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Sun, 31 Aug 08
Bone That Blends Into Tendons Created By Engineers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378159930/080829104945.htm
Engineers have used skin cells to create artificial bones that mimic the ability of natural bone to blend into other tissues such as tendons or ligaments. The artificial bones provide for better integration with the body and handle weight more successfully.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Life Under The Laser: Unique Technology Illuminates Microscopic Activity In Body's Chemical Messenger System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377345742/080828120318.htm
Researchers have developed a unique technology that will allow scientists to look at microscopic activity within the body's chemical messenger system for the very first time, live as it happens.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Flu Shot Does Not Reduce Risk Of Death, Research Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110793/080829091323.htm
The widely-held perception that the influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality risk in the elderly does not withstand careful scrutiny, according to researchers. The vaccine does confer protection against specific strains of influenza, but its overall benefit appears to have been exaggerated by a number of observational studies that found a very large reduction in all-cause mortality among elderly patients who had been vaccinated.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Ascends To Level Ground
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178801/080830162424.htm
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has climbed out of the large crater that it had been examining from the inside since last September.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Reducing Risky Health Behaviors In Teens: A Tall Order
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178803/080830161752.htm
Programs targeting at-risk kids must tackle a constellation of issues in order to be effective. "To really improve adolescent health, programs should seek to reduce risk taking, improve social capital and improve levels of affluence," said co-author of a new study.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
â€˜Lost Worldâ€™ Beneath The Caribbean
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379333803/080830211000.htm
Scientists are set to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes and find out what lives in a 'lost world' five kilometres beneath the Caribbean.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Sleight Of Hand And Sense Of Self
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379267596/080830192456.htm
An illusion that tricks people into believing a rubber hand belongs to them isn't all in the mind, researchers have found. They have observed a physical response as well, a finding that offers insight into conditions which affect a patient's sense of self and body ownership, such as stroke, schizophrenia, autism, or eating disorders.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Baltic States Failing To Protect Most Damaged Sea
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379267597/080830191841.htm
Nine Baltic sea states all scored failing grades in an annual WWF evaluation of their performance in protecting and restoring the world's most damaged sea.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Shot In The Arm For Sumatran Elephants And Tigers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379267599/080830191638.htm
The Indonesian government is to double the size of a national park that is one of the last havens for endangered Sumatran elephants and tigers.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
New Report Loosens Noose Around Albatrossâ€™s Neck
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379267602/080830190947.htm
The survival chances of the albatross, now officially the most threatened seabird family in the world, have been improved following a new report released by WWF-South Africa.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Researchers Develop New Technique For Fabricating Nanowire Circuits
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178798/080830165628.htm
Applied scientists have developed a new technique for fabricating nanowire photonic and electronic integrated circuits that may one day be suitable for high-volume commercial production.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Grayâ€™s Reef National Marine Sanctuary In Fair Condition, Facing Emerging Threats
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178799/080830165014.htm
A new NOAA report on the health of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair. The report also identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources, including non-indigenous marine species, overfishing, waterborne chemicals from human coastal activities, and increased recreational use of the site.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Slowing Ships To Protect North Atlantic Right Whales
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178800/080830164755.htm
NOAA's Fisheries Service is seeking comment on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ship Strike Reduction Rule, which aims to reduce the number of endangered North Atlantic right whales injured or killed by collisions with large ships.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Sexual Matters Donâ€™t Sway Mothers On HPV Vaccine
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178802/080830162027.htm
The opinions of women about sexual matters do not play a significant role in their decisions about whether girls in their care should receive a vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus, according to a new survey.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Happiness And Satisfaction Might Lead To Better Health
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178804/080830161436.htm
It's the opposite of a vicious cycle: Healthy people might be happier, and a new study shows that people who are happy and satisfied with their lives might be healthier.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
More Than 150,000 Species Of Flies, Gnats, Maggots, Midges, Mosquitoes Documented In Database
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178805/080830161221.htm
Distinguishing between insect pests and partners starts with an ironclad identification. Entomologists have now prepared a database with information to accurately identify and name almost 157,000 flies, gnats, maggots, midges, mosquitoes and related species in the order Diptera.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold, Insect Infestation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178806/080830160741.htm
Grain storage bins are routinely monitored for temperature to control insect and mold problems. Now an scientists have preliminary research findings showing that monitoring carbon dioxide -- along with humidity and temperature -- also may help detect problems more effectively.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
'Fingerprinting' Helps Make Great Grapes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379178807/080830160454.htm
At about this time next year, nearly all of the 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated grapes in a unique northern California genebank will have had their "genetic profile" or "fingerprint" taken.

Sun, 31 Aug 08
Environmental Friendly Technology Can Remove Ink Stains In Paper Recycling
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/379143743/080830160034.htm
The greatest challenge in paper recycling is removal of polymeric ink and coating; and the most difficult paper is mixed office wastepaper. Traditional de-inking processes involve large quantities of chemicals which are expensive and unfriendly to the environment. A better alternative would be a technology that involves biological intervention.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
No More Big Stink: Scent Lures Mosquitoes, But Humans Can't Smell It
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715705/080829091329.htm
Mosquito traps that reek like latrines may be no more. Chemical ecologists have discovered a low-cost, easy-to-prepare attractant that lures blood-fed mosquitoes without making humans hold their noses.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Memory Trick Shows Brain Organization
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715706/080828220519.htm
A simple memory trick has helped show researchers how an area of the brain called the perirhinal cortex can contribute to forming memories.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Hearing Specialist Craft First Professional Guidelines For Earwax
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110801/080829091308.htm
The age-old advice to routinely clean out earwax is discouraged under the first published guidelines from health care professionals about removing wax from the ear.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Heavy Breathing: An Obscure Link In Asthma And Obesity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110795/080829091321.htm
There is a strong link between obesity and asthma and as the prevalence of both conditions has been increasing steadily, epidemiologists have speculated that there is an underlying condition that connects the two. But one long-suspected link, the systemic inflammation associated with obesity, has been essentially ruled out by a recent study that found no evidence of its involvement.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Incidence Of Intestinal Parasite Coccidia Is Increasing In Broilers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377115563/080828084326.htm
Coccidia are single-celled intestinal parasites that currently represent one of the greatest challenges to the broiler industry. To keep the level of infection low, farmers commonly add coccidia-inhibiting chemicals (coccidiostats) to broiler feed. While this does not kill the parasites, it greatly reduces the incidence of overt sickness and death from infection. While clinical coccidiosis is therefore not a problem, veterinary authorities have never been able to gauge the extent of subclinical coccidiosis and the consequences this may have for animal welfare issues and production costs.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Public Involvement Usually Leads To Better Environmental Decision Making
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715709/080822120140.htm
When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Treatment For Hearing Loss? Scientists Grow Hair Cells Involved in Hearing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378685465/080830005613.htm
Scientists have successfully produced functional auditory hair cells in the cochlea of the mouse inner ear. The breakthrough suggests that a new therapy may be developed in the future to successfully treat hearing loss.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Young Type-2 Diabetic Men Suffer Low Testosterone Levels, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715710/080827163927.htm
Young men with type 2 diabetes have significantly low levels of testosterone, endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo have found -- a condition that could have a critical effect on their quality of life and on their ability to father children.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Magmatically Triggered Slow Earthquake Discovered At Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715711/080829104947.htm
From June 17-19, 2007, Kilauea experienced a new dike intrusion, where magma rapidly moved from a storage reservoir beneath the summit into the east rift zone and extended the rift zone by as much as 1 meter.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
One Cause Of Higher Rates Of Transplanted Kidney Rejection In Blacks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378685467/080830002200.htm
Scientists may have an explanation for at least some of the higher organ rejection rates seen among black -- as compared to white -- kidney transplant recipients.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Novel Approach In Molecular Differentiation Of Prion Strains
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715712/080828220507.htm
Scientists have identified a prion protein characteristic that is unique to some natural but unusual sheep scrapie cases. This finding may provide a novel method by which to study prion diversity and their possible changes during cross-species transmission.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Global Survey Highlights Need For Cancer Prevention Campaigns To Correct Misbeliefs, Survey Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715713/080826190940.htm
Many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate the threat from environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimizing the hazards of behaviors well established as cancer risk factors, according to the first global survey on the topic. People in high-income countries were the least likely to believe that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Antarctic Research Helps Shed Light On Climate Change On Mars
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377520352/080828171703.htm
Eroded gullies on the flanks of Martian craters may have been formed by snowmelt as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago and in sites once occupied by glaciers. Similar conditions can be found in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys. Rather than being a dead planet, the new data are consistent with dynamic climate changes on Mars.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Location, Location, Location Important For Genes, Too
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715714/080829091325.htm
To better understand how cells become cancerous, a new study by cancer researchers looks at four genes that help regulate cell growth in embryos and contribute to cancer in adults. The genes are generally believed to work together to help control cell proliferation. But this study shows that mice need just one of the four genes to develop from fertilized eggs through adulthood.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Antidepressants Need New Nerve Cells To Be Effective, Researchers Find
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377115568/080828084056.htm
Researchers have discovered in mice that the brain must create new nerve cells for either exercise or antidepressants to reduce depression-like behavior.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
ABC-transporters Expressed On Endothelial Cell Membranes Efflux Anti-HIV Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715715/080826190942.htm
Researchers have discovered that drug-efflux pumps, belonging to the ATP-binding cassette transporter family, are constitutively expressed on vascular endothelial cells. The study has crucial implications in the persistence of sub-endothelial HIV reservoirs and will be important to the development of future therapies.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Tiny 3-D Ultrasound Probe Guides Catheter Procedures
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377162334/080828093349.htm
An ultrasound probe small enough to ride along at the tip of a catheter can provide physicians with clearer real-time images of soft tissue without the risks associated with conventional X-ray catheter guidance.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Newly-defined Factors May Prevent Postpartum Smoking Relapse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715716/080827164138.htm
Although many women quit smoking during pregnancy to protect their unborn children from the effects of cigarettes, half resume the habit within a few months of giving birth. By shedding light on the factors that enable the other half to put down that cigarette for good, a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill could lead to programs designed to help women quit and stay quit.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Scientists Discover Why Flies Are So Hard To Swat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377388167/080828135901.htm
Over the past two decades, Michael Dickinson has been interviewed by reporters hundreds of times about his research on the biomechanics of insect flight. One question from the press has always dogged him: Why are flies so hard to swat? "Now I can finally answer," says Dickinson, the Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
New Approach To Detect Early Progression Of Brain Tumors Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377520350/080828171705.htm
New research suggests a certain type of MRI scanning can detect when a patient is failing brain tumor treatment before symptoms appear. The results of the study pave the way for a proactive treatment approach.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Katrina And Rita Provide Glimpse Of What Could Happen To Offshore Drilling If Gustav Hits Gulf
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378333675/080829104949.htm
Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the US, engineers studied damage done to offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. If tropical storm Gustav strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane, as forecasters are predicting, the damage could be extensive.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Doctors Performing Heart Surgery Face Risks To Eyes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378286896/080829104943.htm
Patients are not the only ones at risk during cardiac procedures. Doctors performing heart surgery also face health risks, namely to their eyes. The IAEA is helping to raise awareness of threats, through training in radiation protection related to medical uses of X-ray imaging systems.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Atomic Bomb Effect Results In Adult-onset Thyroid Cancer Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110800/080829091311.htm
Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults, according to Japanese researchers.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Americans Show Little Tolerance For Mental Illness Despite Growing Belief In Genetic Cause
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378286895/080829135352.htm
While more Americans believe that mental illness has genetic causes, the nation is no more tolerant of the mentally ill than it was 10 years ago.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Unexpected Large Monkey Population Discovered In Cambodia: Tens Of Thousands Of Threatened Primates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377296754/080828120326.htm
Biologists have discovered surprisingly large populations of two globally threatened primates in a protected area in Cambodia. The report counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs along with 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, an estimate that represents the largest known populations for both species in the world.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Rapid Changes In Key Alzheimer's Protein Described In Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378333676/080828162600.htm
For the first time, researchers have described hour-by-hour changes in the amount of amyloid beta, a protein that is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, in the human brain.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Rosetta Spacecraft On Its Way To Meet Asteroid Steins
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377115562/080828084407.htm
ESAâ€™s Rosetta spacecraft will make a historic encounter with asteroid (2867) Steins on 5 September 2008. The spacecraft will rendezvous with the asteroid in the course of its first incursion into the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, while on its way to comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Growth Factor Predicts Poor Outcome In Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378242135/080829114911.htm
The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment, according to new research. The finding gives impetus to the movement to tailor cancer treatments to attributes of the various tumors.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
How Blood Vessel Cells Know To Form Tube-like Structures And Not Just Layers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378286897/080829104937.htm
How do blood vessel cells understand that they should organize themselves in tubes and not in layers? A special type of "instructor" molecule is needed, according to new research. This might be an important step towards using stem cells to build new organs.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Physical And Sexual Abuse Linked To Asthma In Puerto Rican Kids
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110797/080829091319.htm
Children who are physically or sexually abused are more than twice as likely to have asthma as their peers, according to a recent study of urban children in Puerto Rico. In fact, physical and sexual abuse was second only to maternal asthma in all the risk factors tested, including paternal asthma and indicators of socioeconomic status.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
'Pristine' Amazonian Region Hosted Large, Urban Civilization
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377473626/080828162554.htm
They aren't the lost cities early explorers sought fruitlessly to discover. But ancient settlements in the Amazon, now almost entirely obscured by tropical forest, were once large and complex enough to be considered "urban" as the term is commonly applied to both medieval European and ancient Greek communities.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
More Genes Are Controlled By Biological Clocks Than Previously Thought
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378715717/080829091327.htm
The tick-tock of your biological clock may have just gotten a little louder. The number of genes under control of the biological clock in a much-studied model organism is dramatically higher than previously reported. The new study implies that the clock may be much more important in living things than suspected only a few years ago.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Treadmill Exercise Retrains Brain And Body Of Stroke Victims
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378159925/080828162556.htm
People who walk on a treadmill even years after stroke damage can significantly improve their health and mobility, changes that reflect actual "rewiring" of their brains, according to new research.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Black Raspberries Slow Cancer By Altering Hundreds Of Genes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/376510286/080827163933.htm
New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene. Researchers examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a chemical carcinogen in an animal model of esophageal cancer.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Variation Of Normal Protein Could Be Key To Resistance To Common Cancer Drug
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378159926/080828093351.htm
Researchers have found evidence explaining why a common chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, may not always work for every cancer patient. They have shown that when a variant version of a key protein that normally causes cell death is active, patients may be resistant to the cancer-killing drug.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Saving Lives Through Smarter Hurricane Evacuations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377296784/080828120320.htm
Hundreds of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars could potentially be saved if emergency managers could make better and more timely critical decisions when faced with an approaching hurricane. Now, an MIT graduate student has developed a computer model that could help do just that.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Antidepressants In Suicide Prevention Reviewed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/378110799/080829091315.htm
Scientists have presented the state of evidence concerning the relation of antidepressants and suicidal behavior and critically commented on the current discussion with regard to the role of antidepressive treatment in real-life clinical practice.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Origin Of High Energy Emission From Crab Nebula Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377520349/080828172835.htm
Another piece of the jigsaw in understanding how neutron stars work has been put in place following the discovery by scientists of the origin of the high energy emission from rotation-powered pulsars.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Cystic Fibrosis: Engineered Proteins Can 'Bypass' Genetic Defect
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377162335/080828093347.htm
By manipulating the machinery used by our cells for quality control, researchers have found a way to restore the function of cystic fibrosis (CF) airway cells. This could significantly reduce the sticky mucus that plugs the lungs of CF patients, which leads to antibiotic-resistant infections and untimely death.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Quantum 'Traffic Jam' Revealed: Findings May Help Get Current Flowing At Higher Temperatures
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377744375/080827163814.htm
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have uncovered the first experimental evidence for why the transition temperature of high-temperature superconductors cannot simply be elevated by increasing the electrons' binding energy. The research demonstrates how, as electron-pair binding energy increases, the electrons' tendency to get caught in a quantum mechanical "traffic jam" overwhelms the interactions needed for the material to act as a superconductor -- a freely flowing fluid of electron pairs.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Common Treatment To Delay Labor Decreases Pre-term Infants' Risk For Cerebral Palsy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377783584/080827195730.htm
Pre-term infants born to mothers receiving intravenous magnesium sulfate -- a common treatment to delay labor -- are less likely to develop cerebral palsy than are pre-term infants whose mothers do not receive it, report researchers in a large National Institutes of Health research network.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Robots Learn To Predict Where Their Leader Is Going, And Follow Along
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377783585/080828220517.htm
Researchers have come up with a control system that allows a robot to pick up on cues that the leader is about to turn, predict where it is going and follow it.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Risk Of Repeat Attacks In Heart Patients Causes Concern For Doctors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377162336/080828093345.htm
The risk of heart attack patients having repeat attacks after they are discharged from hospital is being underestimated, research has shown. An international study raises concerns that some patients may not be receiving the optimum medical treatment and follow-up care because doctors are misjudging the risk of a further heart attack.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Eyes Evolved For 'X-Ray Vision': Forward-facing Eyes Allow Animals To 'See Through' Clutter In The World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377744377/080828120312.htm
The advantage of using two eyes to see the world around us has long been associated solely with our capacity to see in 3-D. Now, a new study has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to binocular vision: our ability to see through things.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Variant Of Mad Cow Disease May Be Transmitted By Blood Transfusions, According To Animal Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377473627/080828135905.htm
Blood transfusions are a valuable treatment mechanism in modern medicine, but can come with the risk of donor disease transmission. Researchers are continually studying the biology of blood products to understand how certain diseases are transmitted in an effort to reduce this risk during blood transfusions.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Not All Fat Is Created Equal: Fat In Obese Patients Is 'Sick' Compared To Fat From Lean Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377783586/080827163816.htm
A new study finds that fat in obese patients is "sick" when compared to fat from lean patients, which could more fully explain the link between obesity and higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Pregnancy Situations Have Impact On Brain Development In Pre-term Infants
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/376264049/080827102740.htm
Brain development in infants who are born very prematurely is still incomplete. Factors that cause premature birth may have an impact on the development of the premature infant's brain both during pregnancy and later on after birth.

