ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, November 20, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, November 20, 2011

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Protection from severe malaria explained (November 19, 2011) -- Why do people with a hereditary mutation of the red blood pigment hemoglobin (as is the case with sickle-cell anemia prevalent in Africa) not contract severe malaria? Scientists have now solved this mystery. ... > full story

New tool saves time, reduces risk of mistakes in diabetes care (November 19, 2011) -- In the fast-paced world of health care, doctors are often pressed for time during patient visits. Researchers have now developed a tool that allows doctors to view electronic information about patients' health conditions related to diabetes on a single computer screen. A new study shows that this tool, the diabetes dashboard, saves time, improves accuracy and enhances patient care. ... > full story

Paving the way for better prevention and management of delirium (November 19, 2011) -- Important clues to the prevention and management of delirium, a condition affecting an estimated seven million hospitalized Americans, are being ignored, according to a new study. ... > full story

Unraveling how a mutation can lead to psychiatric illness (November 18, 2011) -- A new study demonstrates how DISC1 variants impair signaling pathways and disrupt brain development. ... > full story

'Silent' stroke risk factors for children with sickle cell anemia (November 18, 2011) -- Factors such as low hemoglobin levels, increased systolic blood pressure, and male gender are linked to a higher risk of silent cerebral infarcts, or silent strokes, in children with sickle cell anemia, according to results from a large, first-of-its-kind study. ... > full story

Nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver (November 18, 2011) -- Recent studies have demonstrated that nanoparticles of cerium oxide -- common diesel fuel additives used to increase the fuel efficiency of automobile engines -- can travel from the lungs to the liver and that this process is associated with liver damage. ... > full story

Job market for college grads braced for slow but steady growth (November 18, 2011) -- After last year's rollercoaster ride, the job market for college graduates has settled down and appears braced for slow but steady growth, according to a new study. ... > full story

New 'smart' material could help tap medical potential of tissue-penetrating light (November 18, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful initial testing of the first practical "smart" material that may supply the missing link in efforts to use in medicine a form of light that can penetrate four inches into the human body. The new polymer or plastic-like material has potential for use in diagnosing diseases and engineer new human tissues in the lab. ... > full story

How Legionnaires' bacteria proliferate, cause disease (November 18, 2011) -- Scientist have determined for the first time how the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease manipulates our cells to generate the amino acids it needs to grow and cause infection and inflammation in the lungs. ... > full story

Panel of melanoma mutations opens door to new treatment possibilities (November 18, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new genetic screening tool that will aid in the investigation of possible treatments for patients with melanoma and the unique genetic mutations that may accompany the disease, according to new research. ... > full story

Rehabilitating vacant lots improves urban health and safety (November 18, 2011) -- Greening of vacant urban land may affect the health and safety of nearby residents. In a decade-long comparison of vacant lots and improved vacant lots, greening was linked to significant reductions in gun assaults across most of Philadelphia and significant reductions in vandalism in one section of the city. Vacant lot greening was also associated with residents in certain sections of the city reporting significantly less stress and more exercise. ... > full story

Treatment for juvenile offenders shows shows positive results 22 years later (November 18, 2011) -- A researcher, developed a treatment for juvenile offenders that has become one of the most widely used evidence-based treatments in the world. Now, he has found that the treatment continues to have positive effects on former participants more than 20 years after treatment. ... > full story