ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Whole exome sequencing identifies cause of metabolic disease
• Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases
• A lonely heart can make you sick: Middle aged divorced women vulnerable to contracting HIV
• Regular use of vitamin and mineral supplements could reduce the risk of colon cancer, study suggests
• The complex relationship between memory and silence
• Schooling protects refugee children from disease
• Placebo effect: New study shows how to boost the power of pain relief, without drugs
• High-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields charted
• Warfarin and aspirin are similar in heart failure treatment, study suggests
• Rare mutations may help explain aneurysm in high-risk families
• Coughing and other respiratory symptoms improve within weeks of smoking cessation
• New hope for patients with brain tumors
• New drug doesn't improve disability among stroke patients, researchers find
• Clopidogrel with aspirin doesn't prevent more small strokes, may increase risk of bleeding and death, researchers report
• New device performs better than old for removing blood clots, research shows
• Preference for fatty foods may have genetic roots
• Lower levels of sunlight exposure link to allergy and eczema in children, study suggests
• Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt
• A battle of the vampires, 20 million years ago?
• To make a social robot, key is satisfying the human mind
• New procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes, restoring limb use in days or weeks
• Classic portrait of a barred spiral galaxy
• New technology to tackle treatment-resistant cancers
• Schizophrenia: When hallucinatory voices suppress real ones, new electronic application may help
• Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600-million-year drought, say scientists
• Judder-free videos on the smartphone
• Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history
• Can immune cells from healthy people pulverize cancer?
• Parasites or not? Transposable elements in DNA of fruit flies may be beneficial
• Breastfeeding linked to improved lung function at school-age, especially with asthmatic mothers
• Holding back immunity
• Malaria kills nearly twice as many people than previously thought, but deaths declining rapidly
• Triglyceride levels predict stroke risk in postmenopausal women
• Rituximab possible treatment option for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
• Food poisoning: Understanding how bacteria come back from the 'dead'
• Potential new treatment identified for leishmaniasis
• Gene regulator in brain's executive hub tracked across lifespan
• Graphene electronics moves into a third dimension

Whole exome sequencing identifies cause of metabolic disease Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:26 PM PST Sequencing a patient's entire genome to discover the source of his or her disease is not routine, but geneticists are getting close. A case report shows how researchers can combine a simple blood test with an "executive summary" scan of the genome to diagnose a severe glycosylation disorder.

Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:09 PM PST One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain.

A lonely heart can make you sick: Middle aged divorced women vulnerable to contracting HIV Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:09 PM PST Newly divorced middle aged women are more vulnerable to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, according to new research, because they tend to let their guard down with new sexual partners and avoid using protection since they are not afraid of getting pregnant.

Regular use of vitamin and mineral supplements could reduce the risk of colon cancer, study suggests Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST Could the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in a regular diet help to reduce the risk of colon cancer and protect against carcinogens? A study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that rats given regular multivitamin and mineral supplements showed a significantly lower risk of developing colon cancer when they were exposed to carcinogens.

The complex relationship between memory and silence Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST People who suffer a traumatic experience often don't talk about it, and many forget it over time. But not talking about something doesn't always mean you'll forget it; if you try to force yourself not to think about white bears, soon you'll be imagining polar bears doing the polka. A group of psychological scientists explore the relationship between silence and memories.

Schooling protects refugee children from disease Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST Refugee children have scant access to medical care and are particularly vulnerable to disease. Fresh research results show that just a few hours of schooling a week may have a pronounced positive impact on their health not only in childhood but later in life when they achieve adulthood.

Placebo effect: New study shows how to boost the power of pain relief, without drugs Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction -- say, doing a puzzle -- relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That's the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention -- which is what you use to do that distracting puzzle.

High-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields charted Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:15 AM PST Scientists have pooled their radio observations into a database, producing the highest precision map to date of the magnetic field within our own Milky Way galaxy.

Warfarin and aspirin are similar in heart failure treatment, study suggests Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:14 AM PST In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to new research.

Rare mutations may help explain aneurysm in high-risk families Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:14 AM PST An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary research.

Coughing and other respiratory symptoms improve within weeks of smoking cessation Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:11 AM PST If the proven long-term benefits of smoking cessation are not enough to motivate young adults to stop smoking, a new study shows that 18- to 24-year olds who stop smoking for at least two weeks report substantially fewer respiratory symptoms, especially coughing.

New hope for patients with brain tumors Posted: 03 Feb 2012 11:11 AM PST In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 patients are affected by recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. Now, a novel investigational device – available only at clinical trial sites – is offering new hope to these patients.

