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Schools Must Teach Children About Healthy Eating

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Like many good things imbibed at school, healthy eating habits formed for life may have its foundation in school, a recent study has outlined. In that respect, schools do carry a responsibility to inculcate good eating attitudes in children. The Healthy ONES (Healthy Options for Nutrition Environments in Schools) study encouraged collaboration of communities and schools to inspire children to eat healthy. Loel Solomon, PhD, vice president of community ...

Health Benefits of the Golden Liquid

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Honey is the natural sugar that has diverse antibiotic and antiseptic properties. It is also a best constituent for instant energy, fast weight loss and luxurious cosmetics and anti-allergy remedies.

Successful Women Work on Their Weight and Keep Slim

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A recent study by National Obesity Observatory (NOO), UK, has pointed out that women in good positions at the workplace take care to maintain their weight and are much slimmer than professional women 15 years back. Comparing this trend with men, the study found that men just got fatter as they rose professionally. Call it a sexist opinion, but some experts feel that women are judged by their appearance, much more than their skill. And knowing this, women may not ...

Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Turmeric Preserve Walking Ability

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In rats with spinal cord injury, diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and an ingredient in curry spice preserves walking ability, finds study. "Normal aging often narrows the spinal canal, putting pressure on the spinal cord and injuring tissue," explained principal investigator Dr. Langston Holly, associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "While surgery can relieve the pressure and prevent further injury, it can''t repair ...

Baby's Growth Rate Slows Down When Pregnant Women Stand for Long Periods

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Standing for long periods during pregnancy may affect the growth of the developing fetus, suggests research published online in iOccupational and Environmental Medicine/i. Previous research has indicated that long working hours may increase the risk of birth defects, premature birth, stillbirth and low birthweight. The researchers assessed the fetal growth rates of 4680 mums to be from early pregnancy onwards between 2002 and 2006. Midway ...

Dietary Fiber Nurtures Health-promoting Bacteria, Improves Gastrointestinal Health

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Dietary fiber is not only for good bowel movement but also promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria and protects gastrointestinal health, a study found. A University of Illinois study shows that dietary fiber helps to facilitate a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria. And the microbes that live in the gut, scientists now believe, can support a healthy gastrointestinal tract as well as affect our susceptibility ...

NY Times to Launch Chinese News Website

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New York Times to launch Chinese-language website to deliver high quality coverage of world affairs to readers in China. A statement from the prestigious US daily said it was "launching a beta version of a new online Chinese-language edition designed to bring New York Times journalism to China." The site, was to launch in Beijing early Thursday, or late Wednesday New York time. "The goal of the new site is to provide China's growing number ...

Study Finds Smoking, Head Injury, Pesticide Use Can Trigger Rare Sleep Disorder Risk

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Risk factors for a rare sleep disorder that causes people to kick or punch during sleep, could include smoking, head injury, pesticide exposure, farming and less education, according to a study published in the June 27, 2012, online issue of iNeurology/i, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People with the disorder, called REM sleep behavior disorder, do not have the normal lack of muscle tone that occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) ...

New Screening Test to Help People With Hearing Loss in China

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The University of Southampton has developed a new hearing screening test which could help the estimated 100 million people suffering from hearing loss in China. This new Chinese version is based on a hearing screening test developed by the University's Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), which has already been taken by more than a million people across Europe. The tests aim to address the fact that hundreds of millions of people worldwide ...

Dirty Side of US Beaches, Study Finds Sewage, Bacteria

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About 3.5 million people get sick each year due to sewage in sea waters from some US beaches that are dirty places, said an annual study Wednesday that rates American beaches by how dirty they are. The Natural Resources Defense Council report included 3,000 beaches nationwide and listed 15 "repeat offenders" that have turned up again and again in the pollution rankings. Those included four beaches in Louisiana, Avalon and Doheny State Beaches in southern ...

First Drug in 13 Years to Treat Obesity Approved in US

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A drug called lorcaserin, marketed as Belviq and made by Arena Pharmaceuticals was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday as the first drug to treat obesity in 13 years. "The US Food and Drug Administration today approved Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management," it said in a statement. The drug works to control the appetite through receptors in the ...

New Vaccine to Treat Nicotine Addiction

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An innovative vaccine to treat nicotine addiction has been developed by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers. In the journal IScience Translational Medicine/I, the scientists describe how a single dose of their novel vaccine protects mice, over their lifetime, against nicotine addiction. The vaccine is designed to use the animal's liver as a factory to continuously produce antibodies that gobble up nicotine the moment it enters the bloodstream, preventing ...

Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammatory Biomarkers

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Metabolic syndrome is also known as metabolic syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome, syndrome X, CHAOS (in Australia) and Reaven's syndrome. It is a cluster of medical disorders that together increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. Generally, metabolic syndrome patients are overweight and hypertensive. Presence of any three of the following traits in an individual increases his/her chances of developing ...

