ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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HIV drugs interfere with blood sugar, lead to insulin resistance (November 23, 2010) -- The same powerful drugs that have extended the lives of countless people with HIV come with a price -- insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers have determined why that happens. ... > full story
Divide and conquer strategy for childhood brain cancer (November 23, 2010) -- Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant brain tumors of childhood, with 40 to 50 percent overall mortality. One of the greatest challenges in treating them is that they vary substantially from patient to patient. In the largest genomic study of human medulloblastomas to date, researchers have identified six subtypes with distinct molecular "fingerprints" that will improve doctors' ability to direct and individualize treatment. ... > full story
Exercising to piano music appears to help reduce falls among older adults (November 23, 2010) -- Introducing a music-based multitask exercise program for community-dwelling elderly people may lead to improved gait (manner or style of walking), balance and a reduction in the rate of falling, according new research. ... > full story
How sunlight shapes daily rhythms (November 23, 2010) -- Fresh insight into how biological clocks adjust to having less sunlight in the winter could help us better understand the impact of jet lag and shift work. ... > full story
New function of gene in promoting cancer found (November 23, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that a gene well known for its involvement in tumor cell development, growth and metastasis also protects cancer cells from being destroyed by chemotherapy. ... > full story
Overweight primarily a problem among wealthier women in low- to middle-income countries (November 23, 2010) -- A new study finds that high body mass index (BMI) in developing countries remains primarily a problem of the rich. ... > full story
Normal cells transformed into 3-D cancers in tissue culture dishes (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have successfully transformed normal human tissue into three-dimensional cancers in a tissue culture dish for the first time. Watching how the cells behave as they divide and invade surrounding tissue will help physicians better understand how human cancers act in the body. The new technique also provides a way to quickly and cheaply test anti-cancer drugs without requiring laboratory animals. ... > full story
Aggressive surgery is best for children with brain tumors, study suggests (November 22, 2010) -- A new study found that children with low-grade brain tumors (gliomas) who undergo aggressive surgery to completely remove the tumor have an increased chance of overall survival. ... > full story
Banking on predictability, the mind increases efficiency (November 22, 2010) -- Listeners can become effectively deaf to sounds that do not conform to their brains' expectations. Like musical compression saves space on your mp3 player, the human brain has ways of recoding sounds to save precious processing power. ... > full story
Genes link puberty timing to body fat in women (November 22, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered 30 new genes that control the age of sexual maturation in women. Notably, many of these genes also act on body weight regulation or biological pathways related to fat metabolism. Puberty in women normally occurs between 11 and 14 years of age. If a girl reaches a particular weight (around 100 lb (45 kg)), the onset of puberty is triggered. The heavier the child, the earlier puberty occurs, possibly affecting risk of later disease. ... > full story
Both the rate and direction of axon growth in the spinal cord can be controlled (November 22, 2010) -- Both the rate and direction of axon growth in the spinal cord can be controlled, according to new research. ... > full story
Putting the squeeze on fat cells (November 22, 2010) -- Scientists are researching the theory that fat cells, like bone or muscle cells, are influenced by mechanical loads. By recreating the structure of fat cells using a newly developed computer method, researchers can determine how much mechanical load can be tolerated by fat cells, and at what point the cells will begin to disintegrate. The research has direct applications in weight loss programs and the management of chronic diabetes. ... > full story
Parental divorce in childhood linked to stroke in adulthood (November 22, 2010) -- Children who experience a parental divorce are over twice as likely to suffer a stroke at some point in their lives, according to new research. ... > full story
New spinal implant to help people with paraplegia exercise paralyzed limbs (November 22, 2010) -- Engineers have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralyzed leg muscles. It is the first time that researchers have developed a device of this kind that is small enough to be implanted into the spinal canal and incorporates the electrodes and muscle stimulator in one unit. The implant is the size of a child's fingernail. ... > full story
Method for manufacturing patient-specific human platelets (November 22, 2010) -- Skin cells from humans can be revamped into pro-clotting cells called platelets, according to a new study. Patients with diseases causing thrombocytopenia -- platelet deficiency -- often require repeated transfusions with platelets obtained from healthy donors. ... > full story
Hong Kong hospital reports possible airborne influenza transmission (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have examined an influenza outbreak in a Hong Kong hospital and the possible role of aerosol transmission. ... > full story
Military experts provide civilian surgeons with guidance on handling bomb blast injuries (November 22, 2010) -- Hospitals all over the world need to be aware of how to treat emergency blast injuries and military surgeons can provide valuable knowledge and advice to their civilian counterparts based on their experience of battlefield injuries. ... > full story
Important brain area organized by color and orientation (November 22, 2010) -- A brain area known to play a critical role in vision is divided into compartments that respond separately to different colors and orientations, researchers have discovered. The findings have important implications for furthering our understanding of perception and attention. ... > full story