New drug doesn't improve disability among stroke patients, researchers find Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST A new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to new research.

Clopidogrel with aspirin doesn't prevent more small strokes, may increase risk of bleeding and death, researchers report Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke, according to new research.

New device performs better than old for removing blood clots, research shows Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST An experimental blood clot-removing device outperformed the FDA-approved MERCI; retriever device, according to new research.

Preference for fatty foods may have genetic roots Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene.

Lower levels of sunlight exposure link to allergy and eczema in children, study suggests Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST Increased exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of both food allergies and eczema in children, according to a new scientific study.

Global extinction: Gradual doom is just as bad as abrupt Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:33 AM PST Around 250 million years ago, most life on Earth was wiped out in an extinction known as the "Great Dying." Geologists have learned that the end came slowly from thousands of centuries of volcanic activity.

A battle of the vampires, 20 million years ago? Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:24 AM PST They are tiny, ugly, disease-carrying little blood-suckers that most people have never seen or heard of, but a new discovery in a one-of-a-kind fossil shows that "bat flies" have been doing their noxious business with bats for at least 20 million years.

To make a social robot, key is satisfying the human mind Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:11 AM PST Understanding the human mind is the key to social robotics, and researchers describe what we can expect from this field in the future.

New procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes, restoring limb use in days or weeks Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:24 AM PST Scientists believe a new procedure to repair severed nerves could result in patients recovering in days or weeks, rather than months or years. The team used a cellular mechanism similar to that used by many invertebrates to repair damage to nerve axons.

Classic portrait of a barred spiral galaxy Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:24 AM PST The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, which is found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 helps astronomers learn more about our celestial home.

New technology to tackle treatment-resistant cancers Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST Free-flowing cancer cells have been mapped with unprecedented accuracy in the bloodstream of patients with prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer, using a brand new approach, in an attempt to assess and control the disease as it spreads in real time through the body, and solve the problem of predicting response and resistance to therapies. In comparison to a previous generation of systems, the researchers state their test showed a significantly greater number of high-definition circulating tumour cells (HD-CTCs), in a higher proportion of patients, by using a computing-intensive method that enables them to look at millions of normal cells and find the rare cancer cells among them.

Schizophrenia: When hallucinatory voices suppress real ones, new electronic application may help Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST When a patient afflicted with schizophrenia hears inner voices something is taking place inside the brain that prevents the individual from perceiving real voices. A simple electronic application may help the patient learn to shift focus.

Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600-million-year drought, say scientists Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST Mars may have been arid for more than 600 million years, making it too hostile for any life to survive on the planet's surface, according to researchers who have been carrying out the painstaking task of analyzing individual particles of Martian soil.

Judder-free videos on the smartphone Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST Overloaded cellular networks can get annoying – especially when you want to watch a video on your smartphone. An optimized Radio Resource Manager will soon be able to help network operators accommodate heavy network traffic.

Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don't have surnames, but scientists have found that genetic switches called enhancers, and the molecules that activate those switches – transcription factors – can be used in a similar way, as clues to a cell's developmental history. The study also unveils a new model for how enhancers function.

Can immune cells from healthy people pulverize cancer? Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:18 AM PST Immune cells from healthy individuals can be the new immune cure for cancer. This treatment can kill cancer cells without destroying neighboring cells. The hope is to eradicate cancer for ever.

Parasites or not? Transposable elements in DNA of fruit flies may be beneficial Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:18 AM PST Many living organisms suffer from parasites, which use the hosts' resources for their own purposes. The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80% "foreign" DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat its spread are still the subject of conjecture. Nearly all organisms contain pieces of DNA that do not really belong to them.

Breastfeeding linked to improved lung function at school-age, especially with asthmatic mothers Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:14 AM PST Breastfeeding is associated with improved lung function at school age, particularly in children of asthmatic mothers, according to a new study.

Holding back immunity Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:08 AM PST A 'gatekeeper' protein plays a critical role in helping immune cells to sound a warning after encountering signs of tumor growth or infection.

Malaria kills nearly twice as many people than previously thought, but deaths declining rapidly Posted: 02 Feb 2012 05:17 PM PST Malaria is killing more people worldwide than previously thought -- 1.2 million -- but the number of deaths has fallen rapidly as efforts to combat the disease have ramped up, according to new research. Researchers say that deaths from malaria have been missed by previous studies because of the assumption that the disease mainly kills children under age five.

