ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Treatment restores sociability in autism mouse model
• Many of the smallest babies in California not referred for follow-up care, study finds
• First major analysis of Human Protein Atlas is published
• Reducing Myc gene activity extends healthy lifespan in mice
• Strong association between menopausal symptoms, bone health
• New research could give alternatives for children's eye exams
• Blame it on your brain: Salt and hypertension
• Trust your gut: E. coli may hold one of the keys to treating Parkinson's
• Viruses may play unexpected role in inflammatory bowel diseases
• Enzymes believed to promote cancer actually suppress tumors
• Research probes molecular basis of rare genetic disorder
• Head and neck cancers in young adults are more likely to be a result of inherited factors
• Patient older age not an issue in revision cochlear implantation
• New treatments haven't lowered anesthesia risks for children with pulmonary hypertension
• Concern over skin whitener marketing
• Transoral fundoplication is an effective treatment for patients with GERD
• New animal models faithfully reproduce human tumors
• Noisy data facilitates researcher's investigation of breast cancer gene expression
• Why protein mutations lead to familial form of Parkinson's disease
• Major discovery on spinal injury reveals unknown immune response
• Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station
• Study detailing axonal death pathway may provide drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases
• Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of a rare brain tumor, study finds
• Major study links gene to drug resistance in testicular cancer
• 83% of teenagers fall victim to some kind of violence during their lives: Spanish study
• Gold 'nano-drills' help with DNA analysis
• Key factor discovered in formation of metastases in melanoma
• Antibiotic Use by Travelers May Add to Global Spread of Superbugs
• Scientists find gene vital to central nervous system development
• New regulations proposed for off-label uses of drugs, devices
• Sleep tight and stay bright? Invest now, researcher says

Treatment restores sociability in autism mouse model Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:48 PM PST Researchers have treated mice that mimic human autism with a neuropeptide called oxytocin, and have found that it restores normal social behavior. In addition, the findings suggest that giving oxytocin as early as possible in the animal's life leads to more lasting effects in adults and adolescents.

Many of the smallest babies in California not referred for follow-up care, study finds Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:54 AM PST The tiniest babies need special follow-up care when they go home from the hospital after birth. But, of the thousands of very-low-birth-weight babies born in California during 2010 and 2011, 20 percent were not referred to the state's high-risk infant follow-up program, according to a new study.

First major analysis of Human Protein Atlas is published Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:54 AM PST The first major analysis based on the Human Protein Atlas has been published, including a detailed picture of the proteins that are linked to cancer, the number of proteins present in the bloodstream, and the targets for all approved drugs on the market.

Reducing Myc gene activity extends healthy lifespan in mice Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:31 AM PST Mice with one rather than the normal two copies of the gene Myc (also found in humans) lived 15 percent longer and had considerably healthier lives than normal mice, according to a new Brown University-led study in Cell.

Strong association between menopausal symptoms, bone health Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:28 AM PST Women who experience moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats during menopause tend to have lower bone mineral density and higher rates of hip fracture than peers with no menopausal symptoms, a new study finds.

New research could give alternatives for children's eye exams Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST It's very difficult to understand the retinal structure of children because they are known to be uncooperative during eye examinations designed for adults. New explores a new non-invasive technology that's kind of like a handheld CT scanner for the eye.

Blame it on your brain: Salt and hypertension Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST Excessive salt intake "reprograms" the brain, interfering with a natural safety mechanism that normally prevents the body's arterial blood pressure from rising, researchers have discovered.

Trust your gut: E. coli may hold one of the keys to treating Parkinson's Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST E. coli usually brings to mind food poisoning and beach closures, but researchers recently discovered a protein in E. coli that inhibits the accumulation of potentially toxic amyloids—a hallmark of diseases such as Parkinson's, scientists say.

Viruses may play unexpected role in inflammatory bowel diseases Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST Inflammatory bowel diseases are associated with a decrease in the diversity of bacteria in the gut, but a new study has linked the same illnesses to an increase in the diversity of viruses.

Enzymes believed to promote cancer actually suppress tumors Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST Upending decades-old dogma, a team of scientists say enzymes long categorized as promoting cancer are, in fact, tumor suppressors and that current clinical efforts to develop inhibitor-based drugs should instead focus on restoring the enzymes' activities.

Research probes molecular basis of rare genetic disorder Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:27 AM PST The mutation and its functional effects that cause the genetic disorder Singleton-Merten Syndrome (SMS) has been described for the first time, by an international research team. SMS is now recognized as an autoimmune disorder.

Head and neck cancers in young adults are more likely to be a result of inherited factors Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:45 AM PST A new study pools data from 25 case-control studies and conducts separate analyses to show that head and neck cancers in young adults are more likely to be as a result of inherited factors, rather than lifestyle factors such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

Patient older age not an issue in revision cochlear implantation Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:45 AM PST Older age of a patient does not appear to be an issue when revision cochlear implantation is warranted because of device failure, according to a report.

