ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Practical tool can 'take pulse' of blue-green algae status in lakes
• The mysterious arc of Venus
• RHESSI will use Venus transit to improve measurements of the sun's diameter
• Investigational diabetes drug may have fewer side effects
• Little cognitive benefit from soy supplements for older women
• Families of kids with staph infections have high rate of drug-resistant germ
• Early childhood neglect may raise risk of adult skin cancer
• Cancer drugs: Better, cheaper
• Neuroscientists show how brain responds to sensual caress
• Fossil discovery: More evidence for Asia, not Africa, as the source of earliest anthropoid primates
• Reign of the giant insects ended with the evolution of birds
• Zeroing in on the best shape for cancer-fighting nanoparticles
• Mosquitoes fly in rain thanks to low mass
• ‘Good fat’ activated by cold, not ephedrine
• How infectious disease may have shaped human origins
• Physicists close in on a rare particle-decay process: Underground experiment may unlock mysteries of the neutrino
• Vaccinations of US children declined after publication of now-refuted autism risk
• Underground search for neutrino properties unveils first results
• Giant black hole kicked out of home galaxy
• High blood caffeine levels in older adults linked to avoidance of Alzheimer’s disease
• Will a NYC supersize soda ban help obesity battle?
• Cannabinoid shown effective as adjuvant analgesic for cancer pain
• Facebook photos may reflect unconscious cultural differences
• Ancient jugs hold the secret to practical mathematics in Biblical times
• Researchers achieve RNA interference, in a lighter package
• Healthy habits can prevent disease
• Many new mothers spend more time on facebook after birth
• Are wider faced men more self-sacrificing?
• Flexible channel width improves user experience on wireless systems
• Teaching tree-thinking through touch
• Groundbreaking x-ray snapshots of active photosynthesis
• New hope for migraine sufferers: Female gene link identified
• New breast cancer drug halts tumor growth better than standard therapy
• Bug-bomb foggers are no match for bed bugs
• Excessive endurance training can be too much of a good thing, research suggests
• Immune system glitch tied to fourfold higher likelihood of death identified
• Knowing yeast genome produces better wine
• Artificial muscle as shock absorber: Dampen annoying vibrations in a car or supply wireless power
• New multitarget molecule designed with high potential in future treatments for Alzheimer's disease
• Repelling the drop on top
• Export extravaganza in human cells
• Filming life in the fast lane
• Molecular algebra in mammalian cells
• Search engine for social networks based on the behavior of ants
• Shape-shifting shell of retroviruses detailed
• Rhythmic firing of nerves involved in body’s movements
• Powerful new tool for research and drug development
• New statistical model lets patient's past forecast future ailments
• Maize diversity discoveries may help ease world's hunger pangs
• First genome-wide assessment of secretion in human cells
• US and European energy supplies vulnerable to climate change

Practical tool can 'take pulse' of blue-green algae status in lakes Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:20 PM PDT Scientists have designed a screening tool that provides a fast, easy and relatively inexpensive way to predict levels of a specific toxin in lakes that are prone to blue-green algal blooms.

The mysterious arc of Venus Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:20 PM PDT When Venus transits the sun on June 5-6, an armada of spacecraft and ground-based telescopes will be on the lookout for something elusive and, until recently, unexpected: the arc of Venus.

RHESSI will use Venus transit to improve measurements of the sun's diameter Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:20 PM PDT With the new data obtained during the Venus transit on June 5-6, 2012, the RHESSI team hopes to improve the knowledge of the exact shape of the sun and provide a more accurate measure of the diameter than has previously been obtained.

Investigational diabetes drug may have fewer side effects Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:19 PM PDT Drugs for Type 2 diabetes can contribute to unwanted side effects, but researchers have found that in mice, an investigational drug appears to improve insulin sensitivity without side effects. The medicine works through a different pathway, which could provide additional targets for treating insulin resistance and diabetes.

Little cognitive benefit from soy supplements for older women Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:18 PM PDT In a new study of the effects of soy supplements for postmenopausal women, researchers found no significant differences -- positive or negative -- in overall mental abilities between those who took supplements and those who didn't.

Families of kids with staph infections have high rate of drug-resistant germ Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:17 PM PDT Family members of children with a staph infection often harbor a drug-resistant form of the germ, although they don't show symptoms, a team of researchers has found.

Early childhood neglect may raise risk of adult skin cancer Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:16 PM PDT Skin cancer patients whose childhood included periods of neglect or maltreatment are at a much greater risk for their cancers to return when they face a major stressful event, new research suggests.

