A long-forgotten candidate for antiviral therapy is undergoing a renaissance: Since the 1970s, the small molecule CMA has been considered a potent agent against viral infections, yet it was never approved for clinical use. Scientists at the Bonn University Hospital have now deciphered how the molecule can actually stimulate the immune system to combat viruses. The results are now being presented in the journal "EMBO" of the European Molecular Biology Organization. Finding an active substance to stimulate the immune system and thus better combat dangerous viruses has been ...

Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to photograph the iconic Horsehead Nebula in a new, infrared light to mark the 23rd anniversary of the famous observatory's launch aboard the space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. Looking like an apparition rising from whitecaps of interstellar foam, the iconic Horsehead Nebula has graced astronomy books ever since its discovery more than a century ago. The nebula is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers. It is shadowy in optical light. It appears transparent and ethereal when seen at infrared ...

PHILADELPHIA — Smoking tobacco in a water pipe resulted in a different pattern of exposure to toxic substances and may result in a cancer risk profile that is different from that of cigarette smoking, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "Water-pipe smoking at 'hookah bars' has become popular with young people in the United States, and some believe that it is less harmful than cigarette smoking," said Peyton Jacob III, Ph.D., a University of California, San Francisco research ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A new study debunks the myth that younger moms are more likely to "bounce back" after having a baby – teenage pregnancy actually makes women more likely to become obese. Women who give birth as teens are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese later in life than women who were not teen moms, University of Michigan Health System researchers found. The nationally representative study, which is the first believed to identify teen pregnancy as a predictor of obesity, appears in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "When taking ...

Smart electronics are taking the world by storm. From techno-textiles to transparent electronic displays, the world of intelligent technology is growing fast and a revolutionary new device has just been added to its ranks. Researchers at the University of Exeter have developed a new photoelectric device that is both flexible and transparent. The device, described in a paper in the journal ACS Nano, converts light into electrical signals by exploiting the unique properties of the recently discovered materials graphene and graphExeter. GraphExeter is the best known room temperature ...

NORMAN – Fishes account for over half of vertebrate species, but while groups such as mammals, birds and reptiles have been fairly well understood by scientists for decades, knowledge about relationships among many types of fishes was essentially unknown – until now. A team of scientists led by Richard Broughton, associate professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, published two studies that dramatically increase understanding of fish evolution and their relationships. They integrated extensive genetic and physical information ...

MANHASSET, NY – A researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has discovered additional mechanical properties of articular cartilage, a protective cartilage on the ends of bones that wears down over time, resulting in the development of osteoarthritis. The findings are published in the April issue of PLOS ONE. To better understand the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, Nadeen Chahine, PhD, and collaborators at other institutions looked at cells from articular cartilage using atomic force microscopy (AFM). They used this technology to measure the mechanical ...

SALT LAKE CITY, April 18, 2013 – When superstorm Sandy turned and took aim at New York City and Long Island last October, ocean waves hitting each other and the shore rattled the seafloor and much of the United States – shaking detected by seismometers across the country, University of Utah researchers found. "We detected seismic waves created by the oceans waves both hitting the East Coast and smashing into each other," with the most intense seismic activity recorded when Sandy turned toward Long Island, New York and New Jersey, says Keith Koper, director of the University ...

Highlights The phosphate binder sevelamer carbonate did not improve cardiovascular measures in patients with early chronic kidney disease. For now, reducing dietary intake of phosphate may be the best way for these patients to reduce the mineral's negative effects on the heart. High phosphate levels—in kidney disease patients and in the general population—increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular causes. Washington, DC (April 18, 2013) — High phosphate levels in the blood carry increased heart-related risks, but taking a drug that targets phosphate does ...

Highlights In patients with chronic kidney disease, measures of lower extremity performance were at least 30% lower than predicted, but handgrip strength was relatively preserved. Each 0.1-meter per second slower walking speed was linked with a 26% higher risk for death over an average three-year follow-up period. Adding gait speed tests to laboratory tests of kidney function significantly improved the prediction of three-year mortality. 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease. Washington, DC (April 18, 2013) — Kidney disease patients who have ...

People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index—as well as lower odds of being overweight or obese—than do their non-gardening neighbors. Researchers at the University of Utah reported these and other findings in the American Journal of Public Health published online today. "It has been shown previously that community gardens can provide a variety of social and nutritional benefits to neighborhoods," says Cathleen Zick, lead author of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. "But until now, ...

Frontiers in Psychology Numerical cognition in bees and other insects In this article, Dr. Mario Pahl and colleagues review the main studies on the ability of insects to perceive number, and discuss the possible mechanisms involved in number recognition. Recent behavioral investigations have shown that several invertebrate species (animals without backbones) share various numerical activities with bigger animals, such as birds and mammals. This is because the ability to assess the number of food items, competitors or mates can help animals – even smaller ones like insects ...

In one of the most detailed studies of its kind, a team of Greek and U.S. researchers have vividly chronicled the harmful public health impacts of the economic austerity measures imposed on Greece's population in the wake of the global economic crisis. Writing in today's [Thursday, April 18] American Journal of Public Health, the researchers cite data showing the economic recession and subsequent austerity policies in Greece have led to a sharp deterioration of health services and health outcomes. Researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and ...

