ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Human sperm gene is 600 million years old, scientists discover
• Stroke risk temporarily increases for an hour after drinking alcohol, study finds
• Reinventing the wheel -- naturally
• Hungry cells, on a binge, know their own limits
• Researchers cut years from drug development with nanoscopic bead technology
• Meditation helps increase attention span
• Global warming slows coral growth in Red Sea
• Skin cells could help discover cause of Parkinson's disease
• DNA discovery opens new door to develop tools, therapies for hereditary cancers
• Toward making 'extended blood group typing' more widely available
• Nanotubes pass acid test
• Using domestic spoons to give children medicine increases overdose risk, doctors warn
• Rescuing fruit flies from Alzheimer's disease
• Insight into why low calorie diet can extend lifespan -- even if adopted later in life
• Wood smoke exposure multiplies damage from smoking, increases risk of COPD
• New treatment for crippling diabetic Charcot foot
• What plant genes tell us about crop domestication
• How psychiatric risk gene disrupts brain development
• New revelations about Mercury's volcanism, magnetic substorms and exosphere from MESSENGER
• Mechanism for link between high fat diet and risk of prostate cancer and disorders unveiled
• Luteolin stars in study of healthful plant compounds
• New role for the JNK protein: Long known to help cells respond to stress, JNK also controls cell cycle
• Bacterial diversity of Tablas de Daimiel National Park in Spain: 265 new phylum groups discovered
• 'Tough love' no good for obesity interventions, study finds
• First malaria-proof mosquito: Genetic manipulation renders them completely immune to the parasite
• How human immune response to virus is triggered at the atomic level
• Database for personalised cancer treatment: Largest study of genomes and cancer treatments releases first results
• Gene associated with kidney disease in African-American population identified
• Giant antenna propped up, ready for joint replacement
• Sri Lankan children affected by war, tsunami, daily stressors
• Tiny marine microbes exert influence on global climate: Microorganisms display a behavior characteristic of larger animals
• New clues to inflammatory disease discovered
• Scientists develop new way to grow adult stem cells in culture
• Inherited glycosylation disorder: Researchers find cause of metabolic disease -- and possible cure
• Submarines could use new nanotube technology for sonar and stealth
• Diabetes shouldn't deter young athletes, study suggests
• Brain size associated with longevity in mammals
• New arsenic nanoparticle blocks aggressive breast cancer
• Team develops non-toxic oil recovery agent
• Dementia in diabetics differs from dementia in nondiabetics, research finds
• Scientists assess impact of Icelandic volcanic ash on ocean biology
• Conflicted meat-eaters may deny that meat-animals have the capacity to suffer, study finds
• Super-hot planet with unique comet-like tail discovered
• Retrovirus replication process different than thought
• New light on Leonardo Da Vinci’s faces
• Diabetes risk: Waist circumference gives better prediction than BMI
• Physicists find clues to the origin and evolution of wrinkles in thin sheets
• Behavior problems in school linked to two types of families

Human sperm gene is 600 million years old, scientists discover Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT There is one sex-specific gene so vital, its function has remained unaltered throughout evolution and is found in almost all animals, according to new research. The gene, called Boule, is responsible for sperm production and appears to be the only gene exclusively required for sperm production from an insect to a mammal. All animal sperm production likely comes from a common prototype.

Stroke risk temporarily increases for an hour after drinking alcohol, study finds Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT The risk for stroke doubles in the hour after drinking beer, wine or liquor, according to a small study. Researchers note, however, that moderate alcohol consumption (less than two drinks a day) appears to be protective over the long-term which may outweigh this temporary rise in immediate risk.

Reinventing the wheel -- naturally Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Humans did not invent the wheel. Nature did. While the evolution from the Neolithic solid stone wheel with a single hole for an axle to the sleek wheels of today's racing bikes can be seen as the result of human ingenuity, it also represents how animals, including humans, have come to move more efficiently and quicker over millions of years on Earth, according to an expert.

Hungry cells, on a binge, know their own limits Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Cells that consume parts of themselves can stop this process autonomously as well, according to new research. The self-cannibalism is part of the normal digestive process of the cell, but also a survival mechanism in times of famine. This is what makes it difficult for doctors to 'starve out' cancer cells, for instance.

