ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Tiny Molecule Helps Control Blood-vessel Development Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT The development and repair of heart tissue and blood vessels is intimately tied to a tiny piece of ribonucleic acid that is found nowhere else in the body, researchers have found.

Why Some Infected With HIV Remain Symptom Free Without Antiretroviral Drugs Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT AIDS experts say they have compelling evidence that some people with HIV who for years and even decades show extremely low levels of the virus in their blood never progress to full-blown AIDS and remain symptom free even without treatment, probably do so because of the strength of their immune systems, not any defects in the strain of HIV that infected them in the first place.

Veterinarians Adapt Human Tests For Monkeys Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A medical test developed to detect an overload of iron in humans has recently been adapted to screen for the condition in some distant relatives: diminutive monkeys from South America, according to veterinarians at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Experimental Chemotherapy Regimen Shows Promise In Treating Advanced Lung Cancer Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A combination of chemotherapy agents that have been tested in other tumor types appears to be a promising alternative to standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

'Anti-noise' Silences Wind Turbines Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT If wind turbines clatter and whistle too loudly, they are only permitted to operate under partial load to protect the local residents -- but this also means a lower electricity output. An active damping system cancels out the noise by producing counter-vibrations.

Contraceptive Pill Influences Partner Choice Posted: 13 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT The contraceptive pill may disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves, research has found.

Strange Molecule In The Sky Cleans Acid Rain, Scientists Discover Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered an unusual molecule that is essential to the atmosphere's ability to break down pollutants, especially the compounds that cause acid rain. It's the unusual chemistry facilitated by this molecule, however, that will attract the most attention from scientists. A technical paper describing the molecule is published this week in a special edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Targeted Radiation Therapy Can Control Limited Cancer Spread Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Precisely targeted radiation therapy can eradicate all evidence of disease in selected patients with cancer that has spread to only a few sites, suggests the first published report from an ongoing clinical trial. Radiation therapy controlled all signs of cancer in 21 percent of patients who had five or fewer disease sites.

DNA Markers And Economically Significant Traits In Cattle Can Be Found With New Tool Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists are using a new tool to find relationships between DNA markers and economically significant traits in cattle.

Cancer Cells With A Long Breath: Seeking Origin Of Brain Tumors In Children Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Medulloblastoma is one of the most common and most malignant brain tumors among children and teenagers. These tumors grow very rapidly, and fifty percent of patients in the long term die from the condition. The details of the processes that lead to the growth of these tumors have remained unknown until now. Scientists have now successfully revealed certain molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of these cerebellar tumors.

Birds Move Farther North; Climate Change Link Considered Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have documented, for the first time in the northeastern United States, that a variety of bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, a pattern that adds to concerns about climate change.

Poor Coordination In Childhood Linked To Obesity In Later Life Posted: 13 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Poor physical control and coordination in childhood are linked to an increased risk of obesity in later life, suggests a new study.

Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity, According To New Model Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have described a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation in present and future tropical climates. Compared to other global models currently in use, the new approach uses computer models that provide much more accurate representations of the processes that lead to hurricane formation.

Signs Of Alzheimer's Disease May Be Present Decades Before Diagnosis Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT People who develop Alzheimer's disease may show signs of this illness many decades earlier in life, including compromised educational achievement. Adult head size can be used to estimate the size of the fully-developed brain.

Nine To Twenty Individual Fire Ant Queens Started U.S. Fire Ant Population Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants--which infest millions of acres across the southern states -- can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Alabama.

Single MicroRNA That Controls Blood Vessel Development Identified Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have identified a key regulatory factor that controls development of the human vascular system, the extensive network of arteries, veins and capillaries that allow blood to reach all tissues and organs.

Mature Trees: Surviving The Revolution, Easier Than Withstanding Human Use And Abuse Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Inwood Hill Park survived the drastic modifications of Revolutionary War patriots, but preserving this last bastion of large-growth, mature trees in New York City is difficult with the proliferation of invasive species and hard human use, according to biologists. They suggest the situation warrants a plan in collaboration with those studying the park.

Parents Shape Whether Their Children Learn To Eat Fruits And Vegetables Posted: 13 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. One way is early home interventions -- teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana instead of potato chips.

New Group Of Plant Hormones Discovered Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered a new group of plant hormones, the so-called strigolactones. This group of chemicals is known to be involved in the interaction between plants and their environment. They have now proven that strigolactones, as hormones, are also crucial for the branching of plants. The discovery will soon be published in Nature and is of great importance for innovations in agriculture. Examples include the development of cut flowers or tomato plants with more or fewer branches.

Losing Weight Soon After Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Doubles Positive Outcomes Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT A four-year study looked at 2,574 adults and found that people who lost weight in the 18 months after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis were up to twice as likely to have better control of their blood pressure and blood sugar, and were more likely to maintain that control even if they later regained their weight.

Widely Prescribed Anti-parasite Drug Targets Cancer-causing Protein Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have identified mebendazole, a drug used globally to treat parasitic infections, as a novel investigational agent for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant malignant melanoma.

