ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Observation is safe, cost-saving in low-risk prostate cancer, study suggests
• Treating infection may have sting in the tail, parasite study shows
• Promising biomarker for predicting HPV-related oropharynx cancer
• 'Undruggable' cancer may be druggable after all: New target identified
• Quality of waking hours determines ease of falling sleep
• New compound excels at killing persistent and drug-resistant tuberculosis
• Researchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetes
• Diet may affect Alzheimer's disease risk
• Directed in vitro technique may increase insulin resistance among offspring
• Obesity leads to brain inflammation, and low testosterone makes it worse
• Missing enzyme linked to drug addiction
• Predators affect the carbon cycle, study shows
• New way to improve antibiotic production
• Study finds the sweet spot -- and the screw-ups -- that make or break environmental collective actions
• Mapping a room in a snap: Four microphones and a computer algorithm are enough to produce a 3-D model of a simple, convex room
• Voices may not trigger brain's reward centers in children with autism
• Underwater springs reveal how coral reefs respond to ocean acidification
• New drug reverses loss of brain connections in Alzheimer's
• Pesticides significantly reduce biodiversity in aquatic environments
• One step closer to a vaccine for a common respiratory disease
• Improving overall employee wellness could yield multiple benefits
• Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescents
• New medication treats drug-resistant prostate cancer in the laboratory
• 'Chemical architects' build materials with potential applications in drug delivery and gas storage
• Preventing eggs' death from chemotherapy: Scientists discover cause of immature eggs' death from cancer drug and how to prevent it
• Doctors in veterinary, human medicine team to give burned horse a second chance
• Testosterone therapy may help improve pain in men with low testosterone
• Investigational drug improves sleep disorder among the blind
• Testosterone improves verbal learning and memory in postmenopausal women
• Naturally occurring hormone induces egg maturation
• High-fat diet during pregnancy contributes to offspring's increased weight
• NASA tests radio for unmanned aircraft operations
• NASA's 2013 HS3 hurricane mission to delve into Saharan dust
• Rett Syndrome protein surrenders some of its secrets
• Protein essential for normal heart function identified
• Bullfrogs may help spread deadly amphibian fungus, but also die from it
• Medical assessment in the blink of an eye
• Is there an invisible tug-of-war behind bad hearts and power outages?
• People attribute minds to robots, corpses that are targets of harm
• Artificial sweetener a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease
• Artificial bone: Designing synthetic materials and quickly turning the design into reality with 3-D printing
• Blocking overactive receptor in Alzheimer's recovers memory loss and more, mouse study suggests
• Eating behaviors of preschoolers may be related to future risk of heart disease
• Trusted voice of doctors is key to viability of health care cost-control reforms
• Chemical in antibacterial soap fed to nursing rats harms offspring, study finds
• Prenatal exposure to BPA affects fat tissues in sheep
• Exposure to low doses of BPA linked to increased risk of prostate cancer in human stem cells
• BPA linked to a common birth defect in boys
• Vitamin D supplementation may delay precocious puberty in girls
• Exposure to BPA in developing prostate increases risk of later cancer: Ubiquitous plasticizers may have long-term health effects
• How useful is fracking anyway? Study explores return of investment
• Bariatric surgery restores nerve cell properties altered by diet
• Planes, trains, or automobiles: Travel choices for a smaller carbon footprint
• Genetic diversity key to survival of honey bee colonies
• Infections increase risk of mood disorders, study suggests
• Mice in a 'Big Brother' setup develop social structures
• Possible treatment for one of the main symptoms of premature aging disease
• Jet stream changes cause climatically exceptional Greenland Ice Sheet melt
• Efficient and inexpensive: Researchers develop catalyst material for fuel cells
• Polymer-coated catalyst protects 'artificial leaf'

Observation is safe, cost-saving in low-risk prostate cancer, study suggests Posted: 17 Jun 2013 05:27 PM PDT Researchers find many men with low-risk, localized prostate cancers can safely choose observation instead of undergoing immediate treatment and a have better quality of life while reducing health care costs.

Treating infection may have sting in the tail, parasite study shows Posted: 17 Jun 2013 05:27 PM PDT Using drugs to treat an infection could allow other co-existing conditions to flourish, a study in wild animals has shown.

Promising biomarker for predicting HPV-related oropharynx cancer Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT Researchers have found that antibodies against the human papillomavirus may help identify individuals who are at greatly increased risk of HPV-related cancer of the oropharynx, which is a portion of the throat that contains the tonsils.

'Undruggable' cancer may be druggable after all: New target identified Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT Researchers have identified in the most aggressive forms of cancer a gene known to regulate embryonic stem cell self-renewal, beginning a creative search for a drug that can block its activity.

