ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, January 4, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, January 4, 2012

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Great apes make sophisticated decisions: Research suggests that great apes are capable of calculating the odds before taking risks (January 3, 2012) -- Chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos make more sophisticated decisions than was previously thought. Great apes weigh their chances of success, based on what they know and the likelihood to succeed when guessing, according to a new study. The findings may provide insight into human decision-making as well. ... > full story

Novel compound to halt virus replication identified (January 3, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a novel compound to halt virus replication. The findings could lead to the development of highly targeted compounds to block the replication of poxviruses, such as the emerging infectious disease monkeypox. ... > full story

Smaller sibling protein calls the shots in cell division (January 3, 2012) -- Scientists have found at least one instance when the smaller sibling gets to call the shots and cancer patients may one day benefit. ... > full story

What are emotion expressions for? (January 3, 2012) -- That cartoon scary face -- wide eyes, ready to run -- may have helped our primate ancestors survive in a dangerous wild, according to a new article. The authors present a way that fear and other facial expressions might have evolved and then come to signal a person's feelings to the people around him. ... > full story

New way to ensure effectiveness of TB treatment? (January 3, 2012) -- A new study using a sophisticated "glass mouse" research model has found that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is more likely caused in patients by speedy drug metabolism rather than inconsistent doses, as is widely believed. ... > full story

Another potential risk factor for developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease in women (January 3, 2012) -- A hormone derived from visceral fat called adiponectin may play a role as a risk factor for development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease in women, according to a new study. ... > full story

Schizophrenia diagnosis associated with progressive brain changes among adolescents (January 3, 2012) -- Adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychoses appear to show greater decreases in gray matter volume and increases in cerebrospinal fluid in the frontal lobe compared to healthy adolescents without a diagnosis of psychosis, according to a new report. ... > full story

New aortic valve replacement procedure (January 3, 2012) -- Some individuals with severe aortic stenosis -- also known as narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart -- who are not well enough to undergo open heart surgery have a new treatment option thanks to a new procedure now available. ... > full story

Home monitoring may help manage and reduce costs for heart failure (January 3, 2012) -- Experts have discussed the importance of heart failure disease-management and early identification, as well as the treatment of body-fluid congestion, using a number of home-monitoring strategies. ... > full story

I know something you don't know! Wild chimpanzees inform ignorant group members of danger (January 2, 2012) -- Many animals produce alarm calls to predators, and do this more often when kin or mates are present than other audience members. So far, however, there has been no evidence that they take the other group members' knowledge state into account. Researchers set up a study with wild chimpanzees in Uganda and found that chimpanzees were more likely to alarm call to a snake in the presence of unaware than in the presence of aware group members, suggesting that they recognize knowledge and ignorance in others. ... > full story

New clues as to why some older people may be losing their memory (January 2, 2012) -- New research links 'silent strokes,' or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly. ... > full story

More complete picture of kidney cancer: Cancer subtypes distinguished and promising new drug targets suggested (January 2, 2012) -- Scientists are providing a foundation for a more complete understanding of distinct kidney cancer subtypes, which could pave the way for better treatments. ... > full story

People don't just think with their guts: Logic plays a role, too (January 2, 2012) -- For decades, science has suggested that when people make decisions, they tend to ignore logic and go with the gut. But a psychological scientist has a new suggestion: Maybe thinking about logic is also intuitive. ... > full story

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

New synthetic molecules treat autoimmune disease in mice (December 30, 2011) -- A team of scientists has turned the tables on an autoimmune disease. In such diseases, including Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. But the scientists managed to trick the immune systems of mice into targeting one of the body's players in autoimmune processes, an enzyme known as MMP9. ... > 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

Self-regulation of the immune system suppresses defense against cancer (December 26, 2011) -- Regulatory T cells, which are part of the body's immune system, downregulate the activity of other immune cells, thus preventing the development of autoimmune diseases or allergies. Scientists have now found the activation steps that are blocked by Tregs in immune cells. Since Tregs can also suppress the body's immune defense against cancer, the findings obtained by the DKFZ researchers are important for developing more efficient cancer treatments. ... > 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

How bacteria build homes inside healthy cells (December 25, 2011) -- Bacteria are able to build camouflaged homes for themselves inside healthy cells. A team that revealed how a pair of proteins from the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires disease, alters a host protein in order to divert raw materials within the cell for use in building and disguising a large structure that houses the bacteria as it replicates. ... > 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

Turn 'signals' for neuron growth identified (December 25, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered how spinning microparticles can direct the growth of nerve fiber, a discovery that could allow for directed growth of neuronal networks on a chip and improve methods for treating spinal or brain injuries. ... > 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

How the brain cell works: A dive into its inner network (December 24, 2011) -- Scientists are developing the first systematic survey of protein interactions within brain cells. The team is aiming to reconstruct genome-wide in situ protein-protein interaction networks within the neurons of a multicellular organism. ... > 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

New sensor to detect lung cancer from exhaled breath (December 24, 2011) -- Scientists are developing biosensors capable of detecting the presence of tumor markers of lung cancer in exhaled breath. This is possible because of the changes produced within the organism of an ill person, changes reflected in the exhaled breath of the patient and which enable determining the presence of this type of marker during the initial stages of the disease. ... > full story

Crucial advances in 'brain reading' demonstrated (December 23, 2011) -- A new study demonstrates several crucial advances in "brain reading" or "brain decoding" using computerized machine learning methods. Researchers classified data taken from people being scanned while watching videos meant to induce nicotine cravings and detected whether people were watching and resisting cravings, indulging in them, or watching videos that were unrelated to smoking or cravings. ... > 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

Researchers use light to measure cancer cells' response to treatment (December 23, 2011) -- Many cancer therapies target specific proteins that proliferate on the outside of some cancer cells, but the therapies are imperfect and the cancer does not always respond. Researchers have now demonstrated a new way to optically test cultured cancer cells' response to a particular cancer drug. ... > full story