ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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Vaccine boosts immune system, helps prevent chronic inflammation (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered for the first time a protein normally found in the body that can act to prevent chronic tissue inflammation. When administered in the form of a therapeutic vaccine it is able to effectively prevent and treat a number of different inflammatory disease models for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, skin hypersensitivity and allergic asthma. ... > full story
High levels of 'good' cholesterol may be associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (December 15, 2010) -- High levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as "good" cholesterol, appear to be associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease in older adults, according to a new report. ... > full story
US EPA removes saccharin from hazardous substances listing (December 15, 2010) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has removed saccharin, a common artificial sweetener, and its salts from the agency's list of hazardous substances. Saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health. ... > full story
Smoking behind more than a third of severe rheumatoid arthritis cases (December 15, 2010) -- Smoking accounts for more than a third of cases of the most severe and common form of rheumatoid arthritis, indicates new research. ... > full story
Killing drug-resistant melanoma requires combination therapy (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers report that melanoma that have become resistant to PLX4032 and other BRAF inhibitors will signal around the blocked proteins by shifting rerouting signaling pathways. They also show how to overcome this resistance by simultaneously targeting two additional proteins. The researchers see this as further evidence that some cancers must be treated with multiple targeted drugs at the outset of treatment. ... > full story
New labeling method expands ability to read DNA modification (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a method for labeling and mapping a "sixth nucleotide," whose biological role scientists are only beginning to explore. The method allowed the researchers to see for the first time how 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is distributed throughout the genome. ... > full story
People who believe in justice also see a victim's life as more meaningful after tragedy (December 15, 2010) -- Seeing bad things happen to other people is scary. One way to respond to this is to blame the victim -- to look for some reason why it happened to them. But there's another common response, according to a new study. The researchers found that people who believe in justice in the world also believe that a tragedy gives the victim's life more meaning. ... > full story
Cancer: Defective cell surface 'glue' is key to tumor invasion (December 14, 2010) -- A remarkable discovery into how tumor cells invade normal tissue should lead to vital diagnostic tools and help develop strategies to stop the spread of cancer cells. ... > full story
Attempting to predict epileptic seizure (December 14, 2010) -- While the causes of epileptic seizures continue to confound brain researchers, scientists have been exploring how changes in the coordinated activity of brain networks, monitored through electrodes, might help predict impending seizures. ... > full story
Two people receive kidney transplants with computerized matching program (December 14, 2010) -- A man in St. Louis and a woman in New Hampshire have received the first kidney transplants made possible through a new national program of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that uses a new computer algorithm to match transplant candidates with living donors. ... > full story
Post-9/11 security zones blight landscape, create 'architecture of fear' (December 14, 2010) -- A new study says post-9/11 "security zones" in major American cities blight landscape, create "architecture of fear" and safety effects may be negligible. ... > full story
Compound with potent effects on the biological clock discovered (December 14, 2010) -- Using automated screening techniques developed by pharmaceutical companies to find new drugs, researchers have discovered a molecule with the most potent effects ever seen on the biological clock. ... > full story
Elusive neuronal targets of deep brain stimulation identified (December 14, 2010) -- Deep brain stimulation of a brain area that controls complex behaviors has proven to be effective against several therapeutically stubborn neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Now, a new study has found that this technique targets the same class of neuronal cells that are known to respond to physical exercise and drugs such as Prozac. ... > full story
New signaling pathway linked to inflammatory disease discovered (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists have described for the first time a key inhibitory role for the IL-1 signaling pathway in the human innate immune system, providing novel insights into human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and potential new treatments. ... > full story
Violent games not to blame for youth aggression, study suggests (December 14, 2010) -- How depressed young people are strongly predicts how aggressive and violent they may be or may become. Contrary to popular belief, however, exposure to violence in video games or on television is not related to serious acts of youth aggression or violence among Hispanics in the US, according to new research. ... > full story
Transcription factor clears protein clumps in Huntington's mice models (December 14, 2010) -- Over expressing a transcription factor that promotes increase in number of mitochondria greatly improves neurological function of transgenic mice models for Huntington's disease. ... > full story
