ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• First molars provide insight into evolution of great apes, humans
• Disinfectants may promote growth of superbugs
• How calorie-restricted diets fight obesity and extend life span
• Exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood home associated with early emphysema in adulthood
• Molecular chaperone keeps bacterial proteins from slow-dancing to destruction
• Lighting can influence how wine tastes
• Superatoms mimic elements: Research gives new perspective on periodic table
• 'Fountain of youth' for stem cells?
• Mystery solved: How fine particulates are formed in the air
• Enzyme necessary for development of healthy immune system
• Divide and conquer: Splitting fluorescent protein helps image clusters in live cells
• There may be a 'party' in your genes
• Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots
• Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cells
• Schizophrenia mouse model should improve understanding and treatment of the disorder
• Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR best choice for possible cardiac arrest signs
• Climate Wizard makes large databases of climate information visual, accessible
• Accurate taste perception relies on a properly functioning olfactory system
• Seeing without looking: Brain structure crucial for moving the mind's spotlight
• Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid Precursor Protein -- Good, Bad Or Both?
• Researchers design a tool to induce controlled suicide in human cells
• Relatives of boys with sexual birth defects not at risk for testicular germ cell cancer
• Study links real-time data to flu vaccine strategies
• Modernizing the treatment of sexual dysfunction in men
• Scientists isolate new antifreeze molecule in Alaska beetle
• Afib Triggered By A Cell That Resembles A Pigment-producing Skin Cell
• Deep sea anchors for offshore installations
• RORalpha, the orchestrator of neuron protection
• Researchers develop drug information interface to save lives
• Football (soccer) fights depression
• Why some continue to eat when full: Researchers find clues
• One step closer to closure: Neuroscientists discover key to spinal cord defects
• Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity
• Genetic causes identified for disturbances in lipid metabolism; implications for diabetes
• Adjusting acidity with impunity
• Couples are better able to cope with health shocks than singles, study finds

First molars provide insight into evolution of great apes, humans Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have gained new insights into the timing of molar emergence and its relation to growth and reproduction in apes. "We can use the same techniques to calculate ages at first molar emergence from the fossils of early hominids that just happened to die while their first molars were erupting," researchers report.

Disinfectants may promote growth of superbugs Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Using disinfectants could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself, according to new research. The findings could have important implications for how the spread of infection is managed in hospital settings.

How calorie-restricted diets fight obesity and extend life span Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The proteins could become markers for monitoring or boosting the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets -- the only scientifically proven way of extending life span in animals.

Exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood home associated with early emphysema in adulthood Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Children regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home were more likely to develop early emphysema in adulthood. The finding suggests that the lungs may not recover completely from the effects of early-life exposures to tobacco smoke.

Molecular chaperone keeps bacterial proteins from slow-dancing to destruction Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Just like teenagers at a prom, proteins are tended by chaperones whose job it is to prevent unwanted interactions among immature clients. And at the molecular level, just as at the high school gym level, it's a job that usually requires a lot of energy.

Lighting can influence how wine tastes Posted: 29 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers demonstrate that the color of ambient lighting can have an effect on how a wine is judged.

Superatoms mimic elements: Research gives new perspective on periodic table Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have shown that certain combinations of elemental atoms have electronic signatures that mimic the electronic signatures of other elements. The findings could lead to much cheaper materials for widespread applications such as new sources of energy, methods of pollution abatement, and catalysts on which industrial nations depend heavily for chemical processing.

'Fountain of youth' for stem cells? Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Stems cells used for transplantation in the nervous system to provide neural regeneration are fragile, but can be kept "forever young" during implantation through the use of self-assembling nanofiber scaffolds (SAPNS), a nanotechnology application for implanting young cells. By manipulating cell density and SAPNS concentration, researchers used SAPNS as templates and guides to slow cell growth, differentiation and proliferation, thereby creating a protective nanoenvironment for a variety of neural cells destined for implantation.

Mystery solved: How fine particulates are formed in the air Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Particulates make us ill, and particulates affect the climate. The direct combustion of wood and other fuels is only partially responsible for producing fine particulates – the rest evolve from a variety of substances, within the atmosphere itself.

Enzyme necessary for development of healthy immune system Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Mice without the deoxycytidine kinase enzyme have defects in their adaptive immune system, producing very low levels of both T and B lymphocytes, the major players involved in immune response, according to a new study.

Divide and conquer: Splitting fluorescent protein helps image clusters in live cells Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Half a protein is better than none, and in this case, it's way better than a whole one. Researchers have discovered that dividing a particular fluorescent protein and using it as a tag is handy for analyzing the workings of live cells, particularly in the way they employ iron-sulfur clusters.

There may be a 'party' in your genes Posted: 29 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Genetics play a pivotal role in shaping how individual's identify with political parties , according to new research.

Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST The sight of a cockroach scurrying for cover may be nauseating, but the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel, and is providing researchers with what they call "bioinspiration" in a quest to build the world's first legged robot that is capable of running effortlessly over rough terrain.

Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cells Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Famous for its antioxidant properties and role in tissue repair, vitamin C is touted as beneficial for illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer and perhaps even for slowing the aging process. Now, a new study uncovers an unexpected new role for this natural compound: facilitating the generation of embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells.

Schizophrenia mouse model should improve understanding and treatment of the disorder Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have created what appears to be a schizophrenic mouse by reducing the inhibition of brain cells involved in complex reasoning and decisions about appropriate social behavior.

Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR best choice for possible cardiac arrest signs Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Dispatchers should give CPR instructions to bystanders of all suspected cardiac arrest victims, researchers said. The benefit of CPR to those having a cardiac arrest far outweighs the risk of injury to those who aren't. During 9-1-1 calls, dispatchers help bystanders correctly identify patients in cardiac arrest about half the time. Of 1,700 patients studied, three who incorrectly received CPR had minor injuries linked to chest compressions.

Climate Wizard makes large databases of climate information visual, accessible Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST A Web tool that generates color maps of projected temperature and precipitation changes using 16 of the world's most prominent climate-change models is being demonstrated in Copenhagen, Denmark, in conjunction with the climate summit underway there. It also is the subject of a presentation Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

Accurate taste perception relies on a properly functioning olfactory system Posted: 29 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST As anyone suffering through a head cold knows, food tastes wrong when the nose is clogged, an experience that leads many to conclude that the sense of taste operates normally only when the olfactory system is also in good working order. Evidence that the taste system influences olfactory perception, however, has been vanishingly rare -- until now.

Seeing without looking: Brain structure crucial for moving the mind's spotlight Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Like a spotlight that illuminates an otherwise dark scene, attention brings to mind specific details of our environment while shutting others out. A new study shows that the superior colliculus, a brain structure that primarily had been known for its role in the control of eye and head movements, is crucial for moving the mind's spotlight.

Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid Precursor Protein -- Good, Bad Or Both? Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST New data about amyloid precursor protein, or APP, a protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests it also may have a positive role -- directly affecting learning and memory during brain development. So is APP good or bad? Researchers say both, and that a balance of APP is critical.

Researchers design a tool to induce controlled suicide in human cells Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers in Spain have designed a new tool to study rescue signaling pathways and cell suicide in depth.

Relatives of boys with sexual birth defects not at risk for testicular germ cell cancer Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Boys with the sexual birth defects known as hypospadias and cryptorchidism are at risk for developing testicular germ cell cancer, but their relatives are not, according to a new study.

Study links real-time data to flu vaccine strategies Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Adaptive vaccination strategies, based on age patterns of hospitalizations and deaths monitored in real-time during the early stages of a pandemic, outperform seasonal influenza vaccination allocation strategies, according to a new article.

Modernizing the treatment of sexual dysfunction in men Posted: 29 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Modern, couple-oriented treatment for male sexual dysfunction takes the psychosocial aspects of sex into account, as well as focusing on the purely physical aspects of the problem.

Scientists isolate new antifreeze molecule in Alaska beetle Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain protein, this new molecule, called xylomannan, has little or no protein. It is composed of a sugar and a fatty acid and may exist in new places within the cells of organisms.

Afib Triggered By A Cell That Resembles A Pigment-producing Skin Cell Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST The source and mechanisms underlying the abnormal heart beats that initiate atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common type of abnormal heart beat, have not been well determined. Researchers have now identified a population of cells that are like pigment-producing cells in the skin in the atria of the heart and pulmonary veins of mice and humans, and uncovered evidence in mice that these cells contribute to Afib.

Deep sea anchors for offshore installations Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A 13 meter-long, 80-ton anchor is currently being tested as a new mooring concept for offshore installations.

RORalpha, the orchestrator of neuron protection Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST How do the brain cells called astrocytes ensure the protection of neurons? By studying the protagonists in the protection and satisfactory functioning of neurons, scientists have found a mechanism that clarifies the role of astrocytes. Crucial to this mechanism, RORalpha protein is revealed as an essential regulator of inflammatory factors. This discovery constitutes a new path for research on novel drugs in the event of cerebral lesions (e.g. neurodegenerative diseases or trauma).

Researchers develop drug information interface to save lives Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A new drug information interface system has been shown to help in dealing with visual and motor impairments, which can make sorting, holding and identifying pills a challenge as we age.

Football (soccer) fights depression Posted: 28 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Despite being a significant risk group, young men are amongst those least likely to seek professional help when mentally distressed or suicidal. The 'Back of the Net' program, a pilot initiative using football (called soccer in the U.S.) and cognitive behavioral based techniques was effective in decreasing symptoms of depression in young men.

Why some continue to eat when full: Researchers find clues Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST New research in mice suggest that ghrelin might also work in the brain to make some people keep eating "pleasurable" foods when they're already full.

One step closer to closure: Neuroscientists discover key to spinal cord defects Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Spinal cord disorders like spina bifida arise during early development when future spinal cord cells growing in a flat layer fail to roll up into a tube. Researchers now report a never-before known link between protein transport and mouse spinal cord development, a discovery that opens new doors for research on all spinal defects.

Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A international team of scientists has discovered how changes in both gene expression and gene sequence led to the diversity of visual systems in African cichlid fish.

Genetic causes identified for disturbances in lipid metabolism; implications for diabetes Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have identified new gene variants associated with disturbances in the lipid metabolism. Some of these common human gene variants are already known to be risk factors for diabetes mellitus.

Adjusting acidity with impunity Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST How do individual cells or proteins react to changing pH levels? Researchers have now developed a technique for 'gently' adjusting pH: in other words, without damaging biomolecules. This should soon allow them to measure the activity of a single enzyme as a function of pH.

Couples are better able to cope with health shocks than singles, study finds Posted: 28 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Marital status plays a significant role in how individuals cope economically with disability and health shocks, according to new research.

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