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| Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 |Mon, 31 Dec 07
Toward A Rosetta Stone For Microbes' Secret Language
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210094701.htm
Scientists are on the verge of decoding the special chemical language that bacteria use to "talk" to each other, British researchers report. That achievement could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including so-called superbugs that infect more than 90,000 people in the United States each year, they note.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Human Genetic Variation: Science's 'Breakthrough Of The Year'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140817.htm
In 2007, researchers were dazzled by the degree to which genomes differ from one human to another and began to understand the role of these variations in disease and personal traits. Science recognize "Human Genetic Variation" as the Breakthrough of the Year, and identify nine other of the year's most significant scientific accomplishments.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
James Webb Space Telescope Testing To Find Infrared Light
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207120822.htm
A model of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument will be tested before Christmas at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, England to ensure the final instrument can see infrared light.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Cell-death Receptor Links Cancer Susceptibility And Inflammation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183749.htm
Researchers demonstrated for the first time a link between cell-death-inducing TRAIL's receptor and cancer susceptibility. Unexpectedly, they also found a connection -- via TRAIL -- between inflammation and cancer susceptibility.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Physicists Find New Explanation For Superconductivity's 'Glue'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220170338.htm
Researchers have identified an alternative explanation for the microscopic origins of the "glue" that binds electrons during high-temperature superconductivity.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
A Real Attention Grabber: Scientist Finds Way To Measure Covert Attention
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071202155257.htm
The person you're speaking with may be looking at you, but are they really paying attention? Or has the person covertly shifted their attention, without moving their eyes? Dr. Brian Corneil, of the Center for Brain and Mind at the University of Western Ontario has found a way of actually measuring covert attention. His research "Neuromuscular consequences of reflexive covert orienting" is posted on the Advance Online Publication of Nature Neuroscience.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
2007 A Top Ten Warm Year For U.S. And Globe
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230211952.htm
The year 2007 is on pace to become one of the 10 warmest years for the contiguous U.S., since national records began in 1895. The year was marked by exceptional drought in the U.S. Southeast and the West, which helped fuel another extremely active wildfire season. The year also brought outbreaks of cold air, and killer heat waves and floods. Meanwhile, the global surface temperature for 2007 is expected to be fifth warmest since records began in 1880.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
New Drug Targets May Fight Tuberculosis And Other Bacterial Infections In Novel Way
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183731.htm
Over the course of the 20th Century, doctors waged war against infectious bacterial illness with the best new weapon they had: antibiotics. But the emergence of dangerous, multi-drug resistant strains of tuberculosis and other killer infections means that in the 21st century antibiotics are losing ground against bacterial disease. Researchers now say exciting new molecular targets -- so-called "virulence factors" that bacteria use to thrive once they are in the host -- present an alternative, potent means of stopping TB, leprosy and other bacterial illness.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Buyer Beware: Stressed Plants Won't Survive Shipping
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203094829.htm
It's a common springtime disappointment: you buy beautiful, flourishing potted plants from your local retailer, only to watch the once-healthy flowers wither and die shortly after you place them on your patio or porch. How do you know you are actually buying plants that will thrive after they leave the garden store?
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Scientists Discover New Role For MiRNA In Leukemia
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071210094430.htm
Scientists here have found that mini-molecules called micro-RNA may play a critical role in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia from its more treatable chronic phase to a life-threatening phase, called blast crisis. Furthermore, they discovered an entirely new function for these molecules. The researchers show that microRNAs can sometimes directly control a protein's function -- not just whether or not the protein is made by the cell, as has been believed.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Mapmaking For The Masses: User-generated Content Can Profoundly Impact Geographic Information Systems
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203111251.htm
Sites such as Wikimapia and OpenStreetMap are empowering citizens to create a global patchwork of geographic information. According to Michael Goodchild from the University of California in Santa Barbara, 'volunteered geographic information' has the potential to be a significant source of geographers' understanding of the surface of the Earth. His review has just been published online in Springer's GeoJournal.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Nurses Working Extended Shifts, Are Tired At Work And Sleep Little Likely To Drive Drowsy
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071201082336.htm
Hospital staff nurses who work extended hours, work at night, struggle to remain awake at work, or obtain less sleep are more likely to experience a drowsy driving episode.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Overeating And Obesity Triggered By Lack Of One Gene
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183853.htm
Neuroscience researchers demonstrate for the first time that brain-derived neurotrophic factor is an essential component of neural circuits which regulate body weight in adult mice and that its expression in two particular brain regions is required to suppress appetite.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
New Research Promises Personalized Dietary Guidelines
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093708.htm
Better diets for fighting diabetes, obesity and heart disease may soon be only a finger-prick away. By analyzing the unique metabolic changes in an individual's body, researchers hope to develop more personalized dietary guidelines for improving health, according to a new article.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Integrated Receiver For High Frequency Applications On A Tiny Chip
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128092106.htm
Scientists have combined a receiver for high frequencies with an antenna on a small chip. This circuit can be used, for instance, in radiometer systems in future safety systems looking for concealed weapons without an intrusive search.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Hazards Of CT Scans Overstated, According To Physicist
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130173233.htm
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine says CT scans are a critical part of medical care and questions the statistical method used in the New England Journal of Medicine article linking CT scans to cancer.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
New Ship Breaks New Grounds, And Old Ice
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130101036.htm
It can crush ice sideways and stay precisely on station to an accuracy of a meter. It can drill a hole 1,000 meters deep into the seabed while floating above 5,000 meters of ocean and it can generate 55 megawatts of power. So far, Aurora Borealis is the most unusual ship that has never been built, and it represents a floating laboratory for European science, a breakthrough for polar research and a very big headache for international lawyers.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Which Intervention Would Do The Most To Improve The Health Of The Extreme Poor?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022203138.htm
Experts were asked to name the one intervention that would improve the health of those living on less than $1 a day. The collected responses--from health researchers and activists, journalists, academics, and communities living in poverty--highlight effective, low tech, and remarkably cheap ways to make a profound difference to the lives of the poorest people on the planet.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
New National Park For Russian Tigers
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202917.htm
Endangered northern Amur tigers have received a boost to their protection through the creation of a new national park in Khabarovsk province, located in the Russian Far East. Tiger habitats in the Russian Far East face extreme pressures from uncontrolled logging, construction and wildfires.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Saving Plants That Save Lives
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202622.htm
Poor or non-existent collection controls are threatening the survival of many of the plant species used in traditional and modern medicines. Some estimates indicate that 15,000 of the 50,000 -- 70,000 plant species used for medicinal purposes and mostly collected from the wild may be threatened, many as a direct result of unsustainable collection practices.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Upsurge In Rhino Poaching In Zimbabwe
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202351.htm
There has been an alarming upsurge in armed poaching of endangered rhinos primarily in the "Lowveld Conservancies" in South Eastern Zimbabwe over the past three years, according to World Wildlife Fund. Since 2000, 22 black rhinos have been shot in the Lowveld Conservancies in addition to 45-50 black rhinos that have been shot by poachers in other conservancies.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Climate Pollution From Aviation Increasing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101201618.htm
EU environment ministers have failed to seize a key opportunity to curb emissions from the aviation sector through the European Emissions Trading Scheme, WWF said at the conclusion of the EU Environment Council in Brussels. Scientists estimate that the effect of aviation emissions on the climate is up to five times the impact of emissions occurring on the ground.
