ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Thursday, April 21, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Thursday, April 21, 2011

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

Air pollution exposure affects chances of developing premenopausal breast cancer, study finds (April 20, 2011) -- Exposure to air pollution early in life and when a woman gives birth to her first child may alter her DNA and may be associated with pre-menopausal breast cancer later in life, researchers have shown. ... > full story

How TRIM5 fights HIV: Scientists discover mechanism of protein that makes certain monkeys resistant (April 20, 2011) -- Thanks to a certain protein, rhesus monkeys are resistant to HIV. Known as TRIM5, the protein prevents the HI virus from multiplying once it has entered the cell. Researchers in Switzerland have now discovered the protein's mechanism. This also opens up new prospects for fighting HIV in humans. ... > full story

Breakthrough in malaria treatment in the run up to World Malaria Day (April 20, 2011) -- Ahead of World Malaria Day (25 April), researchers have discovered that drugs originally designed to inhibit the growth of cancer cells can also kill the parasite that causes malaria. They believe this discovery could open up a new strategy for combating this deadly disease, which infected around 225 million and killed nearly 800,000 people worldwide in 2009. ... > full story

Mining data from electronic records: Faster way to get genetic clues to disease (April 20, 2011) -- Recruiting thousands of patients to collect health data for genetic clues to disease is expensive and time consuming. But a study shows that process could be faster and cheaper by mining patient data that already exists in electronic medical records. Researchers were able to cull patient information in electronic medical records from routine doctors' visits at five national sites. This allowed researchers to accurately identify patients with five different diseases and reproduce previous genetic findings. ... > full story

Half of all children with autism wander and bolt from safe places, study shows (April 20, 2011) -- The Interactive Autism Network has revealed preliminary results of the first major survey on wandering and elopement among individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The wandering and elopement survey found that approximately half of parents of children with autism report that their child elopes, with the behavior peaking at age four. ... > full story

New 'chemical pathway' in the brain for stress: Breakthrough offers hope for targeted treatment of stress-related disorders (April 20, 2011) -- A team of neuroscientists has announced a breakthrough in the understanding of the 'brain chemistry' that triggers our response to highly stressful and traumatic events. The team has discovered a critical and previously unknown pathway in the brain that is linked to our response to stress. The advance offers new hope for targeted treatment, or even prevention, of stress-related psychiatric disorders. ... > full story

Childhood music lessons may provide lifelong boost in brain functioning (April 20, 2011) -- Those childhood music lessons could pay off decades later -- even for those who no longer play an instrument -- by keeping the mind sharper as people age, according to a preliminary study. ... > full story

Scientists prove new technology to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes (April 20, 2011) -- Scientists have taken an important step towards developing control measures for mosquitoes that transmit malaria. In a new study, researchers have demonstrated how some genetic changes can be introduced into large laboratory mosquito populations over the span of a few generations by just a small number of modified mosquitoes. ... > full story

Biological links found between childhood abuse and adolescent depression (April 20, 2011) -- New research reveals that a history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood substantially increases the risk of depression in adolescence by altering a person's neuroendocrine response to stress. ... > full story

Evolution of human 'super-brain' tied to development of bipedalism, tool-making (April 20, 2011) -- Scientists seeking to understand the origin of the human mind may want to look to honeybees -- not ancestral apes -- for at least some of the answers, according to a University of Colorado Boulder archaeologist. ... > full story

Nanomedicine one step closer to reality (April 20, 2011) -- A class of engineered nanoparticles -- gold-centered spheres smaller than viruses -- has been shown safe when administered by two alternative routes in a new mouse study. ... > full story

Ends of chromosomes protected by stacked, coiled DNA caps (April 20, 2011) -- Researchers are delving into the details of the complex structure at the ends of chromosomes. Recent work describes how these structures, called telomeres, can be protected by caps made up of specialized proteins and stacks of DNA called G-quadruplexes, or "G4 DNA." ... > full story

Adaptive trial designs could accelerate HIV vaccine development (April 20, 2011) -- In the past 12 years, four large-scale efficacy trials of HIV vaccines have been conducted in various populations. Results from the most recent trial have given scientists reason for cautious optimism. Yet building on these findings could take years, given that traditional HIV vaccine clinical trials are lengthy, and that it is still not known which immune system responses a vaccine needs to trigger to protect an individual from HIV infection. ... > full story

Repeated stress in pregnancy linked to children's behavior (April 20, 2011) -- New research has found a link between the number of stressful events experienced during pregnancy and increased risk of behavioral problems in children. ... > full story

Decoding cancer patients' genomes is powerful diagnostic tool (April 20, 2011) -- Two new studies highlight the power of sequencing cancer patients' genomes as a diagnostic tool, helping doctors decide the best course of treatment and researchers identify new cancer susceptibility mutations that can be passed from parent to child. ... > full story

Minimizing side effects from chemoradiation could help brain cancer patients live longer (April 20, 2011) -- Minimizing neurological side effects in patients with high-grade glioma from chemoradiation may result in improved patient survival, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Satisfied people are more likely to vote (April 20, 2011) -- Contented people are more likely to vote than unhappy ones, according to a new study. ... > full story

