ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Estrogen fights urinary infection in mouse study
• Right target, but missing the bulls-eye for Alzheimer's
• Pavlov's rats? Rodents trained to link rewards to visual cues
• Experts propose overhaul of ethics oversight of research
• More small meat-eating dinosaurs than thought
• Many apples a day keep the blues at bay
• Brain of ampelosaur from Cuenca (Spain) revealed
• Novel approaches needed to end growing scourge of 'superbugs'
• Owl monkeys who 'stay true' reproduce more than those with multiple partners
• Forecasting brain tumors like a storm
• Hailstones reveal life in a storm cloud
• Effect of taking smaller bites outweighs tendency to eat more when distracted
• Self-reported BMI bias estimates increasing due to weight bias, not weight loss
• Risk of lung cancer death has risen dramatically among women smokers in recent decades
• GP judgement not enough to accurately diagnose cases of pneumonia, study suggests
• 3-D scanning shapes the future of childrenswear
• Research paves way for larger, safer lithium ion batteries
• Promising prognostic marker for aggressive breast cancer
• Bioengineers discover natural switch that controls spread of breast cancer cells
• Frequent multitaskers are bad at it: Can't talk and drive well
• 'Invisible' Filipino history in Annapolis documented
• Planning for bacteria in cancer patients may help hospitals fight infections
• Modifications of a nanoparticle can change chemical interactions with cell membranes
• Tall and thin not so great for lung disease
• SNPs associated with breast cancer risk alter binding affinity for pioneer factor FOXA1
• Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscle
• Socially isolated rats are more vulnerable to addiction, report researchers
• Parasites of Madagascar's lemurs expanding with climate change
• Teenagers avoid early alcohol misuse through personality management
• First brain pacemaker implanted to treat Alzheimer’s
• Motion control keeps electric car's four wheels -- and four motors -- on the road
• Impact of affirmative action bans in graduate fields of study
• Children's complex thinking skills begin before going to school
• Migraine triggers may not be as strong as you think
• Gun control: Focus on manufacturers, not just buyers, study shows
• Beta-catenin molecule is required for tooth root formation
• Space instrument adds big piece to solar corona puzzle
• Household chores: Gender equality's final frontier
• Learning and memory may play a central role in synesthesia: Link to childhood toys containing magnetic colored letters
• Oxygen chamber can boost brain repair years after stroke or trauma
• Blocking digestive enzymes may reverse shock, stop multiorgan failure
• Loss of Arctic sea ice speeds domino effect of warming temperatures at high latitudes
• Personal epigenetic 'signatures' found consistent in prostate cancer patients' metastases
• Retrovirus in the human genome is active in pluripotent stem cells
• Health and environment: A closer look at plastics
• Scientists underestimated potential for Tohoku earthquake: Now what?
• Free clinics reduce emergency department visits
• Microbiologists eavesdrop on the hidden lives of microbes
• Caloric restriction has a protective effect on chromosomes
• More efficient way to make popular prescription medication
• Putting the squeeze on cells: By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications
• New way to identify 'smoked' grapes and wines
• Self-healing, stretchable wires created using liquid metal
• Breakthrough: How salt stops plant growth
• Whole-exome sequencing identifies inherited mutations in autism
• Greenland ice cores reveal warm climate of the past
• New brain circuit sheds light on development of voluntary movements
• Studies provide insights into inherited causes of autism
• Researchers make DNA data storage a reality: Every film and TV program ever created -- in a teacup
• New Greenland ice core reveals warmer temperatures 120,000 years ago

Estrogen fights urinary infection in mouse study Posted: 23 Jan 2013 07:14 PM PST Estrogen levels drop dramatically in menopause, a time when the risk of urinary tract infections increases significantly. Researchers have found new evidence in mice that the two phenomena are connected by more than just timing.

Right target, but missing the bulls-eye for Alzheimer's Posted: 23 Jan 2013 07:14 PM PST For decades now, researchers have been trying, without success, to develop drugs that slow or prevent Alzheimer's. Now research at suggests that while the protein they have been focusing on-- amyloid-beta -- is the right one, what's needed is to direct a drug to a very specific location, which they've discovered, on that protein.

