ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Genetic component of autism spectrum disorders may be moderate compared to environment, twin study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- After evaluating twin pairs in which at least one child has autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers suggest that the shared environment may play a more substantial role in development of the condition than shared genes do, according to a new study. ... > full story

Smokers using varenicline to quit the habit at greater risk of heart attack, study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- Healthy, middle-aged smokers who take the most popular smoking cessation drug on the market have a 72 percent increased risk of being hospitalized with a heart attack or other serious heart problems compared to those taking a placebo, a new study suggests. ... > full story

New research addresses the major cause of pregnancy loss in IVF (July 4, 2011) -- A new study has addressed chromosomal imbalance in embryos, a condition that is currently the major cause of pregnancy loss in IVF. ... > full story

Length of parental military deployment associated with children's mental health diagnoses, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Children with a parent who was deployed in the US military efforts Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for longer periods were more likely than children whose parents did not deploy to receive a diagnosis of a mental health problem, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Megapixel' DNA replication technology promises faster, more precise diagnostics (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a DNA measurement platform that sets dramatic new performance standards in the sensitivity and accuracy of sample screening. ... > full story

Pre-pregnancy diet affects the health of future offspring, mouse study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- Poor maternal diet before conception can result in offspring with reduced birth weights and increased risk of developing type II diabetes and obesity. In a new study, mice that were fed a low protein diet before conception (but had a normal diet during pregnancy) gave birth to offspring that had lower birth weights and increased insulin sensitivity. ... > full story

Protein structure of key molecule in DNA transcription system deciphered (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have deciphered the structure of an essential part of Mediator, a complex molecular machine that plays a vital role in regulating the transcription of DNA. ... > full story

Ingredients of happiness around the world (July 4, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers put Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" to the test with data from 123 countries representing every major region of the world. ... > full story

Could ovarian stimulation cause an increase in oocyte chromosome abnormalities? (July 4, 2011) -- Ovarian stimulation for IVF in women aged over 35 years may be leading to chromosome abnormalities resulting in pregnancy loss and birth defects such as Down syndrome, say members of a polar body screening study team. ... > full story

Zinc and the zebrafish: Fluorescent fish could hold key to understanding diabetes and other diseases (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new way of detecting zinc in zebra fish, that could pave the way for furthering our understanding of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Sport performance follows a physiological law; Study suggests peak at 20-30 years of age, then irreversible decline (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers in France have published research describing the evolution of performances in elite athletes and chess grandmasters. Their findings suggest that changes in individual performance are linked to physiological laws structuring the living world. ... > full story

Pregnancy and birth environment may affect development of autism in twins, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Findings from the largest study of twins with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests that both genetic and shared environmental factors significantly increase risk for ASD, estimated 38 percent risk associated with genetic heritability and 58 percent from factors shared by twins during pregnancy and perhaps early infancy. ... > full story

Balance tips toward environment as heritability ebbs in autism? Non-inherited genetic factors also in the mix, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- The largest and most rigorous twin study of its kind to date has found that shared environment influences susceptibility to autism more than previously thought. It found that experiences and exposures common to both twins accounted for 55 percent of strict autism and 58 percent of more broadly defined autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Genetic heritability accounted for 37 percent of autism and 38 percent of ASD. ... > full story

Exposure to anti-depressants in pregnancy may increase autism risk, study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- A new study has found that exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor anti-depressants in early pregnancy may modestly increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders. However, researchers cautioned that the number of children exposed prenatally to SSRIs was low and that further studies are needed to validate these results. The population-based, case-control study of 1,805 children is the first to systematically address the association between prenatal SSRI exposure and ASD risk. ... > full story

Popular smoking cessation drug associated with 72 percent increased risk of serious CV events, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Smoking cigarettes is a dangerous habit that many are struggling to break, but for the smokers who choose to use one of the most popular smoking cessation drugs on the market, new warnings about the risk of serious cardiovascular events are on their way. ... > full story

Varenicline for smoking cessation linked to increased risk of serious harmful cardiac events, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- The use of varenicline to stop smoking is associated with a 72 percent increased risk of a serious adverse cardiovascular event, according to a new study. ... > full story

Possible new target for sarcoma treatment and prevention (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a protein signaling pathway that becomes hyperactivated in human sarcoma cells, suggesting that medications to inhibit this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human sarcomas. ... > full story

Red wine: Exercise in a bottle? (July 3, 2011) -- As strange as it sounds, a new research study suggests that the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, prevents the negative effects that spaceflight and sedentary lifestyles have on people. The report describes experiments in rats that simulated the weightlessness of spaceflight, during which the group fed resveratrol did not develop insulin resistance or a loss of bone mineral density, as did those who were not fed resveratrol. ... > full story

