ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Europe-wide survey reveals priorities for end-of-life care
• Red tape for clinical trial consent can be lethal: Experts
• Road traffic pollution doubles risk of rejection after lung transplant
• Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study finds
• In vivo systems biology: Using computer models, systems biologists can predict complicated behavior of cells in living animals
• Bird embryo provides unique insights into development related to cancer and wound healing
• Coronary artery calcium scans may help lower heart disease risk without increasing tests and costs
• Gene responsible for severe skin condition identified in research on epilepsy drug side-effect
• Drug prevents Type 2 diabetes in majority of high-risk individuals
• Lung cancer study finds mentholated cigarettes no more harmful than regular cigarettes
• Study finds no association between mercury exposure and risk of cardiovascular disease
• Physical activity decreases salt's effect on blood pressure, study finds
• Obese and overweight women, children underestimate true weight, study finds
• Monitoring peccaries in Brazil benefits wildlife, local communities and food security
• Basketry from Peru's Huaca Prieta
• Cassini finds Saturn sends mixed signals
• NASA's Juno spacecraft completes thermal vacuum chamber testing
• Researchers find cardiac pacing helps epilepsy patients with ictal asystole
• Self-strengthening nanocomposite created
• Zebrafish model of human melanoma reveals new cancer gene
• Epigenomic findings illuminate veiled variants: Study assigns meaning to regions beyond genes with implications for studies of common diseases
• New method for preparation of high-energy carbon-carbon double bonds
• How lung cancers evolve in response to targeted treatment
• First look at the full multiple myeloma genome reveals new insights, discoveries
• Two new targets for melanoma therapies
• Arthritis drug could help beat melanoma skin cancer, study finds
• Weight worries for mothers-to-be
• Larger female hyenas produce more offspring
• Why some children are harmed by mother's alcohol, but others aren't
• 'Knowing it in your gut': Cross-talk between human gut bacteria and brain
• First French bulldog with sex reversal identified in Spain
• Glimpse of how the 'code' of life may have emerged
• New computer-based method to detect epileptic seizures
• Research produces novel sensor with improved detection selectivity
• Prostate cancer spreads to bones by overtaking the home of blood stem cells
• Research brings habitat models into the future
• Does belief in free will lead to action?
• Molecular muscle: Small parts of a big protein play key roles in building tissues
• US Institute of Medicine recommends standards to achieve reliable clinical practice guidelines
• Plant oil may hold key to reducing obesity-related medical issues, researcher finds
• Chemist develops technique to use light to predict molecular crystal structures
• Robot-assisted prostate surgery is safe, long-term study finds
• Neutron analysis yields insight into bacteria for solar energy
• Researchers close in on technology for making renewable petroleum
• High levels of dietary nitrate might in part explain the vascular benefits of diets rich in leafy greens
• The evolution of brain wiring: Navigating to the neocortex
• New insight into how environmental enrichment enhances memory
• Mouse cancer genome unveils genetic errors in human cancers
• Telomerase inhibitor PinX1 is a key tumor suppressor, research shows
• Trigger found for autoimmune heart attacks: Research may point toward new ways to diagnose and treat heart disease in people with Type 1 diabetes
• Similarities found in brain activity for both habits and goals
• Benefit of disease management programs remains unclear
• Losing a parent can be fatal
• Study of how brain corrects perceptual errors has implications for brain injuries, robotics
• Contented citizens vote against change
• Psychologists find the meaning of aggression: 'Monty Python' scene helps research
• 'Junk food' moms have 'junk food' babies
• Traumatizing your DNA
• Sticking power: New adhesive could find place in space
• People at risk of Alzheimer's may now be able to delay the onset of their first symptoms

Europe-wide survey reveals priorities for end-of-life care Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:44 PM PDT A survey of over 9,000 people in seven different countries across Europe has shown that the majority would want to improve the quality of life in the time they had left, rather than extend it. The survey reveals attitudes across Europe for dealing with serious illnesses such as cancer, and issues raised when caring for a close friend of relative in the last few months of life.

Red tape for clinical trial consent can be lethal: Experts Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:44 PM PDT Current rules requiring researchers to obtain consent for patients to take part in clinical trials in emergency situations are causing life-threatening delays to treatment, experts have argued.

Road traffic pollution doubles risk of rejection after lung transplant Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:29 PM PDT Lung transplant patients have double the risk of organ rejection and death within five years of the procedure if they live near a main road, new research indicates.

Even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 04:29 PM PDT Even relatively mild stress can lead to long term disability and an inability to work, reveals a large population-based study.

In vivo systems biology: Using computer models, systems biologists can predict complicated behavior of cells in living animals Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT Researchers report that they have created a new computational model that describes how intestinal cells in mice respond to a natural chemical called tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

Bird embryo provides unique insights into development related to cancer and wound healing Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT Avian embryos could join the list of model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, a developmental process involving mass movement of cells as a sheet that is linked with medical conditions that include wound healing and cancer.

