ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Working mothers and the effects on children
• Breastfeeding may prevent asthma, research suggests
• Key to help women fight infections during pregnancy
• Eye gene colors butterfly wings red
• Scientists complete first mapping of molecule found in human embryonic stem cells
• Chance favors the concentration of wealth, study shows; New model isolates the effects of chance in an investment-based economy
• Chromosome number changes in yeast
• Computer simulations aid understanding of bacterial resistance against commonly used antibiotics
• Smartphone making your eyes tired? Images placed in front of the screen increase visual discomfort
• Multiple sclerosis research: Myelin influences how brain cells send signals
• Social media study: Conservatives were top tweeters in 2010 U.S. elections
• One in four gay or lesbian high school students are homeless, Massachusetts study finds
• Blue collar workers work longer and in worse health than their white collar bosses, study finds
• Adolescent boys among those most affected by Washington state parental military deployment, study suggests
• Optimism associated with lower risk of having stroke
• Vascular changes linked to dementia, experts say
• Liver, belly fat may identify high risks of heart disease in obese people
• Health-care reform must involve psychologists, medical providers, educate patients, expert says
• CARE positions disaster relief with promising discipline of humanitarian logistics
• Parasites help reveal new ecological rules: Animal species large and small follow same rule for how common they are in ecosystems
• Texas experts bring science and policy to hydraulic fracturing debate
• Ohio Supercomputer Center lifts land speed racer toward 400-mph goal
• Hot species for cool structures: Complex proteins in 3-D thanks to simple heat-loving fungus
• Butterfly study sheds light on convergent evolution: Single gene controls mimicry across different species
• Plan to end use of environmentally harmful chemicals on commercial crops developed
• Identical virus, host populations can prevail for centuries
• Gardening in the brain: Cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired
• Researchers identify seventh and eighth bases of DNA
• Link between competing phases in cuprates leads to new theory; Discovery in parent of one high-temperature superconductor may lead to predictive control
• Chemists create molecular polyhedron -- and potential to enhance industrial and consumer products
• Diamonds pinpoint start of colliding continents
• Chemists create molecular flasks: Researchers design a self-assembling material that can house other molecules
• Tevatron experiments close in on favored Higgs mass range
• Hepatitis B vaccination for health care students lags behind recommendations
• Hospital bacteria outbreak linked to nasal spray
• Paternity testing helps fill in family tree for Puget Sound's killer whales: Inbreeding could reduce whales' genetic diversity
• Hepatitis C is transmitted by unprotected sex between HIV-infected men: Ongoing epidemic in New York City in HIV-infected men
• Exoplanet aurora: An out-of-this-world sight
• Modified metals change color in the presence of particular gases
• Hemlock trees saved from woolly adelgid with 'forest fungus factory'
• Minority participants crucial to effective aging studies
• Elimination of US national kidney allocation policy improves minority access to transplants
• Grazing management effects on stream pollutants
• Proteins enable essential enzyme to maintain its grip on DNA
• Targeting toxin trafficking in plants and bacteria
• Workings of brain protein suggest therapies for inherited intellectual disability, autism
• With secondhand gene, house mice resist poison
• As agricultural riches waylay pollinators, an endangered tree suffers
• Skin sentry cells promote distinct immune responses
• 'Freaky mouse' defeats common poison: House mice found unexpected ways to evolve resistance, study shows
• Is anesthesia dangerous?
• Robots to check inside the innards of nuclear reactors
• Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market, experts say
• Stronger social safety net leads to decrease in stress, childhood obesity
• Chronic pain in homeless people not managed well, study finds; Almost half reported using street drugs to treat their pain
• Nanotechnology for water filter
• Fingerprinting fugitive dust: Tracking soil microbes back to their source
• A twisted ring in the Galactic Centre
• Detrimental weight loss: Scientists discover link between fat-cleaving enzymes and cancer-associated cachexia
• Scavenger cells accomplices to viruses

Working mothers and the effects on children Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:24 PM PDT Parents struggling to combine paid work with bringing up their children now have some positive news thanks to a new study on maternal employment and child socio-emotional behavior in the UK.

Breastfeeding may prevent asthma, research suggests Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:24 PM PDT Feeding a baby on only breast milk and for up to 6 months after birth can reduce their risk of developing asthma-related symptoms in early childhood, according to new research.

