ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Physical Reality Of String Theory Shown In Quantum-critical State Of Electrons
• Alzheimer's Research Pinpoints Antibodies That May Prevent Disease
• Close Relationship Between Past Warming And Sea-level Rise
• Trio Of Signals Converge To Induce Liver And Pancreas Cell Development In The Embryo
• Social Security Numbers Can Be Predicted With Public Information
• Health Food Supplement May Curb Compulsive Hair Pulling
• Prostate Cancer 'Homing Device' Created For Drug Delivery
• Brain's Immune System May Cause Chronic Seizures
• Underground Cave Dating From The Year 1 A.D. Exposed In Jordan Valley
• Inhaled Growth Hormone Safe For Children Deficient In This Key Protein, Study Suggests
• Bioengineers Develop Microfabricated Device To Measure Cellular Forces During Tissue Development
• Team Sports Participation Reduces Likelihood Of Youths Becoming Established Smokers; Smoking In Movies Increases Risk
• Dozens Of Newly Discovered Pulsars Probed By NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
• Carbohydrate Acts As Tumor Suppressor
• Why Some Tumors Don't Respond To Radiation And Chemotherapy
• Enzyme That Makes Survival Molecule For Key Vision Cells Identified
• How Can The World's Fisheries Be Sustainable?
• Pregnancy Needn't Mean Hard Labor: Laboring Without The Labor Bed Cuts Need For Artificial Oxcytocin To Advance Slow Labors
• New Evidence That Vinegar May Be Natural Fat-fighter
• Understanding The Anticancer Effects Of Vitamin D3
• Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur Tooth Ever Found In Spain
• 'Nature' And 'Nurture' Variables Early Predictors Of Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Multiple Means Of Identifying Species Better Than DNA Barcoding Alone
• Delirium Presentation Predicts Mortality, Study Finds
• Ferns Took To The Trees And Thrived During Cretaceous Period
• Muscle Damage May Be Present In Some Patients Taking Statins
• Athletes, Spectators Faced Unprecedented Air Pollution At 2008 Olympic Games
• Cancer Researchers Link DICER1 Gene Mutation To Rare Childhood Cancer
• Engineers Research Effects Of Heat Expansion On Economically Efficient Bridge Design
• Students With Depression Twice As Likely To Drop Out Of College
• Songbirds Reveal How Practice Improves Performance
• Intestinal Cells Surprisingly Active In Pursuit Of Nutrition And Defense
• New Mass Spectrometric Method Allows Fast And Comprehensive Analyses Of Metabolites
• How To Confirm The Causes Of Iron Deficiency Anemia In Young Women
• Single Protein Dimers Observed Wavering Between Two Symmetrically Opposed Structures
• Babies Born After Freeze-thawing Embryos Do Just As Well Regardless Of Whether They Were Created Via ICSI Or Standard IVF
• Battle Of The Sexes Benefits Offspring, Says Research In Birds
• Variations In Five Genes Raise Risk For Most Common Brain Tumors
• Ancient Drought And Rapid Cooling Drastically Altered Climate
• Vitamin A Derivative Provides Clues To Better Breast Cancer Drugs
• Natural Deep Earth Pump Fuels Earthquakes And Ore
• Sick Children Do Not Always Have Their Pain-relief Needs Met
• Fireworks Display In The Helix Nebula
• Nitrates May Be Environmental Trigger For Alzheimer’s, Diabetes And Parkinson's Disease
• To Protect Threatened Bat Species, Street Lights Out
• Urine Test For Appendicitis To Indicate Which Children Need Surgery?
• Genome-wide Map Shows Precisely Where MicroRNAs Do Their Work
• Being Overweight Or Obese In Mid-life Linked To Increased Risk Of Reduced Memory And Thinking Skills In Late Life

Physical Reality Of String Theory Shown In Quantum-critical State Of Electrons Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT String theory has come under fire in recent years. Promises have been made that have not been lived up to. Theoretical physicists have now for the first time used string theory to describe a physical phenomenon -- the quantum-critical state of electrons leading to high-temperature superconductivity.

Alzheimer's Research Pinpoints Antibodies That May Prevent Disease Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Antibodies to a wide range of substances that can aggregate to form plaques, such as those found in Alzheimer's patients, have been identified in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy people. Levels of these antibodies decline with age and, in Alzheimer's patients, with increasing progression of the disease.

