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| Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 |Thu, 31 Jul 08
New Yeast Trick For Eating Favorite Food
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115606/080730140730.htm
Bioengineers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that allows yeast to shut down the metabolism of another sugar, galactose, when they sense glucose in the environment.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Mechanism For Postpartum Depression Found In Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115609/080730140613.htm
Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. After giving birth, female mice bred to be deficient in a suspect protein showed depression-like behaviors and neglected their newborn pups. Giving a drug that restored the protein's function improved maternal behavior and reduced pup mortality.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Isthmus Of Panama Formed As Result Of Plate Tectonics, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115610/080729234142.htm
Contrary to previous evidence, a new University of Florida study shows the Isthmus of Panama was most likely formed by a Central American Peninsula colliding slowly with the South American continent through tectonic plate movement over millions of years.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Cholesterol-lowering Drug Boosts Bone Repair
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115611/080730222209.htm
Lovastatin, a drug used to lower cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease, has been shown to improve bone healing in an animal model of neurofibromatosis type 1. The research, reported today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, will be of great interest to NF1 patients and their physicians.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Nanojewels Made Easy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115613/080730155342.htm
Researchers have developed a method that mimics nature's way of producing dazzling colors at the nanoscale level. Their work demonstrates how such a method can be used to produce new materials, and how different nanoparticles of various sizes can produce "nanojewels" that display different optical properties. The discovery opens potential for applications in photonics, drug delivery, special coatings, sensors and microfluidics.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Psychological Downside To Strike Action
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115614/080730140732.htm
While industrial action is largely perceived as a legitimate means of encouraging organizational change in Australia, research has shown industrial action can adversely affect those involved.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
First Indication For Embalming In Roman Greece
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115616/080730155631.htm
Researchers have found indications of embalming in Roman Greek times. By means of physico-chemical and histological methods, it was possible to show that various resins, oils and spices were used during embalming of a ca. 55 year old female in Northern Greece. This is the first ever multidisciplinary-based indication for artificial mummification in Greece at 300 AD.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Fat Around The Heart May Increase Risk Of Heart Attacks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115617/080730140611.htm
When it comes to risk for a heart attack, having excess fat around the heart may be worse than having a high body mass index or a thick waist, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reporting in the August issue of the journal Obesity.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Scientists Determine Strength Of 'Liquid Smoke'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115618/080729234306.htm
Researchers have created a 3-D image of a material referred to as "liquid smoke." Aerogel, also known as liquid smoke or "San Francisco fog," is an open-cell polymer with pores smaller than 50 nanometers in diameter. For the first time, Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley scientists have peered into this material and created three-dimensional images to determine its strength and potential new applications.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Drinking In Excess Associated With Increased Risk For Metabolic Syndrome
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115619/080730140724.htm
Those who drink in excess of the US Dietary Guidelines (i.e., men who usually drink more than two drinks per day or women who usually drink more than one drink per day) or those who binge drink are at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Summer Heat Too Hot For You? What Is Comfortable?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115620/080729234304.htm
Extreme heat or cold is not only uncomfortable, it can be deadly-causing proteins to unravel and malfunction. For many years now, scientists have understood the molecular mechanisms that enable animals to sense dangerous temperatures; such as extremely high temperatures that directly trigger heat sensor proteins known as TRP channels. However, much more poorly understood is how animals sense very small temperature differences in the comfortable range, and choose their favorite temperature. Johns Hopkins researchers now have discovered that the fruit fly uses TRPA1 to sense single degree changes in the comfortable range.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
The Power Of Peter Piper: How Alliteration Enhances Poetry, Prose, And Memory
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115621/080730140837.htm
From nursery rhymes to Shakespearian sonnets, alliterations have always been an important aspect of poetry whether as an interesting aesthetic touch or just as something fun to read. But a new study suggests that this literary technique is useful not only for poetry but also for memory.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Life In A Bubble: Mathematicians Explain How Insects Breathe Underwater
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115622/080730155354.htm
Hundreds of insect species spend much of their time underwater, where food may be more plentiful. MIT mathematicians have now figured out exactly how those insects breathe underwater.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Mucous Breakthrough In Mice Holds Promise For Cystic Fibrosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115623/080729160829.htm
A Canadian scientist studying cystic fibrosis has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice. The discovery has clear implications to understanding and treating this facet of the disease in humans. CF is a fatal, genetic disease characterized by an overproduction of mucous in the lungs and digestive system.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Digestive Specialists Freeze Out Esophagus Cancer With New Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349421973/080729074928.htm
Gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115624/080729133515.htm
Scientists have now described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Astronomers Describe The Bar Scene At The Beginning Of The Universe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349670073/080729133527.htm
Bars abound in spiral galaxies today, but this was not always the case. Astronomers have found that bars tripled in number over the past seven billion years, indicating that spiral galaxies evolve in shape.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Obesity Predisposition Traced To The Brain's Reward System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115625/080729133513.htm
New research links overeating and obesity with the brain system implicated in pleasure and addictive behaviors strengthening the argument that obesity could be approached as an addictive disorder. This is the first study to demonstrate that obesity predisposition is associated with impairments in all mid-brain dopamine systems that are in place early in postnatal life.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
New Technique Reveals Van Gogh Portrait Of A Women Behind Another Painting
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115626/080730155627.htm
A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. Researchers have successfully applied this technique for the first time to the painting entitled Patch of Grass by Vincent van Gogh. Behind this painting is a portrait of a woman.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Alzheimer's Disease Patients Show Improvement In Trial Of New Drug
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115627/080729141125.htm
A new drug has been shown to improve the brain function of people with early stage Alzheimer's disease and reduce a key protein associated with the disease in the spinal fluid, in a small study published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Solar Eclipse On The Morning Of August 1st
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115628/080724143903.htm
On 1st August 2008 there will be a total eclipse of the Sun, visible from Canada, northern Greenland, Svalbard, the Barents Sea, Russia, Mongolia and China. From the whole of the British Isles observers will see a partial solar eclipse, with between 1/10th and 1/3rd of the Sun obscured by the Moon.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
How Molecules Out Of Balance Lead To Human Multiple Myeloma And Other Cancers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115629/080729133616.htm
An international team of scientists has identified processes that are heavily implicated in human multiple myeloma and other B cell cancers, moving us closer to developing quick tests and readouts that could help in the tailored treatment of patients.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Nanoparticles + Light = Dead Tumor Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115630/080729133423.htm
Medical physicists at the University of Virginia have created a novel way to kill tumor cells using nanoparticles and light. The technique, devised by Wensha Yang, an instructor in radiation oncology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues Ke Sheng, Paul W. Read, James M. Larner, and Brian P. Helmke, employs quantum dots. Quantum dots are semiconductor nanostructures, 25 billionths of a meter in diameter, which can confine electrons in three dimensions and emit light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Bee's Future As Queen Or Worker May Rest With Parasitic Fly
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115631/080728192934.htm
Strange things are happening in the lowland tropical forests of Panama and Costa Rica. A tiny parasitic fly is affecting the social behavior of a nocturnal bee, helping to determine which individuals become queens and which become workers.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Vaccine To Protect Against Black Plague Bioterror Attack Being Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115632/080730140829.htm
New research may have found a defense against the black plague, a disease that wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat today.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Frankincense Provides Relief To Arthritis Sufferers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115633/080729234300.htm
An enriched extract of the 'Indian frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Endangered European Wild Cat May Protected By Proposed Network Of Corridors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349387393/080729075119.htm
Researchers have developed a model which identifies potential habitats and corridors for the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). Using Rheinland-Pfalz as an example, it was demonstrated that almost half of this German federal state could be suitable for wildcats, enabling a maximum population of 1600 females. The model can also be adapted for other regions and could therefore prove to be of significant value in protecting this highly endangered species.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Proton Channels Inhibit Release Of Histamine During Allergic Reactions, Novel Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115634/080729133611.htm
Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Say Goodbye To Virtual Bureaucracy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115635/080729075113.htm
When consumers make purchases on the Internet, they must systematically fill in forms asking for their name and address. Now researchers are developing a system that would memorize all that information and make it mobile so it could be accessed at any computer.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Right Place + Right Time Can Trigger Drinking
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349387396/080729075111.htm
Strong cravings for alcohol can be sparked by the mere sight, smell and taste of a person's favorite drink. Responses to such cues that are associated with the positive effects of drinking are a lead cause of relapse in abstinent alcoholics. Using a behavioral animal model, researchers of a new study have found that the physical surroundings where alcohol cues are experienced can greatly influence the ability of those cues to trigger relapse.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
What Do Squid Hear? Scientists Learn How Sensitive The Translucent Animals Are To Noise
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351149316/080728221125.htm
The ocean is a noisy place. Although we don't hear much when we stick our heads underwater, the right instruments can reveal a symphony of sound. The noisemakers range from the low-frequency bass tones of a fish mating ritual to the roar of a motorboat. The study of how underwater animals hear is a growing topic in marine science, especially with regards to naval sonar and whales.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Findings On Bladder-brain Link May Point To Better Treatments For Problems In Sleep, Attention
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349670072/080729133529.htm
Bladder problems may leave a mark on the brain, by changing patterns of brain activity, possibly contributing to disrupted sleep and problems with attention. For one in six Americans who have overactive bladder, the involuntary bladder contractions that often trigger more frequent urges to urinate, such mind-body connections may be of more than academic interest.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Ecological Status Of Spain's Mar Menor Lagoon Will Deteriorate As Waters Warm, Researchers Predict
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115637/080729075115.htm
Researchers from the University of Murcia have demonstrated the vulnerability of the Mar Menor coastal lagoon to climate change. As a result of an up to 5°C increase in water temperatures over the next few years, this pioneering study shows an increase in the regression rate of benthic primary producers, a deterioration in ecological status and the appearance of eutrophication processes in many coastal lagoons. Notable effects include the proliferation of jellyfish.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Long-lasting Effects Of The Seveso Disaster On Thyroid Function In Babies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115638/080728215326.htm
Three decades after an accident at a chemical factory in Seveso, Italy in 1976, which resulted in exposure of a residential population to the most dangerous type of dioxin, newborn babies born to mothers living in the contaminated area at the time of the accident are over six times more likely to have altered thyroid function than those born to mothers in a non-contaminated area.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Fish With Temperature-dependent Sex Determination: How Common Are They?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115639/080729234256.htm
In vertebrates with separate sexes, sex determination can be genotypic or temperature-dependent (TSD). TSD is very common in reptiles, where the ambient temperature during sensitive periods of early development irreversibly determines whether an individual will be male or female. But just how common is this phenomenon in fish?
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Minorities Less Likely To Know About Breast Cancer Treatment Options
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/351115640/080730140831.htm
Nearly half of women treated for breast cancer did not know that their odds of being alive after five years are roughly the same whether they undergo mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Minority women were even less likely to be aware of this important factor of their treatment decision, according to a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
European Birds Flock To Warming Britain, While Some Northern Species Not Faring As Well
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815373/080729234302.htm
Rare southern species of birds are on the increase in the British Isles as a result of climatic change, researchers report.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Cell's 'Quality Control' Mechanism Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349670074/080729133525.htm
Researchers have discovered a key component of the quality control mechanism that operates inside human cells -- sometimes too well. The breakthrough has significant implications for the development of new treatments for cystic fibrosis and some other hereditary diseases, the researchers say.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
New Materials For Microwave Cookware That Heats Faster With Less Energy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815375/080728220041.htm
You may soon be enjoying microwave popcorn and other 'nuked' foods and beverages faster than ever before, while saving on electricity. Researchers in Pennsylvania and Japan report development of new ceramic materials that heat up faster and retain heat longer than conventional microwave cookware while using less energy.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Testosterone Predominance Increases Prevalence Of Metabolic Syndrome During Menopause
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815377/080729133609.htm
As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal transition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study suggests this may be a pathway by which cardiovascular disease increases during menopause.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Putting A Virtual Doctor In The Ambulance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815378/080729141127.htm
A new ambulance communications system will enable doctors to diagnose and begin treating critically ill patients before they reach hospital.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Mapping Out Future Of Intelligent Robots
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349421969/080729075109.htm
The field of robotics could be poised for a breakthrough, leading to a new generation of intelligent machines capable of taking on multiple tasks and moving out of the factory into the home and general workplace. The great success of robots so far has been in automating repetitive tasks in process control and assembly, yielding dramatic cuts in production, but the next step towards cognition and more human-like behaviour has proved elusive. It has been difficult to make robots that can truly learn and adapt to unexpected situations in the way humans can, while it has been equally challenging trying to develop a machine capable of moving smoothly like any animal. There is still no robot capable of walking properly without jerky slightly unbalanced movements.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
New Class Of Glassy Material Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815379/080728193229.htm
Scientists are dealing with an entirely new type of frustration, but it's not stressing them out. Dynamic frustration has been found to be the cause of glassy behavior in materials that previously had none of the features of a normal glass.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Healthy Children Of Alzheimer Patients Show Early Brain Changes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815380/080729074924.htm
Children of Alzheimer's patients who are carriers of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease have neurological changes that are detectable long before clinical symptoms may appear.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Lightweight Urban Transit Bus Has Double The Fuel Efficiency Of Conventional Hybrid Buses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815381/080728192944.htm
Insight from ORNL, commitment from two Michigan companies and funding from DOE have led to the commercialization of a lightweight urban transit bus with double the fuel efficiency of conventional hybrid buses. This new green technology 40-foot bus features a high-strength stainless steel body and chassis and a hybrid power system that drives the bus primarily with stored electrical energy.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Fertility: Newly Discovered Proteins In Seminal Fluid Transferred During Mating May Affect Odds Of Producing Offspring
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815382/080728215338.htm
More than 80 new proteins, thought to play a role in reproductive success, have been discovered in the seminal fluid of fruit flies.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Intelligent Vehicles Systems To Be Tested Across Europe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350815383/080729141129.htm
Road safety, energy efficiency, and traffic congestion are the main challenges currently faced by the European transport system. The use of new in-vehicle technologies has the potential to contribute to safer, cleaner and more efficient transport solutions throughout Europe.
Thu, 31 Jul 08
Scientists Race To Stay One Step Ahead Of The Drug-taking And Genetic Manipulation That Threatens Sport
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349421971/080729075107.htm
The race to ensure that scientists stop drug-taking athletes from damaging sport by using performance enhancing drugs or undergoing genetic manipulation is a constant challenge, according to a major four-decade review by three of the World’s leading experts on doping in sport.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Diamonds May Have Been Life's Best Friend On Primordial Earth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156060/080728220324.htm
Diamonds may have been life's best friend. Billions of years ago, the surface of these gems may have provided just the right conditions to foster the chemical reactions believed to have given rise to life on Earth, researchers in Germany report.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
New Therapy For HIV Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156061/080729133622.htm
Millions of people world-wide who have contracted a highly resistant strain of the HIV virus could benefit from a new drug to treat the infection.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
The Buzz Of The Chase: Scientists Test Technique Used To Catch Serial Killers ... On Bumblebees
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156064/080729234148.htm
Geographic profiling is a technique used by police forces around the world to help them prioritize lists of suspects in investigations of serial crimes. Now researchers, along with the former detective who invented the technique, have used this criminology technique to look at patterns of foraging in bees.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Cerebral Malaria May Be A Major Cause Of Brain Injury In African Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156067/080729133519.htm
Researchers have found that cerebral malaria is related to long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published in the journal Pediatrics.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Symbiotic Microbes Induce Profound Genetic Changes In Their Hosts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156070/080728192701.htm
Though bacteria are everywhere -- from the air we breathe and the food we eat to our guts and skin -- the vast majority are innocuous or even beneficial, and only a handful pose any threat to us. What distinguishes a welcome microbial guest from an unwanted intruder?
