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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, 23 Jun 08
Microscopic 'Clutch' Puts Flagellum In Neutral
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638694/080619142109.htm
A tiny but powerful engine that propels the bacterium Bacillus subtilis through liquids is disengaged from the corkscrew-like flagellum by a protein clutch, scientists have learned. Scientists have long known what drives the flagellum to spin, but what causes the flagellum to stop spinning -- temporarily or permanently -- was unknown.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Lifestyle Can Alter Gene Activity, Lead To Insulin Resistance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315446074/080619031526.htm
A Finnish study of identical twins has found that physical inactivity and acquired obesity can impair expression of the genes which help the cells produce energy. The findings suggest that lifestyle, more than heredity, contributes to insulin resistance in people who are obese. Insulin resistance increases the chance of developing diabetes and heart disease.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
New Findings On Immune System In Amphibians
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315487849/080619104407.htm
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes produce proteins that are crucial in fighting pathogen assault. Researchers characterized genetic variation and detected more than one MHC class II locus in a tailed amphibian. Unlike mammals, not much has been known until now about the immune defense of amphibians.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
New Discoveries Get To The Heart Of Cardiovascular Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821626/080618114733.htm
Even if you eat right and exercise regularly, chances are high that you'll still die of a heart attack or stroke. But thanks to new findings the odds may finally shift in your favor. Two unrelated studies on atherosclerosis that have the potential to save millions of lives.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
World's Only Captive Hairy-nosed Otter Gets New Home
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314756287/080618094346.htm
The world's only captive hairy-nosed otter is given a chance for survival in a new home. Thought to be extinct in the 1990s, the hairy-nosed otter is known to survive only in a few regions of Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Sumatra. Otters in Asia are increasingly threatened by the illegal international fur trade. They are also captured for pets or killed for use in traditional medicines. Another growing threat is loss of habitat, due in part to impacts from global climate change.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Intimate Examinations Should Not Be Performed Without Consent, Editorial Argues
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821627/080619194132.htm
Intimate examinations, performed by medical students on anesthetised patients, are often carried out without adequate consent from patients, but this violates their basic human rights and should not be allowed, claims an editorial.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
DNA Study Unlocks Mystery To Diverse Traits In Dogs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317799847/080622225503.htm
New research reveals locations in a dog's DNA that contain genes that scientists believe contribute to differences in body and skull shape, weight, fur color and length -- and possibly even behavior, trainability and longevity.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Drug Reverses Mental Retardation Caused By Genetic Disorder; Hope For Correcting How Autism Disrupts Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821628/080622224428.htm
A new UCLA study shows that the FDA-approved drug rapamycin reverses mental retardation in mice with a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis complex. Because half of TSC patients also suffer from autism, the findings offer a possible mechanism for addressing learning disorders due to autism.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
DNA Knot Keeps Viral Genes Tightly Corked Inside Shell, Scientists Discover
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821629/080617142904.htm
A novel twist of DNA may keep viral genes tightly wound within a capsule, waiting for ejection into a host, a high-resolution analysis of its structure has revealed. Using electron microscopy and three-dimensional computer reconstruction, biologists and chemists have produced the most detailed image yet of the protein envelope of an asymmetrical virus and the viral DNA packed within.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Gene Mutation Improves Leukemia Drug's Effect, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821630/080617142854.htm
Gene mutations that make cells cancerous can sometimes also make them more sensitive to chemotherapy. People with acute myeloid leukemia whose leukemic cells have mutations in the RAS gene are more likely to be cured when treated after remission with high doses of the drug cytarabine. It also suggests that testing for RAS mutations might help doctors identify which AML patients should receive high-dose cytarabine as their post-remission therapy. The findings could change how doctors manage these patients.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
The Time Is Ripe For An Apple That Tastes Like Berries And One That Doesn't Brown
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821631/080617115905.htm
Mention an apple and most people will immediately associate the word with a crisp, juicy, sweet-tart red fruit. But ask Cornell fruit geneticist Susan Brown about apples, and she'll share visions of deep red flesh or skin patterned like feathers on a bird's back, of flavors like anise, berries or roses. She'll talk of apples loaded with cancer-preventive antioxidants or as much vitamin C as an orange, that don't brown when cut or go soft in storage.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Sexually Transmitted Disease, Urinary Tract Infections May Be Bad Combination For Birth Defect
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821632/080620195439.htm
Women who reported having both a sexually transmitted disease and urinary tract infection just before or during early pregnancy were four times more likely to have babies with gastroschisis -- a severe birth defect in which infants are born with their intestines and other internal organs outside the abdomen.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Tissue Regeneration: New Source Of Heart Stem Cells Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821633/080622224433.htm
Researchers have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
New Weight Loss Diet Recommends High-carb And Protein Big Breakfast
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821634/080617142920.htm
Researchers have found a possible way to overcome the common problem of dieters eventually abandoning their diet and regaining the weight they lost. Eat a big breakfast packed with carbohydrates and protein, then follow a low-carb, low-calorie diet the rest of the day, the authors of a new study recommend. Only five percent of carbohydrate-restrictive diets are successful after two years, one of the researchers said. Most carbohydrate-restrictive diets, she said, do not address addictive eating impulses.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Urologists Identify Seven Biomarkers That May Help Pinpoint Prostate Cancer Recurrence
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821635/080617142857.htm
A simple blood test may help doctors better predict whether prostate cancer will recur or spread in patients who have undergone surgery for the disease, researchers have found.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Testosterone Replacement Benefits Older Men With Low Testosterone, Studies Suggest
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821636/080617124016.htm
In older men with low testosterone levels, testosterone replacement therapy improves their risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to two new studies.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Heritage Of A Deadly Disease Pinpointed With Help From Iceland's Genealogical Database
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821637/080619203249.htm
Scientists have used Iceland's genealogical database to trace the ancestors of patients suffering from hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy. Analysis shows that the deadly mutation in the cystatin C gene, L68Q, derives from a common ancestor born roughly 18 generations ago, around 1550AD.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
'Feeling Fat' Is Worse Than Being It, German Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821638/080620120006.htm
The quality of life of adolescents who think they are too fat is worse than for adolescents who really are obese. This was a result of the all Germany Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) of the Robert Koch Institute, as presented by Bärbel-Maria Kurth and Ute Ellert in the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Hypertension Treatment Effective In Reversing Vascular Damage, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821639/080617142900.htm
A hypertension medication called olmesartan medoxomil is effective in reversing the narrowing of the arteries that occurs in patients with high blood pressure. One of the study's lead investigators and director of the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, said, "We believe the data add to the growing evidence for the role of angiotensin receptor blockers in preventing or reversing vascular damage at many stages during this disease process."
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Lack Of Certain Gene Expression Sets Stage For Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821640/080619145819.htm
Scientists have identified key steps in breast-tissue cell division that go awry when CHFR's action is low or absent. The gene's expression is missing in more than a third of breast cancers. The findings could make it possible to identify which patients are more likely to benefit from taxanes, a class of widely used cancer drugs which includes paclitaxel and docetaxel.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Potential Protein Biomarkers For Growth Hormone Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821641/080617113747.htm
Scientists have identified several proteins in mice that might act as biomarkers for growth hormone. The research could be the first step to finding a more reliable way to detect recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), which some athletes and teenagers use illegally to in an effort to boost muscle and reduce fat.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
New Web Resource To Improve Crop Engineering
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821642/080619151106.htm
The Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology has announced the launch of a new web-based resource that promises to help researchers around the world meet increasing demands for food production, animal feed, biofuels, industrial materials, and new medicines.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Family Stress And Child's Temper Extremes Contribute To Anxiety And Depression In Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821643/080620115946.htm
Small children who grow up in a family where the mother has psychological distress, the family is exposed to stress or is lacking social support, are at higher risk of developing anxious and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. Girls are more vulnerable than boys, and very timid or short-tempered children are more vulnerable than others to develop emotional problems. This is shown in a new doctorate study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
Stroke Study Reveals Key Target For Improving Treatment And Suggests That Gleevec May Help
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317799848/080622224654.htm
For over a decade, the drug called tPA has proven its worth as the most effective emergency treatment for the most common kind of stroke, but bleeding risks and a limited time window for treatment have held it back. Now, a new study reveals why tPA has these limitations and gives tantalizing evidence about how those problems might be overcome, if a stroke victim first takes a drug currently used to treat leukemia.
