ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Friday, January 7, 2011
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Routine blood test may identify people with pre-diabetes, cutting later treatment costs (January 7, 2011) -- A simpler form of testing individuals with risk factors for diabetes could improve diabetes prevention efforts by substantially increasing the number of individuals who complete testing and learn whether or not they are likely to develop diabetes, according to a new study. ... > full story
Deaths from anesthesia during childbirth plummet; Better monitoring, new techniques have reduced mortality rates (January 7, 2011) -- A new study shows the number of women dying from complications of anesthesia during childbirth have plummeted nearly 60 percent. ... > full story
Why some cancers become malignant and others don't (January 7, 2011) -- Cancer cells reproduce by dividing in two, but a molecule known as PML limits how many times this can happen, according to researchers. The team showed that malignant cancers have problems with this molecule, meaning that in its absence they can continue to grow and eventually spread to other organs. ... > full story
New method to quantify protein changes could advance study, treatment of various diseases including cancer (January 7, 2011) -- New research has yielded a novel method of analyzing and quantifying changes in proteins that result from a common chemical process. The findings could provide new insights into the effects of a highly destructive form of stress on proteins in various disease models, particularly cancer. ... > full story
Using cassava to address vitamin A deficiency (January 7, 2011) -- Cassava is an important food source in many poverty-stricken regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, but the low levels of micronutrients in commercial varieties do little to address hidden hunger. New research shows that a single, naturally arising change in one gene leads to high provitamin A levels in cassava roots and opens the door to addressing vitamin A deficiency via biofortified cassava. ... > full story
Digital reminiscence systems: Life-logging assists dementia sufferers, research finds (January 7, 2011) -- Digital reminiscence systems could improve quality of life for people with mild dementia, according to new research. Dementia is on the increase, but for the sake of the quality of life of sufferers and their family and friends finding ways to allow the patient to remain in their own home and to live independently is an issue that must be addressed. At the same time, enabling independent living could also reduce the economic burden. ... > full story
Border collie comprehends over 1,000 object names as verbal referents (January 6, 2011) -- Researchers at Wofford College discovered that a border collie comprehends the names of over 1,000 objects, differentiating between names of objects and orders to fetch them. This research deepens the findings of researchers in Germany, who had discovered a dog that knew the names of a couple of hundred objects. Important questions were left open as to how far a dog could go, and whether the dog really understood that the object names were nouns and not commands to retrieve the object. ... > full story
Neural stem cells maintain high levels of reactive oxygen species, study finds (January 6, 2011) -- For years, the majority of research on reactive oxygen species (ROS) -- ions or very small molecules that include free radicals -- has focused on how they damage cell structure and their potential link to stroke, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. However, researchers have shown for the first time that neural stem cells, the cells that give rise to neurons, maintain high levels of ROS to help regulate normal self-renewal and differentiation. ... > full story
Is your convertible damaging your hearing? (January 6, 2011) -- Driving convertible cars with the top open at speeds exceeding 88.5 kilometres per hour (55 miles per hour) may put drivers at increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss, according to new research. ... > full story
Major advance in MRI allows much faster brain scans (January 6, 2011) -- Physicists and physicians have combined two new MRI techniques to reduce the time for a brain scan by a factor of 7 to 10. Faster functional and diffusion MRI scans will boost the national effort to map the brain's wiring, called the Human Connectome Project. ... > full story
Genetic abnormalities identified in pluripotent stem cell lines (January 6, 2011) -- A multinational team of researchers has documented specific genetic abnormalities that occur in human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell lines. The published findings highlight the need for frequent genomic monitoring of pluripotent stem cells to assure their stability and clinical safety. ... > full story
Metabolic syndrome found in 52 percent of patients after liver transplantation (January 6, 2011) -- Researchers from Israel have determined that more than half of liver transplant recipients develop post-transplantation metabolic syndrome (PTMS), placing them at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Prior to transplantation only 5 percent of the patients were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, but rates of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and diabetes were significantly higher post transplantation. ... > full story
British Medical Journal declares MMR study 'an elaborate fraud' -- autism claims likened to 'Piltdown man' hoax (January 6, 2011) -- The British Medical Journal has declared the 1998 Lancet paper that implied a link between the MMR vaccine and autism "an elaborate fraud." Dr. Fiona Godlee, BMJ Editor in Chief, says "the MMR scare was based not on bad science but on a deliberate fraud" and that such "clear evidence of falsification of data should now close the door on this damaging vaccine scare." ... > full story
Bacteria eyed for possible role in atherosclerosis (January 6, 2011) -- Scientists have identified specific bacteria that may have a key role in vascular pathogenesis, specifically atherosclerosis, or what is commonly referred to as "hardening of the arteries" -- the number one cause of death in the United States. ... > full story
Women with multiple sclerosis more likely to have MS-related gene than men (January 6, 2011) -- Women who have multiple sclerosis are more likely to have a gene associated with multiple sclerosis than men with the disease and it is this gene region where environment interacts with the genetics, according to a new study. ... > full story
