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Geologists Map Rocks To Soak Carbon Dioxide From Air Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST A new report points to an abundant supply of carbon-trapping rock in the US that could be used to help stabilize global warming.

Muscular Dystrophy: Stem Cell Breakthrough Gives New Hope To Sufferers Of Muscle-wasting Diseases Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST An experimental procedure that dramatically strengthens stem cells' ability to regenerate damaged tissue could offer new hope to sufferers of muscle-wasting diseases such as myopathy and muscular dystrophy, according to researchers. The world-first procedure has been successfully used to regrow muscles in a mouse model, but it could be applied to all tissue-based illnesses in humans such as in the liver, pancreas or brain.

Stem-cell Genes That Help Form Plant Organs Identified Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST Biologists have identified all the genes expressed in the stem cells of Arabidopsis, a mustard-like plant that is a model for studying plant biology. The achievement paves the way to developing better varieties of crops and plants. Besides revealing the molecular pathways that stem cells employ, the discovery also can help scientists better understand why stem cells -- in both plants and animals -- give rise to specialized cells at all.

Influence Of 'Obesity Gene' Can Be Offset By Healthy Diet Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST Children who carry a gene strongly associated with obesity could offset its effect by eating a low energy density diet, according to new research.

Climate Change Affecting Europe's Birds Now, Say Researchers Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST Climate change is already having a detectable impact on birds across Europe, according to new research. They have shown a strong link between recent population changes of individual species and their projected future range changes, associated with climate change, among a number of widespread and common European birds, including the goldfinch and the lesser spotted woodpecker.

Visual Cues Help People Understand Spoken Words Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PST Seeing the lip and face movements as a person speaks can improve your understanding of spoken words by as much as sixfold, according to researchers.

Assembling Cells Into Artificial 3-D Microtissues, Including A Tiny Gland Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Chemists have developed a way to assemble cells into 3-D microtissues and even tiny glands, much like snapping together toy building blocks to make a simple machine. Such microtissues could serve as niches for studying how cells, such as stem cells, work together. Or they could be assembled into larger structures as artificial, implantable organs.

Novel Pandemic Flu Vaccine Effective Against H5N1 In Mice Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Virus-like particles offer a chicken egg-free method of producing influenza vaccines. Immunization with virus-like particles effectively protects mice from H5N1 influenza and could be an attractive mode of vaccination in humans.

Diversity Of Birds Buffer Against West Nile Virus Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists studying West Nile virus have shown that more diverse bird populations can help to buffer people against infection. Since the virus first spread to North America it has reached epidemic proportions and claimed over 1,100 human lives.

Children With Hypertension Have Trouble With Thinking, Memory Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Children with high blood pressure are not as good at complicated, goal-directed tasks, have more working memory problems and are not as adept at planning as their peers without hypertension, according to recent research. If they are both hypertensive and obese, they are also more likely to have anxiety and depression.

Chemists Create Two-armed Nanorobotic Device To Maneuver World's Tiniest Particles Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Chemists have developed a two-armed nanorobotic device that can manipulate molecules within a device built from DNA.

Autonomous Robot Dancer Identifies Dance And Music In Intelligent Manner Posted: 06 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Built from a simple Lego NXT kit, a new student-built robotic system can identify different types of dance and music in an intelligent independent manner. The next step is to create and manage choreography between humanoid robots.

Glow, Little E. Coli: Making Luminous Bacteria Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered how to make a strain of E. coli glow under fluorescent light. The technique could eventually be used to track down all sorts of pathogens and even help in the fight against breast cancer.

Brain Protein May Be Target For Fast-acting Antidepressants Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST It takes weeks or months for the effect of most antidepressants to kick in, time that can feel like an eternity to those who need the drugs the most. But new research suggests that a protein called p11, previously shown to play a role in a person's susceptibility to depression, activates a serotonin receptor in the brain known for producing a rapid antidepressant response. If scientists could develop drugs to target this receptor, they might produce an effect in as little as two days.

Milkweed Oil Tapped For Sunscreen And Other Products Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST Common milkweed is the only food source of monarch butterfly caterpillars. But for some farmers, the plant is also a valuable source of floss that can be harvested for use as a hypoallergenic filler for high-end pillows, comforters and jacket linings.

New Formula Could Set Universal Standard For Monitoring Chronic Kidney Disease In Children Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST Children with chronic kidney disorder are often subjected to radioactivity and a large number of blood draws when clinicians measure how well their kidneys are functioning. This process is also time-consuming and costly. A new formula has been developed that accurately estimates the level at which children's kidneys are working using height, gender and measuing variables from just a small sample of blood.

