ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Pharmacists need to provide better information to teenagers on risks and benefits of medicines, review suggests
• Crowd-sourcing the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak
• Harmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer
• A whole new light on graphene metamaterials: Tunable graphene device is first tool in a kit for putting terahertz light to work
• Gene defect predisposes people to leukemia
• TB vaccine candidate shows early promise
• New tactic for controlling blood sugar in diabetes contradicts current view of the disease: Inflammation may be part of the solution, not the problem
• Human intestinal stem cell breakthrough for regenerative medicine
• First stem cells from endangered species
• New mutations in leukemia: Researchers found mechanism that can help design future therapies
• New class of anti-diabetic compound established
• Mystery of disappearing bird digit solved
• World's smallest electric motor made from a single molecule
• The emotional brain in youth: Research suggests how to diagnose and treat mood disorders in children and adolescents
• Fast, cheap, and accurate: Detecting CO2 with a fluorescent twist
• Potential vaccine readies immune system to kill tuberculosis in mice

Pharmacists need to provide better information to teenagers on risks and benefits of medicines, review suggests Posted: 04 Sep 2011 06:59 PM PDT A large proportion of teenagers regularly and frequently take some form of medication without receiving targeted information about the risks and benefits, according to a review of current research.

Crowd-sourcing the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak Posted: 04 Sep 2011 06:59 PM PDT Ten variants of the deadly Escherichia coli strain that hit Germany in May 2011 have been sequenced across the world. The unprecedented level of collaboration across the scientific community should give insight into how the outbreak arose, say scientists.

Harmless soil-dwelling bacteria successfully kill cancer Posted: 04 Sep 2011 06:59 PM PDT A bacterial strain that specifically targets tumors could soon be used as a vehicle to deliver drugs in frontline cancer therapy. The strain is expected to be tested in cancer patients in 2013.

A whole new light on graphene metamaterials: Tunable graphene device is first tool in a kit for putting terahertz light to work Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Invisible terahertz light can detect explosives, image drug structures, and pinpoint skin cancer, but practical tools for using it are scarce. Scientists have now made a graphene microribbon array that strongly responds to terahertz light by exciting the collective electron oscillations known as plasmons. The device can be tuned with exquisite precision by varying the width of the graphene ribbons and controlling electron density.

Gene defect predisposes people to leukemia Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Mutations on a gene that regulates the transition of primitive blood-forming cells to white blood cells have been implicated in acute myeloid leukemia and in myelodysplasia, a difficulty in producing white blood cells. Studies beyond this one link GATA2 gene mutations to other health problems, including intractable infections, to a type of developmental delay, as well as to a leukemia that causes limb swelling and deafness. A clinical trial under way may point to treatment recommendations for those with GATA2 mutations.

TB vaccine candidate shows early promise Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Researchers say that they have developed a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate that proved both potent and safe in animal studies. According to the World Health Organization, TB kills an estimated 1.7 million people each year and infects one out of three people around the globe. With drug-resistant strains spreading, a vaccine for preventing TB is urgently needed.

New tactic for controlling blood sugar in diabetes contradicts current view of the disease: Inflammation may be part of the solution, not the problem Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Increased low-grade inflammation in the body resulting from obesity is widely viewed as contributing to type 2 diabetes. Going against this long-held belief, researchers report that two proteins activated by inflammation are actually crucial for maintaining good blood sugar levels -- and that boosting the activity of these proteins can normalize blood sugar in severely obese and diabetic mice.

Human intestinal stem cell breakthrough for regenerative medicine Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Human colon stem cells have been identified and grown in a petri dish for the first time. This achievement is a crucial advance towards regenerative medicine.

First stem cells from endangered species Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Starting with normal skin cells, scientists have produced the first stem cells from endangered species. Such cells could eventually make it possible to improve reproduction and genetic diversity for some species, possibly saving them from extinction, or to bolster the health of endangered animals in captivity.

New mutations in leukemia: Researchers found mechanism that can help design future therapies Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Medical researchers have found a group of mutations involved in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and showed that certain drugs, already in clinical use to treat other diseases, can eliminate the cells carrying these mutations. Results may allow for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for treating leukemia.

New class of anti-diabetic compound established Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT Scientists have established a new class of anti-diabetic compound that targets a unique molecular switch.

Mystery of disappearing bird digit solved Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have solved the evolutionary mystery of origin of bird digits.

World's smallest electric motor made from a single molecule Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT Chemists have developed the world's first single molecule electric motor, a development that may potentially create a new class of devices that could be used in applications ranging from medicine to engineering.

The emotional brain in youth: Research suggests how to diagnose and treat mood disorders in children and adolescents Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT In recent years, a considerable increase in the number of children and adolescents evaluated, diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder has been noted. Bipolar-like symptoms are quite frequent in prepubertal children, but the age at which bipolar disorder can first be diagnosed remains controversial. Current neurobiological findings have advanced our understanding of emotional function and dysfunction in youth.

Fast, cheap, and accurate: Detecting CO2 with a fluorescent twist Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT Detecting specific gases in the air is possible using a number of different existing technologies, but typically all of these suffer from one or more drawbacks including high energy cost, large size, slow detection speed, and sensitivity to humidity. Overcoming these deficiencies with a unique approach, scientists have designed an inexpensive new material capable of quick and accurate detection of a specific gas under a wide variety of circumstances.

Potential vaccine readies immune system to kill tuberculosis in mice Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have developed a potential vaccine against tuberculosis that completely eliminates tuberculosis bacteria from infected tissues in some mice. The vaccine was created with a strain of bacteria that, due to the absence of a few genes, are unable to avoid its host's first-line immune response. Once this first-line defense has been activated, it triggers the more specific immune response that can protect against future infections.

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