ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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Oxidative stress: Less harmful than suspected? (December 7, 2011) -- Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in a multitude of pathogenic processes and is also implicated in the process of aging. For the first time, scientists have been able to directly observe oxidative changes in a living organism. Their findings in fruit flies raise doubts about the validity of some widely held hypotheses: The research team has found no evidence that the life span is limited by the production of harmful oxidants. ... > full story

Reusing pacemakers from deceased patients is safe and effective, study finds (December 7, 2011) -- Many heart patients in India are too poor to afford pacemakers. But a new study has found that removing pacemakers from deceased Americans, re-sterilizing the devices and implanting them in Indian patients "is very safe and effective." ... > full story

New tick-borne disease discovered in Sweden (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a brand new tick-borne infection. Since the discovery, eight cases have been described around the world, three of them in Sweden. ... > full story

Confidence is key to women's spatial skills, study suggests (December 7, 2011) -- Boosting a woman’s confidence makes her better at spatial tasks, scientists have found, suggesting skills such as parking and map-reading could come more easily if a woman is feeling good about herself. ... > full story

Measuring living cells' mechanical properties: Technology could diagnose human disease, shed light on biological processes (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes. ... > full story

Drug treatment shows promise for brain blood vessel abnormality (December 7, 2011) -- A drug treatment has been proven to prevent lesions from cerebral cavernous malformation -- a brain blood vessel abnormality that can cause bleeding, epilepsy and stroke -- for the first time in a new study. ... > full story

Researchers find MK1775 active against sarcomas (December 7, 2011) -- MK1775, a small, selective inhibitor molecule, has been found to be active against many sarcomas. This finding suggests that a badly needed new agent against sarcomas -- especially sarcomas affecting children -- may be at hand. ... > full story

Familiarity increases the fullness that children expect from snack foods (December 7, 2011) -- Psychologists have found that children who are familiar with a snack food will expect it to be more filling. This finding is important because it reveals one way in which children over-consume snack foods and increase their risk of becoming overweight. ... > full story

Tiny genetic variation can predict ovarian cancer outcome (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that a tiny genetic variation predicts chances of survival and response to treatment for patients with ovarian cancer. ... > full story

Veterinarians find infections faster by monitoring blood compound; Blood test for dogs could lead to similar human test (December 6, 2011) -- In pets and people, the time it takes to diagnose an infection may mean life or death. Now, a veterinarian is identifying ways to diagnose pet infections in approximately a third of the current diagnosis time. ... > full story

Computer-based tool to improve diagnosis and prognosis for cancer patients (December 6, 2011) -- A computer-based tool could help GPs to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from two of the most common forms of cancer, potentially saving thousands of lives every year. ... > full story

Listening to music lights up the whole brain (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a groundbreaking new method that allows to study how the brain processes different aspects of music, such as rhythm, tonality and timbre (sound color) in a realistic listening situation. ... > full story

'Encouraging' skin cancer discovery: P-Rex1 plays key role in spread of malignant melanoma (December 6, 2011) -- Scientists have made an important discovery in the fight against malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. In a new study, researchers have shown that a specific gene (P-Rex1) must be present before malignant melanoma can spread. ... > full story

New insights into how the nervous system becomes wired during early development (December 6, 2011) -- Thanks to a new study of the retina, scientists have developed a greater understanding of how the nervous system becomes wired during early development. ... > full story

Mayo Clinic makes kidney and pancreas transplant available to HIV-infected patients (December 6, 2011) -- Mayo Clinic in Florida is now offering kidney and pancreas transplants to HIV positive patients with advanced kidney disease and diabetes. Evidence is now solid that HIV-positive patients have the same favorable outcome in terms of patient and allograft survival as non-HIV positive organ transplant recipients, say experts. ... > full story

Virtual childbirth simulator improves safety of high-risk deliveries (December 6, 2011) -- Newly developed computer software combined with magnetic resonance imaging of a fetus may help physicians better assess a woman's potential for a difficult childbirth. ... > full story

Orphaned children exhibit genetic changes that require nurturing parents, study finds (December 6, 2011) -- Children who experience the stress of separation at birth from biological parents and are brought up in orphanages undergo biological consequences such as changes in their genome functioning, researchers report in a new study. ... > full story

Scientists discover how brain corrects bumps to body (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the area of the brain that controls our ability to correct our movement after we've been hit or bumped -- a finding that may have implications for understanding why subjects with stroke often have severe difficulties moving. ... > full story

