ScienceDaily: Top News

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• When nerve meets muscle, biglycan seals the deal
• Stem cell treatments improve heart function after heart attack
• Cognitive stimulation beneficial in dementia
• High population density is greatest risk factor for water-linked diseases
• Building bone from cartilage
• Left-handed? Different bodies, different minds
• Short-term exposure to most major air pollutants associated with increased risk of heart attack
• Trouble sleeping? It may affect your memory later on
• Zebrafish may hold key to repairing serious eye conditions
• Traumatic brain injuries are likely more common than previously thought
• Antibiotics Ineffective for Most Sinus Infections
• Report seeks to integrate microbes into climate models
• Proteins in Yellowstone bacteria considered for biofuel inspiration
• Noncoding RNAs alter yeast phenotypes in a site-specific manner
• New nano-material combinations produce leap in infrared technology
• SIV infection may lead to increase in immune-suppressive Treg cells
• Tangled up in DNA: New molecule has potential to help treat genetic diseases and HIV
• Chemists mimic nature to design better medical tests
• Possible link to hyper-excitability factors in epilepsy, autism and more
• Sobering future of wildfire dangers in U.S. west, researchers predict
• People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries
• Weight loss can be contagious, study suggests
• Fragmented sleep, fragmented mind: A new theory of sleep disruption and dissociation
• New class of potential drugs inhibits inflammation in brain
• Bumblebees get by with a little help from their honeybee rivals
• Shear stiffness and friction mechanics of single-layer graphene measured for the first time
• Critical stage of embryonic development now observable
• The indiscretions of a champagne bubble paparazzi
• Fukushima at increased earthquake risk, scientists report
• 'Invisibility' cloak could protect buildings from earthquakes
• Globular clusters: Survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre
• Turmeric-based drug effective on Alzheimer flies

When nerve meets muscle, biglycan seals the deal Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:55 PM PST In the absence of the protein biglycan, synapses at neuromuscular junctions in mice began to break up about five weeks after birth, according to a new study. Reintroducing byglycan helped fix the loss of synaptic stability in cell culture. The research may be relevant to efforts to treat motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gherig's Disease) and spinal muscular atrophy.

Stem cell treatments improve heart function after heart attack Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:53 PM PST Stem cell therapy moderately improves heart function after a heart attack, according to a systematic review. But the researchers behind the review say larger clinical trials are needed to establish whether this benefit translates to a longer life.

Cognitive stimulation beneficial in dementia Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:53 PM PST Cognitive stimulation therapies have beneficial effects on memory and thinking in people with dementia, according to a systematic review. Despite concerns that cognitive improvements may not be matched by improvements in quality of life, the review also found positive effects for well-being.

High population density is greatest risk factor for water-linked diseases Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:53 PM PST Water-associated infectious disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in areas where a region's population density is growing, according to a new global analysis of economic and environmental conditions that influence the risk for these outbreaks.

Building bone from cartilage Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:11 PM PST A person has a tumor removed from her femur. A soldier is struck by an improvised explosive device and loses a portion of his tibia. A child undergoes chemotherapy for osteosarcoma but part of the bone dies as a result. Every year, millions of Americans sustain fractures that don't heal or lose bone that isn't successfully grafted.Orthopaedic researchers have just found a very promising, novel way to regenerate bone.

Left-handed? Different bodies, different minds Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:11 PM PST We like to think of ourselves as rational creatures, absorbing information, weighing it carefully, and making thoughtful decisions. But, as it turns out, we're kidding ourselves. Over the past few decades, scientists have shown there are many different internal and external factors influencing how we think, feel, communicate, and make decisions at any given moment. One particularly powerful influence may be our own bodies, according to new research.

Short-term exposure to most major air pollutants associated with increased risk of heart attack Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:10 PM PST Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a new review article.

Trouble sleeping? It may affect your memory later on Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:10 PM PST The amount and quality of sleep you get at night may affect your memory later in life, according to new research.

Zebrafish may hold key to repairing serious eye conditions Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:09 PM PST Researchers have taken an important step in understanding retina regeneration, suggesting new possibilities for developing treatments in humans.

Traumatic brain injuries are likely more common than previously thought Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:09 PM PST Though researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the long-term effects of head injury, few studies have looked at the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in all age groups, including males and females, taking into account both mild and serious events.

Antibiotics Ineffective for Most Sinus Infections Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:09 PM PST Antibiotics that doctors typically prescribe for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo, according to investigators.

Report seeks to integrate microbes into climate models Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:53 AM PST The models used to understand how Earth's climate works include thousands of different variables from many scientific including atmospherics, oceanography, seismology, geology, physics and chemistry, but few take into consideration the vast effect that microbes have on climate. Now, a new report offers a plan for integrating the latest understanding of the science of microbiology into climate models.

Proteins in Yellowstone bacteria considered for biofuel inspiration Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:53 AM PST Studies of bacteria first found in Yellowstone's hot springs are furthering efforts toward commercially viable ethanol production from crops such as switchgrass.

