ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Drug shown to improve sight for patients with inherited blindness
• Global depression statistics
• Mitochondria share an ancestor with SAR11, a globally significant marine microbe
• Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas
• Trend in young adults' dating habits, committed relationships may not lead to marriage
• Important risk factors for death/transplantation in children with heart muscle disease identified
• Studies evaluate programs to transition care of patients after hospital discharge
• Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional farming
• What is war good for? Sparking civilization, suggest archaeology findings from Peru
• Cancer-causing mineral found in U.S. road gravel: Erionite in roads may increase risk of mesothelioma
• New data-based strategies and treatment models can improve diabetes care for older African-Americans
• Evolution of human generosity
• Test measuring blood glucose control may help predict risk of CVD events in patients with diabetes
• Antibiotic appears more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing urinary tract infections
• Heart disease prevention: A good investment for individuals, communities
• Retinal cells thoughts to be the same are not, biologist says
• Global bioterrorism threat analyzed for world animal health office
• Making biological images sharper, deeper and faster
• New software protects water utilities from terrorist attacks and contaminants
• Screening for pancreatic cancer in high-risk populations
• One tiny electron could be key to furture drugs that repair sunburn
• Climate-change-induced wildfires may alter Yellowstone forests
• New pathway to potential therapies for advanced prostate cancer
• Warming climate likely to dramatically increase Yellowstone fires by mid-century
• Climate change to increase Yellowstone wildfires dramatically
• Interrupted sleep impairs memory in mice
• Scientists discover potential stroke treatment that may extend time to prevent brain damage
• Biofuels: Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars
• Exercise has numerous beneficial effects on brain health and cognition, review suggests
• Specialized regulatory T cell stifles antibody production centers: Discovery has potential implications for cancer, autoimmune disease
• Underwater video camera opens window into the behavior of jellyfish
• Turtles next to lizards on family tree, discovery based on microRNAs shows
• How to tell real whiskey from fake, faster
• Harmful effects of hypothyroidism on maternal and fetal health drive new guidelines for managing thyroid disease in pregnancy
• Gray Platelet Syndrome: Elusive gene that makes platelets gray identified
• Predictors of dying suddenly versus surviving heart attack identified
• Pacific Northwest trees struggle for water while standing in it
• Artificial lung mimics real organ's design and efficiency: Small device works with air, pure oxygen not needed
• Rare coupling of magnetic and electric properties in a single material: New multiferroic mechanism could lead to next-generation memory and sensing devices
• Hiding vegetables in kids' foods can increase vegetable intake
• Saving fuel while plowing
• In-state tuition for undocumented students not a partisan issue, study finds
• Accident protection device for small cars
• Startling new truth about sugar
• Detailed picture of ice loss following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves
• Animal species large and small follow same rule for how common they are in ecosystems
• Pregnancy hormone has unprecedented, powerful effect on spinal muscular atrophy
• Risk factor pathways for post-traumatic stress symptomatology in female and male veterans
• Sexual anxiety, personality predictors of infidelity, study says
• Clinical trial of molecular therapy for muscular dystrophy yields significant positive results
• In pregnancy, diabetes-obesity combo a major red flag
• Comprehensive immigrant and refugee health guidelines new resource for Canadian physicians
• Diabetes mortality rates in status Aboriginal adults in Alberta, Canada concerning
• Treating HIV sooner would save South African lives and money
• Newly discovered gene sheds light on the evolution of life on Earth
• Shuttle service in cells
• Heavy metal: Titanium implant safety under scrutiny
• New strategy to uncover structural variations of human genomes
• Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds
• Changes in attention and visual perception are correlated with aging: Older people find it harder to see the wood for the trees

Drug shown to improve sight for patients with inherited blindness Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:22 PM PDT A condition which robs patients of their sight has for the first time been reversed with a drug, giving some people legally certified as blind, useful vision to improve everyday life.

Global depression statistics Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:22 PM PDT Depression affects 121 million people worldwide. It can affect a person's ability to work, form relationships, and destroy their quality of life. At its most severe depression can lead to suicide and is responsible for 850,000 deaths every year. New research compares social conditions with depression in 18 countries across the world.

Mitochondria share an ancestor with SAR11, a globally significant marine microbe Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT A recent study provides strong evidence that mitochondria share a common evolutionary ancestor with a lineage of marine bacteria known as SAR11, arguably the most abundant group of microorganisms on Earth.

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Scientists have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion.

Trend in young adults' dating habits, committed relationships may not lead to marriage Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Changes in relationship formation and dissolution in the past 50 years have revealed new patterns in romantic relations among young adults. The US Census indicates that young people are choosing to marry later and cohabitating more often than past generations. Now, a researcher has found that people in their 20s are redefining dating by engaging in "stayover relationships," spending three or more nights together each week while maintaining the option of going to their own homes.

