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Fri, 29 Feb 08
Stem Cell Trial Offers Hope For Patients With Severe Ischemic Heart Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154309/080301222003.htm
Patients with ischemic heart disease, a serious condition that occurs when the heart's arteries become clogged with cholesterol plaque, may have new options if they have exhausted traditional cardiovascular therapies. A newclinical trial is using patients' own stem cells to improve circulation in hearts damaged by inadequate blood flow, by promoting the growth of new, microscopic blood vessels.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Connections Between Chronic Disease And Supplement Use
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154310/080301221708.htm
With cancer survivors increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medicine to manage the short-term and long-term effects of their conditions, a study from the National Cancer Institute concludes that having a chronic medical condition such as cancer is the primary factor in a person's decision to use dietary supplements. The researchers studied records of more than 9,000 people. They found adults with cancer or other chronic conditions were more likely to use supplements than people reporting no illness.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Similarity In Meaning Of Sleep Quality Between Insomniacs, Normal Sleepers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244137670/080301214756.htm
Both insomnia patients and normal sleepers define sleep quality by tiredness upon waking and throughout the day, feeling rested and restored upon waking, and the number of awakenings they experienced in the night. Further, people with insomnia have more requirements for judging sleep to be of good quality.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
How Do Dietary Guides Match Up?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154312/080301214753.htm
Since advice about what to eat for optimal health has evolved over time with advances in nutrition science, dietary recommendations are sometimes seen as contradictory. However, a review of three leading dietary guides by researchers at the National Cancer Institute found their essential recommendations are consistent despite the different methodologies used to create the guides.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Snoring Linked To Cardiovascular Disease, Increased Health-care Utilization
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244137671/080301214745.htm
Loud snoring with breathing pauses is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increased health-care utilization. Loud snorers had 40 percent greater odds of having hypertension, 34 percent greater odds of having a heart attack and 67 percent greater odds of having a stroke, compared with people who do not snore, after statistical adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, level of education, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Quiet snoring was associated only with an increased risk for hypertension in women. Loud snoring was also associated with increased use of health care resources (emergency visits and hospitalization).

Fri, 29 Feb 08
High Prevalence Of Eating Disorders Found In Narcoleptics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244137672/080301214742.htm
The majority of patients with narcolepsy/cataplexy experience a number of symptoms of eating disorders, with an irresistible craving for food and binge eating as the most prominent features.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Have Abnormal Respiratory-related Evoked Potentials
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154313/080301214739.htm
Children with obstructive sleep apnea have abnormal respiratory-related evoked potentials compared to other children their age. This indicates that children with OSA do not perceive their airway closing to the same degree that normal children do, and may explain why these children do not mount protective responses to upper airway collapse, but instead go on and continue to develop OSA.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Mouse Model Tightly Matches Pediatric Tumor Syndrome, Will Speed Drug Hunt
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154314/080301214737.htm
Frustrated by the slow pace of new drug development for a condition that causes pediatric brain tumors, a neurologist decided to try to fine-tune the animal models used to test new drugs. Instead of studying one mouse model of the disease causing the brain tumors, he evaluated three. They "auditioned" the three models to see which was the best match for neurofibromatosis 1, a genetic condition that increases the risk of brain tumors and afflicts more than 100,000 people in the United States.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Methylphenidate Can Have Sleep Benefits In Adults With ADHD
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154315/080301214734.htm
Treatment with methylphenidate appears to have beneficial effects on sleep parameters in adults with ADHD, including increased sleep efficiency and a feeling of improved restorative value of sleep.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Arsenic Aids Tumor Imaging When Joined To Cancer-homing Drug, Researchers Find
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/244154316/080301214730.htm
Arsenic linked to a drug that binds to the blood vessels of cancerous tumors provides a powerful imaging agent that could one day allow physicians to detect hard-to-find tumors and more closely monitor cancer's response to therapy.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Of Mice And Men ... And Kidney Stones
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/243882337/080301081740.htm
Kidney stones are very common -- and painful -- in men. About 3 in 20 men (1 in 20 women) in developed countries develop them at some stage. Mice, however, rarely suffer though the precise reasons are unknown. Now researchers have come up with some answers.

Fri, 29 Feb 08
Clinical Trial Shows Reduction In Mortality For Children With Severe Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/243901481/080301081638.htm
Introducing an increased intensity of chemotherapy in children with severe Langerhans cell histiocytosis can reduce the mortality rate for this disorder by as much as 20 percent when the patient demonstrates a rapid response to such treatment. The LCH clinical trial series, of which this study is the second, are the first-ever randomized clinical trials for the treatment of LCH.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Polluted Prey Causes Wild Birds To Change Their Tune
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450974/080226213436.htm
Considerable attention has been paid to the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals in aquatic environments, but rather less attention has been given to routes of contamination on land. A new study reveals that male birds foraging on invertebrates contaminated with environmental pollutants develop more complex songs, which are preferred by females, even though these males also show reduced immune function.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Chewing Gum Speeds Recovery From Gastrointestinal Surgery, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450975/080227104235.htm
New research has resulted in an immediate change in the way physicians treat their patients -- giving them chewing gum to speed recovery following stomach-related surgery. Chewing the gum is thought to stimulate the smooth muscle fibers and secretion from the salivary glands and liver. The 51 patients who chewed gum recovered their bowel movement significantly faster than those who did not.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Catching Rats' Twitchy Whiskers In Action
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450976/080227121901.htm
Rats use their whiskers in a way that is closely related to the human sense of touch: Just as humans move their fingertips across a surface to perceive shapes and textures, rats twitch their whiskers to achieve the same goal. Now, in a finding that could help further understanding of perception across species, neuroscientists have used high-speed video to reveal rat whiskers in action and show the tiny movements that underlie the rat's perception of its tactile environment.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Adult-Onset Obesity Seen In Mice When Gene Disrupted
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450977/080226184602.htm
Scientists who disrupted one type of the gene ubiquitin (Ubb) in mice observed neuronal death in the hypothalamus, impaired control of energy balance and adult-onset obesity in the rodents. The study hints at a method to treat obesity and neurodegeneration.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Next-best Thing To Being On Mars
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450978/080226160450.htm
Two students are currently living, working and communicating with the outside world as if they were on a mission to Mars. Whenever they go outside their small, round habitat where eight people are spending a two-week "mission," they don spacesuits and pass through an airlock. When they send e-mail, it takes 20 minutes before the recipient can see it -- the time it takes for radio waves to travel to and from the red planet.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Common Heart Drug May Reduce Cocaine Cravings
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450979/080227155016.htm
Diltiazem, a drug used in the treatment of high blood pressure, reduces cocaine cravings in a rat model. Previous work showed that two brain chemicals, dopamine and glutamate, independently contribute to the development of cocaine addiction. This new research indicates that calcium channels provide critical links between dopamine and glutamate that drives the intense craving associated with cocaine addiction.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
NASA Views Landing Site Through Eyes Of Future Moon Crew
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450980/080227182335.htm
NASA has obtained the highest resolution terrain mapping to date of the moon's rugged south polar region, with a resolution to 20 meters per pixel. The imagery generated by the data has been incorporated into animation depicting the descent to the lunar surface of a future human lunar lander and a flyover of Shackleton Crater.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Farmed Fish Fed Cheap Food May Be Less Nutritious For Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450981/080226164105.htm
The main ingredients of fish feed have traditionally been of marine origin but these ingredients are becoming both scarce and expensive. The fish farming industry therefore wishes to utilise alternative lipid (fat) sources in feed used for salmon farming. Vegetable oils also tend to increase growth rate and carcase quality of fish. However, when fed to patients, notable differences were found. The fat composition of the salmon meat affected the fatty acid profile of the patients' blood and the advantageous marine omega-3 fatty acids increased markedly in those patients that ate fish fed on feed containing pure fish oils.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Structure Of Protein Collagen Seen At Unprecedented Level Of Detail
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450982/080226104400.htm
The structure and behavior of one of the most common proteins in our bodies has been resolved at a level of detail never before seen. The scientists kept the tendon tissue intact, so they could see how the collagen molecule binds to collagenases, a class of enzymes which when working properly help to regulate the normal growth and development of animals but when malfunctioning can lead to the metastasis of cancerous tumors or rheumatoid arthritis.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Bubonic Plague: How The 'Syringe' Assembly In Plague Bacteria Works
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450983/080227121858.htm
Bacteria that cause the bubonic plague avoid death in our bodies by injecting our cells with immune evasion proteins. Scientists have discovered a new way bacteria build and hold the syringes, according to research in the journal Microbiology.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Choice Of Robot Companion Depends On Personality Type
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450984/080226165233.htm
The type of robot chosen as a personal companion depends very much on their personality type. People with more extrovert personalities tend to choose more humanoid robots, which have a greater resemblance to humans, with facial features and a human-like voice, whereas more introverted people tend to prefer mechanical-looking robots, more like a box on wheels with a metal head.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
By Sixth Grade Nearly One In Six Children Are Alcohol Users, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450985/080227135749.htm
"Tweens" should receive alcohol prevention programs prior to sixth grade, when nearly one in six children are already alcohol users. The study found that sixth-grade users of alcohol were significantly different from the non-users on almost all risk factors examined. For example, users were more likely to be male, engage in violent or delinquent behavior, and have friends who used alcohol. A new study recommends that prevention programs occur as early as third grade.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Evolution Of Aversion: Why Even Children Are Fearful Of Snakes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450986/080227121840.htm
Some of the oldest tales and wisest mythology allude to the snake as a mischievous seducer, dangerous foe or powerful iconoclast; however, the legend surrounding this proverbial predator may not be based solely on fantasy. As scientists have recently discovered, the common fear of snakes is most likely intrinsic.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
New Approach Stops HIV At Earliest Stage Of Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450987/080227142649.htm
