ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Weight gain after quitting smoking higher than previously thought
• Moderate drinking may reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis
• One smart egg: Birds sense day length and change development
• Researchers develop technique to help pollution forecasters see past clouds
• Data storage of tomorrow: Ferroelectricity on the nanoscale
• New mechanism might promote cancer's growth and spread in the body
• Potential cause of HIV-associated dementia revealed
• Cyberwarfare, conservation and disease prevention could benefit from new network model
• Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch
• The old primates' club: Even male monkeys ride their fathers' coattails to success
• H1N1 vaccine associated with small but significant risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Tiny magnetic particles may help assess heart treatments
• Ordinary chickens may be extraordinary in fighting cancer and other diseases
• New parasitic coral reef crustacean named after late reggae performer Bob Marley
• Secrets of parasites' replication unraveled
• Hubble unmasks ghost galaxies
• Waste to watts: Improving microbial fuel cells
• Toward achieving one million times increase in computing efficiency
• New biofuel process dramatically improves energy recovery, and uses agricultural waste
• New possibilities for solar power
• Climate change may lead to fewer but more violent thunderstorms
• Dangerous caregivers for elderly: Agencies place unqualified, possibly criminal caregivers in homes of vulnerable seniors, study suggests
• Contraceptive use averts 272,000 maternal deaths worldwide
• No matter the drilling method, natural gas is a much-needed tool to battle global warming
• Searching genomic data faster: Biologists' capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power
• First seabed sonar to measure marine energy effect on environment and wildlife
• GoalRef: FIFA approves intelligent goal
• Molecule that could treat inflammation discovered
• How tumor cells create their own pathways
• Interactive personal health records increase clinical preventive services
• Doctors overlook chemical illnesses, study finds
• First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity
• Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer's
• Preclinical studies use specialized ultrasound to detect presence of cancer
• Cancer: New insights into Taspase1 function
• Rare glimpse into the origin of species
• The magnetic sense: Why powerlines confuse the internal compass of migrating birds
• Metamolecules that switch handedness at light-speed: Optically switchable chiral terahertz metamolecules developed
• Liver stiffness predicts liver failure, cancer and mortality
• World's largest herbivore, the African elephant, makes unique food choices
• Rising carbon dioxide in atmosphere also speeds carbon loss from forest soils
• Cassini views Saturn's rings again
• TLR1 protein drives immune response to certain food-borne illness in mice
• Low number of bees in found urban areas, national bee count in US ready to count again
• Copper from car brakes and mining is making salmon prone to predators
• Secure protocol for linking data registries for HPV surveillance
• U.S. federally funded clinics for low-income patients as effective as private practices
• Should we sleep more to lose weight?
• Subtle goal reminders, known as primes, can offset hedonic effects of food and facilitate health behavior
• Gastric bypass surgery alters gut microbiota profile along the intestine
• Greater diet-induced obesity in rats consuming sugar solution during the inactive period
• Reward sensitivity increases food 'wanting' following television 'junk food' commercials
• Weight gain induced by high-fat diet increases active-period sleep and sleep fragmentation
• Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than an equicaloric single piece of food in both animals and humans
• Engineering technology revealing secrets of Roman coins
• Exoplanets subject to meteorological variations
• New Technology provides a deep view into protein structures
• White LEDs lighting directly on paper
• Outstanding for the past 15 million years: Swiss Alps have influenced Europe’s climate since the Miocene
• Melanoma-promoting gene discovered

Weight gain after quitting smoking higher than previously thought Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT Giving up smoking is associated with an average weight gain of four-five kg after 12 months, most of which occurs within the first three months of quitting, finds a new study.

Moderate drinking may reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a new study.

One smart egg: Birds sense day length and change development Posted: 10 Jul 2012 03:54 PM PDT This is one smart egg. Talk about adjusting your internal clock. New research shows that some chicks can sense day length, even while they are still in the egg, which in turn, affects how they develop.

