ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Key Event That Breaks Continents Apart Discovered Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Researchers have captured for the first time a geological event considered key in shaping the Earth's landscape. The first "dyking event" ever recorded within the planet's continental crust.

Maintaining Brain's Wiring In Aging And Disease Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that the brain's circuitry survives longer than previously thought in diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic Patterning In Fruit Fly Development Identified Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST No matter the species, from flies to humans, we all start the same: a single-cell fertilized egg that embarks on an incredible journey. The specifics of this journey are being uncovered by one biologist who is researching how from one cell a jumble of many are able to organize and communicate, allowing life to spring forth.

Brand-name Drugs Do Not Appear Superior To Generic Drugs For Treating Cardiovascular Diseases Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Contrary to the perception of some patients and physicians, there is no evidence that brand-name drugs are clinically superior to their generic counterparts, according to a new article, which examined studies comparing the effectiveness of generic vs. brand-name drugs for treating cardiovascular diseases.

Methane, Potent Greenhouse Gas, Flowing Into The Atmosphere From Tundra Much Faster Than Expected Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Much more methane gas is being emitted into the atmosphere from the tundra in northeast Greenland than previous studies have shown. New figures reveal that large amounts of greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere, not just during the warm summer months, but also during the colder autumn months.

High School Sports: Football Leads Sports Associated With Rare Injuries Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Rare injuries accounted for 3.5 percent of high school athletes' injuries 2005 through 2007, according to the first study to examine rare injuries and conditions of US high school athletes. Rare injuries include eye injuries, dental injuries, neck and cervical injuries and dehydration and heat illness, which may result in high morbidity, costly surgeries and treatments or life-altering consequences.

Sugar Can Be Addictive: Animal Studies Show Sugar Dependence Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated that sugar can be an addictive substance, wielding its power over the brains of lab animals in a manner similar to many drugs of abuse. Researchers found profound behavioral changes in rats that, through experimental conditions, have been trained to become dependent on high doses of sugar. Lab animals that were denied sugar for a prolonged period after learning to binge worked harder to get it when it was reintroduced to them. They consumed more sugar than they ever had before, suggesting craving and relapse behavior.

Model Unravels Rules That Govern How Genes Are Switched On And Off Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST For years, scientists have struggled to decipher the genetic instruction book that details where and when the 20,000 genes in a human cell will be turned on or off. Different genes operate in each cell type at different times, and this careful orchestration is what ultimately distinguishes a brain cell from a liver or skin cell. Scientists have developed a model of gene expression in yeast that predicts with a high degree of accuracy whether a gene will be switched on or off. Genes operate in each cell type at different times, and this careful orchestration is what ultimately distinguishes a brain cell from a liver or skin cell.

Breast Cancer Treatment Offers Better Outcome To Women With Implants Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST Women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone breast augmentation may be treated successfully with a partial-breast radiation treatment called brachytherapy, according to a new study.

Vaccine And Drug Research Aimed At Ticks And Mosquitoes To Prevent Disease Transmission Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST Most successful vaccines and drugs rely on protecting humans or animals by blocking certain bacteria from growing in their systems. But a new theory actually hopes to take stopping infectious diseases such as West Nile virus and Malaria to the next level by disabling insects from transmitting these viruses.

Asian Students Top Latest Global Math, Science Study Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST Students from Asian countries were top performers in math and science at both the fourth and eighth grade levels, according to TIMSS 2007, the world's largest assessment of student math and science achievement, with 425,000 students surveyed across 59 countries.

Breaking The Silence After A Study Ends Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 PM PST While an estimated 2.3 million people in the United States take part in clinical trials every year, there currently exists no formal requirement to inform them of study results, an oversight that leaves participants confused, frustrated, and, in some cases, lacking information that may be important to their health. Now researchers have proposed an effective approach to disseminate the results of clinical trials to study volunteers.

The Last Neandertals? Late Neandertals And Modern Human Contact In Southeastern Iberia Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST It is widely accepted that early modern humans spread westward across Europe about 42,000 years ago, displacing and absorbing Neandertal populations in the process. But how long did they survive? New research, is shedding light on what were probably the last Neandertals.

Lack Of Vitamin D Causes Weight Gain And Stunts Growth In Girls Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Insufficient vitamin D can stunt growth and foster weight gain during puberty, according to a new study. Even in sun-drenched California vitamin D deficiency was found to cause higher body mass and shorter stature in girls at the peak of their growing spurt.

Fructose Metabolism More Complicated Than Was Thought Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST A new study suggests that we may pay a price for ingesting too much fructose. Chances are you consume quite a bit of fructose. Most Americans do --- in refined sugars such as sucrose or table sugar (which is half fructose) and in high-fructose corn syrup, used in products as diverse as soft drinks, protein bars, and fruit juice. Dietary fructose affects a wide range of genes in the liver that had not previously been identified.

