ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Better Artificial Nose Inspired By Sniffer-dogs Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST For the sensitive work of detecting explosives and drugs in airports and other high-risk areas, humans have long relied on a marvel of evolutionary biology: the sniffer dog. The canine nose can detect a seemingly infinite range of odors, alone and in combination, at concentrations down to the parts per trillion level.

Shades Of 1918? Comparing Avian Flu With A Notorious Killer From The Past Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists compared the recent avian strain known in the scientific community as H5N1, with genetic ressortants of the 1918 virus -- source of the most severe influenza pandemic in recorded history. H5N1 was found to replicate profusely within the first 24 hours, causing severe damage to respiratory tissues while sending the host's innate immune response into a lethal overdrive, reminiscent of the trajectory of the original 1918 virus.

Inuit Trails Represent Complex Social Network Spanning Canadian Arctic Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Inuit trails are more than merely means to get from A to B. In reality, they represent a complex social network spanning the Canadian Arctic and are a distinctive aspect of the Inuit cultural identity. And what is remarkable is that the Inuit's vast geographic knowledge has been passed through many generations by oral means, without the use of maps or any other written documentation.

Tailor-made Recombinant Proteins In Mammals Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST "Aldehyde tags" are used to label proteins in bacterial recombinant-DNA systems -- and now in proteins that can only be expressed by mammalian systems. While some recombinant drugs like insulin are made in bacterial systems, most have to be produced by mammalian cells. Aldehyde tags direct chemical modifications to specific sites on proteins, including monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics important in the pharmaceutical industry.

Volcanic Spreading And Lateral Variations In Structure Of Olympus Mons, Mars Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST The immense Olympus Mons volcano on Mars (about 23 km tall and 600 km wide) exhibits a somewhat lopsided structure: elongated to the northwest, shortened to the southeast, with corresponding types of faulting (extensional and compressional, respectively) prevalent in each sector.

Pre-verbal Number Sense Common To Monkeys, Babies, College Kids Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists are studying how human adults and infants, lemurs, and monkeys think about numbers without using language. One researcher is looking for the brain systems that support number sense and trying to figure out how this cognitive skill develops.

Climate Change Likely To Be More Devastating Than Experts Predicted, Warns Top IPCC Scientist Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Without decisive action, global warming is likely to accelerate at a much faster pace and cause more environmental damage than predicted, says Stanford scientist Chris Field, a leading member of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Field warns that higher temperatures could ignite tropical forests and melt the Arctic tundra, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gas that could raise temperatures even more -- a vicious cycle that could spiral out of control.

New Data Suggest 'Jumping Genes' Play A Significant Role In Gene Regulatory Networks Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST New research suggests that mobile repetitive elements -- also known as transposons or "jumping genes" -- do indeed affect the evolution of gene regulatory networks.

How Deadly Fungus Protects Itself Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered how a deadly microbe evades the human immune system and causes disease. The study may help scientists develop new therapies or vaccines against infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. These fungal infections occur most commonly in those with compromised immune systems ý especially AIDS patients and transplant patients who must take lifelong immunosuppressive therapy.

Ways To Minimize Tinnitus -- Troublesome Noises In The Ears Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Ringing, whining, whistling, hissing or whooshing. Any of those sounds in one or both ears when there is no external noise present could be a sign of tinnitus.

Researchers Dig Through Millennia In The Valley Of The Kings Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST The first field season is now over at the hut village of the workmen who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. However, the archaeologists working on the excavation have found that they still have a great deal to do. The sun, the wind and tourists have left their mark on the village, originally discovered by Bernard Bruyère in 1935.

It's Hard Work That Fosters Responsibility In Teen Programs Posted: 15 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers surveying more than 100 high schoolers involved in 11 different summer and after-school programs find that it's not the fun and games of these programs but the tough tasks -- those that ask young people to make sacrifices and do difficult things for the good of the group -- that are most likely to foster responsibility and self-discipline. In fact, many respondents spontaneously reported that developing responsibility was a goal of their participation in these programs.

