ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Hearing loss from loud blasts may be treatable
• Brain differences seen in depressed preschoolers
• It's about time: Disrupted internal clocks play role in disease
• Biomedical research revealing secrets of cell behavior
• Removing nerves connecting kidney to the brain shown to reduce high blood pressure
• Controlling blood pressure, cholesterol may significantly cut heart disease risk
• A tick's spit leads to an entire lesson in blood clotting
• Vitamin C helps control gene activity in stem cells
• Promising target found in treating deadly brain cancer
• Mixed results for acupuncture to improve in vitro fertilization rates
• Altitude sickness may hinder ethnic integration in the world's highest places
• Placental cells may prevent viruses from passing from mother to baby
• Protein essential for cognition and mental health identified
• Inactivation of taste genes causes male sterility
• Pregnancy as window to future health
• Nerve cells can work in different ways with same result
• Lack of immune cell receptor impairs clearance of amyloid beta protein from the brain
• Getting kids to eat their veggies: A new approach to an age-old problem
• Inner-city women's health issues to childhood traumas
• New way discovered to block inflammation
• Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by multiple generations
• Scientists show how DHA resolves inflammation
• Breakthrough discovery into the regulation of a key cancer drug target
• How the body aids and abets the spread of cancer
• New regulatory autism gene discovered
• Too much of a good thing? Too many 'healing' cells delay wound healing
• A calculator to estimate the likelihood of antidepressant response
• Discovery sheds light on why Alzheimer's drugs rarely help
• Biochemical role of crucial TonB protein in bacterial iron transport and pathogenesis
• Transformational leadership has positive effects on employee well-being
• Aging stereotypes can hurt older adults' memory
• Long-term cannabis use may blunt the brain's motivation system
• New treatment for schizophrenia?
• DNA particles in the blood may help speed detection of coronary artery disease
• Can watching an avatar translate to real-life weight loss?
• Shut down of cell survival process found to influence fate of lung cancer tumors
• Observing live gene expression in the body
• Tobacco control policies stop people from smoking and save lives, study finds

Hearing loss from loud blasts may be treatable Posted: 01 Jul 2013 02:21 PM PDT Long-term hearing loss from loud explosions, such as blasts from roadside bombs, may not be as irreversible as previously thought, according to a new study.

Brain differences seen in depressed preschoolers Posted: 01 Jul 2013 02:20 PM PDT A key brain structure that regulates emotions works differently in preschoolers with depression compared with their healthy peers, according to new research.

It's about time: Disrupted internal clocks play role in disease Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:39 PM PDT Researchers have a possible explanation why some alcoholics develop liver disease: Disrupted circadian rhythms can push those vulnerable over the edge to disease. Mice whose internal clocks were out of sync with the light-dark cycle and mice with circadian disruption from a faulty gene were fed diets without and with alcohol. The results showed circadian rhythm disruption and alcohol is a destructive double hit that can lead to alcoholic liver disease.

Biomedical research revealing secrets of cell behavior Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:38 PM PDT Scientists are using mathematical modeling and synthetic biology techniques to gain a closer look at what determines transitions of the body's cells from one state to another. For example how particular cells combine to produce multi-cellular organisms. A deeper comprehension of what drives this transformational process could reveal ways to bioengineering cells and gene networks that could fight diseases.

Removing nerves connecting kidney to the brain shown to reduce high blood pressure Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:38 PM PDT A new technique that involves removing the nerves connecting the kidney to the brain has shown to significantly reduce blood pressure and help lower the risk of stroke, heart and renal disease in patients.

Controlling blood pressure, cholesterol may significantly cut heart disease risk Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:38 PM PDT Controlling both your high blood pressure and high cholesterol may cut your risk for heart disease by half or more. Fewer than one in three patients had both conditions under control, in a national data review. Minorities, older people and those with diabetes may benefit most from managing both conditions.

A tick's spit leads to an entire lesson in blood clotting Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:38 PM PDT There really is such a thing as tick spit -- that is, the saliva of a tick. And there's something about it that might help fight heart disease and stroke.

Vitamin C helps control gene activity in stem cells Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:37 PM PDT Vitamin C affects whether genes are switched on or off inside mouse stem cells, and may thereby play a previously unknown and fundamental role in helping to guide normal development in mice, humans and other animals.