Researchers have developed a new two-punch strategy against HIV and they have already successfully tested aspects of it in the laboratory. The unique two-step process is based on latest viral discoveries. The investigators have created devices they call glycodendrons that are designed to do two things at once: inhibit the transport of HIV from where it traditionally enters the body, preventing it from moving deeper inside where it can infect immune cells; and set up an immune antibody response to a unique carbohydrate structure on the surface of the virus. The devices have been able to stimulate the immune system of mice to induce antibodies against HIV surface glycoprotein, and, in laboratory studies, have been able to block the virus from infecting immune cells.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Drug For Anemic Cancer Patients Raises Risk Of Death, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450988/080226162856.htm
Millions of cancer patients take drugs to boost their red blood cells and health when they become anemic after chemotherapy. But a new study by Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine shows these drugs, called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, actually raise patients' risk of death by 10 percent, possibly by stimulating the growth of cancer cells.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
New Material Is Capable Of Eliminating Pollutants By The Hydrocarbon Industry
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450989/080226112755.htm
Chemists have created a monolithic carbon aerogel which absorbs benzene, toluene or xylene. These are organic solvents widely used in the hydrocarbon industry and generated by road traffic in cities. The world-wide problem of the exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons has mainly focused its attention on benzene, which is considered to be harmful to health, even in low concentrations.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Scientists To Explore Life's Mysteries Through Encyclopedic 'Macroscope'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450990/080225123840.htm
The first 30,000 pages of a 1.8 million page online Encyclopedia of Life are now up and running, as scientific interest grows amid creative ideas emerging about potential insights into life's secrets made possible by the "macroscope" on biodiversity.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Spitzer's Eyes Perfect For Spotting Diamonds In The Sky
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450991/080227183531.htm
Diamonds may be rare on Earth, but surprisingly common in space -- and the super-sensitive infrared eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are perfect for scouting them. Using computer simulations, researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that are only a nanometer (a billionth of a meter) in size. These gems are about 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand, much too small for an engagement ring. But astronomers believe that these tiny particles could provide valuable insights into how carbon-rich molecules, the basis of life on Earth, develop in the cosmos.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Killer Military Robots Pose Latest Threat To Humanity, Robotics Expert Warns
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450992/080226213451.htm
A robotics expert has issued stark warnings over the threat posed to humanity by new robot weapons being developed by powers worldwide. He expressed concerns that we are beginning to see the first steps towards an international robot arms race. He will warn that it may not be long before robots become a standard terrorist weapon to replace the suicide bomber.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Honey Bee Invaders Exploit The Genetic Resources Of Their Predecessors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450993/080225213731.htm
Like any species that aspires to rule the world, the honey bee invades new territories in repeated assaults. A new study demonstrates that when these honey bees arrive in a place that has already been invaded, the newcomers benefit from the genetic endowment of their predecessors.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Genetic Coding Of The Pea Unraveled
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450994/080225213703.htm
The pea is one of many important crop species that is unsuited to the Agrobacterium-based genetic modification techniques that are commonly used to work with crops. Researchers have now discovered the first high-throughput forward and reverse genetics tool for the pea, could have major benefits for crop breeders around the world.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Voyage To Southern Ocean Aims To Study Air-sea Fluxes Of Greenhouse Gases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450995/080226135414.htm
Scientists will embark from Punta Arenas, Chile, on the tip of South America, to spend 42 days amid the high winds and waves of the Southern Ocean. Here they hope to make groundbreaking measurements to explain how huge fluxes of climate-affecting gases move between atmosphere and sea, and vice-versa.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Brain Stress System Presents Possible Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450996/080226155537.htm
A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism, according to new studies. Relapse to uncontrolled drinking after periods of sobriety is a defining characteristic of alcoholism and is often triggered by stress.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
This Is Your Brain On Jazz: Researchers Use MRI To Study Spontaneity, Creativity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450997/080226213431.htm
A pair of Johns Hopkins and government scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, their brains turn off areas linked to self-censoring and inhibition, and turn on those that let self-expression flow.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Protein That Fuels Ovarian Cancer Identified and Shut Down By Researchers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450998/080226162848.htm
A protein that stimulates blood vessel growth worsens ovarian cancer, but its production can be stifled by a tiny bit of RNA wrapped in a fatty nanoparticle, a research team reports. This research demonstrates that high IL-8 expression in tumors is associated with advanced tumor stage and earlier death for ovarian cancer patients.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
From Sharks To Microbes, Key Data At Central Pacific's Line Islands Archipelago Captured
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242450999/080225213657.htm
An ambitious expedition to a chain of little-known islands in the central Pacific Ocean has yielded an unprecedented wealth of information about coral reefs and threats from human activities. The exploration of four atolls in the Line Islands, part of a chain approximately a thousand miles south of Hawaii, has produced the first study of coral reefs comprehensively spanning organisms from microbes to sharks.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Restricting Insulin Doses Increases Mortality Risk In Women With Type 1 Diabetes, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242121120/080227082849.htm
A new study has found that women with type 1 diabetes who reported taking less insulin than prescribed had a three-fold increased risk of death and higher rates of disease complications than those who did not skip needed insulin shots.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Boron Is Essential For The Growth Of Plants And Animals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451000/080226164521.htm
A research group has shown that boron, although only required in tiny doses, is essential for organogenesis in plants. Research on the biological role of boron (B), a chemical element described almost a century ago as required in small quantities to maintain just the structure of plants, has given more relevance to its importance as an essential element for embryonic development and organogenesis in plants and animals.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Despite Popularity, Not Everyone Can Successfully Learn Through Online Courses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451001/080226113511.htm
Since the 1990s, online courses have provided an opportunity for busy adults to continue their education by completing courses in the comfort of their own homes. However, this may not be the best solution for everyone. Some students may find success in these types of courses more easily than others.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Centuries-old Maya Blue Mystery Finally Solved
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451002/080226162953.htm
Anthropologists have discovered how the ancient Maya produced an unusual, widely studied blue pigment that was used in offerings, pottery, murals and other contexts across Mesoamerica from A.D. 300 to 1500. Production of the renowned, extremely stable pigment was part of ritual sacrifices at Chichén Itzá.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Adult Stem Cells May Be Beneficial For Certain Cardiovascular Disorders And Autoimmune Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451003/080226162859.htm
A review of previously published research suggests that stem cells harvested from an adult's blood or marrow may provide treatment benefit to select patients for some autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disorders.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Rats On Islands Disrupt Ecosystems From Land To Sea, Researchers Find
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451004/080225213745.htm
Seabird colonies on islands are highly vulnerable to introduced rats, which find the ground-nesting birds to be easy prey. But the ecological impacts of rats on islands extend far beyond seabird nesting colonies, according to a new study.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Overweight Hispanic Children Shown To Have Vascular Inflammation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242121119/080227082853.htm
Overweight Hispanic children with normal blood glucose levels showed elevated markers for blood vessel inflammation that may predispose them to developing both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Removing Chlorine, Fluorine: Uncharged Organic Molecule Can Bind Negatively Charged Ions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451005/080226120729.htm
Chemists have designed an organic molecule that binds negatively charged ions, a feat they hope will lead to the development of a whole new molecular toolbox for biologists, chemists and medical researchers who want to remove chlorine, fluorine and other negatively charged ions from their solutions.

Thu, 28 Feb 08
Depressed Teens More Likely To Get Better With Switch To Combination Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242451006/080226162906.htm
More than half of teenagers with the most debilitating forms of depression that do not respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) show improvement after switching to a different medication combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, researchers have found.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Bats Use Magnetic Substance As Internal Compass To Help Them Navigate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924293/080226213443.htm
They may not be on most people's list of most attractive species, but bats definitely have animal magnetism. Researchers have discovered that bats use a magnetic substance in their body called magnetite as an "internal compass" to help them navigate. Researchers studied the directions in which different groups of big brown bats flew after they were given different magnetic pulses and released 20 km north of their home roost.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Autism's Origins: Mother's Antibody Production May Affect Fetal Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924294/080225213444.htm
The mothers of some autistic children may have made antibodies against their fetuses' brain tissue during pregnancy that crossed the placenta and caused changes that led to autism, suggests new research in the Journal of Neuroimmunology.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
New Gadget Lets You Track Your Carbon Footprint
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924295/080225122328.htm
An innovation called Carbon Hero may help reduce global warming by making people more aware of their carbon footprint. The device uses satellite navigation technology to track journeys. With Carbon Hero, to see the effect a journey is having on the environment you just need to look at your mobile phone. The feedback loop is almost immediate.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Combination Vaccine Protects Monkeys From Ebola And Marburg Viruses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924296/080226135434.htm
An experimental, combination vaccine against ebola and Marburg viruses using virus-like particles provides complete protection against infection in monkeys. Traditionally vaccines against viral diseases have consisted of whole viruses, either the one that causes the disease in a weakened or dead state (like the polio vaccine) or a genetically similar virus that does not usually cause disease but elicits a protective immune response. The problem with this approach is there is the risk, however small, of viral reactivation and infection.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Vikings With Vanity: Vivid Colors, Flowing Silk, Fashionable Until Advent of Christianity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924297/080225101117.htm
Vivid colors, flowing silk ribbons and glittering bits of mirrors -- the Vikings dressed with considerably more panache than we previously thought. The men were especially vain, and the women dressed provocatively, but with the advent of Christianity, fashions changed, according to a Swedish archaeologist.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Deadly Sugar Plant Blast Underscores Need For New Regulations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924298/080225092314.htm
