ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• First comprehensive review of European breast cancer screening programs finds benefits outweigh harm
• Antidepressants, sleeping pills and anxiety drugs may increase driving risk
• NASA's Space Launch System celebrates a year of powering forward
• New RBSP instrument telemetry provides 'textbook' excitement
• Mars Rover Curiosity Arm Tests Nearly Complete
• Rare cliffhanging plant species uses unique reproductive strategy with ants
• Hands-on activities for high schoolers effectively teach about antibiotics
• Sexual arousal may decrease natural disgust response
• New African monkey species identified: Lesula found in one of Congo's last biologically unexplored forest blocks
• Protection against whooping cough waned during the five years after fifth dose of DTaP
• Single gene cause of insulin sensitivity may offer insight for treating diabetes
• Expert recommendations ignore vital issues for patients, study suggests
• New photo ID laws may impact elections, hurt minority turnout
• Belly button kidney removal boosts living-donor satisfaction
• Novel non-antibiotic agents against MRSA and strep infections
• Sinusitis linked to microbial diversity
• Official U.S. Poverty rate remains high, middle class incomes decline
• Self-control may not be a limited resource after all
• Popular pain-relieving medicines linked to hearing loss in women
• Himalayan glaciers retreating at accelerated rate in some regions: Consequences for water supply remain unclear
• Studies shed light on how to reduce the amount of toxins in plant-derived foods
• Math anxiety causes trouble for students as early as first grade
• Gut microbes help the body extract more calories from food
• Marijuana use implicated in pregnancy problems
• Genetic test predicts risk for autism spectrum disorder
• From ancient times to today, Greece's great scientific heritage
• Search for King Richard III enters new phase after 'momentous discovery has potential to rewrite history'
• European particle physics refreshes long-term strategy
• Hard coating extends the life of new ultrahigh-density storage device
• Cells surf through a microfluidic chip on fluid streamlines created by an oscillating plate
• Information theory helps unravel DNA's genetic code
• Symposium highlights treatment advances for early breast cancer
• Concussion awareness helps reduce long-term complications
• Detection and characterization of norovirus in outbreaks of gastroenteritis
• Optomechanics: Swift light switching at the microscale
• Nanoparticles: Two-faced materials boost hydrogen production
• Nanowires: The long and short of breaking
• Old deeds, witness trees offer glimpse of pre-settlement forest in West Virginia
• Mathematical model may lead to safer chemotherapy
• Scientists discover how the brain ages
• A celestial witch’s broom? A new view of the Pencil Nebula
• Dark energy is real, say astronomers
• Uncertain about health outcomes, male stroke survivors more likely to suffer depression than females
• Molecular switches in the cellular power plants: Researchers discover a new basic principle of the architecture of mitochondria
• Major update to Europe's 'alien' species catalogue
• Galápagos tomato provides key to making cultivated tomatoes resistant to whitefly
• Are our bones well designed? Insects and crabs have a leg up on us
• A carefully scheduled high-fat diet resets metabolism and prevents obesity, researchers find
• Genetic make-up of children explains how they fight malaria infection
• Predicting a die throw
• Age, not underlying diagnosis, key factor in weight gain in children after tonsillectom
• Little Ice Age led to migration of island hopping arctic foxes
• What's the main cause of obesity -- our genes or the environment?
• Hundreds more bleeding trauma patients could be saved if tranexamic acid was used more widely, study suggests
• Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients
• Responses of genes in females to sex revealed in fruit fly study
• Comic relief for stressed emergency teams
• Invisible QR codes tackle counterfeit bank notes
• World’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease reveals important differences between countries and heart conditions
• Human remains discovered in search for King Richard III

First comprehensive review of European breast cancer screening programs finds benefits outweigh harm Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:28 PM PDT A major review of breast cancer screening services in Europe has concluded that the benefits of screening in terms of lives saved outweigh the harms caused by over-diagnosis.

