ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Pneumonia death rate lower among people who take statins, study suggests
• Scientists discover a way to kill off tumors in cancer treatment breakthrough
• Safer CT scanning for children developed in Sweden
• Dangerous blood pressure increases during exercise can be blocked, researchers find
• Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics; Coastal trees key to lowering greenhouse gases
• Giving teachers bonuses for student achievement undermines student learning, study finds
• Ancient enzymes: Protein adaptation shows that life on early Earth lived in a hot, acidic environment
• Research questions the educational possibilities of some TV and computer games
• Key guideline-recommended therapies improve survival for heart failure patients
• New leads on the causes of alcoholism
• Chemists produce first high-resolution RNA 'nano square'
• New models may reduce seabird bycatch
• Call of the riled: Stress signal in cancer cells triggers similar response in other cells, aiding tumor growth
• Men who lose their jobs at greater risk of dying prematurely
• Leatherback sea turtle nests increasing in Florida
• Teens who choose music over books are more likely to be depressed, study finds
• Gene involved in predisposition to alcohol consumption identified
• Measuring oxidative stress can predict risk of atrial fibrillation
• Low income associated with mental disorders and suicide attempts, study finds
• Repetitive, high-impact sports linked to stress fractures in girls
• Study identifies neural activity linked to food addiction
• Prevalence of 'flattened head' in infants and young children appears to be increasing
• Partner controlling behaviors appear to be associated with relationship violence
• Tumors resistant to radiation therapy may be controlled by the MET oncogene
• Stronger alcohol 'buzz' predicts future binge drinking problems
• Mexican migrants to the US risk 'clinically significant' mental-health problems, study finds
• Sudden cardiac death affects about 1 in 44,000 NCAA athletes a year, study finds
• New role for cilia protein in mitosis
• Got up on the wrong side of the bed? Your work will show it
• Formaldehyde: Poison could have set the stage for the origins of life
• Algae that live inside the cells of salamanders are the first known vertebrate endosymbionts
• Patient's own cells may hold therapeutic promise after reprogramming, gene correction
• Bone marrow cells that transform into skin cells could revolutionize approach to wound treatment
• Leptin restores fertility, may improve bone health in lean women; Treatment could help athletes, women with eating disorders
• When African animals hit the hay: Fossil teeth show who ate what and when as grasses emerged
• Caterpillars aren't so bird-brained after all: Clever behavioral strategies help them outwit predators
• Common variant of p53 tumor suppressor gene linked to increased inflammatory responses
• High dose of oxygen enhances natural cancer treatment, researchers find
• Oxygen sensor invention could benefit fisheries to breweries
• Genetic changes behind sweet tooth
• Genes an important factor in urinary incontinence
• Dead midges reveal living conditions of fish
• Cardiovascular disease can be detected earlier during sleep
• Addressing the nuclear waste issue with common algae
• Resistance to anti-estrogen therapy in breast cancer due to natural cell response
• Social isolation, stress-induced obesity increases breast cancer risk in mice
• SeaWiFS' 13 years of observing our home planet
• NASA airborne radar set to image Hawaiian volcano
• The Art of Making Stars
• New tool helps surgeons predict patients' risk of complications after bariatric operations
• Simpler woodland strawberry genome aids research on more complex fruits
• Herpes linked to Alzheimer's disease: 'Cold sores' connected to cognitive decline
• More women medical students select general surgery and continue to close the gender gap
• Scientists identify KRAS rearrangements in metastatic prostate cancer
• Mountain pine beetle marching east from Alberta
• Cocaine images capture motivated attention among users
• Boys and girls view nature differently, help from schools recommended
• Alternate route to blocked arteries safe and effective for angioplasty, study suggests
• First link between two major Parkinson's genes identified
• First look at Asian Americans' glaucoma risk

Pneumonia death rate lower among people who take statins, study suggests Posted: 04 Apr 2011 07:27 PM PDT Taking statins could help prevent people dying from pneumonia, according to a new study.

Scientists discover a way to kill off tumors in cancer treatment breakthrough Posted: 04 Apr 2011 07:27 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new treatment for cancer which rather than attacking tumors directly, prevents the growth of new blood vessels in tumors, starving them of oxygen and nutrients, thereby preventing their growth.