Two-drug Regimen Effective in Reducing Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission During Delivery

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A recent study concluded that a two-drug regimen comprising of zidovudine for 6 weeks along with three doses of nevirapine is safe and effective in reducing transmission of HIV from mother to the infant during delivery. The mothers in these cases did not receive prior HIV treatment. Children are the unfortunate victims of HIV that is transmitted from the HIV-infected mother while the baby is in the uterus or during childbirth. Some studies have ...

Novel Compound Holds Promise for Treating Genetic Disorders in Muscles

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A new compound holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other inherited disorders. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is a degenerative muscle disease that affects boys almost exclusively. It involves the progressive degeneration of voluntary and cardiac muscles, severely limiting the life span of sufferers. In a new study, senior author Carmen Bertoni, an assistant professor in the UCLA Department of Neurology, first author ...

Simple Blood Test to Track Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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A simple blood test for rheumatoid arthritis proves effective in study, reveal University of Alabama researchers. "Previously, the disease activity of RA was assessed through clinical observation by a physician, noting the number of tender and swollen joints and assessing pain and functional abilities," said Jeffrey Curtis, M.D., associate professor in the division of clinical immunology and rheumatology and lead author of the study. "This blood test measures ...

New Cancer Stem Cell Mechanism Identified

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An association between two genes which shows how stem cells could develop into cancer has been identified by scientists. The research, published in the online journal iPLoS ONE/i, found a novel mechanism which could be the catalyst for stem cells changing into a tumour. Dr Ahmad Waseem, a reader in oral dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London who led the research, said: "It was quite an unexpected discovery. We set out to investigate ...

Diet Rich in Vegetables may Help Stave Off Acute Pancreatitis: Study

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Dietary intake of vegetables may help stave off the development of acute pancreatitis, say researchers. Pancreatitis refers to inflammation of the pancreas - the gland behind the stomach, which, among other things, releases digestive enzymes to break down food. Occasionally these enzymes become active inside the pancreas, and start to digest the gland itself. In up to one in five of those with acute pancreatitis symptoms are severe and potentially life threatening. ...

Vitamin D Deficiency Common Among Adolescents Evaluated for Weight-Loss Surgery: Study

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A new study demonstrates that most adolescents preparing for weight-loss, or bariatric surgery are deficient in vitamin D. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society''s 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. "This is particularly important prior to bariatric surgery where weight loss and decreased calcium and vitamin D absorption in some procedures may place these patients at further risk," said study lead author Marisa Censani, M.D., pediatric-endocrinology ...

Neuron to Neuron Affected By Alzheimer's

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Dead neurons and forgotten thoughts are left in the wake of the inexorable spread of Alzheimer's disease through the brain. Researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden are the first to show how toxic proteins are transferred from neuron to neuron.Through experiments on stained neurons, the research team - under the leadership of Martin Hallbeck, associate professor of Pathology - has been able to depict the process of neurons being invaded by diseased proteins ...

Study Says Hormone Replacement Therapy Improves Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

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In men with testosterone deficiency, hormone replacement therapy improves symptoms of metabolic syndrome, say researchers. Metabolic syndrome comprises a cluster of complications that can increase the risk of heart and blood-vessel disease as well as type 2 diabetes. These complications include excess body weight, especially around the waist and torso, and abnormal concentrations of fat in the blood, known as lipids. In particular, patients with metabolic syndrome ...

Reproductive Hormone Shows Potential as Weight Loss Treatment

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Oxytocin - a reproductive hormone helps regulate food intake and energy metabolism and shows potential as an effective weight-loss treatment, say researchers. Secreted by the brain, the neural hormone, oxytocin, helps initiate contractions of the uterus and breast-milk-producing glands during childbirth and nursing. Prior research by lead author Yuko Maejima, Ph.D., and her co-investigators also linked oxytocin to the process of controlling energy intake and use. ...

Are We Ready to Perform Therapeutic Homicide?

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An editorial published in iCMAJ/i (iCanadian Medical Association Journal/i) stated that a new report from the province of Quebec that recommends medical assistance to die will reignite the debate over euthanasia in Canada. The Dying with Dignity commission of the Quebec National Assembly recently issued its report after two years of public and expert consultation and research. Advocates of this approach argue that medically assisted death is ...

Condor Lead Poisoning Persists: Study

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According to a new study the California condor is chronically endangered by lead exposure from ammunition and requires ongoing human intervention for population stability and growth. This study was led by the University of California, Santa Cruz, and involving the University of Colorado Boulder. Since 1982, the condor population has increased from 22 to approximately 400, but only through intensive management including captive breeding, monitoring and veterinary ...

Progress in Huntington's Therapies Reported By Well-known Author and Historian

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Since the discovery of the genetic marker for the disease in 1983, our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of Huntington's disease (HD) has grown at a dramatic pace. Though the therapies to treat the disease lag behind these laboratory discoveries, disease altering interventions are moving closer to the clinic. In the inaugural issue of the iJournal of Huntington's Disease/i Alice Wexler recounts important milestones along the journey towards a treatment or cure ...