How virus triggers cervical and mouth cancer (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered for the first time an important new way in which the human papilloma virus (HPV) triggers cancer in what could lead to new treatments for cervical and mouth cancer. ... > full story
Anatomy of a shopping spree: Pretty things make us buy more (December 14, 2010) -- With the holidays fast approaching and consumers in full shopping mode, new research shows a single luxury item purchase can lead to an unintended shopping spree. ... > full story
Protein restores learning, memory in Alzheimer's mouse model (December 14, 2010) -- New studies point to a way to reverse effects of the memory-robbing Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Potential chink in armor of African sleeping sickness parasite: It's social (December 14, 2010) -- Long considered a freewheeling loner, the Trypanosoma brucei parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness has revealed a totally unexpected social side, opening a potential chink in the behavioral armor of this and other supposedly solitary human parasites. ... > full story
Over long haul, money doesn’t buy happiness (December 14, 2010) -- A new analysis shows that long-term happiness does not correspond to increased wealth. Across a worldwide sample of 37 countries, rich and poor, ex-Communist and capitalist, researchers have shown strikingly consistent results: over the long term, a sense of well-being within a country does not go up with income. In contrast to shorter-term studies that have shown a correlation between income growth and happiness, this study examined the happiness and income relationship in each country for an average of 22 years and at least ten years. ... > full story
'Fountain of youth' pill could restore aging immune system (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age. ... > full story
A benefit of flu: Protection from asthma? (December 14, 2010) -- A new article suggests a new strategy to prevent asthma. Scientists report that the influenza virus infection in young mice protected the mice as adults against the development of allergic asthma. The same protective effect was achieved by treating young mice with compound isolated from the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that colonizes the stomach and is best known for causing ulcers and increasing the risk of gastric cancers. ... > full story
Increased consumption of folic acid can reduce birth defects but may also be associated with colorectal cancer (December 14, 2010) -- Folic acid can reduce birth defects including neural tube defects, congenital heart disease and oral clefts but some speculate high intakes of folic acid may be associated with adverse events such as colorectal cancer. ... > full story
Tracing microbes between individuals towards personalized oral health care (December 14, 2010) -- The human body harbors a complex ecosystem of microbes recognized as having a role in health and disease. Viruses can attack bacterial communities, yet little is known about how this might influence human health. Scientists have now performed the first metagenomic analysis of a bacterial immune system in humans over time, finding that defenses of the oral microbiome are unique and traceable, information that could personalize oral health care in the future. ... > full story
Acupuncture may help some older children with lazy eye (December 14, 2010) -- Acupuncture could potentially become an alternative to patching for treating amblyopia (lazy eye) in some older children, according to a new report. ... > full story
Ubiquitous sugar molecule could be key to repairing deep wound without scarring (December 14, 2010) -- Blocking fragments of the sugar molecule hyaluronan that triggers inflammation could be the key to robust healing and less scarring in deep wounds. ... > full story
2009 H1N1 vaccine safe and induces robust immune response in people with asthma (December 14, 2010) -- Results from a government-sponsored clinical trial of inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with asthma indicate that a single dose of vaccine was safe and induced a strong immune response predictive of protection. The findings also suggest that individuals over the age of 60 who have severe asthma may require a larger dose of vaccine. ... > full story
Smartphone technology improves prosthetic limbs (December 14, 2010) -- By combining smartphone technology with artificial limbs, researchers are paving the way for a new generation of prostheses. The technology, called an accelerometer, gives users a better sense of the orientation of their artificial limb – thus making the limb easier to operate. ... > full story
Strength training for seniors provides cognitive function, economic benefits (December 14, 2010) -- A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the health-care system. ... > full story
Ovarian cancer advances when genes are silenced (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have found evidence of epigenetics at work on a genome-wide scale in cases of ovarian cancer. One major biological signaling pathway in particular was found to contain many genes influenced by DNA methylation -- a mechanism for turning off genes -- in tumor cells. ... > full story
Leukemia: Leukemic stem cells reversed to pre-leukemic stage by suppressing a protein (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that leukemic stem cells can be reversed to a pre-leukemic stage by suppressing a protein called beta-catenin found in the blood. ... > full story
Unlawful killing of newborns soon after birth five times higher than thought, French court study suggests (December 14, 2010) -- Although rare, the true incidence of neonaticides -- the unlawful killing of a baby within the first 24 hours of its life -- is more than five times as common as official estimates suggest, suggests new research looking at cases in three regions of France. ... > full story
