ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Crayfish brain may offer rare insight into human decision making
• Tumor target suggests personalized treatment for melanoma
• NASA Releases Kepler Data On Potential Extrasolar Planets
• Topical treatments provide effective local pain relief, review finds
• Patchwork-like image of developing zebrafish sensory organ
• Insomniacs have different brains, researcher says
• Carnivorous mammals track fruit abundance
• Heart attack: Could giving oxygen be doing more harm than good?
• Scientists find hormone influences sensitivity to sweetness
• IUDs reduce pregnancy rates compared to hormonal contraceptives, review finds
• Rosetta's blind date with asteroid Lutetia
• Learning difficulties may be centred in the eye, not the brain
• Experience shapes the brain's circuitry throughout adulthood
• Over-abundant protein prompts neurodegenerative cascade: Shuts down cell communications, helps cause dementia
• The Thunderstone mystery: What's a Stone Age axe doing in an Iron Age tomb?
• Protein's role in cell division uncovered
• Software system to predict the evolution of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano
• Apple juice improves behavior but not cognition in Alzheimer's patients, study finds
• Higher anxiety, depression among women may have basis in cell signals
• Altered virus becomes medicine
• Biomolecular modeling: Scientists discover 'breakwater' to help control electron transfer
• Digestive disorder in infants may be genetic, findings indicate
• GPS not just for driving: Tool for crowd management and medical follow-up
• Obesity may harm your sexual health, study suggests
• Climate change increases hazard risk in alpine regions, study shows
• Cardiologists discover cancer risks in blood pressure medications
• New properties of graphene, world's thinnest material, discovered
• Lung cancer research concludes that early diagnosis is key to improving survival
• Another step closer to fully sequencing the salmon genome
• Specific PTSD symptoms related to anger and aggressiveness among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, study finds
• Babies grasp number, space and time concepts
• How bacteria boost the immune system
• GOES-15 solar X-Ray Imager makes a miraculous first light
• Elderly patients in need of heart valve replacements have alternative to surgery
• Super-yeast generates ethanol from energy crops and agricultural residues
• Guidance on cross-examination improves accuracy of witness testimony, study finds
• Orign of life: Adding UV light helps form 'Missing G' of RNA building blocks
• 2009 H1N1 vaccine protects against 1918 influenza virus; Cross-protection helps alleviate bioterrorism concerns
• Neutrinos and antineutrinos differ in key property, experiment suggests
• Inflammatory diseases: Scientists identify antiviral defense
• Leaded gasoline predominant source of lead exposure in latter 20th century
• On the face of it, voting's superficial
• Mysterious clouds produced when aircraft inadvertently cause rain or snow
• Simple injection could save the lives of thousands of accident victims worldwide
• Hayabusa asteroid mission comes home
• Carotid artery ultrasound is an effective alternative to more invasive coronary angiography, study finds
• Day 57: Updated figures show oil from spill could have powered 68,000 cars for year
• Talking on your cell phone while driving may be hazardous to your close relationships

Crayfish brain may offer rare insight into human decision making Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT Crayfish make surprisingly complex, cost-benefit calculations, finds a new study, opening the door to a new line of research a new line of research that may help unravel the cellular brain activity involved in human decisions. Researchers conclude that crayfish make an excellent, practical model for identifying the specific neural circuitry and neurochemistry of decision making. Currently, there's no direct way to do this in humans or other primates.

Tumor target suggests personalized treatment for melanoma Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT IKK-beta, a component of a pathway involved in melanoma development, may offer new leads for developing targeted melanoma therapies, researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center report.

NASA Releases Kepler Data On Potential Extrasolar Planets Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT NASA's Kepler Mission has released 43 days of science data on more than 156,000 stars. These stars are being monitored for subtle brightness changes as part of an ongoing search for Earth-like planets outside of our solar system.

