ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Contact lenses loaded with vitamin E may treat glaucoma
• Making car fuel from thin air
• High systolic BP in patients with chest pain linked with favorable prognosis
• Naval research laboratory takes a close look at unique diamonds
• Transition into adult health care is a rocky road for 20 somethings
• Compulsive eating shares addictive biochemical mechanism with cocaine, heroin abuse, study shows
• Coronary artery development mystery solved, may lead to better bypasses
• Vast microbial diversity of carnivorous pitcher plant uncovered
• Slowing down immune system's 'brakes' may improve HIV vaccines
• A two-in-one test for detecting E. coli in ground beef and other foods
• Mother-son relationship key to emotional development
• Single gene dramatically boosts yield, sweetness in tomato hybrids
• Paired drugs kill precancerous colon polyps, spare normal tissue
• Searching for genes behind a trait
• Topical drug to treat diabetic macular edema promising
• Key enzyme discovered to be master regulator in protein-protein reactions
• How does ethnicity affect asthma prevalence?
• Commercial cooking elevates hazardous pollutants in the environment, study finds
• How does a heart know when it's big enough?
• Using nanotechnology in cancer research
• Breast cancer and drug interactions: Making sure patients get full benefit of tamoxifen treatments
• Pressure sensors on alert
• Patients requesting prophylactic mastectomies overestimate their breast cancer risk, study suggests
• A new strategy normalizes blood sugars in diabetes
• Self-powered nanosensors: Nanogenerators used to power sensors based on zinc oxide nanowires

Contact lenses loaded with vitamin E may treat glaucoma Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT The popular dietary supplement vitamin E, loaded into special medicated contact lenses, can keep glaucoma medicine near the eye -- where it can treat that common disease -- almost 100 times longer than possible with current commercial lenses, scientists report.

Making car fuel from thin air Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers in the UK are working on a project that could take carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into car fuel. The project aims to develop porous materials that can absorb the gas that causes global warming and convert it into chemicals that can be used to make car fuel or plastics in a process powered by renewable solar energy.

High systolic BP in patients with chest pain linked with favorable prognosis Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT New research finds that there is an inverse association between the level of supine (lying face up) systolic blood pressure measured on admission to an intensive care unit for acute chest pain and risk of death at one year, with those patients having high systolic blood pressure having a better prognosis after a year.

Naval research laboratory takes a close look at unique diamonds Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Naval Research Laboratory, which has been involved in pioneering work involving chemical vapor deposition of diamond and the use of diamond materials in advanced technologies relevant to the Department of Defense since 1987, has recently undertaken some new projects in diamond research. In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History, NRL researchers have begun studying unique and historic natural colored diamonds to understand and characterize the defects/impurities, which cause the color.

Transition into adult health care is a rocky road for 20 somethings Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Young adults, a generally healthy population, are increasingly flocking to emergency departments instead of outpatient clinics for medical treatment.

Compulsive eating shares addictive biochemical mechanism with cocaine, heroin abuse, study shows Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT In a newly published study, scientists have shown for the first time that the same molecular mechanisms that drive people into drug addiction are behind the compulsion to overeat, pushing people into obesity.

Coronary artery development mystery solved, may lead to better bypasses Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Scientists studying cardiac development in mouse embryos have identified the source of cells that become the coronary arteries -- the vessels that deliver blood to nourish the continuously pumping heart muscle.

Vast microbial diversity of carnivorous pitcher plant uncovered Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT The microbial ecosystem inside the carnivorous pitcher plant is vastly more diverse than previously thought, according to new research.

Slowing down immune system's 'brakes' may improve HIV vaccines Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Like a skittish driver slamming the brakes, a special class of T cells may be limiting the effectiveness of therapeutic vaccines for HIV by slowing the immune system response too soon, report health science researchers. Their study may help researchers improve the efficacy of such vaccines by devising methods to circumvent the braking mechanism of these cells.

