ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Improved method of electrical stimulation could help treat damaged nerves
• Synthetic RNA lessens severity of fatal disease
• New projection shows global food demand doubling by 2050
• New medical, research tool possible by probing cell mechanics
• New culprit found in Lou Gehrig's disease
• Future prostate cancer treatments might be guided by math
• Chew gum, lose weight? Hormone that helps people feel 'full' after eating can be delivered into bloodstream orally
• People with early Alzheimer's disease may be more likely to have lower BMI
• New research on body parts' sensitivity to environmental changes
• Human, artificial intelligence join forces to pinpoint fossil locations
• Hemoglobin A1c testing method fails to identify kids with diabetes, study shows
• Ulcer-causing bacteria tamed by defect in cell-targeting ability
• Faster-than-light neutrinos? New test confirms accuracy of experiment's initial measurement in flight time of neutrinos
• Cancer vaccine impact limited unless drug industry focuses on difficult-to-treat tumors, experts say
• New way to boost potency of natural pain relief chemical in body
• Unearthing a new quantum state of matter: Quantum physics discoveries could change face of technology
• Algae biomass increased by more than 50 percent
• Cancer drug cisplatin found to bind like glue in cellular RNA
• Cassini chronicles life of Saturn's giant storm
• NASA orbiter catches Mars sand dunes in motion
• Key molecules for hearing and balance discovered: Can hearing be restored?
• Satellite data can help protect bluefin tuna
• Lightning sprites are out-of-this-world: 'Sprites' predicted in atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus
• A new model for understanding biodiversity
• Mutants with heterozygote disadvantage can prevent spread of transgenic animals
• Tweaking a gene makes muscles twice as strong: New avenue for treating muscle degeneration in people who can't exercise
• First system developed for assessing the odds of life on other worlds
• Predators drive the evolution of poison dart frogs' skin patterns
• How we see family resemblance in faces
• Large nest of juvenile dinosaurs, first of their genus ever found
• Regeneration after a stroke requires intact communication channels between brain hemispheres
• Laser heating: New light cast on electrons heated to several billion degrees
• Key gene function against cell death discovered
• Recipient's immune system governs stem cell regeneration
• Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid

Improved method of electrical stimulation could help treat damaged nerves Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:41 PM PST A plastic surgery research team and an engineering team have described a new method of nerve stimulation that reduces electrical threshold by 40 percent, compared with traditional functional electrical stimulation therapy.

Synthetic RNA lessens severity of fatal disease Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:41 PM PST Researchers have found that targeting a synthetic molecule to a specific gene could help the severity of the disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) -- the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world.

New projection shows global food demand doubling by 2050 Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Global food demand could double by 2050, according to a new projection. Producing that amount of food could significantly increase levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the environment and cause the extinction of numerous species. But this can be avoided, the article shows, if the high-yielding technologies of rich nations are adapted to work in poor nations, and if all nations use nitrogen fertilizers more efficiently.

New medical, research tool possible by probing cell mechanics Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes.

New culprit found in Lou Gehrig's disease Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Following a breakthrough identifying a common converging point for all forms of Lou Gehrig's disease, a new finding from the same scientists shines more light on the broken recycling pathway of the brain and spinal cord cells, which leads to the paralysis of ALS. The new study reveals a second faulty gene in the same pathway, offering a clear target for drug therapy.

Future prostate cancer treatments might be guided by math Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Scientists have designed a first draft of a mathematical model that someday could guide treatment decisions for advanced prostate cancer, in part by helping doctors predict how individual patients will respond to therapy based on the biology of their tumors. These decisions would apply to treatment of cancer that has already spread beyond the prostate gland or that has recurred after initial treatments, such as surgery or radiation.

Chew gum, lose weight? Hormone that helps people feel 'full' after eating can be delivered into bloodstream orally Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated, for the first time, that a critical hormone that helps people feel "full" after eating can be delivered into the bloodstream orally.

