ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, February 5, 2010
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Possible source of beta cell destruction that leads to Type 1 diabetes (February 5, 2010) -- Doctors have been studying the role of the enzyme 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LO) in the development of Type 1 diabetes. They hope that targeting this enzyme will hold the key to reversing the disease. ... > full story
Novel surgery may help young trauma patients avoid total hip replacements (February 5, 2010) -- A novel surgery using transplanted bone and cartilage may help young patients avoid a hip replacement after a specific traumatic injury to the hip joint, according to a new study. ... > full story
New method improves eating skills of dementia patients (February 5, 2010) -- New research has shown for the first time that it is possible to improve the eating skills and nutritional status of older people with dementia. ... > full story
Ancient human teeth show that stress early in development can shorten life span (February 5, 2010) -- Ancient human teeth are telling secrets that may relate to modern-day health: Some stressful events that occurred early in development are linked to shorter lifespans. "Prehistoric remains are providing strong, physical evidence that people who acquired tooth enamel defects while in the womb or early childhood tended to die earlier, even if they survived to adulthood," says anthropologist George Armelagos, who recently published the first summary of prehistoric evidence for the Barker hypothesis. ... > full story
Scientists ID a protein that splices and dices genes (February 5, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that the protein MRG15, which previously had been known to affect cell growth and aging, also directs the gene-splicing machinery. As people or animals age, this machinery can go awry, producing nonsense proteins. The finding thus has potential implications for therapies to treat both cancer and aging. ... > full story
Cell mechanism leading to diabetic blindness identified (February 5, 2010) -- Scientists have long known that high blood sugar levels from diabetes damage blood vessels in the eye, but they didn't know why or how. Now a Michigan State University scientist has discovered the process that causes retinal cells to die, which could lead to new treatments that halt the damage. ... > full story
Mandatory policy boosts influenza vaccination rate among health care workers (February 5, 2010) -- A mandatory influenza vaccination policy improves immunization rates among health care workers, according to a recent study of a large health care organization. ... > full story
Potential evolutionary role for same-sex attraction (February 4, 2010) -- Male homosexuality doesn't make complete sense from an evolutionary point of view. One possible explanation is what evolutionary psychologists call the "kin selection hypothesis." What that means is that homosexuality may convey an indirect benefit by enhancing the survival prospects of close relatives. ... > full story
Genes of pregnant women and their fetuses can increase risk of preterm labor (February 4, 2010) -- New evidence that genetics play a significant role in some premature births may help explain why a woman can do everything right and still give birth too soon. Researchers have identified DNA variants in mothers and fetuses that appear to increase the risk for preterm labor and delivery. ... > full story
Prolactin blocks oncogene associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have found a mechanism by which a hormone responsible for milk production blocks an oncogene that makes breast cancer more aggressive. ... > full story
New computational tool for cancer treatment (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an approach for creating new IDO inhibitors by computer-assisted structure-based drug design. ... > full story
From music to sports: Autonomy fosters passion among kids (February 4, 2010) -- Parents take heed: children and young adults are more likely to pursue sports, music or other pastimes when given an opportunity to nurture their own passion. According to a new study, parental control can predict whether a child develops a harmonious or obsessive passion for a hobby. ... > full story
Use of acetaminophen in pregnancy associated with increased asthma symptoms in children (February 4, 2010) -- Children who were exposed to acetaminophen prenatally were more likely to have asthma symptoms at age five in a study of 300 African-American and Dominican Republic children living in New York City. This is the first study to demonstrate a direct link between asthma and an ability to detoxify foreign substances in the body. ... > full story
Three brain diseases linked by toxic form of same neural protein (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have found that three different degenerative brain disorders are linked by a toxic form of the same protein. Elk-1 was found in clumps of misshaped proteins that are the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. This suggests a molecular link between the presence of inclusions and neuronal loss that is shared across a spectrum of neurodegenerative disease. Identifying these links could open up novel avenues for therapeutic intervention. ... > full story
Acupuncture found effective against depression during pregnancy (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for depression during pregnancy. ... > full story
Scientists map epigenome of human stem cells during development (February 4, 2010) -- Singapore and US scientists have mapped major components of the epigenome and DNA methylation for the entire human DNA sequence, and compared three cell types representing three stages of human development. ... > full story
Baker's yeast: A promising, natural therapy for cancer? (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers are investigating the potential use of nonpathogenic baker's yeast as a promising, natural therapy for cancer. ... > full story
Link between human birth defect syndrome, cancer metastasis explored (February 4, 2010) -- Some cells are natural rule-breakers. Neural crest cells for example, not only migrate throughout the body during development (most cells are more selective in their wandering), they are also more developmentally flexible than their predecessors (a no-no for nearly all cell types). Now researchers have shown that a protein that controls DNA accessibility is responsible for the cells' unruly ways. ... > full story
