ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• GP receptionists help safeguard patients in repeat prescribing, finds study
• Commercial weight loss programs more effective than NHS-based services, UK study finds
• X marks the spot: TBL1X gene involved in autism spectrum disorder
• Saving the day: Performing chest compressions correctly
• Conjoined twin toddlers successfully separated
• Depression: a combination of environmental, psychological and genetic factors
• Fertilized oocytes digest paternal mitochondria
• Brain cells responsible for keeping us awake identified
• Study identifies an expanded role for PKM2 in helping cancer cells survive
• Chromosome centromeres are inherited epigenetically
• Exercise provides clue to deadly ataxia
• Chromosomal 'breakpoints' linked to canine cancer
• Nano-technoloogy makes medicine greener
• When our neurons remain silent so that our performances may improve
• Scientists identify gene critical for cell responses to oxygen deprivation
• Skin 'sees' UV light, starts producing pigment
• Alternate ending: Living on without telomerase
• Erasing the signs of aging in human cells is now a reality
• High blood pressure may lead to missed emotional cues
• New ways to image and therapeutically target melanoma using nanomedicine?
• Adolescent amphetamine use linked to permanent changes in brain function and behavior
• Mechanism in brain cancer responsible for neuron death discovered
• Brain probe that softens after insertion causes less scarring
• Impulsive versus controlled men: Disinhibited brains and disinhibited behavior
• Disco beat good for CPR, but time to throw in the towel on musical aids, experts say
• Thousands of lives could be saved if rest of UK adopted average diet in England, study concludes
• Gene therapy shows promise as hemophilia treatment in animal studies
• Low vitamin D common in spine surgery patients; Deficiency may hinder recovery
• Reprogramming stem cells to a more basic form results in more effective transplant, study shows
• Steps being taken towards achieving an early diagnosis of cancer of the large intestine
• Cerebral palsy-like brain damage prevented in mice
• Nicotine primes brain for cocaine use: Molecular basis of gateway sequence of drug use
• Fast-food dining is most popular for those with middle incomes
• Report calls for creation of a biomedical research and patient data network for more accurate classification of diseases, move toward 'precision medicine'
• Measuring outcome in the treatment of depression via the Web

GP receptionists help safeguard patients in repeat prescribing, finds study Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:26 PM PDT Receptionists and administrative staff in UK general practices make important "hidden" contributions to repeat prescribing, a new study concludes.

Commercial weight loss programs more effective than NHS-based services, UK study finds Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:26 PM PDT Commercial weight loss programs are more effective and cheaper than primary care based services led by specially trained staff, a new study in the UK finds.

X marks the spot: TBL1X gene involved in autism spectrum disorder Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:26 PM PDT Autism spectrum disorder affects about one in 100 children resulting in a range of problems in language, communication and understanding other people's emotional cues, all of which can lead to difficulties in social situations. New research used genome wide association study data to find a variation in the gene for transducin beta-like 1X-linked (TBL1X) which is associated with increased risk of ASD in boys.

Saving the day: Performing chest compressions correctly Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:26 PM PDT External chest compressions (ECC) can literally be the difference between life or death for someone who has stopped breathing. However new research shows that a person's physical fitness restricts the amount of time they can correctly perform ECC and adds weight to the 2010 European Resuscitation Council Advanced Life Support Guidelines which recommend that that people performing ECC should change every two minutes.

Conjoined twin toddlers successfully separated Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:31 PM PDT Angelica and Angelina Sabuco, twins who were born conjoined at the chest and abdomen, are now separate little girls. The 2-year-olds were separated Nov. 1 in a 10-hour surgery. The operation was the culmination of several months of complex planning involving specialists from nearly every part of the hospital.

Depression: a combination of environmental, psychological and genetic factors Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:35 AM PDT Problems like anxiety and depression are caused by psychological and environmental factors, and are known to be influenced by genetic proclivities. However, it is still not clear how each factor affects the brain's functions to induce anxious and depressive symptoms. To shed light on these interactions, scientists have investigated the amygdala, a part of the brain that is hyperactive in individuals suffering from anxiety and depression. The researchers have shown that its activity can be modulated depending on the subject's genetic makeup, personal history and cognition. These results suggest that the effects of psychotherapies on the cerebral activity of patients could vary according to their genetic traits.

