الجمعة، 20 ديسمبر 2013

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

Ancient cranial surgery: Practice of drilling holes in the cranium that dates back thousands of years

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST

Some might consider drilling a hole in someone's head a form of torture, but in the province of Ahdahuaylas in Peru, ca. AD 100-1250, it was state-of-the-art medical care.

Researchers generate kidney tubular cells from stem cells

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 04:59 PM PST

Investigators have discovered a cocktail of chemicals which, when added to stem cells in a precise order, turns on genes found in kidney cells in the same order that they turn on during embryonic kidney development. The kidney cells continued to behave like kidney cells when transplanted into adult or embryonic mouse kidneys.

Chemists use sugar-based gelators to solidify vegetable oils

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST

Researchers have reported the successful transformation of vegetable oils to a semisolid form using low-calorie sugars as a structuring agent. The findings portend the development of alternatives to structured oil products produced using saturated/trans fatty acids, which have been linked to coronary artery disease, obesity and diabetes.

New ways to promote fitness for urban girls

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST

How African-American girls and women perceive physical fitness are addressed by scholar, with recommendations for new ways to promote fitness.

Black-white infant mortality gap: Large, persistent, unpredictable

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST

The unobservable factors that underpin the infant mortality gap between blacks and whites have persisted for more than 20 years and now appear to play a larger role than the observable factors, according to a new study.

Scientists decode serotonin receptor at room temperature

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:22 AM PST

An international research team has decoded the molecular structure of the medically important serotonin receptor at room temperature for the first time. This study reveals the dynamics of the receptor at close to its operating temperature and thus gives a more realistic picture of its physiological function.

New way to map important drug targets

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:21 AM PST

Researchers have used new techniques and one of the brightest X-ray sources on the planet to map the 3-D structure of an important cellular gatekeeper in a more natural state than possible before.

With sinus study, harmless members of microbiome spark immune reaction

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:44 AM PST

Researchers have found evidence that some chronic sinus issues may be the result of inflammation.

Nutrition influences metabolism through circadian rhythms, study finds

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:44 AM PST

A high-fat diet affects the molecular mechanism controlling the internal body clock that regulates metabolic functions in the liver, scientists have found. Disruption of these circadian rhythms may contribute to metabolic distress ailments, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

DNA clamp to grab cancer before it develops

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:44 AM PST

As part of an international research project, a team of researchers has developed a DNA clamp that can detect mutations at the DNA level with greater efficiency than methods currently in use. Their work could facilitate rapid screening of those diseases that have a genetic basis, such as cancer, and provide new tools for more advanced nanotechnology.

Controlling parasitic worms with genetic selection

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:12 AM PST

Helminths are gastrointestinal parasitic worms that have become a major concern and source of economic loss for sheep producers around the world. A new article reviews current research into a promising alternative to control the disease.

Brain connections may explain why girls mature faster

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:11 AM PST

Scientists have discovered that as the brain re-organizes connections throughout our life, the process begins earlier in girls which may explain why they mature faster during the teenage years.

Congenital heart disease causes hypoglycaemia

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:11 AM PST

In a new study, scientists document a connection between congenital arrhythmia and the bodies' ability to handle sugar. The results can be of vital importance for patients with the disease and for the future treatment of diabetes.

Healthier happy meals

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST

What would happen if a fast-food restaurant reduces the calories in a children's meal by 104 calories, mainly by decreasing the portion size of French fries? Would children compensate by choosing a more calorie dense entrée or beverage? Researchers analyzed transaction data from 30 representative McDonald's restaurants to answer that question.

Mathematical perspective of seasonal variations in Lyme disease transmission

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST

Lyme disease is a common tick-borne illness caused by a bacterium, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. In a paper published, authors propose a reaction-diffusion model to study transmission dynamics of Lyme disease while taking into account seasonality.

Chewing gum is often culprit for migraine headaches in teens

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:09 AM PST

A researcher has found that gum-chewing teenagers, and younger children as well, are giving themselves headaches with this habit. These findings could help treat countless cases of migraine and tension headaches in adolescents without the need for additional testing or medication.

Monthly appointments with pharmacists improve medication adherence

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:09 AM PST

Patients are more likely to take chronic medications when they meet monthly with pharmacists to coordinate medication schedules and treatments, according to a study.

Research linking autism symptoms to gut microbes called 'groundbreaking'

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:07 AM PST

A new study showing that feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria can ameliorate autism-like symptoms is "groundbreaking," according to a commentary piece about the research.

A new -- and reversible -- cause of aging: A naturally produced compound rewinds aspects of age-related demise in mice

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:07 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a cause of aging in mammals involving a series of molecular events that disables communication between the nucleus and mitochondria. By administering a molecule naturally produced by the human body, the communication network was restored in older mice. Subsequent tissue samples showed biological hallmarks comparable to much younger animals.

First cancer operation room with navigator is created

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 09:30 AM PST

A team of researchers have started the first cancer operation room with a navigator. This image-guided system will allow for increased intraoperative radiotherapy safety.

Management of atrial fibrillation still suboptimal in Europe

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 06:34 AM PST

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest cardiac rhythm disorder in Europe, and each of us have a one-in-four lifetime risk of developing it. Statistics show that oral anticoagulant use has increased, but new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use is still low. Authors also concluded that compliance with treatment guidelines for patients with the lowest and higher stroke risk scores remains suboptimal.

