ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

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• Foods identified as 'whole grain' not always healthy
• Study deflates notion that pear-shaped bodies more healthy than apples: Abnormal proteins from buttock fat linked to metabolic syndrome
• Saliva gland test for Parkinson's disease?
• Stem cells found to heal damaged artery in lab study in baboons
• Study finds poorer outcomes for obese patients treated for lumbar disc herniation
• Scientists uncover potential drug target to block cell death in Parkinson's disease
• Virus caught in the act of infecting a cell
• First cost-benefit analysis of DNA profiling vindicates 'CSI' fans
• Surgical technique spots cancer invasion with fluorescence
• Significant increase in flu cases as severe flu season gains momentum
• Careful immunotherapy reduces allergic patients' sensitivity to peanuts, study suggests
• Accepted model for brain signaling flawed
• 3-D biomimetic scaffolds support regeneration of complex tissues from stem cells
• Helping patients navigate new cancer drugs
• Cancer scientists determine mechanism of one of the most powerful tumor-suppressor proteins, Chd5
• New insights into HIV vaccine will improve drug development
• Next steps in potential stem cell therapy for diabetes: Study looks at differentiation of hESCs in endocrine cell progression
• Regulating single protein prompts fibroblasts to become neurons
• Study points to a safer, better test for chromosomal defects in the fetus
• Decline in available liver transplants expected
• Surgeons may use hand gestures to manipulate MRI images in OR
• New tool to help brain surgeons one step closer to operating room
• Is there a period of increased vulnerability for repeat traumatic brain injury?
• Limiting polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in pregnancy may influence body fat of children
• Marriage linked to better survival in middle age; Study highlights importance of social ties during midlife
• Human hearts generate new cells after birth; Findings could lead to novel approaches for treating heart failure in children
• Researchers identify a new gene with a key role in obesity and diabetes
• Study identifies infants at highest risk of death from pertussis; Early and repeated white blood cell counts are a critical tool
• IUD best treatment for heavy periods, major trial shows
• Turning the tide on seaweed supplements
• Smartphone app helps children with autism communicate better
• Bullying causes significant short-term emotional and physical consequences for children with autism
• Haiti can quell cholera without vaccinating most people, researchers estimate
• Declining access to electroconvulsive therapy: A clinical choice or an economic one?
• Music from the ear: Researchers show how an objective audiometric test can become even more reliable
• Overweight begins in the womb: Lifestyle of mother shapes disposition for subsequent weight
• Weight-control experts stress education, commitment

Foods identified as 'whole grain' not always healthy Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:08 PM PST Current standards for classifying foods as "whole grain" are inconsistent and, in some cases, misleading, according to a new study. One of the most widely used industry standards, the Whole Grain Stamp, actually identified grain products that were higher in both sugars and calories than products without the Stamp. The researchers urge adoption of a consistent, evidence-based standard for labeling whole grain foods to help consumers and organizations make healthy choices.

Study deflates notion that pear-shaped bodies more healthy than apples: Abnormal proteins from buttock fat linked to metabolic syndrome Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:13 PM PST People who are "apple-shaped" -- with fat more concentrated around the abdomen -- have long been considered more at risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes than those who are "pear-shaped" and carry weight more in the buttocks, hips and thighs. But new research provides further evidence that the protective benefits of having a pear-body shape may be more myth than reality.

Saliva gland test for Parkinson's disease? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:13 PM PST New research suggests that testing a portion of a person's saliva gland may be a way to diagnose Parkinson's disease.

Stem cells found to heal damaged artery in lab study in baboons Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST Scientists have for the first time demonstrated that baboon embryonic stem cells can be programmed to completely restore a severely damaged artery. These early results show promise for eventually developing stem cell therapies to restore human tissues or organs damaged by age or disease.

Study finds poorer outcomes for obese patients treated for lumbar disc herniation Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST While obese patients are more likely to have surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation -- a slipped or ruptured disc -- than non-obese patients, obesity increases operative time, blood loss and length of hospital stay, according to new research. Overall, obese patients had poorer outcomes with surgical and nonsurgical treatments for lumbar disc herniation than non-obese patients.

Scientists uncover potential drug target to block cell death in Parkinson's disease Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST Oxidative stress is a primary villain in a host of diseases that range from cancer and heart failure to Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Now, scientists have found that blocking the interaction of a critical enzyme may counteract the destruction of neurons associated with these neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a potential new target for drug development.

