ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Insulin-releasing switch discovered
• Treatment breakthrough for rare disease linked to diabetes
• How chickens keep their cool: Mutation explains odd look of Transylvanian naked neck chicken
• The development of better biotech enzymes
• New study predicts cholera epidemic in Haiti will far exceed UN projections
• Treatments for recurring TB infection failing the developing world, study finds
• Association found between industry funding and promotional pieces on menopausal hormone therapy
• Proteins may affect behavior and physiology of female mosquitoes
• Large Hadron Collider could be world's first time machine, researchers' theory suggests
• New device holds promise of making blood glucose testing easier for patients with diabetes
• Unprecedented view of protein folding may help develop brain disease therapies
• Evidence appears poor for link between certain biomarkers and risk of cardiovascular events for patients with kidney disease
• Regions that have higher rate of diagnoses among Medicare patients have lower fatality rate for chronic conditions
• Study examines outcomes of high-dose antiplatelet drug after stent placement
• Prevalence of heavy smokers in US decreases
• Integrity of the brain's reward system is linked to relapse following treatment
• An early age at first drink combined with stressful life events can lead to heavy drinking
• Certain populations may benefit most from alcohol-dependence treatment naltrexone
• ADHD and prenatal alcohol exposure: Comparing profiles of learning and memory impairments in two groups of children
• Wheels up for NASA mission's most extensive Arctic ice survey
• Scientists fly through the clouds to piece together climate puzzle
• Malaria drug slows pancreatic cancer growth in mouse models
• US health care reforms should use model developed in Canada, experts say
• Chasing the pot of gold: Gambling subtypes and treatment outcomes
• Ferroelectric materials discovery could lead to better memory chips
• New laser technique opens doors for drug discovery
• Finding of long-sought drug target structure may expedite drug discovery
• Tying the knot with computer-generated holograms: Winding optical path moves matter
• Dairy farmer finds unusual forage grass
• Northern peatlands a misunderstood player in climate change
• Golf courses that reuse water irrigate too much, study suggests
• The five hospital factors that affect heart attack survival
• New vaccine candidate shows strong potential to prevent highly contagious norovirus
• Children of U.S. immigrants more apt than natives to live with both parents
• Brain injuries rise sharply in minor hockey after bodychecking rules relaxed, Canadian study shows
• Graphene cloak protects bacteria, leading to better images
• NOAA's Fisheries Service raises butterfish catch to help prevent premature closure of squid fishery
• Mothers have a higher sickness absence than fathers
• New hope for tiny hearts
• Magnesium deficiency: Not always a nutritional problem
• The new adulthood: Extended parental support as a safety net
• U.S. Geological Survey updates magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku earthquake to 9.0
• Apnea may be cause for awakening and voiding for those with enlarged prostates
• New insights into cancer treatment
• Strategies for improved collection of national travel data
• Managing post-stroke depression improves physical functioning
• Maquipucuna cloud forest in Ecuador yields new species of yeast
• Unusual treatment of colonic perforation
• Detection of early gastric cancer using hydro-stomach CT
• Vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis
• Relationship between body mass index and age at hepatocellular carcinoma onset
• Natural sequence farming could affect global climate change
• Single gene defect causes brain tumor
• Describing humor with an equation
• Insulation unit: Quiet area for sensitive devices
• Sheep Genomic Advances
• Effects of shade avoidance in crops
• Potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least half of all orthodontic retainers, study suggests
• A good sense of smell is more a product of training than good genes
• Inflammation behind heart valve disease, research suggests

Insulin-releasing switch discovered Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:28 PM PDT Researchers believe they have uncovered the molecular switch for the secretion of insulin -- the hormone that regulates blood sugar -- providing for the first time an explanation of this process. In a new study, the researchers say the work solves a longtime mystery and may lead to better treatments for type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Treatment breakthrough for rare disease linked to diabetes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:28 PM PDT Scientists have led an international team to discover new treatments for a rare and potentially lethal childhood disease that is the clinical opposite of diabetes mellitus.

