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| Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 |Mon, 31 Mar 08
Squid Beak Is Both Hard And Soft, A Material That Engineers Want To Copy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259256334/080327172330.htm
How did nature make the squid's beak super hard and sharp -- allowing it, without harm to its soft body -- to capture its prey? The question, considered has captivated those interested in creating new materials that mimic biological materials. The results are published in the journal Science. The sharp beak of the Humboldt squid is one of the hardest and stiffest organic materials known.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Self-assembled Materials Form Mini Stem Cell Lab
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259256331/080327172303.htm
Researchers have discovered a new and unexpected mode of self-assembly involving a polymer (hyaluronic acid) and a small molecule (peptide amphiphiles). When brought together, the two instantly assemble into a flexible but strong sac in which the researchers can grow human stem cells, creating a sort of miniature laboratory. The sacs can survive for weeks in culture, and their membranes are permeable to proteins. The method also can produce thin films whose size and shape can be tailored.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
One Bad Experience Linked To Sniffing Out The Danger
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986161/080327172314.htm
Each human nose encounters hundreds of thousands of scents in its daily travels perched front and center on our face. Some of these smells are nearly identical, so how do we learn to tell the critical ones apart? Something bad has to happen. Then the nose becomes a very quick learner. New research shows a single negative experience linked to an odor rapidly teaches us to discriminate that odor from similar ones.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Mechanism That Helps Fruit Flies Lock-in Memories Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260353506/080329083435.htm
To lock in a memory, nerve cells must strengthen their connections with some neighbors but not others. Scientists have identify a protein whose action helps alter the strength of synaptic connections in fruit flies as they form memories.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Small Desert Beetle Found To Engineer Ecosystems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986162/080327172055.htm
A tiny beetle is wreaking catastrophic action on the deteriorating Chihuahuan desert.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Most People Believe Smallpox Not An Extinct Disease, Survey Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986163/080330200633.htm
The vast majority of Scottish people interviewed in the streets of Edinburgh are unaware of one of the greatest achievements of medical science -- the eradication of smallpox from the world over 40 years ago. A recent poll has revealed that 87% of 200 individuals questioned did not know that the horrendous, killer disease is now extinct.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
New Breed Of Cognitive Robot Is A Lot Like A Puppy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260353501/080329122121.htm
Designers of artificial cognitive systems have tended to adopt one of two approaches to building robots that can think for themselves: classical rule-based artificial intelligence or artificial neural networks. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and combining the two offers the best of both worlds, say researchers who have developed a new breed of cognitive, learning robot that goes beyond the state of the art.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Neurons Hard Wired To Tell Left From Right
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986164/080330200643.htm
It's well-known that the left and right sides of the brain differ in many animal species and this is thought to influence cognitive performance and social behavior. For instance, in humans, the left half of the brain is concerned with language processing whereas the right side is better at comprehending musical melody. Now scientists have pinpointed for the first time, the left/right differences in how brains are wired at the level of individual cells.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
New System Aims To Efficiently Convert Biomass To Ethanol
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986165/080320182932.htm
Researchers are developing an integrated system of thermochemical and catalytic technologies to efficiently produce ethanol from plant biomass. It will use a nanotechnology-based catalyst to produce ethanol fuel.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Bacterial Combinations Do Not Result In Enhanced Cytokine Production, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986166/080318094541.htm
Probiotic bacteria, defined as living microorganisms that have beneficial effects on human health, have been used for the prevention and treatment of a diverse range of disorders. However, the ways in which probiotic bacteria elicit their health effects are not fully understood. One of the action mechanisms could be the ability to induce cytokines that further regulate innate and adaptive immune responses.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Portable Hydrogen-generating Power System Could Lighten Soldiers Load
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259713504/080328114403.htm
Researchers are developing a portable, hydrogen-generating power system to power everything from laptops to communications gear for soldiers in the battlefield. The system transforms jet fuel into hydrogen and will relive soldiers from having to carry heavy loads of batteries. Individual soldiers carry between 20 to 40 pounds of batteries on standard four-day missions. The batteries power soldiers' personal portable electronics, such as GPS systems and night-vision goggles.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Hidden Tragedy Of Under-reported Neonatal Mortality In Northern Vietnam
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259598609/080328070133.htm
In Northern Vietnam, neonatal mortality is almost four times higher than the official figure according to a new report. This under-reporting could mean neonatal healthcare in the country is massively under-funded.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Smart Clothes: Textiles That Track Your Health
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260353503/080329121141.htm
Garments that can measure a wearer's body temperature or trace their heart activity are just entering the market, and a new project weaves new functions into smart textiles. Miniaturized biosensors in a textile patch can now analyze body fluids, even a tiny drop of sweat, and provide a much better assessment of someone's health.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Vaccine For Ebola Virus Successful In Primates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986167/080330200630.htm
One of the world's deadliest diseases, caused by the Ebola virus, may finally be preventable thanks to US and Canadian researchers, who have successfully tested several Ebola vaccines in primates and are now looking to adapt them for human use.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Why Wallpaper Won't Peel Off Easily And Why Tape Refuses To Pull Off The Roll Straight
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260856309/080330140037.htm
Frustrated by tape that won't peel off the roll in a straight line? Angry at wallpaper that refuses to tear neatly off the wall? A new study reveals why these efforts can be so aggravating. Wallpaper is not out to foil you -- it's just obeying the laws of physics.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
MRSA In Hospital Intensive Care: What's Growing Where?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986168/080330200645.htm
Researchers are finding out which bugs grow in intensive care units to develop a novel sampling regime that would indicate the threat of MRSA and other superbugs in the environment.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
New Software Aids Researchers Analyzing Millions Of DNA Sequences
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986169/080328070108.htm
As the scope of genome research expands on an almost daily basis, researchers confront increasingly large volumes of data. Now biologists are developing software that enables researchers to analyze millions of DNA sequences faster and with greater accuracy.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Robotic Minds Think Alike?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260353502/080329121353.htm
Most schoolchildren struggle to learn geometry, but they are still able to catch a ball without first calculating its parabola. Why should robots be any different? Researchers have developed an artificial cognitive system that learns from experience and observation rather than relying on predefined rules and models.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Huge Meteorite Impact Found In UK -- Britain's Largest
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260965511/080330190410.htm
Evidence of the biggest meteorite ever to hit the British Isles has been found. Scientists believe that a large meteorite hit northwest Scotland about 1.2 billion years ago near the Scottish town of Ullapool.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Gene Variation Predicts Response To Treatment In Common Infertility Disorder, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942939/080330184817.htm
Researchers have discovered that women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are less likely to ovulate in response to a promising new drug treatment for the condition if they have a variation in a particular gene. The gene, known as STK (serine-threonine kinase) 11 is involved in controlling blood sugar levels. Along with infertility and cyst-like structures in the ovaries, women with PCOS often have insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition in which higher-than-normal amounts of insulin are required to reduce blood sugar levels.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Faster Hawaiian Tree Growth Without Adverse Ecosystem Effects
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986170/080327093626.htm
US Forest Service scientists with the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry have completed a study on ways to make high-value koa trees grow faster, while increasing biodiversity, carbon sequestration, scenic beauty and recreation opportunities in native Hawaiían forests.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Somalia Is Again Polio-free -- One Year Since Last Reported Case
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942938/080330185140.htm
Somalia is again polio-free, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced today, calling it a 'historic achievement' in public health. Somalia has not reported a case since 25 March 2007, a major landmark in the intensified eradication effort launched last year to wipe out the disease in the remaining few strongholds. Against a backdrop of widespread conflict, large population movements and a dearth of functioning government infrastructure, transmission of poliovirus in the country has been successfully stopped.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Micro Chips Could Speed Up Detection Of Livestock Viruses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260986171/080330200647.htm
Some of the worst threats to farm workers and farm animals such as bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and other emerging viruses could soon be quickly identified by using a newly developed simple screening chip.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Treating Wife's Stress May Be Indirect Care For Men With Prostate Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942940/080330184017.htm
When a couple is dealing with cancer, a partner's psychological distress might drag down the well-being of either person, according to a new study of 168 married couples. The physical health of husbands seemed to be especially vulnerable to the poor emotional well-being of their wives.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Six New Genes Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Discovered, Including One With Role In Prostate Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260856307/080330140015.htm
Scientists have identified six new genes which play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and among the group is the second gene known to also play a role in prostate cancer.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
New Drug May Help Rescue The Aging Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942932/080330183235.htm
As people age, their brains pay the price -- inflammation goes up, levels of certain neurotransmitters go down, and the result is a plethora of ailments ranging from memory impairment and depression to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But in a long-term study with implications to treat these and other conditions, researchers have found that an experimental drug, taken chronically, has the ability to stem the effects of aging in the rat brain.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Who's Bad? Chimps Figure It Out By Observation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258328895/080326095411.htm
Chimpanzees make judgments about the actions and dispositions of strangers by observing others' behavior and interactions in different situations. Specifically, chimpanzees show an ability to recognize behavioral traits and make assumptions about the presence or absence of these traits in strangers in similar situations thereafter. Chimpanzees have sophisticated social skills and there is evidence that primates eavesdrop.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Postoperative Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Survival In Gastric Cancer Patients, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942933/080311215911.htm
The use of combination chemotherapy following surgery did not improve survival in patients with gastric cancer, according to a randomized clinical trial.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
BMW Hydrogen 7 Emissions Well-below Super-ultra Low-emission Vehicle Standards, Government Tests Confirm
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942934/080328070103.htm
Independent tests conducted by engineers at the US Department of Energy on a BMW Hydrogen 7 Mono-Fuel demonstration vehicle have found that the car's hydrogen-powered engine surpasses the super-ultra low-emission vehicle level, the most stringent emissions performance standard to date.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Communicating Your Way To A Healthy Heart
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260877985/080330154101.htm
