ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Vision: New Type Of Cell That Can Sense Light Found In Fish
• Stripping Leukemia-initiating Cells Of Their 'Invisibility Cloak'
• Drug Rescues Memory Lost To Alzheimer's Disease
• Knee Injuries May Start With Strain On The Brain, Not The Muscles
• Dye-sensitized Solar Cells To Power Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• If You're Happy, Then We Know It: New Research Measures Mood
• Hydrocarbons In The Deep Earth?
• Active Genes Discovered In The Developing Mammal Brain
• Smaller Plants Punch Above Their Weight In The Forest
• New Molecular Pathway For Targeting Cancer, Disease Discovered
• New Optical Forces Revealed
• Short Stressful Events May Improve Working Memory
• Songbirds’ Elaborate Cries For Food Show First Signs Of Vocal Learning
• Newly Discovered Gene Fusion May Lead To Improved Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
• Leading Pathogen In Newborns Can Suppress Immune Cell Function
• Concrete Columns With Internal Bars Made Of Glass Fibers Can Make A Building Sturdier
• Social Scientist Suggests New Research Framework To Study Complex Systems
• Jewel Beetle Shimmer Could Offer Blueprint For Materials That Reflect Light
• Human Cells Secrete Cancer-killing Protein
• Multitasking Ability Can Be Improved Through Training
• One Gene That Contributes To Breast Cancer's Aggressive Behavior Identified
• More Evidence In Favor Of Healthy Lifestyle In Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease
• Parasitic Worms Make Sex Worthwhile
• Protein That Promotes Cancer Cell Growth Identified
• New Science Of Learning Offers Preview Of Tomorrow's Classroom
• Laser Microsurgery For Tongue Cancer Is As Effective As Invasive Open Surgery, According To New Study
• Researchers Look To Imprinted Genes For Clues To Fetal Growth Restriction In Cloned Swine
• Teen Drinking Linked To Behavioral Problems, Norwegian Study Finds

Vision: New Type Of Cell That Can Sense Light Found In Fish Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Nearly all species have some ability to detect light. At least three types of cells in the retina allow us to see images or distinguish between night and day. Now, researchers have discovered in fish yet another type of cell that can sense light and contribute to vision.

Stripping Leukemia-initiating Cells Of Their 'Invisibility Cloak' Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Two new studies reveal a way to increase the body's appetite for gobbling up the cancer stem cells responsible for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a form of cancer with a particularly poor survival rate. The key is targeting a protein on the surface of those cells that sends a "don't eat me" signal to the macrophage immune cells that serve as a first line of defense, according to new reports.

Drug Rescues Memory Lost To Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT A drug similar to one used in clinical trials for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis has been found to rescue memory in mice exhibiting Alzheimer's symptoms.

Knee Injuries May Start With Strain On The Brain, Not The Muscles Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT New research shows that training your brain may be just as effective as training your muscles in preventing anterior cruciate ligament knee injuries, and suggests a shift from performance-based to prevention-based athletic training programs.

Dye-sensitized Solar Cells To Power Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Dye-sensitized solar cells are expected to power Air Force unmanned aerial vehicles in the future because they are an optimum energy harvesting source that may lead to longer flight times without refueling.

If You're Happy, Then We Know It: New Research Measures Mood Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientist have created a mechanism to measure happiness of millions of bloggers. Their "hedonometer" gathers sentences beginning "I feel..." Then, applying standardized "psychological valence" of words, each sentence receives a happiness score. Their approach can let them measure happiness levels of, e.g., people over 65 in Oregon on Wednesdays. The happiest day in 4 years: Election Day 2008. Michael Jackson's death: one of the unhappiest. Their results show young teenagers are unhappiest.

Hydrocarbons In The Deep Earth? Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Oil and gas started out as living organisms that died, were compressed, and were heated under layers of sediments in the Earth's crust. Scientists have debated for years whether some of these hydrocarbons could have been created deeper in the mantle and formed without organic matter. Now for the first time, scientists have found that ethane and heavier hydrocarbons can be synthesized under conditions of the upper mantle.

Active Genes Discovered In The Developing Mammal Brain Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT New information about the genes involved in a mammal's early brain development, including those that contribute to neurological disorders such as autism and mental retardation, has been discovered. The study is the first to use high-throughput sequencing to uncover active genes in developing brains, and it may be the best evidence yet for the activity in the brain of a large number of genes.

Smaller Plants Punch Above Their Weight In The Forest Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Biologists show that in the plant world, bigger isn't necessarily better. "Until now most of the thinking has suggested that to be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a big plant," according to one of the researchers. "But our research shows it's virtually the other way around."

