ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Earth's atmosphere came from outer space, scientists find
• Delaying the aging process protects against Alzheimer's disease
• Tiny molecule slows progression of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice
• Appetite, consumption controlled by clockwork genes at cross-purposes in flies
• Real human bone grown in tissue culture
• Hourly employees happier than salaried
• Bacteria engineered to turn carbon dioxide into liquid fuel
• Stroke drug kills cancer cells and leaves normal cells intact
• 'Fighting' IED attacks with SCARE technology
• 'Live' imaging reveals breast cancer cells' transition to metastasis
• U.S. forests and soils store equivalent of 50 years of nation's CO₂ emissions, new estimates find
• Personalities accurately judged by physical appearance alone
• Dark side of a Saturnian moon: Iapetus is coated with foreign dust
• Successful stem cell therapy for treatment of eye disease
• Swiss scientists measure glacial melting with light
• Head and neck cancer survivors who use alcohol and cigarettes have increased death risk
• Fast method for preparing flu vaccine: Use bioreactors instead of chicken eggs
• Student self-testing earns high marks as study tool
• Sea level is rising along US Atlantic coast, say environmental scientists
• Fruit fly neuron can reprogram itself after injury
• Breakthrough in monitoring tropical deforestation announced in Copenhagen
• Many dialysis patients undergoing PCI receive improper medication, with higher risk of bleeding
• White marlin: Abundance of a look-alike species clouds population status of a million dollar fish
• Knowing goalkeeper’s movements in a penalty increases success rate and reduces kicker’s decision time
• Battle of the sexes: Ovaries must suppress their inner male
• New hope for diagnosis and treatment of intractable pediatric brain tumors
• Scientists take theoretical research on 'nasty' molecule to next level
• Patients can safely skip pre-surgery stress tests and beta blockers, study suggests
• Ubiquitous health: Enabling telemedicine to cut hospital visits, save money
• New ethical questions are being raised in stem cell research
• DNA sheds new light on horse evolution
• Fatty food can weaken the immune system
• XMM-Newton celebrates decade of discovery
• Low-density lipoprotein receptor reduces damage in Alzheimer's brain
• Safer space vehicles thanks to optic fiber sensors
• Antiepileptic drugs not linked to suicide among those with bipolar disorder
• Brain activity exposes those who break promises
• Why cancer cells just won't die: Researcher identifies protein which regulates cell suicide
• Measuring impact of climate change from space: Gravity measurements shed light on key questions
• New mouse could help understand how some lung cancer cells evade drug treatment
• Supportive materials to help regenerate heart tissue
• Formula to detect an author’s literary ‘fingerprint’
• Early carnivorous dinosaur crossed continents, alters evolutionary tree
• Irregular arm swing may point to Parkinson's disease
• First submersible robot glider to cross Atlantic makes landfall in Spain
• Dermatologic infections in cancer patients treated with EGFRI therapy
• New imaging technique reveals different heart motions by age, gender
• Study confirms association between tobacco smoke and behavioral problems in children

Earth's atmosphere came from outer space, scientists find Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST The gases which formed the Earth's atmosphere -- and probably its oceans -- did not come from inside the Earth but from outer space, according to a new study.

Delaying the aging process protects against Alzheimer's disease Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Aging is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In a new study, researchers found that simply slowing the aging process in mice prone to develop Alzheimer's disease prevented their brains from turning into a neuronal wasteland.

Tiny molecule slows progression of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST A substance released by muscles in response to nerve injury can reduce symptoms and prolong life in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers have found. The finding has already prompted development of possible drugs to treat the disease.

Appetite, consumption controlled by clockwork genes at cross-purposes in flies Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST One of the pioneers in research on sleep-wake circadian genes has discovered that fruit flies' appetite and consumption are controlled by two rival sets of clocks, one in neurons and the other in the fly fat body, which is analogous to the liver.

Real human bone grown in tissue culture Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have created a process that grows real human bone in tissue culture, which can be used to investigate how bones form, grow and fracture.

Hourly employees happier than salaried Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST People paid by the hour exhibit a stronger relationship between income and happiness, according to a new study.

Bacteria engineered to turn carbon dioxide into liquid fuel Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Global climate change has prompted efforts to drastically reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels. In a new approach, researchers have genetically modified a cyanobacterium to consume carbon dioxide and produce a liquid fuel precursor to isobutanol, which holds great potential as a gasoline alternative. The reaction is powered directly by energy from sunlight, or photosynthesis.

Stroke drug kills cancer cells and leaves normal cells intact Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have found that a stroke drug -- a member of a family of phenanthridine derivatives developed by an American drug company -- worked to kill cancer in mice which had been implanted with human breast cancer cells.

'Fighting' IED attacks with SCARE technology Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have developed and successfully tested new computer software and computational techniques to analyze patterns of improvised explosive device attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan or other locations and predict the locations of weapons caches that are used by insurgents to support those attacks.

