ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, October 29, 2010
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Brain's journey from early Internet to modern-day fiber optics: Computer program shows how brain's complex fiber tracks mature (October 29, 2010) -- The brain's inner network becomes increasingly more efficient as humans mature. Now, for the first time without invasive measures, a new study has verified these gains with a powerful new computer program. ... > full story
Insulin-creating cell research may lead to better diabetes treatment (October 29, 2010) -- Beta cells, which make insulin in the human body, do not replicate after the age of 30, indicating that clinicians may be closer to better treating diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by a loss of beta cells by auto-immunity while type 2 is due to a relative insufficiency of beta cells. Whether beta cells replicate after birth has remained an open issue, and is critically important for designing therapies for diabetes. By using radioactive carbon-14 produced by above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and '60s, researchers have determined that the number of beta cells remains static after age 30. ... > full story
New strategy to kill bugs -- even those in hiding (October 29, 2010) -- New strategies to apply antibiotics more effectively to hibernating bugs have been developed by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
Emotion processing in brain is influenced by color of ambient light, study suggests (October 29, 2010) -- Researchers in Europe investigated the immediate effect of light, and of its color composition, on emotion brain processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results of their study show that the color of light influences the way the brain processes emotional stimuli. ... > full story
Wild Scottish sheep could help explain differences in immunity (October 29, 2010) -- Strong immunity may play a key role in determining long life, but may do so at the expense of reduced fertility, a new study has concluded. ... > full story
New approach for identifying genetic markers for common diseases (October 29, 2010) -- A group of researchers has published a paper that reviews new strategies for identifying collections of rare genetic variations that reveal whether people are predisposed to developing common conditions like diabetes and cancer. ... > full story
In a challenging infant heart defect, two-thirds may have high chance of survival (October 29, 2010) -- When prenatal diagnosis detects the severe heart defect hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a fetus, a comprehensive prenatal evaluation is important to provide parents an accurate prognosis. In HLHS, one of the heart's pumping chambers is severely underdeveloped. However, researchers say, in two-thirds of cases, reconstructive surgery affords the infant an excellent chance of early survival. ... > full story
Payday proximity changes consumer motives and behavior (October 29, 2010) -- As any nine-to-fiver will testify, a new paycheck brings with it a familiar sense of freedom, albeit one that dwindles in lockstep with the balance in one's checking account. But it's not the checking account size that influences consumer behavior; rather, it's the time that has elapsed since payday, according to a new study. ... > full story
Potential new treatment for deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses; May also lead to new treatments for measles, mumps and influenza (October 28, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a potential new treatment for the Nipah and Hendra viruses, two lethal and emerging viruses for which there is currently no treatment or vaccine available. The approach could also lead to new therapies for measles, mumps and the flu. ... > full story
How cancer-related proteins lose inhibition: Finding may lead to better understanding and earlier detection of breast cancer (October 28, 2010) -- A new technique that searches blood for the tiniest remnants of broken down proteins has revealed new information about how cells crank up cancer activators plasmin and thrombin. The results improve researchers' understanding of the mechanics of breast cancer and point to where to look for possible indicators of early disease. The research shows previously unknown contributing factors to protease activation, which helps spread cancer. ... > full story
Kidney transplant numbers increase for elderly patients (October 28, 2010) -- Elderly patients with kidney failure get kidney transplants more often than they did a decade ago, according to a new study. The results suggest that the chances of receiving a kidney transplant are better than ever for an older patient who needs one. ... > full story
Friends with cognitive benefits: Mental function improves after certain kinds of socializing (October 28, 2010) -- Talking with other people in a friendly way can make it easier to solve common problems, a new study shows. But conversations that are competitive in tone, rather than cooperative, have no cognitive benefits. ... > full story
Genetic variants may affect the risk of breast cancer in women with BRCA2 mutations (October 28, 2010) -- An international study has identified genetic variants in women with BRCA2 mutations that may increase or decrease their risk of developing breast cancer. ... > full story
Two-sided immune cell could be harnessed to shrink tumors (October 28, 2010) -- Researchers have found that a protein called inducible costimulator (ICOS) is necessary for the growth and function of human Th17 cells, while CD28, a transmembrane protein on CD4 cells, stops the ICOS signal. What's more, human Th17 stimulated with ICOS shrank human tumors implanted in a mouse model faster than those stimulated with CD28. ... > full story
Uncovering the cause of a common form of muscular dystrophy: Research team makes second critical advance (October 28, 2010) -- An international team of researchers has made a second critical advance in determining the cause of a common form of muscular dystrophy known as facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, or FSHD. ... > full story
Getting older leads to emotional stability and happiness, study shows (October 28, 2010) -- A study was carried out recently in an effort to answer questions asked by social scientists: Are American seniors who say they're happy simply part of an era that predisposed them to good cheer? Or do most people -- whether born and raised in boom times or busts -- have it within themselves to reach their golden years with a smile? ... > full story
