ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New insights into how antibiotics damage human cells suggest novel strategies for making long-term antibiotic use safer
• Exercise reorganizes the brain to be more resilient to stress
• Powerful animal tracking system helps research take flight
• Discovered the role of noncoding 5S rRNA in protecting the p53 tumor suppressor gene
• Great ape genetic diversity catalog frames primate evolution and future conservation
• Declines in ecosystem productivity fueled by nitrogen-induced species loss
• Molecular switch that kick starts formation of arteries identified
• MicroRNA drives both cancer onset and metastasis
• Development of hands and feet may help unlock evolution's toolkit
• Scientists identify genetic cause of 'spongy' skin condition
• DNA markers in low-IQ autism suggest heredity
• First supper is a life changer for lizards
• Military sonar can alter blue whale behavior: Human-made noises cause ocean giants to move away from feeding spots
• Long-held assumption of gene expression in embryonic stem cells challenged
• Gene that controls aggressiveness in breast cancer cells identified
• New mechanism for human gene expression discovered
• Shape-shifting disease proteins may explain neurodegenerative variation
• Remarkable 32 new wasp species from the distinctive Odontacolus and Cyphacolus genera
• Banned fountain of youth drug may be making a comeback
• Alternative energy: A cooler way to clean hydrogen
• Smart anticancer 'nanofiber mesh'
• Cell membranes: Synthetics save time and cut costs
• Computer programs improve fingerprint grading
• Thin-film diamonds: Applying diamond coatings at lower temperatures expands options for electronic devices
• New clue to cause of human narcolepsy
• Happily married means a healthier ever after
• New evidence suggests impulsive adolescents more likely to drink heavily
• Older women who quit smoking can cut heart disease risk regardless of diabetes status
• New catalyst replaces platinum for electric-automobiles
• Tiny tweezers allow precision control of enzymes
• New knowledge about early galaxies
• Moms often talk to children about the results of cancer genetic testing
• Sulfur from yeast helps to track animal protein pathways
• World record in silicon integrated nanophotonics: More energy efficiency in the data communication
• Gateway for metastases
• Epigenetic changes to fat cells following exercise
• Graphene provides efficient electronics cooling
• New method to generate Laughlin states with atomic systems
• Novel chemistry for new class of antibiotic
• Single men, smokers at higher risk for oral human papillomavirus infection

New insights into how antibiotics damage human cells suggest novel strategies for making long-term antibiotic use safer Posted: 03 Jul 2013 01:06 PM PDT Scientists have discovered why long-term treatment with many common antibiotics can cause harmful side effects -- and they have uncovered two easy strategies that could help prevent these dangerous responses.

Exercise reorganizes the brain to be more resilient to stress Posted: 03 Jul 2013 01:06 PM PDT Physical activity reorganizes the brain so that its response to stress is reduced and anxiety is less likely to interfere with normal brain function.

Powerful animal tracking system helps research take flight Posted: 03 Jul 2013 01:06 PM PDT Call it a bird's eye view of migration. Scientists have created a new animal tracking system using a big data approach.

Discovered the role of noncoding 5S rRNA in protecting the p53 tumor suppressor gene Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:05 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a role for ribosomal 5S RNA in the formation of a complex that regulates the stability of p53. Normally, p53 prevents healthy cells from becoming tumorigenic.

Great ape genetic diversity catalog frames primate evolution and future conservation Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:05 AM PDT A catalog of great ape genetic diversity, the most comprehensive ever, elucidates the evolution and population histories of great apes from Africa and Indonesia. The resource will aid in conservation efforts to preserve natural genetic diversity in populations. Scientists and wildlife conservationists from around the world assisted the genetic analysis of 79 wild and captive-born great apes. They represent all six great ape species: chimpanzee, bonobo, Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, eastern gorilla, and western lowland gorilla, and seven subspecies, as well as 9 humans.

Declines in ecosystem productivity fueled by nitrogen-induced species loss Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:05 AM PDT Humans have been affecting their environment since the ancestors of Homo sapiens first walked upright, but never has their impact been more detrimental than in the 21st century. Human-driven environmental disturbances, such as increasing levels of reactive nitrogen and carbon dioxide, have multiple effects, including changes in biodiversity, species composition, and ecosystem functioning. Pieces of this puzzle have been widely examined but this new study puts it all together by examining multiple elements.

Molecular switch that kick starts formation of arteries identified Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:05 AM PDT Scientists have identified the molecular signals that direct the formation of arteries during embryonic development. In so doing, they illustrate how even the most complex of biological systems can be directed by the most subtle shifts in molecular signaling.

MicroRNA drives both cancer onset and metastasis Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:02 AM PDT A mere 25 years ago, noncoding RNAs were considered nothing more than "background noise" in the overall genomic landscape. Now, two new studies reveal that one of these tiny noncoding molecules -- microRNA-22 -- plays an outsized role in two types of cancer.

