ScienceDaily Health Headlines
for Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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Secret Of Newborn's First Words Revealed (August 27, 2008) -- A new study could explain why "daddy" and "mommy" are often a baby's first words -- the human brain may be hard-wired to recognize certain repetition patterns. ... > full story
Cancer Breath? New Tool Aims To Detect Cancer Early In Exhaled Air (August 27, 2008) -- Early cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. Current diagnostic tests often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages and at the same time expose a patient to the harmful effects of radiation. Scientists will be using mid-infrared lasers to create a sensor to detect biomarker gases exhaled in the breath of a person with cancer. ... > full story
Newer Cardiac Imaging Machines Effective In Detecting Coronary Artery Stenosis (August 27, 2008) -- The first multicenter study of the accuracy of some of the latest cardiac imaging technology found it was 99 percent as effective in ruling out obstructive coronary artery stenosis -- or narrowing of these arteries -- as the more expensive and invasive coronary angiography traditionally used by physicians, according to new research. ... > full story
Action Research Helps People Make Positive Changes (August 27, 2008) -- Certain kinds of research can help improve social problems, according to a new study. Participatory action research actively seeks to change the behavior or situation of the consumer. ... > full story
Why Do Eyelids Sag With Age? Mystery Is Solved (August 27, 2008) -- Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit. ... > full story
Exploring The Function Of Sleep (August 27, 2008) -- Is sleep essential? Ask that question to a sleep-deprived new parent or a student who has just pulled an "all-nighter," and the answer will be a grouchy, "Of course!" But to a sleep scientist, the question of what constitutes sleep is so complex that scientists are still trying to define the essential function of something we do every night. ... > full story
Rifamycin Antibiotics Attack Tuberculosis Bacteria With Walls, Not Signals (August 27, 2008) -- Amid concerns about the rising number of new tuberculosis cases worldwide, researchers have reexamined and disproved a theory that describes how a potent class of antibiotics kills a deadly form of bacteria. The findings not only bring scientists closer to understanding how these antibiotics work but also how the bacteria become resistant to their effects. ... > full story
New Findings Explain Genetic Disorder's Unique Shift; Father's Role As Resource Provider Influential In Prader-Willi Syndrome (August 27, 2008) -- New findings give insight into the unique characteristics of the birth defect Prader-Willi Syndrome, and at the same time, may help explain how a certain type of gene is expressed in all humans. The research finds that the amount of care a father gives to his child may cause a shift in the syndrome in which its symptoms, in essence, reverse themselves. ... > full story
Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find (August 27, 2008) -- University of Missouri researchers conducted a national survey and found that the majority of health journalists have not had specialized training in health reporting and face challenges in communicating new medical science developments. Of the journalists surveyed, only 18 percent had specialized training in health reporting and only 6.4 percent reported that a majority of their readers change health behaviors based on the information they provide. ... > full story
Brain Cells 'Supercharged' To Attack Plaques That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a new method for developing treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). They have shown that by stimulating a brain cell called a microglia the cells will partially engulf the senile plaques which are abundant in post mortem AD brain. ... > full story
More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption (August 26, 2008) -- Scientists have assessed the human body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body. ... > full story
Oral Administration Of Lactobacillus From Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection In Lactating Mothers (August 26, 2008) -- Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. ... > full story
How Much Risk Can You Handle? Making Better Investment Decisions (August 26, 2008) -- Many Americans make investment decisions with their retirement funds. But they don't always make informed judgments. A new study introduces a new tool that investors can use to choose investments based on their financial goals and risk attitudes. ... > full story
'Perfect Pitch' In Humans Far More Prevalent Than Expected (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a unique test for perfect pitch, and have found that perfect pitch is apparently much more common in non-musicians than scientists had expected. ... > full story
Potential Diabetes Treatment Selectively Kills Autoimmune Cells From Human Patients (August 26, 2008) -- In experiments using blood cells from human patients with diabetes and other autoimmune disorders, researchers have confirmed the mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes. Scientists showed that blocking a metabolic pathway regulating the immune system specifically eliminated immune cells that react against a patient's own tissues. ... > full story
Alcohol Consumption Can Cause Too Much Cell Death, Fetal Abnormalities (August 26, 2008) -- The initial signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are slight but classic: facial malformations such as a flat and high upper lip, small eye openings and a short nose. Researchers want to know if those facial clues can help them figure out how much alcohol it takes during what point in development to cause these and other lifelong problems. ... > full story