New biochemical changes found in children with ADHD (December 6, 2011) -- A new study shows that children with ADHD have nearly 50 percent less of a protein that is important for attention and learning. The finding may mean that there are other biochemical disturbances in the brains of individuals with ADHD than was previously believed. ... > full story

What we want to see on TV: Handsome politicians (December 6, 2011) -- The better the looks of United States Congresspersons, the more television coverage they receive, shows a new study. The reason behind this? Television journalists think their viewers prefer to see physically attractive people. "Physical appearance ranked third in the criteria for gaining television coverage, and ranked higher than seniority, position in Congress and legislative activity in this respect," noted the authors of the study. ... > full story

Promising multiple sclerosis treatment targets immune cells to increase neuroprotection, study shows (December 6, 2011) -- Laquinimod is an orally available synthetic compound that has been successfully evaluated in phase II/III clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The mechanism of action of laquinimod has not been fully elucidated, but a new study suggests that laquinimod triggers immune cells within the central nervous system to produce and release brain-derived neurotrophic factor, contributing to the repair or survival of neurons and thus limiting brain damage. ... > full story

Poorly contracting uterus in diabetic women increases risk of caesarean birth, researchers find (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have found that the strength of uterine contractions in diabetic pregnant women is significantly weaker than in non-diabetic women, increasing the risk of emergency caesarean birth. ... > full story

Child abuse changes the brain, study finds (December 6, 2011) -- When children have been exposed to family violence, their brains become increasingly "tuned" for processing possible sources of threat, a new study reports. The findings reveal the same pattern of brain activity in these children as seen previously in soldiers exposed to combat. ... > full story

Acquired traits can be inherited via small RNAs (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have found the first direct evidence that an acquired trait can be inherited without any DNA involvement. The findings suggest that Lamarck, whose theory of evolution was eclipsed by Darwin's, may not have been entirely wrong. ... > full story

Blood protein EPO involved in origin and spread of cancer (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that a growth hormone, PDGF-BB, and the blood protein EPO are involved in the development of cancer tumors and that they combine to help the tumors proliferate in the body. These new preclinical findings offer new potential for inhibiting tumor growth and bypassing problems of resistance that exist with many drugs in current use. ... > full story

Surgeons perform better with eye movement training (December 6, 2011) -- Surgeons can learn their skills more quickly if they are taught how to control their eye movements. Research shows that trainee surgeons learn technical surgical skills much more quickly and deal better with the stress of the operating theater if they are taught to mimic the eye movements of experts. ... > full story

Plasma-based treatment goes viral (December 6, 2011) -- Life-threatening viruses such as HIV, SARS, hepatitis and influenza, could soon be combated in an unusual manner as researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of plasma for inactivating and preventing the replication of adenoviruses. ... > full story

Memory and attention problems may follow preemies into adulthood (December 6, 2011) -- Babies born at a very low birth weight are more likely to have memory and attention problems when they become adults than babies born at a low to normal weight, according to a new study. ... > full story

Childhood maltreatment associated with cerebral gray matter reductions in adolescents (December 6, 2011) -- Childhood maltreatment is associated with reductions in cerebral gray matter volume, and even if adolescents reporting exposure to maltreatment do not have symptoms that meet full criteria for psychiatric disorders, they may have cerebral gray matter changes that place them at risk for behavioral difficulties, according to a new study. ... > full story

Researchers evaluate rice as a source of fetal arsenic exposure (December 6, 2011) -- A new study advances our understanding of the sources of human exposure to arsenic and focuses attention on the potential for consuming harmful levels of arsenic via rice. Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment and in elevated concentrations it can be harmful to human health. Rice is susceptible to arsenic contamination due to its ability to extract arsenic from the environment into the rice plant. ... > full story

Acupuncture may ease severe nerve pain associated with cancer treatment, study suggests (December 6, 2011) -- Acupuncture may help ease the severe nerve pain associated with certain cancer drugs, suggests a small preliminary study. ... > full story

Kids born just a few weeks early at risk of behavioral problems, study suggests (December 6, 2011) -- Children born just a few weeks too early are significantly more likely to have behavioral and/or emotional problems in the pre-school years, new research suggests. ... > full story

Young women may reduce heart disease risk eating fish with omega 3 fatty acids, study finds (December 6, 2011) -- Women who seldom or never eat fish may be increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease by 50 percent or more, according to the first population-based study among younger women. Those who ate fish most often, especially fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, had 90 percent lower risk than those who ate little or no fish. The link with cardiovascular disease was evident, even among women in their 30s. ... > full story

