Health News

Trauma of forced displacement alleviated by house-beautification

Date: Dec-23-2013
From the Holocaust to the Cambodian Civil War to the Somali refugee crisis, the past century has been rife with mass forced migrations. According to a recent study by the UN Refugee Agency, over 42 million people worldwide are currently displaced from their homes.When it comes time to rebuild, these victims of home-destruction, or "domicide," are often given only the bare essentials and told to make do. That is nowhere near enough says recent Concordia University doctoral graduate, Devora Neumark.

Ability to overcome poverty boosted by self-worth

Date: Dec-23-2013
For people in poverty, remembering better times - such as past success - improves brain functioning by several IQ points and increases their willingness to seek help from crucial aid services, a new study finds.The findings suggest that reconnecting the poor with feelings of self-worth reduces the powerful stigma and psychological barriers that make it harder for low-income individuals to make good decisions or access the very assistance services that can help them get back on their feet.

For the first time cells from the eye are inkjet printed

Date: Dec-23-2013
A group of researchers from the UK have used inkjet printing technology to successfully print cells taken from the eye for the very first time.The breakthrough, which has been detailed in a paper published in IOP Publishing's journal Biofabrication, could lead to the production of artificial tissue grafts made from the variety of cells found in the human retina and may aid in the search to cure blindness.

The social benefits of regret, ethics of gift giving in business, humor after a hurricane

Date: Dec-23-2013
The social benefits of regretAs the year draws to an end, regret often comes to mind - regret of trips not taken, goals not met, time lost. A new study, which includes an analysis of more than 13,500 tweets about regret from December 2011, finds that the impact of regret depends on whether you express it publicly or privately. Past research has shown that regret serves to help us learn and prepare for the future.

Long-held hypothesis that iron promotes atherosclerosis challenged by study

Date: Dec-23-2013
A UCLA research team has found no evidence of an association between iron levels in the body and the risk of atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that leads to cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S.The discovery, based on a comprehensive study in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, contradicts a long-held hypothesis about the role of iron in the disease and carries important implications for patients with chronic kidney disease or anemia related to inflammatory disorders, many of whom receive high-dose iron supplementation therapy.

DNA's alphabet muddled by radioactivity

Date: Dec-23-2013
Curtin University researchers have shown natural radioactivity within DNA can alter chemical compounds, providing a new pathway for genetic mutation.The research, recently published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects, for the first time looked at natural radioactivity within human DNA on the atomic-scale.While radioactivity occurs naturally in our bodies as well as in every living organism across the planet, it was never before thought to affect our DNA in such a direct way.

The brain's data compression mechanisms

Date: Dec-23-2013
Researchers have hitherto assumed that information supplied by the sense of sight was transmitted almost in its entirety from its entry point to higher brain areas, across which visual sensation is generated. "It was therefore a surprise to discover that the data volumes are considerably reduced as early as in the primary visual cortex, the bottleneck leading to the cerebrum," says PD Dr Dirk Jancke from the Institute for Neural Computation at the Ruhr-Universität. "We intuitively assume that our visual system generates a continuous stream of images, just like a video camera.

Atrial fibrillation is a 'growing global health problem,' WHO says

Date: Dec-23-2013
A World Health Organization study reveals atrial fibrillation is the most common condition leading to an irregular heartbeat, and it is a serious global health problem that is growing.Atrial fibrillation and other forms of arrhythmia interfere with the electrical activity in the upper chambers, or atria, of the heart, causing an irregular heartbeat. This, in turn, disrupts the flow of blood through the heart, and can result in palpitations, lightheadness, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and chest pain.

New discoveries could lead to hair and skin regeneration

Date: Dec-23-2013
Researchers from the University of Southern California say they have made a number of new discoveries that could lead to potential hair regeneration treatment, and even skin regeneration. This is according to three studies published in the journals Stem Cells and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.According to the American Hair Loss Association, around two-thirds of US men will have experienced some degree of hair loss by the age of 35, and around 85% of men will have significantly thinning hair by the age of 50.

High internet use 'indicates addictive behavior' for young adults

Date: Dec-23-2013
Most of us access the internet on a daily basis. It is hard not to, when smartphones allow us to check emails on-the-go in a few taps of a button. But new research suggests that for young adults, heavy internet use may indicate signs of addictive behavior - similar to that found in drug addicts.This is according to research presented at the IEEE International Conference on Advanced Networks and Telecommunications Systems in India.