ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 26, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Tuesday, July 26, 2011

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Drug shown to improve sight for patients with inherited blindness (July 26, 2011) -- A condition which robs patients of their sight has for the first time been reversed with a drug, giving some people legally certified as blind, useful vision to improve everyday life. ... > full story

IV fluids may reduce severity of kidney failure in kids with E. coli infection (July 26, 2011) -- Infection with E. coli bacteria can wreak havoc in children, leading to bloody diarrhea, fever and kidney failure. But giving children intravenous fluids early in the course of an E. coli O157:H7 infection appears to lower the odds of developing severe kidney failure, according to new research. ... > full story

Trend in young adults' dating habits, committed relationships may not lead to marriage (July 26, 2011) -- Changes in relationship formation and dissolution in the past 50 years have revealed new patterns in romantic relations among young adults. The US Census indicates that young people are choosing to marry later and cohabitating more often than past generations. Now, a researcher has found that people in their 20s are redefining dating by engaging in "stayover relationships," spending three or more nights together each week while maintaining the option of going to their own homes. ... > full story

New strategy to uncover structural variations of human genomes (July 26, 2011) -- A new study on single-nucleotide resolution structural variations of an Asian and African genome has just been published. This study demonstrates that whole genome de novo assembly could serve as a new solution for developing a more comprehensive structural variation map of individuals. ... > full story

Test measuring blood glucose control may help predict risk of CVD events in patients with diabetes (July 26, 2011) -- Measuring hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels in patients with diabetes is associated with improvement in models for predicting risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new report. ... > full story

Global depression statistics (July 26, 2011) -- Depression affects 121 million people worldwide. It can affect a person's ability to work, form relationships, and destroy their quality of life. At its most severe depression can lead to suicide and is responsible for 850,000 deaths every year. New research compares social conditions with depression in 18 countries across the world. ... > full story

Catching the West Nile virus in action (July 25, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new method that can track both clinical cases of West Nile Virus and populations of infected mosquitoes, identifying "danger zones" and providing timely warnings of impending outbreaks. ... > full story

In pregnancy, diabetes-obesity combo a major red flag (July 25, 2011) -- Type 2 diabetes and obesity in pregnancy is a daunting duo, according to a study that shows both conditions independently contribute to higher risks, opening the door to numerous complications. The findings are important because obesity and Type 2 diabetes are skyrocketing in women of childbearing age. While several studies have established that obesity is associated with problems in pregnancy, less is known about Type 2 diabetes and what causes difficulties when the conditions coexist. ... > full story

Children eating more, and more frequently outside the home (July 25, 2011) -- Eating location and food source significantly impact daily energy intake for children, according to a new study. Foods prepared away from home, including fast food eaten at home and store-prepared food eaten away from home, are fueling the increase in total calorie intake. ... > full story

Pregnancy hormone has unprecedented, powerful effect on spinal muscular atrophy (July 25, 2011) -- Although spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by the loss of a specific gene, all infants and children with SMA have an untouched highly similar gene within their genetic make up. Activation of this copy gene has the potential to treat SMA, and now researchers report the strongest such activation yet observed with attendant benefit on mice genetically engineered to have SMA. ... > full story

Retinal cells thoughts to be the same are not, biologist says (July 25, 2011) -- Light-sensing cells in the eye that were thought to be identical and responsible for both setting the body's circadian rhythm and the pupil's reaction to light and darkness are actually two different cells, each responsible for one of those tasks. ... > full story

Specialized regulatory T cell stifles antibody production centers: Discovery has potential implications for cancer, autoimmune disease (July 25, 2011) -- A regulatory T cell that expresses three specific genes shuts down the mass production of antibodies launched by the immune system to attack invaders, scientists have reported. ... > full story

Exercise has numerous beneficial effects on brain health and cognition, review suggests (July 25, 2011) -- A new article highlights the results of more than a hundred recent human and animal studies on how aerobic exercise and strength training play a vital role in maintaining brain and cognitive health throughout life. Researchers also suggest questions remain in the field of exercise neuroscience -- including how exercise influences brain physiology and function and the relationship between human and animal studies. ... > full story

Dolphins' 'remarkable' recovery from injury offers important insights for human healing (July 25, 2011) -- A dolphin's ability to heal quickly from a shark bite with apparent indifference to pain, resistance to infection, hemorrhage protection, and near-restoration of normal body contour might provide insights for the care of human injuries, according to experts. Researchers interviewed dolphin handlers/marine biologists, and reviewed the limited literature about dolphin healing to offer some new observations. ... > full story

Scavenger cells accomplices to viruses (July 25, 2011) -- Mucosal epithelia are well-protected against pathogenic germs. However, individual viruses, such as the HI virus, still manage to enter the body via the mucous membrane somehow. Cell biologists have now identified a new infection mechanism, demonstrating that the viruses use the body’s own scavenger cells for the infection. The new findings are important for cancer-gene therapy and the development of anti-viral medication. ... > full story

