ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Can diet beat depression?
• Risk genes for Alzheimer's and mental illness linked to brain changes at birth
• Bonobos will share with strangers before acquaintances
• For those short on time, aerobic, not resistance, exercise is best bet for weight- and fat loss
• New design for basic component of computer chips: Researchers demonstrate record-setting p-type transistor
• New research helps explain why girls do better in school
• Let crying babes lie: Study supports notion of leaving infants to cry themselves back to sleep
• Medal-awarded isotopes for production of new radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment
• Lower thresholds for blood transfusion found to have no adverse effects on patients' health
• Physician rating websites rely on few patient reviews
• Sleep apnea may offer unusual protection for heart attack patients
• In Ethiopia, HIV disclosure is low
• Some men complaint of shortened penis following prostate cancer treatment
• Promising compound restores memory loss and reverses symptoms of Alzheimer's in mice
• Common data determinants of recurrent cancer are broken, mislead researchers
• Communication is key to medication adherence
• Bisexual men on the 'down low' run risk for poor mental health
• Previous studies on toxic effects of BPA couldn't be reproduced
• Treating stable flies in pastures
• Laws of geo-engineering to mitigate global warming?
• New method for uncovering side effects before a drug hits the market
• How some medieval cultures adapted to rise of Islam
• Toward reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the Internet and telecommunications
• PET/CT shows clear advantages over conventional staging for breast cancer patients
• Nature-inspired advance for treating sensitive teeth
• Use for old Christmas trees? Douglas fir needles may sterilize nano devices for medical applications
• Terrace farming unearthed at ancient desert city of Petra
• Treating sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy may improve fetal health
• Egg-laying mammal: Scientists discover that for Australia the long-beaked echidna may not be a thing of the past
• Molecule that polices TB lung infection discovered: Could lead to vaccine
• How young star and planets grow simultaneously
• Our galaxy's 'geysers' are towers of power
• Political action the biggest swing factor in meeting climate targets
• Giant planets seen guzzling gas as they grow: Key stage of birth of giant planets seen for first time
• Galactic geysers fueled by star stuff
• Accepted model of memory formation refuted
• Quadrantids create year's first meteor shower
• Secure communication technology can conquer lack of trust
• A new fish species from Lake Victoria named in honor of the author of Darwin's Dreampond
• New insights into how plants grow in response to light, water and gravity
• Optical strontium clock to become much more accurate
• Natural relationship between carbon dioxide concentrations and sea level documented
• If baby's crawling, you'll probably be up more at night, study reveals
• Electric stimulation of brain releases powerful, opiate-like painkiller
• Tool to evaluate genome sequencing method developed
• Itchiness explained: Specific set of nerve cells signal itch but not pain, researchers find
• Language learning begins in utero, study finds; Newborn memories of oohs and ahs heard in the womb
• Early predictor for glaucoma identified
• The effect of stress on Atlantic salmon's congenital immunity to IPN
• Eulogy to Herschel
• Magnetic forces without magnets: Physicist calculates field strengths in the early universe
• Dance of water molecules turns fire-colored beetles into antifreeze artists
• Smoking affects heart surgery outcome even a year after quitting
• 'Protecting' psychiatric medical records puts patients at risk of hospitalization

Can diet beat depression? Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:55 PM PST Research into diet and depression should follow the model of studies into diet and cardiovascular risk. So argue experts in a recent opinion piece.

Risk genes for Alzheimer's and mental illness linked to brain changes at birth Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:54 PM PST Some brain changes that are found in adults with common gene variants linked to disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and autism can also be seen in the brain scans of newborns, a new study finds.

Bonobos will share with strangers before acquaintances Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:33 PM PST Bonobos, those notoriously frisky, ardently social great apes of the Congo, value social networking so much, they share food with a stranger before an acquaintance.

For those short on time, aerobic, not resistance, exercise is best bet for weight- and fat loss Posted: 02 Jan 2013 02:29 PM PST A new study finds that when balancing time commitments against health benefits, aerobics training is optimal for reducing fat- and body mass.

New design for basic component of computer chips: Researchers demonstrate record-setting p-type transistor Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:18 PM PST Almost all computer chips use two types of transistors: one called p-type, for positive, and one called n-type, for negative. Improving the performance of the chip as a whole requires parallel improvements in both types. Researchers have presented a p-type transistor with the highest "carrier mobility" yet measured. By that standard, the device is twice as fast as previous experimental p-type transistors and almost four times as fast as the best commercial p-type transistors.

