ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy
• Gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease identified
• Protein linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer; possible new oncogene and future therapy target
• Millions of mild asthma patients may not need daily inhaled steroid therapy, benefiting instead from taking only when symptoms occur
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation not associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular disease events
• Powerful new method for finding therapeutic antibodies devised: Technique hones and expands the power of large numbers
• Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments
• Body heat, fermentation drive new drug-delivery 'micropump'
• Improved nanoparticles deliver drugs into brain
• Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells
• Molecular beacons light up stem cell transformation
• How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking
• Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say
• 'Facebook effect': Thousands registered as organ donors via Facebook, dwarfing other donation initiatives
• Why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF
• Inhaled pain relief in early labor is safe and effective, study suggests
• Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients
• Puberty turned on by brain during deep sleep
• Who (and what) can you trust? How non-verbal cues can predict a person's (and a robot's) trustworthiness
• Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve cognitive function in multiple sclerosis, research finds
• Pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring
• Stem cell researchers use gene therapy to restore immune systems in 'Bubble Boy' disease
• Chain reaction in the human immune system trapped in crystals
• Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia
• Latinos more vulnerable to fatty pancreas, type 2 diabetes, study shows
• Oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein: Chemistry discovery could have major medical implications
• Hayfever vaccine study raises hopes for new allergy treatment as clinical trial is launched
• Toothpicks and surgical swabs can wreak havoc in the gut when inadvertently swallowed or left behind after surgery
• Reining in red meat consumption cuts chronic disease risk and carbon footprint
• Diet could combat adverse side-effects of anti-parasitic drug quinine
• Second-hand smoking damages memory
• More traffic deaths in wake of 9/11
• 'Doctor' or 'darling' -- Subtle differences of speech: Brain signals tell who someone is talking to
• Risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly

Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT A new study is the first to show that controlled fasting improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer treatments, extending life expectancy in mice with aggressive brain tumors.

Gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease identified Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT In a recent study, researchers identified a gene linking age-related cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence showing that these two diseases, both associated with increasing age, may share common etiologic factors.

Protein linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer; possible new oncogene and future therapy target Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have identified the FAM83A protein as a possible new oncogene and linked it to therapy resistance in breast cancer. This discovery helps explain the clinical correlation between a high expression of FAM83A and a poor prognosis for breast cancer patients, and may also provide a new target for future therapies.

Millions of mild asthma patients may not need daily inhaled steroid therapy, benefiting instead from taking only when symptoms occur Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT New research has shown that the millions of people who use corticosteroids prescribed daily to control mild asthma do no better than those who use them only when symptoms occur. The findings suggest a potential new treatment option that could change international standards of care, reduce patients' pharmacy costs, limit long-term exposure to corticosteroids and enable flexibility in managing the condition.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation not associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular disease events Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT In a study that included nearly 70,000 patients, supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, or stroke, according to an analysis of previous studies.

Powerful new method for finding therapeutic antibodies devised: Technique hones and expands the power of large numbers Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Scientists have found a new technique that should greatly speed the discovery of medically and scientifically useful antibodies, immune system proteins that detect and destroy invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT The world continues to be a noisy place, and researchers have found that all that background chatter causes the ears of those with hearing impairments to work differently.

Body heat, fermentation drive new drug-delivery 'micropump' Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have created a new type of miniature pump activated by body heat that could be used in drug-delivery patches powered by fermentation.

Improved nanoparticles deliver drugs into brain Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:18 PM PDT The brain is a notoriously difficult organ to treat, but researchers report they are one step closer to having a drug-delivery system flexible enough to overcome some key challenges posed by brain cancer and perhaps other maladies affecting that organ.

Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT Scientists have gotten us one step closer to understanding and overcoming one of the least-understood mechanisms of HIV infection -- by devising a method to precisely track the life cycle of individual cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Molecular beacons light up stem cell transformation Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT In a new study, researchers demonstrate a new tool for visually tracking in real-time the transformation of a living population of stem cells into cells of a specific tissue. The "molecular beacons," which could advance tissue engineering research, light up when certain genes are expressed and don't interfere with the development or operation of the stem cells.

How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes. A new study shows that people with genetically fast nicotine metabolism have a significantly greater brain response to smoking cues than those with slow nicotine metabolism.

Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT The genetic sequencing and reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide have advanced scientists' understanding of influenza biology and yielded important information on how to prevent and control future pandemics, according to a new commentary.

