ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, July 27, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Eliminating protein in specific brain cells blocks nicotine reward (July 27, 2011) -- Removing a protein from cells located in the brain's reward center blocks the anxiety-reducing and rewarding effects of nicotine, according to a new animal study. The findings may help researchers better understand how nicotine affects the brain. ... > full story

Researchers identify genetic mutations associated with diseases of the esophagus (July 27, 2011) -- Mutations in three genes have been identified that are more prevalent in patients with esophageal cancer and Barrett esophagus, a premalignant metaplasia (change in cells or tissue) caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to preliminary research. ... > full story

Afghanistan's health system shows improvements, but staff and patient protection remains a concern (July 27, 2011) -- After a basic package of health services was introduced by Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, the development and performance of Afghanistan's health care services improved dramatically in many areas between 2004 and 2008, particularly in health service capacity and delivery of care. However, experts warn of the dangers of security issues for health staff and patients, which is seriously hampering progress, and argue that the likelihood of Afghanistan emerging from its fragile status is far from certain. ... > full story

New study sheds light on role of genetics in recovering from eating disorders (July 27, 2011) -- A substantial number of people with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa have a chronic course. They are severely underweight and have a high likelihood of dying from malnutrition. No treatment has been found that helps people who are chronically ill. Now, a new study sheds light on the reason that some people have poor outcome. ... > full story

Non-coding RNA has role in inherited neurological disorder, and maybe other brain diseases too (July 27, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism regulating gene expression and transcription linked to Spinocerebellar ataxia 7, an inherited neurological disorder. The discovery promises to have broad ramifications, suggesting that abundant non-coding transcripts of ribonucleic acid (RNA) may be key players in neurological development and function, and could be powerful targets for future clinical therapies. ... > full story

New tasks attributed to Aurora proteins in cell division (July 27, 2011) -- New information from fission yeast provides clues for research on cancer treatments. When a cell divides, the genetic information in the chromosomes must be passed on error-free to the daughter cells. Researchers are studying this process using fission yeast as a model organism. They have succeeded in attributing additional tasks to the Aurora enzymes, which were already recognized as important cellular tools for the reliable transmission of genetic information. Because uncontrolled cell division is a feature of tumors, Aurora enzyme inhibitors are already being tested as new cancer treatments, and these new insights from basic research may prove to be of use for this clinical research. ... > full story

One in six fast-food customers cut calories after US food labeling system introduction (July 27, 2011) -- Around a sixth of fast food customers used calorie information and, on average, bought food with lower calories since the introduction of a labeling system in the US, says a new study. ... > full story

Clinical trial of molecular therapy for muscular dystrophy yields significant positive results (July 26, 2011) -- A molecular technique has taken one step closer to becoming a treatment for the devastating genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy. ... > full story

Adding a stent during minimally invasive surgery to repair aneurysms prevents recurrence, study suggests (July 26, 2011) -- The addition of a simple stent can help prevent potentially lethal blood vessel bulges in the brain from recurring after they are repaired in a minimally invasive "coiling" procedure, according to physicians. A report on the research could make coiling a more viable option for the 30,000 people diagnosed with brain aneurysms each year in the United States, the investigators say. ... > full story

Excluding children from discussions about their hospital care causes unnecessary distress (July 26, 2011) -- Children who are excluded from discussions about their hospital care often feel scared and angry that no one is listening to them or telling them what is going on. Researchers says that health professionals and parents need to do more to consult them and include them in decisions and are calling for guidelines to ensure that children's voices are heard on matters that directly affect their health. ... > full story

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. ... > full story

New cancer treatment? Universal donor immune cells (July 26, 2011) -- A ready pool of donor immune cells fitted with cancer-seeking receptors could provide an alternative to costly personalized treatments. ... > full story

Sea squirt cells shed light on cancer development (July 26, 2011) -- Specialized structures that cancer cells use to invade tissue also could help them escape protection mechanisms aimed at eliminating them, scientists have discovered. The findings may change the way scientists look at cancer formation and offer new targets for cancer therapies. ... > full story

New mouse model for testing cancer drugs (July 26, 2011) -- Only one in twenty cancer drugs makes its way from the laboratory to the market. The majority of new agents are only shown to be unsuitable in the later phases of clinical development which would explain the exorbitantly high development costs. A new mouse model could help researchers to recognize effects and side effects at an earlier stage. ... > full story

Worrying can impact interpersonal relationships, study finds (July 26, 2011) -- Most people worry from time to time. A new research study shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in a person's life and endangers the health of social relationships. ... > full story

Newly developed fluorescent protein makes internal organs visible (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first fluorescent protein that enables scientists to clearly "see" the internal organs of living animals without the need for a scalpel or imaging techniques that can have side effects or increase radiation exposure. ... > full story

