ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Antipsychotic drug may be helpful treatment for anorexia nervosa
• Drawing connections between food webs: Universal truths about species' roles uncovered
• Quantum computer built inside a diamond
• Reproductive seasonality observed in male giant pandas
• Eating flavonoids protects men against Parkinson's disease
• Antibody therapy prevents gastrointestinal damage following radiation exposure in mice
• Memory declines faster in years closest to death; mental activity best protection
• Internet use promotes democracy best in countries that are already partially free
• Free apps drain smartphone energy on 'advertising modules'
• Free term paper? Income inequality and distrust foster academic dishonesty
• Injectable contraceptives linked to breast cancer risk in younger women
• New options for nuclear waste? Crushing pressure surprisingly opens up nanopores in mineral
• Enzyme in saliva helps regulate blood glucose
• New mechanism of past global warming? Thawing permafrost 50 million years ago led to global warming events
• Multiple faces of deadly breast cancer
• Stickleback genome holds clues to adaptive evolution
• Analysis of stickleback genome sequence catches evolution in action: Reuse of key genes is common theme
• Change from lab to natural setting dramatically alters biological and genetic determinants of behavior
• Autism mutations, scattered across many genes, merge into common network of interactions
• DNA sequencing consortium unveils patterns of mutations in autism
• Mutations in three genes linked to autism spectrum disorders
• New way of lasing: A 'superradiant' laser
• Sexually abused boys at risk for more unsafe sex, researchers find
• Potential method to control obesity: Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation
• Cannibalistic galaxy with a powerful heart
• Carbon nanotubes can double growth of cell cultures
• Some 'improved cookstoves' may emit more pollution than traditional mud cookstoves
• Defying conventional wisdom, water can float on oil
• Bacterial contamination found in pharmacy robots
• Titanic disaster 'unlikely to happen again'
• Generating first-ever controlled ultrafast radiation using a plasma
• Game changer for evolutionary theory?
• Light switch added to gene tool opens new view of cell development
• New gene thought to be cause in early-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease
• Listening to the radio even in an electric vehicle
• The long arm of the dendritic cell: A link between atherosclerosis and autoimmunity
• Growing nitrous oxide levels explained
• New forage plant prepares farmers for climate changes
• An airbag for perceiving pain: Basic mechanisms governing the perception of pain discovered
• Can mathematics help Usain Bolt run faster?
• Cone snail venom controls pain
• How social contact with sick ants protects their nestmates
• Vegetation cover affects the speed of snowmelt in tundra regions
• 62% of men and 37% of women over the age of 65 are sexually active, Spanish study shows
• New insights into the machinery for protein degradation
• Mystery of human consciousness illuminated: Primitive consciousness emerges first as you awaken from anesthesia
• New method yields insulin-producing pancreatic cell clusters
• Older subjects who regularly practise Tai Chi found to have better arterial compliance and greater muscle strength
• Reducing hospital admissions for asthmatics
• Arsenic turns stem cells cancerous, spurring tumor growth
• Yoga shows psychological benefits for high-school students
• Text messaging in class may affect college students' learning
• Early-life exposure to BPA affects adult learning, animal study suggests
• Cosmic 'leaf blower' robs galaxy of star-making fuel
• NASA's SOFIA captures image of dying, outflowing star

Antipsychotic drug may be helpful treatment for anorexia nervosa Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:20 PM PDT Low doses of a commonly used atypical antipsychotic drug improved survival in a mouse model of anorexia nervosa, researchers have recently reported. The result offers promise for a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder that currently lacks approved drugs for treatment.

Drawing connections between food webs: Universal truths about species' roles uncovered Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:19 PM PDT Researchers have discovered universal truths about species' roles in food webs. The findings could open doors to increasingly global approaches in conservation.

Quantum computer built inside a diamond Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:19 PM PDT A team of scientists has built a quantum computer in a diamond, the first of its kind to include protection against "decoherence" -- noise that prevents the computer from functioning properly.

