Guinea ring vaccination trial extended to Sierra Leone to vaccinate contacts of new Ebola case

Detection of a new case of Ebola virus disease in Kambia, Sierra Leone, after the country had marked almost 3 weeks of zero cases has set in motion the first "ring vaccination" use of the experimental Ebola vaccine in Sierra Leone. The source of Ebola virus transmission is being investigated and all the people who may have been in contact with the infected person are being traced.

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Hypnotech – Technology for Hypnosis

A balancing pendulum, a soothing voice and a pair of starry, deep and focused eyes are amongst the common elements imagined when attempting to get into a hypnotic state. Can technology help?

Reaching a state of hypnosis seems to be much simpler with the use of an app or computer. Personally, I have to say that I have used some self-hypnosis techniques which seemed to work. But there does not seem to be any scientific evidence to support their efficacy.

Mystique and debate

Hypnosis is one of those mysterious states of human consciousness known to be the subject of much debate. Some critical views support the idea that it is nothing more than a relaxation technique or a state of heightened suggestibility highly shaped by the existing expectations of the “hypnotised” subject.

According to a range of studies, there is no strong scientific evidence to support the use of hypnosis and this is why it is often spoken of in terms of the placebo effect.

A complementary tool

However, according to many hypnotherapists and proponents of the practice, hypnosis can be a rich resource as well as a popular complementary tool in the treatment of a range of medical conditions and day to day challenges such as stopping smoking, losing weight, overcoming traumas, pain and anxiety and even giving birth naturally with minimum pain relief.

It has also been used to be a complementary therapy in the treatment of skin conditions, irritable bowel syndrome and sleep related conditions.

Hypnosis procedures involve a series of instructions and suggestions which can help us to focus and concentrate in order to then follow further instructions usually designed to help us to achieve a specific goal.

Hypnosis in a gadget

Self-hypnosis techniques can involve the use of gadgets, apps or computers. On the internet we can find a huge range of resources such as written texts, music, videos and audio tracks with instructions, all of which are supposed to be resources which lead us in to a hypnotic state.

Often these materials are supported by other resources such as books and one-to-one or group live courses. It is also possible to find a large number of apps for iPhone and Android on this topic.

According to a recent study which unearthed an astounding 1,455 apps designed for hypnosis for sale on iTunes, it is necessary for users to be aware of issues in responsible app development and use, since none of these apps had been tested for efficacy, or had any evidence offered in support of their functionality.

However, the researchers in this study did conclude that using such apps can be potentially a tool for achieving hypnotic states. It is just that again, technological experimentation and production is racing ahead of the supporting scientific and social science fields surrounding its use, and the popularity of apps designed for a certain function is booming even while the field of related study is itself languishing somewhat.

References

Marc I, Toureche N, Ernst E, Hodnett ED, Blanchet C, Dodin S, & Njoya MM (2011). Mind-body interventions during pregnancy for preventing or treating women’s anxiety. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (7) PMID: 21735413

Sucala, M., Schnur, J., Glazier, K., Miller, S., Green, J., & Montgomery, G. (2013). Hypnosis—There’s an App for That:

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 61 (4), 463-474 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2013.810482

Webb AN, Kukuruzovic R, Catto-Smith AG, Sawyer SM. Hypnotherapy for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD005110. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005110.pub2.

Image via Alta Oosthuizen / Shutterstock.

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Start Your Hike on The Right Foot with Proper Footwear

Expert gives tips on avoiding and dealing with injury

Source: HealthDay via Exercise and Physical Fitness New Links: MedlinePlus RSS Feed Read More Here..

Start Your Hike on The Right Foot with Proper Footwear

Expert gives tips on avoiding and dealing with injury

Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Exercise and Physical Fitness, Foot Health, Foot Injuries and Disorders via MedlinePlus Health News Read More Here..