Close Relationship Between Past Warming And Sea-level Rise Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have reconstructed sea-level fluctuations over the last 520,000 years. Comparison of this record with data on global climate and CO2 levels from Antarctic ice cores suggests that even stabilization at today's carbon dioxide levels may commit us to much greater sea-level rise over the next couple of millennia than previously thought.

Trio Of Signals Converge To Induce Liver And Pancreas Cell Development In The Embryo Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Understanding the molecular signals that guide early cells in the embryo to develop into different organs provides insight into ways that tissues regenerate and how stem cells can be used for new therapies. Researchers have investigated a trio of cell-signaling pathways that work simultaneously, converging to direct pancreas and liver progenitor cells to mature into their final state.

Social Security Numbers Can Be Predicted With Public Information Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have shown that public information readily gleaned from governmental sources, commercial data bases, or online social networks can be used to routinely predict most -- and sometimes all -- of an individual's nine-digit Social Security number.

Health Food Supplement May Curb Compulsive Hair Pulling Posted: 07 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that a common antioxidant, widely available as a health food supplement, may help stop the urges of those with trichotillomania, a disorder characterized by compulsive hair-pulling.

Prostate Cancer 'Homing Device' Created For Drug Delivery Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new prostate cancer "homing device" could improve detection and allow for the first targeted treatment of the disease. Researchers have synthesized a molecule that finds and penetrates prostate cancer cells and has created imaging agents and therapeutic drugs that can link to the molecule and be carried with it as cargo.

Brain's Immune System May Cause Chronic Seizures Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Chronic seizures caused by traumatic head injuries may result from chemicals released by the brain's immune system attempting to repair the injured site, according to a new study.

Underground Cave Dating From The Year 1 A.D. Exposed In Jordan Valley Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT An artificial underground cave, the largest in Israel, has been exposed in the Jordan Valley in the course of a new survey. Archeologists reckon that this cave was originally a large quarry during the Roman and Byzantine era. Various engravings were uncovered in the cave, including cross markings, and it is assumed that this could have been an early monastery.

Inhaled Growth Hormone Safe For Children Deficient In This Key Protein, Study Suggests Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Endocrinologists have found that inhaled growth hormone is well tolerated by children with growth hormone deficiency and that this easy-to-use method can safely deliver GH to the blood stream. This first pediatric study of administering GH through the lungs may also help researchers interested in using this convenient method for effectively delivering other types of medications to children.

Bioengineers Develop Microfabricated Device To Measure Cellular Forces During Tissue Development Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists studying the physical forces generated by cells has created a tiny micron--sized device that measures and manipulates cellular forces as assemblies of living cells reorganize themselves into tissues.

Team Sports Participation Reduces Likelihood Of Youths Becoming Established Smokers; Smoking In Movies Increases Risk Posted: 07 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Participating in team sports is associated with a reduced likelihood of youths becoming established smokers, according to a new report. However, exposure to movie smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of established smoking in both team sport participants and nonparticipants.

Dozens Of Newly Discovered Pulsars Probed By NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT With NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, astronomers now are getting their best look at those whirling stellar cinders known as pulsars. Astronomers have analyzed gamma-rays from two dozen pulsars, including 16 discovered by Fermi.

Carbohydrate Acts As Tumor Suppressor Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that specialized complex sugar molecules that anchor cells into place act as tumor suppressors in breast and prostate cancers.

Why Some Tumors Don't Respond To Radiation And Chemotherapy Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A tightly controlled system of checks and balances ensures that a powerful tumor suppressor called p53 keeps a tight lid on unchecked cell growth but doesn't wreak havoc in healthy cells. Scientists now show just how finely tuned the system is and how little it takes to tip the balance.

Enzyme That Makes Survival Molecule For Key Vision Cells Identified Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT New research identifies an enzyme that makes neuroprotectin D1 which specifically and selectively protects retinal cells key for vision.

How Can The World's Fisheries Be Sustainable? Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study provides the first global evaluation of how management practices influence fisheries' sustainability.

Pregnancy Needn't Mean Hard Labor: Laboring Without The Labor Bed Cuts Need For Artificial Oxcytocin To Advance Slow Labors Posted: 07 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study that re-conceptualized the hospital labor room by removing the standard, clinical bed and adding relaxation-promoting equipment had a 28 per cent drop in infusions of artificial oxcytocin, a powerful drug used to advance slow labors.

