ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, February 12, 2010
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Low levels of antibiotics cause multidrug resistance in 'superbugs' (February 12, 2010) -- A new study by biomedical engineers indicates that treating bacteria with levels of antibiotics insufficient to kill them produces germs that are cross-resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. ... > full story
Nanomaterials may help fight cancer (February 12, 2010) -- Brain cancer is notoriously difficult to treat with standard cancer-fighting methods, so scientists have been looking outside standard medicine and into nanomaterials as a treatment alternative. ... > full story
Swine Flu vaccination: voluntary system works (February 12, 2010) -- Social interaction between neighbors, work colleagues and other communities and social groups makes voluntary vaccination programs for epidemics such as swine flu, SARS or bird flu a surprisingly effective method of disease control. ... > full story
Young patients with chronic illnesses find relief in acupuncture (February 12, 2010) -- Some doctors are now offering pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses acupuncture therapy to help ease the pain and negative side effects like nausea, fatigue and vomiting caused by chronic health conditions and intensive treatments. ... > full story
Can chocolate lower your risk of stroke? (February 12, 2010) -- Eating chocolate may lower your risk of having a stroke, according to an analysis of available research. Another study found that eating chocolate may lower the risk of death after suffering a stroke. ... > full story
Single gene mutation induces endometrial cancer (February 12, 2010) -- A mutation in a single gene can cause endometrial cancer that is responsive to a specific drug therapy, researchers have found. ... > full story
Predicting prognosis and treatment response in a subset of pancreatic cancer patients (February 12, 2010) -- Specific chemical modifications to proteins called histones, which are found in the nucleus of cells and act as spools around which DNA is wound, can be used to predict prognosis and response to treatment in subsets patients with pancreatic cancer, a new study has found. ... > full story
Many veterans not getting enough treatment for PTSD (February 12, 2010) -- There are still significant barriers to veterans getting a full course of PTSD treatment, according to new research. ... > full story
How brain hears the sound of silence: Separate brain pathways process the start and end of what we hear (February 11, 2010) -- Researchers have isolated an independent processing channel of synapses inside the brain's auditory cortex that deals specifically with shutting off sound processing at appropriate times. Such regulation is vital for hearing and for understanding speech. ... > full story
Blood clotting finding may lead to new treatments (February 11, 2010) -- A key protein that causes the blood to clot is produced by blood vessels in the lungs and not just the liver, according to new research. The findings may ultimately help scientists to develop better treatments for conditions where the blood's ability to clot is impaired, including deep vein thrombosis, where dangerous blood clots form inside the body, and haemophilia A, where the blood cannot clot sufficiently well. ... > full story
Prepregnancy, obesity and gestational weight gain influence risk of preterm birth (February 11, 2010) -- Researchers have found that prepregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth in African-American participants from the Black Women's Health Study. ... > full story
Psychosocial problems are common in children with dental fear (February 11, 2010) -- Children and adolescents with severe dental fear often come from families with a turbulent background. It is also more common that they have had counseling contact with a psychologist. ... > full story
First FDA-approved stem cell trial in pediatric cerebral palsy (February 11, 2010) -- Researchers are conducting the first FDA-approved clinical trial to determine whether an infusion of stem cells from umbilical cord blood can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy. ... > full story
Common cholesterol drugs, statins, fight cataracts, too (February 11, 2010) -- A broad new study confirms that statins, often prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, also cut the risks of cataracts in men by almost 40 percent. ... > full story
Chocoholic mice fear no pain (February 11, 2010) -- Ever get a buzz from eating chocolate? Scientists have shown that chocolate-craving mice are ready to tolerate electric shocks to get their fix. ... > full story
3-D structure of bullet-shaped virus with potential to fight cancer, HIV revealed (February 11, 2010) -- A recent study demonstrates that with advanced imaging technique, the vesicular stomatitis virus can be modified to serve as an anti-cancer agent because it displays high selectivity in killing cancer cells while sparing normal cells. It can also be engineered as a potent vaccine against HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
New gene discovery could help to prevent blindness (February 11, 2010) -- Scientists have uncovered a new gene that could help save the sight of patients with a type of inherited blindness. ... > full story
Short-term radiation therapy successful on breast cancer (February 11, 2010) -- An intense three-week course of radiation therapy is just as effective as the standard five-week regimen for women with early stage breast cancer. ... > full story
