ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Thursday, February 16, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Thursday, February 16, 2012

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Genetic mutation implicated in 'broken' heart (February 15, 2012) -- Researchers have found that mutations in a gene called TTN account for 18 percent of sporadic and 25 percent of familial cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot properly pump blood. ... > full story

Smoking cessation meds shows promise as alcoholism treatment, study suggests (February 15, 2012) -- A medication commonly used to help people stop smoking may have an unanticipated positive side effect for an entirely different vice: drinking alcohol. A new study finds that varenicline, sold as Chantix, increases the negative effects of alcohol and therefore could hold promise as a treatment for alcoholism. ... > full story

Drinking alcohol shrinks critical brain regions in genetically vulnerable mice (February 15, 2012) -- Brain scans of two strains of mice imbibing significant quantities of alcohol reveal serious shrinkage in some brain regions -- but only in mice lacking a particular type of receptor for dopamine, the brain's "reward" chemical. The study provides new evidence that these dopamine receptors may play a protective role against alcohol-induced brain damage. ... > full story

How fast you walk and your grip in middle age may predict dementia, stroke risk (February 15, 2012) -- Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke. ... > full story

Autoinjectors offer way to treat prolonged seizures (February 15, 2012) -- A mutli-site study offers paramedics a better tool for treating seizures -- autoinjectors were found to be a safe, effective alternative to giving drugs by IV. ... > full story

Low molecular weight heparin use in cancer treatment (February 15, 2012) -- Researchers suggest conclusive answers to key questions on the benefits of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for cancer patients remain elusive - despite promising results from large studies. ... > full story

Computer sleuthing helps unravel RNA's role in cellular function (February 15, 2012) -- Computer engineers may have just provided the medical community a new way of figuring out exactly how one of the three building blocks of life forms and functions. They have used a complex computer program to analyze RNA motifs – the subunits that make up RNA. ... > full story

Out of Africa? Data fail to support language origin in Africa (February 15, 2012) -- Last year, a report claiming to support the idea that the origin of language can be traced to West Africa appeared in Science. The article caused quite a stir. Now a linguist has challenged its conclusions, in a commentary just published in Science. ... > full story

Psychiatric diagnoses: Why no one is satisfied (February 15, 2012) -- As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is revised for the first time since 1994, controversy about psychiatric diagnosis is reaching a fever pitch. ... > full story

Hospitalization of US underage drinkers common, costs 5 million a year (February 15, 2012) -- Hospitalization for underage drinking is common in the United States, and it comes with a price tag -- the estimated total cost for these hospitalizations is about 5 million per year, a new study has found. ... > full story

Stem cell study in mice offers hope for treating heart attack patients (February 15, 2012) -- A new stem cell study conducted in mice suggests a novel strategy for treating damaged cardiac tissue in patients following a heart attack. The approach potentially could improve cardiac function, minimize scar size, lead to the development of new blood vessels – and avoid the risk of tissue rejection. ... > full story

Protein may play role in obesity, diabetes, aging (February 15, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a potent regulator of sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. The new findings may help scientists find better treatments for type II diabetes, obesity and other health problems caused by the body's inability to properly regulate blood sugar. ... > full story

Children may have highest exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles, found in candy and other products (February 15, 2012) -- Children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults, according to a new study. A new study provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial – a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects – in a wide range of consumer goods. ... > full story

New defense mechanism against viruses and cancer identified (February 15, 2012) -- Scientists have found a fundamentally new mechanism how our defense system is ramped up when facing a viral intruder. Exploitation of this mechanism in vaccines sparks new hope for better prevention and therapy of infectious diseases and cancer. ... > full story

In the mouth, smoking zaps healthy bacteria (February 15, 2012) -- According to a new study, smoking causes the body to turn against its own helpful bacteria, leaving smokers more vulnerable to disease. ... > full story

Diabetes may start in the intestines, research suggests (February 15, 2012) -- Scientists have made a surprising discovery about the origin of diabetes. Their research suggests that problems controlling blood sugar — the hallmark of diabetes — may begin in the intestines. The new study, in mice, may upend long-held theories about the causes of the disease. ... > full story

