ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Fresh fuel reignites Asperger's debate
• Controlling contagion by restricting mobility: In the face of an epidemic, even moderate travel restrictions would slow contagion
• Increased fluctuation in blood pressure linked to impaired cognitive function in older people
• Cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetics with dangerously low blood sugar levels
• Learning from a virus: Keeping genes under wraps
• Evidence of nerve damage in about half of fibromyalgia patients
• Reprogramming patients' cells offers powerful new tool for studying, treating blood diseases
• New approach to treating venomous snakebites could reduce global fatalities
• Protein surfaces defects act as drug targets
• Combination stroke therapy safe and effective, study suggests
• Exercise may be the best medicine for Alzheimer's disease
• Taxing sugary beverages not a clear cut strategy to reduce obesity
• Second known case of patient developing synesthesia after brain injury
• How to learn successfully even under stress
• Severe low blood sugar occurs often in patients with Type 2 diabetes
• How superbug spreads among regional hospitals: A domino effect
• Inhalable gene therapy may help pulmonary arterial hypertension patients
• Making a change: Status quo bias in health decision making
• A maternal junk food diet alters development of opioid pathway in the offspring
• Fetal 'programming' of sweet taste's elicited pleasure
• Taste preference changes in different life stages of rats
• Stress early in life leads to adulthood anxiety and preference for 'comfort foods'
• Offspring of mothers stressed during pregnancy with a passive stress coping style more prone to obesity
• Psychotherapy via internet as good as if not better than face-to-face consultations
• Requiring some patients to get mental health treatment saves money
• Potent compound kills prostate cancer cells
• Most ward nurses say time pressures force them to 'ration' care
• Glucose intolerance, diabetes or insulin resistance not linked with pathological features of Alzheimer's disease
• New guidelines for exercise in children
• Number one source for new teeth
• Video killed the interview star
• Sharing the wealth with loyal workers
• Topical analgesic may provide pain-free 'skin glue' repair of cuts in children
• Genetics behind debilitating inflammatory disease Takayasu arteritis unraveled
• New coating may help joint replacements bond better with bone
• Unraveling genetic networks

Fresh fuel reignites Asperger's debate Posted: 30 Jul 2013 08:56 PM PDT Children with Asperger's Syndrome have different electroencephalography (EEG) patterns to children with autism, reveals a new study. With distinct neurophysiology, the study pours fresh fuel on the on-going debate about how Asperger's should be classified.

Controlling contagion by restricting mobility: In the face of an epidemic, even moderate travel restrictions would slow contagion Posted: 30 Jul 2013 04:35 PM PDT In an epidemic or a bioterrorist attack, the response of government officials could range from a drastic restriction of mobility -- imposed isolation or total lockdown of a city -- to moderate travel restrictions in some areas or simple suggestions that people remain at home. Deciding to institute any measure would require officials to weigh the costs and benefits of action, but at present there's little data to guide them on the question of how disease spreads through transportation networks. However, a new study comparing contagion rates in two scenarios -- with and without travel restrictions -- shows that even moderate measures of mobility restriction would be effective in controlling contagion in densely populated areas with highly interconnected road and transit networks.

Increased fluctuation in blood pressure linked to impaired cognitive function in older people Posted: 30 Jul 2013 04:35 PM PDT Higher variability in visit-to-visit blood pressure readings, independent of average blood pressure, could be related to impaired cognitive function in old age in those already at high risk of cardiovascular disease, suggests a new article.

Cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetics with dangerously low blood sugar levels Posted: 30 Jul 2013 04:35 PM PDT Type 2 diabetics who have severe hypoglycaemia are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a new article suggests.

Learning from a virus: Keeping genes under wraps Posted: 30 Jul 2013 01:31 PM PDT By studying how the human cytomegalovirus, or CMV, packages its genetic material during infection, researchers have identified potential inroads for new therapies that could one day prevent birth defects and save transplant patients from virus-caused complications.

Evidence of nerve damage in about half of fibromyalgia patients Posted: 30 Jul 2013 01:31 PM PDT About half of a small group of patients with fibromyalgia -- a common syndrome that causes chronic pain and other symptoms -- was found to have damage to nerve fibers in their skin and other evidence of a disease called small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN). Unlike fibromyalgia, SFPN has a clear pathology and is known to be caused by specific medical conditions, some of which can be treated and sometimes cured.