Safer CT scanning for children developed in Sweden Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:33 PM PDT A research team in Sweden has developed a method that allows the lowest possible dose of radiation for children having a CT scan while still obtaining good image quality.

Dangerous blood pressure increases during exercise can be blocked, researchers find Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT Researchers have identified one reason people with hypertension experience an even greater increase in their blood pressure when they exercise, and they've learned how to prevent the rise.

Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics; Coastal trees key to lowering greenhouse gases Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT Coastal mangrove forests store more carbon than almost any other forest on Earth, according to a study conducted by a team of US Forest Service and university scientists.

Giving teachers bonuses for student achievement undermines student learning, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT Recent efforts to improve teacher performance by linking pay to student achievement have failed because such programs often rely on metrics that were never intended to help determine teacher pay. These systems make it easy for policymakers to obtain consistent measures of student and teacher performance, but the same testing regimes also make it easy for educators to game incentive systems by coaching students for exams rather than teaching them to master subject matter.

Ancient enzymes: Protein adaptation shows that life on early Earth lived in a hot, acidic environment Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT A new study reveals that a group of ancient enzymes adapted to substantial changes in ocean temperature and acidity during the last four billion years, providing evidence that life on Early Earth evolved from a much hotter, more acidic environment to the cooler, less acidic global environment that exists today.

Research questions the educational possibilities of some TV and computer games Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT There is a considerable amount of interest among researchers, educationalists and from the games industry in the educational possibilities offered by video and computer games. Some of the arguments about this educational potential are about so called open-ended games, games where the players set their own goals or plans and chooses which way the game goes. Now research from Sweden reveals that as a mean to challenge pupils' ideas and values, then these open-ended games are not appropriate.

Key guideline-recommended therapies improve survival for heart failure patients Posted: 04 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT A new study has found that adherence to national guideline-recommended therapies for heart failure in an outpatient practice setting significantly lowered the mortality rate of heart failure patients.

New leads on the causes of alcoholism Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT In order to develop new medications for alcoholism, researchers need to understand how alcohol acts on the brain's reward system. A previously unknown mechanism has been shown to block the rewarding effects of alcohol on the brain, reveals new research from Sweden.

Chemists produce first high-resolution RNA 'nano square' Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Chemists have produced the first high resolution structure of a nano-scale square made from ribonucleic acid, or RNA.

New models may reduce seabird bycatch Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Tens of thousands of albatrosses and other far-ranging seabirds are killed each year after they become caught in longline fishing gear. Innovative new models may help reduce these casualties by more precisely projecting where and when birds and boats are likely to cross paths.

Call of the riled: Stress signal in cancer cells triggers similar response in other cells, aiding tumor growth Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Researchers say a "stress response" mechanism used by normal cells to cope with harsh or demanding conditions is exploited by cancer cells, which transmit the same stress signal to surrounding cells, triggering an inflammatory response in them that can aid tumor growth.

Men who lose their jobs at greater risk of dying prematurely Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Unemployment increases the risk of premature mortality by 63 percent, according to a new review. Researchers reached this conclusion by surveying existing research covering 20 million people in 15 (mainly western) countries, over the last 40 years.

Leatherback sea turtle nests increasing in Florida Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT The number of endangered leatherback sea turtle nests at 68 beaches in Florida has increased by 10.2 percent a year since 1979, according to a new study.

Teens who choose music over books are more likely to be depressed, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Adolescents who spend more time listening to music are far more likely to have major depressive disorder, while young people who spend more time reading books are far less likely to have such a diagnosis, according to a new study.

Gene involved in predisposition to alcohol consumption identified Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a role in regulating how much alcohol people drink, in a study of over 47,000 people. The researchers say that finding a common genetic variation influencing levels of alcohol consumption may lead to a better understanding of mechanisms underlying alcohol drinking behavior in the general population.

Measuring oxidative stress can predict risk of atrial fibrillation Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:18 PM PDT Measuring oxidative stress may help doctors predict the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, the most common heart beat irregularity. Research has identified a connection between oxidative stress and enlargement of the heart's left atrium, which leads to atrial fibrillation.

