ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Evolution Of Fins And Limbs Linked With That Of Gills Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT The genetic toolkit animals use to build fins and limbs is the same one that controls the development of part of the gill skeleton in sharks. Also, the skeleton of any animal appendage is probably patterned by the developmental genetic program that regulates the formation of shark gills. This finding is consistent with an old theory, often discounted in textbooks, that fins and (later) limbs evolved from the gills of an extinct vertebrate.

Auditory Regions Of Brain Convert To Sense Of Touch, Hearing Loss Study Finds Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that adult animals with hearing loss actually re-route the sense of touch into the hearing parts of the brain.

Swimming Pool Game 'Marco Polo' Used To Develop Robot Control Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have used a popular kids swimming pool game to guide their development of a system for controlling moving robots that can autonomously detect and capture other moving targets.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk Of Advanced Prostate Cancer Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Omega-3 fatty acids appear protective against advanced prostate cancer, and this effect may be modified by a genetic variant in the COX-2 gene, according to a report in Clinical Cancer Research.

Inorganic Chameleon Show Promise In Energy And Nano Research Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT The multifaceted material perovskite could be of benefit in three key applications: fuel cells, gas separation prior to the storage of carbon dioxide and nanocomponents in electronic products. Consequently, the material can be of significance to both energy systems of the future and the development of nanoelectronics, according to new research.

Listening To Pleasant Music Could Help Restore Vision In Stroke Patients, Suggests Study Posted: 25 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Patients who have lost part of their visual awareness following a stroke can show an improved ability to see when they are listening to music they like, according to a new study.

Deep-sea Corals May Be Oldest Living Marine Organism Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Deep-sea corals from about 400 meters off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands are much older than once believed and some may be the oldest living marine organisms known to man. Researchers have determined that two groups of Hawaiian deep-sea corals are far older than previously recorded.

Vaccine To Prevent Colon Cancer Being Tested In Patients Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have begun testing a vaccine that might be able to prevent colon cancer in people at high risk for developing the disease. If shown to be effective, it might spare patients the risk and inconvenience of repeated invasive surveillance tests, such as colonoscopy, that are now necessary to spot and remove precancerous polyps.

Lab-on-a-chip Homes In On How Cancer Cells Break Free Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Engineers have invented a method to help figure out how cancer cells break free from neighboring tissue, an "escape" that can spread the disease to other parts of the body.

New Theoretical Model Of Tumor Growth And Metastasis Based On Differences In Tissue Pressure Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new article describes a theoretical model of tumor growth and metastasis based on differences in tissue pressure.

Scientists Cable Seafloor Seismometer Into California's Earthquake Network Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Earthquake monitoring stations are almost always on land, but what about the 70 percent of the Earth's surface under water? California's first permanent seafloor seismic station has now been linked real-time into the Northern California seismic network, allowing scientists to get a more complete picture of the state's fault system -- especially the San Andreas Fault, which runs along the coast.

New View Of The Way Young Children Think Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT For parents who have found themselves repeating the same warnings or directions to their toddler over and over to no avail, new research offers them an answer as to why their toddlers don't listen to their advice: they're just storing it away for later.

Brain Wave Patterns Can Predict Blunders, New Study Finds Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Everyone makes an occasional error due to lack of attention. Now scientists have found a distinct electric signature in the brain which predicts that such an error is about to be made. The discovery could prove useful in a variety of applications, from developing monitoring devices that alert air traffic control operators that their attention is flagging, to devising and monitoring new strategies to help children cope with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

To Fight Drug Addiction, Researchers Target The Brain With Nanoparticles Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT A precise, new nanotechnology treatment for drug addiction may be on the horizon. Scientists have developed a stable nanoparticle that delivers short RNA molecules in the brain to "silence" or turn off a gene that plays a critical role in many kinds of drug addiction.

Device Provides Household Energy Savings of 12% Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new device, which disconnects electronic appliances in stand-by mode and reduces their power consumption to zero, will provide household energy savings of 12%.

Protein Is Key To Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Investigators have learned that a protein called Shp2 plays a critical role in the pathways that control decisions for differentiation or self-renewal in both human embryonic stem cells and mouse embryonic stem cells.

Tobacco Makes Medicine Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Tobacco isn't famous for its health benefits. But now scientists have succeeded in using genetically modified tobacco plants to produce medicines for several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes.