Pairing an interned-based health reporting system with regular clinic visits enabled healthy patients in rural and urban settings at high-risk for heart disease to lower risk factors through frequent communication with their doctor.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
3-D Imaging: First Insights Into Magnetic Fields
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260856311/080330140019.htm
3-D images are not only useful in medicine; the observation of internal structures is also invaluable in many other fields of scientific investigation. Researchers have now succeeded, for the first time, in a direct, three-dimensional visualization of magnetic fields inside solid, non-transparent materials.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Salmonella Bacteria Turned Into Cancer Fighting Robots
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/243592613/080229171124.htm
Salmonella bacteria can be turned into tiny terminator robots that venture deep into cancerous tumors where conventional chemotherapy can't reach. Once in place, the bacteria manufacture drugs that destroy cancer cells. This could translate chemotherapy that is more specific, more effective and easier on patients.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
How Dengue Virus Matures, Becomes Infectious
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259256333/080327172348.htm
Biologists have determined why dengue virus particles undergo structural changes as they mature in host cells and how the changes are critical for enabling the virus to infect new host cells.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
ALS Aggregates Are Composed Of Only One Protein
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255684905/080321140315.htm
Researchers have provided a big new clue to help combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), deciphering that the dense protein aggregates that contribute to the nerve decay of ALS are composed of just one protein: superoxide dismutase (SOD1). While the aggregation of mutated SOD1, a protein that normally protects cells from free radical damage, is a tell-tale sign of familial ALS, the exact composition of these aggregates has been unclear.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Visual Technology Enables Brain To Learn In New Ways
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565611/080321104655.htm
Tufts University has literally expanded the visualization concept with a new 14-foot by 8-foot visualization wall that enables researchers to translate the most abstract, complex science into 3-dimensional images that are clearer and more precise than those produced by most conventional systems. "Users will be able to manipulate, simulate, touch and literally immerse themselves in data in a way they never have been able to before," according to the university.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Genetic Counselors Turn To Unconventional Counseling To Meet Demand For Genetic Testing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/253021927/080317090118.htm
Imagine receiving genetic test results for a disease you could develop later in life without having anyone with whom to discuss your options for managing the risk. That's becoming a common occurrence as people turn to the Internet and other outlets for genetic testing without genetic counseling. In an effort to broaden accessibility to genetic counseling, researchers are exploring nonconventional counseling methods that challenge traditional approaches.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Sensors For Bat-inspired Spy Plane Under Development
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260856308/080330144843.htm
A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat is being developed to gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Real-time Imaging Device May Improve Surgery For Congenital Colon Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942935/080229094721.htm
Researchers are developing a spectral imaging system that could result in shorter operating times for infants undergoing surgery for Hirschsprung's disease, according to a results from a new mouse study. Spectral imaging identifies diseased tissue without need for biopsy.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Jules Verne ATV's Will Attempt To Dock With The International Space Station
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942936/080328112830.htm
After several days spent in a parking orbit 2000 km ahead of the ISS, Jules Verne ATV is now ready to join up with the International Space Station. This first docking attempt can be followed live on April 3, 2008 from 15:30 CEST onwards from one of the European participating centers.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Rectal Artemisinins Rapidly Eliminate Malarial Parasites
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259598611/080328070130.htm
Artemisinin-based suppositories can help "buy time" for malaria patients who face a delay in accessing effective, injectable antimalarials, according to new research.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Project To Help Power Developing Nations Underway
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260942937/080312134132.htm
With a proposed fiscal year 2009 budget of $20 million, the effort by the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and partners to develop grid-appropriate reactors is gaining steam.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Improvement Found In The Care Of Children With Cancer At The End Of Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260353504/080329083547.htm
Expanded use of palliative care services is associated with enhanced communications between families and caregivers, improved symptoms management, and better quality of life for children dying from cancer, according to new study. The study's findings also suggest that the parents were more likely to feel they were prepared for their children's end-of-life medical problems.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
How Color Vision Is Processed: Fly Brain Circuitry Mapped
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260760199/080325113407.htm
Biologists have mapped the medulla circuitry in fruit flies, setting the stage for subsequent research on how color vision is processed. The work will enable researchers to explore how color vision is processed in the optic lobe of the fruit fly Drosophila, providing a paradigm for more complex systems in vertebrates.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Being Born Bottom First Is Inherited, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260760200/080328070122.htm
A baby is twice as likely to be born bottom first if either or both the parents were themselves breech deliveries, according to a new study. The results suggest genes are a contributing factor.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Sore Wrists And Hands Can Result From Our Work: But Is It Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259713505/080328113442.htm
Do you feel numbness, burning pain or a tingling sensation in your hand or wrist that seems to increase at night; have difficulty holding objects without dropping them; or find it increasingly difficult to perform repetitive movements such as using your computer mouse or keyboard without pain? If so, then you may be one of the estimated 2 million people in the United States affected by carpal tunnel syndrome.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Too Many Women Still Dying From Breast Cancer, Says UK Charity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260760201/080327172227.htm
Thousands of women die from breast cancer each year because current treatments are not always effective and in some cases fail to stem the disease, warns the United Kingdom-based charity Breast Cancer Campaign.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
'Wildcat Power Cord' Repairs Cruciate Ligament In Dairy Cow's Knee
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/260760202/080327171031.htm
An 8-year-old Jersey dairy cow is back at her Kansas farm thanks to a decade of research and an experimental surgery performed at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Mon, 31 Mar 08
Early Living Together, Marriage, Parenting Benefits Some Young Adults
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/259683474/080328104039.htm
Young people are always encouraged to complete their education and postpone marriage and children to achieve more rewarding lifestyles. However, a Penn State study found that for some young adults, getting married or living together and having children have provided positive benefits.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Artificial Photosynthesis Moves A Step Closer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023287/080325104519.htm
Scientists have made an important step on the long road to artificially mimicking photosynthesis. They were able to synthesise a stable inorganic metal oxide cluster, which enables the fast and effective oxidation of water to oxygen. Artificial photosynthesis may decisively contribute to solving energy and climate problems, if researchers find a way to efficiently produce hydrogen with the aid of solar energy.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Spit Tests May Soon Replace Many Blood Tests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023288/080325101138.htm
One day soon patients may spit in a cup, instead of bracing for a needle prick, when being tested for cancer, heart disease or diabetes. A major step in that direction is the cataloguing of the "complete" salivary proteome, a set of proteins in human ductal saliva, identified by a consortium of three research teams, according to a new article.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
MRI: A Window To Genetic Properties Of Brain Tumors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257285307/080324173609.htm
Researchers have shown that Magnetic Resonance Imaging technology has the potential to non-invasively characterize tumors and determine which of them may be responsive to specific forms of treatment.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Managing Seven Common Conditions Without Medication
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257354014/080324202826.htm
We've gotten used to taking pills for everything that ails us, but medications have side effects and cost money. It takes some discipline, but in many cases, the nonpharmacological approach can do as much as pills. Seven common conditions are listed along with treatment options that don't require taking medication.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Organism That Causes Buruli Ulcer Has Been Isolated And Characterized
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023289/080325212836.htm
Scientists have for the first time isolated from the environment and fully characterized the organism that causes Buruli ulcer. The study lends support to the idea that the organism, Mycobacterium ulcerans, is transmitted to humans from environmental aquatic niches, rather than from person-to-person.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Running Words Together: The Science Behind Cross-linguistic Psychology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023290/080325163752.htm
While communication may be recognized as a universal phenomenon, differences between languages -- ranging from word order to semantics -- undoubtedly remain as they help to define culture and develop language. Yet, little is understood about similarities and differences in languages around the world and how they affect communication. Recently, however, two studies have emerged that aid in our understanding of cross-linguistic distinctions in language usage.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Global Warming Could Radically Change Lake Tahoe In Ten Years
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023291/080325141202.htm
A new study predicts that climate change will irreversibly alter water circulation in Lake Tahoe in the Western US, radically changing the conditions for plants and fish in the lake -- and it could happen in 10 years.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Targeting Aggressive Breast Cancers By Putting Them To Sleep
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677320/080325092650.htm
It is well established that Id1, a gene normally produced only in embryonic development, is reactivated in many "solid" cancers, or carcinomas. New research shows that by 'switching off' the Id1 gene, it is possible to induce a state of 'senescence', or permanent sleep, within a tumour, preventing it from growing or spreading.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Colon Cancer Screening Key To Prevention, Increased Survival
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257354015/080324202016.htm
Colon cancer screening is a tough sell. It's icky, uncomfortable and the thought of a colonoscopy, especially the prep, can be intimidating, to say the least. But here's what clinches the sale: Colon cancer can be largely prevented through proper screening.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Fruit Fly Phlebotomy Holds Neuroscience Promise
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023292/080325143113.htm
Neuroscientists have developed a technique for extracting useful quantities of insect blood from a single fruit fly. The technique may prove useful in genetic studies and for studying minute amounts of fluid from disease hot-spots, such as those where some retinal diseases begin.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Organic Crops Impressively Productive When Compared With Conventionally Grown Crops
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023293/080325101134.htm
Scientists investigated yield differences between organic and conventional cash grain and forage crops in the Upper Midwest to compare the productivity of the two cropping systems. The researchers found that: organic forage crops yielded as much or more dry matter as their conventional counterparts with quality sufficient to produce as much milk as the conventional systems; and organic grain crops: corn, soybean, and winter wheat produced 90 percent as well as their conventionally managed counterparts.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Family Wealth May Explain Differences In Test Scores In School-age Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677326/080325083329.htm
A new study using new methods to examine the dynamics of wealth found that family wealth might partly explain differences in test scores of school-age children, and examined how wealth affects children's cognitive achievement at different stages of childhood. Wealth had a stronger effect on school aged children than on preschoolers, and had a stronger association with math than reading skills. Family wealth also was positively associated with parenting behavior, home environment, and children's self-esteem.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Primitive Mouse-Like Creature May Be Ancestral Mother Of Australia's Unusual Pouched Mammals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023294/080325203453.htm
