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Sun, 21 Sep 08
Pulsating Stars Enable New Precise Determination Of Rotation Of The Milky Way
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397469488/080919142648.htm
New, very precise measurements have shown that the rotation of the Milky Way is simpler than previously thought. A remarkable result from the most successful ESO instrument HARPS, shows that a much debated, apparent "fall" of neighborhood Cepheid stars towards our Sun stems from an intrinsic property of the Cepheids themselves.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Receptor Activation Protects Retina From Diabetes Destruction
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666591/080909111028.htm
Diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon. A drug known for it pain-relieving power and believed to stimulate memory appears to prevent this retinal damage that leads to vision loss, researchers say.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Global Warming's Ecosystem Double Whammy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666592/080917145131.htm
Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
New Model Predicts Long-term Survival Of Critically Ill Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666593/080916215124.htm
The long term survival of critically ill patients may now be predicted, using a new model. The study used clinical and long term survival data of a heterogenous group of 11,930 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Introducing The Next Generation Of Chemical Reactors
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397160036/080919075009.htm
Unique nanostructures which respond to stimuli, such as pH, heat and light will pave the way for safer, greener and more efficient chemical reactors.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Face Blindness Research Shows Emotions Are Key In The Study Of Face Recognition
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666594/080916215122.htm
Recognizing faces is usually an effortless process. However, a minority of people have difficulties identifying the person they are meeting or remembering people they have met before. These problems can be dramatic, where those affected fail to recognize the face of their spouse or child or even their own face. New research on face blindness demonstrates the importance of using naturalistic emotional faces and bodies for a better understanding of developmental face disorders.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Marine Debris Will Likely Worsen In The 21st Century
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666595/080919142602.htm
Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says a new congressionally mandated report.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Internationally Adopted Children Hit Puberty Earlier, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666596/080918170811.htm
A Canadian study has found that some girls adopted from China begin puberty as early as eight and boys as early as 10-years-old.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Sophisticated Monitoring Array To Address Mystery Of Uranium Plume
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666597/080917145415.htm
Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The Department of Energy wants answers to why the uranium persists. Now, an innovative well-monitoring system has been installed for field experiments to better understand this complex site and to support future clean-up decisions.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Cardiologists Find Physical Exams Just As Good For Assessing Heart Failure
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666598/080916215211.htm
Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, researchers have found.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Estrogen 'Flooding Our Rivers,' Montreal Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666599/080918170628.htm
A water treatment plant from Canada's second biggest city, Montreal, is dumping 90 times the critical amount of certain estrogen products into the river. It only takes one nanogram (ng) of steroids per liter of water to disrupt the endocrinal system of fish and decrease their fertility.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Positive Thinking Trial In UK Aims To Prevent Childhood Depression
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666600/080918170622.htm
More than 7,000 school pupils from across the United Kingdom will be taking part in the trial of a new positive thinking program led by the University of Bath designed to prevent children developing problems with depression.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Astrophysicists 'Weigh' Galaxy's Most Massive Star
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666601/080919142646.htm
Theoretical models of stellar formation propose the existence of very massive stars that can attain up to 150 times the mass of our Sun. Until very recently, however, no scientist had discovered a star of more than 83 solar masses. Astrophysicists have now found and "weighed" the most massive star ever discovered.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
New Colorectal Screening Procedure Is Accurate And Less Invasive, Trial Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395650249/080917175040.htm
A major clinical trial for colorectal screening finds that more patients stand to benefit from a comprehensive, less invasive method to accurately detect colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Nanoscale Structures: A Snapshot Of Transformations
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666602/080911150101.htm
Researchers have achieved a milestone in materials science and electron microscopy by taking a high-resolution snapshot of the transformation of nanoscale structures.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Adults With Aortic Valve Disorder Do Not Experience Reduction In Survival Rate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666603/080916215116.htm
Young adults with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart abnormality, experience subsequent cardiac events but do not appear to have lower survival rates compared to the general population, according to a new study.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Wildlife Management: Salmon Fisheries, Yellowstone Wolf Introduction Show What Is Possible
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395141712/080917074126.htm
The Netherlands is a densely populated nation, but could be a good example of how to practice wildlife management in the coming century. Rapid human population growth on the planet is creating pressure on wildlife populations, and many places will thus come to resemble the present situation in The Netherlands.

Sun, 21 Sep 08
Mom's Beliefs May Impact Their Kids' Alcohol Use, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/398666604/080918170813.htm
Mothers, take note. If you really want to curb your teens' chances of using alcohol, help them develop a self-view that doesn't include drinking. According to a new Iowa State University study, the power of positive thinking by moms may limit their children's alcohol use.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Interstellar Space Molecules That Help Form Basic Life Structures Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397192233/080919075007.htm
Scientists have succeeded in identifying naphthalene, one of the most complex molecules yet discovered in the interstellar medium. The detection of this molecule suggests that a large number of the key components in prebiotic terrestrial chemistry could have been present in the interstellar matter from which the Solar System was formed.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Longevity, Cancer And Diet Connected: New Research In Worms Could Apply To Humans
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792102/080919142654.htm
Researchers have discovered a connection between genes that could hold the key to a longer, healthier life. Using worms that share similar genetics to humans, scientists have identified a previously unknown link between two genes -- one associated with aging, the other with certain types of cancer.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Easier-to-hit 'Targets' Could Help Older People Make The Most Of Computers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792103/080911111524.htm
Older people could make better use of computers if icons, links and menu headings automatically grew bigger as the cursor moves towards them.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Stem Cells May Solve Mystery Of Early Pregnancy Breast Cancer Protection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792104/080916144002.htm
The answer to why an early pregnancy seems to protect against breast cancer could rest with a decrease in stem cells found after animals have given birth, said researchers in a report in the journal Stem Cell.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Putting Pictures Into Words
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792105/080918091622.htm
Visual images can contain a wealth of information, but they are difficult to catalogue in a searchable way. European researchers are generating and combining scraps of information to create a searchable picture.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Overbearing Parents Foster Obsessive Children, New Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792106/080918170632.htm
Parents watch your nagging. A new study from the Université de Montréal in Quebec, Canada, has found that parental control directly influences whether a child will develop a harmonious or obsessive passion for their favorite hobby.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Emergence Of Agriculture In Prehistory Took Much Longer, Genetic Evidence Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397192234/080919075005.htm
Researchers have found evidence that genetics supports the idea that the emergence of agriculture in prehistory took much longer than originally thought.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Programmed Cell Death Contributes Force To Movement Of Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792107/080918170618.htm
In addition to pruning cells out of the way during embryonic development, the much-studied process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, has been newly found to exert significant mechanical force on surrounding cells.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Prosthetic Vein Valve Designed To Direct Blood Flow Shows Promising Pre-clinical Results
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792108/080915121223.htm
Engineers have developed a prosthetic vein valve to help improve the lives of those suffering from a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency. The valve was designed to replace damaged, non-functioning valves.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Sole Use Of Impaired Limb Improves Recovery In Spinal Cord Injury
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792109/080916215118.htm
A new study finds that following minor spinal cord injury, rats that had to use impaired limbs showed full recovery due to increased growth of healthy nerve fibers and the formation of new nerve cell connections. These findings help explain how physical therapy advances recovery, and support the use of rehabilitation therapies that specifically target impaired limbs in people with brain and spinal cord injuries.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Optical Sensors Make MRI Scans Safer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396239863/080918091609.htm
Magnetic resonance scans will be safer for children and other patients needing anaesthesia, thanks to new kinds of optical sensors.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Collaboration Helps Police Address Job Stress
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395520180/080917145515.htm
Mangled bodies, gunfire, high-speed chases and injured children are just a few events witnessed by police officers and soldiers serving in dangerous hot spots around the world. These traumas take a high toll on the police officers and soldiers, who suppress human emotions to get the job done and can be reluctant to share their experiences in an effort to spare others from their ordeals, according to a September Police Quarterly article.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397642716/080919185809.htm
NASA's Swift satellite has found the most distant gamma-ray burst ever detected. The blast, designated GRB 080913, arose from an exploding star 12.8 billion light-years away.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Thin Men More Vulnerable To Osteoporosis And Bone Fractures Than Other Older Men
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396289939/080918101526.htm
Obesity and weight increase leads to an increased risk of many chronic diseases, and the advice is therefore to maintain a stable healthy weight. Now, research shows that there may be disadvantages to being thin. Men who have low weight in middle age and who reduce their weight, increase the chance of osteoporosis and fracture. The findings are now published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Harnessing New Technology To Keep Older People Behind The Wheel For Longer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792114/080911111520.htm
A new study has highlighted the key role technology could play in extending the age at which people can drive safely on our roads.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Incontinence Affects A Substantial Proportion Of Women; Prevalence Increases With Age
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792115/080916215114.htm
Nearly one-quarter of women surveyed, and more than one-third of older women, report at least one pelvic floor disorder, which includes urinary and fecal incontinence and the shifting of a pelvic organ, according to a new study. These disorders become more prevalent with increasing age and weight.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Mobile Video Communication From A Mountain Top
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792116/080918091605.htm
Imagine being able to communicate with video images anywhere in the world. Regardless of the connection you still have a good image of the person you are communicating with. Ulrik Söderström from Digital Media Lab, Umea university in Sweden, has developed a technique that enables this.