'Facebook effect': Thousands registered as organ donors via Facebook, dwarfing other donation initiatives Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT When Facebook introduced a feature that enables people to register to become organ and tissue donors, thousands did so, dwarfing any previous donation initiative according to researchers.

Why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT One third of American women of childbearing age are battling obesity, a condition that affects their health and their chances of getting pregnant. Obese women often have poor reproductive outcomes, but the reasons why have not been clearly identified. Now, a novel study is the first to shed light on how body mass index might adversely affect egg quality in women.

Inhaled pain relief in early labor is safe and effective, study suggests Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Inhaled pain relief appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity and in giving pain relief in the first stage of labour, say researchers. These conclusions came from a systematic review that drew data from twenty-six separate studies that involved a total of 2,959 women.

Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than patients given standard care, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. These patients were also less likely to need to go back into hospital in the six months that follow discharge.

Puberty turned on by brain during deep sleep Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:48 AM PDT Slow-wave sleep, or 'deep sleep', is intimately involved in the complex control of the onset of puberty, according to a recent study.

Who (and what) can you trust? How non-verbal cues can predict a person's (and a robot's) trustworthiness Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT People face this predicament all the time -- can you determine a person's character in a single interaction? Can you judge whether someone you just met can be trusted when you have only a few minutes together? And if you can, how do you do it? Using a robot named Nexi, psychologists have figured out the answer.

Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve cognitive function in multiple sclerosis, research finds Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT A new study has found that the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba does not improve cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis. Cognitive impairment affects 40-60% of people with MS, most commonly affecting their processing speed, memory, and executive skills.

Pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:28 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated, in animals, that maternal exposure to a high-fat diet or excess estrogen during pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk in multiple generations of female offspring -- daughters, granddaughters and even great-granddaughters.

Stem cell researchers use gene therapy to restore immune systems in 'Bubble Boy' disease Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:16 AM PDT Stem cell researchers have found that a gene therapy regimen can safely restore immune systems to children with so-called "Bubble Boy" disease, a life threatening condition that if left untreated can be fatal within one to two years.

Chain reaction in the human immune system trapped in crystals Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:34 AM PDT Medical researchers have revealed details of how a chain reaction in the human immune system starts. With these results, the researchers hope to promote the development of strategies aimed at alleviating suffering caused by unintentional activation of the immune system.

Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:30 AM PDT Researchers in Germany have discovered that the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene are significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control persons. It might thus be possible to influence the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by a person's diet or dietary antioxidants.

Latinos more vulnerable to fatty pancreas, type 2 diabetes, study shows Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:29 AM PDT Latinos are more likely to store fat in the pancreas and are less able to compensate by excreting additional insulin, a new study shows.

Oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein: Chemistry discovery could have major medical implications Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT The study of an oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein by chemistry researchers has provided molecular insight into the oxygen sensing mechanism, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the aging process and new treatments for human diseases such cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Hayfever vaccine study raises hopes for new allergy treatment as clinical trial is launched Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Researchers are developing a new vaccine for hayfever which could be more effective, less invasive for patients and less expensive than some vaccines already available to patients.

Toothpicks and surgical swabs can wreak havoc in the gut when inadvertently swallowed or left behind after surgery Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT A woman developed severe blood poisoning (sepsis) and a liver abscess, after inadvertently swallowing a toothpick, which perforated her gullet and lodged in a lobe of her liver, reveals a case study.

Reining in red meat consumption cuts chronic disease risk and carbon footprint Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:16 AM PDT Reducing red and processed meat consumption would not only prompt a fall in chronic disease incidence of between three and 12 per cent in the UK, but our carbon footprint would shrink by 28 million tons a year, suggests new research.

Diet could combat adverse side-effects of anti-parasitic drug quinine Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT Scientists say adverse side-effects caused by the anti-parasitic drug quinine in the treatment of malaria could be controlled by what we eat.

Second-hand smoking damages memory Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research.

More traffic deaths in wake of 9/11 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT The fear of terrorist attacks can alter our everyday behaviour and result in more fatal traffic accidents, according to new research.

'Doctor' or 'darling' -- Subtle differences of speech: Brain signals tell who someone is talking to Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:12 AM PDT Human speech comes in countless varieties: When people talk to close friends or partners, they talk differently than when they address a physician. These differences in speech are quite subtle and hard to pinpoint. In a new study, researchers report that they were able to tell from brain signals who a person was talking to. This discovery could contribute to the further development of speech synthesizers for patients with severe paralysis.

Risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:10 AM PDT Teens who play mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games may be more likely than those who don't to become reckless drivers who experience increases in automobile accidents, police stops and willingness to drink and drive, according to new research.

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