ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Fossil Fragments Reveal 500-million-year-old Monster Predator Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Hurdia victoria was originally described in 1912 as a crustacean-like animal. Now, researchers reveal it to be just one part of a complex and remarkable new animal that has an important story to tell about the origin of the largest group of living animals, the arthropods.

Early Detection Of Second Breast Cancers Halves Women’s Risk Of Death Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT The first reliable evidence has been found that early detection of subsequent breast tumours in women who have already had the disease can halve the women's chances of death from breast cancer. According to the research, if the second breast cancer was picked up at its early, asymptomatic stage, then the women's chances of survival were improved by between 27-47% compared to women whose second breast cancer was detected at a later stage when symptoms had started to appear.

New Organic Material May Speed Internet Access; Telecom Breakthrough Mimics The Settling Snow Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT The next time an overnight snow begins to fall, take two bricks and place them side by side a few inches apart. In the morning, the bricks will be covered with snow and barely discernible. What you will see resembles a phenomenon that, when it occurs at the smallest of scales on an integrated optical circuit, could hasten the day when the Internet works at superfast speeds.

New Technology Opens Gateway To Studying HIV-specific Neutralizing Antibodies Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new research endeavor has assembled a group of state-of-the-art techniques for the first time to study the phenomenon of natural antibody-mediated HIV neutralization. The project demonstrates how this system can isolate dozens of HIV-specific antibodies from a single HIV-infected individual, something never accomplished before.

Yeast Biology Yields Insights Into Human Knowledge Expansion Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT How does human knowledge expand over time? Intriguing as the question is, it's not easy to investigate, due to the difficulty of measuring knowledge and its spread.

Is Parenting A Joy Or A Trial? Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT An economist is claiming that the idea that parenting makes us happy is an illusion. He offers an explanation to one of the most surprising conclusions of recent research into well-being -- that having children does not increase our level of happiness.

Finding Twin Earths Is Harder Than Thought Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Does a twin Earth exist somewhere in our galaxy? Astronomers are getting closer and closer to finding an Earth-sized planet in an Earth-like orbit. NASA's Kepler spacecraft just launched to find such worlds. Once the search succeeds, the next questions driving research will be: Is that planet habitable? Does it have an Earth-like atmosphere? Answering those questions will not be easy.

Ticking Of Body's 24-hour Clock Turns Gears Of Metabolism And Aging Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Our internal 24-hour clock or circadian rhythm creates a daily oscillation of body temperature, brain activity, hormone production and metabolism. Now researchers report finding how the biological circadian clock mechanism communicates with processes that govern aging and metabolism.

New View Of Oceanic Phytoplankton Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Oceanographers describe a novel strategy for phytoplankton growth in the vast nutrient-poor habitats of tropical and subtropical seas.

Alzheimer's Disease Therapeutic Prevents Long-term Damage From TBI In Pre-clinical Studies Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT A class of Alzheimer's disease drugs currently studied in clinical trials appears to reduce damage caused by traumatic brain injury in animals, researchers report.

What Flies And Worms Have In Common Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, compared the proteomes of two different multi cellular organisms. They found surprising correlations between two animals that, at first sight, couldn't be more different.

Contrary To Widely Held Beliefs, Romance Can Last In Long-term Relationships, Say Researchers Posted: 21 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Romance does not have to fizzle out in long-term relationships and progress into a companionship/friendship-type love, a new study has found. Romantic love can last a lifetime and lead to happier, healthier relationships.

Not All Bats Land The Same Way Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have documented for the first time how bats land. The results are surprising: not all bats land the same way. The findings could offer new insights into how the second-largest order of mammals evolved.

New Insights Into Parkinson's Disease And Possible Treatments Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have used light to illuminate how the treatment works, generating surprising insights into the diseased circuitry and also suggesting new ideas to improve Parkinson's therapy.

New Tracking Tags Are Providing Fish-eye Views Of Ways To Manage Depressed Fisheries Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT New tracking and observing technologies are giving marine conservationists a fish-eye view of conditions, from overfishing to climate change, that are contributing to declining fish populations, according to a new study.

Kidney With Tumor Removed Through Vagina Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT A kidney with a tumor was removed through the patient's vagina. The operation lasted 220 minutes followed by a two day hospital stay. The patient experienced no complications and was discharged from the hospital with no visible abdominal scar.

Computerized Female Form For Designers Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers in Japan have turned to mathematics to build a computerized 3-D model of the female trunk that could help lingerie and other clothes designers make more sensuous, comfortable and better fitting product ranges.

Grand Prizes Might Help Induce Sports 'Hot Streaks' Posted: 21 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Dangling a lucrative financial carrot at the end of a professional sport season can cause certain players to exert the effort necessary to put together a string of successful performances, sometimes known in sporting circles as a "hot hand" or "hot streak."

No Hiding Place For Infecting Bacteria Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a new approach to prevent bacterial infections from taking hold. They used enzymes against products of the body's own defense cells to prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria from building a protective biofilm which enables them to avoid both the body's immune mechanisms and antibiotics.

