ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Human cells exhibit foraging behavior like amoebae and bacteria
• New insight into brain's decision-making process
• Mars Dunes: On the Move?
• Effects of lifestyle and exposures are mirrored in blood gene expression
• Prehistoric response to global warming informs human planning today
• Brain tumor's 'grow-or-go' switch discovered
• Small dogs originated in the Middle East, genetic study finds
• Exploiting the architecture of cancers may lead to their destruction
• Plants discover the benefits of good neighbors in strategy against herbivores
• Best treatment for childhood epilepsy suggested by new research
• Calculations made by physicist Gustav Mie in 1908 put to test on single nanoparticles
• Different signal paths for spontaneous and deliberate activation of memories
• Genome analysis of marine microbe reveals a metabolic minimalist
• Breakthroughs in treatment of spine and back conditions
• Genetic mapping of algae biofuel species groundwork done
• Knee replacement in elderly patients shown to improve balance
• PEGylated dendrimers: A novel mechanism of drug delivery
• Communication often fumbled during patient hand-offs in hospital
• Fossil bird eggshell provides source of ancient DNA
• Tumors may respond to extreme and moderate heat
• Conservationists urge treaty panel to reject ivory sale by Tanzania, Zambia
• New research aims to prevent 'sudden cardiac arrest'
• Third seed shipment sent to Norway seed vault by USDA
• High-intensity interval training is time-efficient and effective, study suggests
• Biologists find proof of first confirmed species of monogamous frog
• Children with chronic respiratory illness are vulnerable to critical H1N1
• New way to get physical in fight against cancer
• Powerful molecule regulator in blood pressure control system
• New imaging technology brings trace chemicals into focus
• First direct evidence of neuroplastic changes following brainwave training

Human cells exhibit foraging behavior like amoebae and bacteria Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST When cells move about in the body, they follow a complex pattern similar to that which amoebae and bacteria use when searching for food, researchers have found.

New insight into brain's decision-making process Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST The hippocampus, a part of the brain essential for memory, has long been known to "replay" recently experienced events. Previously, replay was believed to be a simple process of reviewing recent experiences in order to help consolidate them into long-term memory. However, new research shows the phenomenon of memory replay is much more complex, cognitive process that may help an animal maintain its internal representation of the world, or its cognitive map.

Mars Dunes: On the Move? Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST New studies of ripples and dunes shaped by the winds on Mars testify to variability on that planet, identifying at least one place where ripples are actively migrating and another where the ripples have been stationary for 100,000 years or more.

Effects of lifestyle and exposures are mirrored in blood gene expression Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST A study by Norwegian and French researchers hopes to provide new understanding of how blood cells adjust gene expression in response to various clinical, biochemical and pathological conditions. The Norwegian Woman and Cancer postgenome study highlights numerous blood gene sets affected by one's physical condition, lifestyle factors and exposure variables.

Prehistoric response to global warming informs human planning today Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Since 2004, University at Buffalo anthropologist Ezra Zubrow has worked intensively with teams of scientists in the Arctic regions of St. James Bay, Quebec, northern Finland and Kamchatka to understand how humans living 4,000 to 6,000 years ago reacted to climate changes.

Brain tumor's 'grow-or-go' switch discovered Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST High energy levels cause glioblastoma cells to proliferate; low levels cause them to grow less and to migrate. This study discovered that a molecule called miR-451 coordinates this grow-or-go behavior, which is closely linked to the cells' ability to invade and spread. Thus, the molecule might be a biomarker for predicting survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme and may serve as a target to develop drugs to fight these tumors.

Small dogs originated in the Middle East, genetic study finds Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST A genetic study has found that small domestic dogs probably originated in the Middle East more than 12,000 years ago. Researchers have traced the evolutionary history of the IGF1 gene, finding that the version of the gene that is a major determinant of small size probably originated as a result of the domestication of the Middle Eastern gray wolf.

Exploiting the architecture of cancers may lead to their destruction Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST To grow larger, solid tumors require a network of blood vessels to nourish them. Chemotherapy exploits these vessels to deliver toxic drugs, but is inefficient if the drugs cannot pass quickly enough from the bloodstream into the tumor. A new study describes a way of transiently making the tumor blood vessels leakier, allowing more efficient drug uptake. This work may ultimately enhance delivery of chemotherapies into tumor tissue.

Plants discover the benefits of good neighbors in strategy against herbivores Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Scandinavian scientists have discovered that a species of tree defends itself from herbivore attack by using chemicals emitted by neighboring plants. The study reveals how species of Birch tree absorb chemical compounds from neighboring Marsh tea plants, Rhondodendron tomentosum, in a unique "defense by neighbor strategy."

Best treatment for childhood epilepsy suggested by new research Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST One of the oldest available anti-seizure medications, ethosuximide, is the most effective treatment for childhood absence epilepsy, according to initial outcomes.

