ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Zebra's Stripes, Butterfly's Wings: How Do Biological Patterns Emerge? Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT A zebra's stripes, a seashell's spirals, a butterfly's wings: these are all examples of patterns in nature. The formation of patterns is a puzzle for mathematicians and biologists alike. How does the delicate design of a butterfly's wings come from a single fertilized egg? How does pattern emerge out of no pattern? Using computer models and live cells, researchers have discovered a specific pattern that can direct cell movement and may help us understand how metastatic cancer cells move.

Legionnaire Microbe's Tricks Discovered Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have shed new light how bacteria like the ones that cause Legionnaires' disease and Q-fever raise such havoc in human patients. In order to survive, the gram-negative bacteria use genes that have evolved in tandem with ones in their hosts to essentially disarm immune system cells trying to kill them, the scientists report in the journal Science.

New System Helps Police Match Tattoos To Suspects Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT An automatic image retrieval system has been created, whereby law enforcement agencies will be able to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims.

Minimally-invasive Weight Loss Surgery Improves Health And Morbidly Obese Teens Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Teenagers' obesity-related medical complications improve just six months after laparoscopic gastric banding surgery, according to outcomes data. The study reports that the small group of extremely obese teenagers who received the minimally invasive surgery, also called the Lap-Band procedure, as part of a clinical trial lost an average of 20 pounds after six months and had significant improvements in abdominal fat, triglyceride measurements (levels of fat in the blood) and blood sugar levels as measured by hemoglobin A1c -- all risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

Toxic To Aliens -- But Key To Health Of Planet Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists are using an ingredient found in common shampoos to investigate how the oxygen content of the oceans has changed over geologically recent time.

Liter Of Fuel Would Last UK 1 Year If Cars Had Kept Pace With Computers Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT One liter of fuel would serve the UK for a year and oil reserves would last the expected lifetime of the solar system -- if efficiency in the car industry had improved at the same rate as in the computer world -- a leading computer scientist has said.

Surprisingly Rapid Changes In Earth’s Core Discovered Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT The movements in the liquid part of the Earth's core are changing surprisingly quickly, and this affects the Earth's magnetic field, according to new research.

Radiation Therapy Prolongs Life In Men With Recurrent Prostate Cancer Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Men whose tumors recur after prostate cancer surgery are three times more likely to survive their disease long term if they undergo radiotherapy within two years of the recurrence. Surprisingly, survival benefits were best in men whose new tumors were growing fastest, according to results of a "look-back" study of 635 men by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions researchers reported June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Space Radar To Improve Miners' Safety Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Advanced ground penetration radar, originally developed to investigate the soil structure on the moon and other planets on ESA planetary missions, is now being used in Canadian mines to spot hidden cracks and weaknesses in mine roofs.

Allergy Expert Has Advice For Flood Victims Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT As if the emotional and financial impact of flood damage isn't bad enough, floodwaters can also bring health problems. Scientists say after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.

'Man-made' Water Has Different Chemistry Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT As population growth, food production and the regional effects of climate change place greater stress on the Earth's natural water supply, "man-made" water -- created by removing salt from seawater and brackish groundwater through reverse osmosis desalination -- will become an increasingly important resource for millions of humans, especially those in arid regions such as the Middle East, the western United States, northern Africa and central Asia.

Should Doctors Be 'Selling' Drugs For The Pharmaceutical Industry? Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Are senior doctors who help drug companies sell their drugs independent experts or just drug representatives in disguise? According to the article, drug companies will pay influential doctors up to $400 an hour to act as key opinion leaders, and some doctors earn more than $25,000 a year in advisory fees.

Expect More Droughts, Heavy Downpours, Excessive Heat, And Intense Hurricanes Due To Global Warming, NOAA Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research has released a scientific assessment that provides the first comprehensive analysis of observed and projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. territories. Among the major findings reported in this assessment are that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The report is based on scientific evidence that a warming world will be accompanied by changes in the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of weather and climate extremes.

New Computerized System Estimates Geographic Location Of Photos Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have devised the first computerized method that can analyze a single photograph and determine where in the world the image likely was taken. It's a feat made possible by searching through millions of GPS-tagged images in the Flickr online photo collection.

Experimental Anti-cancer Synthetic Molecule Targets Tumor Cell Growth And Angiogenesis Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT A recent study describes a new candidate anti-cancer drug, HB-19. In contrast to conventional anti-cancer drugs, HB-19 has a dual mechanism of action by independently targeting tumor cell growth and tumor. The molecular target of HB-19 is nucleolin expressed on the surface of all activated cells, in particular rapidly growing tumor cells and endothelial cells that play a key role in angiogenesis.