Quality of waking hours determines ease of falling sleep Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT The quality of wakefulness affects how quickly a mammal falls asleep, researchers report in a study that identifies two proteins never before linked to alertness and sleep-wake balance.

New compound excels at killing persistent and drug-resistant tuberculosis Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT Scientists have identified a highly promising new anti-tuberculosis compound that attacks the tuberculosis bacterium in two different ways.

Researchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetes Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:31 PM PDT Scientists have generated patient-specific beta cells, or insulin-producing cells, that accurately reflect the features of maturity-onset diabetes of the young.

Diet may affect Alzheimer's disease risk Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:28 PM PDT The lipidation states (or modifications) in certain proteins in the brain that are related to the development of Alzheimer disease appear to differ depending on genotype and cognitive diseases, and levels of these protein and peptides appear to be influenced by diet, according to a new report.

Directed in vitro technique may increase insulin resistance among offspring Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:28 PM PDT A special type of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, may increase the risk for insulin resistance among children conceived in this way, according to a new study from Greece.

Obesity leads to brain inflammation, and low testosterone makes it worse Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:28 PM PDT Low testosterone worsens the harmful effects of obesity in the nervous system, a new study in mice finds.

Missing enzyme linked to drug addiction Posted: 17 Jun 2013 02:28 PM PDT A missing brain enzyme increases concentrations of a protein related to pain-killer addiction, according to an animal study.

Predators affect the carbon cycle, study shows Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:09 PM PDT A new study shows that the predator-prey relationship can affect the flow of carbon through an ecosystem. This previously unmeasured influence on the environment may offer a new way of looking at biodiversity management and carbon storage for climate change.

New way to improve antibiotic production Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:09 PM PDT New research findings could reduce production times and therefore costs for antibiotic producers.

Study finds the sweet spot -- and the screw-ups -- that make or break environmental collective actions Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT Sustainability programs are a Goldilocks proposition -- some groups are too big, some are too small, and the environment benefits when the size of a group of people working to save it is just right. Scientists have found a sweet spot -- a group size at which the action is most effective. More importantly, the work revealed how behaviors of group members can pull bad policy up or drag good policy down.

Mapping a room in a snap: Four microphones and a computer algorithm are enough to produce a 3-D model of a simple, convex room Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT An algorithm makes it possible to measure the dimensions of a room using just a few microphones and a snap of your fingers. There are many promising applications on the horizon.

Voices may not trigger brain's reward centers in children with autism Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT In autism, brain regions tailored to respond to voices are poorly connected to reward-processing circuits, according to a new study.

Underwater springs reveal how coral reefs respond to ocean acidification Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT Ocean acidification due to rising carbon dioxide levels will reduce the density of coral skeletons, making coral reefs more vulnerable to disruption and erosion, according to a new study of corals growing where submarine springs naturally lower the pH of seawater. The study is the first to show that corals are not able to fully acclimate to low pH conditions in nature.

New drug reverses loss of brain connections in Alzheimer's Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:08 PM PDT The first experimental drug to boost brain synapses lost in Alzheimer's disease has been developed by researchers.

Pesticides significantly reduce biodiversity in aquatic environments Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:07 PM PDT The pesticides, many of which are currently used in Europe and Australia, are responsible for reducing the regional diversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent, researchers report.

One step closer to a vaccine for a common respiratory disease Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:07 PM PDT Young children and the elderly are especially susceptible to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The three-dimensional structure of respiratory syncytial virus has been solved by an international team from Finland and Switzerland.

Improving overall employee wellness could yield multiple benefits Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:07 PM PDT Controlling health care costs is crucial for manufacturers to remain competitive. That's why researchers are working with manufacturers to determine if employee wellness programs will cut costs and improve productivity.

Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescents Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:07 PM PDT Obese adolescents are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to have hearing loss, according to results of a new study. Findings showed that obese adolescents had increased hearing loss across all frequencies and were almost twice as likely to have unilateral (one-sided) low-frequency hearing loss.

New medication treats drug-resistant prostate cancer in the laboratory Posted: 17 Jun 2013 01:07 PM PDT A new drug called pyrvinium pamoate inhibits aggressive forms of prostate cancer that are resistant to standard drugs, according to a study conducted in an animal model.

'Chemical architects' build materials with potential applications in drug delivery and gas storage Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Home remodelers understand the concept of improving original foundations with more modern elements. Using this same approach -- but with chemistry -- researchers have now designed a family of materials that could make drug delivery, gas storage, and gas transport more efficient and at a lower cost.

