ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Hubble finds smallest Kuiper Belt object ever seen
• Link between infertility, low egg reserve, and breast/ovarian cancer gene (BRCA1) suggested
• Dyslexia: Some very smart accomplished people cannot read well
• New study links DHA type of omega-3 to better nervous-system function
• Valuable, rare, raw earth materials extracted from industrial waste stream
• Santa should get off his sleigh and walk, says public health doctor
• Why some insects can survive freezing: Huge X-ray microscope provides clues
• 'Smart' nanocapsule delivery system created for use in protein therapy
• Within a cell, actin keeps things moving
• Stem-cell activators switch function, repress mature cells
• Missing piece of DNA replication puzzle identified
• Shift working aggravates metabolic syndrome development among middle-aged males
• Why does a human baby need a full year before starting to walk?
• Eat fruits and vegetables for better vision
• Researchers revise long-held theory of fruit-fly development
• Immune cell activity linked to worsening COPD
• Large-scale sequencing: The future of genomic sciences?
• Negative emotions outweigh intent to exercise at health clubs
• Rate of autism disorders climbs to one percent among 8-year-olds
• Genetic variant may control lung function and risk of COPD
• Europe's flora is becoming impoverished
• Gene linked to a rare form of progressive hearing loss in males identified
• Chicken or egg question looms over climate debate
• Bourbon versus vodka: Bourbon hurts more the next day, due to byproducts of fermenting process

Hubble finds smallest Kuiper Belt object ever seen Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the smallest object ever seen in visible light in the Kuiper Belt, a vast ring of icy debris that is encircling the outer rim of the solar system just beyond Neptune.

Link between infertility, low egg reserve, and breast/ovarian cancer gene (BRCA1) suggested Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have concluded that mutations in the BRCA1 gene, which have been linked with early onset breast cancer, are also associated with some infertility indicators.

Dyslexia: Some very smart accomplished people cannot read well Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Contrary to popular belief, some very smart, accomplished people cannot read well. This unexpected difficulty in reading in relation to intelligence, education and professional status is called dyslexia, and researchers have presented new data that explain how otherwise bright and intelligent people struggle to read.

New study links DHA type of omega-3 to better nervous-system function Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST The omega-3 essential fatty acids commonly found in fatty fish and algae help animals avoid sensory overload, according to new research. The finding connects low omega-3s to the information-processing problems found in people with schizophrenia; bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; Huntington's disease; and other afflictions of the nervous system.

Valuable, rare, raw earth materials extracted from industrial waste stream Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Fierce competition over raw materials for new green technologies could become a thing of the past, thanks to a discovery by scientists in the UK.

Santa should get off his sleigh and walk, says public health doctor Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Santa should share Rudolf's snack of carrots and celery sticks rather than brandy and mince pies and swap his reindeer for a bike or walk, says a public health expert.

Why some insects can survive freezing: Huge X-ray microscope provides clues Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Using a microscope the size of a football field, researchers are studying why some insects can survive freezing, while others cannot. Why is this important? Because the common fruit fly is one of the bugs that cannot survive freezing and the little creature just so happens to share much of the same genetic makeup as humans, therefore finding a way to freeze them for research purposes is a top priority for geneticists the world over.

'Smart' nanocapsule delivery system created for use in protein therapy Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Today protein therapy is considered the most direct and safe approach for treating diseases. However the effectiveness of this treatment has been limited by its low delivery efficiency and poor stability against proteases. Researchers have recently unveiled a new novel intracellular delivery platform based on nanocapsules consisting of a single-protein core and a thin permeable polymeric shell that can be engineered to either degrade or remain stable for different size substrates.

Within a cell, actin keeps things moving Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Using new technology, chemists have captured what they describe as well-orchestrated, actin-driven, mitochondrial movement within a single cell.

Stem-cell activators switch function, repress mature cells Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST New research shows how a crucial step in stem-cell growth and differentiation happens and how a reversal of that step contributes to cancer. It shows that three key proteins first stimulate stem cells to proliferate. Then, as the cells differentiate into their final cell type, these proteins switch function and stop the cells from dividing any more. Because of their central role, the proteins could offer a safe and novel therapeutic target in many cancers.