Newly discovered regulatory mechanism essential for embryo development and may contribute to cancer (October 28, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a mechanism controlling the function of a protein that binds to DNA during embryonic development and may function to prevent abnormal tumor growth. When the protein, TCF3, is modified by a small molecule called a phosphate, it no longer binds DNA, changing the way the protein signals during development. ... > full story
Rictor protein offers scientists a new molecular target for cancer therapies (October 28, 2010) -- The discovery that a protein called Rictor plays a key role in destroying a close cousin of the AKT oncogene could provide scientists with a new molecular target for treating certain cancers, including breast cancer. ... > full story
Facebook study finds race trumped by ethnic, social, geographic origins in forging friendships (October 28, 2010) -- Race may not be as important as previously thought in determining who buddies up with whom, suggests the UCLA-Harvard study of American college students on Facebook. Sociologists have long maintained that race is the strongest predictor of whether two Americans will socialize. But the study found that such factors as where you live, your country of origin and your social class can provide stronger grounds for forging friendships than a shared racial background. ... > full story
B-complex vitamins may help slow progression of dementia (October 28, 2010) -- Large doses of B-complex vitamins could reduce the rate of brain shrinkage by half in elderly people with memory problems and slow the progression of dementia. ... > full story
Tumor suppressor acts as oncogene in some cancers, researchers find (October 28, 2010) -- Researchers have found that a molecule long believed to be a beneficial tumor suppressor -- and thus a potential cancer drug target -- appears to act as an oncogene in some lethal brain tumors. ... > full story
Year-long opiate substitution for drug misusers has 85 percent chance of cutting deaths (October 28, 2010) -- Giving people opiate substitution treatment to help with their drug addiction can lead to a 85 percent plus chance of reducing mortality, according to a new study. ... > full story
New targeted lung cancer drug produces 'dramatic' symptom improvement; Early-stage trial shows promise against tumors driven by ALK gene alteration (October 28, 2010) -- A clinical trial of a new targeted drug has provided powerful evidence that it can halt or reverse the growth of lung tumors characterized by a specific genetic abnormality. The multi-institutional research team reports that daily doses of crizotinib shrank the tumors of more than half of a group patients whose tumors were driven by alterations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene and suppressed tumor growth in another one-third of study participants. ... > full story
Pneumonia often misdiagnosed on patient readmissions, studies find (October 28, 2010) -- Patients were misdiagnosed with pneumonia at an alarming rate when they were readmitted to the hospital shortly after a previous hospitalization for the same illness, according to two new studies. ... > full story
Magnetic test reveals hyperactive brain network responsible for involuntary flashbacks (October 28, 2010) -- Scientists have found a correlation between increased circuit activity in the right side of the brain and the suffering of involuntary flashbacks by post-traumatic stress disorder sufferers. ... > full story
Sodas, other sugary beverages linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome (October 28, 2010) -- A new study has found that regular consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a clear and consistently greater risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Vancomycin is the drug of choice for treating cellulitis, study suggests (October 28, 2010) -- Patients admitted to the hospital for the common bacterial skin infection cellulitis should be treated as a first line of defense with the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin rather than other antibiotics such as penicillin, according to researchers involved in a new study. ... > full story
Researchers find a 'liberal gene' (October 28, 2010) -- Liberals may owe their political outlook partly to their genetic make-up, according to new research. Ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4. The study's authors say this is the first research to identify a specific gene that predisposes people to certain political views. ... > full story
Blind people perceive touch faster than those with sight (October 28, 2010) -- People who are blind from birth are able to detect tactile information faster than people with normal vision, according to a new study. ... > full story
'Smart drug' targets new mutation, dramatically shrinks aggressive sarcoma and lung cancer; Patient's response was predicted by test for mutant protein in tumor cells (October 28, 2010) -- A new oral drug caused dramatic shrinkage of a patient's rare, aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer that was driven by an abnormally activated protein, researchers report. ... > full story
Deadly monkeypox virus might cause disease by breaking down lung tissue (October 28, 2010) -- A new study of an exotic, infectious virus that has caused three recent outbreaks in the United States reveals clues to how the virus might damage lungs during infection. The findings also suggest possible new ways to treat lung diseases in humans. Not only does the infection from monkeypox virus increase production of proteins involved in inflammation, but it decreases production of proteins that keep lung tissue intact and lubricated. ... > full story
Radiation before surgery keeps colorectal cancer from returning, study finds (October 28, 2010) -- Patients with cancer found at the end of the large intestine called the rectum who receive one week of radiation therapy before surgery have a 50 percent reduction in chance that their cancer will return after 10 years, according to a large, randomized study. ... > full story
Heavy drinkers consume less over time, but not at 'normal' levels, study finds (October 28, 2010) -- Problem drinkers in the general population may reduce the amount of alcohol they consume over a period of years but not to the level of the average adult, according to a new study. ... > full story
