ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Spinal cord injury: Human cells derived from stem cells restore movement in animal models
• New hope for lowering cholesterol
• Four new species of Zombie ant fungi discovered in Brazilian rainforest
• Smoking increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, study shows
• Solving the riddle of nature’s perfect spring
• Cannabis use precedes the onset of psychotic symptoms in young people, study finds
• Black holes: A model for superconductors?
• Type 2 diabetes linked to single gene mutation in one in ten patients
• Eastern cougar is extinct, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concludes
• Six-month drug regimen cuts HIV risk for breastfeeding infants, study finds
• 'A little off the top' helps map cells with submicrometer resolution
• Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may help stave off dementia, research suggests
• Scientists show how men amp up their X chromosome
• Blood protein in lung cancer could improve diagnosis and treatment
• Clouds amplify ecological light pollution
• Women get short shrift in many heart device studies, despite requirement
• New software 'lowers the stress' on materials problems
• Rich and poor, UK youth are happy after all?
• Arctic blooms occurring earlier: Phytoplankton peak arising 50 days early, with unknown impacts on marine food chain and carbon cycling
• How ovarian cancer resists chemotherapy
• What wasps can tell us about sex
• How much can a cell uptake?
• Diversifying crops may protect yields against a more variable climate
• Freedom to choose leisure activities benefits people with autism
• Florida could be 10 to 15 million years older than previously believed, pollen study shows
• Protein identified that serves as a switch in a key pathway of programmed cell death
• New role found for cancer protein p53
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs linked to increased risk of erectile dysfunction
• Two new crustaceans discovered in Iberian Peninsula, Spain
• Parents rationalize the economic cost of children by exaggerating their parental joy
• New kind of optical fiber developed: Made with a core of zinc selenide
• Protein's elusive role in embryo and disease development unravelled
• Combined molecular study techniques reveal more about DNA proteins
• Joint pain in children: Is it just a sore knee, or could it be juvenile idiopathic arthritis?
• Effectiveness of wastewater treatment may be damaged during a severe flu pandemic
• Dude, you throw like a crybaby!
• Solar mystery of missing sunspots explained
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could be caused by a retrovirus, study suggests
• Good fungi might prove even better for plant, human health
• Researchers predict age of T cells to improve cancer treatment
• Hair dyeing poised for first major transformation in 150 years
• Facing the Facebook mirror can boost self-esteem
• Bacteria can communicate with each other through nanotubes, researchers discover
• Shift work may be associated with decreased risk of skin cancer
• New 'thermometer' helps scientists accurately measure rock formation
• Nitric oxide does not appear to improve treatment of sickle cell pain-attacks
• Cements that self-repair cracks and store latent heat energy?
• Just like me: Online training helpers more effective when they resemble students

Spinal cord injury: Human cells derived from stem cells restore movement in animal models Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered that a specific type of human cell, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provide tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain locomotor function as well. The study focuses on human astrocytes -- the major support cells in the central nervous system -- and indicates that transplantation of these cells represents a potential avenue to treat spinal cord injuries.

New hope for lowering cholesterol Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST A promising new way to inhibit cholesterol production in the body has been discovered, one that may yield treatments as effective as existing medications but with fewer side effects.

Four new species of Zombie ant fungi discovered in Brazilian rainforest Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST Four new Brazilian species in the genus Ophiocordyceps have been discovered. The fungi belong to a group of "zombifying" fungi that infect ants and then manipulate their behavior, eventually killing the ants after securing a prime location for spore dispersal.

Smoking increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, study shows Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST Postmenopausal women who smoke or used to smoke have up to a 16 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who have never smoked, new research finds.

Solving the riddle of nature’s perfect spring Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST Scientists have unravelled the shape of the protein that gives human tissues their elastic properties in what could lead to the development of new synthetic elastic polymers.

Cannabis use precedes the onset of psychotic symptoms in young people, study finds Posted: 03 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PST Cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms, while continued cannabis use may increase the risk for psychotic disorder in later life, concludes a new study.

Black holes: A model for superconductors? Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST Black holes are some of the heaviest objects in the universe. Electrons are some of the lightest. Now physicists have shown how charged black holes can be used to model the behavior of interacting electrons in unconventional superconductors.

Type 2 diabetes linked to single gene mutation in one in ten patients Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST For individuals of white European descent, certain variations of the gene HMGA1 are associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study.

Eastern cougar is extinct, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concludes Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST Although the eastern cougar has been on the endangered species list since 1973, its existence has long been questioned. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a formal review of the available information and, in a new report, concludes the eastern cougar is extinct and recommends the subspecies be removed from the endangered species list.

Six-month drug regimen cuts HIV risk for breastfeeding infants, study finds Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST Giving breastfeeding infants of HIV-infected mothers a daily dose of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine for six months halved the risk of HIV transmission to the infants at age 6 months compared with giving infants the drug daily for six weeks, according to preliminary clinical trial data.

