ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Thursday, September 29, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Thursday, September 29, 2011

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Easily embarrassed? Study finds people will trust you more (September 29, 2011) -- If tripping in public or mistaking an overweight woman for a mother-to-be leaves you red-faced, don't feel bad. A new study suggests that people who are easily embarrassed are also more trustworthy, and more generous. ... > full story

Pregnant women who exercise protect their offspring against long-term neurodegenerative diseases, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- If you are pregnant, here's another reason to work out: you will reduce the chances of your baby developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, later in life, new research suggests. A new report shows that mice bred to develop a neurodegenerative disease equivalent to Alzheimer's disease showed fewer signs of the disease and greater brain plasticity later in life when their mothers exercised regularly than those whose mothers did not. ... > full story

Control gene for developmental timing discovered (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a key regulator that controls the speed of development in the fruit fly. When the researchers blocked the function of this regulator, animals sped up their rate of development and reached maturity much faster than normal. ... > full story

'Molecular wipe': Potential treatment for 'pink eye' epidemic (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) -- sometimes called "pink eye" -- a highly infectious eye disease that may occur in 15 million to 20 million people annually in the United States alone. Their report describes an innovative new "molecular wipe" that sweeps up viruses responsible for EKC. ... > full story

Who's the best leader: The saint or the scrooge? (September 29, 2011) -- Generosity is typically regarded as a virtue. But among leaders, it can be seen as a sign of weakness, according to a new study. The research finds that generosity -- in the sense of contributing to the public good -- influences a person's status on two critical dimensions: prestige and dominance. ... > full story

Scientists reveal molecular sculptor of memories (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers working with adult mice have discovered that learning and memory were profoundly affected when they altered the amounts of a certain protein in specific parts of the mammals' brains. ... > full story

Alcohol in moderation can reduce asthma risk, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- Drinking alcohol in moderate quantities can reduce the risk of asthma, according to Danish researchers. ... > full story

Genetic variant linked to blocked heart arteries in patients with diabetes (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the first genetic variant associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Though this variant is not likely the cause of more severe coronary disease, the researchers say, it implicates a gene that could be. Such a gene has promise as a future target for treating coronary artery disease in diabetic patients. ... > full story

Resisting peer pressure: Why adolescents respond differently to peer influence (September 29, 2011) -- The company an adolescent keeps affects his or her behavior -- particularly when these friends engage in illicit activities and are indifferent to education -- right? Well, that all depends, according to a new study. ... > full story

Hide-and-seek: Altered HIV can't evade immune system (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have modified HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress the immune system. Their work could remove a major hurdle in HIV vaccine development and lead to new treatments. ... > full story

Popular colorectal cancer drug may cause permanent nerve damage, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based anticancer drug that's made enormous headway in recent years against colorectal cancer, appears to cause nerve damage that may be permanent and worsens even months after treatment ends, according to a new study. ... > full story

New cancer drug combination significantly delays breast cancer progression, phase II study shows (September 28, 2011) -- The first randomised trial to investigate the use of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) for the initial treatment of HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer has shown that it makes a significant difference to the time women live without their disease worsening. Patients with the cancer who received T-DM1 had a 41 percent improvement in the time they lived without it worsening compared to those who received standard docetaxel chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. ... > full story

Alcohol-related behavior changes: Blame your immune system (September 28, 2011) -- When you think about your immune system, you probably think about it fighting off a cold. But new research suggests that immune cells in your brain may contribute to how you respond to alcohol. ... > full story

Millesecond memory: 'Teleportation' of rats sheds light on how the memory is organized (September 28, 2011) -- An experiment in which rats are "teleported" shows how memory is organized into discrete 125 millisecond-long packets, enabling a smooth transition between one memory and the next. ... > full story

Gene may be good target for tough-to-kill prostate cancer cells (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists believe they have found an effective target for killing late-stage, metastatic prostate cancer cells. They are focusing on the function of a gene called Polo-like kinase (Plk1), a critical regulator of the cell cycle. Plk1 is also an oncogene, which tends to mutate and can cause cancer. ... > full story

Vital protein complex and therapeutic possibilities revealed (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists have detailed the structure and workings of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large family of human proteins that are the target of one-third to one-half of modern drugs. ... > full story

