ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• 'Glow-in-the-dark' sperm sheds light on reproductive biology, sexual selection and speciation
• Shutting out soft tissue cancers in the cold
• Urban CO₂ domes increase deaths, poke hole in cap-and-trade proposal
• Vitamin A: Key mechanism that guides cells to form heart tissue
• Weak laser can ignite nanoparticles, with exciting possibilities
• Could a pill increase learning ability post-puberty?
• Earlier butterfly emergence linked to climate change
• Targeting blood vessels, immune system may offer way to stop infection-caused inflammation
• Layered graphene sheets could solve hydrogen storage issues
• New TB booster shows promise
• New statistical method for genetic studies could cut computation time from years to hours
• A magical way to move kids: Researcher uses magic tricks to treat children with locomotor disabilities
• WISE captures a cosmic rosebud blossoming with new stars
• Stem cells suspended in X-ray-visible microbubbles build new blood vessels to treat peripheral arterial disease
• African bird discovery proves there is something new under the sun
• New chemotherapy combination shows promise in endometrial cancer, researchers find
• New lunar images and data available to the public
• Novel 'medical home' program for pediatric patients, families cuts ER visits in half
• Nano-based RFID tags could replace bar codes
• Researcher maps how age, gender can affect risk to radiation exposure
• Cloves are 'best' natural antioxidant, Spanish study finds
• Preventive behaviors limited household transmission of H1N1 influenza during initial outbreak
• Measuring protein movements with nanosecond resolution
• Progress has been made in war on cancer, but still many challenges
• What makes you unique? Not genes so much as surrounding sequences, study finds
• Deep brain stimulation reduces epileptic seizures in patients with refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures
• Synthetic Biology: Engineered Bacteria
• Staples lead to higher risk of infection after joint surgery than traditional stitches
• From international harbor to native habitat: Detecting exotic pests before forest and agricultural invasion
• Looming unemployment harms older workers' health
• Cassini Shows Saturnian Roller Derby, Strange Weather
• New technique reduces tobacco smoke damage to lungs in mice
• Electronic assistant to detect stress
• Revisiting the need to detect circulating tumor cells
• Porous China-Myanmar border allowing illegal wildlife trade, experts say
• Shift workers at more risk for irritable bowel syndrome, study finds

'Glow-in-the-dark' sperm sheds light on reproductive biology, sexual selection and speciation Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT By genetically altering fruit flies so that the heads of their sperm were fluorescent green or red, biologists were able to observe in striking detail what happens to live sperm inside the female. The findings may have huge implications for the fields of reproductive biology, sexual selection and speciation.

Shutting out soft tissue cancers in the cold Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Cryotherapy, an interventional radiology treatment to freeze cancer tumors, may become the treatment of the future for cancer that has metastasized in soft tissues (such as ovarian cancer) and in bone tumors. Such patients are often not candidates for surgery and would benefit from minimally invasive treatment, say researchers.

Urban CO<sub>2</sub> domes increase deaths, poke hole in cap-and-trade proposal Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT In the first study ever done on the local health effects of the domes of carbon dioxide that develop above cities, researchers found that the domes increase the local death rate. The result provides a scientific basis for regulating CO2 emissions at the local level and points out a significant oversight in the carbon dioxide "cap-and-trade" proposal that was passed by the House of Representatives in June 2009.

Vitamin A: Key mechanism that guides cells to form heart tissue Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a key cellular mechanism that guides embryonic heart tissue formation -- a process which, if disrupted, can lead to a number of common congenital heart defects.

Weak laser can ignite nanoparticles, with exciting possibilities Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Engineering researchers have found they can ignite certain nanoparticles using a low-power laser, a development they say opens the door to a wave of new technologies in health care, computing and automotive design.

Could a pill increase learning ability post-puberty? Posted: 19 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT New research shows that a novel brain receptor, alpha4-beta-delta, emerges at puberty in the hippocampus, part of the brain that controls learning and memory.

