ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Early galaxy went through 'teenage growth spurt,' scientists say
• Gene is linked to lung cancer development in never-smokers: one third have gene variant
• New bacteria strain points the way toward 'super sourdough' bread
• Chemical that may protect hearts of muscular dystrophy patients discovered
• Multifunctional polymer neutralizes both biological and chemical weapons
• Women do make men throw caution to the wind, research confirms
• Seaweed to tackle rising tide of obesity
• Researchers discover two new ways to kill TB bacteria; Findings could help tame extremely drug-resistant strains
• Brewing up a gentler java: Dark-roasted coffee contains stomach-friendly ingredient
• Health-care worker vaccination rates remain perilously low
• Imperfect chips pave the way for new quantum technology
• Memory for visual scenes is enhanced when events occur at behaviorally relevant times
• 'Cold fusion' moves closer to mainstream acceptance
• Direct injection of gold nanoparticles into tumors opens door to new treatment for pancreatic cancer
• Mastery of rare-earth elements vital to America's security
• Protecting cancer patients by reducing radiation doses, side effects
• Beluga sturgeon in Caspian Sea reclassified as 'critically endangered'
• Emergency contraception: Advance provision does not reduce pregnancy rates; No increase in unprotected sex
• Fungi can change quickly, pass along infectious ability
• Key predictor of cardiovascular death identified
• Rapid increases in tree growth found in US
• Nurses' research settles a common cancer concern: Skin care
• Environmental refugees and global warming
• Sexism: Cat-calls are detrimental to everyone
• Newly identified growth factor promotes stem cell growth, regeneration
• Proof in humans of RNA interference using targeted nanoparticles
• New 'smart' roof reads the thermometer, saves energy in hot and cold climates
• Spying on a cellular director in the cutting room
• Pure maple syrup contains medicinally beneficial compounds, pharmacy researcher finds
• 'Doublesex' gene key to determining fruit fly gender

Early galaxy went through 'teenage growth spurt,' scientists say Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have found a massive galaxy in the early universe creating stars like our sun up to 100 times faster than the modern-day Milky Way.

Gene is linked to lung cancer development in never-smokers: one third have gene variant Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT A study that scanned the genomes of thousands of "never-smokers" diagnosed with lung cancer as well as healthy never smokers has found a gene they say could be responsible for a significant number of those cancers.

New bacteria strain points the way toward 'super sourdough' bread Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have unveiled a potentially additive-free, more healthful sourdough loaf that could even taste better. More healthful breads of other kinds could be baked using a new bacterial ingredient in sourdough as well.

Chemical that may protect hearts of muscular dystrophy patients discovered Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a chemical that may, over the long term, protect the hearts of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients -- a fatal and most common form of muscular dystrophy in children.

Multifunctional polymer neutralizes both biological and chemical weapons Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT In an effort to mirror the ability of biological tissues to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing environments, scientists have synthesized a single, multifunctional polymer material that can decontaminate both biological and chemical toxins.

Women do make men throw caution to the wind, research confirms Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT The presence of an attractive woman elevates testosterone levels and physical risk taking in young men, according to a recent study.

Seaweed to tackle rising tide of obesity Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT In a new study, scientists in the UK have shown that by adding seaweed fiber to the diet you can reduce fat digestion by up to 75 percent.

Researchers discover two new ways to kill TB bacteria; Findings could help tame extremely drug-resistant strains Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have found two novel ways of killing the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, a disease responsible for an estimated two million deaths each year.

Brewing up a gentler java: Dark-roasted coffee contains stomach-friendly ingredient Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Stomach irritation preventing almost two out of every 10 people from enjoying coffee. Now, scientists report the discovery of several substances that may be among the culprits responsible for brewing up heartburn and stomach pain in every cup.

Health-care worker vaccination rates remain perilously low Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Health-care personnel influenza immunization rates have remained low, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other leading health-care organizations that all health-care personnel receive annual flu vaccines. Experts say these levels are perilous. Increasing vaccination rates substantially improves patient safety, lowering flu deaths by 40 percent.

Imperfect chips pave the way for new quantum technology Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT When it comes to optical chips, disorder can actually be desirable. The surprising finding was made by a research group in Denmark, overturning the common notion that optical chips must be perfect.

Memory for visual scenes is enhanced when events occur at behaviorally relevant times Posted: 22 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT What determines whether a scene is remembered or forgotten? According to a new study memory for visual scenes may not depend on attention level or what a scene contains, but when the scene is presented. The study shows how visual scenes are encoded into memory at behaviorally relevant points in time.

'Cold fusion' moves closer to mainstream acceptance Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT "Cold fusion," a controversial energy source once relegated to the scientific equivalent of banishment to Siberia, is now moving closer toward acceptance by the mainstream scientific community, as evidenced by a special two-day symposium at the American Chemical Society's 239th National Meeting.

