ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Mother tongue comes from your prehistoric father
• Yellow patches around eyelids predict risk of heart problems, study finds
• Meteor likely cause of Southwest U.S. light show
• NASA Mars research helps find buried water on Earth
• Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable, study finds
• Astronomer: 'Beware the wildlife, even in apparently quiet galaxies'
• New model for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Mouse model that replicates human OCD can point to more effective treatments
• Safeguards needed to prevent discrimination of early Alzheimer's patients in the workplace
• Common invasive test not necessary for kidney disease patients, study finds; Clinicians can monitor kidney function with a simple equation
• Mom, dad and kids undergo novel genome analyses for medical risks in new study
• New strategy likely to speed drug development for rare cancers
• Watching the world in motion, babies take a first step toward language
• Installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems in U.S. declined significantly in 2010 and 2011
• Early detection is key in the fight against ovarian cancer
• Cities to grab lands equaling size of Mongolia In next 20 years, study predicts
• First field-based molecular diagnostic test for African sleeping sickness in sight
• Study finds protein critical to breast cancer cell proliferation, migration
• New type of spinal cord stem cell discovered: Research provides new target for regenerating parts of the central nervous system
• Biochemical cell signals quantified: Data capacity much lower than expected, scientists find
• New method for detecting lung cancer unveiled
• Arctic sea ice reaches minimum 2011 extent, making it second lowest in satellite record
• An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away
• Damaged gait and balance can recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol
• People born after World War II are more likely to binge drink, develop alcohol disorders, study finds
• Chronic drinking leads to reduced cortical thickness in frontal and temporal brain regions
• Alcohol metabolism causes DNA damage and triggers a breast cancer-related DNA damage response
• NASA's Kepler discovery confirms first planet orbiting two stars
• Salmon and other fish predators rely on 'no guts, no glory' survival tactic
• Mouse genome sequences reveal variability, complex evolutionary history
• From Star Wars to science fact: Tatooine-like planet discovered
• Tatooine-like planet discovered
• Carbon cycle reaches Earth's lower mantle: Evidence of carbon cycle found in 'superdeep' diamonds From Brazil
• Journey to the lower mantle and back: Minerals from ocean-floor rocks are found in ultra-deep diamonds
• Diamonds show depth extent of Earth's carbon cycle
• Keys of jellyfish evolutionary success revealed
• Fail-safe system may lead to cures for inherited disorders
• Housing bust could mean lower college attendance, study suggests
• EGFR essential for the development of pancreatic cancer, study finds
• Inner workings of virus responsible for rare skin cancer
• Avoiding fatal responses to flu infection
• Team discovers treatable mechanism responsible for often deadly response to flu
• New insight into immune tolerance furthers understanding of autoimmune disease
• In rapidly warming seas, some fish lose while others gain
• Estrogen treatment may help reverse severe pulmonary hypertension
• Human-chimp evolutionary divergence: Methylation and gene sequence co-evolved, study suggests
• Switch that controls stem cell pluripotency discovered
• Smartphone battery life could dramatically improve with new invention
• Science and science education critical for Haiti's future, says international team
• Possible key to preventing chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer found
• Arctic ground squirrels muscle up to hunker down
• Put down that game controller: Researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition
• Invasive amphibians, reptiles in Florida outnumber world
• Small distant galaxies host supermassive black holes, astronomers find
• Tree resin captures evolution of feathers on dinosaurs and birds
• Some like it hot: European fish stocks changing with warming seas
• Targeting cholesterol to fight deadly brain cancers
• Finding pathways to cancer progression may lead to identification of targeted therapies
• Virus shows promise for imaging and treating pancreatic cancer
• Genomic catastrophe causes developmental delay, cognitive disorders
• Ground glass solution for cleaner water

Mother tongue comes from your prehistoric father Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:58 PM PDT Language change among our prehistoric ancestors came about via the arrival of immigrant men -- rather than women -- into new settlements, according to new research.