Antibiotics cure anthrax in animal models (April 20, 2011) -- In the absence of early antibiotic treatment, respiratory anthrax is fatal. The 2001 bioterrorism attacks in the US killed four people, out of 22 infected (10 of them with respiratory anthrax), despite massive antibiotic administration, probably because therapy did not begin until the disease had reached the fulminant stage. But a multi-agent prophylaxis initiated within 24 hours post-infection prevented development of fatal anthrax respiratory disease, and treatment combining antibiotics with immunization with a protective antigen-based vaccine conferred long-term protective immunity against reestablishment of the disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

How peppermint helps to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (April 20, 2011) -- Researchers in Australia have shown for the first time how peppermint helps to relieve irritable bowel syndrome, which affects up to 20 percent of the population. In a new paper, they explain how peppermint activates an "anti-pain" channel in the colon, soothing inflammatory pain in the gastrointestinal tract. ... > full story

Antibiotics disrupt gut ecology, metabolism (April 20, 2011) -- Humans carry several pounds of microbes in our gastro-intestinal tracts. Recent research suggests that this microbial ecosystem plays a variety of critical roles in our health. Now, working in a mouse model, researchers from Canada describe many of the interactions between the intestinal microbiota and host, and show that antibiotics profoundly disrupt intestinal homeostasis. ... > full story

Does seeing overweight people make us eat more? (April 20, 2011) -- Consumers will choose and eat more indulgent food after they see someone who is overweight -- unless they consciously think about their health goals, according to a new study. ... > full story

Right-handedness prevailed 500,000 years ago (April 20, 2011) -- Markings on fossilized front teeth show that right-handedness goes back a half-million years in the human family. ... > full story

New link between mother's pregnancy diet and offspring's chances of obesity found (April 20, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that a mother's nutrition during pregnancy can strongly influence her child's risk of obesity many years later, by altering their DNA. ... > full story

Canola oil protects against colon cancer, study suggests (April 20, 2011) -- A study of canola oil finds that it reduces the size and incidence of colon tumors in laboratory animals, a scientist says. ... > full story

Why do hopeful consumers make healthier choices than happy ones? (April 20, 2011) -- Happy people are more likely to eat candy bars, whereas hopeful people choose fruit, according to a new study. That's because when people feel hope, they're thinking about the future. ... > full story

Nanoparticles with honeycomb cavities containing drugs blast cancer cells (April 20, 2011) -- Melding nanotechnology and medical research, researchers have produced an effective strategy that uses nanoparticles to blast cancerous cells with a melange of killer drugs. The researchers made silica nanoparticles honeycombed with cavities that can store large amounts and varieties of drugs. ... > full story

Improved recovery of motor function after stroke (April 20, 2011) -- After the acute treatment window closes, the only effective treatment for stroke is physical/occupational therapy. Now scientists report a two-pronged molecular therapy that leads to significant recovery of skilled motor function in a rat model of stroke. ... > full story

Cell of origin for squamous cell carcinoma discovered (April 20, 2011) -- Squamous cell cancers, which can occur in multiple organs in the body, can originate from hair follicle stem cells, a finding that could result in new strategies to treat and potentially prevent the disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Patients appear to adjust and learn to cope with loss or reduced sense of smell (April 20, 2011) -- Most patients who have a reduced ability to smell or detect odors seem to attach less importance to the sense of smell in their daily lives than people with a normal olfactory function, according to a new study. ... > full story

New biosensor microchip could speed up drug development, researchers say (April 20, 2011) -- A new biosensor microchip that could hold more than 100,000 magnetically sensitive nanosensors could speed up drug development markedly, researchers say. The nanosensors analyze how proteins bond -- a critical step in drug development. The ultrasensitive sensors can simultaneously monitor thousands of times more proteins than existing technology, deliver results faster and assess the strength of the bonds. ... > full story

C. difficile increases risk of death six-fold in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (April 20, 2011) -- Patients admitted to hospital with inflammatory bowel disease face a sixfold greater risk of death if they become infected with Clostridium difficile, a new study has found. ... > full story

New MRI methodology revolutionizes imaging of the beating heart (April 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have developed a highly efficient approach for imaging the beating human heart. The images produced in one of the world's most powerful MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) systems whose power is equivalent to 150,000 times Earth's magnetic field are of a much higher detail than cardiac images commonly generated in current clinical practice. The ultra-high field approach permits a superb delineation between blood and heart muscle. Even subtle anatomical structures are made clearly visible. The new procedure holds the promise to advance the capabilities of cardiac research and care as cardiac malfunctions can be diagnosed, treated and monitored at a much earlier point in disease progression. ... > full story

More accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s (April 20, 2011) -- A new study from Sweden shows how analysing spinal fluid can help to detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage. The researchers behind the study hope that their findings will contribute to a greater international breakthrough for this type of diagnostic method. ... > full story

