Monday, April 05, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Bringing dehydrated plants 'back to life': Possible key to desiccation-tolerant plants

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Drought can take a toll on plants and animals alike. When cells are deprived of water, they shrink, collapsing in upon themselves and, without water as a medium, chemicals and enzymes inside the cells may malfunction. However, some plants, like the aptly named "resurrection fern," can survive extreme measures of water loss, even as much as 95 percent of their water content. How do the cells in these desiccation-tolerant plants remain viable?

Discovery of new group of molecules could help fight spread of cancer and other diseases

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A team of scientists has discovered a new group of molecules which could help fight the spread of cancer and other diseases. The new molecules are synthetic derivatives of a natural product known as UDP-Galactose, and block the activity of a group of enzymes called glycosyltransferases.

Cassini Doubleheader: Flying By Titan and Dione

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

In a special double flyby early next week, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will visit Saturn's moons Titan and Dione within a period of about a day and a half, with no maneuvers in between. A fortuitous cosmic alignment allows Cassini to attempt this doubleheader, and the interest in swinging by Dione influenced the design of its extended mission.

Baby's obesity risk: What's the mother's influence?

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Ongoing studies could provide new insights into recommendations to aspiring moms that they achieve a healthy weight before they become pregnant, and to gain only the recommended amount of weight during their pregnancy.

Medicine residues may threaten fish reproduction, Swedish study finds

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Sweden have discovered that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming in treated waste water. One such medicine, the hormone levonorgestrel, was found in higher concentrations in the blood of fish than in women who take the contraceptive pill. Elevated levels of this hormone can lead to infertility in fish.

For better romantic relationships, be true to yourself

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Be true to yourself, and better romantic relationships will follow, research suggests. A new study examined how dating relationships were affected by the ability of people to see themselves clearly and objectively, act in ways consistent with their beliefs, and interact honestly and truthfully with others.

Fermi maps an active galaxy's 'smokestack plumes'

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

If our eyes could see radio waves, the nearby galaxy Centaurus A (Cen A) would be one of the biggest and brightest objects in the sky, nearly 20 times the apparent size of a full moon. What we can't see when looking at the galaxy in visible light is that it lies nestled between a pair of giant radio-emitting gas plumes ejected by its supersized black hole. Each plume is nearly a million light-years long.

Premature birth and brain damage: Inflammation may play a role

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers have gone some way to explaining what happens during premature births and how brain injury develops in premature babies. New findings show that inflammation in both the amniotic fluid and the baby's brain has a role to play, new research from Sweden reveals.

Longer-lasting flowers: Fresh Ideas from new research

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Tomorrow's fragrant bouquets and colorful potted plants might last longer, thanks to new research.

Prostate cancer: How two key proteins interact at the molecular level

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists have determined how two proteins required for the initiation and development of prostate cancer interact at the molecular level, which could lead to improved treatments for the disease.

Looking into the future of data-routing with IRIS

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The Internet is on the verge of overheating, as big network routers are forced to sort through more and more data packets. One solution is to install photonic routers that leave data in the form of light, thereby avoiding unnecessary electronic processing. Researchers have built an operational photonic router prototype that could conceivably manage hundreds of terabits of data per second.

Researchers design self-test for memory disorders

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A self-administered test to screen for early dementia could help speed the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of memory disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. It could also provide health care providers and caregivers an earlier indication of life-changing events that could lie ahead. The handwritten self-assessment, which can take less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities.

All for one and one for all: Computer model reveals neurons coordinating their messaging, yielding clues to how the brain works

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

There is strength in numbers if you want to get your voice heard. But how to do you get your say if you are in the minority? That's a dilemma faced not only by the citizens of a democracy but also by some neurons in the brain.

New genetic risk factors for brain aneurysms identified

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

In the largest genome-wide study of brain aneurysms ever conducted, an international team of researchers has identified three new genetic variants that increase a person's risk for developing this deadly disease.

Nanotechnologists reveal the frictional characteristics of atomically thin sheets

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Nanotechnology researchers have used friction force microscopy to determine the nanoscale frictional characteristics of four atomically-thin materials, discovering a universal characteristic for these very different materials. Friction across these thin sheets increases as the number of atomic layers decreases, all the way down to one layer of atoms.