Missing piece of DNA replication puzzle identified Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST DNA replication is a basic function of living organisms, allowing cells to divide and multiply, all while maintaining the genetic code and proper function of the original cell. The process, or mechanism, by which this is accomplished presents many challenges as the double helical (coil-shaped) DNA divides into two strands that are duplicated by different methods, yet both strands complete the replication at the same time. New research has addressed this fundamental problem.

Shift working aggravates metabolic syndrome development among middle-aged males Posted: 19 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Metabolic syndrome management is an important health issue in modern workplaces. In terms of workplace health management, both hazard exposures and the baseline health condition of workers should be evaluated. A five-year follow-up study for metabolic syndrome development was conducted in Taiwan for male workers. A significant association between shift work exposure and development of metabolic syndrome was found among male workers.

Why does a human baby need a full year before starting to walk? Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Why does a human baby need a full year before it can start walking, while a newborn foal gets up on its legs almost directly after birth? Scientist have assumed that human motor development is unique because our brain is unusually complex and because it is particularly challenging to walk on two legs. But now a research group in Sweden has shown that human babies in fact start walking at the same stage in brain development as most other walking mammals, from small rodents to elephants.

Eat fruits and vegetables for better vision Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, have been found to increase visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases, according to a new study.

Researchers revise long-held theory of fruit-fly development Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST For decades, science texts have told a simple and straightforward story about a transcription factor that helps the embryo of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, pattern tissues in a manner that depends on the levels of this factor within individual cells. Now biologists have called that paradigm into question, revealing a tale that is both more complicated and potentially more interesting than the one previously described.

Immune cell activity linked to worsening COPD Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST A new study links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with increased activity of cells that act as sentinels to activate the body's immune system. COPD affects more than 12 million Americans. Immune factors may be key if doctors are to find better ways to detect and treat the disease early when patients might benefit.

Large-scale sequencing: The future of genomic sciences? Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists can gain insights into new ways to use microorganisms in medicine and manufacturing through a coordinated large-scale effort to sequence the genomes of not just individual microorganisms but entire ecosystems, according to a new report from the American Academy of Microbiology that outlines recommendations for this massive effort.

Negative emotions outweigh intent to exercise at health clubs Posted: 19 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST With only 30 percent of Americans trying to lose weight meeting the National Institutes of Health exercise guidelines of 300 minutes/week, a new study explores the paradox that exists -- an antidote for obesity and its comorbidities is exercise, but the majority of obese Americans do not exercise. Investigators explore and compare the barriers associated with regular exercise in health clubs between overweight and normal weight individuals.

Rate of autism disorders climbs to one percent among 8-year-olds Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST One in 110 American 8-year-olds is classified as having an autism spectrum disorder, a 57 percent increase in ASD cases compared to four years earlier.

Genetic variant may control lung function and risk of COPD Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered evidence that suggests a genetic variant may be associated with better preserved lung function among children with asthma and adults who smoke.

Europe's flora is becoming impoverished Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, whereas rare species are becoming extinct. It is not only the biological communities that are becoming increasingly similar, but also the phylogenetic relations between regions. These processes have led to a loss of uniqueness among European flora.

Gene linked to a rare form of progressive hearing loss in males identified Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A gene associated with a rare form of progressive deafness in males has been identified. The gene, PRPS1, appears to be crucial in inner ear development and maintenance.

Chicken or egg question looms over climate debate Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Which came first, the warmer temperatures or the clearer skies? Answers to that and similar "chicken or egg" type questions could have a significant impact on our understanding of both the climate system and manmade global warming.

Bourbon versus vodka: Bourbon hurts more the next day, due to byproducts of fermenting process Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Many alcoholic beverages contain byproducts of the materials used in the fermenting process. These byproducts are called "congeners," complex organic molecules with toxic effects including acetone, acetaldehyde, fusel oil, tannins, and furfural. Bourbon has 37 times the amount of congeners that vodka has. A new study has found that while drinking a lot of bourbon can cause a worse hangover than drinking a lot of vodka, impairment in people's next-day task performance is about the same for both beverages.

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