Droplets for detecting tumoral DNA (July 3, 2011) -- New research suggests it may be possible, in the near future, to detect cancer by a simple blood or urine test. Biologists from France have developed a technique capable of detecting minute traces of tumoral DNA present in the biological fluids of patients suffering from cancer. ... > full story

Women get up sooner than men after a fall in soccer, study finds (July 3, 2011) -- When women play football (soccer), the individual interruptions, for instance for substitutions or to cheer a goal, are a lot shorter than when men play. In particular after injuries men remain on the ground significantly longer. This is what sports scientists discovered after analyzing 56 soccer games and evaluating the place, time and duration of every single interruption of the game. In soccer, men stage themselves much more than women, the scientists conclude. ... > full story

New biomarker predicts breast cancer relapse (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new biomarker related to the body's immune system that can predict a breast cancer patients' risk of cancer recurrence. ... > full story

Changes in specific dietary factors may have big impact on long-term weight gain (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have found that modest changes in specific foods and beverages, physical activity, TV-watching, and sleep duration were strongly linked with long-term weight gain. ... > full story

Cell rigidity linked to activity in proteins associated with cancer (July 3, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated that exerting mechanical force on cells activates Rho GEF proteins through distinct signaling pathways. The Rho GEFs activate Rho proteins that are part of the RAS superfamily -- a class of proteins associated with cancer activity. ... > full story

Key immune substance linked to asthma, study finds (July 2, 2011) -- Medical researchers have linked a master molecule of the immune system, gamma-interferon, to the pathology of asthma, in a study of mice. ... > full story

In pilot study, screening detects potentially serious heart conditions in healthy children (July 2, 2011) -- A pilot study in healthy children and adolescents shows that it is feasible to screen for undiagnosed heart conditions that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Adding a 10-minute, relatively low-cost electrocardiogram to a history and physical examination identified unsuspected cases of potentially serious heart conditions. ... > full story

Good communication in early years key to success at school, UK study shows (July 2, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK have shown that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child’s readiness for school, what parents do with their children, even before they begin to talk, is actually much more important. The results of the study showed that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two-years-old achieved higher scores on the school assessment tests when they began primary school. ... > full story

Potential of simple injection on patients with head injury (July 2, 2011) -- New research has suggested that tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent people dying from head injuries. It is a cheap, off-patent drug with the potential to help people suffering from brain trauma. ... > full story

More sensitive test for cardiac biomarker may better identify patients who experienced heart attack (July 2, 2011) -- In patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome (or ACS, such as heart attack or unstable angina), use of a more sensitive test to detect the protein troponin in blood was associated with increased diagnosis of a heart attack and improved identification of patients at high risk of another heart attack and death in the following year, according to new study. ... > full story

Foods with baked milk may help build tolerance in children with dairy allergies, study suggests (July 1, 2011) -- Introducing increasing amounts of foods that contain baked milk into the diets of children who have milk allergies helped a majority of them outgrow their allergies, according to a new study. ... > full story

Intravenous nutrition for critically ill patients must not be administered too early, Belgian study finds (July 1, 2011) -- Intravenous nutrition does not have a positive effect on the recovery of critically ill patients if it is administered early, according to new research from Belgium. Recovery from critical illness is in fact faster when patients receive supplementary intravenous nutrition one week after their admission to intensive care. ... > full story

Money and mimicry: Examining the psychological effect of money and how it affects our behavior and emotions (July 1, 2011) -- We rely on money in our day-to-day life and it is constantly in our minds. After all, money makes the world go round, doesn't it? Now, a new study tries to better understand the psychological effect of money and how it affects our behavior, feelings and emotions. ... > full story

New class of antiangiogenesis drugs: Natural plant compound blocks blood vessel growth by interfering with cellular adhesion (July 1, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the first of an entirely new class of anti-angiogenesis drugs -- agents that interfere with the development of blood vessels. The investigators describe how a compound derived from a South American tree was able, through a novel mechanism, to interfere with blood vessel formation in animal models of normal development, wound healing and tumor growth. ... > full story

Foot positioning during walking and running may influence ankle sprains (July 1, 2011) -- The position of the foot just before ground contact during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle sprains, according to a new study. ... > full story

HIV-inhibiting mechanism identified (July 1, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a long-sought cellular factor that works to inhibit HIV infection of myeloid cells, a subset of white blood cells that display antigens and hence are important for the body's immune response against viruses and other pathogens. The factor, a protein called SAMHD1, is part of the nucleic acid sensing machinery within the body's own immune system. ... > full story

