ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Scientists develop novel technology to identify biomarkers for ulcerative colitis
• Not getting sleepy? Why hypnosis doesn't work for all
• Southern hemisphere becoming drier: Decline in April-May rainfall over south-east Australia
• Like humans, monkeys can make irrational decisions when making choices
• Novel blood-based protein signature determined for rare, aggressive lung cancer
• Key environmental factors influencing manta ray behavior identified
• Early humans began eating meat earlier than thought: Oldest known evidence of anemia caused by a nutritional deficiency
• New study sheds light on cancer-protective properties of milk
• Mathematics of leaf decay: A mathematical model reveals commonality within the diversity of leaf decay
• Mom's high blood pressure in pregnancy could affect child's IQ into old age
• A complete solution for oil-spill cleanup
• Ensuring high-quality dietary supplements with 'quality-by-design'
• New evidence on easing inflammation of brain cells for Alzheimer's disease
• Discovery leads to new hope against ovarian cancer
• Runners' foot injuries could be due to ill-fitting shoes
• Getting athletes back in the game sooner following shoulder injuries
• Tomb of Maya queen K'abel discovered in Guatemala
• Graphene nanopores can be controlled: Less costly ways of sequencing DNA
• Fifty-hour whole genome sequencing provides rapid diagnosis for children with genetic disorders
• Mouse model of debilitating lung disease suggests potential treatment regimen
• Researchers developing 'BIGDATA' toolbox to help genome researchers
• Onset of flu season raises concerns about human-to-pet transmission
• NASA's infrared observatory measures expansion of universe
• That's no primate: It's a fish! New look at fossil of 'lemur without a nose'
• Dozens of new de novo genetic mutations in schizophrenia identified
• Drug reverses abnormal brain function in Rett syndrome mice
• Our preferences change to reflect the choices we make, even three years later
• Ecologists start new Antarctic season comparing animals' handling of adversity
• Deforestation in snowy regions causes more floods
• Stem cell transplant survivors at increased risk of developing heart disease, study suggests
• New ways to protect avocados from beetles
• Which came first, shells or no shells? Ancient mollusk tells a contrary story
• Mollusc missing link revealed in 3-D
• Methane emissions can be traced back to Roman times
• Surprising black hole discovery changes picture of globular star clusters
• Black hole surprise in ancient star cluster
• It's not too late for coral reefs, experts say
• Caffeinated coffee linked to vision loss
• Blocking tumor-induced inflammation impacts cancer development
• People with schizophrenia more likely to die of heart attack
• Understanding accents: Effective communication is about more than simply pronunciation
• Economic abuse affects maternal mental health, parenting
• Study finds faults in proposed mental disorder diagnosis
• Memory and thought-process training show promise in managing breast cancer symptoms
• Common medicine helps repair brain after stroke, study in rats suggests
• Fear of treatment puts stress on women undergoing fertility therapy
• Got dry eyes? Measuring eyelid sensitivity may reflect the causes
• Home-based assessment tool for dementia screening
• Arctic sea ice shatters previous low records; Antarctic sea ice edges to record high
• Sea urchin's spiny strength revealed
• Smartphone application to allow instant polling for presidential debate Wednesday
• City of Ottawa, Canada, sits atop soil, geologic features that amplify seismic waves
• Study evaluates frequency of pediatric pain assessments
• New fanged dwarf dinosaur from Africa ate plants
• The brief but violent life of monogenetic volcanoes
• NASA airborne radar to study volcanoes in Alaska and Japan
• New firework causes severe eye injuries, warn doctors
• Doctors speak out about unnecessary care as cost put at $800 billion a year
• Balancing fertility and child survival in the developing world
• Surgeons recreate eggs in vitro to treat infertility

Scientists develop novel technology to identify biomarkers for ulcerative colitis Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT Scientists have developed a novel technology that can identify, in animal models, potential biomarkers of ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the colon.