Yellow patches around eyelids predict risk of heart problems, study finds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 04:24 PM PDT Raised yellow patches of skin (xanthelasmata) around the upper or lower eyelids are markers of an individual's increased risk of having a heart attack or suffering from heart disease, a new study finds.

Meteor likely cause of Southwest U.S. light show Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:30 PM PDT A meteor is the most probable cause of a bright, colorful fireball witnessed by people in a wide swath of the southwestern United States, according to NASA.

NASA Mars research helps find buried water on Earth Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:28 PM PDT A NASA-led team has used radar sounding technology developed to explore the subsurface of Mars to create high-resolution maps of freshwater aquifers buried deep beneath an Earth desert, in the first use of airborne sounding radar for aquifer mapping.

Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable, study finds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:13 PM PDT It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers have found differently, according to a new study.

Astronomer: 'Beware the wildlife, even in apparently quiet galaxies' Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT Even though a dwarf galaxy clear across the Milky Way looks to be a mouse, it may have once been a bear that slashed through the Milky Way and created the galaxy's spiral arms, writes an University astronomer in a new article.

New model for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Mouse model that replicates human OCD can point to more effective treatments Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT Researchers have created a new model of obsessive-compulsive disorder that mirrors both symptoms of the disease and the timing of its treatment in humans.

Safeguards needed to prevent discrimination of early Alzheimer's patients in the workplace Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT Despite the emergence of new tools that can diagnose Alzheimer's earlier, no effective interventions have been identified to stop the progression of the disease. A new report tackles the ethical and logistical challenges of safely and effectively communicating a diagnosis of pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease in light of the gulf between diagnosis and treatment.

Common invasive test not necessary for kidney disease patients, study finds; Clinicians can monitor kidney function with a simple equation Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT Equations that estimate a patient's kidney function work as well as direct, invasive measurements, according to a new study. This means that many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) do not need to undergo the painful and cumbersome procedures that are performed to monitor kidneys' health.

Mom, dad and kids undergo novel genome analyses for medical risks in new study Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:16 PM PDT Researchers have predicted the inherited health risks of a four-person family by analyzing their whole genome sequences. With the DNA sequences of both parents and children, the team was able to better check for sequencing errors and more accurately predict how individual genetic variants affect each family member's risk for disease.

New strategy likely to speed drug development for rare cancers Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:40 PM PDT Researchers have identified promising new therapies for ependymoma, a rare tumor with few treatment options. Their work involves a new, faster drug development system that combines the latest drug screening technology with the first accurate animal model of the tumor.

Watching the world in motion, babies take a first step toward language Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:40 PM PDT Watching children on the playground, we see them run, climb, slide, get up, and do it all again. While their movements are continuous, we language-users can easily divide them up and name each one. But what about people -- babies -- who don't yet have words? How do they make sense of a world in motion?

Installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems in U.S. declined significantly in 2010 and 2011 Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:39 PM PDT The installed cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2010 and into the first half of 2011, according to the latest edition of an annual PV cost tracking report.

Early detection is key in the fight against ovarian cancer Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:39 PM PDT Ovarian cancer is a rare but often deadly disease that can strike at any time in a woman's life, but researchers have found there are symptoms associated with ovarian cancer that can assist in early detection.

Cities to grab lands equaling size of Mongolia In next 20 years, study predicts Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:39 PM PDT In the next 20 years, more than 590,000 square miles of land globally -- more than twice the size of Texas -- will be gobbled up by cities, a trend that shows no signs of stopping and one that could pose threats on several levels, a new study suggests.

First field-based molecular diagnostic test for African sleeping sickness in sight Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:39 PM PDT A next-generation molecular test designed specifically for sleeping sickness -- a deadly parasitic disease also known as human African trypanosomiasis -- is ready to enter accelerated field trials in sites across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, scientists report.

Study finds protein critical to breast cancer cell proliferation, migration Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Researchers have found that a protein linked to cell division and migration and tied to increased cell proliferation in ovarian tumors is also present at high levels in breast cancer specimens and cell lines. The protein, dubbed "UNC-45A," was also determined to be more active in breast cancer cells than in normal breast cells.

