ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Indian public water supply
• Breast cancer patients' persistent fatigue is real, may actually speed up aging
• Progression of smell loss offers clues to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
• Chimpanzees' contagious yawning evidence of empathy, not just sleepiness, study shows
• Body mass index in adolescence associated with early occurrence of diabetes and heart disease
• Epileptic seizures linked to significant risk of subsequent brain tumor
• Frequent shopping prolongs life, study suggests
• Long-term users of ecstasy risk structural brain damage
• Development of protocols for future disasters urgently called for
• Female deer confirm bigger is not always better when choosing a mate
• Some diabetes drugs are better than others, according to new study
• Control the cursor with power of thought
• Some people's climate beliefs shift with weather
• Shopping online, privacy, data protection and third-party tracking
• Novel association between Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer
• Chemical engineers have designed molecular probe to study disease
• Substance in tangerines fights obesity and protects against heart disease
• Healthy welders may be at increased risk for early brain damage
• Off the hook: Who gets phished and why
• Element germanium under pressure matches predictions of modern condensed matter theory
• Two dying stars to be reborn as one
• Battery-less chemical detector developed
• Reliance on medical journals, deadlines can predict journalists' attitudes toward press releases
• New fusion gene plays role in some stomach cancers
• Amount of AIDS virus in genital secretions predicts risk of heterosexual transmission
• Astronomers find newly discovered asteroid is Earth’s companion
• Ride-sharing for road freight
• Surveillance system to cut risk of space debris hitting satellites
• New discovery explains weight problems in Huntingon’s disease
• Nano fitness: Helping enzymes stay active and keep in shape
• New prostate cancer test gives more accurate diagnosis
• Refusal skills help minority youths combat smoking, study finds
• Common dietary fat and intestinal microbes linked to heart disease
• Strong Indian crust thrust beneath the Tibetan Plateau, new study suggests
• Genetic change that helps tumors move to other parts of the body identified
• Biodiversity improves water quality in streams through a division of labor
• The self-made eye: Formation of optic cup from embryonic stem cells
• Brain development switch could affect schizophrenia, other conditions
• Structure formed by strep protein can trigger toxic shock
• New device promises safer way to deliver powerful drugs
• Are infants creating historical footprints with their eyes?
• Seeing rice with X-rays may improve crop yields
• Common nanoparticles found to be highly toxic to Arctic ecosystem
• Replacing batteries may become a thing of the past, thanks to 'soft generators'
• Micro aircraft improves avionic systems and sensors
• Treating newborn horses: A unique form of pediatrics
• Gene linked to severity of autism's social dysfunction identified
• Hypothermia shown to improve survival and outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
• Having trouble sharing or understanding emotions? Affection could help
• Sniffing out lymphoma by 'turning dogs into humans'
• What the world needs now? More wisdom
• New drug shrinks cancer in animals, study shows
• High levels of toxic compounds found on coasts of West Africa
• Flexible schedules, results-oriented workplaces reduce work-family conflict and turnover
• Mussel adhesive inspires tough coating for living cells
• Tungsten may not be the best shot for making 'green' bullets
• Simple chemical cocktail shows first promise for limb re-growth in mammals
• Where will the debris from Japan's tsunami drift in the ocean?
• Most recent mammography recommendations confuse public
• Neural guidance gene regulates liver development

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Indian public water supply Posted: 06 Apr 2011 06:43 PM PDT Disease-causing bacteria carrying the new genetic resistance to antibiotics, NDM-1, have been discovered in New Delhi's drinking water supply.

Breast cancer patients' persistent fatigue is real, may actually speed up aging Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:25 PM PDT The persistent fatigue that plagues one out of every three breast cancer survivors may be caused by one part of the autonomic nervous system running in overdrive, while the other part fails to slow it down. That imbalance of a natural system in the body appears linked to the tiredness and exhaustion that can burden cancer patients as much as a decade after their successful treatment.