Sat, 30 Aug 08
Natural Chemical From Sea Sponges Induces Death In Cancer Cells Via Unusual Pathway
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/377783587/080827223119.htm
A chemical called candidaspongiolide (CAN) inhibits protein synthesis but also kills cancer cells by triggering caspase 12-dependent programmed cell death, according to an article in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Key Photosynthesis Step Replicated: Scientists Learn From Nature To Split Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731290/080817223544.htm
Chemists have used chemicals found in plants to replicate a key process in photosynthesis paving the way to a new approach that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Antidepressants May Impair Driving Ability, New Research Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769816/080817223434.htm
People taking prescription antidepressants appear to drive worse than people who aren't taking such drugs, and depressed people on antidepressants have even more trouble concentrating and reacting behind the wheel.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Trees, Forests And The Eiffel Tower Reveal Theory Of Design In Nature
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898856/080814104839.htm
What do a tree and the Eiffel Tower have in common? According to a Duke University engineer, both are optimized for flow. In the case of trees, the flow is of water from the ground throughout the trunk, branches and leaves, and into the air. The Eiffel Tower's flow carries stresses throughout the structure without collapsing under its own weight or being downed by the wind.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
India Continues To Progress In AIDS Vaccine Development Efforts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769819/080817223650.htm
A second Phase I AIDS vaccine clinical trial in India was successfully completed, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the National AIDS Control Organization and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative announced. The results of the trial of an MVA-based AIDS vaccine candidate (TBC-M4), which was conducted in Chennai, indicated that the vaccine candidate had acceptable levels of safety and was well-tolerated.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Robot Vehicle Surveys Deep Sea Off Pacific Northwest
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363969371/080813102727.htm
The first scientific mission with Sentry, a newly developed robot capable of diving as deep as 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) into the ocean, has been successfully completed.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Playing Video Games Offers Learning Across Life Span, Say Studies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769822/080817223442.htm
Certain types of video games can have beneficial effects, improving gamers' dexterity as well as their ability to problem-solve -- attributes that have proven useful not only to students but to surgeons, according to new research. Skills transfer to the classroom, surgical procedures, even scientific thinking.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Newly Detected Air Pollutant Mimics Damaging Effects Of Cigarette Smoke
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769824/080817223432.htm
A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, according to a new report. Inhaling those pollutants exposes the average person up to 300 times more free radicals daily than from smoking one cigarette, the researchers added, noting that the study could help explain why nonsmokers develop tobacco-related diseases like lung cancer.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Engineers Build Mini Drug-producing Biofactories In Yeast
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865270/080815130427.htm
Researchers have developed a novel way to churn out large quantities of drugs, including antiplaque toothpaste additives, antibiotics, nicotine, and even morphine, using mini biofactories -- in yeast.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Energy Storage For Hybrid Vehicles
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364821958/080814091059.htm
Hybrid technology combines the advantages of combustion engines and electric motors. Scientists are developing high-performance energy storage units, a prerequisite for effective hybrid motors.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Fruit Flies Provide Insight Into Bacterial Infections In Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365701443/080815092106.htm
Researchers have used a fruit fly (Drosophila) model of infection to provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the virulence of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a major cause of infections in individuals who are hospitalized, have burn wounds, or have cystic fibrosis.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Climate Change Threatens One In Five Plant Species In Germany
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363969372/080813102725.htm
One in five of Germany's plant species could lose parts of its current range, a new study reveals. Species distributions will be rearranged as a result of climate change; this could have a dramatic impact particularly on the vegetation in southwestern and eastern Germany.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Study Examines The Psychology Behind Students Who Don't Cheat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769826/080817223646.htm
While many studies have examined cheating among college students, new research looks at the issue from a different perspective -- identifying students who are least likely to cheat. The study of students at one Ohio university found that students who scored high on measures of courage, empathy and honesty were less likely than others to report their cheating in the past -- or intending to cheat in the future.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Light Receptors In Eye Play Key Role In Setting Biological Clock, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365909695/080815140250.htm
Biologists have discovered a switching mechanism in the eye that plays a key role in regulating the sleep/wake cycles in mammals.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Safer Alternative To Heparin Created
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769829/080817223540.htm
Robert Linhardt has spent years stitching together minuscule carbohydrates to build a more pure and safer alternative to the commonly used and controversial blood thinner heparin. Now he has announced that his research team may have accomplished this task by building the first fully synthetic heparin. Their creation is the largest dose of heparin ever created in the lab.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769830/080812213937.htm
Researchers testing the long-held theory that therapeutic massage can speed recovery after a sports injury have found early scientific evidence of the healing effects of massage. The scientists have determined that immediate cyclic compression of muscles after intense exercise reduced swelling and muscle damage in a study using animals.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
A Therapy For Baby Boomers To Sleep On: New Drug For Insomniacs Over 55
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769831/080815170627.htm
If you're over 55 and have spent more than a few sleepless nights, you're not alone -- insomnia affects about half of all people over 55 -- but you may also be at increased risk for physical and mental ailments.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Water Is No Passive Spectator Of Biological Processes: It Is An Active Participant
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364021187/080813114227.htm
Researchers have been able to detect changes in the protein -- water network during protein folding in real time using kinetic terahertz absorption.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Adults Easily Fooled By Children's False Denials, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769832/080817223538.htm
Adults are easily fooled when a child denies that an actual event took place, but do somewhat better at detecting when a child makes up information about something that never happened. These findings have important implications for forensic child sexual abuse evaluations.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Olympic Swimmers Shattering Records In NASA-Tested Suit
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769833/080817231406.htm
Swimmers from around the world are setting world and Olympic records in Beijing this month and most are doing it wearing a swimsuit made of fabric tested at NASA. Among the Olympic gold medalists wearing Speedo's LZR Racer are Americans Michael Phelps -- who has now won more Olympic gold medals than any athlete in the modern era -- and Natalie Coughlin. Both had a hand in developing the skintight body suit.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Experiments Could Lead To New Treatments For Neuroblastoma
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769834/080815200208.htm
Based on cell-culture and animal experiments, researchers believe they've found a critical weakness in neuroblastoma -- one that could lead to the development of a lifesaving therapy for victims of the cancer.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Maelstrom Quashes Jumping Genes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362501697/080811195301.htm
Scientists have known for decades that genes called transposons can jump around the genome in a cell. This jumping can be dangerous, especially when it arises in cells that produce eggs and sperm. Although nature developed a mechanism to quash this genetic scrambling, how it works has remained a mystery. Now scientists have identified a key protein that suppresses jumping genes in mouse sperm and found that the protein is vital to sperm formation.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Prototype Test For Predicting Clinical Outcome For Melanoma Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620911/080815072152.htm
Investigators have developed a test to predict whether a patient will progress rapidly from Stage III melanoma to metastatic Stage IV cancer and death. More than 70% of patients with Stage III melanoma â€” melanoma that has spread to the lymph nodes â€” will typically have a rapid time to progression (TTP) to Stage IV melanoma, and pass away within five years of their diagnosis.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Virtual Reality Gets Real
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769836/080813110802.htm
Up to now virtual reality has proved cumbersome as a design tool, but European researchers are finalizing a system that brings â€˜virtualityâ€™ to the wider world.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Few Pharmacologic Treatments Of Cancer-Related Fatigue Available To Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944261/080814120914.htm
There is limited evidence to support the use of methylphenidate and erythropoietin for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue in some patients, according to a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Toward Plastic Spin Transistors: Ultrafast Computers And Electronics On The Horizon?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769838/080817223534.htm
Physicists successfully controlled an electrical current using the "spin" within electrons -- a step toward building an organic "spin transistor": A plastic semiconductor switch for future ultrafast computers and electronics. The study also suggests it will be more difficult than thought to make highly efficient light-emitting diodes using organic materials. The findings hint such LEDs would convert no more than 25 percent of electricity into light rather than heat.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Bipolar Disorder And Gene Abnormalities: Sodium, Calcium Imbalances Linked To Manic Depressive Episodes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731288/080817223548.htm
A large genetic study of bipolar disorder has implicated machinery that balances levels of sodium and calcium in neurons. The disorder was associated with variation in two genes that make components of such ion channels. Although it's not yet known if or how the suspect genetic variation might affect the balance machinery, the results point to the possibility that bipolar disorder might stem, at least in part, from malfunction of ion channels.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Scientists Overcome Nanotechnology Hurdle
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363921156/080813095718.htm
When you make a new material on a nano scale how can you see what you have made? This research shows a newly developed technique to examine tiny protein molecules on the surface of a gold nanoparticle. This is the first time scientists have been able to build a detailed picture of self-assembled proteins on a nanoparticle and it offers the promise of new ways to design and manufacture novel materials on the tiniest scale.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Cancer Signatures Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620909/080815073524.htm
A new systematic analysis of the relationship between the neoplastic and developmental transcriptome provides an outline of trends in cancer gene expression. The research describes how cancers can be divided into three groups distinguished by disparate developmental signatures.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
High-Altitude Small Mammals Of The Great Basin Are Not Completely Isolated
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056328/080813122945.htm
New modeling research demonstrates that the "sky islands" of the Great Basin are not islands: the different populations of small mammals that inhabit mountain tops have contact with each other.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Patients Reluctant To Change Surgeons Despite Lure Of Shorter Wait Times
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769841/080811195305.htm
A new study in CMAJ has found that, despite the possibility of shorter waiting times for surgery, a majority of patients were unlikely to consider changing surgeons.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Synthetic Molecules Could Add Spice To Fight Against Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731285/080817223644.htm
Seeking to improve on nature, scientists used a spice-based compound as a starting point and developed synthetic molecules that, in lab settings, are able to kill cancer cells and stop the cells from spreading. The researchers are combining organic chemistry, computer-aided design and molecular biology techniques in developing and testing pharmaceutical compounds that can fight breast and prostate cancer cells. The synthetic molecules are derived from curcumin, a naturally occurring compound found in the spice turmeric.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
1918 Flu Antibodies Resurrected From Elderly Survivors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731286/080817223642.htm
Ninety years after the sweeping destruction of the 1918 flu pandemic, researchers have recovered antibodies to the virus -- from elderly survivors of the original outbreak. In addition to revealing the surprisingly long-lasting immunity to such viruses, these antibodies could be effective treatments to have on hand if another virus similar to the 1918 flu breaks out in the future.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Cataloguing Invisible Life: Microbe Genome Emerges From Lake Sediment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731287/080817223640.htm
Scientists have taken a sample of Lake Washington mud and successfully sequenced a complete genome for an unknown microorganism. Their method provides a way to discover new microscopic life in complex communities.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Hydrogels Provide Scaffolding For Growth Of Bone Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367731289/080817223546.htm
Hyaluronic hydrogels may provide a suitable scaffolding to enable bone regeneration. The hydrogels have proven to encourage the growth of preosteoblast cells, cells that aid the growth and development of bone.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
New 52-city Report Examines Use Of Wastewater In Urban Agriculture
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769845/080817223536.htm
As developing countries confront the first global food crisis since the 1970s as well as unprecedented water scarcity, a new 53-city survey conducted by the International Water Management Institute indicates that most of those studied (80 percent) are using untreated or partially treated wastewater for agriculture. In over 70 percent of the cities studied, more than half of urban agricultural land is irrigated with wastewater that is either raw or diluted in streams.

Mon, 18 Aug 08
Improved Technique Determines Structure In Membrane Proteins
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/367769847/080817223444.htm
By combining custom-built spectrometers, novel probe designs and faster pulse sequences, scientists have developed unique capabilities for probing protein chemistry and structure through the use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
'Virtual Archaeologist' Reconnects Fragments Of An Ancient Civilization
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865274/080815130417.htm
Computer scientists working with archaeologists in Greece has developed a new technology that has the potential to change the way people do archaeology.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
By Amplifying Cell Death Signals, Scientists Make Precancerous Cells Self-destruct
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022625/080815170621.htm
On the cellular level, death signals can actually be life saving -- by killing off abnormally dividing cells before they turn cancerous. Now, Rockefeller University researchers have found a way to amplify these signals by turning a life affirming protein into a killer. The findings not only mark a breakthrough in the field but also open the door to a new line of drugs for cancer therapeutics.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Surprising Details Of Evolution Of Protein Translation Revealed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022628/080812135517.htm
A new study of transfer RNA, a molecule that delivers amino acids to the protein-building machinery of the cell, challenges long-held ideas about the evolutionary history of protein synthesis.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Helping Tumor Cells Not To Stick To The Wound During Surgical Removal
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365701441/080815092210.htm
Sometimes during surgery to remove a tumor, cells become detached from the bulk of the tumor. In a small number of cases, these tumor cells stick to cells at the site of the surgical wound and go on to form a secondary tumor, having an enormous negative impact on the survival and quality of life of the patient.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Old Growth Giants Limited By Water-pulling Ability
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022631/080811195319.htm
The Douglas-fir, state tree of Oregon, towering king of old-growth forests and one of the tallest tree species on Earth, finally stops growing taller because it just can't pull water any higher, a new study concludes.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Parents' Expectations, Styles Can Harm College Students' Self-esteem
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865269/080815130429.htm
College students want to please their parents but often stress out about meeting goals far tougher than what their parents have in mind, psychologists have found. Scientists have examined the effects of parenting styles on how students adjust to college. Students reported making smoother transitions if they have at least one parent whose style combines warmth, a demanding nature and democracy.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Personalized Immunotherapy To Fight HIV/AIDS
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865272/080815130421.htm
The main obstacle to creating an AIDS vaccine has been the high genetic variability of the HIV virus. Scientists have overcome this difficulty by designing a personalized immunotherapy for HIV-infected patients.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Dying Frogs Sign Of A Biodiversity Crisis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022634/080812135654.htm
Devastating declines of amphibian species around the world are a sign of a biodiversity disaster larger than just frogs, salamanders and their ilk, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers argue that substantial die-offs of amphibians and other plant and animal species add up to a new mass extinction facing the planet.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
New Mushroom Study Shows The Power Of Energy Density
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865276/080815130413.htm
Preliminary research suggests increasing intake of low-energy density foods, specifically mushrooms, in place of high-energy-density foods, like lean ground beef, is a strategy for preventing or treating obesity. This is good news for the more than one-third of US adults age 20 and older who are obese, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Images For 3-D Video Games Without High Price Tags Or Stretch Marks From UC San Diego
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022637/080812160617.htm
The images of rocks, clouds, marble and other textures that serve as background images and details for 3-D video games are often hand painted and thus costly to generate. A breakthrough from a computer science undergraduate now offers video game developers the possibility of high quality yet lightweight images for 3-D video games that are generated "on the fly," and are free of stretch marks, flickering and other artifacts.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Young Children's 'Theory Of Mind' Linked To Subsequent Metacognitive Development In Adolescence
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022638/080814154429.htm
A new study detects a systematic link between children's "theory of mind" as assessed in kindergarten and their metacognitive knowledge in elementary school.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Potatoes May Hold Key To Alzheimer's Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022639/080815170629.htm
A virus that commonly infects potatoes bears a striking resemblance to one of the key proteins implicated in Alzheimer's disease, and researchers have used that to develop antibodies that may slow or prevent the onset of AD.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Mechanism Behind Cocaine Craving Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620910/080815073522.htm
A possible future way to prevent relapses into drug dependence has been discovered. The target is the dopamine-producing nerve cells in the midbrain.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Resistant Prions: Can They Be Transmitted By Environment As Well As Direct Contact?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361969819/080811095458.htm
Prions, the pathogens that cause scrapie in sheep, can survive in the ground for several years, as researchers have discovered. Animals can become infected via contaminated pastures. It is not yet known whether the pathogens that cause BSE and CWD are equally resistant.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Asthma In Boys May Be Just A Phase, But For Girls It May Be There To Stay
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620913/080815072148.htm
Boys may be more apt than girls to have childhood asthma, but, when compared to girls, they are also more likely to grow out of it in adolescence and have a decreased incidence of asthma in the post-pubertal years.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Virtual Applications Reach Out To Real World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364821959/080814091053.htm
Researchers have developed a series of very clever tools to break through the bottlenecks stalling the widespread adoption of virtual reality. But the compelling applications designed for the system are the real stars.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Americans Spending, Gambling, Saving: Who's Happiest, Who's Most At Risk?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898853/080814110959.htm
For some, spending in today's tumultuous economy is not a problem, especially for those who don't care what everyone else has. But for others, casino splurges, not saving enough or buying the latest iPhone on impulse can lead to emotional turmoil or financial troubles, according to several new studies on consumer behavior.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
New Bird Species Discovered In Gabon, Africa
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365865268/080815130415.htm
Scientists have discovered a new species of bird in Gabon, Africa, that was, until now, unknown to the scientific community. The newly found olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus) was named by the scientists for its distinctive olive back and rump. Adult birds measure 4.5 inches in length and average 18 grams in weight.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Hope For Patients With COPD
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620914/080815072146.htm
For the first time, a drug therapy appears to reduce lung function loss in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 42 countries.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Synthetic Biology Is Bearing Fruit: Blockers Against Blockers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022650/080811092048.htm
Synthetic Biology is bearing fruit: the tuberculosis pathogen can be fooled by a widely used food additive. The WHO records around nine million new cases of the disease each year, and about 50 million people are infected with a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to the antibiotics Isoniazid and Rifampicin.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Surgical Weight Loss Does Not Eliminate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365620916/080815072142.htm
A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that surgical weight loss results in an improvement of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but most patients continue to have moderate to severe OSA one year after undergoing bariatric surgery. Results of this study suggest that it is the severity of the condition, rather than a patient's presurgical weight, that determines if OSA will be resolved.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Studying Volcanoes With Balloons
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365065152/080814154435.htm
People do all kinds of crazy things in Hawaii, but flying balloons over a volcano usually isnâ€™t one of them. Unless youâ€™re Adam Durant, that is.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
English Health-care System Failing To Provide Basic Care, Shows Major Survey
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/366022651/080814210004.htm
The NHS and private health care are not providing good enough basic care to a large portion of the population in England, especially older and frailer people, according to a new study. Overall, only 62 percent of the care recommended for older adults is actually received, conclude the authors.

Sat, 16 Aug 08
Stone Age Graveyard Reveals Lifestyles Of A 'Green Sahara'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365745785/080815101317.htm
The largest Stone Age graveyard found in the Sahara, which provides an unparalleled record of life when the region was green, has been discovered in Niger by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and University of Chicago Professor Paul Sereno, whose team first happened on the site during a dinosaur-hunting expedition.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Stress, Anxiety Can Make Allergy Attacks Even More Miserable And Last Longer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365362172/080814154327.htm
A new study shows that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a person's allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Moreover, the added impact of stress and anxiety seem to linger, causing the second day of a stressed person's allergy attack to be much worse.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Slipping Through Cell Walls, Nanotubes Deliver High-potency Punch To Cancer Tumors In Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365154296/080814171128.htm
A big challenge in treating cancer with chemotherapy is how to get the most medication into the cells of a tumor without "spillover" of the medication adversely affecting the healthy cells in a patient's body. Now researchers have addressed that problem using single-walled carbon nanotubes as delivery vehicles. This method gets a higher proportion of a given dose of medication into the tumor cells than is possible with the "free" drug.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Burmese Pythons Will Find Little Suitable Habitat Outside South Florida, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365362173/080812213816.htm
Burmese Pythons may have chosen Florida as a vacation destination, but are unlikely to expand further, according to a new study. Although the United States Geological Survey earlier this year released "climate maps" indicating that the pythons could inhabit up to 32 states in the US, new research indicates that the snakes are unlikely to expand out of Florida.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Hepatitis B Genotypes And Mutants May Influence Liver Cancer Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944265/080814120807.htm
Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes liver cancer in some individuals, but not all strains of the virus are associated with the same degree of risk. If confirmed, the newly reported data could help target chemoprevention strategies in the future.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Antarctic Climate: Short-term Spikes, Long-term Warming Linked To Tropical Pacific
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365362175/080812160619.htm
Dramatic year-to-year temperature swings and a century-long warming trend across West Antarctica are linked to conditions in the tropical Pacific, according to an analysis of ice cores. The findings show the connection of the world's coldest continent to global warming, as well as to events such as El NiÃ±o.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Women And War: The Toll Of Deployment On Physical Health
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365109433/080814163558.htm
More than 80 percent of a sample of Air Force women deployed in Iraq and other areas around the world report suffering from persistent fatigue, fever, hair loss and difficulty concentrating.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Big-brained Animals Evolve Faster
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365257804/080814210006.htm
Ecologists and evolutionary biologists analyzed body size measures of 7,209 species of birds and found that avian families that have experienced the greatest diversification in body size tend to be those with brains larger than expected for their body size.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Lessons From Yeast: A Possible Cure For Parkinson's Disease?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365154297/080814171124.htm
Parkinson disease is a debilitating and lethal neurodegenerative disease, for which there is currently no cure. However, new data have provided evidence to support that idea that agents that disrupt the formation of the abnormal aggregates of a protein called alpha-syn that characterize the brain of individuals with PD might have therapeutic effects.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Chemists Take Gold, Mass-produce Beijing Olympic Logo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336495/080814154335.htm
Nanoscientists have mass-produced the 2008 Summer Olympics logo -- 15,000 times. All the logos take up one square centimeter of space. The researchers printed the logos as well as an integrated gold circuit using a new printing technique, called Polymer Pen Lithography, that can write on three different length scales using only one device. It is fast, inexpensive and simple and could find use in computational tools, medical diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Model For Neurological Disorder 'Angelman Syndrome' Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944267/080814111006.htm
A model for studying the genetics of Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes mental retardation and other symptoms in one out of 15,000 births, has been developed by biologists at The University of Texas at Austin.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
In The Long Run, Exertion Regulation Wins The Day For Marathon Runners
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336496/080812213810.htm
Scientists have investigated the physiological methods employed by well-trained runners in order to regulate the great physical strain and effort that are needed in order to complete and perform well in marathons and other endurance challenges.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Direct Gaze Enhances Face Perception
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363921151/080813095722.htm
Gaze direction is significant for the processing of visual information from the human face. Researchers have discovered that the visual system of the brain processes another person's face more efficiently when the person's gaze is straight ahead than when the gaze is averted.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Cassini Pinpoints Source Of Jets On Saturn's Moon Enceladus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365297133/080814220113.htm
In a feat of interplanetary sharpshooting, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pinpointed precisely where the icy jets erupt from the surface of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus. New carefully targeted pictures reveal exquisite details in the prominent south polar "tiger stripe" fractures from which the jets emanate.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Chronic Ear Infections Linked To Increased Obesity Risk; Taste Damage Can Lead To Preferences For Fatty And Sugary Foods
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365065156/080814154321.htm
Ear infections are a painful rite of passage for many children. New research suggests the damage caused by chronic ear infections could be linked to people's preference for fatty foods, which increases their risk of being overweight as they age. Scientists from around the country presented their findings on this unexpected connection at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention here Thursday.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
New Nanomaterial Makes Plastic Stiffer, Lighter And Stronger
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336497/080731140141.htm
Scientists have developed a nanomaterial that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Treatment With Anti-anemia Drugs May Not Be Safe For Multiple Myeloma Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355810495/080804190709.htm
A recent study demonstrated that Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, a widely used drug to treat anemia, may have a negative impact on the survival of myeloma patients.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range, Study Confirms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336498/080811195317.htm
Warmer temperatures and longer dry spells have killed thousands of trees and shrubs in a Southern California mountain range, pushing the plants' habitat an average of 213 feet up the mountain over the past 30 years, a UC Irvine study has determined.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Timing Of Political Messages Influences Voter Preferences, Researcher Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898854/080814104843.htm
In political campaigns, timing is almost everything. Candidates communicate with voters over a long period of time before voters actually vote. What candidates say to these voters is, of course, important, but it turns out that when they say it also influences voter preferences.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Study Shows Continued Spread Of 'Dead Zones'; Lack Of Oxygen Now A Key Stressor On Marine Ecosystems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365065150/080814154325.htm
A new study shows that the number of "dead zones" -- areas of seafloor with too little oxygen for most marine life -- has increased by a third between 1995 and 2007. Dead zones are now "the key stressor on marine ecosystems" and "rank with over-fishing, habitat loss, and harmful algal blooms as global environmental problems."

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Major Genetic Cause Of Colon Cancer Found, Linked To Unequal Gene Activity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336500/080814154337.htm
Researchers have discovered that a subtle difference in the activity of a pair of genes may be responsible for one of every 10 colon-cancer cases. The work is the first to link this particular gene conclusively as a cause of colon cancer, and it may provide clinicians with a new way to identify people who are at high risk for disease.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Blood Pressure Response To Daily Stress Provides Clues For Better Hypertension Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898855/080814104841.htm
How the body regulates blood pressure in response to daily stress is the focus of a study geared toward helping people whose pressure is out of control.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Hybrid 'Muttsucker' Has Genes Of Three Species
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336501/080723190731.htm
In the murky waters of an inconspicuous stream in a remote area of Wyoming, researchers detail the potential impact that an introduced fish, the white sucker, could have on the evolutionary biology of fishes.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Declaration Opposes Transplant Commercialism, Transplant Tourism And Organ Trafficking
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336502/080813183552.htm
All countries should take steps to govern organ donation and transplantation, thereby ensuring patient safety and prohibiting unethical practices, according to a new article. The document is a consensus of more than 150 representatives of scientific and medical bodies from around the world, government officials, social scientists and ethicists, who met in Istanbul, Turkey, this spring.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Snooze Button For Body's Circadian Clock
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336503/080813202158.htm
We may use the snooze button to fine-tune our sleep cycles, but our cells have a far more meticulous and refined system. Humans, and most other organisms, have 24-hour rhythms that are regulated by a precise molecular clock that ticks inside every cell. After decades of study, researchers are still identifying all the gears involved in running this "circadian" clock and are working to put each of the molecular cogs in its place. A new study now shows how two of the key molecules interact to regulate the clock's cycle and uncovers how that switch can go haywire, identifying one potential cause of heritable sleep disorders.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
'Flu Vaccination' Protects Bacteria Against Virus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365109432/080814163649.htm
Bacteria â€“ like people animals and plants â€“ can become infected by a virus. Researchers have now unravelled a mechanism with which bacteria can defend themselves for a longer period against threatening viruses. Over the long term, this research offers possibilities to protect bacteria used in industrial processes against viral infections by giving them a 'flu vaccination'.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Distinguishing Between Two Birds Of A Feather
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627585/080808133141.htm
The bird enthusiast who chronicled the adventures of a flock of red-headed conures in his book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" knows most of the parrots by name, yet most of us would be hard pressed to tell one bird from another. While it has been known for a long time that we can become acutely attuned to our day-to-day environment, the underlying neural mechanism has been less clear.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Risk Assessment Plays Key Role In Long-term Treatment Of Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336504/080812160637.htm
Breast cancer patients and their physicians may make more informed, long-term treatment decisions using risk assessment strategies to help determine probability of recurrence, researchers reported.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Partial Lunar Eclipse On 16th August
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361969810/080811095504.htm
People across the world will have the chance to see a partial eclipse of the Moon on the 16th August.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Wide Variety Of Errors Found In Testing Process At Family Medicine Clinics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336505/080813183558.htm
The largest study to date of testing errors reported by family physician offices in the United States found that problems occur throughout the testing process and disproportionately affect minority patients.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Phoenix Microscope Takes First Image Of Martian Dust Particle
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365109431/080814164414.htm
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' ubiquitous dust, using its atomic force microscope. The particle -- shown at higher magnification than anything ever seen from another world -- is a rounded particle about one micrometer, or one millionth of a meter, across. It is a speck of the dust that cloaks Mars. Such dust particles color the Martian sky pink, feed storms that regularly envelop the planet and produce Mars' distinctive red soil.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Structural Biology Spin-out Tackles Major Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336506/080807082947.htm
A spin off company from basic structural biology has led to new technology that provides a way of creating therapeutic proteins to tackle major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and infertility.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Managing the Conch Fishery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336507/080812135511.htm
Massachusetts fisherman once considered the New England whelk or â€œconchâ€ as nothing more than bycatch. Although demand existed for the large-shelled snail, traditionally used for cooking in East Asian cultures, it could more easily be trawled in the waters around South America, the Caribbean and Asia, making conch unprofitable in the Northeast. This turned around in the 1980s, however, when overfishing of whelk quickly transformed the small New England conch fishery into a multi-million dollar industry.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Sequential Doxorubicin And Zoledronic Acid Have Powerful Anti-Tumor Effect In Vivo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944257/080814120956.htm
The use of doxorubicin followed by zoledronic acid reduced tumor size substantially in a mouse model of breast cancer that does not have bone metastases.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Towards Zero Training For Brain-computer Interfacing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336508/080812213820.htm
While invasive electrode recordings in humans show long-term promise, noninvasive techniques can also provide effective brain-computer interfacing and localization of motor activity in the brain for paralyzed patients with significantly reduced risks and costs as well as novel applications for healthy users. However, two issues hamper the ease of use of BCI systems based on noninvasive recording techniques, such as electroencephalography.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Public Health Clinic Study Links 'Americanization' And Depression
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365336509/080812135646.htm
A study of 439 US and Mexican-born Latinas seeking pregnancy and postpartum services at public health clinics in San Antonio uncovered elevated levels of depression among the more "Americanized" women, report researchers in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Call For Better Protection Of Older People From Climate Change Impact
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/365297130/080814212323.htm
A new report calls on Government and public authorities to take action to better protect older people from the future effects of climate change.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
To The Moon And Mars: Psychologists Show New Ways To Deal With Health Challenges In Space
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898857/080814104835.htm
As NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon and then on to Mars, psychologists are exploring the challenges astronauts will face on missions that will be much longer and more demanding than previous space flights. Psychologists outlined these mental health challenges at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention, and introduced a new interactive computer program that will help address psychosocial challenges in space.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Cocaine-induced Synaptic Plasticity Linked To Persistent Addictive Behaviors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056332/080813120745.htm
The persistent nature of addiction is its most devastating feature. Understanding the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is the key for designing efficient therapy. Two separate studies published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron identify specific cocaine-induced changes in dopamine neurons that play a pivotal role in behaviors associated with drug addiction.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Drinking Water In Gaza Strip Contaminated With High Levels Of Nitrate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364821957/080814091214.htm
Scientists have recommended to the authorities in the Gaza Strip that they take immediate measures to combat excessive nitrate levels in the drinking water. 90 per cent of their water samples were found to contain nitrate concentrations that were between two and eight times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Protein Complementarity May Offer New Insights Into Autoimmune Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944247/080813183556.htm
The discovery of "complementary" antibodies against plasminogen in patients with blood vessel inflammation caused by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies may lead to new approaches to research, testing and treatment of ANCA vasculitis and other autoimmune diseases, suggests a new article.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Oil And Gas Projects In Western Amazon Threaten Biodiversity And Indigenous Peoples
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944248/080812213814.htm
According to a new study, over 180 oil and gas "blocks" -- areas zoned for exploration and development -- now cover the megadiverse western Amazon, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil. These oil and gas blocks stretch over 688,000 km2 (170 million acres), a vast area, nearly the size of Texas.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Hard Dayâ€™s Night? Enhancing The Work-life Balance Of Shift Workers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364898859/080814104601.htm
Introducing a Compressed Working Week may enhance the work-life balance of shift workers without damaging productivity or competitiveness suggests a new systematic review published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
How Flesh-eating Bacteria Attack The Body's Immune System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056333/080813120743.htm
"Flesh-eating" or "Strep" bacteria are able to survive and spread in the body by degrading a key immune defense molecule. The finding could aid in development of new treatments for serious infections in human patients.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Molecular Switch Boosts Brain Activity Associated With Schizophrenia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944249/080814125302.htm
People with schizophrenia have an alteration in a pattern of brain electrical activity associated with learning and memory. Now, researchers have identified in mouse brain tissue a molecular switch that, when thrown, increases the strength of this electrical pattern. The researchers found that adding the brain chemical Neuregulin-1 to the brain tissue boosted the electrical signals that the tissue generated.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Researchers Solve Structure Of An Enzyme Vital For DNA Repair
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944250/080813202804.htm
When dividing cells copy their DNA, mistakes can -- and do -- occur. To compensate, cells have a built-in system to correct these errors. That correction process isn't thoroughly understood, but researchers are piecing it together bit by bit.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Adenocarcinoma Of The Esophagus Increasing In White Men And Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944251/080814121028.htm
The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus in the United States increased among both white men and women between 1975 and 2004.