Key to help women fight infections during pregnancy Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT A normal but concerning consequence of pregnancy is the fact that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection. Researchers have now identified the underlying mechanisms for this physiologic immune suppression that may lead to new therapies to help ward off infections during pregnancy.

Eye gene colors butterfly wings red Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT One toxic butterfly species may mimic the wing pattern of another toxic species in the area. By using the same signal, they send a stronger message: DON'T EAT US! Now several research teams have discovered that Heliconius butterflies mimic each other's red wing patterns through changes in the same gene.

Scientists complete first mapping of molecule found in human embryonic stem cells Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT Stem cell researchers have generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells, and discovered that it is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active.

Chance favors the concentration of wealth, study shows; New model isolates the effects of chance in an investment-based economy Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT Most of our society's wealth is invested in businesses or other ventures that may or may not pan out. Thus, chance plays a role in where the wealth of a society will end up. But does chance favor the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, or does it tend to level the playing field?

Chromosome number changes in yeast Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT Researchers in Ireland have uncovered the evolutionary mechanisms that have caused increases or decreases in the numbers of chromosomes in a group of yeast species during the last 100-150 million years. The study offers an unprecedented view of chromosome complement (chromosome number) changes in a large group of related species.

Computer simulations aid understanding of bacterial resistance against commonly used antibiotics Posted: 21 Jul 2011 02:23 PM PDT A recent study into the interactions between aminoglycoside antibiotics and their target site in bacteria used computer simulations to elucidate this mechanism and thereby suggest drug modifications.

Smartphone making your eyes tired? Images placed in front of the screen increase visual discomfort Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT Several reports indicate that prolonged viewing of mobile devices and other stereo 3-D devices leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and even headaches. According to a new study, the root cause may be the demand on our eyes to focus on the screen and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content.

Multiple sclerosis research: Myelin influences how brain cells send signals Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT The development of a new cell-culture system that mimics how specific nerve cell fibers in the brain become coated with protective myelin opens up new avenues of research about multiple sclerosis. Initial findings suggest that myelin regulates a key protein involved in sending long-distance signals. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by damage to the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers. The cause remains unknown, and it is a chronic illness affecting the central nervous system that has no cure.

Social media study: Conservatives were top tweeters in 2010 U.S. elections Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT The results of a study on candidates' use of Twitter in the 2010 U.S. midterm elections suggest that Republicans and Tea Party members used the social medium more effectively than their Democratic rivals.

One in four gay or lesbian high school students are homeless, Massachusetts study finds Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT Roughly one in four lesbian or gay teens and 15 percent of bisexual teens are homeless, versus 3 percent of exclusively heterosexual teens, finds a study of more than 6,300 Massachusetts public high school students. Moreover, among teens who were homeless, those who were gay, lesbian or bisexual were consistently more likely than heterosexuals to be on their own, unaccompanied by a parent or guardian.

Blue collar workers work longer and in worse health than their white collar bosses, study finds Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT Researchers looked at aging, social class and labor force participation rates to illustrate the challenges that lower income workers face in the global marketplace using the burden of arthritis to examine these connections. The researchers found that blue collar workers are much more likely to work past 65 than white collar workers and are much more likely to suffer from conditions like arthritis, reducing their quality of life and work productivity.

Adolescent boys among those most affected by Washington state parental military deployment, study suggests Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT In 2007, nearly two million children in the United States had at least one parent serving in the military. Military families and children, in particular, suffer from mental health problems related to long deployments. A new study suggests that parental military deployment is associated with impaired well-being among adolescents, especially adolescent boys.

Optimism associated with lower risk of having stroke Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT A large-scale observational study shows that optimism is associated with lower risk of stroke. On a 16-point scale, each point increase in optimism correlated with a 9 percent reduction in stroke risk. This study adds to the increasing body of research on the health benefits of optimism.

Vascular changes linked to dementia, experts say Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT High blood pressure is related to the development of age-related vascular cognitive impairment, according to a new American Heart Association/American Stroke Association scientific statement. Maintaining a healthy heart may also maintain a healthy functioning brain. Screening elderly patients for heart and stroke risk factors may also identify those at risk of dementia.

Liver, belly fat may identify high risks of heart disease in obese people Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT Increased liver fat and abdominal fat may increase risk of heart disease and other serious health problems, according to researchers. Measuring liver and belly fat may identify obese people at risk of developing abnormal cholesterol. For some obese people, fat is not metabolically detrimental.