New type of spinal cord stem cell discovered: Research provides new target for regenerating parts of the central nervous system Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a type of spinal cord cell that could function as a stem cell, with the ability to regenerate portions of the central nervous system in people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). The radial glial cells, which are marked by long projections that can forge through brain tissue, had never previously been found in an adult spinal cord.

Biochemical cell signals quantified: Data capacity much lower than expected, scientists find Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Just as cell phones and computers transmit data through electronic networks, the cells of your body send and receive chemical messages through molecular pathways. The term "cell signaling" was coined more than 30 years ago to describe this process. For the first time, scientists have quantified the data capacity of a biochemical signaling pathway and found a surprise -- it's lower than a dial-up modem.

New method for detecting lung cancer unveiled Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT When lung cancer strikes, it often spreads silently into more advanced stages before being detected. In a new article, biological engineers and medical scientists reveal how their discovery could provide a much earlier warning signal.

Arctic sea ice reaches minimum 2011 extent, making it second lowest in satellite record Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT The blanket of sea ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean appears to have reached its lowest extent for 2011, the second lowest recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979, according to the University of Colorado Boulder's National Snow and Ice Data Center.

An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Eating apples and pears may help prevent stroke, according to a new study. While high consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower stroke risk, a Dutch study found that eating fruit and vegetables with white edible portions was associated with a 52 percent lower stroke risk. Apples and pears were the majority of the white fruits and vegetables consumed in the study.

Damaged gait and balance can recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Chronic alcoholism is often associated with a disturbed gait and balance, likely caused by alcohol damage to neural systems. While some studies have suggested that abstinence can lead to partial recovery of gait and balance functions, questions remain about duration of abstinence and sample size. This study of both short- and long-term abstinence has found that alcoholics' gait and balance can continue to recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol but that deficits can persist, especially eyes-closed standing balance.

People born after World War II are more likely to binge drink, develop alcohol disorders, study finds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Drinking can be influenced by both personal and societal factors, the latter leading to "drinking cultures." Researchers have completed a review of 31 studies on birth-cohort and gender differences in drinking. Analysis shows that people born after World War II are more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol use disorders, and that women are "catching up" to men in terms of alcohol problems.

Chronic drinking leads to reduced cortical thickness in frontal and temporal brain regions Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Chronic misuse of alcohol can cause widespread damage to the brain. A new study uses cortical thickness measurements to examine alcohol-related tissue loss across the cortex. Results show most damage in the frontal and temporal brain regions, directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed.

Alcohol metabolism causes DNA damage and triggers a breast cancer-related DNA damage response Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT Alcohol is known to be carcinogenic to humans in the upper aerodigestive tract, liver, colorectum, and the female breast. Evidence suggests that acetaldehyde, the primary metabolite of alcohol, plays a major role in alcohol-related esophageal cancer. A new study using human cells has established linkages between alcohol metabolism and acetaldehyde-DNA damage that may have implications for breast and liver cancers.

NASA's Kepler discovery confirms first planet orbiting two stars Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:48 AM PDT The existence of a world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars more than 30 years ago, is now scientific fact. NASA's Kepler mission has made the first unambiguous detection of a circumbinary planet -- a planet orbiting two stars -- 200 light-years from Earth.

Salmon and other fish predators rely on 'no guts, no glory' survival tactic Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT The phrase "no guts, no glory" doesn't just apply to athletes who are striving to excel. Fish predators take the adage literally, by having up to three times the "gut" capacity they need so they can "glory" when prey is abundant.

Mouse genome sequences reveal variability, complex evolutionary history Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT A new paper, building on recent advances in sequencing capability, now reports the complete genomes of 17 different strains of mice, creating an unparalleled genetic resource that will aid studies ranging from human disease to evolution.

