ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Fire ecology manipulation by California native cultures

Posted: 26 Jul 2014 05:23 AM PDT

Before the colonial era, 100,000s of people lived on the land now called California, and many of their cultures manipulated fire to control the availability of plants they used for food, fuel, tools, and ritual. Contemporary tribes continue to use fire to maintain desired habitat and natural resources.

Epigenetic changes can drive cancer, study shows

Posted: 26 Jul 2014 05:23 AM PDT

A mouse model has been created providing the first in vivo evidence that epigenetic alterations alone can cause cancer. Epigenetic alterations don't change the DNA sequence but how it is 'read.' In particular, DNA methylation, the addition of a methyl group (or molecule), is an epigenetic switch that can stably turn off genes, suggesting the potential to cause cancer just as a genetic mutation can. Until now, direct evidence that DNA methylation drives cancer formation was lacking.

Trees save lives, reduce respiratory problems

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:35 PM PDT

In the first broad-scale estimate of air pollution removal by trees nationwide, scientists have calculated that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms. The study considered four pollutants for which the U.S. EPA has established air quality standards: nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in aerodynamic diameter.

Changes in agriculture increase high river flow rates

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:35 PM PDT

Researchers have examined how changes in rainfall amounts and an increase in the amount of acreage used to grow such crops as corn and soybeans can affect the volume of river water flow in the U.S. Midwest.

Climate Change Increases Risk of Crop Slowdown in Next 20 Years

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:44 AM PDT

The world faces a small but substantially increased risk over the next two decades of a major slowdown in the growth of global corn and wheat yields because of climate change, according to new research. Such a slowdown would occur as global demand for crops rapidly increases.

Primary texting bans associated with lower traffic fatalities, study finds

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:44 AM PDT

States that allow officers to pull over a driver for texting while driving saw fewer deaths than those that use secondary enforcement of texting bans. Some states have banned all drivers from texting while driving, while others have banned only young drivers. Also, some states' texting bans entail secondary enforcement, meaning an officer must have another reason to stop a vehicle, like speeding or running a red light, before citing a driver for texting while driving. These differences appear to impact traffic deaths, this study concludes.

Clearing cells to prevent cervical cancer

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 10:15 AM PDT

A novel approach to preventing cervical cancer has been described by researchers, based on findings showing successful reduction in the risk of cervical cancer after removal of a discrete population of cells in the cervix. The findings come from a study that looked at squamocolumnar junction cells, or SCJ cells. These cells reside in the cervical canal and have been implicated as the origins of cervical cancer.

Computerized ADHD testing

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 08:07 AM PDT

A new technology can now be utilized on patients called the Quotient® ADHD Test. t is FDA-cleared for the objective measurement of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, as an aid in the assessment of ADHD. ADHD is a common childhood condition characterized by more than normal difficulty with focus, behavior control, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Smartphone experiment tracks whether our life story is written in our gut bacteria

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 05:04 AM PDT

Life events such as visiting another country or contracting a disease cause a significant shift in the make-up of the gut microbiota -- the community of bacteria living in the digestive system, according to. Two participants in a recent study used smartphone apps to collect information every day for a year. The authors think the method could be rolled out to studies of human-bacteria relationships with many more participants.

Shift work linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 04:20 PM PDT

Shift work is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the risk seemingly greatest among men and those working rotating shift patterns, indicates an analysis of the available evidence. This heightened risk rose to 37% for men, after further analysis to look at the potential effects of gender, study design, study location, job, shift schedule, body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes and physical activity levels.

Cell therapy for multiple sclerosis patients: Closer than ever?

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 03:29 PM PDT

For the first time, scientists generated induced pluripotent stem cells lines from skin samples of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and further, they developed an accelerated protocol to induce these stem cells into becoming oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system implicated in multiple sclerosis and many other diseases.

Klotho: neuroprotective against Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:21 PM PDT

Researchers may have found a way to delay or even prevent Alzheimer's disease. They discovered that pre-treatment of neurons with the anti-aging protein Klotho can prevent neuron death in the presence of the toxic amyloid protein and glutamate. Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent age-related dementia affecting 5.4 million Americans including 13 percent of people age 65 and older and more than 40 percent of people over the age of 85.

Microbes make the sake brewery

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:20 PM PDT

A sake brewery has its own microbial terroir, meaning the microbial populations found on surfaces in the facility resemble those found in the product, creating the final flavor according to research. This is the first time investigators have taken a microbial census of a sake brewery.

Role of media in sharing life events

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:18 PM PDT

To share is human. And the means to share personal news — good and bad — have exploded over the last decade, particularly social media and texting. But until now, all research about what is known as "social sharing," or the act of telling others about the important events in our lives, has been restricted to face-to-face interactions.

Genetic switch discovered that can prevent peripheral vascular disease in mice

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:18 PM PDT

Millions of people in the United States have a circulatory problem of the legs called peripheral vascular disease. It can be painful and may even require surgery in serious cases. This disease can lead to severe skeletal muscle wasting and, in turn, limb amputation. Scientists have tested a non-surgical preventative treatment in a mouse model of the disease and it was associated with increased blood circulation.