ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Both a Mediterranean diet and diets low in available carbohydrates protect against type 2 diabetes, study suggests
• Celery, artichokes contain flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells
• High debt could be hazardous to your health
• Sexual health for postmenopausal women improved by hypnotic relaxation therapy
• Obesity kills more Americans than previously thought: One in five Americans, Black and White, die from obesity
• The secret of male beauty (in turkeys)
• Stressed bacteria stop growing: Mechanism discovered
• Answering critical questions to respond to anthrax attack
• Cell memory mechanism discovered
• New approach to reveal function of Greenland's ice sheet
• A new wrinkle in Parkinson's disease research: Skin cream ingredient may stop effects of Parkinson's on brain cells
• Finasteride: Long-term survival of participants in prostate cancer prevention trial detailed
• New approach assembles big structures from small interlocking pieces
• Slow earthquakes may foretell larger events
• Heart's own stem cells offer hope for new treatment of heart failure
• New possibilities for efficient biofuel production
• Sugar helps scientists find and assess prostate tumors
• Superconducting wire yields unprecedented performance
• New species of carnivore looks like a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear
• Voyager 1 has left the solar system
• Cosmic turbulences result in star and black hole formation
• Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures
• Shining stem cells reveals how our skin is maintained
• More than 28 cups of coffee a week may endanger health in under 55s
• Evolution of hyperswarming bacteria could develop anti-biofilm therapies
• Human eye movements for vision are remarkably adaptable
• Viral infection and specialized lung cells linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• In regenerating planarians, muscle cells provide more than heavy lifting
• Mountain high: Genetic adaptation for high altitudes identified
• Scientists reveal how deadly ebola virus assembles
• Dad's genes build placentas, explaining grandsire effect
• Beneficial jumping gene discovered
• Worms may shed light on human ability to handle chronic stress
• Remembering to remember supported by two distinct brain processes
• Dynamics of liquid metal particles examined at nanoscale
• Options for molecular imaging expanded
• Beating blindness with vegetable oil
• Three-dimensional model of bacterium created
• Huge owls need huge trees
• Spaceflight alters bacterial social networks
• Researchers report a critical role for the complement system in early macular degeneration
• Malware bites and how to stop it
• Growth of disorder of electrons measured in dual temperature system
• New early warning system for cholera epidemics
• Dragonflies can see by switching 'on' and 'off'
• Try clapping your wet hands; A physics lesson
• Heat waves to become much more frequent and severe
• Study examines risk of severe blood sugar swings among diabetics taking fluoroquinolones
• Exercise is no quick cure for insomnia
• The first animal model for sexual transmission of HIV
• Nervous system disease: A new outlet for an old drug?
• Will to win forms at four years old
• Quantum teleportation: Transfer of flying quantum bits at the touch of a button
• Making the brain take notice of faces in autism
• Characteristics of family killers revealed: The male dominated crime most common in August
• Graphene nanoscrolls are formed by decoration of magnetic nanoparticles
• Millions of tracks at the fingertips of music researchers
• In nonsmoking women, breastfeeding for more than six months may protect against breast cancer
• Galaxies had 'mature' shapes 11. 5 billion years ago

Both a Mediterranean diet and diets low in available carbohydrates protect against type 2 diabetes, study suggests Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:37 PM PDT New research shows that a Mediterranean-style diet and diets low in available carbohydrates can offer protection against type 2 diabetes.

Celery, artichokes contain flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT Celery, artichokes, and herbs, especially Mexican oregano, all contain apigenin and luteolin, flavonoids that kill human pancreatic cancer cells in the lab by inhibiting an important enzyme, according to two new studies.

High debt could be hazardous to your health Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT If young people are drowning in debt, their blood pressure may be on the rise and their health could suffer. A new study has found that high financial debt is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and poorer self-reported general and mental health in young adults.

Sexual health for postmenopausal women improved by hypnotic relaxation therapy Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT Hypnotic relaxation therapy improves sexual health in women who have hot flashes, according new research.

Obesity kills more Americans than previously thought: One in five Americans, Black and White, die from obesity Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:23 PM PDT Obesity is a lot more deadly than previously thought. Across recent decades, obesity accounted for 18 percent of deaths among Black and White Americans between the ages of 40 and 85, according to a new study. This finding challenges the prevailing wisdom among scientists, which puts that portion at around 5 percent.

The secret of male beauty (in turkeys) Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:22 PM PDT The essence of male beauty is down to the way males use their genes rather than what genes they have, according to a new study into the sexual attractiveness of turkeys.

