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| Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 |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
‘Lost World’ 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 Albatross’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
Gray’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 Don’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
ESA’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 — melanoma that has spread to the lymph nodes — 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 ‘virtuality’ 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 isn’t one of them. Unless you’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 Niño.
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 – like people animals and plants – 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 “conch” 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 Day’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 Cell’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