New molecule discovered in fight against allergy (February 15, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a new molecule that could offer the hope of new treatments for people allergic to the house dust mite. ... > full story

New clues about how cancer cells communicate and grow (February 15, 2012) -- Researchers have shown that the communication signals sent around the body by cancer cells, which are essential for the cancer to grow, may contain pieces of RNA – these substances, like DNA, are pieces of genetic code that can instruct cells, and ultimately the body, how to form. The same study also found early indications that these genetic instructions can be intercepted and modified by chemotherapy to help prevent cancer cells growing. ... > full story

Freeze-dried heart valve scaffolds hold promise for heart valve replacement (February 15, 2012) -- The biological scaffold that gives structure to a heart valve after its cellular material has been removed can be freeze-dried and stored for later use as a tissue-engineered replacement valve to treat a failing heart, as described in a new article. ... > full story

When nerve meets muscle, biglycan seals the deal (February 14, 2012) -- In the absence of the protein biglycan, synapses at neuromuscular junctions in mice began to break up about five weeks after birth, according to a new study. Reintroducing byglycan helped fix the loss of synaptic stability in cell culture. The research may be relevant to efforts to treat motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gherig's Disease) and spinal muscular atrophy. ... > full story

Stem cell treatments improve heart function after heart attack (February 14, 2012) -- Stem cell therapy moderately improves heart function after a heart attack, according to a systematic review. But the researchers behind the review say larger clinical trials are needed to establish whether this benefit translates to a longer life. ... > full story

Cognitive stimulation beneficial in dementia (February 14, 2012) -- Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being. ... > full story

High population density is greatest risk factor for water-linked diseases (February 14, 2012) -- Water-associated infectious disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas where a region's population density is growing, according to a new global analysis of economic and environmental conditions that influence the risk for these outbreaks. ... > full story

Building bone from cartilage: Orthopaedic researchers take the road less travelled (February 14, 2012) -- A person has a tumor removed from her femur. A soldier is struck by an improvised explosive device and loses a portion of his tibia. A child undergoes chemotherapy for osteosarcoma but part of the bone dies as a result. Every year, millions of Americans sustain fractures that don't heal or lose bone that isn't successfully grafted. Orthopaedic researchers have just found a very promising, novel way to regenerate bone. ... > full story

Left-handed? Different bodies, different minds (February 14, 2012) -- We like to think of ourselves as rational creatures, absorbing information, weighing it carefully, and making thoughtful decisions. But, as it turns out, we're kidding ourselves. Over the past few decades, scientists have shown there are many different internal and external factors influencing how we think, feel, communicate, and make decisions at any given moment. One particularly powerful influence may be our own bodies, according to new research. ... > full story

Short-term exposure to most major air pollutants associated with increased risk of heart attack (February 14, 2012) -- Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a new review article. ... > full story

Trouble sleeping? It may affect your memory later on (February 14, 2012) -- The amount and quality of sleep you get at night may affect your memory later in life, according to new research. ... > full story

Zebrafish may hold key to repairing serious eye conditions (February 14, 2012) -- Researchers have taken an important step in understanding retina regeneration, suggesting new possibilities for developing treatments in humans. ... > full story

Traumatic brain injuries are likely more common than previously thought (February 14, 2012) -- Though researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the long-term effects of head injury, few studies have looked at the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in all age groups, including males and females, taking into account both mild and serious events. ... > full story

Antibiotics ineffective for most sinus infections, study finds (February 14, 2012) -- Antibiotics that doctors typically prescribe for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo, according to investigators. ... > full story

SIV infection may lead to increase in immune-suppressive Treg cells (February 14, 2012) -- Tissue in monkeys infected with a close relative of HIV can ramp up production of a type of T cell that actually weakens the body's attack against the invading virus. ... > full story

Tangled up in DNA: New molecule has potential to help treat genetic diseases and HIV (February 14, 2012) -- Chemists have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before the DNA liberates itself, much longer than any other molecule reported. ... > full story

