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5-Jul-2016 12:00 PM EDT
Marijuana Use Dampens Brain’s Response to Reward Over Time, Study Finds
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Most people would get a little ‘rush’ out of the idea that they’re about to win some money. In fact, if you could look into their brain at that very moment, you’d see activity in the part of the brain that responds to rewards. But for marijuana users, that rush just isn’t as big – and gets smaller over time, a new study finds. And that may open them up to more risk of addiction.

30-Jun-2016 5:20 PM EDT
Genetically Engineered Mice Suggest New Model for How Alzheimer’s Disease Causes Dementia
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Using a novel, newly developed mouse model that mimics the development of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have been able to determine that a one-two punch of major biological “insults” must occur in the brain to cause the dementia that is the hallmark of the disease

Released: 1-Jul-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Nursing Students Learn Public Health, Zombie Style
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

A course at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), in Bethesda, Md., is teaching students global health care delivery in a unique way that’s sure to be a “thriller.”

Released: 1-Jul-2016 10:05 AM EDT
New Therapy Treats Autoimmune Disease Without Harming Normal Immunity
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

In a study with potentially major implications for the future treatment of autoimmunity and related conditions, scientists have found a way to remove the subset of antibody-making cells that cause an autoimmune disease, without harming the rest of the immune system.

Released: 29-Jun-2016 1:05 PM EDT
New Clues About the Aging Brain's Memory Functions
Umea University

A European study led by Umeå University Professor Lars Nyberg, has shown that the dopamine D2 receptor is linked to the long-term episodic memory, which function often reduces with age and due to dementia. This new insight can contribute to the understanding of why some but not others are affected by memory impairment. The results have been published in the journal PNAS.

Released: 29-Jun-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Allergy-Causing 'Bad Guy' Cells Unexpectedly Prove Life-Saving in C. difficile
University of Virginia Health System

Researchers have identified immune cells vital for protecting us from potentially fatal C. difficile infection. Surprisingly, those cells are often vilified for their role in causing asthma and allergies. But when it comes to C. difficile, they could be the difference in life and death.

23-Jun-2016 9:00 AM EDT
New Technology Could Deliver Drugs to Brain Injuries
Sanford Burnham Prebys

A new study led by scientists at SBP describes a technology that could lead to new therapeutics for traumatic brain injuries. The discovery provides a means of homing drugs or nanoparticles to injured areas of the brain.

24-Jun-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Monkey Study Shows Zika Infection Prolonged in Pregnancy
University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers studying monkeys have shown that one infection with Zika virus protects against future infection, though pregnancy may drastically prolong the time the virus stays in the body.

23-Jun-2016 4:00 PM EDT
Consumption of Omega-3s Linked to Lower Risk of Fatal Heart Disease
Tufts University

A global consortium of researchers banded together to conduct an epidemiological study analyzing specific omega-3 fatty acid biomarkers and heart disease. They found that blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids from seafood and plant-based foods are associated with a lower risk of fatal heart attack.

Released: 27-Jun-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Extensive Scientific Review Finds Benefits of Drinking Coffee Outweigh Risks
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Coffee is enjoyed by millions of people every day and the ‘coffee experience’ has become a staple of our modern life and culture. While the current body of research related to the effects of coffee consumption on human health has been contradictory, a study in the June issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, which is published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), found that the potential benefits of moderate coffee drinking outweigh the risks in adult consumers for the majority of major health outcomes considered.

   
23-Jun-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Heading to the Hospital? Even with Insurance, It May Cost You $1,000 or More, New Study Finds
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Even if you have what you might think of as good health insurance, your next hospital stay could cost you more than $1,000 out of your own pocket. And that amount has gone up sharply in recent years – a rise of more than 37 percent just for straightforward hospital stays for common conditions.

Released: 24-Jun-2016 5:05 PM EDT
Health Tips for Traveling Abroad with Kids
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Before your family heads to Mexico, Asia or beyond, do a little planning ahead of time to keep everyone healthy during their journey. Dr. Nava Yeganeh, an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases and director of the Pediatric International Travel and Adoption Clinic at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, explains three important strategies.