Stressed bacteria stop growing: Mechanism discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:22 PM PDT Man, a mouse or a microbe, stress is bad. Experiments in bacteria by molecular biologists have uncovered the mechanism that translates stress, such as exposure to extreme temperature, into temporarily blocked cell growth. Bacteria deal with stress by destroying proteins needed for replication.

Answering critical questions to respond to anthrax attack Posted: 15 Aug 2013 02:21 PM PDT Researchers have developed a mathematical model to help answer critical questions and guide the response to an anthrax exposure.

Cell memory mechanism discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:15 PM PDT DNA binding proteins called transcription factors are required for maintaining cell identity. They ensure that daughter cells have the same function as their mother cell. However, each time a cell divides the specific binding pattern of the transcription factors is erased and has to be restored in both mother and daughter cells. Previously it was unknown how this process works, but now scientists have discovered the importance of particular protein rings encircling the DNA and how these function as the cell's memory.

New approach to reveal function of Greenland's ice sheet Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:15 PM PDT Findings from a large-scale ice drilling study on the Greenland ice sheet may revise the models used to predict how ice sheets move.

A new wrinkle in Parkinson's disease research: Skin cream ingredient may stop effects of Parkinson's on brain cells Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:14 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that an active ingredient in an over-the-counter skin cream slows or stops the effects of Parkinson's disease on brain cells. Scientists identified the link through biochemical and cellular studies, and the research team is now testing the drug in animal models of Parkinson's.

Finasteride: Long-term survival of participants in prostate cancer prevention trial detailed Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:14 PM PDT Initial findings from a decade ago showed that the drug finasteride significantly reduced the risk of prostate cancer, but among those who did develop prostate cancer, paradoxically, the drug was associated with an increased risk of high-grade disease. Long term results show the small excess of higher grade tumors in the men in the finasteride arm of the study did not translate into an increased risk of death.

New approach assembles big structures from small interlocking pieces Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT Researchers invent a new approach to assembling big structures -- even airplanes and bridges -- out of small interlocking composite components.

Slow earthquakes may foretell larger events Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT Monitoring slow earthquakes may provide a basis for reliable prediction in areas where slow quakes trigger normal earthquakes, according to geoscientists.

Heart's own stem cells offer hope for new treatment of heart failure Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time highlighted the natural regenerative capacity of a group of stem cells that reside in the heart.

New possibilities for efficient biofuel production Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:50 AM PDT Limited availability of fossil fuels stimulates the search for different energy resources. The use of biofuels is one of the alternatives. Sugars derived from the grain of agricultural crops can be used to produce biofuel but these crops occupy fertile soils needed for food and feed production.

Sugar helps scientists find and assess prostate tumors Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:50 AM PDT A natural form of sugar could offer a new, noninvasive way to precisely image tumors and potentially see whether cancer medication is effective, by means of a new imaging technology.

Superconducting wire yields unprecedented performance Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:50 AM PDT The ability to control nanoscale imperfections in superconducting wires results in materials with unparalleled and customized performance, according to a new study.

New species of carnivore looks like a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:31 AM PDT Observed in the wild, tucked away in museum collections, and even exhibited in zoos around the world -- there is one mysterious creature that has been a victim of mistaken identity for more than 100 years. A team of Smithsonian scientists, however, uncovered overlooked museum specimens of this remarkable animal, which took them on a journey from museum cabinets in Chicago to cloud forests in South America to genetics labs in Washington, D.C. The result: the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina) -- the first carnivore species to be discovered in the American continents in 35 years.

Voyager 1 has left the solar system Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:37 AM PDT Voyager 1 appears to have at long last left our solar system and entered interstellar space, says a University of Maryland-led team of researchers. Their model indicates Voyager 1 actually entered interstellar space a little more than a year ago, a finding directly counter to recent articles suggesting the spacecraft was still in a fuzzily-defined transition zone between the Sun's sphere of influence and the rest of the galaxy.

Cosmic turbulences result in star and black hole formation Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:37 AM PDT Just how stars and black holes in the Universe are able to form from rotating matter is one of the big questions of astrophysics. Now, physicists show how magnetic fields can also cause turbulences within "dead zones," thus making an important contribution to our current understanding of just how compact objects form in the cosmos.

Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:36 AM PDT Three elements commonly found at elevated levels in an Appalachian river polluted by runoff from mountaintop coal mining have distinctive chemistries that can be traced back to their source, according to a new study.

Shining stem cells reveals how our skin is maintained Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:35 AM PDT All organs in our body rely on stem cells in order to maintain their function. The skin is our largest organ and forms a shield against the environment. New research challenge current stem cell models and explains how the skin is maintained throughout life.

