ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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A shot to the heart: Nanoneedle delivers quantum dots to cell nucleus (September 28, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a tiny needle to deliver a shot of quantum dots right to a cell's nucleus. This is the first technique that allows delivery to a pinpointed location within the nucleus. The researchers can then learn a lot about the physical conditions inside the nucleus by monitoring the quantum dots with a standard fluorescent microscope. ... > full story
Surgery found effective for patients with aggressive prostate cancer, study suggests (September 28, 2010) -- In one of the first studies to focus exclusively on the outcomes after treatment for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, researchers have found that surgery provides high survival rates. ... > full story
Protein may advance Parkinson's by preventing neurons from clearing debris (September 28, 2010) -- A protein linked to Parkinson's disease may cause neurodegeneration by inhibiting autophagy -- the process in which cells digest some of their contents -- according to a new study. ... > full story
Mindfulness meditation may ease fatigue, depression in multiple sclerosis (September 28, 2010) -- Learning mindfulness meditation may help people who have multiple sclerosis with the fatigue, depression and other life challenges that commonly accompany the disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
New level of control for the heart beat (September 28, 2010) -- The heart beat, nerve cell communication, and skeletal muscle function are all controlled by channels in the cell membrane that regulate the movement of sodium ions (Na+). Mutations in these so called voltage-gated Na+ channels result in forms of epilepsy and heart conditions such as long QT syndrome that are characterized by an irregular heart beat. ... > full story
Interneurons are not all created equally: Some classes of interneurons may underlie distinct brain disorders (September 28, 2010) -- A type of neuron that, when malfunctioning, has been tied to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia is much more complex than previously thought, researchers report. ... > full story
Report predicts huge increase in osteoporotic fractures due to aging populations (September 28, 2010) -- Preliminary findings from an upcoming new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation show alarming projections and reveal the poor state of post-fracture care in the Russian Federation and many other countries in the region. ... > full story
Diving deeper into the gene pool: Innovative software analyzes diseased cells (September 28, 2010) -- New software, called miRNAkey, has been developed to search for microRNA patterns in both healthy and diseased tissues, improving scientists' understanding of the data collected from deep sequencing technology. ... > full story
Homeless youths most often victims of crime (September 28, 2010) -- Homeless youths in Toronto are victims of crime at rates that would be considered unacceptable for any other group, according to a new report. More than 76 percent of homeless youth surveyed said they had been victims of violent crime in the past year, and almost three-quarters reported multiple incidents. Females and those who became homeless at the age of 16 or 17 were most vulnerable. ... > full story
Quantum information systems: Researchers convert signals to telecom wavelengths, increase memory times (September 27, 2010) -- Using optically dense, ultra-cold clouds of rubidium atoms, researchers have made advances in three key elements needed for quantum information systems -- including a technique for converting photons carrying quantum data to wavelengths that can be transmitted long distances on optical fiber telecom networks. ... > full story
Patient-specific vaccines for metastatic melanoma may induce durable complete regression, study shows (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers have announced encouraging clinical study results for patient-specific vaccine therapy to treat metastatic melanoma. The study is ongoing, but the report concludes that patient-specific vaccines can sometimes induce durable complete regression of progressing soft-tissue melanoma metastases, as demonstrated in one particular patient who participated in the trial. ... > full story
Novel mechanism discovered for communication between proteins that cause ‘cell suicide’ (September 27, 2010) -- A recent study provides new clues for the understanding of the 'cell suicide' process. Research reveals that three essential components of the apoptotic process, the BAX and DRP-1 proteins and cardiolipin, act in a joint manner to produce a large hole in the external membrane of the mitochondria, proving to be lethal for the cell. ... > full story
Celiac disease rate is growing, particularly among elderly, study reveals (September 27, 2010) -- The number of celiac disease cases in the US has doubled every 15 years since 1974, increasing particularly among older people, according to a new study. As people in the study aged, the incidence of celiac rose, echoing a previous study that found the rate of celiac in the elderly to be nearly two and a half times higher than the general population. ... > full story
Acupuncture not effective in stroke recovery, study finds (September 27, 2010) -- Acupuncture does not appear to aid in stroke recovery, according to a new study. ... > full story
Brainstorming 'rules' can lead to real-world success in business settings (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers have long held that there are steps that can be taken to make brainstorming sessions more productive. New research finds that these recommendations actually do contribute to success when applied in real-world business environments. ... > full story
Gene linked to common form of migraine discovered (September 27, 2010) -- An international study has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. Published today in Nature Medicine, this study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches, which include more than 6 million Canadians. ... > full story
