ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups?
• Revolutionary naming system for all life on earth proposed: Based on the genetic sequence of organisms
• Seed-filled buoys may help restore diverse sea meadows in San Francisco Bay
• New, inexpensive production materials boost promise of hydrogen fuel
• Studies show how traceability can work across entire food supply chain
• Selenium, vitamin E supplements can increase risk of prostate cancer in some men
• Antibody may be detectable in blood years before MS symptoms appear
• Fruit-loving lemurs score higher on spatial memory tests
• Promising cervical cancer study: Combining drugs, chemo to extend life
• Chemical transport in plants likened to that of humans
• Air force aircraft returned from Vietnam identified as postwar source of agent orange contamination
• Developmental gene influences sperm formation, fruit fly model demonstrates
• Microparticles show molecules their way: Three-dimensional structures using three chemically different patches
• Liquid metal pump a breakthrough for micro-fluidics
• Genetic screening can identify men with advanced prostate cancer
• Gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration

Is a 'buttery' molecule behind cystic fibrosis flare-ups? Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST A lung-damaging molecule has been discovered in higher concentrations in cystic fibrosis patients during symptom flare-ups. This molecule, which has a buttery flavor and is the main ingredient in microwave popcorn flavoring, is toxic and has been implicated in damaging the lungs of popcorn factory workers. Results of the new research indicate that it might play an important role in microbial infections of the lung suffered by people with cystic fibrosis.

Revolutionary naming system for all life on earth proposed: Based on the genetic sequence of organisms Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:48 PM PST A new naming structure proposed by an American researcher moves beyond the Linnaeus system to one based on the genetic sequence of each individual organism. This creates a more robust, precise, and informative name for any organism, be it a bacterium, fungus, plant, or animal. Coded names could be permanent, as opposed to the shifting of names typical in the current biological classification system. Codes could also be assigned without the current lengthy process that is required by analyzing one organism's physical traits compared to another's. Lastly, the sequence could be assigned to viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals and would provide a standardized naming system for all life on Earth.

Seed-filled buoys may help restore diverse sea meadows in San Francisco Bay Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST Placing seedpods in a pearl net, tethered by a rope but allowed to sway with the tides, may be an especially effective way of restoring eelgrass meadows. The resulting crop of eelgrass grown for this study was as genetically diverse as the beds from which the seeds were harvested, which researchers say can make restoration efforts more likely to succeed. The emphasis on genetic diversity is a relatively new concern in ecosystem restoration projects, where there has been an understandable urgency to move plants and animals back into an area as quickly as possible.

New, inexpensive production materials boost promise of hydrogen fuel Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST Generating electricity is not the only way to turn sunlight into energy we can use on demand. The sun can also drive reactions to create chemical fuels, such as hydrogen, that can in turn power cars, trucks and trains. Scientists have now combined cheap, oxide-based materials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases using solar energy with a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 1.7 percent, the highest reported for any oxide-based photoelectrode system.

Studies show how traceability can work across entire food supply chain Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST Recent developments across the globe have put an increasing focus on the traceability of foods. Complicated supply chains of hundreds of ingredients that are used to make a food product make food product tracing a daunting task. In an effort to better protect public health from foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls, governments across the world are in the process of implementing new regulations around food traceability.

Selenium, vitamin E supplements can increase risk of prostate cancer in some men Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST High-dose supplementation with both the trace element selenium and vitamin E increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. But importantly, this risk depends upon a man's selenium status before taking the supplements. "Men using these supplements should stop, period. Neither selenium nor vitamin E supplementation confers any known benefits -- only risks," the lead author stated. "While there appear to be no risks from taking a standard multivitamin, the effects of high-dose single supplements are unpredictable, complex and often harmful. There are optimal levels, and these are often the levels obtained from a healthful diet, but either below or above the levels there are risks."

Antibody may be detectable in blood years before MS symptoms appear Posted: 21 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST An antibody found in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis may be present long before the onset of the disease and its symptoms, according to a study. For the study, 16 healthy blood donors who were later diagnosed with MS were compared to 16 healthy blood donors of the same age and sex who did not develop MS. Scientists looked for a specific antibody to KIR4.1. Samples were collected between two and nine months before the first symptoms of MS appeared. KIR4.1 antibodies were found in the people with pre-clinical MS several years before the first clinical attack.

