Health News

Protein Identified That Contributes To Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer's Disease

Date: Jun-27-2013
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have demonstrated that a protein called caspase-2 is a key regulator of a signaling pathway that leads to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. The findings, made in a mouse model of Alzheimer's, suggest that inhibiting this protein could prevent the neuronal damage and subsequent cognitive decline associated with the disease. The study was published this month in the online journal Nature Communications...

New Palm-Sized Microarray Technique

Date: Jun-27-2013
A new palm-sized microarray that holds 1,200 individual cultures of fungi or bacteria could enable faster, more efficient drug discovery, according to a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Scientists at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston have developed a microarray platform for culturing fungal biofilms, and validated one potential application of the technology to identify new drugs effective against Candida albicans biofilms...

Gun Crime Reduced By Houston Police Department

Date: Jun-27-2013
Gun possession arrests made by a concentrated, proactive patrol unit in the Houston Police Department were linked to significant reductions in subsequent crimes involving firearms, a study by Sam Houston State University found. "These findings add to the growing evidence that supports the use of directed patrols to target illegal gun possession in high crime locations," wrote Dr. William Wells, who co-authored the study with Yan Zhang and Jihong Zhao at SHSU's College of Criminal Justice...

Casting Doubts On The Molecular Mechanism Of 'Read-Through' Drug PTC124/Ataluren

Date: Jun-27-2013
A drug developed to treat genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis may need a radical rethink. In a new study published in the open access journal PLOS Biology, researchers question the mechanistic basis of the drug called PTC124 (also known as Ataluren), casting doubt as to whether it has the molecular effects that are claimed for it. This may have implications for its effectiveness in treating genetic diseases. An estimated 10% of all human genetic diseases are caused by nonsense mutations...

Brain Reserve Found To Independently Protect Against Cognitive Decline In Multiple Sclerosis

Date: Jun-27-2013
U.S. and Italian researchers have determined that brain reserve, as well as cognitive reserve, independently protects against cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis (MS). Their article, "Brain reserve and cognitive reserve in multiple sclerosis: What you've got and how you use it", was published in Neurology (Neurology 2013;80:2186-2193). Authors James Sumowski, PhD, Victoria Leavitt, PhD, and John DeLuca, PhD, are with Kessler Foundation in West Orange, NJ...

Emotions Thought To Arise Through The Integration Of Perceptual And Cognitive Information

Date: Jun-27-2013
A life without feelings - unimaginable. Although emotions are so important, philosophers are still discussing what they actually are. Prof. Dr. Albert Newen and Dr. Luca Barlassina of the Institute of Philosophy II at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum have drawn up a new theory. According to this, emotions are not just special cases of perception or thought but a separate kind of mental state which arises through the integration of feelings of bodily processes and cognitive contents. They describe the model in the journal Philosophy and Phenomenological Research...

Wide Variability In The Quality Of CPR

Date: Jun-27-2013
The quality of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) you receive may vary, depending on the EMS department or hospital administering it, according to the American Heart Association. In a statement published in its journal Circulation, the association calls for a renewed focus on improving resuscitation techniques and tracking. "There have been huge advances in CPR and there's no question that high-quality CPR saves lives," said Peter Meaney, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of the statement and assistant professor of anesthesia and critical care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia...

Decision Making And Perception Of Risk Affected By Hunger

Date: Jun-27-2013
Hungry people are often difficult to deal with. A good meal can affect more than our mood, it can also influence our willingness to take risks. This phenomenon is also apparent across a very diverse range of species in the animal kingdom. Experiments conducted on the fruit fly, Drosophila, by scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried have shown that hunger not only modifies behaviour, but also changes pathways in the brain. Animal behaviour is radically affected by the availability and amount of food...

First Responders In The Future May Be Aided By Roaches On Autopilot

Date: Jun-27-2013
North Carolina State University researchers are using video game technology to remotely control cockroaches on autopilot, with a computer steering the cockroach through a controlled environment. The researchers are using the technology to track how roaches respond to the remote control, with the goal of developing ways that roaches on autopilot can be used to map dynamic environments - such as collapsed buildings. The researchers have incorporated Microsoft's motion-sensing Kinect system into an electronic interface developed at NC State that can remotely control cockroaches...

Sleepless In Stressland

Date: Jun-27-2013
Almost half of Britons say that stress or worry keeps them awake at night. According to a major report published by The Sleep Council, the economic downturn has meant that many people are too anxious to sleep: almost half of those questioned said that stress or worry keeps them awake at night (47%) rising to 54% of women (compared to 40% of men) and 57% of singles. The findings come from The Sleep Council's biggest ever research project. Some 5000 people were surveyed to provide an overview of British sleeping habits...