Researchers develop technique to help pollution forecasters see past clouds Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:21 PM PDT Scientists have created a technique to help satellites "see" through the clouds and better estimate the concentration of pollutants, such as soot.

Data storage of tomorrow: Ferroelectricity on the nanoscale Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:21 PM PDT Scientists have brought some clarity to the here-to-fore confusing physics of ferroelectric nanomaterials, pointing the way to multi-terabyte-per-square-inch of non-volatile computer memory chips.

New mechanism might promote cancer's growth and spread in the body Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that promotes the growth and spread of cancer. The mechanism involves key immune cells and a new role for small regulatory molecules called microRNA. The findings suggest a new strategy for treating cancer and perhaps diseases of the immune system.

Potential cause of HIV-associated dementia revealed Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT Researchers appear to have solved the mystery of why some patients infected with HIV, who are using antiretroviral therapy and show no signs of AIDS, develop serious depression as well as profound problems with memory, learning, and motor function. The finding might also provide a way to test people with HIV to determine their risk for developing dementia.

Cyberwarfare, conservation and disease prevention could benefit from new network model Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT A new computer model could help military strategists devise the most damaging cyber attacks as well as guard America's critical infrastructure. The model also could benefit other projects involving interconnected groups, such as restoring ecosystems, halting disease epidemics and stopping smugglers.

Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch Posted: 10 Jul 2012 02:17 PM PDT People who are born deaf process the sense of touch differently than people who are born with normal hearing, according to new research. The finding reveals how the early loss of a sense -- in this case hearing -- affects brain development.

The old primates' club: Even male monkeys ride their fathers' coattails to success Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT The significant advantages enjoyed by the male offspring of long-reigning alpha male capuchin monkeys evoke the good old boys' network enjoyed by human males, suggests a new study by a primatologist.

H1N1 vaccine associated with small but significant risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT In studies examining the risk of adverse outcomes after receipt of the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, infants exposed to the vaccine in utero did not have a significantly increased risk of major birth defects, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction; while in another, study researchers found a small increased risk in adults of the nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, during the four to eight weeks after vaccination, according to two recent studies.

Tiny magnetic particles may help assess heart treatments Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT An initial human study shows magnetic particles can track cells as they move through the body. The technique could be used to evaluate cell-based heart disease treatments.

Ordinary chickens may be extraordinary in fighting cancer and other diseases Posted: 10 Jul 2012 01:32 PM PDT The common barnyard chicken could provide some very un-common clues for fighting off diseases and might even offer new ways to attack cancer, according to a researchers.

New parasitic coral reef crustacean named after late reggae performer Bob Marley Posted: 10 Jul 2012 12:04 PM PDT President Barack Obama has one. Comedian Stephen Colbert has one. Elvis Presley has one. Even computer software magnate Bill Gates has one. And now, Bob Marley -- the late popular Jamaican singer and guitarist -- also has one. So what is it that each of these luminaries have? The answer: they each have a biological species that has been named after them.

Secrets of parasites' replication unraveled Posted: 10 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT A group of diseases that kill millions of people each year can't be touched by antibiotics, and some treatment is so harsh the patient can't survive it. They're caused by parasites, and for decades researchers have searched for a "magic bullet" to kill them without harming the patient. Now microbiologists report the first detailed characterization of the way key proteins in the model parasite Trypanosoma brucei organize to replicate its mitochondrial DNA.

Hubble unmasks ghost galaxies Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:31 AM PDT Astronomers are studying some of the smallest and faintest galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood. These galaxies are fossils of the early Universe: They have barely changed for 13 billion years. The discovery could help explain the so-called "missing satellite" problem, where only a handful of satellite galaxies have been found around the Milky Way, against the thousands that are predicted by theories.

Waste to watts: Improving microbial fuel cells Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:31 AM PDT Some of the planet's tiniest inhabitants may help address two of society's biggest environmental challenges: How to deal with the vast quantities of organic waste produced and where to find clean, renewable energy. Anode respiring bacteria generate useful energy in a device known as a microbial fuel cell.