Transplanted Fat Cells Restore Function After Spinal Cord Injury Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Fat cells, plentiful and easily obtained from adipose tissues without discomfort and grown under culture conditions as de-differentiated fat cells (DFAT), have been for the first time shown to successfully differentiate into neuronal cells in in vivo tests.

Building World's Largest Neutrino Telescope At South Pole Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST It's 40 degrees F below zero (with the wind chill) at the South Pole today. Yet a research team from the University of Delaware is taking it all in stride. The physicists, engineers and technicians are working to build the world's largest neutrino telescope in the Antarctic ice, far beneath the continent's snow-covered surface.

Are Men Hardwired To Overspend? Posted: 11 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Bling, foreclosures, rising credit card debt, bank and auto bailouts, upside down mortgages and perhaps a mid-life crisis new Corvette -- all symptoms of compulsive overspending.

How The Brain Thinks About Crime And Punishment Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST A new study reveals that humans use different neural mechanisms for determining criminal responsibility and assigning an appropriate punishment. The research, published in the journal Neuron, provides fascinating insight into brain systems that may explain how thousands of years of reliance on human sanctions to enforce social norms gave rise to our current criminal justice system.

Type 1 Diabetes And Celiac Disease Linked Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes and celiac disease appear to share a common genetic origin, scientists have confirmed.

Ice Beetles Impacted By Climate Change Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST California Academy of Sciences entomologist Dave Kavanaugh never intended to embark on a climate change study this past summer. But the beetles he's been observing and documenting for more than 40 years left him little choice.

Why Gleevec-type Drugs Control, But Do Not Eradicate, Leukemia Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST Researchers are closer to understanding why certain chronic myeloid leukemia mutations are not stopped by the revolutionary targeted cancer pill, Gleevec, or similar therapies in that drug family.

Tracking Down Strange Seismic Waves Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST Seismic waves generated by earthquakes pass through the earth. Changes in their direction or velocity indicate variations in the materials through which they pass. Geophysicists have now been able to show in a model exactly what happens at zones where crustal plates subduct below one another.

Genetics: Why Some Drinkers Feel Effects Of Alcohol Strongly, And Why Some Are Prone To Alcohol Abuse Posted: 11 Dec 2008 08:00 AM PST Researchers have identified a region on the human genome that appears to determine how strongly drinkers feel the effects of alcohol and thus how prone they are to alcohol abuse.

Astronomers Find The Two Dimmest Stellar Bulbs Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST It's a tie! The new record-holder for dimmest known star-like object in the universe goes to twin "failed" stars, or brown dwarfs, each of which shines feebly with only one millionth the light of our sun.

Secreted Protein Sends Signal That Fat Is On The Way Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST After you eat a burger and fries or other fat-filled meal, a protein produced by the liver may send a signal that fat is on the way, suggests a new report.

Humans Prompted New Paths For Parasites Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists are tracking how the dissemination of the parasite Trichinella spiralis throughout Europe, North Africa and the Americas was facilitated by human travel and the transportation of animals.

New Treatment Eliminates Heel Pain Caused By Plantar Fasciitis Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Combining an ultrasound-guided technique with steroid injection is 95 percent effective at relieving the common and painful foot problem called plantar fasciitis, according to a new study.

No Place Like Home: New Theory For How Salmon, Sea Turtles Find Their Birthplace Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST How marine animals find their way back to their birthplace to reproduce after migrating across thousands of miles of open ocean has mystified scientists for more than a century. But marine biologists now think they might finally have unraveled the secret.

More Than 2,000 Children Die Every Day From Unintentional Injury; At Least Half Could Be Saved Posted: 11 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST More than 2,000 children die every day as a result of an unintentional, or accidental injury, and every year tens of millions more worldwide are taken to hospitals with injuries that often leave them with lifelong disabilities. The World Report on Child Injury Prevention provides the first comprehensive global assessment of childhood unintentional injuries and prescribes measures to prevent them. It concludes that if proven prevention measures were adopted everywhere at least 1,000 children's lives could be saved every day.

New Class Of Anti-inflammatory Drugs Developed Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs. The new substances promise to be more effective and to cause fewer side effects than aspirin.

Clues About Controlling Cholesterol Rise From Yeast Studies Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST Having discovered how a lowly, single-celled fungus regulates its version of cholesterol, Johns Hopkins researchers are gaining new insight about the target and action of cholesterol-lowering drugs taken daily by millions of people to stave off heart attacks and strokes.

Some Beetles Can Quickly Neutralize Bacteria And Reduce Emergence Of Resistant Bacteria At Same Time Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST In less than an hour, the immune system of the beetle Tenebrio molitor neutralizes most of the bacteria infecting its hemolymph (the equivalent to blood in vertebrates); this is rendered possible by a cascade of ready-to-use cells and enzymes. The principal function of the antimicrobial peptides produced by the insect immune system is to prevent the resurgence of bacteria resistant to the host's constitutive defenses, which will consequently reduce the emergence of resistant bacteria.

