ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• X-ray discovery points to location of missing matter in universe
• Genetic variations associated with Alzheimer's disease, but do not help predict risk
• Lake sturgeon have genes from parasite, signs of human STD
• Clues to neuronal health found in tree-like nerve cell structures
• Astronomers plan second look at mega star birthing grounds
• Differences in language circuits in the brain linked to dyslexia: Important 'information highway' less well organized in the dyslexic brain
• DNA could be backbone of next-generation logic chips
• Sickle cell disease may affect brain function in adults, study suggests
• Most high schoolers cheat -- but don't always see it as cheating, study finds
• Cancer: Trapping the escape artist
• 'Tsunami' video sheds light on struggling pupfish
• Caffeine reduces mistakes made by shift workers, study finds
• Laser beams penetrating thick canopy detect thousands of new structures, show Maya adept at 'building green'
• No clear criteria for diagnosing food allergies, researchers find
• Fatty acid to enhance anticancer drug
• Early births decline in most categories, U.S. report finds; Rates drop for most states and ethnic and gestational-age groups
• World record for shortest controllable time using laser pulses
• Spouses who care for partners with dementia at sixfold higher risk of same fate: Stress of caregiving may be to blame
• New insights into genomics of speciation
• Many pregnant women not getting enough vitamin D: Prenatal vitamins help, but are not enough for everyone
• Slimming aid from the cell laboratory? Inflammation enzyme regulates the production of brown fat tissue
• Non-cardiac surgery too soon after stenting raises risk of heart problems, study suggests
• New technology lowers cost for groundwater contaminant sensors
• Older people in assisted-living facilities sleep poorly, study finds
• Odd dental features reveal undocumented primate: Previously unknown species complicates understanding of African evolution
• Whole grain, bran intake associated with lower risk of death in diabetic women
• As monarch butterflies journey north, gardeners can help protect species, researcher says
• MicroRNA dysregulation may contribute to melanoma development
• High-quality beef: Start cattle on corn, finish on co-products, researchers find
• Predicting economic crises with 'econophysics'
• Herschel finds a hole in space: Surprising glimpse into end of star-forming process
• Fly gut bacteria could control sleeping sickness
• Bats' echolocation recorded and recreated
• Fluctuating blood pressure associated with risk of cerebrovascular disease
• Here comes the 3-D camera: Revolutionary prototype films world in three dimensions
• Computer analysis of Twitter sentiments yields results similar to public opinion polls
• Jurassic fast food was a key to giant dinosaurs
• Eliminating the source of asthma-causing immune molecules
• New method developed to capture fingerprints on difficult surfaces
• How botulism-causing toxin can enter circulation
• Tabletop 3D laserprinter for glass microsystems
• Obesity linked to lowest earnings
• Hubble catches heavyweight runaway star speeding from 30 Doradus
• Parkinson's disease treatments associated with compulsive behaviors
• How cancer cells loose their (circadian) rhythm
• NASA studies find omega-3 may help reduce bone loss
• Potential antifouling substance -- a veterinary sedative -- can cause paler fish, research shows
• Overtime work is bad for the heart, new research finds

X-ray discovery points to location of missing matter in universe Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Using observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton, astronomers have announced a robust detection of a vast reservoir of intergalactic gas about 400 million light years from Earth. This discovery is the strongest evidence yet that the "missing matter" in the nearby Universe is located in an enormous web of hot, diffuse gas.

Genetic variations associated with Alzheimer's disease, but do not help predict risk Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Although genome-wide analysis identified two genetic variations associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), these variations did not improve the ability to predict the risk of AD, according to a new study.

Lake sturgeon have genes from parasite, signs of human STD Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT While trying to find a DNA-based test to determine the sex of lake sturgeon, researchers found that the sturgeon genome contains trematode genes that didn't originally belong to it and may harbor a protozoan parasite that causes a sexually transmitted disease in humans.

Clues to neuronal health found in tree-like nerve cell structures Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Using the small, round worm C. elegans, researchers have discovered how elaborate dendritic trees (tree-like nerve structures) are formed and maintained. Possible applications include treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and repair of injuries in which neurons are damaged.