Toward achieving one million times increase in computing efficiency Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT Researchers have created an entirely new family of logic circuits based on magnetic semiconductor devices. The advance could lead to logic circuits up to one million times more power-efficient than today's.

New biofuel process dramatically improves energy recovery, and uses agricultural waste Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT A new biofuel production process produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. The results showcase a novel way to use microbes to produce biofuel and hydrogen, all while consuming agricultural wastes.

New possibilities for solar power Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in solar technology. A newly developed solar photovoltaic thermal system generates both electricity and heat.

Climate change may lead to fewer but more violent thunderstorms Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT Scientists are working hard to identify just how climate change will impact weather around the world. Now researcher says that, if temperatures continue to rise, Earth can expect a significant increase in the violence of thunderstorms.

Dangerous caregivers for elderly: Agencies place unqualified, possibly criminal caregivers in homes of vulnerable seniors, study suggests Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT A troubling new U.S. national study finds many agencies place potentially dangerous and vastly unqualified caregivers in the homes of vulnerable elderly people. The study found many agencies recruit random strangers off Craigslist and place them in the home of elderly people with dementia, don't do national criminal background checks or drug testing, lie about testing the qualifications of caregivers and don't offer training.

Contraceptive use averts 272,000 maternal deaths worldwide Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT Contraceptive use likely prevents more than 272,000 maternal deaths from childbirth each year, according to a new study. Researchers further estimate that satisfying the global unmet need for contraception could reduce maternal deaths an additional 30 percent.

No matter the drilling method, natural gas is a much-needed tool to battle global warming Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT No matter how you drill it, using natural gas as an energy source is a smart move in the battle against global climate change and a good transition step on the road toward low-carbon energy from wind, solar and nuclear power according to a new study.

Searching genomic data faster: Biologists' capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT In 2001, the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics announced that after 10 years of work at a cost of some $400 million, they had completed a draft sequence of the human genome. Today, sequencing a human genome is something that a single researcher can do in a couple of weeks for less than $10,000. Since 2002, the rate at which genomes can be sequenced has been doubling every four months or so, whereas computing power doubles only every 18 months. Now a new algorithm drastically reduces the time it takes to find a particular gene sequence in a database of genomes.

First seabed sonar to measure marine energy effect on environment and wildlife Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:28 AM PDT UK scientists will measure the effect on the marine environment and wildlife of devices that harness tide and wave energy using sonar technology that has, for the first time, been successfully deployed on the seabed.

GoalRef: FIFA approves intelligent goal Posted: 10 Jul 2012 10:28 AM PDT Goal or no goal? In response to this question, world soccer association FIFA wants to use technical assistance in the future. The body which determines the laws of the game, approved both goal-line technologies GoalRef and Hawk-Eye.

Molecule that could treat inflammation discovered Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that inflammation could be treated by targeting a molecule called the double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase (PKR). Persistent and constant inflammation can damage tissue and organs, and lead to diseases such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer.

How tumor cells create their own pathways Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Metastasis occurs when tumor cells "migrate" to other organs through the bloodstream. Scientists have now discovered the trick tumor cells use to invade tissue from the blood vessels: They produce signaling proteins to make the arterial walls permeable – thus clearing their pathway to a different organ.

Interactive personal health records increase clinical preventive services Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Patients who use an interactive personal health record are almost twice as likely to be up to date with clinical preventive services as those who do not, according to a new study.

Doctors overlook chemical illnesses, study finds Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:03 AM PDT Chemical intolerance contributes to the illnesses of one in five patients but the condition seldom figures in their diagnosis, according to new clinical research.

First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT A new approach that integrates rational drug design with supramolecular nanochemistry in cancer treatment has just been developed.

Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer's Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT A clinical trial of an Alzheimer's disease treatment developed at MIT has found that the nutrient cocktail can improve memory in patients with early Alzheimer's.

