ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Bacteria in wasp antennae produce antibiotic cocktails
• Nasal spray vaccines can be made more effective against flu, experts say
• Combating plant diseases is key for sustainable crops
• Space jets in a bottle
• New citrus variety is very sweet, juicy and low-seeded
• Some features of human face perception are not uniquely human, pigeon study shows
• Statins may protect against kidney complications following elective surgery, study suggests
• Scientists identify previously unknown genetic mutation responsible for family's hereditary neurological disorder
• Treatment found for rare lung disease, study suggests
• Newer surgery for neck pain may be better
• Delhi air quality regulations improve respiratory health
• Cultural differences are evident deep in the brain of Caucasian and Asian people
• Hospitals: Unique training results in significant knowledge of quality principles
• Antibiotic resistance spreads rapidly between bacteria
• New potential atherosclerosis risk marker discovered
• Recurring genital problems could be herpes, Swedish study suggests
• New genetic tool helps researchers to analyze cells' most important functions
• Estrogen treatment with no side effects in sight, Swedish researchers find
• New drug shows potential for treatment-resistant leukemia
• Physicians recommend different treatments for patients than they choose for themselves, study finds
• High levels of vitamin D appear to lower risk of age-related macular degeneration in young women
• Hair styles may contribute to scarring hair loss in African-American women
• Long-term use of antibiotic to treat acne not associated with increased bacterial resistance, study finds
• Evidence lacking for efficacy of memantine in treating mild Alzheimer's disease, study finds
• Distribution of cancers in the HIV/AIDS population is shifting
• Diesel-engine exhaust filter reduces harmful particles by 98 percent
• Is the wrist bone connected to heart risk?
• Oral drug for multiple sclerosis significantly reduces disease activity and slows disability, study suggests
• New guidelines on best treatments for diabetic nerve pain
• New sepsis discovery goes straight to the heart to save lives
• First clinical trial of gene therapy for pain shows substantial pain relief for patients
• Tiny antibody fragments raised in camels find drug targets in human breast cancer cells
• Compounds show promise in blocking STAT3 signaling as treatment for osteosarcoma
• Creative, online learning tool helps students tackle real-world problems
• Botany: Shootingstars provide clues to likely response of plants to global warming
• Scientists identify a surprising new source of cancer stem cells
• Penguins that shun ice still lose big from a warming climate
• How antifreeze proteins bind to surface of ice crystals: Finding may end 30-year debate
• Chlamydia: New method to probe genes of most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection
• Genetic study offers insight into the social lives of bees
• Environmental E. coli: New way to classify E. coli bacteria and test for fecal contamination
• X‑rays shed new light on regulation of muscle contraction
• Multitasking study reveals switching glitch in aging brain
• Tissue engineers use new system to measure biomaterials, structures
• Social wasps show how bigger brains provide complex cognition
• Haiti cholera epidemic could have been blunted with use of mobile stockpile of oral vaccine
• 'Green energy' advance: Tandem catalysis in nanocrystal interfaces
• Excessive nitrogen harms the economy and environment: First Europe-wide assessment published
• Routine lab test data predicts progression to kidney failure for chronic kidney disease patients
• Combined use of three markers for kidney disease may help predict risk of kidney failure, death
• Tuberculosis strain spread by the fur trade reveals stealthy approach of epidemics
• World's smallest wedding rings: Interlocking rings of DNA visible through scanning force microscope
• Therapeutically promising new findings for combating hypertension and cardiovascular disease
• Obesity may shut down circadian clock in the cardiovascular system
• Women's voices remain steady throughout the month; New study contradicts prior research suggesting hormonal status affects voice
• Vitamin D may help reduce heart risk in African-Americans
• New mobile app aims to make social media your friend
• Media's focus on ideal body shape can boost women's body satisfaction, for a while
• MRI may contribute to early detection of Alzheimer's
• Effective pain management crucial to older adults' well-being

Bacteria in wasp antennae produce antibiotic cocktails Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:48 PM PDT Bacteria that grow in the antennae of wasps help ward off fungal threats by secreting a 'cocktail' of antibiotics, according to researchers.