A two-in-one test for detecting E. coli in ground beef and other foods Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed the first two-in-one test that can simultaneously detect both the E. coli bacteria responsible for terrible food poisoning outbreaks, and the toxins, or poisons, that the bacteria use to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms in its victims.

Mother-son relationship key to emotional development Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PDT New research shows that children, especially boys, who have insecure attachments to their mothers in the early years have more behavioral problems later in childhood.

Single gene dramatically boosts yield, sweetness in tomato hybrids Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Giving tomato breeders and ketchup fans something to cheer about, scientists have identified a gene that pushes hybrid tomato plants to spectacularly increase yield. The yield-boosting power of this gene, which controls when plants make flowers, works in different varieties of tomato, and crucially, across a range of environmental conditions.

Paired drugs kill precancerous colon polyps, spare normal tissue Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A two-drug combination destroys precancerous colon polyps with no effect on normal tissue, opening a new potential avenue for chemoprevention of colon cancer, scientists report.

Searching for genes behind a trait Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new study located dozens of genes that may determine key traits such as flowering time and disease resistance in plants. The study of possible causal genes of plant traits breaks new ground for two reasons: the authors studied natural variation of 107 different traits -- a far higher number than in previous studies; and advances in genetic analysis enabled the authors to check the genome for mutations at many more points.

Topical drug to treat diabetic macular edema promising Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Early-stage human clinical trials showed that a new topical drug was safe and had biological effects in a type of diabetic eye disease, and may offer researchers a new approach to prevent and treat diabetic macular edema.

Key enzyme discovered to be master regulator in protein-protein reactions Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT New research explains how a key enzyme, PP1, functions in protein-protein interactions. Researchers have described how PP1 "chooses" proteins. The finding is important, because erroneous PP1 regulation can cause numerous diseases, including cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's.

How does ethnicity affect asthma prevalence? Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A study of UK schoolchildren has revealed that black Africans, Indians and Bangladeshis have a similar or lower prevalence of asthma than white children, while black Caribbean and mixed black Caribbean/white boys are more likely to have asthma. Researchers studied the occurrence of asthma, investigating ethnic differences in risk factors.

Commercial cooking elevates hazardous pollutants in the environment, study finds Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Scientists in Minnesota are reporting that commercial cooking is a surprisingly large source of a range of air pollutants that could pose risks to human health and the environment.

How does a heart know when it's big enough? Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT A protein discovered in fruit fly eyes has brought scienetists closer to understanding how the human heart and other organs automatically "right size" themselves, a piece of information that may hold clues to controlling cancer.

Using nanotechnology in cancer research Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Biomedical researchers in Norway are applying nanotechnology to mimic the body's natural processes, create new blood vessels to supply engineered tissue, and deepen our understanding of cancer.

Breast cancer and drug interactions: Making sure patients get full benefit of tamoxifen treatments Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Some breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen may not be getting the full benefit of their treatment because they have also been taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, prescribed drugs that inhibit the effect of an important enzyme, CYP2D6. In a new study, scientists have shown that by taking action as soon as interacting medications are found, patients can be weaned off and switched to a different treatment with no deleterious effect on tamoxifen metabolism.

Pressure sensors on alert Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Vacuum panels are particularly good for insulating buildings -- as long as the vacuum does not leak. A tiny pressure sensor can now constantly check the condition of the vacuum and indicate whether the insulation effect is still present.

Patients requesting prophylactic mastectomies overestimate their breast cancer risk, study suggests Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer believe the risk of the disease occurring in their unaffected breast is as much as 10 times higher than it actually is. As a result, they are choosing to have prophylactic mastectomies based on a false perception of increased risk, according to new research.

A new strategy normalizes blood sugars in diabetes Posted: 27 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new strategy for treating type 2 diabetes, identifying a cellular pathway that fails when people become obese.