The explosion at a sugar refinery in Georgia earlier this month that killed nine workers underscores the need for tougher industrial safety standards regarding production of combustible dust, according to a new article.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Hormones Produced By Heart Eliminated Human Cancers In Most Mice Treated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924299/080226104403.htm
Hormones produced by the heart eliminated human pancreatic cancer in more than three-quarters of the mice treated with the hormones and eliminated human breast cancer in two-thirds of the mice. The treatment has not yet been tried in humans, but clinical trials are in the planning stages.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Acid-seeking 'Warheads' Promise Safer, More Effective Cancer Weapons
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924300/080225092524.htm
Researchers in California report development of an anti-cancer 'warhead' that targets the acidic signature of tumor cells in much the same way that heat-seeking missiles seek and destroy military targets that emit heat. These acid-seeking substances are not toxic to healthy cells, and represent a new class of potentially safer, more effective anti-cancer drugs, they say.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
First Draft Of Corn Genome Completed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924301/080225113019.htm
The corn genome has be sequenced. It is hoped that this basic research will lead to the development of crops that can withstand global climate change, add nutritional value to grain, sequester more atmospheric carbon in agricultural soils, or boost yields so crops can meet growing demands for food, feed, fiber and fuel. The genome of corn is very similar to the genomes of rice, wheat, sorghum, prairie grasses and turf grasses. Therefore, the draft of the corn genome should be able to help researchers improve the other cereals and grasses.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
New Protein Tag Enhances View Within Living Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924302/080222143826.htm
The view into the inner world of living cells just got a little brighter and more colorful. A powerful new research tool, when used with other labeling technologies, allows simultaneous visualization of two or more different proteins as well as the ability to distinguish young and old copies of a protein within one living cell.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Crystal Bells Stay Silent As Physicists Look For Dark Matter
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924303/080225101110.htm
Scientists of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search experiment have announced that they have set the world's best constraints on the properties of dark matter candidates. WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles, are leading candidates for the building blocks of dark matter, which accounts for 85 percent of the entire mass of the universe. Hundreds of billions of WIMPs may have passed through your body as you read these sentences.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
First System Of Human Nerve-cell Tissue Engineered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924304/080226135424.htm
Researchers have demonstrated that living human nerve cells can be engineered into a network that could one day be used for transplants to repair damaged to the nervous system. They obtained human dorsal root ganglia neurons to engineer into transplantable nervous tissue.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
How Skin Color Is Determined
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924305/080222155212.htm
Skin color is one of the most visible indicators that helps distinguish human appearance, and a new study provides more detail as to how one protein helps produce this wide palette. In 2005 researchers identified a gene called SLC24A5 as a key determinant of skin color. Scientists now confirm that the protein product of this gene (NCKX5) is an ion exchanger; it exchanges sodium for calcium across a membrane, regulated by potassium.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Earthworms Found To Contain Chemicals From Households And Animal Manure
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239999900/080223112253.htm
Earthworms studied in agricultural fields have been found to contain organic chemicals from household products and manure, indicating that such substances are entering the food chain. Manure and biosolids, the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment, were applied to the fields as fertilizer. Earthworms continuously ingest soils for nourishment and can accumulate the chemicals present in the soil.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
How Embryonic Livers Store Energy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924306/080222143823.htm
Researchers have uncovered how embryonic livers accumulate an important energy molecule even though they lacks the key enzyme responsible. In adults, the liver stores glycogen, a sugar polymer that provides a steady supply of blood glucose when needed (e.g. during fasting). Glycogen production is controlled by an enzyme called glucokinase (GK), and mutations resulting in too much or too little GK will lead to hypo- and hyper-glycemia, respectively.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Bacteria And Nanofilters: Future Of Clean Water Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510215/080222095403.htm
Bacteria often get bad press, with those found in water often linked to illness and disease. But researchers are now using these tiny organisms alongside the very latest membrane filtration techniques to improve and refine water cleaning technology.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Antidepressants Only Benefit Certain Depressed Patients, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924307/080225213742.htm
A new study suggests that antidepressants only benefit some, very severely depressed patients. "New generation" antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) are widely prescribed for the treatment of clinical depression. However some studies have suggested that these drugs do not help the majority of depressed people get better by very much. Researchers looked at whether a patient's response to antidepressant therapy depends on how badly depressed they are to start out with.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Why Do We Love Babies? Parental Instinct Region Found In The Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924308/080226213448.htm
Why do we almost instinctively treat babies as special, protecting them and enabling them to survive? Darwin originally pointed out that there is something about infants which prompts adults to respond to and care for them which allows our species to survive. Nobel-Prize-winning zoologist Konrad Lorenz proposed that it is the specific structure of the infant face, including a relatively large head and forehead, large and low lying eyes and bulging cheek region, that serves to elicit these parental responses. But the biological basis for this has until now, remained elusive. A possible brain basis for parental instinct has been discovered. Researchers showed that a region of the human brain called the medial orbitofrontal cortex is specifically active within a seventh of a second in response to (unfamiliar) infant faces but not to adult faces.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Nano Scaffold Developed To Rebuild Nerve Damage
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924309/080225085147.htm
A PhD student has developed a new technique that could revolutionize stem cell treatment for Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury. He has used existing polymer-based biodegradable fibers, 100 times smaller than a human hair, and re-engineered them to create a unique 3-D scaffold that could potentially allow stem cells to repair damaged nerves in the human body more quickly and effectively. A combined process of electro-spinning and chemical treatment was used to customize the fiber structure, which can then be located within the body.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Toward A Healthier Food For Fido: Corn Provides Promising Fiber Alternative
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924310/080225092641.htm
In addition to helping fill gasoline tanks with alcohol-based fuel, corn may have a new role in filling Fido's bowl with more healthful food, nutritional biochemists in Illinois are reporting. They found that corn fiber shows promise as a more economical and healthier ingredient in dog food than some of the fibers now in use.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Antibiotic Use High Among Nursing Home Patients With Advanced Dementia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558614/080226092810.htm
Nursing home residents with advanced dementia are frequently prescribed antibiotic medications, especially during the two weeks before death. This practice raises concerns about the end-of-life care of individual patients dying with advanced dementia, as well as the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Peeling Away Layers Of Dense Liquid Flow Dynamics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239476317/080222101535.htm
Standard microscopy and visible light imaging techniques cannot peer into the dark and murky centers of dense-liquid jets, which has hindered scientists in their quest for a full understanding of liquid breakup in devices such as automobile fuel injectors. Scientists have now developed a technique to peer through high-speed dense liquids using high-energy X-rays from Argonne's Advanced Photon Source.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
About One-quarter Of Women With HIV Want To Become Pregnant
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924311/080225213422.htm
One in four women who have tested positive for HIV expect pregnancy and motherhood to be a part of their future. A woman's age at the time she learns of her HIV status appears to influence this decision. Women in an Ohio State University study who learned of their HIV infection when they were under age 30 were almost four times more likely to say they wanted to become pregnant than were women who were over 30 when they learned they had HIV.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Galaxy Ablaze With Starbirth Imaged With NASA's Swift Satellite
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924312/080226092800.htm
Imagine looking at a tree through eyeglasses that only allow red light to pass through. The tree is going to look a lot different than how it would look without the glasses. The same goes for a galaxy when astronomers look at it through different types of telescopes. This new image from NASA’s Swift satellite demonstrates what happens when astronomers look at a galaxy in ultraviolet light rather than the visible light that we see with our eyes. Swift took the image through a series of filters that only let in ultraviolet light. We cannot see ultraviolet light with our eyes, but we can feel its effects: it gives us sunburn if we stay out in the Sun too long on a bright, sunny day.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Protein 'Shocks' Evolution Into Action
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240022528/080223123054.htm
Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has a greater impact on the appearance of new traits than previously expected, according to two new articles. HSP90 belongs to a class of proteins called chaperones, which help other proteins in the cell fold properly, prevent protein clumping, and escort improperly made proteins to be recycled. These vital functions become even more important when a cell is stressed by heat, cold, toxins or other hardships that affect protein folding.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Cancer Research: Biochemists Solve Structure Of TGF-beta And Its Receptor
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240022529/080223122241.htm
Researchers have determined the atomic-level structure of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), offering clues as to how it interlocks with cell receptors with which it has special affinity. This interaction plays an important role in normal cells but is especially important in cancer.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Viral DNA Testing Is Cost-Effective for Cervical Cancer Screening
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924313/080226162922.htm
Adjustment of cervical cancer screening protocols as a woman ages may be cost-effective, regardless of whether she has been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. The most cost-effective screening protocols for both vaccinated and unvaccinated women included cytology during the early part of a woman's life, followed by HPV DNA-based screening after age 30. This strategy differs from most commonly used screening practices.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Compost Can Turn Agricultural Soils Into A Carbon Sink, Thus Protecting Against Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924314/080225072624.htm
Applying organic fertilizers, such as those resulting from composting, to agricultural land could increase the amount of carbon stored in these soils and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
More Elderly Americans Living With Heart Failure, But Heart Failure Declining Among Very Elderly
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241924315/080225213700.htm
Conventional wisdom holds that as the US population ages, the incidence of heart failure will continue to rise. A new study challenges part of that assumption, however, finding that heart failure is actually declining among the very elderly. Yet the number of heart failure cases overall continues to rise.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Did A Mega-collision Alter Venus?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181066/080226160017.htm
A mega-collision between two large embryonic planets could have created Venus as we know it, according to a new paper by a Cardiff University scientist. Venus is a sister planet to Earth. It is nearly the same size and density yet it has a surface temperature of 720 K, an atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide and no evidence of oceans or ridges. It has been described as "Earth's evil twin".