Fri, 15 Aug 08
Exploring Sichuan Fault
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364944252/080814091216.htm
Scientists are to explore the fault lines that caused the May 12th earthquake in China that killed 69,000 people.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Solar Collector Could Change Asphalt Roads Into Renewable Energy Source
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364365996/080812135702.htm
Scientists have found a way to use asphalt's heat-soaking property for an alternative energy source by developing a solar collector that could turn roads and parking lots into ubiquitous -- and inexpensive sources of electricity and hot water.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
White Blood Cell Uses DNA 'Catapult' To Fight Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056330/080813122941.htm
Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how a type of white blood cell called the eosinophil may help the body to fight bacterial infections in the digestive tract, according to new research in Nature Medicine.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Bouncy Cell Phones And Car Bumpers May Be Workable With Springy Nanotubes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364365997/080813164636.htm
Electronic devices get smaller and more complex every year. It turns out that fragility is the price for miniaturization, especially when it comes to small devices, such as cell phones, hitting the floor. Wouldn't it be great if they bounced instead of cracked when dropped?

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Not All Hearing Aids Are Created Equal
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364365998/080813164634.htm
Consumers with hearing loss might think they are saving significantly more by purchasing over-the-counter hearing aids, but they most likely will be disappointed -- or could be taking risks -- when purchasing such aids, according to new research.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Successful Series Of Measurements In Arctic Sea Ice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364365999/080811092458.htm
The results of the last year's research have shown that changes in the ice cover have caused a decrease of some groups of animals living at the bottom of the deep sea. The ice edge is a biologically very active zone, in which algae increasingly grow, die , sink to the ground and serve as nutrients. If the ice edge shifts, it leads to changes in the availability of nutrients in the AWI-Hausgarten. What this year's thick ice cover brings about and whether the small and bigger animals of the deep sea are affected will be shown by the upcoming analyses in Bremerhaven as well as expeditions during the next years.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Causes For Sexual Dysfunction Change As People Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363877567/080813085256.htm
Sexual dysfunction is not an inevitable part of aging, but it is strongly related a number of factors, such as mental and physical health, demographics and lifetime experiences, many of which are interrelated. People who had an STD are also more likely to have had sexual experiences over their lifetimes that included more risks and multiple sex partners.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Robot With A Biological Brain: New Research Provides Insights Into How The Brain Works
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366000/080813175509.htm
Researchers in the UK have developed a robot which is controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons -- the first step to examine how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data. The key aim is that eventually this will lead to a better understanding of development and of diseases and disorders which affect the brain such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, stoke and brain injury.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Air Pollution Damages More Than Lungs: Heart And Blood Vessels Suffer Too
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366001/080813183554.htm
Air pollution has both short- and long-term toxic effects that injure the heart and blood vessels, increase rates of hospitalization for cardiac illness and can even cause death.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Microbes, By Latitudes And Altitudes, Shed New Light On Life's Diversity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366002/080811200016.htm
Microbial biologists may not have Jimmy Buffett's music from 1977 in mind, but they are changing attitudes about evolutionary diversity on Earth, from oceanic latitudes to mountainous altitudes. They are showing that temperature primarily drives the richness of bacterial diversity in oceans, and that life, plant and microbial, by altitude in the Rocky Mountains may be close, but not exactly, to what biologists have theorized for years.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Protein Key To Control, Growth Of Blood Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364021185/080813114231.htm
New research sheds light on the biological events by which stem cells in the bone marrow develop into the broad variety of cells that circulate in the blood. The findings may help improve the success of bone marrow transplants and may lead to better treatments for life-threatening blood diseases.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Is It Too Late To Save The Great Migrations?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366003/080728215330.htm
Long gone are the days when hundreds of thousands of bison grazed the Great Plains, millions of passenger pigeons darkened the skies while migrating to and from their breeding grounds, and some 12.5 trillion Rocky Mountain locusts crowded an area exceeding the size of California. The subject of great migrations -- lost and still to be saved -- is explored in two new articles in PLoS Biology.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Infant Sensitivity To Negative Emotional Expressions Develops At Around 6 Months
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363921155/080813095720.htm
Scientists have discovered important changes in the way that infants react to another person's face at age 5-7 months. Infants aged 5 months react very differently to a fearful face than those aged 7 months.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Turning Waste Material Into Ethanol
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366004/080813164640.htm
Researchers have developed a method for converting crop residue, wood pulp, animal waste and garbage into ethanol. The process first turns the waste material into synthesis gas, or syngas, and nanoscale catalysts then convert the syngas into ethanol.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
MSG Use Linked To Obesity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366005/080813164638.htm
People who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their food are more likely than people who don't use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical activity and total calorie intake, according to a study in the journal Obesity.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Aspirin, Acid Blocker A Day Keeps GI Bleeding At Bay
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366006/080811200022.htm
Over-the-counter acid-blockers are worth the price for coronary heart disease patients taking low-dose aspirin as a preventative measure, according to new research.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Found In California
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145875/080813144401.htm
In the first statewide study of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) in the United States, California officials have identified 18 cases of the dangerous and difficult-to-treat disease between 1993 and 2006, and 77 cases that were one step away from XDR TB.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Midge-hunting Scientists Tackle Spread Of Devastating Bluetongue Virus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366007/080807082949.htm
Scientists are stepping up the battle against the devastating and economically damaging bluetongue virus. By combining ingenious ways to trap and monitor midges with cutting edge computer modeling and weather predictions researchers are gaining an understanding of how the insects spread the disease so that they can improve surveillance methods and advise farmers how and when to protect their animals.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
'Erasing' Drug-associated Memories May Stop Drug Addiction Relapses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366008/080812213931.htm
"Erasing" drug-associated memories may prevent recovering drug abusers from relapsing, researchers have discovered. The team was able to reduce drug-seeking behaviors in rats by blocking a brain chemical receptor important to learning and memory during the recall of drug-associated memories.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
How DNA Repairs Can Reshape Genome, Spawn New Species
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145874/080813144407.htm
Researchers have shown how broken sections of chromosomes can recombine to change genomes and spawn new species. The scientists used X-rays to break yeast chromosomes, and then studied how the damage was repaired.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Novel Mechanism That Controls The Development Of Autoimmunity Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145876/080813144359.htm
Scientists have found a mechanism in the immune systems of mice that can lead to the development of autoimmune disease when turned off. The findings shed light on the processes that lead to the development of autoimmunity and could also have implications for the development of drugs to increase the immune response in diseases such as cancer and HIV.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Alternative Energy Technologies: Solar-powered Home Appliances Being Developed By Students
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366016/080812094528.htm
UC's solar house is now a summer class room where students experiment with alternative-energy technologies.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Pandemic Potential Of H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366018/080812213818.htm
Since their introduction into land-based birds in 1988, H9N2 avian influenza A viruses have caused multiple human infections and become endemic in domestic poultry in Eurasia. This particular influenza subtype has been evolving and acquiring characteristics that raise concerns that it may become more transmissible among humans. Mechanisms that allow infection and subsequent human-to-human transmission of avian influenza viruses are not well understood.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
New Theory For Latest High-temperature Superconductors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056329/080813122943.htm
Physicists have published a new theory that explains some of the complex electronic and magnetic properties of iron "pnictides." In a series of startling discoveries this spring, pnictides were shown to superconduct at high temperatures. The new theory, which appears in Physical Review Letters, explains some of the similarities and differences between pnictides and cuprates, high-temperature superconductors that have been studied for more than 20 years.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Cardiac Resynchromization: Race, Age, Geography Matter, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366019/080811200339.htm
Race, age, and geography appear to play important roles in who receives cardiac resynchronization therapy, a proven treatment for some patients with heart failure.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Southern Ocean Seals Dive Deep For Climate Data
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366021/080812135658.htm
Elephant seals are helping scientists overcome a critical blind-spot in their ability to detect change in Southern Ocean circulation and sea ice production and its influence on global climate.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Trapping White Blood Cells Proves Novel Strategy Against Chronic Viral Infections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145879/080813144355.htm
A drug that sequesters white blood cells in lymph nodes can allow mice to fight off a chronic infection by a virus that causes meningitis. The novel strategy of restricting white blood cells' circulation has implications for treating chronic viral infections in humans.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Graduate Student Discovers, Names Bacterium Linked To Psyllid Yellows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366022/080812094532.htm
Allison Hansen, a doctoral student in entomology at the University of California, Riverside, has discovered and named a new bacterial pathogen that could be responsible for "psyllid yellows," a disease that infects and kills tomato and potato plants. The disease is spread from plant to plant by the psyllid, a sap-sucking insect.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Sensitivity To Antidepressants Linked With TrkB-mediated Neural Proliferation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364056331/080813120747.htm
Scientists have unveiled a functional link between production of new neurons and the effectiveness of antidepressants in an animal model. The study, published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron, provides exciting insight into a mechanism that might underlie a poor response to antidepressive medications for anxiety or depression.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Genomics Of Plant-based Biofuels
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145877/080813144357.htm
Genomics is accelerating improvements for converting plant biomass into biofuel -- as an alternative to fossil fuel for the nation's transportation needs. Now researchers lay out a path forward for how emerging genomic technologies will contribute to a substantially different biofuels future as compared to the present corn-based ethanol industry -- and in part mitigate the food-versus-fuel debate.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Built Environment Connected With Obesity In Baby Boomers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364366023/080811200345.htm
Results showed significant associations among built-environment factors and the prevalence of overweight/obesity and various forms of physical activity in middle-aged and older adults. These findings suggest the need for public health and city planning officials to consider how modifiable neighborhood-level, built-environment characteristics can create more livable residential communities and promote active, healthy lifestyles.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Smells Like Bees' Spirit: Response To Pheromone Changes According To Situation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364021186/080813114229.htm
When bumblebees return to the nest from a successful foraging mission, they produce a pheromone which encourages their nest mates to also go out and find food. Scientists had originally thought that these pheromones elicited a standard response from all bees. But new research from Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences has shown that bees' response to the pheromone changes according to their situation.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Childhood Dairy Intake May Improve Adolescent Bone Health
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363877566/080813085258.htm
Dairy is recognized as a key component of a healthy, balanced diet. However, until recently it was unclear how long-term dairy intake contributes to the many aspects of bone health in children, including bone density, bone mineral content and bone area. A new study soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics investigates the effect of childhood dairy intake on adolescent bone health.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Virtual Reality Goggles Create An Equal Opportunity Eye Test
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546360/080808104929.htm
Visual field tests are widely used by eye doctors and neurologists. By determining the health of the retina, optic nerve and the visual pathway throughout the brain, the test can uncover glaucoma and conditions such as optic neuritis or brain damage. Essential to undergo before one can drive a car or fly a plane, the visual field test is also used to pinpoint neurological damage after an accident or surgery.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Overweight Hispanic Children At Significant Risk For Pre-diabetes, According To New Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219390/080812135656.htm
Overweight Hispanic children are at significant risk for pre-diabetes, a condition marked by higher than normal blood glucose levels that are not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. The persistence of pre-diabetes during growth is associated with progression in risk towards future diabetes, according to the study.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Green Roofs Differ In Building Cooling, Water Handling Capabilities
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219391/080812135648.htm
The first study to compare the performance of different types of green roofs suggests that buyers shouldn't assume these roofs are created equal.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Reserve, National Guard At Higher Risk Of Alcohol-related Problems After Returning From Combat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219392/080812160607.htm
Younger service members and Reserve and National Guard combat personnel returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk of new-onset heavy drinking, binge drinking and other alcohol-related problems, according to a new study.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Using Live Fish, New Tool A Sentinel For Environmental Contamination
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364021188/080813114225.htm
Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals. By measuring rates of oxygen use in developing fish, which are sensitive to contaminants and stressful conditions, the technology could reveal the presence of minute levels of toxic substances before they cause more obvious and substantial harm. It could be used as an early warning system against environmental contamination or even biological weapons.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Scientists Use Old Enemy To K.O. Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219393/080812135650.htm
Chemists are pulling cancer onto a sucker punch by getting infected cells to drop their guard -- according to research published today. They are using the metal ruthenium as a catalyst to a cancer-busting reaction which calls up an old cellular enemy -- oxidants -- as an ally.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Molecular Bridge Serves As A Tether For A Cellâ€™s Nucleus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361922903/080811085435.htm
A cell's nucleus -- home of it its most precious contents -- is a delicate envelope that, without support, is barely able to withstand the forces that keep it in place. Now, researchers have discovered a network of molecules in the nuclear membrane that provide the nucleus with rigidity and also facilitate a previously undiscovered form of communication between the cell's nucleus and its cytoplasm.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Prostatectomy Improves Outcome Of Some Men With Prostate Cancer Over Watchful Waiting
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219394/080812135505.htm
Men with early prostate cancer who undergo radical prostatectomy have a lower rate of death due to prostate cancer than men who are followed without treatment, known as watchful waiting, according to a randomized controlled trial.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Climate Change May Boost Middle East Rainfall
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364219395/080813095724.htm
The prospect of climate change sparking food and water shortages in the Middle East is less likely than previously thought, with new research by an Australian climate scientist suggesting that rainfall will be significantly higher in key parts of the region.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Simply Listening To Music Affects Oneâ€™s Musicality
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364021191/080813110453.htm
Researchers have demonstrated how much the brain can learn simply through active exposure to many different kinds of music. â€œMore and more labs are showing that people have the sensitivity for skills that we thought were only expert skills,â€ Henkjan Honing (UvA) explains. â€œIt turns out that mere exposure makes an enormous contribution to how musical competence develops.â€

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Mass Extinctions And 'Rise Of Slime' Predicted For Oceans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364145873/080813144405.htm
Human activities are cumulatively driving the health of the world's oceans down a rapid spiral, and only prompt and wholesale changes will slow or perhaps ultimately reverse the catastrophic problems they are facing.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Adverse Reactions To Antibiotics Send Thousands Of Patients To The ER
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364186815/080812135515.htm
Adverse events from antibiotics cause an estimated 142,000 emergency department visits per year in the United States, according to a new study.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Pesticide Spills Common When Farmers Transfer Highly Concentrated Liquids Into Spray Tanks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364186819/080811092448.htm
Scientists in Sweden are cautioning about the need for further research as more countries embrace a popular method for preventing pesticide spills. Researchers point out that pesticide spills are common when farmers transfer highly concentrated liquid preparations into spray tanks where the pesticide is diluted with water. Even if a small, few-inch wide puddle of this concentrate spilled under the tank, the nearby environment could be exposed to up to one hundred thousand times the normal pesticide dose.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Breast Cancer Patients Still Have Risk Of Relapse After 5 Years Of Systemic Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364186823/080812135503.htm
Breast cancer survivors continue to have a substantial risk of disease recurrence after five years of systemic therapy, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Among breast cancer patients who were cancer-free five years after initiating systemic therapy, 89 percent remained recurrence-free at five years (approximately 10 years after a woman's initial diagnosis) and 80 percent remained recurrence free at 10 years (approximately 15 years after diagnosis).

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Computer Simulates Thermal Stress
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361969812/080811095502.htm
A new simulation method has made it possible to predict in record time when and where heavily stressed engine components are likely to fail. Car manufacturers can thereby significantly reduce the time for developing new engine components.

Thu, 14 Aug 08
Nature Or Nurture: Are You Who Your Brain Chemistry Says You Are?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/364186824/080812135513.htm
Researchers using positron emission tomography (PET) have validated a long-held theory that individual personality traits -- particularly reward dependency -- are connected to brain chemistry, a finding that has implications for better understanding and treating substance abuse and other addictive behaviors.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Tiny Molecule Helps Control Blood-vessel Development
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586953/080812094524.htm
The development and repair of heart tissue and blood vessels is intimately tied to a tiny piece of ribonucleic acid that is found nowhere else in the body, researchers have found.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Why Some Infected With HIV Remain Symptom Free Without Antiretroviral Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362842312/080812064347.htm
AIDS experts say they have compelling evidence that some people with HIV who for years and even decades show extremely low levels of the virus in their blood never progress to full-blown AIDS and remain symptom free even without treatment, probably do so because of the strength of their immune systems, not any defects in the strain of HIV that infected them in the first place.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Veterinarians Adapt Human Tests For Monkeys
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954259/080807130917.htm
A medical test developed to detect an overload of iron in humans has recently been adapted to screen for the condition in some distant relatives: diminutive monkeys from South America, according to veterinarians at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Experimental Chemotherapy Regimen Shows Promise In Treating Advanced Lung Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362842315/080812064345.htm
A combination of chemotherapy agents that have been tested in other tumor types appears to be a promising alternative to standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
'Anti-noise' Silences Wind Turbines
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361969817/080811095500.htm
If wind turbines clatter and whistle too loudly, they are only permitted to operate under partial load to protect the local residents -- but this also means a lower electricity output. An active damping system cancels out the noise by producing counter-vibrations.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Contraceptive Pill Influences Partner Choice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586961/080812213824.htm
The contraceptive pill may disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves, research has found.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Strange Molecule In The Sky Cleans Acid Rain, Scientists Discover
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586965/080812213935.htm
Researchers have discovered an unusual molecule that is essential to the atmosphere's ability to break down pollutants, especially the compounds that cause acid rain. It's the unusual chemistry facilitated by this molecule, however, that will attract the most attention from scientists. A technical paper describing the molecule is published this week in a special edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Targeted Radiation Therapy Can Control Limited Cancer Spread
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586967/080812094526.htm
Precisely targeted radiation therapy can eradicate all evidence of disease in selected patients with cancer that has spread to only a few sites, suggests the first published report from an ongoing clinical trial. Radiation therapy controlled all signs of cancer in 21 percent of patients who had five or fewer disease sites.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
DNA Markers And Economically Significant Traits In Cattle Can Be Found With New Tool
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358396914/080807081926.htm
Scientists are using a new tool to find relationships between DNA markers and economically significant traits in cattle.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Cancer Cells With A Long Breath: Seeking Origin Of Brain Tumors In Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586972/080812100329.htm
Medulloblastoma is one of the most common and most malignant brain tumors among children and teenagers. These tumors grow very rapidly, and fifty percent of patients in the long term die from the condition. The details of the processes that lead to the growth of these tumors have remained unknown until now. Scientists have now successfully revealed certain molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of these cerebellar tumors.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Birds Move Farther North; Climate Change Link Considered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359849824/080808182238.htm
Scientists have documented, for the first time in the northeastern United States, that a variety of bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, a pattern that adds to concerns about climate change.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Poor Coordination In Childhood Linked To Obesity In Later Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586977/080812213826.htm
Poor physical control and coordination in childhood are linked to an increased risk of obesity in later life, suggests a new study.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity, According To New Model
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586980/080812160615.htm
Scientists have described a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation in present and future tropical climates. Compared to other global models currently in use, the new approach uses computer models that provide much more accurate representations of the processes that lead to hurricane formation.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Signs Of Alzheimer's Disease May Be Present Decades Before Diagnosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586981/080811200341.htm
People who develop Alzheimer's disease may show signs of this illness many decades earlier in life, including compromised educational achievement. Adult head size can be used to estimate the size of the fully-developed brain.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Nine To Twenty Individual Fire Ant Queens Started U.S. Fire Ant Population
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358396917/080807080832.htm
The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants--which infest millions of acres across the southern states -- can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Alabama.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Single MicroRNA That Controls Blood Vessel Development Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586983/080811200024.htm
Scientists have identified a key regulatory factor that controls development of the human vascular system, the extensive network of arteries, veins and capillaries that allow blood to reach all tissues and organs.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Mature Trees: Surviving The Revolution, Easier Than Withstanding Human Use And Abuse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586984/080811200138.htm
Inwood Hill Park survived the drastic modifications of Revolutionary War patriots, but preserving this last bastion of large-growth, mature trees in New York City is difficult with the proliferation of invasive species and hard human use, according to biologists. They suggest the situation warrants a plan in collaboration with those studying the park.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Parents Shape Whether Their Children Learn To Eat Fruits And Vegetables
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586985/080811200425.htm
To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. One way is early home interventions -- teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana instead of potato chips.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
New Group Of Plant Hormones Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586986/080812100327.htm
Scientists have discovered a new group of plant hormones, the so-called strigolactones. This group of chemicals is known to be involved in the interaction between plants and their environment. They have now proven that strigolactones, as hormones, are also crucial for the branching of plants. The discovery will soon be published in Nature and is of great importance for innovations in agriculture. Examples include the development of cut flowers or tomato plants with more or fewer branches.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Losing Weight Soon After Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Doubles Positive Outcomes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362842316/080812064343.htm
A four-year study looked at 2,574 adults and found that people who lost weight in the 18 months after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis were up to twice as likely to have better control of their blood pressure and blood sugar, and were more likely to maintain that control even if they later regained their weight.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Widely Prescribed Anti-parasite Drug Targets Cancer-causing Protein
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358396913/080807082137.htm
Researchers have identified mebendazole, a drug used globally to treat parasitic infections, as a novel investigational agent for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant malignant melanoma.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Levels Of C-reactive Protein In The Blood Do Not Cause Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362501694/080811215905.htm
Researchers have examined the association between levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood, and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Scientists Call For Trial Of 'Hen Harrier Ceiling'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586987/080811200555.htm
As the grouse shooting season gets under way, two scientists involved in high-profile studies of hen harriers and red grouse at Langholm Moor in Scotland have called for field trials of a "ceiling" on harrier numbers in an attempt to end the long running conflict between conservationists and grouse managers.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Caregivers Of Spouses With Dementia Enjoy Life Less
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363586988/080812102611.htm
Spouses of husbands and wives with dementia pay an emotional toll as they care for their ailing spouse. This has prompted a call for new interventions and strategies to assist caregivers in coping with the demands of this difficult time, according to a new study.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Childhood Brain Tumor Traced To Normal Stem Cells Gone Bad
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954250/080811200146.htm
An aggressive childhood brain tumor known as medulloblastoma originates in normal brain "stem" cells that turn malignant when acted on by a known mutant, cancer-causing oncogene, say researchers. The findings hint at potential new treatment approaches for medulloblastoma by targeting the origins of the tumors, and further suggest that not all patients' tumors may be born from the same cells.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
For The Birds Or For Me? Why Do Conservationists Really Help Wildlife?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954251/080807130929.htm
Volunteers who take part in conservation efforts may do it more for themselves than the wildlife they are trying to protect.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Alternate Pathway That Leads To Palate Development Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954252/080811092452.htm
Researchers have uncovered another clue behind the causes of cleft palate and the process that leads to palate formation.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Anything But Modest: The Mouse Continues To Contribute To Humankind
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954253/080807130923.htm
"Big things come in small packages," the saying goes, and it couldn't be more true when discussing the mouse. This little creature has become a crucial part of human history through its contributions in understanding human genetics and disease. In a review published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, genetics researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and Fudan University School of Life Sciences discuss the history and future of mice as a model organism.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
How Babies Understand The World Around Them And Their Place In It
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954254/080811200442.htm
New research could provide an insight into the way that babies understand the world around them and their place within it. A new study suggests that babies as young as six or seven months are able to actively respond to stimuli and understand them in relation to their own bodies.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
New Evidence On Benefits Of Breast Feeding
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954255/080811094951.htm
Researchers have identified proteins in human breast-milk -- not present in cow's milk -- that may fight disease by helping remove bacteria, viruses and other dangerous pathogen's from an infant's gastrointestinal tract.Â