Scientist shows link between diet and onset of mental illness (December 13, 2010) -- Changes in diet have been linked to a reduction of abnormal behaviors in mentally ill people or animals, but a Purdue University study shows that diet might also trigger the onset of mental illness in the first place. ... > full story
Three-quarters of hip fracture patients are vitamin D deficient, Indian study reveals (December 13, 2010) -- A study from New Delhi India has revealed high rates of vitamin D deficiency among hip fracture patients, confirming the conclusions of similar international studies which point to vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for hip fracture. ... > full story
Researchers discover way to block neurodegeneration in an adult form of Fragile X syndrome (December 13, 2010) -- Expression of a toxic RNA that leads to Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome is modifiable by genetic or pharmacologic means, according to new research. ... > full story
Right or left handling at birth: What impact does it have on development? (December 13, 2010) -- Certain events experienced at the moment of birth have consequences on the emotional reactions of animals at an adult age. Researchers have tested the effects of unilateral tactile stimulation on newborn foals. Their results show that animals handled on their right side at birth avoid contact with humans more often than those stimulated on their left side or not at all. This work raises questions on the organization of neonatal care in animals and humans. ... > full story
Osteoporosis drug reduces bone loss, tumor size in oral cancer (December 13, 2010) -- A drug currently approved for osteoporosis treatment has been shown to reduce bone loss in a study of mice with oral cancer, suggesting it could serve as an important supplemental therapy in patients with head and neck cancers that erode bone. In this study, the drug treatment also was associated with smaller tumors -- an unexpected result. ... > full story
Children who don’t like fruit and vegetables are 13 times more likely to be constipated (December 13, 2010) -- Primary school children who don’t like eating fruit and vegetables are 13 times more likely to develop functional constipation than children who do. Drinking less than 400ml of fluid a day also significantly increases the risk. ... > full story
More fruits and vegetables unlikely to protect against cancer, study suggests (December 13, 2010) -- There is no convincing evidence that eating more fruit and vegetables can reduce chances of developing cancer, although they are important for maintaining a healthy diet, according to a new study that looked at a decade of research in this area. ... > full story
On, off, on, off: The circuitry of insulin-releasing cells (December 13, 2010) -- A myriad of inputs can indicate a body's health bombard pancreatic beta cells continuously, and these cells must consider all signals and "decide" when and how much insulin to release to maintain balance in blood sugar, for example. Researchers have now teased out how these cells interpret incoming signals and find that three proteins relay signals similar to an electrical circuit. ... > full story
Stem cell treatment is effective for certain cases of acute leukemia (December 13, 2010) -- Some adults and children with acute leukemia could benefit from certain transplants of blood stem cells, but the benefits are not equal across all cases of leukemia, according to a new review of 15 studies. ... > full story
Apartment-dwelling children in nonsmoking units still exposed (December 13, 2010) -- Children living in apartments are exposed to secondhand smoke even when no one smokes inside their own unit. This study strongly suggests that housing type contributes to children's exposure to tobacco smoke, despite the best intentions of parents. ... > full story
Stem cells turned into complex, functioning intestinal tissue in lab (December 13, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have created functioning human intestinal tissue in the laboratory from pluripotent stem cells. Scientists have demonstrated that human pluripotent stem cells in a petri dish can be instructed to efficiently form human tissue with three-dimensional architecture and cellular composition remarkably similar to intestinal tissue. ... > full story
Seizure generation in brain is isolated from surrounding brain regions (December 13, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the part of the brain generating seizures in individuals with epilepsy is functionally isolated from surrounding brain regions. The researchers hope this finding could be a clinical biomarker to help identify individuals with abnormal brain function. ... > full story
Dangers of exertional heat-related injuries highlighted (December 13, 2010) -- A new study examined exertional heat-related injuries that were treated in emergency departments between 1997 and 2006. The study found that an estimated 54,983 exertional heat-related injuries, an average of 5,500 cases each year, were treated in emergency departments during the 10-year study period. ... > full story
Digital video recorders do not change shopping behavior, study suggests (December 13, 2010) -- Research finds that owning a DVR does not influence the demand for advertised products despite its ad-skipping feature. In fact, only a small percentage of ads were fast-forwarded by DVR users who participated in the study, and even that did not have an adverse effect on sales. ... > full story
Brain's inherent ability to focus learning discovered (December 13, 2010) -- Medical researchers have found a missing link that explains the interaction between brain state and the neural triggers responsible for learning, potentially opening up new ways of boosting cognitive function in the face of diseases such as Alzheimer's as well as enhancing memory in healthy people. ... > full story
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