ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New report shows 15 million babies born too soon every year
• Emotion reversed in left-handers' brains
• Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice
• Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease
• First-of-its-kind study reveals surprising ecological effects of earthquake and tsunami
• Zombie-ant fungus is under attack, research reveals
• Alzheimer's drug fails to reduce significant agitation
• Aspirin and warfarin equally effective for most heart failure patients, study suggests
• Genes may explain why some people turn their noses up at pork
• Handful of heavyweight trees per acre are forest champs
• Why underweight babies become obese: Study says disrupted hypothalamus is to blame
• Jockeying for genetic advantage: DNA analysis to evaluate thoroughbreds
• Potential to revive abandoned cancer drug by nanoparticle drug delivery
• Why research should be 'hacked'
• Genetically modified T cell therapy appears to be safe, lasting in decade-long study of HIV patients
• After epic debate, avian flu research sees light of day
• ALS clinics start implanting breathing-assist device under new FDA approval
• NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Risk Explained
• Iceman mummy: 5,000-year-old red blood cells discovered -- oldest blood known to modern science
• Experiments underestimate plant responses to climate change
• Old fish makes new splash: Coelacanth find rewrites history of the ancient fish
• Ecosystem effects of biodiversity loss could rival impacts of climate change, pollution
• Gas development linked to wildlife habitat loss
• Black hole caught red-handed in a stellar homicide
• New understanding of Alzheimer's trigger
• At smallest scale, liquid crystal behavior portends new materials
• Infants begin to learn about race in the first year
• Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter
• Writing a landmark sequel to 'The Book of Life'
• Rapid decline in US Earth observation capabilities
• First 'microsubmarines' designed to help clean up oil spills
• Stream temperatures don't parallel warming climate trend
• 'Thin red line' around breast cancer: Visualization shows why immune system fails to kill tumors in mice
• New path of origin for macrophages
• Marine food chain becomes clearer with new revelations about prey distribution
• Brains wired for 'avalanches' -- and learning
• Freezing Parkinson's in its tracks
• Mining for heat: Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground
• Tiny channel cleanses blood
• Electronic nanotube nose out in front
• Combination of two drugs reverses liver tumors, study suggests
• New hope for PAD sufferers
• Evidence of familial vulnerability for epilepsy and psychosis
• Increased fructose consumption may deplete cellular energy in patients with obesity and diabetes
• Is there a link between mood and glucose control in diabetes?
• Eye size determined by maximum running speed in mammals
• New method quickly IDs nanomaterials that can cause oxidative damage to cells
• Stem cell therapy shows promise in fight against HIV
• Large-scale simulation of human blood is boon to personalized medicine
• Artificial muscle: Squid and zebrafish cells inspire camouflaging smart materials
• Sifting through Dust near Orion's Belt
• Arctic sea-ice loss didn't happen by chance
• Glycogen accumulation in neurons causes brain damage and shortens the lives of flies and mice
• Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage
• Biomimetic polymer synthesis enhances structure control
• Dry heat increases bark beetle bite
• Escape response of small fish tested using a supercomputer
• Understanding inflammatory responses: A small cut with a big impact
• Biophysics: Order in chaos

New report shows 15 million babies born too soon every year Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT The first-ever national, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth reveals that 15 million babies are born too soon every year.

Emotion reversed in left-handers' brains Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT The way we use our hands may determine how emotions are organized in our brains, according to a recent study. Motivation, the drive to approach or withdraw from physical and social stimuli, is a basic building block of human emotion.

Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT A new study suggests that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood could have a long-term effect on female fertility. Limiting such exposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.

Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.

First-of-its-kind study reveals surprising ecological effects of earthquake and tsunami Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT The reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and the resurgence of species unseen for years may not be among the expected effects of a natural disaster. Yet that's exactly what researchers have found on the sandy beaches of south central Chile, after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami in 2010. Their study also revealed a preview of the problems wrought by sea level rise -- a major symptom of climate change.

Zombie-ant fungus is under attack, research reveals Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT A parasite that fights the zombie-ant fungus has yielded some of its secrets to an international research team. The research reveals, for the first time, how an entire ant colony is able to survive infestations by the zombie-ant fungus, which invades an ant's brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony, where the fungus spores erupt out of the ant's head.

Alzheimer's drug fails to reduce significant agitation Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT A drug prescribed for Alzheimer's disease does not ease clinically significant agitation in patients, according to first randomized controlled trial designed to assess the effectiveness of the drug (generic name memantine) for significant agitation in Alzheimer's patients.

Aspirin and warfarin equally effective for most heart failure patients, study suggests Posted: 02 May 2012 03:47 PM PDT Neither aspirin nor warfarin is superior for preventing a combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to a landmark clinical trial.

