ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Monday, August 23, 2010
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Novel 'antisense' therapies protect primates from lethal Ebola and Marburg viruses (August 23, 2010) -- New studies show that treatments targeting specific viral genes protected monkeys infected with deadly Ebola or Marburg viruses. Furthermore, the animals were protected even when therapeutics were administered one hour after exposure -- suggesting the approach holds promise for treating accidental infections in laboratory or hospital settings. ... > full story
Electrifying findings: New ways of boosting healthful antioxidant levels in potatoes (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists in Japan are busy zapping potatoes and, as a result, the fifth most popular food consumed around the world may one day become an even more healthful vegetable. ... > full story
Difficulty swallowing a sign of poor prognosis among hospitalized patients (August 23, 2010) -- Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is associated with longer hospital stays among patients with any diagnosis, is increasingly prevalent with older age and is an indicator of a poor prognosis, according to a new study. ... > full story
Street outreach workers an important tool for violence prevention and intervention (August 23, 2010) -- A new study describes how using street outreach workers is an effective strategy to reach and engage youth with the goal of violence prevention and intervention. Street outreach workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation. While violence prevention programs utilizing street outreach workers , including CeaseFire in Chicago and Safe Streets in Baltimore, this is the first peer-reviewed study on a program to be published. ... > full story
Protein made by breast cancer gene purified (August 23, 2010) -- A key step in understanding the origins of familial breast cancer has been made. Researchers have purified, for the first time, the protein produced by the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 and used it to study the oncogene's role in DNA repair. ... > full story
Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of asthma illuminated (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists have taken a further step towards improving our understanding of how asthma develops. New findings show that the gene-regulating molecule "IRF4" plays a key role in the development of T helper 9 lymphocytes (Th9 cells), which can play a major part in the development of this chronic, inflammatory illness of the respiratory tract. ... > full story
Road signs and traffic signals on DNA: Physical model describes the distribution of nucleosome (August 23, 2010) -- The DNA in the cell nuclei of higher organisms is tightly coiled around protein complexes called nucleosomes, which repress gene expression. Researchers in Germany have now developed a model that explains how nucleosomes are distributed around sites that must remain accessible to transcribing polymerases. ... > full story
Use of decision-aid program increases safety for women experiencing abuse, researchers find (August 23, 2010) -- Intimate partner violence results in two million injuries among women in the US each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers are reducing these numbers with a new Web-based program that helps women experiencing abuse develop individualized safety plans and better assess the severity of their situations. ... > full story
'Rotten eggs' gas and inflammation in arthritic joints (August 22, 2010) -- Hydrogen sulfide is a gas more commonly associated with the smell of "rotten eggs" and blocked drains. However, it has now been shown to be present naturally in our bodies and reside in knee joint synovial fluid, the protective fluid found in the cavities of joints that reduces friction between the cartilage of joints during movement. Synovial fluid H2S may play a role in reducing inflammation in joints. ... > full story
Avian influenza virus may persist on feathers fallen from domestic ducks (August 22, 2010) -- Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) may persist on feathers fallen from the bodies of infected domestic ducks and contribute to environmental contamination. ... > full story
New compound may be effective against Chagas' disease (August 22, 2010) -- A new compound may offer an effective drug candidate against the deadly tropical infection, Chagas' disease say researchers from Brazil. ... > full story
Oxytocin: It’s a Mom and Pop Thing (August 22, 2010) -- The hormone oxytocin has come under intensive study in light of emerging evidence that its release contributes to the social bonding that occurs between lovers, friends, and colleagues. Oxytocin also plays an important role in birth and maternal behavior, but until now, research had never addressed the involvement of oxytocin in the transition to fatherhood. ... > full story
New understanding of the 'flight-or-fight' response (August 22, 2010) -- New research helps explain how the body's "flight-or-fight" response is mediated. The study may provide new answers to the question of how the heart pacemaker -- the sinoatrial node -- is regulated. ... > full story
Contrary to popular models, sugar is not burned by self-control tasks (August 22, 2010) -- Contradicting a popular model of self-control, a psychologist says the data from a 2007 study argues against the idea that glucose is the resource used to manage self control and that humans rely on this energy source for will power. ... > full story
