ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Strange vent-fellows: Chemosynthetic shrimp, tubeworms together for first time at hydrothermal vent
• Vigorous star birth without galactic collisions: Herschel paints new story of galaxy evolution
• Seaweed does the heart good?
• Gene flux can foretell survival for trauma patients, study finds
• Double jeopardy: Building codes may underestimate risks due to multiple hazards
• Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate
• Neuroimaging reveals how brain uses objects to recognize scenes
• Breaching the blood-brain barrier: Researchers may have solved 100-year-old puzzle
• Research team discovers path to blocking fatal toxins
• Bats adjust their 'field-of-view': Use of biosonar is more advanced than thought
• Does that hurt? Objective way to measure pain being developed
• In immune cells, super-resolution imaging reveals natural killers' M.O.
• Pioneering device reduces the cost and power consumption of telecommunications systems
• Energy crops: Achieving a balance
• Healthy lifestyle habits lower heart failure risk
• Stronger graduated driver licensing programs for teens show mixed results for rates of teen involvement in fatal crashes
• Large increase seen in number of lymph nodes evaluated for colon cancer, but no corresponding rise in node-positive cancers
• Study examines risk of aortic complications among patients with common congenital heart valve defect
• Motor memory: The long and short of it
• Boston's elderly homeless sicker than others, research finds
• Pituitary hormone TSH found to directly influence bone growth
• Novel software used in first global camera trap mammal study
• Protein found in heart may be target for colon cancer therapies
• Observations of climate change from indigenous Alaskans
• Diabetes public health: Study highlights need for better guidelines
• Tools that will help reduce nitrogen pollution
• Rebooting psychotherapy
• Twenty-three microRNAs linked to laryngeal cancer
• Plant compound reduces breast cancer mortality, study suggests
• Strong leadership necessary to provide more sophisticated care for aging population, study finds
• Blood vessels from your printer?
• New data tests the exercise 'talk test'
• Star blasts planet with X-rays
• Major threats foreseen due to Europe's changing marine environments
• Web tool aims to improve the workplace for breast cancer survivors
• Separating a cancer prevention drug from heart disease risk
• Substitution of brand name with generic drug appears to be safe for transplant recipients, study suggests
• Terahertz radiation's impact on cellular function and gene expression
• Cyber security report identifies key research priorities
• New imaging technique evaluates nerve damage
• Using lasers to vaporize tissue at multiple points simultaneously
• New hybrid imaging device shows promise in spotting hard-to-detect ovarian cancer
• Improving sugarcane ethanol production: The 'midway' strategy
• Primary schoolchildren that sleep less than 9 hours do not perform as well academically, study suggests
• Does race dictate quality of care?
• Outsmarting algae: Scientist finds the turn-off switch
• New technique for dating silk
• IUD reduces the risk of cervical cancer, study suggests
• Breakthrough opens new avenues for hep C vaccine
• Civil engineering professor develops 'superlaminate' industrial pipe repair system
• Equine disease: Vaccine for Rhodococcus equi infection in foals
• Memorial image taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011
• Primary component in curry spice kicks off cancer-killing mechanisms in human saliva
• Gene linked with death after coronary bypass surgery
• Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts
• A 3-D reconstructed image of neural dendritic trees using the advanced electron microscope technology
• Methodology applied to historical walls may explain why moss gathers and how paint blackens
• More godwits in bird-friendly managed meadowlands
• How effective are anti-cancer drugs? Small molecule receptor detects lipid's telltale sign of cell death
• More evidence that spicing up broccoli boosts its cancer-fighting power

Strange vent-fellows: Chemosynthetic shrimp, tubeworms together for first time at hydrothermal vent Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:29 PM PDT Ocean explorers observed two species of marine life scientists believe have never before been seen together at a hydrothermal vent -- chemosynthetic shrimp and tubeworms. They also observed the first known live tubeworms ever seen at a hydrothermal vent in Atlantic waters.

Vigorous star birth without galactic collisions: Herschel paints new story of galaxy evolution Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:55 PM PDT The European Space Agency's Herschel infrared space observatory has discovered that galaxies do not need to collide with each other to drive vigorous star birth. The finding overturns this long-held assumption and paints a more stately picture of how galaxies evolve.

