Health News

Happier in a crowd? New study may explain why

Date: Nov-17-2013
For many of us, being in a large crowd can be a stressful experience. But for some, this type of environment can make a person feel at their happiest. Now, a new study published in the journal PLOS One suggests reasons behind these different feelings about busy environments.Researchers from the University of Sussex, the University of St. Andrews and the University of Leeds, all in the UK, surveyed participants who attended two crowd events.

Severe depression linked to increased aging process

Date: Nov-17-2013
New research suggests that people suffering from major depressive disorder may age significantly faster, compared with people who do not suffer from depression. This is according to a study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, major depressive disorder (MDD) affects around 14.8 million adults in the US every year, and the disorder is more prevalent in women.

Probiotics may help in the treatment of depression

Date: Nov-17-2013
Probiotics are not new, but their status as a nutritional buzzword is. Most folks have now heard and seen the term countless times in commercials and advertisements, as yogurt, dietary supplement, natural food product, and even cosmetic companies promote their probiotic-containing products.But what are they, and why are they important? Probiotics are live bacteria that help maintain a healthy digestive system.

Consumers unprotected from risky content and messages in magazine alcohol ads

Date: Nov-17-2013
A new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health calls into question whether existing federal and voluntary standards for alcohol advertisements curtail potentially damaging content and protect public health.

Fatal mitochondrial defect treated with FDA approved immune-modulating drug

Date: Nov-17-2013
The transplant anti-rejection drug rapamycin showed unexpected benefits in a mouse model of a fatal defect in the energy powerhouses of cells, the mitochondria. Children with the condition, Leigh syndrome, show progressive brain damage, muscle weakness, lack of coordination or muscle control, and weight loss, and usually succumb to respiratory failure.Leigh syndrome is often diagnosed within the first year of life. Affected children rarely survive beyond 6 or 7 years. At present, the disorder, which can result from several different underlying causes, has no effective treatment.

Lurking for days in cells, anthrax toxin is a lingering threat

Date: Nov-17-2013
The deadly toxin produced by anthrax bacteria can hide out in human cells for days, invisible both to our immune systems and to the cellular machinery responsible for destroying proteins. The findings reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports explain why antibiotics aren't always enough to cure anthrax infections."The anthrax bacteria kills people in a very short period of time, and this is in large part due to the production of the anthrax lethal toxin," said Gisou van der Goot of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

New treatment approaches for patients suffering from frequent bacterial infections

Date: Nov-17-2013
Scientists at A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) have discovered the exact mode of action by plerixafor, a drug commonly prescribed to stimulate immune responses in patients suffering from neutropenia, which causes them to become prone to oral, skin, genital infections and in worst cases, a fatal whole-body infection. A better understanding of the drug's mechanism can improve its usage to more effectively reduce risk of infections in these patients.

Potential for next-generation antibiotics offered by toxin produced by bacteria

Date: Nov-17-2013
The recent rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious public health threat, and there is a need for new therapeutic strategies to combat these infections. A study published by Cell Press in the journal Molecular Cell has revealed a new toxin that inhibits bacterial growth by blocking the DNA replication machinery, which is not targeted by currently available antibiotics. The findings open new therapeutic avenues for developing the next generation of antibiotics.

A very specific group of brain cells may be a target in nicotine withdrawal therapy

Date: Nov-17-2013
Nicotine withdrawal might take over your body, but it doesn't take over your brain. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are driven by a very specific group of neurons within a very specific brain region, according to a report in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Although caution is warranted, the researchers say, the findings in mice suggest that therapies directed at this group of neurons might one day help people quit smoking.

Urban violence, social networks and better, smarter, fairer policing

Date: Nov-17-2013
A new study of gun violence in Chicago, led by Yale sociologist Andrew Papachristos, reveals that a person's social network is a key predictor in whether an individual will become a victim of gun homicide, even more so than race, age, gender, poverty, or gang affiliation."Risk factors like race and poverty are not the predictors they have been assumed to be," said Papachristos, "It's who you hang out with that gets you into trouble. It's tragic, but not random.