Impulsive, Agitated Behaviors May Be Warning Signs for Suicide

New study of more than 2,800 people with depression might give clearer clues to state of mind, experts say
Source: HealthDay
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Hate Hangovers? Then Don't Drink Too Much

Researchers say supposed cures don't chase away that woozy morning-after misery
Source: HealthDay
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FDA Warns of Joint Pain Tied to Common Type 2 Diabetes Drugs

Agency advises users with such symptoms to contact their doctor

Source: HealthDay
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As Tropical Storm Erika Eyes Southeastern U.S., Residents Need to Prepare

People should have emergency communication plan in place, stock up on essential supplies

Source: HealthDay
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Guidelines for Preventing Catheter Infections in ICU Often Ignored

Only 44 percent of health-care providers said they follow CDC recommendations
Source: HealthDay
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How Parents Add to Math Anxiety

Voicing concerns, helping with homework may increase child's fear, study finds

Source: HealthDay
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Many Seniors with Cancer Use Alternative Medicines

And a majority of these patients don't tell their doctors about it
Source: HealthDay
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Settling the Back-To-School Jitters

Mental health expert says some kids get anxious about returning to the classroom, but parents can help

Source: HealthDay
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Women Soldiers No More Likely to Develop PTSD, Study Finds

No reason to keep females from combat, researchers say

Source: HealthDay
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FDA Approves Repatha for High Cholesterol

A leading cause of heart disease
Source: HealthDay
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Could Oral Contraceptives Help Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Only association was seen, and older women shouldn't take the pill to treat symptoms, experts say

Source: HealthDay
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Obesity May Be Linked to Greater Risk of Stillbirth

High blood pressure, placental problems could be the connection, researchers say
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Neurologist Oliver Sacks dies aged 82

British neurologist Oliver Sacks dies at the age of 82. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'Pre-suicide behaviour' identified

Depressed people who display "risky behaviour", agitation and impulsivity are at least 50% more likely to attempt suicide, a study finds. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

VIDEO: Study identifies suicide symptoms

An international study says it has identified common behaviour patterns which often precede suicide attempts. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

NHS tests implanted sugar monitor

A blood sugar monitor that can stay in the body for five months is being tested on NHS patients with type 1 diabetes. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Paid to poo: Combating open defecation in India

Indian scheme aims to encourage better toilet habits via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Mapping The Brain – Just How Hard Is It?

Some say it’s the most complex object in the universe, but just how difficult is it going to be to finally understand how the human brain works?

If we take a purely anatomical view, the numbers become a little daunting. The brain is made up of maybe a hundred billion neurons, 100 trillion connections (synapses), and a 100 billion non-neuronal cells (glia). Our knowledge of the human brain is so sparse that even these numbers have to be taken with a pinch of salt. This is without mention of what’s going on inside the cells with its different neurotransmitters, synaptic vesicles, transport proteins and the unbelievable number of other proteins that allow neurons to function normally.

This complexity is what drives neuroscience research and hints at why treatments for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia lag so far behind that of other conditions: Without understanding how the normal brain is wired we can never know how it can go wrong. The sheer scale, intricacy and complexity of the brain is one of the main reasons why large initiatives like the White House’s BRAIN Initiative are so important – but the magnitude of the task at hand can be daunting.

A recent study from researchers at Harvard University demonstrates just how complicated, densely packed and intricate mammalian brains are, but provides hope that these problems one day may become tractable. The Lichtman lab took an area of the mouse neocortex, the most recently evolved and arguably most complex part of the brain, measuring just 1500 cubic microns and set out to reconstruct every 3-dimensional object in this area.

To do this, the piece of tissue was cut into impossibly thin sections measuring of 29 nanometres. To put this into context, a standard piece of paper of paper is around 100 microns (or 0.1 millimeters) thick, you would have to slice that piece of paper into about 3,448 sections to get slices of the same thickness. Each of these brain sections was then imaged with a scanning electron microscope, which blasts a beam of electrons at the sections measuring how they are scattered when they come into contact with the sample.

