ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Targeted agent addition to herceptin has positive effect on metastatic HER-2 breast cancer, study finds
• Arthroscopy and open surgery are equally efficacious in treating common hip problem in most patients, study finds
• Nanocrystal transformers: Researchers observe structural transformations in single nanocrystals
• A change of heart: Researchers reprogram brain cells to become heart cells
• Drug designer: New tool reveals mutations that cause HIV-drug resistance
• Geothermal industry to get boost from new research
• Genetic basis of rare human diseases described
• NASA's final space shuttle mission begins with Atlantis' launch
• Fish stock in Scotland's Firth of Clyde at 80-year high -- but most are too small to be landed
• Stroke risk in pregnant women 2.4 times higher, review finds
• Heart disease and stroke worldwide tied to national income
• New clues about hereditary spastic paraplegia
• Brain stimulation preserves a memory when other memories interfere
• How decision-makers complicate choice
• Scientists discover how best to excite brain cells
• Holes in fossil bones reveal dinosaur activity
• Indoor air pollution linked to cardiovascular risk
• Why patients with epidermolysis bullosa suffer extreme pain
• Gene study offers clues on memory puzzle
• Brain tumor discovery could lead to new treatment
• How memory is read out in the fly brain: MB-V2 nerve cells enable the read-out of associative memories
• Differing lifestyles: A study of ethnicity and health
• World War II bombing raids offer new insight into the effects of aviation on climate
• Children's personalities linked to their chemical response to stress
• Male smokers less likely to need joint replacement surgery of hip or knee
• Lace-up ankle braces keep athletes on the court, study shows
• Determining pollution level of a medium without wasting tools, time or solvents possible
• Robotics: Safety without protective barriers
• A mobile guide for buses and trains
• Viruses bathe in rivers and at the beach, too, European study finds
• Climate change may alter conditions for growth of oak trees in Basque woodlands
• Adult stem cells may improve cardiac function in angina patients; Study finds improvement in chest pain and exercise tolerance
• Teaching the neurons to meditate
• Sexual orientation and gender conforming traits in women are genetic, study finds
• Gene implicated in speech regulates connectivity of the developing brain
• Stem cell injections may offer hope to angina patients with no other options
• How visual cues help us understand bodily motion
• 'Unnatural' chemical allows researchers to watch protein action in brain cells
• 'Pure' human blood stem-cell discovery opens door to expanding cells for more clinical use
• Increased protection urgently needed for tunas, experts urge
• Sex -- as we know it -- works thanks to ever-evolving host-parasite relationships, biologists find

Targeted agent addition to herceptin has positive effect on metastatic HER-2 breast cancer, study finds Posted: 08 Jul 2011 03:21 PM PDT Adding Afinitor to Herceptin, the main treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, helps some women with disease that has been resistant to previous Herceptin-based therapies, according to a new study.

Arthroscopy and open surgery are equally efficacious in treating common hip problem in most patients, study finds Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT Researchers have found that in comparison to open surgery, arthroscopic treatment of a common hip problem that leads to arthritis produces similar outcomes in terms of repairing structural problems in most patients.

Nanocrystal transformers: Researchers observe structural transformations in single nanocrystals Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT Researchers have recorded the first direct observation of structural transformations within a single nanocrystal of copper sulfide. The results break new ground for the design of novel materials that will serve next-generation energy storage batteries and solar energy harvesting devices.

A change of heart: Researchers reprogram brain cells to become heart cells Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT Researchers are the first to demonstrate the direct conversion of a non-heart cell type into a heart cell by RNA transfer.

Drug designer: New tool reveals mutations that cause HIV-drug resistance Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT Protease inhibitor drugs are one of the major weapons in the fight against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but their effectiveness is limited as the virus mutates and develops resistance to the drugs over time. Now a new tool has been developed to help predict the location of the mutations that lead to drug resistance.

Geothermal industry to get boost from new research Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT An ambitious project to understand and characterize geothermal potential at nearly 500 sites throughout the Great Basin in the western U.S. is yielding a bounty of information for the geothermal industry to use in developing resources in Nevada, according to a report to the US Department of Energy.

Genetic basis of rare human diseases described Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:03 PM PDT Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations cause a number of rare human diseases, which include Meckel syndrome, Joubert syndrome and several other disorders.

NASA's final space shuttle mission begins with Atlantis' launch Posted: 08 Jul 2011 10:35 AM PDT Space shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson and his three crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 11:29 a.m. EDT Friday. STS-135 is the final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

Fish stock in Scotland's Firth of Clyde at 80-year high -- but most are too small to be landed Posted: 08 Jul 2011 10:28 AM PDT Stocks of seabed-living fish in the Firth of Clyde have reached their highest level since 1927, according to new research. However, the study shows that while fish are actually more abundant than ever, the majority are too small to be landed.