Sat, 20 Sep 08
Homosexuals' Negative Feelings About Sexuality Predict Poor Mental And Sexual Health
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/397792117/080917145418.htm
Researchers have published a study showing that the degree of internalized homonegativity (negative attitude towards homosexuality) among homosexual men is what predicts poor mental and sexual health -- not the act of being homosexual.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Explorers Find Hundreds Of Undescribed Corals, Other Species On Familiar Australian Reefs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820038/080918170401.htm
Hundreds of new kinds of animal species surprised international researchers systematically exploring waters off two islands on the Great Barrier Reef and a reef off northwestern Australia -- waters long familiar to divers. The expeditions, affiliated with the global Census of Marine Life, help mark the International Year of the Reef.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Natural Childbirth Linked To Stronger Baby Bonding Than C-sections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820039/080918170817.htm
The bonds that tie a mother to her newborn may be stronger in women who deliver naturally than in those who deliver by cesarean section, according to a study published by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the October issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Pictures Of Hot Fudge Sundaes Arouse: Understanding Emotions Improves Our Food Choices
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820040/080915170751.htm
Menus and advertising affect our emotions, and if we understand those emotions, we make better food choices, according to a new study.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Fly Studies Reveal Immune Cell Responses To Tumor And Tissue Damage
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395141714/080917073950.htm
A new report reveals the similarities between the immune response to cancer and and the immune response to tissue damage.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Security: Checking People At Airports – With Terahertz Radiation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396239866/080918091607.htm
Within the last few years the number of transport checks -- above all at airports -- has been increased considerably. A worthwhile effort as, after all, it concerns the protection of passengers. Possibilities for new and safe methods of checking people are offered by terahertz radiation.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Political Views Affect Firms' Corporate Social Responsibility, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820041/080917145143.htm
Firms in Democratic states tend to have a higher corporate social responsibility rating than those in Republican ones, a new study finds.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Genetically Modified Crops Protect Neighbors From Pests, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820042/080918170355.htm
A study in northern China indicates that genetically modified cotton, altered to express the insecticide, Bt, not only reduces pest populations among those crops, but also reduces pests among other nearby crops that have not been modified with Bt. These findings could offer promising new ideas for controlling pests and maximizing crop yields in the future.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Key Advance In Treating Spinal Cord Injuries Found In Manipulating Stem Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396697922/080918192939.htm
Manipulating stem cells prior to transplantation may hold the key to overcoming a critical obstacle to using stem cell technology to repair spinal cord injuries, scientists have shown.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Smart Desks Make Sci-fi A Reality In The Classroom
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820043/080916215203.htm
Schools are set for a Star Trek make-over thanks to the development of the world's first interactive classroom by experts at Durham University. Researchers are designing new learning environments using interactive multi-touch desks that look and act like a large version of an Apple iPhone.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Muscle Stem Cell Identity Confirmed By Researchers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820044/080917145135.htm
A single cell can repopulate damaged skeletal muscle in mice, say scientists who devised a way to track the cell's fate in living animals. The research is the first to confirm that so-called satellite cells encircling muscle fibers harbor an elusive muscle stem cell.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Road Crossing Structures Important In Reduction Of Animal Mortality On Roads
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395141701/080917074132.htm
Spanish highways are increasingly incorporating walkways specially designed for wild animals, or mixed use structures designed for other purposes, which connect wildlife from one side of the road to the other. Researchers have analysed 43 walkways used by vertebrates to quantify the importance of these structures, which facilitate animals’ natural movements and reduce mortality caused by vehicles and, consequently, traffic accidents.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Kids With Obese Friends And Family More Likely To Misperceive Weight
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820045/080917145405.htm
Kids and teens surrounded by overweight peers or parents are more likely to be oblivious to their own extra pounds than kids from thin entourages, according to a new Canadian study.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
'Baby' Fat Cells May Be Key To Treating Obesity, Say Researchers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820046/080918170620.htm
Immature, or "baby," fat cells lurk in the walls of the blood vessels that nourish fatty tissue, just waiting for excess calories to help them grow into the adult monsters responsible for packing on the extra pounds, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in mice.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Novel Anti-cancer Mechanism Found In Long-lived Rodents
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396206097/080918081158.htm
Biologists have found that small-bodied rodents with long lifespans have evolved a previously unknown anti-cancer mechanism that appears to be different from any anticancer mechanisms employed by humans or other large mammals.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
First Dense Gas Of Ultracold 'Polar' Molecules Created
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820047/080918170405.htm
Scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder, have applied their expertise in ultracold atoms and lasers to produce the first high-density gas of ultracold molecules -- two different atoms bonded together -- that are both stable and capable of strong interactions.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Mother's Flu Shot Protects Newborns
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395221514/080917095346.htm
Newborns can be protected from seasonal flu when their mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy. Researchers observed a 63 percent reduction in proven influenza illness among infants born to vaccinated mothers while the number of serious respiratory illnesses to both mothers and infants dropped by 36 percent. The study is the first to demonstrate that the inactivated influenza vaccine provides protection to both mother and newborn.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
New Link To Tropical African Climate Proposed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820048/080911150057.htm
Scientists have proposed a new link to rainfall and temperature patterns in southeast Africa. Examining data from African lake core sediments covering the past 60,000 years, the researchers report in this week's Science Express that the region's climate does not march in lockstep with a circulatory system known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, as previously believed. The finding could help scientists understand how tropical Africa will respond to global warming.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Finger Lengths Linked To Voluntary Exercise
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820049/080916215126.htm
If you find yourself lacking in motivation to go for a run or hit the gym, you may want to check your fingers. According to a new study there is a direct correlation between digit length and voluntary exercise.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
From Sugar To Gasoline: 'Green Gasoline' Crafted From Sugar And Carbohydrates
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820050/080918170827.htm
Following independent paths of investigation, two research teams are announcing this month that they have successfully converted sugar -- potentially derived from agricultural waste and non-food plants -- into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and a range of other valuable chemicals.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Hormone Discovery Points To Benefits Of 'Home Grown' Fat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820051/080918170359.htm
A hormone found at higher levels when the body produces its own "home grown" fat comes with considerable metabolic benefits, according to a new study. The newly discovered signaling molecule is the first example of a lipid-based hormone -- most are made up of proteins -- although the researchers said they expect it will not be the last.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Biologists Identify Genes Controlling Rhythmic Plant Growth
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820052/080916101146.htm
A team of biologists from UC San Diego, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Oregon State University has identified the genes that enable plants to undergo bursts of rhythmic growth at night and allow them to compete when their leaves are shaded by other plants.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Prostate Cancer Genes Behave Like Those In Embryo
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820053/080916215215.htm
Gene activity in prostate cancer is reminiscent of that in the developing fetal prostate, providing further evidence that all cancers are not equal, researchers report. The finding could help scientists investigate how to manipulate the genetic program to fight a disease whose biology remains poorly understood despite more than half a century of investigation.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Lighting Research Center Develops Framework For Assessing Light Pollution
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820054/080909102148.htm
Balancing public and private interests for nighttime lighting has been a difficult undertaking, as too little lighting may increase safety and security issues, while too much lighting may cause problems for the environment and for human well being. Scientists in the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed the first ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Accuracy, Efficacy And Ethics Of Abstinence-only Programs Questioned By Public Health Experts
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820055/080916143912.htm
Studies published in the journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy reveal that abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs fail to change sexual behavior in teenagers, provide inaccurate information about condoms and violate human rights principles.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
