Fw: ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 8, 2008

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ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Tuesday, July 8, 2008

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Good Golf Players See The Hole As Larger Than Poor Players (July 8, 2008) -- Golfers who play well are more likely to see the hole as larger than their poor-playing counterparts, according to new research. "Golfers have said that when they play well the hole looks as big as a bucket or basketball hoop, and when they do not play well they've been quoted as saying the hole looks like a dime or the inside of a donut," according to the researcher. ... > full story

Newborn Vitamin A Reduces Infant Mortality (July 8, 2008) -- A single, oral dose of vitamin A, given to infants shortly after birth in the developing world can reduce their risk of death by 15 percent, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. ... > full story

MRI Technique To ID Microstructural Changes In Asthma (July 8, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that -- for the first time ever -- identified microscopic structural damages deep in the lungs of patients with asthma. ... > full story

New Treatment Approach Promising For Lymphoma Patients In Developing World (July 8, 2008) -- Preliminary results suggest that patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the developing world might benefit from a modified chemotherapy regimen, researchers say. ... > full story

Political Borders, Health-care Issues Complicate Pandemic Planning (July 8, 2008) -- Panic, staffing issues and geographic boundaries are some of the challenges that public health experts need to address as they plan for a possible influenza pandemic, according to a new report. ... > full story

Baby's Smile Is A Natural High (July 8, 2008) -- The baby's smile that gladdens a mother's heart also lights up the reward centers of her brain, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics. ... > full story

PTSD Causes Early Death From Heart Disease, Study Suggests (July 8, 2008) -- A new study sheds light on the link between PTSD and heart disease. Vietnam veterans with PTSD suffered higher rates of heart disease death than veterans without PTSD. The more severe the PTSD diagnosis, the greater the likelihood of death from heart disease, the study showed. ... > full story

Innovative Program Focuses On Improved Care For Children With ADHD (July 8, 2008) -- An innovative program is helping busy primary care physicians improve the care they provide for school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study. The study is the first to intervene with an entire community of primary care physicians and help them more accurately diagnose and effectively monitor treatment response of their patients with ADHD, researchers said. ... > full story

Bacterial Peptide Provides New Insight Into Common Tumor Suppressor (July 8, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a new anti-tumor drug that might prove useful in developing treatments for a multiple human cancers. The research advances the understanding of one of the most frequently disrupted tumor suppressor proteins in human cancer and provides new insight into the regulation of the complex process of cellular protein degradation under normal and pathological conditions. ... > full story

Relationship Violence Appears Common Among College Students (July 8, 2008) -- Violence between partners, friends and acquaintances appears prevalent both during and before college, according to results of a survey of students at three urban college campuses. ... > full story

Molecule That Kills Kidney Cancer Cells Discovered (July 7, 2008) -- Kidney cancer patients generally have one option for beating their disease: surgery to remove the organ. But that could change, thanks to a new molecule found by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that kills kidney cancer cells. ... > full story

Best Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis May Depend On Disease Subtype (July 7, 2008) -- In animal studies, scientists discover different inflammatory pathways at work. Relatively new drugs now help some patients, but not others, with the most common form of multiple sclerosis. That may be because patients with the same symptoms experience different types of inflammation, suggests a new study in animals. If the differences are found in people, future treatments may be tailored to specific subtypes of the disease. ... > full story

Counting Tumor Cells In Blood Predicts Treatment Benefit In Prostate Cancer (July 7, 2008) -- Counting the number of tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer can accurately predict how well they are responding to treatment, new results show. Researchers showed that changes in the number of circulating tumor cells predicted the outcome after chemotherapy in this hard to treat cancer. ... > full story

Families With Children Without A Genetic Or Gestational Link To Their Parents Are Functioning Well (July 7, 2008) -- The emotional well-being of families where children lack a genetic or gestational link to one or both of their parents -- where the children have been conceived through surrogacy, egg donation or donor insemination -- has long been a subject of debate. Now, scientists have shown that relationships within such families appear to be functioning well, and that there are few differences between them and families in whom children were conceived naturally. ... > full story

Computers Used To Hone Cancer-fighting Strategies (July 7, 2008) -- Medical researchers are using high-powered computers to determine how substances known as recombinant immunotoxins can best be modified in order to attack and kill malignant tumors while doing minimal harm to a patient's healthy cells. ... > full story

Can Recycling Be Used To Treat Cancer? (July 7, 2008) -- We already know that recycling benefits our planet; and now new research suggests that the cellular version might be useful for battling cancer. Scientists have identified a molecule that uses this unexpected pathway to selectively kill cancer cells. The research may drive treatment strategies for cancer in an entirely new direction. ... > full story

Researchers Clarify Function Of Glucose Transport Molecule, May Lead To New Diabetes, Cancer Drugs (July 7, 2008) -- Scientists have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters, which pump glucose into cells. The solution of the SGLT structure will accelerate development of new drugs designed to treat patients with diabetes and cancer. The journal Science publishes the findings. ... > full story