Seaweed does the heart good? Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:40 PM PDT Researchers at Teagasc have been investigating lipids from a variety of Irish and Canadian seaweed species for their heart-health properties.

Gene flux can foretell survival for trauma patients, study finds Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:27 PM PDT Scientists show for the first time that people recovering from a serious injury -- regardless of age, gender or previous health -- exhibit similar gene activity as their condition changes, which doctors can use to predict and prepare for a patient's deterioration.

Double jeopardy: Building codes may underestimate risks due to multiple hazards Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:27 PM PDT As large parts of the United States recover from nature's one-two punch -- an earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene -- building researchers warn that a double whammy of seismic and wind hazards can increase the risk of structural damage to as much as twice the level implied in building codes.

Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:27 PM PDT New research reinforces the idea that stem cells can be induced to develop into specific types of cells solely by controlling their shape. The results may be important to the design of materials to induce the regeneration of lost or damaged tissues in the body.

Neuroimaging reveals how brain uses objects to recognize scenes Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:27 PM PDT A new study by psychologists helps to explain how people quickly and accurately recognize complicated scenes such as playgrounds, kitchens and traffic intersections.

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: Researchers may have solved 100-year-old puzzle Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:26 PM PDT Researchers may have solved a 100-year puzzle: How to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier so that therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and cancers of the central nervous system might effectively be delivered.

Research team discovers path to blocking fatal toxins Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:26 PM PDT A team of researchers says it has found a way to block a group of fatal bacterial toxins that have to date resisted all attempts to arrest them through the use of conventional drugs.

Bats adjust their 'field-of-view': Use of biosonar is more advanced than thought Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:26 PM PDT A new study reveals that the way bats use biosonar to "see" their surroundings is significantly more advanced than first thought. The study examines Egyptian fruit bats, whose high-frequency clicks form a sonar beam that spreads across a fan-shaped area; the returning echoes allowing them to locate objects in that region. As these bats were considered to have little control over their vocalizations, scientists had puzzled over how they're able to navigate through complex environments.

Does that hurt? Objective way to measure pain being developed Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:26 PM PDT Researchers have taken a first step toward developing a diagnostic tool that could eliminate a major hurdle in pain medicine -- the dependency on self-reporting to measure the presence or absence of pain. The new tool would use patterns of brain activity to give an objective physiologic assessment of whether someone is in pain.

In immune cells, super-resolution imaging reveals natural killers' M.O. Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:26 PM PDT Making use of a new "super resolution" microscope that provides sharp images at extremely small scales, scientists have achieved unprecedented views of the immune system in action. The new tool, a stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscope, shows how granules from natural killer cells pass through openings in dynamic cell structures to destroy their targets: tumor cells and cells infected by viruses.

Pioneering device reduces the cost and power consumption of telecommunications systems Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:17 PM PDT Researchers have developed the first broadband radio frequency (RF) photonic phase shifter which is tunable and based on a single semiconductor element. This means that producing it will be cheaper, and it will also provide a saving in energy consumption of up to 80%.

Energy crops: Achieving a balance Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:17 PM PDT There has been much debate about the net benefit of growing energy crops to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While it is accepted that energy crops can displace fossil fuel imports, the emissions from the cultivation of energy crops were until now uncertain. Agricultural researchers have now carried out a number of research projects to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with these crops.

Healthy lifestyle habits lower heart failure risk Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:19 PM PDT Adults who don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, get regular physical activity and eat vegetables lowered their heart failure risk, according to new research. Each additional healthy behavior helped to decrease heart failure risk. Health-care workers should discuss and encourage healthy lifestyle habits with patients.

Stronger graduated driver licensing programs for teens show mixed results for rates of teen involvement in fatal crashes Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:19 PM PDT The use of stronger graduated driver licensing programs for 16- to 19-year old drivers in the US that included restrictions on nighttime driving and allowed passengers were associated with a lower incidence of fatal crashes among 16-year-old drivers, but a higher incidence among 18-year-olds, according to a new study.

