ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Workings of molecular motor revealed
• 'Zombie' worms found in Mediterranean fossil
• New drug shows promise against multiple sclerosis
• Hippocampus plays bigger memory role than previously thought
• Rich club in the human brain?
• Landsat's TIRS instrument comes out of first round of thermal vacuum testing
• Crowdsourcing nutrition in a snap: Counting calories in photos, PlateMate proves the wisdom of the (well-managed) crowd
• People rationalize situations they're stuck with, but rebel when they think there's an out
• Use of low-toxicity conditioning regimen prior to cell transplantation appears promising for older adults with blood, bone marrow cancers
• Recipients of organ transplants at increased risk for broad range of cancers, study finds
• Low levels of alcohol consumption associated with small increased risk of breast cancer, study finds
• Age no longer a barrier to stem cell transplantation for older patients
• Online interactions can lead to risky financial decision-making, study suggests
• Pesky ants found in Hawaii demonstrate invasive characteristics
• Novel technique switches triple-negative breast cancer cells to hormone-receptor positive cells
• Obese adolescents benefit from high-dose vitamin D supplements: High doses safely combat nutritional deficiencies, study suggests
• Switching senses: Leeches shift the way they locate prey in adulthood
• Anti-clotting drugs do not increase bleeding risk in GI procedure, study finds
• Large asteroid to pass by Earth Nov. 8, but what if it didn't?
• Boeing to build commercial spacecraft at Kennedy, create 550 jobs
• Babies understand thought process of others at 10 months old, research suggests
• How a cancer-causing bacterium spurs cell death
• Improving patients’ experience in the emergency department by changing staff perceptions of their roles
• Finest silk made of the purest nanometer-thin gold woven into ties and handkerchiefs
• Bacteria may readily swap beneficial genes: Microbes trade genetic coding for antibiotic resistance and more
• Growing without cell division: Mechanism responsible for cell polyploidy pinpointed?
• New algorithm could substantially speed up MRI scans
• Acute kidney injury in hospitalized diabetic patients linked to chronic kidney disease
• Research into unexplained miscarriages could impact heart and stroke treatment
• Key element of cell division: How daughter cells receive the same number of chromosomes
• Health risk from eating well-done meat may be underestimated
• More radionuclide therapy is better for prostate cancer patients, study suggests
• Vitamin D study suggests no mortality benefit for older women
• Digging up clues: Research on buried blow flies to help crime scene investigators
• Could social media be used to detect disease outbreaks?
• New species of a tiny freshwater snail collected from a mountainous spring in Greece
• New species of gall makers in the aphid genus of plant lice found in China
• Live-action films of worm sperm help researchers track critical fertility enzymes
• Hormone in birth control shot linked to memory loss
• Bilateral hand transplant performed
• Wetlands: Drying intensifying wildfires, carbon release ninefold, study finds
• Scientists design experimental treatment for iron-overload diseases
• Conflicting views of a child's behavior problems from parents, teachers, and the child may be helpful to clinician
• Structure, not scientists to blame for Los Alamos failings, article says
• Underage drinking by black teens
• Molecule that prevents Type 1 diabetes in mice discovered; Has similar effect on human cells
• Personal stem cell banks could be staple of future health care
• New tool developed for the study of spatial patterns in living cells
• 'Protein microarrays' may reveal new weapons against malaria
• Preterm birth rate shows three year improvement in most states
• Overweight teens want to lose weight, going about it the wrong way
• Abnormal oscillation in the brain causes motor deficits in Parkinson's disease
• Poor sleep quality in first, third trimesters linked to preterm births
• How lonely you are may impact how well you sleep, research shows
• Multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii found growing in nearly half of infected patient rooms
• New form of lighting rolled out: Newspaper-style printing process
• Transporting salmon without infections or lice
• Spanish researchers design a new TV remote control
• For land conservation, formal and informal relationships influence success

Workings of molecular motor revealed Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:31 PM PDT The structure and function of a 'molecular motor' critical to the functioning of human organs and, when malfunctioning, implicated in cancer, kidney failure, and osteoporosis, has been revealed in unprecedented detail.

