ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Insect colonies operate as 'superorganisms', new research finds
• Switch turns on allergic disease in people
• Tracking MRSA evolution and transmission: Revolutionary strategy for control and prevention of infection
• Scientists show how brain tumors outsmart drugs
• Chemical analyses uncover secrets of an ancient amphora
• How does an outfielder know where to run for a fly ball?
• New 'nanoburrs' could help fight heart disease
• High vitamin D levels linked to lower risk of colon cancer
• San Andreas Fault study unearths new earthquake information
• Parkinson's: Treadmill training improves movement
• Genetics helps to crack down on chimpanzee smuggling
• Team finds childhood clues to adult schizophrenia
• Humans caused demise of Australia's megafauna, evidence shows
• Lung cancer patients who quit smoking double their survival chances
• Rover gives NASA an 'Opportunity' to view interior of Mars
• Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy reduces risk in high-risk groups
• Global warming increases flood risk in mountain areas
• Want to convince? Use abstract rather than concrete language
• Last decade was warmest on record, 2009 one of warmest years, NASA research finds
• Double trouble: Bacterial super-infection after the flu
• Membrane-coat proteins: Bacteria have them too
• Combination therapy may be effective against some non-small cell lung cancers
• Making Braille music universally accessible
• Minority teen boys smoke more when they perceive discrimination; girls do not
• Slime design mimics Tokyo's rail system
• Identification of the gene responsible for a new form of adult muscular dystrophy
• Consumers over age 50 should consider cutting copper and iron intake, report suggests
• Link examined between omega-3 fatty acid levels and biological aging marker in patients with coronary heart disease
• Overseas Collections Play Important Role In Controlling Invasive Species
• Disclosing sexual abuse is critical
• Urban 'green' spaces may contribute to global warming
• New concoction reprograms differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells
• Communication problems in the brain
• Relationship between anti-merozoite antibodies and incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria
• Vaccination or culling best to prevent foot-and-mouth disease, computer models suggest
• Eating and drinking during labor: Let women decide, review suggests
• Wnt/β-catenin in Liver Injury
• Small clusters of islet amyloid polypeptides may contribute to diabetes
• Chronic Morphine Use Delays Wound Healing
• Wnt Signaling Key in Rare Skin Disease
• Environmental Cues Lead to Breast Cancer
• Even small dietary reductions in salt could mean fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths
• Stain repellent chemical linked to thyroid disease in adults
• Mountain plants unable to withstand onslaught from invasive species
• Circumcising newborn males is a cost effective strategy for HIV prevention in Rwanda, study finds
• Dynamic maps aid epidemiological investigations
• Haiti faces long road to recovery, expert warns
• Most modern European males descend from farmers who migrated from the Near East

Insect colonies operate as 'superorganisms', new research finds Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST New research finds that insect colonies follow some of the same biological "rules" as individuals, a finding that suggests insect societies operate like a single "superorganism" in terms of their physiology and life cycle.

Switch turns on allergic disease in people Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST A new study in human cells has singled out a molecule that specifically directs immune cells to develop the capability to produce an allergic response. The signaling molecule, called thymic stromal lymphopoietin, is key to the development of allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and food allergy.

Tracking MRSA evolution and transmission: Revolutionary strategy for control and prevention of infection Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a remarkable new method to precisely track transmission of MRSA from one person to another in a hospital setting. The method "zooms" from large-scale inter-continental transmission events to person-to-person infection of MRSA within a single hospital. The technique, which harnesses the latest high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, helps researchers understand how strains spread so rapidly, and should lead to novel infection control strategies, not only for MRSA but also for other emerging superbugs.

Scientists show how brain tumors outsmart drugs Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Researchers have shown one way in which gliomas, a deadly type of brain tumor, can evade drugs aimed at blocking a key cell signaling protein, epidermal growth factor receptor, that is crucial for tumor growth.

Chemical analyses uncover secrets of an ancient amphora Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Chemists have confirmed that the substance used to hermetically seal an amphora found among remains at Lixus, in Morocco, was pine resin. The scientists also studied the metallic fragments inside the 2,000-year-old vessel, which could be fragments of material used for iron-working.

How does an outfielder know where to run for a fly ball? Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST To test three theories that might explain an outfielder's ability to catch a fly ball, researchers had to produce realistic balls and simulate catches. Scientists then lobbed virtual fly balls to a dozen experienced ball players.

New 'nanoburrs' could help fight heart disease Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Researchers have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.

High vitamin D levels linked to lower risk of colon cancer Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST High blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, finds a large European study. The risk was cut by as much as 40 percent in people with the highest levels compared with those in the lowest.

San Andreas Fault study unearths new earthquake information Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Recent studies of stream channel offsets along the San Andreas Fault reveal new information about fault behavior -- affecting how we understand the potential for damaging earthquakes.

