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Humans And Chimpanzees Genetically More Similar Than One Yeast Variety Is To Another Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST There may be greater genetic variation between different yeasts of the same species than between humans and chimpanzees. This is one of the findings of a new study. This study heralds a new era in evolutionary genetics research -- the mapping of an individual's DNA.

Vigorous Exercise May Help Prevent Vision Loss Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Vigorous exercise may help prevent both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to a pair of studies that tracked approximately 31,000 runners for more than seven years.

World’s Oldest Swan Found Dead In Denmark Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST What was probably the world's oldest mute swan has been found dead in Denmark. This unusual example of Denmark's national bird lived to just past the ripe old age of 40. The previous record for a mute swan was 28 years old.

New Surgical Technique Shows Promise For Improving Function Of Artificial Arms Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST A surgical technique known as targeted muscle reinnervation appears to enable patients with arm amputations to have improved control of functions with an artificial arm, according to a new study.

New Cancer Research Tool: Tool Analyzes Function Of Crucial Set Of Proteins In Animals Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists have developed a new tool that enables them to analyze the function of a crucial set of proteins in animals --- a finding that could lead to a host of better drugs for and deeper insights into the workings of cancer.

Tracking The Digital Traces Of Social Networks Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Researchers have studied the massive online virtual world Second Life to test whether or not certain social theories are true. Having access to huge amounts of data gave them a way to answer how networks are created. Searching through anonymized data from Teen Grid, where only teenage players can socialize, the researchers found that teens' online friendships were disproportionately with people in their immediate geographic area -- likely with people they already knew.

When It Comes To Elephant Love Calls, The Answer Lies In A Bone-shaking Triangle Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST An ecologist has been studying elephant communication for more than 15 years. During that time she's puzzled over which or their two seismic sensing systems -- either bone conduction or somatosensory reception -- elephants use most often in locating the source of a call. In her most recent field season last summer, she finally got an answer.

New Genomic Test Can Personalize Breast Cancer Treatment Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST A set of 50 genes can be used to reliably identify the four known types of breast cancer, according to new research. Using this 50-gene set, oncologists can potentially predict the most effective therapy for each breast tumor type and thereby personalize breast cancer treatment for all patients.

Cheap Roses Cost The Earth Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST A stark warning was given by a U.K. expert on high ecological price paid for cheap roses.

Ongoing Statin Therapy Associated With Lower Risk Of Death Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Patients with high cholesterol levels who continually take statins appear to have a lower risk of death over four to five years, regardless of whether they already have diagnosed heart disease, according to a new report.

Public Funding For Specialty Crops Inadequate, Research Suggests Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, have become increasingly important compared to other categories of agriculture in the United States over the past 50 years. These crops have continued to grow in production value, but this growth has not been matched by growth in public agricultural research spending.

Social Support During Breast-feeding Helps Humans Have More Children Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST The fact that human mothers have support from family while they're breast-feeding may be a key strategy that enables humans to reproduce more rapidly than other primates, new research suggests. Social support helps mothers conserve energy in a way that allows their bodies to prepare for their next pregnancy.

Wildlife Salute Valentines Day Of Their Own Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST While they might not be giving roses and writing love poems, wildlife have some pretty fascinating -- and sometimes downright bizarre -- courtship and mating rituals of their own.

Camouflaging Of Viral DNA Could Be Crucial Step In Progression Of Cancers Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Fifteen percent of cancers can be linked to a viral infection. However, the biological changes that cause some asymptomatic carriers of a virus to develop malignancies are not well understood. In a new study, scientists mapped a chemical modification of DNA in Epstein-Barr, human papilloma and hepatitis B viruses and found that the viral genomes undergo changes during the progression of disease, with implications for new prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Education And Money Attract A Mate; Chastity Sinks In Importance Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST This Valentine's Day, researchers have some new answers to the perennial question of what men and women want in a partner.

Talking And Treating Erectile Dysfunction Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST The conversation about male sexual dysfunction has grown from a whisper to a roar. From Bob Dole to Mike Ditka, erectile dysfunction, or ED, is no longer hush-hush as more men are talking more openly.