Genes may explain why some people turn their noses up at pork Posted: 02 May 2012 03:46 PM PDT If you don't like the taste of pork, the reason may be that your genes cause you to smell the meat more intensely, according to a new study.

Handful of heavyweight trees per acre are forest champs Posted: 02 May 2012 03:44 PM PDT Big trees three or more feet in diameter accounted for nearly half the biomass measured at a Yosemite National Park site, yet represented only one percent of the trees growing there, according to the largest quantitative study yet of the importance of big trees in temperate forests.

Why underweight babies become obese: Study says disrupted hypothalamus is to blame Posted: 02 May 2012 01:25 PM PDT A new animal model study has found that in low–birth-weight babies whose growth was restricted in the womb, the level of appetite-producing neuropeptides in the brain's hypothalamus — the central control of the appetite — is higher, resulting in a natural tendency among these children to consume more calories.

Jockeying for genetic advantage: DNA analysis to evaluate thoroughbreds Posted: 02 May 2012 01:25 PM PDT When you buy a racehorse, you pays your money and you takes your chances. Top yearlings at Keeneland's 2011 Thoroughbred auction, for instance, averaged nearly $350,000 and hadn't yet raced a step. Odds are that some of them never will. Now, thanks to a biologist, it's possible to boost the odds of getting a winner with a simple genetic test.

Potential to revive abandoned cancer drug by nanoparticle drug delivery Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT Researchers have developed nanoparticle carriers to successfully deliver therapeutic doses of a cancer drug that had previously failed clinical development due to pharmacologic challenges.

Why research should be 'hacked' Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT Australian researchers are calling for the open sharing of clinical trial data in the medical research community, saying it would be instrumental in eliminating bottlenecks and duplication, and lead to faster and more trustworthy evidence for many of our most pressing health problems.

Genetically modified T cell therapy appears to be safe, lasting in decade-long study of HIV patients Posted: 02 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT HIV patients treated with genetically modified T cells remain healthy up to 11 years after initial therapy, researchers report. The results provide a framework for the use of this type of gene therapy as a powerful weapon in the treatment of HIV, cancer, and a wide variety of other diseases.

After epic debate, avian flu research sees light of day Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT After a marathon debate over a pair of studies that show how the avian H5N1 influenza virus could become transmissible in mammals, and an unprecedented recommendation by a government review panel to block publication, one of the studies was finally and fully published on May 3, 2012.

ALS clinics start implanting breathing-assist device under new FDA approval Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT Three U.S. hospitals have begun implanting a device that stimulates the respiratory muscle in the chest and draws air into the lungs of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) under recently approved Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Risk Explained Posted: 02 May 2012 11:38 AM PDT After nearly 13 years of study and intense debate, a pair of new articles have confirmed exactly how a once-popular class of anti-inflammatory drugs leads to cardiovascular risk for people taking it.

Iceman mummy: 5,000-year-old red blood cells discovered -- oldest blood known to modern science Posted: 02 May 2012 11:11 AM PDT His DNA has been decoded; samples from his stomach and intestines have allowed us to reconstruct his very last meal. The circumstances of his violent death appear to have been explained. However, what had, at least thus far, eluded the scientists, was identifying any traces of blood in Ötzi, the 5,000-year-old glacier mummy. Examination of his aorta had yielded no results. Yet recently, a team of scientists from Italy and Germany, using nanotechnology, succeeded in locating red blood cells in Ötzi's wounds, thereby discovering the oldest traces of blood to have been found anywhere in the world.

Experiments underestimate plant responses to climate change Posted: 02 May 2012 10:31 AM PDT Experiments may dramatically underestimate how plants will respond to climate change in the future. That's the conclusion of an analysis of 50 plant studies on four continents.

Old fish makes new splash: Coelacanth find rewrites history of the ancient fish Posted: 02 May 2012 10:31 AM PDT Coelacanths, an ancient group of fishes once thought to be long extinct, made headlines in 1938 when one of their modern relatives was caught off the coast of South Africa. Now coelacanths are making another splash.

Ecosystem effects of biodiversity loss could rival impacts of climate change, pollution Posted: 02 May 2012 10:31 AM PDT Loss of biodiversity appears to impact ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution and other major forms of environmental stress, according to a new study. There has been growing concern that the very high rates of modern extinctions -- due to habitat loss, overharvesting and other human-caused environmental changes -- could reduce nature's ability to provide goods and services like food, clean water and a stable climate.

Gas development linked to wildlife habitat loss Posted: 02 May 2012 10:30 AM PDT Intense development of the two largest natural gas fields in the continental U.S. are driving away some wildlife from their traditional wintering grounds, new research shows.