From Star Wars to science fact: Tatooine-like planet discovered Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT Although cold and gaseous rather than a desert world, the newfound planet Kepler-16b is still the closest astronomers have come to discovering Luke Skywalker's home world of Tatooine. Like Tatooine, Kepler-16b enjoys a double sunset as it circles a pair of stars approximately 200 light-years from Earth. It's not thought to harbor life, but its discovery demonstrates the diversity of planets in our galaxy.

Tatooine-like planet discovered Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT A planet with two suns may be a familiar sight to fans of the "Star Wars" film series, but not, until now, to scientists. A team of researchers, including Carnegie's Alan Boss, has discovered a planet that orbits around a pair of stars. Their remarkable findings will be published Sept. 16 in Science.

Carbon cycle reaches Earth's lower mantle: Evidence of carbon cycle found in 'superdeep' diamonds From Brazil Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT The carbon cycle, upon which most living things depend, reaches much deeper into Earth than generally supposed -- all the way to the lower mantle, researchers report.

Journey to the lower mantle and back: Minerals from ocean-floor rocks are found in ultra-deep diamonds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT Mineral inclusions discovered in diamonds prove that surface rocks can be subducted into the deep part of the Earth's mantle. The isotopic composition of the diamonds confirms that recycling of crustal materials, including carbon, extends into the lower mantle.

Diamonds show depth extent of Earth's carbon cycle Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT Scientists have speculated that Earth's carbon cycle extends into the deep Earth, but until now there has been no direct evidence. Researchers analyzed diamonds that originated from the lower mantle and erupted to the surface. Analysis shows compositions consistent with the mineralogy of oceanic crust. This finding is the first direct evidence that slabs of oceanic crust sank into the lower mantle and that material, including carbon, is cycled between Earth's surface and deep interior.

Keys of jellyfish evolutionary success revealed Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:08 AM PDT Researchers have revealed the evolutionary keys of the jellyfish in a new study. The research reports how the jellyfish has evolved with an increase in the amount of water in its tissue; this process has allowed the jellyfish to become bigger and more gelatinous and also to be an exceptionally efficient hunter.

Fail-safe system may lead to cures for inherited disorders Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown fail-safe (compensatory) pathway that potentially protects the brain and other organs from genetic and environmental threats. The discovery could provide new ways to diminish the negative consequences of genetic mutations and environmental toxins that cause neurological diseases and other maladies.

Housing bust could mean lower college attendance, study suggests Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT A new study suggests an unexpected consequence of the housing bust: lower college attendance.

EGFR essential for the development of pancreatic cancer, study finds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is essential for KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer development, according to new study results.

Inner workings of virus responsible for rare skin cancer Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT Scientists have begun to uncover how the virus that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma -- a rare and aggressive skin cancer -- operates, meaning that a rational chemotherapeutic target for this cancer could be developed in the near future.

Avoiding fatal responses to flu infection Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT Most of the time, being ill with the flu is little more than a nuisance. Other times, it can spark an exaggerated immune response and turn deadly. Researchers have now traced the origins of this severe immune response -- called a cytokine storm -- to its source.

Team discovers treatable mechanism responsible for often deadly response to flu Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT Researchers have found a novel mechanism by which certain viruses such as influenza trigger a type of immune reaction that can severely sicken or kill those infected.

New insight into immune tolerance furthers understanding of autoimmune disease Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT The mechanisms that underlie immune activation and tolerance are not completely understood. Now, a new research study provides intriguing insight into the complex immune regulatory mechanisms that underlie immune tolerance.

In rapidly warming seas, some fish lose while others gain Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:44 AM PDT Rising temperatures in the northeast Atlantic Ocean have already led to major shifts in the abundance of commercially important fish stocks. That's according to a new report that is the first to consider the absolute abundance of species as opposed to their presence or absence alone.

Estrogen treatment may help reverse severe pulmonary hypertension Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Researchers have found that the hormone estrogen may help reverse advanced pulmonary hypertension, a rare and serious condition that affects 2 to 3 million individuals in the US, mostly women, and can lead to heart failure. The preclinical study shows that in rats, estrogen treatment can reverse the progression of pulmonary hypertension to heart failure and can restore lung and ventricle structure and function.

