ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Biological arms races in birds result in sophisticated defenses against cuckoos
• Europe's wildlife under threat from nitrogen, study warns
• Ocean drilling deep into the Pacific crust
• Stillbirths: The invisible public health problem
• Anti-aging hormone Klotho inhibits renal fibrosis, cancer growth
• Invasive mussels causing massive ecological changes in Great Lake
• Lung perfusion system allows high-risk lungs to be safely transplanted, study suggests
• Brain nerve stimulation could speed up learning, study suggests
• Challenges in stemming the spread of resistant bacteria in intensive care
• Changes in 'good' fatty acid concentration of inner organs might be largely independent of diet
• Your flaws are my pain: Experience of vicarious embarrassment is linked to empathy
• An advance for a newborn vaccine approach
• Two kinds of Webb telescope mirrors arrive at NASA
• Higher chronic cerebral venous insufficiency prevalence confirmed in MS, but meaning of findings remains unclear
• Treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease
• Predicting Alzheimer's: Thinning of key cortical areas predicts dementia up to a decade in advance
• New drug may reduce seizures in epilepsy
• Study links inflammation in brain to some memory decline
• Are your values right or left? The answer is more literal than you think
• Biochemist uses computer models to study protein involved with cancer, aging and chronic disease
• A judge's willingness to grant parole can be influenced by breaks
• TET1 enzyme steers us through fetal development and fights cancer
• Normal breast cells help kill cancer cells, researchers find
• Sober light cast on Russia's mortality crisis
• Experimental Alzheimer's disease drugs might help patients with nerve injuries
• Difference in ICU care between the US and UK reflect extremes of bed availability
• Experimental treatment for COPD in development
• Algae could replace 17 percent of US oil imports
• Vegetarians may be at lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke
• Physicists create clouds of impenetrable gases that bounce off each other
• Loch fossils show life harnessed sun and sex early on
• Long-sought fossil mammal with transitional middle ear
• Patients' own cells yield new insights into the biology of schizophrenia
• Short-term, high-fat diet may initiate protection during heart attack
• Aerobic exercise may improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Giant fire-bellied toad's brain brims with powerful germ-fighters
• South America's oldest textiles identified with carbon dating
• Toward a 'green grid' for delivering solar and wind-based electricity
• Mechanism of long-term memory identified
• Keeping beer fresh longer
• Researchers advance toward hybrid spintronic computer chips
• Ceramic coatings may protect jet engines from volcanic ash
• Portable devices' built-in motion sensors improve data rates on wireless networks
• Neurosurgeons test new device for placing brain implants
• Why does brain development diverge from normal in autism spectrum disorders?
• Food safety in Canada is lax and needs better oversight, say experts
• Obese people can suffer from social anxiety disorder due to weight alone
• Radioactive contaminants removed from drinking water using new material, study suggests
• Death -- not just life -- important link in marine ecosystems
• More interventions at delivery not linked to healthier newborns, study shows
• Doctors strengthen case for high-dose radiotherapy technique after radical prostatectomy
• Minimally invasive thyroid surgery effective in children, study suggests
• Accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude? Ultra-fast magnetic reversal observed
• Injectable gel could spell relief for arthritis sufferers
• Star formation linked to sonic booms
• Tiger-parrots show their true evolutionary stripes
• Possible new approach to treating deadly leukemia in babies
• Small molecules inhibit growth of human tumor cells
• Gangs don't protect against crime, study suggests
• Children victims of most eye injuries from aerosols

Biological arms races in birds result in sophisticated defenses against cuckoos Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:52 PM PDT New research reveals how biological arms races between cuckoos and host birds can escalate into a competition between the host evolving new, unique egg patterns (or "signatures") and the parasite new forgeries.

Europe's wildlife under threat from nitrogen, study warns Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:50 PM PDT A new international study warns that nitrogen pollution, resulting from industry and agriculture, is putting wildlife in Europe's at risk. More than 60 per cent of the EU's most important wildlife sites receive aerial nitrogen pollution inputs above sustainable levels.

