ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Oxygen-free energy designed to fuel brain development spurs on growth of cancer
• Eczema in infants linked to gut bacteria
• Helping healthy cells could be key to fighting leukemia, research suggests
• BPA substitute could spell trouble: Experiments show bisphenol S also disrupts hormone activity
• Less tau reduces seizures and sudden death in severe epilepsy
• Drug combination extends pancreatic cancer patient survival, study suggests
• Black patients with hypertension not prescribed diuretics enough, study suggests
• Stem cell research helps to identify origins of schizophrenia
• Disease outbreaks trackable with Twitter
• Viral reactivation a likely link between stress and heart disease
• Circadian rhythms can be modified for potential treatment of disorders
• Emergency room redux for many patients after hospitalization
• Readmissions frequent in month after hospital discharge
• Beta carotene may protect people with common genetic risk factor for type-2 diabetes
• Brain protein called vimentin can indicate damage to the hippocampus following binge drinking
• Alcohol use from adolescence to adulthood follows different, complex pathways
• Will proposed DSM-5 changes to assessment of alcohol problems do any better?
• The ability to 'hold one's liquor' indicates risk of developing alcohol problems
• Reviewing alcohol's effects on normal sleep
• Binge drinking can dramatically amplify damage to the liver
• Lower drinking ages can have an impact on later drinking patterns
• Genomic sequencing identifies mutant 'drivers' of common brain tumor
• Scientists discover 'needle in a haystack' for muscular dystrophy patients
• Novel gene-searching software improves accuracy in disease studies
• People seek high-calorie foods in tough times
• From dark hearts comes the kindness of humankind
• Tuning stem cell fate: Researchers uncover epigenetic mechanisms of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation
• Vitamin D holds promise in battling a deadly breast cancer
• Brain structure of infants predicts language skills at one year
• Patient Wait Times for Appointments Cut by More Than 80 Percent
• New test predicted presence of harmful BRCA mutations
• Simple policy change could solve U. S. physician shortages in 25 states
• Concussion-related abnormal brain proteins in retired NFL players
• Study of how eye cells become damaged could help prevent blindness
• Role of enzyme TET2 in blood cell formation and cancer development
• Emotional intelligence mapped in brain: Study of Vietnam veterans with combat-related brain injuries
• Rice-cell cocktail tough on cancer cells, nice to normal cells
• Gene interactions make cocaine abuse death eight times more likely
• Forget about fair: It's better when bosses pick favorites
• Bariatric surgery in extremely obese adolescents
• Antibacterial agent used in common soaps found in increasing amounts in freshwater lakes
• Immune system molecule with hidden talents
• Type 1 diabetes in urban children skyrockets, increasing by 70% in children under age 5
• Hypertension during pregnancy increases risk of end-stage renal disease
• Harmful effects of bisphenol A demonstrated experimentally
• Keeping skin youthful: Skin aging regulator identified
• Men more likely than women to commit scientific fraud
• Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, study shows
• New drug protects against side effects of chemotherapy
• How can evolutionary biology explain why we get cancer?
• Evidence mounts for role of mutated genes in development of schizophrenia
• FDA approves clinical trial of auditory brainstem implant procedure for children in U.S.
• Children with egg allergies can safely receive flu vaccine, multi-center study finds
• Obese much more likely to die in car crashes than normal weight drivers, U.S. study finds

Oxygen-free energy designed to fuel brain development spurs on growth of cancer Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:13 PM PST The metabolic process which fuels the growth of many cancers has its origins in normal brain growth finds a new study. Using knock-out mice the study shows that interfering with Hexokinase-2 (Hk2), an enzyme integral to glucose metabolism, reduces the aggressiveness of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, and allows long term survival of mice.

Eczema in infants linked to gut bacteria Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:13 PM PST Children with eczema have a more diverse set of bacteria in their guts than non affected children, finds a new study. The types of bacteria present were also more typical of adult gut microbes than for toddlers without eczema. Eczema is a chronic inflammation of the epidermis.

Helping healthy cells could be key to fighting leukemia, research suggests Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:13 PM PST Instead of focusing on the elimination of cancer cells, maintaining a stable population of healthy blood cells in the bone marrow could be the most effective way to fight against leukemia.