Mon, 23 Jun 08
A Plane With Wings Of Glass?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317821644/080622224438.htm
Glass is actually a "jammed" state of matter that moves very slowly. Like cars in a traffic jam, atoms in a glass can't reach their destination because the route is blocked by their neighbors, so it never quite becomes a "proper" solid. Now scientists have revealed that glass "fails" to be a solid due to the special atomic structures that form in a glass when it cools.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
New Discovery Proves 'Selfish Gene' Exists
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258764/080620115905.htm
A new discovery provides conclusive evidence that the "selfish" gene does exist. In studying genomes, the word "selfish" does not refer to self-centered behavior but rather to the blind tendency of genes wanting to continue their existence into the next generation. Biologists have isolated a region on the honey bee genome that houses this "selfish" gene in female workers bees.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Advance Towards Early Alzheimer's Diagnosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314640958/080618091703.htm
An Australian research project has found a way to bring forward the detection of early stage Alzheimer's disease by up to 18 months. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by very high levels of a molecule called beta-amyloid in the brain.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Sprinters Closest To Starter Pistol Have Advantage Over Those Farther Away, Says Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314640956/080618094349.htm
"In sprint events, where hundredths of a second can make the difference between a gold medal and a silver, minimizing reaction time can be the key to an athlete's success. We suggest that procedures presently used to start the Olympic sprint events give runners closer to the starter the advantage of hearing the "go" signal louder; consequently, they react sooner than their competitors," says a researcher who has studied the question.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Striving To Break The Link Between Obesity And Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258771/080617120155.htm
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are inextricably linked, but biochemist and geneticist Ling Qi is working to break that connection. Finding just the right gene could do it, says one professor of nutritional sciences.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Novel X-ray Source Could Be Brightest In The World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316338092/080620115912.htm
The future of high-intensity X-ray science has never been brighter now that scientists have devised a new type of next generation light sources. The oscillator is projected to increase the current brightness by millions of times.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Addicted To Grief? Chronic Grief Activates Pleasure Areas Of The Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258777/080620195446.htm
Most of us experience the grief associated with the loss of a loved one at some point in our lives. New research now suggests that people who never get over their loss, who never "let go," may be activating neurons in the reward centers of the brain, possibly giving these memories addiction-like properties.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Birds Migrate Earlier, But Some May Be Left Behind As Climate Warms Rapidly
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316338091/080620115925.htm
Many birds are arriving earlier each spring as temperatures warm along the East Coast of the United States. However, the farther those birds journey, the less likely they are to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Mom's High Fat Diet During Pregnancy May Be Key To Child's Weight Issues
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258782/080618205134.htm
The notion that you are what you eat may go back even farther -- to your mother, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher in a report that appears in the current issue of the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Phoenix Mars Lander Delivers Soil Sample To Microscope
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258785/080622001716.htm
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Saturday beamed back images showing that Phoenix's Robotic Arm successfully sprinkled soil onto the delivery port of the lander's Optical Microscope.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
New Technology May Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficient Seniors And Vegetarians From Needing Injections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258786/080617104938.htm
For those patients who receive the nearly 40 million intramuscular injections per year to treat their B12 deficiency, a new oral option may soon exist. According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to a wide spectrum of conditions, such as anemia, dementia and reduced cognitive functioning.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Harnessing The Tibetan Sun
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258787/080617115524.htm
In many villages throughout Tibet, there are two ways to cook a meal. There's the traditional open fire, fueled by yak dung or the region's increasingly scarce wood. And then there are solar cookers, concentrating mirrors made of two-inch-thick concrete and covered with a mosaic of small glass mirrors.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Poor Children More Likely To Develop Diabetes As Adults
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258788/080619151917.htm
Diabetes strikes harder at those who were poor as children, according to a new study that spans more than three decades. Participants who were disadvantaged in youth were more likely to develop diabetes than better-off peers were during the 34-year study time frame.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Newly Born Twin Stars Are Far From Identical
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258789/080618133731.htm
The analysis of the youngest pair of identical twin stars yet discovered has revealed surprising differences in brightness, surface temperature and possibly even in size, suggesting that the stars formed at significantly different times rather than simultaneously as generally assumed.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
How Measles Virus Spreads: Discovery May Rewrite Textbooks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316564787/080620195502.htm
Measles, one of the most common contagious diseases, has been thought to enter the body through the surface of airways and lungs, like many other major viruses. Now, scientists say that's not the case, and some medical texts will have to be revised.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Phoenix Mars Lander Confirms Frozen Water On Red Planet
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258790/080622001541.htm
Scientists relishing confirmation of water ice near the surface beside NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander anticipate even bigger discoveries from the robotic mission in the weeks ahead.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Researchers See Alternative To Common Colorectal Cancer Drug
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258791/080617102843.htm
A compound that accumulates in cells more readily than a commonly used colorectal cancer drug may be just as useful in treating colorectal tumors, but with fewer side effects, researchers have found.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
Efficiency Experts Seek To Save Precious Minutes In Deploying Ambulances
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258792/080617102848.htm
Every extra second it takes an ambulance to get to its destination can mean life or death. But how, besides driving faster, can ambulances get emergency services to people in need as efficiently as possible, every day? It's a classic operations research question that three researchers are tackling in groundbreaking ways.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
The Economics Of Nice Folks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638692/080619142115.htm
A researcher argues in Science that a basic tenet of economics -- that people always behave selfishly -- can be wrong, sometimes badly so. He points to new experimental evidence that people do often act against their own personal self-interest in favor of the common good, and they do so in predictable, understandable ways. Poorly-designed economic institutions fail to take advantage of intrinsic moral behavior and often undermine it.
Sun, 22 Jun 08
NASA Launches Ocean Satellite To Keep A Weather, Climate Eye Open
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/317258793/080622001251.htm
A new NASA-French space agency oceanography satellite launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a globe-circling voyage to continue charting sea level, a vital indicator of global climate change. The mission will return a vast amount of new data that will improve weather, climate and ocean forecasts.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Saturn’s Secondary Aurora Is Much More Like Jupiter’s In Origin Than It Is The Earth’s
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315487846/080619105513.htm
Researchers have discovered a secondary aurora sparkling on Saturn and also started to unravel the mechanisms that drive the process. Their results show that Saturn's secondary aurora is much more like Jupiter's in origin than it is the Earth's.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Low Testosterone Appears To Increase Long-term Risk Of Death
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646303/080617124020.htm
Men may not live as long if they have low testosterone, regardless of their age, according to a new study. The new study adds to the scientific evidence linking deficiency of this sex hormone with increased death from all causes over time--so-called "all-cause mortality."