Ocean drilling deep into the Pacific crust Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:50 PM PDT From April 13 to June 3, an international team is setting off for the East Pacific to carry out an ocean drilling campaign off the coast of Costa Rica. The expedition's goal is to drill down for the first time next to a superfast-spreading mid-ocean ridge, to reach the gabbro that lies around 2 km beneath the ocean floor. Obtaining samples of these magmatic rocks, which result from slower cooling than the basalts found on the ocean floor, will enable scientists to better understand the structure of the crust and test models for its formation in the specific context of fast-spreading ridges.

Stillbirths: The invisible public health problem Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:49 PM PDT Some 2.6 million third trimester stillbirths worldwide occur every year, according to the first comprehensive set of stillbirth estimates.

Anti-aging hormone Klotho inhibits renal fibrosis, cancer growth Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT A natural hormone known to inhibit aging can also protect kidneys against renal fibrosis researchers have demonstrated.

Invasive mussels causing massive ecological changes in Great Lake Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT The ongoing spread of non-native mussels in the Great Lakes has caused "massive, ecosystem-wide changes" throughout lakes Michigan and Huron, two of the planet's largest freshwater lakes, according to a new study.

Lung perfusion system allows high-risk lungs to be safely transplanted, study suggests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have shown in a clinical trial that the Toronto XVIVO System can safely and effectively treat, re-assess and improve the function of high-risk donor lungs so that they can be successfully transplanted into patients. The use of this technique could significantly expand the donor organ pool and improve outcomes after transplantation.

Brain nerve stimulation could speed up learning, study suggests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT In a breakthrough that may aid treatment of learning impairments, strokes, tinnitus and chronic pain, researchers have found that brain nerve stimulation accelerates learning in laboratory tests. Another major finding of the study involves the positive changes detected after stimulation and learning were complete. Researchers monitoring brain activity in rats found that brain responses eventually returned to their pre-stimulation state, but the animals could still perform the learned task.

Challenges in stemming the spread of resistant bacteria in intensive care Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT Expanded use of active surveillance for bacteria and of barrier precautions -- specifically, gloves and gowns -- did not reduce the transmission of two important antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital-based settings, according to a clinical trial conducted in 18 intensive care units in the United States. Incomplete compliance by health care providers with recommended hand hygiene procedures and the use of gloves and gowns, along with time lags in confirming the presence of bacteria in patients, may have contributed to the findings.

Changes in 'good' fatty acid concentration of inner organs might be largely independent of diet Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT We are all encouraged to eat polyunsaturated fatty acids, as these are "good for us". The (relative) levels of particular classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids have been associated with a plethora of human illnesses. New research suggests that changes in fatty acid concentration of inner organs might be largely independent from diet composition.

Your flaws are my pain: Experience of vicarious embarrassment is linked to empathy Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT Today, there is increasing exposure of individuals to a public audience. Television shows and the Internet provide platforms for this and, at times, allow observing others' flaws and norm transgressions. Regardless of whether the person observed realizes their flaw or not, observers in the audience experience vicarious embarrassment. For the first time, such vicarious embarrassment experiences as well as their neural basis have been investigated.

An advance for a newborn vaccine approach Posted: 13 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT Infectious disease is a huge cause of death globally, and is a particular threat to newborns whose immune systems respond poorly to most vaccines. A new approach using an adjuvant (an agent to stimulate the immune system) along with the vaccine, shows promise in a study of blood from Gambian infants.

Two kinds of Webb telescope mirrors arrive at NASA Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT It takes two unique types of mirrors working together to see farther back in time and space than ever before, and engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have just received one of each type.

Higher chronic cerebral venous insufficiency prevalence confirmed in MS, but meaning of findings remains unclear Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT A new study on the relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic cerebral venous insufficiency (CCSVI), a narrowing of the extracranial veins that restricts the normal outflow of blood from the brain, found that CCSVI may be a result of MS, not a cause.

Treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT Treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other vascular risk factors may help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who already show signs of declining thinking skills or memory problems.

Predicting Alzheimer's: Thinning of key cortical areas predicts dementia up to a decade in advance Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT Subtle differences in brain anatomy among older individuals with normal cognitive skills may be able to predict both the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the following decade and how quickly symptoms of dementia would develop.