Released: 24-Jun-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Primary Care Visits Result in More Colon Cancer Screening, Better Followups
UT Southwestern Medical Center

People who visit their primary care physicians are more likely to get potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings and follow up on abnormal stool blood test results – even in health systems that heavily promote mail-in home stool blood tests that don’t require a doctor visit, a study involving UT Southwestern population health researchers shows.

Released: 22-Jun-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Australia 20 Years After Gun Reform -- No Mass Shootings, Declining Firearm Deaths
University of Sydney

Since gun law reform and the Firearms Buyback program 20 years ago, Australia has seen an accelerating decline in intentional firearm deaths and an absence of fatal mass shootings, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports today in a landmark study.

22-Jun-2016 8:00 AM EDT
Memory Loss Caused by West Nile Virus Explained
Washington University in St. Louis

Many West Nile encephalitis survivors suffer long-term neurological problems such as memory loss. New research from Washington University School of Medicine shows that the patients’ own immune systems may have destroyed parts of their neurons, and that intervening in the immune response may help.

14-Jun-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Microbiota Affect the Rate of Transplant Acceptance and Rejection
University of Chicago Medical Center

Researchers from the University of Chicago have shown that microbiota—the bacteria, viruses and other microbes living on the skin and in the digestive system—play an important role in the body’s ability to accept transplanted skin and other organs.

Released: 20-Jun-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Amid Terrorism Fears, Promising Leads in Hunt for Radiation Antidote
University of Virginia Health System

Researchers have identified promising drugs that could lead to the first antidote for radiation exposure that might result from a dirty bomb terror attack or a nuclear accident such as Chernobyl.

Released: 20-Jun-2016 9:00 AM EDT
High Blood Sugar Could Mean Lower Risk of One Type of Brain Tumor
Ohio State University

In a surprising twist, benign brain tumors that have previously been tied to obesity and diabetes are less likely to emerge in those with high blood sugar, new research has found.

Released: 17-Jun-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Rapid Medicaid Expansion in Michigan Didn’t Reduce Access to Primary Care
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Despite predictions that expanding Medicaid would crowd doctor’s offices with new patients, and crowd out patients with other kinds of insurance, a new University of Michigan study finds no evidence of that effect.

Released: 15-Jun-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Piping Hot Drinks May Lead to Cancer of the Esophagus
University of Southern California (USC)

Drinking piping hot coffee, tea and the caffeine-infused beverage yerba mate probably causes cancer, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday.

Released: 15-Jun-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Antidepressive Treatment During Pregnancy Can Affect Newborn Brain Activity
University of Helsinki

According a new study, fetal exposure to commonly used SRI drugs may affect brain activity in newborns. The researchers suggest that the effects of drugs on fetal brain function should be assessed more carefully, Indications for preventive medication should be critically evaluated, and non-pharmacological interventions should be the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety during pregnancy.

9-Jun-2016 4:30 PM EDT
Diabetes Drug Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Complications, Kidney Disease
University of North Carolina Health Care System

According to data from the large, multinational LEADER clinical trial, the glucose-lowering drug liraglutide safely and effectively decreases the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death, kidney disease, and death from all causes for people with type 2 diabetes.

10-Jun-2016 1:00 PM EDT
Botox’s Sweet Tooth Underlies Its Key Neuron-Targeting Mechanism
University of California, Irvine

The Botox toxin has a sweet tooth, and it’s this craving for sugars – glycans, to be exact – that underlies its extreme ability target neuron cells in the body … while giving researchers an approach to neutralize it.

Released: 13-Jun-2016 9:00 AM EDT
From Nanotechnology, A Better Prognostic Tool For Brain Cancer
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

A new nano-fabricated platform for observing brain cancer cells provides a much more detailed look at how the cells migrate and a more accurate post-surgery prognosis for brain cancer (glioblastoma) patients.

