ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New polymer research could boost probiotics industry
• Even mild cognitive impairment appears to substantially increase risk for death, study suggests
• Why men's ring fingers are longer than their index fingers: Male-female ring finger proportions tied to sex hormones in embryo
• Ancient humans were mixing it up: Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms while in Africa
• Study sharpens picture of how much oil and gas flowed in Deepwater Horizon spill
• Search for predictors of risk for PTSD: Meaningful associations dependent on reliable measures of pre-existing trauma
• Novel method for increasing antibiotic yields
• Couch potatoes explained? Missing key genes may be cause for lack of resolve to exercise, researchers find
• Non-epileptic seizures may be misdiagnosed longer in veterans
• Stomach bacterium damages human DNA; Risk factor for gastric cancer
• New drugs hope for dangerous yeast infections
• First Irish study shows weight difference in twins at birth is key predictor of health complications
• Research gives crystal clear temperature readings from toughest environments
• A study reveals the rhythms of communications between people
• Gene mutation shown to cause leukemia and lymphedema
• Photovoltaics among fastest growing industries in the world
• Living with a smoker increases absenteeism in school children, U.S. study confirms
• The size and burden of mental disorders in Europe
• Study identifies 'respectable addicts' experiencing range of problems with over-the-counter medicines
• New strategy for treating cancer
• World’s largest fusion experiment back in operation
• Innovative organic solar cell architecture sets new performance level, Belgian researchers demonstrate
• Key protein reveals secret of stem cell pluripotency

New polymer research could boost probiotics industry Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:16 PM PDT A protective delivery vehicle that shuttles friendly bacteria safely through the stomach to the intestines could provide a major boost for the probiotics industry. The new technology could also be used for the delivery of certain drugs and even increase calcium absorption, according to new research.

Even mild cognitive impairment appears to substantially increase risk for death, study suggests Posted: 05 Sep 2011 02:23 PM PDT Cognitive impairment, even when detected at an early, mild stage, is a significant predictor of decreased life expectancy, according to a long-term study by researchers.

Why men's ring fingers are longer than their index fingers: Male-female ring finger proportions tied to sex hormones in embryo Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT Providing a genetic explanation for a raft of studies that link finger proportions with traits ranging from sperm counts and musical ability to health problems such as autism, depression and heart attack, researchers have found that male and female digit proportions are determined by the balance of sex hormones during early embryonic development.

Ancient humans were mixing it up: Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms while in Africa Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms even before they migrated out of Africa, a team of researchers has found. The discovery suggests genetic exchange with their more morphologically diverged neighbors was more widespread than previously thought and all humans today may carry genes from now-extinct Homo species.

Study sharpens picture of how much oil and gas flowed in Deepwater Horizon spill Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT In a detailed assessment of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers have determined that the blown-out Macondo well spewed oil at a rate of about 57,000 barrels a day, totaling nearly 5 million barrels of oil released from the well between Apr. 20 and July 15, 2010, when the leak was capped. In addition, the well released some 100 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas.

Search for predictors of risk for PTSD: Meaningful associations dependent on reliable measures of pre-existing trauma Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT A new study suggests that certain variants of a gene that helps regulate serotonin (a brain chemical related to mood) may serve as a useful predictor of risk for symptoms related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a trauma.

Novel method for increasing antibiotic yields Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT A novel way of increasing the amounts of antibiotics produced by bacteria has been discovered that could markedly improve the yields of these important compounds in commercial production. It could also be valuable in helping to discover new compounds. With the ever-growing threat from antibiotic resistance, these tools will be very useful in ensuring that we have enough of these useful compounds in the future.

Couch potatoes explained? Missing key genes may be cause for lack of resolve to exercise, researchers find Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT You may think your lack of resolve to get off the couch to exercise is because you're lazy, but researchers have discovered it may be you are missing key genes.

Non-epileptic seizures may be misdiagnosed longer in veterans Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:09 PM PDT Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures may go undiagnosed for much longer in veterans compared to civilians, according to a new study. This type of seizure is different from seizures related to epilepsy and is thought to have a psychological origin.