Earlier butterfly emergence linked to climate change Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Butterflies are emerging in spring over 10 days earlier than they did 65 years ago, a shift that has been linked to regional human-induced climate change in an Australian-led study. The work reveals a causal link between increasing greenhouse gases, regional warming and the change in timing of a natural event.

Targeting blood vessels, immune system may offer way to stop infection-caused inflammation Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Treating virulent influenza, sepsis, and other potentially deadly infections long has focused on looking for ways to kill viruses and bacteria. But new research shows that modulating the body's own overeager inflammatory response to infection may help save more lives.

Layered graphene sheets could solve hydrogen storage issues Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Stacked sheets of graphene may be a promising material for capturing and storing hydrogen for future fuel-cell systems according to recent research.

New TB booster shows promise Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT A booster shot appears to improve tuberculosis (TB) resistance in previously vaccinated adults, according to new research in South Africa.

New statistical method for genetic studies could cut computation time from years to hours Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Mathematicians have developed a new computational strategy for genome-wide association studies that corrects for population structure and is both faster and easier to use.

A magical way to move kids: Researcher uses magic tricks to treat children with locomotor disabilities Posted: 19 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT An innovative yet remarkably simple series of therapeutic exercises has been developed for children and young adults based on sleight-of-hand tricks used by professional magicians.

WISE captures a cosmic rosebud blossoming with new stars Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new infrared image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, shows a cosmic rosebud blossoming with new stars. The stars, called the Berkeley 59 cluster, are the blue dots to the right of the image center. They are ripening out of the dust cloud from which they formed, and at just a few million years old, are young on stellar time scales.

Stem cells suspended in X-ray-visible microbubbles build new blood vessels to treat peripheral arterial disease Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Bone marrow stem cells suspended in X-ray-visible microbubbles dramatically improve the body's ability to build new blood vessels in the upper leg -- providing a potential future treatment for those with peripheral arterial disease or PAD, say researchers.

African bird discovery proves there is something new under the sun Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT "Four and 20 black birds baked in a pie" -- but wait, one has blue-gray eyes. That discovery, backed by DNA analysis, means scientists now know there is one more species of black shrike in the Albertine Rift of Africa than was previously thought. And if Dr. Gary Voelker has his way, he'll soon be studying the bird's habits to determine its susceptibility to the deforestation now occurring across its native habitat.

New chemotherapy combination shows promise in endometrial cancer, researchers find Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers report that in a small study of women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, gemcitabine and cisplatin, when used in combination, produced a response rate in fifty percent of patients.

New lunar images and data available to the public Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT The general public can now follow along with NASA on its journey of lunar discovery. On March 15, the publicly accessible Planetary Data System released data sets from the seven instruments on board NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Novel 'medical home' program for pediatric patients, families cuts ER visits in half Posted: 19 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT In the first quantitative study to look at the benefits of utilizing the medical home concept in a resident-education outpatient clinic at a specialized children's hospital, researchers found that participation in the program significantly reduced families' use of the emergency room.

Nano-based RFID tags could replace bar codes Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have come up with an inexpensive, printable transmitter that can be invisibly embedded in packaging. It would allow a customer to walk a cart full of groceries or other goods past a scanner on the way to the car.

Researcher maps how age, gender can affect risk to radiation exposure Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Scientists imaged cartilage, bone marrow and two types of mineral bone in 20 different skeletal sites from two newborns to learn more about how much radiation is absorbed by the body. They discovered that children have a greater percentage of total mineral bone in direct contact with sensitive bone marrow than do adults. This has implications for radiation treatments and types of chemotherapy used to treat cancer patients, especially therapies targeting pediatric bone cancers.

Cloves are 'best' natural antioxidant, Spanish study finds Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Using spices eaten in the Mediterranean diet as natural antioxidants is a good way forward for the food industry, given the beneficial health effects of these products. This has been shown by researchers in Spain who have put the clove in first place.

Preventive behaviors limited household transmission of H1N1 influenza during initial outbreak Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Simple, common sense behaviors, including having a discussion at home about how to prevent influenza, can help limit the spread of H1N1 in a household, according to a study of the initial outbreak in New York City in 2009.