Codeine Use And Accident Risk Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT The risk of being involved in a traffic accident with personal injury is significantly higher among codeine users than non-users. However, sporadic or moderate use of codeine alone does not carry an increased risk, according to a new study from Norway.

Earliest Evidence Of Domesticated Maize Discovered: Dates Back 8,700 Years Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Maize was domesticated from its wild ancestor more than 8,700 years according to biological evidence uncovered by researchers in the Mexico's Central Balsas River Valley. This is the earliest dated evidence -- by 1,200 years -- for the presence and use of domesticated maize.

Intensively Lowering Blood Glucose In Critically Ill Patients Increases The Risk Of Death, Trial Finds Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The current practice of intensively lowering blood glucose in critically ill patients increases the risk of death by 10 percent. Results of the largest trial of intensive glucose lowering in critically ill patients indicate that international clinical guidelines need urgent review.

Electronic Nose Sniffs Hazards Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT An advanced sensor and data processing used to monitor air quality inside space station is now being used in an innovative fire protection system for Stockholm's metro system.

Preterm Birth Rate Drops Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The rate of preterm births (less than 37 weeks gestation) dropped to 12.7 percent in 2007 from 12.8 percent in 2006, a small but statistically significant decrease. the March of Dimes hopes the finding will prove to be the start of a new trend in improved maternal and infant health. The preterm birth rate declined for babies born at 34-36 weeks gestation (late preterm) and among babies born to African American and white women.

Taking The Conversation Inside: Enhancing Signals In Cell Interior Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists used to think most of the exchange of information between cells was conducted at the surface, where cell receptors receive signals from other cells. Now researchers have discovered how a switching station beneath the cell surface is crucial to processing signals from outside the cell.

Extensive Patient Sharing Among Hospitals Could Impact Spread Of Infectious Diseases Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT A renowned research expert on infectious disease and epidemiology has released a new study on patient sharing and how to track and prevent the spread of infectious disease.

'Master Regulator' Of Skin Formation Discovered Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have found one gene in the human body that appears to be a master regulator for skin development, in research that could help address everything from skin diseases such as eczema or psoriasis to the wrinkling of skin as people age.

Epilepsy: Seizures Caused By Intractable Epilepsy Reduced By More Than 50 Percent Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT A unique nerve-stimulation treatment called trigeminal nerve stimulation reduced the number of seizures over 50 percent. The results, though preliminary, are very encouraging.

Cancer Medication? Potential Tumor Suppressor Identified Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT The Myc-gene plays an important role in cell regulation; in about 50% of all tumors this gene is mutated. Scientists have shown that the gene BASP1 specifically inhibits the effect of this oncogene, thereby preventing uncontrolled cell growth which is typical for tumors.

Regulatory Molecule For Tumor Formation Or Suppression Identified Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT One of the small regulatory molecules, named microRNA-125b, is a novel regulator of p53, an important protein that safeguards cells against cancers, scientists report.

Pilot Study Shows Effectiveness Of New, Low-cost Method For Monitoring Hand Hygiene Compliance Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Epidemiologists and computer scientists have created a new low-cost, green technology for automatically tracking the use of hand hygiene dispensers before healthcare workers enter and after they exit patient rooms. This novel method of monitoring hand hygiene compliance will help with the essential priority of infection control in hospitals.

Black Girls Are 50 Percent More Likely To Be Bulimic Than White Girls Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT An important new study challenges the widespread perception that bulimia primarily affects privileged, white teenagers such as "Gossip Girl" character Blair Waldorf, who battled bulimia on a television show earlier this season. Rather, girls who are African American are 50 percent more likely than girls who are white to be bulimic, the researchers found.

AAAS, Leading Texas Scientists Urge State Board To Reject Anti-evolution Effort Posted: 24 Mar 2009 09:00 PM PDT Leading members of the Texas scientific community, in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), have urged the Texas State Board of Education to reject amendments to the state's draft science standards that would undermine sound science teaching.

Genetic Clues Hold Key To Schizophrenia Treatment Posted: 24 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study has found that a gene called DISC1 -- known to play a role in the development of mental illness -- may control the way some patients respond to psychiatric medication.

In Horse Play, Adult-to-young Ratio Is Key Posted: 24 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Adults of many animal species play a crucial role in the social development of youngsters. A new study reveals that the ratio of adults to young plays a much more important role in social development than the mere presence of adults.