Signaling molecule identified as essential for maintaining a balanced immune response (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a signaling molecule that functions like a factory supervisor to ensure that the right mix of specialized T cells is available to fight infections and guard against autoimmune disease. ... > full story

Urban children are healthier commuters than rural teens (July 25, 2011) -- The children most likely to walk or cycle to school live in urban areas, with a single parent, and in an economically disadvantaged home, according to a new survey. ... > full story

New evidence of age-related decline in the brain's master circadian clock (July 25, 2011) -- A new study of the brain's master circadian clock reveals that a key pattern of rhythmic neural activity begins to decline by middle age. The study may have implications for the enormous number of older people who have difficulty sleeping and adjusting to time changes. ... > full story

Pocket chemistry: DNA helps glucose meters measure more than sugar (July 25, 2011) -- Glucose meters aren't just for diabetics anymore. Thanks to a team of chemists, they can be partnered with functional DNA sensors as simple, portable, inexpensive meters for a number of target molecules in blood, serum, water or food. The researchers demonstrated using functional DNA with glucose meters to detect cocaine, the disease marker interferon, adenosine and uranium. The two-step method could be used to detect any kind of molecule that a functional DNA or RNA can bind. ... > full story

Real-time data recorded on football player captures impact that caused broken neck (July 25, 2011) -- While studying concussions in a high school football team, researchers captured the impact of an 18-year-old player who broke his neck during a head-down tackle in real-time. ... > full story

Key early skills for later math learning discovered (July 25, 2011) -- Psychologists have identified the beginning of first grade math skills that teachers and parents should target to effectively improve children's later math learning. ... > full story

Epigenetic 'memory' key to nature versus nurture (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have made a discovery that explains how an organism can create a biological memory of some variable condition, such as quality of nutrition or temperature. The discovery explains the mechanism of this memory -- a sort of biological switch -- and how it can also be inherited by offspring. ... > full story

Fault in immune memory causes atopic eczema and psoriasis, study finds (July 25, 2011) -- Scientists believe they have discovered the causes of atopic eczema and psoriasis. Findings from a new study show that both diseases are caused by an impaired immunological memory. ... > full story

The origin of malaria: The hunt continues (July 25, 2011) -- The agent of malaria has been found in the greater spot-nosed monkey, also known as putty-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), a small African primate derived from a line different to that of humans, gorillas and chimpanzees. This discovery challenges current thinking on the origin of the parasite and introduces a key element in the fight against malaria: knowing how it has adapted to the human species will make it possible to target its weaknesses. ... > full story

New clinical trial to examine medication to treat social withdrawal in Fragile X and autism (July 25, 2011) -- Children and adults with social withdrawal due to Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and the most common known single gene cause of autism, may benefit from an experimental drug under study by pediatric neurologists. ... > full story

Children's personalities linked to their chemical response to stress (July 25, 2011) -- Is your kid a "dove" -- cautious and submissive when confronting new environments, or perhaps you have a "hawk" -- bold and assertive in unfamiliar settings? These basic temperamental patterns are linked to opposite hormonal responses to stress -- differences that may provide children with advantages for navigating threatening environments, researchers report. ... > full story

How maternal smoking or nicotine use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in later life (July 25, 2011) -- Scientists now understand more about why being exposed to nicotine while you were a fetus will increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as an adult. ... > full story

Bioengineers identify the cellular mechanisms of traumatic brain injury; New hope for treatment of TBI in veterans wounded by explosions (July 25, 2011) -- Bioengineers have identified, for the very first time, the mechanism for diffuse axonal injury and explained why cerebral vasospasm is more common in blast-induced brain injuries than in brain injuries typically suffered by civilians. ... > full story

Two genetic variations predict second cancers after radiation for children with Hodgkin lymphoma (July 25, 2011) -- A genome-wide association study found two tiny genetic variations that predict which patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma are likely to develop radiation-induced second cancers years after treatment. This could help physicians reduce the risks for susceptible patients. Younger the patients and those who receive more radiation are most at risk. This late side effect is the second leading cause of death for Hodgkin's survivors. ... > full story

Blue collar workers work longer and in worse health than their white collar bosses, study finds (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers looked at aging, social class and labor force participation rates to illustrate the challenges that lower income workers face in the global marketplace using the burden of arthritis to examine these connections. The researchers found that blue collar workers are much more likely to work past 65 than white collar workers and are much more likely to suffer from conditions like arthritis, reducing their quality of life and work productivity. ... > full story

Important risk factors for death/transplantation in children with heart muscle disease identified (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have identified important risk factors for death and transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), according to new results. ... > full story

New data-based strategies and treatment models can improve diabetes care for older African-Americans (July 25, 2011) -- Better data are needed to evaluate access to care by minority groups at increased risk for diabetes, such as older African-Americans, and to assess the benefits of new community-based treatment strategies, including greater use of health information technology and access to multilevel diabetes education teams, according to a new report. ... > full story