Preventing diabetes damage: Zinc's effects on a kinky, two-faced cohort (July 1, 2011) -- In type 2 diabetes, a protein called amylin forms dense clumps that shut down insulin-producing cells, wreaking havoc on the control of blood sugar. But zinc has a knack for preventing amylin from misbehaving. ... > full story

Sound localization at cocktail parties is easier for men (July 1, 2011) -- Differences in male and female behavior are often subject to study. Women are known to be more verbally fluent, have better manual dexterity. Men tend to excel in what are known as visuo-spatial abilities. A new study has demonstrated that men have a similar advantage in their hearing. ... > full story

Scientists use 'optogenetics' to control reward-seeking behavior (July 1, 2011) -- The findings suggest that therapeutics targeting the path between two critical brain regions, the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens, represent potential treatments for addiction and other neuropsychiatric diseases. ... > full story

Electromagnetic fields can disturb learning, study suggests, but only at very high levels (July 1, 2011) -- The effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on humans have been hotly debated for years. In a new study, neuroscientists from Germany have shed light on this question. For the first time, they provide evidence that extremely high-powered electromagnetic fields can influence learning processes on the synaptic level within the brain, independent from other factors such as stress. However, such high levels are not encountered during typical use of mobile phones, the researchers note. ... > full story

Babies are specially attuned to our voices and emotions (July 1, 2011) -- Young babies' brains are already specially attuned to the sounds of human voices and emotions, according to a new report. ... > full story

Adult stem cells carry their own baggage: Epigenetics guides stem cell fate (July 1, 2011) -- Adult stem and progenitor cells may not contain a clean genetic slate after all. A new report shows that these cells have unique "epigenetic signatures," which change once a cell differentiates. Epigenetic changes do not affect the make up in a cell's DNA, but how that DNA functions. Epigenetic changes have demonstrated a role in a range of diseases, as well as to be heritable from mother to child. ... > full story

New clues to the cause of Alzheimer’s disease (July 1, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a series of novel proteins in human cerebrospinal fluid. The proteins, which carry specific sugar molecules, are found in greater concentrations in patients with dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease than in patients with dementia caused by other diseases. This gives hope for new forms of treatment in the future. ... > full story

Don't show, don't tell? Direct instruction can thwart independent exploration (July 1, 2011) -- It turns out that there is a "double-edged sword" to pedagogy: explicit instruction makes children less likely to engage in spontaneous exploration and discovery. A new compared the behavior of children given a novel toy under four different conditions, finding that children expressly taught one of its functions played with the toy for less time and discovered fewer things to do with it than children in the other three scenarios. ... > full story

New approach to link genome-wide association signals to biological function (July 1, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new strategy to improve the outcome of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. This will lead to a better understanding of the function of affected genes and the biological pathways involved, potentially translating these findings into clinical benefits. It is estimated that this approach, which finds the open chromatin regions in human cells, could be used in one in four GWA studies. ... > full story

Neuroscientists' discovery could bring relief to epilepsy sufferers; Computational model of epileptic seizures at molecular level (July 1, 2011) -- Researchers have made a discovery that could help drug manufacturers develop new antiepileptic drugs and explore novel strategies for treating seizures associated with epilepsy. The researchers used a computational model of the cortical network to show that during seizure there is a slow and progressive buildup of intracellular sodium in neurons, and that it is this accumulation of intracellular sodium that leads to the termination of the seizure. ... > full story

Learning faces of different races: Clues to why 'they' all look alike (July 1, 2011) -- New research provides biological evidence that the brain works differently when memorizing the face of a person from one's own race than when memorizing an other-race face. By measuring brain activity, the study sheds light on the well-documented "other-race effect" phenomenon. One of the most replicated psychology findings, the other-race effect finds people are less likely to remember a face from a racial group different from their own. ... > full story

Novel genetic variation linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest (July 1, 2011) -- A study by a global consortium of physician-scientists has identified a genetic variation that may predispose people to double the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest, a disorder that gives little warning and is fatal in about 95 percent of cases. Although previous, smaller studies have identified some genes with a potential association with sudden cardiac arrest, this is the first study large enough to enable scientists to apply results to the general population. ... > full story

Massive genome studies identify genetics behind white blood cell counts (July 1, 2011) -- A trio of large-scale genome-wide association studies, or GWAS, have identified more than 15 gene variants responsible for the diversity of white blood cell counts among whites, African-Americans, and Japanese. Combined, the studies offer the first comprehensive analysis into why some people, and some populations, have more or fewer white blood cells than others. ... > full story

Combining physical activity with classroom lessons results in improved test scores (July 1, 2011) -- When schools cut physical education programs so students can spend more time in the classroom, they may be missing a golden opportunity to promote learning. ... > full story