ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Thursday, March 29, 2012

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Thursday, March 29, 2012

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Key mechanism involved in Type 2 diabetes identified (March 28, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a key protein that regulates insulin resistance -- the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin and which sets the stage for the development of the most common form of diabetes. This breakthrough points to a new way to potentially treat or forestall Type 2 diabetes, a rapidly growing global health problem. ... > full story

Health impact, interplay of diet soft drinks and overall diet unravelled (March 28, 2012) -- Are diet sodas good or bad for you? The jury is still out, but a new study sheds light on the impact that zero-calorie beverages may have on health, especially in the context of a person's overall dietary habits. ... > full story

With you in the room, bacteria counts spike -- by about 37 million bacteria per hour (March 28, 2012) -- A person's mere presence in a room can add 37 million bacteria to the air every hour -- material largely left behind by previous occupants and stirred up from the floor -- according to new research. ... > full story

Meditation improves emotional behaviors in teachers (March 28, 2012) -- Schoolteachers who underwent a short but intensive program of meditation were less depressed, anxious or stressed -- and more compassionate and aware of others' feelings. The novel project blended ancient meditation practices with the most current scientific methods for regulating emotions. ... > full story

New layer of genetic information helps determine how fast proteins are produced (March 28, 2012) -- A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists, thanks to a new technique called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells. ... > full story

Danger of grill brushes identified (March 28, 2012) -- Physicians have identified a number of cases of accidental ingestion of wire grill brush bristles that required endoscopic or surgical removal. ... > full story

Weight Loss Surgery and Diabetes: Expert Interview Opportunity (March 28, 2012) -- Caroline Apovian, MD, a leading obesity medicine specialist specializing in medical treatments for obesity and monitoring type 2 diabetes, can provide insight into recent research suggesting that weight loss surgery may reverse type 2 diabetes. ... > full story

Does BMI affect post-surgical complications, survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma? (March 28, 2012) -- Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have found – contrary to previous studies linking inferior outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies to higher body mass index (BMI) – that in their study of BMI and negative outcomes, there was no such link. They concluded that BMI was not associated with either surgical complications or esophageal cancer patient survival. ... > full story

Online dating scammers looking for money, not love (March 28, 2012) -- Online romance scams, a new form of cybercrime, is under-reported and increasing, and has victimized an estimated 230,000 people in England, costing them nearly billion a year, according to a new article. ... > full story

Body mass index not linked to post-surgical complications, survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma, study suggests (March 28, 2012) -- Researchers have found – contrary to previous studies linking inferior outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies to higher body mass index (BMI) – that in their study of BMI and negative outcomes, there was no such link. They concluded that BMI was not associated with either surgical complications or esophageal cancer patient survival. ... > full story

Stopping statin therapy increases risk of death for rheumatoid arthritis patients (March 28, 2012) -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who discontinue use of statin therapy are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes. ... > full story

Bacteria use chat to play the 'prisoner's dilemma' game in deciding their fate (March 27, 2012) -- When faced with life-or-death situations, bacteria -- and maybe even human cells -- use an extremely sophisticated version of "game theory" to consider their options and decide upon the best course of action. Scientists said microbes "play" a version of the classic "Prisoner's Dilemma" game. ... > full story

New gene therapy approach developed for red blood cell disorders (March 27, 2012) -- Scientists have designed what appears to be a powerful gene therapy strategy that can treat both beta-thalassemia disease and sickle cell anemia. They have also developed a test to predict patient response before treatment. ... > full story

Hot pepper compound could help hearts (March 27, 2012) -- The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists have reported the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect against the No. 1 cause of death in the developed world. ... > full story

Blocking 'oh-glick-nack' may improve long-term memory (March 27, 2012) -- Just as the familiar sugar in food can be bad for the teeth and waistline, another sugar has been implicated as a health menace and blocking its action may have benefits that include improving long-term memory in older people and treating cancer. Progress has been made toward finding such a blocker for the sugar — with the appropriately malicious-sounding name “oh-glick-nack.” ... > full story

Capsule for removing radioactive contamination from milk, fruit juices, other beverages (March 27, 2012) -- Amid concerns about possible terrorist attacks with nuclear materials, and fresh memories of environmental contamination from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, scientists have developed a capsule that can be dropped into water, milk, fruit juices and other foods to remove more than a dozen radioactive substances. ... > full story

Competition-linked bursts of testosterone are fundamental aspect of human biology, study of Amazonian tribe suggests (March 27, 2012) -- Though Tsimane men have a third less baseline testosterone compared with U.S. men, Tsimane show the same increase in testosterone following a soccer game, suggesting that competition-linked bursts of testosterone are a fundamental aspect of human biology. ... > full story

