Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Genetic factor predicts success of weight-loss surgery
A genome-wide association study reveals that the amount of weight loss after gastric bypass surgery can be predicted in part by a DNA sequence variation found on chromosome 15. The...
The New Old Age Blog: Does Depression Contribute to Dementia?
A new study adds to evidence of a link between late-life depression and dementia.
Nerve Transfer Can Help Repair Brachial Plexus Injuries, Help Restore Elbow Functions
Results highlight the effective use of nerve transfer in patients suffering from brachial plexus injuries for reconstruction of elbow flexion to help improve their quality of life.
Women who drink before pregnancy less likely to take multivitamins
Researchers have found a link between multivitamin use and alcohol consumption before pregnancy, uncovering a need for education about the importance of vitamin supplementation, particularly among women who drink alcohol...
Estrogen fuels autoimmune liver damage
A new study in mice may help explain why women are more prone than men to a form of liver damage by implicating the female sex hormone estrogen in the...
Targeted screening for C. difficile upon hospital admission could potentially identify most colonized patients
Testing patients with just three risk factors upon hospital admission has potential to identify nearly three out of four asymptomatic carriers of C. difficile, according to a new study.
The right amount of vitamin D for babies: 400 IU daily dose for suggested for infants under one year of age
Vitamin D is crucial to the growth of healthy bones. It is especially important that babies get enough of it during the first twelve months of their lives when their...
Zebrafish study suggests that vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is an antidote to cyanide poisoning
With the remains of a recent lottery winner having been exhumed for foul play related to cyanide poisoning, future winners might wonder how they can avoid the same fate. A...
Synthetic derivatives of THC may weaken HIV-1 infection to enhance antiviral therapies
A new research report shows that compounds that stimulate the cannabinoid type 2 receptor in white blood cells, specifically macrophages, appear to weaken HIV-1 infection.
Researchers pinpoint upper safe limit of vitamin D blood levels, study suggests
Researchers claim to have calculated, for the first time, the upper safe limit of vitamin D levels, above which the associated risk for cardiovascular events or death raises significantly, according...
‘Catastrophic’ malpractice payouts add little to health care’s rising costs
Efforts to lower health care costs in the United States have focused at times on demands to reform the medical malpractice system, with some researchers asserting that large, headline-grabbing and...
T cells rely on 'rheostat' to help ensure that the immune response matches the threat
A properly functioning immune system is a lesson in balance, providing protection against disease without attacking healthy tissue. Scientists have identified a mechanism that helps T cells find that sweet...
Scientists find mutation driving pediatric brain tumors
A type of low-grade but sometimes lethal brain tumor in children has been found in many cases to contain an unusual mutation that may help to classify, diagnose and guide...
Zinc: The Goldilocks metal for bioabsorbable stents?
Stents can be lifesavers, propping open blood vessels to allow for healthy blood flow. But the longer a stent is in the body, the greater the risk of side effects...
AERA issues report on prevention of bullying in schools and colleges
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) today issued a new report titled Prevention of Bullying in Schools, Colleges, and Universities: Research Report and Recommendations. The report results from the work...
Electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce viral food poisoning
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in six Americans gets food poisoning each year. Additionally, virus infection risks from consumption of raw oysters in the U.S. are...
To Keep Surfaces Bacteria-Free, Add Selenium
Nanoparticles can prevent bacteria growth on medical equipment.
Discovery helps explain how children develop rare, fatal disease
Biochemistry researchers have published conclusive scientific evidence that the gene ATP7A is essential for the dietary absorption of the nutrient copper. Their work with laboratory mice also provides a greater...
Firearms Research: The Gun Fighter
With his crisp blue suit and wire-framed spectacles, Garen Wintemute hardly looked frightening as he stepped to the podium last month to address a conference on pediatric emergency medicine in...
The New Old Age Blog: The Long Wait for Wage Protections
Sixteen months ago, President Obama promised to end the exclusion of home health aides from the Fair Labor Standards Act, which guarantees minimum wage and overtime to workers. The aides...
The price of women’s immigration
After it was over, the nightmares came: the sound of the thundering train, and the threat of gangs — including Los Zetas, Mexico’s most infamous cartel — that loomed at every turn....
How some cancers 'poison the soil' to block metastasis
Cancer spread or metastasis can strike unprecedented fear in the minds of cancer patients. The "seed and the soil" hypothesis proposed by Stephen Paget in 1889 is now widely accepted...
Secondhand smoke presents greater threat to teen girls than boys
When teenage girls are exposed to secondhand smoke at home, they tend to have lower levels of the "good" form of cholesterol that reduces heart disease risk, according to a...
Apple, Samsung damages do-over trial set for November
Judge presiding over the case orders a new trial to decide whether $450.5 million of damages awarded to Apple will stand
Mild iodine deficiency in womb associated with lower scores on children's literacy tests
Children who did not receive enough iodine in the womb performed worse on literacy tests as 9-year-olds than their peers, according to a recent study.
Alabama mother shot, killed with infant son in her arms
Police in Alabama are searching for a gunman who shot and killed a young mother while she was holding her 10-day old son, authorities said.Sheri Williams, 24, was standing in...
Scientists develop vaccine against cattle disease
(Phys.org) —Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a disease that is almost always fatal in cattle. Cows contract MCF after coming into contact with wildebeest carrying a form of herpes virus...
Chemicals from Personal Care Products Pervasive in Chicago Air
On the brink of federal regulatory review, chemicals in deodorants, lotions and conditioners are showing up in Chicago’s air at levels that scientists call alarming. [More]