ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Above-normal weight alone does not necessarily increase short-term risk of death, U.S. data suggest
• Unsuccessful fertility drug users have reduced breast cancer risk, study suggests
• Keeping the flu away: Synthetic protein activates immune system within two hours
• Close-up of active galactic nucleus: First interferometric signals between Effelsberg telescope and orbital radio telescope Spektr-R
• Algae extract increases good cholesterol levels, research finds
• Patients trust doctors but consult the Internet
• An economical, effective and biocompatible gene therapy strategy promotes cardiac repair
• Zebrafish reveal promising process for healing spinal cord injury
• A surprise win or loss impacts taking future risks
• Zebrafish provide insights into causes and treatment of human diseases
• Physical education mandates not enough in most U.S. states, study finds
• Heat, rainfall affect pathogenic mosquito abundance in catch basins
• Microscope probe-sharpening technique improves resolution, durability
• Finding right meditation technique key to user satisfaction
• Loss of protein SPDEF allows prostate cancer cells to gain foothold at possible sites of metastasis
• World's fastest camera used to detect rogue cancer cells
• Possible treatment to reduce scarring discovered
• Epigenetic cause of osteoarthritis identified
• Can you hear me now? New strategy discovered to prevent hearing loss
• Scientists find molecule to starve lung cancer and improve ventilator recovery
• Aqueous iron interacts as strong as solid iron
• Arctic warming linked to combination of reduced sea ice and global atmospheric warming
• Why women watch the Olympics
• E-waste: Annual gold, silver 'deposits' in new high-tech goods worth $21B; less than 15% recovered
• Lung transplant recipient defies all odds: New approach to oxygenation helps patient live long enough for surgery
• Breakthrough malaria drug approved in India will take bite out of malaria, experts say
• Spaceflight may extend the lifespan of microscopic worm
• Increased growth responsible for color changes in coral reefs
• When anxiety won't go away
• What makes us musical animals
• How bacteria sense salt stress
• Stop and go: ‘Traffic officer’ protein directs crucial step in cell division
• First 'bottom-up' estimates of China's CO2 emissions
• Scientists discover new trigger for immense North Atlantic Ocean spring plankton bloom

Above-normal weight alone does not necessarily increase short-term risk of death, U.S. data suggest Posted: 06 Jul 2012 08:47 PM PDT An evaluation of national U.S. data has found that extra weight is not necessarily linked with a higher risk of death. When compared to those with normal weight, people who were overweight or obese had no increased risk of death during a follow-up period of six years. People who were severely obese did have a higher risk, but only if they also had diabetes or hypertension.

Unsuccessful fertility drug users have reduced breast cancer risk, study suggests Posted: 06 Jul 2012 08:47 PM PDT Women using fertility drugs who did not conceive a 10-plus week pregnancy were at a statistically significant reduced risk of breast cancer compared to nonusers; however, women using the drugs who conceived a 10-plus week pregnancy had a statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer compared to unsuccessfully treated women, but a comparable risk to nonusers, according to a new study.

Keeping the flu away: Synthetic protein activates immune system within two hours Posted: 06 Jul 2012 08:47 PM PDT Researchers may have found the secret to helping the immune system fight off the flu before it gets you sick. A new study finds that EP67, a powerful synthetic protein, is able to activate the innate immune system within just two hours of being administered.

Close-up of active galactic nucleus: First interferometric signals between Effelsberg telescope and orbital radio telescope Spektr-R Posted: 06 Jul 2012 05:12 PM PDT Researchers in Germany and Russia have obtained the first detection of interferometric signals between the Effelsberg 100-m telescope and the space-bound radio telescope satellite Spektr-R. The distance between the two radio telescopes is up to 350,000 kilometres -- which corresponds to a virtual telescope of this aperture and an angular resolution of about 40 micro arc seconds. Both telescopes were targeted at BL Lacertae, an Active Galactic Nucleus at a distance of approximately 900 million light years.

Algae extract increases good cholesterol levels, research finds Posted: 06 Jul 2012 04:49 PM PDT Researchers have found that an extract from algae could become a key to regulating cardiovascular disease. Scientists have found that dietary intake of ProAlgaZyme increased the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in an animal model.

