ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Epigenetic changes may explain chronic kidney disease

Posted: 23 Nov 2013 04:48 PM PST

Researchers found, in a genome-wide survey, significant differences in the pattern of chemical modifications on DNA that affect gene expression in kidney cells from patients with chronic kidney disease versus healthy controls. This is the first study to show that changes in these modifications – the cornerstone of the field of epigenetics – might explain chronic kidney disease.

Acid rain, ozone depletion contributed to ancient extinction

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:56 PM PST

Around 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period, there was a mass extinction so severe that it remains the most traumatic known species die-off in Earth's history. Some researchers have suggested that this extinction was triggered by contemporaneous volcanic eruptions in Siberia. New results show that the atmospheric effects of these eruptions could have been devastating.

NASA's solar observing fleet to watch Comet ISON's journey around the sun

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:56 PM PST

It began in the Oort cloud, almost a light year away. It has traveled for over a million years. It has almost reached the star that has pulled it steadily forward for so long. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2013, Comet ISON will finally sling shot around the sun. Here its inward journey through the solar system will end -- either because it will break up due to intense heat and gravity of the sun, or because, still intact, it speeds back away, never to return.

'Wise chisels': Art, craftsmanship, and power tools

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:56 PM PST

It's often easy to tell at a glance the difference between a mass-produced object and one that has been handcrafted: The handmade item is likely to have distinctive imperfections and clear signs of an individual's technique and style. A new project melds personal style and technique with computerized control systems.

Lessons to be learnt about influenza A, four years after the public alarm

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:55 PM PST

With autumn just around the corner and a new flu strain lying in wait for us, the presentation of a study analyzing the management of the 2009 influenza A crisis could not, if anything, be better timed.

Greenland's shrunken ice sheet: We've been here before

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:55 PM PST

Think Greenland's ice sheet is small today? It was smaller — as small as it's been in recent history — from 3-5,000 years ago, according to scientists who studied the ice sheet's history using a new technique they developed for interpreting the Arctic fossil record.

Link between allergies, increased risk of blood cancers in women

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:54 PM PST

A team of scientists looking into the interplay of the immune system and cancer have found a link between a history of airborne allergies – in particular to plants, grass and trees – with risk of blood cancers in women.

Tell-tale genes linked to eating disorders

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:54 PM PST

Until recently, no one knew how eating disorders occur or what triggers them. Recently published research suggests a new strategy to understand eating disorders, and it may lead to innovative treatments.

Stuck on flu

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:54 PM PST

Researchers have shown for the first time how influenza A viruses snip through a protective mucus net to both infect respiratory cells and later cut their way out to infect other cells.

Notch signaling pathway keeps immature T cells on the right track

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:54 PM PST

One protein called Notch, which has well-known roles in the development of multiple tissues, plays an essential role in triggering T-cell development. Notch signaling induces expression of genes that promote the maturation of T cells and discourage alternative cell fates. Deficiency of the Notch target gene Hes1 in blood stem cells results in extremely low T-cell numbers, and could shed light on how normal cells are transformed in the context of cancer.

Oatmeal beats ready-to-eat breakfast cereal at improving appetite control

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 10:24 AM PST

While obesity is a complex and multifaceted problem, much of the strategy behind combating it boils down to healthy eating habits. Taking into account the primary role of subjective appetite sensations in said habits, a group of researchers recently compared the satiety impact of two popular breakfast choices: oatmeal and ready-to-eat breakfast cereal.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption increases endometrial cancer risk

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST

Postmenopausal women who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages were more likely to develop the most common type of endometrial cancer compared with women who did not drink sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a study published.

Chemotherapy: When intestinal bacteria provide reinforcement

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 08:57 AM PST

Research has led to a rather surprising discovery on the manner in which cancer chemotherapy treatments act more effectively with the help of the intestinal flora (also known as the intestinal microbiota).

Extent of obesity not strongest factor for patients when choosing weight loss operation

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 08:27 AM PST

A new study investigating why obese patients choose one type of weight loss operation over another reveals that the main factors influencing decision making are whether patients have type 2 diabetes, how much weight they want to lose, and their tolerance for surgical risk to achieve their ideal weight.

Why some ear, respiratory infections become chronic

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 07:39 AM PST

Scientists have figured out how a bacterium that causes ear and respiratory illnesses is able to elude immune detection in the middle ear, likely contributing to chronic or recurrent infections in adults and children.

Researchers pioneer first patient-specific 3-D virtual birth simulator

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 05:45 AM PST

Computer scientists are working to create a virtual birthing simulator that will help doctors and midwives prepare for unusual or dangerous births. The new program will take into account factors such as the shape of the mother's body and the positioning of the baby to provide patient-specific birth predictions.

'Immune gene' in humans inherited from Neanderthals, study suggests

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 05:44 AM PST

Scientists have discovered a novel receptor, which allows the immune system of modern humans to recognize dangerous invaders, and subsequently elicits an immune response. The blueprint for this advantageous structure was in addition identified in the genome of Neanderthals, hinting at its origin. The presence of this receptor in Europeans but its absence in early humans suggests that it was inherited from Neanderthals.

Lowering three risk factors could cut obesity-related risk of heart disease by more than half

Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:52 PM PST

Controlling blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and blood glucose may substantially reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke associated with being overweight or obese.

Better prediction for epileptic seizures through adaptive learning approach

Posted: 21 Nov 2013 01:33 PM PST

An engineering professor has developed a computational model that can more accurately predict when an epileptic seizure will occur next based on the patient's personalized medical information.

Research paves path for hybrid nano-materials to replace pills, human tissue

Posted: 21 Nov 2013 01:32 PM PST

A team of researchers has uncovered critical information that could help scientists understand how protein polymers interact with other self-assembling biopolymers. The research helps explain naturally occurring nano-material within cells and could one day lead to engineered bio-composites for drug delivery, artificial tissue, bio-sensing, or cancer diagnosis.

Heavy drinking bad for marriage if only one spouse drinks

Posted: 21 Nov 2013 01:32 PM PST

Do drinking and marriage mix? That depends on who's doing the drinking -- and how much -- according to a recent study.

Daily online testing boosts college performance, reduces achievement gaps

Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:21 AM PST

A study finds daily online quizzes help students of all socioeconomic backgrounds improve grades.