ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Astronomers pin down galaxy collision rate with Hubble data
• Graphene grows better on certain copper crystals
• New oncolytic virus shows improved effectiveness in preclinical testing
• Strides made toward drug therapy for inherited kidney disease
• Prehistoric greenhouse data from ocean floor could predict Earth's future, study finds
• Intestinal stem cells respond to food by supersizing the gut
• Do bacteria age? Biologists discover the answer follows simple economics
• Children suffer unnecessarily from chronic postoperative pain
• Progeria: Promising results from new gene therapy on animals
• Use of over-the-counter thyroid support pills is risky, researcher finds
• 'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug
• To diagnose heart disease, visualization experts recommend a simpler approach
• Building better HIV antibodies: Biologists create neutralizing antibody that shows increased potency
• Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity
• Python study may have implications for human heart health
• Three new planets and a mystery object discovered outside our solar system
• Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers
• Programming cells to home in on specific tissues may enable more effective cell-based therapies
• Insects are scared to death of fish
• Natural killer cells could be key to anthrax defense
• Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease
• Lung stem cells offer therapeutic clues
• Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date
• New approach to overcome key hurdle for next-generation superconductors
• Natural intestinal flora involved in the emergence of multiple sclerosis, study finds
• Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals
• Global warming target to stay below 2 degrees requires more action this decade, scientists say
• Clinical trial shows first evidence that anal cancer is preventable
• New pathway critical to heart arrhythmia discovered
• Through-the-nipple breast cancer therapy shows promise in early tests
• New drug targets revealed from giant parasitic worm genome sequence
• Antarctic killer whales may seek spa-like relief in the tropics
• New 'scarless' surgery takes out tumors through natural skull opening
• How cannabis causes 'cognitive chaos' in the brain

Astronomers pin down galaxy collision rate with Hubble data Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:35 PM PDT A new analysis of Hubble surveys, combined with simulations of galaxy interactions, reveals that the merger rate of galaxies over the last 8 billion to 9 billion years falls between the previous estimates.

Graphene grows better on certain copper crystals Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:35 PM PDT New observations could improve industrial production of high-quality graphene, hastening the era of graphene-based consumer electronics. By combining data from several imaging techniques, engineers found that the quality of graphene depends on the crystal structure of the copper substrate it grows on. Copper with higher index numbers tends to have lower-quality graphene growth. Two common crystal structures, numbered (100) and (111), have the worst and the best growth, respectively.

New oncolytic virus shows improved effectiveness in preclinical testing Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:35 PM PDT A new fourth-generation oncolytic virus designed to both kill cancer cells and inhibit blood-vessel growth has shown greater effectiveness than earlier versions when tested in animal models. The virus is being developed as a treatment for glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer. The new virus improved survival of mice with transplanted human glioblastoma tumors by 50 percent in a majority of cases compared with the previous-generation oncolytic virus.

Strides made toward drug therapy for inherited kidney disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that patients with an inherited kidney disease may be helped by a drug that is currently available for other uses.

Prehistoric greenhouse data from ocean floor could predict Earth's future, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT New research indicates that Atlantic Ocean temperatures during the greenhouse climate of the Late Cretaceous Epoch were influenced by circulation in the deep ocean. These changes in circulation patterns 70 million years ago could help scientists understand the consequences of modern increases in greenhouse gases.

Intestinal stem cells respond to food by supersizing the gut Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Many organs, from muscles and intestines to the liver, change size during adulthood. A new study shows that adult stem cells are key to these changes. Working with fruit flies, biologists discovered that after eating, the gut secretes insulin that activates stem cells into overdrive to grow the gut. In flies, the midgut can quadruple in size within four days. The finding could have implications for diabetes and obesity in humans.

Do bacteria age? Biologists discover the answer follows simple economics Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT When a bacterial cell divides into two daughter cells and those two cells divide into four more daughters, then 8, then 16 and so on, the result, biologists have long assumed, is an eternally youthful population of bacteria. Bacteria, in other words, don't age -- at least not in the same way all other organisms do. But a study questions that longstanding paradigm. Researchers conclude that not only do bacteria age, but that their ability to age allows bacteria to improve the evolutionary fitness of their population by diversifying their reproductive investment between older and more youthful daughters.