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Proteins That Help Bacteria Put Up A Fight Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181067/080225213430.htm
Scientists have identified the role of two proteins that contribute to disease-causing bacteria cells' versatility in resisting certain classes of antibiotics. The finding is a step toward development of drug therapies that could target bacterial resistance at its cellular source. Before researchers can design such drugs, they must understand all of the activities at play in the conflict between bacteria and the agents that kill them.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Youngest Patient Worldwide To Have Auditory Implant In The Brain Stem
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558612/080226101342.htm
Surgeons have successfully operated on a 13 month-old girl from Murcia, who had been born deaf due to the lack of auditory nerves. She is the youngest patient in the world who has received an auditory implant in the brain stem.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Minimally Invasive Fibroid Treatment Fares Well In Multicenter Trial
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558619/080226092807.htm
A new multicenter trial found that uterine artery embolization is a good alternative to hysterectomy in women with symptomatic fibroids. Uterine fibroids are benign growths of the muscle inside the uterus. At least 25 percent of women in the U.S. age 25 to 50 suffer from symptomatic uterine fibroids. Fibroid symptoms can include excessive menstrual bleeding, enlarged uterine size, frequent urination, pelvic pressure or pain and infertility.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
New Electrodes May Provide Safer, More Powerful Lithium-ion (Li-ion) Batteries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181068/080225092402.htm
Researchers are reporting development of a new electrode material that could ease concerns about the safety of those unbiquitous lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, while giving Li-ion batteries a power boost, according to a new study.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
What Women Think During Their First Pregnancy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181069/080226092744.htm
Pregnant women who perceive having had a well-balanced relationship with their parents during their childhood will experience fewer difficulties in the transition to motherhood, as opposed to women whose relationship with their parents was characterized by unresolved anger or rejection, reveals a new study.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Bacterial 'Battle For Survival' Leads To New Antibiotic
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181070/080226115618.htm
Biologists have provoked soil-dwelling bacteria into producing a new type of antibiotic by pitting them against another strain of bacteria in a battle for survival. The antibiotic holds promise for treatment of Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers in humans. Also, figuring out the still murky explanation for how the new antibiotic was produced could help scientists develop strategies for finding other new antibiotics.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Out-of-whack Protein May Boost Parkinson's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181071/080226135418.htm
Scientists studying rats induced to display a form of Parkinson's disease discovered that a protein commonly found in brain cells can be toxic if -- at one pinpoint location in its amino acid structure -- it lacks a chemical compound called a phosphate. The finding provides insight into the fundamentals of Parkinson's disease and the role of an abundant yet mysterious brain protein known as alpha-synuclein.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Overtaking Assistant Could Help Prevent Many Traffic-related Deaths
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181072/080226092749.htm
Overtaking on two-lane roads is easier if drivers use what is known as an overtaking assistant, a system which indicates when it is safe to overtake. This system prevents reckless drivers overtaking when it is not safe, and can also aid cautious drivers in overtaking slower vehicles. This is the proposition of young researcher.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
Test Can Reduce Recurrence Of Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181073/080225122319.htm
A new test that examines large sections of the sentinel lymph node for genes expressed by breast cancer could reduce the risk of recurrence and multiple surgeries, doctors say.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
First Global Malaria Map In Decades Shows Reduced Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181074/080225213650.htm
About 35 percent of the world's population is at risk of contracting deadly malaria, but many people are at a lower risk than previously thought, raising hope that the disease could be seriously reduced or eliminated in parts of the world.

Wed, 27 Feb 08
How The Atmospheres Of Mars And Venus Are Affected By Carbon Monoxide
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/242181076/080225110209.htm
Modeling of the Earth's atmosphere has acquired economic importance due to its use in the prediction of ozone depletion and in measuring the impact of global warming. Now researchers have found that the rate at which electrons lose energy to carbon monoxide is greater than that to carbon dioxide at higher levels in the atmospheres of both Mars and Venus.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Sun-like Star Flips Its Magnetic Field Like Our Sun: First Observation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264246/080225133649.htm
Astronomers have discovered that the sun-like star tau Bootis flipped its magnetic field from north to south sometime during the last year. It has been known for many years that the Sun's magnetic field changes its direction every 11 years, but this is the first time that such a change has been observed in another star. Magnetic field reversals on the sun are closely linked to the varying number of sunspots seen on the sun's surface.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Obesity And Carbs Linked To Esophageal Cancer, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264247/080225112604.htm
Cases of esophageal cancer in the US have risen in recent decades from 300,000 cases in 1973 to 2.1 million in 2001 at age-adjusted rates. A new study shows that these rates in the US closely mirrored trends of increased carbohydrate intake and obesity from 1973-2001.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
New Switch Of The Immune Response Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264249/080221101319.htm
Scientists have discovered a new mechanism controlling the choice in humans between two lines of defense in the event of attack. In the presence of viruses or bacteria, the immune system can trigger a response that is rapid but devoid of memory -- innate immunity -- or a response that takes longer to put in place but is more specifically targeted -- adaptive immunity. The body is often faced with attacks from outside (viral or bacterial infection) and sometimes from inside, because of the dysfunction of its own cells (cancer), and defends itself by activating its immune system.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
New Hope For Chemo Holidays For Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264250/080225122331.htm
Researchers have found that even men with advanced prostate cancer can take a much-needed safe break, or holiday, from chemotherapy. Prior to this study, it wasn't known whether stopping chemotherapy would lead to treatment resistance.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Off The Hook: Stronger Soft-plastic Fishing Lures Less Damaging To Environment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264251/080221173812.htm
Researchers have perfected a fiber-reinforced fishing lure that may prevent millions of pounds of toxic plastics from polluting waters nationwide. Earning raves in the sport-fishing world, a young entrepreneur plans to launch his strong, sustainable soft lure in sporting goods stores in late February. Each year, more than 12,000 tons of rubbery "soft baits" land at the bottom of lakes, streams and rivers.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Analogue Logic For Quantum Computing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264252/080221101910.htm
Digital logic, or bits, is the only paradigm for the IT world, and up to now researchers used it almost exclusively to study quantum information processing. But European scientists have proved that an analogue approach is far easier in the quantum world. Modern computing is digital, a series of 1s and 0s that, once combined, create powerful information processing systems. The system is so simple – on or off, yes or no – that it almost seems dumb. It is that very simplicity that gives digital computing its power. It works very well. But we have a problem. Silicon circuits are getting so small that they will soon be bumping up against a fundamental physical limit.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Krill Discovered Living In The Antarctic Abyss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264253/080225122334.htm
Scientists have discovered Antarctic krill living and feeding down to depths of 3000 meters in the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. Until now this shrimp-like crustacean was thought to live only in the upper ocean. The discovery completely changes scientists' understanding of the major food source for fish, squid, penguins, seals and whales.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Mood Markers Isolated In Blood Open Informative Window Into Brain Functioning And Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264254/080225213751.htm
Researchers have isolated biomarkers in the blood that identify mood disorders, a breakthrough that may change the way bipolar illness is diagnosed and treated. The panel of markers is present in differing amounts in individuals suffering from high or low mood states. The concentration of the blood markers also varies depending on the severity of the depression or mania the individual experiences.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Mysterious Bacterial Microcompartments Revealed By Biochemists
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264255/080221152009.htm
Biochemists have answered an important question about the structure of microcompartments -- mysterious molecular machines that seem to be present in a wide variety of pathogens and other bacteria. In the journal Science, the biochemists report how the structure closes, forming a shell around enzymes that are encased inside.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Genetic Mutation Found In Peripheral Artery Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510211/080222095421.htm
A tiny handful of genes appears to hold important clues to understanding why some patients with peripheral artery disease face high rates of amputation and early death while others are spared those consequences, say researchers. This is the first documented genetic mutation linked to PAD. Although the work was done in mice, researchers say it is likely to give them new insight into how PAD develops and progresses in humans.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Novel Large-scale Method Reveals Drug Targets
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264256/080222095413.htm
Scientists have developed a new large-scale method to identify the interactions between proteins that are a major target for therapeutic intervention. The novel method can identify the weak, short-lived interactions that are characteristic of cell responses to cues from the environment or from within the body. Cell surface proteins are targets for many drugs and are central to many processes of cell regulation, such as some cancer therapeutics, diabetes, and growth.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Crime-fighting Tool: Hair Reveals Where Murder Victims Drank Water
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264257/080225213757.htm
Scientists developed a new crime-fighting tool by showing that human hair reveals the general location where a person drank water, helping police track past movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Male Fertility May Be Harmed By Mix Of Endocrine Disrupters
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264258/080221121026.htm
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which are harmless individually in small doses, can together be a dangerous cocktail. Concurrent exposure to several endocrine-disrupting substances may, among other things, result in malformed sexual organs. Many young men have a low sperm count and more and more boys are born with malformed sexual organs.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Gastric Acid May Help Protect Against Foodborne Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264259/080221200040.htm
A new study suggests that low levels of gastric acid in the stomach can increase one's likelihood of getting a foodborne infection. The belief that gastric acid forms a barrier against bacterial pathogens is widespread among the healthcare community, however no previous experimental data has been reported. One of the three main functions ascribed to gastric acid is inhibiting infectious agents from reaching the intestine and distribution levels noted in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals indicate evolutionary advantages.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
In The Race To The Top, Zigzagging Is More Efficient Than A Straight Line
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264260/080220130507.htm
A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it isn't necessarily the fastest or easiest path to follow. That's particularly true when terrain is not level, and now American and British researchers have developed a mathematical model showing that a zigzag course provides the most efficient way for humans to go up or down steep slopes. Trails evolve, among other reasons, because of physical differences in people and the differences in the biomechanics and energy cost of ascending and descending a slope.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Adult With Two Colons Suffers Kidney Atrophy: Rare Diagnosis In The Operation Room
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510214/080222095410.htm
Lower gastrointestinal system duplications are extremely rare entities in the adult. A surgical team in Turkey diagnosed and successfully treated a patient with a duplicated colon which had lead to hydronephrotic kidney.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Busy Beavers Can Help Ease Drought
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264261/080220130511.htm
They may be considered pests, but beavers can help mitigate the effects of drought. Climate models predict the incidence of drought in parts of North America will increase in frequency and length over the next 100 years, and beaver will likely play an important role in maintaining open water and mitigating the impact.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Doggie Robot Eases Loneliness In Nursing Home Residents As Well As Real Dog, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264262/080225213636.htm
