ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Sexual Reproduction: Birds Do It, Bees Do It; Termites Don't, Necessarily Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have shown for the first time that it is possible for certain female termite "primary queens" to reproduce both sexually and asexually during their lifetimes. The asexually produced babies mostly grow to be queen successors -- so-called "secondary queens" -- that remain in the termite colony and mate with the king. This produces large broods of babies without the dangers of inbreeding, as secondary queens have no genes in common with the king.

Drinking Very Hot Tea Can Increase The Risk Of Throat Cancer Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT People are advised to wait a few minutes before drinking a cup of freshly-boiled tea today as a new study finds that drinking very hot tea (70 degrees C or more) can increase the risk of cancer of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Hollow Gold Nanospheres Show Promise For Biomedical And Other Applications Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new metal nanostructure has already shown promise in cancer therapy studies and could be used for chemical and biological sensors and other applications as well. The hollow gold nanospheres have a unique set of properties, including strong, narrow and tunable absorption of light.

Environmental Cleaning Intervention Reduces Transmission Of Multidrug-resistant Organisms In ICUs Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study presents hospital cleansing methods to reduce spread of infectious diseases such as MRSA and VRE.

Underground Subatomic-particle Measurements Yield Meteorological Clues Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT When high-energy cosmic rays interact with molecules in the atmosphere, they produce muons, negatively charged elementary particles that can be detected at ground level or underground. The rate of these muons detected by underground detectors has been found to correlate strongly with temperature changes in the upper air.

Visual Learners Convert Words To Pictures In The Brain And Vice Versa, Says Psychology Study Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology, a new study reveals that people who consider themselves visual learners, as opposed to verbal learners, have a tendency to convert linguistically presented information into a visual mental representation. The opposite also appears to be true from the study's results.

Crabs Not Only Suffer Pain, But Retain Memory Of It Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT New research has shown that crabs not only suffer pain but that they retain a memory of it. The study looked at the reactions of hermit crabs to small electric shocks.

Smokers May Have Increased Risk Of Pancreatitis Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic pancreatitis, according to a new article. In addition, the risk of developing the disease may be higher in those who smoke more.

Climate And Habitat Diversity Affect Variety Of Animal Species In Spain Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT The Iberian Peninsula is one of the richest regions of Europe in terms of animal biodiversity. Spanish researchers have shown that the variation in terrestrial vertebrate diversity in Spain is influenced above all by climate.

New Protein Important In Breast Cancer Gene's Role In DNA Repair Identified Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new study has identified genes associated with the BRCA1 protein and their involvement in the DNA repair pathway, helping to clear the way for researchers to better understand what goes wrong when the BRCA1 gene is mutated and the repair pathway goes haywire. Identifying patients with mutations in these BRCA1-associated genes may help better fight breast cancer.

Airborne Acid May Help Soot Turn Into Cloud Seeds Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Carbon soot aerosols from combustion of fossil fuels and forest fires directly influence the Earth-atmosphere heat balance by absorbing sunlight. Fresh soot particles repel water and hence have little effect on properties and lifetimes of clouds. As soot particles age, they are thought to undergo a weathering process that allows them to absorb water, potentially transforming particles into cloud condensation nuclei.

Structure More Effective In High School Science Classes, Study Reveals Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Self-led, self-structured inquiry may be the best method to train scientists at the college level and beyond, but it's not the ideal way for all high school students to prepare for college science. That's according to findings of a new study.

Airborne Dust Reduction Plays Larger Than Expected Role In Determining Atlantic Temperature Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The recent warming trend in the Atlantic Ocean is largely due to reductions in airborne dust and volcanic emissions during the past 30 years, according to a new study.

Missing Or Mutated 'Clock' Gene Linked To Vascular Disease Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The circadian clocks that set the rhythmic motion of our bodies for wakeful days and sleepy nights can also set us up for vascular disease when broken.

Proteins From Garden Pea May Help Fight High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers in Canada are reporting that proteins found in a common garden pea show promise as a natural food additive or new dietary supplement for fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. Those potentially life-threatening conditions affect millions of people worldwide.

Stem Cell Administration Study Demonstrates Improved Quality Of Life For Patients Suffering From Spinal Cord Injury Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists are reporting the safety and feasibility of a new acute and chronic spinal cord injury treatment platform. Their study demonstrates that administering adult autologous bone marrow derived stem cells via multiple routes is feasible, safe, and most importantly, improves the quality of life for both acute and chronic spinal cord injury patients.

New Tool Differentiates Artificial From Natural Nitrogen-oxide Pollution Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, which are produced by lightning, biomass burning, and soil outgassing, are converted into atmospheric nitrate through oxidation reactions. Nitrogen oxide, itself a pollutant, controls the production of ozone, which in turn is a greenhouse gas and a pollutant at ground levels. Atmospheric nitrate contributes to the load of atmospheric particulate matter and, along with sulfate, to acid rain.