BPA substitute could spell trouble: Experiments show bisphenol S also disrupts hormone activity Posted: 22 Jan 2013 04:14 PM PST Researchers found that like BPA, BPS disrupts cellular responses to the hormone estrogen, changing patterns of cell growth and death and hormone release. Also like BPA, it does so at extremely low levels of exposure.

Less tau reduces seizures and sudden death in severe epilepsy Posted: 22 Jan 2013 04:14 PM PST Deleting or reducing expression of a gene that carries the code for tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, can prevent seizures in a severe type of epilepsy linked to sudden death, said researchers.

Drug combination extends pancreatic cancer patient survival, study suggests Posted: 22 Jan 2013 04:14 PM PST A multi-center Phase III clinical trial demonstrates that Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) plus gemcitabine is the first combination of cancer drugs to extend survival of late-stage pancreatic cancer patients compared to standard treatment.

Black patients with hypertension not prescribed diuretics enough, study suggests Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:24 PM PST A research study of more than 600 black patients with uncontrolled hypertension found that less than half were prescribed a diuretic drug with proven benefit that costs just pennies a day, report researchers. The researchers say these new findings should be taken as a serious wake-up call for physicians who treat black patients with hypertension.

Stem cell research helps to identify origins of schizophrenia Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:24 PM PST New research demonstrates how defects in an important neurological pathway in early development may be responsible for the onset of schizophrenia later in life.

Disease outbreaks trackable with Twitter Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST About 15 percent of Tweets can accurately be connected to state-level location data or better. Most of that data is parsed from users' public profiles. Such volume means Twitter could be used as an early-warning system to monitor spread of diseases.

Viral reactivation a likely link between stress and heart disease Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST A new study could provide the link that scientists have been looking for to confirm that reactivation of a latent herpes virus is a cause of some heart problems.

Circadian rhythms can be modified for potential treatment of disorders Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST Studies have revealed the cellular mechanism by which circadian rhythms -- also known as the body clock -- modify energy metabolism and also have identified novel compounds that control this action. The findings point to potential treatments for disorders triggered by circadian rhythm dysfunction, ranging from insomnia and obesity to diabetes and cancer.

Emergency room redux for many patients after hospitalization Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST Following a hospitalization, patients face many challenges as they transition home. A new study of this vulnerable period found that a substantial number of patients return to the emergency department soon after leaving the hospital, and, while such patients are not usually readmitted, the study raises concerns that many more patients require acute medical care after hospital discharge than previously recognized.

Readmissions frequent in month after hospital discharge Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST Following hospitalization for heart attacks, heart failure, or pneumonia, patients are at high risk of being readmitted for a broad spectrum of medical conditions in the month following hospital discharge, research shows.

Beta carotene may protect people with common genetic risk factor for type-2 diabetes Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Researchers have found that for people harboring a genetic predisposition that is prevalent among Americans, beta carotene, which the body converts to a close cousin of vitamin A, may lower the risk for the most common form of diabetes, while gamma tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in the American diet, may increase risk for the disease.

Brain protein called vimentin can indicate damage to the hippocampus following binge drinking Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Binge drinking is known to increase the risk of developing dementia and/or brain damage. A new study used rodents to test markers of neurodegeneration to determine a threshold for brain damage. The vimentin brain protein can indicate damage to the hippocampus after 24 hours of binge-like drinking.

Alcohol use from adolescence to adulthood follows different, complex pathways Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Adolescence is often a time of novelty seeking and risk taking, including the initiation of drinking. Other risk factors are also involved in trajectories of alcohol use that may develop over time. A new study has identified six different trajectories of alcohol use from adolescence into adulthood.

Will proposed DSM-5 changes to assessment of alcohol problems do any better? Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST The upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will likely change the criteria used to assess alcohol problems. One proposed change would collapse the two diagnoses of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence into a single diagnosis called alcohol use disorder. Analysis indicates these changes are unlikely to change the prevalence of diagnosed alcohol problems.

The ability to 'hold one's liquor' indicates risk of developing alcohol problems Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST The ability to "hold one's liquor" is a known risk factor for alcohol use disorders. New findings suggest a low subjective response (SR) to alcohol is associated with fewer acute negative consequences in a heavy drinking sample. Study authors speculate that a low SR may protect against problems in the short term, but likely becomes a risk factor for longer-term problems as tolerance to alcohol develops.

Reviewing alcohol's effects on normal sleep Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Sleep cycles between two states: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement sleep. A review of all studies involving normal volunteers has clarified that alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep, increases deep sleep, and reduces REM sleep.