Researchers create cellular automation model to study complex tumor-host role in cancer (March 27, 2012) -- To better understand the role complex tumor-host interactions play in tumor growth, researchers have developed a cellular automation model for tumor growth in heterogeneous microenvironments. ... > full story

Nanoparticles and magnetic current used to damage cancerous cells in mice (March 27, 2012) -- Using nanoparticles and alternating magnetic fields, scientists have found that head and neck cancerous tumor cells in mice can be killed in half an hour without harming healthy cells. The findings mark the first time to the researchers' knowledge this cancer type has been treated using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia, or above-normal body temperatures, in laboratory mice. ... > full story

Placenta on toast? Could we derive benefits from ingesting afterbirth? (March 27, 2012) -- Almost all non-human mammals eat placenta for good reasons. Are we missing something? Neuroscientists now suggest that ingesting components of afterbirth or placenta -- placentophagia -- may offer benefits to human mothers and perhaps to non-mothers and males. ... > full story

Some flame retardants make fires more deadly (March 27, 2012) -- Some of the flame retardants added to carpets, furniture upholstery, plastics, crib mattresses, car and airline seats and other products to suppress the visible flames in fires are actually increasing the danger of invisible toxic gases that are the No. 1 cause of death in fires. ... > full story

New evidence on effects of green coffee beans in weight loss (March 27, 2012) -- Scientists have reported striking new evidence that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can produce a substantial decrease in body weight in a relatively short period of time. ... > full story

Most extensive full face transplant to date (March 27, 2012) -- The most extensive full face transplant ever performed has just been completed. It included both jaws, teeth, and tongue. The 36-hour operation occurred on March 19-20, 2012 and involved a multi-disciplinary team of faculty physicians and a team of over 150 nurses and professional staff. ... > full story

Microfluidic chip developed to stem flu outbreaks (March 27, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a rapid, low-cost, accurate, point-of-care device that matches the accuracy of expensive and time-consuming lab-based tests to diagnose influenza. ... > full story

Living human gut-on-a-chip: Tiny device simulates structure, microenvironment, and mechanical behavior of human intestine (March 27, 2012) -- Researchers have created a gut-on-a-chip microdevice lined by living human cells that mimics the structure, physiology, and mechanics of the human intestine -- even supporting the growth of living microbes within its luminal space. As a more accurate alternative to conventional cell culture and animal models, the microdevice could help researchers gain new insights into intestinal disorders and evaluate the safety and efficacy of potential treatments. ... > full story

Air pollution from trucks and low-quality heating oil may explain childhood asthma hot spots (March 27, 2012) -- Where a child lives can greatly affect his or her risk for asthma. Neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma may be explained by varying levels of air pollution from trucks and residential heating oil. In New York City, where the study was conducted, asthma among school-age children ranges from a low of three percent to a high of 19 percent depending on the neighborhood. ... > full story

New way to abate heart attacks before patients get to the hospital (March 27, 2012) -- Paramedics can reduce someone's chances of having a cardiac arrest or dying by 50 percent by immediately administering a mixture of glucose, insulin and potassium to people having a heart attack, according to new research. ... > full story

New catalyst promises cheaper, greener drugs (March 27, 2012) -- A chemistry team has discovered environmentally-friendly iron-based nanoparticle catalysts that work as well as the expensive, toxic, metal-based catalysts that are currently in wide use by the drug, fragrance and food industry. ... > full story

Epigenetic changes in blood samples may point to schizophrenia (March 27, 2012) -- Researchers have identified epigenetic changes – known as DNA methylation – in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. The researchers were also able to detect differences depending on how old the patients were when they developed the disease and whether they had been treated with various drugs. In the future this new knowledge may be used to develop a simple test to diagnose patients with schizophrenia. ... > full story

Stand up: Your life could depend on it (March 27, 2012) -- Standing up more often may reduce your chances of dying within three years, even if you are already physically active, a study of more than 200,000 people shows. ... > full story

Use it or lose it: Mind games help healthy older people too (March 27, 2012) -- Cognitive training including puzzles, handicrafts and life skills are known to reduce the risk, and help slow down the progress, of dementia amongst the elderly. A new study has shown that cognitive training was able to improve reasoning, memory, language and hand eye co-ordination of healthy, older adults. ... > full story

How colds cause coughs and wheezes (March 27, 2012) -- Cold-like infections make 'cough receptors' in the airways more sensitive, making asthmatics more prone to bouts of coughing and wheezing, reveal scientists. The work could lead to drugs that reduce virus-induced coughing in those suffering chronic lung diseases. ... > full story