Topical treatments provide effective local pain relief, review finds Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT Gels, creams and sprays containing painkillers such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, ketoprofen and piroxicam are safe and effective treatments for local pain, according to researchers. A new systematic review they have conducted shows that topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are more effective than placebos for treating short-term pain and have few side effects.

Patchwork-like image of developing zebrafish sensory organ Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT Using an electron microscope, scientists in Europe have captured a snapshot of the beginnings of an organ which plays a central role in how zebrafish perceive the world around them -- the lateral line.

Insomniacs have different brains, researcher says Posted: 16 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT The brains of older adults with chronic sleep problems look different from those of adults who have enjoyed enough sleep. Yet the older adults function well despite their lack of sleep. They switch to a continuous form of mild stress, as a result of which they sometimes even perform better than contemporaries who enjoy a good night's sleep, according to a Dutch researcher.

Carnivorous mammals track fruit abundance Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT The scientific community already knew that many carnivores eat fruit, but had thought this was something purely anecdotal. Now researchers have shown that carnivorous animals such as foxes and martens play an important role in helping fruiting plants to reproduce and disperse their seeds.

Heart attack: Could giving oxygen be doing more harm than good? Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT There is no evidence that the common practice of giving patients oxygen to inhale during a heart attack is beneficial, according to a new review by researchers. Until further research is carried out, the researchers say the possibility that giving oxygen may actually increase a patient's risk of dying cannot be ruled out.

Scientists find hormone influences sensitivity to sweetness Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT A hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels may also influence a person's sensitivity to sweet-tasting foods, according to a new study. Researchers found that blocking the tongue's ability to respond to the hormone known as glucagon decreases the taste system's sensitivity to sweetness. That is, changing the actions of the hormone glucagon could control how foods taste.

IUDs reduce pregnancy rates compared to hormonal contraceptives, review finds Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT Women who have had intrauterine devices fitted as contraceptives are less likely to become pregnant than those who have hormone injections, a new review by researchers has found. The review, which focused on women in developing countries, also found a possible link between contraceptive method and disease progression in HIV.

Rosetta's blind date with asteroid Lutetia Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT The European Space Agency's comet-chaser Rosetta is heading for a blind date with asteroid Lutetia. Rosetta does not yet know what Lutetia looks like but beautiful or otherwise the two will meet on July 10.

Learning difficulties may be centred in the eye, not the brain Posted: 16 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT Problems with math? And perhaps with handwriting - and motor skills? Researchers believe that the explanation for your troubles may be that not all of the cells in your eyes work the way they should.

Experience shapes the brain's circuitry throughout adulthood Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT The adult brain, long considered to be fixed in its wiring, is in fact remarkably dynamic. Neuroscientists once thought that the brain's wiring was fixed early in life, during a critical period beyond which changes were impossible. Recent discoveries have challenged that view, and now, research suggests that circuits in the adult brain are continually modified by experience.

Over-abundant protein prompts neurodegenerative cascade: Shuts down cell communications, helps cause dementia Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT In diverse neurodegenerative diseases ranging from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's, researchers have long noted accumulations of a little-understood neuronal protein called alpha-synuclein. Pathological and genetic evidence strongly suggested that excessive alpha-synuclein played a role in the evolution of these diseases, but it was unclear how too much alpha-synuclein culminated in synaptic damage and neurodegeneration.

The Thunderstone mystery: What's a Stone Age axe doing in an Iron Age tomb? Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT What's a Stone Age axe doing in an Iron Age tomb? Archaeologists are now researching older objects in younger graves and they have found a pattern.

Protein's role in cell division uncovered Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT A researcher has identified the important role that a key protein plays in cell division, and that discovery could lead to a greater understanding of stem cells.

Software system to predict the evolution of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a system to forecast the evolution of the ash cloud from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

Apple juice improves behavior but not cognition in Alzheimer's patients, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT Apple juice can be a useful supplement for calming the declining moods that are part of the normal progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Higher anxiety, depression among women may have basis in cell signals Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT There may be a biological reason why depression and other stress-related psychiatric disorders are more common among women compared to men. Studying stress signaling systems in rat brains, neuroscience researchers found that females are more sensitive to low levels of an important stress hormone and less able to adapt to high levels than males.