New twist on drug screening to treat common childhood cancer (August 22, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new method of identifying drugs to treat children suffering from fatal cancers for which an effective treatment has not been found. Rather than developing a new drug from scratch, which is a complicated and time-consuming process, they tried a different approach: in the lab, they tested existing drugs on cancer stem cells from young patients with neuroblastoma, one of the common cancers of infants and children. ... > full story
Fear of falling linked to future falls in older people (August 22, 2010) -- Fear of falling is likely to lead to future falls among older people, irrespective of their actual fall risk, a new study finds. ... > full story
Nanoscale DNA sequencing could spur revolution in personal health care (August 21, 2010) -- In experiments with potentially broad health care implications, researchers have devised a method that works at a very small scale to sequence DNA quickly and relatively inexpensively. That could open the door for more effective individualized medicine, for example providing blueprints of genetic predispositions for specific conditions and diseases such as cancer, diabetes or addiction. ... > full story
Virus may act as 'evolution-proof' biopesticide against malaria (August 21, 2010) -- A naturally occurring virus in mosquitoes may serve as a "late-life-acting" insecticide by killing older adult mosquitoes that are responsible for the bulk of malaria transmission. ... > full story
Newly identified RNA sequence is key in microRNA processing (August 21, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that regulates the processing of microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and chronic disease. ... > full story
Today's superheroes send wrong image to boys, say researchers (August 21, 2010) -- Watching superheroes beat up villains may not be the best image for boys to see if society wants to promote kinder, less stereotypical male behaviors, according to psychologists. ... > full story
Researchers identify two FDA approved drugs that may fight HIV (August 21, 2010) -- Researchers have identified two drugs that, when combined, may serve as an effective treatment for HIV. The two drugs, decitabine and gemcitabine -- both FDA approved and currently used in pre-cancer and cancer therapy -- were found to eliminate HIV infection in the mouse model by causing the virus to mutate itself to death -- an outcome researchers dubbed "lethal mutagenesis." ... > full story
New targets for anti-angiogenesis drugs revealed (August 21, 2010) -- A new study describes a novel pathway of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Targeting the new pathway, scientists identified two approaches that significantly reduced angiogenesis in mice. These discoveries may lead to novel treatments for diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis, including corneal graft rejection, age-related macular degeneration, cancer and diabetes. ... > full story
Disturbances in certain genes play a role in autism (August 21, 2010) -- Autism researchers have found that autism can be partially explained by abnormalities in certain genes. The group's results could, in the long run, pave the way for more appropriate treatments for autism. ... > full story
Drug addicts get hooked via prescriptions, keep using 'to feel like a better person,' research shows (August 21, 2010) -- If you want to know how people become addicted and why they keep using drugs, ask the people who are addicted. Thirty-one of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid detoxification told physicians they first got hooked on drugs legitimately prescribed for pain. ... > full story
Autism linked to multisensory integration (August 20, 2010) -- A new study has provided concrete evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders process sensory information such as sound, touch and vision differently than typically developing children. ... > full story
Frozen flies may yield secrets for human organ transplants (August 20, 2010) -- Frozen fruit fly cells may hold key to human organ transplant process, according to new research. ... > full story
Smart fungus disarms plant, animal and human immunity (August 20, 2010) -- Fungal and bacterial pathogens are well capable of infecting plants, animals and humans despite their immune systems. Fungi penetrate leafs, stalks and roots, or skin, intestines and lungs, to infect their hosts. Researchers have now discovered how this is possible. They found that the fungus secretes a protein that makes stray building blocks of the fungal cell wall invisible for the immune system of the plant. In this way infection remains unnoticed. ... > full story
Innovative imaging system may boost speed and accuracy in treatment of heart rhythm disorder (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a novel 3-D imaging approach that may improve the accuracy of treatment for ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat too fast. The new approach couples CT (computed tomography) images with conventional ablation techniques to eliminate erratic electrical circuits in the heart that produce arrhythmias. ... > full story
Male menopause affects more than five million men (August 20, 2010) -- While most frequently associated with women's health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored. ... > full story
Cigarette smoke causes harmful changes in the lungs even at the lowest levels, study finds (August 20, 2010) -- Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. The findings may further support public smoking bans, say the authors. ... > full story
Diabetes risk in children increases risk for weak bones (August 20, 2010) -- Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, researchers report. A study of 140 overweight children age 7-11 who got little regular exercise found that the 30 percent with signs of poor blood sugar regulation had 4-5 percent less bone mass, a measure of bone strength, said a bone biologist. ... > full story