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Key To Treating Cancer May Be Finding Its Original Cell
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954256/080811195311.htm
Cancer biologists are turning their attention to the normal cells that give rise to cancers, to learn more about how tumor growth might be stopped at the earliest opportunity.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Electronic Tongue Tastes Wine Variety, Vintage
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403650/080804100254.htm
You don't need a wine expert to identify a '74 Pinot Noir from Burgundy -- a handheld "electronic tongue" devised by European scientists will tell you the grape variety and vintage at the press of a button.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
New Breastfeeding Study Shows Most Moms Quit Early
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954257/080811092454.htm
While the CDC recently reported that more moms than ever give breastfeeding a try, a new national study shows most moms do not stick with it as long as they should. Although 77 percent of moms nationally start to breastfeed, the new study found that only 36 percent of babies are breastfed through 6 months, well short of the federal government's goal to hit 50 percent by 2010.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Egg P Bodies Protect Maternal Gene Messages
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361891160/080811070618.htm
A cell decides what proteins to make based on the messages it receives from its genome. Sometimes messages are held back to be read later, and in most cell types these delayed messages are stored and marked for destruction in P bodies. P bodies in worm egg cells, however, are message protectors, according to an article in the Journal of Cell Biology.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Sound Adds Speed To Visual Perception
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954258/080811200557.htm
The traditional view of individual brain areas involved in perception of different sensory stimuli -- i.e., one brain region involved in hearing and another involved in seeing -- has been thrown into doubt in recent years. A new study shows that, in monkeys, the region involved in hearing can directly improve perception in the visual region, without the involvement of other structures to integrate the senses.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
X-rays Use Diamonds As Window To Center Of The Earth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/363004396/080812100333.htm
Diamonds from Brazil have provided the answers to a question that Earth scientists have been trying to understand for many years: how is oceanic crust that has been subducted deep into the Earth recycled back into volcanic rocks? Geologists have gained a deeper insight into how the Earth recycles itself in the deep earth tectonic cycle way beyond the depths that can be accessed by drilling.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Proton Pump Inhibitors Increase Risk Of Bone Fractures, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658291/080811195303.htm
Patients who use proton pump inhibitors for seven or more years to treat reflux, peptic ulcers and other conditions are at greater risk of osteoporosis-related fractures, according to this large observational study published in CMAJ.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Keeping The Crunch In The Crust
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658292/080804121408.htm
Scientists in the Netherlands report an advance toward unraveling one of the culinary world's long-standing puzzles: How to maintain the crispy quality of bread crust. The findings could help prolong the coveted crunchiness of bagels, French bread, and other bakery products, the researchers say.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Anemia Of Chronic Disease: An Adaptive Response?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954260/080811195309.htm
The anemia of chronic disease may be a beneficial, adaptive response to the underlying disease, rather than a negative effect of the illness, postulates an analysis article in CMAJ.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Large Reservoir Of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Identified In Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954261/080811200144.htm
Clinical analysis of blood samples from almost 3,000 infants showed that at least 1 in 200 individuals in the general public harbor mitochondrial DNA mutations that may lead to disease.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Greater Response To Placebo In Children Than In Adults
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362501693/080811215907.htm
In a systematic review of antiepileptic drugs, researchers show that children with drug-resistant partial epilepsy enrolled in trials seem to have a greater response to placebo than adults enrolled in such trials. This finding is an important factor to consider when designing drug trials to be carried out in children with epilepsy.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
World's Thinnest Balloon Developed: Just One Atom Thick
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361969809/080811094611.htm
Researchers are reporting development of the world's thinnest balloon, made of a single layer of graphite just one atom thick. This so-called graphene sealed microchamber is impermeable to even the tiniest airborne molecules, including helium. It has a range of applications in sensors, filters, and imaging of materials at the atomic level.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Some Obese Individuals Appear 'Metabolically Healthy,' Without Increased Cardiovascular Risk
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658300/080811195635.htm
Some obese individuals do not appear to have an increased risk for heart disease, while some normal-weight individuals experience a cluster of heart risks, according to two reports in the August 11/25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Cassini Begins Transmitting Data From Enceladus Flyby
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362954262/080812100324.htm
The Cassini spacecraft has begun sending data to Earth following a close flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus. During closest approach, Cassini successfully passed only 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the surface of the tiny moon.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Molecular Switch Helps Decide Cell Type In Early Embryo Development
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658293/080811200136.htm
Researchers have discovered a central molecular switch in fruit fly embryos that opens new avenues for studying the causes of birth defects and cancer in humans. Scientists have determined the switch to be a main tuning mechanism for instructing cells whether to form sensory nerves or blood cells in different parts of the body.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Aphids Are Sentinels Of Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658295/080806113145.htm
Aphids are sentinels of climate change, researchers have shown. One of the UK's most damaging aphids -- the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae) -- has been found to be flying two weeks earlier for every 1Â°C rise in mean temperature for January and February combined. This year, the first aphid was caught on April 25, almost four weeks ahead of the 42-year average.

Wed, 13 Aug 08
Risks of Cheerleading: Two-thirds Of Severe Sports Injuries To Female Students Due To Cheerleading
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/362658296/080811200423.htm
A new report on severe sporting injuries among high school and college athletes shows cheerleading appears to account for a larger proportion of all such injuries than previously thought.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Survival Of The Fittest: Even Cancer Cells Follow The Laws Of Evolution
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652649/080801094300.htm
Scientists discovered the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself -- evolution. This suggests a molecular "survival of the fittest" scenario plays out in every living creature as gene mutations strive for ultimate survival through cancerous tumors. This finding improves our understanding of how evolution shapes life in all forms, while laying a foundation for new cancer drugs and treatments.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
In Scientific First, Researchers Correct Decline In Organ Function Associated With Old Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525307/080810213958.htm
As people age, their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein -- resulting in a buildup of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Ricin's Deadly Action Revealed By Glowing Probes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565988/080807112641.htm
A new chemical probe can rapidly detect ricin, a deadly poison with no known antidote that is feared to be a potential weapon for terrorists and cannot quickly be identified with currently available tests. Chemists at UC San Diego developed the probe, which glows when bound to a ricin-damaged part of the body's protein-making machinery. Because the test pinpoints the specific injury underlying the poison's toxicity, it could also help to develop drugs to counteract the effect of ricin.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
First Step Towards Switching Off Breast Cancer And Leukaemia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546364/080808104919.htm
Scientists have identified a way to "switch off" a molecule, a key player in the molecular processes that trigger breast cancer and certain forms of leukaemia.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Promising Lithium Batteries For Electric Cars
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352349/080807073753.htm
Why does lithium iron phosphate, a candidate for use in future lithium batteries, conduct electricity despite being an insulating material? Chemists have shed light on this paradox. Their experimentally verified "domino-cascade model" shows that local stresses within the material allow electrical and ionic conduction to spread from one area to the next, making the battery function. These results open new horizons in the search for improved battery electrode materials and help explain how tomorrow's electric car batteries work.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Genes May Make Some People More Prone To Anxiety
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525306/080810214000.htm
Inborn differences may help explain why trauma gives some people bad memories and others the nightmare of post-traumatic stress. Scientists have reported evidence linking genes to anxious behavior.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Multi-tasking Maggots In Superbug Showdown
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565989/080805155624.htm
Scientists in the UK have discovered a new type of antibiotic in maggot secretions that can tackle up to 12 different strains of MRSA, as well as E. coli and C. difficile.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Human Obesity Genes Revealed Based On Fly Experiments
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525304/080810214004.htm
A study of 228 women has revealed genetic variants responsible for body shape. Based on work in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, new research identifies natural variation in the human LAMA5 gene as a key determinant of weight.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Heavy Atoms Can Help Destroy Tumor Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352352/080807071852.htm
A new discovery has been made in cancer research. Researchers have now shown that it is possible to improve hadrontherapy's targeting and destruction of tumor cells by loading the cells with heavy atoms like platinum. This new method enables both the treatment's effectiveness and the ions' ballistic effect to be improved without damaging healthy tissue.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Floss Your Teeth -- On The Double
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565990/080806154229.htm
A recent study demonstrates that including flossing as part of one's routine oral care can actually help reduce the amount of gum disease-causing bacteria found in the mouth, therefore contributing to healthy teeth and gums.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Skipping Atomic-scale Stones To Study Some Chemistry Basics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565991/080807112639.htm
Thought experiment: a carbon dioxide moleculeâ€”think of a cheerleaderâ€™s batonâ€”comes slanting in at high speed over a dense liquid, strikes the surface and ricochets. How does it tumble? Fast or slow? Forward, backward or sideways? New experiments are giving a uniquely detailed look at what happens when gas molecule meets fluid.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
A New Light On The Brains Of People With Borderline Personality Disorder
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565992/080807144305.htm
In a game of give and get, the brains of people with borderline personality disorder often don't get it. In fact, an interactive economic game played between two people in functional magnetic resonance imaging devices revealed a brain malfunction associated with the disorder, a serious but common mental illness that affects a person's perceptions of the world and other people, according to an article in Science.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
New Bacterial Species Found In Human Mouth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525300/080810214006.htm
Scientists have discovered a new species of bacteria in the mouth. The finding could help scientists to understand tooth decay and gum disease and may lead to better treatments, according to research published in the August issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565993/080807144309.htm
People with Crohn's disease are seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Stress Hormone Found To Regulate Brain Neurotransmission
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352351/080807072125.htm
Researchers have just shown how one of the stress hormones regulates brain neurotransmission on the short and long term and enables neuronal connections to adapt.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Eat Oily Fish At Least Once A Week To Protect Your Eyesight In Old Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546361/080808104925.htm
Eating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in western countries and the third cause of global blindness, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Tiny Invasive Snail Impacts Great Lakes, Alters Ecology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546365/080808104916.htm
Long a problem in the western US, the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Arrival Method, Slow Response Often Delay Stroke Care
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565994/080807175436.htm
Most stroke patients can't recall when their symptoms started or do not arrive at the hospital in a timely manner, so they cannot be considered for time-dependent therapies such as the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), researchers reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Female Guppies Risk Death To Avoid Sexual Harassment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565995/080806154758.htm
Sexual harassment from male guppies is so bad that long-suffering females will risk their lives to escape it, according to new research.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Early Treatment Is Key To Combating Hepatitis C Virus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359726065/080808151715.htm
Patients who receive early treatment for hepatitis C virus within the first months following an infection, develop a rapid poly-functional immune response against HCV similar to when infection is erradicted spontaneously, according to a new study published in the Journal of Virology. Therefore, early treatment can restore immune response against HCV and help eliminate the virus rapidly. This new discovery of the mechanisms of viral eradication could contribute to the development of new treatments.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2 Begins Mapping Oceans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352347/080807074916.htm
Less than a month after launch, the NASA-French space agency Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 oceanography satellite has produced its first complete maps of global ocean surface topography, surface wave height and wind speed. The new data will help scientists monitor changes in global sea level and the distribution of heat in the ocean. This information is used to monitor climate change and ocean circulation, and to enable more accurate weather, ocean and climate forecasts.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
New Insight On HIV Transmission Risk Of Men Who Have Sex With Men
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565996/080807144232.htm
Approximately half of all new HIV infections in the United States result from the sexual risk behaviors of men who have sex with men. Now, a new study provides additional insight into which of these men are most likely to transmit HIV to others, potentially paving the way for the development of more targeted prevention programs.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Fuel From Cellulose, Cheaper And With Better Yields Than Ever Before
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546357/080808114928.htm
Scientists have developed a new method for the direct conversion of cellulose into furan-based biofuels. The simple, inexpensive process delivers furanic compounds in yields never achieved before.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Psychiatrists Shift Away From Providing Psychotherapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361565997/080804165316.htm
A declining number of office-based psychiatrists appear to be providing psychotherapy to their patients, according to a new report. Psychotherapy has been part of the practice of psychiatry for generations. Various forms of psychotherapy, either alone or in combination with medications, are recommended for the treatment of major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Soil Studies Continue At Site Of Phoenix Mars Lander
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525301/080810215113.htm
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has continued studies of its landing site by widening a trench, making overnight measurements of conductivity in the Martian soil and depositing a sample of surface soil into a gap between partially opened doors to an analytical oven on the lander.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Flexible Nanoantenna Arrays Capture Abundant Solar Energy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525302/080810214010.htm
Researchers have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources. The new technology is the first step toward a solar energy collector that could be mass-produced on flexible materials, say the researchers.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
Another Piece Of The Weight-control Puzzle Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525303/080810214008.htm
As scientists investigate the brain's intricate neurocircuitry, they are forming a clearer picture of the myriad events that lead to weight loss and weight gain.

Mon, 11 Aug 08
US Cities Report Local Climate Actions, Emissions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/361525305/080810214002.htm
At least 30 US urban centers, including New York City, New Orleans and Las Vegas, will team with the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project to measure their greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change-relevant data.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Mutation Found In Dachshund Gene May Help Develop Therapies For Humans With Blindness
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783599/080807175434.htm
Cone-rod dystrophies are a group of eye diseases caused by progressive loss of the photoreceptor cells in the retina. In a study published online in Genome Research, researchers have identified a novel mutation in a gene associated with CRD in dogs, raising hopes that potential therapies can be developed for people suffering from these eye disorders.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Cancer-inhibiting Compound Found Under The Sea
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783600/080807175446.htm
Researchers have discovered a marine compound off the coast of Key Largo that inhibits cancer cell growth in laboratory tests. Largazole, named for its Florida location and structural features, seeks out a family of enzymes called histone deacetylase. Overactivity of certain HDACs has been associated with several cancers such as prostate and colon tumors, and inhibiting HDACs may activate tumor-suppressor genes that have been silenced in these cancers.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Capturing Deer Safely With Minimal Trauma Using New Apparatus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352345/080807080030.htm
A new portable device allows researchers to humanely trap deer and other wildlife as part of field studies to control ticks and other parasites.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Why Gene Therapy Caused Leukemia In Some 'Boy In The Bubble Syndrome' Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783602/080807175438.htm
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), sometimes called 'Boy in the bubble syndrome', is a genetic disorder in which the patient lacks most types of immune cell. Almost 10 years ago, two independent groups used gene therapy to treat a few infants with the most common form of SCID, SCID-X1, which is caused by mutations in the IL2RG gene.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Compressor-free Refrigerator May Loom In The Future
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783603/080807144234.htm
Refrigerators and other cooling devices may one day lose their compressors and coils of piping and become solid state, according researchers who are investigating electrically induced heat effects of some ferroelectric polymers.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Red All Over: How The Color Red Affects A Referee's Judgment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546356/080808114930.htm
A new study has found that choosing the color red for a uniform in competitive sports can actually affect the referee's split-second decision-making ability and even promote a scoring bias.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Brown Tree Snake Could Mean Guam Will Lose More Than Its Birds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359451816/080808090313.htm
Brown tree snakes have come to embody the bad things that can happen when invasive species show up where they have few predators. But new research suggests that indirect impacts might be even farther reaching, possibly changing tree distributions and altering already damaged ecosystems.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Testosterone Key To Disease Transmission
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359451817/080808090311.htm
High levels of testosterone may be a key factor in spreading disease among mice, according to biologists. The findings could help explain why males in a population are often more likely to get infected, and transmit disease.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Fungal Disease Culprits Identified With Molecular Genetics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352344/080807080339.htm
A new method rapidly detects the "genetic fingerprints" of fungi responsible for millions of dollars in losses in western wheat.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
PSA Screening May Be Biased Against Obese Men, Leading To More Aggressive Cancers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359451815/080808090315.htm
Testing men for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen in the blood -- the gold standard screening test for prostate cancer -- may be biased against obese men, whose PSA levels tend to be deceptively low. And this bias may be creating more aggressive cancers in this population by delaying diagnosis, according to a new study.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Large Hadron Collider To Start Up September 10
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783604/080807130915.htm
The first attempt to circulate a beam in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be made on 10 September. This news comes as the cool down phase of commissioning CERN's new particle accelerator reaches a successful conclusion. The LHC is the world's most powerful particle accelerator, producing beams seven times more energetic than any previous machine, and around 30 times more intense when it reaches design performance, probably by 2010st attempt to circulate a beam in the Large Hadron Collider will be made on Sept. 10.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
U.S. Swimmers Trim Times At Beijing Olympics Using 'Top Secret' Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359497035/080808104931.htm
Milliseconds can mean the difference between triumph and defeat in the world of Olympic sports, leading more trainers and athletes to look toward technology as a tool to get an edge on the competition. A fluids mechanics professor is using experimental flow measurement techniques to help American swimmers sharpen their strokes, shave seconds from their lap times, and race toward a gold medal in Beijing.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Common Infertility Treatments Are Unlikely To Improve Fertility
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783605/080808090317.htm
Long-established medical interventions to help couples with infertility problems do not seem to improve fertility, according to a study published.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Test Vaccines Show Promise Against Parasite Of Cattle
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358396918/080807080644.htm
An effective vaccine against a parasite-borne disease called neosporosis may be a few steps closer to development.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Standardized Evaluation Of Antibody Response To HIV-1 Needed, According to Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360783606/080807130921.htm
Researchers have released findings on a study of cross-clade neutralization patterns among HIV-1 strains from six major clades in the journal Virology. Broadly neutralizing antibodies are likely to play a key role in any successful global vaccine for HIV.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Potato Blight Resistant Potatoes Coming Soon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358483815/080807082956.htm
Scientists have developed a method to more quickly identify and isolate genes that can be used to make potatoes resistant to Phytophthora infestans, the dreaded potato blight. With this method, multiple resistance genes from different species of potatoes can be isolated and possibly used simultaneously. This offers the prospect of achieving sustainable resistance against the pathogen because it is less capable of breaking the resistance of the potato when multiple genes are involved.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
Asthma, Outdoor Air Quality And The Olympic Games
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546362/080808104921.htm
Coinciding with the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, a review article reminds us that the heat and humidity in the Beijing region will present a formidable challenge to all athletes. Moreover, poor quality of air can also affect all athletes, especially those with asthma.