Preventing eggs' death from chemotherapy: Scientists discover cause of immature eggs' death from cancer drug and how to prevent it Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Young women who have cancer treatment often lose their fertility because chemotherapy and radiation can damage or kill their immature ovarian eggs, called oocytes. Now, scientists have found the molecular pathway that can prevent the death of immature ovarian eggs due to chemotherapy, potentially preserving fertility and endocrine function. Scientists achieved this in mice by adding a currently approved chemotherapy drug, imatinib mesylate, to another chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

Doctors in veterinary, human medicine team to give burned horse a second chance Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT The unlikely pairing of an equine veterinarian and a burn surgeon is providing a second chance at a normal life for a horse that was doused in flammable liquid and set on fire late last summer.

Testosterone therapy may help improve pain in men with low testosterone Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT Testosterone therapy is associated with decreased pain perception in men with low testosterone levels related to opioid (narcotic) pain relievers (analgesics), a new study finds.

Investigational drug improves sleep disorder among the blind Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT An investigational new drug significantly improved a common and debilitating circadian rhythm sleep disorder that frequently affects people who are completely blind, a multicenter study finds.

Testosterone improves verbal learning and memory in postmenopausal women Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT Postmenopausal women had better improvement in verbal learning and memory after receiving treatment with testosterone gel, compared with women who received sham treatment with a placebo, a new study found.

Naturally occurring hormone induces egg maturation Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT The naturally occurring hormone kisspeptin effectively induces egg maturation during infertility treatment, according to a clinical in vitro fertilization (IVF) study.

High-fat diet during pregnancy contributes to offspring's increased weight Posted: 17 Jun 2013 11:20 AM PDT Exposure to a high-fat diet in the womb and after birth can permanently change the cells in the brain that control food intake, predisposing monkeys to overeating and an increased preference for fatty and sugary foods, a new study finds.

NASA tests radio for unmanned aircraft operations Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:08 AM PDT NASA's communications experts have begun flight testing a prototype radio as part of the agency's contributions toward fully integrating civil and commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). This particular radio is one of the first steps to provide the critical communications link for UAS pilots on the ground to safely and securely operate their remotely piloted vehicles in flight even though they are many miles -- if not continents or oceans -- apart.

NASA's 2013 HS3 hurricane mission to delve into Saharan dust Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:05 AM PDT NASA's 2013 Hurricane and Severe Storms Sentinel or HS3 mission will investigate whether Saharan dust and its associated warm and dry air, known as the Saharan Air Layer or SAL, favors or suppresses the development of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean. The effects of Saharan dust on tropical cyclones is a controversial area of science. During the 2012 campaign, NASA's Global Hawk unmanned aircraft gathered valuable data on the dust layer that swirled around Tropical Storm Nadine for several days.

Rett Syndrome protein surrenders some of its secrets Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:25 AM PDT Discovery of a mutant gene responsible for a disease is a milestone, but for most conditions, it may be only a first step towards a treatment or cure. Understanding Rett Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, is further complicated by the fact that the implicated gene controls a suite of other genes. Two papers, published in today's Nature Neuroscience and Nature, reveal key steps in how mutations in the gene for methyl CpG-binding protein cause the condition.

Protein essential for normal heart function identified Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:25 AM PDT Scientists show that a protein called MCL-1, which promotes cell survival, is essential for normal heart function.

Bullfrogs may help spread deadly amphibian fungus, but also die from it Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:25 AM PDT Amphibian populations are declining worldwide and a major cause is a deadly fungus thought to be spread by bullfrogs, but a two-year study shows they can also die from this pathogen, contrary to suggestions that bullfrogs are a tolerant carrier host that just spreads the disease.

Medical assessment in the blink of an eye Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:25 AM PDT Have you ever thought that you knew something about the world in the blink of an eye? It turns out that radiologists can do this with mammograms, the x-ray images used for breast cancer screening. Cytologists, who screen micrographic images of cervical cells to detect cervical cancer, have a similar ability. A new study takes a closer look at the skill these specialists have.

Is there an invisible tug-of-war behind bad hearts and power outages? Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:24 AM PDT Researchers report the first purely physical experimental evidence that an invisible and chaotic tug-of-war known as a chimera state can occur naturally within any process that relies on spontaneous synchronization, including clock pendulums, power grids and heart valves.

People attribute minds to robots, corpses that are targets of harm Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:24 AM PDT As Descartes famously noted, there's no way to really know that another person has a mind -- every mind we observe is, in a sense, a mind we create. Now, new research suggests that victimization may be one condition that leads us to perceive minds in others, even in entities we don't normally think of as having minds, such as a corpse or a robot.

Artificial sweetener a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:24 AM PDT Mannitol is widely used as an artificial sweetener in gum and candy, and, with FDA sanction, is also used as a diuretic. Now medical researchers have found that mannitol could also be a novel therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Artificial bone: Designing synthetic materials and quickly turning the design into reality with 3-D printing Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:23 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method to design synthetic materials and quickly turn the design into reality using computer optimization and 3-D printing.