Patients trust doctors but consult the Internet Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:44 PM PDT Patients look up their illnesses online to become better informed and prepared to play an active role in their care -- not because they mistrust their doctors, a new study suggests. The study surveyed more than 500 people who were members of online support groups and had scheduled appointments with a physician.

An economical, effective and biocompatible gene therapy strategy promotes cardiac repair Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:44 PM PDT Medical researchers have established a novel hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) nanoparticle based hypoxia regulated vascular endothelial growth factor gene therapy strategy which is an excellent substitute for the current expensive and uncontrollable VEGF gene delivery system. This discovery provides an economical, feasible and biocompatible gene therapy strategy for cardiac repair.

Zebrafish reveal promising process for healing spinal cord injury Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:43 PM PDT Scientists are studying the mechanisms of spinal cord repair in zebrafish, which unlike humans and other mammals can regenerate their spinal cord following injury. Their findings suggest a family of molecules called fibroblast growth factors could be a therapeutic target for encouraging nerve regeneration.

A surprise win or loss impacts taking future risks Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:43 PM PDT People appear to decrease their risk-taking levels after experiencing any surprising outcome – even positive ones.

Zebrafish provide insights into causes and treatment of human diseases Posted: 06 Jul 2012 03:43 PM PDT Zebrafish, popular as an aquarium fish, have an important place in research labs as a model organism for studying human diseases. They enable scientists to examine the basic biological mechanisms underlying human disorders and identify potential treatment approaches for an array of organ and systemic diseases.

Physical education mandates not enough in most U.S. states, study finds Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT Children need quality physical education to combat obesity and lead healthy lives. Georgia elementary schools make the grade when it comes to providing that education, but middle and high schools in the state don't even come close, according to a new study.

Heat, rainfall affect pathogenic mosquito abundance in catch basins Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT Rainfall and temperature affect the abundance of two mosquito species linked to West Nile Virus in storm catch basins in suburban Chicago, researchers report.

Microscope probe-sharpening technique improves resolution, durability Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT A simple new improvement to an essential microscope component could greatly improve imaging for researchers who study the very small, from cells to computer chips. Researchers developed a technique to sharpen microscope probes, giving images much higher resolution, and a coating to make the probes durable.

Finding right meditation technique key to user satisfaction Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT A new study highlights the importance of ensuring those new to meditation select the most comfortable, rather than the most popular, method. The results show the value of providing new practitioners simpler, more accessible methods while also emphasizing no one technique is best for everyone.

Loss of protein SPDEF allows prostate cancer cells to gain foothold at possible sites of metastasis Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:44 PM PDT Prostate cancer kills only by metastasis to other tissues. A new study shows likely mechanism required for this metastasis: cells' loss of protein SPDEF. The presence of SPDEF could be used to recognize prostate cancers that can't kill and so don't require treatment. Adding SPDEF back to cancer cells that have lost it may remove cells' ability to metastasize.

World's fastest camera used to detect rogue cancer cells Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:44 PM PDT Researchers report integrating the world's fastest camera with advanced microfluidics and real-time image processing to classify cells in blood samples. The new blood screening technology boasts a throughput of 100,000 cells per second which is approximately 100 times higher than conventional imaging-based blood analyzers. The technology performs real-time detection of extremely rare cells in a large sample of normal cells with high sensitivity and statistical accuracy in a short period of time.

Possible treatment to reduce scarring discovered Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:44 PM PDT Ugly scars can affect body and mind, and new research offers a new strategy to reduce or eliminate scars on the skin. Scientists describe how agents that block receptors for adenosine (a molecule generated from ATP which is used by the body to provide energy to muscles) can be applied topically to healing wounds to reduce scar size, yielding skin that feels more like the original, unscarred skin.

Epigenetic cause of osteoarthritis identified Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:43 PM PDT In breakthrough research, scientists discovered that osteoarthritis sufferers have a signature epigenetic change responsible for switching on and off a gene that produces a destructive enzyme. MMP13 contributes to the destruction of joint cartilage, making it and the epigenetic changes causing its increased levels, targets for drug development. This research also shows how epigenetic changes play a role in diseases outside of cancer.