'A little off the top' helps map cells with submicrometer resolution Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST In an effort to identify the early-onset, subtle chemical changes occurring in a cell heading toward malignancy, researchers have developed a technique that slices off the top of a cell and makes the structures accessible to spectroscopic examination of their chemical "signatures."

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may help stave off dementia, research suggests Posted: 03 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PST Experts agree that long-term alcohol abuse is detrimental to memory function and can cause neurodegenerative disease. However, according to a new study, there is evidence that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may decrease the risk of cognitive decline or dementia.

Scientists show how men amp up their X chromosome Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST Vive la différence? Not at the level of DNA. Men must increase gene expression on their lone X chromosome to match the two X's possessed by women. A new study explains just how men manage to do that.

Blood protein in lung cancer could improve diagnosis and treatment Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST Scientists are reporting discovery of a protein in the blood of lung cancer patients that could be used in a test for the disease -- difficult to diagnose in its earliest and most treatable stages -- and to develop drugs that stop lung cancer from spreading.

Clouds amplify ecological light pollution Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST The brightness of the nightly sky glow over major cities has been shown to depend strongly on cloud cover. In natural environments, clouds make the night sky darker by blocking the light of the stars but around urban centers, this effect is completely reversed, according to a new study.

Women get short shrift in many heart device studies, despite requirement Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST Despite a longstanding requirement for medical device makers to include women in the studies they submit to the Food and Drug Administration for device approval, very few include enough women or separately analyze how the devices work in them. Devices may be on the market without adequate data on their safety and effectiveness in women.

New software 'lowers the stress' on materials problems Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST Before you can build that improved turbojet engine, before you can create that longer-lasting battery, you have to ensure all the newfangled materials in it will behave the way you want. Now computer scientists have improved software that can take much of the guesswork out of tough materials problems like these.

Rich and poor, UK youth are happy after all? Posted: 03 Mar 2011 02:00 AM PST Young people in the UK are very satisfied with their lives with 70 per cent rating themselves as happy or very happy. The findings indicate there is little difference between the average life satisfaction score of those children living in the household with the bottom fifth income and those children living in households in the top fifth income bracket.

Arctic blooms occurring earlier: Phytoplankton peak arising 50 days early, with unknown impacts on marine food chain and carbon cycling Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Warming temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic may be behind a progressively earlier bloom of a crucial annual marine event, and the shift could hold consequences for the entire food chain and carbon cycling in the region.

How ovarian cancer resists chemotherapy Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Researchers have zeroed in on a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy.

What wasps can tell us about sex Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Whether an individual parasitoid wasp reproduces sexually or asexually is determined by a single gene, researchers have discovered. This new finding could help to answer a central question of evolutionary biology – and could also be of interest for biological pest control.

How much can a cell uptake? Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Immunological research has revealed a critical component in the "decision-making" process of white blood cells that play a role in the healing process from bacterial inflammation.

Diversifying crops may protect yields against a more variable climate Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Farmers could protect crop yields against pest and pathogen outbreaks likely to become more common as climate changes if they used modeling techniques to evaluate the potential of crop diversification.

Freedom to choose leisure activities benefits people with autism Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 PM PST Free time is not always a fun time for people with autism. Giving them the power to choose their own leisure activities during free time, however, can boost their enjoyment, as well as improve communication and social skills, according to an international team of researchers.

Florida could be 10 to 15 million years older than previously believed, pollen study shows Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST A new study of 45-million-year-old pollen from Pine Island west of Fort Myers has led to a new understanding of the state's geologic history, showing Florida could be 10 million to 15 million years older than previously believed.

Protein identified that serves as a switch in a key pathway of programmed cell death Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST Scientists have identified how cells flip a switch between cell survival and cell death that involves a protein called FLIP.

New role found for cancer protein p53 Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST The gene for the protein p53 is the most frequently mutated in human cancer. It encodes a tumor suppressor, and traditionally researchers have assumed that it acts primarily as a regulator of how genes are made into proteins. Now, researchers show that the protein has at least one other biochemical activity: controlling the metabolism of the sugar glucose, one of body's main sources of fuel.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs linked to increased risk of erectile dysfunction Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST Men who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs three times a day for more than three months are 2.4 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction compared to men who do not take those drugs regularly, according to a new study.

Two new crustaceans discovered in Iberian Peninsula, Spain Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST Scientists have now described two cladocerous crustaceans, which could be endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, and which were found in two lagoons, one in the lower basin of the Guadalquivir river, and the other in the grasslands of Extremadura. Both of these arthropods may today inhabit more areas in the Mediterranean region.

Parents rationalize the economic cost of children by exaggerating their parental joy Posted: 02 Mar 2011 08:00 PM PST Any parent can tell you that raising a child is emotionally and intellectually draining. Despite their tales of professional sacrifice, financial hardship, and declines in marital satisfaction, many parents continue to insist that their children are an essential source of happiness and fulfillment in their lives. A new study suggests that parents create rosy pictures of parental joy as a way to justify the huge investment that kids require.