A new study has confirmed that a primitive mouse-like creature that lived 55 million years ago (called Djarthia) is also a primitive relative of the small marsupial known as the Monito del Monte -- or "little mountain monkey" -- from the dense humid forests of Chile and Argentina.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Breast Cancer Recurrence, New Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023295/080325163812.htm
Hormone replacement therapy for peri- and postmenopausal symptoms increases disease recurrence in breast cancer survivors, according to a new article. Previous studies have shown that HRT increases breast cancer incidence in healthy women, but its impact on breast cancer survivors has remained obscure.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Fuji Apples, Popular Apple Variety, Harbor Unusual Cell Growth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023296/080325100112.htm
A scientist has discovered callus hair growth while imaging Fuji apples. The variety was developed in Japan, but is widely grown in the Southern Hemisphere, China, Southern Europe and the USA. It is a cross between Ralls Janet and Red Delicious, and is itself used as a parent in breeding programs.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Radiologists Use Special MRI To Identify Brain Cancer Early
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023297/080325083333.htm
A special type of magnetic resonance imaging can depict changes in blood volume in the brain that often precede cancerous transformation of brain tumors, according to a new study.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Shorebirds' Migratory Wetland Habitat Declining Fast
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257354013/080324203807.htm
A decline by more than 70 percent of several North American shorebird species since the early 1970s has brought state, federal and international concern about conservation efforts for these birds and their wetland habitat. Wildlife ecologists are particularly interested in conservation measures aimed at slowing the decline.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Children Who Bully Also Have Problems With Other Relationships
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023298/080325083300.htm
Children who bully were found to have conflict in relationships with their parents and friends, and also to associate with others who bully. Researchers looked at 871 students for seven years, beginning at age 10, and found that most children engage in bullying at some point. The research underscores that bullying is a "relationship problem" that calls for interventions targeting the aggressive behavior, social skills, and problem-solving skills, and also on bullying children's strained relationships.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Living Upside-down Shapes Spiders For Energy Saving
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023299/080325203450.htm
Consider the possible effects of the peculiar lifestyle of numerous spider species, which live, feed, breed and "walk" in an upside-down hanging position. According to new research, such "unconventional" enterprise drives a shape in spiders that confers high energy efficiency, as in oscillatory pendulums.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Discovery May Bring Special Treatment For Premature Male Babies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023300/080325095242.htm
Researchers have discovered that male babies born prematurely are more vulnerable to cardiovascular complications than female babies. This finding may explain why male babies born prematurely are twice as likely to die as female babies in the first 72 hours of life. It could also lead to new ways of treating premature babies throughout the world.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Giant Ocean Eddy Shadows Sydney, Australia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023301/080325100117.htm
The giant ocean eddy that cooled Sydney's shores a year ago has been superseded by another 300 km diameter giant. The cold water at the new eddy’s center has welled up about 500m from the ocean depths.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
New Approach To Detecting Epidemic Outbreaks Holds Promise For Developing Countries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677321/080325093610.htm
A new approach to monitoring infectious disease outbreaks using statistical algorithms as well as "pre-diagnostic" data--such as medication sales, patients' symptoms, and absenteeism from work--holds promise for improving public health security in developing countries, argue researchers in PLoS Medicine.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Several Methods Possible For Enhancing The Functioning Of Defibrillators In Cases Of Heart Attack
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/258023302/080325111757.htm
A young scientist puts forth various methods for the elimination of interference caused by compressions and ventilations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the context of cardiac defibrillation.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Mother-child Attachment, Children's Temperament Play A Role In 'Terrible 2' Conflicts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677329/080325083309.htm
Attachment security was found to be related to the quality, but not frequency of conflict between mothers and their 2-year-olds. Observations with 60 mothers and their children at 30 months and 36 months were used to examine whether their conflict contained compromise, justification or aggravation. Those in secure relationships were seen to have constructive conflict. The researchers also found that highly active children who had trouble controlling their behavior had more conflict with mothers.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Earliest Signs Of Corn As Staple Food Found After Spreading South From Mexican Homeland
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709717/080324173538.htm
A new technique for examining ancient cooking pots has produced the earliest directly dated examples of domesticated corn (maize) being consumed on the South American continent. The discovery shows the spread of maize out of Mexico more than 9,000 years ago occurred much faster than previously believed and provides evidence that corn was likely a vital food crop for villages in tropical Ecuador at least 5,000 years ago.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Mantis Shrimp Vision Reveals New Way That Animals Can See
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255026996/080320120732.htm
Mantis shrimp can see the world in a way that had never been observed in any animal before, researchers report. The discovery suggests that the ability to perceive circular polarized light may lend mantis shrimp a secret mode of communication.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Dieting And Medication May Reduce Blood Pressure In Patients With Hypertension
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709714/080324173548.htm
Adults with hypertension may be able to lower their weight and their blood pressure by following a weight-loss diet or using the medication orlistat, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
College Students Score Higher In Classes That Incorporate Instructional Technology Than In Traditional Classes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257177103/080324125154.htm
The lives of today's college students have always included computers and the Internet. That technology now has moved from the ether into instruction. A new technical report finds that students in a "hybrid class" that incorporated instructional technology with in-class lectures scored a letter-grade higher on average than their counterparts who took the same class in a more traditional format.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
When Should Children With HIV Infection Start On Anti-HIV Medications?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677324/080325083352.htm
The advent of effective medications for treating HIV dramatically improved the outlook for both adults and children infected with HIV who had access to treatment, but the optimal timing for starting treatment remains controversial, particularly in children.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
'Digital Skills Divide' Emerging
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257354016/080324201319.htm
While the "digital divide" may be narrowing in terms of access to the Internet, a significant "digital skills divide" is emerging. Researchers found the higher the socio-economic status, the greater the time spent on the Web and the more sophisticated the search and evaluation skills. Google was the favored search engine by parents in the high socio-economic group.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Hospitals That Participate In Clinical Trials May Provide Better Patient Care
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257285309/080324173602.htm
Hospitals that participate in clinical trials appear to provide better care for patients with heart attacks or other acute heart events and have lower death rates than hospitals that do not participate in clinical trials, according to a new report.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Toward A New Generation Of Vaccines For Malaria And Other Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085014/080324090552.htm
Researchers have a new strategy for designing the next generation of synthetic vaccines that could lead to more effective treatments for fighting malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and other infectious diseases. These conditions kill more than 17 million people around the world each year.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Patients With Psoriasis At Increased Risk For Developing Other Serious Medical Conditions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257148136/080324124350.htm
It has long been known that psoriasis, a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, can have a significant negative impact on a patient's overall quality of life. Now, dermatologists are finding that psoriasis, especially severe psoriasis, is linked with a number of serious medical conditions -- including cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Elderly Improve With Exercise, Too
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709719/080321123721.htm
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans strongly urge people to engage in regular physical activity and avoid sedentary pastimes. That's because previous research has provided evidence that physical activity and nutrition work together for better health. Scientists now report on how the elderly also can engage in physical activity to improve quality of life.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
New Approach To Help Control Drug Resistance In Leukemia Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709720/080324173534.htm
Researchers have found that an experimental drug known as SGX393 is effective against Gleevec-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia. New research gives additional therapeutic tools for even more effective and longer control of chronic myeloid leukemia.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Eleven Genetic Variations Linked To Type 2 Diabetes, New Mathematical Tools Show
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257148135/080324124643.htm
Mathematicians have developed powerful new tools for winnowing out the genes behind some of humanity's most intractable diseases. With one, they can cast back through generations to pinpoint the genes behind inherited illness. With another, they have isolated 11 variations within genes -- called single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs or "snips"--associated with type 2 diabetes.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Will Whole Genome Research Result In Genetic Profiling?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677322/080325083407.htm
Interest in whole-genome research has grown substantially over the past few months. But what are the ethics issues associated with this work? In whole-genome research, participants quickly lose control over access to their personal information, and they run the risk of "genetic profiling."
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Huge Iceberg Breaks Away, Antarctic Ice Shelf 'Hangs By A Thread'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257775807/080325120714.htm
British Antarctic Survey has captured dramatic images of an Antarctic ice shelf that looks set to be the latest to break out from the Antarctic Peninsula. A large part of the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula is now supported only by a thin strip of ice hanging between two islands. Scientists monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf spotted that a huge iceberg appears to have broken away in recent days -- it is still on the move.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Periodontal Disease Can Lead To Gestational Diabetes, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257148138/080324122301.htm
A dental research team has discovered evidence that pregnant women with periodontal disease are more likely to develop gestational diabetes mellitus than pregnant women with healthy gums.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Water Pollution Continues At Famous Russian Lake
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085010/080324103026.htm
Despite widespread concerns about preserving the world's largest body of fresh water, researchers report that pollution is continuing in Russia's fabled Lake Baikal. The deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's unfrozen freshwater and is home to more than 1,500 species found nowhere else on earth.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Birth Control Pill Effective In Timing IVF Treatments, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709721/080324173530.htm
Women who have tried to conceive using in vitro fertilization (IVF) methods are painfully aware that timing is of the essence. There are cancelled vacations, too many sick days taken from work, and the necessity to plan everything around "the treatment." In a surprising finding, researchers have discovered that the same pill used to prevent pregnancy can actually help a woman conceive.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Cotton Studies Target Killer: Fusarium Wilt
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255628626/080321125116.htm
The long, warm days of a typical California summer make life easy for sun-loving cotton plants. But a fungal enemy that causes what's known as Fusarium wilt can make things tough for the plants--and for growers' balance sheets, too.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
Mythbusted: People Who Wear Glasses Aren't Geeks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257709722/080325101141.htm
Latest Australian research into myopia or shortsightedness reveals that people who wear glasses are not stereotypical geeks or nerds.