Teenage mind: First time evidence links over interpretation of social situations to personality disorder (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have became interested in the way people think, how they organize thoughts, execute a decision, then determine whether a decision is good or bad. ... > full story

New stem cell activity identified in human brain (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns. The recent study raises new questions of how the brain evolves. ... > full story

Tendons absorb shocks muscles won't handle (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have learned how muscles and tendons in the legs deal with sudden impacts. Experiments showed that tendons absorb the initial burst of energy from impact before the leg muscles react. The tendons act as shock absorbers, protecting the leg muscle from damage at the moment of impact. ... > full story

Saving heart attack victims with computer science (September 28, 2011) -- Newly discovered subtle markers of heart damage hidden in plain sight among hours of EKG recordings could help doctors identify which heart attack patients are at high risk of dying soon. ... > full story

Dyslexia isn't a matter of IQ, brain imaging study shows (September 28, 2011) -- About 5 to 10 percent of American children are diagnosed as dyslexic. Historically, the label has been assigned to kids who are bright, even verbally articulate, but who struggle with reading -- in short, whose high IQs mismatch their low reading scores. When children are not as bright, however, their reading troubles have been chalked up to their general intellectual limitations. ... > full story

Additives meant to protect vitamin C actually cause more harm, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Anti-caking agents in powdered products may hasten degradation of vitamin C instead of doing what they are supposed to do: protect the nutrient from moisture. ... > full story

How dynamic changes in methylation can determine cell fate (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered intriguing new evidence helping to explain how methylation -- an epigenetic process -- can help determine the ultimate fate of stem cells. ... > full story

Children with autism benefit from early, intensive therapy (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found that children with autism spectrum disorders who receive more intensive therapy to combat social-communication impairments, especially at early ages, achieve the best outcomes. ... > full story

Women have stronger immune systems than men -- and it's all down to X-chromosome related microRNA (September 28, 2011) -- As anyone familiar with the phrase "man-flu" will know women consider themselves to be the more robust side of the species when it comes to health and illness. Now new research seems to support the idea. The research focuses on the role of MicroRNAs encoded on the X chromosome to explain why women have stronger immune systems to men and are less likely to develop cancer. ... > full story

Alzheimer's protein kills nerve cells in nose; Animal study may suggest way to rescue cells from disease (September 28, 2011) -- A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease kills nerve cells that detect odors, according to an animal study. The findings shed light on why people with Alzheimer's disease often lose their sense of smell early on in the course of the disease. ... > full story

Modern shift work pattern potentially less harmful to health (September 28, 2011) -- Recent research suggests that the modern day-day-night-night shift pattern for shift workers may not be as disruptive or as potentially carcinogenic as older, more extreme shift patterns. ... > full story

What do infants remember when they forget? (September 28, 2011) -- Six-month-old babies are severely limited in what they can remember about the objects they see in the world; if you hide several objects from an infant, they will only remember one of those objects with any detail. But a new study finds that when babies "forget" about an object, not all is lost. ... > full story

Removal of fibroids that distort the womb cavity may prevent recurrent miscarriages, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found the first, firm evidence that fibroids are associated with recurrent miscarriages. They have also discovered that if they removed the fibroids that distorted the inside of the womb, the risk of miscarriage in the second trimester of pregnancy was reduced dramatically -- to zero. ... > full story

'Belly fat' linked to development of asthma, study finds (September 28, 2011) -- Belly fat, known clinically as central obesity, has been linked to the development of asthma in a new study. ... > full story

Device 'sees' beneath the skin to spot circulation problems (September 28, 2011) -- A ground-breaking device which “sees” beneath the skin to spot circulation problems has passed an important milestone on its journey to commercialization. ... > full story

Two-dimensional learning: Viewing computer images causes long-term changes in nerve cell connections (September 28, 2011) -- Viewing two-dimensional images of the environment, as they occur in computer games, leads to sustained changes in the strength of nerve cell connections in the brain. When the researchers presented rats with new spatial environments on a computer screen, they observed long-lasting changes in the communication between nerve cells in a brain structure which is important for long-term memory (hippocampus). Thus, the researchers showed for the first time that active exploration of the environment is not necessary to obtain this effect. ... > full story