Astronomers plan second look at mega star birthing grounds Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Astronomers this summer will take a close look at a rare cosmic cradle for the universe's largest stars, baby bruisers that grow up to have 50 times the sun's mass.

Differences in language circuits in the brain linked to dyslexia: Important 'information highway' less well organized in the dyslexic brain Posted: 12 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Children with dyslexia often struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, despite getting an appropriate education and demonstrating intellectual ability in other areas. New neurological research has found that these children's difficulties with written language may be linked to structural differences within an important information highway in the brain known to play a role in oral language.

DNA could be backbone of next-generation logic chips Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT In a single day, a solitary grad student at a lab bench can produce more simple logic circuits than the world's entire output of silicon chips in a month. So says an engineer who believes that the next generation of these logic circuits at the heart of computers will be produced inexpensively in almost limitless quantities. The secret is that instead of silicon chips serving as the platform for electric circuits, computer engineers will take advantage of the unique properties of DNA, that double-helix carrier of all life's information.

Sickle cell disease may affect brain function in adults, study suggests Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Sickle cell disease may affect brain function in adults who have few or mild complications of the inherited blood disease, according to results of the first study to examine cognitive functioning in adults with sickle cell disease.

Most high schoolers cheat -- but don't always see it as cheating, study finds Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Most high-school students participating in a new study on academic honesty say they have cheated on tests and homework -- and, in some alarming cases, say they don't consider certain types of cheating out of line.

Cancer: Trapping the escape artist Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Cancer uses devious means to evade treatment and survive. One prime example is the way tumors express anti-cell death (anti-apoptotic) proteins to resist chemotherapy and radiation. However, new research may help curb these anti-apoptotic proteins and make current treatments more effective.

'Tsunami' video sheds light on struggling pupfish Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT For the first time, an earthquake was recorded live in Devils Hole, home to the critically endangered pupfish species. The footage is educating scientists on how struggling species react to disturbance.

Caffeine reduces mistakes made by shift workers, study finds Posted: 12 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Caffeine can help those working shifts or nights to make fewer errors, according to a new study. The findings have implications for health workers and for any industry relying on shift or night work, such as transportation.

Laser beams penetrating thick canopy detect thousands of new structures, show Maya adept at 'building green' Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT A flyover of Belize's thick jungles has revolutionized archaeology worldwide and vividly illustrated the complex urban centers developed by one of the most-studied ancient civilizations -- the Maya. Until now, Maya archeologists have been limited in exploring large sites and understanding the full nature of ancient Maya landscape because features are hidden within heavily forested and hilly terrain. LiDAR effectively removes these obstacles.

No clear criteria for diagnosing food allergies, researchers find Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new study shows that confusion over how to identify and treat food allergies is creating the potential for misdiagnosis of this condition.

Fatty acid to enhance anticancer drug Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scientists in Germany have discovered that bioavailability and efficacy of the blood cancer drug azacytidine increase when the substance is coupled to a fatty acid.

Early births decline in most categories, U.S. report finds; Rates drop for most states and ethnic and gestational-age groups Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT For the first time in three decades, the nation and most states saw a two-year decline in preterm birth rates, indicating that strategies have begun to pay off. Rates declined for both late and early preterm births, among the major racial and ethnic groups, for mothers under 40, and regardless of the method of delivery.

World record for shortest controllable time using laser pulses Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT Lasers can now generate light pulses down to 100 attoseconds, thereby enabling real-time measurements on ultrashort time scales that are inaccessible by any other methods. Scientist in Germany have now demonstrated timing control with a residual uncertainty of 12 attoseconds. This constitutes a new world record for the shortest controllable time scale.

Spouses who care for partners with dementia at sixfold higher risk of same fate: Stress of caregiving may be to blame Posted: 12 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT Husbands or wives who care for spouses with dementia are six times more likely to develop the memory-impairing condition than those whose spouses don't have it, according to results of a 12-year study. The increased risk that the researchers saw among caregivers was on par with the power of a gene variant known to increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, they report.