More than 28 cups of coffee a week may endanger health in under 55s Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT Drinking large amounts of coffee may be bad for under 55 year olds. A study of more than 40,000 individuals found a statistically significant 21 percent increased mortality in those drinking more than 28 cups of coffee a week and death from all causes, with a greater than 50 percent increased mortality risk in both men and women younger than 55 years of age. Investigators warn that younger people in particular may need to avoid heavy coffee consumption.

Evolution of hyperswarming bacteria could develop anti-biofilm therapies Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT Hyperswarming, pathogenic bacteria have repeatedly evolved in a lab, and the good news is that they should be less of a problem to us than their less mobile kin. That's because those hyperswarmers, adorned with multiple whipping flagella, are also much worse at sticking together on surfaces in hard-to-treat biofilms. They might even help us figure out a way to develop anti-biofilm therapies for use in people with cystic fibrosis or other conditions.

Human eye movements for vision are remarkably adaptable Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:34 AM PDT When something gets in the way of our ability to see, we quickly pick up a new way to look according to a new study. Our eyes are constantly on the move, darting this way and that. Now researchers have found that the precise manner of those eye movements can change within a matter of hours. This discovery might suggest a way to help those with macular degeneration better cope with vision loss.

Viral infection and specialized lung cells linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT Investigators have described another link in the chain of events that connect acute viral infections to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In regenerating planarians, muscle cells provide more than heavy lifting Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT By studying the planarian flatworm, a master of regenerating missing tissue and repairing wounds, scientists have identified an unexpected source of position instruction: the muscle cells in the planarian body wall. This is the first time that such a positional control system has been identified in adult regenerative animals.

Mountain high: Genetic adaptation for high altitudes identified Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have decoded the genetic basis of chronic mountain sickness (CMS) or Monge's disease. Their study provides important information that validates the genetic basis of adaptation to high altitudes, and provides potential targets for CMS treatment.

Scientists reveal how deadly ebola virus assembles Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have discovered the molecular mechanism by which the deadly Ebola virus assembles, providing potential new drug targets. Surprisingly, the study showed that the same molecule that assembles and releases new viruses also rearranges itself into different shapes, with each shape controlling a different step of the virus's life cycle.

Dad's genes build placentas, explaining grandsire effect Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:30 AM PDT Placentas support the fetus and mother, but those organs grow according to blueprints from dad, according to new research. The study shows that the genes in a fetus that come from the father dominate in building the fetal side of the placenta.

Beneficial jumping gene discovered Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:37 AM PDT Also referred to as jumping genes, transposons are snippets of "selfish DNA" that spread in their host genomes serving no other biological purpose but their own existence. Two geneticists now challenge that understanding. Working on the model plant Arabidopsis, they found that the COPIA-R7 transposon, which has jumped into the plant disease resistance gene RPP7, enhances the immunity of its host against a pathogenic microorganism.

Worms may shed light on human ability to handle chronic stress Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:37 AM PDT Researchers hope a new study will shed light on how our nervous system responds to stress and why some people suffer and others are better able to cope.

Remembering to remember supported by two distinct brain processes Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT Remembering to remember -- whether it's appointments or taking medications -- is essential to our everyday lives. New research reveals two distinct brain mechanisms that underlie prospective memory.

Dynamics of liquid metal particles examined at nanoscale Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT Two researchers have demonstrated that using a continuum-based approach, they can explain the dynamics of liquid metal particles on a substrate of a nanoscale.

Options for molecular imaging expanded Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated a new technique for determining the structure of molecules that challenges long-used standards like X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance.

Beating blindness with vegetable oil Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:36 AM PDT New findings suggest that incubating retinal cells with vegetable oils induces biochemical and biophysical changes in the cell membrane, which may have a beneficial effect in preventing or slowing the development of retinopathy.

Three-dimensional model of bacterium created Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:35 AM PDT New methods of electron microscopy have decoded the structure of Gemmata obscuriglobus.

Huge owls need huge trees Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:33 AM PDT The world's largest owl – and one of the rarest – is also a key indicator of the health of some of old-growth Russian forests.

Spaceflight alters bacterial social networks Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:51 AM PDT In two studies biofilms grown aboard the International Space Station bound space shuttle were compared with those grown on the ground. The study results show for the first time that spaceflight changes the behavior of bacterial communities.

Researchers report a critical role for the complement system in early macular degeneration Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:51 AM PDT Researchers report the unexpected finding that in mice genetically engineered to have an inherited form of macular degeneration, turning off the animals' complement system, a part of the immune system, prevented the disease.