Mon, 31 Dec 07
Riddle Of The Jade Jewels Reveals Vast Trade Arena
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101193937.htm
Analyzing the origins of jade used in ancient jewelery has revealed a trading arena that was active for more than 3,000 years and sprawled over 3,000km in Southeast Asia -- possibly the largest such network discovered in the region to date. Archaeologists used electron probe microanalysis to examine jade earrings excavated from sites all over Southeast Asia, and were able to pinpoint the origin of the precious stone to a source in Taiwan.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Sshhh, It's Listening: Totally New Computer Interfaces
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221225708.htm
Keyboards are a necessary part of today's computers, right? Maybe not for much longer. A group of scientists have used acoustic sensors to turn wooden tabletops and even three-dimensional objects into a new type of computer interface. Sound vibrating a windowpane or through a tabletop is something most people experience daily. Sound waves travel well through most solid materials. Now, researchers have exploited the excellent propagation of sound waves through solids to turn everyday objects -- including 3D objects -- into a new kind of computer interface.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Closer To Reality
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183950.htm
Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders. Cardiac stem cell therapy involves delivering a variety of cells into hearts following myocardial infarction or chronic cardiomyopathy. A brief overview of current research and research goals is presented, followed by a summary of results of studies aimed at improving implanted cell survival and the repair process, as well as several techniques aimed at improving efficacy.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Seabed Microbe Study Leads To Low-cost Power, Light For Developing World
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220152427.htm
A biology professor's fascination with seafloor microbes has led to the development of a revolutionary, low-cost power system consuming garbage, compost, and other waste that could provide light for the developing world. He has developed a fuel cell run by the natural activity of anaerobic microbes. The cells can be manufactured for just a few U.S. dollars, putting them within reach of many of the world's poor who today do not have access to electricity.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Novel Virus Identified In Endangered Species May Represent Evolution Of Two Major Virus Families
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221113707.htm
The near extinction of the western barred bandicoot has led to the identification of a novel virus exhibiting characteristics of two ancient virus families. The western barred bandicoot, an Australian marsupial once commonly found across western and southern Australia, is now endangered throughout parts of the country and already extinct on the mainland. While promoting conservation efforts, researchers discovered a debilitating disease affecting the species causing full body lesions.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Study Maps Life In Extreme Environments
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227184008.htm
A team of biologists have developed a model mapping the control circuit governing a whole free living organism. This is an important milestone for the new field of systems biology and will allow the researchers to model how the organism adapts over time in response to its environment.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Brain Imaging And Genetic Studies Link Thinking Patterns To Addiction
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003608.htm
Scientists have for the first time identified brain sites that fire up more when people make impulsive decisions. In a study comparing brain activity of sober alcoholics and non-addicted people making financial decisions, the group of sober alcoholics showed significantly more "impulsive" neural activity.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
New Ingredients In Drug-like Anti-aging Products Improve Skin
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215557.htm
Cosmecueticals, beauty aids that reportedly work like prescription drugs, are providing new ways to treat aging skin. A study in Cosmetic Dermatology explores a variety of new ingredients in cosmeceuticals that provide a visibly noticeable improvement in maturing skin.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Sulfur Dioxide May Have Helped Maintain A Warm Early Mars
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140813.htm
Sulfur dioxide may have played a key role in the climate and geochemistry of early Mars, geoscientists suggest in the journal Science. Their hypothesis may resolve longstanding questions about evidence that the climate of the Red Planet was once much warmer than it is today.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Handling Pesticides Associated With Greater Asthma Risk In Farm Women
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215633.htm
New research on farm women has shown that contact with some commonly used pesticides in farm work may increase their risk of allergic asthma. They found an average increase of 50 percent in the prevalence of allergic asthma in all farm women who applied or mixed pesticides.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Cell Growth Discovery: Protein Interactions Of MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway Measured
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213124908.htm
Scientists have achieved a quantitative in vivo measurement of the dynamic protein-protein interactions in the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade signaling pathway, which is critical to growth and differentiation decisions in all eukaryotic cells.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Voting Systems For Seniors Can Improve Voting Accuracy And Speed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183738.htm
Researchers have identified ways to improve electronic voting accuracy among older voters while also shortening waiting time at the polls. They tested four configurations and found that the pure touchscreen format with one ballot per screen was found to produce the most accurate results, but the pure touchscreen with full ballot on a single screen showed the fastest completion times. As is often the case with human-machine interfaces, there is a trade-off between accuracy and speed.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
LASIK Works Well, According To Long-term Study Of Highly Myopic Patients
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215645.htm
Although over 18 million LASIK procedures have been performed worldwide, there is still some controversy regarding the maximum correction possible and efficacy with this technique. In a new article researchers report that LASIK for myopia over -10 D is a safe and effective procedure in the long-term, ten years after surgery.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Innovative Model Connects Circuit Theory To Wildlife Corridors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220133441.htm
Scientists have developed a model that uses circuit theory to predict gene flow across landscapes. Their approach could give managers a better way to identify the best spots for wildlife corridors, which are crucial to protecting biodiversity.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
New Therapy Reduces Mortality In Patients With Severe COPD
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215629.htm
Patients with severe COPD may benefit more from therapy that combines salmeterol and fluticasone than treatment with tiotropium, according to results from a long-term, multi-center study that directly compared the two therapies.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Allergic Reactions To Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents Are Rare, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215622.htm
Allergic-like reactions to gadolinium-containing contrast injections in adults and pediatric patients (those younger than 19 years of age) are rare, according to a recent study. "When these reactions do occur, most of them are mild," said the lead author of the study.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Men Need More Botox Than Women In Cosmetic Procedures
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071228215539.htm
Men can be treated with Botox for cosmetic procedures in the same way as women but require higher doses of Botox in all treatment areas. There has recently become a growing interest in cosmetic procedures by men. Although most practices see a majority of women, the number of male patients who seek treatment is slowly increasing.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Turning Anthrax Toxin Into A Cancer Killer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071231111915.htm
Most people wouldn't consider anthrax toxin to be beneficial, but this bacterial poison may someday be an effective cancer therapy. Anthrax toxin has actually been shown to be fairly selective in targeting melanoma cells, although the risk of non-cancer toxicity prevents any clinical use.
Sun, 30 Dec 07
Breast Cancer Cells Have To Learn To Walk Before They Can Run
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071231091455.htm
Early-stage breast cancer that has not yet invaded the surrounding tissues may already contain highly motile cells, bringing the tumor one step closer to metastasis. This study suggests that these cells, although not yet invasive, could wander off along milk ducts and seed new tumors within the same breast.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Anti-malarial Drug Prevents Cancer In Mice, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220172131.htm
New data have indicated that the antimalarial drug chloroquine effectively prevents cancer in mouse models of two distinct human cancer syndromes, Burkitt lymphoma and ataxia telangiectasia.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
New Way To Sort Stem Cells Discovered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140217.htm
Scientists have found a new way to sort stem cells that should be quicker, easier and more cost-effective than current methods. The technique could in the future expedite therapies for people with conditions ranging from brain and spinal cord damage to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Link Uncovered Between Variation In Humans With Extreme Body Mass And Abnormal Splicing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220172139.htm
Researchers report new insights into how genetic variation may create phenotypic differences between individuals. This study, which investigates the influence of mutations associated with obesity on the mechanism of splicing, is published in Genome Research.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Gadget Helps People At Risk Of Dehydration Or Congestive Heart Failure
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110321.htm
Researchers are improving the odds for people medically at risk from dehydration or congestive heart failure. They are improving and miniaturizing a medical device that monitors a person's hydration, or level of fluid. This is important to members of the military and to thousands of home health care patients, athletes, firefighters and first responders.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
How An Atkins-like Diet Can Treat Epilepsy: Leptin Attenuates Rodent Seizure Severity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220172129.htm
Not all individuals who have epilepsy respond to traditional treatments. Strict adherence to a ketogenic diet high in fats and extremely low in carbohydrates is sometimes used to treat these patients. A new study shows that intranasal delivery of leptin, a hormone important in feeding and energy metabolism, delays the onset of convulsions in rodents, leading to the suggestion that leptin-triggered signaling may be a key to how a ketogenic diet combats epilepsy.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
2000 Tigers Possible In Thailand, Study Says
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110324.htm
Thailand's Western Forest Complex -- a 6,900 square mile (18,000 square kilometers) network of parks and wildlife reserves -- can potentially support some 2,000 tigers, making it one of the world's strongholds for these emblematic big cats, according to a new study.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Stickleback Fish Follow Prawns To Find Good Places To Eat
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221233239.htm
A new study reveals that prawns can be used by fish species to find the best places to eat. Research into the behavior patterns of sticklebacks highlights the fact they use prawns to determine the best place to be. Prawns, it seems however, don't have the same aptitude to use the sticklebacks for their advantage.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Fast-acting Cyanide Antidote Discovered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183912.htm
Researchers have discovered a new fast-acting antidote to cyanide poisoning. The antidote has potential to save lives of those who are exposed to the chemical -- namely firefighters, industrial workers and victims of terrorist attacks.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Taxol With Avastin Greatly Slowed Breast Cancer Progression, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227183824.htm
Treatment of breast cancer with Taxol and Avastin increased the period patients went without progression of their disease from 5.9 months to 11.8 months. "The tumor can't grow bigger than the size of a sesame seed without an oxygen supply," said one of the researchers. "And patients can stay on Avastin as long at it works. It is not a chemotherapy drug so it has minimal toxicity. "
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Smelly Sounds: One Person Out Of Every 1,000 Has Synesthesia
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003600.htm
One person out of every thousand has synesthesia, a psychological phenomenon in which an individual can smell a sound or hear a color. Most of these people are not aware they are synesthetes: they think the way they experience the world is normal. The research field has grown from grapheme-color synesthesia to include other forms of synaesthesia in which flavors are evoked by music or words (lexical-gustatory synesthesia), space structures by time units, colours by music, etc.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Southern Indiana Is Greener, But For How Long?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230104548.htm
Southern Indiana's rolling hills are greener now than they were a century ago, but the region's rate of reforestation may be on the verge of being outpaced by suburban sprawl's deforestation, according to a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Reforestation of abandoned agricultural areas has been the trend in much of the eastern U.S. since the early 20th century.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Solving Another Mystery Of An Amazing Water Walker
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093816.htm
Walking on water may seem like a miracle to humans, but it is a ho-hum for the water strider and scientists who already solved the mystery of that amazing ability. Now researchers are reporting a long-sought explanation for the water strider's baffling ability to leap onto a liquid surface without sinking.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
Declining Water Levels In The Great Lakes May Signal Global Warming
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093533.htm
Researchers report new evidence that water levels in the Great Lakes, which are near record low levels, may be shrinking due to global warming. Their study, which examines water level data for Lakes Michigan and Huron over more than a century. Researchers point out that water levels in the Great Lakes, which supply drinking water to more than 40 million U.S. and Canadian residents, have fluctuated over thousands of years. But recent declines in water levels have raised concern because the declines are consistent with many climate change projections, they say.
Sat, 29 Dec 07
'Golden Bullet' Shows Promise For Killing Common Parasite
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093430.htm
Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces of infected cats or eating undercooked meat. Their so-called "golden bullet" could provide a safer, more effective alternative for treating the disease than conventional drug therapy, they say. Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes the disease, infects more than 60 million people in the United States alone.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Insect Gut Detects Unhealthy Meal
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094918.htm
Plant leaves and surfaces are teeming with microbial life, yet the insects that feed on plants lack adaptive immune systems to fend off any intruding microorganisms they eat along with their greens. Now research shows how food-borne bacteria affect an insect's immune system.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Orphaned Children Show Higher Intelligence And Fare Better In Foster Care Than In Institutions
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221130041.htm
New research, published in Science, shows strong evidence that children fare much better in foster care than in an institution. The study -- conducted in Bucharest, Romania -- could be a wake-up call to nations that feel institutionalization is the best way to handle abandoned children. Children reared in institutions showed greatly diminished intellectual performance relative to children reared in their families of origin. Further, children who were randomly assigned to foster care experienced "significant gains in cognitive function."
