ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Thursday, October 27, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Thursday, October 27, 2011

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Multiple malaria vaccine offers protection to people most at risk (October 27, 2011) -- A new malaria vaccine could be the first to tackle different forms of the disease and help those most vulnerable to infection, a study suggests. ... > full story

Cells are crawling all over our bodies, but how? (October 27, 2011) -- For better and for worse, human health depends on a cell's motility -- the ability to crawl from place to place. In every human body, millions of cells are crawling around doing mostly good deeds -- though if any of those crawlers are cancerous, watch out. ... > full story

Can antivirulence drugs stop infections without causing resistance? (October 27, 2011) -- Antivirulence drugs disarm pathogens rather than kill them, and although they could be effective in theory, antivirulence drugs have never been tested in humans. A new study reveals these drugs have the potential to fight infection while avoiding the pitfalls of drug resistance. ... > full story

Study uncovers clues to young children's aggressive behavior (October 27, 2011) -- In a new longitudinal study that moves beyond descriptive findings to explain underlying processes, researchers looked at difficult infant temperament and negative maternal parenting for more than 260 mother and child pairs and found that negative maternal parenting mattered more than difficult infant temperament in putting parent-child pairs at risk for conflict in the toddler period, and then putting children at risk for conduct problems at school age. ... > full story

Potential new drug target could stop debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis (October 27, 2011) -- Medical researchers in Canada have discovered a potential new drug target for multiple sclerosis that could prevent physical disability associated with the disease, once a new drug is developed. ... > full story

Effect of aging on the brain (October 27, 2011) -- Biologists have discovered that under stressful conditions, such as neurodegeneration due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, synapses grow excessively, potentially contributing to dysfunction. ... > full story

For patients with both HIV and tuberculosis the timing of drug therapies is critical (October 27, 2011) -- How best to treat 700,000 tuberculosis patients globally who are HIV positive is the subject of a new study whose authors had previously shown that integrating antiretroviral therapy (ART) concurrently with tuberculosis treatment is preferable to treating the diseases sequentially. The new study finds that the best timing for introducing treatment depends on the patient's immune status. Patients with very low T-cell counts appear to do better with an earlier integration of treatment for HIV. ... > full story

Religious, spiritual support benefits men and women facing chronic illness, study finds (October 27, 2011) -- Individuals who practice religion and spirituality report better physical and mental health than those who do not. To better understand this relationship and how spirituality/religion can be used for coping with significant health issues, researchers are examining what aspects of religion are most beneficial and for what populations. Now, researchers have found that religious and spiritual support improves health outcomes for both men and women who face chronic health conditions. ... > full story

Environmental toxin bisphenol A (BPA) can affect newborn brain, mouse study shows (October 26, 2011) -- Newborn mice that are exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) develop changes in their spontaneous behavior and evince poorer adaptation to new environments, as well hyperactivity as young adults, according to researchers. Their study also revealed that one of the brain’s most important signal systems, the cholinergic signal system, is affected by bisphenol A and that the effect persisted into adulthood. ... > full story

New weapon against cancer: Microwaves can be used to create medical images (October 26, 2011) -- A research team from Sweden has developed new techniques of cancer diagnosis and treatment with the aid of microwaves, which could play a pioneering role in the battle against cancer. These techniques could save many lives and are more effective, less invasive and simpler than currently available alternatives. Clinical studies are now being planned. ... > full story

Some contraceptive pills more likely to cause blood clots, study confirms (October 26, 2011) -- A new study confirms previous findings that certain oral contraceptive pills are more likely to cause serious blood clots than others. ... > full story

Hear the one about men being funnier than women? Study shows gender stereotype that men are funnier than women (October 26, 2011) -- Why do we think that men are funnier than women? And why are men particularly responsive to other men's humor? Women, however, find men funnier because they mistakenly attribute funny things to men. A new article explores the reasons behind the stereotype that men are funnier than women and find scientific proof to support it. ... > full story

Autistic brains develop more slowly than healthy brains, researchers say (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found a possible explanation for why autistic children act and think differently than their peers -- for the first time, they show that the connections between regions of the brain that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism, when compared to healthy children. ... > full story

Source found for immune system effects on learning, memory (October 26, 2011) -- Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by neuroscientists. Earlier studies had shown that laboratory rats experiencing an infection at an early age have an aggressive immune response to subsequent infections, which also harms their learning and memory. In a new study, researchers have identified the source of the learning difficulties and traces it back to the immune system itself. ... > full story

Gene responsible for relapses in young leukemia patients (October 26, 2011) -- One of the causes of resistance to cancer treatment in children is now beginning to be elucidated. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with a particular form of the ATF5 gene are at higher risk of having a relapse when treated with E. coli asparaginase, a key chemotherapy drug for this type of leukemia. ... > full story