New kind of optical fiber developed: Made with a core of zinc selenide Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST Scientists have developed the very first optical fiber made with a core of zinc selenide -- a light-yellow compound that can be used as a semiconductor. The new class of optical fiber, which allows for a more effective and liberal manipulation of light, promises to open the door to more versatile laser-radar technology. Such technology could be applied to the development of improved surgical and medical lasers, better countermeasure lasers used by the military, and superior environment-sensing lasers such as those used to measure pollutants and to detect the dissemination of bioterrorist chemical agents.

Protein's elusive role in embryo and disease development unravelled Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST Scientists have determined that a single protein called FADD controls multiple cell death pathways, a discovery that could lead to better, more targeted autoimmune disease and cancer drugs.

Combined molecular study techniques reveal more about DNA proteins Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST Researchers have combined two molecular imaging technologies to create an instrument with incredible sensitivity that provides new, detailed insight into dynamic molecular processes. Two physics professors combined their expertise in single-molecule biophysics -- fluorescence microscopy and optical traps -- to create a unique instrument that measures both a DNA-regulating protein's motion and conformational changes as it acts.

Joint pain in children: Is it just a sore knee, or could it be juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST While lab tests and imaging can sometimes help diagnose juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a physical examination and thorough patient history are the most valuable tools in identifying this disease.

Effectiveness of wastewater treatment may be damaged during a severe flu pandemic Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST Existing plans for antiviral and antibiotic use during a severe influenza pandemic could reduce wastewater treatment efficiency prior to discharge into receiving rivers, resulting in water quality deterioration at drinking water abstraction points, according to a new article.

Dude, you throw like a crybaby! Posted: 02 Mar 2011 05:00 PM PST A new study of baseball tosses has found that body language is more likely to be judged as masculine when it seems to convey anger and as feminine when is seems to convey sadness.

Solar mystery of missing sunspots explained Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST The sun has been in the news a lot lately because it's beginning to send out more flares and solar storms. Its recent turmoil is particularly newsworthy because the sun was very quiet for an unusually long time. Astronomers had a tough time explaining the extended solar minimum. New computer simulations imply that the sun's long quiet spell resulted from changing flows of hot plasma within it.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could be caused by a retrovirus, study suggests Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST A retrovirus that inserted itself into the human genome thousands of years ago may be responsible for some cases of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gherig's disease. The finding may eventually give researchers a new way to attack this universally fatal condition.

Good fungi might prove even better for plant, human health Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST Scientists have come closer to understanding how a common fungus "makes its living in the soil," which could lead to its possible "career change" as a therapeutic agent for plant and human health.

Researchers predict age of T cells to improve cancer treatment Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST The effectiveness of the cancer therapy known as adoptive T cell transfer is limited by the cells' finite lifespan. Researchers have now addressed this limitation by accurately predicting cell age and quality. Infusing only young functional cells into a patient should improve the therapeutic outcome.

Hair dyeing poised for first major transformation in 150 years Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST Technological progress may be fast-paced in many fields, but one mundane area has been almost left in the doldrums for the last 150 years: The basic technology for permanently coloring hair. That's the conclusion of an analysis of almost 500 articles and patents on the chemistry of permanent hair dyeing, which foresees much more innovation in the years ahead, including longer lasting, more-natural-looking dyes and gene therapy to reverse the gray.

Facing the Facebook mirror can boost self-esteem Posted: 02 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST A new study has found that Facebook can have a positive influence on the self-esteem of college students.

Bacteria can communicate with each other through nanotubes, researchers discover Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST A pathway whereby bacteria communicate with each other has been discovered. The discovery has important implications for efforts to cope with the spread of harmful bacteria in the body.

Shift work may be associated with decreased risk of skin cancer Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST Melatonin is known to have cancer-protective properties, and shift work can induce desynchrony of the circadian system, reducing melatonin production. Shift work has been thought to have important health impacts, with evidence linking shift work to an increased risk of several cancers including breast, endometrial, prostate and colorectal, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In a recent study, researchers found that shift work may be associated with a reduced risk of skin cancer in women.

New 'thermometer' helps scientists accurately measure rock formation Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST Researchers have used magnesium isotopes to determine the temperature at which rocks form, which will allow scientists to better study the formation of Earth's crust and mantle as well as the formation of meteorites.

Nitric oxide does not appear to improve treatment of sickle cell pain-attacks Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST Among patients with sickle cell disease, treatment of a vaso-occlusive crisis (characterized by episodes of severe pain) in the hospital with inhalation of nitric oxide gas for up to 3 days did not result in a shorter time to resolution of the pain, compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study.

Cements that self-repair cracks and store latent heat energy? Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST Cement (and derivatives thereof) is one of the materials most commonly used in construction, given its good performance at low cost. Over recent years, one part of scientific and technological research is aimed at incorporating additional functions into these materials. Researchers have studied the possibility of adding capacities to the cement such as the self-repair of cracks as well as the storing of latent heat energy.

Just like me: Online training helpers more effective when they resemble students Posted: 02 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PST Opposites don't always attract. A new study shows that participants are happier -- and perform better -- when the electronic helpers used in online training programs resemble the participants themselves.

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