Making bone in the laboratory (October 28, 2010) -- Researchers in the Netherlands have succeeded in mimicking the process of bone formation in the laboratory, and in visualizing the process in great detail. ... > full story
Highly targeted radiation technique minimizes side effects of prostate cancer treatment, study finds (October 28, 2010) -- Men with prostate cancer treated with a specialized type of radiation called intensity modulated radiation therapy have fewer gastrointestinal complications compared to patients treated with conventional three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, according to a new study. ... > full story
Structural genomics accelerates protein structure determination (October 28, 2010) -- Membrane proteins are of immense biological and pharmaceutical importance. But so far there are only a handful of cases in which the exact structure could be successfully determined. Scientists have now succeeded in working out the structure of an important ion channel via the analysis of related proteins. ... > full story
High erythropoietin levels indicate increased risk of death (October 28, 2010) -- High erythropoietin levels in people over age 85 indicate a higher risk of death, according to a new study. ... > full story
Two's company, but three's a crowd: Two people can learn to cooperate intuitively, but larger groups need to communicate (October 28, 2010) -- Two people can learn to cooperate with each other intuitively -- without communication or any conscious intention to cooperate. But this process breaks down in groups of three or more, according to a new study. ... > full story
Three million Californians use health plans with high out-of-pocket costs (October 28, 2010) -- Three million Californians are enrolled in high-deductible health plans, insurance policies that offer consumers a lower monthly premium in return for higher out-of-pocket spending for health care services, according to a new report. The plans may cause members to delay care and can put families in financial jeopardy. Yet the plans are often the only insurance many Americans -- especially the self-employed or those with low-incomes -- can afford. ... > full story
Study identifies flaws in Medicare prescription drug program (October 28, 2010) -- Millions of Medicare recipients have been forcibly reassigned to different prescription drug plans because Part D reimbursements to insurance companies covering low-income patients are lower than the actual costs incurred, according to a new study. ... > full story
Too much SP2 protein turns stem cells into 'evil twin' cancer cells (October 27, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the overproduction of a key protein in stem cells causes those stem cells to form cancerous tumors. Their work may lead to new treatments for a variety of cancers. ... > full story
Active ingredient levels vary among red yeast rice supplements (October 27, 2010) -- Different formulations of red yeast rice, a supplement marketed as a way to improve cholesterol levels, appear widely inconsistent in the amounts of active ingredients they contain, according to a new study. In addition, one in three of 12 products studied had detectable levels of a potentially toxic compound. ... > full story
Tendency to obesity starts with pre-schoolers, Canadian study finds (October 27, 2010) -- The results of a two-year study of pre-schoolers in Canada has revealed significant differences between the children in different weight status groups for food responsiveness, emotional over-eating, enjoyment of food, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, and food fussiness. A longitudinal study now follows to determine if there are associations between the environment and weight status, and the impact of those environmental influences. ... > full story
Habit formation appears to be an innate ability, fine-tuned by experience (October 27, 2010) -- Most people have habits that guide them through daily life -- for example, their path to work in the morning, or their bedtime routine. The brain patterns that drive this behavior are not well-understood, but a new study shows that habit formation appears to be an innate ability that is fine-tuned by experience -- specifically, the costs and rewards of certain choices. ... > full story
Plugged up: Doctors see signs of worsening constipation in children (October 27, 2010) -- Mild constipation in children is fairly common, but gastroenterologists have been seeing what they believe is the start of a troubling trend: more children with more serious and chronic bouts of the condition. Experts attribute the problem to lack of physical activity, inadequate water intake and fiber-poor diets. ... > full story
Forces for cancer spread: Genomic instability and evolutionary selection (October 27, 2010) -- New research into pancreatic cancer shows that, not only is cancer genetically different between different patients, but each new focus of cancer spread within a patient has its own distinct mutations. The researchers suggest that doctors treating patients with the disease may be treating tens of genetically distinct tumors and that identifying the mutations common to many early-stage pancreatic cancers may be key to the discovery of new drug targets. ... > full story
Not so fast -- sex differences in the brain are overblown, expert says (October 27, 2010) -- People love to speculate about differences between the sexes, and many brain imaging studies have reported sex differences in brain structure or activity. But we should be skeptical about such reports, writes psychological scientist Cordelia Fine. The results from these studies may not withstand the tests of improved analyses -- and it's too soon to know what such results might mean for differences in male and female minds. ... > full story
Controlling individual cortical nerve cells by human thought (October 27, 2010) -- Five years ago, neuroscientists and neurosurgeons discovered that a single neuron can function much like a sophisticated computer and recognize people, landmarks, and objects. Now the same researchers have found that individuals can exert conscious control over these single neurons -- despite the neurons' location in an area of the brain previously thought inaccessible to conscious control -- and manipulate the behavior of an image on a computer screen. ... > full story
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