ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• GM food solutions at risk from lobbyists, experts say
• Living in damp river valleys leads to lung problems, study suggests
• Cancer treatment: First Phase III trial of an alpha-pharmaceutical shows promising results
• Melanoma: Infusing chemotherapy into the liver gives extra months of disease-free life in melanoma patients
• Two new cost-effective ways to predict prostate cancer
• What employers look for of those re-entering the workforce
• Hints of universal behavior seen in exotic three-atom states
• Reports of mental health disability increase in US
• Congestion pricing works best when partnered with land-use planning
• Compression experiments lead to shocking results
• Lessons to be learned from nature in photosynthesis
• Edible carbon dioxide sponge
• Protein 'switches' could turn cancer cells into tiny chemotherapy factories
• Excavation of islands around Britain to establish origins of Neolithic period
• Shape memory materials ready for mass production
• A micro-RNA as a key regulator of learning and Alzheimer's disease
• Better lithium-ion batteries are on the way
• Mother’s occupation while pregnant can increase risk of asthma in children
• Scientists find H1N1 flu virus prevalent in animals in Africa
• All-access genome: New study explores packaging of DNA
• Solar activity can affect re-entry of UARS satellite
• What makes rainforests unique? History, not ecology
• NASA to demonstrate communications via laser beam
• Amazing electrical properties in polymers discovered
• New treatment for kala azar, the most deadly parasitic disease after malaria
• Dust makes light work of vehicle emissions
• Nature shows the way: Self-healing membranes
• Monkeys also reason through analogy
• DNA sequences reveal the true identity of the softshell turtle Pelodiscus
• Targeting HIV's sugar coating: New microbicide may block AIDS virus from infecting cells
• Study 'changes our understanding' of youth voting behavior
• Heart drug offers possible treatment for patients facing respiratory failure
• Scientists lay out plans for efficient harvesting of solar energy
• Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemists
• Bimetallic nanoantenna separates colors of light
• Faster than light? Neutrino finding puzzles scientists
• Keeping pets sweet: Treating diabetes in dogs
• Particles appear to travel faster than light: OPERA experiment reports anomaly in flight time of neutrinos
• New approach challenges old ideas about plant species and biomass

GM food solutions at risk from lobbyists, experts say Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:47 PM PDT Powerful lobby groups opposed to genetically modified (GM) food are threatening public acceptance of the technology in Europe, research suggests.

Living in damp river valleys leads to lung problems, study suggests Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:47 PM PDT A new study has shown that living in a river valley at low altitude can increase the risk of developing lung problems.

Cancer treatment: First Phase III trial of an alpha-pharmaceutical shows promising results Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:47 PM PDT The first Phase III study of an alpha-pharmaceutical (Radium-223 Chloride -- Alpharadin) in patients with bone metastases from advanced prostate cancer has shown that it can prolong survival significantly. Until now, options for these patients have been very limited. The ALSYMPCA trial had to be stopped early after interim analysis revealed that patients receiving the best standard treatment plus radium-223 were living longer than those who were receiving the same standard treatment plus placebo.

Melanoma: Infusing chemotherapy into the liver gives extra months of disease-free life in melanoma patients Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:47 PM PDT Final results from a Phase III trial of a new treatment called percutaneous hepatic perfusion in patients with melanoma of the eye (ocular or uveal melanoma) have demonstrated that it significantly extends the time patients can live without the disease progressing.

Two new cost-effective ways to predict prostate cancer Posted: 23 Sep 2011 04:47 PM PDT Two related studies reveal new risk indicators for prostate cancer. The first study shows that men diagnosed with benign prostate enlargement have an increased risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer. The second study shows that monitoring prostate-specific antigen levels can be used to predict the long-term risk of healthy men developing and dying from prostate cancer. Both could lead to more efficient and cost-effective screening for prostate cancer, with reductions in over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment.

What employers look for of those re-entering the workforce Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:03 PM PDT Finding a job in today's economy is difficult in the best of circumstances, but many women are facing an even bigger challenge: returning to the workforce after a long absence. The top characteristic that resulted in job interviews for middle-aged women seeking an entry level job was vocational or computer training, according to a new study.

Hints of universal behavior seen in exotic three-atom states Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:03 PM PDT A novel type of inter-particle binding predicted in 1970 and observed for the first time in 2006, is forming the basis for an intriguing kind of ultracold quantum chemistry. A new experiment observing the four 3-atom cesium states reports that the states' sizes are roughly the same. This has taken theorists by complete surprise.

