ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Out of this world: New study investigates infection of human cells in space
• Early detection of age-related memory deficits in mice
• Racetrack ion trap is a contender in quantum computing quest
• Next decade offers promise for treatment of spinal cord injuries
• Essential oils to fight superbugs
• More than one-quarter of elderly patients lack decision-making capacity at death, study finds
• Significant step toward lightweight batteries
• Thyroid condition increases stroke risk in young adults
• New method for producing proteins critical to medical research
• Brain development: Floor plate tissue derived from embryonic stem cells
• Molecular middle managers make more decisions than bosses
• Behavioral incentives mimic effects of medication on brain systems in ADHD
• Not so fast! Andes rise was gradual, not abrupt
• Unequal leg length tied to osteoarthritis, study finds
• Scientists address 'wrinkles' in transparent film development
• Matters of the heart: FDG PET may hold answers for patients with heart failure
• Researcher modernizes US power grid
• Maintaining regular daily routines is associated with better sleep quality in older adults

Out of this world: New study investigates infection of human cells in space Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT In a first-of-its-kind experiment, the unique conditions of spaceflight will be used to examine how cells remain healthy or succumb to disease, particularly in the face of stress or damage. Researcher hope to provide fundamental new insight into the infectious disease process, and further understanding of other progressive diseases, including immune disorders and cancer.

Early detection of age-related memory deficits in mice Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT By studying the aging of memory in the mouse, researchers have developed an experimental protocol that can detect age-related memory deficits at an early stage. They have shown that even at 10 months, which corresponds to a third of their life expectancy, some mice present with age-related memory disorders. This work opens new perspectives for an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the aging of memory and for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Racetrack ion trap is a contender in quantum computing quest Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT Physicists have built and tested a device for trapping ions that potentially could process dozens at once with the most versatile control of any trap demonstrated to date, an advance towards the ultimate goal of building a practical quantum computer.

Next decade offers promise for treatment of spinal cord injuries Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT Although new developments in the management of spinal cord injuries (SCI) are on the horizon, any eventual cure for the condition is more likely to involve a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from expertise in several fields, according to new research.

Essential oils to fight superbugs Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT Essential oils could be a cheap and effective alternative to antibiotics and potentially used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs, according to new research.

More than one-quarter of elderly patients lack decision-making capacity at death, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT More than one in four elderly Americans lacked the capacity to make their own medical care decisions at the end of life, according to a new study.

Significant step toward lightweight batteries Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have made significant progress on a technology that could lead to batteries with up to three times the energy density of any battery that currently exists.

Thyroid condition increases stroke risk in young adults Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Young adults with overactive thyroid face a 44 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those with normal thyroid function, according to a new study.

New method for producing proteins critical to medical research Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new method for producing proteins critical to research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases. The chemical method yields hundreds-fold more ubiquitylated proteins than current approaches. Such proteins may hold the key to revealing such mysteries as how cancer cells gain resistance to cancer drugs.

Brain development: Floor plate tissue derived from embryonic stem cells Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have used human embryonic stem cells to derive floor plate tissue, an important signaling center during brain development. This is the first study shown to derive floor plate tissue from hESCs. Floor plate development is essential in the development of the brain. Understanding how the brain develops is key to understanding how brain diseases occur.

Molecular middle managers make more decisions than bosses Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Organisms are structured at the molecular level in ways similar to social hierarchies. In some, master genetic regulators call most of the shots, and in others most of life's activities are carried out by more egalitarian collaborations.

Behavioral incentives mimic effects of medication on brain systems in ADHD Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Medication and behavioral interventions help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) better maintain attention and self control by normalizing activity in the same brain systems, according to new research.

Not so fast! Andes rise was gradual, not abrupt Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Trailing like a serpent's spine along the western coast of South America, the Andes are the world's longest continental mountain range and the highest range outside Asia, with an average elevation of 13,000 feet.

Unequal leg length tied to osteoarthritis, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new study shows that arthritis in the knee is linked to the common trait of having one leg that is longer than the other. Whether or not leg length differential is a direct cause of osteoarthritis is not clear, but the findings may allow people to take preventive measures before the onset of the chronic and painful condition.

Scientists address 'wrinkles' in transparent film development Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT A closer look at a promising nanotube coating that might one day improve solar cells has turned up a few unexpected wrinkles, according to new research.

Matters of the heart: FDG PET may hold answers for patients with heart failure Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT For a patient with heart failure, checking whether the heart could benefit from bypass surgery or a stent is critical to ensuring survival. One imaging technique, positron emission tomography (PET) with the imaging agent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), may provide doctors with the information they need to make more informed treatment decisions, according to new research.

Researcher modernizes US power grid Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Although the US electric power industry is one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century, aging technology and an increase in demand create problems for the electricity infrastructure that need to be fixed.

Maintaining regular daily routines is associated with better sleep quality in older adults Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT A study has found that the maintenance of daily routines was associated with a reduced rate of insomnia and improved quality of sleep in older adults living in a retirement community.

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