New Way To Control Water Pollution? Mats Designed To Capture And Stabilize Pollution In Rivers Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a mud flat at the edge of the Cocheco River, just outside downtown Dover, New Hampshire, scientists are testing an innovative way to treat polluted sediment in coastal waterways. Rather than dredging up the problem, or burying it under several feet of sand, they've created a patch -- black geotextile mats designed to cap and stabilize pollution in place.

Failure To Bridle Inflammation Spurs Atherosclerosis Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT When a person develops a sore or a boil, it erupts, drawing to it immune system cells that fight the infection. Then it resolves and flattens into the skin, often leaving behind a mark or a scar. A similar scenario plays out in the blood vessels.

Jules Verne Refuels The International Space Station Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT ESA's Jules Verne ATV was used for the first time yesterday to transfer in one step 811 kg of refueling propellant to the International Space Station while the two vehicles orbited Earth at 28 000 km/h. With this premiere for Europe, Jules Verne becomes the first western spaceship to succeed in refueling another space infrastructure in orbit.

Global War Deaths Have Been Substantially Underestimated, Study Shows Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Globally, war has killed three times more people than previously estimated, and there is no evidence to support claims of a recent decline in war deaths, concludes a new study.

Chemical Clues Point To Dusty Origin For Earth-like Planets Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Higher than expected levels of sodium found in a 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite suggest that the dust clouds from which the building blocks of the Earth and neighboring planets formed were much denser than previously supposed.

Lou Gehrig's Protein Found Throughout Brain, Suggesting Effects Beyond Motor Neurons Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Two years ago researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that misfolded proteins called TDP-43 accumulated in the motor areas of the brains of patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, the same group has shown that TDP-43 accumulates throughout the brain, suggesting the disease has broader neurological effects than previously appreciated and treatments need to take into account more than motor neuron areas.

Latrines And Out-houses Trounce Toilets In Global War Against Poor Sanitation Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT While Americans may consider flush-and-forget-it indoor plumbing to be the pinnacle of sanitary science, the lowly latrine could be a far better solution for many parts of the developing world. Installing water-guzzling appliances such as toilets can actually promote unsanitary conditions when the effluent is discharged untreated into once-clean rivers and streams. A properly built latrine, on the other hand, keeps sewage safely separate from drinking water.

Technique Used In Human Ankle Injuries Modified To Treat Dogs' Knees Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT A common sports injury in human knees is even more common in dogs. Each year, more than one million dogs suffer from cranial cruciate ligament deficiency, which is comparable to the anterior cruciate ligament injury in humans. The common method of treatment by many veterinary surgeons involves cutting the tibia bone to stabilize the CCL-deficient knee in these dogs. Now, a new minimally invasive technique with less severe complications than previous methods has been developed.

New Technique To Optimize Computer Speed Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Who doesn't dream of increasingly fast computers that consume less and less energy? To design these computers of the future, it is important to be able to control nanoscale strain in the processors. Until now, this strain remained difficult to observe.

Gallons Per Mile Would Help Car Shoppers Make Better Decisions Posted: 20 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Posting a vehicle's fuel efficiency in "gallons per mile" rather than "miles per gallon" would help consumers make better decisions about car purchases and environmental impact, researchers report in the journal Science.

Bright Chunks At Phoenix Lander's Mars Site Must Have Been Ice Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.

Researchers Use A Patient's Own Bone To Accelerate Orthodontics Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry say they have improved upon a surgical procedure that rapidly straightens teeth, delivering a healthy bite and attractive smile in months instead of years.

Immune Molecule That Plays A Powerful Role In Avoiding Organ Rejection Identified Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT When a mouse's immune system is deciding whether to reject a skin graft, one powerful member of a molecular family designed to provoke such a response can effectively reduce the visibility of the mouse's own cells and help the graft survive, researchers say.

Complex Changes In The Brain's Vascular System Occur After Menopause Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Many women experience menopausal changes in their body including hot flashes, moodiness and fatigue, but the changes they don't notice can be more dangerous. Researchers have now discovered significant changes in the brain's vascular system when the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Scientists predict that currently used estrogen-based hormone therapies may complicate this process and may do more harm than good in postmenopausal women.

Researchers Witness Assembly Of Molecules Critical To Protein Function Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Iron-sulfur clusters are critical to life on earth. They are necessary for protein function in cellular processes, such as respiration in humans and other organisms and photosynthesis by plants. A research group has isolated proteins responsible for the iron-sulfur cluster assembly process and witnessed the necessary protein interactions in vivo -- within a cell.

Low Testosterone May Cause Health Problems That Lead To Erectile Dysfunction Posted: 20 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Men with erectile dysfunction should be examined for testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome, because these conditions commonly occur together, a new study shows.

Active Submarine Volcanoes Found Near Fiji Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Several huge active submarine volcanoes, spreading ridges and rift zones have been discovered northeast of Fiji. The summits of two of the volcanoes, named 'Dugong', and 'Lobster', are dominated by large calderas at depths of 1100 and 1500 meters.

