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| Octopus Family Tree Traced Using New Molecular Evidence Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST Many of the world's deep-sea octopuses evolved from species that lived in the Southern Ocean, according to new molecular evidence reported by researchers. |
| Treating Heart Failure With A Gas Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST At low concentrations, the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide protects the hearts of mice from heart failure, scientists have found. The research suggests that doctors could use hydrogen sulfide to treat humans with heart failure. |
| New Laser Method Reproduces Art Masterworks To Protein Patterns Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST To illustrate the precision of their protein patterning technique, scientists reproduced a masterwork of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, specifically Girl with a Pearl Earring, in the miniature dimension of 200 microns wide or about the thickness of two hairs. The researchers also used their novel technology to replicate the brain's complex cellular environment. |
| Past Gains In Reducing Risk Of Heart Disease Have Flattened, Women Especially Affected Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST The positive US health trend documented over the past 30 years of reduction in risk for heart disease is not as strong as is widely perceived and, in fact, the trend has flattened, according to a new analysis of national data by Mayo Clinic. |
| Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST A rare and impressive Hebrew seal was discovered that dates to the latter part of the First Temple period. The seal was found in a building that is currently being uncovered, which dates to the seventh century BCE -- to the time when the kings Manasseh and Josiah reigned. |
| Chronic Pain Might Contribute To Suicidal Thoughts Posted: 13 Nov 2008 10:00 AM CST New research suggests that patients with chronic pain are more prone than others are to consider suicide. The increased risk remained even when study authors took the possible influence of mental illness into account. |
| Cassini Finds Mysterious New Aurora On Saturn Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Saturn has its own unique brand of aurora that lights up the polar cap, unlike any other planetary aurora known in our solar system. This odd aurora revealed itself to one of the infrared instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. |
| Gender Matching Aids Long-term Survival After Heart Transplants Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Men who received heart transplants from a male donor and women who had female donors had lower chances of death than patients who received a transplant from the opposite sex, according to a new 10-year study. Pairing female patients with male donors had the greatest risk for death during the study. Researchers said heart size and perhaps differences in the immune system explain the correlation. |
| Contact Lenses That Germs Can't Adhere To? Scientists Breed Designer Molecular Furs On Surfaces Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Proteins play a decisive role in both the tolerability of contact lenses and the adherence of mussels to the hulls of ships. They develop a biofilm during their initial contact with the foreign material. A new designer surface is completely resistant to the adsorption of proteins. |
| Heating Heart With Catheter Works Better Than Drugs For Heart Rhythm Disorder, Study Shows Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, a major international study has found. One year after undergoing a treatment called catheter ablation, 75 percent of patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation were free of symptoms. By comparison, only 21 percent of those treated with drugs were symptom-free. Results were so convincing the trial was halted early. |
| Drought Tolerant Plants? New Technique Enables Assessment Of Drought Performance Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence is an effective way of determining how well plants can cope with low-water conditions. The technique allows a quantitative and precise determination of viability in intact, drought-stressed plants. |
| Only One In Eight Educational Television Programs For Children Is Of High Quality, Study Shows Posted: 13 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST A new study shows that only one in eight children's education TV programs meet high quality standards. Commercial television broadcasters in the U.S. are required by law to air a minimum of three hours per week of children's educational programming. Most programs designated as educational offer only limited educational value for child viewers. |
| Simulation Shows What Would Happen If Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Hit California Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST What would happen in California was hit by the Big One? New 3-D animations of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake scenario are now available to the public. |
| New Technique To Study The Genetics Of Breast Cancer Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST A new technique to study genetic changes that can lead to breast cancer could be one step closer. |
| Dust Storm Cuts Energy Supply Of NASA Mars Rover Spirit Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST A dust storm on Mars has cut into the amount of sunlight reaching the solar array on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, leaving the rover in a vulnerable state. |