New insights into genomics of speciation Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT New research could herald an important shift in thinking about the genomics of speciation. The prevailing assumption about how the genomes of newly forming species should differ during the earliest stages of divergence with gene flow speciation is that it will be characterized by a few regions of strong differentiation. New evidence suggests that instead, speciation in the classic apple maggot fly involves genome-wide differentiation driven by natural selection.

Many pregnant women not getting enough vitamin D: Prenatal vitamins help, but are not enough for everyone Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT Seven out of every 10 pregnant women in the United States are not getting enough vitamin D, according to a new study.

Slimming aid from the cell laboratory? Inflammation enzyme regulates the production of brown fat tissue Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT Scientists in Germany have found that the COX-2 inflammation enzyme stimulates the formation of new brown fat tissue in mice. Brown fat tissue transforms energy into heat. Therefore, mice with increased COX-2 production have a higher energy consumption and are slimmer. On the basis of these results scientists might develop a novel weight loss method for pathogenic obesity.

Non-cardiac surgery too soon after stenting raises risk of heart problems, study suggests Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT Non-cardiac surgery performed in patients who had coronary stents implanted within the previous six weeks is associated with an increased risk of heart complications and death. Patients who required stent implantation following a recent heart attack were at greater risk than those who had stents implanted due to chronic disease. The level of risk was similar for patients treated with bare metal stents and drug-eluting stents.

New technology lowers cost for groundwater contaminant sensors Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT Long-term continuous monitoring of groundwater where contaminants are present or suspected could be streamlined with new technology.

Older people in assisted-living facilities sleep poorly, study finds Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT In a study of residents of assisted-living facilities in Los Angeles showed that 65 percent had clinically significant sleeping problems and that poor sleep was associated with declining quality of life and increased depression over a six month follow-up period.

Odd dental features reveal undocumented primate: Previously unknown species complicates understanding of African evolution Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT It's in the teeth. An odd mosaic of dental features recently unearthed in northern Egypt reveals a previously undocumented, highly-specialized primate called Nosmips aenigmaticus that lived in Africa nearly 37 million years ago.

Whole grain, bran intake associated with lower risk of death in diabetic women Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT Women with type 2 diabetes who ate high amounts of the bran component of whole grain had a 35 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than women who ate the least amount, according to a new study. The link held regardless of whether the bran came from eating whole grain foods or from adding bran to the diet.

As monarch butterflies journey north, gardeners can help protect species, researcher says Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT It has been a hard winter for Monarch butterflies. Low temperatures, storms and habitat destruction have all threatened the butterflies' overwintering population in Mexico.

MicroRNA dysregulation may contribute to melanoma development Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers in Canada have identified differential expression of miRNAs as a contributing factor in melanoma development.

High-quality beef: Start cattle on corn, finish on co-products, researchers find Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that high-quality beef and big per-head profits can be achieved by starting early-weaned cattle on corn and finishing them on a diet high in co-products.

Predicting economic crises with 'econophysics' Posted: 11 May 2010 08:00 PM PDT Do physicists have better tools than economists or financial experts for predicting economic crises? Mainstream economists largely failed to forecast the sub-prime mortgage bubble, the ensuing financial crisis, and its global impact on world economy, which has now even challenged Europe's economic, political and social systems. A handful of physicists working on economic problems -- in the small but rapidly growing field of "econophysics" -- have done better.

Herschel finds a hole in space: Surprising glimpse into end of star-forming process Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT The European Space Agency's Herschel infrared space telescope has made an unexpected discovery: a hole in space. The hole has provided astronomers with a surprising glimpse into the end of the star-forming process.

Fly gut bacteria could control sleeping sickness Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT A new bacterial species, found in the gut of the fly that transmits African sleeping sickness, could be engineered to kill the parasite that causes the disease. The study could lead to new approaches to control this fatal infection that is becoming resistant to drug therapy.

Bats' echolocation recorded and recreated Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT A team of British researchers has worked with six adult Egyptian fruit bats to record and recreate their calls. These calls are pairs of 'clicks' from the bats' tongues that they use to fill their surroundings with acoustic energy; the echoes that return allow the bats to form an image of their environment. Engineers and biologists used a miniature wireless microphone sensor mounted on the bat whilst in flight.

Fluctuating blood pressure associated with risk of cerebrovascular disease Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT The risk of cerebrovascular diseases appears to be higher among individuals with fluctuating blood pressure in addition to high blood pressure, according to a new study.