Can you hear me now? New strategy discovered to prevent hearing loss Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:43 PM PDT Concerned about hearing loss because of noise exposure? New research may help. Scientists show that AMPK activates a channel protein in the cell membrane allowing potassium to leave the cell. This protects inner ear sensory cells from permanent damage following acoustic noise exposure. This may result in therapies to treat trauma resulting from extreme noise, especially in people with AMPK gene variants that may make them more vulnerable.

Scientists find molecule to starve lung cancer and improve ventilator recovery Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:43 PM PDT New research reveals a connection between sugar, cancer, and dependence on breathing machines -- microRNA-320a. Scientists show microRNA-320a as responsible for aiding glycolysis. Glycolysis, the process of converting sugar into energy, fuels some cancers and contributes to the wasting of unused muscles when people are using ventilators. Identifying ways to use microRNA-320a to starve tumors and keep unused muscles strong represents a therapeutic leap for numerous health conditions.

Aqueous iron interacts as strong as solid iron Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:42 PM PDT Scientists have applied a new method -- "inverse Partial Fluorescence Yield" (iPFY) on micro-jets -- which will enable them to probe the electronic structure of liquids free of sample damages. The experiments are performed in vacuum conditions at the LiXEdrom experimental chamber, where a fluid stream of micrometer diameter is moving freely through vacuum and is continuously irradiated with X-ray radiation.

Arctic warming linked to combination of reduced sea ice and global atmospheric warming Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:42 PM PDT The combination of melting sea ice and global atmospheric warming are contributing to the high rate of warming in the Arctic, where temperatures are increasing up to four times faster than the global average, a new study has shown.

Why women watch the Olympics Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:42 PM PDT Women prefer condensed sporting events like the Olympics to sports with longer seasons, and that in selecting which particular Olympic sport to watch, women often select events that are seen as traditionally "feminine," like gymnastics and figure skating, new research shows.

E-waste: Annual gold, silver 'deposits' in new high-tech goods worth $21B; less than 15% recovered Posted: 06 Jul 2012 01:41 PM PDT A staggering 320 tons of gold and more than 7,500 tons of silver are now used annually to make PCs, cell phones, tablet computers and other new electronic and electrical products worldwide, adding more than $21 billion in value each year to the rich fortunes in metals eventually available through "urban mining" of e-waste, experts say.

Lung transplant recipient defies all odds: New approach to oxygenation helps patient live long enough for surgery Posted: 06 Jul 2012 12:19 PM PDT Meara Schmidt, 28, almost died a few weeks ago. But a double lung transplant, a new approach to oxygenation, and her strong will to live pulled her through.

Breakthrough malaria drug approved in India will take bite out of malaria, experts say Posted: 06 Jul 2012 12:19 PM PDT The new drug, SynriamTM, is considered a breakthrough, as traditional drugs are proving increasingly ineffective against the deadly malarial parasite because of acquired resistance to available drugs. Taken as a tablet once a day for three days, it's more effective, cheaper, has fewer side effects and does not have to be taken with food.

Spaceflight may extend the lifespan of microscopic worm Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:55 AM PDT The effect of spaceflight on a microscopic worm -- Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) -- could help it live longer. The discovery was made by scientists studying the loss of bone and muscle mass experienced by astronauts after extended flights in space.

Increased growth responsible for color changes in coral reefs Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT New insight has been provided into the basic immune response and repair mechanisms of corals to disease and changing environmental conditions. The study found that increased growth is the underlying physiological process associated with disease, wounding and stress-related color changes in reef-building corals.

When anxiety won't go away Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a mechanism which stops the process of forgetting anxiety after a stress event. In experiments they showed that feelings of anxiety don't subside if too little dynorphin is released into the brain. The results can help open up new paths in the treatment of trauma patients.

What makes us musical animals Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT Researchers argue that at least two, seemingly trivial musical skills can be considered fundamental to the evolution of music: relative pitch – the skill to recognize a melody independent of its pitch level – and beat induction – the skill to pick up regularity (the beat) from a varying rhythm. Both are considered cognitive mechanisms that are essential to perceive, make and appreciate music, and, as such, could be argued to be conditional to the origin of music.

How bacteria sense salt stress Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT Scientists' finding is a major breakthrough in understanding a decades-old problem of how bacteria detect environmental changes.