Micro RNA Plays A Key Role In Melanoma Metastasis Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have long wondered how melanoma cells travel from primary tumors on the surface of the skin to the brain, liver and lungs, where they become more aggressive, resistant to therapy, and deadly. Now, scientists have identified the possible culprit -- a short strand of RNA called microRNA that is over-expressed in metastatic melanoma cell lines and tissues.

‘Wake Up’ To Health Risks Of Heavy Snoring Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Heavy snoring can be far from a nuisance. It can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where an individual briefly stops breathing during the night which raises the risk of heart failure and strokes.

Plan Offers Guidance For Evaluating Menopause-like Condition In Girls And Young Women Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST A comprehensive plan to help health care professionals diagnose and treat primary ovarian insufficiency -- a menopause-like condition affecting girls and young women that may occur years before normal menopause is expected -- has been developed.

White-nose Kills Hundreds Of Bats Near Abandoned Mines In Pennsylvania Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Several hundred little brown bats are dead from White-Nose Syndrome in Lackawanna County, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking to residents for help uncovering other sites where this deadly disorder may have surfaced.

Amid Rising Childhood Obesity, Preschoolers Found To Be Inactive Posted: 15 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST A study of children enrolled at 24 community-based preschool programs finds that preschoolers are inactive for much of their preschool day, with 89 percent of physical activity characterized as sedentary. The study also finds that teachers very rarely encourage children to be more physically active. Based on these findings, there may be more of a need for preschool teachers to organize, model and encourage physical activity.

Cupid's Arrow May Cause More Than Just Sparks To Fly This Valentine's Day Posted: 14 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Getting struck by Cupid's arrow may very well take your breath away and make your heart go pitter patter this Valentine's Day, reports an expert. Dopamine creates feelings of euphoria while adrenaline and norepinephrine are responsible for the pitter patter of the heart, restlessness and overall preoccupation that go along with experiencing love.

Radioimmunotherapy: Promising Treatment For HIV Infection And Viral Cancers Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Scientists have piggybacked antibodies onto radioactive payloads to deliver doses of radiation that selectively target and destroy microbial and HIV-infected cells. The experimental treatment -- called radioimmunotherapy, or RIT -- holds promise for treating various infectious diseases, including HIV and cancers caused by viruses.

Biofuels Boom Could Fuel Rainforest Destruction, Researcher Warns Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Farmers across the tropics might raze forests to plant biofuel crops, according to new research. "If we run our cars on biofuels produced in the tropics, chances will be good that we are effectively burning rainforests in our gas tanks," she warned.

Mixed Population Provides Insights Into Human Genetic Makeup Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Genetic diseases and genetically mixed populations can help researchers understand human diversity and human origins according to a physical anthropologist.

Virtual Games Players Stick Close To Home Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Researchers have analyzed a "gold mine" of networking data from EverQuest II, a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game, along with a survey of 7,000 players. Their findings include that many players underestimate the amount of time they spend playing the games, the number of players who say they are depressed is disproportionately high -- and surprisingly -- most people played with people in their general geographic area.

Molecules Self-assemble To Provide New Therapeutic Treatments Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST By tailoring peptide amphiphiles, small synthetic molecules, and combining them with other molecules, researchers can make a wide variety of structures that may provide new treatments for medical issues including spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Combining the PA molecules with hyaluronic acid, a biopolymer found in the human body in places like joints and cartilage, resulted in an instant membrane structure in the form of self-assembling sacs.

Could Nanotechnology Make An Average Donut Into Health Food? Posted: 13 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST European food companies already use nanotechnology in consumer products, but few voluntarily inform consumers. "The promise of nanotechnology," a Dutch scientist said, "is that it could allow re-engineering ingredients to bring healthy nutrients more efficiently to the body while allowing less-desirable components to pass on through."

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