ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Alcohol-related behavior changes: Blame your immune system
• Pre-clinical research proves promising for the treatment of blood cancer
• Hollywood thriller Contagion echoes real-life study
• Parents feel shock, anxiety and the need to protect children with genital ambiguity
• Unexpected role of noise in spine formation
• Mammographic surveillance increases breast cancer survival
• Commonly used supplement may improve recovery from spinal cord injuries
• Risk factors for cat cancer could have human implications
• Key to survival of brain cells discovered
• Correcting sickle cell disease with stem cells
• Neural linkage between motivation and motor functional recovery through rehabilitative training
• Even high-but-normal blood pressure elevates stroke risk
• The level and nature of autistic intelligence II: What about Asperger Syndrome?
• How the use of smartphones can revolutionize research in cognitive science
• Dementia patients face burdensome transitions in last 90 days
• How normal cells become brain cancers
• Suffering of the poor may have helped societies with class structures spread across globe
• New stem cell activity identified in human brain
• Big Tobacco knew radioactive particles in cigarettes posed cancer risk but kept quiet, study suggests
• Experts advocate for new approaches to biomedical research
• Drug companies must report clinical trial results, even when they won't lead to a product, experts urge
• Instead of defibrillator's painful jolt, there may be a gentler way to prevent sudden death
• Saving heart attack victims with computer science
• Major HIV prevention trial in women to drop oral tenofovir arm
• Vital protein complex and therapeutic possibilities revealed
• Children with autism benefit from early, intensive therapy
• Additives meant to protect vitamin C actually cause more harm, study suggests
• Key protein causing excess liver production of glucose in diabetes identified
• Gene may be good target for tough-to-kill prostate cancer cells
• Control gene for developmental timing discovered
• Smoking linked to chronic pain in women
• Students 'jump into action' for better health
• Genetic variant linked to blocked heart arteries in patients with diabetes
• High-risk donor livers used with greater frequency in transplantations
• New research promises better collection of prostate cancer cells
• Scientists reveal molecular sculptor of memories
• Worm 'cell death' discovery could lead to new drugs for deadly parasite
• Scientists shut down pump action to break breast cancer cells' drug resistance
• Homegrown solution for physician shortage in rural US
• Popular colorectal cancer drug may cause permanent nerve damage, study suggests
• Hide-and-seek: Altered HIV can't evade immune system
• 'Molecular wipe': Potential treatment for 'pink eye' epidemic
• First detection of pregnancy protein in older people destined for Alzheimer's disease
• Medical education needs more of a public health and prevention focus
• Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily
• End-of-life discussions do not affect survival rates, study shows
• Breath-takingly simple test for human exposure to potentially toxic substances
• Postcode lotteries in preventative health care: Not necessarily all bad news
• Tendons absorb shocks muscles won't handle

Alcohol-related behavior changes: Blame your immune system Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:16 PM PDT When you think about your immune system, you probably think about it fighting off a cold. But new research suggests that immune cells in your brain may contribute to how you respond to alcohol.

Pre-clinical research proves promising for the treatment of blood cancer Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:01 PM PDT Pre-clinical research has generated some very promising findings about a prototype drug for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Hollywood thriller Contagion echoes real-life study Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:01 PM PDT Soon-to-be released Hollywood film Contagion stars Kate Winslet as a doctor battling the horrors of a global pandemic -- but real-life scientists are urging people to complete a survey to help scientists track how contagious diseases spread in the real world.

Parents feel shock, anxiety and the need to protect children with genital ambiguity Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:59 PM PDT Parents of babies born without clearly defined male or female genitals experience a roller-coaster of emotions, including shock, anxiety and the need to protect their child. Researchers who spoke to 15 parents found that they were keen to find a sense of harmony between their child's genital ambiguity and the sex they raised them as. All the children had disorders of sex development, which include conditions where the chromosomes, testicles, ovaries or sexual anatomy are not as expected. It's estimated that one in 300 babies are born with concerns about the development of their external genitalia and in one in 5,000 births the baby's sex is unclear despite expert examination.

Unexpected role of noise in spine formation Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:56 PM PDT The development of periodic structures in embryos giving rise to the formation of, e.g., spine segments, is controlled not by genes but by simple physical and chemical phenomena. Researchers have now proposed a straightforward theoretical model to describe the process, and studied how the segmentation is affected by internal, thermodynamic noise of the system. The results turned out to be counterintuitive.

Mammographic surveillance increases breast cancer survival Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:56 PM PDT New research has found that surveillance using mammography increases the survival chances of breast cancer patients.

Commonly used supplement may improve recovery from spinal cord injuries Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:50 PM PDT A commonly used supplement is likely to improve outcomes and recovery for individuals who sustain a spinal cord injury, according to new research.

Risk factors for cat cancer could have human implications Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:50 PM PDT A recent, large-scale study on cat intestinal cancer has provided new insight into a common pet disease and its causes; the findings could ultimately benefit humans.

