ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Climate Change Largely Irreversible For Next 1,000 Years, NOAA Reports Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A new scientific study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reaches a powerful conclusion about the climate change caused by future increases of carbon dioxide: to a large extent, there's no going back.

Getting Diabetes Before 65 More Than Doubles Risk For Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Diabetics have a significantly greater risk of dementia, reveals important new data from an ongoing study of twins. The risk of dementia is especially strong if the onset of diabetes occurs in middle age, according to the study.

Daily School Recess Improves Classroom Behavior Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST All work and no play may impede learning, health and social development. A large study of shows that school children who receive more recess behave better and are likely to learn more.

Early Mammograms May Have Net Harm in Some BRCA Mutation Carriers Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST The risk of radiation-induced breast cancer may outweigh the benefits of mammography in women under the age of 30 who carry a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, according to a mathematical modeling study.

Nanotechnology Provides New Generation Of Orthopedic, Dental And Cardiovascular Prostheses Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a process to produce new metal surfaces that promise to lead to superior medical implants that will improve healing and allow the human body to better accept metal prostheses.

Repeat Pregnancies Among Teenagers On The Increase Posted: 28 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST An expert in health services is calling for urgent action to improve contraceptive advice and services to reduce the growing number of repeat teenage pregnancies in the United Kingdom.

Natural Selection Not The Only Process That Drives Evolution? Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Why have some of our genes evolved rapidly? It is widely believed that Darwinian natural selection is responsible, but new research suggests that a separate neutral (nonadaptive) process has made a significant contribution to human evolution.

Cell Type That Limits Stroke Damage Identified Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Medical researchers have demonstrated the existence of a type of cells that limits brain damage after a stroke.

White Eyed Birds Diversify Across A Hemispheric Range Faster Than Any Other Bird Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST New molecular research shows that white eye birds (family Zosteropidae) form new species at a faster rate than any other known bird. Remarkably, unlike other rapid diversifications, which are generally confined in geography, white eyes diversified across multiple continents and far-flung islands. These birds were dubbed "Great Speciators" for this ability to rapidly form new species with little geographic limitation, and both thought that some intrinsic trait drove the extreme, observed patterns.

More Than 100 Gene Variations Linked With Response To Leukemia Treatment Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia scores of inherited genetic variations that clinicians might be able to use as guideposts for designing more effective chemotherapy for this cancer.

Precious Coatings For Plastic Parts Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Bearings are universal components. Few devices can do without them. A diamond-like coating reduces friction in ball and slide bearings: The carbon layer can be applied to the plastic cage using a special process, and increases the components' resilience and life span.

Fake Internet Drugs Risk Lives And Fund Terrorism, Warns Journal Editor Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Americans who bought fake Viagra unknowingly helped to fund Middle East terrorism. Other people are buying fake cancer drugs and ingesting harmful ingredients like arsenic and leaded road paint. International action and greater patients awareness is needed to tackle this growing problem, as lives are clearly at risk says the editor of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

Smallest Quantum Dots Ever Created Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Single atom quantum dots make possible a new level of control over individual electrons, a development that suddenly brings quantum dot-based devices within reach. Composed of a single atom of silicon and measuring less than one nanometer in diameter, these are the smallest quantum dots ever created.

Common Medication Associated With Cognitive Decline In Elderly Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST The use of certain medications in elderly populations may be associated with cognitive decline. The study examined the effects of exposure to anticholinergic medications, a type of drug used to treat a variety of disorders that include respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, on over 500 relatively healthy men age 65 years or older with high blood pressure.

Butterflies Across Europe Face Crisis As Climate Change Looms Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Climate change will cause Europe to lose much of its biodiversity as projected by a comprehensive study on future butterfly distribution. The Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies predicts northward shifts in potential distribution area of many European butterfly species. As early warning indicators of environmental change, butterflies are a valuable tool to assess overall climate change impact and to provide some indication on the chances to come nearer to the target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 set by the EU Heads of State in 2001.

Substance Use Common Among Patients With TB, Associated With Treatment Difficulties Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST About one in five US tuberculosis patients reports abusing alcohol or using illicit drugs, and those who do appear more contagious and difficult to treat, according to a new report.