Stroke risk in pregnant women 2.4 times higher, review finds Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT Pregnant women face a risk of stroke that is 2.4 times higher than the risk in non-pregnant women, according to a new review.

Heart disease and stroke worldwide tied to national income Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT An analysis of heart disease and stroke statistics collected in 192 countries by the World Health Organization shows that the relative burden of the two diseases varies widely from country to country and is closely linked to national income, according to researchers.

New clues about hereditary spastic paraplegia Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT New research is yielding clues about hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a group of inherited neurological disorders that affect about 20,000 people in the United States. A new study offers the first detailed account of the biochemical workings of atlastin, a protein produced by one of the genes linked to HSP.

Brain stimulation preserves a memory when other memories interfere Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT A new study suggests that specific brain areas actively orchestrate competition between memories, and that by disrupting targeted brain areas through transcranial magnetic stimulation, you can preserve memory -- and prevent forgetting.

How decision-makers complicate choice Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT A new study demonstrates the existence of "complicating choice" -- the process that decision-makers unintentionally initiate when making certain decisions -- and the underlying psychological mechanisms that cause the phenomenon.

Scientists discover how best to excite brain cells Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:45 AM PDT Oh, the challenges of being a neuron, responsible for essential things like muscle contraction, gland secretion and sensitivity to touch, sound and light, yet constantly bombarded with signals from here, there and everywhere.

Holes in fossil bones reveal dinosaur activity Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:43 AM PDT New research has added to the debate about whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded and sluggish or warm-blooded and active.

Indoor air pollution linked to cardiovascular risk Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:43 AM PDT An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people -- especially women -- to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease.

Why patients with epidermolysis bullosa suffer extreme pain Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:43 AM PDT For patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a hereditary skin disease, even a gentle touch is extremely painful. Now researchers have discovered the causes underlying this disease. Due to a genetic defect, individuals with EB cannot form laminin-332, a structural molecule of the skin that in healthy individuals inhibits the transduction of tactile stimuli and neuronal branching.

Gene study offers clues on memory puzzle Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:43 AM PDT Scientists have shed light on why it is easier to learn about things related to what we already know than it is to learn about unfamiliar things, according to a new study.

Brain tumor discovery could lead to new treatment Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:43 AM PDT Researchers have identified a cellular pathway that cancer stem cells use to promote tumor growth in malignant glioma, an aggressive brain tumor. The research also found that existing medications block this cancer-promoting pathway and delay glioma growth in animal models, suggesting a new treatment option for these often fatal brain tumors.

How memory is read out in the fly brain: MB-V2 nerve cells enable the read-out of associative memories Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:39 AM PDT What happens if you cannot recall your memory correctly? You are able to associate and store the name and face of a person, yet you might be unable to remember them when you meet that person. In this example, the recall of the information is temporarily impaired. How such associative memories are "read out" in the brain remains one of the great mysteries of modern neurobiology. Now, scientists have taken the first step to unravel this mechanism.

Differing lifestyles: A study of ethnicity and health Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT A new study has brought into focus how policymakers and health providers can take into account variations in lifestyle among different ethnic groups.

World War II bombing raids offer new insight into the effects of aviation on climate Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT Climate researchers have turned to the Allied bombing raids of the Second World War for a unique opportunity to study the effect thousands of aircraft had on the English climate at a time when civilian aviation remained rare. The study reveals how civilian and military records can help assess the impact of modern aviation on the climate today.

Children's personalities linked to their chemical response to stress Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT Is your kid a "dove" -- cautious and submissive when confronting new environments, or perhaps you have a "hawk" -- bold and assertive in unfamiliar settings? These basic temperamental patterns are linked to opposite hormonal responses to stress -- differences that may provide children with advantages for navigating threatening environments, researchers report.

Male smokers less likely to need joint replacement surgery of hip or knee Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT Surprising results from a new study revealed that men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who never smoked. Researchers also reported that men who were overweight, or who engaged in vigorous physical activity were more likely to need arthroplasty.

Lace-up ankle braces keep athletes on the court, study shows Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:40 AM PDT Lace-up ankle braces can reduce the occurrence of acute ankle injuries in male and female high school basketball players, according to new research. The study demonstrated that the braces are effective for athletes both with and without a history of ankle injury.

Determining pollution level of a medium without wasting tools, time or solvents possible Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:33 AM PDT Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are organic compounds that can be highly contaminant. A chemist in Spain has proposed simple techniques for analysing the impact of PAHs on a number of media, based on headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME).

Robotics: Safety without protective barriers Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:33 AM PDT The modern working world is no longer conceivable without robots. They assist humans in manufacturing, laboratories or medicine. In the future, a new projection and camera-based system will prevent collisions between robots and humans working together, German researchers say.

