ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Artificial cells communicate and cooperate like biological cells, ants
• Reprogrammed cells 'remember,' retain characteristics of their cells of origin
• Adaptation in mole blood aids tunnelling
• Bridging the gender gap: Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women
• Bioinformatics used to detect rogue use of synthetic biology
• Soldiers with brain injuries at higher risk of epilepsy decades later, study finds
• Cool roofs can offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate global warming, study finds
• New test to predict success of IVF treatment
• Microbial world's use of metals mostly unmapped
• Increased waistline and high triglyceride levels indicate risk of coronary heart disease, study finds
• Advance made toward communication, computing at 'terahertz' speeds
• MDMA (Ecstasy)-assisted psychotherapy relieves treatment-resistant PTSD, study suggests
• Of bugs and brains: Gut bacteria affect multiple sclerosis
• Microbicide gel: Reduced risk of HIV and herpes infections in women, study shows
• Unearthing King Tet: Key protein influences stem cell fate
• Tuning cocaine addiction
• Breakthrough in thin-film solar cells: New insights into the indium/gallium puzzle
• When climate change becomes a health issue, are people more likely to listen?
• Frog killer caught in the act: DNA barcoding reveals five undiscovered frog species among 30 wiped out by fungal epidemic
• Stem cells made by reprogramming hold onto their past
• Cerebral bioelectricity analysis detects epilepsy
• Breast cancer cells regulate multiple genes in response to estrogen-like compounds
• Mermaid opens prospect of cleaner seas with pollution early warning system
• Flower power makes tropics cooler, wetter
• 'Violin fungus' genetically decoded
• Prostate cancer risk variant found to be in a functional DNA sequence linked with disease
• Pear pest's chemical 'come hither' identified
• Point-of-sale advertising major cause of teen smoking, study shows
• Cultured brain cells taught to keep time
• How technology may improve treatment for children with brain cancer
• Small fish exploits forbidding environment, turns jellyfish into dinner
• New findings on troubling side effects of Parkinson’s medication
• Battlefield psychologists investigate stress in combat and after
• Getting mosquitoes under control: Gene-silencing nanoparticles may put end to pesky summer pest
• Melting DNA into a barcode
• High-speed study of zebrafish larvae: New technique can analyze larvae in seconds
• What protects farm children from hay fever? Protective substance may slumber in cowshed dust
• First concrete evidence that women are better multitaskers than men

Artificial cells communicate and cooperate like biological cells, ants Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have designed "biologically inspired" artificial cells capable of self-organizing into independent groups that can communicate and cooperate, behaving like complex natural organisms.

Reprogrammed cells 'remember,' retain characteristics of their cells of origin Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine have confirmed that induced pluripotent stem cells retain some characteristics of the cells from which they were derived, something that could both assist and impede potential clinical and research uses, and find that these cellular "memories" fade and disappear as cell lines are cultured through successive generations.

Adaptation in mole blood aids tunnelling Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT 'Super hemoglobin' allows moles to thrive underground. Researchers have made the first identification of an adaptation in the blood of Eastern moles which allows more efficient transport of carbon dioxide, facilitating the moles' burrowing behavior.

Bridging the gender gap: Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have found that combining novel optical technologies with a common colon cancer screening test may allow doctors to more accurately detect the presence of colon cancer, particularly in women. The study combined a polarization-gating optical probe alongside traditional flexible sigmoidoscopy to measure the early increase in blood supply in rectal tissue as a marker for colon cancer.

Bioinformatics used to detect rogue use of synthetic biology Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT A team of students is using bioinformatics to implement federal guidance on synthetic genomics. The students' work will help gene synthesis companies and their customers better detect the possible use of manufactured DNA as harmful agents for bioterrorism.

Soldiers with brain injuries at higher risk of epilepsy decades later, study finds Posted: 20 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT Soldiers who receive traumatic brain injuries during war may be at a higher risk of epilepsy even decades after the brain injury occurred, according to new research.

Cool roofs can offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate global warming, study finds Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT A new study has found that implementing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler, they can also cool the world, with the potential of canceling the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.

New test to predict success of IVF treatment Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Women who fail to become pregnant after undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment often grapple with the decision of whether to try IVF again. It's a difficult one to make: The procedure carries hefty financial, physical and emotional costs, and there are no guarantees it will work.