Binge drinking can dramatically amplify damage to the liver Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST A new review examines studies addressing the effects of binge drinking on the liver. Binge consumption of alcohol is implicated in the pathophysiology of ALD. Binge drinking alters the levels of several cellular components and dramatically amplifies liver injury in the chronically alcohol-exposed liver.

Lower drinking ages can have an impact on later drinking patterns Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Lower minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws have been associated with short-term effects such as more traffic fatalities and teen suicides. A new study has investigated the long-term and persistent effects of permissive MLDA laws. Findings support an association with problematic drinking behaviors that persist into later adulthood, such as more frequent binge episodes.

Genomic sequencing identifies mutant 'drivers' of common brain tumor Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST Large-scale genomic sequencing has revealed two DNA mutations that appear to drive about 15 percent of meningiomas report scientists. Experimental drugs that inhibit these mutant gene pathways are in clinical trials and have shown promising activity.

Scientists discover 'needle in a haystack' for muscular dystrophy patients Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST Scientists have identified a sequence in the dystrophin gene that is essential for helping muscle tissues function, a breakthrough discovery that could lead to treatments for the deadly hereditary disease. The researchers "found the proverbial needle in a haystack," according to an expert.

Novel gene-searching software improves accuracy in disease studies Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:21 PM PST A novel software tool streamlines the detection of disease-causing CNVs through more sensitive detection methods and by automatically correcting for variations that reduce the accuracy of results in conventional software.

People seek high-calorie foods in tough times Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST Bad news about the economy could cause you to pack on the pounds, according to a new study. The study shows that when there is a perception of tough times, people tend to seek higher-calorie foods that will keep them satisfied longer.

From dark hearts comes the kindness of humankind Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST The kindness of humankind most likely developed from our more sinister and self-serving tendencies, according to research that suggests society's rules against selfishness are rooted in the very exploitation they condemn.

Tuning stem cell fate: Researchers uncover epigenetic mechanisms of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:29 AM PST Scientists have discovered that RYBP and CBX7, two proteins essential for gene regulation, are at the heart of the most critical decision faced by embryonic stem cells: what type of cells to become. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in stem cell biology and might have important therapeutic implications.

Vitamin D holds promise in battling a deadly breast cancer Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:29 AM PST Researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that contributes to triple-negative breast cancer, an often deadly and treatment resistant form of cancer that tends to strike younger women. In addition, the team identified vitamin D and some protease inhibitors as possible new therapies and discovered a set of three biomarkers that can help to identify patients who could benefit from the treatment.

Brain structure of infants predicts language skills at one year Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST Using a brain-imaging technique that examines the entire infant brain, researchers have found that the anatomy of certain brain areas – the hippocampus and cerebellum – can predict children's language abilities at one year of age.

Patient Wait Times for Appointments Cut by More Than 80 Percent Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST Process changes have been shown to cut times to appointment from 11 to 2 weeks.

New test predicted presence of harmful BRCA mutations Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST

Simple policy change could solve U. S. physician shortages in 25 states Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST According to a new study, half of the 50 states could end their primary care physician shortages, and save billions annually in health care costs, by a simple policy change: equalizing the licensure requirements for foreign-educated physicians and U.S.-educated physicians.

Concussion-related abnormal brain proteins in retired NFL players Posted: 22 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST For the first time, researchers have used a brain-imaging tool to identify the abnormal tau proteins associated with sports concussion in five retired National Football League players who are still living. Previously, confirmation of the presence of this protein could only be established by an autopsy. Follow-up studies will help determine the impact and usefulness of identifying these proteins early.

Study of how eye cells become damaged could help prevent blindness Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST A new study provides new insight into the mechanical properties that cause the outer segment of light-sensing cells in the eye to snap under pressure. The new experimental and theoretical findings help to explain the origin of severe eye diseases and could lead to new ways of preventing blindness.

Role of enzyme TET2 in blood cell formation and cancer development Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:23 AM PST Researchers have described the way TET2 might act in the gene regulation of myeloid leukemia. The study was carried out by transforming one blood cell (B lymphocyte) into another (a macrophage), a process called transdifferentiation.

Emotional intelligence mapped in brain: Study of Vietnam veterans with combat-related brain injuries Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:23 AM PST A new study of 152 Vietnam veterans with combat-related brain injuries offers the first detailed map of the brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence -- the ability to process emotional information and navigate the social world.