| Steps To Block Key Enzyme Action In Heart Failure Mapped Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST Taking a cue from the way drugs like Viagra put the biological brakes on a key enzyme involved in heart failure, scientists have mapped out a key chemical step involved in blocking the enzyme. |
| Molecular Clipping Mechanism Confirmed Behind Stem Cell Development Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST Stem cells don't just become a part of the liver or the brain in a flash; it takes a complex molecular choreography and requires that specific genes be switched on and off at specific times. Some of these genes are regulated through a process by which proteins in the cell nucleus, called histones, are chemically modified by small "chemical marks" such as acetyl or methyl groups. |
| U.S. Gets A 'D' As March Of Dimes Releases Premature Birth Report Card Posted: 13 Nov 2008 04:00 AM CST In the first Premature Birth Report Card, the United States received a "D" and no U.S. state earned an "A," when the March of Dimes compared preterm birth rates to Healthy People 2010 objectives. Premature birth affects more than 530,000 babies annually in the United States. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and lifelong disability. |
| Global Warming Link To Amphibian Declines In Doubt Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST Evidence that global warming is causing the worldwide declines of amphibians may not be as conclusive as previously thought, according to biologists. The findings, which contradict two widely held views, could help reveal what is killing the frogs and toads and aid in their conservation. |
| Overnight Hemodialysis Dramatically Improves Survival, Study Shows Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST For hemodialysis patients, undergoing dialysis for eight hours overnight, three times weekly, reduces the risk of death by nearly 80 percent, compared to conventional, four-hour dialysis, according to new research. |
| How A Well-known Protein Repairs Broken DNA Ends Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST During the life cycle of our cells, a minefield of environmental and biological assaults can lead to double-stranded DNA breaks, the most lethal and dangerous form of DNA damage. Now scientists reveal that when these breaks occur, a protein called 53BP1 helps repair them by mobilizing their dangly DNA ends -- findings that uncover a previously unknown aspect of how double-stranded breaks can get fixed. |
| Wide Variability In Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Suggests Alternative Dosing Should Be Considered Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST Methotrexate is commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and is suggested as the "anchor" drug in treating the disease. Despite its widespread use, the understanding of its mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics is limited. |
| Finnish IT Center For Science Upgrades Cray Supercomputer To One Of Europe’s Most Powerful Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST CSC's Cray supercomputer has been upgraded to over 85 teraflops (trillions of floating point operations per second). This makes the new Cray XT5 system at CSC the most powerful academic supercomputer in the Nordic countries and one of the fastest supercomputers in Europe. |
| No Drop In IQ Seen After Bypass For Child Heart Surgery Posted: 13 Nov 2008 01:00 AM CST The use of cardiopulmonary bypass does not cause short-term neurological problems in children and teenagers after surgery for less complex heart defects, according to pediatric researchers. The new finding contrasts favorably with previous studies that showed adverse neurological effects after newborn surgery for more complex heart conditions. |
| Sun Shows Signs Of Life: Long-Awaited Solar Cycle 24 Starting To Take Off Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST After two-plus years of few sunspots, even fewer solar flares, and a generally eerie calm, the sun is finally showing signs of life. |
| Low Potassium Linked To High Blood Pressure Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST As a risk factor for high blood pressure, low levels of potassium in the diet may be as important as high levels of sodium -- especially among African-Americans, according to new research. |
| Sedimentary Records Link Himalayan Erosion Rates And Monsoon Intensity Through Time Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST Throughout history, the changing fortunes of human societies in Asia have been linked to variations in the precipitation resulting from seasonal monsoons. Research suggests that variations in monsoon climate over longer time scales also influenced the evolution of the world's highest mountain chain, the Himalaya. |
| Primary Insomnia Linked To Neurochemical Abnormality In Young And Middle-aged Adults Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST A new study in the journal Sleep is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia, providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition's pathology. |
| Computerized Carer Lessens Dementia Load Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST An artificial intelligence coaching system has been developed that will help carers of older adults with moderate dementia. The COACH system uses a camera and computer to deliver interactive advice -- lessening the workload on often-overburdened carers. |