New research helps explain why girls do better in school Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:18 PM PST Why do girls get better grades in elementary school than boys -- even when they perform worse on standardized tests? New research suggests that it's because of their classroom behavior, which may lead teachers to assign girls higher grades than their male counterparts.

Let crying babes lie: Study supports notion of leaving infants to cry themselves back to sleep Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:18 PM PST Waking up in the middle of the night is the most common concern that parents of infants report to pediatricians. Now, a new study finds that a majority of infants are best left to self-soothe and fall back to sleep on their own.

Medal-awarded isotopes for production of new radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:17 PM PST Scientists in Poland have developed innovative technological solutions to produce yttrium-90 and lutetium-177 radionuclides. The technology is soon going to be implemented on an industrial scale, giving more hope to ever increasing number of oncological patients all over the world.

Lower thresholds for blood transfusion found to have no adverse effects on patients' health Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST A systematic review of 19 clinical trials comparing higher versus lower hemoglobin thresholds in red blood cell transfusion concludes that there is no significant difference in patient outcomes with red blood cell transfusions using lower threshold levels.

Physician rating websites rely on few patient reviews Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST Physician ratings on websites such as Healthgrades.com are based on scores from an average of only 2.4 patients, a new study has found.

Sleep apnea may offer unusual protection for heart attack patients Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST Researchers at the Technion have found that heart attack patients with breathing disorders such as sleep apnea may benefit from mild-moderate sleep-disordered breathing. The findings could suggest ways to rebuild damaged heart tissue.

In Ethiopia, HIV disclosure is low Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST In Ethiopia, where more than 1.2 million people are infected with HIV, disclosure of infection by patients is important in the fight against the disease. A new study investigates HIV-positive status disclosure rates among men and women in Africa's second most populous country.

Some men complaint of shortened penis following prostate cancer treatment Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Researchers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center report a small percentage of men in a prostate cancer study complained that their penis seemed shorter following treatment, causing them to regret the type of treatment they chose.

Promising compound restores memory loss and reverses symptoms of Alzheimer's in mice Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST A new ray of hope has broken through the clouded outcomes associated with Alzheimer's disease. When a molecule called TFP5 is injected into mice with disease that is the equivalent of human Alzheimer's, symptoms are reversed and memory is restored -- without obvious toxic side effects.

Common data determinants of recurrent cancer are broken, mislead researchers Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST In order to study the effectiveness or cost effectiveness of treatments for recurrent cancer, you first have to discover the patients in medical databases who have recurrent cancer. Unfortunately, the widely used algorithms to find these patients don't work.

Communication is key to medication adherence Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Even the best medicines in the world can be rendered ineffective if they are not taken as prescribed. The problem known as medication "non-adherence" is a major health issue in the United States, contributing to worse outcomes for people who have diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Bisexual men on the 'down low' run risk for poor mental health Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Bisexual men are less likely to disclose their sexual orientation than gay men. In the first study to look at the mental health of this population, researchers found that greater concealment of homosexual behavior was associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety. The researchers found that men who live with a wife or girlfriend and who think of themselves as heterosexual were more likely to conceal their same-sex behavior.

Previous studies on toxic effects of BPA couldn't be reproduced Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Following a three-year study using more than 2,800 mice, a researcher was not able to replicate a series of previous studies by another research group investigating the controversial chemical BPA.

Treating stable flies in pastures Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Scientists are developing strategies to help livestock producers control stable flies, the most damaging arthropod pests of cattle in the United States.

Laws of geo-engineering to mitigate global warming? Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST A law professor believes the legal ramifications of geo-engineering need to be thought through now and a global governance structure put in place soon to oversee these efforts to fight climate change.

New method for uncovering side effects before a drug hits the market Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST Side effects are a major reason that drugs are taken off the market and a major reason why patients stop taking their medications, but scientists are now reporting the development of a new way to predict those adverse reactions ahead of time.

How some medieval cultures adapted to rise of Islam Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST New history research examines how border areas and frontiers of the past adapted to major political, cultural and social shifts, specifically in terms of the rise of Islam in Asia and the Middle East.

Toward reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the Internet and telecommunications Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST Amid growing concern over the surprisingly large amount of greenhouse gas produced by the Internet and other telecommunications activities, researchers are reporting new models of emissions and energy consumption that could help reduce their carbon footprint.