Ultracold Gas Mimics Ultrahot Plasma Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST A low density, ultra-cold gas cloud behaves strikingly similar to a dense, very hot plasma. Both are near perfect fluids.

Diagnosis Of 'War-zone Disorder' To Help Stroke Victims Posted: 06 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PST The recovery of some stroke victims, those who suffer brain hemorrhage, could be vastly improved if they were tested and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, a distressing psychological condition more commonly known to affect soldiers who have fought in war zones.

Seven New Species Of Deep-sea Coral Discovered Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists identified seven new species of bamboo coral in the deep waters of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Six of these species may represent entirely new genera, a remarkable feat given the broad classification a genus represents. Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues.

Newly Discovered Gene Plays Vital Role In Cancer Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Gene p53 protects against cancer and is usually described as the most important gene in cancer research. However, scientists have now shown that a previously unknown gene, Wrap53, controls the activity of p53. As the regulation mechanism is relatively unexplored, the study opens up new routes to solving the mystery of cancer.

Algal Toxin From Mussels Synthesized Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Chemists have synthesized an algal toxin that accumulates in mussels. This may help develop a method to detect the toxin in these molluscs before they are served up for human consumption.

Aneurysms Don't Occur Earlier In Second Generation Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST People whose parents or aunts and uncles have had a brain aneurysm are more likely to have one themselves, indicating that genetic risk factors passed down by generation are responsible. Prior studies had suggested that aneurysm ruptures affect the offspring or second generation as much as 20 years younger than older generations. A new study shows that may not be the case.

Forget The Freezer: Novel Way To Control Water Behavior Using Nanometer-sized Spaces Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers may be able to "freeze" water into a solid, not by cooling but by confining it to narrow spaces less than one-millionth of a millimeter wide. It's more than a neat trick -- a deeper understanding of how thin films of water behave in nanometer-sized spaces may help advance numerous scientific endeavors, including the development of new energy sources, pharmaceuticals and self-cleaning surfaces.

Young British Armed Forces Ex-servicemen At Increased Risk Of Suicide Posted: 06 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Young men who have served in the British Armed Forces are up to three times more likely to take their own lives than their civilian counterparts.

Seeking Earth-like Planets: NASA's Kepler Mission Set For Launch Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST NASA's Kepler mission to seek other Earth-like planets is undergoing final preparations for liftoff Friday, March 6, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars in habitable zones -- regions where water could pool on the surface of the planets. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.

Scientists Block Immune Cell Rush Behind Deadly Sepsis Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers have found a way to block the ability of white blood cells to sprint toward the sites of infection when such speed worsens the damage done by sepsis, the often fatal, whole-body bacterial infection, according to a new study. The results recommend existing drugs as potential new treatments against sepsis, and suggest improvements in the current treatment that would increase its effect while eliminating a treatment-related risk for internal bleeding.

Paradigm Shift In MRI Detection Results In Broad Images, Crystal Clear Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST Unconventional thinking led a PhD student to make a discovery that could revolutionize MRI. He succeeded in exciting and imaging nuclear magnetic resonance in the human body by propagating electromagnetic waves.

Take 2: What Protein And Where It Is Located Are Important For Drug Design Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST Drugs that target a single signaling pathway that drives tumor development and/or progression have been developed successfully to treat a few forms of cancer.

Lake Michigan Fish Populations Threatened By Decline Of Tiny Creature Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST The quick decline of a tiny shrimp-like species, known scientifically as Diporeia, is related to the aggressive population growth of non-native quagga mussels in the Great Lakes, say scientists. As invasive mussel numbers increase, food sources for Diporeia and many aquatic species have steadily and unilaterally declined.

Women With Diabetes Before Or During Pregnancy At Significantly Increased Risk Of Postpartum Depression Posted: 05 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PST Pregnant women and new mothers who have diabetes have nearly double the chances of experiencing postpartum depression compared to those without diabetes. Researchers analyzed data from over 11,000 low income mothers in New Jersey. Approximately 1 in 10 of these women who had diabetes developed depression in the year following delivery.

Scientists Expose 'Buried' Fault That Caused Deadly 2003 Quake In Bam, Iran Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Using satellite radar data, NASA-funded scientists have observed, for the first time, the healing of subtle, natural surface scars from an earthquake that occurred on a "buried" fault several miles below the surface-a fault whose fractures are not easily observed at Earth's surface.

Experimental Vaccine Protects Animals From Deadly Ebola Virus; May Prove Effective In Developing The First Human Vaccine Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Protection against Ebola, one of the world's deadliest viruses, can be achieved by a vaccine produced in insect cells, raising prospects for developing an effective vaccine for humans, according to new research.