Progression of smell loss offers clues to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:25 PM PDT Loss of smell is a characteristic early symptom among people with Alzheimer's disease, but the relationship between olfactory dysfunction and the progression of the disease is still relatively unknown. New findings propose a pathological mechanism in the olfactory bulb, a small area of the brain above and behind the nose that transmits smell information to other areas of the brain for processing, could play a key role.

Chimpanzees' contagious yawning evidence of empathy, not just sleepiness, study shows Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:25 PM PDT Contagious yawning is not just a marker of sleepiness or boredom. For chimpanzees, it may actually be a sign of a social connection between individuals.

Body mass index in adolescence associated with early occurrence of diabetes and heart disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT A study of 37,000 teenagers found that diabetes risk is mainly associated with increased body mass index close to the time of diagnosis at early adulthood, while coronary heart disease risk is associated with elevated BMI both at adolescence and adulthood.

Epileptic seizures linked to significant risk of subsequent brain tumor Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT Epileptic seizures can precede the development of a subsequent brain tumor by many years, suggests new research.

Frequent shopping prolongs life, study suggests Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT A spot of regular 'retail therapy' really does seem to help people live longer, suggests new research. Frequent shopping among the elderly may not always be about buying things, but about seeking companionship or taking exercise, which is easier to do than more formal exercise that usually requires motivation.

Long-term users of ecstasy risk structural brain damage Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT Long term users of the popular recreational drug ecstasy risk structural brain damage, suggests preliminary research.

Development of protocols for future disasters urgently called for Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT Experts urgently call for the development of protocols dealing with the health effects of disasters -- before the next one occurs. One year later, the magnitude of the impact of the Gulf oil spill on human health, the environment, and the economy remains unknown.

Female deer confirm bigger is not always better when choosing a mate Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT Female deer do not always choose the bigger and dominant males to mate with, scientists have found.

Some diabetes drugs are better than others, according to new study Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT New research suggests that several commonly prescribed drugs for Type 2 diabetes may not be as effective at preventing death and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and stroke, as the oral anti-diabetic drug, metformin.

Control the cursor with power of thought Posted: 06 Apr 2011 04:24 PM PDT Researchers have used a technique, usually associated with identifying epilepsy, for the first time to show that a computer can listen to our thoughts. The scientists demonstrated that humans can control a cursor on a computer screen using words spoken out loud and in their head.

Some people's climate beliefs shift with weather Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT In three separate studies, researchers surveyed about 1,200 people in the United States and Australia, and found that those who thought the current day was warmer than usual were more likely to believe in and feel concern about global warming than those who thought the day was unusually cold.

Shopping online, privacy, data protection and third-party tracking Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT In the wake of yet another e-commerce data breach in which the names and email addresses of millions of online shoppers and credit card users have been accessed illegally, researchers in the US suggest that privacy discussions, and ultimately legislation must urgently focus on the expanding roles of third-parties handling pervasive online customer profiles.

Novel association between Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT Researchers have found compelling evidence that Parkinson's disease is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer and melanoma, and that this increased cancer risk also extends to close and distant relatives of individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Chemical engineers have designed molecular probe to study disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT Chemical engineers expect that their new process to create molecular probes may eventually result in the development of new drugs to treat cancer and other illnesses.

Substance in tangerines fights obesity and protects against heart disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT A substance in tangerines not only helps to prevent obesity, but also offers protection against type 2 diabetes, and even atherosclerosis, the underlying disease responsible for most heart attacks and strokes, new research suggests.

Healthy welders may be at increased risk for early brain damage Posted: 06 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT New research suggests that workers exposed to welding fumes may be at risk for developing brain damage in an area of the brain also affected in Parkinson's disease.

Off the hook: Who gets phished and why Posted: 06 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT Communication researchers have found that if you receive a lot of email, habitually respond to a good portion of it, maintain a lot of online relationships and conduct a large number of transactions online, you are more susceptible to email phishing expeditions than those who limit their online activity.

