ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• New study sheds light on how Salmonella spreads in the body
• Low fat diet is key to a slimmer figure, study suggests
• Vaginal microbicide gel may offer a promising strategy for prevention and protection against HIV transmission
• How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior
• Valuable tool for predicting pain genes in people: 'Network map' of genes involved in pain perception
• New genetic disorder of balance and cognition discovered
• Treadmill testing can predict heart disease in women
• Survivor of Nazi 'twin experiments' talks to doctors about human subjects research
• Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind stillbirth
• Autistic adults report significant shortcomings in their health care
• Researchers craft tool to minimize threat of endocrine disruptors in new chemicals
• How calorie restriction influences longevity: Protecting cells from damage caused by chronic disease
• Gene network illuminates stress, mutation and adaptation responses
• Biologist treks across Southwestern China to answer the 'killer mushroom' question
• His and hers: Male sex hormones control differences in mammary gland nerve growth
• Eating fewer, larger meals may prove healthier for obese women
• Fit kids finish first in the classroom
• Prenatal tests more informative using microarray technology than microscope analysis
• Statins linked to improved survival in inflammatory breast cancer
• Fingers on the pulse: Neuroscientists show ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations
• Hiring extra temporary nurses may save lives
• Kids' sleep-related breathing problems
• Discovery of pathway leading to depression reveals new drug targets
• New genetic pathway behind neurodevelopmental disorders discovered
• Rapid eye movements significantly delayed in people with glaucoma
• Feeling disgust may enhance our ability to detect impurities
• Cocktail boosts immune cells in fighting cancer
• Insight into DNA reprogramming during egg and sperm cell development
• New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging
• Biochemists trap a chaperone machine in action
• Scientists identify molecules in the ear that convert sound into brain signals
• European Romani exodus began 1,500 years ago, DNA evidence shows
• Protein linking exercise to bigger, stronger muscles discovered; Finding might lead to new therapies for muscle-wasting diseases
• Molecule critical to nerve cells increases drammatically during hypertension
• Bisphenol A: BPA additive blocks cell function
• 'Sticky' stomach flu virus stands up to typical restaurant dishwashing measures

New study sheds light on how Salmonella spreads in the body Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:34 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new mechanism used by bacteria to spread in the body. The mechanism offers the potential to identify targets to prevent the dissemination of the infection process.

Low fat diet is key to a slimmer figure, study suggests Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST Exchanging fatty foods for lower fat alternatives will help people shift around three-and-a-half pounds -- without any other form of dieting. People taking part in trials also saw their waist-lines become slimmer, and levels of bad cholesterol decrease. The results demonstrate that weight loss can happen without actively trying to lose weight beyond simply choosing foods lower in fat.

Vaginal microbicide gel may offer a promising strategy for prevention and protection against HIV transmission Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST A new study shows that a microbicide gel is highly effective in block infection by the AIDS virus in a non-human primate model. Scientists have described the gel's key ingredient, which are small peptides engineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the cells of the body.

How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST A new study demonstrates for the first time how the Toxoplasma gondii parasite enters the brain to influence its host's behavior.

Valuable tool for predicting pain genes in people: 'Network map' of genes involved in pain perception Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST Scientists in Australia and Austria have described a "network map" of genes involved in pain perception. The work should help identify new analgesic drugs.

New genetic disorder of balance and cognition discovered Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST The family of disorders known as ataxia can impair speech, balance and coordination, and have varying levels of severity. Scientists have identified a new member of this group of conditions which is connected to 'Lincoln ataxia', so called because it was first found in the relatives of US President Abraham Lincoln.

Treadmill testing can predict heart disease in women Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST Although there is a widespread belief among physicians that the exercise treadmill test is not reliable in evaluating the heart health of women, researchers have found that the test can accurately predict coronary artery disease in women over the age of 65.