How chickens keep their cool: Mutation explains odd look of Transylvanian naked neck chicken Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:28 PM PDT Its head looks like a turkey's, its body resembles a chicken's -- now scientists can explain why one of the poultry world's most curious specimens has developed such a distinctive look. The Transylvanian naked neck chicken -- once dubbed a Churkey or a Turken because of its hybrid appearance -- has developed its defining feature because of a complex genetic mutation.

The development of better biotech enzymes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:28 PM PDT Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions, such as laundry detergent digesting protein stains, which are otherwise very difficult to remove. Scientists have now demonstrated a fundamental principle in changing the activity of enzymes by means of protein engineering.

New study predicts cholera epidemic in Haiti will far exceed UN projections Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:27 PM PDT A new study predicts that the cholera epidemic in Haiti this year will be far worse than United Nations' projections, which had estimated 400,000 cases of the diarrheal disease over the course of the epidemic.

Treatments for recurring TB infection failing the developing world, study finds Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:27 PM PDT The standard approach to re-treating tuberculosis (TB) in low and middle income settings is failing, according to new research. Researchers call for improved access to rapid diagnostics for drug resistant TB, second-line TB treatment and antiretroviral HIV therapy.

Association found between industry funding and promotional pieces on menopausal hormone therapy Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:27 PM PDT There may be a link between receiving industry funding for speaking, consulting, or research, and the publication of apparently promotional opinion pieces on menopausal hormone therapy. Furthermore, such publications may encourage physicians to continue prescribing these therapies to women of menopausal age.

Proteins may affect behavior and physiology of female mosquitoes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 04:27 PM PDT Researchers have identified 93 seminal fluid proteins and 52 sperm male-derived proteins that include candidates likely to affect the behavior and physiology of female mosquitoes of the species, Aedes aegypti.

Large Hadron Collider could be world's first time machine, researchers' theory suggests Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:33 PM PDT If the latest theory of Tom Weiler and Chui Man Ho is right, the Large Hadron Collider -- the world's largest atom smasher that started regular operation last year -- could be the first machine capable causing matter to travel backwards in time.

New device holds promise of making blood glucose testing easier for patients with diabetes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT Bioengineers and physicians are developing a device designed to make it easier for people with diabetes to monitor their health. Current monitoring devices require that people prick themselves to draw blood for a glucose-level test sample -- often several times a day. The new device would enable accurate glucose-level testing by using tear fluid as a test sample -- relieving people from having to draw blood repeatedly.

Unprecedented view of protein folding may help develop brain disease therapies Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT When vital proteins in our bodies are misfolded, debilitating diseases can result. If researchers could see the folding happen, they might be able to design treatments for some of these diseases. But many of our most critical proteins are folded, hidden from sight, inside tiny molecular chambers. Now researchers have gotten the first-ever peek inside one of these protein-folding chambers as the folding happened, and the folding mechanism they saw surprised them.

Evidence appears poor for link between certain biomarkers and risk of cardiovascular events for patients with kidney disease Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT Even though clinical practice guidelines for patients with chronic kidney disease recommend specific treatment target levels for serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and calcium to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, an analysis of data from previous studies did not find a strong association between these biomarkers and the risk of death and cardiovascular events, except for higher serum phosphorus levels, according to a new article.

Regions that have higher rate of diagnoses among Medicare patients have lower fatality rate for chronic conditions Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT An examination of data for more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospital regions that have a greater frequency of diagnoses have a lower case-fatality rate for chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease and kidney failure, according to a new study.

Study examines outcomes of high-dose antiplatelet drug after stent placement Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT Modifying a patient's dosage of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel for 6 months depending on the patient's level of platelet reactivity did not result in combined lower rates of nonfatal heart attack, stent thrombosis (clot) and cardiovascular death in patients who had a procedure such as balloon angioplasty and received a drug-releasing coronary stent, according to a new study.

Prevalence of heavy smokers in US decreases Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT From 1965 to 2007, the population prevalence of persons who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day declined significantly, and there was also a decrease in the prevalence of smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day, with these declines greater in California than in the rest of the US, according to a new study.