Development of hands and feet may help unlock evolution's toolkit Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:02 AM PDT Thousands of sequences that control genes are active in the developing human limb and may have driven the evolution of the human hand and foot, a comparative genomics study has found.

Scientists identify genetic cause of 'spongy' skin condition Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:02 AM PDT Scientists have identified the genetic cause of a rare skin condition that causes the hands and feet to turn white and spongy when exposed to water.

DNA markers in low-IQ autism suggest heredity Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:02 AM PDT Researchers who compared the DNA of patients with autism and intellectual disability to that of their unaffected siblings found that the affected siblings had significantly more "runs of homozygosity," or blocks of DNA that are the same from both parents. The finding suggests a role for recessive inheritance in this autism subgroup and highlights homozygosity as a new approach to understanding genetic mechanisms in autism.

First supper is a life changer for lizards Posted: 03 Jul 2013 11:02 AM PDT For young lizards born into this unpredictable world, their very first meal can be a major life changer. So say researchers who report evidence that this early detail influences how the lizards disperse from their birthplaces, how they grow, and whether they survive. A quick or slow meal even influences the lizards' reproductive success two years later in a surprising way.

Military sonar can alter blue whale behavior: Human-made noises cause ocean giants to move away from feeding spots Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:06 AM PDT Some blue whales off the coast of California change their behavior when exposed to the sort of underwater sounds used during US military exercises. The whales may alter diving behavior or temporarily avoid important feeding areas, according to new research.

Long-held assumption of gene expression in embryonic stem cells challenged Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:06 AM PDT Researchers have determined that the transcription factor Nanog, which plays a critical role in maintaining the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, is expressed in a manner similar to other pluripotency markers. This finding contradicts the field's presumptions about this important gene and its role in the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Gene that controls aggressiveness in breast cancer cells identified Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:05 AM PDT Researchers have determined that in basal breast cancer cells a transcription factor known as ZEB1 is held in a poised state, ready to increase the cells' aggressiveness and enable them to transform into cancer stem cells capable of seeding new tumors throughout the body. Intriguingly, luminal breast cancer cells, which are associated with a much better clinical prognosis, carry this gene in a state in which it seems to be permanently shut down.

New mechanism for human gene expression discovered Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:05 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the first human "bifunctional" gene -- a single gene that creates a single mRNA transcript that codes for two different proteins, simultaneously. Their finding elucidates a previously unknown mechanism in our basic biology, and has potential to guide therapy for at least one neurological disease.

Shape-shifting disease proteins may explain neurodegenerative variation Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:05 AM PDT Researchers have shown one disease protein can morph into different strains and promote misfolding of other disease proteins commonly found in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other related neurodegenerative diseases.

Remarkable 32 new wasp species from the distinctive Odontacolus and Cyphacolus genera Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:35 AM PDT Scientists have described a remarkable 32 new Odontacolus and Cyphacolus wasp species, providing extensive morphological phylogenetic analysis of these previously understudied genera. The wasps from these groups are among the most distinctive species because of the peculiar hump-like formation on the rear part of their bodies.

Banned fountain of youth drug may be making a comeback Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:35 AM PDT Despite it being more than 30 years since the "fountain of youth drug" Gerovital H3 was banned in the United States, it may be making a comeback.

Alternative energy: A cooler way to clean hydrogen Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT Converting bioethanol into hydrogen for fuel cells becomes significantly simpler with innovative metal catalysts.

Smart anticancer 'nanofiber mesh' Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new nanofiber mesh which is capable of simultaneously realizing thermotherapy (hyperthermia) and chemotherapy (treatment with anticancer drugs) of tumors. They succeeded in efficiently inducing natural death (apoptosis) of epithelial cancer cells.

Cell membranes: Synthetics save time and cut costs Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT An approach that directly inserts proteins into polymer-based cell membranes improves drug-screening platforms.

Computer programs improve fingerprint grading Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:55 AM PDT Subjectivity is problematic when evaluating fingerprints, and quality is in the eye of the examiner. But three computer programs used together can give fingerprint grading unprecedented consistency and objectivity, according to new research.

Thin-film diamonds: Applying diamond coatings at lower temperatures expands options for electronic devices Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:55 AM PDT Scientists report a new method for creating thin films of diamonds. This may allow manufacturers to enhance future electronics.

New clue to cause of human narcolepsy Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have found that an excess number of brain cells that produce the chemical histamine may cause the loss of other cells that produce hypocretin, the neuropeptide that keeps us awake, elevates mood and alertness, and, by their absence, explains the sleepiness of narcolepsy.