Coronary artery calcium scans may help lower heart disease risk without increasing tests and costs Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT A new study of coronary artery calcium scanning -- a simple, noninvasive test that gives patients baseline information about plaque in their coronary arteries -- has shown that the scan helps them make heart-healthy lifestyle changes and lower their heart disease risk factors.

Gene responsible for severe skin condition identified in research on epilepsy drug side-effect Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT Scientists have identified a gene that could indicate if epilepsy patients starting drug treatment are likely to experience side-effects resulting in blistering of the skin.

Drug prevents Type 2 diabetes in majority of high-risk individuals Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT An oral pill already in wide use prevented Type 2 diabetes in 72 percent of individuals at high risk for the disease, a multicenter study has found.

Lung cancer study finds mentholated cigarettes no more harmful than regular cigarettes Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT Smokers of mentholated cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer than other smokers, according to a new, very large, prospective study of black and white smokers. In fact, contrary to a popular hypothesis, menthol smokers in this study had a somewhat lower risk of developing and dying from lung cancer than non-menthol smokers.

Study finds no association between mercury exposure and risk of cardiovascular disease Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT In a new, large-scale study, researchers found no evidence that higher levels of mercury exposure were associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or total cardiovascular disease in two separate studies of US adults.

Physical activity decreases salt's effect on blood pressure, study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:38 PM PDT The less physically active you are, the more your blood pressure rises in response to a high-salt diet, new research finds. Following a low-salt diet may be particularly important in lowering blood pressure among sedentary people.

Obese and overweight women, children underestimate true weight, study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 03:37 PM PDT Overweight and obese women and children underestimate their body weight, new research finds. Almost half of the mothers with overweight and obese children think that their children's weight is normal. Obese images appear to have become acceptable norms in some families; thereby, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Monitoring peccaries in Brazil benefits wildlife, local communities and food security Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:57 AM PDT Veterinarians have conducted one of the first health assessments of white-lipped peccaries (medium-sized pig-like animals) in Brazil's Pantanal. The study was an effort to gauge the impact of Leptospirosis -- a zoonotic bacteria that affects a wide range of animals as well as humans -- on wildlife and livestock.

Basketry from Peru's Huaca Prieta Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:57 AM PDT Researchers are examining basketry from northern Peru's Huaca Prieta site.

Cassini finds Saturn sends mixed signals Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:55 AM PDT Like a petulant adolescent, Saturn is sending out mixed signals. Recent data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show that the variation in radio waves controlled by the planet's rotation is different in the northern and southern hemispheres. Moreover, the northern and southern rotational variations also appear to change with the Saturnian seasons, and the hemispheres have actually swapped rates.

NASA's Juno spacecraft completes thermal vacuum chamber testing Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:53 AM PDT NASA's Juno spacecraft has completed its thermal vacuum chamber testing. The two-week-long test, which concluded on March 13, 2011, is the longest the spacecraft will undergo prior to launch.

Researchers find cardiac pacing helps epilepsy patients with ictal asystole Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Researchers have found that cardiac pacing may help epilepsy patients with seizure-related falls due to ictal asystole, an unusual condition in which the heart stops beating during an epileptic seizure.

Self-strengthening nanocomposite created Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Researchers have created a synthetic material that gets stronger from repeated stress much like the body strengthens bones and muscles after repeated workouts.

Zebrafish model of human melanoma reveals new cancer gene Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Looking at the dark stripes on the tiny zebrafish you might not expect that they hold a potential clue for discovering a treatment for melanoma. Yet melanocytes, the same cells that are are responsible for the pigmentation of zebrafish stripes and for human skin color, are also where melanoma originates. Researchers have now used zebrafish to identify a new gene responsible for promoting melanoma.

Epigenomic findings illuminate veiled variants: Study assigns meaning to regions beyond genes with implications for studies of common diseases Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Using a new mapping strategy, scientists have begun to assign meaning to the regions beyond our genes and has revealed how minute changes in these regions might be connected to common diseases.

New method for preparation of high-energy carbon-carbon double bonds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Researchers report they've developed a new catalytic chemical method for the synthesis of a large and important class of carbon-carbon double bonds.

How lung cancers evolve in response to targeted treatment Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT A detailed analysis of lung tumors that became resistant to targeted therapy drugs has revealed two previously unreported resistance mechanisms and some surprising changes in the appearance of tumor cells. The findings support the importance of monitoring the molecular status of tumors throughout the treatment process.

First look at the full multiple myeloma genome reveals new insights, discoveries Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Scientists have unveiled the most comprehensive picture to date of the full genetic blueprint of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Two new targets for melanoma therapies Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT Zebrafish don't get sunburns, but they can get skin cancer -- at least those fish that have been engineered to model the often deadly human cancer. Researchers have used the zebrafish model to discover two new melanoma-promoting proteins that could be targets for therapy.