Not getting sleepy? Why hypnosis doesn't work for all Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT Not everyone is able to be hypnotized, and new research shows how the brains of such people differ from those who can easily be.

Southern hemisphere becoming drier: Decline in April-May rainfall over south-east Australia Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT A decline in April-May rainfall over south-east Australia is associated with a southward expansion of the subtropical dry-zone.

Like humans, monkeys can make irrational decisions when making choices Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT When making decisions about the value of an assortment of different objects, people approximate an average overall value, which though frequently useful can lead to apparently irrational decision-making. A new study shows for the first time that non-human primates also make similar "irrational" choices based on approximation.

Novel blood-based protein signature determined for rare, aggressive lung cancer Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a panel of 13 blood proteins that may be effective biomarkers to detect malignant mesothelioma, according to a new study.

Key environmental factors influencing manta ray behavior identified Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT Manta rays are more likely to gather together under either a new or a full moon, according to new research published Oct. 3 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Fabrice Jaine and colleagues at the University of Queensland.

Early humans began eating meat earlier than thought: Oldest known evidence of anemia caused by a nutritional deficiency Posted: 03 Oct 2012 04:51 PM PDT A fragment of a child's skull discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, shows the oldest known evidence of anemia caused by a nutritional deficiency, reports a new article. The discovery suggests that early human ancestors began eating meat much earlier in history than previously believed.

New study sheds light on cancer-protective properties of milk Posted: 03 Oct 2012 01:37 PM PDT Milk consumption has been linked to improved health, with decreased risks of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and colon cancer. Scientists found that lactoferricin4-14, a milk protein with known health effects, significantly reduces the growth rate of colon cancer cells over time by prolonging the period of the cell cycle before chromosomes are replicated. In a new study, investigators report that treatment with Lfcin4-14 reduced DNA damage in colon cancer cells exposed to ultraviolet light.

Mathematics of leaf decay: A mathematical model reveals commonality within the diversity of leaf decay Posted: 03 Oct 2012 01:37 PM PDT Researchers have analyzed data from a variety of forests and ecosystems across North America, and discovered general trends in decay rates among all leaves. The scientists devised a mathematical procedure to transform observations of decay into distributions of rates. They found that the shape of the resulting curve is independent of climate, location and leaf composition. However, the details of that shape -- the range of rates that it spans, and the mean rate -- vary with climatic conditions and plant composition. In general, the scientists found that plant composition determines the range of rates, and that as temperatures increase, all plant matter decays faster.

Mom's high blood pressure in pregnancy could affect child's IQ into old age Posted: 03 Oct 2012 01:36 PM PDT New research suggests that a mother's high blood pressure during pregnancy may have an effect on her child's thinking skills all the way into old age.

A complete solution for oil-spill cleanup Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT Scientists are describing what may be a "complete solution" to cleaning up oil spills -- a super-absorbent material that sops up 40 times its own weight in oil and then can be shipped to an oil refinery and processed to recover the oil.

Ensuring high-quality dietary supplements with 'quality-by-design' Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT If applied to the $5-billion-per-year dietary supplement industry, "quality by design" -- a mindset that helped revolutionize the manufacture of cars and hundreds of other products -- could ease concerns about the safety and integrity of the herbal products used by 80 percent of the world's population.

New evidence on easing inflammation of brain cells for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT New research proves the validity of one of the most promising approaches for combating Alzheimer's disease with medicines that treat not just some of the symptoms, but actually stop or prevent the disease itself, scientists are reporting. The study also identifies a potential new oral drug that the scientists say could lead the way.

Discovery leads to new hope against ovarian cancer Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a new type of drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer that works in a way that should not only decrease the number of doses that patients need to take, but also may make it effective for patients whose cancer has become drug resistant.

Runners' foot injuries could be due to ill-fitting shoes Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:07 PM PDT Researchers are conducting a first-of-its kind study of marathon runners to determine if there is link between foot injuries and ill-fitting shoes. Researchers will survey runners in the Oct. 7 Chicago marathon who seek treatment for foot and ankle injuries.