College Park, MD - A new study of brain rhythms in bats and rats challenges a widely used model - based on studies in rodents - of how animals navigate their environment. To get a clearer picture of the processes at work in the mammal brain during spatial navigation, neuroscientists must closely study a broad range of animals, say the two University of Maryland College Park scientists involved in the study. In the April 19, 2013 issue of Science, the University of Maryland researchers and two colleagues at Boston University reported significant differences between rats' ...

Claremont, CA – The first new species of dinosaur from Madagascar in nearly a decade was announced today, filling an important gap in the island's fossil record. Dahalokely tokana (pronounced "dah-HAH-loo-KAY-lee too-KAH-nah") is estimated to have been between nine and 14 feet long, and it lived around 90 million years ago. Dahalokely belongs to a group called abelisauroids, carnivorous dinosaurs common to the southern continents. Up to this point, no dinosaur remains from between 165 and 70 million years ago could be identified to the species level in Madagascar–a 95 ...

The proportion of young women diagnosed with genital warts in Australia has seen a significant decline thanks to the HPV vaccine, suggests a paper published today on bmj.com. In 2007, Australia became one of the first countries to implement a nationally funded quadrivalent human papillomarivus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls and young women, which offers free vaccinations to girls aged 12-13 years in schools. From 2007 – 2009 there were a further two catch-up programmes: for 13-18 year olds and 18-26 year olds. The vaccine protects against the types of HPV that ...

Menstrual problems among adolescents with learning and physical disabilities are more common compared to the general population and there is no one-size fits all solution when managing the symptoms, says a new review published today (19th April) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG). The review looks at the behavioural and emotional changes associated with menstruation in adolescents with learning and physical disabilities and examines the advantages and limitations of therapeutic and surgical options for managing menstrual problems. Menstrual problems in girls ...

Additional legislation and guidance around surrogate pregnancy is needed for healthcare professionals, says a new review published today (19th April) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG). The review looks at the medico-legal challenges of surrogacy in modern obstetrics, highlighting recent changes in UK laws, the guidelines and legislation available and the legal requirements for parenthood and parental rights. The number of surrogate pregnancies in the UK is unknown, since many arrangements proceed without any medical or legal input, states the review. In April ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — America's K-12 teachers are not fully prepared to meet a new set of science standards, a Michigan State University education scholar argues in Science. Writing in the April 19 issue, Suzanne Wilson said the professional training landscape for teachers is woefully inadequate to handle the Next Generation Science Standards. The voluntary guidelines, unveiled this month by the advocacy group Achieve in collaboration with 26 states, call for more hands-on learning and analysis and cover fewer science topics but in greater depth. Science in U.S. classrooms ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — When the woods get crowded, female squirrels improve their offspring's odds of survival by ramping up how fast their offspring grow. In a study led by Michigan State University and the University of Guelph (Canada), researchers showed for the first time how females' use social cues to correctly prepare their offspring for life outside the nest. The results, published in the current issue of Science, confirm that red squirrel mothers boosted stress hormone production during pregnancy, which increased the size and the chances of survival of their pups. "Natural ...

Researchers for the first time have identified Earth-sized planets within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. Images of the star taken by Notre Dame astrophysicist Justin Crepp rule out alternative explanations of the data, confirming that five planets orbit Kepler 62, with two located in the habitable zone. The results were published in Science magazine today. "A five-planet system with planets of 1.41 and 1.61 Earth-radii in the habitable zone of a K2V star has been detected with the Kepler spacecraft and validated with high statistical confidence," the paper reports. ...

Animals navigate and orient themselves to survive – to find food and shelter or avoid predators, for example. Research conducted by Dr. Nachum Ulanovsky and research student Michael Yartsev of the Weizmann Institute's Neurobiology Department, published today in Science, reveals for the first time how three-dimensional, volumetric, space is perceived in mammalian brains. The research was conducted using a unique, miniaturized neural-telemetry system developed especially for this task, which enabled the measurement of single brain cells during flight. The question of how ...

Up to 10 per cent of the population are affected by specific learning disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, translating to 2 or 3 pupils in every classroom according to a new study. The study – by academics at UCL and Goldsmiths - also indicates that children are frequently affected by more than one learning disability. The research, published today in Science, helps to clarify the underlying causes of learning disabilities and the best way to tailor individual teaching and learning for affected individuals and education professionals. Specific ...

Boston (April 18, 2013) – Natural lubricants play an important role in health, including a well-known effect to help prevent osteoarthritis in knee and ankle joints. However, much is still unknown about their role and function in other areas of the body. Researchers for the first time have discovered that the surface of the eye produces "lubricin," the same substance that protects the joints, and have explained its role in this sensory organ. These findings provide new hope for the millions suffering from dry eye disease and complications from contact lens wear and refractive ...

Frankfurt/Main, Germany, April 18, 2013. The circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean is an important region for global marine food webs and carbon cycling because of sea-ice formation and its unique plankton ecosystem. The origin of its ecosystems can be traced back to the emergence of the Antarctic ice sheets approximately 33.6 million years ago. This discovery was made by an international team including scientists from the Goethe University and the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, Germany. Their study, published today in Science, shows that the development ...