Pay it forward: Elevation leads to altruistic behavior (February 4, 2010) -- Seeing someone perform a virtuous deed (especially if they are helping another person), makes us feel good -- a positive, uplifting emotion, known as "elevation." New findings suggest that elevation may lead to helping behavior: participants who viewed an uplifting TV clip spent almost twice as long helping a research assistant than participants who saw a neutral TV clip or a comedy clip. ... > full story
Magnetic nanoparticles show promise for combating human cancer (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists at Georgia Tech and the Ovarian Cancer Institute have further developed a potential new treatment against cancer that uses magnetic nanoparticles to attach to cancer cells, removing them from the body. The treatment, tested in mice in 2008, has now been tested using samples from human cancer patients. ... > full story
Scientists find ideal target for malaria therapy (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a protein made by the malaria parasite that is essential to its ability to take over human red blood cells. ... > full story
Laboratory 'gunfights' show that movement is swiftest in response to events in the environment (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists have carried out "laboratory gunfights" to show that we move faster when we react to something in our environment than we do when we initiate the action ourselves -- an idea inspired by cowboy movies but in reality more useful for avoiding oncoming traffic. ... > full story
Immune protein fends off exotic virus (February 4, 2010) -- A study shows that antiviral proteins called type I interferons (IFNs) are needed to fend off infection with an exotic mosquito-borne virus called Chikungunya virus. This pathogen, which causes high fevers and severe joint pain, triggered a recent epidemic in Southeast Asia, infecting more than 30 percent of the population in some areas. ... > full story
New class of AIDS drug? Two compounds lay foundation, help combat drug-resistant virus strains (February 4, 2010) -- A team of scientists has identified two compounds that act on novel binding sites for an enzyme used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. The discovery lays the foundation for the development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs to enhance existing therapies, treat drug-resistant strains of the disease, and slow the evolution of drug resistance in the virus. ... > full story
Chemists discover how antiviral drugs bind to and block flu virus (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have determined where an antiviral drug binds to and blocks a channel necessary for the flu virus to spread. The team also discovered that the drug spins in the channel, meaning there could be room for developing drugs that do a better job blocking the channel and stopping the flu. ... > full story
Cord blood-derived CD133+ cells improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have evaluated the therapeutic potential of purified and expanded CD133+ cells human umbilical cord blood (HUCB)-derived in treating myocardial infarction by intramyocardially injecting them into a rat model. Patients who have high cardiovascular risks have fewer endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their EPCs exhibit greater in vitro senescence. ... > full story
Excessive Internet use is linked to depression (February 4, 2010) -- People who spend a lot of time browsing the 'Net' are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind. ... > full story
Mother's exposure to bisphenol A may increase children's chances of asthma (February 4, 2010) -- Mouse experiments have produced evidence that a mother's exposure to bisphenol A may increase the odds that her children will develop asthma. ... > full story
Bad news for mosquitoes: Scent receptor research may lead to better traps, repellents (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have found more than two dozen scent receptors in malaria-transmitting mosquitoes that detect compounds in human sweat, a finding that may help scientists to develop new ways to combat a disease that kills 1 million people annually. ... > full story
Curing more cervical cancer cases may be in the math (February 4, 2010) -- A third of cervical cancer cases respond poorly to standard therapy or experience recurrence, making cure difficult. A new mathematical model using information gathered by magnetic resonance imaging scans may make it possible to identify patients with non-responding tumors much sooner. These patients could then be offered aggressive or experimental therapy midway through treatment, something not possible now. ... > full story
Suicides by mental health patients preventable, says report (February 4, 2010) -- Preventing patients from leaving psychiatric wards without staff agreement could avoid up to 50 suicide deaths every year, say University of Manchester researchers. ... > full story
Some morbidly obese people are missing genes, shows new research (February 4, 2010) -- A small but significant proportion of morbidly obese people are missing a section of their DNA, according to new research. The authors of the study say that missing DNA such as that identified in this research may be having a dramatic effect on some people's weight. ... > full story
Malaria's key survival protein identified, offering drug hope (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers in Australia have identified a key protein used by the malaria parasite to transform human red blood cells, ensuring the parasite's survival. Their discovery means researchers have a clear target against which to develop a new class of anti-malarial drugs that destroy the parasite. ... > full story
Symptoms have little value for early detection of ovarian cancer (February 4, 2010) -- Use of symptoms to trigger a medical evaluation for ovarian cancer does not appear to detect early-stage ovarian cancer earlier and would likely result in diagnosis in only 1 out of 100 women in the general population with such symptoms, according to a new article. ... > full story
Recent immigrants may have lower risk of early stroke (February 4, 2010) -- New immigrants to North America may be less likely to have a stroke at a young age than long-time residents, according to a new study. ... > full story