Arthritis drug could help beat melanoma skin cancer, study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT A breakthrough discovery promises an effective new treatment for one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Researchers found that leflunomide -- a drug commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis -- also inhibits the growth of malignant melanoma.

Weight worries for mothers-to-be Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:15 AM PDT A leading researcher into maternal obesity warns that not enough help is being provided to overweight pregnant women. Being seriously overweight during pregnancy increases dangers for both mother and unborn child, but little is being done to help obese mums-to-be, says a leading researcher in the field.

Larger female hyenas produce more offspring Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT When it comes to producing more offspring, larger female hyenas outdo their smaller counterparts. A new study revealed this as well as defined a new way to measure spotted hyenas' size.

Why some children are harmed by mother's alcohol, but others aren't Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Why does one woman who drinks alcohol during pregnancy have a child with behavioral or learning problems while another woman who also drinks has a child without these problems? New research shows one answer is a gene variation passed on by the mother to her son. This makes a fetus vulnerable to even moderate alcohol exposure by disrupting the balance of thyroid hormones in the brain. In the future, vulnerable women could be identified and given dietary supplements to correct the problem.

'Knowing it in your gut': Cross-talk between human gut bacteria and brain Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT A lot of chatter goes on inside each one of us and not all of it happens between our ears. Researchers have discovered that the "cross-talk" between bacteria in our gut and our brain plays an important role in the development of psychiatric illness, intestinal diseases and probably other health problems as well including obesity.

First French bulldog with sex reversal identified in Spain Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Tana, a female French bulldog, was brought to a veterinary center for her first vaccination. Specialists there were alerted by the size of her clitoris, which was "larger than normal", and they started to carry out tests. These revealed the first ever genetic alteration ever detected in the reproductive system of this breed -- the female puppy had cryptorchid testicles (outside the scrotum).

Glimpse of how the 'code' of life may have emerged Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT A portion of the "code" of life has been unraveled by a graduate student. She aimed to decipher intramolecular communication within a large RNA-protein enzyme responsible for expressing the genetic code for the amino acid glutamine. To her surprise, the experiments captured a partial glimpse of how the genetic coding of life may have emerged.

New computer-based method to detect epileptic seizures Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Researchers have pioneered a computer-based method to detect epileptic seizures as they occur -- a new technique that may open a window on the brain's electrical activity.

Research produces novel sensor with improved detection selectivity Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT A highly sensitive sensor that combines a variety of testing means (electrochemistry, spectroscopy and selective partitioning) into one device has been developed. It's already been tested in a variety of settings – including testing for components in nuclear waste.

Prostate cancer spreads to bones by overtaking the home of blood stem cells Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Like bad neighbors who decide to go wreck another community, prostate and breast cancer usually recur in the bone, according to a new study.

Research brings habitat models into the future Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Time marches on, and thanks to new research, models of wildlife habitat now can monitor changes over time more accurately and more easily. Researchers are combining habitat modeling and remote sensing technology, then gain the ability to use one model to monitor various changes over time.

Does belief in free will lead to action? Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT Free will may be an illusion. Yet we persist in believing we are the masters of our fates -- and that belief affects how we act. Think you determine the course of your life and you're likely to work harder toward your goals and feel better about yourself too. Think you don't, and you're likelier to behave in ways that fulfill that prophesy.

Molecular muscle: Small parts of a big protein play key roles in building tissues Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT We all know the adage: A little bit of a good thing can go a long way. Now researchers in London are reporting that might also be true for a large protein associated with wound healing.

US Institute of Medicine recommends standards to achieve reliable clinical practice guidelines Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT Two new reports from the US Institute of Medicine recommend standards to enhance the quality and reliability of these important tools for informing health care decisions.

Plant oil may hold key to reducing obesity-related medical issues, researcher finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT Scientists have known for years that belly fat leads to serious medical problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Now, a researcher has found a plant oil that may be able to reduce belly fat in humans. A new study has found that a specific plant oil, known as sterculic oil, may be a key in the fight against obesity.

Chemist develops technique to use light to predict molecular crystal structures Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT Chemists have developed a way to use very low frequency light waves to study the weak forces (London dispersion forces) that hold molecules together in a crystal.

Robot-assisted prostate surgery is safe, long-term study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT In the first study of its kind, urologists and biostatisticians have found that robot-assisted surgery to remove cancerous prostate glands is safe over the long term, with a major complication rate of less than one percent. The findings follow an earlier Henry Ford study that found nearly 87 percent of patients whose cancerous prostates were removed by robot-assisted surgery had no recurrence of the disease after five years.