Antidepressants, sleeping pills and anxiety drugs may increase driving risk Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:25 PM PDT Drugs prescribed to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia may increase patients' risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents, according to a recent study. Based on the findings, the researchers suggested doctors should consider advising patients not to drive while taking these drugs. Psychotropic drugs affect the way the brain functions and can impair a driver's ability to control their vehicle.

NASA's Space Launch System celebrates a year of powering forward Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:17 PM PDT NASA is powering ahead toward new destinations in the solar system. This week marks one year of progress since the formation of the Space Launch System (SLS), the United States' next step in human exploration efforts.

New RBSP instrument telemetry provides 'textbook' excitement Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:14 PM PDT In the very early hours of Sept. 1 -- just under two days since the 4:05 a.m. EDT launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes -- the team at the RBSP Mission Operations Center (MOC) controlling spacecraft A at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. was about to power up that spacecraft's Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT-A), one of the instruments that comprise the Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma Suite (ECT).

Mars Rover Curiosity Arm Tests Nearly Complete Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:12 PM PDT NASA's Mars Curiosity team has almost finished robotic arm tests in preparation for the rover to touch and examine its first Martian rock.

Rare cliffhanging plant species uses unique reproductive strategy with ants Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT The Borderea chouardii plant, which is critically endangered and is found only on two adjacent cliff sides in the Pyrenees, employs a unique and risky doubly mutualistic reproductive strategy with local ants, according to new research.

Hands-on activities for high schoolers effectively teach about antibiotics Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT A hands-on project to educate high schoolers about appropriate antibiotic use was highly effective, promoting more sophisticated understandings of bacteria and antibiotics and increasing understanding of the dangers of antibiotic resistance, and was even enjoyable.

Sexual arousal may decrease natural disgust response Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT Sex can be messy, but most people don't seem to mind too much, and new results suggest that this phenomenon may result from sexual arousal actually dampening humans' natural disgust response.

New African monkey species identified: Lesula found in one of Congo's last biologically unexplored forest blocks Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new species of African monkey, locally known as the lesula. This is only the second new species of African monkey discovered in the last 28 years.

Protection against whooping cough waned during the five years after fifth dose of DTaP Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT Protection against whooping cough (also called pertussis) waned during the five years after the fifth dose of the combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, according to researchers. The fifth dose of the DTaP is routinely given to 4- to 6-year-old children prior to starting kindergarten.

Single gene cause of insulin sensitivity may offer insight for treating diabetes Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:45 PM PDT The first single gene cause of increased sensitivity to the hormone insulin has been discovered. The opposite condition – insulin resistance – is a common feature of type 2 diabetes, so finding this cause of insulin sensitivity could offer new opportunities for pursuing novel treatments for diabetes.

Expert recommendations ignore vital issues for patients, study suggests Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:43 PM PDT In the medical world, where decisions invariably involve risk and uncertainty, physicians note that experts generally base their recommendations on the outcome of death, which is "readily determined, easily quantified, concrete."

New photo ID laws may impact elections, hurt minority turnout Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:43 PM PDT Election turnout among young people of color, including African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, may drop by nearly 700,000 voters in states with new photo ID laws, a decline that could impact presidential contests in battleground states, a study suggests.

Belly button kidney removal boosts living-donor satisfaction Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:19 PM PDT Living donors who had a kidney removed through a single port in the navel report higher satisfaction in several key categories, compared to donors who underwent traditional multiple-port laparoscopic removal, a new study shows.

Novel non-antibiotic agents against MRSA and strep infections Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:19 PM PDT Medical researchers have discovered novel antivirulence drugs that, without killing the bacteria, render Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus pyogenes, commonly referred to as strep, harmless by preventing the production of toxins that cause disease.

Sinusitis linked to microbial diversity Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:19 PM PDT A common bacteria ever-present on the human skin and previously considered harmless, may, in fact, be the culprit behind chronic sinusitis, a painful, recurring swelling of the sinuses that strikes more than one in ten Americans each year, according to a new study.