Survivor of Nazi 'twin experiments' talks to doctors about human subjects research Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:33 PM PST Eva Mozes Kor, survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp and Josef Mengele's "twin experiments," talked to doctors, scientists, and other health care providers Dec. 5 about medical ethics and human experimentation.

Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind stillbirth Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST A new test for analyzing the chromosomes of stillborn babies, known as microarray analysis, has now proven 40 percent more effective in pinpointing potential genetic causes of death than the old karyotype testing procedure.

Autistic adults report significant shortcomings in their health care Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Researchers have found that adults with autism, who represent about one percent of the adult population in the United States, report significantly worse health care experiences than their non-autistic counterparts.

Researchers craft tool to minimize threat of endocrine disruptors in new chemicals Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Researchers have developed a safety testing system to help chemists design inherently safer chemicals and processes.

How calorie restriction influences longevity: Protecting cells from damage caused by chronic disease Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Scientists have identified a novel mechanism by which a type of low-carb, low-calorie diet -- called a "ketogenic diet" -- could delay the effects of aging. This fundamental discovery reveals how such a diet could slow the aging process and may one day allow scientists to better treat or prevent age-related diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and many forms of cancer.

Gene network illuminates stress, mutation and adaptation responses Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Scientists have studied the puzzling response of bacteria to stress and the mutations that result. Now they can put together the pieces of that puzzle, describing most of the members of an elaborate gene network that functions in causing mutations during repair of double-stranded breaks in the DNA of stressed cells.

Biologist treks across Southwestern China to answer the 'killer mushroom' question Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST The findings shattered a myth started by a 2010 article in the journal Science, claiming the Trogia venenata mushroom contained high concentrations of the metal barium, causing high blood pressure, cardiac arrests and sudden deaths in southwestern China over the past 30 years.

His and hers: Male sex hormones control differences in mammary gland nerve growth Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST Scientists have found a surprising mechanism that gives male sex hormones like testosterone control over the gender-specific absence or presence of mammary gland nerves that sense the amount of milk available in breast milk ducts.

Eating fewer, larger meals may prove healthier for obese women Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST Media articles and nutritionists alike have perpetuated the idea that for healthy metabolisms individuals should consume small meals multiple times a day. However, new research suggests all-day snacking might not be as beneficial as previously thought, especially for obese women.

Fit kids finish first in the classroom Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST Fit kids aren't only first picked for kickball. New research shows middle school students in the best physical shape outscore their classmates on standardized tests and take home better report cards.

Prenatal tests more informative using microarray technology than microscope analysis Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:16 AM PST A new method for detecting abnormalities in unborn children is providing physicians with more information to analyze the results than conventional, microscopic testing.

Statins linked to improved survival in inflammatory breast cancer Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:16 AM PST Researchers found statins, the commonly used drug to lower cholesterol, improved progression-free survival in patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

Fingers on the pulse: Neuroscientists show ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST Scientists have shown with fMRI and EEG that ultrasound applied to the periphery, such as fingertips, can stimulate sensory pathways to the brain. The discovery has bearing on diagnosing and treating neuropathy, which affects millions.

Hiring extra temporary nurses may save lives Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST To reduce the shortage of available staff nurses, hospitals have hired temporary "travel" nurses without fully knowing the effect on patient outcomes. However, a new study has concluded hiring extra nurses may actually save lives.

Kids' sleep-related breathing problems Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:24 AM PST Children with sleep-related breathing problems (such as snoring or apnea) frequently have concurrent behavioral sleep problems (such as waking repeatedly).

Discovery of pathway leading to depression reveals new drug targets Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Scientists have identified the key molecular pathway leading to depression, revealing potential new targets for drug discovery, according to research. The study reveals for the first time that the 'Hedgehog pathway' regulates how stress hormones, usually elevated during depression, reduce the number of brain cells.

New genetic pathway behind neurodevelopmental disorders discovered Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new genetic process that could one day provide a novel target for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and autism.

