ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Genetically engineered compound for back pain falls short
• Giving preventive drug to men at high risk for HIV would be cost-effective, study shows
• Nano-syringe delivers combination, targeted brain cancer therapy
• Mechanical tissue resuscitation technology shows promise preventing cell death
• Ammonites found mini oases at ancient methane seeps
• Off-label prescribing of medications is common, Canadian study suggests
• Pill reduced number of multiple sclerosis lesions in Phase II trial
• Evolutionary history of what mammals eat: Some groups of mammals have changed their feeding strategies over time
• Study dusts sugar coating off little-known regulation in cells
• Promiscuous queen bees maintain genetic diversity
• Nearly one in four grandparents store prescription medicines where children can easily find them
• Diet fad of 'eating through the nose' could be a nightmare, nutrition expert says
• Greenland may be slip-sliding away due to surface lake melting
• Neural stem cell regulator identified: Lack of regulator can cause neural tube defects
• Graphene-based electronics: Entirely new carbon-based material synthesized from graphene
• X-rays create a window on glass formation
• Sponging up oil spills: Nanosponges soak up oil again and again
• Football-related catastrophic brain injuries on the rise
• Low quality genes may cause mutational meltdown: Deficiencies compound over time
• Potential treatment for lethal childhood leukemia: Inhibiting two related enzymes significantly improves survival in mouse model
• Baboons display 'reading' skills, study suggests; Monkeys identify specific combinations of letters in words
• Further evidence found of disturbed immune system in autism
• More baby boomers facing old age alone
• New method may help detect marker for Alzheimer's disease earlier
• 1,000 days of infrared wonders
• Diesel technologies drastically cut emissions under real-world conditions
• Chimpanzee ground nests offer new insight into our ancestors' descent from the trees
• One of earliest farming sites in Europe discovered
• Metformin can substantially reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease in diabetes, study suggests
• How plants grow to escape shade: Findings could lead to high-yield crops
• Why plants grow towards the light
• Synthesis gas for fuel: Directly from forest residues
• Gene with a key role in neuronal survival identified
• Aesthetic appeal may have neurological link to contemplation and self-assessment
• How Parkinson's disease starts and spreads

Genetically engineered compound for back pain falls short Posted: 16 Apr 2012 03:58 PM PDT Despite the great promise that injecting a new type of anti-inflammatory pain medicine into the spine could relieve the severe leg and lower back pain of sciatica, a new study has found that the current standard of care with steroid injections still does better.

Giving preventive drug to men at high risk for HIV would be cost-effective, study shows Posted: 16 Apr 2012 03:57 PM PDT A once-a-day pill to help prevent HIV infection could significantly reduce the spread of AIDS, but only makes economic sense if used in select, high-risk groups, researchers conclude in a new study.

Nano-syringe delivers combination, targeted brain cancer therapy Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:58 PM PDT Nanomedicine researchers have developed a way to selectively kill brain cancer cells by using a tiny syringe to deliver a combination of chemotherapy drugs directly into the cells.

Mechanical tissue resuscitation technology shows promise preventing cell death Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:58 PM PDT Researchers seeking a successful treatment for traumatic brain injury have found that the size and extent of damaged tissue can be reduced by using a new device to prevent cell death.

Ammonites found mini oases at ancient methane seeps Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:57 PM PDT Scientists have shown that ammonites -- an extinct type of shelled mollusk that's closely related to modern-day nautiluses and squids -- made homes in the unique environments surrounding methane seeps in the seaway that once covered America's Great Plains. The findings provide new insights into the mode of life and habitat of these ancient animals.

Off-label prescribing of medications is common, Canadian study suggests Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:56 PM PDT A study evaluating off-label prescribing of medications in a primary care network in Canada suggests the practice is common, although it varies by medication, patient and physician characteristics, according to a new report.

Pill reduced number of multiple sclerosis lesions in Phase II trial Posted: 16 Apr 2012 01:56 PM PDT An investigational oral drug called ONO-4641 reduced the number of lesions in people with multiple sclerosis, according to the results of a phase two clinical trial.