Malware bites and how to stop it Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:50 AM PDT Researchers have devised an approach to virus detection that acts as a third layer on top of scanning for known viruses and heuristic scanning.

Growth of disorder of electrons measured in dual temperature system Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:49 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded for the first time in experimentally measuring a probability distribution for entropy production of electrons. Entropy production means an increase in disorder when electrons are moved individually between two microscopic conductors of differing temperatures.

New early warning system for cholera epidemics Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:48 AM PDT Researchers have established new techniques for predicting the severity of seasonal cholera epidemics months before they occur and with a greater degree of accuracy than other methods based on remote satellite imaging. Taken together, findings from these two papers may provide the essential lead time to strengthen intervention efforts before the outbreak of cholera in endemic regions.

Dragonflies can see by switching 'on' and 'off' Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:48 AM PDT Biologists have discovered a novel and complex visual circuit in a dragonfly's brain that could one day help to improve vision systems for robots.

Try clapping your wet hands; A physics lesson Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:48 AM PDT Clap your wet hands. What happens to a thin film of water when it is compressed vertically? Ultimately, oil companies are interested in this research because of the oil separation process.

Heat waves to become much more frequent and severe Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Climate change is set to trigger more frequent and severe heat waves in the next 30 years regardless of the amount of carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere, a new study has shown.

Study examines risk of severe blood sugar swings among diabetics taking fluoroquinolones Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Diabetic patients taking oral fluoroquinolones, a frequently prescribed class of antibiotics, were found to have a higher risk of severe blood sugar-related problems than diabetic patients taking other kinds of antibiotics, according to a recent study. The increased risk was low, but clinicians should consider the higher risk when treating diabetic patients with fluoroquinolones, especially moxifloxacin, and prescribe them cautiously, the study's authors concluded.

Exercise is no quick cure for insomnia Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Exercise is a common prescription for insomnia. But hitting the treadmill one day won't translate into better sleep that night, reports new research. It takes four months so people shouldn't get discouraged. This is the first long-term study to show aerobic exercise during the day does not result in improved sleep that night when people have insomnia. The study also showed people exercise less following nights with worse sleep.

The first animal model for sexual transmission of HIV Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:48 AM PDT Despite the availability of many animal models of HIV infection, none reproduce the physiological conditions of vaginal intercourse, which is the most common route of HIV transmission. Researchers describe an approach for transmission of HIV during mouse mating. Their system provides a platform for investigating how the physiological environment during intercourse influences the rate of HIV transmission, and for testing potential therapies.

Nervous system disease: A new outlet for an old drug? Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:47 AM PDT A sixty-year old drug designed to treat vitamin B1 deficiency helps ease the symptoms of a chronic, progress nervous system disease, a clinical trial reveals. A large-scale, randomized controlled trial is now needed to help reveal the drugs true potential.

Will to win forms at four years old Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:47 AM PDT New research suggests children don't understand competitive behavior until around the age of four.

Quantum teleportation: Transfer of flying quantum bits at the touch of a button Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Hybrid technology makes possible highly reliable transmission of photonic qubits.

Making the brain take notice of faces in autism Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Difficulty in registering and responding to the facial expressions of other people is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Relatedly, functional imaging studies have shown that individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images.

Characteristics of family killers revealed: The male dominated crime most common in August Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Of all the dark forms that murder can take, the slaying of a family by the father is one of the most tragic and the least understood. This first ever study of British 'family annihilators' has analyzed three decades of cases and reveals four new types of annihilator.

Graphene nanoscrolls are formed by decoration of magnetic nanoparticles Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Researchers show how nitrogen doped graphene can be rolled into perfect Archimedean nano scrolls by adhering magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on the surface of the graphene sheets. The new material may have very good properties for application as electrodes in for example Li-ion batteries.

Millions of tracks at the fingertips of music researchers Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:44 AM PDT Online digital music services, such as Last.fm and Spotify, contain semantic information produced by users worldwide about millions of music tracks. A new method now enables exploiting this vast source of information in order to understand the processes behind expressions of musical moods.

In nonsmoking women, breastfeeding for more than six months may protect against breast cancer Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:43 AM PDT A new analysis has found that breastfeeding for more than six months may safeguard nonsmoking mothers against breast cancer. The same does not seem to hold true for smoking mothers, though. The findings add to the list of benefits of breastfeeding for women and their babies.

Galaxies had 'mature' shapes 11. 5 billion years ago Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:39 AM PDT Astronomers have established that mature-looking galaxies existed much earlier than previously known, about 11.5 billion years ago.

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