ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Marsupial embryo jumps ahead in development
• Neurological protein may hold the key to new treatments for depression
• Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections
• Sporadic breast cancers start with ineffective DNA repair systems
• Soil microbes define dangerous rates of climate change
• Playing with building blocks of creativity help children with autism
• Antibacterial soaps: Being too clean can make people sick, study suggests
• New genomic technique reveals obesity gene variants
• Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of metabolic diseases, study suggests
• New approach may help dialysis patients fight anemia
• California's controlled fires boost biodiversity
• Clarity in short-term memory shows no link with IQ
• Apes unwilling to gamble when odds are uncertain
• Celecoxib may be effective in preventing non-melanoma skin cancers
• Seasonal influences help guide cougar prey selection
• Artesunate suppositories are cost-effective intervention for severe childhood malaria
• Fire forecast technology could help rescue teams save lives
• Prescriptions for teens and young adults on the rise
• Male reproductive problems may add to falling fertility rates
• Brain cells called pericytes become a player in Alzheimer's, other diseases
• Black children more likely to die from neuroblastoma, study finds
• New oyster farming technique increases productivity, offers entrepreneurial opportunities
• Diagnosis uncertainty increases anxiety in patients
• Discovering the secrets of Stonehenge

Marsupial embryo jumps ahead in development Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Long a staple of nature documentaries, the somewhat bizarre development of a grub-like pink marsupial embryo outside the mother's womb is curious in another way. Researchers have found that the developmental program executed by the marsupial embryo runs in a different order than the program executed by virtually every other vertebrate animal.

Neurological protein may hold the key to new treatments for depression Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Neuroscientists have developed a protein peptide that may be a novel type of highly targeted treatment for depression with a low side-effect profile. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood.

Sporadic breast cancers start with ineffective DNA repair systems Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Breast cancers that arise sporadically, rather than through inheritance of certain genes, likely start with defects of DNA repair mechanisms that allow environmentally triggered mutations to accumulate, according to researchers. The findings indicate that chemotherapy drugs that target DNA in later-stage cancers could be an effective treatment for the earliest of breast tumors.

Soil microbes define dangerous rates of climate change Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Scientists have studied a potentially significant feedback to rapid climate change. Runaway reactions in peatlands could give off large amount of carbon and considerable heat. Researchers are now investigating possible links between this reaction and peatland wildfires, such as those in Russia earlier this year.

Playing with building blocks of creativity help children with autism Posted: 30 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST In an attempt to help children with autism learn the building blocks of creativity, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center tapped a toy box staple for help -- legos. By building lego structures in new and unique ways, children with autism spectrum disorders learned to use creativity, an important skill that they had seen as very challenging prior to the study.

Antibacterial soaps: Being too clean can make people sick, study suggests Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new study suggests.

New genomic technique reveals obesity gene variants Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Obesity is highly heritable, but so far genetic association studies have only explained a small fraction of this heritability. Now, researchers have identified DNA variants in two nervous system genes that are associated with an excessively high BMI.

Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of metabolic diseases, study suggests Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST With the emergence of an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes (DM) throughout the world, the association of lifestyle habits that may affect the risk of metabolic diseases is especially important.

New approach may help dialysis patients fight anemia Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST A new drug called FG-2216 can stimulate production of the hormone erythropoietin in dialysis patients -- possibly offering a new approach to treatment of kidney disease-related anemia, according to a new study.

California's controlled fires boost biodiversity Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST In certain ecosystems, such as the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada region of the western United States, fires are a natural and essential occurrence for maintaining forest health. However, for many decades, resource managers in California and other western states prevented or suppressed natural fires to limit the potential for catastrophic spread.

Clarity in short-term memory shows no link with IQ Posted: 30 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST One person correctly remembers four of eight items just seen but is fuzzy on details. Another person recalls only two of the items but with amazingly precise clarity. So what ability translates to higher IQ? According to a new study the answer is very clear.

Apes unwilling to gamble when odds are uncertain Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Humans are known to play it safe in a situation when they aren't sure of the odds, or don't have confidence in their judgments. We don't like to choose the unknown. And new evidence is showing that chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest living primate relatives, treat the problem the same way we do.

Celecoxib may be effective in preventing non-melanoma skin cancers Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Celecoxib may help prevent non-melanoma skin cancers in patients with extensive actinic keratosis, which is often a precursor to these cancers, according to a randomized clinical trial.

Seasonal influences help guide cougar prey selection Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST As predators, cougars tend to select prey animals that are weaker and easier to attack during certain seasons, according to results of a new study.