Parkinson's: Treadmill training improves movement Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Treadmill training can be used to help people with Parkinson's disease achieve better walking movements, say researchers. In a systematic review of the evidence, Cochrane researchers concluded treadmill training could be used to improve specific gait parameters in Parkinson's patients.

Genetics helps to crack down on chimpanzee smuggling Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST The population of chimpanzees across western Africa has decreased by 75 percent in the past 30 years, due in part to widespread chimp hunting. New strategies are needed to curb this illegal activity, experts say. Now, new research suggests that genetics may provide valuable clues as to how to crack down on the animal smuggling trade, while also helping to safely reintroduce rescued apes into the wild.

Team finds childhood clues to adult schizophrenia Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Years before adults develop schizophrenia, there is a pattern of cognitive difficulties they experience as children, including problems with verbal reasoning, working memory, attention and processing speed. Drawing on a long-term study of more than 1,000 New Zealanders born from 1972 to 1973, researchers have found a consistent pattern of developmental difficulties that first appeared when adult study subjects with schizophrenia were 7 years old.

Humans caused demise of Australia's megafauna, evidence shows Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Researchers report strong evidence that humans, not climate change, caused the demise of Australia's megafauna -- giant marsupials, huge reptiles and flightless birds -- at least 40,000 years ago.

Lung cancer patients who quit smoking double their survival chances Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST People diagnosed with early stage lung cancer can double their chances of survival over five years if they stop smoking compared with those who continue to smoke, finds a new study.

Rover gives NASA an 'Opportunity' to view interior of Mars Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST NASA's Mars exploration rover Opportunity is allowing scientists to get a glimpse deep inside Mars. Perched on a rippled Martian plain, a dark rock not much bigger than a basketball was the target of interest for Opportunity during the past two months. Dubbed "Marquette Island," the rock is providing a better understanding of the mineral and chemical makeup of the Martian interior.

Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy reduces risk in high-risk groups Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Current evidence suggests that using Doppler ultrasound in high-risk pregnancies to monitor a fetus' health may reduce caesarean sections and the number of babies who die, according to a new review.

Global warming increases flood risk in mountain areas Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST The world's mountainous regions are home to about 800 million people and the source of some of the world's major rivers. In these regions, runoff is strongly affected by temperature. This suggests that flooding could be quite sensitive to global warming, but there has been some lack of scientific consensus on the effects of temperature variations on floods.

Want to convince? Use abstract rather than concrete language Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST When consumers talk to each other about products, they generally respond more favorably to abstract language than concrete descriptions, according to a new study.

Last decade was warmest on record, 2009 one of warmest years, NASA research finds Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST A new analysis of global surface temperatures by NASA scientists finds the past year was tied for the second warmest since 1880. In the Southern Hemisphere, 2009 was the warmest year on record. Although 2008 was the coolest year of the decade because of a strong La Nina that cooled the tropical Pacific Ocean, 2009 saw a return to a near-record global temperatures as the La Nina diminished.

Double trouble: Bacterial super-infection after the flu Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Current research suggests that the flu may predispose to secondary bacterial infections, which account for a significant proportion of mortality during flu pandemics.

Membrane-coat proteins: Bacteria have them too Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered that a group of bacteria possess proteins thought to exist only in eukaryotes. The discovery could yield evolutionary insights and a new model organism.

Combination therapy may be effective against some non-small cell lung cancers Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Even when their tumors are shrinking in response to therapy, some non-small cell lung cancer patients have a scattering of cancer cells that are undeterred by the drug, causing the tumor to resume its growth, scientists report. The findings suggest that identifying such patients and treating them with a combination of drugs from the very start of therapy can produce longer remissions.

Making Braille music universally accessible Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Blind musicians have had restricted access to scores due to the scarcity and limitations of Braille transcriptions. A new European system makes music for the blind more available and far easier to use.

Minority teen boys smoke more when they perceive discrimination; girls do not Posted: 22 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Researchers in Indiana report that minority teen boys smoke more when they perceived discrimination, girls reacted differently. There does not appear to be an association between perceived discrimination and smoking in minority girls, ages 12-15. For minority girls ages 16-19, perceived discrimination is associated with lower, not higher, rates of smoking.

Slime design mimics Tokyo's rail system Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST What could human engineers possibly learn from the lowly slime mold? Reliable, cost-efficient network construction, apparently: a recent experiment suggests that Physarum polycephalum, a gelatinous fungus-like mold, might actually lead the way to improved technological systems, such as more robust computer and mobile communication networks.

Identification of the gene responsible for a new form of adult muscular dystrophy Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST A new form of adult onset muscular dystrophy has been identified. The research demonstrated that recessive ANO5 mutations will lead to abnormal membrane repair of muscle fibers.

Consumers over age 50 should consider cutting copper and iron intake, report suggests Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST With scientific evidence linking high levels of copper and iron to Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and other age-related disorders, a new report suggests specific steps that older consumers can take to avoid build up of unhealthy amounts of these metals in their bodies.