Looking Beyond The Drug Receptor For Clues To Drug Effectiveness (August 26, 2008) -- Antipsychotic drugs that are widely used to treat schizophrenia and other problems may not work as scientists have assumed, according to findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers that could lead to changes in how these drugs are developed and prescribed. ... > full story
Troubled Children Hurt Peers' Test Scores, Behavior (August 26, 2008) -- Troubled children hurt their classmates' math and reading scores and worsen their behavior, new research shows. ... > full story
Scientists Identify New Drug Target Against Virulent Type Of Breast Cancer (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have identified an enzyme called Brk as a target for future drugs to fight a virulent subset of cancers overexpressing a protein called ErbB2 -- also often called HER2 -- which drives tumor cells to proliferate unchecked. Brk, they report, helps these tumors become virulent and is also implicated in the process through which the tumors develop drug resistance to "targeted" therapies Herceptin and Lapatinib. ... > full story
Protein Structure Discovery Opens Door For Drugs To Fight Bird Flu, Other Influenza Epidemics (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight the much-feared bird flu and other virulent strains of influenza. They have determined the three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of its human protein targets, thereby suppressing a person's natural defenses to the infection and paving the way for the virus to replicate efficiently. ... > full story
Low Cholesterol Associated With Cancer In Diabetics (August 26, 2008) -- Low levels of LDL cholesterol as well as high levels are associated with cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes, found a prospective cohort study published in CMAJ. ... > full story
Trends In Prescription Medication Sharing Among Reproductive-aged Women (August 26, 2008) -- Borrowing and sharing of prescription medications is a serious medical and public health concern. A survey of nearly 7,500 women of reproductive age found that this is common practice among more than one-third of this population, according to a new report. ... > full story
Terminally Ill Rodents With Type 1 Diabetes Restored To Full Health With Single Dose Of Leptin (August 26, 2008) -- Terminally ill rodents with type 1 diabetes have been restored to full health with a single injection of a substance other than insulin by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center. ... > full story
Keeping Cells Youthful: How Telomere-building Proteins Get Drawn Into The Fold (August 26, 2008) -- It may take just one or two proteins to polish off a simple cellular task, but life-or-death matters, such as caring for the ends of chromosomes known as telomeres, require interacting crews of proteins, all with a common goal but each with a specialized task. ... > full story
Normalizing Tumor Vessels To Improve Cancer Therapy (August 26, 2008) -- Leaky, twisted blood vessels in tumors often prevent chemotherapy drugs from reaching their target. Children's Hospital Boston researchers have found that tumor capillary cells, unlike their normal counterparts, are hyper-contractile and respond abnormally to physical and mechanical cues, producing irregularly-shaped capillaries and creating gaps between cells that caused vessel leakiness. A protein called Rho-associated kinase is the likely culprit; inhibiting its function normalized the tumor cells' mechanical responsiveness, as well as blood vessel architecture. ... > full story
Anti-psychotic Drug Use In The Elderly Increases Despite Drug Safety Warnings (August 26, 2008) -- Three regulatory warnings of serious adverse events slowed the growth of use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia, but they did not reduce the overall prescription rate of these drugs, found a research analysis of prescription drug claims data. ... > full story
Infections Linked To Premature Births More Common Than Thought, Study Finds (August 26, 2008) -- Previously unrecognized and unidentified infections of amniotic fluid may be a significant cause of premature birth, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... > full story
New Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer May Minimize Viral Transmission, Including Norovirus (August 26, 2008) -- A newly developed ethanol-based hand sanitizer may significantly impact public health by minimizing the transmission of multiple viruses, including norovirus, from food handlers and care providers. ... > full story
Consumers Can Predict Inflation As Well As Professional Economists (August 26, 2008) -- Household surveys predict the inflation rate fairly accurately and as well as professional economists. The pros employ statistics like the unemployment rate, money supply growth and exchange rate changes. Consumers participating in surveys are more likely to think about how much they spent at the grocery store that week. ... > full story
Burning Incense Increases Risk Of Respiratory Tract Cancers (August 26, 2008) -- Long-term use of incense increases the risk of developing cancers of the respiratory tract, according to a new study. ... > full story
Broccoli Could Reverse The Heart Damaging Effects Of Diabetes (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered eating broccoli could undo the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels. ... > full story
California Tobacco Control Program Saved Billions In Medical Costs (August 26, 2008) -- California's state tobacco control program saved billion -- in 2004 dollars -- in personal healthcare costs in its first 15 years, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. ... > full story
Breastfeeding, Other Factors May Affect Risk Of Breast Cancer Type (August 26, 2008) -- Factors such as age at menopause as well as a woman's breastfeeding practices can influence her risk of developing certain types of breast cancer. ... > full story
Stem Cells Stand Up For Themselves (August 26, 2008) -- Adult stem cells are not pampered pushovers. O'Reilly et al. report in the Aug. 25 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology that certain stem cells take charge of their surroundings, molding their environment to control their division and differentiation. ... > full story
