ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Fleas collected from Norway rats in downtown Los Angeles carry human pathogen
• Probiotics appear to mitigate pancreatitis: Surprising hypothetical mechanism warrants further investigation
• Annual childhood flu vaccines may interfere with development of crossresistance
• Today's teens will die younger of heart disease, study finds
• Preliminary report on radiation levels in Fukushima reveals relative safety of residents
• Pristine reptile fossil holds new information about aquatic adaptations
• Chimps play like humans: Playful behavior of young chimps develops like that of children
• New drug combo targets multiple cancers: Sugar molecule primes cancer cells for early death from second compound
• Acid pollution in rain decreased with emissions, long-term study shows
• Researchers uncover steps in synapse building, pruning
• Form and function: New MRI technique to diagnose or rule out Alzheimer's disease
• Origins of Antarctica's ice-covered mountains unraveled
• Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury
• A realistic look at the promises and perils of nanomedicine
• New 'smart' material could help tap medical potential of tissue-penetrating light
• Drug clears chronic urinary infections in mice
• Cancer's sweet tooth may be its weak link
• U.S. population on track to getting even fatter
• Predicting future threats for global amphibian biodiversity
• Evidence for 'great lake' on Europa and potential new habitat for life
• Deforestation causes cooling in Northern U.S., Canada, study finds
• Genome sequence sheds new light on how plants evolved nitrogen-fixing symbioses
• Magnetic fields set stage for birth of new stars
• New material can enhance energy, computer, lighting technologies
• New model more accurately describes migratory animals' extinction risk
• Frogs' amazing leaps due to springy tendons
• Do not harm invasive species that pollinate, study warns
• Unusual liquid crystal structures on water surface
• Alcoholics' 'injured brains' work harder to complete simple tasks: Finger tapping study shows alcoholics may recruit other brain regions
• Cool clouds of Carina: APEX reveals new view of star formation in the Carina Nebula
• Global warming’s impact may be detected in genes, suggests study of how seagrasses react to heat waves
• New medication increases HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL cholesterol levels

Fleas collected from Norway rats in downtown Los Angeles carry human pathogen Posted: 16 Nov 2011 04:31 PM PST Most fleas collected from rats trapped in downtown Los Angeles, California carried microbes from the genus Bartonella, many of which are human pathogens, according to a new study.

Probiotics appear to mitigate pancreatitis: Surprising hypothetical mechanism warrants further investigation Posted: 16 Nov 2011 04:29 PM PST A probiotic treatment appears to mitigate pancreatitis in an animal model, leading to a new hypothesis of how probiotics may act, according to a new study. The bacterial species most closely associated with improvement in health was discovered for the first time in the course of this research.

Annual childhood flu vaccines may interfere with development of crossresistance Posted: 16 Nov 2011 04:28 PM PST Vaccinating children annually against influenza virus interferes with their development of cross-reactive killer T cells to flu viruses generally, according to a new study. The research points up potentially conflicting policy outcomes. Annual flu vaccines are effective against seasonal flu, but could leave people more vulnerable to novel pandemics.

Today's teens will die younger of heart disease, study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST A new study of adolescent cardiovascular health in the US reveals a bleak picture of teens likely to die of heart disease at a younger age than adults do today. The alarming health profiles of 5,547 children and adolescents, ages 12 to 19, reveal high blood sugar, obesity, lousy diets, little physical activity and smoking.

Preliminary report on radiation levels in Fukushima reveals relative safety of residents Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST Researchers have released a preliminary report on the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the surrounding areas, following radiation levels for approximately three months following the event and surveying more than 5,000 people in the region.

Pristine reptile fossil holds new information about aquatic adaptations Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST Extinct animals hide their secrets well, but an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of an aquatic reptile, with traces of soft tissue present, is providing scientists a new window into the behavior of these ancient swimmers.

