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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Obesity promotes prostate cancer by altering gene regulation

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 05:25 PM PDT

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and early treatment is usually very successful. However, like other cancers, obesity increases the risk of aggressive prostate disease. New research finds that the fat surrounding the prostate of overweight or obese men with prostate cancer provides a favorable environment to promote cancer growth.

First two James Webb Space Telescope flight mirrors delivered to NASA

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT

The first two of the 18 primary mirrors to fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The mirrors are going through receiving and inspection and will then be stored in the Goddard cleanroom until engineers are ready to assemble them onto the telescope's backplane structure that will support them.

Researchers call for specialty metals recycling

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT

An international policy is needed for recycling scarce specialty metals that are critical in the production of consumer goods, according to researchers.

Feeling guilty versus feeling angry: Who can tell the difference?

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT

The ability to identify and distinguish between negative emotions helps us address the problem that led to those emotions in the first place. But while some people can tell the difference between feeling angry and frustrated, others may not be able to separate the two. Clinically depressed people often experience negative emotions that interfere with everyday life. A new study examines whether clinically depressed people are able to discriminate between different types of negative emotions.

Active video gaming linked with higher energy expenditure in children

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT

Compared with rest and sedentary video game play, active video gaming with dancing and boxing were associated with increased heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure in a study of 18 school children in England.

Education, psychological support key for defibrillator patients

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:50 PM PDT

Because depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among people with implanted cardioverter defibrillators, doctors and nurses should provide gender- and age-specific information on the potential psychological impact. Each month, 10,000 people, including children, have a defibrillator implanted to restore normal heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac death.

MRI helps identify patients with prostate cancer who may benefit from active surveillance

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:50 PM PDT

PSA screening has resulted in improved prostate cancer survival, but the high rate of diagnosis and treatment side effects raise concerns about overtreatment. In the quest to prevent overtreatment, "active surveillance" has emerged as a plausible option, encouraged for men whose tumors may not need immediate treatment and may never progress to more serious illness. Appropriate criteria for selecting patients for active surveillance are continuously debated. A group of investigators report that adding endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the initial clinical evaluation of men with clinically low prostate cancer risk helps assess eligibility for active surveillance.

Cuba’s prenatal program improves low birth weights

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:49 PM PDT

Comprehensive prenatal care can decrease the rate of low birth weights, according to a new study.

LIFR protein suppresses breast cancer metastasis, study suggests

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:49 PM PDT

A receptor protein suppresses local invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells, the most lethal aspect of the disease, according to medical researchers.

Bone marrow holds secrets for treating colitis and Crohn's

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Researchers have unlocked secrets in bone marrow that could lead to improved treatments for colitis and Crohn's disease. The results show that the havoc inflammatory bowel diseases wreaks on the digestive tract is mirrored in bone marrow. Early indications also show that the disorders of the gut could potentially be treated through the bone marrow.

White matter study shows brain capable of learning complex tasks well into adulthood

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

A study using white matter shows that the brain remains capable of learning complex tasks well into adulthood.

Exposing cancer's lethal couriers

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

New nanotechnology detects metastases in mouse models of breast cancer before they've grown into new tissues. Images of the precise location and extent of metastases could be used to guide surgery or ablation, or the same technology used to find the cancer could be used to deliver cancer-killing drugs.

Drug originally developed for cancer proves effective for children with progeria

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Results of the first-ever clinical drug trial for children with progeria, a rare, fatal "rapid-aging" disease, demonstrate the efficacy of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI), a drug originally developed to treat cancer. The clinical trial results, completed only six years after scientists identified the cause of progeria, included significant improvements in weight gain, bone structure and, most importantly, the cardiovascular system.

Treating ovarian cancer: New pathways through genetics

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

A new discovery that sheds light on the genetic make up of ovarian cancer cells could explain why some women survive longer than others with this deadly disease. A multi-disciplinary team has identified genetic patterns in ovarian cancer tumors that help to differentiate patients based on the length of their survival after initial surgery.