Gut Hormone Receptor in Brain is Key to Gastric Emptying Rate: Study

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Discovery of how a hormone in the gut slows the rate at which the stomach empties and thus suppresses hunger and food intake has been made by researchers. The results of this animal study will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. "The gut hormone glucagon-like peptide 2, or GLP-2, functions as a neurotransmitter and fine-tunes gastric emptying through-as suspected-its receptor action in the brain," said the lead investigator, ...

Estrogen Removal from Drinking Water Using Biological Filters

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Removal of estrogens from waste water and drinking water with the help of a biological filter. Setting their sights high are the 15 Bielefeld students submitting this project to the 'international Genetically Engineered Machine competition' (iGEM) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, USA. They are trying to persuade internationally active companies and associations in the biotechnology and chemistry sector to contribute several ten thousands ...

A Story Unfolding: Prions And Cancer

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Prions are very unique infectious particles. They are the causal agents of Mad Cow and other diseases. They are proteins in which the complex molecular three-dimensional folding process just went astray. The misfolding nature of prions is associated to their ability to sequester their normal counterparts and induce them to also adopt a misfolding conformation. The ever-growing crowd of misfolded proteins form the aggregates seen in diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. ...

Have You Ever Wondered What Olympic Athletes Eat?

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Paving the road to the games for most Olympic athletes are a stunning quantity of foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates. These food help keep the athletes trim and often slim as seen on TV. Turkish javelin thrower Fatih Avan says that he is mindful of what he puts in his stomach while training for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. "I may have become an elite athlete with my good performances but I can only be a great athlete if I can win an Olympic ...

Enhancement Of Skill Learning Using Stimulation During Sleep

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A new provocative Northwestern University research suggests that if you want to nail that tune that you've practiced and practiced, then you should take a nap with the same melody playing during your sleep. The research grows out of exciting existing evidence that suggests that memories can be reactivated during sleep and storage of them can be strengthened in the process. In the Northwestern study, research participants learned how to play two artificially ...

Men's Testosterone Levels Improve With Weight Loss

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A new study has found a connection between weight loss and improved testosterone levels. During the study, researchers found that 50% of overweight, middle-aged men with pre-diabetes and low testosterone levels who lost weight by altering their lifestyle experienced an increase in testosterone levels. "Doctors should first encourage overweight men with low testosterone levels to try to lose weight through diet and exercise, before resorting to testosterone therapy ...

Male Contraceptive in the Form of a Lotion

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New research has led to the development of a reversible birth control method which involves the application of gels through the skin. The research team found that these transdermal gels, a combination of the male hormone testosterone and a new synthetic progestin called Nestorone, can help in reducing sperm production. This would obviously result in very low sperm count. The benefit of the transdermal gel is that it is non-invasive and can be applied ...

Diet Low in Carbs Burns Calories the most

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A new study has revealed that the human body can efficiently burn more calories on certain diets, especially a diet low on carbohydrates rather than a diet low on fat. Foods with low glycemic index helped people burn 150 more calories a day than compared to a low-fat diet. "The quality of the calories going in affects the number of the calories going out", researchers said. Although with a low-carb diet people burned the most calories, research found that ...

Settings on Brain Shunt Devices may Get Altered by Magnets in IPad2

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A 4-month-old baby with hydrocephalus intrigued scientists after the child began to experience a shunt malfunction, even though it was just three weeks after the implant. The baby's mother recalled there was an occasion when she had used the iPad close to the baby's head. This led researchers from the University of Michigan to conduct a study to test the iPad 2 with and without an Apple Smart Cover, which contains additional magnets and is frequently used as cover for ...

New Treatment Protocol Increases Survival in Some Cases of Previously Inoperable Pancreatic Cancer

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A new approach to treating previously inoperable complex pancreatic adenocarcinoma that has significantly increased long-term survival for some patients has been reported by investigators at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the most devastating forms of pancreatic cancer with survival rates of only 5 percent at five years. Surgical removal of these tumors offers a chance for cure, but it is estimated ...

Trial Offers Hope to Reduce Use of Radiation in Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment

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A multicenter trial showed that nearly half of young patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured without undergoing either irradiation or intensive chemotherapy that could trigger serious side effects and leave them at risk for second cancers, infertility, heart and other problems later. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led this multi-institution study, which focused on pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma patients without widespread disease ...

Study Shows Stepped-care Intervention Results in Successful Weight Loss at Lower Cost

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Standard behavioral weight loss intervention among overweight and obese adults results in greater average weight loss over 18 months, but a stepped care intervention resulted in clinically meaningful weight loss that cost less to implement, as shown in a study in the June 27 issue of iJAMA/i. "Most weight loss programs are intensive during the initial weeks of treatment, become less intensive over time, and maintain a fixed contact schedule for participants ...