الخميس، 8 أغسطس 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

A complex story behind genes, environment, diabetes and obesity

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 05:50 PM PDT

While it is well known that there is a strong genetic basis to both diabetes and obesity, and that they are linked, researchers say that there are many rare genetic variants involved, which will pose a significant challenge in the quest to develop effective therapies. The study shows that many different defects in overweight or obesity genes are involved, most of which are very rare.

Dementia risk tied to blood sugar level, even with no diabetes

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 05:48 PM PDT

Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia. But now a study has found that higher blood sugar levels are associated with higher dementia risk, even among people who do not have diabetes.

Chocolate may help keep brain healthy

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 05:44 PM PDT

Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp, according to a new study.

Cognitive decline with age is normal, routine, but not inevitable

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 12:53 PM PDT

Research on biochemical processes is making it clear that cognitive decline with age is a natural part of life, and scientists are tracking the problem down to highly specific components of the brain. Virtually everyone loses memory-making and cognitive abilities as they age. But of considerable interest is that it may not have to be that way.

Sudden cardiac arrest survival odds greater at fitness facilities

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 12:53 PM PDT

People experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at exercise facilities have a higher chance of survival than at other indoor locations, likely due to early CPR and access to an automated external defibrillator. The findings underscore the importance of having AEDs in places where people exert themselves and are at greater risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Type 1 diabetes drug strikingly effective in clinical trial

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 12:51 PM PDT

An experimental drug designed to block the advance of type 1 diabetes in its earliest stages has proven strikingly effective over two years in about half of the patients who participated in the phase 2 clinical trial.

Scientists use genome sequencing to demonstrate herbal remedy causes upper urinary tract cancers

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 12:51 PM PDT

Genomic sequencing experts have partnered with pharmacologists to reveal a striking mutational signature of upper urinary tract cancers caused by aristolochic acid, a plant compound contained in herbal remedies used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments such as arthritis, gout and inflammation.

UCSB study reveals that overthinking can be detrimental to human performance

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT

Trying to explain riding a bike is difficult because it is an implicit memory. The body knows what to do, but thinking about the process can often interfere. So why is it that under certain circumstances paying full attention and trying hard can actually impede performance? A new study reveals part of the answer.

Making connections in the eye: Wiring diagram of retinal neurons is first step toward mapping the human brain

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:42 AM PDT

Using a combination of human and artificial intelligence, scientists have mapped all the wiring among 950 neurons within a tiny patch of the mouse retina.

Micro-machines for the human body: Researchers adapt microscopic technology for bionic body parts and other medical devices

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:42 AM PDT

Tiny sensors and motors tell your smartphone screen to rotate and your camera to focus. But now researchers have found a way to print biocompatible components for these micro-machines, making them ideal for use in medical devices like bionic arms.

Children and magnets have a dangerous attraction, end up in the ER

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:42 AM PDT

Cases involving children ingesting magnets quintupled between 2002 and 2011, with ingestion of multiple magnets generally resulting in more serious outcomes, including emergency surgery.

Material in dissolvable sutures could treat brain infections, reducing hospital stays

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:41 AM PDT

A plastic material already used in absorbable surgical sutures and other medical devices shows promise for continuous administration of antibiotics to patients with brain infections. Use of the material, placed directly on the brain's surface, could reduce the need for weeks of costly hospital stays now required for such treatment.

Treadmill training after spinal cord injury promotes recovery when inflammation is controlled

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:41 AM PDT

New research suggests that treadmill training soon after a spinal cord injury can have long-lasting positive effects on recovery, as long as the training is accompanied by efforts to control inflammation in the lower spinal cord.

Scientists find key signal that guides brain development

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:40 AM PDT

Scientists have decoded an important molecular signal that guides the development of a key region of the brain known as the neocortex. The largest and most recently evolved region of the brain, the neocortex is particularly well developed in humans and is responsible for sensory processing, long-term memory, reasoning, complex muscle actions, consciousness and other functions.

NIH, Lacks family reach understanding to share genomic data of HeLa cells

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:40 AM PDT

The National Institutes of Health has reached an understanding with the family of the late Henrietta Lacks to allow biomedical researchers controlled access to the whole genome data of cells derived from her tumor, commonly known as HeLa cells. These cells have already been used extensively in scientific research and have helped make possible some of the most important medical advances of the past 60 years. These include the development of modern vaccines, cancer treatments, in vitro fertilization techniques, and many others. HeLa cells are the most widely used human cell lines in existence today. Access to the whole genome data of these cells will be a valuable reference tool for researchers using HeLa cells in their research.

