ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New exception to a decades-old rule about RNA splicing uncovered
• Ancient history of circumarctic peoples illuminated
• Phase I clinical trial shows drug shrinks melanoma brain metastases
• Bioinformatics: We can learn a lot from other species
• Giant galaxy-packed filament revealed
• Slew of rare DNA changes following population explosion may hold clues to common diseases
• Religion is a potent force for cooperation and conflict, research shows
• Babies' susceptibility to colds linked to immune response at birth
• In chemical reactions, water adds speed without heat
• Forest diversity from Canada to the sub-tropics influenced by family proximity
• Prosthetic retina offers simple solution for restoring sight
• Suspicion resides in two regions of the brain: Our baseline level of distrust is distinct and separable from our inborn lie detector
• New technique reveals unseen information in DNA code
• Pain relief through distraction: It's not all in your head
• Untangling the development of breast cancer: Evolution of 21 breast cancers
• Extended daily fasting overrides harmful effects of a high-fat diet: Study may offer drug-free intervention to prevent obesity and diabetes
• Training the brain could help reduce pain
• Risk Factor Management Helps Prevent Migraine Attacks
• RNA modification influences thousands of genes: Revolutionizes understanding of gene expression
• Ancient giant turtle fossil was size of Smart car
• Parents are happier people: Parents experience greater happiness and meaning in life than nonparents, psychologists find
• Fighting bacteria’s strength in numbers
• 1,000 years of climate data confirms Australia's warming
• Hormone-depleting drug shows promise against localized high-risk prostate tumors
• Phase I study of temsirolimus, capecitabine appears safe; positive survival trend seen
• Clergy can fight HIV on faith-friendly terms
• New advice on medication disposal: Trash beats take-back, new study suggests
• Children with rare, incurable brain disease improve after gene therapy
• Potential new drugs for fox tapeworm infection in humans
• Health experts narrow the hunt for Ebola
• Three-telescope interferometry allows astrophysicists to observe how black holes are fueled

New exception to a decades-old rule about RNA splicing uncovered Posted: 17 May 2012 04:31 PM PDT There are always exceptions to a rule, even one that has prevailed for more than three decades, as demonstrated by a new study on RNA splicing, a cellular editing process. The rule-flaunting exception uncovered by the study concerns the way in which a newly produced RNA molecule is cut and pasted at precise locations called splice sites before being translated into protein.

Ancient history of circumarctic peoples illuminated Posted: 17 May 2012 04:31 PM PDT Scientists have discovered new information about the migration patterns of the first humans to settle the Americas. The studies identify the historical relationships among various groups of Native American and First Nations peoples and present the first clear evidence of the genetic impact of the groups' cultural practices.

Phase I clinical trial shows drug shrinks melanoma brain metastases Posted: 17 May 2012 04:31 PM PDT An experimental drug targeting a common mutation in melanoma successfully shrank tumors that spread to the brain in nine out of 10 patients in part of an international phase I clinical trial report.

Bioinformatics: We can learn a lot from other species Posted: 17 May 2012 04:29 PM PDT Researchers have confirmed the long-held belief that studying the genes we share with other animals is useful. The study shows how bioinformatics makes it possible to test the fundamental principles on which life science is built.

Giant galaxy-packed filament revealed Posted: 17 May 2012 11:36 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered a giant, galaxy-packed filament ablaze with billions of new stars. The filament is the first structure of its kind spied in a critical era of cosmic buildup when colossal collections of galaxies called superclusters began to take shape. The glowing galactic bridge offers astronomers a unique opportunity to explore how galaxies evolve and merge to form superclusters.

Slew of rare DNA changes following population explosion may hold clues to common diseases Posted: 17 May 2012 11:36 AM PDT Scientists have taken a first step toward understanding how rare genetic differences among people contribute to leading chronic illnesses. One-letter DNA code changes occur frequently in human genomes, but each variant is usually found in only a few individuals. This phenomenon is consistent with the population explosion of the past 5,000 years. Studying the evolution of rare genetic variants and their health impact is critical as low cost, rapid sequencing enters clinical use. Such information would help doctors interpret personal genomes.

Religion is a potent force for cooperation and conflict, research shows Posted: 17 May 2012 11:36 AM PDT Across history and cultures, religion increases trust within groups but also may increase conflict with other groups, according to a new analysis.

Babies' susceptibility to colds linked to immune response at birth Posted: 17 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth, according to new research. And babies with a better innate response to viruses have fewer respiratory illnesses in the first year of life.

In chemical reactions, water adds speed without heat Posted: 17 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how adding trace amounts of water can tremendously speed up chemical reactions -— such as hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis —- in which hydrogen is one of the reactants, or starting materials.

Forest diversity from Canada to the sub-tropics influenced by family proximity Posted: 17 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT How species diversity is maintained is a fundamental question in biology. Biologists have shown for the first time that diversity is influenced on a spatial scale of unparalleled scope, in part, by how well tree seedlings survive under their own parents.

Prosthetic retina offers simple solution for restoring sight Posted: 17 May 2012 10:21 AM PDT A device which could restore sight to patients with one of the most common causes of blindness in the developed world is being developed.

Suspicion resides in two regions of the brain: Our baseline level of distrust is distinct and separable from our inborn lie detector Posted: 17 May 2012 10:21 AM PDT Scientists have found that suspicion resides in two distinct regions of the brain: the amygdala, which plays a central role in processing fear and emotional memories, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with declarative memory and the recognition of scenes.