Promising target found in treating deadly brain cancer Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:37 PM PDT Researchers have identified a promising target for treating glioblastoma, one that appears to avoid many of the obstacles that typically frustrate efforts to develop effective treatments for this deadliest of cancers.

Mixed results for acupuncture to improve in vitro fertilization rates Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:37 PM PDT Acupuncture, when used as a complementary or adjuvant therapy for in vitro fertilization may be beneficial depending on baseline pregnancy rates of a fertility clinic, according to new research.

Altitude sickness may hinder ethnic integration in the world's highest places Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:18 PM PDT Ethnic segregation -- and potential ethnic tension -- in nations straddling the world's steepest terrains may be reinforced by the biological tolerance different peoples have to altitude, according to one of the first studies to examine the effect of elevation on ethnic demographics.

Placental cells may prevent viruses from passing from mother to baby Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:16 PM PDT Cells of the placenta may have a unique ability to prevent viruses from crossing from an expectant mother to her growing baby and can transfer that trait to other kinds of cells. The findings could point to new approaches to combat viral infections.

Protein essential for cognition and mental health identified Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:15 PM PDT The ability to maintain mental representations of ourselves and the world -- the fundamental building block of human cognition -- arises from the firing of highly evolved neuronal circuits, a process that is weakened in schizophrenia. In a new study, researchers pinpoint key molecular actions of proteins that allow the creation of mental representations necessary for higher cognition that are genetically altered in schizophrenia.

Inactivation of taste genes causes male sterility Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:14 PM PDT Scientists report the surprising finding that two proteins involved in oral taste detection also play a crucial role in sperm development. In addition, the human form of one protein is blocked by the lipid-lowering drug clofibrate, perhaps linking this and related compounds to the rising global incidence of human infertility.

Pregnancy as window to future health Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:59 AM PDT The development of complications in pregnancy provides a new window of opportunity for early heart disease risk screening and intervention for women.

Nerve cells can work in different ways with same result Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:58 AM PDT Epilepsy, irregular heartbeats and other conditions caused by malfunctions in the body's nerve cells, also known as neurons, can be difficult to treat. The problem is that one medicine may help some patients but not others. Doctors' ability to predict which drugs will work with individual patients may be influenced by recent University of Missouri research that found seemingly identical neurons can behave the same even though they are built differently under the surface.

Lack of immune cell receptor impairs clearance of amyloid beta protein from the brain Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:58 AM PDT Identification of a protein that appears to play an important role in the immune system's removal of amyloid beta protein from the brain could lead to a new treatment strategy for Alzheimer's disease.

Getting kids to eat their veggies: A new approach to an age-old problem Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:56 AM PDT Every parent has a different strategy for trying to get his or her kid to eat more vegetables, from growing vegetables together as a family to banning treats until the dinner plate is clean. New research suggests that teaching young children an overarching, conceptual framework for nutrition may do the trick.

Inner-city women's health issues to childhood traumas Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:55 AM PDT Researchers have traced chronic health problems of adult inner-city women to traumas from childhood abuse and neglect.

New way discovered to block inflammation Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:55 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a mechanism that triggers chronic inflammation in Alzheimer's, atherosclerosis and type-2 diabetes. The results suggest a common biochemical thread to multiple diseases and point the way to a new class of therapies that could treat chronic inflammation in these non-infectious diseases without crippling the immune system. Alzheimer's, atherosclerosis and type-2 diabetes -- diseases associated with aging and inflammation -- affect more than 100 million Americans.

Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by multiple generations Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:55 AM PDT Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by his children, even if those mutations occurred before conception. These findings show that mutations in the germ-line are present in all cells of the children, including their germ cells. This means that a father's lifestyle may affect the DNA of multiple generations and not just his immediate offspring.

Scientists show how DHA resolves inflammation Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:54 AM PDT Chronic inflammation is a major factor in problems from arthritis to cardiovascular disease, and DHA is known to help. New research in The FASEB Journal, explains why DHA is important in reducing inflammation, and provides an important lead to finding new drugs that will help bring people back to optimal health. Researchers found that macrophages use DHA to produce "maresins," which are the "switch" that turns inflammation off and switches on resolution.

