Friday, August 15, 2008

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Stress, Anxiety Can Make Allergy Attacks Even More Miserable And Last Longer

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

A new study shows that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a person's allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Moreover, the added impact of stress and anxiety seem to linger, causing the second day of a stressed person's allergy attack to be much worse.

Slipping Through Cell Walls, Nanotubes Deliver High-potency Punch To Cancer Tumors In Mice

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

A big challenge in treating cancer with chemotherapy is how to get the most medication into the cells of a tumor without "spillover" of the medication adversely affecting the healthy cells in a patient's body. Now researchers have addressed that problem using single-walled carbon nanotubes as delivery vehicles. This method gets a higher proportion of a given dose of medication into the tumor cells than is possible with the "free" drug.

Burmese Pythons Will Find Little Suitable Habitat Outside South Florida, Study Suggests

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

Burmese Pythons may have chosen Florida as a vacation destination, but are unlikely to expand further, according to a new study. Although the United States Geological Survey earlier this year released "climate maps" indicating that the pythons could inhabit up to 32 states in the US, new research indicates that the snakes are unlikely to expand out of Florida.

Hepatitis B Genotypes And Mutants May Influence Liver Cancer Risk

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes liver cancer in some individuals, but not all strains of the virus are associated with the same degree of risk. If confirmed, the newly reported data could help target chemoprevention strategies in the future.

Antarctic Climate: Short-term Spikes, Long-term Warming Linked To Tropical Pacific

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

Dramatic year-to-year temperature swings and a century-long warming trend across West Antarctica are linked to conditions in the tropical Pacific, according to an analysis of ice cores. The findings show the connection of the world's coldest continent to global warming, as well as to events such as El NiƱo.

Women And War: The Toll Of Deployment On Physical Health

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

More than 80 percent of a sample of Air Force women deployed in Iraq and other areas around the world report suffering from persistent fatigue, fever, hair loss and difficulty concentrating.

Big-brained Animals Evolve Faster

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Ecologists and evolutionary biologists analyzed body size measures of 7,209 species of birds and found that avian families that have experienced the greatest diversification in body size tend to be those with brains larger than expected for their body size.

Lessons From Yeast: A Possible Cure For Parkinson's Disease?

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Parkinson disease is a debilitating and lethal neurodegenerative disease, for which there is currently no cure. However, new data have provided evidence to support that idea that agents that disrupt the formation of the abnormal aggregates of a protein called alpha-syn that characterize the brain of individuals with PD might have therapeutic effects.

Chemists Take Gold, Mass-produce Beijing Olympic Logo

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Nanoscientists have mass-produced the 2008 Summer Olympics logo -- 15,000 times. All the logos take up one square centimeter of space. The researchers printed the logos as well as an integrated gold circuit using a new printing technique, called Polymer Pen Lithography, that can write on three different length scales using only one device. It is fast, inexpensive and simple and could find use in computational tools, medical diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry.

Model For Neurological Disorder 'Angelman Syndrome' Developed

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

A model for studying the genetics of Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes mental retardation and other symptoms in one out of 15,000 births, has been developed by biologists at The University of Texas at Austin.

In The Long Run, Exertion Regulation Wins The Day For Marathon Runners

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Scientists have investigated the physiological methods employed by well-trained runners in order to regulate the great physical strain and effort that are needed in order to complete and perform well in marathons and other endurance challenges.

Direct Gaze Enhances Face Perception

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Gaze direction is significant for the processing of visual information from the human face. Researchers have discovered that the visual system of the brain processes another person's face more efficiently when the person's gaze is straight ahead than when the gaze is averted.

Cassini Pinpoints Source Of Jets On Saturn's Moon Enceladus

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

In a feat of interplanetary sharpshooting, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pinpointed precisely where the icy jets erupt from the surface of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus. New carefully targeted pictures reveal exquisite details in the prominent south polar "tiger stripe" fractures from which the jets emanate.

Chronic Ear Infections Linked To Increased Obesity Risk; Taste Damage Can Lead To Preferences For Fatty And Sugary Foods

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

Ear infections are a painful rite of passage for many children. New research suggests the damage caused by chronic ear infections could be linked to people's preference for fatty foods, which increases their risk of being overweight as they age. Scientists from around the country presented their findings on this unexpected connection at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention here Thursday.

New Nanomaterial Makes Plastic Stiffer, Lighter And Stronger

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

Scientists have developed a nanomaterial that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment.

Treatment With Anti-anemia Drugs May Not Be Safe For Multiple Myeloma Patients

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

A recent study demonstrated that Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, a widely used drug to treat anemia, may have a negative impact on the survival of myeloma patients.

