ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Monday, October 24, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Monday, October 24, 2011

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Biggest ever study shows no link between mobile phone use and tumors (October 23, 2011) -- There is no link between long-term use of mobile phones and tumors of the brain or central nervous system, according to new research. In what is described as the largest study on the subject to date, Danish researchers found no evidence that the risk of brain tumors was raised among 358,403 mobile phone subscribers over an 18-year period. ... > full story

Complexities of DNA repair discovered (October 23, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that DNA repair in cancer cells is not a one-way street as previously believed. ... > full story

Biomarker detects graft-versus-host-disease in cancer patients after bone marrow transplant (October 23, 2011) -- A team of researchers has found a biomarker they believe can help rapidly identify one of the most serious complications in cancer patients after a bone marrow transplant. ... > full story

Decision-making: What you want vs. how you get it (October 23, 2011) -- New research reveals how we make decisions. Birds choosing between berry bushes and investors trading stocks are faced with the same fundamental challenge -- making optimal choices in an environment featuring varying costs and benefits. ... > full story

Billions of dollars at stake as Canada comes to grips with soaring heart failure costs (October 23, 2011) -- Heart failure (HF) costs are headed for the economic stratosphere, even as researchers come up with simple tests and strategies to bring them back to earth. An assessment of the growing problem and a new initiative to curb costs and increase efficacy in dealing with heart failure patients when they present to emergency departments were the subject of two major studies presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011. ... > full story

Brain scans support findings that IQ can rise or fall significantly during adolescence (October 22, 2011) -- IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to new research, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years. ... > full story

First Ebola-like virus native to Europe discovered (October 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new Ebola-like virus -- Lloviu virus -- in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe. Filoviruses, which include well-known viruses like Ebola and Marburg, are among the deadliest pathogens in humans and non-human primates, and are generally found in East Africa and the Philippines. The findings thus expand the natural geographical distribution of filoviruses. ... > full story

West Nile virus transmission linked to land use patterns and 'super-spreaders' (October 22, 2011) -- After its initial appearance in New York in 1999, West Nile virus spread across the United States in just a few years and is now well established throughout North and South America. Researchers have found that in most places only a few key species of bird "hosts" and mosquito "vectors" are important in transmission of the virus. ... > full story

Preventing cancer development inside the cell cycle (October 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a cell cycle-regulated mechanism behind the transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells. The study results suggest that inhibition of the CK1 enzyme may be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer cells formed as a result of a malfunction in the cell's mTOR signaling pathway. ... > full story

Simple lifestyle changes can add a decade or more healthy years to the average lifespan, Canadian study shows (October 22, 2011) -- Health prevention strategies to help people achieve their optimal health potential could add a decade or more of healthy years to the average lifespan and save the economy billions of dollars as a result of reduced cardiovascular disease. ... > full story

Burden of osteoporotic fractures increases dramatically in the Middle East and Africa (October 22, 2011) -- Osteoporosis is a serious and growing problem throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa, according to new research. Gathering data from 17 countries in the region as well as Turkey, "The Middle East & Africa Regional Audit" is a landmark report examining epidemiology, costs and burden in individual countries as well as collectively across the region. ... > full story

Blood-pressure-lowering drug after stroke aids recovery, study suggests (October 21, 2011) -- A commonly prescribed blood pressure-lowering medication appears to kick start recovery in the unaffected brain hemisphere after a stroke by boosting blood vessel growth, a new study has found. ... > full story

Are acid-suppressing drugs prescribed too often in infants? (October 21, 2011) -- Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants. Experts now caution against the over-diagnosis of GERD and over-prescription of acid-suppressing drugs in infants. ... > full story

Improved living environments can reduce health problems for women and children (October 21, 2011) -- Low-income women with children who moved from high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhoods experienced notable long-term improvements in aspects of their health; namely, reductions in diabetes and extreme obesity, according to a new study. ... > full story

Can aromatherapy produce harmful indoor air pollutants? (October 21, 2011) -- Spas that offer massage therapy using fragrant essential oils, called aromatherapy, may have elevated levels of potentially harmful indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles, according to a new article. ... > full story

Women can self-test for HPV, easily and accurately, study suggests (October 21, 2011) -- A team of German researchers has shown that women can accurately test themselves for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the most common cause of cervical cancer. ... > full story