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Getting Wrapped Up In Solar Textiles
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646304/080617114723.htm
Expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture are creating designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Promising Chinese Herbal Targets Identified For Acute Pancreatitis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819682/080617094200.htm
Researchers have determined the genetic treatment mechanism of Chaiqinchengqi decoction, which is a basic Chinese herbal compound commonly used in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. It can upregulate sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) mRNA expression of pancreatic tissue as well as inhibit the elevation of calcium concentration in pancreatic acinar cells while relieving pancreatic lesions in an acute pancreatitis model of rats.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Experimental Phone Network Uses Virtual Sticky Notes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315599310/080619133111.htm
The rapid convergence of social networks, mobile phones and global positioning technology has given engineers the ability to create something they call "virtual sticky notes," site-specific messages that people can leave for others to pick up on their mobile phones.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Chill Out, Your Computer Knows What’s Best For You
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315487851/080619103528.htm
Computers are starting to become more human-centric, anticipating your needs and smoothly acting to meet them. The technologies under development leave humans free to concentrate on their real work instead of having to think about the computer and how to operate it.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Exciton-Based Circuits Eliminate A ‘Speed Trap’ Between Computing And Communication Signals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315529327/080619111138.htm
Particles called excitons that emit a flash of light as they decay could be used for a new form of computing better suited to fast communication, physicists at UC San Diego have demonstrated.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Huntington's Disease: Discovery Will Assist Treatment And Research Into Fatal Brain Disorder
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646305/080616223422.htm
Research using newly developed Magnetic Resonance Imaging technology could soon allow clinicians to confirm Huntington's disease before symptoms appear in people who have the gene for the fatal brain disease.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Digital Water Pavilion Makes A Splash In Spain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646306/080617115237.htm
An MIT-designed building with walls made entirely of water is being unveiled Thursday at the opening of the Zaragoza World Expo in Spain. This is the first of its kind and illustrates the potential of digital architecture to create spaces that dynamically adjust to people and conditions. The "water walls" that make up the structure are generated by high-speed computer controlled solenoid valves. They can be programmed to take varying shapes, to display patterns, images and text, and to respond dynamically to input from sensors.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
New Weapon For Attacking Tumor Invasion And Metastasis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819683/080617093700.htm
Scientists have determined that AMD3100, originally developed in acquired immune deficiency syndrome treatment, could markedly inhibit spreading of colorectal cancer cells by blocking a new pair of ligands and its unique receptor. This effect differs from the usual inhibition by a conventional chemotherapic agent that is more specific to cancer cells with high metastatic potential.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Wavelets Crunch Through Doctors' Day Long Struggle To Diagnose Brain Tumors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646307/080617102857.htm
Today if doctors devote a full day to analysis and expert thought, they may be able to provide just half a dozen patients with a diagnosis of the precise type of brain tumor they face. Now researchers have devised an automated technique that can give a preliminary analysis of the precise brain tumor type within seconds.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Elderly's Restless Nights Helped By Ancient Martial Art
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646308/080620195434.htm
More than half of all older adults complain about having difficulties sleeping. Most don't bother seeking treatment. Those who do usually turn to medications, which can lead to other health problems. Now, researchers report that practicing Tai Chi Chih, the Westernized version of the 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art, promotes sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Novel Compound May Treat Acute Diarrhea
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646309/080616170801.htm
In a development that may lessen the epidemic of diarrhea-related deaths among children in developing countries, scientists have discovered a novel compound that might lead to an inexpensive, easy-to-take treatment.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Project Succeeding To Relocate Caspian Terns
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646310/080616133113.htm
A major initiative to create alternative nesting sites for the largest colony of Caspian terns in the world -- and to help protect juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River -- is finding early success.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
New Inhibitors Of Estrogen-dependent Breast Cancer Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646311/080616144902.htm
Researchers have discovered a new family of agents that inhibit the growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells. The finding has opened an avenue of research into new drugs to combat estrogen-dependent breast cancers.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Aquatic Insect 'Family Trees' Provide Clues About Sensitivity To Pollution
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646312/080616170810.htm
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that examining an insect's "family tree" might help predict a "cousin" insect's level of tolerance to pollutants, and therefore could be a reliable way to understand why certain insect species thrive or suffer under specific ecological conditions.
Sat, 21 Jun 08
Educational Benefits Of Social Networking Sites Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/316646313/080620133907.htm
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have discovered the educational benefits of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The same study found that low-income students are in many ways just as technologically proficient as their counterparts.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Zebra's Stripes, Butterfly's Wings: How Do Biological Patterns Emerge?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315529326/080619111748.htm
A zebra's stripes, a seashell's spirals, a butterfly's wings: these are all examples of patterns in nature. The formation of patterns is a puzzle for mathematicians and biologists alike. How does the delicate design of a butterfly's wings come from a single fertilized egg? How does pattern emerge out of no pattern? Using computer models and live cells, researchers have discovered a specific pattern that can direct cell movement and may help us understand how metastatic cancer cells move.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Legionnaire Microbe's Tricks Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638696/080619142056.htm
Researchers have shed new light how bacteria like the ones that cause Legionnaires' disease and Q-fever raise such havoc in human patients. In order to survive, the gram-negative bacteria use genes that have evolved in tandem with ones in their hosts to essentially disarm immune system cells trying to kill them, the scientists report in the journal Science.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New System Helps Police Match Tattoos To Suspects
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315599313/080619133057.htm
An automatic image retrieval system has been created, whereby law enforcement agencies will be able to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Minimally-invasive Weight Loss Surgery Improves Health And Morbidly Obese Teens
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869377/080617160810.htm
Teenagers' obesity-related medical complications improve just six months after laparoscopic gastric banding surgery, according to outcomes data. The study reports that the small group of extremely obese teenagers who received the minimally invasive surgery, also called the Lap-Band procedure, as part of a clinical trial lost an average of 20 pounds after six months and had significant improvements in abdominal fat, triglyceride measurements (levels of fat in the blood) and blood sugar levels as measured by hemoglobin A1c -- all risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Toxic To Aliens -- But Key To Health Of Planet
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314756283/080618114713.htm
Scientists are using an ingredient found in common shampoos to investigate how the oxygen content of the oceans has changed over geologically recent time.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Liter Of Fuel Would Last UK 1 Year If Cars Had Kept Pace With Computers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315599308/080619135207.htm
One liter of fuel would serve the UK for a year and oil reserves would last the expected lifetime of the solar system -- if efficiency in the car industry had improved at the same rate as in the computer world -- a leading computer scientist has said.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Surprisingly Rapid Changes In Earth’s Core Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315487852/080619102553.htm
The movements in the liquid part of the Earth's core are changing surprisingly quickly, and this affects the Earth's magnetic field, according to new research.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Radiation Therapy Prolongs Life In Men With Recurrent Prostate Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869379/080617160804.htm
Men whose tumors recur after prostate cancer surgery are three times more likely to survive their disease long term if they undergo radiotherapy within two years of the recurrence. Surprisingly, survival benefits were best in men whose new tumors were growing fastest, according to results of a "look-back" study of 635 men by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions researchers reported June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Space Radar To Improve Miners' Safety
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315446069/080619094002.htm
Advanced ground penetration radar, originally developed to investigate the soil structure on the moon and other planets on ESA planetary missions, is now being used in Canadian mines to spot hidden cracks and weaknesses in mine roofs.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Allergy Expert Has Advice For Flood Victims
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869380/080619142053.htm
As if the emotional and financial impact of flood damage isn't bad enough, floodwaters can also bring health problems. Scientists say after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
'Man-made' Water Has Different Chemistry
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315599309/080619135123.htm
As population growth, food production and the regional effects of climate change place greater stress on the Earth's natural water supply, "man-made" water -- created by removing salt from seawater and brackish groundwater through reverse osmosis desalination -- will become an increasingly important resource for millions of humans, especially those in arid regions such as the Middle East, the western United States, northern Africa and central Asia.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Should Doctors Be 'Selling' Drugs For The Pharmaceutical Industry?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869381/080619194134.htm
Are senior doctors who help drug companies sell their drugs independent experts or just drug representatives in disguise? According to the article, drug companies will pay influential doctors up to $400 an hour to act as key opinion leaders, and some doctors earn more than $25,000 a year in advisory fees.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Expect More Droughts, Heavy Downpours, Excessive Heat, And Intense Hurricanes Due To Global Warming, NOAA
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315811168/080619175522.htm
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research has released a scientific assessment that provides the first comprehensive analysis of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. territories. Among the major findings reported in this assessment are that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The report is based on scientific evidence that a warming world will be accompanied by changes in the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of weather and climate extremes.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New Computerized System Estimates Geographic Location Of Photos
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869382/080618114700.htm
Researchers have devised the first computerized method that can analyze a single photograph and determine where in the world the image likely was taken. It's a feat made possible by searching through millions of GPS-tagged images in the Flickr online photo collection.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Experimental Anti-cancer Synthetic Molecule Targets Tumor Cell Growth And Angiogenesis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869383/080617204455.htm
A recent study describes a new candidate anti-cancer drug, HB-19. In contrast to conventional anti-cancer drugs, HB-19 has a dual mechanism of action by independently targeting tumor cell growth and tumor. The molecular target of HB-19 is nucleolin expressed on the surface of all activated cells, in particular rapidly growing tumor cells and endothelial cells that play a key role in angiogenesis.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New Way To Control Water Pollution? Mats Designed To Capture And Stabilize Pollution In Rivers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869384/080617103918.htm