A doggie robot works about as well as a real pooch in making nursing home residents feel less lonely, a new study finds. The researchers compared how residents of three nursing homes interacted with Sparky, a living, medium-sized gentle mutt, and Aibo, a doggie robot once manufactured by Sony that looks like a three-dimensional cartoon.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Two Oxygenation Events In Ancient Oceans Sparked Spread Of Complex Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264263/080225213645.htm
The rise of oxygen and the oxidation of deep oceans between 635 and 551 million years ago may have had an impact on the increase and spread of the earliest complex life, including animals. Today, we take oxygen for granted. But the atmosphere had almost no oxygen until 2.5 billion years ago, and it was not until about 600 million years ago when the atmospheric oxygen level rose to a fraction of modern levels. For a long time, geologists and evolutionary biologists have speculated that the rise of the breathing gas and subsequent oxygenation of the deep oceans are intimately tied to the evolution of modern biological systems.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Zoologists Challenge Longstanding Theory That 'Eyespots' Mimic The Eyes Of Predators' Enemies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264264/080221090250.htm
Circular markings on creatures such as butterflies are effective against predators because they are conspicuous features, not because they mimic the eyes of the predators' own enemies, according to new research. Many animals possess protective markings to avoid predation, including patterns to reduce the risk of detection (camouflage), to indicate that the animal is toxic or inedible ('warning colors'), or to mimic another animal or object ('mimicry' and 'masquerade'). In addition, many creatures such as butterflies, moths, and fish possess two or more pairs of circular markings, often referred to as 'eyespots'. Many eyespots are effective in startling or intimidating predators, and can help to prevent or stop an attack. For the past 150 years it has been assumed that this is because they mimic the eyes of the predator's own enemies.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Cheap, Clean Drinking Water Purified Through Nanotechnology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/238242222/080220094656.htm
Tiny particles of pure silica coated with an active material could be used to remove toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and other hazardous materials from water much more effectively and at lower cost than conventional water purification methods, according to new research.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Past Greenhouse Warming Provides Clues To What The Future May Hold
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/238212279/080215151221.htm
Scientists studying an extreme period of global warming 55 million years ago are piecing together an increasingly detailed picture of its causes and consequences. Their findings describe what may be the best analog in the geologic record for the global changes likely to result from continued carbon dioxide emissions from human activities.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
New Details Of A Gene-regulatory Network Governing Metabolism Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264265/080222101538.htm
Metabolism is a central feature of life -- a myriad of biochemical processes that, together, enable organisms to nourish and sustain themselves. Scientists are discovering how the regulation of genes governs fundamental life processes, including metabolism. Such research, performed on simple model organisms like yeast cells, has implications for efforts to understand natural processes such as aging and disease states including cancer. Scientists have just announced a new and unexpected wrinkle in a story they previously thought they understood about how yeast cells, through the action of genes, adjust their metabolism in response to changes in their sources of food.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Directed Self-ordering Of Organic Molecules For Electronic Devices
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264266/080219203513.htm
A simple surface treatment technique potentially offers a low-cost way to mass produce large arrays of organic electronic transistors on polymer sheets for a wide range of applications including flexible displays, "intelligent paper" and flexible sheets of biosensor arrays for field diagnostics.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Acne May Prevent People From Participating In Sport And Exercise, Says Research
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264267/080225103914.htm
Acne patients who are highly anxious about their skin condition say they are less likely to participate in sport or exercise, according to new research.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Venus Has Extraordinarily Changeable And Extremely Large-scale Weather
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264268/080221084148.htm
Venus Express has revealed a planet of extraordinarily changeable and extremely large-scale weather. Bright hazes appear in a matter of days, reaching from the south pole to the low southern latitudes and disappearing just as quickly. Such 'global weather', unlike anything on Earth, has given scientists a new mystery to solve. The cloud-covered world of Venus is all but a featureless, unchangeable globe at visible wavelengths of light. Switch to the ultraviolet and it reveals a truly dynamic nature. Transient dark and bright markings stripe the planet, indicating regions where solar ultraviolet radiation is absorbed or reflected, respectively.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
How Bacteria Gain Resistance To Multiple Types Of Antibiotics: Mechanism Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239476316/080222101547.htm
Scientists have solved the structure of two proteins that allow bacteria to gain resistance to multiple types of antibiotics. This work provides new clues as to how bacteria adapt to resist antibiotics and how to design new drugs that counteract this defense mechanism.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Observing Sustainable Tourism In Antarctica
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510217/080222095351.htm
Antarctica is the ultimate destination for anyone interested in natural history but it also challenges those people who visit to think broadly about our responsibilities to all life on Earth, according to a professor who has just returned from the Antarctic in his role as an Observer for the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
HIV Prevention: Tenofovir Gel Safe For Daily Use By Women, New Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264269/080225090821.htm
A vaginal microbicide containing a drug normally used to treat HIV is safe for sexually active HIV-negative women to use every day over an extended period. The trial of tenofovir topical gel also found most women adhered to a daily or sex-dependent regimen. The findings are a boost to HIV prevention efforts focused on "next-generation" microbicides to curb infection rates in women, most of whom get HIV through sex with their husbands or steady partners.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
'NMR On A Chip' Features NIST Magnetic Mini-sensor
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264270/080219203523.htm
A super-sensitive mini-sensor developed at NIST can detect nuclear magnetic resonance in tiny samples of fluids flowing through a novel microchip. The prototype chip device may have wide application as a sensitive chemical analyzer, for example in rapid screening to find new drugs.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Energy Strategy To Combat Climate Change Proposed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241264271/080225101126.htm
To even begin to combat climate change effectively, carbon dioxide emissions have to fall sharply: to 1 ton per capita per year. An energy strategy based on the three Es: increased efficiency, renewable energy and electrification may be what is needed to meet this goal.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Protein Shines Light On Cancer Response
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240478078/080224134753.htm
A technique that specifically "tags" tumors responding to chemotherapy may offer a new strategy for determining a cancer treatment's effectiveness within days of starting treatment, according to a new study by Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Attack Of The Invasive Garden Ants
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590775/080225213534.htm
An ant that is native to Eurasia is threatening to become the latest in a procession of species to invade Europe, as a result of inadvertent human introduction. The invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus, which is a threat to native species, may already be more widely established than expected.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Notch Controls Bone Formation And Strength
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497942/080224134750.htm
Notch, a protein known to govern the determination of cell differentiation into different kinds of tissues in embryos, plays a critical role in bone formation and strength later in life. These new findings may provide a basis for understanding osteoporosis and related diseases.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Special Coating Greatly Improves Solar Cell Performance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590776/080222125628.htm
Current-generation solar cell technologies are too expensive and inefficient for wide-scale commercial applications. Now researchers have developed a new anode coating strategy that significantly enhances the efficiency of solar energy power conversion. Their work focuses on "engineering" organic material-electrode interfaces in bulk-hetero-junction organic solar cells. The breakthrough promises to bring researchers and developers worldwide closer to the goal of producing cheaper, more manufacturable and more easily implemented solar cells.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Heart Attack Rates Fall Following National Smoking Bans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558609/080226102607.htm
French researchers announced a striking 15 percent decrease in admissions of patients with myocardial infarction to emergency wards since the public ban on smoking came into effect last January. Researchers in Rome found an 11.2 percent reduction of acute coronary events since the January 2005 smoking ban took effect in Italy.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Silica Smart Bombs Deliver Knock-out To Bacteria
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590777/080225213452.htm
Bacteria mutate for a living, evading antibiotic drugs while killing tens of thousands of people in the United States each year. But as concern about drug-resistant bacteria grows, one novel approach seeks to thwart the bug without a drug by taking a cue from nature.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Getting To The Roots Of Hair Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497943/080224134747.htm
Scientists have identified a gene that is responsible for a rare hereditary form of hair loss. The newly identified receptor plays a role in hair growth. Researchers now hope that their research findings will lead to new therapies that will work with various forms of hair loss.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Gene At Intersection Of Stem Cells, Immunity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497938/080224142524.htm
A gene that "wakes up" the blood system's stem cells in times of stress also plays an important role in protecting against infection, said researchers in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Researchers note that it makes sense that a serious infection with a pathogen or disease-causing organism could require that stem cells rally to generate new blood cells to fight against the invading organisms.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Catalysis Discovery Takes Aim At NOx Emissions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239476320/080222095427.htm
A discovery in molecular chemistry may help remove a barrier to widespread use of diesel and other fuel-efficient "lean burn" vehicle engines. Researchers have recorded the first observations of how certain catalyst materials used in emission control devices are constructed.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Excavations In Iran Unravel Mystery Of 'Red Snake'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590778/080218155534.htm
New discoveries unearthed at an ancient frontier wall in Iran provide compelling evidence that the Persians matched the Romans for military might and engineering prowess. The 'Great Wall of Gorgan'in north-eastern Iran, a barrier of awesome scale and sophistication, including over 30 military forts, an aqueduct, and water channels along its route, is being explored by an international team of archaeologists. This vast Wall-also known as the 'Red Snake'-is more than 1000 years older than the Great Wall of China, and longer than Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall put together.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Immune Response Dramatically Boosted With Engineered Artificial 'Cells'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558611/080226101344.htm
Using artificial cell-like particles, biomedical engineers have devised a rapid and efficient way to produce a 45-fold enhancement of T cell activation and expansion, an immune response important for a patient's ability to fight cancer and infectious diseases.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Many Stroke, Heart Attack Patients May Not Benefit From Aspirin, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590779/080225213526.htm
Up to 20 percent of patients taking aspirin to lower the risk of suffering a second cerebrovascular event do not have an antiplatelet response from aspirin, the effect thought to produce the protective effect, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Royals Weren't Only Builders Of Maya Temples, Archaeologist Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590780/080225134239.htm
An intrepid archaeologist is well on her way to dislodging the prevailing assumptions of scholars about the people who built and used Maya temples.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Early Blood Pressure Reduction May Improve Stroke Outcomes, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590781/080225101129.htm
Early and intensive lowering of high blood pressure has shown promising effects in stroke patients, according to results of a new stroke study. Initial results of the first large-scale investigation into managing raised blood pressure after intracerebral haemorrhage (stroke) demonstrates that rapid blood pressure lowering is well tolerated and appears to reduce the amount of bleeding in the brain, indicating that such treatment could reduce the risk of death and disability in stroke patients.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Easing Concerns About Pollution From Manufacture Of Solar Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241590782/080225090826.htm
In a finding that could help ease concerns about the potential environmental impact of manufacturing solar cells, scientists report that the manufacture of solar cells produces far fewer air pollutants than conventional fossil fuel technologies. Solar energy has been touted for years as a safer, cleaner alternative to burning fossil fuels to meet rising energy demands. However, environmentalists and others are increasingly concerned about the potential negative impact of solar cell (photovoltaic) technology.