Sun, 10 Aug 08
People With Heart Disease Still Have Trouble Controlling Blood Lipid Levels
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360276662/080807130919.htm
Despite some improvements to lower "bad" cholesterol levels, people with cardiovascular diseases still need to do a better job controlling overall blood lipid levels.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
How Whales And Other Marine Mammals React To Sonar
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546358/080808114659.htm
Marine biologists have just completed a pioneering research effort in Hawaii to measure the biology and behavior of some of the most poorly understood whales on Earth. During the study, for the first time, scientists attached listening and movement sensors on marine mammals around realistic military operations. Â Â

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Organic Food Has No More Nutritional Value Than Food Grown With Pesticides, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073639/080807082954.htm
New research in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows there is no evidence to support the argument that organic food is better than food grown with the use of pesticides and chemicals. The study looked at the following crops â€“ carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes â€“ staple ingredients that can be found in most familiesâ€™ shopping list.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Spiders Who Eat Together, Stay Together -- And Form Enormous Colony Sizes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073640/080806113318.htm
The ability to work together and capture larger prey has allowed social spiders to stretch the laws of nature and reach enormous colony sizes, zoologists have found.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Nanowires From DNA: Project Opens Up New Possibilities For Modified Chain Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359451812/080808091555.htm
For millions of years nature has been optimizing DNA â€“ in all living creatures this biomolecule is responsible for storing genetic information. New research is putting the long chain molecule into a new context. Detached from its biological origin, artificial DNA double helices were modified in such a way that the evolutionarily optimized biomolecule can also be used as a key structural element for the arrangement of metal ions. There are numerous potential applications of this basic research. With this method, for example, molecular wires or the smallest magnets could be developed to be used in nanotechnology. Moreover, the scientists think about using it as catalysts, in medicine or as sensors.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Global Warming Forecasts Not Taking Into Account Nanoscale Atmospheric Aerosols
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073641/080807144244.htm
Researchers say brown carbons -- a nanoscale atmospheric aerosol species -- are being overlooked when scientists put together computer models for climate studies. They have developed a new technique to precisely determine optical properties of brown carbon nanoparticles over the entire visible light, ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. The method promises to provide more accurate prediction of climate change, including global warming.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Diet And Autism Research Focuses On Which Foods May Affect Autistic Behavior
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073642/080807175440.htm
Can autism be "cured" with diet? Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston embark on a double-blind study to find out if wheat and dairy products can affect autistic behavior, as some parents believe.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
If Your First Cigarette Gave You A Buzz And You Now Smoke, A Gene May Be To Blame
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359594012/080808123144.htm
Anyone who has ever tried smoking probably remembers that first cigarette vividly. Now, a new study links those first experiences with smoking, and the likelihood that a person is currently a smoker, to a particular genetic variation. The finding may help explain the path that leads from that first cigarette to lifelong smoking.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Trigger For Brain Plasticity Identified: Signal Comes, Surprisingly, From Outside The Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073643/080807130818.htm
Researchers have long sought a factor that can trigger the brain's ability to learn -- recapturing the "sponge-like" quality of childhood. Called Otx2, it causes a key type of cell in the cortex to mature, initiating a critical period -- a window of heightened brain plasticity, when the brain can readily make new connections

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Quantum Chaos Unveiled?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073644/080806140211.htm
Scientists are shedding light on an important, unsolved physics problem: the relationship between chaos theory -- which is based on 300-year-old Newtonian physics -- and the modern theory of quantum mechanics. The study demonstrated a fundamental new property -- what appears to be chaotic behavior in a quantum system -- in the magnetic "spins" within the nuclei or centers of atoms of frozen xenon.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Putting MicroRNAs On The Stem Cell Map
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073645/080807130911.htm
Short snippets of RNA called microRNAs help to keep embryonic stem cells in their stem cell state. Researchers now have discovered the gene circuitry that controls microRNAs in embryonic stem cells. Mapping the control circuitry of stem cells reveals how they maintain themselves or decide to differentiate, providing key clues for regenerative medicine and reprogramming of adult cells to a stem cell state. These maps also aid our understanding of human development and diseases such as cancer.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Robotics Research: Enhancing The Lives Of People With Disabilities
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073646/080807130913.htm
Robots may be the solution for people with disabilities who are struggling to regain the use of their limbs.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Cassini Prepares To Swoop By Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359726063/080808154432.htm
Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be the target of a close flyby by the Cassini spacecraft on Monday, Aug. 11. Cassini will zoom past the tiny moon a mere 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the surface. Just after closest approach, all of the spacecraft's cameras -- covering infrared wavelengths, where temperatures are mapped, as well as visible light and ultraviolet -- will focus on the fissures running along the moon's south pole. That is where the jets of icy water vapor emanate and erupt hundreds of miles into space.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Pinpointing Genetic Variations In European Americans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073647/080807112607.htm
Researchers have identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of the most diverse and complex historic origins on Earth. Their findings narrow the search for the elusive ancestral clues known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, that cause disease and account for the minute variations in the European American population.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Tuning In To A New Language On The Fly: Effects Of Context And Seasonality On Songbird Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073648/080805214404.htm
New research has shown that exposure to a changed acoustic and social environment can rewire the way the brain processes sounds. Study of the responses of individual brain cells has shown that they respond best to a particular frequency (pitch) of sound, less well to nearby frequencies, and poorly to distant sound frequencies.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Beyond PTEN: Alternate Genes Linked To Breast, Thyroid And Kidney Cancer Predisposition
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073649/080807130820.htm
A new discovery may lead to more effective screening and treatment for patients with a difficult to recognize syndrome characterized by tumor-like growths and a high risk of developing specific cancers. The research is the first in over thirteen years to identify an alternate susceptibility gene for Cowden syndrome and related disorders.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
New Approach To Ad Hoc Networks For First Responders Debuts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/360073650/080807112643.htm
Researchers successfully demonstrated a prototype approach to maintain two-way communications with first responders as they make their way in building fires, and mine and tunnel collapses.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
82 Percent Of Americans Think Health Care System Needs Major Overhaul
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358306699/080807064651.htm
Americans are dissatisfied with the US health care system and 82 percent think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a new survey.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Meta-materials Mimic Ice And Illuminate Why Water-ice Doesn't Fully Conform To Third Law Of Thermodynamics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627550/080807144311.htm
Researchers are using meta-materials, which mimic the behavior of ice, but are created out of completely different substances, to and figure out why water ice doesn't completely conform to the Third Law of Thermodynamics.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Multi-tasking Molecule Holds Key To Allergic Reactions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627551/080807130832.htm
As the summer approaches most of us rejoice, reach for the sunscreen and head outdoors. But an ever-growing number of people reach for tissue instead as pollen leaves eyes watering, noses running and spirits dwindling. Hay fever is just one of a host of hypersensitivity allergic diseases that cause suffering worldwide and others, such as severe reactions to bee stings or eating peanuts, can be more serious and even fatal.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Back To The Future: Psychologists Examine Children's Mental Time Traveling Abilities
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356603148/080805124011.htm
Planning and anticipating occur so frequently in our everyday lives that it is hard to imagine a time when we didnâ€™t have this capability. But just as many other capacities develop, so does this mental time traveling ability. Researchers have recently explored how children comprehend the future and ways that this understanding can be affected by, for example, their current physiological state.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Twenty Disease-specific Stem Cell Lines Created
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627552/080807130834.htm
A set of new stem cell lines will make it possible for researchers to explore ten different genetic disordersâ€”including muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes, and Parkinson's diseaseâ€”in a variety of cell and tissue types as they develop in laboratory cultures. Researchers have produced a robust new collection of disease-specific stem cell lines, all of which were developed using the new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technique. The new iPS lines, developed from the cells of patients ranging in age from one month to 57-years-old, will be deposited in a new HSCI "core" facility being established at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Beyond 3G: Ultra-fast Mobile Radio Networks Of The Future
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627554/080807082958.htm
Today's growing third generation (3G) of mobile data services are only a taste of what is to come. Now, European researchers are paving the way to a world where ultra-fast internet access is available from every mobile device.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Attention Grabbers Snatch Lion's Share Of Visual Memory
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627555/080807144228.htm
Our visual memory is not as good as we may think, according to new research -- but it can be used more flexibly than scientists previously thought. In a study in the journal Science, researchers have shown how we remember what we see and why we can recall visually important or striking images most clearly, using a topical example of a relay race to illustrate the concept.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
NOAA Forecasts Even Stronger Atlantic Hurricane Season For 2008 Than Earlier Prediction
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359546359/080808114131.htm
In the August update to the Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has increased the likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season and has raised the total number of named storms and hurricanes that may form. Forecasters attribute this adjustment to atmospheric and oceanic conditions across the Atlantic Basin that favor storm development - combined with the strong early season activity.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
New Biochemical Pathway That Triggers Critical Repairs In DNA Replication Process Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627556/080806184903.htm
Scientists have unraveled a new biochemical pathway that triggers a critical repair response to correct errors in the DNA replication process that could otherwise lead to harmful or fatal mutations in cells. Though the work focused on yeast cells, the team expects to find an analogous system in human cells that could be exploited as a target for potential therapies for cancers, which are often caused by such repair mechanisms going off course.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Fingerprints Provide Clues To More Than Just Identity
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627574/080807144246.htm
Fingerprints can reveal critical evidence, as well as an identity, with the use of a new technology that detects trace amounts of explosives, drugs or other materials left behind in the prints. The new technology also can distinguish between overlapping fingerprints left by different individuals -- a difficult task for current optical forensic methods.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
B Cells Can Act Alone In Autoimmune Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627575/080807130826.htm
B cells, the source of damaging autoantibodies, have long been thought to depend upon T cells for their activation and were not considered important in the initiation of autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. An article in the journal Immunity turns this paradigm on its head by showing that in systemic autoimmune diseases B cells can be activated the absence of T cells.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Novel Method Quickens Discovery Of Gene Function
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627576/080806184911.htm
Think researchers know all there is to know about Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli? Think again. "E. coli has more than four thousand genes, and the functions of one-fourth of these remain unknown," says a biology professor whose laboratory specializes in carrying out research using the bacterium.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Extreme Appeal: Voters Trust Extreme Positions More Than Moderate Ones, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627577/080808105004.htm
Trying to appear moderate is not always the best strategy for capturing votes during an election, reveals a new study. Extreme positions can build trust among an electorate, who value ideological commitment in times of uncertainty. "A rational electorate is reluctant to support someone who does not exhibit commitment to some ideology," says USC economist Juan Carrillo. "Voters rightly perceive that someone without ideological commitment cannot have developed a valuable political program."

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Complete Neanderthal Mitochondrial Genome Sequenced From 38,000-year-old Bone
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627578/080807130824.htm
The complete mitochondrial genome of a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal has been sequenced. The findings open a window into the Neanderthals' past and helps answer lingering questions about our relationship to them.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Embryonic-like Stem Cells Can Be Created Without Cancer-causing Gene
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627579/080806184909.htm
Embryonic-like stem cells can be efficiently generated using a natural signaling molecule instead of the virally delivered cancer-causing gene c-Myc. The results represent progress in overcoming hurdles to the potential use of reprogrammed cells for stem-cell-based therapies in humans.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Beijing Olympics Air Pollution Control Efforts Being Assessed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627580/080808104927.htm
Flying downwind from Chinese mainland, unmanned aerial vehicles will measure emissions of soot and other forms of black carbon during China's "great shutdown."

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Tumor Suppressor Inhibits Cell Growth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627581/080807130830.htm
Researchers have described the mechanism by which p53 regulates cells and protects them against DNA damage that might lead to cancer. The study shows that two p53 target genes -- called Sestrin1 and Sestrin2 -- provide an important link between p53 and a protein kinase called mTOR, a central regulator of cell growth.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Physicist's Quantum-'Uncollapse' Hypothesis Verified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627582/080806140128.htm
In 2006, two physics and astronomy professors spelled out how to exploit a quantum quirk to accomplish a feat long thought impossible, and now a research team has tested the theory, proving it correct.

Sat, 9 Aug 08
Healthy Diet Study Will Take Place Entirely In Virtual World Of Second Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359627583/080807175442.htm
The University of Houston department of health and human performance is launching an international effort to recruit 500 participants for a study promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity. The study will take place entirely in the virtual world of Second Life.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Solar System Is Pretty Special, According To New Computer Simulation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862639/080807144236.htm
Prevailing theoretical models attempting to explain the formation of the solar system have assumed it to be average. Now a new study by Northwestern University astronomers -- the first to model the formation of planetary systems from beginning to end -- illustrates the solar system is pretty special. Their results show that the average planetary system's origin was violent but that the formation of something like our solar system required conditions to be "just right."

Fri, 8 Aug 08
New Implant Device Remotely Monitors Heart Failure Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862644/080806152438.htm
Chest pain and shortness of breath are common symptoms that send tens of thousands of heart failure (HF) patients into US hospitals each month. Cardiologists may now be able to curb such visits for some of their HF patients with the use of new wireless pressure sensor technology that allows physicians to track the pulmonary artery pressure of patients while these patients remain at home.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Hot Peppers Really Do Bring The Heat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862650/080806140130.htm
Researchers have found that capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, can induce thermogenesis, the process by which cells convert energy into heat.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Hormone Level May Reflect Mortality Risk Among Dialysis Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862656/080806184857.htm
A new study suggests that monitoring levels of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 23 may provide information crucial to the treatment of patients with kidney failure.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Fuel From Bacteria Is One Step Closer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862661/080806113141.htm
Scientists have shown how bacteria could be used as a future fuel. The research, published in the journal Bioinformatics, could have significant implications for the environment and the way we produce sustainable fuels in the future.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
No-nose Bicycle Saddles Improve Penile Sensation And Erectile Function In Bicycling Police Officers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862665/080807175444.htm
A new study examines if no-nose bike seats would be effective in alleviating the harm caused by using a traditional seat.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Gene For Sexual Switching In Melons Provides Clues To Evolution Of Sex
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862670/080807144242.htm
A newly discovered function for a hormone in melons suggests it plays a role in how sexual systems evolve in plants. The finding offers new insights into the molecular basis for sex determination.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Connections Between Genetics, Brain Activity And Preference Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862674/080806140213.htm
Researchers have used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Hidden Properties Of Ultracold Atomic Gases Revealed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862676/080806140118.htm
Physicists have demonstrated a powerful new technique that reveals hidden properties of ultracold atomic gases. To develop the new technique, the scientists borrowed an idea used for nearly a century in the study of materials: photoemission spectroscopy.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Gastrointestinal Bleeding After Stroke May Increase Risk Of Death
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862682/080806161539.htm
People who have gastrointestinal bleeding after a stroke are more likely to die or become severely disabled than stroke sufferers with no GI bleeding, according to a new study.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Monitoring Against Another Pompeii
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862686/080806154804.htm
A WiMAX-based connection to the Internet will enable real-time monitoring of potentially dangerous active volcanoes. For effective monitoring of volcanic activity, scientists want to know what is happening in real time, not the pattern of events last week.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
I Can, Automatically, Become Just Like You
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862689/080806122420.htm
No one likes to be excluded from a group: exclusion can decrease mood, reduce self-esteem and feelings of belonging, and even ultimately lead to negative behavior (e.g., the shootings at Virginia Tech). As a result, we often try to fit in with others in both conscious and automatic ways. Psychologists studied people's tendency to copy automatically the behaviors of others in order to find out how this mimicry can be used as an affiliation strategy.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Researchers Halt Spread Of HIV With RNAi In Animal Model
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862694/080807130828.htm
Using a novel method to deliver small molecules called siRNAs into T cells, researchers dramatically suppressed HIV in the first-ever animal model that mirrors progression of the disease in humans. The siRNAs knocked down three key genes and kept the infection from spreading in mice containing human immune cells infected with the virus.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Comprehensive Treatment Of Extensively Drug-resistant TB Works, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862697/080806184859.htm
XDR-TB has been reported in 49 countries throughout the world. This study shows that a comprehensive, ambulatory management program can cure more than 60 percent of HIV-negative XDR-TB patients in spite of numerous, prior unsuccessful TB treatments. This ambulatory model could be widely implemented in resource-poor settings.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Hubble Instruments Slated for On-Orbit 'Surgery'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352350/080807072800.htm
When astronauts visit the Hubble Space Telescope in October 2008 for its final servicing mission, they will be facing a task that has no precedence â€“ performing on-orbit 'surgery' on two ailing science instruments that reside inside the telescope â€“ the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Periodontal Disease Independently Predicts New Onset Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862703/080806184905.htm
Periodontal disease may be an independent predictor of incident type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. While diabetes has long been believed to be a risk factor for periodontal infections, this is the first study exploring whether the reverse might also be true, that is, if periodontal infections can contribute to the development of diabetes.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Quantum Physics: Disentangling Strange Behavior Of Qubits
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862706/080725093454.htm
Current technology enables the building of electrical circuits similar to those we use at home but reduced thousands of times in size to a micrometric scale of thousandths of a millimeter. When these circuits are built of superconductor materials and at near-absolute zero cryogenic temperatures, the world of everyday physics is left behind and the amazing world of quantum physics is entered. In this circuit the behavior is something like an artificial atom (i.e. like the so-called quantum bits ("qubits") of quantum computers) and the concepts of quantum optics, quantum information and condensed matter are mixed.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
The Schiavo Case: Are Mass Media To Blame?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862708/080806161541.htm
In 1990, Theresa Schiavo, an American citizen, had a cardiac arrest that caused irreversible brain damage which led to a persistent vegetative state diagnosis. A few years later, this diagnosis became a source of conflict over the interruption of artificial nutrition. The "Schiavo Case" was widely discussed from a medical, ethical and social standpoint in the United States and elsewhere.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Climate Change: When It Rains It Really Pours
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862711/080807144240.htm
Climate models have long predicted that global warming will increase the intensity of "extreme" precipitation events. A new study provides the first observational evidence to confirm the link between a warmer climate and more powerful rainstorms.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Inherited Form Of Hearing Loss Stems From Gene Mutation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862712/080731173159.htm
Researchers have pinpointed a gene mutation that accounts for a previously unidentified form of hearing loss. Scientists found the same mutation in two unrelated families, indicating the mutation may be ancient and not particularly rare. Future research may find that it affects others who have an unexplained family history of hearing loss. Genes are likely involved in as many as 50 percent of people with hearing loss.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Vine Invasion? Ecologists Look At Coexistence Of Trees And Lianas
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862715/080806113316.htm
Ecologist are studying how woody vines, or lianas, are affecting tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Through a comprehensive community-level study on liana-tree interactions in Panama, researchers are untangling how lianas survive -- and whether they are really threatening trees.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Blocking HIV Multiplication: Structure Elucidation Of 'Kissing Complex'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358352353/080807071314.htm
Scientists have used innovative techniques to elucidate the specific recognition mechanisms between AIDS virus RNA and a synthetic RNA. These results should provide a basis for the development of new therapies targeting viral RNA sequences.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Norwegian Wood: Putting Wood Chips In The Fuel Tank
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862718/080806154714.htm
While the Norwegian company "Norske Skog" is struggling with unprofitable paper production and trees are rotting from the roots up, the world is researching alternatives to petrol. Scientists believe we should put wood chips in the tank.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Post-partum Suicide Attempt Risks Studied
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358862721/080806113153.htm
Although maternal suicide after giving birth is a relatively rare occurrence, suicide attempts often have long-lasting effects on the family and the infant. Researchers compared two populations of mothers and found that a history of psychiatric disorders or substance abuse was a strong predictor of post-partum suicide attempts.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Why Elite Rowers Have Bigger, Stronger Hearts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359028618/080807222006.htm
Scientists have unraveled a potential mechanism for how top-level rowers develop enlarged strengthened hearts as a result of long-term intensive training. The research suggests a causal link between naturally occurring hormone levels and strengthening of the heart muscle in professional rowers.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Hope: An Overlooked Tool In The Battle Against HIV/Aids
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/359028619/080807222004.htm
The links between HIV transmission and the degree to which people are able to adopt realistic plans to achieve future projects, in other words, hope, have been overlooked in policies to tackle HIV/AIDS. New research argues that hope is a powerful tool in the battle to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Perfectly Proportioned Legs Keep Water Striders Striding
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355510857/080804121631.htm
The amazing water strider -- known for its ability to walk on water -- came within just a hair of sinking into evolutionary oblivion. Scientists are reporting that the insect's long, flexible legs have an optimal length that keeps it afloat.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Medicinal Marijuana Effective For Neuropathic Pain In HIV, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540706/080806113135.htm
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the impact of smoked medical cannabis, or marijuana, on the neuropathic pain associated with HIV, researchers have found that reported pain relief was greater with cannabis than with a placebo.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Drivers Of Tropical Deforestation Are Changing, Say Scientists
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540707/080805192729.htm
A shift from poverty-driven to industry-driven deforestation threatens the world's tropical forests but offers new opportunities for conservation, according to a new article.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Treatment Outcomes Highlight Dangers Of Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540708/080806184901.htm
In a retrospective study of 174 tuberculosis patients, patients with extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis were almost eight times as likely to die as patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The study highlights the need for optimal management of multidrug resistant cases to prevent the progression to XDR-TB.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
New Decision Model Seeks To Avert Flu Vaccine Mismatch Of 2007-2008 Season
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540709/080805153824.htm
To avoid producing vaccines that treat the wrong strains during flu season, the FDA should consider deferring some of its selections as well as other changes to the vaccine composition, according to a study by two decision analysts published in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Jeers Of Peers May Affect Adolescent Adjustment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540710/080806113312.htm
A researcher suggests that the struggles of adolescence can be particularly painful for children who also struggle with obesity.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Is There Life On Jupiter's Moon Europa? Finding Signs Of Current Geological Activity On A Frozen World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540711/080806210116.htm
With average temperatures of minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, an almost nonexistent atmosphere and a complex web of cracks in a layer of ice encompassing the entire surface, the environment on Jupiter's moon Europa is about as alien as they come. Yet "Europa has the potential for something very similar to hydrothermal systems we have here in our oceans," according to one of the researchers.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
How Chemo Kills Tumors: Research To Reduce Side Effects
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540712/080806113149.htm
Researchers are investigating exactly how chemotherapy drugs kill cancerous tumors in a bid to reduce side effects and test the effectiveness of safer new agents.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Whom Do We Fear Or Trust?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540713/080805150808.htm
Princeton psychology researchers have developed a computer program that allows scientists to analyze better than ever before what it is about certain human faces that makes them look either trustworthy or fearsome. In doing so, they have also found that the program allows them to construct computer-generated faces that display the most trustworthy or dominant faces possible.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
HIV Expert Says 1 Step Down, 2 More To Go In Quest To Cure AIDS
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540714/080806113137.htm
A Johns Hopkins expert in HIV and how the AIDS virus hides in the body says antiretroviral drugs have stopped HIV from replicating, the first of three key steps needed to rid people of the virus.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Acid Rain Reduces Methane Emissions From Rice Paddies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540715/080806154802.htm
Acid rain from atmospheric pollution can reduce methane emissions from rice paddies by up to 24 per cent according to new research. This is potentially a beneficial side effect of the high pollution levels China - the worldâ€™s largest producer of rice - is often associated with. Methane is 21 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Fossil And Molecular Evidence Reveals The History Of Major Marine Biodiversity Hotspots
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540716/080806122418.htm
Experts have described three major marine biodiversity hotspots in the last 50 million years, from the oldest, peaked in southwest Europe and northwest Africa, to the modern Indo-Australian Archipelago hotspot. The birth, evolution and death of such hotspots are a product of ecological processes operating over geological time scales of millions of years. To what extent is human activity speeding the evolutionary process of the focus with the highest level of biological diversity, the coral reef ecosystems?

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Spices May Protect Against Consequences Of High Blood Sugar
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540717/080805153830.htm
Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Researchers Unveil Vital Key To Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540718/080806113151.htm
University of Manchester scientists have uncovered the 3-D structure of Mps1 -- a protein that regulates the number of chromosomes during cell division and thus has an essential role in the prevention of cancer -- which will lead to the design of safer and more effective therapies.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Entomologists Use 'Love Potion' To Detect Hidden Cerambycid Beetles
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540719/080805153826.htm
Pest cerambycids can cause severe damage to standing trees, logs and lumber. How then might they be promptly detected and their numbers swiftly controlled? The new discovery of inexpensive blends of love potions has helped researchers detect several species of pest cerambycid beetles.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
When Neurons Fire Up: Study Sheds Light On Rhythms Of The Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540720/080805192725.htm
Neuroscientists have modeled the random synchronization of neuron activation. The findings expand scientists' understanding of brain rhythms, both reoccurring and random, and shed light on the decades-old mystery of how the brain learns temporal patterns.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Next-generation Computer Antivirus System Developed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540721/080806152434.htm
Antivirus software on your personal computer could become a thing of the past thanks to a new "cloud computing" approach to malicious software detection.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Child Development: Lack Of Time On Tummy Shown To Hinder Achievement
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540722/080806122422.htm
The American Physical Therapy Association is urging parents and caregivers to ensure that babies get enough "tummy time" throughout the day while they are awake and supervised, in light of a recent survey of therapists who say they've noticed an increase in motor delays in infants who spend too much time on their backs while awake.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Clumps And Streams Of Dark Matter May Lie In Inner Regions Of Milky Way
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540723/080806140124.htm
Using one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world to simulate the halo of dark matter that envelopes our galaxy, researchers found dense clumps and streams of the mysterious stuff lurking in the inner regions of the halo, in the same neighborhood as our solar system.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
West Nile's Targets Uncovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540724/080806140114.htm
Screening the entire human genome, scientists have identified several hundred genes that impact West Nile virus infection.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Likely Cause Of Postpartum Blues And Depression Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540725/080807112609.htm
Unique biochemical crosstalk that enables a fetus to get nutrition and oxygen from its mother's blood just may cause common postpartum blues, researchers say.

