ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Invisibility cloak advance: New findings promising for 'transformation optics'
• One high-fat diet, two different outcomes: The path to obesity becomes clearer
• A hop from South America: Tracking Australian marsupials
• 'Guardian of the genome': Protein helps prevent damaged DNA in yeast
• Homes of the poor and the affluent both have high levels of endocrine disruptors
• Ovulating women unconsciously buy sexier clothing to outdo attractive women
• Taking the twinkle out of the night sky: Breakthrough in adaptive optics
• Malfunction of a protein has been linked to form of mental retardation that affects one in 500 males
• New light on speciation and biodiversity of marine microorganisms
• New imaging technique could help physicians ease the aftermath of breast cancer
• Fast forensic test can match suspects' DNA with crime samples in four hours
• Childhood personality traits predict adult behavior: We remain recognizably the same person, study suggests
• Genome of ancient sponge reveals origins of first animals, cancer
• Pancreatic cancers use fructose, common in the Western diet, to fuel their growth
• Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding
• Oral contraceptive use associated with increased risk of breast cancer in African-American women, study finds
• First nearshore survey of Antarctic krill reveals high density, stable population in shallow waters
• Quality-adjusted life years lost to US adults due to obesity more than doubles from 1993-2008
• For the first time ever, scientists watch an atom's electrons moving in real time
• Genetic clue to chronic pain could lead to new treatments for the condition
• Missing Puma gene reveals cancer conundrum
• First step to new therapy for chronic bowel disease
• Habitat of elusive Northern squid documented
• Overcoming reading-comprehension difficulties in children: Training program can help
• Genomic mapping study finds largest set of genes related to major risk factor for heart disease
• Metabolic pathway found in malaria parasites; possible drug targets
• Biologists discover microRNAs that control function of blood stem cells
• Link between estrogen metabolism pathway and breast cancer risk discovered
• Coccolithophore growth and calcification -- a possible role for iron
• Depression is a risk factor and not an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, study suggests
• Discovery of Saturn’s auroral heartbeat
• MicroRNA molecule increases number of blood stem cells, may help improve cancer treatment
• Researchers drill through mile and a half of Greenland ice sheet in search of climate change insights
• Marfan, a 'look-alike' disorder, or neither? Researchers offer simple list of signs for early detection
• Genes from sweet pepper arm banana against deadly wilt disease
• Combat veterans face more lifelong socioeconomic challenges, sociologist finds
• Ancient blob-like creature of the deep revealed by scientists
• More detailed picture of asthma may yield dramatically improved treatment
• Preserving sperm vital to saving 'snot otter' salamanders
• Does higher body weight protect women from one type of glaucoma?
• Cells use water in nano-rotors to power energy conversion
• Study details autism's heavy toll beyond childhood on marriages
• Thought-controlled prosthetic limb system to be tested on human subjects
• Gum inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease
• Green laser pointer hazard: High infrared power levels found in some green lasers
• Study may improve screening and treatment of people with severe myopia
• Physicists develop model that pushes limits of quantum theory, relativity
• Brain study shows that thinking about God reduces distress -- but only for believers

Invisibility cloak advance: New findings promising for 'transformation optics' Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have overcome a fundamental obstacle in using new "metamaterials" for radical advances in optical technologies, including ultra-powerful microscopes and computers and a possible invisibility cloak.

One high-fat diet, two different outcomes: The path to obesity becomes clearer Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Why is it that two people can consume the same high fat, high-calorie Western diet and one becomes obese and prone to diabetes while the other maintains a slim frame? This question has long baffled scientists, but a new study provides a simple explanation: weight is set before birth in the developing brain.

A hop from South America: Tracking Australian marsupials Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Debates have raged for decades about how to arrange the Australian and South American branches of the marsupial family tree. While marsupials like the Australian tammar wallaby and the South American opossum seem to be quite different, new research shows otherwise.

'Guardian of the genome': Protein helps prevent damaged DNA in yeast Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Like a scout that runs ahead to spot signs of damage or danger, a protein in yeast safeguards the yeast cells' genome during replication -- a process vulnerable to errors when DNA is copied, according to new research.