Researchers cut years from drug development with nanoscopic bead technology Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT New research confirms that a revolutionary technology will slash years off the time it takes to develop drugs -- bringing vital new treatments to patients much more quickly. Lab-on-Bead uses tiny beads studded with "pins" that match a drug to a disease marker in a single step, so researchers can test an infinite number of possibilities for treatments all at once. When Lab-on-Bead makes a match, it has found a viable treatment for a specific disease -- speeding up drug discovery by as much as 10,000 times and cutting out years of testing and re-testing in the laboratory.

Meditation helps increase attention span Posted: 16 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT It's nearly impossible to pay attention to one thing for a long time. A new study looks at whether Buddhist meditation can improve a person's ability to be attentive and finds that meditation training helps people do better at focusing for a long time on a task that requires them to distinguish small differences between things they see.

Global warming slows coral growth in Red Sea Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT In a pioneering use of computed tomography (CT) scans, scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have discovered that carbon dioxide (CO2)-induced global warming is in the process of killing off a major coral species in the Red Sea.

Skin cells could help discover cause of Parkinson's disease Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers are applying new stem cell technology to use skin samples to grow the brain cells thought to be responsible for the onset of Parkinson's disease.

DNA discovery opens new door to develop tools, therapies for hereditary cancers Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have revealed new avenues to develop assessment tools and alternative treatments for people living with hereditary colorectal cancers.

Toward making 'extended blood group typing' more widely available Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Scientists are reporting an advance toward enabling more blood banks to adopt so-called "extended blood group typing," which increases transfusion safety by better matching donors and recipients.

Nanotubes pass acid test Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have unveiled a new method for dissolving half-millimeter-long carbon nanotubes in solution, a critical step toward the spinning of fibers from ultralong nanotubes. The breakthrough is a promising development on the road to scalable methods for making strong, ultralight, highly conductive materials like the "armchair quantum wire," a new type of cable that could revolutionize power distribution.

Using domestic spoons to give children medicine increases overdose risk, doctors warn Posted: 16 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Parents are being urged not to use domestic spoons to give children medicine after a study found significant differences in capacity. A parent using one of the biggest domestic teaspoons would be giving their child 192 per cent more medicine than a parent using the smallest teaspoon and the difference was 100 per cent for the tablespoons. This increases the chance of a child receiving an overdose or indeed too little medication.

Rescuing fruit flies from Alzheimer's disease Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Fruit fly males -- in which the activity of an Alzheimer's disease protein is reduced by 50 percent -- show impairments in learning and memory as they age, scientists have found. What's more, the researchers were able to prevent the age-related deficits by treating the flies with drugs such as lithium, or by genetic manipulations that reduced nerve-cell signaling.

Insight into why low calorie diet can extend lifespan -- even if adopted later in life Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Research is providing new insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced incidence of age-related diseases for a wide variety of animals. Scientists have known for some time that a restricted diet can extend the lifespan of certain animals but this work shows how it affects aging mechanisms - and significantly has also shown that the effects occur even if the restricted diet is adopted later in life.

Wood smoke exposure multiplies damage from smoking, increases risk of COPD Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Smokers who are exposed to wood smoke, either through home heating and cooking or through ambient neighborhood pollution, are not only at increased risk of COPD, but are also more likely to have epigenetic changes in the DNA that further increase their risk of COPD and related pulmonary problems.

New treatment for crippling diabetic Charcot foot Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT The alarming increase of morbidly obese diabetics is causing more new cases of a debilitating foot deformity called Charcot foot. But a surgical technique that secures foot bones with an external frame has enabled more than 90 percent of patients to walk normally again.

What plant genes tell us about crop domestication Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Archeobotanists argue that plant domestication involved much trial and error in many different geographic regions over a long period of time. A genetic technique that allows domesticated and wild strains of the same plant to be compared shows that domestication requires only simple genetic changes. Yet the findings don't contradict the archeobotanical data.

How psychiatric risk gene disrupts brain development Posted: 16 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scientists are making progress towards a better understanding of the neuropathology associated with debilitating psychiatric illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. New research reveals mechanisms that connect a known psychiatric risk gene to disruptions in brain cell proliferation and migration during development.