Climate Change Caused Widespread Tree Death In California Mountain Range, Study Confirms

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

Warmer temperatures and longer dry spells have killed thousands of trees and shrubs in a Southern California mountain range, pushing the plants' habitat an average of 213 feet up the mountain over the past 30 years, a UC Irvine study has determined.

Timing Of Political Messages Influences Voter Preferences, Researcher Finds

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT

In political campaigns, timing is almost everything. Candidates communicate with voters over a long period of time before voters actually vote. What candidates say to these voters is, of course, important, but it turns out that when they say it also influences voter preferences.

Study Shows Continued Spread Of 'Dead Zones'; Lack Of Oxygen Now A Key Stressor On Marine Ecosystems

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

A new study shows that the number of "dead zones" -- areas of seafloor with too little oxygen for most marine life -- has increased by a third between 1995 and 2007. Dead zones are now "the key stressor on marine ecosystems" and "rank with over-fishing, habitat loss, and harmful algal blooms as global environmental problems."

Major Genetic Cause Of Colon Cancer Found, Linked To Unequal Gene Activity

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Researchers have discovered that a subtle difference in the activity of a pair of genes may be responsible for one of every 10 colon-cancer cases. The work is the first to link this particular gene conclusively as a cause of colon cancer, and it may provide clinicians with a new way to identify people who are at high risk for disease.

Why Elite Rowers Have Bigger, Stronger Hearts

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Scientists have unraveled a potential mechanism for how top-level rowers develop enlarged strengthened hearts as a result of long-term intensive training. The research suggests a causal link between naturally occurring hormone levels and strengthening of the heart muscle in professional rowers.

Blood Pressure Response To Daily Stress Provides Clues For Better Hypertension Treatment

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

How the body regulates blood pressure in response to daily stress is the focus of a study geared toward helping people whose pressure is out of control.

Hybrid 'Muttsucker' Has Genes Of Three Species

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

In the murky waters of an inconspicuous stream in a remote area of Wyoming, researchers detail the potential impact that an introduced fish, the white sucker, could have on the evolutionary biology of fishes.

Declaration Opposes Transplant Commercialism, Transplant Tourism And Organ Trafficking

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT

All countries should take steps to govern organ donation and transplantation, thereby ensuring patient safety and prohibiting unethical practices, according to a new article. The document is a consensus of more than 150 representatives of scientific and medical bodies from around the world, government officials, social scientists and ethicists, who met in Istanbul, Turkey, this spring.

Snooze Button For Body's Circadian Clock

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

We may use the snooze button to fine-tune our sleep cycles, but our cells have a far more meticulous and refined system. Humans, and most other organisms, have 24-hour rhythms that are regulated by a precise molecular clock that ticks inside every cell. After decades of study, researchers are still identifying all the gears involved in running this "circadian" clock and are working to put each of the molecular cogs in its place. A new study now shows how two of the key molecules interact to regulate the clock's cycle and uncovers how that switch can go haywire, identifying one potential cause of heritable sleep disorders.

'Flu Vaccination' Protects Bacteria Against Virus

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

Bacteria – like people animals and plants – can become infected by a virus. Researchers have now unravelled a mechanism with which bacteria can defend themselves for a longer period against threatening viruses. Over the long term, this research offers possibilities to protect bacteria used in industrial processes against viral infections by giving them a 'flu vaccination'.

Distinguishing Between Two Birds Of A Feather

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

The bird enthusiast who chronicled the adventures of a flock of red-headed conures in his book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" knows most of the parrots by name, yet most of us would be hard pressed to tell one bird from another. While it has been known for a long time that we can become acutely attuned to our day-to-day environment, the underlying neural mechanism has been less clear.

Risk Assessment Plays Key Role In Long-term Treatment Of Breast Cancer

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

Breast cancer patients and their physicians may make more informed, long-term treatment decisions using risk assessment strategies to help determine probability of recurrence, researchers reported.

Partial Lunar Eclipse On 16th August

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

People across the world will have the chance to see a partial eclipse of the Moon on the 16th August.

Wide Variety Of Errors Found In Testing Process At Family Medicine Clinics

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT

The largest study to date of testing errors reported by family physician offices in the United States found that problems occur throughout the testing process and disproportionately affect minority patients.

Phoenix Microscope Takes First Image Of Martian Dust Particle

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' ubiquitous dust, using its atomic force microscope. The particle -- shown at higher magnification than anything ever seen from another world -- is a rounded particle about one micrometer, or one millionth of a meter, across. It is a speck of the dust that cloaks Mars. Such dust particles color the Martian sky pink, feed storms that regularly envelop the planet and produce Mars' distinctive red soil.