Health-care reform must involve psychologists, medical providers, educate patients, expert says Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT For health-care reform in the United States to be successful, one public health expert has determined that professional associations for psychologists and other medical providers need to be at the forefront of the planning stages, and that everyone, including providers and patients, will need to be educated on rights and responsibilities.

CARE positions disaster relief with promising discipline of humanitarian logistics Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Operations research models developed by a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology helped CARE International pick three locations worldwide to supply relief quickly to victims of earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, according to a new paper.

Parasites help reveal new ecological rules: Animal species large and small follow same rule for how common they are in ecosystems Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:04 PM PDT Scientists say new research is expected to profoundly affect the field of ecology and can assist the management of ecosystems, including forests, lakes, and oceans. And it's all because of parasites.

Texas experts bring science and policy to hydraulic fracturing debate Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:04 PM PDT Innovative and interdisciplinary research by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin is helping to improve the safety and efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, identify issues that need to be corrected and untangle the knowns and unknowns of a process that is expected to constitute perhaps half of the nation's total natural gas supplies in coming years.

Ohio Supercomputer Center lifts land speed racer toward 400-mph goal Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:04 PM PDT A team of engineering students at the Ohio State University's Center for Automotive Research recently began running aerodynamics simulations at the Ohio Supercomputer Center, one of the first steps in the long and careful process of researching, designing, building and racing the fourth iteration of their record-breaking, alternative-fuel streamliner. In partnership with Venturi and A123 Systems, the team began the development process for a completely re-engineered test vehicle designed to break the 400-mph mark.

Hot species for cool structures: Complex proteins in 3-D thanks to simple heat-loving fungus Posted: 21 Jul 2011 12:04 PM PDT A fungus that lives at extremely high temperatures could help understand structures within our own cells. Scientists in Europe were the first to sequence and analyze the genome of a heat-loving fungus, and used that information to determine the long sought 3-D structure of the inner ring of the nuclear pore.

Butterfly study sheds light on convergent evolution: Single gene controls mimicry across different species Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT For 150 years scientists have been trying to explain convergent evolution. One of the best-known examples of this is how poisonous butterflies from different species evolve to mimic each other's color patterns -- in effect joining forces to warn predators, "Don't eat us," while spreading the cost of this lesson. New research has solved part of the mystery by identifying a single gene called optix responsible for red wing color patterns in a wide variety of passion vine butterfly species.

Plan to end use of environmentally harmful chemicals on commercial crops developed Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT Researchers in Alberta, Canada, have published a step-by-step plan to end the use of environmentally harmful chemicals on commercial crops by developing plants that produce their own fertilizer.

Identical virus, host populations can prevail for centuries Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT A scientist, analyzing ancient plankton DNA signatures in sediments of the Black Sea, has found for the first time that the same genetic populations of a virus and its algal host can persist and coexist for centuries. The findings have implications for the ecological significance of viruses in shaping algae ecosystems in the ocean, and perhaps fresh water as well.

Gardening in the brain: Cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT Gardeners know that some trees require regular pruning: some of their branches have to be cut so that others can grow stronger. The same is true of the developing brain: cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired, scientists have discovered. The findings could one day help understand neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Researchers identify seventh and eighth bases of DNA Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT For decades, scientists have known that DNA consists of four basic units -- adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine. Those four bases have been taught in science textbooks and have formed the basis of the growing knowledge regarding how genes code for life. Yet in recent history, scientists have expanded that list from four to six. Now, researchers have discovered the seventh and eighth bases of DNA.

Link between competing phases in cuprates leads to new theory; Discovery in parent of one high-temperature superconductor may lead to predictive control Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT A team of scientists studying the parent compound of a cuprate (copper-oxide) superconductor has discovered a link between two different states, or phases, of that matter -- and written a mathematical theory to describe the relationship. This work will help scientists predict the material's behavior under varying conditions, and may help explain how it's transformed into a superconductor able to carry current with no energy loss.

Chemists create molecular polyhedron -- and potential to enhance industrial and consumer products Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT Chemists have created a molecular polyhedron, a ground-breaking assembly that has the potential to impact a range of industrial and consumer products, including magnetic and optical materials.

