ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, June 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, June 5, 2011

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Eating dirt can be good for the belly, researchers find (June 4, 2011) -- Most of us never considered eating the mud pies we made as kids, but for many people all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis helps explain why. ... > full story

New drug target for squamous cell carcinoma (June 4, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new drug target for squamous cell carcinoma -- the second most common form of skin cancer. Scientists have found that a protein called alpha-catenin acts as a tumor suppressor and they also have unlocked the mechanism by which this protein controls cell proliferation. ... > full story

When stressed, men charge ahead, women more careful, study finds (June 4, 2011) -- Stress causes men and women to respond differently to risky decision making, with men charging ahead for small rewards and women taking their time, according to a new study. Under stress, men and women also have different brain activation patterns during decision making. ... > full story

Scientists reactivate immune cells exhausted by chronic HIV (June 4, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated why certain immune cells chronically exposed to HIV shut down, and how they can be reactivated. ... > full story

Miniature ventilator may help COPD patients improve mobility (June 4, 2011) -- A miniature, easy-to-carry ventilation system with a simple nasal mask may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) become more active, according to research conducted at medical centers in California and Utah. The compact design offers an attractive alternative to currently available larger, less comfortable ventilators and masks. ... > full story

Similarities cause protein misfolding (June 4, 2011) -- A large number of illnesses stem from misfolded proteins, molecules composed of amino acids. Researchers have now studied protein misfolding using a special spectroscopic technique. Misfolding is more frequent if the sequence of the amino acids in the neighboring protein domains is very similar. ... > full story

Genetic mutation causing excessive hair growth discovered (June 4, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a chromosomal mutation responsible for a very rare condition in which people grow excess hair all over their bodies. Investigators hope the finding ultimately will lead to new treatments for this and less severe forms of excessive hair growth as well as baldness. ... > full story

Inability to combat oxidative stress may trigger development of asthma (June 4, 2011) -- An impaired ability to handle oxidative stress that arises from exposure to secondhand smoke and other environmental triggers may contribute to the development of asthma, according to results obtained from the Shanghai Women's Health Asthma and Allergy Study. The results of the study suggest regulating the body's antioxidant defense system may play an important role in asthma prevention. ... > full story

Many cancer survivors can't shake pain, fatigue, insomnia, foggy brain, study finds (June 4, 2011) -- When people finish treatment for cancer, they want to bounce back to their former vital selves as quickly as possible. But a new study -- one of the largest survivor studies ever conducted -- surprisingly shows many survivors still suffer moderate to severe problems with pain, fatigue, sleep, memory and concentration three to five years after treatment has ended. ... > full story

For stressed bees, the glass is half empty (June 3, 2011) -- When people are depressed or anxious, they are much more likely to see their glass as half empty than half full. In tough times, evidence of that same pessimistic outlook can be seen in dogs, rats, and birds. Now, researchers show that bees, too, share those very same hallmarks of negative emotion. ... > full story

New strain of MRSA discovered: Antibiotic resistant bacteria found in both humans and dairy cows (June 3, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a new strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which occurs both in human and dairy cow populations. The study identified the new strain in milk from dairy cows while researching mastitis (a bacterial infection which occurs in the cows' udders). ... > full story

Understanding cancer energetics: Researchers solve mystery of Warburg effect (June 3, 2011) -- It's long been known that cancer cells eat a lot of sugar to stay alive. In fact, where normal, noncancerous cells generate energy from using some sugar and a lot of oxygen, cancerous cells use virtually no oxygen and a lot of sugar. Many genes have been implicated in this process, and now researchers have discovered that this so-called Warburg effect is controlled. ... > full story