Large increase seen in number of lymph nodes evaluated for colon cancer, but no corresponding rise in node-positive cancers Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:19 PM PDT During the past two decades there has been a significant increase in the percentage of patients who have a high number of lymph nodes evaluated during colon cancer operations, but this improvement is not associated with an increase in the overall proportion of colon cancers that are node positive, according to a new study.

Study examines risk of aortic complications among patients with common congenital heart valve defect Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:19 PM PDT While the incidence of the life-threatening condition of aortic dissection is significantly higher than in the general population, it remains low among patients with the congenital heart defect, bicuspid aortic valve; however, the incidence of aortic aneurysms is significantly high, according to a new study.

Motor memory: The long and short of it Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have unlocked a mechanism behind the way short- and long-term motor memory work together and compete against one another.

Boston's elderly homeless sicker than others, research finds Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT Boston's homeless elderly experience higher rates of geriatric syndromes than seniors in the general population and that many of these conditions may be easily treated if detected, new research shows.

Pituitary hormone TSH found to directly influence bone growth Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT Researchers have found that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), a hormone produced in the anterior pituitary gland that regulates endocrine function in the thyroid gland, can promote bone growth independent of its usual thyroid functions. The research suggests that TSH, or drugs that mimic its affect on bone, may be key to possible future treatments for osteoporosis and other conditions involving bone loss, such as cancer.

Novel software used in first global camera trap mammal study Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT A novel software system has been used in the first global camera trap study of mammals. The research emphasizes the importance of protected areas to ensure the diversity and survival of a wide range of animal populations.

Protein found in heart may be target for colon cancer therapies Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT A protein critical in heart development may also play a part in colon cancer progression -- and may represent a therapeutic target for halting colon cancer metastasis.

Observations of climate change from indigenous Alaskans Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:29 PM PDT Personal interviews with Alaska Natives in the Yukon River Basin provide unique insights on climate change and its impacts, helping develop adaptation strategies for these local communities.

Diabetes public health: Study highlights need for better guidelines Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:02 AM PDT A survey of federally funded diabetes prevention and control programs in 57 US states and territories has highlighted the need for better diabetes treatment guidelines that are specifically adapted to different populations. Such guidelines do not currently exist.

Tools that will help reduce nitrogen pollution Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:02 AM PDT A soil scientist in Colorado is helping farmers grow crops with less nitrogen-based fertilizer. The fertilizers are a major reason why agriculture is a significant source of both greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in estuaries like the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay. If growers apply too little fertilizer, it reduces crop yields. But if they apply too much, the excess can be released into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide or leach into waterways as nitrate.

Rebooting psychotherapy Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:32 AM PDT Psychotherapy has come a long way since the days of Freudian psychoanalysis -- today, rigorous scientific studies are providing evidence for the kinds of psychotherapies that effectively treat various psychiatric disorders. But some researchers believe that we must acknowledge a basic truth -- all of our progress and development in evidence-based psychotherapy has failed to solve the rather serious problem of mental illness in the United States.

Twenty-three microRNAs linked to laryngeal cancer Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:32 AM PDT A new study has identified 23 microRNAs for laryngeal cancer, 15 of which had yet to be reported in head and neck cancer. The researchers say the discovery could yield new insight into what causes certain cells to grow and become cancerous tumors in the voice box.

Plant compound reduces breast cancer mortality, study suggests Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:21 AM PDT Many studies suggest that hormone-like plant compounds called phytoestrogens have a cancer protective effect. Scientists have now provided evidence that in postmenopausal breast cancer patients these substances also lower the risk of developing metastasis or secondary tumors and dying by up to 40 percent.

Strong leadership necessary to provide more sophisticated care for aging population, study finds Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:20 AM PDT As the aging population increases, the effective use of resources and care practices is essential to enacting health care reform and ensuring patients receive quality care. A new case study, a comparison of nursing homes, reveals that leadership is critical to supporting open communication and relationship building to generate improvement, such as enhanced safety practices and new technology adoption, in health care organizations.

Blood vessels from your printer? Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:20 AM PDT Researchers have been working on growing tissue and organs in the laboratory for a long time. Today, tissue engineering enables us to build up artificial tissue, although science still hasn't been successful with larger organs.

