ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, January 2, 2012
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Brain's connective cells are much more than glue: Glia cells also regulate learning and memory (January 1, 2012) -- New research indicates that glia cells are "the brain's supervisors." By regulating the synapses, they control the transfer of information between neurons, affecting how the brain processes information. This new finding could be critical for technologies based on brain networks, as well as provide a new avenue for research into disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. ... > full story
Inside look at face transplantation (January 1, 2012) -- Researchers describe details of patient preparation, novel design and execution of the operation as well as unique immunosuppression protocol allowing for lowest long-term maintenance drug regimen. ... > full story
Key to school improvement: Reading, writing, arithmetic ... and character? (January 1, 2012) -- A study of 20 elementary schools in Hawaii has found that a focused program to build social, emotional and character skills resulted in significantly improved overall quality of education, as evaluated by teachers, parents and students. ... > full story
Global view of how HIV/AIDS hijacks cells during infection (December 31, 2011) -- Scientists have identified how HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- hijacks the body's own defenses to promote infection. This discovery could one day help curb the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. ... > full story
Gene identified in increasing pancreatic cancer risk (December 31, 2011) -- Mutations in the ATM gene may increase the hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer, according to new research. ... > full story
Elderly can be as fast as young in some brain tasks, study shows (December 31, 2011) -- Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. But recent research suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. In fact, healthy older people can be trained to respond faster in some decision-making tasks without hurting their accuracy -- meaning their cognitive skills in this area aren't so different from younger adults. ... > full story
Alzheimer's: Diet patterns may keep brain from shrinking (December 30, 2011) -- People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Targeted therapy extends progression-free survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer (December 30, 2011) -- Targeted drugs, which block or disrupt particular molecules involved in the growth of tumors, have been shown to be effective treatments against many types of cancer. A new Phase 3 clinical trial has shown that a targeted therapy called bevacizumab (Avastin) effectively delayed the progression of advanced ovarian cancer. Patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer now typically undergo surgery and chemotherapy, but the new research suggests an additional avenue of treatment. ... > full story
Children don't give words special power to categorize their world (December 30, 2011) -- New research challenges the conventional thinking that young children use language just as adults do to help classify and understand objects in the world around them. In a new study involving 4- to 5-year-old children, researchers found that the labels adults use to classify items -- words like "dog" or "pencil" -- don't have the same ability to influence the thinking of children. ... > full story
Brain cell malfunction in schizophrenia identified (December 29, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that DNA stays too tightly wound in certain brain cells of schizophrenic subjects. The findings suggest that drugs already in development for other diseases might eventually offer hope as a treatment for schizophrenia and related conditions in the elderly. ... > full story
Scientists map susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (December 29, 2011) -- New research has provided the first proof of molecular risk factors leading to type 2 diabetes, providing an “early warning” sign that could lead to new approaches to treating this and other human disease conditions. ... > full story
Using MP3 players at high volume puts teens at risk for early hearing loss, say researchers (December 29, 2011) -- Today's ubiquitous MP3 players permit users to listen to crystal-clear tunes at high volume for hours on end -- a marked improvement on the days of the Walkman. But according to new research, these advances have also turned personal listening devices into a serious health hazard, with teenagers as the most at-risk group. ... > full story
Oxidative DNA damage repair (December 28, 2011) -- Oxidative stress damages DNA. Researchers have now decoded the mechanism that repairs DNA damaged in this way. This repair mechanism could lead to less invasive approaches in cancer therapy and contribute to the development of new tests for the early diagnosis of cancer. ... > full story
Mutation in gene that's critical for human development linked to arrhythmia (December 28, 2011) -- The biologic and genetic mechanisms controlling the formation and function of the cardiac conduction system (CCS) are not well understood, but new research with mice shows that altered function of a gene called Tbx3 interferes with the development of the CCS and causes lethal arrhythmias. ... > full story
Childhood hypersensitivity linked to OCD (December 28, 2011) -- Medical researchers have established a direct correlation between sensory processing and ritualistic behaviors in children. A new study suggests that when children experience heightened levels of sensitivity, they develop ritualistic behaviors to better cope with their environment -- one potential pathway to OCD. ... > full story
Less invasive anesthetic methods better for endovascular aneurysm repair (December 27, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a safer, more cost effective way to provide anesthesia for patients undergoing endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm -- a common, often asymptomatic condition that, if not found and treated, can be deadly. ... > full story
Keeping our beaches safe from fecal contamination (December 27, 2011) -- Fecal contamination of public beaches caused by sewage overflow is both dangerous for swimmers and costly for state and local economies. Current methods to detect Escherichia coli, a bacterium highly indicative of the presence of fecal matter in water, typically require 24-48 hours to produce a result. A new, accurate, and economical sensor-based device capable of measuring E. coli levels in water samples in less than 1-8 hours could serve as a valuable early warning tool. ... > full story
GDP up, happiness down: From Twitter, scientists measure mood (December 27, 2011) -- The gross domestic product of the United States -- that oft-cited measure of economic health -- has been ticking upward for the last two years. But what would you see if you could see a graph of gross domestic happiness? Scientists have made such a graph -- and the trend is down. ... > full story
