ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Tuesday, August 23, 2011

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Traumatic brain injury increases risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers say; Threat doubles with exposure to the pesticide paraquat (August 23, 2011) -- While traumatic brain injury was known to be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), no one knew why. Now scientists have found the mechanism for this elevated, long-term risk that is caused by TBI -- the loss of a specific type of neuron that is known to cause PD. ... > full story

When well-known flu strains 'hook up' dangerous progeny can result (August 23, 2011) -- A new study finds that a process called reassortment, a kind of viral sexual reproduction, between the virus responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1) and a common type of avian flu virus (H9N2) can produce offspring -- new combined flu viruses -- with the potential for creating a new influenza pandemic. ... > full story

Road block as a new strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's (August 23, 2011) -- Two main agents involved in the inception of Alzheimer's disease (APP and beta secretase) follow a different path through the brain cells to meet up. ... > full story

Scale models: How patterns stay in sync with size as an embryo grows and develops (August 23, 2011) -- Scientists have added a significant piece to the puzzle of scaling -- how patterns stay in sync with size as an embryo or organism grows and develops. ... > full story

Happiness can deter crime, a new study finds (August 23, 2011) -- Happy youth report less involvement with crime, and programs that increase happiness could deter crime and drug use. ... > full story

Ancient whale skulls and directional hearing: A twisted tale (August 23, 2011) -- Skewed skulls may have helped early whales discriminate the direction of sounds in water and are not solely, as previously thought, a later adaptation related to echolocation. ... > full story

Confirmation that vitamin D acts as a protective agent against the advance of colon cancer (August 23, 2011) -- A new study confirms that a lack of vitamin D increases the aggressiveness of colon cancer. The indication that vitamin D and its derivatives have a protective effect against various types of cancer is not new. Researchers have now confirmed the pivotal role of vitamin D, specifically its receptor (VDR), in slowing down the action of a key protein in the carcinogenic transformation process of colon cancer cells. ... > full story

Milk better than water to rehydrate kids, study finds (August 23, 2011) -- Children become dehydrated during exercise, and it's important they get enough fluids, particularly before going into a second round of a game. A new study by researchers in Canada found that milk is better than either a sports drink or water because it is a source of high quality protein, carbohydrates, calcium and electrolytes. ... > full story

Narcolepsy and influenza: Onset of narcolepsy appears to follow seasonal patterns of H1N1, China study finds (August 23, 2011) -- The onset of narcolepsy appears to follow seasonal patterns of H1N1 and other upper airway infections, according to a new study of patients in China. ... > full story

Males believe discussing problems is a waste of time, study shows (August 23, 2011) -- A new study finds that boys feel that discussing problems is a waste of time. ... > full story

Small molecules shed light on cancer therapies (August 22, 2011) -- Patients suffering from an aggressive brain cancer will benefit from the results of a new study that could advance the development of targeted gene therapies and improve prognosis. ... > full story

Researchers find increase in infection rates in patients with cardiac electrophysiological devices (August 22, 2011) -- New research shows that patients in the United States who receive cardiac electrophysiological devices (CIEDs), including permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are now at greater risk of contracting an infection over the life span of the device. ... > full story

Measurement tools for traffic crash injury severity improving (August 22, 2011) -- Efforts to improve traffic safety have been aided by mathematical models that allow researchers to better assess those factors that impact the degree of injury suffered as a result of traffic crashes, researchers say. ... > full story

Experience puts the personal stamp on a place in memory: Seeing helps map a place in the mind, but exploration and experience are vital (August 22, 2011) -- Seeing and exploring both are necessary for stability in a person's episodic memory when taking in a new experience, say researchers. ... > full story

Effects of prenatal smoking on infant neurodevelopment may be worse than feared (August 22, 2011) -- In one of the largest studies of its kind to date, researchers have found that babies born to mothers who smoke while pregnant face substantial delays in early neurological development, and the effects may be stronger than researchers had previously thought. ... > full story

Heart attack patients winning the race to angioplasty treatment, U.S. study finds (August 22, 2011) -- Almost all heart attack patients who need the emergency artery-opening procedure known as angioplasty are receiving it within 90 minutes of being admitted to the hospital, a marked improvement from five years ago when most patients waited longer for the life-saving procedure, according to a report by U.S. researchers. ... > full story

Good ruminations or bad ruminations in the depressed brain? (August 22, 2011) -- All of us, at times, ruminate or brood on a problem in order to make the best possible decision in a complex situation. This ruminative thinking can be either passive and maladaptive (i.e., worrying) or active and solution-focused (i.e., coping). New research provides insights into how these types of rumination are represented in the brains of depressed persons. ... > full story

Incisionless surgery now available as an investigational treatment for esophageal disorder (August 22, 2011) -- POEM is one of a growing number of surgeries to use the body's natural orifices for entry, thus eliminating the need for traditional incisions. ... > full story