Important risk factors for death/transplantation in children with heart muscle disease identified Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified important risk factors for death and transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), according to new results.

Studies evaluate programs to transition care of patients after hospital discharge Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT Programs designed to help transition care for hospitalized older patients to outside health care clinicians and settings are associated with reduced rates of hospital readmissions, according to two new reports.

Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional farming Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Farmers can still see yields of more than 200 bushels per acre while using cover crops to protect the soil, improve water quality and capture carbon in the soil, according to new research.

What is war good for? Sparking civilization, suggest archaeology findings from Peru Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Raiding, triggered by political conflict in the 5th century BC, likely shaped the development of the first settlement that would classify as a civilization in the Titicaca basin in southern Peru, suggests a new study.

Cancer-causing mineral found in U.S. road gravel: Erionite in roads may increase risk of mesothelioma Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Vehicles traveling along gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota stir up clouds of dust containing high levels of the mineral erionite. Those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, new research shows. Erionite shares similar physical similarities with asbestos and when airborne, its fibers can lodge in people's lungs. Over time, the embedded fibers can lead to mesothelioma, a lung cancer most often associated with asbestos.

New data-based strategies and treatment models can improve diabetes care for older African-Americans Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Better data are needed to evaluate access to care by minority groups at increased risk for diabetes, such as older African-Americans, and to assess the benefits of new community-based treatment strategies, including greater use of health information technology and access to multilevel diabetes education teams, according to a new report.

Evolution of human generosity Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Imagine you're dining at a restaurant in a city you're visiting for the first -- and, most likely the last -- time. Chances are slim to none that you'll ever see your server again, so if you wanted to shave a few dollars off your tab by not leaving a tip, you could do so. And yet, if you're like most people, you will leave the tip anyway, and not give it another thought.

Test measuring blood glucose control may help predict risk of CVD events in patients with diabetes Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Measuring hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels in patients with diabetes is associated with improvement in models for predicting risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new report.

Antibiotic appears more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing urinary tract infections Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT In premenopausal women who have repeated urinary tract infections, the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole appeared more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing recurrent infections, at the risk of contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to a new report.

Heart disease prevention: A good investment for individuals, communities Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT Preventing heart disease before it starts is a good long-term investment in the health of our nation. Research demonstrates the most impactful way to improve health is through community-based environmental and policy changes that make it easier and cheaper to follow a healthy lifestyle. Individuals, communities and policy-makers share the responsibility for preventing heart disease.

Retinal cells thoughts to be the same are not, biologist says Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:29 PM PDT Light-sensing cells in the eye that were thought to be identical and responsible for both setting the body's circadian rhythm and the pupil's reaction to light and darkness are actually two different cells, each responsible for one of those tasks.

Global bioterrorism threat analyzed for world animal health office Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:29 PM PDT Around the globe, many nations are realizing that the potential for bioterrorism isn't just about the US, officials say. And because an intentional introduction of bacteria, a virus or a toxin could happen anywhere, scientists are working hard at prevention.

Making biological images sharper, deeper and faster Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:29 PM PDT For modern biologists, the ability to capture high-quality, three-dimensional (3-D) images of living tissues or organisms over time is necessary to answer problems in areas ranging from genomics to neurobiology and developmental biology. Looking to improve upon current methods of imaging, researchers have developed a novel approach that could redefine optical imaging of live biological samples by simultaneously achieving high resolution, high penetration depth, and high imaging speed.

New software protects water utilities from terrorist attacks and contaminants Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:29 PM PDT Americans are used to drinking from the kitchen tap without fear of harm, even though water utilities might be vulnerable to terrorist attacks or natural contaminants. Now, thanks to new open-source software -- public water systems can be protected through enhanced detection of such threats.

Screening for pancreatic cancer in high-risk populations Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Researchers report in a new study that using a tumor marker, serum CA 19-9, combined with an endoscopic ultrasound if the tumor marker is elevated, is more likely to detect stage 1 pancreatic cancer in a high-risk population than by using the standard means of detection.

One tiny electron could be key to furture drugs that repair sunburn Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Researchers who have been working for nearly a decade to piece together the process by which an enzyme repairs sun-damaged DNA have finally witnessed the entire process in full detail in the laboratory. What they saw contradicts fundamental notions of how key biological molecules break up during the repair of sunburn -- and that knowledge could someday lead to drugs or even lotions that could heal sunburn in humans.

Climate-change-induced wildfires may alter Yellowstone forests Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem will increase the frequency of wildfires and alter the composition of the forests by 2050, according to a team of ecologists who modeled the effects of higher temperatures on fire occurrence.

New pathway to potential therapies for advanced prostate cancer Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Researchers have narrowed the potential drug targets for advanced prostate cancer by demonstrating that late-stage tumors are driven by a different hormonal pathway than was thought previously.