'Buckyballs' Have High Potential To Accumulate In Living Tissue
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820056/080918171148.htm
Research suggests synthetic carbon molecules called fullerenes, or buckyballs, have a high potential of being accumulated in animal tissue, but the molecules also appear to break down in sunlight, perhaps reducing their possible environmental dangers.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Cutting Calories Could Limit Muscle Wasting In Later Years
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820057/080916215209.htm
A restricted-calorie diet, when started in early adulthood, seems to stymie a mitochondrial mishap that may contribute to muscle loss in aging adults, researchers have reported.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Pores Open The Door To Death
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820058/080916143858.htm
Scientists settle the question as to how our immune defenses enter and attack its own cells when they fall prey to viruses and tumor cells.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Inflammatory Response To Infection And Injury May Worsen Dementia
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820059/080916215205.htm
Inflammation in the brain resulting from infection or injury may accelerate the progress of dementia, new research suggests. The findings may have implications for the treatment and care of those living with dementia.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Error Message! How Mobile Phones Distort Measurements
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395141711/080917074128.htm
Nowadays we don't only take measurements with simple measuring devices, but also with whole measuring systems. Unfortunately these complete systems are susceptible to electromagnetic radiation such as that transmitted by mobile phones and radio transceivers.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Exposure To Family Violence Especially Harmful To Previously Abused Children
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820060/080916100930.htm
Researchers conducted a study with a racially diverse sample of 2,925 children ages 5 to 16 years that found that the types of violence that abused children were later re-exposed to lead to specific types of psychological problems. Previously abused children who witnessed family violence, such as partner-on-partner abuse or adult-on-child abuse, had more symptoms of depression and anxiety, while those subjected to harsh physical discipline were more aggressive and more frequently broke rules.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Mother's Diet Can Affect Genes And Offspring's Risk Of Allergic Asthma, Rodent Studies Suggest
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820061/080918192822.htm
A pregnant mouse's diet can induce epigenetic changes that increase the risk her offspring will develop allergic asthma, according to researchers at National Jewish Health and Duke University Medical Center. Pregnant mice that consumed diets high in supplements containing methyl-donors, such as folic acid, had offspring with more severe allergic airway disease than offspring from mice that consumed diets low in methyl-containing foods.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
New Mechanism For Cardiac Arrhythmia Discovered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396289938/080918101529.htm
Virus infections can cause cardiac arrhythmia. Scientists have now discovered the molecular mechanism. They have demonstrated that the receptor which the virus uses to infect heart cells is normally necessary for regular heart beat. Likewise, when the receptor is absent, arrhythmia occurs. The researchers assume that the virus infection and the autoimmune disease can block the receptor which disrupts the heart's normal rhythm.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Use Of Non-psychoactive Cannabinoids In The Treatment Of Neurodegenerative Diseases.
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820062/080916154721.htm
Scientists have studied the effects of a drug that reduces the progression of a disease similar to multiple sclerosis in animals. This discovery represents another step in the standing fight against the disease.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Genes Capable Of Regulating Stem Cell Function Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395141715/080917073948.htm
An animal model provides insight on pathways used for adult tissue maintenance and regeneration; system for studying relationship between stem cells and cancer. Scientists have developed a new system in which to study known mammalian adult stem cell disorders. This research, conducted with the flatworm planaria, highlights the genetic similarity between these invertebrates and mammals in the mechanisms by which stem cell regulatory pathways are used during adult tissue maintenance and regeneration.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Study Helps Stop Drugs Slipping Through Safety Net
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820063/080916101028.htm
Recent advances in genetic screening will lead to safer pharmaceutical drugs, with reduced adverse side effects, if the methods are incorporated in clinical development. A rallying call to bring key scientists into this growing field of pharmacogenics, the application of genetics to drug development and safety, was made recently at a major conference organized by the European Science Foundation in collaboration with the University of Barcelona.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Early Parenting Plays Key Role In Infants' Physiological Response To Stress
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820064/080916100928.htm
physiological response to stress (measured by heart rate) when they were temporarily separated from their mothers. DNA was collected to determine which infants carried a gene related to risky behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. Among those with the "risk" gene, maternal sensitivity did not affect heart rate at 6 months, but those with sensitive mothers showed an effective cardiac response at 12 months.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Astronomers Discover Most Dark Matter-dominated Galaxy In Universe
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396615907/080918170630.htm
Astronomers have discovered the least luminous, most dark matter-filled galaxy known to exist. The galaxy, called Segue 1, is one of about two dozen small satellite galaxies orbiting our own Milky Way galaxy. The ultra-faint galaxy is a billion times less bright than the Milky Way, according to the team’s results.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
A Healthy Lifestyle Halves The Risk Of Premature Death In Women
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820065/080916215130.htm
Over half of deaths in women from chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease could be avoided if they never smoke, keep their weight in check, take exercise and eat a healthy diet low in red meat and trans-fats, according to a study published on the British Medical Journal website.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Ship-induced Waves Affect Snails, Crabs And Insect Larvae In Sandy Lakes And Rivers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393192219/080915083723.htm
Snails, crabs, insect larvae - the shores of rivers and lakes are populated by thousands of small animals that play an important role in the food chain of the freshwater ecosystem. They eat the leaves which fall into the water, among other things, and help keep the waters clean. Scientists are now studying the impact that ship-induced waves can have on these small animals.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Genes Linked To Blindness Produced By Corneal Oedema Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396239860/080918091620.htm
Scientists have identified genes linked to blindness produced by corneal oedema. The findings, published in the journal ‘Experimental Eye Research’ related to blindness caused by corneal oedema originated by the alteration of the cell barrier of corneal endothelium. When the endothelial cell barrier is unharmed, the cornea remains dehydrated and transparent.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
New Method For Building Multilingual Ontologies That Can Be Applied To The Semantic Web
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396239861/080918091618.htm
Researchers have developed a new method for building multilingual ontologies that can be applied to the Semantic Web. An ontology is a structured set of terms and concepts underpinning the meaning of a subject area. Artificial intelligence and knowledge representation systems are the principal users of ontologies.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Carrots And Sticks To Promote A Healthy Lifestyle?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820066/080916101142.htm
When it comes to deciding whether paying people to make healthier lifestyle changes is a good thing, it seems patient opinion is split right down the middle. Unsurprisingly perhaps, those who smoke and are overweight are its greatest advocates.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
World Faces Global Pandemic Of Antibiotic Resistance, Experts Warn
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820067/080918192836.htm
Vital components of modern medicine such as major surgery, organ transplantation, and cancer chemotherapy will be threatened if antibiotic resistance is not tackled urgently, warn experts.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Common Bronchodilator Drug Linked To Increased Deaths
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820068/080915174609.htm
A common bronchodilator drug which has been used for more than a decade by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been linked to a one-third higher risk of cardiovascular-related deaths. The drug is ipratropium. A new study found that veterans with recently diagnosed COPD using ipratropium were 34 percent more likely to die of a heart attack or of arrhythmia.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
COPD? Eat Your Veggies
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390650326/080912075156.htm
You know it's good for you in other ways, but could eating your broccoli also help patients with chronic lung disease? It just might. Broccoli is known to contain a compound that prevents the degradation of a key component that protects lungs against oxidative damage and has been linked to the development and severity of chronic lung disease.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Determining The Structure Of Nuclear Receptor Has Implications For A Host Of Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820069/080916101154.htm
Researchers have determined the molecular structure of a nuclear receptor, which regulates the expression of specific genes within cells, that may serve as a drug target for diseases related to heart and blood vessel development, human embryonic development and female infertility. Researchers also found that the receptor, named COUP-TFII, is activated by retinoic acid, a form of Vitamin A.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
Engineers Discover Nanoparticles Can Break On Through
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820070/080916215213.htm
In a finding that could speed the use of sensors or barcodes at the nanoscale, engineers have shown that certain types of tiny organic particles, when heated to the proper temperature, bob to the surface of a layer of a thin polymer film and then can reversibly recede below the surface when heated a second time.