2,250 sections later, the tiny piece of mouse brain was digitally reconstructed. For this reconstruction the authors had to design new ways to analyze the imaging data, and they have made these techniques freely available to other researchers. This means other groups will now be able to tackle similar problems on a larger scale.

This is not to say that this was a mere proof of principle study, even understanding tiny area can give us important information about how the brain works. Just by looking at the roughly 1,600 fragments of neurons and 1,700 connections, they were able to solve a fundamental problem in neuroanatomy. They showed that when neurons form connections with each other, they do not just make contact with whoever happens to be their neighbor, they can ignore those cells closest to them and seek out a more appropriate wiring partner somewhere else.

What about mapping the whole brain though, is all lost, is it just too large and complicated to tackle? Indeed, it would take an incredible amount of time to reconstruct an entire mouse brain – it took six years for this tiny fragment, and the mouse brain is obviously much smaller than that of a human. But there are several reasons for hope.

First, the technology used in this study is advancing all the time, meaning that future investigations can advance more quickly. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it’s likely not necessary to reconstruct the entire brain in such exquisite detail. The principles of connectivity and structural features that this study unveiled will likely be applicable to many other parts of the brain – meaning that future studies can take a broader look at neuroanatomy.

It may have only been 1,500 cubic microns, but it represents a great chunk of progress in understanding brain connections.

References

Abbott, A. (2015). Crumb of mouse brain reconstructed in full detail Nature, 524 (7563), 17-17 DOI: 10.1038/nature.2015.18105

Kasthuri, N., Hayworth, K., Berger, D., Schalek, R., Conchello, J., Knowles-Barley, S., Lee, D., Vázquez-Reina, A., Kaynig, V., Jones, T., Roberts, M., Morgan, J., Tapia, J., Seung, H., Roncal, W., Vogelstein, J., Burns, R., Sussman, D., Priebe, C., Pfister, H., & Lichtman, J. (2015). Saturated Reconstruction of a Volume of Neocortex Cell, 162 (3), 648-661 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.06.054

Ostroff, L., & Zeng, H. (2015). Electron Microscopy at Scale Cell, 162 (3), 474-475 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.031

Image via vitstudio / Shutterstock.

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The Man Who Wasn’t There: Exploring the science of the self

We're learning a lot about being human from people with a fragmented or distorted sense of self, finds a new book









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"Bio-detection" dogs in trial to be used for prostate cancer sniffing

Many urologists agree that the PSA test for detecting prostate cancer is often unreliable, but it remains widely used because there are no other relatively inexpensive tests. Researchers in Britain say this method may soon be replaced with dogs trained to sniff out the type of cancer that, according to the American Cancer Society, affects one in every 7 men. VOA’s George Putic reports:



It takes 6 months to train a dog to detect prostate cancer. According to the report, trained dogs can detect prostate tumors in urine in 93 percent of cases.

"These dogs have the ability to screen hundreds of samples in a day; it's something they find very easy, they enjoy their work. To them it's a hunt game - they find the cancer."

The alternative, "electronic nose" sensitivity is well below the one of a dog. A dog can find 1 part per trillion. An electronic nose is unable to find anything below 1 per million.

References:

Cancer sniffing dogs to aid British doctors. Reuters. http://buff.ly/1PWNrOL

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Middle-aged and Driving While Distracted

Source: HealthDay -
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Drinking water 'no hangover cure'

Snacking or drinking water after a heavy night of drinking alcohol does not prevent a hangover, research on Dutch students suggests. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Live cells stuck together like Velcro could mend broken hearts

Heart cells grown on a special mesh can be built up into living, beating tissue that could mend damage after heart attacks









via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..

