ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Major river basins have enough water to sustainably double food production in the coming decades
• New hope for advanced post-menopausal breast cancer patients resistant to hormonal therapy
• Smaller, faster trials can improve cancer patient survival
• Feathered friends are far from bird-brained when building nests
• Rogue receptor opens door for rare kidney disease
• New spin on ibuprofen's actions
• Jumping gene enabled key step in corn domestication
• Discovery helps explain why chemo causes drop in platelet numbers
• Gold nanowires in engineered patches enhance electrical signaling and contraction
• Invasion of genomic parasites triggered modern mammalian pregnancy
• Deep brain stimulation studies show how brain buys time for tough choices
• New discoveries in genetics of lung health
• Mice stem cells guided into myelinating cells by the trillions
• Couples counseling improves sexual intimacy after prostate treatment
• Abiraterone acetate improves fatigue in prostate cancer patients, finds international clinical trial
• Aromatase inhibitor letrozole guards against breast cancer relapse for up to 8 years, study finds
• Breast cancer tumor make-up changes through the course of disease
• Zoledronic acid reduces the recurrence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, study finds
• Bone-strengthening drug gives pain relief in prostate cancer bone metastases, study finds
• New diagnostic imaging for lung cancer could prevent unnecessary surgery
• Alcohol in moderation can reduce asthma risk, study suggests
• City cyclists are at increased risk from lung injury from inhaled soot, study finds
• 'Belly fat' linked to development of asthma, study finds
• Foam injections for varicose veins better for patients and cheaper, study finds
• New bone-targeting drug delays onset of metastases in hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients, study finds
• Radiotherapy between or during chemotherapy cycles reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence, study finds
• New cancer drug combination significantly delays breast cancer progression, phase II study shows
• Goats could increase the risk of a rare lung cancer, researchers find
• Study sheds light on the impact of COPD on working aged populations

Major river basins have enough water to sustainably double food production in the coming decades Posted: 25 Sep 2011 06:15 PM PDT While water-related conflicts and shortages abound throughout the rapidly changing societies of Africa, Asia and Latin America, there is clearly sufficient water to sustain food, energy, industrial and environmental needs during the 21st century, according to new research.

New hope for advanced post-menopausal breast cancer patients resistant to hormonal therapy Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:27 PM PDT Results from a Phase III clinical trial have shown that combining two existing cancer drugs to treat post-menopausal women with advanced breast cancer resistant to hormonal therapy significantly improves outcome. The BOLERO 2 trial showed that women treated with a combination of everolimus and exemestane had an improved progression-free survival of nearly seven months compared to women who were treated only with exemestane.

Smaller, faster trials can improve cancer patient survival Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:27 PM PDT Gains in cancer survival over the long term could be improved by running smaller, faster trials with less stringent evidence criteria, research suggests. The introduction of targeted treatments and the increased knowledge of tumor biology has meant that common cancers are more frequently recognized as consisting of small subsets with particular abnormalities. These could be targeted by specific therapies, tested by smaller trials.

Feathered friends are far from bird-brained when building nests Posted: 25 Sep 2011 04:27 PM PDT Nest-building is not just instinctive but is a skill that birds learn from experience, research suggests. Scientists filmed male Southern Masked Weaver birds in Botswana as they built multiple nests out of grass during a breeding season. Their findings contrast with the commonly-held assumption among scientists that nest-building is an innate ability.

Rogue receptor opens door for rare kidney disease Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Effects of a particularly devastating human kidney disease may be blunted by making a certain cellular protein receptor much less receptive, according to new research.

New spin on ibuprofen's actions Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Ibuprofen, naproxen, and related non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -- the subjects of years of study -- still have some secrets to reveal about how they work. Investigators have discovered surprising new insights into the actions of NSAIDs. Their findings raise the possibility of developing a new class of inflammation- and pain-fighting medicines.

Jumping gene enabled key step in corn domestication Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT In seeking to better understand how teosinte gave rise to corn, a scientific team has pinpointed one of the key genetic changes that paved the way for corn's domestication.

Discovery helps explain why chemo causes drop in platelet numbers Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Scientists have identified a way that chemotherapy causes platelet numbers to drop, answering in the process a decade-old question about the formation of platelets, tiny cells that allow blood to clot.

Gold nanowires in engineered patches enhance electrical signaling and contraction Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT A team of physicians, engineers and materials scientists have used nanotechnology and tiny gold wires to engineer cardiac patches, with cells all beating in time, that could someday help heart attack patients.

Invasion of genomic parasites triggered modern mammalian pregnancy Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Genetic parasites invaded the mammalian genome more than 100 million years ago and dramatically changed the way mammals reproduce -- transforming the uterus in the ancestors of humans and other mammals from the production of eggs to a nurturing home for developing young, a new study has found.

Deep brain stimulation studies show how brain buys time for tough choices Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Some people who receive deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease behave impulsively, making quick, often bad, decisions. New research explains why and shows that under normal circumstances key parts of the brain collaborate to buy time for careful consideration of difficult decisions.