6-Jun-2016 10:00 AM EDT
Study Sets Standards for Evaluating Pluripotent Stem Cell Quality
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

As the promise of using regenerative stem cell therapies draws closer, a consortium of biomedical scientists reports about 30 percent of induced pluripotent stem cells they analyzed from 10 research institutions were genetically unstable and not safe for clinical use. In a study published June 9 by the journal Stem Cell Reports, the multi-institutional research team reports on the comprehensive characterization of a large set of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Released: 9-Jun-2016 11:05 AM EDT
A New Way for Prevention of Pathogenic Protein Misfolding
Aarhus University

Incorrectly folded proteins can cause a variety of diseases. Danish researchers have found a solution for preventing this misfolding.

8-Jun-2016 10:00 AM EDT
Concussion Outcome Predicted Using Advanced Imaging
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Researchers, led by Michael Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, using an advanced imaging technique, have been able to predict which patients who’d recently suffered concussions were likely to fully recover.

7-Jun-2016 10:55 PM EDT
Yuck Factor May Boost Hand Hygiene Compliance
Henry Ford Health

The yuck factor may be an effective tool for boosting hand hygiene compliance among health care workers, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Infection Prevention and Control specialists observed that showing magnified images of bacteria found on things common in the health care environment like a mouse pad or work station, even a person’s hand, swayed workers in four patient care units to do a better job of cleaning their hands. Compliance rates improved on average by nearly 24 percent.

6-Jun-2016 5:00 AM EDT
A Disturbing Number of Teens Show Evidence of Early Hearing Damage, Prompting a Warning From Tinnitus Researchers
McMaster University

New research into the ringing-ear condition known as tinnitus indicates an alarming level of early, permanent hearing damage in young people who are exposed to loud music, prompting a warning from a leading Canadian researcher in the field.

1-Jun-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Almost All Food and Beverage Products Marketed by Music Stars Are Unhealthy, According to New Study
NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone researchers publish first study to quantify nutritional quality of food and drinks endorsed by music celebrities popular among teens.

Released: 3-Jun-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Scientists Find Genetic Cause of Multiple Sclerosis
University of British Columbia

Scientists at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health have proven that multiple sclerosis (MS) can be caused by a single genetic mutation – a rare alteration in DNA that makes it very likely a person will develop the more devastating form of the neurological disease.

Released: 2-Jun-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Room for Improvement in End-of-Life Care, Rethinking Hospital Alarms and more in the Healthcare News Source
Newswise

Get the latest research and features in healthcare, including hospital administration, patient care, and health economics in Newswise's Healthcare News Source.

27-May-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Are Drops in Estrogen Levels More Rapid in Women with Migraine?
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Researchers have long known that sex hormones such as estrogen play a role in migraine. But there’s been little research on how that works. Do women with migraine have higher estrogen levels in general? Higher levels at the peak of the monthly cycle?

Released: 1-Jun-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Shift Work Unwinds Body Clocks, Leading to More Severe Strokes
Texas A&M University

Employees (or shift workers), who punch in for graveyard or rotating shifts, are more prone to numerous health hazards, from heart attacks to obesity, and now, new research, published in Endocrinology, shows shift work may also have serious implications for the brain.

27-May-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Mapping Neural Networks to Strengthen Circadian Rhythms
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

While the evidence behind this age-related weakening of the circadian rhythm has been established in medical literature, the mechanisms behind it, and the connectivity structure of the neurons, have remained elusive. To better understand these neuronal and hormonal mechanisms and help develop potential treatments, researchers have conducted experimental analyses of the SCN’s connections, with the goal of determining its degree of heterogeneity. They discuss their work in this week’s CHAOS.

Released: 31-May-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Researchers Create First 3-D Mathematical Model of Uterine Contractions
Washington University in St. Louis

Although researchers have been seeking the origins of preterm birth for many years, the causes are still relatively unknown. By studying the electrical activity that causes contractions, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and their collaborators have developed a multiscale model they believe may aid in predicting preterm birth.

Released: 27-May-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Researchers Identify Genetic Subtypes Linked to Increased Risk of Ovarian Cancer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Researchers in the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have evaluated the human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a group of genes that help regulate the body’s immune system, for underlying differences in ovarian cancer patients’ response to therapy. The scientists report that women with certain types of HLA may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer and may also respond better to immunotherapy. The research was recently published online ahead of print in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.