Chimps play like humans: Playful behavior of young chimps develops like that of children Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST Playful behavior is widespread in mammals, and has important developmental consequences. A recent study of young chimpanzees shows that these animals play and develop much the same way as human children. The work can therefore also shed light on the role of human play behavior.

New drug combo targets multiple cancers: Sugar molecule primes cancer cells for early death from second compound Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST Researchers say a novel combination of a specific sugar molecule with a pair of cell-killing drugs prompts a wide variety of cancer cell types to kill themselves, a process called apoptosis or programmed cell death.

Acid pollution in rain decreased with emissions, long-term study shows Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST Emissions regulations do have an environmental impact, according to a long-term study of acidic rainfall. A report detailing trends in acidic rainfall frequency and concentration over 25 years found that as sulfur and nitrogen emissions have dropped in response to the Clean Air Act, acid ions in rainwater have dropped by similar magnitudes.

Researchers uncover steps in synapse building, pruning Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST The brain is constantly building networks of synapses, while pruning out redundant or unneeded synapses. Researchers have discovered a factor in synapse-building, also showing that the building and pruning processes occur independent of each other.

Form and function: New MRI technique to diagnose or rule out Alzheimer's disease Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST Researchers have found a new way of diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer's disease, using an innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called Arterial spin labeling (ASL) to measure changes in brain function.

Origins of Antarctica's ice-covered mountains unraveled Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:31 AM PST Buried below more than a mile of ice, Antarctica's Gamburtsev Mountains have baffled scientists since their discovery in 1958. How did the mountains get there, and what role did they play in the spread of glaciers over the continent 30 million years ago? In the latest study on the mountains, scientists say they have pieced together the puzzle of the origins and evolution of this mysterious mountain chain.

Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Scientists have shown that taking a probiotic before radiation therapy can protect the intestine from damage -- at least in mice. Their study suggests that taking a probiotic also may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers.

A realistic look at the promises and perils of nanomedicine Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Is the emerging field of nanomedicine a breathtaking technological revolution that promises remarkable new ways of diagnosing and treating diseases? Or does it portend the release of dangerous nanoparticles, nanorobots or nanoelectronic devices that will wreak havoc in the body? A new review of more than 500 studies on the topic concludes that neither scenario is likely.

New 'smart' material could help tap medical potential of tissue-penetrating light Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Scientists are reporting development and successful initial testing of the first practical "smart" material that may supply the missing link in efforts to use in medicine a form of light that can penetrate four inches into the human body. The new polymer or plastic-like material has potential for use in diagnosing diseases and engineer new human tissues in the lab.

Drug clears chronic urinary infections in mice Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST An experimental treatment for urinary tract infections has easily passed its first test in animals, alleviating weeks-long infections in mice in as little as six hours.

Cancer's sweet tooth may be its weak link Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Researchers have discovered that cancer cells tap into a natural recycling system to obtain the energy they need to keep dividing. In a study with potential implications for cancer treatments, researchers used genetic manipulation to turn off this recycling system within the walls of cells and stop both tumor growth and metastasis (cancer spread).

U.S. population on track to getting even fatter Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST In 2020, the vast majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, according to new projections.

Predicting future threats for global amphibian biodiversity Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and their declines far exceed those of other animal groups: more than 30% of all species are listed as threatened according to experts. Multiple factors threaten global amphibian diversity but the spatial distribution of these threats and their interactions are poorly known. A new study indicates that areas of greatest amphibian species richness are the areas subject to the greatest threat.

Evidence for 'great lake' on Europa and potential new habitat for life Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST In a significant finding in the search for life beyond Earth, scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere have discovered what appears to be a body of liquid water the volume of the North American Great Lakes locked inside the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa. The water could represent a potential habitat for life. The authors speculate many more such lakes might exist throughout the shallow regions of Europa's shell.

Deforestation causes cooling in Northern U.S., Canada, study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST The impact of deforestation on global warming varies with latitude, according to new research from a team of scientists representing 20 institutions from around the world. The finding calls for new climate-monitoring strategies, researchers say.

