ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Sunday, March 18, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Sunday, March 18, 2012

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Common virus can lead to life-threatening conditions in children (March 16, 2012) -- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that infects the lungs and breathing passage ways. Though it may only produce minor cold symptoms in adults, it can lead to serious illness in young children and those with compromised immune systems. ... > full story

Who wouldn't pay a penny for a sports car? The right strategy doesn't guarantee advantage in auctions, real estate or stock market (March 16, 2012) -- In a study of lowest unique bid auctions, researchers asked: Who wins these auctions, the strategic gambler or the lucky one? The answer is the lucky. But, ironically, it's a lucky person using a winning strategy. The researchers found that all players intuitively use the right strategy, and that turns the auction into a game of pure chance. The findings provide insight into playing the stock market, real estate market and other gambles. ... > full story

Nanopills release drugs directly from the inside of cells (March 16, 2012) -- Researchers in Spain have created nanoparticles which can release drugs directly from the cells' interior. The technology, which has been named "nanopills," was licensed to a firm that has verified its tolerance by administering it in vivo. ... > full story

Gambling addictions expert warns of dangers of internet gambling, especially on youth (March 16, 2012) -- Participating in an online March Madness bracket or fantasy sport league is harmless fun for most people, but for someone with a gambling addiction, it can be a dangerous temptation. “Now, with states entertaining the possibility of increasing revenue through legalizing internet gambling, it is even more important to pay attention to groups that may be vulnerable to problem gambling, particularly youth,” says Renee Cunningham-Williams, a gambling addictions expert. “Internet gambling provides youth with increased opportunities to gamble, which is particularly concerning because this generation is arguably the most technologically savvy of any generation in history.” ... > full story

Highly exposed to phthalates as fetuses, female mice have altered reproductive lives (March 16, 2012) -- Many environmental and public health officials are concerned about the potential health effects of phthalates, which are common chemicals used to make plastics softer and more pliable. In the first study to examine what effect in utero doses of phthalates have on the reproductive system of mice, toxicologists found that extremely high doses were associated with significant changes, such as a shortened reproductive lifespan and abnormal cell growth in mammary glands. ... > full story

Checking off symptoms online affects our perceptions of risk (March 16, 2012) -- You've been feeling under the weather. You Google your symptoms. A half-hour later, you're convinced it's nothing serious -- or afraid you have cancer. More than 60 percent of Americans get their health information online, and a majority of those decide whether to see a doctor based on what they find. "Wow, this is an era of self-diagnosis," thought Arizona State University psychologist Virginia Kwan, learning that statistic. Psychologists have asked how might online information affect individual health decisions? ... > full story

Brain imaging study finds evidence of basis for caregiving impulse (March 16, 2012) -- Distinct patterns of activity -- which may indicate a predisposition to care for infants -- appear in the brains of adults who view an image of an infant face -- even when the child is not theirs, according to a study by an international team of researchers. ... > full story

Nano rescues skin: Shrimp shell nanotech for wound healing and anti-aging face cream (March 16, 2012) -- Nanoparticles containing chitosan have been shown to have effective antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Escherichia coli. The materials could be used as a protective wound-healing material to avoid opportunistic infection as well as working to facilitate wound healing. ... > full story

Lyme disease surge predicted for Northeastern US: Due to acorns and mice, not mild winter (March 16, 2012) -- The northeastern US should prepare for a surge in Lyme disease this spring. And we can blame fluctuations in acorns and mouse populations, not the mild winter. ... > full story

White rice increases risk of Type 2 diabetes, study claims (March 15, 2012) -- The risk of Type 2 diabetes is significantly increased if white rice is eaten regularly, claims a new study. ... > full story

A wandering mind reveals mental processes and priorities (March 15, 2012) -- Odds are, you’re not going to make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else. In fact, studies have found that our minds are wandering half the time, drifting off to thoughts unrelated to what we’re doing – did I remember to turn off the light? What should I have for dinner? ... > full story

Was human evolution caused by climate change? (March 15, 2012) -- Models of how animal and plant distributions are affected by climate change may also explain aspects of human evolution. ... > full story