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Women End Up Less Happy Than Men
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349670070/080729133605.htm
Less able to achieve their life goals, women end up unhappier than men later in life -- even though they start out happier, reveals new research.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Did Dinosaur Soft Tissues Still Survive? New Research Challenges Notion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156071/080729234140.htm
Paleontologists in 2005 hailed research apparently showing that soft tissues had been recovered from dissolved dinosaur bones, but new research suggests the supposed recovered tissue is really just biofilm -- or slime.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Protein Plays Jekyll And Hyde Role In Lou Gehrig's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156073/080728215336.htm
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movements from walking and swallowing to breathing. Scientists now report key findings about the cause and occurrence of the familial form of ALS.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Could Metals Help Treat Cancer?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156074/080727225418.htm
A collaboration between chemists and biologists has made it possible to identify the effects of a new class of molecules, polyoxometalates, primarily composed of metals and oxygen. These molecules are very powerful inhibitors of a specific protein kinase, CK2, an enzyme that is overactive in a number of cancers. The enzyme's instrumental role in controlling cell proliferation and survival makes it an important target in the search for new medications.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Thyrotropin Levels Associated With Alzheimer's Disease Risk In Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156075/080728192807.htm
Women with low or high levels of the hormone thyrotropin, which affects thyroid gland function and thyroid hormone levels, appear to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Being A Control Freak Aids Dividing Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156076/080728192655.htm
A dividing cell tags more than 14,000 different sites on its proteins with phosphate, a molecule that typically serves as a signal for a variety of biological processes. This preponderance of signals -- more than twice the number identified by past studies -- suggests that the cell may become a control freak during the division process, regulating each of its parts, no matter how obscure. Understanding how cell division works is essential for understanding a host of diseases and conditions, from cancer to pediatric heart defects.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
'Chicken And Chips' Theory Of Pacific Migration
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156077/080729133618.htm
A new study of DNA from ancient and modern chickens has shed light on the controversy about the extent of prehistoric Polynesian contact with the Americas.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
New Disease-fighting Nanoparticles Look Like Miniature Pastries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156078/080729234308.htm
Ultra-miniature bialy-shaped particles -- called nanobialys because they resemble tiny versions of the flat, onion-topped rolls popular in New York City -- could soon be carrying medicinal compounds through patients' bloodstreams to tumors or atherosclerotic plaques. The nanobialys answered a need for an alternative to the research group's gadolinium-containing nanoparticles. Recent studies have shown that gadolinium can be harmful to some patients with severe kidney disease.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Statins May Protect Against Memory Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156079/080728192657.htm
People at high risk for dementia who took cholesterol-lowering statins are half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not take statins, a new study shows.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Compound That Helps Rice Grow Reduces Nerve, Vascular Damage From Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156080/080728192817.htm
Researchers have found that a compound that helps rice seed grow, springs back into action when brown rice is placed in water overnight before cooking, significantly reducing the nerve and vascular damage that often result from diabetes.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Scientists Announce Mouse Sperm Cryopreservation Breakthrough
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156081/080729234146.htm
Scientists have figured out a simple, cost-effective process to freeze mouse sperm and get it to achieve high fertilization rates with mouse eggs. The breakthrough will greatly reduce the cost of developing and distributing new mouse models of human disease.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Bacteria Reveal Secret Of Adaptation At Evolution Canyon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347979316/080727224059.htm
Bacteria living on opposite sides of a canyon have evolved to cope with different temperatures by altering the make-up of their 'skin,' or cell membranes. Scientists have found that bacteria change these complex and important structures to adapt to different temperatures by looking at the appearance of the bacteria as well as their genes. The researchers hope their study, published in the August issue of Microbiology, will start a new trend in research.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Preterm Birth Contributes To Growing Number Of Infant Deaths: More Than 28,000 Infants Died In 2005
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156082/080729160827.htm
Babies born too soon and too small accounted for a growing proportion of infant deaths, 36.5 percent of infant deaths in 2005, up from 34.6 percent in 2000. The nation's infant mortality rate inched up slightly in 2005 to 6.9, from 6.8 percent in 2004, although the change is not statistically significant.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Searching For Shut Eye: Possible 'Sleep Gene' Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156083/080729160819.htm
While scientists and physicians know what happens if you don't get six to eight hours of shut-eye a night, investigators have long been puzzled about what controls the actual need for sleep. Researchers might have an answer, at least in fruit flies. In a recent study of fruit flies, they identified a gene that controls sleep.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Modified Salmonella Slows Tumor Growth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156084/080729235519.htm
Attenuated Salmonella bacteria engineered to express the Fas ligand (FasL) accumulate in tumors and reduce their growth.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Defining DNA Differences To Track And Tackle Typhoid
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156085/080727224103.htm
For the first time, next-generation DNA sequencing technologies have been turned on typhoid fever -- a disease that kills 600,000 people each year. The study sets a new standard for analyzing the evolution and spread of a disease-causing bacterium: it is the first study of multiple samples of any bacterial pathogen at this level of detail. The results will help to improve diagnosis, tracking the disease and could help to design new strategies for vaccination.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Study Links Soft Drinks And Fruit Drinks With Risk For Diabetes In African-American Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156086/080728192811.htm
Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in African-American women. These findings appear in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Soil's Carbon Storage Capacity Investigated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156087/080728192948.htm
Three new studies explore the potential roles of soils as a carbon sink in different regions in the Western Hemisphere. Scientists have investigated soil carbon balance in distinct agroecosystems under different management practices including soil tillage, nitrogen fertilization, elimination of fallow and establishment of grass.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
China's Export Trade Impacts Climate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156088/080729142524.htm
Researchers argue that China's new title as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter is at least partly due to consumption of Chinese good in the West.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Lost An Appendage? Grow Another
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156089/080728221236.htm
Cut off one finger from a salamander and one will grow back. Cut off two and two will grow back. It sounds logical, but how the salamander always regenerates the right number of fingers is still a biological mystery.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
New Treatment For Advanced Prostate Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156090/080729133620.htm
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a novel approach to treating advanced prostate cancer that could be more effective with fewer side effects.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
New Species Of Predatory Bagworm From Panama's Tropical Forest
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156091/080729133614.htm
University of Panama and Smithsonian researchers report the discovery of a new bagworm moth species, in the Annals of the Entomology Society of America. Unlike nearly all other bagworms, Perisceptis carnivora have predatory larvae. Strangest of all, according to Annette Aiello, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the adult moths wrap their eggs individually in beautiful cases fashioned from golden abdominal hairs called setae, a behavior unique among insects.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Accelerated Bone Turnover Remains After Weight Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156092/080728193227.htm
When a person is losing a significant amount of weight, they expect to notice changes in their body. However, they may overlook changes happening in their bones. In a new study, a University of Missouri researcher and collaborators at the University of Kansas found that the potentially harmful effects of weight loss on bone persist during weight maintenance following moderate weight loss.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Local Officials in U.S. Move Toward Monitoring Nanotechnologies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156093/080728193233.htm
State and local officials have taken steps to begin monitoring the manufacture and storage of nanomaterials, a major step for a cutting-edge technology that has yet to be regulated by the federal government.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Gaining Advantages From Childhood Experience
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/350156094/080729234254.htm
It often seems that certain aspects of our personalities are influenced by events that occurred in our childhoods. A recent study examined how early life experience influences social skills and ability to handle stressful situations using a rat model.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
New Biomarker For Early Cancer Detection? Research Reveals That 'MicroRNA' May Fit The Bill
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349720876/080728192651.htm
Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have discovered that microRNAs -- molecular workhorses that regulate gene expression -- are released by cancer cells and circulate in the blood, which gives them the potential to become a new class of biomarkers to detect cancer at its earliest stages.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Climate Change: Secret Life Cycles Of Atmospheric Aerosols Can Be Illuminated With New Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687772/080725094041.htm
For scientists looking at climate change, a large area of uncertainty has to do with the effects of airborne particles -- such as carbon-laden soot -- but new technology is now helping researchers unveil secrets about the life cycles of atmospheric aerosols.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Women With Gestational Diabetes At Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349720878/080728192649.htm
Women with gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with almost 20 percent of women developing the condition within 9 years of pregnancy, found a large, population-based study of 659,000 women published in CMAJ.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Researchers Demonstrate A Flexible, One-step Assembly Of Nanoscale Structures
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345849212/080725122631.htm
Scientists have created a one-step, repeatable method for the production of functional nanoscale patterns or motifs with adjustable features, size and shape using a single master "plate."