Surrogacy Still Stigmatized, Though Attitudes Changing Among Younger Women (July 7, 2008) -- Although younger people are becoming more positive towards surrogate mothers, current day attitudes to surrogacy are still broadly negative. Researchers say that previous stigmatization of surrogate mothers in the media had added to the reluctance to undertake this treatment option. ... > full story

Male Biological Clock Also 'Ticking': Fertility Problems Greater For Men Over 35 (July 7, 2008) -- Pregnancy rates decrease and miscarriages were found to increase when a father is over 35 years of age. Researchers say that this is the first time that such a strong paternal effect on reproductive outcomes has been shown. ... > full story

Potential Treatment For TB Solves Puzzle (July 7, 2008) -- Scientists have uncovered a new target for the potential treatment of TB, finally resolving a long-running debate about how the bacterial cell wall is built. The research, published in Microbiology reveals several molecules that could be developed into drugs to treat tuberculosis. Multi drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, sparked concern but the recent emergence of extensively drug-resistant strains means the search for new treatments is imperative. ... > full story

Cancer Therapies From The Ocean? (July 7, 2008) -- Scientists have studied the properties of natural products derived from animals found in Fijian waters, and shown that not only may certain compounds have potential use in anti-cancer therapies, but others may also be useful for improving drug delivery, currently one of the most significant problems faced by medical researchers. ... > full story

Children Born After Donor Insemination Should Be Told As Soon As Possible About Their Conception (July 7, 2008) -- It is better for children conceived by donor insemination to be told of their origins at an early age, according to the first large-scale study of people who are aware of their donor conception. If the children are not told until they are 18 or older, they are more likely to have feelings of shock and anger. ... > full story

Mimic Molecules To Protect Against Plague (July 7, 2008) -- Bacteria that cause pneumonic plague can evade our first-line defenses, making it difficult for the body to fight infection. In fact, a signature of the plague is the lack of an inflammatory response. Now, scientists have discovered a way to protect against death following infection with plague bacteria, by using molecules that can mimic the pathogens. According to research published in Microbiology, these molecules make antibiotics more effective and can even be used to protect against other diseases. ... > full story

Artichoke Leaf Extract Lowers Cholesterol (July 7, 2008) -- Researchers have found that an over-the-counter Artichoke Leaf Extract (ALE) from the globe artichoke plant can lower cholesterol in otherwise healthy individuals with moderately raised levels. Cardiovascular diseases are the chief causes of death in the UK, and are associated with raised circulating levels of total cholesterol in the plasma. Once plasma cholesterol reaches a certain level, drugs such as statins are often prescribed to help reduce it. Intervention before concentrations reaches these levels may help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases without the need for drugs. ... > full story

Tumor Suppressor That Manages Cellular Cleaning And Recycling Proceses Identified (July 7, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a specific tumor suppressor that manages membrane traffic routes for cellular cleaning and recycling. ... > full story

Screening For Heart Disorders In Competitive Athletes Would Save Lives (July 7, 2008) -- Athletes who take part in competitive sport should be screened for potentially fatal heart problems before they compete, according to a study. ... > full story

When Using Gestures, Rules Of Grammar Remain The Same (July 7, 2008) -- The mind apparently has a consistent way of ordering an event that defies the order in which subjects, verbs and objects typically appear in languages. Although speakers of different languages describe events using the word orders prescribed by their language, when the same speakers are asked to "speak" with their hands and not their mouths, they ignore these orders -- they all use exactly the same order when they gesture. ... > full story

Aggressive Treatment Of Childhood Eczema Could Help Prevent Asthma, New Study Suggests (July 7, 2008) -- More aggressive treatment of childhood eczema may be an important step in preventing asthma, says a new Australian study. ... > full story

Topical Oral Syrup Prevents Early Childhood Caries, Study Shows (July 7, 2008) -- Dental researchers have reported a significant reduction of tooth decay in toddlers who were treated with the topical syrup xylitol, a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing sweetener. ... > full story

Children Overestimate Cute Animals In Rainforests, While Underestimating Insects And Annelids (July 7, 2008) -- Researchers investigated children's perceptions of rainforest biodiversity by asking young museum visitors to draw their ideal rainforest, as part of a competition, and found that while children have a sophisticated understanding of rainforest ecosystems, they tend to overestimate the relative numbers of some taxa (mainly "cuter" mammals, birds and reptiles) while underestimating the proportions of less charismatic taxa, such as insects and annelids. ... > full story

Potential New Drug Candidates To Combat 'Bird Flu' Identified (July 7, 2008) -- As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies. ... > full story

Shedding Light On The Molecular Basis Of Crib Death (July 7, 2008) -- Sudden infant death syndrome is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib or cot death. The model, published in the journal Science, reveals that an imbalance of the neuronal signal serotonin in the brain stem is causes sudden death in mice. ... > full story

