ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Monday, March 26, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Monday, March 26, 2012

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Genetics of flu susceptibility: Why the flu is life-threatening for some, and quite mild for others (March 25, 2012) -- A genetic finding could help explain why influenza becomes a life-threatening disease to some people while it has only mild effects in others. New research has identified for the first time a human gene that influences how we respond to influenza infection. ... > full story

Brain size may determine whether you are good at keeping friends (March 24, 2012) -- Researchers are suggesting that there is a link between the number of friends you have and the size of the region of the brain -- known as the orbital prefrontal cortex -- that is found just above the eyes. A new study shows that this brain region is bigger in people who have a larger number of friendships. ... > full story

Treatment of ischemic heart failure with bone marrow cells does not show improvement for certain heart function measures (March 24, 2012) -- Use of a patient's bone marrow cells for treating chronic ischemic heart failure did not result in improvement on most measures of heart function, according to a new study. ... > full story

Shiny new tool for imaging biomolecules (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a technique for lacing artificial membranes with billions of gold nanoantennas that can boost optical signals from a protein tens of thousands of times without the protein ever being touched. This technique could provide a critical tool in the fight against a wide range of health problems including cancer. ... > full story

Embryonic stem cells shift metabolism in cancer-like way upon implanting in uterus (March 23, 2012) -- When an embryo implants in the uterus, the low-oxygen environment provokes some of its cells to shift to a sugar-busting metabolism. In cancer cells, the same shift releases fuel and materials for rapid tumor growth and division. In the embryo, the shift prepares for dramatic growth and formation of layers that later become organs. The researchers also saw a mitochondrial downshift linked to aging and disease controlling normal embryonic development. It may protect cells that later become eggs or sperm from oxidant damage. ... > full story

Learning best when you rest: Sleeping after processing new info most effective (March 23, 2012) -- Nodding off in class may not be such a bad idea after all. New research shows that going to sleep shortly after learning new material is most beneficial for recall. ... > full story

Highly flexible despite hard-wiring: Even slight stimuli change the information flow in the brain (March 23, 2012) -- When looking at an optical illusion that can appear as either one cup or two faces, which do you see first? What we believe we see in one of the most famous optical illusions changes in a split second; and so does the path that the information takes in the brain. Changes in the information processing can be triggered even by a slight stimulus, such as a scent or sound, at the right time. ... > full story

New epilepsy gene located in dogs (March 23, 2012) -- A new epilepsy gene for idiopathic epilepsy in Belgian Shepherds has been found in the canine chromosome 37. This research opens new avenues for the understanding of the genetic background of the most common canine epilepsies. The research also has an impact on the understanding of common epilepsies in humans. ... > full story

'Bed-of-nails' breast implant deters cancer cells (March 23, 2012) -- Researchers have created an implant that appears to deter breast cancer cell regrowth. Made from a common federally approved polymer, the implant is the first to be modified at the nanoscale in a way that causes a reduction in the blood-vessel architecture that breast cancer tumors depend upon, while also attracting healthy breast cells. ... > full story

Brain insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (March 23, 2012) -- Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Expectations, exhaustion can lead mothers to post-adoption stress (March 23, 2012) -- Fatigue and unrealistic expectations of parenthood may help contribute to post-adoption depression in women, according to a new study. ... > full story

A new test might facilitate diagnosis and drug development for Alzheimer's disease (March 23, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new method for measurement of aggregated beta-amyloid – a protein complex believed to cause major nerve cell damage and dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. The new method might facilitate diagnosis and detection as well as development of drugs directed against aggregated beta-amyloid. ... > full story

Who knew? Fruit flies get kidney stones too (March 23, 2012) -- Research on kidney stones in fruit flies may hold the key to developing a treatment that could someday stop the formation of kidney stones in humans, scientists have found. ... > full story

Biomarkers for autism discovered (March 23, 2012) -- There are no acknowledged biomarkers for autism today. An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has now been take. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample. ... > full story

Humans began walking upright to carry scarce resources, chimp study suggests (March 23, 2012) -- Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us don't question. But scientists have discovered that human bipedalism, or walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high-quality resources. ... > full story

Exercise is not enough for sedentary workers (March 23, 2012) -- Good physical condition is a route to better health, and in order to improve it, exercising several days a week is recommended. Although it is possible to become healthier by exercising, long daily sedentary periods cause a health risk despite physical activity. ... > full story

Scientists reprogram cancer cells with low doses of epigenetic drugs (March 23, 2012) -- Experimenting with cells in culture, researchers have breathed possible new life into two drugs once considered too toxic for human cancer treatment. The drugs, azacitidine (AZA) and decitabine (DAC), are epigenetic-targeted drugs and work to correct cancer-causing alterations that modify DNA. ... > full story