Scientists reverse Alzheimer's-like memory loss in animal models by blocking EGFR signaling

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Neuroscientists have published new research suggesting that EGFR inhibitors, a class of currently used anti-cancer drugs, as well as several previously untested synthetic compounds, show effectiveness in reversing memory loss in two animal models of Alzheimer's disease.

Like prostate cancer, bladder cancer patients may benefit from anti-androgen therapy

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Bladder cancer patients whose tumors express high levels of the protein CD24 have worse prognoses than patients with lower CD24. A new study shows that CD24 expression may depend on androgens – and that anti-androgen therapies like those currently used to treat prostate cancer may benefit bladder cancer patients.

Life in the extreme: Hot acids and heavy metals make similar organisms deal with stress in different ways

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

Life in extreme environments -- hot acids and heavy metals, for example -- can apparently make very similar organisms deal with stress in very different ways, according to new research.

Primate study adds to evidence of BPA harming human reproduction

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:25 PM PDT

A researcher has found new evidence that the plastic additive BPA can disrupt women's reproductive systems, causing chromosome damage, miscarriages and birth defects. Scientists report seeing reproductive abnormalities in rhesus monkeys with BPA levels similar to those of humans.

3-d time-lapse imaging captures twisted root mechanics for first time

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 12:22 PM PDT

Using an advanced 3-D time-lapse imaging system, a group of physicists and plant biologists have discovered how certain plant roots exhibit powerful mechanical abilities while navigating their environment.

Chemist may hold key to building a better toxin 'mousetrap'

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

A chemist's work could lead to big improvements in our ability to detect and eliminate specific toxins in our environment.

Viruses help scientists battle pathogenic bacteria and improve water supply

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

Infectious bacteria received a taste of their own medicine from researchers who used viruses to infect and kill colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, common disease-causing bacteria.

Melting Arctic ice cap at record

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

With Arctic ice cap at record low this summer, a geography professor predicts serious consequences for the planet.

Breast cancer treatment brings sexual difficulties for postmenopausal women

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

Women treated for breast cancer after menopause with aromatase inhibitors have very high levels of sexual difficulties, including low interest, insufficient lubrication, and pain with intercourse. It is an important and underestimated problem, say authors of a new study.

Eye proteins have germ-killing power, could lead to new antimicrobial drugs, study finds

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:51 AM PDT

When it comes to germ-busting power, the eyes have it, according to a new discovery that could lead to new, inexpensive antimicrobial drugs. Researchers found that small fragments of keratin protein in the eye play a key role in warding off pathogens.

A clock that will last forever: Proposal to build first space-time crystal

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Imagine a clock that will keep perfect time forever or a device that opens new dimensions into the study of quantum phenomena such as emergence and entanglement. Researchers have proposed a space-time crystal based on an electric-field ion trap and the Coulomb repulsion of particles that carry the same electrical charge.

Wearable sensor system automatic maps building while wearer is moving

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Researchers have built a wearable sensor system that automatically creates a digital map of the environment through which the wearer is moving.

Diversity, distribution of cutthroat trout in Colorado clarified

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:47 AM PDT

A novel genetic study has helped to clarify the native diversity and distribution of cutthroat trout in Colorado, including the past and present haunts of the federally endangered greenback cutthroat trout.

Slow-moving rocks better odds that life crashed to Earth from space

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Microorganisms that crashed to Earth embedded in the fragments of distant planets might have been the sprouts of life on this one, according to new research. The researchers provide the strongest support yet for "lithopanspermia," the idea that life came to Earth -- or spread from Earth to other planets -- via meteorite-like planetary fragments cast forth by disruptions such as volcanic eruptions and collisions with other matter.

Little evidence supports medical treatment options for adolescents with autism, researchers say

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:40 AM PDT

Researchers are reporting that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of medical interventions in adolescents and young adults with autism. Despite studies that show that many adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders are being prescribed medications, there is almost no evidence to show whether these medications are helpful in this population, the researchers said.

