ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Mystery Of South American Trophy Heads Solved A recent study using specimens from Chicago's Field Museum establishes that Nazca trophy heads came from people who lived in the same place and were part of the same culture as those who collected them.

Adult-onset Diabetes Slows Mental Functioning In Several Ways, With Deficits Appearing Early Adults with diabetes experience a slowdown in several types of mental processing, which appears early in the disease and persists into old age, according to new research. Given the sharp rise in new cases of diabetes, this finding means that more adults may soon be living with mild but lasting deficits in their thought processes.

Gene Expression And Splicing Vary Widely From One Tissue To The Next Genes talk to themselves and to each other to control how a given cell manufactures proteins. But variation in the control of the same gene in two different tissues may contribute to certain human traits, including the likelihood of getting a disease, said a team of geneticists and neuroscientists.

Teens Girls Smoke Now, Pay Later With Larger Waistlines As Adults Remember the cool girls, huddled together in high school restrooms, puffing their cigarettes? Well, here's consolation for the nerds in the crowd: Those teen smokers are more likely to experience obesity as adults, according to a new study from Finland.

Stars Forming Just Beyond Black Hole's Grasp At Galactic Center The center of the Milky Way presents astronomers with a paradox: It holds young stars, but no one is sure how those stars got there. The galactic center is wracked with powerful gravitational tides stirred by a 4 million solar-mass black hole. Those tides should rip apart molecular clouds that act as stellar nurseries, preventing stars from forming in place. Yet the alternative -- stars falling inward after forming elsewhere -- should be a rare occurrence.

Obesity Linked To Elevated Risk Of Ovarian Cancer A new epidemiological study has found that among women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight.

Amazon Deforestation Trend On The Increase Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon forests has flipped from a decreasing to an increasing trend, according to new annual figures recently released by the country's space agency INPE.

Increased Risk Of Pneumococcal Disease In Asthma Patients Adults with asthma are at increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumonia, the most common bacteria causing middle ear infections and community acquired pneumonia.

Possible Abnormality In Fundamental Building Block Of Einstein's Theory Of Relativity Physicists have developed a promising new way to identify a possible abnormality in a fundamental building block of Einstein's theory of relativity known as "Lorentz invariance." If confirmed, the abnormality would disprove the basic tenet that the laws of physics remain the same for any two objects traveling at a constant speed or rotated relative to one another.

Defensive Protein Killed Ancient Primate Retroviruses, Research Suggests Retroviruses are the worst sort of guest. Over eons, these molecular parasites have insinuated themselves into their hosts' DNA and caused a ruckus. The poor hosts can't even be rid of the intruders by killing them, because they stubbornly remain after death.

New Park Protects Penguins And Other Marine Life In Argentina A new coastal marine park has recently been signed into law by the Government of Argentina. The park protects half a million penguins along with several species of rare seabirds and the region's only population of South American fur seals. It is the first protected area in Argentina specifically designed to safeguard not only onshore breeding colonies but also areas of ocean where wildlife feed at sea.

Alternative Way To Save Brain Cells After Stroke Or Head Trauma, New Finding Suggests Shredded extracellular matrix is toxic to neurons. Researchers reveal a new mechanism for how ECM demolition causes brain damage. The study suggests that drugs that block KA1, one subunit of the kainate receptor, might provide an alternative way to save brain cells after stroke or head trauma.

‘Magnetic Bra’ Gives Independence Back To Disabled And Older Women Researchers have developed a new bra for older and disabled women which replaces traditional fastenings with magnets.

Small Earthquakes Continue To Rattle Yellowstone National Park, U.S. A notable swarm of earthquakes has been underway since December 26, 2008 beneath Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, three to six miles south-southeast of Fishing Bridge, Wyoming.

Common Gene Variant Linked To High Blood Pressure Identified Researchers have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people's risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The STK39 gene is the first hypertension susceptibility gene to be uncovered through a new technique called a genome-wide association study and confirmed by data from several independent studies.

Organic Plant Waste Proves Effective Weed Control For Citrus Trees Interest in organic crop production is increasing around the world. Organics are healthy for consumers while adding environmental benefits and decreasing the amount of synthetic herbicides in foods, soil, and water. While organics gain popularity with consumers, organic farmers are faced with new production challenges, especially managing and reducing invasive weeds.

