ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Landsat 5 satellite helps emergency managers fight largest fire in Arizona history
• Hematologist discovers, names the 'Toms River' blood mutation in N.J. family
• Why ketamine produces a fast antidepressant response
• Lyme disease bacteria take cover in lymph nodes
• Firefighters' communications: Wireless 'breadcrumbs' that won’t become toast when baked ... or soggy when hosed
• Imagination can influence perception
• Gatekeepers: How microbes make it past tight spaces between cells
• Actos for diabetes? Medical societies respond to the FDA's safety announcement on the use of Actos
• New sealant gel is effective in closing spinal wounds following surgery, study finds
• Indication of a new type of neutrino oscillation at the T2K experiment
• Where have all the flowers gone? High-mountain wildflower season reduced, affecting pollinators like bees, hummingbirds
• Landsat 5 satellite sees Mississippi River floodwaters lingering
• EPOXI finds Hartley 2 is a hyperactive comet
• Scientists develop a fatty 'kryptonite' to defeat multidrug-resistant 'super bugs'
• Surgeons successfully use artificial lung in toddler
• Taking the 3-D measure of macromolecules
• Chromosome region linked to thoracic aortic disease
• Noninvasive brain implant could someday translate thoughts into movement
• Fortifying corn masa flour with folic acid could prevent birth defects, March of Dimes says
• Risk factor identified for acute aortic dissections
• New stem cell research could aid in battle against bulging waistlines
• Postnatal depression linked to depression in offspring until age 16, study finds
• Scientists learn how horseweed shrugs off herbicide
• Mercury: Messenger orbital data confirm theories, reveal surprises
• Low testosterone linked to varicoceles
• Metallic glass: A crystal at heart
• Protein found that improves DNA repair under stress
• Plants teach humans a thing or two about fighting diseases
• Surroundings matter: Researchers engineer the environment for stem cell development to control differentiation
• Searching for the 'perfect glass'
• Black hole kills star and blasts 3.8 billion light year beam at Earth
• Gamma-ray flash came from star being eaten by massive black hole
• Comet Hartley 2 in hyperactive class of its own: CO₂ jets confirmed, new insight into composition, 'excited' rotation
• How the immune system fights back against anthrax infections
• Old, large, living trees must be left standing to protect nesting animals, study shows
• How we come to know our bodies as our own
• A stem cell target for expanding waistlines?
• Research priorities for minimally invasive treatments for multiple sclerosis patients
• Pregnancy: Walking, sex and spicy food are favored unprescribed methods to bring on labor
• When warming up for the cycling race, less is more
• First diagnostic test for hereditary children's disease
• Radionuclide treatment against small tumors and metastases
• Pregnancy-related depression linked to eating disorders and abuse histories
• Neutrinos can change 'flavors', scientists discover
• Depressed, pregnant women receive inconsistent treatment, have longer hospital stays
• Vaccine study supports immune targeting of brain tumors
• Treatment gap leaves many older adults at unnecessary risk of fracture
• Structural biologists reveal novel drug binding site in NMDA receptor subunit
• Roadmap published for dynamic mapping of estrogen signaling in breast cancer
• Don't stop anonymizing data: Report dispels myths of de-identification
• Does driving a Porsche make a man more desirable to women?
• Spectacular Hubble view of Centaurus A
• Stretchable electronics: Wireless sensor measures and inputs intense body movements to computer
• New supercomputer will chase novel genes
• Youths in tough gangs own dogs for companionship and socializing
• 58% of all species might not survive in conservation areas in Europe by 2080
• Port of Athens was once an island, French-Greek team finds
• Fetal electrocardiogram helps in early detection of neonatal acidosis, Spanish researcher find
• Fly larvae used to remove organic waste on an industrial scale
• Northern Ireland hay fever sufferers to breathe more easily

Landsat 5 satellite helps emergency managers fight largest fire in Arizona history Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT The largest fire in the history of the state of Arizona continues to burn and emergency managers and responders are using satellite data from a variety of instruments to plan their firefighting containment strategies and mitigation efforts once the fires are out.

Hematologist discovers, names the 'Toms River' blood mutation in N.J. family Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT A newborn described as a "happy blue baby" because of her bluish skin color but healthy appearance made a small mark in medical history when one of her physicians discovered something new in her genes -- the hemoglobin Toms River mutation.

