ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Superbright supernova is first of its kind
• FDA-approved drug may slow beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes patients
• Marine life collected to inventory DNA sequence of all Pacific island's living species
• Soy peptide lunasin has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties
• Novel carbon-trading scheme could stop large-scale extinctions
• Hyperactivity associated with shorter nights for young boys
• 'Killer petunias' should join the ranks of carnivorous plants, scientists propose
• Chicken pox vaccine reduces shingles risk in kids
• 'Smell of old books' offers clues to help preserve them
• Nicotine levels higher in children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home
• Earthquake prediction model developed
• Most runaway teens return home with help of family ties, study finds
• Popular herbicide affects sexual development in frogs, research finds
• Risk of blood clot after surgery higher and lasts longer than previously thought
• Combining nanotubes and antibodies for breast cancer 'search and destroy' missions
• Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke over a lifetime increased breast cancer risk later in life
• Breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds: Cheap, easy 'kitchen chemistry' developed to perform formerly complex synthesis
• Dream-enacting behavior is common in healthy young adults
• Learning by imagining: How mental imagery training aids perceptual learning
• Muscle cell infusion shown to strengthen sphincters in animals
• Orphaned mountain gorilla babies return home to Congo National Park
• Secondhand smoke exposure in childhood increases lung cancer risk later in life
• Researchers put a new spin on atomic musical chairs
• Apathy common in dementia patients with brain changes
• Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth
• Study confirms that cannabis is beneficial for multiple sclerosis
• New therapy targets for amyloid disease
• Popular diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of heart failure and death, study suggests
• Safe journey for works of art
• Widowed facing higher mortality risk
• Scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells
• Swine flu has major implications for solid organ transplants: Transplant infectious disease experts provide pandemic guidance
• Young star cluster Trumpler 14 revealed in stunning image
• Two heads better than one in new antibiotic method
• A little magic provides an atomic-level look at bone
• Chinese 'herbal' cigarettes no healthier than regular cigarettes

Superbright supernova is first of its kind Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A superbright supernova found in a dwarf galaxy by a robotic search is the first confirmed example of a pair-instability supernova, the result of the partial core collapse and thermonuclear detonation of an enormously massive star, like the earliest stars in the universe.

FDA-approved drug may slow beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes patients Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers suggest that a drug already used to treat autoimmune disorders might also help slow the destruction of insulin-producing cells in patients recently diagnosed with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes.

Marine life collected to inventory DNA sequence of all Pacific island's living species Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers are collecting marine invertebrates on the French Polynesian island of Moorea as part of a massive effort to inventory the DNA sequence of every living species there.

Soy peptide lunasin has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Two new studies report that lunasin, a soy peptide often discarded in the waste streams of soy-processing plants, may have important health benefits that include fighting leukemia and blocking the inflammation that accompanies such chronic health conditions as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Novel carbon-trading scheme could stop large-scale extinctions Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Spatial distribution of biodiversity should be taken into account when calculating carbon credits in order to achieve conservation goals as well as greenhouse gas mitigation, argue researchers.

Hyperactivity associated with shorter nights for young boys Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Hyperactive boys don't get enough sleep, which can worsen their condition according to new research. The study is the first to examine a large sample of children and to study the link between lack of sleep and hyperactivity.

'Killer petunias' should join the ranks of carnivorous plants, scientists propose Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists believe that carnivorous behavior in plants is far more widespread than previously thought, with many commonly grown plants -- such as petunias -- at least part way to being "meat eaters."

Chicken pox vaccine reduces shingles risk in kids Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST A new study found the chicken pox vaccine also reduces the risk of shingles among children. The study used electronic health records to identify and follow 172,000 vaccinated children for two-plus years and found that herpes zoster, known as shingles in adults, is very rare among children who have been vaccinated for chicken pox. This is the largest study of its kind.

'Smell of old books' offers clues to help preserve them Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists may not be able to tell a good book by its cover, but they now can tell the condition of an old book by its smell. In a new report, they describe development of a new test that can measure the degradation of old books and precious historical documents based on their smell.

Nicotine levels higher in children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST New research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, supports the World Health Initiative's efforts for a home smoking ban, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

Earthquake prediction model developed Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists lay a framework for a new approach to earthquake prediction. Testing of new forecasting model is in progress but results are not expected for approximately another two years.

Most runaway teens return home with help of family ties, study finds Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Despite the stereotypes about runaway teens, more than two-thirds of newly homeless youth leave the streets, resolve their family differences, and go home. The key appears to be interaction with the family, that no matter how brief, can improve the chances that new runaways will go home and stay home.

Popular herbicide affects sexual development in frogs, research finds Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The controversy surrounding the unintended effects of herbicide and pesticide use has intensified as researchers have identified that atrazine, a heavily-used herbicide, alters the sexual development in frogs.