'Zombie' worms found in Mediterranean fossil Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:43 PM PDT Traces of bizarre, bone-eating 'zombie' worms have been found on a 3-million-year-old fossil whale bone from Tuscany in Italy. It is the first time the genus Osedax has been found in the Mediterranean, and suggests Osedax were widespread throughout the world's oceans 6 million years ago.

New drug shows promise against multiple sclerosis Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:36 PM PDT An experimental drug called Ocrelizumab has shown promise in a phase two clinical trial involving 220 people with multiple sclerosis, an often debilitating, chronic autoimmune disease that affects an increasing number of people in North America. It usually strikes young adults and is more common in women than in men.

Hippocampus plays bigger memory role than previously thought Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:36 PM PDT In a pair of new studies, researchers report a new methodology that more deeply parses how and where certain types of memories are processed in the brain, and challenges earlier assumptions about the role of the hippocampus.

Rich club in the human brain? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:36 PM PDT Just as the Occupy Wall Street movement has brought more attention to financial disparities between the haves and have-nots in American society, researchers are highlighting the disproportionate influence of so called "rich clubs" within the human brain. One researcher described the select, highly connected brain regions as the "G8 summit of our brain."

Landsat's TIRS instrument comes out of first round of thermal vacuum testing Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT The Thermal Infrared Sensor that will fly on the next Landsat satellite came out of its first round of thermal vacuum testing recently at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Crowdsourcing nutrition in a snap: Counting calories in photos, PlateMate proves the wisdom of the (well-managed) crowd Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT If keeping a food diary seems like too much effort, despair not: Computer scientists ahave devised a tool that lets you snap a photo of your meal and let the crowd do the rest. PlateMate's calorie estimates have proved, in tests, to be just as accurate as those of trained nutritionists, and more accurate than the user's own logs.

People rationalize situations they're stuck with, but rebel when they think there's an out Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT People who feel like they're stuck with a rule or restriction are more likely to be content with it than people who think that the rule isn't definite. The authors of a new study say this conclusion may help explain everything from unrequited love to the uprisings of the Arab Spring.

Use of low-toxicity conditioning regimen prior to cell transplantation appears promising for older adults with blood, bone marrow cancers Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT Older patients with advanced hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma, who received a conditioning regimen that included minimal-intensity radiation therapy prior to allogeneic (genetically different) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT; receipt of bone marrow or stem cells transplant) had survival and progression-free survival outcomes suggesting that this treatment approach may be a viable option for older patients with these malignancies, according to a new study.

Recipients of organ transplants at increased risk for broad range of cancers, study finds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT Patients who have received a solid organ transplant, such as kidney, liver, heart or lung, have an overall cancer risk that is double that of the general population, with an increased risk for many different types of malignancies, according to a new study.

Low levels of alcohol consumption associated with small increased risk of breast cancer, study finds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT Consumption of three to six alcoholic drinks per week is associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer, and consumption in both earlier and later adult life is also associated with an increased risk, according to a new study.

Age no longer a barrier to stem cell transplantation for older patients Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PDT Age alone no longer should be considered a defining factor when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation. That's the conclusion of the first study summarizing long-term outcomes from a series of prospective clinical trials of patients age 60 and over who were treated with the mini-transplant, a "kinder, gentler" form of allogeneic (donor cell) stem cell transplantation.

Online interactions can lead to risky financial decision-making, study suggests Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:55 PM PDT People who participate in online communities are more likely to make risky financial decisions, according to a new study.

Pesky ants found in Hawaii demonstrate invasive characteristics Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:55 PM PDT Odorous house ants - so called because they tend to invade houses and smell like coconut when smashed - have found their way to Hawaii. And, according to entomologists, it doesn't seem as though they have plans to end their vacations.

Novel technique switches triple-negative breast cancer cells to hormone-receptor positive cells Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:13 AM PDT Within many hormone-receptor positive breast cancers lives a subpopulation of receptor-negative cells – knock down the hormone-receptor positive cells with anti-estrogen drugs and you may inadvertently promote tumor takeover by more dangerous, receptor-negative cells. A new study describes how to switch these receptor-negative cells back to a state that can be targeted by existing hormone therapies.

