ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, September 5, 2011
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Human intestinal stem cell breakthrough for regenerative medicine (September 4, 2011) -- Human colon stem cells have been identified and grown in a petri dish for the first time. This achievement is a crucial advance towards regenerative medicine. ... > full story
Key function of mutation in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer gene discovered (September 4, 2011) -- It is widely known that mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility 1 (BRCA1) gene significantly increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers, but the mechanisms at play are not fully understood. Now, researchers have shown that certain BRCA1 mutations result in excessive, uncontrolled DNA repair, which challenges the prior assumption that mutations in BRCA1 only contribute to breast cancer through a reduction in function. ... > full story
Sex hormones impact career choices, psychologists find in new study (September 4, 2011) -- Teacher, pilot, nurse or engineer? Sex hormones strongly influence people's interests, which affect the kinds of occupations they choose, according to psychologists. ... > full story
Researchers successfully perform first injection of cultured red blood cells in human donor (September 4, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have successfully injected cultured red blood cells (cRBCs) created from human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into a human donor. As the global need for blood continues to increase while the number of blood donors is decreasing, these study results provide hope that one day patients in need of a blood transfusion might become their own donors. ... > full story
Nearly half of runners may be drinking too much during races (September 4, 2011) -- Nearly half of recreational runners may be drinking too much fluid during races, according to a new survey of runners. ... > full story
Advertising in violent video games results in poor recall, negative brand perception (September 4, 2011) -- Embedding advertisements in violent video games leads to lower brand recall and negative brand attitudes suggesting advertisers should think twice about including such ads in a media campaign, according to new research. ... > full story
Pharmacists need to provide better information to teenagers on risks and benefits of medicines, review suggests (September 4, 2011) -- A large proportion of teenagers regularly and frequently take some form of medication without receiving targeted information about the risks and benefits, according to a review of current research. ... > full story
Discovery suggests way to block fetal brain damage produced by oxygen deprivation (September 3, 2011) -- Examining brain damage that occurs when fetuses in the womb are deprived of oxygen, researchers have discovered that damage does not occur randomly but is linked to the specific action of a naturally occurring fatty molecule called LPA, acting through a receptor that transfers information into young brain cells. ... > full story
Researchers investigate new mechanism for predicting how diseases spread (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers have investigated the outcomes of a previously ignored mechanism in modeling how humans travel. By challenging a long-held assumption, they hope to create models that can more accurately predict the spread of disease and the spread of human-mediated bioinvasions. ... > full story
Researchers develop new way to predict heart transplant survival (September 3, 2011) -- Researchers say they have developed a formula to predict which heart transplant patients are at greatest risk of death in the year following their surgeries, information that could help medical teams figure out who would benefit most from the small number of available organs. ... > full story
Glucocorticoid treatment may prevent long term damage to joints, study shows (September 3, 2011) -- Joint injury can result in irreversible damage of cartilage which, despite treatment and surgery, often eventually leads to osteoarthritis (OA) in later life. New research demonstrates that short term treatment of damaged cartilage with glucocorticoids can reduce long term degenerative changes and may provide hope for prevention of OA after injury. ... > full story
Sexual orientation unconsciously affects our impressions of others, Canadian study suggests (September 3, 2011) -- Studies by psychologists in Canada reveal that when it comes to white men, being straight may make you more likable but in the case of black men, gays have a likability edge. ... > full story
Vitamin A supplements for infants could save thousands of lives a year (September 3, 2011) -- An international study suggests that giving vitamin A supplements to children in low and middle income countries could significantly cut rates of mortality, illnesses and blindness amongst those below the age of five. ... > full story
Powerful antioxidant resveratrol prevents metabolic syndrome in lab tests, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers in Canada have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a syndrome in some offspring that could lead to later health issues such as diabetes. Resveratrol is found in fruits, nuts and red wine, and has been shown to extend the lifespan of many species. ... > full story