Artesunate suppositories are cost-effective intervention for severe childhood malaria Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Giving emergency artesunate suppositories to children with suspected severe malaria before referring them for treatment is a cost-effective intervention that can substantially improve the management of childhood malaria in remote African settings, according to a new study.

Fire forecast technology could help rescue teams save lives Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Fires in homes and offices could be tackled more efficiently using technology that predicts how a blaze will spread.

Prescriptions for teens and young adults on the rise Posted: 30 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Adolescents and young adults are most likely to abuse prescription medications. Yet prescription rates for controlled medications have nearly doubled for those age groups in the past 14 years, according to a recent study.

Male reproductive problems may add to falling fertility rates Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, reveals a new report.

Brain cells called pericytes become a player in Alzheimer's, other diseases Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Cells in the brain called pericytes that have not been high on the list of targets for treating diseases like Alzheimer's may play a more crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases than has been realized. The findings, published in Neuron, cast the pericyte in a surprising new role as a key player shaping blood flow in the brain and protecting sensitive brain tissue from harmful substances.

Black children more likely to die from neuroblastoma, study finds Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Black, Asian, and Native-American children are more likely than white and Hispanic children to die after being treated for neuroblastoma, according to new research on the pediatric cancer. The study, of more than 3,500 patients with the disease, is the largest ever to look at racial disparities in risk and survival for the most common solid cancer found in young children.

New oyster farming technique increases productivity, offers entrepreneurial opportunities Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST A new oyster farming initiative has launched in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The goal of this effort is industry adoption of off-bottom oyster culture to supplement the traditional harvest. Historically, oysters are grown on and harvested from reefs on the water bottom. In this new process, oysters are grown suspended in the water column.

Diagnosis uncertainty increases anxiety in patients Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Have you ever felt uneasy sitting in a doctor's waiting room or climbed the walls waiting for your test results? That feeling of anxious uncertainty can be more stressful than knowing you have a serious illness, according to a new study.

Discovering the secrets of Stonehenge Posted: 29 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST A revolutionary new idea on the movement of big monument stones like those at Stonehenge has been put forward by an archaeology student. He discovered that many of the late Neolithic stone balls had a diameter within a millimeter of each other, which he felt indicated they would have been used together in some way rather than individually.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Engineer provides new insight into pterodactyl flight
• Bladder regeneration using stem cells from patients own bone marrow
• Methane-powered laptops? Materials scientists unveil tiny, low-temperature methane fuel cells
• Pre-eclampsia: Early urine test predicts pregnancy complication
• Functional amino acids regulate key metabolic pathways
• Does sex matter? It may when evaluating mental status
• Tuning an 'ear' to the music of gravitational waves
• Superantigens could be behind several illnesses
• Monitoring the health of endangered, wild chimpanzees
• Stem cell therapy: A future treatment for lower back pain?
• US adults most likely to forgo care due to cost, have trouble paying medical bills, survey finds
• Earth's lakes are warming, NASA study finds
• Gene therapy prevents memory problems in mice with Alzheimer's disease
• Scientists manage to adapt juvenile blue fin tuna to captivity in land installations
• Male reproductive problems may add to falling fertility rates
• Charging for plastic bags cut bag consumption by half in China
• National pilot program facilitates kidney paired-donation transplants
• Shrouded burst of stars: Spitzer reveals a buried explosion sparked by a galactic train wreck
• Potential new target for treating triple negative breast cancer identified
• Crown suggests Queen Arsinoë II ruled ancient Egypt as female pharaoh
• Scientists learn more about how kidneys fail and how new drugs may intervene
• To be or not to be a pair: Giant molecules in a quantum superposition
• Tobacco: Out of sight, out of mind?
• Koala bears may be the 'pickiest' marsupials around
• Brain tissue loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment
• Iron compounds synthesized to combat tuberculosis
• Era of personalized oncology: New strategies for cancer drug development urgently needed, experts say
• Reference database to identify origin of elephant ivory
• Earth and space science missions have fewer risks if conducted by a single government agency, report finds
• Astronomers probe 'sandbar' between islands of galaxies
• Thin air: Cassini finds ethereal atmosphere around Saturn's ice moon Rhea
• Stripes are back in season on Jupiter
• Managing nature reserves using ecological disturbances can easily go wrong
• Cassini back to normal, ready for Enceladus
• NASA's savory sea salt sensor to get cooked, chilled

Engineer provides new insight into pterodactyl flight Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST Giant pterosaurs -- ancient reptiles that flew over the heads of dinosaurs -- were at their best in gentle tropical breezes, soaring over hillsides and coastlines or floating over land and sea on thermally driven air currents, according to new research.