Obese adolescents benefit from high-dose vitamin D supplements: High doses safely combat nutritional deficiencies, study suggests Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:13 AM PDT Vitamin D deficiency is common in Americans, and especially in overweight and obese adolescents, according to the National Institutes of Health. Researchers have found that providing obese adolescents with a high daily dose of vitamin D3 is safe and effective in improving their vitamin D status.

Switching senses: Leeches shift the way they locate prey in adulthood Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:13 AM PDT Many meat-eating animals have unique ways of hunting down a meal using their senses. To find a tasty treat, bats use echolocation, snakes rely on infrared vision, and owls take advantage of the concave feathers on their faces, the better to help them hear possible prey. Leeches have not just one but two distinct ways of detecting dinner and, according to new findings, their preferred method changes as they age.

Anti-clotting drugs do not increase bleeding risk in GI procedure, study finds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:13 AM PDT Patients with recent use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or anti-clotting drugs such as clopidogreal do not appear to have an increased risk of bleeding during or after removal of precancerous lesions in the digestive tract, according to new results.

Large asteroid to pass by Earth Nov. 8, but what if it didn't? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:43 AM PDT An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly near Earth on Nov. 8, 2011. While there is no danger of it hitting the planet, an asteroid impact expert says a similar-sized object hitting Earth would result in a 4,000-megaton blast, magnitude 7.0 earthquake and, should it strike in the deep ocean, 70-foot-high tsunami waves 60 miles from the splashdown site.

Boeing to build commercial spacecraft at Kennedy, create 550 jobs Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:22 AM PDT The Boeing Co. will set up Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to manufacture and assemble its CST-100 spacecraft for launches to the International Space Station under a newly signed agreement with NASA and Space Florida. And that deal could provide a glimpse of how Kennedy's unique facilities will be used in the future.

Babies understand thought process of others at 10 months old, research suggests Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:02 AM PDT New research indicates that at 10 months, babies start to understand another person's thought process, providing new insights on how humans acquire knowledge and how communication develops.

How a cancer-causing bacterium spurs cell death Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:02 AM PDT Researchers report they have figured out how the cancer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori attacks a cell's energy infrastructure, sparking a series of events in the cell that ultimately lead it to self-destruct. H. pylori are the only bacteria known to survive in the human stomach. Infection with the bacterium is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Improving patients’ experience in the emergency department by changing staff perceptions of their roles Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:01 AM PDT A study from Rhode Island Hospital examined how the perception of roles among emergency department staff can impact patient satisfaction. Through a web survey with embedded interventions, the researchers were able to determine where gaps exist in key indicators of patient satisfaction, while staff reported changing or reconsidering how these factors play into their roles.

Finest silk made of the purest nanometer-thin gold woven into ties and handkerchiefs Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:01 AM PDT True luxury has only one color -- gold. A nanometer-thin layer of pure gold now lends ties and pocket handkerchiefs that authentic gold sheen, thanks to a new process. The yarn, which is coated using a high-tech plasma process, is soft and easy to weave. It is also washing machine compatible. A limited number of gold ties will be placed on the market before Christmas. Further fashion accessories will follow in 2012.

Bacteria may readily swap beneficial genes: Microbes trade genetic coding for antibiotic resistance and more Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Researchers say they've found evidence of a massive network of recent gene exchange connecting bacteria from around the world: 10,000 unique genes flowing via horizontal gene transfer among 2,235 bacterial genomes. Much as people can exchange information instantaneously in the digital age, bacteria associated with humans and their livestock appear to freely and rapidly exchange genetic material related to human disease and antibiotic resistance through a mechanism called horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

Growing without cell division: Mechanism responsible for cell polyploidy pinpointed? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Biologists may have pinpointed for the first time the mechanism responsible for cell polyploidy, a state in which cells contain more than two paired sets of chromosomes.

New algorithm could substantially speed up MRI scans Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new algorithm that could substantially speed up MRI scans from 45 to 15 minutes.

