ScienceDaily: Latest Science 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
• External capsule protects gum disease-causing bacteria from immune response
• Annual childhood flu vaccines may interfere with development of crossresistance
• NASA extends MESSENGER Mission orbiting Mercury
• Today's teens will die younger of heart disease, study finds
• Mycophenolate is superior to azathioprine as treatment for lupus nephritis, study finds
• Illegal drug use is associated with abnormal weight in teens
• 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
• Five rare wild cat species caught on camera in Sumatra
• 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
• False confessions may lead to more errors in evidence, study shows
• Origins of Antarctica's ice-covered mountains unraveled
• Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury
• New clinical practice guideline for treating common elbow fractures in children
• A realistic look at the promises and perils of nanomedicine
• The secret of the best foie gras
• 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
• lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors face harder old age, U.S. study finds
• Response time to open arteries for most critical patients still too slow
• Discovery may help fight late-stage ovarian cancer
• 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
• Increasing dosage of clopidogrel for patients with genetic variation improves response to medication
• Finnish researchers discover regulator of human cell activity
• A poison as an indicator of food
• Unusual liquid crystal structures on water surface
• European consortium contributes to global standards for 4G technology
• Japan's 'K computer' ranks No. 1 in four benchmarks at HPC Challenge Awards
• 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
• CERN has 2020 vision for Large Hadron Collider upgrade
• Having fewer coronary heart disease risk factors associated with higher risk of in-hospital death following first heart attack
• Compared to stress testing, patients who undergo CT angiography more likely to undergo subsequent invasive, more costly cardiac procedures
• Severe sepsis, new-onset atrial fibrillation associated with increased risk of hospital stroke, death
• Delayed stem cell therapy following heart attack is safe but not effective
• Infusion of bone marrow cells several weeks after heart attack does not appear to improve ventricular function
• Patients with severe sepsis and new-onset atrial fibrillation at increased risk of in-hospital stroke, death
• New mouthwash targeting harmful bacteria may render tooth decay a thing of the past

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.

External capsule protects gum disease-causing bacteria from immune response Posted: 16 Nov 2011 04:29 PM PST The capsule of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium that causes gum disease, provides stealth, boosting the bacterium's virulence, according to new study. Call it a sugar coating, if you will, for in fact, the capsule is made from sugar molecules, which do not ordinarily elicit immunity. Thus it hides the bacterium's proteins within, preventing immune response.

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.

NASA extends MESSENGER Mission orbiting Mercury Posted: 16 Nov 2011 03:05 PM PST NASA has announced that it will extend the MESSENGER mission for an additional year of orbital operations at Mercury beyond the planned end of the primary mission on March 17, 2012. The MESSENGER probe became the first spacecraft to orbit the innermost planet on March 18, 2011.

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.

Mycophenolate is superior to azathioprine as treatment for lupus nephritis, study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST A new large, international study finds that the immunosuppressant drug mycophenolate mofetil is superior to azathioprine, an older immunosuppressant, as a maintenance therapy for lupus nephritis.

Illegal drug use is associated with abnormal weight in teens Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST A survey of more than 33,000 Italian high school students reveals that both underweight and overweight teens consume 20 to 40 percent more illegal drugs than their normal-weight peers.

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.

Five rare wild cat species caught on camera in Sumatra Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST After an amazing five of the seven wild cat species found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were recently caught on camera in tract of forest being rapidly lost to deforestation, the World Wildlife Fund in Indonesia is urging companies and authorities to take immediate steps to save the valuable area.

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.

False confessions may lead to more errors in evidence, study shows Posted: 16 Nov 2011 12:13 PM PST A man with a low IQ confesses to a gruesome crime. Confession in hand, the police send his blood to a lab to confirm that his blood type matches the semen found at the scene. It does not. The forensic examiner testifies later that one blood type can change to another with disintegration. This is untrue. The newspaper reports the story, including the time the man says the murder took place. Two witnesses tell the police they saw the woman alive after that. The police send them home, saying they "must have seen a ghost." After 16 years in prison, the falsely convicted man is exonerated by DNA evidence. How could this happen? A new study examines how false confessions can corrupt evidence.

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.

New clinical practice guideline for treating common elbow fractures in children Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Directors has recently approved and released an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) on the treatment of supracondylar humerus fractures.

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.

The secret of the best foie gras Posted: 16 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PST Defying common sense, ducks that plump up less produce the finest foie gras -- that rich, buttery French delicacy made from goose or duck livers and sometimes eaten as slices atop lightly toasted bread -- scientists are reporting.