Rare disease reveals new path for creating stem cells (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have found that by mimicking a rare genetic disorder in a dish, they can rewind the internal clock of a mature cell and drive it back into an adult stem-cell stage. ... > full story
Gene screening may refine prediction of heart attack risk, researchers say (November 22, 2010) -- Testing for 11 specific genetic variations in hundreds of people with no history of heart disease provided information that led to revision of their estimated heart attack risk, say researchers. ... > full story
Newly identified brain pathways vital to understanding language (November 22, 2010) -- A complex network of brain connections necessary for language comprehension has been mapped in new detail, according to recent research. These newly charted pathways will help scientists understand how language is processed in the brain, and how brain injuries disrupt the system. ... > full story
New path for colon cancer drug discovery (November 22, 2010) -- An old pinworm medicine is a new lead in the search for compounds that block the Wnt signaling pathway, which has been implicated in colon cancer. The findings suggest a fresh approach for developing therapeutics that target the pathway. ... > full story
Kids with larger waist sizes are more likely to have cardiac risk factors (November 22, 2010) -- In a study of more than 4,500 children, researchers found those with higher waist circumferences had significantly higher pulse pressures, which is known to be linked to increased risk of heart-related disorders. ... > full story
'Nerd penalty': Social costs of school success are highest for African Americans, study shows (November 22, 2010) -- African American and Native American teens who do well in school suffer from a higher "nerd penalty" than white, Asian and Hispanic youth, according to a new analysis. ... > full story
Protein in the urine: A warning sign for cognitive decline (November 22, 2010) -- Two new studies show a link between protein in the urine on cognitive decline. ... > full story
Rett syndrome mobilizes jumping genes in the brain (November 22, 2010) -- With few exceptions, jumping genes-restless bits of DNA that can move freely about the genome-are forced to stay put. In patients with Rett syndrome, however, a mutation in the MeCP2 gene mobilizes so-called L1 retrotransposons in brain cells, reshuffling their genomes and possibly contributing to the symptoms of the disease when they find their way into active genes, report researchers. ... > full story
Racial profiling to limit terror attacks is fundamentally flawed, expert says (November 22, 2010) -- Stop using racial profiling, says an expert who claims that as well as being politically and ethically questionable, racial profiling does no better in helping law enforcement officials in their task of catching terrorists than standard uniform random sampling techniques. ... > full story
Paleovirology expanded: Non-retroviral virus fragments found in animal genomes (November 22, 2010) -- Understanding the evolution of life-threatening viruses like influenza, Ebola and dengue fever, could help us to minimize their impact. New research points the way to a fossil record of viruses that have insinuated themselves into the genomes of insects and other animals, providing clues about their evolutionary history. ... > full story
Process leading to protein diversity in cells important for proper neuron firing (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have documented a novel form of splicing in the cytoplasm of a nerve cell, which dictates a special form of a potassium channel protein in the outer membrane. The channel protein is found in the dendrites of hippocampus cells. Diseases such as epilepsy that are based on electrical misfiring in the brain could be targets of manipulation of the type splicing of splicing studied. ... > full story
Your view of personal goals can affect your relationships (November 22, 2010) -- How you think about your goals -- whether it's to improve yourself or to do better than others -- can affect whether you reach those goals. Different kinds of goals can also have distinct effects on your relationships with people around you, according to new research. ... > full story
'Binocular rivalry' deciphered: Key brain mechanism behind conscious visual perception (November 21, 2010) -- With his coat billowing behind him and his right eye tightly closed, Captain Blackbeard watches the endless sea with his telescope. Suddenly the sea disappears as the pirate opens his right eye. The only thing he sees is his hand holding the telescope. And then, a moment later, the sea is back again. What happened was a change in perception. Our brain usually combines the two slightly divergent images of our eyes into a single consistent perception. However, if the visual information does not match, only one image is seen at a time. This phenomenon is called "binocular rivalry". Researchers have now used this phenomenon to decipher a key mechanism of the brain functions that contributes to conscious visual perception. ... > full story
Discovery in how HIV thwarts the body's natural defense opens up new target for drug therapies (November 21, 2010) -- Researchers have solved a 20-year puzzle: why natural killer cells fail to protect the body against HIV. The discovery opens up a new target for drug therapies. ... > full story
Painless needles? Self-adminstered skin patches for vaccines under development (November 21, 2010) -- Scientists are developing painless 'needles' self-administration of flu vaccine using patches containing tiny microneedles that dissolve into the skin. ... > full story
Genetics determine winter vitamin D status (November 21, 2010) -- During the winter, vitamin D status is governed mainly by genetic factors. Conversely, non-genetic factors are most important during the summer. Future studies designed to better understand what these factors are will be especially useful as public health experts continue to explore ways to increase vitamin D status in different populations living under varying environmental and dietary situations. ... > full story