Tuning natural antimicrobials to improve their effectiveness at battling superbugs (August 22, 2011) -- Ongoing research is exploring the use of virus-produced proteins that destroy bacterial cells to combat potentially dangerous microbial infections. Bacteriophages produce endolysin proteins that specifically target certain bacteria, and one team of scientists has been studying one that destroys Clostridium difficile, a common source of hospital-acquired infections. New research is showing that it is possible to "tune" these endolysin properties to increase their effectiveness and effectiveness as antimicrobial agents. ... > full story

Reduced recognition of fear and sadness in post-traumatic stress disorder (August 22, 2011) -- Facial expressions convey strong cues for someone's emotional state and the ability to interpret these cues is crucial in social interaction. This ability is known to be compromised in many psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as social anxiety or Korsakoff's syndrome. New research has now revealed evidence that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also characterized by changes in the way the brain processes specific emotions and that certain aspects of this disorder could be understood as a consequence of the altered processing of emotional cues. ... > full story

Possible trigger point of epileptic seizures identified (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy. ... > full story

Newest screen for newborns will indicate heart problems (August 22, 2011) -- About one in every 120 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), of which about 25 percent is critical, requiring special care early in life. Now a group of physicians and scientists has published an important article that recommends strategies for national screening for critical CHD, using a simple, noninvasive test called pulse oximetry that measures oxygen in blood. ... > full story

Practice makes perfect: Competitive Scrabble players push the boundaries of accepted visual word recognition (August 22, 2011) -- Word recognition behavior can be fine-tuned by experience and practice, according to a new study by researchers in Canada. Their work shows, for the first time, that it is possible to develop visual word recognition ability in adulthood, beyond what researchers thought was achievable. Competitive Scrabble players provide the proof. ... > full story

Painting a 'bullseye' on cancer cells (August 22, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully created the first genome-scale model of cancer cell metabolism, which can be used to predict which drugs are lethal to cell function. They've demonstrated the efficacy of this method in both computer and laboratory models for kidney cancer, and it holds the promise of effective drug therapies for other kinds of cancer as well. ... > full story

Ignored virus can cause liver cancer, study suggests; Should we be screening blood for hepatitis G? (August 22, 2011) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared hepatitis G non-harmful in 1997, but researchers in Saudi Arabia present evidence to suggest that it causes liver disease and cancer. ... > full story

Large weight gains most likely for men after divorce, women after marriage (August 22, 2011) -- Both marriage and divorce can act as "weight shocks," leading people to add a few extra pounds -- especially among those over age 30 -- according to a new study. But when it comes to large weight gains, the effects of marital transitions are quite different for men than they are for women. ... > full story

At last, a reason why stress causes DNA damage (August 22, 2011) -- For years, researchers have published papers that associate chronic stress with chromosomal damage. Now researchers have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain the stress response in terms of DNA damage. ... > full story

New way to treat common hospital-acquired infection: Novel approach may offer treatment for other bacterial diseases (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a molecular process by which the body can defend against the effects of Clostridium difficile, an intestinal disease that impacts several million in the U.S. each year. A commonly acquired hospital infection, the disease has become more common, more severe and harder to cure mainly due to the emergence of a new, highly virulent strain of the bacteria that causes it. ... > full story

Sweet insight: Discovery could speed drug development (August 22, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers have described a simple process to separate sugars from a carrier molecule, then attach them to a drug or other chemical. ... > full story

Psychologists develop successful prevention program for postpartum OCD (August 22, 2011) -- The birth of a baby can elicit many emotions, from joy and excitement to fear and uncertainty. But it can also trigger unexpected difficulties with anxiety, in particular with postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Psychologists have developed an effective program for the prevention of postpartum obsessive compulsive symptoms. ... > full story

Common cause of all forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) discovered (August 22, 2011) -- The cause of ALS, a fatal disease that paralyzes its victims, has long eluded scientists. But a new study for the first time has identified a common cause of all forms of ALS, opening a new field to find a treatment. The cause is a broken recycling system in the neurons in the spinal cord and brain that results in severely damaged cells. The finding also may have a wider role in other dementias such as Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Imaging probe allows noninvasive detection of dangerous heart-valve infection (August 22, 2011) -- A novel imaging probe may make it possible to diagnose accurately a dangerous infection of the heart valves. Scientists have now shown how the presence of Staphylococcus aureus-associated endocarditis in a mouse model was revealed by PET imaging with a radiolabeled version of a protein involved in a process that usually conceals infecting bacteria from the immune system. ... > full story

Single flexible sigmoidoscopy screening associated with reduced colorectal cancer (August 22, 2011) -- A single flexible sigmoidoscopy screening between the ages of 55-64 years is associated with a lower level of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mothers' poor health impairs children's well-being, not only due to genetics (August 22, 2011) -- Disadvantaged, unhealthy mothers are much more likely to have sickly children than are disadvantaged moms who are relatively healthy -- and this is not only due to genetics, suggests new research. ... > full story