Children suffer unnecessarily from chronic postoperative pain Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Are children suffering needlessly after surgery? Anesthesiologists who specialize in pediatric care believe so.

Progeria: Promising results from new gene therapy on animals Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT Huge progress has been made over the last few years in scientific research into progeria, a disease that leads to premature aging in children. In 2003, a team directed by Nicolas Lévy discovered the gene, and, in 2008, 12 children were able to begin clinical trials in which two molecules were combined to slow down the characteristic effects of the disease: premature aging. Researchers are continuing their efforts in an attempt to counter the consequences of the genetic defect that causes progeria.

Use of over-the-counter thyroid support pills is risky, researcher finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT People who use over-the-counter "thyroid support'' supplements may be putting their health at risk, according to a new study. The supplements contain varying amounts of two different kinds of thyroid hormones apparently derived in large part from chopped up animal thyroid glands, says an endocrinologist.

'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT Researchers working to change forever the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured have announced an important step toward making this a reality.

To diagnose heart disease, visualization experts recommend a simpler approach Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:59 AM PDT A team of computer scientists, physicists, and physicians has developed a simple yet powerful method of visualizing human arteries that may result in more accurate diagnoses of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The prototype tool, called "HemoVis," creates a 2D diagram of arteries that performs better than the traditional 3D, rainbow-colored model. In a clinical setting, the tool has been shown to increase diagnostic accuracy from 39% to 91%.

Building better HIV antibodies: Biologists create neutralizing antibody that shows increased potency Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT Using highly potent antibodies isolated from HIV-positive people, researchers have recently begun to identify ways to broadly neutralize the many possible subtypes of HIV. Now, a team of biologists has built upon one of these naturally occurring antibodies to create a stronger version they believe is a better candidate for clinical applications.

Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT In a development that sheds new light on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a team of scientists has identified connections between genetic risk factors for the disease and the effects of a peptide toxic to nerve cells in the brains of AD patients.

Python study may have implications for human heart health Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:58 AM PDT A surprising new study shows that huge amounts of fatty acids circulating in the bloodstreams of feeding pythons promote healthy heart growth, results that may have implications for treating human heart disease.

Three new planets and a mystery object discovered outside our solar system Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:25 AM PDT Three planets -- each orbiting its own giant, dying star -- have now been discovered by a team led by Alexander Wolszczan, the discoverer of the first planets ever found outside our solar system. One of these stars has another mystery object orbiting it. The research is expected to shed light on the evolution of planetary systems around dying stars and the influence of metal content on the behavior of dying stars.

Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT By shaking not stirring their solutions, researchers have been able to engineer two-dimensional, biomimetic nanosheets with atomic precision for a wide range of applications, including the creation of platforms for sensing molecules or membranes for filtration. To enable this self-assembly of 2D nanosheets they have developed a programmable vial rocking device they call a "SheetRocker."

Programming cells to home in on specific tissues may enable more effective cell-based therapies Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT Researchers have developed a platform approach to chemically incorporate homing receptors onto the surface of cells.

Insects are scared to death of fish Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT The mere presence of a predator causes enough stress to kill a dragonfly, even when the predator cannot actually get at its prey to eat it, say biologists. The scientists suggest that their findings could apply to all organisms facing any amount of stress, and that the experiment could be used as a model for future studies on the lethal effects of stress.

Natural killer cells could be key to anthrax defense Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT Researchers have found new allies for the fight against anthrax. Known as natural killer cells, they're a part of the immune system normally associated with eliminating tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. But natural killer cells also attack bacteria -- including anthrax, according to a new study.

Healthy mouth bacteria provide ideal conditions for gum disease Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Gum disease can only develop with the help of normal bacteria living in the mouth, new research has revealed.

Lung stem cells offer therapeutic clues Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have cloned stem cells from the airways of the human lung and have shown that these cells can form into the lung's alveoli air sac tissue. Mouse models suggest that these same stem cells are deployed to regenerate lung tissue during acute infection, such as during influenza.

