ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Friday, September 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Friday, September 23, 2011

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Bioengineers reprogram muscles to combat degeneration (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have turned back the clock on mature muscle tissue, coaxing it back to an earlier stem cell stage to form new muscle. Moreover, they showed in mice that the newly reprogrammed muscle stem cells could be used to help repair damaged tissue. The research could lead to new treatments to combat muscle degeneration. ... > full story

Five new genes affecting the risk of coronary artery disease identified (September 23, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered five new genes that affect the risk of developing coronary artery disease and heart attacks. ... > full story

Novel technique reveals both gene number and protein expression simultaneously (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a method to simultaneously measure gene number and protein expression in individual cells. The fluorescence microscopy technique could permit a detailed analysis of the relationship between gene status and expression of the corresponding protein in cells and tissues, and bring a clearer understanding of cancer and other complex diseases. ... > full story

Single-sex schooling does not improve academic performance and can lead to gender stereotyping, study finds (September 23, 2011) -- Social scientists have found that there is no well-designed research that demonstrates that single-sex schools improve student's academic performance. However, there is evidence that sex segregation increases gender stereotyping among children and teachers and legitimizes institutional sexism. ... > full story

BPA alters development of in vitro ova and could increase risk of Down syndrome, study suggests (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain analysed the effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a polymer widely used to manufacture plastics, in an in vitro culture of ovaries. The research demonstrated that exposure to this substance gravely altered the development of oocytes and future ova, possibly diminishing the fertility of a woman's offspring and at the same time increasing the risk of Down Syndrome in following generations. ... > full story

Error rate higher in breast imaging reports generated by automatic speech recognition, study finds (September 23, 2011) -- Breast imaging reports generated using an automatic speech recognition system are nearly six times more likely to contain major errors than those generated with conventional dictation transcription, a new study in Canada shows. ... > full story

Spiral constriction: How dynamin mediates cellular nutrient uptake (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have determined the molecular structure of dynamin -- a "wire-puller" that mediates nutrient uptake into the cell. Since pathogens such as HIV can also enter the body's cells in this way, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms can potentially open up new approaches for medical applications. ... > full story

Extent of peer social networks influences onset of adolescent alcohol consumption (September 23, 2011) -- Most parents recognize that the influence of peers on their children's behavior is an undeniable fact. But, just how far do these influences reach? A new study finds that adolescents are more likely to start drinking alcoholic beverages when they have large social networks of friends. ... > full story

Newly identified antibodies may improve pneumonia vaccine design (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered how a novel type of antibody works against pneumococcal bacteria. ... > full story

Close up look at a microbial vaccination program (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers, using a combination of cryo-electron microscopy and 3-D image reconstruction, determined the structure of Cascade, a protein complex that plays a key role in the microbial immune system by detecting and inactivating the nucleic acid of invading pathogens. Microbial immune systems in the human microbiome play a critical role in preserving the health of their human host. ... > full story

Cellular origin of a rare form of breast cancer identified (September 22, 2011) -- Identifying the cellular origins of breast cancer might lead to earlier diagnosis and more efficient management of the disease. New research has determined that common forms of human breast cancers originate from breast cells known as luminal epithelial cells, while rare forms of breast cancer, such as metaplastic carcinomas, originate from basal epithelial cell types. ... > full story

With more choice, friends are more similar, but not closer (September 22, 2011) -- People prefer to make friends with others who share their beliefs, values and interests. The more choice people have, the more their friends are alike, but the similar friends are not closer to one another than less similar friends. ... > full story

Virus kills breast cancer cells in laboratory (September 22, 2011) -- A nondisease-causing virus kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory, creating opportunities for potential new cancer therapies, according to researchers who tested the virus on three different breast cancer types that represent the multiple stages of breast cancer development. ... > full story

Cancer drug may also work for scleroderma, study suggests (September 22, 2011) -- A drug used to treat cancer may also be effective in diseases that cause scarring of the internal organs or skin, such as pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma. The drug, with the generic name bortezomib, stopped the development of fibrotic proteins in human cells and stopped the development of fibrous scarring in a mouse model of fibrotic disease. There currently is no effective treatment for these diseases, which have a high fatality rate. ... > full story

Hedging your bets: How the brain makes decisions based on related information (September 22, 2011) -- When making decisions based on multiple, interdependent factors, we choose based on how these factors correlate with each other, and not based on an ad hoc rule of thumb or through trial and error as was previously thought, according to new research. ... > full story

Radiation boost for artificial joints (September 22, 2011) -- A blast of gamma radiation could toughen up plastic prosthetic joints to make them strong enough to last for years, according to researchers. ... > full story

Vitamin D deficiency linked with airway changes in children with severe asthma (September 22, 2011) -- Children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) may have poorer lung function and worse symptoms compared to children with moderate asthma, due to lower levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to researchers. Lower levels of vitamin D may cause structural changes in the airway muscles of children with STRA, making breathing more difficult. The study provides important new evidence for possible treatments for the condition. ... > full story