Fri, 8 Aug 08
Wheezing After Early-life Antibiotics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358540726/080806113147.htm
Children who are given antibiotics in their first three months often wheeze at 15 months of age. However, this wheezing is probably more due to the presence of chest infections than to the use of antibiotics.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Stretchable Silicon Camera Next Step To Artificial Retina
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040626/080806140116.htm
Digital cameras have transformed the world of photography. Now new technology inspired by the human eye could push the photographic image farther forward by producing improved images with a wider field of view. By combining stretchable optoelectronics and biologically inspired design, scientists have created a remarkable imaging device, with a layout based on the human eye.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Use Of Cleaning Products During Pregnancy Increases Risk Of Asthma In Young Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040627/080806154716.htm
Chemicals in household cleaning products linked to risk of asthma in young children. This finding may explain why excessive hygiene is linked to increased asthma and allergies.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Some African Drought Linked To Warmer Indian Ocean, NASA Data Show
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356603150/080805124005.htm
A new study, co-funded by NASA, has identified a link between a warming Indian Ocean and less rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. Computer models and observations show a decline in rainfall, with implications for the region's food security.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
A New Look At How Memory And Spatial Cognition Are Related
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040628/080804190633.htm
In a study that sheds new light on how memory and spatial cognition are related to each other in the brain, researchers studied memory-impaired patients as they navigated their environment.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Measuring Cancer Therapy Success With Oxygen
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040629/080805162018.htm
Scientists have identified a way to predict very early in the treatment process the outcome of radiation and chemotherapy for cervical cancer patients -- based on oxygen levels within the tumor.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Alcohol Consumption Declining, According To Results Of New Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040630/080806081449.htm
Overall alcohol use -- particularly consumption of beer -- is declining in the US, according to a new study. Researchers examined 50 years of data and found several changes in alcohol intake but no change in alcohol use disorders. Americans are drinking significantly less beer and more wine, while hard liquor use has remained fairly constant. More people now report that they are nondrinkers.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Jupiter And Saturn Full Of Liquid Metal Helium
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040631/080806184907.htm
A strange metal brew lies buried deep within giant gaseous planets such as Jupiter and Saturn. A new study demonstrates that metallic helium is less rare than was previously thought, and is produced under the kinds of conditions present at the centers of giant gaseous planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, mixing with metal hydrogen to form a liquid metal alloy.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Remedial Instruction Rewires Dyslexic Brains, Provides Lasting Results, Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553345/080805124056.htm
A new brain imaging study of dyslexic students and other poor readers shows that the brain can rewire itself and overcome reading deficits, if students are given 100 hours of intensive remedial instruction. The study shows that the remedial instruction resulted in a brain activity increase in cortical regions associated with reading, and that neural gains solidified further during the year following instruction.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Weird Oxygen Bonding Under Pressure Explained
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040632/080804190643.htm
Oxygen, the third most abundant element in the cosmos and essential to life on Earth, changes its forms dramatically under pressure transforming to a solid with spectacular colors. Eventually it becomes metallic and a superconductor. Now, researchers have found for the first time that under pressure the molecules interact through their outermost electron clouds or "orbitals."

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Stent Grafts: A Better Way To Treat Blunt Trauma Injuries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040633/080805124058.htm
Endovascular repair -- fixing an injury in a blood vessel from inside that vessel -- is a better option for individuals who receive highly lethal injuries from high-speed collisions or falls (together referred to as blunt trauma) and is shown to save more lives and nearly eliminate paraplegia (the loss of the ability to move and/or feel both legs), a complication of surgical repair for thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Breast CT Scanners Promise Painless Alternative To Mammography
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040634/080805161902.htm
The discomfort of a mammogram can drive some women to avoid the valuable screening, occasionally with dire consequences. Now a new procedure, dedicated breast computed tomography (CT), promises to take the pain out of breast cancer detection.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
When It Comes To Abstinence Teens, Adults Aren't Speaking The Same Language
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040635/080806152436.htm
Abstinence can mean different things to adolescents than to adults. That's one reason why abstinence-only programs do not have strong effects in preventing teenage sexual activity, according to new research.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Neurobiologists Discover Individuals Who 'Hear' Movement
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040636/080806140209.htm
Individuals with synesthesia, or cross-activated senses, perceive the world differently from others, with some perceiving numbers or letters as having colors or days of the week as possessing personalities. Now, researchers have discovered a type of synesthesia in which individuals hear sounds when they see things move or flash. The scientists say auditory synesthesia, which had never been identified, may represent an enhanced form of how the brain normally processes visual information.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
How Bacteria Attach To Human Tissues During Infection Process: New Clues
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040637/080806113143.htm
Scientists have helped to reveal more about the way bacteria can attach to human tissues. The researchers studied the way a protein found on the surface of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus binds to a human protein called fibronectin. Their discovery is an important step in understanding how bacteria attach to the surface of blood vessels during infection.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Shape, Not Just Size, Impacts Effectiveness Of Emerging Nanomedicine Therapies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040638/080804190641.htm
In the budding field of nanotechnology, scientists already know that size does matter. But now, researchers have shown that shape matters even more -- a finding that could lead to new and more effective methods for treating cancer and other diseases, from diabetes and multiple sclerosis to arthritis and obesity.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Is There A Connection Between AIDS Epidemic In Africa And Intestinal Worms?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040639/080806081447.htm
Scientists are beginning an intensive program in Ethiopia this August to eradicate intestinal worms which affect as much as 50 percent of the population in Africa. These researchers believe there is a possible connection between the AIDS epidemic in Africa and intestinal worms.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Metabolic Insight To Illuminate Causes Of Iron Imbalance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040640/080805123955.htm
New insight into key players in iron metabolism has yielded a novel tool for distinguishing among root causes of iron overload or deficiency in humans, researchers report. While the body needs iron to produce hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen, too much iron can build up and eventually damage organs.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Context And Personality Key In Understanding Responses To Emotional Facial Expressions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040641/080805214402.htm
It is well-appreciated that facial expressions play a major role in nonverbal social communication among humans and other primates, because faces provide rapid access to information about the identity and the internal states and intentions of others. New data now suggests that both the social context of a person's facial expression and certain facets of the viewer's personality could affect how our brain interprets the social meaning of someone else's smile or frown.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Water Is 'Designer Fluid' That Helps Proteins Change Shape
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040642/080806113314.htm
According to new research, old ideas about water behavior are all wet. Ubiquitous on Earth, water also has been found in comets, on Mars and in molecular clouds in interstellar space. Now, scientists say this common fluid is not as well understood as we thought.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Why Treatment Isn't Effective For HIV
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040644/080805153828.htm
Researchers have answered a key question as to why antiretroviral therapy isn't effective in restoring immunity in HIV-infected patients. Once a person is infected with the virus, fibrosis, or scarring, occurs in the lymph nodes -- the home of T cells that fight infection. And once fibrosis occurs, T cells can't repopulate the lymph nodes when HIV therapy begins, according to a professor of medicine and principal investigator on the study.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Switching On First Neutrons At UK's ISIS Second Target Station
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403652/080804100250.htm
The UK's ISIS Second Target Station Project moved a major step closer to completion when the first neutrons were created in the ISIS Second Target Station. ISIS uses neutrons to study materials at the atomic level with a suite of instruments, often described as 'super-microscopes.' By scattering neutrons off sample materials, scientists can visualize the positions and motions of atoms and make discoveries that have the potential to affect almost every aspect of our lives.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Of Similar Benefit For HIV-infected Injection Drug Users
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040645/080804100522.htm
Contrary to the belief that HIV-infected injection drug users receive less benefit from highly active antiretroviral therapy, new research finds little difference in the survival rate between IDUs and non-IDUs after 4-5 years of receiving HAART, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Evaluating Ecosystem Services
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356295458/080805074603.htm
Environmental conservation efforts have traditionally focused on protecting individual species or natural resources. Scientists are discovering, however, that preserving the benefits that whole ecosystems provide to people is more economically and environmentally valuable. Ecologists will explore the application of ecosystem services approaches to conservation.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Voluntary Exercise Does Not Appear To Alleviate Anxiety And Depression
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/358040646/080804165318.htm
Voluntary physical activity does not appear to cause a reduction in anxiety and depression, but exercise and mood may be associated through a common genetic factor, according to a new article.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
ALife Conference To Reveal Bio-inspired Spam Detection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357882689/080806194601.htm
An algorithm for spam recognition inspired by the immune system will be presented at the first European conference on Artificial Life (ALIFE XI).

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Olympic Games: Researchers Explore What Makes Better Athletes, The Physiology Of Performance, And More
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538453/080731173157.htm
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War II. Today, champion athletes are running more than four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
'Exercise Pill' Is No Replacement For Real Exercise, Expert Cautions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356645357/080805124013.htm
Recent media reports have described a new substance that potentially eliminates the need for exercise. Now, an expert on the science of inactivity says the "exercise pill" study did not test all of the commonly known benefits of exercise, and taking the pill cannot be considered a replacement for exercise.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Male Circumcision Efforts Lag In Africa Despite Evidence Of Dramatic Impact In Preventing HIV
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355644302/080804155120.htm
With millions of lives at stake over the next two decades, researchers and advocates at the AIDS 2008 Conference today called on the global health community to ramp up male circumcision to significantly reduce risk of HIV infection in Africa, and to move quickly to integrate the life-saving procedure into other comprehensive efforts to prevent transmission of the disease in the vulnerable nations of eastern and southern Africa.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Keeping Migrant Workers' Children Healthy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355644301/080804155123.htm
As Ohio and Michigan fruit and vegetable farms yield this year's harvest, they also will provide data about the eating choices of Latino migrant children for a Case Western Reserve University researcher. Information gathered this summer will help migrant families understand why their children are part of the growing national obesity epidemic and contribute to new interventions to combat this serious health issue.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Bacterial Persistence In Streams
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538454/080805150810.htm
Ecological researchers have completed a study on an East Tennessee river to determine the connection between watershed hydrology and fecal bacteria statistical time series analysis. A new article presents a study of the temporal patterns and statistical persistence of total coliform based on data gathered from the Little River near an intake at a public water supply plant.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Risk Of Unintentional Injury Death Is High For Young Children Living With Unrelated Adults
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355644300/080804155131.htm
In a new study, a University of Missouri professor found that children living in households with unrelated adults are six times more likely to die of maltreatment-related unintentional injuries, compared to children living with two biological parents. The risk of maltreatment death is double for children living with foster or step-parents, or other related adults. However, the risk is not higher for children living in households with a single biological parent and no other adults.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Acidification Of Sea Hampers Reproduction Of Marine Species
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538455/080728111400.htm
By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and from the human use of fossil fuels, the world's seas function as a giant buffer for the Earth's life support system. The chemical balance of the sea has long been regarded as immovable. Today researchers know that the pH of the sea's surface water has gone down by 0.1, or 25 percent, just since the beginning of industrialization just over a century ago. This acidification process affects marine animal life.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Less REM Sleep Associated With Being Overweight Among Children And Teens
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538456/080804165314.htm
Children and teens who get less sleep, especially those who spend less time in rapid eye movement sleep, may be more likely to be overweight, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Rock Art Marks Transformations In Traditional Peruvian Societies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538457/080804111634.htm
Peru is one of the Latin American countries, like Argentina and Brazil, where rock art is thought to have developed throughout a period stretching from 10,000 BC to 1500 AD. The wealth and diversity of the series of pictorial representations made during this period are now beginning to be appreciated by archaeologists. Recent investigations have given insights into the daily lives of human communities who lived in the coastal and mountainous areas of Peru during that era.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Researchers Find Differences In Swallowing Mechanism Of Rett Syndrome Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355689243/080804155127.htm
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found that the reflux and swallowing problems that are common symptoms in patients with Rett syndrome and other neurological impairments, may be caused by a different mechanism than they are in healthy individuals. The finding leaves researchers to wonder if these patients truly benefit from anti-reflux surgery commonly performed in these children.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Why The Slow-Paced World Could Make It Difficult To Catch A Ball
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538460/080804190639.htm
Researchers have uncovered new information about how we perceive fast moving, incoming objects -- such as tennis or cricket balls. The new research studies why the human brain has difficulty perceiving fast moving objects coming from straight ahead; something that should be a key survival skill. This has implications for understanding how sportspeople make decisions about playing a shot but could also be important for improving road safety and for the development of robotic vision systems.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
US Immigrant Children May Be Less Physically Active Than US-born Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538461/080804165324.htm
Immigrant children in the United States appear to be less physically active and less likely to participate in sports than US--born children, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Arctic Map Plots New 'Gold Rush'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538476/080805192723.htm
Researchers have drawn up the first ever "Arctic Map" to show the disputed territories that states might lay claim to in the future. The new map design follows a series of historical and ongoing arguments about ownership, and the race for resources, in the frozen lands and seas of the Arctic.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
HIV Drug Can Persist In Mothers' Milk, Increasing Risk To Them And Their Babies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538478/080805150806.htm
A drug commonly used in the developing world to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child persists in the breast milk and blood of the mothers, putting them and their babies at risk for developing drug-resistant strains of the virus, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Mobile Phone Technology Brings Robot Swarm To Research Labs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538479/080805155626.htm
A new low cost platform for swarm robotics research which makes it possible to produce robots for as little as Â£24 each is being presented at the first European conference on Artificial Life.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Rectal Gel Prevents Transmission Of AIDS-like Virus In Macaques
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538480/080804222858.htm
The HIV drug tenofovir may prevent AIDS transmission when applied rectally as a gel, according to results from a macaque study published in PLoS Medicine.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Guiding Lasers To Their Target
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538481/080805160316.htm
Like most treatments, laser therapy can benefit from image guidance. A Houston-based company has developed an MRI-guided system that has been tested and is now FDA-approved.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Students With Food Allergies Often Not Prepared
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357396442/080806081451.htm
Many students with food allergies aren't taking the threat of a reaction seriously enough, or are regularly in environments where they could not be properly treated during an emergency.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Massive Numbers Of Critically Endangered Western Lowland Gorillas Discovered In Republic Of Congo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553347/080805124007.htm
The world's population of critically endangered western lowland gorillas recently received a huge boost when the Wildlife Conservation Society released a census showing massive numbers of these secretive great apes alive and well in the Republic of Congo.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Novel Method To Create Personalized Immunotherapy Treatments
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538482/080805165805.htm
Researchers have a new process for developing dendritic cell-based immunotherapies for HIV. They have demonstrated that loading monocyte-derived dendritic cells with combinations of HIV antigen RNA stimulates the expansion of HIV-specific T cells, which attack and kill HIV-infected cells.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Lab-on-a-chip Technology: Microfluidics Aids Major Advance In Environmental Testing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356295456/080805075616.htm
Microfluidics experts have announced the development of a new generation of microfluidics-based environmental testing equipment for use in air quality monitoring.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Preventing Friendly Fire: A Role For The Thymic Cortex In Stopping Your Body From Attacking Itself
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538483/080804222908.htm
A new study investigates the inner mechanics of the thymus, the organ that creates the foot soldiers of the immune system. The study helps shed light on the timing and regulation of negative selection, a crucial developmental process.

Thu, 7 Aug 08
Physicists Provide 'Guiding Hands' For Proton Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/357538484/080805160431.htm
Proton therapy offers great benefits as a treatment modality in radiation oncology for a variety of hard to treat tumors. While physicians manage the treatment of people, behind the scenes, proton physicists play a crucial role, providing support and guidelines for treatment planning for calculation of dose distributions, measurements of radiation delivery, measurements of proton beam data, quality assurance of all measuring equipment and of the proton accelerator, and calibration of proton beams, all essential to successful treatment outcomes.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Duck-billed Dinosaurs Outgrew Predators To Survive
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953349/080805192720.htm
With long limbs and a soft body, the duck-billed hadrosaur had few defenses against predators such as tyrannosaurs. But new research on the bones of this plant-eating dinosaur suggests that it had at least one advantage: It grew to adulthood much faster than its predators, giving it superiority in size.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
New Gene Therapy Kills Pancreatic Cancer Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356603149/080805124009.htm
Researchers report promising results for a new chemoprevention gene therapy for preventing and treating pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal and treatment-resistant forms of cancer.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Wind Powered Vehicle, Ventomobile, Ready To Race In The Netherlands
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953350/080804123039.htm
Students have constructed a vehicle that is solely powered by wind energy, the Ventomobile. It took them many months of intense construction work to reach this goal. First wind tunnel testing produced very promising results. The extremely stylish three-wheeler features a two-bladed rotor on top, with a diameter of two meters. The efficiency of this setup proved to be extremely good.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Growth Hormone Treatment For HIV Patients Improves Abdominal Fat, But Worsens Glucose Level
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953351/080804100520.htm
For human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with treatment-related abdominal obesity and growth hormone deficiency, receiving low-dose growth hormone resulted in improvement in fat and blood pressure measurements but worsened glucose levels, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Gold Nanoshells Help Visibly Heat And Destroy Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953352/080805160209.htm
Most cancer tumors that have clear borders and are well defined have traditionally been treated successfully by surgical removal. But not all cancers respond to conventional surgery. More importantly, conventional surgery brings risks of complications and long recovery periods that can negatively impact a person's quality of life.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Depression Found To Hasten Decline In Cancer Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355510856/080804123041.htm
Depression causes patients with advanced cancer to die sooner than they should, say scientists at the University of Liverpool.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Antarctic Fossils Paint Picture Of Much Warmer Continent
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553338/080805124052.htm
Scientists working in an ice-free region of Antarctica have discovered the last traces of tundra -- in the form of fossilized plants and insects -- on the interior of the southernmost continent before temperatures began a relentless drop millions of years ago.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Possible Cause Of Endometriosis Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356343096/080805075612.htm
Scientists have identified an enzyme that could be responsible for a condition called endometriosis â€“ the most common cause of pelvic pain in women.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
First National Study Of Diving-related Injuries
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953353/080804100152.htm
Diving into cool, refreshing water is a favorite summer pastime for millions, and a fan favorite sport at the Olympics. Now, the first comprehensive study of diving board injuries is out, and it shows, on average, someone is injured on a diving board every hour of every day in the US.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Certain HIV Treatment Less Effective When Used With Anti-TB Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953354/080804100516.htm
Patients receiving rifampicin-based anti-tuberculosis therapy are more likely to experience virological failure when starting nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy, an HIV treatment that is widely used in developing countries because of lower cost, than when starting efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Sesame Seed Extract And Konjac Gum May Help Ward Off Salmonella And E. Coli
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356295454/080805075618.htm
A new study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that konjac gum and sesame seed extract may offer protection against different strains of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
One In Ten Children Using Cough, Cold Medications
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456680/080804111648.htm
Researchers have found that approximately one in ten US children uses one or more cough and cold medications during a given week. Pediatric cough and cold medications are widely marketed in the U.S. but surprisingly little is known about just how often they are used in children. This information is especially important in light of recent revelations that cough and cold medications are responsible for serious adverse events and even deaths among children.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Thousands Of Globular Clusters Identified In Virgo Cluster Of Galaxies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553335/080805124054.htm
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has identified thousands of globular clusters -- more than 5 billion years old -- in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. One of the results of these discoveries led astronomers to understand more about the life and evolution of cannibal galaxies.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Revolutionary Technique Could Reduce Lifelong Drugs For Transplant Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356343098/080805075606.htm
Researchers have developed a ground-breaking procedure that could avoid the need for transplant patients to spend the rest of their lives taking a cocktail of drugs to stop their system from rejecting their new organ.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Next Generation Tool For Visualizing Genomic Data Introduced
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456682/080804111644.htm
Researchers are collecting vast amounts of genomic data, but ways to visualize these data in an integrated manner have lagged behind the ability to generate them. Researchers have now developed a novel and freely available visualization tool that helps users integrate and analyze different types of genomic data, and gives them the flexibility to zoom in on a specific region of interest or to pan out for a broad, whole genome view.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Growth Hormone Reduces Abdominal Fat, Cardiovascular Risk In HIV Patients On Antiviral Therapy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953357/080804100308.htm
Low-dose growth hormone treatment reduced abdominal fat deposits and improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels in a group of patients with HIV lipodystrophy -- a condition involving the redistribution of fat and other metabolic changes in patients receiving combination drug therapy for HIV infection -- but growth hormone treatment also appeared to increase blood glucose levels, particularly in those already exhibiting glucose intolerance.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Key To Virulence Protein Entry Into Host Cells Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355810496/080804190707.htm
Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have identified the region of a large family of virulence proteins in oomycete plant pathogens that enables the proteins to enter the cells of their hosts. The protein region has the ability to carry the virulence proteins across the membrane surrounding plant cells without any additional machinery from the pathogen. Once inside the plant cell, the proteins suppress the immune system of the plant allowing the infection to progress.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Breast Cancer Confessions: Emotional Work Of Disclosing A Diagnosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953359/080804100146.htm
Women diagnosed with breast cancer shoulder the emotional burden of disclosing their diagnosis to loved ones, managing the feelings of others at precisely the time when they need support themselves, according to new research.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Martian Life Or Not? NASA's Phoenix Team Analyzes Results
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953361/080805192122.htm
Describing the latest findings from the Red Planet as "neither good nor bad for life," Phoenix Mars mission scientists spoke on research in progress concerning an ongoing investigation of perchlorate salts detected in soil analyzed by the wet chemistry laboratory aboard NASA's Phoenix Lander.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Testosterone And Body Fat Are Controlled By The Same Genes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356295453/080805075620.htm
Genes that control percentage of body fat are also responsible for circulating levels of testosterone in men, new research shows. The research shows a 23% overlap between the genes that control testosterone and those that regulate body fat composition, suggesting that these two variables are partly controlled by the same set of genes.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Viterbi Algorithm Goes Quantum
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953362/080731173129.htm
The Viterbi Algorithm, the elegant 41-year-old logical tool for rapidly eliminating dead end possibilities in reception of digital data, has a new application to go alongside its ubiquitous daily use in cell phone communications, bioinformatics, speech recognition and many other areas of information technology.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
A Mechanism For The Development Of Obesity-associated Conditions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953363/080802061914.htm
Substances known as endocannabinoids have been implicated in the development of many effects of a high-fat diet, including risk factors for type 2 diabetes. New data have now indicated that these effects of endocannabinoids occur via activation of the protein CB1 in the liver and not the brain. Therefore, targeting liver CB1 might provide an effective way to treat obesity-related medical conditions without the side effects of targeting CB1 in the brain, anxiety and depression.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Protein Folding: One Picture Per Millisecond Illuminates The Process
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356343097/080805075610.htm
Newly developed KITA-spectroscopy (Kinetic Terahertz Absorption Spectroscopy) was applied to protein folding with a resolution of one picture per millisecond and combined with other biophysical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (SAXS), fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Researchers observed that folding proceeds in two phases. In a very rapid first phase, the protein collapses in less than a millisecond, while at the same time, a rearrangement of the protein-water network takes place.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Bulging Prison System Called Massive Intervention In American Family Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356953364/080804100525.htm
The mammoth increase in the United States' prison population since the 1970s is having profound demographic consequences that disproportionately affect black males.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Breakthrough In Quantum Mechanics: Superconducting Electronic Circuit Pumps Microwave Photons
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356694337/080805150812.htm
Researchers have recently reached what they are calling a milestone in experimental quantum mechanics. They have used a superconducting electronic circuit known as a Josephson phase qubit to controllably pump microwave photons, one at a time, into a superconducting microwave resonator.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss And Stroke In Old Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497829/080804165312.htm
Eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults, according to a study in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Fuel Cell Efficiency May Be Improved With Material With 'Colossal Ionic Conductivity'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356694340/080731173133.htm
A new material characterized at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could open a pathway toward more efficient fuel cells. The material, a super-lattice, improves ionic conductivity near room temperature by a factor of almost 100 million, representing "a colossal increase in ionic conduction properties," according to researchers.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Process By Which All Blood Cells Originate Is Essentially The Same Throughout Mammal World
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355557425/080804123047.htm
The architecture of haematopoiesis -- which is the process by which all blood cells originate -- is essentially the same throughout the mammal world, report scientists in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. This is an unexpected result considering the thousands of mammals' species with a myriad of habitats and lifestyles, as so well demonstrated when comparing the 30 mm flying bumblebee bat and the 30 meter-long aquatic blue whale both mammals.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Overcoming Inhibitors Of Cell Death Improves Cancer Therapy Efficacy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356694344/080802061912.htm
Individuals with one of the most aggressive types of brain tumor have an extremely poor prognosis. Although some patients with GBM respond to treatment with drugs known as RTK inhibitors, most subsequently relapse after only a short time. New data, have now provided insight into the mechanism by which GBM cells become resistant to RTK inhibitors and suggest a way to improve the efficacy of RTK inhibitors as a treatment for GBM.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
The School Bully: Does It Run In The Family?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356694354/080804111636.htm
New research links family relationships to childhood bullying. A shove, a taunt or name-calling on the playground or in the hall, away from the eyesight, earshot and authority of the teacher -- childhood bullying can involve physical contact, spreading rumors and other negative behaviors committed over and over again to intimidate, humiliate and isolate the receiver of the behavior.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
'Cosmic Ghost' Discovered By Volunteer Astronomer In Archived Images Of Night Sky
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553341/080805124001.htm
When astronomers enlisted public support in cataloging galaxies, they never envisioned the strange object Hanny van Arkel found in archived images of the night sky. The Dutch school teacher discovered a mysterious and unique object some observers are calling a "cosmic ghost" -- a gaseous object with a hole in the center.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Lowering Cholesterol Early In Life Could Save Lives
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356603143/080804190637.htm
With heart disease maintaining top billing as the leading cause of death in the United States, physician-researchers are proposing that aggressive intervention to lower cholesterol levels as early as childhood is the best approach available today to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
A First In Integrated Nanowire Sensor Circuitry
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355810498/080804190647.htm
Scientists have created the world's first all-integrated sensor circuit based on nanowire arrays, combining light sensors and electronics made of different crystalline materials. Their method can be used to reproduce numerous such devices with high uniformity.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Long-term HIV Treatment May Reduce Risk For Atherosclerosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355510853/080804124945.htm
Antiretroviral drugs for HIV do not increase risk of coronary atherosclerosis says a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. The results, based on nearly 950 HIV-positive and HIV-negative men, suggest that antiretroviral therapy may, in fact, offer men with HIV some protection against atherosclerosis. Coronary artery calcification scores were almost 60 percent lower in HIV-positive men who received highly active antiretroviral therapy for more than eight years compared to HIV-negative men.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Turning Those Old Electronic Circuit Boards Into New Park Benches
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356603147/080804100148.htm
Scientists in China have developed a new recycling method that could transform yesterday's computer into tomorrow's park bench.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Estrogen Relieves Psychotic Symptoms In Women With Schizophrenia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356645356/080804165320.htm
When combined with antipsychotic medications, the estrogen estradiol appears to be a useful treatment in women with schizophrenia, according to a new report.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Genetic Evidence Used To Trace Ancient African Migration
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356553329/080804190635.htm
Researchers peering at history's footprints on human DNA have found new evidence for how prehistoric people shared knowledge that advanced civilization.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Vitamin C Injections Slow Tumor Growth In Mice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355901847/080804190645.htm
High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers traced ascorbate's anti-cancer effect to the formation of hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular fluid surrounding the tumors. Normal cells were unaffected.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Research Exposes New Target For Malaria Drugs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355689244/080804155125.htm
The malaria parasite has waged a successful guerrilla war against the human immune system for eons, but a study in this week's Journal of Biological Chemistry has exposed one of the tricks malaria uses to hide from the immune proteins, which may aid in future drug development.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
High Use Of Complementary Methods Found Among Cancer Survivors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497830/080804100154.htm
Many cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods, most often prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation, and massage. Meanwhile, the use of other methods, such as biofeedback, homeopathy and acupressure, are relatively uncommon.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Climate Change And Species Distributions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497831/080804100143.htm
Scientists have long pointed to physical changes in the Earth and its atmosphere as indicators of global climate change. But changes in climate can wreak havoc in more subtle ways, such as the loss of habitat for plant and animal species.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Study: Verbal Aggression May Affect Children's Behavior
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355689242/080804155129.htm
The methods mothers use to control their children during playtime and other daily activities could have a negative impact on their child's self-esteem and behavior, according to a new Purdue University study.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Schizophrenia: Costly By-product Of Human Brain Evolution?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497832/080804222910.htm
Metabolic changes responsible for the evolution of our unique cognitive abilities indicate that the brain may have been pushed to the limit of its capabilities. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology adds weight to the theory that schizophrenia is a costly by-product of human brain evolution.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Exposure To Agent Orange Linked To Prostate Cancer In Vietnam Veterans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356394350/080805092016.htm
Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange have greatly increased risks of prostate cancer and even greater risks of getting the most aggressive form of the disease as compared to those who were not exposed.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Microbe Diet Key To Carbon Dioxide Release
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497833/080731173125.htm
As microbes in the soil break down fallen plant matter, a diet "balanced" in nutrients appears to help control soil fertility and the normal release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Epilepsy Drug May Help Alcoholics Recover From Dependence, Small Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356497834/080804100200.htm
A new study hints that people who have both alcohol problems and sleep problems -- which often occur together -- might be helped by an epilepsy drug. The study, which is small but was placebo-controlled, opens the door for further research on how to help alcohol-dependent people escape the Catch-22 of insomnia and drinking that often stands in the way of their recovery.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Saving Our Bees: Implications of Habitat Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403653/080804100139.htm
The undisputed queen of animal pollinators is the bee, whose daily flights aid in the reproduction of more than half of the world's flowering plants. In recent years, however, an unprecedented decline in bee populations has placed the health of ecosystems an crops in peril. A group of scientists are exploring the problem of bee habitat loss to determine what can be done to preserve bees in their native habitats.