New insight in how cells' powerhouse divides (September 2, 2011) -- New research puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria, the energy-generating structures within cells, divide. The work could have implications for a wide range of diseases and conditions. ... > full story
People think the 'typical' member of a group looks like them (September 2, 2011) -- What does a typical European face look like according to Europeans? It all depends on which European you ask. Germans think the typical European looks more German; Portuguese people think the typical European looks more Portuguese, according to a new study. ... > full story
Researchers identify gene that leads to myopia (nearsightedness) (September 2, 2011) -- Despite decades of intensive research, the specific genes whose defects lead to nearsightedness have remained elusive. A defective gene was identified in a thorough study of severe early-onset myopia that is common in a specific Bedouin tribe in southern Israel. ... > full story
To treat rare immune deficiency disease, scientists repurpose bone marrow transplant drug (September 2, 2011) -- A new study reports that a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant may also have promise for treating people who have a rare immune deficiency known as WHIM syndrome. People with the syndrome are more susceptible to potentially life-threatening bacterial and viral infections, particularly human papillomavirus infections, which cause skin and genital warts and can lead to cancer. ... > full story
Visual test effective in diagnosing concussions in collegiate athletes, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- A sideline visual test effectively detected concussions in collegiate athletes, according to researchers. This quick visual test, easily administered on the playing field, holds promise as a complement to other diagnostic tools for sports-related concussion. ... > full story
Starving inflammatory immune cells slows damage caused by multiple sclerosis, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers report that inhibiting the ability of immune cells to use fatty acids as fuel measurably slows disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). ... > full story
Cryptococcus infections misdiagnosed in many AIDS patients, study suggests (September 2, 2011) -- Most AIDS patients, when diagnosed with a fungal infection known simply as cryptococcosis, are assumed to have an infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but a new study suggests that a sibling species, Cryptococcus gattii, is a more common cause than was previously known. The difference between these strains could make a difference in treatment, clinical course, and outcome. ... > full story
New microscope might see beneath skin in 4-D (September 2, 2011) -- Other devices can take 3-D pictures of tissue below the surface of skin, but a new microscope adds an extra dimension: a spectroscopic "fingerprint" that measures the wavelength (or color) of light reflected off each point within a sample in a single snapshot. Researchers hope this innovation may one day be used for early detection of skin cancer. ... > full story
Alcohol dulls brain 'alarm' that monitors mistakes, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- Most people have witnessed otherwise intelligent people doing embarrassing or stupid things when they are intoxicated, but what specifically happens in the brain to cause such drunken actions? A new study testing alcohol's effects on brain activity finds that alcohol dulls the brain "signal" that warns people when they are making a mistake, ultimately reducing self control. ... > full story
First long-term study of WTC workers shows widespread health problems 10 years after Sept. 11 (September 2, 2011) -- In the first long-term study of the health impacts of the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on Sept. 11, 2001, researchers have found substantial and persistent mental and physical health problems among Sept. 11 first responders and recovery workers. ... > full story
Dendritic cells in liver protect against acetaminophen toxicity; Possible new therapeutic target for acetaminophen induced acute liver failure (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that dendritic cells in the liver have a protective role against the toxicity of acetaminophen, the widely used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer for adults and children. ... > full story
Infants trained to concentrate show added benefits (September 2, 2011) -- Although parents may have a hard time believing it, even infants can be trained to improve their concentration skills. What's more, training babies in this way leads to improvements on other, unrelated tasks. The findings are in contrast to reports in adults showing that training at one task generally doesn't translate into improved performance on other, substantially different tasks. They also may have important implications for improving success in school, particularly for those children at risk of poor outcomes, the researchers say. ... > full story
