ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Vaccine linked to 'bleeding calf syndrome'
• Mysteries of ozone depletion continue 25 years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole
• Black Death bacterium identified: Genetic analysis of medieval plague skeletons shows presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria
• Differences in cell response could explain higher rates of hypertension in African-Americans
• Testing the water for bioenergy crops
• Discovery sheds light on the ecosystem of young galaxies
• MRI predicts survival in locally advanced rectal cancer
• Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure
• Putting the squeeze on fruit with 'pascalization' boosts healthful antioxidant levels
• Mind-altering microbes: Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression
• Monitoring ground-level ozone from space
• New drug candidates found for set of protein-folding diseases
• From mild-mannered to killer: Study explains plague's rapid evolution and sheds light on fighting deadly diseases
• How an 'evolutionary playground' brings plant genes together
• Fear of 'gray tsunami' overblown? Demographics aren't entirely to blame for rising medical costs, studies show
• Scientists develop new technologies for understanding bacterial infections
• 2,000-year-old burial box could reveal location of the family of Caiaphas
• What's really in that luscious chocolate aroma?
• Aging authorities differ on tweaks to U.S. Social Security's benefit structure
• Weight loss without the hunger: Eat a lighter lunch, scientists say
• Astrophysicists simulate a Milky Way-like galaxy; Supercomputer experiment supports cosmological model of a 'cold dark matter' universe
• Discovery turns seaweed into biofuel in half the time
• Preserving 4 percent of the ocean could protect most marine mammal species, study finds
• Common antibiotic helps lethal lung disease
• There's your cue: Using transitional cues helps kids switch tasks
• Number of patients with cardiac problems during pregnancy is increasing
• 'Smelling' heart failure: Evaluation of an electronic nose
• Little plant tells big stories: Researchers capture codes to genetic variation in 'model' plant
• The brittleness of aging bones: More than loss of bone mass
• Research aims to starve breast cancer cells
• New salts for chemical 'soups'
• Wastewater recycling can multiply greenhouse gas emissions
• Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggressive behavior
• Virus attacks childhood cancers
• Foods rich in protein, dairy products help dieters preserve muscle and lose belly fat
• Elite cross-country skiing linked to increased risk of subsequent arrhythmias
• Don't be afraid: very old patients treated with Vitamin K antagonists, if adequately managed, benefit from anticoagulation
• Leisure-time physical activity increases risk of atrial fibrillation in men, but general health benefits from physical exercise outweigh risk
• Prevention of sudden cardiac death: Scientists predict risk for life-threatening arrhythmias
• Selective trawl catches Norway lobster but allows cod to escape
• School support for ADHD children may be missing the mark: Inattention, not hyperactivity, is associated with educational failure
• Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation
• Cigarette smoking causes more arterial damage in women than in men, study finds
• Gender differences in clinical presentation and outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis
• Cycling fast: Vigorous daily exercise recommended for a longer life
• Discontinuation of smokeless tobacco (snus) after myocardial infarction linked to improved survival
• Daily remote monitoring reduces inappropriate shocks and improves battery longevity for ICD patients, trial shows

Vaccine linked to 'bleeding calf syndrome' Posted: 29 Aug 2011 06:08 PM PDT New research links bleeding calf syndrome to anti-MHC class I antibodies, produced by the mother in response to contamination of vaccine against Bovine viral diarrhea virus with proteins released by the production process.

Mysteries of ozone depletion continue 25 years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole Posted: 29 Aug 2011 06:08 PM PDT Even after many decades of studying ozone and its loss from our atmosphere, plenty of mysteries and surprises remain, including an unexpected loss of ozone over the Arctic this past winter, an authority on the topic has said. She also discussed chemistry and climate change, including some proposed ideas to "geoengineer" the Earth's climate to slow down or reverse global warming at a recent meeting.

Black Death bacterium identified: Genetic analysis of medieval plague skeletons shows presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:37 PM PDT A team of German and Canadian scientists has shown that today's plague pathogen has been around at least 600 years. The Black Death claimed the lives of one-third of Europeans in just five years from 1348 to 1353. Until recently, it was not certain whether the bacterium Yersinia pestis -- known to cause the plague today -- was responsible for that most deadly outbreak of disease ever.