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Newly Discovered Properties Of Certain Crystals Could Impact The Miniaturization Of Electronic Devices
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221182423.htm
The dashing start of electrons in a crystal does not remain without consequences for their further fate. Researchers examined the ultrafast movement of electrons in a gallium arsenide crystal exposed for a short time to a very high electrical field. This conceptually new experiment shows for the first time a collective, oscillatory motion of the electrons with ultrahigh frequency, which arises additionally to the well-known drift motion of these particles. This newly discovered effect could play an important role in connection with the miniaturization of electronic devices.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Metal Foam Has A Good Memory
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220111513.htm
A new class of materials known as "magnetic shape-memory foams" has been developed by two research teams headed by Peter Müllner at Boise State University and David Dunand at Northwestern University, both funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The foam consists of a nickel-manganese-gallium alloy whose structure resembles a piece of Swiss cheese with small voids of space between thin, curvy "struts" of material.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Why Exertion Leads To Exhaustion
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220103702.htm
Researchers have discovered the dramatic changes that occur in our muscles when we push ourselves during exercise. We all have a sustainable level of exercise intensity, known as the "critical power." This level can increase as we get fitter, but will always involve us working at around 75-80 percent of our maximal capacity. This research shows why, when we go beyond this level, we have to slow down or stop altogether.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Firefly Genes In Mice Allow Testing Of New Therapy Against Lymphoma
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219134958.htm
Researchers here have figured out a way to use a firefly gene to let them see just how effective a new drug combination actually is against some forms of cancer and its serious complication. The new study looked at ATLL, adult T cell lymphoma and leukemia, a form of cancer where it is particularly hard to gauge the disease's progress, and where the patients' prognosis is generally poor. There is now no widely effective therapy available to treat this disease successfully.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
First Look At An Enzyme Target For Antibacterial And Cancer Drugs
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220133435.htm
The veil has finally been lifted on an enzyme that is critical to the process of DNA transcription and replication, and is a prime target of antibacterial and anticancer drugs. Researchers have produced the first three-dimensional structural images of a DNA-bound Type II topoisomerase (topo II) that is responsible for untangling coiled strands of the chromosome during cell division.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Two 'Noses' Are Necessary For Flies To Navigate Well
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226230117.htm
Animals and insects communicate through an invisible world of scents. By exploiting infrared technology, researchers at Rockefeller University just made that world visible. With the ability to see smells, these scientists now show that when fly larvae detect smells with both olfactory organs they find their way toward a scented target more accurately than when they detect them with one.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Modified Protein May Lead To First Cure For Cirrhosis Of The Liver
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226225538.htm
University of California, San Diego researchers have proven in animal studies that fibrosis in the liver can be not only stopped, but reversed. Their discovery, to be published in PLoS Online on Dec. 26, opens the door to treating and curing conditions that lead to excessive tissue scarring such as viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma and burns.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Vaccine Against Malaria Will Reduce Disease, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220111516.htm
Researchers have just published data potentially impacting the three billion people exposed to malaria every year. Novel findings show that new antibodies inhibit infection by the Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria parasite.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Fisheries Should Be Regarded As Part Of Maritime Environment, Experts Urge
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220103659.htm
Professional fishery is in many sea areas a serious ecological threat to the maritime environment. On the other hand, changes in the environment, e.g. the increase of fish-eating animals like seals and cormorants, may impact the fisheries. One of the new guiding principles of political decision-making in fishery issues is that a holistic "ecosystems approach" should be used instead of traditional protection of fish populations.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Deep-sea Species' Loss Could Lead To Oceans' Collapse, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227184100.htm
The loss of deep-sea species poses a severe threat to the future of the oceans, suggests a new report in Current Biology. In a global-scale study, the researchers found some of the first evidence that the health of the deep sea, as measured by the rate of critical ecosystem processes, increases exponentially with the diversity of species living there.
Fri, 28 Dec 07
Exoplanet Reflected Light Detected For The First Time
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226225432.htm
For the first time ever, astronomers have detected and monitored the visible light that is scattered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. Employing techniques similar to how Polaroid sunglasses filter away reflected sunlight to reduce glare, the team of scientists were able to extract polarized light to enhance the faint reflected starlight 'glare' from an exoplanet.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Songbirds Offer Clues To Highly Practiced Motor Skills In Humans
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221134339.htm
The melodious sound of a songbird may appear effortless, but his elocutions are actually the result of rigorous training undergone in youth and maintained throughout adulthood. His tune has virtually "crystallized" by maturity. The same control is seen in the motor performance of top athletes and musicians. Yet, subtle variations in highly practiced skills persist in both songbirds and humans. Now, scientists think they know why.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Can A Vibrating Mouse Prevent Computer-related Injuries?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221163210.htm
An international authority on office ergonomics studies a chair that undulates, a mouse that vibrates, a monitor attached to a movable arm and other newfangled workstations. Back injuries also account for one-third of all workplace injuries. A decade ago most of these were associated with heavy lifting. Today they are mostly caused by people sitting for longer periods of time -- often in front of a computer.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Sandwich Technique Eases 3D Optical Chip Fabrication
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221214701.htm
Complex three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits involving both optical and electronic elements are now easier to make, thanks to a "wafer bonding" technique developed by a European research consortium. Photonics is the science of controlling photons -- the particles that make up light. Photonic devices are essential in telephone and computer networks, where they manage the flow of information along optical fibres. Pollution monitors, laser rangefinders, surgical lasers and DVD players are other examples of photonics in action.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
How Mars Could Have Been Warm And Wet But Limestone Free
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221130045.htm
Planetary scientists have puzzled for years over an apparent contradiction on Mars. Abundant evidence points to an early warm, wet climate on the red planet, but there's no sign of the widespread carbonate rocks, such as limestone, that should have formed in such a climate. A new analysis suggests that on Mars, sulfur went through a whole cycle comparable to the well-known carbon cycle on Earth.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Researchers Prove How Plants Transport Sugars
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221163216.htm
Using genetic engineering techniques, researchers have proven a long-standing theory of how many plants ship sugars from their leaves to flowers, roots, fruits and other parts of their structure.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Psychologists Explore Public Policy And Effects Of Media Violence On Children
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221134342.htm
Psychologists have authored a new study that reviews the literature on children's exposure to media violence and assesses the lack of effective public policy response to curb the risks. They also recommend more effective public policy strategies in the future.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Brain Abnormalities Underlying Key Element Of Borderline Personality Disorder Identified
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094757.htm
Using new approaches scientists have gained a view of activity in key brain areas associated with a core difficulty in patients with borderline personality disorder -- shedding new light on this serious psychiatric condition.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Scientist On Quest For Disappearing Eel
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221173633.htm
Environmental scientists will be trying to determine whether American eels -- the slimy, snake-like fish considered worldwide to be a food delicacy -- are dying from chemical pollution in Lake Ontario. Declared a "species of concern" under Canada's new Species at Risk Act, American eels have until recently supported a multi-million-dollar historic fishery in Ontario and an even larger industry in Quebec. But with rapidly decreasing numbers of eels, the Ontario fishery has been closed and the Quebec fishery is in serious decline.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Solar Powered Bottle Sorter And Other Eco-friendly Inventions By Students
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221172413.htm
The assignment was wide open: Design something based on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, and develop it into a prototype product. The results ranged from simple mechanical devices to complex electronic machines, but all served that central purpose in original ways.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Hormone May Be New Drug Target For Preventing Lymphedema, Tumor Spread
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220172126.htm
A hormone secreted by cells throughout the body and known to play a role in cardiovascular disease and other cell functions is also critical for proper formation of the lymphatic system in mice, according to new research.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Evolution Of Crop Grasses Linked To Greenhouse Gases
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220152555.htm
Evolutionary biologists provide strong evidence that changes in global carbon dioxide levels probably had an important influence on the emergence of a specific group of plants, termed C4 grasses. These grasses include major cereal crops, plants used for biofuels, and species that represent important components of grasslands across the world.
Thu, 27 Dec 07
Most Breast Cancer Surgeons Don't Talk To Patients About Reconstruction Options, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094750.htm
Only a third of patients with breast cancer discussed breast reconstruction options with their surgeon before their initial surgery, according to a new study. What's more, women who did discuss reconstruction up front were four times more likely to have a mastectomy compared to those women who did not discuss reconstruction.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Biologists Find Unusual Plant Gene: Abstinence By Mutual Consent
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140221.htm
Biologists have discovered a gene in plants that disrupts fertilization only when mutations in the gene are present in both the female and male reproductive cells. Their discovery has been named the "abstinence by mutual consent" mutation because of its unusual properties.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Certain Diseases, Birth Defects May Be Linked To Failure Of Protein Recycling System
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220133443.htm
A group of signaling proteins known as Wnt -- which help build the human body's skin, bone, muscle and other tissues -- depend on a complex delivery and recycling system to ensure their transport to tissue-building cell sites. Failure of this system may be a mechanism of cancer, heart disease or birth defects related to Wnt proteins, according to new research.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Dance Of Water With Proteins: Disco Becomes A Minuet
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221224910.htm
It is in particular the type of fold that determines the function of proteins -- this is a dynamic process that takes place very quickly. Some 1000 water molecules are "brought into line" by one protein: If their movement without protein more closely resembles a bunch of unchoreographed disco dancers, then in the vicinity of a protein it looks more like they are dancing a minuet.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
What Tips The Balance? Understanding Why X Chromosome Inactivation Can Be Skewed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220172123.htm
To ensure that women and men express equivalent levels of the genes found on X chromosomes, one of the two X chromosomes in the cells of a women is inactive. X chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs early in development, at approximately the time an embryo implants in the womb, and all cells stemming from a given cell have the same X chromosome inactivated.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Immigrant Children Are At Increased Risk Of Lead Poisoning, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219202807.htm
Immigrant children are five times as likely as US-born children to suffer from lead poisoning in New York City, according to a new Health Department study, and the risk is highest among the most recent immigrants.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
What A Wireless World Could Mean For The Average Person
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221180421.htm
The Wireless World Initiative has developed prototype user-centered systems that will potentially enable millions of people to make the most of third-generation (3G) and beyond mobile technology to work, relax and play any time, anywhere. ICT Results reports back from WWI's crowning event. It is Monday morning in the not-too-distant future and two neighbors, Bob the builder and Bob the businessman, are getting ready for work. The builder has to drive to a job in a nearby town and the businessman needs to take the train to the office. They switch on their televisions and request information on road and rail conditions.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Will Beetles Inherit The Earth? Evolutionary Study Reveals Their Long-term Success
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140810.htm
Most modern-day groups of beetles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs and have been diversifying ever since, says new research in Science. Beetles have displayed an exceptional ability to seize new ecological opportunities and develop a great range of life styles and feeding types.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
EPO Prevents Chemotherapy Cardiotoxicity, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220123841.htm
The use of several chemotherapeutic agents in oncology is limited by their cardiac toxicity. Recent experimental studies suggest that recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) can be considered as a protective agent against cardiac ischemic injury. Here we show that pretreatment by rhEPO protects myocardium against cardiotoxicity induced by acute doxorubicin or trastuzumab exposure, using the isolated rat heart model. Further clinical investigations are now needed to explore the potential benefit of rhEPO in oncology.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
'Hybrid' Semiconductors Show Zero Thermal Expansion; Could Lead To Hardier Electronics
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219122842.htm
The fan in your computer is there to keep the microprocessor chip from heating to the point where its component materials start to expand, inducing cracks that interrupt the flow of electricity -- and not incidentally, ruin the chip. Thermal expansion can also separate semiconducting materials from the substrate, reduce performance through changes in the electronic structure of the material or warp the delicate structures that emit laser light.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Helping Hand From The Grandparents, Observed in Birds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221101725.htm
Scientists have discovered the existence of "grandparent" helpers in the Seychelles warbler -- the first time this behavior, which rarely occurs except in humans, has been observed in birds.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Demonstrating The Influence Of The Microenvironment In The Process Of Metastasis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220111524.htm
An in vitro culture model of human colon cancer has been created in order to reproduce the gene regulation that is expressed in these cancer cells during their growth as metastasis in the liver of patients.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Loma Prieta Fault In California Stronger Than Previously Thought
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130301.htm
A new study adds to evidence that the fault responsible for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, is not as unusually weak as had been thought. In general, a "weak" fault is one that ruptures relatively easily, resulting in smaller but more frequent earthquakes, while a "strong" fault can accumulate more strain before breaking in larger shocks.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Marathons Cut Risk Of Fatal Vehicle Crashes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094840.htm
Organized marathons are not associated with an increased risk of sudden death, despite the media attention they attract. In fact, marathons lower the risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes that might otherwise have taken place if the roads had not been closed, finds a new study.
