ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Robotic bug gets wings, sheds light on evolution of flight
• Tree-dwelling animals were the first to fly, new research suggests
• Possible link between bacterium and colon cancer discovered
• More surgery in early-stage laryngeal cancer treatment; more chemoradiation for advanced-stage patients
• 'Drunkorexia:' A recipe for disaster
• High rate of false-positives with annual mammogram
• First infectious agent associated with colon cancer identified
• Updated cervical cancer screening evidence
• New approach to treating Listeria infections
• Impurity atoms introduce waves of disorder in exotic electronic material
• Halo effect: Family members of gastric-bypass patients also lose weight, study finds
• Bacteria associated with stomach ulcers not detected in enlarged adenoids in children
• Survey of hair professionals finds that some report looking for skin cancer lesions on customers' scalp, neck and face
• Patients with inflammatory bowel disease appear to be at increased risk for developing post-operative deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• Biomarker-guided heart failure treatment significantly reduces complications
• Amorphous diamond, a new super-hard form of carbon created under ultrahigh pressure
• Muscling toward a longer life: Genetic aging pathway identified in flies
• New research links common RNA modification to obesity
• 2011 a banner year for young striped bass in Virginia
• Links in the chain: Global carbon emissions and consumption difficult to attribute
• Skin's immune peacekeepers discovered
• Clustered hurricanes reduce impact on ecosystems, researchers find
• Discovery helps explain progression of Lou Gehrig's disease, offers new therapy approach
• Protecting the brain when energy runs low
• Chemical warfare on the reef: Molecules used by certain seaweed to harm corals
• New record voltage for organic solar cells opens the tech to consumer electronics
• Approaches to treating substance abuse among African-Americans
• Pecan pest information: Harnessing the Internet for stakeholders in production agriculture
• 50 years of cereal leaf beetle management research
• Testing micro-electronic stimulators for spinal cord injuries
• Protein is potential new treatment target for adult pulmonary hypertension
• Nourishing protein slows brain disease
• The value of subjective and objective evaluations of teacher effectiveness
• People who really identify with their car drive more aggressively, study finds
• Dark matter mystery deepens
• One in four children exposed to some form of family violence, study finds
• Electrically powered maneuverable public transportation with high capacity
• Electromobility: New components going for a test run
• Examining rice genes for rice blast resistance
• Natural disasters: Networking robots and sensor systems to help first responders react more quickly
• Protein family key to aging, cancer
• Broccoli-based compound beats drug resistance in lung disease
• Canada needs to adopt a national suicide prevention strategy, experts urge
• Rates of suicide attempts and hospitalizations in children and adolescents in Canada's child welfare system
• Pediatric cancer and palliative care: Parental preferences compared with health-care professionals
• Protein that fuels lethal breast cancer growth emerges as potential new drug target
• Good housekeeping maintains a healthy liver
• US rivers and streams saturated with carbon: Releasing enough carbon to fuel 3.4 million car trips to the moon
• Caresses enjoyable vicariously, too
• Archaeologists find blade 'production lines' existed as much as 400,000 years ago
• Now you can determine the solar efficiency of your roof
• Key to avoiding ankle re-injury may be in the hips and knees
• Omega-3 fatty acids shown to prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis
• Wearable depth-sensing projection system makes any surface capable of multitouch interaction
• Obese women have higher risk of suffering breast cancer, Spanish study finds
• New DNA test to identify Down syndrome in pregnancy is ready for clinical use
• Gene variant leads to better memory via increased brain activation
• Could hypertension drugs help people with Alzheimer's?
• Act now to tackle the health and security threat of climate change, say experts
• Lithium-ion batteries made faster with new process

Robotic bug gets wings, sheds light on evolution of flight Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:49 PM PDT When engineers outfitted a six-legged robotic bug with wings in an effort to improve its mobility, they unexpectedly shed some light on the evolution of flight. The wings nearly doubled the running speed of the 25-gram robot, but was that good enough for takeoff?

Tree-dwelling animals were the first to fly, new research suggests Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:49 PM PDT A six-legged, 25 gram robot has been fitted with flapping wings in order to gain an insight into the evolution of early birds and insects.

Possible link between bacterium and colon cancer discovered Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:46 PM PDT Scientists have found strikingly high levels of a bacterium in colorectal cancers, a sign that it might contribute to the disease and potentially be a key to diagnosing, preventing, and treating it.

More surgery in early-stage laryngeal cancer treatment; more chemoradiation for advanced-stage patients Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:45 PM PDT The use of surgery to treat early-stage laryngeal cancer (cancer of the voice box) is increasing in the United States, and chemotherapy in combination with radiation therapy is being used increasingly to treat patients in an advanced stage of the disease, according to a new report.