A new discipline emerges: The psychology of science (October 21, 2011) -- You've heard of the history of science, the philosophy of science, maybe even the sociology of science. But how about the psychology of science? ... > full story

Inflammation is controlled differently in brain and other tissues (October 21, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a new metabolic pathway for controlling brain inflammation, suggesting strategies for treating it. ... > full story

Preeclampsia: New blood test to assess risk of imminent delivery can reduce complications for mother and child, study suggests (October 21, 2011) -- A blood test can help to assess whether a pregnant woman who suffers from pregnancy-induced hypertension, so-called preeclampsia, is at risk for an imminent delivery. This knowledge can be used to determine the due date as well as avoid complications for mother and child. ... > full story

Autistic facial characteristics identified (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers have found distinct differences between the facial characteristics of children with autism compared to those of typically developing children. This knowledge could help researchers understand the origins of autism. ... > full story

Neuroscientists unlock shared brain codes between people (October 21, 2011) -- Scientists have found that different individuals' brains use the same, common neural code to recognize complex visual images. Researchers have developed a new method called hyperalignment to create this common code and the parameters that transform an individual's brain activity patterns into the code. ... > full story

Alternating training improves motor learning: Study suggests varying practice sessions may benefit people with motor disorders (October 21, 2011) -- Learning from one's mistakes may be better than practicing to perfection, according to new research. A study found that forcing people to switch from a normal walking pattern to an unusual one -- and back again -- made them better able to adjust to the unusual pattern the following day. The findings may help improve therapy for people relearning how to walk following stroke or other injury. ... > full story

Number of Facebook friends linked to size of brain regions, study suggests (October 21, 2011) -- Scientists have found a direct link between the number of "Facebook friends" a person has and the size of particular brain regions. In a new study researchers also showed that the more Facebook friends a person has, the more "real-world" friends they are likely to have. ... > full story

Reading a book versus a screen: Different reading devices, different modes of reading? (October 21, 2011) -- A book or a screen – which of these two offers more reading comfort? There are no disadvantages to reading from electronic reading devices compared with reading printed texts, according to a new study. ... > full story

Novel therapeutic target identified to decrease triglycerides and increase 'good' cholesterol (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers have shown for the first time the inhibition of both microRNA-33a and microRNA-33b with chemically modified anti-miR oligonucleotides markedly suppress triglyceride levels and cause a sustained increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol "good" cholesterol. ... > full story

Human norovirus in groundwater remains infective after two months (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that norovirus in groundwater can remain infectious for at least 61 days. ... > full story

High to moderate levels of stress lead to higher mortality rate (October 21, 2011) -- A new study concludes that men who experience persistently moderate or high levels of stressful life events over a number of years have a 50 percent higher mortality rate. In general, the researchers found only a few protective factors against these higher levels of stress -- people who self-reported that they had good health tended to live longer and married men also fared better. Moderate drinkers also lived longer than non-drinkers. ... > full story

New drug strategies for Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers are recommending a new strategy for developing drugs to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases. ... > full story

Medical researchers breath new life into fight against primary killer of premature infants (October 21, 2011) -- A new discovery might explain why some premature infants fail to respond to existing treatments for a deadly respiratory distress syndrome and offers clues for new ways to treat the breathing disorder. ... > full story

New insights into insulin resistance could lead to better drugs for diabetics (October 21, 2011) -- New research moves us closer to developing drugs that could mitigate diabetes. Diabetes afflicts an estimated 26 million Americans, while 79 million have prediabetes. In other words, one in three Americans confronts this disease. Diabetes raises the risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as fourfold, and it is the leading cause of blindness among adults 20-74. It is also the leading cause of kidney failure. ... > full story

Emerging public health crisis linked to mortgage default and foreclosure (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers warn of a looming health crisis in the wake of rising mortgage delinquencies and home foreclosures. The study is the first long-term survey of the impact the current housing crisis is having on older Americans. The study focused on adults over 50 and found high rates of depression among those behind in their mortgage payments and a higher likelihood of making unhealthy financial tradeoffs regarding food and needed prescription medications. ... > full story

New mechanism inhibiting the spread and growth of cancer found in motile cells (October 21, 2011) -- A revolutionary discovery regarding motile cancer cells is challenging previous conceptions. ... > full story