Soccer players not running for their money

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 06:34 AM PST

Millions of pounds may be splashed on elite footballers (soccer players) in the English Premier League, but it is those who play in the second and third tier of football who run further on the pitch (field), new research reveals.

Availability of food increases as countries' dependence on food trade grows

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:28 AM PST

Sufficient food is available for increasing numbers of people, but at the same time, the dependence of countries on international trade in foodstuffs has increased considerably in 40 years.  The proportion of the population who get enough food (more than 2,500 calories a day) has nearly doubled to 61 per cent. Those living on a critically low food supply (less than 2,000 calories a day) have shrunk from 51 to three per cent.

Anti-epilepsy drugs can cause inflammation

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:27 AM PST

Physicians have been investigating if established anti-epilepsy drugs have anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory properties – an effect for which these pharmaceutical agents are not usually tested. One of the substances tested caused stronger inflammations, while another one inhibited them. As inflammatory reactions in the brain may be the underlying cause for epileptic disorders, it is vital to take the trigger for the disorder under consideration when selecting drugs for treatment, as the researchers concluded.

Stress reaction gene linked to death, heart attacks

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:25 AM PST

A genetic trait known to make some people especially sensitive to stress also appears to be responsible for a 38 percent increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with heart disease, scientists report.

Awareness of Jolie’s preventive mastectomy not linked to greater knowledge of breast cancer risk

Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:25 AM PST

A new study has found that while three out of four Americans were aware that Angelina Jolie had undergone a preventive double mastectomy, awareness of her story was not associated with an increased understanding of breast cancer risk. The study surveyed more than 2,500 adults nationwide three weeks after Jolie revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she had undergone the surgery because she carried a rare genetic mutation of the BRCA1 gene and had a family history of cancer.

With surgical robot, similar outcomes higher cost

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 02:07 PM PST

In a study of national data on colon surgery, researchers found that while patients who undergo either minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery or the high-tech robotic approach have similar outcomes, robotic surgery is significantly more expensive.

H1N1-triggered narcolepsy may stem from 'molecular mimicry'

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:37 AM PST

In genetically susceptible people, narcolepsy can sometimes be triggered by a similarity between a region of a protein called hypocretin and a portion of a protein from the pandemic H1N1 virus, according to a new study.

Long-acting reversible contraception in the context of full access, full choice

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:37 AM PST

In November 2013 at the International Conference on Family Planning in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Population Council convened the third meeting of international experts to discuss ways to expand contraceptive choice and accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goal of universal access to reproductive health services by increasing access to highly effective, long-acting, reversible contraceptives.

Newly identified immune receptor may activate B cells in autoimmunity

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:37 AM PST

A newly identified immune protein influences each person's response to vaccines and risk for autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. The protein, called a receptor and part of signaling pathways, also provides a new target for personalized therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases.

Researchers identify genetic marker of resistance to key malaria drug

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:37 AM PST

An international team of researchers has discovered a way to identify, at a molecular level, malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites that are resistant to artemisinin, the key drug for treating this disease.

Immune avoidance mechanism could lead to treatments for deadly mosquito-borne viruses

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:36 AM PST

A mosquito-borne virus that kills about half of the people it infects uses a never-before-documented mechanism to "hijack" one of the cellular regulatory systems of its hosts to suppress immunity, according scientists. The discovery could aid in the development of vaccines and treatments for eastern equine encephalitis virus.

Obese children have higher stress hormone levels than normal weight peers

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:35 AM PST

Obese children naturally produce higher levels of a key stress hormone than their normal weight peers, according to new research.

Diet rich in tomatoes may lower breast cancer risk

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:35 AM PST

A tomato-rich diet may help protect at-risk postmenopausal women from breast cancer, according to new research.

Brain area attacked by Alzheimer's links learning, rewards

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:02 AM PST

One of the first areas of the brain to be attacked by Alzheimer's disease, the posterior cingulate cortex, or PCC, has been found to step in during a cognitive challenge to improve the brain's performance. This small study in monkeys establishes a role for the PCC in learning and its connection to the brain's reward system.

Improving pollen forecasting for better quality of life for allergy sufferers

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:02 AM PST

New measurements on the properties and spread of airborne pollen to improve the forecasting of this natural allergen, which affects human health as well as the Earth's temperature, have been published in a new international study.

Is higher dose flu vaccine is more effective for nursing home residents?

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:01 AM PST

This research is evaluating whether a higher dose of flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations and deaths compared with a standard dose of vaccine. Nearly 800 nursing homes have be enrolled and randomized in the American national study.

Vitamin testing in babies using tears

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 10:01 AM PST

There will be no crying involved in a new test for vitamin deficiencies in infants. Instead of drawing blood, health care workers will gently sample a tear.

Kids grasp large numbers remarkably young

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:29 AM PST

Children as young as 3 understand multi-digit numbers more than previously believed and may be ready for more direct math instruction when they enter school, according to new research.

Empowering people with disabilities in the green industries

Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:28 AM PST

People with disabilities represent a talented and creative section of the workforce in most areas of employment. A study suggests that as the so-called "green economy" grows, so education and training opportunities should be tailored to people with disabilities as well as those without.
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