World Trade Center-exposed NYC firefighters face increased cancer risk, study finds (September 2, 2011) -- In the largest cancer study of firefighters ever conducted, researchers have found that New York City firefighters exposed to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site were at least 19 percent more likely to develop cancer in the seven years following the disaster as their non-exposed colleagues and up to 10 percent more likely to develop cancer than a similar sample from the general population. ... > full story
Study finds more gut reaction to arthritis drugs; Stomach acid-suppressing drugs appear to damage small intestine (September 2, 2011) -- A research team has found stomach acid-reducing drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, may actually be aggravating damage in the small intestine caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs. ... > full story
Language speed versus efficiency: Is faster better? (September 2, 2011) -- A recent study of the speech information rate of seven languages concludes that there is considerable variation in the speed at which languages are spoken, but much less variation in how efficiently languages communicate the same information. ... > full story
Persistent immunity: Researchers find signals that preserve anti-viral antibodies (September 2, 2011) -- How does our remarkable immune system retain the ability to defend against viruses previously encountered? While antibodies persist in our blood for only a few short weeks, our bodies retain the cells that make specific, successful antibodies for decades. Researchers have determined the protein signals that keep the memory of old viruses alive, findings that may aid in creating better, more effective vaccines. ... > full story
Insomnia costing US workforce .2 billion a year in lost productivity, study shows (September 2, 2011) -- Insomnia is costing the average US worker 11.3 days, or ,280 in lost productivity every year, according to a new study considered to be more accurate than previous estimates. Researchers hope such numbers will prompt the implementation of screening and treatment programs for employees. Because insomnia is not considered an illness -- the kind that results in lost days at work -- employers tend to ignore its consequences. ... > full story
Low-dose naltrexone (LDN): Tricking the body to heal itself (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which a low dose of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (LDN) can suppress cell proliferative-related disorders such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. LDN causes a compensatory increase in an endogenous opioid, the opioid growth factor (OGF, [Met5]-enkephalin), and the OGF receptor (OGFr). ... > full story
Signs of aging may be linked to undetected blocked brain blood vessels (September 1, 2011) -- Tiny blocked brain vessels may be the cause of many common signs associated with older age, according to new research. Brain autopsies showed more lesions in those with the most pronounced difficulty walking. Thirty percent of small brain lesions could only be seen under a microscope after study participants died. The lesions couldn't be detected by current scans. ... > full story
New half-match bone marrow transplant procedure yields promising outcomes for cancer patients (September 1, 2011) -- Half-matched bone marrow or stem cell transplants for blood cancer patients have typically been associated with disappointing clinical outcomes. However, a clinical trial testing its unique, two-step half-match procedure has produced some promising results: the probability of overall survival was 45 percent in all patients after three years and 75 percent in patients who were in remission at the time of the transplant. ... > full story
Decrease in smoking reduces death rates within months (September 1, 2011) -- A new study has found that a decrease in smoking rapidly reduces mortality rates in individuals and entire populations within six months. ... > full story
Really bad body odor? Undiagnosed TMAU may explain many cases of personal malodor (September 1, 2011) -- Scientists report that approximately one third of patients with unexplained body malodor test positive for the metabolic disorder trimethylaminuria (TMAU). A diagnosis offers relief to these individuals, as once the disease is identified, the debilitating symptoms can be ameliorated through changes in diet and other approaches. ... > full story
Habit makes bad food too easy to swallow (September 1, 2011) -- Do you always get popcorn at the movies? Or snack while you're on the couch watching television? A new article reveals why bad eating habits persist even when the food we're eating doesn't taste good. The study also reveals the surprisingly simple ways we can counter our habits to gain control over what we eat. ... > full story
Alzheimer's brains found to have lower levels of key protein (September 1, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a protein variation linked by some genetic studies to Alzheimer's disease is consistently present in the actual brains of people with Alzheimer's. In further biochemical and cell culture investigations, they have shown that this protein, known as ubiquilin-1, performs a critical Alzheimer's-related function: it "chaperones" the formation of amyloid precursor protein, a molecule whose malformation has been directly tied to Alzheimer's pathology. ... > full story
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