Cancer drugs: Better, cheaper Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:57 PM PDT Cancer drug development is known to be too slow, costly and fraught with failure. Now the US Food and Drug Administration is issuing recommendations for breast cancer trials that would substantially accelerate patient access to new medications while lowering the time and cost of drug development.

Neuroscientists show how brain responds to sensual caress Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:57 PM PDT A nuzzle of the neck, a brush of the knee -- these caresses often signal a loving touch, but can also feel highly aversive, depending on who is delivering the touch, and to whom. Interested in how the brain makes connections between touch and emotion, neuroscientists have discovered that the association begins in the brain's primary somatosensory cortex, a region that was thought only to respond to basic touch.

Fossil discovery: More evidence for Asia, not Africa, as the source of earliest anthropoid primates Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:57 PM PDT A new fossil primate from Myanmar illuminates a critical step in the evolution of early anthropoids. Afrasia closely resembles another early anthropoid, Afrotarsius libycus. The close similarity indicates that early anthropoids colonized Africa only shortly before the time when these animals lived. This was a pivotal step in primate and human evolution, because it set the stage for the later evolution of more advanced apes and humans there.

Reign of the giant insects ended with the evolution of birds Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:57 PM PDT Giant insects ruled the prehistoric skies during periods when Earth's atmosphere was rich in oxygen. Then came the birds. After the evolution of birds about 150 million years ago, insects got smaller despite rising oxygen levels, according to a new study.

Zeroing in on the best shape for cancer-fighting nanoparticles Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:56 PM PDT A pair of new articles suggests that cancer-fighting nanoparticles ought to be disc-shaped, not spherical or rod-shaped, when targeting cancers at or near blood vessels.

Mosquitoes fly in rain thanks to low mass Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:55 PM PDT Even rain can't deter mosquitoes. The blood-sucking insect can fly in a downpour because of its strong exoskeletons and low mass render it impervious to falling drops. Researchers determined this using high-speed videography.

‘Good fat’ activated by cold, not ephedrine Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:55 PM PDT Researchers have shown that while a type of "good" fat found in the body can be activated by cold temperatures, it is not able to be activated by the drug ephedrine.

How infectious disease may have shaped human origins Posted: 04 Jun 2012 12:55 PM PDT Scientists suggest that inactivation of two specific genes related to the immune system may have conferred selected ancestors of modern humans with improved protection from some pathogenic bacterial strains, such as Escherichia coli K1 and Group B Streptococci, the leading causes of sepsis and meningitis in human fetuses, newborns and infants.

Physicists close in on a rare particle-decay process: Underground experiment may unlock mysteries of the neutrino Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT In the biggest result of its kind in more than ten years, physicists have made the most sensitive measurements yet in a decades-long hunt for a hypothetical and rare process involving the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. If discovered, the researchers say, this process could have profound implications for how scientists understand the fundamental laws of physics and help solve some of the universe's biggest mysteries.

Vaccinations of US children declined after publication of now-refuted autism risk Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT Health economics researchers have found that publication of the perceived risk linking the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to autism in the late 1990s seemingly led to declines in the vaccination rate of children. This is despite the fact that later studies refuted the existence of an MMR-autism link.

Underground search for neutrino properties unveils first results Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT Scientists studying neutrinos have found with the highest degree of sensitivity yet that these mysterious particles behave like other elementary particles at the quantum level. The results shed light on the mass and other properties of the neutrino and prove the effectiveness of a new instrument that will yield even greater discoveries in this area.

Giant black hole kicked out of home galaxy Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT Astronomers have found strong evidence that a massive black hole is being ejected from its host galaxy at a speed of several million miles per hour. New observations suggest that the black hole collided and merged with another black hole and received a powerful recoil kick from gravitational wave radiation.

High blood caffeine levels in older adults linked to avoidance of Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:26 AM PDT Those cups of coffee that you drink every day to keep alert appear to have an extra perk -- especially if you're an older adult. A recent study monitoring the memory and thinking processes of people older than 65 found that all those with higher blood caffeine levels avoided the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the two-to-four years of study follow-up. Moreover, coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for these individuals.

Will a NYC supersize soda ban help obesity battle? Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:24 AM PDT Researchers say it does not appear that limiting sizes of soft drinks will have a significant effect on reducing weight at a population level.