Fri, 19 Sep 08
What Was I Doing? Interruptions Can Change Purchase Decisions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/396820071/080915170747.htm
You're on your computer, about to buy a vacation package when the phone rings. According to a new study, when you return to the computer after the interruption, you may have a completely different mindset -- and make a different decision.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
It’s All In The Hips: Early Whales Used Well Developed Back Legs For Swimming, Fossils Show
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736302/080917210028.htm
The crashing of the enormous fluked tail on the surface of the ocean is a "calling card" of modern whales. Living whales have no back legs, and their front legs take the form of flippers that allow them to steer. Their special tails provide the powerful thrust necessary to move their huge bulk. Yet this has not always been the case. Now newly found fossils from Alabama and Mississippi that pinpoint where tail flukes developed in the evolution of whales.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Top-selling Cholesterol Drug Does Little For Women, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395694894/080917145147.htm
Lipitor has been the top-selling drug in the world and has accounted for over $12 billion in annual sales. It has been prescribed to both men and women to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with common risk factors for heart disease. However, a new study was unable to find high quality clinical evidence documenting reduced heart attack risk for women in a primary prevention context.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Small Numbers Of Patients With Drug-resistant TB May Account For High Proportion Of New Infections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736303/080916101148.htm
Inadequate treatment of antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis can leave patients highly infectious, and small numbers of such patients may drive transmission of the disease in the very health care facilities intended to treat it, according to research published in PLoS Medicine.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
From Xbox To T-cells: Borrowing Video Game Technology To Model Human Biology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736304/080916155058.htm
Researchers are harnessing the computing muscle behind the leading video games to understand the most intricate of real-life systems.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Signals From Blood Of Mother Enhance Maturation Of Brain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736305/080915210513.htm
The maturation of the brain of unborn infants is given a gentle “prod” by its mother, according to new research. A protein messenger from the mother’s blood is transferred to the embryo and stimulates the growth and wiring of the neurons in the brain.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Scientists Turn Human Skin Cells Into Insulin-producing Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395650248/080917175042.htm
Researchers have transformed cells from human skin into cells that produce insulin, the hormone used to treat diabetes. The breakthrough may one day lead to new treatments or even a cure for the millions of people affected by the disease, researchers say.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
New Leukemia Signal Could Point Way To Better Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736306/080917145133.htm
Cancer researchers have discovered a promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. Their discovery hinges on a novel "double agent" role for a molecular signal that regulates cell growth.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Blanket Ban On Bushmeat Could Be Disastrous For Forest Dwellers In Central Africa, Says New Report
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736307/080916101152.htm
A new report from the Center for International Forestry Research, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and partners warns that an upsurge in hunting bushmeat -- including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians -- in tropical forests is unsustainable, and that it poses serious threats to food security for poor inhabitants of forests in Africa, who rely largely on bushmeat for protein.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Almost 7 Million Pregnant In Sub-Saharan Africa Infected With Hookworms
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736308/080917145411.htm
A new study reveals that between a quarter and a third of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, or almost 7 million, are infected with hookworms and at increased risk of developing anemia.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Scavenger Birds Chew The Fat
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736309/080908105404.htm
Humans aren't the only ones who like fatty foods -- bearded vultures do, too. The bearded vulture will discard less energy-dense bones and choose only the bones containing the highest fat content both for its consumption and delivery to its young.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Genetic Research Using Human Samples Requires New Types Of Informed Consent
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736310/080916101150.htm
Genetic studies involving the long term storage and study of human samples hold great promise for medical research -- but they also pose new threats to individuals such as uninsurability, unemployability, and discrimination, say a team of researchers in this week's PLoS Medicine.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Researchers Suppress 'Hunger Hormone' In Pigs: New Minimally Invasive Method Yields Result As Good As Bariatric Surgery
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736311/080916100946.htm
Johns Hopkins scientists report success in significantly suppressing levels of the "hunger hormone" ghrelin in pigs using a minimally invasive means of chemically vaporizing the main vessel carrying blood to the top section, or fundus, of the stomach. An estimated 90 percent of the body's ghrelin originates in the fundus, which can't make the hormone without a good blood supply.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Viral 'Magic Bullet' Targets Cancer Cells With Help Of New Compound
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736313/080916143958.htm
Researchers report a significant breakthrough in the use of viruses to target and destroy cancer cells, a field known as oncolytic virotherapy.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Capturing Replication Strategies Used By SARS Viruses In Their Bid To Spread
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736315/080916101156.htm
Biologists report how they have used virus-infected cell cultures and developed a sophisticated method to preserve and visualize the fragile replication structures of SARS-coronavirus, both in whole cells and in sections of cells.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Steroids Not As Effective In Obese Asthma Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736316/080916215217.htm
Researchers have shown that glucocorticoids, the primary controller medication for asthma, are 40 percent less effective in overweight and obese asthma patients than in those of normal weight.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Developing Pea Varieties Tolerant Of Drought And Effects Of Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736319/080916143856.htm
New research could help breeders to develop pea varieties able to withstand drought stress and climate change. The research also shows that the composition of crops is likely to change with the climate.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Children Who Are Concerned About Parents Arguing Are Prone To School Problems
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736321/080916100932.htm
A new study charted how children's concerns about their parents' relationship may increase their vulnerability to later adjustment problems. Children who worry a lot about conflict between their parents were found to have school problems because of difficulty focusing and sustaining attention. These attention problems were noted by teachers in the year that the concern was reported and one year later. The findings have implications for mental health programs among children dealing with parental discord.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Improving Our Ability To Peek Inside Molecules
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736324/080916144006.htm
It's not easy to see a single molecule inside a living cell. Nevertheless, researchers are developing a new technique that will enable them to create detailed high-resolution images, giving scientists an unprecedented look at the atomic structure of cellular molecules.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
How Often To Screen For Colon Cancer? Study Finds 5-year Risk Extremely Low
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395650247/080917175036.htm
How frequently should symptom-free individuals at average risk for colon cancer undergo screening with colonoscopy? Researchers report that while there still is no definitive answer to the question, they now know the procedure need not be performed any sooner than every five years.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Coating Improves Electrical Stimulation Therapy Used For Parkinson's, Depression, Chronic Pain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736327/080916101024.htm
Researchers have designed a way to improve electrical stimulation of nerves by outfitting electrodes with the latest in chemically engineered fashion: a coating of basic black, formed from carbon nanotubes.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Blood Pressure Drug Combination Reduces Heart Attack Deaths
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736329/080916143904.htm
Thousands of patients with high blood pressure could benefit from changing their drug treatment regimen to reduce their risk of cardiac death. Researchers analyzed data from existing clinical trials of diuretic drugs and found that combining a thiazide diuretic with a "potassium-sparing" drug to treat hypertension reduced both sudden cardiac death and total coronary mortality by 40 percent. The findings call into question the current treatment guidelines.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
The Greening Of Sub-Saharan Africa
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395520175/080917145740.htm
The green revolution that has led to food being far more abundant now than forty years ago in South America and Asia has all-but bypasses Sub-Saharan Africa as that region's population trebled over that time period. Now, researchers in The Netherlands point to possible causes for this disparity and offer hope of reversing the trend based on a technological approach.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Move Over Mean Girls -- Boys Can Be Socially Aggressive, Too
