ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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With mutation, you can have your cream and eat it, too (January 25, 2012) -- People who carry a malfunctioning copy of a particular gene are especially good at clearing fat from their systems. The report shows how the mutant gene influences metabolism in this way. ... > full story
Tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are biggest killers of Japanese adults, study finds (January 25, 2012) -- The life expectancy of a person born in Japan is among the highest in the world (82.9 years) yet tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are still the major risk factors for death among adults in Japan, emphasizing the need to reduce tobacco smoking and to improve ongoing programs designed to help people manage multiple cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Love of a dog or cat helps women cope with HIV/AIDS (January 25, 2012) -- A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study. ... > full story
Women with certain type of ovarian cancer and BRCA gene mutation have improved survival at 5 years (January 25, 2012) -- Among women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer, patients having a germline (gene change in a reproductive cell that could be passed to offspring) mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes was associated with improved five-year overall survival, with BRCA2 carriers having the best prognosis, according to a new study. ... > full story
Addition of proton pump inhibitor to treatment of poorly controlled asthma in children does not improve symptoms (January 25, 2012) -- Children without symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux whose asthma was being poorly controlled with anti-inflammatory treatment did not have an improvement in symptoms or lung function with the added treatment of the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. Use of lansoprazole was associated with increased adverse events. ... > full story
Molecular structure and function of essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process (January 25, 2012) -- A recent study investigating the molecular structure and function of an essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process, and might ultimately lead to the development of new drugs for a variety of diseases. ... > full story
Parental controls on embryonic development? (January 24, 2012) -- When a sperm fertilizes an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert, so embryonic development is largely controlled by parental factors. The activation of the zygotic genome therefore represents an important transition toward a more autonomous mode of embryonic development, and has been the subject of much speculation and scrutiny. Now a new study suggests that the reach of parental control in the embryo may be longer than we thought. ... > full story
Membrane fusion a mystery no more (January 24, 2012) -- The many factors that contribute to how cells communicate and function at the most basic level are still not fully understood, but researchers have uncovered a mechanism that helps explain how intracellular membranes fuse, and in the process, created a new physiological membrane fusion model. ... > full story
Poorest smokers face toughest odds for kicking the habit (January 24, 2012) -- Quitting smoking is never easy. However, when you're poor and uneducated, kicking the habit for good is doubly hard, according to a new study. ... > full story
High levels of fructose consumption by adolescents may put them at cardiovascular risk, evidence suggests (January 24, 2012) -- Evidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk is present in the blood of adolescents who consume a lot of fructose, a scenario that worsens in the face of excess belly fat, researchers report. ... > full story
The big picture: Long-term imaging reveals intriguing patterns of human brain maturation (January 24, 2012) -- Now, new research describes the first comprehensive study of coordinated anatomical maturation within the developing human brain. The study reveals that functionally connected brain regions mature together and uncovers fascinating sex-specific differences in brain development. ... > full story
Brain activity linked to delusion-like experience (January 24, 2012) -- People with schizophrenia showed greater brain activity during tests that induce a brief, mild form of delusional thinking. This effect wasn't seen in a comparison group without schizophrenia. ... > full story
Is short stature associated with a 'shortage' of genes? (January 24, 2012) -- New research sifts through the entire genome of thousands of human subjects to look for genetic variation associated with height. The results of the study suggest that uncommon genetic deletions are associated with short stature. ... > full story
Cell signaling key to stopping growth and migration of brain cancer cells (January 24, 2012) -- Inhibition of cell signaling through the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase pathway shown to both sensitize glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy and decrease their ability to migrate to other, non-targeted areas of the brain. ... > full story
It's evolution: Nature of prejudice, aggression different for men and women (January 24, 2012) -- Prejudice against people from groups different than their own is linked to aggression for men and fear for women, suggests new research. ... > full story
Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone (January 24, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings show that these heart cells have the capacity for long-term expansion and can form a variety of cell types, including muscle, bone, neural and heart cells. ... > full story
Breast cancer and heart disease may have common roots (January 24, 2012) -- Women who are at risk for breast cancer may also be at greater risk for heart disease, new research has found. ... > full story
How skin is wired for touch (January 24, 2012) -- Compared to our other senses, scientists don't know much about how our skin is wired for the sensation of touch. Now, new research provides the first picture of how specialized neurons feel light touches, like a brush of movement or a vibration, are organized in hairy skin. ... > full story
Greater brain activation after cognitive rehabilitation for MS (January 24, 2012) -- Scientists have documented increased cerebral activation in patients with multiple sclerosis following memory retraining using modified Story Memory Technique. This study is the first to demonstrate that behavioral interventions can have a positive effect on brain function in MS, an important step in validating the clinical utility of cognitive rehabilitation. ... > full story
To 'think outside the box,' think outside the box (January 24, 2012) -- Want to think outside the box? Try actually thinking outside of a box. In a new study, researchers had students think up solutions to problems while acting out various metaphors about creative thinking and found that the instructions actually worked. ... > full story