Wed, 6 Aug 08
Happiness Lengthens Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356343095/080805075614.htm
Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ill. As a result, happy people live longer. The size of the effect on longevity is comparable to that of smoking or not. This is concluded from an analysis of 30 follow-up studies published in the latest issue of the Journal of Happiness Studies.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Military Use Of Robots Increases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355810494/080804190711.htm
Robots in the military are no longer the stuff of science fiction. They have left the movie screen and entered the battlefield. Researchers report that the military goal is to have approximately 30% of the army be robotic forces by somewhere around 2020.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Two Years Old: A Childhood Obesity Tipping Point? Research Suggests That Childhood Obesity Begins In Infancy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020649/080804100803.htm
Over the last decade, childhood obesity has grown into an epidemic, reflected in soaring rates of type 2 diabetes and recommendations that pediatricians check toddlers for elevated cholesterol. What hasn't been as clear is how early to intervene. A study presented at a pediatric research program on Friday suggested obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age two, when children reach a "tipping point" in a progression that leads to obesity later in life.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
New Role Found For A 'Foxy Old Gene'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020651/080801152143.htm
Researchers have discovered that a protein called FOXA2 controls genes that maintain the proper level of bile in the liver. FOXA2 may become the focus for new therapies to treat diseases that involve the regulation of bile salts.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Recurrence Of Group B Strep High In Subsequent Pregnancies, Say Obstetricians
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020654/080801074155.htm
A new study could help experts better decide whether to continue the current practice of retesting women during their second pregnancies for a common bacterial infection if they had tested positive for the infection previously.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Tevatron Experiments Double-team Higgs Boson
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456681/080804111646.htm
The CDF and DZero collaborations at the US Department of Energy's Fermilab are advancing the quest for the long-sought Higgs boson. Their latest results indicate that researchers have for the first time excluded, with 95 percent probability, a mass for the Higgs of 170 GeV. This value lies in the possible mass range for the particle established by earlier experiments. The result demonstrates that the Tevatron experiments are sensitive to potential Higgs signals.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Paradox Of Higher Education, Crime: Male College Students More Likely Than Less-educated Peers To Commit Property Crimes, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020656/080804100531.htm
Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Extinction Threat To Monkeys And Other Primates Due To Habitat Loss, Hunting
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355934893/080804222912.htm
Mankind's closest relatives -- the world's monkeys, apes and other primates -- are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with some literally being eaten into extinction. The first comprehensive review in five years of the world's 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50 percent are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Outdoor Activity And Nearsightedness In Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352941241/080801155221.htm
A growing number of the world's children are mildly to severely nearsighted (myopic), with rates especially high among urbanized East Asians. In addition to coping with poor distance vision, children with severe myopia are more prone to visual impairment and blindness later in life.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Nano Sculptures In Gold
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020658/080801152141.htm
If someone is charged up, the color of their face might change, but they donâ€™t immediately pull off one of their arms, only to reattach it as a third leg. With some molecules, however, the situation is quite different - for example, in a gold cluster with seven atoms. In a charged state, the atoms arrange themselves differently than when they are uncharged.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Maternal Deaths Following Cesarean Delivery Can Be Reduced
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403649/080804100256.htm
Maternal death rates have remained constant in the United States for many decades. Are there any improvements in health care that could reduce these rates further? A new study examined all maternal deaths in nearly 1.5 million birth records from the last six years to look for possible keys to saving more mothers. The study demonstrated that the risk of death attributable to cesarean delivery, approximately 2/100,000 procedures, can realistically be reduced only with universal thromboembolism prophylaxis for patients delivered by cesarean.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Networks Of Metal Nanoparticles Are Culprits In Alloy Corrosion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355510852/080804124949.htm
Oxide scales are supposed to protect alloys from extensive corrosion, but scientists have discovered metal nanoparticle chinks in this armor.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020665/080804100304.htm
Americans are likely to be exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA-approved drugs such as Vioxx in the future because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Memory, Depression, Insomnia -- And Worms?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020666/080804222904.htm
Researchers have spent decades probing the causes of depression, schizophrenia and insomnia in humans. But a new study may have uncovered key insights into the origins of these and other conditions by examining a most unlikely research subject: worms.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Data Mining Detects Signs Of Lou Gehrig's Disease In Gene Carriers Long Before Symptoms Appear
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020667/080804100300.htm
Inspired by the use of microarray chips that look for gene combinations, psychologists are using "pattern array" software to spot movements in rats that might help them predict diseases such as Lou Gehrig's syndrome.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Chronic Exposure To Estrogen Impairs Some Cognitive Functions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020668/080801074106.htm
Chronic exposure to estradiol, the main estrogen in the body, diminishes some cognitive functions. Rats exposed to a steady dose of estradiol were impaired on tasks involving working memory and response inhibition, the researchers found.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Strategies To Control TB Outdated, Inadequate, Analysis Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020669/080801074100.htm
The standard regimens to treat tuberculosis are inadequate in countries with high rates of multi-drug resistant TB. In countries with high rates of MDR-TB, patients are nearly twice as likely to fail their initial treatment than those in countries with low rates, according to a new analysis of World Health Organization data. This finding suggests strongly that current TB treatment regimens need to updated and revised to address the shifting landscape of public health in the face of MDR-TB.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Investigating Sea Ice Decline
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355510854/080804123147.htm
A revised outlook for the Arctic 2008 summer sea ice minimum shows ice extent will be below the 2005 level but not likely to beat the 2007 record. DAMOCLES will dispatch eleven research missions into the Arctic this autumn to better understand the future of the sea ice.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Homeownership In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Linked To Increased Political Participation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020670/080804100302.htm
Homeowners in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to vote than renters and those who own homes in more privileged communities, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Little Teeth Suggest Big Jump In Primate Timeline
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355810497/080804190705.htm
Tiny fossilized teeth excavated from an Indian open-pit coal mine could be the oldest Asian remains ever found of anthropoids, the primate lineage of today's monkeys, apes and humans.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
International Panel Updates Treatment Guidelines For HIV Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020671/080804100518.htm
An evaluation of recent data has led to an update in the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of adult human immunodeficiency virus infection, according to an article in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Nanotechnology: Size-specific Cracking Shakes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352941246/080801152147.htm
Certain sizes of nanostructures may be more susceptible to failure by fracture than others. As the size of a structure gets to the nanoscale, atomic vibrations (also known as phonons) begin to feel its size and shape in an effect called phonon confinement.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Immune System Protein Accurate Predictor Of Survival In Pediatric Septic Shock
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020672/080801074048.htm
A simple measure of an immune system protein within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital for septic shock can predict survival in children, yielding a powerful tool for diagnostics and clinical trials of new septic shock therapies, according to a research team led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Aug. 1 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
New Panel Of Mice Helps Predict How Drugs Are Broken Down In Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/356020673/080802061916.htm
Humans express several proteins that breakdown the synthetic chemicals and drugs (collectively known as xenobiotics) that we ingest or are administered. Expression of these proteins is itself regulated by the xenobiotic-sensing proteins PXR and CAR. Developing animal models to determine the relative importance of PXR and CAR for humans to breakdown a specific drug has been difficult because the human and animal proteins sense different xenobiotics.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Teacher-student Relationships Key To Learning Health And Sex Education
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456679/080804114258.htm
When it comes to learning life-changing behaviors in high school health classes, the identity of the person teaching may be even more important than the curriculum, a new study suggests. For years, many high schools around the country have been relying on outside experts to teach sensitive subjects such as the human immunodeficiency virus infection and pregnancy prevention. But a recent study found that students learn more about such issues when taught by their regular classroom teacher.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Guilt On Their Hands: Tiny 'Tags' Could Help To Solve And Deter Gun Crime
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652651/080801074732.htm
Criminals who use firearms may find it much harder to evade justice in future, thanks to an ingenious new bullet tagging technology.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Immunotherapy In High-risk Pediatric Sarcomas Shows Promising Response
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355977008/080801074153.htm
Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms of this cancer.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Researchers Tag First-ever Free-swimming Leatherback Turtles In New England
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355977009/080731173123.htm
University of New Hampshire researchers have tagged one male and two female leatherback turtles off Cape Cod. They are the first free-swimming leatherbacks ever tagged in New England. The 700-800-pound leatherback turtles, an endangered species, were tagged July 17, 26 and 29 with GPS-linked satellite tags that transmit nearly real-time tracking data, allowing scientists to better understand these elusive, highly migratory giants to enhance their survivability.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Sleep Apnea Is An Independent Risk Factor For Mortality, Australian Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355977010/080801074052.htm
Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, represented by a fully adjusted hazard ratio of 6.24. Previous studies linking OSA to mortality have involved patients referred to sleep clinics rather than community-based samples; the association between OSA and mortality in the community was unknown.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Telemedicine Leads To Better Stroke Treatment Decisions, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355977011/080804100533.htm
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center say that their first-of-its-kind study of a telemedicine program which transports stroke specialists via computer desktop or even laptop to the patient's bedside, using highly sophisticated video, audio and Internet technology, could have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Family Type Has Less-than-expected Impact On Parental Involvement, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355977012/080804100529.htm
Children in step-families and in other non-traditional families get just as much quality time with their parents as those in traditional families, with only a few exceptions, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Australian Bird Research Could Rewrite 'Ring Theory' Of Speciation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456664/080731140317.htm
New research has uncovered how different populations of the bird crimson rosella are related to each other -- a discovery which has important implications for research into how climate change may affect Australia's biodiversity.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
When Our Protective Armor Shows Weakness: Genetic Defect In Skin Cells Leads To Neurodermatitis, Hay Fever And Asthma
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456665/080801074740.htm
New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies. In a large study on more than 3000 school-children scientists found that about 8% of the German population carry variations of the filaggrin gene, which raise the risk to develop atopic dermatitis more than threefold. In addition, these genetic variations predispose to hay fever and asthma in those with atopic dermatitis.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Combating Secondary Infections In Clinics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352708150/080801103020.htm
Infections following treatment are a grave problem for patients, and resistant germs can be particularly devastating. Scientists have now developed a process for coating surfaces with an antimicrobial layer to effectively hinder infections.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Endoscopic Circumferential Ablation Promising For Barrett's Esophagus With High-grade Dysplasia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456667/080731135922.htm
A multi-center US registry study examining the treatment of Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia showed that in 92 patients treated with endoscopic circumferential ablation who had at least one follow-up biopsy session, 90.2 percent were free of HGD at an average of one-year follow-up. This registry is the first to report on the use of circumferential ablation for BE HGD. The study appears in the July issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Project Aims To Improve Energy Efficiency Of Computing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456668/080728193231.htm
The information technology industry consumes as much energy and has roughly the same carbon "footprint" as the airline industry. Now scientists and engineers are building an instrument to test the energy efficiency of computing systems under real-world conditions -- with the ultimate goal of getting computer designers and users in the scientific community to rethink the way they do their jobs.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
One Fifth Of British Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer Smoke Despite Hazards
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456669/080729234134.htm
One-fifth of British adult survivors of childhood cancers are current smokers, and nearly a third have been regular smokers at some point in their lives, according to a study in the July 29 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Tracking Down Abrupt Climate Changes: Rapid Natural Cooling Occurred 12,700 Years Ago
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456670/080801152137.htm
Researchers have shown, for the first time, that an extremely fast climate change occurred in Western Europe. This took place long before human-made changes in the atmosphere, and is causatively associated with a sudden change in the wind systems.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Novel Kind Of Learning Gene Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352550260/080801074730.htm
Scientists have come one step closer to unraveling the molecular basis of learning. Neurobiologists have now discovered the first gene for operant conditioning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Their discovery suggests a novel kind of molecular learning mechanism. The study may help understanding the molecular processes underlying addiction.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Carbon Capture Milestone In China
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456671/080731135924.htm
Just weeks out from the Olympics, the CSIRO and its Chinese partners have officially launched a post-combustion capture pilot plant in Beijing that strips carbon dioxide from power station flue gases in an effort to stem climate change.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Antiviral Therapy Helps Children At Risk For Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456672/080731140133.htm
The antiviral drug, valganciclovir, can lower the levels of Epstein-Barr virus in children with liver transplants, according to a new study.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Arresting And Self-healing Cracks: Paving The Way For Next Generation Composite Materials
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456673/080717210023.htm
Materials that can stop a crack and then self-heal have been brought a step closer to reality. New research will focus on carbon fiber polymer composites - materials made by combining extremely stiff and strong fibers with polymers to create strong, durable and lightweight materials. These are particularly important in the aerospace and transport industries, which use carbon fiber composites to make aircraft wings, helicopter rotor blades and ship hulls.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Cost Of Stabbings To Britain's Health Service Revealed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456674/080731205427.htm
Injuries caused by gun and knife crime are costing the British National Health Service in excess of 3 million pounds a year, new research reveals.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
World's Smallest Snake Found In Barbados
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403654/080804100258.htm
The world's smallest species of snake has been discovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The species is as thin as a spaghetti noodle and small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Sleep Apnea Linked To Increased Risk Of Death
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352550262/080801074159.htm
Sleep-disordered breathing (also known as sleep apnea) is associated with an increased risk of death, according to new results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, an 18-year observational study. Researchers found that adults (ages 30 to 60) with sleep-disordered breathing at the start of the study were two to three times more likely to die from any cause compared to those who did not have sleep-disordered breathing.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
X-ray Diffraction Looks Inside Aerogels In 3-D
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456675/080731173201.htm
The first high-resolution x-ray diffraction imaging of an aerogel, performed at beamline 9.0.1 of the Department of Energy's Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has revealed the aerogel's nanoscale three-dimensional bulk lattice structure down to features measured in nanometers, suggesting that changes in methods of preparing aerogels might improve their strength.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
World's First Transplant Of Both Arms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352708151/080801100431.htm
The first transplant of complete arms has been accomplished after several years of preparatory work. The patient is doing well under the circumstances.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Patagonian Glacier Yields Clues For Improved Understanding Of Global Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355403651/080804100252.htm
A recent expedition to the San Valentin glacier in the Chilean part of Patagonia demonstrated the potential of that site for exploring climatic variations of the past. The analyses gave the first evidence of influences from Antarctica and the Pacific on the Southern climate of the American continent, thus indicating the complexity of the climate system in this ecologically fragile region.

Tue, 5 Aug 08
Long Work Hours Widen The Gender Gap
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355456676/080801074058.htm
Working overtime has a disproportionate impact on women in dual-earner households, exacerbating gender inequality and supporting the "separate sphere" phenomenon in which men are the breadwinners while women tend to the home, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Smart Contact Lenses Dispense Medication
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114544/080731140229.htm
"Smart" contact lenses that measure pressure within the eye and dispense medication accordingly could be made possible using a new material developed by biomedical engineers at UC Davis.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Methadone Breaks Resistance In Untreatable Forms Of Leukemia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114545/080801074151.htm
Researchers have discovered that methadone, an agent used to break addiction to opioid drugs, has surprising killing power against leukemia cells, including treatment resistant forms of the cancer.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Plant Parasite 'Wiretaps' Host
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114546/080731140231.htm
A parasitic plant that sucks water and nutrients from its plant host also taps into its communications traffic, a new report finds. The research could lead to new ways to combat parasites that attack crop plants.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Turned-off Cannabinoid Receptor Turns On Colorectal Tumor Growth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114547/080801074056.htm
New preclinical research shows that cannabinoid cell surface receptor CB1 plays a tumor-suppressing role in human colorectal cancer, scientists report in the Aug. 1 edition of the journal Cancer Research.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
China Becomes A Physics Powerhouse
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114548/080801074157.htm
Judged by the astonishing increase in journal papers written by scientists in China, there can be little doubt that China is finding its place as one of the world's scientific power houses. Michael Banks, Physics World's news editor, quantifies this surge in scientific output from China and asks whether quality matches quantity in August's Physics World.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Fungi Expert Finds New Species In Aberdeen City Centre, Scotland
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352550259/080801074736.htm
A leading fungi expert has accidentally stumbled upon a new species in Scotland â€“ as he walked home from work.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Genetically Modified Root Systems Result In Plants That Survive With Little Water
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114549/080730155346.htm
A part of the global food crisis is the inefficiency of current irrigation methods. More irrigated water evaporates than reaches the roots of crops, amounting to an enormous waste of water and energy. A new solution addresses the problem of water loss and promises farmers "more crop per drop."