Rice-cell cocktail tough on cancer cells, nice to normal cells Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:22 AM PST In lab tests, juice from rice cells knocked out two kinds of human cancer cells as well or better than the potent anti-cancer drug Taxol. Plus, it did something extra: it left normal cells unharmed.

Gene interactions make cocaine abuse death eight times more likely Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:22 AM PST Scientists have identified genetic circumstances under which common mutations on two genes interact in the presence of cocaine to produce a nearly eight-fold increased risk of death as a result of abusing the drug.

Forget about fair: It's better when bosses pick favorites Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST A new study shows that bosses should pick favorites if they want top performing teams.

Bariatric surgery in extremely obese adolescents Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:17 AM PST Bariatric surgery in extremely obese adolescents was shown to be beneficial in helping to reverse previously undiagnosed cardiovascular abnormalities believed to be linked to severe obesity.

Antibacterial agent used in common soaps found in increasing amounts in freshwater lakes Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:16 AM PST A new study determined that the common antibacterial agent, called triclosan, used in soaps and many other products is found in increasing amounts in several Minnesota freshwater lakes. The findings are directly linked to increased triclosan use over the past few decades.

Immune system molecule with hidden talents Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:16 AM PST Researchers have discovered that dendritic cells are dependent upon the support from a class of immune system molecules, which have never before been associated with dendritic cells: Antibodies, best known for their role in vaccinations and diagnostics.

Type 1 diabetes in urban children skyrockets, increasing by 70% in children under age 5 Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:15 AM PST Over the past two decades, the incidence of type 1 diabetes in very young children under age 5 has increased by 70 percent in the city of Philadelphia, according to new research.

Hypertension during pregnancy increases risk of end-stage renal disease Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:21 AM PST Women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease compared with women without the disorders, according to a new study.

Harmful effects of bisphenol A demonstrated experimentally Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:19 AM PST Weak concentrations of bisphenol A are sufficient to produce a negative reaction on the human testicle. This has just been shown experimentally.

Keeping skin youthful: Skin aging regulator identified Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:19 AM PST Despite progress in regenerative medicine, with age, the skin loses its properties in an irreversible manner. Scientists have just defined the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining skin cells and skin healing in advanced years.

Men more likely than women to commit scientific fraud Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:19 AM PST Male scientists are far more likely to commit fraud than females and the fraud occurs across the career spectrum, from trainees to senior faculty. The analysis of professional misconduct was co-led by a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and was published today in the online journal mBio.

Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, study shows Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:19 AM PST Researchers have found a novel way to engineer key cells of the immune system so they remain resistant to infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The new approach, a form of tailored gene therapy, could ultimately replace drug treatment, in which patients have to take multiple medications daily to keep the virus in check and prevent the potentially fatal infections wrought by AIDS.

New drug protects against side effects of chemotherapy Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:16 AM PST A drug developed in Sweden protects against the side effects of cancer treatments while strengthening the effects on the tumor. An international drug evaluation is now starting up on a larger group of patients.

How can evolutionary biology explain why we get cancer? Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:14 AM PST Over 500 billion cells in our bodies will be replaced daily, yet natural selection has enabled us to develop defenses against the cellular mutations which could cause cancer. It is this relationship between evolution and the body's fight against cancer which is explored in a new special issue of the Open Access journal Evolutionary Applications.

Evidence mounts for role of mutated genes in development of schizophrenia Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:13 AM PST Researchers have identified a rare gene mutation in a single family with a high rate of schizophrenia, adding to evidence that abnormal genes play a role in the development of the disease.

FDA approves clinical trial of auditory brainstem implant procedure for children in U.S. Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:13 AM PST The House Research Institute and Children's Hospital Los Angeles has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given final approval to begin a clinical trial of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) procedure for children. The trial is a surgical collaboration sponsored by the House Research Institute in partnership with Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Vittorio Colletti, MD of the University of Verona Hospital, Verona, Italy.

Children with egg allergies can safely receive flu vaccine, multi-center study finds Posted: 22 Jan 2013 07:13 AM PST Egg allergic children, including those with a history of anaphylaxis to egg, can safely receive a single dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine, according to a new study.

Obese much more likely to die in car crashes than normal weight drivers, U.S. study finds Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:20 PM PST Obese drivers are significantly more likely to die in a road traffic collision than people of normal weight, according to a new U.S. study.

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