Wed, 26 Dec 07
Adult Male Chimpanzees Don't Stray Far From The Home
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071227184054.htm
When it comes to choosing a place to live, male chimpanzees in the wild don't stray far from home. Researchers found that adult male chimps out on their own tend to follow in their mother's footsteps, spending their days in the same familiar haunts where they grew up. Male chimpanzees are generally very social, but how they use space when they are alone might be critical to their survival, the researchers said.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Mysterious Cosmic Powerhouses Explored
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220102247.htm
Astronomers are shedding new light on some of the most energetic objects in our galaxy, but objects that remain shrouded in mystery. These cosmic powerhouses pour out vast amounts of energy, and they accelerate particles to almost the speed of light. But very little is known about these sources because they were discovered only recently.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Herpes Virus May Play Role In Central Nervous System Diseases
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094901.htm
Scientists have discovered evidence suggesting a herpes virus may be responsible for some cases of meningitis and encephalitis. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is one of the most prevalent in humans. There are two variants of HHV-6, HHV-6A and HHV-6B which is attributed to a common childhood disease characterized by a high fever and rash.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Pinot Noir Grape Sequenced
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219082611.htm
Viticulture, the growing of grapes to make wine, is an ancient form of agriculture. We have a detailed understanding of how nurture affects the qualities of a grape harvest. Now a high quality draft genome sequence of a pinot noir grape complements that knowledge.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Scoring System Identifies MDS Patients Who Have Low-risk Disease But A Poor Prognosis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221161939.htm
A new scoring system for a form of leukemia known as myelodysplastic syndrome identifies patients who appear to have low-risk disease but actually have poor prospects of survival. Physicians tend to adopt a watch and wait approach to low-risk MDS patients, which the researcher says misses low-risk/poor prognosis patients.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
From Shooting Pain To Shiver, Role Of Gatekeeper Protein In Sensing Cold Confirmed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192041.htm
For the first time, neuroscientists have visualized cold fibers -- strands reaching from sensory neurons near the spinal cord to nerve endings in the skin tuned to sense different types of cold. The study confirms the important role of the protein TRMP8 in cold-sensing neurons.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Physiology Of Champions
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221190742.htm
What could be a greater test of the limits of human physiology than the Olympics? To mark the 2008 games in Beijing researchers are taking a look at the science behind human athleticism and endurance.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Squirrels Use Old Snake Skins To Mask Their Scent From Predators
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130305.htm
California ground squirrels and rock squirrels chew up rattlesnake skin and smear it on their fur to mask their scent from predators. Ground squirrels and rock squirrels have been seen applying snake scent to themselves by picking up pieces of shed snakeskin, chewing it and then licking their fur.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Engineering Students Design A Better Surf Board
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218191948.htm
Surfers in Hawaii had better beware. Four engineering science and mechanics students have completed "Surf Green" for their senior design project, and conclude that they can technically improve the surfboard's performance. The Beach Boys may have sung about surfing but these students decided to "quantify the feel of surfing," something only engineers would try to do.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Receptor Protein Appears To Be Key In Breakdown Of Kidney Filtration
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154011.htm
Researchers have identified a new molecular pathway that appears to be involved in urinary protein loss, an early-stage kidney disease that affects 100 million people around the world, and is caused by a breakdown in the kidney's filtering structures. The pathway may be new target for cell-specific treatment of chronic kidney diseases.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Bangladesh To Dramatically Expand Technology That Doubles Efficiency Of Urea Fertilizer Use
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192026.htm
Using current broadcast technology, most nitrogen is lost to the air and water, and rice plants actually use only one bag of urea in three. Urea deep placement (UDP) puts nitrogen near rice roots so it is not lost. Farmers who use UDP can increase yields by 25 percent with less than half as much urea. The Bangladesh Government is expanding UDP to almost 1 million hectares of riceland, reaching 1.6 million farm families, in the coming dry season. Urea deep placement cuts nitrogen losses significantly.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Unknown Monumental Building Of Herod The Great (73-4 BC) Unearthed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221232712.htm
Excavations are underway in the East Jordan Land. With findings on the mountain Tall adh-Dhahab (West) in the Jabbok Valley the archaeologists could substantiate one assumption: everything points to the fact that the building remains from the Hellenistic and Roman era, found in 2006, were part of a yet unknown monumental building of Herod the Great (73-4 BC).
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Success Of Invasive Argentine Ants Linked To Diet Shifts
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101226.htm
The ability of Argentine ants to change from carnivorous insect eaters to plant sap-loving creatures has helped these invasive social insects rapidly spread throughout coastal California, according to a new study, displacing many native insects and creating ant infestations familiar to most coastal residents.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Snake Venoms Share Similar Ingredients
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219202946.htm
Venoms from different snake families may have many deadly ingredients in common, more than was previously thought. A new study has unexpectedly discovered three-finger toxins in a subspecies of the Massasauga Rattlesnake, as well as evidence for a novel toxin genes resulting from gene fusion.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Safer, More Accurate Radiation Therapy For Expecting Mothers
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218122417.htm
Developing fetuses are extremely sensitive to radiation, which poses an impossible dilemma for expecting mothers in need of screening or treatment for cancer. Now researchers have developed a new set of modeling tools that could enable safer, more accurate, and more effective radiation therapy and nuclear medicine imaging procedures for pregnant women.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
New Solutions To Reproductive Problems Related To Chromosomal Variations
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219142052.htm
Approximately one in every 500 to 650 baby boys is born with an extra X chromosome, a variation in their genetic code that until a few years ago was thought to result in infertility in all cases. However, this is no longer the case. New treatments for both children and adults are coming available.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
World's Largest Silicon Tracking Detector Installed At CERN
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218115622.htm
Installation of the world's largest silicon tracking detector was successfully completed at CERN on December 18, 2007. With a total surface area of 205 square metres, about the same as a singles tennis court, the CMS Silicon Strip Tracking Detector is by far the largest semiconductor silicon detector ever constructed. Its silicon sensors are patterned to provide a total of 10 million individual sensing strips, each of which is read out by one of 80,000 custom designed microelectronics chips.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Update To Food Guide Pyramid For Older Adults
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220082821.htm
Tufts University researchers have updated their Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults to correspond with the USDA food pyramid, now known as MyPyramid. The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults continues to emphasize a nutritionally adequate diet with specific emphasis on nutrient-dense food choices and the importance of fluid balance and regular physical activity for older adults.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Novel Method Used To Classify New Vs. Recurrent Cancer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004648.htm
Researchers have developed a new method for distinguishing between breast cancer recurrences and new primary tumors, according to a study published online December 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Cannabinoids May Inhibit Cancer Cell Invasion
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004546.htm
Cannabinoids may suppress tumor invasion in highly invasive cancers, according to a study published online December 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Environmental Factors Early In Life May Influence Testicular Cancer Risk
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004434.htm
The risk of testicular cancer was significantly lower among first-generation immigrants to Denmark, compared with men born in Denmark to immigrant parents and Danish men with Danish parents, according to a study published online December 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This suggests that early exposure to environmental factors may influence the development of the disease.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Few Cancer Services Provided To Nursing Home Residents, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226004314.htm
Elderly nursing home residents receive relatively few cancer care services, including screening, surgical treatment, or hospice care, according to a study published online December 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Lung Cancer Cells' Survival Gene Seen As Drug Target
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003936.htm
When a key gene called 14-3-3zeta is silenced, lung cancer cells can't survive on their own, researchers have found. The gene is a potential target for selective anticancer drugs.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Anthracyclines Improve Survival In HER2-positive Breast Cancer Patients
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003850.htm
Treatment with the class of chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines improves survival in women with HER2-positive breast cancer who have previously had surgery, but it may not offer any benefit for women with HER2-negative tumors, according to a study published online Dec. 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Chemotherapy And Tamoxifen Reduce Risk Of Second Breast Cancer, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003841.htm
Among breast cancer patients, both chemotherapy and tamoxifen independently reduced the risk of developing a second cancer in the other breast, according to a study published online Dec. 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The risk reduction persisted for at least 10 and 5 years, respectively.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Mutation May Cause Inherited Neuropathy
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003821.htm
Mutations in a protein called dynein, required for the proper functioning of sensory nerve cells, can cause defects in mice that may provide crucial clues leading to better treatments for a human nerve disorder known as peripheral neuropathy, which affects about three percent of all those over age 60.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Some Types Of Temporary Neurological Problems Associated With Increased Risk For Stroke, Dementia
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003805.htm
Patients who experience symptoms described as transient neurological attacks, such as temporary amnesia or confusion, may have a higher risk for stroke and dementia, according to a study in the Dec. 26 issue of JAMA.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Neglected Tropical Diseases Burden Those Overseas, But Travelers Also At Risk
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003700.htm
A new paper by NIAID scientist Thomas Nutman, M.D., and colleagues reviews network data collected between 1997 and 2004 to determine demographic and travel characteristics of travelers diagnosed with parasitic worm (filarial) infections.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Breast Cancer Gene Mutation More Common In Hispanic, Young Black Women, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003653.htm
A genetic mutation already known to be more common in Ashkenazi Jewish breast cancer patients is also prevalent in Hispanic and young African-American women with breast cancer, according to one of the largest, multiracial studies of the mutation to date.