Vitamins doing gymnastics: Scientists capture first full image of vitamin B12 in action (March 27, 2012) -- It may not sound too exciting when it's listed on the side of your cereal box and your multivitamin bottle. But when vitamin B12 gets inside your body, new research suggests, it turns into a gymnast. Scientists report that they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer. ... > full story

Regular chocolate eaters are thinner, evidence suggests (March 27, 2012) -- Katherine Hepburn famously said of her slim physique: "What you see before you is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." New evidence suggests she may have been right. Nutritional experts present new findings that may overturn the major objection to regular chocolate consumption: that it makes people fat. ... > full story

New endoscope technology paves the way for 'molecular-guided surgery' for cancer (March 27, 2012) -- With about 15 million endoscopies done on patients each year in the U.S., scientists have reported that a new version of these flexible instruments for diagnosing and treating disease shows promise for helping surgeons more completely remove cancerous tumors. The new technology combines endoscopy with the phenomenon responsible for the blue glow in the water of nuclear reactors. ... > full story

New 'electronic skin' patches monitor health wirelessly (March 27, 2012) -- Like the colorful temporary tattoos that children stick to their arms for fun, people may one day put thin “electronic skin” patches onto their arms to wirelessly diagnose health problems or deliver treatments. The patches could eliminate the need for patients to stay tethered to large machines for hours of treatment or monitoring. ... > full story

New field of chemistry has potential for making drugs inside patients -- and more (March 27, 2012) -- The traditional way of making medicines in a factory may be joined by a new approach in which doctors administer the ingredients for a medicine separately, and those ingredients combine inside patients’ bodies. That’s one promise from an emerging field of chemistry, according to its founder. ... > full story

Popcorn-shaped gold particles gang up on salmonella (March 27, 2012) -- How about a test that identifies Salmonella, the food poisoning bacteria that sickens millions of people each year, in five minutes, so that shipments of lettuce can be confiscated before they reach the table? Scientists have just developed and successfully tested just such a test. ... > full story

Study shows people know more than they think they do (March 27, 2012) -- A new study concludes that “for groups to be successful, they must effectively exploit the knowledge of their (individual) members.” ... > full story

Does the brain 'remember' antidepressants? More proof for the power of placebo (March 26, 2012) -- Using a placebo pill appearing identical to the real thing, researchers have found that how the brain responds to antidepressant medication may be influenced by its remembering past antidepressant exposure. ... > full story

Genetic risk and stressful early infancy join to increase risk for schizophrenia (March 26, 2012) -- Working with genetically engineered mice and the genomes of thousands of people with schizophrenia, researchers say they now better understand how both nature and nurture can affect one's risks for schizophrenia and abnormal brain development in general. ... > full story

A 24-karat gold key to unlock the immune system (March 26, 2012) -- Using nanoparticles made of pure gold, researchers have developed a new method of introducing chemical residues into the immune system, triggering immune cells to help the body fight infection. The breakthrough could lead to an increased understanding of viruses and bacteria, better drug delivery systems, and more effective medications and vaccinations. ... > full story

Stem cell study aids quest for motor neuron disease therapies (March 26, 2012) -- A breakthrough using cutting-edge stem cell research could speed up the discovery of new treatments for motor neuron disease. The international research team has created motor neurons using skin cells from a patient with an inherited form of MND. ... > full story

Smokers could be more prone to schizophrenia (March 26, 2012) -- Smoking alters the impact of a schizophrenia risk gene. Scientists have demonstrated that healthy people who carry this risk gene and smoke process acoustic stimuli in a similarly deficient way as patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, the impact is all the stronger the more the person smokes. ... > full story

Chronic stress spawns protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer's (March 26, 2012) -- Repeated stress triggers the production and accumulation of insoluble tau protein aggregates inside the brain cells of mice, say researchers. ... > full story

Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice, study shows (March 26, 2012) -- Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody, according to a new study. The antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system. The scientists achieved the findings with human breast, ovarian, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate cancer samples. ... > full story

'Could my child have autism?' Ten signs of possible autism-related delays in 6- to 12-month-old children (March 26, 2012) -- Though autism is often not diagnosed until the age of three, some children begin to show signs of developmental delay before they turn a year old. While not all infants and toddlers with delays will develop autism spectrum disorders, experts point to early detection of these signs as key to capitalizing on early diagnosis and intervention, which is believed to improve developmental outcomes. ... > full story

New analysis could give cues about when to move infants from NICU (March 26, 2012) -- New analysis of premature infants’ heartbeats and breathing could give cues about their readiness to leave the NICU. ... > full story