Crystal Clear View Of Chalk Formation Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Chalk crystallizes differently from the way we once thought it did. This discovery will allow the development of new scale inhibitors and other materials, and has also consequences for climate change.

Preferential Treatment: How What We Like Defines What We Know Posted: 28 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Preference by itself can influence categorization, according to a new study in Psychological Science. The participants in the positive group sorted the symbols into finer, more specific categories compared to participants in the negative group. The authors suggest that when we like something, we will spend more time thinking about it, poring over its finer details and this will result in more specific categorization.

Helium Rains Inside Saturn, Jupiter And Other Jovian Planets, Research Suggests Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Models of how Saturn and Jupiter formed may soon take on a different look. By determining the properties of hydrogen-helium mixtures at the millions of atmospheres of pressure present in the interior of Saturn and Jupiter, physicists have determined the temperature at a given pressure when helium becomes insoluble in dense metallic hydrogen.

Individualized Approach To Breast Cancer Treatment Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists develop MRI-and-ultrasound application to recognize malignant tumors before they metastasize. The new approach -- based on a combination of MRI and ultrasound -- is able to measure the metabolism rates of cancer cells. The approach helps determine at an earlier stage than ever before which cells are metastasizing, and how they should be treated.

Seabird’s Ocean Lifestyle Revealed Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST An important British seabird has been tracked for the first time using miniature positioning loggers. The results are giving zoologists information that could help conserve wildlife around Britain's shores.

Rationale For Deciding Which Glucocorticoid To Use To Treat Preterm Babies Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Although drugs known as glucocorticoids are used clinically to treat mothers at risk of preterm delivery and infants with life-threatening lung conditions, there are ongoing concerns about the therapy because it adversely affects brain development. New mouse research suggests that some glucocorticoids, e.g. corticosterone and prednisolone, might be less damaging to the fetal brain than others, such as dexamethasone.

New Insight Into Architecture Of Cellular Protein Factories: Efficient Working In Confined Spaces Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Each cell in an organism possesses its own protein factories known as ribosomes. Every second, these enzyme complexes produce new proteins with messenger molecules (mRNA) from the cell nucleus as blueprints. In order to generate as many proteins as possible at the same time, several ribosomes cluster together to form an "industrial complex" – the polysome - and read simultaneously the same messenger molecule. Scientists have now, for the first time, been able to reveal the three-dimensional structure of these complexes.

'Happiness Gap' In The US Narrows Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST The American population as a whole is no happier than it was three decades ago. But happiness inequality -- the gap between the happy and the not-so-happy -- has narrowed significantly.

Regular Sprints Boost Metabolism Posted: 27 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST A regular high-intensity, three-minute workout has a significant effect on the body's ability to process sugars. New research shows that a brief but intense exercise session every couple of days may be the best way to cut the risk of diabetes.

Concussion In Former Athletes Can Affect Mental And Physical Processes Later In Life Posted: 27 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST Researchers have found the first evidence that athletes who were concussed during their earlier sporting life show a decline in their mental and physical processes more than 30 years later.

Geoengineering Projects That Could Offset Global Warming Posted: 27 Jan 2009 09:00 PM PST The first comprehensive assessment of the climate cooling potential of different geoengineering schemes has been carried out.

Pacific People Spread From Taiwan, Language Evolution Study Shows Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST New research into language evolution suggests most Pacific populations originated in Taiwan around 5,200 years ago.

Statins May Treat Blood Vessel Disorder That Can Lead To Fatal Strokes Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST In a finding that could save thousands of lives a year, researchers have shown that a blood vessel disorder leading to unpredictable, sometimes fatal, hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, paralysis or other problems is treatable with the same statin drugs that millions of people take to control high cholesterol.

Mixing Genomics And Geography Yields Insights Into Life And Environment Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Marrying genomics and geography on a grand scale, researchers have detected often-subtle molecular changes that occur within micro-organisms living in a host of different marine environments.

Hypertension And Cholesterol Medications Present In Water Released Into St. Lawrence River Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST A study on downstream and upstream water from the Montreal wastewater treatment plant has revealed the presence of chemotherapy products and certain hypertension and cholesterol medications.