Prolonged fatigue for those who had chemotherapy for breast cancer, follow-up study finds (December 6, 2011) -- In a follow-up study, researchers have found that patients who receive chemotherapy for breast cancer might experience prolonged fatigue years after their therapy. The new study is a follow-up to a study on fatigue and chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer. ... > full story

Where is the accurate memory? The eyes have it (December 6, 2011) -- The witness points out the criminal in a police lineup. She swears she'd remember that face forever. Then DNA evidence shows she's got the wrong guy. It happens so frequently that many courts are looking with extreme skepticism at eyewitness testimony. ... > full story

Neurotransmitter dopamine might improve the treatment of cancer, new study suggests (December 6, 2011) -- A new study found that injections of the neurotransmitter dopamine can improve blood flow to tumors and delivery of an anticancer drug, doubling the amount of drug reaching tumors and increasing its effectiveness. Dopamine also raised tumor oxygen levels, which typically improves the effectiveness of both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The study suggests a use for dopamine in treating cancer and perhaps other disorders in which normalizing abnormal blood vessels might improve therapeutic responses. ... > full story

'Label-free' imaging tool tracks nanotubes in cells, blood for biomedical research (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a new imaging tool for tracking structures called carbon nanotubes in living cells and the bloodstream, which could aid efforts to perfect their use in biomedical research and clinical medicine. ... > full story

More young people are becoming nurses; Trend may help ease future nursing shortage in U.S. (December 6, 2011) -- The number of young people becoming registered nurses has grown sharply since 2002, a trend that should ease some of the concern about a looming nursing shortage in the United States. ... > full story

Prevalence of conduct disorder among families of Mexican migrants in the U.S. examined in new study (December 6, 2011) -- The prevalence of conduct disorder appears to have increased substantially across generations of the Mexican-origin population after migration to the United States, however this increase was observed more for nonaggressive than aggressive symptoms of CD, according to a new study. ... > full story

New move to use robots for stroke rehabilitation (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have just begun a three-year project, which uses robots to help people to recover from strokes. ... > full story

Physical fitness trumps body weight in reducing death risks, study finds (December 5, 2011) -- Maintaining or improving physical fitness is linked to lower death risks even after controlling for BMI change, according to a new study. Becoming less fit is associated with higher death risks, regardless of BMI changes. BMI change was not associated with death risks. ... > full story

Of mice and men, a common cortical connection (December 5, 2011) -- A new study using magnetic resonance imaging data of 406 adult human twins affirms the long-standing idea that the genetic basis of human cortical regionalization -- the organization of the outer brain into specific functional areas -- is similar to and consistent with patterns found in other mammals, indicating a common conservation mechanism in evolution. ... > full story

Preclinical effectiveness of TB drug target validated (December 5, 2011) -- Scientists evaluating new drug targets against tuberculosis recently validated the preclinical effectiveness of a target that could rapidly eliminate infections and potentially shorten treatment time. The new drug target is a protein called DNA gyrase B, found in bacteria that cause TB infections. ... > full story

Dust storms affect subsequent emergency hospital admissions, study finds (December 5, 2011) -- A new study reveals that dust storms have an adverse effect on emergency hospital admission for chronic lung disease, often known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ... > full story

Post-partum psychiatric episodes associated with increased risk of developing bipolar affective disorder, study finds (December 5, 2011) -- Experiencing a psychiatric episode within the first 30 days post-partum appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing bipolar affective disorder, according to a new study. ... > full story

Defensive measures: Toward a vaccine for Ebola (December 5, 2011) -- Researchers have made progress toward a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus. They have demonstrated that a plant-derived vaccine for Ebola provided strong immunological protection in a mouse model. If early efforts bear fruit, an Ebola vaccine could be stockpiled for use in the United States, should the country fall victim to a natural outbreak or a bioterrorism event in which a weaponized strain of the virus were unleashed on soldiers or the public. ... > full story

Headaches after traumatic brain injury highest in adolescents and girls, study finds (December 5, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers analyzed the prevalence of headaches three and 12 months after mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury in children ages 5 to 17, and discovered the risk of headache was higher in adolescents (ages 13 to 17) and in girls. ... > full story

Can companies, political groups or organizations have a single mind? (December 5, 2011) -- News of employee misconduct always creates a whirlwind for the companies involved -- think of Enron, Goldman Sachs and UBS, for example. But are these firms responsible for the actions of their employees? Or do individual members have distinct and independent responsibility separate from a group's actions? ... > full story