'Live' imaging reveals breast cancer cells' transition to metastasis Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST The spread, or metastasis, of individual breast cancer cells from the main tumor into the blood circulation to the lungs and other body tissues and organs is under the control of a growth factor abbreviated TGFb, according to a new study.

U.S. forests and soils store equivalent of 50 years of nation's CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, new estimates find Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST The first phase of a groundbreaking national assessment estimates that US forests and soils could remove additional quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a means to mitigate climate change.

Personalities accurately judged by physical appearance alone Posted: 11 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Observers were able to accurately judge some aspects of a stranger's personality from looking at photographs, according to a new study. Self-esteem, ratings of extroversion and religiosity were correctly judged from physical appearance.

Dark side of a Saturnian moon: Iapetus is coated with foreign dust Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Iapetus is often called Saturn's most bizarre moon, due to its starkly contrasting hemispheres -- one black as coal, the other white as snow. Images taken by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, orbiting Saturn since 2004, offer the most compelling evidence to date of why and how the moon got its yin-yang appearance, as well as clues to how other such satellites might have formed in the early universe.

Successful stem cell therapy for treatment of eye disease Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Newly published research reveals the first successful treatment of eight patients with "limbal stem cell deficiency" using the patients' own stem cells without the need of suppressing their immunity.

Swiss scientists measure glacial melting with light Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST The glaciers in Switzerland have been melting for years. Researchers now want to know more precisely how much ice is being lost -- and they are using the aid of light.

Head and neck cancer survivors who use alcohol and cigarettes have increased death risk Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption before head and neck cancer diagnosis strongly predicts the patient's future risk of death, according to published studies. Now, results of a new study show a similar effect among those who continued these habits after cancer diagnosis.

Fast method for preparing flu vaccine: Use bioreactors instead of chicken eggs Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST A shortage of flu vaccines may soon become a problem of the past. Researchers have developed an alternative process for producing large quantities of safe and effective vaccines at twice to four times the usual speed. The process is based on using cells in bioreactors instead of fertilized chicken eggs, which have a limited availability.

Student self-testing earns high marks as study tool Posted: 11 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST College students who pore over their notes again and again as they prep for finals could use their studying time more wisely, according to new learning research.

Sea level is rising along US Atlantic coast, say environmental scientists Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST An international team of environmental scientists has shown that sea-level rise along the Atlantic Coast of the United States was 2 millimeters faster in the 20th century than at any time in the past 4,000 years.

Fruit fly neuron can reprogram itself after injury Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Studies with fruit flies have shown that the specialized nerve cells called neurons can rebuild themselves after injury. The results are potentially relevant to research efforts to improve the treatment of patients with traumatic nerve damage or neurodegenerative disease.

Breakthrough in monitoring tropical deforestation announced in Copenhagen Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST New technology is revolutionizing forest monitoring by marrying free satellite imagery and powerful analytical methods in an easy-to-use, desktop software package called CLASlite. Thus far, 70 government, non-government and academic organizations in five countries have adopted the technology, with more on the horizon.

Many dialysis patients undergoing PCI receive improper medication, with higher risk of bleeding Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Approximately 20 percent of dialysis patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedure such as angioplasty) are given an antithrombotic medication they should not receive, which may increase their risk for in-hospital bleeding, according to a new study.

White marlin: Abundance of a look-alike species clouds population status of a million dollar fish Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The prized white marlin is among the most overexploited open-ocean fish. It's the subject of intense international recovery efforts. A new study now shows that a look-alike species, the roundscale spearfish, makes up a relatively high proportion of the fish identified as "white marlin". As such, current biological information on white marlin is likely contaminated by a second species, and past white marlin population size assessments are now uncertain.

Knowing goalkeeper’s movements in a penalty increases success rate and reduces kicker’s decision time Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST A study shows that knowing the anticipatory movements of a goalkeeper before kicking the penalty reduces the decision time and increases the success rate when choosing the direction of the shot in football (soccer).

Battle of the sexes: Ovaries must suppress their inner male Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered that if a specific gene located on a non-sex chromosome is turned off, cells in the ovaries of adult female mice turn into cells typically found in testes. Their study challenges the long-held assumption that the development of female traits is a default pathway and grants a valuable insight into how sex determination evolved.

New hope for diagnosis and treatment of intractable pediatric brain tumors Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered oncogenes capable of driving growth of normal human brain stem cells in a highly malignant pediatric brain tumor. The research has significant implications for clinical management of aggressive pediatric brain tumors that are notorious for their dismal prognosis.

Scientists take theoretical research on 'nasty' molecule to next level Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Some atoms don't always follow the rules. Take the beryllium dimer, a seemingly simple molecule made up of two atoms. For decades, scientists believed the two atoms that compose the beryllium dimer repelled each other. Scientists have now confirmed a 12th and highest vibrational level for the beryllium molecule.

Patients can safely skip pre-surgery stress tests and beta blockers, study suggests Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Physicians should "throttle back" from routinely ordering stress tests and prescribing beta blockers to patients before noncardiac surgeries, according to a new report. Studies suggest such pre-operative tests and medications do not save lives and patients can skip them without suffering complications later.