Tue, 25 Dec 07
Photo-monitoring Whale Sharks: Largest Fish In The Sea Appear To Thrive Under Regulated Ecotourism
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071226003604.htm
Up to 20 meters long and weighing as much as 20 tons, its enormous size gives the whale shark its name. Listed as a rare species, relatively little is known about whale sharks. However, a new study combines computer-assisted photographic identification with ecotourism to study the rare species and suggests whale shark populations in Ningaloo, Western Australia are healthy. The study appears in the Ecological Society of America's January issue of Ecological Applications.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Towards Cloaking Visible Light: Three-dimensional Metamaterials For The Optical Wavelength Range
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221231539.htm
Last year researchers from Duke University stunned the world when they announced a cloaking device for the microwave range. This device made use of metamaterials that had a negative refractive index for electromagnetic radiation. The metamaterials were carefully designed split-ring resonators with a structure size much smaller than the wavelength. Only 10 stacked layers of metamaterials were necessary to achieve the desired invisibility effect. Now researchers have succeeded in manufacturing a stacked split-ring metamaterial for the optical wavelength range.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Cancer Stem Cells May Be At The Root Of Brain Tumors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221125945.htm
Stem cells, popularly known as a source of biological rejuvenation, may play harmful roles in the body, specifically in the growth and spread of cancer. Amongst the wildly dividing cells of a tumor, scientists have located cancer stem cells. Physician-scientists are studying these cells with hopes of combating malignant cancers in the brain.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Dolphin 'Therapy' A Dangerous Fad, Researchers Warn
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101131.htm
People suffering from chronic mental or physical disabilities should not resort to a dolphin "healing" experience, warn two researchers. The scientists have launched an educational campaign countering claims made by purveyors of what is known as dolphin-assisted therapy. While swimming with dolphins may be a fun, novel experience, no scientific evidence exists for any long-term benefit from 'dolphin-assisted therapy.'
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Missing Link In A Heart Disease Pathway Revealed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220140806.htm
Scientists have helped characterize a previously unknown link in the chain of biochemical reactions implicated in some forms of heart disease. The finding provides a new target for future drug therapies.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Study Of Bear Hair Will Reveal Genetic Diversity Of Yellowstone's Grizzlies
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218134821.htm
Montana State University's library of 400 grizzly bear hair samples will be analyzed to determine the genetic diversity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population. The study will also determine if bears from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem are adding their genetic diversity to the Yellowstone group.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Insurance Status Linked To Cancer Outcomes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220082825.htm
Lack of adequate health insurance coverage is associated with less access to care and poorer outcomes for cancer patients. The uninsured are less likely to receive recommended cancer screening tests, are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage disease, and have lower survival rates than those with private insurance for several cancers.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
To Curious Aliens, Earth Would Stand Out As Living Planet
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221105611.htm
With powerful instruments scouring the heavens, astronomers have found more than 240 planets in the past two decades, none likely to support Earth-like life. But what if aliens were hunting life outside their own planet? Armed with telescopes only a bit bigger and more powerful than our own, could they peer through the vastness of space and lock in onto Earth as a likely home to life?
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Flu Vaccine In Powder Form: The Answer To A Pandemic?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221220200.htm
In recent years, the bird flu virus has caught the attention of the world. In 2006 in particular, there was a lot of speculation about a wide-scale flu outbreak, in other words a pandemic. The Dutch government was worried about running short of vaccine, mainly because it has a very short shelf-life. All that could change, says a PhD student. In his thesis he describes a way of storing flu vaccine in powder form. It can then be stored for at least a year -- more than enough time to build up national stocks.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Cancer Treatment: Light Powered Platinum 80 Times More Powerful Than Similar Cancer Treatments
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221105926.htm
Researchers have discovered a new light-activated platinum-based compound that is up to 80 times more powerful than other platinum-based anti-cancer drugs and which can use "light activation" to kill cancer cells in much more targeted way than similar treatments.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Study Shows Urban Sprawl Continues To Gobble Up Land
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217171404.htm
Despite reports to the contrary, urban sprawl has continued to grow significantly for the past several decades, new research suggests. A study of changing land use patterns in the state of Maryland found substantial and significant increases in sprawl between 1973 and 2000.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Scientists Tackle Obstacles To Treating Brain Disorders
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220150412.htm
Scientists have outlined the challenges and made suggestions on how to advance research and improve treatments for brain disorders. Many neurological disorders are difficult to treat because of a natural barrier in the brain. The blood-brain barrier is a specialized system of cells that acts as a gatekeeper for the brain, blocking harmful substances from entering while allowing in necessary nutrients. The barrier is necessary to keep the brain and nervous system healthy. However, it also causes problems in medication delivery because it treats medications as the enemy, preventing the therapeutic agents from doing their job.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Measuring The Density Of Ultra-pure Water
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101202.htm
For the description of ocean currents accurate measurements of the density of sea water are of great importance. For this purpose, measuring instruments are needed which reach a small uncertainty. To be able to calibrate these measuring instruments, ultra-pure water is required as a reference fluid -- the density of which can now be measured with the required accuracy over a large temperature range by means of a method which has been further developed at PTB.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Mental Health Linked To Amputation Risk In Diabetic Veterans
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220101845.htm
For US veterans with diabetes, lower scores on a test of mental health functioning are associated with an increased risk of major amputations, reports a new study.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Biochip Mimics The Body To Reveal Toxicity Of Industrial Compounds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217171354.htm
A new biochip technology could eliminate animal testing in the chemicals and cosmetics industries, and drastically curtail its use in the development of new pharmaceuticals, according to new findings.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
A 'Gizmo' That Saves Lives After Disasters
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217141422.htm
Police, firefighters and other emergency workers responding to natural or manmade disasters may someday save more lives with the help of ?Gizmo,? an advanced mobile wireless communications device. "Gizmo," which looks like a cross between a remote-controlled toy truck and a lunar landing vehicle, may eventually transform disaster response by collecting and transmitting in real time any information that emergency personnel need via any communications system they're using.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Standard Treatment For Breast Cancer Frequently Not Followed, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221144514.htm
The majority of older women with early stage breast cancer fail to adhere to the standard of treatment -- five years of daily oral use of the chemo-prevention drug Tamoxifen. Researchers determined that premature tamoxifen discontinuation is quite common and deserves closer attention.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Protons Extracted Into New Transfer Beamline From ISIS Accelerator
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218113452.htm
Protons were successfully extracted into the new proton transfer beamline from the existing ISIS accelerator and delivered to the new target station. The high energy beam of protons will be used to release neutrons from a tungsten target. By scattering these neutrons off sample materials, scientists can visualize the positions and motions of atoms.