Diamonds pinpoint start of colliding continents Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT Jewelers abhor diamond impurities, but they are a bonanza for scientists. Safely encased in the super-hard diamond, impurities are unaltered, ancient minerals that can tell the story of Earth's distant past. Researchers analyzed data from the literature of over 4,000 of these mineral inclusions to find that continents started the cycle of breaking apart, drifting, and colliding about 3 billion years ago. The research pinpoints when this so-called Wilson cycle began.

Chemists create molecular flasks: Researchers design a self-assembling material that can house other molecules Posted: 21 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT Recently, researchers at New York University demonstrated an ability to make new materials with empty space on the inside, which could potentially control desired and unwanted chemical reactions.

Tevatron experiments close in on favored Higgs mass range Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:42 AM PDT Experiments at the Department of Energy's Fermilab are close to reaching the critical sensitivity that is necessary to look for the existence of a light Higgs particle. Scientists from both the CDF and DZero collider experiments at Fermilab will present their new Higgs search results at the EPS High-Energy Physics conference, held in Grenoble, France, from July 21-27.

Hepatitis B vaccination for health care students lags behind recommendations Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:37 AM PDT A new study suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for health care students may fall short of current recommendations.

Hospital bacteria outbreak linked to nasal spray Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:12 AM PDT Infection control researchers investigating a rare bacterial outbreak of Burholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) identified contaminated nasal spray as the root cause of the infections, leading to a national recall of the product. A new article describes how researchers were able to trace the outbreak back to the nasal decongestant spray.

Paternity testing helps fill in family tree for Puget Sound's killer whales: Inbreeding could reduce whales' genetic diversity Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:12 AM PDT Scientists using DNA testing to fill in a missing link in the lives of killer whales that seasonally visit Washington's Puget Sound, have discovered that some of the progeny they studied were the result of matings within the same social subgroups, or pods, that are part of the overall population.

Hepatitis C is transmitted by unprotected sex between HIV-infected men: Ongoing epidemic in New York City in HIV-infected men Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:12 AM PDT Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered rare. But a new study provides substantial evidence that men with HIV who have sex with other men are at increased risk for contracting HCV through sex.

Exoplanet aurora: An out-of-this-world sight Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:12 AM PDT Earth's aurorae, or Northern and Southern Lights, provide a dazzling light show to people living in the polar regions. Shimmering curtains of green and red undulate across the sky like a living thing. New research shows that aurorae on distant "hot Jupiters" could be 100-1000 times brighter than Earthly aurorae. They also would ripple from equator to poles (due to the planet's proximity to any stellar eruptions), treating the entire planet to an otherworldly spectacle.

Modified metals change color in the presence of particular gases Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:11 AM PDT Modified metals that change color in the presence of particular gases could warn consumers if packaged food has been exposed to air or if there's a carbon monoxide leak at home.

Hemlock trees saved from woolly adelgid with 'forest fungus factory' Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:11 AM PDT Hemlock woolly adelgid has devastated hemlock forests from Georgia to Maine. Now a scientist has developed a treatment called a "fungal microfactory." In infested trees, a sprayed-on fungus mixture brought down populations of adelgid, while in adjacent control trees, that were not treated, the pest population tripled. This approach, using low-cost sweet whey as a growth medium, seems likely to provide cost-effective, long-term protection for hemlock trees.

Minority participants crucial to effective aging studies Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:11 AM PDT A new article urges aging researchers to include representative samples of ethnically diverse populations in their work. The publication also identifies research priorities for moving the science of recruitment and retention forward, in addition to providing several strategies that scholars can employ in their work. The US Census Bureau predicts that non-white minorities will make up 42 percent of the country's 65-and-over population by 2050.

Elimination of US national kidney allocation policy improves minority access to transplants Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT A new study reveals that since the elimination of the kidney allocation priority for matching for HLA-B on May 7, 2003, access to kidney transplantation for minorities has been improved. Improvement is a result of a policy that reduced the requirements for tissue matching.

Grazing management effects on stream pollutants Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Research conducted on the water quality of pasture streams suggests that grazing management techniques can have substantial impacts on the levels of stream pollutants.

Proteins enable essential enzyme to maintain its grip on DNA Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Scientists have identified a family of proteins that close a critical gap in an enzyme that is essential to all life, allowing the enzyme to maintain its grip on DNA and start the activation of genes. The enzyme, called RNA polymerase, is responsible for setting gene expression in motion in all cells. RNA polymerase wraps itself around the double helix of DNA, using one strand to match nucleotides and make a copy of genetic material.