Official U.S. Poverty rate remains high, middle class incomes decline Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:19 PM PDT Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show that, after increasing since 2008, the poverty rate for the U.S. remained stable at 15 percent between 2010 and 2011.

Self-control may not be a limited resource after all Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:59 AM PDT So many acts in our daily lives – refusing that second slice of cake, walking past the store with the latest gadgets, working on tax forms when you'd rather watch TV – seem to boil down to one essential ingredient: Self-control. But what is self-control, really? And how does it work? Researchers argue that the prevailing model of self-control may not be as precise as researchers once thought.

Popular pain-relieving medicines linked to hearing loss in women Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:58 AM PDT Women who took ibuprofen or acetaminophen two or more days per week had an increased risk of hearing loss, according to new research.

Himalayan glaciers retreating at accelerated rate in some regions: Consequences for water supply remain unclear Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:58 AM PDT Glaciers in the eastern and central regions of the Himalayas appear to be retreating at accelerating rates, similar to those in other areas of the world.

Studies shed light on how to reduce the amount of toxins in plant-derived foods Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:55 AM PDT A number of environmental toxins pose considerable health threats to humans, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) ranks high on the list. Most of us are exposed to it through plant-derived foods such as grains and vegetables. Now, new research offers ways in which investigators can reduce the amount of Cd found in the food we eat.

Math anxiety causes trouble for students as early as first grade Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Many high-achieving students experience math anxiety at a young age — a problem that can follow them throughout their lives. In a study of first- and second-graders, researchers found that students report worry and fear about doing math as early as first grade. Most surprisingly math anxiety harmed the highest-achieving students.

Gut microbes help the body extract more calories from food Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT In a study using zebrafish, researchers reveal how microbes in the intestine aid the uptake of fats -- and suggest how diet may influence our bodies' microbial communities.

Marijuana use implicated in pregnancy problems Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:18 AM PDT New research indicates marijuana-like compounds called endocannabinoids alter genes and biological signals critical to the formation of a normal placenta during pregnancy and may contribute to pregnancy complications like preeclampsia. A new study offers evidence that abnormal biological signaling by endocannabinoid lipid molecules produced by the body disrupts the movement of early embryonic cells important to a healthy pregnancy.

Genetic test predicts risk for autism spectrum disorder Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:38 AM PDT A team of Australian researchers has developed a genetic test that is able to predict the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

From ancient times to today, Greece's great scientific heritage Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:34 AM PDT The contributions of these ancient Greek thinkers and visionaries, and many others from Pythagoras to Pliny, have touched virtually every area of science. Greece's contribution to politics and systems of government has been no less impressive. Perhaps therefore it is not surprising that today, amid economic and political crises across Europe, Greek researchers are looking to combine those two traditions. Teams at the University of the Aegean are currently working on ways to use the Internet, and so-called web 2.0 technologies in particular, to help political decision-makers better understand what citizens want and how they feel about the political agenda.

Search for King Richard III enters new phase after 'momentous discovery has potential to rewrite history' Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:34 AM PDT Historic findings of human remains -- including a man with apparent battle wounds and curvature of the spine -- have been revealed by an archaeological team from the University of Leicester.

European particle physics refreshes long-term strategy Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:32 AM PDT Some 500 particle physicists meeting in Krakow this week have been debating the long-term future of their field at the CERN Council Open Symposium on the European Strategy for Particle Physics. This symposium comes at a turning point for the field, following hot on the heels of the announcement in July by CERN experiments ATLAS and CMS of the discovery of a new particle consistent with the long-sought Higgs boson: a discovery that sets the direction for future particle physics research. Although the LHC results have dominated the headlines, other areas, such as neutrino physics, have also seen important advances over recent years.

Hard coating extends the life of new ultrahigh-density storage device Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:32 AM PDT Probe storage devices read and write data by making nanoscale marks on a surface through physical contact. The technology may one day extend the data density limits of conventional magnetic and optical storage, but current probes have limited lifespans due to mechanical wear. A research team has now developed a long-lasting ultrahigh-density probe storage device by coating the tips of the probes with a thin metal film.