Fertilized oocytes digest paternal mitochondria Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:35 AM PDT During fertilization, the entire spermatozoon enters the oocyte. However, most of its organelles, including mitochondria, are not transmitted to the offspring. A new study demonstrates for the first time how the spermatozoon organelles are digested by the oocyte shortly after fertilization. These findings could improve cloning and medically-assisted reproductive technology and help to better understand the evolutionary origin of the elimination of paternal mitochondria.

Brain cells responsible for keeping us awake identified Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:34 AM PDT Researchers have identified the group of neurons that mediates whether light arouses us and keeps us awake, or not. They report that the cells necessary for a light induced arousal response are located in the hypothalamus, an area at the base of the brain responsible for, among other things, control of the autonomic nervous system, body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue -- and sleep.

Study identifies an expanded role for PKM2 in helping cancer cells survive Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:32 AM PDT In recent years, the field of cancer metabolism has found that cancer cells can manipulate the PKM2 enzyme to grow and thrive. Now a new study finds that cancers also use PKM2 to withstand oxidative stress.

Chromosome centromeres are inherited epigenetically Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:32 AM PDT The histone protein CenH3 is both necessary and sufficient to trigger the formation of centromeres and pass them on from one generation to the next.

Exercise provides clue to deadly ataxia Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:32 AM PDT When researchers prescribed mild exercise for mice with a neurodegenerative disorder called spinocerebellar ataxia 1, they did not know what to expect. What they found was the mice that exercised lived longer than those that had not.

Chromosomal 'breakpoints' linked to canine cancer Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:23 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered evidence that evolutionary "breakpoints" on canine chromosomes are also associated with canine cancer. Mapping these "fragile" regions in dogs may also have implications for the discovery and treatment of human cancers.

Nano-technoloogy makes medicine greener Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:23 AM PDT Researchers are working on a new method that will make it possible to develop drugs faster and greener. This will lead to cheaper medicine for consumers.

When our neurons remain silent so that our performances may improve Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:23 AM PDT Why do we "turn off" our neurons at times when we need them most? Scientists have just demonstrated that a network of specific neurons, referred to as "the default-mode network" works on a permanent basis even when we are doing nothing.

Scientists identify gene critical for cell responses to oxygen deprivation Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:22 AM PDT Scientists have identified a protein that kick-starts the response to low levels of oxygen, suggesting new lines of research relevant to a variety of potentially fatal disorders associated with diminished oxygen supply, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and other neurological conditions that affect millions of people worldwide.

Skin 'sees' UV light, starts producing pigment Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:22 AM PDT Biologists report that melanocyte skin cells detect ultraviolet light using a photosensitive receptor previously thought to exist only in the eye. This eye-like ability of skin to sense light triggers the production of melanin within hours, more quickly than previously thought, in an apparent rush to protect against damage to DNA.

Alternate ending: Living on without telomerase Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:24 AM PDT Scientists have discovered an alternative mechanism for the extension of the telomere repeat sequence by DNA repair enzymes.

Erasing the signs of aging in human cells is now a reality Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:06 AM PDT Scientists have recently succeeded in rejuvenating cells from elderly donors (aged over 100). These old cells were reprogrammed in vitro to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and to rejuvenated and human embryonic stem cells (hESC): cells of all types can again be differentiated after this genuine "rejuvenation" therapy.

High blood pressure may lead to missed emotional cues Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:04 AM PDT Your ability to recognize emotional content in faces and texts is linked to your blood pressure, according to new research.

New ways to image and therapeutically target melanoma using nanomedicine? Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:04 AM PDT Because the incidence of malignant melanoma is rising faster than any other cancer in the US, medical researchers are working overtime to develop new technologies to aid in both malignant melanoma diagnosis and therapy. A tool of great promise comes from the world of nanomedicine.