80 Percent Of Adolescents Who Play Sports Don't Smoke, Spanish Study Finds (August 26, 2008) -- A research work carried out in sample of adolescents aged between 13 and 18 from Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander and Zaragoza has analysed the relationship between sport activity and tobacco consumption. According to this work, 59.2 percent of the Spanish adolescents are physically active, although there are significant differences according to sex (71.1 percent of boys, as against 46.7 percent of girls). ... > full story
Cells In Eye Could Help Control Sleep (August 26, 2008) -- A set of nerve cells in the eye control our levels of sleepiness according to the brightness of our surroundings, Oxford University researchers have discovered. The cells directly regulate the activity of sleep centers in the brain, providing a new target for the development of drugs to control sleep and alertness. ... > full story
Drug-radiation Combo May Help Shrink Established Tumors (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers may be closer to understanding why anti-cancer drugs such as Ipilimumab, which boost the tumor-killing power of immune cells, haven't fared well in clinical trials. The new study, which describes a way to enhance the ability of these drugs to shrink well-established tumors, will be published online on Aug. 25 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. ... > full story
Inhibitors Of The Molecule PI3K Throw One Form Of Leukemia A CurveB-ALL (August 26, 2008) -- Some cases of a form of leukemia known as pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B-ALL) are caused by a genetic event that leads to the generation of a rogue chromosome known as the Philadelphia (Ph) chomosome, and individuals with Ph+ pre-B-ALL tend to have a poor outlook. As current treatments for Ph+ pre-B-ALL are not very effective, researchers are looking for new drugs to combat this disease. ... > full story
Animals Adapt Their Vocal Signals To Social Situations (August 26, 2008) -- A special August issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association, presents a host of studies that investigate the way that animals adapt their calls, chirps, barks and whistles to their social situation. ... > full story
75 Percent Of Athletes' Parents Let Their Child Skip Exams For A Game (August 26, 2008) -- Three quarters of parents of young athletes let their child forgo an exam for an important game, a new study conducted at the University of Haifa has found. In comparison, only 47 percent of parents of young musicians will agree to their child choosing a performance over an exam. ... > full story
Monkeys Enjoy Giving To Others, Study Finds (August 25, 2008) -- Researchers have shown capuchin monkeys, just like humans, find giving to be a satisfying experience. This finding comes on the coattails of a recent imaging study in humans that documented activity in reward centers of the brain after humans gave to charity. Empathy in seeing the pleasure of another's fortune is thought to be the impetus for sharing, a trait this study shows transcends primate species. ... > full story
New Hope For Stroke Patients: Reversing Stroke Damage By Jumpstarting Growth Of Nerve Fibers (August 25, 2008) -- If a stroke patient doesn't get treatment within three hours, there's not much doctors can do to limit damage. But now researchers report a technique that potentially could restore functions to patients weeks or even months after a stroke. The technique involves jumpstarting the growth of nerve fibers to compensate for brain cells destroyed by the stoke. ... > full story
Women May Stop Anticoagulants After Blood Clots, Research Suggests (August 25, 2008) -- Women may safely discontinue oral anticoagulants (blood thinners) after 6 months of treatment following a first unprovoked venous blood clot (thromboembolism) if they have no or one risk factor, concludes a study of 646 participants in a multicenter prospective cohort study. ... > full story
Century-old Rule Of Chemistry Overturned -- Major Implications For Drug Delivery (August 25, 2008) -- A new study has challenged a century old rule of pharmacology that defined how quickly key chemicals can pass across cell walls. The new observations of the chemists suggest that the real transport rates could be up to a hundred times slower than predicted by the century-old "Overton's Rule." This could have major implications for the development and testing of many future drugs. ... > full story
How To Get A College Roommate You Can Live With (August 25, 2008) -- Anxious college freshmen can relax. No matter who will be sharing their dorm room, they have the power to make the relationship better, new research suggests. ... > full story
Anti-cancer Flower Power: Researchers Combat Cancer With A Jasmine-based Drug (August 25, 2008) -- Could a substance from the jasmine flower hold the key to an effective new therapy to treat cancer? Researchers have developed an anti-cancer drug based on a decade of research into the commercial applications of the compound Jasmonate, a synthetic compound derived from the flower itself. ... > full story
Gene That Causes Childhood Cancer Neuroblastoma Is Found (August 25, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered gene mutations that are the main cause of the inherited (familial) version of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma. In addition, the researchers found that the same mutations play a significant role in high-risk forms of non-inherited neuroblastoma, the more common form of the disease. Because drugs are already in development that target the same gene in adult cancers, researchers are planning clinical trials in children with neuroblastoma. ... > full story
'Can You See Me Now?' Sign Language Over Cell Phones Comes To United States (August 25, 2008) -- A group has demonstrated software that for the first time enables deaf and hard of hearing Americans to use sign language over a mobile phone. ... > full story
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