Nasal spray vaccines can be made more effective against flu, experts say Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:48 PM PDT Nasal vaccines that effectively protect against flu, pneumonia and even bioterrorism agents such as Yersinia pestis that causes the plague, could soon be a possibility, according to new research. Researchers describe how including a natural immune chemical with standard vaccines can boost their protective effect when delivered through the nose.

Combating plant diseases is key for sustainable crops Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:48 PM PDT Climate change is likely to make plants more vulnerable to infectious disease, which will threaten crop yield and impact on the price and availability of food. Researchers explain how exploiting diversity in crops is the best option to improve food security in a changing climate.

Space jets in a bottle Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:48 PM PDT By creating space-like conditions in a slim 4-meter vessel, researchers have helped confirm the behavior of astrophysical jets -- streams of charged particles shot out by supermassive black holes and young stars, which stretch several hundred thousand light years across space.

New citrus variety is very sweet, juicy and low-seeded Posted: 11 Apr 2011 02:18 PM PDT Juicy. Extremely Sweet. Visually attractive. Easy to peel. Low seeded. These are the fine qualities that mark "KinnowLS," the latest citrus variety released by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. Large-sized for a mandarin, the fruit has an orange rind color. The rind is thin and extremely smooth. The 10-11 segments in each fruit are fleshy and deep orange in color. "KinnowLS" matures during February through April and does well in hot climates.

Some features of human face perception are not uniquely human, pigeon study shows Posted: 11 Apr 2011 02:18 PM PDT A new study finds that pigeons recognize a human face's identity and emotional expression in much the same way as people do

Statins may protect against kidney complications following elective surgery, study suggests Posted: 11 Apr 2011 02:18 PM PDT Taking a statin before having major elective surgery reduces potentially serious kidney complications, according to a new study.

Scientists identify previously unknown genetic mutation responsible for family's hereditary neurological disorder Posted: 11 Apr 2011 02:18 PM PDT In a unique research collaboration, an international team led by Israeli scientists has identified the genetic cause of a neurological disorder afflicting members of a Palestinian family.

Treatment found for rare lung disease, study suggests Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:40 PM PDT A new study has revealed a drug approved to prevent rejection in organ transplant patients helped treat a rare lung disease in women.

Newer surgery for neck pain may be better Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:40 PM PDT A new surgery for cervical disc disease in the neck may restore range of motion and reduce repeat surgeries in some younger patients, according to neurosurgeons who analyzed three large, randomized clinical trials comparing two different surgeries.

Delhi air quality regulations improve respiratory health Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:40 PM PDT Scientists have used remote sensing imagery to look directly at the effects of air quality on health. Researchers found that radical regulations to improve air quality in Delhi at the turn of the millennium had a positive impact on the health of the population, especially among low-income men.

Cultural differences are evident deep in the brain of Caucasian and Asian people Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT People in different cultures make different assumptions about the people around them, according to a new study. The researchers studied the brain waves of people with Caucasian and Asian backgrounds and found that cultural differences in how we think about other people are embedded deep in our minds. Cultural differences are evident very deep in the brain, challenging a commonsense notion that culture is skin deep.

Hospitals: Unique training results in significant knowledge of quality principles Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT The effectiveness of a unique two-pronged educational program has shown significant improvements in knowledge of quality principles by leaders as well as the successful design and launch of quality improvement projects by frontline staff, according to new results.

Antibiotic resistance spreads rapidly between bacteria Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT The part of bacterial DNA that often carries antibiotic resistance is a master at moving between different types of bacteria and adapting to widely differing bacterial species, say researchers in Sweden.

New potential atherosclerosis risk marker discovered Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT How your carotid artery moves can reveal your risk of a future heart attack, and it is now possible to study this vessel aspect in more detail thanks to a new technique which could eventually be used to identify patients with suspected coronary artery disease, reveals new research from Sweden.