New clue why autistic people don't want hugs (February 11, 2010) -- Why do people with fragile X syndrome, a genetic defect that is the best-known cause of autism and inherited mental retardation, recoil from hugs and physical touch? New research has found in fragile X syndrome there is delayed development of the sensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to touch, according to a study from Northwestern University. This delay may trigger a domino effect and cause further problems with wiring of the brain. ... > full story
Hot pepper relief: New category of painkillers on the way? (February 11, 2010) -- Research has opened the door for the advancement of a new category of painkillers, called TRPV1 antagonists. These drugs block the transient receptor potential vannilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel, which is the same receptor responsible for the sensation of hotness from hot peppers. ... > full story
Headache may linger years later in people exposed to World Trade Center dust, fumes (February 11, 2010) -- Workers and residents exposed to dust and fumes caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, frequently reported headache years later, according to new research. ... > full story
Gene with likely role in premenstrual disorder identified (February 11, 2010) -- Some women are especially sensitive to the natural flux of hormones in the menstrual cycle. New research points to a gene that likely influences how women respond to swings in estrogen levels and could help diagnose and treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder and inform treatments during menopause, such as hormone replacement therapy, researchers say. ... > full story
Underdogs have more motivation? Not so fast, study says (February 11, 2010) -- Members of a group or team will work harder when they're competing against a group with lower status than when pitted against a more highly ranked group, according to a new study. The results run contrary to the common belief that underdogs have more motivation because they have the chance to 'knock the higher-status group down a peg.' ... > full story
Selective brain damage modulates human spirituality, research reveals (February 11, 2010) -- New research provides fascinating insight into brain changes that might underlie alterations in spiritual and religious attitudes. The study explores the neural basis of spirituality by studying patients before and after surgery to remove a brain tumor. ... > full story
First genes for stuttering: Common speech problem, in some cases, may actually be an inherited metabolic disorder (February 11, 2010) -- Researchers have identified three genes as a source of stuttering in some people. Mutations in two of the genes have already been implicated in rare metabolic disorders involved in cell recycling, while mutations in a third, closely related, gene have now been shown to be associated for the first time with a disorder in humans. ... > full story
Using nitroglycerin to treat prostate cancer shows potential to halt disease (February 11, 2010) -- Treatment of prostate cancer using a very low dose of nitroglycerin may slow and even halt the progression of the disease without the severe side effects of current treatments, researchers have discovered. ... > full story
Brain waves show patterns for deciding which faces we prefer (February 11, 2010) -- Faces play a very important role in our social life. We make complex social decisions based on facial appearance. But we know little how we make a preference decision when the two faces are closely matched (e.g., age, race, gender, gaze, facial attributes, facial emotion). Is there any specific brain activity pattern associated with our preference (or non-preference)? Can these patterns be identified before our conscious decision? ... > full story
Scientists discover origin of HIV transmission among male partners (February 11, 2010) -- A team of scientists has discovered the origin of strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men. The study may be important in developing prevention strategies for HIV. ... > full story
Infection-fighting antibodies made in plants as effective as costlier conventional version (February 11, 2010) -- The first head-to-head comparison of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies produced from plants versus the same antibodies produced from mammalian cells has shown that plant-produced antibodies can fight infection equally well. Scientists conducted the comparison as a test of the potential for treating disease in developing nations with the significantly less expensive plant-based production technique. ... > full story
Women with gout at greater risk of heart attack than men (February 11, 2010) -- Women with gout are at greater risk of a heart attack than men with the disease, indicates research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. ... > full story
Intense sweets taste especially good to some kids (February 11, 2010) -- Children's response to intense sweet taste is related to both a family history of alcoholism and the child's own self-reports of depression. The findings illustrate how liking for sweets differs among children based on underlying familial and biological factors. ... > full story
Incidence of cerebral palsy on rise in US, new data reveals (February 11, 2010) -- Cerebral palsy (CP) has increased in infants born prematurely in the United States, according to new data. ... > full story
Nuclear pore complexes harbor new class of gene regulators (February 11, 2010) -- Nuclear pore complexes are best known as the communication channels that regulate the passage of all molecules to and from a cell's nucleus. Researchers, however, have shown that some of the pores' constituent proteins, called nucleoporins, pull double duty as transcription factors regulating the activity of genes active during early development. ... > full story