A mobile guide for buses and trains Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:26 AM PDT If people had access to a fully-fledged system to help them navigate public transport, it could persuade many drivers to switch to their local trains, buses and trams. Researchers in Germany are busy developing an application that will enable passengers to use a cell phone to navigate their way through the public transport network.

Viruses bathe in rivers and at the beach, too, European study finds Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:26 AM PDT European researchers have found viruses in nearly 40% of more than 1,400 bathing water samples gathered from coastal and inland areas in nine countries, including Spain. The concentrations found are low, but the scientists are calling for these microorganisms to be monitored in recreational waters, above all at times when their populations skyrocket, as is the case after heavy rains.

Climate change may alter conditions for growth of oak trees in Basque woodlands Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:26 AM PDT Researchers in Spain have carried out a study on trends in the future distribution of habitats of Basque woodlands, pointing out that climate change may alter the conditions necessary for the growth of a tree as representative of the Basque lands as the oak.

Adult stem cells may improve cardiac function in angina patients; Study finds improvement in chest pain and exercise tolerance Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT A new Phase II study found injections of adult patients' own stem cells reduced reports of angina episodes and improved exercise tolerance time in patients with chronic, severe refractory angina.

Teaching the neurons to meditate Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT In the late 1990s, Jane Anderson was working as a landscape architect. That meant she didn't work much in the winter, and she struggled with seasonal affective disorder in the dreary Minnesota winter months. She decided to try meditation and noticed a change within a month. Her experience inspired a new study, which found changes in brain activity after only five weeks of meditation training.

Sexual orientation and gender conforming traits in women are genetic, study finds Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT Sexual orientation and 'gender conformity' in women are both genetic traits, according to a new study. Researchers report that a shared set of genes and shared set of random environmental factors are partially responsible both for gender nonconformity and female sexual orientation.

Gene implicated in speech regulates connectivity of the developing brain Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT Foxp2, a gene involved in speech and language, helps regulate the wiring of neurons in the brain, according to a new study. The researchers identified this functional link by first identifying the major targets of Foxp2 in developing brain tissue and then analyzing the function of relevant neurons.

Stem cell injections may offer hope to angina patients with no other options Posted: 07 Jul 2011 01:17 PM PDT Injecting the hearts of untreatable angina patients with their own stem cells reduced chest pain frequency and improved exercise capability, according to new research. The treatment could offer hope to many of the 850,000 Americans whose chest pain doesn't subside even with medicine, angioplasty or surgery. Future trials are needed to confirm the findings and investigate an enzyme change that is normally viewed as a heart attack signal, but caused no pain or heart test changes in most patients in whom it occurred.

How visual cues help us understand bodily motion Posted: 07 Jul 2011 12:14 PM PDT The human visual system is tuned towards perceiving other people -- who they are, what they are doing, and what they intend to do. This process is called biological motion perception, and humans are so good at it that even a few dots on a screen representing the major joints of a body are enough to retrieve all the information we need—as long as they move. But what role does motion play in that process? Does the visual system use it only to connect the dots to create a coherent, or "global," structure? Researchers investigated this question in a new study.

'Unnatural' chemical allows researchers to watch protein action in brain cells Posted: 07 Jul 2011 12:14 PM PDT Researchers have been able to genetically incorporate "unnatural" amino acids, such as those emitting green fluorescence, into neural stem cells, which then differentiate into brain neurons with the incandescent "tag" intact.

'Pure' human blood stem-cell discovery opens door to expanding cells for more clinical use Posted: 07 Jul 2011 11:12 AM PDT For the first time since stem cells were discovered 50 years ago, scientists have isolated a human blood stem cell in its purest form -- as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. This breakthrough opens the door to harnessing the power of these life-producing cells to treat cancer and other debilitating diseases more effectively.

Increased protection urgently needed for tunas, experts urge Posted: 07 Jul 2011 11:12 AM PDT For the first time, all species of scombrids (tunas, bonitos, mackerels and Spanish mackerels) and billfishes (swordfish and marlins) have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of the 61 known species, seven are classified in a threatened category, being at serious risk of extinction. Four species are listed as Near Threatened and nearly two-thirds have been placed in the Least Concern category.

Sex -- as we know it -- works thanks to ever-evolving host-parasite relationships, biologists find Posted: 07 Jul 2011 11:11 AM PDT Biologists have found that, although sexual reproduction between two individuals is costly from an evolutionary perspective, it is favored over self-fertilization in the presence of coevolving parasites. Sex allows parents to produce offspring that are more resistant to the parasites, while self-fertilization dooms populations to extinction at the hands of their biological enemies.

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