ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Why some monkeys don't get AIDS
• Understanding DNA repair and cancer
• Dessert on your mind? Your muscles may be getting the message
• Green tea chemical combined with another may hold promise for treatment of brain disorders
• Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans
• Wrap rage: A holiday injury waiting to happen
• Balancing protein intake, not cutting calories, may be key to long life
• Potential new 'twist' in breast cancer detection
• Diabetic flies: Fruit fly model helps unravel genetics of human diabetes
• Stem cells battle for space
• Nervy research: Researchers take initial look at ion channels in a model system
• Americans born in the South may have a higher risk of dying from stroke as adults
• King crab family bigger than ever
• Pancreatic tumors are marked for immunotherapy
• Key seed size gene identified
• New colorectal cancer screening combination increases detection by 10 percent
• For African violets, 'hands off' means healthier
• Kids eat less junk food when middle schools stop providing it
• Santa’s sleigh: Researcher explains science of Christmas magic
• Food attitudes affect obesity risk in middle-aged women
• New clues into how invasive parasite spreads
• Students discover Thomas Jefferson letter among thousands of items donated to library
• Undocumented volcano contributed to extremely cold decade from 1810-1819

Why some monkeys don't get AIDS Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Two new studies provide a significant advance in understanding how some species of monkeys such as sooty mangabeys and African green monkeys avoid AIDS when infected with SIV, the simian equivalent of HIV.

Understanding DNA repair and cancer Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A protein that plays a key role in copying DNA also plays a vital role in repairing breaks in it, scientists have found. The work is helping researchers understand how cancer cells can resist radiation and chemotherapy, as well as how cells become cancerous in the first place.

Dessert on your mind? Your muscles may be getting the message Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Even the anticipation of sweets may cause our muscles to start taking up more blood sugar, say researchers. That message is delivered via neurons in the brain's hypothalamus containing the chemical known as orexin and the sympathetic nervous system, the studies in mice and rats suggest.

Green tea chemical combined with another may hold promise for treatment of brain disorders Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have found that combining two chemicals, one of which is the green tea component EGCG, can prevent and destroy a variety of protein structures known as amyloids. Amyloids are the primary culprits in fatal brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases.

Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans, scientists show in a first-of-its-kind global study.

Wrap rage: A holiday injury waiting to happen Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Here's a holiday news nugget for those who will experience "wrap rage" this season ... According to a poll of Pennsylvania adults, about 17 percent of Pennsylvanians experienced an injury or knows someone who was injured while opening gifts during past seasons.

Balancing protein intake, not cutting calories, may be key to long life Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Getting the correct balance of proteins in our diet may be more important for healthy aging than reducing calories, new research suggests.

Potential new 'twist' in breast cancer detection Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Working with mice, scientists have shown that a protein made by a gene called "Twist" may be the proverbial red flag that can accurately distinguish stem cells that drive aggressive, metastatic breast cancer from other breast cancer cells.

Diabetic flies: Fruit fly model helps unravel genetics of human diabetes Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers are using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system to unravel what genes and gene pathways are involved in the metabolic changes that lead to insulin resistance and full-blown diabetes in humans.

Stem cells battle for space Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST The body is a battle zone. Cells constantly compete with one another for space and dominance. Though the manner in which some cells win this competition is well known to be the survival of the fittest, how stem cells duke it out for space and survival is not as clear. A new study on fruit flies describes how stem cells win this battle by literally sticking around.

Nervy research: Researchers take initial look at ion channels in a model system Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST New research has allowed scientists to observe nerve ion channels within the cell surface membrane for the first time, potentially offering insights for future drug development.

Americans born in the South may have a higher risk of dying from stroke as adults Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST The "stroke belt" has a tight hold. People born in the Southern stroke belt have a higher risk of dying from stroke as adults, even if they later move away, compared to people who were born in other parts of the country, according to new research.

King crab family bigger than ever Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have formally described four new species of king crab, all from the deep sea.

Pancreatic tumors are marked for immunotherapy Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Pancreatic tumors can be identified by a readily detectable marker that shows promise as a basis for immune therapy against the disease, according to new research.

Key seed size gene identified Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a plant gene that determines overall seed size, and are now investigating how it could be used to for the improvement of crops.

New colorectal cancer screening combination increases detection by 10 percent Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The combination of sigmoidoscopy and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) detects advanced proximal (right-sided) tumors better than either test alone, according to a new study. African Americans, the elderly and women have a higher incidence of proximal colon tumors.

For African violets, 'hands off' means healthier Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST African violets are enjoyed for their delicate, colorful flowers and furry, soft leaves but many people want to touch the leaves and flowers. Oklahoma researchers wanted to know how does all this attention affect the plants. Plants received five brushing treatments during the study. Results "suggests that repeated brushing reduces plant size and quality of African violets, particularly when done with a bare hand to which lotion has been applied."

Kids eat less junk food when middle schools stop providing it Posted: 06 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST It seems like a no-brainer, and it is: Take the junk food out of school vending machines and cafeterias, and kids will eat less junk food, according to a new study that took place in Connecticut.

Santa’s sleigh: Researcher explains science of Christmas magic Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST Santa skeptics have long considered St. Nick's ability to deliver toys to the world's good girls and boys on Christmas Eve a scientific impossibility. But new research shows that Santa is able to make his appointed rounds through the pioneering use of cutting-edge science and technology.

Food attitudes affect obesity risk in middle-aged women Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST A small study of middle-aged women finds that "guilt-ridden dieters," impulsive eaters and those too busy to focus on food are the most likely to show signs of obesity.

New clues into how invasive parasite spreads Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered a possible strategy against Toxoplasma gondii, an invasive parasite that infects more than a quarter of the world's population, including 50 million Americans.

Students discover Thomas Jefferson letter among thousands of items donated to library Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST Two students recently stumbled upon a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson while sifting through thousands of documents and other items donated to the university's library.

Undocumented volcano contributed to extremely cold decade from 1810-1819 Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST Researchers have found compelling evidence of a previously undocumented large volcanic eruption that occurred exactly 200 years ago, in 1809. The discovery helps explain the record cold decade from 1810-1819.

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