Altered virus becomes medicine Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT Dutch researchers have successfully converted a virus into a unique drug distributor. They removed all of the dangerous material from the virus so that empty, semipermeable particles remained. They subsequently joined these particles together, yet even more important: they also succeeded in separating them again.

Biomolecular modeling: Scientists discover 'breakwater' to help control electron transfer Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT In a new study, researchers explain the role of water in electron transfer -- the cornerstone of biological energy processes -- and amino acid barriers that make it possible.

Digestive disorder in infants may be genetic, findings indicate Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT In a study that includes nearly 2 million children born in Denmark, researchers have found that there is a higher rate of occurrence of the digestive tract disorder pyloric stenosis among twins and siblings, suggesting that this is a genetic and inherited disorder.

GPS not just for driving: Tool for crowd management and medical follow-up Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT Drivers around the world use the global positioning system (GPS) to figure out how to get from point A to point B. But a researcher has shown that GPS can also be applied commercially to better deal with crowd or shopper management and even to evaluating patient recovery following surgery.

Obesity may harm your sexual health, study suggests Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT Being obese impacts on sexual health, according to research. A new study reports that the rate of unplanned pregnancies is four times higher among single obese women than normal weight women, despite them being less likely to have been sexually active in the past year. Obese women are less likely to seek contraceptive advice or to use oral contraceptives. Obese men have fewer sexual partners in a 12 month period, but are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and develop sexually transmitted infections than normal weight men.

Climate change increases hazard risk in alpine regions, study shows Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT Climate change could cause increasing and unpredictable hazard risks in mountainous regions, according to a new study. The study analyzes the effects of two extreme weather events -- the 2003 heatwave and the 2005 flood -- on the Eastern European Alps.

Cardiologists discover cancer risks in blood pressure medications Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT Cardiologists have uncovered new research showing an increased risk of cancer with a group of blood pressure medications known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs). This class of drugs is used by millions of patients not only for high blood pressure but also for heart failure, cardiovascular risk reduction and diabetic kidney disease.

New properties of graphene, world's thinnest material, discovered Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that graphene oxide sheets behave like surfactants, the chemicals in soap and shampoo that make stains disperse in water.

Lung cancer research concludes that early diagnosis is key to improving survival Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT A new study investigates the time trends of surgical outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer between 1979 and 2008. The incidence of lung cancer continues to rise; therefore, countermeasures to decrease death rates have become an important public health issue.

Another step closer to fully sequencing the salmon genome Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT The economically important, environmentally sensitive Atlantic salmon species is one step closer to having its genome fully sequenced, thanks to an international collaboration involving researchers, funding agencies and industry from Canada, Chile and Norway.

Specific PTSD symptoms related to anger and aggressiveness among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, study finds Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT Focusing on certain PTSD symptoms may be key to treating anger among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, according to a new study.

Babies grasp number, space and time concepts Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT Even before they learn to speak, babies organize information about numbers, space and time in more complex ways than previously realized. "We've shown that 9-month-olds are sensitive to 'more than' or 'less than' relations across the number, size and duration of objects. What's really remarkable is they only need experience with one of these quantitative concepts to guess what the other quantities should look like," says a psychologist.

How bacteria boost the immune system Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have long known that certain types of bacteria boost the immune system. Now, a study is showing how bacteria perform this essential task.

GOES-15 solar X-Ray Imager makes a miraculous first light Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT The Solar X-Ray Imager instrument aboard the GOES-15 satellite has just provided its first light image of the sun, but it required a lot of experts to make it happen.

Elderly patients in need of heart valve replacements have alternative to surgery Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT Doctors in Germany successfully used transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation in elderly patients with degenerated bioprostheses in aortic and mitral position. This minimally invasive procedure was used as an alternative treatment option for patients who were at high surgical risk.