'Drunkorexia:' A recipe for disaster Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT It is well-known that eating disorders are common among teens and college students. Heavy alcohol consumption is another well-known unhealthy habit of this age group. A new study shows that when college students combine these two unhealthy habits, their long-term health may be affected. "Drunkorexia" is a new term coined by the media to describe the combination of disordered eating and heavy alcohol consumption.

High rate of false-positives with annual mammogram Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT During a decade of receiving mammograms, more than half of cancer-free women will be among those summoned back for more testing because of false-positive results, and about one in 12 will be referred for a biopsy.

First infectious agent associated with colon cancer identified Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT For the first time, a specific microorganism has been found to be associated with human colorectal cancer. In two studies published online today in Genome Research, independent research teams have identified Fusobacterium in colon cancer tissue, a finding that could open new avenues for diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Updated cervical cancer screening evidence Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:15 PM PDT In 2003 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published recommendations for cervical cancer screening. To inform an updated recommendation, researchers performed two reviews of the published literature focusing on evidence that has become available since the 2003 recommendation.

New approach to treating Listeria infections Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Research underway could lead to new treatments for people sickened by Listeria and other sepsis-causing bacteria. Research supports a new approach to treating these infections.

Impurity atoms introduce waves of disorder in exotic electronic material Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Scientists reveal how substituting just a few atoms can cause widespread disruption of the delicate electron interactions that give a particular "heavy fermion" material its unique properties, including superconductivity.

Halo effect: Family members of gastric-bypass patients also lose weight, study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Family members of patients who have undergone surgery for weight loss may also shed several pounds themselves, as well as eat healthier and exercise more, according to a new study.

Bacteria associated with stomach ulcers not detected in enlarged adenoids in children Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Bacteria that cause stomach inflammation and ulcers were not detectable in tissue from inflamed and enlarged adenoids in children, according to a new report.

Survey of hair professionals finds that some report looking for skin cancer lesions on customers' scalp, neck and face Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT In a survey of hair professionals, some reported that they look at customers' face, scalp and neck for suspicious skin lesions, according to a new report.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease appear to be at increased risk for developing post-operative deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Patients with inflammatory bowel disease undergoing surgery may be more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism following surgical procedures, according to a new study.

Biomarker-guided heart failure treatment significantly reduces complications Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:08 PM PDT Adding regular testing for blood levels of a biomarker of cardiac distress to standard care for the most common form of heart failure may significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular complications, a new study finds.

Amorphous diamond, a new super-hard form of carbon created under ultrahigh pressure Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:57 PM PDT A new form of carbon that rivals diamonds in its hardness, but has an amorphous structure similar to glass, has been produced under ultrahigh pressure in laboratory experiments.

Muscling toward a longer life: Genetic aging pathway identified in flies Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Researchers have identified a set of genes that act in muscles to modulate aging and resistance to stress in fruit flies. Scientists have previously found mutations that extend fruit fly lifespan, but this group of genes is distinct because it acts specifically in muscles. The findings could help doctors better understand and treat muscle degeneration in human aging.

New research links common RNA modification to obesity Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that a pervasive human RNA modification provides the physiological underpinning of the genetic regulatory process that contributes to obesity and type II diabetes.

2011 a banner year for young striped bass in Virginia Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Preliminary results from a 2011 survey reveal a strong class of young-of-year striped bass will enter Chesapeake Bay's adult population in 2012. That's good news for anglers and the Bay ecosystem.

Links in the chain: Global carbon emissions and consumption difficult to attribute Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT It is difficult to measure accurately each nation's contribution of carbon dioxide to the Earth's atmosphere. Carbon is extracted out of the ground as coal, gas, and oil, and these fuels are often exported to other countries where they are burned to generate the energy that is used to make products. In turn, these products may be traded to still other countries where they are consumed. A team tracked and quantified this supply chain of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Skin's immune peacekeepers discovered Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT There are more bacteria living on our skin and in our gut than cells in our body. We need them. But until now no one knew how the immune system could tell that these bacteria are harmless. Researchers in Sydney have discovered a set of peacekeepers -- immune cells in the outer layers of our skin that stop us from attacking friendly bacteria.

Clustered hurricanes reduce impact on ecosystems, researchers find Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT New research has found that hurricane activity is "clustered" rather than random, which has important long-term implications for coastal ecosystems and human population. Tropical cyclones and hurricanes have a massive economic, social and ecological impact, and models of their occurrence influence many planning activities from setting insurance premiums to conservation planning.