Any prime-boost mix of injected or spray flu vaccine shields toddlers: Broadest immune response from nasal spray vaccine, study finds (August 22, 2011) -- Children younger than 3 years old receive the same protective antibody response from the recommended two doses of licensed seasonal influenza vaccines regardless of whether the two doses are injected by needle, inhaled through a nasal spray or provided through one dose of each in any order, according to researchers. Doctors usually give young children two matching vaccines, and one goal of the study was to determine whether giving two different types of vaccines works just as well. ... > full story

Researchers on the trail of a treatment for cancer of the immune system (August 22, 2011) -- Danish researchers have become the first in the world to regulate a special receptor or bio-antenna that plays a vital part when the Epstein Barr herpes virus infects us and when this infection appears to be mutating into cancer of the immune system. Using a biochemical blueprint and a tiny bio-molecule researchers have succeeded in blocking the receptor concerned. This will make it possible to adjust and regulate the memory cells of the immune system. ... > full story

Metformin and exercise combination less effective for glucose control (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers looking at the effects of metformin and exercise in Type 2 diabetes patients found that a combination of these modalities didn't lower glucose control as much as hoped. Surprisingly, study participants showed better glucose control when sedentary. Researchers think that because metformin and exercise both act to lower glucose levels, the combination may have triggered a counter regulatory response by the body to prevent glucose levels dipping too much. ... > full story

New job trends reproducing old forms of gender inequality (August 22, 2011) -- Jobs that come with large paychecks but long work hours are slowing the gains women have made since the late 70s in narrowing the gender wage gap. A study by sociologists finds that the growing trend of overworking -- working 50 hours a week or more -- is partly responsible for the slowdown Americans have experienced since the mid-1990s in the convergence of the gender gap in pay. ... > full story

Most U.S. heart attack patients needing angioplasty treated within recommended time, study finds (August 22, 2011) -- More than 90 percent of U.S. heart attack patients who require an emergency artery-opening procedure known as angioplasty, are treated within the recommended 90 minutes, compared to less than half five years before, according to a new study. From 2005-2010, the average time from hospital admission to angioplasty decreased from 96 to 64 minutes. This significant improvement resulted from a concerted nationwide effort to improve care. ... > full story

Cause of stress-related DNA damage pinpointed: Findings suggest new model for developing novel therapeutic approaches (August 22, 2011) -- Sscientists have helped identify a molecular pathway that plays a key role in stress-related damage to the genome, the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. ... > full story

Coronary artery stenting viable palliative option for infants and toddlers (August 22, 2011) -- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not a generally accepted option for infants or toddlers with acute coronary syndrome. However, a new report has found coronary stent implantation to be a feasible and safe palliative option for children fifteen months and younger. ... > full story

Drop in hormone therapy use linked with drop in mammogram rates (August 22, 2011) -- A new analysis has found that a decline in hormone therapy (HT) use among women aged 50 to 64 years is linked with lower mammogram rates among these women. The study suggests that when women stop seeing their doctor for HT prescriptions, physicians do not have the opportunity to remind them that their mammograms are due. ... > full story

Extramarital sex and divorce more common among veterans (August 22, 2011) -- Veterans were significantly more likely to have ever engaged in extramarital sex and ever gotten divorced than people who were never in the military, according to new research. ... > full story

Radioembolization improves chance of survival for liver cancer patients, study suggests (August 22, 2011) -- Analysis revealed survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is achievable using 90Y-resin microsphere radioembolization. The analysis conducted at multiple centers across Europe showed that the procedure is likely to provide survival benefit across different tumor stages, including patients with advanced liver cancer and with limited treatment options. ... > full story

New 'bionic' leg gives amputees a natural gait (August 21, 2011) -- A new lower-limb prosthetic uses the latest advances in computer, sensor, electric motor and battery technology to give it bionic capabilities. ... > full story

Gene that exacerbates risk factors for heart disease and diabetes identified (August 21, 2011) -- A scientist has discovered how a gene known as SIRT3 contributes to a suite of health problems sweeping across America, offering new insight into how to combat these potentially fatal conditions. ... > full story

New drug changes beat in treating heart failure (August 21, 2011) -- A new drug which offers a radically different approach to treating certain types of heart failure has been shown to improve cardiac function in heart failure patients in its first clinical trials. ... > full story

Children with cerebral palsy: Change the environment, not the child, researchers say (August 21, 2011) -- A successful new rehabilitation approach to treating children with cerebral palsy puts its focus on where a child lives and plays, not just improving the child's balance, posture and movement skills. Called a "context-focused intervention," this approach is just as beneficial as traditional child-focused therapy, offering parents an additional treatment option for their child, researchers in Canada report in a new study. ... > full story

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