Possible cardiovascular risk found with NSAID use, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- A new study suggests that controlling cholesterol may be important for heart health in patients who are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen. The findings are based on a study on the safety of NSAID medications in clinically relevant animal models when high cholesterol is a factor. ... > full story

New discoveries in genetics of lung health (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time discovered sixteen new sections of the genetic code that relate to lung health -- opening up the possibility for better prevention as well as treatment for lung diseases. ... > full story

Company stock prices jump before public announcements of oncology trial results (September 28, 2011) -- Prior knowledge of phase III clinical trials of new drugs and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory decisions may affect the price of a drug company's stock according to a new study. ... > full story

Atypical antipsychotics appear to be effective for only few off-label uses, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- A review of previous studies suggests that even though atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for off-label conditions such as behavioral symptoms of dementia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, these medications are effective for only a few off-label conditions, and that the benefits and harms of these medications for these uses vary, according to a new article. ... > full story

Foam injections for varicose veins better for patients and cheaper, study finds (September 28, 2011) -- Foam injections to treat varicose veins cause less pain for patients and could save money compared with a popular alternative treatment, according to researchers. ... > full story

Hollywood thriller Contagion echoes real-life study (September 28, 2011) -- Soon-to-be released Hollywood film Contagion stars Kate Winslet as a doctor battling the horrors of a global pandemic -- but real-life scientists are urging people to complete a survey to help scientists track how contagious diseases spread in the real world. ... > full story

Mammographic surveillance increases breast cancer survival (September 28, 2011) -- New research has found that surveillance using mammography increases the survival chances of breast cancer patients. ... > full story

Experts advocate for new approaches to biomedical research (September 28, 2011) -- Experts have outlined several approaches to biomedical research workforce development, a topic that is currently under scrutiny by the National Institutes of Health in the US. ... > full story

Homegrown solution for physician shortage in rural US (September 28, 2011) -- An innovative program could help states deal with a dilemma in Washington, D.C. If deficit-reduction measures cut billions of dollars for training physicians who are already in short supply, who will care for the more than 30 million newly insured patients entering the health-care system? ... > full story

Medical education needs more of a public health and prevention focus (September 28, 2011) -- If future physicians are to best serve the changing health needs of patients and their communities, medical education must put greater emphasis on public health and prevention, experts say. ... > full story

New analysis of the cardiovascular risks of common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (September 27, 2011) -- An updated study gives some new information on the cardiovascular risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and suggests that among these commonly used drugs, naproxen and low dose ibuprofen are least likely to increase cardiovascular risk whereas diclofenac, even in doses available without prescription, elevates risk. ... > full story

Study examines whether age for initial screening colonoscopy should be different for men, women (September 27, 2011) -- An analysis of results of more than 40,000 screening colonoscopies finds that men have a higher rate of advanced tumors compared to women in all age groups examined, suggesting that the age that individuals should undergo an initial screening colonoscopy should be sex-specific, according to a new study. ... > full story

Central Asia's hidden burden of neglected tropical diseases: High rates of parasitic infection nearly 20 years after Soviet collapse (September 27, 2011) -- Central Asia continues to suffer from a post-Soviet economic breakdown that may have contributed to a re-emergence of several neglected tropical diseases in the area, especially among its most economically disadvantaged groups, according to a new article. ... > full story

People learn while they sleep, study suggests (September 27, 2011) -- People may be learning while they're sleeping -- an unconscious form of memory that is still not well understood, according to a new study. ... > full story

Increasing dosage of saw palmetto does not appear to reduce urinary symptoms from enlarged prostate (September 27, 2011) -- Men with urinary problems related to an enlarged prostate who received increasing doses of the fruit extract saw palmetto did not experience a reduction in these symptoms compared to men who received placebo, according to a new study. ... > full story

Biochemists identify new genetic code repair tool (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers recently reported finding a new class of DNA repair-makers. To ensure the integrity of the genetic material, cells are equipped with a "molecular toolkit" for repairing DNA damage. The toolkit is composed of a variety of different molecules -- called enzymes -- that have evolved to repair different types of DNA damage. Researchers have now discovered a new class of enzymes in that superfamily that lack the ability to repair uracil. ... > full story