Discovery helps explain progression of Lou Gehrig's disease, offers new therapy approach Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown type of neural cell that appears to be closely linked to the progression of amytrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, that they believe will provide an important new approach to therapies. There is now no treatment for this disease, which causes progressive death of motor neurons, serious debility, paralysis and ultimately death within a few years.

Protecting the brain when energy runs low Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Researchers have shed new light on the way that the brain protects itself from harm when 'running on empty.'

Chemical warfare on the reef: Molecules used by certain seaweed to harm corals Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:56 PM PDT Scientists for the first time have identified and mapped the chemical structure of molecules used by certain species of marine seaweed to kill or inhibit the growth of reef-building coral.

New record voltage for organic solar cells opens the tech to consumer electronics Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:15 AM PDT Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. They have achieved and demonstrated a record voltage for organic photovoltaic cells that means these highly flexible, low cost solar cells can now be devolved for commercial uses in a wide range of consumer electronics.

Approaches to treating substance abuse among African-Americans Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:14 AM PDT A new study is the first to examine the effectiveness of a widely used counseling approach to treating substance abuse among African-Americans. The study found that African-American women were more likely than men to continue a counseling approach to treating substance abuse, but their substance-abuse issues continued.

Pecan pest information: Harnessing the Internet for stakeholders in production agriculture Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:38 AM PDT A new article examines the Pecan Pest Information Platform for Extension and education (PIPE).

50 years of cereal leaf beetle management research Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:38 AM PDT A new article provides a review of cereal leaf beetle biology, past and present management practices, and current research being conducted.

Testing micro-electronic stimulators for spinal cord injuries Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:38 AM PDT A new wireless device may help victims of spinal cord injury. Researchers are developing micro-electrical stimulators for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Protein is potential new treatment target for adult pulmonary hypertension Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:38 AM PDT A protein critical to development appears to have a grave impact on lungs exposed to smoking and air pollution, researchers report. Blocking that protein, called calpain, in the lungs may prove an effective way to avoid narrow, scarred blood vessels and pulmonary hypertension, researchers said.

Nourishing protein slows brain disease Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT A nourishing protein that promotes the growth of neurons and blood vessels appears to stop the progression of a genetic disease that causes degeneration of the cerebellum, according to new preclinical research. The disease, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, typically strikes people in the 30s and 40s and eventually causes death.

The value of subjective and objective evaluations of teacher effectiveness Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT A new study has found that subjective evaluations are comparable with and complementary to objective measures of teacher effectiveness taken from a teacher's first year in the classroom.

People who really identify with their car drive more aggressively, study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT People who view their car as an extension of themselves have stronger aggressive driving tendencies, according to a new study.

Dark matter mystery deepens Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT Like all galaxies, our Milky Way is home to a strange substance called dark matter. Dark matter is invisible, betraying its presence only through its gravitational pull. Without dark matter holding them together, our galaxy's speedy stars would fly off in all directions. The nature of dark matter is a mystery -- a mystery that a new study has only deepened.

One in four children exposed to some form of family violence, study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT More than one in four children have been exposed to physical violence between their parents at some time, one in nine of them during the past year, according to new research.

Electrically powered maneuverable public transportation with high capacity Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT Electric and hybrid vehicles will be conquering the cities: cars, bicycles, buses and trains. This is why new ideas are in demand for individual and public transportation.

Electromobility: New components going for a test run Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT The future belongs to electrical cars -- that's what most experts think. In the future, it will be whisper-quiet on road because in the long run electric cars will replace the internal combustion engine. But there are still some unanswered questions. For instance, how do you store the electricity in cars? Or what power networks do you need?

Examining rice genes for rice blast resistance Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:43 AM PDT Scientists have characterized the molecular mechanism behind some plants' ability to resist rice blast, a fungal disease that affects cereal grain crops such as rice, wheat, rye and barley and can cause yield losses of up to 30 percent. The fungus has been found in 85 countries worldwide, including the United States.

Natural disasters: Networking robots and sensor systems to help first responders react more quickly Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes -- natural disasters always catch us by surprise, no matter how many early warning systems are in place. This makes it all the more important for rescue teams to get a quick overview of the situation at hand. Researchers in Germany are working to network the various robots and sensor systems first responders use so that they can react more quickly and efficiently in the case of an emergency to search for victims and survivors.

Protein family key to aging, cancer Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT A protein linked to aging may act as a tumor suppressor, and loss of this protein leads to gender-specific tumor development in mice, according to new research. The findings suggest the existence of a rare "family" of tumor suppressors and may have implications for a common form of breast cancer.