Self-powered nanosensors: Nanogenerators used to power sensors based on zinc oxide nanowires Posted: 27 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT By combining a new generation of piezoelectric nanogenerators with two types of nanowire sensors, researchers have created what are believed to be the first self-powered nanometer-scale sensing devices that draw power from the conversion of mechanical energy.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Individual light atoms, such as carbon and oxygen, identified with new microscope
• Possible new treatment for pancreatic cancer?
• Rodeo bull goes head-to-head with zoo dolphins in a study of balance
• New animal model developed to study craniofacial pain by manipulating genes
• Structure of insulin's docking point identified
• Motherhood appears to protect against suicide, study finds
• Colonies of bacteria fight for resources with lethal protein
• When memory-related neurons fire in sync with certain brain waves, memories last
• Zebrafish study with human heart implications: Cellular grown-ups outperform stem cells in cardiac repair
• New studies on surgical options in inherited breast cancer show drastic treatment is not always best
• Made easy with light: How lasers can make manufacturing structures out of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics efficient
• Hand and feet massages provide consolation for bereaved relatives
• Cyclone Oli deals major blow to French Polynesia's coral reefs
• Kidney disease hides in people with undiagnosed diabetes
• In search of the magnetic monopole: Large Hadron Collider experiment could rewrite laws of physics
• Survival in metastatic breast cancer patients is improving: targeted therapies have contributed
• Cheap and green: Spin-off to revolutionize sustainable energy
• Widely used screening scale may misidentify borderline personality disorder as bipolar disorder
• Nanosatellite To Clear Dangerous Debris From Space
• Aquatic ecosystems threatened by the size of non-native fish

Individual light atoms, such as carbon and oxygen, identified with new microscope Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Using the latest in aberration-corrected electron microscopy, researchers have obtained the first images that distinguish individual light atoms such as boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.

Possible new treatment for pancreatic cancer? Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT A new technique will deliver cancer treatments directly to certain tumors. One of the cancers this could have particular benefit in targeting is pancreatic cancer, which is currently very difficult to treat.

Rodeo bull goes head-to-head with zoo dolphins in a study of balance Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Dolphins, whales and porpoises have extraordinarily small balance organs, and scientists have long wondered why. Now a study has contradicted a leading theory, which held that the animals moved their heads so vigorously that they had to have smaller, less responsive balance organs to avoid overwhelming their senses.

New animal model developed to study craniofacial pain by manipulating genes Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Using a novel animal model to study craniofacial pain, researchers have discovered that when tissues are inflamed, the nerve cells carrying pain information from the head to the brain produce in large quantities a protein involved in pain signaling.

Structure of insulin's docking point identified Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have determined the structure of a previously unseen part of the insulin receptor, making possible new treatments for diabetes.

Motherhood appears to protect against suicide, study finds Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Motherhood appears to protect against suicide, with increasing numbers of children associated with decreasing rates of death from suicide, found a new article.

Colonies of bacteria fight for resources with lethal protein Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Rival colonies of bacteria can produce a lethal chemical that keeps competitors at bay, scientists report this week. By halting the growth of nearby colonies and even killing some of the cells, groups of bacteria preserve scarce resources for themselves, even when the encroaching colony is closely related.

When memory-related neurons fire in sync with certain brain waves, memories last Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT They say there's only one chance to make a first impression, but what makes that memory last? Research scientists now suggest that when memory-related neurons in the brain fire in sync with certain brain waves, the resulting image recognition and memories are stronger than if this synchronization does not occur.

Zebrafish study with human heart implications: Cellular grown-ups outperform stem cells in cardiac repair Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Bony fish like the tiny zebrafish have a remarkable ability that mammals can only dream of: if you lop off a chunk of their heart they swim sluggishly for a few days but within a month appear perfectly normal. How they accomplish this -- or, more importantly, why we can't -- is one of the significant questions in regenerative medicine today.