Recurring genital problems could be herpes, Swedish study suggests Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT A study of patients attending sexual health clinics in Gothenburg, Sweden found that just four out of ten patients with genital herpes actually knew that they had the disorder. However, a third of those who did not realize that they had been infected reported typical symptoms at a follow-up visit, reveals new research.

New genetic tool helps researchers to analyze cells' most important functions Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT Although it has been many years since the human genome was first mapped, there are still many genes whose function we do not understand. Researchers from Sweden and Canada have teamed up to produce and characterize a collection of nearly 800 strains of yeast cells that make it possible to study even the most complicated of genes.

Estrogen treatment with no side effects in sight, Swedish researchers find Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT Estrogen treatment for osteoporosis has often been associated with serious side effects. Researchers in Sweden have now, in mice, found a way of utilizing the positive effects of estrogen in mice so that only the skeleton is acted on.

New drug shows potential for treatment-resistant leukemia Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT Researchers have found a novel drug that shows promise for treating leukemia patients who have few other options because their disease has developed resistance to standard treatment. The study is the first published report showing that the drug, DCC-2036, fights chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in a mouse model of the disease and is effective against human leukemia cells.

Physicians recommend different treatments for patients than they choose for themselves, study finds Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:39 PM PDT The act of making a recommendation appears to change the way physicians think regarding medical choices, and they often make different choices for themselves than what they recommend to patients, according to a survey study.

High levels of vitamin D appear to lower risk of age-related macular degeneration in young women Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT High levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream appear to be associated with a decreased risk of developing early age-related macular degeneration among women younger than 75 years, according to a new study.

Hair styles may contribute to scarring hair loss in African-American women Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT Hair grooming practices, such as braids and weaves, as well as inflammation in the form of bacterial infection, may be contributing to the development of scarring hair loss in African American women, according to a new study.

Long-term use of antibiotic to treat acne not associated with increased bacterial resistance, study finds Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT The prolonged use of tetracycline antibiotics commonly used to treat acne was associated with a reduced prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and was not associated with increased resistance to the tetracycline antibiotics, according to a new study.

Evidence lacking for efficacy of memantine in treating mild Alzheimer's disease, study finds Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT An analysis of studies involving the drug memantine finds a lack of evidence for benefit when the drug is used to treat patients with mild Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study.

Distribution of cancers in the HIV/AIDS population is shifting Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT As treatments for HIV/AIDS improve and patients are living longer, the distribution of cancers in this population has undergone a dramatic shift in the United States. While cases of the types of cancer that have been associated with AIDS progression have decreased, cases of other types of cancer are on the rise.

Diesel-engine exhaust filter reduces harmful particles by 98 percent Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT A commercially available particle trap can filter microscopic pollutants in diesel-engine exhaust and prevent about 98 percent of them from reaching the air, according to new research.

Is the wrist bone connected to heart risk? Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT Measuring the wrist bone may be a new way to identify which overweight children and adolescents face an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to new research.

Oral drug for multiple sclerosis significantly reduces disease activity and slows disability, study suggests Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT The drug laquinimod reduced the number of relapses for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), in a large, long-term Phase III clinical study.

New guidelines on best treatments for diabetic nerve pain Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:37 PM PDT New guidelines on the most effective treatments for diabetic nerve pain, the burning or tingling pain in the hands and feet that affects millions of people with diabetes, have been published.

New sepsis discovery goes straight to the heart to save lives Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT New research in rats and mice offers hope for stopping the devastating, and often fatal, effects of sepsis in humans. Researchers show how neutralizing the effects of a key protein fragment, called C5a, used by the immune system to attract white blood cells may ultimately prevent heart failure.

First clinical trial of gene therapy for pain shows substantial pain relief for patients Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT In the first clinical trial of gene therapy for treatment of intractable pain, researchers observed that the treatment appears to provide substantial pain relief.

Tiny antibody fragments raised in camels find drug targets in human breast cancer cells Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT A new discovery promises to help physicians identify patients most likely to benefit from breast cancer drug therapies. If the compound, called "Nanobody," proves effective in clinical trials, it would represent a significant advance for breast cancer drug therapy.

