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New insights into the treatment of children and youth exposed to acts of terror

In a cluster of articles released today in the peer reviewed European Journal of Psychotraumatology, researchers provide new insights into the treatment of children and youth exposed to acts of terror. The work is drawn from studies examining the mass shooting at Utoya, Norway in 2011, and two school shootings in Finland – Jokela in 2007 and Kauhajoki in 2008.

A lead researcher in the cluster is noted Norwegian child psychiatrist and terror expert Dr. Grete Dyb of the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies.

How you cope with stress may increase your risk for insomnia

DARIEN, IL – A new study is the first to identify specific coping behaviors through which stress exposure leads to the development of insomnia.

Penn Research lends new insights on conditions for new blood vessel formation

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is essential to the body's development. As organs grow, vascular networks must grow with them to feed new cells and remove their waste. The same process, however, also plays a critical role in the onset and progression of many cancers, as it allows the rapid growth of tumors.

WHO targets elimination of TB in over 30 countries

3 JULY 2014 | ROME, ITALY - The World Health Organization (WHO) today, together with the European Respiratory Society (ERS), presented a new framework to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in countries with low levels of the disease. Today there are 33* countries and territories where there are fewer than 100 TB cases per million population.

Lights out… light pollution alters reproduction cycle in lemurs

Besides obscuring the stars, light pollution can also disrupt the reproduction of light-sensitive animals. French scientists have shown that light pollution can override the natural reproductive cycle of some animals, making them sexually active out of season.

Blood donations could help reduce the risk of heart disease in shift workers

Austrian researchers have found that jetlag has severe effects on red blood cells, possibly explaining the high incidence of heart disease seen in shift workers. However, these effects can be counterbalanced by fresh, young red blood cells – making blood donations a potential therapy for shift workers.

Desert design ... scorpions are master architects

Israeli scientists have discovered that scorpion burrows have a platform on which to warm up before the evening hunt.

Long jumpers do better with a spring in their step

Long jumpers and triple jumpers spend hours training to perfect their take-off. But what influences their performance? Scientists have discovered that taking off from a compliant surface (such as a springboard) compared with a firm, unyielding surface, reduces the energy cost of jumping over long distances.

Limited evidence suggests that combined aerobic and resistance training, rather than either method alone, is best for controllin

A systematic review and meta-analysis of available data published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) suggests that combined aerobic and resistance training, rather than either alone, is best for controlling both blood sugar and blood fat profiles among people with type 2 diabetes. However the authors stress that the strength of the results is weakened when studies with high risk of bias are removed, and thus more high quality trials are needed to make more definitive conclusions.

Hazardous drinking in UK athletes linked with alcohol industry sponsorship

New research from the University of Manchester (UK) and Monash University (Australia) shows a link between alcohol sponsorship and hazardous drinking in UK athletes.

The study, published online today in the scientific journal Addiction, is the first to examine alcohol sponsorship of athletes in the UK, and comes at a time when there are calls in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa for greater restriction or bans of alcohol sponsorship and advertising in sport.

Around two thirds of Viagra may be illegal, warn Dutch experts

At least two-thirds of the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (e.g. Viagra) consumed in the Netherlands may be illegal, warn researchers today.

In a letter published on bmj.com, they say the consumption of illicit drugs might dwarf consumption of legitimate versions – and they call for the further inquiry into the apparent success of rogue online pharmacies.

It follows reports of a record number of fake drugs seized under Operation Pangea VI, which the authors say "is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Lancet: Viewpoints explore public health and health security in the USA and CDC's role in global health

Health security in 2014: building on preparedness knowledge for emerging health threats

Prolonged use of stomach feeding tubes in children may increase risk of stomach fistulas

Pediatric patients with intestinal failure often need gastrostomy tubes, or feeding tubes inserted into an opening created in the stomach, for long-term nutrition. The use of such tubes can lead to persistent gastrocutaneous fistulae, or the failure of the opening to close on its own, resulting in a need for surgical closure.

Gene type confers 26 percent chance of early celiac sign by age 5

More than one quarter of children with two copies of a high-risk variant in a specific group of genes develop an early sign of celiac disease called celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA) by age 5. The findings are from The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in Youth consortium, or TEDDY . The National Institutes of Health-funded study, published July 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine, also found that participants in Sweden had higher rates of celiac disease than participants in the United States, Finland and Germany, even with the same genetic risks.

Brisk walking may improve symptoms of Parkinson's

MINNEAPOLIS – People with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease who regularly walk for exercise may improve their motor function, mood, tiredness, fitness and some aspects of thinking abilities, according to a study published in the July 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.