How to look younger without plastic surgery (January 6, 2011) -- Psychologists were able to prove that volunteer testers were systematically wrong at estimating other people's age after having adapted to the faces of people of a specific age group by intensely looking at them. ... > full story
Vitamin D accelerates recovery from tuberculosis (January 6, 2011) -- Vitamin D can speed up antibiotic treatment of tuberculosis, according to new research. The study gives fresh insight into how vitamin D may affect the immune response. ... > full story
Mother’s milk improves physical condition of future adolescents, study finds (January 6, 2011) -- Breast feeding new born babies has lots of advantages in the short and in the long-term for babies. A study has confirmed the recently discovered benefits, which had not been researched until now. Adolescents who are breast fed at birth have stronger leg muscles than those who received artificial milk. ... > full story
Exercise may lower risk of death for men with prostate cancer (January 6, 2011) -- A new study of men with prostate cancer finds that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of overall mortality and of death due to prostate cancer. ... > full story
How studded winter tires may damage public health, as well as pavement (January 6, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting new evidence on how studded tires -- wintertime fixtures in some areas but banned in others for causing damage to pavement -- may also damage the health of motorists and people living near highways. Studded tires have small metal protrusions from the rubber tread that improve traction on icy or snow-covered roads. ... > full story
First screening tool for war veterans to assess traumatic brain injury (January 6, 2011) -- A team of researchers has developed the first web-based screening tool for traumatic Bbain injury (TBI). This instrument has recently been used by soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who participated in the Sixth Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute in Orlando to determine if they sustained a TBI. ... > full story
Antibiotic treatment effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome (January 6, 2011) -- A ground-breaking antibiotic therapy is the first potential drug treatment to provide irritable bowel syndrome patients with long-lasting relief of their symptoms even after they stop taking the medication, according to a new study. ... > full story
Protective properties of green tea uncovered (January 6, 2011) -- When green tea is digested it is even more effective at protecting the body against Alzheimer's and cancer than was previously thought. ... > full story
Thermostatic mixer valves could significantly reduce the risk of scalding in children, study finds (January 6, 2011) -- Using a thermostatic mixer valve to control the maximum temperature of children's bath water can significantly reduce the temperature of hot bath water and should reduce the risk of scalding, according to researchers. ... > full story
New method for making large quantities of deuterium-depleted drinking water (January 6, 2011) -- Scientists in China are reporting development of a less expensive, more eco-friendly method for making deuterium-depleted drinking water, citing studies suggesting that it may be a more healthful form of water. ... > full story
Consumers prefer products with few, and mostly matching, colors (January 6, 2011) -- Most people like to play it safe when combining colors for an article of clothing or outfit, a new study suggests. When consumers were asked to choose colors for seven different parts of an athletic shoe, they tended to pick identical or similar colors for nearly every element. They usually avoided contrasting or even moderately different color combinations. ... > full story
Malfunctioning gene associated with Lou Gehrig's disease leads to nerve-cell death in mice (January 6, 2011) -- Researchers describe the first direct evidence of how mutated TDP-43 prtein can cause neurons to die. ... > full story
Helicopter transport increases survival for seriously injured patients, study finds (January 6, 2011) -- Severely injured patients transported by helicopter from the scene of an accident are more likely to survive than patients brought to trauma centers by ground ambulance, according to a new study. The study is the first to examine the role of helicopter transport on a national level and includes the largest number of helicopter-transport patients in a single analysis. ... > full story
Where MRSA colonizes on the human body: Study identifies quantity and locations of MRSA colonization (January 6, 2011) -- When methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is carried in the nares, it is a risk factor for an invasive infection, including a surgical site infection. Some studies have found that the heavier the carriage of MRSA in the nose, the greater the risk of transmission to others and the greater risk of infection to the patient. A new study now sheds light on both the quantity of MRSA at different body sites and the relationship between the quantities. ... > full story
Call for truth in trans fats labeling by US FDA: Study shows how deceptive food labels lead to increased risk of deadly diseases (January 6, 2011) -- A new article reveals that misleading labeling practices can result in medically significant intake of harmful trans fat, despite what you read on U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved labels. ... > full story
Male pattern balding may be due to stem cell inactivation (January 6, 2011) -- Using cell samples from men undergoing hair transplants, researchers compared follicles from bald scalp and non-bald scalp, and found that bald areas had the same number of stem cells as normal scalp in the same person. However, they did find that another, more mature cell type called a progenitor cell was markedly depleted in the follicles of bald scalp. ... > full story
Advancements in fertility preservation provide oncology patients new options (January 6, 2011) -- Many young people who've just learned that they have cancer also are told that the therapies that may save their lives could rob them of their ability ever to have children. Infertility caused by chemotherapy and radiation affects a sizable population: Of the 1.5 million people diagnosed with cancer in 2009, nearly 10 percent were still in their reproductive years. The good news, according to a new article, is that techniques to harvest and store reproductive cells have vastly improved in the last several years. ... > full story