Virus caught in the act of infecting a cell Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST The detailed changes in the structure of a virus as it infects an E. coli bacterium have been observed for the first time.

First cost-benefit analysis of DNA profiling vindicates 'CSI' fans Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST The first rigorous analysis of the crime-fighting power of DNA profiling finds substantial evidence of its effectiveness.

Surgical technique spots cancer invasion with fluorescence Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST A team of surgeons and scientists have developed a new technique that will allow surgeons to identify during surgery which lymph nodes are cancerous so that healthy tissue can be saved.

Significant increase in flu cases as severe flu season gains momentum Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST Infectious disease experts are urging the public to get vaccinated against influenza in one of the most severe and longest flu seasons in a decade.

Careful immunotherapy reduces allergic patients' sensitivity to peanuts, study suggests Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST New research provides additional support for a strategy to reduce the severity of reactions to peanut- repeatedly consuming small amounts of the very food that causes those reactions in the first place, a practice called immunotherapy. One patient's serious reaction, however, highlighted the care that must be taken to keep patients safe.

Accepted model for brain signaling flawed Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST A new study turns two decades of understanding about how brain cells communicate on its head. The study demonstrates that the tripartite synapse -- a model long accepted by the scientific community and one in which multiple cells collaborate to move signals in the central nervous system -- does not exist in the adult brain.

3-D biomimetic scaffolds support regeneration of complex tissues from stem cells Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:20 AM PST Stem cells can be grown on biocompatible scaffolds to form complex tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle for repair and regeneration of damaged or diseased tissue. However, to function properly, the cells must often grow in a specific pattern or alignment. An innovative method for creating a stretched polymer scaffold can support complex tissue architectures.

Helping patients navigate new cancer drugs Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:10 AM PST As cancer treatment in pill form transforms how care is delivered, a new study underscores the challenges patients face in administering their own chemotherapy outside the supervised environment of a cancer clinic.

Cancer scientists determine mechanism of one of the most powerful tumor-suppressor proteins, Chd5 Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Researchers have solved the mystery of how one of the most powerful of the body's natural tumor-suppressing proteins, Chd5, exerts its beneficial effects. Chd5 engages processes fundamental to cancer prevention; and when Chd5 is mutated or missing, an important door is opened to cancer initiation. Thus figuring out how Chd5 works to prevent cancer can directly impact the treatment of many human cancers.

New insights into HIV vaccine will improve drug development Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Four years ago, a potential HIV vaccine showed promise against the virus that causes AIDS, but it fell short of providing the broad protection necessary to stem the spread of disease. Now researchers -- led by Duke Medicine -- have gained additional insights into the workings of the vaccine that help explain why it benefited a third of recipients and left others vulnerable.

Next steps in potential stem cell therapy for diabetes: Study looks at differentiation of hESCs in endocrine cell progression Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Researchers looked at the differences and similarities between two types of hESC-derived endocrine cell populations and primary human endocrine cells, with the longer-term goal of developing new stem cell therapies for diabetes.

Regulating single protein prompts fibroblasts to become neurons Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST Repression of a single protein in ordinary fibroblasts is sufficient to directly convert the cells -- abundantly found in connective tissues -- into functional neurons. The findings could have far-reaching implications for the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Study points to a safer, better test for chromosomal defects in the fetus Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:10 AM PST A noninvasive, sequencing-based approach for detecting chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus is safer and more informative in some cases than traditional methods, according to a new study. This method, which analyzes fetal DNA in the mother's blood, could provide women with a cost-effective way to find out whether their unborn baby will have major developmental problems without risking a miscarriage.

Decline in available liver transplants expected Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST A new study has found that the non-use of donor livers climbed through 2010 due to a worsening of donor liver quality, primarily from donation following cardiac death.

Surgeons may use hand gestures to manipulate MRI images in OR Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST Doctors may soon be using a system in the operating room that recognizes hand gestures as commands to tell a computer to browse and display medical images of the patient during a surgery.

New tool to help brain surgeons one step closer to operating room Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST A new tool that could allow for faster, more comprehensive testing of brain tissue during surgery successfully identified the cancer type, grade and tumor margins in five brain surgery patients.