Scientists design nano-sized drug transporter to fight disease (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists seeking to improve cancer treatments have created a tiny drug transporter that maximizes its ability to silence damaging genes by finding the equivalent of an expressway into a target cell. The transporter, called a nanocarrier, is a lipid-based structure containing a piece of RNA. Lipids are fatty molecules that help maintain the structure of cell membranes. ... > full story

Scientists developing new therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer (July 26, 2011) -- Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer may have an alternative therapy when they develop resistance to trastuzumab, also known as Herceptin, according to a new laboratory finding. ... > full story

Artificial lung mimics real organ's design and efficiency: Small device works with air, pure oxygen not needed (July 26, 2011) -- A new artificial lung has reached efficiencies akin to the genuine organ, using air -- not pure oxygen as current human-made lungs require -- for the source of the essential element. The device is a major step toward creating an easily portable and implantable artificial lung. ... > full story

One tiny electron could be key to furture drugs that repair sunburn (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers who have been working for nearly a decade to piece together the process by which an enzyme repairs sun-damaged DNA have finally witnessed the entire process in full detail in the laboratory. What they saw contradicts fundamental notions of how key biological molecules break up during the repair of sunburn -- and that knowledge could someday lead to drugs or even lotions that could heal sunburn in humans. ... > full story

Hormone therapy may be hazardous for men with heart conditions, study suggests (July 26, 2011) -- Adding hormone therapy to radiation therapy has been proven in randomized clinical trials to improve overall survival for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. However, adding hormone therapy may reduce overall survival in men with pre-existing heart conditions, even if they have high-risk prostate cancer according to a new study. ... > full story

Corporal punishment may have long-term negative effects on children's intelligence (July 26, 2011) -- Children in a school that uses corporal punishment performed significantly worse in tasks involving "executive functioning" -- psychological processes such as planning, abstract thinking, and delaying gratification -- than those in a school relying on milder disciplinary measures such as time-outs, according to a new study involving two private schools in a West African country. ... > full story

Predictors of dying suddenly versus surviving heart attack identified (July 26, 2011) -- While there are many traits that are common among heart attack patients -- both those who survive the event and those who die suddenly -- researchers have identified several traits that can be used to differentiate between risk of dying suddenly versus living through a heart attack. ... > full story

Cancer-causing mineral found in U.S. road gravel: Erionite in roads may increase risk of mesothelioma (July 26, 2011) -- Vehicles traveling along gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota stir up clouds of dust containing high levels of the mineral erionite. Those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, new research shows. Erionite shares similar physical similarities with asbestos and when airborne, its fibers can lodge in people's lungs. Over time, the embedded fibers can lead to mesothelioma, a lung cancer most often associated with asbestos. ... > full story

Antibiotic appears more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing urinary tract infections (July 26, 2011) -- In premenopausal women who have repeated urinary tract infections, the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole appeared more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing recurrent infections, at the risk of contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to a new report. ... > full story

Scientists discover potential stroke treatment that may extend time to prevent brain damage (July 26, 2011) -- A naturally occurring substance shrank the size of stroke-induced lesions in the brains of experimental mice -- even when administered as much as 12 hours after the event, researchers have shown. ... > full story

Heavy metal: Titanium implant safety under scrutiny (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new, highly sensitive method to assess the extent of titanium leaks from implants. Titanium implants are routinely used for bone fractures as well as dental work. ... > full story

Mothers have a stronger tendency to mimic their daughters' consumption behavior than vice versa (July 26, 2011) -- How much do our children influence our consumption behavior? More than we thought. A new study finds that teenage girls have a strong influence on the products their mothers buy solely for personal use, as in makeup or clothing, and that mothers have a much stronger tendency to mimic their daughters' consumption behavior than vice versa. ... > full story

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

Researchers capture breakthrough data on cervical spine injuries (July 26, 2011) -- A high school football player's broken neck -- from which he's recovered -- has yielded breakthrough biomechanical data on cervical spine injuries that could ultimately affect safety and equipment standards for athletes. ... > full story

Quality of life for children with ADHD and their families worsens with greater disease severity (July 26, 2011) -- The greater the severity of a child's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the more negative impacts on the child's health-related quality of life from the perspective of the child and the parent, a new study has found. ... > full story

Single-dose H1N1 vaccine not reliable protection for pediatric liver transplant patients (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers from Australia determined that pediatric liver transplant patients who received a single-dose of the H1N1 vaccine were not adequately protected against the virus compared to healthy children. This study found that a second vaccination was needed to elicit an effective immune response in children 10 and older who had recently received a liver transplant. ... > 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

This message was sent to ranggomas.technology@blogger.com from:

ScienceDaily | 1 Research Court, Suite 450 | Rockville, MD 20850

Email Marketing by