Direct injection of gold nanoparticles into tumors opens door to new treatment for pancreatic cancer Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Pancreatic cancer -- known as the most fatal cancer with no known effective treatment -- requires a radical new therapy. A promising approach may come in the form of tiny gold nanoparticles -- loaded with a therapeutic agent to kill cancer -- in a novel procedure called "nanoembolization," said researchers.

Mastery of rare-earth elements vital to America's security Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Used in everything from batteries to electric motors, rare earth elements are vital to America's security, a senior metallurgist at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, told members of the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Yet, the great majority of rare earth mining and production currently takes place in China.

Protecting cancer patients by reducing radiation doses, side effects Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT New recommendations for the safe irradiation of 16 organs have been published. For each organ, the relationship between dose/volume and clinical outcome is reviewed.

Beluga sturgeon in Caspian Sea reclassified as 'critically endangered' Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea have been reclassified as "critically endangered" placing them on IUCN's Red List, providing strong evidence that fishing and international trade should be halted and a stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately. Beluga sturgeon populations have been decimated in part due to unrelenting exploitation for black caviar -- the sturgeon's unfertilized eggs -- considered the finest in the world.

Emergency contraception: Advance provision does not reduce pregnancy rates; No increase in unprotected sex Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Providing emergency contraception to women in advance of need does not reduce pregnancy rates, despite increased use and faster use after unprotected sexual intercourse, according to a new review.

Fungi can change quickly, pass along infectious ability Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Fungi have significant potential for "horizontal" gene transfer, a new study has shown, similar to the mechanisms that allow bacteria to evolve so quickly, become resistant to antibiotics and cause other serious problems.

Key predictor of cardiovascular death identified Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Coronary artery disease (CAD) hospitalizes more than 160,000 Canadians every year, and almost one quarter of those patients die from this common form of heart disease. But now researchers have identified a key predictor of mortality in CAD patients, which means that specialists can better determine how to treat and improve outcomes for patients with CAD.

Rapid increases in tree growth found in US Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Rapid increases in tree growth in the US, slower tree growth in the tropics, new ideas about biodiversity, new methods for monitoring forest carbon stocks: These are among the mid-term results from the HSBC Climate Partnership.

Nurses' research settles a common cancer concern: Skin care Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Given the complexity of cancer treatment, skin care may seem like a small matter. However, a nurse at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center knew that skin issues were a constant source of anxiety for many patients receiving radiation therapy, and through research she discovered that routine advice was rooted in myth instead of scientific evidence.

Environmental refugees and global warming Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Climate change and environmental degradation are likely to trigger increased migration in Sub-Saharan Africa with potentially devastating effects on the hundreds of millions of especially poor people, according to a new article.

Sexism: Cat-calls are detrimental to everyone Posted: 21 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT For every woman who is a direct target of sexism, there are others who witness the event and are also affected. The actions of one sexist man affect how female bystanders feel and behave towards men in general.

Newly identified growth factor promotes stem cell growth, regeneration Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT Scientists have identified a new growth factor that stimulates the expansion and regeneration of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells in culture and in laboratory animals. The discovery, may help researchers overcome one of the most frustrating barriers to cellular therapy: the fact that stem cells are so few in number and so stubbornly resistant to expansion.

Proof in humans of RNA interference using targeted nanoparticles Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT A team of researchers and clinicians has published the first proof that a targeted nanoparticle -- used as an experimental therapeutic and injected directly into a patient's bloodstream -- can traffic into tumors, deliver double-stranded small interfering RNAs, and turn off an important cancer gene using a mechanism known as RNA interference. Moreover, the team provided the first demonstration that this new type of therapy can make its way to human tumors in a dose-dependent fashion.

New 'smart' roof reads the thermometer, saves energy in hot and cold climates Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT Scientists report the development of a "smart" roof coating, made from waste cooking oil from fast food restaurants, that can "read" a thermometer.

Spying on a cellular director in the cutting room Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT Like a film director cutting out extraneous footage to create a blockbuster, the cellular machine called the spliceosome snips out unwanted stretches of genetic material and joins the remaining pieces to fashion a template for protein production. But more than box office revenues are at stake: if the spliceosome makes a careless cut, disease likely results. Researchers have now managed to spy on the splicing process in single molecules.

Pure maple syrup contains medicinally beneficial compounds, pharmacy researcher finds Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT An expert in medicinal plant research has found more than 20 compounds in maple syrup from Canada that have been linked to human health, 13 of which are newly discovered in maple syrup. In addition, eight of the compounds have been found in the Acer (maple) family for the first time.

'Doublesex' gene key to determining fruit fly gender Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT The brains of males and females, and how they use them, may be far more different than previously thought, at least in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

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