Getting athletes back in the game sooner following shoulder injuries Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT Biceps tenodesis hastens recovery, cuts rehabilitation time for labrum tears allowing athletes to return to play sooner.

Tomb of Maya queen K'abel discovered in Guatemala Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered the tomb of Lady K'abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord considered one of the great queens of Classic Maya civilization. The tomb was discovered during excavations of the royal Maya city of El Perú-Waka' in northwestern Petén, Guatemala.

Graphene nanopores can be controlled: Less costly ways of sequencing DNA Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT Engineers have used advanced techniques to make the material graphene small enough to read DNA. Shrinking the size of a graphene pore to less than one nanometer opens the possibility of graphene as a low-cost tool to sequence DNA.

Fifty-hour whole genome sequencing provides rapid diagnosis for children with genetic disorders Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT The first use of whole genome information for quickly diagnosing critically ill infants has been reported. The team describes STAT-Seq, a whole genome sequencing approach - from blood sample to returning results to a physician - in about 50 hours. Currently, testing even a single gene takes six weeks or more.

Mouse model of debilitating lung disease suggests potential treatment regimen Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:14 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new mouse model of LAM (pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis), producing a way to study disease etiology and develop drugs.

Researchers developing 'BIGDATA' toolbox to help genome researchers Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:10 AM PDT The latest DNA sequencing technology is burying researchers in trillions of bytes of data. Researchers are now developing high performance computing tools that will help researchers analyze all that data.

Onset of flu season raises concerns about human-to-pet transmission Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:10 AM PDT As flu season approaches, people who get sick may not realize they can pass the flu not only to other humans, but possibly to other animals, including pets such as cats, dogs and ferrets. This concept, called "reverse zoonosis," is still poorly understood but has raised concern among some scientists and veterinarians.

NASA's infrared observatory measures expansion of universe Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have announced the most precise measurement yet of the Hubble constant, or the rate at which our universe is stretching apart.

That's no primate: It's a fish! New look at fossil of 'lemur without a nose' Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:42 AM PDT A seven million-year-old South American fossil from a species known as Arrhinolemur scalabrinii -- which translates literally to "Scalabrini's lemur without a nose" -- has long been a curiosity because there is only one specimen in existence and it is unlike most other primates. There is a reason for that, scientists have discovered. The lemur without a nose is actually a fish.

Dozens of new de novo genetic mutations in schizophrenia identified Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:24 AM PDT Researchers have identified dozens of new spontaneous genetic mutations that play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia, adding to the growing list of genetic variants that can contribute to the disease. The study is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind.

Drug reverses abnormal brain function in Rett syndrome mice Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:24 AM PDT A promising study shows that in a mouse model of Rett syndrome, researchers were able to reverse abnormalities in brain activity and improve neurological function by treating the animals with an FDA-approved anesthesia drug, ketamine. Rett syndrome is among the most severe autism-related disorders, affecting about one in 10,000 female births per year, with no effective treatments available.

Our preferences change to reflect the choices we make, even three years later Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:24 AM PDT Whether we're choosing between presidential candidates or household objects, research shows that we come to place more value on the options we chose and less value on the options we rejected. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in numerous studies, but the studies have only examined preference change shortly after participants make their decision. In a new article researchers examine whether choice-induced changes in preference are fleeting or long-lasting.

Ecologists start new Antarctic season comparing animals' handling of adversity Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:24 AM PDT Ecologists who are about to return to Antarctica have found that Weddell seals were better than Emperor penguins at handling adverse conditions from icebergs.

Deforestation in snowy regions causes more floods Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT New research suggests that cutting down swaths of forest in snowy regions at least doubles -- and potentially quadruples -- the number of large floods that occur along the rivers and streams passing through those forests.

Stem cell transplant survivors at increased risk of developing heart disease, study suggests Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT New research suggests that long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplants are at an increased risk of developing heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol when compared to the general population.

