ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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Minimally invasive technique appears helpful to reanimate facial paralysis (January 18, 2011) -- A procedure involving only one small incision and no major modifications to bone can be used to transpose a tendon and appears helpful in reanimating the lower face after paralysis, according to a new study. ... > full story
New molecular imaging technologies for detecting cellular processes (January 18, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain have designed and developed a biomedical scanner that detects cellular processes at the molecular level and indicates malfunctioning of an organ before said malfunction can produce an anatomical change. ... > full story
Sleep evaluation may help identify kids at risk for respiratory complications after tonsil surgery (January 18, 2011) -- Performing polysomnography (sleep study) prior to pediatric adenotonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids) may help identify children at a higher risk of developing postoperative respiratory complications, according to a new study. ... > full story
Secondary students should be required to receive CPR training, experts advise (January 18, 2011) -- CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillators should be required for high school graduation, according to an American Heart Association advisory. Such mandatory training would rapidly increase the number of people ready to respond to sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the United States. ... > full story
Scientists sequence gut microbes of premature infant (January 18, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time sequenced and reconstructed the genomes of most of the microbes in the gut of a premature newborn and documented how the microbe populations changed over time. The researchers hope that characterizing gut microbes of normal and sick infants could lead to cause of necrotizing enterocolitis in preemies. ... > full story
Link between chlamydia and ectopic pregnancy explained (January 18, 2011) -- Women who have had chlamydia are at greater risk of an ectopic pregnancy because of a lasting effect of the infection. A new study provides evidence for the first time of how chlamydia can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy -- which occurs when an embryo implants outside the womb, in the fallopian tube. ... > full story
Heart failure patients twice as likely to die if admitted to general wards, UK study finds (January 18, 2011) -- Heart failure patients admitted to general wards are twice as likely to die as those admitted to cardiology wards, shows a UK audit of the treatment of the condition. ... > full story
Nursing home closures clustered in poor, minority areas (January 18, 2011) -- Nursing home closures eliminated about 5 percent of available beds between 1998 and 2008, with closures concentrated in minority and poor communities, according to a new study. ... > full story
Alzheimer's plaques lead to loss of nitric oxide in brain (January 17, 2011) -- A researcher has discovered that the deadly plaques of Alzheimer's disease interact with certain cellular proteins to inhibit normal signals that maintain blood flow to the brain. Their findings could lead to new approaches to treat the dementia. ... > full story
Transforming skin cells into cartilage (January 17, 2011) -- In new research, scientists in Japan used fibroblasts isolated from adult mouse skin, and expressed proteins used to induce pluripotency along with a factor that promotes a chondrocyte fate. The resulting cells resembled chondrocytes and produced cartilage when injected into mice. This may be an important step toward a therapy that will allow the repair of cartilage injury using a patient's own skin cells. ... > full story
Silicon microdevices show promise for detecting metastatic breast cancer cells (January 17, 2011) -- Research by engineers and cancer biologists indicates that using specific silicon microdevices might provide a new way to screen breast cancer cells' ability to metastasize. ... > full story
Neuronal migration errors: Right cells, wrong place (January 17, 2011) -- Normally, cortical nerve cells or neurons reside in the brain’s gray matter with only a few scattered neurons in the white matter, but some people with schizophrenia have a higher number of neurons in the white matter. Neuronal migration errors may arise in schizophrenia as a consequence of both genetic and environmental factors. ... > full story
First genetic test for predicting IVF success (January 17, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first genetic blood test for predicting the chances that in vitro fertilization will lead to a successful pregnancy. The test is based on the finding that different subtypes of the FMR1 gene (also known as the fragile X mental retardation gene) in potential mothers are associated with significantly different chances of conceiving with IVF. ... > full story
Fruit and vegetable concentrate decreases number of days with severe cold symptoms (January 17, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that a specific food supplement made from fruit and vegetable juice concentrates significantly reduced the number of days with severe cold symptoms. The report sees the potential benefits of the product in a reduced number of sick days and correspondingly lower expenditure on cold medicines. ... > full story
CT helps identify bullet trajectories (January 17, 2011) -- Multidetector computed tomography provides an efficient, effective way to analyze wounds from bullets and explosive devices, according to a new study. ... > full story
