have confirmed that TMS is an effective treatment for patients with depression who are unable to find symptom relief through antidepressant medications.

Yoga may help stroke survivors improve balance Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:03 PM PDT Group yoga can help patients' balance improve long after a stroke. Yoga for chronic stroke patients appears to be cost effective and might help them become more active.

Do ovaries continue to produce eggs during adulthood? Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:02 PM PDT A compelling new genetic study tracing the origins of immature egg cells, or 'oocytes', from the embryonic period throughout adulthood adds new information to a growing controversy. The notion of a "biological clock" in women arises from the fact that oocytes progressively decline in number as females get older, along with a decades-old dogmatic view that oocytes cannot be renewed in mammals after birth.

Modeling of new enzymes helps develop therapies for cocaine abuse Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:02 PM PDT Researchers have designed and discovered a series of highly efficient enzymes that effectively metabolize cocaine.

Additional benefits of early HIV treatment revealed Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:02 PM PDT Study results released by the HIV Prevention Trials Network show additional benefits of of early antiretroviral therapy in HIV clinical outcomes.

Decoding the secrets of balance Posted: 26 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT Scientists had previously believed that the brain decoded balance information linearly and therefore actually attempted to reconstruct the time course of velocity and acceleration stimuli. But by combining electrophysiological and computational approaches, scientists have been able to show for the first time that the neurons in the vestibular nuclei in the brain instead decode incoming information nonlinearly as they respond preferentially to unexpected, sudden changes in stimuli.

Alcohol could intensify effects of some drugs in the body Posted: 26 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT Scientists are reporting another reason -- besides possible liver damage, stomach bleeding and other side effects -- to avoid drinking alcohol while taking certain medicines. Laboratory experiments show that alcohol made several medications up to three times more available to the body, effectively tripling the original dose.

Solving the mystery of how cigarette smoking weakens bones Posted: 26 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT Almost 20 years after scientists first identified cigarette smoking as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fractures, a new study is shedding light on exactly how cigarette smoke weakens bones. The report concludes that cigarette smoke makes people produce excessive amounts of two proteins that trigger a natural body process that breaks down bone.

Protective role of skin microbiota described Posted: 26 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT Scientists have found that bacteria that normally live in the skin may help protect the body from infection. As the largest organ of the body, the skin represents a major site of interaction with microbes in the environment.

Bone marrow transplant eliminates signs of HIV infection Posted: 26 Jul 2012 12:39 PM PDT Two men with longstanding HIV infections no longer have detectable HIV in their blood cells following bone marrow transplants. The virus was easily detected in blood lymphocytes of both men prior to their transplants but became undetectable by eight months post-transplant. The men, who were treated have remained on anti-retroviral therapy.

Climate change linked to ozone loss: May result in more skin cancer Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:22 AM PDT Scientists are warning that a newly-discovered connection between climate change and depletion of the ozone layer over the US could allow more damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reach Earth's surface, leading to increased incidence of skin cancer.

World's smallest semiconductor laser created Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:21 AM PDT Physicists have developed the world's smallest semiconductor laser, a breakthrough for emerging photonic technology with applications from computing to medicine.

Prosthetic implant under development Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:20 AM PDT Thousands of veterans and warfighters returning to the U.S. suffer with limb amputations, and for many, standard prosthetics are not an option. Skin issues or short remaining-limb length can cause amputees to forgo the typical socket-type attachment systems. Researchers are now offering hope to amputees for a permanent limb replacement.

Genetic cause of most lethal brain tumor pinpointed: May lead to new treatment Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:20 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that some cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer, are caused by the fusion of two adjacent genes. The study also found that drugs that target the protein produced by this genetic aberration can dramatically slow the growth of glioblastomas in mice.

Researchers unveil molecular details of how bacteria propagate antibiotic resistance Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT A research team may have found a new way to prevent "superbugs" from genetically propagating drug resistance.

Study identifies receptor's role in regulating obesity, type 2 diabetes Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT A recent study demonstrates that the A2b-type adenosine receptor, A2bAR, plays a significant role in the regulation of high fat, high cholesterol diet-induced symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

Repetitious, time-intensive magical rituals considered more effective, study shows Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT A new psychology study shows the reasons why people find logic in magical rituals. The findings provide new insight into cognitive reasoning processes -- and how people intuitively make sense out of the unknown.

Lower vitamin D could increase risk of dying, especially for frail, older adults Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT A new study concludes that among older adults – especially those who are frail – low levels of vitamin D can mean a much greater risk of death. The randomized, nationally representative study found that older adults with low vitamin D levels had a 30 percent greater risk of death than people who had higher levels.

Men with prostate cancer more likely to die from other causes Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:52 AM PDT Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are less likely to die from the disease than from largely preventable conditions such as heart disease, according to a new study. It is the largest study to date that looks at causes of death among men with prostate cancer, and suggests that encouraging healthy lifestyle changes should play an important role in prostate cancer management.

Diabetes research reveals important link to overcoming 'lazy insulin granules' Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:51 AM PDT Scientists have made an important discovery on the role of a SNARE protein known as VAMP8 in the release of insulin from the pancreatic islet beta cells. The study will further our understanding of how the body can produce higher levels of insulin in patients with diabetes.

Protein discovery links to cancer research Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:21 AM PDT New research on how a particular type of protein controls the growth of another protein could advance cancer research.

New drug could help maintain long-term weight loss Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:21 AM PDT A new drug could aid in losing weight and keeping it off. The drug increases sensitivity to the hormone leptin, a natural appetite suppressant found in the body. Although so far the new drug has only been tested on mice, the findings have implications for the development of new treatments for obesity in humans.

Eye-writing technology: Writing in cursive with your eyes only Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:21 AM PDT New technology might allow people who have almost completely lost the ability to move their arms or legs to communicate freely, by using their eyes to write in cursive. The eye-writing technology tricks the neuromuscular machinery into doing something that is usually impossible: to voluntarily produce smooth eye movements in arbitrary directions.

Mutation rates in cancer cells strongly linked to how chromatin is organized Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:20 AM PDT Inside our cells, DNA is packed in a dense structure called chromatin so the cell can replicate, repair any DNA damage during cell division, and control which genes are expressed. Researchers have found that chromatin has a lot to do with where mutations occur in the genome in cancer cells.

Deadly E. coli strain decoded Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:11 AM PDT The secret to the deadly 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany has now been decoded. The deadliest E. coli outbreak ever was traced to a particularly virulent strain that researchers had never seen in an outbreak before.

DNA damage in roofers due to PAH exposure, possible cancer link Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:11 AM PDT Roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after a shift than before and that these high levels of PAHs are linked with increased rates of DNA damage, and potentially with higher cancer risk.

New stroke treatments becoming a reality Posted: 26 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated a drug which can dramatically limit the amount of brain damage in stroke patients.

Genome analysis of brain tumors showing the way to new treatment strategies Posted: 26 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT Scientists are systematically investigating the genomes of pediatric brain tumors (medulloblastoma and pylocytic astrocytoma). In their first data evaluation, researchers have now discovered genomic changes which not only reveal targets for new treatment approaches but also provide information about how to use already available drugs more specifically.

Unprecedented accuracy in locating brain electrical activity with new device Posted: 26 Jul 2012 07:27 AM PDT Researchers have developed the world's first device designed for mapping the human brain that combines whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. MEG measures the electrical function and MRI visualizes the structure of the brain. The merging of these two technologies will produce unprecedented accuracy in locating brain electrical activity non-invasively.

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