New target to prevent, treat alcoholism identified

New research conducted at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, identifies a gene that could provide a new target for developing medication to prevent and treat alcoholism. Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at OHSU discovered a gene that had lower expression in the brains of nonhuman primates that voluntarily consumed heavy amounts of alcohol compared with those that drank less. Furthermore, the research team unraveled a link between alcohol and how it modulates the levels of activity of this particular gene. Researchers discovered that when they increased the levels…

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Jenna Jameson Shares Emotional Before-and-After Photo to Open Up About Weight Loss

Jenna Jameson is opening up about her weight loss again with an encouraging message to fans. The former adult film actress and mother of three sent words of support to people who struggle with self-criticism by posting before-and-after photos of herself in the weeks after giving birth to daughter, Batel Lu, and a more recent selfie. “Here’s my weekly motivational post. YOU ARE ENOUGH. No matter your size. Weight does not define your beauty,” the reality star wrote. “I felt beautiful at my bigger size, I also felt disappointed and unhealthy. Taking…

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Walking with Pokémon

Augmented reality is when apps and games overlay a real-time camera feed with images, characters and data to provide all kinds of interactive experiences. Pokémon GO is a very popular augmented reality game and University of Tokyo researchers revealed for the first time how the game positively impacted the physical activity in players over 40. They hope the findings will inform urban planners and game designers to inspire people to be more active. In November 2014, Yokohama launched the Yokohama Walking Point Program, which aims to improve people’s health. This…

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Blister fluid could help diagnose burn severity

Severe burns can leave physical and psychological scars, especially in children. When a burn patient enters the clinic, doctors use factors such as the depth and size of the burn, as well as the time required for skin healing — or re-epithelialization — to determine the best course of treatment. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research have found another, possibly more accurate way to classify burn severity: analyzing proteins in blister fluid. Diagnosing burn depth, which can continue to increase even hours after the injury initially occurs, takes up…

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