Stop and go: ‘Traffic officer’ protein directs crucial step in cell division Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT A traffic officer standing at a busy intersection directing the flow of vehicles may be a rare sight these days, but a similar scene appears to still frequently play out in our cells. A protein called Lem4 directs a crucial step of cell division by preventing the progress of one molecule while waving another through, scientists have found.

First 'bottom-up' estimates of China's CO2 emissions Posted: 06 Jul 2012 07:54 AM PDT Atmospheric scientists have produced the first "bottom-up" estimates of China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, for 2005 to 2009, and the first statistically rigorous estimates of the uncertainties surrounding China's CO2 emissions.

Scientists discover new trigger for immense North Atlantic Ocean spring plankton bloom Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT The blooming of countless microscopic plants, or phytoplankton begins every spring in the Atlantic Ocean.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Most accurate robotic legs mimic human walking gait
• Antibodies reverse type 1 diabetes in new immunotherapy animal study
• Extreme heat raises climate change questions, concerns
• Turning history's 'lost' into 'found': Pictorial history-map of Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, a village in Mexico rediscovered
• Dust today, gone tomorrow: Astronomers discover Houdini-like vanishing act in space
• Life's molecules could lie within reach of Mars Curiosity rover
• Bioengineers discover single cancer cell can produce up to five daughter cells
• Child diabetes levels almost four times higher in China than in US
• Drought monitor shows record-breaking expanse of drought across United States
• Jekyll and Hyde bacteria helps or kills, depending on chance
• Smaller volcanoes could cool climate
• miR loss may power maligant transformation in chronic leukemia
• Brain center for social choices discovered: Poker-playing subjects seen weighing whether to bluff
• Novel nanotherapeutic delivers clot-busting drugs directly to obstructed blood vessels
• Like it or not, Facebook and friends can be used to influence health behavior
• Natural climate shifts drove coral reefs to a total ecosystem collapse lasting 2,500 years
• Origins of key immune cells discovered
• The key (proteins) to self-renewing skin
• Eddies, not sunlight, spur annual phytoplankton bloom in North Atlantic
• Nitrogen pollution changing Rocky Mountain National Park vegetation
• Solar flare: Another M-class flare from Sunspot 1515
• Sharing data links in networks of cars
• Driver cellphone blocking technology could save lives
• Gene linked to facial, skull and cognitive impairment identified
• First direct evidence that elemental fluorine occurs in nature
• Critical process in stem cell development identified
• Diabetes drug makes brain cells grow
• How a protein meal tells your brain you're full
• Scientists identify critical 'quality control' for cell growth
• Single dose radiation at time of surgery helps women with early stage breast cancer forego 6-7 week radiation regimen
• First robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy performed
• Higher doses of vitamin D are effective in fracture risk reduction in older adults, study suggests
• New instrument sifts through starlight to reveal new worlds
• Music to my eyes: Device converting images into music helps visually impaired find things with ease
• Trace me if you can: Studying the marine top predators with biogeochemical markers
• Endowment effect in chimpanzees can be turned on and off
• Employees' interests predict how they will perform on the job
• Does being an intense mother make women unhappy?
• When to rein in the stock market
• Future Dengue forecast: intricate relationships between mosquitoes, virus and climate change found
• Yak genome provides new insights into high altitude adaptation
• Groundbreaking discovery of mechanism that controls obesity, atherosclerosis
• Robot vision: Muscle-like action allows camera to mimic eye movement
• Simple exercises are an easy and cost-effective treatment for persistent dizziness
• Rewiring DNA circuitry could help treat asthma
• New clues explaining tendon injury
• Hormones dictate when youngsters fly the nest, says new research
• Platelet drug shows clinical benefits for severe, unresponsive aplastic anemia
• New study maps hotspots of human-animal infectious diseases and emerging disease outbreaks
• Postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery patients associated with prolonged cognitive impairment
• Developing world has less than 5% chance of meeting UN child hunger target, study estimates
• Discovery improves understanding of early onset inflammatory disease
• 'Impossible’ binary stars discovered
• Toward a Better Understanding of Earthquakes
• Privacy issues: Data abuse on certain mobile apps uncovered
• Next front in worldwide AIDS battle: Stretching use of anti-HIV drugs

Most accurate robotic legs mimic human walking gait Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 PM PDT A group of researchers has produced a robotic set of legs which they believe is the first to fully model walking in a biologically accurate manner.