Mon, 24 Dec 07
Exposure To Terrorist Attacks Increases Mental Health Problems In Children
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220162623.htm
A new report reveals that children exposed to terrorist attacks show elevated symptoms of mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Explosives On A Chip: Unique Structure Enables New Generation Of Military Micro-detonators
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218105422.htm
Tiny copper structures with pores at both the nanometer and micron size scales could play a key role in the next generation of detonators used to improve the reliability, reduce the size and lower the cost of certain military munitions.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Miscarriage And Abortion Triple Chances Of Future Low Birthweight Babies
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220235518.htm
Women who have miscarried or had an abortion run three times the normal risk of having a subsequent low birthweight baby, suggests new research. The more miscarriages or abortions a woman has, the greater are her chances of giving birth to a child that is underweight or premature in the future, the research shows. Low birthweight (under 2500 g) and premature birth (less than 37 weeks) are two of the major contributors to deaths among newborn babies and infants.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
New Potential Target In The Treatment Of Fatal Brain Disease
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220173710.htm
Hypertensive encephalopathy is an often-fatal disease of the brain that results from extremely high blood pressure. This disorder can lead to a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, resulting in fluid accumulation in the brain, a condition known as cerebral edema. The mechanisms underlying the breakdown of the BBB were previously unknown.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Cryptic Messages Boost Data Security
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221214400.htm
Quantum cryptography, or quantum key distribution, enables two communicating parties to produce a shared random bit string know only to them, which can be used as a key to crypt and decrypt messages. An important and unique feature of quantum cryptography is the ability of the two communicating parties to quickly detect the presence of any third party trying to gain access to the key. This third party, the eavesdropper if you like, is commonly known as Eve among cryptographers. Quantum cryptography then is essentially all about cutting Eve out of the equation.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Nonhospital Health-care Workers At Substantial Risk Of Exposure To Bloodborne Pathogens
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220170332.htm
In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers assessed the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens among nonhospital based registered nurses, and found that nearly one out of 10 of the more than 1100 nurse participants reported at least one needlestick injury in the previous 12 months.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Scientists Find Good News About Methane Bubbling Up From The Ocean Floor
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220170341.htm
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is emitted in great quantities as bubbles from seeps on the ocean floor near Santa Barbara. About half of these bubbles dissolve into the ocean, but the fate of this dissolved methane remains uncertain. Researchers have discovered that only one percent of this dissolved methane escapes into the air -- good news for the Earth's atmosphere.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Christmas Tree, Holiday Light, Safety Tips
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220222353.htm
When we think of the holiday season, pleasant and joyous thoughts come to mind but each and every year there are those families for whom the holidays turn tragic. Fires during the holiday season each year claim the lives of more than 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause more than $990 million in damage within the United States.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Humor Develops From Aggression Caused By Male Hormones, Professor Says
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220195636.htm
Humor appears to develop from aggression caused by male hormones, according to new research. A professor conducted a year long study observing how people reacted to him as he rode a unicycle through the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne in England. What began as a hobby turned into an observational study after he realized that the huge number of stereotypical and predictable responses he received must be indicative of an underlying biological phenomenon.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Lack Of Sunlight May Increase Lung Cancer Risk
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220235735.htm
Lack of sunlight may increase the risk of lung cancer, suggests a study of rates of the disease in over 100 countries. Lung cancer kills over a million people every year around the globe. The researchers looked at the association between latitude, exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) light, and rates of lung cancer according to age in 111 countries across several continents.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Cooking Up New Mems: A Taste Of Microscopic Machines To Come
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221215230.htm
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny components etched from silicon. Production is extremely complex, sometimes with hundreds of steps, each with dozens of parameters. One European project has developed software that can test, simulate, track and share new manufacturing processes. It could slash development times and pave the way for innovative MEMS designs. If you could shrink yourself smaller than a dust mite and explore the innards of a modern car you would discover some amazing microscopic machines. Carefully etched out of silicon wafers are microscale accelerometers to trigger airbags, gyroscopes to detect and correct dangerous yaw and pressure sensors to monitor tyre inflation.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
How Muscle Weakness Caused By Myasthenia Gravis Can Be Stopped, According To New Research
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220170334.htm
Severe muscle weakness caused by myasthenia gravis -- a highly debilitating autoimmune disorder -- can be prevented or reversed by blocking a key step in the immune response that brings on the disease, researchers have found. Myasthenia gravis, which affects about 120,000 Americans, is caused when the immune system produces antibodies that attack and damage acetylcholine receptors, which are mechanisms that play a key role in transmitting the electrical impulses that cause muscles to move and contract.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Next-generation RAM: Remembering The Future
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221174912.htm
As electronics designers cram more and more components onto each chip, current technologies for making random-access memory (RAM) are running out of room. European researchers have a strong position in a new technology known as resistive RAM (RRAM) that could soon be replacing flash RAM in USB drives and other portable gadgets. On the 'semiconductor road map' setting out the future of the microchip industry, current memory technologies are nearing the end of the road. Future computers and electronic gadgets will need memory chips that are smaller, faster and cheaper than those of today --and that means going back to basics.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
World's Only Ultrafast Electron Microscope Takes 4-D 'Movies' Of Molecules
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224130039.htm
A unique electron microscope that can help create four-dimensional "movies" of molecules may hold the answers to research questions in a number of fields including chemistry, biology, and physics.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
New Report Challenges Idea That Snuff Is A 'Safer' Substitute For Cigarettes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224125651.htm
A 20-year review of scientific research on tobacco and cancer challenges the idea that moist snuff -- increasingly popular in the United States -- can be a safer substitute for cigarette smoking.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Culinary Shocker: Cooking Can Preserve, Boost Nutrient Content Of Vegetables
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224125524.htm
In a finding that defies conventional culinary wisdom, researchers in Italy report that cooking vegetables can preserve or even boost their nutritional value in comparison to their raw counterparts, depending on the cooking method used.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Toward An Urgently Needed Antidote For Cyanide Poisoning Disasters
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224125429.htm
Citing an "alarming" lack of preparedness for terrorist attacks or other incidents involving release of cyanide, researchers in Minnesota are announcing development of potential new antidotes for the deadly poison that can be taken by mouth rather than injection.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Researcher Seeks Clues To How Tuberculosis Infects Cells
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224124805.htm
Cornell researchers are using advanced genetic techniques to better understand the relationship between the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and the human immune system defense cells that engulf them.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Gold Nanoparticle Probes May Allow Earlier Cancer Detection
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224124751.htm
Using tiny gold particles embedded with dyes, researchers have shown that they can identify tumors under the skin of a living animal. These tools may allow doctors to detect and diagnose cancer earlier and less invasively. Studded with antibody fragments called ScFv peptides that bind cancer cells, the gold particles grab onto tumors after their injection into a mouse. When illuminated with a laser beam, the tumor-bound particles send back a signal that is specific to the dye.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Sleep Chemical Central To Effectiveness Of Deep Brain Stimulation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224124718.htm
A brain chemical that makes us sleepy also appears to play a central role in the success of deep brain stimulation to ease symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease and other brain disorders. The surprising finding is outlined in a paper published online Dec. 23 in Nature Medicine.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Where And Why Humans Made Skates Out Of Animal Bones
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224124656.htm
Archaeological evidence shows that bone skates (skates made of animal bones) are the oldest human powered means of transport, dating back to 3000 B.C.
Sun, 23 Dec 07
Some Brain Injuries Reduce Likelihood Of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071224124639.htm
A new study of combat-exposed Vietnam War veterans shows that those with injuries to certain parts of the brain were less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings, from the National Institutes of Health and the National Naval Medical Center, suggest that drugs or pacemaker-like devices aimed at dampening activity in these brain regions might be effective treatments for PTSD.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Geologists Say 'Wall Of Africa' Allowed Humanity To Emerge
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219082604.htm
Scientists long have focused on how climate and vegetation allowed human ancestors to evolve in Africa. Now, geologists are calling renewed attention to the idea that ground movements formed mountains and valleys, creating environments that favored the emergence of humanity.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
New Insights Into Deadly Heart Rhythm Disorder
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220102250.htm
Every year, 300,000 Americans die suddenly when, out of the blue, a "storm" of electrical activity arises within their heart muscle. A new paper sheds new light on the origins of this phenomenon, called ventricular fibrillation, and the ability of VF research in animals to be translated into humans.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Cat Fleas' Journey Into The Vacuum Is A 'One-way Trip'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217111010.htm
Homeowners dogged by household fleas need look no farther than the broom closet to solve their problem. Scientists have determined that vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their lives, with an average of 96 percent success in adult fleas and 100 percent destruction of younger fleas. In fact, the results were so surprisingly definitive that the lead scientist repeated the experiments several times to be sure the findings were correct.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Colon Cancer Screenings May Not Pay Off And Could Pose Harm To Some
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218151729.htm
Even though current guidelines advocate colorectal cancer screenings for those with severe illnesses, they may bring little benefit and may actually pose harm, according to a recent study.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Software Wrapper For Smarter, Networked Homes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221215021.htm
Homes today are filled with increasing numbers of high-tech gadgets, from smart phones and PCs to state-of-the-art TV and audio systems, many of them with built-in networking capabilities. Combined, these devices could form the building blocks of the smart homes of the future, but only if they can be made to work together intelligently. Although the idea of creating intelligent networked home environments as a way to make life easier, safer and more enjoyable has been around for some time, the technology has yet to catch up with the vision. Home automation systems have become more commonplace and consumer electronics have more networking capability, but no one has, so far, gotten all the high-tech and not so high-tech gadgetry cluttering modern homes to work together in an intelligent way. It is not yet common for fridges to talk to your TV to warn that the door has been left open or for heating systems to turn on when you return home, for example.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
What's The Rush? Taking Time To Acknowledge Loss Is Not That Bad
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219202810.htm
There are two guarantees in every person's life: happiness and sadness. Although lost opportunities and mistaken expectations are often unpleasant to think and talk about, these experiences may impact personality development and overall happiness. A seven-year study indicates that individuals who take time to stop and think about their losses are more likely to mature and achieve a potentially more durable sense of happiness.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Mars Rovers Find New Evidence Of 'Habitable Niche'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221161922.htm
Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have found new evidence that the planet could once have sustained life. Measurements showed the soil to be about 90 percent amorphous silica -- a substance associated with life-supporting environments on Earth.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Protein That Controls Bone Growth Discovered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219110311.htm
Scientists have uncovered the molecular mechanism by which the protein osteocrin controls bone growth -- a discovery that may have important implications for people suffering from bone diseases affecting skeletal growth.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Neuronal Circuits Able To Rewire On The Fly To Sharpen Senses
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071216155630.htm
Researchers have for the first time described a mechanism called "dynamic connectivity," in which neuronal circuits are rewired "on the fly" allowing stimuli to be more keenly sensed.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Imaging Procedures For Diagnosing Blood Clots In The Lung Examined
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192048.htm
New research indicates that a diagnostic strategy using computed tomographic pulmonary angiography may be a safe alternative to conventional lungs scans (known as ventilation-perfusion scans) for excluding the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lung vessels), although CTPA may detect more clots, according to a new study.