Black hole caught red-handed in a stellar homicide Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT Astronomers have gathered the most direct evidence yet of a supermassive black hole shredding a star that wandered too close. Supermassive black holes, weighing millions to billions times more than the Sun, lurk in the centers of most galaxies. These hefty monsters lay quietly until an unsuspecting victim, such as a star, wanders close enough to get ripped apart by their powerful gravitational clutches.

New understanding of Alzheimer's trigger Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT A highly toxic beta-amyloid – a protein that exists in the brains of Alzheimer's disease victims – has been found to greatly increase the toxicity of other more common and less toxic beta-amyloids, serving as a possible "trigger" for the advent and development of Alzheimer's, researchers have discovered.

At smallest scale, liquid crystal behavior portends new materials Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT Liquid crystals, the state of matter that makes possible the flat screen technology now commonly used in televisions and computers, may have some new technological tricks in store.

Infants begin to learn about race in the first year Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT A new study confirms that though born with equal abilities to tell other-race people apart, by age 9 months infants are better at recognizing faces and emotional expressions of same-race people and the ability to distinguish other-race faces and match emotional sounds with expressions declines.

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter Posted: 02 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT A new study provides a long-sought explanation for the beneficial fat-fighting effects of black pepper. The research pinpoints piperine -- the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, concluding that piperine also can block the formation of new fat cells.

Writing a landmark sequel to 'The Book of Life' Posted: 02 May 2012 09:35 AM PDT Scientists are announcing the roadmap, policies and procedures for an ambitious international project aiming to compile a landmark sequel to "The Book of Life." The follow-up to the Human Genome Project, which decoded all human genes, involves identifying and profiling all of the proteins produced by the thousands of genes in the human chromosomes. It is called the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project.

Rapid decline in US Earth observation capabilities Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT A new report says that budget shortfalls, cost-estimate growth, launch failures, and changes in mission design and scope have left US Earth observation systems in a more precarious position than they were five years ago.

First 'microsubmarines' designed to help clean up oil spills Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of the first self-propelled "microsubmarines" designed to pick up droplets of oil from contaminated waters and transport them to collection facilities. The report concludes that these tiny machines could play an important role in cleaning up oil spills, like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Stream temperatures don't parallel warming climate trend Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT A new analysis of streams in the western United States with long-term monitoring programs has found that despite a general increase in air temperatures over the past several decades, streams are not necessarily warming at the same rate.

'Thin red line' around breast cancer: Visualization shows why immune system fails to kill tumors in mice Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT A pioneering approach to imaging breast cancer in mice has revealed new clues about why the human immune system often fails to attack tumors and keep cancer in check. This observation may help to reveal new approaches to cancer immunotherapy.

New path of origin for macrophages Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT Macrophages play a key role in the immune response. They differ depending on where they are located and which tasks they perform. A scientist at TUM has been investigating whether these different types of cells have the same origin. The study has revealed that there are two distinct macrophage cell lines that continue into adult life and that they have different origins.

Marine food chain becomes clearer with new revelations about prey distribution Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT A new study has found that each step of the marine food chain is clearly controlled by the trophic level below it -- and the driving factor influencing that relationship is not the abundance of prey, but how that prey is distributed.

Brains wired for 'avalanches' -- and learning Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Researchers reveal the connection between a model of learning in the brain and the cascading bursts of cortical activity known as neuronal avalanches.

Freezing Parkinson's in its tracks Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Scientists have developed a peptide that protects dopamine-producing neurons, freezing neurodegeneration in its tracks in preclinical trials. This peptide could be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbed through the skin from an adhesive patch as a preventative therapy for Parkinson's disease, she says.

Mining for heat: Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT Abandoned mine tunnels might ferry geothermal energy from deep underground to help heat homes and offices.

Tiny channel cleanses blood Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT A microfluidic device separates bacteria and immune cells from red blood cells.

Electronic nanotube nose out in front Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT A new nanotube super sensor is able to detect subtle differences with a single sniff. For example, the chemical dimethylsulfone is associated with skin cancer. The human nose cannot detect this volatile but it could be detected with the new sensor at concentrations as low as 25 parts per billion.

Combination of two drugs reverses liver tumors, study suggests Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT The combination of two inhibitors of protein mTOR stops the growth of primary liver cancer and destroys tumor cells, according to a new study.

New hope for PAD sufferers Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Research by vascular surgeons may offer new hope to sufferers of peripheral artery disease, the cause of nearly 60,000 lower-limb amputations annually, through the use of a patient's own stem cells.

Evidence of familial vulnerability for epilepsy and psychosis Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Although the two disorders may seem dissimilar, epilepsy and psychosis are associated. Individuals with epilepsy are more likely to have schizophrenia, and a family history of epilepsy is a risk factor for psychosis. It is not known whether the converse is true, i.e., whether a family history of psychosis is a risk factor for epilepsy.