New revelations about Mercury's volcanism, magnetic substorms and exosphere from MESSENGER Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Analysis of data from MESSENGER's third and final flyby of Mercury in September 2009 has revealed evidence of younger volcanism on the innermost planet than previously recognized, new information about magnetic substorms, and the first observations of emission from an ionized species in Mercury's very thin atmosphere or exosphere.

Mechanism for link between high fat diet and risk of prostate cancer and disorders unveiled Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, and diet is considered one of the most important controllable risk factors for inflammation and prostate diseases including benign prostatic hyperplsia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer. A new study sheds light on the mechanisms of the deleterious effects of a high fat diet on the prostate.

Luteolin stars in study of healthful plant compounds Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT New studies are providing some of the missing details about how natural compounds in plants may protect us against inflammation.

New role for the JNK protein: Long known to help cells respond to stress, JNK also controls cell cycle Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT New findings show that JNK, a protein already well known for other duties, also regulates the cell cycle.

Bacterial diversity of Tablas de Daimiel National Park in Spain: 265 new phylum groups discovered Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT A team of Spanish scientists has studied the bacteria - micro organisms that are "essential" for important processes such as nitrogen and carbon-fixing and decomposition of matter - in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park. The scientists discovered 265 new phylum groups by using DNA analysis.

'Tough love' no good for obesity interventions, study finds Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Obese people support lifestyle-change interventions, rather than those that purely promote weight loss. Researchers interviewed 142 obese people about their opinions on interventions ranging from gastric bands to legal regulation, finding that non-commercial, non-stigmatizing techniques were preferred.

First malaria-proof mosquito: Genetic manipulation renders them completely immune to the parasite Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT For years, researchers worldwide have attempted to create genetically altered mosquitoes that cannot infect humans with malaria. Those efforts fell short because the mosquitoes still were capable of transmitting the disease-causing pathogen, only in lower numbers. Now for the first time, entomologists have succeeded in genetically altering mosquitoes in a way that renders them completely immune to the parasite.

How human immune response to virus is triggered at the atomic level Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT A team of biochemists has identified the molecular mechanism by which an immune response is triggered by the invading viruses, according to recent research.

Database for personalised cancer treatment: Largest study of genomes and cancer treatments releases first results Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT The largest study to correlate genetics with response to cancer drugs releases its first results. The researchers behind the study describe in this initial dataset the responses of 350 cancer samples to 18 anticancer therapeutics. These first results will help cancer researchers around the world to seek better understanding of cancer genetics and could help to improve treatment regimens.

Gene associated with kidney disease in African-American population identified Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT A scientific team discovers a genetic explanation for the high incidence of kidney disease among African Americans.

Giant antenna propped up, ready for joint replacement Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT Workers at NASA's Deep Space Network complex in Goldstone, Calif., have been making precise, laser-assisted measurements to ensure a flat surface for pouring new grout as part of a major renovation on the 70-meter-wide (230-foot-wide) "Mars antenna." While officially dubbed Deep Space Station 14, the antenna picked up the Mars name from its first task: tracking NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft, which had been lost by smaller antennas after its historic flyby of Mars.

Sri Lankan children affected by war, tsunami, daily stressors Posted: 15 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT Two studies on Sri Lankan children affected by trauma found that both daily stressors and traumatic events contribute to children's psychological health. The first study, of 400 adolescents who survived the 2004 tsunami, found that poverty and family violence were major sources of continuing stress. The second study, of 1,400 children affected by both the tsunami and civil war, focused on the cumulative effect of multiple stressors on children's later functioning.

Tiny marine microbes exert influence on global climate: Microorganisms display a behavior characteristic of larger animals Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT New research indicates that the interactions of microscopic organisms around a particular organic material may alter the chemical properties of the ocean and ultimately influence global climate by affecting cloud formation in the atmosphere.

New clues to inflammatory disease discovered Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Scientists studying two inflammation-related diseases, HIV and rheumatoid arthritis, identified changes in specific proteins linked to the action of macrophages, white blood cells that are key to the body's natural defenses. The findings could lead to early diagnosis tools and targeted therapy for diseases that stem from abnormal or uncontrolled macrophage activation, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.

Scientists develop new way to grow adult stem cells in culture Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed a technique they believe will help scientists overcome a major hurdle to the use of adult stem cells for treating muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting disorders that accompany aging or disease: They've found that growing muscle stem cells on a specially developed synthetic matrix that mimics the elasticity of real muscle allows them to maintain their self-renewing properties.