Measuring protein movements with nanosecond resolution Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Researchers who developed a method for observing nanosecond-scale movements of proteins have used it to distinguish two structural forms where only one was known. The experiments focused on HP35 in the protein villin, which contributes to cells' stability by linking actin filaments. More generally, the results suggest that this method, based on fast electron transfer between different parts of a protein, could help unlock the mechanisms behind folding and misfolding of proteins.

Progress has been made in war on cancer, but still many challenges Posted: 18 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Although there have been achievements in the battle against cancer, including a decrease in the rate of death and new diagnoses, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the US, with a need for continued improvement in the areas of prevention, detection and treatment, according to a commentary.

What makes you unique? Not genes so much as surrounding sequences, study finds Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT The key to human individuality may lie not in our genes, but in the sequences that surround and control them, according to new research.

Deep brain stimulation reduces epileptic seizures in patients with refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT Patients with refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures had a reduction in seizures after deep brain stimulation, according to new research. This multi-center clinical trial determined that the benefits of stimulation of the anterior nuclei of thalamus for epilepsy persisted and by 2 years there was a 56 percent reduction in seizure frequency.

Synthetic Biology: Engineered Bacteria Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have devised a way to attach sugars to proteins using unique biological and chemical methods. This means that large quantities of different glycoproteins can be generated for various medical and biological studies.

Staples lead to higher risk of infection after joint surgery than traditional stitches Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT Using metal staples to close wounds after orthopedic (joint) surgery can lead to a greater risk of infection than using traditional nylon sutures, concludes a new study.

From international harbor to native habitat: Detecting exotic pests before forest and agricultural invasion Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT In the 1930s, soil used as ballast to weigh down cargo ships from South America to Mobile, Alabama introduced the red imported fire ant to the southern United States. Since then, the ants have been found as far north as Maryland and as far west as California, shorting out streetlights and eating through crops and native plants in the process. Since pests like the fire ant primarily enter the U.S. through international hubs like Mobile and then spread to nearby ecosystems, the early detection of exotic pests should start at the most vulnerable urban areas, researchers say.

Looming unemployment harms older workers' health Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT Downsizing and demotions at the workplace can be a health hazard for people over age 50, according to new research.

Cassini Shows Saturnian Roller Derby, Strange Weather Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT From our vantage point on Earth, Saturn may look like a peaceful orb with rings worthy of a carefully raked Zen garden, but NASA's Cassini spacecraft has been shadowing the gas giant long enough to see that the rings are a rough and tumble roller derby. It has also revealed that the planet itself roils with strange weather and shifting patterns of charged particles.

New technique reduces tobacco smoke damage to lungs in mice Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers in Australia have demonstrated that blocking a certain protein can reduce or prevent cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation in mice. Inflammation underlies the disease process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many other smoking-related ailments.

Electronic assistant to detect stress Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers are developing electronic stress assistants that are supposed to monitor stress levels in everyday life -- a step towards preventing burnout and depression more effectively. In principle stress is a healthy reaction. In the short term, the stress reaction helps the body to adapt to the stressor. However, if the organism has no time to recover and the stress reaction proceeds over longer time, this can have adverse effects like cardiovascular diseases or mental illness.

Revisiting the need to detect circulating tumor cells Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT One of the most dangerous characteristics of cancer is its ability to metastasize, or spread through the body. For this reason, oncologists have a major need for better tests to detect cells that break away from primary tumors to travel to other parts of the body. Effective identification of these cells, referred to as circulating tumor cells, could help guide treatment and improve quality of life for many cancer patients.

Porous China-Myanmar border allowing illegal wildlife trade, experts say Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Porous borders are allowing vendors in Myanmar to offer a door-to-door delivery service for illegal wildlife products such as tiger bone wine to buyers in China, according to TRAFFIC's latest snapshot into wildlife trade in China.

Shift workers at more risk for irritable bowel syndrome, study finds Posted: 18 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Nurses participating in shift work, especially those working rotating shifts, face a significantly increased risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain compared to those working a standard day-time schedule, according to new research.

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