ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Mini Dinosaurs Prowled North America Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Massive predators like Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex may have been at the top of the food chain, but they were not the only meat-eating dinosaurs to roam North America, according to Canadian researchers who have discovered the smallest dinosaur species on the continent to date. Their work is also helping re-draw the picture of North America's ecosystem at the height of the dinosaur age 75 million years ago.

Shrinking In Hippocampus Area Of Brain Precedes Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT People who have lost brain cells in the hippocampus area of the brain are more likely to develop dementia, according to a study in the journal Neurology.

Measuring The Strength Needed To Move Chromosomes Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT It's about as long as the width of a human hair and only half that length across. So it's tiny -- measured in millionths of a meter -- and extremely tricky to manipulate. But the meiotic spindle plays so irresistibly important a role in separating our chromosomes during cell division that scientists are compelled to try to study it.

Genes Linked To Spinal Disc Degeneration Identified Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Lumbar disc degeneration is an uncomfortable condition that affects millions of people, but two researchers have identified some of the genes that are causing problems.

Black Sea Pollution Could Be Harnessed As Renewable Future Energy Source Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT The Black Sea harbors vast quantities of hydrogen sulfide, the toxic gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs. This noxious gas could be used as a renewable source of hydrogen gas to fuel a future carbon-free economy, according to researchers.

NCAA Men's Basketball: Odds Are, Seedings Don't Matter After Sweet 16 Posted: 17 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT A computer science expert says that a top-3 seeded team's odds of winning games past the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament are statistically no different than a coin flip.

Galactic Dust Bunnies Found To Contain Carbon After All Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Stars rich in carbon complex molecules may form at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. This discovery is significant because it adds to our knowledge of how stars form heavy elements -- like oxygen, carbon and iron -- and then blow them out across the universe, making it possible for life to develop.

DNA 'Patch' For Canine Form Of Muscular Dystrophy Developed, First Treatment For Human Muscular Dystrophy In Sight Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Using a novel genetic technology that covers up genetic errors, researchers have developed a successful treatment for dogs with the canine version of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a paralyzing, and ultimately fatal, muscle disease.

RNA: Master Regulator Of Motor Neuron Firing Discovered Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT When the Human Genome Project was complete, DNA bowed out of the limelight and gave way to RNA as a major player in genetic regulation. Now, new findings mirror this ideological shift, revealing that one of the most important physiological events in the body — the wiring of motor neurons and muscles — is regulated at the level of RNA.

Platelets Linked To Sepsis-related Organ Failure Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified a previously unknown contributor to organ failure in patients suffering from sepsis: platelets. The finding is the first time doctors have looked at and linked platelets to poor outcomes from this often fatal infection.

Ultra-thin Chip Embedding For Wearable Electronics Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Technologists have created a new 3D integration process enabling flexible electronic systems with a thickness of less than 60 micrometer. This ultra-thin chip package (UTCP) technology allows integrating complete systems in a conventional low-cost flex substrate. This paves the way to low-cost, unobtrusive wearable electronics for e.g. wearable health and comfort monitoring.

Parents Grossly Underestimate The Influence Their Children Wield Over In-Store Purchases Posted: 17 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT The influence children wield over their parents' purchase decisions at the point of sale is grossly underestimated by parents. According to a new study by consumer researchers twice as many purchases in supermarkets are triggered by children than their parents are aware of.

Climate-related Changes Affect Life On The Antarctic Peninsula Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have long established that the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming spots on Earth. Now, new research using detailed satellite data indicates that the changing climate is affecting not just the penguins at the apex of the food chain, but simultaneously the microscopic life that is the base of the ecosystem.

Stem Cells Crucial To Diabetes Cure In Mice Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT More than five years ago, scientists cured mice with type 1 diabetes by using a gene to induce liver cells to make insulin. "Now we know how it works," one of the researchers said. "The answer is adult stem cells."

Old Soles: 800-year-old Shoe Soles Yield Clues About Preservation Of Leather Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Ancient garbage can be like gold to archaeologists. During excavation of an 800-year-old trash dump in Lyon, France, scientists discovered the archaeological equivalent of golden shoe soles: A trove of leather soles of shoes, which is helping scientists understand how leather stays preserved in wet, oxygen-free environments.