Inherited glycosylation disorder: Researchers find cause of metabolic disease -- and possible cure Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT An international team of scientists has discovered the gene mutation responsible for a condition in which eye and brain development is severely disrupted in affected infants.

Submarines could use new nanotube technology for sonar and stealth Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Speakers made from carbon nanotube sheets that are a fraction of the width of a human hair can both generate sound and cancel out noise -- properties ideal for submarine sonar to probe the ocean depths and make subs invisible to enemies. That's the topic of a report on these "nanotube speakers."

Diabetes shouldn't deter young athletes, study suggests Posted: 15 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Young athletes with Type 1 diabetes may experience a marked decrease in performance as a result of their blood sugar levels, but can compete by learning to manage their condition, suggests a new study.

Brain size associated with longevity in mammals Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT Mammals with larger brains in relation to body size tend to live longer according to researchers who analyzed almost 500 mammal species and obtaining new data on the relation between brain size and lifespan.

New arsenic nanoparticle blocks aggressive breast cancer Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT You can teach an old drug new chemotherapy tricks. Researchers took a drug therapy proven for blood cancers but ineffective against solid tumors, packaged it with nanotechnology and got it to combat an aggressive type of breast cancer prevalent in young women, particularly young African-American women. The drug is arsenic and the cancer is triple negative breast cancer. It has a high risk of metastasizing and poor survival rates.

Team develops non-toxic oil recovery agent Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT A team of chemists has developed a non-toxic, recyclable agent that can solidify oil on salt water so that it can be scooped up like the fat that forms on the top of a pot of chilled chicken soup. The agent could potentially be used to recover oil lost in the British Petroleum (BP) spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dementia in diabetics differs from dementia in nondiabetics, research finds Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT Researchers say that dementia in some diabetics appears to be caused often by vascular disease in the brain, and the dementia that develops in people without diabetes is more likely associated with deposition of the plaque seen in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists assess impact of Icelandic volcanic ash on ocean biology Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT An international team of oceanographers investigating the role of iron on ocean productivity in the northerly latitudes of the Atlantic Ocean will assess the impact of ash from the recent Icelandic volcano eruption on ocean biology. The five-week expedition started out on July 4, 2010.

Conflicted meat-eaters may deny that meat-animals have the capacity to suffer, study finds Posted: 15 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT People who wish to escape the 'meat paradox' -- i.e., simultaneously disliking hurting animals and enjoying eating meat -- may do so by denying that the animal they ate had the capacity to suffer, researchers in the UK have found in a new study. Those participating in the study also reported a reduced range of animals to which they felt obligated to show moral concern. These ranged from dogs and chimps to snails and fish.

Super-hot planet with unique comet-like tail discovered Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed the existence of a baked object that could be called a "cometary planet." The gas giant planet, named HD 209458b, is orbiting so close to its star that its heated atmosphere is escaping into space. Observations taken with Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) suggest powerful stellar winds are sweeping the cast-off atmospheric material behind the scorched planet and shaping it into a comet-like tail.

Retrovirus replication process different than thought Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT How a retrovirus, like HIV, reproduces and assembles new viruses is different than previously thought, according to new research. Understanding the steps a virus takes for assembly could allow development of a way to prevent the spread of retroviral diseases.

New light on Leonardo Da Vinci’s faces Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT How did Leonardo Da Vinci manage to paint such perfect faces? For the first time a quantitative chemical analysis has been done on seven paintings from the Louvre Museum (including the Mona Lisa) without extracting any samples. This shows the composition and thickness of each layer of material laid down by the painter.

Diabetes risk: Waist circumference gives better prediction than BMI Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Waist circumference gives a better prediction of diabetes risk than does BMI.

Physicists find clues to the origin and evolution of wrinkles in thin sheets Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT New experiments offer insights into how defects influence the formation of wrinkles, and could prove helpful in understanding wrinkles in biological tissue.

Behavior problems in school linked to two types of families Posted: 15 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Contrary to Leo Tolstoy's famous observation that "happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," a new psychology study confirms that unhappy families, in fact, are unhappy in two distinct ways. And these dual patterns of unhealthy family relationships lead to a host of specific difficulties for children during their early school years.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610