Reproductive seasonality observed in male giant pandas Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:19 PM PDT A three-year study of giant pandas reveals that reproductive seasonality exists not only in female pandas, but in male pandas as well. According to the authors, this new understanding of the regulators of male reproductive function will allow continued improvement of the captive panda management program and will, one day, assist in reintroducing pandas into the wild.

Eating flavonoids protects men against Parkinson's disease Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:19 PM PDT Men who eat flavonoid-rich foods such as berries, tea, apples and red wine significantly reduce their risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to new research.

Antibody therapy prevents gastrointestinal damage following radiation exposure in mice Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:18 PM PDT A new study offers the first evidence of a drug capable of preventing lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those occurring during a nuclear incident. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments or prophylactics available to manage the condition, known as radiation gastrointestinal syndrome (RGS), which is associated with weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, systemic infection, and – in extreme cases – septic shock and death.

Memory declines faster in years closest to death; mental activity best protection Posted: 04 Apr 2012 01:18 PM PDT New research finds that a person's memory declines at a faster rate in the two- and-a-half years before death than at any other time after memory problems first begin. A second study shows that keeping mentally fit through board games or reading may be the best way to preserve memory during late life.

Internet use promotes democracy best in countries that are already partially free Posted: 04 Apr 2012 12:20 PM PDT Although use of the internet has been credited with helping spur democratic revolutions in the Arab world and elsewhere, a new multinational study suggests the internet is most likely to play a role only in specific situations.

Free apps drain smartphone energy on 'advertising modules' Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:43 AM PDT Researchers have shown that popular free smartphone apps spend up to 75 percent of their energy tracking the user's geographical location, sending information about the user to advertisers and downloading ads.

Free term paper? Income inequality and distrust foster academic dishonesty Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:43 AM PDT College professors and students are in an arms race over cheating. Students find new sources for pre-written term papers; professors find new ways to check the texts they get for plagiarized material. But why are all these young people cheating? A new study suggests one reason: income inequality, which decreases the general trust people have toward each other.

Injectable contraceptives linked to breast cancer risk in younger women Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:41 AM PDT The first large-scale U.S.-based study to evaluate the link between an injectable form of progestin-only birth control and breast cancer risk in young women has found that recent use of a year or more doubles the risk.

New options for nuclear waste? Crushing pressure surprisingly opens up nanopores in mineral Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:41 AM PDT By squeezing a porous solid, scientists surprisingly made its cavities open wider, letting in -- and trapping -- europium ions. Given the similarities between europium and uranium ions, the team thinks the innovation could represent a promising new avenue for nuclear waste processing.

Enzyme in saliva helps regulate blood glucose Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:41 AM PDT Scientists report that blood glucose levels following starch ingestion are influenced by genetically-determined differences in the oral enzyme salivary amylase. Specifically, higher salivary amylase activity is related to lower blood glucose. The findings suggest that salivary amylase may contribute significantly to overall metabolic status.

New mechanism of past global warming? Thawing permafrost 50 million years ago led to global warming events Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:38 AM PDT Climate scientists have proposed a simple new mechanism to explain the source of carbon that fed a series of extreme warming events about 55 million years ago, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, and a sequence of similar, smaller warming events afterward.

Multiple faces of deadly breast cancer Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT Scientists have made a discovery that will change the way the most deadly form of breast cancer is treated. The study is the largest genetic analysis of what were thought to be triple negative breast cancer tumors.

Stickleback genome holds clues to adaptive evolution Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT Scientists searching for genetic clues to vertebrate evolution have long been fascinated by the tiny marine stickleback fish, known for its ability to adapt and thrive in salty oceans or freshwater streams around the world. Now scientists have analyzed the entire genetic sequence of 21 threespine sticklebacks and identified which regions of the genome regulate their ability to adapt to such markedly different environments.