Structure of key protein in common HIV subgroup uncovered

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Scientists have provided the first-ever glimpse of the structure of a key protein -- gp120 -- found on the surface of a specific subgroup of the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV-1. In addition, they demonstrated that a particular antibody to gp120 makes contact not only with the protein, but with the CD4 receptor that gp120 uses to gain entrance into the body's T cells.

Energy crops impact environmental quality, review finds

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new review of scientific literature finds that removal of crop residue for biofuels can adversely impact soil and environmental quality. Conversely, dedicated energy crops can increase soil organic carbon concentration while providing biofuel feedstock.

Short-term program for binge eaters has long-term benefits, study finds

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new study finds that a self-guided, 12-week program helps binge eaters stop binging for up to a year and the program can also save money for those who participate. Recurrent binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the country, affecting more than three percent of the population, or nine million people, yet few treatment options are available.

Turning noise into vision: New way to reveal images of hidden objects

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Engineers have developed new technique for revealing images of hidden objects may one day allow pilots to peer through fog and doctors to see more precisely into the human body without surgery.

Novel genetic pathway responsible for triggering vascular growth

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a critical step for blood vessel growth in zebrafish embryos, providing new insight into how vascular systems develop and offering a potential therapeutic target for preventing tumor growth.

Fat clue to triggering latent tuberculosis

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

The factors instrumental in triggering latent tuberculosis infection to progress into active disease have long remained elusive to researchers. New insight into the mystery is provided by research that could help develop innovative strategies for treating the disease.

Only women with Western Swedish breast cancer gene run higher risk of ovarian cancer, study finds

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Previous research has shown that women with breast cancer are more likely than other women to develop ovarian cancer, but now researchers have shown that actually only women with a known Western Swedish mutation behind hereditary breast cancer run this increased risk of ovarian cancer.

The hot -- and cold -- interventional radiology treatments for recurrent prostate cancer

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

The first known patient cases using magnetic resonance-guided heat (laser interstitial thermal therapy) or cold (cryoablation) to treat prostate cancer recurrence after surgical removal of the prostate gland were presented by physicians at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa.

High rates of drug-resistant TB among UK prisoners

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT

UK prisoners are significantly more likely to have drug-resistant TB than other people with the disease, suggests new research.

Chocolate might reduce blood pressure and risk of heart disease, research suggests

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for you -- at least in small quantities and preferably if it's dark chocolate -- according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Pneumococcal vaccine offers protection to HIV-infected African adults in clinical trial

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

A clinical trial of a vaccine against a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis has shown that it can prevent three out of four cases of re-infection in HIV-infected adults in Africa. The trials, conducted in Malawi, studied the efficacy of a vaccine against infection with the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.

Notch protein: Opposing functions of key molecule in development of organisms

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Scientists reveal a surprising new function of Notch protein that contrasts with the one known to date.

Enabling women to use home test kits could increase HPV detection

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

More high risk cases of human papilloma virus could be detected by offering home testing kits to women who do not come forward for cervical screening, according to new research.

Call forwarding: New procedure could speed cell phone testing

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

By accurately recreating the jumbled wireless signal environment of a city business district in a special indoor test facility, researchers have shown how the wireless industry could lop hours off the process of testing the capabilities of new cellular phones.

Get up, get out and go: Research tackles childhood obesity

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Getting children involved in finding ways to become more physically active can not only make them more aware of local recreational opportunities, but can even help increase their own physical activity. That's the result of a study examining the role of seven national parks in contributing to the health of today's youth.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Out of this world: New study investigates infection of human cells in space

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

In a first-of-its-kind experiment, the unique conditions of spaceflight will be used to examine how cells remain healthy or succumb to disease, particularly in the face of stress or damage. Researcher hope to provide fundamental new insight into the infectious disease process, and further understanding of other progressive diseases, including immune disorders and cancer.

Early detection of age-related memory deficits in mice

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

By studying the aging of memory in the mouse, researchers have developed an experimental protocol that can detect age-related memory deficits at an early stage. They have shown that even at 10 months, which corresponds to a third of their life expectancy, some mice present with age-related memory disorders. This work opens new perspectives for an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the aging of memory and for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Racetrack ion trap is a contender in quantum computing quest

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Physicists have built and tested a device for trapping ions that potentially could process dozens at once with the most versatile control of any trap demonstrated to date, an advance towards the ultimate goal of building a practical quantum computer.