Men and women cooperate equally for the common good, study finds (September 22, 2011) -- Stereotypes suggest women are more cooperative than men, but an analysis of 50 years of research shows that men are equally cooperative, particularly in situations involving a dilemma that pits the interests of an individual against the interests of a group. ... > full story

New system finds prostate cancer spread earlier than conventional imaging (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a way to image the spread of a particularly dangerous form of prostate cancer earlier than conventional imaging in use today, which may allow oncologists to find and treat these metastases more quickly and give patients a better chance at survival. ... > full story

The 'disinhibited' brain: New findings on CRPS -- a disease characterized by severe pain (September 22, 2011) -- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also known as Morbus Sudeck, is characterised by "disinhibition" of various sensory and motor areas in the brain. A multidisciplinary research group has now demonstrated for the first time that with unilateral CRPS excitability increases not only in the brain area processing the sense of touch of the affected hand. In addition, the brain region representing the healthy hand is simultaneously "disinhibited." ... > full story

Scientists induce hibernation at will: Discovery puts scientists closer to human application (September 22, 2011) -- Hibernation is an essential survival strategy for some animals and scientists have long thought it could also hold promise for human survival. But how hibernation works is largely unknown. Scientists have successfully induced hibernation at will, showing how the process is initiated. ... > full story

Good night's sleep may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes in obese teens (September 22, 2011) -- Obese teenagers who don't get the proper amount of sleep may have disruptions in insulin secretion and blood sugar (glucose) levels, say pediatric researchers. Their study suggests that getting a good night's sleep may stave off the development of type 2 diabetes in these adolescents. ... > full story

Do women's voices really allow men to detect ovulation? No, says new study (September 22, 2011) -- The voice can reveal a lot about a person -- their sex, their age, how they are feeling -- and recent studies have even suggested that women's voices might also contain cues that men can read about how close they are to ovulation. A new study, however, challenges the view that women broadcast reproductive information in their voice. ... > full story

Biologists discover genes that repair nerves after injury (September 22, 2011) -- Biologists have identified more than 70 genes that play a role in regenerating nerves after injury, providing biomedical researchers with a valuable set of genetic leads for use in developing therapies to repair spinal cord injuries and other common kinds of nerve damage such as stroke. ... > full story

Blood pressure drugs may lengthen lives of melanoma patients (September 22, 2011) -- Beta-blocker drugs, commonly used to treat high blood pressure, may also play a major role in slowing the progression of certain serious cancers, based on a new study. A review of thousands of medical records showed that patients with the skin cancer melanoma, and who also were taking a specific beta-blocker, had much lower mortality rates than did patients not taking the drug. ... > full story

Genetic 'GPS' system to comprehensively locate and track inhibitory nerve cells created (September 22, 2011) -- Neuroscientists have succeeded in creating what amounts to a GPS system for locating and tracking GABA inhibitory neurons, a vital class of brain cells that until now has eluded comprehensive identification, particularly in living animals. 20 mouse lines provide views of cortical GABA neurons not previously possible. ... > full story

Important new familial motor neuron disease gene identified (September 22, 2011) -- Families suffering from a history of motor neuron disease have helped an international scientific team locate a new gene linked to the incurable disease. The team discovered the patients share a changed genetic segment on the short arm of chromosome 9. The new discovery will lead to new blood tests for families with a history of this condition. ... > full story

U.S. Civil War took bigger toll than previously estimated, new analysis suggests (September 22, 2011) -- The Civil War -- already considered the deadliest conflict in American history -- in fact took a toll far more severe than previously estimated. That's what a new analysis of census data reveals. ... > full story

Potential target for treating common form of early-onset dementia identified (September 22, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that a key signaling pathway plays an important role in frontotemporal dementia and may offer a potential target for treatment of the devastating brain disorder, which accounts for one in four cases of early-onset dementia. ... > full story

How our liver kills 'killer cells' (September 22, 2011) -- Our livers can fight back against the immune system -- reducing organ rejection but also making us more susceptible to liver disease. Scientists have seen for the first time (in mice) how the liver goes independent, engulfing and destroying the body's defense troops -- T-cells. Their discovery opens the way to both new approaches to transplant rejection, and to the fight against hepatitis and other chronic liver diseases. ... > full story

Overweight older women have less leg strength, power (September 22, 2011) -- Leg strength and power of overweight older women is significantly less than that of normal-weight older women, increasing their risk for disability and loss of independence. With more Americans aging and becoming overweight or obese, the study dispels the popular image of the bird-thin elder being at greatest risk of becoming disabled due to loss of muscle mass. ... > full story

Super-sized heart valve provides clues to blood flow (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers in Ireland have developed a super-sized model of a heart valve which may lead to a new generation of cardiovascular devices. Every year, mechanical valves are inserted into approximately 125,000 patients with heart valve disease around the world. However, the valves can lead to unnatural blood flows, which can trigger a clotting reaction. Because of this, patients with prosthetic heart valves must take medication daily, which can lead to side effects. ... > full story