Targeting nicotine receptors to treat cognitive impairments in schizophrenia (January 17, 2011) -- Smoking is a common problem for patients with schizophrenia. The increased tendency of patients diagnosed with this disorder is to not only smoke, but to do so more heavily than the general public. This raises the possibility that nicotine may be acting as a treatment for some symptoms of schizophrenia. ... > full story
'Master switch' for key immune cells in inflammatory diseases discovered (January 17, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a protein that acts as a "master switch" in certain white blood cells, determining whether they promote or inhibit inflammation. The study could help researchers look for new treatments for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis that involve excessive inflammation. ... > full story
New technique to see neurons of the deep brain for months at a time (January 17, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to monitor the tiny branches of neurons in a live brain for months at a time. Neuroscientists will now be able to monitor the microscopic changes that occur over the course of progressive brain disease. ... > full story
Researchers unzip MRSA and discover route for vaccine (January 17, 2011) -- Orthopedic scientists are a step closer to developing a vaccine to prevent life-threatening methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections following bone and joint surgery. ... > full story
'Yo-yo' effect of slimming diets explained (January 17, 2011) -- If you want to lose the kilos you've put on over Christmas, you may be interested in knowing that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in your likelihood of regaining weight after dieting. A new study confirms that people with the highest levels of leptin and lowest levels of ghrelin are more likely to put the centimeters they lost back on again. ... > full story
Smoking causes genetic damage within minutes after inhaling (January 17, 2011) -- In research described as "a stark warning" to those tempted to start smoking, scientists are reporting that cigarette smoke begins to cause genetic damage within minutes -- not years -- after inhalation into the lungs. Their report is the first human study to detail the way certain substances in tobacco cause DNA damage linked to cancer. ... > full story
MicroRNA suppresses prostate cancer stem cells and metastasis (January 17, 2011) -- A small slice of RNA inhibits prostate cancer metastasis by suppressing a surface protein commonly found on prostate cancer stem cells. miR-34a targets a surface protein common to cancer stem cells and associated with tumor development and metastasis. When the micro RNA stifles CD44, it inhibits formation of prostate stem cells. Researchers blocked tumor formation, shrunk tumors and inhibited metastasis in mouse models. ... > full story
More intensive methods needed to identify TB in HIV-prone populations (January 17, 2011) -- Identifying tuberculosis patients in Africa using passive methods is leaving many cases undiagnosed, according to researchers who studied case detection methods in HIV-prone western Kenya. Tuberculosis (TB) occurs commonly in men and women with HIV, but in these patients TB can be more difficult to detect. ... > full story
Enhanced early childhood education pays long-term dividends in better health (January 17, 2011) -- Intensive early education programs for low-income children have been shown to yield numerous educational benefits, but few studies have looked more broadly at their impact on health and health behaviors. A new study has found that individuals who had received the intensive education intervention starting in infancy had significantly better health and better health behaviors as young adults. ... > full story
Researchers can predict your video game aptitude by imaging your brain (January 16, 2011) -- Researchers report that they can predict "with unprecedented accuracy" how well you will do on a complex task such as a strategic video game simply by analyzing activity in a specific region of your brain. ... > full story
Measles virus plays role in Paget's disease of bone, researchers say (January 16, 2011) -- A gene from the measles virus plays a key role in the development of Paget's disease of bone, according to new research. These findings confirm a long-held speculation that the childhood infection is an environmental trigger for the disease and reveal how the viral gene contributes to the development of its characteristic bone lesions. ... > full story
99% of pregnant women in US test positive for multiple chemicals including banned ones, study suggests (January 16, 2011) -- The bodies of virtually all US pregnant women carry multiple chemicals, including some banned since the 1970s and others used in common products such as non-stick cookware, processed foods and personal care products, according to a new study. ... > full story
Inverse benefits due to drug marketing undermine patient safety and public health, study finds (January 16, 2011) -- Drugs that pharmaceutical companies market most aggressively to physicians and patients tend to offer less benefit and more harm to most patients -- a phenomenon described as the "inverse benefit law," according to new research. ... > full story
Researchers discover way to halt lung inflammation in animal models (January 16, 2011) -- Acute inflammation of the lung is a poorly recognized human disease that develops in surprising and unexpected ways. However, an answer to halting lung inflammation may have been discovered, thanks to new research. ... > full story
Molecular rationale for combining targeted agents to treat breast cancer (January 16, 2011) -- A new study provides a rational for treating breast cancer by combining two kinds of targeted agents, one that inhibits an overactive, cancer-causing signaling pathway in cancer cells and one that reverses changes that silence genes that normally prevent cancer. Both types of agents are currently available and being evaluated individually in clinical trials. ... > full story