Sat, 22 Dec 07
Twin Study Indicates Genetic Basis For Processing Faces, Places
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192044.htm
A new study of twins indicates that the genetic foundation for the brain's ability to recognize faces and places is much stronger than for other objects, such as words. The results are some of the first evidence demonstrating the role of genetics in assigning these functions to specific regions of the brain.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
10,000 Earths' Worth Of Fresh Dust Found Near Star Explosion
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220132156.htm
Astronomers have at last found definitive evidence that the universe's first dust -- the celestial stuff that seeded future generations of stars and planets -- was forged in the explosions of massive stars. The findings are the most significant clue yet in the longstanding mystery of where the dust in our very young universe came from.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Why Don't We Get Cancer All The Time?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130310.htm
To replace worn-out cells, having the neighboring cell split into two identical daughter cells would seem to be the simplest way to keep bodies from falling apart. Instead, multicellular organisms use a seemingly inefficient, multi-step process to replace lost cells. That longer process is a defense against cancer, according to new research.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Ancient Egyptian Glassmaking Recreated
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214094026.htm
Archaeologist have reconstructed a 3,000-year-old glassmaking furnace, suggesting that Ancient Egyptian technology was more advanced than previously thought. It was previously thought that the Ancient Egyptians may have imported their glass from the Near East at around this time. However, the excavation team believes the evidence from Amarna shows they were making it themselves, possibly in a single stage operation.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Depression?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220082829.htm
Researchers are seeking participants for a clinical trial examining whether two polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids are effective treatments for depression. The two fatty acids being studied -- docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) -- are found naturally in fish oil, flaxseed and walnuts. Previous studies have indicated that nutritional supplements that contain Omega-3 fatty acids can be an effective treatment for depression.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
DNA-protein Complex Crucial To Spread Of Antibiotic Resistance Among Bacteria Solved
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220162625.htm
Researchers have solved the structure of a DNA-protein complex that is crucial in the spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. Knowing this structure also provides fundamental insight into how cells successfully divide into two new cells with intact DNA.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Are You An Impulse Shopper?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220225637.htm
As the Christmas shopping season moves into its final days, new research from shows that certain shoppers who exhibit distinct cognitive skills are more apt to be impulse buyers.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Whales Descended From Tiny Deer-like Ancestors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220220241.htm
Scientists since Darwin have known that whales are mammals whose ancestors walked on land. But one critical step was missing: The identity of the land ancestors of whales. Researchers have now discovered the skeleton of a 48-million-year-old mammal called an Indohyus. It is a fox-sized mammal that looked something like a miniature deer and is the closest known fossil relative of whales. Because Indohyus itself is not a whale, but a close cousin, the discovery suggests that the first whales were themselves aquatic, rather than evolving aquatic habits after they took to the water.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Mutant Gene Identified As Villain In Hardening Of The Arteries
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218113455.htm
A genetic mutation promotes hardening of the arteries. The researchers found that mice engineered without the Akt1 gene and fed a high cholesterol diet had many more signs of aortic atherosclerosis compared to their littermates. And, surprisingly, their coronary lesions were similar to humans, say the scientists.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Two New Species Of Soft Coral Discovered In Caribbean
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213152310.htm
Two new species of soft corals were discovered during a recent expedition to Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, the largest atoll in the Caribbean. Marine biologists collected 40 species of soft corals and nearly 100 different species of crustaceans in just ten days of SCUBA diving and exploration. One of the likely new species was found in deep water (70 m), and the other, surprisingly, was found to be common in shallow water (20 m).
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Breakthrough In Rapid Malaria Detection Reported
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220082812.htm
Scientists have developed a radically new technique that uses lasers and non-linear optical effects to detect malaria infection in human blood. The researchers say the new technique holds the promise of simpler, faster and far less labor-intensive detection of the malaria parasite in blood samples.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Results Promising For Computational Quantum Chemical Methods For Drug Development
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220170328.htm
New research may someday help natural-products chemists decrease by years the amount of time it takes for the development of certain types of medicinal drugs. The research involves computations of optical rotation angles on chiral -- non-superimposable -- molecules. Many chiral molecules are important for medical treatment for illnesses ranging from acid-reflux to cancer. The term "chiral" means that two mirror images of a molecule cannot be superimposed onto each other. In other words, some are "left-handed" and some are "right-handed."
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Sex Education Linked To Delayed Teen Intercourse, New Study Says
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220231428.htm
Sex education greatly boosts the likelihood that teens will delay having intercourse, according to a new study that is the first of its kind in years. Male teens who received sex education in school were 71 percent less likely -- and similarly educated female teens were 59 percent less likely -- to have sexual intercourse before age 15. Males who attended school, meanwhile, were 2.77 times more likely to rely upon birth control the first time they had intercourse if they had been in sex-education classes.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Many Common Medical Beliefs Are Untrue
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220195639.htm
Should we drink at least eight glasses of water a day? Does shaving hair cause it to grow back faster or coarser? Does reading in dim light ruin your eyesight? These are just some of the common medical myths that are unproven or untrue, according to a new study.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Nano Bible: Entire Old Testament Written On A Pinhead
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220222917.htm
In a nanotechnology breakthrough, scientists have printed the entire Old Testament onto a silicone chip smaller than a pinhead (less than 1/1000th of an inch). The text was written using a focused ion beam (FIB) generator that shot tiny particles called Gallium ions onto a gold surface covering a base layer of silicone. In a process that can be likened to digging a hole in the earth using a water jet, the ion beam etched the surface of the gold layer, making the underlying silicone layer visible. The actual "writing" of the full text took just 90 minutes. The computer program that guided the FIB, however, took more than three months.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Artificial Skin System Can Heal Wounds, Research Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220162620.htm
A new study in Artificial Organs tested the effects of a wound dressing created with hair follicular cells. The findings reveal that skin substitutes using living hair cells can increase wound healing.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Stunning Survey Unveils New Secrets Of Caistor Roman Town
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213101359.htm
On the morning of Friday July 20, 1928, the crew of an RAF aircraft took photographs over the site of the Roman town of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St. Edmund in Norfolk, a site which now lies in open fields to the south of Norwich. Now, new investigations at Caistor Roman town using the latest technology have revealed the plan of the buried town at an extraordinary level of detail which has never been seen before.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Walking And Moderate Exercise Help Prevent Dementia
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219202948.htm
People age 65 and older who regularly walk and get other forms of moderate exercise appear to significantly lower their risk of developing vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Fruit Flies Learn and Remember Better When Lacking One Receptor
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219122858.htm
When fruit flies lack a receptor for the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid, their ability to learn or remember is enhanced, the first time scientists have been able to induce this effect in the insects.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Active Computer Games No Substitute For Playing Real Sports
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220195643.htm
New generation active computer games stimulate greater energy expenditure than sedentary games, but are no substitute for playing real sports, according to a new study.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Mountains Discovered On Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220223729.htm
Astronomers have discovered and analyzed mountains on Saturn's largest moon, additional evidence that it has some of the most earthlike processes of any celestial body in the solar system. Titan's mountains are most likely made of water ice and are relatively small in height, at most 2 km (1.25 mi) from base to peak.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Depletion Of One Antioxidant Linked To Parkinson's In Mice
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220232034.htm
Scientists have shown that mice suffering from a depletion of the antioxidant glutathione in dopamine-producing neurons developed nerve damage and symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the mid-brain which facilitates many critical functions, including motor skills. Past studies have shown that depletion of the naturally occurring antioxidant in the affected area of the brain is one of the earliest signs of PD, but this study shows that glutathione depletion may be a causal factor in the disorder.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Vitamin B-12 Function May Be Diminished By Excessive Folate
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101124.htm
In a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University showed that homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in individuals who have a combination of vitamin B-12 deficiency and high blood folate levels than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal folate levels.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Agent Orange Chemical, Dioxin, Attacks The Mitochondria To Cause Cancer, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217171406.htm
Researchers have demonstrated the process by which the cancer-causing chemical dioxin attacks the cellular machinery, disrupts normal cellular function and ultimately promotes tumor progression.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Airport Security Measures Not Backed By Solid Evidence
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220195648.htm
There is no solid evidence that the huge amounts of money spent on airport security screening measures since Sept. 11 are effective, argue researchers.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Created That Avoid Immune Rejection
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220123837.htm
In a groundbreaking experiment scientists have derived four unique embryonic stem cell lines that open the door for the creation of therapeutic cells that will not provoke an immune reaction in large segments of the population. The stem cell lines are "HLA-homozygous," meaning that they have a simple genetic profile in the critical areas of the DNA that code for immune rejection. The stem cells under development are derived from unfertilized donor eggs, not from fertilized embryos, so the technique does not carry the same ethical burden.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Blood-brain Barrier: A Misunderstood Key To Finding Life-saving Cures To Brain Disease
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101237.htm
Scientists demystify the blood-brain barrier. They suggest several strategies to propel research for treatments of brain diseases that include multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, obesity and stroke.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Faster X-ray Interferometers Due To Single-photon Interference
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101155.htm
By means of X-ray interferometers, lengths down to the mm range can be measured with a resolution of less than one nm. The low translation velocity of the interferometers, which made their use in practice more difficult, could now be increased by a factor of 100 by exploiting the temporal correlation of singly interfering X-ray photons.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
How Windproof Are Cable Cars?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071216142011.htm
A measuring system deals with the question as to the effects different wind loads have on cable cars. Two researchers have thrown light on vibration-control problems, an area little researched up to now and were able to account for the occurrence of lateral vibrations from various wind conditions right through to meteorological calm.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
'False-positive' Activation Of Cardiac Catheterization May Occur In Some With Suspected Heart Attack
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192046.htm
Physicians caring for patients suspected of having a heart attack may trigger "false-positive" activation of the cardiac catheterization laboratory based on test results suggestive of a heart attack, according to a new study.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Variable Light Illuminates The Distribution Of Picophytoplankton
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219082607.htm
Tiny photosynthetic plankton less than a millionth of a millimeter in diameter numerically dominate marine phytoplankton. Their photosynthesis uses light to drive carbon dioxide uptake, fueling the marine food web over vast areas of the oceans. A new study illuminates how the environment regulates the distributions of these ecologically important species.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Built-in Exercise Monitor Predicts Fitness
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101138.htm