Cannabinoid shown effective as adjuvant analgesic for cancer pain Posted: 04 Jun 2012 11:24 AM PDT An investigational cannabinoid therapy helped provide effective analgesia when used as an adjuvant medication for cancer patients with pain that responded poorly to opioids, according to results of a multicenter trial.

Facebook photos may reflect unconscious cultural differences Posted: 04 Jun 2012 09:56 AM PDT The photos we select for our Facebook profiles may reflect individual preferences, but they also appear to reflect more deeply rooted, unconscious cultural differences.

Ancient jugs hold the secret to practical mathematics in Biblical times Posted: 04 Jun 2012 09:56 AM PDT Archaeologists and mathematicians alike have been puzzled for centuries by the use of spherical jugs in trade in the ancient world, and how merchants measured the volume of the commodities they held. Now researchers have revealed that these ancient cultures had their own unique means of measurement, accurate enough for business and other uses.

Researchers achieve RNA interference, in a lighter package Posted: 04 Jun 2012 09:56 AM PDT Using a technique known as "nucleic acid origami," chemical engineers have built tiny particles made out of DNA and RNA that can deliver snippets of RNA directly to tumors, turning off genes expressed in cancer cells.

Healthy habits can prevent disease Posted: 04 Jun 2012 09:55 AM PDT Five new studies provide evidence to support simple steps we can take to prevent illness and improve our overall health. Researchers report on fish consumption to reduce the risk of colon cancer; the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and acupuncture for smoking cessation; regular teeth cleaning to improve cardiovascular health; the effectiveness of primary care physicians in weight loss programs; and the use of low-dose aspirin to reduce cancer risk.

Many new mothers spend more time on facebook after birth Posted: 04 Jun 2012 09:52 AM PDT Many first-time parents - particularly mothers - actually increase the amount of time they spend on Facebook after the birth of their child.

Are wider faced men more self-sacrificing? Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:14 AM PDT Picture a stereotypical tough guy and you might imagine a man with a broad face, a square jaw, and a stoical demeanor. Existing research even supports this association, linking wider, more masculine faces with several less-than-cuddly characteristics, including perceived lack of warmth, dishonesty, and lack of cooperation. But a new study suggests that men with these wide, masculine faces aren't always the aggressive tough guys they appear to be.

Flexible channel width improves user experience on wireless systems Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:14 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique to efficiently divide the bandwidth of the wireless spectrum in multi-hop wireless networks to improve operation and provide all users in the network with the best possible performance.

Teaching tree-thinking through touch Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:11 AM PDT A pair of new studies by computer scientists, biologists, and cognitive psychologists suggest that collaborative touch-screen games have value beyond just play.

Groundbreaking x-ray snapshots of active photosynthesis Posted: 04 Jun 2012 08:11 AM PDT Scientists are opening new avenues to understand photosynthesis and create artificial photosynthesis. Using x-ray analysis, they have managed to see the structure of molecules under conditions where photosynthesis can occur, and they have also found that calcium plays a critical role in decomposing water.

New hope for migraine sufferers: Female gene link identified Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:41 AM PDT New hope has arrived for migraine sufferers following a new study with the people of Norfolk Island.Scientists have identified a new region on the X chromosome as playing a role in migraine. The research provides compelling evidence for a new migraine susceptibility gene involved in migraine.

New breast cancer drug halts tumor growth better than standard therapy Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:41 AM PDT A new cancer treatment that links chemotherapy with an agent that homes in on specific breast cancer cells was significantly better than the current drug regimen at keeping patients' advanced tumors from progressing, according to results from a phase III clinical trial.

Bug-bomb foggers are no match for bed bugs Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:40 AM PDT Recent research shows "bug bombs" and foggers to be ineffective against bed bugs.

Excessive endurance training can be too much of a good thing, research suggests Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:31 AM PDT Micah True, legendary ultra-marathoner, died suddenly while on a routine 12-mile training run March 27, 2012. The mythic Caballo Blanco in the best-selling book, Born to Run, True would run as far as 100 miles in a day. On autopsy his heart was enlarged and scarred; he died of a lethal arrhythmia (irregularity of the heart rhythm). Although speculative, the pathologic changes in the heart of this 58 year-old veteran extreme endurance athlete may have been manifestations of "Phidippides cardiomyopathy," a condition caused by chronic excessive endurance exercise.

Immune system glitch tied to fourfold higher likelihood of death identified Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:31 AM PDT High levels of an antibody molecule has been found to be linked to increased rates of death from all diseases.