Triglyceride levels predict stroke risk in postmenopausal women Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:45 PM PST The traditional risk factors for stroke – such as high cholesterol – are not as accurate at predicting risk in postmenopausal women as previously thought. Instead, researchers say doctors should refocus their attention on triglyceride levels to determine which women are at highest risk of suffering a devastating and potentially fatal cardiovascular event.

Rituximab possible treatment option for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:17 PM PST An open-label study of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody for human CD20, was shown to be safe in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis who had an incomplete response to the standard ursodeoxycholic acid therapy. Rituximab was successful in reducing the level of alkaline phosphatase -- a protein used to measure liver injury, according to the new study.

Food poisoning: Understanding how bacteria come back from the 'dead' Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:12 PM PST Salmonella remains a serious cause of food poisoning, in part due to its ability to thrive and quickly adapt to the different environments in which it can grow. New research has taken a detailed look at what Salmonella does when it enters a new environment, which could provide clues to finding new ways of reducing transmission through the food chain and preventing human illness.

Potential new treatment identified for leishmaniasis Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:12 PM PST Researchers have identified fexinidazole as a possible, much-needed, new treatment for the parasitic disease visceral leishmaniasis.

Gene regulator in brain's executive hub tracked across lifespan Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:11 PM PST Scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain's executive hub. Genes implicated in schizophrenia and autism are among those in which regulatory activity peaks during an environmentally-sensitive critical period in development. The mechanism, called DNA methylation, abruptly switches from off to on within the human brain's prefrontal cortex during this pivotal transition from fetal to postnatal life.

Graphene electronics moves into a third dimension Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:10 PM PST Wonder material graphene has been touted as the next silicon, with one major problem – it is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now scientists have given its prospects a new lifeline. Scientists have now literally opened a third dimension in graphene research. Their research shows a transistor that may prove the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New 'biopsy in a blood test' to detect cancer
• How to tell apart the forgetful from those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• U. S. Counties with thriving small businesses have healthier residents
• New RNA-based therapeutic strategies for controlling gene expression
• Football findings suggest concussions caused by series of hits
• Scientists coax shy microorganisms to stand out in a crowd
• Google Earth ocean terrain receives major update
• Research ethics: Coercive citations in academic publishing
• A market solution for the Falkland Islands
• New technique successfully dissolves blood clots in brain and lowers risk of brain damage after stroke, study suggests
• Untangling the mysteries of Alzheimer's
• DNA test that identifies Down syndrome in pregnancy can also detect trisomy 18 and trisomy 13
• Elevated glucose associated with undetected heart damage
• Hand counts of votes may cause errors
• Unraveling a butterfly's aerial antics could help builders of bug-size flying robots
• New way to study ground fractures
• Stellar astrophysics: The discovery of deceleration
• New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby cool star
• Some roads and playgrounds in North Dakota contain cancer causing erionite
• Yellow Biotechnology: Using plants to silence insect genes in a high-throughput manner
• Why red wine can be healthy: Probable mechanism underlying resveratrol activity uncovered
• Castaway lizards provide insight into elusive evolutionary process, founder effects
• Coffee consumption reduces fibrosis risk in those with fatty liver disease, study suggests
• Hubble zooms in on a magnified galaxy
• Sickle cell anemia stroke prevention efforts may have decreased racial disparities
• Erratic heart rhythm may account for some unexplained strokes
• Anemia may more than triple your risk of dying after a stroke
• Do black holes help stars form?
• Men behaving nicely: Selfless acts by men increase when attractive women are nearby
• Human immune cells react sensitively to 'stress'
• Eating together? Simply a matter of adapting
• Young children exposed to anesthesia multiple times show elevated rates of ADHD
• Rearranging the cell's skeleton: Small molecules at the cell’s membrane enable cell movement
• Prolific plant hunters provide insight in strategy for collecting undiscovered plant species
• Same genes linked to early- and late-onset Alzheimer's
• Stem cells could drive hepatitis research forward

New 'biopsy in a blood test' to detect cancer Posted: 02 Feb 2012 05:17 PM PST Scientists and cancer physicians have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of an advanced blood test for detecting and analyzing circulating tumor cells -- breakaway cells from patients' solid tumors -- from cancer patients. The findings show that the highly sensitive blood analysis provides information that may soon be comparable to that from some types of surgical biopsies.

How to tell apart the forgetful from those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 02 Feb 2012 05:16 PM PST It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible. New research shows that specific questions, included as part of a questionnaire designed to help diagnose AD, are also able to discriminate between normal memory loss and aMCI.