Wed, 26 Mar 08
'Suspended Animation' Induced In Mice With Sewer Gas: Effects Are Reversible
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257677319/080325083254.htm
Low doses of the toxic gas responsible for the unpleasant odor of rotten eggs can safely and reversibly depress both metabolism and aspects of cardiovascular function in mice, producing a suspended-animation-like state. Heart rate and metabolism drop, while blood pressure and oxygen levels are maintained.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Ultrahigh-energy Cosmic Rays Are From Extremely Far Away
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255510364/080321084612.htm
Final results from the University of Utah's High Resolution Fly's Eye cosmic ray observatory show that the most energetic particles in the universe rarely reach Earth at full strength because they come from great distances, so most of them collide with radiation left over from the birth of the universe. The findings confirm a 42-year-old prediction -- known as the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin "cutoff," "limit" or "suppression" -- about ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Baby Boys Are More Likely To Die Than Baby Girls
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400722/080324173552.htm
Male infants in developed nations are more likely to die than female infants, a fact that is partially responsible for men's shorter lifespans, reveals a new study. The paper analyzes 15 countries spanning three continents and hundreds of years. It finds that the gender gap in infant mortality was as high as 30 percent at its peak around 1970.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
In Poker, Psychologists Place Bets On Skill
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255657133/080321125835.htm
Is it luck of the draw in poker? The answer is 'no', according to new findings from two psychology studies. In the first study, DeDonno had 41 college students play eight games, totaling 200 hands, of Turbo Texas Hold'em, a computerized simulation of 10-player Hold'em poker.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Certain Liver Disease Related To Cardiovascular Fitness
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400724/080324173520.htm
Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have suboptimal levels of cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, body composition and physical fitness, according to a new study.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Short-tailed Albatross Chicks Moved Out Of The Shadow Of The Volcano
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255684903/080321142057.htm
Ten Short-tailed Albatross chicks have been moved by helicopter, from their current stronghold on Torishima Island to the site of a former colony 350 km to the South-east. The potential for future volcanic events on Torishima is among the most serious threats to this vulnerable species. Currently, 80-85% of the world population breeds on a highly erodible slope on the outwash plain from the caldera of an active volcano.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Americans Sleeping More, Not Less, Says New Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257109238/080324111509.htm
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Americans average as much sleep as they did 40 years ago, and possibly more, according to sociologists. The researchers report that adult sleep averages have increased about three hours per week over the last decade, up from 56 to 59 hours.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Birth On An Enzyme: Scientists Succeed In Designing Artificial Enzymes That Also Undergo 'Evolution In A Test Tube'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085013/080324100050.htm
A team of scientists has succeeded in creating a new type of enzyme for a reaction for which no naturally occurring enzyme has evolved, by using a combination of novel computational methodologies and molecular in vitro evolution. This achievement opens the door to the development of a variety of potential applications in medicine and industry.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Ants Are Experienced Fungus Farmers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400725/080324173459.htm
It turns out ants, like humans, are true farmers. The difference is that ants are farming fungus. Entomologists are providing new insight into the agricultural abilities of ants and how these abilities have evolved throughout time.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Model Offers New Understanding Of Cell Signaling, Will Speed Finding Of Drug Targets
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400726/080324173455.htm
A new mathematical model gives scientists a smarter way to learn which cellular processes are key in many diseases and thus find the most effective drug targets. Scientists say the model, now freely available to researchers, should speed the search for effective treatments for cancer, inflammation and other conditions that affect millions of people.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
A Chemical 'Keypad Lock' For Biomolecular Computers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085011/080324102640.htm
Researchers are reporting an advance toward a new generation of ultra-powerful computers built from DNA and enzymes, rather than transistors, silicon chips, and plastic. They describe development of a chemical "keypad lock," one of the first chemical-based security systems of its kind.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
CSI Fact Catching Up With Fiction As Chemists Develop New Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085012/080324101956.htm
Real-life crime scene analysis of bloodstains, fingerprints, and other evidence does not match the speed and certainty on television shows such as CSI. But thanks to advances in chemistry, fact is catching up with fiction as researchers develop faster, more sensitive forensics tools.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Electrons Can Travel Over 100 Times Faster In Graphene Than In Silicon, Physicists Show
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257056348/080324094514.htm
Physicists have shown that in graphene the intrinsic limit to the mobility, a measure of how well a material conducts electricity, is higher than any other known material at room temperature. Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of graphite, is a new material which combines aspects of semiconductors and metals.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
'Mutant' Proteins Could Lead To New Treatment For Heart Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257204333/080324142708.htm
Heart damage due to blocked arteries remains the leading cause of disease and death in the Western world, but a Florida State University College of Medicine researcher is helping to open new pathways toward treating the problem.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
New Triple-threat Weapon Needed In War Between Man And Microbe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085009/080324103239.htm
Humanity's age-old battle against infectious diseases stands to rage on and on, unless scientists develop a new generation of triple-action antibiotics, according to a new article.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Dramatic Rise Found In Hepatitis C-related Deaths In The United States
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400727/080324173515.htm
Hepatitis C-related deaths in the United States increased by 123 percent from 1995 through 2004, the most recent year for which data are available. Mortality rates peaked in 2002, then declined slightly overall, while continuing to rise among people 55 to 64 years old.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Environmentally-Friendly Controls For Peach Tree Pests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400728/080321121657.htm
Peach growers combat several insects that harm their crop, usually using chemical pesticides to do so. Agricultural Research Service scientists are seeking environmentally friendly alternatives. For the peachtree borer, the researchers found a beneficial nematode.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Too Much Information? Study Shows How Ignorance Can Be Influential
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257177102/080324130159.htm
Researchers provide a challenge to the classic economic model of information manipulation, in which knowing more than anybody else is the key to influence. Instead, economists present a situation -- commonly observed in real life -- in which all parties have access to the same information, but one party still manages to control public opinion.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Delicate Partnership Between Coral And Algae Threatened By Global Warming
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257056349/080324091101.htm
Over two hundred million humans depend for their subsistence on the fact that coral has an addiction to "junk food" -- and orders its partners, the symbiotic algae, to make it. This curious arrangement is one of nature's most delicate and complex partnerships -- a collaboration now facing grave threats from climate change.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
New Hope For Children With Kidney Tumors Deemed Inoperable
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257177101/080324135241.htm
Physicians have demonstrated that children with bilateral Wilms tumor, a cancer of the kidneys, can retain normal function in both kidneys by undergoing a procedure called bilateral nephron-sparing surgery, even when preoperative scans suggest that the tumors are inoperable.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Facts On Fats Could Prompt Healthier Eating
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400729/080321122604.htm
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans included --- for the first time --- recommendations that U.S. consumers keep their intake of trans fatty acids as low as possible. The dietary guidelines now recommend consuming less than 10 percent of daily calories from saturated fatty acids; that's 22 grams or less for a 2,000-calorie diet. But a 2007 data analysis shows that about 64 percent of adults exceed this recommendation.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Parents' High Blood Pressure Associated With Increased Risk Of Hypertension Throughout Life In Men
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257285310/080324173559.htm
Individuals who have one or two parents with hypertension appear to have a significantly increased risk of developing elevated blood pressure throughout their adult lives, according to a new report.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Hyper-entangled Photons: 'Superdense' Coding Gets Denser
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257109237/080324112847.htm
The record for the most amount of information sent by a single photon has been broken. Using the direction of "wiggling" and "twisting" of a pair of hyper-entangled photons, they have beaten a fundamental limit on the channel capacity for dense coding with linear optics.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Insects Take A Bigger Bite Out Of Plants In A Higher Carbon Dioxide World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257285306/080324173612.htm
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at an alarming rate, and new research indicates that soybean plant defenses go down as carbon dioxide goes up. Elevated carbon dioxide impairs a key component of the plant's defenses against leaf-eating insects, according to a new article.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Cancer Treatments In Phase 3 Trials Successful Up To Half Of The Time
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257285308/080324173606.htm
About one-fourth to one-half of new cancer treatments that reach assessment in phase 3 randomized clinical trials are eventually proven successful, according to a new report. Overall, 30 percent of the trials had statistically significant results; in 80 percent of those cases, new treatments were superior to established protocols.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
How To Ignite, Retain Female Interest In The Study Of Science
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400731/080320150037.htm
It might be surprising that 40,275 grams of slime, 4,030 ink dots, 3,876 M&Ms, 977 baby diapers, 489 cups of milk and a few electrified pickles can make a difference in the academic lives of adolescent girls, but it's true.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Obesity May Keep Some Women From Getting Screened For Breast, Cervical Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400732/080324173525.htm
A review of cancer screening studies shows that white women who are obese are less likely than healthy weight women to get the recommended screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Soybean Varieties Viable In Southern Indiana, Resistant To Root-knot Nematode
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257400733/080320173605.htm
Researchers have identified several soybean varieties that grow well in areas of the Midwest like southern Indiana, US and are resistant to root-knot nematodes, a plant-destroying parasite with a recently confirmed presence in that part of the state.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Federal Protection Against Genetic Discrimination Urged By American College of Physicians
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257148139/080324122252.htm
A policy monograph highlighting the need for federal protections against genetic discrimination in employment and insurance practices was just released by the American College of Physicians.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Fly's Tiny Brain May Hold Huge Human Benefits
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257306923/080324173545.htm
A study in fruit flies has shown that by manipulating levels of certain compounds associated with the "circuitry" of the brain, key genes related to memory can be isolated and tested. The results of the study may benefit human patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and could eventually lead to discoveries in the treatment of depression.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Beef Jerky Safety Boosted Simply: Heat For Longer To Kill Salmonella And E. Coli