PET/CT shows clear advantages over conventional staging for breast cancer patients Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST New research shows that 18F-fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging offers significant prognostic stratification information at initial staging for patients with locally advanced breast cancer. When compared to conventional imaging, 18F-FDG PET/CT more accurately showed lesions in the chest, abdomen and bones in a single session, changing management for more than 50 percent of the patients in the study.

Nature-inspired advance for treating sensitive teeth Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST Taking inspiration from Mother Nature, scientists are reporting an advance toward preventing the tooth sensitivity that affects millions of people around the world. The substance is similar to the adhesive that mussels use to attach to rocks and other surfaces in water.

Use for old Christmas trees? Douglas fir needles may sterilize nano devices for medical applications Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST As twelfth night approaches and the Christmas decorations start to look old, as the last crumbs of cake are swept away and the remnants of the turkey have finally been consumed, there is the perennial question as to what to do with the tree. New suggests that the needles of the plant Pseudotsuga menziesii, commonly known as the Douglas fir could be used indirectly to sterilize nano devices destined for medical applications.

Terrace farming unearthed at ancient desert city of Petra Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST New archaeological research dates the heyday of terrace farming at the ancient desert city of Petra to the first century. This development led to an explosion of agricultural activity, increasing the city's strategic significance as a military prize for the Roman Empire.

Treating sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy may improve fetal health Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST A new study suggests that treatment of mild sleep-disordered breathing with continuous positive airway pressure therapy in pregnant women with preeclampsia improves fetal activity levels, a marker of fetal well-being.

Egg-laying mammal: Scientists discover that for Australia the long-beaked echidna may not be a thing of the past Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:04 AM PST The western long-beaked echidna, one of the world's five egg-laying species of mammal, became extinct in Australia thousands of years ago... or did it? Scientists have found evidence suggesting that not only did these animals survive in Australia far longer than previously thought, but that they may very well still exist in parts of the country today.

Molecule that polices TB lung infection discovered: Could lead to vaccine Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST The presence of a certain molecule allows the immune system to effectively police tuberculosis of the lungs and prevent it from turning into an active and deadly infection, according to a new study.

How young star and planets grow simultaneously Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST The ALMA telescope gives astronomers their first glimpse of a fascinating stage of star formation and helps resolve a mystery about how young planets and their infant star can both grow at the same time.

Our galaxy's 'geysers' are towers of power Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST "Monster" outflows of charged particles from the centre of our Galaxy, stretching more than halfway across the sky, have been detected and mapped.

Political action the biggest swing factor in meeting climate targets Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST The most important factor affecting the likelihood of limiting climate change to internationally agreed targets is when people start to do something about it, according new research.

Giant planets seen guzzling gas as they grow: Key stage of birth of giant planets seen for first time Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:01 AM PST Astronomers have seen a key stage in the birth of giant planets for the first time. Vast streams of gas are flowing across a gap in the disc of material around a young star. These are the first direct observations of such streams, which are expected to be created by giant planets guzzling gas as they grow.

Galactic geysers fueled by star stuff Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:01 AM PST Enormous outflows of charged particles from the center of our galaxy, stretching more than halfway across the sky and moving at supersonic speeds, have been detected and mapped with CSIRO's 64-m Parkes radio telescope.

Accepted model of memory formation refuted Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:01 AM PST A widely accepted model of long-term memory formation — that it hinges on a single enzyme in the brain — is flawed, according to new research. The new study found that mice lacking the enzyme that purportedly builds memory were in fact still able to form long-term memories as well as normal mice could.

Quadrantids create year's first meteor shower Posted: 02 Jan 2013 09:40 AM PST A little-known meteor shower named after an extinct constellation, the Quadrantids will present an excellent chance for hardy souls to start the year off with some late-night meteor watching. Peaking in the wee morning hours of Jan. 3, the Quadrantids have a maximum rate of about 80 per hour, varying between 60-200. Unfortunately, light from a waning gibbous moon will wash out many Quadrantids, cutting down on the number of meteors seen by skywatchers.

Secure communication technology can conquer lack of trust Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:55 AM PST Many scenarios in business and communication require that two parties share information without either being sure if they can trust the other. Examples include secure auctions and identification at ATM machines. Exploiting the strange properties of the quantum world could be the answer to dealing with such distrust.