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736332/080916100934.htm
A new analysis contradicts the notion that "social" aggression, such as spreading rumors, is a female and not male form of aggression. The researchers analyzed 148 studies of social and physical aggression, encompassing 74,000 children and adolescents. Children who carry out one form of aggression (social or physical) were inclined to carry out the other form. Social aggression is related to delinquency and ADHD-type symptoms, while physical aggression is related to depression and low self-esteem.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Significant Increase In Alien Plants In Europe Observed
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736334/080917145409.htm
The number of alien plant species has more than tripled over the last 25 years. This is the finding of a study by European scientists who evaluated the data from 48 European countries and regions. A total of 5789 plant species were classified as alien. Of these, 2843 originating outside of Europe, according to the researchers. By contrast, in 1980 only 1568 alien species were registered.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
New Oral Drug Shrinks Lung Cancers Before Surgery, Researchers Report
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736345/080916101030.htm
Pazopanib, a new oral angiogenesis inhibitor, has demonstrated interesting activity in difficult to treat non-small-cell lung cancer, researchers report.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Pregnant Women With Bulimia Have More Anxiety And Depression, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736346/080917095356.htm
Women who have bulimia in pregnancy have more symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to pregnant women without eating disorders. A new Norwegian study shows that they also have lower self-esteem and are more dissatisfied with life and their relationship with their partner.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
New Results Help Predict Treatment Response In Colorectal Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736348/080916101036.htm
Gene marker indicates doubling of survival time in advanced colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab. A study shows value of circulating tumor cells in patients on targeted therapy.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Bovine Mastitis: Could A Vaccine Be On The Way?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395520177/080917145736.htm
It is the most common infectious disease in farmed animals. Around one million cases occur each year in the UK. It is painful, occasionally life threatening, and costs the dairy industry £200m every year in lost production and treatments. Within the UK alone it has been estimated that around 12m doses of antibiotic are used annually to control and treat mastitis in cattle.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Troubled Girls From Poor Neighborhoods More Likely To Have Sex In Early Adolescence
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736350/080916100940.htm
A new study has found that girls living in poor neighborhoods were more likely to engage in sexual intercourse in early adolescence and to be doing so with older boys.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Nottingham Scientists To Develop Blood Test For Alzheimer’s
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736351/080917202830.htm
Researchers in the United Kingdom are joining forces to develop a simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Even If Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hold Steady, Warmer World Faces Loss Of Biodiversity, Glaciers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395520173/080917145509.htm
Even if greenhouse gas emissions are fixed at 2005 levels, a new analysis shows that irreversible warming will lead to biodiversity loss and substantial glacial melt.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Migraine Linked To Blood Clots In Veins
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736352/080915165814.htm
People with migraines may also be more likely to develop blood clots in their veins, according to a new study.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Drinking Water: The Need For Constant Innovation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736353/080912091736.htm
Most western countries' drinking water is of excellent quality, but there is no room for complacency. The challenges are growing: undesirable contaminants are found in rivers, lakes and groundwater. Climate change is also warming waterbodies, with implications for water quality, and in developing countries more and more people are reliant on groundwater containing natural contaminants. In industrialized countries water utilities are aging and need to be renewed.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Factors Associated With Poor Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736354/080915165816.htm
Individuals with diabetes and those whose stomach pouches are larger appear less likely to successfully lose weight after gastric bypass surgery, according to new report.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
High Grain Prices Are Likely Here To Stay
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736355/080915132700.htm
An ethanol-fueled spike in grain prices will likely hold, yielding the first sustained increase for corn, wheat and soybean prices in more than three decades, according to new research.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Parents Of Dying Newborns Need Clearer Explanation Of Options
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395736356/080915174550.htm
Parent-doctor discussions about whether to maintain or withdraw life support from terminally ill or severely premature newborns are so plagued by miscommunication and misunderstanding that they might as well be in different languages, according to a small but potentially instructive new study.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Fastest Flights In Nature: High-speed Spore Discharge Mechanisms Among Fungi
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465101/080916215120.htm
Microscopic coprophilous (dung-loving fungi) make our planet habitable by degrading the billions of tons of feces produced by herbivores. But the fungi have a problem: survival depends upon the consumption of their spores by herbivores and few animals will graze on grass next to their own dung. Evolution has overcome this obstacle by producing mechanisms of spore discharge whose elegance transforms a cow pie into a circus of microscopic catapults, trampolines and squirt guns.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Nanomedical Approach Targets Multiple Cancer Genes, Shrinks Tumors More Effectively
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465091/080915143328.htm
Nanoparticles filled with a drug that targets two genes that trigger melanoma could offer a potential cure for this deadly disease, according to cancer researchers. The treatment, administered through an ultrasound device, demonstrates a safer and more effective way of targeting cancer-causing genes in cancer cells without harming normal tissue.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Giant Grass Offers Clues To Growing Corn In Cooler Climes, Researchers Report
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385624/080915121331.htm
A giant perennial grass used as a biofuels source has a much longer growing season than corn, and researchers think they've found the secret of its success. Their findings should help develop cold-tolerant corn, significantly boosting per-acre yields.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Old And New Therapies Combine To Tackle Atherosclerosis
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465098/080915174544.htm
Futuristic nanotechnology has been teamed with a decades-old drug to beat atherosclerotic plaques. The scientists found that drug-laced nanoparticles plus a statin could stop the growth of tiny blood vessels that feed arterial plaques. Their results suggest that the dual treatment also prevents the vessels from restarting their growth, which could shrink or stabilize plaques.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
3-D MRI Technique Helps Radiologists Detect High-risk Carotid Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465099/080916100938.htm
Canadian researchers have used 3-D magnetic resonance imaging to accurately detect bleeding within the walls of diseased carotid arteries, a condition that may lead to a stroke. The results of the study suggest the technique may prove to be a useful screening tool for patients at high risk for stroke.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Older Problem Gamblers May Face Greater Suicide Risk Than Younger Counterparts, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465108/080916100944.htm
Compared to their younger counterparts, older problem gamblers who ask casinos to bar them from returning are three to four times more likely to do so because they fear they will kill themselves if they don't stop betting, according to a new study.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Scientists Find Black Hole 'Missing Link'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465100/080917145139.htm
Scientists have found the "missing link" between small and super-massive black holes. For the first time the researchers have discovered that a strong X-ray pulse is emitting from a giant black hole in a galaxy 500 million light years from Earth. The pulse has been created by gas being sucked by gravity on to the black hole at the center of the galaxy.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
An 'HIV-test' Equivalent For Early Detection Of Lung Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465102/080916101158.htm
A team of researchers led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reports online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology the validation of a potential "HIV-test" equivalent for the early detection of lung cancer. The test, which relies on immune-system signals, much like an HIV test, can detect the presence of lung cancer a year prior to diagnosis, long before symptoms appear.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Roman York Skeleton Could Be Early TB Victim
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465104/080916101038.htm
The skeleton of a man discovered by archaeologists in a shallow grave on the site of the University of York's campus expansion could be that of one of Britain's earliest victims of tuberculosis.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
New Drug Substantially Extends Survival In Pancreatic Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465106/080916101032.htm
A new form of chemotherapy that destroys new blood vessels that grow around tumors has produced excellent results in a phase II trial of patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer, researchers report at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Stockholm.