Risk of blood clot after surgery higher and lasts longer than previously thought Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The risk of having a potentially fatal blood clot after surgery is higher and lasts for longer than had previously been thought, concludes new research.

Combining nanotubes and antibodies for breast cancer 'search and destroy' missions Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated how single-walled nanotubes can be used to detect and destroy an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke over a lifetime increased breast cancer risk later in life Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Exposure to secondhand smoke for a prolonged period of time and in high quantity may increase the risk of breast cancer, even in women who never smoked cigarettes themselves.

Breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds: Cheap, easy 'kitchen chemistry' developed to perform formerly complex synthesis Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have made major strides in solving a problem that has been plaguing chemists for many years: how best to break carbon-hydrogen bonds and then to create new bonds to join molecules together. This problem is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry, which currently relies on a method to accomplish this feat that is relatively inefficient and sometimes difficult to perform.

Dream-enacting behavior is common in healthy young adults Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Dream-enacting behaviors are common in healthy young adults, and the prevalence of specific behaviors differs between men and women.

Learning by imagining: How mental imagery training aids perceptual learning Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Practice makes perfect. But imaginary practice? Scientists show that perceptual learning -- learning by repeated exposure to a stimulus -- can occur by mental imagery as much as by the real thing. The results suggest that thinking about something over and over again could actually be as good as doing it.

Muscle cell infusion shown to strengthen sphincters in animals Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A new study shows that muscle cells grown in the lab can restore an intestine's ability to squeeze shut properly. The work, performed in dogs and rats, might ultimately help treat patients with conditions such as gastric reflux and fecal incontinence.

Orphaned mountain gorilla babies return home to Congo National Park Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST More than two years after being evacuated following the 2007 killings of their mothers, mountain gorilla babies Ndakasi and Ndeze have returned home to the Democratic Republic of Congo, moving into a new custom-built forest sanctuary.

Secondhand smoke exposure in childhood increases lung cancer risk later in life Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer in adulthood, even if they never smoked.

Researchers put a new spin on atomic musical chairs Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a new way to introduce magnetic impurities in a semiconductor crystal, a technique that will enable researchers to selectively implant atoms in a crystal one at a time to learn about its electrical and magnetic properties on the atomic scale.

Apathy common in dementia patients with brain changes Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Dementia patients with a certain type of changes in their brain's white matter are more likely to be apathetic than those who do not have these changes, reveals a patient study.

Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy. That is the finding of a new study of natural stands of quaking aspen, one of North America's most important and widespread deciduous trees.

Study confirms that cannabis is beneficial for multiple sclerosis Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Cannabis can reduce spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients. A systematic review found that five out six randomized controlled trials reported a reduction in spasticity and an improvement in mobility.

New therapy targets for amyloid disease Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A major discovery is challenging accepted thinking about amyloids -- the fibrous protein deposits associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's -- and may open up a potential new area for therapeutics.

Popular diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of heart failure and death, study suggests Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Sulphonylureas, a type of drug widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, carries a greater risk of heart failure and death compared with metformin, another popular anti-diabetes drug.

Safe journey for works of art Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Valuable paintings travel long distances when they are shipped from one place to another. To minimize damage, they are packed in special picture cases. In future, these will be equipped with sensors to detect the buildup of pollutant gases, emanating from adhesives for example.

Widowed facing higher mortality risk Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Married people in the United States are living longer these days, but the widowed are experiencing a higher mortality rate, according to new research.

Scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have rescued visual function in laboratory rats with eye disease by using cells similar to stem cells. The research shows the potential for stem cell-based therapies to treat age-related macular degeneration in humans.

Swine flu has major implications for solid organ transplants: Transplant infectious disease experts provide pandemic guidance Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST The global swine flu pandemic has major implications for solid organ transplants, including donor selection and transplant management and care. There are also significant concerns that swine flu could combine with seasonal or bird flu to create a strain with unpredictable virulence. American and Canadian experts have teamed up to provide expert advice on the infection risks to transplants.

Young star cluster Trumpler 14 revealed in stunning image Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST The young star cluster Trumpler 14 is revealed in a stunning ESO image. The amount of exquisite detail seen in this portrait, which beautifully reveals the life of a large family of stars, is due to the multi-conjugate adaptive optics demonstrator on ESO's Very Large Telescope. Never before has such a large patch of sky been imaged using adaptive optics, a technique by which astronomers are able to remove most of the atmosphere's blurring effects.

Two heads better than one in new antibiotic method Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST An antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way could be the inspiration for designing new, more potent antibacterial drugs.

A little magic provides an atomic-level look at bone Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study using solid-state NMR spectroscopy to analyze intact bone paves the way for atomic-level explorations of how disease and aging affect bone.

Chinese 'herbal' cigarettes no healthier than regular cigarettes Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Despite popular belief and some marketing claims, researchers have found that Chinese "herbal" cigarettes that combine medicinal herbs with tobacco are just as addictive and no safer than regular cigarettes.

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