'Rare' brain disorder may be more common than thought, scientists say (December 26, 2011) -- A global team of neuroscientists has found the gene responsible for a brain disorder that may be much more common than once believed. ... > full story
New way to assess risk from chemicals (December 26, 2011) -- Approximately 80,000 industrial chemicals are in use and about 700 new chemicals are introduced to commerce each year in the United States, according to the US Government Accountability Office. To assess human health risks from exposure to harmful substances, an expert is proposing a new technique that is more efficient than current methods. ... > full story
Does team training save lives? A new science gives it a rigorous evaluation (December 26, 2011) -- Whether the task is flying a plane, fighting a battle, or caring for a patient, good teamwork is crucial to getting it done right. That's why team-building and training courses are big business in the US, and have been for decades. ... > full story
HIV study named '2011 breakthrough of the year' by Science (December 25, 2011) -- The journal Science has chosen the HPTN 052 clinical trial, an international HIV prevention trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, as the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year. The study found that if HIV-infected heterosexual individuals begin taking antiretroviral medicines when their immune systems are relatively healthy as opposed to delaying therapy until the disease has advanced, they are 96 percent less likely to transmit the virus to their uninfected partners. ... > full story
Social media in protests: Study finds 'recruiters' and 'spreaders' (December 25, 2011) -- A study has explored the dynamics behind social network sites in recruiting and spreading calls for action that contribute to mass mobilizations in riots, revolutions and protests. ... > full story
High intestinal microbial diversity safeguards against allergies, study suggests (December 24, 2011) -- High diversity and a variety of bacteria in the gut protect children against allergies as opposed to some individual bacterial genera. These are the findings of a comprehensive study of intestinal microflora (gut flora) in allergic and healthy children. ... > full story
Detailed molecular 'signature' for Tankyrase determined (December 24, 2011) -- Researchers have uncovered the detailed architecture of a crucial component of Tankyrase, a protein linked to the bone development disorder cherubism and involved in a myriad of cellular processes. The discovery is the first structural insight into precisely how the enzyme correctly identifies its targets, or substrates. The work provides researchers with a greater understanding of Tankyrase's cellular control processes, and may also lead to the development of new designer drugs to treat cancer. ... > full story
Increased arm swing asymmetry is early sign of Parkinson's disease (December 24, 2011) -- People with Parkinson's disease swing their arms asymmetrically -- one arm swings less than the other -- when walking. This unusual movement is easily detected early when drugs and other interventions may help slow the disease, according to researchers who used inexpensive accelerometers on the arms of Parkinson's disease patients to measure arm swing. ... > full story
Multiple sclerosis linked to different area of brain (December 23, 2011) -- Radiology researchers have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions. ... > full story
New method for watching proteins fold (December 23, 2011) -- A protein's function depends on both the chains of molecules it is made of and the way those chains are folded. And while figuring out the former is relatively easy, the latter represents a huge challenge with serious implications because many diseases are the result of misfolded proteins. Now, a team of chemists has devised a way to watch proteins fold in "real-time," which could lead to a better understanding of protein folding and misfolding in general. ... > full story
Myths and truths of obesity and pregnancy (December 23, 2011) -- Ironically, despite excessive caloric intake, many obese women are deficient in vitamins vital to a healthy pregnancy. This and other startling statistics abound when obesity and pregnancy collide. Together, they present a unique set of challenges that women and their doctors must tackle in order to achieve the best possible outcome for mom and baby. ... > full story
What makes anesthetics work (December 23, 2011) -- Researchers have uncovered what cells respond to anesthesia in an organism known as the C. elegans, according to a new study. ... > full story
Balancing the womb: New research may explain premature births (December 23, 2011) -- New research may explain premature births and failed inductions of labor. The study suggests a new mechanism by which the level of myosin phosphorylation is regulated in the pregnant uterus. ... > full story
Sleep disorders common among police officers (December 23, 2011) -- A survey of police officers indicated that about 40 percent have a sleep disorder, which was associated with an increased risk of adverse health, safety and performance outcomes, according to a new study. ... > full story
Starch intake may influence risk for breast cancer recurrence, study suggests (December 23, 2011) -- Researchers have linked increased starch intake to a greater risk for breast cancer recurrence, according to new results. ... > full story
When nerve cells stop speaking: Neuroscientists decode important mechanism of nerve cell communication (December 23, 2011) -- By researching fruit flies, neuroscientists were able to gain a better understanding of a meaningful mechanism of neuronal communication. They demonstrated the importance of a specific protein for signal transmission between nerve cells. This is of high significance as certain people with autism - a functional development disturbances of the brain - suffer from genetic defects in this protein. Therefore the findings could improve the possibility of treating this disease more effectively. ... > full story
Self-affirmation may break down resistance to medical screening (December 23, 2011) -- People resist medical screening, or don't call back for the results, because they don't want to know they're sick or at risk for a disease. But many illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, have a far a better prognosis if they're caught early. How can health care providers break down that resistance? ... > full story
New model to design better flu shots proposed (December 22, 2011) -- The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the US population, thanks to new research. ... > full story
Long intervening non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in brain development (December 22, 2011) -- Scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs that play key roles during brain development in zebrafish, and went on to show that the human versions of these RNAs can substitute for the zebrafish lincRNAs. Until now, lincRNAs have been studied primarily in cell lines rather than at the organismal level, which has precluded research into how lincRNAs affect growth and development. ... > full story
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