Low income associated with mental disorders and suicide attempts, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Low levels of household income are associated with several lifetime mental disorders and suicide attempts, and a decrease in income is associated with a higher risk for anxiety, substance use, and mood disorders, according to a new study.

Repetitive, high-impact sports linked to stress fractures in girls Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Children are urged to participate in sports at younger and younger ages and at greater levels of intensity. While weight-bearing activity is generally thought to increase bone density, a new study finds that for preadolescent and adolescent girls, too much high-impact activity can lead to stress fractures. If these are detected too late in children and adolescent athletes, they pose a risk of true fracture, deformity or growth disturbance requiring surgical treatment, say the researchers.

Study identifies neural activity linked to food addiction Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Persons with an addictive-like eating behavior appear to have greater neural activity in certain regions of the brain similar to substance dependence, including elevated activation in reward circuitry in response to food cues, according to a new study.

Prevalence of 'flattened head' in infants and young children appears to be increasing Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT The prevalence of plagiocephaly, a condition marked by an asymmetrical, flattening of the skull, appears to be increasing in infants and young children, according to a new study.

Partner controlling behaviors appear to be associated with relationship violence Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Having a significant other who exhibits controlling behaviors appears to be associated with increased physical and sexual relationship violence, according to a new study. However, young women experiencing these behaviors are more hesitant to answer questions about relationship violence.

Tumors resistant to radiation therapy may be controlled by the MET oncogene Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Ionizing radiation treats many cancers effectively, but in some patients a few tumor cells become resistant to radiation and go on to cause relapse and metastasis. A growth factor-receptor protein called MET may be a key player in these cells' resistance to radiation, and drugs targeting MET may help to prevent radiation-induced metastasis, according to a new study.

Stronger alcohol 'buzz' predicts future binge drinking problems Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT For some people, alcohol is a social lubricant. For others, it's an unpleasant downer. New research shows that a person's response to alcohol can predict their future drinking behavior, including their frequency of binge drinking and the risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder.

Mexican migrants to the US risk 'clinically significant' mental-health problems, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:17 PM PDT Mexicans who migrate to the United States are far more likely to experience significant depression and anxiety than individuals who do not immigrate, a new study has found.

Sudden cardiac death affects about 1 in 44,000 NCAA athletes a year, study finds Posted: 04 Apr 2011 01:16 PM PDT About one in 44,000 college athletes each year suffers sudden cardiac death -- more than previous estimates. New calculations of young athletes' risk might influence guidelines for health screenings.

New role for cilia protein in mitosis Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Researchers have described a previously unknown role for the cilia protein IFT88 in mitosis, the process by which a dividing cell separates its chromosomes containing the cell's DNA into two identical sets of new daughter cells. This newly discovered function for IFT88 suggests a possible alternative or contributory cause for cilia-related diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia, and polycystic kidney disease.

Got up on the wrong side of the bed? Your work will show it Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT A new study of telephone customer service representatives shows just how important it is for employees to start the workday in a good mood. Researchers found that employees' moods when they clocked in tended to affect how they felt the rest of the day. Early mood was linked to their perceptions of customers and to how they reacted to customers' moods.

Formaldehyde: Poison could have set the stage for the origins of life Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Formaldehyde, a poison and a common molecule throughout the universe, is likely the source of the solar system's organic carbon solids -- abundant in both comets and asteroids. Scientists have long speculated about the how organic, or carbon-containing, material became a part of the solar system's fabric. New research shows that these complex organic solids were likely made from formaldehyde in the primitive solar system.

Algae that live inside the cells of salamanders are the first known vertebrate endosymbionts Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT A species of algae long known to associate with spotted salamanders has been discovered to live inside the cells of developing embryos, say scientists from the US and Canada. This is the first known example of a eukaryotic algae living stably inside the cells of any vertebrate.

Patient's own cells may hold therapeutic promise after reprogramming, gene correction Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Scientists have moved gene therapy one step closer to clinical reality by determining that the process of correcting a genetic defect does not substantially increase the number of potentially cancer-causing mutations in induced pluripotent stem cells.

