ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Common chemicals linked to osteoarthritis
• Are billboards driving us to distraction?
• First animal model of recent human evolution reveals that mutation for thick hair does much more
• Vision restored with total darkness in kittens with amblyopia
• A little molecule's remarkable feat: Prolonging life
• Behavioral therapy for children with autism can impact brain function
• Sewage lagoons remove most -- but not all -- pharmaceuticals
• Predicting key property in Andromeda's satellites
• Understanding why cells stick
• Personality plus: Researchers find link to energy rates
• World's most sensitive plasmon resonance sensor inspired by ancient Roman cup
• Low-protein diet slows Alzheimer's in mice
• Calcium is initial trigger in our immune response to healing
• Bilingual babies know their grammar by 7 months
• Roots of language in human and bird biology: Genes activated for human speech similar to ones used by singing songbirds
• What green algae are up to in the dark
• Love of musical harmony is not nature but nurture
• Effective treatment for common gynecological problem, suggested by new study
• Unlocking the mystery behind Saturn's moonlets
• Dog spots the dog: Dogs recognize the dog species among several other species on a computer screen
• Chagas disease: Cure in sight for kissing bug's bite
• Indian plant could play key role in death of cancer cells
• Does 'I love you' mean your relationship is in trouble?
• A quantum dot energy harvester
• Study suggests link between untreated depression and response to shingles vaccine
• Our primitive reflexes may be more sophisticated than they appear, study shows
• Endurance test of an offshore wind turbine in the laboratory
• Life experiences put their stamp on the next generation: New insights from epigenetics
• Safe glass facades for buildings
• Gut microbes could determine the severity of melamine-induced kidney disease
• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy: Pioneering technique to effectively treat mucositis
• A glimpse inside the control centers of cell communication
• Surgery: How 'Mallard' dye fills need for speed
• Eco-safe antibacterial fiber discovered
• Rheumatism: Scientists improve arthritis treatments
• A dozen red roses may not be as welcome as washing the dishes on Valentine's Day

Common chemicals linked to osteoarthritis Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:40 AM PST A new study has linked exposure to two common perfluorinated chemicals with osteoarthritis. The study is the first to look at the associations between perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and osteoarthritis, in a study population representative of the United States.

Are billboards driving us to distraction? Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:40 AM PST There's a billboard up ahead, a roadside sign full of language and imagery. Next stop: the emotionally distracted zone.

First animal model of recent human evolution reveals that mutation for thick hair does much more Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:39 AM PST The first animal model of recent human evolution reveals that a single mutation produced several traits common in East Asian peoples, from thicker hair to denser sweat glands, and computer models suggest the variation arose about 30,000 years ago in central China.

Vision restored with total darkness in kittens with amblyopia Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:39 AM PST Restoring vision might sometimes be as simple as turning out the lights. That's according to a study in which researchers examined kittens with a visual impairment known as amblyopia before and after they spent 10 days in complete darkness.

A little molecule's remarkable feat: Prolonging life Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:26 AM PST Nitric oxide, the versatile gas that helps increase blood flow, transmit nerve signals, and regulate immune function, appears to perform one more biological feat -— prolonging the life of an organism and fortifying it against environmental stress, according to a new study.

Behavioral therapy for children with autism can impact brain function Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:06 AM PST Using functional magnetic resonance imaging for before-and-after analysis, a team of researchers discovered positive changes in brain activity in children with autism who received a particular type of behavioral therapy.

Sewage lagoons remove most -- but not all -- pharmaceuticals Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:06 AM PST Many rural communities in the United States use aerated lagoon systems to treat their wastewater. In a new study, researchers determined the effectiveness of rural lagoon systems at removing drugs, chemicals and hormone contaminants from the sewage before the water is discharged back into local waterways.

Predicting key property in Andromeda's satellites Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:06 AM PST Using modified laws of gravity, researchers have closely predicted a key property - velocity dispersion - measured in faint dwarf galaxies that are satellites of the nearby giant spiral galaxy Andromeda.

Understanding why cells stick Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:05 AM PST Scientists have revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It's thought abnormalities in their ability to do play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Personality plus: Researchers find link to energy rates Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:05 AM PST People with a more resilient personality profile are more likely to have greater aerobic capacity, which may contribute to better health and longevity.

World's most sensitive plasmon resonance sensor inspired by ancient Roman cup Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:16 AM PST Utilizing optical characteristics first demonstrated by the ancient Romans, researchers have created a novel, ultra-sensitive tool for chemical, DNA, and protein analysis.

Low-protein diet slows Alzheimer's in mice Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:16 AM PST Mice with many of the pathologies of Alzheimer's disease showed fewer signs of the disease when given a protein-restricted diet supplemented with specific amino acids every other week for four months.

Calcium is initial trigger in our immune response to healing Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:16 AM PST For the first time, scientists studying the cellular processes underlying the body's response to healing have revealed how a flash of calcium is the very first step in repairing damaged tissue. The findings could lead to new therapies that speed up the healing process following injury or surgery.

Bilingual babies know their grammar by 7 months Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:16 AM PST Babies as young as seven months can distinguish between, and begin to learn, two languages with vastly different grammatical structures, according to new research.

Roots of language in human and bird biology: Genes activated for human speech similar to ones used by singing songbirds Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:16 AM PST The neuroanatomy of human speech and bird song share structural features, behaviors and now gene expression patterns.

What green algae are up to in the dark Posted: 14 Feb 2013 07:38 AM PST How do green algae produce hydrogen in the dark? Biologists have now uncovered a mechanism for the production of the gas which has hardly been examined before; usually, researchers are interested in light-driven hydrogen synthesis.