The Notch Gene Accelerates Colon Carcinogenesis Posted: 24 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists recently discovered how the Notch gene is involved in the pathogenic process leading to colon cancer. The Notch and Wnt signaling pathways play an important role in normal gut development and homeostasis. In mice, abnormal activation of these two signaling pathways increases the number of benign tumors—adenomas in the intestine by a factor of over twenty compared with activation of the Wnt pathway alone.

Gene Decides Whether Coral Relative Will Fuse Or Fight Posted: 24 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT When coral colonies meet one another on the reef, they have two options: merge into a single colony or reject each other and aggressively compete for space. Marine scientists have now found a gene that may help to decide that fate.

Differences In Neighborhood Food Environment May Contribute To Disparities In Obesity Posted: 24 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers examined the association of neighborhood food environments and "walkability" with body mass index and obesity in New York City and found that a higher density of BMI-healthy food outlets is associated with a lower BMI and lower prevalence of obesity.

Flying Car Takes Wing: Invention Makes Its First Test Flights Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT A prototype of what is being touted as the world's first practical flying car took to the air for the first time this month, a milestone in a project started four years ago by students in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Frankincense Oil -- A Wise Man's Remedy For Bladder Cancer Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Originating from Africa, India and the Middle East, frankincense oil has been found to have many medicinal benefits. Now, an enriched extract of the Somalian Frankincense herb Boswellia carteri has been shown to kill off bladder cancer cells. New research demonstrates that this herb has the potential for an alternative therapy for bladder cancer.

Mighty Diatoms: Global Climate Feedback From Microscopic Algae Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Tiny creatures at the bottom of the food chain called diatoms suck up nearly a quarter of the atmosphere's carbon dioxide, yet research suggests they could become less able to "sequester" that greenhouse gas as the climate warms. The microscopic algae are a major component of plankton living in puddles, lakes and oceans.

Genetic Markers For Aggressive Head And Neck Cancer Identified Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have identified genetic markers that signal poor outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. These findings could one day lead to a genetic test that could help select or predict successful treatment options for patients with this type of cancer.

New Idea Jells Into Potential New Disease-detection Method Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Relying on principles similar to those that cause Jell-O to congeal into that familiar, wiggly treat, researchers are devising a new method of detecting nitric oxide in exhaled breath.

Computer Learning, Electrical Stimulation Offer Hope For Paralyzed Posted: 24 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Trainers have used it for decades to help athletes build muscle. Late-night TV commercials hawk it as an effortless flab buster. But an engineering researcher says electrical stimulation -- a simple, decades-old technique to prompt muscles to contract -- can be combined with sophisticated computer learning technology to help people regain more precise, more life-like control of paralyzed limbs.

Triceratops Was A Social Animal, Group Of Dinosaur Fossils Suggests Posted: 24 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Discovering three juvenile Triceratops deposited together in the badlands of Montana is providing new information about this group of ceratopsid dinosaurs: they may have engaged in social behavior for a portion of their life or under certain circumstances.

No Early Mortality Benefit From Annual Prostate Cancer Screening, U.S. Study Shows Posted: 24 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT The prostate cancer screening tests that have become an annual ritual for many men don't appear to reduce deaths from the disease among those with a limited life-expectancy, according to early results of a major US study involving 75,000 men.

New Mathematical System Helps To Cut Bus Journey Times Posted: 24 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A research team in Spain has designed a system to reduce the time spent waiting at bus stops in the city, as well as the length of bus journeys. The method, which could be applied to other locations, is based on a mathematical strategy known as "taboo search."

PSA Screening Cuts Deaths By 20 Percent Posted: 24 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Screening for prostate cancer can reduce deaths by 20 percent, according to the results of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer. ERSPC is the world's largest prostate cancer screening study and provides robust, independently audited evidence, for the first time, of the effect of screening on prostate cancer mortality.

Carbon Nanotubes Are Superior To Metals For Electronics, According to Engineers Posted: 24 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT In the quest to pack ever-smaller electronic devices more densely with integrated circuits, nanotechnology researchers keep running up against some unpleasant truths: higher current density induces electromigration and thermomigration, phenomena that damage metal conductors and produce heat, which leads to premature failure of devices. But researchers who study electronics packaging recently made a pleasant discovery.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of ScienceDaily: Latest Science News in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610