The brain with all its cells and their connections: Scientists succeed in the complete reconstruction of a piece of retina

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Decoding the essence of being -- understanding the brain and all its connections, that is Connectomics. Scientists have now made an important step in this direction: After analyzing data for four years, aided by about 200 undergraduate students, the scientists created a precise diagram of all nerve cells and their connections in a piece of mouse retina. Although representing only a small fraction of the brain, this diagram already revealed a new cell type and circuit motifs that may help to understand the reactions of certain retinal cells.

Why kids should not be allowed on trampolines

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT

Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr.Teresa Cappello has treated more than 100 kids who have suffered broken arms, broken legs and other trampoline injuries, so she is advising parents to not let their kids use trampolines.

A 'rocking' receptor: Crucial brain-signaling molecule requires coordinated motion to turn on

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT

Full activation of a protein ensemble essential for communication between nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord requires the rocking motion of some of the ensemble's segments. The ensemble is known to be defective in neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's so this insight has important implications.

Why don’t we all get Alzheimer's disease?

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT

Scientists offer an explanation for why we all don't get Alzeimer's disease. Though one might think the brains of people who develop Alzheimer's disease possess building blocks of the disease absent in healthy brains, for most sufferers, this is not true.

Is sous vide cooking safe?

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:59 AM PDT

Scientists have undertaken research to establish if the cooking technique sous vide is safe. Sous vide uses lower temperatures to improve food quality and could be a step closer to being more widely adopted after scientists have ensured that the process is safe.

Gold 'nanoprobes' hold the key to treating killer diseases

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:58 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a technique to help treat fatal diseases more effectively. They are using gold nanoprobes to identify different types of cells, so that they can use the right ones in stem cell therapies.

Endovascular treatment should still be an option for some stroke patients.

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 08:56 AM PDT

Despite recent discouraging results, endovascular treatment is still a "reasonable" treatment option for selected patients with acute stroke,

Breast cancer surgery linked to swollen arm syndrome

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 06:46 AM PDT

Breast cancer survivors who have extensive surgery are four times more likely to develop the debilitating disorder arm lymphoedema.

New role for Tamoxifen in saving high-risk breast cancer patients

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 06:46 AM PDT

New research has revealed women with a strong genetic predisposition to breast cancer who take the cancer prevention tablet Tamoxifen after their first tumor have a substantially reduced risk of developing a new breast cancer.

Diets of pregnant women contain harmful, hidden toxins

Posted: 07 Aug 2013 06:42 AM PDT

Pregnant women regularly consume food and beverages containing toxins believed to pose potential risks to developing fetuses, suggesting that health care providers must do more to counsel their patients about the dangers of hidden toxins in the food supply.

Protein changes are discovered that control whether a gene functions are discovered

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 05:35 PM PDT

Changes to proteins called histones, which are associated with DNA, can control whether or not a gene is allowed to function. The changes may be important in maintaining the genes' "expression potential" so that future cells behave as their parent cells did. The discovery may have implications for the study of diseases such as cancer.

Immune function restored in spinal injured mice

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 05:35 PM PDT

Scientists have shown that is possible to restore immune function in spinal injured mice. People with spinal cord injury often are immune compromised, which makes them more susceptible to infections. Why these people become immune-suppressed is not known, but the study found that a disorder called autonomic dysreflexia can cause immune suppression.

Telephone coaching does not reduce hospital use and related costs

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 05:35 PM PDT

Researchers have found that one-to-one telephone health coaching does not seem to reduce hospital use and related costs for patients with long term conditions, and may even lead to increased use.

Freezing sperm taken directly from testicles is effective option for infertile couples

Posted: 06 Aug 2013 01:59 PM PDT

Frozen sperm taken by biopsy from testicles in men with no sperm in their semen is as effective as fresh sperm taken by biopsy in helping couples conceive through in vitro fertilization, according to a recent study.

Breastfeeding may protect against persistent stuttering

Posted: 05 Aug 2013 10:10 AM PDT

A study of 47 children who began stuttering at an early age found that those who were breastfed in infancy were more likely to recover from stuttering and return to fluent speech.

Escape from poverty helps explain diabetes epidemic in the American South

Posted: 05 Aug 2013 10:10 AM PDT

The strikingly high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the American South can be partially traced to rapid economic growth between 1950 and 1980, new research suggests.

Eating a big breakfast fights obesity and disease

Posted: 05 Aug 2013 10:10 AM PDT

Scientists have found that people who eat their largest daily meal at breakfast are far more likely to lose weight and waist line circumference than those who eat a large dinner. They also had significantly lower levels of insulin, glucose, and triglycerides throughout the day, translating into a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Scientists learn how soy foods protect against colon cancer

Posted: 05 Aug 2013 10:08 AM PDT

Scientists have evidence that lifelong exposure to genistein, a bioactive component in soy foods, protects against colon cancer by repressing a signal that leads to accelerated growth of cells, polyps, and eventually malignant tumors.
مرسلة بواسطة في

ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق

الاشتراك في: تعليقات الرسالة (Atom)