ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, October 16, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, October 16, 2011

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Hidden genetic influence on cancer discovered (October 15, 2011) -- In findings with major implications for the genetics of cancer and human health, researchers have uncovered evidence of powerful new genetic networks and showed how it may work to drive cancer and normal development. ... > full story

Bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and can slow their growth (October 15, 2011) -- Bone marrow-derived cells participate in the growth and spread of tumors of the breast, brain, lung, and stomach. To examine the role of BMDCs, researchers developed a mouse model that could be used to track the migration of these cells while tumors formed and expanded. Their results strongly suggest that more effective cancer treatments may be developed by exploiting the mechanism by which bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and retard their proliferation. ... > full story

Psychopathic killers: Computerized text analysis uncovers the word patterns of a predator (October 15, 2011) -- As words can be the soul's window, scientists are learning to peer through it: Computerized text analysis shows that psychopathic killers make identifiable word choices -- beyond conscious control -- when talking about their crimes. This research could lead to new tools for diagnosis and treatment, and have implications law enforcement and social media. ... > full story

'Never married' men still more likely to die from cancer (October 15, 2011) -- It is known that the unmarried are in general more likely to die than their married counterparts and there is some indication that the divide is getting worse. New research looks at the changes in cancer survival over the past 40 years and show that the difference in mortality between the married and never married, especially between married and never married men, has also increased. ... > full story

Uncharted territory: Scientists sequence the first carbohydrate biopolymer (October 15, 2011) -- For the first time ever, a team of researchers has announced the sequence of a complete complex carbohydrate biopolymer. The surprising discovery provides the scientific and medical communities with an important and fundamental new view of these vital biomolecules, which play a role in everything from cell structure and development to disease pathology and blood clotting. ... > full story

Researchers block morphine's itchy side effect (October 15, 2011) -- Itching is one of the most prevalent side effects of powerful, pain-killing drugs like morphine, oxycodone and other opioids. Now in mice, researchers have shown they can control opioid-induced itching without interfering with a drug's ability to relieve pain. ... > full story

Reassurance for dementia sufferers on impact of common drugs (October 15, 2011) -- Researchers whose findings on the detrimental impact of some common medicines on elderly people were widely reported earlier in the summer have found that taking a few of these medicines does not appear to cause further cognitive impairment in those already suffering from dementia. ... > full story

One in six mobile phones in the UK is contaminated with fecal bacteria, researchers found (October 15, 2011) -- One in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with fecal matter, according to new research. Experts say the most likely reason for the potentially harmful bacteria festering on so many gadgets is people failing to wash their hands properly with soap after going to the toilet. ... > full story

How touch and movement contribute to the development of the brain (October 15, 2011) -- Neuroscientists have uncovered in an animal model the neuronal processes that underlay the development of sensory maps in the developing brain. ... > full story

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of allergies, study suggests (October 14, 2011) -- Today, about one in four European children suffer from allergy, which makes this disease the non-infectious epidemic of the 21st century. Evidence suggests that lifestyle factors and nutritional patterns, such as breastfeeding, help to reduce the early symptoms of allergy. ... > full story

Women's heart disease tied to small blood vessels (October 14, 2011) -- After a heart attack, women's hearts are more likely to maintain their systolic function -- their ability to contract and pump blood from the chambers into the arteries. According to researchers, this suggests that heart disease manifests differently in women, affecting the microvasculature (small blood vessels) instead of the macrovasculature (major blood vessels) as it does in men. ... > full story

Differing structures underlie differing brain rhythms in healthy and ill, virtual modeling reveals (October 14, 2011) -- Virtual brains modeling epilepsy and schizophrenia display less complexity among functional connections, and other differences compared to healthy brain models, researchers report. The researchers worked backward from brain rhythms -- the oscillating patterns of electrical activity in the brain recorded on electroencephalograms -- from both healthy and ill individuals. ... > full story