Scientists shed light on riddle of sun's explosive events

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:40 AM PDT

Four decades of active research and debate by the solar physics community have failed to bring consensus on what drives the sun's powerful coronal mass ejections that can have profound "space weather" effects on Earth-based power grids and satellites in near-Earth geospace.

Tissues tell the tale: Non-invasive optical technique detects cancer by looking under the skin

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT

An international team of researchers has developed an advanced optics system to noninvasively map out the network of tiny blood vessels beneath the outer layer of patients' skin, potentially revealing telltale signs of disease.

Human brains outpace chimp brains in womb

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT

Humans' superior brain size in comparison to their chimpanzee cousins traces all the way back to the womb. That's according to a study that is the first to track and compare brain growth in chimpanzee and human fetuses.

Eunuchs outlive other men

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT

Castrated men living in Korea centuries ago outlived other men by a significant margin. The findings suggest that male sex hormones are responsible for shortening the lives of men, the researchers say.

Scientific discovery offers 'green' solution in fight against greenhouse gases

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:27 AM PDT

A low-cost new material that could lead to innovative technologies to tackle global warming has been discovered.

You have to eat, except when you're not hungry

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:26 AM PDT

A study of siblings indicates a behavioral inclination toward obesity in children.

Newly discovered molecule could deliver drugs to treat diseases

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:26 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a molecule that may be capable of delivering drugs inside the body to treat diseases.

Pregnancy complications up to twice higher in women born preterm

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:24 AM PDT

Women who were born premature are more likely to have pregnancy complications than women who weren't, according to new research. This study clearly shows the impact of preterm birth (i.e. before 37 weeks of gestation) itself on pregnancy risks. Low-weight at birth is an additional but independent risk factor.

Ants share decision-making, lessen vulnerability to 'information overload'

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:24 AM PDT

A research study with ants shows that collective decision-making proves more efficient than individual selection.

Cancer researchers show why genetic risks promote breast cancer

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:24 AM PDT

Cancer researchers studying 44 known genetic variants associated with breast cancer have found the way to identify why they increase cancer risk, opening the door to future therapeutic applications based on personalized medicine.

Food for thought: Do family meals really make a difference for child academics or behavior?

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Despite popular wisdom and findings from much previous research that suggests the beneficial impact of family mealtime, a rigorous analysis of 21,400 children, ages five to 15, brings a new argument to the table: When researchers controlled for a host of confounding factors, they didn't find any relationship between family meals and child academic outcomes or behavior.

Bees decrease food intake, live longer, when given compound found in red wine

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Researchers have found that when given resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, bees consume less food.

NASA's Chandra shows Milky Way is surrounded by halo of hot gas

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT

Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to find evidence our Milky Way Galaxy is embedded in an enormous halo of hot gas that extends for hundreds of thousands of light years. The estimated mass of the halo is comparable to the mass of all the stars in the galaxy.

Trial shows effectiveness of low-cost intervention to improve sun protection

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:18 AM PDT

A double-blind randomized clinical trial of mailed sun protection packets led to higher frequency of sun protective behaviors including the use of long clothing, hats, shade, sunscreen, and midday sun avoidance.

Cheaper way to produce nickel ferrite ceramic thin films

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:18 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated a less-expensive way to create textured nickel ferrite (NFO) ceramic thin films, which can easily be scaled up to address manufacturing needs. NFO is a magnetic material that holds promise for microwave technologies and next-generation memory devices.

Glass half full: Double-strength glass may be within reach

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:18 AM PDT

Researchers apply a new theory that describes the transition of glass from a liquid to a solid to its intrinsic strength, and they find it may be possible to make glass stronger.

Fueling the fleet, U.S. Navy looks to the seas

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:18 AM PDT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory are developing a process to extract carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen gas from seawater, subsequently converting the gases into jet fuel by a gas-to-liquids process.

New back pain gene identified in largest genetic study of its kind

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:18 AM PDT

Researchers have for the first time identified a gene linked to age-related degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the spine, a common cause of lower back pain.