Key to survival of brain cells discovered Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:50 PM PDT Scientists have discovered how a key chemical neurotransmitter that interacts with two receptors in the brain promotes either normal function or a disease process -- determining whether brain cells live or die.

Correcting sickle cell disease with stem cells Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT Using a patient's own stem cells, researchers have corrected the genetic alteration that causes sickle cell disease, a painful, disabling inherited blood disorder that affects mostly African-Americans. The corrected stem cells were coaxed into immature red blood cells in a test tube that then turned on a normal version of the gene.

Neural linkage between motivation and motor functional recovery through rehabilitative training Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT Scientists revealed that the more motor function recovery progresses, the stronger the functional connectivity between the brain which regulates motivation, and in the brain regions involved in the motor learning and functional recovery.

Even high-but-normal blood pressure elevates stroke risk Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT People with prehypertension have a 55 percent higher risk of experiencing a future stroke than people without prehypertension, report researchers in a new meta-analysis of scientific literature.

The level and nature of autistic intelligence II: What about Asperger Syndrome? Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT Autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome, have generally been associated with uneven intellectual profiles and impairment, but according to a new study of Asperger individuals, this may not be the case -- as long as intelligence is evaluated by the right test.

How the use of smartphones can revolutionize research in cognitive science Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT Smartphones may be the new hot tool in cognitive psychology research, according to a new article.

Dementia patients face burdensome transitions in last 90 days Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT Health-care transitions, such as moves from the nursing home to the hospital, can result in medical errors, lack of care coordination, and for persons with advanced dementia -- emotional distress and agitation. A new study finds that although such transitions are not consistent with goals of providing dying patients with comfort, a fifth of them experience at least one during their last three months.

How normal cells become brain cancers Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:21 PM PDT Brain tumor specimens taken from neurosurgery cases have given scientists a new window on the transformation that occurs as healthy brain cells begin to form tumors.

Suffering of the poor may have helped societies with class structures spread across globe Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:20 PM PDT Arguably the worst feature of societies with class structures -- the disproportionate suffering of the poor -- may have been the driving force behind the spread of those stratified societies across the globe at the expense of more egalitarian societies. During hard times, a society in which the bulk of the suffering is borne by the poor can survive and expand into new territory more readily than can egalitarian societies.

New stem cell activity identified in human brain Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns. The recent study raises new questions of how the brain evolves.

Big Tobacco knew radioactive particles in cigarettes posed cancer risk but kept quiet, study suggests Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Tobacco companies knew that cigarette smoke contained radioactive alpha particles for more than four decades and developed "deep and intimate" knowledge of these particles' cancer-causing potential, but they deliberately kept their findings from the public, according to a new study.

Experts advocate for new approaches to biomedical research Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Experts have outlined several approaches to biomedical research workforce development, a topic that is currently under scrutiny by the National Institutes of Health in the US.

Drug companies must report clinical trial results, even when they won't lead to a product, experts urge Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Drug companies sponsoring human trials of possible new medications have ethical responsibilities to study participants and to science to disclose the results of their clinical research -- even when product development is no longer being pursued.

Instead of defibrillator's painful jolt, there may be a gentler way to prevent sudden death Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Each year in the United States, more than 200,000 people have a cardiac defibrillator implanted in their chest to deliver a high-voltage shock to prevent sudden cardiac death from a life-threatening arrhythmia. While it's a necessary and effective preventive therapy, those who've experienced a defibrillator shock say it's painful, and some studies suggest that the shock can damage heart muscle.

Saving heart attack victims with computer science Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:24 AM PDT Newly discovered subtle markers of heart damage hidden in plain sight among hours of EKG recordings could help doctors identify which heart attack patients are at high risk of dying soon.

Major HIV prevention trial in women to drop oral tenofovir arm Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:18 AM PDT A large-scale clinical trial evaluating whether daily use of an oral tablet or vaginal gel containing antiretroviral drugs can prevent HIV infection in women is being modified because an interim review found that the study cannot show that one of the study products, oral tenofovir, marketed under the trade name Viread, is effective.

Vital protein complex and therapeutic possibilities revealed Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:18 AM PDT Scientists have detailed the structure and workings of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large family of human proteins that are the target of one-third to one-half of modern drugs.

Children with autism benefit from early, intensive therapy Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Researchers have found that children with autism spectrum disorders who receive more intensive therapy to combat social-communication impairments, especially at early ages, achieve the best outcomes.

Additives meant to protect vitamin C actually cause more harm, study suggests Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Anti-caking agents in powdered products may hasten degradation of vitamin C instead of doing what they are supposed to do: protect the nutrient from moisture.

Key protein causing excess liver production of glucose in diabetes identified Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Researchers have identified a powerful molecular pathway that regulates the liver's management of insulin and new glucose production, which could lead to new therapies for diabetes.

Gene may be good target for tough-to-kill prostate cancer cells Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Scientists believe they have found an effective target for killing late-stage, metastatic prostate cancer cells. They are focusing on the function of a gene called Polo-like kinase (Plk1), a critical regulator of the cell cycle. Plk1 is also an oncogene, which tends to mutate and can cause cancer.