Antibodies reverse type 1 diabetes in new immunotherapy animal study Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 PM PDT Scientists have used injections of antibodies to rapidly reverse the onset of Type I diabetes in mice genetically bred to develop the disease. Moreover, just two injections maintained disease remission indefinitely without harming the immune system.

Extreme heat raises climate change questions, concerns Posted: 05 Jul 2012 05:49 PM PDT The recent heat wave baking much of the country has prompted many people to ask: Is this due to climate change?

Turning history's 'lost' into 'found': Pictorial history-map of Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, a village in Mexico rediscovered Posted: 05 Jul 2012 05:49 PM PDT When antiquities go MIA, sometimes the sleuthing of a network of scholars can lead to rediscovery . That's what happened recently.

Dust today, gone tomorrow: Astronomers discover Houdini-like vanishing act in space Posted: 05 Jul 2012 05:13 PM PDT Astronomers report a baffling discovery never seen before: An extraordinary amount of dust around a nearby star has mysteriously disappeared. "It's as if the rings around Saturn had disappeared," said an astronomer.

Life's molecules could lie within reach of Mars Curiosity rover Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Stick a shovel in the ground and scoop. That's about how deep scientists need to go in order to find evidence for ancient life on Mars, if there is any to be found, a new study suggests. The new findings, which suggest optimal depths and locations to probe for organic molecules like those that compose living organisms as we know them, could help the newest Mars rover scout for evidence of life beneath the surface and within rocks.

Bioengineers discover single cancer cell can produce up to five daughter cells Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Conventional biology expects the process of mammalian cell division, mitosis, to occur by the equal partition of a mother cell into two daughter cells. Bioengineers have developed a platform that mechanically confines cells, simulating the in vivo three-dimensional environments in which they divide. Upon confinement they have discovered that cancer cells can divide a large percentage of the time into three or more daughter cells instead.

Child diabetes levels almost four times higher in China than in US Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Chinese teenagers have a rate of diabetes nearly four times greater than their counterparts in the United States. The rise in the incidence of diabetes parallels increases in cardiovascular risk, researchers say, and is the result of a Chinese population that is growing increasingly overweight.

Drought monitor shows record-breaking expanse of drought across United States Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT More of the United States is in moderate drought or worse than at any other time in the 12-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, officials have said.

Jekyll and Hyde bacteria helps or kills, depending on chance Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Living in the guts of worms are seemingly innocuous bacteria that contribute to their survival. With a flip of a switch, however, these same bacteria transform from harmless microbes into deadly insecticides. Scientists have revealed how a bacteria flips a DNA switch to go from an upstanding community member in the gut microbiome to deadly killer in insect blood.

Smaller volcanoes could cool climate Posted: 05 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that aerosols from relatively small volcanic eruptions can be boosted into the high atmosphere by weather systems such as monsoons, where they can affect global temperatures. The massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 temporarily dropped temperatures by half a degree Celsius world-wide.

miR loss may power maligant transformation in chronic leukemia Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT This study shows that loss of a particular molecule in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) shuts down normal cell metabolism and turns up alternative mechanisms that enable cancer cells to produce the energy needed to proliferate and invade neighboring tissue. The study shows that the molecule, miR-125b, is often lost in CLL, and that the loss is associated with a characteristic of cancer cells called the Warburg effect.

Brain center for social choices discovered: Poker-playing subjects seen weighing whether to bluff Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT Although many areas of the human brain are devoted to social tasks like detecting another person nearby, a new study has found that one small region carries information only for decisions during social interactions. Specifically, the area is active when we encounter a worthy opponent and decide whether to deceive them.

Novel nanotherapeutic delivers clot-busting drugs directly to obstructed blood vessels Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT Researchers have developed a novel biomimetic strategy that delivers life-saving nanotherapeutics directly to obstructed blood vessels, dissolving blood clots before they cause serious damage or even death. This new approach enables thrombus dissolution while using only a fraction of the drug dose normally required, thereby minimizing bleeding side effects that currently limit widespread use of clot-busting drugs.