New discoveries in genetics of lung health Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Scientists have for the first time discovered sixteen new sections of the genetic code that relate to lung health -- opening up the possibility for better prevention as well as treatment for lung diseases.

Mice stem cells guided into myelinating cells by the trillions Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:54 PM PDT Scientists have found a way to rapidly produce pure populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice. Their process opens a door to research and potential treatments for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other demyelinating diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide.

Couples counseling improves sexual intimacy after prostate treatment Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:52 AM PDT Prostate cancer survivors and their partners experience improved sexual satisfaction and function after couples counseling, according to new research. The new article revealed both internet-based sexual counseling and traditional sex therapy are equally effective in improving sexual outcomes. Couples on a waiting list for counseling did not improve.

Abiraterone acetate improves fatigue in prostate cancer patients, finds international clinical trial Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Men with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and that is resistant to hormone therapy suffer less from fatigue if they are treated with a combination of abiraterone acetate and prednisone, according to a new study. Significant improvements in fatigue are important for this group of difficult-to-treat patients who had few available therapeutic options, and for whom fatigue is one of the most distressing issues they face.

Aromatase inhibitor letrozole guards against breast cancer relapse for up to 8 years, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Results from the longest-running trial comparing tamoxifen with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole show unequivocally that letrozole continues to prevent breast cancer recurrences and reduce the risk of death in post-menopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.

Breast cancer tumor make-up changes through the course of disease Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT New research has found that breast cancer tumors change their hormonal status throughout the course of disease, whereas the decision about the most effective treatment for the patient is usually only based on one biopsy of the primary tumor. For some patients, biopsy verifications of any relapse may completely change their clinical management, according to the first sizable study to look at changes in tumors in multiple relapses in breast cancer patients.

Zoledronic acid reduces the recurrence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT A trial investigating the use of zoledronic acid to aid chemotherapy for breast cancer has found a significant benefit for post-menopausal women. The overall survival rate in post-menopausal women was 85 percent compared to 79 percent for women who did not receive zoledronic acid. Researchers in the multi-center AZURE trial think it could be the key for a greater understanding of the mechanisms of breast cancer recurrence.

Bone-strengthening drug gives pain relief in prostate cancer bone metastases, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Many prostate cancer patients develop bone metastases, and controlling the pain these cause can be difficult. Now the first large randomized Phase III trial of a bisphosphonate drug in these patients has shown that a single dose of the drug is as good for pain relief as single dose radiotherapy, the standard treatment for bone metastases.

New diagnostic imaging for lung cancer could prevent unnecessary surgery Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT A new type of diagnostic imaging -- which can better differentiate benign lung lesions from those which are cancerous -- could be used to prevent unnecessary surgery by enabling more accurate diagnosis of the disease.

Alcohol in moderation can reduce asthma risk, study suggests Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Drinking alcohol in moderate quantities can reduce the risk of asthma, according to Danish researchers.

City cyclists are at increased risk from lung injury from inhaled soot, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT People who cycle through London and other major cities have higher levels of black carbon in their airway cells, experts from the UK have shown.

'Belly fat' linked to development of asthma, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Belly fat, known clinically as central obesity, has been linked to the development of asthma in a new study.

Foam injections for varicose veins better for patients and cheaper, study finds Posted: 25 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Foam injections to treat varicose veins cause less pain for patients and could save money compared with a popular alternative treatment, according to researchers.

New bone-targeting drug delays onset of metastases in hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients, study finds Posted: 24 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT Inhibiting a protein involved in bone metabolism can delay the onset of bone metastases common in men with prostate cancer resistant to hormone treatment. The research on the effects of the monoclonal antibody denosumab is the first large-scale clinical trial to show such an effect. The use of denosumab in this group of patients can impede the onset of bone metastases by just over four months.

Radiotherapy between or during chemotherapy cycles reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence, study finds Posted: 24 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT A major UK trial has produced firm evidence that giving radiotherapy between or during chemotherapy cycles to women with early breast cancer significantly reduces the risk of the cancer recurring in the breast or chest wall. The treatment, known as synchronous chemoradiation, has minimal adverse side-effects and no detrimental effect on the patients' quality of life.

New cancer drug combination significantly delays breast cancer progression, phase II study shows Posted: 24 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT The first randomised trial to investigate the use of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) for the initial treatment of HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer has shown that it makes a significant difference to the time women live without their disease worsening. Patients with the cancer who received T-DM1 had a 41 percent improvement in the time they lived without it worsening compared to those who received standard docetaxel chemotherapy plus trastuzumab.

Goats could increase the risk of a rare lung cancer, researchers find Posted: 24 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT Exposure to goats could increase the risk of a certain type of lung cancer, according to French researchers.

Study sheds light on the impact of COPD on working aged populations Posted: 24 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT New research has revealed the devastating personal and financial impact that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can have on the working population.

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