New ways to protect avocados from beetles Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT Scientists are coming up with new strategies to combat a beetle threatening avocado trees in the U.S.

Which came first, shells or no shells? Ancient mollusk tells a contrary story Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT A fossil unearthed in Great Britain may end a long-running debate about the mollusks, one of life's most diverse invertebrate groups: Which evolved first, shelled forms like clams and snails, or their shell-less, worm-like relatives?

Mollusc missing link revealed in 3-D Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a rare fossil called Kulindroplax, the missing link between two mollusc groups.

Methane emissions can be traced back to Roman times Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT Emissions of the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere can be traced back thousands of years in the Greenland ice sheet. Using special analytical methods, researchers have determined how much methane originates from natural sources and how much is due to human activity. The results go back to Roman times and up to the present, where more than half of the emissions are now human-made.

Surprising black hole discovery changes picture of globular star clusters Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:21 AM PDT An unexpected discovery is forcing scientists to rethink their understanding of the environment in globular star clusters, tight-knit collections containing hundreds of thousands of stars. The astronomers were studying a globular cluster called Messier 22 (M22), a group of stars more than 10,000 light-years from Earth. They hoped to find evidence of a rare type of black hole in the cluster's center called an intermediate-mass black hole, which is more massive than those larger than the Sun's mass, but smaller than the supermassive black holes found at the cores of galaxies. However, they found something very surprising - two smaller black holes, which is unusual because most theorists say there should be at most one black hole in the cluster.

Black hole surprise in ancient star cluster Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:21 AM PDT The globular cluster M22 which has been found to unusually host two black holes. Image Credit: Hunter Wilson. Click to enlarge.

It's not too late for coral reefs, experts say Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:20 AM PDT Coral reefs – ecosystems of incredible environmental and economic value – are showing evidence of significant degradation, but do not have to be doomed. We can make a difference, researchers say.

Caffeinated coffee linked to vision loss Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:20 AM PDT A new study suggests caffeinated coffee drinkers should limit their intake to reduce their chances of developing vision loss or blindness. According to a scientific paper, heavy caffeinated coffee consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing exfoliation glaucoma, the leading cause of secondary glaucoma worldwide.

Blocking tumor-induced inflammation impacts cancer development Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:19 AM PDT Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report the discovery of microbial–dependent mechanisms through which some cancers mount an inflammatory response that fuels their development and growth.

People with schizophrenia more likely to die of heart attack Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:15 AM PDT The risk of death resulting from heart attack is higher in people with schizophrenia than in the general public, according to scientists.

Understanding accents: Effective communication is about more than simply pronunciation Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:14 AM PDT With immigration on the rise, the use of English as a second language is sweeping the world. People who have grown up speaking French, Italian, Mandarin or any other language are now expected to be able to communicate effectively using this new lingua franca. How understandable are they in this second language?

Economic abuse affects maternal mental health, parenting Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:13 AM PDT Mothers who experience economic and psychological abuse during the first year of a relationship with their child's father are more likely to become depressed and spank the child in year five, researchers have found.

Study finds faults in proposed mental disorder diagnosis Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:13 AM PDT New research finds a much anticipated addition to the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) questionable.

Memory and thought-process training show promise in managing breast cancer symptoms Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:13 AM PDT A new study is the first of its kind to show it may be possible to improve memory and thought process speed among breast cancer survivors.

Common medicine helps repair brain after stroke, study in rats suggests Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:11 AM PDT Post-stroke inflammation slows down recovery and impairs brain plasticity, reveal new results. The popular anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen restores the ability of brain cortex to reorganize – a process necessary for recovery of stroke-damaged functions.

Fear of treatment puts stress on women undergoing fertility therapy Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:11 AM PDT Fertility treatment has a strong emotional impact on women who want to have children. A study of European countries with the highest number of assisted reproduction cycles identifies which aspects of reproduction treatment contribute to psychological stress. Inability to conceive is extremely stressful for women who want to have a family.