Evolutionary history of what mammals eat: Some groups of mammals have changed their feeding strategies over time Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:44 PM PDT The feeding habits of mammals haven't always been what they are today, particularly for omnivores, finds a new study. Some groups of mammals almost exclusively eat meat -- take lions and tigers and other big cats. Other mammals such as deer, cows and antelope are predominantly plant-eaters, living on a diet of leaves, shoots and bark. But particularly for omnivores, the situation wasn't always that way, finds a new study.

Study dusts sugar coating off little-known regulation in cells Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:40 PM PDT O-GlcNAc regulatory system adds complexity in cell regulation, could eventually provide new drug targets.

Promiscuous queen bees maintain genetic diversity Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:04 PM PDT By mating with nearly 100 males, queen bees on isolated islands avoid inbreeding and keep colonies healthy. New research has focused on giant honey bee colonies on Hainan Island, off the coast of China. Since these bees have long been separated from their continental cousins, it was thought that the island bees would be prime candidates for inbreeding as well as having very different genes.

Nearly one in four grandparents store prescription medicines where children can easily find them Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:04 PM PDT Unintentional poisonings from medicines cause more emergency room visits for young children each year than do car accidents. But nearly 1 of every 4 grandparents says that they store prescription medicines in easy-access ways, according to a new poll.

Diet fad of 'eating through the nose' could be a nightmare, nutrition expert says Posted: 16 Apr 2012 12:01 PM PDT What should be a fairy-tale day — a woman's wedding — could turn into a nightmare for a bride-to-be who goes on a new feeding-tube diet to lose 20 pounds fast, says an expert.

Greenland may be slip-sliding away due to surface lake melting Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:50 AM PDT Like snow sliding off a roof on a sunny day, the Greenland Ice Sheet may be sliding faster into the ocean due to massive releases of meltwater from surface lakes, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder-based Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

Neural stem cell regulator identified: Lack of regulator can cause neural tube defects Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT Researchers have found that lack of a specific gene can interrupt neural tube closure.

Graphene-based electronics: Entirely new carbon-based material synthesized from graphene Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT Scientists have discovered an entirely new carbon-based material that is synthesized from the "wonder kid" of the carbon family, graphene. The discovery, which the researchers are calling "graphene monoxide (GMO)," pushes carbon materials closer to ushering in next-generation electronics.

X-rays create a window on glass formation Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time visualized the transformation of powder mixtures into molten glass. A better understanding of this process will make it possible to produce high quality glass at lower temperatures, leading to significant energy savings in industrial glass manufacturing.

Sponging up oil spills: Nanosponges soak up oil again and again Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that adding a dash of boron to carbon while creating nanotubes turns them into solid, spongy, reusable blocks that have an astounding ability to absorb oil spilled in water.

Football-related catastrophic brain injuries on the rise Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:03 AM PDT Catastrophic brain injuries associated with full-contact football appear to be rising, especially among high school students, according to a new report.

Low quality genes may cause mutational meltdown: Deficiencies compound over time Posted: 16 Apr 2012 10:03 AM PDT Evolutionary biologists have found that individuals with low-quality genes may produce offspring with even more inferior chromosomes, possibly leading to the extinction of certain species over generations. A study predicts that organisms with such genetic deficiencies could experience an increased number of mutations in their DNA, relative to individuals with high-quality genes.

Potential treatment for lethal childhood leukemia: Inhibiting two related enzymes significantly improves survival in mouse model Posted: 16 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that two related enzymes -- phosphoinositide-3 kinase gamma and delta -- play a key role in the development of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a highly aggressive childhood leukemia that is difficult to treat. The study also showed that a dual PI3K gamma/delta inhibitor can significantly prolong survival in a mouse model of the disease.

Baboons display 'reading' skills, study suggests; Monkeys identify specific combinations of letters in words Posted: 16 Apr 2012 09:52 AM PDT Learning to read is not just to do with speech, but also with the ability to recognize and memorize regular patterns among the letters that make up words, according to a new study on baboons. New results show that monkeys identify specific combinations of letters in words and detect anomalies -- a capacity that certainly existed before speech.