Element germanium under pressure matches predictions of modern condensed matter theory Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT Although its name may make many people think of flowers, the element germanium is part of a frequently studied group of elements, called IVa, which could have applications for next-generation computer architecture as well as implications for fundamental condensed matter physics. New research reveals details of the element's transitions under pressure. Their results show extraordinary agreement with the predictions of modern condensed matter theory.

Two dying stars to be reborn as one Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT White dwarfs are dead stars that pack a Sun's-worth of matter into an Earth-sized ball. Astronomers have just discovered an amazing pair of white dwarfs whirling around each other once every 39 minutes. This is the shortest-period pair of white dwarfs now known. Moreover, in a few million years they will collide and merge to create a single star.

Battery-less chemical detector developed Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT Unlike many conventional chemical detectors that require an external power source, researchers have now developed a nanosensor that relies on semiconductor nanowires, rather than traditional batteries.

Reliance on medical journals, deadlines can predict journalists' attitudes toward press releases Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT A researcher surveyed more than 300 health journalists and found that those who cover strokes and stroke prevention tend to hold negative views of corporate pharmacy media relations, while those who regularly read medical journals tend to cover more stories based on corporate press releases.

New fusion gene plays role in some stomach cancers Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT A newly discovered hybrid gene appears to play a direct role in some stomach cancers. The hybrid gene is a fusion of two separate genes, and is one of the first described in gastric cancer, which is the most lethal malignancy worldwide after lung cancer.

Amount of AIDS virus in genital secretions predicts risk of heterosexual transmission Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT In a study that took place in seven African countries, higher concentrations of the AIDS virus in genital secretions were linked to a greater risk of virus transmission between opposite-sex couples. The effect is independent of blood levels of the virus. The findings point to research strategies to make HIV positive people less infectious to their partners. The genital HIV levels may be a marker of effectiveness in testing preventive strategies.

Astronomers find newly discovered asteroid is Earth’s companion Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:20 AM PDT Astronomers have found that a recently discovered asteroid has been following the Earth in its motion around the Sun for at least the past 250,000 years, and may be intimately related to the origin of our planet.

Ride-sharing for road freight Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:20 AM PDT Around 20 percent of trucks on German roads are traveling empty, at a huge cost to the transportation companies concerned. Also from an ecological and traffic-management standpoint, it would be better if such journeys could be avoided. A new auction platform aims to improve truck space utilization.

Surveillance system to cut risk of space debris hitting satellites Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:20 AM PDT The growing quantity of space debris is a serious threat to satellites and other spacecraft, which risk being damaged or even destroyed. A new European space surveillance system is being developed to ward off the danger of collisions in orbit.

New discovery explains weight problems in Huntingon’s disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:20 AM PDT Huntington's disease has long been linked to jerky movements. Now, researchers have shown that the metabolism can also be seriously affected by the hereditary disease. The new laboratory findings provide hope of entirely new treatment methods.

Nano fitness: Helping enzymes stay active and keep in shape Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new technique for boosting the stability of enzymes, making them useful under a much broader range of conditions. They confined lysozyme and other enzymes inside carefully engineered nanoscale holes, or nanopores. Instead of denaturing, these embedded enzymes mostly retained their 3-D structure and exhibited a significant increase in activity.

New prostate cancer test gives more accurate diagnosis Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT A new PSA test to screen for prostate cancer more accurately identified men with prostate cancer -- particularly the aggressive form of the disease -- and substantially reduced false positives compared to the two currently available commercial PSA tests, according to new research. The currently available screening tests result in a high number of false positives and lead to unnecessary biopsies and possible over-detection and over-treatment of indolent cancer that never would have caused suffering or death.

Refusal skills help minority youths combat smoking, study finds Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT The ability to refuse smoking is related to non-smoking in minority youths, a new study shows. Effective strategies to combat youth smoking include teaching refusal skills and training for responding to family members' and friends' smoking.