Here comes the 3-D camera: Revolutionary prototype films world in three dimensions Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT It's no pun: we are truly entering a new dimension in technology with a 3-D digital camera developed by researchers in Italy. The revolutionary prototype for filming the world in three dimensions promises applications in security, assistance to the elderly, videogames and intelligent navigation systems.

Computer analysis of Twitter sentiments yields results similar to public opinion polls Posted: 11 May 2010 05:00 PM PDT Computer analysis of sentiments expressed in a billion Twitter messages during 2008-2009 yielded measures of consumer confidence and of presidential job approval similar to those of well-established public opinion polls, researchers report.

Jurassic fast food was a key to giant dinosaurs Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT Why were the sauropod dinosaurs able to get so much larger than today's terrestrial animals? Scientists believe they may have now solved this puzzle. According to new research, Jurassic fast food culture was a key to gigantism. The giant dinosaurs did not chew their food -- they just gulped it down.

Eliminating the source of asthma-causing immune molecules Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT Asthma and other allergic diseases are caused by inappropriate immune responses. Soluble IgE molecules, produced by immune cells known as B cells, are key immune mediators of these diseases. A team of researchers has now developed a way to specifically eliminate IgE-producing B cells, providing a potential new long-lasting therapeutic approach to treat asthma and other allergic diseases.

New method developed to capture fingerprints on difficult surfaces Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT CSI notwithstanding, forensics experts cannot always retrieve fingerprints from objects, but a new conformal coating process can reveal hard-to-develop fingerprints on nonporous surfaces without altering the chemistry of the print.

How botulism-causing toxin can enter circulation Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT New research helps explain how the toxic protein responsible for botulism can enter circulation from the digestive system.

Tabletop 3D laserprinter for glass microsystems Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT A new European project, Femtoprint, is starting, with the goal to design a convenient 3D laser printer that will print microstructures in glass. With this 'femtoprinter' the manufacture of microstructures would no longer be the exclusive realm of big enterprises.

Obesity linked to lowest earnings Posted: 11 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT A new study has found that minimum-wage employees are more likely to be obese than those who earn higher wages, adding to growing evidence that being poor is a risk factor for unhealthy weight.

Hubble catches heavyweight runaway star speeding from 30 Doradus Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT A heavy runaway star rushing away from a nearby stellar nursery at more than 400,000 kilometres per hour, a speed that would get you to the Moon and back in two hours. The runaway is the most extreme case of a very massive star that has been kicked out of its home by a group of even heftier siblings. Tantalizing clues from three observatories, including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's newly installed Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), and some old-fashioned detective work, suggest that the star may have traveled about 375 light-years from its suspected home, a giant star cluster called R136.

Parkinson's disease treatments associated with compulsive behaviors Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT Pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, binge eating and other impulse control disorders appear to be more common among individuals taking dopamine agonist medications for Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.

How cancer cells loose their (circadian) rhythm Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT Unlike the current assumption that cancer cells divide uncontrollably because their Circadian clocks are broken, the new study finds that cell division is uncontrolled in an immortal cell line with functioning biological clocks, suggesting that it is the link between the cell's timekeeper and the process of cell division that is disrupted, not the clock mechanism itself.

NASA studies find omega-3 may help reduce bone loss Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT NASA-sponsored studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may play a role in mitigating bone breakdown that occurs during spaceflight and in osteoporosis. Ongoing research for decades has looked for ways to stop bone density loss in astronauts. The solution could have significant implications for space travelers and those susceptible to bone loss on Earth.

Potential antifouling substance -- a veterinary sedative -- can cause paler fish, research shows Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT The sedative medetomidine has proved effective at inhibiting fouling and is now being trialled by the European Union as an ingredient for the antifouling paints of the future. Research in Sweden has shown that high concentrations of this substance can have an impact on the marine environment.

Overtime work is bad for the heart, new research finds Posted: 11 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT Working overtime is bad for the heart, according to results from a long-running study following more than 10,000 civil servants in London: the Whitehall II study. The study found that, compared with people who did not work overtime, people who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60 percent higher risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks and angina.

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