ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Should doctors encourage people to donate a kidney to a stranger?
• Delayed cord clamping protects newborn babies from iron deficiency, research finds
• Dramatic diversity of columbine flowers explained by a simple change in cell shape
• The brain acts fast to reappraise angry faces
• Engineered, drug-secreting blood vessels reverse anemia in mice
• Creation of the largest human-designed protein boosts protein engineering efforts
• Supervolcanoes: Not a threat for 2012
• U.S. Marines test new energy-efficient weapon in the war on trash
• Ionized plasmas as cheap sterilizers for developing world
• In new quantum-dot LED design, researchers turn troublesome molecules to their advantage
• Erratic, extreme day-to-day weather puts climate change in new light
• Mental illness: Early-life depression and anxiety changes structure of developing brain
• The leading edge of stress: New genomic, optogenetic and epigenetic findings
• Research provides clues to neurodevelopemental disorders
• Contrasting patterns of malaria drug resistance found between humans and mosquitoes
• Focus on testing hurts students in high school health classes
• New molecular mechanism in breast cancer development
• Fossil moths show their true colors
• Everybody can become a better a reader, Swedish research suggests
• The serotonin system in women's brains is damaged more readily by alcohol than that in men’s brains
• Watching less TV, being more active and sleeping more is linked to a healthy body weight in young children
• Milk thistle extract stops lung cancer in mice, study shows
• Adolescent sex linked to adult body, mood troubles, in animal study
• Teaching skills key to selection of a successful model farmer
• How the brain perceives shades of gray
• New heart cells increase by 30 percent after stem cell infusion
• New biosensor benefits from melding of carbon nanotubes, DNA
• Niacin does not reduce heart attack, stroke risk in stable CV patients
• Parasitoid larvae in caterpillars affect behaviour of moths
• Uncovering a key player in metastasis
• Mimicking the brain -- in silicon: New computer chip models how neurons communicate with each other at synapses
• Is a stranger trustworthy? You'll know in 20 seconds
• Predicting how individuals differ from their genome sequences
• Ancient stars shed light on the prehistory of the Milky Way
• Stop signal discovered for skin cancer

Should doctors encourage people to donate a kidney to a stranger? Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:12 PM PST With three people on the transplant list dying in the UK every day, should doctors encourage their patients to put themselves at risk for the benefit of others? Two experts debate the issue.

Delayed cord clamping protects newborn babies from iron deficiency, research finds Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:12 PM PST Waiting for at least three minutes before clamping the umbilical cord in healthy newborns improves their iron levels at four months, according to new research.

Dramatic diversity of columbine flowers explained by a simple change in cell shape Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:11 PM PST Columbine flowers are recognizable by the long, trailing nectar spurs that extend from the bases of their petals, tempting the taste buds of their insect pollinators. New research helps to explain how columbines have achieved a rapid radiation of approximately 70 species, with flowers apparently tailored to the length of their pollinators' tongues.

The brain acts fast to reappraise angry faces Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST If you tell yourself that someone who's being mean is just having a bad day -- it's not about you -- you may actually be able to stave off bad feelings, according to a new study.

Engineered, drug-secreting blood vessels reverse anemia in mice Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST Patients who rely on recombinant, protein-based drugs must often endure frequent injections, often several times a week, or intravenous therapy. Researchers have demonstrated the possibility that blood vessels, made from genetically engineered cells, could secrete the drug on demand directly into the bloodstream. In a new study, they provide proof-of-concept, reversing anemia in mice with engineered vessels secreting erythropoietin (EPO).

Creation of the largest human-designed protein boosts protein engineering efforts Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST Chemists have designed and successfully synthesized the largest artificial protein using a new approach that greatly expands scientists' ability to create proteins unknown in nature.

Supervolcanoes: Not a threat for 2012 Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST The geological record holds clues that throughout Earth's 4.5-billion-year lifetime massive supervolcanoes, far larger than Mount St. Helens or Mount Pinatubo, have erupted. However, despite the claims of those who fear 2012, there's no evidence that such a supereruption is imminent.