New studies on surgical options in inherited breast cancer show drastic treatment is not always best Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Two new studies shed light on the treatment options facing women carrying the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. Researchers found that prophylactic mastectomy does not improve disease-free or overall survival, and the first multi-institutional systematic comparison of treatment outcomes from breast conserving therapy versus mastectomy found more recurrences in the breast with BCT compared to recurrences at the chest wall following mastectomy, but similar rates of recurrence when BCT patients also received chemotherapy.

Made easy with light: How lasers can make manufacturing structures out of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics efficient Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Lightweight, sturdy and non-corrosive: fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are an ideal material for making boats and cars, and for aerospace engineering. But up to now, processing the raw materials was considered laborious and costly. Researchers have now demonstrated how lasers can make the manufacturing of structures out of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics efficient, clean, reliable and automatic.

Hand and feet massages provide consolation for bereaved relatives Posted: 28 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving. Eighteen people, aged from 34-78, who had lost a relative to cancer took part in the study. They all said the massages provided consolation, helping them to balance the need to grieve and the need to adapt to life after the loss of their relative.

Cyclone Oli deals major blow to French Polynesia's coral reefs Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT On February 3-4, 2010, tropical cyclone Oli hit western French Polynesia. Scientists were soon to discover the extent of the damage: the coral reef, which had already been made vulnerable by the invasion of a starfish that is a coral predator, had been almost completely destroyed.

Kidney disease hides in people with undiagnosed diabetes Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Millions of Americans may have chronic kidney disease and not know it, according to a new study.

In search of the magnetic monopole: Large Hadron Collider experiment could rewrite laws of physics Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT An experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN could dramatically change our concepts of basic physics, revolutionize our understanding of the universe and could eventually lead to technologies in future generations that right now only exist in science fiction. Physicists will use ultra high energy proton collisions in search for a hypothetical particle -- the magnetic monopole.

Survival in metastatic breast cancer patients is improving: targeted therapies have contributed Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Survival is improving in patients with metastatic breast cancer, especially in those patients whose tumors are described as being HER2 positive, according to new research. Median survival times for five-year intervals of 557 metastatic breast cancer patients increased steadily, from 10 months for the 1985 to 1990 period, to 22 months for the 2000 to 2004 period. The researchers attribute this to the advent of targeted treatment.

Cheap and green: Spin-off to revolutionize sustainable energy Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new spin-off company from The University of Nottingham is aiming to prove that one new form of green energy could be in widespread use within 15 years and at a fraction of the cost of its nearest competitor.

Widely used screening scale may misidentify borderline personality disorder as bipolar disorder Posted: 28 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A widely-used screening tool for bipolar disorder may incorrectly indicate borderline personality disorder rather than bipolar disorder. Researchers question the effectiveness of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire.

Nanosatellite To Clear Dangerous Debris From Space Posted: 26 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT New UK technology is set to play a major part in clearing dangerous clouds of debris hurtling around the Earth's lower orbit. Scientists have devised a miniature satellite or nanosatellite fitted with a solar sail. "CubeSail" is a device which can be fitted to satellites or launch vehicle upper stages that are sent into orbit and then can be deployed to successfully de-orbit equipment that has reached the end of its mission.