Targeting toxin trafficking in plants and bacteria Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Toxins produced by plants and bacteria pose a significant threat to humans, as emphasized by the recent effects of cucumber-borne Shiga toxin in Germany. Now, new research provides a clearer view of the combination of similar and divergent strategies that different toxins use to invade a human host cell.

Workings of brain protein suggest therapies for inherited intellectual disability, autism Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Researchers now have a much clearer understanding of how mutations in a single gene can produce the complex cognitive deficits characteristic of Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. As the majority of patients with Fragile X Syndrome also display autism-like symptoms, the findings offer hope for treating both conditions.

With secondhand gene, house mice resist poison Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Since the 1950s, people have tried to limit the numbers of mice and rats using a poison known as warfarin. But, over the course of evolution, those pesky rodents have found a way to make a comeback, resisting that chemical via changes to a gene involved in vitamin K recycling and blood clotting. Now, researchers show that European mice have in some cases acquired that resistance gene in a rather unorthodox way: they got it secondhand from an Algerian mouse.

As agricultural riches waylay pollinators, an endangered tree suffers Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT For the conservation of species, hostile territory might sometimes have its advantages. That's according to a study of pollen flow among trees found only in remnant patches of native Chilean forest. The data show that the pollinators those rare trees rely on can be waylaid by the abundance of resources found in agricultural lands. As a result, trees growing in native forest patches are more likely to mate successfully when separated by resource-poor pine plantations than by those more attractive farmlands.

Skin sentry cells promote distinct immune responses Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT A new study reveals that just as different soldiers in the field have different jobs, subsets of a type of immune cell that polices the barriers of the body can promote unique and opposite immune responses against the same type of infection. The research enhances our understanding of the early stages of the immune response and may have important implications for vaccinations and treatment of autoimmune diseases.

'Freaky mouse' defeats common poison: House mice found unexpected ways to evolve resistance, study shows Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT Researchers have discovered common house mice found two distinct ways to evolve resistance to warfarin-based rodent poisons.

Is anesthesia dangerous? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT In pure numerical terms, anesthesia-associated mortality has risen again. The reasons for this are the disproportionate increase in the numbers of older and multimorbid patients and surgical procedures that would have been unthinkable in the past, according to new research.

Robots to check inside the innards of nuclear reactors Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Scientists have develop robots equipped with cameras that can navigate the underground pipes of a nuclear reactor to check for corrosion by propelling themselves with internal networks of valves and pumps.

Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market, experts say Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Researchers argue that regulatory innovations are needed to keep pace with technological innovations in the biofuels industry.

Stronger social safety net leads to decrease in stress, childhood obesity Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Social safety net programs that reduce psychosocial stressors for low-income families also ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity, according to new research.

Chronic pain in homeless people not managed well, study finds; Almost half reported using street drugs to treat their pain Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Chronic pain is not managed well in the general population and it's an even greater challenge for homeless people, according to new research.

Nanotechnology for water filter Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Nanotechnology has developed tremendously in the past decade and was able to create many new materials with a vast range of potential applications. Carbon nanotubes possess exceptional electronic, mechanical and chemical properties, for example they can be used to clean polluted water.

Fingerprinting fugitive dust: Tracking soil microbes back to their source Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:26 AM PDT Each community of soil microbes has a unique fingerprint that can potentially be used to track soil back to its source, right down to whether it came from dust from a rural road or from a farm field, according to a soil scientist.

A twisted ring in the Galactic Centre Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:21 AM PDT Astronomers have observed unprecedented views of a ring in the center of our Milky Way galaxy with the Herschel Space Observatory.

Detrimental weight loss: Scientists discover link between fat-cleaving enzymes and cancer-associated cachexia Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:20 AM PDT Scientists in Austria have now directly linked lipid metabolism and cancer-associated cachexia. The researchers report that mice deficient in the lipid degrading enzyme adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) are fully protected against cancer-associated cachexia.

Scavenger cells accomplices to viruses Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:20 AM PDT Mucosal epithelia are well-protected against pathogenic germs. However, individual viruses, such as the HI virus, still manage to enter the body via the mucous membrane somehow. Cell biologists have now identified a new infection mechanism, demonstrating that the viruses use the body's own scavenger cells for the infection. The new findings are important for cancer-gene therapy and the development of anti-viral medication.

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