Blocking overactive receptor in Alzheimer's recovers memory loss and more, mouse study suggests Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:23 AM PDT A new study shows that memory pathology in older mice with Alzheimer's disease can be reversed with treatment.

Eating behaviors of preschoolers may be related to future risk of heart disease Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:23 AM PDT Eating behaviors of preschoolers may be associated with risk of cardiovascular disease in later life, suggests a new study.

Trusted voice of doctors is key to viability of health care cost-control reforms Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:22 AM PDT While many Americans mistrust government, and are generally suspicious of health insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry, they overwhelmingly trust physicians and view them as faithful agents of patient interests, reports a new study based on online surveys of more than 5,000 Americans.

Chemical in antibacterial soap fed to nursing rats harms offspring, study finds Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT A mother's exposure to triclocarban, a common antibacterial chemical, while nursing her babies shortens the life of her female offspring, a new study in rats finds.

Prenatal exposure to BPA affects fat tissues in sheep Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT New research suggests that fetal exposure to the common environmental chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, causes increased inflammation in fat tissues after birth, which can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Exposure to low doses of BPA linked to increased risk of prostate cancer in human stem cells Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Exposing developing tissue to low levels of the plastic bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is linked to a greater incidence of prostate cancer in tissue grown from human prostate stem cells, a new study finds.

BPA linked to a common birth defect in boys Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT A new study links fetal exposure to a common chemical pollutant, bisphenol A (BPA), to defects of a testicular hormone in newborn boys with undescended testicles. The results suggest yet another potential harmful effect of BPA, which is widely used in many plastics, liners of food cans and dental sealants.

Vitamin D supplementation may delay precocious puberty in girls Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Vitamin D supplementation may help delay early onset of puberty in girls, a new clinical study finds.

Exposure to BPA in developing prostate increases risk of later cancer: Ubiquitous plasticizers may have long-term health effects Posted: 17 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Early exposure to BPA (bisphenol A) -- an additive commonly found in plastic water bottles and soup can liners -- causes an increased cancer risk in an animal model of human prostate cancer.

How useful is fracking anyway? Study explores return of investment Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT The value of a fuel's long-term usefulness and viability is judged through its energy return on investment; the comparison between the eventual fuel and the energy invested to create it. The energy return on investment study finds that shale gas has a return value which is close to coal.

Bariatric surgery restores nerve cell properties altered by diet Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT Understanding how gastric bypass surgery changes the properties of nerve cells that help regulate the digestive system could lead to new treatments that produce the same results without surgery, according to scientists who have shown how surgery restores some properties of nerve cells that tell people their stomachs are full.

Planes, trains, or automobiles: Travel choices for a smaller carbon footprint Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT Planes, trains, or automobiles: what's the most climate-friendly way to travel? A new study by researchers from IIASA and CICERO brings better estimates of how much personal travel impacts the climate.

Genetic diversity key to survival of honey bee colonies Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT When it comes to honey bees, more mates is better. A new study shows that genetic diversity is key to survival in honey bee colonies -- meaning a colony is less likely to survive if its queen has had a limited number of mates.

Infections increase risk of mood disorders, study suggests Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis. The study is the largest of its kind to date to show a clear correlation between infection levels and the risk of developing mood disorders.

Mice in a 'Big Brother' setup develop social structures Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:13 AM PDT New research into mouse social behavior finds signs of leadership and reveals features of "autistic" mouse society.

Possible treatment for one of the main symptoms of premature aging disease Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:12 AM PDT Working with an animal model, scientists have discovered that a deficit in the production of pyrophosphate provokes excessive vascular calcification, one of the most important symptoms of the premature aging disease Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, also known as progeria. Excess calcium in the arterial wall is also a typical feature of physiological aging in the general population.

Jet stream changes cause climatically exceptional Greenland Ice Sheet melt Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:12 AM PDT Scientists have shown that unusual changes in atmospheric jet stream circulation caused the exceptional surface melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet in summer 2012.

Efficient and inexpensive: Researchers develop catalyst material for fuel cells Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:12 AM PDT Efficient, robust and economic catalyst materials hold the key to achieving a breakthrough in fuel cell technology. Scientists have developed a material for converting hydrogen and oxygen to water using a tenth of the typical amount of platinum that was previously required. With the aid of state-of-the-art electron microscopy, the researchers discovered that the function of the nanometre-scale catalyst particles is decisively determined by their geometric shape and atomic structure.

Polymer-coated catalyst protects 'artificial leaf' Posted: 17 Jun 2013 08:12 AM PDT One option is to use the electrical energy generated inside solar cells to split water by means of electrolysis, in the process yielding hydrogen that can be used for a storable fuel.

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