Biodiversity Found In Unexpected Regions: More Than 200 Plant Species Found In Semi-arid Rivers In South Eastern Spain Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT The prevailing belief to date has been that the streams of south eastern Spain contained nothing of interest. However, environmental researchers have shown that these ecosystems, which are unique in Europe, are home to great plant and animal biodiversity.

New Measure For Malignancy Of Melanoma Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A growth factor which promotes the formation of new blood vessels in a tumor indicates disease progression in malignant melanoma. Besides its effect on vascular wall cells, the growth factor also increases the malignant properties of the cancer cells themselves.

Engineers Crack Ceramics Production Obstacle Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT New computer-aided 'predictive technology' has potential to save industry time, money and reduce wastage.

Low To Moderate, Not Heavy, Drinking Releases 'Feel-good' Endorphins In The Brain Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists know that alcohol affects the brain, but the specifics are unclear. New findings show that low and moderate but not high doses of alcohol increase the release of beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin release produces a general feeling of well-being that reinforces the desire to drink.

Plant Biologists Discover Gene That Switches On 'Essence Of Male' Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Biologists have completed a new study into plant sex -- and discovered that a particular gene switches on 'the essence of male'. The study takes to a new level understanding of the genes needed for successful plant reproduction and seed production.

Immune Cells Play Surprising Role In Cystic Fibrosis Lung Damage Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Immune cells once thought to be innocent bystanders in cystic fibrosis may hold the key to stopping patients' fatal lung disease. New findings show that white blood cells called neutrophils respond strongly to conflicting signals from cystic fibrosis patients' lungs, setting up a molecular fracas that may explain the patients' severe lung damage.

Byzantine Period Church With Beautiful Mosaics Discovered Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT A church that dates to the Byzantine period which is paved with breathtakingly beautiful mosaics and a dedicatory inscription was exposed in an archaeological excavation.

Prion Discovery Gives Clue To Control Of Mass Gene Expression Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT The discovery of a new yeast prion may provide clues on whether prions, like proteins, can affect mass activation of gene expression.

Stainless Steel Replaces Platinum In Hydrogen Producing Microbial Electrolysis Cells Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Platinum is highly desired in jewelry and as a catalyst, but in both cases it is expensive. Now, researchers have found a way to replace the platinum catalyst in their hydrogen generating microbial electrolysis cells with stainless steel brushes without losing efficiency.

Moderate Obesity Takes Years Off Life Expectancy Posted: 20 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new analysis of almost one million people from around the world has shown that obesity can trim years off life expectancy. Moderate obesity, which is now common, reduces life expectancy by about 3 years, and that severe obesity, which is still uncommon, can shorten a person's life by 10 years. This 10 year loss is equal to the effects of lifelong smoking.

New Human Genetic Link To High Levels Of 'Good' Cholesterol Posted: 20 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, helps eliminate excess "bad" cholesterol that might otherwise block arteries. As such, individuals with high plasma HDL cholesterol levels have a decreased risk of coronary artery disease. Researchers now show that mutations in the LIPG gene, which codes for the enzyme endothelial lipase, result in high plasma HDL cholesterol levels, providing important human genetic evidence that inhibition of endothelial lipase is likely to raise "good" cholesterol levels.

Earth Science: Lithosphere Deformed And Fractured Under Indian Ocean Much Earlier Than Previously Thought Posted: 20 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT The discovery by Indian and British scientists that the Earth's strong outer shell -- the 'lithosphere' -- within the central Indian Ocean began to deform and fracture 15.4--13.9 million years ago, much earlier than previously thought, impacts our understanding of the birth of the Himalayas and the strengthening of the Indian-Asian monsoon.

Preventing Blood Clots With Drug From Magnolia Trees Posted: 20 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new drug derived from magnolia trees appears to be able to uncouple two important functions of thrombin in blood clot formation and may offer a way to better control the potentially dangerous complications of bleeding and clot formation during procedures to open blocked coronary arteries, say researchers.

Fledgling Mantle Plume May Be Cause Of African Volcano's Unique Lava Posted: 20 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Nyiragongo, an active African volcano, possesses lava unlike any other in the world, which may point toward its source being a new mantle plume says a geochemist. The lava composition indicates that a mantle plume -- an upwelling of intense heat from near the core of the Earth -- may be bubbling to life beneath the soil of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Cognitive Decline Begins In Late 20s, Study Suggests Posted: 20 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study indicates that some aspects of peoples' cognitive skills -- such as the ability to make rapid comparisons, remember unrelated information and detect relationships -- peak at about the age of 22, and then begin a slow decline starting around age 27.

Giant Solar Twists Discovered Posted: 20 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have made a finding that will help us to understand more about turbulent solar weather and its affect on our planet. The researchers have detected giant twisting waves in the lower atmosphere of the Sun.

Liquid Saltwater Is Likely Present On Mars, New Analysis Shows Posted: 20 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Salty, liquid water has been detected on a leg of the Mars Phoenix Lander and therefore could be present at other locations on the planet, according to analysis by a group of mission scientists. This is the first time liquid water has been detected and photographed outside the Earth.

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