Wed, 30 Jul 08
This Old Healthy House: Obesity Linked To Newer, Less Walkable Neighborhoods
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349720881/080729074922.htm
The age of your neighborhood may influence your risk of obesity, according to a new study. Residents were at less risk of being obese or overweight if they lived in older, walkable neighborhoods -- those that are more densely populated, designed to be pedestrian friendly and have a range of destinations.
Wed, 30 Jul 08
Electrical Activity On Saturn's Moon Titan Confirmed By Spanish Scientists
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349720882/080729075117.htm
Physicists from the University of Granada and University of Valencia have developed a procedure for analysing specific data sent by the Huygens probe from Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, "unequivocally" proving that there is natural electrical activity in its atmosphere. The scientific community believe that the probability of organic molecules, precursors of life, being formed is higher on planets or moons which have an atmosphere with electrical storms.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Insect Biodiversity In Amazon May Be Result Of Ice Age Climate Change And Ancient Flooding, Not River Barriers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083014/080722225339.htm
Ice age climate change and ancient flooding -- but not barriers created by rivers -- may have promoted the evolution of new insect species in the Amazon region of South America, a new study suggests. The Amazon basin is home to the richest diversity of life on earth, yet the reasons why this came to be are not well understood.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Gallbladder Removed Through Uterus Without External Incisions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083016/080728192819.htm
In April of last year, surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center made headlines by removing a women's gallbladder through her uterus using a flexible endoscope, aided by several external incisions for added visibility. Now, they have performed the same procedure without a single external incision in what surgeons report may be the first surgery of its kind in the United States.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
How Secure Is Your Network? New Program Points Out Vulnerabilities, Calculates Risk Of Attack
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083017/080723144710.htm
To help IT managers safeguard valuable information most efficiently, computer scientists are applying security metrics to computer network pathways to assign a probable risk of attack, calculating the most vulnerable points of attack.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Robotic Surgery Provides Reduced Pain and Quicker Recovery for Kidney Cancer Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083018/080728193237.htm
Clinical research is helping bring the advantages of robotic surgery, including reduced pain and quicker recovery, to kidney cancer patients.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
New Biomass Technology Dramatically Increases Ethanol Yield From Grasses And Yard Waste
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083020/080728192938.htm
University of Georgia researchers have developed a new technology that promises to dramatically increase the yield of ethanol from readily available nonfood crops, such as Bermudagrass, switchgrass, Napiergrass -- and even yard waste.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
South African Epidemic Of Schoolboy Sexual Abuse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083021/080728192809.htm
By the age of 18 years, two in every five South African schoolboys report being forced to have sex, mostly by female perpetrators. A new study, reported in BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal for Equity in Health, reveals the shocking truth about endemic sexual abuse of male children that has been suspected but until now only poorly documented.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Unexpected Key To Flowering Plants' Diversity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083023/080728192946.htm
New research may help explain the amazing diversity in the world's flowering plants, a question that has puzzled scientists from the time of Darwin to today. The findings, published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that the ability of flowering plants -- known as angiosperms -- to quickly and efficiently move sperm from pollen to egg through a part of the plant was the key to their evolutionary diversity.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Study Provides Clues To Preventing And Treating Cancer Spread
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083036/080728192642.htm
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that normal cells, possibly fibrocytes, may travel to distant organs to create pre-metastic niches for the spread of cancer.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Organic Pest Control: Mustard -- Hot Stuff For Natural Pest Control
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687771/080725094043.htm
Researchers, growers and Industry specialists from 22 countries are sharing the latest research into the use of Brassica species, such as mustard, radish, or rapeseed, to manage soil-borne pests and weeds -- a technique known as biofumigation.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Inheritance Of Hormonal Disorder Marked By Excessive Insulin In Daughters
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083039/080728114028.htm
Elevated levels of insulin could be an early sign that girls whose mothers suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome -- or PCOS -- may also be susceptible to the disease, according to gynecologists who have found evidence of insulin resistance in young children.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Snapshot Of Past Climate Reveals No Ice In Antarctica Millions Of Years Ago
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083040/080728111358.htm
A snapshot of New Zealand’s climate 40 million years ago reveals a greenhouse Earth, with warmer seas and little or no ice in Antarctica, according to research published in the journal Geology.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Deaths From Combining Rx Drugs, Street Drugs And/Or Alcohol Skyrocket By More Than 3,000 Percent
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083043/080728192659.htm
Asking patients to monitor their own medications can be fatal, as exemplified by the recent death of actor Heath Ledger.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Golden Scales: Nanoscale Mass Sensor Can Be Used To Weigh Individual Atoms And Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083045/080728192940.htm
There's a new "gold standard" in the sensitivity of weighing scales. Using the same technology with which they created the world's first fully functional nanotube radio, Berkeley Lab researchers have fashioned a nanoelectromechanical system that can function as a scale sensitive enough to measure the weight of a single atom of gold. This NEMS scale could prove especially useful for measuring the mass of proteins and other molecules which don't fare well in mass spectrometry.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Exposure To Bad Air Raises Blood Pressure, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083047/080728114026.htm
The air people breathe while walking in the park, working in the garden or shopping downtown may be unhealthy enough to seriously spike their blood pressure, a new study suggests. Cardiovascular researchers now report a direct link between air pollution and its impact on high blood pressure, or hypertension. If the results from these animal studies hold up, this could be important for human health.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Uncertain Future For Elephants Of Thailand
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083049/080725234310.htm
Worries over the future of Thailand' s famous elephants have emerged following an investigation by a University of Manchester team.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Allowed More Chemotherapy To Reach Brain Tumors In Laboratory Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083052/080728113916.htm
In a study using laboratory animals, researchers found that medications commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction opened a mechanism called the blood-brain tumor barrier and increased delivery of cancer-fighting drugs to malignant brain tumors.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Structure Of Hepatitis B Mapped By Spraying Virus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083055/080728081627.htm
Using a newly developed method, Utrecht University researchers have mapped the structure and composition of the hepatitis B virus. The researchers were able to map the structure by spraying the virus. Their research brings us a step closer to understanding and combating hepatitis B infection. The method can also be used to analyse other viruses.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Study Examines Prevalence Of Hearing Loss In The US
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083056/080728192805.htm
Hearing loss may be more prevalent in American adults than previously reported, according to a study in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Bioengineers Develop 'Microscope On A Chip'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083059/080728192813.htm
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have turned science fiction into reality with their development of a super-compact high-resolution microscope, small enough to fit on a finger tip. This "microscopic microscope" operates without lenses but has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, can be used in the field to analyze blood samples for malaria or check water supplies for giardia and other pathogens, and can be mass-produced for around $10.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Researchers Tap Into A New And Potentially Better Source Of Platelets For Transfusion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083062/080728113910.htm
Researchers may be one step closer to improving treatments for bleeding disorders. They have devised a way to maximize the numbers and function of clot-forming blood cells from mice.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Garden Microbe Foils E. Coli O157:H7 In Laboratory Tests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083064/080724213604.htm
A microbe that may be living peaceably on the beans and cucumbers in backyard gardens might someday be recruited to foil foodborne pathogens. Geneticists looked at the pathogen-fighting abilities of the farm- and garden-friendly microbe, Enterobacter asburiae, in studies begun in 2002.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Researchers Analyze How New Anti-MRSA Antibiotics Function
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083065/080728193225.htm
Researchers provide important insights into promising new antibiotics aimed at combating MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major global health threat that kills approximately 20,000 people in the U.S. alone each year.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Computers Lead To Safer Blood Transfusions, Chemotherapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083066/080723192900.htm
Computer scientists are analyzing medical procedures, including blood transfusions and chemotherapy treatments, with the goal of improving patient safety. The team is also analyzing the flow of patients in emergency rooms to reduce waiting time.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Hypnosis Shown To Reduce Symptoms Of Dementia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083067/080728111402.htm
Scientists have found that hypnosis can slow down the impacts of dementia and improve quality of life for those living with the condition.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Piecing Together An Extinct Lemur, Large As A Big Baboon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083068/080728192653.htm
Researchers have used computed tomography technology to virtually glue newly-discovered skull fragments of a rare extinct lemur back into its partial skull, discovered over a century ago. The skull fragments are separated by thousands of miles, with the partial skull in Vienna and the pieces of frontal bone in the United States. The result of the digital manipulation is a nearly complete skull, which is one of only two known skulls for its species.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Pre-eclampsia May Be Autoimmune Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083069/080728114030.htm