Common dietary fat and intestinal microbes linked to heart disease Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT A new pathway has been discovered that links a common dietary lipid and intestinal microflora with an increased risk of heart disease. The study shows that people who eat a diet containing a common nutrient found in animal products (such as eggs, liver and other meats, cheese and other dairy products, fish, shellfish) are not predisposed to cardiovascular disease solely on their genetic make-up, but rather, how the micro-organisms that live in our digestive tracts metabolize a specific lipid -- phosphatidyl choline (also called lecithin). Lecithin and its metabolite, choline, are also found in many commercial baked goods, dietary supplements, and even children's vitamins.

Strong Indian crust thrust beneath the Tibetan Plateau, new study suggests Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT For many years, most scientists studying Tibet have thought that a very hot and very weak lower and middle crust underlies its plateau, flowing like a fluid. Now, scientists are questioning this long-held belief and proposing that an entirely different mechanism is at play.

Genetic change that helps tumors move to other parts of the body identified Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT Cancer biologists have identified a genetic change that makes lung tumors more likely to spread to other parts of the body. The findings offer new insight into how lung cancers metastasize and could help identify drug targets to combat metastatic tumors, which account for 90 percent of cancer deaths.

Biodiversity improves water quality in streams through a division of labor Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT Biologically diverse streams are better at cleaning up pollutants than less rich waterways, and an ecologist says he has uncovered the long-sought mechanism that explains why this is so.

The self-made eye: Formation of optic cup from embryonic stem cells Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT New research shows how mouse stem cells spontaneously form into optic cups, the precursors of eyes. The research sheds light on the embryonic development of complex tissues.

Brain development switch could affect schizophrenia, other conditions Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a key "switch" in the brain that allows neurons to stop dividing so that these cells can migrate toward their final destinations in the brain.

Structure formed by strep protein can trigger toxic shock Posted: 06 Apr 2011 10:18 AM PDT Strep can turn deadly when a protein found on its surface triggers a widespread inflammatory reaction. The protein links with a host protein that is normally involved in blood clotting to form scaffolds. These assemble into dense superstructures that immune cells mistake for blood clots and overreact, leading to sepsis, shock, organ failure and death.

New device promises safer way to deliver powerful drugs Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:34 AM PDT A new drug delivery device promises to unlock the potential of photosensitive chemicals to kill drug-resistant infections and perhaps cancer tumors as well.

Are infants creating historical footprints with their eyes? Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:33 AM PDT Learning how babies communicate can teach us a lot about the development of human social interactions. Psychologists studying infants' interactions have now found that babies are not simply living in the moment. Instead, infants seem to have particular interests that create historical footprints reflected in the infants' visual engagement over time.

Seeing rice with X-rays may improve crop yields Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:33 AM PDT Most people experience X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanners when they are evaluated for a suspected tumor or blood clot. Now rice plants have becoe the patients in a novel use of CT scanners as part of an agriculture study to increase rice yield.

Common nanoparticles found to be highly toxic to Arctic ecosystem Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that nanoparticles, which are now present in everything from socks to salad dressing and suntan lotion, may have irreparably damaging effects on soil systems and the environment.

Replacing batteries may become a thing of the past, thanks to 'soft generators' Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Battery technology hasn't kept pace with advancements in portable electronics, but the race is on to fix this. One revolutionary concept being pursued involves creating "wearable energy harvesters" capable of converting movement from humans or found in nature into battery power.

Micro aircraft improves avionic systems and sensors Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Myriad sensors and systems provide modern aircraft with data for flight control. But a bird's eye perspective is also of great benefit when measuring pollutants, searching for missing persons and even in archaeological research. Postgraduate students have now developed an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be deployed for many such tasks. It has just successfully completed its maiden flight.

Treating newborn horses: A unique form of pediatrics Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Like any other newborn, the neonatal horse can be a challenging patient. Its immune system is still under construction, its blood chemistry can vary wildly, and -- like most infants -- it wants to stay close to mom.

