ScienceDaily: Top News

---

• Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy
• Gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease identified
• Protein linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer; possible new oncogene and future therapy target
• Scrub jays react to their dead, bird study shows: 'Funerals' can last for up to half an hour
• Millions of mild asthma patients may not need daily inhaled steroid therapy, benefiting instead from taking only when symptoms occur
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation not associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular disease events
• Sliding metals show fluidlike behavior, new clues to wear
• Powerful new method for finding therapeutic antibodies devised: Technique hones and expands the power of large numbers
• Planets can form in the galactic center
• Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments
• Body heat, fermentation drive new drug-delivery 'micropump'
• Length of yellow caution traffic lights could prevent accidents, researchers say
• Improved nanoparticles deliver drugs into brain
• Microbiologist patents process to improve biofuel production
• Vesta in Dawn's rear view mirror
• Extreme Life Forms Might be Able to Survive on Eccentric Exoplanets
• NASA Observations Point to 'Dry Ice' Snowfall on Mars
• Was Kepler's supernova unusually powerful?
• Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells
• Molecular beacons light up stem cell transformation
• How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking
• At least 200,000 tons of oil and gas from Deepwater Horizon spill consumed by Gulf bacteria
• Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say
• 'Facebook effect': Thousands registered as organ donors via Facebook, dwarfing other donation initiatives
• Why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF
• Inhaled pain relief in early labor is safe and effective, study suggests
• Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients
• World's smallest fossil footprints: Small amphibian roamed Earth 315 million years ago
• Engineers built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego
• Invader of the invader: Tiny crustaceans found on red swamp crayfish
• Puberty turned on by brain during deep sleep
• Who (and what) can you trust? How non-verbal cues can predict a person's (and a robot's) trustworthiness
• Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve cognitive function in multiple sclerosis, research finds
• High-temperature superconductivity induced in a semiconductor with Scotch tape
• Pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring
• Stem cell researchers use gene therapy to restore immune systems in 'Bubble Boy' disease
• Droughts are pushing trees to the limit
• More accurate method for predicting hurricane activity
• Chain reaction in the human immune system trapped in crystals
• Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia
• Aussie wasp on the hunt for redback spiders
• Latinos more vulnerable to fatty pancreas, type 2 diabetes, study shows
• Crows react to threats in human-like way
• Oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein: Chemistry discovery could have major medical implications
• Hayfever vaccine study raises hopes for new allergy treatment as clinical trial is launched
• Public maps out an A to Z of galaxies
• Priceless or worthless? 100 most threatened species first in line to disappear completely if nothing is done, conservationists warn
• Toothpicks and surgical swabs can wreak havoc in the gut when inadvertently swallowed or left behind after surgery
• Reining in red meat consumption cuts chronic disease risk and carbon footprint
• Diet could combat adverse side-effects of anti-parasitic drug quinine
• Second-hand smoking damages memory
• More traffic deaths in wake of 9/11
• 'Doctor' or 'darling' -- Subtle differences of speech: Brain signals tell who someone is talking to
• Princesses become warriors: Young queens of leafcutter ants change roles if they cannot reproduce
• Risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly

Fasting makes brain tumors more vulnerable to radiation therapy Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT A new study is the first to show that controlled fasting improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer treatments, extending life expectancy in mice with aggressive brain tumors.

Gene linking cataracts and Alzheimer's disease identified Posted: 11 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT In a recent study, researchers identified a gene linking age-related cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence showing that these two diseases, both associated with increasing age, may share common etiologic factors.

Protein linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer; possible new oncogene and future therapy target Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have identified the FAM83A protein as a possible new oncogene and linked it to therapy resistance in breast cancer. This discovery helps explain the clinical correlation between a high expression of FAM83A and a poor prognosis for breast cancer patients, and may also provide a new target for future therapies.

Scrub jays react to their dead, bird study shows: 'Funerals' can last for up to half an hour Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT Western scrub jays summon others to screech over the body of a dead jay, according to new research. The birds' cacophonous 'funerals' can last for up to half an hour.

Millions of mild asthma patients may not need daily inhaled steroid therapy, benefiting instead from taking only when symptoms occur Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:20 PM PDT New research has shown that the millions of people who use corticosteroids prescribed daily to control mild asthma do no better than those who use them only when symptoms occur. The findings suggest a potential new treatment option that could change international standards of care, reduce patients' pharmacy costs, limit long-term exposure to corticosteroids and enable flexibility in managing the condition.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation not associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular disease events Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT In a study that included nearly 70,000 patients, supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause death, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, or stroke, according to an analysis of previous studies.