New Evidence That Vinegar May Be Natural Fat-fighter Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar -- a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods -- may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain.

Understanding The Anticancer Effects Of Vitamin D3 Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT The active form of vitamin D3 seems to have anticancer effects. New research has identified a major mechanism underlying these effects. Specifically, the protein cystatin D, which is induced by the active form of vitamin D3, has tumor suppressor activity that accounts for much of the anticancer effect of the active form of vitamin D3.

Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur Tooth Ever Found In Spain Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have compared an Allosauroidea tooth found in deposits in Riodeva, Teruel, with other similar samples. The palaeontologists have concluded that this is the largest tooth of a carnivorous dinosaur to have been found to date in Spain.

'Nature' And 'Nurture' Variables Early Predictors Of Age-related Macular Degeneration Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". Researchers think these factors, when used in the proper model, can be strong predictors of the disease. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

Multiple Means Of Identifying Species Better Than DNA Barcoding Alone Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT DNA barcoding is advocated as a vast improvement in our ability to monitor and manage the world's biodiversity. An expert on the potato and tomato family examined the utility of DNA barcoding in a complex plant group, Solanum section Petota, using three of the most frequently suggested genome sections. His findings emphasize the importance of using multiple means of identifying species, and he cautions against using barcoding alone as a means of species identification.

Delirium Presentation Predicts Mortality, Study Finds Posted: 07 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT The way certain patients present in the post-acute hospital setting with delirium, a common, preventable but life-threatening acute confusional state, predicts mortality, according to a new study. Patients with severe, hypoactive delirium, characterized by slowing or lack of movement and unresponsiveness, have the worst six-month survival rate of any class of the disease. Those with mild, hypoactive delirium have a significantly higher likelihood of dying than patients with other, milder symptoms.

Ferns Took To The Trees And Thrived During Cretaceous Period Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT As flowering plants like giant trees quickly rose to dominate plant communities during the Cretaceous period, the ferns that had preceded them hardly saw it as a disappointment.

Muscle Damage May Be Present In Some Patients Taking Statins Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Structural muscle damage may be present in patients who have statin-associated muscle complaints, found a new study.

Athletes, Spectators Faced Unprecedented Air Pollution At 2008 Olympic Games Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Particulate air pollution during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing constantly exceeded levels considered excessive by the World Health Organization, was far worse than other recent Olympic Games, and was about 30 percent higher than has been reported by Chinese environmental experts -- even though some favorable weather conditions helped reduce the problem.

Cancer Researchers Link DICER1 Gene Mutation To Rare Childhood Cancer Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT New research demonstrates the first definitive link between mutations in the gene DICER1 and cancer. By studying the patterns of DNA from 11 families with an unusual predisposition to the rare childhood lung cancer pleuropulmonary blastoma investigators found that children with the cancer carried a mutation in one of their two DICER1 gene copies.

Engineers Research Effects Of Heat Expansion On Economically Efficient Bridge Design Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers are studying the effects of integral bridge expansion resulting from heat to make integral bridges a more viable alternative.

Students With Depression Twice As Likely To Drop Out Of College Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT College students with depression are twice as likely as their classmates to drop out of school, new research shows.

Songbirds Reveal How Practice Improves Performance Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Learning complex skills like playing an instrument requires a sequence of movements that can take years to master. Last year, neuroscientists reported that by studying the chirps of tiny songbirds, they were able to identify how two distinct brain circuits contribute to this type of trial-and-error learning in different stages of life.

Intestinal Cells Surprisingly Active In Pursuit Of Nutrition And Defense Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Every cell lining the small intestine bristles with thousands of tightly packed microvilli that project into the gut lumen, forming a brush border that absorbs nutrients and protects the body from intestinal bacteria. A study now shows that microvilli extend their functional reach even further using a molecular motor to send vesicles packed with gut enzymes out into the lumen to get a head start on breaking down their substrates.

New Mass Spectrometric Method Allows Fast And Comprehensive Analyses Of Metabolites Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new method to quickly and reliably detect metabolites, such as sugars, fatty acids, amino acids and other organic substances from plant or animal tissue samples. One drop of blood -- less than one micro liter -- is sufficient to identify certain blood related metabolites.