New data tests the exercise 'talk test' Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:20 AM PDT New research by exercise scientists confirms that a low-tech, easy-to-administer test is an effective tool for gauging exercise intensity, but that it does not correspond as neatly as previously assumed to other more objective tests. Researchers set out to learn how good the so-called "Talk Test" is and how it compared to two other laboratory-tested measures of intensity, the lactate threshold and the ventilatory threshold.

Star blasts planet with X-rays Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:20 AM PDT A nearby star is pummeling a companion planet with a barrage of X-rays a hundred thousand times more intense than the Earth receives from the Sun. New data suggest that high-energy radiation is evaporating about 5 million tons of matter from the planet every second. This result gives insight into the difficult survival path for some planets.

Major threats foreseen due to Europe's changing marine environments Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:20 AM PDT Europeans face greater risk of illness, property damage and job losses because of the impacts of climate change on the seas around them, a new report suggests.

Web tool aims to improve the workplace for breast cancer survivors Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:14 AM PDT Researchers have developed a web-based tool for breast cancer survivors designed to reduce work disabilities and improve employment outcomes.

Separating a cancer prevention drug from heart disease risk Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:14 AM PDT Celecoxib reduces the risk of developing precancerous colon polyps, at the cost of increased heart disease risk. By looking closely at how celecoxib acts in the cell, it may be possible to get the benefit without the added risk. Celecoxib inhibits the enzyme GSK3, possibly accounting for its anticancer effects in multiple cell types.

Substitution of brand name with generic drug appears to be safe for transplant recipients, study suggests Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:14 AM PDT New research reveals that substitution of a brand name immunosuppressive drug with a generic (manufactured by Sandoz) for preventing rejection of transplanted organs appears to be safe for transplant recipients.

Terahertz radiation's impact on cellular function and gene expression Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT Relatively little is known about the effect of terahertz radiation on biological systems. A team of researchers have now evaluated the cellular response of mouse stem cells exposed to THz radiation. They reported that temperature increases were minimal, and that heat shock protein expression was unaffected, while the expression of certain other genes showed clear effects of the THz irradiation.

Cyber security report identifies key research priorities Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT Developing self-learning, self aware cyber security technologies, protecting smart utility grids and enhancing the security of mobile networks are among the top research priorities needed to safeguard the internet of tomorrow, according to a new report.

New imaging technique evaluates nerve damage Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT A new imaging technique could help doctors and researchers more accurately assess the extent of nerve damage and healing in a live patient. Researchers aimed lasers at rats' damaged sciatic nerves to create images of the individual neurons' insulating sheath called myelin.

Using lasers to vaporize tissue at multiple points simultaneously Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:32 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new technique that uses a single UV laser pulse to zap away biological tissue at multiple points simultaneously. The new method could help scientists study the mechanical forces at work as organisms grow and change shape.

New hybrid imaging device shows promise in spotting hard-to-detect ovarian cancer Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT By combining three previously unrelated imaging tools into one new device, scientists have proposed a new way to diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer in high-risk women through minimally invasive surgery. The new technique may be better than the current standard procedure of preemptively removing the ovaries.

Improving sugarcane ethanol production: The 'midway' strategy Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT A new article reviews the history and current state of ethanol production of sugarcane in Brazil and presents a strategy for improving future ecosystem services and production. Researchers introduce a new approach that prioritizes a sustainable and responsible way of producing ethanol called the "midway" strategy. This innovative strategy involves producing the necessary biotechnology to increase biomass yield and ethanol production.

Primary schoolchildren that sleep less than 9 hours do not perform as well academically, study suggests Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT A new study explored the relationship between the sleeping habits, hours slept, and academic performance of children aged between six and seven years of age. Experts have found that sleeping less than nine hours, going to bed late and no bedtime routine generally affects children's academic skills.

Does race dictate quality of care? Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT Racial minorities have reduced access to high-quality joint replacement care, according to new research. The study shows that African American patients are more likely than Caucasians to receive total knee arthroplasty (or replacement surgery) in low-quality hospitals.