Benefits outweigh risks associated with newborn screening for disorder (February 11, 2010) -- Newborn screening for a metabolic disorder could lead to false positives -- adding stress to parents, costing money and possibly subjecting a baby to unnecessary follow-up treatment and dietary restrictions. But the benefits of diagnosing these children early and preventing the risk of mental retardation, disability or death outweigh the costs of a false positive, according to new research. ... > full story
Study reveals need to evaluate and regulate 'electronic cigarettes' (February 11, 2010) -- Electronic cigarettes should be evaluated, regulated, labeled and packaged in a manner consistent with cartridge content and product effect -- even if that effect is a total failure to deliver nicotine as demonstrated in a new study. ... > full story
TV drama can be more persuasive than news program, study finds (February 11, 2010) -- A fictional television drama may be more effective in persuading young women to use birth control than a news-format program on the same issue, according to a new study. Researchers found that college-age women who viewed a televised drama about a teen pregnancy felt more vulnerable two weeks after watching the show, and this led to more support for using birth control. ... > full story
Certain genetic profiles associated with recurrence-free survival for non-small cell lung cancer (February 11, 2010) -- An analysis of genetic and clinical data for nearly 800 patients with non-small cell lung cancer has identified differences in genetic characteristics that are associated with age and sex specific patterns of increased or decreased recurrence-free survival, according to a new study. ... > full story
Adapting to clogged airways makes common pathogen resist powerful drugs (February 11, 2010) -- Mutations of a common environmental pathogen that causes chronic lung disease in patients with cystic fibrosis are able to survive in oxygen-poor, nitrate-rich airway secretions. This same survival mechanism also enables the mutate bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics -- even without any previous exposure to antibiotics. ... > full story
Of swine, birds and humans: Pandemic H1N1 flu (February 11, 2010) -- Current research suggests that pandemic H1N1 influenza of swine origin has distinct means of transmission from the seasonal flu, yet does not result in the pathogenic severity of avian flu viruses. ... > full story
Bioethics memory aid can help assess patient decision-making capacity in medical emergencies (February 11, 2010) -- Physicians in training and bioethicists have created an easy-to-remember checklist to help medical students and clinicians quickly assess a patient's decision-making capacity in an emergency. ... > full story
Bowel disease link to blood clots: New findings (February 10, 2010) -- People living with inflammatory bowel disease are known to be at high risk of blood clots when admitted to hospital during a flare-up of their disease. But now new research has shown that those who are not admitted to hospital during flare-ups are also at risk. ... > full story
Eczema in early childhood may influence mental health later (February 10, 2010) -- Eczema in early childhood may influence behavior and mental health later in life. ... > full story
One-third of antimalarial medicines sampled in three African nations found to be substandard (February 10, 2010) -- The first results from a large-scale study of key antimalarial medicines in ten Sub-Saharan African countries reveal that a high percentage of medicines circulating on national markets are of substandard quality and thus may contribute to the growth of drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent form of malaria. ... > full story
Older investors prone to mental misfires while playing the market, study shows (February 10, 2010) -- Old age traditionally brings with it respect, experience and wisdom. But when it comes to making risky financial investments, an older mind is likely to make more mistakes than a younger one, psychologists say. ... > full story
Developmental delay in brain provides clue to sensory hypersensitivity in autism (February 10, 2010) -- New research provides insight into why fragile X syndrome, the most common known cause of autism and mental retardation, is associated with an extreme hypersensitivity to sounds, touch, smells, and visual stimuli that causes sensory overload and results in social withdrawal, hyperarousal, and anxiety. The study uncovers a previously unknown developmental delay in a critical brain circuit that processes sensory information in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. ... > full story
Popular antidepressant blocks the beneficial effects of tamoxifen in breast cancer (February 10, 2010) -- Women with breast cancer who take the antidepressant paroxetine at the same time as tamoxifen are at an increased risk of death, concludes a new study. ... > full story
Comprehensive study using bioinformatics predicts the molecular causes of many genetic diseases (February 10, 2010) -- It is widely known that genetic mutations cause disease. What are largely unknown are the mechanisms by which these mutations wreak havoc at the molecular level, giving rise to clinically observable symptoms in patients. Now a new study using bioinformatics reports the ability to predict the molecular cause of many inherited genetic diseases. These predictions have led to the creation of a web-based tool available to academic researchers who study disease. ... > full story
Brain scans track hoop fans' happy memories (February 10, 2010) -- In a novel study that used historical tape of a thrilling overtime basketball game between Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, brain researchers at Duke have found that fans remember the good things their team did much better than the bad. ... > full story
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