Link examined between omega-3 fatty acid levels and biological aging marker in patients with coronary heart disease Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Patients with coronary heart disease who had higher omega-3 fatty acid blood levels had an associated lower rate of shortening of telomere length, a chromosome marker of biological aging, raising the possibility that these fatty acids may protect against cellular aging, according to a new study.

Overseas Collections Play Important Role In Controlling Invasive Species Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST When melaleuca began invading the Florida Everglades and surrounding areas, scientists knew of one place to look for a solution: the Australian Biological Control Laboratory.

Disclosing sexual abuse is critical Posted: 22 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Half of sexual abuse survivors wait up to five years before disclosing they were victimized, according to a new study.

Urban 'green' spaces may contribute to global warming Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Dispelling the notion that urban "green" spaces help counteract greenhouse gas emissions, new research has found -- in Southern California at least -- that total emissions would be lower if lawns did not exist.

New concoction reprograms differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Singapore scientists report surprising discovery that novel transcription factor Nr5a2 can replace classical reprogramming factor Oct4 to significantly increase efficiency of reprogramming differentiated stem cells into iPS cells.

Communication problems in the brain Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST For brain cells to communicate, the contacts to each other must function. The protein molecule neuroligin-1 plays an important role in this as it stimulates the necessary maturation processes at the contact sites (synapses) of the nerves. A synaptic maturation disorder is possibly involved in the development of autism.

Relationship between anti-merozoite antibodies and incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST New research synthesizes information from many different studies that attempt to link specific antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum with protection from clinical malaria and comes to important conclusions about which antigens might be worth advancing as vaccine candidates.

Vaccination or culling best to prevent foot-and-mouth disease, computer models suggest Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Researchers are finding that if a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is not in the epidemic stage, preemptive vaccination is a minimally expensive way to halt the disease's spread across a network of animals.

Eating and drinking during labor: Let women decide, review suggests Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Women should be allowed to eat and drink what they want during labor, say researchers. The researchers carried out a systematic review of studies examining the traditional practice of restricting food and fluid intake during labor and found no evidence for any risk or benefit for women at low risk of complications.

Wnt/β-catenin in Liver Injury Posted: 21 Jan 2010 09:00 PM PST Researchers have demonstrated that the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays a key role in hepatic bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis as well as helps protect the adult liver against metabolic stress.

Small clusters of islet amyloid polypeptides may contribute to diabetes Posted: 21 Jan 2010 09:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that small clusters (oligomers) of islet amyloid polypeptides (IAPPs) may contribute to the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Chronic Morphine Use Delays Wound Healing Posted: 21 Jan 2010 09:00 PM PST Researchers have found that chronic morphine use delays wound healing in the presence on an infection.

Wnt Signaling Key in Rare Skin Disease Posted: 21 Jan 2010 09:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that Wnt signaling is involved in the development of pachydermoperiostosis.

Environmental Cues Lead to Breast Cancer Posted: 21 Jan 2010 09:00 PM PST New research has demonstrated that tenascin-C affects proto-oncogene function in breast cancer.

Even small dietary reductions in salt could mean fewer heart attacks, strokes and deaths Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Reducing salt in the American diet by as little as one-half teaspoon per day could prevent nearly 100,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths each year, according to researchers.

Stain repellent chemical linked to thyroid disease in adults Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST For the first time, a study links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) -- a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

Mountain plants unable to withstand onslaught from invasive species Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Researchers have studied the distribution of plant species in mountainous environments. The study shows that mountain plant communities are not particularly resistant to invasion by exotic species. The scientists also warn that these may become more aggressive as global warming gets a grip.

Circumcising newborn males is a cost effective strategy for HIV prevention in Rwanda, study finds Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Circumcising newborn boys as a way to prevent HIV infection in later life is more cost-effective than circumcising adult males, finds a new Rwandan study.

Dynamic maps aid epidemiological investigations Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Using data on Salmonella infections, researchers demonstrate how dynamic mapping can be used to visualize the relationships between disease and environmental factors. The animated maps allow researchers to better detect temporal trends, the origins of an outbreak, patterns of disease spread, timing of seasonal outbreaks and clustering of diseases.

Haiti faces long road to recovery, expert warns Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST A senior British academic has warned that earthquake-ravaged Haiti faces a prolonged period of recovery and reconstruction. Dr Neil Thomas, an expert in earth sciences at Kingston University in London and a member of the UK Disaster Risk Reduction Forum, said the sheer scale of devastation meant the island nation would face years of reconstruction once the more immediate phases of the rescue and aid operation had wound up. Dr Thomas describes the earthquake as having the potential to become one of the worst natural disasters of its kind in the western hemisphere in recent times. He pointed out that, given Haiti's location in a complex geological region, such severe earthquakes were not totally unexpected, adding that this made the lack of rigorous disaster planning and management strategies all the more surprising.

Most modern European males descend from farmers who migrated from the Near East Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 PM PST A new study has found that most men in Europe descend from the first farmers who migrated from the Near East 10,000 years ago.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610