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Flu Vaccine May Not Protect Seniors Well
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114551/080731205416.htm
A new study adds fuel to the growing controversy over how well the flu vaccine protects the elderly. The study of more than 3,500 Group Health patients, ages 65 to 94, found no link between flu vaccination and risk of pneumonia during three flu seasons.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Cellular Symmetry: What Cues Tell A Cell To Divide At The Center
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114552/080728221402.htm
Cells are intrinsically artistic. When the right signals tell a cell to divide, it usually splits down the middle, resulting in two identical daughter cells. (Stem cells are the exception to the rule.) This natural symmetry is visible on the macroscopic scale as well. All living creatures, be they mushrooms or humans, are visibly symmetric, a product of our cells' preference for equilibrium.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Multiple Sclerosis: New MRI Contrast Medium Enables Early Diagnosis In Animal Model
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114553/080801152139.htm
In an animal model of multiple sclerosis, neurologists have been able to visualize inflammatory tissue damage, most of which had remained unrecognized up to now, with the aid of a new contrast medium, Gadofluorine M, in magnetic resonance imaging.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Predicting Outbreaks Of Plague With The Help Of Satellite Images
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352550261/080801074728.htm
Normally percolation theory is used to describe the movement of liquid through porous material. A good example of percolation is when hot water is forced through ground coffee in an espresso machine. By moving through the coffee via the empty spaces between the ground coffee particles, the water picks up the flavor of the coffee. Scientists now report in Nature that the spread of the bubonic plague bacteria in Central Asia by gerbils, works much the same way.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Physicians Ask EPA, 'Antibiotics To Cure Sick Apples, Or Sick Children?'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114554/080731173137.htm
A U.S. federal decision to permit the State of Michigan to spray the state's apple orchards with gentamicin risks undermining the value of this important antibiotic to treat blood infections in newborns and other serious human infections, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Low-gravity Training Machine Reduces Joint, Muscle Impacts, Says Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114555/080730140934.htm
A new study of a space-age, low-gravity training machine used by several 2008 Olympic runners showed it reduced impacts on muscles and joints by nearly half when subjects ran at the equivalent of 50 percent of their body weight.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
New Male Circumcision Device For HIV Prevention
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652648/080801094302.htm
With the recent endorsement by the World Health Organization and scientists worldwide of adult male circumcision as an important strategy for HIV prevention, there is increased urgency to develop safe and cost-effective circumcision services. This is especially the case in Africa where HIV/AIDS continues to spread at an epidemic rate.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Prelude To The Higgs: A Work For 2 Bosons In The Key Of Z
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114556/080730140841.htm
Scientists have announced the observation of pairs of Z bosons, force-carrying particles produced in proton-antiproton collisions at the Tevatron, the world's highest-energy particle accelerator. The properties of the ZZ diboson make its discovery an essential prelude to finding or excluding the Higgs boson at the Tevatron.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Same Dose Of Anthracycline Is Not Safe For Everyone, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114557/080729235322.htm
Not all patients can tolerate the currently recommended cumulative dose of epirubicin. New models can help physicians calculate the epirubicin dose associated with a 5 percent risk of cardiotoxicity for individual patients.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Spotting Tomorrowâ€™s Forest Fires
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114558/080801074734.htm
A WiMAX-based connection to the internet enables fire-monitoring efforts in remote and mountainous regions. A forest fire remote monitoring system has been successfully tested in Portugal that could prevent the destruction of millions of hectares, as well as save lives.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Doctors Must Be Held Accountable For Complying With Torture, Experts Argue
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114559/080731205425.htm
Doctors who assist in torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment should face prosecution and licensing punishments, says a new editorial.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Giant Grass Miscanthus Can Meet US Biofuels Goal Using Less Land Than Corn Or Switchgrass
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114560/080730155344.htm
In the largest field trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have determined that the giant perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus outperforms current biofuels sources -- by a lot. Using Miscanthus as a feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S. could significantly reduce the acreage dedicated to biofuels while meeting government biofuels production goals, the researchers report.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Schizophrenia Researchers Welcome New Blood
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114561/080801094304.htm
Researchers from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute are set to conduct a world-first trial into the link between prenatal vitamin D levels and schizophrenia prevalence.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Visualizing Open Source Software Development
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114562/080731140235.htm
With dancing points of light, rings of color and a soundtrack, the Code_swarm animations show how software such as the Python scripting language and the Apache Web server have developed from the contributions of different programmers.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Lapatinib Reduces Brain Metastases In Mouse Model Of Metastatic Breast Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114563/080729235406.htm
Lapatinib reduces the number of large brain metastases in a mouse model of metastatic breast cancer, relative to untreated mice, researchers report.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Spanish Researchers Discover Significant Leatherback Turtle Nesting Beaches In The Caribbean
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352708152/080801100429.htm
Spanish researchers recently explored around 100 kilometers of practically uncharted Atlantic beach in the north of Colombia and south of Panama between the years 2006 and 2007. In the course of their work, they came across extensive nesting grounds that bring new hope for the survival of the leatherback turtle. This species suffered a grave decline in the twentieth century and is among those considered by the World Conservation Union to be in critical danger of extinction.

Mon, 4 Aug 08
Travel Industry Should Inform Travelers About Malaria, Say Doctors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/355114564/080731205423.htm
Tour operators and airlines are wasting an ideal opportunity to warn travelers about the risk of contracting malaria in specific countries, say infectious disease experts.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Alzheimer's Drug May Help Mild Memory Loss, Imaging Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099520/080730140718.htm
New UCLA research suggests that the treatment of early symptoms of memory loss may protect the brain and help people with mild age-related memory impairment. The finding also shows how PET offers researchers a tool for tracking the effectiveness of drugs prescribed to treat age-related cognitive decline.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Common Vaginal Infection May Increase Risk Of HIV Infection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099521/080731173139.htm
A common vaginal infection may make women more susceptible to contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have found.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Timing Is Everything: How Vulnerable To Flooding Is New York City?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099522/080730175524.htm
A new high-resolution storm surge modeling system will better be able to predict flood levels and when flooding will occur in the New York metropolitan area, information crucial to emergency managers when planning for impending storms.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Cutting The Brakes On The Immune System; Newly Discovered Gene Variant Implicated In Lupus
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099523/080801152133.htm
A new study has found that variation of a particular gene -- known as TNFAIP3 -- may cause the immune system to lose its ability to shut off, leading to the autoimmune disease lupus. The research appears in the August issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Emerging Scientific Discipline Of Aeroecology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652650/080801094258.htm
Aeroecology is the emerging discipline for studying how airborne organisms -- birds, bats, arthropods and microbes -- depend on the support of the lower atmosphere that is closest to the Earth's surface. Called the aerosphere, it influences the daily and seasonal movements, development traits, such as size and shape, and evolution of behavioral, sensory, metabolic and respiratory functions of airborne organisms. Understanding how they respond to altered landscapes and atmospheric conditions can also help mitigate adverse effects.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Cancer Patients Are Not Given Enough Information, Experts Say
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099524/080731205419.htm
Two thirds of cancer patients receive little or no information about the survival benefits of having palliative chemotherapy before making a decision about treatment, according to a new study.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Mother Earth Naked: A Modern Masterpiece
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099525/080731073557.htm
Have you ever wondered what our world would look like stripped bare of all plants, soils, water and human-made structures? Well wonder no longer -- images of the Earth as never seen before have been unveiled in what is the world's biggest geological mapping project ever.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
How 'Hidden Mutations' Contribute To HIV Drug Resistance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099526/080731173131.htm
One of the major reasons that treatment for HIV/AIDS often doesn't work as well as it should is resistance to the drugs involved. Now, scientists have determined how mutations hidden in previously ignored parts of the HIV genome play an important role in the development of drug resistance in AIDS patients.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Brain Plays Key Role In Appetite By Regulating Free Radicals
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099527/080730140720.htm
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found the brain's appetite center uses fat for fuel by involving oxygen free radicals -- molecules associated with aging and neurodegeneration. The findings suggest that antioxidants could play a role in weight control.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Treatment Corrects Severe Insulin Imbalance In Animal Studies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099528/080731140034.htm
Researchers have used a drug to achieve normal levels of blood sugar in animals genetically engineered to have abnormally high insulin levels. If this approach succeeds in humans, it could become an innovative medicine for children with congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare but potentially devastating genetic disease in which insulin levels become dangerously high. There is currently no effective medical treatment for children with the most common type of congenital hyperinsulinism.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Superfluid-superconductor Relationship Is Detailed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352941244/080801153127.htm
Scientists have studied superconductors and superfluids for decades. Now researchers have drawn the first detailed picture of the way a superfluid influences the behavior of a superconductor. In addition to describing previously unknown superconductor behavior, these calculations could change scientists' understanding of the motion of neutron stars.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Free Academic Articles Get Read But Don't Generate More Citations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099529/080731173203.htm
When academic articles are "open access" or free online, they get read more often, but they don't -- going against conventional wisdom -- get cited more often in academic literature, finds a new study.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Brightest, Sharpest, Fastest X-ray Holograms Yet
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099530/080801152135.htm
An international group of scientists working at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and at FLASH, the free-electron laser in Hamburg, Germany, has produced two of the brightest, sharpest x-ray holograms of microscopic objects ever made, thousands of times more efficiently than previous x-ray-holographic methods.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Fruit-fly Study Adds Weight To Theories About Another Type Of Adult Stem Cell
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099531/080731143333.htm
Researchers have found that mature, specialized cells naturally regress to serve as a kind of de facto stem cell during the fruit-fly life cycle.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Mussels To Determine How Much Contamination Is In The Ports
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099532/080730140736.htm
New research aimed at monitoring contamination of ports is using mussels to measure the levels of contaminants as they feed by filtering water and so accumulate any contaminant substances in their organs.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
High Resolution Heart Images Now Available At Peak Stress
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099533/080730140843.htm
Researchers have designed equipment to provide high resolution images of the heart at a critical stage of testing that have previously been difficult to obtain using standard testing procedures. Superior images of the heart are obtained with a test lasting less than one hour.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Hybrid Cars Could Be More Reliable And Cheaper With New Fuel Cell Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099534/080731143916.htm
Scientists have revolutionized the design of fuel cells used in the latest generation of hybrid cars which could make the vehicles more reliable and cheaper to build. The breakthrough, published in the journal Science, revolves around the design of a fuel cell in which a specially-coated form of popular hi tech outdoor and sporting clothing material GoretexÂ® is the key component.

Sun, 3 Aug 08
Watching Too Much TV Is Causing Some University Students To Pack On The Pounds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/354099535/080731173121.htm
What's causing some university students to pack on the pounds? University of Alberta researchers say the culprit could be television commercials. Researchers discovered students who reported medium or high television viewership snacked more frequently while watching TV and recognized more advertising than students who were considered low TV viewers.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Newly Discovered Monkey Is Threatened With Extinction
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353231984/080728192930.htm
Just three years after it was discovered, a new species of monkey is threatened with extinction according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which recently published the first-ever census of the endangered primate. Africa's 'kipunji' hovers at 1,100 individuals.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
How Some Bacteria May Steal Iron From Their Human Hosts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353231985/080731140223.htm
While humans obtain iron primarily through the food they eat, bacteria have evolved complex and diverse mechanisms to allow them access to iron. Scientists have discovered that some bacteria are equipped with a gene that enables them to harvest iron from their environment or human host in a unique and energy efficient manner.This discovery could provide researchers with new ways to target such diseases as tuberculosis.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Traumatic Response To Bad Memories Can Be Minimized
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193000/080730140625.htm
Researchers have identified the brain mechanism that switches off traumatic feelings associated with bad memories, a finding that could lead to the development of drugs to treat panic disorders.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Simple Lab Test For Bone Disease Linked To Risk Of Death In Dialysis Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193001/080730175514.htm
Among patients receiving dialysis for chronic kidney disease, high levels of alkaline phosphatase -- a routinely measured laboratory marker of bone disease -- may signal an increased risk of death, reports a new study.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Functional Nanoribbons Carved Using Super-heated, Nano-sized Particles Of Iron
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193002/080731140237.htm
Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new method by which graphene films can be etched along flawless, crystallographic axes using hot nanoparticles, a technique that results in precise, macroscopic length ribbons of graphene. The advance could enable atomically precise and simple construction of integrated circuits from single graphene sheets with a wide range of technological applications.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Biological Fathers Not Necessarily The Best, Social Dads Parent Well Too
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193003/080731140123.htm
Men who marry a child's mother parent just as well, if not better than biological fathers. A new study examined differences in the parenting practices of four groups of fathers according to whether they were biologically related to a child and whether they were married to the child's mother.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
In Lean Times, Flies Can't Survive Without Their Sense Of Smell
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193008/080731135920.htm
Working with fruit flies reared under laboratory conditions, researchers show that in times of plenty, the sense of smell is irrelevant for survival. But when food is scarce, a well functioning nose can mean the difference between life and death.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
New Immune Disease Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353231986/080731143331.htm
Medical researchers have identified a strange disease in which the innate immune system works in an irregular fashion. A new study describes 9 cases of children severely infected by common bacteria, specifically pneumococci and staphylococci, who do not react to the infection with an inflammatory response; that is, they have no fever and there is no detected increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood. By the time they see a doctor, the infection is widespread. In fact, 3 of the children, aged between 1 and 11 months, died.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Olfactory Fine-tuning Helps Fruit Flies Find Their Mates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193004/080730140617.htm
Fruit flies fine-tune their olfactory systems by recalibrating the sensitivity of different odor channels in response to changing concentrations of environmental cues, a new study has shown. Disable this calibration system, and flies have trouble finding a mate, the researchers have found. The fly nervous system can dampen its response to intense smells to prevent strong signals from overloading the circuits, they report in the July 31 issue of Neuron.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
New Method Assesses Risks For Heart Failure Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193005/080730140930.htm
Data from 260 hospitals across the United States has led to the creation of a new method for physicians to more accurately determine the severity of heart failure in patients upon hospital admission, with a goal of reducing in-hospital mortality and more quickly identifying triage methods and treatment decisions.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Relays Pass Baton To Next-gen Broadband Networks
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193006/080730222359.htm
The ideal of affordable wireless broadband for all, and as an added bonus better quality services in urban areas, is a lot closer thanks to recent advances made by European researchers.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Communication Gap Exists Between Seniors And Surgeons, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193007/080731140135.htm
In a study published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues report that older patients and their surgeons do not communicate effectively when exploring surgical treatment options.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353231987/080801221019.htm
Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Liver Damage In Hepatitis C Patients Could Be Treated With Warfarin, Says New Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193009/080731073555.htm
The drug warfarin may help prevent liver failure in thousands of people with Hepatitis C, according to new research.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Telescope Embedded In Glasses Lens Promises To Make Driving Easier For Visually Impaired
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193010/080724123141.htm
Glasses embedded with a telescope promise to make it easier for people with impaired vision to drive and do other activities requiring sharper distance vision. Scientists have found advantages of these innovative glasses over earlier devices.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Two Different Breast Cancer Screening Strategies Are Equally Effective, Study Fiinds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193011/080729234138.htm
An organized population-based breast cancer screening program in Norway and an approach to screening that relies on physician- and self-referrals in Vermont are equally sensitive for detecting cancer, researchers report in the July 29 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. But the recall rate for abnormal mammograms was lower in Norway.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Like Eavesdropping At A Party: How A Tiny Protein Senses All The Communications In A Cell
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353231988/080731073316.htm
Cells rely on calcium as a universal means of communication. For example, a sudden rush of calcium can trigger nerve cells to convey thoughts in the brain or cause a heart cell to beat. A longstanding mystery has been how cells and molecules manage to appropriately sense and respond to the variety of calcium fluctuations within cells.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Drug Has Potential To Prevent Alcoholics From Relapsing
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/353193012/080730175518.htm
An experimental drug that blocks the euphoric feelings associated with drinking may prevent alcoholics from relapsing. The finding, the result of a mouse study at Oregon Health & Science University, could lead to human clinical trials within the next year.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Ivory Poaching At Critical Levels: Elephants On Path To Extinction By 2020?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652625/080731140219.htm
African elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory at a pace unseen since an international ban on the ivory trade took effect in 1989, but a conservation biologist believes there is little outcry because the public seems to be unaware of the giant mammals' plight.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Gene May Put Women With Migraine At Increased Risk Of Heart Disease And Stroke
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652629/080730164320.htm
Women who experience migraine with aura appear to be at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke if they have a certain gene, according to a study published in Neurology.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Aging Impairs The 'Replay' Of Memories During Sleep
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652630/080729234144.htm
Aging impairs the consolidation of memories during sleep, a process important in converting new memories into long-term ones, according to new animal research in the July 30 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings shed light on normal memory mechanisms and how they are disrupted by aging.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Associated With Risk Of Kidney Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652631/080729235441.htm
Genetic factors were shown to influence the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in healthy cells. A lower mtDNA copy number was associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer in a case-control study.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Climate Change Science Program Issues Report On Climate Models
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652633/080731173127.htm
A new report evaluates computer models of the Earth's climate and their ability to simulate current climate change.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Male Fish Deceive Rivals About Their Top Mate Choice
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652634/080731135914.htm
When competitors are around, male Atlantic mollies try to hide their top mate choice, reveals a new study. They feign disinterest in females after onlookers enter the scene. What's more, after encountering a rival, the tricky males direct their first sexual advances toward females that really aren't their first pick.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Cold And Ice, Not Heat, Episodically Gripped Tropical Regions 300 Million Years Ago
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652635/080731140227.htm
Geoscientists have long presumed that, like today, the tropics remained warm throughout Earth's last major glaciation 300 million years ago. New evidence, however, indicates that cold temperatures in fact episodically gripped these equatorial latitudes at that time.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Autopsies Reveal Changes To DNA In Major Depression And Suicide
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652636/080730140932.htm
Autopsies usually point to a cause of death but now a study of brain tissue collected during these procedures, may explain an underlying cause of major depression and suicide. Scientists found proteins that modify DNA directly are more highly expressed in the brains of people who commit suicide.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Virus Behind Mysterious Parrot Disease Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652637/080730140943.htm
Researchers have identified a virus behind the mysterious infectious disease that has been killing parrots and exotic birds for more than 30 years.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
MicroRNA Implicated As Molecular Factor In Alcohol Tolerance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652638/080730140839.htm
A new study in the journal Neuron indicates that microRNA may influence the development of alcohol tolerance, a hallmark of alcohol abuse and dependence.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Researchers Identify An Important Gene For A Healthy, Nutritious Plant
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652640/080730155348.htm
Biologists have found a gene required for both efficient photosynthesis and for iron metabolism, processes necessary for producing a healthy plant and a nutritious food source. This research is part of a larger effort to learn how plants take up essential nutrients from the environment as they grow.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Heat-related Deaths In High School Football Players Dip, But All Are Preventable
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652641/080730164322.htm
You could say two is a small number. But that's still two too many for one professor of exercise and sports science who has researched the topic of heat-related deaths in high school football players.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Brain Tweak Lets Sleep-deprived Flies Stay Sharp
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652642/080731140225.htm
Staying awake slows down our brains, scientists have long recognized. Mental performance is at its peak after sleep but inevitably trends downward throughout the day, and sleep deprivation only worsens these effects. For the first time, researchers have found a way to stop this downward slide in fruit flies.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Study Bolsters Link To Maternal Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652643/080730155335.htm
A maternal history of Alzheimer's disease appears to predispose individuals to the mind-robbing disease because their brains aren't using glucose efficiently, according to new findings.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Evolution Of Skull And Mandible Shape In Cats
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652644/080729234258.htm
In a new study published in the online-open access journal PLoS ONE, Per Christiansen at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, reports the finding that the evolution of skull and mandible shape in sabercats and modern cats were governed by different selective forces, and the two groups evolved very different adaptations to killing.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Simian Foamy Virus Found In Several People Living And Working With Monkeys In Asia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652645/080731140221.htm
Scientists have found that several people in South and Southeast Asian countries working and living around monkeys have been infected with simian foamy virus, a primate virus that, to date, has not been shown to cause human disease. The findings provide more evidence that Asia, where interaction between people and monkeys is common and widespread, could be an important setting for future primate-to-human viral transmission.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Facing Apparent Resistance To Antibiotics, Researchers Develop New Techniques To Kill Dormant Bacteria
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652646/080730155629.htm
Researchers have found new ways to kill dormant bacteria that have become seemingly resistant to antibiotics.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Alcohol Binges Early In Pregnancy Increase Risk Of Infant Oral Clefts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352652647/080731140032.htm
Pregnant women who binge drink early in their pregnancy increase the likelihood that their babies will be born with oral clefts.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Exercise In A Pill: Researchers Identify Drugs That Enhance Exercise Endurance
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108109/080731135918.htm
Trying to reap the health benefits of exercise? Forget treadmills and spin classes, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may have found a way around the sweat and pain. They identified two signaling pathways that are activated in response to exercise and converge to dramatically increase endurance.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Discovery May Lead To Immunization Against Cardiovascular Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108110/080731073547.htm
Low levels of naturally occurring antibodies may represent an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke in men. This discovery, published in the academic journal Atherosclerosis, has now led to attempts to develop an immunization against cardiovascular disease.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Mars Express Acquires Sharpest Images Of Martian Moon Phobos
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108111/080731140026.htm
Mars Express closed in on the intriguing martian moon Phobos at 6:49 CEST on July 23, flying past at 3 km/s, only 93 km from the moon. The ESA spacecraft's fly-bys of the moon have returned its most detailed full-disc images ever, also in 3-D, using the High Resolution Stereo Camera on board. Phobos is what scientists call a â€˜small irregular bodyâ€™.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Compounds From Soy Affect Brain And Reproductive Development
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108112/080731140030.htm
Two hormone-like compounds linked to the consumption of soy-based foods can cause irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, resulting in early-onset puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause, according to a new study. The study is a breakthrough in determining how these compounds can cause reproductive health problems, as well as in providing a key building block for how to treat these problems.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Kiwi Fruit DNA Sequences Released
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108113/080731135926.htm
Scientists have released the world's most extensive collection of kiwi fruit DNA sequences. The release comprises over 130,000 kiwi fruit gene sequences from active genes in the plant; genes that govern such characteristics as flavor, color, shape, vitamin content and aspects of fruit development such as ripening and storage life.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Spanish Bank Notes Contain Highest Traces Of Cocaine Of Any European Currency
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108114/080731073648.htm
A study of randomly selected Spanish euro notes carried out by chemists at the University of Valencia (UV) has shown that they contained traces of cocaine at an average concentration of 155 microgrammes, which is the highest rate in Europe, according to an article published in the latest issue of the magazine Trends in Analytical Chemistry. The researchers also carried out a comparative study of the methods currently used in detecting the presence of cocaine on bank notes worldwide.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
'Major Discovery' Primed To Unleash Solar Revolution: Scientists Mimic Essence Of Plants' Energy Storage System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108115/080731143345.htm
Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. Researchers have now hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Cartilage That Repairs Itself? New Research Reveals Important Clues
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108116/080730175520.htm
A strain of mice with the natural ability to repair damaged cartilage may one day lead to significant improvements in treatment of human knee, shoulder and hip injuries. Researchers have discovered males from a strain of mice called MRL/MpJ have the innate ability to repair their own knee cartilage.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Dual-use Sexual Attraction And Population-control Chemicals Found In Nematodes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108117/080731140315.htm
Organisms ranging from humans to plants to the lowliest bacterium use molecules to communicate. Caltech researchers have now found a rare kind of signaling molecule in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans that serves a dual purpose, working as both a population-control mechanism and a sexual attractant. The discovery could lead to new ways to control parasitic nematodes, which affect the health of more than a billion people and cause billions of dollars in crop damage.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
New Treatment Therapy Helps Inhibit Hepatitis C
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108118/080731140131.htm
Two new studies examine the use of the nucleoside polymerase inhibitor, R1626, to the standard therapy for hepatitis C.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
New Insight On Superconductors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108119/080731140233.htm
An important advance in understanding how the electrons in some materials become superconducting has been made by researchers from UC Davis, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and UC Irvine.

Sat, 2 Aug 08
Living With A Partner Reduces Risk Of Alzheimerâ€™s
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/352108120/080731073549.htm
Living with a spouse or a partner decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases. This according to a study by Krister HÃ¥kansson, researcher in psychology at VÃ¤xjÃ¶ University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The results were presented for the first time yesterday at the world's largest dementia conference.