Scary can be exciting when it comes to strange traditional foods (October 26, 2011) -- Sheep’s head: Until now very few of us have been tempted by this traditional Norwegian dish. Eating scary food is practice in overcoming fear, according to one researcher. In the tourism industry, a few entrepreneurs have commercialized this idea and thereby raised traditional food to new heights. ... > full story

Advance toward a breath test to diagnose multiple sclerosis (October 26, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting the development and successful tests in humans of a sensor array that can diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) from exhaled breath, an advance that they describe as a landmark in the long search for a fast, inexpensive and non-invasive test for MS -- the most common neurological disease in young adults. ... > full story

Lab-made skin cells will aid transplantation, cancer, drug discovery research, say scientists (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found a way to create melanocytes from mouse tail cells using embryonic stem cell-like intermediates called inducible pluripotent (iPS) cells. They converted mouse tail-tip fibroblasts into iPS cells, producing pluripotent cells similar to embryonic stem cells, but without the concomitant ethical issues. ... > full story

Chiral metal surfaces may help to manufacture pharmaceuticals; Novel approach could be used in pharmaceutical drug synthesis (October 26, 2011) -- New research shows how metal surfaces that lack mirror symmetry could provide a novel approach towards manufacturing pharmaceuticals. ... > full story

Nanoparticles could help pain-relieving osteoarthritis drugs last longer, study indicates (October 26, 2011) -- A novel study demonstrates that using nanoparticles to deliver osteoarthritis drugs to the knee joint could help increase the retention of the drug in the knee cavity, and therefore reduce the frequency of injections patients must receive. ... > full story

Teenage girls and senior students suffered highest levels of PTSD after major earthquake, study finds (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers who spoke to nearly 2,000 teenagers three months after an 8.0 earthquake found high level of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among girls and senior students. The findings underline the need for young people to receive prompt psychological support after major disasters to avoid them developing long-term mental health problems. The study may be of particular interest to journalists doing follow-up pieces on the aftermath of the Turkish earthquake. ... > full story

More time outdoors may reduce kids' risk for nearsightedness, research suggests (October 26, 2011) -- A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents. Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. ... > full story

Morning UV exposure may be less damaging to the skin (October 26, 2011) -- New research suggests that the timing of exposure to UV rays -- early in the morning or later in the afternoon -- can influence the onset of skin cancer. ... > full story

Video games used in new treatment that may fix 'lazy eye' in older children (October 26, 2011) -- A new study conducted in an eye clinic in India found that correction of amblyopia, also called "lazy eye," can be achieved in many older children, if they stick to a regimen that includes playing video games and standard amblyopia treatment. ... > full story

Light can detect pre-cancerous colon cells (October 26, 2011) -- After demonstrating that light accurately detected pre-cancerous cells in the lining of the esophagus, bioengineers turned their technology to the colon and have achieved similar results in a series of preliminary experiments. ... > full story

Why do some athletes choke under pressure? (October 26, 2011) -- Athletes know they should just do their thing on the 18th hole, or during the penalty shootout, or when they're taking a three-point shot in the last moments of the game. But when that shot could mean winning or losing, it's easy to choke. A new article looks at why paying too much attention to what you're doing can ruin performance. ... > full story

New test can precisely pinpoint food pathogens (October 26, 2011) -- A new test developed by a team led of scientists will enable government agencies and food companies to pinpoint the exact nature and origin of food-borne bacteria with unprecedented accuracy. ... > full story

Will my breast cancer spread? Discovery may predict probability of metastasis (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new way to model human breast cancer that could lead to new tools for predicting which breast cancers will spread and new ways to test drugs that may stop its spread. ... > full story

Mastering chess: Deliberate practice is necessary but not sufficient, psychologists find (October 26, 2011) -- When it comes to chess, psychological scientists have concluded that practice is necessary to get to the master level -- but it's not enough. There has to be something else that sets apart the people who get really good at chess. ... > full story

You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slows growth of human prostate cancer cells, study suggests (October 26, 2011) -- A low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed down the growth of prostate cancer cells -- the number of rapidly dividing cells -- in human prostate cancer tissue compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet, according to a new study. ... > full story

CT scans for lung cancer screening may be beneficial in detecting COPD (October 26, 2011) -- Among men who were current or former heavy smokers, undergoing lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) scanning identified a substantial proportion who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that this method may be helpful as an additional tool in detecting COPD, according to a new study. ... > full story

Why does explaining why a cupcake is delicious make us love it less? (October 26, 2011) -- When consumers share their thoughts about products or experiences, their opinions can intensify, according to a new study. But it depends on whether they're talking about something sensory or practical. ... > full story