Preclinical studies use specialized ultrasound to detect presence of cancer Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Vessel "bendiness" can indicate the presence and progression of cancer. This principle led scientists to a new method of using a high-resolution ultrasound to identify early tumors in preclinical studies. The method, based on vessel bendiness or "tortuosity," potentially offers an inexpensive, non-invasive and fast method to detect cancer that could someday help doctors identify cancers when tumors are less than a centimeter in size.

Cancer: New insights into Taspase1 function Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have identified a novel strategy to target the oncologically relevant protein-cleaving enzyme Taspase1. Taspase1 levels are not only elevated in cancer cells of patients with head and neck tumors and other solid malignancies but the enzyme is also critical for the development of leukemias. Central to this concept is the approach to inhibit the enzyme's activity by 'gluing together' individual Taspase1 molecules.

Rare glimpse into the origin of species Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT A new species of monkey flower has been discovered in Scotland. Derived from two New World species brought to feature in Victorian gardens, genetic differences between the parents usually leave hybrids infertile. A researcher has found wild hybrid plants that have overcome these genetic boundaries to form a new species, a rare example of a species originated in the last 150 years.

The magnetic sense: Why powerlines confuse the internal compass of migrating birds Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Migratory birds and fish use the Earth's magnetic field to find their way. Researchers have now identified cells with internal compass needles for the perception of the field – and can explain why high-tension cables perturb the magnetic orientation.

Metamolecules that switch handedness at light-speed: Optically switchable chiral terahertz metamolecules developed Posted: 10 Jul 2012 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have created the first artificial molecules whose chirality can be rapidly switched from a right-handed to a left-handed orientation with a beam of light. This holds potentially huge possibilities for the application of terahertz technologies across a wide range of fields, including biomedical research, homeland security and ultrahigh-speed communications.

Liver stiffness predicts liver failure, cancer and mortality Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:59 AM PDT Researchers have established that liver stiffness, measured by transient elastography (TE), is an independent predictor of liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality in cirrhotic patients coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

World's largest herbivore, the African elephant, makes unique food choices Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:58 AM PDT When is an elephant a picky eater? A study of the African elephant finds that, despite its large size and fast-operating digestive system, this mammal does not eat just anything. This megaherbivore selectively chooses species and parts of the woody plants that comprise its diet.

Rising carbon dioxide in atmosphere also speeds carbon loss from forest soils Posted: 10 Jul 2012 08:58 AM PDT Elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide accelerate carbon cycling and soil carbon loss in forests, biologists have found. The new evidence supports an emerging view that although forests remove a substantial amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, much of the carbon is being stored in living woody biomass rather than as dead organic matter in soils.

Cassini views Saturn's rings again Posted: 10 Jul 2012 07:38 AM PDT It's been nearly two years since NASA's Cassini spacecraft has had views like these of Saturn's glorious rings. These views are possible again because Cassini has changed the angle at which it orbits Saturn and regularly passes above and below Saturn's equatorial plane. Steeply inclined orbits around the Saturn system also allow scientists to get better views of the poles and atmosphere of Saturn and its moons.

TLR1 protein drives immune response to certain food-borne illness in mice Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT A naturally occurring protein called TLR1 plays a critical role in protecting the body from illnesses caused by eating undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water, according to new research.

Low number of bees in found urban areas, national bee count in US ready to count again Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Biologists have found low numbers of bees in urban areas across America.

Copper from car brakes and mining is making salmon prone to predators Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Minute amounts of copper from brake linings and mining operations can affect salmon to where they are easily eaten by predators, according to new research. Biologists found the metal affects salmon's sense of smell so much that they won't detect a compound that ordinarily alerts them to be still and wary.

Secure protocol for linking data registries for HPV surveillance Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Scientists have developed a secure protocol that allows the linking of individual patient records without revealing personal information, new research suggests.

U.S. federally funded clinics for low-income patients as effective as private practices Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Federally Qualified Health Centers and "look-alike" clinics are expected to be part of the solution to anticipated primary care shortages, as up to 32 million currently uninsured people begin to seek health care as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Despite concerns that these clinics may provide less effective care, a new study has found that they are as effective as private primary care practices, and better on some quality measures.

