Monday, January 26, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

New Hope For Restoring Injured Nerves

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Scientists have identified a worm gene that is essential for damaged nerve cells to regenerate, and showed they could speed nerve regeneration by over-activating the gene -- a step toward new treatments for nerves injured by trauma or disease.

Breakthrough Against Poxviruses May Lead To Medication For Smallpox and Monkeypox

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Smallpox has a nasty history throughout the world. Caused by poxviruses, smallpox is one of the few disease-causing agents against which the human body's immune system is ineffective in its defense. A breakthrough by structural biologists may be the first step towards a pharmaceutical medication for smallpox and the emerging human monkeypox.

New Species Hotspot In Remote Cambodian Mekong

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Cantor's Giant softshell turtle, thought to be extinct in Cambodia since 2003 has been rediscovered in a section of the Mekong River almost untouched by humans.

Crib-side Studies Help Struggling Newborns Go Home Without Feeding Tubes

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

A new strategy is helping premature infants and other newborns with severe swallowing difficulties learn to feed on their own. Physicians were able to help 15 out of 20 infants with severe feeding difficulties and airway concerns learn to feed by mouth.

Cooking Up New Gelled Rocket Fuels

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

Engineers and food scientists are teaming up to develop a new type of gelled fuel the consistency of orange marmalade designed to improve the safety, performance and range of rockets for space and military applications.

Researchers Explore What Contemporary Science Cannot Explain

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST

A team philosophers is conducting a three-year research project to explore conscious experiences that contemporary science still cannot explain.

New Insight Into How Bees See Could Improve Artificial Intelligence Systems

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

New research on bees could lead to improved artificial intelligence systems and computer programs for facial recognition.

Stimulating Recovery From Chronic Stress Disorders: Novel Approach Uses Body's 'Fight Or Flight' Mechanism

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

A Canadian/US research team has reported a novel approach to stimulating recovery from chronic stress disorders. Researchers have detailed a therapeutic model which exploits the natural dynamics of the body's "fight or flight" system. In contrast to conventional time-invariant therapy, the researchers propose a well-directed therapeutic push delivered according to an optimal treatment schedule.

'Astronaut Food Approach' To Medical Testing: Dehydrated, Wallet-sized Malaria Tests Promise Better Diagnoses In Developing World

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

Bioengineers have created a credit-card sized tool can be stored for months and then used to test for malaria. It's part of a larger project to develop high-tech tools for global health. The prototype delivered a diagnosis in just nine minutes.

New Treatment Option For Latent Tuberculosis

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

Patients who are infected with the latent form of tuberculosis (TB) show no symptoms and are not contagious, yet they pose the biggest challenge when it comes to controlling the disease. A new potential treatment for this particular form of TB has been developed.

Light-speed Nanotechnology: Controlling The Nature Of Graphene

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a new method for controlling the nature of graphene, bringing chip manufacturers one step closer to realizing the mass production of graphene-based nanoelectronics. The chemistry of the surface on which graphene is deposited plays a key role in shaping the material's conductive properties: results show that when deposited on a surface treated with oxygen, graphene exhibits semiconductor properties. When deposited on material treated with hydrogen, graphene exhibits metallic properties.

I Quit, We Quit: What Works Better For Smokers?

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST

A new study has found that smokers are twice as likely to kick the habit if they use a support group rather than trying to give up alone.

Here's Venom In Your Eye: Spitting Cobras Hit Their Mark

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Spitting cobras have an exceptional ability to spray venom into eyes of potential attackers. A new study reveals how these snakes maximize their chances of hitting the target. Using high-speed photography and electromyography, scientists uncover the mechanics of a cobra "spit."

Blocking Toxic Effects Could Make Clot-buster Safer

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

The drug tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) can break up the blood clots that cause strokes and heart attacks, but it can also loosen the blood-brain barrier and generate inflammation in the brain. In mice, genetically removing LRP1, a receptor for tPA, from brain cells called microglia can soften tPA's harmful effects. Blocking LRP1 could make tPA safer.

Evolution And Epilepsy: Improvement In Brain Electrical Signaling Is Critical Both For Vertebrate Evolution And For Preventing Epileptic Seizures

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Studies on brain electrical signaling offer a fresh perspective on vertebrate evolution, provide additional evidence supporting Darwinian views of evolution, and may also lead to more effective treatment of epileptic seizures in infants.

Drug-coated Stents Less Risky For Heart Bypass Patients, Study Suggests

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Coronary bypass surgery may carry less risk of serious complications if stents coated with a drug that suppresses cell growth are used in the procedure rather than bare-metal stents, scientists have found.