Pavlov's rats? Rodents trained to link rewards to visual cues Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:58 PM PST In experiments on rats outfitted with tiny goggles, scientists say they have learned that the brain's initial vision processing center not only relays visual stimuli, but also can "learn" time intervals and create specifically timed expectations of future rewards. The research sheds new light on learning and memory-making, the investigators say, and could help explain why people with Alzheimer's disease have trouble remembering recent events.

Experts propose overhaul of ethics oversight of research Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST The longstanding ethical framework for protecting human volunteers in medical research needs to be replaced because it is outdated and can impede efforts to improve health care quality, assert leaders in bioethics, medicine, and health policy.

More small meat-eating dinosaurs than thought Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST Researchers used fossilized teeth to identify at least 23 species of small meat-eating dinosaurs.

Many apples a day keep the blues at bay Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST Eating more fruit and vegetables may make young people calmer, happier and more energetic in their daily life, new research suggests.

Brain of ampelosaur from Cuenca (Spain) revealed Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST Scientists have made a 3-D reconstruction of the remains of ampelosaur, found in 2007 in the site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca). The fossils are about 70 million years old (Late Cretaceous).

Novel approaches needed to end growing scourge of 'superbugs' Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST With the rising awareness of the so-called "superbugs," bacteria that are resistant to most known antibiotics, three infectious disease experts have called for novel approaches based on a "reconceptualization of the nature of resistance, disease and prevention."

Owl monkeys who 'stay true' reproduce more than those with multiple partners Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST Breaking up is hard to do -- and can be detrimental to one's reproductive fitness, according to a new study. Focusing on wide-eyed, nocturnal owl monkeys, considered a socially monogamous species, the research reveals that, when an owl monkey pair is severed by an intruding individual, the mate who takes up with a new partner produces fewer offspring than a monkey who sticks with its tried-and-true partner.

Forecasting brain tumors like a storm Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST The critical question shortly after a brain cancer patient starts treatment: how well is it working? But there hasn't been a good way to tell. Researchers have developed a new method -- similar to forecasting storms with computer models -- to predict an individual patient's brain tumor growth. This forecast will enable physicians to rapidly identify how well the tumor is responding to a particular therapy and quickly pivot to a new therapy if necessary.

Hailstones reveal life in a storm cloud Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST It isn't life on Mars, but researchers have found a rich diversity of microbial life and chemicals in the ephemeral habitat of a storm cloud, according to a new study.

Effect of taking smaller bites outweighs tendency to eat more when distracted Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST Eating while distracted generally makes people eat more without being aware of it, but reducing bite sizes may be able to counter this effect, according to new research.

Self-reported BMI bias estimates increasing due to weight bias, not weight loss Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST The gap between obesity levels measured by self-reported height and weight and obesity recorded by measured height and weight is increasing. This is due to an increasing bias in self-reported weight, according to new research.

Risk of lung cancer death has risen dramatically among women smokers in recent decades Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST Female smokers have a much greater risk of death from lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease in recent years than did female smokers 20 or 40 years ago, reflecting changes in smoking behavior.

GP judgement not enough to accurately diagnose cases of pneumonia, study suggests Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST Pneumonia cannot be accurately diagnosed solely on a doctor's analysis of symptoms and patient history, according to new findings.

3-D scanning shapes the future of childrenswear Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST Childrenswear designers and retailers will be able to design and make better fitting clothes for British children from four to seventeen years thanks to 3-D scanning of children.

Research paves way for larger, safer lithium ion batteries Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST Looking toward improved batteries for charging electric cars and storing energy from renewable but intermittent solar and wind, scientists have developed the first high-performance, nanostructured solid electrolyte for more energy-dense lithium ion batteries.

Promising prognostic marker for aggressive breast cancer Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST Medical researchers have discovered a gene variant that drives the spread of breast cancer. The study lays the early foundation for predicting which breast cancer patients may develop more aggressive disease and for designing more effective treatments.