Broccoli-based compound beats drug resistance in lung disease Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that gets progressively worse over time. Inflammation has a central role in driving COPD. However, patients derive little benefit from treatment with potent anti-inflammatory drugs known as corticosteroids. Now, researchers have identified a candidate therapeutic that could potentially be used to augment the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids in individuals with COPD -- a compound obtained from cruciferous vegetables.

Canada needs to adopt a national suicide prevention strategy, experts urge Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Canada needs to adopt a national suicide prevention strategy, and physicians can play a key role in the strategy, states a new analysis.

Rates of suicide attempts and hospitalizations in children and adolescents in Canada's child welfare system Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Although children and adolescents in the child welfare system are at increased risk of attempted suicide compared with the general population, rates are highest before they enter care, then rates begin to decline.

Pediatric cancer and palliative care: Parental preferences compared with health-care professionals Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Parents of children in the palliative stage of cancer favor aggressive chemotherapy over supportive care compared with health care professionals, new research suggests.

Protein that fuels lethal breast cancer growth emerges as potential new drug target Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT A protein in the nucleus of breast cancer cells that plays a role in fueling the growth of aggressive tumors may be a good target for new drugs, reports a research team.

Good housekeeping maintains a healthy liver Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:42 AM PDT Differences in the levels of two key metabolic enzymes may explain why some people are more susceptible to liver damage, according to a new study.

US rivers and streams saturated with carbon: Releasing enough carbon to fuel 3.4 million car trips to the moon Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT Rivers and streams in the United States are releasing enough carbon into the atmosphere to fuel 3.4 million car trips to the moon, according to researchers. Their findings could change the way scientists model the movement of carbon between land, water and the atmosphere.

Caresses enjoyable vicariously, too Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT It is well-known that we humans enjoy sensual caresses, but the brain reacts just as strongly to seeing another person being caressed, reveals new research.

Archaeologists find blade 'production lines' existed as much as 400,000 years ago Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT Archaeologists report that large numbers of long, slender cutting tools were discovered at the Qesem Cave outside Tel Aviv. They report that every element of the system points to a sophisticated tool "production line" to rival technologies used hundreds of thousands of years later.

Now you can determine the solar efficiency of your roof Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT It is becoming more and more common to install solar panels on roofs in order to obtain green electricity, but not all roofs are equally suitable. Scientists have now launched a tool that uses the actual conditions to determine the maximum possible magnitude of solar incidence -- in a whole town, a neighborhood, or a particular roof.

Key to avoiding ankle re-injury may be in the hips and knees Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT Nearly all active people suffer ankle sprains at some point in their lives, and a new study suggests that the different ways people move their hip and knee joints may influence the risk of re-injury.

Omega-3 fatty acids shown to prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:16 AM PDT New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Wearable depth-sensing projection system makes any surface capable of multitouch interaction Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:15 AM PDT OmniTouch, a wearable projection system developed by researchers, enables users to turn pads of paper, walls or even their own hands, arms and legs into graphical, interactive surfaces. OmniTouch employs a depth-sensing camera to track the user's fingers on everyday surfaces. This allows users to control interactive applications by tapping or dragging their fingers, much as they would with touchscreens found on smartphones or tablet computers.

Obese women have higher risk of suffering breast cancer, Spanish study finds Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:15 AM PDT Researchers in Spain have shown that overweight women -- especially those with morbid obesity -- develop this disease at an earlier age. A total of 524 women with breast cancer participated in the study. The researchers found that women who started menstruating at a very early age -- between nine and 10 years -- developed breast cancer at a younger age.

New DNA test to identify Down syndrome in pregnancy is ready for clinical use Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT A new DNA-based prenatal blood test that can strikingly reduce the number of risky diagnostic procedures needed to identify a pregnancy with Down syndrome is ready to be introduced into clinical practice.

Gene variant leads to better memory via increased brain activation Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT Carriers of the so-called KIBRA T allele have better memories than those who don't have this gene variant. This means we can reject the theory that the brain of a non-bearer compensates for this.

Could hypertension drugs help people with Alzheimer's? Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT A new study has looked at whether certain types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, also called hypertension, might have beneficial effects in reducing the number of new cases of Alzheimer's disease each year.

Act now to tackle the health and security threat of climate change, say experts Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT Climate change poses an immediate, grave and escalating threat to the health and security of people around the globe and must be tackled urgently, warned leading experts at a conference.

Lithium-ion batteries made faster with new process Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:26 AM PDT Engineers have been inspired by nature. To fill the porous electrodes of lithium-ion batteries more rapidly with liquid electrolyte, they are using a physico-chemical effect that also provides for transport in trees. The new process increases the throughput of battery production and reduces investment costs.

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