ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Thursday, November 24, 2011
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Surprising pathway implicated in stuttering (November 23, 2011) -- Researchers have obtained new evidence that at least some persistent stuttering is caused by mutations in a gene governing not speech, but a metabolic pathway involved in recycling old cell parts. Beyond a simple association, the study provides the first evidence that mutations affecting cellular recycling centers called lysosomes actually play a role in causing some people to stutter. ... > full story
Dendritic cells protect against acute pancreatitis (November 23, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the novel protective role dendritic cells play in the pancreas. The new study shows dendritic cells can safeguard the pancreas against acute pancreatitis, a sudden dangerous swelling and inflammation of the pancreas gland. ... > full story
Physical activity impacts overall quality of sleep (November 23, 2011) -- People sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, a new study concludes. ... > full story
New strategy could lead to dose reduction in X-ray imaging (November 23, 2011) -- For more than a century, the use of X-rays has been a prime diagnostic tool when it comes to human health. As it turns out, X-rays also are a crucial component for studying and understanding molecules, and a new approach may dramatically improve what researchers can learn using the technique. ... > full story
Tumor-specific pathway identified (November 23, 2011) -- Scientists have identified an atypical metabolic pathway unique to some tumors, possibly providing a future target for drugs that could reduce or halt the spread of cancer. ... > full story
New design for mechanical heart valves (November 23, 2011) -- The heart's valves are asymmetrical. Mechanical heart valves, are symmetrical. Could an asymmetric design improve blood flow? ... > full story
People with a 'sweet tooth' have sweeter dispositions (November 23, 2011) -- If you're dealing with a crabby co-worker or sour-faced friend, perhaps some new research can help. It sheds light on the question: Can eating sweets make you--well--sweet? A new study suggests people with a "sweet tooth" have sweeter dispositions. ... > full story
Hope for muscle wasting disease (November 22, 2011) -- A health supplement used by bodybuilders could be the key to treating a life-threatening muscular dystrophy affecting tens of thousands of children world-wide, new research shows. The amino acid L-tyrosine had a "rapid and dramatic impact" on Nemaline Myopathy in laboratory tests on mice, significantly improving symptoms of the muscle-wasting disease, medical researchers found. ... > full story
P-Rex1 protein key to melanoma metastasis (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a protein, called P-Rex1, that is key to the movement of cells called melanoblasts. When these cells experience uncontrolled growth, melanoma develops. ... > full story
Adolescents who sleep better score higher in math and physical education (November 22, 2011) -- A new study has shown that teenagers having an average sleep pattern -- six to nine hours of sleep per night -- score higher in school, especially in physical education. ... > full story
Laser removal may be advantageous for treating precancerous skin lesions (November 22, 2011) -- Carbon dioxide laser ablation may have a role as an alternative treatment for a common precancerous skin lesion known as lentigo maligna when surgery or radiation therapy is not feasible, according to a new study. ... > full story
Babies who eat fish before nine months are less likely to suffer pre-school wheeze, study suggests (November 22, 2011) -- Children who started eating fish before nine months of age are less likely to suffer from pre-school wheeze, but face a higher risk if they were treated with broad spectrum antibiotics in the first week of life or their mother took paracetamol during pregnancy. Recurrent wheeze is a very common clinical problem in preschool children and there is a need for better medical treatment and improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms. ... > full story
Girls feel more anger, sadness than boys when friends offend (November 22, 2011) -- Girls may be sugar and spice, but "everything nice" takes a back seat when friends let them down. Researchers found that pre-teen girls may not be any better at friendships than boys, despite previous research suggesting otherwise. The findings suggest that when more serious violations of a friendship occur, girls struggle just as much and, in some ways, even more than boys. ... > full story
New culprit found in Lou Gehrig's disease (November 22, 2011) -- Following a breakthrough identifying a common converging point for all forms of Lou Gehrig's disease, a new finding from the same scientists shines more light on the broken recycling pathway of the brain and spinal cord cells, which leads to the paralysis of ALS. The new study reveals a second faulty gene in the same pathway, offering a clear target for drug therapy. ... > full story
Molecule serves as a key in some protein interactions (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified an unexpected mechanism facilitating some protein interactions that are the workhorses of cells and, in the process, identified a potential new cancer drug development target. ... > full story
Do you really know what you want in a partner? (November 22, 2011) -- Once you meet a potential dating partner, one's ideals are likely to fall by the wayside, according to new research. People liked potential partners that matched their ideals more than those that mismatched their ideals when examining written descriptions of potential partners, but those same ideals didn't matter once they met in person, according to new research. ... > full story
Synthetic RNA lessens severity of fatal disease (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have found that targeting a synthetic molecule to a specific gene could help the severity of the disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -- the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world. ... > full story
Response time to open arteries for most critical patients still too slow (November 22, 2011) -- Cardiologists are quick to point to statistics showing that the "door-to-balloon" treatment time for heart attack patients has dropped significantly in the past few years. But a retrospective study reveals that those who call 911 are most likely to have suffered a severe heart attack and despite receiving treatment quickly, they are still dying at unacceptable rates, say researchers. ... > full story
Evidence supports ban on growth promotion use of antibiotics in farming (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have zeroed in on the controversial, non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in food animals and fish farming as a cause of antibiotic resistance in people. There is overwhelming evidence that this overuse of antibiotics affects the environment and humans and they advocate for stricter regulation of the practice. ... > full story