Microbial world's use of metals mostly unmapped Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Microbes boast a broader and more diverse array of metal-driven chemical processes than scientists imagined. In fact, most have yet to be discovered, according to a first-of-its-kind technique that catalogs all of the metals in a microbe. The method could lead to innovative clean energy and bioremediation technologies.

Increased waistline and high triglyceride levels indicate risk of coronary heart disease, study finds Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT People with a larger waistline and high triglyceride levels are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, according to a new study.

Advance made toward communication, computing at 'terahertz' speeds Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Physicists in the United States and Germany have discovered a way to use a gallium arsenide nanodevice as a signal processor at "terahertz" speeds, the first time it's been used for this purpose and an important step forward in the new world of optical communication and computing.

MDMA (Ecstasy)-assisted psychotherapy relieves treatment-resistant PTSD, study suggests Posted: 20 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), may one day offer hope for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even people for whom other treatments have failed. Clinical trial suggests that MDMA can be administered to subjects with PTSD without evidence of harm and could offer sufferers a vital window with reduced fear responses where psychotherapy can take effect.

Of bugs and brains: Gut bacteria affect multiple sclerosis Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Biologists have demonstrated a connection between multiple sclerosis -- an autoimmune disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord -- and gut bacteria.

Microbicide gel: Reduced risk of HIV and herpes infections in women, study shows Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have achieved an important scientific breakthrough in the fight against HIV and genital herpes with a vaginal gel that significantly reduces a woman's risk of being infected with these viruses, according to a ground-breaking safety and effectiveness study of an antiretroviral microbicide gel study.

Unearthing King Tet: Key protein influences stem cell fate Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that a protein called Tet 1 helps stem cells renew themselves and stay pluripotent -- able to become any type of cell in the body.

Tuning cocaine addiction Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Reducing the abundance of a set of microRNAs -- small bits of genetic material that influence gene expression -- reduces the urge for a cocaine fix in mice, according to a new study.

Breakthrough in thin-film solar cells: New insights into the indium/gallium puzzle Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have made a major breakthrough in their search for more efficient thin-film solar cells. Computer simulations designed to investigate the so-called indium/gallium puzzle have highlighted a new way of increasing the efficiency of CIGS thin-film solar cells.

When climate change becomes a health issue, are people more likely to listen? Posted: 20 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT Framing climate change as a public health problem seems to make the issue more relevant, significant and understandable to members of the public -- even some who don't generally believe climate change is happening, according to new research.

Frog killer caught in the act: DNA barcoding reveals five undiscovered frog species among 30 wiped out by fungal epidemic Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT The first before-and-after view of an amphibian die-off has just been published. Using DNA barcodes, they showed that the fungal disease that wipes out frogs -- chytridiomycosis -- has killed an estimated 30 species of amphibians in Panama, including five species previously unidentified by scientists.

Stem cells made by reprogramming hold onto their past Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Adult cells that have been reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) do not completely let go of their past, perhaps limiting their ability to function as a less controversial alternative to embryonic stem cells for basic research and cell replacement therapies, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, John Hopkins University and their colleagues.

Cerebral bioelectricity analysis detects epilepsy Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Researchers in Spain have developed a new method to analyze the information obtained from electroencephalograms to detect neurodegenerative diseases, such as epilepsy, using the bioelectric signals of the brain.

Breast cancer cells regulate multiple genes in response to estrogen-like compounds Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Cancer researchers have discovered a previously unknown type of gene regulation and DNA behavior in breast cancer cells that may lead to better insight about environmental exposure to estrogen-like compounds. The study provides the first evidence that cells can regulate many genes at once by looping their DNA, and that this can contribute to cancer when it goes awry.

Mermaid opens prospect of cleaner seas with pollution early warning system Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT Alarm at the massive oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico emphasizes the problem of marine pollution and how difficult it is to evaluate. Thanks to a EUREKA project, another heavily polluted maritime ecosystem, the European North Sea, has been for more than 20 years a test-bed for a highly advanced early-warning system for all types of pollution. This development is now aiding marine authorities around the world to keep seas clean.