NIPPV linked to increased hospital mortality rates in small group of patients (October 21, 2011) -- Although increased use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) nationwide has helped decrease mortality rates among patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a small group of patients requiring subsequent treatment with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) have a significantly higher risk of death than those placed directly on IMV, according to researchers in the United States who studied patterns of NIPPV use. ... > full story

Newly discovered reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (October 20, 2011) -- Waters polluted by the ordure of pigs, poultry, or cattle represent a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, both known and potentially novel. These resistance genes can be spread among different bacterial species by bacteriophage, bacteria-infecting viruses, according to new research. ... > full story

Calorie count plus points based on added sugars, sodium, and saturated and trans fats recommended as new front-of-package nutrition labeling system (October 20, 2011) -- Federal agencies should develop a new nutrition rating system with symbols to display on the front of food and beverage packaging that graphically convey calorie counts by serving size and a "point" value showing whether the saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars in the products are below threshold levels. This new front-of-package system should apply to all foods and beverages and replace any other symbols currently being used on the front of packaging, added the committee that wrote the report. ... > full story

I vs. we: Individuals perform better when focused on team's effort (October 20, 2011) -- Individuals perform better and are more confident when they practice motivational tactics focused not on them but on the team they belong to, according to researchers. The findings reveal that simply changing "I" to "we" in self-talk motivational statements has a significant impact on an individual's -- and thus a group's -- performance. ... > full story

Antiviral drugs may slow Alzheimer's progression (October 20, 2011) -- Antiviral drugs used to target the herpes virus could be effective at slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows. ... > full story

Research could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and viral infections (October 20, 2011) -- The intestinal ecosystem is even more dynamic than previously thought, according to two new studies. The research provides a new understanding of the unique intestinal environment and suggest new strategies for the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and viral infections, the researchers said. ... > full story

Age a big factor in prostate cancer deaths, study finds (October 20, 2011) -- Contrary to common belief, men age 75 and older are diagnosed with late-stage and more aggressive prostate cancer and thus die from the disease more often than younger men, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

Men win humor test (by a hair) (October 20, 2011) -- Men are funnier than women, but only just barely and mostly to other men. So says a new psychology study. ... > full story

Low birthweight infants five times more likely to have autism, study finds (October 20, 2011) -- Autism researchers have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weight. ... > full story

Antibody treatment protects monkeys from Hendra virus disease (October 20, 2011) -- A human antibody given to monkeys infected with the deadly Hendra virus completely protected them from disease, according to a new study. Hendra and the closely related Nipah virus, both rare viruses that are part of the NIH biodefense research program, target the lungs and brain and have human case fatality rates of 60 percent and more than 75 percent, respectively. These diseases in monkeys mirror what happens in humans, and the study results are cause for hope that the antibody, named m102.4, ultimately may be developed into a possible treatment for people who become infected with these viruses. ... > full story

One size does not fit all for knee replacements and other medical devices, expert says (October 20, 2011) -- Undergoing a knee replacement involves sophisticated medical equipment, but innovative prosthetic design may not offer the same benefits for all knee replacement recipients, researchers report. ... > full story

Time on your hands: Good or bad? (October 20, 2011) -- What is more desirable: too little or too much spare time on your hands? To be happy, somewhere in the middle, according to researchers. New work shows that materialistic young people with compulsive buying issues need just the right amount of spare time to feel happier. ... > full story

Young human-specific genes correlated with brain evolution (October 20, 2011) -- Young genes that appeared since the primate branch split from other mammal species are expressed in unique structures of the developing human brain, a new analysis finds. ... > full story

Researchers examine BPA and breast cancer link (October 20, 2011) -- Chronic low-level exposure to a compound found in a variety of plastic household items could pose a threat to women who overproduce a protein linked with breast cancer, say researchers. ... > full story

Delayed vs. immediate coronary stenting (October 20, 2011) -- Medical researchers have published an article on the timing of coronary stenting, a thought-provoking paper that challenges one of the dogmas of acute heart attack management today. ... > full story

False starts can sneak by in women's sprinting, analysis finds (October 20, 2011) -- Olympic timing procedures don't accurately detect false starts by female sprinters, according to a new analysis. Under the current rules, a woman can purposely anticipate the gun by up to 20 milliseconds, or one-fiftieth of a second, without getting called for a false start, the researchers say. ... > full story