Homes of the poor and the affluent both have high levels of endocrine disruptors Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Homes in low-income and affluent communities in California both had similarly high levels of endocrine disruptors, and the levels were higher in indoor air than outdoor air, according to a new study believed to be the first that paired indoor and outdoor air samples for such wide range of these substances.

Ovulating women unconsciously buy sexier clothing to outdo attractive women Posted: 05 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT Ovulating women unconsciously buy sexier clothes, says new research. The study finds that ovulating women unconsciously dress to impress -- doing so not to impress men, but to outdo rival women during the handful of days each month when they are ovulating.

Taking the twinkle out of the night sky: Breakthrough in adaptive optics Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT A team of astronomers has developed a technique that allows them to switch off star twinkling over a wide field of view, enabling Earth-based telescopes to obtain images as crisp as those taken with the Hubble Space Telescope -- and much more quickly.

Malfunction of a protein has been linked to form of mental retardation that affects one in 500 males Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT Malfunction of a protein has been linked to a form of mental retardation that affects up to one out of every 500 males, according to new research.

New light on speciation and biodiversity of marine microorganisms Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT The world's oceans are host to an enormous diversity of drifting, microscopic organisms, known as plankton. How this biodiversity has arisen has puzzled biologists for decades. An international team of researchers has now succeeded in elucidating how new planktonic species are formed, providing an explanation for the large biodiversity seen today.

New imaging technique could help physicians ease the aftermath of breast cancer Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT A new study of breast cancer survivors may help physicians ease a common side effect of cancer treatments. The research could bring relief to millions.

Fast forensic test can match suspects' DNA with crime samples in four hours Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT A newly developed test could make checking DNA from people arrested for crimes with DNA samples from crime scenes stored in forensic databases almost as easy as matching fingerprints. With the test, police could check on whether a person's DNA matches that found at past crime scenes while suspects are still being processed and before a decision on whether to release them on bail.

Childhood personality traits predict adult behavior: We remain recognizably the same person, study suggests Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT Personality traits observed in childhood are a strong predictor of adult behavior, new research suggests.

Genome of ancient sponge reveals origins of first animals, cancer Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT A team of researchers has published a draft genome sequence of the sea sponge, an organism that wasn't recognized as an animal until the 19th century. The genome gives insight into the origins of multicellular animals and of cancer.

Pancreatic cancers use fructose, common in the Western diet, to fuel their growth Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT Pancreatic cancers use the sugar fructose, very common in the Western diet, to activate a key cellular pathway that drives cell division, helping the cancer to grow more quickly, a study has found.

Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT Computer scientists and biochemists two years ago launched an ambitious project harnessing the brainpower of computer gamers to solve medical problems. Results now show more than 55,000 players have played protein-folding Tetris, and beat the world's most powerful computers on problems that required radical moves, risks and long-term vision.

Oral contraceptive use associated with increased risk of breast cancer in African-American women, study finds Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have reported that African-American women who use oral contraceptives have a greater likelihood of developing breast cancer than nonusers. The study results were based on data from the Black Women's Health Study, a large follow-up study of 59,000 African-American women from across the US conducted by investigators at the Slone Epidemiology Center since 1995.

First nearshore survey of Antarctic krill reveals high density, stable population in shallow waters Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT Using smaller vessels that allow access to shallow, nearshore waters, researchers conducted the first multi-year survey of the population of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in coastal waters and discovered that nearshore waters had significantly higher krill biomass density than offshore waters. They also found that the nearshore waters had less interannual variation than offshore waters.

Quality-adjusted life years lost to US adults due to obesity more than doubles from 1993-2008 Posted: 05 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT Although the prevalence of obesity and obesity-attributable deaths has steadily increased, the resultant burden of disease associated with obesity has not been well understood. A new study indicates that quality-adjusted life years lost to US adults due to morbidity and mortality from obesity have more than doubled from 1993-2008 and the prevalence of obesity has increased 89.9 percent during the same period.

For the first time ever, scientists watch an atom's electrons moving in real time Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have used pulses of laser light measuring mere quintillionths of a second long to probe the motion of an atom's outermost electrons in real time. Their methods promises a broad new way to examine how atoms in physical, biological, and chemical systems bond with other atoms to form molecules or crystal structures, and how these bonds break and reform during chemical reactions.