Reports of mental health disability increase in US Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:13 AM PDT The prevalence of self-reported mental health disabilities increased in the US among non-elderly adults during the last decade, according to a new study. At the same time, the study found the prevalence of disability attributed to other chronic conditions decreased, while the prevalence of significant mental distress remained unchanged.

Congestion pricing works best when partnered with land-use planning Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:13 AM PDT An examination of a congestion-pricing pilot program in Portland, Ore., finds that congestion pricing strategies benefit from land-use planning that provides households with alternative ways to travel.

Compression experiments lead to shocking results Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:01 AM PDT Using acceleration one trillion times faster than a jet fighter in a maximum turn, researchers have gained new insight into dynamic compression of aluminum at ultra-high strain rates.

Lessons to be learned from nature in photosynthesis Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:01 AM PDT Lessons to be learned from nature could lead to the development of an artificial version of photosynthesis that would provide us with an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible energy source, say researchers.

Edible carbon dioxide sponge Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:01 AM PDT A year ago chemists published a recipe for a new class of nanostructures made of sugar, salt and alcohol. Now, the same team has discovered the edible compounds can efficiently detect, capture and store carbon dioxide. The porous crystals -- known as metal-organic frameworks -- are made from all-natural ingredients and simple to prepare, giving them a huge advantage over other MOFs, which are usually prepared from materials derived from crude oil.

Protein 'switches' could turn cancer cells into tiny chemotherapy factories Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:01 AM PDT Researchers have devised a protein "switch" that instructs cancer cells to produce their own anti-cancer medication.

Excavation of islands around Britain to establish origins of Neolithic period Posted: 23 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT Archaeologists are investigating three island groups around Britain to help understand why people changed from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to farming the land.

Shape memory materials ready for mass production Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:34 AM PDT Materials that can remember their shape and switch from one form to another may sound like science fiction, they are actually real and already in use all around us. But the alloy used to produce shape memory materials, based on nickel and titanium is expensive. Some researchers have started looking for cheaper options.

A micro-RNA as a key regulator of learning and Alzheimer's disease Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:12 AM PDT Scientists have identified an RNA molecule as a potential target for new Alzheimer's therapies.

Better lithium-ion batteries are on the way Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:55 AM PDT Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smart phones to electric cars, but especially when it comes to lowering the cost and extending the range of all-electric vehicles, they need to store a lot more energy. The critical component for energy storage is the anode, and scientists have developed a new anode material that can absorb eight times the lithium and has far greater energy capacity than today's designs.

Mother’s occupation while pregnant can increase risk of asthma in children Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:47 AM PDT Mothers who are exposed to particular agents during pregnancy could give birth to children with a higher risk of asthma, according to new research.

Scientists find H1N1 flu virus prevalent in animals in Africa Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:42 AM PDT Life scientists have discovered the first evidence of the H1N1 virus in animals in Africa. In one village in northern Cameroon, a staggering 89 percent of the pigs studied had been exposed to the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu.

All-access genome: New study explores packaging of DNA Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT A team of biophysicists has been preoccupied with tiny, spool-like entities known as nucleosomes. Their latest insights help explain how these structures wrap and unwrap, permitting regulatory proteins to access, bind with and act on regions of DNA.

Solar activity can affect re-entry of UARS satellite Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is headed toward Earth, but it hasn't been easy to precisely determine the path and pace of UARS because space itself changes over time -- in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun.

What makes rainforests unique? History, not ecology Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT History and geology, not current ecology, are likely what has made tropical forests so variable from site to site, according to a new study.

NASA to demonstrate communications via laser beam Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT It currently takes 90 minutes to transmit high-resolution images from Mars, but NASA would like to dramatically reduce that time to just minutes. A new optical communications system that NASA plans to demonstrate in 2016 will lead the way and even allow the streaming of high-definition video from distances beyond the moon.

Amazing electrical properties in polymers discovered Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT Crystals and ceramics pale when compared to a material researchers discovered that has 10 times their piezoelectric effect, making it suitable for perhaps hundreds of everyday uses.

New treatment for kala azar, the most deadly parasitic disease after malaria Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT East Africa is fighting the worst kala-azar outbreak in a decade. Collaboration across the region through LEAP has resulted in the development of a new, cheaper combination therapy, nearly halving the treatment length (30 days to 17). East African endemic countries are taking the necessary regulatory measures to use it in their programs, but experts warn that without international funding or interest in supporting governments in the roll out, too few patients will benefit.

Dust makes light work of vehicle emissions Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:25 AM PDT Researchers have identified a silver lining in the cloud of red dust that enveloped much of eastern Australia two years ago.