Why ketamine produces a fast antidepressant response Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT Scientists are shedding new light on why the anesthetic drug ketamine produces a fast-acting antidepressant response in patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Lyme disease bacteria take cover in lymph nodes Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT The bacteria that cause Lyme disease appear to hide out in the lymph nodes, triggering a significant immune response, but one that is not strong enough to rout the infection, report researchers.

Firefighters' communications: Wireless 'breadcrumbs' that won’t become toast when baked ... or soggy when hosed Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT When Hansel and Gretel ventured into the forest, they left a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way home. In today's world, digital signals connect us to friends, family, and colleagues and help us find our location and map our routes. Yet, with few exceptions, today's firefighters still rely on 20th century radios, whose outdated analog signals have trouble penetrating the modern forest.

Imagination can influence perception Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT Imagining something with our mind's eye is a task we engage in frequently, whether we're daydreaming, conjuring up the face of a childhood friend, or trying to figure out exactly where we might have parked the car. But how can we tell whether our own mental images are accurate or vivid when we have no direct comparison? That is, how do we come to know and judge the contents of our own minds?

Gatekeepers: How microbes make it past tight spaces between cells Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT There are ten microbial cells for every one human cell in the body, and microbiology dogma holds that there is a tight barrier protecting the inside of the body from outside invaders, in this case bacteria. Bacterial pathogens can break this barrier to cause infection and researchers wondered how microbes get inside the host and circulate in the first place. They tested to see if microbes somehow weaken host cell defenses to enter tissues.

Actos for diabetes? Medical societies respond to the FDA's safety announcement on the use of Actos Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT Experts urge diabetes patients to remain on their prescribed medications unless instructed otherwise by their health-care provider.

New sealant gel is effective in closing spinal wounds following surgery, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT A gel that creates a watertight seal to close surgical wounds provides a significant advance in the treatment of patients following spinal procedures, effectively sealing spinal wounds 100 percent of the time, a national multicenter randomized study has found.

Indication of a new type of neutrino oscillation at the T2K experiment Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:38 PM PDT Scientists have been working for several years on an experiment in Japan called T2K, or Tokai to Kamioka Long Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiment, which studies the most elusive of fundamental subatomic particles -- the neutrino. The team announced they have an indication of a new type of neutrino transformation or oscillation from a muon neutrino to an electron neutrino.

Where have all the flowers gone? High-mountain wildflower season reduced, affecting pollinators like bees, hummingbirds Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT It's summer wildflower season in the Rocky Mountains, a time when high-peaks meadows are dotted with riotous color. But for how long? Once, wildflower season in montane meadow ecosystems extended throughout the summer months. But now scientists have found a fall-off in wildflowers at mid-season.

Landsat 5 satellite sees Mississippi River floodwaters lingering Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT In a Landsat 5 satellite image captured June 11, 2011, flooding is still evident both east and west of the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Miss. Standing water is most apparent, however, in the floodplain between the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers north of Vicksburg.

EPOXI finds Hartley 2 is a hyperactive comet Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT Hartley 2's hyperactive state, as studied by NASA's EPOXI mission, is detailed in a new paper by an international team of scientists.

Scientists develop a fatty 'kryptonite' to defeat multidrug-resistant 'super bugs' Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT "Super bugs," which can cause wide-spread disease and may be resistant to most, if not all, conventional antibiotics, still have their weaknesses. A team of Canadian scientists discovered that specific mixtures of antimicrobial agents presented in lipid (fatty) mixtures can significantly boost the effectiveness of those agents to kill the resistant bacteria.

Surgeons successfully use artificial lung in toddler Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT Two-year-old Owen Stark came to hospital in the summer of 2010 near death from heart failure and dangerously high blood pressure in his lungs. Physicians knew they had to act fast to save his life. They made several strategic and innovative decisions that led to the first successful use of an artificial lung in a toddler.

Taking the 3-D measure of macromolecules Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:37 PM PDT Researchers have developed the world's first three-dimensional plasmon rulers, capable of measuring nanometer-scale spatial changes in macromolecular systems. These 3-D plasmon rulers could provide unprecedented details on such critical dynamic events in biology as the interaction of DNA with enzymes, the folding of proteins, the motion of peptides or the vibrations of cell membranes.

