ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Friday, May 6, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Friday, May 6, 2011

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Mutation provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms of aging (May 6, 2011) -- A new study identifies the mutation that underlies a rare, inherited accelerated-aging disease and provides key insight into normal human aging. The research highlights the importance of a cellular structure called the "nuclear envelope" in the process of aging. ... > full story

Drug-resistance fears for deadly fungal disease (May 6, 2011) -- Deadly human fungal infections caused by certain strains of Aspergillus fungi appear to be developing resistance to current drug treatments at an alarming rate, say scientists. ... > full story

Prolonged bottle feeding increases the risk of obesity, study suggests (May 6, 2011) -- Experts agree that obesity prevention should begin before children enter school. But due to a lack of conclusive data, health care providers often have trouble advising parents about which interventions are the most beneficial. A new study suggests that limiting prolonged bottle use in children may be an effective way to help prevent obesity. ... > full story

Anatomy of an outbreak: Tiny changes in chikungunya virus separate epidemic African strain and tamer Asian variety (May 6, 2011) -- Researchers have found a genetic solution to the puzzle of why the chikungunya virus infected millions of people after it was introduced to Asia in 2005, but infected almost no one after an earlier Asian introduction. ... > full story

Can social deficits of autism and schizophrenia be modeled in animals? (May 6, 2011) -- Social deficits are common in several psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Individuals with severe social dysfunction can experience significant difficulties with everyday functioning. Now, scientists have further characterized a mouse model that provides some insights into biological factors related to social deficits, by comparing mice that had their oxytocin receptor gene made inactive, using a specialized technique called genetic knockout, with unaltered mice. ... > full story

Far-reaching effects of estrogen signaling mapped in breast cancer cells (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers have made the most comprehensive measurement to date of estrogen's effect on breast cancer cells, showing for the first time how immediate and extensive the effect is. ... > full story

Short antibiotic courses safer for breathing-tube infections in children (May 5, 2011) -- Short courses of antibiotics appear just as effective as longer ones -- and a great deal safer -- in treating respiratory infections that might cause pneumonia in children on temporary breathing devices, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online May 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. ... > full story

Who knows you best? Not you, say psychologists (May 5, 2011) -- Know thyself. That was Socrates' advice, and it squares with conventional wisdom. But a new article reviews the research and suggests an addendum to the philosopher's edict: Ask a friend. ... > full story

Amygdala detects spontaneity in human behavior: Study of jazz musicians reveals how brain processes improvisations (May 5, 2011) -- A pianist is playing an unknown melody freely without reading from a musical score. How does the listener's brain recognise if this melody is improvised or if it is memorized? Researchers investigated jazz musicians to discover which brain areas are especially sensitive to features of improvised behaviour. Among these are the amygdala and a network of areas known to be involved in the mental simulation of behaviour. ... > full story

Normal stem cells made to look and act like cancer stem cells (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers, after isolating normal stem cells that form the developing placenta, have given them the same properties of stem cells associated with an aggressive type of breast cancer. ... > full story

Using solar power to sterilize medical instruments (May 5, 2011) -- Engineering students are using the sun to power an autoclave that sterilizes medical instruments and help solve a long-standing health issue for developing countries. ... > full story

Key gene found in childhood cancer (May 5, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the Aurora A gene -- which is vital for tumor growth and known to be expressed at higher-than-normal levels in many cancers -- as a target for potential therapies for rhabdoid tumors, aggressive childhood cancers that usually strike children under three years old and affect the brain or kidneys. The disease is extremely rare and is particularly difficult to treat and almost always fatal. ... > full story

More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are 'spiritual', study finds (May 5, 2011) -- More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are spiritual, according to new research. Though the general public marries spirituality and religion, the study found that spirituality is a separate idea -- one that more closely aligns with scientific discovery -- for "spiritual atheist" scientists. ... > full story

Mirror neuron system in autism: Broken or just slowly developing? (May 5, 2011) -- Developmental abnormalities in the mirror neuron system may contribute to social deficits in autism. Now, a new study reports that the mirror system in individuals with autism is not actually broken, but simply delayed. ... > full story