Compounds show promise in blocking STAT3 signaling as treatment for osteosarcoma Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that two new small molecule inhibitors are showing promise in blocking STAT3, a protein linked to the most common malignant bone tumor, osteosarcoma. These small molecule inhibitors -- one derived from a portion of the turmeric spice -- may serve as a new, non-toxic treatment for these deadly tumors.

Creative, online learning tool helps students tackle real-world problems Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT A new computer interface called ThinkSpace is helping students use what they've learned in the horticulture classroom and apply it to problems they'll face when they are on the job site.

Botany: Shootingstars provide clues to likely response of plants to global warming Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT Researchers delved into the post-Pleistocene history of two rare species of shootingstars (Dodecatheon), thinking that their response to post-glacial warming might provide clues to the response of plants to global warming. They found that one species was a glacial relict but the other was an ecotype, or variant, of a widespread species that had adapted to the cooler cliff habitat.

Scientists identify a surprising new source of cancer stem cells Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:26 PM PDT Certain differentiated cells in breast tissue can spontaneously convert to a stem-cell-like state, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. Until now, scientific dogma has stated that differentiation is a one-way path; once cells specialize, they cannot return to the flexible stem-cell state on their own. These findings hold true for normal mammary cells as well as for breast cancer cells.

Penguins that shun ice still lose big from a warming climate Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT Fluctuations in penguin populations in the Antarctic are linked more strongly to the availability of their primary food source than to changes in their habitats, according to a new study. This research indicates that species often considered likely "winners" of changing conditions, such as large-scale ice melting, may actually end up as the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

How antifreeze proteins bind to surface of ice crystals: Finding may end 30-year debate Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT A chance observation by a researcher might have ended a decades-old debate about the precise way antifreeze proteins bind to the surface of ice crystals.

Chlamydia: New method to probe genes of most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT In a new study, scientists describe successfully mutating specific genes of Chlamydia bacteria, which cause the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States as well as a type of blindness common in developing nations.

Genetic study offers insight into the social lives of bees Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT Most people have trouble telling them apart, but bumble bees, honey bees, stingless bees and solitary bees have home lives that are as different from one another as a monarch's palace is from a hippie commune or a hermit's cabin in the woods. A new study of these bees offers a first look at the genetic underpinnings of their differences in lifestyle.

Environmental E. coli: New way to classify E. coli bacteria and test for fecal contamination Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT The meaning of the standard fecal coliform test used to monitor water quality has been called into question by a new study that identified sources of Escherichia coli bacteria that might not indicate an environmental hazard.

X‑rays shed new light on regulation of muscle contraction Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT More than 200 years ago, Luigi Galvani discovered that the muscles of a frog's leg twitch when a voltage is applied. Scientists from Italy, the UK and France have brought this textbook classic into the era of nanoscience. They used a new synchrotron X-ray technique to observe for the first time at the molecular scale how muscle proteins change form and structure inside an intact and contracting muscle cell.

Multitasking study reveals switching glitch in aging brain Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT Scientists have pinpointed a reason older adults have a harder time multitasking than younger adults: they have more difficulty switching between tasks at the level of brain networks.

Tissue engineers use new system to measure biomaterials, structures Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT As cells assemble into a donut shape and ascend a hydrogel cone, they do work and thereby reveal the total power involved in forming a three-dimensional structure. That measure not only could help tissue engineers understand their living building materials better, but could also add insight to the understanding of natural tissue formation.

Social wasps show how bigger brains provide complex cognition Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT Across many groups of animals, species with bigger brains often have better cognitive abilities. But it's been unclear whether overall brain size or the size of specific brain areas is the key. New findings by neurobiologists suggest that both patterns are important: bigger-bodied social wasps had larger brains and devoted up to three times more of their brain tissue to regions that coordinate social interactions, learning, memory and other complex behaviors.

Haiti cholera epidemic could have been blunted with use of mobile stockpile of oral vaccine Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:25 PM PDT Had a large stockpile of oral cholera vaccine been available and deployed to inoculate the majority of Haitians most at risk after the outbreak following last year's earthquake, the illness and death from the cholera epidemic could have been reduced by about half, according to new research.