U. S. Counties with thriving small businesses have healthier residents Posted: 02 Feb 2012 05:15 PM PST U.S. counties and parishes with a greater concentration of small, locally-owned businesses have healthier populations — with lower rates of mortality, obesity and diabetes — than do those that rely on large companies with "absentee" owners, according to a national study.

New RNA-based therapeutic strategies for controlling gene expression Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:48 PM PST Small RNA-based nucleic acid drugs represent a promising new class of therapeutic agents for silencing abnormal or overactive disease-causing genes, and researchers have discovered new mechanisms by which RNA drugs can control gene activity.

Football findings suggest concussions caused by series of hits Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:48 PM PST A two-year study of high school football players suggests that concussions are likely caused by many hits over time and not from a single blow to the head, as commonly believed.

Scientists coax shy microorganisms to stand out in a crowd Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:48 PM PST Scientists have advanced a method that allowed them to single out a marine microorganism and map its genome even though the organism made up less than 10 percent of a water sample teeming with many millions of individuals from dozens of identifiable groups of microbes.

Google Earth ocean terrain receives major update Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:48 PM PST Internet information giant Google updated ocean data in its Google Earth application this week, reflecting new bathymetry.

Research ethics: Coercive citations in academic publishing Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:48 PM PST Scientists have examined the unethical practices of some journal publications, articulating results from their research to show that some editors coerce authors into adding unnecessary citations to articles in the same journal that is considering publishing the submitted work. Journal editors want to increase the number of times articles within their journals are cited by researchers – because it raises the journal ranking and is used to make claims of prestige and importance.

A market solution for the Falkland Islands Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:45 PM PST Should the disputed Falkland Islands be returned to Argentina? Experts write that a market solution could help Britain and Argentina avoid another war.

New technique successfully dissolves blood clots in brain and lowers risk of brain damage after stroke, study suggests Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:45 PM PST Neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull.

Untangling the mysteries of Alzheimer's Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:17 PM PST Researchers have found new evidence that confirms the significance of a protein that neuroscientists call tau to the development of Alzheimer's disease. While earlier studies have focused on tau's aggregation into twisted structures known as "neurofibrillary tangles," the new work emphasizes intermediary steps between single protein units and the much larger tangles – small assemblages of two, three, four or more proteins, which the investigators believe are the most toxic entities in Alzheimer's.

DNA test that identifies Down syndrome in pregnancy can also detect trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:17 PM PST A recent study shows that a new DNA test that identifies Down syndrome in pregnancy can also detect trisomies 18 and 13.

Elevated glucose associated with undetected heart damage Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:17 PM PST A new study suggests that hyperglycemia injures the heart, even in patients without a history of heart disease or diabetes. The high-sensitivity test they used detected levels of cTnT tenfold lower than those found in patients diagnosed with a heart attack.

Hand counts of votes may cause errors Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:17 PM PST Hand counting of votes in postelection audit or recount procedures can result in error rates of up to two percent, according to a new study.

Unraveling a butterfly's aerial antics could help builders of bug-size flying robots Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:16 PM PST By figuring out how butterflies flutter among flowers with amazing grace and agility, researchers hope to help build small airborne robots that can mimic those maneuvers.

New way to study ground fractures Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:16 PM PST Geophysics researchers have created a new way to study fractures by producing elastic waves, or vibrations, through using high-intensity light focused directly on the fracture itself.

Stellar astrophysics: The discovery of deceleration Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:14 PM PST Pulsars are among the most exotic celestial bodies known. They have diameters of about 20 kilometres, but at the same time roughly the mass of our sun. A sugar-cube sized piece of its ultra-compact matter on Earth would weigh hundreds of millions of tons. A sub-class of them, known as millisecond pulsars, spin up to several hundred times per second around their own axes. Previous studies reached the paradoxical conclusion that some millisecond pulsars are older than the universe itself.

New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby cool star Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:14 PM PST Sientists have discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star. The star is a member of a triple star system and has a different makeup than our Sun, being relatively lacking in metallic elements. This discovery demonstrates that habitable planets could form in a greater variety of environments than previously believed.

Some roads and playgrounds in North Dakota contain cancer causing erionite Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:14 PM PST What would you do if you found out that the roads you drive on could cause cancer? This is the reality that residents face in Dunn County, North Dakota. For roughly 30 years, gravel containing the potentially carcinogenic mineral erionite was spread on nearly 500 kilometers of roads, playgrounds, parking lots, and even flower beds throughout Dunn County.