Warming climate likely to dramatically increase Yellowstone fires by mid-century Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT Climate is changing fire patterns in the west in a way that could markedly change the face of Yellowstone National Park, according to new research.

Climate change to increase Yellowstone wildfires dramatically Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT An increase in wildfires due to climate change could rapidly and profoundly alter the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to a new study. The study suggests that rising temperatures caused by climate change could increase the frequency of large wildfires in Yellowstone to an unprecedented level, causing a major shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with fewer dense forests and more open woodland, grass and shrub vegetation.

Interrupted sleep impairs memory in mice Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT With the novel use of a technique that uses light to control brain cells, researchers have shown that fragmented sleep causes memory impairment in mice.

Scientists discover potential stroke treatment that may extend time to prevent brain damage Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT A naturally occurring substance shrank the size of stroke-induced lesions in the brains of experimental mice -- even when administered as much as 12 hours after the event, researchers have shown.

Biofuels: Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:28 PM PDT For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters.

Exercise has numerous beneficial effects on brain health and cognition, review suggests Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:26 AM PDT A new article highlights the results of more than a hundred recent human and animal studies on how aerobic exercise and strength training play a vital role in maintaining brain and cognitive health throughout life. Researchers also suggest questions remain in the field of exercise neuroscience -- including how exercise influences brain physiology and function and the relationship between human and animal studies.

Specialized regulatory T cell stifles antibody production centers: Discovery has potential implications for cancer, autoimmune disease Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:26 AM PDT A regulatory T cell that expresses three specific genes shuts down the mass production of antibodies launched by the immune system to attack invaders, scientists have reported.

Underwater video camera opens window into the behavior of jellyfish Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:26 AM PDT Researchers are testing a new underwater video camera system that will allow scientists to study the propulsion and behavior of jellies in their natural habitat.

Turtles next to lizards on family tree, discovery based on microRNAs shows Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT For decades, paleontologists and molecular biologists have disagreed about whether turtles are more closely related to birds and crocodiles or to lizards. Now scientists have developed a new technique using microRNAs for classifying animals, and the secret is out. Turtles are closer kin to lizards than crocodiles.

How to tell real whiskey from fake, faster Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT Methods for distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit Scotch whiskey brands have now been devised by scientists.

Harmful effects of hypothyroidism on maternal and fetal health drive new guidelines for managing thyroid disease in pregnancy Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT Emerging data clarifying the risks of insufficient thyroid activity during pregnancy on the health of the mother and fetus, and on the future intellectual development of the child, have led to new clinical guidelines for diagnosing and managing thyroid disease during this critical period.

Gray Platelet Syndrome: Elusive gene that makes platelets gray identified Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT Researchers have identified an elusive gene responsible for Gray Platelet Syndrome, an extremely rare blood disorder in which only about 50 known cases have been reported. As a result, it is hoped that future cases will be easier to diagnose with a DNA test.

Predictors of dying suddenly versus surviving heart attack identified Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT While there are many traits that are common among heart attack patients -- both those who survive the event and those who die suddenly -- researchers have identified several traits that can be used to differentiate between risk of dying suddenly versus living through a heart attack.

Pacific Northwest trees struggle for water while standing in it Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT Contrary to expectations, researchers have discovered that the conifers of the Pacific Northwest, some of the tallest trees in the world, face their greatest water stress during the region's eternally wet winters, not the dog days of August when weeks can pass without rain.

Artificial lung mimics real organ's design and efficiency: Small device works with air, pure oxygen not needed Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:36 AM PDT A new artificial lung has reached efficiencies akin to the genuine organ, using air -- not pure oxygen as current human-made lungs require -- for the source of the essential element. The device is a major step toward creating an easily portable and implantable artificial lung.

Rare coupling of magnetic and electric properties in a single material: New multiferroic mechanism could lead to next-generation memory and sensing devices Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:36 AM PDT Researchers have observed a new way that magnetic and electric properties -- which have a long history of ignoring and counteracting each other -- can coexist in a special class of metals. These materials, known as multiferroics, could serve as the basis for the next generation of faster and energy-efficient logic, memory and sensing technology.

Hiding vegetables in kids' foods can increase vegetable intake Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Preschool children consumed nearly twice as many vegetables and 11 percent fewer calories over the course of a day when researchers added pureed vegetables to the children's favorite foods.

Saving fuel while plowing Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Less friction, less power, less fuel -- plowshares coated with diamond-like carbon slide through the soil like a hot knife through butter. As a result, the tractors pulling them need less power and fuel. In some tests the power required has been reduced by more than 30 percent.

In-state tuition for undocumented students not a partisan issue, study finds Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Political ideology and partisanship don't play much of a role in whether a state considers extending in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants, according to a new study.

Accident protection device for small cars Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Driver-assistance systems help prevent accidents. Quite simply, the more a car knows about its surroundings, the more intelligently it can respond to them. Researchers have now developed an optical sensor for the windshield that can even tell the difference between fog and darkness.

