ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

How Cheating Ants Give Themselves Away Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST In ant society, workers normally give up reproducing themselves to care for their queen's offspring, who are their brothers and sisters. When workers try to cheat and have their own kids in the queen's presence, their peers swiftly attack and physically restrain them from reproducing.

Converting Adult Somatic Cells To Pluripotent Stem Cells Using A Single Virus Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have found a more efficient way to create induced pluripotent stem cells using a single virus vector instead of multiple viruses in the reprogramming process. The ability to combine four vectors into single "stem cell cassette" containing all four genes using a combination of 2A peptides and IRES dramatically improves iPS cell production efficiency -- 10 times higher than previously reported studies.

Women's Brains Recognize, Encode Smell Of Male Sexual Sweat Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Socioemotional meanings, including sexual ones, are conveyed in human sweat. Nineteen healthy female subjects inhaled olfactory stimuli from four sources, one of which was sweat gathered from sexually aroused males.

Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief In Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Looking Through Galileo’s Eyes Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST In 1609, exactly four centuries ago, Galileo revolutionized humankind's understanding of our position in the Universe when he used a telescope for the first time to study the heavens, which saw him sketching radical new views of the moon and discovering the satellites orbiting Jupiter.

Mortality Rates Higher For Heart Disease Patients In Poorer Neighborhoods, Study Suggests Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Heart disease patients living in poorer areas of B.C. are up to twice as likely to die from chronic diseases than patients living in better-off areas, a University of British Columbia study has found.

Sea Level Rise Of One Meter Within 100 Years Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST New research indicates that the ocean could rise in the next 100 years to a meter higher than the current sea level -- which is three times higher than predictions from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC.

Synthetic HDL: New Weapon To Fight Cholesterol Problems Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists now offer a promising new weapon that could help fight high cholesterol levels and the deadly heart disease that often results: synthetic high-density lipoprotein, or HDL -- the "good" cholesterol. The researchers successfully designed synthetic HDL and show that their nanoparticle version is capable of irreversibly binding cholesterol. The synthetic HDL, based on gold nanoparticles, is similar in size to HDL and mimics HDL's general surface composition.

In Fight Against Pathogens, Calcium Helps Plants Make Their Own Aspirin Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Calcium builds strong bones, good teeth--and healthy plants, according to a new study.

On A High-fat Diet, Protective Gene Variant Becomes Bad Actor Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST New evidence in mice bolsters the notion that a version of a gene earlier shown to protect lean people against weight gain and insulin resistance can have the opposite effect in those who eat a high-fat diet and are heavier, reveals a new report in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Andes' Formation Was A 'Species Pump' For South America Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST South America is the world's most species-rich area. There have been many theories as to why, ranging from animals and plants accompanying the continent when it broke loose from Africa to variations in the extent of the rainforests over millions of years creating new species. New research supports the theory that the formation of the Andes was a species pump which spread animals and plants across the continent.

Online Racial Discrimination Linked To Depression, Anxiety In Teens Posted: 11 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Educational psychologists says adolescents are increasingly experiencing both individual and vicarious discrimination online, which in turn triggers stress, depression and anxiety.

Baby Jupiters Must Gain Weight Fast Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST The planet Jupiter gained weight in a hurry during its infancy. It had to, since the material from which it formed probably disappeared in just a few million years, according to a new study of planet formation around young stars.

California's Autism Increase Not Due To Better Counting, Diagnosis Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted -- and the trend shows no sign of abating.

Antipsychotic Drugs Double Risk Of Death Among Alzheimer's Patients Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST New research into the effects of antipsychotic drugs commonly prescribed to Alzheimer's patients concludes that the medication nearly doubles risk of death over three years.

Genetic Mutation Causes Familial Susceptibility For Degenerative Brain Disease Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Mutation of a gene that helps proteins migrate in and out of the cell's genetic command center -- the nucleus -- puts some families at higher risk for the degenerative brain disease acute necrotizing encephalopathy.

Displacing Petroleum-derived Butanol With Plants Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST As a chemical for industrial processes, butanol is used in everything from brake fluid, to paint thinners, to plastics. According to researchers, butanol made from plant material could displace butanol made from petroleum, just not at the fuel pump.

Recognizing Children's Successes In All Areas May Prevent Teenage Depression Posted: 11 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Students' successes in the first grade can affect more than their future report cards. In a new study researchers found links among students' weak academic performance in the first grade, self-perceptions in the sixth grade, and depression symptoms in the seventh grade.

How Bed Bugs Outsmart Poisons Designed To Control Them Posted: 09 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST Bed bugs, once nearly eradicated in the built environment, have made a big comeback recently, especially in urban centers such as New York City. In the first study to explain the failure to control certain bed bug populations, toxicologists show that some of these nocturnal blood suckers have developed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, in particular deltamethrin, that attack their nervous systems.

Menthol Cigarettes Are More Addictive Posted: 09 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST Menthol cigarettes are harder to quit, particularly among African American and Latino smokers, according to new research.

Large Earthquakes Trigger A Surge In Volcanic Eruptions Posted: 09 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST New evidence shows that very large earthquakes can trigger an increase in activity at nearby volcanoes. An analysis of records in southern Chile has shown that up to four times as many volcanic eruptions occur during the year following very large earthquakes than in other years. This 'volcanic surge' can affect volcanoes up to at least 500 km away from an earthquake's epicentre.

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