Sliding metals show fluidlike behavior, new clues to wear Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a swirling fluid-like behavior in a solid piece of metal sliding over another, providing new insights into the mechanisms of wear and generation of machined surfaces that could help improve the durability of metal parts.

Powerful new method for finding therapeutic antibodies devised: Technique hones and expands the power of large numbers Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Scientists have found a new technique that should greatly speed the discovery of medically and scientifically useful antibodies, immune system proteins that detect and destroy invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Planets can form in the galactic center Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT At first glance, the center of the Milky Way seems like a very inhospitable place to try to form a planet. Powerful gravitational forces from a supermassive black hole twist and warp the fabric of space itself. Yet new research by astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics shows that planets still can form in this cosmic maelstrom.

Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT The world continues to be a noisy place, and researchers have found that all that background chatter causes the ears of those with hearing impairments to work differently.

Body heat, fermentation drive new drug-delivery 'micropump' Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have created a new type of miniature pump activated by body heat that could be used in drug-delivery patches powered by fermentation.

Length of yellow caution traffic lights could prevent accidents, researchers say Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:18 PM PDT Researchers are studying drivers' behaviors as they approach yellow lights. Their goal is to determine signal times for intersections that are safer and still efficient.

Improved nanoparticles deliver drugs into brain Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:18 PM PDT The brain is a notoriously difficult organ to treat, but researchers report they are one step closer to having a drug-delivery system flexible enough to overcome some key challenges posed by brain cancer and perhaps other maladies affecting that organ.

Microbiologist patents process to improve biofuel production Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:18 PM PDT Biofuel production can be an expensive process that requires considerable fossil fuels, but a Missouri S&T microbiologist's patented process could reduce the cost and the reliance on fossil fuels, while streamlining the process.

Vesta in Dawn's rear view mirror Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT NASA's Dawn mission is releasing two parting views of the giant asteroid Vesta, using images that were among the last taken by the spacecraft as it departed its companion for the last year.

Extreme Life Forms Might be Able to Survive on Eccentric Exoplanets Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:09 PM PDT Astronomers have discovered a veritable rogues' gallery of odd exoplanets -- from scorching hot worlds with molten surfaces to frigid ice balls. And while the hunt continues for the elusive "blue dot" -- a planet with roughly the same characteristics as Earth -- new research reveals that life might actually be able to survive on some of the many exoplanetary oddballs that exist.

NASA Observations Point to 'Dry Ice' Snowfall on Mars Posted: 11 Sep 2012 12:08 PM PDT NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data have given scientists the clearest evidence yet of carbon-dioxide snowfalls on Mars. This reveals the only known example of carbon-dioxide snow falling anywhere in our solar system. Frozen carbon dioxide, better known as "dry ice," requires temperatures of about minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 Celsius), which is much colder than needed for freezing water. Carbon-dioxide snow reminds scientists that although some parts of Mars may look quite Earth-like, the Red Planet is very different.

Was Kepler's supernova unusually powerful? Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:26 AM PDT A new analysis of Kepler's supernova suggests that the supernova explosion was not only more powerful, but might have also occurred at a greater distance, than previously thought.

Scientists develop technique to decipher the dormant AIDS virus concealed in cells Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT Scientists have gotten us one step closer to understanding and overcoming one of the least-understood mechanisms of HIV infection -- by devising a method to precisely track the life cycle of individual cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Molecular beacons light up stem cell transformation Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT In a new study, researchers demonstrate a new tool for visually tracking in real-time the transformation of a living population of stem cells into cells of a specific tissue. The "molecular beacons," which could advance tissue engineering research, light up when certain genes are expressed and don't interfere with the development or operation of the stem cells.

How genetics shape our addictions: Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes. A new study shows that people with genetically fast nicotine metabolism have a significantly greater brain response to smoking cues than those with slow nicotine metabolism.

At least 200,000 tons of oil and gas from Deepwater Horizon spill consumed by Gulf bacteria Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT Researchers have found that, over a period of five months following the disastrous 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, naturally-occurring bacteria that exist in the Gulf of Mexico consumed and removed at least 200,000 tons of oil and natural gas that spewed into the deep Gulf from the ruptured well-head.

Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus has yielded key insights, scientists say Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT The genetic sequencing and reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide have advanced scientists' understanding of influenza biology and yielded important information on how to prevent and control future pandemics, according to a new commentary.

'Facebook effect': Thousands registered as organ donors via Facebook, dwarfing other donation initiatives Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT When Facebook introduced a feature that enables people to register to become organ and tissue donors, thousands did so, dwarfing any previous donation initiative according to researchers.

Why severely obese women have difficulty getting pregnant from IVF Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT One third of American women of childbearing age are battling obesity, a condition that affects their health and their chances of getting pregnant. Obese women often have poor reproductive outcomes, but the reasons why have not been clearly identified. Now, a novel study is the first to shed light on how body mass index might adversely affect egg quality in women.

Inhaled pain relief in early labor is safe and effective, study suggests Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Inhaled pain relief appears to be effective in reducing pain intensity and in giving pain relief in the first stage of labour, say researchers. These conclusions came from a systematic review that drew data from twenty-six separate studies that involved a total of 2,959 women.

Active follow-up with telephone help can reduce deaths in chronic heart failure patients Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are less likely to have died a year after discharge if they are involved in a programme of active follow-up once they have returned home than patients given standard care, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. These patients were also less likely to need to go back into hospital in the six months that follow discharge.

World's smallest fossil footprints: Small amphibian roamed Earth 315 million years ago Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT A new set of fossil footprints discovered in Joggins, Nova Scotia, have been identified as the world's smallest known fossil vertebrate footprints. The footprints belonged to a small amphibian which would have roamed Earth 315 million years ago, a creature not unlike a salamander.

Engineers built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT Computational engineers have built a supercomputer from 64 Raspberry Pi computers and Lego. The son of one of the professors (aged 6) provided specialist support on Lego and system testing.

Invader of the invader: Tiny crustaceans found on red swamp crayfish Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:51 AM PDT The invader of the invader has been discovered for the first time in Europe. The small ostracod Ankylocythere sinuosa measures no more than half a millimeter in length and lives on other crayfish. And, Spanish scientists have discovered it for the first time in Europe. The finding suggests that it arrived along with the invader crayfish Procambarus clarkii some 30 years ago but it is still unknown whether it can invade other crustacean species or whether it benefits or damages the expansion of the already established red swamp crayfish.

Puberty turned on by brain during deep sleep Posted: 11 Sep 2012 09:48 AM PDT Slow-wave sleep, or 'deep sleep', is intimately involved in the complex control of the onset of puberty, according to a recent study.

Who (and what) can you trust? How non-verbal cues can predict a person's (and a robot's) trustworthiness Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT People face this predicament all the time -- can you determine a person's character in a single interaction? Can you judge whether someone you just met can be trusted when you have only a few minutes together? And if you can, how do you do it? Using a robot named Nexi, psychologists have figured out the answer.

Ginkgo biloba doesn’t improve cognitive function in multiple sclerosis, research finds Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT A new study has found that the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba does not improve cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis. Cognitive impairment affects 40-60% of people with MS, most commonly affecting their processing speed, memory, and executive skills.

High-temperature superconductivity induced in a semiconductor with Scotch tape Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:28 AM PDT An international team has developed a simple new technique using Scotch poster tape that has enabled them to induce high-temperature superconductivity in a semiconductor for the first time. The method paves the way for novel new devices that could be used in quantum computing and to improve energy efficiency.

Pregnancy exposures determine risk of breast cancer in multiple generations of offspring Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:28 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated, in animals, that maternal exposure to a high-fat diet or excess estrogen during pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk in multiple generations of female offspring -- daughters, granddaughters and even great-granddaughters.

Stem cell researchers use gene therapy to restore immune systems in 'Bubble Boy' disease Posted: 11 Sep 2012 08:16 AM PDT Stem cell researchers have found that a gene therapy regimen can safely restore immune systems to children with so-called "Bubble Boy" disease, a life threatening condition that if left untreated can be fatal within one to two years.

Droughts are pushing trees to the limit Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:34 AM PDT Southwestern droughts made more severe by warming temperatures are pushing plants up against extremely stressful growing conditions, a new study has found, identifying an increasingly water-thirsty atmosphere as a key force that sucks moisture from plants, drying out the region as temperatures rise in the wake of climate change.