Gene expression abnormalities in autism identified (March 23, 2012) -- A new study has for the first time identified in young autism patients genetic mechanisms involved in abnormal early brain development and overgrowth that occurs in the disorder. The findings suggest novel genetic and molecular targets that could lead to discoveries of new prevention strategies and treatment for the disorder. ... > full story

How music helps prevent organ rejection (March 23, 2012) -- Music has a fundamental affect on humans. It can reduce stress, enhance relaxation, provide a distraction from pain, and improve the results of clinical therapy. New research demonstrates that music can reduce rejection of heart transplants in mice by influencing the immune system. ... > full story

Home alone: Depression highest for those living alone (March 23, 2012) -- The number of people living on their own has doubled, over the last three decades, to one in three in the UK and US. New research shows that the risk of depression, measured by people taking antidepressants, is almost 80% higher for those living alone compared to people living in any kind of social or family group. For women a third of this risk was attributable to sociodemographic factors, such as lack of education and low income. For men the biggest contributing factors included poor job climate, lack of support at the work place or in their private lives, and heavy drinking. ... > full story

High-throughput screening finds surprising properties for antioxidants: Some compounds can damage DNA, but may treat cancer (March 22, 2012) -- Antioxidants have long been thought to have anti-aging properties, primarily by protecting a person's genetic material from damaging chemicals. The story, however, now appears to be much more complicated. Researchers have demonstrated that some antioxidants damage DNA and kill cells instead of protecting them. The findings also suggest that this surprising capability may be good for treating cancer, but may prove cautionary when using antioxidant-based medicines to treat other disorders, such as diabetes. ... > full story

Can our genes be making us fat? (March 22, 2012) -- While high-fat foods are thought to be of universal appeal, there is actually a lot of variation in the extent to which people like and consume fat. A new study reported that two specific genes (TAS2R38–a bitter taste receptor and CD36–a possible fat receptor), may play a role in some people’s ability to taste and enjoy dietary fat. By understanding the role of these two genes, food scientists may be able to help people who have trouble controlling how much fat they eat. ... > full story

Scientists wrest partial control of a memory (March 22, 2012) -- Scientists have successfully harnessed neurons in mouse brains, allowing them to at least partially control a specific memory. Researchers have known for decades that stimulating various regions of the brain can trigger behaviors and even memories. But understanding the way these brain functions develop and occur normally -- effectively how we become who we are -- has been a much more complex goal. ... > full story

Beta cell stress could trigger the development of type 1 diabetes (March 22, 2012) -- In type 1 diabetes (T1D), pancreatic beta cells die from a misguided autoimmune attack, but how and why that happens is still unclear. Now, scientists have found that a specific type of cellular stress takes place in pancreatic beta cells before the onset of T1D, and that this stress response in the beta cell may in fact help ignite the autoimmune attack. ... > full story

Blood-pressure drug may slow diabetes progression (March 22, 2012) -- Researchers surprised by second effect of established drug. A common high-blood-pressure medication appears to reverse the diabetes-related death of pancreatic beta cells. ... > full story

Getting the dirt on immunity: Scientists show evidence for hygiene hypothesis (March 22, 2012) -- Medical professionals have suggested that the hygiene hypothesis explains the global increase of allergic and autoimmune diseases in urban settings. However, neither biologic support nor a mechanistic basis for the hypothesis has been directly demonstrated. Until now. ... > full story

New shortcut for stem cell programming (March 22, 2012) -- Scientists have succeeded in directly generating brain stem cells from the connective tissue cells of mice. ... > full story

Somatic stem cells obtained from skin cells; pluripotency 'detour' skipped (March 22, 2012) -- Breaking new ground, scientists have succeeded in obtaining somatic stem cells from fully differentiated somatic cells. Researchers in Germany took skin cells from mice and, using a unique combination of growth factors while ensuring appropriate culturing conditions, have managed to induce the cells' differentiation into neuronal somatic stem cells. ... > full story

Studying climbers on Everest to help heart patients at home (March 22, 2012) -- Mount Everest is a natural laboratory for studying heart disease, lung problems, muscle loss, sleeping disorders and new medical technologies. ... > full story

Cell protein interactions favor fats (March 22, 2012) -- Scientists are learning how the fat molecules within cell membranes help the cells' signaling proteins to assemble and function. Their initial findings suggest the lipids play an important role in regulating cellular protein interactions. ... > full story

Weight loss won't necessarily help teen girls' self-esteem (March 22, 2012) -- Obese white teenage girls who lose weight may benefit physically, but the weight change does not guarantee they are going to feel better about themselves, according to a new study. ... > full story

