ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Survival Of The Fittest: Even Cancer Cells Follow The Laws Of Evolution Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists discovered the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself -- evolution. This suggests a molecular "survival of the fittest" scenario plays out in every living creature as gene mutations strive for ultimate survival through cancerous tumors. This finding improves our understanding of how evolution shapes life in all forms, while laying a foundation for new cancer drugs and treatments.

In Scientific First, Researchers Correct Decline In Organ Function Associated With Old Age Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT As people age, their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein -- resulting in a buildup of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Ricin's Deadly Action Revealed By Glowing Probes Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A new chemical probe can rapidly detect ricin, a deadly poison with no known antidote that is feared to be a potential weapon for terrorists and cannot quickly be identified with currently available tests. Chemists at UC San Diego developed the probe, which glows when bound to a ricin-damaged part of the body's protein-making machinery. Because the test pinpoints the specific injury underlying the poison's toxicity, it could also help to develop drugs to counteract the effect of ricin.

First Step Towards Switching Off Breast Cancer And Leukaemia Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists have identified a way to "switch off" a molecule, a key player in the molecular processes that trigger breast cancer and certain forms of leukaemia.

Promising Lithium Batteries For Electric Cars Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Why does lithium iron phosphate, a candidate for use in future lithium batteries, conduct electricity despite being an insulating material? Chemists have shed light on this paradox. Their experimentally verified "domino-cascade model" shows that local stresses within the material allow electrical and ionic conduction to spread from one area to the next, making the battery function. These results open new horizons in the search for improved battery electrode materials and help explain how tomorrow's electric car batteries work.

Genes May Make Some People More Prone To Anxiety Posted: 11 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Inborn differences may help explain why trauma gives some people bad memories and others the nightmare of post-traumatic stress. Scientists have reported evidence linking genes to anxious behavior.

Multi-tasking Maggots In Superbug Showdown Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists in the UK have discovered a new type of antibiotic in maggot secretions that can tackle up to 12 different strains of MRSA, as well as E. coli and C. difficile.

Human Obesity Genes Revealed Based On Fly Experiments Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A study of 228 women has revealed genetic variants responsible for body shape. Based on work in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, new research identifies natural variation in the human LAMA5 gene as a key determinant of weight.

Heavy Atoms Can Help Destroy Tumor Cells Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new discovery has been made in cancer research. Researchers have now shown that it is possible to improve hadrontherapy's targeting and destruction of tumor cells by loading the cells with heavy atoms like platinum. This new method enables both the treatment's effectiveness and the ions' ballistic effect to be improved without damaging healthy tissue.

Floss Your Teeth -- On The Double Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A recent study demonstrates that including flossing as part of one's routine oral care can actually help reduce the amount of gum disease-causing bacteria found in the mouth, therefore contributing to healthy teeth and gums.

Skipping Atomic-scale Stones To Study Some Chemistry Basics Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Thought experiment: a carbon dioxide molecule—think of a cheerleader's baton—comes slanting in at high speed over a dense liquid, strikes the surface and ricochets. How does it tumble? Fast or slow? Forward, backward or sideways? New experiments are giving a uniquely detailed look at what happens when gas molecule meets fluid.

A New Light On The Brains Of People With Borderline Personality Disorder Posted: 11 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT In a game of give and get, the brains of people with borderline personality disorder often don't get it. In fact, an interactive economic game played between two people in functional magnetic resonance imaging devices revealed a brain malfunction associated with the disorder, a serious but common mental illness that affects a person's perceptions of the world and other people, according to an article in Science.

New Bacterial Species Found In Human Mouth Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered a new species of bacteria in the mouth. The finding could help scientists to understand tooth decay and gum disease and may lead to better treatments, according to research published in the August issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT People with Crohn's disease are seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology.

Stress Hormone Found To Regulate Brain Neurotransmission Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have just shown how one of the stress hormones regulates brain neurotransmission on the short and long term and enables neuronal connections to adapt.

Eat Oily Fish At Least Once A Week To Protect Your Eyesight In Old Age Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Eating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in western countries and the third cause of global blindness, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Tiny Invasive Snail Impacts Great Lakes, Alters Ecology Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Long a problem in the western US, the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species.

Arrival Method, Slow Response Often Delay Stroke Care Posted: 11 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Most stroke patients can't recall when their symptoms started or do not arrive at the hospital in a timely manner, so they cannot be considered for time-dependent therapies such as the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), researchers reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Female Guppies Risk Death To Avoid Sexual Harassment Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Sexual harassment from male guppies is so bad that long-suffering females will risk their lives to escape it, according to new research.

Early Treatment Is Key To Combating Hepatitis C Virus Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Patients who receive early treatment for hepatitis C virus within the first months following an infection, develop a rapid poly-functional immune response against HCV similar to when infection is erradicted spontaneously, according to a new study published in the Journal of Virology. Therefore, early treatment can restore immune response against HCV and help eliminate the virus rapidly. This new discovery of the mechanisms of viral eradication could contribute to the development of new treatments.

Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2 Begins Mapping Oceans Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Less than a month after launch, the NASA-French space agency Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 oceanography satellite has produced its first complete maps of global ocean surface topography, surface wave height and wind speed. The new data will help scientists monitor changes in global sea level and the distribution of heat in the ocean. This information is used to monitor climate change and ocean circulation, and to enable more accurate weather, ocean and climate forecasts.

New Insight On HIV Transmission Risk Of Men Who Have Sex With Men Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Approximately half of all new HIV infections in the United States result from the sexual risk behaviors of men who have sex with men. Now, a new study provides additional insight into which of these men are most likely to transmit HIV to others, potentially paving the way for the development of more targeted prevention programs.

Fuel From Cellulose, Cheaper And With Better Yields Than Ever Before Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have developed a new method for the direct conversion of cellulose into furan-based biofuels. The simple, inexpensive process delivers furanic compounds in yields never achieved before.

Psychiatrists Shift Away From Providing Psychotherapy Posted: 11 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT A declining number of office-based psychiatrists appear to be providing psychotherapy to their patients, according to a new report. Psychotherapy has been part of the practice of psychiatry for generations. Various forms of psychotherapy, either alone or in combination with medications, are recommended for the treatment of major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses.

Soil Studies Continue At Site Of Phoenix Mars Lander Posted: 09 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has continued studies of its landing site by widening a trench, making overnight measurements of conductivity in the Martian soil and depositing a sample of surface soil into a gap between partially opened doors to an analytical oven on the lander.

Flexible Nanoantenna Arrays Capture Abundant Solar Energy Posted: 09 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT Researchers have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources. The new technology is the first step toward a solar energy collector that could be mass-produced on flexible materials, say the researchers.

Another Piece Of The Weight-control Puzzle Identified Posted: 09 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT As scientists investigate the brain's intricate neurocircuitry, they are forming a clearer picture of the myriad events that lead to weight loss and weight gain.

US Cities Report Local Climate Actions, Emissions Posted: 09 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT At least 30 US urban centers, including New York City, New Orleans and Las Vegas, will team with the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project to measure their greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change-relevant data.

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