Integrity of the brain's reward system is linked to relapse following treatment Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT The brain reward system (BRS) is involved in developing/maintaining addictive disorders, as well as relapse. New findings show that alcohol dependent individuals -- both future abstainers and relapsers -- have significantly thinner cortices in the BRS and throughout the entire brain. Findings support the influence of neurobiological factors on relapse.

An early age at first drink combined with stressful life events can lead to heavy drinking Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT Researchers believe that an early age at first drink (AFD) may lead to greater stress-induced drinking. A new study examines interactions between AFD and stressful life events on drinking during young adulthood. Findings indicate a strong link between an early AFD and later heavy drinking when confronted by a high load of stressful life events.

Certain populations may benefit most from alcohol-dependence treatment naltrexone Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT Naltrexone is one of the most effective pharmacological treatments for alcohol dependence. However, naltrexone does not work for everyone. A new study has found that naltrexone is effective for women, and individuals with the A118G polymorphism of the mu opioid receptor gene.

ADHD and prenatal alcohol exposure: Comparing profiles of learning and memory impairments in two groups of children Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PDT A new study has compared the verbal learning and memory performance of children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) with that of children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The children with PAE had initial problems with learning information, reflecting inefficient encoding of verbal material. The children with ADHD had difficulty retaining information over time, reflecting a deficit in retrieval of learned material.

Wheels up for NASA mission's most extensive Arctic ice survey Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:27 AM PDT Researchers and flight crew arrived in Thule, Greenland, on March 14 for the start of NASA's 2011 Operation IceBridge, an airborne mission to study changes in Arctic polar ice. This year's plans include surveys of Canadian ice caps and expanded international collaboration.

Scientists fly through the clouds to piece together climate puzzle Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:25 AM PDT As scientists try to better understand and put together the puzzle of Earth's climate, the role of clouds remains one of the most important missing pieces. Researchers from four NASA centers, other U.S. agencies and several colleges and universities are set to participate in the Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX), an airborne field campaign based at Ellington Field, Texas, that aims to answer some major questions about clouds.

Malaria drug slows pancreatic cancer growth in mouse models Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:12 AM PDT Scientists report they have used hydroxychloroquine, a drug routinely prescribed for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, to shrink or slow the growth of notoriously resistant pancreatic tumors in mice.

US health care reforms should use model developed in Canada, experts say Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:12 AM PDT A model of health care developed by a Canadian doctor should be studied and copied as a way to reform health care in the US, experts say. The US is facing a problem of adding 40 million people to its health care system if President Obama's health care reforms are passed and Ontario's Family Health Team Model could help ease the burden.

Chasing the pot of gold: Gambling subtypes and treatment outcomes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 11:12 AM PDT Approximately two million adults in the United States meet criteria for pathological gambling, and another four to six million are considered problem gamblers, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. A new study reveals that gambling addiction treatment is not one-size-fits-all, but it is difficult to predict which style of treatment is best for the various forms of gambling addiction.

Ferroelectric materials discovery could lead to better memory chips Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:24 AM PDT Engineering researchers have found a way to improve the performance of ferroelectric materials, which have the potential to make memory devices with more storage capacity than magnetic hard drives and faster write speed and longer lifetimes than flash memory.

New laser technique opens doors for drug discovery Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that a new laser technique can be used to measure the interactions between proteins tangled in a cell's membrane and a variety of other biological molecules. These extremely difficult measurements can aid the process of drug discovery.

Finding of long-sought drug target structure may expedite drug discovery Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT Researchers have solved the 3-D structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs.

Tying the knot with computer-generated holograms: Winding optical path moves matter Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT In the latest twist on optical knots, physicists have discovered a new method to create extended and knotted optical traps in 3-D. This method may one day help enable fusion energy as a practical power source, according to researchers.

Dairy farmer finds unusual forage grass Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT A grass breeder has rediscovered a forage grass that seems just right for today's intensive rotational grazing.

Northern peatlands a misunderstood player in climate change Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT Researchers have determined that the influence of northern peatlands on the prehistorical record of climate change has been over estimated, but the vast northern wetlands must still be watched closely as the planet grapples with its current global warming trend.