Like it or not, Facebook and friends can be used to influence health behavior Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT Whether the goal is to curb smoking at a local school or to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases within a community, it is important to understand the social structure of the group and the dynamics of influence at play, according to public health research.

Natural climate shifts drove coral reefs to a total ecosystem collapse lasting 2,500 years Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:12 PM PDT A new article shows how natural climatic shifts stopped reef growth in the eastern Pacific for 2,500 years. The reef shutdown, which began 4,000 years ago, corresponds to a period of dramatic swings in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Origins of key immune cells discovered Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:09 PM PDT Neuropathologists have solved the puzzle surrounding the origins of follicular dendritic cells – cells of lymphoid organs that play an important role in many autoimmune and infectious diseases. The research team has demonstrated that follicular dendritic cells originate in cells located in the walls of blood vessels. Thanks to these findings, scientists now have the means to investigate key features of the development of autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, tumors, and prion infections.

The key (proteins) to self-renewing skin Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:09 PM PDT Scientists have discovered how human epidermal progenitor cells and stem cells control transcription factors to avoid premature differentiation, preserving their ability to produce new skin cells throughout life.

Eddies, not sunlight, spur annual phytoplankton bloom in North Atlantic Posted: 05 Jul 2012 03:09 PM PDT Researchers have long believed that the longer days and calmer seas of spring set off an annual bloom of plants in the North Atlantic, but scientists have now discovered that warm eddies fuel the growth three weeks before the sun does.

Nitrogen pollution changing Rocky Mountain National Park vegetation Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:21 PM PDT A new study indicates air pollution in the form of nitrogen compounds emanating from power plants, automobiles and agriculture is changing the alpine vegetation in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Solar flare: Another M-class flare from Sunspot 1515 Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:21 PM PDT Active Region 1515 has now spit out 12 M-class flares since July 3. Early in the morning of July 5, 2012, there was an M6.1 flare. It peaked at 7:44 AM EDT. This caused a moderate -- classified as R2 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's space weather scale -- radio blackout that has since subsided.

Sharing data links in networks of cars Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT A new algorithm lets networks of Wi-Fi-connected cars, whose layout is constantly changing, share a few expensive links to the Internet.

Driver cellphone blocking technology could save lives Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Researchers in India are developing a new technology that will prevent truck drivers and other road users from using their cell phones while driving. The technology based on RFIDs could also be integrated with police traffic monitoring.

Gene linked to facial, skull and cognitive impairment identified Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT A gene whose mutation results in malformed faces and skulls as well as mental retardation has been found by scientists.

First direct evidence that elemental fluorine occurs in nature Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Fluorine is the most reactive chemical element. Until now the accepted scientific doctrine was, that therefore it cannot exist in nature in its elemental form. A team of chemists has now, for the first time, successfully identified natural elemental fluorine in a special fluorite, the "fetid fluorite" or "antozonite."

Critical process in stem cell development identified Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that environmental factors critically influence the growth of a type of stem cell--called an iPS cell -- that is derived from adult skin cells. This discovery offers newfound understanding of how these cells form, while also advancing science closer to stem cell-based therapies to combat disease.

Diabetes drug makes brain cells grow Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT The widely used diabetes drug metformin comes with a rather unexpected and alluring side effect: it encourages the growth of new neurons in the brain, according to researchers. Their study also finds that those neural effects of the drug also make mice smarter.

How a protein meal tells your brain you're full Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Feeling full involves more than just the uncomfortable sensation that your waistband is getting tight. Investigators have now mapped out the signals that travel between your gut and your brain to generate the feeling of satiety after eating a protein-rich meal. Understanding this back and forth loop between the brain and gut may pave the way for future approaches in the treatment and/or prevention of obesity.

Scientists identify critical 'quality control' for cell growth Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:20 PM PDT Scientists have identified a series of intricate biochemical steps that lead to the successful production of proteins, the basic working units of any cell.

Single dose radiation at time of surgery helps women with early stage breast cancer forego 6-7 week radiation regimen Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT INTRABEAM radiotherapy is an innovative radiation treatment delivered in a single dose at the time of surgery.

First robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy performed Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT Minimally invasive procedure to remove part of pancreas offers a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.