Promising Data: Saving Limbs With Drug-eluting Stents Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Attempts to treat critical limb ischemia in peripheral arterial disease patients with below-the-knee angioplasty are still thwarted by restenosis (the re-narrowing of the artery at the site of angioplasty or stenting), the need for repeat treatments and the continued progression of atherosclerotic disease, leading to tissue death (gangrene) and amputation.

Controllable Rubber Trailing Edge Flap To Reduce Loads On Wind Turbine Blades Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The trailing edge of wind turbine blades can be manufactured in an elastic material that makes it possible to control the shape of the trailing edge. This will reduce the considerably dynamic loads that large wind turbine blades are exposed to during operation.

'Short-sleepers' May Develop Blood Sugar Abnormality That Can Lead To Diabetes Posted: 17 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT People who slept less than six hours a night during the work week were nearly five times more likely to develop abnormal fasting blood sugar levels over a six-year period. Impaired fasting blood glucose observed in these "short sleepers" is a possible precursor to type 2 diabetes. Researchers do not believe there is a genetic basis for their findings and hope their study leads to more research on sleep duration and its relationship to disease.

Catching The Common Cold Virus Genome Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT A new study on the virus behind nearly half of all cold infections explains how and where evolution occurs in the rhinovirus genome and what this means for possible vaccines.

New Test Predicts Whether Mild Cognitive Impairment Will Convert To Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT A test capable of confirming or ruling out Alzheimer's disease has been validated and standardized. By measuring cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of two of the disease's biochemical hallmarks -- amyloid beta42 peptide and tau protein -- the test also predicted whether a person's mild cognitive impairment would convert to Alzheimer's disease over time. The test accurately ruled out Alzheimer's disease in 95.2 percent of the subjects.

New Tool For Study Of Air Quality Developed Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a very sophisticated tool (OPANA) that evaluates the impact of the quality of air on human health with great precision.

Patients Who Gave Up Smoking Before Surgery Had Half As Many Complications Afterwards Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT 21% of smokers who received help to quit smoking had post-op problems, compared with 41% who continued smoking. Smokers who took part in the eight-week program were more than twice as likely to be smoke free at 12 months as those in the control group with better success rates if they had a high BMI or were employed.

Sending Out Internet Warnings For Outages, Viruses Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT A long-overdue internet early warning system for Europe could help the region avoid deliberate or inadvertent outages, reduce the spread of new computer viruses, and ensure continuity of services.

Pregnant With Asthma? Suspending Asthma Treatment Can Increase Risks Of Premature Birth And Hypertension, Study Suggests Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Pregnant women suffering from asthma run a greater risk of giving birth prematurely if they suspend their asthma treatments. The probability of suffering from hypertension during pregnancy also increases for women who interrupt their asthma treatment.

Mechanism Discovered For Wind Detection In Fruit Flies' Antennae Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Tiny, lightweight fruit flies need to know when it's windy out so they can steady themselves and avoid being knocked off their feet or blown off course. But how do they figure out that it's time to hunker down? Scientists have discovered that the flies have evolved a specialized population of neurons in their antennae that let them know not only when the wind is blowing, but also the direction from which it is coming.

Malaria Immunity Trigger Found For Multiple Mosquito Species Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have for the first time identified a molecular pathway that triggers an immune response in multiple mosquito species capable of stopping the development of Plasmodium falciparum-the parasite that causes malaria in humans.

'Map Of Science' Shows Scientists' Virtual Trails Through Online Services Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have produced the world's first Map of Science -- a high-resolution graphic depiction of the virtual trails scientists leave behind when they retrieve information from online services.

New Role For Immune System Pathway In Post-heart Attack Inflammation Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A study has found an unexpected new link between inflammation in heart muscle following a heart attack and a previously known enzyme called calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II or CaM kinase II. The findings also reveal the involvement of an immune system gene -- complement factor B -- that has been implicated in other inflammatory diseases.

Key Events In Evolutionary History Revealed In Protein Structure Study Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study of proteins, the molecular machines that drive all life, also sheds light on the history of living organisms.

Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills Posted: 16 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Children exposed to a multi-year program of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a new study.