Genes and timing of menopause (January 24, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered 13 new regions of the genome associated with the timing of menopause. These genes shed light on the biological pathways involved in reproductive lifespan and will provide insights into conditions connected to menopause, such as breast cancer and heart disease. ... > full story
Molecular fingerprint discovered that may improve outcomes for head and neck cancer patients (January 24, 2012) -- Researchers have found a biomarker in head and neck cancers that can predict whether a patient’s tumor will be life threatening. The biomarker is considered particularly promising because it can detect the level of risk immediately following diagnosis. ... > full story
Benefits of high quality child care persist 30 years later (January 24, 2012) -- Adults who participated in a high quality early childhood education program in the 1970s are still benefiting from their early experiences in a variety of ways, according to a new study. ... > full story
Tactile imaging sensor can assist doctors with early identification of tumors (January 24, 2012) -- A handheld tactile imaging sensor could aid doctors in early identification of cancerous lesions or tumors. ... > full story
Study pinpoints and plugs mechanism of AML cancer cell escape (January 24, 2012) -- Turning off the gene that codes for WEE1 sensitizes acute myeloid leukemia cells to chemotherapy, a new study shows. ... > full story
'Senior' runners never stop pushing their limits in marathons (January 24, 2012) -- Researchers have analyzed changes in participation and performance of runners aged 20 to 80 in the New York marathon over the last 30 years. The results are largely unexpected: the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have consistently improved their performance over the last 30 years. ... > full story
Use of iodinated contrast media in imaging procedures appears to affect thyroid function (January 24, 2012) -- Exposure to iodinated contrast media during imaging procedures is associated with changes in thyroid function, and increased risk of developing hyperthyroidism, according to a new report. ... > full story
New tool enhances view of muscles (January 24, 2012) -- New research is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details never seen before. A novel method using ultrasound imaging, 3-D motion-capture technology and proprietary data-processing software can scan and capture 3-D maps of the muscle structure in just 90 seconds. Previous methods took 15 minutes -- far too long to ask people to hold a muscle contraction. ... > full story
More on legal remedies for ghostwriting (January 24, 2012) -- In an essay that expands on a previous proposal to use the courts to prosecute those involved in ghostwriting on the basis of it being legal fraud, Xavier Bosch from the University of Barcelona, Spain and colleagues lay out three outline specific areas of legal liability in this week's PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Patterns of chromosome abnormality: The key to cancer? (January 23, 2012) -- Researchers have combined techniques from computer science and statistics to discover that many chromosomal pairs are lost or gained together across various cancer types, such as kidney, skeleton, and liver cancers. Tracking these changes, he says, could aid our understanding of the driving forces of cancer's progress. ... > full story
Anti-infective drug shortages pose threat to public health and patient care (January 23, 2012) -- Shortages of key drugs used to fight infections represent a public health emergency and can put patients at risk, according to a new review. Frequent anti-infective shortages can substantially alter clinical care and may lead to worse outcomes for patients, particularly as the development of new anti-infectives has slowed and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is increasing. ... > full story
Walking and texting at the same time? Study says think again (January 23, 2012) -- Talking on a cell phone or texting while walking may seem natural and easy, but it could be dangerous and result in walking errors and interfere with memory recall. Researchers found this to be the case in a study of young people walking and using their cell phones. ... > full story
New understanding of chronic pain (January 23, 2012) -- Millions of people worldwide suffer from a type of chronic pain called neuropathic pain, which is triggered by nerve damage. Precisely how this pain persists has been a mystery, and current treatments are largely ineffective. But scientists, using a new approach known as metabolomics, have now discovered a major clue: dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a small-molecule byproduct of cellular membranes in the nervous system. In their new study, the scientists found that DMS is produced at abnormally high levels in the spinal cords of rats with neuropathic pain and appears to cause pain when injected. The findings suggest inhibiting this molecule may be a fruitful target for drug development. ... > full story
How the brain senses nutrient balance (January 23, 2012) -- Now, a research study discovers intriguing new information about how dietary nutrients influence brain cells that are key regulators of energy balance in the body. The study suggests a cellular mechanism that may allow brain cells to translate different diets into different patterns of activity. ... > full story
New process could advance use of healthy cells or stem cells to treat disease (January 23, 2012) -- In a discovery that may help speed use of "cell therapy" -- with normal cells or stem cells infused into the body to treat disease -- scientists are reporting development of a way to deliver therapeutic human cells to diseased areas within the body using a simple magnetic effect. ... > full story
How well does protective headgear works for small children participating in winter activities? (January 23, 2012) -- Researchers find surprising results regarding how much protection helmets afford children participating in winter sports activities. ... > full story
Nurturing mothers rear physically healthier adults (January 23, 2012) -- Nurturing mothers have garnered accolades for rescuing skinned knees on the playground and coaxing their children to sleep with lullabies. Now they're gaining merit for their offspring's physical health in middle age. While children raised in families with low socioeconomic status frequently go on to have high rates of chronic illness in adulthood, a sizable minority remain healthy across the life course, new research shows. ... > full story
Accelerated infant growth increases future asthma symptom risk (January 23, 2012) -- Accelerated growth in the first three months of life, but not fetal growth, is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in young children, according to a new study. ... > full story
Compounds in mate tea induce death in colon cancer cells, in vitro study shows (January 23, 2012) -- In a recent study, scientists showed that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the approximate number of bioactive compounds present in one cup of mate tea, which has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal properties. ... > full story
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