Got dry eyes? Measuring eyelid sensitivity may reflect the causes Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:11 AM PDT A simple test of eyelid sensitivity may help vision professionals in evaluating one of the most common eye-related symptoms: dry eyes. A new study links increased eyelid sensitivity to decreased function of the eyelid margins.

Home-based assessment tool for dementia screening Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:11 AM PDT Researchers have created a tool that allows adults to screen themselves for early signs of dementia. The home-based computer software is patterned after the paper-and-pencil Clock Drawing Test, one of health care's most commonly used screening exams for cognitive impairment.

Arctic sea ice shatters previous low records; Antarctic sea ice edges to record high Posted: 03 Oct 2012 07:37 AM PDT This September, sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean fell to the lowest extent in the satellite record, which began in 1979. Satellite data showed that the sea ice cover reached its lowest extent on September 16. Sea ice extent averaged for the month of September was also the lowest in the satellite record. As the Arctic was experiencing a record low minimum extent, the Antarctic sea ice was reaching record high levels, culminating in a Southern Hemisphere winter maximum extent of 19.44 million square kilometers (7.51 million square miles) on September 26.

Sea urchin's spiny strength revealed Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:46 AM PDT For the first time, a team of Australian engineers has modelled the microscopic mechanics of a sea urchin's spine, gaining insight into how these unusual creatures withstand impacts in their aquatic environment.

Smartphone application to allow instant polling for presidential debate Wednesday Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:46 AM PDT When President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney square off in their first debate October 3, college students across the country will pilot test a new real-time smartphone polling application.

City of Ottawa, Canada, sits atop soil, geologic features that amplify seismic waves Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:46 AM PDT This study examines the local site response for the city of Ottawa, and the results indicate seismic waves may amplify ground motion greater than expected or referenced in the National Building Code of Canada.

Study evaluates frequency of pediatric pain assessments Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:41 AM PDT A multi-site study showed a wide range of pain intensity scores in hospitalized infants and a significant number of them were found to have moderate to severe pain during their hospital stays.

New fanged dwarf dinosaur from Africa ate plants Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:41 AM PDT With tiny one-inch long jaws, a new species of plant-eater has come to light in rocks in South Africa dating to the early dinosaur era, some 200 million years ago.

The brief but violent life of monogenetic volcanoes Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:41 AM PDT A new study is providing insight into the explosive mechanisms of volcanoes that erupt just once, and then die.

NASA airborne radar to study volcanoes in Alaska and Japan Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:39 AM PDT NASA scientists periodically monitor subtle changes in volcanic activity with the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) carried by a modified NASA C-20A (G-III) aircraft. This month the specialized NASA Airborne Science aircraft, with the UAVSAR installed in a pod under the plane's fuselage, deploys to Alaska and Japan to continue a study of active volcanoes.

New firework causes severe eye injuries, warn doctors Posted: 03 Oct 2012 05:30 AM PDT A new type of firework caused severe eye injuries and blindness in children and adults at last year's bonfire night celebrations, warn doctors.

Doctors speak out about unnecessary care as cost put at $800 billion a year Posted: 03 Oct 2012 05:30 AM PDT Leading doctors are calling for action to tackle unnecessary care that is estimated to account for up to $800 billion in the United States every year.

Balancing fertility and child survival in the developing world Posted: 03 Oct 2012 05:29 AM PDT Children in smaller families are only slightly more likely to survive childhood in high mortality environments, according to a new study of mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa seeking to understand why women, even in the highest fertility populations in world, rarely give birth to more than eight children.

Surgeons recreate eggs in vitro to treat infertility Posted: 03 Oct 2012 05:29 AM PDT Regenerative-medicine researchers have moved a promising step closer to helping infertile, premenopausal women produce enough eggs to become pregnant. Surgeons have now reported that they were able to stimulate ovarian cell production using an in vitro rat model, and observed as the cells matured into very early-stage eggs that could possibly be fertilized.

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