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257028826/080324080304.htm
The latest spate of meat recalls due to E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella contamination might have consumers wondering about the safety of their meat products. But beef jerky connoisseurs need not worry.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Cheap Beet Pulp Turned Into Value-Added Plastics Ingredient
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257306924/080321122925.htm
Sugar beet pulp may help cut the costs of making biodegradable plastic, new studies suggest. The pulp is a fiber-rich byproduct of sucrose extraction procedures used by sugar beet processors. Most of the 40 million tons of U.S. sugar beet pulp generated each year is used as an inexpensive livestock feed or pet-food ingredient. But chemists aim to breathe new economic life into the pulp.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
NASA's Webb Telescope Sunshield Preliminary Design Review Complete
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254992741/080320103243.htm
The tennis court-sized sunshield built by Northrop Grumman for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has completed its preliminary design review at the company's Space Technology facility.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Free Drug Samples May Burden Patients' Pockets
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257028825/080324080307.htm
Following free drug sample receipt, patients who receive these samples have significantly higher out-of-pocket prescription costs than those who don't, according to the first study to look at the out-of-pocket cost associated with free-sample use.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Computers Show How Bats Classify Plants According To Their Echoes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085002/080320205227.htm
Researchers have developed a computer algorithm that can imitate the bat's ability to classify plants using echolocation. The study represents a collaboration between machine learning scientists and biologists studying bat orientation.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Strengthening The Tumor-fighting Ability Of T Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257056351/080324090555.htm
Researchers may have found a new way to promote immune cell attack on tumors. When faced with cancer, the immune system dispatches cells, called T cells, to kill the tumor. But these killer cells often fail to completely eliminate the tumor because they're deactivated by a distinct population of T cells known as regulatory T cells.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Flies And Salmonella: A Bad Combo In Poultry Houses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255628627/080321124759.htm
Flies may be more than a mere nuisance. They may also spread food poisoning bacteria like Salmonella enteritidis to chickens and their eggs. Microbiologists found that the common housefly, Musca domestica, readily picks up bacteria from its surroundings. When the chickens eat the flies, the bacteria get inside the birds.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Research To Lead To Brain Tumor Therapies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257028824/080324080310.htm
No therapy, other than invasive surgery aiming at a single tumor and which may not eradicate the full extent of the tumors, currently exists. By developing drug therapies will provide patients with a viable, non-invasive alternative.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Mass Measurement Technique Uncovers New Iron Isomer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085003/080320191308.htm
A ground state atomic nucleus can be something of a black box, masking subtle details about its structure behind the aggregate interplay of its protons and neutrons. This is one reason nuclear scientists are so keenly interested in isomers -- relatively long-lived excited-state nuclei that more easily give up their structural secrets to experimentalists.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Tracking Risky Teen Behavior Using GPS-enabled Cell Phones
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085004/080324100045.htm
How can researchers track where teens go when not in or near home or school to see if this movement has an impact on health-related behavior such as smoking or sexual activity? The answer is through that ubiquitous teen accessory -- the cell phone.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Tiny Buckyballs Squeeze Hydrogen Like Giant Jupiter
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254963186/080320095005.htm
Could tiny carbon cages store hydrogen for a hydrogen economy? Tiny carbon capsules called buckyballs are strong enough to hold volumes of hydrogen nearly as dense as those found at the center of Jupiter. Using a computer model, materials scientists found some buckyballs were capable of holding hydrogen volumes so dense as to be almost metallic.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
How HIV Turns Food-poisoning Into Lethal Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257056350/080324090558.htm
Nearly half of all HIV-positive African adults who become infected with Salmonella die from what otherwise would be a seven-day bout of diarrhea. Now, scientists have discovered how salmonella becomes lethal for AIDS patients.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
A Clearer Picture Of Cloudy Eyes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255684904/080321140945.htm
A new study provides more insight into cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the elderly, finding that small pieces of a perfectly normal protein become toxic during the aging process. A cataract results from deterioration in the highly ordered assembly of crystallin proteins in the eye lens.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Genetic Study Of Latin Americans Sheds Light On A Troubled History
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085005/080320205224.htm
A recent molecular analysis of ancestry across Latin America has revealed a marked differentiation between regions and demonstrated a "genetic continuity" between pre-and post Columbian populations. This study provides the first broad description of how the genome diversity of populations from Latin America has been shaped by the colonial history of the region.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Physicists Learn How Quantum Mechanical States Break Down
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085007/080320173602.htm
Researchers have made significant advancements in understanding a fundamental problem of quantum mechanics -- one that is blocking efforts to develop practical quantum computers with processing speeds far superior to conventional computers. Theoretical and experimental studies are investigating how microscopic objects lose their quantum-mechanical properties through interactions with the environment.
Tue, 25 Mar 08
Do Attractive Women Want It All?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/257085008/080320155237.htm
Although many researchers have believed women choose partners based on the kind of relationship they are seeking, a new study reveals women's preferences can be influenced by their own attractiveness.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Chemists Find New Important Contributor To Urban Smog
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800813/080320150032.htm
Chemists have discovered that a chemical reaction in the atmosphere above major cities long assumed to be unimportant in urban air pollution is in fact a significant contributor to urban ozone -- the main component of smog.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Therapeutic Cloning Treats Parkinson's Disease In Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777336/080323210229.htm
Therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer, can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. For the first time, researchers showed that therapeutic cloning or SCNT has been successfully used to treat disease in the same subjects from whom the initial cells were derived. While this current work is in animals, it could have future implications as this method may be an effective way to reduce transplant rejection and enhance recovery in other diseases and in other organ systems.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Eating Causes Stress, But Antioxidants Can Help
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800814/080321123343.htm
No matter how pleasant a meal is, eating causes what's known as oxidative stress. As we digest our food, we create sometimes-harmful molecules known as free radicals. But antioxidants -- healthful compounds in fruits and vegetables -- can help by neutralizing the free radicals.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Medications Plus Dental Materials May Equal Infection For Diabetic Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800815/080312125557.htm
What many diabetic patients may not know is that the medications that help control healthy insulin levels may lead to unexpected events at the dentist's office. According to a new study, diabetic patients especially need to communicate special needs to their dentists. This is due to harmful interactions that could occur because of the materials and medications used at dental appointments.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Iron Gets Into The North Pacific In Unexpected Ways, Will Impact Climate Change Predictions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800816/080319121816.htm
Most oceanographers have assumed that the iron needed to fertilize infrequent plankton blooms in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll regions of the world's oceans comes almost entirely from wind-blown dust. Earth scientists have now shown that in at least one of three major HNLCs around the globe, the Subarctic North Pacific, the key source of iron is not dust but the volcanic continental margins. Understanding the origins, transport mechanisms, and fate of naturally occurring iron in high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll surface waters is important in calculating climate change.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
We Help Friends Due To Empathy; Relatives Due To Expectation Of Reciprocity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255594715/080321114214.htm
Empathy is an emotional reaction to the plight of others. Empathy can lead to altruistic behavior, i.e. helping someone with the sole intention of enhancing that person's wellbeing. If we see people in difficulty, for example, we feel the same emotions, and this may prompt us to help them. Yet the relationship between empathy and altruism is still far from clear. One young psychologist has researched the topic and concluded that when we help friends in need, we are prompted by feelings of empathy, and that when we help relatives we do so because we have expectations of reciprocity.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Black Carbon Pollution Emerges As Major Player In Global Warming
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777337/080323210225.htm
Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates. soot and other forms of black carbon could have as much as 60 percent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide, more than that of any greenhouse gas besides carbon dioxide. The researchers also noted, however, that mitigation would have immediate societal benefits in addition to the long term effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Promising New Drug Targets Identified For Huntington's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777335/080323210232.htm
A number of promising new drug targets for Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disease, have emerged. Scientists have identified a number of candidate drugs to investigate further which encourage cells to "eat" the malformed proteins that lead to the disease.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Plants Appear To Cluster The Genes Needed For Defense
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800817/080320150030.htm
Plants may cluster the genes needed to make defense chemicals, which may provide a way to discover new natural plant products of use as drugs, herbicides or crop protectants. Using a gene cluster that makes an antifungal compound in oats as a template, they uncovered a previously unknown gene cluster making a related compound in a different species, and now want to extend the search to other plants.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Smokers Treated For Brain Aneurysm With Coils At Higher Risk Of Recurrence
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800818/080320095031.htm
Cigarette smokers who were treated for cerebral aneurysms with coil embolization (blocking of a blood vessel) are at greater risk of developing another aneurysm, say neurological surgeons.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Pitching Mound Height Affects Throwing Motion, Injury Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777341/080323210203.htm
A study involving several Major League Baseball pitchers indicates that the height of the pitcher's mound can affect the athlete's throwing arm motion, which may lead to potential injuries because of stress on the shoulder and elbow.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Language Feature Unique To Human Brain Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777338/080323210220.htm
Researchers have identified a language feature unique to the human brain that is shedding light on how human language evolved. The study marks the first use of diffusion tensor imaging, a noninvasive imaging technique, to compare human brain structures to those of chimpanzees, our closest living relative.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Signaling Protein Helps Limit Damage In Heart Attack, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255758668/080321174214.htm
Scientists have shown that a signaling protein helps protect the heart and adapt during a heart attack. The protein Gi has increased activity in failing hearts, but researchers have never been sure if it was helping the heart adapt to damage or if it was causing heart cells to die. The team blocked the protein in the hearts of genetically engineered mice experiencing heart attacks. The animals had greater heart damage than did normal mice.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Gulf Stream Leaves Its Signature Seven Miles High