In a mud flat at the edge of the Cocheco River, just outside downtown Dover, New Hampshire, scientists are testing an innovative way to treat polluted sediment in coastal waterways. Rather than dredging up the problem, or burying it under several feet of sand, they've created a patch -- black geotextile mats designed to cap and stabilize pollution in place.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Failure To Bridle Inflammation Spurs Atherosclerosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869385/080618114609.htm
When a person develops a sore or a boil, it erupts, drawing to it immune system cells that fight the infection. Then it resolves and flattens into the skin, often leaving behind a mark or a scar. A similar scenario plays out in the blood vessels.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Jules Verne Refuels The International Space Station
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869386/080618114613.htm
ESA's Jules Verne ATV was used for the first time yesterday to transfer in one step 811 kg of refueling propellant to the International Space Station while the two vehicles orbited Earth at 28 000 km/h. With this premiere for Europe, Jules Verne becomes the first western spaceship to succeed in refueling another space infrastructure in orbit.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Global War Deaths Have Been Substantially Underestimated, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315869387/080619194142.htm
Globally, war has killed three times more people than previously estimated, and there is no evidence to support claims of a recent decline in war deaths, concludes a new study.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Chemical Clues Point To Dusty Origin For Earth-like Planets
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638687/080619142124.htm
Higher than expected levels of sodium found in a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite suggest that the dust clouds from which the building blocks of the Earth and neighboring planets formed were much denser than previously supposed.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Lou Gehrig's Protein Found Throughout Brain, Suggesting Effects Beyond Motor Neurons
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315811169/080616144848.htm
Two years ago researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that misfolded proteins called TDP-43 accumulated in the motor areas of the brains of patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, the same group has shown that TDP-43 accumulates throughout the brain, suggesting the disease has broader neurological effects than previously appreciated and treatments need to take into account more than motor neuron areas.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Latrines And Out-houses Trounce Toilets In Global War Against Poor Sanitation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315811170/080617142851.htm
While Americans may consider flush-and-forget-it indoor plumbing to be the pinnacle of sanitary science, the lowly latrine could be a far better solution for many parts of the developing world. Installing water-guzzling appliances such as toilets can actually promote unsanitary conditions when the effluent is discharged untreated into once-clean rivers and streams. A properly built latrine, on the other hand, keeps sewage safely separate from drinking water.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Technique Used In Human Ankle Injuries Modified To Treat Dogs' Knees
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315811171/080616160514.htm
A common sports injury in human knees is even more common in dogs. Each year, more than one million dogs suffer from cranial cruciate ligament deficiency, which is comparable to the anterior cruciate ligament injury in humans. The common method of treatment by many veterinary surgeons involves cutting the tibia bone to stabilize the CCL-deficient knee in these dogs. Now, a new minimally invasive technique with less severe complications than previous methods has been developed.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New Technique To Optimize Computer Speed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315487850/080619103919.htm
Who doesn't dream of increasingly fast computers that consume less and less energy? To design these computers of the future, it is important to be able to control nanoscale strain in the processors. Until now, this strain remained difficult to observe.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Gallons Per Mile Would Help Car Shoppers Make Better Decisions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638691/080619142118.htm
Posting a vehicle's fuel efficiency in "gallons per mile" rather than "miles per gallon" would help consumers make better decisions about car purchases and environmental impact, researchers report in the journal Science.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Bright Chunks At Phoenix Lander's Mars Site Must Have Been Ice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315904968/080619221234.htm
Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Immune Molecule That Plays A Powerful Role In Avoiding Organ Rejection Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741157/080616152036.htm
When a mouse's immune system is deciding whether to reject a skin graft, one powerful member of a molecular family designed to provoke such a response can effectively reduce the visibility of the mouse's own cells and help the graft survive, researchers say.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Complex Changes In The Brain's Vascular System Occur After Menopause
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741171/080616153622.htm
Many women experience menopausal changes in their body including hot flashes, moodiness and fatigue, but the changes they don't notice can be more dangerous. Researchers have now discovered significant changes in the brain's vascular system when the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Scientists predict that currently used estrogen-based hormone therapies may complicate this process and may do more harm than good in postmenopausal women.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Researchers Witness Assembly Of Molecules Critical To Protein Function
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741172/080616170813.htm
Iron-sulfur clusters are critical to life on earth. They are necessary for protein function in cellular processes, such as respiration in humans and other organisms and photosynthesis by plants. A research group has isolated proteins responsible for the iron-sulfur cluster assembly process and witnessed the necessary protein interactions in vivo -- within a cell.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Low Testosterone May Cause Health Problems That Lead To Erectile Dysfunction
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741175/080616210025.htm
Men with erectile dysfunction should be examined for testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome, because these conditions commonly occur together, a new study shows.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Active Submarine Volcanoes Found Near Fiji
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315446070/080619093259.htm
Several huge active submarine volcanoes, spreading ridges and rift zones have been discovered northeast of Fiji. The summits of two of the volcanoes, named 'Dugong', and 'Lobster', are dominated by large calderas at depths of 1100 and 1500 meters.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Vitamin D Linked To Colon Cancer Survival
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315446067/080619090749.htm
Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who had abundant vitamin D in their blood were less likely to die during a follow-up period than those who were deficient in the vitamin, according to a new study.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Coats Of Cellulose From Bacteria Yield Greener, Stronger Natural Composites
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313046889/080616091602.htm
Researchers report the first use of bacteria to deposit sticky coatings of cellulose on the surfaces of plant fibers, a process that may expand the use of natural fibers in renewable plastic composites used as strong, lightweight materials for cars, airplanes, and other products.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Developing Unique Brain Maps To Assist Surgery And Research
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741176/080616115727.htm
Researchers are developing new technology to create individualized brain maps that will revolutionize diagnosis of disease and enhance the accuracy of brain surgery.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Toward Designing Medications To Enhance Innate Immunity: A Single VSOP Can Do 'Proton' Magic
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741177/080616170804.htm
Researchers found that a single protein of VSOP, Voltage Sensor Only Protein/Hv1, can carry protons even without making a multimeric complex. This finding may help to design new medications for enhancing the activities of innate immunity.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Pharmacology Of Crystal Meth Described
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741178/080616170826.htm
When smoked, crystal meth rapidly achieves high concentrations in the brain without the burdens of the intravenous route. Scientists review the actions of methamphetamine and explain the potential role of dopamine in methamphetamine craving.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Researchers Explain Nitrogen Paradox In Forests, Illuminating How Ecosystems Respond To Global Warming
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741179/080618133726.htm
Nitrogen is essential to all life on Earth, and the processes by which it cycles through the environment may determine how ecosystems respond to global warming. But certain aspects of the nitrogen cycle in forests have puzzled scientists, defying, in a sense, the laws of supply and demand. Now scientists have explained the paradox by recognizing the role of two other factors: temperature and the abundance of another key element, phosphorous.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New Method Drastically Reduces Wait Time For New Teeth Implant
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741180/080617105005.htm
A new odontological technique manages to reduce from six months to two weeks the wait time to implant new teeth. It is possible thanks to the use of the growth hormone in oral implantology, which allows bone regeneration and the hastening of the integration between bone base and dental implant.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Lake Sediments Help Scientists Trace 7,000 Years Of Mining, Metal Use In China
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313046887/080616092214.htm
A new geochemical study illuminates 7,000 years of mining and metal use in central China and links these trends to fluctuations in airborne pollution during the Bronze Age and other military and industrial periods in Chinese history. The study could help scientists better assess the accumulative environmental effects of human activity in the region since prehistory times.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
New Role Of Inflammatory Protein In Polycycstic Kidney Disease Identified, Could Lead To Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741181/080616144852.htm
Scientists have discovered that a protein previously shown to have a role in inflammation may also have a role in the formation of cysts in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease -- one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases -- and has shown that a drug inhibiting the protein can slow the disease in mice.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Ultrasonic Instruments Associated With Improved Outcomes For Some Surgical Procedures
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741182/080616163436.htm
Using ultrasonic surgical instruments is associated with more favorable outcomes when compared with conventional instruments for some procedures, according to a meta-analysis of 51 previously published studies.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Depression And Diabetes: Fellow Travelers, Researchers Say
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315741183/080617160813.htm
Researchers have long known that type 2 diabetes and depression often go hand in hand. However, it's been unclear which condition develops first in patients who end up with both. Now, a new study suggests that this chicken-and-egg problem has a dual answer: Patients with depression have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing depression.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Greenland Ice Core Analysis Shows Drastic Climate Change Near End Of Last Ice Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315638693/080619142112.htm
Information gleaned from a Greenland ice core by an international science team shows that two huge Northern Hemisphere temperature spikes prior to the close of the last ice age some 11,500 years ago were tied to fundamental shifts in atmospheric circulation.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Same Drug, Different Results: Researchers On The Path To Personalized Medicine
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315560488/080619113709.htm
Medicine has moved a closer to the era of treatments based on the genetic profiles of individual patients. A new study shows how minor genetic differences between individuals alter the way a common drug affects the body.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Eight-day Undersea Mission Begins Experiment To Improve Coral Reef Restoration
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/311441368/080613174716.htm
Scientists have begun an eight-day mission, in which they are living and working at 60 feet below the sea surface in an underwater "space station," to determine why some species of coral colonies survive transplanting after a disturbance while other colonies die. The team of "aquanauts" is to improve the restoration of damaged reefs.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Mechanism Contributing To Appropriate Formation Of The Spine Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315676364/080618152400.htm
Scientists have shed light on the mechanism causing animals to develop the appropriate number of vertebrae. Vertebrae are formed from their embryonic precursors, called somites. The number of somites is consistent within a species, but varies significantly across species. By comparing the developing embryos of zebrafish, chicken, mice, and corn snakes, the team established an understanding of how an organism regulates the number of somites formed.