Human-chimp evolutionary divergence: Methylation and gene sequence co-evolved, study suggests Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Scientists published the first quantitative evidence supporting the notion that genome-wide "bookmarking" of DNA with methyl molecules -- a process called methylation -- and underlying DNA sequences have co-evolved in a kind of molecular slow-dance over the 6 million years since humans and chimps diverged from a common ancestor.

Switch that controls stem cell pluripotency discovered Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Scientists have found a control switch that regulates stem cell "pluripotency," the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The discovery reveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process called alternative splicing.

Smartphone battery life could dramatically improve with new invention Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT A new "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi-enabled mobile devices could extend battery life by as much as 54 percent for users on the busiest networks.

Science and science education critical for Haiti's future, says international team Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Haiti and the global community should work together to build a robust science sector that can help the nation recover from last year's deadly earthquake, support future development, and improve the lives of Haiti's people, says a new report by Haitian and international scientists and educators.

Possible key to preventing chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer found Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Researchers have identified a molecular pathway that may play a key role in the evolution of chemotherapy resistance. They are hopeful that the discovery may lead to therapies that are tailored to individual patients with ovarian cancer; reversing resistance to chemotherapy and improving survival from the disease.

Arctic ground squirrels muscle up to hunker down Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT When Arctic ground squirrels are getting ready to hibernate they don't just get fat -- they pack on muscle at a rate that would make a bodybuilder jealous. And they do it without suffering the harmful effects that high levels of testosterone and other anabolic steroids usually cause. Researchers have started to untangle how the squirrels manage it, and their results could someday have implications for human health.

Put down that game controller: Researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Wouldn't it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills? Over the past decade, many studies and news media reports have suggested that action video games such as Medal of Honor or Unreal Tournament improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities. But in a new paper, psychologists critically reevaluate those claims.

Invasive amphibians, reptiles in Florida outnumber world Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Florida has the world's worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and a new 20-year study verifies the pet trade as the No. 1 cause of the species' introductions

Small distant galaxies host supermassive black holes, astronomers find Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT Using the Hubble Space Telescope to probe the distant universe, astronomers have found supermassive black holes growing in surprisingly small galaxies. The findings suggest that central black holes formed at an early stage in galaxy evolution.

Tree resin captures evolution of feathers on dinosaurs and birds Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT A researcher found treasure trove of Cretaceous feathers trapped in tree resin. The resin turned to resilient amber, preserving some 80 million-year-old protofeathers, possibly from non-avian dinosaurs, as well as plumage that is very similar to modern birds, including those that can swim under water.

Some like it hot: European fish stocks changing with warming seas Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT The first 'big picture' study of the effects of rapidly rising temperatures in the northeast Atlantic Ocean shows that a major shift in fish stocks is already well underway. But it isn't all bad news. The research shows that some fishes' losses are other fishes' gain.

Targeting cholesterol to fight deadly brain cancers Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT Blocking the uptake of large amounts of cholesterol into brain cancer cells could provide a new strategy to battle glioblastoma, one of the most deadly malignancies, researchers have found.

Finding pathways to cancer progression may lead to identification of targeted therapies Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT Researchers are working to discover how genes interact with each other to lead to cancer progression. This research is expected to lead the way toward the discovery of new targeted therapies against breast cancer, according to a new study.

Virus shows promise for imaging and treating pancreatic cancer Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT Researchers are investigating a potential treatment and noninvasive imaging modality for pancreatic cancer that shows promise, according to researchers.

Genomic catastrophe causes developmental delay, cognitive disorders Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT Using a diversity of DNA sequencing and human genome analytic techniques, researchers have identified some cases of developmental delay or cognitive disorders associated with a sudden chromosomal catastrophe that occurred early in development, perhaps during cell division when DNA is replicated.

Ground glass solution for cleaner water Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT British science has led to a use for waste glass that cannot be recycled that could help clean up polluted waterways by acting as an ion-exchange filter to remove lead, cadmium and other toxic metals.

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