ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, January 22, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, January 22, 2012

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Advance toward an imaging agent for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (January 21, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting development and initial laboratory tests of an imaging agent that shows promise for detecting the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brain -- signs that now can't confirm a diagnosis until after patients have died. ... > full story

Manganese may have potential in neutralizing deadly Shiga toxin (January 21, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered that manganese, an element commonly found in nature, might provide a way to neutralize the potentially lethal effects Shiga toxin. New results could pave the way for future research aimed at creating an inexpensive treatment for infections caused by bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin. Currently there is no treatment for such infections that afflict more than 150 million people each year, resulting in more than one million deaths worldwide. ... > full story

Breast cancers at lower-risk detected with widespread use of mammograms (January 21, 2012) -- As a woman ages, her chances of being diagnosed with a lower-risk breast tumor increase, according to a novel study which found that for women over 50, a substantial number of cancers detected by mammograms have good prognoses. ... > full story

Nap-deprived tots may be missing out on more than sleep (January 21, 2012) -- A new study indicates missed naps by toddlers leads to more anxiety, less joy and interest and a poorer understanding on how to solve problems. ... > full story

Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why? (January 21, 2012) -- Minuscule amounts of ethanol can at least double the life span of a tiny worm used as a model for aging studies, biochemists report. "This finding floored us; it's shocking" said the senior author of the study. ... > full story

High levels of MRSA bacteria in U.S. retail meat products, study suggests (January 21, 2012) -- Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research. ... > full story

Anti-malaria drug synthesized with the help of oxygen and light (January 21, 2012) -- In the future it should be possible to produce the best anti-malaria drug, artemisinin, more economically and in sufficient volumes for all patients. ... > full story

One molecule for muscle growth and insulin sensitivity (January 21, 2012) -- Two independent studies suggest a common way to pump up muscles and prevent diabetes. The key is a molecule required for fine-tuning metabolism by selectively and subtly modifying core metabolic programs. ... > full story

Working moms multitask more and have worse time doing so than dads (January 21, 2012) -- Not only are working mothers multitasking more frequently than working fathers, but their multitasking experience is more negative as well, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Pulverized' chromosomes linked to cancer? (January 20, 2012) -- Researchers have mapped out a mechanism by which micronuclei could potentially disrupt the chromosomes within them and produce cancer-causing gene mutations. The findings may point to a vulnerability in cancer cells that could be attacked by new therapies. ... > full story

New findings lead to test and therapy for kidney failure caused by E. coli (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have made new discoveries about the basic workings of endothelial cells that could lead to a diagnostic test for the serious kidney disease known as hemolytic uremic syndrome and a possible treatment. ... > full story

Why bigger is better when it comes to our brain and memory (January 20, 2012) -- The hippocampus is an important brain structure for recollection memory, the type of memory we use for detailed reliving of past events. Now, new research reveals characteristics of the human hippocampus that allow scientists to use anatomical brain scans to form predictions about an individual's recollection ability. ... > full story