ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Monday, January 23, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Monday, January 23, 2012

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Genetic mechanism linked to congenital heart disease identified (January 23, 2012) -- Scientists have identified a finely tuned mechanism by which fetal heart muscle develops into a healthy and fully formed beating heart -- offering new insight into the genetic causes of congenital heart disease and opening the door to one day developing therapies to fight this chronic and potentially fatal disorder. ... > full story

Color-coding, rearranging food products improves healthy choices in hospital cafeteria (January 23, 2012) -- A simple program involving color-coded food labeling and adjusting the way food items are positioned in display cases was successful in encouraging more healthful food choices in a large hospital cafeteria. ... > full story

Novel iron source: Newly identified iron absorption mechanism suggests that legumes could provide key to treating iron deficiency worldwide (January 23, 2012) -- A groundbreaking study reveals the existence of at least two independent mechanisms for iron absorption from non-meat sources -- and a potential treatment for iron deficiency, the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide. The discovery of an alternative mechanism for iron absorption from vegetables and legumes may provide the key to helping solve iron deficiency by providing an alternative, affordable, and readily available source of iron. ... > full story

Gene critical to sense of smell in fruit fly identified (January 23, 2012) -- Fruit flies don't have noses, but a huge part of their brains is dedicated to processing smells. Flies probably rely on the sense of smell more than any other sense for essential activities such as finding mates and avoiding danger. Researchers have discovered that a gene called distal-less is critical to the fly's ability to receive, process and respond to smells. ... > full story

Embryonic signal drives pancreatic cancer and offers a way to kill it (January 23, 2012) -- Pancreatic cancer is a particularly challenging one to beat; it has a tendency to spread and harbors cancer stem cells that stubbornly resist conventional approaches to therapy. Now, researchers have evidence to suggest there is a way to kill off those cancer stem cells. The target is a self-renewal pathway known for its role not in cancer but in embryonic stem cells. ... > full story

First detailed data of risk of using Rasilez with certain blood pressure-lowering drugs (January 23, 2012) -- Researchers have published the first detailed figures showing the risk of using the prescription drug Rasilez in combination with certain other blood pressure-lowering medications. ... > full story

Study explores men's ability to manage fear in ways that allow them to exhibit confidence (January 23, 2012) -- A study of mixed martial arts competitors found that these men have unique ways of managing fear that actually allow them to exhibit confidence. ... > full story

Sweeping genetic analysis of rare disease yields common mechanism of hypertension (January 22, 2012) -- Analyzing all the genes of dozens of people suffering from a rare form of hypertension, researchers have discovered a new mechanism that regulates the blood pressure of all humans. ... > full story

Unveiling malaria's 'cloak of invisibility' (January 22, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a molecule that is key to malaria's 'invisibility cloak.' The research will help to better understand how the parasite causes disease and escapes from the defenses mounted by the immune system. ... > full story

Researchers solve questions about Ethiopians' high-altitude adaptations (January 22, 2012) -- Over many generations, people living in the high-altitude regions of the Andes or on the Tibetan Plateau have adapted to life in low-oxygen conditions, but exactly how their genes convey a survival advantage remains an open question. Now, scientists have made new inroads to answering this question with the first genome-wide study of high-altitude adaptations within the third major population to possess them: the Amhara people of the Ethiopian Highlands. ... > full story

Elusive Z-DNA found on nucleosomes (January 22, 2012) -- New research shows that left-handed Z-DNA, normally only found at sites where DNA is being copied, can also form on nucleosomes. ... > full story

Are religious people better adjusted psychologically? (January 22, 2012) -- Psychological research has found that religious people feel great about themselves, with a tendency toward higher social self-esteem and better psychological adjustment than non-believers. But a new study finds that this is only true in countries that put a high value on religion. ... > full story

T-rays technology could help develop Star Trek-style hand-held medical scanners (January 22, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new way to create Terahertz waves (T-rays) that may one day lead to biomedical detective devices similar to the 'tricorder' scanner used in Star Trek. ... > full story

Chemical in personal care products (phthalates) may contribute to child obesity (January 22, 2012) -- Researchers have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children – including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. ... > full story

Health benefits of exercise may depend on cellular degradation (January 22, 2012) -- The health benefits of exercise on blood sugar metabolism may come from the body's ability to devour itself. ... > full story

Fundamental malaria discovery: How parasites target proteins to surface of red blood cells (January 22, 2012) -- Researchers have made a fundamental discovery in understanding how malaria parasites cause deadly disease. The researchers show how parasites target proteins to the surface of the red blood cell that enables sticking to and blocking blood vessels. Strategies that prevent this host-targeting process will block disease. ... > full story

Why do smells make some people sick? (January 22, 2012) -- Do you get a headache from the perfume of the lady next to you at the table? Do cleaning solutions at work make your nose itch? If you have symptoms prompted by everyday smells, it does not necessarily mean you are allergic but rather that you suffer from chemical intolerance. This hypersensitivity can be the result of an inability to get used to smells. ... > full story