A series of studies over the last two years, culminating in three academic papers in the past two months, has shown a consistently close correlation between actual and perceived exertion in people of all levels of fitness. The team has found that an individual's own sense of how hard he or she is working corresponds exactly with actual level of exertion, measured by heart-rate and oxygen uptake.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Wildlife Corridor Gives Endangered Elephants In India Passage Between Reserves
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220212827.htm
More than one thousand wild elephants have been given a right of passage, with the safeguarding of a wildlife corridor that links two reserves in Karnataka, Southern India. Elephant corridors are narrow strips of land that allow elephants to move from one habitat patch to another.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Link Between Cellular Defense Processes Found, Showing How Cancer Cells Survive
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219133217.htm
Investigators have discovered that immune system cells that engulf and destroy germs in the body enlist help for this task from a common housekeeping mechanism that most cells use to keep their interiors healthy. A mechanism in cells that kills germs and destroys cancer drugs and antibiotics is enlisted by a second mechanism that ingests germs from the environment, a finding that could improve treatments for cancer and infections.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Fizeau Interferometers For Surfaces With Different Reflectivity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101150.htm
Due to their stable design, Fizeau interferometers are used to determine the topography of surfaces such as, e.g., plane surfaces. PTB has now developed a method which makes it possible to analyze surfaces with different reflectivities in a simple way. This method can also be extended to dynamic measurements.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
What AM I? AM Is A Regulator Of Vascular System Functionality
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220173855.htm
The two vascular systems in mammals develop sequentially during embryonic life. The blood vascular system, which is essential for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, develops first. This is followed by the lymphatic vascular system that returns extracellular fluid and proteins back to the blood vascular system from the spaces between the tissues.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Precise Role Of Seminal Proteins In Sustaining Post-mating Responses In Fruit Flies
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101230.htm
Successful reproduction is critical to pass genes to the next generation. In sexually reproducing organisms, sperm enter the female with seminal proteins that are vital for fertility. Scientists have now knocked down the levels of 25 seminal proteins individually in male fruit flies, testing the males' abilities to modulate egg production, sperm storage and release, and the females' post-mating behavior and physiology.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Cardiovascular Disease Death Rates Decline, But Risk Factors Still Exact Heavy Toll
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220152553.htm
Cardiovascular disease death rates are declining, but CVD is still the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and risk factor control remains a challenge for many, according to the most recent data from the American Heart Association's Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2008 Update.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Astronomers Monitor Asteroid To Pass Near Mars
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221162707.htm
Astronomers funded by NASA are monitoring the trajectory of an asteroid estimated to be 50 meters (164 feet) wide that is expected to cross Mars' orbital path early next year. Observations provided by the astronomers and analyzed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., indicate the object may pass within 30,000 miles of Mars at about 6 a.m. EST (3 a.m. PST) on Jan. 30, 2008.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Surgery Without Stitches: Bio-film From Crab Shells Seals Surgical Wounds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221101736.htm
A thin polymer bio-film that seals surgical wounds could make sutures a relic of medical history. Measuring just 50 microns, the film is placed on a surgical wound and exposed to an infrared laser, which heats the film just enough to meld it and the tissue, thus perfectly sealing the wound. Known as Surgilux, the device's raw material is extracted from crab shells and has Food and Drug Administration approval in the US.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Key Enzyme Helps Keep The Synapse On Track
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221094755.htm
At its core, healthy neurological function hinges on the efficient passage of information between brain cells via the synapse. Figuring out how the synapse traffics this information -- a process called neurotransmission -- is crucial to understanding the function of the healthy and diseased brain.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
El Niņo Affected By Global Warming
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220133426.htm
Scientists have made some unexpected findings about the recent evolution of the ENSO system. Investigation of marine sedimentary drill cores enabled them to retrace the changes in the ENSO's functioning since the XVIIth Century to the present. Results showed a 2°C fall in temperature of the waters of the Humboldt current system for the period 1820-1878. This time corresponds to the end of the Little Ice Age yet coincides with a warming of the Earth.
Fri, 21 Dec 07
Putting The Brakes On Bike Thieves: System Alerts Security If Someone Takes Your Bike
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221101727.htm
New technology could put the brakes on bicycle thieves and may also be useful in flagging suspicious events in public places. The new computer system detects individuals parking their bicycles and can automatically warn security staff if it appears that someone other than the owner retrieves the vehicle.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101240.htm
Monkeys have the ability to perform mental addition. In fact, monkeys performed about as well as college students given the same test. The findings shed light on the shared evolutionary origins of arithmetic ability in humans and non-human animals.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Drug Aimed At Two Bioterror Agents Blocks Live Viral Infection, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154014.htm
Two deadly and highly infectious viruses -- both potential bioterror threats -- may have met their match in a new drug. Hendra and Nipah viruses are related, newly recognized zoonotic viruses that can spread from their natural reservoir in fruit bats to larger animals -- including pigs, horses and humans.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
For Babies With Heart Defects, Death Risk Is Far Lower At Most Experienced Hospitals
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217092926.htm
Though the odds for infants with heart defects are much better now than they were even 10 years ago, a new study suggests a way to give them a better chance at survival: Get them to hospitals that are the most experienced at handling such cases. It's the first national study of this issue, and lends support to the creation of regional congenital heart centers.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Older Antibiotic Gains New Respect As Potent Treatment For Tuberculosis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101243.htm
It has no current market, not even a prescription price. Its makers stopped commercial production years ago, because demand was so low. But an antibiotic long abandoned as a weak, low-dose treatment for tuberculosis may have found renewed purpose, this time as a potent, high-dose fighter against the most common and actively contagious form of the lung disease. Rifapentine is already approved for use in humans.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
'Jekyll And Hyde' Bacteria Offer Pest Control Clue
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219115306.htm
New research has revealed so-called 'Jekyll and Hyde' bacteria, suggesting a novel way to control insect pests without using insecticides. Scientists studied the relationship between plant-dwelling insects and the bacteria that live in them -- and discovered an unexpected interaction.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Creative Work Has Health Advantages, Population Research Center Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101223.htm
Employees who have more control over their daily activities and do challenging work they enjoy are likely to be in better health, according to a new study. Although people who work do give up some control over their daily activities, the study found that being employed leads to better health generally, regardless of the amount of creativity required in their work.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Hot Spot On Saturn's Tiny Moon Enceladus Causes Icy Plumes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217155253.htm
Enceladus, the tiny satellite of Saturn, is colder than ice, but data gathered by the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan has detected a hot spot that could mean there is life in the old moon after all. The hot spot is causing plumes of ice and vapor to arise above Enceladus, say astronomers. If there is water on Enceladus, could there be life?
Thu, 20 Dec 07
New Brain Mechanism Identified For Interpreting Speech
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219122901.htm
In conversation, humans recognize words primarily from the sounds they hear. However, scientists have long known that what humans perceive goes beyond the sounds and even the sights of speech. The brain constructs its own unique interpretation. Scientists have now identified brain areas responsible for this perception. One of these areas, Broca's region, is typically thought of as an area of the brain used for talking rather than listening.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Experiments Unraveled Dynamic Core Movements Of Magnetic Swirls
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071216134745.htm
Physicists investigated an unusual arrangement of three magnetic "swirls" - so called magnetic vortices - in a thin magnetic film. Their experiments unraveled the dynamic core movements of these magnetic swirls for the first time.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Chronic Kidney Disease Linked To Oxygen-deprived Tissue
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218105414.htm
Researchers have discovered how low-oxygen conditions can worsen chronic kidney disease. The key player is a protein called hypoxia-inducible-factor that, as its name suggests, is active when the kidney does not get enough oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. This research has implications for new approaches to kidney dialysis.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Smaller, Faster Integrated Circuits Created By Using Computer-aided Design Software
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154738.htm
Integrated circuits are the "brain" in computers, cell phones, and many other electronic devices. Scientists have demonstrated substantial improvements in integrated circuits, also known as silicon chips, achieved not by costly improvements in manufacturing, but by improved computer-aided design software based on better mathematical algorithms.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
No Need For Reduced Alcohol Consumption In Later Life, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101205.htm
Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the 'over 65s,' and may even bring health benefits, according to two new studies.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Earliest Stage Of Planet Formation In Our Solar System Dated
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130308.htm
Researchers have dated the earliest step in the formation of the solar system -- when microscopic interstellar dust coalesced into mountain-sized chunks of rock -- to 4,568 million years ago, within a range of about 2,080,000 years.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Genetic Link To Spina Bifida Discovered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192016.htm
Researchers have discovered an association between genes regulating glucose metabolism and spina bifida. The decade-long study looked at more than 1,500 DNA samples from parents and their children with that birth defect.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
New Mechanical Insights Into Wound Healing And Scar Tissue Formation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217092914.htm
When we are injured, the body launches a complex rescue operation. Two new insights into wound healing and scar tissue formation are expected to lead to improved treatment. The insights relate to the mechanical factors that play a critical role in the differentiation and function of fibroblasts and connective tissue cells that play a role in wound healing and scar tissue formation.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Heart Attack Risk From Smoking Due To Genetics, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219143050.htm
Heart attacks among cigarette smokers may have less to do with tobacco than genetics. A common defect in a gene controlling cholesterol metabolism boosts smokers? risk of an early heart attack, according to a new study. The findings also show that smokers without the defect normally have heart attacks no sooner than their non-smoking peers.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Color Sudoku Puzzle Demonstrates New Vision For Computing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218101215.htm
Computer scientists have developed a color-based sudoku puzzle that will help sudoku players solve traditional sudoku puzzles but also helps demonstrate the potential benefits of a radical new vision for computing.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Jingle Bells Not Merry For Tone-deaf Individuals
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154746.htm
A new neuroimaging study has found that tone-deaf or amusic individuals have more gray matter in specific regions of the brain related to processing musical pitch (the right interior frontal gyrus and the right auditory cortex), as compared to those who are musically intact.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
New Gene Therapy Heals Growth Deficiency Disorder In Live Animal
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192020.htm
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that a new type of gene therapy, called RNA interference, can heal a genetic disorder in a live animal. RNA interference can "rescue" a strain of mouse that has been genetically engineered to express a defective human hormone that interferes with normal growth.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Scientists Identify And Repress Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Mouse Tissue
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217171350.htm
By manipulating highly specific gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs, scientists have succeeded in singling out and repressing stem-like cells in mouse breast tissue -- cells that are widely thought to give rise to cancer.
Thu, 20 Dec 07
Move Over, Silicon: Advances Pave Way For Powerful Carbon-based Electronics
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192013.htm
Bypassing decades-old conventions in making computer chips, engineers developed a novel way to replace silicon with carbon on large surfaces, clearing the way for new generations of faster, more powerful cell phones, computers and other electronics. The new practical technique shows great promise with the carbon material c