Knowing yeast genome produces better wine Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT The yeast Dekkera bruxellensis plays an important role in the production of wine, as it can have either a positive or a negative impact on the taste. Researchers have analyzed the yeast's genome giving wine producers the possibility to take control of the flavor development of the wine.

Artificial muscle as shock absorber: Dampen annoying vibrations in a car or supply wireless power Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT Engineers are working on intelligent materials that can diminish vibrations and extract power from the environment. These electro-active elastomers could dampen annoying vibrations in a car, for example, or supply wireless power to sensors in otherwise inaccessible places.

New multitarget molecule designed with high potential in future treatments for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT Researchers have developed a multitarget molecule, ASS234, which according to the results of in vitro studies conducted, inhibits the aggregation of the ß-amyloid protein, involved in Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, ASS234 stimulates the cholinergic and monoaminergic transmission, key factors involved in the cognitive function. In addition, ASS234 is able to cross the blood–brain barrier with an elevated multipotent profile designed on basis of donepezil (Aricept®), one of the few effective drugs in palliative and symptomatic treatments of the disease.

Repelling the drop on top Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT It would make life a lot easier if the surfaces of window panes, corrosion coatings or microfluidic systems in medical labs could keep themselves free of water and other liquids. A new simulation program can now work out just how such surfaces have to look for a variety of applications.

Export extravaganza in human cells Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:29 AM PDT In the first comprehensive census of human cells' export workers, scientists found an unexpected variety of genes involved in transporting molecules to the cell membrane and beyond.

Filming life in the fast lane Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT A new microscope enabled scientists to film a fruit fly embryo, in 3D, from when it was about two-and-a-half hours old until it walked away from the microscope as a larva.

Molecular algebra in mammalian cells Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT Researchers have reprogrammed mammalian cells in such a way as to perform logical calculations like a pocket calculator. The cells owe this ability to one of the most complex gene networks that has ever been incorporated into a higher cell.

Search engine for social networks based on the behavior of ants Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT Researchers are developing an algorithm, based on  ants' behavior when they are searching for food, which accelerates the search for relationships among elements that are present in social networks. One of the main technical questions in the field of social networks, whose use is becoming more and more generalized, consists in locating the chain of reference that leads from one person to another, from one node to another. The greatest challenges that are presented in this area is the enormous size of these networks and the fact that the response must be rapid.

Shape-shifting shell of retroviruses detailed Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time uncovered the detailed structure of the shell that surrounds the genetic material of retroviruses, such as HIV, at a crucial and potentially vulnerable stage in their life cycle: when they are still being formed. The study provides information on a part of the virus that may be a potential future drug target.

Rhythmic firing of nerves involved in body’s movements Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:27 AM PDT A new model for understanding how nerve cells in the brain control movement may help unlock the secrets of the motor cortex, a critical region that has long resisted scientists' efforts to understand it, researchers report.

Powerful new tool for research and drug development Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:26 AM PDT Scientists have harnessed bioinformatics and molecular biology to create powerful software that promises to become a "must have" tool in drug development research labs the world over. The software is used to analyze kinases – a type of enzyme involved in virtually every cellular function, from energy use and reproduction to modifying gene expression.

New statistical model lets patient's past forecast future ailments Posted: 04 Jun 2012 06:26 AM PDT Analyzing medical records from thousands of patients, statisticians have devised a statistical model for predicting what other medical problems a patient might encounter.

Maize diversity discoveries may help ease world's hunger pangs Posted: 03 Jun 2012 04:17 PM PDT Researchers report that ancient farmers had a stronger impact on the evolution of maize, or corn, than modern plant breeders have had on the grain -- now one of the world's top production crops. The findings, together with a companion study on maize diversity, will help plant breeders increase corn yield as they prepare for the challenges of global population growth and climate change.

First genome-wide assessment of secretion in human cells Posted: 03 Jun 2012 04:16 PM PDT Scientists have revealed that 15% of the proteins encoded by the human genome contribute to the process of secretion in cells. This finding has been made possible through the assessment of more than 8 million individual cells.

US and European energy supplies vulnerable to climate change Posted: 03 Jun 2012 04:16 PM PDT Higher water temperatures and reduced river flows in Europe and the United States in recent years have resulted in reduced production, or temporary shutdown, of several thermoelectric power plants, resulting in increased electricity prices and raising concerns about future energy security in a changing climate. A new study projects further disruption to supply, with a likely decrease in thermoelectric power generating capacity of between 6-19% in Europe and 4-16% in the United States for the period 2031-2060, due to lack of cooling water.

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