Aquatic ecosystems threatened by the size of non-native fish Posted: 26 Mar 2010 09:00 PM PDT Fish introduced into rivers by human intervention over the past 150 years have modified the average body size of fish assemblages in many areas of the world. A new study shows that non-native fish are larger than native species by an average of 12 cm.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Mother birds know best -- even before birth
• Immune cells use 'bungee of death' to kill dangerous cells, new research shows
• Plants can grow quickly or ward off hungry insects, but not both
• MRI finds tumors in second breast of women diagnosed with cancer in one breast, study suggests
• Exploring Echinacea's enigmatic origins
• Pursuit of status and affection drives bullies' behavior
• Prolonged climatic stress main reason for mass extinction 65 million years ago, paleontologist says
• Of mice and memory: 'Working memory' of mice can be improved
• Hidden habits and movements of insect pests revealed by DNA barcoding
• New alterations found in young adults with type 2 diabetes
• A more sensitive sensor
• Older adults remember the good times: Changes in brain connectivity with aging may enable older adults to remember positive events
• Behavior of single protein observed in unprecedented detail
• New gateway to treat leukemia and other cancers
• New Alzheimer's test offers better opportunities for early detection
• Weight-bearing exercise does not prevent increased bone turnover during weight loss
• Plant hormone increases cotton yields in drought conditions
• Sleep differences among ethnic groups revealed in new poll
• Playing 'Pong' with the blink of an eye
• Tumors hide out from the immune system by mimicking lymph nodes
• No 'simple theory of everything' inside the enigmatic E8, researcher says
• Beta-blockers help reduce metastasis and improve survival in breast cancer patients
• Green computing: New world record in energy-efficient data processing
• Spoiler alert: TV medical dramas 'rife' with bioethical issues and breaches of professional conduct
• Your fat may help you heal: Researcher extracts natural scaffold for tissue growth
• Rapid development of drug-resistant 2009 H1N1 influenza reported in two cases
• Scientists create rainbow of fluorescent probes
• How cells recognize viral toxins
• Search for Air France Flight 447 begun
• Feeling powerful leads to more optimistic and less accurate time predictions
• Dawn of the Anthropocene Epoch? Earth has entered new age of geological time, experts say
• Community-acquired MRSA becoming more common in pediatric ICU patients
• Snowblower on Enceladus: How moon's ice jets feed Saturn's E ring and cause some slight snowfall
• Insulin-like signal needed to keep stem cells alive in adult brain
• The sexual tug-of-war -- a genomic view
• In brain-injured children, early gesturing predicts language delays

Mother birds know best -- even before birth Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Mother birds communicate with their developing chicks before they even hatch by leaving them messages in the egg, new research has found.

Immune cells use 'bungee of death' to kill dangerous cells, new research shows Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Immune cells ensnare dangerous cells that are on the run with a bungee-like nanotube, according to new research. The study shows that natural killer cells use this bungee to destroy cells that could otherwise escape them.

Plants can grow quickly or ward off hungry insects, but not both Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT There's a war occurring each day in our backyards -- plant versus plant-eating insect versus insect-eating insect. Research suggests the outcome -- of interest to farmers -- is a stalemate.

MRI finds tumors in second breast of women diagnosed with cancer in one breast, study suggests Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Postmenopausal women, including those over 70 years old, who have been newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast have higher cancer detection rates when the other breast is scanned for tumors with MRI, compared to premenopausal women, say researchers.

Exploring Echinacea's enigmatic origins Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Agricultural cientists are helping to sort through the jumbled genetics of Echinacea, the coneflower known for its blossoms -- and its potential for treating infections, inflammation, and other human ailments.

Pursuit of status and affection drives bullies' behavior Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT A longitudinal study of almost 500 Dutch elementary-school children ages 9 to 12 finds that bullies generally choose to gain status by dominating their victims and that, at the same time, bullies try to reduce the chances that they'll end up on the outs with other classmates by choosing as victims children who are weak and not well-liked by others. The research team also found that gender plays a strong role in who victimizes whom.

Prolonged climatic stress main reason for mass extinction 65 million years ago, paleontologist says Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Long-term climate fluctuations were probably the main reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs and other creatures 65 million years ago, according to new research from a German paleontologist. The results challenge the almost 30-year-old theory that a meteorite impact at the Mexican Yucatan peninsula was the single cause for one of the five largest mass extinctions in Earth history.

Of mice and memory: 'Working memory' of mice can be improved Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Mice trained to improve their working memory become more intelligent, suggesting that similar improvements in working memory might help human beings enhance their brain power, according to new research.