Bladder regeneration using stem cells from patients own bone marrow Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a medical model for regenerating bladders using stem cells harvested from a patient's own bone marrow. The research is especially relevant for pediatric patients suffering from abnormally developed bladders, but also represents another step towards new organ replacement therapies.

Methane-powered laptops? Materials scientists unveil tiny, low-temperature methane fuel cells Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST With advances in nanostructured devices, lower operating temperatures, and the use of an abundant fuel source and cheaper materials, researchers are increasingly optimistic about the commercial viability of methane-powered laptops.

Pre-eclampsia: Early urine test predicts pregnancy complication Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST Pre-eclampsia affects approximately 5% of pregnancies and can pose serious health concerns for mother and child. Some patients develop severe disease associated with kidney, liver, and neurological problems. The condition is characterized by high blood pressure and the loss of protein in the urine during the second half of pregnancy.

Functional amino acids regulate key metabolic pathways Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST Functional amino acids play a critical role in the development of both animals and humans, according to new research. Animal nutritionists call for scientists to "think out of the box" and place more emphasis on this area of study.

Does sex matter? It may when evaluating mental status Posted: 29 Nov 2010 11:00 AM PST Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that differs between the sexes in terms of age at onset, symptomatology, response to medication and structural brain abnormalities. Now, a new study shows that there is gender difference between men and women's mental ability -- with women performing better than men.

Tuning an 'ear' to the music of gravitational waves Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST A team of scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has brought the world one step closer to "hearing" gravitational waves -- ripples in space and time predicted by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century.

Superantigens could be behind several illnesses Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Superantigens, the toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria, are more complex than previously believed, reveals new research. The discovery shows that the body's immune system can cause more illnesses than thought.

Monitoring the health of endangered, wild chimpanzees Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Scientists have studied wild chimpanzees living in the tropical rain forest in Ivory Coast at close quarters for a year, and new research describes the health monitoring of this endangered species. What is the risk of retroviral infection in these chimpanzees due to their hunting of monkeys?

Stem cell therapy: A future treatment for lower back pain? Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST Lower back pain affects many people and may be caused by degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae. Treatment for the condition using stem cells may be an alternative to today's surgical procedures, new research from Sweden suggests.

US adults most likely to forgo care due to cost, have trouble paying medical bills, survey finds Posted: 29 Nov 2010 08:00 AM PST A new 11-country survey from the Commonwealth Fund finds that adults in the United States are far more likely than those in 10 other industrialized nations to go without health care because of costs, have trouble paying medical bills, encounter high medical bills even when insured, and have disputes with their insurers or discover insurance wouldn't pay as they expected.

Earth's lakes are warming, NASA study finds Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST In the first comprehensive global survey of temperature trends in major lakes, NASA researchers determined Earth's largest lakes have warmed during the past 25 years in response to climate change.

Gene therapy prevents memory problems in mice with Alzheimer's disease Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new strategy to prevent memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Humans with AD and mice genetically engineered to simulate the disease have abnormally low levels of an enzyme called EphB2 in memory centers of the brain. Improving EphB2 levels in such mice by gene therapy completely fixed their memory problems.

Scientists manage to adapt juvenile blue fin tuna to captivity in land installations Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Researchers have taken a new step towards achieving the domestication of bluefin tuna. A dozen juveniles have been adapted to captivity in land based facilities, something that had already been successfully achieved in Japan, Australia and the USA in other species of tuna.

Male reproductive problems may add to falling fertility rates Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, a new report reveals.

Charging for plastic bags cut bag consumption by half in China Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST Research from Sweden shows that people in China -- the number one consumers of plastic bags in the world -- reduced their consumption of plastic bags by half when stores were forced to charge consumers for the bags.

National pilot program facilitates kidney paired-donation transplants Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PST A computer algorithm matched living kidney donors with medically compatible transplant candidates late last month as the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) began a national pilot program to increase the number of kidney paired-donation (KPD) transplants.

Shrouded burst of stars: Spitzer reveals a buried explosion sparked by a galactic train wreck Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have found a stunning burst of star formation that beams out as much infrared light as an entire galaxy. The collision of two spiral galaxies has triggered this explosion, which is cloaked by dust that renders its stars nearly invisible in other wavelengths of light.