Fruit-loving lemurs score higher on spatial memory tests Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:04 PM PST Food-finding tests in five lemur species show fruit-eaters may have better spatial memory than lemurs with a more varied diet. The results support the idea that relying on foods that are seasonally available and far-flung gives a competitive edge to individuals with certain cognitive abilities -- such as remembering where the goodies are.

Promising cervical cancer study: Combining drugs, chemo to extend life Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:04 PM PST New research has revealed that women with advanced cervical cancer live about four months longer with the combined use of bevacizumab (Avastin®) and chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. Women who combined bevacizumab with chemotherapy lived an average of 17 months after diagnosis, while those who received chemotherapy alone lived 13.3 months. The multi-site research project is expected to change the standard of care in advanced cervical cancer.

Chemical transport in plants likened to that of humans Posted: 21 Feb 2014 12:04 PM PST Plant roots and certain human membrane systems resist chemical transport in much the same way, say researchers. This similarity could make it easier to assess chemical risks for both people and plants, and may even lead to a new approach to testing medications. "A plant's root is similar to the blood-brain barrier and intestine of humans," say the researchers. "It's amazing when you think about it -- plants and animals evolved separately but somehow developed comparable structures to control transport of water and dissolved chemicals."

Air force aircraft returned from Vietnam identified as postwar source of agent orange contamination Posted: 21 Feb 2014 08:40 AM PST From 1971-1982 Air Force reservists, who flew in about 34 dioxin-contaminated aircraft used to spray Agent Orange and returned to the US following discontinuation of the herbicide spraying operations in the Vietnam War, were exposed greater levels of dioxin than previously acknowledged, according to a study. The new evidence is contrary to current position held by Air Force and VA. "These findings are important because they describe a previously unrecognized source of exposure to dioxin that has health significance to those who engaged in the transport work using these aircraft," says the lead investigator, an environmental engineer with many years of experience evaluating environmental exposures in the Air Force.

Developmental gene influences sperm formation, fruit fly model demonstrates Posted: 21 Feb 2014 07:38 AM PST The basic regulatory mechanisms of stem cell differentiation have been under investigation using the Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly as a model organism. Researchers were able to show how a special developmental gene from the Hox family influences germline stem cells. These cells are responsible for sperm formation. The scientists found that impairment of Hox gene function resulted in prematurely aged sperms.

Microparticles show molecules their way: Three-dimensional structures using three chemically different patches Posted: 21 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST Scientists produced novel microparticles, whose surface consists of three chemically different segments. These segments can be provided with different (bio-) molecules. Thanks to the specific spatial orientation of the attached molecules, the microparticles are suited for innovative applications in medicine, biochemistry, and engineering.

Liquid metal pump a breakthrough for micro-fluidics Posted: 21 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST Scientists have developed the world's first liquid metal enabled pump, a revolutionary new micro-scale device with no mechanical parts. The unique design will enable micro-fluidics and lab-on-a-chip technology to finally realize their potential, with applications ranging from biomedicine to biofuels.

Genetic screening can identify men with advanced prostate cancer Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:35 PM PST Screening men with a family history of prostate cancer for a range of gene mutations can identify those who are at high risk of aggressive forms of the disease and in need of lifelong monitoring, a new study has shown. The findings are important because they demonstrate not only that some men have a genetic profile that puts them at higher risk of prostate cancer, but that particular genetic profiles match to a higher risk of advanced, invasive disease. A big challenge facing prostate cancer researchers is to find ways of predicting which men will have life-threatening forms of the disease, to allow treatment to be tailored more effectively.

Gene therapy a promising tool for cardiac regeneration Posted: 20 Feb 2014 01:12 PM PST After a heart attack, there is often permanent damage to a portion of the heart. This happens, in part, because cardiac muscle cells are terminally differentiated and cannot proliferate after blood flow is blocked off to the heart. This partial healing can be attributed to heart disease being one of the leading causes of death. What if the cells could be stimulated to divide and the heart could be induced to repair itself? Gene therapy, new research shows, can elicit a regenerative response in pig hearts and potentially do exactly that -- repair a heart.

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