How do consumers judge quality? It depends on who's making the purchase (April 20, 2011) -- Someone is more likely to predict the quality of a product by its price if someone else is buying it, according to a new study. But when consumers buy products themselves, they are more likely to judge quality by a product's attributes. ... > full story

Filters that reduce ‘brain clutter’ identified (April 19, 2011) -- Until now, it has been assumed that people with conditions like ADHD, Tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia -- all of whom characteristically report symptoms of "brain clutter" -- may suffer from anomalies in the brain's prefrontal cortex. But a researcher has brought new hope to these patients. He believes the key to the "brain clutter" and impulsivity shown by individuals with dysfunctional prefrontal cortices lies in a malfunction of a specific type of brain cell. ... > full story

Link between breast implants and rare form of cancer confirmed, but cause remains unclear (April 19, 2011) -- Breast implants appear to be associated with a rare form of lymphoma, but there is not yet evidence to show that the cancer is caused by implants or to suggest an underlying mechanism for how the disease might develop, according to a new study. ... > full story

Exploiting the stress response to detonate mitochondria in cancer cells (April 19, 2011) -- Researchers have found a new way to force cancer cells to self-destruct. Low doses of a drug that disrupts mitochondria allows a second drug to push the cell toward apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Their findings show how this combination approach synergistically kills tumor cells in both mouse models of glioblastoma and human glioblastoma cells. ... > full story

Rational, emotional reasons guide genetic-testing choices, study finds (April 19, 2011) -- Consumers decide whether to use mail-in genetic tests based on both rational and emotional reasons, a finding that adds to a growing body of health-care behavior research on information seeking and avoidance, according to researchers. ... > full story

Tinnitus caused by too little inhibition of brain auditory circuits, study finds (April 19, 2011) -- Tinnitus, a relentless ringing in the ears known to disable soldiers exposed to blasts, unwary listeners of too-loud music and millions more, is the result of under-inhibition of key neural pathways in the brain's auditory center, say scientists. The discovery could lead to effective treatment for a condition that currently has no cure. ... > full story

Gene necessary for successful repair of muscle damage identified (April 19, 2011) -- Scientists are a step closer to treating, and perhaps preventing, muscle damage caused by neurodegenerative disorders and other forms of disease. They have discovered that the gene polymerase I and transcript release factor, or PTRF, is an essential component of the cell process that repairs damaged muscle tissue. This discovery has the potential to lead to development of therapeutic treatment for patients who suffer from severe complications of diseases such as muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular disorders and other degenerative conditions. ... > full story

Limitations of question about race can create inaccurate picture of health-care disparities (April 19, 2011) -- What race best describes your background? That one question, which appears on most paperwork for health care, could leave entire groups of people underserved and contribute to racial health disparities, according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists discover how to predict learning using brain analysis (April 19, 2011) -- An international team of scientists has developed a way to predict how much a person can learn. Researchers collected brain imaging data from people performing a motor task, and then analyzed this data using new computational techniques. They found evidence that the flexibility of a person's brain can be used to predict how well someone will learn. The researchers view flexibility as how different areas of the brain link up in different combinations. ... > full story

How inflammation can lead to cancer (April 19, 2011) -- A new study shows how inflammation can help cause cancer. The study found that inflammation stimulates a rise in levels of a molecule called microRNA-155 (miR-155). This increase, in turn, causes a drop in levels of proteins involved in DNA repair, resulting in a higher rate of spontaneous gene mutations, which can contribute to cancer development. The findings suggest that drugs designed to reduce miR-155 levels might improve the treatment of inflammation-related cancers. ... > full story

Researchers discover precisely how thalidomide causes birth defects (April 19, 2011) -- Thalidomide may have been withdrawn in the early 1960s for use by pregnant women, but its dramatic effects remain memorable half a century later. Now, researchers have taken a major step toward understanding exactly how thalidomide causes the birth defects. This is important as thalidomide is still used to treat diseases like multiple myeloma and leprosy, and is being tested for cancers and autoimmune disorders. ... > full story

Marine organisms with eternal life can solve the riddle of aging (April 19, 2011) -- Animals that reproduce asexually by somatic cloning have special mechanisms that delay aging provide exceptionally good health. Scientists in Sweden have shown how colony-forming ascidians (or sea squirts) can activate the enzyme telomerase, which protects DNA. This enzyme is more active also in humans who attain an advanced age. ... > full story

Previous-day alcohol consumption appears to affect surgical skills on virtual reality simulator (April 19, 2011) -- Excessive alcohol consumption appears to be associated with changes in some surgical skills performed on virtual reality simulator testing the following day, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Thirdhand smoke' poses danger to unborn babies' lungs, study finds (April 19, 2011) -- Prenatal exposure to toxic components of a newly recognized category of tobacco smoke -- known as "thirdhand smoke" -- can have a serious effect on lung development in infants. ... > full story

Tibetian Terrier dogs could play key role in developing therapy for early-onset Parkinson’s (April 19, 2011) -- Researchers believe both humans and animals will benefit from their discovery that the same gene mutation found in Tibetan terrier dogs can also be found in a fatal human neurological disorder related to Parkinson's disease. ... > full story