Financial incentives to reduce risky health behaviors? (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers looked at why financial incentives for patients could be a good thing to change risky health behaviors. They suggest that incentives are likely to be particularly effective at altering "simple" behaviors, e.g., take-up of immunizations, primarily among socially disadvantaged groups. ... > full story
Improved method of electrical stimulation could help treat damaged nerves (November 22, 2011) -- A plastic surgery research team and an engineering team have described a new method of nerve stimulation that reduces electrical threshold by 40 percent, compared with traditional functional electrical stimulation therapy. ... > full story
Key gene function against cell death discovered (November 22, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that two genes (TSC/Tuberin and PRAS40) are extremely important regulators in the development of stem cells: if these genes are switched off, the stem cells do not develop but instead die a programmed cell death. ... > full story
Research examines college students' knowledge about eating disorders (November 22, 2011) -- They're the prime demographic for developing eating disorders, yet new research suggests that it could be difficult for college students to notice the warning signs of disordered eating. ... > full story
People with early Alzheimer's disease may be more likely to have lower BMI (November 22, 2011) -- Studies have shown that people who are overweight in middle age are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later than people at normal weight, yet researchers have also found that people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A current study examines this relationship between Alzheimer's disease and BMI. ... > full story
Erectile dysfunction study shows high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have uncovered clear links between erectile dysfunction (ED) and peripheral neuropathy. This study of 90 patients shows that men with more severe symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, which can be caused by disease, trauma or illness, had greater self-reported ED and required more aggressive treatment. The findings underline the importance of clinicians carrying out neurophysiological tests on patients with ED, particularly in the pelvic area. ... > full story
Public asked to help in fight against malaria (November 22, 2011) -- IBM's Watson computing system broke new ground earlier this year when it defeated two celebrated human competitors on the Jeopardy! game show. Now, The Scripps Research Institute is hoping to do something equally novel but more critical to human health with part of the prize money from that tournament: Find a cure for drug-resistant malaria. And it's asking for the public's help. ... > full story
Measuring outcome in the treatment of depression via the Web (November 22, 2011) -- A newly published article reports that Web-based assessments for outcome measurements of patients in treatment for depression are valid and reliable. The findings indicate that the Internet version of the depression scale was equivalent to the paper version, and that patients preferred the Internet version. ... > full story
Future prostate cancer treatments might be guided by math (November 21, 2011) -- Scientists have designed a first draft of a mathematical model that someday could guide treatment decisions for advanced prostate cancer, in part by helping doctors predict how individual patients will respond to therapy based on the biology of their tumors. These decisions would apply to treatment of cancer that has already spread beyond the prostate gland or that has recurred after initial treatments, such as surgery or radiation. ... > full story
Hemoglobin A1c testing method fails to identify kids with diabetes, study shows (November 21, 2011) -- In 2009, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended that Hemoglobin A1c be exclusively used for the diagnosis of diabetes in children. The simple test measures longer-term blood sugar levels -- without requiring patients to fast overnight. However, a new study has shown that these tests are not very accurate in children. ... > full story
Ignorance is bliss when it comes to challenging social issues (November 21, 2011) -- The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy, energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid becoming well-informed, according to new research. ... > full story
Key molecules for hearing and balance discovered: Can hearing be restored? (November 21, 2011) -- Researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear -- the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound. A gene-therapy trial based on this research will attempt to restore hearing in deaf mice. ... > full story
Cancer drug cisplatin found to bind like glue in cellular RNA (November 21, 2011) -- An anti-cancer drug used extensively in chemotherapy binds pervasively to RNA -- up to 20-fold more than it does to DNA, a surprise finding that suggests new targeting approaches might be useful, according to researchers. ... > full story
Too much undeserved self-praise can lead to depression (November 21, 2011) -- People who try to boost their self-esteem by telling themselves they've done a great job when they haven't could end up feeling dejected instead, according to new research. ... > full story
New way to boost potency of natural pain relief chemical in body (November 21, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide -- a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief. ... > full story
Cancer vaccine impact limited unless drug industry focuses on difficult-to-treat tumors, experts say (November 21, 2011) -- Drug companies currently developing therapeutic cancer vaccines may be determining the cancers they target based on the number of annual cases, not the number of deaths they cause. This approach may limit the patient benefits of such drugs, according to a new University of Michigan report. ... > full story
Nerve cells key to making sense of our senses (November 21, 2011) -- The human brain is bombarded with a cacophony of information from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. Now scientists have unraveled how the brain manages to process those complex, rapidly changing, and often conflicting sensory signals to make sense of our world. ... > full story
Retinal microvascular changes associated with disability in daily activities among older adults (November 21, 2011) -- Retinal microvascular changes appear to be associated with development of disability in performing activities of daily living among older adults, and retinal signs may be useful in predicting outcomes among this population, according to new report. ... > full story
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