Adolescent amphetamine use linked to permanent changes in brain function and behavior Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:04 AM PDT Amphetamine use in adolescence can cause neurobiological imbalances and increase risk-taking behavior, and these effects can persist into adulthood, even when subjects are drug free. These are the conclusions of a new study using animal models. The study is one of the first to shed light on how long-term amphetamine use in adolescence affects brain chemistry and behavior.

Mechanism in brain cancer responsible for neuron death discovered Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:03 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which glioblastoma multiforme, the most common form of brain cancer, promotes the loss of function or death of neurons, a process known as neurodegeneration.

Brain probe that softens after insertion causes less scarring Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:03 AM PDT A hard probe inserted in the cerebral cortex of a rat model turns nearly as pliable as the surrounding gray matter in minutes, and induces less of the tough scarring that walls off hard probes that do not change, researchers have found.

Impulsive versus controlled men: Disinhibited brains and disinhibited behavior Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:02 AM PDT Impulsive individuals tend to display aggressive behavior and have challenges ranging from drug and alcohol abuse, to problem gambling and difficult relationships. They are less able to adapt to different social situations. Impulsivity is also a common feature of psychiatric disorders. New research shows that people may react this way, in part, because they have lower levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter, in a specific part of their brain involved in regulating self-control.

Disco beat good for CPR, but time to throw in the towel on musical aids, experts say Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PDT Disco Science is better than no music at all at helping to deliver the required number of chest compressions to save a heart attack victim's life before he or she gets to hospital, a new study reveals. But Disco Science, which featured in the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie's film Snatch in 2000, still doesn't improve the depth of compression, leading the study's authors to suggest that it's time to give up on trying to find the best musical track to aid the procedure.

Thousands of lives could be saved if rest of UK adopted average diet in England, study concludes Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PDT Around 4,000 deaths could be prevented every year if the UK population adopted the average diet eaten in England, new research concludes.

Gene therapy shows promise as hemophilia treatment in animal studies Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have combined gene therapy and stem cell transplantation to successfully reverse the severe, crippling bleeding disorder hemophilia A in large animals, opening the door to the development of new therapies for human patients.

Low vitamin D common in spine surgery patients; Deficiency may hinder recovery Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PDT A new study indicates that many patients undergoing spine surgery have low levels of vitamin D, which may delay their recovery. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, and patients with a deficiency can have difficulty producing new bone, which can, in turn, interfere with healing following spine surgery.

Reprogramming stem cells to a more basic form results in more effective transplant, study shows Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PDT Chinese stem cell scientists have published new research that improves the survival and effectiveness of transplanted stem cells.

Steps being taken towards achieving an early diagnosis of cancer of the large intestine Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:13 AM PDT A biochemist is finding clues that could lead to an early diagnosis of cancer of the large intestine. Specifically, she has focused on certain enzymes known as peptidases and their activity (working rate): she has studied how their activity changes by comparing the tissue encountered at different stages of the disease.

Cerebral palsy-like brain damage prevented in mice Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PDT Scientists have shown that a protein may help prevent the kind of brain damage that occurs in babies with cerebral palsy.

Nicotine primes brain for cocaine use: Molecular basis of gateway sequence of drug use Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PDT Cigarettes and alcohol serve as gateway drugs, which people use before progressing to the use of marijuana, cocaine and other illicit substances; this progression is called the "gateway sequence" of drug use. Latest findings provide the first molecular explanation for the gateway sequence. They show that nicotine causes specific changes in the brain that make it more vulnerable to cocaine addiction -- a discovery made by using a novel mouse model.

Fast-food dining is most popular for those with middle incomes Posted: 02 Nov 2011 09:56 AM PDT A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor.

Report calls for creation of a biomedical research and patient data network for more accurate classification of diseases, move toward 'precision medicine' Posted: 02 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT A new data network that integrates emerging research on the molecular makeup of diseases with clinical data on individual patients could drive the development of a more accurate classification of disease and ultimately enhance diagnosis and treatment.

Measuring outcome in the treatment of depression via the Web Posted: 02 Nov 2011 09:53 AM PDT A newly published article reports that Web-based assessments for outcome measurements of patients in treatment for depression are valid and reliable. The findings indicate that the Internet version of the depression scale was equivalent to the paper version, and that patients preferred the Internet version.

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