Breast Cancer In Men: Mammography And Sonography Findings Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST Mammography and sonography findings help doctors identify and appropriately treat breast cancer in men, according to a new study.

EPA's Risk Assessment Process Bogged Down By Unprecedented Challenges Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's process of generating risk assessments -- which estimate the potential adverse effects posed by harmful chemicals found in the environment in order to protect public health -- is bogged down by unprecedented challenges, and as a decision-making tool it is often hindered by a disconnect between available scientific data and the information needs of officials, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Palm Pilots Bridge Communication Gap Between Therapists And Patients Posted: 11 Dec 2008 02:00 AM PST Palm Pilots already perform a variety of functions, and in the future, they may be used as a therapeutic tool that benefits people with personality disorders. In a new study, researchers used Palm Pilots as electronic diaries to record and analyze mood variability in patients with borderline personality disorder and found that the devices helped bridge an important communication gap between therapists and patients.

Acoustic Phenomena Explain Why Boats And Animals Collide Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Researchers have laid the groundwork for a sensory explanation for why manatees and other animals are hit repeatedly by boats. Last year, 73 manatees were killed by boats in Florida's bays and inland waterways. Marine authorities have responded to deaths from boat collisions by imposing low speed limits on boats.

Thrombosis Patients Face Greater Risks Than Previously Believed Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Researchers warn that in addition to the well-known risks of pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis patients also face postthrombotic syndrome, a poorly understood, long-term complication not addressed by traditional treatment approaches like blood thinners.

Insecticides Or Genetically Modified Crops? Non-Target Insects Affected More By Insecticides Than By Crops Engineered To Make Insect-specific Toxins Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Non-target insects are probably affected more by conventional insecticides than by crops that contain genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), according to a new article. Bt crops such as maize and cotton are genetically engineered to produce insect-specific toxins.

To Contract Or Not: A Key Question For The Uterine Muscles In Pregnancy Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST During pregnancy, the muscles of the uterus are relatively inactive. A switch to an activated state capable of strong contractions is therefore essential prior to the onset of labor. New research provides insight into the events that prime the uterine muscles for contraction, something the investigators hope might have implications for the development of therapies for preterm labor (i.e., labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy), the most serious complication of pregnancy in developed countries.

Tool Helps Identify Gene Function In Soybeans Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Researchers have demonstrated the applicability of a genomic tool for identifying gene function in soybeans. Understanding gene function in soybeans will ultimately benefit crop performance.

China's Paradoxical Policies On HIV And Drug Use Threaten Health, Experts Argue Posted: 10 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Injection drug users sentenced to compulsory detention under China's paradoxical policies on HIV/AIDS and narcotics suffer human rights abuses that may imperil their health, says a new study published in PLoS Medicine.

Tropics No Longer Museum Of Plant Biodiversity Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST The biodiversity picture in the region known as the "lungs of the Earth" contradicts commonly held views relating to extinction in that area. New research outlines that the risk of extinction for plants is higher in countries close to the equator than previously thought.

When Less Is More: Brief Inhibition Of Cancer Target Is Effective And Less Toxic Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST New research shows that the delicate balance between maximum clinical impact and toxicity may not be quite as fragile as scientists had previously believed. The study, published in the journal Cancer Cell, is likely to have a major impact on the future design and implementation of targeted cancer therapies.

Unique Archaeological Discovery In Balkan: World’s First Illyrian Trading Post Found Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST Archaeologists have found the very first traces of an Illyrian trading post that is more than two thousand years old. The Illyrians were an ancient people who lived by hunting, fishing and agriculture. They were known as both warriors and pirates.

Eye Disorders Linked To Statin Drug Use In Some Patients Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST Statin medications are used to lower patients' cholesterol levels, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease, stroke and other deaths related to high cholesterol levels. Statin use has grown rapidly since 1992, and seems likely to increase in light of the recent, widely-reported Jupiter Study on statin benefits in patients with low cholesterol but elevated C-reactive protein.

Robust Watermarking Offers Hope Against Digital Piracy Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST Watermarks have been used for centuries to prove the authenticity of bank notes, postage stamps and documents. Now European researchers are considering them as a new tool in the fight against digital piracy and to authenticate and verify the integrity of digital media.

Marital Problems Lead To Poorer Outcomes For Breast Cancer Patients Posted: 10 Dec 2008 08:00 PM PST Breast cancer patients who have a poor relationship with their spouse may face a more difficult road to recovery than would other women, according to a new study. Researchers found that, over five years, patients in distressed marriages had higher levels of stress, less physical activity, slower recovery and more symptoms and signs of illness than did similar patients who reported good marriages.

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