Chromosome region linked to thoracic aortic disease Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:36 PM PDT Patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms that lead to acute aortic dissections are 12 times more likely to have duplications in the DNA in a region of chromosome 16 (16p13.1) than those without the disease, according to a study by genetics researchers.

Noninvasive brain implant could someday translate thoughts into movement Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:36 PM PDT A brain implant developed at the University of Michigan uses the body's skin like a conductor to wirelessly transmit the brain's neural signals to control a computer, and may eventually be used to reactivate paralyzed limbs.

Fortifying corn masa flour with folic acid could prevent birth defects, March of Dimes says Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:36 PM PDT Fortifying corn masa flour with the B vitamin folic acid could prevent more serious birth defects of the brain and spine in the Hispanic community, according to a March of Dimes commentary.

Risk factor identified for acute aortic dissections Posted: 16 Jun 2011 04:36 PM PDT People who have duplications in a region of chromosome 16 (16p13.1) that is present in approximately 1 in 1000 individuals have a 12-fold increased risk of thoracic aortic aneurysms leading to a tear in the aorta, or acute aortic dissections. An estimated 10000 people die annually from thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) in the United States, where TAAD have ranked as high as the 15th leading cause of death.

New stem cell research could aid in battle against bulging waistlines Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:29 AM PDT Innovative adult stem cell research could aid efforts to apply the brakes to stem cells that produce the type of fat ringing the waists of millions.

Postnatal depression linked to depression in offspring until age 16, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:29 AM PDT A recent study is the first to demonstrate that the effects of maternal depression on the likelihood of the child to develop depression may begin as early as infancy.

Scientists learn how horseweed shrugs off herbicide Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:29 AM PDT A team of scientists was able to follow molecules of the glyphosate-based Roundup herbicides as they entered a resistant weed and to discover exactly how the plant disarms it. In a new paper, they describe a herbicide application technique that can be used to outfox the resistance mechanism they had discovered.

Mercury: Messenger orbital data confirm theories, reveal surprises Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT In March, the Messenger spacecraft entered orbit around Mercury to become that planet's first orbiter. The tiny craft is providing a wealth of new information and some surprises. For instance, Mercury's surface composition differs from that expected for the innermost of the terrestrial planets, and Mercury's magnetic field has a north-south asymmetry that affects the interaction of the surface with charged particles from the solar wind.

Low testosterone linked to varicoceles Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT As many as 15 percent of men have varicoceles, masses of enlarged and dilated veins in the testicles. There is new evidence that varicoceles, long known to be a cause of male infertility, interfere with the production of testosterone -- a crucial hormone to maintaining men's health.

Metallic glass: A crystal at heart Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Glass, by definition, is amorphous. But when scientists squeezed tiny samples of a metallic glass under high pressure, they got a surprise: The atoms lined up in a regular pattern to form a single crystal. The discovery offers a new window into the structure and behavior of metallic glasses, which have been used for decades in products such as anti-theft tags and power transformers but are still poorly understood.

Protein found that improves DNA repair under stress Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Scientists have discovered an important new mechanism that allows cells to recognize when they are under stress and prime the DNA repair machinery to respond to the threat of damage.

Plants teach humans a thing or two about fighting diseases Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Avoiding germs to prevent sickness is commonplace for people. Wash hands often. Sneeze into your elbow. Those are among the tips humans learn. But plants, which are also vulnerable to pathogens, have to fend it alone. They grow where planted, in an environment teeming with microbes and other substances ready to attack. Texas scientists have learned from plants' immune response new information that could help understand humans' ability to ward off sickness.

Surroundings matter: Researchers engineer the environment for stem cell development to control differentiation Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT New research shows that systematically controlling the local and global environments during stem cell development helps to effectively direct the process of differentiation. In the future, these findings could be used to develop manufacturing procedures for producing large quantities of stem cells for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Searching for the 'perfect glass' Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Glasses differ from crystals. Crystals are organized in repeating patterns that extend in every direction. Glasses lack this strict organization, but do sometimes demonstrate order among neighboring atoms. New research reveals the possibility of creating a metallic glass that is organized on a larger scale.