Tue, 26 Feb 08
Facial Asymmetry Persists Despite Surgery To Correct Congenital Deformity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/241558610/080226102602.htm
Adults and teens that underwent surgery as infants to correct a congenital condition -- known as unilateral coronal synostosis -- that causes the forehead and face to appear uneven still have a degree of facial asymmetry years later, according to new research.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Radiation From Mobile Phones Changes Protein Expression In Living People, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240411189/080224100008.htm
A new study on effects of mobile phone radiation on human skin strengthens the results of the human cell line analyses: living tissue responds to mobile phone radiation. Earlier studies have shown that mobile phone radiation alters protein expression and activity in human endothelial cell line. This new study is unique, because for the first time it has examined whether a local exposure of human skin to RF-EMF will cause changes in protein expression in living people.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Bacteria Can Be Made To Spin Spider Silk Through Understanding Of Big Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639515/080221100539.htm
Biological and medical research is on the threshold of a new era based on better understanding of how large organic molecules bind together and recognize each other. There is great potential for exploiting the molecular docking processes that are commonplace in all organisms to develop new drugs that act more specifically without adverse side effects, and construct novel materials by mimicking nature. One application close to fruition is the engineering of bacteria to produce silks as strong for their thickness as spider webs.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
New Technique Promises To Aid Doctor's Ability To Identify, Treat Bacterial Infections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639516/080219124520.htm
Chemists have developed a new technique harnessing the power of nanotechnology to help doctors identify and treat bacterial infections in record time. Research shows identification can happen in a few hours instead of days. As more bacterial strains resistant to many drugs emerge, it becomes more critical to quickly identify infections and the antibiotics that would most effectively treat them. Such quick identifications become even more important during epidemics because large numbers of samples would have to be tested at once.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
A Regular Dip In The Pool Could Benefit Fibromyalgia Sufferers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239413195/080222082433.htm
Patients suffering from fibromyalgia could benefit significantly from regular exercise in a heated swimming pool, a study in Arthritis Research & Therapy shows. The findings suggest a cost effective way of improving quality of life for patients with this often-debilitating disorder.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Astronomy Technology Brings Nanoparticle Probes Into Sharper Focus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639517/080219132140.htm
While pondering the challenges of distinguishing one nano-sized probe image from another in a mass of hundreds or thousands of nanoprobes, researchers made an interesting observation. The tiny, clustered dots of light looked a lot like a starry sky on a clear night. The biomedical researchers realized that astronomers had already made great strides in solving a problem very similar to their own — isolating and analyzing one dot (in this case a star) in a crowded field of light. They hypothesized that a computer system designed for stellar photometry, a branch of astronomy focused on measuring the brightness of stars, could hold the solution to their problem. Researchers have created a technology based on astronomy software that provides more precise images of single molecules tagged with nanoprobes. The clearer images allow researchers to collect more detailed information about a single molecule, such as how the molecule is binding in a gene sequence, taking scientists a few steps closer to truly personalized and predictive medicine as well as more complex biomolecular structural mapping.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Worm Defecation Holds Clues To Widespread Cell-to-cell Communication Process
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639518/080221133320.htm
The focus of two recent Nobel prizes, a species of roundworm has made possible another advance in the understanding of how cells talk to one another. A new mechanism through which cells in the worm's intestine signal for nearby muscle cells to flex by briefly making the area between them more acidic has been discovered. Researchers believe that short-lived changes in acidity may have implications for cell signaling throughout the animal kingdom, from the sending of human nerve messages to worm defecation.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Saturn May Be Surrounded By Undiscovered Near-Invisible Partial Rings
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639519/080220195614.htm
Gaps in the soup of high energy particles near the orbits of two of Saturn's tiny moons indicate that Saturn may be surrounded by undiscovered, near-invisible partial rings. And, the larger Saturnian moons may not be the only ones contributing material to Saturn's ring system.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
New Anti-cancer Agent Can Overcome Resistance To Drugs, Says Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639520/080221093550.htm
A new anti-cancer agent that targets breast cancer can overcome resistance to cancer drugs, according to a new study. Many tumours that are initially responsive to chemotherapy can develop resistance to it, allowing the cancer to progress. Studies have shown that one of the key reasons for the development of resistance is a protein pump called P-glycoprotein. Resistant cancer cells express P-glycoprotein and this removes anti-cancer drugs from the cell before they are able to kill the cell.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Cocaine's Effects On Brain Metabolism May Contribute To Abuse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639521/080218134721.htm
Many studies on cocaine addiction - and attempts to block its addictiveness - have focused on dopamine transporters, proteins that reabsorb the brain's "reward" chemical once its signal is sent. Since cocaine blocks dopamine transporters from doing their recycling job, it leaves the feel-good chemical around to keep sending the pleasure signal. Now a new study suggests that cocaine's effects go beyond the dopamine system. In the study, cocaine had significant effects on brain metabolism, even in mice that lack the gene for dopamine transporters.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Antioxidants Do Not Help Children With Down's Syndrome Develop, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240022527/080223123616.htm
Giving children with Down's syndrome antioxidants and nutrients does not help their condition improve at all, according to a new study. UK researchers studied the effect of giving such supplements to 156 babies under 7 months old with Down's syndrome over an 18-month period. Down's syndrome is the most common genetic cause of learning disability in the UK affecting around 1 in 1,000 new born babies. Previous studies have investigated the possibility that giving folate, antioxidants, or both might improve the effects of Down's syndrome, particularly language and psychomotor development. Although none have reported any significant effect, use of vitamin and mineral supplements is widespread in children with Down's syndrome in Europe and the USA due to marketing of commercial preparations claiming substantial benefits.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
NASA MidSTAR-1 Successful Technologies May Be Revolutionary
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639522/080219113324.htm
Two new technologies launched onboard a US Naval Academy satellite called MidSTAR-1 have proven successful in their tests in space. One technology is a sensor that can check for harmful chemicals and the other is a special "film" that can control heat.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Could Clothes Be Made To Monitor Heart Beat, Other Vital Signs, Automatically?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639523/080221102208.htm
Pretty soon your gym gear will be more high tech than the groaning treadmill beneath you. Smart textiles and wearable devices can monitor your vital signs as you go about daily life. These clever clothes already exist and look set to find a market niche especially in elite sport and healthcare, say European researchers. And who stands to benefit most from these clever clothes? People with heart conditions or undergoing rehabilitation that require constant monitoring, athletes, newborns and people with sleep apnea are among the potential users.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Oral Contraceptives Could Work For Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Maybe Even Deer And Coyotes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639524/080219132149.htm
If you're a land owner and animals such as coyotes or wild pigs are driving you hog wild, help may soon be on the way to control their numbers in a humane way -- in the form of a birth control pill for animals. The need is apparent: According to the American Humane Society, about 7 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year at animal shelters. One female cat can lead to the production of 420,000 offspring in her lifetime.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Breast Feeding May Help Protect Babies Against Allergic Asthma
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497939/080224142005.htm
Breast feeding may help protect babies against allergic asthma. Airborne allergen is able to pass from mother to child through breast milk, which creates a tolerance to the allergen. Allergic asthma affects 300 million people worldwide and is characterized by obstruction of the respiratory pathways in response to allergen exposure.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Early Experience Affects Where Birds Breed For Life: What Happens If Habitat Changes?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639525/080218172253.htm
Environmental conditions migratory birds face in their first year may help determine where they breed for the rest of their lives, a factor that could significantly affect the population as climate change makes their winter habitats hotter and drier. The determining factor in where a bird settles for its first breeding season relative to its hatching site -- also known as natal dispersal -- was previously unknown.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Very Large Array Retooling For 21st-century Science
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639526/080218142721.htm
An international project to make the world's most productive ground-based telescope 10 times more capable has reached its halfway mark and is on schedule to provide astronomers with an extremely powerful new tool for exploring the Universe. The National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope now has half of its giant, 230-ton dish antennas converted to use new, state-of-the-art digital electronics to replace analog equipment that has served since the facility's construction during the 1970s.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Childhood Obesity Leads To Higher Rate Of Problems During Surgery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639527/080222101544.htm
Add this to the growing list of health challenges faced by obese children: A new study finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Has An Ocean Circulation Collapse Been Triggered?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/236551003/080217102148.htm
Predictions that the 21st century is safe from major circulation changes in the North Atlantic Ocean may not be as comforting as they seem. "The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that it is very unlikely that the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation will collapse in the 21st century. They predict a probability of less then 10 percent," says an assistant professor of geosciences. "However, this should not be interpreted as an all clear signal. There can be a considerable delay between the triggering of an MOC collapse and the actual collapse. In a similar way, a person that has just jumped from a cliff may take comfort that pain in the next few seconds is very unlikely, but the outlook over the long term is less rosy."