Startling new truth about sugar Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Flying in the face of years of scientific belief, researchers have demonstrated that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes. This discovery is important to food scientists and candy lovers because it will give them yummier caramel flavors and more tantalizing textures. It even gives the pharmaceutical industry a way to improve excipients, the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps your medicine go down.

Detailed picture of ice loss following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Researchers have combined data from multiple sources to provide the clearest account yet of how much glacial ice surges into the sea following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves.

Animal species large and small follow same rule for how common they are in ecosystems Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Animal species all follow the same rule for how common they are in an ecosystem, scientists have discovered. And the rule is simple. Everything from birds to fishes, crabs to snails to worms, and the parasitic animals that live inside or on them, follows it.

Pregnancy hormone has unprecedented, powerful effect on spinal muscular atrophy Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:35 AM PDT Although spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by the loss of a specific gene, all infants and children with SMA have an untouched highly similar gene within their genetic make up. Activation of this copy gene has the potential to treat SMA, and now researchers report the strongest such activation yet observed with attendant benefit on mice genetically engineered to have SMA.

Risk factor pathways for post-traumatic stress symptomatology in female and male veterans Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:34 AM PDT Researchers have found that risk factors for post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operational Iraqi Freedom male veterans were relatively similar to what was observed in a prior group of Vietnam veterans.

Sexual anxiety, personality predictors of infidelity, study says Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:34 AM PDT People with sexual performance anxiety are more likely to cheat on their partners. That's just one of the curious findings of a new study on the factors that predict infidelity. The study is the first to look at how demographics, interpersonal factors and sexual personality affect infidelity.

Clinical trial of molecular therapy for muscular dystrophy yields significant positive results Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:34 AM PDT A molecular technique has taken one step closer to becoming a treatment for the devastating genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

In pregnancy, diabetes-obesity combo a major red flag Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:34 AM PDT Type 2 diabetes and obesity in pregnancy is a daunting duo, according to a study that shows both conditions independently contribute to higher risks, opening the door to numerous complications. The findings are important because obesity and Type 2 diabetes are skyrocketing in women of childbearing age. While several studies have established that obesity is associated with problems in pregnancy, less is known about Type 2 diabetes and what causes difficulties when the conditions coexist.

Comprehensive immigrant and refugee health guidelines new resource for Canadian physicians Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:33 AM PDT The largest, most comprehensive evidence-based guidelines to immigrant health -- designed to help Canadian physicians meet the unique needs of this group -- have just been published.

Diabetes mortality rates in status Aboriginal adults in Alberta, Canada concerning Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:33 AM PDT Diabetes rate increases in status Aboriginal adults in Alberta appear to be slowing compared with the general population, although diabetes is more common in status Aboriginals and death rates for this group are significantly higher than the general population, states a new article. Death rates have in fact remained unchanged for status Aboriginals who do not have diabetes.

Treating HIV sooner would save South African lives and money Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:15 AM PDT If South Africa followed a new World Health Organization recommendation to give antiretroviral therapy to people with HIV when they were still at a higher level of health, it would reduce new infections, lengthen thousands of lives, and recoup the government's investment by 2026, according to new research.

Newly discovered gene sheds light on the evolution of life on Earth Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:15 AM PDT A chance discovery of a genetic mutation in wild barley that grows in Israel's Judean Desert has led to an international study deciphering evolution of life on land.

Shuttle service in cells Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:13 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new enzyme, which gives decisive insights into protein import in specific cellular organelles (peroxisomes). Researchers report that the enzyme Ubp15p collaborates with two other proteins to convert the protein transport machinery back into its initial condition after work has been completed. The enzyme detaches a specific signal sequence from a protein which is important for transportation and recycling of this protein.

Heavy metal: Titanium implant safety under scrutiny Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new, highly sensitive method to assess the extent of titanium leaks from implants. Titanium implants are routinely used for bone fractures as well as dental work.

New strategy to uncover structural variations of human genomes Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT A new study on single-nucleotide resolution structural variations of an Asian and African genome has just been published. This study demonstrates that whole genome de novo assembly could serve as a new solution for developing a more comprehensive structural variation map of individuals.

Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT Researchers have found that ground beetles reduce the amount of weed seeds in the soil. Weeds reduce crop yields and these findings support the need to conserve farmland biodiversity as it plays an important supporting role to herbicides in controlling weeds and improving food security.

Changes in attention and visual perception are correlated with aging: Older people find it harder to see the wood for the trees Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:12 AM PDT When looking at a picture of many trees, young people will tend to say: "This is a forest." However, the older we get, the more likely we are to notice a single tree before seeing the forest. Researchers have found that these age-related changes are correlated with a specific aspect of visual perception, known as Gestalt perception.

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