New drug may reduce seizures in epilepsy Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:12 PM PDT A new drug called perampanel appears to significantly reduce seizures in people with hard-to-control epilepsy, according to results of the first clinical trial to test the higher 12 mg dose of the drug.

Study links inflammation in brain to some memory decline Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT High levels of a protein associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation in the brain correlate with aspects of memory decline in otherwise cognitively normal older adults, according to a new study.

Are your values right or left? The answer is more literal than you think Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Up equals good, happy, optimistic; down the opposite. Right is honest and trustworthy. Left, not so much. That's what language and culture tell us. "We use mental metaphors to structure our thinking about abstract things," says a psychologist, "One of those metaphors is space."

Biochemist uses computer models to study protein involved with cancer, aging and chronic disease Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Biochemists took a combined computational and experimental approach to understand how protein p21 functions as a versatile regulator of cell division.

A judge's willingness to grant parole can be influenced by breaks Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT A judge's willingness to grant parole can be influenced by the time between their latest break and their current hearing.

TET1 enzyme steers us through fetal development and fights cancer Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT To ensure normal fetal development and prevent disease, it is crucial that certain genes are turned on or off in the right time intervals. Researchers have now shown how the TET1 enzyme controls the activity of our genes.

Normal breast cells help kill cancer cells, researchers find Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Researchers have shown that normal breast cells help defend against cancer by producing the protein interleukin 25 to actively and specifically kill breast cancer cells. This important new finding points the way to a new therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Sober light cast on Russia's mortality crisis Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT While many have blamed Russia's economic and political transition for the increase in deaths following the Soviet Union's collapse, one researcher pin new blame on the demise of an effective anti-alcohol campaign.

Experimental Alzheimer's disease drugs might help patients with nerve injuries Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Drugs already in development to treat Alzheimer's disease may eventually be tapped for a different purpose altogether: re-growing the ends of injured nerves to relieve pain and paralysis. According to a new study, experimental compounds originally designed to combat a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's-addled brains appear to make crushed or cut nerve endings grow back significantly faster, a potential boon for those who suffer from neuropathies or traumatic injuries.

Difference in ICU care between the US and UK reflect extremes of bed availability Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Patients who receive intensive care services are very different in the United States than in the United Kingdom, according to a new study that compared admission and mortality statistics from ICUs in each country. The study found that UK patients are much sicker upon ICU admission, whereas US patients are more likely to require continuing care after discharge and are often sent to skilled care facilities instead of home.

Experimental treatment for COPD in development Posted: 13 Apr 2011 12:16 PM PDT Researchers have developed a non-steroid based strategy for improving the lung's innate immune defense and decreasing inflammation that can be a problem for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a study, researchers targeted the Nrf2 pathway using sulforaphane, an ingredient that is present in broccoli in a precursor form, to enhance the Nrf2 pathway in the lung that mediates the uptake of bacteria.

Algae could replace 17 percent of US oil imports Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:30 AM PDT A new study shows that 17 percent of the United States' imported oil for transportation could be replaced by biofuel made from algae. Researchers also determined that the water needed to grow that algae could be substantially reduced by cultivating it in the nation's sunniest and most humid regions.

Vegetarians may be at lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:30 AM PDT Vegetarians experience a 36 percent lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome than non-vegetarians, suggests new research. Because metabolic syndrome can be a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, the findings indicate vegetarians may be at lower risk of developing these conditions.

Physicists create clouds of impenetrable gases that bounce off each other Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT When one cloud of gas meets another, they normally pass right through each other. But now, physicists have created clouds of ultracold gases that bounce off each other like bowling balls, even though they are a million times thinner than air -- the first time that such impenetrable gases have been observed. While this experiment involved clouds of lithium atoms, cooled to near absolute zero, the findings could also help explain the behavior of similar systems such as neutron stars, high-temperature superconductors, and quark-gluon plasma, the hot soup of elementary particles that formed immediately after the Big Bang.

Loch fossils show life harnessed sun and sex early on Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT Remote lochs along the west coast of Scotland are turning up new evidence about the origins of life on land. A team of scientists exploring rocks around Loch Torridon have discovered the remarkably preserved remains of organisms that once lived on the bottom of ancient lake beds as long as a billion years ago.