Next decade offers promise for treatment of spinal cord injuries

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Although new developments in the management of spinal cord injuries (SCI) are on the horizon, any eventual cure for the condition is more likely to involve a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from expertise in several fields, according to new research.

Essential oils to fight superbugs

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Essential oils could be a cheap and effective alternative to antibiotics and potentially used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs, according to new research.

More than one-quarter of elderly patients lack decision-making capacity at death, study finds

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

More than one in four elderly Americans lacked the capacity to make their own medical care decisions at the end of life, according to a new study.

Significant step toward lightweight batteries

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have made significant progress on a technology that could lead to batteries with up to three times the energy density of any battery that currently exists.

Thyroid condition increases stroke risk in young adults

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Young adults with overactive thyroid face a 44 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those with normal thyroid function, according to a new study.

New method for producing proteins critical to medical research

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a new method for producing proteins critical to research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases. The chemical method yields hundreds-fold more ubiquitylated proteins than current approaches. Such proteins may hold the key to revealing such mysteries as how cancer cells gain resistance to cancer drugs.

Brain development: Floor plate tissue derived from embryonic stem cells

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have used human embryonic stem cells to derive floor plate tissue, an important signaling center during brain development. This is the first study shown to derive floor plate tissue from hESCs. Floor plate development is essential in the development of the brain. Understanding how the brain develops is key to understanding how brain diseases occur.

Molecular middle managers make more decisions than bosses

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Organisms are structured at the molecular level in ways similar to social hierarchies. In some, master genetic regulators call most of the shots, and in others most of life's activities are carried out by more egalitarian collaborations.

Behavioral incentives mimic effects of medication on brain systems in ADHD

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Medication and behavioral interventions help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) better maintain attention and self control by normalizing activity in the same brain systems, according to new research.

Not so fast! Andes rise was gradual, not abrupt

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Trailing like a serpent's spine along the western coast of South America, the Andes are the world's longest continental mountain range and the highest range outside Asia, with an average elevation of 13,000 feet.

Unequal leg length tied to osteoarthritis, study finds

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new study shows that arthritis in the knee is linked to the common trait of having one leg that is longer than the other. Whether or not leg length differential is a direct cause of osteoarthritis is not clear, but the findings may allow people to take preventive measures before the onset of the chronic and painful condition.

Scientists address 'wrinkles' in transparent film development

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A closer look at a promising nanotube coating that might one day improve solar cells has turned up a few unexpected wrinkles, according to new research.

Matters of the heart: FDG PET may hold answers for patients with heart failure

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

For a patient with heart failure, checking whether the heart could benefit from bypass surgery or a stent is critical to ensuring survival. One imaging technique, positron emission tomography (PET) with the imaging agent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), may provide doctors with the information they need to make more informed treatment decisions, according to new research.

Researcher modernizes US power grid

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Although the US electric power industry is one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century, aging technology and an increase in demand create problems for the electricity infrastructure that need to be fixed.

Maintaining regular daily routines is associated with better sleep quality in older adults

Posted: 04 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A study has found that the maintenance of daily routines was associated with a reduced rate of insomnia and improved quality of sleep in older adults living in a retirement community.

Saturday, April 03, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Traces of early Native Americans -- in sunflower genes

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

New information about early Native Americans' horticultural practices comes not from hieroglyphs or other artifacts, but from a suite of four gene duplicates found in wild and domesticated sunflowers. Scientists learned duplications of the gene flowering locus T, or FT, could have evolved and interacted to prolong a flower's time to grow. A longer flower growth period means a bigger sunflower -- presumably an attribute of value to the plant's first breeders.

Weak link in Alzheimer's drug candidates: Some may cause further neural degeneration

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Some current therapies being investigated for Alzheimer's disease may cause further neural degeneration and cell death, according to a breakthrough discovery.

Marathon runners should pick cherries for speedy recovery

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists examined the properties of Montmorency cherries in a study that found that athletes who drank the juice recovered faster after Marathon running than a placebo controlled group.

Treatment checklists may cut hospital deaths

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Patient deaths at three London hospitals have been cut by almost 15 percent after introducing treatment checklists (known as care bundles), a new study finds.