Thu, 18 Sep 08
Houses Made Of Hemp Could Help Combat Climate Change
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/395465107/080916154724.htm
Houses made of hemp, timber or straw could help combat climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of building construction, according to researchers at the University of Bath.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Breakthrough In Energy Storage: New Carbon Material Shows Promise Of Storing Large Quantities Of Renewable Electrical Energy
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394515510/080916143910.htm
Engineers and scientists have achieved a breakthrough in the use of a one-atom thick structure called "graphene" as a new carbon-based material for storing electrical charge in ultracapacitor devices, perhaps paving the way for the massive installation of renewable energies such as wind and solar power.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Gene Therapy For Chronic Pain Gets First Test In People
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385625/080915121329.htm
Scientists have launched a phase 1 clinical trial to test whether a pain-relieving gene can be sent to a key point in the nervous system and block pain sensation. The technique promises a more effective, targeted way to treat persistent pain than present painkillers.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Fantastic Photographs Of Fluorescent Fish
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466076/080915210600.htm
Scientists have discovered that certain fish are capable of glowing red. Research in BMC Ecology includes striking images of fish fluorescing vivid red light.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Is Re-emerging Superbug The Next MRSA?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466077/080915174607.htm
Physicians are issuing a warning that Clostridium difficile, a virulent strain of an intestinal bacteria, is currently plaguing hospitals and now rivals the superbug Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus as a top disease threat to humans. The little-known bacteria appears to be the next emerging disease threat, killing 1,000s in the United States.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Oil Palm Plantations Are No Substitute For Tropical Rainforests, New Study Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385627/080915121221.htm
The continued expansion of oil palm plantations will worsen the dual environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, unless rainforests are better protected, warn scientists in the most comprehensive review of the subject to date.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
New Music Software Can Create Accompaniment To Any Melody, In Style Of Any Artist
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466078/080915143320.htm
A new software system can not only create an accompaniment to any given melody, but do so in the style of any chosen artist, or even the particular style used in select pieces by the artist. The system can potentially run on an ordinary PC.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Why Some Primates, But Not Humans, Can Live With Immunodeficiency Viruses And Not Progress To AIDS
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466079/080916143900.htm
Some primate species, including sooty mangabeys, harbor simian immunodeficiency viruses but remain healthy, unlike rhesus macaques. The immune systems of sooty mangabeys become significantly less activated during SIV infection than the immune systems of macaques. The less vigorous immune response to SIV in mangabeys may be an effective evolutionary response to a virus that resists clearance by antiviral immune responses. New treatment strategies that would steer the immune system away from over-activation could protect against the unintended damage caused by host immune responses.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Embryonic Stem Cells Might Help Reduce Transplantation Rejection
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385622/080915122723.htm
Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. The finding has implications for possible improvements in organ and bone marrow transplantation for humans.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Earth Structure: Lowermost Mantle Has Materials With Unexpected Properties
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466082/080916105720.htm
Materials deep inside Earth have unexpected atomic properties that might force earth scientists to revise their models of Earth's internal processes. Recreating in the lab materials they believe exist in the lowermost mantle 2,900 kilometers below Earth's surface, researchers say the materials exhibit unexpected atomic properties that might influence how heat is transferred within Earth's mantle, how superplumes form, and how the magnetic field and heat generated in Earth's core travel to the planet's surface.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
3-D Computer Processor: 'Rochester Cube' Points Way To More Powerful Chip Designs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466088/080915105733.htm
The next major advance in computer processors will likely be the move from today's two-dimensional chips to three-dimensional circuits, and the first three-dimensional synchronization circuitry is now running at 1.4 gigahertz at the University of Rochester.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Mice Missing 'Fear' Gene Slow To Protect Offspring
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466089/080915174548.htm
First, he discovered a gene that controls innate fear in animals. Now Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has shown that the same gene promotes "helicopter mom" behavior in mice. The gene, known as stathmin or oncoprotein 18, motivates female animals to protect newborn pups and interact cautiously with unknown peers. Shumyatsky's newest finding could enhance our understanding of human anxiety, including part-partum depression and borderline personality disorders.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Whale Songs Are Heard For First Time Around New York City Waters
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466090/080916143906.htm
For the first time in waters surrounding New York City, the beckoning calls of endangered fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales have been recorded.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Genetic Variant Increases Risk Of Developing Malignant Melanoma
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466091/080915122731.htm
People who carry a particular genetic variant are at significantly increased risk of developing malignant melanoma, new research shows.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Innovative Hydrogen-powered Car Created
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390696416/080912091726.htm
As the price of gasoline fuel soars, and concerns grow about the impact of car culture on the environment, a team of scientists have come up with a hydrogen-powered car, which they believe is a significant step forward in creating a mass-produced green machine.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Later Treatment Of Acute Stroke Suggested By New Study
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466092/080915105729.htm
The time span in which treatment should be given for acute ischaemic stroke -- i.e. stroke caused by a clot or other obstruction to the blood supply -- can be lengthened. This according to a new study, the results of which can bring about more effective and safer treatments for stroke sufferers.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Extremely Detailed Images From Inside The Body Possible With New Technology
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390696414/080912091732.htm
New technology will enable extremely detailed images to be made of the smallest structures of the human body. The aim is to detect the risk or commencement of an illness at a very early stage in heart, brain and cancer research. This will be the only magnetic resonance tomograph of the modern 7 tesla generation in the world, in which a metrology institute is also involved.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Seize The Day! New Research Helps Tightwads 'Live A Little'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466093/080915143326.htm
Some people have trouble indulging, and they regret it later. There's hope for those people, according to a new study.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Watch And Learn: Time Teaches Us How To Recognize Visual Objects
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466094/080911150046.htm
In work that could aid efforts to develop more brain-like computer vision systems, MIT neuroscientists have tricked the visual brain into confusing one object with another, thereby demonstrating that time teaches us how to recognize objects.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Genetic Profile Reveals Susceptibility To Cleft Palate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385620/080915122727.htm
For the first time, researchers have identified a series of genetic mutations that appear to be linked to significant risk for cleft palate and other dental abnormalities. These are devastating conditions that cause tremendous social isolation, and also are associated with decreased lifespan, a higher risk of cancer and increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, even after surgical repair.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Low-emission, High-performance Engine For Future Hybrids
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466095/080915164550.htm
In an advance toward introduction of an amazing new kind of internal combustion engine, researchers in China are reporting development and use of a new and more accurate computer model to assess performance of the so-called free-piston linear alternator (FPLA).

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Protective Pathway In Stressed Cells Not So Helpful When It Comes To Prions
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466096/080915121216.htm
Scientists have discovered that an important cellular quality control mechanism may actually be toxic to some brain cells during prion infection. The research proposes a new general mechanism of cellular dysfunction that can contribute to the devastating and widespread neuronal death characteristic of slowly progressing neurodegenerative diseases.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
New Mechanism To Produce Energy From Biomass
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240626/080915083713.htm
Scientists have developed a system that can improve the efficiency of the conversion process of biomass to fuel gas that will contribute to the production of energy in a more sustainable manner.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
New Insights Into Teenagers And Anxiety Disorders
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466099/080915165832.htm
Can scientists predict who will develop anxiety disorders years in advance? One UCLA professor of psychology thinks so, and is four years into an eight-year study, evaluating 650 students who were 16-years-old at the study's start, to learn risk factors for the development of anxiety and depression -- the most comprehensive study of its kind.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
New Clues To Oxygen At The Origin Of The Solar System
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276410/080915134903.htm
Oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth, accounting for almost half the planet's mass. Of its three stable isotopes, oxygen 16 makes up 99.762 percent of oxygen on Earth, while heavier oxygen 17 accounts for just 0.038 percent, and the heaviest isotope, oxygen 18, makes up 0.2 percent. Yet minerals in some of the most primitive objects in the solar system, including the meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, have quite different ratios of oxygen isotopes than on Earth; presumably the rare heavy isotopes occurred in much greater abundances in the early solar system.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Key Protein Molecule Linked To Diverse Human Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466101/080915143332.htm
Scientists have revealed a common connection between the cellular innate immunity network and human chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The finding presents a viable cellular and molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of serious human inflammatory diseases.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Moderate Quantities Of Dirt Make More Rain
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466102/080909111026.htm
Drought or deluge? Scientists have now discovered how aerosols affect the when, where and how much of rainfall.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Acting Surgeon General Issues 'Call To Action To Prevent DVT And Pulmonary Embolism'