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800821/080320181838.htm
The Gulf Stream's impact on climate is well known, keeping Iceland and Scotland comfortable in winter compared to the deep-freeze of Labrador at the same latitude. That cyclones tend to spawn over the Gulf Stream has also been known for some time. A new study reveals that the Gulf Stream anchors a precipitation band with upward motions and cloud formations that can reach 7 miles high and penetrate the upper troposphere. The discovery shows that the Gulf Stream has a pathway by which to directly affect weather and climate patterns over the whole Northern Hemisphere, and perhaps even world wide.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
New Insight Into The Genetics Of Brain Tumor Formation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800822/080317164345.htm
Researchers have identified a potential new neuronal tumor suppressor. Neural crest-derived tumors include neuroblastomas and medulloblastomas, which are the most common malignant pediatric solid tumors, as well as paragangliomas (relatively rare tumors of the sympathetic nervous system) and melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Findings Could Improve Fuel Cell Efficiency
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800823/080319133704.htm
A new type of membrane based on tiny iron particles appears to address one of the major limitations exhibited by current power-generating fuel cell technology. While there are many types of fuel cells, in general they generate electricity as the result of chemical reactions between an external fuel -- most commonly hydrogen -- and an agent that reacts with it. The membrane that separates the two parts of the cell and facilitates the reaction is a key factor in determining the efficiency of the cell.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Childhood Personality Can Predict Important Outcomes In Emerging Adulthood
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255537503/080321094158.htm
A new study in the Journal of Personality reveals the extent to which children's personality types can predict the timing of key transitional moments between childhood and adulthood. The 19-year longitudinal study illustrated that childhood personality types were meaningfully associated with the timing of the transitions.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Good Luck Indeed: 53 Million-year-old Rabbit's Foot Bones Found
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254878700/080319170008.htm
One day last spring, fossil hunter and anatomy professor Kenneth Rose, Ph.D. was displaying the bones of a jackrabbit's foot as part of a seminar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine when something about the shape of the bones looked oddly familiar. That unanticipated eureka moment has led researchers at the school to the discovery of the oldest known record of rabbits.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
New Method Disrupts Hepatitis C Virion Production
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255537504/080321093114.htm
Scientists have discovered a method to disrupt the production of infectious virus particles that cause hepatitis C, a blood-borne liver disease. This discovery might be a first step in developing new and more effective therapies against the hepatitis C virus. Current anti-virals are ineffective for the majority of patients infected with the viral strains most prevalent in the United States.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Increasing Iron Uptake In Infants
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800824/080321122124.htm
Researchers have developed new techniques for boosting the amount of iron infants absorb from solid food. Children who are five to six months old are growing rapidly and need sufficient iron to fuel their development. However, this is also the time when an infant's first iron reserves start becoming depleted.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Researchers Study New Drug And Indications For Heated Chemotherapy Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800825/080314202115.htm
Studies have shown that surgery combined with Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy can improve survival rates for select patients with peritoneal carcinoma (cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity) that has spread from colorectal or appendix cancer.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Cheap New Solar Cells Made Much More Efficient
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256800826/080320095008.htm
A cheap alternative to silicon solar cells can be found in dye-sensitized solar cells. This type of cell imitates the natural conversion of sunlight into energy by, for instance, plants and light-sensitive bacteria. Researchers have now succeeded in substantially improving a process in this type of solar cell, which is similar to Graetzel cells.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Consideration For Others Stimulates Positive Behavior
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255594716/080321113541.htm
Imagine that you are walking in the park and you have just finished a soft drink. There are no waste bins to be seen anywhere. Just when you are considering throwing the empty can into the bushes, you remember that your mother would not approve. With this in mind, you will probably continue to look for a waste bin. Even when we are not in the company of others, we can feel obliged to keep to certain standards of behavior. Simply thinking about parents or a partner, for example, is enough to remind us how we should behave.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Switch Controls Whether Cells Pass Point Of No Return
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777339/080323210206.htm
Investigators have revealed the hidden properties of an on-off switch that governs cell growth. The team proved that if the switch is on, then a cell will divide, even if it's damaged or the signal to grow disappears.
Mon, 24 Mar 08
Protein Protects Embryonic Stem Cells' Versatility And Self-renewal
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256777342/080323210158.htm
The protein REST protects the pluripotentiality and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells by suppressing a specific microRNA. The basic finding has implications for regenerative medicine. The new research builds on earlier work connecting the protein to medulloblastoma -- an aggressive childhood brain cancer.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
New Zealand's 'Living Dinosaur' -- The Tuatara -- Is Surprisingly The Fastest Evolving Animal
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255057791/080320120708.htm
Researchers have found that, although tuatara have remained largely physically unchanged over very long periods of evolution, they are evolving -- at a DNA level -- faster than any other animal yet examined.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Eye Test Peers Into Heat-related Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254992742/080320103240.htm
A bodysuit that heats or cools a patient, combined with painless measurements of eye movements, is providing multiple sclerosis researchers with a new tool to study the mysterious link between body temperature and severity of MS symptoms.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
'Nanominerals' Influence Earth Systems From Ocean To Atmosphere To Biosphere
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256346999/080320150039.htm
The ubiquity of tiny particles of minerals -- mineral nanoparticles -- in oceans and rivers, atmosphere and soils, and in living cells are providing scientists with new ways of understanding Earth's workings. Our planet's physical, chemical, and biological processes are influenced or driven by the properties of these minerals.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
No Evidence Growth Hormone Boosts Athletic Performance, Review Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255057789/080320132224.htm
Athletes who risk their careers by taking banned growth hormone to improve performance may not be getting the benefits they'd anticipated, according to a new analysis. Researchers pooled data from previous studies in an attempt to summarize what's known about growth hormone's effects on athletic performance.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Shells Inspire Nano-battery Research For Cell Phones, PDAs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347002/080319135829.htm
An MIT materials scientist's research on sea snails has helped transform battery technology and may end the era when cell phones die if they're dropped and PDAs must be replaced if they get dunked in the tub. Thanks to those sea snails and a eureka moment a professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering is developing smart nano-materials -- hybrids of organic and inorganic components -- beginning with a rechargeable, biologically based battery that looks like plastic food wrap.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Can Involvement In Extra-curricular Activities Help Prevent Juvenile Delinquency?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255758670/080321174211.htm
Parents concerned about their teens' involvement in risky and criminal behavior have traditionally involved their kids in sports, church and community activities. Do those activities really help prevent risky behaviors in youth? And do the activities affect boys and girls differently? New research in Crime & Delinquency studies those questions, helping parents and youth workers design effective delinquency prevention plans.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
A MicroRNA Molecule Can Reduce Lung Cancer Growth, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347005/080320150018.htm
A small RNA molecule, known as let-7 microRNA (miRNA), substantially reduced cancer growth in multiple mouse models of lung cancer. This new work demonstrates that let-7 inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells in culture and in lung tumors in mice. They also showed that let-7 can be applied as an intranasal drug to reduce tumor formation in a RAS mouse model lung cancer.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Gene Therapy Can Cause Leukemia In Large Animals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347007/080320173632.htm
Individuals with a number of life-threatening genetic diseases of the immune system have been successfully treated by gene therapy -- that is, they were infused with early precursors of immune cells that had the correct form of the defective gene delivered into them by agents known as retroviral vectors. However, some patients later developed leukemia.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Tuberculosis Bacterium Is Double-protected, 3-D Images Show
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347008/080319103123.htm
The first 3-D images that disclose a double membrane surrounding mycobacteria have been recorded, ending a long scientific debate about the mycobacterial outer membrane and opening new pathways to improve the development of chemotherapeutic substances against tuberculosis.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Brains Are Hardwired To Act According To The Golden Rule
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255657132/080321131055.htm
Wesley Autrey, a black construction worker, a Navy veteran and 55-year-old father of two, didn't know the young man standing beside him. But when he had a seizure on the subway platform and toppled onto the tracks, Autrey jumped down after him and shielded him with his body as a train bore down on them. Autrey could have died, so why did he put his life on the line -- literally -- to save this complete stranger?
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Current Major Flooding In U.S. A Sign Of Things To Come, NOAA Predicts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347009/080321140042.htm
Major floods striking America's heartland in mid-March offer a preview of the spring seasonal outlook, according to NOAA's National Weather Service. Several factors will contribute to above-average flood conditions, including record rainfall in some states and snow packs, which are melting and causing rivers and streams to crest over their banks. The week of March 15, more than 250 communities in a dozen states are experiencing flood conditions.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
First Study Hints At Insights To Come From Genes Unique To Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255594714/080321114414.htm
Among the approximately 23,000 genes in human DNA, scientists estimate that there may be as few as 50 to 100 that have no counterparts in other species. Little is known about the distinctive contributions these genes likely make to our species. Now scientists have produced the first detailed analysis of the cellular functions of a gene found only in humans and primate relatives known as hominoids.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Gene Linked To Development Of The Parkinson's Disease In Those With Family History Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255026994/080320120837.htm
Research has uncovered a gene that could hold the key to developing new treatments for Parkinson's disease. Although less than a quarter of all cases of Parkinson's are familial, researchers believe genes like GIGYF2 can provide clues to the mechanisms behind Parkinson's and could point to new treatments for the more common and sporadic forms of the disease.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Sharpening The Search For New Marine Medicines With Novel Techniques
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347010/080319110158.htm
With the number of terrestrial sources that yield novel treatments for human disease decreasing year by year, the oceans have been tapped as a promising resource for discovering new natural biomedicines. Two new studies each utilizing mass spectrometry in novel ways, have helped narrow the gap in identifying potent natural compounds from the sea that could one day treat diseases such as cancer.