Increased fructose consumption may deplete cellular energy in patients with obesity and diabetes Posted: 02 May 2012 08:27 AM PDT Obese people who consume increased amounts of fructose, a type of sugar that is found in particular in soft drinks and fruit juices, are at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NFALD) and more its more severe forms, fatty inflammation and scarring.

Is there a link between mood and glucose control in diabetes? Posted: 02 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT When blood sugar levels in diabetes are poorly controlled, patients tend to have more complications such as depression and other mood disturbances, including anxiety and anger, and a lower overall quality of life. A better understanding of the relationship between glycemic variability and psychological disorders can lead to more effective strategies for patient management, researchers say.

Eye size determined by maximum running speed in mammals Posted: 02 May 2012 08:26 AM PDT Maximum running speed is the most important variable influencing mammalian eye size other than body size, according to new research.

New method quickly IDs nanomaterials that can cause oxidative damage to cells Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed a novel screening technology that allows large batches of metal oxide nanomaterials to be assessed in a rapid fashion based on their ability to trigger biological responses that are dependent on the electron transfer properties of semiconductor metal oxides. The team discovered that the cells in our bodies contain electronically active molecules that can participate in these electron transfer reactions upon contact with metal oxides.

Stem cell therapy shows promise in fight against HIV Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Researchers are a step closer to launching human clinical trials involving the use of an innovative stem cell therapy to fight the virus that causes AIDS.

Large-scale simulation of human blood is boon to personalized medicine Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT Having a virtual copy of a patient's blood in a computer would be a boon to researchers and doctors. They could examine a simulated heart attack caused by blood clotting in a diseased coronary artery and see if a drug like aspirin would be effective in reducing the size of such a clot.

Artificial muscle: Squid and zebrafish cells inspire camouflaging smart materials Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Researchers have created artificial muscles that can be transformed at the flick of a switch to mimic the remarkable camouflaging abilities of organisms such as squid and zebrafish. They demonstrated two individual transforming mechanisms that they believe could be used in 'smart clothing' to trigger camouflaging tricks similar to those seen in nature.

Sifting through Dust near Orion's Belt Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT A new image of the region surrounding the reflection nebula Messier 78, just to the north of Orion's Belt, shows clouds of cosmic dust threaded through the nebula like a string of pearls. The observations, made with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope[1], use the heat glow of interstellar dust grains to show astronomers where new stars are being formed.

Arctic sea-ice loss didn't happen by chance Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT The ongoing rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice is often interpreted as the canary in the mine for anthropogenic climate change. In a new study, scientists have now systematically examined the validity of this claim. They find that neither natural fluctuations nor self-acceleration can explain the observed Arctic sea-ice retreat. Instead, the recent evolution of Arctic sea ice shows a strong, physically plausible correlation with the increasing greenhouse gas concentration. For Antarctic sea ice, no such link is found – for a good reason.

Glycogen accumulation in neurons causes brain damage and shortens the lives of flies and mice Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Scientists have conclusive evidence about the harmful effects of the accumulation of glucose chains (glycogen) in fly and mouse neurons. These two animal models will allow scientists to address the genes involved in this harmful process and to find pharmacological solutions that allow disintegration of the accumulations or limitation of glycogen production.

Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Pioneering research has applications in both health and sports. The suit is designed to give wearers feedback about where their body is in space. It does this by focusing on key points in the body, taking relative measurements between them to check the user's position. This data, much more simple to acquire and treat in real time than more complex motion capture systems, is then used to give the wearer feedback in real time about their movement.

Biomimetic polymer synthesis enhances structure control Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT A new biomimetic approach to synthesising polymers will offer unprecedented control over the final polymer structure and yield advances in nanomedicine, researchers say.

Dry heat increases bark beetle bite Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT Climate change puts spruce forests at greater risk of bark beetle attacks.

Escape response of small fish tested using a supercomputer Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time succeeded in discovering the optimal escape response of fish using a supercomputer. The aim was to test whether the escape mechanism of small fish, developed in the course of evolution, is optimal for achieving the maximum escape distance in a short time.

Understanding inflammatory responses: A small cut with a big impact Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT During inflammation, controlled gene expression is necessary in order to allow the organism to mount an effective defense response. For this process, the protein ARTD1 is removed from the DNA. Veterinary biochemists and molecular biologists have now elucidated this previously unclear mechanism: ARTD1 is cut into two pieces by molecular scissors, which enhances gene expression. The results are groundbreaking for our understanding of inflammatory responses and the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs.

Biophysics: Order in chaos Posted: 02 May 2012 06:16 AM PDT Scientists have built a model to illustrate the process of skeletal muscle contraction. A combination of random protein movements and the elasticity inside muscles helps to maintain a steady force during skeletal muscle contraction.

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