Outsmarting algae: Scientist finds the turn-off switch Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT Algaecide is no crime. Consider that some strains of algae produce toxins lethal to wildlife, fish and plants. Even the less harmful varieties suck oxygen out of water, suffocating living creatures in lakes, ponds, pools and aquariums. Recent algal blooms in the Great Lakes, for instance, threaten critical ecosystems. Scientists have now deciphered the structure of an essential enzyme in algae, critical to algaecide development.

New technique for dating silk Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have developed a fast and reliable method to date silk. This new technique, which is based on capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry, has great potential to improve the authentication and dating of the priceless silk artifacts held in museum and other collections around the world.

IUD reduces the risk of cervical cancer, study suggests Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:31 AM PDT Intrauterine devices (IUDs) may protect against cervical cancer. This is the conclusion of the broadest epidemiological study to date on the topic.

Breakthrough opens new avenues for hep C vaccine Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:30 AM PDT Hopes for an effective vaccine and treatment against the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) have received a major boost following the discovery of two 'Achilles' heels' within the virus.

Civil engineering professor develops 'superlaminate' industrial pipe repair system Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:30 AM PDT Even when structural problems with the aging US infrastructure can be detected early, currently available methods of repair are often technologically outdated, logistically complex, prohibitively expensive, or all of the above. A professor of civil engineering may have developed a feasible solution to a rapidly growing domestic infrastructure problem.

Equine disease: Vaccine for Rhodococcus equi infection in foals Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:26 AM PDT Rhodococcus equi bacteria can cause a lethal form of equine pneumonia in foals. Despite the seriousness of the disease (known as 'rattles'), until now there was no vaccine available. Researchers have now succeeded in developing a highly promising candidate vaccine.

Memorial image taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011 Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:45 AM PDT A view of a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center towers was taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Primary component in curry spice kicks off cancer-killing mechanisms in human saliva Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:24 AM PDT Curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric used in curry, suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer, according to a pilot study using human saliva.

Gene linked with death after coronary bypass surgery Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:24 AM PDT Researchers have found a genetic variant that seems to be associated with lower five-year survival after a coronary artery bypass. The scientists found the same gene was associated with mortality in two different sets of patients, with about 1,000 patients in each group (1,018 and 930 patients, respectively).

Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:24 AM PDT California beach towns could face hefty economic losses caused by sea level rise in the next century, according to a new state-commissioned study conducted by economists. The study forecasts the economic impact of sea level rise on five communities: Ocean Beach in San Francisco; Venice Beach and Malibu in Los Angeles; Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County; and Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego County.

A 3-D reconstructed image of neural dendritic trees using the advanced electron microscope technology Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:24 AM PDT Scientists have revealed the minute properties of dendritic trees by reconstructing 3-D images using the advanced electron microscope technology. The research team demonstrated the principle that "neurons normalize receiving signals, making it easier to receive farther signals because of the morphological characteristics of dendritic trees."

Methodology applied to historical walls may explain why moss gathers and how paint blackens Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:24 AM PDT For the correct restoration of deteriorated works of cultural heritage, it helps to know what causes the degradation in the first place. There are studies that characterize these types of damage in detail, but that rarely touch on the origin and development of the deterioration. A chemist has now come up with an analytical methodology with the intention of filling this need.

More godwits in bird-friendly managed meadowlands Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:23 AM PDT Bird-friendly meadowland management measurably benefits godwits according to researchers, based on four years of field work conducted in southwest Friesland. An egg laid in farmland with a higher water table, greater plant variety among the grass and a later mowing date has no less than a 17 times greater chance to lead to a mature godwit the following spring than an egg laid in highly productive, intensively farmed fields, in other words farmland managed in traditional fashion.

How effective are anti-cancer drugs? Small molecule receptor detects lipid's telltale sign of cell death Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:16 AM PDT Dying cells can provide crucial clues to researchers, oncologists and patients about the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs. But accurately detecting apoptotic cells in a timely and consistent way has proved frustrating. Researchers have now developed a small molecule receptor capable of detecting the biological signs of dying cells.

More evidence that spicing up broccoli boosts its cancer-fighting power Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:15 AM PDT Teaming fresh broccoli with a spicy food that contains the enzyme myrosinase significantly enhances each food's individual cancer-fighting power and ensures that absorption takes place in the upper part of the digestive system where you'll get the maximum health benefit, suggests a new study.

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