Next-generation hospital design can improve health -- and save money (January 16, 2011) -- Larger hospital rooms with plenty of natural light and artwork may seem like luxuries, but new research shows that these and other design features can improve patient care and reduce health care expenses. They are among the elements of the "Fable hospital," an ideal health care facility conceived by leaders in health care and design. Elements of the Fable hospital are being adopted on the ground today, with the imperative to improve quality and value. ... > full story
Why coffee protects against diabetes (January 15, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a possible molecular mechanism behind coffee's protective effect against type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure (January 15, 2011) -- Eating blueberries can guard against high blood pressure, according to new research. ... > full story
Skin provides Australia's first adult stem cells for rare genetic disease (January 15, 2011) -- Scientists have developed Australia's first adult induced pluripotent stem cell lines using skin biopsies from patients with the rare genetic disease Friedreich's ataxia. ... > full story
Universities miss chance to identify depressed students, study finds (January 15, 2011) -- One out of every four or five students who visits a university health center for a routine cold turns out to be depressed, but most centers miss the opportunity to identify these students because they don't screen for depression, according to new research. About 2 to 3 percent of these depressed students have had suicidal thoughts or are considering suicide. Depression screening is easy and must be done for every health center student, researchers said. ... > full story
Tinnitus is the result of the brain trying, but failing, to repair itself (January 15, 2011) -- Tinnitus appears to be produced by an unfortunate confluence of structural and functional changes in the brain, say neuroscientists. ... > full story
Cancer survivors likely to experience pain at some point in care (January 15, 2011) -- More than 40 percent of cancer survivors experience cancer pain since their diagnosis and many have current cancer-related chronic pain, according to new research. The study provides new insight on issues facing the growing number of US cancer survivors. ... > full story
Early development of anti-HIV neutralizing antibodies (January 14, 2011) -- New findings are bringing scientists closer to an effective HIV vaccine. Researchers report findings showing new evidence about broadly-reactive neutralizing antibodies, which block HIV infection. ... > full story
Population-wide reduction in salt consumption recommended (January 14, 2011) -- The American Heart Association today issued a call to action for the public, health professionals, the food industry and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) Americans consume daily. ... > full story
Taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes (January 14, 2011) -- Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a new study. ... > full story
Airborne pathogens can induce mad cow disease, new findings suggest (January 14, 2011) -- Airborne prions are also infectious and can induce mad cow disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disorder, new findings suggest. Researchers recommend precautionary measures for scientific labs, slaughterhouses and animal feed plants. ... > full story
Individuals with partial hearing loss may benefit from hybrid cochlear implant (January 14, 2011) -- Hearing loss can affect anyone, at any time. But it can be especially frightening for someone who suddenly starts to lose hearing during adulthood. A new study is investigating the effectiveness of a new cochlear implant device that aims to restore hearing for individuals with high-frequency hearing loss and functional low-frequency hearing. ... > full story
Driving simulators help older adults improve their road skills (January 14, 2011) -- Older drivers could benefit from training programs that put them behind the wheel -- in a driving simulator, with an observer who helps them develop their skills, according to a new article. ... > full story
Microbes in our gut regulate genes that control obesity and inflammation (January 14, 2011) -- If you are looking to lose weight in the coming year, you may need help from an unexpected place: the bacteria in your gut. That's because scientists have discovered that the bacteria living in your intestines may play a far more significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever imagined. ... > full story
New therapies for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease identified (January 14, 2011) -- A new study reveals underlying causes for the degeneration of synapses in Alzheimer's disease and identifies promising pharmaceutical solutions for the devastating condition. ... > full story
Risks associated with second-hand smoke in cars carrying children (January 14, 2011) -- While the evidence is incomplete there is enough available to support legislation against letting people smoke in cars with children, according to a new article. ... > full story
Suicide risk greater for people living at higher elevations, study finds (January 14, 2011) -- Twenty years of mortality data from counties across the United States led to the striking discovery that living at higher altitudes may be a risk factor for suicide, according to a provocative study. ... > full story
Genetically modified chickens that don't transmit bird flu developed; Breakthrough could prevent future bird flu epidemics (January 14, 2011) -- Chickens genetically modified to prevent them spreading bird flu have been produced by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
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