Gene linked to severity of autism's social dysfunction identified Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT With the help of two sets of brothers with autism, scientists have identified a gene associated with autism that appears to be linked very specifically to the severity of social interaction deficits.

Hypothermia shown to improve survival and outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT The successful use and evaluation of therapeutic hypothermia to improve survival and reduce the risk of neurological consequences following an out-of-hospital heart attack are explored in a new article.

Having trouble sharing or understanding emotions? Affection could help Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Affectionate communication, such as hugging, could help those who have high levels of alexithymia lead more fulfilling lives.

Sniffing out lymphoma by 'turning dogs into humans' Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT Researchers are narrowing the search for genes involved in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- by 'turning dogs into humans."

What the world needs now? More wisdom Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT Researchers have compiled data to assess how wisdom shapes life. The result? Wisdom has an impact on how people cope in situations and whether they are more or less satisfied with life.

New drug shrinks cancer in animals, study shows Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT A new study showed in animal studies that new cancer drug compounds they developed shrank tumors, with few side effects.

High levels of toxic compounds found on coasts of West Africa Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT Scientists have found very high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) along the coasts of West Africa. Production of these extremely toxic compounds has been banned in Europe and the United States for years. These harmful substances could come from the illegal dumping of waste or from an enormous ship breaking yard in Mauritania.

Flexible schedules, results-oriented workplaces reduce work-family conflict and turnover Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT New research finds that a workplace environment that allows employees to change when and where they work, based on their individual needs and job responsibilities, positively affects the work-family interface and reduces turnover.

Mussel adhesive inspires tough coating for living cells Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT Inspired by Mother Nature, scientists are reporting development of a protective coating with the potential to enable living cells to survive in a dormant condition for long periods despite intense heat, dryness and other hostile conditions. They liken the coating to the armor that encloses the spores that protect anthrax and certain other bacterial cells, making those microbes difficult to kill.

Tungsten may not be the best shot for making 'green' bullets Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT With efforts underway to ban lead-based ammunition as a potential health and environmental hazard, scientists are reporting new evidence that a prime alternative material for bullets -- tungsten -- may not be a good substitute. The report found that tungsten accumulates in major structures of the immune system in animals.

Simple chemical cocktail shows first promise for limb re-growth in mammals Posted: 06 Apr 2011 09:22 AM PDT Move over, newts and salamanders. The mouse may join you as the only animal that can re-grow their own severed limbs. Researchers are reporting that a simple chemical cocktail can coax mouse muscle fibers to become the kinds of cells found in the first stages of a regenerating limb. Their study is the first demonstration that mammal muscle can be turned into the biological raw material for a new limb.

Where will the debris from Japan's tsunami drift in the ocean? Posted: 06 Apr 2011 07:22 AM PDT The huge tsunami triggered by the 9.0 Tohoku earthquake destroyed coastal towns near Sendai in Japan, washing such things as houses and cars into the ocean. Based on a model derived from past trajectories of drifting buoys, projections of where this debris might head over the next five to six years have been made.

Most recent mammography recommendations confuse public Posted: 06 Apr 2011 07:22 AM PDT When the USPSTF released its recommendations on mammography screenings for US women on Nov. 16, 2009, there was immediate and considerable controversy. Investigators now report that these new recommendations confused women (30 percent) more than they helped them understand when to get a mammogram (6.2 percent). Confusion was greatest among women aged 40-49 years and women who had never had a mammogram or who had one more than two years ago.

Neural guidance gene regulates liver development Posted: 06 Apr 2011 07:21 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that a gene regulating neuronal cell migration during embryogenesis also plays a role in liver development. Using zebrafish as a model organism, they showed that the gene navigator-3 (nav3a) regulates liver organogenesis. If nav3a is missing, the liver cannot develop. First evidence indicates that the expression of this gene is deregulated during the pathogenesis of liver diseases in humans.

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