New technique reveals unseen information in DNA code Posted: 17 May 2012 10:20 AM PDT Scientists have used a new technique to map 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) in DNA from human and mouse embryonic stem cells, revealing new information about their patterns of distribution. These studies have revealed that these DNA modifications play major roles in fundamental life processes such as cell differentiation, cancer and brain function.

Pain relief through distraction: It's not all in your head Posted: 17 May 2012 10:20 AM PDT Mental distractions make pain easier to take, and those pain-relieving effects aren't just in your head, according to a new report.

Untangling the development of breast cancer: Evolution of 21 breast cancers Posted: 17 May 2012 10:19 AM PDT The team created a catalogue of all the mutations in the genomes of the 21 breast cancer genomes. They identified entirely new mutational processes that drive breast cancer development, including one remarkable process defined by localized regions of hypermutation found in most of the breast cancers. This phenomenon has never been seen before. They also found that, once many mutations have accumulated in a cell, the cell then diverges into different subgroups, one of which is destined to become the aggressive, dominant, breast cancer tumor. These findings have implications for our understanding of how breast cancers develop over the decades before diagnosis in adults.

Extended daily fasting overrides harmful effects of a high-fat diet: Study may offer drug-free intervention to prevent obesity and diabetes Posted: 17 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT It turns out that when we eat may be as important as what we eat. Scientists have found that regular eating times and extending the daily fasting period may override the adverse health effects of a high-fat diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and liver disease in mice.

Training the brain could help reduce pain Posted: 17 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT Training the brain to reduce pain could be a promising approach for treating phantom limb pain and complex regional pain syndrome, according to s neuroscience researcher.

Risk Factor Management Helps Prevent Migraine Attacks Posted: 17 May 2012 10:16 AM PDT The latest genetic and biological research shows that migraine is a neurological, not vascular, disorder and both acute and preventive treatments being developed target peripheral and central nervous systems, according to a prominent migraine expert.

RNA modification influences thousands of genes: Revolutionizes understanding of gene expression Posted: 17 May 2012 10:16 AM PDT Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we've had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases.

Ancient giant turtle fossil was size of Smart car Posted: 17 May 2012 10:16 AM PDT Picture a turtle the size of a Smart car, with a shell large enough to double as a kiddie pool. Paleontologists have found just such a specimen -- the fossilized remains of a 60-million-year-old South American giant that lived in what is now Colombia.

Parents are happier people: Parents experience greater happiness and meaning in life than nonparents, psychologists find Posted: 17 May 2012 08:54 AM PDT Contrary to recent scholarship and popular belief, parents experience greater levels of happiness and meaning in life than people without children, according to researchers. Parents also are happier during the day when they are caring for their children than during their other daily activities, the researchers found in a series of studies conducted in the United States and Canada.

Fighting bacteria’s strength in numbers Posted: 17 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT Scientists have opened the way for more accurate research into new ways to fight dangerous bacterial infections by proving a long-held theory about how bacteria communicate with each other.

1,000 years of climate data confirms Australia's warming Posted: 17 May 2012 08:14 AM PDT In the first study of its kind in Australasia, scientists have used 27 natural climate records to create the first large-scale temperature reconstruction for the region over the last 1,000 years.

Hormone-depleting drug shows promise against localized high-risk prostate tumors Posted: 16 May 2012 04:56 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that a hormone-depleting drug approved for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer can help eliminate or nearly eliminate tumors in many patients with aggressive cancers that have yet to spread beyond the prostate, according to a new clinical study.

Phase I study of temsirolimus, capecitabine appears safe; positive survival trend seen Posted: 16 May 2012 04:55 PM PDT A Phase I clinical trial examining the safety of combining temsirolimus and capecitabine in advanced malignancies suggests the two agents can be given safely to patients. In addition researchers conducting the study in cancer patients whose tumors have resisted multiple treatments say the combination demonstrates "promising evidence" of disease control and should be studied in a Phase II trial.

Clergy can fight HIV on faith-friendly terms Posted: 16 May 2012 02:42 PM PDT In the United States, where blacks bear a disproportionate burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, black religious institutions could help turn the tide. In a new study based on dozens of interviews and focus groups with 38 of Philadelphia's most influential black religious leaders, physicians and public health researchers find that traditional barriers to preaching about HIV prevention could give way to faith-friendly messages about getting tested and staying on treatment.

New advice on medication disposal: Trash beats take-back, new study suggests Posted: 16 May 2012 12:25 PM PDT Returning extra medicine to the pharmacy for disposal might not be worth the extra time, money or greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study that is the first to look at the net effects of so-called take-back programs.

Children with rare, incurable brain disease improve after gene therapy Posted: 16 May 2012 12:24 PM PDT Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease using gene transfer. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's.

Potential new drugs for fox tapeworm infection in humans Posted: 16 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm -- which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans -- dead in its tracks. The report shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection.

Health experts narrow the hunt for Ebola Posted: 16 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT Response efforts to outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa can benefit from a standardized sampling strategy that focuses on the carcasses of gorillas, chimpanzees and other species known to succumb to the virus, according to wildlife health experts.

Three-telescope interferometry allows astrophysicists to observe how black holes are fueled Posted: 16 May 2012 11:01 AM PDT By combining the light of three powerful infrared telescopes, scientists have observed the active accretion phase of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy tens of millions of light years away, a method that has yielded an unprecedented amount of data for such observations. The resolution at which they were able to observe this highly luminescent active galactic nucleus has given them direct confirmation of how mass accretes onto black holes in centers of galaxies.

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