Brain Noise Is Good: New Study Overturns Notion That Brain Noise Quiets Down With Maturity (July 7, 2008) -- Canadian scientists have shown that a noisy brain is a healthy brain. "Brain noise" is a term that has been used by neuroscientists to describe random brain activity that is not important to mental function. Intuitive notions of brain-behavior relationships would suggest that this brain noise quiets down as children mature into adults and become more efficient and consistent in their cognitive processing. But new research overturns this notion. ... > full story

New Antibiotic Beats Superbugs At Their Own Game (July 7, 2008) -- By targeting the gene that confers resistance to antibiotics, a new drug may be able to finally outwit drug-resistant staph bacteria. ... > full story

Newly Identified Enzyme Treats Deadly Bacterial Infections In Mice (July 7, 2008) -- By the time antibiotics made their clinical debut 70 years ago, bacteria had long evolved strategies to shield themselves. For billions of years, bacteria hurled toxic molecules at each other in the struggle to prosper, and those that withstood the chemical onslaught marched on. Now, with an uptick in antibiotic-resistant bacteria reaching alarming proportions, scientists have identified an enzyme produced in viruses (called bacteriophages) that could stop these one-celled powerhouses dead in their tracks. ... > full story

Effects Of Healing Touch Therapy Being Studied (July 7, 2008) -- Researchers are pairing a complementary therapy known as Healing Touch with mild sedation to see if the technique truly calms patients undergoing minor procedures. ... > full story

Glaucoma Surgery Studied In Medicare Patients, New Hope For People With End-stage Glaucoma (July 7, 2008) -- Ophthalmologists continue to develop treatments to help the more than three million Americans with glaucoma. The July issue of Ophthalmology includes a large, national study of outcomes of incisional surgeries, used to reduce pressure inside the eye, in Medicare patients. Also covered is research that may brighten the outlook for patients with end-stage glaucoma. ... > full story

Mother's Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy Will Affect Her Baby's Dental Health (July 7, 2008) -- Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay. ... > full story

'Multi-target' Immune Therapy Improves Outcomes Of Severe Lupus Nephritis (July 7, 2008) -- A new treatment using a combination of drugs targeting different parts of the immune system improves the recovery rate for patients with severe lupus involving the kidneys, according to a new report. ... > full story

Genetic Status Of North-east India's Adi Tribe Detailed (July 7, 2008) -- North-east India has always been a hotspot for population geneticists due to its unique, strategic geographic location and the presence of linguistically, culturally and demographically diverse populations practicing varied occupations (from hunter-gathering to settled agriculture). Researcher have now examined the genetic status of sub-tribes of a remotely located tribal cluster -- the Adi, a Tibeto-Burman-speaking tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in the north-east of India. Based on 15 autosomal microsatellite markers, the authors studied the genetic affinity, differentiation and sub-structuring among six Adi subgroups, as well as their genetic affinity with other groups. ... > full story

Should Embryos With A Hereditary Disorder Be Transferred If No Unaffected Embryos Are Available? (July 7, 2008) -- The numbers of cycles of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or screening are rising steadily in Europe with over 2,700 reported in 2004. Fertility centers are able to screen for a growing number of genetically related conditions, but what should doctors do if no embryos without the targeted condition are available for transfer and the parents request that affected embryos should be transferred instead? ... > full story

Cancer Preventive Properties Identified In Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Red Grapes (July 7, 2008) -- Early laboratory research has shown that resveratrol, a common dietary supplement, suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role for the agent in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a natural substance found in red wine and red grapes. It is sold in extract form as a dietary supplement at most major drug stores. ... > full story

Looking For The Founatain Of Youth? Cut Your Calories, Research Suggests (July 6, 2008) -- In addition to reducing one's risk for many common diseases, new research found that calorie restriction may slow the aging process. Calorie restriction has long been shown to slow the aging process in rats and mice. Calorie restriction - cutting approximately 300 to 500 calories per day - had a similar biological effect in humans, and, therefore, may slow the aging process. ... > full story

Calpain Inhibitors Never Forget: Improving Memory In Alzheimer's Disease Mice (July 6, 2008) -- Overactivation of proteins known as calpains, which are involved in memory formation, has been linked to Alzheimer disease. Researchers have now shown that two different drugs that inhibit calpains can improve memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, leading them to suggest drugs that target calpains might stop or slow down the memory loss that occurs as Alzheimer's disease progresses. ... > full story

Rare Plants And Endangered Species Such As Tigers At Risk From Traditional Medicine (July 6, 2008) -- Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary health care resource of millions at risk. ... > full story

Woman Aquires New Accent After Stroke (July 6, 2008) -- A woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, researchers reported in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. ... > full story

Statins Have Unexpected Effect On Pool Of Powerful Brain Cells (July 6, 2008) -- Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have a profound effect on an elite group of cells known as glial progenitor cells that are important to brain health as we age, scientists have found. The new findings shed light on a long-debated potential role for statins in the area of dementia. ... > full story

Endocrinology: Understanding The Genetics Of Congenital Hyperinsulinism (July 6, 2008) -- A number of congenital disorders characterized by low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) as a result of excessive secretion of the hormone insulin are collectively known as congenital hyperinsulinism. ... > full story

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