Higher doses of vitamin D are effective in fracture risk reduction in older adults, study suggests Posted: 05 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT Based on the results of a pooled analysis of 11 unrelated randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D supplementation and fracture risk in more than 31,000 older adults, scientists say higher doses of Vitamin D may be the most beneficial in reducing bone fractures in this age group.

New instrument sifts through starlight to reveal new worlds Posted: 05 Jul 2012 01:12 PM PDT An advanced telescope imaging system that started taking data last month is the first of its kind capable of spotting planets orbiting suns outside of our solar system. The collaborative set of high-tech instrumentation and software, called Project 1640, is now operating on the Hale telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California after more than six years of development.

Music to my eyes: Device converting images into music helps visually impaired find things with ease Posted: 05 Jul 2012 01:12 PM PDT Sensory substitution devices (SSDs) use sound or touch to help the visually impaired perceive the visual scene surrounding them. The ideal SSD would assist not only in sensing the environment but also in performing daily activities based on this input. For example, accurately reaching for a coffee cup, or shaking a friend's hand. In a new study, scientists trained blindfolded sighted participants to perform fast and accurate movements using a new SSD, called EyeMusic.

Trace me if you can: Studying the marine top predators with biogeochemical markers Posted: 05 Jul 2012 01:12 PM PDT New research deals with the increasingly important impact of the human activities on marine top predators. The authors analyze the use of intrinsic biogeochemical markers, such as stable isotopes, fatty acids, trace elements and chemical pollutants, among others, to trace the spatial and trophic ecology of marine top predators (seabirds, marine mammals, fish, etc.), which can travel thousands of kilometers each year.

Endowment effect in chimpanzees can be turned on and off Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:14 PM PDT Groundbreaking new research in the field of "evolutionary analysis in law" not only provides additional evidence that chimpanzees share the controversial human psychological trait known as the endowment effect -- which in humans has implications for law -- but also shows the effect can be turned on or off for single objects, depending on their immediate situational usefulness.

Employees' interests predict how they will perform on the job Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:14 PM PDT When evaluating job applicants, employers want to ensure that they choose the right person for the job. Many employers will ask prospective employees to complete extensive tests and questionnaires to get a better sense of what those employees might be like in an office setting. But new research suggests that a different factor -- employee interests -- may be a better way to predict who will perform well on the job. Employees' whose interest profiles matched their job profiles were more likely to perform better, help others in the organization, and stay with the company longer. Students whose interest profiles matched the profile of their major were more likely to remain in their program and get good grades.

Does being an intense mother make women unhappy? Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:14 PM PDT Does being an intense mother make women unhappy? Women who believe in intensive parenting -- i.e., that women are better parents than men, that mothering should be child-centered, and that children should be considered sacred and are fulfilling to parents -- are more likely to have negative mental health outcomes, according to new research.

When to rein in the stock market Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:14 PM PDT The stock market should be regulated only during times of extraordinary financial disruptions when speculators can destroy healthy businesses, according to a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar..

Future Dengue forecast: intricate relationships between mosquitoes, virus and climate change found Posted: 05 Jul 2012 12:12 PM PDT Northern states could face longer outbreak seasons than the Southern region.

Yak genome provides new insights into high altitude adaptation Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:46 AM PDT Scientists have completed the genomic sequence and analyses of a female domestic yak, which provides important insights into understanding mammalian divergence and adaptation at high altitude.

Groundbreaking discovery of mechanism that controls obesity, atherosclerosis Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:46 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new signalling pathway that controls both obesity and atherosclerosis. They have demonstrated that mice deficient in the Wip1 gene were resistant to weight gain and atherosclerosis via regulation of the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene and its downstream signalling molecule mTor. These groundbreaking findings may provide significant new avenues for therapeutic interventions for obesity and atherosclerosis.

Robot vision: Muscle-like action allows camera to mimic eye movement Posted: 05 Jul 2012 11:44 AM PDT Using piezoelectric materials, researchers have replicated the muscle motion of the human eye to control camera systems in a way designed to improve the operation of robots. This new muscle-like action could help make robotic tools safer and more effective for MRI-guided surgery and robotic rehabilitation.