Continuous Descent Arrivals: Atlanta Flight Test Evaluates Technique For Saving Fuel And Reducing Noise In Airliners Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Airline passengers arriving in Atlanta on early morning "redeye" flights during the past few months may have noticed something different during their descent to the runway. Instead of the typical sound of engine power rising and falling as the aircraft descended in a series of level flight steps, they may have noticed a quieter arrival -- without the steps.

New Happiness Research Demonstrates When Material Items Are The Best Option Posted: 14 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST It matters whether you give your loved one a material gift or an experience for Valentine's Day, say researchers.

Hamsters On Treadmills Provide Electricity Through Use Of Nanogenerators Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Could hamsters help solve the world's energy crisis? Probably not, but a hamster wearing a power-generating jacket is doing its own small part to provide a new and renewable source of electricity.

Targeted Immune Cells Shrink Tumors In Mice Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers have generated altered immune cells that are able to shrink, and in some cases eradicate, large tumors in mice. The immune cells target mesothelin, a protein that is highly expressed, or translated in large amounts from the mesothelin gene, on the surface of several types of cancer cells. The approach shows promise in the development of immunotherapies for certain tumors.

Spaniards Prefer Love To Be Passionate, Study Shows Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Spaniards of all ages, in the main, have a "romantic" conception of love. They see it as an irresistible passion, which involves great intimacy and a strong physical attraction, which is classified as "Eros" love. Far fewer of them view the sentiment as a lasting commitment based on closeness, friendship, companionship and affection (amiable or "storge" love), a model which is more common in the north of Europe.

Computerized Writing Aids Make Writing Easier For Persons With Aphasia Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST New research shows that it is possible to improve writing skills for those with aphasia with the aid of computerized writing aids.

Exposure To Ash From TVA Spill Could Have 'Severe Health Implications' Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists who analyzed water and ash samples from last month's coal sludge spill in eastern Tennessee concludes that "exposure to radium- and arsenic-containing particulates in the ash could have severe health implications" in the affected areas.

Smokers Putting Their Loved Ones At Risk Of Heart Attacks Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST New research shows that people living with someone who smokes continue to be at risk of the harmful effects of passive smoking.

Penguins Marching Into Trouble Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Magellanic penguins, like most other species of the flightless birds, are having their survival challenged by wide variability in conditions and food availability, a biologist has found.

Anti-HIV Gel Shows Promise In Large-scale Study In Women Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST An investigational vaginal gel intended to prevent HIV infection in women has demonstrated encouraging signs of success in a clinical trial conducted in Africa and the United States.

Particulate Matter From California Wildfires Is More Toxic Than Particulate Matter In Ambient Air Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST A study of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM) generated by the California wildfires of 2008 suggests a toxicity level greater than that of an equivalent dose of PM in ambient air. The study adds to growing literature supporting source and component specific differences in toxicity of pollutant particles of a given size, and challenges regulators to consider toxicity as well as mass or size when regulating particle pollution.

Few Women Follow Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines Before Pregnancy Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Very few women follow the nutritional and lifestyle recommendations before they become pregnant, even when pregnancy is in some sense planned, finds a new study.

Mass Media Often Failing In Its Coverage Of Global Warming, Says Climate Researcher Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST What is wrong with reporting on global warming? "The problem is CNN just fired their science team. Why didn't they fire their economics team or their sports team?" "Why don't they send their general assignment reporters out to cover the Superbowl?" one expert said. Researchers have to do their part, too, he said, by clearly explaining issues.

Startling Numbers Of Active-military Personnel Engaging In Frequent Binge Drinking Posted: 13 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Binge drinking is common among active-duty military personnel and is strongly associated with many health and social problems, including problems with job performance and alcohol-impaired driving, according to a new study. More than 30 million binge-drinking episodes were reported in 2005.

Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies: Stars Packed Together In Early Universe A Million Times More Closely Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST In the early Universe, a newly-discovered type of galaxy, Ultra-Compact Dwarfs (UCDs) had stars packed together a million times more closely than anything we see today. Astronomers suggests that the remnants of these stars still make up most of the mass of UCDs in the present day.

Alzheimer's Prevention? New Method To Stimulate Immune System May Be Effective At Reducing Amyloid Burden In Alzheimer’s Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered a novel way to stimulate the innate immune system of mice with Alzheimer's disease -- leading to reduced amyloid deposits and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease related pathology -- without causing toxic side effects.