Fri, 20 Jun 08
Identifying Canadian Freshwater Fish Through DNA Barcodes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315676365/080617204451.htm
New research by Canadian scientists brings some good news for those interested in the conservation of a number of highly endangered species of Canadian fish.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Great Apes Think Ahead: Conclusive Evidence Of Advanced Planning Capacities
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314756286/080618114602.htm
Apes can plan for their future needs just as we humans can -- by using self-control and imagining future events. Swedish researchers are the first to provide conclusive evidence of advanced planning capacities in nonhuman species.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
First Gene Therapy For Heart Failure Offered In Clinical Trials
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012380/080618145938.htm
Could injecting a gene into a patient with severe heart failure reverse their disabling and life-threatening condition? Physician-scientists are setting out to answer that question in a first-ever clinical trial of gene therapy to treat severe heart failure.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Test Of Bacteria Toxin Delivery System Could Pave Way For New Antibiotic Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012381/080616115718.htm
Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in monitoring the toxin-delivery system of highly pathogenic bacteria -- an accomplishment that could help pave the way for new drugs that will be capable of neutralizing those germs.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
PET Scans Reveal Hormone Replacement Therapy May Be Beneficial For Postmenopausal Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012382/080616115847.htm
Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, yet recent research studies have sometimes resulted in conflicting data regarding how best to treat or minimize the effects of the disease.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
IRobot Secures Licensing Agreement For Underwater Seagliders
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012383/080612132840.htm
University of Washington record-holding, ocean-observing robots that operate at sea for months at a time -- traveling thousands of miles at the behest of operators on land directing activities via a satellite phone network -- will be commercially produced by iRobot under a new licensing agreement.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Ordered Drinks Can Be Larger And Have Greater Alcohol Content Than You May Think
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012384/080617160816.htm
Most alcohol research tends to assume that drinks contain the same amount of pure alcohol: 0.6 ounces or 18 milliliters. Why is this important? Researchers need accuracy to do their job well, and consumers need to know what they're drinking, especially if they are going to drive. New research has found that the average size of wine, mixed drinks and beer served in Northern California bars, restaurants and other drinking establishments is larger than the standard, and alcohol content can vary widely. Researchers visited 80 bars and restaurants in Northern California.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Birds Communicate Reproductive Success In Song
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314601354/080618082046.htm
Some migratory songbirds figure out the best place to live by eavesdropping on the singing of others that successfully have had baby birds -- a communication and behavioral trait so strong that researchers playing recorded songs induced them to nest in places they otherwise would have avoided.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Stem Cell Researchers Give Old Muscle New Pep
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/312525401/080615142255.htm
When bioengineers tweaked how adult stem cells reacted to biochemical signals regulating cell division, they gave muscle in old mice a shot of youthful vigor. The research sets the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions, including muscle atrophy and Alzheimer's disease.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Marine Biologists Investigate Aliens Beneath The Waves
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012385/080616115703.htm
Marine biologists are appealing for help from the public in looking at ways to detect and stop the spread of marine aliens.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Molecular Imaging Sheds New Light On Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012386/080616115841.htm
In the past, physicians were able only to follow the progression of Alzheimer's disease through careful clinical histories, noting the often subtle changes associated with cognitive decline over a number of years. Recent research suggests that the use of molecular imaging in the management of neurodegenerative disease, particularly for early diagnosis of AD, will enable researchers to monitor the progression of the disease, identifying those at risk and assessing the effectiveness of new therapies.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Low Cost Quantum Dots For Biological Research Produced Through Microwave Synthesis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310430337/080612095523.htm
Materials researchers have developed a simplified, low-cost process for producing high-quality, water-soluble 'quantum dots' for biological research.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Steroids In Female Mouse Urine Light Up Nose Nerves Of Male Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012387/080617204515.htm
A group of steroids found in female mouse urine goes straight to the male mouse's head. Researchers found the compounds activate nerve cells in the male mouse's nose with unprecedented effectiveness.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Worm-like Marine Animal Providing Fresh Clues About Human Evolution
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012388/080618133715.htm
Research on the genome of a marine creature is shedding new light on a key area of the tree of life. Because amphioxus is evolving slowly -- its body plan remains similar to that of fossils from the Cambrian time -- the animal serves as an intriguing comparison point for tracing how vertebrates have evolved and adapted. This includes new information about how vertebrates have employed old genes for new functions.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Patient's Own Infection-fighting T Cells Put Late-stage Melanoma Into Long-term Remission
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012389/080618172959.htm
Researchers describe the first successful use of a human patient's cloned infection-fighting T cells as the sole therapy to put an advanced solid-tumor cancer into long-term remission.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Plants Can Make Golf Courses Greener By Filtering Pesticides
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012390/080613164153.htm
Researchers have found several plants, including blue flag iris, that can reduce the amount of common pesticides used on gold courses in soils. Using these plants as a "living filter" on the edge of golf greens will help protect waterways from the impact of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
New Possibilities For Breast Cancer Treatment On The Horizon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012391/080616115836.htm
The first patient scans from a custom-built scanner combining positron emission tomography and computed tomography technologies indicate that these scans could significantly improve breast cancer imaging capabilities and lead to more targeted treatment options, according to researchers. The prototype scanner is designed to help physicians determine stages of breast cancer in patients already diagnosed with the disease, rather than as a mammography screening tool.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Grains And Liquids Demonstrate Similar Cohesion Effects
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012392/080611185948.htm
What if sand flowed like water? Researchers have just demonstrated that even without an attractive force between grains in flowing sand, they have a cohesion similar to that of liquids.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Claims Linking Health Problems And The Strength Of Cannabis May Be Exaggerated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012393/080617125751.htm
Claims that a large increase in the strength of cannabis over the last decade is driving the occurrence of mental health and other problems for users are not borne out by a study of the worldwide literature, say researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and the National Drug Research Institute, both from Australia.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Thinking Ahead: Bacteria Anticipate Coming Changes In Their Environment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012394/080618161546.htm
Microbes may be smarter than we think. Bacteria don't just react to changes in their surroundings -- they anticipate and prepare for them. The findings, reported in Science, challenge the prevailing notion that only organisms with complex nervous systems have this ability.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
New Cancer Treatment Targets Both Tumor Cells And Blood Vessels
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012395/080618133718.htm
It takes more than one punch to fight tumors. Often, tumors have more than one way of surviving, and attacking the tumor alone is not enough. Now, in a new study, University of Missouri researchers have developed a new non-toxic treatment that effectively reduces breast cancer cells, by combining a small molecular drug that targets tumor cells with an antibody that causes selective shutdown of tumor blood vessels.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Tropical Forest Sustainability: A Climate Change Boon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/311208100/080613103425.htm
Improved management of the world's tropical forests has major implications for humanity's ability to reduce its contribution to climate change, according to a new article in Science.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Unexpected Link Between Coronavirus Replication And Protein Secretion In Infected Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/311208107/080613101123.htm
Coronavirus replication is critically linked to two factors within the early secretory pathway, according to new findings in PLoS Pathogens. The SARS virus is within the coronavirus group.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Computer Predicts Anti-cancer Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012396/080616223426.htm
A new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity has correctly predicted the anti-tumor activity of several molecules. New research in Molecular Cancer describes 'CoMet' -- a tool that studies the integrated machinery of the cell and predicts those components that will have an effect on cancer.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Group Therapy May Help Memory
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012397/080617125557.htm