Acute Gastric Injury Due To High-dose Analgesics? A new study has documented the gastrointestinal complications of high dose acetaminophen, a commonly used drug. The study investigated the acute high dose ingestion of analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, with suicidal intent. The study results surprisingly indicated that acetaminophen induces gastric lesions.

Better Predictions Of Share Yields It is not easy to predict stock market trends. Two financial researchers at BI Norwegian School of Management have identified a target indicator that can predict future return on shares.

Power Of Wilderness Experiences As A Catalyst For Change In Young Offenders Researchers have been working with young offenders to help them turn their lives around. Findings of the self-reported measures of self-confidence, trust, belonging and connectedness to nature showed that after each wilderness experience, feelings increased and during the months in between levels fell, as participants had less contact with nature. The final value at the end of the project was substantially higher than the initial starting value.

Astronomers To Gaze Back In Time And Map History Of Universe Astronomers are set to expand our knowledge of the history of our universe with a new project to map the inception and formation of galaxies.

Dormant Cancer Cells Rely On Cellular Self-cannibalization To Survive A tumor-suppressing gene is a key to understanding, and perhaps killing, dormant ovarian cancer cells that persist after initial treatment only to reawaken later, researchers report. They found that expression of ARHI turns on autophagy, or self-eating, in ovarian cancer cells, which promotes their survival in a dormant state.

Patient-derived Induced Stem Cells Retain Disease Traits When neurons started dying in Clive Svendsen's lab dishes, he couldn't have been more pleased. The dying cells -- the same type lost in patients with the devastating neurological disease spinal muscular atrophy -- confirmed that the stem cell biologist had recreated the hallmarks of a genetic disorder in the lab, using stem cells derived from a patient.

Newly Identified Gene Powerful Predictor Of Colon Cancer Metastasis Scientists have identified a gene which enables them to predict for the first time with high probability if colon cancer is going to metastasize. They were able to demonstrate that the gene MACC1 not only promotes tumor growth but also the development of metastasis. When MACC1 gene activity is low, the life expectancy of patients with colon cancer is longer in comparison to patients with high MACC1 levels.

Quantum Electronics: Tunneling Effect In Strong Laser Field Interaction Under Attack Physicists have worked on the quantum physics description of the tunneling effect for 60 years. The group has now for the first time succeeded in measuring time intervals that enable the direct measurement of the tunneling time of electrons in laser-induced ionization. No corresponding delay was measured in the experiment: something that astonished many physicists. An established but perhaps over-simplified explanatory model begins to look shaky.

Family Members Of Critically Ill Patients Want To Discuss Loved Ones' Uncertain Prognoses Critically ill patients frequently have uncertain prognoses, but their families overwhelmingly wish that physicians would address prognostic uncertainty candidly, according to a new study.

Nano 'Tractor Beam' Traps DNA Using a beam of light shunted through a tiny silicon channel, researchers have created a nanoscale trap that can stop free floating DNA molecules and nanoparticles in their tracks. By holding the nanoscale material steady while the fluid around it flows freely, the trap may allow researchers to boost the accuracy of biological sensors and create a range of new 'lab on a chip' diagnostic tools.

Scientists Make Strides Toward Defining Genetic Signature Of Alzheimer's Disease Scientists have new information about the complex genetic signature associated with Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. The research uses a powerful, high-resolution analysis to look for genes associated with this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

African Thicket Rat Malaria Linked To Virulent Human Form Malarial parasites found in tree-dwelling African thicket rats share a close evolutionary relationship with Plasmodium falciparum and P. reichenowi. The analysis is based on amplification of entire mitochondrial genomes of malarial parasites that use humans, rodents, birds and lizards as their hosts.

In Lung Cancer, Silencing One Crucial Gene Disrupts Normal Functioning Of Genome While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, scientists have discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism. They say that "silencing" of a single gene in lung cancer led to a general impairment in genome-wide changes in cells, contributing to cancer development and progression.

Sea Rise Over Continental Shelves Significantly Affected Past Global Carbon Cycle Since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; about 21,000 years ago) sea level has risen by 130 meters (430 feet), resulting in continental shelf submergence and a massive expansion of the surface area of shelf seas.

The Culture Of Medicine Everybody is familiar with the stereotypes of medical education from the student perspective: grueling hours, little recognition, and even less glory. A new study pulls back the curtain on the dominant environment of academic medicine from the perspective of faculty, the providers of medical education in medical schools. The study raises questions about how the prevailing culture of academic medicine shapes the delivery of health care.