Differences in cell response could explain higher rates of hypertension in African-Americans Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT A kinesiology professor has found that differences in the way African-American cells respond to inflammation could be a cause of higher rates of hypertension among this group.

Testing the water for bioenergy crops Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT Water use has been left out analysis of converting cropland from corn to higher-yield biofuel crops like miscanthus or switchgrass. A recent study found that miscanthus and switchgrass lose more water than corn and predicts a resulting reduction in soil moisture and runoff, but an increase in atmospheric humidity. Areas that rely on irrigation could have less water to meet higher demands, which could increase the net cost of land conversion and put pressure on already stressed water resources.

Discovery sheds light on the ecosystem of young galaxies Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT A team of scientists has discovered a distant galaxy that may help elucidate two fundamental questions of galaxy formation: How galaxies take in matter and how they give off energetic radiation.

MRI predicts survival in locally advanced rectal cancer Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT A new study has shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used to evaluate responses to pre-surgery (neo-adjuvant) chemotherapy or radiation may predict survival among patients with advanced rectal cancer. The findings suggest that MRI-assessed tumor responses to neoadjuvant therapy can help physicians to better plan their patients' subsequent treatments.

Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT A reduced level of dreamless, deep sleep is a powerful predictor for developing high blood pressure in older men, according to new research. High quality sleep is as important to health as diet and exercise.

Putting the squeeze on fruit with 'pascalization' boosts healthful antioxidant levels Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT Scientists are reporting new evidence that a century-old food preservation technology, finding a new life amid 21st-century concerns about food safety and nutrition, more than doubles the levels of certain healthful natural antioxidants in fruit. The effect occurs as a bonus in addition to its effects in killing harmful bacteria, viruses and mold in food.

Mind-altering microbes: Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:46 PM PDT Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders, according to a new study by researchers in Ireland and Canada.

Monitoring ground-level ozone from space Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT Satellite views of the Midwestern United States show that ozone levels above 50 parts per billion along the ground could reduce soybean yields by at least 10 percent, costing more than $1 billion in lost crop production, according to scientists.

New drug candidates found for set of protein-folding diseases Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT Researchers have identified chemical compounds that show promise as potential therapeutics for a set of medical conditions caused by the abnormal clumping together of a protein known as transthyretin.

From mild-mannered to killer: Study explains plague's rapid evolution and sheds light on fighting deadly diseases Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT How did a bacterium that causes mild stomach irritation rapidly evolve into a deadly assassin responsible for the most devastating pandemics in human history? New DNA sequencing techniques reveal how Yersinia pseudotuberculosis became Yersinia pestis, otherwise know as the plague. The new study offers a glimpse into how the new technology might aid in the development of drugs to fight deadly diseases, including the plague.

How an 'evolutionary playground' brings plant genes together Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT Plants produce a vast array of natural products, many of which we find useful for making things such as drugs. Researchers have recently discovered that the genes producing two of these products in the model plant Arabidopsis are clustered together by an 'evolutionary playground' in the plant's genome. Knowing how these clusters assemble and are controlled will be important for improving and exploiting the production of new natural products.

Fear of 'gray tsunami' overblown? Demographics aren't entirely to blame for rising medical costs, studies show Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT Fears that Canada's aging population could lead to skyrocketing health care costs and doctor shortages may be greatly exaggerated. The research by health economists points to other factors that are driving up costs: greater use of specialists, more diagnostic tests for the elderly, and increased consumption of increasingly expensive drugs.

Scientists develop new technologies for understanding bacterial infections Posted: 29 Aug 2011 12:34 PM PDT Understanding how bacteria infect cells is crucial to preventing countless human diseases. In a recent breakthrough, scientists have discovered a new approach for studying molecules within their natural environment, opening the door to understanding the complexity of how bacteria infect people.

2,000-year-old burial box could reveal location of the family of Caiaphas Posted: 29 Aug 2011 11:25 AM PDT A professor in Israel has authenticated an inscription on an ancient ossuary thought to come from a burial site at the legendary location of the battle between David and Goliath. The unusually detailed inscription could reveal the home of the family of the high priest Caiaphas prior to its exodus to Galilee.

What's really in that luscious chocolate aroma? Posted: 29 Aug 2011 11:25 AM PDT The mouth-watering aroma of roasted cocoa beans -- key ingredient for chocolate -- emerges from substances that individually smell like potato chips, cooked meat, peaches, raw beef fat, human sweat, earth and an improbable palate of other distinctly un-cocoa-like aromas. That's among the discoveries emerging from an effort to identify the essential aroma and taste ingredients in the world's favorite treat.

