ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 22, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, June 22, 2011

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Stem cell model offers clues to cause of inherited ALS (June 22, 2011) -- Scientists have used induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to reveal for the first time how reduced levels of a specific protein may play a central role in causing at least one inherited form of the disease. ... > full story

Strawberries boost red blood cells, study finds (June 22, 2011) -- A group of volunteers ate half a kilo of strawberries every day for two weeks to demonstrate that eating this fruit improves the antioxidant capacity of blood. The study, carried out by Italian and Spanish researchers, showed that strawberries boost red blood cells' response to oxidative stress, an imbalance that is associated with various diseases. ... > full story

Common rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis medications are associated with reduced diabetes risk (June 22, 2011) -- Researchers sought to determine whether commonly used disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, which are directed against inflammation, might reduce the risk for developing diabetes in patients with RA or psoriasis. They found that among patients with RA or psoriasis, the risk for developing diabetes was lower for those patients who started TNF inhibitor or hydroxychloroquine. ... > full story

Anti-smoking policies for adults also reduce kids' smoking (June 22, 2011) -- In Australia adult-focused quit-smoking programs have produced an additional benefit: they have also reduced smoking among adolescents. ... > full story

Intensive-dose statin therapy associated with increased risk of diabetes (June 22, 2011) -- An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that intensive-dose statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes compared with moderate-dose therapy, according to a study. ... > full story

Most heart-attack patients needing procedure at another hospital not transferred in recommended time (June 22, 2011) -- Only about 10 percent of patients with a certain type of heart attack who need to be transferred to another hospital for a PCI (procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) are transferred within the recommended time of 30 minutes. ... > full story

Yeast genomes: Genetic codes for species of yeasts identified and compared (June 22, 2011) -- A team of US researchers has identified and compared the genetic codes for all known species of yeasts closely related to bakers' and brewers' yeast (the former used in pizza dough, the latter in beer), which lays the foundation for future understanding of mutation and disease, as studies of yeasts often identify key genes and mechanisms of disease. ... > full story

Depression, age, other factors linked to dependence after stroke (June 22, 2011) -- People who have a stroke are more likely to be dependent if they are depressed, older or have other medical problems, according to a new study. ... > full story

Smoking during pregnancy lowers levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol in children (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers in Australia have discovered that mothers who smoke during pregnancy are causing developmental changes to their unborn babies that lead to them having lower levels of the type of cholesterol that is known to protect against heart disease in later life -- high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. ... > full story

Decoding chronic lymphocytic leukemia (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have identified new gene mutations in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia -- a disease often associated with lack of response to chemotherapy and poor overall survival. ... > full story

Forensics: Lamps and spectrometers used to age bruises precisely (June 21, 2011) -- Forensic scientists have to rely on their own subjective experience when asked to ascertain the age of contusions. Now, however, researchers in Norway have found a far more objective and precise method, using lamps and spectrometers. From the assembled data the researchers created a model for bruise progression over time which enables them to determine the age of the bruises more reliably. Bruises on children develop differently from on adults. Knowledge within this area could be particularly important in cases of suspected child abuse. ... > full story

Hypnosis/local anesthesia combination during surgery helps patients, reduces hospital stays, study finds (June 21, 2011) -- Anaesthesiologists have found that using a combination of hypnosis and local anaesthesia (LA) in surgery where LA is feasible but, not on its own, sufficient to ensure patient comfort, can aid healing and reduce drug use and hospital stays. ... > full story

Exercise associated with longer survival after brain cancer diagnosis (June 21, 2011) -- Brain cancer patients who are able to exercise live significantly longer than sedentary patients, scientists report. ... > full story

Device could improve harvest of stem cells from umbilical cord blood (June 21, 2011) -- A graduate student team has invented a system to significantly boost the number of stem cells collected from a newborn's umbilical cord and placenta, so that many more patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders can be treated. ... > full story

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with different types of obesity in black and white children (June 21, 2011) -- A recent study found that while black and white children with vitamin D deficiency both had higher fat levels, black children were more likely to have higher levels of fat just under their skin and white children were more likely to have higher levels of fat between their internal organs. ... > full story