New Molecular Pathway For Targeting Cancer, Disease Discovered Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT A study has identified a way to turn off a key signaling pathway involved in physiological processes that can also stimulate the development of cancer and other diseases. The findings may lead to new treatments and targeted drugs using this approach.

New Optical Forces Revealed Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated repulsive and attractive nanophotonic forces, depending on the spatial distribution of the light used. These fundamental research results might have major consequences for telecommunication and optical signal processing.

Short Stressful Events May Improve Working Memory Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Experiencing chronic stress day after day can produce wear and tear on the body physically and mentally, and can have a detrimental effect on learning and emotion. However, acute stress -- a short stressful incident -- may enhance learning and memory.

Songbirds’ Elaborate Cries For Food Show First Signs Of Vocal Learning Posted: 27 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Only a handful of social animals -- songbirds, some marine mammals, some bats and humans -- learn to actively style their vocal communications. Babies, for instance, start by babbling, their first chance to experiment with sounds. Now, new research in songbirds shows that vocal experimentation may begin with their earliest vocalizations -- food begging calls -- and perhaps for a more devious reason than previously believed. The findings could change the way we think about the evolution of vocal learning.

Newly Discovered Gene Fusion May Lead To Improved Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Posted: 27 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers.

Leading Pathogen In Newborns Can Suppress Immune Cell Function Posted: 27 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to new research.

Concrete Columns With Internal Bars Made Of Glass Fibers Can Make A Building Sturdier Posted: 27 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study demonstrates that the behavior of fiber reinforced polymer reinforced concrete columns is very similar to that of the conventional steel counterpart. Thus, for structures that function in harsh environments like coastal regions, or for structures that support sensitive equipment, such as magnetic resonance imaging units; the use of FRP is emerging as a valuable option.

Social Scientist Suggests New Research Framework To Study Complex Systems Posted: 27 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT The often-used one-size-fits-all approach to policies aimed at achieving sustainable social-ecological systems needs to be updated with a diagnostic tool to help scholars from multiple disciplines better frame the question and think through the variables, asserts a social scientist and political economist.

Jewel Beetle Shimmer Could Offer Blueprint For Materials That Reflect Light Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT "Jewel beetles" are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. Now they may be known for something else -- providing a blueprint for materials that reflect light rather than absorbing it to produce colors.

Human Cells Secrete Cancer-killing Protein Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT The tumor-suppressor protein Par-4 is secreted by human and rodent cells and activates a novel extrinsic pathway involving cell surface GRP78 receptor for induction of apoptosis, researchers have found.

Multitasking Ability Can Be Improved Through Training Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Training increases brain processing speed and improves our ability to multitask, new research indicates.

One Gene That Contributes To Breast Cancer's Aggressive Behavior Identified Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified a gene, known as RCP (or RAB11FIP1), that is frequently amplified and over-expressed in breast cancer, and functionally contributes to aggressive breast cancer behavior.

More Evidence In Favor Of Healthy Lifestyle In Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT As the ESC Congress 2009 draws ever closer, the evidence in favor of a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of cardiovascular disease grows ever stronger.

Parasitic Worms Make Sex Worthwhile Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT The coevolutionary struggle between a New Zealand snail and its worm parasite makes sex advantageous for the snail, whose females favor asexual reproduction in the absence of parasites, say biologists.

Protein That Promotes Cancer Cell Growth Identified Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have found that the Caspase-8 protein, long known to play a major role in promoting programmed cell death (apoptosis), helps relay signals that can cause cancer cells to proliferate, migrate and invade surrounding tissues.

New Science Of Learning Offers Preview Of Tomorrow's Classroom Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Of all the qualities that distinguish humans from other species, how we learn is one of the most significant. Researchers who are at the forefront of neuroscience, psychology, education, and machine learning have synthesized a new science of learning that is already reshaping how we think about learning and creating new opportunities to reimagine the classroom for the 21st century.

Laser Microsurgery For Tongue Cancer Is As Effective As Invasive Open Surgery, According To New Study Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Transoral (through-the-mouth) laser surgery to remove cancer at the base of the tongue is as effective as more invasive open surgery, and may improve quality of life according to a new study.

Researchers Look To Imprinted Genes For Clues To Fetal Growth Restriction In Cloned Swine Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which results in low birth weight and long-term deleterious health effects in cloned swine, is linked to a type of gene -- known as an imprinted gene -- found only in placental mammals.

Teen Drinking Linked To Behavioral Problems, Norwegian Study Finds Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Teens who drink heavily are more likely than their peers to have behavioral and attention problems and suffer from anxiety and depression, a Norwegian study has found.

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