Hidden habits and movements of insect pests revealed by DNA barcoding Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have found a faster way to study the spread and diet of insect pests. Using a technique called DNA barcoding, which involves the identification of species from a short DNA sequence, they studied populations of numerous moth and butterfly species across Papua New Guinea. DNA barcodes showed that migratory patterns and caterpillar diets are very dynamic.

New alterations found in young adults with type 2 diabetes Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Diet and aerobic exercise are highly effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but not for obese subjects that have developed the disease when very young. A new study demonstrates that obese subjects between 18 and 25 years of age carry mitochondrial proteins and genes that work abnormally and that these anomalies contribute to generating insulin resistance and a reduced response to physical exercise.

A more sensitive sensor Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have set out to make sensors for microelectromechanical systems significantly more sensitive and reliable than they are today, shrinking their work to nano-size to do it.

Older adults remember the good times: Changes in brain connectivity with aging may enable older adults to remember positive events Posted: 27 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PDT Despite the aches and pains that occur in old age, many older adults maintain a positive outlook, remembering the positive experiences from their past.

Behavior of single protein observed in unprecedented detail Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Scrutinizing a single molecule for more than a few milliseconds used to require effectively "stapling" it down, inhibiting its normal behavior. Now, using a newly developed technique, chemists have for the first time confined a protein (one involved in photosynthesis), observed its behavior for more than a second and learned things about it that could influence solar energy technology and biofuels.

New gateway to treat leukemia and other cancers Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously hidden channel to attack leukemia and other cancer cells, according to a new study. The findings may change the way doctors treat cancer patients.

New Alzheimer's test offers better opportunities for early detection Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Early detection is key to more effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive impairment, and recent research shows that a new test is more than 95 percent effective in detecting cognitive abnormalities associated with these diseases.

Weight-bearing exercise does not prevent increased bone turnover during weight loss Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT During weight loss, bones are being remodeled -- breaking down old bone and forming new bone -- at an accelerated rate. As a result, bone density is reduced, causing increased fragility. In a new study researchers found that weight-bearing exercise, in this case, fast walking or jogging, did not prevent the increased bone turnover caused by weight loss.

Plant hormone increases cotton yields in drought conditions Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT A naturally occurring class of plant hormones called cytokinins has been found to help increase cotton yields during drought conditions.

Sleep differences among ethnic groups revealed in new poll Posted: 27 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PDT Significant differences have been found in the sleep habits and attitudes of Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics and whites.

Playing 'Pong' with the blink of an eye Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT University students in the UK have developed a computer game that is operated by eye movements, which could allow people with severe physical disabilities to become "gamers" for the first time.

Tumors hide out from the immune system by mimicking lymph nodes Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT A new mechanism explaining how tumors escape the body's natural immune surveillance has recently been discovered. The study shows how tumors can create a tolerant microenviroment and avoid attack by the immune system by mimicking key features of lymph nodes. The discovery underscores the role of the lymphatic system in cancer and may open up new possibilities for cancer treatment.

No 'simple theory of everything' inside the enigmatic E8, researcher says Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT The "exceptionally simple theory of everything," proposed by surfing physicist Garrett Lisi, does not hold water, according to some mathematicians. Centered on the elegant E8 structure, they use linear algebra and proving theorems to translate the physics into math, and show that Lisi's formulas don't work, while also demonstrating flaws in a class of related theories.

Beta-blockers help reduce metastasis and improve survival in breast cancer patients Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Treatment with beta-blockers can help reduce the spread of cancer, says the first study in the world to have investigated their effect in breast cancer patients. Patients treated with beta-blockers showed a significant reduction in metastasis and better survival. The use of beta-blockers appears to slow down tumor growth and could also be used to target those patients who have an increased risk of developing secondary cancers.