Stomach bacterium damages human DNA; Risk factor for gastric cancer Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:04 PM PDT The stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori is one of the biggest risk factors for the development of gastric cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Molecular biologists in Switzerland have now identified a mechanism of H. pylori that damages the DNA of cells in the gastric mucosa and sets them up for malignant transformation.

New drugs hope for dangerous yeast infections Posted: 05 Sep 2011 01:04 PM PDT Researchers are a step closer towards creating a new class of medicines and vaccines to combat drug-resistant and deadly strains of fungal infections, following a new study.

First Irish study shows weight difference in twins at birth is key predictor of health complications Posted: 05 Sep 2011 09:09 AM PDT The first results of a major all-Ireland study of twin pregnancies has shown that a major difference in the birth weights among a pair of twin babies results in an increased risk of health complications for both twins. 1001 women in Ireland with twin pregnancies between 2007 and 2009 participated in this study.

Research gives crystal clear temperature readings from toughest environments Posted: 05 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Researchers in the UK have developed a form of crystal that can deliver highly accurate temperature readings, down to individual milli-kelvins, over a very broad range of temperatures: from -120 to +680 degrees centigrade.

A study reveals the rhythms of communications between people Posted: 05 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT A new study, which has analyzed around 9,000 million phone calls throughout almost a year period, is among the first to identify details of features of the communication process and to quantify their impact in the diffusion of information. the study found that people communicate in bursts.

Gene mutation shown to cause leukemia and lymphedema Posted: 05 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a gene that when mutated can cause lymphedema (swollen limbs due to a failure of the lymph system), immune abnormalities, deafness and leukemia. The identification of the gene responsible for causing this rare combination of medical conditions, known as Emberger syndrome, could allow earlier identification and treatment of those at risk.

Photovoltaics among fastest growing industries in the world Posted: 05 Sep 2011 05:59 AM PDT The photovoltaic (PV) industry production more than doubled and reached a world-wide production volume of 23.5 gigawatt (GW) of photovoltaic modules. Since 1990, photovoltaic module production has increased more than 500-fold from 46 megawatts (MW) to 23.5 GW in 2010, which makes photovoltaics one of the fastest-growing industries at present.

Living with a smoker increases absenteeism in school children, U.S. study confirms Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:46 AM PDT Children who live in households where they are exposed to tobacco smoke miss more days of school than do children living in smoke-free homes, a new U.S. nationwide study confirms. The report finds these children have higher rates of respiratory illnesses that can be caused by second-hand smoke and details the probable economic costs of their increased school absence.

The size and burden of mental disorders in Europe Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:46 AM PDT A major landmark study sheds new light on the state of Europe's mental and neurological health. The study reveals that mental disorders have become Europe's largest health challenge in the 21st century. The study also highlights that the majority of mental disorders remain untreated. Taken together with the large and increasing number of "disorders of the brain," the true size and burden is even significantly higher.

Study identifies 'respectable addicts' experiencing range of problems with over-the-counter medicines Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT A report of a study investigating over the counter medicine (OTC) abuse provides evidence that there is a group of individuals experiencing a range of problems often with codeine-based medicines purchased from pharmacies, and for whom help and support varied.

New strategy for treating cancer Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT Using a strategy based on treating cancer cells that carry a specific genetic signature – hyper-expression of the protein Myc – with therapy that affects the stability of the cell's DNA, more effective results can be achieved, according to new research from Sweden.

World’s largest fusion experiment back in operation Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT After an 18-month shutdown to upgrade the machine and four months of commissioning, the Joint European Torus (JET), the world's largest magnetic fusion device, is ready to start new experiments. The inside of the vessel now has a completely new wall. JET is the first fusion machine to test the materials that will be used inside the next-generation international experiment, ITER.

Innovative organic solar cell architecture sets new performance level, Belgian researchers demonstrate Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT Researchers in Belgium have demonstrated an organic polymer-based single junction solar cell with 6.9 percent performance in an innovative inverted device stack. The polymer was also integrated into a module resulting in excellent module level efficiencies of 5 percent for an aperture area of 25 square centimeters.

Key protein reveals secret of stem cell pluripotency Posted: 05 Sep 2011 04:43 AM PDT A protein that helps maintain mouse stem cell pluripotency has been identified by researchers in Japan. The finding points the way to advances in regenerative medicine and more effective culturing techniques for human pluripotent stem cells.

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