Hoarding Rainwater Could Dramatically Expand Range Of Dengue-fever Mosquito Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Ecologists have developed a new model to predict the impact of climate change on the dengue fever-carrying mosquito Aedes aegypti in Australia – information that could help limit its spread.

Remember That Time? New Study Demystifies Consumer Memory Posted: 27 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST If a vacation starts out bad and gets better, you'll have a more positive memory than if it starts out good and gets worse -- if you're asked about it right afterward.

Newborn Infants Detect The Beat In Music Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have demonstrated that two to three day old babies can detect the beat in music. This phenomenon - termed 'beat induction' - is likely to have contributed to music's origin. It enables such actions as clapping, making music together and dancing to a rhythm. Beat induction is also considered to be uniquely human. Even our closest evolutionary relatives, such as the chimpanzee and bonobo, do not synchronize their behavior to rhythmic sounds.

Gene Therapy Demonstrates Benefit In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have reported the first clinical evidence that gene therapy reduces symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an important milestone for this promising treatment which has endured a sometimes turbulent past.

Breakdown Of Barriers In Old Cells May Hold Clues To Aging Process Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Like guards controlling access to a gated community, nuclear pore complexes are communication channels that regulate the passage of proteins and RNA to and from a cell's nucleus. Recent studies offer new insights about the pores' lifespan and how their longevity affects their function.

Patients Starting Parkinson's Drug Rasagiline Earlier Do Better Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST A new study looking at the long-term effects of rasagiline on newly diagnosed patients indicates that people who began the drug earlier continued to do better than those for whom treatment was delayed six months.

Invasions By Alien Plants Have Been Mapped In European Union Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Biological invasions are one of the major threats to biodiversity and in many cases they have considerable impact on economy and human health. For their effective management it is important to understand which areas and ecosystems are at the highest risk of being invaded.

Trust Your Gut: Too Much Thinking Leads To Bad Choices Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Don't think too much before purchasing that new car or television. According to a new study, people who deliberate about decisions make less accurate judgments than people who trust their instincts.

Emperor Penguins March Toward Extinction? Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Popularized by the 2005 movie "March of the Penguins," emperor penguins could be headed toward extinction in at least part of their range before the end of the century, according to a new article.

Gene May Lead To Early Onset Of Brain Tumor Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST People with a particular gene variant may be more likely to develop brain tumors, and at an earlier age, than people without the gene, according to a new study.

Cell Phones Dangerous For Child Pedestrians, Study Finds Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychologists.

Shoulder Injuries In US High School Athletes Occur More Often In Boys Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Although shoulder injuries accounted for just 8 percent of all injuries sustained by high school athletes, shoulder injuries were relatively common in predominately male sports such as baseball (18 percent of all injuries), wrestling (18 percent) and football (12 percent). Moreover, boys experienced higher shoulder injury rates than girls, particularly in soccer and baseball/softball.

Cutting Cost Of Making Cellulosic Biofuels With New Process Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A new process to pre-treat corn-crop waste before conversion into ethanol means extra nutrients don't have to be added, cutting the cost of making biofuels from cellulose. The pretreatment process uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75 percent more efficient than when conventional enzymes alone are used. Cellulose in plants must be broken down into fermentable sugars before they can be turned into biofuel.

Rational Or Experiential? New Study Highlights Differences In Thinking Styles Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Consumers approach problems, products, and websites differently according to distinct thinking styles, says a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Danube Delta Holds Answers To 'Noah's Flood' Debate Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Did a catastrophic flood of biblical proportions drown the shores of the Black Sea 9,500 years ago, wiping out early Neolithic settlements around its perimeter? A geologist says that, if the flood occurred at all, it was much smaller than previously proposed by other researchers.

Bone Marrow Cells Help Repair Damaged Lung Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a population of mouse bone marrow cells that can contribute to repair of the injured lung. As cells expressing similar markers were identified in human bone marrow, the authors suggest that this cell population might be used therapeutically to treat individuals with diseases characterized by damage to the lining of the lungs.

Plastic Solar Cells For Portable Electronic Devices Coming Soon Posted: 27 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers are developing plastic solar cells for portable electronic devices. The prototype, a cell measuring eight square inches (50 square centimeters), is expected to achieve 8 percent efficiency and to have a lifetime of at least three years.

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