Cells surf through a microfluidic chip on fluid streamlines created by an oscillating plate Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:32 AM PDT Scientists who study tissue engineering and test new drugs often need to sort, rotate, move, and otherwise manipulate individual cells. They can do this by prodding the cells into place with a mechanical probe or coaxing them in the desired direction with acoustic waves, electric fields, or flowing fluids. Techniques that rely on direct physical contact can position individual cells with a high level of precision while non-contact techniques are often faster for sorting large numbers of cells. An international team of researchers has now developed a way to manipulate cells that combines some of the benefits of both contact and non-contact methods.

Information theory helps unravel DNA's genetic code Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:32 AM PDT "Superinformation," or the randomness of randomness, can be used to predict the coding and noncoding regions of DNA.

Symposium highlights treatment advances for early breast cancer Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:32 AM PDT Four new studies on the treatment of early breast cancer, spanning from diagnosis through surgery, were released today in advance of the 2012 Breast Cancer Symposium, which will take place September 13-15, 2012, in San Francisco.

Concussion awareness helps reduce long-term complications Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:31 AM PDT Soccer, football, cheerleading, gymnastics and other sports run an increased risk of concussion because of the rigorous demands of today's play and practice. Any type of traumatic brain injury, including concussion, requires a monitored approach to complete healing to avoid long-term secondary complications that can affect memory, behavior, anxiety and ability to focus and concentrate.

Detection and characterization of norovirus in outbreaks of gastroenteritis Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT Researchers conducted a study on norovirus (NoV) in lettuces. The virus causes outbreaks of Gastroenteritis among children below age 5 in Malaysia.

Optomechanics: Swift light switching at the microscale Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT Faster signal storage and optical processing in nanomachined devices edge closer to realization, thanks to new research.

Nanoparticles: Two-faced materials boost hydrogen production Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT Inexpensive hybrid metal and oxide nanostructures prove to be a catalyst that enhance sunlight-powered hydrogen production, researchers have found.

Nanowires: The long and short of breaking Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT Mechanical failure of short nanowires is characterized by smooth, ductile deformations, while long nanowires fail catastrophically, according to new research.

Old deeds, witness trees offer glimpse of pre-settlement forest in West Virginia Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT Using old deeds and witness trees, a U.S. Forest Service scientist has created a glimpse of the composition of the forests that covered today's Monongahela National Forest before settlement and logging changed the landscape.

Mathematical model may lead to safer chemotherapy Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT A new study explains why certain patients develop severe infections after chemotherapy and points to ways of averting this side-effect.

Scientists discover how the brain ages Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:50 AM PDT Researchers have revealed the mechanism by which neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and other parts of the body, age. The research opens up new avenues of understanding for conditions where the aging of neurons are known to be responsible, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease.

A celestial witch’s broom? A new view of the Pencil Nebula Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:48 AM PDT The Pencil Nebula is pictured in a new image from ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. This peculiar cloud of glowing gas is part of a huge ring of wreckage left over after a supernova explosion that took place about 11,000 years ago.

Dark energy is real, say astronomers Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:47 AM PDT Dark energy, a mysterious substance thought to be speeding up the expansion of the Universe is really there, according to a team of astronomers. After a two-year study, scientists conclude that the likelihood of its existence stands at 99.996 per cent.

Uncertain about health outcomes, male stroke survivors more likely to suffer depression than females Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:47 AM PDT Post-stroke depression is a major issue affecting approximately 33% of stroke survivors. A new study reports that the level to which survivors are uncertain about the outcome of their illness is strongly linked to depression. The relationship is more pronounced for men than for women.

Molecular switches in the cellular power plants: Researchers discover a new basic principle of the architecture of mitochondria Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:47 AM PDT A team of scientists has achieved groundbreaking new insights into the structure of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the microscopic power plants of the cell that harness the energy stored in food, thus enabling central life functions.