Electrochemical Capacitors For Water Desalination

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Recent advances in electrochemical capacitors for energy storage open new opportunities for water desalination devices with high energy efficiency.

The Total Package: A Skillful, Compassionate Doctor

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST

Patients and their families want physicians who are gifted in diagnosis and treatment and who are caring individuals with the interpersonal skills needed to communicate complex information in stressful circumstances. A new study shows training physicians to be humanistic is feasible and produces measurably better communicators.

Feeling Your Words: Hearing With Your Face

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

The movement of facial skin and muscles around the mouth plays an important role not only in the way the sounds of speech are made, but also in the way they are heard according to a new study.

New Treatment Reduces Severity Of Asthma Attacks In Preschoolers, Study Suggests

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

The largest study of its kind on preschoolers has demonstrated that preventive treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids is effective in reducing the severity and duration of asthma attacks triggered by colds.

Off The Shelf Maps Help Mitigate Volcanic Hazards

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

When volcanoes erupt, pinpointing the regions at high risk for lethal hazards and deciding whether or not to evacuate a resistant population comprise the most difficult problems faced by hazards managers. Now a team of volcanologists has a program that maps potential problem areas quickly, taking much of the guesswork out of decision making and evacuations.

Sleep Disordered Breathing And Obesity: Independent Effects, Causes

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

Two studies found that obesity and sleep disordered breathing are independently linked to insulin resistance and liver disease -- and that either alone is a cause for concern, but together, they equal a one-two hit to some of the most important metabolic pathways in the body. A third study found that OSA is linked to a sedentary lifestyle, also independent of obesity.

Microbes Fuel Energy Debate

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

Microbes may well be the answer to our global energy crisis. By fermenting biomass to produce biofuels, they offer a possible climate-friendly solution to the anticipated shortfall in fossil fuel supply. A new review considers how microbes could be used to salvage the energy crisis.

Trust Me, I'm A Journalist: Trust In The Media Promotes Health

Posted: 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST

Trust in the media promotes health. A study of people from 29 Asian countries, reported in the open-access journal BMC Medicine, has shown that individuals with high levels of trust in the mass media tend to be healthier.

Eating Less May Not Extend Human Life: Caloric Restriction May Benefit Only Obese Mice

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

Caloric restriction only benefits obese mice, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. The results suggest that caloric restriction may not be a universally beneficial anti-aging strategy, as commonly believed.

Key Protein Regulator Of Inflammation And Cell Death Discovered

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

Scientists have discovered a key protein component involved in inflammation. The protein, AIM2 (absent in melanoma 2), is involved in the detection and reaction to dangerous cytoplasmic DNA that is produced by infection with viral or microbial pathogens, or by tissue damage. AIM2 also appears to be a tumor suppressor, and its inactivation may play a role in the development of cancer, according to researchers.

New Musical Instrument Drums Up YouTube Hit

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

A video of a new musical instrument created by a student has attracted over one million hits on the internet. The PhD student made the video to demonstrate the BeatBearing - his electronic musical instrument that uses ball bearings to create different drum patterns.

Medical Mystery Of 9-month-old Infant Solved: Breastfed Baby Had Rickets

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

A-month-old infant who was admitted to a local Boston hospital with seizures and a bulging soft spot was actually suffering from rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency.

WineCrisp: New Apple Was More Than 20 Years In The Making

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

A new, late-ripening apple named WineCrisp which carries the Vf gene for scab resistance was developed over the past 20 plus years through classical breeding techniques, not genetic engineering. License to propagate trees will be made available to nurseries.

Drug Treatment Of Heart Failure Is Influenced By Gender Of Patient And Of Physician

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST

While the treatment of heart failure has improved over the past two decades, a new study finds that "the use of evidence-based treatments appears to be imbalanced according to the gender of the patient."

Could Caffeine In Pregnancy Affect Risk Leukemia Risk In Offspring?

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST

A new study is looking into the effects of consuming caffeine during pregnancy on the unborn baby.

New Tactics To Tackle Bystander’s Role In Bullying

Posted: 25 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST

A new psychodynamic approach to bullying in schools has been successfully trialled. CAPSLE (Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment) is a groundbreaking method focused more on the bystander, including the teacher, than on the bully or the victim. The study shows that an easily implemented school-wide intervention focusing on empathy and power dynamics can reduce children's experiences of aggression in school and improve classroom behavior.

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