Golf courses that reuse water irrigate too much, study suggests Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT Irrigation is one of the most controversial aspects in the sustainable management of golf courses. Researchers from the Canary Islands have spent 25 years analyzing the practices relating to reclaimed water at one of the oldest golf courses in Spain. The results show that plants on the course receive 83 percent more water than they need.

The five hospital factors that affect heart attack survival Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT A new study looks at why there is such a big difference in the mortality rates among patients treated for heart attacks in hospitals across the United States.

New vaccine candidate shows strong potential to prevent highly contagious norovirus Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT Scientists have found that an experimental vaccine against human norovirus -- the bug behind 90 percent of highly contagious nonbacterial illnesses causing diarrhea and vomiting -- generates a strong immune response in mice without causing the animals any harm. Using a novel viral vector-based method to grow and deliver the vaccine that has shown promise in other agents designed to fight such infections as HIV and hepatitis C, they are the first to test this vaccine design method's effectiveness against the human norovirus.

Children of U.S. immigrants more apt than natives to live with both parents Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT Children of U.S. immigrants are more likely to live in households headed by two married parents than children of natives in their respective ethnic groups, according to sociologists.

Brain injuries rise sharply in minor hockey after bodychecking rules relaxed, Canadian study shows Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT Minor league hockey players in the Atom division are more than 10 times likely to suffer a brain injury since bodychecking was first allowed among the 9- and 10-year-olds.

Graphene cloak protects bacteria, leading to better images Posted: 15 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT Scientists are wrapping bacteria with graphene to address current challenges with imaging bacteria under electron microscopes. The method creates a carbon cloak that protects the bacteria, allowing them to be imaged at their natural size and increasing the image's resolution.

NOAA's Fisheries Service raises butterfish catch to help prevent premature closure of squid fishery Posted: 15 Mar 2011 08:33 AM PDT A new emergency increase to the butterfish fishing limit will enable squid fishermen off the northeast, who often catch butterfish unintentionally while fishing for squid, to continue working, while still protecting the butterfish stock.

Mothers have a higher sickness absence than fathers Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT Before they have children, men and women are approximately equally often absent from work due to illness. But after the birth of their first child, the mother has about twice as many days of absence due to illness as the father. This difference remains up until 15 years after the birth of the first child.

New hope for tiny hearts Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT Scientists are making advances in imaging methods for both ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. One benefit will be an enhanced ability to discover heart defects in newborns.

Magnesium deficiency: Not always a nutritional problem Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT Scientists have identified a genetic cause for magnesium deficiency. The study ascertained changes in a gene which is involved in the regulation of magnesium processes involved in the kidney. This research opens the way for possible future medicinal treatment of genetically caused magnesium deficiencies.

The new adulthood: Extended parental support as a safety net Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:51 AM PDT A new study shows that contrary to popular anxieties about slacker young adults who refuse to grow up, or indulgent parents who stifle their adult children's development by continuing to support them, there is evidence that parental assistance in early adulthood promotes progress toward autonomy and self-reliance.

U.S. Geological Survey updates magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku earthquake to 9.0 Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:44 AM PDT The U.S. Geological Survey has updated the magnitude of the March 11, 2011, Tohoku earthquake in northern Honshu, Japan, to 9.0 from the previous estimate of 8.9. Independently, Japanese seismologists have also updated their estimate of the earthquake's magnitude to 9.0. This magnitude places the earthquake as the fourth largest in the world since 1900 and the largest in Japan since modern instrumental recordings began 130 years ago.

Apnea may be cause for awakening and voiding for those with enlarged prostates Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:37 AM PDT Researchers found that more than half (57.8 percent) of patients with enlarged prostates may in fact have the sleep disorder, and that the awakenings that patients ascribed to their need to urinate at night may be actually caused by their sleep disorders.

New insights into cancer treatment Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:37 AM PDT A researcher strongly argues against the use of Cop1-inhibitory drugs.