More accurate method for predicting hurricane activity Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:34 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method for forecasting seasonal hurricane activity that is 15 percent more accurate than previous techniques.

Chain reaction in the human immune system trapped in crystals Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:34 AM PDT Medical researchers have revealed details of how a chain reaction in the human immune system starts. With these results, the researchers hope to promote the development of strategies aimed at alleviating suffering caused by unintentional activation of the immune system.

Vitamin C and beta-carotene might protect against dementia Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:30 AM PDT Researchers in Germany have discovered that the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene are significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control persons. It might thus be possible to influence the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by a person's diet or dietary antioxidants.

Aussie wasp on the hunt for redback spiders Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:29 AM PDT Researchers say a small native wasp that scientists had forgotten about for more than 200 years is now making a name for itself -- as a predator of Australia's most common dangerous spider, the redback.

Latinos more vulnerable to fatty pancreas, type 2 diabetes, study shows Posted: 11 Sep 2012 07:29 AM PDT Latinos are more likely to store fat in the pancreas and are less able to compensate by excreting additional insulin, a new study shows.

Crows react to threats in human-like way Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Crows and humans share the ability to recognize faces and associate them with negative and positive feelings. The way the brain activates during that process is something the two species also appear to share, according to new research.

Oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein: Chemistry discovery could have major medical implications Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT The study of an oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein by chemistry researchers has provided molecular insight into the oxygen sensing mechanism, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the aging process and new treatments for human diseases such cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Hayfever vaccine study raises hopes for new allergy treatment as clinical trial is launched Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Researchers are developing a new vaccine for hayfever which could be more effective, less invasive for patients and less expensive than some vaccines already available to patients.

Public maps out an A to Z of galaxies Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Members of the public have constructed an A to Z of galaxies in the night sky. Volunteers participating in the Galaxy Zoo project have been helping scientists gain new insights by classifying galaxies seen in hundreds of thousands of telescope images as spiral or elliptical. Along the way they've also stumbled across odd-looking galaxies which resemble each letter of the alphabet.

Priceless or worthless? 100 most threatened species first in line to disappear completely if nothing is done, conservationists warn Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT Tarzan's chameleon, the spoon-billed sandpiper and the pygmy three-toed sloth have all topped a new list of the species closest to extinction released by the Zoological Society of London and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Toothpicks and surgical swabs can wreak havoc in the gut when inadvertently swallowed or left behind after surgery Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:17 AM PDT A woman developed severe blood poisoning (sepsis) and a liver abscess, after inadvertently swallowing a toothpick, which perforated her gullet and lodged in a lobe of her liver, reveals a case study.

Reining in red meat consumption cuts chronic disease risk and carbon footprint Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:16 AM PDT Reducing red and processed meat consumption would not only prompt a fall in chronic disease incidence of between three and 12 per cent in the UK, but our carbon footprint would shrink by 28 million tons a year, suggests new research.

Diet could combat adverse side-effects of anti-parasitic drug quinine Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT Scientists say adverse side-effects caused by the anti-parasitic drug quinine in the treatment of malaria could be controlled by what we eat.

Second-hand smoking damages memory Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research.

More traffic deaths in wake of 9/11 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:13 AM PDT The fear of terrorist attacks can alter our everyday behaviour and result in more fatal traffic accidents, according to new research.

'Doctor' or 'darling' -- Subtle differences of speech: Brain signals tell who someone is talking to Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:12 AM PDT Human speech comes in countless varieties: When people talk to close friends or partners, they talk differently than when they address a physician. These differences in speech are quite subtle and hard to pinpoint. In a new study, researchers report that they were able to tell from brain signals who a person was talking to. This discovery could contribute to the further development of speech synthesizers for patients with severe paralysis.

Princesses become warriors: Young queens of leafcutter ants change roles if they cannot reproduce Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:12 AM PDT Biologists have discovered that queens of the ant genus Acromyrmex are flexible in the event that they cannot found their own colony. The queens of other species die as soon as they can no longer fulfill their life's task. The unsuccessful Acromyrmex queens, on the other hand, change their entire repertoire of behavior and help defend and tend to their mother colony, as the scientists report.

Risk-glorifying video games may lead teens to drive recklessly Posted: 11 Sep 2012 06:10 AM PDT Teens who play mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games may be more likely than those who don't to become reckless drivers who experience increases in automobile accidents, police stops and willingness to drink and drive, according to new research.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610