Blood pressure drugs could help fight frailty, experiments show (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers believe they've found a way to use widely available blood pressure drugs to fight the muscular weakness that normally accompanies aging. ... > full story
Victims of bullying suffer academically as well, psychologists report (August 20, 2010) -- Students who are bullied repeatedly do substantially worse in school, psychologists report. A high level of bullying was consistently associated with lower grades across the three years of middle school. ... > full story
Natural lung material is promising scaffold for engineering lung tissue using embryonic stem cells (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers report the first successful use of cell-depleted lung as a natural growth matrix for generating new rat lung from embryonic stem cells. ... > full story
Blood stem cell, leukemia link illuminated in new study (August 20, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered at least one key reason why blood stem cells are susceptible to developing the genetic mutations that can lead to adult leukemia. Their finding also may explain, they say, why some other age-related hematological disorders develop. ... > full story
Italian youths who drink with meals are less often adult problem-drinkers (August 20, 2010) -- Italian youths whose parents allowed them to have alcohol with meals while they were growing up are less likely to develop harmful drinking patterns in the future, according to a new study. ... > full story
Earliest steps of common form of muscular dystrophy pinpointed (August 20, 2010) -- Nearly two decades after they identified the specific genetic flaw that causes a common type of muscular dystrophy, scientists believe they have figured out how that flaw brings about the disease. The finding by an international team of researchers settles a longstanding question about the roots of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or FSHD and points to a new therapeutic target. ... > full story
Old drug holds promise against opportunistic lung bug (August 20, 2010) -- A drug to treat inflammation plays a surprising role reducing the level of infection caused by an opportunistic bug that is deadly for AIDS and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems. The drug, sulfasalazine, spurs the body to get rid of the bug that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia by enhancing its ability to chew up the bug instead of leaving the debris to litter the lungs, where it would provoke more inflammation. ... > full story
Input-output trade-offs found in human information processing (August 20, 2010) -- A new study examines information processing and finds that human behavior is systematic, not random, demonstrating a trade-off between input and out. The study also points to limitations to information processing. These exchanges are pretty much equal and opposite, much like the laws of the conservation of momentum and energy, according to the study. ... > full story
Homework wars: How can parents improve the odds of winning? (August 20, 2010) -- Children are more likely to do their homework if they see it as an investment, not a chore, according to new research. ... > full story
Stomach bacteria need vitamin to establish infection, research finds (August 20, 2010) -- Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to new research. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics. ... > full story
Secrets of 'magic' antidepressant revealed (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered how a novel antidepressant can take effect in hours, rather than the weeks or months usually required for most drugs currently on the market. The findings should speed development of a safe and easy-to-administer form of the antidepressant ketamine, which has already proven remarkably effective in treating severely depressed patients. ... > full story
Green leafy vegetables reduce diabetes risk, study finds (August 20, 2010) -- Eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, new research finds. ... > full story
Link between walking, cycling and health (August 20, 2010) -- Want a slimmer, healthier community? Try building more sidewalks, crosswalks and bike paths. Communities with more walkers and cyclists are healthier than those where people must rely on cars to get around, according to new research. ... > full story
Brain gene expression changes when honey bees go the distance (August 20, 2010) -- Tricking honey bees into thinking they have traveled long distance to find food alters gene expression in their brains, researchers report. ... > full story
Scientists pry new information from disease-causing, shellfish-borne bacterium (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a key weapon in the molecular arsenal the infectious bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. para) uses to kill cells and cause food poisoning in its human host. ... > full story
Cervical cancer: Drug and radiotherapy treatment saves lives, researchers find (August 20, 2010) -- Medical researchers in the UK have made a significant advance in the treatment of cervical cancer. They have demonstrated that the use of a particular drug in collaboration with radiotherapy gives significantly better results than radiotherapy alone. ... > full story
Male scientists regret parenthood decisions more than female counterparts, sociologist finds (August 20, 2010) -- Many scientists in academia bemoan the fact that their lifestyles do not allow them to have as many children as they would like. Surprisingly, male scientists harbor more regrets than female scientists, according to a new sociology study. ... > full story
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