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

Investigators achieve important step toward treating Huntington's disease (January 20, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a technique for using stem cells to deliver therapy that specifically targets the genetic abnormality found in Huntington's disease, a hereditary brain disorder that causes progressive uncontrolled movements, dementia and death. ... > full story

Enzyme function could help with muscular dystrophy therapies (January 20, 2012) -- Researchers have worked out the exact function of an enzyme that is critical for normal muscle structure and is involved in several muscular dystrophies. The findings could be used to develop rapid, large-scale testing of potential muscular dystrophy therapies. ... > full story

How immune cells move against invaders (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these cells and could lead to strategies for treating conditions from spinal cord injury to cancer. ... > full story

Legionnaires' disease outbreak linked to hospital's decorative fountain (January 20, 2012) -- A 2010 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Wisconsin has been linked to a decorative fountain in a hospital lobby, according to a new study. ... > full story

Statin use in postmenopausal women associated with increased diabetes risk (January 20, 2012) -- The use of statins in postmenopausal women is associated with increased diabetes risk, according to a new study. ... > full story

Listen up: Abnormality in auditory processing underlies dyslexia (January 20, 2012) -- Although disrupted processing of speech sounds has been implicated in the underlying pathology of dyslexia, the basis of this disruption and how it interferes with reading comprehension has not been fully explained. Now, new research finds that a specific abnormality in the processing of auditory signals accounts for the main symptoms of dyslexia. ... > full story

Flexible adult stem cells, right there in your eye (January 20, 2012) -- In the future, patients in need of perfectly matched neural stem cells may not need to look any further than their own eyes. Researchers have identified adult stem cells of the central nervous system in a single layer of cells at the back of the eye. ... > full story

Spasticity gene finding provides clues to causes of nerve cell degeneration (January 20, 2012) -- The discovery of a gene that causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia may provide scientists with an important insight into what causes axons, the stems of our nerve cells, to degenerate in conditions such as multiple sclerosis. ... > full story

New, noninvasive way to identify lymph node metastasis (January 20, 2012) -- Using two cell surface markers found to be highly expressed in breast cancer lymph node metastases, researchers have developed targeted, fluorescent molecular imaging probes that can non-invasively detect breast cancer lymph node metastases. The new procedure could spare breast cancer patients invasive and unreliable sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and surgery-associated negative side effects. ... > full story

Two new standard reference materials for monitoring human exposure to environmental toxins (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have developed two new standard reference materials for measurements of human exposure to environmental toxins. The new reference materials replace and improve older versions, adding measures for emerging environmental contaminants such as perchlorate, a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency has targeted for regulation as a contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. ... > full story

Scientists map the frontiers of vision (January 20, 2012) -- Pioneering vision study in mice will help revolutionize the study of brain function and mental disease. ... > full story

Umbilical cord stem cells converted into brain support cells (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have succeeded in converting stem cells from umbilical cords into other types of cells, which may eventually lead to new treatment options for spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, among other nervous system diseases. ... > full story

Environmental exposure to organochlorines may impact male reproduction (January 19, 2012) -- Environmental exposure to organochlorine chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-DDE (the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT) can affect male reproduction, according to new research. ... > full story

Insulin therapy may help repair atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic patients (January 19, 2012) -- New research reveals that insulin applied in therapeutic doses selectively stimulates the formation of new elastic fibers in cultures of human aortic smooth muscle cells. These results advance the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of diabetic vascular disease. ... > full story

Imagine that: How you envision others says a lot about you in real life (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have found that study participants who conjured positive imaginary co-workers contributed more in the actual workplace, both in job performance and going above and beyond to help others. ... > full story

Nanoparticles refined for more accurate delivery of cancer drugs (January 19, 2012) -- A new class of nanoparticles, synthesized to prevent premature drug release, holds promise for greater accuracy and effectiveness in delivering cancer drugs to tumors. ... > full story

Mechanism by which newly approved melanoma drug accelerates secondary skin cancers uncovered (January 19, 2012) -- Patients with metastatic melanoma taking the recently approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf®) responded well to the twice daily pill, but some of them developed a different, secondary skin cancer. Now, researchers have elucidated the mechanism by which vemurafenib excels at fighting melanoma but also allows for the development of skin squamous cell carcinomas. ... > full story

When it comes to accepting evolution, gut feelings trump facts (January 19, 2012) -- For students to accept the theory of evolution, an intuitive "gut feeling" may be just as important as understanding the facts, according to a new study. In an analysis of the beliefs of biology teachers, researchers found that a quick intuitive notion of how right an idea feels was a powerful driver of whether or not students accepted evolution -- often trumping factors such as knowledge level or religion. ... > full story

How protein in teardrops annihilates harmful bacteria: Novel technology reveals lysozymes have jaws (January 19, 2012) -- A disease-fighting protein in our teardrops has been tethered to a tiny transistor, enabling scientists to discover exactly how it destroys dangerous bacteria. The research could prove critical to long-term work aimed at diagnosing cancers and other illnesses in their very early stages. ... > full story