Researchers build largest protein interaction map to date Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have built a map that shows how thousands of proteins in a fruit fly cell communicate with each other. This is the largest and most detailed protein interaction map of a multicellular organism, demonstrating how approximately one third of the proteins cooperate to keep life going.

New approach to overcome key hurdle for next-generation superconductors Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new computational approach to improve the utility of superconductive materials for specific design applications -- and have used the approach to solve a key research obstacle for the next-generation superconductor material yttrium barium copper oxide.

Natural intestinal flora involved in the emergence of multiple sclerosis, study finds Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Multiple sclerosis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For a long time, pathogens were believed to be such external influences. According to scientists from Germany, however, it is apparently not harmful bacteria that trigger multiple sclerosis, but beneficial ones -- specifically, the natural intestinal flora, which every human being needs for digestion. The researchers discovered that genetically modified mice develop an inflammation in the brain similar to the human disease if they have normal bacterial intestinal flora. The microorganisms begin by activating the immune system's T cells and, in a further step, the B immune cells.

Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT Urban light pollution has been shown to reduce the visibility of not only the stars, but also of an important navigational signal for some nocturnal animals. During clear moonlit nights, a compass-like pattern of polarized light that is invisible to the human eye stretches across the sky. The nighttime skyglow over major cities renders this celestial compass unobservable over large areas, according to a new study.

Global warming target to stay below 2 degrees requires more action this decade, scientists say Posted: 27 Oct 2011 08:23 AM PDT Climate scientists say the world's target to stay below a global warming of 2 degrees, made at the United Nations conference in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun 2010 will require decisive action this decade.

Clinical trial shows first evidence that anal cancer is preventable Posted: 26 Oct 2011 02:53 PM PDT A large, international clinical trial indicates that a vaccine to prevent anal cancer is safe and effective, according to a new study.

New pathway critical to heart arrhythmia discovered Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:38 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems. Understanding the basic science of heart and muscle function could open the door to new treatments. The study examined the electrical impulses that coordinate contraction in heart and skeletal muscles, controlling heart rate. These impulses are key to health conditions like paralysis, muscle relaxation and heart arrhythmia.

Through-the-nipple breast cancer therapy shows promise in early tests Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:37 AM PDT Delivering anticancer drugs into breast ducts via the nipple is highly effective in animal models of early breast cancer, and has no major side effects in human patients, according to a new study. The results of the study are expected to lead to more advanced clinical trials of so-called intraductal treatment for early breast cancer.

New drug targets revealed from giant parasitic worm genome sequence Posted: 26 Oct 2011 11:37 AM PDT Scientists have identified the genetic blueprint of the giant intestinal roundworm, Ascaris suum, revealing potential targets to control the devastating parasitic disease ascariasis, which affects more than one billion people in China, South East Asia, South America and parts of Africa, killing thousands of people annually and causing chronic effects in young children.

Antarctic killer whales may seek spa-like relief in the tropics Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:38 AM PDT In a new study, researchers offer a novel explanation for why a type of Antarctic killer whale performs a rapid migration to warmer tropical waters. One tagged Antarctic killer whale monitored by satellite traveled over 5,000 miles to visit the warm waters off southern Brazil before returning immediately to Antarctica just 42 days later. This was the first long distance migration ever reported for killer whales.

New 'scarless' surgery takes out tumors through natural skull opening Posted: 26 Oct 2011 08:38 AM PDT A technique developed by surgeons is providing a new route to get to and remove tumors buried at the base of the skull: through the natural hole behind the molars, above the jawbone and beneath the cheekbone.

How cannabis causes 'cognitive chaos' in the brain Posted: 25 Oct 2011 02:26 PM PDT Cannabis use is associated with disturbances in concentration and memory. New research by neuroscientists in the UK has found that brain activity becomes uncoordinated and inaccurate during these altered states of mind, leading to neurophysiological and behavioral impairments reminiscent of those seen in schizophrenia.

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