ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Amniotic fluid stem cells repair gut damage
• Losing wetlands to grow crops
• Nature versus nurture: Better looking birds have healthier babies, finds study of great tits
• SpaceX dragon spacecraft carrying NASA cargo ready for return to Earth
• Nuclear life of actin uncovered: Protein with key job in muscle function moonlights in nucleus to help regulate genes
• Parkinsons' drug helps older people to make decisions
• Molecular roots of Down syndrome unraveled
• Peach genome offers insights into breeding strategies for biofuels crops
• Nanowire solar cells raise efficiency limit
• DNA damage occurs as part of normal brain activity, scientists discover
• Venus vortices go for chaotic multi-storey strolls around the poles
• Molecular ‘signature’ for rapidly increasing form of esophageal cancer discovered
• Paint-on plastic electronics: Aligning polymers for high performance
• Hubble digs up galactic glow worm

Amniotic fluid stem cells repair gut damage Posted: 24 Mar 2013 05:20 PM PDT Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid were used to restore gut structure and function following intestinal damage in rodents, according to new research. The findings pave the way for a new form of cell therapy to reverse serious damage from inflammation in the intestines of babies.

Losing wetlands to grow crops Posted: 24 Mar 2013 05:18 PM PDT Getting enough to eat is a basic human need – but at what cost to the environment? New research demonstrates that as their crops on higher ground fail due to unreliable rainfall, people in countries like Uganda are increasingly relocating to wetland areas. Unless the needs of these people are addressed in a more sustainable way, overuse of wetland resources through farming, fishing, and hunting will continue.

Nature versus nurture: Better looking birds have healthier babies, finds study of great tits Posted: 24 Mar 2013 05:18 PM PDT A female great tits' (Parus major) appearance is shown to signal healthy attributes in offspring in a new paper. The black stripe across her breast and white patches on her cheeks correlate to a chick's weight at two weeks and immune strength respectively -- though the former seems to signal a genetic benefit and the latter can affect an 'adopted' chick's health, suggesting nurture is involved.

SpaceX dragon spacecraft carrying NASA cargo ready for return to Earth Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:54 PM PDT More than three weeks after arriving at the International Space Station, the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft is ready for the trip back to Earth, now scheduled for Tuesday, March 26.

Nuclear life of actin uncovered: Protein with key job in muscle function moonlights in nucleus to help regulate genes Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT Actin, a protein with a well-known job in the cytoplasm and an active role in muscle contraction, moonlights in the nucleus. It's function there was not understood, but now scientists find that it connects with chromatin.

Parkinsons' drug helps older people to make decisions Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT A drug widely used to treat Parkinson's disease can help to reverse age-related impairments in decision making in some older people, a new study has shown.

Molecular roots of Down syndrome unraveled Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT What is it about the extra chromosome inherited in Down syndrome -- chromosome 21 -- that alters brain and body development? Researchers have new evidence that points to the protein SNX27. SNX27 is inhibited by a molecule encoded on chromosome 21. The study shows that SNX27 is reduced in human Down syndrome brains. Restoring SNX27 in Down syndrome mice improves cognitive function and behavior.

Peach genome offers insights into breeding strategies for biofuels crops Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT Rapidly growing trees like poplars and willows are candidate "biofuel crops" from which it is expected that cellulosic ethanol and higher energy content fuels can be efficiently extracted. Domesticating these crops requires a deep understanding of tree physiology and genetics. Scientists are turning to fruit trees for hints, leading to an international initiative, publishing the 265-million base genome of the Lovell variety of Prunus persica.

Nanowire solar cells raise efficiency limit Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT Scientists have shown that a single nanowire can concentrate the sunlight up to 15 times of the normal sun light intensity. The results are surprising and the potential for developing a new type of highly efficient solar cells is great.

DNA damage occurs as part of normal brain activity, scientists discover Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:22 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that a certain type of DNA damage long thought to be particularly detrimental to brain cells can actually be part of a regular, non-harmful process. The team further found that disruptions to this process occur in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease -- and identified two therapeutic strategies that reduce these disruptions.

Venus vortices go for chaotic multi-storey strolls around the poles Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:21 PM PDT A detailed study of Venus' South Polar Vortex shows a much more chaotic and unpredictable cyclone than previously thought. The analysis reveals that the center of rotation of the vortex wanders around the pole differently at different altitude levels in the clouds of Venus. In its stroll around the Pole, in layers separated by 20 km, the vortex experiences unpredictable changes in its morphology. The results of this study are published online in Nature Geoscience today.

Molecular ‘signature’ for rapidly increasing form of esophageal cancer discovered Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:18 PM PDT New research may offer clues to why rates of esophageal adenocarcinomas (EAC) have risen so sharply. The findings point to abnormal genes and proteins that may be lynchpins of EAC cell growth and therefore serve as targets for new therapies.

Paint-on plastic electronics: Aligning polymers for high performance Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:18 PM PDT Semiconducting polymers are an unruly bunch, but now engineers have developed a new method for getting them in line that could pave the way for cheaper, greener, "paint-on" plastic electronics.

Hubble digs up galactic glow worm Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:51 AM PDT The image of a charming and bright galaxy, known as IRAS 23436+5257, was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. It is located in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia, which is named after an arrogant, vain, and yet beautiful mythical queen.

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