Investigators are reporting a new method of improving memory disturbances in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Patients with memory complaints, but without objective cognitive impairment, suffer considerably in their daily lives, as they experience frequent lapses of memory and attention leading to embarrassment, anxiety, reported occupational shortcomings and often the fear of dementia.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Chimps Not So Selfish: Comforting Behavior May Well Be Expression Of Empathy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314640955/080618093247.htm
Compared to their sex-mad, peace-loving bonobo counterparts, chimpanzees are often seen as a scheming, war-mongering, and selfish species. As both apes are allegedly our closest relatives, together they are often depicted as representing the two extremes of human behavior.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Gene Variants Linked To Metabolic Syndrome And HDL Cholesterol Levels
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012398/080617204430.htm
Nutrition researchers have identified five common genetic variations that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors linked to heart disease and diabetes. Another variant they found appeared to protect against the condition.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
NASA Aircraft Examine Impact Of Forest Fires On Arctic Climate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012399/080612201754.htm
As the summer fire season heats up, NASA aircraft are set to follow the trail of smoke plumes from some of Earth's northernmost forest fires, examining their contribution to arctic pollution and implications for climate change.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
The APCs Of Nerve Cell Function
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012401/080616115706.htm
Best known for its role in colorectal cancer, the protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) has recently been found to play an essential role in the nervous system. This new study provides novel insights into the molecular basis of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Computers As Safe As Medical Experts In Prescribing Blood Thinning Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314756284/080618114703.htm
The largest ever study into the administration of blood thinning drugs, principally warfarin, has concluded that dosages calculated by computer are at least as safe and reliable as those provided by expert medical professionals.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
People With Lower Incomes, Lower Education Levels Have Higher Death Rates After Heart Attacks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/315012402/080617142842.htm
Researchers have long suspected that socioeconomic factors like education level and income also might affect survival rates following heart attack. Researchers present new data suggesting that people with lower incomes and education levels are more likely to die after heart attack than more affluent, educated people.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Flies Found To Have Internal Thermosensors To Monitor Environmental Temperatures
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794890/080611135103.htm
Flies, unlike humans, can't manipulate the temperature of their surroundings so they need to pick the best spot for flourishing. New research in Nature reveals that they have internal thermosensors to help them. As global warming leads hundreds of species, including insects, fish, birds, and mammals to seek out different environments in which temperature is more optimal, understanding the molecules and the internal neural cues that drive these behaviors will shed light on the strategies animals use to cope with changes in their environments.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
New Cellular Mechanism That Will Significantly Advance Vaccine Development Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794891/080616144856.htm
Scientists have discovered a new, previously unknown mechanism in how the body fights a virus. The finding runs counter to traditional scientific understanding of this process and will provide scientists a more effective method for developing vaccines.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Plan To Conserve Forests May Be Detrimental To Other Ecosystems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794892/080612141354.htm
Conserving biodiversity must be considered in plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, researchers warn in Science. The UNFCCC is currently discussing ways of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. REDD has potential to deliver benefits for biodiversity and people, as well as for the climate. These benefits will be concentrated in forests with high carbon stocks. Land use may shift to low-carbon forests and other ecosystems important for biodiversity.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
HIV Screening Found Cost-effective In Older Adults
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794893/080616170756.htm
Recent studies suggest that large numbers of Americans remain sexually active well into their 60's, 70's and even 80's. But researchers say seniors may be overlooked as possible carriers of the AIDS virus, and based on a new study, they are recommending screening for most adults ages 55 to 75 as a sensible, cost-effective way to prolong life, and decrease the spread of the disease.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
New Intrusion Tolerance Software Fortifies Server Security
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794894/080616144905.htm
In spite of increased focus and large investments in computer security, critical infrastructure systems remain vulnerable to attacks. The increasing sophistication and incessant morphing of cyber-attacks lend importance to the concept of intrusion tolerance: a system must fend off, or at least limit, the damage caused by unknown and/or undetected attacks.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
It's The Way You Say It: How Using The Right Words Can Cut Environmental Conflicts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794895/080617204447.htm
Ecologists have developed a new "tool" that could in future help prevent costly and acrimonious environmental conflicts such as campaigns against culling problem populations of charismatic animals and arguments over genetically modified organisms. The tool, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, involves a novel use of computer-aided content analysis and is based on the recent environmental conflict surrounding hedgehog culling on the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Stress During Childhood Increases Risk Of Allergies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314723469/080618114728.htm
Moving house or the separation of parents can significantly increase the risk of children developing allergies later on. These are the results from a long-term study correlating lifestyle, immune system development and allergies.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Inflammatory Disease Causes Blindness, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794897/080616163425.htm
New research shows a link between blindness and temporal arteritis, a problem that restricts blood flow to the brain. The research finds that giant cells play a key role in the disease, as well as another inflammatory problem that causes aches and stiffness in the arms, thighs and neck.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Dingo Urine Offers Humane Solution To Kangaroo Cull
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/311341323/080613143647.htm
Tasmania's marsupials have been offered a life-line by researchers utilizing cutting edge science involving fresh dingo urine. Historically, Tasmania's logging industry has used 1080 poison, shooting and more recently cyanide to control kangaroos and wallabies in areas marked for reforestation, however this method is unselective and kills all wildlife.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Blood Pressure Levels In Childhood Track Into Adulthood
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794899/080616163445.htm
High blood pressure in childhood is associated with higher blood pressure or hypertension in adulthood, according to a new study.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Rising Diesel Prices Renew Interest In Fuel-saving Technologies For Heavy Trucks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794900/080611154206.htm
Diesel fuel prices approaching $5 a gallon -- and the resulting economic impact on products transported by truck -- have created renewed interest in fuel-saving technologies developed during the past decade.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Patterns Of Normal Brain Activity May Predispose Individuals To Different Symptoms Of Psychosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794901/080617204519.htm
A new study offers a potential predictive technique to anticipate how individuals might behave during a psychotic episode. The study related the brain activity of healthy participants to how they behaved after exposure to ketamine (a psychosis-inducing drug that mimics schizophrenia symptoms). The findings help explain why schizophrenia symptoms vary greatly from person to person and may ultimately help personalize diagnosis and intervention.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Black Holes Have Simple Feeding Habits
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794902/080618133708.htm
The biggest black holes may feed just like the smallest ones, according to data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based telescopes. This discovery supports the implication of Einstein's relativity theory that black holes of all sizes have similar properties, and will be useful for predicting the properties of a conjectured new class of black holes.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Olfactory Bulb Size May Change As Sense Of Smell Changes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794903/080616163428.htm
The olfactory bulb in the brain appears to change in size in a way that corresponds to individual alterations in sense of smell, according to a report in the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Key Mechanism Of DDT Resistance Found In Malarial Mosquitoes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794904/080616170758.htm
Researchers have identified a key detoxifying protein in Anopheles mosquitoes that metabolizes DDT, a synthetic insecticide used since World War II to control the mosquitoes that spread malaria.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Gene Variation May Be Why Some Don't Respond To Cholesterol-lowering Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794905/080616163443.htm
A variation in the way a gene is processed may explain varied individual responses to cholesterol-lowering drugs. This is the first study to show that a biological process substantially influences the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. The discovery could lead to better treatment for high cholesterol and other ailments.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
New Soft Safety Helmet Lining Turns Into Rock Hard Shock Absorber When Hit
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794906/080611183702.htm
If something hits you on the head while you are wearing this safety helmet, its soft flexible inner layer will instantly turn into a rock-hard shock-absorbent material. The helmet is lined on the inside with a material that is soft and flexible under normal conditions, but which "locks" instantaneously, becoming hard and shock-absorbent, if the helmet is subjected to impact or blows.