Cancerous Kidney Removed Through Belly Button Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Surgeons have removed a patient's diseased kidney through one incision hidden in the belly button. No other incisions were used.

Have Migraine? Bigger Waistline May Be Linked Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Overweight people who are between the ages of 20 and 55 may have a higher risk of experiencing migraine headaches, according to a new study.

Seeing The Forest And The Trees Helps Cut Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Putting a price tag on carbon dioxide emitted by different land use practices could dramatically change the way that land is used, according to new research. When all carbon emissions -- fossil fuel, industrial and land-use change emissions -- are included in a global management plan, deforestation slows and could reverse, managers place limits on the expansion of biofuels production, and emission control becomes cheaper.

Psychoactive Compound Activates Mysterious Receptor Posted: 13 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST A hallucinogenic compound found in a plant indigenous to South America and used in shamanic rituals regulates a mysterious protein that is abundant throughout the body, researchers have discovered.

Novel Quantum Effect, Quantum Spin Hall Effect, Directly Observed And Explained Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Physicists has succeeded in gaining an in-depth insight into a most unusual phenomenon. They succeeded for the first time in directly measuring the spin of electrons in a material that exhibits the quantum spin Hall effect, which was theoretically predicted in 2004 and first observed in 2007. Astonishingly, the spin currents flow without any external stimulus as a result of the internal structure of the material. The electrons mimic the presence of a magnetic field.

Second-hand Smoke May Cause Dementia Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Exposure to second-hand smoke could increase the risk of developing dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment, according to new research.

Neural Mapping Paints Haphazard Picture Of Odor Receptors Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Despite the striking aromatic differences between coffee, peppermint, and pine, a new mapping of the nose's neural circuitry suggests a haphazard patchwork where the receptors for such disparate scents are as likely as not to be neighbors. Inexplicably, this seemingly random arrangement is faithfully preserved across individuals and even species, with cells that process the same scent located in precisely the same location on the olfactory bulb, the brain's first processing station for odors.

Extra Copies Of A Gene Carry Extra Risk Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST A missing LIS1 gene causes severe mental retardation. New research shows that extra copies of LIS1 can cause developmental problems, as well.

Violent Computer Games Have Role In Fire Safety Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST The software code underlying violent computer games can be used to train people in fire safety, new academic research has found. Commercial games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 can be used to build virtual worlds to train people in fire evacuation procedures by applying the games' underlying software code, according to researchers.

Bar Workers Who Smoke Also Benefit From Smoking Ban, Study Finds Posted: 13 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST The health of bar workers, who actively smoke cigarettes, significantly improves after the introduction of a smoking ban, reveals new research.

High-tech Tests Allow Anthropologists To Track Ancient Hominids Across The Landscape Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Dazzling new scientific techniques are allowing archaeologists to track the movements and menus of extinct hominids through the seasons and years as they ate their way across the African landscape, helping to illuminate the evolution of human diets.

How Influenza Virus Hijacks Human Cells Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have now precisely defined an important drug target in influenza. A new high resolution image details a crucial protein domain that allows the virus to hijack human cells and multiply in them.

New Method Monitors Critical Bacteria In Wastewater Treatment Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique using sensors to constantly monitor the health of bacteria critical to wastewater treatment facilities and have verified a theory that copper is vital to the proper functioning of a key enzyme in the bacteria.

Marijuana Use Linked To Increased Risk Of Testicular Cancer Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular cancer. Being a marijuana smoker at the time of diagnosis was associated with a 70 percent increased risk of testicular cancer. The risk was particularly elevated (about twice that of those who never smoked marijuana) for those who used marijuana at least weekly and/or who had long-term exposure to the substance, beginning in adolescence.

Test Reveals Genetic Defect That Causes Infertility In Pigs Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST In the late 1990s the Finnish Yorkshire pig population was threatened by a genetic defect which spread at an alarming rate and led to infertility. The defective gene has now been mapped. Sequence analysis of the candidate gene KPL2 revealed the presence of an inserted retrotransposon, a DNA sequence which moves around independently in the host genome.

New Factor In Teen Obesity: Parents Posted: 13 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have found that adolescents are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day if their parents do. Contrarily, teens whose parents eat fast food or drink soda are more likely to do the same.

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