Fusing Embryonic Stem Cells With Adult Cells Using Highly Efficient New Fusing System Engineers have developed a new, highly efficient way to pair up cells so they can be fused together into a hybrid cell. The new technique should make it much easier for scientists to study what happens when two cells are combined. For example, fusing an adult cell and an embryonic stem cell allows researchers to study the genetic reprogramming that occurs in such hybrids.

Genetic Variation May Lead To Early Cardiovascular Disease Scientists have identified a variation in a particular gene that increases susceptibility to early coronary artery disease. For years, scientists have known that the devastating, early-onset form of the disease was inherited, but they knew little about the gene(s) responsible until now.

Microbes In The Intestine: Friend Or Foe? Micro-organisms in the intestine live in symbiosis with humans but can cause illness or even death. Scientists have researched the factors that make a person immune to worm infections. The knowledge can now be used to develop vaccines.

Lung Cancer Cells Activate Inflammation To Induce Metastasis Scientists have identified a protein produced by cancerous lung epithelial cells that enhances metastasis by stimulating the activity of inflammatory cells.

Fat Tissue Is Sensitive To Irradiation Scientists found that irradiation damages fat tissue. Radiation therapy directed at cancer management also damages normal tissues. Autologous transplant of tissues such as fat tissue has often been used to prevent the fibrosis, organ dysfunction, and necrosis that result from radiation treatment; however, the effects of radiation on the transplanted fat tissue had not been studied.

Nutrigenomics: Developing Personalized Diets For Disease Prevention The emerging field of nutrigenomics aims to identify the genetic factors that influence the body's response to diet and studies how the bioactive constituents of food affect gene expression.

Testes Stem Cells Can Change Into Other Body Tissues Scientists have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes. The cells bear a striking resemblance to embryonic stem cells -- they can differentiate into each of the three main types of tissues of the body -- but the researchers caution against viewing them as one and the same.

Baby Jupiters Must Gain Weight Fast The planet Jupiter gained weight in a hurry during its infancy. It had to, since the material from which it formed probably disappeared in just a few million years, according to a new study of planet formation around young stars.

Jupiter-like Planets Could Form Around Twin Suns Life on a planet ruled by two suns might be a little complicated. Two sunrises, two sunsets. Twice the radiation field. Astronomers suggest that planets may easily form around certain types of twin star systems. A disk of molecules discovered orbiting a pair of twin young suns in the constellation Sagittarius strongly suggests that many such binary systems also host planets.

Breast Cancer Gene Linked To Disease Spread Discovered Researchers have identified a long-sought gene that is fatefully switched on in 30 to 40 percent of all breast cancer patients, spreading the disease, resisting traditional chemotherapies and eventually leading to death. In doing so, the scientists may have answered one of the biggest mysteries in cancer research.

Tackling Climate Change With New Permits To Pollute A new way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and tackle climate change had been unveiled by leading economists.

Lifelong Gender Difference In Physical Activity Revealed Females of all ages are less active than their male peers. Two studies, presented Jan. 6 at a major academic conference, reveal the gender difference in activity levels among school children and the over 70s. Both studies show males to be more physically active than females. The two studies are being presented at the UK Society for Behavioral Medicine annual conference (incorporating the National Prevention Research Initiative conference) at the University of Exeter.

Volcanoes Cool The Tropics, But Global Warming May Have Helped Override Some Recent Eruptions Climate researchers have shown that big volcanic eruptions over the past 450 years have temporarily cooled weather in the tropics but suggest that such effects may have been masked in the 20th century by rising global temperatures.

Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence The State Of Modern Human Health The study of ancient microbes may not seem consequential, but such pioneering research has implications for the state of modern human health. New results raise questions about the microbes living on and within people.

Low-carb Diets Prove Better At Controlling Type 2 Diabetes In a six-month comparison of low-carb diets, one that encourages eating carbohydrates with the lowest-possible rating on the glycemic index leads to greater improvement in blood sugar control, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

'On Switch' For Cell Death Signaling Mechanism Discovered Scientists have determined the structure of the interactions between proteins that form the heart of the death inducing signaling complex, which is responsible for triggering apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

Can Nature's Leading Indicators Presage Environmental Disaster? Economists use leading indicators -- the drivers of economic performance -- to take the temperature of the economy and predict the future. Now, in a new study, scientists take a page from the social science handbook and use leading indicators of the environment to presage the potential collapse of ecosystems.