Do kids prefer playmates of same ethnicity? (June 21, 2011) -- Multicultural daycares don’t necessarily foster a desire for kids of visibly different ethnicities to play together. A study on Asian-Canadian and French-Canadian preschoolers has found these children may have a preference to interact with kids of their own ethnic group. ... > full story

First genetic mutation linked to heart failure in pregnant women (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the first genetic mutation ever associated with a mysterious and potentially devastating form of heart disease that affects women in the final weeks of pregnancy or the first few months after delivery. ... > full story

Blueberries help lab rats build strong bones (June 21, 2011) -- Compounds in blueberries might turn out to have a powerful effect on formation of strong, healthy bones, if results from studies with laboratory rats turn out to hold true for humans. ... > full story

Adulterated cocaine causing serious skin reactions; With up to 70 percent contaminated, doctors warn of potential public health epidemic (June 21, 2011) -- Doctors warn of a potential public health epidemic in a recent report on patients who developed serious skin reactions after smoking or snorting cocaine believed to be contaminated with a veterinary medication. ... > full story

What do we pay attention to? (June 21, 2011) -- Once we learn the relationship between a cue and its consequences -- say, the sound of a bell and the appearance of the white ice cream truck bearing our favorite chocolate cone -- do we turn our attention to that bell whenever we hear it? ... > full story

Can humans sense Earth's magnetism? Human retina protein can function as light-sensitive magnetic sensor (June 21, 2011) -- New research shows that a protein expressed in the human retina can sense magnetic fields when implanted into Drosophila, reopening an area of sensory biology in humans for further exploration. ... > full story

Resveratrol studies confirms potential health boost (June 21, 2011) -- A review of research finds the polyphenol compound known as resveratrol found in red wine, grapes and other fruits may not prevent old age, but it might make it more tolerable. ... > full story

Millions with peripheral artery disease not getting vital medications, study finds (June 21, 2011) -- Millions of adults with peripheral artery disease are not receiving the medications needed to reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to new research. ... > full story

'Smart materials' that make proteins form crystals to boost research into new drugs (June 21, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new method to make proteins form crystals using "smart materials" that remember the shape and characteristics of the molecule. ... > full story

Marriage improves odds of surviving colon cancer (June 21, 2011) -- Married patients had a 14 percent lower risk of death according to researchers. That estimate is based on analysis of 127,753 patient records. Similar to studies of other types of cancers, the researchers did find that married people were diagnosed at earlier stages of colon cancer and sought more aggressive treatment. The researchers took those and other factors into account before calculating the benefit of marriage on survival odds. ... > full story

Breakthrough in the search for new treatments for multiple sclerosis (June 21, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism which could bring about the development of new treatments for multiple sclerosis -- a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. ... > full story

Natural Alzheimer's weapon suggests better treatment (June 21, 2011) -- Scientists have shown a molecular chaperone is working like a waste management company to collect and detoxify high levels of toxic amyloid beta peptide found in Alzheimer's disease. It was known that the molecular chaperone, HspB1, was present in the hallmark plaque of Alzheimer's patients but its role remained a mystery. ... > full story

Link between low birth weights and obesity later in life: Altering hormone levels changes cellular development in the brain (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers found altering the levels of two common hormones, insulin and leptin, in utero changes the cellular development in the region of the brain that regulates appetite. ... > full story

Husband's employment status threatens marriage, but wife's does not, study finds (June 21, 2011) -- A new study of employment and divorce suggest that while social pressure discouraging women from working outside the home has weakened, pressure on husbands to be breadwinners largely remains. ... > full story

Heart disease: Stabalizing vulnerable plaques could wipe out half of coronary events, report suggests (June 21, 2011) -- Introducing stabilization of vulnerable plaques as part of secondary prevention would offer the opportunity to wipe out half of coronary events, report suggests. ... > full story