People with early Alzheimer's disease may be more likely to have lower BMI Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:39 PM PST Studies have shown that people who are overweight in middle age are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later than people at normal weight, yet researchers have also found that people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A current study examines this relationship between Alzheimer's disease and BMI.

New research on body parts' sensitivity to environmental changes Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:16 PM PST Scientists have shed new light on why some body parts are more sensitive to environmental change than others, work that could someday lead to better ways of treating a variety of diseases, including type 2 diabetes.

Human, artificial intelligence join forces to pinpoint fossil locations Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST Traditionally, fossil-hunters often could only make educated guesses as to where fossils lie. The rest lay with chance. But thanks to a new software model, fossil-hunters' reliance on luck when finding fossils may be diminishing. Using artificial neural networks, researchers developed a computer model that can pinpoint productive fossil sites.

Hemoglobin A1c testing method fails to identify kids with diabetes, study shows Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST In 2009, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended that Hemoglobin A1c be exclusively used for the diagnosis of diabetes in children. The simple test measures longer-term blood sugar levels -- without requiring patients to fast overnight. However, a new study has shown that these tests are not very accurate in children.

Ulcer-causing bacteria tamed by defect in cell-targeting ability Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:15 PM PST Without the ability to swim to their targets in the stomach, ulcer-causing bacteria do not cause the inflammation of the stomach lining that leads to ulcers and stomach cancer, according to a new study.

Faster-than-light neutrinos? New test confirms accuracy of experiment's initial measurement in flight time of neutrinos Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:04 PM PST After inviting the particle physics community to scrutinize their surprising neutrino time-of-flight measurements, a collaboration of physicists has rechecked many aspects of its analysis and taken into account valuable suggestions from a wide range of sources. One key test was to repeat the measurement with very short beam pulses from CERN. This allowed the extraction time of the protons, which ultimately lead to the neutrino beam, to be measured more precisely. The beam sent from CERN consisted of pulses three nanoseconds long separated by up to 524 nanoseconds. Some 20 clean neutrino events were measured at the Gran Sasso Laboratory, and precisely associated with the pulse leaving CERN. This test confirms the accuracy of OPERA's timing measurement, ruling out one potential source of systematic error.

Cancer vaccine impact limited unless drug industry focuses on difficult-to-treat tumors, experts say Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:25 AM PST Drug companies currently developing therapeutic cancer vaccines may be determining the cancers they target based on the number of annual cases, not the number of deaths they cause. This approach may limit the patient benefits of such drugs, according to a new University of Michigan report.

New way to boost potency of natural pain relief chemical in body Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:25 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide -- a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief.

Unearthing a new quantum state of matter: Quantum physics discoveries could change face of technology Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:24 AM PST Researchers have made advances in better understanding correlated quantum matter that could change technology as we know it, according to a new study.

Algae biomass increased by more than 50 percent Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:24 AM PST New research has led to discovery of a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. The breakthrough comes from turning on certain genes in algae that increase the amount of photosynthesis in the plant, which leads to more biomass.

Cancer drug cisplatin found to bind like glue in cellular RNA Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:24 AM PST An anti-cancer drug used extensively in chemotherapy binds pervasively to RNA -- up to 20-fold more than it does to DNA, a surprise finding that suggests new targeting approaches might be useful, according to researchers.

Cassini chronicles life of Saturn's giant storm Posted: 21 Nov 2011 10:59 AM PST New images and animated movies from NASA's Cassini spacecraft chronicle the birth and evolution of the colossal storm that ravaged the northern face of Saturn for nearly a year.

NASA orbiter catches Mars sand dunes in motion Posted: 21 Nov 2011 10:56 AM PST Images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars at dozens of locations and shifting up to several yards. These observations reveal the planet's sandy surface is more dynamic than previously thought.

Key molecules for hearing and balance discovered: Can hearing be restored? Posted: 21 Nov 2011 10:24 AM PST Researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear -- the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound. A gene-therapy trial based on this research will attempt to restore hearing in deaf mice.