'Green energy' advance: Tandem catalysis in nanocrystal interfaces Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT In a development that holds intriguing possibilities for green energy technologies such as artificial photosynthesis, researchers have created the first bilayered metal-metal oxide nanocrystals to feature multiple catalytic sites on nanocrystal interfaces. These multiple catalytic sites allow for multiple, sequential catalytic reactions to be carried out selectively and in tandem.

Excessive nitrogen harms the economy and environment: First Europe-wide assessment published Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT A major new study finds that nitrogen pollution is costing each person in Europe around 150-740 Euros a year. The first European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA), carried out by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organizations, has been launched at a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. The study estimates that the annual cost of damage caused by nitrogen across Europe is 70-320 billion Euros, more than double the extra income gained from using nitrogen fertilizers in European agriculture.

Routine lab test data predicts progression to kidney failure for chronic kidney disease patients Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT A prediction model that included data on measures of several routinely obtained laboratory tests including blood levels of calcium, phosphate and albumin accurately predicted the short-term risk of kidney failure for patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, according to a new study.

Combined use of three markers for kidney disease may help predict risk of kidney failure, death Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:23 AM PDT Combining the chronic kidney disease markers of creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio with the biomarker cystatin C was associated with improved prediction of end-stage kidney disease and all-cause death, according to a new study.

Tuberculosis strain spread by the fur trade reveals stealthy approach of epidemics Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT French Canadian voyageurs spread tuberculosis throughout the indigenous peoples of western Canada for over 150 years, yet, strangely enough, it wasn't until the fur traders ceased their forays that epidemics of tuberculosis broke out. Now researchers have puzzled out why. It took a shift in the environment of the infected peoples -- in this case, confinement to reservations -- to create conditions conducive to outbreaks.

World's smallest wedding rings: Interlocking rings of DNA visible through scanning force microscope Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT DNA nanotechnology makes use of the ability of natural DNA strains' capacity for self asssembly. Researchers in Germany were able to create two rings of DNA only 18 nanometers in size, and to interlock them like two links in a chain. One of the researchers, who got married during the time he was working on the nano-rings, believes that they are probably the world's smallest wedding rings.

Therapeutically promising new findings for combating hypertension and cardiovascular disease Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a promising new avenue they strongly believe can be further developed to treat hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Obesity may shut down circadian clock in the cardiovascular system Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT Researchers have found that a key gene clock of the cardiovascular system does not work properly when obesity is present. The findings are believed to be the first of their kind.

Women's voices remain steady throughout the month; New study contradicts prior research suggesting hormonal status affects voice Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT Studies have suggested women's voices change at different times over the menstrual cycle, with the tone rising as ovulation approaches. A new study finds that changes in hormonal status have no significant impact on eight distinct voice parameters.

Vitamin D may help reduce heart risk in African-Americans Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT New research indicates that supplementation with the "sunshine vitamin" may be particularly beneficial for overweight African-American adults, a population at increased risk for both CVD and vitamin D deficiency.

New mobile app aims to make social media your friend Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:17 AM PDT An expert in social media has launched a new mobile application for anyone who might be hesitant, inexperienced or need to brush up their social media skills when it comes to Twitter, Social Bookmarking and other forms of social media.

Media's focus on ideal body shape can boost women's body satisfaction, for a while Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:15 AM PDT When researchers had college-age women view magazines for five straight days that only included images of women with thin, idealized body types, something surprising happened: the readers' own body satisfaction improved. But the boost in body image came with a catch. Those women whose body satisfaction improved the most also were more likely to report that they engaged in dieting behaviors such as skipping meals or cutting carbohydrates during the course of the study.

MRI may contribute to early detection of Alzheimer's Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:15 AM PDT New research suggests that magnetic resonance imaging could help detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage, before irreversible damage has occurred, according to a new study.

Effective pain management crucial to older adults' well-being Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:15 AM PDT Improved management of chronic pain can significantly reduce disability in older adults, according to new research.

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