Is there a period of increased vulnerability for repeat traumatic brain injury? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:13 AM PST Repeat traumatic brain injury affects a subgroup of the 3.5 million people who suffer head trauma each year. Even a mild repeat TBI that occurs when the brain is still recovering from an initial injury can result in poorer outcomes, especially in children and young adults. A metabolic marker that could serve as the basis for new mild TBI vulnerability guidelines is described in a new article.

Limiting polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in pregnancy may influence body fat of children Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:24 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated that mothers who have higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in cooking oils and nuts, during pregnancy have fatter children.

Marriage linked to better survival in middle age; Study highlights importance of social ties during midlife Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:23 AM PST Could marriage, and associated companionship, be one key to a longer life? According to new research, not having a permanent partner, or spouse, during midlife is linked to a higher risk of premature death during those midlife years.

Human hearts generate new cells after birth; Findings could lead to novel approaches for treating heart failure in children Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:48 AM PST Researchers have found, for the first time, that young humans (infants, children and adolescents) are capable of generating new heart muscle cells. These findings refute the long-held belief that the human heart grows after birth exclusively by enlargement of existing cells, and raise the possibility that scientists could stimulate production of new cells to repair injured hearts.

Researchers identify a new gene with a key role in obesity and diabetes Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:47 AM PST An international team of scientists has identified a gene which regulates fat metabolism and is involved in the onset of obesity and related metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes. The researchers regard this gene as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance in humans.

Study identifies infants at highest risk of death from pertussis; Early and repeated white blood cell counts are a critical tool Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:47 AM PST A new study has found that taking early and repeated white blood cell counts is critical in determining whether infants have pertussis and which of those children are at highest risk of death from the disease.

IUD best treatment for heavy periods, major trial shows Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:44 AM PST The hormone-releasing Mirena coil intrauterine device (IUD) is a better treatment for heavy menstrual periods than other conventional medical approaches, according to results of a major clinical trial in the UK.

Turning the tide on seaweed supplements Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:44 AM PST Proving the health benefits of a new class of compounds extracted from seaweed may require undergoing lengthy trials and comparison with similar substances before they become available as food supplements.

Smartphone app helps children with autism communicate better Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:43 AM PST The MySocius app uses naturalistic teaching methods to help children with autism communicate more effectively. One in 88 children is now on autism spectrum.

Bullying causes significant short-term emotional and physical consequences for children with autism Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:43 AM PST Nearly 70 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience emotional trauma as a result of being bullied, according to findings of a new study, while a significant portion were concerned for their own safety at school. The study also found that children with ASD who presented with pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses were at increased risk for involvement in bullying, with children diagnosed with ASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression at highest risk of being victimized over a one month period.

Haiti can quell cholera without vaccinating most people, researchers estimate Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:43 AM PST Cholera could be contained in Haiti by vaccinating less than half the population, University of Florida researchers suggest in a paper to be published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

Declining access to electroconvulsive therapy: A clinical choice or an economic one? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:54 AM PST Horrific images from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest notwithstanding, modern electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains one of the safest and most effective antidepressant treatments, particularly for patients who do not tolerate antidepressant medications or depression symptoms that have failed to respond to antidepressant medications. A new study suggests that reductions in ECT treatment have an economic basis. From 1993 to 2009, there was a progressive decline in the number of hospitals offering ECT treatment, resulting in an approximately 43 percent drop in the number of psychiatric inpatients receiving ECT.

Music from the ear: Researchers show how an objective audiometric test can become even more reliable Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:54 AM PST Not only can the human ear detect sounds, it can also generate them. If the ear hears the two upper tones of a major triad, it produces the fundamental of the chord which can then be measured. This phenomenon, called "otoacoustic emission" (OAE), is used by otologists for objective audiometric tests, e.g. in newborns. Researchers have shown that an OAE audiometric test becomes even more reliable if the two sounds are transmitted to the ear not via a loudspeaker, but by bone conduction.

Overweight begins in the womb: Lifestyle of mother shapes disposition for subsequent weight Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:54 AM PST A disposition for overweight is shaped even before birth, according to new research. The study reveals that children with a birth weight of more than 4,000 grams are twice as much at risk of becoming overweight in later life than those with normal birth weight.

Weight-control experts stress education, commitment Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:56 PM PST Weight-management programs, including those for children and seniors, stress education - not just for the people facing weight issues, but for their families, too – and long-term commitment to changed habits in addition to healthier diet and exercise practices.

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