ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• 'Survival of the cutest' proves Darwin right
• Promising probiotic treatment for inflammatory bowel disease
• Red grouper to be 'Frank Lloyd Wrights of the sea'
• Specialized exercise regimen shown to relieve prolonged concussion symptoms, study suggests
• Energy of attacking virus revealed
• Low socioeconomic status affects cortisol levels in children over time
• Video gamers: Size of brain structures predicts success
• Cholesterol-lowering drug shows promise against serious infections in sickle cell disease
• Cosmology: Weak gravitational lensing improves measurements of distant galaxies
• Calpain is important to memory processes after all
• Counterfeit Internet drugs pose significant risks and discourage vital health checks
• Those less motivated to achieve will excel on tasks seen as fun
• Llama proteins could play a vital role in the war on terror
• Compounds that help protect nerve cells discovered
• In vitro pregnancy rates improve with new device that mimics motions in the body
• Computer model estimates risks and benefits of bariatric surgery for severely obese
• Mixed water portfolio helps thirsty cities
• Going to the gym shouldn't be a workout for your eardrums
• Springtime ozone increases above western North America linked to emissions from abroad
• Cell of origin identified for common type of breast cancer
• Resumed Mars Orbiter Observations Yield Stunning Views
• Cellular communication in the cancer microenvironment
• Jurassic 'burn-down' events and organic matter richness in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation
• Small sounds, big deals: How do number sounds influence consumers?
• Animals populated Madagascar by rafting there
• New gene discovered for recessive form of brittle bone disease
• Prototype for a new living concept: Living module makes its debut
• Significant decrease in postoperative delirium in elderly patients, study finds
• Infrared Hunt Begins: WISE Starts All-Sky Survey
• Reasoning through the rationing of end-of-life care
• Prenatal exposure to flame-retardant compounds affects neurodevelopment of young children
• Biophysicists manipulate 'zipper,' reveal protein folding dynamics
• Kidney abnormalities require more research
• How do free electrons originate?
• Use of mail-order pharmacies use could improve patients' medication adherence
• Near-Earth encounters can 'shake' asteroids

'Survival of the cutest' proves Darwin right Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Domestic dogs have followed their own evolutionary path, twisting Darwin's directive "survival of the fittest" to their own needs -- and have proved him right in the process, according to a new study.

Promising probiotic treatment for inflammatory bowel disease Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Bacteria that produce compounds to reduce inflammation and strengthen host defenses could be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Such probiotic microbes could be the most successful treatment for IBD to date, as explained in a new review.

Red grouper to be 'Frank Lloyd Wrights of the sea' Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST To the casual observer in the Gulf of Mexico, the seemingly sluggish red grouper is more of a couch potato than a busy beaver. But a new study reveals the fish to be both architect and ecosystem engineer.

Specialized exercise regimen shown to relieve prolonged concussion symptoms, study suggests Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Researchers have shown that a controlled individualized exercise training program can bring athletes and others suffering with post-concussion syndrome back to the playing field or to their daily activities.

Energy of attacking virus revealed Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST For the first time the research world has managed to measure the energy that is used when a virus infects a cell. The aim is to find a way to reduce the amount of energy inside the virus and thereby ultimately find a medicine that can counteract infections.

Low socioeconomic status affects cortisol levels in children over time Posted: 21 Jan 2010 11:00 AM PST Given the importance of identifying risk factors for such diseases early in life, a new study looked at the relationship between low SES and cortisol in children over a 2-year period. The researchers hypothesized that living in a low SES environment would increase cortisol trajectories over time.

Video gamers: Size of brain structures predicts success Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Researchers can predict your performance on a video game simply by measuring the volume of specific structures in your brain.

Cholesterol-lowering drug shows promise against serious infections in sickle cell disease Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST New research suggests a family of widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs might help protect individuals from serious illness following bacterial infection, including the pneumococcal infections that pose a deadly threat to those with sickle cell disease.

Cosmology: Weak gravitational lensing improves measurements of distant galaxies Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST A cosmologist has extended the relationship between the x-ray luminosity and the mass of galaxy clusters as measured by gravitational lensing, improving the reliability of mass measurements of much older, more distant, and smaller galactic structures. These refined measurements will benefit both the understanding of dark matter and the nature of dark energy as well.

Calpain is important to memory processes after all Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Recent studies reestablish the importance to memory processes of calpain, a protease first hypothesized to play a crucial role in memory 25 years ago.

Counterfeit Internet drugs pose significant risks and discourage vital health checks Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST New research shows that taking counterfeit drugs purchased over the Internet can kill and bypassing health systems can leave life-threatening problems undiagnosed. It's estimated that 90% of counterfeit drugs are sold on the Internet and that the global sale of counterfeit drugs will reach $75 billion this year. Counterfeit drug deaths include men who took fake erectile dysfunction drugs, pregnant women injected with fake iron for anemia and children who took paracetamol syrup contaminated with antifreeze.

Those less motivated to achieve will excel on tasks seen as fun Posted: 21 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Those who value excellence and hard work generally do better than others on specific tasks when they are reminded of those values. But when a task is presented as fun, researchers report, the same individuals often will do worse than those who are less motivated to achieve.

Llama proteins could play a vital role in the war on terror Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Scientists have for the first time developed a highly sensitive means of detecting the seven types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) simultaneously. The BoNT-detecting substances are antibodies -- proteins made by the body to fight diseases -- found in llamas. The finding may lead to improved techniques for testing water and food supplies should BoNTs be used as a bioterrorism weapon.

Compounds that help protect nerve cells discovered Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Scientists have found some compounds that improve a cell's ability to properly "fold" proteins and could lead to promising drugs for degenerative nerve diseases, including Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

In vitro pregnancy rates improve with new device that mimics motions in the body Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Gently rocking embryos while they grow during in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves pregnancy rates in mice by 22 percent, new research shows. The procedure could one day lead to significantly higher IVF success rates in humans.