Long-sought fossil mammal with transitional middle ear Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT A new, complete fossil turns what's known about the evolution of early mammals on its ear. The specimen shows the bones associated with hearing in mammals -- the malleus, incus and ectotympanic -- decoupled from the lower jaw, as had been predicted, but were held in place by an ossified cartilage that rested in a groove on the lower jaw.

Patients' own cells yield new insights into the biology of schizophrenia Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT After a century of studying the causes of schizophrenia -- the most persistent disabling condition among adults -- the cause of the disorder remains unknown. Now induced pluripotent stem cells generated from schizophrenic patients have brought researchers a step closer to a fundamental understanding of the biological underpinnings of the disease.

Short-term, high-fat diet may initiate protection during heart attack Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT A new study shows that short-term, high-fat "splurges" within one's diet could elicit cardioprotective properties during a heart attack.

Aerobic exercise may improve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:29 AM PDT A study of obese people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease revealed that the daily walks not only increase insulin sensitivity, but improve the liver's polyunsaturated lipid index, which is thought to be a marker of liver health.

Giant fire-bellied toad's brain brims with powerful germ-fighters Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT Frog and toad skins already are renowned as cornucopias of hundreds of germ-fighting substances. Now a new report reveals that the toad brains also may contain an abundance of antibacterial and antiviral substances that could inspire a new generation of medicines.

South America's oldest textiles identified with carbon dating Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT Textiles and rope fragments found in a Peruvian cave have been dated to around 12,000 years ago, making them the oldest textiles ever found in South America, according to a new report.

Toward a 'green grid' for delivering solar and wind-based electricity Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT After years of neglect, scientists and policy makers are focusing more attention on developing technologies needed to make the so-called "green grid" possible, according to a new article. That's the much-needed future electrical grid, an interconnected network for delivering solar and wind-based electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Mechanism of long-term memory identified Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT Using advanced imaging technology, scientists have identified a change in chemical influx into a specific set of neurons in the common fruit fly that is fundamental to long-term memory.

Keeping beer fresh longer Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:10 AM PDT Researchers are reporting discovery of a scientific basis for extending the shelf life of beer so that it stays fresh and tastes good longer. For the first time, they identified the main substances that cause the bitter, harsh aftertaste of aged beer and suggest that preventing the formation of these substances could help extend its freshness.

Researchers advance toward hybrid spintronic computer chips Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:09 AM PDT Researchers have created the first electronic circuit to merge traditional inorganic semiconductors with organic "spintronics" -- devices that utilize the spin of electrons to read, write and manipulate data. Scientists combined an inorganic semiconductor with a unique plastic material currently under development.

Ceramic coatings may protect jet engines from volcanic ash Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:09 AM PDT Last year's $2 billion shutdown of European airspace following a volcanic eruption in Iceland alerted everyone to the danger that ash clouds can pose to aircraft engines. Now, researchers have discovered that a new class of ceramic coatings could offer jet engines special protection against volcanic ash damage in the future.

Portable devices' built-in motion sensors improve data rates on wireless networks Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:09 AM PDT For most of the 20th century, the paradigm of wireless communication was a radio station with a single high-power transmitter. As long as you were within 20 miles or so of the transmitter, you could pick up the station. With the advent of cell phones, however, and even more so with Wi-Fi, the paradigm became a large number of scattered transmitters with limited range. When a user moves out of one transmitter's range and into another's, the network has to perform a "handoff." And as anyone who's lost a cell-phone call in a moving car or lost a Wi-Fi connection while walking to the bus stop can attest, handoffs don't always happen as they should. Researchers have now developed new protocols that can often, for users moving around, improve network throughput (the amount of information that devices could send and receive in a given period) by about 50 percent.

Neurosurgeons test new device for placing brain implants Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:09 AM PDT A new MRI device that guides surgeons as they implant electrodes into the brains of people with Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders could change the way this surgery, called deep brain stimulation, is performed.

Why does brain development diverge from normal in autism spectrum disorders? Posted: 13 Apr 2011 09:09 AM PDT Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder on the autism spectrum, is marked by relatively normal development in infancy followed by a loss of loss of cognitive, social and language skills starting at 12 to 18 months of age. What hasn't been clear is why children start out developing normally, only to become progressively abnormal. New research helps unravel what's going on.