Potential new target for treating triple negative breast cancer identified Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Scientists believe they may have found a new target for treating triple negative breast cancer -- one of the more difficult breast cancers to treat successfully and for which there is no targeted therapy at present. New research shows that TNBC cells respond to compounds that disrupt the signaling processes of another receptor, EGFR, high levels of which are expressed in TNBC.

Crown suggests Queen Arsinoë II ruled ancient Egypt as female pharaoh Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST A unique queen's crown with ancient symbols combined with a new method of studying status in Egyptian reliefs forms the basis for a re-interpretation of historical developments in Egypt in the period following the death of Alexander the Great. A researcher from Sweden argues that Queen Arsinoë II ruled ancient Egypt as a female pharaoh, predating Cleopatra by 200 years.

Scientists learn more about how kidneys fail and how new drugs may intervene Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Scientists are learning more about how protein gets in the urine when the kidneys begin to fail and how a new drug blocks it.

To be or not to be a pair: Giant molecules in a quantum superposition Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST In human relationships, the question of being a couple or not has a yes-or-no answer: either one is a couple or not. Quantum physics offers an interesting alternative. There, the couples are pairs of atoms that are held together by binding forces to form molecules. Quantum mechanics allows another loophole: a superpostion of free and bound state, where the two atoms are bound and free at the same time. Although this is impossible in our classical world, it is a well known property for quantum mechanical states. Such superpositions have now been observed for weakly bound ultralong-range molecules.

Tobacco: Out of sight, out of mind? Posted: 29 Nov 2010 02:00 AM PST Putting tobacco out of sight in shops can change the attitude of young people to smoking, while not hitting retailers in the pocket, researchers have discovered.

Koala bears may be the 'pickiest' marsupials around Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Koalas may be the pickiest marsupials around: They evolved to feed almost exclusively on the leaves of Eucalyptus trees, and they are highly selective when it comes to which species and even which individual trees they visit. When the furry leaf-eater settles on a particular tree, it relies on a number of factors, including taste, to make its selection.

Brain tissue loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST People with Alzheimer's disease exhibit striking structural changes in the caudate nucleus, a brain structure typically associated with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, a new study has found.

Iron compounds synthesized to combat tuberculosis Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Researchers have synthesized two iron compounds that inhibit the in vitro growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Due their low level of toxicity in mammal cells, the compounds could be used in the future as therapeutic agents and hospital disinfectants.

Era of personalized oncology: New strategies for cancer drug development urgently needed, experts say Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Millions of cancer patients worldwide may soon be able to receive more effective, personalized treatments for their disease, thanks to developments in the understanding of cancer biology, experts say.

Reference database to identify origin of elephant ivory Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST A reference database has been established for the identification of the origin of elephant ivory.

Earth and space science missions have fewer risks if conducted by a single government agency, report finds Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:00 PM PST Earth and space science missions developed and implemented by federal agencies in collaboration typically result in additional complexity and cost and increased risks from divided responsibilities and accountability, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Astronomers probe 'sandbar' between islands of galaxies Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST Astronomers have caught sight of an unusual galaxy that has illuminated new details about a celestial "sandbar" connecting two massive islands of galaxies. The research was conducted in part with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Thin air: Cassini finds ethereal atmosphere around Saturn's ice moon Rhea Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST NASA's Cassini spacecraft has detected a very tenuous atmosphere known as an exosphere, infused with oxygen and carbon dioxide around Saturn's icy moon Rhea. This is the first time a spacecraft has directly captured molecules of an oxygen atmosphere -- albeit a very thin one -- at a world other than Earth.

Stripes are back in season on Jupiter Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST New NASA images support findings that one of Jupiter's stripes that "disappeared" last spring is now showing signs of a comeback. These new observations will help scientists better understand the interaction between Jupiter's winds and cloud chemistry.

Managing nature reserves using ecological disturbances can easily go wrong Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST Ecological disturbances are not necessarily a bad thing – deliberate disturbances can actually be used to preserve or even increase biodiversity in a nature reserve. The outcome depends on countless different factors, but many mistakes are made by those working with ecological disturbances and biodiversity, claims a researcher.

Cassini back to normal, ready for Enceladus Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST NASA's Cassini spacecraft resumed normal operations Nov. 24. All science instruments have been turned back on, the spacecraft is properly configured and Cassini is in good health. Mission managers expect to get a full stream of data during next week's flyby of the Saturnian moon Enceladus.

NASA's savory sea salt sensor to get cooked, chilled Posted: 27 Nov 2010 09:00 PM PST A team of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is flying down to Brazil to "cook" a salty NASA instrument that's sure to spice up studies of Earth's climate after its launch late next spring.

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