Noncoding RNAs alter yeast phenotypes in a site-specific manner Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:53 AM PST Scientists have shown for the first time how two long intergenic noncoding RNAs in brewer's yeast contribute to a location-dependent switch for the yeast FLO11 gene to toggle between active and inactive states.

New nano-material combinations produce leap in infrared technology Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:53 AM PST Researchers are using new combinations of nano-materials to produce advances in infrared photodetection technology.

SIV infection may lead to increase in immune-suppressive Treg cells Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST Tissue in monkeys infected with a close relative of HIV can ramp up production of a type of T cell that actually weakens the body's attack against the invading virus.

Tangled up in DNA: New molecule has potential to help treat genetic diseases and HIV Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST Chemists have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before the DNA liberates itself, much longer than any other molecule reported.

Chemists mimic nature to design better medical tests Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST Over their 3.8 billion years of evolution, living organisms have developed countless strategies for monitoring their surroundings. Chemists have adapted some of these strategies to improve the performance of DNA detectors. Their findings may aid efforts to build better medical diagnostics, such as improved HIV or cancer tests.

Possible link to hyper-excitability factors in epilepsy, autism and more Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST A new study is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions.

Sobering future of wildfire dangers in U.S. west, researchers predict Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST The American West has seen a recent increase in large wildfires due to droughts, the build-up of combustible fuel, or biomass, in forests, a spread of fire-prone species and increased tree mortality from insects and heat. A research team warns that these conditions may be "a perfect storm" for more fires.

People forage for memories in the same way birds forage for berries Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:48 AM PST Humans move between 'patches' in their memory using the same strategy as bees flitting between flowers for pollen or birds searching among bushes for berries.

Weight loss can be contagious, study suggests Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:21 AM PST Researchers have found that teammates in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, suggesting that weight loss can be contagious.

Fragmented sleep, fragmented mind: A new theory of sleep disruption and dissociation Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:20 AM PST Scientific research has shed new light on dissociative symptoms and dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. This condition seems to arise most often when a vulnerable person meets a therapist with a suggestive line of questioning or encounters sensationalized media portrayals of dissociation. Research shows that people with rich fantasy lives may be especially susceptible to such influences.

New class of potential drugs inhibits inflammation in brain Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:20 AM PST Scientists have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases. The compounds block signals from EP2, one of the four receptors for prostaglandin E2, which is a hormone involved in processes such as fever, childbirth, digestion and blood pressure regulation.

Bumblebees get by with a little help from their honeybee rivals Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST Bumblebees can use cues from their rivals the honeybees to learn where the best food resources are, according to new research. In a new study, researchers trained a colony of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to use cues provided by a different species, the honeybee (Apis mellifera), as well as cues provided by fellow bumblebees to locate food resources on artificial flowers.

Shear stiffness and friction mechanics of single-layer graphene measured for the first time Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST Researchers have measured and identified for the first time the stress and strain shear modulus and internal friction of graphene sheets.

Critical stage of embryonic development now observable Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST A novel approach in the study of the development of mammalian embryos has just been developed. The research enables scientists to view critical aspects of embryonic development which was previously unobservable.

The indiscretions of a champagne bubble paparazzi Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:09 AM PST The innermost secrets of champagne bubbles are about to be unveiled by a scientist tackling champagne bubbles from both a physics and a chemistry perspective. To understand what appears to be a harmless phenomenon such as the fizz in champagne, the author studied the role of the carbon dioxide throughout its journey from the bottle to the glass.

Fukushima at increased earthquake risk, scientists report Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:08 AM PST Seismic risk at the Fukushima nuclear plant increased after the magnitude 9 earthquake that hit Japan last March, scientists report. The new study, which uses data from over 6,000 earthquakes, shows the 11 March tremor caused a seismic fault close to the nuclear plant to reactivate. The research suggests authorities should strengthen the security of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to withstand large earthquakes that are likely to directly disturb the region.

'Invisibility' cloak could protect buildings from earthquakes Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:08 AM PST Mathematicians have developed the theory for a Harry Potter style 'cloaking' device which could protect buildings from earthquakes. Scientists have been working on the theory of invisibility cloaks which, until recently, have been merely the subject of science fiction. In recent times, however, scientists have been getting close to achieving 'cloaking' in a variety of contexts. The new work focuses on the theory of cloaking devices which could eventually help to protect buildings and structures from vibrations and natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Globular clusters: Survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:08 AM PST Our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by some 200 compact groups of stars, containing up to a million stars each. At 13 billion years of age, these globular clusters are almost as old as the universe itself and were born when the first generations of stars and galaxies formed. Now astronomers have conducted a novel type of computer simulation that looked at how they were born -- and they find that these giant clusters of stars are the only survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre that destroyed many of their smaller siblings.

Turmeric-based drug effective on Alzheimer flies Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:05 AM PST Curcumin, a substance extracted from turmeric, prolongs life and enhances activity of fruit flies with a nervous disorder similar to Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study indicates that it is the initial stages of fibril formation and fragments of the amyloid fibrils that are most toxic to neurons.

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