Sun, 23 Mar 08
Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia Report 'Twofold To Fivefold' Increase In Personal Problems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/256347011/080320192339.htm
Chronic insomnia is costing adolescents more than sleep. It's been linked to a wide range of physical, psychological and interpersonal problems, according to public health researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, who completed the first prospective study of adolescents with persistent sleep problems. Documenting a "twofold to fivefold" increase in personal problems among adolescents with persistent sleeplessness, public health researchers say they have completed the first prospective study demonstrating the negative impact of chronic insomnia on 11 to 17 year olds. More than one fourth of the youths surveyed had one or more symptoms of insomnia and almost half of these youngsters had chronic conditions.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Powerful Stellar Explosion: An Action Replay
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254992738/080320114337.htm
Astronomers have made the best ever determination of the power of a supernova explosion that was visible from Earth long ago using X-ray observations of a supernova remnant and optical observations of the expanding light echoes from the explosion. These results establish the validity of an important new method for studying supernovas.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Promising Research On The Susceptibility To And Drug Targets For Parkinson's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903850/080320205217.htm
Better understanding of Parkinson's disease onset during aging is important for improving diagnostics and developing strategies for therapeutic intervention. Scientists have now identified genes and processes that may underlie what makes some people more susceptible to this disease.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Floating A Big Idea: Ancient Use Of Rafts To Transport Goods Demonstrated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903851/080319114619.htm
Oceangoing sailing rafts plied the waters of the equatorial Pacific long before Europeans arrived in the Americas, and carried trade goods for thousands of miles all the way from modern-day Chile to western Mexico, according to new findings by MIT researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Are Dual Cord Blood Banks The Answer To Increasing Stem Cell Demand?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903852/080320205202.htm
Demand for stem cells from cord blood is greater than supply. Two senior doctors analyze the UK's growing cord blood banking industry and the potential impact of a new bank that provides blood for both personal and public use. One private cord blood bank will store 20% of a sample for private use and 80% for public use.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Tug Of War In The Cells: Shedding Light On Transport Mechanism
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903853/080319100741.htm
Logistics is a key part of life. Nutrition, tools and information constantly have to be transported from one place to another in cells. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have now discovered how molecular motors transport cargo in cells. Two competing teams of motors pull in opposite directions, like in a tug-of-war contest. The winning team determines the direction of transport after the competition.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Children With Healthier Diets Do Better In School, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254963185/080320105546.htm
A new study in the Journal of School Health reveals that children with healthy diets perform better in school than children with unhealthy diets. Students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and less caloric intake from fat were significantly less likely to fail the literacy assessment.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Ancient Lemur's Little Finger Poses Mystery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903854/080319161734.htm
Analysis of the first hand bones belonging to an ancient lemur has revealed a mysterious joint structure that has scientists puzzled.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Dietary Guidelines Associated With Lower Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903855/080321124540.htm
Based on a close look at the everyday eating habits of a large group of men and women, researchers have found that people whose diets were most similar to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were least likely to have metabolic syndrome. For the study, metabolic syndrome was defined as a condition occurring among people who have at least three of the following health risks: abdominal obesity, poor blood sugar control, high blood fats, low levels of HDL "good" cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Treatment Gives Lung Cancer Patients With Inoperable Tumors Two Years Or More, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903856/080318225500.htm
Radiofrequency ablation -- an interventional treatment that "cooks" and kills lung cancer tumors with heat -- greatly improves survival time from primary or metastatic inoperable lung tumors, according to a new study. These survival results are similar to surgical results from other studies, but the interventional treatment is less invasive and has far fewer side effects and less recovery time.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Molecular Science Could Further Improve Leukemia Survival, Researchers Say
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255537502/080321094201.htm
The dramatic increase that has occurred in the cure rate for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be difficult to replicate in older patients without considerable additional research, according to a new article. Research aimed at understanding the success in treating pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia combined with molecular science could help clinicians treat adolescents and adults with the disease.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Survival Mechanism Of T Lymphocytes Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903857/080318213921.htm
When an individual is challenged by a virus, a bacterium or any other infectious agent, several classes of white blood cells are being activated in order to fight the invasion. One particular important class of white blood cells are the so-called T lymphocytes. These cells originate in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus, hence called 'T' cells. Once matured, these cells circulate as naïve T cells throughout the body in an inactive form.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Virtual-reality Video Game To Help Burn Patients Play Their Way To Pain Relief
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903858/080319152744.htm
To a patient recovering from severe burns, no place would be more soothing than a polar landscape of gently falling snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers. That's the thinking behind SnowWorld, an interactive, virtual-reality video game being used to manage pain felt by burn patients during wound care and physical therapy.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
New 3-D Camera Will Have 12,616 Lenses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903859/080319160105.htm
Electrical engineers are developing an on-chip imaging sensor with small pixels and 12,616 mini-optic lenses that are created as part of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Used in a digital camera, these lenses will record overlapping views of the scene, creating an electronic "depth map" as well as a photograph. Downloaded to a computer, the map can be used in many ways. The camera technology produces a "depth map" of a scene. The possible uses range from facial recognition to 'in vivo' biological imaging.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Serious Weakness Found In Virus Responsible For Most Cervical Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254992740/080320103251.htm
The virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer has a serious weakness which may provide hope for new treatments for the disease. Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus which causes several types of cancer but is particularly associated with cervical cancer, has developed clever ways of hiding in the body, but researchers have found that its ability to trick the body's first line of defense leaves it vulnerable to attack from a second defense system.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Spring Training For Parents?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903860/080318151746.htm
Spring training for parents isn't a bad idea because as cries of "play ball" ring out this spring, they surely will be followed by complaints of anxiety and stress from young athletes wanting to quit sports. Parents and coaches can make youth sports a fun, learning experience or a nightmare, according to sport psychologists.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Hispanics With Clogged Arteries At Greatest Risk Of Stroke, Heart Attack, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903861/080319170020.htm
Hispanics who have even a small amount of plaque build-up in the neck artery that supplies blood to the brain are up to four times more likely to suffer or die from a stroke or heart attack than Hispanics who do not have plaque, according to a new study.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
NIST Evaluates Firefighting Tactics In NYC High-rise Test
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903862/080318182728.htm
NIST fire protection engineers turned an abandoned New York City brick high-rise into a seven-story fire laboratory last month to better understand the fast-moving spread of wind-driven flames, smoke and toxic gases through corridors and stairways of burning buildings.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Depressed Caregivers Hostile, Not Warm, To Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255903863/080319170016.htm
Caregivers with moderate to severe depressive symptoms showed greater hostility and less warmth. The study focused on caregivers of low-income children with persistent asthma. Caregivers with higher levels of depressive symptoms exhibited lower levels of warmth and higher levels of hostility during both loss and conflict tasks.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Happily Marrieds Have Lower Blood Pressure Than Social Singles
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565591/080320192610.htm
Happily married adults have lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks. Both men and women in happy marriages scored four points lower on 24-hour blood pressure than single adults. Having supportive friends did not translate into improved blood pressure for singles or unhappily marrieds. New research shows that happily married adults have lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks, suggesting marriage may literally be a matter of the heart.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Safer Gene Therapy May Be Possible Using Novel Approach
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565592/080320192009.htm
A novel strategy for circumventing safety problems that have plagued gene therapy has been offered by a complex multicenter group of researchers. The study reports that adenovirus type 5, a common vector for delivering gene therapy, transfects liver cells by a different mechanism than previously thought. That mechanism offers a new target for modifying the viral vector to make it safe for clinical use.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Arctic Pollution's Surprising History: Explorers Saw Particulate Haze In Late 1800s
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565594/080319085406.htm
Scientists know that air pollution particles from mid-latitude cities migrate to the Arctic and form an ugly haze, but a new study finds surprising evidence that polar explorers saw the same phenomenon as early as 1870.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Parasitic Worm May Be More Widespread Than Previously Thought
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565595/080319085411.htm
A new genetic analysis suggests that the parasitic worm Schistosoma mekongi is more widespread than previously thought. According to the study, the human population at risk of infection could be up to 10 times greater than previously estimated. Furthermore, it posits an increased possibility of the spread of the parasite across Laos and Vietnam.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Rice Breeding: Highly Specific Gene Silencing Successful In Rice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565596/080319093106.htm
A new tool for rice genetics allows rice breeders to surgically inactivate genes that confer unwanted properties. Imagine you are a rice breeder and one day within a large field you discover a plant that has just the characteristics you have been looking for. You happily take your special plant to the laboratory where you find out that the spontaneous, beneficial event was due to inactivation of a single gene. This is a great observation; however, there are many different strains grown in different parts of the world, well adapted to the particular region they grow in. How can you now transfer the inactivated gene to other strains of rice?