Food safety in Canada is lax and needs better oversight, say experts Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:13 AM PDT Canada needs better regulation and oversight of food safety to protect Canadians as the current system is lax, according to experts.

Obese people can suffer from social anxiety disorder due to weight alone Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:13 AM PDT A new study shows that obese individuals with social anxiety related only to their weight may experience anxiety as severe as individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD). The findings directly conflict with the criteria for SAD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition.

Radioactive contaminants removed from drinking water using new material, study suggests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 08:13 AM PDT A combination of forest byproducts and crustacean shells may be the key to removing radioactive materials from drinking water, researchers have found.

Death -- not just life -- important link in marine ecosystems Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT Tiny crustaceans called copepods rule the world, at least when it comes to oceans and estuaries. The most numerous multi-cellular organisms in the seas, copepods are an important link between phytoplankton and fish in marine food webs.

More interventions at delivery not linked to healthier newborns, study shows Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT In low-risk pregnant women, high induction and first-cesarean delivery rates do not lead to improved outcomes for newborns, according to new research. The finding that rates of intervention at delivery -- whether high, low, or in the middle -- had no bearing on the health of new babies brings into question the skyrocketing number of both inductions and cesarean deliveries in the United States.

Doctors strengthen case for high-dose radiotherapy technique after radical prostatectomy Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT A widely-available yet expensive radiotherapy technique used to treat prostate cancer patients after surgery has promising benefits -- higher dose and less damage to the rectum and bladder -- compared to a less precise technique, researchers say.

Minimally invasive thyroid surgery effective in children, study suggests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT Surgical approaches that reduce incision size and recovery time from thyroid surgery work well in children, physician-scientists report. Complication rates of minimally invasive thyroid surgery are on par with the standard surgical approach that can leave a several-inch scar at the base of the neck.

Accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude? Ultra-fast magnetic reversal observed Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT A newly discovered magnetic phenomenon could accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude. With a constantly growing flood of information, we are being inundated with increasing quantities of data, which we in turn want to process faster than ever. Oddly, the physical limit to the recording speed of magnetic storage media has remained largely unresearched. In experiments performed on a particle accelerator, researchers have now achieved ultrafast magnetic reversal and discovered a surprising phenomenon.

Injectable gel could spell relief for arthritis sufferers Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT Some 25 million people in the United States alone suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or its cousin osteoarthritis, diseases characterized by often debilitating pain in the joints. Now researchers report an injectable gel that could spell the future for treating these diseases and others.

Star formation linked to sonic booms Posted: 13 Apr 2011 07:17 AM PDT Nearby interstellar clouds contain networks of tangled gaseous filaments, according to new observations. Intriguingly, each filament is approximately the same width, hinting that they may result from interstellar sonic booms throughout our Galaxy.

Tiger-parrots show their true evolutionary stripes Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:32 AM PDT New genetic research is helping scientists better understand how Australian birds evolved.

Possible new approach to treating deadly leukemia in babies Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:32 AM PDT A new study points to a promising new approach to treating an aggressive and usually fatal leukemia in babies. The study involved a type of leukemia called mixed lineage leukemia, or MLL. Only 25 to 50 percent of babies diagnosed with MLL leukemia survive the disease.

Small molecules inhibit growth of human tumor cells Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:32 AM PDT Researchers have identified three novel small molecules that interrupt a crucial cellular communication pathway that regulates many aspects of development and cancer. The finding could provide the basis for innovative therapies for colorectal cancer and other diseases associated with aberrations in this pathway.

Gangs don't protect against crime, study suggests Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:32 AM PDT Gang members are twice as likely to be crime victims than non-gang members and are more frequently subject to simple assault, aggravated assault and drive by shootings, according to a recently study.

Children victims of most eye injuries from aerosols Posted: 13 Apr 2011 06:32 AM PDT A new estimate of emergency room visits for eye injuries related to aerosol spray cans finds that children account for more than half the cases. Infants and toddlers are the most common age segment affected, leading researchers to emphasize prevention.

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