Biochemists at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston say they are the first to provide pre-clinical evidence that pregnancy-induced high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia may be an autoimmune disease. Their research could provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for this intractable disease.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Microbiologists Studying Little-known But Largely Useful Microbes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083070/080722131710.htm
Microbiologists are studying how interactions on a microscopic scale could change how we think of energy production, climate change and even soil contamination. "Microbes play significant roles in the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the phosphorous cycle, and we don't fully understand how," one of the researchers said.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Are Lower Incidence, Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083071/080727224053.htm
Researchers have, for the first time, found that angiotensin receptor blockers -- a particular class of anti-hypertensive medicines -- are associated with a striking decrease in the occurrence and progression of dementia.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Possible To Reduce Emissions By 30 Percent By 2025, Model Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/342488114/080722072030.htm
Scientists modeled emissions for Minnesota and found that it is possible to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050 and possibly exceed those numbers if a combination of strategies are implemented, including reducing fuel consumption, increasing fuel efficiencies and fuel carbon content and by using new methods for designing communities. However, the researchers point out that the methods could be applied nationally.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Current Exercise Recommendations May Not Be Sufficient For Overweight Women To Sustain Weight Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083072/080728192801.htm
In addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women may need to exercise 55 minutes a day for five days per week to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent over two years, according to a report in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Study Suggests 86 Percent Of Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2030
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083074/080728192936.htm
Most adults in the US will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Sharp Rise In Skin Infections In U.S., MRSA Suspected
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083076/080728193239.htm
A national analysis of U.S. physician office and emergency department records shows that the types of skin infections caused by community-acquired MRSA doubled in the eight-year study period, with the highest rates seen among children and in urban emergency rooms.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Slippery Customer: A Greener Antiwear Additive For Engine Oils
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083077/080723143548.htm
Titanium, a protean element with applications from pigments to aerospace alloys, could get a new role as an environmentally friendly additive for automotive oil.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Dietary Factors Appear To Be Associated With Diabetes Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083078/080728192803.htm
Drinking more sugar-sweetened beverages or eating fewer fruits and vegetables both may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas eating a low-fat diet does not appear to be associated with any change in diabetes risk, according to three reports in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
No-tillage Plus: Cover Crops Offer A Model For Sustainability In Tropical Soils
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083079/080728192942.htm
Tropical soils often behave differently than temperate soils when being farmed. In tropical regions, soils lose nutrients quickly when cultivated. With food shortages looming and soil quality declining rapidly, new farming techniques are needed to make tropical and sub-tropical farming more productive and sustainable. New research from Agronomy Journal shows that no-till management combined with a winter cover crop is most effective in retaining nutrients in tropical soils.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Eating Disorder Symptoms More Common Among Female Athletes And Exercisers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083080/080728193235.htm
A recent study reveals that university undergraduate women who actively participate in sports and exercise-related activities tend to have higher rates of attitudes and behaviors related to eating disorders compared to those who do not regularly exercise.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Japanese Diet Rich In Fish May Hold Secret To Healthy Heart: Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Fish Appear To Prevent Clogged Arteries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083081/080728192645.htm
If you're fishing for ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, you might start with the seafood-rich diet typically served up in Japan. The research, published in the Aug. 5, 2008, issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that protection comes from omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in oily fish.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Structure Of Heart Can Be Changed Through Exercise
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083083/080728111356.htm
Just like any other muscle, the structure of the heart can be changed through exercise. However, this adaptation process takes longer than it takes the muscle to revert to its original conditions. Researchers have studied this process in well trained hearts during their investigations to identify pathologies.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Cold Temperature Is Key To Quality Of Bagged Salads
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083084/080724214520.htm
Scientists have found that proper storage temperatures are essential to minimize bacterial growth and adaptability inside sealed, bagged salads. They have been studying the safety of new technologies that extend the shelf life of bagged salad greens.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Europe’s Next-generation Broadband
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/349083087/080725093458.htm
An enormous research effort by Europe's leading broadband players has helped accelerate dramatically the rollout of next-generation broadband services reaching speeds in the 10s of Mbit/s in many European countries. That is just the start.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Women's Access To Credit Affects Efficiency In Rural Households
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345794373/080725114552.htm
Rural households in which women are not able to meet their needs for capital do not produce as much as they could, according to new research.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Birdsong Not Just For The Birds: Bio-acoustic Method Also Hears Nature’s Cry For Help
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371098/080728081631.htm
Computer scientists have developed a kind of 'Big Brother' for birds. This has nothing to do with entertainment, but a lot to do with the protection of nature. The new type of voice detector involved can reliably recognize the characteristic birdsong of different species of birds, thereby facilitating surveys of the bird population.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Foods High In Conjugated Linoleic Acids Can Enrich Breast Milk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371099/080728081625.htm
Have a cookie before breast-feeding, mom? Eating special cookies enriched with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can increase the level of these potentially healthful fatty acids in breast milk, reports a recent study in the journal Nutrition Research.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Breast Cancer Detection: A Simpler Alternative To Mammograms?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371100/080722113019.htm
Whether a painless, portable device that uses electrical current rather than X-ray to look for breast cancer could be an alternative to traditional mammograms is under study. New research will compare traditional mammograms to impedence scanning, a technique based on evidence that electrical current passes through cancerous tissue differently than through normal tissue.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
No Justification For Denying Obese Patients Knee Replacements, Experts Argue
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371103/080723201231.htm
There is no justification for denying obese patients knee replacement surgery: they benefit almost as much as anyone else from the procedure, concludes a small study.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
Phonon Floodgate In Monolayer Carbon: Unexpected Gap-like Feature Found In Energy Spectrum Of Electrons Tunneling Into Graphene's Single Layer Of Atoms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371104/080721124314.htm
The first scanning tunneling spectroscopy of graphene flakes equipped with a "gate" electrode has found an unexpected gap-like feature in the energy spectrum of electrons tunneling into graphene's single layer of atoms. Scientists who performed the research believe the peculiar feature arises from the interaction of the tunneling electrons with phonons, the quantized vibrations of the 2-D graphene crystal.
Tue, 29 Jul 08
International Monetary Fund Loans Linked To Higher Death Rates From Tuberculosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348371105/080721223411.htm
International Monetary Fund loans were associated with a 16.6 percent rise in death rates from tuberculosis in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries between 1992 and 2002. The study also found that IMF loans were linked with a 13.9 percent increase in the number of new cases of TB per year and a 13.2 percent increase per year in the total number of people with the disease.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
'Nanonet' Circuits Closer To Making Flexible Electronics Reality
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023814/080723134506.htm
Researchers have overcome a major obstacle in producing transistors from networks of carbon nanotubes, a technology that could make it possible to print circuits on plastic sheets for applications including flexible displays and an electronic skin to cover an entire aircraft to monitor crack formation.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Lung Inflammation From Influenza And Other Infections Could Be Turned Off Following New Discovery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023815/080727225416.htm
A new discovery could lead to treatments which turn off the inflammation in the lungs caused by influenza and other infections, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Immunology.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Nanoparticles In Sewage Could Escape Into Bodies Of Water
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023816/080724221823.htm
In a conventional sewage works, nanoparticles should really be bound in the sludge and should not represent a major problem in the aqueous effluent. This is not true, however, as shown by a new study. An astonishing amount was able to leave an experimental sewage works and thus could possibly enter bodies of water.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Antimicrobial Sutures Reduce Infections In Brain Shunt Surgery, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345794374/080725114550.htm
Using antimicrobial sutures to secure the shunt and close the wound significantly reduces the number of shunt infections arising during the first six months after surgery.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Hurricane Preparedness Survey: Worries About Drinking Water And Medical Care
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023817/080723134455.htm
A new survey finds the top worries of respondents threatened or hit by Hurricane Katrina are that they would not have enough fresh water to drink (42 percent very worried) and that they would not be able to get needed medical care (41 percent very worried).
