ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Lichen can survive in space: Space station research sheds light on origin of life; potential for better sunscreens
• Pasta made from green banana flour a tasty alternative for gluten-free diets
• Predicting treatment response in central nervous system diseases: Simple way of avoiding dangerous side effects?
• Is arm length the reason women need reading glasses sooner than men?
• Declining testosterone levels in men not part of normal aging
• Long-term testosterone treatment for men results in reduced weight and waist size
• Mild thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy linked to serious complications
• Bringing down the cost of microbial fuel cells
• Zebrafish research shows how dietary fat regulates cholesterol absorption
• Another reason why dads and hopeful dads should quit smoking now
• 'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorder
• Novel animal reservoir for group of tick-borne diseases discovered -- and it lives in your backyard
• Foundational concept of ecology tested: Purple loosestrife altered life in nearby ponds
• Forgotten star cluster now found useful in studies of Sun and hunt for Earth-like planets
• Is your leaf left-handed?
• New technique allows simulation of noncrystalline materials
• Rio+20 Summit: Earth observation for us and our planet
• Infection biology: The elusive third factor
• Grb2 holds powerful molecular signaling pathway in check
• South African daffodils may be a future treatment for depression
• Stonehenge was monument marking unification of Britain
• First paternity study of southern right whales finds local fathers most successful
• Information flow in the brain is not a 'one-way street'
• New approach to diagnosing and treating dementia
• The blue blood of the emperor scorpion X-rayed
• Birds can recognize people's faces and know their voices
• Put a cork in it: Research details quiet composite material
• Most commonly mutated gene in cancer may have a role in stroke
• Parents' work-life stress hinders healthy eating
• Pregnant women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy, experts say
• The biology of tumor-derived microvesicles
• Greater Los Angeles to heat up an average 4 to 5 degrees by mid-century
• New evidence in fructose debate: Could it be healthy for us?

Lichen can survive in space: Space station research sheds light on origin of life; potential for better sunscreens Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:56 AM PDT You can freeze it, thaw it, vacuum dry it and expose it to radiation, but still life survives. Research on the International Space Station is giving credibility to theories that life came from outer space -- as well as helping to create better sunscreens.

Pasta made from green banana flour a tasty alternative for gluten-free diets Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:51 AM PDT People with celiac disease struggle with limited food choices, as their condition makes them unable to tolerate gluten, found in wheat and other grains. Researchers have now developed a gluten-free pasta product from green banana flour, which tasters found more acceptable than regular whole wheat pasta. The product has less fat and is cheaper to produce than standard pastas.

Predicting treatment response in central nervous system diseases: Simple way of avoiding dangerous side effects? Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:51 AM PDT The commonly-used epilepsy drug, valproic acid (VPA), can have a highly beneficial effect on some babies born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer during early infancy. But in about two-thirds of such cases it is either damaging or simply has no effect. Now, for the first time, researchers have found a way to identify which patients are likely to respond well to VPA prior to starting treatment. Their results have major implications, not just for SMA patients, but for other conditions treated with the drug such as migraine and epilepsy, and may even provide the conditions for turning VPA non-responders into responders, the researchers say.

Is arm length the reason women need reading glasses sooner than men? Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:49 AM PDT Studies have consistently reported that women require reading glasses or bifocal lenses earlier than men. According to a recent article, the gender difference is caused by factors other than focusing ability, such as arm length or preferred reading distance, which should be considered when prescribing readers or bifocals.

Declining testosterone levels in men not part of normal aging Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:49 AM PDT A new study finds that a drop in testosterone levels over time is more likely to result from a man's behavioral and health changes than by aging.

Long-term testosterone treatment for men results in reduced weight and waist size Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:49 AM PDT In testosterone-deficient men, major weight loss was an added benefit of testosterone replacement therapy for most of the patients who participated in a new study.

Mild thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy linked to serious complications Posted: 23 Jun 2012 11:49 AM PDT Even moderate thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy significantly increases the risk of serious complications, underscoring the need for universal screening in the first trimester, a new study finds.

Bringing down the cost of microbial fuel cells Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:44 AM PDT A new catalyst material could dramatically reduce the cost of producing microbial fuel cells.

Zebrafish research shows how dietary fat regulates cholesterol absorption Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:44 AM PDT New research suggests there may be a biological reason why fatty and cholesterol-rich foods, like buttery shrimp, fried eggs and burgers and fries are so appealing together. Researchers are using zebrafish to better understand the cellular mechanisms of cholesterol processing and have discovered a surprising link between dietary fat and cholesterol absorption.

Another reason why dads and hopeful dads should quit smoking now Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:44 AM PDT If your father smoked, your genes are likely damaged, and your odds for diseases increased. A new report shows that men who smoke before conception can damage the genes of their offspring. These inherited changes in DNA could render developing offspring susceptible to later diseases, providing evidence for quitting smoking before trying to conceive.

'Trust' hormone oxytocin found at heart of rare genetic disorder Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:44 AM PDT The hormone oxytocin -- often referred to as the "trust" hormone for its role in stimulating emotional responses -- plays an important role in Williams syndrome, according to a new study.

Novel animal reservoir for group of tick-borne diseases discovered -- and it lives in your backyard Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:44 AM PDT A new assay that uses mitochondrial DNA that mutates faster than nuclear DNA has allowed scientists to identify one of the major animal reservoirs for the ehlichioses, STARI and other tick-borne diseases in the southeastern United States. The animal turned out to be the eastern gray squirrel.