Thu, 19 Jun 08
Male Homosexuality Can Be Explained Through A Specific Model Of Darwinian Evolution, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314794907/080617204459.htm
An Italian research team found that the evolutionary origin and maintenance of male homosexuality in human populations could be explained by a model based around the idea of sexually antagonistic selection, in which genetic factors spread in the population by giving a reproductive advantage to one sex while disadvantaging the other.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
New Research On Octopuses Sheds Light On Memory
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158658/080617102853.htm
Research on octopuses has shed new light on how our brains store and recall memory. Why octopuses? Octopuses and other related creatures, known as cephalopods, are considered to be the most intelligent invertebrates because they have relatively large brains and they can be trained for various learning and memory tasks.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Abortion Drug's Off-label Use May Have Led To Deaths
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158659/080616115657.htm
Scientists suggests that the immunosuppressive effect of the drug misoprostol, if given vaginally rather than orally along with RU-486 to terminate a pregnancy, is likely the reason a small number of women taking the two-drug combination have contracted a rare, fatal bacterial infection.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Get A Little Sun This Summer -- It Could Help Save Your Life, Researcher Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158661/080616161111.htm
As summer comes and people across America get ready to start slathering on the sunscreen, a note of caution is in order -- a little sunshine is good for you. Studies increasingly are suggesting the value of vitamin D -- often known as the sunshine vitamin, because that's one way you can obtain it -- in everything from bone metabolism to maintaining muscle strength, immune function, reducing hypertension and possibly even playing a role in prevention of cancer and autoimmune disease.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Aerobic Exercise Increases A Blood Protein That May Suppress Appetite
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158663/080616115855.htm
Three months of aerobic exercise decreased body fat and calorie intake in overweight and obese people, according to a new study, and the researchers believe that changes to a central nervous system factor are responsible.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Perfecting A Solar Cell By Adding Imperfections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158664/080616163421.htm
Nanotechnology is paving the way toward improved solar cells. New research shows that a film of carbon nanotubes may be able to replace two of the layers normally used in a solar cell, with improved performance at a lower cost. Researchers have found a surprising way to give the nanotubes the properties they need: add defects. Currently, these solar cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells, have a transparent film made of an oxide that is applied to glass and conducts electricity. In addition, a separate film made of platinum acts as a catalyst to speed the chemical reactions involved.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Type And Severity Of Combat Wounds In Iraq War Have Changed Over Time
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158665/080616163438.htm
The transition in Iraq from maneuver warfare to insurgency warfare is associated with changes in the type and severity of injuries treated by surgical units of the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a new report. In the second, insurgent phase of the war, injuries have been more severe, transport times longer, more injuries have occurred per individual and more soldiers have been killed in action or died of their wounds.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Symmetry Of Homosexual Brain Resembles That Of Opposite Sex, Swedish Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158668/080617151845.htm
Swedish researchers have found that some physical attributes of the homosexual brain resemble those found in the opposite sex.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Grape Seed Extract May Reduce Cognitive Decline Associated With Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158669/080617165716.htm
A compound found in grape seed extract reduces plaque formation and resulting cognitive impairment in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease, new research shows. The nutritional supplement was as effective as red wine in preventing amyloid beta plaque build up.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Engineering Students Launch Record-breaking Balloon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158670/080617120433.htm
Early-career engineers at Lockheed Martin who are also earning engineering degrees at Cornell broke the world amateur high-altitude balloon record in a recent near-space flight that exceeded 125,000 feet. The students' flight beat the previous amateur altitude record by nearly 5,000 feet.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Key Developmental Pathway Activates Lung Stem Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158671/080617143634.htm
Researchers found that the activation of a molecular pathway important in stem cell and developmental biology leads to the increase in lung stem cells. Harnessing this knowledge could help develop therapies for lung-tissue repair after injury or disease.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Promising Step Towards More Effective Hydrogen Storage
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158672/080616115724.htm
Scientists have demonstrated an atomistic mechanism of hydrogen release in magnesium nanoparticles -- a potential hydrogen storage material.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Athletic Benefit Of Growth Hormone Doping: Is It All In The Athlete's Mind?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314158673/080617113743.htm
If athletes believe they are using a performing-enhancing drug, they may think their athletic performance improves, and in some men it can, even if they are actually taking a dummy drug, a new study has found.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Shallow Water Corals Evolved From Deep Sea Ancestors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220855/080617204512.htm
New research shows that the second most diverse group of hard corals first evolved in the deep sea, and not in shallow waters. Stylasterids, or lace corals, diversified in deep waters before launching at least three successful invasions of shallow water tropical habitats in the past 40 million years. This finding provides the first strong evidence that a group of deep-sea animals invaded and diversified in shallow waters.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
New Study Shows Potential To Treat Or Prevent Viral Cancers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220856/080616115744.htm
A new study shows that radioimmunotherapy targeting viral antigens offers a novel option to treat -- or even prevent -- many viral cancers by targeting cancer cells expressing viral antigens or infected cells before they convert into malignancy.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Phoenix Makes First Trench In Science Preserve
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220857/080617210034.htm
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander began digging in an area called "Wonderland" early Tuesday, taking its first scoop of soil from a polygonal surface feature within the "national park" region that mission scientists have been preserving for science.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Anti-inflammatory Effects Of Pomegranate In Rabbits: A Potential Treatment In Humans?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220858/080612193833.htm
Oral ingestion of pomegranate extract reduces the production of chemicals that cause inflammation. The findings indicate that pomegranate extract may provide humans with relief of chronic inflammatory conditions.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Natural Plant Materials To Regulate Starch Digestion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313046886/080616092430.htm
Researchers in Switzerland are reporting discovery of natural plant materials that may regulate starch digestion -- slowing down the body's conversion of potatoes, rice, and other carbohydrate-rich foods into sugar. The findings could lead to new functional foods that fight diabetes according to research in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
'Hazardous Drinking' May Be A New 'Check Stop' On The Way To Alcohol Dependence
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220859/080617160822.htm
Current diagnostic guides divide alcohol-use disorders into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence. Some researchers and clinicians believe this is insufficient, that there should be a third, preceding diagnosis known as "hazardous drinking," defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend. A Finnish study has found that hazardous drinking is quite common.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Soccer Parents: Why They Rage
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314256021/080617152020.htm
A new study found that ego defensiveness, one of the triggers that ignites road rage, also kicks off parental "sideline rage," and that a parent with a control-oriented personality is more likely to react to that trigger by becoming angry and aggressive.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Ability To Track Stem Cells In Tumors Could Advance Cancer Treatments
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220861/080616115751.htm
Using noninvasive molecular imaging technology, a method has been developed to track the location and activity of mesenchymal stem cells in the tumors of living organisms. This ability could lead to major advances in the use of stem cell therapies to treat cancer.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Medical Research On Ice: Antarctic Study Will Measure How Humans Physically Adapt To Extreme Environment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220862/080612131903.htm
New medical equipment recently delivered to the Antarctic station Concordia will help understand how our bodies physically adapt to this extreme environment -- knowledge which could help prepare for a future human mission to Mars. ESA is currently looking for a candidate with a medical background to support projects at the research base.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Serum Sodium Predicts Mortality 10 Times Higher In PAH Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220864/080613101110.htm
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension -- chronically high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs -- whose serum sodium levels are low have a very poor chance of survival and a high rate of right-heart failure, according to new research.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Threatened Or Invasive? Species' Fates Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/311179509/080613093732.htm
A new ecological study should help identify species prone to extinction under environmental change, and species that are likely to become a pest. The researchers analysed life-history and ecological traits in more than 8900 species of the legume, or the Fabaceae plant family, and found a correlation between evolved species' traits and a particular susceptibility to a species becoming threatened or invasive.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Focus Attention Upon Distributors Of Human Growth Hormone, Scientists Urge
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220865/080617160837.htm
A great deal of attention has been paid to the use of growth hormone by elite athletes and a few vocal entertainers. But underlying this tip of the iceberg is a $2 billion dollar a year business, likely involving hundreds of thousands of regular people, and promoted by anti-aging and age-management clinics and compounding pharmacies who aggressively market and sell growth hormone with the claim that it has anti-aging or athletic enhancing properties.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Bee Species Outnumber Mammals And Birds Combined