Atmospheric 'Sunshade' Could Reduce Solar Power Generation Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT The concept of delaying global warming by adding particles into the upper atmosphere to cool the climate could unintentionally reduce peak electricity generated by large solar power plants by as much as one-fifth, according to a new study.

Hepatitis C: Key Molecules That Inhibit Viral Production Identified Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists found a way to inhibit viral production of the Hepatitis C virus. The advance has the potential to accelerate future research on the virus life cycle and to aid in the development of novel HVC drugs.

Student-designed Device Provides New Way To Track Calorie Burning Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Students have crafted a device that allows individuals to constantly compute the amount of calories they burn -- even as they sleep.

MicroRNA-based Diagnostic Identifies Squamous Lung Cancer With 96 Percent Sensitivity Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new study shows for the first time that a microRNA-based diagnostic test can objectively identify squamous lung cancer with 96 percent sensitivity.

Electronic Amplifier Capable Of Functioning In Extreme Temperatures Developed Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Missions to space require "warm" boxes, which protect electronic circuitry from extreme temperatures and exposure to radiation. Electrical engineering researchers have now designed and successfully tested an electronic micro amplifier that can operate directly in the space environment without protection from a warm box.

Stress May Cause The Brain To Become Disconnected Posted: 16 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Does stress damage the brain? New research suggests that in learned helplessness, an animal model for depression and PTSD, stress-related reductions in synapses in the hippocampus are directly related to the emergence of depression-like behavior.

MIT Battery Material Could Lead To Rapid Recharging Of Many Devices Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT MIT engineers have created a kind of beltway that allows for the rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material, an advance that could usher in smaller, lighter batteries -- for cell phones and other devices -- that could recharge in seconds rather than hours.

Hyperbaric Treatment For Autism Reports Significant Clinical Improvements Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism has reportedly led to improvements in the condition, though previous studies were uncontrolled. Now is the first controlled trial to report clinical improvements.

Cancerous Kidney Removed Through The Naval Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Physicians have removed a kidney from a woman diagnosed with kidney cancer, through a single opening. This is the first operation of this type carried out in Spain and one of very few performed throughout the world. Recovery time is reduced by half and the surgical results are far better than those of conventional laparoscopy.

Random Network Connectivity Can Be Delayed, But With Explosive Results, New Study Finds Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A trio of mathematicians studying random networks has provided new evidence that connectivity can be appreciably delayed, but only at a cost. When it finally occurs, the transition is virtually instantaneous, like a film of water abruptly crystallizing into ice.

Work Stress Associated With Adverse Mental And Physical Health Outcomes In Police Officers Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Exposure to critical incidents, workplace discrimination, lack of cooperation among coworkers and job dissatisfaction correlated significantly with perceived work stress among urban police officers, according to a new study. Work stress was significantly associated with adverse outcomes, including depression and intimate partner abuse.

Young Dinosaurs Roamed Together, Died Together Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT A herd of young birdlike dinosaurs met their death on the muddy margins of a lake some 90 million years ago, according to a team of Chinese and American paleontologists that excavated the site in the Gobi Desert in western Inner Mongolia. The sudden death of the herd in a mud trap provides a rare snapshot of social behavior.

Not Enough Vitamin D In The Diet Could Mean Too Much Fat On Adolescents Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Too little vitamin D could be bad for more than your bones; it may also lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say.

Leatherback Turtle Threatened By Plastic Garbage In Ocean Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Leatherback turtles, the most widely distributed reptiles on Earth, are threatened with extinction themselves, in large part due to the carelessness of humans. A professor addresses the threat of plastics to this endangered species. Since leatherbacks prefer eating jellyfish, it's widely believed they mistake bags or other plastics for their meals.

Steroid Doping Tests Ignore Vital Ethnic Differences In Hormone Activity Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Current steroid (testosterone) doping tests should be scrapped for international sport, because they ignore vital ethnic differences in hormone activity, suggests research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Biofilms: Even Stickier Than Suspected Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers find evidence for evolution in a single-species biofilm, a type of bacterial colony known to resist antibiotics and clog medical devices. Older cultures tend to be hardier.

Scientists Predict Click-through Behavior In Web Searches Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT In the world of search engines, clicks mean cash, and in a sluggish economy, companies can benefit by maximizing click-throughs to their Web sites from search engines.

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