Rewiring a damaged brain (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers are developing microelectronic circuits to bypass brain damage and induce the growth of axons, rewiring the lost connections. ... > full story
U.S. vulnerable to multidrug-resistant TB epidemic, computer model shows (September 27, 2010) -- While the United States has made great progress in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, the nation has become more susceptible to potential epidemics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR-TB, according a new study. Computer simulations show that as TB prevalence falls, the risk for more extensive MDR-TB increases. In addition, the simulation also showed that higher detection of TB cases without proper treatment of cases also increased risk. ... > full story
No pain in the hospital: Wishful thinking or reality? (September 27, 2010) -- More than 80% of hospitalized patients suffer more severe pain than necessary, new research from Germany suggests. ... > full story
Could brain abnormalities cause antisocial behavior and drug abuse in boys? (September 27, 2010) -- Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws and act recklessly are not just "bad" kids. Many of these boys may have malfunctioning brains, according to a new study. ... > full story
Physicians beware: Cholesterol counts in kidney disease patients (September 27, 2010) -- To understand the health effects of high cholesterol levels, doctors first need to assess malnutrition and inflammation status in their chronic kidney disease patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Psychologist shows why we 'choke' and how to avoid it (September 27, 2010) -- A star golfer misses a critical putt; a brilliant student fails to ace a test; a savvy salesperson blows a key presentation. Each of these people has suffered the same bump in mental processing: They have just choked under pressure. ... > full story
Light workout: Scientists use optogenetics to effectively stimulate muscle movement in mice (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers were able to use light to induce normal patterns of muscle contraction, in a study involving bioengineered mice whose nerve-cell surfaces are coated with special light-sensitive proteins. ... > full story
Inhibiting cell signaling pathway may improve bone marrow transplant success rate (September 27, 2010) -- Identification of a molecular communications pathway that influences the mobilization of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells could lead to targeted therapies for improving bone marrow transplant success rates. Researchers report a scientific basis for enhancing the effectiveness of autologous bone marrow transplants, in which the recipient donates his or her own stem cells prior to the procedure. ... > full story
Millions with voice problems don't know treatment available, study finds (September 27, 2010) -- Two-thirds of Americans with voice problems don't seek medical care either because they don't know treatment is available or because they think the problem will just go away, according to a new study. ... > full story
Start of school can worsen bedwetting in children (September 27, 2010) -- Bedwetting perennially drives parents to the pediatric urology clinics, but September -- and the start of the school year -- always brings a predictable uptick in visits, according to pediatric urologists. ... > full story
Surgery can lead to long-term reduction in stroke risk (September 27, 2010) -- Successful surgery for narrowed arteries in the neck halves the risk of having a stroke over the next 5 years, and benefit persists for at least 10 years, a new study has shown. ... > full story
Cellular structural molecule can be toxic: Makes pneumonia worse (September 27, 2010) -- A structural molecule called cardiolipin and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists. ... > full story
New look at racial disparities in head and neck cancer (September 27, 2010) -- Head and neck cancer outcomes associated with race may be more closely linked to social and behavioral factors than biological differences, especially for African-Americans, according to a new study. Researchers found that while those who self-reported to be African-American are at greater risk for late stage cancer, there was no correlation between patients' genetic ancestry and cancer stage or survival. ... > full story
Malaria's newest pathway into human cells identified (September 27, 2010) -- Development of an effective vaccine for malaria is a step closer following identification of a key pathway used by the malaria parasite to infect human cells. The discovery provides a new vaccine target through which infection with the deadly disease could be prevented. ... > full story
Genetic switch underlies noisy cell division: 'Bimodal' signal determines a cell's get-up and go (September 27, 2010) -- While scientists have spent the past 40 years describing the intricate series of events that occur when one mammalian cell divides into two, they still haven't agreed on how the process begins. Two seemingly contradictory theories may now be reconciled by a third theory. ... > full story
Studies identify complications in women undergoing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction (September 27, 2010) -- About half of women who require radiation therapy after they have had a mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction develop complications that necessitate a return to the operating room, but pre- or post-mastectomy chemotherapy does not appear to be associated with the need for additional procedures, according to two new studies. ... > full story
Privacy key obstacle to adopting electronic health records, study finds (September 27, 2010) -- The United States could achieve significant health care savings if it achieved widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), but insufficient privacy protections are hindering public acceptance of the EHR concept, according to a new paper that outlines steps that could be taken to boost privacy and promote the use of EHRs. ... > full story
