Health News

Taiwanese study finds death of an adult son increases depressive symptoms in mothers, but not fathers

Date: Dec-06-2013
Mothers - but not fathers - exhibited symptoms of depression and experienced declines in overall health after the death of an adult son, while the death of a daughter had no such effect on either parent, according to one of the first studies to examine the impacts of the death of an adult child on parents aged 65 and older.In East Asian cultures, an adult son's role in the family is crucial to the wellbeing and financial stability of his parents, the researchers suggest.

Baicalin effectively inhibits neurotoxicity of colistin sulfate

Date: Dec-06-2013
Baicalin, a type of flavonoid extracted from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis georgi, has been shown to effectively inhibit cell apoptosis. Colistin sulfate, a cyclic cationic polypeptide antibiotic, has been shown to have renal and neurological side effects. Dr. Hong Jiang and colleagues from Northeast Agricultural University assumed that baicalin would suppress colistin sulfate-induced neuronal apoptosis. In a study by Jiang et al, PC12 cells were pretreated with baicalin (25, 50 and 100 μg/mL), and exposed to 125 μg/mL colistin sulfate.

Canine brain's reward center identified

Date: Dec-06-2013
After capturing the first brain images of two alert, unrestrained dogs last year, researchers at Emory University have confirmed their methods and results by replicating them in an experiment involving 13 dogs.The research, published by the Public Library of Science One (PLOS One), showed that most of the dogs had a positive response in the caudate region of the brain when given a hand signal indicating they would receive a food treat, as compared to a different hand signal for "no treat.

Research highlights the value of fathers in both neurobiology and behavior of offspring

Date: Dec-06-2013
Even with today's technology, it still takes both a male and a female to make a baby. But is it important for both parents to raise that child? Many studies have outlined the value of a mother, but few have clearly defined the importance of a father, until now. New findings from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) show that the absence of a father during critical growth periods, leads to impaired social and behavioural abilities in adults. This research, which was conducted using mice, was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Structure of key pain-related protein unveiled

Date: Dec-06-2013
In a technical tour de force, UC San Francisco (UCSF) scientists have determined, at near-atomic resolution, the structure of a protein that plays a central role in the perception of pain and heat.Led by UCSF postdoctoral fellows Erhu Cao, PhD, and Maofu Liao, PhD, the new research will offer fresh insights to drug designers searching for new and better pain treatments, but it also is a watershed for the field of structural biology, which aims to discover how proteins are physically constructed in order to better understand their function.

Study increases understanding of the development of obesity and insulin resistance

Date: Dec-06-2013
The first study of its kind, led by Melinda Sothern, PhD, CEP, Professor and Director of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, reveals that the same pro-inflammatory proteins linked to obesity and the metabolic syndrome in adults appear to protect children prior to puberty. The findings are published online in the International Journal of Obesity in the Accepted Article Preview.

Scientist Investigates link between Parkinson's and pesticides

Date: Dec-06-2013
In a seemingly simple experiment, a scientist exposes rats to a certain pesticide over several days, and the rodents start showing symptoms remarkably similar to those seen in Parkinson's patients. But the scientific search for the causes of the disease, which affects 7 million to 10 million people worldwide, is nowhere near simple. An article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society, dives into the potential pesticide-Parkinson's link.Lauren K.

New test uses sugar and gold to detect flu strains

Date: Dec-06-2013
Researchers have created a new test that uses sugar and gold nanoparticles to detect the influenza virus within 30 minutes, and it can even distinguish between human and avian strains. This is according to a study published in the journal Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.The research team, led by Prof. Robert Field of the John Innes Centre and Prof. David Russell of the University of East Anglia in the UK, says the new flu test is based on previous work that uses "optically-based molecular recognition systems."Prof.

Track-side noise may exceed 8,500 percent of a person's daily recommended noise exposure

Date: Dec-06-2013
As an acoustical engineer, Craig Dolder - currently a graduate student at the University of Texas, Austin - knew that loud noises can damage hearing. Even so, when Canada's Formula 1 Grand Prix coincided with an Acoustical Society of America (ASA) meeting that he was attending in Montreal, Quebec, earlier this year, Dolder was drawn to the racetrack and the deafening roar of the Formula 1 engines.And he brought his sound level meter with him."I've always wanted to go to one of those races," Dolder said.

A new method of wirelessly recharging medical device batteries with ultrasound

Date: Dec-06-2013
Human beings don't come with power sockets, but a growing numbers of us have medical implants that run off electricity. To keep our bionic body parts from powering down, a group of Arizona researchers is developing a safe, noninvasive, and efficient means of wireless power transmission through body tissue. The team presents their findings at the 166th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, being held Dec. 2 - 6 in San Francisco, Calif.