U.S. Marines test new energy-efficient weapon in the war on trash Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST U.S. Marines are testing a high-tech trash disposal system that can reduce a standard 50-gallon bag of waste to a half-pint jar of harmless ash. Called the Micro Auto Gasification System, the unit is currently undergoing evaluation by US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific as a possible solution to help Marines win their daily battle against the increasing trash at remote forward operating bases.

Ionized plasmas as cheap sterilizers for developing world Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST Devices that create ionized plasmas could be life-savers in the developing world or on the battlefield, providing an inexpensive way to sterilize water and medical instruments. Researchers have created low-temperature plasma devices that sterilize water and keep it antimicrobial for at least a week. A new report finds that the hydrogen peroxide and nitrites produced by the plasma discharge are not the source of long-term antimicrobial activity.

In new quantum-dot LED design, researchers turn troublesome molecules to their advantage Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:03 PM PST By nestling quantum dots in an insulating egg-crate structure, researchers have demonstrated a robust new architecture for quantum-dot light-emitting devices (QD-LEDs). Quantum dots are very tiny crystals that glow with bright, rich colors when stimulated by an electric current. QD-LEDs are expected to find applications in television and computer screens, general light sources, and lasers.

Erratic, extreme day-to-day weather puts climate change in new light Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST Researchers report the first climate study to focus on variations in daily weather conditions, which found that day-to-day weather has grown increasingly erratic and extreme, with significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall affecting more than a third of the planet. These swings could have consequences for ecosystem stability and the control of pests and diseases; industries such as agriculture and solar-energy production; and could affect what scientists can expect to see as the Earth's climate changes.

Mental illness: Early-life depression and anxiety changes structure of developing brain Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST New research identifies the brain chemicals and circuits involved in mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, giving potential new directions to their treatment. In addition, research with children shows that early-life depression and anxiety changes the structure of the developing brain.

The leading edge of stress: New genomic, optogenetic and epigenetic findings Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST New research uses the latest genetic tools to explore how stress alters brain function, leading to anxiety, depression, and other stress-related mood disorders.

Research provides clues to neurodevelopemental disorders Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST Scientists are finding new tools to help understand neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and fragile X syndrome. Studies show in new detail how the brain's connections, chemicals, and genes interact to affect behavior.

Contrasting patterns of malaria drug resistance found between humans and mosquitoes Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST A study detected contrasting patterns of drug resistance in malaria-causing parasites taken from both humans and mosquitoes. Parasites found in human blood samples showed a high prevalence for pyrimethamine-resistance, which was consistent with the class of drugs widely used to treat malaria. However, parasites taken from mosquitoes themselves had very low prevalence of pyrimethamine-resistance and a high prevalence of cycloguanil-resistant mutants indicating resistance to a newer class of antimalaria drug not widely used in Zambia.

Focus on testing hurts students in high school health classes Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:56 PM PST High school health classes fail to help students refuse sexual advances or endorse safe sex habits when teachers focus primarily on testing knowledge, a new study reveals. But when teachers emphasized learning the material for its own sake, and to improve health, students had much better responses. In these kinds of classrooms, students had lower intentions of having sex and felt better able to navigate sexual situations.

New molecular mechanism in breast cancer development Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:56 PM PST About 10 percent of breast cancers are due to mutations in genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. However, the molecular mechanism by which alteration of these genes greatly increases the risk of cancer is not fully understood. In a new study, an international team has made an important step towards revealing the underlying pathways.

Fossil moths show their true colors Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:56 PM PST The brightest hues in nature are produced by tiny patterns in, say, feathers or scales rather than pigments. These so-called "structural colors" are widespread, giving opals their fire, people their blue eyes, and peacocks their brilliant feathers. Now, a new study brings us closer to the origins of structural colors by reconstructing them in fossil moths that are 47 million years old.

Everybody can become a better a reader, Swedish research suggests Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:54 PM PST Students with cognitive impairments may learn to comprehend written texts much better than commonly thought, according to researchers in Sweden.

The serotonin system in women's brains is damaged more readily by alcohol than that in men’s brains Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST After only four years of problem drinking, a significant decrease in the function of the serotonin system in women's brains can be seen. This is the system that regulates such functions as impulse control and mood. It takes 12 years before a corresponding decrease is seen in men.