Control gene for developmental timing discovered Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Researchers have identified a key regulator that controls the speed of development in the fruit fly. When the researchers blocked the function of this regulator, animals sped up their rate of development and reached maturity much faster than normal.

Smoking linked to chronic pain in women Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Kentucky women who smoke heavily may experience more chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggests a new study.

Students 'jump into action' for better health Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT The National Survey of Children's Health indicates 31 percent of Missouri children are overweight or obese; yet, the state lacks physical activity requirements for students and nutritional standards for school meals beyond those recommended by the USDA. A new study shows Jump Into Action, a school-based physical activity program, is effective in changing unhealthy youth behaviors.

Genetic variant linked to blocked heart arteries in patients with diabetes Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT Researchers have identified the first genetic variant associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Though this variant is not likely the cause of more severe coronary disease, the researchers say, it implicates a gene that could be. Such a gene has promise as a future target for treating coronary artery disease in diabetic patients.

High-risk donor livers used with greater frequency in transplantations Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT The shortage of available organs for transplantation has driven up use of high-risk donor livers. New research has reported that high volume transplant centers more frequently utilized livers with a high donor risk index, but achieved better risk-adjusted graft and recipient survival rates compared with lower volume centers.

New research promises better collection of prostate cancer cells Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT Using something called "inertial microfluidics," researchers are able to safely separate and collect concentrated volumes of fragile prostate cancer cells from small sample batches. This, in turn, enhances research of the disease.

Scientists reveal molecular sculptor of memories Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Researchers working with adult mice have discovered that learning and memory were profoundly affected when they altered the amounts of a certain protein in specific parts of the mammals' brains.

Worm 'cell death' discovery could lead to new drugs for deadly parasite Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time identified a "programmed cell death" pathway in parasitic worms that could one day lead to new treatments for one of the world's most serious and prevalent diseases.

Scientists shut down pump action to break breast cancer cells' drug resistance Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Breast cancer cells that mutate to resist drug treatment survive by establishing tiny pumps on their surface that reject the drugs as they penetrate the cell membrane -- making the cancer insensitive to chemotherapy drugs even after repeated use. Researchers have found a new way to break that resistance and shut off the pumps by genetically altering those breast cancer cells to forcibly activate a heat-shock protein called Hsp27.

Homegrown solution for physician shortage in rural US Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT An innovative program could help states deal with a dilemma in Washington, D.C. If deficit-reduction measures cut billions of dollars for training physicians who are already in short supply, who will care for the more than 30 million newly insured patients entering the health-care system?

Popular colorectal cancer drug may cause permanent nerve damage, study suggests Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based anticancer drug that's made enormous headway in recent years against colorectal cancer, appears to cause nerve damage that may be permanent and worsens even months after treatment ends, according to a new study.

Hide-and-seek: Altered HIV can't evade immune system Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT Researchers have modified HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress the immune system. Their work could remove a major hurdle in HIV vaccine development and lead to new treatments.

'Molecular wipe': Potential treatment for 'pink eye' epidemic Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) -- sometimes called "pink eye" -- a highly infectious eye disease that may occur in 15 million to 20 million people annually in the United States alone. Their report describes an innovative new "molecular wipe" that sweeps up viruses responsible for EKC.

First detection of pregnancy protein in older people destined for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT In an advance toward a much-needed early diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease (AD), scientists have discovered that older women destined to develop AD have high blood levels of a protein linked to pregnancy years before showing symptoms.

Medical education needs more of a public health and prevention focus Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:57 AM PDT If future physicians are to best serve the changing health needs of patients and their communities, medical education must put greater emphasis on public health and prevention, experts say.

Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:57 AM PDT The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a new study.

End-of-life discussions do not affect survival rates, study shows Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:57 AM PDT Discussing and documenting patients' preferences for care at the end of life does not cause them any harm, contrary to recent claims. A new study found that patients who talk with their physicians about end-of-life care and have an advance directive in their medical record have similar survival rates as patients who do not have these discussions and documents.

Breath-takingly simple test for human exposure to potentially toxic substances Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:57 AM PDT The search for a rapid, non-invasive way to determine whether people have been exposed to potentially toxic substances in their workplaces, homes and elsewhere in the environment has led scientists to a technology that literally takes a person's breath away. Their report identifies exhaled breath as an ideal indicator of such exposure.

Postcode lotteries in preventative health care: Not necessarily all bad news Posted: 27 Sep 2011 06:18 PM PDT Postcode lotteries can result in unequal health care -- the area you live in can impact the treatment you receive for cancer treatment, surgery or GP care. In 2009, the UK government introduced "Health Checks," a national public health program with the aim of reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). New research shows that there are geographic differences in the implementation of this public health program.

Tendons absorb shocks muscles won't handle Posted: 27 Sep 2011 06:18 PM PDT Researchers have learned how muscles and tendons in the legs deal with sudden impacts. Experiments showed that tendons absorb the initial burst of energy from impact before the leg muscles react. The tendons act as shock absorbers, protecting the leg muscle from damage at the moment of impact.

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