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Genetic Mutation May Lead To Increased Autoimmunity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639528/080221170646.htm
Scientists have discovered that a mutation in a known DNA recombination mechanism may result in the onset of autoimmunity and an overexpression of autoreactive antibodies--molecules that attack the host--in animal models. The new study highlights the role of "recombining sequence," a DNA element involved in the genetic reprogramming of immune system B cells, a process called receptor editing. These new findings could point toward a possible novel therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Chlorine Can React With Sweat, Urine At Indoor Swimming Pools Forming Volatile Disinfection Byproducts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639529/080219161946.htm
Researchers have determined how certain airborne contaminants are created when chlorine reacts with sweat and urine in indoor swimming pools, a step toward learning how to reduce the formation of "volatile disinfection byproducts" that cause respiratory irritation.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Working Toward Effective Treatment for HBV Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639530/080222111418.htm
Despite the existence of safe and efficient vaccines, hepatitis B virus is one of the most deadly viruses in the world, killing about 1.2 million people every year. To better understand the direct liver disease induced by hepatitis B virus, recent research brought us one step closer to an effective treatment for HBV infection.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Chemists Measure Copper Levels In Zinc Oxide Nanowires
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240639531/080219203507.htm
Chemists have measured significant amounts of copper incorporated into zinc oxide nanowires during fabrication -- a measurement important to optimizing optical and electrical properties of the nanowires.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Facial Expression Recognition Software Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240022525/080223125318.htm
Researchers have developed an algorithm that is capable of processing 30 images per second to recognize a person's facial expressions in real time and categorize them as one of six prototype expressions: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Applying the facial expression recognition algorithm, the developed prototype is capable of processing a sequence of frontal images of moving faces and recognizing the person's facial expression. The software can be applied to video sequences in realistic situations and can identify the facial expression of a person seated in front of a computer screen. Although still only a prototype, the software is capable of working on a desktop computer or even on a laptop.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Snakes Locate Prey Through Vibration Waves
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892683/080221105350.htm
It is often believed that snakes cannot hear. This presumption is fed by the fact that snakes lack an outer ear and that scientific evidence of snakes responding to sound is scarce. Snakes do, however, possess an inner ear with a functional cochlea. Scientists now present evidence that snakes use this structure to detect minute vibrations of the sand surface that are caused by prey moving. Their ears are sensitive enough to not only "hear" the prey approaching, but also to allow the brain, i.e., the auditory system, to localize the direction it is coming from.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Masters Of Disguise: Secrets Of Nature's 'Great Pretenders' Revealed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892684/080219203536.htm
A gene which helps a harmless African butterfly ward off predators by giving it wing patterns like those of toxic species, has been identified. The mocker swallowtail butterfly, Papilio dardanus, is unusual because it emerges from its chrysalis with one of a large number of different possible wing patterns and colors. This is different from most butterfly species which are identified by a common wing pattern and colour. Furthermore, some of the different patterns that the mocker swallowtail exhibits mimic those of poisonous species, which affords this harmless insect a valuable disguise which scares off predators.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Computers Could Be Used To Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239413196/080222082429.htm
Computers are able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease faster and more accurately than experts, according to research in the journal Brain. The findings may help ensure that patients are diagnosed earlier, increasing treatment options.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Lensless Camera Uses X-rays To View Nanoscale Materials And Biological Specimens
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892685/080219150140.htm
X-rays have been used for decades to take pictures of broken bones, but scientists have now developed a lensless X-ray technique that can take images of ultra-small structures buried in nanoparticles and nanomaterials, and features within whole biological cells such as cellular nuclei.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Deficiency In The Protein MBL2 Linked To Increased Cystic Fibrosis Severity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892686/080221183334.htm
Although it is known that mutations in the CFTR gene cause the hereditary disorder cystic fibrosis disease, variations in other genes between individuals with CF modify the severity of the disease. New data has now clearly established that genetic variations that modify MBL2 expression are associated with more severe clinical symptoms of CF.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
SCUBA-2 Camera Will Explore Earliest Phases Of Galaxy Formation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892687/080221095420.htm
A giant camera known as SCUBA-2 is being transported to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Rather than detecting visible light, SCUBA-2 will detect submillimeter radiation, which is sensitive to the heat emitted by extremely cold dust in the Universe. This material is associated with the mysterious earliest phases of the formation of galaxies, stars and planets, until now largely undetectable. Typically the dust is at temperatures of about -200 Celsius and so detecting its extremely weak emissions presents a huge technological challenge.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Where Will We Find The Next Generation Of Engineers?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892688/080218161733.htm
A state-by-state ranking of engineering graduates shows an unmet need. A new study that examines the number of engineering graduates coming out of our nation's engineering schools reveals a mixed picture of how prepared each state is for meeting the need for high-tech workers in the coming years.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
New Way To Store Information Via DNA Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240517997/080224150305.htm
Researchers have found a way to get into your body and your bloodstream. No, they're not spiritual gurus or B-movie mad scientists. They are just talented when it comes to manipulating DNA. the researchers discovered a system to encode digital information within DNA. This method relies on the length of the fragments obtained by the partial restriction digest rather than the actual content of the nucleotide sequence.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
New Chemical Tool Kit Manipulates Mitochondria, Reveals Insights Into Drug Toxicity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240478077/080224134756.htm
Why do nearly 1 million people taking cholesterol-lowering statins often experience muscle cramps? Why is it that in the rare case when a diabetic takes medication for intestinal worms, his glucose levels improve? Is there any scientific basis for the purported health effects of green tea? Researchers have developed a chemical toolkit for manipulating mitochondria in its normal cellular environment. After introducing nearly 2,500 compounds to this platform -- many of which are FDA-approved -- the researchers immediately discerned new insights into basic mitochondrial function, which in turn revealed why some commonly used drugs have particular adverse effects.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Salamanders Are 'Keystone' Species: Headwater Streams Critical In Food Chain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239476318/080222095730.htm
A new study in the journal Freshwater Biology revealed the biomass (total mass of an organism in an area) of the black-bellied salamander far exceeds any previous estimates, and the contribution of the species and its habitat may be critical in the food chain.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Copper May Inhibit the Transmission of HIV Through Breast Milk and Blood
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892689/080221171235.htm
Researchers from the U.S. and abroad have developed an inexpensive copper-based filter that may prevent HIV from being passed through breast milk and blood. Worldwide statistics of HIV transmission through breast milk and blood transfusions are at a disastrous high, especially in developing countries. In 2001 breast-feeding was attributed to up to 50% of the 700,000 mother-to-child transmission cases reported. The World Health Organization has estimated that blood transfusions are responsible for 80,000 to 160,000 HIV infections each year, while the Center for Disease Control reports that transfusions are the cause of 5 to 10% of HIV infections in developing countries.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Dust In West Up 500 Percent In Past Two Centuries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497944/080224134744.htm
The West has become 500 percent dustier in the past two centuries due to westward US expansion and accompanying human activity beginning in the 1800s, according to a new study.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Stroke Much More Prevalent In United States Than In Europe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510213/080222095416.htm
American adults have a higher prevalence of stroke than their European counterparts, due in part to a higher rate of stroke risk factors among Americans and barriers to care in the United States. Compared to European men, U.S. men had 61 percent higher odds of having a stroke and U.S. women had almost twice the odds of stroke as European women.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Butterfly Fish 'May Face Extinction'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240866847/080225072629.htm
A beautiful black, white and yellow butterflyfish, much admired by eco-tourists, divers and aquarium keepers alike, may be at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. The case of the chevroned butterfly fish is a stark example of how human pressure on the world's coral reefs is confronting certain species with 'blind alleys' from which they may be unable to escape, says one of the scientists.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
New Method To Create An Artificial Heart May Hold Promise For Transplant Surgery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240497941/080224141414.htm
A method to create an artificial heart using the extracellular matrix of an actual heart that has been stripped of all cells may hold promise for its use in transplant surgery. About 3,000 patients in the United States await a donor heart; worldwide, 22 million people live with heart failure. An artificial heart is a theoretical alternative for transplantation.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Chicken Antibodies To Help Detect HER2 Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892690/080219203526.htm
Generations of mothers have served up chicken soup to remedy the common cold, but now the therapeutic fowl may find use in diagnosis as well. Chicken antibodies may one day improve the detection of an aggressive form of breast cancer. HER2 is one of a family of genes that help regulate the growth and proliferation of human cells.

Mon, 25 Feb 08
Gene Defect Causes Immune Deficiency And Balance Disorder
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240892691/080221172822.htm
A genetic defect that causes a severe immune deficiency in humans may also produce balance disorders, according to a new study. The study examined a specialized strain of Jackson Laboratory mice with a mutation that eliminates the production a protein called p22phox. Disruption of this protein causes a form of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) -- a severe immune deficiency -- in humans. The researchers found that mice without p22phox develop an immune deficiency that mimics human CGD. They also discovered that the gene defect produces a severe balance disorder in the mice caused by loss of gravity-sensing crystals in the inner ear.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Bacteria Use 'Invisibility Cloak' To Hide From Human Immune System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202753/080219102415.htm
An important new step in the mechanism used by bacteria to evade our immune system has been characterized. It is an 'invisibility cloak' which means that bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae, a common cause of ear infections in children, can move about the body without the risk of being attacked by the immune system.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Novel Link Between Excessive Nutrient Levels And Insulin Resistance Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202754/080221143325.htm
For quite some time now, scientists suspected the so-called hexosamine pathway -- a small side business of the main sugar processing enterprise inside a cell -- to be involved in the development of insulin resistance. But they could never quite put their finger on the underlying mechanism. Now, researchers have uncovered the long-missing molecular link: the enzyme OGT, the last in a line of enzymes that shuttle sugars through the hexosamine pathway.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
New Telescopes Planned For Moon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202756/080219132146.htm
NASA has selected a proposal by an MIT-led team to develop plans for an array of radio telescopes on the far side of the moon that would probe the earliest formation of the basic structures of the universe.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Antidepressant Effects Of Ketamine Explored
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202758/080221090953.htm
Drug treatments for depression can take many weeks for the beneficial effects to emerge. The excruciating and disabling nature of depression highlights the urgency of developing treatments that act more rapidly. Ketamine, a drug used in general medicine as an anesthetic, has recently been shown to produce improvements in depressed patients within hours of administration. A new study provides some new insight into the mechanisms by which ketamine exerts its effects.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Amazon Corridors Far Too Narrow, Warn Scientists
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202759/080218134554.htm
Protected forest strips buffering rivers and streams of the Amazon rainforest should be significantly wider than the current legal requirement, according to new research. Brazilian forestry legislation currently requires that all forest strips alongside rivers and streams on private land be maintained as permanent reserves and it sets a minimum legal width of 60m. But after investigating the effects of corridor width on the number of bird and mammal species, researchers say a minimum critical width of 400m is necessary.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Empty Nest Syndrome May Not Be Bad After All, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202762/080221133313.htm
One day they are crawling, the next day they are driving and then suddenly they aren't kids anymore. As children reach adulthood, the parent-child relationship changes as parents learn to adapt to newly independent children. A new study explores the differences in how mothers and fathers interacted with their young adult children.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Sun Will Vaporize Earth Unless We Can Change Our Orbit
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240041833/080223130020.htm
Astronomers predict that the Earth will be swallowed up by the Sun in about 7.6 billion years unless the Earth's orbit can be altered. Previous calculations had suggested that the Earth would escape ultimate destruction, although be battered and burnt to a cinder. But this did not take into account the effect of the drag caused by the outer atmosphere of the dying Sun.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Molecular Pathway, Previously Unknown, Spurs Growth Of New Blood Vessels
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202763/080220175215.htm
Researchers have found a previously unknown molecular pathway in mice that spurs the growth of new blood vessels when body parts are jeopardized by poor circulation. At present, their observation adds to the understanding of blood vessel formation. In the future, though, the researchers suggest it is possible that the pathway could be manipulated as a means of treating heart and blood vessel diseases and cancer.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Fighting 'Fat Bloom' Can Mean A Prettier Look For Old Valentine's Day Chocolates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202765/080218134657.htm
Chemists in England and the Netherlands have discovered a substance that could keep those boxes of Valentine's Day chocolates, and other goodies, looking fresher and tastier. Their finding prevents formation of unsightly white films on the outside of chocolate. Called "fat bloom," white films are actually tiny particles of crystalline fat and most often appear on the surface of chocolates that contain nut-based fillings.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Moderate Level Of Aerobic Fitness May Lower Stroke Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202767/080221161356.htm
A moderate level of aerobic fitness can significantly reduce stroke risk for men and women, according to a large, long-running study. About 780,000 U.S. adults suffer a stroke each year, and stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, according to the American Stroke Association. It’s often fatal, claiming about 150,000 lives and ranking as the No. 3 cause of death.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Antarctic Marine Life Under Threat From Warming Seas, New Predators
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/236730721/080217200926.htm
Predatory crabs and fish are poised to return to warming Antarctic waters for the first time in millions of years, threatening the shallow marine ecosystems surrounding Antarctica. Antarctic marine communities resemble the primeval waters of millions years ago because modern predators - crabs and fish - are missing. But this is about to change. 'The crabs are on the doorstep. They are sitting in deep water only a couple of hundred bathymetric meters away from the slightly cooler shallow water in the Antarctic shelf environment.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Inside The Head Of An Ape
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202769/080221120201.htm
Do apes have imagination? How do they understand pictures? A years-long study of apes performed by a cognitive scientist shows, among other things, that it doesn't take a human brain to understand pictures as being a representation. When humans compare a picture with reality, it's often necessary to fill in information that is missing in the picture. For instance, how do we know that a person in a picture is running, as opposed to being frozen in a position?

