ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• UK government claims that patient choice improves health care is based on flawed research, experts say
• New optical signal processing to satisfy power-hungry, high-speed networks
• Biologists use Sinatra-named fly to show how to see the blues -- and the greens
• If you don't snooze, do you lose? Wake-sleep patterns affect brain synapses during adolescence
• Small molecules can starve cancer cells
• Graphene's 'Big Mac' creates next generation of chips
• Scientists discover three new gene faults which could increase melanoma risk by 30 percent
• Smarter toxins help crops fight resistant pests
• Novel technique uses RNA interference to block inflammation
• New membrane lipid measuring technique may help fight disease
• Blame 'faulty' frontal lobe function for undying optimism in face of reality
• Study shows how bookmarking genes pre-cell division hastens their subsequent reactivation
• Water-soluble 'gelatinase inhibitor' compounds show promise for treating neurological diseases
• Bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and can slow their growth
• Gene technology can help food crops must to withstand harsher weather
• Subtly shaded map of moon reveals titanium treasure troves
• Almahata Sitta meteorite could come from triple asteroid mash-up
• Astronomers hone in on the cause of asteroid Scheila’s outburst
• Strategy for improving health care for uninsured, low-income, and minorities in the US
• 'Non-invasive' cultivar? Buyer beware
• Are global honey bee declines caused by diesel pollution?
• Extreme gambling: Extreme sport athletes have a lot in common with gamblers
• Forgotten dementia sufferers helped through art

UK government claims that patient choice improves health care is based on flawed research, experts say Posted: 09 Oct 2011 04:25 PM PDT Research which claims to show that the introduction of patient choice in the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) reduced deaths from heart attacks is flawed and misleading, according to a new report.

New optical signal processing to satisfy power-hungry, high-speed networks Posted: 09 Oct 2011 04:25 PM PDT A new all-optical signal processing device to meet the demands of high capacity optical networks and with a wide range of applications including ultrafast optical measurements and sensing has been developed.

Biologists use Sinatra-named fly to show how to see the blues -- and the greens Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Biologists have identified a new mechanism for regulating color vision by studying a mutant fly named after Frank ('Ol Blue Eyes) Sinatra. Their findings focus on how the visual system functions in order to preserve the fidelity of color discrimination throughout the life of an organism. They also offer new insights into how genes controlling color detection are turned on and off.

If you don't snooze, do you lose? Wake-sleep patterns affect brain synapses during adolescence Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT An ongoing lack of sleep during adolescence could lead to more than dragging, foggy teens, a new study suggests.

Small molecules can starve cancer cells Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Researchers in Denmark have found that a small molecule in our cells can block autophagy in cancer cells making them more sensitive for treatment.

Graphene's 'Big Mac' creates next generation of chips Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Scientists in the UK have come one step closer to creating the next generation of computer chips using wonder material graphene.

Scientists discover three new gene faults which could increase melanoma risk by 30 percent Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the first DNA faults linked to melanoma -- the deadliest skin cancer -- that are not related to hair, skin or eye color.

Smarter toxins help crops fight resistant pests Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT An international collaboration has found that a small genetic manipulation restores the efficacy of crop-protecting toxins derived from bacteria against pest insects that have become resistant.

Novel technique uses RNA interference to block inflammation Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to block, in an animal model, the damaging inflammation that contributes to many disease conditions.

New membrane lipid measuring technique may help fight disease Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Chemists have developed a technique which successfully quantifies signaling lipids on live cell membranes in real time, opening up possible new routes for treating diseases.

Blame 'faulty' frontal lobe function for undying optimism in face of reality Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:02 AM PDT Why, in the face of clear evidence to suggest to the contrary, do some people remain so optimistic about the future? Researchers have shown that people who are very optimistic about the outcome of events tend to learn only from information that reinforces their rose-tinted view of the world. This is related to "faulty" function of their frontal lobes.

Study shows how bookmarking genes pre-cell division hastens their subsequent reactivation Posted: 09 Oct 2011 11:01 AM PDT By observing and measuring the kinetics of activation of a single gene locus in a cell before it divides and comparing it with the same gene's reactivation in newly formed daughter cells, scientists have discovered how how bookmarking a gene pre-division causes it to get reactivated post-division.

Water-soluble 'gelatinase inhibitor' compounds show promise for treating neurological diseases Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:16 PM PDT Scientists have taken a promising step on the road to developing new drugs for a variety of neurological diseases. The researchers focused on the design, synthesis and evaluation of water-soluble "gelatinase inhibitor" compounds.

Bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and can slow their growth Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:33 AM PDT Bone marrow-derived cells participate in the growth and spread of tumors of the breast, brain, lung, and stomach. To examine the role of BMDCs, researchers developed a mouse model that could be used to track the migration of these cells while tumors formed and expanded. Their results strongly suggest that more effective cancer treatments may be developed by exploiting the mechanism by which bone marrow cells migrate to tumors and retard their proliferation.

Gene technology can help food crops must to withstand harsher weather Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT Rapid population growth and a swiftly changing climate compound the challenges of ensuring a secure global food supply. Genetically modified plants could help to solve the problem, believes Norwegian a crop researcher. By 2050, 70 per cent more food will need to be produced worldwide on roughly the same area of farmland to keep up with global population growth. At the same time, major changes in climate are expected to occur. Some agricultural researchers believe that in order to ensure a secure global food supply, we will have to use every existing means -- including genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Subtly shaded map of moon reveals titanium treasure troves Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT A map of the Moon combining observations in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths shows a treasure trove of areas rich in Titanium ores. Not only is titanium a valuable element, it is key to helping scientists unravel the mysteries of the Moon's interior.

Almahata Sitta meteorite could come from triple asteroid mash-up Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT Analysis of fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, which landed in Sudan in 2008, has shown that the parent asteroid was probably formed through collisions of three different types of asteroids. The meteorites are of particular interest because they contain material both primitive and evolved types of asteroids.

Astronomers hone in on the cause of asteroid Scheila’s outburst Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT A remarkable discovery was made by astronomers on Dec. 12, 2010: an asteroid named Scheila had changed its appearance and looked more like a comet, complete with bright tail. An international team of scientists have used innovative modeling techniques to support the idea that the cause was another object impacting Scheila, ejecting material from the asteroid.

Strategy for improving health care for uninsured, low-income, and minorities in the US Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:32 AM PDT A new set of strategies released today by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System could dramatically improve how the US health care system serves vulnerable populations -- those in the US who are uninsured, low-income, or members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

'Non-invasive' cultivar? Buyer beware Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:32 AM PDT Cultivars of popular woody ornamental plants that have reduced viable seed production and are being advertised as "non-invasive" in the horticultural and nursery industries are probably nonetheless quite capable of spawning invasions, according to researchers. More rigorous testing, or complete sterility, should be required to allow claims that a cultivar of a potentially invasive species is environmentally safe.

Are global honey bee declines caused by diesel pollution? Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:31 AM PDT Scientists are investigating a possible link between tiny particles of pollution found in diesel fumes and the global collapse of honey bee colonies.

Extreme gambling: Extreme sport athletes have a lot in common with gamblers Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:31 AM PDT Can parachuting help people with a gambling addiction? New research shows that extreme sport athletes have quite a lot in common with gamblers.

Forgotten dementia sufferers helped through art Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:31 AM PDT While medical researchers continue the search for advanced diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia, one researcher is focusing on improving the experiences of those already suffering with the devastating disease for whom any cure would be too late.

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