Curated News: Top Hit Stories

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Providing birth control to women at no cost substantially reduced unplanned pregnancies and cut abortion rates by 62 percent to 78 percent over the national rate, a new study shows.

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Twenty years ago this month, Newswise began with the goal to provide more effective communication between journalists and their sources. As the first online news service for journalists, the original vision for Newswise was to build a comprehensive database of news releases about research news, and to deliver it with state-of-the-art technology.

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WASHINGTON, DC, September 19, 2012: Leading nutrition scientists from around the world convened at the United States Department of Agriculture today to present the latest research supporting the role of tea in promoting good health. Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, next to water. Interest in its potential health benefits has grown exponentially; in just the past five years there have been more than 5,600 scientific studies on tea, forming a substantial body of research on this ubiquitous beverage.

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A new pediatric medical device being developed by Georgia Tech and Emory University could make life easier for every parent who has rushed to the doctor with a child screaming from an ear infection. Soon, parents may be able to skip the doctor’s visit and receive a diagnosis without leaving home by using Remotoscope, a clip-on attachment and software app that turns an iPhone into an otoscope.

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A new publication by researchers from the University of Utah, appearing in the Sept 19 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates video games can be therapeutic and are already beginning to show health-related benefits.

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Less than half of community-based substance abuse treatment programs in the United States currently make HIV testing available on-site or through referral. A new study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College shows the cost-effectiveness of integrating on-site rapid HIV testing into drug treatment programs.

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As many as a quarter of Medicare recipients spend more than the total value of their assets on out-of-pocket health care expenses during the last five years of their lives, according to researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. They found that 43 percent of Medicare recipients spend more than their total assets minus the value of their primary residences. The findings appear online in the current issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

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Name calling is a petty task for today’s bully. Instead they’re preying on food allergic children, stuffing peanut butter cookies in lockers and turning bullying into a possible death defying nightmare.

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The nation’s obesity epidemic reaches far beyond adults and children to our pets, who share our homes and often our dietary habits and lack of exercise. To address this, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has created the nation’s first obesity clinic geared especially for pets and overseen by a full-time, board-certified veterinary nutritionist.

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After chronic alcohol exposure, mice are unable to control a learned fear response, shedding light on the link between alcoholism and anxiety problems like post-traumatic stress disorder.

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A protein required to regrow injured peripheral nerves has been identified by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The finding, in mice, has implications for improving recovery after nerve injury in the extremities. It also opens new avenues of investigation toward triggering nerve regeneration in the central nervous system, notorious for its inability to heal.

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A Chicago woman treated at the University of Illinois Hospital is the first Midwest patient to receive a successful stem cell transplant to cure her sickle cell disease without chemotherapy in preparation for the transplant.

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A poll of 150 resident physicians found more than half of had worked with flu-like symptoms at least once in the last year. Nearly 10% believed they’d transmitted an illness to a patient and 20% believed other residents had passed an illness to a patient.

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New research shows that substantial vegetation – including stunted trees – sprouted on the frozen continent 15 million years ago.

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Researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey are enrolling patients for a clinical trial, which aims to evaluate a new drug for metastatic breast cancer in combination with two chemotherapy agents known as doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.

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A future weapon in the battle against obesity and diabetes could come in the form of an oil derived from the seeds of wild almond trees, according to researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

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An experiment that Sigmund Freud could never have imagined 100 years ago may help lend scientific support for one of his key theories, and help connect it with current neuroscience.

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Even a moderate amount of weight loss can significantly reduce levels of circulating estrogens that are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – the first randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the effects of weight loss on sex hormones in overweight and obese postmenopausal women, a group at elevated risk for breast cancer.

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A new UCLA study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning--and how omega-3 fatty acids can minimize the damage.

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Kansas State University physicists and an international team of collaborators have made a breakthrough that improves understanding of matter-light interactions. Their research allows double ionization events to be observed at the time scale of attoseconds and shows that these ionization events occur earlier than thought -- a key factor to improve knowledge of correlated electron dynamics.

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A clinical study of 30 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has shown that smoked cannabis may be an effective treatment for spasticity – a common and disabling symptom of this neurological disease.

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Refurbishing neighborhood parks may lead to improvements in community health. Increased visitors and higher rates of exercise were observed for more than one year when one community park provided new and varied amenities.

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Living close to a major highway poses a significant risk to heart attack survivors, reinforcing the need to isolate housing developments from heavy traffic areas, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study concludes.

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Breast brachytherapy with a strut-based applicator appears to be an effective treatment for women who have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons.