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Drug Abuse Accounts For Third Of Deaths Behind Scotland's Higher Mortality Rate, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023818/080722192336.htm
Drug abuse accounts for a third of the deaths behind Scotland's higher mortality rate, according to a new study. Death rates in Scotland are higher than in England and Wales and the difference between the nations is increasing.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Explosion In Marine Biodiversity Explained By Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023821/080727225420.htm
A global change in climate could explain the explosion in marine biodiversity that took place 460 million years ago. Researchers have now found evidence of a progressive ocean cooling of about 15°C over a period of 40 million years during the Ordovician. Until now, this geologic period had been associated with a "super greenhouse effect" on our planet.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
New Membrane Model May Unlock Secrets Of Early-stage Alzheimer's
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023823/080723143551.htm
Researchers are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to study how a protein long suspected of a role in early-stage Alzheimer's disease actually impairs a neuron's structure and function.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Francisella Tularensis: Stopping A Biological Weapon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347979315/080727224101.htm
Scientists hope a vaccine is on the horizon for tularemia, a fatal disease caused by the pathogen Francisella tularensis, an organism of concern as a potential biological warfare agent. Until recently we knew very little about this bacterium. However, according to the August issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology, research on the bacterium has been reinvigorated and rapid progress has been made in understanding how it causes disease.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Paying To Save Tropical Forests Could Be A Way To Reduce Global Carbon Emissions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023825/080723162113.htm
Wealthy nations willing to collectively spend about $1 billion annually could prevent the emission of roughly half a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year for the next 25 years, new research suggests. It would take about that much money to put an end to a tenth of the tropical deforestation in the world, one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, researchers estimate.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Anthropologist Helps Unravel Mummy Mystery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023826/080718220603.htm
Anthropologists are in the process of unraveling a mummy bundle found in Peru's historic Huaura Valley. The mummy is believed to have been an elite member of the Chancay culture, a civilization that thrived in the central coast of Peru from about 1000 to 1400 AD. The territory of the Chancay was later home to the Incas.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Emotional Robots: Software Empowers Robots To Learn When A Person Is Sad, Happy Or Angry
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023828/080717225057.htm
A robot with empathy sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but with the aid of neural networks researchers are developing robots in tune with our emotions. Feelix Growing is developing software empowering robots that can learn when a person is sad, happy or angry.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Anti-HIV Therapy Boosts Life Expectancy More Than 13 Years
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023829/080725142400.htm
HIV patients taking a cocktail of drugs called combination antiretroviral therapy have seen a 13-year boost in life expectancy, according to a new study. Improved survival has led to a nearly 40 percent drop in AIDS deaths among 43,355 HIV-positive study participants in Europe and North America, bolstering the call for improved anti-HIV efforts worldwide, the study authors said.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Scientists Suspect Omega-3 Fatty Acids Could Slow Acute Wound Healing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023831/080723162117.htm
A recent study shows that popular fish oil supplements have an effect on the healing process of small, acute wounds in human skin. But whether that effect is detrimental, as researchers initially suspected, remains a mystery. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are widely considered to benefit cardiovascular health and other diseases related to chronic inflammation because of their anti-inflammatory properties. But insufficient inflammation during the initial stage of wound healing may delay the advancement of later stages.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Emergency Physicians Have Good First Instincts In Diagnosing Heart Attacks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344534705/080724064831.htm
Emergency room doctors are correctly identifying patients who are having a heart attack, even when laboratory tests haven't yet confirmed it.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
New Piece Of Climate Change Puzzle Found In Ancient Sedimentary Rocks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023834/080723200725.htm
Researchers have added a new source of carbon dioxide to the complex climate change puzzle by showing that ancient rocks can release substantial amounts of organic matter into Earth's rivers and oceans, and that this organic matter is easily converted by bacteria to carbon dioxide, which enters the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Prevalence Of Dementia In The Developing World Underestimated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023836/080727224057.htm
Previous estimates of levels of dementia in the developing world may have substantially underestimated the problem, according to research published today. The findings suggest that policymakers in low-income and middle-income countries may need to re-examine the burden and impact that dementia places on their health services.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Typhoons Bury Tons Of Carbon In The Oceans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344588313/080724084745.htm
A single typhoon in Taiwan buries as much carbon in the ocean -- in the form of sediment -- as all the other rains in that country all year long combined.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Researchers Disprove Long-standing Belief About HIV Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345652561/080725075039.htm
Researchers have disproved a long-standing clinical belief that the hepatitis C virus slows or stunts the immune system's ability to restore itself after HIV patients are treated with a combination of drugs known as the "cocktail."
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Limiting Fructose May Boost Weight Loss, Researcher Reports
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344534706/080724064824.htm
One of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly. Fructose is perhaps best known for its presence in the sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is typically 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, similar to the mix that can be found in fruits.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Internal Medicine Residents May Benefit Most From Time In Clinic
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344997312/080724150441.htm
A new approach to internal medicine residency training could improve patient care and physician-patient relationships. Research has shown that residents who spent increased time in outpatient settings as opposed to the hospital delivered a higher quality of care and had more satisfaction in their duties.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Region Hit Hard By 1993 Floods Showed Economic Resiliency, Study Indicates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023839/080724150344.htm
With the first wave of clean-up efforts behind them, residents of communities affected by this year's Midwest floods may find hope in a new study on the economic impact of the 1993 flood that devastated much of the same region.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Population Policy Needed In Order To Combat Climate Change, Experts Argue
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023840/080724212909.htm
The biggest contribution UK couples can make to combating climate change would be to have only two children or at least have one less than they first intended, argues an editorial in the British Medical Journal.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Plant Steroids Offer New Paradigm For How Hormones Work
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023841/080724150024.htm
Steroids bulk up plants just as they do human athletes, but the molecular signals that tell the genes to boost growth and development in plant cells is far more complicated than in human and animal cells. Understanding how these plant hormones activate genes could lead not only to enhanced harvests but also to new insights into how steroids regulate growth in both plant and animal cells.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
New Research On Pre-eclampsia In Mice May Have Important Implications For Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023842/080727224055.htm
Researchers studying pre-eclampsia, a serious and potentially deadly disorder that affects about 5 percent of pregnancies, report new findings in mice that may have important implications for diagnosis and treatment in humans.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Measuring Stress In Plants To Select Best Species For Reforestation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/342625047/080722105048.htm
Plants undergo stress because of lack of water, due to the heat or the cold or to excess of light. Researchers have analyzed the substances that are triggered in plants to protect themselves, with the goal of choosing the species that is best suited to the environment during reforestation under adverse environmental conditions.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Little Evidence That Treating Varicoceles In Men Boosts Pregnancy Rates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023843/080724193412.htm
A recent review of studies from the Netherlands finds no evidence that treating varicoceles -- a somewhat common condition in men with fertility problems -- improves a couple's chances of conceiving a baby.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Landscape Study May Offer Solutions For Fire Managers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344588314/080724084742.htm
A fire is currently burning through a study area where projections were made about fire behavior about two years ago. Managers used data and analysis from the Gotchen Late-Successional Reserve study in the planning, analysis and implementation of treatments near where the Cold Springs fire is now active.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
Daughters-in-law Help Reduce Depression Among Chinese Elders, But Help From Own Kids Can Increase Depression, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344997314/080724150440.htm
In a new twist on the Confucian ideal of filial piety, a study finds that the assistance of daughters-in-law -- but not their own children -- helps mitigate depression among older people in China. Almost two-thirds of the older population in China lives in rural areas, making it the largest concentration of older adults in the world.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
New Human Tissue Bank 'A Tremendous Research Resource'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347979314/080727225424.htm
The University of Bradford has unveiled a new facility to provide UK biomedical researchers access to a wide range of human tissue and tissue products.