In birds' development, researchers find diversity by the peck

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:16 AM PDT

It has long been known that diversity of form and function in birds' specialized beaks is abundant. Charles Darwin famously studied the finches on the Galapagos Islands, tying the morphology (shape) of various species' beaks to the types of seeds they ate. In 2010, biologists and applied mathematicians showed that Darwin's finches all actually shared the same developmental pathways, using the same gene products, controlling just size and curvature, to create 14 very different beaks.

Tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea have intensified due to earlier monsoon onset

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:27 AM PDT

The tropical cyclones during the pre-monsoon season in the Arabian Sea have intensified since 1997 compared to 1979 as a result of decreased vertical wind shear and earlier occurrence of tropical cyclones, according to a new study.

Scientists predict major shifts in Pacific ecosystems by 2100

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:27 AM PDT

Scientific models suggest that major Pacific ecosystems will move hundreds of miles by 2100 as a result of climate change. The results of this research could help officials manage the potentially significant impacts -- on sea creatures and humans -- of marine habitat shifts.

Using precisely-targeted lasers, researchers manipulate neurons in worms' brains and take control of their behavior

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:26 AM PDT

In the quest to understand how the brain turns sensory input into behavior, Harvard scientists have crossed a major threshold. Using precisely-targeted lasers, researchers have been able to take over an animal's brain, instruct it to turn in any direction they choose, and even to implant false sensory information, fooling the animal into thinking food was nearby.

Climate is changing the Great Barrier Reef

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:25 AM PDT

Satellite measurement of sea surface temperatures has yielded clear evidence of major changes taking place in the waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef over the past 25 years, marine scientists have found.

Novel DNA barcode engineered: New technology could launch biomedical imaging to next level

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:24 AM PDT

Researchers have created a new kind of barcode that could come in an almost limitless array of styles -- with the potential to enable scientists to gather vastly more vital information, at one given time, than ever before. The method harnesses the natural ability of DNA to self-assemble.

Study uncovers mechanism by which tumor suppressor MIG6 triggers cell suicide

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:24 AM PDT

Researchers have determined the outsize role a small protein named Mig6 plays in the tightly orchestrated suicide of cells -- a phenomenon essential to everything from shaping an embryo to keeping it free of cancer later in life. Their findings unveil a conceptually novel mechanism for this biological regulation.

iPhone can diagnose thyroid disease

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:17 AM PDT

An iPhone and specially-designed image analysis app is able to diagnose and manage the treatment of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, according to new data.

Large bacterial population colonized land 2.75 billion years ago

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:17 AM PDT

New University of Washington research suggests that early microbes might have been widespread on land, producing oxygen and weathering pyrite, an iron sulfide mineral, which released sulfur and molybdenum into the oceans.

NASA's Orion spacecraft: Crew access arm reaches for new and heritage technologies

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 06:41 AM PDT

NASA Kennedy Space Center's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program engineers in Florida are combining heritage technology and new innovations to design the crew access arm for the tower on the mobile launcher that will be used for NASA's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

Hubble catches glowing gas and dark dust in a side-on spiral

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 06:39 AM PDT

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a sharp image of NGC 4634, a spiral galaxy seen exactly side-on. Its disk is slightly warped by ongoing interactions with a nearby galaxy, and it is crisscrossed by clearly defined dust lanes and bright nebulae.

Young cancer survivors often forgo medical care due to costs

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 05:09 AM PDT

Many survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers avoid routine medical care because it's too expensive, despite the fact that most have health insurance, according to a new study. The results indicate that expanding insurance coverage for young cancer survivors may be insufficient to safeguard their long-term health without efforts to reduce their medical cost burdens.

ISA virus infects salmon from within

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 05:05 AM PDT

New findings on the interaction between an influenza-related virus and the host provide a significant contribution to understanding disease mechanisms behind the serious fish disease Infectious salmon anemia (ISA).

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