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Researchers have automated the process of finding and recording information from neurons in the living brain. A robotic arm guided by a cell-detecting computer algorithm can identify and record from neurons in the living mouse brain with better accuracy and speed than a human experimenter.

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Brain networks may avoid traffic jams at their busiest intersections by communicating on different frequencies, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of Tübingen have learned.

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After a marathon debate over a pair of studies that show how the avian H5N1 influenza virus could become transmissible in mammals, and an unprecedented recommendation by a government review panel to block publication, one of the studies was finally and fully published today (May 3, 2012) in the journal Nature.

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• Study indicates relationship between weight loss and cancer risk. • Patients had a manageable goal of 10 percent weight loss. • Participants were overweight or obese, postmenopausal women.

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Innovation Coalition to meet for second annual Fly-In Day.

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A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the National Human Genome Research Institute has evaluated the whole genomic sequence of stem cells derived from human bone marrow cells—so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells—and found that relatively few genetic changes occur during stem cell conversion by an improved method. The findings, reported in the March issue of Cell Stem Cell, the official journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), will be presented at the annual ISSCR meeting in June.

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Lifting less weight more times is just as effective at building muscle as training with heavy weights, a finding by McMaster researchers that turns conventional wisdom on its head. The key to muscle gain, say the researchers, is working to the point of fatigue.

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A University of Virginia Darden School of Business competition that launches today will offer small businesses nationwide an in-depth look at how resilient companies are leading economic recovery in their communities.

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Half of young adult tobacco smokers also have smoked marijuana in the last 30 days, according to a recent Facebook-based survey conducted by UCSF researchers, indicating a greater prevalence of marijuana and tobacco co-use among smokers age 18-25 than previously reported.

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A new brain cancer vaccine tailored to individual patients by using material from their own tumors has proven effective in a multicenter phase 2 clinical trial at extending their lives by several months or longer. The patients suffered from recurrent glioblastoma multiforme—which kills thousands of Americans every year.

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University of New Hampshire researchers have found that residents of Louisiana and Florida most acutely and directly affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster -- the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history -- said they have changed their views on other environmental issues as a result of the spill.

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The Economist will hold its third annual Ideas Economy: Innovation conference on March 28, 2012, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. This year’s event will focus on how innovation can propel nations and lead to lasting global progress and prosperity. Berkeley-Haas Professor Laura D. Tyson, S. K. and Angela Chan Chair in Global Management, will join the brightest minds in business, academia and beyond, to discuss the connection between innovation and economic growth. Tyson is currently a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) steals memory and ruins lives. Despite near-daily reports of promising new therapies, AD remains unchecked. Now a new study reveals the mechanism by which AD may cause memory loss, suggesting new therapies.

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Popcorn’s reputation as a snack food that’s actually good for health popped up a few notches today as scientists reported that it contains more of the healthful antioxidant substances called "polyphenols" than fruits and vegetables. They spoke at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, being held here this week.

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Low-carb, high-fat diets led to more damaging, more deadly heart attacks and impaired recovery of heart function in study.

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Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have discovered that marijuana-like chemicals trigger receptors on human immune cells that can directly inhibit a type of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) found in late-stage AIDS.

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A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms and difficulty with peer relationships.

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A new study reveals for the first time that activating the brain’s visual cortex with a small amount of electrical stimulation actually improves our sense of smell.

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While the upcoming daylight saving time slated for 2 a.m. Sunday, March 11, affects everyone, children, including teenagers, may need some help adjusting. Experts say the spring's loss of an hour tends to be the most disruptive with sleeping patterns.

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The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center has created a resource with Autism Speaks to help improve sleep for children and teens affected by autism spectrum disorders. This new toolkit, titled “Sleep Strategies for Children with Autism: A Parent’s Guide,” offers strategies to help families whose children with autism have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.

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An international team, centered at Otago University, have found and described two new fossil penguin species, including what may be the tallest penguin to have ever lived. The findings are revealed in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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A new study led by Georgia Tech provides further evidence of a relationship between melting ice in the Arctic regions and widespread cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere. The study’s findings could improve seasonal forecasting of snow and temperature anomalies across northern continents.

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As study after study shows the fundamental role vitamin D plays in disease and health, vitamin D deficiency — which often develops insidiously in childhood — should be on every parent’s and pediatrician’s radar, say physicians from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

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Researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with scientists from 12 other sites in the United States and Australia, report for the first time that a newly approved drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubles median survival times, a finding that will change the way this deadly form of skin cancer is treated.