Optimizing patient outcomes after therapeutic hypothermia for traumatic brain injury (January 6, 2011) -- Lowering the body temperature of patients soon after they have suffered a severe brain injury may reduce neurologic complications and improve outcomes. The safety of therapeutic hypothermia for traumatic brain injury has been demonstrated in national studies. According to a roundtable discussion of renowned experts in the field, when and how it is administered should depend on the clinical condition of individual patients. ... > full story
Mothers key to college-age women receiving HPV vaccine, study suggests (January 6, 2011) -- Even after young women reach adulthood, their mothers can play a key role in convincing them to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, new research suggests. A study found that college-aged women were more likely to say they had received the HPV vaccine if they had talked to their mother about it. ... > full story
Web-based curriculum improves surgical residents' knowledge of health care business (January 6, 2011) -- According to new study, surgery residents improved their knowledge of health care business concepts and principles with the use of a Web-based curriculum. ... > full story
Drinking recycled water? Study establishes methods to assess recycled aquifer water (January 6, 2011) -- The Australian Government National Water Commission funded a study to establish an approach to assess the quality of water treated using managed aquifer recharge. Researchers at Australia's CSIRO Land and Water set out to determine if the en product would meet standard drinking water guidelines. ... > full story
Vaccine blocks cocaine high in mice: Approach could also stop addiction to other drugs, including heroin and nicotine (January 5, 2011) -- Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine. ... > full story
Birch bark ingredient comes with many metabolic benefits (January 5, 2011) -- An ingredient found in abundance in birch bark appears to have an array of metabolic benefits. In mice, the compound known as betulin lowered cholesterol, helped prevent diet-induced obesity, and improved insulin sensitivity. Betulin-treated mice were also more resistant to developing atherosclerotic plaques in their arteries. ... > full story
Metabolic cost of human sleep deprivation quantified by researchers (January 5, 2011) -- In the first-ever quantification of energy expended by humans during sleep, a research team has found that the metabolic cost of an adult missing one night of sleep is the equivalent of walking slightly less than two miles. ... > full story
Resiliency on the battlefield: Soldiers with a positive outlook less likely to suffer anxiety, depression (January 5, 2011) -- In the first combat-zone study of its kind, a research team has found that soldiers with a positive outlook in the most traumatic situations were less likely to suffer health problems such as anxiety and depression. ... > full story
Walking speed associated with survival in older adults (January 5, 2011) -- In an analysis that included data from 9 studies, having higher measures of walking speed among older adults was associated with increased length of survival, according to a new study. ... > full story
New glaucoma test allows earlier, more accurate detection (January 5, 2011) -- A prototype glaucoma test instrument that's noninvasive and simpler to use than current procedures -- and can also be used in situations that are difficult or impossible with current tests -- has been designed by engineering researchers. ... > full story
Vitamin D deficiencies may impact onset of autoimmune lung disease (January 5, 2011) -- A new study shows that vitamin D deficiency could be linked to the development and severity of certain autoimmune lung diseases. ... > full story
Infant hydrocephalus, seasonal and linked to farm animals in Uganda (January 5, 2011) -- Hydrocephalus in Ugandan children and other developing countries is seasonal, linked to farm animals and in part, caused by previous bacterial infection, according to an international team of researchers from Uganda and the United States, who believe that the best approach to this problem is prevention. ... > full story
Anti-bullying program reduces malicious gossip on school playgrounds (January 5, 2011) -- Elementary school students who participated in a three-month anti-bullying program in Seattle schools showed a 72 percent decrease in malicious gossip. The study is the first to show that the widely-used Steps to Respect bullying prevention program can curb children's gossip, an element of playground culture often seen as harmless but capable of causing real harm. ... > full story
Fueling the body on fat: Critical tuning dial for controlling energy found (January 5, 2011) -- Researchers have found what appears to be a critical tuning dial for controlling whole body energy. When energy levels within cells drop, it sets off a series of events designed to increase the amount of calorie-rich dietary fat that the body will absorb. ... > full story
On the trail of a stealthy parasite Biologist shows why some strains of Toxoplasma are more dangerous than others (January 5, 2011) -- About one-third of the human population is infected with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, but most of them don't know it. Though Toxoplasma causes no symptoms in most people, it can be harmful to individuals with suppressed immune systems, and to fetuses whose mothers become infected during pregnancy. Toxoplasma spores are found in dirt and easily infect farm animals such as cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. Humans can be infected by eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables. ... > full story
Model predicts a drug's likelihood of causing birth defects (January 5, 2011) -- When pregnant women need medications, there is often concern about possible effects on the fetus. Although some drugs are clearly recognized to cause birth defects, and others are generally recognized as safe, surprisingly little is known about most drugs' level of risk. Researchers have created a preclinical model for predicting a drug's teratogenicity (tendency to cause fetal malformations) based on characterizing the genes that it targets. ... > full story
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