Reprogramming patients' cells offers powerful new tool for studying, treating blood diseases Posted: 30 Jul 2013 12:07 PM PDT First produced only in the past decade, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are capable of developing into many or even all human cell types. Scientists have now reprogrammed skin cells from patients with rare blood disorders into iPSCs, highlighting the great promise of these cells in advancing understanding of those challenging diseases -- and eventually in treating them.

New approach to treating venomous snakebites could reduce global fatalities Posted: 30 Jul 2013 10:26 AM PDT Medical researchers have pioneered a novel approach to treating venomous snakebites -- administering antiparalytics topically via a nasal spray. This needle-free treatment may dramatically reduce the number of global snakebite fatalities.

Protein surfaces defects act as drug targets Posted: 30 Jul 2013 09:34 AM PDT New research shows a physical characterization of the interface of the body's proteins with water. Identifying the locations where it is easiest to remove water from the interface of target proteins could constitute a novel drug design strategy. The candidate drugs would need to be engineered to bind at the site of the protein where interfacial water is most easily dislodged.

Combination stroke therapy safe and effective, study suggests Posted: 30 Jul 2013 09:32 AM PDT The combination of the clot-busting drug tPA with an infusion of the antiplatelet drug eptifibatide dissolves blood clots safely and more quickly than tPA alone, a new study suggests, based on results from the phase-2 clinical trial, known as the CLEAR-ER Stroke Trial.

Exercise may be the best medicine for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 30 Jul 2013 09:32 AM PDT Regular, moderate exercise could improve memory and cognitive function in those at risk for Alzheimer's disease in a way no drug can. Scientists studied the effects of exercise on a group of older adults with mild cognitive impairment and found that brain activity associated with memory, measured by neuroimaging, improved after 12 weeks of a moderate exercise program.

Taxing sugary beverages not a clear cut strategy to reduce obesity Posted: 30 Jul 2013 09:31 AM PDT Taxing sugary beverages may help reduce calories from these beverages in the United States, according to a joint study by researchersTaxing sugary beverages may help reduce calories from these beverages in the United States, but the health benefits may be partially offset as consumers substitute with other unhealthy foods, at RTI International, Duke University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Second known case of patient developing synesthesia after brain injury Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:17 AM PDT A Toronto man is only the second known person to have acquired synesthesia as a result of a brain injury, in this case a stroke. About nine months after suffering a stroke, the patient noticed that words written in a certain shade of blue evoked a strong feeling of disgust. Yellow was only slightly better. Raspberries, which he never used to eat very often, now tasted like blue -- and blue tasted like raspberries.

How to learn successfully even under stress Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:17 AM PDT Whenever we have to acquire new knowledge under stress, the brain deploys unconscious rather than conscious learning processes. Neuroscientists have discovered that this switch from conscious to unconscious learning systems is triggered by the intact function of mineralocorticoid receptors. These receptors are activated by hormones released in response to stress by the adrenal cortex.

Severe low blood sugar occurs often in patients with Type 2 diabetes Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:17 AM PDT Patients with diabetes who take certain types of medications to lower their blood sugar sometimes experience severe low blood sugar levels, whether or not their diabetes is poorly or well controlled, according to a new study. The finding challenges the conventional wisdom that hypoglycemia is primarily a problem among diabetic patients with well-controlled diabetes (who have low average blood sugar levels).

How superbug spreads among regional hospitals: A domino effect Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:16 AM PDT A moderate increase in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at one hospital can lead to a nearly 3 percent increase in VRE in every other hospital in that county, according to a new study.

Inhalable gene therapy may help pulmonary arterial hypertension patients Posted: 30 Jul 2013 07:16 AM PDT The deadly condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which afflicts up to 150,000 Americans each year, may be reversible by using an inhalable gene therapy, report medical researchers.

Making a change: Status quo bias in health decision making Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:15 AM PDT People tend to follow the status quo when making health-related decisions -- even when the status quo is objectively worse, according to a new study.