Bone marrow cells that transform into skin cells could revolutionize approach to wound treatment Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Researchers have identified specific bone marrow cells that can transform into skin cells to repair damaged skin tissue, according to a new study.

Leptin restores fertility, may improve bone health in lean women; Treatment could help athletes, women with eating disorders Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Women with extremely low body fat, including runners and dancers, as well as women with eating disorders, are prone to develop hypothalamic amenorrhea, a condition in which their menstrual periods cease, triggering such serious problems as infertility and osteoporosis.

When African animals hit the hay: Fossil teeth show who ate what and when as grasses emerged Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Fossil teeth of African animals show that during the past 10 million years, different plant-eating critters began grazing on grass at different times as many switched from a salad-bar diet of tree leaves and shrubs, a new study has found

Caterpillars aren't so bird-brained after all: Clever behavioral strategies help them outwit predators Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Caterpillars that masquerade as twigs to avoid becoming a bird's dinner are actually using clever behavioral strategies to outwit their predators, according to a new study.

Common variant of p53 tumor suppressor gene linked to increased inflammatory responses Posted: 04 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT New findings link a common variant of the powerful anticancer gene p53 to increased inflammatory responses following DNA damage. The results may help explain why African Americans, who more frequently possess this variant, tend to be more susceptible to certain kinds of inflammation-related diseases and cancers, such as type II diabetes and colorectal cancer.

High dose of oxygen enhances natural cancer treatment, researchers find Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT An environment of pure oxygen at three-and-a-half times normal air pressure adds significantly to the effectiveness of a natural compound already shown to kill cancerous cells, according to new research.

Oxygen sensor invention could benefit fisheries to breweries Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT Monitoring oxygen levels in water has applications for oil spills, fish farming, brewing beer and more -- and a researcher is poised to help supply that need. The concept of oxygen sensors isn't new. The challenge, however, has been manufacturing one that can withstand fluctuations in temperature, salinity, carbon dioxide, phosphates and biological wastes. Physicist Ruby Ghosh was able to overcome those obstacles as well as build one that provides real-time data and is relatively inexpensive.

Genetic changes behind sweet tooth Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT The substance ghrelin plays an important role in various addictions, such as alcoholism and binge-eating. It also impacts on sugar consumption, which is due, in part, to genetic factors, new research from Sweden reveals.

Genes an important factor in urinary incontinence Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT Much of the risk of developing incontinence before middle age is determined by our genes. Genetic factors can explain half of people's susceptibility to urinary incontinence, a study of twins reveals.

Dead midges reveal living conditions of fish Posted: 04 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT Microscopic remains of dead Phantom midge larvae may explain a few hundred years of history of the living conditions of fish, acidification and fish death in Swedish lakes. Researchers have developed a method of using lake-bottom sediments to show when and how fish life disappeared from acidified lakes -- invaluable knowledge for lake restorations in acidified regions.

Cardiovascular disease can be detected earlier during sleep Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:15 AM PDT A specially customized pulse oximeter attached to the finger can be used to detect changes in heart and vessel function while you sleep, and this simple technique can even identify patients at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, reveals new research.

Addressing the nuclear waste issue with common algae Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:14 AM PDT Researchers have an enhanced understanding of a common freshwater alga and its remarkable ability to remove strontium from water. Insight into this mechanism ultimately could help scientists design methods to remove radioactive strontium from existing nuclear waste. They are the first to show quantitatively how Closterium moniliferum sequesters strontium (in the form of barium-strontium-sulfate crystals) and to use this to think about a practical sequestration system for nuclear waste that maximizes strontium removal.

Resistance to anti-estrogen therapy in breast cancer due to natural cell response Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:14 AM PDT Most breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, and anti-estrogenic agents often work for a time to control the cancers. But many of these cancers become resistant to the drugs for reasons that are not understood, leaving patients with limited treatment options. Now researchers say that this resistance appears to be due to a natural stress response in cells, and that the biochemical molecules involved in this response might prove to be a new drug target.