Analysis of stickleback genome sequence catches evolution in action: Reuse of key genes is common theme Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT Three-spine sticklebacks aren't as pretty as many aquarium fish, and anglers don't fantasize about hooking one. But biologists treasure these small fish for what they are revealing about the genetic changes that drive evolution. Now, researchers have sequenced the stickleback genome for the first time, and they have discovered that as fish in different parts of the world adapted to live in fresh water, the same sites in the genome were changed time and again.

Change from lab to natural setting dramatically alters biological and genetic determinants of behavior Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT Research into the behavior of flies and their sleep-wake mechanism in a natural environment flies in the face of over 40 years of research in controlled laboratory conditions.

Autism mutations, scattered across many genes, merge into common network of interactions Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT Among autistic children with no family history of ASD, researchers uncovered 49 gene mutations disrupting a pathway that modifies chromatin and regulates genes in the brain and nervous system. Various changes in this pathway contribute to children developing autism in different ways. Many different forms of autism exist at the molecular level, making ASD an umbrella disorder with many root causes. Conversely, many intellectual, social and mental disorders share common mutations. Divisions clinicians make among these disorders may not translate into molecular differences.

DNA sequencing consortium unveils patterns of mutations in autism Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT Scientists have searched for autism-related mutations in the fraction of the human genome that codes for proteins. The researchers sequenced this region, known as the "exome," in 175 autism patients and their unaffected parents. Their results suggest modest roles for hundreds of genes in the development of autism and pinpoint a few specific genes as genuine risk factors.

Mutations in three genes linked to autism spectrum disorders Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT Mutations in three new genes have been linked to autism, according to new studies. The findings reveal new genetic targets in autism. Three new studies provide new insights into important genetic changes and the many biological pathways that lead to autism spectrum disorders.

New way of lasing: A 'superradiant' laser Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT Physicists have demonstrated a novel "superradiant" laser design, which has the potential to be 100 to 1,000 times more stable than the best conventional visible lasers. This type of laser could boost the performance of the most advanced atomic clocks and related technologies, such as communications and navigation systems as well as space-based astronomical instruments.

Sexually abused boys at risk for more unsafe sex, researchers find Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT Young males who have been sexually abused are five times more likely to cause teen pregnancy compared to those with no abuse history, according to new research. Sexually abused boys are also three times more likely to have multiple sexual partners and twice as likely to engage in unprotected sex.

Potential method to control obesity: Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a new study.

Cannibalistic galaxy with a powerful heart Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT Astronomers have provided a multi-wavelength view of the mysterious galaxy Centaurus A. The new image reveals further hints about its cannibalistic past and energetic processes going on in its core.

Carbon nanotubes can double growth of cell cultures Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT A dose of carbon nanotubes more than doubles the growth rate of plant cell cultures -- workhorses in the production of everything from lifesaving medications to sweeteners to dyes and perfumes -- researchers are reporting. Their study is perhaps the first to show that carbon nanotubes boost plant cell division and growth.

Some 'improved cookstoves' may emit more pollution than traditional mud cookstoves Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT The first real-world, head-to-head comparison of "improved cookstoves" (ICs) and traditional mud stoves has found that some ICs may at times emit more of the worrisome "black carbon," or soot, particles that are linked to serious health and environmental concerns than traditional mud stoves or open-cook fires. The report raises concerns about the leading hope as a clean cooking technology in the developing world.

Defying conventional wisdom, water can float on oil Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:52 AM PDT Defying thousands of years of conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting that it is possible for water to float on oil, a discovery they say has important potential applications in cleaning up oil spills that threaten seashores and fisheries.

Bacterial contamination found in pharmacy robots Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:52 AM PDT Drug-dispensing robots designed to quickly prepare intravenous medications in a sterile environment can harbor dangerous bacteria, according to a new report.

Titanic disaster 'unlikely to happen again' Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:51 AM PDT A ship science expert says that a seafaring tragedy on the scale of the Titanic disaster is unlikely to happen again. He believes this is due to the many lessons that have been learned as a result of the tragedy 100 years ago.