Black hole kills star and blasts 3.8 billion light year beam at Earth Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT The flash from one of the biggest and brightest bangs yet recorded by astronomers comes from a massive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy, new research shows. The black hole appears to have ripped apart a star that wandered too close, creating a powerful beam of energy that crossed the 3.8 billion light years to Earth.

Gamma-ray flash came from star being eaten by massive black hole Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT A bright flash of gamma rays observed March 28 by the Swift satellite signaled the death of a star falling into a massive black hole, say a team of astronomers. According to their model, a star the mass of our sun got too close and was ripped apart; one-tenth of the mass was emitted as X-rays and gamma rays, much of it in a collimated jet aimed at Earth.

Comet Hartley 2 in hyperactive class of its own: CO<sub>2</sub> jets confirmed, new insight into composition, 'excited' rotation Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Comet Hartley 2 is in a hyperactive class of its own compared to other comets visited by spacecraft, says a new study. New, in-depth analysis of the images and data taken during the flyby of the comet last fall by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft confirms that carbon dioxide is the volatile fuel for Hartley 2's ice-spewing jets and provides new twists in the unfolding story of this small, but dynamic comet.

How the immune system fights back against anthrax infections Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:19 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered how the body's immune system launches its survival response to the notorious and deadly bacterium anthrax. The findings describe key emergency signals the body sends out when challenged by a life-threatening infection.

Old, large, living trees must be left standing to protect nesting animals, study shows Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:19 AM PDT Old trees must be protected to save the homes of more than 1,000 different bird and mammal species who nest, says a new study. Most animals can't carve out their own tree holes and rely on holes already formed. The study found that outside of North America, most animals nest in tree holes formed by damage and decay, a process that can take several centuries.

How we come to know our bodies as our own Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:19 AM PDT By taking advantage of a "body swap" illusion, researchers have captured the brain regions involved in one of the most fundamental aspects of self-awareness: how we recognize our bodies as our own, distinct from others and from the outside world. That self-perception is traced to specialized multisensory neurons in various parts of the brain that integrate different sensory inputs across all body parts into a unified view of the body.

A stem cell target for expanding waistlines? Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:19 AM PDT Researchers may have found the key to developing a method to rid the body of stem cells responsible for driving fat expansion. They've landed the first protein marker on the surface of those so-called adipose stromal cells (ASCs), which serve as progenitors of the cells that make up fat tissue.

Research priorities for minimally invasive treatments for multiple sclerosis patients Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT Evaluating patients with multiple sclerosis who have narrowed jugular and azygos veins -- and the value of widening those veins with angioplasty -- warrants careful, well-designed research, according to experts. Experts also recommend exploring a condition called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.

Pregnancy: Walking, sex and spicy food are favored unprescribed methods to bring on labor Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT More than half of the women in a recently published survey reported that near the end of their pregnancies, they took it upon themselves to try to induce labor, mostly by walking, having sex, eating spicy food or stimulating their nipples. Of the 201 women who responded to the survey at a Midwestern hospital, 102, or 50.7 percent, used these or other unprescribed methods to try to bring on labor.

When warming up for the cycling race, less is more Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT New findings challenge conventional wisdom and find shorter warm-ups of lower intensity are better for boosting cycling performance.

First diagnostic test for hereditary children's disease Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT A breakthrough in genetic research has uncovered the defect behind a rare hereditary children's disease that inhibits the body's ability to break down vitamin D. This discovery has led researchers to develop the first genetic and biochemical tests that positively identify the disease.

Radionuclide treatment against small tumors and metastases Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT Medicine could very soon have a new ally in the fight against cancer: Terbium-161. Researchers have developed a new treatment method based on terbium-161 to treat smaller tumors and metastases in a more targeted way.

Pregnancy-related depression linked to eating disorders and abuse histories Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:30 AM PDT Having a history of eating disorders or abuse may increase a woman's risk for developing depression during and after pregnancy, according to new research. The finding could influence how doctors screen patients during prenatal visits.

Neutrinos can change 'flavors', scientists discover Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:30 AM PDT An international research team may have taken a significant step in discovering why matter trumped antimatter at the time of Big Bang, helping to create virtually all of the galaxies and stars in the universe.