Hunting for deadly bacteria (May 5, 2011) -- Biochemists have developed a simple test that can swiftly and accurately identify specific pathogens using a system that will "hunt" for bacteria, identifying their harmful presence before they have a chance to contaminate our food and water. ... > full story

Anti-inflammatory drug may fight breast cancer (May 5, 2011) -- The anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib may be a useful additional treatment for people with breast cancer, Dutch researchers report. ... > full story

Sharpened focus: Improving the numbers, utility of medical imaging (May 5, 2011) -- The idea of probing the body's interior with radiation stretches back to experiments with X rays in the 1800s, but more than a century later, images taken with radiological scans still are not considered reliable enough to serve as the sole indicator of the efficacy of a cancer treatment. Researchers have now set out to change that. ... > full story

Artful dodgers: Seeing questions can help voters detect dodges and be better informed, new study says (May 5, 2011) -- How can some people respond to a question without answering the question, yet satisfy their listeners? This skill of "artful dodging" and how to better detect it are explored in a new article. ... > full story

Worm discovery could help one billion people worldwide (May 5, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered why some people may be protected from harmful parasitic worms naturally while others cannot in what could lead to new therapies for up to one billion people worldwide. ... > full story

Contraceptive pill and HRT may protect against cerebral aneurysm, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- Women who develop cerebral aneurysms are less likely to have taken the oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy, suggesting taking estrogen could have a protective effect, reveals new research. ... > full story

Night owls at risk for weight gain and bad diet (May 5, 2011) -- Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new study. They also had a higher body mass index, a measure of body weight, than normal sleepers. ... > full story

Protein discovered that could help prevent the spread of cancer (May 5, 2011) -- A protein capable of halting the spread of breast cancer cells could lead to a therapy for preventing or limiting the spread of the disease. ... > full story

Exercise protects the heart via nitric oxide, researchers discover (May 5, 2011) -- Exercise both reduces the risk of a heart attack and protects the heart from injury if a heart attack does occur. For years, doctors have been trying to dissect how this second benefit of exercise works, with the aim of finding ways to protect the heart after a heart attack. Researchers have identified the ability of the heart to produce and store nitric oxide as an important way in which exercise protects the heart from injury. ... > full story

Spring babies face anorexia risk, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- Anorexia nervosa is more common among people born in the spring, a new study has found. The researchers say their study -- which is the largest to date -- provides 'clear evidence' of a season-of-birth effect in anorexia. ... > full story

Hitting target in cancer fight now easier with new nanoparticle platform, scientists say (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers demonstrate mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) as an optimal drug delivery platform providing the ability to change the size and surface properties of MSNP to improve the tumor biodistribution and protected delivery of doxorubicin to a cancer xenograft in a nude mice model. ... > full story

Removable 'cloak' for nanoparticles helps them target tumors (May 5, 2011) -- Chemical engineers have designed a new type of drug-delivery nanoparticle that exploits a trait shared by almost all tumors: They are more acidic than healthy tissues. Such particles could target nearly any type of tumor and can be designed to carry virtually any type of drug. ... > full story

New route to map brain fat (May 5, 2011) -- Mapping the fat distribution of the healthy human brain is a key step in understanding neurological diseases, in general, and the neurodegeneration that accompanies Alzheimer's disease in particular. Researchers in Spain have found a new technique to reveal the fat distribution of three different areas of the healthy human brain. ... > full story

Women: Painful periods increase sensitivity to pain throughout the month (May 5, 2011) -- Women with painful periods show increased sensitivity to pain throughout their cycles, even when there is no background period pain. ... > full story

Turning 'bad' fat into 'good': A future treatment for obesity? (May 5, 2011) -- By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, researchers say they not only reduced the animals' calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report. ... > full story

Damaged hearts pump better when fueled with fats, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- Contrary to what we've been told, eliminating or severely limiting fats from the diet may not be beneficial to cardiac function in patients suffering from heart failure, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Dirty mouths lead to broken hearts (May 5, 2011) -- Nurses who care for patients with dementia now have a tailored approach to dental hygiene for their charges, thanks to a pilot study by a team of nurses. ... > full story