Electronic medical records may accelerate genome-driven diagnoses and treatments

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

A new study reveals an exciting potential benefit of the rapidly accumulating databases of health care information, the ability to make unprecedented links between genomic data and clinical medicine. The research supports the idea that large scale DNA databanks linked to electronic medical record (EMR) systems provide a valuable platform for discovering, assessing and validating associations between genes and diseases.

Study points out risks of nonromantic sexual relationships

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

A study has found that one-third of sexual relationships in the Chicago area lack exclusivity. One in 10 men and women reported that both they and their partner had slept with other people. Lovers in "friends with benefits" situations or those "hooking up" with a stranger or acquaintance proved much more likely to have multiple partners.

Plastic electronics could slash the cost of solar panels

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

By producing plastics that are translucent, malleable and able to conduct electricity, researchers have opened the door to broader use of the materials in a wide range of electrical devices.

Anti-HIV drugs inhibit emerging virus linked to prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Four drugs used to treat HIV infection can inhibit a retrovirus recently linked to prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, researchers have shown. The findings suggest that if XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) is proven to be a cause for prostate cancer or chronic fatigue syndrome, those illnesses may be treatable with drugs already approved for treating HIV.

Mars rover Spirit may have begun months-long hibernation

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The most powerful camera aboard a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars has returned the first pictures of locations on the Red Planet suggested by the public.

Metabolic disease: Differential drug response in lean and obese patients explained

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

One thing that predisposes individuals who are obese to type 2 diabetes is the persistent, low-level inflammation that results, in part, from dysregulation of the function of white fat tissue in the abdominal cavity between the internal organs (visceral white fat tissue). New insight into the signaling pathways that contribute to visceral white fat tissue dysregulation has now been provided by researchers who determined that the PPAR-gamma signaling pathway operates differently in the visceral white fat tissue of lean and obese mice and humans.

Second plant pathway could improve nutrition, biofuel production

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have defined a hidden second option plants have for making an essential amino acid that could be the first step in boosting plants' nutritional value and improving biofuel production potential.

Neuroscientists show how brain stores memories of specific fears

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The brain is capable of holding and retrieving memories for specific fears, revealing a more sophisticated storage and recall capacity than previously thought, neuroscientists have found.

Imaging life as it happens: researchers capture video of embryonic heart before it begins to beat

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers are imaging life as it happens by capturing video of the embryonic heart before it begins beating. They are documenting the formation of the mammalian heart through a high-resolution, noninvasive imaging device, providing perhaps the best live imagery taken of the vital organ.

Combinatorial therapy allows viruses to destroy tumors

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

For several years, researchers have been developing a new approach to treating cancer that uses viruses to infect and kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. New research indicates that this approach, which is known as oncolytic virotherapy, can be combined with a standard clinical therapy to provide substantial regression and cure of tumors in mice, leading to the suggestion that this combinatorial approach could be of tremendous benefit in the clinic.

NASA Mars spacecraft snaps photos chosen by public

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The most powerful camera aboard a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars has returned the first pictures of locations on the Red Planet suggested by the public.

Lymphatic system: Regulator of lymph vessel growth uncovered

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

In addition to our network of blood vessels, humans have a network of vessels known as lymphatic vessels. These vessels have a role in many processes in the body, including regulating fluid levels in tissues and immune surveillance. Although dysfunction in the lymphatic system contributes to human diseases such as the spread of cancer to other sites and lymphademas (localized fluid retention and tissue swelling), little is known about the molecules that regulate the formation of new lymphatic vessels, a process known as lymphangiogenesis. However, a team of researchers has now identified a role for the gene regulatory protein COUP-TFII in lymphangiogenesis in mouse embryonic development and tumor lymphangiogenesis in adult mice.

How are droplets displaced by ultrasounds?

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Understanding the physical mechanisms that enable a droplet to be displaced by propagating an acoustic wave along the substrate on which it lies is the hurdle that has just been overcome by researchers. They have succeeded in detailing the structure of the ultrasounds that propagate in a droplet and which lead to its oscillation and then its displacement.

Attitude toward everyday activity important for healthy lifestyle

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Exploring underlying attitudes toward everyday physical activity -- for example, walking to a nearby co-worker's office rather than sending an email -- may open new opportunities for promoting healthier, more active lifestyles.