How To Confirm The Causes Of Iron Deficiency Anemia In Young Women Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT A research group from Italy showed that a pre-endoscopic serological screening for Helicobacter pylori and celiac disease may help to confirm the causes of iron deficiency anemia in young women. This screening permits the identification of patients at higher risk of iron malbsorption related disease such as Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis and celiac disease and to select patients to submit for gastroscopy.

Single Protein Dimers Observed Wavering Between Two Symmetrically Opposed Structures Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have used a very sensitive fluorescence technique to find that a bacterial protein thought to exist in one "natural" three-dimensional structure (shape), can actually twist itself into a second form, depending on the protein's chemical environment. One folded form is active and the other is inactive, but the protein can easily morph from one state to another.

Babies Born After Freeze-thawing Embryos Do Just As Well Regardless Of Whether They Were Created Via ICSI Or Standard IVF Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Analysis of the longest running ICSI program in the United States has found reassuring evidence that babies born from frozen embryos fertilized via ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) do just as well as those born from frozen embryos fertilized via standard IVF treatment.

Battle Of The Sexes Benefits Offspring, Says Research In Birds Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Parents compensate for a lazy partner by working harder to bring up their offspring, but not enough to completely make up for the lack of parenting, says research by bird biologists.

Variations In Five Genes Raise Risk For Most Common Brain Tumors Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Common genetic variations spread across five genes raise a person's risk of developing the most frequent type of brain tumor, scientists report.

Ancient Drought And Rapid Cooling Drastically Altered Climate Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Two abrupt and drastic climate events, 700 years apart and more than 45 centuries ago, are teasing scientists who are now trying to use ancient records to predict future world climate. The events -- one, a massive, long-lived drought believed to have dried large portions of Africa and Asia, and the other, a rapid cooling that accelerated the growth of tropical glaciers -- left signals in ice cores and other geologic records from around the world.

Vitamin A Derivative Provides Clues To Better Breast Cancer Drugs Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT A comparison of the effects of estrogen and retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, on the genome of breast cancer cells showed that they have a "yin-yang" effect, with estrogen tipping the scales towards cell proliferation and retinoic acid inhibiting cellular growth. The finding could lead researchers to a new set of drug targets for this disease.

Natural Deep Earth Pump Fuels Earthquakes And Ore Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT For the first time scientists have discovered the presence of a natural deep earth pump that is a crucial element in the formation of ore deposits and earthquakes.

Sick Children Do Not Always Have Their Pain-relief Needs Met Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Despite great effort to reduce anxiety, fear and pain, related to health care, children still considered "being in pain" as the worst aspect of a medical procedure, according to new research.

Fireworks Display In The Helix Nebula Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293, is not only one of the most interesting and beautiful planetary nebulae; it is also one of the closest nebulae to Earth, at a distance of only 710 light years away. A new image, taken with an infrared camera on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, shows tens of thousands of previously unseen comet-shaped knots inside the nebula. The sheer number of knots -- more than have ever been seen before -- looks like a massive fireworks display in space.

Nitrates May Be Environmental Trigger For Alzheimer’s, Diabetes And Parkinson's Disease Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study has found a substantial link between increased levels of nitrates in our environment and food with increased deaths from diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's.

To Protect Threatened Bat Species, Street Lights Out Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Slow-flying, woodland bats -- which tend to be at greater risk from extinction than their speedier kin -- really don't like street lights, according to a new study. Lesser horseshoe bats will stray from their usual flight routes to steer clear of the artificial glow from lights that are similar to everyday street lights, the new report shows.

Urine Test For Appendicitis To Indicate Which Children Need Surgery? Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Appendicitis is the most common childhood surgical emergency, but can be hard to diagnose, often leading to either unnecessary surgery or serious complications when the condition is missed. Now, emergency physicians and proteomics researchers have identified a urine protein that might serve as a "biomarker" for appendicitis, the most accurate one known to date.

Genome-wide Map Shows Precisely Where MicroRNAs Do Their Work Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT MicroRNAs are the newest kid on the genetic block. By regulating the unzipping of genetic information, these tiny molecules have set the scientific world alight with such wide-ranging applications as onions that can't make you cry and therapeutic potential for new treatments for viral infections, cancer and degenerative diseases. But the question remains: How do they work?

Being Overweight Or Obese In Mid-life Linked To Increased Risk Of Reduced Memory And Thinking Skills In Late Life Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Individuals with higher mid-life Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 1960s have been found to have lower memory and thinking skills and a sharper decline in these abilities in old age, compared to those with lower BMI in mid-life.

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