Happily married means a healthier ever after Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:16 AM PDT New research finds that people in happy marriages live less "in sickness" but enjoy more of life "in health." In a 20-year longitudinal study tracking health and marriage quality, a family life researcher found that as the quality of marriage holds up over the years, physical health holds up too. "Happy marriages have a preventative component that keeps you in good health over the years," Miller said.

New evidence suggests impulsive adolescents more likely to drink heavily Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:16 AM PDT Scientists have shown that young people who show impulsive tendencies are more prone to drinking heavily at an early age.

Older women who quit smoking can cut heart disease risk regardless of diabetes status Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:14 AM PDT Postmenopausal women who quit smoking reduced their risk of heart disease, regardless of whether they had diabetes, according to a new study. Women without diabetes who gained more than five kilograms or 11 pounds after they quit smoking still saw their risk for cardiovascular disease drop. But their risk didn't drop as much as for those who gained less than 11 pounds, which was the majority of the women.

New catalyst replaces platinum for electric-automobiles Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:14 AM PDT Scientists have developed a novel bio-inspired composite electrocatalyst outperforming platinum.

Tiny tweezers allow precision control of enzymes Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:14 AM PDT Scientists have developed a pair of tweezers shrunk down to an astonishingly tiny scale. The group demonstrated that the nanotweezers, fabricated by means of the base-pairing properties of DNA, could be used to keep biological molecules spatially separated or to bring them together as chemical reactants, depending on the open or closed state of the tweezers.

New knowledge about early galaxies Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:14 AM PDT The early galaxies of the universe were very different from today's galaxies. Using new detailed studies carried out with the ESO Very Large Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have studied an early galaxy in unprecedented detail and determined a number of important properties such as size, mass, content of elements and have determined how quickly the galaxy forms new stars.

Moms often talk to children about the results of cancer genetic testing Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:14 AM PDT Mothers commonly talk to their children about genetic test results even if they test positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, which sharply increases a woman's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. That is among the findings of a new study, which also suggests mothers who don't discuss their test results are dissatisfied with that decision.

Sulfur from yeast helps to track animal protein pathways Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:13 AM PDT Researchers have labelled sulfur in brewer's yeast with a non-radioactive method so that when feeding it to laboratory rats the course taken by the element can be tracked and the amino acids and proteins analyzed at the point of incorporation. The technique could be very useful for studying the metabolism of this micro-nutrient in vivo and verifying how sulfur-based drugs behave in the organism.

World record in silicon integrated nanophotonics: More energy efficiency in the data communication Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:13 AM PDT Researchers have achieved a new world record in the energy efficient integration in silicon. This is an important step to decrease the energy consumption of data transfer in internet and telecommunication. The researchers optimized aperiodic grating couplers in the nanometer range with a new developed backside metal mirror. Through this new method a record coupling efficiency of 87 percent between optical fibers and photonic integrated waveguides on silicon wafers has been achieved.

Gateway for metastases Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:13 AM PDT Malignant tumours often spread to remote areas of the body. In the majority of cases, metastases formation develops via the blood vascular system. The blood platelets thereby provide invaluable help to the tumour cells in penetrating new organs. Scientists have now identified the receptor molecule on the cells of the blood platelet wall as the gateway that allows the cancer cells to enter the organs. They now aim to prevent the formation of metastases through the targeted blocking of this key molecule.

Epigenetic changes to fat cells following exercise Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:13 AM PDT Exercise, even in small doses, changes the expression of our innate DNA. New research has described for the first time what happens on an epigenetic level in fat cells when we undertake physical activity.

Graphene provides efficient electronics cooling Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:10 AM PDT A layer of graphene can reduce the working temperature in hotspots inside a processor by up to 25 percent – which can significantly extend the working life of computers and other electronics. Scientists have now shown that graphene has a heat dissipating effect on silicon based electronics.

New method to generate Laughlin states with atomic systems Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:10 AM PDT In 1998, the Nobel Prize in Physics was conferred to the discovery of a new type of quantum fluid with fractional charge excitations, known as Laughlin state. The production of this quantum state, which explains the behaviour of electrons in two-dimensional metallic plaques when they are exposed to intense magnetic fields, has been one of the most popular research topics on ultracold and Bose-Einstein condensed atoms for one decade. Now, new theoretical research proposes a method to generate this kind of states in two-dimensional systems of ultracold atoms, with possible applications in quantum computer.

Novel chemistry for new class of antibiotic Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:09 AM PDT Research out of Australia has produced a potential new antibiotic which could help in the battle against bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Single men, smokers at higher risk for oral human papillomavirus infection Posted: 03 Jul 2013 07:09 AM PDT Smokers and single men are more likely to acquire cancer-causing oral human papillomavirus (HPV), according to new results from the HPV Infection in Men (HIM) Study. Researchers also report that newly acquired oral HPV infections in healthy men are rare and when present, usually resolve within one year.

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