Yellow Biotechnology: Using plants to silence insect genes in a high-throughput manner Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:12 PM PST Scientists are now using a procedure which brings forward ecological research on insects: They study gene functions in moth larvae by manipulating genes using the RNA interference technology (RNAi). RNAi is induced by feeding larvae with plants that have been treated with viral vectors. This method called "plant virus based dsRNA producing system" increases sample throughput compared to the use of genetically transformed plants.

Why red wine can be healthy: Probable mechanism underlying resveratrol activity uncovered Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:11 PM PST Researchers have identified how resveratrol, a naturally occurring chemical found in red wine and other plant products, may confer its health benefits. The authors present evidence that resveratrol does not directly activate sirtuin 1, a protein associated with aging. Rather, the authors found that resveratrol inhibits certain types of proteins known as phosphodiesterases (PDEs), enzymes that help regulate cell energy.

Castaway lizards provide insight into elusive evolutionary process, founder effects Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:11 PM PST A biologist who released lizards on tiny uninhabited islands in the Bahamas has shed light on the interaction between evolutionary processes that are seldom observed. He found that the lizards' genetic and morphological traits were determined by both natural selection and a phenomenon called founder effects, which occur when species colonize new territory.

Coffee consumption reduces fibrosis risk in those with fatty liver disease, study suggests Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:10 PM PST Caffeine consumption has long been associated with decreased risk of liver disease and reduced fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Now, new research confirms that coffee caffeine consumption reduces the risk of advanced fibrosis in those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. New findings show that increased coffee intake, specifically among patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, decreases risk of hepatic fibrosis.

Hubble zooms in on a magnified galaxy Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:08 PM PST Astronomers aimed Hubble at one of the most striking examples of gravitational lensing, a nearly 90-degree arc of light in the galaxy cluster RCS2 032727-132623. Hubble's view of the distant background galaxy, which lies nearly 10 billion light-years away, is significantly more detailed than could ever be achieved without the help of the gravitational lens.

Sickle cell anemia stroke prevention efforts may have decreased racial disparities Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:46 AM PST The disparity in stroke-related deaths among black and white children dramatically narrowed after prevention strategies changed to include ultrasound screening and chronic blood transfusions for children with sickle cell anemia, according to new research.

Erratic heart rhythm may account for some unexplained strokes Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:46 AM PST Occasional erratic heart rhythms appear to cause about one-fifth of strokes for which a cause is not readily established.

Anemia may more than triple your risk of dying after a stroke Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:45 AM PST Being anemic could more than triple your risk of dying within a year after having a stroke, according to new research.

Do black holes help stars form? Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:43 AM PST The center of just about every galaxy is thought to host a black hole, some with masses of thousands of millions of Suns and consequently strong gravitational pulls that disrupt material around them. They had been thought to hinder the birth of stars, but now astronomers studying the nearby galaxy Centaurus A have found quite the opposite: a black hole that seems to be helping stars to form.

Men behaving nicely: Selfless acts by men increase when attractive women are nearby Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:38 AM PST Men put on their best behavior when attractive ladies are close by. When the scenario is reversed however, the behavior of women remains the same.

Human immune cells react sensitively to 'stress' Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:38 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that certain cells circulating in human blood -- so-called monocytes -- are extremely sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS). They were also able to clarify the reason for this: ROS are aggressive forms of oxygen that are generated during states of "oxidative stress" and play a significant role in various diseases.

Eating together? Simply a matter of adapting Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:38 AM PST Women dining together finely tune their eating behavior to that of their dining partner. Rather than eating at their own pace, they tend to take bites at the same time as the person sitting across the table.

Young children exposed to anesthesia multiple times show elevated rates of ADHD Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:22 AM PST Researchers have found that multiple exposures to anesthesia at a young age are associated with higher rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Rearranging the cell's skeleton: Small molecules at the cell’s membrane enable cell movement Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:22 AM PST Cell biologists have identified key steps in how certain molecules alter a cell's skeletal shape and drive the cell's movement.

Prolific plant hunters provide insight in strategy for collecting undiscovered plant species Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:14 PM PST Today's alarmingly high rate of plant extinction necessitates an increased understanding of the world's biodiversity. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of the world's flowering plants have yet to be discovered, making efficiency an integral function of future botanical research.

Same genes linked to early- and late-onset Alzheimer's Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:32 PM PST The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness. The discovery may lead doctors and researchers to change the way Alzheimer's disease is classified.

Stem cells could drive hepatitis research forward Posted: 01 Feb 2012 09:07 AM PST Researchers have produced liver-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. By creating liver-like cells, scientists can study why people respond differently to Hepatitis C.

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