New treatments haven't lowered anesthesia risks for children with pulmonary hypertension Posted: 22 Jan 2015 08:44 AM PST Despite effective new treatments for their disease, children with pulmonary hypertension (PHT) are still a high-risk group for serious complications and death related to anesthesia and surgery, reports a study.

Concern over skin whitener marketing Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:36 AM PST A marketing expert has raised concerns over the ethics of the marketing of skin-whitening products, widely available in Australia. The demand for the product is growing, she notes, with more than 60 percent of Indian women reportedly using one of the more than 240 brands of skin lightener available in that country.

Transoral fundoplication is an effective treatment for patients with GERD Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:36 AM PST Transoral fundoplication is an effective treatment for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, especially for patients with persistent regurgitation despite proton pump inhibitor therapy, according to a new study published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

New animal models faithfully reproduce human tumors Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:32 AM PST New animal models that reproduce faithfully the evolution and malignancy of different human tumors have been developed by researchers. This facilitates parallel tumor progression in patients suffering from the disease in an animal laboratory mice in this case; and predict possible relapses and anticipate what will be most effective treatments.

Noisy data facilitates researcher's investigation of breast cancer gene expression Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:26 AM PST Researchers report on the use of denoising autoencoders (DAs) to effectively extract key biological principles from gene expression data and summarize them into constructed features with convenient properties.

Why protein mutations lead to familial form of Parkinson's disease Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST For the first time, researchers have shown why protein mutations lead to the familial form of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is characterized by impairment or deterioration of neurons in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra. In the familial form of the disorder, a set of mutations in ?syn had been identified but what was unknown was the molecular mechanism by which these mutations caused disease.

Major discovery on spinal injury reveals unknown immune response Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST In a discovery that could dramatically affect the treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries, researchers have identified a previously unknown, beneficial immune response that occurs after injury to the central nervous system.

Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST Stem cell researchers are to send rodents into space to test new therapy for prevention of bone loss. The research has enormous translational potential for astronauts in space flight and patients on Earth with osteoporosis or other bone loss problems from disease, illness or trauma.

Study detailing axonal death pathway may provide drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST Axons connect neurons with each other to form the neural networks that underpin the vital functions of perception, motility, cognition, and memory. In many neurodegenerative disorders, from traumatic injury or toxic damage to diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, axonal degeneration represents an essential pathological feature.

Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of a rare brain tumor, study finds Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:48 AM PST Taking a hormonal contraceptive for at least five years is associated with a possible increase in a young woman's risk of developing a rare tumor, glioma of the brain, according to a new study of women aged 15-49 years.

Major study links gene to drug resistance in testicular cancer Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:48 AM PST A major research study has uncovered several new genetic mutations that could drive testicular cancer -- and also identified a gene which may contribute to tumors becoming resistant to current treatments.

83% of teenagers fall victim to some kind of violence during their lives: Spanish study Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Childhood is one of the stages of life with the greatest risk of suffering violence, despite the greater social awareness and more specialized training of professionals. A study looking into over a thousand Spanish teenagers concludes that 83% of them claim to have fallen victim to at least one form of violence over the course of their lives.

Gold 'nano-drills' help with DNA analysis Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Spherical gold particles are able to 'drill' a nano-diameter tunnel in ceramic material when heated. This is an easy and attractive way to equip chips with nanopores for DNA analysis, for example, nanotechnologists report.

Key factor discovered in formation of metastases in melanoma Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:45 AM PST Melanoma, the most aggressive of all skin cancer strains, is often fatal for patients due to the pronounced formation of metastases. Until now, a melanoma's rampant growth was mainly attributed to genetic causes, such as mutations in certain genes. However, researchers now reveal that so-called epigenetic factors play a role in the formation of metastases in malignant skin cancer. This opens up new possibilities for future cancer treatments.

Antibiotic Use by Travelers May Add to Global Spread of Superbugs Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:43 AM PST Taking antibiotics for diarrhea may put travelers visiting developing parts of the world at higher risk for contracting superbugs and spreading these daunting drug-resistant bacteria to their home countries, according to a new study. The study authors call for greater caution in using antibiotics for travelers' diarrhea, except in severe cases, as part of broader efforts to fight the growing public health crisis of antibiotic resistance and the spread of highly resistant bacteria worldwide.

Scientists find gene vital to central nervous system development Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST A gene that helps regulate how well nerves of the central nervous system are insulated has been identified by researchers. Healthy insulation is vital for the speedy propagation of nerve cell signals. The finding, in zebrafish and mice, may have implications for human diseases like multiple sclerosis, in which this insulation is lost.

New regulations proposed for off-label uses of drugs, devices Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST Researchers have proposed a system for off-label drug prescriptions combining reporting, testing and enforcement regulations, and allowing interim periods of off-label use. This would give patients more treatment options while providing regulators with evidence of the drugs' safety and efficacy.

Sleep tight and stay bright? Invest now, researcher says Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST Sound sleep in young and middle-aged people helps memory and learning, but as they hit their seventh, eighth and ninth decades — and generally don't sleep as much or as well — sleep is not linked so much to memory, a researcher says.

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