Mon, 28 Jul 08
England And Wales Lead Reduction In Cancer Deaths And Increase In Cancer Spending
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/348023844/080727225422.htm
A new comprehensive analysis has detailed how cancer death rates in developed countries have fallen substantially in the last 20 years, despite a general increase in the prevalence of cancer.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Watching A 'New Star' Make The Universe Dusty
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344946545/080724150345.htm
Astronomers were able for the first time to witness the appearance of a shell of dusty gas around a star that had just erupted, and follow its evolution for more than 100 days. This provides the astronomers with a new way to estimate the distance of this object and obtain invaluable information on the operating mode of stellar vampires, dense stars that suck material from a companion.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
New Health Drink? Chemist Goes Nano With CoQ10
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143386/080724150343.htm
If one researcher has his way, you may soon be buying bottles of water brimming with the life-sustaining coenzyme CoQ10 at your local Costco. Like vitamin C, CoQ10 is a compound that's vital to our survival.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Meet Robo Habilis: Robot Has Human-like Hand Controlled By 'Brain' Modeled After Human Cerebellum
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143387/080723114104.htm
The dream of human-like robots is a step closer to reality with the recent creation of a human-like arm and hand controlled by an electronic 'brain' modeled on the human cerebellum.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
CMV Infections Affect More Than Just Patients With Compromised Immune Systems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143388/080724150346.htm
An infection due to a virus called cytomegalovirus, which most commonly affects people with compromised immune systems, can also affect hospital intensive-care patients who have no immune-system problems, researchers have found. CMV infection is also associated with longer hospital and intensive-care unit stays independent of other causes, according to the study.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Surgery Will Put Dog With Amputated Leg Back On All Fours Again
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143389/080724193135.htm
A pioneering collaboration between a veterinary surgeon and an engineer will give a deserving dog the ability to walk on four legs again. A German shepherd mix is having a lost leg replaced with an osseointegrated prosthetic limb. If successful, this research could lead to implants for humans that allow the prosthetic limbs to attach without chafing or irritation, and limbs with more natural ranges of motion.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
No Gender Differences In Math Performance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143390/080724192258.htm
We've all heard it. Many of us in fact believe it. Girls just aren't as good at math as boys. But is it true? After sifting through mountains of data - including SAT results and math scores from 7 million students who were tested in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act - a team of scientists says the answer is no.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Researchers Discover New States Of Electrons That Behave Like Light
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143391/080725152314.htm
A team of researchers has observed electrons moving through a crystal of bismuth metal behaving like light. The discovery may enable powerful new electronic devices that exploit the principles of quantum mechanics to compute and communicate.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Giving An Additional Early Vaccination May Reduce Measles Outbreaks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143392/080724212907.htm
Outbreaks of measles in developing countries may be reduced by vaccinating infants at 4.5 months of age as well as at the World Health Organization's recommended routine vaccination at 9 months, according to a new study.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
New Generation Of Simpler Sensors For Detecting Disease-causing Microbes And Toxins
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/341576297/080721093845.htm
Scientists in Singapore are reporting development of a complete, palm-sized sensor that can detect disease-causing microbes, toxins, and other biological threats instantly without the need for an external power source or a computer.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Genetic Mutation Identified For Eye Complaint
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143393/080724144617.htm
Researchers have identified a gene that, when modified, causes the eye disease Duane syndrome. Importantly, by identifying this gene the team has discovered how the visual system develops which may lead to new ways to treat other vision disorders.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Rising Energy, Food Prices Major Threats To Wetlands As Farmers Eye New Areas For Crops
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687773/080725094039.htm
Resisting pressures to convert wetlands for agriculture, bio-fuels and hydro-electricity is vital to avoid destroying ecosystems that provide a suite of services essential to humanity, including safe, steady local water supplies, preserving biodiversity and the large-scale capture and storage of climate warming greenhouse gases, according 700 leading world experts concluding a week-long meeting in Cuiaba, Brazil.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern For The Environment, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345794375/080725114548.htm
Citizens of poorer nations are just as concerned about environmental quality as their counterparts in rich nations, new research shows.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
New Cellular Pathway Linked To Cancer Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143394/080724123213.htm
In the life of a cell, the response to DNA damage determines whether the cell is fated to pause and repair itself, commit suicide, or grow uncontrollably, a route leading to cancer. Scientists have now identified a way that cells respond to DNA damage through a process that targets proteins for disposal. The finding points to a new pathway for the development of cancer and suggests a new way of sensitizing cancer cells to treatment.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Mindfulness Meditation Slows Progression Of HIV, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143395/080724215644.htm
CD4+ T lymphocytes, or simply CD4 T cells, are the "brains" of the immune system, coordinating its activity when the body comes under attack. They are also the cells that are attacked by HIV, the devastating virus that causes AIDS and has infected roughly 40 million people worldwide. The virus slowly eats away at CD4 T cells, weakening the immune system.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Ocean Surface A Boon For Extreme Event Forecasts, Warnings
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143396/080721153737.htm
For humans in the path of destructive hurricanes and tsunamis, an accurate warning of the pending event is critical for damage control and survival. Such warnings, however, require a solid base of scientific observations, and a new satellite is ready for the job. The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 adds to the number of eyes in the sky measuring sea surface and wave heights across Earth's oceans. The increased coverage will help researchers improve current models for practical use in predicting hurricane intensity, while providing valuable data that can be used to improve tsunami warning models.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Making Patients Move Requires The Right Exercise Advice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143397/080723134442.htm
Researchers found that adults with chronic illness who received interventions focused on behavior-changing strategies significantly increased their physical activity levels. In contrast, interventions based on cognitive approaches, which attempt to change knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, and are most commonly used by health care providers, did not improve physical activity.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Lab-on-a-chip at home: Make Your Own Microfluidic Testing Device With New Kit
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143398/080724175855.htm
A type of device called a "lab-on-a-chip" could bring a new generation of instant home tests for illnesses, food contaminants and toxic gases. But today these portable, efficient tools are often stuck in the lab themselves. Specifically, in the labs of researchers who know how to make them from scratch.