Green computing: New world record in energy-efficient data processing Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Scientists in Germany have developed a system that substantially reduces the energy consumption for processing huge amounts of data. They improved over the power efficiency of the former record holders by a factor of three to four.

Spoiler alert: TV medical dramas 'rife' with bioethical issues and breaches of professional conduct Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT Scientists analyzed depictions of bioethical issues and professionalism over a full season of two popular medical dramas -- "Grey's Anatomy" and "House, M.D." -- and found that the shows were "rife" with ethical dilemmas and actions that often ran afoul of professional codes of conduct.

Your fat may help you heal: Researcher extracts natural scaffold for tissue growth Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT A person's own fat cells may be the source of matrix material to grow new cells and, ultimately, new tissue for humans without risk of rejection.

Rapid development of drug-resistant 2009 H1N1 influenza reported in two cases Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Two people with compromised immune systems who became ill with 2009 H1N1 influenza developed drug-resistant strains of virus after less than two weeks on therapy, report doctors.

Scientists create rainbow of fluorescent probes Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Scientists are advancing the state-of-the-art in live cell fluorescent imaging by developing a new class of fluorescent probes that span the spectrum -- from violet to the near-infrared. The new technology, called fluoromodules, can be used to monitor biological activities of individual proteins in living cells in real time.

How cells recognize viral toxins Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT New research has identified how specific proteins on the surface of cells, known as class A scavenger receptors, bind to double-stranded RNA and bring it into the cell, jumpstarting the immune response to a virus.

Search for Air France Flight 447 begun Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have begun a sea search operation to locate the deep-sea wreck site of Air France Flight 447 and to retrieve the flight recorders from the Airbus A 330.

Feeling powerful leads to more optimistic and less accurate time predictions Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT When people feel powerful they become more optimistic and less accurate in predicting the completion time of forthcoming tasks. New research examined for the first time the planning behavior of powerful people and found that power drastically reduced the accuracy of forecasts with error rates soaring up to 70%.

Dawn of the Anthropocene Epoch? Earth has entered new age of geological time, experts say Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT A number of leading scientists suggest that Earth has entered a new age of geological time -- the Anthropocene Epoch. And the dawning of this new epoch, they say, may include the sixth largest mass extinction in Earth's history.

Community-acquired MRSA becoming more common in pediatric ICU patients Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT Once considered a hospital anomaly, community-acquired infections with drug-resistant strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus now turn up regularly among children hospitalized in the intensive-care unit, according to new research.

Snowblower on Enceladus: How moon's ice jets feed Saturn's E ring and cause some slight snowfall Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT Cassini's nose dives through Saturn's E ring have yielded insights on the give and take of ice particles between Enceladus and the ring. Some of the moon's jets are successful in shooting ice grains far enough to become part of the E ring. But even the ice grains that make it to the E ring tend to be recaptured by Enceladus within a few orbits as the moon moves around Saturn.

Insulin-like signal needed to keep stem cells alive in adult brain Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT Most parts of the fruit fly brain, as well as the human brain, are devoid of neural stem cells, which means that once a nerve cell dies, it can't be replaced. A new study in fruit flies shows one way to keep stem cells from dying as the brain matures. Whereas stem cells blocked from apoptosis persist, they suffer insulin withdrawal; revving up the insulin system gives healthy stem cells and generates normal-looking neurons.

The sexual tug-of-war -- a genomic view Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT The genes that are most beneficial to males are the most disadvantageous for females, and vice versa. However, this genetic conflict between the sexes is important in maintaining genetic variation within a species, researchers have shown in a study on fruit-flies.

In brain-injured children, early gesturing predicts language delays Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PDT A new study has found that gesturing at 18 months (but not early speech) predicted which children with pre- or perinatal brain lesions had vocabulary delays a year later. The results suggest that gesture may be a tool for diagnosing persistent language delay in such children. This research is important because about 1 in 4,000 infants has this type of brain injury, and intervention early in development may be critical to successful remediation of language delay.

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