Computer model estimates risks and benefits of bariatric surgery for severely obese Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST A computerized model suggests that most morbidly obese individuals would likely live longer if they had gastric bypass surgery, according to a new report. However, the best decision for individual patients varies based on factors such as age, increasing body mass index and the effectiveness of surgery.

Mixed water portfolio helps thirsty cities Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Computer simulations for drought-prone areas reveal that when urban water planners combine three approaches of buying water -- permanent rights, options and leases -- the city avoids surplus water and high costs, and reduces shortages, according to civil engineers.

Going to the gym shouldn't be a workout for your eardrums Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:00 AM PST Listening to an iPod while working out feels like second nature to many people, but one researcher says we need to consider the volume levels in our earphones while working up a sweat.

Springtime ozone increases above western North America linked to emissions from abroad Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Springtime ozone levels above western North America are rising primarily due to air flowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean, a trend that is largest when the air originates in Asia.

Cell of origin identified for common type of breast cancer Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Breast cancer researchers have identified the progenitor cell that gives rise to the most common form of breast cancer. Using a mouse model, the researchers found that inhibiting a protein essential to these progenitor cells prevented mammary tumor formation. The discovery may provide a new target for breast cancer drugs.

Resumed Mars Orbiter Observations Yield Stunning Views Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Dunes of sand-sized materials have been trapped on the floors of many Martian craters. A new view captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows dunes inside a crater in Noachis Terra, west of the giant Hellas impact basin in Mars' southern hemisphere.

Cellular communication in the cancer microenvironment Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Scientists lend new insight into the mechanism by which tumor-associated macrophages promote malignant progression.

Jurassic 'burn-down' events and organic matter richness in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST The sediments of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation were deposited during the Late Jurassic between around 160 and 145 million years ago, the age of the reptiles. They are the main oil source rock in the North Sea. However, within this unit beds rich in organic matter are interspersed with organic-poor sediments. New evidence demonstrates that organic-poor sediments were probably caused by post-depositional loss of organic matter during so-called "burn-down" events.

Small sounds, big deals: How do number sounds influence consumers? Posted: 21 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Consumers remember the sounds of numbers in prices and associate certain sounds with value, according to a new study.

Animals populated Madagascar by rafting there Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST How did the lemurs, flying foxes and narrow-striped mongooses get to the large, isolated island of Madagascar sometime after 65 million years ago? A pair of scientists say their research confirms the longstanding idea that the animals hitched rides on natural rafts blown out to sea.

New gene discovered for recessive form of brittle bone disease Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered the third in a sequence of genes that accounts for previously unexplained forms of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a genetic condition that weakens bones, results in frequent fractures and is sometimes fatal.

Prototype for a new living concept: Living module makes its debut Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST A novel, highly innovative module for working and living has been designed to be self-sufficient in energy and water consumption. It includes a bedroom, bathroom, toilet and kitchen and is being used as a test bed and demonstrator for new building concepts and energy technologies.

Significant decrease in postoperative delirium in elderly patients, study finds Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST A recent study demonstrates that in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture repair under spinal anesthesia with propofol sedation, the prevalence of delirium can be decreased by 50 percent with light sedation, compared to deep sedation.

Infrared Hunt Begins: WISE Starts All-Sky Survey Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) began its survey of the infrared sky Jan. 14, 2010. The mission will spend nine months scanning the sky one-and-a-half times in infrared light, revealing all sorts of cosmic characters -- everything from near-Earth asteroids to young galaxies more than ten billion light-years away.

Reasoning through the rationing of end-of-life care Posted: 20 Jan 2010 11:00 PM PST Acknowledging that the idea of rationing health care, particularly at the end of life, may incite too much vitriol to get much rational consideration, a professor of neurology called for the start of a discussion.

Prenatal exposure to flame-retardant compounds affects neurodevelopment of young children Posted: 20 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Prenatal exposure to ambient levels of flame retardant compounds called polybrominated diphenyl ethers is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in young children, according to new research.

Biophysicists manipulate 'zipper,' reveal protein folding dynamics Posted: 20 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Biophysicists in Germany have published results of single-molecule experiments bringing a higher-resolution tool to the study of protein folding. They report taking hold of a single, zipper-like protein molecule with optical tweezers and mapping changes in its "energy landscape" during folding and unfolding, measuring thousands of transitions between states. This approach allows new insight into how proteins reach 3-D shapes that determine essential functions, or cause diseases when folding goes wrong.

Kidney abnormalities require more research Posted: 20 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Abnormalities in the kidneys and their blood vessels occur in at least 25 percent of healthy individuals, according to a new study. While most of these conditions are not harmful enough to prevent someone from donating a kidney, future studies are needed to determine their impact on long-term health.

How do free electrons originate? Posted: 20 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new way in which high-energy radiation in water can release slow electrons. Free electrons play a major role in chemical processes. In particular, they might be responsible for causing radiation damage in organic tissue.

Use of mail-order pharmacies use could improve patients' medication adherence Posted: 20 Jan 2010 08:00 PM PST Researchers find that patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol who ordered their medications by mail were more likely to take them as prescribed by their physicians than patients who obtained medications from a local pharmacy.

Near-Earth encounters can 'shake' asteroids Posted: 20 Jan 2010 05:00 PM PST For decades, astronomers have analyzed the impact that asteroids could have on Earth. New research examines the opposite scenario: that Earth has considerable influence on asteroids -- and from a distance much larger than previously thought. The finding helps answer an elusive, decades-long question about where most meteorites come from before they fall to Earth and also opens the door to a new field study of asteroid seismology.

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