Health News

A small dose of testosterone taken orally prevents muscle wasting without the normal side effects

Date: Aug-01-2013
New Australian research suggests that a small dose of testosterone directed solely to the liver stimulates protein synthesis, likely preventing muscle loss and wasting, and potentially promoting muscle growth. The researchers believe they have developed a safe and effective treatment for men and women, that could prevent the muscle wasting associated with many chronic diseases and with ageing...

Learning under stress - mineralocorticoid receptors play a crucial role in enabling the brain to adapt to stressful situations

Date: Aug-01-2013
Whenever we have to acquire new knowledge under stress, the brain deploys unconscious rather than conscious learning processes. Neuroscientists at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum have discovered that this switch from conscious to unconscious learning systems is triggered by the intact function of mineralocorticoid receptors. These receptors are activated by hormones released in response to stress by the adrenal cortex...

Study shows that in the face of an epidemic, even moderate government-mandated travel restrictions would slow contagion

Date: Aug-01-2013
In an epidemic or a bioterrorist attack, the response of government officials could range from a drastic restriction of mobility - imposed isolation or total lockdown of a city - to moderate travel restrictions in some areas or simple suggestions that people remain at home. Deciding to institute any measure would require officials to weigh the costs and benefits of action, but at present there's little data to guide them on the question of how disease spreads through transportation networks...

Researchers uncover how SMIP004 kills prostate cancer cells

Date: Aug-01-2013
One major hallmark of cancer cells is their ability to survive under stressful conditions. A new study spearheaded by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute reveals how a promising anticancer compound called SMIP004 specifically kills prostate cancer cells by compromising their ability to withstand environmental stress. The study, recently published in Oncotarget, uncovers novel mechanisms of anticancer activity and could lead to the development of more effective therapies for advanced and hard-to-treat forms of prostate cancer, as well as other types of cancer...

$257 million civil settlement with Wyeth over unlawful marketing of Rapamune

Date: Aug-01-2013
Leading whistleblower law firm Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. represented two key whistleblowers behind a $257.4 million settlement announced between drugmaker Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Pfizer, and the U.S. Department of Justice stemming from alleged marketing abuses of Wyeth's powerful immunosuppressant drug Rapamune. The case was originally brought by Grant & Eisenhofer clients Marlene Sandler and Scott Paris, both of whom were sales representatives for the company...

Requiring some patients to get mental health treatment saves money

Date: Aug-01-2013
Mandating outpatient treatment for certain people with severe mental illness, while controversial, results in substantial cost savings by cutting hospitalizations and increasing outpatient care, according to a financial analysis led by researchers at Duke Medicine. The finding - focusing on a program in New York termed Assisted Outpatient Commitment, or "Kendra's Law" - provides a key piece of information in the ongoing policy debate about appropriate treatment approaches for people with serious mental illness...

Printing silver onto fibers could pave the way for flexible, wearable electronics

Date: Aug-01-2013
A new technique for depositing silver onto clothing fibres could open up huge opportunities in wearable electronics. Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK's National Measurement Institute, have developed a way to print silver directly onto fibres. This new technique could make integrating electronics into all types of clothing simple and practical. This has many potential applications in sports, health, medicine, consumer electronics and fashion...

Environmental awareness develops at an early age

Date: Aug-01-2013
Jose Domingo Villarroel, a researcher at the Teacher Training College in Bilbao (UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country) has studied the capacity to differentiate between living and non-living beings and how this relates to environmental awareness. 118 girls and boys between the ages of 4 and 7 from public primary schools in Plentzia, Urduliz and Sopelana participated in the research and were interviewed by Villarroel himself. He himself says that the work was very laborious, "but enjoyable and what is more, the results were very striking." Each interview consisted of two parts...

PAHO/WHO urges support for nursing mothers to ensure exclusive breastfeeding up to six months

Date: Aug-01-2013
As part of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is urging increased support for breastfeeding, so that more mothers begin nursing their babies during the first hour of life, breastfeed them exclusively up to age 6 months, and continue breastfeeding up to age 2 or beyond, while providing complementary foods. These practices could save as many as one million children's lives worldwide each year...

Early school engagement helps youths avoid problem behaviors and eventual dropout

Date: Aug-01-2013
Help your teenager stay engaged in school and he or she will be less likely to drop out. That's the conclusion of a new longitudinal study that found that teens who were less engaged in school tended to engage in more delinquency and substance use over time, and that lower levels of engagement and greater problem behaviors in turn predicted a higher likelihood of dropping out of school. Specifically, the study points to the importance of creating a supportive learning environment that provides opportunities for students to feel competent and autonomous, and that sustains them emotionally...