24-May-2016 11:45 AM EDT
How Do You Kill a Malaria Parasite? Clog It with Cholesterol
Drexel University

Drexel scientists have discovered an unusual mechanism for how two antimalarial drugs kill Plasmodium parasites. Amidst growing concerns about drug resistance, these findings could help to develop more effective drugs against the disease.

23-May-2016 1:45 PM EDT
Scientists Block Breast Cancer Cells From Hiding in Bones
Duke Health

Scientists at the Duke Cancer Institute have identified a molecular key that breast cancer cells use to invade bone marrow in mice, where they may be protected from chemotherapy or hormonal therapies that could otherwise eradicate them.

25-May-2016 5:00 AM EDT
Zika Virus May Be Linked to More Eye Problems in Brazilian Babies with Microcephaly
American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

Researchers from Brazil and Stanford University report on an ocular case study of three Brazilian infants with microcephaly presumed to be caused by Zika virus. Findings will appear in Ophthalmology, journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Released: 23-May-2016 7:05 PM EDT
Current Screening Methods Miss Worrisome Number of Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment
UC San Diego Health

In a paper published in the current Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System say existing screening tools for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) result in a false-negative error rate of more than 7 percent. These persons are misclassified as not having MCI based on standard screening instruments but actually do have MCI when more extensive testing is conducted.

20-May-2016 11:00 AM EDT
Extreme Preemies Disadvantaged in Employment, Income, Self-Esteem, Marriage and More by Their 30s
McMaster University

Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies who survive are more likely to be disadvantaged in employment, income, self-esteem, marriage and more by the time they reach their 30s. A longitudinal study has followed the ELBW survivors born between 1977 and 1982.

   
19-May-2016 6:00 PM EDT
UCLA Study Identifies How Brain Connects Memories Across Time
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA neuroscientists have identified in mice how the brain links different memories over time. The findings suggest a possible intervention for people suffering from age-related memory problems.

20-May-2016 6:30 PM EDT
Low Salt Diets Not Beneficial: Global Study Finds
McMaster University

A large worldwide study has found that, contrary to popular thought, low-salt diets may not be beneficial and may actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death compared to average salt consumption.

Released: 19-May-2016 3:55 PM EDT
Lab Cell Study Shows That HOXA5 Protein Acts as Tumor Suppressor in Breast Cancer
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Many breast cancers are marked by a lack of HOXA5 protein, a gene product known to control cell differentiation and death, and lower levels of the protein correspond to poorer outcomes for patients. Now, results of a new study by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists suggests a powerful role for the protein in normal breast cells, acting as a tumor suppressor that halts abnormal cell growth.

Released: 17-May-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Racial and Ethnic Differences Found in Psychiatric Diagnoses and Treatment, According to Researchers
Georgia State University

Non-Hispanic blacks are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, but they’re significantly less likely to receive medication for treatment, according to researchers.

Released: 17-May-2016 2:05 PM EDT
No Link Between Eating Dinner After 8 p.m. And Obesity in Children
King's College London

Researchers at King's College London have found no significant link between eating the evening meal after 8pm and excess weight in children, according to a paper published this month in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Released: 17-May-2016 7:05 AM EDT
New Ultrasound Method Increases Awareness About Cancer Cells
Lund University

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States have developed a method to analyse and separate cells from the blood. Ultimately, the method, which goes under the name iso-acoustic focusing, can become significant to measure the efficiency of cancer treatments for individuals.

Released: 16-May-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Exercise, More Than Diet, Key to Preventing Obesity
University of Missouri Health

Two factors—metabolism and gut microbes – have been credited by researchers as key players in the fight against obesity. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether exercise or diet better promotes metabolism and healthy shifts in gut microbes, the microscopic organisms in our intestines that break down food and can contribute to decreased obesity. New research from the University of Missouri confirms exercise plays a significant role in the fight against obesity.

Released: 16-May-2016 8:30 AM EDT
Regular Physical Activity is ‘Magic Bullet’ for Pandemics of Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease
Florida Atlantic University

The statistics on regular physical activity in the U.S. are bleak; only about 20 percent of Americans engage in recommended levels of regular physical activity and about 64 percent never do any physical activity.



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