Bioengineers discover natural switch that controls spread of breast cancer cells Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST With a desire to inhibit metastasis, biomedical engineers have found the natural switch between the body's inflammatory response and how malignant breast cancer cells use the bloodstream to spread.

Frequent multitaskers are bad at it: Can't talk and drive well Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:51 PM PST Most people believe they can multitask effectively, but a new study indicates that people who multitask the most – including talking on a cell phone while driving – are least capable of doing so.

'Invisible' Filipino history in Annapolis documented Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST Filipinos have been an invisible minority in Annapolis, Md., for more than a century. Now, researchers are using oral histories as a way to flesh out their life and times -- documenting the incredible challenges they faced -- and successes they celebrated.

Planning for bacteria in cancer patients may help hospitals fight infections Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are especially prevalent in patients with lung and GI cancers, more so for Klebsiella if these patients have been treated previously with aminopenicillins.

Modifications of a nanoparticle can change chemical interactions with cell membranes Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST Researchers are studying the toxicity of commonly used nanoparticles, particles up to one million times smaller than a millimeter that could potentially penetrate and damage cell membranes.

Tall and thin not so great for lung disease Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Tall, thin women face a greater risk of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), cousins of the organism that causes tuberculosis, according to researchers. Women with NTM infections also showed a weakened immune response.

SNPs associated with breast cancer risk alter binding affinity for pioneer factor FOXA1 Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Scientists showed that more than half of all the SNPs associated with breast cancer risk are located in distant regions and bound by FOXA1, a protein required for estrogen receptor-alpha function according to a recent article.

Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscle Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Engineers are layering atom-thick lattices of carbon with polymers to create unique materials with a broad range of applications, including artificial muscles.

Socially isolated rats are more vulnerable to addiction, report researchers Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Rats that are socially isolated during a critical period of adolescence are more vulnerable to addiction to amphetamine and alcohol. Amphetamine addiction is also harder to extinguish in the socially isolated rats.

Parasites of Madagascar's lemurs expanding with climate change Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns in Madagascar could fuel the spread of lemur parasites and the diseases they carry.

Teenagers avoid early alcohol misuse through personality management Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:49 PM PST Personality-targeted interventions delivered by trained teachers and school staff decrease alcohol misuse in at-risk teens and delay their classmates' alcohol uptake.

First brain pacemaker implanted to treat Alzheimer’s Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:49 PM PST During a five-hour surgery last October at Kathy Sanford became the first Alzheimer's patient in the United States to have a pacemaker implanted in her brain. She is the first of up to 10 patients who will be enrolled in a new FDA-approved study.

Motion control keeps electric car's four wheels -- and four motors -- on the road Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:49 PM PST It weighs half as much as a sports car, and turns on a dime —- so its no surprise that a new electric car needs an exceptional traction and motion control system to keep it on the road.

Impact of affirmative action bans in graduate fields of study Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:49 PM PST Garces examines effects of affirmative action bans on enrollment of students of color across six fields of graduate study in California, Florida, Texas, and Washington. The fields are natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, business, education, and humanities.

Children's complex thinking skills begin before going to school Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:48 PM PST New research reveals that children begin to show signs of higher-level thinking skills as young as age 4 ½. Researchers have previously attributed higher-order thinking development to knowledge acquisition, but the new longitudinal study shows that other skills, not connected with knowledge, play a role in children's ability to reason analytically.

Migraine triggers may not be as strong as you think Posted: 23 Jan 2013 01:48 PM PST A new study suggests that triggers for migraine with aura may not be as strong as some people think. Auras that occur with migraine include visual disturbances, with symptoms such as flashing lights or wavy lines.

Gun control: Focus on manufacturers, not just buyers, study shows Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:43 AM PST As the gun control debate continues, an expert says the focus should be on those who distribute guns, not solely on those who buy them.

