ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Scientists find genes linked to human neurological disorders in sea lamprey genome
• Scientists find bone-marrow environment that helps produce infection-fighting T and B cells
• Laser mastery narrows down sources of superconductivity
• Graphene: A material that multiplies the power of light
• Quantum algorithm breakthrough: Performs a true calculation for the first time
• General mechanism that accelerates tumor development discovered
• Taking the gamble out of DNA sequencing: How much can be learned in a large-scale experiment
• Ability of brain to protect itself from damage revealed
• Scientists find surprising new influence on cancer genes
• New type of gene that regulates tumour suppressor PTEN identified
• Fragments of continents hidden under lava in Indian Ocean: New micro-continent detected under Reunion and Mauritius
• How the Ocean loses nitrogen: Scientists identify key factor that controls nitrogen availability in the Ocean
• UN sustainable energy initiative could put world on a path to climate targets
• Analytical trick accelerates protein studies
• Distinct niches in bone marrow nurture blood stem cells
• Asthma drug found highly effective in treating chronic, severe hives and itch
• The ultimate chimp challenge: Chimps do challenging puzzles for the fun of it
• Hubble sees a glowing jet from a young star

Scientists find genes linked to human neurological disorders in sea lamprey genome Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:29 AM PST Scientists have identified several genes linked to human neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury, in the sea lamprey, a vertebrate fish whose whole-genome sequence.

Scientists find bone-marrow environment that helps produce infection-fighting T and B cells Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:29 AM PST Medical researchers have deepened the understanding of the environment within bone marrow that nurtures stem cells, this time identifying the biological setting for specialized blood-forming cells that produce the infection-fighting white blood cells known as T cells and B cells.

Laser mastery narrows down sources of superconductivity Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:29 AM PST Uncovering the mechanism behind high-temperature superconductivity -- a phenomenon with tremendous value to advances in energy efficiency and sustainability -- remains one of the greatest and most pressing puzzles in physics. Now, using precise laser pulses and atomically perfect 2-D materials, scientists have ruled out one possible source of HTS: Fleeting fluctuations called charge-density waves.

Graphene: A material that multiplies the power of light Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated that graphene is able to convert a single photon that it absorbs into multiple electrons that could drive electric current -- a very promising discovery that makes graphene an important alternative material for light detection and harvesting technologies, now based on conventional semiconductors like silicon.

Quantum algorithm breakthrough: Performs a true calculation for the first time Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a quantum algorithm that performs a true calculation for the first time. Quantum algorithms could one day enable the design of new materials, pharmaceuticals or clean energy devices.

General mechanism that accelerates tumor development discovered Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Two new articles describe how the CPBE1 protein "takes the brakes off" the production of proteins associated with the cell switch from being healthy to tumorous. The study highlights CPEB proteins as promising targets, thus opening up a new and unexplored therapeutic window. The lab has developed a system for screening compounds that impede the action of CPEB proteins in tumors.

Taking the gamble out of DNA sequencing: How much can be learned in a large-scale experiment Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Scientists have developed an algorithm to predict how much can be learned in a large-scale DNA sequencing experiment -- with potential applications in every field of science.

Ability of brain to protect itself from damage revealed Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST The origin of an innate ability the brain has to protect itself from damage that occurs in stroke has been explained for the first time. Researchers hope that harnessing this inbuilt biological mechanism, identified in rats, could help in treating stroke and preventing other neurodegenerative diseases in the future.

Scientists find surprising new influence on cancer genes Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Small stretches of DNA in the human genome are known as "pseudogenes" because, while their sequences are nearly identical to those of various genes, they have long been thought to be non-coding "junk" DNA. But now, a new study shows how pseudogenes can regulate the activity of a cancer-related gene called PTEN. The study also shows that pseudogenes can be targeted to control PTEN's activity.

New type of gene that regulates tumour suppressor PTEN identified Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:27 AM PST Researchers have identified a new so-called pseudogene that regulates the tumor-suppressing PTEN gene. They hope that this pseudogene will be able to control PTEN to reverse the tumor process, make the cancer tumour more sensitive to chemotherapy and to prevent the development of resistance. The findings can be of significance in the future development of cancer drugs.

Fragments of continents hidden under lava in Indian Ocean: New micro-continent detected under Reunion and Mauritius Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:27 AM PST The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden under huge masses of lava.

How the Ocean loses nitrogen: Scientists identify key factor that controls nitrogen availability in the Ocean Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:27 AM PST During an expedition to the South Pacific Ocean, scientists discovered that organic matter derived from decaying algae regulates nitrogen loss from the Ocean's oxygen minimum zones.

UN sustainable energy initiative could put world on a path to climate targets Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:27 AM PST The UN's Sustainable Energy for All initiative, if successful, could make a significant contribution to the efforts to limit climate change to target levels, according to a new analysis.

Analytical trick accelerates protein studies Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:26 AM PST Researchers have found a new way to accelerate a workhorse instrument that identifies proteins. The high-speed technique could help diagnose cancer sooner and point to new drugs for treating a wide range of conditions.

Distinct niches in bone marrow nurture blood stem cells Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:26 AM PST In research that could one day improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, scientists have found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells.

Asthma drug found highly effective in treating chronic, severe hives and itch Posted: 24 Feb 2013 11:26 AM PST An international team of researchers has found that a once-a-month, high-dose injection of a commonly used asthma drug is highly effective in treating teens and adults chronically afflicted with hives and severe, itchy rash. The drug, omalizumab, was tested on 323 people at 55 medical centers for whom standard antihistamine therapy failed to quell their underlying, allergy-like reaction, known as chronic idiopathic urticaria or chronic spontaneous urticaria.

The ultimate chimp challenge: Chimps do challenging puzzles for the fun of it Posted: 24 Feb 2013 09:46 AM PST Scientists are putting their bananas away, because chimpanzees don't need any persuading when it comes to getting stuck into brain games.

Hubble sees a glowing jet from a young star Posted: 24 Feb 2013 05:21 AM PST The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image showing an object known as HH 151, a bright jet of glowing material trailed by an intricate, orange-hued plume of gas and dust.

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