Satellite data can help protect bluefin tuna Posted: 21 Nov 2011 09:41 AM PST A new model allows the potential presence of bluefin tuna to be tracked through daily updated maps, helping to protect endangered stocks and fight illegal fishing.

Lightning sprites are out-of-this-world: 'Sprites' predicted in atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:49 AM PST Lightning storms on planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars may also produce "sprites," bursts of electric energy. Scientists have re-created the atmospheres of these planets to produce artificial "sprites," and the research could lead to a new understanding of electrical and chemical processes on these planets.

A new model for understanding biodiversity Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:48 AM PST Biology researchers have developed a unified, spatially based understanding of biodiversity that takes into account the complex food webs of predators and prey.

Mutants with heterozygote disadvantage can prevent spread of transgenic animals Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:47 AM PST Genetically modified animals are designed to contain the spread of pathogens. One prerequisite for the release of such organisms into the environment is that the new gene variant does not spread uncontrollably, suppressing natural populations. Scientists have now established that certain mutations are maintained over an extended period if two separate populations exchange individuals with one another on a small scale.

Tweaking a gene makes muscles twice as strong: New avenue for treating muscle degeneration in people who can't exercise Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST An international team of scientists has created super-strong, high-endurance mice and worms by suppressing a natural muscle-growth inhibitor, suggesting treatments for age-related or genetics-related muscle degeneration are within reach.

First system developed for assessing the odds of life on other worlds Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST A modeling expert has proposed a new system for classifying exoplanets using two different indices -- an Earth Similarity Index for categorizing a planet's more earth-like features and a Planetary Habitability Index for describing a variety of chemical and physical parameters that are theoretically conducive to life in more extreme, less-Earthlike conditions.

Predators drive the evolution of poison dart frogs' skin patterns Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST Natural selection has played a role in the development of the many skins patterns of the tiny Ranitomeya imitator poison dart frog.

How we see family resemblance in faces Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST Whether comparing a man and a woman or a parent and a baby, we can still see when two people of different age or sex are genetically related. How do we know that people are part of a family? Findings from a new study increases our understanding of the brain's ability to see through these underlying variations in facial structure.

Large nest of juvenile dinosaurs, first of their genus ever found Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST A nest containing the fossilized remains of 15 juvenile Protoceratops andrewsi dinosaurs from Mongolia has been described by a paleontologist, revealing new information about postnatal development and parental care. It is the first nest of this genus ever found and the first indication that Protoceratops juveniles remained in the nest for an extended period.

Regeneration after a stroke requires intact communication channels between brain hemispheres Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:40 AM PST Recovery after a stroke depends on the exchange of information between the brain hemispheres.

Laser heating: New light cast on electrons heated to several billion degrees Posted: 21 Nov 2011 07:40 AM PST A new class of high power lasers can effectively accelerate particles like electrons and ions with very intense, short laser pulses. Physicists have developed a new theoretical model for predicting the density and temperature of hot electrons which surpasses existing models in accurately describing experimental results and simulations.

Key gene function against cell death discovered Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:56 AM PST Scientists have discovered that two genes (TSC/Tuberin and PRAS40) are extremely important regulators in the development of stem cells: if these genes are switched off, the stem cells do not develop but instead die a programmed cell death.

Recipient's immune system governs stem cell regeneration Posted: 20 Nov 2011 10:47 AM PST A new study describes how different types of immune system T-cells alternately discourage and encourage stem cells to regrow bone and tissue, bringing into sharp focus the importance of the transplant recipient's immune system in stem cell regeneration.

Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:30 AM PST With few exceptions, all known proteins are built up from only twenty amino acids. 25 years ago scientists discovered a 21st amino acid, selenocysteine and ten years ago a 22nd, the pyrrolysine. However, how the cell produces the unusual building block remained a mystery. Now researchers have elucidated the structure of an important enzyme in the production of pyrrolysine.

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