A new fish species from Lake Victoria named in honor of the author of Darwin's Dreampond Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:16 AM PST A newly described cichlid species from Lake Victoria is named in honor of Tijs Goldschmidt, author of the book Darwin's Dreampond. The species was discovered by him and colleagues in 1985. It is described together with a closely related species that had disappeared for many years, but is now occasionally caught again. Success of recovery may depend on the possibility to adapt to the new conditions in the lake.

New insights into how plants grow in response to light, water and gravity Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:54 AM PST Elementary school students often learn that plants grow toward the light. This seems straightforward, but in reality, the genes and pathways that allow plants to grow and move in response to their environment are not fully understood. Leading plant scientists now explore one of the most fundamental processes in plant biology -- plant movement in response to light, water, and gravity.

Optical strontium clock to become much more accurate Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:49 AM PST Scientists have measured the influence of the ambient temperature on strontium atoms for the first time – measurement uncertainty has been reduced by one order of magnitude.

Natural relationship between carbon dioxide concentrations and sea level documented Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:49 AM PST By comparing reconstructions of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and sea level over the past 40 million years, researchers have found that greenhouse gas concentrations similar to the present (almost 400 parts per million) were systematically associated with sea levels at least nine meters above current levels.

If baby's crawling, you'll probably be up more at night, study reveals Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST Infants who have started crawling wake up more often at night compared to the period before the crawling, reveals a new study.

Electric stimulation of brain releases powerful, opiate-like painkiller Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST Researchers used electricity on certain regions in the brain of a patient with chronic, severe facial pain to release an opiate-like substance that's considered one of the body's most powerful painkillers.

Tool to evaluate genome sequencing method developed Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST Advances in bio-technologies and computer software have helped make genome sequencing much more common than in the past. But still in question are both the accuracy of different sequencing methods and the best ways to evaluate these efforts. Now, computer scientists have devised a tool to better measure the validity of genome sequencing.

Itchiness explained: Specific set of nerve cells signal itch but not pain, researchers find Posted: 02 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST Researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.

Language learning begins in utero, study finds; Newborn memories of oohs and ahs heard in the womb Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:36 AM PST Babies only hours old are able to differentiate between sounds from their native language and a foreign language, scientists have discovered. The study indicates that babies begin absorbing language while still in the womb, earlier than previously thought.

Early predictor for glaucoma identified Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:36 AM PST A new study finds that certain changes in retinal blood vessels provide an early warning of increased glaucoma risk. Using Blue Mountains Eye Study data, the researchers showed that patients who had abnormally narrow retinal arteries at baseline were also most likely to have glaucoma at 10-year follow up. If confirmed by future research, this finding could give ophthalmologists a new way to identify and treat those who are most vulnerable to glaucoma.

The effect of stress on Atlantic salmon's congenital immunity to IPN Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:35 AM PST Stress affects the congenital immune defence system. New doctoral research has revealed how stress can lower the immunity of salmon and increase its susceptibility to viral infection. Furthermore, stress can increase the propagation of viruses in the fish's internal organs and can cause "benign" viruses to turn "pernicious".

Eulogy to Herschel Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:35 AM PST With its 2160 liters of liquid helium about to run out, the Herschel Space Observatory will, by the end of March, become just another piece of space junk. The astronomer who leads one of the telescope's largest surveys, explains how this space facility has advanced our understanding of star and galaxy formation.

Magnetic forces without magnets: Physicist calculates field strengths in the early universe Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:35 AM PST Magnets have practically become everyday objects. Earlier on, however, the universe consisted only of nonmagnetic elements and particles. Just how the magnetic forces came into existence has now been researched. A theoretical physicist describes a new mechanism for the magnetization of the universe even before the emergence of the first stars.

Dance of water molecules turns fire-colored beetles into antifreeze artists Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:35 AM PST Certain plants and animals protect themselves against temperatures below freezing with antifreeze proteins. How the larva of the beetle Dendroides canadensis manages to withstand temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius is reported by an international team of researchers. Researcher have shown that interactions between the antifreeze proteins and water molecules contribute significantly to protection against the cold.

Smoking affects heart surgery outcome even a year after quitting Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:34 AM PST Smoking cessation even a year prior to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery does not fully normalize the changes smoking has made to the saphenous (leg) veins used for the surgery and may lead to later graft failure, according to a new study.

'Protecting' psychiatric medical records puts patients at risk of hospitalization Posted: 02 Jan 2013 05:34 AM PST Medical centers that elect to keep psychiatric files private and separate from the rest of a person's medical record may be doing their patients a disservice, a new study concludes.

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