Screening for pancreatic cancer in high-risk populations (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers report in a new study that using a tumor marker, serum CA 19-9, combined with an endoscopic ultrasound if the tumor marker is elevated, is more likely to detect stage 1 pancreatic cancer in a high-risk population than by using the standard means of detection. ... > full story

Diabetes mortality rates in status Aboriginal adults in Alberta, Canada concerning (July 25, 2011) -- Diabetes rate increases in status Aboriginal adults in Alberta appear to be slowing compared with the general population, although diabetes is more common in status Aboriginals and death rates for this group are significantly higher than the general population, states a new article. Death rates have in fact remained unchanged for status Aboriginals who do not have diabetes. ... > full story

Mismatch between cancer genetics counseling and testing guidelines and physician practices (July 25, 2011) -- A new analysis has found that many doctors report that they do not appropriately offer breast and ovarian cancer counseling and testing services to their female patients. The study indicates that efforts are needed to encourage these services for high-risk women and discourage them for average-risk women. ... > full story

Computer program could 'revolutionise the world's healthcare' (July 25, 2011) -- A massive network of computer programs could revolutionize healthcare around the world, saving countless lives and billions of pounds. ... > full story

Battle of the microbes: Pseudomonas breaches cell walls of rival bacteria without hurting itself (July 24, 2011) -- Microbiologists have uncovered a sneaky trick by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to oust its competitors. Its means of attack helps it survive in the outside environment and may even help it cause infection. P. aeruginosa injects toxins into rival bacteria through a needle-like structure. The toxins degrade their competitors' protective barriers -- their cell walls. ... > full story

Cellular stress can induce yeast to promote prion formation (July 24, 2011) -- Biochemists have identified a yeast protein called Lsb2 that can promote spontaneous prion formation. Prions can cause neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow/Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, in humans and animals. ... > full story

Tags for studying the spread of epidemics (July 24, 2011) -- Participants in a congress were asked to wear a tag for two days in order to study their movements and interactions within a population. The data, collected by a French-Italian team, makes it possible to envisage the simulation of the spread of infection risks within a population, or even the optimization of the response to the expansion of an epidemic. ... > full story

Misuse of pain medication is pathway to high-risk behaviors, study finds (July 24, 2011) -- A new study suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs. Common factors identified in this group included a family history of drug misuse and receiving prescriptions for opioid drugs in the past. ... > full story

New target found for nitric oxide's attack on salmonella bacteria (July 23, 2011) -- A new target for nitric oxide has been revealed in studies of how it inhibits the growth of salmonella, a bacteria that is a common cause of food poisoning. Naturally produced in the nose and gut, nitric oxide interferes at various points in the Krebs cycle, the part of cellular respiration that turns fuel into energy. Knowing how nitric oxide restricts pathogen metabolism may lead to new antimicrobials or drugs that promote the body's own natural defenses. ... > full story

Life scientists use novel technique to produce genetic map for African Americans (July 23, 2011) -- Scientists have produced one of the first high-resolution genetic maps for African-American populations. The new map will help disease geneticists who are working to map genetic diseases in African Americans. The map could help scientists learn the roots of diseases that occur in African Americans and to discover genes that play a key role in disease. ... > full story

Test for classifying force used in bottle stabbings: New study aids understanding of force required for creating injury (July 23, 2011) -- Engineers in the UK have for the first time created a way of measuring how much force is used during a stabbing using a broken bottle. The advance is expected to have significant implications for legal forensics. ... > full story

Positive teens become healthier adults: Adolescents with a sunny outlook on life may have better health in their adult years (July 23, 2011) -- Teenagers are known for their angst-ridden ways, but those who remain happy and positive during the tumultuous teenage years report better general health when they are adults, according to a new study. ... > full story

How to combat hospital-acquired infections and life-threatening toxins (July 22, 2011) -- A team of scientists from Singapore has discovered the secret recipe for 'antidotes' that could neutralize the deadly plant toxin Ricin, widely feared for its bioterrorism potential, as well as the Pseudomonas exotoxin responsible for the tens of thousands of hospital-acquired infections in immune-compromised patients all over the world. ... > full story

Collaboration encourages equal sharing in children but not in chimpanzees (July 22, 2011) -- Children as young as three years of age share toy rewards equally with a peer, but only when both collaborated in order to gain them, according to new research. However, in a new study, chimpanzees did not show this connection between sharing resources and collaborative efforts. ... > full story

Quick test to diagnose bacterial or viral infection (July 22, 2011) -- Treating viral infections with antibiotics is ineffective and contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance, allergic reactions, toxicity and greater health care costs, researchers say. Currently tests take 24-48 hours and aren't always accurate enough for a clear-cut diagnosis. A new accurate and time-saving method has just been developed. ... > full story

Can feeling too good be bad? Positive emotion in bipolar disorder (July 22, 2011) -- Positive emotions like joy and compassion are good for your mental and physical health, and help foster creativity and friendship. But people with bipolar disorder seem to have too much of a good thing. A new article explores how positive emotion may become negative in bipolar disorder. ... > full story

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