Social isolation, stress-induced obesity increases breast cancer risk in mice Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:14 AM PDT Stress from social isolation, combined with a high-fat diet, increases levels of a brain neurotransmitter -- neuropeptide Y, or NPY -- in mice that then promotes obesity, insulin resistance, and breast cancer risk, say researchers.

SeaWiFS' 13 years of observing our home planet Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:11 AM PDT For centuries, oceanographers were limited in their study of the highly variable and incredibly vast ocean by what they could physically sample from the deck of a slow moving ship. Like so many scientific fields, satellites changed that. The oceans, once thought homogenous and boring, have been revealed as far more dynamic, changing and varied from region to region and season to season. Quantifying this diversity in time and space would be impossible without long-operating satellites. Since its launch in 1997, SeaWiFS has been making outsized contributions to the field of observing the oceans pulse with life through changing seasons and a changing climate.

NASA airborne radar set to image Hawaiian volcano Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:06 AM PDT The Kilauea volcano that recently erupted on the Big Island of Hawaii will be the target for a NASA study to help scientists better understand processes occurring under Earth's surface.

The Art of Making Stars Posted: 04 Apr 2011 10:05 AM PDT It might look like an abstract painting, but this splash of colors is in fact a busy star-forming complex called Rho Ophiuchi. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Explorer, or WISE, captured the picturesque image of the region, which is one of the closest star-forming complexes to Earth.

New tool helps surgeons predict patients' risk of complications after bariatric operations Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT A new risk calculator can predict the risk of postoperative complications occurring for individual bariatric surgery patients, according to a new study. The risk calculator will help in surgical decision-making and will help patients better understand what they can expect during recovery in order to prepare for a bariatric operation.

Simpler woodland strawberry genome aids research on more complex fruits Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT The complete genome sequence of the woodland strawberry will allow researchers to conduct comparative genomics to investigate similarities and/or differences between strawberry and apple or strawberry and peach and other more complex fruits in the same family.

Herpes linked to Alzheimer's disease: 'Cold sores' connected to cognitive decline Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT New research using a new technique to observe herpes simplex virus type 1 infections inside cells, finds that re-activation and growth of HSV1 infections contribute to cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

More women medical students select general surgery and continue to close the gender gap Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT The gender gap among United States medical graduates in the traditionally male-dominated specialty of general surgery is shrinking, according to new study. These findings align with the overall trend of increasingly equal gender enrollment of medical students.

Scientists identify KRAS rearrangements in metastatic prostate cancer Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:21 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered a genetic characteristic of metastatic prostate cancer that defines a rare sub-type of this disease.

Mountain pine beetle marching east from Alberta Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:21 AM PDT Scientists have determined that the mountain pine beetle has invaded jack pine forests in Alberta, opening up the possibility for an infestation that could stretch across the Prairies and keep moving east towards the Atlantic.

Cocaine images capture motivated attention among users Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:19 AM PDT Scientists have conducted the most comprehensive study to date of how cocaine users respond to drug-related and other emotional stimuli, making use of comparisons with a matched control group and exploring the effects of recent cocaine use and abstinence.

Boys and girls view nature differently, help from schools recommended Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:19 AM PDT A new study recommends horticultural interventions in schools, especially in urban areas. Researchers compared urban and rural students' attitudes toward nature and examined perception differences between boys and girls. The results showed significant differences in the ways boys and girls experience plants and nature. While the girls said they appreciated the beauty of flowers and plants, more than 30 percent of boys in the study said they could live without vegetation.

Alternate route to blocked arteries safe and effective for angioplasty, study suggests Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:19 AM PDT Researchers have found accessing blocked arteries through the forearm compared to groin led to fewer vascular complications and similar success rates for angioplasty.

First link between two major Parkinson's genes identified Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:19 AM PDT Scientists have found new insights into Parkinson's disease that are paving the way for new avenues for clinical trials. A new study provides the first link between the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's and the hallmark accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein within the brains of people with Parkinson's.

First look at Asian Americans' glaucoma risk Posted: 04 Apr 2011 09:19 AM PDT Little was known about glaucoma risks for Asian Americans until now. By reviewing insurance records of more than 44,000 Asian Americans older than 40, the researchers found their glaucoma risk to be 6.5 percent, which is about the same as US Latinos.

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