Generating first-ever controlled ultrafast radiation using a plasma Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:51 AM PDT To observe ultrarapid phenomena such as the motion of electrons within matter, researchers need sources capable of producing extremely fast and energetic light radiation. Although devices capable of emitting pulses with attosecond (10-18 seconds) precision already exist, many research teams are striving to stretch the boundaries of these pulses' duration and intensity.Scientists have now succeeded for the first time in accelerating and guiding electrons in a plasma in a reproducible manner, using a laser.

Game changer for evolutionary theory? Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:50 AM PDT A new hypothesis could be a game changer in the evolution arena. The hypothesis suggests some species are surviving by discarding genes and depending on other species to play their hand.

Light switch added to gene tool opens new view of cell development Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:30 AM PDT Scientists have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule. Based on initial testing in zebrafish embryos, the enhanced molecule promises to deliver new insights for developmental biologists and brain researchers.

New gene thought to be cause in early-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT A new gene that causes early onset of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered, researchers say. The research scientists showed that in the families of five of 14 patients suffering from the disease, mutations were detected on the gene SORL1.

Listening to the radio even in an electric vehicle Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT To enable radio reception in electric vehicles, manufacturers must install filters and insulate cables, since electrical signals will otherwise interfere with music and speech transmissions. Now, using new calculation methods, researchers are paving the way for pure listening pleasure while also helping to lower the associated costs.

The long arm of the dendritic cell: A link between atherosclerosis and autoimmunity Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT Patients with autoimmune diseases often show a predisposition to develop "hardening of the arteries" or atherosclerosis. Researchers have now uncovered a mechanism that establishes a causal link between the two disorders.

Growing nitrous oxide levels explained Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT Scientists have generated a 65-year record of Southern Hemisphere nitrous oxide measurements, establishing a new benchmark against which to compare changes in the long-lived greenhouse gas that is also a major ozone-depleting substance.

New forage plant prepares farmers for climate changes Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT Plant researchers have developed a new type of the corn-like crop sorghum, which may become very significant for food supplies in drought-prone areas. Unlike the conventional drought-resistant sorghum plant, which is an important crop in Africa, China and the USA, this new type does not form toxic cyanide when exposed to long-term drought.

An airbag for perceiving pain: Basic mechanisms governing the perception of pain discovered Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:25 AM PDT Everyone knows how it feels to bite into a hot chili pepper or burn the roof of one's mouth with a hot drink. This activates nerve cells that relay the potential threat to the brain, which then causes the person in question to perceive pain. Over 14 years ago, researchers discovered the first receptor molecule that reacts to heat as well as to capsaicin, the active substance in chili extracts. At the time it was believed that science had come a big step closer to understanding the emergence of pain and its treatment with medicine. The disappointment was great when it was found several years later that laboratory mice from whom the gene of this receptor had been artificially removed still perceived pain. Despite repeated attempts to explain the causes of this observation, it has remained a mystery until now. Researchers have now deciphered basic mechanisms governing the perception of pain.

Can mathematics help Usain Bolt run faster? Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:25 AM PDT Usain Bolt can achieve faster running times with no extra effort on his part or improvement to his fitness, according to a new study. A mathematician illustrates how, based on concrete mathematical evidence, Bolt can cut his world record from 9.58 seconds to 9.45. Usain Bolt holds the current 100m world record, at 9.58s, and has been described as the best sprinter there has ever been, dramatically reducing his running times since he first won the world record in 2008.

Cone snail venom controls pain Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:23 AM PDT Hidden in the mud, the cone snail Conus purpurascens lies in wait for its victims. It attracts its prey, fish, with its proboscis, which can move like a worm, protruding from the mud. Once a fish approaches out of curiosity, the snail will rapidly shoot a harpoon at it, which consists of an evolutionarily modified tooth. The paralyzed victim then becomes an easy meal.

How social contact with sick ants protects their nestmates Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:23 AM PDT Micro-infections have been found to promote social vaccination in ant societies. Like crowded megacities, ant colonies face a high risk of disease outbreaks. These are kept in check by the ants' "social immune system"— a set of collective hygienic behaviors and adaptive changes in interaction frequencies that acts in conjunction with the physiological, innate immune system of colony members.

