ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Increasing predator-friendly land can help farmers reduce costs
• Novel approach to stimulate immune cells
• Scientists find differences in naked mole rat's protein disposers
• In metallic glasses, researchers find a few new atomic structures
• New maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma looks promising, study suggests
• Molecular subtypes and genetic alterations may determine response to lung cancer therapy
• Gene therapy for hearing loss: Potential and limitations
• Mild traumatic brain injury may contribute to brain network dysfunction
• Low-cost nanosheet catalyst discovered to split hydrogen from water
• First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants
• Population pressure impacts world wetlands
• New ultra-thin electronic films have greater capacity
• Arthritis, cancer: New screening technique yields elusive compounds to block immune-regulating enzyme
• Successful stem cell differentiation requires DNA compaction, study finds
• Barley takes a leaf out of reindeer's book in the land of the midnight sun
• Living longer: Variability in infection-fighting genes can be a boon for male survival
• 'Switch' to boost anti-viral response to fight infectious diseases
• GPS for interior spaces: Navigating the shopping center
• Newly discovered bacterium forms intracellular minerals
• Absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests
• Forensic scientist tracks the crime scene invaders
• How nature shapes the birth of stars
• An incisive design solution: The spider's venomous fang
• Maternal gluten sensitivity linked to schizophrenia risk in children
• Vitamin K2: New hope for Parkinson's patients?
• Asteroid Vesta looks like a little planet, complete with craters, mountains and landslides
• More evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives
• Inducing labor can reduce birth complications without increasing Cesareans, study suggests
• Water usage far exceed sustainability level in the desert southwest, US
• Pneumonia and preterm birth complications are the leading causes of childhood death
• Greater insight into earthquake cycles
• Education, not abortion, reduces maternal mortality, study suggests
• New twist on ancient math problem could improve medicine, microelectronics
• Scientists identify protein that stimulates brown fat to burn calories
• New nutrition bar improves metabolic biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and anti-oxidant defenses in only two weeks
• Genetic mutation causing rare form of spinal muscular atrophy identified

Increasing predator-friendly land can help farmers reduce costs Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT Having natural habitat in farming areas that supports ladybugs could help increase their abundance in crops where they control pests and help farmers reduce their costs, says a new study.

Novel approach to stimulate immune cells Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance. The researchers have been able to take a new pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune cells.

Scientists find differences in naked mole rat's protein disposers Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT The naked mole rat's unusually long and healthy life span may be explained by cellular machinery that disposes of damaged proteins. Scientists found that this machinery differs in composition from that of other rodents.

In metallic glasses, researchers find a few new atomic structures Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT Drawing on powerful computational tools and a state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscope, materials science and engineering researchers have discovered a new nanometer-scale atomic structure in solid metallic materials known as metallic glasses.

New maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma looks promising, study suggests Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer where the plasma cells in the bone marrow grow out of control, causing damage to bones as well as predisposing patients to anemia, infection and kidney failure. Unfortunately, multiple myeloma continues to progress even after a transplant. A new study now offers promising news about a new long-term therapy, lenalidomide, that can be used after transplantation to slow down the progression of the disease.

Molecular subtypes and genetic alterations may determine response to lung cancer therapy Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT Scientists have just shown that lung cancer molecular subtypes correlate with distinct genetic alterations and with patient response to therapy. These findings in pre-clinical models and patient tumor samples build on their previous report of three molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer and refines their molecular analysis of tumors.

Gene therapy for hearing loss: Potential and limitations Posted: 11 May 2012 09:23 AM PDT Regenerating sensory hair cells could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow. Researchers have shown that introducing a gene called Atoh1 into the cochleae of young mice can induce the formation of extra sensory hair cells.

Mild traumatic brain injury may contribute to brain network dysfunction Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a new study.

Low-cost nanosheet catalyst discovered to split hydrogen from water Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new electrocatalyst that overcomes the high cost of platinum, generating hydrogen gas from water with abundant and affordable metals. The unexpected and high-performing nanosheet structure of the catalytic nickel-molybdenum-nitride compound offers a promising new model for effective hydrogen catalysis.

First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: The manta ray.

Population pressure impacts world wetlands Posted: 11 May 2012 09:21 AM PDT The area of the globe covered by wetlands (swamps, marshes, lakes, etc.) has dropped by 6% in fifteen years. This decline is particularly severe in tropical and subtropical regions, and in areas that have experienced the largest increases in population in recent decades.

New ultra-thin electronic films have greater capacity Posted: 11 May 2012 09:20 AM PDT The development of a new combination of polymers associating sugars with oil-based macromolecules makes it possible to design ultra-thin films capable of self-organization with a 5-nanometer resolution. This opens up new horizons for increasing the capacity of hard discs and the speed of microprocessors.

Arthritis, cancer: New screening technique yields elusive compounds to block immune-regulating enzyme Posted: 11 May 2012 07:48 AM PDT Scientists have found the first chemical compounds that act to block an enzyme that has been linked to inflammatory conditions such as asthma and arthritis, as well as some inflammation-promoted cancers.

Successful stem cell differentiation requires DNA compaction, study finds Posted: 11 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT New research findings show that embryonic stem cells unable to fully compact the DNA inside them cannot complete their primary task: Differentiation into specific cell types that give rise to the various types of tissues and structures in the body.