Online undergrads learn well without strong class bond, study finds (November 21, 2010) -- No cohesion, community spirit, trust or interaction? No problem. Online college students said they felt less connected and had a smaller sense of classroom community than those who took the same classes in person, but that didn't keep them from performing just as well as their in-person counterparts. ... > full story
Aged, damaged hearts yield stem cells that could treat heart failure, research suggests (November 21, 2010) -- Ample and viable cardiac stem cells can be isolated from elderly and sick patients with heart disease and diabetes, new research suggests. It may be possible to treat heart failure patients with their own stem cells. An unrelated study notes that an aging heart can generate new cells at a substantial rate. ... > full story
Identification codes inserted into mouse embryos (November 21, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an identification system for oocytes and embryos in which each can be individually tagged using silicone barcodes. Researchers are now working to perfect the system and soon will test it with human oocytes and embryos. ... > full story
Molecular structure of dopamine receptor discovered (November 21, 2010) -- Scientists have solved the structure of one of the receptors that responds to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Although dopamine transmission is essential to normal brain functioning, the biological assembly of the molecules involved in this crucial neuronal interplay had not been known -- until now. ... > full story
Hold the phone: Prolonged cell use can trigger allergic reaction, as can body piercing, tattoos and cosmetics (November 21, 2010) -- Chatting endlessly on your cell phone can lead to an allergic reaction to the nickel in your phone, according to allergists. From cosmetics to jewelry, body piercings to tattoos, allergies can lurk in unlikely places, allergists say. ... > full story
COPD could be a problem with autoimmunity (November 21, 2010) -- Moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be an auto-immunity problem, according to researchers who studied the presence of auto-antibodies in patients with COPD and compared them to levels of control subjects. They found that a significant number of patients with COPD had significant levels of auto-antibodies circulating in their blood, about 5 to 10 times the level in controls. ... > full story
Rare mutations linked with catastrophic aortic aneurysms (November 21, 2010) -- Scientists have begun to unravel the genetic basis of deadly thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD). The research identifies rare TAAD-associated mutations in genes that regulate the function of smooth muscle in the walls of large blood vessels. The finding may lead to the development of a screening procedure that could assess disease risk. ... > full story
Post-traumatic stress disorder linked to death, atherosclerosis in veterans, research finds (November 21, 2010) -- Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have more than double the risk of death from any causes and a higher risk of cardiovascular death compared to veterans without the syndrome, according to new research. Greater calcium buildup in the arteries among those with PTSD may be the reason for the greater risk of death. PTSD may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and veterans who suffer from it should receive early evaluation and aggressive treatment of cardiovascular risk factors. ... > full story
Gene links to anorexia identified: Largest genetic study of the eating disorder detects common and rare variants (November 20, 2010) -- Scientists have identified both common and rare gene variants associated with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. In the largest genetic study of this psychiatric disorder, the researchers found intriguing clues to genes they are subjecting to further investigation, including genes active in neuronal signaling and in shaping interconnections among brain cells. ... > full story
Personalized medicine: Tumor analysis reveals new opportunities for existing cancer drugs (November 20, 2010) -- Targeted cancer therapies such as trastuzumab (Herceptin), gefitinib (Iressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva) could be used to treat a wider range of cancers than previously thought, according to new research. ... > full story
Designing more effective anti-HIV antibodies (November 20, 2010) -- Although people infected with HIV produce many antibodies against the protein encapsulating the virus, most of these antibodies are strangely ineffective at fighting the disease. A new study suggests why some of the most common of these antibodies don't work: they target the protein in a form it takes after the virus has already invaded the cell, when it's too late, report researchers. ... > full story
Cholesterol-lowering statins boost bacteria-killing cells (November 20, 2010) -- Widely prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering properties, recent clinical research indicates that statins can produce a second, significant health benefit: lowering the risk of severe bacterial infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. Scientists now describe how statins activate the bacterial killing properties of white blood cells. ... > full story
Reports claiming amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by head trauma lacks scientific validation, review finds (November 20, 2010) -- A recent study suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed to "repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports" lacks scientific epidemiological evidence to support this claim. In a review of the 12-patient study, several experts specializing in motor neuron diseases challenge the findings as entirely pathological and without clinical merit. ... > full story
Graphic images influence intentions to quit smoking (November 20, 2010) -- Marketing researchers surveyed more than 500 U.S. and Canadian smokers and found that the highly graphic images of the negative consequences of smoking have the greatest impact on smokers' intentions to quit. The most graphic images, such as those showing severe mouth diseases, including disfigured, blackened and cancerous tissue, evoked fear about the consequences of smoking and thus influenced consumer intentions to quit. ... > full story
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