Further evidence found of disturbed immune system in autism Posted: 16 Apr 2012 09:52 AM PDT One of the largest studies of its kind to date found disturbed levels of cytokines in the plasma of children with autism disorder: in particular, five related to the T-helper cell immune system and three involved in hematopoiesis.

More baby boomers facing old age alone Posted: 16 Apr 2012 09:51 AM PDT Startling new statistics paint a bleak future for the largest generation in history, the baby boomers, as they cross into old age.

New method may help detect marker for Alzheimer's disease earlier Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:50 AM PDT Use of a new drug to detect the beta-amyloid plaques in the brain that are hallmark signs of Alzheimer's disease may help doctors diagnose the disease earlier.

1,000 days of infrared wonders Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:31 AM PDT For the last 1,000 days the Infrared Array Camera, aboard NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, has been operating continuously to probe the universe from its most distant regions to our local solar neighborhood. The IRAC "warm" program began once Spitzer used up its liquid helium coolant, thus completing its "cold" mission.

Diesel technologies drastically cut emissions under real-world conditions Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:31 AM PDT New research shows that federal requirements governing diesel engines of new tractor trailer trucks have resulted in major cuts in emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides -- pollutants that have significant human health and environmental impacts.

Chimpanzee ground nests offer new insight into our ancestors' descent from the trees Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT The first study into rarely documented ground-nest building by wild chimpanzees offers new clues about the ancient transition of early hominins from sleeping in trees to sleeping on the ground. While most apes build nests in trees, this study focused on a group of wild West African chimpanzees that often shows ground-nesting behavior.

One of earliest farming sites in Europe discovered Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT New findings show that Vashtëmi, located in southeastern Albania, was occupied around 6,500 cal BC, making it one of the earliest farming sites in Europe. The location of early sites such as Vashtëmi near wetland edges suggests that the earliest farmers in Europe preferentially selected such resource-rich settings to establish pioneer farming villages.

Metformin can substantially reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease in diabetes, study suggests Posted: 16 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT A major 12-year study based on a Taiwanese population cohort has demonstrated that not only does diabetes increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease more than twofold, the use of sulfonylureas, commonly used as treatment for diabetes, increases the risk further by about 57 percent. This study also found that by including metformin in the therapy, no increased risk in developing Parkinson's disease was recorded.

How plants grow to escape shade: Findings could lead to high-yield crops Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:10 AM PDT Mild mannered though they seem, plants are extremely competitive, especially when it comes to getting their fair share of sunlight. Whether a forest or a farm, where plants grow a battle wages for the sun's rays.

Why plants grow towards the light Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:10 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why stems grow upwards and roots downwards? Why plants always seem to turn towards the light and climbing plants run up the trellis rather than down?

Synthesis gas for fuel: Directly from forest residues Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:06 AM PDT Forest residues such as stumps, bark and twigs are now proving of great benefit in a new test facility for the production of high-quality synthesis gas intended for transport fuels.

Gene with a key role in neuronal survival identified Posted: 16 Apr 2012 07:04 AM PDT Researchers have identified the fundamental role played by the Nurr1 gene in neuron survival associated with synaptic activity. The discovery allows scientists to study a new target that could help to understand the relationship between alterations in neural connections, which are known to cause early cognitive deficit, and the neurodegeneration characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

Aesthetic appeal may have neurological link to contemplation and self-assessment Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:51 AM PDT A network of brain regions which is activated during intense aesthetic experience overlaps with the brain network associated with inward contemplation and self-assessment, researchers have found. Their study sheds new light on the nature of the aesthetic experience, which appears to integrate sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance.

How Parkinson's disease starts and spreads Posted: 16 Apr 2012 06:50 AM PDT Injection of a small amount of clumped protein triggers a cascade of events leading to a Parkinson's-like disease in mice, according to a new article.

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