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466103/080915121219.htm
Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., has issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States. Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Bovine Colostrum And Fermented Cabbage Can Help Restrict Infections
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240623/080915083721.htm
Antibodies extracted from bovine colostrum as well as lactobacilli extracted from fermented cabbage and other sources prevent the action of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Consumers Think Differently About Close And Distant Purchases
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466104/080915143334.htm
If you are deciding on a major vacation for next year, you'll use different criteria than if you are planning a trip this weekend, according to a new study.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Neighbors From Hell: Infanticide Rife In Guillemot Colony
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394755873/080916215333.htm
One of Britain's best-known species of seabird is increasingly attacking and killing unattended chicks from neighboring nests due to food shortages.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Immigrant Sun: Our Star Could Be Far From Where It Started In Milky Way
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677695/080915170755.htm
New simulations challenge a long-held belief, indicating that in galaxies similar to the Milky Way stars such as our Sun can migrate great distances.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Genetic Mutation That May Predict Organ Rejection Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276411/080915132702.htm
Using a novel combination of cutting-edge technologies to scan the human genome, researchers have identified a genetic mutation that identifies transplant recipients who experience rejection.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Drinking Chamomile Tea May Help Fight Complications Of Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276413/080915164519.htm
Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage, researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom are reporting.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Role For Gefitinib In Asian Nonsmokers With Lung Cancer Established
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276416/080915121327.htm
The targeted therapy gefitinib should be considered a first-line therapy for nonsmoking Asian patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung, one of the most common types of lung cancer, suggests a presentation at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Biological Selenium Removal: Solution To Pollution?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276417/080915121321.htm
Unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin," can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Massage Therapy May Have Immediate Positive Effect On Pain And Mood For Advanced Cancer Patients
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276418/080915174534.htm
Massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. In a randomized trial of 380 advanced cancer patients at 15 U.S. hospices, improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Photosynthesizing Bacteria With A Day-night Cycle Contain Rare Chromosome
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276419/080915174540.htm
Researchers sequencing the DNA of the blue-green algae Cyanothece 51142 found a linear chromosome harboring genes important for producing biofuels. Simultaneously analyzing the complement of proteins revealed more genes on the linear and typical circular chromosomes then they'd have found with DNA sequencing alone.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Brain Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276420/080915132658.htm
A link has been announced between the brain protein KIBRA and Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could lead to promising new treatments for this memory-robbing disorder. The new discovery builds on a previous study, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory. In the new study, researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing flavor of the KIBRA gene had a 25 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Potential New Drug For Cocaine Addiction And Overdose
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276421/080915164427.htm
Chemists are reporting development of what they term the most powerful substance ever discovered for eliminating cocaine from the body, an advance that could lead to the world's first effective medicine for fighting overdoses and addictions of the illicit drug.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
More Findings On Gene Involved In Childhood Asthma
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385623/080915122721.htm
Asthma researchers have found that a gene variant known to raise the risk of childhood asthma in European children plays a similar role in white American children, but not in African-American children. The new findings showed the gene was involved in both milder and more severe forms of asthma.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Water Purification Down The Nanotubes: Could Nanotechnology Solve The Water Crisis?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276422/080915105731.htm
Nanotechnology could be the answer to ensuring a safe supply of drinking water for regions of the world stricken by periodic drought or where water contamination is rife. Writing in the International Journal of Nuclear Desalination, researchers in India explain how carbon nanotubes could replace conventional materials in water-purification systems.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Don't Throw The Candy Out: Temptation Leads To Moderation
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276423/080915143330.htm
Banishing tempting goodies may not be the best way to keep from eating them. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower, according to new research. Although it seems counterintuitive, consumers show more self-control after they've spent some time in the presence of a treat.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Higher Urinary Levels Of Commonly Used Plastic Compound, BPA, Linked To Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394466106/080916100942.htm
Higher levels of urinary Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound commonly used in plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. This study is being released early to coincide with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing on BPA.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Sun-damaged Skin Does Not Improve With Estrogen Treatments, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276424/080915165828.htm
Treating the skin with estrogen can stimulate collagen production -- which improves the appearance of the skin -- in areas not typically exposed to the sun, according to new research. But in sun-damaged skin, the same treatment does not increase collagen production, the study found.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission To Study Mars Atmosphere
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276425/080915234615.htm
NASA has selected a Mars robotic mission that will provide information about the Red Planet's atmosphere, climate history and potential habitability in greater detail than ever before.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
MRI Reveals Inner Ear Anomalies In Children With Hearing Loss
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276427/080915165824.htm
Using magnetic resonance imaging, physicians can identify soft-tissue defects that contribute to hearing loss in children, according to a new report.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
New Rechargeable Lithium Batteries Could Jump-start Hybrid Electric Car Efficiency
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276428/080915121227.htm
Researchers are helping to develop new rechargeable batteries that could improve hybrid electric cars in the future. For hybrid cars, new materials are crucial to make the batteries lighter, safer and more efficient in storing energy.

Wed, 17 Sep 08
Blissfully Ignorant: Skip Those Pesky Details
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/394276429/080915170745.htm
Wouldn't you like some more information about that cream puff? Not if you just ate it. A new study examined what's known as the "blissful ignorance effect," the way consumers' goals shift after they've made purchases.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Dark Matter Disk In Our Galaxy, Supercomputer Simulation Shows
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393842917/080915210506.htm
The Milky Way contains a disk of "dark matter," according to new calculations by astronomers. They have used the results of a supercomputer simulation to deduce the presence of this disk.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Childhood Brain Cancer Genes Identified
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677696/080915121315.htm
Scientists have isolated three important genes involved in the development of a type of childhood brain cancer. Researchers have found three genes associated with specific characteristics of ependymoma — the third most common form of childhood brain cancer.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Fuel Emissions From Marine Vessels Remain A Global Concern
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677698/080909111035.htm
The forecast for clear skies and smooth sailing for oceanic vessels has been impeded by worldwide concerns of their significant contributions to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that impact the Earth's climate.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Prosthetic Ears Appear To Improve Hearing And Speech Recognition In Noisy Environments
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677699/080915165822.htm
Prosthetic ears appear to improve hearing and speech recognition in noisy environments, according to a new report.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Flower-shaped Nanoparticles May Lead To Better Batteries For Portable Electronics
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677700/080915164612.htm
Want more power and longer battery life for that cell phone, laptop, and digital music player? "Flower power" may be the solution. Chemists are reporting development of flower-shaped nanoparticles with superior electronic performance than conventional battery materials.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Magic Can Conjure Up Confidence And Social Skills
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677701/080911142419.htm
For years, audiences have been thrilled by the amazing performances of master magicians, such as David Blaine and Derren Brown. Now, the results of a new experiment suggests that such magical feats can also work wonders with children’s confidence and social skills.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Ant Species Discovered In The Amazon Likely Represents Oldest Living Lineage Of Ants
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393842918/080915174538.htm
A new species of blind, subterranean, predatory ant discovered in the Amazon rainforest is likely a descendant of the very first ants to evolve.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Two Beta Blockers Also Protect Heart Tissue, Study Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677702/080915121229.htm
A newly discovered chemical pathway that helps protect heart tissue can be stimulated by two of 20 common beta-blockers, drugs that are prescribed to millions of patients who have experienced heart failure.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Depressed Dialysis Patients More Likely To Be Hospitalized Or Die, Researcher Finds
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390731995/080912101404.htm
Dialysis patients diagnosed with depression are nearly twice as likely to be hospitalized or die within a year than those who are not depressed, researchers have found.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Newest Interventional Radiology Treatment Used To Bust Blood Clots In Legs
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677703/080915105725.htm
The first major national trial of a catheter-based treatment for deep vein thrombosis will evaluate the use of clot-dissolving drugs in combination with clot removal devices to prevent post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with DVT (the formation of a blood clot in a leg vein). PTS, a common irreversible complication of DVT, causes permanent damage to the veins, resulting in debilitating chronic leg pain, swelling, fatigue and/or skin ulcers.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Automated System Provides Early Warning Of Natural Disasters