Acute kidney injury in hospitalized diabetic patients linked to chronic kidney disease Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT A recent study shows that multiple episodes of acute kidney injury during hospital stays for patients with diabetes are associated with a risk for developing chronic kidney disease.

Research into unexplained miscarriages could impact heart and stroke treatment Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Researchers have identified a potential new cause for unexplained miscarriages in mice.

Key element of cell division: How daughter cells receive the same number of chromosomes Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered the molecular process of how cells are bypassing the body's inbuilt "health checkpoint" with unequal numbers of chromosomes that have a higher risk of developing cancer.

Health risk from eating well-done meat may be underestimated Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PDT Mice are often used to test whether substances in food are harmful to humans. This requires that mice and humans metabolize substances in the same way. Humans have certain enzymes in more parts of the body than mice. The health risk associated with harmful substances in food may therefore be underestimated.

More radionuclide therapy is better for prostate cancer patients, study suggests Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:58 AM PDT For prostate cancer patients with bone metastases, repeated administrations of radionuclide therapy with 188Re-HEDP are shown to improve overall survival rates and reduce pain, according to new research.

Vitamin D study suggests no mortality benefit for older women Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:58 AM PDT A study of postmenopausal women found no significant mortality benefit from vitamin D after controlling for health risk factors such as abdominal obesity. The only exception was that thin-waisted women with low vitamin D levels might face some risk. The results agree with advice issued last year by the Institute of Medicine that cautioned against vitamin D having a benefit beyond bone health.

Digging up clues: Research on buried blow flies to help crime scene investigators Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:58 AM PDT When investigating a murder, every clue helps. New research sheds light on how -- and whether -- blow flies survive when buried underground during their development. It's an advance that will help forensic investigators understand how long a body may have been left above ground before being buried -- or possibly whether remains were moved from one grave to another.

Could social media be used to detect disease outbreaks? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:58 AM PDT New research has looked at whether social media could be used to track an event or phenomenon, such as flu outbreaks and rainfall rates.

New species of a tiny freshwater snail collected from a mountainous spring in Greece Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:58 AM PDT A new minute freshwater snail species belonging to the genus Daphniola was found in a spring on Mt. Parnassos, central Greece. The new species has a transparent conical-flat coiled shell, gray-black pigmented soft body and a black penis with a small colorless outgrowth on the left side near its base.

New species of gall makers in the aphid genus of plant lice found in China Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:56 AM PDT Aphid researchers found one new species, Aleurodaphis sinojackiae, from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, China. It forms leaf galls on jack trees and is one of two known gall makers in the plant lice Aleurodaphis.

Live-action films of worm sperm help researchers track critical fertility enzymes Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT Compared to most other cells in an organism, sperm undergo a radical transformation to become compact and mobile delivery systems for paternal DNA. Even though sperm looks and moves quite differently across species, researchers now say that there are at least a few key enzymes that are critical for sperm development and mobility in species as different as mice and nematode worms.

Hormone in birth control shot linked to memory loss Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT The birth control shot Depo Provera offers a convenient alternative for women who don't want to remember to take a daily pill. Ironically, new research has shown the shot actually may impair a person's memory.

Bilateral hand transplant performed Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT For the first time in the Delaware Valley region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate transplant procedure that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss.

Wetlands: Drying intensifying wildfires, carbon release ninefold, study finds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT Drying of northern wetlands has led to much more severe peatland wildfires and nine times as much carbon released into the atmosphere, according to new research.

Scientists design experimental treatment for iron-overload diseases Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:55 AM PDT Scientists have developed an experimental treatment for iron-overload diseases that affect millions worldwide. Researchers developed a new type of therapy based on small molecules that mimic a hormone that regulates iron called hepcidin. The findings could lead to new drugs to help prevent and treat iron-overload diseases.

Conflicting views of a child's behavior problems from parents, teachers, and the child may be helpful to clinician Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:24 AM PDT Clinicians often face the challenge of trying to make sense of conflicting reports from parents, teachers, and children about a child's behavioral problems. However, a better understanding of the source and nature of these disagreements may provide important information that could improve treatment and outcomes.

