(From Science Daily) A new study looks at how female versus male rats fared after suffering a trauma and subsequent hemorrhagic shock who were given Estradiol (estrogen). In the study, published in the September 2010 issue of Shock by Dr. Ed W. Childs and colleagues at Scott & White Healthcare, the Estradiol prevented vascular permeability following hemorrhagic shock. (more…)

(From Science Daily) A group of “professional couch potatoes,” as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise — in this case walking at one’s own pace for 40 minutes three times a week — can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks. (more…)

(From Science Daily) A study led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist Richard Anderson suggests that a water soluble extract of cinnamon, which contains antioxidative compounds, could help reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Alcohol increases the risk of lobular and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, but not necessarily invasive ductal carcinomas, according to a study published August 23 online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Together with colleagues from an international research group, autism researcher Christopher Gillberg of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found in a new study that autism can be partially explained by abnormalities in certain genes. The group’s results could, in the long run, pave the way for more appropriate treatments for autism. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Researchers at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center have identified two drugs that, when combined, may serve as an effective treatment for HIV. The two drugs, decitabine and gemcitabine — both FDA approved and currently used in pre-cancer and cancer therapy — were found to eliminate HIV infection in the mouse model by causing the virus to mutate itself to death — an outcome researchers dubbed “lethal mutagenesis.” (more…)

(From the AP) A Southern California company is recalling nearly 300,000 eggs because they come from one of two Iowa farms whose eggs have been linked to salmonella poisoning. Moark, LLC of Fontana said in a news release Sunday that they are recalling 24,300 dozen eggs produced by Hillandale Farms of Iowa and sold in Southern California and Las Vegas. (more…)

Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa yesterday expanded its recall of eggs that are potentially tainted with Salmonella enteritidis. The recall now applies to 10 additional states, bringing the total number of states impacted to 18 nationwide. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urges residents to double-check the eggs in their refrigerators to ensure that they do not have any of the affected product. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a study published in the August 18, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. (more…)

Striving to provide current and future small business owners with all the tools and resources needed to be successful in today’s economic climate, in September the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by College of the Canyons and the Advanced Technology Incubator (ATI) will host the free conference Health Insurance Solutions for the first time.  (more…)

(From Science Daily) Scientists have discovered an accomplice in breast cancer — a master control switch with the power to set off a cascade of reactions orchestrated by a cancer-causing gene (or oncogene) named Wnt1. This executive molecule and its modus operandi are reported in back-to-back papers featured on the cover of the August 15 issue of Cancer Research. (more…)

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today cautioned residents to be aware of two nationwide food recalls of products linked to Salmonella outbreaks that have sickened hundreds in California, including dozens of people in Los Angeles County. The recalled products include certain eggs from Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa; and frozen mamey pulp from COCO, S.A. of Guatemala. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) Los Angeles County expects more than $60 million from Washington to fund health services for the poor after President Obama signed into law a $26.1-billion state aid measure. The money will prevent further cuts in health and mental healthcare services for patients on Medi-Cal, the government insurance program for the poor, and will support in-home care for the frail and elderly. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists who studied hundreds of adults of all ages. Psychology professor Melanie Mallers, PhD, of California State University-Fullerton presented the findings August 12 at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. (more…)

(From Science Daily) The reduced effectiveness of mammographic screening in women in their forties is primarily due to lower detectability instead of faster tumor growth rate, according to a study published online July 27 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Mammography screening outcomes, measured in terms of tumor size, lifetime gained and mortality, have typically been poorer in women in their forties than women in their fifties, partly because tumors of younger women tend to grow more quickly, so by the time they grow to a detectable size, they would have likely already been detected by a routine examination. (more…)

(From Science Daily) While women have been making a fashion statement in high heels for years — wearing trendy stilettos, wedges, pumps and kitten heels — there’s reason for concern about what those heels may be doing to their knees and joints over time. A new study by an Iowa State University kinesiology master’s student has found that prolonged wearing of and walking in high heels can contribute to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis. (more…)

Due to fire activity in the Antelope Valley, air quality in parts of Los Angeles County may be affected. Health officials urge all residents living and working in areas of visible smoke or where there is an odor of smoke to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity. “Everyone should avoid any outdoor or indoor exertion or exercise in smoke-impacted areas,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity. “This result surprised us,” says the study’s senior author Shin-ichiro Imai, MD, PhD, an expert in aging research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “It demonstrates that SIRT1 in the brain is tied into a mechanism that allows animals to survive when food is scarce. And this might be involved with the lifespan-increasing effect of low-calorie diets.” (more…)