Major update to Europe's 'alien' species catalogue Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:47 AM PDT The key catalogue of information on 'alien' (non-native) species in Europe has undergone a major update. The DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventory for Europe) database allows the public and policymakers to get a comprehensive overview of which alien species are present in Europe, their impacts and consequences for the environment and society.

Galápagos tomato provides key to making cultivated tomatoes resistant to whitefly Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:47 AM PDT The whitefly is a major problem for open field tomato cultivation throughout the world. Scientists in the Netherlands together with a number of partners have discovered genes for resistance to the whitefly in a wild relative of the common tomato. The scientists hope that resistant varieties can be brought to market within two years, making chemical pest control unnecessary.

Are our bones well designed? Insects and crabs have a leg up on us Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:44 AM PDT Researchers in Ireland have recently shown that the legs of grasshoppers and crabs have the ideal shape to resist bending and compression. If human leg bones were built the same way, they could be twice as strong.

A carefully scheduled high-fat diet resets metabolism and prevents obesity, researchers find Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:44 AM PDT New research shows that a carefully scheduled high-fat diet can lead to a reduction in body weight and a unique metabolism in which ingested fats are not stored, but rather used for energy at times when no food is available.

Genetic make-up of children explains how they fight malaria infection Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:35 AM PDT Researchers have identified several novel genes that make some children more efficient than others in the way their immune system responds to malaria infection.

Predicting a die throw Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:35 AM PDT By combining chaos theory and high school level mechanics, scientists reveal that the random probability of a die throw can be determined and predicted, if you precisely understand the initial conditions.

Age, not underlying diagnosis, key factor in weight gain in children after tonsillectom Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:35 AM PDT Potentially worrisome weight gains following tonsillectomy occur mostly in children under the age of 6, not in older children, a study by experts in otolaryngology- head and neck surgery shows.

Little Ice Age led to migration of island hopping arctic foxes Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT The Little Ice Age allowed a new wave of arctic foxes to colonise Iceland, according to new research. A "bridge" of sea ice appeared during a dip in temperatures between 200 to 500 years ago allowing arctic foxes to migrate to Iceland from different Arctic regions including Russia, North America and Greenland. Researchers say their findings showed the importance of sea ice in creating and maintaining the genetic population of the arctic fox across the polar regions where the animal is found.

What's the main cause of obesity -- our genes or the environment? Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT The ongoing obesity epidemic is creating an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world, but what determines who gets fat? Two experts debate the issue.

Hundreds more bleeding trauma patients could be saved if tranexamic acid was used more widely, study suggests Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT The clot stabilizer drug tranexamic acid can be administered safely to a wide range of patients with traumatic bleeding and should not be restricted to the most severe cases, a new study suggests.

Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT Chronic heart failure patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than patients given standard care, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. These patients were also less likely to need to go back into hospital in the six months that follow discharge.

Responses of genes in females to sex revealed in fruit fly study Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT Sex can trigger remarkable female responses including altered fertility, immunity, libido, eating and sleep patterns -- by the activation of diverse sets of genes, according to new research. Scientists studied how female Drosophila melanogaster -- or fruit flies -- respond to mating.

Comic relief for stressed emergency teams Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT Researchers in the UK have created a comic influenced by the Japanese manga style to help busy medical staff who treat patients suffering from bleeding.

Invisible QR codes tackle counterfeit bank notes Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT An invisible quick response (QR) code has been created by researchers in an attempt to increase security on printed documents and reduce the possibility of counterfeiting, a problem which costs governments and private industries billions of pounds each year.

World’s first registry of pregnancy and heart disease reveals important differences between countries and heart conditions Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT Results from the world's first registry of pregnancy and heart disease have shown that most women with heart disease can go through pregnancy and delivery safely, so long as they are adequately evaluated, counselled and receive high quality care.

Human remains discovered in search for King Richard III Posted: 11 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT A team from the University of Leicester is announcing a dramatic development in the search for King Richard III.

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