Levels Of C-reactive Protein In The Blood Do Not Cause Diabetes Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have examined the association between levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood, and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Scientists Call For Trial Of 'Hen Harrier Ceiling' Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT As the grouse shooting season gets under way, two scientists involved in high-profile studies of hen harriers and red grouse at Langholm Moor in Scotland have called for field trials of a "ceiling" on harrier numbers in an attempt to end the long running conflict between conservationists and grouse managers.

Caregivers Of Spouses With Dementia Enjoy Life Less Posted: 13 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Spouses of husbands and wives with dementia pay an emotional toll as they care for their ailing spouse. This has prompted a call for new interventions and strategies to assist caregivers in coping with the demands of this difficult time, according to a new study.

Survival Of The Fittest: Even Cancer Cells Follow The Laws Of Evolution Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM 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.

Childhood Brain Tumor Traced To Normal Stem Cells Gone Bad Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT An aggressive childhood brain tumor known as medulloblastoma originates in normal brain "stem" cells that turn malignant when acted on by a known mutant, cancer-causing oncogene, say researchers. The findings hint at potential new treatment approaches for medulloblastoma by targeting the origins of the tumors, and further suggest that not all patients' tumors may be born from the same cells.

For The Birds Or For Me? Why Do Conservationists Really Help Wildlife? Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Volunteers who take part in conservation efforts may do it more for themselves than the wildlife they are trying to protect.

Alternate Pathway That Leads To Palate Development Identified Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers have uncovered another clue behind the causes of cleft palate and the process that leads to palate formation.

Anything But Modest: The Mouse Continues To Contribute To Humankind Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT "Big things come in small packages," the saying goes, and it couldn't be more true when discussing the mouse. This little creature has become a crucial part of human history through its contributions in understanding human genetics and disease. In a review published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, genetics researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and Fudan University School of Life Sciences discuss the history and future of mice as a model organism.

How Babies Understand The World Around Them And Their Place In It Posted: 12 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT New research could provide an insight into the way that babies understand the world around them and their place within it. A new study suggests that babies as young as six or seven months are able to actively respond to stimuli and understand them in relation to their own bodies.

New Evidence On Benefits Of Breast Feeding Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have identified proteins in human breast-milk -- not present in cow's milk -- that may fight disease by helping remove bacteria, viruses and other dangerous pathogen's from an infant's gastrointestinal tract.

Key To Treating Cancer May Be Finding Its Original Cell Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Cancer biologists are turning their attention to the normal cells that give rise to cancers, to learn more about how tumor growth might be stopped at the earliest opportunity.

Electronic Tongue Tastes Wine Variety, Vintage Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT You don't need a wine expert to identify a '74 Pinot Noir from Burgundy -- a handheld "electronic tongue" devised by European scientists will tell you the grape variety and vintage at the press of a button.

New Breastfeeding Study Shows Most Moms Quit Early Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT While the CDC recently reported that more moms than ever give breastfeeding a try, a new national study shows most moms do not stick with it as long as they should. Although 77 percent of moms nationally start to breastfeed, the new study found that only 36 percent of babies are breastfed through 6 months, well short of the federal government's goal to hit 50 percent by 2010.

Egg P Bodies Protect Maternal Gene Messages Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT A cell decides what proteins to make based on the messages it receives from its genome. Sometimes messages are held back to be read later, and in most cell types these delayed messages are stored and marked for destruction in P bodies. P bodies in worm egg cells, however, are message protectors, according to an article in the Journal of Cell Biology.

Sound Adds Speed To Visual Perception Posted: 12 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT The traditional view of individual brain areas involved in perception of different sensory stimuli -- i.e., one brain region involved in hearing and another involved in seeing -- has been thrown into doubt in recent years. A new study shows that, in monkeys, the region involved in hearing can directly improve perception in the visual region, without the involvement of other structures to integrate the senses.

X-rays Use Diamonds As Window To Center Of The Earth Posted: 12 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Diamonds from Brazil have provided the answers to a question that Earth scientists have been trying to understand for many years: how is oceanic crust that has been subducted deep into the Earth recycled back into volcanic rocks? Geologists have gained a deeper insight into how the Earth recycles itself in the deep earth tectonic cycle way beyond the depths that can be accessed by drilling.

Anemia Of Chronic Disease: An Adaptive Response? Posted: 12 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT The anemia of chronic disease may be a beneficial, adaptive response to the underlying disease, rather than a negative effect of the illness, postulates an analysis article in CMAJ.

Large Reservoir Of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Identified In Humans Posted: 12 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Clinical analysis of blood samples from almost 3,000 infants showed that at least 1 in 200 individuals in the general public harbor mitochondrial DNA mutations that may lead to disease.

Greater Response To Placebo In Children Than In Adults Posted: 12 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT In a systematic review of antiepileptic drugs, researchers show that children with drug-resistant partial epilepsy enrolled in trials seem to have a greater response to placebo than adults enrolled in such trials. This finding is an important factor to consider when designing drug trials to be carried out in children with epilepsy.

Cassini Begins Transmitting Data From Enceladus Flyby Posted: 12 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT The Cassini spacecraft has begun sending data to Earth following a close flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus. During closest approach, Cassini successfully passed only 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the surface of the tiny moon.

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