Beta-catenin molecule is required for tooth root formation Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST The tooth root, together with the surrounding periodontium, maintains the tooth in the jaw. The root develops after the crown forms, a process called morphogenesis. While the molecular and cellular mechanisms of early tooth development and crown morphogenesis have been extensively studied, little is known about the molecular mechanisms controlling tooth root formation.

Space instrument adds big piece to solar corona puzzle Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST How can the solar atmosphere get hotter, rather than colder, the farther you go from the sun's surface? This mystery has puzzled solar astronomers for decades. A suborbital rocket mission that launched in July 2012 has just provided a major piece of the puzzle.

Household chores: Gender equality's final frontier Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST Working-class couples that buck convention and live together rather than marry take on traditional roles when it comes to housework, according to a new study by a Cornell University sociologist. Cohabiting women do a disproportionate share of the housework, even when the women work and the men don't – and even when the women want to share the housework more equally.

Learning and memory may play a central role in synesthesia: Link to childhood toys containing magnetic colored letters Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST People with color-grapheme synesthesia experience color when viewing written letters or numerals, usually with a particular color evoked by each grapheme (i.e., the letter 'A' evokes the color red). In a new study, researchers present data from 11 color grapheme synesthetes who had startlingly similar color-letter pairings that were traceable to childhood toys containing magnetic colored letters.

Oxygen chamber can boost brain repair years after stroke or trauma Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST Through the use of hyperbaric, oxygen-rich chambers, medical researchers have found a way to restore a significant amount of neurological function in brain tissue thought to be chronically damaged by stroke, traumatic injury, and metabolic disorder -- even years after the original injury.

Blocking digestive enzymes may reverse shock, stop multiorgan failure Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST New research moves researchers closer to understanding and developing treatments for shock, sepsis and multiorgan failure. Collectively, these maladies represent a major unmet medical need: they are the number one cause of mortality in intensive care units in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. The new research provides novel results linking digestive enzymes to shock, sepsis and multiorgan failure.

Loss of Arctic sea ice speeds domino effect of warming temperatures at high latitudes Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:40 AM PST Melting Arctic sea ice is no longer just evidence of a rapidly warming planet —- it's also part of the problem.

Personal epigenetic 'signatures' found consistent in prostate cancer patients' metastases Posted: 23 Jan 2013 11:40 AM PST In a genome-wide analysis of 13 metastatic prostate cancers, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found consistent epigenetic "signatures" across all metastatic tumors in each patient. The discovery of the stable, epigenetic "marks" that sit on the nuclear DNA of cancer cells and alter gene expression, defies a prevailing belief that the marks vary so much within each individual's widespread cancers that they have little or no value as targets for therapy or as biomarkers for treatment response and predicting disease severity.

Retrovirus in the human genome is active in pluripotent stem cells Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST A retrovirus called HERV-H, which inserted itself into the human genome millions of years ago, may play an important role in pluripotent stem cells. The discovery, which may help explain how these cells maintain a state of pluripotency and are able to differentiate into many types of cells, could have profound implications for therapies that would use pluripotent stem cells to treat a range of human diseases.

Health and environment: A closer look at plastics Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST Scientists have been following the chemical trail of plastics, quantifying their impact on human health and the environment. In a new overview, researchers detail the risks and societal rewards of plastics and describe strategies to mitigate their negative impacts, through reconsideration of plastic composition, use and disposal.

Scientists underestimated potential for Tohoku earthquake: Now what? Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST The massive Tohoku, Japan, earthquake in 2011 and Sumatra-Andaman superquake in 2004 stunned scientists because neither region was thought to be capable of producing a megathrust earthquake with a magnitude exceeding 8.4. Now earthquake scientists are going back to the proverbial drawing board and admitting that existing predictive models looking at maximum earthquake size are no longer valid.

Free clinics reduce emergency department visits Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:38 AM PST People who receive primary care from free clinics are less likely to use the emergency department for minor issues, according to a team of medical researchers.