Barley takes a leaf out of reindeer's book in the land of the midnight sun Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT Barley grown in Scandinavian countries has adapted like reindeer have to cope with extremes of day length at high latitudes. A genetic mutation in Scandinavian barley varieties disrupts the circadian clock. Just as reindeer have dropped the clock in adapting to extremely long days, so has Scandinavian barley to grow successfully in the short growing season. This new knowledge may be useful in efforts to adapt crops for regions where the growing season is short.

Living longer: Variability in infection-fighting genes can be a boon for male survival Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT Scientists have found that male Alpine chamois heterozygous at a particular immune gene locus (i.e. who possess two different forms of that gene) survive significantly longer than homozygous individuals (i.e. those with two identical copies of the gene) but they found no such effect for female chamois.

'Switch' to boost anti-viral response to fight infectious diseases Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time, identified the molecular 'switch' that directly triggers the body's first line of defense against pathogens, more accurately known as the body's "innate immunity."

GPS for interior spaces: Navigating the shopping center Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT With a GPS receiver in your smartphone, you can navigate your way over highways and streets with certainty. But once you get inside a building, it provides no further assistance. That's why researchers have engineered a navigation system for interior spaces. Thanks to a clever combination of sensors, the module tracks the movements and position of its user in precise detail.

Newly discovered bacterium forms intracellular minerals Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT A new species of photosynthetic bacterium has come to light: it is able to control the formation of minerals (calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium carbonates) within its own organism. This is a new type of biomineralization, whose mechanism is still unknown. This finding has important implications for the interpretation of the ancient fossil record.

Absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. Experts have confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them. Megaherbivores act as the 'gardeners' of humid tropical forests: They are vital to forest regeneration and maintain its structure and biodiversity, researchers say.

Forensic scientist tracks the crime scene invaders Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT Marks on a dead body could indicate violence and therefore murder. But they might have been made by legions of insects. A forensic scientist has built up data that will be a big aid to detectives faced with investigating gruesome discoveries.

How nature shapes the birth of stars Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT Using state of the art computer simulations, a team of astronomers have found the first evidence that the way in which stars form depends on their birth environment.

An incisive design solution: The spider's venomous fang Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT Among the factors that make spiders successful predators is the ingeniously composed and structured material of their fangs.

Maternal gluten sensitivity linked to schizophrenia risk in children Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT Babies born to women with sensitivity to gluten appear to be at increased risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders later in life, according to new findings from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins University, United States.

Vitamin K2: New hope for Parkinson's patients? Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT Neuroscientists have succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson's using vitamin K2. The discovery gives hope to Parkinson's patients.

Asteroid Vesta looks like a little planet, complete with craters, mountains and landslides Posted: 10 May 2012 07:49 PM PDT Vesta looks like a little planet. "We didn't find gold on Vesta, but it is still a gold mine," said the principal investigator of NASA's Dawn mission. Scientists have discovered two large craters, a mountain more than twice as large as Mount Everest, and landslides, detailed in six new articles.

More evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives Posted: 10 May 2012 07:48 PM PDT A new study adds to the evidence that certain non-oral hormonal contraceptives carry a higher risk of serious blood clots than others.

Inducing labor can reduce birth complications without increasing Cesareans, study suggests Posted: 10 May 2012 07:48 PM PDT Induction of labor beyond 37 weeks of pregnancy can reduce perinatal mortality without increasing Cesarean section rates, finds a new study.

Water usage far exceed sustainability level in the desert southwest, US Posted: 10 May 2012 07:44 PM PDT The American West has a 'drinking problem'. On farms and in cities, we are guzzling water at an alarming rate. Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent.

Pneumonia and preterm birth complications are the leading causes of childhood death Posted: 10 May 2012 07:44 PM PDT Researchers examined the distribution of child deaths globally by cause and found that 64 percent were attributable to infectious causes and 40 percent occurred in neonates.

Greater insight into earthquake cycles Posted: 10 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT For those who study earthquakes, one major challenge has been trying to understand all the physics of a fault -- both during an earthquake and at times of "rest" -- in order to know more about how a particular region may behave in the future. Now, researchers have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces the available observations of both the fault's seismic and aseismic behavior.

Education, not abortion, reduces maternal mortality, study suggests Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT A study conducted in Chile has found that the most important factor in reducing maternal mortality is the educational level of women.

New twist on ancient math problem could improve medicine, microelectronics Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT A hidden facet of a math problem that goes back to Sanskrit scrolls has just been exposed by nanotechnology researchers.

Scientists identify protein that stimulates brown fat to burn calories Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT Scientists have identified a protein which regulates the activation of brown fat in both the brain and the body's tissues.

New nutrition bar improves metabolic biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and anti-oxidant defenses in only two weeks Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT Scientists have developed a low-calorie fruit-based high fiber vitamin and mineral nutrition bar called the "CHORI-bar" that improves biological indicators (increased HDL-c and glutathione, lowered homocysteine) linked to risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and associated decline in anti-oxidant defenses.

Genetic mutation causing rare form of spinal muscular atrophy identified Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT Scientists have confirmed that mutations of a gene are responsible for some cases of a rare, inherited disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness: spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominance, also known as SMA-LED.

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