Simple exercises are an easy and cost-effective treatment for persistent dizziness Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:39 AM PDT New research has shown that patients with persistent dizziness can benefit from a booklet of simple exercises.

Rewiring DNA circuitry could help treat asthma Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:39 AM PDT Reprogramming asthma-promoting immune cells in mice diminishes airway damage and inflammation, and could potentially lead to new treatments for people with asthma, researchers have found. The researchers were able to reprogram the asthma-promoting cells (called Th2 [T-helper 2] cells) after identifying an enzyme that modifies the DNA of these cells. The enzyme could be a target for the development of new treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases, in particular allergic asthma, caused by an excess of Th2 cells.

New clues explaining tendon injury Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT Scientists have identified a component of tendons which could lead to the development of tests and treatments to target tendon disorders.

Hormones dictate when youngsters fly the nest, says new research Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT Seabirds feed their young less as they reach an age to fly the nest, but it's hormones that actually control when the chicks leave home, according to new research.

Platelet drug shows clinical benefits for severe, unresponsive aplastic anemia Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT Eltrombopag, a drug that was designed to stimulate production of platelets from the bone marrow and thereby improve blood clotting, can raise blood cell levels in some people with severe aplastic anemia who have failed all standard therapies. The findings of this new clinical study suggest eltrombopag could be a second-line therapeutic option for this disease.

New study maps hotspots of human-animal infectious diseases and emerging disease outbreaks Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT A new global study mapping human-animal diseases like tuberculosis and Rift Valley fever finds that an "unlucky" 13 zoonoses are responsible for 2.4 billion cases of human illness and 2.2 million deaths per year. The vast majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery patients associated with prolonged cognitive impairment Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT Postoperative delirium has been linked to prolonged loss of cognitive function in cardiac surgery patients. The findings suggest that interventions to prevent delirium in advance of surgery could help cardiac patients avoid long-term cognitive consequences.

Developing world has less than 5% chance of meeting UN child hunger target, study estimates Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT Insufficient progress has been made in most developing countries to meet the United Nations' target of halving the proportion of children who suffer from hunger by 2015 compared with 1990 levels, according to a systematic analysis of data on children's height and weight. Although the nutritional status of children under five has improved overall since 1985, one in five infants and children in developing countries is still moderately or severely underweight, amounting to an estimated 110 million children worldwide. Another 148 million are mildly underweight.

Discovery improves understanding of early onset inflammatory disease Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a 'constant cloud' of potent inflammatory molecules surrounding the cells responsible for diseases such as thickening of the arteries and rheumatoid arthritis.

'Impossible’ binary stars discovered Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered four pairs of stars that orbit each other, in less than 4 hours. Until now it was thought that such close-in binary stars could not exist.

Toward a Better Understanding of Earthquakes Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT The earth is shaken daily by strong earthquakes recorded by a number of seismic stations worldwide. Tectonic tremor, however, is a new type of seismic signal that seismologist started studying only within the last few years. Tremor is less hazardous than earthquakes and occurs at greater depth.  The link between tremor and earthquakes may provide clues about the more destructive earthquakes that occur at shallower depths. Geophysicists have collected seismic data of tectonic tremor in California. These data are now being evaluated in order to better understand this new seismic phenomenon.

Privacy issues: Data abuse on certain mobile apps uncovered Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:37 AM PDT "My smartphone knows everything about me, starting with my name, my phone number, my e-mail address, my interests, up to my current location," explains a computer science professor. "It even knows my friends quite well, as it saves their contact details, too," he says. Therefore he is not surprised that several mobile applications, also known as apps, display simple functionality up front, while in the background, they send the identification number of the device, the personal whereabouts of the user, or even the contact details of friends, colleagues and customers to a server somewhere in the internet.

Next front in worldwide AIDS battle: Stretching use of anti-HIV drugs Posted: 05 Jul 2012 10:35 AM PDT Medical researchers say it is possible to stretch the use of anti-HIV drugs. More efficient and cheaper manufacturing methods, better drug formulations, lower-dose prescriptions and shorter treatment periods are all feasible, safe and potentially effective. Implementation of these efforts would, they say, make the drugs more accessible to the remaining two-thirds of people with HIV disease, most of them living in poor sub-Saharan Africa and unable to afford or get access to treatment on their own.

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