Microbiologists eavesdrop on the hidden lives of microbes Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:38 AM PST Microbiologists who study wild marine microbes, as opposed to the lab-grown variety, face enormous challenges in getting a clear picture of the daily activities of their subjects. But a team of scientists recently figured out how to make the equivalent of a nature film, showing the simultaneous activities of many coexisting species in their native habitat over time.

Caloric restriction has a protective effect on chromosomes Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:38 AM PST A sustained lowering of food intake over time results in an increase of telomere length -- the ends of chromosomes -- in adult mice, which has a protective effect on the DNA and genetic material.

More efficient way to make popular prescription medication Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST In a demonstration of the power of green chemistry, scientists are reporting development of a new and more efficient process for making one of the most costly and widely used medications for severe mental illness.

Putting the squeeze on cells: By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST Living cells are surrounded by a membrane that tightly regulates what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier is necessary for cells to control their internal environment, but it makes it more difficult for scientists to deliver large molecules such as nanoparticles for imaging, or proteins that can reprogram them into pluripotent stem cells. Researchers have now found a safe and efficient way to get large molecules through the cell membrane, by squeezing the cells through a narrow constriction that opens up tiny, temporary holes in the membrane.

New way to identify 'smoked' grapes and wines Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST With climate change sparking concern about an increased risk of wildfires, scientists are reporting development of a way to detect grapes exposed to smoke from those fires, which otherwise could be vented into bad-tasting wine.

Self-healing, stretchable wires created using liquid metal Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST Researchers have developed elastic, self-healing wires in which both the liquid-metal core and the polymer sheath reconnect at the molecular level after being severed.

Breakthrough: How salt stops plant growth Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST Until now it has not been clear how salt, a scourge to agriculture, halts the growth of the plant-root system. Researcher found that not all types of roots are equally inhibited. They discovered that an inner layer of tissue in the branching roots is sensitive to salt and activates a stress hormone, which stops root growth. The study is a boon for understanding the stress response and for developing salt-resistant crops.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies inherited mutations in autism Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST While autism clearly runs in some families, few inherited genetic causes have been found. A major reason is that these causes are so varied that it's hard to find enough people with a given mutation to establish a clear pattern. Researchers have now pinpointed several inherited mutations -- among the first to be identified -- through an unusual approach: Using whole-exome sequencing to study large Middle Eastern families with autism.

Greenland ice cores reveal warm climate of the past Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST Between 130,000 and 115,000 years ago, Earth's climate was warmer than today. But how much warmer and what did it mean for the sea levels? As we face global warming, the answer to these questions is becoming very important. New research from the NEEM icecore drilling project in Greenland shows that the period was warmer than previously thought. The international project is led by the Niels Bohr Institute and the results are published in Nature.

New brain circuit sheds light on development of voluntary movements Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST All parents know the infant milestones: turning over, learning to crawl, standing, and taking that first unassisted step. Achieving each accomplishment presumably requires the formation of new connections among subsets of the billions of nerve cells in the infant's brain. But how, when and where those connections form has been a mystery. Now researchers at Duke Medicine have begun to find answers.

Studies provide insights into inherited causes of autism Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST The most consistent finding of autism research lies in the revelation that the disorders are incredibly complex. Two new studies that add to the growing appreciation of this complexity focus on identifying inherited genetic mutations linked with autism spectrum disorders. The mutations -- which are distinct from the spontaneous mutations that have been the focus of previous studies -- may provide valuable insights into the causes of autism.

Researchers make DNA data storage a reality: Every film and TV program ever created -- in a teacup Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:34 AM PST Researchers have created a way to store data in the form of DNA – a material that lasts for tens of thousands of years. The new method makes it possible to store at least 100 million hours of high-definition video in about a cup of DNA.

New Greenland ice core reveals warmer temperatures 120,000 years ago Posted: 23 Jan 2013 10:34 AM PST A new study provides surprising details on changes in Earth's climate during the last warm period (120,000-128,000 years ago). Even though temperatures in Northern Greenland were 5-8 degrees Celsius higher than today, the thickness of the ice sheet was only a few hundred meters lower. And this despite the fact that sea level was 4-8 metres higher than today.

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