Genetic clue to chronic pain could lead to new treatments for the condition Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Chronic pain is a serious medical problem, afflicting approximately 20 percent of adults. Some individuals are more susceptible than others, and the basis for this remains largely unknown. In a new study, researchers have identified a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain in humans, signaling a significant step toward better understanding and treating the condition.

Missing Puma gene reveals cancer conundrum Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers in Australia have made a discovery that has upended scientists' understanding of programmed cell death and its role in tumor formation. The research team's discovery has implications for the understanding of how cancers develop and will inform the ongoing development of a new class of anti-cancer drugs called BH3 mimetics.

First step to new therapy for chronic bowel disease Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that A20 protein plays an important protective role in diseases associated with chronic bowel inflammation. This makes A20 into a promising therapeutic target for the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs.

Habitat of elusive Northern squid documented Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Squid and octopus play an important but often overlooked role as key prey in the Arctic marine food web. Large species such as narwhal, beluga and seals rely heavily on energy-rich squid. Until recently little was known about where these animals prefer to live, but a new study aims to shed light on the habitat preferences of these elusive creatures.

Overcoming reading-comprehension difficulties in children: Training program can help Posted: 05 Aug 2010 02:00 AM PDT Effective reading requires recognizing words and also understanding what they mean. Between 7-10 percent of children have specific reading-comprehension difficulties. These children can read text aloud accurately but do not understand what they have just read. A new study identifies a training program which may help children overcome reading-comprehension difficulties.

Genomic mapping study finds largest set of genes related to major risk factor for heart disease Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides -- the major risk factors for coronary heart disease, the nation's number one killer. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the inherited portions of cholesterol and triglyceride measured in the blood.

Metabolic pathway found in malaria parasites; possible drug targets Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT A newly described metabolic pathway used by malaria-causing parasites may help them survive inside human blood cells. The finding clarifies the picture of parasite metabolism and provides clues to potential weak points in the pathway that might be attacked with drugs.

Biologists discover microRNAs that control function of blood stem cells Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT One key to fighting diseases such as leukemia and anemia is gaining an understanding of the genes and molecules that control the function of hematopoietic -- or blood -- stem cells, which provide the body with a constant supply of red and white blood cells and platelets. Biologists have taken a large step toward that end, with the discovery of a novel group of molecules that are found in high concentrations within hematopoietic stem cells and appear to regulate their production.

Link between estrogen metabolism pathway and breast cancer risk discovered Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that DNA polymorphisms related to the production of estrogen play an important role in the development of hormone-sensitive breast and endometrial cancer. The knowledge gained may help develop better measures for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Coccolithophore growth and calcification -- a possible role for iron Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT Lack of sufficient iron may be a significant factor in controlling massive blooms of Emiliania huxleyi, a globally important species of marine algae or phytoplankton, according to researchers.

Depression is a risk factor and not an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, study suggests Posted: 04 Aug 2010 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that depressive symptoms show little change during the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study suggests that depression is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and not just an early sign of the disease.

Discovery of Saturn’s auroral heartbeat Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that Saturn's aurora, an ethereal ultraviolet glow which illuminates Saturn's upper atmosphere near the poles, pulses roughly once per Saturnian day.

MicroRNA molecule increases number of blood stem cells, may help improve cancer treatment Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new mechanism that controls the number of hematopoietic stem cells -- cells that give rise to all blood and immune system cells. The team identified a tiny RNA molecule that increases the number of these blood stem cells, an advance that may improve treatment of blood system cancers.

Researchers drill through mile and a half of Greenland ice sheet in search of climate change insights Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT After years of concentrated effort, scientists from the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling project hit bedrock more than 8,300 feet below the surface of the Greenland ice sheet last week. The project has yielded ice core samples that may offer valuable insights into how the world can change during periods of abrupt warming.

Marfan, a 'look-alike' disorder, or neither? Researchers offer simple list of signs for early detection Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have compiled what they believe are reliable lists of tell-tale physical signs to help doctors recognize children with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndromes. Timely and early diagnosis of both genetic disorders can mean the difference between life and death, but some of the most common physical features are also found in people with neither of the syndromes, which can cause confusion.