Flower power makes tropics cooler, wetter Posted: 19 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT The world is a cooler, wetter place because of flowering plants, according to new climate simulation. The effect is especially pronounced in the Amazon basin, where replacing flowering plants with non-flowering varieties would result in an 80 percent decrease in the area covered by ever-wet rainforest.

'Violin fungus' genetically decoded Posted: 19 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT An international team has sequenced the genome of the common split gill mushroom, Schizophyllum commune, a widely distributed fungus which grows on and decomposes wood. It is this ability which scientists have exploited to improve the tonal qualities of wood used to make violins.

Prostate cancer risk variant found to be in a functional DNA sequence linked with disease Posted: 19 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Recent genetic association studies have uncovered a number of DNA variants associated with prostate cancer. However, some of these risk variants lie outside of genes, posing a challenge to researchers working to understand the biology of cancer. In a new study, researchers have characterized a functional DNA element associated with prostate cancer, lending new insight into the molecular mechanisms of the disease.

Pear pest's chemical 'come hither' identified Posted: 19 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Pear psylla is a cicada-like pest with a vexing tendency to develop resistance to insecticides. But now, a new weapon could be in the works. Scientists have jointly identified a key component of the female psylla's chemical sex attractant, or pheromone, which could set the stage for luring amorous males to their doom.

Point-of-sale advertising major cause of teen smoking, study shows Posted: 19 Jul 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers report that teens' exposure to cigarette advertising at retail outlets substantially increases the odds they will start smoking. According to the findings, students who visited these stores on a regular basis were at least twice as likely to try smoking as those who visited infrequently.

Cultured brain cells taught to keep time Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have tested whether networks of brain cells kept alive in culture could be "trained" to keep time. The findings suggest that networks of brain cells can learn to generate simple timed intervals.

How technology may improve treatment for children with brain cancer Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT A new study shows that children with brain tumors who undergo radiation therapy (the application of X-rays to kill cancerous cells and shrink tumors) may benefit from a technique known as "intensity modulated arc therapy" or IMAT.

Small fish exploits forbidding environment, turns jellyfish into dinner Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT Jellyfish moved into the oceans off the coast of southwest Africa when the sardine population crashed. Now another small fish is living in the oxygen-depleted zone part-time and turning the once ecologically dead-end jellyfish into dinner, according to an international team of scientists.

New findings on troubling side effects of Parkinson’s medication Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT One in every 100 elderly people suffers from Parkinson's disease, a disease of the nervous system with symptoms including stiffness and shaking. The standard medication used to treat Parkinson's is Levodopa, a drug that initially has major benefits but can later also produce serious side effects in the form of involuntary, jerky movements. A research group has now found a way to study what it is in the brain that causes these side effects.

Battlefield psychologists investigate stress in combat and after Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT People confronted with acute stress -- daily rocket attacks -- tend to dissociate from threats instead of becoming more vigilant, according to a new study. This research overturns accepted convention and may lead to better understanding of the mechanisms underlying acute stress reactions.

Getting mosquitoes under control: Gene-silencing nanoparticles may put end to pesky summer pest Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Summer just wouldn't be complete without mosquitoes nipping at exposed skin. Or would it? New research may help solve a problem that scientists and pest controllers have been itching to for years. Scientists have developed a way to use nanoparticles to deliver double-stranded ribonucleic acid to silence genes in mosquito larvae.

Melting DNA into a barcode Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT A completely new method for producing an image of individual DNA molecules' genetic make-up has been developed. According to the researchers, the technique could be used to find out more easily whether someone is carrying a genetic predisposition to certain diseases.

High-speed study of zebrafish larvae: New technique can analyze larvae in seconds Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT With the aim of speeding up the process of studying zebrafish larvae and enabling large-scale studies, engineers have developed a new technique that can analyze the larvae in seconds.

What protects farm children from hay fever? Protective substance may slumber in cowshed dust Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers in Germany have isolated the substance in cowshed dust that possibly protects farm children from developing allergies and allergic asthma -- namely the plant sugar molecule arabinogalactan. If high concentrations are inhaled during the first year of life, it inhibits the immune system from excessive defense reactions. There are large quantities of this molecule in forage crops such as the Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis). Researchers have now demonstrated experimentally that the molecule affects immune system cells.

First concrete evidence that women are better multitaskers than men Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have now shown that women can multitask more effectively than men.

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