Stressed and strapped: Caregivers for friends, relatives suffer emotional and financial strain (September 22, 2011) -- Those caring for aging or disabled relatives in California are under both financial and emotional strain and are likely to face even greater burdens given recent cuts in state support for programs that support in-home care, write the authors of a new policy brief. The study looks at California's more than six million informal caregivers and finds higher levels of serious psychological distress and negative health behaviors. ... > full story

Electrical stimulation of brain boosts birth of new cells: Animal study suggests deep brain stimulation improves memory (September 22, 2011) -- Stimulating a specific region of the brain leads to the production of new brain cells that enhance memory, according to an animal study. The findings show how deep brain stimulation -- a clinical intervention that delivers electrical pulses to targeted areas of the brain -- may work to improve cognition. ... > full story

Anti-aging creams: Is the 'longevity gene' nearing the end of its life? (September 22, 2011) -- Sirtuins, proteins believed to significantly increase lifespan in a number of organisms -- and the claimed target of some anti-aging creams -- do not, in fact, affect animal longevity, according to new research. ... > full story

Chinese researchers identify insect host species of a famous Tibetan medicinal fungus (September 22, 2011) -- Based on an extensive survey of the literature pertaining to the Chinese caterpillar fungus, a fungus with high medicinal and economic values, researchers investigated a total of 91 insect species and found 57 of these to be potential hosts to the fungus. ... > full story

Early antiretroviral therapy for HIV shown cost-effective, Haiti study finds (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers in the U.S. and Haiti have shown that early treatment of HIV not only saves lives but is also cost-effective. ... > full story

Toward an improved test for adulterated heparin (September 22, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting refinement of a new test that promises to help assure the safety of supplies of heparin, the blood thinner taken by millions of people worldwide each year to prevent blood clots. The test can quickly and economically detect adulterants, including the substance responsible for hundreds of illnesses and deaths among patients taking heparin in 2008. ... > full story

YouTube videos can inaccurately depict Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, study finds (September 22, 2011) -- After reviewing the most frequently watched YouTube videos about movement disorders, a group of neurologists found that the people in the videos often do not have a movement disorder. ... > full story

Elderly breast cancer patients risk treatment discrimination (September 22, 2011) -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer late in life are at greater risk of dying from the disease than younger patients, assuming they survive other age-related conditions, according to new analysis. The results suggest that elderly women are being under-treated; in addition, there may be differences in the progress of the disease. ... > full story

Time to stop giving toxic drugs to kidney transplant patients? (September 22, 2011) -- A new analysis has found that transplant patients can safely minimize or avoid using calcineurin inhibitors. ... > full story

Early research shows dietary supplement may lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (September 22, 2011) -- In an early preclinical study in mice, researchers demonstrated that a dietary supplement may help inhibit development of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, conditions involved in development of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. ... > full story

Opioids linked to higher risk of pneumonia in older adults (September 22, 2011) -- Opioids -- a class of medicines commonly given for pain -- were associated with a higher risk of pneumonia in a study of 3,061 adults, aged 65 to 94. The study also found that benzodiazepines, which are drugs generally given for insomnia and anxiety, did not affect pneumonia risk. ... > full story

Sex segregation in schools detrimental to equality (September 22, 2011) -- Students who attend sex-segregated schools are not necessarily better educated than students who attend coeducational schools, but they are more likely to accept gender stereotypes, according to a team of psychologists. ... > full story

The key to lower dose CT fluoroscopy for spine injections is reducing the dose of the planning CT (September 22, 2011) -- The radiation dose for a CT fluoroscopy is about half that for conventional fluoroscopy to guide epidural steroid injections, however, the dose is substantially more than conventional fluoroscopy when a full lumbar planning CT scan is performed as part of the CT-guided procedure, a new study shows. ... > full story

Rise found in prostate biopsy complications and high post-procedure hospitalization rate (September 22, 2011) -- In a study of complication rates following prostate biopsy among Medicare beneficiaries, researchers have found a significant rise in serious complications requiring hospitalization. The researchers found that this common outpatient procedure, used to diagnose prostate cancer, was associated with a 6.9 percent rate of hospitalization within 30 days of biopsy compared to a 2.9 percent hospitalization rate among a control group of men who did not have a prostate biopsy. ... > full story

Researchers discover how 'promiscuous parasites' hijack host immune cells (September 21, 2011) -- Researchers recently discovered how T. gondii evades our defenses by hacking immune cells, making it the first known parasite to control its host's immune system. A new study describes a forced partnership between parasite and host that challenges common conceptions of how pathogens interact with the body. ... > full story

Zinc regulates communication between brain cells (September 21, 2011) -- Zinc has been found to play a critical role in regulating communication between cells in the brain, possibly governing the formation of memories and controlling the occurrence of epileptic seizures. ... > full story

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