ScienceDaily: Top Health News

Radio-wave therapy is safe for liver cancer patients and shows improvement in overall survival, study suggests

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 01:54 PM PDT

Researchers have shown that a targeted therapy using non-thermal radio waves is safe to use in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, according to a new study. The therapy also showed a benefit in overall survival.

'Greening' biomaterials and scaffolds used in regenerative medicine

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 01:54 PM PDT

In the biomaterials industry, electrospinning is a ubiquitous fabrication method used to produce nano- to microscale fibrous meshes that closely resemble native tissue architecture. Alas, the process has traditionally used solvents that not only are environmentally hazardous but also a significant barrier to industrial scale-up, clinical translation, and widespread use. But now, researchers report that they have developed a 'green electrospinning' process that addresses those challenges, from managing environmental risks of volatile solvent storage and disposal at large volumes to meeting health and safety standards during both fabrication and implementation.

Early COVID-19 symptoms differ among age groups, research finds

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 01:54 PM PDT

Symptoms for early COVID-19 infection differ among age groups and between men and women, new research has found.

Source of DNA mutations in melanoma

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 11:20 AM PDT

The mutations that give rise to melanoma result from a chemical conversion in DNA fueled by sunlight -- not just a DNA copying error as previously believed, reports a new study. The findings upend long-held beliefs about the mechanisms underlying the disease, reinforce the importance of prevention efforts and offer a path forward for investigating the origins of other cancer types.

Crucial new molecular mechanisms and biomarkers in ovarian cancer

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 09:14 AM PDT

Medical researchers have discovered what appears to be an Achilles' heel in ovarian cancers, as well as new biomarkers that could point to which patients are the best candidates for possible new treatments.

New research infuses equity principles into the algorithm development process

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 07:43 AM PDT

Researchers have found a new approach to incorporating the larger web of relevant data for predictive modeling for individual and community health outcomes.

World Trade Center responders with the greatest exposure to toxic dust have a higher likelihood of liver disease, study finds

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 07:42 AM PDT

Researchers have found evidence that World Trade Center responders had a higher likelihood of developing liver disease if they arrived at the site right after the attacks as opposed to working at Ground Zero later in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Differentiating strong antibiotic producers from weaker ones

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 03:36 PM PDT

Biologists are using comparative metabologenomics to try to uncover what may be 'silencing' Streptomyces and preventing it from producing desirable compounds encoded by its genes.

Researchers film human viruses in liquid droplets at near-atomic detail

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 03:36 PM PDT

Researchers have used advanced electron microscopy (EM) technology to see how human viruses move in high resolution in a near-native environment. The visualization technique could lead to improved understanding of how vaccine candidates and treatments behave and function as they interact with target cells.

Amygdala found to have role in important pre-attentive mechanism in the brain

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 03:36 PM PDT

Researchers have shown how the amygdala, a brain region typically associated with fear, contributes to prepulse inhibition (PPI) by activating small inhibitory neurons in the mouse brain stem. The discovery advances understanding of the systems underlying PPI and efforts to ultimately develop medical therapies for schizophrenia and other disorders by reversing pre-attentive deficits.

A sleep study’s eye-opening findings

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 03:35 PM PDT

Getting more sleep, by itself, does not change work productivity or overall well-being for impoverished workers in India. Naps or better-quality sleep at night may have a bigger impact, according to a new study.

Tiny wireless device illuminates neuron activity in the brain

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 03:35 PM PDT

A team lights a path forward for improved treatment of conditions including addiction and epilepsy and chronic pain. In a new article, they report on a wireless transcranial optogenetic simulation device that can send light through the skull rather than physically penetrating the blood-brain barrier.

Scientists discover a surprising new way that tuberculosis suppresses immunity

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 11:35 AM PDT

University of Maryland researchers discovered a way that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, can cause a person's immune cells to lower their defenses. Specifically, they identified a gene in the bacterium that suppresses immune defenses in infected human cells, which could exacerbate the infection. The findings were published on July 29, 2021, in the journal PLOS Pathogens

A blood test for your body clock? It's on the horizon

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 11:34 AM PDT

Sleep researchers have found it's possible to determine the timing of a person's internal biological clock via a single blood draw. Ultimately, the findings could lead to a simple blood test for assessing circadian rhythm and personalized recommendations for when people should eat, sleep, exercise and take medications.

New relevant target for PARP inhibitor talazoparib

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 11:34 AM PDT

Researchers report the identification of a new target for the PARP inhibitor drug talazoparib and show that combination treatment with talazoparib and the WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib results in enhanced anti-cancer effects.

Preventing childhood obesity requires changes in parents’ and clinicians’ early-life care

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 11:34 AM PDT

Interventions to prevent obesity in children typically don't target the first 1,000 days of life - -a critical period in which environmental and nutritional cues can increase the risk for obesity. A new study demonstrates how changing parents' health behavior and how clinicians deliver care to mothers and infants decreased excess weight gain in infants.

Mice treated with this cytokine lose weight by ‘sweating’ fat

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 11:34 AM PDT

Treating obese mice with the cytokine known as TSLP led to significant abdominal fat and weight loss compared to controls. The animal model findings support the possibility that increasing sebum production via the immune system could be a strategy for treating obesity in people.

How to make up your mind when the glass seems half empty?

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 09:22 AM PDT

Neuroscientists have connected some of the dots to reveal the brain networks that give anxiety influence over decisions. The group has published a review that synthesizes results from years of brain measurements in rats and primates and relates these findings to the human brain.

Adding color to your plate may lower risk of cognitive decline

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 09:22 AM PDT

A new study shows that people who eat a diet that includes at least half a serving per day of foods high in flavonoids like strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples may have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline. The study looked at several types of flavonoids, and found that flavones and anthocyanins may have the most protective effect.

Fruit compound may have potential to prevent and treat Parkinson's disease

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 09:22 AM PDT

Researchers say they have added to evidence that the compound farnesol, found naturally in herbs, and berries and other fruits, prevents and reverses brain damage linked to Parkinson's disease in mouse studies.

Rare disorder offers roadmap for understanding roots of inflammatory disease

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 08:19 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered the underlying genetic cause of a rare childhood disorder that mimics inflammatory bowel disease, a finding that may help researchers uncover the roots of a host of other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.

Motivation depends on how the brain processes fatigue

Posted: 28 Jul 2021 07:56 AM PDT

How do we decide whether or not an activity which requires work is 'worth the effort'? Researchers have shown that the willingness to work is not static, and depends upon the fluctuating rhythms of fatigue.