Should we sleep more to lose weight? Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:39 AM PDT Epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between short sleep duration and metabolic dysfunctions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. While the mechanisms behind these observations are largely unknown, experimental investigations point to an orexigenic effect of acute sleep deprivation.

Subtle goal reminders, known as primes, can offset hedonic effects of food and facilitate health behavior Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research introduces novel cost-effective strategies to facilitate healthy eating among weight-conscious consumers. A number of experiments now suggest that simply adding words related to health and weight on posters, restaurant menu's, or recipe cards can stimulate healthy food choices among dieters and overweight individuals, in a variety of real-life settings.

Gastric bypass surgery alters gut microbiota profile along the intestine Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research finds that gastric bypass surgery induces changes in the gut microbiota and peptide release that are similar to those seen after treatment with prebiotics.

Greater diet-induced obesity in rats consuming sugar solution during the inactive period Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research suggests that not only the amount and type of food eaten but the time of day it is eaten is important in contributing to obesity.

Reward sensitivity increases food 'wanting' following television 'junk food' commercials Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research sought to investigate personality traits that make some people more vulnerable to over-eating and weight gain.

Weight gain induced by high-fat diet increases active-period sleep and sleep fragmentation Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT Research finds that prolonged exposure to a high-fat diet reduces the quality of sleep in rats.

Multiple pieces of food are more rewarding than an equicaloric single piece of food in both animals and humans Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:38 AM PDT New research suggests that both animals and humans find multiple pieces of food to be more satiating and rewarding than an equicaloric, single-piece portion of food.

Engineering technology revealing secrets of Roman coins Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT Archaeologists and engineers are examining buried Roman coins using the latest X-ray imaging technology. Originally designed for the analysis of substantial engineering parts, such as jet turbine blades, powerful scanning equipment is being used to examine Roman coins buried in three archaeological artifacts from three UK hoards.

Exoplanets subject to meteorological variations Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT Astronomers have detected meteorological variations in the atmosphere of an exoplanet (a planet outside our own Solar System). The astrophysicists made the discovery while observing the exoplanet HD 189733b with the Hubble space telescope.

New Technology provides a deep view into protein structures Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:35 AM PDT Proteins consist of a sequence of amino acids and have important physiological functions, such as catalysis or transport of metabolic products. To perform their physiological role, proteins need to fold their linear amino acid chains into a stable three-dimensional structure. In part, the spatial arrangement is determined by a network of hydrogen bonds. However so far it was unclear to what extent individual hydrogen bonds contribute to the stability of a structure. Using a newly developed high pressure cell and NMR method scientists have, for the first time, completely characterize the stability of individual hydrogen bonds in the protein Ubiquitin.

White LEDs lighting directly on paper Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:34 AM PDT Imagine a white luminous curtain waving in the breeze. Or wallpaper that lights up your room with perfect white light.  The applications are not very far away. White LEDs, made from zinc oxide and a conducting polymer, can be manufactured directly on paper.

Outstanding for the past 15 million years: Swiss Alps have influenced Europe’s climate since the Miocene Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:34 AM PDT Switzerland's highest peaks in the geologically young central Alps have been this high for quite some time, as a new study shows. 15 million years ago Europe's own mountain range was at least as high as today. Scientists compared the isotopic ratios of water and oxygen in rocks in the Alps and Alpine foreland and were able to determine the height of the peaks in the past.

Melanoma-promoting gene discovered Posted: 10 Jul 2012 06:34 AM PDT Black skin cancer, also known as melanoma, is particularly aggressive and becoming increasingly common in Switzerland. Despite intensive research, however, there is still no treatment. Researchers have now discovered a gene that plays a central role in black skin cancer. Suppressing this gene in mice inhibits the development of melanoma and its proliferation – a discovery that could pave the way for new forms of therapy.

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
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610