Genome sequence sheds new light on how plants evolved nitrogen-fixing symbioses Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:29 AM PST The genome of Medicago, a close relative of alfalfa and a long-established model for the study of legume biology, has been sequenced by an international team of scientists, capturing around 94 percent of its genes. The research gives new insights into the evolution of nitrogen fixing symbioses. The scientists also found more resistance genes than in any other plant genome to date.

Magnetic fields set stage for birth of new stars Posted: 16 Nov 2011 10:21 AM PST Astronomers have, for the first time, measured the alignment of magnetic fields in gigantic clouds of gas and dust in a distant galaxy. Their results suggest that such magnetic fields play a key role in channeling matter to form denser clouds, and thus in setting the stage for the birth of new stars.

New material can enhance energy, computer, lighting technologies Posted: 16 Nov 2011 09:47 AM PST Electrical engineers have developed a new compound that could help improve solar-energy generation, computers, lighting technology and Internet capabilities.

New model more accurately describes migratory animals' extinction risk Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST Predicting the risk of extinction is a complicated task, especially for species that migrate between breeding and wintering sites. Researchers have now developed a mathematical model that may make such predictions more accurate.

Frogs' amazing leaps due to springy tendons Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST The secret to frogs' superlative jumping lies in their tendons. Researchers, filming frogs jumping at 500 frames per second with special X-ray technology, show that the frog's tendon stretches as it readies its leap and then recoils, much like a spring, when the frog jumps. The finding could explain how other animals are exceptional leapers.

Do not harm invasive species that pollinate, study warns Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST Researchers found that invasive species can become essential to the very ecosystems threatened by their presence, taking on important biological roles -- such as flower pollination -- once held by the species the interlopers helped eliminate. As a result, campaigns to curb invasive animal populations should include efforts to understand the role of the invasive species in question and, if necessary, reintroduce missing native animals.

Unusual liquid crystal structures on water surface Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:17 AM PST Some liquid crystals form monolayers on water surface. When compressed from sides, such films of monomolecular thickness can wrinkle like fabric on a flat, smooth table, pulled together with palms simultaneously from both sides. With increasing surface pressure, the wrinkles of the monolayer fold up and form subsequent layers. New mechanisms of multilayer formation are responsible for creation of liquid crystal films with a structure that has never been observed before.

Alcoholics' 'injured brains' work harder to complete simple tasks: Finger tapping study shows alcoholics may recruit other brain regions Posted: 16 Nov 2011 03:31 AM PST Alcoholic brains can perform a simple finger-tapping exercise as well as their sober counterparts but their brain must work a lot harder to do it, according to a new study.

Cool clouds of Carina: APEX reveals new view of star formation in the Carina Nebula Posted: 16 Nov 2011 03:22 AM PST Observations made with the APEX telescope in submillimeter-wavelength light reveal the cold dusty clouds from which stars form in the Carina Nebula. This site of violent star formation, which plays host to some of the highest-mass stars in our galaxy, is an ideal arena in which to study the interactions between these young stars and their parent molecular clouds.

Global warming’s impact may be detected in genes, suggests study of how seagrasses react to heat waves Posted: 16 Nov 2011 03:21 AM PST Seagrass populations thrive in the shallow coastal regions and offer an ideal habitat for many fish, crustacean and microbes. The worldwide decline of seagrass populations in recent years is therefore of major concern. Researchers believe that climate change plays an important role as the increase in extreme events such as heat waves is a major challenge for the seagrass. How exactly the seagrass species are impacted by extreme events is examined in a new study.

New medication increases HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL cholesterol levels Posted: 15 Nov 2011 06:46 AM PST Among patients with sub-optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, use of the drug evacetrapib alone or in combination with statin medications was associated with significant increases in HDL-C levels and decreases in LDL-C levels, according to a new study.

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