Ubiquitous health: Enabling telemedicine to cut hospital visits, save money Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A ubiquitous health monitoring system that automatically alerted the patient's family or physician to problematic changes in the person's vital signs could cut hospital visits and save lives, according to Japanese researchers.

New ethical questions are being raised in stem cell research Posted: 10 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A groundbreaking discovery two years ago that turned ordinary skin cells back into an embryonic or "pluripotent" state was hailed as the solution to the controversial ethical question that has plagued stem-cell science for the past decade. What are the ethical and legal barriers facing new stem cell procedures?

DNA sheds new light on horse evolution Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Ancient DNA retrieved from extinct horse species from around the world has challenged one of the textbook examples of evolution -- the fossil record of the horse family Equidae over the past 55 million years.

Fatty food can weaken the immune system Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Fresh evidence that fatty food is bad for our health has come to light: mice fed a lard-based diet over a long period got worse at fighting bacteria in the blood, according to new research.

XMM-Newton celebrates decade of discovery Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory is celebrating its 10th anniversary. During its decade of operation, this remarkable space observatory has supplied new data for every aspect of astronomy. From our cosmic backyard to the further reaches of the Universe, XMM-Newton has changed the way we think of space.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor reduces damage in Alzheimer's brain Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST The low-density lipoprotein receptor has received a lot of attention because of its connection with coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis, but now it appears as if it may have a beneficial influence in degenerative brain diseases.

Safer space vehicles thanks to optic fiber sensors Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST A research team has developed a new protection system for the European Space Agency that is designed to enhance the safety of space vehicles.

Antiepileptic drugs not linked to suicide among those with bipolar disorder Posted: 10 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Despite government warnings about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions while taking antiepileptic drugs, these medications do not appear to be associated with increased risk of suicide attempts in individuals with bipolar disorder, and may have a possible protective effect, according to a new report.

Brain activity exposes those who break promises Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists in Switzerland have discovered the physiological mechanisms in the brain that underlie broken promises. Patterns of brain activity even enable predicting whether someone will break a promise.

Why cancer cells just won't die: Researcher identifies protein which regulates cell suicide Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST When cells experience DNA damage, they'll try to repair it. But if that fails, the damaged cells are supposed to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis. A cancer researcher has identified a protein that regulates apoptosis, a new discovery which has implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Measuring impact of climate change from space: Gravity measurements shed light on key questions Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST What is the impact of climate change on the ice-covered regions of Earth? How does deglaciation affect global sea level changes? These questions are being addressed by scientists from Germany and Australia, who are investigating space-borne gravity measurements provided by the GRACE satellite mission. As a result, they found out that the Greenland glaciers shrunk continuously in the last few years; above all, they estimated the changes not to be linear in time but accelerating. On average, recent Greenland ice-mass decline caused an annual sea-level rise of about 0.5 millimeters.

New mouse could help understand how some lung cancer cells evade drug treatment Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A new study describes the development of drug resistance in mice with lung cancer. The lung tumors in mice result from changes similar to those seen in human patients. Also like humans, these tumors initially respond to drug treatment but eventually become resistant to therapy. Studying lung cancer cells in this model should provide insight into the mechanisms that make lung cancer cells resistant to current treatment methods and uncover new therapeutic targets.

Supportive materials to help regenerate heart tissue Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Bioengineers are developing new regenerative therapies for heart disease. The work could influence the way in which regenerative therapies for cardiovascular and other diseases are treated in the future.

Formula to detect an author’s literary ‘fingerprint’ Posted: 10 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Using literature written by Thomas Hardy, DH Lawrence and Herman Melville, physicists in Sweden have developed a formula to detect different authors' literary 'fingerprints'.

Early carnivorous dinosaur crossed continents, alters evolutionary tree Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Discovery of a new species of 213-million-year-old meat-eating dinosaur in New Mexico suggests the first dinosaurs wandered between parts of the Pangea supercontinent that later became North and South America, according to a team of researchers.

Irregular arm swing may point to Parkinson's disease Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Irregular arm swings while walking could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, according to neurologists who believe early detection may help physicians apply treatments to slow further brain cell damage until strategies to slow disease progression are available.

First submersible robot glider to cross Atlantic makes landfall in Spain Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST The Scarlet Knight, the first submersible robot glider to cross the Atlantic, made its formal entrance into the port of Baiona Dec. 9, received by Spanish and American government officials, school children and the people of the town.

Dermatologic infections in cancer patients treated with EGFRI therapy Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Patients who experience dermatologic toxic effects from epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) have a high prevalence of skin and nail infections, according to a new study.

New imaging technique reveals different heart motions by age, gender Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST New, precise imaging of the heart's motions showed important differences between men and women and different age groups. The gender differences in heart motion were not all explained by anatomical differences. The new imaging technique could lead to earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

Study confirms association between tobacco smoke and behavioral problems in children Posted: 10 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke during their early development can develop abnormal behavioral symptoms by the age of 10 years, according to a new study.

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