Vegetation cover affects the speed of snowmelt in tundra regions Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:22 AM PDT Climate change has increased vegetation in Arctic tundra regions. According to a recent study, the increase in vegetation in tundra regions may further accelerate global warming.

62% of men and 37% of women over the age of 65 are sexually active, Spanish study shows Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:22 AM PDT A study involving nearly 2000 people describes the sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain.

New insights into the machinery for protein degradation Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:21 AM PDT Uncontrolled or inaccurate degradation of cellular proteins can lead to diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have now uncovered the structure and the operating mechanism of an important component of the human cellular degradation machinery, tripeptidyl peptidase II (TPPII).

Mystery of human consciousness illuminated: Primitive consciousness emerges first as you awaken from anesthesia Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:21 AM PDT Primitive consciousness emerges first as you awaken from anesthesia. Awakening from anesthesia is often associated with an initial phase of delirious struggle before the full restoration of awareness and orientation to one's surroundings. Scientists now know why this may occur: primitive consciousness emerges first. The emergence of consciousness was found to be associated with activations of deep, primitive brain structures rather than the evolutionary younger neocortex. These results may represent an important step forward in the scientific explanation of human consciousness.

New method yields insulin-producing pancreatic cell clusters Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:21 AM PDT Three-dimensional clusters of pancreatic beta-cells that live much longer and secrete more insulin than single cells grown in the laboratory are valuable new tools for studying pancreatic diseases such as diabetes and for testing novel therapies. Growing pancreatic cells in the laboratory is challenging, in part because to survive and function normally they require cell-cell contact.

Older subjects who regularly practise Tai Chi found to have better arterial compliance and greater muscle strength Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:21 AM PDT Older subjects who regularly practise Tai Chi found to have better arterial compliance and greater muscle strength than non-practitioners. Exercise which can achieve both cardiovascular function and muscle strength "would be a preferred mode of training for older persons", say investigators. Experienced practitioners of Tai Chi, the traditional Chinese mind-body exercise now enjoyed worldwide, have been shown in a study of older subjects to have improved expansion and contraction of arteries according to cardiac pulsation (arterial compliance) and improved knee muscle strength.

Reducing hospital admissions for asthmatics Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:19 AM PDT Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital.

Arsenic turns stem cells cancerous, spurring tumor growth Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:19 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells and spur tumor growth. Inorganic arsenic, which affects the drinking water of millions of people worldwide, has been previously shown to be a human carcinogen. A growing body of evidence suggests that cancer is a stem-cell based disease.

Yoga shows psychological benefits for high-school students Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT Yoga classes have positive psychological effects for high-school students, according to a pilot study.

Text messaging in class may affect college students' learning Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT College students who frequently text message during class have difficulty staying attentive to classroom lectures and consequently risk having poor learning outcomes, new research shows. Because it is difficult to demonstrate that texting alone can have a direct impact on students' cognitive learning, researchers used path model analysis to describe the relationships between texting, as a "mediator" or intervening variable, and cognitive learning.

Early-life exposure to BPA affects adult learning, animal study suggests Posted: 04 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT A new study is the first to identify a neurobehavioral effect of BPA using a zebrafish model exposed to concentrations comparable to what humans might encounter in the environment.

Cosmic 'leaf blower' robs galaxy of star-making fuel Posted: 04 Apr 2012 05:34 AM PDT Supernova explosions and the jets of a monstrous black hole are scattering a galaxy's star-making gas like a cosmic leaf blower, a new study finds. The findings, which relied on ultraviolet observations from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and a host of other instruments, fill an important gap in the current understanding of galactic evolution.

NASA's SOFIA captures image of dying, outflowing star Posted: 04 Apr 2012 05:33 AM PDT Researchers using NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) have captured an infrared image of the last exhalations of a dying sun-like star. The object observed by SOFIA, planetary nebula Minkowski 2-9, or M2-9 for short, is seen in a new three-color composite image.

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