Watching less TV, being more active and sleeping more is linked to a healthy body weight in young children Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST Getting enough sleep can help children maintain a healthy weight, new research reveals. Similarly, the more time children spend in front of the TV or their computers (screen time), the higher their body weight.

Milk thistle extract stops lung cancer in mice, study shows Posted: 15 Nov 2011 11:52 AM PST A new study shows that the milk thistle extract, silibinin, interferes with cell signaling that otherwise leads to the production of tumor-causing enzymes COX2 and iNOS.

Adolescent sex linked to adult body, mood troubles, in animal study Posted: 15 Nov 2011 11:52 AM PST A new study suggests that sex during adolescence can have lasting negative effects on the body and mood well into adulthood, most likely because the activity occurs when the nervous system is still developing. While the research used laboratory animals, the findings provide information that may be applicable to understanding human sexual development.

Teaching skills key to selection of a successful model farmer Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:32 AM PST A model farmer does not effectively train other farmers on new innovative farming methods if they do not possess appropriate dissemination skills, a recent study has found.

How the brain perceives shades of gray Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:32 AM PST Groundbreaking research provides new insight into how the brain perceives color.

New heart cells increase by 30 percent after stem cell infusion Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:32 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated have new heart cells can be regenerated in a stem cell therapy potentially applicable to patients suffering from heart dysfunction arising from insufficient blood flow to the heart.

New biosensor benefits from melding of carbon nanotubes, DNA Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST Scientists have developed a method for stacking synthetic DNA and carbon nanotubes onto a biosensor electrode, a development that may lead to more accurate measurements for research related to diabetes and other diseases.

Niacin does not reduce heart attack, stroke risk in stable CV patients Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST In patients whose bad cholesterol is very well-controlled by statins for a long time period, the addition of high-dose, extended release niacin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, according to new research.

Parasitoid larvae in caterpillars affect behaviour of moths Posted: 15 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST Parasitoid larvae that feed within caterpillars that eat cabbage plants influence the plant via the caterpillar, making the cabbage plant an unattractive prospect for moths looking for a spot to lay their eggs.

Uncovering a key player in metastasis Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:35 AM PST About 90 percent of cancer deaths are caused by secondary tumors, known as metastases, which spread from the original tumor site. Cancer biologists are determining how platelets in the bloodstream help cancer cells form new tumors.

Mimicking the brain -- in silicon: New computer chip models how neurons communicate with each other at synapses Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:35 AM PST For decades, scientists have dreamed of building computer systems that could replicate the human brain's talent for learning new tasks. Researchers have now taken a major step toward that goal by designing a computer chip that mimics how the brain's neurons adapt in response to new information. This phenomenon, known as plasticity, is believed to underlie many brain functions, including learning and memory.

Is a stranger trustworthy? You'll know in 20 seconds Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:35 AM PST There's definitely something to be said for first impressions. New research suggests it can take just 20 seconds to detect whether a stranger is genetically inclined to being trustworthy, kind or compassionate. The findings reinforce that healthy humans are wired to recognize strangers who may help them out in a tough situation. They also pave the way for genetic therapies for people who are not innately sympathetic, researchers said.

Predicting how individuals differ from their genome sequences Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST Researchers have predicted how individuals vary from the complete sequences of their genomes, using yeast as a model. The study has important implications for personalized medicine. The authors show that when we have a good understanding of the genes important for a process, it is possible to make accurate predictions about the biology of individuals.

Ancient stars shed light on the prehistory of the Milky Way Posted: 15 Nov 2011 06:59 AM PST Some of Milky Way's 'stellar fossils' -- our galaxy's oldest stars -- contain abnormally large amounts of heavy elements like gold, platinum and uranium. This has been a mystery, since it's usually seen in much later generations of stars. Researchers have been studying these ancient stars and with recent observations they have concluded how they could have been formed in the early history of the Milky Way.

Stop signal discovered for skin cancer Posted: 15 Nov 2011 06:46 AM PST An extraordinary breakthrough in understanding what stops a common form of skin cancer from developing could make new cancer treatments and prevention available to the public in five years.

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