Health News

News from the Journal of AIDS, Oct. issue

Date: Sep-24-2013
Early changes of AIDS-related lymphoma; new approaches to promote circumcision to reduce HIV risk; updates on HIV lifetime costs of care and quality of life estimates JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes announced its research article highlights from the October issue now available on the journal website. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer Health...

Mothers who bedshare with infants breastfeed longer

Date: Sep-24-2013
A new study suggests that mothers who frequently bedshare with their infants are more likely to breastfeed for longer, even though bedsharing has been previously linked to heightened risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A team of researchers, led by Yi Huang from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, analyzed data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, which enrolled pregnant women and followed them over their infant's first year of life...

Psychopathic traits in development during the teenage years, not cast in stone

Date: Sep-24-2013
Most youths are concerned about other people's feelings, they feel bad or guilty when they have done something wrong and they adhere to social rules. A small group of youths, however, does not. These youths express psychopathic personality traits that are associated with adult psychopathy, a serious personality disorder that is linked with antisocial behavior and criminality. A study conducted by Selma Salihovic and her research team at Orebro University in Sweden shows that for this small group of youth, psychopathic traits remain quite stable over a period of four years...

DAVEI 'tricks' HIV virus into 'thinking' it is about to infect a healthy cell, when, in fact, there is nothing there for it to infect

Date: Sep-24-2013
Pinning down an effective way to combat the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus, the viral precursor to AIDS, has long been a challenge for scientists and physicians, because the virus is an elusive one that mutates frequently and, as a result, quickly becomes immune to medication. A team of Drexel University researchers is trying to get one step ahead of the virus with a microbicide they've created that can trick HIV into "popping" itself into oblivion. Its name is DAVEI - which stands for "Dual Action Virolytic Entry Inhibitor"- and it can pull a fast one on HIV...

Alcohol-related violence dependent on drinking 'context'

Date: Sep-24-2013
Although a high volume and frequency of drinking has been linked to an increase in violence toward a loved one, new research suggests that the context in which drinking occurs can play a role in violence against partners. Researchers from the Prevention Research Center, California, and Arizona State University analyzed 1,585 couples from over 50 medium-to-large cities across California...

New non-invasive alternative to needle biopsy for pediatric liver disease

Date: Sep-24-2013
A new, non-invasive imaging technique, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), can now help physicians accurately detect fibrosis (scarring) in children with chronic liver disease - a growing problem due in part to increasing obesity rates. A new study shows that MRE detects such chronic diseases as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is increasingly common in children and teens, affecting an estimated 13 percent of adolescents. NAFLD can lead to progressive liver disease and liver failure. Obesity is a major risk factor...

What are the health benefits of sage?

Date: Sep-23-2013
Sage is a herb native to the Mediterranean, belonging to the Lamiaceae (the mint) family along with other herbs, such as oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and basil. The herb has gray leaves up to 2.5 in long (6.4 cm) and flowers that are usually blue or purple, however, they can also be white or pink. Sage is associated with a number of health benefits as it is very rich in antioxidants and important nutrients, such as vitamin K...

What is anhidrosis? What hypohidrosis?

Date: Sep-23-2013
Anhidrosis, sometimes referred to as hypohidrosis, sudomotor dysfunction or sweating dysfunction, is an abnormal lack of sweat in response to heat - the person's body is unable to sweat normally. Anhidrosis is the complete absence of sweating, while hypohidrosis is sweating less than normal. If the human body cannot sweat properly it cannot cool itself, which is potentially harmful. Sweating allows heat to be released from the body. If the lack of sweating affects a small area of the body, it is not usually dangerous...

4th International Conference on Vaccines & Vaccination, September 24-26, 2014 at Valencia, Spain

Date: Sep-23-2013
OMICS Group is proud to present the 4th International Conference on Vaccines & Vaccination to be held on the 24th to the 26th of September 2014 in Valencia, Spain. This meeting will be the latest in a series of successful annual vaccine meetings organized by the OMICS Conference Group that seek to bring together vaccine stakeholders including academic researchers, public health clinicians, vaccine policy makers, corporates and vaccine manufacturers...

Fighting fears possible during sleep, study shows

Date: Sep-23-2013
For many patients with phobias, typical treatment involves gradual exposure to the feared object or situation. But researchers have now found that emotional memory can be manipulated during sleep, paving the way to new phobia treatments as we dream. The researchers, from Northwestern University, published the results of their study in the journal Nature Neuroscience. They note that previous projects have demonstrated spatial learning and motor sequence learning can be strengthened during sleep, but until now, emotional memory has never been manipulated during slumber...