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393192217/080915083725.htm
When disaster threatens, the first hours are crucial. Researchers have developed an automated system to provide early detection, forecasting, and warning of natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Pervasive Games Promise To Spice Up Daily Life
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393192215/080915083727.htm
In the movie The Game, the character is hounded by villains and left for dead in Mexico in an intense version of an alternative reality game. Minus the Hollywood bravado, games that merge the virtual with the real could be the next entertainment revolution.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Arctic Sea Ice At Lowest Recorded Level Ever
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677704/080915162428.htm
Arctic sea ice may well have reached its lowest volumes ever, as summer ice coverage of the Arctic Sea looks set to be close to last year's record lows, with thinner ice overall. Final figures on minimum ice coverage for 2008 are expected in a matter of days, but they are already flirting with last year's record low of 1.59 million square miles, or 4.13 million square kilometers.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Treatment For Prostate Cancer Pioneered
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677705/080915121325.htm
Scientists are developing and commercializing a promising novel therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer that may offer patients a faster and more precise treatment than existing clinical alternatives, with fewer side effects.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Slicing Solar Power Costs: New Method Cuts Waste In Making Most Efficient Solar Cells
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677706/080915083451.htm
Engineers have devised a new way to slice thin wafers of the chemical element germanium for use in the most efficient type of solar power cells. They say the new method should lower the cost of such cells by reducing the waste and breakage of the brittle semiconductor.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Dental Fillings Without Gaps
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/384176941/080905072132.htm
Tooth cavities are usually closed with plastic fillings. However, the initially soft plastic shrinks as it hardens. The tension can cause gaps to appear between the tooth and the filling, encouraging more caries to form. For the first time, researchers have simulated this process.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Technique Allows Certain Objects To Be Invisible To Human Eye
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677708/080912091730.htm
Researchers in Spain have taken a step forward to realize a dream of science fiction writers and film makers: invisibility. By means of a numerical technique known as Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) Modelling method, scientists have managed to hide an object or make it invisible in a certain frequency, inside an electromagnetic simulator. Such research are key to achieving invisibility to radars and even to the human eye.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Help For Shopaholics: New Test Determines Who's At Risk For Compulsive Buying
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677709/080915165830.htm
Compulsive shopping can lead to financial problems, family conflicts, stress, depression, and loss of self-esteem. According to a new study, there may be more people engaged in compulsive buying than previously thought.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
How Memories Are Made, And Recalled
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677710/080908101651.htm
What makes a memory? Single cells in the brain, for one thing. For the first time, scientists have recorded individual brain cells in the act of calling up a memory, thus revealing where in the brain a specific memory is stored and how the brain is able to recreate it.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
'1-hit' Event Provides New Opportunity For Colon Cancer Prevention, Say Researchers
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240627/080915083449.htm
Over 30 years ago, Fox Chase Cancer Center's Alfred Knudson, Jr., revolutionized cancer genetics with the Two-Hit Hypothesis, which guided scientists around the globe in their quest for tumor suppressor genes. Now, Knudson and colleagues offer evidence that a "one-hit" event is enough to make cells abnormal. By studying the first colon cell proteome, which describes the proteins a cell makes, they believe they may have discovered patterns that could indicate cancer.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Revising And Re-sizing History: New Work Shows Ohio Site To Be An Ancient Water Works, Not A Fort
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390829753/080912114403.htm
More than 200 years ago, William Henry Harrison -- when he was a general and not yet the US' ninth president -- made historical pronouncements that a hilltop site west of Cincinnati was an ancient military fort. Discoveries made by University of Cincinnati researchers this summer, though, offer new evidence that turns that long-accepted historical interpretation upside down.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Adding Taxotere To Chemotherapy Regimen Improves Survival In Early Breast Cancer, Study Suggests
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677711/080915083801.htm
For patients with early stage breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, adding four cycles of docetaxel (Taxotere) into a sequential regimen of epirubicin followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) reduces the risk of recurrence and death, updated long-term results show.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Moving Quarks Help Solve Proton Spin Puzzle
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390731996/080912101402.htm
New theory work at the US Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has shown that more than half of the spin of the proton is the result of the movement of its building blocks: quarks. The result, published in Physical Review Letters, agrees with recent experiments and supercomputer calculations.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Impulsive Eater? Remembering Failures May Help Curb Eating
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677712/080915170743.htm
When it comes to tempting or fattening foods, some people are a lot more impulsive than others. And according to a new study, impulsive people think and act differently than non-impulsive people after they remember a time when they resisted or succumbed to temptation.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Purifying Parasites From Host Cells With Light
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/390875001/080912132958.htm
Researchers have developed a clever method to purify parasitic organisms from their host cells, which will allow for more detailed studies and a deeper insight into the biology of organisms that cause millions of cases of disease each year.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Investigational Drug Shows Promise In Ovarian Cancer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240624/080915083717.htm
An investigational drug that combats ovarian cancer by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels has shown promise in a phase II trial, according to new research.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Method Identifies Meth Hot Spots
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240632/080915083341.htm
A new method of combining multiple sources of data to identify counties in Oregon with high numbers of methamphetamine-related problems per capita, giving officials a new tool in fighting the illegal drug.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Tool To Speed Cancer Therapy Approval Available
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240629/080915083347.htm
Although cancer remains a leading cause of death in America, it can take up to 12 years to bring a new anti-cancer agent before the FDA and the success rate for approval is only five to 10 percent. That means many research hours and dollars are wasted chasing avenues that will not bring fruit.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
New Geomorphological Index Created For Studying Active Tectonics Of Mountains
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677713/080911142421.htm
To build a hospital, nuclear power station or a large dam you need to know the possible earthquake risks of the terrain. Now, researchers from the Universities of Granada and Jaen, alongside scientists from the University of California (Santa Barbara, USA), have developed, based on relief data from the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada, a geomorphological index that analyses land form in relation to active tectonics, applicable to any mountain chain on the planet.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Steady Work And Mental Health: Is There A Connection?
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393677714/080915105727.htm
Research from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, in a new report from the World Health Organization on the social determinants of health, highlights the profound impact of employment conditions on health.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Criminals Who Eat Processed Foods More Likely To Be Discovered, Through Fingerprint Sweat Corroding Metal
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393755851/080915210509.htm
The inventor of a revolutionary new forensic fingerprinting technique claims criminals who eat processed foods are more likely to be discovered by police through their fingerprint sweat corroding metal.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Economic Value Of Insect Pollination Worldwide Estimated At U.S. $217 Billion
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393385621/080915122725.htm
Scientist has determined that the worldwide economic value of the pollination service provided by insect pollinators, bees mainly, is €153 billion in 2005 for the main crops that feed the world. This figure amounted to 9.5 percent of the total value of the world agricultural food production. The study also determined that pollinator disappearance would translate into a consumer surplus loss estimated between €190 to €310 billion.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Vaccine Against HER2-positive Breast Cancer Offers Complete Protection In Lab
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240631/080915083343.htm
Researchers have tested a breast cancer vaccine they say completely eliminated HER2-positive tumors in mice -- even cancers resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy --- without any toxicity.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Key To Keeping Older People Fit For Longer
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393432022/080911111522.htm
A carefully framed combination of moderate exercise and nutritional supplements could help older people maintain an active lifestyle for longer.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Significant Benefits In Non-small-cell Lung Cancer From Customizing Erlotinib Treatment
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393432024/080915083729.htm
Lung cancer patients whose tumors carry specific genetic mutations can achieve significantly longer survival when treated with targeted therapies such as erlotinib, researchers report.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Global Shortages Of Radio Isotopes For Cancer Diagnosis May Be A Thing Of The Past
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393432025/080911142423.htm
Thanks to a newly-developed technology, global shortages of radio isotopes for cancer diagnosis could be a thing of the past.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Unusual Case Of Woman Who Suffered Stroke During Sex
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393240630/080915083345.htm
Minutes after having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, a 35-year-old woman suddenly felt her left arm go weak. Her speech became slurred and she lost feeling on the left side of her face. She was having a stroke. Doctors later concluded the stroke probably was due to several related factors, including birth control pills, a venous blood clot, sexual intercourse and a heart defect.

Tue, 16 Sep 08
Viruses Collectively Decide Bacterial Cell's Fate
http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/393432026/080915121231.htm
A new study suggests that bacteria-infecting viruses -- called phages -- can make collective decisions about whether to kill host cells immediately after infection or enter a latent state to