Historic Sample Of Bomb-grade Plutonium Discovered Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists in Washington state are reporting the surprise discovery of the oldest known sample of reactor-produced bomb-grade plutonium, a historic relic from the infancy of America's nuclear weapons program. Their research also represents the first demonstration of how radioactive sodium can be used as a tool in nuclear forensics.

As Obesity Epidemic Spreads, More Patients Feel It In Their Bones And Joints Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Common sense suggests that extra body weight severely stresses bones and joints. This higher, unprecedented level of obesity in the U.S. has affected the number of total hip replacements, implanted to restore mobility and relieve the chronic pain of hip degeneration.

Genome Sequencing Of Fungus May Lead To Improved Bioethanol Production From Wood Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered the mechanisms with which certain types of fungus attacks wood in order to use the cellulose contained within. These results are important for designing processes using wood to produce bioethanol.

Heart Hazards Of Woeful Wives Posted: 05 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PST Women in strained marriages are more likely to feel depressed and suffer high blood pressure, obesity and other signs of "metabolic syndrome," a group of risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, psychologists found. The same study found men in strained marriages also are more likely to feel depressed, yet -- unlike women -- do not face an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

Captive Bred Black Tiger Prawns Lack Lust, 'Prawnography' Shows Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST A researcher has filmed hours of prawn "sex tapes" to find out why prawns bred in captivity did not go on to breed well.

Rocket Aims For Cheaper Nudges In Space; Plasma Thruster Is Small, Runs On Inexpensive Gases Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Satellites orbiting the Earth must occasionally be nudged to stay on the correct path. Scientists are developing a new rocket that could make this and other spacecraft maneuvers much less costly, a consideration of growing importance as more private companies start working in space.

Immune Cells From Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Have Prematurely Aged Chromosomes Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Telomeres are the structures that cap the ends of a cell's chromosomes. Their proper maintenance is important for preventing cancer and premature aging. White blood cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a deficiency in maintaining their telomeres, leading to the cells' premature aging and a loss of discriminatory power for the immune system.

Musicians Have Biological Advantage In Identifying Emotion In Sound Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Looking for a mate who in everyday conversation can pick up your most subtle emotional cues? Find a musician, scientists say. They have provided biological evidence that musical training enhances the ability to recognize emotion in sound. "Quickly and accurately identifying emotion has implications in all arenas of interpersonal communication, whether in the predator-infested jungle or classroom, boardroom or bedroom," said a study co-author.

Cochlear Implant Surgery Is Safe For The Elderly, Study Suggests Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Contrary to conventional medical wisdom, a new study shows that healthy elderly patients with severe to profound hearing loss can undergo a surgical procedure to receive cochlear implants with minimal risk.

Frog's Immune System Is Key In Fight Against Killer Virus Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered how changes to a frog's immune system may be the key to beating a viral infection which is devastating frog populations across the UK.

Do Doodle: Doodling Can Help Memory Recall Posted: 05 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PST Doodling while listening can help with remembering details, rather than implying that the mind is wandering as is the common perception. According to a new study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, subjects given a doodling task while listening to a dull phone message had a 29 percent improved recall compared to their non-doodling counterparts.

Schizophrenia Could Be Caused By Faulty Signaling In Brain Posted: 05 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Schizophrenia could be caused by faulty signaling in the brain, according to new research published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. In the biggest study of its kind, scientists looking in detail at brain samples donated by people with the condition have identified 49 genes that work differently in the brains of schizophrenia patients compared to controls.

Can Parasitic Hookworms Help In Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis? Posted: 05 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists will study the potential health benefits of parasitic worms as part of a study investigating treatments for people with the autoimmune condition multiple sclerosis (MS).

Potential On-off Switch For Nanoelectronics Posted: 05 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have shown that electrical resistance through a molecular junction -- a nanometer scale circuit element that contacts gold atoms with a single molecule -- can be turned "on" and "off" simply by pushing and pulling the junction. This feature has potential for being used as a switch in future nanoscale electronic devices.

Artificial Disc Replacement As Good Or Better Than Spinal Fusion Surgery, Study Suggests Posted: 05 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Spine surgeons are reporting that artificial disc replacement works as well and often better than spinal fusion surgery. The two procedures are performed on patients with damaged discs in the neck.

Self-digestion As A Means Of Survival Posted: 05 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST In times of starvation, cells tighten their belts: they start to digest their own proteins and cellular organs. Biochemists, cell biologists and geneticists have just come up with an explanation as to how autophagosomes know exactly which proteins and organelles they should degrade.

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