Air pollution near Michigan schools linked to poorer student health, academic performance (May 5, 2011) -- Air pollution from industrial sources near Michigan public schools jeopardizes children's health and academic success, according to a new study. ... > full story

Attention, please: How innovations and Nobel Prize winners make it (May 5, 2011) -- "The rich-get-richer effect" is famous not only in sociology. It applies to the success of innovators as well. But if attention is paid only to people who are already at the top, how are scientific revolutions possible? A new publication investigating careers of Nobel Prize winners gives insight into this stunning phenomenon. ... > full story

Asthma pill more user-friendly than inhalers -- and no less effective, study finds (May 5, 2011) -- A rarely prescribed asthma drug is easier to use and just as effective as conventional treatment with inhalers, according to a new study. ... > full story

In therapy with avatars: Virtual technology to combat phobias, psychotic disorders (May 5, 2011) -- Virtual technology is being used to combat phobias and psychotic disorders. Researchers in the Netherlands show how this method can provide solutions for such problems as fear of flying and, in the longer term, possibly also for social disorders. ... > full story

Age alone should be used to screen for heart attacks and strokes, say experts (May 5, 2011) -- Using age alone to identify those at risk of heart disease or stroke could replace current screening methods without diminishing effectiveness, according to a groundbreaking study. ... > full story

Estimated costs of environmental disease in children at .6 billion per year (May 5, 2011) -- In three new studies, researchers reveal the staggering economic impact of toxic chemicals and air pollutants in the environment, and propose new legislation to mandate testing of new chemicals and also those already on the market. ... > full story

Female-to-male transsexual people have more autistic traits, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- A new study has for the first time found that female-to-male transsexual people have a higher than average number of autistic traits. ... > full story

Most blacks report calling a friend, not 911, when facing the symptoms of a stroke, study finds (May 5, 2011) -- Most African-Americans report calling a friend instead of 911 when faced with the symptoms of a stroke, according to a new study that surveyed those hospitalized for a stroke. The findings also indicate that most people, who didn't call for emergency help, believed their symptoms were not serious enough and/or did not require treatment. ... > full story

New mitochondrial control mechanism discovered (May 4, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new component of mitochondria that plays a key part in their function. The discovery is of potential significance to our understanding of both inherited and age-related diseases. ... > full story

Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for ongoing post-therapy GI complications (May 4, 2011) -- Patients who received therapy for cancer during childhood have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal complications later in life. ... > full story

Gender bias uncovered in children's books with male characters, including male animals, leading the fictional pack (May 4, 2011) -- The most comprehensive study of 20th century children's books ever undertaken in the United States has found a bias towards tales that feature men and boys as lead characters. Surprisingly, researchers found that even when the characters are animals, they tend to be male. ... > full story

Unlocking the metabolic secrets of the microbiome (May 4, 2011) -- The number of bacterial cells living in and on our bodies outnumbers our own cells ten to one. But the identity of all those bugs and just what exactly our relationship to all of them really is remains rather fuzzy. Now, researchers have new evidence showing the metabolic impact of all those microbes in mice, and on their colons in particular. ... > full story

Technique developed for measuring stressed molecules in cells (May 4, 2011) -- Biophysicists have helped develop a new technique for studying how proteins respond to physical stress and have applied it to better understand the stability-granting structures in normal and mutated red blood cells. ... > full story

Chronic fatigue syndrome not related to XMRV retrovirus, comprehensive study finds (May 4, 2011) -- New findings show that the retrovirus called XMRV is not present in the blood of patients who have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). These findings contradict a widely reported 2009 Science study that linked CFS to XMRV. ... > full story

Positive effects of depression (May 4, 2011) -- Sadness, apathy, preoccupation. These traits come to mind when people think about depression, the world's most frequently diagnosed mental disorder. Yet, new research provides evidence that depression has a positive side-effect. ... > full story

Natural protection against radiation (May 4, 2011) -- In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol -- an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts -- could protect against radiation sickness. ... > full story

New evidence that caffeine is a healthful antioxidant in coffee (May 4, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting an in-depth analysis of how the caffeine in coffee, tea and other foods seems to protect against conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels. ... > full story