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Unveiling The Underwater Ways Of The White Shark
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202772/080218134617.htm
Satellite tracking systems and acoustic sensors are giving researchers insights into the behavior and lifestyles of some very elusive animals in the ocean, including the fabled white shark.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Effects Of Vitamin D And Skin's Physiology Examined
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202773/080220161707.htm
Previtamin D3 production varies depending on several factors including skin type and weather conditions. Excessive exposure to sunlight does not result in Vitamin D intoxification because previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 are photolyzed to several photoproducts. During the winter at altitudes above approximately 35 degrees, there is minimal if any previtamin D3 production in the skin.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Herpes Virus Link To Preterm Birth And High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202775/080218134633.htm
Researchers have made a world-first discovery that links viral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy and preterm birth. Their work demonstrates, for the first time, that exposure to viral infection -- especially viruses of the herpes group -- may be associated with pregnancy-induced hypertensive disease (pre-eclampsia) and also with pre-term birth.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
New Laser Technique Promises Better Process Control In Pharmaceutical Industry
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202777/080218134542.htm
Scientists have developed an effective laser based method for the characterization of the bulk chemical content of pharmaceutical capsules -- without opening the capsules. The technique holds great potential for a range of process control applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
New Transportation Technology For Micro-cargoes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202778/080218160651.htm
Scientists in Japan are reporting the discovery of a new transportation technology for moving ultra-small cargoes in the coming generation of micromachines and laboratories-on-a-chip. The study describes successful delivery of a simulated microcargo of paper with chemical waves produced by a reaction that has fascinated scientists and students for 50 years.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
To Save Or Savor? It's Decision Time For Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202780/080218134623.htm
Giant bluefin tuna are in trouble, primarily because the powerful muscles that propel their extensive ocean migrations come with an Achilles' heel: They're tasty. Prized by sushi lovers for their savory succulence, all three species of bluefins have seen their population plummet in the past 50 years thanks to worldwide demand. However, there is hope for bluefin. New advances fueled by modern technologies in ocean science may be clarifying how best to manage Atlantic bluefin.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Climate Change Has Major Impact On Oceans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/236572762/080217102140.htm
Climate change is rapidly transforming the world's oceans by increasing the temperature and acidity of seawater, and altering atmospheric and oceanic circulation, reported a panel of scientists. Rising greenhouse gas emissions are warming the world's oceans and providing yet a new threat to coral reefs, which already are among the most threatened of all marine ecosystems.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Building Brains: Mammalian-like Neurogenesis In Fruit Flies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202781/080218193923.htm
A new way of generating brain cells has been uncovered in Drosophila. This novel mode of neurogenesis is very similar to that seen in mammalian brains, suggesting that key aspects of neural development could be shared by insects and mammals. In mammals, neural stem cells may also divide asymmetrically but can then amplify the number of cells they produce through intermediate progenitors, which divide symmetrically.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Social Dynamics Of Yellow Jackets Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202782/080218134545.htm
New research uncovers the social dynamics of yellow jackets, which includes multiple sex partners, extreme cooperation and a caste system. Results show that shown that multiple mating does not cause conflict within a colony, but instead creates a more successful colony. The researchers also found that certain genes are turned on or off to create the different castes.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Single MicroRNA Fine-tunes Innate Immune Response
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202783/080219113318.htm
A single microRNA, microRNA-223, in mice controls the production and activation of granulocytes, white blood cells essential for host defense against invading pathogens. Now, scientists have discovered the first microRNA shown to play a key role in the immune system's early warning system--the innate immune response.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Flawless Data Reception For Internet And Other Fiber-based Telecommunications
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202784/080218162851.htm
Virtually flawless data reception to end users of the Internet and other fiber-based telecommunications systems is possible with a new device. The technology uses a 3-D photonic crystal to filter out unwanted wavelength channels so the end user gets a clear signal without interference from the other optical frequencies.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Calls To Doctor's Office May Delay Stroke Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/240202785/080220161714.htm
Calling a primary care doctor instead of 9-1-1 at the first sign of a stroke can delay patients from reaching an emergency room during the most critical period -- the first three hours after onset of stroke symptoms, researchers reported.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Python Snakes, An Invasive Species In Florida, Could Spread To One Third Of US
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239999899/080223111456.htm
Burmese pythons -- an invasive species in south Florida -- could find comfortable climatic conditions in roughly a third of the United States according to new "climate maps" developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Although other factors such as type of food available and suitable shelter also play a role, Burmese pythons and other giant constrictor snakes have shown themselves to be highly adaptable to new environments. Non-native giant constrictor snakes, such as the Burmese python are now spreading from Everglades National Park in Florida. New "climate match" maps show where climate in the U.S. is similar to places in which Burmese pythons live naturally (from Pakistan to Indonesia). A look at the map shows why biologists are concerned.

Sun, 24 Feb 08
Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves Removed From Endangered Species List
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239978190/080223105255.htm
The gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains is thriving and no longer requires the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior has announced. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will remove the species from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Surprise On Journey To Center Of The Earth: Light Tectonic Plates Lead The Way
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835379/080221093208.htm
The first direct evidence of how and when tectonic plates move into the deepest reaches of the Earth is published in Nature. Scientists hope their description of how plates collide with one sliding below the other into the rocky mantle could potentially improve their ability to assess earthquake risks. Contrary to common scientific predictions, dense plates tend to be held in the upper mantle, while younger and lighter plates sink more readily into the lower mantle.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Smoking During Pregnancy Can Put Mothers And Babies At Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239510216/080222095354.htm
Pregnant women who suffer from the high risk condition pre-eclampsia -- which leads to the death of hundreds of babies every year -- are putting the lives of their unborn children at significantly increased risk if they continue to smoke during pregnancy.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Memory Loss And Other Cognitive Impairment Becoming Less Common In Older Americans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835381/080220121317.htm
Although it's too soon to sound the death knell for the "senior moment," it appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new nationally representative study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" -- the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- among people aged 70 and older. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in this age group went down by 3.5 percentage points between 1993 and 2002 -- from 12.2 percent to 8.7 percent, representing a difference of hundreds of thousands of people.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
First Chikungunya Animal Model Created
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835382/080219150142.htm
Researchers have developed the first animal model of the infection caused by chikungunya virus, an emerging arbovirus associated with large-scale epidemics. Using this mouse model scientists determined which tissues and cells are infected by the virus in both the mild and severe forms of the disease it causes.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Carbon Dioxide Has Been Naturally Stored For A Million Years In Colorado And Rocky Mountains
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835383/080217212303.htm
Earth scientists have found that carbon dioxide has been naturally stored for more than a million years in several gas fields in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains of the United States. Researchers say lessons learned from these natural gas fields will help to find sites suitable for injecting carbon dioxide captured from power station chimneys.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Genetic And Environmental Hormonal Response To Stress In Children Depends On Family Context
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835384/080220110316.htm
A study conducted on 346 19-month-old twins reveals that the genetic and environmental bases of hormonal response to stress depend on the context in which a child grows up. This is the first time such an effect has been reported in young humans.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Small Sea Creatures May Be The 'Canaries In The Coal Mine' Of Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/236572765/080217102122.htm
As oceans warm and become more acidic, ocean creatures are undergoing severe stress and entire food webs are at risk, according to molecular ecologists. Biologists have just returned from a research mission to Antarctica where they collected pteropods, tiny marine snails the size of a lentil, that one biologist refers to as the "potato chip" of the oceans because they are eaten widely by so many species.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Potential Antidepressant Compounds Synthesized
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835385/080220103545.htm
New compounds with the potential for antidepressant activity have been found. A chemist has synthesized new molecules which affect two brain targets which are considered to be keys in the development of processes of depression. One of these is the serotonin transporter, whose reuptake reduction has already been shown to improve mood; the other is the serotoninergic receptor 5-HT7, a therapeutic target for serotonin whose modulation can provoke anti-depressant effects.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Secrets Of Memories' Staying Power Revealed Through Genetic Tags In Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835386/080221140727.htm
A better understanding of how memory works is emerging from a newfound ability to link a learning experience in a mouse to consequent changes in the inner workings of its neurons. Researchers have developed a way to pinpoint the specific cellular components that sustain a specific memory in genetically engineered mice. Remarkably, this research demonstrates a way to untangle precisely which cells and connections are activated by a particular memory, according to researchers.

Sat, 23 Feb 08
Kava Linked To Liver Damage, New Evidence Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/239835387/080222111446.htm
Scientists have found new evidence, using innovative techniques, to support the growing body of literature that indicates kava may h