A maternal junk food diet alters development of opioid pathway in the offspring Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:14 AM PDT New animal research suggests that maternal diet during pregnancy can alter the development of a signalling pathway associated with reward processing in the offspring.

Fetal 'programming' of sweet taste's elicited pleasure Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:14 AM PDT New research finds that adversities during gestation may influence the newborn's pleasure in response to sweet.

Taste preference changes in different life stages of rats Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:14 AM PDT In humans and animals aging decreases dietary and energy requirements and it is generally believed that reduced consumption is related to alterations in taste preference. However, the mechanisms underlying an age-induced shift in taste preference remain unclear. Thus, the researchers investigated differences in fluid intake and taste nerve responses across different age groups of rats.

Stress early in life leads to adulthood anxiety and preference for 'comfort foods' Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:14 AM PDT New research finds that adult rats reared in a stressful neonatal environment demonstrate more anxiety and stress, and they prefer to eat more foods rich in fat and sugar.

Offspring of mothers stressed during pregnancy with a passive stress coping style more prone to obesity Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:13 AM PDT New animal research suggests greater risk for obesity and associated Type 2 diabetes in individuals that respond to stress in a passive manner and were born to mothers that were stressed during their pregnancy.

Psychotherapy via internet as good as if not better than face-to-face consultations Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:12 AM PDT Does psychotherapy via the Internet work? Clinical researchers have studied whether online psychotherapy and conventional face-to-face therapy are equally effective in experiments. Based on earlier studies, researchers assumed that the two forms of therapy were on a par. Not only was their theory confirmed, the results for online therapy even exceeded their expectations.

Requiring some patients to get mental health treatment saves money Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:10 AM PDT Mandating outpatient treatment for certain people with severe mental illness, while controversial, results in substantial cost savings by cutting hospitalizations and increasing outpatient care, according to a financial analysis.

Potent compound kills prostate cancer cells Posted: 30 Jul 2013 06:10 AM PDT SMIP004 holds promise as a novel, much-needed treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Most ward nurses say time pressures force them to 'ration' care Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:18 PM PDT Most ward nurses say they are forced to ration care, and not do or complete certain aspects of it -- including adequate monitoring of patients -- because they don't have enough time.

Glucose intolerance, diabetes or insulin resistance not linked with pathological features of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:17 PM PDT Glucose intolerance or insulin resistance do not appear to be associated with pathological features of Alzheimer disease (AD) or detection of the accumulation of the brain protein β-amyloid (Αβ), according to a new report.

New guidelines for exercise in children Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:14 PM PDT New guidelines highlight the amount of exercise under tens should take to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Sixty to 85 minutes of physical activity is recommended per day, including 20 minutes of vigorous activity, experts report.

Number one source for new teeth Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:14 PM PDT Stem cells derived from urine can be used to generate tooth-like structures, reports a new study. It's thought the technique might one day help researchers grow new, tailor-made teeth for dental patients. That stem cells can be generated from urine is not new; previous studies have shown that cells discarded in human urine can be coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which themselves can generate many different cell types, including neurons and heart muscle cells. But researchers had yet to generate solid organs or tissues from iPSCs – until now.

Video killed the interview star Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT Using video conferencing for job interviews disadvantages both employers and candidates. In simulated job interviews, candidates who were interviewed by video-conferencing were rated lower by interviewers and were less likely to be recommended for hiring. Candidates also rated their interviewers as less attractive, personable, trustworthy and competent.

Sharing the wealth with loyal workers Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT Workers who are loyal to their employers tend to be paid more, according to the first broad-scale study of worker loyalty and earnings.

Topical analgesic may provide pain-free 'skin glue' repair of cuts in children Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT More than 50 percent of children who were given a topical analgesic had no pain during wound repair with "skin glue," according to the new results.

Genetics behind debilitating inflammatory disease Takayasu arteritis unraveled Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered the genetics behind what makes some people susceptible to Takayasu arteritis.

New coating may help joint replacements bond better with bone Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have found that bone cells grow and reproduce faster on a textured surface than they do on a smooth one —- and they grow best when they can cling to a microscopic shag carpet made of tiny metal oxide wires.

Unraveling genetic networks Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:29 AM PDT Now a special issue of the journal CHAOS, produced by AIP Publishing, explores new experimental and theoretical techniques for unraveling genetic networks.

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