Neutron analysis yields insight into bacteria for solar energy Posted: 23 Mar 2011 11:01 AM PDT Structural studies of some of nature's most efficient light-harvesting systems are lighting the way for new generations of biologically inspired solar cell devices.

Researchers close in on technology for making renewable petroleum Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT Researchers are a key step closer to making renewable petroleum fuels using bacteria, sunlight and carbon dioxide.

High levels of dietary nitrate might in part explain the vascular benefits of diets rich in leafy greens Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT Nitric oxide (NO) helps maintain the health of vasculature. NO is synthesized by an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS). In a new study, researchers determined that after vessel injury, the NOS pathway is disrupted, but a secondary pathway that generates NO from nitrate is activated. This suggests that high levels of dietary nitrate might in part explain the vascular benefits of diets rich in leafy greens.

The evolution of brain wiring: Navigating to the neocortex Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT A new study is providing fascinating insight into how projections conveying sensory information in the brain are guided to their appropriate targets in different species. The research reveals a surprising new evolutionary scenario that may help to explain how subtle changes in the migration of "guidepost" neurons underlie major differences in brain connectivity between mammals and non-mammalian vertebrates.

New insight into how environmental enrichment enhances memory Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT A new study introduces a valuable model system for investigating the role of synapse turnover in learning and memory in adult animals and elucidates mechanisms that link loss of existing synapses and the establishment of new synapses with improved learning.

Mouse cancer genome unveils genetic errors in human cancers Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT By sequencing the genome of a mouse with cancer, researchers have uncovered mutations that also drive cancer in humans. The investigators are the first to sequence a mouse cancer genome.

Telomerase inhibitor PinX1 is a key tumor suppressor, research shows Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT The discovery of a vitally important new function for this telomerase inhibitor suggests a novel option for treating cancers of the breast, lung, liver and GI system.

Trigger found for autoimmune heart attacks: Research may point toward new ways to diagnose and treat heart disease in people with Type 1 diabetes Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT People with type 1 diabetes, whose insulin-producing cells have been destroyed by the body's own immune system, are particularly vulnerable to a form of inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis) caused by a different autoimmune reaction. Scientists have revealed the exact target of this other onslaught.

Similarities found in brain activity for both habits and goals Posted: 23 Mar 2011 10:56 AM PDT Researchers hasve found that pursuing carefully planned goals and engaging in more automatic habits shows overlapping neurological mechanisms. Because the findings show a neurological linkage between goal-directed and habitual, and perhaps damaging, behaviors, they may offer a pathway for beginning to address addiction and similar maladies.

Benefit of disease management programs remains unclear Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:53 AM PDT It is not clear whether disease management programs (DMPs), which are expensive and involve a great deal of documentation, improve medical outcomes for participants, according to a new study.

Losing a parent can be fatal Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:53 AM PDT The death of parents entails an increase in their children's risk of dying, according to researchers in Sweden and Finland. Those especially affected are younger children, and primarily if they lose their mother.

Study of how brain corrects perceptual errors has implications for brain injuries, robotics Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT New research provides the first evidence that sensory recalibration -- the brain's automatic correcting of errors made by our sensory or perceptual systems -- can occur instantly.

Contented citizens vote against change Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT US citizens who have a high quality of life are more engaged in the direct democracy process, according to new research. A new study demonstrates that quality of life is a strong predictor of voter turnout. However, interestingly, voters with a higher quality of life are less likely to support changes in public policy through direct democracy.

Psychologists find the meaning of aggression: 'Monty Python' scene helps research Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT Bottling up emotions can make people more aggressive, according to new research. The psychologists used a pair of classic movie scenes in their research. They found that subjects who were asked to suppress their emotions and show no reaction to a notoriously disgusting scene in the 1983 film "The Meaning of Life" and another in the 1996 film "Trainspotting" were more aggressive afterwards than subjects who were allowed to show their revulsion.

'Junk food' moms have 'junk food' babies Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT Pregnant mothers who eat high sugar and high fat diets have babies who are likely to become junk food junkies themselves. According to the report, which used rats, this happens because the high fat and high sugar diet leads to changes in the fetal brain's reward pathway, altering food preferences.

Traumatizing your DNA Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:47 AM PDT After an exhaustive survey of contemporary epigenetics studies, one researcher has concluded that some of the effects of stress, cancer and other chronic diseases may be passed on to our offspring -- and theirs -- through deep and complicated underlying cellular mechanisms that scientists are just beginning to understand.

Sticking power: New adhesive could find place in space Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:47 AM PDT A new adhesive peptide becomes stronger as more moisture is removed. This property could allow it to be used in a low-moisture environment like outer space. Also, the adhesion is mechanical rather than chemical. It develops nanoscale fibrils that become entangled, similar to Velcro.

People at risk of Alzheimer's may now be able to delay the onset of their first symptoms Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:47 AM PDT For elderly subjects at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, research shows that hope may lie in brain plasticity.

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