Breakthrough discovery into the regulation of a key cancer drug target Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:54 AM PDT New research offers insights into how the genome is regulated by signalling molecules within human cells.

How the body aids and abets the spread of cancer Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:54 AM PDT The very system that is meant to protect the body from invasion may be a traitor. These new findings reveal that infection-fighting white blood cells play a role in activating cancer cells and facilitating their spread to secondary tumors. This research has significant implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

New regulatory autism gene discovered Posted: 01 Jul 2013 10:50 AM PDT A new study reports that RORA, a novel candidate gene for autism discovered in a 2010 study, regulates a large number of other genes associated with autism.

Too much of a good thing? Too many 'healing' cells delay wound healing Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:08 AM PDT New research shows that wound healing can be delayed because the body produces too many mast cells, which promote healing. Overabundance of these cells causes the overproduction of IL-10, preventing certain white blood cells from reaching the wound. The work may provide better treatments for the elderly with lower extremity skin ulcers, women with upper-extremity wounds following breast cancer surgery, and delayed healing in all skin wounds.

A calculator to estimate the likelihood of antidepressant response Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:07 AM PDT As in any other field of medicine, when a depressed person visits a psychiatrist for treatment of depression, they like to be informed of the odds that they will respond to the medication they are prescribed. Unfortunately, there has been no precise way to predict antidepressant response in individual patients.

Discovery sheds light on why Alzheimer's drugs rarely help Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:06 AM PDT New research reveals that the likely culprit behind Alzheimer's has a different molecular structure than current drugs' target -- perhaps explaining why current medications produce little improvement in patients.

Biochemical role of crucial TonB protein in bacterial iron transport and pathogenesis Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:05 AM PDT Scientists have discovered the role of the membrane protein TonB in bacteria that cause a wide variety of diseases, including typhoid fever, plague, meningitis and dysentery. Results may lead to new and improved human and animal antibiotics.

Transformational leadership has positive effects on employee well-being Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:05 AM PDT A transformational leadership style -- valued for stimulating innovation and worker performance -- is also associated with increased well-being among employees, a new study finds.

Aging stereotypes can hurt older adults' memory Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:11 AM PDT Simply reminding older adults about stereotypes of aging and forgetfulness exacerbates real memory problems, reveals important new research from the USC Davis School of Gerontology. But the study also reveals a easy way to combat the problem.

Long-term cannabis use may blunt the brain's motivation system Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:10 AM PDT Long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to motivation, a study has found.

New treatment for schizophrenia? Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:09 AM PDT Giving a very large dose of famotidine (200 mg daily), sufficient amounts of the drug are able to penetrate the so-called blood-brain barrier to affect the histamine system in the brain.

DNA particles in the blood may help speed detection of coronary artery disease Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:09 AM PDT DNA fragments in your blood may someday help doctors quickly learn if chest pain means you have narrowed heart arteries, according to a new study.

Can watching an avatar translate to real-life weight loss? Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:08 AM PDT An estimated two-thirds of all Americans are overweight or obese and many find it difficult to lose weight and keep it off. They've tried fad diets, exercise programs, diet pills and other methods but the battle continues. Now, a new study suggests that watching an avatar model weight-loss behavior in a virtual community might help some women shed pounds in the real world.

Shut down of cell survival process found to influence fate of lung cancer tumors Posted: 01 Jul 2013 05:08 AM PDT New research suggests that inactivation of an essential gene responsible for the cell survival process known as autophagy can suppress the growth of non-small-cell lung cancer tumors and render them more benign. The findings suggest a possible role for autophagy blockers in the treatment of this type of lung cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of only 30 to 50 percent for early-stage disease.

Observing live gene expression in the body Posted: 30 Jun 2013 07:54 PM PDT Most of our physiological functions fluctuate throughout the day. They are coordinated by a central clock in the brain and by local oscillators, present in virtually every cell. Many molecular gearwheels of this internal clock have just been researched.

Tobacco control policies stop people from smoking and save lives, study finds Posted: 30 Jun 2013 07:54 PM PDT Tobacco control measures put in place in 41 countries between 2007 and 2010 will prevent some 7.4 million premature deaths by 2050, according to a new study.

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