Foundational concept of ecology tested: Purple loosestrife altered life in nearby ponds Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT How strong are the links in food webs? An experiment demonstrates that they're strong enough for a disturbance to propagate across four trophic levels and two ecosystems. The experiment demonstrates that invasive species such as purple loosestrife could have broad effects on surrounding plant and animal communities, many of them cryptic.

Forgotten star cluster now found useful in studies of Sun and hunt for Earth-like planets Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT A loose group of stars, known for over 180 years but never before studied in detail, has been revealed to be an important new tool in the quest to understand the evolution of stars like the Sun, and in the search for planets like Earth. The star cluster holds great promise for use as a standard gauge in fundamental stellar astrophysics.

Is your leaf left-handed? Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT The spiral pattern of leaf formation from the point of growth affects the developing leaf's exposure to the plant hormone auxin; This exposure leads to measurable left-right asymmetry in leaf development, in species previously assumed to have symmetric leaves.

New technique allows simulation of noncrystalline materials Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT Scientists have found a new mathematical approach to simulating the electronic behavior of noncrystalline materials, which may eventually play an important part in new devices including solar cells, organic LED lights and printable, flexible electronic circuits.

Rio+20 Summit: Earth observation for us and our planet Posted: 23 Jun 2012 06:43 AM PDT The Rio+20 summit on promoting jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable use of our planet's resources closed today after three days of talks. During the summit, the role of Earth observation in sustainable development was highlighted.

Infection biology: The elusive third factor Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:39 PM PDT Researchers have identified an enzyme that is involved in a modification pathway that is essential for bacterial pathogenicity. Because it shows no similarity to other known proteins, it may be an ideal target for development of novel antimicrobial drugs.

Grb2 holds powerful molecular signaling pathway in check Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:38 PM PDT Once considered merely a passive link between proteins that matter, Grb2 - pronounced "grab2" - actually lives up to its nickname with its controlling grip on an important cell signaling pathway, scientists report.

South African daffodils may be a future treatment for depression Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:37 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that plant compounds from a South African flower may in time be used to treat diseases originating in the brain – including depression. A number of these substances have now been tested in a laboratory model of the blood-brain barrier.

Stonehenge was monument marking unification of Britain Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:37 PM PDT After 10 years of archaeological investigations, researchers have concluded that Stonehenge was built as a monument to unify the peoples of Britain, after a long period of conflict and regional difference between eastern and western Britain.

First paternity study of southern right whales finds local fathers most successful Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:37 PM PDT The first paternity study of southern right whales has found a surprisingly high level of local breeding success for males, scientists say, which is good news for the overall genetic diversity of the species, but could create risk for local populations through in-breeding.

Information flow in the brain is not a 'one-way street' Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:35 PM PDT Neuroscientists have discovered a new principle of information flow in nerve cells.

New approach to diagnosing and treating dementia Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:35 PM PDT Some dementia patients show symptoms of a malfunctioning immune system. New research shows that immune reactions against the body's own nerve cells can be the cause of advanced dementia and an appropriate immune suppressive therapy can develop with significant effectiveness.

The blue blood of the emperor scorpion X-rayed Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT Biologists have successfully crystallized the hemocyanin of the emperor scorpion to shed new light on the structure and active site of the giant oxygen transport protein.

Birds can recognize people's faces and know their voices Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT New research suggests that some birds may know who their human friends are, as they are able to recognize people's faces and differentiate between human voices.

Put a cork in it: Research details quiet composite material Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:29 PM PDT Cork, known for such low-tech applications as wine bottle stoppers and bulletin boards, now shows promise as the core material in composites used in high-tech automotive, aircraft and energy applications.

Most commonly mutated gene in cancer may have a role in stroke Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:28 PM PDT The gene p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. p53 is dubbed the "guardian of the genome" because it blocks cells with damaged DNA from propagating and eventually becoming cancerous. However, new research uncovers a novel role for p53 beyond cancer in the development of ischemic stroke. The research team identified an unexpected critical function of p53 in activating necrosis, an irreversible form of tissue death, triggered during oxidative stress and ischemia.

Parents' work-life stress hinders healthy eating Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:28 PM PDT These days many parents are working harder than ever to support their families, and as a result, nutrition in the home suffers, according to a new study.

Pregnant women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy, experts say Posted: 22 Jun 2012 01:28 PM PDT Experts disagree with a series of new studies from Denmark that suggest consumption of up to 8 alcoholic drinks a week or occasional binge drinking during pregnancy is generally safe for the developing baby.

The biology of tumor-derived microvesicles Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:59 PM PDT A new article discusses the biology of tumor-derived microvesicles and their clinical application as circulating biomarkers. Microvesicles are membrane-bound sacs released by tumor cells and can be detected in the body fluids of cancer patients.

Greater Los Angeles to heat up an average 4 to 5 degrees by mid-century Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:59 PM PDT A new study shows climate change will cause temperatures in the Los Angeles region to rise an average of 4-5 degrees by midcentury, tripling the number of extremely hot days in downtown L.A., and quadrupling them in the valleys and high elevations.

New evidence in fructose debate: Could it be healthy for us? Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:57 PM PDT A new study suggests that fructose may not be as bad for us as previously thought and that it may even provide some benefit.

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