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Researchers study supercomputer simulations and TBI patients to improve helmet designs

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico are comparing supercomputer simulations of blast waves on the brain with clinical studies of veterans suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to help improve helmet designs.

15 Nov 2012

Simple iron control mechanism can prevent development of severe forms of malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening condition that exposes approximately half of the world's population to the risk of developing a severe and often lethal form of disease. In a study published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Host & Microbe*, Miguel Soares and his team at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci-ncia (IGC), Portugal, discovered that the development of severe forms of malaria can be prevented by a simple mechanism that controls the accumulation of iron in tissues of the infected host.

15 Nov 2012

Over stress during pregnancy increases risk of child being victimised in later life

Children whose mothers were overly stressed during pregnancy are more likely to become victims of bullying at school.

15 Nov 2012

Irregular sleep patterns may trigger schizophrenia symptoms

Neuroscientists studying the link between poor sleep and schizophrenia have found that irregular sleep patterns and desynchronised brain activity during sleep could trigger some of the disease's symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, suggest that these prolonged disturbances might be a cause and not just a consequence of the disorder's debilitating effects.

15 Nov 2012

Heart rate variability may help to understand chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Researchers have discovered for the first time that reduced heart rate variability – or changes in heart beat timing – best predicts cognitive disturbances, such as concentration difficulties commonly reported by people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

15 Nov 2012

Tuberculosis pathogen has an ingenious defence mechanism against oxygen

Flemish biologists lead by Joris Messens (VIB / Vrije Universiteit Brussel) have discovered that Mycobacterium tuberculosis - the bacterium that causes tuberculosis - has an ingenious defence mechanism against oxygen. This knowledge is important in the search for a treatment for tuberculosis. 9.4 million people are infected with tuberculosis annually and 1.7 million people die as a result.

15 Nov 2012

Research shows reduced plasticity in brains of preterm teens

New research at the University of Adelaide has demonstrated that teenagers born prematurely may suffer brain development problems that directly affect their memory and learning abilities.

14 Nov 2012

Study evaluates benefits of HBO2 therapy on post-concussion symptoms in military personnel with TBI

The average incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among service members deployed in Middle East conflict zones has increased 117% in recent years, mainly due to proximity to explosive blasts. Therapeutic exposure to a high oxygen environment was hoped to minimize the concussion symptoms resulting from mild TBI, but hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment may not offer significant advantages, according to an article in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

14 Nov 2012

Diabetics with low vitamin D levels more likely to develop clogged arteries

People with diabetes often develop clogged arteries that cause heart disease, and new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that low vitamin D levels are to blame.

14 Nov 2012

Study indicates that impact of early-life abuse extend well into older age

The psychological scars of childhood abuse can last well into adulthood. New research from Concordia University shows the harm can have longterm negative physical effects, as well as emotional ones.

14 Nov 2012

Neuroticism can be good for health under certain circumstances

Under certain circumstances neuroticism can be good for your health, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study showing that some self-described neurotics also tended to have the lowest levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a biomarker for inflammation and chronic disease.

14 Nov 2012

Novel electrotherapy reduces energy needed to re-establish normal rhythm in the heart

Implantable defibrillators currently on the market apply between 600 and 900 volts to the heart, almost 10 times the voltage from an electric outlet, says Ajit H. Janardhan, MD, PhD, a cardiac electrophysiology fellow at the Washington University's School of Medicine.

13 Nov 2012

Antioxidant imbalance in abnormal sperm

An imbalance exists in oxidative stress markers, such as reactive nitrogen species, reactive oxygen species, and total antioxidant capacity, in infertile men with abnormal semen parameters, report researchers.

13 Nov 2012

Auto-injector developed for women undergoing fertility treatment

A new auto-injector concept has been designed by innovative product development firm Cambridge Consultants in a bid to ease the trauma for women undergoing fertility treatment.

12 Nov 2012

Reminder of values helps African–Americans interact with physicians

Completing a values-affirmation task before a scheduled visit to the primary care physician could improve communications between African–American patients and their providers, show the results of a randomized, controlled study.

9 Nov 2012

New vaccines and drug treatments urgently needed for bacterial meningitis

New vaccines and drug treatments are urgently needed for bacterial meningitis, a devastating disease which kills or maims around a fifth of people who contract it, according to medical experts writing in a new Series on bacterial meningitis, published in The Lancet.

9 Nov 2012

New method can help identify smoke-divers in danger

Smoke-divers are exposed to high temperatures, physical exhaustion and stress, and they can easily exceed the limits of what good health can tolerate. A new method based on measurements made by a wireless sensor system lets them know when the body has had enough.

9 Nov 2012