Genes from sweet pepper arm banana against deadly wilt disease Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT In a major breakthrough, crop scientists have successfully transferred genes from green pepper to bananas that enable the crop to resist the Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), one of the most devastating disease of banana in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The researchers are now about to start confined field trials in Uganda.

Combat veterans face more lifelong socioeconomic challenges, sociologist finds Posted: 04 Aug 2010 08:00 PM PDT From the many images sent home from foreign battlefields over the last several decades, Americans have viewed the plight of their country's combat-weary veterans as stark and often iconic scenes that seem somehow frozen in time. But recent research suggests that, for many US veterans, combat is a defining experience that often sets the trajectory of the balance of their lives.

Ancient blob-like creature of the deep revealed by scientists Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT A unique blob-like creature that lived in the ocean approximately 425 million years ago is revealed in a 3D computer model. The model is helping researchers to understand what primitive species on early Earth looked like and how they might have evolved into the types of creatures that are on Earth today.

More detailed picture of asthma may yield dramatically improved treatment Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT Using highly parallel proteomic scans and advanced bioinformatics, researchers have identified distinct asthma subtypes -- information that could lead to far more effective treatments.

Preserving sperm vital to saving 'snot otter' salamanders Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT The hellbender salamander -- known affectionately as a snot otter or devil dog -- is one of America's unique giant salamander species. For unexplained reasons, most hellbender populations have rapidly declined as very little reproduction has occurred in recent decades. Working with researchers from the Nashville Zoo and Antwerp Zoo in Belgium, veterinarians are helping develop conservation techniques to sample and freeze the sperm from some of the last surviving salamanders.

Does higher body weight protect women from one type of glaucoma? Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT Maintaining a healthy body weight is important for avoiding many diseases, but a new study finds that for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), one of the most common age-related eye diseases, the picture may be more complex.

Cells use water in nano-rotors to power energy conversion Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have provided the first atomic-level glimpse of the proton-driven motor from a major group of ATP synthases, enzymes that are central to cellular energy conversion.

Study details autism's heavy toll beyond childhood on marriages Posted: 04 Aug 2010 05:00 PM PDT The parents of grown children with autism are more likely to divorce than couples with typically developing children, according to new data from a large longitudinal study of families of adolescents and adults with autism.

Thought-controlled prosthetic limb system to be tested on human subjects Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Researchers will soon be testing the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) system on human subjects, using a brain-controlled interface. Scientists and engineers developed the underlying technology under an ambitious four-year U.S. government-funded effort to create a prosthetic arm that would by far eclipse the World War II era hook-and-cable device used by most amputees. The program has already produced two complex prototypes, each advancing the art of upper-arm prosthetics.

Gum inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Dental researchers have found the first long-term evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease in healthy individuals as well as in those who already are cognitively impaired. The study offers fresh evidence that gum inflammation may contribute to brain inflammation, neurodegeneration, and Alzheimer's disease.

Green laser pointer hazard: High infrared power levels found in some green lasers Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Green laser pointers have become a popular consumer item, delivering light that's brighter to the eye than red lasers, but stories have circulated on the Web about the potential hazards of inexpensive models. Now, scientists have found that in some cases green laser pointers emit high levels of invisible and potentially dangerous infrared light.

Study may improve screening and treatment of people with severe myopia Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Severe myopia (nearsightedness) can lead to other, more serious eye disorders in some people. Ophthalmologists are interested in understanding the factors that make some patients more susceptible to these disorders and related vision loss. Researchers in Japan studied severely myopic patients over time, and found that in 40 percent of them a condition known as myopic maculopathy became significantly worse.

Physicists develop model that pushes limits of quantum theory, relativity Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Physicists recently developed a new theoretical model to explain how the Pauli exclusion principle can be violated and how, under certain rare conditions, more than one electron can simultaneously occupy the same quantum state. Their model may help explain how matter behaves at the edges of black holes and contribute to the ongoing scientific quest for a unified theory of quantum gravity.

Brain study shows that thinking about God reduces distress -- but only for believers Posted: 04 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT Thinking about God may make you less upset about making errors, according to a new study.

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