Strategies for improved collection of national travel data Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:37 AM PDT Good travel data are essential to measure and monitor the performance of the US transportation system and to help guide policy choices and investments in transportation infrastructure, says a new report that calls for the creation of a national travel data program.

Managing post-stroke depression improves physical functioning Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:37 AM PDT Stroke patients who are not successfully treated for depression are at higher risk of losing some of their capability to function normally, according to a new study.

Maquipucuna cloud forest in Ecuador yields new species of yeast Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:37 AM PDT A new species of yeast has been discovered growing on the fruit of an unidentified and innocuous bramble collected from the biodiversity-rich Maquipucuna cloud forest nature reserve, near Quito, in Ecuador.

Unusual treatment of colonic perforation Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT A research team from Italy described a case of a sigmoid perforation repaired with endoclips and endoloops, and sealed with fibrin glue. The effectiveness of this approach was confirmed on laparoscopic examination.

Detection of early gastric cancer using hydro-stomach CT Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT A research team from South Korea evaluated the difference in diagnostic performance of hydro-stomach computed tomography (CT) to detect early gastric cancer (EGC) between blinded and nonblinded analysis and to assess independent factors affecting visibility of cancer foci. They found that the diagnostic performance of hydrostomach CT to detect an EGC was not significantly different between blinded and nonblinded analysis. The tumor size and invasion depth were independent factors for visibility.

Vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT A research team from Denmark examined the vitamin D status in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis compared to those with primary biliary cirrhosis. They found that vitamin D deficiency in cirrhosis relates to liver dysfunction rather than etiology, with lower levels of vitamin D in alcoholic cirrhosis than in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Relationship between body mass index and age at hepatocellular carcinoma onset Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT A research team from Japan identified factors associated with the age at onset of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The results showed that increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased risk for early HCC development in HCV-infected patients. Achieving recommended BMI and reducing alcohol intake could help prevent hepatic carcinogenesis.

Natural sequence farming could affect global climate change Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT Improving land management and farming practices in Australia could have an effect on global climate change, according to a new study.

Single gene defect causes brain tumor Posted: 15 Mar 2011 07:35 AM PDT Scientists have shown in mice that a defect in a single gene, which is involved in cellular signaling, is sufficient to cause a dangerous brain tumor.

Describing humor with an equation Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT A new theory of humor addresses questions of human attraction to errors and our susceptibility to ideas we know are bad for us, and summarizes it with an equation. The new theory suggests an equation for identifying the cause and level of our responses to any humorous stimuli: h = m x s.

Insulation unit: Quiet area for sensitive devices Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT Devices for precise analysis or manufacturing are very sensitive to ambient vibrations. Experts have now developed an insulation unit that actively counteracts these effects emanating from the environment.

Sheep Genomic Advances Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT The sheep genome has finally made it on to the international genome sequencing research agenda. Traditionally, the small size of the international market for sheep products has limited investment in sheep genetic and genomic resources. Commercial sheep genomic resources have developed at a slower pace and to lower specifications than for other species of domesticated livestock.

Effects of shade avoidance in crops Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT The world of a plant can be a stressful place. Many plants constantly compete with their neighbors for light by elongating to try and get out of their shade. In crops, this elongation can dramatically reduce agricultural yield and so is a major limiting factor in how densely a farmer can plant a crop. Scientists have been studying the effects of shade avoidance in plants and are hoping to eventually impede this response to increase planting density.

Potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least half of all orthodontic retainers, study suggests Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT Insufficient cleaning could allow build-up of microbes on orthodontic retainers, researchers have found. Researchers looked at the types of microbes which live on retainers. This study found potentially pathogenic microbes growing on at least 50% of the retainers.

A good sense of smell is more a product of training than good genes Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:38 AM PDT Do you need to be an expert to have a good nose? It turns out the answer is yes! Having a good nose is not something we are born with, but instead just a matter of training, new research suggests.

Inflammation behind heart valve disease, research suggests Posted: 15 Mar 2011 06:37 AM PDT Researchers in Sweden have shown that a specific inflammatory factor may be important in the development of the heart valve disease aortic stenosis. The results suggest that anti-inflammatory medication could be a possible new treatment.

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