Chemists mimic nature to design better medical tests (February 14, 2012) -- Over their 3.8 billion years of evolution, living organisms have developed countless strategies for monitoring their surroundings. Chemists have adapted some of these strategies to improve the performance of DNA detectors. Their findings may aid efforts to build better medical diagnostics, such as improved HIV or cancer tests. ... > full story

Possible link to hyper-excitability factors in epilepsy, autism and more (February 14, 2012) -- A new study is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions. ... > full story

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries (February 14, 2012) -- Humans move between ‘patches’ in their memory using the same strategy as bees flitting between flowers for pollen or birds searching among bushes for berries. ... > full story

Motherhood 'detrimental' to women's scientific careers, study concludes (February 14, 2012) -- Women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children – not because their performance is devalued or they are shortchanged during interviewing and hiring, according to a new study. ... > full story

Weight loss can be contagious, study suggests (February 14, 2012) -- Researchers have found that teammates in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, suggesting that weight loss can be contagious. ... > full story

Cellphone use linked to selfish behavior (February 14, 2012) -- Though cellphones are usually considered devices that connect people, they may make users less socially minded, finds a recent study. The researchers found that after a short period of cellphone use subjects were less inclined to volunteer for community service when asked, compared to control-group counterparts. Talking on a cell phone reduces the desire to connect with others, they explain. ... > full story

Fragmented sleep, fragmented mind: A new theory of sleep disruption and dissociation (February 14, 2012) -- Scientific research has shed new light on dissociative symptoms and dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. This condition seems to arise most often when a vulnerable person meets a therapist with a suggestive line of questioning or encounters sensationalized media portrayals of dissociation. Research shows that people with rich fantasy lives may be especially susceptible to such influences. ... > full story

New class of potential drugs inhibits inflammation in brain (February 14, 2012) -- Scientists have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases. The compounds block signals from EP2, one of the four receptors for prostaglandin E2, which is a hormone involved in processes such as fever, childbirth, digestion and blood pressure regulation. ... > full story

Best time for a coffee break? There's an app for that (February 14, 2012) -- Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems. Caffeine Zone, a new software app developed by researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns. The software takes information on caffeine use and integrates it with information on the effects of caffeine to produce a graph of how the caffeine will affect the users over time. ... > full story

Critical stage of embryonic development now observable (February 14, 2012) -- A novel approach in the study of the development of mammalian embryos has just been developed. The research enables scientists to view critical aspects of embryonic development which was previously unobservable. ... > full story

Email language tips off work hierarchy (February 14, 2012) -- Members of the modern workforce might be surprised to learn that if they use the word “weekend” in a workplace email, chances are they’re sending the message up the org chart. The same is true for the words “voicemail,” “driving,” “okay”—- and even a choice four-letter word that rhymes with “hit.” However a new study shows that certain words and phrases indeed are reliable indicators of whether workplace emails are sent to someone higher or lower in the corporate hierarchy. ... > full story

How Do Children Learn to Read Silently? (February 14, 2012) -- Researchers uses eye-tracking technology to chart oral-to-silent reading transition. ... > full story

Malaria parasite goes bananas before sex (February 14, 2012) -- New research shows how the malaria parasite changes into a banana shape before sexual reproduction, a finding that could provide targets for vaccine or drug development and may explain how the parasite evades the human immune system. ... > full story

Turmeric-based drug effective on Alzheimer flies (February 14, 2012) -- Curcumin, a substance extracted from turmeric, prolongs life and enhances activity of fruit flies with a nervous disorder similar to Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study indicates that it is the initial stages of fibril formation and fragments of the amyloid fibrils that are most toxic to neurons. ... > full story

Cut your Valentine some slack: Partner's efforts at improving your relationship should not be ignored (February 13, 2012) -- If the one you love usually forgets Valentine's Day, but this year makes a romantic effort, you should give him credit for trying. A new study shows that the more you believe your partner is capable of change and perceive that he or she is trying to improve, the more secure and happy you will feel in your relationship. ... > full story

Prolonged fructose intake not linked to rise in blood pressure, study suggests (February 13, 2012) -- Eating fructose over an extended period of time does not lead to an increase in blood pressure, according to new research. ... > full story