Study compares two types of botulinum toxin for cosmetic use (June 21, 2011) -- Not all varieties of botulinum toxin seem to be equally effective in reducing crow's feet wrinkles, according to a new study. ... > full story

Energy drinks linked to substance use in musicians, study shows (June 21, 2011) -- Frequent use of energy drinks is associated with binge drinking, alcohol-related social problems and misuse of prescription drugs among musicians, according to new research. ... > full story

Genius of Einstein, Fourier key to new computer vision that mimics how humans perceive 3-D shapes (June 21, 2011) -- Two new techniques for computer-vision technology mimic how humans perceive three-dimensional shapes by instantly recognizing objects no matter how they are twisted or bent, an advance that could help machines see more like people. ... > full story

Every second counts when performing CPR: Increase in survival when AED used less than 10 seconds after CPR pause (June 21, 2011) -- A new study has found the number of people who survive after suffering a cardiac arrest outside a hospital drops significantly if the pause between stopping CPR and using a defibrillator to administer an electric shock is longer than 20 seconds. ... > full story

Exercise training program improves outcomes in 'Grinch Syndrome' patients (June 21, 2011) -- An exercise training program worked better than a commonly used beta blocker, significantly improving -- even curing -- patients with a debilitating heart syndrome, according to new research. ... > full story

Need a nap? Find yourself a hammock (June 21, 2011) -- For grownups, drifting off for an afternoon snooze is often easier said than done. But many of us have probably experienced just how simple it can be to catch those zzz's in a gently rocking hammock. By examining brain waves in sleeping adults, researchers now have evidence to explain why that is. ... > full story

Unexpected function of dyslexia-linked gene: Controlling cilia of cells (June 21, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that a gene linked to dyslexia has a surprising biological function: it controls cilia, the antenna-like projections that cells use to communicate. ... > full story

Discoveries in mitochondria open new field of cancer research (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed novel mechanisms in mitochondria that have implications for cancer as well as many other age-related diseases such as Parkinson's disease, heart disease and hypertension. This discovery has pioneered the formation of a whole new field within epigenetics research ripe with possibilities of developing future gene therapies to treat cancer and age-associated diseases. ... > full story

How the immune system responds to hepatitis A virus (June 21, 2011) -- A surprising finding in a study comparing hepatitis C virus (HCV) with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in chimpanzees sheds new light on the nature of the body's immune response to these viruses. ... > full story

Learning from mom boosts low-income kids' school readiness (June 21, 2011) -- Previous research says on average, children living in poverty are less well prepared to start school than children from middle-income homes. Now, new research says home learning experiences may help low-income children's school readiness. ... > full story

Certain drugs lower risk of diabetes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis (June 21, 2011) -- In a study that included nearly 14,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, the use of certain disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was found to lower the risk of diabetes. ... > full story

Diabetic kidney disease more prevalent in US (June 21, 2011) -- Over the past two decades the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease in the US increased in direct proportion to the prevalence of diabetes itself, according to a new study. ... > full story

Being a smoker at time of prostate cancer diagnosis linked with increased risk of death (June 21, 2011) -- Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and who are also smokers have an associated increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and prostate cancer-specific death, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. These patients also had an increased likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence. ... > full story

New evidence of the benefits of home dialysis for kidney patients (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have found more evidence of the benefits of home dialysis for patients with kidney failure. ... > full story

Buzz kills: No amount of alcohol safe to drive (June 20, 2011) -- In the United States, the blood-alcohol limit may be 0.08 percent, but no amount of alcohol seems to be safe for driving, according to new research. A study finds that blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit are associated with incapacitating injury and death. ... > full story

Signaling pathway is 'executive software' of airway stem cells (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways "decide" to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways. ... > full story

Genetic factor controls health-harming inflammation in obese: Trigger holds promise for treating diabetes, other chronic illnesses (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a genetic factor that can regulate obesity-induced inflammation that contributes to chronic health problems. ... > full story

Fat substitutes linked to weight gain: Rats on high-fat diet gained more weight after eating low-calorie potato chips made with fat substitutes (June 20, 2011) -- Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, a new study suggests. ... > full story