Vitamin D Linked To Colon Cancer Survival Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who had abundant vitamin D in their blood were less likely to die during a follow-up period than those who were deficient in the vitamin, according to a new study.

Coats Of Cellulose From Bacteria Yield Greener, Stronger Natural Composites Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers report the first use of bacteria to deposit sticky coatings of cellulose on the surfaces of plant fibers, a process that may expand the use of natural fibers in renewable plastic composites used as strong, lightweight materials for cars, airplanes, and other products.

Developing Unique Brain Maps To Assist Surgery And Research Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers are developing new technology to create individualized brain maps that will revolutionize diagnosis of disease and enhance the accuracy of brain surgery.

Toward Designing Medications To Enhance Innate Immunity: A Single VSOP Can Do 'Proton' Magic Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers found that a single protein of VSOP, Voltage Sensor Only Protein/Hv1, can carry protons even without making a multimeric complex. This finding may help to design new medications for enhancing the activities of innate immunity.

Pharmacology Of Crystal Meth Described Posted: 20 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT When smoked, crystal meth rapidly achieves high concentrations in the brain without the burdens of the intravenous route. Scientists review the actions of methamphetamine and explain the potential role of dopamine in methamphetamine craving.

Researchers Explain Nitrogen Paradox In Forests, Illuminating How Ecosystems Respond To Global Warming Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Nitrogen is essential to all life on Earth, and the processes by which it cycles through the environment may determine how ecosystems respond to global warming. But certain aspects of the nitrogen cycle in forests have puzzled scientists, defying, in a sense, the laws of supply and demand. Now scientists have explained the paradox by recognizing the role of two other factors: temperature and the abundance of another key element, phosphorous.

New Method Drastically Reduces Wait Time For New Teeth Implant Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new odontological technique manages to reduce from six months to two weeks the wait time to implant new teeth. It is possible thanks to the use of the growth hormone in oral implantology, which allows bone regeneration and the hastening of the integration between bone base and dental implant.

Lake Sediments Help Scientists Trace 7,000 Years Of Mining, Metal Use In China Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new geochemical study illuminates 7,000 years of mining and metal use in central China and links these trends to fluctuations in airborne pollution during the Bronze Age and other military and industrial periods in Chinese history. The study could help scientists better assess the accumulative environmental effects of human activity in the region since prehistory times.

New Role Of Inflammatory Protein In Polycycstic Kidney Disease Identified, Could Lead To Treatment Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered that a protein previously shown to have a role in inflammation may also have a role in the formation of cysts in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease -- one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases -- and has shown that a drug inhibiting the protein can slow the disease in mice.

Ultrasonic Instruments Associated With Improved Outcomes For Some Surgical Procedures Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Using ultrasonic surgical instruments is associated with more favorable outcomes when compared with conventional instruments for some procedures, according to a meta-analysis of 51 previously published studies.

Depression And Diabetes: Fellow Travelers, Researchers Say Posted: 20 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have long known that type 2 diabetes and depression often go hand in hand. However, it's been unclear which condition develops first in patients who end up with both. Now, a new study suggests that this chicken-and-egg problem has a dual answer: Patients with depression have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing depression.

Greenland Ice Core Analysis Shows Drastic Climate Change Near End Of Last Ice Age Posted: 19 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Information gleaned from a Greenland ice core by an international science team shows that two huge Northern Hemisphere temperature spikes prior to the close of the last ice age some 11,500 years ago were tied to fundamental shifts in atmospheric circulation.

Same Drug, Different Results: Researchers On The Path To Personalized Medicine Posted: 19 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Medicine has moved a closer to the era of treatments based on the genetic profiles of individual patients. A new study shows how minor genetic differences between individuals alter the way a common drug affects the body.

Eight-day Undersea Mission Begins Experiment To Improve Coral Reef Restoration Posted: 19 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Scientists have begun an eight-day mission, in which they are living and working at 60 feet below the sea surface in an underwater "space station," to determine why some species of coral colonies survive transplanting after a disturbance while other colonies die. The team of "aquanauts" is to improve the restoration of damaged reefs.

Mechanism Contributing To Appropriate Formation Of The Spine Discovered Posted: 19 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Scientists have shed light on the mechanism causing animals to develop the appropriate number of vertebrae. Vertebrae are formed from their embryonic precursors, called somites. The number of somites is consistent within a species, but varies significantly across species. By comparing the developing embryos of zebrafish, chicken, mice, and corn snakes, the team established an understanding of how an organism regulates the number of somites formed.

Identifying Canadian Freshwater Fish Through DNA Barcodes Posted: 19 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT New research by Canadian scientists brings some good news for those interested in the conservation of a number of highly endangered species of Canadian fish.

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