Structural Biology Spin-out Tackles Major Diseases

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

A spin off company from basic structural biology has led to new technology that provides a way of creating therapeutic proteins to tackle major diseases such as cancer, diabetes and infertility.

Managing the Conch Fishery

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

Massachusetts fisherman once considered the New England whelk or "conch" as nothing more than bycatch. Although demand existed for the large-shelled snail, traditionally used for cooking in East Asian cultures, it could more easily be trawled in the waters around South America, the Caribbean and Asia, making conch unprofitable in the Northeast. This turned around in the 1980s, however, when overfishing of whelk quickly transformed the small New England conch fishery into a multi-million dollar industry.

Sequential Doxorubicin And Zoledronic Acid Have Powerful Anti-Tumor Effect In Vivo

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

The use of doxorubicin followed by zoledronic acid reduced tumor size substantially in a mouse model of breast cancer that does not have bone metastases.

Towards Zero Training For Brain-computer Interfacing

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

While invasive electrode recordings in humans show long-term promise, noninvasive techniques can also provide effective brain-computer interfacing and localization of motor activity in the brain for paralyzed patients with significantly reduced risks and costs as well as novel applications for healthy users. However, two issues hamper the ease of use of BCI systems based on noninvasive recording techniques, such as electroencephalography.

Public Health Clinic Study Links 'Americanization' And Depression

Posted: 15 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT

A study of 439 US and Mexican-born Latinas seeking pregnancy and postpartum services at public health clinics in San Antonio uncovered elevated levels of depression among the more "Americanized" women, report researchers in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.

Call For Better Protection Of Older People From Climate Change Impact

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT

A new report calls on Government and public authorities to take action to better protect older people from the future effects of climate change.

To The Moon And Mars: Psychologists Show New Ways To Deal With Health Challenges In Space

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

As NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon and then on to Mars, psychologists are exploring the challenges astronauts will face on missions that will be much longer and more demanding than previous space flights. Psychologists outlined these mental health challenges at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention, and introduced a new interactive computer program that will help address psychosocial challenges in space.

Cocaine-induced Synaptic Plasticity Linked To Persistent Addictive Behaviors

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

The persistent nature of addiction is its most devastating feature. Understanding the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is the key for designing efficient therapy. Two separate studies published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron identify specific cocaine-induced changes in dopamine neurons that play a pivotal role in behaviors associated with drug addiction.

Drinking Water In Gaza Strip Contaminated With High Levels Of Nitrate

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Scientists have recommended to the authorities in the Gaza Strip that they take immediate measures to combat excessive nitrate levels in the drinking water. 90 per cent of their water samples were found to contain nitrate concentrations that were between two and eight times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

Protein Complementarity May Offer New Insights Into Autoimmune Diseases

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

The discovery of "complementary" antibodies against plasminogen in patients with blood vessel inflammation caused by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies may lead to new approaches to research, testing and treatment of ANCA vasculitis and other autoimmune diseases, suggests a new article.

Oil And Gas Projects In Western Amazon Threaten Biodiversity And Indigenous Peoples

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

According to a new study, over 180 oil and gas "blocks" -- areas zoned for exploration and development -- now cover the megadiverse western Amazon, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil. These oil and gas blocks stretch over 688,000 km2 (170 million acres), a vast area, nearly the size of Texas.

Hard Day’s Night? Enhancing The Work-life Balance Of Shift Workers

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Introducing a Compressed Working Week may enhance the work-life balance of shift workers without damaging productivity or competitiveness suggests a new systematic review published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

How Flesh-eating Bacteria Attack The Body's Immune System

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

"Flesh-eating" or "Strep" bacteria are able to survive and spread in the body by degrading a key immune defense molecule. The finding could aid in development of new treatments for serious infections in human patients.

Molecular Switch Boosts Brain Activity Associated With Schizophrenia

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

People with schizophrenia have an alteration in a pattern of brain electrical activity associated with learning and memory. Now, researchers have identified in mouse brain tissue a molecular switch that, when thrown, increases the strength of this electrical pattern. The researchers found that adding the brain chemical Neuregulin-1 to the brain tissue boosted the electrical signals that the tissue generated.

Researchers Solve Structure Of An Enzyme Vital For DNA Repair

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

When dividing cells copy their DNA, mistakes can -- and do -- occur. To compensate, cells have a built-in system to correct these errors. That correction process isn't thoroughly understood, but researchers are piecing it together bit by bit.

Adenocarcinoma Of The Esophagus Increasing In White Men And Women

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus in the United States increased among both white men and women between 1975 and 2004.

Exploring Sichuan Fault

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT

Scientists are to explore the fault lines that caused the May 12th earthquake in China that killed 69,000 people.

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