ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Scientists refute Greenpeace claim that genetically modified corn caused new insect pest
• Newly formed plants could lead to improved crop fertility
• Scientists characterize protein essential to survival of malaria parasite
• New primate species discovered on Madagascar
• New hope for diseases of protein folding such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases, ALS, cancer and diabetes
• 3-D view of 1-D nanostructures
• Gunshot, Stabbing Victims Are Recovering without Exploratory Surgery
• Cell-CT: A new dimension in breast cancer research
• Proton therapy effective prostate cancer treatment, study suggests
• Radical liver surgery saves life of young mom, California first
• Whiff of 'love hormone' helps monkeys show a little kindness
• Low vitamin D levels linked to depression, psychiatrists report

Scientists refute Greenpeace claim that genetically modified corn caused new insect pest Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:19 PM PST Researchers refute claims by Greenpeace Germany that the western bean cutworm is "a new plant pest" that was "caused by genetically engineered corn." The Greenpeace Germany report offers a "surprisingly simplistic conclusion" regarding the spread of western bean cutworm over the last decade, according to researchers.

Newly formed plants could lead to improved crop fertility Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:18 PM PST A new study shows genomes of a recently formed plant species to be highly unstable, a phenomenon that may have far-reaching evolutionary consequences.

Scientists characterize protein essential to survival of malaria parasite Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:18 PM PST A biology lab has successfully cracked the structure of an enzyme made by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasitical protozoan that causes the most lethal form of malaria. Plasmodium cannot live without the enzyme, which is uses to make cell membrane. Because people don't make this enzyme, it is an ideal target for an anti-malarial drug. Such a drug might kill Plasmodium but have minimal side effects for people.

New primate species discovered on Madagascar Posted: 07 Jan 2012 12:12 PM PST Biologists have discovered a new primate species in the Sahafina Forest in eastern Madagascar, a forest that has not been studied before. The name of the new species is Gerp's mouse lemur (Microcebus gerpi).

New hope for diseases of protein folding such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases, ALS, cancer and diabetes Posted: 06 Jan 2012 10:59 AM PST Two related studies offer new strategies for tackling the challenges of preventing and treating diseases of protein folding, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, ALS, cystic fibrosis, cancer and type 2 diabetes. The research identifies new genes and pathways that prevent protein misfolding and toxic aggregation, keeping cells healthy, and also identifies small molecules with therapeutic potential that restore health to damaged cells, providing new targets for drug development.

3-D view of 1-D nanostructures Posted: 06 Jan 2012 08:06 AM PST Semiconductor gallium nitride nanowires show great promise in the next generation of nano- and optoelectronic systems. Recently, researchers have found new piezoelectric properties of the nanowires that could make them more useful in self-powered nanodevices.

Gunshot, Stabbing Victims Are Recovering without Exploratory Surgery Posted: 06 Jan 2012 07:59 AM PST Although more patients with abdominal gunshot and stab wounds can successfully forego emergency "exploratory" surgery and its potential complications, new research suggests that choosing the wrong patients for this "watchful waiting" approach substantially increases their risk of death from these injuries.

Cell-CT: A new dimension in breast cancer research Posted: 05 Jan 2012 02:58 PM PST Medical researchers have examined normal, benign and malignant cells, using the only research Cell-CT apparatus -- a specialized instrument capable of imaging cells in vivid 3-D with true isotropic resolution. The technology permits the examination of subtle cellular details inaccessible by more conventional forms of microscopy that are inherently 2-D.

Proton therapy effective prostate cancer treatment, study suggests Posted: 05 Jan 2012 02:42 PM PST Proton therapy, a type of external beam radiation therapy, is a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer, according to two new studies.

Radical liver surgery saves life of young mom, California first Posted: 05 Jan 2012 02:42 PM PST Researchers have successfully performed the west coast's first ex-vivo liver resection, a radical procedure to completely remove and reconstruct a diseased liver and re-implant it without any tumors.

Whiff of 'love hormone' helps monkeys show a little kindness Posted: 05 Jan 2012 11:58 AM PST Oxytocin, the "love hormone" that builds mother-baby bonds and may help us feel more connected toward one another, can also make surly monkeys treat each other a little more kindly.

Low vitamin D levels linked to depression, psychiatrists report Posted: 05 Jan 2012 10:16 AM PST Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression, according to psychiatrists.

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