Even Short Bouts of Activity May Help Kids' Health

Three minutes every half hour for three hours lowered blood sugar levels, study says

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FDA Approves Second Drug in New Class of Cholesterol-Lowering Medications

Trials showed Repatha slashed 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels in those who couldn't tolerate statins
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'Goth' Teens Report More Depression, Self-Harm

But study findings didn't prove cause-and-effect, only showed an association

Source: HealthDay
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High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy May Reappear Later in Life

Genetics might play a key role in the findings, researchers say

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Black Women at Raised Risk of Carrying Breast Cancer Genes

In study of those under 50 with invasive form of disease, 12 percent had BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations

Source: HealthDay
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Despite Pockets of Resistance, Most U.S. Kids Getting Vaccinated

Health officials call the finding heartening, but worry about lingering opposition to inoculations

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Antibiotics Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Researchers don't know if the drugs signal developing disease, or contribute to it

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Even Short Bouts of Activity May Help Kids' Health

Three minutes every half hour for three hours lowered blood sugar levels, study says

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Healthier School Meals Offered Across U.S., Feds Find

Students get more fruits and veggies, less salt

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How Reliable Are Medical Studies? Half of Findings Couldn't Be Replicated

Healthy skepticism needed for some scientific claims, researcher says

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Injuries Tied to Illegal Meth Labs on the Rise

'Shake-and-bake' chemical explosions are one common, dangerous accident, agency report says

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Gains in Life Spans Seen Around the Globe

Data from 188 countries show average life expectancy is now about 71 years
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Longer Colonoscopy Time May Cut Cancer Risk

Viewing time of less than 6 minutes linked to higher cancer rates, study finds

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Liver Damage from Hepatitis C More Widespread Than Thought

If left undetected, it can lead to liver failure and even death, study authors note

Source: HealthDay
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Summer Is High Time for College Kids Trying Illegal Substances

But illicit painkiller use tends to begin in winter, study finds

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Health Tip: Balance Homework with Down Time

Do what works for your child
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All about hair loss (alopecia) - Deutsche Welle expert interview

Dr. Andreas Finner (Trichomed Praxis Berlin) talks about what everyone can do to keep a full head of hair and about the best methods for treating hair loss:



Today's Hair-Loss Treatments: Drugs

Minoxidil shampoo

Patients can buy an OTC shampoo with an ingredient called minoxidil. Minoxidil (Rogaine) fights androgenic alopecia in both men and women. It's still not entirely clear how minoxidil works. Used properly -- twice a day, massaged deep into the scalp -- it slows new hair loss. Two-thirds of men do get acceptable hair growth. "It is not something a bald person would use, but someone starting to go bald would use it. The goal is to maintain the hair you have."

An example from Amazon:



Propecia pill

Propecia (finasteride) works only for men. It keeps the male sex hormone testosterone from forming its DHT by-product. Many men use both minoxidil shampoo and Propecia pill for maximum effect.

Today's Hair-Loss Treatments: Surgery

Surgeons can transplant hair follicles from the sides and back of the head to the top of the head.

Future Hair-Loss Treatments

- "Hair cloning" although a more accurate name is hair duplication. Follicular stem cells are packaged into follicle-inducing implants.

- Gene therapy. A gene called sonic hedgehog can convert resting hair into growing hair.

Sonic the Hedgehog animation character from Amazon:



References:

Future Hair-Loss Treatments Promise What's not Hair Today will Be Hair Tomorrow. WebMD.

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GPs back campaign for sugar tax

RCGP supports TV chef drive for tax on sugary drinks Related items from OnMedica Links between sugar industry and public health scientists revealed Parents urged to cut sugary drinks from children’s diets Campaign to cut sugar intake Survey reveals fast food salt lottery High levels of obesity in under 5-year-olds, warn experts

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Life expectancy rising alongside illness and disability

Global life expectancy rises 6.2 years since 1990 Related items from OnMedica Only one in 20 of world’s population has no ailments UK lagging behind most of Europe on health UK ‘can and should do better’ in many areas of healthcare Huge variations in cardiovascular death rates across Europe Climate change poses major threat to health

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Down in the dumps? Don’t worry, your brain is still on point

When the grey clouds gather, thinking seems like a real effort. But a bad mood has no bearing on your IQ, whereas a sunny mood seems to make you think faster









via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..