Structure, not scientists to blame for Los Alamos failings, article says Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:23 AM PDT Policy decisions and poor management have substantially undermined the US Los Alamos National Laboratory — and, consequently, U.S. national security, according to a new article. The article calls into question media and government stereotypes that have blamed Los Alamos's scientists for the decline.

Underage drinking by black teens Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT New research shows that black middle school students whose close friends drink alcohol are more likely to drink alcohol in high school than their white classmates.

Molecule that prevents Type 1 diabetes in mice discovered; Has similar effect on human cells Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT Researchers have found a specific molecule that can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes in mice and has a similar effect on human cells from diabetic patients.

Personal stem cell banks could be staple of future health care Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT Taking old stem cells, placing them in a young microenvironment, and increasing their numbers and capabilities raises an intriguing possibility -- that patients could one day be treated for age-related diseases using their own revitalized stem cells.

New tool developed for the study of spatial patterns in living cells Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT By embedding fixed arrays of gold nanoparticles into fluid lipid bilayers, scientists can study with unprecedented detail how the spatial patterns of chemical and physical properties on membranes can determine the fate of a cell -- whether it lives or dies, remains normal or turns cancerous.

'Protein microarrays' may reveal new weapons against malaria Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT A new research technology is revealing how humans develop immunity to malaria, and could assist programs aimed at eradicating this parasitic disease.

Preterm birth rate shows three year improvement in most states Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PDT Preterm birth rates improved in almost every state between 2006 and 2009, according to the March of Dimes 2011 Premature Birth Report Card. The United States received a "C" based on comparing the nation's 2009 preliminary preterm birth rate of 12.2 percent with the March of Dimes new 2020 goal of 9.6 percent of all live births. The nation's preterm birth rate has declined nearly five percent from the 2006 peak of 12.8 percent.

Overweight teens want to lose weight, going about it the wrong way Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PDT While a majority of teens report wanting to lose weight, many engage in behavior that's counterproductive to that goal, according to new research.

Abnormal oscillation in the brain causes motor deficits in Parkinson's disease Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PDT Scientists have shown that the 'oscillatory' nature of electrical signals in subcortical nuclei, the basal ganglia, causes severe motor deficits in Parkinson's disease, by disturbing the information flow of motor commands.

Poor sleep quality in first, third trimesters linked to preterm births Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PDT Significant risk for preterm birth found in women reporting sleep disruptions during their first and third trimesters, even after medical risk factors and income levels were accounted for. However, it's inexpensive and uncomplicated to assess, and requires only a change in behavior to help reduce risk when intervened early enough.

How lonely you are may impact how well you sleep, research shows Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PDT Study of adults in tight-knit South Dakota community shows lonely feelings associated with compromised sleep -- that is, the stronger the loneliness, the more disruptions during the night, with potentially negative consequences on wellness. Results agree with 2002 study of college students, indicating that individuals young and old, in big towns and small, need to feel secure in their social setting to get a healthy night's rest.

Multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii found growing in nearly half of infected patient rooms Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PDT Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) was found in the environment of 48 percent of the rooms of patients colonized or infected with the pathogen, according to a new study.

New form of lighting rolled out: Newspaper-style printing process Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PDT In a new article, researchers describe a way of creating thin, flexible sheets of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a cheap, newspaper-style "roll-to-roll" printing process.

Transporting salmon without infections or lice Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PDT For the past three years, scientists, engineers and operators in the farming industry have been developing the well-boat technology of the future. Here are some of the results.

Spanish researchers design a new TV remote control Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PDT Researchers in Spain have designed a new type of TV remote control that is capable of measuring finger pressure and wrist rotation angle. It then transmits this information to the TV to change channel or adjust the volume to the preferred level.

For land conservation, formal and informal relationships influence success Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:06 PM PDT Are easements the most efficient way to conserve land and biodiversity? What easement structures are the most effective? Scientists compared two large easement projects dominated by grazing land: the Malpai Borderlands Group, straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border, and the Nature Conservancy's Lassen Foothills, in northern California and found some interesting results.

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