Love of musical harmony is not nature but nurture Posted: 14 Feb 2013 07:38 AM PST Our love of music and appreciation of musical harmony is learnt and not based on natural ability, a new study has found.

Effective treatment for common gynecological problem, suggested by new study Posted: 14 Feb 2013 07:38 AM PST A new study offers relief for women suffering from excessive periods.

Unlocking the mystery behind Saturn's moonlets Posted: 14 Feb 2013 07:37 AM PST New research by physicists casts new light on Saturn's moonlets -- and could help solve some of the mysteries surrounding planet formation. Saturn's F ring has long been of interest to scientists as its features rapid change on timescales from hours to years, and it is probably the only location in the solar system where large scale collisions happen on a daily basis.

Dog spots the dog: Dogs recognize the dog species among several other species on a computer screen Posted: 14 Feb 2013 07:37 AM PST Dogs pick out faces of other dogs, irrespective of breeds, among human and other domestic and wild animal faces and can group them into a category of their own. They do that using visual cues alone, according to new research. Their work is the first to test dogs' ability to discriminate between species and form a "dog" category in spite of the huge variability within the dog species.

Chagas disease: Cure in sight for kissing bug's bite Posted: 14 Feb 2013 06:23 AM PST Chagas disease, a deadly tropical infection caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by biting insects called "kissing bugs," has begun to spread around the world, including the U.S. Yet current treatment is toxic and limited to the acute stage.

Indian plant could play key role in death of cancer cells Posted: 14 Feb 2013 06:23 AM PST Scientists have identified an Indian plant, used for centuries to treat inflammation, fever and malaria, that could help kill cancer cells.

Does 'I love you' mean your relationship is in trouble? Posted: 14 Feb 2013 06:22 AM PST Affectionate behavior may not be all that it seems, according to a new study by a relational communication expert.

A quantum dot energy harvester Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:56 AM PST A new type of nanoscale engine has been proposed that would use quantum dots to generate electricity from waste heat, potentially making microcircuits more efficient. The engines would be microscopic in size, and have no moving parts. Each would only produce a tiny amount of power but by combining millions of the engines in a layered structure, enough of them could make a notable difference in the energy consumption of a computer.

Study suggests link between untreated depression and response to shingles vaccine Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:56 AM PST Results from a new study suggest a link between untreated depression in older adults and decreased effectiveness of the herpes zoster, or shingles, vaccine. Older adults are known to be at risk for shingles, a painful condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, and more than a million new cases occur each year in the US. The vaccine boosts cell-mediated immunity to the virus and can decrease the incidence and severity of the condition.

Our primitive reflexes may be more sophisticated than they appear, study shows Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:56 AM PST Supposedly 'primitive' reflexes may involve more sophisticated brain function than previously thought, according to researchers.

Endurance test of an offshore wind turbine in the laboratory Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST Scientists are testing the complex control system of wind turbines under real conditions in the laboratory before they are built into offshore wind energy plants. This way, software and hardware faults can be found and eliminated before the costly installation of the turbine.

Life experiences put their stamp on the next generation: New insights from epigenetics Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST There has long been the impression that major life events, like psychological traumas, not only have effects on individuals who directly experience these events, but also have effects on their children. Until recently, these trans-generational effects were attributed to changes in the way that parents treated their children or the child's reaction to learning about the parent's history. In a new article, researchers discuss how the emergence of the field of epigenetics has introduced a new component to this discussion -- the trans-generational transmission of changes in the regulation of gene expression.

Safe glass facades for buildings Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST Glass facades are attractive, but they also have to be safe. Say if a bomb were to go off nearby, would they withstand the blast? Researchers are using a shock tube to find out, and one of their projects is a new building complex in San Francisco.

Gut microbes could determine the severity of melamine-induced kidney disease Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST Microbes present in the gut can affect the severity of kidney disease brought on by melamine poisoning, according to a new study.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy: Pioneering technique to effectively treat mucositis Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST Mucositis is one of the most frequent side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cancer patients and currently cannot be treated. Investigators have now patented a melatonin gel that they say is 100% effective against this inflammatory reaction.

A glimpse inside the control centers of cell communication Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:55 AM PST Researchers have detected characteristic constructional features in a family of sensors that process signals in the human body and control physiological processes.

Surgery: How 'Mallard' dye fills need for speed Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:54 AM PST Scientists have developed a new medical tool which could help surgeons carrying out complex procedures in the operating theater. Researchers have developed a dye which provides a quick and accurate method of checking heparin levels in the blood. Heparin is an important anti-coagulant which has a significant role in major surgery.

Eco-safe antibacterial fiber discovered Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:54 AM PST Researchers have discovered an antibacterial polymer that can be used in everyday products such as sportswear, diapers and bandages, without causing resistant bacteria.

Rheumatism: Scientists improve arthritis treatments Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:54 AM PST Scientists have presented a new therapy approach for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic form of joint inflammation. The new therapy study was especially directed at patients who showed no adequate response to conventional treatment with tumor-necrosis-factor directed reagents (anti TNF). The new approach represents a combined form of treatment with the medication Methotrexat and Tofacitinib.

A dozen red roses may not be as welcome as washing the dishes on Valentine's Day Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:46 PM PST As audiences chuckle at films such as new romantic comedy "I Give It A Year", researchers have been looking at what keeps couples together after the flurry of Valentine's Day romance is over.

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