Blood test could identify smokers at higher risk for heart disease, UT Southwestern researchers find (October 26, 2011) -- A simple blood test could someday quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. ... > full story

Study explains paradox of insulin resistance genetics (October 26, 2011) -- A paradox in understanding insulin resistance is figuring out why insulin-resistant livers make more fat. Insulin resistance occurs when the body does a poor job of lowering blood sugars. The signals to make lipid after a meal come from hormones -- most notably insulin -- and the direct effect of nutrients on the liver. Researchers describe the pathway that insulin uses to change the levels of gene expression that control lipid metabolism. ... > full story

Early HIV treatment dramatically increases survival in patients co-infected with tuberculosis, study suggests (October 26, 2011) -- Timing is everything when treating patients with both HIV and tuberculosis. Starting HIV therapy in such patients within two weeks of TB treatment, rather than two months as is the current practice, increases survival by 33 percent, according to a large-scale clinical trial. ... > full story

Daily smoking, low mastery associated with repeat episodes of depression in people with a history of depression (October 26, 2011) -- Previous depression, daily smoking and a lack of control over life circumstances -- or "low mastery" -- are risk factors for repeat episodes of depression, a new article finds. ... > full story

Young, apparently healthy -- and at risk of heart disease: New study pinpoints hidden thickening of the arteries in young adults (October 26, 2011) -- Atherosclerosis -- or buildup of fat in the walls of arteries -- is thought of as a disorder of older people but it affects a large number of young men and women, according to a new study. ... > full story

Singling out the real breast cancer among the lumps: Finding several proteins in blood at same time improves accuracy of cancer detection (October 26, 2011) -- A recent breast cancer study using patient blood reveals a possible way to reduce the number of false alarms that arise during early screening. Researchers found a panel of proteins shed by breast cancer that are easily detected and can distinguish between real cancer and benign lumps. ... > full story

New role of vascular endothelial growth factor in regulating skin cancer stem cells (October 26, 2011) -- One of the key questions in cancer is the identification of the mechanisms that regulate cancer stem cells and tumor growth. Researchers have now identified a new role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in regulating skin cancer stem cells. ... > full story

HPV linked to cardiovascular disease in women (October 25, 2011) -- Women with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke even when no conventional risk factors for CVD are present. ... > full story

Perinatal antidepressant stunts brain development in rats; Miswired brain circuitry traced to early exposure (October 25, 2011) -- Rats exposed to an antidepressant just before and after birth showed substantial brain abnormalities and behaviors, according to a new study. After receiving citalopram, a serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor, during this critical period, long-distance connections between the two hemispheres of the brain showed stunted growth and degeneration. The animals also became excessively fearful when faced with new situations and failed to play normally with peers. ... > full story

Women aren't becoming engineers because of confidence issues, study suggests (October 25, 2011) -- Women are less likely than men to stay in engineering majors and to become engineers because they want to have families and are more insecure about their math abilities, right? Not necessarily, suggests a new study. ... > full story

Mental time-travel in birds (October 25, 2011) -- Some tropical birds collect their prey at army ant raids, where massive swarms of ants sweep through the forest and drive out insects. The behavior of interest is called bivouac checking; it allows these birds to track the cyclical raid activity of army ant colonies. ... > full story

New anti-inflammatory drugs might help avoid side effects of steroids (October 25, 2011) -- A new class of anti-inflammatory drugs may one day serve as an alternative to steroid medications and possibly help avoid the serious side effects of steroids, new research findings suggest. ... > full story

Analgesics use associated with increased risk for renal cell carcinoma (October 25, 2011) -- Use of acetaminophen and nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with a significantly increased risk for developing renal cell carcinoma, according to new research. ... > full story

Generation X Report: Survey paints a surprisingly positive portrait (October 25, 2011) -- They've been stereotyped as a bunch of insecure, angst-ridden, underachievers. But most members of Generation X are leading active, balanced and happy lives, according to a long-term survey. ... > full story

Evidence for the existence of a hypnotic state? Key may be in the glazed staring eyes, researchers suggest (October 25, 2011) -- A multidisciplinary group of researchers from Finland and Sweden has found that the strange stare of patients under hypnosis may be a key that can eventually lead to a solution to a long debate about the existence of a hypnotic state. ... > full story

Many Alzheimer's patients get drugs with opposing effects, study finds (October 25, 2011) -- You wouldn't brake your car while stepping on the gas -- or wash down a sleeping pill with espresso. Yet many people taking common Alzheimer's disease medications -- cholinesterase inhibitors -- are given medications with anticholinergic properties, which oppose their effects. Scientists investigated how often that happens and reported on the consequences in a new study. ... > full story