Aging authorities differ on tweaks to U.S. Social Security's benefit structure Posted: 29 Aug 2011 10:13 AM PDT Experts agree that financial constraints and an aging population will require America to modify its Social Security system, but some also find that pushing back the eligibility age could be a major concern for those who rely on the program the most. The consequences -- both positive and negative -- of making the country's seniors wait to start claiming benefits are presented in new articles.

Weight loss without the hunger: Eat a lighter lunch, scientists say Posted: 29 Aug 2011 10:13 AM PDT Losing weight without a grumbling stomach or expensive liquid diet can be as simple as eating a lighter lunch, a new study finds. Participants who ate portion-controlled lunches did not compensate by eating more calories later in the day, leading researchers to believe the human body does not possess the mechanisms necessary to notice a small drop in energy intake.

Astrophysicists simulate a Milky Way-like galaxy; Supercomputer experiment supports cosmological model of a 'cold dark matter' universe Posted: 29 Aug 2011 10:13 AM PDT After nine months of number-crunching on a powerful supercomputer, a beautiful spiral galaxy matching our own Milky Way emerged from a computer simulation of the physics involved in galaxy formation and evolution. The simulation solves a longstanding problem that had led some to question the prevailing cosmological model of the universe.

Discovery turns seaweed into biofuel in half the time Posted: 29 Aug 2011 10:13 AM PDT Scientists have engineered a new strain of yeast that converts seaweed into biofuel in half the time it took just months ago.

Preserving 4 percent of the ocean could protect most marine mammal species, study finds Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:54 AM PDT Preserving just 4 percent of the ocean could protect crucial habitat for the vast majority of marine mammal species, from sea otters to blue whales, according to researchers in a new study.

Common antibiotic helps lethal lung disease Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:54 AM PDT A common antibiotic can help reduce the severe wheezing and other acute symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a large new study.

There's your cue: Using transitional cues helps kids switch tasks Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:54 AM PDT Remember when your little league football team lost the game because someone ran the ball back into their own end zone? Take heart -- one researcher says it may be the player's unfamiliarity with perceiving transitional cues and not a reflection on their playing skills.

Number of patients with cardiac problems during pregnancy is increasing Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:54 AM PDT Pre-existing heart disease is rarely a contraindication to pregnancy -- indeed, many women with heart disorders tolerate pregnancy well -- but it remains a "major concern" that complications are frequent and in some cases may be life-threatening for both the mother and her child. In Europe maternal heart disease has now become the major cause of maternal death during pregnancy.

'Smelling' heart failure: Evaluation of an electronic nose Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:49 AM PDT A German team has developed a completely new non-invasive method to identify heart failure. It consists of an "electronic nose" which could make the "smelling" of heart failure possible.

Little plant tells big stories: Researchers capture codes to genetic variation in 'model' plant Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:49 AM PDT An international collaboration of researchers compared genetic data from 19 different strains of a humble plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. The genome sequences of these strains, 18 of which are presented in the study, will now make it easier to study plants' surprisingly wide trait variation that underlies their adaptability.

The brittleness of aging bones: More than loss of bone mass Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT A new study shows that at microscopic dimensions, the age-related loss of bone quality can be every bit as important as the loss of quantity in the susceptibility of bone to fracturing. While medical treatments to date have focused on age-related loss of bone mass, the age-related loss of bone quality is an independent factor.

Research aims to starve breast cancer cells Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT The most common breast cancer uses the most efficient, powerful food delivery system known in human cells and blocking that system kills it, researchers report. This method of starving cancer cells could provide new options for patients, particularly those resistant to standard therapies such as tamoxifen, researchers said.

New salts for chemical 'soups' Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT Organozinc reagents are an important class of organometallic compounds with a wide range of applications. Chemists have now developed a novel route for the synthesis of so-called organozinc pivalates in a stable powdered form. They promise to be extremely useful in many industrial contexts.

Wastewater recycling can multiply greenhouse gas emissions Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT New research shows that wastewater recycling processes may generate more greenhouse gases than traditional water-treatment processes. Despite this finding, there are good reasons to continue keep wastewater recycling among the water-resource tools for urban areas.

Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggressive behavior Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT While most research into video games and aggressive behavior has focused on violent games, competitiveness may be the main video game characteristic that influences aggression, according to new research.

Virus attacks childhood cancers Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT Researchers are looking to a virus from the same family as the rabies virus to fight a form of cancer primarily found in children and young adults.

Foods rich in protein, dairy products help dieters preserve muscle and lose belly fat Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:47 AM PDT New research suggests a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate energy-restricted diet has a major positive impact on body composition, trimming belly fat and increasing lean muscle, particularly when the proteins come from dairy products.

Elite cross-country skiing linked to increased risk of subsequent arrhythmias Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:40 AM PDT A Swedish study has found a higher incidence of arrhythmias in cross-country skiers with a long history of endurance training. Compared to those who had completed one single race, those who had completed 7 or more races had 29 percent higher risk of a subsequent arrhythmia.

Don't be afraid: very old patients treated with Vitamin K antagonists, if adequately managed, benefit from anticoagulation Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:40 AM PDT Results of the EPICA Study (Elderly Patients followed by Italian Centers for Anticoagulation Study), were presented at the ESC Congress 2011 today. This is the largest study on very old patients anti-coagulated with vitamin K antagonists for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and, for the major part (75 percent), for the prevention of stroke because affected by atrial fibrillation.

Leisure-time physical activity increases risk of atrial fibrillation in men, but general health benefits from physical exercise outweigh risk Posted: 29 Aug 2011 08:40 AM PDT A Norwegian survey carried out between 1974 and 2003 showed that there was a graded independent increase in the risk of AF with increasing levels of physical activity in a population-based study among men with ostensibly no other heart disease. In women the data were inconclusive.

Prevention of sudden cardiac death: Scientists predict risk for life-threatening arrhythmias Posted: 29 Aug 2011 05:43 AM PDT Researchers in Germany have developed a method to identify a subgroup of patients with myocardial infarction who are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Using cardiac magnetic resonance tomography (CMR), the scientists are able to detect the extent of infarction-related damage to the heart muscle and assess the risk for life-threatening arrhythmias.

Selective trawl catches Norway lobster but allows cod to escape Posted: 29 Aug 2011 05:43 AM PDT Researchers have decoded the behavior of Norway lobsters and cod and used the results to develop a selective trawl. This so-called SELTRA-trawl ensures that fewer cod end up as by-catch in the Norway lobster fishery off the coast of Denmark.

School support for ADHD children may be missing the mark: Inattention, not hyperactivity, is associated with educational failure Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:06 AM PDT New research shows that inattention, rather than hyperactivity, is the most important indicator when it comes to finishing a high school education.

Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT Researchers are investigating the brain mechanisms that contribute to infants' prowess at learning languages, with the hope that the findings could boost bilingualism in adults, too. In a new study, the researchers report that the brains of babies raised in bilingual households show a longer period of being flexible to different languages and the relative amount of each language -- English and Spanish -- babies were exposed to affected their vocabulary as toddlers.

Cigarette smoking causes more arterial damage in women than in men, study finds Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT The harmful effects of tobacco smoke on atherosclerosis, one of the driving forces of cardiovascular disease, are greater in women than in men, according to a large European epidemiological study.

Gender differences in clinical presentation and outcome of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT A new French study shows that transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) outcomes may represent a paradox in the cardiovascular disease gender gap, with increased rates of survival among females.

Cycling fast: Vigorous daily exercise recommended for a longer life Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT A study conducted among cyclists in Copenhagen, Denmark showed that it is the relative intensity and not the duration of cycling which is of most importance in relation to all-cause mortality and even more pronounced for coronary heart disease mortality.

Discontinuation of smokeless tobacco (snus) after myocardial infarction linked to improved survival Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT In a prospective cohort study, discontinuation of smokeless tobacco after a myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with a lower risk of subsequent mortality. Investigators found that post MI snus quitters had a 44 % lower risk of total mortality.The association seems to be independent of smoking habits, but partly explained by concomitant changes in other lifestyle variables.

Daily remote monitoring reduces inappropriate shocks and improves battery longevity for ICD patients, trial shows Posted: 29 Aug 2011 04:05 AM PDT A French clinical trial concludes that cardiac device management using a home monitoring system with daily telemetry in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is safe, reduces the number of inappropriate shocks, and improves battery longevity.

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