How molecules escape from cell's nucleus: Key advance in using microscopy to reveal secrets of living cells (September 27, 2010) -- By constructing a microscope apparatus that achieves resolution never before possible in living cells, researchers have illuminated the molecular interactions that occur during one of the most important "trips" in all of biology: the journey of individual messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules from the nucleus into the cytoplasm (the area between the nucleus and cell membrane) so that proteins can be made. ... > full story
Elderly might not benefit from TB vaccines in development (September 27, 2010) -- Elderly people might not benefit from some of the tuberculosis vaccines currently in development, recent research suggests. Some vaccines under study are designed to activate a specific molecule that is an early participant in the immune response against TB in young people. But a recent study suggests that in older people, this molecule remains relatively inactive, even in the face of TB infection. ... > full story
Cancer-associated long non-coding RNA regulates pre-mRNA splicing (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers report this month that MALAT1, a long non-coding RNA that is implicated in certain cancers, regulates pre-mRNA splicing -- a critical step in the earliest stage of protein production. ... > full story
Savvy consumers put a high price on food safety (September 27, 2010) -- New research demonstrates how food safety announcements cause consumers as well as food industry professionals to make purchasing decisions. ... > full story
Disparities in heart attack treatment may begin in the emergency room (September 27, 2010) -- The well-documented disparities in cardiac care may begin almost as soon as patients arrive at hospital emergency rooms. In a new study, researchers report that African-American and Hispanic patients assessed for chest pain were less likely than white patients to be categorized as requiring immediate care, despite a lack of significant differences in symptoms. ... > full story
Outcomes of communication about end-of-life care appear to differ between black and white patients (September 27, 2010) -- While both black patients and white patients appear to benefit from end of life discussions with their physician, black patients are less likely to experience end-of-life care that accurately reflects their preferences, according to a new study. ... > full story
Structure that allows bacteria to resist drugs identified (September 26, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the crystal structures of pumps that allow bacteria to resist heavy metal toxins and antibiotics. ... > full story
Men look for good bodies in short-term mates, pretty faces in long-term mates (September 26, 2010) -- Men who are looking for short-term companionship are more interested in a woman's body than those looking for a long-term relationship, who focused on a woman's face, according to new research. ... > full story
Tight blood pressure control for patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease not associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes, study finds (September 26, 2010) -- Patients with hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease who maintained their systolic blood pressure at less than 130 mm Hg did not have improved cardiovascular outcomes compared to patients with usual blood pressure control, according to a new study. ... > full story
Nearly one in three adolescents participated in a violent behavior over past year, U.S. study finds (September 26, 2010) -- A new national U.S. study reveals that nearly 7.8 million adolescents aged 12 to 17, almost one third (30.9 percent), participated in any of three violent behaviors over the past year. The study showed that 22.6 percent of adolescents reported having participated in a serious fight at school or work; 16.1 percent reported involvement in group-against-group fighting; and 7.5 percent reported attacking others with intent to seriously hurt them. ... > full story
Protein found to control the early migration of neurons (September 26, 2010) -- Long before a baby can flash her first smile, sprout a first tooth or speak a first word, the neurons that will form her central nervous system must take their first, crucial steps. And these steps must be careful to take the right neurons to the right places and avert developmental disasters that could thwart those other baby firsts from ever coming to pass. Now new research promises a deeper understanding of how this essential form of cell migration occurs, finding a gene that works behind the scenes to control a closely related adhesion gene that helps keep young neurons on the right track. ... > full story
Six3 gene essential for retinal development, scientists show (September 26, 2010) -- New research adds to evidence that the Six3 gene functions like a doorman in the developing brain and visual system, safeguarding the future retina by keeping the region where the eye is forming free of a signaling protein capable of disrupting the process. ... > full story
In cyber bullying, depression hits victims hardest (September 26, 2010) -- Young victims of electronic or cyber bullying — which occurs online or by cell phone — are more likely to suffer from depression than their tormentors are, a new study finds. “Kids may be reluctant to tell their parents in case they lose their computer or cell phone privileges,” one of the researchers said. ... > full story
Key molecule for keeping other oral microorganisms in check uncovered (September 26, 2010) -- A research team has uncovered a key to arresting the growth of thrush -- a type of oral yeast infection that sickens patients with compromised immune systems, diabetes and newborns as well as healthy individuals, who may contract the disease following antibiotic treatment of an illness. ... > full story
Sensor and insulin pump results in better blood-sugar control in all age groups with diabetes, study finds (September 26, 2010) -- Adding a continuous blood sugar level sensor to an insulin pump helps patients with type 1 diabetes achieve better blood sugar control compared to the common standard of care, multiple daily insulin injections, a new study concludes. ... > full story
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