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857668/080611135020.htm
Scientists have discovered that there are more bee species than previously thought. In the first global accounting of bee species in over a hundred years, scientists at the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History compiled online species pages and distribution maps for more than 19,200 described bee species, showcasing the diversity of these essential pollinators.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Researchers Use A Patient's Own Bone To Accelerate Orthodontics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857669/080616115917.htm
Researchers at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry say they have improved upon a surgical procedure that rapidly straightens teeth, delivering a healthy bite and attractive smile in months instead of years.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Significant Efficacy Of Travelers' Diarrhea Vaccine Shown
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857670/080611220426.htm
Researchers have found that patients given a travelers' diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a new study. The patch-based vaccine is part of the Phase 2 study in conjunction with the Iomai Corp.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Phoenix Lander Bakes Sample, Arm Digs Deeper
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/314220866/080617205826.htm
One of the ovens on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander continued baking its first sample of Martian soil over the weekend, while the Robotic Arm dug deeper into the soil to learn more about white material first revealed on June 3.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Nerves Behind Pain Relief Provided By Stressful Situations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857671/080612172150.htm
The increased beating of the heart that one experiences when in a stressful situation is just one part of the body's response, often known as the "fight-or-flight response", to stress. Another component of the fight-or-flight response is the suppression of pain, also known as stress-induced analgesia. New research has now revealed that nerves producing the peptide N/ORQ and nerves producing the peptide Hcrt are key regulators of SIA in mice.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Centromeres Cross Over, A Lot
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857672/080612125029.htm
Recombination at centromeres is higher than anywhere else on the chromosome, even though methyltransferases do their best to prevent it, according to new research. Centromeric recombination has been hard to study because the DNA at centromeres is so repetitive -- it's hard to see when a segment has switched chromatids.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Being Overweight Does Not Result In Decreased Sperm Production, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857674/080616210334.htm
Overweight men are not more likely to be infertile, as past research has shown to be true in obese women, according to a new study. Findings of the study, performed in New York in nearly 300 very overweight men, were unexpected.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Nanotechnology, Biomolecules And Light Unite To 'Cook' Cancer Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857675/080616170807.htm
Researchers are testing a new way to kill cancer cells selectively by attaching cancer-seeking antibodies to tiny carbon tubes that heat up when exposed to near-infrared light.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Hot Flashes Under-reported, And Linked To Forgetfulness
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857676/080616175905.htm
Women in midlife under-report the number of hot flashes that they experience by more than 40 percent, and these hot flashes are linked to poor verbal memory, according to a new study.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Golfers And Golf Courses Benefit From Native Grasses In Roughs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310459136/080612105313.htm
Some golfers may prefer a well-manicured golf course, highly-maintained with very green, very short grass that's easy to play off of. But, according to two recent studies, a naturalized landscape that incorporates native grasses benefits biodiversity, saves costs on pesticides and labor for the golf course, and could create a course which is just as challenging for golfers.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
On The Evolutionary Trail Of Molecules That Cause Lou Gehrig's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310536117/080612125045.htm
What became a scientific quest a few scientists began with trying to define the function of a protein that plays a role in the nervous system. That led to work with similar proteins in the nerve cells of worms, fruit flies, and people and culminated in important clues about what goes wrong in the nerves and muscles of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Ultra Low-cost Plastic Memory Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819674/080616204649.htm
Researchers have developed a technology for a plastic ferro-electric diode which they believe will achieve a breakthrough in the development of ultra low-cost plastic memory material.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Popular Stimulant's Role In Brain Function Deterioration Is Cause For Concern, According To Researchers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313857677/080616115843.htm
Concerned by the growing numbers of people using stimulant medications such as methylphenidate -- either legally or illegally -- to improve attention and focus, researchers used positron emission tomography imaging with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose to assess the effects of the drug on brain function in the normal human brain.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
First Successful Reverse Vasectomy On Endangered Species Performed At The National Zoo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819671/080616160142.htm
Veterinarians at the Smithsonian's National Zoo performed the first successful reverse vasectomy on a Przewalski's horse. Przewalksi's horses are a horse species native to China and Mongolia that was declared extinct in the wild in 1970.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Possible Link Between Different Forms Of Epilepsy Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819672/080616115715.htm
Carnegie Mellon neuroscientists have identified what may be the first known common denominator underlying inherited and sporadic epilepsy -- a disruption in an ion channel called the BK channel. Although BK channels have been linked to a rare, familial form of epilepsy, their involvement in other types of seizure disorders has never been demonstrated. These findings indicate that BK channels are a new target for anticonvulsant therapies, offering new hope to individuals suffering from epilepsy.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Chemists Get Scoop On Crude 'Oil' From Pig Manure
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310430336/080612095527.htm
Researchers have developed the first detailed chemical analysis revealing what processing is needed to transform pig manure derived 'crude oil' into fuel for vehicles or heating. Mass production of this type of biofuel could help consume a waste product overflowing at US farms, but it will require a lot of refining.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Hearing Loss Is Twice As Common In People With Diabetes Compared To Those WIthout The Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819673/080616170837.htm
Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study. Also, adults with pre-diabetes, whose blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, had a 30 percent higher rate of hearing loss compared to those with normal blood sugar tested after an overnight fast.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310459139/080612100445.htm
Researchers have developed a new fabrication technique called 'nanoglassblowing' that creates nanoscale fluidic devices to isolate and study single molecules in solution, including individual DNA strands.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Learning From The Dead: What Facial Muscles Can Tell Us About Emotion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819675/080616205044.htm
Laugh and the world laughs with you, but wrinkle your nose and you could find yourself on your own. A scientist who examined the facial muscles in cadavers has found that the muscles which control our facial expressions are not common to everyone.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Lizards Pull A Wheelie
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819676/080613101121.htm
Lizards that run on two legs haven't evolved to pull the stunt; they're simply pulling a wheelie. Researchers have found that lizards shift their center of mass back as they accelerate forward so that they're forelimbs lift off the ground leaving them running on two legs.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Heightened Sense Of Taste Can Promote Weight Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819678/080616115852.htm
People can lose weight by flavoring their food with calorie-free seasonings and sweeteners, which may make them feel full faster and decrease their consumption, according to a new study.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
From Canada To The Caribbean: Tree Leaves Control Their Own Temperature, Study Reveals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819679/080611135100.htm
The temperature inside a healthy, photosynthesizing tree leaf, about 21 degrees C, is affected less by outside environmental temperature than originally believed, according to new research from biologists at the University of Pennsylvania. Surveying 39 tree species ranging in location from subtropical to boreal climates, researchers found a nearly constant temperature in tree leaves. These findings provide new understanding of how tree branches and leaves maintain a homeostatic temperature considered ideal for photosynthesis and suggests that plant physiology and ecology are important factors to consider as biologists tap trees to investigate climate change.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Hand Bone Mineral Density Is An Effective Predictor Of Mortality In Rheumatoid Arthritis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/310430338/080612094701.htm
Low bone mineral density in the hand is a valid predictor of overall mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and indicates long-term prognosis, according to a new study. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry demonstrated bone mineral density to be as effective predicting mortality as well-established means of assessment such as radiographic damage and functional disability.
Wed, 18 Jun 08
Diamonds Reveal Deep Source Of Platinum Deposits
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313819680/080611135115.htm
The world's richest source of platinum and related metals is an enigmatic geological structure in South Africa known as the Bushveld Complex. The source of its metallic riches has long been a matter of scientific dispute. Now researchers have traced the origin of the unique ore deposits by using another of South Africa's treasures -- diamonds.
Tue, 17 Jun 08
Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313549896/080616170839.htm
Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease.
Tue, 17 Jun 08
Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Also Has Role In HIV Progression
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313549897/080616170816.htm
A protein related to heart disease and Alzheimer's is found to be a factor in HIV. The apolipoprotein (apo) E4 isoform has been implicated in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Now, investigators have shown that this troubling protein is a risk factor for AIDS progression rates and promotes entry of HIV into cells.
Tue, 17 Jun 08
Samoa Found To Be In Path Of Geological Hotspots, Adding Fuel To Debate Over Origins Of Volcanic Chains
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/313549898/080616161631.htm
A new study that determines Samoa is indeed on the path of a geologic "hotspot" trail is adding fuel to a vigorous scientific debate over the origins of volcano chains -- especially in the Pacific Ocean.