Rapid eye movements significantly delayed in people with glaucoma Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Rapid eye movements are significantly delayed in patients with glaucoma, even those in the early stages of the disease, research has found.

Feeling disgust may enhance our ability to detect impurities Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST From an evolutionary standpoint, experiencing the intense, visceral sense of revulsion that comes with disgust presumably helps us to avoid contaminants that can make us sick or even kill us. But new research suggests that disgust not only helps us to avoid impurities, it may also make us better able to see them.

Cocktail boosts immune cells in fighting cancer Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Natural killer cells, as part of the body´s immune system, can effectively fight cancer. Unfortunately, they quickly lose their aggressiveness and hence are unable to reject solid tumors. Scientists have now discovered a cocktail consisting of three different immune mediators that leaves NK killer cells active over a long period of time. In mice, cocktail-boosted NK cells let tumors shrink. The cocktail -was able to persistently activate human NK cells, too.

Insight into DNA reprogramming during egg and sperm cell development Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Scientists have gained a new understanding of when and how the DNA in developing egg and sperm cells is 'reset', in preparation for making a new embryo.

New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST New research in human volunteers has shown that molecular changes to our genes, known as epigenetic marks, are driven mainly by aging but are also affected by what we eat. The study showed that whilst age had the biggest effects on these molecular changes, selenium and vitamin D status reduced their accumulation, and high blood folate and obesity increased them. These findings support the idea that healthy aging is affected by what we eat.

Biochemists trap a chaperone machine in action Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Molecular chaperones have emerged as exciting new potential drug targets, because scientists want to learn how to stop cancer cells, for example, from using chaperones to enable their uncontrolled growth. Now biochemists have deciphered key steps in the mechanism of the Hsp70 molecular machine by "trapping" this chaperone in action, providing a dynamic snapshot of its mechanism.

Scientists identify molecules in the ear that convert sound into brain signals Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Scientists have identified a critical component of the ear-to-brain conversion -- a protein called TMHS. This protein is a component of the so-called mechanotransduction channels in the ear, which convert the signals from mechanical sound waves into electrical impulses transmitted to the nervous system.

European Romani exodus began 1,500 years ago, DNA evidence shows Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Despite their modern-day diversity of language, lifestyle, and religion, Europe's widespread Romani population shares a common, if complex, past. It all began in northwestern India about 1,500 years ago, according to a new study that offers the first genome-wide perspective on Romani origins and demographic history.

Protein linking exercise to bigger, stronger muscles discovered; Finding might lead to new therapies for muscle-wasting diseases Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:17 AM PST Scientists have isolated a previously unknown protein in muscles that spurs their growth and increased power following resistance exercise. They suggest that artificially raising the protein's levels might someday help prevent muscle loss caused by cancer, prolonged inactivity in hospital patients, and aging.

Molecule critical to nerve cells increases drammatically during hypertension Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:47 AM PST Researchers have made an important connection between a molecule critical to nerve cells and high blood pressure. Production of the molecule Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor appears to increase dramatically in blood pressure-sensing nerve cells during hypertension. The study may someday have implications for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States.

Bisphenol A: BPA additive blocks cell function Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:43 AM PST Bisphenol A, a substance found in many synthetic products, is considered to be harmful, particularly, for fetuses and babies. Researchers have now shown in experiments on cells from human and mouse tissue that this environmental chemical blocks calcium channels in cell membranes. Similar effects are elicited by drugs used to treat high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia.

'Sticky' stomach flu virus stands up to typical restaurant dishwashing measures Posted: 05 Dec 2012 04:58 PM PST Restaurant dishes and silverware may be an overlooked place where people can catch stomach viruses. While the current industry guidelines for cleaning dishware used in public settings are effective at neutralizing bacteria, researchers found that they appear to fall short of eliminating norovirus - the leading cause of epidemic gastroenteritis and the major cause of foodborne illness worldwide, responsible for at least 50% of all gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States.

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