Big contact lenses provide instant relief for dry eyes, experts say (March 22, 2012) -- Wide-diameter contact lenses are offering instant relief to people who suffer chronic dry eyes. The lens rests on the sclera, the white part of the eye. Major improvements in materials and design have sparked a resurgence in the use of scleral contact lenses. ... > full story

Anxiety boosts sense of smell (March 22, 2012) -- Anxious people have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to sniffing out a threat, according to a new study. ... > full story

People with autism possess greater ability to process information, study suggests (March 22, 2012) -- People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as "critical," according to a new study. The research may help explain the apparently higher than average prevalence in the IT industry of people with autism spectrum disorders. ... > full story

Runner's high motivated the evolution of exercise, research suggests (March 22, 2012) -- Runners often extol the virtues of the runner's high, but now a team of researchers suggest that the runner's high could have evolved to motivate us to exercise as part of our early long-distance nomadic lifestyle. ... > full story

Prenatal exposure to combustion-related pollutants and anxiety, attention problems in young children (March 22, 2012) -- Mothers' exposure during pregnancy to a class of air pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) can lead to behavioral problems in their children. PAH are released to air during incomplete combustion of fossil fuel such as diesel, gasoline, coal, and other organic material. The study is the first report of associations between child attentional and behavioral problems among school-age children and two complementary measures of prenatal PAH exposure. ... > full story

Getting in rhythm helps children grasp fractions, study finds (March 22, 2012) -- Tapping out a beat may help children learn difficult fraction concepts, according to new findings. An innovative curriculum uses rhythm to teach fractions at a California school where students in a music-based program scored significantly higher on math tests than their peers who received regular instruction. ... > full story

Majority of fourth graders are exposed to smoke, study finds (March 22, 2012) -- More than 75 percent of fourth-graders in urban and rural settings have measurable levels of a nicotine breakdown product in their saliva that documents their second-hand smoke exposure, researchers report. ... > full story

Antibiotic resistance genes accumulating in Lake Geneva (March 22, 2012) -- Large quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the environment via municipal – and especially hospital – wastewater streams. Although wastewater treatment plants reduce the total number of bacteria, the most hazardous – multiresistant – strains appear to withstand or even to be promoted by treatment processes. ... > full story

Antidepressant proves effective in alleviating osteoarthritis pain (March 22, 2012) -- Antidepressants can play a key role in alleviating painful conditions like osteoarthritis and may result in fewer side effects than traditionally prescribed drug regimes, such as anti-inflammatories and opioids, according to new research. ... > full story

Fewer injuries for winning soccer teams (March 22, 2012) -- All soccer players and fans know that it is better to win than to lose. Yet the fact that victory also means less risk of injury is not as obvious. ... > full story

Pediatricians sound alarm on overuse sports injuries (March 22, 2012) -- Baseball shoulder, gymnast wrist, runner’s knee. These are just a few of the labels sports medicine specialists use to describe the increasing number of repetitive-use injuries they see in young children. ... > full story

Beginnings of COPD identified (March 21, 2012) -- The third most deadly disease in the US, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), appears to be partly driven by the action of immune cells circulating in the blood entering into the tissues of the lungs. Scientists have discovered that this key process begins in the blood vessels around the large airways in the center of the lung. The discovery helps clarify how smoking can bring about this severe respiratory condition. ... > full story

To promote lasting impact, cancer drugs should force dying cells to alert immune response (March 21, 2012) -- A new finding in basic science should trigger a "change in thinking" about how cancer drugs might be developed and tested for maximum effectiveness, say experts. ... > full story

Puzzling over links between monkey research and human health (March 21, 2012) -- Studies in monkeys are unlikely to provide reliable evidence for links between social status and heart disease in humans, according to the first ever systematic review of the relevant research. ... > full story

Discovery offers insight into treating viral stomach flu (March 21, 2012) -- While researchers say that vaccines for intestinal infections are among the most difficult to develop, a recent discovery may provide the critical information needed for success. "Sometimes atomic structure gives us clues on how viruses work and how to make better vaccines," said one of the researchers. ... > full story

Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure (March 21, 2012) -- Healthy individuals who carry a gene variation linked to an increased risk of autism have structural differences in their brains that may help explain how the gene affects brain function and increases vulnerability for autism. ... > full story

Scientists open new window into how cancers override cellular growth controls (March 21, 2012) -- Rapidly dividing cancer cells are skilled at patching up damage that would stop normal cells in their tracks, including wear and tear of telomeres, the protective caps at the end of each chromosome. ... > full story