Super-yeast generates ethanol from energy crops and agricultural residues Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT A new type of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been developed which can efficiently ferment pentose sugars, as found in agricultural waste and hardwoods. In a new study, researchers describe the creation of the new S. cerevisiae strain, TMB3130, which demonstrated significantly improved aerobic growth rate and final biomass concentration on sugar media composed of two pentoses, xylose and arabinose.

Guidance on cross-examination improves accuracy of witness testimony, study finds Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that witnesses who receive guidance on cross-examination techniques present more accurate court testimony than those who are unfamiliar with the style of questioning.

Orign of life: Adding UV light helps form 'Missing G' of RNA building blocks Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT For scientists attempting to understand how the building blocks of RNA originated on Earth, guanine has proven to be a particular challenge. By adding UV light to a model prebiotic reaction, researchers have discovered a route by which guanine could have been formed.

2009 H1N1 vaccine protects against 1918 influenza virus; Cross-protection helps alleviate bioterrorism concerns Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have determined people who were vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may also be protected against the lethal 1918 Spanish influenza virus, which killed more than 50 million people worldwide.

Neutrinos and antineutrinos differ in key property, experiment suggests Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have announced the world's most precise measurement of the parameters that govern antineutrino oscillations. This mass difference parameter, called "delta m squared", is smaller by approximately 40 percent for neutrinos than for antineutrinos. However, there is a still a five percent probability that delta m squared is actually the same for neutrinos and antineutrinos. Theorists expected the two values to be the same.

Inflammatory diseases: Scientists identify antiviral defense Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a new way the body combats respiratory viral infections. They now explain how the NOX2 molecule, an enzyme that generates a burst of highly reactive oxygen derivatives (or free radicals), activates defense genes and molecules when viruses invade lung cells.

Leaded gasoline predominant source of lead exposure in latter 20th century Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT Leaded gasoline was responsible for about two-thirds of toxic lead that African-American children in Cleveland ingested or inhaled during the latter two-thirds of the 20th century, according to a new study.

On the face of it, voting's superficial Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT Voters make judgments about politicians' competence based on their facial appearance and these appearance-based competence judgments reliably predict both voting decisions and election outcomes.

Mysterious clouds produced when aircraft inadvertently cause rain or snow Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT As turboprop and jet aircraft climb or descend under certain atmospheric conditions, they can inadvertently seed mid-level clouds and cause narrow bands of snow or rain to develop and fall to the ground, new research finds. Through this seeding process, they leave behind unusual "hole-punch clouds."

Simple injection could save the lives of thousands of accident victims worldwide Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT If recently injured patients with serious bleeding were to receive a cheap, widely available and easily administered drug to help their blood to clot, tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year, according to a new paper.

Hayabusa asteroid mission comes home Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT The Hayabusa capsule and bus entered the Earth's atmosphere over Woomera, Australia, on June 13 at 11:21 p.m. local time. From the perspective of NASA's DC-8 airborne observation team, the capsule moved below and slightly ahead of the bus and stayed clear of the spectacular breakup of the bus. After the bus had disintegrated, the capsule continued to create a wake, before reaching peak heating and then fading gradually.

Carotid artery ultrasound is an effective alternative to more invasive coronary angiography, study finds Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT New research shows that a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive carotid artery ultrasound of the neck can be used as a preliminary diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease (CAD). This may be an alternative to the standard, expensive and more invasive coronary angiography. The ultrasound test can also be used to rule out the diagnosis of CAD in patients presenting with reduced heart pump function.

Day 57: Updated figures show oil from spill could have powered 68,000 cars for year Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT By day 57 (June 15), if all the oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico had been used for fuel, it could have powered 68,000 cars, 6,100 trucks, and 3,100 ships for a full year, according to a professor.

Talking on your cell phone while driving may be hazardous to your close relationships Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT Warnings about the dangers of distracted driving while using a cell phone are prevalent these days, but cell phone use while driving may also put family relationships in jeopardy, says a professor.

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