| Mandatory HPV Vaccination Is Unwarranted And Unwise, According to Experts Posted: 12 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST A new article in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics suggests that it is premature for states to currently mandate the HPV vaccine as a condition for school attendance. Gardasil is relatively new and long-term safety and effectiveness in the general population is unknown, experts point out. |
| Electronic Heat Trap Grips Deep Earth: Current Models Of Mantle Dynamics Challenged Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST The key to understanding Earth's evolution, including our atmosphere and how volcanoes and earthquakes form, is to look into the lower mantle, a region some 400 to 1,800 miles below the surface. Researchers simulated conditions at these depths and discovered that the concentration of highly oxidized iron in the two major mantle minerals is key to moving heat in that region and affects material movement throughout the planet. |
| Molecule That Stops SARS Invented Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST A newly created compound prevents the replication of the virus that causes SARS and could lead to a treatment for the disease. In addition to its ability to block the SARS virus, the molecular compound that inhibits the virus provides new insights into a group of proteins found in a range of diseases including childhood croup, herpes and cancer. |
| Tumors Grow Faster Without Blood-supply Promoting Molecule Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Dense networks of blood vessels thought to spur cancer's growth could actually hinder rather than promote tumor progression. The findings partly explain why drugs designed to treat cancer by strangling its blood supply have been disappointing when used alone and why those treatments are more effective when combined with traditional chemotherapy. Despite their rapid progression, tumors fed by more normal vascular were also more vulnerable to the effects of standard chemotherapy drugs. |
| Hip Resurfacing Is Not For Everyone, Study Suggests Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Hip resurfacing is often seen as a modern alternative to the more conventional total hip replacement, but new data suggest that a patient's age and gender are key to the operation's success. |
| Miniaturizing Memory: Taking Data Storage To The Molecular Level Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Researchers are now exploring ways of exploiting the unique properties of carbon nanotubes to create a cheap and compact memory cell that uses little power and writes information at high speeds. |
| Certain Types Of Thinking Are Best Suited To Certain Types Of Problem-solving Posted: 12 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Geometry problems are best solved by a combination of verbal and spatial strategies, but not shape-based imagery strategies. |
| Dusty Shock Waves Generate Planet Ingredients Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Shock waves around dusty, young stars might be creating the raw materials for planets, according to new observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. |
| Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Researchers have disarmed the blood-brain barrier sentry that keeps a potential treatment for stroke and Alzheimer's disease from getting into the brain. The brain is protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a gate-keeping system of cells that lets in nutrients and keeps out foreign substances. The blood-brain barrier passes no judgment on which foreign substances are trying to get into the brain to treat diseases and which are trying to do harm, so it blocks them without discrimination. |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Breakthrough Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, inflammatory type of arthritis that occurs when the body's immune system attacks itself. A new article in PLoS Biology, reports a breakthrough in the understanding of how autoimmune responses can be controlled, offering a promising new strategy for therapy development for rheumatoid arthritis. |
| Over 50% Of People With High Blood Pressure Unaware They Have Condition Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Results from a European project show that too many hypertensive people are not aware of their condition, while drugs fail to achieve optimal blood pressure in more than half of those under treatment. The European map of cardiovascular risk is changing, with England doing better than Italy. |
| Nano-scale Electromechanical Sensors In Handheld Devices Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Physicists are researching nano-scale cantilevers that have the potential to read and alert us to toxic chemicals or gases in the air. Put them into a small handheld device and the potential is there for real-time chemical alerts in battle, in industry, in health care and even at home. |
| Text Messaging May Help Children Fight Off Obesity Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Cell phone text messaging could be used to reduce children's chances of becoming overweight or obese later in life, by helping them monitor and modify their own behaviors now. |
| Pond Snail Programmed To Be Left Or Right 'Handed' Posted: 12 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Just like humans, the pond snail is genetically programmed to use the left- or right-handed side of its brain to perform different tasks, new research reveals. |
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