Calculations made by physicist Gustav Mie in 1908 put to test on single nanoparticles Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Rice students put calculations by German physicist Gustav Mie, made in 1908, to the test when they decided to look at the optical properties of single nanoparticles.

Different signal paths for spontaneous and deliberate activation of memories Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Entirely different signal paths and parts of the brain are involved when you try to remember something and when you just happen to remember something, prompted by a smell, a picture, or a word, for instance.

Genome analysis of marine microbe reveals a metabolic minimalist Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Flightless birds, blind cave shrimp, and other oddities suggest a "use it or lose it" tendency in evolution. In the microbial world, an unusual marine microorganism appears to have ditched several major metabolic pathways, leaving it with a remarkably reduced set of genes.

Breakthroughs in treatment of spine and back conditions Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Approximately 21 million visits were made to physicians' offices due to back problems in 2006. While countless adults experience back pain and stiffness, many suffer from serious spine and back conditions -- including injury, herniated discs and the deterioration of the vertebrae. Three new studies detail advances in back care and treatment options for specific back and spine conditions.

Genetic mapping of algae biofuel species groundwork done Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Using green algae to produce hydrocarbon oil for biofuel production is nothing new; nature has been doing so for hundreds of millions of years, according a scientists.

Knee replacement in elderly patients shown to improve balance Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a new study.

PEGylated dendrimers: A novel mechanism of drug delivery Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST A research team has shown how PEGylated polylysine dendrimers, a new type of nano-sized drug delivery system, can be altered to target either the lymphatic system or the bloodstream, which may improve the treatment of particular types of diseases.

Communication often fumbled during patient hand-offs in hospital Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST As shifts change in a hospital, outgoing physicians must "hand off" important information to their replacements in a brief meeting. But a new study of this hand-off process finds that the most important information is not fully conveyed in a majority of cases, even as physicians rate their communication as successful.

Fossil bird eggshell provides source of ancient DNA Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Scientists have successfully isolated ancient DNA from fossil eggshell remains of extinct birds for the first time.

Tumors may respond to extreme and moderate heat Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Aided by ultrasound guidance, treating tumors with extreme heat or moderate heat may provide a possible therapeutic option, according to early research.

Conservationists urge treaty panel to reject ivory sale by Tanzania, Zambia Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST An international team of conservationists says relaxing a current moratorium on ivory sales to allow one-time sales by Zambia and Tanzania could lead to increased slaughter of elephants for their ivory throughout Africa.

New research aims to prevent 'sudden cardiac arrest' Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Scientists are investigating the cause and effects of Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome. This team is hot on the trail of understanding how a multi-gene syndrome, one of the causes for SCA, operates inside the body. Once they figure out how the disorder operates and describe its molecular system in detail, they hope to develop a drug or therapy to stop this condition before it strikes.

Third seed shipment sent to Norway seed vault by USDA Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST A shipment of seed sent by the Agricultural Research Service earlier this month to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway included a wild Russian strawberry that an expeditionary team braved bears and volcanoes to collect.

High-intensity interval training is time-efficient and effective, study suggests Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST The usual excuse of "lack of time" for not doing enough exercise is blown away by new research. The study adds to the growing evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise. Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less!

Biologists find proof of first confirmed species of monogamous frog Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Amphibians may be a love 'em and leave 'em class, but one frog species defies the norm, scientists have found. Biologists have discovered in Peru the first confirmed species of monogamous amphibian, Ranitomeya imitator, better known as the mimic poison frog -- a finding that provides groundbreaking insight into the ecological factors that influence mating behavior.

Children with chronic respiratory illness are vulnerable to critical H1N1 Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST As critical care professionals develop a better understanding of the progression of H1N1, they are becoming better prepared to treat children with severe cases. Additionally, with careful management, the pediatric critical care system is expected to be able to meet the increased demands of a flu pandemic.

New way to get physical in fight against cancer Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Researchers have shown that the biochemical activity of a key player in cancer metastasis can be altered by the application of a direct physical force. This new way in which cells can sense and respond to physical forces presents a new road for future cancer therapies.

Powerful molecule regulator in blood pressure control system Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that nitric oxide is a powerful regulator of a molecule that plays a critical role in the development and function of the nervous system. The finding could someday play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States.

New imaging technology brings trace chemicals into focus Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Scientists have hit on a new, versatile method to significantly improve the detection of trace chemicals important in such areas as national security, human health and the environment. The research team was able to detect and identify tiny particles of the explosive trinitrotoluene or TNT -- each weighing less than a billionth of a gram -- on the ridges and canals of a fingerprint.

First direct evidence of neuroplastic changes following brainwave training Posted: 12 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Significant changes in brain plasticity have been observed following alpha brainwave training. Researchers have discovered the first evidence of neuroplastic changes occurring directly after natural brainwave training. They have demonstrated that half an hour of voluntary control of brain rhythms is sufficient to induce a lasting shift in cortical excitability and intracortical function.

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