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.

lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors face harder old age, U.S. study finds Posted: 16 Nov 2011 09:47 AM PST Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study on aging and health in these communities.

Response time to open arteries for most critical patients still too slow Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:46 AM PST Cardiologists are quick to point to statistics showing that the "door-to-balloon" treatment time for heart attack patients has dropped significantly in the past few years. But a retrospective study reveals that those who call 911 are most likely to have suffered a severe heart attack and despite receiving treatment quickly, they are still dying at unacceptable rates, say researchers.

Discovery may help fight late-stage ovarian cancer Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST A potential breakthrough in treating late-stage ovarian cancer has come from researchers who have discovered a peptide that shrinks advanced tumors and improves survival rates for this deadly but often undetected disease.

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.

Increasing dosage of clopidogrel for patients with genetic variation improves response to medication Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:21 AM PST Among patients with stable cardiovascular disease who have a genetic variation that diminishes the response to the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, tripling the standard daily dosage of this medication resulted in improved platelet reactivity, according to a new study.

Finnish researchers discover regulator of human cell activity Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:17 AM PST Researchers in Finland have discovered that the SHARPIN protein regulates human cell activity.

A poison as an indicator of food Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:17 AM PST The western corn rootworm represents a formidable pest. But what is the cause of its voracity? Biologists in Switzerland have put forth an explanation. The western corn rootworm larvae exploit the plant's natural defences, which are supposed to deter them, to their benefit by using them to locate nutrient rich plant parts.

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.

European consortium contributes to global standards for 4G technology Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:17 AM PST A European consortium has developed global standards for the next generation of mobile communication devices. Their breakthrough will help contribute to new products and business worldwide, while making smartphones even smarter.

Japan's 'K computer' ranks No. 1 in four benchmarks at HPC Challenge Awards Posted: 16 Nov 2011 05:17 AM PST RIKEN, the University of Tsukuba, and Fujitsu Limited have announced that they received top-ranking in all four benchmarks for the performance results of the "K computer" at the 2011 HPC Challenge Awards.

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.

CERN has 2020 vision for Large Hadron Collider upgrade Posted: 16 Nov 2011 03:21 AM PST CERN has kicked off the High Luminosity LHC (Large Hadron Collider) study with a workshop bringing together scientists and engineers from some 14 European institutions, along with others from Japan and the USA. The goal is to prepare the ground for an LHC luminosity upgrade scheduled for around 2020.

Having fewer coronary heart disease risk factors associated with higher risk of in-hospital death following first heart attack Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:58 AM PST Patients without prior cardiovascular disease who were hospitalized following a first heart attack and who had a lower number of coronary heart disease risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure had an associated greater risk of dying in the hospital, according to a new study.

Compared to stress testing, patients who undergo CT angiography more likely to undergo subsequent invasive, more costly cardiac procedures Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:54 AM PST In an analysis of Medicare data of nearly 300,000 patients who underwent outpatient evaluation for coronary artery disease by either computed tomography (CT) angiography or stress testing, those who underwent CT angiography were more likely to have subsequent cardiac testing procedures that were more costly and invasive, such as cardiac catheterization, according to a new study.

Severe sepsis, new-onset atrial fibrillation associated with increased risk of hospital stroke, death Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:21 AM PST A recent study shows an increased risk of stroke and mortality among patients diagnosed with severe sepsis and new-onset atrial fibrillation during hospitalization.

Delayed stem cell therapy following heart attack is safe but not effective Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:21 AM PST Stem cells obtained from bone marrow, known as BMCs, can be safely injected into people two to three weeks following a heart attack, reports a new clinical trial. However, while safe, the BMCs did not improve heart function six months after their administration.

Infusion of bone marrow cells several weeks after heart attack does not appear to improve ventricular function Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:17 AM PST Intracoronary infusion of bone marrow mononuclear cells 2-3 weeks following a heart attack among patients with left ventricular dysfunction and who had a procedure such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement performed did not result in overall improvement in ventricular function after 6 months, according to a new study.

Patients with severe sepsis and new-onset atrial fibrillation at increased risk of in-hospital stroke, death Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:12 AM PST Patients hospitalized with severe sepsis who experience new-onset atrial fibrillation have an associated increased risk of in-hospital stroke and death, according to a new study.

New mouthwash targeting harmful bacteria may render tooth decay a thing of the past Posted: 16 Nov 2011 01:56 AM PST A new mouthwash developed by a microbiologist is highly successful in targeting the harmful Streptococcus mutans bacteria that is the principal cause tooth decay and cavities, research shows.

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