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Money Buys Happiness When You Spend On Others, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565597/080320150034.htm
Researchers have found that it's possible to buy happiness after all: when you spend money on others. Employees were given a small amount of money and instructed to either spend it on themselves or others. What affected the employees' happiness was not so much the size of the bonus but how they spent it.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
New Family Of Superconductors Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565598/080318223250.htm
Scientists have identified a new family of superconductors --- research that could eventually lead to the design of better superconducting materials for a wide variety of industrial uses. In an article in Science, they produced the first experimental proof that superconductivity can occur in hydrogen compounds known as molecular hydrides.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
'Jumping Gene' May Contribute To A Premature Aging Syndrome
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565599/080320205221.htm
Scientists have identified a fusion protein that may contribute to Cockayne syndrome, a devastating disease characterized by developmental defects, neurodegeneration, severe wasting, and premature aging.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Killer Stairs? Taking The Elevator Could Be Worse For Your Body
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565600/080318182741.htm
Researchers have found direct evidence to support the claim of the Centers for Disease Control that a reduction in daily physical activity is an actual cause of many of the risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The research team also found that it only takes about two weeks of reduced activity for individuals to start noticing the effects.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Neuronal Regulators Offer Potential Targets For Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565601/080319142401.htm
In a previous study, researchers showed that a protein called REST -- which keeps neural programs silent in most parts of the body -- serves as a tumor suppressor. Now they've identified a protein that promotes tumor growth by tagging REST for destruction, thereby activating neural programs.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Rabbit Fish To The Rescue Of The Reef
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565602/080319093118.htm
While rabbits continue to ravage Australia's native landscapes, rabbit fish may help save large areas of the Great Barrier Reef from destruction. The reason, say scientists, is the same in both cases -- both rabbits and rabbit fish are efficient herbivores, capable of stripping an area of vegetation. However, in the case of the Reef, it is the vegetation that is the problem -- and the rabbit fish, the answer.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
The Song Doesn't Remain The Same In Fragmented Bird Populations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565603/080318203313.htm
The song of passerine birds is a conspicuous and exaggerated display shaped by sexual selection in the context of male-male competition or mate attraction. At the level of the individual, song is considered an indicator of male 'quality'. Researchers found an association between individual song diversity and the viability of the population as a whole, as measured by the annual rate of population change.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Instead of Euthanasia: Continuous Deep Sedation Used Increasingly In The Netherlands
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565604/080320205207.htm
The use of continuous deep sedation for patients nearing death in the Netherlands is increasing, while cases of euthanasia have declined, according to a new study.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Upright Walking Began 6 Million Years Ago, Thigh Bone Comparison Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565605/080320183657.htm
A shape comparison of the most complete fossil femur (thigh bone) of one of the earliest known pre-humans, or hominins, with the femora of living apes, modern humans and other fossils, indicates the earliest form of bipedalism occurred at least six million years ago and persisted for at least four million years.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Infection With A Mutated HIV Strain Results In Better Survival
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565606/080320205213.htm
Persons infected with a mutated HIV strain, transmitted from those who have the genetic advantages to control the virus, results in improved survival according to a recent study by South African researchers. The study looked for genetic mutations in the infecting virus in 24 newly infected people in Durban, South Africa.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Giant Panda Mating Season At National Zoo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565607/080320163106.htm
The 2008 giant panda mating season began March 18, at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Female Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and male Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) attempted to mate throughout the day Tuesday. Zoo staff carefully observed each mating and, because satisfactory mating did not occur, Zoo scientists and veterinarians performed a nonsurgical artificial insemination Wednesday morning. Both pandas were anesthetized, allowing Zoo scientists to collect sperm from Tian Tian and insert it directly into Mei Xiang's uterus.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
'Metafilms' Can Shrink Radio, Radar Devices
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565608/080318182735.htm
Recent research has demonstrated that thin films made of "metamaterials" -- manmade composites engineered to offer strange combinations of electromagnetic properties -- can greatly reduce the size of resonating circuits that generate microwaves, potentially enabling even smaller cell phones and other microwave devices.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Color Vision System Independent Of Motion Detection in Eye Sight
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565609/080319114627.htm
The vision system used to process color is separate from that used to detect motion, according to a new study. The findings run counter to previous scholarship that suggested motion detection and color contrast may work in tandem.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Forecasting Tsunami Threats Through Layers Of Sand And Time
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255565610/080318224409.htm
Azhii peralai: from the deep ... large waves. This is the expression for 'tsunami' in Tamil, the oldest language in southern India. For an ancient dialect to have its own phrase for destructive waves triggered by earthquakes, the people of Tamil Nadu likely experienced tsunamis periodically through the centuries, say scientists. In other words, the catastrophic Indian Ocean event in December 2004 that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries -- including 15,000 in India -- was hardly a one freak occurrence, he says, and people could have been much better prepared for it.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Early Americans Arrived Thousands of Years Earlier Than Previously Believed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255057790/080320120714.htm
Anthropologists provide evidence that the first Americans came to this country 1,000 to 2,000 years earlier than the 13,500 years ago previously thought, which could shift historic timelines.
Sat, 22 Mar 08
Stunning Gamma Ray Burst Explosion Detected Halfway Across Universe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255537501/080321093110.htm
A powerful stellar explosion detected March 19 by NASA's Swift satellite has shattered the record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye. "This burst was a whopper," said the Swift principal investigator "It blows away every gamma ray burst we've seen so far."
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Ancient Asteroids Formed At Solar System's Start
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166219/080320150022.htm
Using visible and infrared data collected from telescopes on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, astronomers have identified three asteroids that appear to be among our solar system's oldest objects.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Impaired Sense Of Smell May Be Early Indicator Of Parkinson's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166220/080320155232.htm
Impaired sense of smell occurs in the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease and there is mounting evidence that it may precede motor symptoms by several years.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
New Strategy To Prevent Genetically Altered Rice From Uncontrolled Spreading
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166221/080318203316.htm
A method of creating selective terminable transgenic rice has been developed. Unintended spreading of transgenic rice by pollen and seed dispersal is a major concern for planting transgenic rice, especially transgenic rice expressing pharmaceutical or industrial proteins.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Researchers Unmask Proteins In Telomerase, A Substance That Enables Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255026995/080320120834.htm
One of the more intriguing workhorses of the cell, a protein conglomerate called telomerase, has in its short history been implicated in some critical areas of medicine including cancer, aging and keeping stem cells healthy.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Animation Aids Psychology In 'Second Life' Experiment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166222/080318215512.htm
A new project will test how people respond to extreme social situations - particularly the 'bystander effect' - using an immersive virtual environment like Second Life where real people interact with each other socially through lifelike animated characters. The bystander effect suggests that the more witnesses there are to an emergency, the less likely an individual bystander is to intervene. This phenomenon was identified as a particular consequence of the assault and murder of Kitty Genovese in New York in 1964 which was witnessed by some 38 people, all of whom remained bystanders and failed to come to Kitty's aid.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Men And Women Have Different Eating Habits, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166223/080319120318.htm
When it comes to what we eat, men and women really are different according to scientific research. In general, men are more likely to report eating meat and poultry items and women are more likely to report eating fruits and vegetables.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Nano-breakthrough: Dramatic Increase In Thermoelectric Efficiency Heralds New Era In Heating, Cooling And Power Generation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166224/080320150027.htm
Researchers have used nanotechnology to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency, a milestone that paves the way for a new generation of products -- from semiconductors and air conditioners to car exhaust systems and solar power technology -- that run cleaner. The team's low-cost approach, detailed in Science, involves building tiny alloy nanostructures that can serve as micro-coolers and power generators.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Motor Neuron Disease And Toxic Substances: Possible Link?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166225/080320163109.htm
Scientists have found that people with a form of inherited motor neuron disease have abnormalities in the same gene that appears to be affected in people who suffer nerve damage after exposure to harmful amounts of organophosphates. The results raise the possibility that healthy people may have gene variants that make them vulnerable to nerve damage if exposed to the chemicals, which include common insecticides and have been linked to Gulf War illness.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Modeling Stress and Strain In Bones And Statues
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/253752391/080318104221.htm
For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing, applying the procedure to Michelangelo's David in an analysis that proved simpler, faster and more accurate than previous methods. In applying the technique to other objects -- including human bones -- the researchers are also gaining new perspective on how these structures are likely to fail.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Scans Spot Hidden Tumors In Rare Cancer Syndrome
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166226/080318160308.htm
Researchers report that full-body PET/CT scanning detected unsuspected, treatable tumors in 3 of 15 patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic cancer syndrome for which no screening tests have been recommended. They caution, however, that further, larger studies are needed to determine whether PET/CT screening is beneficial in LFS patients, who are highly susceptible to a variety of cancers from an early age because of an inborn gene mutation.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Cycling For Food: Engineers Work On Pedal-powered Grain Crusher
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166227/080318221759.htm
Students have produced a fairly simple mechanical device that people in developing countries can use to process anything from corn to barley. If it's successful, the grain crusher can help produce food for residents of Third World countries and enable some people to generate an income as they travel from community to community crushing foodstuff for a price.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Many Moms Use Cigarettes, Marijuana, Alcohol During Pregnancy; Dads Don't Help, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/254992743/080320095045.htm
Despite public health campaigns, a surprising number of women continue to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana and alcohol during pregnancy and their usage rebounds to pre-pregnancy levels within two years of having a baby. Dads, meanwhile, don't get the messages at all.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Deadly Genetic Disease Prevented Before Birth In Zebrafish
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166228/080320155644.htm
By injecting a customized "genetic patch" into early stage fish embryos, researchers were able to correct a genetic mutation so the embryos developed normally. The research could lead to the prevention of up to one-fifth of birth defects in humans caused by genetic mutations, according to the scientists involved in the study.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
How Humans Make Up For An 'Inborn' Vitamin C Deficiency
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255026998/080320120726.htm
A new study appears to explain how humans, along with other higher primates, guinea pigs and fruit bats, get by with what some have called an "inborn metabolic error": an inability to produce vitamin C from glucose.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
New Natural Family Planning Method Appeals To Wide Range Of Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/253717193/080318104225.htm
A study in the journal Contraception reports that the Standard Days Method, a natural family planning method brings new women to family planning. More than half the women who selected the Standard Days Method had never previously used family planning and on average, contraceptive use increased by 8 percent in communities where the method was introduced.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Uric Acid May Provide Early Clues To Diabetic Kidney Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166229/080318104217.htm
For patients with type 1 diabetes, increased levels of uric acid in the blood may be an early sign of diabetic kidney disease -- appearing before any significant change in urine albumin level, the standard screening test, reports a new study.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
What Is The Life Cycle Of Salmonella Like In The Internal Organs?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166230/080318182813.htm
Salmonella enteritidis is one of the main causes of food-borne illness worldwide. In severe cases, it can reach the circulatory system. Knowledge about the distribution in the internal organs may lead to new insights into prevention and therapy. New research has provided significant data for understanding the life cycle of Salmonella.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Sleep Deprivation Used To Diagnose Sleepwalking
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166231/080319085402.htm
A new study found that sleep deprivation can precipitate sleepwalking in predisposed individuals and can therefore serve as a valuable tool in diagnosing this disorder. Somnambulism (sleepwalking), which usually involves misperception and unresponsiveness to the environment, mental confusion and amnesia about sleepwalking episodes, affects up to 4 percent of adults.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Ocean May Exist Beneath Titan's Crust, Cassini Spacecraft Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166232/080320150828.htm
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has discovered evidence that points to the existence of an underground ocean of water and ammonia on Saturn's moon Titan. The findings made using radar measurements of Titan's rotation will appear in the March 21 issue of the journal Science.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Cholesterol-associated Gene Variants Can Predict Cardiovascular Events, Study Confirms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/255166233/080319171815.htm
A new study confirms that a combination of gene variants previously associated with cholesterol levels does reflect patients' cholesterol levels and can signify increased risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Satellites Can Help Arctic Grazers Survive Killer Winter Storms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/253752389/080318121552.htm
Rain falling on snow sounds like a relatively harmless weather event, but when it happens in the far north it can mean lingering death for reindeer, musk oxen and other animals that normally graze on the Arctic tundra. Scientists say satellite data could be used to help save herds of musk oxen and reindeer from starvation when ice storms cut off their food supply.
Fri, 21 Mar 08
Gene And Activity Level Of HDL-associated Protein Linked To Risk Of Heart