Depressed, pregnant women receive inconsistent treatment, have longer hospital stays Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:30 AM PDT Pregnant women who screen positive for depression are unlikely to receive consistent treatment, researchers say. That may translate to women spending more time in the hospital before babies are even born.

Vaccine study supports immune targeting of brain tumors Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:27 AM PDT An experimental vaccine targets overactive antigens in highly aggressive brain tumors and improves length of survival in newly diagnosed patients, according to new data.

Treatment gap leaves many older adults at unnecessary risk of fracture Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT Only a minority of European high-risk patients are receiving treatment to prevent fractures -- contrary to the recommendations of most national osteoporosis guidelines and despite continued advances in risk assessment and the widespread availability of effective medication, new research suggests.

Structural biologists reveal novel drug binding site in NMDA receptor subunit Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT Structural biologists have obtained a precise molecular map of the binding site for an allosteric inhibitor in a subtype of the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor, which is commonly expressed in brain cells, dysfunctions of which have been implicated in depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Roadmap published for dynamic mapping of estrogen signaling in breast cancer Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT The first roadmap to mathematical modeling of a powerful basic "decision circuit" in breast cancer has been developed. The preliminary mathematical model is the first result of work to develop a systems approach to understanding and treating one of the most common forms of breast cancer.

Don't stop anonymizing data: Report dispels myths of de-identification Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT Canadian privacy experts have issued a new report that strongly backs the practice of de-identification as a key element in the protection of personal information. The report validates that that anonymizing data is a reliable, safe and practical way to protect personal information.

Does driving a Porsche make a man more desirable to women? Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT New research finds that men's conspicuous spending is driven by the desire to have uncommitted romantic flings. And, gentlemen, women can see right through it.

Spectacular Hubble view of Centaurus A Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:26 AM PDT The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a close-up view of the galaxy Centaurus A. Hubble's out-of-this-world location and world-class Wide Field Camera 3 instrument reveal a dramatic picture of a dynamic galaxy in flux.

Stretchable electronics: Wireless sensor measures and inputs intense body movements to computer Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT Electronics that can be bent and stretched might sound like science fiction. But scientists have devised a wireless sensor that can stand to be stretched. For example, the sensor can measure intensive body movements and wirelessly send information directly to a computer.

New supercomputer will chase novel genes Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT A new supercomputer having Northern Europe's largest 'shared memory' can quickly and efficiently process the enormous quantities of genetic information, which is key to advances in green biotechnology, using DNA from tens of thousands of microorganisms to create new cell factories.

Youths in tough gangs own dogs for companionship and socializing Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT Youths in groups or gangs choose to own dogs primarily for socializing and companionship. Dogs are also used for protection and enhancing status, but to a lesser extent, contrary to popular perception.

58% of all species might not survive in conservation areas in Europe by 2080 Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT Europe has the world's most extensive network of conservation areas but they are selected without taking the effects of climate change into account. Researches have shown for the first time that this phenomenon threatens these areas, including those of the network Red Natura 2000. The impact will be greater in southern countries like Spain.

Port of Athens was once an island, French-Greek team finds Posted: 16 Jun 2011 05:18 AM PDT Piraeus, the main port of Athens, was an island from 4 800 -- 3 400 BC, in other words 4 500 years before the Parthenon was built on the Acropolis. This discovery was made by a French-Greek team who studied and dated sediments collected in the Piraeus area.

Fetal electrocardiogram helps in early detection of neonatal acidosis, Spanish researcher find Posted: 16 Jun 2011 05:18 AM PDT Researchers in Spain have demonstrated that fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) is the best method for detecting early acidosis and the risk of loss of fetal well being. The method shows the effects of lack of oxygen in the heart and brain of the fetus. The study finds that this system is better than pulse oximetry, which measures oxygen saturation in fetuses.

Fly larvae used to remove organic waste on an industrial scale Posted: 16 Jun 2011 05:18 AM PDT Researchers have used fly larvae to reduce animal feces and manure in a sustainable manner.

Northern Ireland hay fever sufferers to breathe more easily Posted: 16 Jun 2011 05:18 AM PDT Local hay fever sufferers will breathe more easily following the news that Northern Ireland's only air pollen sampler.

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