ScienceDaily: Top 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
• Mars Rover Curiosity Arm Tests Nearly Complete
• Rare cliffhanging plant species uses unique reproductive strategy with ants
• 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
• Belly button kidney removal boosts living-donor satisfaction
• Novel non-antibiotic agents against MRSA and strep infections
• Sinusitis linked to microbial diversity
• 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
• Search for King Richard III enters new phase after 'momentous discovery has potential to rewrite history'
• 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
• 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
• Molecular switches in the cellular power plants: Researchers discover a new basic principle of the architecture of mitochondria
• 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
• Little Ice Age led to migration of island hopping arctic foxes
• What's the main cause of obesity -- our genes or the environment?
• Responses of genes in females to sex revealed in fruit fly study
• 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.

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.

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."

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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