Sun, 27 Jul 08
Overweight Elderly Americans Contribute To Financial Burdens Of U.S. Health Care System, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/347143399/080725105431.htm
The extra Medicare cost associated with overweight elderly people could place a significant burden on taxpayers.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Young Galaxies Have Surprisingly Strong Magnetic Fields: Contradicts Popular Theories
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935222/080724221049.htm
The origin of magnetic fields in galaxies is still a mystery to astronomers. Popular theories suggest continual strengthening over billions of years. New research, however, contradicts this assumption and reveals that young galaxies also have strong magnetic fields.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
New Method Enabling Routine Targeted Gene Modification Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344843529/080724123300.htm
Scientists have developed a powerful new tool for genomic research and medicine -- a robust method for generating synthetic enzymes that can target particular DNA sequences for inactivation or repair.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Target-seeking Antibodies For Cancer Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/341152126/080720221517.htm
A chemist has discovered a new marker together with three associated monoclonal antibodies which are promising candidates for cancer therapy. Up to now, monoclonal antibodies have only aided the chemotherapeutic fight against cancer to a limited extent.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Novel Structure Proteins Could Play A Role In Programmed Cell Death -- Apoptosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935223/080724123144.htm
Isoforms from a new family of genes called novel structure proteins could be involved in apoptosis or programmed cell death.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Patient Privacy Assured By Electronic Censor
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935225/080723201244.htm
Newly developed software will help to allay patients' fears about who has access to their confidential data. A new computer program is capable of deleting details from medical records which may identify patients, while leaving important medical information intact.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Diversity In Primary Schools Promotes Harmony, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344534704/080724064835.htm
For the first time, children as young as 5 have been shown to understand issues regarding integration and separation. The research confirms that the ethnic composition of primary schools has a direct impact on children's attitudes towards those in other ethnic groups and on their ability to get on with their peers.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Northern Wildfire Smoke May Cast Shadow On Arctic Warming
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935226/080724220104.htm
The Arctic may get some temporary relief from global warming if the annual North American wildfire season intensifies, according to a new study. Smoke transported to the Arctic from northern forest fires may cool the surface for several weeks to months at a time, according to the most detailed analysis yet of how smoke influences the Arctic climate relative to the amount of snow and ice cover.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Key Mechanism Of Cellular Damage In Aging And Disease Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344800795/080724123241.htm
Researchers have taken a first snapshot of how a class of highly reactive molecules inflicts cellular damage as part of aging, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and Alzheimer's disease to name a few. Researchers have discovered a tool that can monitor related damage and determine the degree to which antioxidant drugs effectively combat disease.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Shimmering Ferroelectric Domains
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935227/080723171551.htm
Ferroelectric materials are named after ferromagnetic ones because they behave in a similar way. The main difference: these materials are not magnetic, but permanently electrically polarized. They have great importance for data storage technology and novel piezoelectric devices. Scientists have now produced microscopic images of ferroelectric domains - tiny regions of a ferroelectric material -, where the electric polarization points into different directions.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Kidneys Donated After Cardiac Death Could Reduce Disparities For Black Kidney Transplant Recipients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935228/080723171844.htm
Kidneys donated after individuals die from cardiovascular causes may be one of the best options for black patients in need of transplants, according to a new study. The research reveals that utilization of these organs should be expanded in order to reduce racial disparities that exist in renal transplantation.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Moblie Peer-to-peer Applications: Keeping Up With Your Peers, Securely
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935229/080723121327.htm
Mobile peer-to-peer (P2P) applications allow a team or group to create new levels of ad hoc co-operation and collaboration around a specific, real-time goal. But developing compelling and secure applications is a challenge. Now a new platform rises to that challenge.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Who's More Likely To Do Sports? White, Middle Class, And Middle-aged
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935230/080723201238.htm
The comfortably off, white, and middle-aged are the most likely to participate in sporting activities, reveals a 10 year study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Promising Results In Deep Brain Stimulation For Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935231/080721102400.htm
New data from a study of patients with treatment-resistant depression who underwent deep brain stimulation in the subcallosal cingulate region of the brain shows that this intervention is generally safe and provides significant improvement in patients as early as one month after treatment. The patients also experienced continued and sustained improvement over time.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
New Roadside Beautification Concept Studied
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935232/080717110228.htm
Travel America's highways or drive down any city street this summer and you'll probably see them. From small, manicured beds of flowers to extensive landscaping projects, roadside gardens are taking root. Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits, studies indicate that roadside beautification, including landscaping and gardens, can help drivers reduce stress, frustration and aggression, while helping maintain safe highways.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Heart Disease Is Linked To Worse Mental Processes That, In Turn, Predict The Onset Of Dementia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935233/080722192350.htm
Coronary heart disease is associated with a worse performance in mental processes such as reasoning, vocabulary and verbal fluency, according to a study of 5,837 middle-aged Whitehall civil servants published in the European Heart Journal. The study also found that the longer ago the heart disease had been diagnosed, the worse was the person's cognitive performance and this effect was particularly marked in men.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Machine Vision Lab Has Smoother Approach To Tile Quality
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935234/080723104900.htm
Surface defects in ceramic tiles, invisible to the naked eye, could be automatically detected by a new system being developed at the University of the West of England. The system would detect imperfections such as pinholes, crazing, rough or dull glazes, even on tiles with a texture or relief pattern, saving the industry time and money and reducing wastage.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Giving Electronic Learning A Personal Touch
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345935235/080723121326.htm
A learning system that adapts to the abilities and needs of students opens the way to a more personalized approach in delivering education electronically.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Why Cigarette Smoke Makes Flu, Other Viral Infections Worse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687768/080724175857.htm
A new study could explain why the cold and flu virus symptoms that are often mild and transient in non-smokers can seriously sicken smokers. The study also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Gene Responsible For Rare Childhood Disease Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345035391/080724175859.htm
The chromosomal abnormality that causes a rare, but often fatal, disorder that affects infants has been identified by researchers who happened to treat two young children with the disease in San Diego -- two of perhaps a dozen children in the entire country diagnosed with the disorder.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Various Species' Genes Evolve To Minimize Protein Production Errors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344800796/080724123220.htm
Genetic evolution is strongly shaped by genes' efforts to prevent or tolerate errors in protein production. Previously unexplained patterns of evolution may aim to prevent or tolerate mistranslation.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Energy Drinks Linked To Risk-taking Behaviors Among College Students
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344946546/080724150438.htm
Over the last decade, energy drinks -- such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar -- have become nearly ubiquitous on college campuses. Now new research validates and expands upon existing concerns about energy drink consumption.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
Exoplanet Orbiting Sun-like Star Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687770/080725093456.htm
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting a star slightly more massive than the Sun. After just 555 days in orbit, the COROT mission has now observed more than 50 000 stars and is adding significantly to our knowledge of the fundamental workings of stars.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
New Material May Help Autos Turn Heat Into Electricity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345687769/080724150340.htm
Researchers have invented a new material that will make cars even more efficient, by converting heat wasted through engine exhaust into electricity. In the journal Science, they describe a material with twice the efficiency of anything currently on the market.
Sat, 26 Jul 08
EPA Acts To Reduce Toxic Pesticide -- Carbofuran -- Residue In Food
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345652560/080725080827.htm
Due to considerable risks associated with the pesticide carbofuran in food and drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is revoking the regulations that allow carbofuran residues in food. EPA is proceeding on the path toward cancellation of the pesticide registration, which will address the risks to pesticide applicators and birds in treated fields.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Adult Stem Cells Activated In Mammalian Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344946547/080724150437.htm
Adult stem cells originate in a different part of the brain than is commonly believed, and with proper stimulation they can produce new brain cells to replace those lost to disease or injury, a new study has shown.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Older People May Need Less Sleep, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344800793/080724123255.htm
Along with all the other changes that come with age, healthy older people also lose some capacity for sleep. When asked to stay in bed for 16 hours in the dark each day for several days, younger people get an average of 9 hours of shuteye compared to 7.5 for older people, the researchers report.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
It Takes Nerves For Flies To Keep A Level Head
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345128049/080721223343.htm
The nerve connections that keep a fly's gaze stable during complex aerial maneuvers, enabling it to respond quickly to obstacles in its flight path, have been revealed in new detail.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Broken DNA Must Find Right Partners Quickly Amid Repairs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345128051/080723185947.htm
Just as square dance partners join hands at a particular point in the music, so broken pieces of DNA in our cells reunite as they are repaired. Precisely and quickly, these DNA pieces identify each other and tether together. A tumor-suppressor gene called ATM choreographs this fast-paced, but reliable, reassembly operation.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Tracking Down Origin Of Matter And Antimatter
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345128052/080724143900.htm
In science fiction stories it is either the inexhaustible energy source of the future or a superweapon of galactic magnitude: antimatter. In fact, antimatter can neither be found naturally in any abundance on Earth nor in space, is extremely complex to produce and thus difficult to study. In order to track down the origin of matter and antimatter in the universe, scientists are measuring the power of the electrical dipole moment of neutrons, which represents a measure for the different physical properties of matter and antimatter.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Frequent Family Meals Might Reduce Teen Substance Use
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/345128053/080723192444.htm
Parents who have regular meals with their adolescent children might help lessen the chances they will start drinking or smoking later in their teen years, according to new research. Researchers noted benefits in families that ate five or more meals together each week, and found that about 60 percent of the participants did so.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Cow Power Could Generate Electricity For Millions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344488469/080724064840.htm
Converting livestock manure into a domestic renewable fuel source could generate enough electricity to meet up to three percent of North America's entire consumption needs and lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to U.S. research.
Fri, 25 Jul 08
Missing Link Found Between Circadian Clock And Metabolism
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/344800794/080724123246.htm
Two new research studies have discovered a long sought molecular link between our metabolism and components of t