Nature shows the way: Self-healing membranes Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:22 AM PDT The plant, liana whose stabilization rings of woody cells heal spontaneously after suffering damage serves as a natural example to bionic experts of self-repairing membranes. Such membranes could find use, for example, in rubber dinghies. Researchers have borrowed this trick from nature and developed a polymer foam surface coating with a closed cell construction which not only reduces the pressure loss after the membrane is damaged but also makes the inflatable structure more resistant and giving it a longer operational life.

Monkeys also reason through analogy Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:22 AM PDT Recognizing relations between relations is what analogy is all about. What lies behind this ability? Is it uniquely human? A new study has shown that monkeys are capable of making analogies.

DNA sequences reveal the true identity of the softshell turtle Pelodiscus Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:22 AM PDT A research team has identified many different genetic lineages in the softshell turtle genus Pelodiscus, representing different species. Traditionally it has been assumed that only the species Pelodiscus sinensis belonged to the genus examined. As a foodstuff, Chinese softshell turtles are the most economically important turtles in the world, with an annual trade volume of many hundreds of millions of specimens.

Targeting HIV's sugar coating: New microbicide may block AIDS virus from infecting cells Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:58 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new class of compounds that stick to the sugary coating of the AIDS virus and inhibit it from infecting cells -- an early step toward a new treatment to prevent sexual transmission of the virus.

Study 'changes our understanding' of youth voting behavior Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:58 AM PDT Low-income youth are more apt to vote if they are engaged in political activism and influenced by friends and family, according to a new study.

Heart drug offers possible treatment for patients facing respiratory failure Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:58 AM PDT Treatment with the calcium-sensitizing drug levosimendan may be effective in improving muscle function in patients with respiratory muscle weakness, which often accompanies chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, according to researchers who studied the effects of the drug on healthy volunteers. The drug, which is normally prescribed in patients with acute heart failure, increases the sensitivity of muscle tissue to calcium, improving the muscle's ability to contract.

Scientists lay out plans for efficient harvesting of solar energy Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:58 AM PDT Solar power could be harvested more efficiently and transported over long distances using tiny molecular circuits, according to research inspired by new insights into natural photosynthesis.

Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemists Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:58 AM PDT Clean solutions to human energy demands are essential to our future. While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently. According to a new study, the answers can be found in the complex systems at work in nature.

Bimetallic nanoantenna separates colors of light Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:51 AM PDT Researchers have built a very simple nanoantenna that directs red and blue colors in opposite directions, even though the antenna is smaller than the wavelength of light. The findings can lead to optical nanosensors being able to detect very low concentrations of gases or biomolecules.

Faster than light? Neutrino finding puzzles scientists Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:50 AM PDT Neutrinos that travel faster than light? This seems to be the conclusion of the measurements performed by a team of researchers with the OPERA international experiment.

Keeping pets sweet: Treating diabetes in dogs Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:50 AM PDT Diabetes affects not only humans but also animals. While humans generally show some willingness to modify their behavior to help their treatment, pet owners face additional problems in that animals generally do not understand the need for intervention. Treatment plans should be based on an understanding of natural fluctuations in blood glucose levels but these are very hard to determine. Researchers have now shown that a commercially available system for continuous glucose monitoring can be applied to dogs without requiring the animals to be kept in a clinic. The resulting information can give valuable guidance to veterinarians to improve the dogs' treatment.

Particles appear to travel faster than light: OPERA experiment reports anomaly in flight time of neutrinos Posted: 23 Sep 2011 05:44 AM PDT Scientists with the OPERA experiment, which observes a neutrino beam from CERN 730 km away at Italy's INFN Gran Sasso Laboratory, are presenting surprising new results that show neutrinos traveling faster than light. The OPERA result is based on the observation of over 15,000 neutrino events measured at Gran Sasso, and appears to indicate that the neutrinos travel at a velocity 20 parts per million above the speed of light, nature's cosmic speed limit. Given the potential far-reaching consequences of such a result, independent measurements are needed before the effect can either be refuted or firmly established.

New approach challenges old ideas about plant species and biomass Posted: 22 Sep 2011 01:42 PM PDT For decades, scientists have believed that a relationship exists between how much biomass plant species produce and how many species can coexist. This idea comes from a 1970s study that showed as plant biomass produced -- called plant productivity -- in a system increased, so did the number of plant species -- referred to as plant richness -- to a point. After that point, the number of plant species is thought to decline. When plotted on a graph, the resulting line forms a hump shape, with maximum species richness occurring at the point of intermediate productivity. Now it's time to get over the hump, according to new research.

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