Daily Health News

New Test Can Detect Both Genetic And Chromosomal Abnormalities In Embryos

One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis. The technique, known as genomewide karyomapping, was capable of not only detecting diseases caused by a specific gene mutation, in this case cystic fibrosis, but that it was also capable of detecting aneuploidy (an abnormal number of any of the 23 pairs of chromosomes) at the same

New Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles Discovered

Physicists and astronomers have developed a new synthesis method, which has led them to the discovery of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles, and may ultimately help track the uptake of drugs by the body's

Fighting TB Might Be A Matter Of 'Flipping A Switch' In Immune Response

Scientists are focusing on a new concept in fighting airborne pathogens by manipulating what is called the "switching time," the point at which a highly regulated immune response gives way to powerful cells that specialize in fighting a specific invading bug. In the case of tuberculosis, researchers are using mathematical modeling to determine whether a change to the natural switching time would result in a more effective immune

Breakthrough In Development Of Tiny Biological Fuel Cells

Researchers have developed a successful way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges, a first step in developing biological fuel cells that could power pacemakers, cochlear implants and prosthetic

Brain Plasticity: Changes And Resets In Homeostasis

Researchers have found that synaptic plasticity, long implicated as a device for "change" in the brain, may also be essential for

Orange Juice Worse For Teeth Than Whitening Agents, Study Finds

Researchers have determined that the effects of 6 percent hydrogen peroxide, the common ingredient in professional and over-the-counter whitening products, are insignificant compared to acidic fruit juices. Orange juice markedly decreased hardness and increased roughness of tooth

Tumor-suppressor Recruits Help To Overcome A Barrier And Fix Cancer-causing Defects

Like a mechanic popping the hood of a car to get at a faulty engine, a tumor-suppressing protein allows cellular repair mechanisms to pounce on damaged DNA by overcoming a barrier to DNA

Risky Business: Stressed Men, But Not Stressed Women, More Likely To Gamble And Takes Risks

Stressed out, dude? Don't go to Vegas. New research shows that men under stress may be more likely to take risks, correlating to such real-life behavior as gambling, smoking, unsafe sex and illegal drug

Peptic Ulcer Bacterium Alters The Body's Defense System

Helicobacter pylori survives in the body by manipulating important immune system cells. The discovery may lead to new treatments against the common peptic ulcer

X-rays For Early Alzheimer's Disease Detection

Researchers have demonstrated a new, highly detailed x-ray imaging technique that could be developed into a method for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The technique has previously been used to look at tumors in breast tissue and cartilage in human knee and ankle joints, but this study is the first to test its ability to visualize a class of minuscule plaques that are a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's

Eye-tracking Software Opens Online Worlds To People With Disabilities

Technology that allows gamers to control game functions with only their eyes is helping to open virtual worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft to people with severe motor disabilities. For people suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease (MND) or so-called locked-in syndromes, being able to move around and interact in a virtual environment is a “truly liberating experience,” says a computer scientist who helped develop the

Scientific System Accurately Predicts Spread Of H1N1

A new scientific system designed to rapidly evaluate the world's air traffic patterns, accurately predicted how the H1N1 virus would spread around the

Roux-en-Y Weight Loss Surgery Raises Kidney Stone Risk, Study Suggests

The most popular type of gastric bypass surgery appears to nearly double the chance that a patient will develop kidney stones, despite earlier assumptions that it would not. The overall risk, however, remains fairly small at about 8

Daily Sex Helps Reduce Sperm DNA Damage And Improve Fertility

Daily sex (or ejaculating daily) for seven days improves men’s sperm quality by reducing the amount of DNA damage, according to a new study. Until now there has been no evidence-based consensus amongst fertility specialists as to whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner, either spontaneously or via assisted

Complications Early In Pregnancy Or In Previous Pregnancies Adversely Affect Existing Or Subsequent Pregnancies

Complications in early pregnancy or in previous pregnancies can predict the likelihood of further problems in current or subsequent pregnancies, according to new research. The findings will help clinicians to predict more easily which women might need greater care and supervision during pregnancy, as well as enabling new research to improve clinical management of such high risk

Enzyme Doesn't Act Alone In Atrial Fibrillation

An overactive enzyme is behind a leaky calcium channel that plays a role in the development of atrial fibrillation, which is the most common cardiac arrhythmia that is responsible for a third of all strokes. However, it doesn't act alone, say

Seasonal Hunger Devastating And Under-recognized

Most of the world's acute hunger and undernutrition occurs not in conflicts and natural disasters but in the annual "hunger season," according to a new article. The hunger season is the time of year when the previous year's harvest stocks have dwindled, food prices are high and jobs are scarce, and is often

Mouse Model Of Parkinson's Reproduces Nonmotor Symptoms

Nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's include digestive and sleep problems, loss of sense of smell and depression. A mouse with a mutation in a gene responsible for packaging neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine reproduces the major non-motor symptoms as well as motor symptoms. The finding sheds light on nonmotor symptoms' causes and their relationship with the neurodegeneration seen in

New Take On Growth Factor Signaling In Tamoxifen Resistance

Differences in growth factor (GF) signaling may cause the poor prognosis in some breast cancer cases. A new study suggests that some estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers respond poorly to tamoxifen because of increased GF

What Is The Risk Of Obesity While Taking Antidepressant Drugs?

Major depressive episode (MDE) does not appear to increase the risk of obesity. The cross-sectional associations that have been reported in this study, albeit inconsistently, in the literature probably represent an effect of obesity on MDE risk. Pharmacologic treatment with antidepressants may be associated with an increased risk of obesity, and strategies to offset this risk may be useful in clinical

Health Benefits Of Molecule Associated With Male Sexual Arousal Examined

A new study examines how molecules producing erections may change the way we think and

Carb Synthesis Sheds Light On Promising Tuberculosis Drug Target

A fundamental question about how sugar units are strung together into long carbohydrate chains has also pinpointed a promising way to target new medicines against

Music May Have A Future Role In Heart And Stroke Patient Rehabilitation

Researchers find evidence that music can synchronize with and influence the cardiovascular system. Crescendos in music narrowed blood vessels on the skin, and increased blood pressure and heart rate. Results explain how music can influence the cardiovascular system, and provide a rationale for using music as therapeutic tool for blood pressure, rehabilitation and

Magic Ingredient In Breast Milk Protects Babies' Intestines

Scientists have discovered that an ingredient in human breast milk protects and repairs the delicate intestines of newborn babies. The ingredient called pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor, or PSTI, is found at its highest levels in colostrum -- the milk produced in the first few days after birth. The new study highlights the importance of breastfeeding in the first few days after the

Can A New Implant Coating Technique Create A New Six Million Dollar Man?

Scientists have developed an electrochemical process for coating metal implants which vastly improves their functionality, longevity and integration into the

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