New vaccine effective in preventing TB in African patients with HIV infection (February 4, 2010) -- Results of a clinical trial show that a new vaccine against tuberculosis is effective in preventing tuberculosis in people with HIV infection. Scientists found that MV immunization reduced the rate of definite tuberculosis by 39 percent among 2,000 HIV-infected patients in Tanzania. ... > full story
Sources of infection: Mycobacterium avium infections in pigs, humans and birds in Norway (February 4, 2010) -- New research from Norway has shown that Mycobacterium avium does not infect pigs via birds, as previously believed. M. avium can be divided into several subspecies, and the research shows that birds are infected by one particular subspecies, whereas pigs and humans are infected by another. Closely related bacteria were isolated in pigs and humans, which would indicate that pigs and humans are vulnerable to infection from the same sources in their surroundings. ... > full story
Severe complications of diabetes higher in depressed patients (February 4, 2010) -- A prospective study of Group Health primary-care patients with diabetes in western Washington showed that depression raised the risks of advanced and severe complications from diabetes during a five-year follow-up. These complications include kidney failure or blindness, the result of small vessel damage, as well as major vessel problems leading to heart attack or stroke. ... > full story
Electronic health records need better monitoring, experts urge (February 4, 2010) -- The push is on for health-care providers to make the switch to electronic health records but it is hard to tell how well these complex health information technology systems are being implemented and used. ... > full story
'Good' bacteria keep immune system primed to fight future infections (February 3, 2010) -- Scientists have long pondered the seeming contradiction that taking broad-spectrum antibiotics over a long period of time can lead to severe secondary bacterial infections. Now researchers may have figured out why. They show that "good" bacteria in the gut keep the immune system primed to more effectively fight infection from invading pathogenic bacteria. Altering the intricate dynamic between resident and foreign bacteria -- via antibiotics, for example -- compromises an animal's immune response. ... > full story
Scientists discover alterations in brain's reward system related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (February 3, 2010) -- Until now, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was related to alterations in the brain affecting attention and cognitive processes. Researchers in Spain have now discovered anomalies in the brain's reward system related to the neural circuits of motivation and gratification. In children with ADHD, the degree of motivation when carrying out an activity is related to the immediacy with which the objectives of the activity are met. This would explain why their attention and hyperactivity levels differ depending on the tasks being carried out. ... > full story
Cell growth regulates genetic circuits (February 3, 2010) -- Genetic circuits control the activity of genes and thereby the function of cells and organisms. Scientists have shown how various genetic circuits in bacterial cells are influenced by growth conditions. According to their findings, even genes that are not regulated can display different activities -- depending on whether they are translated into proteins in slow- or fast-growing cells. The results provide researchers with new insights into gene regulation and will help them in the design of synthetic genetic circuits in the future. ... > full story
Diabetes medication may help decrease BMI in obese adolescents (February 3, 2010) -- Metformin XR (extended release formulation) -- a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes -- appears to cause a small but significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) in non-diabetic obese adolescents when combined with a lifestyle intervention program, according to a report. ... > full story
Gene variation makes alcoholism less likely in some survivors of sexual abuse (February 3, 2010) -- Exposure to severe stress early in life increases the risk of alcohol and drug addiction. Yet surprisingly, some adults sexually abused as children -- and therefore at high risk for alcohol problems -- carry gene variants that protect them from heavy drinking and its effects, according to researchers. ... > full story
New way to lose fat, keep the lean (February 3, 2010) -- Researchers may have a new way to trick the body into consuming more energy. The target in this case is an enzyme that indirectly controls the activity of what the researchers refer to as the "energy master switch." It boils down to this: When you give mice a chemical that blocks the function of the enzyme known as Fyn kinase, they almost immediately begin burning more fat. ... > full story
New neutron studies support magnetism's role in superconductors (February 3, 2010) -- Neutron scattering experiments give strong evidence that, if superconductivity is related to a material's magnetic properties, the same mechanisms are behind both copper-based high-temperature superconductors and the newly discovered iron-based superconductors. ... > full story
Making macrophages protect against effects of obesity (February 3, 2010) -- It is well known that diet-induced obesity increases dramatically a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One reason underlying this susceptibility is that diet-induced obesity triggers the accumulation of inflammatory immune cells known as macrophages in fat tissue known as white adipose tissue (WAT). Researchers have now determined that engineering macrophages to store increased amounts of triacylglycerol (the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats) is sufficient to protect mice from diet-induced inflammatory macrophage activation, macrophage accumulation in WAT, and insulin resistance, a condition that preempts the onset of type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
US Parkinson's rates highest in whites, Hispanics, and Midwest, Northeast (February 3, 2010) -- The largest epidemiological study of Parkinson's disease in the United States has found that the disease is more common in the Midwest and the Northeast and is twice as likely to strike whites and Hispanics as blacks and Asians. The study is based on data from 36 million Medicare recipients. ... > full story
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