Education Slowing AIDS In Sub-Saharan Africa Posted: 28 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Increased schooling across sub-Saharan Africa may be lowering new HIV infections among younger adults, according to sociologists, suggesting a shift in a decades-long trend where formal education is considered an AIDS risk factor.

New Research Highlights Dramatically Reduced Risk Of Developing Dementia Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT People with memory problems are less at risk of developing dementia than previously thought, a new study reveals.

Recipe For Dog Bite Injuries: Kids, Dogs And Warm Weather Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT If you and your child are romping in the park or enjoying a stroll on a warm spring day and a dog approaches, be ultra vigilant. Children, warm weather, and dogs, even family dogs, don't mix well, according to a new study.

Biopsy Of Recurrent Breast Cancer Can Alter Treatment Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT For women with recurrent breast cancer, the treatment the doctor chooses is usually based on the properties of their original breast cancer.

What's Driving Specific Patterns Of Gene Expression Among Cell Types? Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Providing another tool to help to understand gene regulation on a global scale, a nationwide research team has identified and mapped 55,000 enhancers, short regions of DNA that act to enhance or boost the expression of genes. The map will help scientists understand how cells control expression of genes specific to their particular cell type.

Good Dog/Bad Dog: Geriatrician Notes Dangers Of Pet-Related Falls Posted: 27 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT "Falling all over" a pet usually refers to indulging or pampering a four-legged companion, but a new report shows that many Americans, particularly the elderly, are falling over their dogs and cats literally... and hurting themselves.

Face Recognition: The Eyes Have It Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Our brain extracts important information for face recognition principally from the eyes, and secondly from the mouth and nose, according to a new study. This result was obtained by analyzing several hundred face images in a way similar to that of the brain.

Alarming New Data Shows TB-HIV Co-infection A Bigger Threat Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT The World Health Organization released staggering new data about the threat of tuberculosis and the toll it takes on people with HIV/AIDS March 24, in recognition of World TB Day.

Carbonated Oceans Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT The loading of carbon dioxide into oceans is a consequence of fossil fuel use that has only begun to be widely recognized as problematic in the past decade. Its subsequent effects on seawater chemistry have the potential to spread ecological disaster to a variety of industries dependent on the seas.

3-D Snapshots Of Eyes Reveal Details Of Age-related Blindness Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT To get a better look at the abnormalities that cause age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in Americans and Europeans over 50, researchers have created ultra-detailed 3-D images of the eyes of more than 2,000 people from different ethnic groups, 400 of whom have AMD.

New Technique Used To Profile Anthrax Genome Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have used a new approach, known as RNA-Seq, to profile the gene expression of the bacterium that causes anthrax. Their study marks the first time any bacterial transcriptome has been comprehensively defined, and provides a much more detailed view of how bacteria regulate their gene expression.

Retired National Football League Linemen Have High Incidence Of Sleep Apnea Posted: 27 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Sleep disordered breathing, also known as sleep apnea, is highly prevalent among retired National Football League players, and particularly in linemen. This study, involving 167 players, adds to the growing body of research examining the relationship between sleep apnea and heart disease, the investigators say.

Nanoparticles In Cosmetics, Personal Care Products May Have Adverse Environmental Effects Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Using aquatic microbes as their "canary-in-a-cage," scientists from Ohio are reporting that nanoparticles now being added to cosmetics, sunscreens, and hundreds of other personal care products may be harmful to the environment.

Molecular Fingerprints Point The Way To Earlier Cancer Diagnosis And More Targeted Treatment Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Metabolites are molecular fingerprints of what your cells are up to and researchers wants to know the impression made by cancer.

One Quarter Of The World’s Population Depends On Degrading Land Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study attempts for the first time to measure the extent and severity of land degradation across the globe and concludes that 24% of the land area is degrading -- often in very productive areas. Land degradation -- the decline in the quality of soil, water and vegetation -- is of profound importance but until now there have been no consistent global data by which to assess its extent and severity.

Road Map For Elimination Of Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Central line-associated bloodstream infections fell by more than 90 percent during the past three years at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania due to a novel, multi-pronged approach.

Hormone-mimics In Plastic Water Bottles Act As Functional Estrogens Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Plastic packaging is not without its downsides, and if you thought mineral water was "clean," it may be time to think again. According to new research, plastic mineral water bottles contaminate drinking water with estrogenic chemicals. Substances leaching out of plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogens.

Public Transit Users Three Times More Likely To Meet Fitness Guidelines Posted: 27 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study suggests taking public transit may help you keep fit.

Proteins By Design: Biochemists Create New Protein From Scratch Posted: 27 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Using design and engineering principles learned from nature, a team of biochemists have built -- from scratch -- a completely new type of protein. This protein can transport oxygen, akin to human neuroglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in the brain and peripheral nervous system. Some day this approach could be used to make artificial blood for use on the battle field or by emergency-care professionals.

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